How would you run the Jacobite Rebellion in the World of Darkness?

[Penelope]

I was thinking the Toreador could be behind the rebellion and Mithras could be manipulating the British forces to oppose it. Maybe a handful of Fianna among the Highland clans. Not sure what else.

Oh, and the “Angel Andrew” (Andrew of Normandy) from Cainite Heresy is a Toreador Methuselah with a special interest in Scotland. What do you guys think?

“The Bonnie Prince is a clever, slippery snake with enough charm to make good men [and women] think he’s God’s Chosen One. If we don’t stop him from raising this Rebellion, we’ll all be staring into the abyss at Culloden Moor.”

I love this quote! 💕

[Black Fox]

I am of the opinion that in most cases, the supernatural factions should not be responsible for real world events. However, I do think that it is OK for the supernatural to exploit them and use them as a cover/pretext.

In the WoD, while the Ventrue were supposed to "rule" England, the Toreador were to "rule" Scotland (heavily based in Edinburgh). In fact, the Jacobite Rebellion is addressed in the first edition book. It says that the Toreador controlled the Stuart Kings, and that the Ventrue were behind their overthrow. In 1693, the clans approved the Treaty of Durham which cemented Ventrue control of London, while allowing the Toreador to control Elysium there, and not be challenged in their control over Edinburgh. The Toreador also agreed to not help the Tremere in their power struggle against the Ventrue in England. Some Toreador were not very happy about this, and they supported the Jacobite Rebellions in the hope it would reestablish Toreador power in London. But the revolt obviously failed.

There are Giovanni in Edinburgh as part of the Dunsirn family, so you might want to include them as well.

I'm not aware of canon about the event in Werewolf, but obviously Scottish Fianna and their kinfolk would be based in the Highlands, while there would be a mix of Scottish and English Fianna along with the Get in the Lowlands and northern England. And of course, there may be some hidden Black Spiral Dancers.

In the Silver Fang tribebook, it mentions that House Winter Snow, which once ruled the British Isles, Holland, and (parts of?) France, went into decline after the 17th century. In some unknown year, King Aaron Everstone found the Silver Crown, and attempted to rally the tribes to destroy the Black Spiral Dancers. But instead he became drunk on power and tried to force obedience on the Fianna and Get of Fenris. Ironically, this created a power vaccum and the Black Spiral Dancers swarmed into England, and the king and his house went into Harano and disappeared (although I suspect many of them simply joined House Austere Howl). This is probably an allusion to the various English Civil Wars against the Stuarts, the Commonwealth, and the Glorious Revolution that finally deposed the Stuarts. But you could have the last act of this drama play out in the Jacobite Rebellions. Maybe the last heirs of Winter Snow launch a last desperate attempt to recover their lands and power, or the final crushing of the Black Spiral swarm by the reinvigorated tribes of Britain happens.

1745 is over two hundred years after the Sawney Bean myth, but the story is just too good to not make it real in the World of Darkness. So while you can't have Bean himself, maybe some of his family survived and went underground. That is all sorts of possibilities here - for Black Spiral Dancer kinfolk, fomori family, Oblivion cult, Revenants, or something else. Opportunities for skullduggery following the battles and feasting on the dead and dying.

[Lian]

Unless your intent is to write an extensive "WOD: the Jacobite Rebellion" I'd focus on whatever the players are. There of course might be some out of context problems with groups sniping over but honestly Werewolves will probably have little outcome ultimately with Kindred politics unless someone does something stupid. Same with Order of Reason and Traditions.

[Penelope]

Black Fox, @lian thank you

I think you’re right. Including the Fianna and the Silver Fangs would just confuse things. I think I’ll just keep it strictly Vampire stuff.