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Alright, folks. This is it, our first night with the Dresden Files rules (or the notes that amount to the rules) in our hands. My first group (6 of us, plus myself) met Thursday to build our city. Rapid City, SD. Here's a bit of backgroud:
Rapid City is a town of 62k people. According to the folks that live there and the rest of western SD, however,
that's a big city. It's located in the beautiful Black Hills, a mountainous region that is a massive tourist
attraction.
Originally a sacred site of the Lakota Sioux and other Native American tribes, the Black Hills were settled in
the late 1800s when gold was discovered. Even though the land had been promised to the Indians by the
Treaty of Fort Laramie, the U.S. was going through a horrible economic depression, and so President Grant,
ignoring the treaty, settled the area.
Soon the area was full of boom towns, mines, mills, and most importantly, saloons. The Natives were
relocated again, into smaller and smaller reservations. Eventually, however, the gold dried up, and most of
the towns with it. A few endured (such as Rapid City), and have clung to existence due mostly to the tourist
dollar.
In the Dresdenverse, the Black Hills were sacred to the Indians because the veil between our world and the
NeverNever was extremely thin, granting them access to the Spirits with which they communed and sought
wisdom from. These spirits were actually Fae, however many fled when the white man came and
brought their iron tools. Lots of iron tools. (I had a sudden visual of a troll in the Wild West trying to catch a
train head on... and failing spectacularly).
Eventually the fae (like the displaced natives) adapted as best they could, and returned in slight numbers.
Now they are the biggest supernatural faction in the area.
So there's the basics of our city and region. When we built the city, we made Rapid City and only one outside location, but I plan on adding other locations outside the city later. Rapid City is small enough I feel it's ok to use the whole region.
This is what our city sheet looks like (items marked with an * are aspects of the location)
Rapid City
*Tourist Trap
*Civilization Overlapping Nature
*Heavily Armed Population
Locations:
Dublin Square—Located in downtown Rapid City, Dublin Square is a typical "Irish" Bar, which means it's an American Bar with an Irish motif. On the main floor is the bar itself, a small stage for local bands, and an area of couches to drink comfortably. It has a large basement, of which the customer only sees the small restrooms. It is in this basement that the Fae hold Court, though Summer and Winter don't always get along at these meetings. roughly every 6 months the place burns down from mysterious fires. Two half-brother changelings, one of the Winter Court, the other Summer, run the place and tend bar.
*Crowded
*Loud
*Fae Meeting Ground
North Rapid—The north end of Rapid is a dark, seedy, unsettling place. The few minor gangs the city has claim this area, and a good portion of the crimes the city has are committed here. The north side is littered with small bridges over tiny creeks, or interstate overpasses. Needless to say, the North Side is home to a large population of trolls. One oddity however, is a man who dresses like Lincoln. He dons a paper top hat, has a neatly trimmed black beard, and wears a black suit coat. Lincoln is only ever seen riding his bicycle around town. His outfit never changes except around the Forth of July (when he dresses like Uncle Sam), and Saint Patty's Day (when he dyes his beard green). No ones sure what he is (this guy is real folks, and he's so cooky and cool, we had to put him in, but we don't know what kind of supernatural he is yet).
*Seedy
*Troll Territory
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (Tech) Campus—Small as it is, Rapid is home to one of the premier engineering schools in the nation. The School of Mines as the locals call it. It's famous for two things. First, the success rate of the students who graduate from it's hallowed halls, and second, the fact that the ration of men to women is 7 to 1. The saying is, "Sex kills. Go to Tech and live forever." On the more Dresdenish note, Tech is home to a small group of minor wizards who are members of the White Council. The head of this coven is Dr. Bradsky, a human calculator who is also a master potion-maker. The coven was placed at the school to keep watch over the odd series of tunnels that was built under the campus, which connects every building and other, unexplored places. No one's sure what they're watching for, they might not even know themselves, but they watch nonetheless.
*Center of Learning
*Council Enclave
*Creepy Tunnels
Ellsworth AFB—Ellsworth Air Force Base, though not located in the city limits, is one of the major reasons Rapid City is still on the map. If it weren't for the people, thus consumers, it brings to the region, Rapid City would quickly turn into a ghost town. It's old, worn, and is constantly inches from being shut down. Despite this, it manages to hang in there, and keep operated. This is due entirely to a small team of top secret specialists located on the base known as the Minutemen. These Special Ops are cued in to the supernatural. At least more so than most people. Similiar to Chicago's Special Investigations, they are mortals protecting other mortals from the unnatural. They don't understand what they're up against, but they know they're the only ones that can help, sothey do what they can.
*Minutemen
*Run Down
Downtown—The center of Rapid has several bars, and could be considered the center of the city's nightlife... if it weren't so creepy. The tall, old buildings cast odd shadows across the streets and businesses, and one always feels watched when passing by one of the many allies. It is said the old ghosts from the Gold Rush days walk the streets at night, and the statues of the presidents that are found on every street corner seem to follow tourists with their eyes.
*Ghosts of Old Town
*The Shadows Have Eyes
Sheridan Lake Rd. Cemetary—This old cemetary is located near the center of town. Large, victorian, and surrounded by a 6 ft. high wrought iron fence, the place has been around for over a century. In the center of the graveyard sits a small, solitary cottage—the home of the groundskeeper. The old man's been there as long as anyone around can remember, and some say he's been there since the cemetary was built.
*Jim Thatcher—Groundskeeper
*The Mists
That's what's written on the form anyway. A few other ideas include a small enclave of White Court vampires feeding off the emotions of visiting tourists. Of course the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attracts more than just Bikers. And the Walmart here is pretty creepy. I'm sure something's going on there.
More as it comes along!
--Matt
Rapid City is a town of 62k people. According to the folks that live there and the rest of western SD, however,
that's a big city. It's located in the beautiful Black Hills, a mountainous region that is a massive tourist
attraction.
Originally a sacred site of the Lakota Sioux and other Native American tribes, the Black Hills were settled in
the late 1800s when gold was discovered. Even though the land had been promised to the Indians by the
Treaty of Fort Laramie, the U.S. was going through a horrible economic depression, and so President Grant,
ignoring the treaty, settled the area.
Soon the area was full of boom towns, mines, mills, and most importantly, saloons. The Natives were
relocated again, into smaller and smaller reservations. Eventually, however, the gold dried up, and most of
the towns with it. A few endured (such as Rapid City), and have clung to existence due mostly to the tourist
dollar.
In the Dresdenverse, the Black Hills were sacred to the Indians because the veil between our world and the
NeverNever was extremely thin, granting them access to the Spirits with which they communed and sought
wisdom from. These spirits were actually Fae, however many fled when the white man came and
brought their iron tools. Lots of iron tools. (I had a sudden visual of a troll in the Wild West trying to catch a
train head on... and failing spectacularly).
Eventually the fae (like the displaced natives) adapted as best they could, and returned in slight numbers.
Now they are the biggest supernatural faction in the area.
So there's the basics of our city and region. When we built the city, we made Rapid City and only one outside location, but I plan on adding other locations outside the city later. Rapid City is small enough I feel it's ok to use the whole region.
This is what our city sheet looks like (items marked with an * are aspects of the location)
Rapid City
*Tourist Trap
*Civilization Overlapping Nature
*Heavily Armed Population
Locations:
Dublin Square—Located in downtown Rapid City, Dublin Square is a typical "Irish" Bar, which means it's an American Bar with an Irish motif. On the main floor is the bar itself, a small stage for local bands, and an area of couches to drink comfortably. It has a large basement, of which the customer only sees the small restrooms. It is in this basement that the Fae hold Court, though Summer and Winter don't always get along at these meetings. roughly every 6 months the place burns down from mysterious fires. Two half-brother changelings, one of the Winter Court, the other Summer, run the place and tend bar.
*Crowded
*Loud
*Fae Meeting Ground
North Rapid—The north end of Rapid is a dark, seedy, unsettling place. The few minor gangs the city has claim this area, and a good portion of the crimes the city has are committed here. The north side is littered with small bridges over tiny creeks, or interstate overpasses. Needless to say, the North Side is home to a large population of trolls. One oddity however, is a man who dresses like Lincoln. He dons a paper top hat, has a neatly trimmed black beard, and wears a black suit coat. Lincoln is only ever seen riding his bicycle around town. His outfit never changes except around the Forth of July (when he dresses like Uncle Sam), and Saint Patty's Day (when he dyes his beard green). No ones sure what he is (this guy is real folks, and he's so cooky and cool, we had to put him in, but we don't know what kind of supernatural he is yet).
*Seedy
*Troll Territory
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (Tech) Campus—Small as it is, Rapid is home to one of the premier engineering schools in the nation. The School of Mines as the locals call it. It's famous for two things. First, the success rate of the students who graduate from it's hallowed halls, and second, the fact that the ration of men to women is 7 to 1. The saying is, "Sex kills. Go to Tech and live forever." On the more Dresdenish note, Tech is home to a small group of minor wizards who are members of the White Council. The head of this coven is Dr. Bradsky, a human calculator who is also a master potion-maker. The coven was placed at the school to keep watch over the odd series of tunnels that was built under the campus, which connects every building and other, unexplored places. No one's sure what they're watching for, they might not even know themselves, but they watch nonetheless.
*Center of Learning
*Council Enclave
*Creepy Tunnels
Ellsworth AFB—Ellsworth Air Force Base, though not located in the city limits, is one of the major reasons Rapid City is still on the map. If it weren't for the people, thus consumers, it brings to the region, Rapid City would quickly turn into a ghost town. It's old, worn, and is constantly inches from being shut down. Despite this, it manages to hang in there, and keep operated. This is due entirely to a small team of top secret specialists located on the base known as the Minutemen. These Special Ops are cued in to the supernatural. At least more so than most people. Similiar to Chicago's Special Investigations, they are mortals protecting other mortals from the unnatural. They don't understand what they're up against, but they know they're the only ones that can help, sothey do what they can.
*Minutemen
*Run Down
Downtown—The center of Rapid has several bars, and could be considered the center of the city's nightlife... if it weren't so creepy. The tall, old buildings cast odd shadows across the streets and businesses, and one always feels watched when passing by one of the many allies. It is said the old ghosts from the Gold Rush days walk the streets at night, and the statues of the presidents that are found on every street corner seem to follow tourists with their eyes.
*Ghosts of Old Town
*The Shadows Have Eyes
Sheridan Lake Rd. Cemetary—This old cemetary is located near the center of town. Large, victorian, and surrounded by a 6 ft. high wrought iron fence, the place has been around for over a century. In the center of the graveyard sits a small, solitary cottage—the home of the groundskeeper. The old man's been there as long as anyone around can remember, and some say he's been there since the cemetary was built.
*Jim Thatcher—Groundskeeper
*The Mists
That's what's written on the form anyway. A few other ideas include a small enclave of White Court vampires feeding off the emotions of visiting tourists. Of course the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attracts more than just Bikers. And the Walmart here is pretty creepy. I'm sure something's going on there.
More as it comes along!
--Matt
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