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A Superheroic Portland, Oregon


Lunatic Fringer

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In another thread, I tried working out a city that had been rebuilt after a creature from outer space destroyed it.  New San Juan, Puerto Rico had some interesting concepts, but required walking too far away from the modern world for my players to stomach it.  So now I'm fairly far along on Metronova being the game universe's stand-in for Portland, Oregon.

 

The basic premise here is that during World War II, The Knights of Portland (a group of mystery men - and women) battled a group of Japanese agents - The Disciples of the Rising Sun (loosely translated) - for control of The Talisman of Unmaking (also loosely translated from Anasazi).  During the final fight in the port area, the shugenja for The Disciples managed to invoke the talisman, which would release enough magical energy to destroy a significant portion of the North American continent.  Fortunately, The Freemason managed to create a magical equation to send the talisman to another dimension - almost.

 

As the portal was closing, the talisman unleashed its full fury which allowed a tiny fraction into our dimension.  The tiny amount blasted out a crater nearly a mile wide and a third of a mile deep in the port area.  The combination of the physical shock wave and magical energies leveled the city and slightly altered its geography in the process.  (Essentially the range of hills to the west of the Willamette river were "smoothed out" a bit, plus several of the more prominent land forms to the east were displaced a little further in that direction.)  Tens of thousands of people were killed and over a hundred thousand were injured what became known as The Cataclysm.

 

After the war, the federal government passed The Metronova Initiative which freed up nearly $300 billion in federal funds (equal to around $3 trillion in 2015 dollars) to help finance the rebuilding of the city.  Dr. Progress - the last surviving member of The Knights, though as a non-corporeal entity - helped oversee the building of a new downtown and the infrastructure needed to support up to a million residents.  Private investors built the rest of the city, including a number of corporations that were flush with profits following the war.

 

So now I've got this city which I've been placing locations in and I'm starting to run short of ideas.  Does anybody know Portland, Oregon well enough to give me some great locations in the real world city that would also be good for the superhero setting of Metronova?

 

Thanks in advance!   :)

 

LF

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Use Google Maps

 

Draw a circle of destruction and colateral damage.

 

Memorials to the fallen. Civilians, Heroes, and honoring the first responders.

 

Rebuilding a post WWII modern city in the United States.

 

Portland is one of the three largest ports on the west coast of north america.

 

War Profiteers move their factories retooled mostly for Civilian production.

 

Municipalities in the Portland area absorbed into the new Metroplis.

 

Post WWII civil engineering. Building from scratch.

 

 

Etc...

 

 

QM

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I notice the mystic bent. One Very cool location I've used several times is near the Sam hill museum. It is a full size replica of stone hinge, as originally built. If it gets any cooler, I don't know how! :-)

 

It took some looking, but I found it.  A little far off the edge of my city map to include, but perhaps as a site of regional interest.  :)  Thanks!

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The Oregon Health Sciences University is up on top of Marquam Hil, they have a suspended aerial tram that reaches the top of the hill, particularly useful in winter.  Oregon Museum of Science and Industry OMSI is right next to the Willamette river, and has all kinds of displays of scientific and technological nature - and is built into an old power plant.  The Willamette River its self has a curious circular drain thing in the middle near OMSI, going ... who knows where.  In the Candy Basket, there's a 21 foot tall waterfall made of chocolate.  There's a beautiful rose garden and japanese garden in the west hills.  In Portland there is also the Mystery Hole, a strange sunken area with odd doorways and features.  Witch's Castle in Forest Park is a curious place much like the Blair Witch Project setting.  The World Forestry center sounds sort of dull but is actually a very interesting spot that could have its own events.  And of course, it has its share of allegedly haunted spots, like all cities.

 

Not far south is Oregon City where there's an elevator that lifts you to the top of the cliff that separates the town into two.  Maryhill Museum is the spot with the new Stonehenge, its not too far outside Portland.

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The Oregon Health Sciences University is up on top of Marquam Hil, they have a suspended aerial tram that reaches the top of the hill, particularly useful in winter.  Oregon Museum of Science and Industry OMSI is right next to the Willamette river, and has all kinds of displays of scientific and technological nature - and is built into an old power plant.  The Willamette River its self has a curious circular drain thing in the middle near OMSI, going ... who knows where.  In the Candy Basket, there's a 21 foot tall waterfall made of chocolate.  There's a beautiful rose garden and japanese garden in the west hills.  In Portland there is also the Mystery Hole, a strange sunken area with odd doorways and features.  Witch's Castle in Forest Park is a curious place much like the Blair Witch Project setting.  The World Forestry center sounds sort of dull but is actually a very interesting spot that could have its own events.  And of course, it has its share of allegedly haunted spots, like all cities.

 

Not far south is Oregon City where there's an elevator that lifts you to the top of the cliff that separates the town into two.  Maryhill Museum is the spot with the new Stonehenge, its not too far outside Portland.

 

Got some awesome sauce on this.  :)  Thank you kindly!

 

LF

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