Tuesday Apr 21, 2020
Adam's Retroverse DM Blog: Entry 3
Entry 3: Quadrant Contents - Megalopolitan Plains
This next set of entries is going to comprise mostly of my notes I have for each quadrant, starting with the central quadrant. If any location or NPC names mentioned in these sound like tongue-in-cheek references, they’re meant to be (that’s just par-for-the-course in the Retroverse in general, as I spoke of concerning my MacGuffins). I will be providing a very rudimentary legend below at the start of each entry with the referenced quadrant highlighted:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
And, as the example above shows, we will be starting off with the heart of this face, Quadrant 5: Megalopolitan Plains.
- Megalopolitan Plains. The very heart of Face 5. This quadrant is literally the center of attention in all matters of politics, economics, industry, and entertainment. Easily the most diverse and densely populated of all current Quadrants by a large margin, it is said that one can sample the entire Retroverse without ever leaving the bounds of this largely urban realm.
- Neo Metro. Towering monuments of glass and neon pierce the skyline as one approaches the glassy walls of Neo Metro. This city is an urban utopia. “New,” “shiny,” and “elite” are at the core of its essence. Spectacular skyscrapers, fine restaurants, and bourgeois clubs line what are surely the cleanest streets one could ever set foot on. Though the city is busy, it runs like a digital machine in pristine condition. For those seeking a respite from the city, myriad scenic parks are within a short walking distance from nearly any point of origin. This is a city for the privileged…and they like to keep it that way.
- Old Metro is defined by abandoned warehouses, empty concrete towers, and unkempt avenues. Although no longer the cultural center, it remains the geographical center of Face 5, sitting at both zero degrees longitude and latitude. This artificial jungle is a no-longer-shining example of how the march of progress leaves people and places behind. The harshest of critics will write-off the whole area as a slum begging to be flattened to expediate its slow crumble into rust and dust, but their ignorance and bigotry blinds them to the dazzling examples of life thriving among the bricks and mangled metal. Thumping music resonating to the surface from basement raves, aromatic vapors wafting through the air from bazaars of street food vendors. The soft blue glow in a tall window of an old tenement building as a streamer on the Arcane Eye Network (AEN) battles their way through digital foes on their overclocked computer to scrape together enough credits to afford a better life…and a better connection. Be warned: although pockets of hope exist, this is a city of decline, a refuge for some, but a prison for most, and prisoners are not most often kind.
- New Tokyorkisco! The Big Fuji Apple! The City So Nice, They Built a Golden Gate! Jutting into the waters of the Sea of Peace (I might change this name later) rises a city comprised mostly of the middle- and upper middle-class citizens of the ‘Verse. Some folks here can be rude, but often you can blame that on the fast pace of the city. Everyone has a hustle, a grind, a place to be, and a thing to do. Visit the lively Yonagunitown, go shopping or gaming in the Gorakujuku district, or try your hand at the stock market in LoFiDi!
- Kingston University is the sole member of its self-founded “Birch League” of schools, and that alone should tell you how prestigious (and expensive) this establishment of higher learning truly is.
- Fabrication Flats is the industrial workhorse of the Megalopolitan Plains. If it exists and wasn’t grown out of the ground, it was probably made here (Disclaimer: it is often not wise to assume that any food found in the Megalopolitan Plains wasn’t made in a factory in Fabrication Flats). If it can be worn, driven, used to accomplish a task, or often just held, you’ll more than likely find the little words “Made in F.F.” engraved on it somewhere. Many denizens find work in the rows upon nearly endless miles of rows of factories and industrial complexes that dot the landscape and fill its section of sky with smog and steam. The cacophony of gears, hammers, foundries, and shift whistles accompany the roaring engines of big rigs and cargo trains that tirelessly deliver the endless output of goods to all corners of Face 5.
- Nirvana Plaza. And if it WAS made in Fabrication Flats (let's be real, it was), it can probably be bought here, among the empire of indoor and outdoor malls that span the southern countryside of the Megalopolitan Plains.
- Thunderdrome Raceway. If you like the sound of roaring engines and the thrill of a chase or a literal race against time, park your keister in the risers at one of the many courses at the Raceway and cheer for your favorite driver (or pilot!). With artificial courses mimicking a plethora of locales both real and imagined, your need for speed might never be sated! AND, if you find yourself in possession of a sweet ride (and a pit crew to keep you on the road [or in the air {or above the water}]!), feel free to enter yourselves in one the many round-the-clock races for a chance to win some fabulous prizes!
- Retro-World Theme Parks are the very place to go for some resort-based fun! Find roller coasters of all themes and levels of thrill, excellent shows to entertain the little ones, and world-class dining establishments all in one location! Go on a safari! Relax in the Longest Lazy River! Face the perils of Mr. Bones’s Wild Ride! Get a photo with your favorite franchised character! Try a Deep-Fried-Hot-Dog-On-A-Stick-In-A-Waffle-Cone™!
- The Boardwalk. Few things conjure the magic of romantic love and endless summer like a boardwalk, the beach, and all the accompanying amenities, so why not visit one that’s 320 miles long?
- Slushee Slopes. Need to carve some powder? Then this year-round wintry destination should be at the top of your list.
- Super Suburbia wraps gently around the border of Neo Metro and is a veritable ocean of quaint houses, backyard pools, gas stations, grocery stores, and small outlet malls.
- Interstate 99 / The Metroway. This belt of asphalt extends in a perfectly straight and flat line, vectors across the Megalopolitan Plains to the mainland of the Tangaroan Sea, and transitions into the main thoroughfare through the far-away city of San Angeles. Exactly every 10 miles or so, there is a franchise of Pizza Shack™ (some long closed, but their shells still standing) for hungry voyagers of this long, open road! Gas stations are also abundant, in sundry brands: Conch, 4-Twenty, Fess, Moonoco, Immobil, Xeenon, and Triathlon, just to name a few. Just off I99 are numerous trailer parks, where the attractiveness of the low cost of living has led landowners to the solution of stacking trailers on top of one another to maximize their tenant numbers and their profits. Some communities of trailer, RV, and other mobile homeowners have welded and duct-taped their dwellings together into enormous, off-road monstrosities decorated with string lights, plastic flamingos, lawn chairs, and yard gnomes that crawl across the flatter grasslands, migrating on an endless loop from Super Suburbia to San Angeles and back again.
Version: 20240320
Comments (0)
To leave or reply to comments, please download free Podbean or
No Comments
To leave or reply to comments,
please download free Podbean App.