Cappadocia (/kæpəˈdoʊʃə/; also Capadocia; Turkish: Kapadokya, Greek: Καππαδοκία Kappadokía, from Ancient Greek: Καππαδοκία, from Old Persian: Katpatuka) is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in the Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, and Niğde Provinces in Turkey. In Ancient Greek Καππαδοξ (genitive -οκος) means "a Cappadocian".
In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine (Black Sea). Cappadocia, in this sense, was bounded in the south by the chain of the Taurus Mountains that separate it from Cilicia, to the east by the upper Euphrates and the Armenian Highland, to the north by Pontus, and to the west by Lycaonia and eastern Galatia.
The name, traditionally used in Christian sources throughout history, continues in use as an international tourism concept to define a region of exceptional natural wonders, in particular characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage.
Vampire: The Dark Ages is a role-playing game originally published by White Wolf Game Studio in 1996. Later, in 2002, the gameline was replaced by Dark Ages: Vampire. Additionally, with the release of Dark Ages: Vampire, several other game lines were added, Dark Ages: Werewolf, Dark Ages: Mage, Dark Ages: Inquisitor, and Dark Ages: Fae, each contributing to the shared setting. Vampire: The Dark Ages is a spin-off from the Vampire: The Masquerade game, also published by White Wolf, the latter set in modern times.
White Wolf Publishing came up with a new model for game releases as historical RPGs, each based on one of the original World of Darkness games. This resulted in three new lines: Vampire: The Dark Ages (1996), Werewolf: The Wild West (1997), and Mage: The Sorcerer's Crusade (1998). By 1998 White Wolf was facing continued economic problems, and was hitting a crisis. Of their last five World of Darkness games – the three new historical games, as well as 1994's Wraith: The Oblivion and 1995's Changeling: The Dreaming – only Vampire: The Dark Ages sold well.