History of Savannah

Pre-Colonial Period: The Yamacraw and Muscogee tribes settled in the Savannah area, attracted by powerful ley lines intersecting at the location. They establish burial grounds and ceremonial sites serving as natural keepers of its energy.

1733: Founding of Savannah: James Oglethorpe, guided by Chief Tomochichi and aided by members of Solomon's Lodge, establishes Savannah atop ancient telluric convergences. The city's famous grid unknowingly reinforces a network of natural energies that had been revered for centuries. 

1734: Solomon’s Lodge Founded: Oglethorpe and his fellow Freemasons establish Solomon's Lodge to study the city's mysterious telluric energies, preserve ancient knowledge, and quietly safeguard the forces beneath Savannah. 

1735: Oglethorpe’s Vision Enforced: James Oglethorpe bans slavery in the Georgia colony, envisioning Savannah as a society founded on moral integrity, religious tolerance, and equal opportunity, free from aristocracy and human bondage.

1736: The early formation of the Temion:  As Savannah was founded, displaced witches, healers, and mystics began to gather along the river’s edge, drawn by the land’s deep spiritual pulse. From this convergence of Indigenous, African, and European traditions emerged the first circle of The Temion, a loose alliance bound by shared reverence for balance and the unseen forces of the city. Their cooperation with the early Freemasons marked the first moment of magical harmony in Savannah’s history.

1740: Tapping into the telleric energies: Freemasons in Savannah begin experimenting with the city’s unique energy, attempting to harness it for humanity’s benefit. These experiments led to both breakthroughs and disasters, establishing their reputation as scientific explorers of the supernatural. Ironically, this seemed to draw supernaturals to the city, while some arrived with the first founders, others migrated and quietly slipped into the city, calling it home. While not yet organized into packs or covens, their influence began to grow in a political and social sense.

1751: Slavery Ban Revoked: Under growing pressure from wealthy settlers and outside interests, the ban on slavery in Georgia is officially lifted. While colonial records cite economic necessity, whispers among the awakened speak of darker influences—ancient vampires, newly entrenched in Savannah’s elite, manipulating policy to feed both their coffers and their thirst. This marks the first known fracture in Oglethorpe’s moral vision and the rise of the Southern aristocracy's supernatural undercurrent.

1780: Arrival of Gullah Geechee Culture: Enslaved Africans brought to the Lowcountry infused Savannah’s culture with Gullah and Geechee traditions. Stories of Boo Hags, spirit creatures that feed on the life force of their victims, begin to circulate as terrifying supernatural entities drawn to the city’s unique energies. The Gullah and Gee mingled with witches of European descent who were present when the city was founded and were looking to start fresh in the new world. These cultures blended and found common ground through their ethnic differences.

1785: James Oglethorpe dies. His death had a profound impact on everyone in the Savannah community, as he was the driving force behind the city's foundation. He left behind a legacy and a curiosity for the mystical nature of the world, which the freemen carry on, in theory, pledged to continue.

1796 and 1820: Devastating Fires: Two separate fires ravage Savannah, destroying half the city each time. In the aftermath, strange sightings and ghostly apparitions increase, as if the city itself is haunted by its scars.

1805: Rise of the White Claws: James Jackson organizes Savannah's dominant shifter families into the White Claws, establishing guardianship over the city's rivers, marshes, and surrounding wilderness.

1810: Mother Inez rose as the first Matron of The Temion, uniting Savannah’s scattered mystics under one banner of balance, secrecy, and ancestral power.

1812: Antebellum Period, Southern Court Established: The Southern Court of vampires forms under Noble Jones, a well-known founder of the city and plantation owner, who becomes the first Prince. The court becomes deeply embedded in the city’s aristocracy, its values intertwined with the Antebellum South’s social hierarchy, wealth, and power structures.

1820: Yellow Fever Epidemic: An outbreak of yellow fever kills a tenth of Savannah’s population. Some victims, who were accidentally buried alive, rise as Mora, revenant creatures tied to the city’s vampiric lineage and drawn to its ley lines. This population grew within the city's catacombs, later influenced by the Strix.

1820: The Pax: Noble Jones, James Jackson, and Mother Inez forge the Pax, a fragile covenant between Savannah's vampires, shifters, and witches. Bound by mutual survival and the Shroud, the agreement preserves peace while allowing each faction to govern its own affairs.

1840: Keepers of the River Formed: In response to White Claw encroachment and the rise of the Mora, the Keepers of the River emerged among the Native American Yamacraw and Muscogee, acting as spiritual guardians for the land. This small shifter faction fostered close ties with newcomers who respected their customs.

1853: First Whispers of Rowan: Strange performances begin appearing in Savannah’s séance parlors and private salons. A pale, androgynous figure calling themselves Rowan St. Cyr captivates the city’s artistic and occult elite with haunting ballads, poetic riddles, and intimate knowledge of vampire lore. Their presence sparks rumors of a Strix-blooded arrival, though no one can confirm their origin.

1854: Death of James Jackson: Jackson, founder of the White Claws and a staunch Southern patriot, dies under mysterious circumstances. His passing intensifies rivalries between the White Claws and Native American shifters, as well as among other supernatural groups vying for influence in Savannah’s shifter community.

1857: Favored by Prince Noble Jones, Rowan is formally introduced into Savannah’s Southern Vampire Court. Despite their youth, Prince Noble Jones publicly names Rowan his favored companion and potential heir. This decision scandalizes the old guard and sends ripples through the supernatural community. Some whisper that Jones is enthralled, others claim he sees in Rowan a new vision for vampiric rule.

1863: Civil War and the Rise of the Strix: Amid the chaos of the Civil War, the Strix expand their influence throughout Savannah's underworld, pursuing forbidden blood rites and ancient relics. Their growing power deepens divisions within the Southern Court and exposes the dangers of supernatural conflict spilling into the city.

1864: Sherman’s March and the “Gift” of Savannah: General William T. Sherman captures Savannah but spares the city from destruction. While history remembers it as a military decision, many within Savannah's hidden societies quietly believe the city's unseen foundations were nearly lost.

1865: Lincoln’s Assassination and the Vampire Conspiracy: The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, rumored by some to have been influenced by Strix conspirators ushers in an era of uncertainty. Concerned by increasing supernatural activity, trusted officials begin discreet communication with Savannah's hidden protectors, laying the foundation for what will eventually become the federal Lantern Group.

1865: Coup/Shift of Power in the Vampire Court: Prince Noble Jones enters torpor amid growing unrest and accusations of betrayal, leaving the Southern Court divided and vulnerable to increasing Strix influence 

1867: The Ebon:  Mother Inez, Josiah Blackwell of Solomon's Lodge, and Dr. Samuel Graves establish the Ebon, a covenant uniting the Temion, Solomon's Lodge, and humanity's defenders to safeguard Savannah and serve as a trusted liaison with civic authorities.

1870s: Moras: ravenous feral vampires begin appearing in greater numbers in Savannah, alarming both human and supernatural communities.

Post-Civil War: Reinforcement of the Southern Court’s Influence: Following the devastation of the war, the Southern Court consolidates power, aligning itself with old-money families and strengthening the bonds between vampiric nobility and Southern values.

1901-1912:  Roosevelt’s Lantern Office and the Formation of the FBI: Following the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln and McKinley, President Theodore Roosevelt quietly authorizes the Lantern Office to investigate supernatural threats. Working alongside the Ebon, it becomes the federal government's first occult investigative bureau. This quickly evolves into the branch of the FBI when it is formed in the coming years. 

1915: Savannah writer Ambrose Bierce vanishes under mysterious circumstances following the opening night of The King in Yellow, a controversial play rumored to contain references to a realm called Carcosa. Whispers persist that the performance triggered a psychic breach or that Bierce was “claimed” by the very forces he sought to understand. His disappearance remains unsolved. Many members of the audience fled the theater in terror, and some even succumbed to madness. The Mason descended on the theater to cover up evidence. The theater is permanently closed.

1920s: A new wave of shifters begins arriving in Savannah, drawn by the city’s growing artistic and countercultural scene. These modern shifters, eventually called The Chimeras for their diverse and adaptive nature, embody ideals of inclusivity and creativity. They focus on blending supernatural traditions with new, progressive ideas. The Chimeras initially clash with the White Claws, whose territorial and traditional values oppose their free-spirited ways. Their leader or guide is a very charismatic shifter named Sol Langston

1922: The Newcomer vampires have a rocky arrival to Savannah, causing friction with the traditional southern vampires. They arrive with the influx of artists and musicians at the start of the Jazz Age.

1924: Lantern Group formally becomes a division of the newly formed FBI. Under J. Edgar Hoover, the still-secret Lantern Office was folded into the newly branded Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), maintaining covert access to its files while publicly disavowing the supernatural. This preserved continuity while expanding investigative reach.

1929: The Great Depression stirred the spirits and entities within Savannah. Struggling communities, hungry for hope, turned to folk magic and folklore. The shroud is pressed, and the supernaturals struggle to maintain secrecy

1932: TheSept of the Crescent: The White Claws and Chimera establish the Sept of the Crescent, creating a permanent council to mediate disputes and preserve unity among Savannah's shifters.

1950s: Hunters Gain Influence: With radical vampire groups attracting attention, organized Hunter groups form alliances with national agencies, including the FBI. This surveillance and pursuit of supernatural activities intensifies tensions within Savannah.

1951: The Founding of The Watch: Dr. Adelaide Mercer and Father Nathaniel Collins found The Watch, uniting generations of independent investigators, spiritualists, alienists, cryptozoologists, clergy, and hunters beneath a single organization. The Watch inherits humanity's longstanding place within the Ebon, giving the covenant a permanent representative for the first time.

1958: Tybee Island “Lost Bomb” Incident: A Mark 15 nuclear bomb is accidentally dropped near Tybee Island. The bomb’s residual energy leaks into Savannah’s ley lines, causing unusual supernatural disturbances and fueling ghostly hauntings. This event destabilizes the city’s supernatural energy, leading to a sharp increase in Ferals among rogue shifters. The Chimeras/Dawn, more open to experimentation with Savannah’s energy, suffer heavier losses compared to the White Claws, which further strains their relationship.

1965: The Bohems and the newcomers are officially invited by Prince Rowan to join the Southern Vampire Court after decades of friction. Their inclusion solidifies the court’s unity, despite ongoing ideological tensions between the Founders, Bohems, and Strix (blood magic vampires).

1972: Behavioral Science Unit Created: The FBI’s Lantern Office is rebranded as the BSU as the culture of America shifts. Now allegedly profiling serial killers, cults, and radical anarchists, but still covertly investigating supernatural threats throughout the United States, and has taken a particular interest in Savannah since its earlier ties to historic political upheavals.

1975: SCAD was founded, transforming Savannah into a vibrant art hub. The influx of new people also brings a new breed of supernaturals who seem aligned with the values of the Chimera and Bohem vampires. Some shifters join the Chimera and help to breathe new life into the old city.

1983: The Black Lantern Division: The federal government reorganizes the Lantern Office into the Black Lantern Division. As oversight replaces partnership, the Ebon formally severs its relationship with the federal government.

1980s–1990s: Tensions and Trials Cultural and political clashes deepen between the groups, but the Accord holds. The Chimeras push for recognition of newer supernatural beings; the White Claws resist, citing tradition. Disputes are mediated by the Accord Table, preventing open conflict. The Accord’s mutual defense pact is quietly invoked multiple times to deter external threats.

1981: The Midnight Murder: The scandalous murder of the shifter Danny Hansford, possibly at the hands of his vampire lover Jim Williams, shakes the supernatural community. This death breaks the fragile peace between shifters and vampires, reigniting old animosities. The story of this murder is stripped of its supernatural content and made into a best-selling book and movie called "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

1990s: Growing radicalism within parts of the Ebon causes internal tensions, with fundamentalist hunters pushing the group’s mission to its limits. These radicals are eventually removed from the Ebon but find a home as contracted hunters for private and government clients. Some find a home in the hunter underground, rumored to be connected to the church in Savannah.

2005: The Breach: A sudden catastrophic rupture in the Veil beneath Savannah’s tunnels releases chaotic magic. Sol Langston vanishes while investigating. Maggie Duval helps contain the damage but dies later that year. Once again, the Freemasons create a cover-up for the event. claiming a steampipe burst and transformer explosion. The event triggers government interest. The Pax begins to quietly unravel amid growing accusations and mistrust over who was responsible..

2020: Eastern Wharf Fire and COVID-19 Pandemic: On February 27, a devastating fire consumed much of the Eastern Wharf, a key area under White Claw shifter influence. Publicly labeled an accident, rumors swirl of Carcosa interference or sabotage tied to shifting supernatural power. The fire weakens White Claw's dominance and triggers a reevaluation of territory, balance, and trust within the Crescent Accord, also stirring dormant spirits along the riverfront. The arrival of COVID-19 brings fear and isolation and memories of the Yellow Fever epidemic, increasing the activity of malevolent entities that feed on despair. The COVID-19 pandemic affects Savannah’s supernatural community. While vampires, witches, and shifters are immune to the disease itself, the isolation and disruption cause deep psychological and social fractures. The rising instability of the city’s energy leads to a resurgence of Ferals and other supernatural anomalies.

Present Day: The supernatural groups in Savannah are on the brink, with the lost bomb’s energies causing unpredictable disturbances. The city’s dark history and recent conflicts converge, bringing Savannah’s supernatural forces to a crucial turning point.