Before the Rent, magic was a thing of legend, stories of those Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal people. One of these was the noble Vlad Dracul. Gifted with the ability to take the life force of others, he found that he could also grant his ability to others. Traveling Europe he amassed an army. With the opening of the Rent, his army of Strigoi have expanded, incorporating not only noble and serf, but even the creatures from the Rent itself.

After the destruction of Rome and most of Italy, the Vatican has regrouped in Venice. A powerful force, it has brought the Inquisition forth in an attempt to extinguish the evil that has come through the Rent.

In Venice, the Golden Rule is “He who has the gold, makes the rules”. And nowhere is this seen more evidently that with the Patricians. The various nobles, former nobles, and hangers on create an eclectic mix of characters whose sole purpose in life is to find the next great thing that they can experience and brag about.

With the coming of the Rent, many Venetians have succumbed to the various maladies of the mind. Fro these poor people, the doctors of Ospedale San Servolo, are there to attend them. Rumors abound though that the screams of the patients are not the delusions of the madmen, but the cries of anguish as the doctors perform unspeakable experiments in the name of Science.

Beings from the other side of the Rent, the Rashaar are creatures from beneath the waves. Able to mate with humans, their offspring have brought forth a new enlightenment to Venice, as the word of Dagon is spread to the masses.

As the cataclysms from the Rent died down, the various guilds found protection, and prosperity in the merging of themselves into a single new organization. This organization, known simply as the Guild, now handles all aspects of operations both legal, and illegal. Ran by the mysterious council of thieves, it is often the best hope for the poor’s well-being.