Gilded Darkness Quick Summary
“A roaring 1920s supernatural noir where monsters rule, alliances fray, and an impending human threat looms over the Pacific Northwest’s hidden underworld.”
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Consistent Visual Style
SETTING/LOCATION: 1920s Portland, a bustling city, even bigger than New York, fog and storm clouds are the consistent weather, goldish neon lights are everywhere. The Pacific Northwest is booming, leaving the famous coasts such as California and New York in the dust.
CHARACTER DRESS: Famous monsters, like Frakenstein and Dracula are in luxurious mobster clothing each with their own aesthetics and colors having gold as a common accessory , humans are in casual 1920s wear but are distinct from the wealthy monsters.
LIGHTING: rich golden and lavender hues, deep shadows for dramatic effect, sharp lights, reds, greens,
COLOR: a palette of golds and lavender for lighting, black and dark green for buildings, dark blueish purples for the sky, darkish reds for fog and weather elements like clouds as well
CAMERA/FILMSTOCK: “Deep colors with a balance of light and shadow, crisp, clean images with a film noir style
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9, for 1080 HD video.
STYLE REFERENCE: Great Gatsby film, Chicago film, The Roaring Twenties film from 1939, Mobsters film, Scarface, The Godfather part II, Peaky Blinders
SOUNDTRACK AND MUSIC STYLES: 1920s swing and jazz with dark and gloomy themes, gothabilly, 1920s blue jazz
VOICE STYLES: Dracula who’s narrating –> strong Romanian accent, deep voices, maybe some Italian and Latino accents? 1920’s New York Accent as well.
SOUND EFFECTS: Horror sounds such as sceams, wolf howling, rain, thunder, ghostly whispers, etc.
Story
In the shadowed embrace of the Pacific Northwest, from the fog-laden streets of San Francisco up to the rain-soaked alleys of Seattle, an alternate 1920s era unfolds where monsters rule and humans tread carefully. The heart of this power pulses strongest in Portland and Vancouver, cities transformed into the epicenters of an underworld empire, where the night belongs to those who lurk in the shadows. This world is not confined to myths; it stretches across the West Coast, a testament to the monsters’ deep-rooted dominion. Here, monsters rule the night, and humans navigate the perilous balance between servitude and survival. The city is a chessboard, its pieces the notorious clans of the underworld: vampires, werewolves, mummies, and more, each guarding their territories with ferocious loyalty.
The vampires, led by the enigmatic Dracula, hold court in the lavish, neon-lit ballrooms of the city’s heart, their influence running deep in the veins of Portland’s high society. Dracula’s power is undisputed, his clan a mix of seduction and danger, engaging in politics as smoothly as they do in bloodletting. Yet, their supremacy is constantly challenged by the werewolves, creatures of raw strength and primal rage, led by the fierce Alpha, Lycan. The werewolves control the city’s outskirts, the docks where illicit goods flow as freely as the tensions between them and the vampires.
In the dust-covered corners of Portland’s ancient museum, the mummies, wise and ancient, plot their moves silently, their leader, Anubis, a strategist matching Dracula’s cunning with timeless patience. Meanwhile, the forests and rivers that edge the city whisper the legends of the Missing Link and other creatures of lore from Mexico and South America, guardians of nature and the old ways, their alliances as shifting as the rivers they protect.
Amidst this delicate balance of power, the Invisible Man leads a network of spies and informants, selling secrets to the highest bidder, his loyalty as transparent as his form. The ghouls, scavengers of the night, wait in the shadows, their allegiance given to those who can feed their endless hunger.
Humans, though often seen as mere pawns in this grand game, hold their own power. Some, daring or desperate, make deals with these monstrous rulers, gaining protection, power, or wealth, in exchange for services or sacrifices. But these alliances are tenuous – a human who falls out of favor with a monster clan might find themselves prey, hunted in the streets they once walked freely.
Yet, this balance of power is threatened not by internal strife, but by an external force more daunting than any clan rivalry. The United States government, a stronghold of human authority, has set its sights on reclaiming the night, armed with technology and a resolve to eradicate the monster presence from the Pacific Northwest. This looming threat forces old adversaries to contemplate an uneasy alliance, pitting ancient power against modern warfare in a conflict that could redefine the boundaries of their existence.
As the government’s intentions become clear, the monster clans face a choice: continue their age-old feuds and face annihilation or unite against the common enemy that seeks to destroy them all. The story reaches a crescendo in Portland, the heart of the monster empire, where a clandestine meeting of the clans takes place. Leaders of each clan gather, their figures casting long shadows under the moon’s glow. Here, under the guise of night and the watchful eye of the city that has served as their stronghold, they must decide their fate.
This tale of the Pacific Northwest is a complex tapestry of fear and power, where the night holds more than just shadows,where every alliance is a step towards survival or destruction, and where humans and monsters navigate a fragile coexistence. The approaching threat of the government forces reveals the true nature of survival, challenging the very essence of what it means to rule the night. In this alternate 1920s world, the fight for dominance is not just about territory but about the right to exist in a world that stands on the brink of change.
More Story Context:
In the shadowed tapestry of this alternate 1920s Pacific Northwest, where monsters and mythic beings carve out territories and form uneasy alliances, ghosts, demons, devils, and biblically accurate angels occupy a unique niche, weaving through the narrative of power and survival with their own agendas and roles.
Frankenstein’s Faction: This collective is led by Frankenstein’s monster, often simply called the Creature, who has risen to become a formidable leader among the supernatural beings. Known for their ingenuity and resilience, this faction is composed of reanimated beings and brilliant outcasts, including scientists shunned by the human world. They occupy the murky boundary between life and death, utilizing their knowledge of science and alchemy to strengthen their ranks and defend their territory. The Creature, with his towering presence and surprisingly deep sense of morality, seeks a place for his kind in a world that fears them, advocating for peace and coexistence while preparing for war.
The Invisible Guild: Mastered by the Invisible Man, this guild consists of beings who can bend light or cloak themselves in shadows, rendering them unseen by most. They serve as spies and assassins, their existence almost a myth among both humans and monsters. This guild prizes information and secrecy above all, trading in the currency of secrets and silence. Their leader, once a scientist who sacrificed his physical form for power, uses his invisibility to manipulate events from behind the scenes, ensuring his guild’s survival through intelligence and subterfuge.
The Coven of the Night: The witches and warlocks of the Coven of the Night draw on ancient magics, their powers rooted in the natural and mystical forces of the world. They are healers, seers, and warriors, using their spells and potions to influence the tides of power within the supernatural community. Their leader, a powerful witch known as Morgana, sees the future in the stars and the past in the flames, guiding her coven with wisdom and strength. They are sought after for their abilities and feared for their knowledge, making them key players in the balance of power.
The Headless Legion: Inspired by the legendary Headless Horseman and similar specters, this eerie faction is made up of headless or otherwise disfigured monsters who have banded together under the banner of the Horseman. They patrol the night, bound to no one land but claiming the dark roads and fog-laden paths as their own. These spectral riders are the heralds of doom, feared by all who know the tales. Their leader, the Horseman, is a relentless force, seeking vengeance for a life cut short and commanding his legion with ruthless efficiency.
**Ghosts** haunt the landscape, bound not by territory but by memory and emotion. They drift through the cities and wilderness, witnesses to the unfolding drama between the living and the supernatural. Some seek to redress the wrongs of their past lives, meddling in the affairs of both humans and monsters to sway outcomes according to their inscrutable wills. Others serve as messengers and spies for the various factions, their intangible nature allowing them to gather secrets like whispers on the wind.
**Demons**, unaligned with the monster clans and operating under their own complex hierarchies, engage in the darker trades of the supernatural world. They broker deals with humans and monsters alike, offering power, knowledge, or the fulfillment of desires in exchange for souls or other valuable commodities in the spiritual economy. Their presence adds a layer of danger to the already perilous streets, for a demon’s bargain is always a double-edged sword.
**Devils**, with their easy access to Hell, serve as the gatekeepers between the worlds, their influence extending into the deepest shadows of the underworld. Their clubs and speakeasies become neutral grounds where all can gather—humans seeking forbidden knowledge, monsters seeking alliances, and angels seeking to understand the mortal realm. These establishments, hidden in plain sight, throb with the pulse of jazz, the air thick with smoke and secrets. Here, the devils play host to the night’s children, their motives as enigmatic as their origins.
**Biblically Accurate Angels**, striking beings of awe and terror with their many eyes and wings, descend to Earth with missions inscrutable to mortal and monster minds. They observe, intervene, and guide according to divine directives unknown to the inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest. At times, their paths cross with those of monsters and humans, their interactions ranging from violent confrontations over sacred sites to whispered alliances against common threats. Their presence is a wild card, capable of tipping the balance in unforeseen ways.
The Infernal Syndicate: At the helm of the night’s most exclusive speakeasies and underground clubs stand the devils, orchestrating the flow of both pleasure and power within the city’s supernatural and human elite. Their establishments serve as neutral ground, where all manner of beings can mingle under the guise of entertainment and indulgence. The leader of this infernal assembly, known simply as Mephistopheles, is a devil of charm and wit, with a penchant for making deals that are impossible to refuse. His influence extends deep into both the mortal and immortal realms, making him a pivotal figure in the precarious balance that defines the city’s hidden world.
In this world, where the veil between the natural and supernatural is thin, these beings without gangs or territories play pivotal roles. They influence the course of events from the shadows, their actions rippling through the lives of all who inhabit this alternate reality. The ghosts, demons, devils, and angels add layers of complexity to the already intricate dance of power, their agendas weaving through the narrative like threads of silver and shadow, enriching the story of this haunted 1920s Pacific Northwest.