The World of Darkness and Humanity

I regret not writing this sooner, but I wanted to give people a clearer picture of how I view the World and human society in the World of Darkness.

Since the rise of mankind, humans have been hunted by forces they cannot hope to defeat, Werewolves, vampires, demons, spirits and the like.  This has led them to fear the dark and lonely places of the world, seeking the safety of their cities and walls.  But even here, their horrors followed them creating in them an unrelenting fear.

As Humanity grew, and their cities changed, becoming something of a bastion against their fear, especially as their weapons became more effective, they found a odd safety in the cramped warrens and dens that masquerade as apartments and homes.  Thus the cities grew crowded, and people are reluctant to move from them.

The result of this fear and terror is that cities in the World of Darkness being larger and more crowded, while the suburbs are smaller and generally more enclaves than neighborhoods.  Humans want their space, but the need for safety plays against that.  Its a pot that make people more resentful, more violent and angry, less likely to work for the greater good.  Police forces are more likely to respond in numbers and with greater violence, while small arguments might at any moment boil over into wild violence.  People are much more insular, and TV, the Internet, video games all play into the idea of opium for the masses, keeping people calm and allowing them to ignore the darkness in the world.  News coverage is much more celebrity gossip and hero worship.

In the wild spaces of the world, humans have ignored them except for where there are resources they need.  Then the rush is on to rape the world to feed their ever-growing hunger.  The National park system in the US, when it came about was a much smaller thing and has since its inception collapsed, leaving these barren places unpopulated.  This allows the shadow wars of the Garou to go largely unnoticed, even when it comes into conflict with human forces.

Religion, terrorism, and The World of Darkness

There is a want to blame the way humanity has turned out on the forces of the Darkness and the Wyrm, but in reality that darkness is in the human spirit.  Terrorist are almost always driven by their own wants and needs, given a thin veneer of respectability from their sponsors and even the religions they espouse to follow.  To blame the Wyrm on these acts is to cheapen them and their effects on the world.  (in A Real World aside, let me say that is idea is both potentially insulting and problematic.)

This is the World of Darkness.  Humanity crushing itself under its own weight of population, violence and vileness hiding just below the surface, while fed the lifeblood of the world in a desperate search for some pressure relief valve.  They accept the oppressive rule of the mighty and powerful, trading their freedom for safety wholesale.