Velvet Skies: A Gothic Horror Setting in the Awakened Era

Secret Societies & Factions

The House of Shadows

A clandestine order composed of noblemen, scholars, and occultists, the House of Shadows claims to understand and control the magic unleashed by the Awakening. They seek to catalog, experiment upon, and weaponize the supernatural, seeing it as a tool to secure Britain’s dominance in a rapidly changing world. Their laboratories run deep beneath Bedlam Asylum, where their scientists study the Awakened, the cursed, and the creatures that have begun to prowl the city’s darkest corners.

Key Figures:

• • Lord Alistair Blackwood, a brilliant but ruthless nobleman who believes magic should be controlled by the aristocracy.
  • Dr. Evelyn Ashcroft, a former physician turned occult scientist, known for her cruel experiments on captured Awakened individuals.
  • The Pale Man, a mysterious figure who never seems to age and moves unseen through London’s elite circles, whispering in the ears of those in power.

The Gilded Dawn

A society of industrialists, inventors, and rogue mystics, the Gilded Dawn seeks to merge magic with machinery, forging a future where science and sorcery walk hand in hand. Unlike the House of Shadows, they do not wish to suppress magic but instead integrate it into the world of progress. Their factories churn out mechanized constructs powered by eldritch energy, and rumors suggest they are building a steam-driven army infused with magical enhancements.

Key Figures:

• • Sebastian Holloway, a charismatic tycoon whose factories are responsible for London’s first ether-powered automatons.
  • Madame Violetta DuPont, an eccentric French alchemist who specializes in binding spirits to machines.
  • The Whispering Clock, an ancient sentient machine rumored to house the soul of a forgotten god, hidden deep within the Gilded Dawn’s headquarters.

The Black Veil

Where the House of Shadows seeks control, and the Gilded Dawn seeks innovation, the Black Veil seeks truth. Comprised of oracles, rogue scholars, and mystics, the Veil’s members believe the Awakening was only the beginning—a warning of something far worse looming on the horizon. They scour forbidden texts, lost histories, and hidden prophecies, searching for answers to why magic has returned and what terrible fate might follow.

Key Figures:

• • Isolde Thorne, an exiled nun who sees visions of London’s future, often riddled with omens of fire and ruin.
  • Professor Reginald Longstreet, a former Cambridge scholar who witnessed the Awakening firsthand and now believes it heralds the return of something older than humanity itself.
  • The Faceless Scholar, an entity that only communicates through cryptic letters, said to know every secret ever whispered in the city.

The Red Covenant

A shadowy cabal of vampires, warlocks, and nightborn horrors, the Red Covenant rules the underworld of London, pulling the strings behind organized crime, assassinations, and blood-soaked rituals. They thrive in the city’s forgotten places—the catacombs beneath St. Paul’s, the hidden chambers of Whitechapel, and the fog-drenched docks where bodies vanish without a trace.

Key Figures:

• • Lady Eleanor Ravenshade, an ancient vampire who walks among high society, feeding on the lifeblood of the city’s elite.
  • Draken, a warlock whose soul is bound to a demonic entity, granting him terrible power at a terrible price.
  • The Hollow Child, a mute girl with eyes black as ink, who writes prophecies in blood upon the walls of the Covenant’s hidden sanctuaries.

The Supernatural Underbelly

Beneath the gaslit streets of London, something ancient stirs. The veil between worlds is thinner than ever, and creatures once banished to myth now walk among mortals. Some hide in the slums, feeding on the desperate and the lost, while others lurk in the halls of power, their cold hands guiding the fate of nations.

• • The Unseen Courts – Hidden beneath Hyde Park, the remnants of the Fae Courts hold secret gatherings, watching humanity’s foolish attempts to control magic.
  • The Ebon Hounds – A group of monstrous hunters, spirits bound to the city’s foundations, tracking those who break ancient pacts.
  • The Ghosts of Whitechapel – Spirits of those lost to the Awakening, their sorrowful wails echoing in the misty alleys.

Final Words

London is a city of opportunity, danger, and dark wonders under the Velvet Skies. Those who dare to delve into its mysteries may find power, knowledge, or something far worse. The Awakening has changed everything, and now, the battle for the city’s soul has begun.

Where will you stand in the new world?