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Spokane Game.

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srl51676:
London Blow is the name of the place in the book Neverwhere it has its own RPG but I have never played it. the web site for it has some great ideas for city creation though

check out this link

http://neverwhered6.tripod.com/Undercities.html

Lanodantheon:
When the game comes out I'd only have time on weekends as well. Up in Cheney I;m going to be running a few 1-shots as soon as the pdf becomes available.

But first, my thoughts on City Creation after reading the Batlimore Chapter.

Themes:

It seems a City requires like...3 themes to define the city in general. Here are 2 themes that have been rattling around. My names need work.

The New Invading A Lasting Old


Spokane's an old place. Sure there are older places, but the structures built here tend to endure. Even as business fall and properties change hands, the old structures and traditions remain for the most part. There are buildings, businesses and blocks of real estate that have gone unchanged (for the most part) for decades.

When a new business does come in, it sinks into the community and whatever is built lasts and remains unchanged for years. There are too many examples to name. Look at the fast-food places around town that have lasted or changed hands, 99% have the same layout and exterior today as they did when my family moved here in 1991. There's a Zip's location in the Valley that has been frozen in time for 20 years. Laser Quest downtown is in the Old Armory, and looks the same years later.

This all may be coincidence in real life but in the Dresdenverse this is Fracking metaphysical in origin.

This area is home to something the local Magic Users call "Spokane Thresholds"
That is to say that in the Spokane area(extending at least as far as Cheney because it's the same here) Thresholds can be make faster and stronger with less people. With the right magical know-how it is stupidly easy to build spells upon these fast and strong thresholds. The area doesn't have any of the ancient thresholds older cities have, but a lot of places that shouldn't have thresholds or strong ones do. Spokane Thresholds also tend to linger long after they should dissipate after a property changes hands.

Spokane Thresholds are an invaluable commodity to the magical community. It attracts a lot of people, causing them to stay. We have a few Nationally Registered Historic Districts in town that are thought of by many as "Holes". Hillyard is the poorest neighborhood in the state yet people stay and maintain a sense of pride.

This theme is also reflected in nature when in 1974, as part of The World Expo new salmon was introduced to the Spokane River(which is true) as well as new water sprites and river spirits that have begun to clash with the polluted spirits from before the river was cleaned up.

Also reflected in the Great Fire of 1889 which many think was engineered due to the failings of water. At least one of the banks that rebuilt downtown was owned by the White Court. Which means Spokanite White Court vamps in town may be Dutch.  :D

The last reflection of this theme for me is the Local family of Wardens, The Balthazars. They are from The Old World of things and have a family trait(possibly inherited from the area) of having baby faces, literally. A common Aspect among them to reflect this is Old Man, Young Face. Some of the Oldest Balthazars in town are pushing a century or two and look like they are in their 20's. Being from the Old World of things, they follow a Laissez-faire attitude towards the Mortal world. Look but don't touch. No unnecessary interaction with Mortals. They make Harry Potter Wizards look down right friendly. They have a lot of Veils downtown built on the old thresholds to keep things under wraps.. Most of the Balthazars though came to Spokane to retire so most of them have have let their talent wither for the most part. It pisses the Wardens looking for recruits off something awful bacuse most of the Bathazars either don't join the Council or don't qualify for it.


Center of The Maelstrom


Spokane's weather is kinda wonky. Half the time over a period of years, it can't decide what season it is day-to-day. Other years, we get the extremes of the seasons coupled with major meteorological/geological activity. In my 19 years of living here I have seen no less than a Firestorm that has almost burned down my house and 2 major snowstorms that has left entire neighborhoods without power in addition to an uncharacteristic Earthquake and the fact we are in the shadow of Mount St. Helens.

The people here are also wonky. We are the 2nd largest city in Washington with the 2nd worst job market in the country. We have an equal amount of people who take pride in their homes(represented by the previous theme) as well as people who just want to get out of Dodge.

Magically, this is represented by lots of energies flowing around. The Nevernever in this area is hectic. There are Ley-lines(minor and major) running through town and many flows of energy that pool. The positive effect are the afore-mentioned Spokane Thresholds but the negative effect are pools of dark energies that pop up in places around town. There are places in town that have never had lasting, successful businesses(there are places in the Valley Mall that are either still empty or have never had a business in them that has lasted more than a few months).

The mining in this area also stirred things up when Earth spirits were driven from their homes.

Rituals preformed around Expo '74 stabilized this maelstrom but did not get rid of it.

One possible point of interest for this theme aside from our hectic seasons is a rumored group of Wizards that made it big in the Mortal World. These Wizards and lesser magic-users supposedly pissed off Queen Mab when they figured out a way to create dimenses in the Nevernever using specially created books. These Books are Thaumaturically linked to dimenses in the Nevernever described in them, which coincidentally had been the worlds or Ages that had been dreamed about for years. As a result, Myst has become an recent invaluable tool to teach Mortals and aspiring Wizards about the Nevernever(when they can still use computers). This diatribe though is only half-serious, but it depends on how much Myst you want in your game.


In terms of Threats and individuals I got next to nothing.

I do propose though that Merlyn's is not owned by John (he's just a front man) but by a supernatural community member who is for some reason named "Gorilla" Bob.  ;D

The only other organizations I can think about are the White Court who in my opinion have infiltrated the Mormon population and a group of Native American spirits that are recruiting and training Were-froms to take back down town. 

That's what I have so far.

srl51676:
Theme Ideas

The New Invading A Lasting Old Ok I don't want to nit pick you to death here but I have to say your time scale is a bit off. Spokane was Incorperated in 1881 as cities go that is brand spanking new even by American  standards. That means this was not even a official city when telephone and light bulbs were invented. It wasn't much more than a trading post at the time of the civil war and Ebenezar McCoy was pushing 200 by then. This book deals in the supernatural with beings that are immortal to them Cairo, which has been a metropolis since more than 2000 years before Christ was born might qualify as old.
Of course things still look the same as they did in 1991 thats not even 20 years yet. I was in high school here then. buildings that are well built last for centuries not decades roads almost never move. Boston has bad traffic because its streets were designed for horse and buggy not cars. I have a friend in France who grew up in a castle that belonged to her family as the last holders of the local barony.
The rest of the ideas are good but you should find another reason. Spokane is not remarkable in the way you describe. Sorry if that sounded snarky but I'm 34 and have lived here all my life I went to Laser Quest the week it opened so calling it old is a bit of a stretch. I do like the bit about Expo my parents moved here in '74 2 years before I was born and my dad is a photographer so I have seen pics of what it looked like before when it was a dirty train yard.


Center of The Maelstrom-

I like this idea but I would leave out Mt. St. Helens it is on the other side of the state between Tacoma and Portland. Not that the sky did not go black in the middle of my 4th birthday party but "in the shadow" is stretching it.

If you look at the geography I think it might be fair to say that this area is a bastion of Summer caught between two strongholds of Winter ( the Rocks and the Cascades) Clashes between these two forces could well explain the weather which is a bit on the strange side in my life time you can add 2 tornadoes to the list. Riverfront Park Created with the help of the Summer Court in a deal that creates prosperity for the town by attracting EXPO 74 and increase the power of summer by allowing access to the ley line that that surfaces on the island. The clock tower structure focuses the power of the ley line while the Pavilion helps to ground out excess power into the river.

White Court & Mormons Why? a bunch of people who strive to suppress and repress their lust would be a poor place to feed. I think our discussions about Dempsey's and the davenport are a bit more on track for the WC.


Ok here is my attempt feel free to criticize

Capital of the Inland Empire

Spokane is the largest City between Seattle, WA  and Minneapolis, MN this makes it the center of activity for both Mortal and Supernatural politics for the region. In the mortal realm this goes as far as an attempt to create a 51 st state from E. Wa, N ID, and W MT with Spokane as the capital. In the Supernatural realm Spokane is the place where the powerful fey of a sparsely populated region come in contact with mortals. 

Striving to Grow

Spokane is a city on the brink of greatness constantly striving and competing for the attention of the more densely populated western half of the state. Spokane is the forgotten little brother that want to join the bigger kids in there games. This means that both mortal and supernatural powers here are driven and motivated to increase their power and reach. Some are willing to go to any lengths to achieve these goals.

Threats

The Curse For nearly 30 years the city of Spokane has been operating under a Gypsy curse that has caused many problems rising unemployment and homelessness, freak weather, serial killers and  increased monster activity.

These are just from some quick notes I took and need to be developed but here they are.

Lanodantheon:
The takes on a City are based on interpretation and perspective. The themes I proposed (and will probably use in my own games unless my players come up with a better concensus) are based on my own perceptions of things.

I tried to make the setting interesting with some creative license, exaggerations of things that I and the people I play with have perceived. The main thing I have to mitigate is the fact that the general interpretation that my normal group of players has of Spokane is that the place is a hole and they just want to leave. I want to make my home town fun and I want people to play in it.

I say that some things are old and unchanged because that's how it appears to me. I will admit though that the theme of "The New invading the Lasting Old" needs another pass because less than 150 doesn't seem deserving of that moniker. I wasn't really thinking about the grand scheme of things.  :-[

My other rational for the Theme was the amount of time the tribes in this area went before making contact with Americans. To me it seemed to fit but I may be mistaken and need to fix/replace the theme.

I admit that my knowledge of Spokane History absolutely, positively royally sucks and I've done the best research I can, but most of my first-hand knowledge is limited to parts of Downtown and the Spokane Valley. But my goal is to get the feel of Spokane rather than having 100% accuracy because it's The Dresdenverse and not real-life. I do my best but until I go over it with my players I have no way of knowing if my research holds water or is crap.

I admit the Mt. St, Helens thing may be a stretch.

I know there is a perfectly logical Meteorological explanation for Spokane's weather (Mountain shadow effect, distance from water, etc) but this is the Dresdenverse. I like your interpretation of how the Courts factor in. I'll take it. ;D

White Court & Mormons comes from (Only) the perception from my friends and I that there are wayyyy too many attractive Mormons in the parts of Spokane I frequent. I am exaggerating things, but the rest of my players have noticed the same thing.

The Wamps fit to me because they A) Feed on repressed urges and pent up frustrations (I had a lot of frustrated classmates who eventually broke or secretly indulged) and Wamps don't necessarily feed only on Lust (I had a lot of classmates who were also holding back fear and anger) 
and B) Using the Church of Latter-Day Saints can make for some White Court good-guys. If they honestly converted and are a group looking for....salvation then that allows me to throw the occasional curve ball.

I will admit that placing the various threats in town need some more work and I will reread your take on it, but based on my experience that's my best guess.

The Gypsy Curse for me doesn't attract my take on things because it is impossible to give it a face and it is subsequently impossible to fight. If the Curse keeps coming back up and the PCs can't do anything about it then it just isn't fun.

Striving to grow is need but I personally like something tangible, something I can give a face to.

Of course, this was just my my second or third blush take on Magical Spokane. When I actually get the RPG, it will get a better fleshing out.

Thanks for the advice though. The only other thing to say is, "What other ideas do we have?"  ;D

mrsleep:

--- Quote ---London Blow is the name of the place in the book Neverwhere it has its own RPG but I have never played it. the web site for it has some great ideas for city creation though

--- End quote ---

Freaking shoddy memory. I knew that last lobotomy was a mistake.


--- Quote ---White Court & Mormons comes from (Only) the perception from my friends and I that there are wayyyy too many attractive Mormons in the parts of Spokane I frequent. I am exaggerating things, but the rest of my players have noticed the same thing.

--- End quote ---

You're not the first to notice the disproportion of attractive Mormons. My favorite explanation is (warning possibly offensive) (click to show/hide)that the husbands only breed with their pretty wives

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