I've been asked more than once how Bloodshadows' modern day Marl came to be like 1940's Earth. Well, the easy answer is that it was a design choice (thanks to Greg Farshtey and Ed Stark). The longer answer is thus...
Picture the Middle Ages of Marl as a typical fantasy setting (read Dungeons & Dragons) in which there is a grand war between those who believed in the precepts of Chaos and those who saw stability in Order. Both sides began conjuring beings from other planes of existence and experimenting with magical constructs. This was the Godwar. The forces behind the conflict then left for other realms, where they continued the war. Without the stoking of the zealous flames on Marl, the fighting settled down and civilization returned for the Humans, with the bulk of the Unnaturals fading into the darkness. And without armies to keep the dangers of the Wilderness in check, the creatures that flourished there grew in both strength and numbers. Cities became the only choice for Human civilization.
Modern Marl looks like classic film noir, but with magic and monsters. Picture a fantasy setting brought to the early 20th century. Not only do combustion and steam engines power automobiles, but so do elemental magics. Radios use magic rather than electromagnetic waves. Light bulbs are powered by magic too. The best way to picture the world is to think about what technologies exist in the 20s to 40s and then ask yourself whether it would be more likely for magic to power them or if something mechanical does. After all, you don't even need an engine to move a car when a beast of burden is available -- or that magical runeslug may not be necessary when a regular gunpowder slug could be all that is needed.
Most cities are Human-centric, meaning that anything that looks non-Human is not likely to get a fair shake. People still remember the atrocities of the Godwar at the hands of Unnaturals, so it is understandable that they are afraid of anything not like them. To be fair, there are some cities that treat Unnaturals as equals, but this is more the exception to the rule. Most Unnaturals do not have the numbers to stage much of a revolution, nor do some even get along with others of their kind. For example, many Vampires are not looking to compete for their blood supply and a lot of Faceshifters actually consider themselves to be Human (it's not like anyone could tell, unless they see one change the appearance of his face).
For those looking for less fantasy or at least less monsters, it's pretty simple to change the setting to 1940's Earth and use only Human characters, with or without magic.
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