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[Shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus


Eosin

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GEM OF THE PACIFIC

The Anime City

I'll admit it, I don't like Anime.

 

So before I sat down to help with the design of Angelus, I had to wrap my head around it and around anime. I had to try and understand the genre. I had to understand the medium. I went to work; reviewing and watching films, reading books, and spending too much time on Wikipedia. I drank pots of tea at Borders while perusing the section of the store that I had always avoided.

 

Ok, Angelus is an Anime styled campaign with all that the word “anime” confers. In the way that “Action Movie” tells you nothing save that there will be explosions, fist-fights, and bullets flying, anime is nothing more than a style of telling something rather than a description of the contents. Anime can be dramatic, comedy, horror, romantic, and all the other genres so common to movies and television but in the case of Angelus we mean a specific set of elements will be integral to the setting.

 

Angelus at first blush, seems to be a post-apocalyptic setting. A world where the balance of power, the nexus if you will, rests on a mega-city just off the shores of where California once met the Pacific. It really isn’t post-apocalyptic. You could argue that Angelus is a dystopian setting with nearly a hundred million people crammed on a floating city always struggling for space, food, and survival. Yet, it really isn’t a dystopia either. One could even assert that Angelus is horror, action, supernatural, and a list of other themes but it isn’t. Like anime, Angelus is all of these things and none of them. It is a shining city on the pacific under threat from oppressive overcrowding of human and inhuman inhabitants. Sorcerers and Espers vie with cybernetic or genetically enhanced enemies and all of them struggle against the incursion of the alien Entities who prey on humanity.

 

If that is what Angelus is, then what isn’t it? Well, first it isn’t meant to be grounded in reality. Sure, there are efforts to paint over the lines but Angelus is filled with pseudo-science and inhumanly awesome combats. Realism gives way to cinematic effect during fight scenes. Structural Engineering gives way to the imagery of hundred story skyscrapers floating on the Pacific. It isn’t a place to practice physics or load distribution but to let lose with street shattering blasts of pure mental energy. Angelus is Bladerunner, Matrix, Minority Report, Equilibrium, Gattica, and Terminator. Soft science, hard action.

 

The elements found in Angelus draw from cybernetics including Terminator like robots and human piloted power armor known as mecha. It borrows supernatural themes from Lovecraft and Dresden. Angelus takes powers of the mind from Akira and Scanners. It steals from all of these source works but is beholden to none.

 

Welcome to Angelus, the shining gem of the Pacific in the 22nd Century.

 

CAUTIONARY TALE

It should be noted that I've found myself enjoying some anime in the months since I started this - not all and I certainly haven't gotten over my dislike of art show scenes that are placed in the story just to show how cool they can make a scene. The stories are what draw me to some of the titles.

 

It would also be rude of me not to mention that Angelus is an amalgamation of the efforts of many before me. What follows was only made possible by the work of Edsel, Susano, and most especially - Watson. All proud members of the Hero Community.

 

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CHAPTER ONE

History At First Blush

The history of How Angelus came to be...

 

The big quake. It finally happened but not the way they expected it to happen. California was lost, and the numbers of the dead did not stop with the folks who fell into the Pacific ocean. Millions more died in the aftermath that was as widespread as building collapses in Texas and volcanic out gassing in Montana. Estimates vary but most historians believe that between 2035 and 2040 more than 18 million Americans lost their lives due to the effects of the Mega-Quake.

 

America the beautiful was in shambles. The mighty giant slain in one fell blow; however, like the death-throes of a rattler there was still some venom in the teeth. Numerous "hush-hush" projects had disappeared in the quake including some experimental weapons that still seem like science fiction sixty years later. In a way, these weapons were the impetus for the development of Angelus.

 

The United States was in the middle of a financial and social tsunami while the rest of the world reeled from the loss of America as a super-power. Shorelines were devastated across the world and several island nations simply disappeared in the massive tidal waves generated from the quake. Hawaii and many other Islands were among the missing. The loss of life from Pacific nations was nearly as great as Americas .

 

Naval power was decimated across the globe. There was little hope for those places where communications suddenly stopped after the mega-quake. Still, some effort had to be made. The United States formally declared a state of emergency welcoming any and all aid in the rescue of civilians. The ever tumultuous South American nations responded with gusto, even though several were sufficiently antagonistic towards the US to be on watch lists.

 

It was the small nation of San Alto that got everyone's attention. They dispatched aid and food supplies accompanied by military and exploratory vessels. It quickly became apparent that they were trying to map the ocean floors in search of lost military bases - specifically the San Diego Naval station where many believed that the U.S.S. Coranado was stationed when the quake occurred. The Coranado was equipped with the latest weapons system and the surface to space missile system known as Mjölner.

 

The US, like a drunken prize fighter, dispatched nearly every remaining war vessel in its power. It was enough to hold off interlopers but not enough to do anything more. Recovery efforts would have to wait.

 

The next several months were a tense stand off between the US military and canny pirates looking to cash in on Americas disaster. In New York, when it wasn't in the grip of riots, the UN heard the case of granting rights to stake claims in what were now International Waters. Over the loud protests of the US, the UN noted that by Maritime Law the United States could not enforce a no sail zone in international waters.

 

Legally handcuffed, the US turned to its own industrious people for a solution. They did what Americans are so good at, they outsourced the recovery effort.

 

At this point, several years had passed since the quake. News agencies picked up reports of naval vessels suddenly sinking in the ocean without sufficient time to issue a distress call. At first, many accused the US of waging piracy on the high seas but when the US lost a carrier class vessel few harbored such suspicions any longer (although some still did). The theories explaining the losses were even more bizarre than the actual losses themselves. Some speculated that ancient creatures had awoken from pre-historic hibernation while others talked about the increasing presence and potency of those capable of channeling magic. Esper super-weapon conspiracies were one of the favored scare tactics used by news outlets to drive ratings.

 

Tidal Subsidiaries, the company charged with recovery efforts on behalf of the US, began a ocean mapping program to get an idea of where, what had shifted; however, several large swathes of terrain were unimaginable by conventional radar mapping.

 

One location, called the Caldera proved to be an entirely new phenomena to modern science. Conventional wisdom and theories failed to accurately describe it but wizards speculated that it was a well of arcane energy empowered by the mass death that had occurred during the quake, a theme that would prove resilient over the years.

 

Scientists scrambled to study what Newtonian Laws could not explain. The location of a nearby nuclear reactor breached in the Mega-Quake was nearby enabling some to stretch science to allow the reactor to “plausibly explain” the Caldara. Pacific Science, an ecologically friendly science think tank, set out to study the Caldara and assess its impact on marine life. The true science and environmental sampling phase was never finished. The initial results n link between the reactor and the Caldara.

 

Tidal Subsidiaries brought in the Oil Platform Angelus to house their own scientists and those of Pacific Science. They would be here as long as it took to figure out what caused the Caldara. The scientists from Pacific Science remained on the Angelus platform as well. Little did anyone realize that they had witnessed the birth of the greatest city in mankind’s history.

 

Tidal Subsidiaries spent two years on the Angelus Platform researching the Caldara. It wasn’t the results of the study that were what brought attention to the Angelus, it was the number of wizards who were inexplicably drawn to the platform. Thankfully, on a ship of scientists it was quickly noticed and scientific curiosity mixed with wizardry to explore the strange tugging that many felt to come to the Angelus Platform. Additional multinational corporations sent research teams including Hexion Industries, Viratech, Stain Pharmaceuticals, and Benthic Petroleum. Viratech was denied residency on the Angelus platform. Instead, they brought a refitted floating hospital. The SS Clarion had been partially gutted and refitted for science research. The new corporate researchers had little interest in oceanic research, they were interested in the emergent power of wizardry. A three year study demonstrated an independent force was activating visions in mystics world wide and all of them concerned the Angelus Platform. The source of said visions was not able to be determined and each factions of mystics all offered contradictory theories associated with their paranormal beliefs.

 

The flood gates to Angelus opened but it was not by a human hand.

 

Locke Securities, a private firm specializing in unique security needs, was brought in to keep the peace by Tidal. Although Locke employed some of the best trained paramilitary personnel in the world (including Esper weapons and enhanced humans) there was quite a stink raised by many of the other firms who claimed that Tidal had violated contracts. There just didn’t seem to be a better alternative. The Angelus was inundated with divergent, sometimes hostile, wizards from multiple sects. Thomas Croft a multi-billion dollar corporate news mogul added fuel to the fire when he purchased three additional platforms and brought them to moor near the Angelus Platform. After this news stories featuring wizards became common place, fueling the obsession many felt for the burgeoning craft of magic.

 

Food and space were both priority issues during these year, so many wizards and arcane cultists had smuggled themselves on board that the malnourished dead were found daily. Others died attempting to swim to the Angelus during the dark of night. Riots broke out when food boats arrived. Angelus and her sister platforms were closer to a high tech battlefield than a city. And behind all of the civil unrest the corporations played another, far more dangerous, game. Assassination and scientific theft were common. The corporations controlled esper weapons, cyborgs, clades, and bioroids, it seemed to them that there was a way to harness this new and unpredictable power. When traditional asset allocation means failed they turned to more dubious methods, like extortion, torture, and kidnapping.

 

All of this led to a dramatic increase in security. There were more security guards than there were scientists and wizards combined. The situation reached a head when an armed conflict raged for two days on board the Vladokov Platform between corporate security companies and a rogue sect of wizards called the Nagual. When it was over nearly 200 were dead or wounded.

 

Mediation was requested by Tidal since the situation was clearly beyond the control of one corporation or faction onboard the Angelus. Dozens of corporate and community interests met with UN arbiters on board the Angelus. A binding agreement was reached that established Angelus as a chartered city with rights of self governance. The office of the City Coordinator was established as well as rules for electing the City Council. A police force was commissioned that was answerable to the City Coordinator and the Council. Interestingly, the first laws since the Inquisition were enacted governing the use of magic.

 

Taxes, fines, and residency fees along with corporate penalties for the war fought on the Vladakov supplied the city with its initial funding. Corporate Partnerships proved to be the most manageable source of steady income during the early years since there were few corporations that did not want a stake in Angelus. Once again, space and food were to prove to be critical factors in spurring further development.

 

Angelus hired engineers, horticulturists, oceanographers, and structural engineers to meet their growing problems. They also hired lawyers.

 

Soon, the UN recognized the sovereignty of Angelus (which had already expanded beyond the original four platforms). The United States launched a vigorous protest but was once again unable to exert the might that it had once possessed. Angelus became an independent entity with territorial rights including the rights to its’ waters. Civil Suits were launched against many of the errant corporations who had sponsored and profited from underwater recovery efforts near Angelus. Billions of dollars flowed into the City Treasury, just as cutting edge science flowed from its laboratories.

 

Structural Engineers had little faith that the current city could survive a major storm. The city population was nearing the 50,000 mark if you counted the Orthan Deep Sea farm (Lilypad) and most of those citizens shared sleeping space in shifts because there was nowhere on the Angelus to stay. Something had to be done [this is a bad period of about 10 years before Angelus blooms].

 

The funds were spent on a gamble but it was a hedged bet. Wizards claimed to have foreseen the outcome.

 

Evan Danzig had developed the anti-grav devices used in the first generation of flying cars and was one of the only men in the world who understood gravatetics. His company, Dyna-Grav, was based in New Mexico at the Private Space Center built just after the turn of the century. The City Coordinator met with him in a private meeting and offered to relocate his whole company to Angelus if Danzig would help with the platform issue. The specifics of the deal, including whatever prompted Danzig to accept the offer are considered state secrets but Dyna-Grav enjoys a near monopoly in some fields.

 

Within five years the first hydrolizer is produced but not before Tropical Storm Claudia kills 7,000 citizens of Angelus despite the efforts of espers and wizards to control the worst damage of the storm.

 

The newly designed Angelus platform was capable of housing buildings up to 20 stories and an auction was held for the 18 sites open to the public. Angelus used these funds to build additional, more powerful hydrolizers. The metropolis of Angelus had been born.

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

GLOBAL INITIATIVES

The world is dramatically altered from the one we know. The drama, as always, begins with disaster.

 

The United States was nearly destroyed as an entity after the Mega-Quake. Recovery and rebuilding took over forty years and even now the US lags far behind China and Japan as a superpower but is determined to once again assert itself. In part, Angelus owes its success to the near death of the US. It was the oppressive taxes, regulations, and government seizure of science during the depression that drove the corporations to consider Angelus as a viable entity. It was massive unemployment, lack of health care, and food riots that drove the people to Angelus. Some say it was the quake that caused magic to surge, drawing the wizards to the platform. Dozens of different events in the US culminated in Angelus gaining power at the expense of its ailing father.

 

The US has a much reduced footprint in 2112. It isn’t the undisputed titan of the world looking backwards at those who might be gaining. He is the ambitious and ruthless upstart seeking to win at all costs in the game of world politics. US foreign agents work hard to ensure that Uncle Sam will soon find himself dictating policy instead looking to make inroads while China isn’t looking.

 

China weathered the Mega-Quake and following collapse of the global economy better than many nations. The first decade after the Mega-Quake the world was in a stupor and most countries were unable to exert themselves further than their own border. China put an end to that with the annexation of Taiwan in 2045. Since then China has steadily dominated nearly every field save for the tech industry and genetic engineering. Japan reigns in technological development while Russia and the US continue to lead in genetic engineering. Chinese Corporations exert tremendous influence in Angelus and hope to eventually force the city under their authority as they did with Taiwan and the Philippines. Only extensive rebellions in subject states and small wars with both India and Russia have prevented China from approaching with a more militaristic stance.

 

Japan endured the Mega-Quake thanks to excellent city planning and wave baffles that lessened the impact of the Tsunamis. Economically, however, they were crushed. The Japanese industrial sectors were financially destroyed but world demand for high tech systems filled the void caused by the loss of other industry. With their infrastructure intact Japan was able to quickly tool up, even going so far as bringing in thousands of American high tech workers. Their quick and complete dominance of the tech sector has catapulted them into the position as China’s greatest rival. Like China, Japan is heavily invested in Angelus where the tech sector has slowly relocated over the last three decades. Japan would like Angelus to become a protectorate.

 

South America was largely unchanged by the Mega-Quake. Poverty, disease, and rampant corruption were in place prior to the depression and certainly did not get better after. With the rise of magic there has been a shift in the balance of power. Even as early 2010 Muerte death cults and Aztec cultists were heavily involved in the drug wars. Once magic actually became a reliable tool they quickly swept aside more traditional cartels. They are not the undisputed lords of vice but that owes more to infighting between temples more than to any other reason.

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

ANGELUS DESIGN

 

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Buildings: Most buildings are dozens of stories high at minimum with many reaching more than fifty stories. Small housing compounds are only seen in Alpha Sector where the rich can afford it and in Sigma Sector where the city build numerous public buildings with a low profile averaging less than ten stories. Standard buildings are not terribly different than our highrise buildings today, only there are more of them and they are built close together giving many areas a cramped, claustrophobic feeling.

 

Arcology: As mentioned above, most buildings are simply high tech highrises but a few are so much more than that. They are known as arcologies. An Arcology is an architectural design of a hyperstructure containing extremely high human population densities. Within each hyperstructure there is a variety of residential and commercial facilities. In some arc's there are people who are born, live, and die without ever leaving the building. Angelus has 7 hyperstructures - The Sancti (religious commune), Angelus University,

 

Wave Baffles I: Wave energy is both a threat and a boon to Angelus. The open sea can generate catastrophic wave force if allowed to strike the city unimpeded and would make ship docking a hazardous affair. The effects of storms or even extremely rough seas over time would critically weaken the structural integrity of the city leading to infrastructure failure. Wave baffles surrounding the city can mitigate much of the danger save in the most powerful of storms. The baffles are built to safely manage 20 meter waves while the city itself can withstand 10 meter wave crests without extensive damage although the city does issue a “High Wave Force Alert” to stop most naval & air traffic. Wave force reaching the city in excess of 20 meters is likely to weaken critical infrastructure despite the massive water displacement of the city. Primary damage sites would be shore line fracture points, underwater hull integrity, and the steam systems. Dynamic Structural Analysis (The DSA) performs electronic and manned sweeps of all affected areas after storms and as required by Angelus statutes.

 

Wave Baffles II: Wave energy is the most concentrated form of renewable energy. The primary function of the baffles remains the integrity of the city but harnessing the force of the ocean and converting it into electrical power is incentive enough to ensure that the system is well maintained. More than a 500 buoy “farms” are integrated into the baffle system that surrounds the city forming a 5,000 megawatt power station (roughly equal to a major nuclear reactor facility).

 

Garbage: Waste is a serious issue for a floating city with a population in the tens of millions. Each incorporated sector of the city is responsible for treating and recycling waste water – usually in massive treatment plants of an industrial park (some districts might contract this out to a separate sector). Biological waste is recycled into base amino acids using bacteria, fungi, or algae to remove or degrade the hazardous constituents. Non-recyclables are broken down using advanced boiler technology to recapture the energy in the form of escaping steam while chemical and nano-tech reduce whatever remains into a less toxic form. Toxic wastes that cannot be reduced further are shipped from the city but this amounts to a single waste barge each day. The Waste Management System of Angelus is an aging marvel of technology capable of breaking down nearly all of the waste generated by the city but is constantly undersized for the massive population.

 

Water: Save for air, water is the most critical component for human survival – thus it is one of the most important services provided by the city of Angelus. The ocean provides an endless supply of water but the city undertakes massive expense to desalinate and purify it for drinking. The bulk of this occurs in reverse osmosis drives that provide both salt and water (the salt goes to the nuclear powered hydrolyzers) . Fresh water is kept in massive desalination reservoirs which are maintained in each city sector. Each sector is required to keep enough water on hand to meet a 3 days supply of water for the residents (although this number sometimes dips as low as a few hours supply). The city itself maintains the enormous XXXX Reservoir which can supply water to the city in an emergency (water rationing is strictly enforced during these times). A secondary reservoir, Lake Angelus, is used as a beach resort but could be used for water if absolutely necessary.

 

Food: Angelus has a population exceeding that of many nations. Food is always an issue for the city. Some foods are shipped in, specifically meats. There simply is no room for herd animals nor would it be cost effective. Fish on the other hand is in abundant supply both natural and engineered. City regulations strictly monitor fish harvesting to prevent over fishing of the territorial waters meaning that most consumed fish are engineered and raised in the fisheries of the city. Still, there is a high demand for natural fish so there will always be fishermen who troll the waters around the city. Plant stuffs, fruits and vegetables, initially posed a problem for the city but modern designs and growth methods ensure that the city has adequate supply. Lilypad farms provide the bulk of the plant matter. The Lilypad farms biomimicry allows water to be absorbed and transported through the “leaves” providing an ample supply for the engineered farms all coming from sea water. Supplementing the massive farms are thousands of greenhouse buildings where exotic fruits and vegetables are grown for community residents. The greenhouse building must be built above the city canopy (30 stories?) to capture some natural sunlight in addition to their bio-lights. This makes location an issue in some sectors. Because of the heavy load (extra dirt and building re-enforcement) the greenhouses are kept under 30 stories. Wealthy residents may own a personal greenhouse building to grow foods to their cultural tastes.

 

Energy: Angelus uses more energy than just about any nation in the world with no fossil fuel resources. Consequently it is on the cutting edge of energy production, storage, and distribution. In addition to wave, tidal, and wind energy Angelus relies on nuclear fusion, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), and even an antiquated class VI liquid metal fast breeding nuclear reactor. There was a second fission reactor but that was lost in the Omega Sector disaster. Currently, due to corporate resources there is an excess of energy production within Angelus. The city conducts brisk business with several nations selling power. Storage of power takes several forms including compressed water and hydrogen plasma storage. Plasma batteries power everything from weapons to emergency buildings. The hydrolyzers incorporate their own massive energy needs into their construction.

 

Salt Corrosion: Due to its nature as a rainy city floating on the worlds largest source of salt, Angelus is in constant state of rebuilding. Corrosion is endemic to the city despite newer treatments developed to inhibit sodium electron reduction in many metals. Dynamic Structural Analysis (The DSA) constantly monitors the key structures for corrosion damage and initiates repairs as needed – which they frequently are. Thus, the city seems to be in a constant state of repair.

 

Hydryolyzers: Electrogravitics was a field of science relegated to crackpots and amateurs during the early 21st century. Much like it's predecessor - flight - true scientists scoffed at the notion and ridiculed those children playing with cobbled together maglev devises. Scientists did not get involved until the debates were already over. Espers were the key to developing true gravatetic devices. Advances in high speed data transfer along with increased public monitoring of electro-magnetic fields (for meteorology and terrorism among others) demonstrated a connection between photonic and gravatetic states for those net savvy and overly curious. It was all public data and once Espers were in the news it took little more than a few key strokes to view the event on cameras and access the public safety grid.

 

Soon, advanced mag-levs were patented in the United States designed by people who played in the garage. Many fringe websites advanced the theory that the Mag-Levs were actually preventing true anti-grav devises. Evan Danzig took these theories further than anyone - patenting his works and founding a multinational corporation that still maintains a virtual monopoly on gravatetics devices.

 

Dyna-Grav worked closely with interests in Angelus as the city began to outgrow traditional means to remain afloat. Together, scientists from Angelus and Dyna-Grav built the Hydrolyzers. Security concerns have prevented public disclosure of how the Hydrolyzers work but the general public is aware of the following:

• Hydrolyzers are powered by advanced nuclear reactors (Cored EM Reactor)

• They create huge volumes of steam.

• Hydrolyzers minimize but do not negate weak gravity fields.

• The Hydrolyzers are secure against any and all threats.

• Building a new Hydrolyzer takes many months and is done on an isolated platform.

 

CHIPS: Clearing House Interbank Payment System. Created by Russians & Europeans at a time when they were worried about the US ability to freeze their accounts. The CHIPS system succeeded because American banks were prohibited from paying interest on checking accounts. US money had already began moving overseas. It became a new type of currency, stateless money. CHIPS is now the greatest mobile pool of capital in the world and it is beyond the control of any one government. The funds are held on DNA encoded smartchips developed just prior to the Mega-Quake by the EU.

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

CHAPTER TWO

City Statistics

Size: 710 square miles

Altitude: Sea Level

 

CLIMATE

Jan 56-68F

Feb 60-72F

March 64-76F

April 68-80F

May 70-82F

June 72-84

July 75-87

August 72-84

September 70-82

October 66-78

November 60-72

December 58-70

 

TRANSPORTATION

Maggie: A contained maglev system that provides transportation to most areas of Angelus at 2 CU per trip.

Private Ground Vehicle: Angelus, like any modern city, has ample roads. [note: future safety devices]

Spinner/VTOL: Numerous vertical lift vehicles are operated within the city limits. License includes airway navigation. Like streets vehicles are required to move at specific speeds and altitudes depending on what direction they are traveling.

 

RESIDENTS

Population: 61 million

Density: 85,000 per square mile

Working: 48 million

Unemployed: 13 million [mostly in Rho]

 

Racial Background

Caucasian [Euro/American]: 24%

Asian [China/Japan]: 29%

Hispanic [indigenous S. American]: 19%

Black [African/American]: 16%

Other: 12%

 

Extra Human Backgrounds

Cyber Implants: 2.2 million

Cyborg: 19,000

Replicants: 16,000

Esper: 17,000

Wizard: 12,000

Clades: 2 million

Genetically Enhanced: 1.8 million

 

Religious Background

Christianity: 22%

Secular/Agnostic/Atheist: 15%

Buddhism: 13%

Chinese traditional religion: 12%

Islam: 7%

Spiritism: 5%

Hinduism: 5%

Judaism: 4%

Shinto: 3%

*Transcendence: 2%

Neo-Paganism: 1.2%

Rastafarianism: 0.8%

Other: 10%

 

Major Sports

Lace & Steel

Slamball [16 teams]

Herodome Racing

 

Urbanography

Angelus is a floating city located in the shallows of the Pacific Ocean along the US and South American coast. The slow travels never come too close to national waters, which could lead to jurisdictional disputes. The city is divided into self governing Sectors answerable to the City Coordinator and to their constituency. Each Sector might have as many as a dozen clearly identifiable neighborhoods that maintain a coherent identity but have very little authority over many of the workings of the actual infrastructure.

 

The most immediate thing that comes to mind when visiting Angelus is that it is a city that sprawls upward, rather than outward. The skyline is immense and filled with thousands of highrise buildings. Under all of the lights and glitter of 100 story buildings the city also sprawls down into the depths below street level. Steam tunnels, maintenance, sewage, and power corridors all project below the surface of the ocean.

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TRAVELING THE BIG CITY

The most common form of transportation in Angelus is the Mag-Lev train system called Maggie by the locals. Maggie reaches every neighborhood in every sector with 24 hour service. Unlike many other modern cities Angelus considers safety on the train a priority. If less people took the train then the already congested streets would buckle under the traffic snarls. A train derailment would leave thousands dead and in some places risk critical infrastructure so care is taken to keep the system in immaculate condition. To date their have been no major incidents with Maggie that have led to a loss of life.

 

The streets themselves are an asymmetrical patchwork of major thoroughfares and secondary roads. Many of the secondary roads are one way. The City Positioning System helps to navigate the many twists and turns of Angelus while also providing notification of alternate routes required because of construction or accidents.

 

Bridges abound in a city of channels. Many of the streets are actually suspended even when they aren’t traveling over an open span of water. Significant travel within Angelus will require the navigation of several bridges.

In addition to the auto and Mag-Lev systems Angelus has a less congested system of air travel. The city maintains one international airport capable of accommodating most commercial aircraft while some corporate buildings have VTOL facilities for officials returning from abroad.

 

Angelus has also embraced Spinner traffic which is a type of privately owned air car. Like ground traffic, Spinners travel in lanes at specified heights and directions. Air travel isn’t random free range joy riding. Those with licenses for air travel are expected to obey traffic laws. The City forbids travel at certain lower altitudes which it reserves for emergency response. Police and XSWAT spinners roar along just above the swaying skyline to attend various emergent situations.

 

Surprisingly, for an oceanic city navel traffic is the least utilized. Fishing boats and large freighters ply the city docks day and night all year long but few are commuter vehicles.

 

LAND MARKS

Blah, blah, blah,… landmarks go here.

 

DRESSED FOR THE WEATHER

Angelus is a nomadic city traveling the US Pacific Coast as directed by the City Coordinator. Much of the time the city navigates to mild climates to avoid oppressive heat or frigid temperatures. Year round temperatures rarely dip into the 50s even during the coldest months nor do they peak above the high 80s during the summer. Angelus would have a perfect climate save for the rain.

 

Few people understand why but Angelus has significant rain virtually every day. Common thoughts include all manner of wild theories but the truth is that the mechanisms which keeps the city afloat also vaporizes a tremendous volume of water each day. That water is vented through steam tunnels into the atmosphere where it condenses to form rain. Only on very windy days does Angelus escape its own humidity and those days usually bring rain of the natural variety.

 

Extreme bad weather is unusual in Angelus owing to a variety of factors including significant advances in meteorology. Also, the city employs specialists who have extra-logical means of divining future weather patterns allowing the city plenty of forewarning. Still, the city occasionally gets nipped by fast moving tropical storms and the like which are too big to readily escape.

 

THE STEAM TUNNELS

Not everything under the street is devoted to the venting of steam, in fact very little of it is actually used for that purpose but that does not stop people from referring to the underground access ways as “the steam tunnels.”

 

Under the Angelus platform or street level lies a maze-like hive of interconnected tunnels, passageways, crawl spaces, and utilities. The breadth of them is truly vast. They are beyond the ability of the city to monitor or even accurately map. Construction continues year around in Angelus on new buildings, corrosion repair, and the cities relentless expansion. Power feeds need to be increased, water supplies rerouted, and sub-oceanic infrastructure must always be strengthened to maintain the structural integrity of the city. This leads to thousands of active construction sites on any given day and overwhelms the office of city planning. Some areas are intentionally “lost” from the City Planners due to bribes or malfeasance while others are simple clerical errors. Whatever the reason, a second city thrives beneath the highrises of Angelus.

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

CITY SECTORS

ALPHA SECTOR

In the heart of the Oldest parts of Angelus everything is new and majestic. This is Alpha Sector rebuilt and expanded from the original platform to shelter the most exclusive citizens in town. Alpha is a marvel of modern engineering with open spaces, engineered terrain, golf courses, and to the south the amazing Lake Angelus. Alpha is one of the few Sectors to have several parks where children can play but it is strictly residents only. Major thoroughfares are open for any citizen of Angelus but many other streets lead into the private domain of celebrities and moguls. These streets are typically closed and operate on a pass card system to prevent the unwanted masses from mingling with the superrich. The Sector has become synonymous with rich and powerful that many refer to its residents not as Angelean but as Alphas. Ironic.

 

NEIGHBORHOODS

Harbor Park: Fanning out due north of Lake Angelus is one of the finest luxury shopping districts in the world. While many grouse at the extensive security everyone loves the five star dining, the day spas, and designer clothing offered to those with smartcards deep enough to pay the prices. Harbor Park is a retail neighborhood catering to the unique wants of the wealthy. The experience includes everything from personal shopping attendants and valet parking to made by design discussions with some of the finest jewelers in the profession. Patrons expect their every need to be attended in prompt and subservient fashion.

 

The Halcyon Building: This building and the surrounding area is the home to the most exclusive residential area for the young and jet-set crowd. Most of the residents are single and set on enjoying life to its fullest with the backing of substantial bank accounts. The Halcyon and Staff work deliriously hard to provide entertainment that is notorious for its glitz and attractions. The Halcyon is actually six interconnected buildings all sharing the same massive plaza on the first dozen floors. The plaza has nearly everything one would expect from nightclubs to personal trainers and salons. The residency turns over quicker at the Halcyon than most buildings in part because the extracurricular are geared towards singles and people without too much responsibility. Occasionally this creates opportunity for wealthy middle class business types to secure a foothold in the Alpha Sector.

 

Sakura: This neighborhood is named after the Japanese word for cherry tree. Like its namesake, Sakura is a wonder. Gone is the ever present oppressiveness of the highrise, while lawns and trees bloom outside of smaller buildings rarely reaching more than 10 stories. The gated community has its own golf course, park, and security team. A community charter requires work on landscape and the building exteriors be provided by Sakura LTD which ensures that the whole area appears as if it was strait from a photograph. Despite its name, the neighborhood is ethnically blended with residents from all over the world.

 

Highlights: The Von Riemann Opera House, in Harbor Park, is world-renowned as one of the finest and most opulent theaters ever constructed. Rumors abound that secret passages and hidden trapdoors are scattered throughout, but for the majority of visitors prefer merely to attend gala events held monthly.

 

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Entrance to the Patton Estate in Alpha Sector

 

 

BETA SECTOR

Beta Sector is a primarily residential area with neighborhoods that range from quaint to corporate compounds that isolate themselves from the rest of the sector. The middle class residents come from a variety of backgrounds including city employees, dock foremen, supervisors from Delta and Gamma Sectors, and numerous employees from the corporations with headquarters in Angelus. Of all the sectors, Beta is lacks any cohesive sense of community.

 

Buildings in Beta run the gamut from the pristine corporate highrises to the bland buildings of Morrow Residential Park. Some buildings are nearly as old as Angelus itself while others are recently constructed. Beta Sector isn’t so much a Sector as it is a collection of unique neighborhoods.

 

NEIGHBORHOODS

Cobble Road: Cobble Road is a pedestrian open market where fresh foods and local products can be purchased. Fish markets, produce, microbreweries, and restaurants are the most common businesses of the area. The Cobble Road business district is a narrow strip running just over one mile. Many Angelians come here for the festive atmosphere that flies in the face of the mega-city culture.

 

Dog Town: If there is a slum in Beta Sector, it would be the neighborhood known as Dog Town. The run down residential area is home to many elderly or retired persons who relocated here. Before the Omega Sector became the horror that it is today the area was a thriving artistic area but with the high murder rate and the inexplicable rash of spree killings, those who could afford to moved out. Dog Town abuts the Omega Zone containment wall driving down property values ensuring that what resident remained were unable to leave or mentally ill.

 

Gramercy Hill: Art is the soul of a community and if the cold metal juggernaut of Angelus has a soul, it is found in Gramercy Hill. Filled with painters, sculptors, writers, and musicians the area exudes an irresistible charm despite its rundown condition. The city has begun revitalizing the neighborhood over the protests of the residents who don’t want the soulless drab of the city culture to infect their haven. Unlike many other sections of Angelus the resident of Gramercy spend a good deal of time in the streets talking with friends and socializing on patios and outdoor work spaces. Painters visit with artisans working stained glass while writers discuss the merits of lyrics with street players. Gramercy Hill is within walking distance from Cobble Road and many visitors assume they are the same neighborhood.

 

Hexion Point: The corporate residence of the middle management of Hexion corporation. HP as it is known is a closed community with the company owning all the buildings as well as subsidizing police and fire. The enclave is close knit, and outsiders frequently find themselves speaking with police. HP has a public park where the children play as well as corporate owned health care centers, a private stop on the mag-lev, and free child care. Corporate citizens are provided for in many numerous ways to free them to spend more time devoted to productive, billable hours.

 

Morrow Residential Park: During the housing crisis of 2092 the city designed and built thousands of apartment units to shelter its middle class citizens. The result is the stale and uniform buildings that comprise Morrow Residential Park. Block after block of matching buildings lead to a monotony and sensory fatigue. The residents here are some of the most unhappy citizens of Angelus, even the residents of the worst sectors feel like they are unique and offer something special to Angelus but the residents of Morrow are invisible citizens that feel as if they will be replaced with another just like them should they fail to report to work. Some residents wonder if others would notice if they died or if life would continue around the body as if it were invisible.

 

Norton Park: This is a gated community where the researchers for Norton Defense live and frequently work. Like Hexion Point, the company attends to many amenities but where HP is insular, Norton Park is mocked as a Norton Penitently. Residents and visitors check in and out of the compound and thoroughfare is prohibited to everyone save for preapproved vehicles and public safety officials, even the computer terminals in private homes are filtered. Skynet Entertainment denies that they censor multimedia input but it is undeniable that many residents of Norton Park have never heard of popular shows or news stories. The world isn’t just cut off from Norton, the inhabitants of the compound are cut off from the world.

 

Seneca: A vibrant, youthful district that attracts young couples looking to start families. The Seneca neighborhood was built to support future generations of Angelenians. The schools in Seneca are some of the finest to be found in the world with top scores on placement tests and some fine upper division schools. A small college caters to those who want to remain neighborhood icons and offers diplomas in teaching and law. Museums and libraries are tucked into the corners while edutainment programs are filmed on location.

 

Highlights: Beta Sector is home to the "lucky" 13th Precinct of XSWAT and to the Kannagara Jinjya Shinto Shrine, a transplant from vanished California.

 

GAMMA SECTOR

The massive shopping and retail district of Angelus is the hub of commerce for most of the pacific. It is home to massive super-malls and exclusive designer shops. It is possible to buys anything in the gamma sector as long as one has the right kind of cash and the right contacts. Street vendors sell on corners while multi-story entertainment centers draw thousands to watch the latest media or see the hottest concerts. Down the street, wholesale retailers supply entire island nations with enough consumables to last a year. The Gamma Sector was modeled on Tokyo's Ginza and Shinjuku markets.

 

NEIGHBORHOODS

Mall of the Pacific: This massive retail outlet houses thousands of storefronts, three multi-media cinemas, two virtual reality centers, a water park, and a golfing park. The Mall is a mecca for the city youth. Teens flock to the chic, trendy fashion stores while the younger crowds mingle among the toy and electronics stores. The Mall has a electronic locator system that allows parents to check children in and allow them to roam. A small fee is required to keep track of your child but it is far cheaper than conventional babysitting.

 

Tanko Virtual Amusement: State of the art entertainment and VR.

 

The Painted Desert: Clubs, bars, strip clubs, and other night light.

 

Beverly: An exclusive neighborhood where many of the entertainment and talent live.

 

Highlights: The Angelwing Cathedral can be found here in Gamma Sector.

 

DELTA SECTOR

The Gem of the Pacific does not have the luxury of shunting off its manufacturing needs to to an ugly sister city. Instead, all major manufacturing and industrial works take place with the Delta Sector. Warehouse City belches enough smog and smoke into the air everyday that only the prevailing winds prevent Angelus from being overcome with air issues.

 

The daily commute into factory city is enough to drive a person insane. Millions of laborers and union workers come from all over Angelus to punch their time clock. After hours the only sign of life is the glittering neon of bars and the rare diner. The Delta Sector has a reputation as being dangerous at night. There are a few lonely residential buildings but nothing that could be described as a neighborhood.

 

NEIGHBORHOODS

Danzig Industrial: where spinners are made.

 

Freight Works: millions of cargo containers move in and out of this maze-like yard.

 

The Foundry: smelting and commercial handling of industrial waste.

 

The Station: a massive advanced nuclear reactor.

 

Phoenix Gardens: several square miles of natural woodland build by the corporation as part of a settlement for violating city codes.

 

Highlights: St. Francis Hospital, highly-awarded for its quality medical care, can be found here. In addition, the largest city park is in this sector as well -- Phoenix Gardens.

 

OMEGA SECTOR

Once Kappa Sector was a prosperous region known for attracting intellectuals. The massive heart of the Angelus Library System attracted scholars from all over the world. In 2093 a quantum bomb detonated, destroying the area. The area was saturated with quantum particles that made even the prospect of recovery untenable. Kappa was gone and in its place stood the Omega Zone. A region so toxic that even exposure for a short time could result in cancerous growths or death. After a few incidents involving teens who had been drinking the area was walled off after protests by citizen groups. The walls of the Omega Zone, painted with biohazard symbols, serve as a constant reminder that some treasures of lost California are better left at the bottom of the ocean.

 

Omega Zone GM Notes

 

There never was a quantum bomb detonation. The Kappa Zone was overran by Entities after the Van Gorren incident. Entities now control the Omega Zone as if it were their own supernatural realm, even the topology is subject to their alien whims.

 

 

Highlights: Kappa Sector used to be well-known for its beautiful statue garden that inspired several poems and songs. That once-dreamlike place now only exists in recorded format.

 

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Two Class 1 Entities escape from a construction site near the Omega Zone

 

EPSILON SECTOR

Epsilon recently gained sector status after the residents launched a successful election campaign. The amazing turn out may see the end of Epsilon's days as a ghetto. The region has long been short on funding from both Beta and Iota Sectors who shunted off many other their poorest citizens to the rundown tenements so common in the area. Epsilon has very little business and nearly no corporate funding. Building codes are lax becuase their is anyone who could actually afford to build to spec here. Gangs, homeless, and organized crime have roosted deep in the warrens of the worst sections of Epsilon ensuring that few will want to invest.

 

NEIGHBORHOODS

Ryukin: China Town gets its name from the Cantonese word for goldfish and is less a neighborhood than a sprawling pool of Pacific immigrants. Ryukin spreads along the coastline in Epsilon and Iota Sectors forming its own identity despite city attempts to manage the ethnic area.

 

Ryukin has a unique atmosphere that caters to the cultures of Asia from the numerous dialects heard on the streets, to the fashion fads, and even the architecture; this region stands apart from the rest of Angelus. Small restaurants and open air markets dot alleyways where passerby can sample at their own risk foods from India, China, and other Asian nations. Ryukin has a cohesion and an underlying balkinization that is invisible to western eyes.

 

Yakuza street gangs and Chinese Tongs struggle for supremacy in their underworld enterprises and are often backed by surprising amount of firepower and in some cases even wizardry or advanced combatants. A subtle system of respect and honor governs Ryukin where an old man in a smoke shop may be the power that controls an entire neighborhood. There are areas that cater to western tourists who want to visit for the foods and culture but behind those shallow exteriors westerners are advised to tread with caution.

 

The Greens: The Greens are a rat hole of decay and urban violence. Built in the late 80s by the city to house the poorest of the poor, these buildings have suffered neglect and abuse. Police rarely enter the Greens unless it is in force to make and arrest. Fire and medical services are unheard of except in the case of major fires. The Greens are more urban war zone than anything else.

 

Littlefield: The community running along the Madison Channel has seen significant revitalization in the last decade. Littlefield is home to distressed citizens but ones who are determined to give their children a good place to live and grow. Parental involvement in education is higher in Littlefield than any other neighborhood in the city and there are more reclaimed parks for children to play outdoors. Streetwatch groups work closely with APD to detect gang or vice activity in the area. The homes and buildings are still in a state of disrepair but the communal sense of pride is palpable in the numerous projects undertaken.

 

Highlights:

 

IOTA SECTOR

Whoops, I missed this one.

Most diverse Sector - ethnically, religion, etc... Block to block feels different.

 

Santi: Santi is a unique neighborhood built by the church. It is designed with Arcology principles in mind to feel more like a commune of people than a collection of buildings [see Arcology].

 

Seaside: Retirement centers mixed with extreme sports enthusiasts. New building so there were a number of retirement "villages" built in Iota but amongst all that sanitized feeling were wide open avenues and a quick dash to open ocean. The street kids who live here come from elsewhere (in general).

 

Starrett Park: purposeful clinging to culture. The neighborhood has a dozen small enclaves clustered around a central market. Each enclave does its best to recreate the culture, food, and lifestyle of the original [italian, Russian, German, Spanish, Irish, Chinese, Hindu, Phillipino, Brazillian, etc..]. The area itself is peaceful but believed to be the home of several organized crime figures.

 

California Street: Area around the Herodome known for its party culture and wild ways.

 

Linden Heights: Ethnically African region. Strong vertical farming community known through the city for its superb produce.

 

Midtown: A planned middle class residential area complete with coney island like amusement park. Good schools, strong neighborhood watch [bordering on vigilante style], a few parks for kids to play etc.. Stepford without the crazy wives.

 

 

SIGMA SECTOR

Sigma is the muscle and sinew of Angelus. The heart of government and nearly all city services. The engineering is diverse. The massive city reservoir dominates the seaward region along with all the support needed to pump water to the millions of Angelians. The stately buildings of the courts and city council sprawl within a mile of beautiful Lake Angelus. The Mag-Lev train yards spider out to speed their way to distant locations within the city. Sigma is a diverse sector with numerous dead end streets, transportation exchanges, and industrial zones. Hidden among all of that are two residental neighborhoods and Embassy Row.

 

NEIGHBORHOODS

XSWAT Headquarters: The one hundred story monolith that anchors the heart of the APD training center. XSWAT HQ is a landmark and visible from nearly anywhere in the city. The Headquarters were built to serve as an administrative center and an urban fortification after the events that led to the destruction of Kappa Sector. XSWAT HQ is the most secure building within Angelus and is capable of withstanding a sustained bombing campaign. The campus contains XSWAT Academy and the APD Academy. At any given time there are thousands of officers on campus.

 

Embassy Row: Dirtside nations have financial and political interests in Angelus so they send their diplomats and spies to the city to promote their agendas. Like any other nation, Angelus has to honor diplomatic status and the rights of sovereign nations. Nearly all of the 38 embassies are found within a corridor known as Embassy Row. Nationals, local workers, and foreign contractors all mingle together on a daily basis to see to the smooth operation of the area. Embassy Row is policed by a special unit of the APD.

 

Métropole: (French - Metropolis) would be a district merged from Zeta & Sigma sector. A residential area for the yuppie crowd into high tech or climbing the city leadership. Lots of nightlife. Safe. Upscale but not freakishly expensive like Alpha.

 

ZETA SECTOR

The center of technology in Angelus revolves around Zeta Sector. Computing firms, technology corporations, and specialized service groups all make their home here.

 

Fountainhead: Cyber residencies. I think those attracted to "upgrading" would probably seek similar resources and thus live in close proximity (specialized doctors, equipment, mechanics/upgraders). Think Silicon Valley but in this case I might call it Fountainhead (from Ann Rand).

 

Highlights: The University of Angelus has its main campus in this sector.

 

RHO SECTOR

Lawless ghetto where clades, criminals, and other socially undesirable elements run free.

 

The Kennel: Clades.

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

CHAPTER THREE

Life in the a mega-city

 

They say New York never sleeps; a mega-city never gets tired. It has a daily rhythm but at any given time traffic is bad somewhere, lines are long somewhere, and someone is just waking to start a new day. The daily grind. Many key businesses in Angelus never close, they slow down and have lulls but the docks and airports seem just as busy at three AM as they do at noon. There is simply too much volume to allow sleep patterns to impact patterns of ships or aircraft. These, of course, need workers. And workers need services like food and child care. It propagates until only the amount of light and the faces of the people change.

 

There is the key. The same people tend to keep a set schedule. Angelus has a day, evening, and night population that never seem to see each other except in passing. The counter girl at the tea store will be there each night when you head home at 5 AM and the person selling food in the municipal court will be the same person who served you lunch today.

 

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ANNUAL EVENTS

Need some research here... obviously there is a fair amount of oriental influence.

 

SLANG

Angelus is a polyglot society with strong Asiatic influence so it is not surprising that loaner words have become common forms of slang.

 

Aho - stupid, idiot

Ecchi - pervert

Kuso - crap

Mobo - eugenically altered, literally modern boy.

Yada - gross, no way

[in progress....]

 

CITY STAPLES

In the world of 2112 entrainment has merged into one giant field called media. The XBOX, iPOD, Computer, and TV are not separate devices struggling for your dollar; instead, media streams to a unique identifier which the owner can play nearly anywhere. Microfilm walls receive signals from a handset to display HDTV. Video games are much the same save for the controls which can be holographic or for the stately gamer an old flexible power game gauntlet that have remained popular for more than 40 years. No matter what your chosen venue of entertainment, it is all on the ARM datalink (Advanced Resolution Media). There are literally hundreds of ARM datalinks from various companies on the market but they all accomplish the same result - streaming, real time media with no interruptions. As with the device there are also hundreds of content providers and free air content provided by Angelus.

 

Television does not exist in a recognizable form but many subscribe to media links to keep current on their favorite drama or police show. There are also a large number of private serials produced and distributed through the net.

 

MEDIA NEWS

Angelus City Watch - the official city news

City Watch is a news and media source paid for by the City of Angelus. It's mission is to educate and inform Angelians about current civic and public events that might be of interest. It does not have the hard edge reporting of other media agencies and rarely covers scandals or the like. City Watch is the media everyone watches but only because they want to know what is happening this weekend.

 

Angelus Underground

The Underground is an illegal broadcast media that boosts storage from pirated frequencies. The reports are usually voice overs with harmonic distortion. The Angelus Underground covers all the weird that everyone pretends does not exist in Angelus. They've shown images of Entities and questioned whether the City Coordinator is under the influence of an Esper. Their shows are long on speculation but short on proof. APD, specifically XSWAT, are regular players on the Underground broadcasts.

 

Pacific Conservative

Angelus is a city wedged between the great powers of China, Japan, and the USA but everyone seems to forget that those countries have their own best interests at heart. Everyone loves Corporate give aways and forget that there are strings attached. Well, not the readers of the Pacific Conservative. The media house has made its mission to dig out undue influence, behind the scene deals, and corruption affecting the independence of Angelus. Several award winning reporters work tirelessly to uncover any sign of wrong doing within the government and police force. They watch dog the corporate players and issue scathing editorials. Many among the elite would like to see the media agency fold but its pockets are deep and it has strong public support.

 

Pacific Sun - independent news with an Asian tilt.

 

Paparazzi Reports - lifestyles of the stars, gossip rag.

 

Seaside News - reports from the high seas. Includes significant current content on Angelus, sort like Reuters in that it is totally dispassionate and independant.

 

US Times - US propaganda media.

 

ANGELUS SUBCULTURES

Mystic World

1. A few book stores dealing with exotics.

2. A "SUPERmarket" for purchasing supernatural stuff like "breath of an angel" and "water from the Dead Sea" and "dust from a fairy mound."

3. A few restaurants that cater to the needs of wizards.

4. A neutral grounds where arcane combat is prohibited.

5. Zones that are controlled or protected by different wizardly factions.

6. A church or two devoted to arcane parishioners.

7. A few examples of arcane academies [Doashan Temple, The Avalon Building, The Orange Tree [voodoo], Crofton House for Girls]

Each of these might have both low tech and high tech versions for wizards with technological disruption fields.

 

Psychic World

1. Black market esper pharmacy.

2. Social Clubs [The Rogue, High Frequency, Lucidity]

3. Esper Tech Stores

4. Esper Agents [represent freelance and rogue Espers for mercenary work]

5. Esper Vice: telepathic or telekinetic slaves... psidrugs that induce a closed euphoria in psi's. Psidrugs that grant other Psitrips for a limited time.

6. Eudora Hall: School for girls... with psi powers.

7. Padua House: secret shelter for runaway espers.

 

Cybernetic World

1. Repairs and Upgrades

2. Black Market Repairs and Upgrades

3. Special Accommodations [Cyber Restaurants, Clubs, Motels, ect that are designed to take the special needs of cyborgs into account]

4. Cyber Agents [represent freelance and rogue cyborgs for mercenary work]

5. Cybergangs [organized crime groups and mercenaries that specialize in the use of cyborgs]

6. The Bowery Spa [a resort and spa for cyborgs]

7. Pacific Restorations [specialize in returning a human appearance to cyborgs who want to be normal again]

 

Eugenics World

1. Better Babies: front for black market super engineering of unborn children

2. AGE: Alliance for Genetic Equality: equal rights for clades organization

3. Atlantis Project: Underground railroad for clades.

4. The Golden Path: Clade movement to usurp man as the dominant species, to protect mankind from himself. Spoof off Dune.

5. Blueprint Inc: upgrade your house! Offer numerous treatments to enhance adult humans.

6. Praetorians: Human form warrior bred to serve as bodyguards to corporate and governmental elite.

7. Idaho Tap: A restaurant and bar that caters to Clade clients. Few normals are welcome on premises and powerful clade bouncers ensure that there is no trouble [near the Rho sector].

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

CHAPTER FOUR

Groups and Organizations

 

CRIME

THE YAKUZA

The Yakuza controls much of the white collar crime in Sigma, Zeta, Omicron, and Alpha Sectors. They are also involved in a turf war within the Epsilon Sector with Chinese and Vietnamese underworld figures. The Yakuza has adapted over the 21st Century to consider high tech and cyber crime its primary source of income but it understands that it must maintain a certain street image to avoid opprotunistic up and comers.

 

The Yakuza heavy muscle includes the classic ninja who has not only been trained to be the best killer possible but has also been bred for faster reaction and more loyalty. They also employ espers whom they steal or breed. Espers unlock a number of corporate espionage schemes and it is largely the fault of the Yakuza that many believe that espers run around "reading thoughts."

 

It would be an error to assume that their was one Yakuza, the criminal empire operates in a manner similar to the mafia with families controlling certain interests and assets. There are an estimated 15 major Yakuza organizations in Angelus.

 

The Vory

The Vory could control much of the arms dealing in Angelus, including cybernetic upgrades. They lack the ability to project as much power as some of the other criminal elements but they have carved out a niche with blood and bullets. The Vory operate under the command of a figure known as Unkle Ivan. Criminal and corporate types use the Vory to secure weapons that might otherwise lead to questions, some APD have commented that without corporate patronage the Vory would find Angelus an unsustainable enterpirse.

 

In addition to their arms trafficking, the Vory also deal in human trafficing. They maintain the normal sex trade but specialize in cyborgs and clades. Much of their muscle is one or the other.

 

The Vory operate out of the Little Oddessa neighborhood in Beta Sector but conduct most of their business at the Herodome.

Muerte

Santa Muerte, South American death cults, are the defacto leaders of the criminal world by dent of sheer numbers. They are the kings of vice within the seedy underworld of Angelus. The Muerte cults are splintered into hundreds of temples under the leadership of true believers, ruthless businessmen, and opportunistic warlords; many vice-lords simply use the religious front to advance their cartel.

 

The Muerte Temples rely on magic and numbers for their muscle. Outsiders wonder at their ability to hold territory from clades, cyborgs, and other enhanced combatants but when a Muerte Temple is willing to lose a thousand converts to kill a single clade the tech factor falls under the sheer weight of human flesh. They also give many pause with their necromantic leanings. A few examples involving the dead coming after you is enough to force even hardened criminal groups to consider their plans.

 

Tongs:

The Chinese will also need some representation since they are probably the most dominant nation in the world.

 

ARCANE ORGANIZATIONS

Order of the Golden Key

The most prolific and popular western form of wizarding. Descends from ancient traditions and uses thaumaturgy.

 

The Marked

Families dating back to the origin of Angelus who possess unique gifts that are difficult to ascribe to a specific magic tradition. The gifts matured when they came to Angelus. The Marked consider themselves the supernatural guardians of Angelus.

 

The Grange

Similar to Dresden stuff. The Grange remains hidden from mortal eyes.

 

The Folding Circle

Wizards, zealots, and killers who hearken back to the oldest traditions of magic known among the early inhabitants of India and the Celts. They believe in the karmic cycle which governs all that they do. Too many escape the Great Cycle and bring imbalance to the world - those impurities must be righted if the world and mankind is to obtain enlightenment. Members of the Folding Circle are at once feared for their intimacy with death and encouraged for their staunch opposition to the Entities.

 

Trinity

A wizard tradition based on aspects of the Sun (fire, light, healing), Moon (passion, love, and mental control), and Earth (nature spirits, luck, and birth). The members of the Trinity believe there is an evil cabal who master all of their magics plus a new sphere for their prime focus, the planet Nemesis (the dark magical reflection of earth).

 

Grigori

 

Santa Muerte

 

Entity Cults

 

The Scarlet Path

Magi devoted to erasing the knowledge of magic from men. They believe that the possession of such secrets poison magic and draw the uninitiated into dangerous waters. Men peruse magic not because they feel a calling but because they want power of cool stuff. Members of the Scarlet Path follow their own morality in obtaining their goals (some will kill non-scarlet path wizards, some will kill mundanes, others discourage the reporting of magic but all of them believe that the knowledge of magic is dangerous.)

 

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CLADE

NOVA Center

 

 

ESPER

 

 

 

CYBER

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OTHER

Sons of Enoch

 

 

COROPORATE

American

Benthic Petroleum

Dyna-Grav

Tidal Subsidiaries (small)

Viratech

 

Chinese

Cathay Holdings

Chrysalis Corporation

Hsin Technologies

Mandrake Foundation

Sun Song Limited

 

Japanese

Itix Electronics

Shinra Cooperative

Taguruato Power

Yutani Industries

 

Multi-National

Hexion Industries

Locke Securities (Aus)

Norton Defense Contractors

Tetradyne

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

CHAPTER FIVE

Fantastic Locations

 

Typical Building

The Typical Angelus building rises around seventy stories high. Most are mixed use towers with several of the lower levels devoted to retail and entertainment space, a dozen floors of commercial space for offices and the like, the bulk of the tower would go to residential apartments (approximately 50 floors) and most will have a few observation decks. Observation decks usually hold some entertainment venue or restaurant. Some observation decks have exotic locales such as art museums, gardens, temples, even a water park.

 

The plaza/atrium incorporates restaurants, retail, and gym facilities. Several thousand square feet of retail rent space is available for service to the residents, typically: a coffee shop, juice bar, computer shop, grocer, cafe/bar, spirits, newsagent, net café, and a health center. The atrium is usually appointed to the social status of the residents and includes things like fountains, greenery, and works of art.

 

There are around 400 apartments within the residential component evenly split between two to four bedroom units.

 

A recreation deck is common and typically contain leisure-space for apartment residents, a pool, recreation room, and barbecue area.

 

A multi-level basement is used as a parking garage and for maintenance and may be as many as 10 sublevels.

 

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700 Terrace Street

There are very few buildings as ornate or powerful as the gleaming synthetic marble edifice known to all in Angelus as simply "Seven Hundred". The rose colored building may be one of the busiest locations, day or night, in the the Alpha Sector. Sitting on the south bank of Lake Angelus, Seven Hundred is where the honored dead of Angelus rest and where friends or relatives come to pay their respects.

 

Three parks, rare in Angelus, surround the building allowing visitors a place to meet and children a place to play with real grass under their feet. Trees and gardens have been bioengineered so that a riot of color tantalizes visitors all year long. The city planners even went to the expense of building several small, rolling hills that are the marvel of many children. Additionally, there is a small rocky river that runs through the heart of the parks providing a soothing noise that can mask the sounds of the city for those looking for a sense of peace.

 

Seven Hundred is a massive building towering above its neighbors. The honored dead of Angelus are legion and even as large as it is, the building is too small to house the urns of all those who wish to reside there. The middle class citizens of Angelus often chose to be interred here at considerable expense. The super wealthy may own wings in Seven Hundred or they may be interred at a private mausoleum. The poor, well, some say the poor end up in the Peaceful Ocean. The more ghoulish say that the homeless wind up at the Great Bay Fishery, after all even the fish have to eat.

 

Inside the atrium visitors check in and are allowed to roam selected halls where fiends and relative rest. Small shrines are scattered along the halls and temples to the faiths of the world can be found on certain floors. The offices housing the padres, monks, sifus, gurus, and priests are on sublevel four. These are open during business hours and as needed on religious holidays.

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

LATEST CITY MAP

 

I am not satisfied with the way the neighborhoods are coming out but it shows what it needs to show. I'll do some snooping around to see if there is a way to pull it off with a little more style.

 

attachment.php?attachmentid=31667&stc=1&d=1242867224

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

MAJOR NPCS

Nero

Four years ago a new syndicate rose in Zeta Sector based under the charismatic leadership of a newcomer named Nero. Few gave the fresh faced young man the credit he deserved for his ruthlessness and savvy. Some say his smile is enchanting while his enemies say it is the smile of a shark on the hunt. Whatever the case, bodies began to pile up in high tech areas. Known criminals, informants, and even police officers were killed whenever they opposed Nero or those working for him.

 

Today, Nero controls much of the hightech crime in Zeta Sector working with cyberdocs and black markets to offer some of the hottest upgrades in cyberware. His men have extensive combat upgrades and many suspect Nero has dabbled in cyberware himself. Things have stabilized but police fear that Nero may simply be getting ready for another push to take over more territory. The organization also leases muscle to other criminal elements when more than guns are needed.

 

GMs Only

 

Nero is actually Ner-0, a human form clade gifted with a scary intellect. His push into the hightech and illegal cyberware markets are the tip of the iceberg for him. Ner-0 might work for a foreign government or a corporation. It is also possible that he is entirely independent. The big threat from Ner-0 is that he might be able figure out a way to control the implanted persons that his doctors have been working on illegally. If so, he is a force to be reckoned with at any level.

 

 

Mr. Stitch

Mr. Stitch is a freak. Even in a city full of purple and white hair he stands out in a class of oddness all his own. Body modifications, scarification, and implants have altered his looks until he only vaguely resembles the young Latino of his youth. Santa Muerte and magic consumed him even before his body hit puberty. He sacrificed his first victims before he had kissed a girl. Mr. Stitch runs one of the most vile vice cartels in Rho Sector. His stable includes every twisted perversion that man can imagine if not for the pleasure of others then for himself. His clients include men and women from all stations whose fetishes stray into the illegal and immoral.

 

Mr. Stitch has held dominance for so long because of his connections to the Santa Muerete cults and because of his own dark wizardry. He prefers to avoid violence and combat which isn't hard since so few would willing engage a man who so obviously feels no pain. But one should not mistake him for a pushover, Mr. Stitch got his name for his skill with blades rather than his penchant for self mutilation.

 

GMs Only

 

Mr. Stitch runs a cult of ecstasy and is inspired a bit by Pinhead and Hellrazor. His magic is only moderately powerful but his dulled sensory ability and his lethal fighting style.

 

 

Nestor Gun

In a world riddled with magic and the Entities few dare dabble with demons, fewer still succeed. Nestor Gun dabbles with the infernal. Once he was simply a cruel and malicious child but in the last ten years his star has risen in the underworld as an answer to those who would use magic to fight evil. Nestor is an arcane hitman, known on the streets as a mage-killer. His prices are high and few recommend him but when others balk Nestor will not fail, so long as you can afford his price.

 

GMs Only

 

Even as a mortal Nestor was evil but it was the petty evil of theft and thuggery. Nestor doesn't dabble in demonology, through his clumsy attempts his body has become the vessel of several demons. The demons housed in Nestors form use the captured soul of wizards to transform him and them into something even greater. It is only a matter of killing enough wizards.

 

 

Theon Norton

Mr. Norton commands one of the most powerful corporate entities in the world, Norton Defense Contractors. He is a ruthless businessman, even in the normally cut throat world his killer instinct is legendary. He has bankrupted competitors and if rumors are to be believed he has even destabilized governments. Theon Norton is a man with a vision and he intends to mold the world (and Angelus) to fit his vision.

 

GMs Only

 

Theon Norton is a controlling, domineering capitol titan who isn't used to being denied. He fears no entity be they corporate or government. His wealth is sufficient that only China, Japan, and the USA can outspend him but he has an ace in the hole - weapons.

 

 

Daniel Swan

Daniel was smuggled into Angelus by clade sympathizers where he quickly became one of the central figures of the underground. Intelligent and persuasive, he equated the clade condition as being at war with humanity. Daniel is adaptive and quick to shift positions as the opportunities present themselves allowing him at times to be seen as a major player for good or a force for evil - it all depends on clashing goals. Daniel has a strong cult like following which feeds into his messianic ego, he is firmly convinced that he will change the world.

 

Daniel runs the NOVA Center, a non-profit foundation designed to help free clades adjust to normal life. Angelus intel suspects that the NOVA Center has other, less savory interests but has so far been unable to prove anything.

 

Daniel Swan is a clade bred with feline genetics giving his appearance a sleek grace that is not exactly human. His golden skin and eyes are reminiscent of a lion.

 

GM Notes

 

Daniel Swan and the NOVA Center are just what they appear to be - clade supremacists who believe that it is their destiny to claim equality and eventual superiority over mankind. Daniel is freakishly smart in a social manner and well versed in theology, philosophy, and logic. His personal charisma earns the NOVA Center several free passes as does his ability to pick winners. He will often aid causes contrary to his own as needed for long term goals.

 

 

Ayaka Kodiak

No one knows where Ayaka comes from, or at least no one will admit knowing. At first many in the esper underworld assumed that she was another rogue agent who had escaped from one of the corporations but that illusion didn't last long.

 

Ayaka is a slight dark hair girl of Asian descent but her accent and cultural mannerisms show more of a Midwestern upbringing. She frequents churches, synagogues, and mosques where she hears the voice of god. The voice gives her missions, sometimes benign and sometimes terrible. Like the angels of the Old Testament she sometimes serves as the wrath of the almighty, which isn't surprising since she claims to be the Angel of Abraham.

 

Ayaka's command of esper powers is staggering. She is capable of rending through nearly any structure and no esper who has stood against her to date has survived more than her initatial psychic thrust. Worse, unlike many espers who leak powers which are possible to track Ayaka is completely off the psychic radar - she shows up and completes whatever mission God sent her on and then leaves.

 

GM Notes

 

Ayaka's origin can be whatever the DM wants. She could even be a real angel but she is the avenging kind that wiped out Sodom and Gammora. Ayaka barely interacts with the real world, instead she is lost in whatever visions of the throne that inspires her.

 

 

attachment.php?attachmentid=31686&stc=1&d=1242933278

 

Kassidi Gray

There are hometown heroes and kids who grow up having seen a little bit of everywhere, Kassidi Gray has seen everywhere. Somewhere along the line she ended up in the military, more to spite her mother than for any other reason. She tested well, really well and the USA can always use men like that - even when they are women.

 

The young soldier discovered that she more aptitudes than just being a good study. Uncle Sam sent her to a number of specialized schools. Kassidi was a great soldier who went where she was told and got the mission done. Somewhere overseas she learned some other things, nearly all of them the hard way. She learned about things that should not be and suddenly her fears of what might lie under the bed returned. She also learned that shooting another officer because he was possessed was not a credible legal defense. A few hard years later and she found herself on the streets of Angelus.

 

Kassidi is a supernatural investigator. She has the sight and a few tricks up her sleeve that help her out when she gets in over her head but when all else fails she is deadly with just about any weapon issued to a warrior on any continent.

 

GMS Only

 

Kassidi has an unknown arcane heritage. Her poor relationship with her mother virtually guarantees that she will never discover exactly why she has the gifts that she does. Kassidi could be a credible mage if she was ever trained but as is she relies on luck, her mage sight, street smarts, and copious amounts of fire power.

 

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

Sorry, that is a bad explanation. I put the map in post #11.

 

Post 11

 

After your ears get back to normal from that LOUD POPPING noise

(my head coming out of my arse) :eek:

 

I should have known that, I just did not go back and look at the map again.

 

The map looks great!:thumbup:

 

It makes it much simpler, and saves on thread space (not as if that's ever an issue).

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

I am looking for a few good ideas for evil magic cults. So far I have Entity Cults (need a good name) and Santa Muerte.

 

I'd like something like Demon or Rasputin from Hellboy. A few icky Lovecraftian type of cults.

 

And I need a few non-western magical traditions/schools.

 

Fire away with suggestions.

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

I agree, but who is going to attract followers with "the ignoble order of evily, evil blood mages who die young and violently"

 

I added some images on the front page to break up the massive blocks of text. Copywrite belongs to the illustrator.

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

I love the images!

 

Could I suggest something? You mention desalination plants, and you mention the hydrolizers venting steam (to cause the ever present rain), you might want to mention harvesting that steam as part of the desalination effort and have the rain due to a different cause (maybe the less local influence of the Entities?)

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

I have been fascinated by "vertical farming" for a while now. Here are a few links you might be able to mine for ideas on how Angelus feeds its population:

 

Spiraling Skyscraper Farms for a Future Manhattan

 

Plants Invade Singapore Skyscraper

 

SKYSCRAPER FARMING

 

The Vertical Farm Website

 

Farming reaches to the sky

 

Amazing Skyscraper Farm for Vancouver

 

I hope these are useful! :)

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

I love the images!

 

Could I suggest something? You mention desalination plants, and you mention the hydrolizers venting steam (to cause the ever present rain), you might want to mention harvesting that steam as part of the desalination effort and have the rain due to a different cause (maybe the less local influence of the Entities?)

 

1. Thanks. I somehow figure that Angelus would have lots of green. Maybe it is a trick to fool the mind so that the inhabitants feel like they are in a natural setting rather than a glorified oil platform. I've been looking for art that matched that rather than just any ole art.

 

2. I actually researched the steam - cause I had thoughts like yours. The end result was that I went with using the stream as part of the power system rather than the water system. The release of the steam cranks turbines in long tunnels to generate a fair amount but it is a tertiary system.

 

3. Thanks for the links. I ran across an article about a year ago describing vertical farming in one of the eastern US cities and it stuck in my head. Between than and desalinated hydroponics it would seem that we already have the knowledge but there isn't a big enough financial drive yet to make these things a reality.

 

Glad you like the city, and thanks again for the links. I'll invaribly need to re-research these bad boys when I get to writing them up completely.

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Re: [shadows Angelus III] The City of Angelus

 

 

3. Thanks for the links. I ran across an article about a year ago describing vertical farming in one of the eastern US cities and it stuck in my head. Between than and desalinated hydroponics it would seem that we already have the knowledge but there isn't a big enough financial drive yet to make these things a reality.

 

Glad you like the city, and thanks again for the links. I'll invaribly need to re-research these bad boys when I get to writing them up completely.

 

I read somewhere (maybe buried on one of the linked websites?) about a guy that wants to use the economic downturn to lease a middlin' sized skyscraper in NYC on the cheap and turn it into a vertical farm. He was trying for some of the "Green" grants that are going around now to start it up, but I don't know how successful he'll be, since I bet it would require not only a chunk of change up front, but some more to keep all the full spectrum lights on until he could start selling produce...

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