Local Guides/Sourcebooks., Your area, your way. Options

[Aku]

one interesting aspect of the philly area is Reading, Pa. current day it has one of the HIGHEST per capita crime rates in the country. It basically is a giant Motel 6 for drug runners between NYC and philly.

[Fatum]

I'm still writing about the Russo-Yakutian War somewhere in the middle of the 70ies; the work has grown to include the descriptions of both countries, and I have some ideas I think to be interesting; but it's all pretty sketchy right now.

[Wolfgar]

I wrote a short write-up of Sydney for the game I'm running, expanding on whats in Target: Awakened Lands and bringing it up to 2073. I'll post it here, but now that I'm 6 sessions into the game I think I'll rewrite it and repost it as a .pdf in a few days.

[ Spoiler ]

Well, now that I've had a chance to work on the setting a bit and make it my own, I figured I'd share it. Here's the text document I'll be sending out to my players to prep them form the campaign.

Running Down Under

Intro
Neighborhoods
Manastorms and You (File Not Found)
Corp Info

G’day, mates. Heard you boys and girls were interested in moving to Sydney, our little hell-hole down under. Let me be the first to welcome you. First things first, you’ll need to be up to date on some basic info if you’re gonna run for me. This document will provide for that, and I’ve asked a few friends to comment on it and keep it fresh. I don’t have to be just your fixer, I can be your friend too, as long as you stay alive and keep my budgets in the black.
I’ll start you off with some info on Sydney’s neighborhoods, but you should know this first—The following 5 companies make up the Sydney Metro Council advisory board- Knight Errant (Ares), Aztechnology, Baird Communications (Renraku), Tanamyre, and Wuxing. These 5 corps are the big boys in town. Saeder-Krupp also has a major facility in the harbor, on Goat Island. -Sparrow

Sydney Neighborhoods- The following six neighborhoods represent the urban landscape of Sydney, circa 2073. The vast majority of any runs will take place within these locations, and I have included the lifestyles prevalent in each region. If none of these locations appeals to you, let me know and I can help place you somewhere else. Sydney in 2073 is highly compartmentalized, with other regions like Chinatown, Lakemba (an Arab suburb) and the Italian-Australian neighborhood of Leichhardt. Info on these regions can be grabbed as needed.

City Center (also North Sydney)
Lifestyles- High, Luxury

The City Center is the heart of corporate and political life in Sydney. Blocks of skyscrapers and Australian landmarks (Town Hall, Museum of Sydney, Parliament House) run into the Republic Botanical Gardens and the Sydney Opera House. Knight Errant and Aztechnology have their regional headquarters in this area, and AA Corp Tanamyre has it’s top HQ here as well. Security is tight, with CCTV and Knight Errant patrols the norm.
Corporate and Government workers, as well as tourists, reach the City Center via the subway, driving in on the WD Freeway, the Cahill Expressway (Sydney’s last two major highways in good maintenance), or by Air Taxi. Most major buildings have at least one air-pad, and Air Taxis run to all the corporate neighborhoods. Living in the City Center means living in a Corp-controlled High Rise apartment.

Between a plethora of air-taxi services and the multitudes of private choppers and VTOL vehicles, Sydney’s skies are crowded indeed. Knight Errant has a well-funded air patrol division, and the city has had to implement rigid air traffic laws to match those on the ground. –Sky Skraper

Through ground traffic is light, Sydney’s roads are administered by the government and are somewhat the worse for wear. The ground level GridGuide is almost always malfunctioning, creating traffic jams for two or three hours at peak times. In some ‘hoods, the pot holes are big enough to live in, let alone wreck a car or bike. –Ped X

The City Center itself is closed to road traffic, and is instead serviced by light rail and trams. It’s expensive, but safe, and extends into other areas of the city as well. Armed guards on all trains; CCV surveillance; decent Matrix security. Better odds than driving, though. –Sky Skraper

The trains outside of the city center run infrequently between 11pm and 5am, and “protected service” is also discontinued then. No guards, and the trains are rigger controlled, making it a criminal paradise after hours. Don’t get on without heavy weaponry and a willingness to use it. –Sparrow

If you want to get around, buy a bike and drive fast enough to lose the KE traffic cops. It’s that simple. –Kirra

North Sydney lies across the harbor, reachable by the Harbor Tunnel now that the bridge is off-limits. While the high security lifestyle is the same as City Center, here Baird Corporation and Wuxing make their homes, and their influence keeps out the riff-raff.

The Rocks
Lifestyles- Middle, High

‘The Rocks’ as the area squeezed between the City Center and the harbor is known, is a handful of city blocks containing Sydney’s bohemian culture. Relatively clean and gang-free, this is where corporate youths move too to be rebellious and piss off their parents. The Rocks are dotted with coffee shops and ‘scene’ bars, as well as turn of the century brownstone apartments. Those seeking to blend in can do it here, as Sydney’s normal cultural biases break down in the Rocks, with all types of metahumans and cultural backgrounds to be found. Low-rise apartments and Townhouses are common. Oh, and you can find me here as well, at ‘The Fortune of War’ inn.

Giving out your contact info, Sparrow? You aren’t worried about these new runners turning you in?- Kirra

Nope, only worried about you, K. That’s why I gave the bouncer your photo. -Sparrow

King’s Cross
Lifestyles- Low, Middle

King’s Cross is where Sydney-siders come to play. Bars, nightclubs and restaurants provide for legitimate entertainment, and as fronts for illegal casinos and the city’s red light district. King’s Cross is the stronghold of the Capizzi crime family, a Mafia outfit with ties to the American and Sicilian ‘Costa Nostra.’ Running the traditional vices of gambling, girls and guns, they hold on while the Russian Vory and the ‘Green Gang’ Triad pick off other syndicates around Sydney. While you don’t need to know the Capizzis to have fun in King’s Cross, if you do know them, you’ll find it that much easier to get into that VIP room your target’s in. Low-rise apartments above booming nightclubs are the norm.

If you’re American, you may find it difficult to support the gun-loving habits you’re used too. You can’t walk into any corner store and pick up an AK here, let alone a hand gun. That being said, there’s a man named Jimmy Two Hands in King’s Cross, and he can hook you up with your beloved firearms. –Ped X.

Bondi Beach
Lifestyles- Middle, High, Luxury

When the manastorms aren’t keeping everyone inside, and when the holiday heat hits us in the southern hemisphere, we Sidney-siders flock to Bondi, baby! Bondi Beach is the most popular stretch of sand around Sidney harbor. Just inland from the beach lies the Bondi suburbs, a collection of houses and luxury condos, all mostly quiet neighborhoods. A number of Corp execs call this spot home, commuting via air taxis between here and the City Center.

You do not want to be caught out on the beach when the manastorms flare up. I’ve got a link somewhere around here to a vid of some tourists caught outside sunbathing. The storms hits and POOF! their skin starts to melt off. Now where’s that link… -h4xx

Thanks, h4xx, but I think they get the picture. -Sparrow

The Bridge
Lifestyles- Streets, Squatter

Just after the manastorms first wracked Sydney, the Metro Council decided to shut down the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge until it’s structural integrity could be re-evaluated. Then one night some of the city’s homeless, desperate and deprived of shelter after the storms, jumped the barricades and began squatting on the lower deck. By the time the Metro Council got around to clearing the bridge, the squatters were fully entrenched, and it set off a riot that blasted trhough downtown. That was twenty years ago. Since then the Bridge has been a pain and an eyesore for the powers that be in this city.
The bridge itself is now covered in shacks and shanties, some reaching all the way to the tom of the bridges arches, held on with ropes, welds and even duct tape. Below the bridge lies a small flotilla of house boats and barges tied to the support pylons, long rope ladders and pulleys connecting them to the village above. The whole place is considered a no-fly zone for Knight Errant, leaving a small black market to flourish amongst the slums.

This is the best location to get hot items in the city, IMHO, especially if you can’t deal with the Vory or the Capizzi Mob. -Kirra

Punch Bowl
Lifestyles- Streets, Squatter, Low

Once you get away from the City Center, the Sydney sprawl begins to spread out towards the west, one blasted neighborhood after another. But if you’re looking to simply blend into the background, then Punch Bowl fits the bill. Named for the fact that it sits in a depression of the landscape, Punch Bowl is considered by some to be the ‘Orcish Oz.’ While it’s true that Australia never had to face the same metahuman hate riots the rest of the world did, we Sydney-siders tend to quietly congregate around our “social and cultural equals” rather than march and riot. This leads to a dozen different culturally aligned neighborhoods in the sprawl. Punch Bowl is for Orcs and Trolls.
Aside from specialty big and tall shops, and a few troll-sized apartment houses, Punch Bowl is also home to the Punch Bowl race track, the last center for equestrian sports in the city. If you want to live here, you can probably score a quiet house on a side street, or slum it up on one of the sprawls abandoned freeways.


Manastorms and You- Surviving the Weather

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Hmm, seems something didn’t work right, this was supposed to be how-to to survive the worst manastorms. h4xx, you got anything? –Sparrow

Nope, I’m coming up blank. Looks like the file is totally corrupted. But I did find that link to that tourist vid from earlier. –h4xx

Answers still no, bud. Perhaps Elaine can shed some light for us. -Sparrow

With pleasure. While modern magical theory has yet to classify the manastorm phenomena, I can speak from personal experience that they are dangerous and unpredictable at best, and apocalyptic at worst. One particular storm cell has loomed near and above Sydney for almost fifty years now, since the first days of the awakening. It sweeps in for a few days a week, usually dealing minor environmental damage, and then leaves without notice or fanfare. But sometimes, it kills.

The effect of the manastorm can somewhat be compared to an out of control spell. Sometimes the storm will sweep down a side alley, turning all inhabitants to statues or melting the paint off the walls. Sometimes the storm manifests as an invisible mass of energy, knocking out wireless signals for kilometers around. The best form of protection is a magically warded and physically secure structure. I also encourage any magicians to prepare a Mana Barrier spell before setting out for a walk-about the city. It could save your life. -Elaine

The Corps do a good job of warding their key facilites and the homes of their management. Wuxing especially seems immune to the worst of what the manastorms throw at us. Average citizens and the sinless must either shell out for private ward, or pile into the Storm Watchers Guild’s various shelters around the city. Hey Elaine, aren’t you a Storm Watcher? –Sparrow

Oh, Sparrow, a gentlemen never asks, and a lady never tells. –Elaine.

Corp Info

Like I said before, we have 5 big players here in town. Back after the manastorms first hit, the state government picked up and left Sydney for Canberra, leaving the city to fend for itself. Some of the local politicians left behind formed the Metro Council, but it never got anything done until the Corps stepped in and formed the Sydney Corporate Advisory Board to support the Metro Council. Today, these 5 corporate officers have more political pull than any of the poor elected sods in office.
I’ll have more info about the Corp. make up in this city later, but this will get you started.

Knight Errant (Ares)- Knight Errant, or KE as it’s known on the streets, was the first major security company to set up shop in Australia, beating Lone Star here by about five years. They snagged the Sydney contract early, and now that they are on the advisory board, they won’t have to worry about any pesky contract negotiations for a while. Fully fifty percent of their resources are concentrated on the City Center and the skies above, leaving their patrols out into the sprawls erratic at best.

Aztechnology- Everyone’s favorite boogeyman, the Azzies manage most of the agri-supply and farming industries around the city, feeding us soy and shipping wool out to markets around the world.

Baird Communications (Renraku)- A once local company now owned by a Japancorp, Baird operates the majority of Sydney’s remaining light industry, producing consumer electronics and software packages for mass and niche markets. If you’re looking for reliable Matrix connections during the manastorms, look into what there guys are doing, because never go off line.

Tanamyre- Our own home grown megacorp, Tanamyre is a AA focused in mining and ore refinement. Rumor has it that Saeder-Krupp has been looking to snatch them up and expand their presence beyond tiny Goat Island.

That’s been a rumor now for thirty years, Sparrow. SK is to busy making boats out in Perth to bother with a company on the other side of the continent. –Sky Skraper

Wuxing- Finally, Wuxing rounds out our top five with it heavily warded tower across the harbor in North Sydney. To be honest, I don’t have much info on them, other than they’re involved in the profitable telsema taken from the outback. Elaine, anymore info?

Only that Wuxing has been quietly against the Storm Watchers Guild from day one. At least, that’s what my friend said. –Elaine



Well, there you have it. That should get you primed for your move out here. Let me know when you’ve settled in and are ready for a run. –Sparrow

[Sinboy666]

My friend's and I awhile back did a really cool run set in Detroit. I mean, it's basically Robot Cop in OCP won. I know a lot of people like to crap on the big D, but I've always loved my town and the people in it. It's been my thinking, that even though Ares controls the city, its been having a lot of trouble with the populace. I mean the wage slaves are fine with it, but there are plenty of people who don't want to be told where they have to live... um... like our current situation with Mayor Bing.
Our campaign had a lot to deal with working with the Detroit underground and various other factions to work against Ares and "liberate" the city. (Of course corporate rivals, Cross got involved a lot too). We also had some interesting encounters in Greek-town, which, if you've never been to D-town is the BEST place to get food at 3 in the morning.

Two bits of mostly fluff:

1) We said that after the combining of the U.C.A.S., Detroit pretty much swallowed Windsor into it.

2) University of Michigan (GO WOLVERINES!) was a big place for hermetic studies. But it is also WHACKED with magic... it happens on a campus that has a library designed by a mad man and boosts at least 3 suicides a semester.

[Daddy's Litt...]

one interesting aspect of the philly area is Reading, Pa. current day it has one of the HIGHEST per capita crime rates in the country. It basically is a giant Motel 6 for drug runners between NYC and philly.

Except for the fact it is not between NYC and Philly. It is north and west of Philly along rte 422 or further west along the PA turnpike. Overall more than hour from Philly proper. I do not know about a high crime rate. It is not a nice town but the areas around here like that are the towns of Pheonixville, just a little about Valley Forge on 422 or 29 and Camden NJ that seems to be doing its very best to become a Barrens environment intime for the appearance of the great dragons later this year. start collapsing early and avoid the rush.

[Aku]

Except for the fact it is not between NYC and Philly. It is north and west of Philly along rte 422 or further west along the PA turnpike. Overall more than hour from Philly proper. I do not know about a high crime rate. It is not a nice town but the areas around here like that are the towns of Pheonixville, just a little about Valley Forge on 422 or 29 and Camden NJ that seems to be doing its very best to become a Barrens environment intime for the appearance of the great dragons later this year. start collapsing early and avoid the rush.

I used to live in the area, and yea, all of the violence pretty much was drug related, and that was the stance that the PD had on it IIRC

[Snow_Fox]

I think DLN is pointing out that Reading isn't between NY and Philadelphia and is too far out to really be a part of the Philly crime scene. We don't need to go out to the farmers for crime, there's enough in the bad neighborhoods of the city and Camden alone. I'd say Reading is more likely to be the criminal element for the farm lands there. Go a little further west and you're into the amish areas around Lancaster.

[Aku]

Except, you're not thinking in terms of drug runners or smugglers. I-95 is going to be MUCH more patrolled by the PD/lonestar/whoever, IMO

[Daddy's Litt...]

But just to get to Reading from NYC either you are going down I-95 to the PA Turnpike and get off at Reading's entrance, or get off at Valley Forge and go up 422. Insterad of just shooting down to the Philly exit off of the PA turnpike. It is the straight run to philyl from NY. Even using back roads like 84 north of NYC to 309 or the north east extension of the PA turnpike mean monitored main high ways.

Reading is more likely a gateway to the west- Harrisburg and maybe a loop to DC is you can loop over to 15 south of Gettysburg but it is not a route from NYC to Philadelphia.

[HunterHerne]

I'm working on a little thing for my out of the way neighbourhood. Looks like it may be the only mention of a rural area, too. (damn these small towns...)

[Daddy's Litt...]

Small town can hide big (secret) plants.

[HunterHerne]

Very true, and I have some plans for that...

[Grinchy McScroog...]

If I can ever find the time (new home owner), I'm gonna write up my Target: Toronto and post it here. It may be awhile though, as I tend to be rather meticulous. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarrassed.gif)

In short, though, The Toronto Metroplex is a semi-corporate-controlled city, being halfway between Manhattan and Seattle on the big brother scale. It's a major media and financial hub. With Hollywood being in Cal-Free, Toronto, known as Hollywood North in the latter-half of the Twentieth Century, has become the main media producer of the UCAS. And that's all media, including trideo, software, and (especially) BTL's. The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) is second only to the East Coast Stock Exchange in importance in North America. Having been the huge melting pot of multiculturally diverse Canada, you can find at least a small community of just about any race, culture, religion, magical tradition, or criminal enterprise you can think of. Sports are also quite big in Toronto, with there being a team franchise of most major Sixth World sports being well-represented. The Scarberian Barrens (formally known as Scarborough), are frequent hosts of Urban Brawl events. Toronto Harbour, once a major port, was decimated by The Quake Of 2005. Everything South of Front Street, including The Toronto Islands, slid into Lake Ontario (all of it having been built on landfill). The waterfront has been rebuilt as a massive archology (by whom I haven't yet decided), but is no longer a port of any kind, as all of that business moved down the coast to The Hamilton Metroplex in the intervening years.

That's all I've got that's in any publishable state right now, but you can find the official details (few as they are) in Shadows Of North America and The Sixth World Almanac. I hope to have the more nitty-gritty details properly fleshed-out soon, complete with some area maps (à la Seattle 2072 or The Rotten Apple.

[HunterHerne]

Here is what I have so far on my area. It's quite a bit, and I hope it is useful to someone.

[ Spoiler ]

Shadows of the Valley Information

Primary notes on the Annapolis Valley

The Annapolis Valley is located on the Northern face of Western Nova Scotia, inside the UCAS, a stone`s throw from New Brunswick. The valley has a mountain located to the South which is sparsely populated, and ripe with lakes and rivers. To the immediate North, is the North Mountain, which faces the Bay of Fundy on the opposite side. This area is, for the most part, sparsely populated as well, but the density is more than the south mountain.
The area is very rural, with several small towns, and much history. Farming is common, if not prosperous in this area, and many corporations may have their hands in the local farmer’s pockets. The area is popular with some hunters and fishers, as well as being suitable for telesma gathering, and ecotourism. Trail systems criss-crossing the valley, making off-road travel not only possible, but preferred by many travellers.
Corporate Presence:

Many Corporations have their hands in the Valley, mostly through subsidiaries. A few of these subsidiaries are only present in the area, having been grown here, and then bought out.
Aztechnology: As always, Aztechnology has it’s hand in the food processing in the area, owning at least one major meat processor, and acting through subsidiaries to provide to many farmers. The ubiquitous Stuffer Shack is also a sight in the area, although it suffers some competition from another small corner store, Needs Convenience.
Evo: Evo uses the wide areas of the valley in order to experiment on its sustainable productions, even going so far as to buy the area of Farmington, and transform it into a small corp community, for the sake of its urban farming research. Evo deals in several other areas, as well, and is rumoured to supply a small amount of funding to the local Ghoul rights groups.
Horizon: Responsible for much of the advertising in the valley, even by other corps, is the Valley Infomatics Group, a subsidiary of Horizon specializing in the tailored advertising within the entire Valley area. There are also some small-time trideo companies in the valley, and Horizon is rumoured to own a couple of the hotels and health resorts.
MCT: Owning several groups which research awakened effects in the area, as well as funding many telesma hunts, MCT has a stronger presence then many megas in the Valley. It is also suggested, that there may be some testing going on into their “Zero-Zone” efforts for their less urban research bases.
Neonet: As the main provider of the local Matrix, they have several small groups in the area, and many more technical providers. Valley and Bay Communications is the largest local subsidiary of NeoNet, responsible for maintaining the largest portions of the Matrix.
Other Megas have some standing in the valley, these are only the ones that the public is easily aware of.


Important Locations

Annapolis Royal
Primary features:
Annapolis Royal has a long history, as much of former Canada, which began long before the nation was born. It was originally founded as a naval base by the French in 1605 as Port Royal, and was later conquered by the English and renamed (1710) It is the Oldest continuous settlement in Nova Scotia, indeed in all North America, north of St. Augustine, Florida. Because it is only a town, and not a sprawling city, there are many tourist destinations in the area. Although not much presence in the actual town is corporate, there are some research groups who pass through the area.
Another thing to note about the area, is the higher commonality of docile Spirits of Man in the area, as well as the natural background count of 2, aspected to age and humanity.

Matrix Coverage:
Within the town, the matrix is reliable, if weak. However, outside the town, the matrix coverage gets spotty.

New Minas
Primary features:
The shopping center of the Annapolis Valley, New Minas is one of the larger population centers. The area sports many public features, including the major indoor mall for the area, and several strip malls. Pretty much anything can be found here.
In addition to the market sources, there are several public services, including retirement homes, fitness centers, centers to aid the mentally handicapped, and a few specialized businesses.

Matrix Coverage:
Matrix Coverage in New Minas is complete. No one should have any trouble unless jammers are in use

Kentville
Primary Features:
Kentville is a main town In the Annapolis Valley, and has several aspects worth knowing. As the Seat of the Valley’s government, many of the oversight committees have offices in the town. There is also several emergency services, including a public security force (Kentville Police), EMS and hospital services, and a fire station.
Primary resources in Kentville include the abundant apple farms, among other fruit crops. The town is home to several agriculture research facilities, owned by governments and corporations alike, including the largest in Nova Scotia.
Many professionals make their homes and businesses in Kentville, including lawyers, talismongers, and doctors. If there is something you need done, someone here can likely do it.
Also of note, is the presence of the military training base, Camp Aldershot. As its presence near the town indicates, many military personnel may be around at any time to boost the economy and provide support if direly needed.

Matrix coverage:
The matrix in Kentville is among the strongest and most complete in the Valley, due to the quality and importance of the residents to Valley life.

Greenwood
Primary features: The village of Greenwood is one of the major shopping points of the Valley, but nowhere as full as New Minas. The village sports a mall, with many small stores and a few outlets for major retailers. There are many restaurants located near the major intersection of the village, and as such, much of the revenue of town is focused in that area.
The importance of Greenwood, however, is the presence of the UCAS Airforce base located within the village limits. As a true base, and not just a training camp, military personnel are in high density all year round, and make up a significant portion of the community. Military residences are also on site, and Military Police can routinely be seen patrolling the areas under their jurisdiction.

Matrix Coverage:
Complete within the restaurant center, but around the military base is almost non-existent, and localized areas outside the village are very weak or dead.

Middleton
Primary Features: As the Heart of the Valley, Middleton is as much tourism as any other part of the Valley. A quaint town, the residents don’t respond to change well, and as such, many of the buildings seem decades, if not longer, out of date.
The Corporations seem to have the most trouble entering this town, except for a few retail outlets, and there are many cheap motels and campgrounds, making it a perfect place to get away from hectic work schedules for a couple days. With the Annapolis River winding just south of the town, and lots of open trails to hike, one can get lost in the area for hours, if not days, if they wanted, even with communities all around them.

Matrix Coverage:
Wireless Matrix is still attempting to make a foothold in Middleton, and as such, only some areas have any connectivity, and usually only within buildings designed for its use. Communications are mostly hardwired.

Wolfville
Primary Features: While there are many small colleges and technical institutes in the Annapolis Valley, only Wolfville features a full University. The University of Acadia is one of the best in the country for undergraduate studies, although graduate and doctoral studies are lacking, and mostly non-existent.
Other then the University, not much is present in Wolfville, and as such, during the summer the town is almost dead. A few corporations have small stakes in the town, however, since it refuses to give up its free-trade status, they are reluctant to move further, beyond funding the university.
Culturally, Wolfville is the richest in the Valley, being home to artists of all sorts, from stage performers, to musicians, to painters and sculptors. One of the biggest events of the year, is the Annapolis Valley Music Festival, where participants from across the valley participate in the musical offerings on the Acadia Campus. Additionally, many of the old buildings, especially the Victorian houses that are still standing, have long been converted to B&B’s, making the picturesque scenery of the Bay of Fundy and the natural look of the town a perfect tourist location.

Matrix Coverage:
The Matrix in Wolfville is complete, and strong. Valley and Bay Communications maintains the matrix in the town, on a very reliable basis, if only because the NeoNet subsidiary is obliged by the donations the parent company makes to the university.

Digby
Primary Features: The Bay town of Digby is one of the furthest parts of the valley. However, it is also one of the most important. Having grown a little since the days of the US and Canada merging into the UCAS, Digby has become a stop for ships transporting into the Valley and across the province. Claiming the idea as their own, Aztechnology began buying port space in Digby, and in the Maine town of Cutler, then started transporting large machinery and vehicles across the bay. Once in Digby, the machinery could be moved to the final location, whether that is across to more in-land towns, or over to Kentville, and other places en-route. The majority of the equipment transported is used for agricultural purposes, but some of it is construction or machining as well.
Tidal Power, Inc., a subsidiary of Aztechnology, also maintains a industrial manufacturing park just outside Digby This is accomplished using the Tidal power plant they own, which also supplies power to the Digby township.

Matrix Coverage:
Matrix coverage in Digby is handled by Aztechnology, in order to better facilitate their shipping and manufacturing ideals through Maritime Matrix.


Roads to Travel
There are several methods to travelling into, out of, and around the Annapolis Valley, including land, sea and air.

Land
Land routes around the Valley come in many shapes and sizes. The roads are the most obvious, and easiest way of travel, but there is also off-road trails, and for the really desperate, or brave, one can walk through the woods.

Roads
The entire Annapolis Valley has two roads that go from one end of the valley to the other. These are the Highway 101, and the Evangeline Trail. The Evangeline Trail actually goes through many of the towns, and it is the more scenic route to travel. The Highway 101 is much faster, but also is very wide open, without any turns off the road until the exits.
The Evangeline Trail also exits the Valley at the Digby end, and at the Wolfville end. As such, it is a “straight” shot through the Valley. The 101 travels from Digby, all the way to Halifax, making it a faster trip through the valley as well. Going over the South Mountian, one could take may routes, the quickest being Highway 10 from Middleton.

Trails
Off-road trails are just as viable as the roads for travel within and around the valley. Just be careful to watch the wildlife, however. Bears and Coyotes are common in the woods of Nova Scotia.

Sea
As much of the Valley is alongside the Bay of Fundy, or just over the North Mountain from it, sea craft are very likely to be utilised by anyone. Many boaters can be seen in the summer at the beaches, as well. Lakes and rivers are also common across the valley, and many are traversable the entire length. The pollution in the main Annapolis River, however makes it unsafe to swim in most times, and inadvisable the rest of the time.

Air
Between the Greenwood Airforce base, and the private strip in Berwick, small plane travel is at least possible into and out of the valley. Rumour has it, that MCT is building an air strip in order to decrease travel times into and out of their research facilities.

Crime in the Valley
Crime in the Annapolis Valley has evolved over the years. Even though, or perhaps because of, the travel distances are greater than they would be in a city, there is still a fair number of people who take part in illegal, or quasi-legal, activities. This is a short over view of these activities.

Organized crime:
Organized crime is a reality in the Valley, although not on the same level as in major cities. Since population density is smaller, some activities, such as kidnapping are more easily apparent, and don’t have room to grow in the area. However; loansharking, drugs/BTLs, boarding fugitives, and illegal transport do exist in decent amounts, as do prostitution and protection scams. The groups that are involved in these things is listed below.

Loansharking: This is largely the area of the Vory, and they have a group in every larger town who does it, with one or two leg-breakers. However, in one or two areas, the Mafia has a man or two hounding in on the sharking operation.
Drugs/BTLs: The Mafia has a little hand in that, but really only stop at pre-arranged locations on their way through to larger areas, such as Halifax or Lunenburg. Most often, those stops are to pick up money, and drop off product for the relevant gang to sell for them. If the gang doesn’t pay back in time, the mafia comes looking. The Yakuza also has a hand in the BTL game, although they are more permanent fixtures in the area. Selling from their own “gang” and controlling sections of the town’s back streets for a few minutes at a time.
Boarding: When you are on the run, you need somewhere to hide. If you have the right contacts, and enough nuyen, in any of the organized groups, they will hide you for a time. The Vory is much more likely to help, however, and will hide almost anyone for a price. Except a cop.
Transportation/smuggling: The Mafia do a lot of smuggling, mostly their own drugs or weapons. If they are short on man-power, they may call for a runner team, or a go-gang to deliver for them. The Vory do some transporting as well, but usually just in the immediate area.
Prostitution: Yakuza Bunraku parlours are rare in the valley, but you can find them if you know the right person. Most of the prostitution is handled by the person actually partaking. However, small groups have gotten together for mutual benfit.
Protection: This is mostly the area of the Mafia, but the Yakuza and Vory do it as well, in smaller doses.

Gangs
There are a number of gangs in the Annapolis Valley, however, many of them are just kids having fun. The ones to watch out for are listed below.

Bloods: The Bloods are a somewhat large gang, with a few chapters in the Maritimes. In the Annapolis Valley, the leader is a Hobgoblin who goes by Raghead, and runs the gang from an apartment complex in a Greenwood low income housing area, near the base. They deal in drugs, and handle some protection rackets, sometimes for the Mafia.

Wharf Rats: A Go-gang naming their selves after the annual bikers rally held in the Valley, the Wharf Rats make trouble in the fishing and port towns along the coast of the Bay. They do a lot of transportation for extra money, and a little drug dealing, as well.

Free Ride: These adrenaline junkies are the local street racing crew, spending their nights on the 101 between Berwick and Coldbrook, testing the limits of their cars, and their health.

Awakened in the Valley
In the Valley, there are a few Initiatory groups, as well as political groups for the awakened. The Ghoul community is active, and they have an office in Kentville where they meet, occasionally with officials to discuss their plans. There are rumours of a shifter pack living on the south mountain, but they have remained hidden so far. Free Spirits are occasionally around, and wild spirits have some fun in the less urban areas.

Initiatory groups
There are a few initiatory groups located within the Valley, but not many of them are particularly well off. The most well known group is the Hermetic Society of the Apple. These mages are a loose group, and tend only to meet in order to discuss the state of various things affecting the awakened in the Valley, such as by-laws, or shifts in background count. Their main offices are located in Kentville, with a couple minor offices throughout the townships.

Secondary to the Hermetic Society of the Apple is the Valley Environment and Mana Society, which is a combination outreach program for the protection of natural areas, and a Shaman initiatory group which handles the neo-pagan and shaman practitioners in the Valley. Many of the members in this society are not actually mages, but mundanes who help out with fundraising for the natural preservation side of the group. Their main office is located in Middleton, but they have chapters in most of the smaller communities, operating out of the community centers.
The final initiatory group worth mention is the God`s Children group, which handles initiations for the various Abrahamic sects in the valley. They also do some work with fundraising for community events and manage the public clothing donations. They are located in Wolfville, but a small number of people from each church have connections to the main body.

Emerged in the Valley
Technomancers are treated in the valley as they are elsewhere, largely with deference and suspicion. Being a Rural area, many Technomancers are located directly inside the townships, where they have full access to the wireless signals which give them a sense of being. Outside the towns, Technomancers find the sporadic wireless to be bothersome, like something is missing in their being.

Metahumanity in the Valley
Humans are treated with the same respect they are normally treated with. Elves tend to be treated with respect, but the conspiracy theories aren’t necessarily dead, either. Dwarves are just as overlooked as ever, and as such don’t have many problems with being prejudiced against.
Due to the original settlement of cultures in Nova Scotia, it is more common to see metavariants from the UK and Germanic areas. Especially Fomori, Night Ones, and Giants, in that order.

[HunterHerne]

Well, that is not what I wanted. How do I put spoilers in?

Edit: Figured it out.

[Grinchy McScroog...]

Thanks, HunterHerne! That's really comprehensive. Very nicely done. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/notworthy.gif)

I've copied your write-up of Anapolis Valley and CanRay's write-up of Winnipeg for future use in my Shadowrun campaign. As a Canadian, I find them much more interesting than Seattle. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[HunterHerne]

Thanks, HunterHerne! That's really comprehensive. Very nicely done. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/notworthy.gif)

I've copied your write-up of Anapolis Valley and CanRay's write-up of Winnipeg for future use in my Shadowrun campaign. As a Canadian, I find them much more interesting than Seattle. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Happy to help.

[suoq]

It's my understanding that Kenshi had asked a number of dumpshockers for larger writeups of their local areas. I was thinking it would be nice if these had a consistent format so that they flowed together easier.

At this point, I've finished a rough draft for Omaha as I see it. It may be good, it may suck goat bones. Heck, it may completely contradict canon for all I know. It definately needs more work at a later point. If you're interested, it can be downloaded at ftp://ftp.virtualsurreality.com/Omaha%20Setting.zip

I'll listen to feedback, although I'm not promising to act on it. PM would probably be better rather than taking over this thread. Those people also doing larger write ups, I'd like to exchange information with. It may be we can play off each other or at least get some form of consistency going on.

[Kirk]

suoq, neat.

fwiw, I'm about to write up a local guide/sourcebook on a slightly larger scale: North Georgia. (the Chattahoochee to the Tennessee, Tallageda to Hellbender. However, I'm planning to write it in a wiki (pm wiki) using page authorization - I get to see it all, players only get what they "know".

Note that's not even work in progress, yet -- just vaporware.

[Megu]

Well, here's first major draft of the Indochinese hilltribe war setup. Drawing on both the Vietnam War and the Laotian Secret War as inspiration. Page count in the low 20s.

https://rapidshare.com/files/1962765721/IndochinaD1.pdf

I'd like your thoughts. Will add a more detailed description of the front lines later. Plan to have most of it in three fronts: East-central Laos, where the Vietnamese are trying to pinch off northern Laos' tribes, like the Hmong and Khmu, from supplying the Mon-Khmer and Hill Cham hilltribes in the Vietnamese Central Highlands, which is the second front, and the third front being Cambodia.

Ultimately, there's a lot of places I'd like to go with this. Endgame likely involves a second Battle of Hue, where the hilltribes use the cover of a magically-called typhoon to take the city and cut Vietnam in half. The underground in the south then uses the opportunity for political upheaval. The Colonel controlling the Vietnamese troops in Vientiane may make a gambit for some kind of power on her own, the historical analogues being Trinh Minh The and Kong Le.

I'll probably add Yunnan and the Burmese successor states at some point. But man, so not up for it right now.

[scarius]

I am writing a updated (read: 4A) version of target: awakened lands, I am about a quarter to half way in at the moment. My plan is to use my actual knowlage of australia (where I live) and make it a bit better off then what it was. I will post up what I have in a few weeks time.

If anyone has some information that they have all ready done on Australia and doesn't mind me "stealing" or atleast reading it, can you please PM me.

[Socinus]

What would be awesome is if we could put together a worldmap where you could mouse over the area you want to know about and have the names of the sourcebooks that have info about that place.