Arkham by Cyberlight Setting
THE CURRENT YEAR IS 2057
Contents
- 1 Important Organizations in North America
- 2 Arkham, Massachusetts
- 3 Power Players
- 4 Locations
Important Organizations in North America
Countries of North America
- United Canadian and American States (UCAS): The remnants of the USA and Canada merged into a single country. It has 31 states stretching from Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan and includes the extra-territorial state of Seattle. The capital is Washington DC.
- Republic of Quebec: An isolationist socialist republic and a French-speaking nation. It succeeded from Canada in 2010. The capital is Quebec City.
- Confederate American States (CAS): A republic formed from a succession of southern states from the UCAS in 2034. The CAS has the largest military force in North America, though the federal government is very weak and most power is succeeded to individual states. The capital is Atlanta.
- Native American Nations (NAN): A union of several Native American countries, created in 2018 when the Treaty of Denver recognized the sovereignty of several American Indian tribal nations and ceded to them mot of western North America. Members nations include: the Salish-Shidhe Council, Sioux Nation, Pueblo Corporate Council, Ute Nation, Algonkian-Manitou Council, Athabskan Council.
- California Free State (CFS): Originally kept as part of the United States by the Treaty of Denver, California was expelled from the UCAS in 2036 to avoid the expense of protecting and aiding a distant state in the midst of an economic depression. After the expulsion, several neighbors invaded (including Japan), nibbling away at California and Las Angeles succeeded to become a free city. It is a nation in disarray with a weak government, making it a good staging ground of smuggling and criminal groups in North America. The capital is Sacramento.
- Tir Tairngire: Originally part of the Salish-Shidhe Council, Tir Tairngire broke off to found an primarily elvish nation in 2035. Like Tir na nOg (formerly Ireland), Tir Tairngire claims to be preserving and building a unique elvish culture that dates back to before the start of human recorded history. Tir Tairngire is ruled by a Council of Princes. The capital is Cara'Sir (formerly Portland).
- Aztlan: Formerly Mexico, Aztlan controls territory stretching from parts of what was Texas and California down into South America. It is a nation controlled by a single corporation, Aztechnology, and claims to be the continuation of the ancient Aztec empire. The capital is Tenochtitlan.
Arkham, Massachusetts
Location: Middlesex County, MA
Population: 1,309,191
Median Income: 41,160 Nuyen
Median Age: 27.8 years
Median Home Value: 160,000 Nuyen
Mayor Ray Cyrus
Arkham, Massachusetts profited by the move of the east coast stock exchange from New York to Boston. Several companies that wanted to be close to the exchange but who didn't want to pay the high Boston costs picked Arkham as a new home. That doesn't mean there haven't been hard times. In the early 2050s, a series of terrorist bombings destroyed much of New Hope, a district just south of downtown. In recent years, part of New Hope has been rebuilt but much of the work was shoddy. People who bought the property quickly sold it. The rebuilt section of New Hope is unofficially known as Orktown.
Power Players
Corporate
Biotech Industries
Biotech is the largest corporation and the largest employer in Arkham. As corps go, Biotech's something of a small fry, not even reaching international corporation status. In Arkham, though, Biotech is the big fish in a little pond. Biotech's big product is cyberskin, a synthetic material that can be used to replace real skin. While it has medical applications, Biotech makes most of their money from the designer market. For a modest fee, clients can have their skin replaced by cyberskin, programmable to display in the latest colors and patterns.
Of course, things do change. Rumor has it that Biotech is quietly buying up small corporations and getting ready to open up operations in Africa and Asia. If they do that, they should qualify for an upgrade to low-tier megacorp status by the Corporate Court.
Church of the New Earth/Magic Cream, Incorporated
The Church of the New Earth is a neopagan organization, militantly dedicated to living a "natural" lifestyle. The church started small, at a farm. Members found a niche market, selling designer ice cream made from real cow's milk. The money they made from the sales went into buying a state park scheduled for privatization. Now, Magic Cream is one of the biggest brands of designer desserts in the UCAS and the church gets a laugh at making money off people they detest.
TrixSoft
TrixSoft follows a business model that hasn't seen a lot of use in recent years. It gives away software for free, then makes a profit on selling add-ons. They make office productivity software suited to small companies. Last year, an unknown party bought out a minority stake in the company.
Not-For-Profit
Miskatonic University
Until the Awakening, Miskatonic was a small time university. However, in this age of magic, it has found itself in a unique position. Over a century ago a patron donated a vast library of obscure occult texts to the university. They languished there for decades, then were made the cornerstone of a Magical Studies program. Miskatonic isn't as well known as MIT&T, but they are respected for their program.
Criminal
Bin Xuyen
Leader: Phuong Bi'ch
The most powerful criminal organization in Arkham is the Vietnamese syndicate. They control the majority of prostitution, drugs, and gambling in the area. They also run protection schemes. As an organization, the Bin Xuyen can be particularly vicious. They hardly ever kill outright but, instead, try to destroy their enemies reputation and confidence. One of their favorite tricks is to disfigure an enemy with acid in such a way that makes it clear the enemy's defenses are useless. One of the Bin Xuyen's primary front corporations is Green Tea Limited.
Mafia
Leader: Joseph O'Malley
The mafia's presence in Arkham is limited. Joe "Steeljaw" O'Malley is an underboss, working for the Boston capo. His main job is to keep the flow of black market and smuggled goods moving from Boston out to points north, west, and south. Steeljaw would love to grow his business but he doesn't have the muscle to take on Phuong Bi'ch directly. So long as the Bin Xuyen don't try to expand their operations into Boston, he isn't likely to get a lot of assistance from that direction.
Yakuza
Leader: Tenchi Yamaguchi
The Yakuza's presence is extremely limited. The small organization here works mostly around Miskatonic University to protect their investment. The Yakuza in Arkham are a branch of the Sky Lotus clan of New Jersey, a group that believes in the "new way": bringing magic and metahumans into the organization in order to build strength. Through various dummy charities, the Yakuza sponsor promising young students at Miskatonic, grooming them for future employment by the organization.
Gangs
Charlies
Territory: East side of Park Hill
Colors: Red jacket with symbol on back.
The Charlies are a Vietnamese gang who run errands and provide extra muscle for the Bin Xuyen. They are the largest and most powerful gang in the 'plex, though they aren't so large that they can eliminate the competition.
Dragon Racers
Territory: Whalom
Colors: Black bandanna, usually around bicep.
The Dragon Racers are a go-gang that range between Arkham and Nashua, New Hampshire. They call Whalom their home and consider themselves the law in that part of town. While it means they'll bash the heads of troublemakers in, they'll also demand "taxes" from "good citizens".
Inheritors
Territory: Parts of the Wastes
Colors: None
The Inheritors aren't so much a gang as a cult. The followers of the charismatic but completely insane Father believe that only by shedding themselves of as much of this world's influence as possible can they inherit the world after the inevitable end days. To this end, they live a squalid life in the Wastes. They wouldn't be much of a problem except Father occasionally decides that some aspect or another of the "corruption of the outside world" must be destroyed. A small mob of inheritors in a religious frenzy is quite frightening to behold and gives even the Charlies pause.
Patricks
Territory: North Side of Leominster
Colors: Green sneakers
The Patricks say they banded together in order to protect their neighborhoods from the Charlies. They do some legwork for the local mafia. While their primary enemy are the Charlies, they have a special hatred for elves. Many members of the Patricks are first generation Americans whose parents were driven out of Ireland during the takeover.
Tuskers
Territory: Most of Orktown
Colors: Silver cap on left tusk.
The Tuskers claim that any ork above the age of 13 and under the age of 21 is a member of their gang. In actuality, they number about twenty active members at anytime. Their strength lies in their ties to the local community. They can be wild, but they believe in protecting their fellow orks against the "breeders" who mean them harm.
Locations
Borrowed from the Yoshida Guide to Arkham
Algonquin Glenn
Residential (Middle Class - Upper Class)/Commercial/Industrial
Security Rating: AA
Once a state park, Algonquin Glenn is now a large, gated community owned entirely by the Church of the New Earth. It is a bright spot of green in the middle of a bleak, grey city but the Church doesn't like to share. They have their own security force with plenty of magical muscle.
Magic Cream Factory
Jonathan Two-Feathers, Manager/LTG # 774 (67-6332).
Magic Cream Enterprises is owned by the Church of the New Earth. They produce a line of ultra-trendy ice cream flavors. Currently the most popular are Shaman Sorbet, Nerps Nosh and Amazonia Crunch. Tours of the factory are available to the public.
Arkham Development Zone
Commercial/Industrial
Security Rating: B-C
Formerly woodland, the ADZ represents Arkham's future - as far as the city council sees it, anyway. They're hoping that development of the area into a series of pleasant office parks and green spaces will attract more business, especially given the area's proximity to the airport. So far, only a few corporations have bitten.
Biotech Archology
Residential (Lower - Upper Class)/Commercial/Industrial
Security Rating: AAA
A decade ago, Biotech decided to be as self-contained as possible. While technically the arcology is under the city's legal jurisdiction, the company is usually allowed to handle their own affairs internally. Biotech contracts with Lone Star for their security. One of the few areas that is open to the public is the Biotech Mall.
Biotech Mall
Biotech Arcology/Micah Pierce/LTG #772 (10-1010)
Biotech has set up the largest mall in the city inside its arcology. Interestingly, while there are plenty of chain stores, the arcology management gives discounts on rent to local, small businesses. Biotech says they're trying to encourage the future of business in Arkham but there are some who think the company is just developing potential acquisitions.
On Display Electronics
Biotech Mall/Michelle Blume-Chiryu/LTG #772 (10-8251)
On Display Electronics creates and repairs custom electronic devices for customers. This is most often a customized tridset or cyberdeck but occasionally people want modifications to other devices as well. Customers can look through a glass wall to see the technicians at work.
Personal Greetings
Biotech Mall/Elliot Simons, Owner/LTG #772 (10-0002)
Paper greeting cards died when the Matrix was born but recent developments in simsense technology has led to a new generation of happy birthdays, condolences, and valentine's day expressions. Customers walk into Personal Greetings and set up to a booth. They work with the computer to develop a simsense, trideo, or matrix greeting card from a variety of templates. Salespeople are on hand to lend assistance.
Razzle Dazzle Arcade
Biotech Mall/Chirayu Adams, Owner/LTG # 772 (10-3691).
This is the biggest and the best video arcade in Arkham. In addition to having all the latest hits, there are a few special games programmed by the owner that you won't find anywhere else.
Downtown
Commercial Security Rating: A Once upon a time, this was the heart of the city. While most businesses and stores have moved to other parts of the city, downtown remains Arkham political center. Most of the city's government office are located here. In addition, it is the heart of the city's nightlife, with several high profile clubs located here.
Dark Secrets
243 Main Street/Kilgor Cherinkov, Manager/LTG # 772 (27-2367).
Perhaps one of the most exclusive nightclubs in Arkham, Dark Secrets is the dream home of anyone who wants to enjoy the dark dand the dangerous without having actual physical harm come to them.
Rumor has it that DS is owned by some _very_ powerful people.
-Misky Runner
Freedom of Thought
8276 Main Street/Jessica Tarot, Owner/LTG # 772 (15-6923).
This is the place to be seen in Arkham. In addition to being a first class nightclub where all the wiz bands play, there is also a back room that serves as a cafe with top rate food.
In addition to being the darling of the social scene, Jessica Tarot is one of the hottest deckers around. She's been known to give tips and aid to those console cowboys she feels has promise.]
-21
Leominster
Residential (Lower - Middle Class)
Security Rating: B-C
Once a separate city. Leominster was absorbed into Arkham in the early 21st century. These days, it is mostly residential. It is home to many of those who work in Thorndike but can't afford to live there.
Lucy's Garden
20 Main Street/Lucy Striker, Owner/LTG # 772 (49-7825).
If you are in need of roses for your sweetheart or a potted plant for your room, this is the place to go.
Lucy carries a variety of awakened plants, too. I hear she and Marie Rabb have some sort of deal going. For all you dwarven mages out there, watch out... Lucy doesn't like our kind and you get the frosty treatment when you're there. Trust me, I learned through experience.
-Bearded Houdini
New Corporate District
Commercial
Security Rating: A
This area was just the right place at the right time for companies moving to Arkham just after the East Coast Stock exchange transferred to Boston. It is almost entirely office parks, with a surprising number of medical groups.
TrixSoft Inc.
132 Glenwood Avenue/Yoto Yamagashi, Owner/LTG # 773-TRIXSOFT (59-2198).
Everyone is watching TrixSoft. Its a small but up and coming company that produces spreadsheets, databases and other important programs for small businesses.
New Hope (the Wastes)
None
Security Rating: D
A series of explosions due to a terrorist effort left New Hope a burned out wreck of a district. Even those buildings that didn't collapse were soon abandoned. Several years ago a half-hearted effort was made to restore the area, which resulted in about a third of New Hope being leveled. Substandard tenament housing was built. That section of New Hope became universally known as Orktown.
Ferar's
Center of the Wastes/Ferar, owner/No LTG.
Built into the remains of a wrecked passenger train, Ferar's is the only "shop" in the Wastes. Squatters and scavengers comb through the Wastes. When they find something of interest, they bring it to Ferar, who will trade it for drugs, food, BTL chips, or something else. Occasionally, Ferar bundles up what he has and sends agents out to contacts in nicer parts of the city, selling for a tidy profit.
Old Fitchburg
Residential (Lower Class - Middle Class)/Commercial
Security Rating: B-C
Arkham grew from this area. Back then, it was known as Fitchburg. The buildings in this district are the most beautiful in the city, antique and often well cared for.
Arkham Natural History Museum
1 Museum Way/Lola Sikes, Director/LTG #772 (91-0111)
Most elementary school classes visit this museum at least once per year. It is also a favorite destination for families looking for inexpensive entertainment. The museum is run by the city but survives mostly on grants.
The Carlson
191 Mason Street/Mara Byrd, Manager/LTG # 772 (12-9342).
An old apartment building, the Carlson dates back to the mid 1950s. It serves the upper end of the mid-middle class spectrum and, as such, provides actual security to residents. It is truly an old, beautiful brick building.
Church of Scientology
16 Washington Street/Alexander Brin, Manager/LTG # 772 (79-6333).
This branch of the Church of Scientology opened five years ago. While the services are closed to the public, once a week the Church does offer a class entitled 'Dianetics: The Future is Here' at another location.
Quick Garage
1 Melbourne Place/Nosikno Utumbo, Franchisee/LTG #772 (12-0192).
Quick Garage is a chain of garage's across the UCAS. This one is more or less like all the others, with quick service and low prices but perhaps not the most personal of touches.
Renee's Theatre
8275 Main Street/Linda Tam, Owner/LTG # 772 (39-8746).
Renee's Theater is an independently owned art house which shows both movies and theatrical productions.
This is a favorite place for runners to meet Mr. J. The weekday matinees in the celluloid film room are usually empty so you can have a huge load of privacy.
-Bouncer
Orktown
Residential (Lower Class)
Security Rating: C-D
Technically, this area is part of the New Hope district, but much of it has been "renovated" with tenament housing, all built to substandard specifications with construction companies pocketing money saved by cutting corners. As the name suggests, many of the inhabitants are metahumans, mostly orks.
Doc Esteban's
7 Trump Road/Doc Esteban, owner/LTG None
Located in what appears to be an abandoned fuel station, Doc Esteban's is a ripper clinic and the only medical assistance available to many in Orktown.
-Raptor
Manny's Pawnshop
15 Harrison Street/Manny, owner/LTG # 773 (93-1212)
At first, this might seem like a low rent pawnshop. However, those in the know can buy certain goods here that aren't commonly available on the market. Likewise, they can sell certain goods as well.
-Saturday Night Sprawler
Joe's
82 Snake Hill Street/Harry, Manager/LTG # 773 (27-3526)
Joe's is not the place to go if you want to avoid a fight. Most of the people who chill here are down on their luck Orks and booster gangers. Any of the patrons would split you five ways from Sunday just for wearing the wrong colors. On the other hand, if you need dumb muscle for a job, Joe's is the perfect place to look.
-Saturday Night Sprawler
Park Hill
Residential (Lower - Middle Class)
Security Rating: B-D
Park Hill isn't quite as pretty as the name might suggest. The area is mostly residential, starting as lower class neighborhoods on the east side and rising up towards middle class as one moves west. Parkhill Park is a favored spot for illicit dealings.
Happy Fun Time Greetings
Sunny Side Plaza/Paul Lasserty, manager/LTG # 772 (99-3586)
Happy Fun Time Greetings is a locally owned purveyor of digital greeting cards. Located in the safe but affordable Sunny Side Plaza, right near Arcology Lake, Happy Fun Time Greetings is the perfect place to design a greeting to tell a loved one exactly how you feel.
Or get capped. Rumor has it that Happy Fun Time's a front for the Bin Xuyen these days.
- Misky Runner
Thorndike
Residential (Middle - Upper Class)/Commercial
Security Rating: A-AA
Thorndike is home to most of the older families in Arkham and a great deal of old money.
Bosagio's
513 Kelly Street/Horace Bosagio, Owner/LTG # 774 (16-2376).
Families from all over Arkham attend Bosagio's for the best in Italian dining. Horace Bosagio, a master chef from the old country prepares a delightful menu and an authentic atmosphere.
Check out the third door when you go inside. Behind there is Domino. He claims to just be a fixer, but I have to wonder if there isn't a little 'Family' in his background.
-Misky Runner
University District
Residential (Lower - Middle Class)/Commercial
Security Rating: A - C
As the name might suggest, this area is home to Miskatonic University, along with a number of businesses that support the U. and it's students. In addition, staff and students who live off campus can often find cheap housing here.
The Jeckle & Hyde
87 Park Street/Jon Hyde & Tom Jeckle, Owners/LTG # 774 (20-4815)
Word has it that the owners of the J&H, an Ork and and an Elf, are part of the team that pulled off the legendary Biotech run twenty years ago. Because of this rumor, J&H is a favorite hangout for runners and university students who like to pretend to be runners.
-Misky Runner
J&H is also the meeting place of the Miskatonic Film Appreciation Society. We meet Wedensday nights at 9pm in the backroom.]
-Rose
Laser Tag and Miniature Golf Adventure
17 Evergreen Way/Tom and Matt Jenkins, Owner/LTG # 774 (12-4267).
A popular hang out of the local university students, this exciting location includes a laser tag warehouse, a mini-golf course, go-kart driving and a small arcade!
The laser tag room can be put into other uses. My team and I trained there the other night. Its not a bad way to simulate a firefight without getting hurt.
-Raptor
The company was just bought out by Biotech. Rumor has it they want to turn it into a chain.
-Bouncer
Lizard Sushi
2341 Lee Way/Jack Bestyr, Owner/LTG # 774 (27-9164).
One of the newest resturaunts in Arkham, Lizard Sushi is also one of the most unusual. Set up in Chinatown, the chef here mixes Japanese cooking techniques with Greek, Italian and Aztlanian spices to come up with meals that and uniquely Mokole.
Jack wrote the book, Primal Feelings, which is currently on the bestseller lists. He immediatly took the profits and opened Lizard Sushi. I, for one, rejoice. Its the only place in Arkham where I can get a decent tasting meal.
Raptor
Whalom
Commercial/Industrial
Security Rating: B-C
Corps with money go to other parts of town. Corps who are looking to cut costs buy property in Whalom. The place is a series of warehouses, cheap factories, and industrial pollution.
Trill's Body Shop
187 Packard Street/Trill Jackson, Owner/LTG # 774 (78-5249).
Trill is one of the best mechanics in the city. For a little extra he's been known to install certain... customizations.
-Raptor
Trill is also a bigot. He's been known to sick some of his go-gang friends on any Elves that come to him for repairs.
