[WOD] Austin By Night: The Metaplot

I've been playing this game for well over three years now. I've played different types of supernatural sorts and characters with different backgrounds, knowledge and skill sets, abilities and motivations.

I've caught different tails of the metaplot of this game via those characters and their interactions with the world. Jak was certainly first to be touched directly by the Hellmouth (the best way to put it).

I won't lie, the day Jak, Ed and Raff found the hidden door to the cave that housed the Hellmouth, and the ST announced we could see an army of warriors coming towards us on the spirit side (but not the physical), I figured we were dead. I knew we didn't have the ability to handle the situation (not even a little- It was like a Challenge rating 18 adventure for three 2nd level dudes). I couldn't figure out why the ST chose to even bring it out if we weren't meant to handle it. (Which we weren't, he had some NPCs ddeal with it.)

The stuff about the Hedge Row and the leyline there took a long time to come out, and while I see its relevance at least a little, I am not sure what to DO with it. There are other aspects of the Hedge Row that I just DON'T get and can't figure out.

I mean, I know DeathRow Inc are Vampires. I know they own the Hedge Row. I know they were involved in some sort of ritual sacrificial cult (maybe the sacrifices powered the leyline???? made it more powerful???? I don't know) and I know there's another partner, who by my best guess, is a VERY powerful Changeling. I know the Harpy wants the Vampires found. I know at least 3 characters, if not more, have devoted countless hours to finding as much about the Hedge Row, its owners and why it's such a touchstone for the area with no real result for the effort. I still don't know why the Hedge Row is so important. Changelings and Vampires both seem to want to claim it, with Mages suddenly taking an interest once they discovered the leyline.

Why is the area between Jak's house and the Hedge Row so important? Why were there no less than 3 packs fighting over/defending it?

What is the deal with the Cemetery House? It's connected to the Hedge Row, too- somehow.

Who owned Jak's house before him?

What the hell is going on with the Dream War? I know Winter hides, but has the Queen truly abandoned or is this just really, really good hiding?

What the hell is going on with Mr. Death and those creepy zombies? Is he really creating them or are they just happening because there's a power vortex there? Are they defending the vortex or him?

Smaller points that are equally confusing:

I know "The Company" is a front for a Hunter group. I don't know why they hired Jak or what they wanted with him. I don't know what Cassandra wanted from Jak, especially as it related to the house (on top of the Hellmouth). Why would a Changeling want anything to do with the house? Unless it was Jak and his anger that she was feeding on... I don't know.

Mr. Flowers has been portrayed as both a terrible menace and a help to those in the Austin area. What's the story there and why did Rovan want him dead? What did either one of them do to the other?

What happened to the magician's circus? Heck, what happened to the Consilium?

Are the gremlins truly the "children" produced by Eile and TK's single night of unprotected sheet thrashing? Or are they fetches sent by the other side as weapons of confusion against the Changelings?

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I know there's a LOT more I am missing. I am only aware of some of the plots (Meta or otherwise) in the game due to only being one person. I keep wondering "what we have to do" to get some of the stuff going on. I often wonder if I am just "not smart enough" for this game, and think perhaps I should blow off all the plot worrying and just focus on fun.

I know I can't be the only one, but there is definitely a fear of admitting that out loud. Sigh. I'm doing it anyway...