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The Gothic aspect of the setting is very much in the
literary tradition of the word. Gothic literature paints
a world of anachronisms, barbarism, decay, madness,
and a romanticized history that never existed. In the
ultramodern context of Vampire, we see it in the
churches whose spires soar skyward, in the avarice and
treachery of the wealthy who enjoy great comfort, in
the crumbling architecture of the cities and the way
nature reclaims the places forgotten or abandoned by
men. A tenement erected at the turn of the 20th century,
fronted by dingy, fluted columns and infested with
squatters, is a neo-gothic rookery. A merciless millionaire’s
estate on the edge of town is a modern castle, as
is his lavish penthouse in the bustling district where
mortals go to dance and drug away their cares. A mad
priest offers succor to those members of his flock tormented
by “monsters,” the ivy-choked cemetery where
velvet-clad sensualists recite poetry and seduce the
shades of the departed, the graffiti-tagged warehouse
docks where the skinheads torment their victims: All
of these and more are hallmarks of the modern gothic
experience.
Punk, on the other hand, refers to the context in
which people experience their world. It’s about anger,
about getting in someone’s face and saying “No
more.” It’s about refusing to be ignored and stepping
on some motherfucker’s toes to get your point across.
As a result, conflict is everywhere, from the gang wars
that plague the streets to the self-serving movements
in the back rooms of governments and corporations. It
runs in scale from the clash of cultures where domains
overlap to the desperate, personal struggle of a mother
who can’t afford to feed her crying child or the struggle
between a junkie and his drug of choice. Rebellion is
everywhere, and just living another day to spit in the
face of what the long-shadowed World of Darkness has
to offer is an act of defiance. Everyone opposes something,
and the punk element of the setting is the dramatic
fulfillment of that opposition.
Ultimately, you will decide the details the Gothic-
Punk ambience of your vampire stories. The setting
may pale in importance to the narrative events of your
chronicle, or the city and its components may become
like a character themselves. Whatever the case, your
vampires are a product of their environment, and every
scene you and your troupe describe reflects this.