Olympia

For basic real world information on Olympia, go here.

History
Olympia is a cruel and bloody city. It's picturesque surface is betrayed by its dark underbelly filled with crime, sex, and more corrupt politicians than you could ever know what to do with. With it being the state's capital it serves as a strategic location for any faction seeking dominance over Washington. Historically, it was largely a werewolf state. However sometime during the 1800's Kindred flocked in droves from back east and overran most of the west coast - Washington was no exception. A long and bloody conflict raged across the state and the surrounding territories. It wouldn't be until a century later that the Kindred would establish some form of permanent control. Legislation, political maneuvering, and overall ease of mortal infiltration saw Kindred dominance over the state - if only in the cities. But the cities were enough for the urban vampires.

War Among Kindred
During the 20th century Kindred control over the state was not a bloodless affair. While werewolf hunts into the city were commonplace, Kindred were more likely to slaughter each other over political differences than were to fall to wolf claws. The Mother's Army, the Prima Invictia, and the Commonwealth all fought one another for control of the state. The front-lines of these battles were Olympia, Tacoma, and Seattle.

Seattle was traditionally The Mother's Army's capital of the region, with Olympia being a Prima Invicta city. The Commonwealth mostly fought on the sidelines, picking at what it could. The bulk of the fighting was mostly done by the Army and the Invicta in Tacoma. And the fighting was fierce. For over a century neither of the three factions could gain the upper hand on the other. It wasn't until the turn of the century that one side had prevailed over the other.

Rise of the Commonwealth
During the 1960s, the Commonwealth had finally realized its dream of a Free State. California had been conquered, annexed, and maneuvered into being a Commonwealth capital. A place where Kindred could come and be free of any burden and conflict. A neutral zone where all vampires lived together and did not kill each other. Naturally, the Invicta saw this as a problem. If the concept of an egalitarian vampiric society could succeed, then the Old Vampire Club could see a full-scale mass rebellion on its hands.

The Prima Invicta diverted its resources away from Washington toward California. What little Commonwealth vampires remained in Washington then silently moved in to buy up old Prima Invicta assets. Their numbers swelled from the disenfranchised from the 100 year long conflict. Eventually, the Commonwealth became a powerful force in Washington State.

The Covenant
The Mother's Army's powerbase was centered mostly in and around Seattle, supplemented by holdings in Canada. However their inability to take Washington from what was otherwise considered an inferior foe toppled the Army's morale. A schism occurred within the Mother's ranks. The Covenant rose from the ashes of a battered Mother's Army, quickly taking control of huge swathes of territory. Seattle, Tacoma, and huge swathes of Washington, Montana, and Idaho were taken over. Those of the Army that capitulated were either cured of the Mother's whisperings, or formed into vampiric death squads and launched at the Commonwealth in reckless bloodthirsty waves.

The Covenant quickly cemented its holdings in Seattle and Tacoma, ruling over the vampiric populations with a religious iron fist. Confessors and Inquisitors routed out and converted those able or willing, and burned the rest. By 1980, The Covenant had erected the massive Cathedral of St. Martin was erected beneath a warehouse nestled deep in the city's towering skyscrapers. It is from here that the Covenant rules.

Modern Nights
By the turn of the '90s The Covenant was still largely docile, cementing its rule over its established territories. It spent the majority of its manpower driving out Army holdouts, and bringing the neutral factions in line. However by '97 The Covenant grew more bold.

The Commonwealth was mostly content with Olympia and its surrounding domains. All in all there numbered roughly 100 Commonwealth kindred in and around Olympia, and some 50 or so Neutral, with about 20 more affiliated with either the Invicta or Army. The Commonwealth presence in Olympia came to an abrupt end in the early months of '97. A kindred biker gang used Tremere blood magics to cripple and destroy Commonwealth superiority over the city. For the next six months the city was dominated by gangs of neonates and ancilla fighting each other over who would take Prince.

The Blood Brothers would eventually be betrayed by their Tremere magician, Ronan Duncan. As the Blood Brothers were prepping to make a gun run down to Sacramento, Duncan used his political influence in the ATF to arrest and imprison the members of the gang. The largest faction in the city was wiped out virtually overnight. The leader, Lucas Clausen, was pulled from jail by the Commonwealth Baron Frank Griffin and summarily executed at a summit of the other Barons of nearby cities. Commonwealth rule was re-established as Duncan handed the city right into their hands.

The Covenant was not to sit idly by while this happened. Using Tacoma as a staging point for eager neonates looking to prove themselves, The Covenant mustered up its resources for a final push into Olympia. With the six month exception of Blood Brother rule, the Commonwealth had ruled Olympia for over half a century. This changed when the full military might of The Covenant was unleashed on the city.

With a combination of Vicissitude, Dominate, and Dementation, Duncan's childe was twisted and reformed into a doppleganger of Baron Frank Griffin. With the leader replaced with a loyal puppet, and various other small-time unaffiliated factions meeting similar fates, Olympia was ripe for a hostile take-over.