Influence Sectors

[God]

1904.

Business
This is the economic backbone of the nation; the early adoption of modern methods of production and sale are one of the reasons for the Empire's dominance. Like their continental brethren, the gentry sneer at this undignified sector and the rather prim, gauche bourgeoisie who run them; but unlike other gentry, understand that a positive business climate is good for the country and themselves – after all, most of them own shares in said businesses...

This sector is rather small by national standards. The region has few large factories of note, does not contain any major ports or extractive industries such as mining. However, there are a myriad of small shops and workshops, mainly owned by the local petty bourgeoisie. Many of these dream of becoming disgustingly rich, and then becoming the dominant group in the region.

Examples: Form a cartel, subvert business associations, cause strikes, relocate businesses, offer jobs as patronage, flood or deny products to a market, locate hard-to-find items.

Culture
This covers the 'Literati'; writers, artists, musicians and their associated pursuits. They are the gloss of civilisation on the Empire; it is one of the few ways lesser-born men can meet their rulers in a situation vaguely approaching equality. If an entertainment venue has a dress code, it comes under this category.

This sector is disproportionally large for the region. It possesses several art galleries and museums, a semi-professional orchestra, a few theatres, a regional daily newspaper and the like. It's relative isolation from other regions has been good for this sector; it is too far to travel for such things elsewhere.

Examples: Learn who's who, make or break a première, get invites to anywhere, have someone ostracised, plant or squash news stories, 'borrow' exhibits for personal use, take over an institution to use as your plaything.

Establishment
The kine rulers of the nation are like an old sword; even after four new handles and three replacement blades, it is still the same one. From their exclusive boarding schools they march, through Oxbridge and straight into company directorships, military commands, government posts and country estates. They are the lords and masters of the Empire, and how they know it.

This sector is the single largest in the domain; they have managed to keep their traditional stranglehold over the economic, political and social aspects of the region. However, this is not due to exceptional ability, but simply due to the backwardness of the region; the bourgeoisie here aren't numerous or strong enough to challenge their control – yet.

Examples: Gain membership of gentlemen’s clubs, hire reliable servants, know and meet the people who matter, access gentry's libraries and galleries, get them to fund vanity projects, harass rivals, offer patronage to others.

Finance
The increasing dominance of unfettered capitalism in the previous century has meant many Kindred are interested in this sector than ever. Sitting on the accumulated earnings of centuries, the British economic empire is larger than the physical one.

The Finance sector is rather small, but is important to the well-being of the region's economy. Most of the large banks have their regional offices within Norwich, and the city is also the home of Norwich Union, one of the largest insurance companies in the country. There is also a small group of stockbrokers, accountants, commodity purchasers and the like serving the needs of the local community.

Examples: Hire a reliable stockbroker or accountant, avoid / run scams, squeeze / support a business or sector, get large loans at good rates, hide your wealth, discover other's financial dealings, dabble in insider trading.

Government
While still limited in power and scope, Government is still of utility for Kindred. This covers both appointed civil servants and elected officials.

While Britain is a heavily centralised state, local government still wields clout. Town  / county / parish councils, political parties, government bodies such as the Courts and Inland Revenue all have ways of assisting a Kindred's schemes.

Examples: Get favoured kine elected to office, bend or make laws for your own benefit, use appointments for patronage, access private records, harass rivals with the taxman, get the state to fund vanity projects.

Intelligentsia
This covers the professional classes; doctors, engineers, architects and the like. While the ruling class is loathe to admit it, these scientifically-educated mortals are the backbone of the nation.

The region's Intelligentsia sector is small compared to national standards. It is an educational backwater, lacking any university or prestigious scientific concerns. However, they do possess significant [relative] wealth and status within the region. Lastly, this class is on the rise, and very well become the dominant one in future decades.

Examples: Find reliable professionals for hire, 'edit' expert advice given to others, forge death certificates, cover up news of epidemics, have someone declared insane, cause a stoppage anywhere.

Law Enforcement
Upheld primarily by a small group of black-suited, underpaid policemen armed with nothing more than a wooden truncheon and his distinctive hat, British society is surprisingly law-abiding. This sector also covers prison guards, private detectives and the military.

This sector is a little larger than average; mainly due to a large Army barracks and Royal Navy dockyard being located within the region. The humble police constable above is an almost laughable threat to most Kindred; if seriously threatened, he's just as likely to decide not to notice, take a bribe or run away than to do his job.

Examples: Run investigations into the sand, make an area a Rack or Barrens due to police presence, have someone watched, beaten up or framed, spring someone from prison, 'borrow' a squad of soldiers, declare martial law.

Occult
For a supposedly God-fearing people, the Victorians were obsessed with the occult. Spiritualism, secret societies, magic rites and studies of mythical creatures have reached a level of respectability unseen since the introduction of Christianity.

This sector is of around average size for the region. Norwich boasts several mystically-orientated secret societies, every town seems to have spiritualist meetings and fictional works like Dracula have increased the kine's interest in the subject.

Examples: Learn Thaumaturgy / Necromancy rituals, get hold of occult books/items, learn Lores, find a kine 'magus' who isn't actually a charlatan, subvert a secret society, make contact with other hidden groups [at your own damn risk!].

Religion
In this age, religion means Christianity. With the exception of a few scattered groups of Jews and the occasional 'atheist', all kine are at least technically believers. Every kine of importance is a member of a sect, and in this era believers still favour those who attend the same chapel or church as they do. Nearly all charities, many schools, some hospitals and even some factions of political parties are controlled by religious figures.

There are four religious divisions in the region; Church of England, Nonconformists, Roman Catholics and Jews. Each has their own strength, wealth and numbers.

Examples: View religious records, 'borrow' relics, make contact with leading believers, forge birth certificates, use appointments for patronage, create campaigns against something you don't like, dip into church / charity funds, make contact with religious-based Hunters [at own damn risk!]

Street
Away from the staid suits, lit streets and clean pavements of the respectable areas lies the dirty, seedy underbelly of kine society. Violent, cut-throat and often bordering on actions the wrong side of the law and / or morals, the upper classes try their best to pretend such places don't exist. If an entertainment venue caters for the working classes, it comes under this category.

This sector is rather large, but not as much as those in industrial cities such as Birmingham or Manchester. There is a whole society of petty crooks, corrupt small businessmen, 'working girls', thugs and street children who all live hand-to-mouth lives, with precious little hope of escaping.

Examples: Have someone followed or beaten up, hire 'assistants', cause a crime wave or a riot, obtain stolen items, hear rumours, ruin a respectable kine's reputation with a scandal.

Transport
The world is shrinking. Trains, ships and the newly-invented motor-car are allowing people and items to travel at speeds much faster than the plodding of a horse. Coupled with telegrams and the postal system, it is possible for an individual to learn of an event, travel hundreds of miles within a day or so and go into action immediately. Most Barons don't like the fact that Kindred can now travel rather safely by rail; not only does it make their subjects more able to leave if 'oppressed', but also means enemies can pop up without warning.

After a slow start, the region is now covered with ribbons of railway, allowing safe[ish] transit throughout the area. Kindred can now have their Havens further away from their hunting-grounds, can visit others and order items from the four corners of the Empire and have them delivered to their home within days.

Examples: Keep tabs on an individual's travelling habits, cut off a location, find a hansom cab at any time at night, hear rumours, reschedule trains, find out deliveries to a location, paralyse an area with a strike.

Underworld
These are those who live fully outside of the law; from con-artists and forgers to political extremists and contract killers. Unlike Street, where they are usually normal folk taking a chance, these are the full-time criminals – though they normally think of themselves as 'professionals' or 'businessmen'. Often they are subtle, bright or wealthy enough to escape the attentions of the police.

The very nature of this sector means few are aware of how large it actually is. For most respectable male kine, their only experience of such is when they prove themselves to be hypocrites by visiting one of the several discreet brothels.

Examples: Get blackmail material on kine, have specific items or locations burgled, 'persuade' a fringe group to bomb a building, hire a bodyguard or a 'professional', have someone vanish, run a successful large-scale scam.