Secrets in Shadows

**Secrets in Shadows (SinS)** is an urban fantasy game which more closely mirrors traditional folklore and world history. The premise is that the world, for a long, long time, lived in close co-existence between the natural and the supernatural. There was no ‘hidden’ world. This worked for a long, long time, especially in Europe… until the Middle Ages. The records of the Catholic Church are right. It was essentially a supernatural bloodbath.

What followed was the Enlightenment, and with it, the formation of the Secret Societies. Based on the idea of reason, rationality, and secrecy, they began changing the world in their own image. Like alchemy, they separated out the normal world and the shadow world, the supernatural and the mundane, and began work on civilizing both sides. This worked quite well for some time… but now it, too, has hit snags. The world is getting too small, information too free, to be easily controlled.

Which has led to the resurgence of the Independent Groups. Driven by the desire for freedom and a world of their own choosing, they have begun warring with the Societies. Often outnumbered by never out-passioned, they have made inroads into truly changing the world as they wish.

And in the background, feared and confronted by both, are the Inhumans. Those creatures who have no claim of humanity, and often, no desire for it. In but not of humanity as a whole, they have been pushed to the peripheries of civilization by both sides. But they still remain, and they’ve begun testing the boundaries that once hedged them in…

## The Hong Kong Adventure

Dean, a powerful mage on the run from the Societies, found a safe haven in Hong Kong. Using a mixture of magic and contacts, he found others who needed protection, and formed a group for mutual defense. This then turned to becoming a power bloc, even taking on Clodagh, a fey queen. While they started out practically penniless, they’ve managed to scratch together a new home for themselves. Everything looks like it’s going well…

But such is not to be. Ayanami (nee Matsuzaki) Suguru, the second-in-command for this group, has an evil older brother, Shigeru. He, too, has formed his own group, killing his own parents for power and resources, and now has turned his sights to Hong Kong. He wants to bring his brother home- by any means necessary- and further wants to carve out his own fiefdom in the Hong Kong underworld. He engineered the three main Triads slaughtering each other, and he’s stepping into the vacuum to take over entirely. Unchecked, he could easily do it.

Hong Kong already has someone owning it, though. That man is Roy Yaldabaoth, leader of the Independent Group known as the Silk Road -- smugglers, black marketeers, and gangsters -- and he isn’t inclined to let anyone take over his city. While he’s been smiling and playing nicely with all the newcomers, he’s starting to arrange a firm exit to all of them. Calling in favors on one hand, and on the other, arranging new enemies. The most prominent being a gang/pack of werewolves, the Red Eyes, led by Kuolang. Kuolang and Shigeru are on a collision course, and only one will come out on top.

Unfortunately for Roy, all of this chaos has drawn the attention of the Societies. Chris and his group are the tip of the spear there, using the excuse of chaos and potential civilian casualties to justify stepping in. They are individually powerful and form a powerful team -- but they are alone in a hostile city. Their goal? To prevent utter catastrophe. And they can do almost anything to make this happen…

## Creatures and Monsters

### 'Human' Types

* Heroes
* Tainted
* Mages
* Created
* Shifters
* Vampires

### Inhuman Types

* Aliens
* Celestials
* Demons
* Fey
* Jinn
* Mad Scientists
* Monsters
* Mummies
* Restless Dead
* Tenebrae
* Weirdlings

## Factions

### The Secret Societies

* Sovereign Association
* Genyosha (The Dark Ocean Society)
* Mawons
* Illuminati
* Globus Ideoger
* Harmony Society

### The Independent Groups

* Silk Road
* Les Enragés
* Nine Blades
* The Holy Orders
* The Reclamation Project
* Motmain

## Player Character Groups

* Team Dean
* Ikiryō
* Team Chris
* The Hong Yanjing (Red Eyes) Gang
* Roy's Team
* Free Agents / Unaffiliated