The Paradigm Conflict

Monday, August 5, 2013

Metamorphosis

Maron looked down at her hands in an even mixture of dismay, confusion, and without a doubt a small measure of fear.
"How could this happen?" she asked, quietly.
Cleopatra, a small ball of svelte black fur, watched Maron with the casual and seemingly uninterested gaze that all cats share.

I expected that something like this might happen, to be truthful with you, the feline responded, Maron receiving the message through an amalgamation of both words, thought patterns, and mental images.

Maron crossed to the bed and sat down on it. She was momentarily distracted by the sound of her parents' movement in the kitchen downstairs; dad chattering away gaily in Japanese to Mum, whom Maron understood to be moving slowly about the kitchen, identified by the metallic scrape and rattle of her walker.

"I don't know what to tell them, or the team," Maron said, knowing that Cleopatra would understand that she was referring to her parents.
Tell them the truth, Cleopatra thought-messaged at her, once again entertaining Maron's mind with actual words, effigies, and suppositions.

"This'll badly affect the team," Maron said. "What are they going to do without me?"
Cleopatra continued to watch her lethargically.
"They'll rely on Brahma to be the team brick," she thought.

The puss rose to her feet and stretched, transforming her already lean shape into a long tube of black fur that made her seen a foot longer than she actually was. Her throat and chest reverberating with soothing and calming purrs, she butted her head lightly against Maron's cheek.
Maron sighed, putting her hands around the Mau and pulling her lightly into her lap. Cleopatra continued to purr.
"Everything will be fine, Girl Wonder," she said. "Everything will be fine."

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Paradigm City. Part One

Paradigm City is the city in which heroes live, work, play, and fight evil. The city itself is massive, stretching 502 miles along the West Coast of California. When many tourists come to Paradigm City they expect one fantastic sprawl and are surprised to find that Paradigm City is actually a collection of many smaller cities all linked together. Each of the cities that make up the whole of Paradigm City have their own distinct flare and flavor:

Millennium City is the largest city district and is the seat of Paradigm City's government. It is largely tourism oriented, attempting to draw in any and all to generate revenue. Millennium City has a lot to offer and because of it's wealth and power has also become ground zero in the war between heroes and villains. The Defenders League tower resides in Paradigm City, as does the throne of evil for The Advent. Millennium City is the central hub for the remaining districts that total Paradigm City with Darkness Falls to the north, the Greene to the northeast, Raven's Grove to the east, The Bucket to the southeast. the Tower District to the southwest, and Steel Beach to the west.

WideView is the second largest district, found north of Darkness Falls. WideView is mostly agricultural, generating revenue with farming and farm sales. It is a beautiful slice of the Midwest in California and also receives a great deal of funds from tourism. WideView's location and spartan landscape makes it a good place for villains to establish lairs. It's most noted for the Defenders League hero Retribution, and well as the near-mythical villains called Heavyweight and Jack Nine. It is famous as the home of the admired Defenders league hero Brahma.

The GreeneWay, most often simply referred top as The Greene, is Paradigm City's most lucrative district, positioned east of WideView and northeast of Darkness Falls. The Greene serves as the primary financial district of Paradigm City, drawing in substantial funds through cultural centers, seats of business, fine dining, and frequent use for motion picture entertainment. Despite the glitter of it's wealth, The Greene has one of the lowest crime rates in Paradigm City because of the vigilance of Defenders League member Broker. The Greene is well-known as the seat of power for The Circle Trinity, one of the most prestigious wealth firms. It has lately garnered more attention for being the area in which Defenders league hero Xin crash landed.

Darkness Falls is Paradigm City's fantastic and famous historic district. The Falls lie just north of Millennium City, south of WideView, and northeast of The GreeneWay. Not only are The Falls famous for museums, art and cultural centers, and the oldest neighborhoods in Paradigm City it is also believed to be the most haunted area of the city. Ghosts, UFOs, and cryptids are reported from the Falls on a regular basis, and it has been featured on television many times. It was formerly the seat of power for the frightening Arcanus Malefactorum but has recently undergone a massive upheaval in the criminal underworld to determine a new illegal crime lord. The Falls is home to one of Paradigm City's most media-visible Defenders League heroes, Girl Wonder.

Steel Beach is famous as the sight of an unprecedented Japanese surprise attack on the morning of December 7, 1941; killing 2400 Americans and causing America to enter WWII. Steel Beach is mainly industrial, focusing its finances on the Naval industry. It has some of the most spectacularly beautiful beaches on the entire West Coast which ensures a massive influx of tourism during the spring and summer months. It is also known for piracy, most believe lead by a pirate "queen". Steel Beach is west of Millennium City and southwest of Darkness Falls.

The Tower district, sadly nicknamed The Slums by most residents of Paradigm City, was designed to be a beautiful and wealthy section of the city but because of a stagnant economy and other considerations fell into disuse, and became populated by the disposed, the insane, and the destitute. Today, The Tower District is little less than Hell on Earth, a place where people go to disappear and be forgotten. Because of an unknown disease strain, The Tower District is under CDC quarantine. Despite it's horrendous reputation it does have a protector, the enigmatic Defender League hero Archangel, whom never leaves the city and is so aloof over 90% of her team mates have never met her.

Gold Coast City, affectionately called The Bucket, is Paradigm City's answer to Las Vegas and Atlantic City. It draws in so much tourism from its waterfront hotels, penny arcades, and casinos; as well as contracts from the motion picture and television companies; that The Bucket is almost entirely self-sustaining. It's said that any vice can be obtained in The Bucket, if the price is right.

Raven's Grove is the smallest and southernmost district of Paradigm City, made up largely of pretty rolling hills and quiet suburban communities. It also has some of the most favored educational institutions in the country, including the famed School For Girls. It is very well known among the paranormal community as being a central hub for mystic and magical energies. It is also feared for the presence of Cadaver, the area's most despicable villain. The Defender League hero Cantrip keeps Raven Grove safe.

Organizations

Many of Paradigm City's organizations, both heroic and criminal, are world famous.

The Defenders League is the most powerful law enforcement agency operating within the city. The brain child of the hero Paragon, The Defenders League exists both to assist local and statewide law enforcement but also to provide housing, education, and training for up and coming superheroes. The Defenders League tower. which is the heart of Millennium City, is a five story X shaped structure known to have the latest technological, medical, and academic imports largely thanks to having brilliant minds such as Doctor Tesla, Doctor Sabre, and Yoiko Hibiki operating within it's walls. Since the unexplained disappearance of most of Earth's most powerful heroes and villains, operations of the League have been taken over by members Doctor Tesla and Breakdown. The Defenders League membership is what most heroes aspire to attain, for the reputation and respect that comes along with it. But...

Where the is good, there is evil. In Paradigm City, that evil rises to the forefront as The Advent. The Advent is the singularly greatest criminal empire in history. Just as the Defenders League aids and supports new heroes, The Advent trains and equips new villains. The Advent is made up of the greatest criminal threats in America, including Cadaver, Mastermind, and a great many others. It also bosoms a great many criminal empires including Mastermind's Overlords, Olympic Industries, The Serpent Society, and Hammon International.

Part Two will continue the discussion of organizations within the game, and give an overview of some of the city's most famous residents.

DISTRICTS

This is a reference sheet for all the collective cities which make up Paradigm City as a whole.

WIDEVIEW-Also known as the farming and agricultural district. Lulu's area.
DARKNESS FALLS-The Historical district and seat of magic and the supernatural. Essa's area.
GREENEWAY-The Financial district and seat of city economics. Riven's area.
STEEL BEACH-The Industrial district and powerhouse of naval commerce. Rodd's area.
RAVEN'S GROVE-A small district largely educational in nature. Mus took it. >:P
THE SLUMS-the sealed off, demilitarized district. Akemi's area.
THE BUCKET- The Entertainment district. Skyfire's area.
MILLENNIUM CITY-The Governmental district and seat of Paradigm City government. Mus' area.

Paradigm City Part Two: Profiles

The following individuals are should be considered to be publicly known by all characters.

1. Milennium City

Governor Melissa Cartwright
Melissa Cartwright is the rarest type of politician: One who does what she says she will do and listens to her constituents. Before entering politics, Cartwright was a family practitioner whom grew dissatisfied with the high level of crime in Paradigm City. She ran first for a seat on the city council, and from there was elected mayor of Millennium City. After serving out her eight year term as Mayor, Cartwright ran for state Governor and won by a landslide. She is the wife of the now missing hero Paragon, and since her husband has disappeared she has become a high profile target for villains and villain groups.

Doctor Raymond Shelgul, mastermind of the Advent
Raymond Shelgul is considered to be the greatest criminal mastermind in all of Paradigm City. He first came to public recognition by a bid to take over Raven's Grove, and was narrowly defeated by the Defenders League. Sent to Stronghold, he earned the respect of his fellow inmates and then engineered an escape which was successful. Returning to Millennium City with her new allies, he deposed Mister King as head of The Advent and now leads the organization with an iron fist.

Yoiko Hibiki
Japanese born Yoiko Hibiki is considered one of the greatest scientific minds of the 21 century. She made her first millions by inventing a fabric with the textile strength of titanium, called Yoicord, which she sold to the US military. Hibiki is the designer and founder of the island of Olympus, designed the Stronghold super-prison, and perfected the creation of the artificial life forms known as bioroids. Hibiki's genius is so great that Olympus is easily a hundred years ahead of the rest of the world in technology and medical science.

2. Wideview

Heavyweight
Tyrone Brooks grew up on the means streets of the inner city, almost inevitably joing a gang as soon as he was able. As he got older, he only got bigger and bigger, soon gaining a name through his inhuman strength and durability. His reputation soon drew the attention of the organized elements of the city, interested in making him more than a street thug. He embraced his new found..employers, soon becoming one of the mafias feared enforcers. They often fond him useful for eliminating rivals or even simply removing evidence..whatever it may be, his unending appetite will make it disappear. His illegal activities soon brought the attention of real powers to him, turning him from hit man to real super villain, under the name Heavyweight. Since then he's been in battles with half of the cites heroes, bringing his immense size and strength to crime after crime.

Jack Nine
Jack Nine has been roaming the highways of Wideview as long as most can remember. Where he came from and when is hotly debated, mostly by hot babes. He is often said to appear out of seemingly thin air, bringing swift justice before disappearing again, much to his fans lament. Eye witness descriptions vary on what his abilities are exactly, ranging from tales of mighty warriors to blasts of ice. Accounts often mention him as a group of similiarlary uniformed men, working in unison as a team. Most agree on that he always has the same general appearance ./.././/..zzt....of a dashing rogue swooping in to rescue the damsels. Regardless, many of the districts inhabitants have praised his efforts, his courageous actions saving them from countless threats, darker than any other imaginable uh..villainy.

3. Darkness Falls

Chester A. Wainbridge
Father of the famous child progeny Victoria Wainbridge, the mayor of Paradigm City Steven Wainbridge, and the son of Paradigm By Gaslight founder Samantha Wainbridge, Chester A.Wainbridge is the wealthiest man in Darkness Falls, being a captain of industry in manufacturing and textiles. A good, honest, and decent man that has no idea his beloved daughter was the terrifying Hand of Glory Wainbridge has dedicated his millions to the betterment of humanity by funding the arts, sciences, and contributing heavily to charity.

Wainbridge is exceptionally hero friendly, and sometimes uses his political pull to assist superheroes in their efforts to make Darkness Falls livable again.

Steven Wainbridge
The acting Mayor of Darkness Falls, a Conservative whom believes that it is up to each man to grasp his own destiny. To that end, Wainbridge has made sweeping reforms in how the city is run, including denying city benefits to individuals whom are in the country illegally; which has put him at odds with both Unions and Immigrant Rights Groups and, most importantly, his own father. Steven Wainbridge is a hard nosed by the book Mayor, a former police detective whom has a well documented dislike of meta humans. Wainbridge has tried to enact several article to make the use of super powers illegal within the city but has been defeated only by the narrowest of margins.

4. The Greenway

The Broker
The Broker is an enigmatic “hero” of the city, who never shows his face and talks either with voice masking, or indirectly through his lieutenants. When he calls on other heroes they are almost always brought to a location in Greene Way, which is one of the few clues to where he might actually be stationed. As mysterious and shady as he seems, Paragon himself vouches for the Broker's actions and backs him, which is usually enough for others. The Broker does not fight crime as other heroes do. Instead he funds super heroes He controls a small personal army which patrols Greene Way for criminal activity, and can be rented out to bolster the police forces of other districts within the city. He also funds, supplies, and often sets up entire super hero teams, providing bases and equipment, and access to his own personal market space. A market which side steps a lot of different laws regarding international trade and gun control policy in order to keep Heroes on the cutting edge. In emergency situations the Broker has often supplied heroes with advanced medical services, helicopter evacuations, and other such in the name of keeping the super villains at bay.

Sir Edward Woodsworth
Edward Woodsworth is an English gentleman who comes form a long, aristocratic line, owning many different companies all over the world. His family had a hand in the financial founding of Paradigm city, but Edward himself had never been there until in his twenties he became infatuated with America. And since the family had this old manor house citing in one of the biggest cities, he decided to move in. Since then he has turned his considerable financial assets towards the betterment of the city, giving money to charities, schools, building up regions, and supporting the arts. He also built the lake which became named after him, originally he wanted to name it Millennium Lake. Woodsworth is a prominent figure in local government as well, though he holds no office in that government. His amount of money and clout as a Knight tends to be enough to help him sway some politics in his favor. Being THE richest person in a region tends to do that.

Anthony Haffington
Mr. Haffington lives in Highland Estates, which he takes great pride in. It was his initiative which fenced off the region from the riffraff after all, and put the restrictions on crossing over that keeps most of the common people out. Anthony was born in Paradigm city, his grandfather built up the estate he now lives in alone. The second wealthiest individual he is the constant rival of Edward Woodsworth, putting up competing businesses, though the other seems to not even notice. Haffington is also the head of the local District Council, and a preceding member of the city government. He is active in the arts as well, and is often found appearing to try and out do any other member of society at any time. He is well known for throwing large, and lavish balls and lesser parties at his estate. He is also known to be a member of the Masons, and it is rumored he has connections to other secret societies as well.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Wideview repost

(this is the original wideview draft..so it maybe have a few things left out of the old post )

Wideview

Less of a cohesive district and more the expanse of land that presses up against its neighboring districts, Wideview is a collection processing plants and storage facilities, along with miles of open space and dirt roads intersecting the idyllic farmlands. The majority of its more industrialized areas rests against its bordering districts, though the land quickly turns to empty miles of field and forest, with the occasional abandoned facilities as you move farther from the more civilized areas of the city.
While the district may seem calm, the landscape hides lurking dangers in its forgotten corners. Wideviews remoteness, along with its variety of empty facilities make an ideal location for hidden labs or a dumping ground for the city's less ethical residents, leaving behind discarded wastes or even failed experiments. Few of its residents have not seen or heard something in the distance, the more unlucky of the inhabitants coming face to face with strange creatures wandering the defiled grounds dotting the area. Rumors persist of a massive monster lurking in the scrapyards or dumps, turning the vary debris into its weapons.
While the oddities and stop over villains cause the occasional problems, the districts major villains are a group collectively called the Rats. No one has yet to determine the goal of these super powered terrorists, their attacks coming at lightning speed before they disappear back into the shadows.
The infamous Shadowlord is said to have a permanent lair somewhere in one of the districts forgotten spots, safe from prying eyes and avenging heroes. He holes up hidden from annoyances, plotting his next appalling raid on the more populated districts.
Trying to keep the region together are a group of heroes, many almost as ambiguous as the dangers they fight against. Foremost among them is the legendary Donald Chase, better know as the hero, Retribution. Handsome, charismatic, rich, and loved by nearly everyone (except the villains he's stomped ) Chase is hero many see as a role model. Not only does he fight for the entire city, but he also is the CEO of Chase Renewal, a corporation dedicated to cleaning and recycling. Wideviews most know landmark is the Chase Renewal Plant itself, claiming to be able to recycle or dispose of anything in a safe and clean manner.

Darkness Falls Revisited

Updated Darkness Falls. For the hero game.
**

The history of Darkness Falls begins with Neanderthal Man, of which many remains have been uncovered in the intervening centuries. Cave paintings found in the Great East Caves depict

the life of the tribes located here, hunting for large mammals and at certain points telling tales of the tribes in battle against what appears to be giant alien or demonic entities. One such painting is of particular interest. It depicts a great number of the tribe sealing an individual in a block or casket of amber, and burying this casket in what is now the heart of the city proper.

Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section in the United States, the city of Darkness Falls lies between the steeply rising Santa Innez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Darkness Falls' climate is often described as Mediteeanean, and the city is known as the West Coast Riviera. As of the census of 2010 the city had a population of 90,431; a loss of 1,190 from the previous census. Experts agree that the continued exodus out of the city is caused by the continued threat of the Arcanus Malefactorum. In addition to being a popular tourist and resort destination, the city economy includes a large service sector, education, health care, manufacturing, and local government. Education is particularly well represented, with five institutions of higher learning on the South Coast: The University of Darkness Falls, Darkness Falls City College, Westpoint Military Academy, The Antioch Institute of History, and the Bakerman Institute of Fine Arts. The Darkness Falls Airport serves the city, as does Amtrak. U. S. Highway 101 connect the city to Millenium City to the south and Wideview to the north. Behind the city, in and beyond the mountains, is the Lost Haven National Forest, which contains several remote wilderness areas.

Evidence of human habitation of the area begins 13,000 years ago. Evidence for a Paleoindian presence includes a fluted Clovis-like spear point found in the 1980s along the

western city coast, as well as the remains of Arlington Springs Man, found on Saint Miramar

Island in the 1960s. Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 Chumash lived on the south coast when

Portuguese explorer Nihail Cabrillo sailed through the Saint Rosa Channel in 1542,

anchoring briefly in the area. In 1602 Sebastian Vizcano gave the name "Darkness Falls"

from the Chumash Hutempseh Nannok, "Place Whare The Water is Black", to the region in

gratitude for having survived a violent storm in the Channel on December 3, the eve of the

feast day of that saint.

A land expedition led by Gorges De Pola and accompanied by missionary Padre Junipero Serra

visited in 1769, but did not stay. The first permanent European residents were Spanish

missionaries and soldiers under Felipe de Neve, again accompanied by Serra, who came in

1782 to build the Presidio. They were sent both to fortify the region against expansion by

other powers such as England and Russia, and to convert the natives to Christianity. Many

of the Spaniards brought their families with them, and those formed the nucleus of the

small town – at first just a cluster of adobes – that surrounded the Presidio. Padre

Junipero Serra died August 28, 1784, after contracting a mysterious mental illness. The

settlers began the slow work of converting the native Chumash to Christianity, building a

village for them. Many of the natives died in the following decades of diseases, such as

smallpox, to which they had no natural immunity. Owing to this as well as general poor treatment by the settlers, the native Chumash tribal elders laid a curse on the entire region. Many today believe that the numerous and startling paranormal events of today and the horrific natural disasters of the past are because of this curse.

The most dramatic event of the Spanish period was the powerful 1812 earthquake, and

tsunami, with an estimated magnitude of 7.1, which destroyed the town. Following the

earthquake, the settlers chose to rebuild in a grander manner, and it is this construction

that survives to the present day. The Spanish period ended in 1822 with the end of the

Mexican War of Independence, which terminated 300 years of colonial rule. The flag of

Mexico went up but only for 24 years.

After the forced secularization of the settlements in 1833, the large land tracts formerly

held by the Franciscan Order were distributed by the Mexican governor of California, Pio

Pico, to various families in order to reward service or build alliances. These land grants

to local notable families mark the beginning of the "Rancho Period" in California and

Darkness Falls history. The population remained sparse, with enormous cattle operations run

by wealthy families. It was during this period that Richard Henry Dana, Jr. first visited

Darkness Falls and wrote about the culture, the people, and especially the paranormal

happenings of the area in his book Two Years Before the Mast.

Darkness Falls fell bloodlessly to a battalion of American soldiers under John C. Frémont

on December 27, 1846, during the Mexican-American War, and after the Treaty of Guadalupe

Hidalgo in 1848 it became part of the expanding United States.

*The Middle and Late Nineteenth Century*

Change came quickly after Darkness Falls' acquisition by the United States. The population

doubled between 1850 and 1860. In 1851, land surveyor Salisbury Haley designed the street

grid, famously botching the block measurements, misaligning the streets, thereby creating

doglegs at certain intersections. Wood construction replaced adobe, as American settlers

moved in; and during the Gold Rush years and following, the town became a haven for bandits

and gamblers, and a dangerous and lawless place. Charismatic gambler and highwayman Jack

Powers had virtual control of the town in the early 1850s, until driven out by a posse

organized in San Luis Obispo. English gradually supplanted Spanish as the language of daily

life, becoming the language of official record in 1870. The first newspaper, the Darkness

Falls Whisperer, was founded in 1855.

While the Civil War had little effect on Darkness Falls, the disastrous drought of 1863

ended the Rancho Period, as most of the cattle died and ranchos were broken up and sold.

The building of Stearns Wharf in 1872 enhanced the city's commercial and tourist

accessibility; previously goods and visitors had to transfer from steamboats to smaller

craft to row ashore. During the 1870s, writer Charles Nordhoff promoted the town as a

health resort and destination for well-to-do travelers from other parts of the U.S.; many

of them came, and many stayed. The luxurious Phantasm Hotel dated from this period. In 1887

the railroad finally went through to Millennium City, and in 1901 to Steel Beach: Darkness

Falls was now easily accessible by land and by sea, and subsequent development was brisk.

Just before the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered at the Summerland Oil Field,

and the region along the beach east of Darkness Falls sprouted numerous oil derricks and

piers for drilling offshore. This was the first offshore oil development in the world; oil

drilling offshore would become a contentious practice in the area to the present day.

Darkness Falls housed the world's largest movie studio during the era of silent film.

Flying A Studios, a division of the American Film Manufacturing Company, operated on two

city blocks centered at State and Mission between 1910 and 1922, with the industry shutting

down locally and moving to Hollywood once it outgrew the area, needing the resources of a

larger city. Flying A and the other smaller local studios produced approximately 1,200

films during their tenure in Darkness Falls, of which approximately 100 survive.

During this period, the Loughead Aircraft Company was established on lower State Street,

and regularly tested seaplanes off of East Beach. This was the genesis of what would later

become Lockheed. The earthquake of June 29, 1925, the first destructive earthquake in

California since the 1906 San Francisco quake, destroyed much of Darkness Falls and killed

13 people. The low death toll is attributed to the early hour (6:23 a.m., before most

people were out on the streets, vulnerable to falling masonry). While this quake, like the

one in 1812, was centered in the Santa Rosa Channel, it caused no tsunami, and most of the

damage was caused by two onshore aftershocks. It came at an opportune time for rebuilding,

since a movement for architectural reform and unification around a Gothic Revival style was

already underway. Under the leadership of Pearl Chase, many of the city's famous buildings

rose as part of the rebuilding process, including the Darkness Falls County Courthouse,

sometimes glorified as the "most haunted public building in the United States."

During World War II Darkness Falls was home to Marine Corps Air Station; Naval Reserve

Center Darkness Falls at the harbor; was near to the Army's Camp Cook, present-day

Wainbridge Air Force Base; and contained a hospital for treating servicemen wounded in the

Pacific Theatre. On February 23, 1942, not long after the outbreak of war in the Pacific,

the Japanese submarine I-17 surfaced offshore and lobbed 16 shells at the Ellwood Oil

Field, about 10 miles west of Darkness Falls, in the first wartime attack by an enemy power

on the U.S. mainland since the War of 1812. Although the shelling was inaccurate and only

caused about $500 damage to a catwalk, panic was immediate. Many Darkness Falls residents

fled, and land values plummeted to historic lows.

Darkness Fall's business community strove to attract development until the surge in the

anti-growth movement in the 1970s. Many "clean" industries, especially aerospace firms such

as Raytheon and Delco Electronics, moved to town in the 1950s and 1960s, bringing employees

from other parts of the U.S. UCSB itself became a major employer. In 1975, the city passed

an ordinance restricting growth to a maximum of 85,000 residents, through zoning. Growth in

the adjacent Shadowed Valley could be shut down by denying water meters to developers

seeking permits. As a result of these changes, growth slowed down, but prices rose sharply.

When voters approved connection to State water supplies in 1991, parts of the city,

especially outlying areas, resumed growth, but more slowly than during the boom period of

the 1950s and 1960s. While the slower growth preserved the quality of life for most

residents and prevented the urban sprawl notorious in the Paradigm City basin, housing in

the Darkness Falls area was in short supply, and prices soared: in 2006, only six percent

of residents could afford a median-value house. As a result, many people who work in

Darkness Falls commute from adjacent, more affordable areas, such as Millennium City and

Steel Beach. The resultant traffic on incoming arteries, in particular the stretch of

Highway 101 between Greenfields and Darkness Falls, is another problem being addressed by

long-range planners.

2010 saw the rise of the Arcanus Malefactorum. As a result of the sudden and intense

upsurge in crime, many already struggling families, as well as businesses, fled the area to

more hospitable climes. The business community rallied to maintain its hold on the area and

as a result housing pricing plummetted to all time lows. Despite having the lowest housing

rates in Paradigm City Darkness Falls remains largely a work place and tourisy attraction.

Residency is rare because of the presence of the Arcanus Malefactorum and frequent reports

of odd and inexplicable supernatural events.

*Neighborhoods*

As with most cities, Darkness Falls has a range of neighborhoods with distinctive histories

cultures with a consistant Gothic Revival archetecture throughout.

The Mesa stretches 2.5 miles from Darkness Falls City College on the east to Arroyo Burro

County Beach (or "Satan's Pit" to locals) on the west. "The Mesa" embodies a beach vibe.

The neighborhood has special beach access to Mesa Lane Beach (a local's favorite for

surfing), as well as Thousand Steps Beach. This is considered to be a desirable

neighborhood due to its proximity to the ocean as well as the college. Residential

development began here in the 1920s, but was interrupted by the discovery of the Mesa Oil

Field. The field was quickly exhausted, and after the Second World War building of houses

resumed, although the last oil tanks and sumps did not disappear until the early 1970s. The Mesa boasts a large Chinese-American population in its lovely and historic Chinatown district.

The Riviera encompasses an ocean-facing hillside and back hillside extending for

approximately two miles, with the north side extending from Foothill Road to Sycamore

Canyon Road, and the south side from the Darkness Falls Historical Meuseum to North Salinas

Street. The famous ribbon-like Alameda Padre Serra serves as the principal entry point from

the City of Darkness Falls. Since the past century, it has been known as "the Riviera" due

to its resemblance to the Mediterranean coastal towns of France and Italy. The neighborhood

has winding streets with intricate stone work terracing built by early 20th century Italian

immigrants. Most of the topography of the Riviera is relatively steep, making it

particularly noteworthy for homes with outstanding views of the City of Darkness Falls and

the Pacific Ocean. The major offices of The Sign of Jonah are found here, and the area is

heavy with Arcanus Malefactorum activity.

San Roque is located northwest of the downtown area and north of Samarkand. It is a good

spot for families within the Hope School District. This area is said to be a constant 5

degrees warmer than the coastal areas, due to its greater distance from the ocean than

other Darkness Falls neighborhoods, and being separated from the sea by a low range of

hills to the south, occupied by the Mesa and Hope Ranch. San Roque is also the most popular

spot for Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween due to frequent occurances of supernatural events

such as ghost and UFO sightings. The Wellspring Cemetery located in San Roque is an

especially favored spot for ghost hunters. San Roque is the primary haunting grounds of the Arsenic Dolls and the resident heroes Argent and Girl Wonder. San Roque boasts a large Japanese-American population in the charming Little Tokyo district, six blocks devoted entirely to Japanese culture.

Samarkand currently has approximately 630 homes on 184 acres with a population of about

2000 people. The name Samarkand comes from an Old Persian word meaning "the land of heart's

desire." It was first applied to the deluxe Persian-style hotel that was converted from a

boy’s school in 1920. Samarkand later became identified as its own neighborhood located

between Las Positas, State Street, De La Vina, Oak Park and the Freeway. Earle Wainbridge

built the first home here in 1920 at 3030 Samarkand Drive. As a pilot, Wainbridge established

the Casa Loma Air Field with a 1,500-foot runway that was used by legendary pilots,

Lindbergh and Earheart.While it has little to offer tourists aside from the air field and architecture, the Great East Caves with its Neanderthal and later periods of Amerindian cave paintings tends to be a large draw in the summer months.

*Culture*

Darkness Falls contains numerous performing art venues, including the 2,000 seat Wainbridge

Theatre, is the largest indoor performance venue in Darkness Falls and also serves as the

premise for the annual Darkness Falls International Film Festival. The Lobero Theatre, a

historic building and favorite venue for small concerts; the Granada Theater, the tallest

building downtown, originally built by contractor C.B. Urton in 1924, but with the theatre

remodeled and reopened in March 2008; and the Darkness Falls Bowl, a 4,562 seat

amphitheatre used for outdoor concerts, nestled in a picturesque canyon northwest of the

Riviera. The city is considered a haven for classical music lovers with a symphony

orchestra, a part-time opera company, and many non-profit classical music groups (such as

CAMA). The Music Academy of the West hosts an annual music festival in the summer, drawing

renowned students and professionals.

Darkness Falls is a year-round tourist destination renowned for its fair weather, downtown

beaches, and Gothic architecture. Tourism brings more than one billion dollars per year

into the local economy, including $80 million in tax revenue. In addition to the city's

cultural assets, several iconic destinations lie within the city's limits.

--Streams Wharf features shops, several restaurants, and the newly rebuilt Wainbridge Sea

Center.

--The Darkness Falls Museum of Art is home to a significant permanent collection.

--The Darkness Falls Historical Meuseum is a complex of Mission-style buildings set in a

park-like campus. The Museum offers indoor and outdoor exhibits and a state-of-the-art

planetarium.

--The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum (free admission) houses a collection of historical

documents and manuscripts. Two open air museums here are Lotusland and Casa del Herrero,

exemplifying the American Country Place era in Darkness Falls. Casa Dolores,center for the

popular arts of Mexico, is devoted to the collection, preservation, study, and exhibition

of an extensive variety of objects of the popular arts of Mexico.
--The Great East Caves in Samarkand offers guided tours, exhibits of Neolithic artifacts, and a good spot for ghost hunting from early June through late July.

*Crime*

Crime rates in Darkness Falls have soared since 2010, when the Arcanus Malefactorum

established itself. Previous to that year Darkness Falls had the same types of crime

present in most other major cities, with the majority of crime related incidents being

petty. All of that changed with the coming of Hand of Glory, whom waged an all-out six

month long war with crime factions within the city until she had gained absolute control.

Murder rates sky rocketed both among the general populace and among criminal elements,

which caused a large number of law abiding families to migrate to other, safer communities.

Today Hand of Glory is Darkness Falls' undesputed crime lord, with her hand in every pie.

Whilst she allows the other ciminal elements within the city relaitve autonomy, they are

expected to respond at once when summoned and they always do, which gives the Arcanus

Malefactorum a veritable army that can be mobilized within 72 hours.

The Mesa Devils are the largest street gang in the area, operating from the Mesa district.

The gang focuses primarily on drugs, prostitution rings, and body shops.Lead by the fearsome Arsenic, the Mesa Devils have slowly transformed from a rag-tag band of thugs into a large and well organized empire armed with high-tech weaponry. The Devils hierarchy, known as the Arsenic Dolls, are four super-powered women whom all have insanity in common. Because Arsenic herself and her Dolls are all serial killers, the Mesa Devils sometimes mobilize to strike specific individuals or institutions, making them as frightening and viable as any organized super-villain group.

The Children of Midnight is a large cult of magic-users, ostensibly trying to take over Darkness Falls and claim it's magic energy as their own. Organized by the vile Father Sanguine, the Children of Midnight is composed largely of remnants of the former Arcanus Malefactorum. The Children are well organized, well equipped, and well funded.

*Notable Personalities of Darkness Falls*

Maron Namakaze, the Girl Wonder- Living and working in San Roque, Maron's presence in the

zone has made it a hotspot of tourist activity with people hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous hero. When not engaged in fighting crime, Maron often attends social functions for charity and works as a line cook in the San Matti Hotel.

Chester A. Wainbridge

Father of the famous child progeny Victoria Wainbridge, the mayor of Paradigm City Steven Wainbridge, and the son of Paradigm By Gaslight founder Samantha Wainbridge, Chester A.Wainbridge is the wealthiest man in Darkness Falls, being a captain of industry in manufacturing and textiles. A good, honest, and decent man that has no idea his beloved daughter was the terrifying Hand of Glory Wainbridge has dedicated his millions to the betterment of humanity by funding the arts, sciences, and contributing heavily to charity.

Solitaire