Carlisle by Night
From Carlisle by Night Wiki
An IC Setting Document for the Border City...
Contents |
An Introduction
Note: This obviously is a stylised description of Carlisle as it exists in the gothic-punk setting of the Old World of Darkness. Expect many differences...
Carlisle, the Great Border City, rests a mere 10 miles from the Anglo-Scottish Border. The largest settlement within Cumbria it’s population has swollen substantially over recent years, bringing a much needed boost of growth to the area. Though no official figures exist it is estimated over 93,000 souls call Carlisle home, almost a 30% increase since 2001 that has left much of the inner city subject to overcrowding and stretched resources. The outlying villages like Longtown, Brampton and Dalston bring the total of the greater populated area to 115,400.
Even with this burst of population the Kindred of Carlisle are forced to share for what meagre territory and pickings are on offer. The City of Carlisle has an average Vampire to Mortal Ratio of 1:3,700 and the Greater Carlisle Area that of 1:4,000, terrifyingly lower than the recommended ratio suggested by the Camarilla of 1:100,000 or even the more realistic 1:50,000 found in Sabbat cities. Such confined conditions ensure the vampires of Carlisle are locked eternally into a claustrophobic struggle for control over the most basic resource - Blood.
The rise in population has led to a change to the racial makeup of the city. Ethnicity currently rests at 90.5% White, 4.36% Asian, 2.31% Chinese, 1.56% Black and 1.27% Other, bringing the once isolated cumbrian settlement in line with the rest of the country. Crime is rife and the number of missing persons increases yearly, however these problems are often considered bearable when compared to the former Sabbat strongholds of Scotland such as Glasgow.
| Details of Carlisle | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince: | Iron Duke Hancock | Primogen of Brujah: | Jamie McCann | No. of Kindred: | 4 |
| Seneschal: | Benjamin Davenport | Primogen of Gangrel: | Coraline Astley | No. of Kindred: | 4 |
| Sheriff: | David Balfour | Primogen of Lasombra: | Rosa di'Marco | No. of Kindred: | 2 |
| Mistress of Elysium: | Coraline Astley | Primogen of Malkavians: | Nathaniel H. Carter | No. of Kindred: | 3 |
| Scourge: | Jackson | Primogen of Nosferatu: | Duke Hancock | No. of Kindred: | 5 |
| Primogen of Toreador: | Alexandria Rebecca Charrington | No. of Kindred: | 3 | ||
| Primogen of Tremere: | Tobias Weaver | No. of Kindred: | 5 | ||
| Primogen of Ventrue: | Benjamin Davenport | No. of Kindred: | 2 | ||
| Misc No. of Guests: | 1? | ||||
| Total No. of Kindred: | 29 | ||||
Carlisle Central
Theme: The beating heart of the city is a sprawling mess of modern architecture and medieval structures, where buildings from centuries ago stand side by side with constructions of glass and steel. Here past and future clash in an ongoing struggle, always under the watchful gaze of mechanical, soulless eyes.
Major Locations in the city centre in game are:
The Civic Centre: While the many offices and sub-offices of the city’s council are spread throughout all of Carlisle, the monstrous concrete offence that is the Civic Centre is the home of politics and power. Here the wheels of bureaucracy and corruption are greased, though the elected officials here seem to escape the scandals of sleaze and bribery that plague other council's nationwide. More unusual is that few Kindred are known to hold any sort of power here, though it is rumoured this might be because the Tremere Lord Markus maintains a tight stranglehold on his hard-won power.
Tribe: When the disused Mood2 club was bought out the future for Carlisle’s club scene seemed bright. Within months of opening however the nightclub known as Tribe suffered a disastrous turn of fortunes. Connected to the opinionated Ventrue Dominic Corleone it was rumoured a Tremere curse was responsible for the misfortune and woe that beset the establishment. It has since remained an empty shell despite its prime location on the Rack.
Terminus: On the top floors of the Terminal1 Nightclub rests the exclusive venue infamously known as Terminus. It is a den of vice and sin that only those who can gain approval from the stony-faced bouncers may enter. Perhaps the city’s most premier nightspot it is also neutral ground between all supernaturals of every stripe, governed by the mysterious proprietor Lucien. No objections are made to Kindred who wish to hunt there, but no supernatural violence or conflict has ever marred the floors of Terminus. Few would dare to earn that infamy. The place has a reputation for unsavoury deals, deals that come with high prices indeed...
Tomlinson Memorial: Hardly a permanent feature on Botchergate it is rare not to find at least some sort of memento or respectful offering at the spot where young club-goer Sean Tomlinson was beaten to death by MI5 Anti-Terrorist Operatives during their short crackdown in the city. The young man was struck no less than 29 times to the head and upper-body in a brutal display of authoritarian brutality. While the Council is quick to remove the flowers and wreathes from the makeshift memorial it appears the act remains indelibly etched into the hearts and minds of Carlisle's residents.
Lucky Eye Casino: Where former nightclub Village stands is now The Lucky Eye. It has been giving a complete refit and is now the region's only licensed Casino; it is very popular with the rich of Cumbria and elsewhere. Although the establishment has fallen under police scrutiny at times for supposed connections to organised crime, it still makes for a good hunting ground for Kindred who prefer their blood a little more blue.
The Method: Another place of art and culture is the Method, an art gallery and nightclub converted from the disused Methodist Church Hall on Fisher Street. The place of choice for many of the city's more creative students and professionals it has quietly prospered over the years without drawing too much attention to itself, much like the Lady Alexandra Charrington herself
North of the River
Travelling from the City Centre soon reveals Carlisle’s dual nature, one divided by the Eden River, by social constraints and thousands of years of history. The land north of the river has only been settled in force over the last century, becoming a haven for the affluent and well-off. Even more desirably for some reason the people of Stanwix, Kingstown, St. Anne’s and Houghton rarely feel the depredations of Carlisle’s supernaturals. Here lies the class divide, where the mortals vote Tory and look down from the hills on the less fortunate than themselves.
These domains are the strongholds of the noble clans, the Toreador, the Tremere and the Ventrue. But all is not noble here. Crime is still rife as it is through out all the city, just here it is concealed better. White collar corruption and immigrant exploitation are the orders of the day, especially in regards to the revival of Kingstown and the vast business hub it has become. While the people of St. Anne’s and Stanwix sleep soundly behind alarmed gates the estate of Lowry Hill has become little better than a slum of exploited Indian immigrants, forced into factories and prostitution to survive. In the typical Cumbrian tolerance for outsiders the area has become derogatorily known as Bhaji Hill.
Theme: Capitalism, success and the lengths those will go to achieve it sum up the northern domains of the city. The class divide is distinct and clear and few wish to end up on the 'wrong' side, while those south of the river look on in anger as council grants and corporate funding are constantly denied to them and their crumbling neighbourhoods. Here motivation and greed run amok, never stopping long enough to look back at the wreckage they have left in their wake.
Major Locations North of the River in game are:
The Tremere Domain: The estates of Stanwix and St. Anne's between them form the domain of Clan Tremere, under the rule of Lord Markus and Regent Tobias Weaver. While St. Anne's is a new addition to the Clan's territory, Stanwix has been the site of the Tremere's Chantry Primus in Carlisle ever since the retaking of the city from the Sabbat at the end of the 19th Century. The area is known for its wealthy and influential residents, and possesses an almost Victorian community mentality. "Don't listen, don't tell" is the rule which prevails here, and that is exactly how Clan Tremere likes it. Although Chantry Primus is almost impossible for non-Tremere to find thanks to the protective enchantments which surround it, its presence does have a noticeable effect on the surrounding area. The area's weather forms a microclimate of almost constant muggy heat, and the grandiose houses all carry an air of menacing secrecy.
Carlisle Airport: Thanks to hefty investment and backing from some influential Kindred, Carlisle airport is now a major industrial centre which sends and receives flights from across Europe. Air transport is only one part of the airport's function, however; it also plays host to a thriving industrial estate which houses facilities belonging to Titan Security, White Rose Medical Group and Davenport Tech Enterprises. The airport is owned and managed by Raven Industries, one of Cumbria's longest-established and most powerful brokerage firms.
Neo-Classical Hall of Worship: The Hall of Worship at Rickerby Gardens is currently still under construction. The project is being supervised by the renowned architect Christopher Chambers on behalf of the Carlisle Theosophical Society, and when it is complete it will form the second largest religious buidling in Carlisle after the cathedral itself. The Theosophical Society has always been a haven for those who wish to debate less conventional religious views, and it is likely that the new hall of worship will appeal to the mystically-inclined of Carlsile's population.
South of the River
Travelling south of the river and beyond the city centre paints a bleaker picture of Carlisle. Here lie the endless streets of cramped terraced houses of the Victorian era and modern day, soulless housing estates. The sheer overcrowding of these domains has led to an air of desperation and poverty that hangs over the inhabitants like a pall of smog. The people here are left with no choice but to face the hard-facts of life in the World of Darkness. South of the river has always been the dangerous backyard of Carlisle’s’ criminal gangs - where Italian mafia families, Tongs, Russian heavies and the persistent menace that is the Celtic Connection clash violently for turf and opportunities.
The kindred are strong here, with most of the city’s vampires claiming domain where feeding is easy and abundant. The districts of Morton and Newtown remain reasonable and safe areas while the likes of Belle Vue and Harraby have become no better than british slums. Botcherby’s high population of ethnic Chinese has led to a miniature Chinatown cropping up unexpectedly over recent years, while the Industrial Estate of Rosehill lies in tatters and disrepair. Belle Vue in particular has suffered heavily from the depredations of the supernatural, leaving the people there insular, suspicious of outsiders and a curious folk-hero in the guise of the vigilante named Connor.
Theme: In the overcrowded streets of these domains the theme is overwhelmingly that of escape. Those who live here wish to escape to a better life while those who are desperate enough to flee here clearly seek to escape from something. These are the regular people, the many souls who often get caught up in and suffer from the various wars and clashes between supernaturals. Often, they will take even devil’s bargains to escape the claustrophobic and dangerous environment they call home.
Major Locations South of the River in game are:
Schicklgruber Munitions: A large Factory now dominates the south side of Harraby, the home of Shickelgruber Munitions. A company originally formed by the Tremere Wolfgang Shicklgruber in an attempt to help the court obtain more firepower against the Sabbat the factory itself was funded by the late Prince Sir Tristan Kael. While the many jobs and opportunities it created were certainly a boon to the people of Harraby the site is frequently plagued by protests and demonstrations against the Arms Trade and the role such merchants of death play in worldwide suffering. Local company Kael Security provides private security for the factory and it's premises.
Rosehill Industrial Estate: Unlike the ambitious and well-funded Kingstown Project the Rosehill Industrial Estate is a bleak sight for any visitors. Many of its intended constructions remain half-finished and have been abandoned to the elements themselves. The city’s vampires are aware of more sinister rumours, that the Assamite sorcerer Kaseem unleashed a spiritual blight on the area 2 years ago and this may be responsible for the Estate’s recent turmoil.
Carleton Mental Health Clinic: The city’s local ‘Mental Health Clinic’ has yet to escape the grim, Victorian expression of Asylum and with good reason. Many of the disturbed inmates have suffered at the hands of the city’s supernatural events and this is often the end of the line for those who witness far too much. Even Carlisle’s vampires fear to tread here, and naturally the history of Clan Malkavian in this city is etched into it’s very walls.
