View source for February 1985 – Opening Night: Madtown by Night Begins


== 🕯️ <code>February 1985 – Opening Night: Madtown by Night Begins</code> ==
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=== Overview ===
February 1985 marks the '''opening night''' of the ''Madtown by Night'' chronicle and the beginning of a new chapter in Madison’s occult history. The '''Third Anchor''', long strained, is now on the edge of collapse. The '''Capitol Node pulses erratically''', and supernatural factions are scrambling to either stabilize it—or exploit its unraveling.
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=== Key Events ===

==== 🩸 '''The Capitol Murders (Feb 9, 1985)''' ====

* '''Seven mortals''', '''a Garou''', and a '''Kindred''' are found ritually murdered inside or near the Wisconsin State Capitol.
* Victims are arranged in '''geometric patterns''' tied to '''Wyrm-based sigils''' and '''Nephandic entropy glyphs'''.
* This act reopens the '''fracture in the Third Seal''', sending spiritual shockwaves across the city.

==== 🧠 '''The Chorus Fracture''' ====

* '''Lea Goodwin''' initiates emergency rites with the '''Celestial Chorus''', but the influx of corrupted resonance causes a '''resonance feedback'''.
* One Chorus member is lost to '''Paradox-induced madness''', screaming prophecies in Enochian.

==== 🧛 '''Kindred Upheaval''' ====

* '''Tori Redford''', Anarch Gangrel and de facto Prince, is '''assassinated''' in her haven by unknown forces.
* The '''Camarilla''' sees an opportunity to reclaim dominance. A new '''Primogen Council''' begins to form around '''Victor King (Ventrue)''' and '''Michael Kruger (Tremere)'''.
* '''Lulu Turner (Lasombra)''' vanishes from the city’s political stage, taking her Hollow One ally '''Lacy Z. Rivere''' with her—rumored to be preparing a response from the shadows.

==== 🐺 '''Garou Fragmentation''' ====

* With '''William Burke (Silver Fang)''' killed during the Capitol Murders, tribal unity collapses.
* '''Donnie (Bone Gnawer)''' and '''Morning Song (Silver Fang)''' attempt to preserve the '''Gahara Pact''', but distrust runs rampant.
* '''Peter Kobyla''' emerges as a possible successor—but whispers of '''Wyrm-taint''' shadow him.

==== 💻 '''The Digital Breach''' ====

* '''Abel Washington (Virtual Adept)''' detects a surge in corrupted resonance pulsing through '''New Eden''', the digital anchor tied to the Capitol Node.
* '''Digi-8''', the AI guardian of the Node’s Web-Lattice, begins acting erratically—sending '''Dream-encoded warnings''' to a handful of Awakened mages.

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=== Faction Status ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Faction
!Status
|-
|'''Order of Hermes'''
|On high alert. Jay Dee returns from Dreamwalking stasis.
|-
|'''Celestial Chorus'''
|Spiritually fractured, trying to stabilize the Node.
|-
|'''Verbena & Fae'''
|Withdrawing into Olbrich Gardens to protect the Freehold.
|-
|'''Euthanatos'''
|Quietly executing “probability adjustments” across city lines.
|-
|'''Technocratic Union'''
|Echo Node 13 reactivates emergency surveillance protocols.
|-
|'''Nephandi'''
|Active. Suspected orchestrators of the murders.
|-
|'''Garou'''
|Fragmented. Arboretum Caern is wounded but holding.
|-
|'''Kindred'''
|Power vacuum. Anarchs scattered. Camarilla resurgence underway.
|-
|'''Hollow Ones'''
|Lacy disappears. Some splinter into Disparate enclaves.
|-
|'''Wraiths'''
|Activity near Camp Randall rising—March of the Unseen begins.
|}
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=== Metaphysical Consequences ===

* The '''Third Anchor''' binding the '''Nameless''' is now at '''47% structural resonance integrity''' (as calculated by Dreamspeakers and Etherites).
* '''Paradox storms''' flicker across Madison: streetlights blink Morse-code-like warnings; dreams cross into reality; mirrored surfaces ripple with silent watchers.
* The '''Node’s pulse''' is now detectable by even un-Awakened sensitives.

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=== Campaign Hooks for Players ===

* Investigate the '''Capitol Murders'''—who performed the ritual, and why?
* Explore '''New Eden’s broken code-lattice''', and whether Digi-8 can still be trusted.
* Help stabilize the '''Arboretum Caern''', now partially corrupted by Banes.
* Track down '''Lacy Z. Rivere''' and uncover her pact with the Lasombra.
* Choose a side in the '''Kindred power vacuum''': rebuild the Anarch dream, or join the new Camarilla order?
* Protect or exploit the '''fracturing Third Seal'''—before the Nameless fully awakens.

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Related Pages

[[Capitol Node]]

[[The Nameless – Entity File]]

[[Gahara Pact]]

[[Digi-8 and New Eden]]

[[Tori Redford (Deceased)]]

[[Lacy Z. Rivere]]

[[Echo Node 13 (Technocracy Surveillance)]]

[[Arboretum Caern]]

[[Opening Ritual of the Wound – 1985]]

=== 🔮 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]]

[[1883 – Baali Capitol Collapse]]

[[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]]

=== 🗂️ See Also ===

[[Major Characters]]

[[Supernatural Factions of Madison]]

[[Capitol Node History]]

[[New Avalon (Horizon Realm)]]

[[Nameless – Entity File]]

[[Gahara Pact – Founding Accord]]