1900–1915 – Capitol Fire, Fall of the Lords of Madison
🜂 1900–1915: Ashes of the Old, Flames of the Pact
“The fire burned more than stone—it burned through the Veil.”
— Gwydion Kelly, Order of Hermes
🕯️ 1900 – Arrival of the Lords of Madison
- Fleeing the Anarch Brujah rebellions on the West Coast, a trio of Kindred calling themselves the Lords of Madison arrive, hoping to dominate the growing city.
- Their presence destabilizes Madison’s Kindred ecology. Tensions rise between:
- Tremere, who claim magical sovereignty,
- Garou, who warn of the thin blood line endangering the land, and
- Hermetic Mages, already wary of overlapping paradigmsWoD History of Madtown ….
🔥 1904 – The Capitol Fire & Fall of the Lords
- A gas explosion ignites a massive blaze in the State Capitol. Officially blamed on infrastructure, the supernatural cause is far more complex:
- A Baali ritual to weaken the Capitol Node was underway.
- A Tremere adept attempted to counter it and was killed.
- The Lords of Madison attacked a lone Garou—but were ambushed and destroyed by a pack led by Otto Wolfgang and aided by Umbra-born spirits.
- The fire becomes a paradox storm, tearing open the Gauntlet and allowing Spectres to cross over.
- This tragedy sparks the formation of the Gahara Pact—a rare and fragile truce between Mages, Werewolves, Kindred, and Wraiths to prevent another such catastropheWoD History of Madtown ….
🕊️ 1906–1909 – Stabilization and Seeds of Renewal
- Jay Dee and senior Hermetic leaders begin rebuilding New Avalon, using stabilized node links to repair damage from the fire.
- The Sons of Ether gain a permanent seat on the Council of Nine. Madison becomes a center for Technomantic research, especially in automata and pre-digital computation.
- Sara Greenberg is born in 1909 to Rebecca Greenberg, a widow who manages a local twine mill. Sara becomes a symbolic figure of future Worker-chantry solidarity and early labor mysticismWoD History of Madtown ….
🛰️ Technocracy & Shadow Intrusion
- The Technocratic Union, newly modernized under Queen Victoria’s vision of Enlightened Control, attacks various strongholds across Madison, but is repelled by a united front of Traditions, notably:
- The Order of Hermes (led by Jay Dee and young Gwydion Kelly),
- The Dreamspeakers (who act through intermediary spirits),
- And newly arrived Ahl-i-Batin and Taftani mages, who bolster defenses through layered Correspondence spellsWoD History of Madtown ….
- Around this time, a Yahwie (an entity known to hunt Ananasi) travels from Australia to hunt spider-shifters hiding in Madison, briefly opening a Wyrm-tainted Shadow Zone near the Yahara RiverWoD History of Madtown ….
🗝️ Summary of Early 1900s Themes in Madison
| Theme | Impact |
| The Capitol Fire (1904) | Occult conflict sparks destruction; Baali ritual meets Garou vengeance. |
| Formation of the Gahara Pact | Creates lasting political truce among supernaturals. |
| Rise of Gwydion Kelly | Becomes key Order of Hermes figure; begins artifact retrieval missions. |
| Technocracy Threatens | Unified Traditions repel incursion; NWO retreats underground. |
| Wyrm-Linked Entities Stir | Yahwie, Spectres, and Baali show growing Wyrm interest in the Node. |
🔮 Prehistoric & Mythic Eras
10–20 Billion BCE – The Big Bang and the Triat Begins
3.5–4 Billion BCE – Emergence of Life and Spirits on Earth
400 Million BCE – Ananasa Diversifies Insects
360 Million BCE – The Spider Spirit is Born
150 Million BCE – Age of Kings and Mokole Civilization
65 Million BCE – Fall of the Drachid Form and Age of Kings
2.5–1.75 Million BCE – Humanity Adopted by Weaver, Creation of Garou
100,000–10,000 BCE – Diaspora, Banestorm, War of Shame
🏺 Ancient History
6000 BCE – Sealing of the Nameless (First Binding)
5000 BCE – Fracture of the First Seal
4000 BCE – Rise of Babylon, Druidic Magick, First Shadow Tensions
3000 BCE – First Breach Attempt, Wounded Anchors
2000 BCE – Nephandi Almost Free the Nameless
1000 BCE – Third Fire Renewal by Croatan
🏛️ Classical to Early Medieval
1 CE – Dream of the Hollow Mask, Sentinel Appears
1000 CE – Silent Confluence and Renewal of the Third Seal
1634–1836 CE – Indigenous Stewardship, Colonial Spiritual War
🏙️ Modern Madison Founded
1836 – Madison Founded atop the Third Anchor
1860s – Civil War, Camp Randall Necromantic Spillover
1890s – Technocratic Assaults, Gahara Pact Forms
🔥 20th Century Events
1900–1915 – Capitol Fire, Fall of the Lords of Madison
1914–1920 – WWI, New Avalon Echo, Sabbat Probes
1920–1939 – Prohibition, Syndicate Rise, Madtown Mage Cabal Forms
1940–1949 – WWII, Truax Field Founded, Nephandi Rituals
1950–1959 – Kindred–Garou War, Cold War Occult Espionage
1960–1969 – Civil Rights Awakening, Hollow One Expansion, Malkavian Prophecy
1970–1979 – Olbrich Alliance, Sabbat Incursion, Eclipse Ritual
1980–1985 – Digital Web War, Capitol Murders, Nameless Awakens
🎭 Current Campaign Start
February 1985 – Opening Night: Madtown by Night Begins