EMERALD CITY

WELCOME TO EMERALD CITY, Storm City, the City of Destiny, City on the Red and White Rivers, City of the Three Hills... a city in flux. Emerald City is a thriving Pacific Northwest metropolis, a port city known as a home to hardy pioneers for well over a century and a half. The people of E.C. need their pioneer spirit, too, since the city has also become the focus of world-changing events. Emerald City has been called “The City of Destiny” and it certainly seems like fate has special plans in store for us. All you need to do to know that is look
out across the Albian River towards Council Island: See the towering silvery figure standing beside the bridge? That’s all that remains of Tellax, an alien robot that threatened the world, and changed Emerald City forever.

The whole world knows about the Sentinels and how the group has greatly increased Emerald City’s superhuman population, but what you might not know is the day-to-day Emerald City I know and love so much. From the bustling shop stalls of the Cannery and afternoons strolling along the Riverfront, to fine dining on Royal Hill or the exotic food and culture in Jadetown. From visiting the famous Yellow Brick Row, to cheering the E.C. Bulldogs on to a win at USNet Stadium. From the Southern Shore to the shores of Lake Vallee or hiking in the Elysian Forest, Emerald City is a city of diversity, opportunity, and prosperity as well as destiny.

We haven’t always been—it has taken a lot of hard work to make Emerald City into the modern metropolis it is today. From the earliest days of the city’s logging and mining industry, to its role as a modern high-tech center for software, electronics, and aviation, Emerald City has grown and prospered through the work, hopes, and dreams of its people.

The same persevering pioneer spirit that settled three hills alongside the Albian River nearly two centuries ago is found here today. It is what allowed Emerald City to weather the Tellax attack and what followed—not only weather it, but continue to thrive. It is the spirit that welcomes our Sentinels who have chosen to use their gifts for good and seeks to help those still struggling, that has taken our greatest menace and made “Telly” into a watchful mascot on our city’s shores. It’s that spirit that makes Emerald City the place it is today and what makes me proud to call it home.

So, whether you are here just for a brief visit or here to stay, let me be the first to welcome you to “The City of Destiny”! You may discover Emerald City has something special in store for you!

Sincerely,
The Honorable Amanda Talbot
Mayor of Emerald City

Emerald City At A Glance

Emerald City is centered on the sheltered inner peninsula jutting into the Albian River, with access to Malory Bay and the islands, built upon three main hills, modest in size compared to the mountainous terrain in the surrounding area, but still fairly steep. The city has since spread across the inlet to the western or outer peninsula and along the south of the riverbank eastward as well as pushing south towards the mountains.

The downtown area of the city is towards the waterfront, the early center of Emerald City’s livelihood and activity. Royal Hill, the northernmost of the city’s three main hills, lives up to its name with some of the most expensive real estate in E.C.. To the south rise University Hill, home of Emerald City University (ECU), and Sunset Hill, bordering the Red River. As the hills level out into a broad valley, the neighborhoods give way to the Eastern District and Lakeside, curving around Lake Vallee.

Inside,
Outside, and
Upside Down
It’s an old local joke that
Emerald City can be difficult
for the directionally challenged, given how some
places in the city and surrounding area are named. For
example:
• The Southern Shore is east
of Downtown.
• The Eastern District is south
of Downtown.
• The “west side” usually refers
to the side of Sunset Hill to
the east of the Red River,
rather than the Outer Peninsula, which is the actual
westernmost part of the
city.
• The “I.P.” is the Inner Peninsula, where Downtown
is located. The “O.P.” is the
Outer Peninsula, where the airport is located.
Technically, there is a
“middle peninsula” but it’s
considered part of the O.P.
and no one calls it that.
Emeraldites tend to be raised
with the idea that these local
quirks are fun to play up for
visitors and tourists, enough
that visitors guides to the city
encourage everyone to take
directions from locals with
a grain of salt and a dose of
good humor.

The Heart of the City

Emerald City’s downtown area runs from
the riverfront and slopes up and around
Royal Hill. A main highway runs along
the waterfront, connecting up with the
two main bridges, crossing the Albian
and Red Rivers to the north and west,
running along the Albian River towards
the east.

The Riverfront
Emerald City’s Riverfront is still quite
active as a port; much of the shipping
has shifted eastward along the river
and westward towards the outer peninsula, leaving much of the downtown
waterfront area to piers dedicated to
shopping, pleasure craft, and tourism.
Smugglers ply their trade in some parts
of the Riverfront, and heroes can find
informants and suspects in some of the
dockside dives.

The Cannery
An old fish cannery along the Riverfront
has been converted into a multi-level
shopping mall and local tourist attraction, the perfect place for a date or family
outing, as well as an unexpected superbattle! The Cannery is surrounded by pedestrian shopping and high-class urban
housing

Royal Hill & Yellow Brick Row
Emerald City’s most famous shopping area; it is paved in yellow-painted brick, forming a
large pedestrian mall along the north-facing slope of Royal Hill. Yellow Brick Row is
also the site of the infamous Silver Storm,
which transformed Emerald City—along
with a number of its residents.

Crown Heights
The summit of Royal Hill is known as the
Crown Heights neighborhood, expensive
real estate commanding a good view of
Emerald City (although not quite so good
as it was before the soaring towers of the
downtown area were built). The Crown
Tower hotel, a local landmark, is found in
Crown Heights, along with some highclass condos.

The Undercity
Emerald City suffered early flooding problems, which led to the city administration
literally covering over and building on
top of the old central part of the city in
the lowlands. This created an “Undercity”
where buildings and even streets from
the 1800s are preserved beneath the
current downtown area. The Undercity
is connected to various tunnels and underground structures now inhabited and
used by “underdwellers” like Pack-Rat and
his gang, Fomorians, Morlocks, and, via
deeper connections, even to the denizens of Sub-Terra.

The Eastern District

Although southwest of downtown, the city’s Eastern District is so named because of its largely
Asian population. It is located in the broad valley
between and below Sunset and University Hills.
The Eastern District used to have a reputation
as the “shady side” of Emerald City, tucked away
and hidden by the hills from Downtown, and
a difficult walk from there, but in the present
day, the District is a bustling tourist area with a
thriving local culture.

Jadetown & Little Osaka
The neighborhood known as Jadetown is primarily Chinese, and you can see a good deal of
Chinese writing, art, and architecture there. Local
schools teach students Chinese languages, culture,
and history in addition to the lessons they learn in public school. Jadetown residents are quite proud of
their heritage. Jadetown is home to the Jade Arch, its official “entrance” and a major tourist attraction.
Little Osaka is the Japanese area of the Eastern
District. It has a more subdued style and character, featuring a renowned Japanese Tea
Garden and some hotels that make it a popular
place for Japanese visitors to Emerald City to
stay, as well as tourists to visit.

Southern Shore

The southern shore of the Albian River, running
westward from Downtown, goes from the
urban structures and zoning of the center of
the city to more suburban and residential areas.
Southern Shore properties are prime real estate,
centered around riverfront marinas, coves, and similar properties. The presence of the highway and
rail line along the Southern Shore causes building to cluster around the transportation arteries, thinning southward towards the forest and mountains.

The Islands
The islands of the Albian River are broadly considered part of the Southern Shore, although technically they’re a district unto themselves. Some of the islands are set aside as parks and nature preserves, while others are inhabited, connected by narrow bridges and ferry service. A home on
the Islands is a sure sign of success in the area, as they feature some of the most expensive real
estate in Emerald City.

Sunset Hill

The south- and westernmost of the three hills occupied by Emerald City, Sunset Hill is named
for the vista of the sun setting over it, seen from the other (eastern) parts of the city. It was once
the site of stately turn-of-the-century homes a reasonable distance from both Crown and University Hills, affording residents a degree of privacy. More and more, as the city has expanded,
Sunset Hill has become urbanized, and many of those stately homes are now businesses, apartments, or condos, although some have been restored to their original condition and remain
private homes.

Overlook Park
A broad western portion of Sunset Hill forms
a pleasant park overlooking the Red River. The
Overlook Park neighborhood extends into the
area around the park, which includes a variety
of homes and small businesses serving the
largely residential community.

University Hill

The southeastern hill of Emerald City is
named for the placement of Emerald City University near its summit. It and the surrounding
area are part of the city’s youth culture and more artistic neighborhoods. “U-Hill,” as it is sometimes known, is home to various cafés, trendy boutiques, thrift shops (equally trendy among
the right crowd), theaters, and businesses
serving the student community as well as
local residents.

Lakeside

The area bordering the lake to the south of
the Eastern District, Lakeside is a relatively new
district of the city and its character reflects
a blending of Emerald City’s 19th and 20th
century heritages with an eye towards life in
the 21st century.

Getting Around the City

Bridges & Highways
As in most cities in the United States,
most people in Emerald City get
around by car, and the city faces
the usual traffic congestion problems of modern urban areas, although not nearly as severe as some.
Major highways run north-south, cutting across
the Albian River and heading westerly towards
the Outer Peninsula, across the Red River as
well. The main east-west highway runs along
the southern shore of the Albian River. Once
the main arteries leave the greater metropolitan
area, the landscape quickly gives away to forest
and some open farmland.
Emerald City has been a successful site for the
AutoTemp car-rental service. Unlike conventional car-rental agencies, AutoTemp provides
rental cars located in dedicated parking spots
throughout the city. Members can reserve a car
online (often using an Internet-enabled smartphone) and return the vehicle to any open AutoTemp parking spot when they are done using
it. Charges are accumulated per hour, or portion
of an hour. The service is popular with urban
residents who primarily use public transport,
but occasionally need a car, and prefer it to the
expense of owning one.
Taxis
Emerald City has several active taxi companies providing service throughout the greater metro area.
Emerald City Cabs are noted for their distinctive green-painted vehicles. The fleet of
Pacific Taxi is slightly newer, while
the reliable Gold Cab service fields
more traditional yellow-painted
taxis. Various private limousine services also operate in E.C., from sleek
sedans to massive stretch models (up to and including the stretch SUV).
Buses
Public transport in Emerald City
is dominated by the city bus
lines which, together with the
newer light rail service, forms
the Greater Emerald City Commuter Organization, or “GECCO” as
it is locally known, complete with cartoon lizard
mascot. Buses run most hours of the day and
night on a regular schedule, with less downtime
in the central urban areas, and a lighter schedule
the further out one gets from Downtown.
The central ten-block area of downtown is a
“Free Ride Zone” for the city bus system: anyone
can get on or off the buses at stops here without
paying, but taking a bus outside of the Free Ride
Zone requires a transfer to a paying bus, and
taking a bus anywhere else in the city likewise
requires a fare. The Free Ride Zone has been an
effective tool for combating traffic congestion in
the heart of the city, encouraging more public
transport use by locals and visitors alike.
Bus companies also move passengers in and out
of the Emerald City area, following the northsouth and eastward highways. Given the city’s relative isolation, many visitors arrive and depart
via bus, especially if they live only a few hours
away and a flight would be prohibitively expensive. Nighttime bus trips through the Arcadian
Forest area or the highway passes through the
Atlas Mountains have some adventure potential, should a bus full of innocent people run into
something unusual.
Rail
Although it lacks a subway system,
Emerald City boasts a substantial amount of surface light rail.
The major project of the GECCO
for the past decade, the light rail
system connects the Outer and
Inner Peninsulas, bringing passengers to and
from the airport and business and suburban
areas on both sides of the Red and Bronze Rivers.
It also allows passengers to circumnavigate the
three hills area of the Inner Peninsula, more
easily reaching the outskirts of the city.
Waterways
Located at the mouth of the
Albian River where it flows into
Malory Bay and the Pacific Ocean,
Emerald City has always been a
port city with an active waterfront.
Cargo ships from all across the Pacific Rim make
their way into Malory Bay on a regular basis.
Much of the shipping that once came into the
city’s downtown waterfront has shifted westward to the Outer Peninsula. There, the shore is
lined with commercial docks and broad holding
areas for stacks of rectangular, colorful shipping
containers. Massive cranes capable of loading
and off-loading these containers dominate the
docks and this part of the shoreline.
Further upriver, the waterfront is more given to
tourist and commuter traffic, with ferries taking
passengers across the river and bay and north and
eastward to the islands. Many of the downtown
docks have converted over to pedestrian malls
and similar attractions, although some still serve
as tie-ups for pleasure craft and private boats.
More of the same is found along the Southern
Shore, where there are marinas and even some
homes with private waterfront access and their
own docks. Tour boats sail the length of the city
along the Albian and back, and nighttime cruises
are popular in the warmer months of the year.
Air Travel
Emerald City’s main airport is Benjamin Jacobs International (code:
BJI), also known locally as simply
“Jacobs” or, more affectionately,
as “Benjy.” It’s located on the northern point of the Outer Peninsula and
sees daily flights from points across the United
States, Canada, and the Pacific Rim, particularly
China and Japan.
Nolan Aircraft also operates its own private airfield—Nolan Field—to the south of Jacobs.
Nolan uses the field for test flights and corporate
air travel, as well as leasing facilities to other companies. Nolan Field is limited primarily to cargo
transport and some private business flights,
rather than commercial passenger air travel, although it has served as an emergency landing
field for troubled passenger craft in the past.
Small helicopter and seaplane services fly out of
Emerald City. They are primarily aimed at tourists looking to see the sights of the area from the
sky, campers and outdoor adventurers making
their way along the coast or inland, and business
travelers able to afford a private chopper ride to
or from the airports. Some buildings downtown
have helipads, mainly hospitals for patient evacuations and some corporate facilities. News agencies also make use of helicopters for reporting.