LORE UPDATE: Tensions
Posted: 08 May 2019, 20:26
We have decided it would be a good idea to give you guys a bit of an update about what's going on in Harper Rock right now, so that people can gauge the atmosphere when they're writing about current events. We realized there hadn't been much of a story update in some time and thought this might be helpful to the writers. <3
Living in Harper Rock is somewhat like living in the wild West. There is a unique and broad stratification of people. Of course, the area immediately around the Quarantine Zone has become something of a no-man's land for most people, save for NADUMA patrols, the army, looters (and other criminal elements), and the dead. The slums have grown larger with a higher number of people living in poverty due to high unemployment, high employment turnover, general job insecurity, lack of municipal finds and infrastructure to help the needy. With money going to trying to fight the potential spread of zombies, there are parts of Harper Rock which have fallen into severe neglect, though those may be right beside parts of the town which are pristine due to private spending from the contributions of wealthy donors. There are still many of the components which make a modern, western city such as hospitals, police stations - but there's an odd disconnect where some neighbourhoods get preferential treatment.
There are the extremely poor, but there are also the wealthy, who have used the chaos as a ladder to climb their way into money through a number of means. After all, in a catastrophe, it's the one who holds the food, who holds the power. This means that there are very stark social divisions. There's a sense of lawlessness, though there are laws. Police patrol the nicer parts of town, usually because the rich are the ones who ultimately line their pocketbooks. This does not mean that all cops have become corrupt, though corruption has increased substantially since the zombies began to rise outside of the Quarantine Zone. The army is very present on the streets and around town, as a way of combating the spread of the dead. That said, it's very common for people to carry their own protection with them wherever they go. There's this sense that, at any moment, something terrible could happen. And yet, people try to plug on. They try to live their lives as if normal.
Schools have re-opened and redistricted closer to the edges of town. Municipal facilities still operate. There are checkpoints leading out of town which ensure zombies don't cross the borders leading out of Harper Rock, and with the large number of protections in place with the army, police, NADUMA, and personal defense, it's easy for people to get lulled into a place of false security. It's not uncommon for the undead to wander into someone's home. One must always be careful. Always be vigilant.
It may seem like the most logical solution would be to move away from Harper Rock, and there have been some charities which have popped up to help with this - but in many cases, the need is too great. With the spike in poverty, fewer and fewer people are able to move away, and what money they do make is often spent on the rising drug problem as a means of escape from the pain of reality. There are some who have the means to escape, but who stubbornly choose to remain for a variety of reasons, like holding on to a family home, desire to see Harper Rock 'fixed', a strong sense of community, or hope for a better future. There are some business owners with ties to community who want to help, and others who seek to take advantage. Still others remain for more nefarious reasons. Crime has drastically increased. The drug trade is huge, but so is the sale of illegal firearms. New gangs and cartels have taken root in Harper Rock and have found a niche in a number of areas. This means that gang related criminal activities have increased as well, along with violent crime.
These issues are only bolstered by the corruption evident in the police force.
Several charities have sprung up in an attempt to combat the city's neglect, but these are frequently just scams. More ways for the rich to divest the poor of their money in the name of the 'greater good'.
Still, there is a sense of hopefulness at times. The news often runs pieces focusing on the small victories that come with living in a place like Harper Rock. Some accuse them of distracting from reality, some news sources only ever have dire and unhappy things to say.
Harper Rock feels lawless a lot of the time. It seems like a place where anything good or bad (usually bad) may be possible. Where safety is not assured. It can be said that Harper Rock breeds strength into its people by putting them through the meat grinder, and pulverizing the weak. This too, has an appeal to some people.
Harper Rock often feels like a police state. There are random, frequent checks by the army, by police. The ones maintaining order are given more power to do what they want. Though in many cases, they turn a blind eye to the wealthy. There is definitely a sense that every person is being observed, possibly at all times.
It seems almost as if the city is nearing a fork in the road. A tipping point. The key factor in determining what happens is the Human-Vampire relations, which are currently: an uneasy peace. This can be impacted with the For Peace or Against Peace roleplay tags.
However, the best way to impact the story (or the quickets), and the Human-Vampire relations is to participate in the current chapter: The Father of Monsters.
The TL;DR version: Harper Rock has wild west vibes and police state vibes. There's more crime, and more poverty. Huge gap between the rich and the poor. A lot of people are just trying to survive, trying to make their lives in Harper Rock work. Some are successful, others not so much.
Living in Harper Rock is somewhat like living in the wild West. There is a unique and broad stratification of people. Of course, the area immediately around the Quarantine Zone has become something of a no-man's land for most people, save for NADUMA patrols, the army, looters (and other criminal elements), and the dead. The slums have grown larger with a higher number of people living in poverty due to high unemployment, high employment turnover, general job insecurity, lack of municipal finds and infrastructure to help the needy. With money going to trying to fight the potential spread of zombies, there are parts of Harper Rock which have fallen into severe neglect, though those may be right beside parts of the town which are pristine due to private spending from the contributions of wealthy donors. There are still many of the components which make a modern, western city such as hospitals, police stations - but there's an odd disconnect where some neighbourhoods get preferential treatment.
There are the extremely poor, but there are also the wealthy, who have used the chaos as a ladder to climb their way into money through a number of means. After all, in a catastrophe, it's the one who holds the food, who holds the power. This means that there are very stark social divisions. There's a sense of lawlessness, though there are laws. Police patrol the nicer parts of town, usually because the rich are the ones who ultimately line their pocketbooks. This does not mean that all cops have become corrupt, though corruption has increased substantially since the zombies began to rise outside of the Quarantine Zone. The army is very present on the streets and around town, as a way of combating the spread of the dead. That said, it's very common for people to carry their own protection with them wherever they go. There's this sense that, at any moment, something terrible could happen. And yet, people try to plug on. They try to live their lives as if normal.
Schools have re-opened and redistricted closer to the edges of town. Municipal facilities still operate. There are checkpoints leading out of town which ensure zombies don't cross the borders leading out of Harper Rock, and with the large number of protections in place with the army, police, NADUMA, and personal defense, it's easy for people to get lulled into a place of false security. It's not uncommon for the undead to wander into someone's home. One must always be careful. Always be vigilant.
It may seem like the most logical solution would be to move away from Harper Rock, and there have been some charities which have popped up to help with this - but in many cases, the need is too great. With the spike in poverty, fewer and fewer people are able to move away, and what money they do make is often spent on the rising drug problem as a means of escape from the pain of reality. There are some who have the means to escape, but who stubbornly choose to remain for a variety of reasons, like holding on to a family home, desire to see Harper Rock 'fixed', a strong sense of community, or hope for a better future. There are some business owners with ties to community who want to help, and others who seek to take advantage. Still others remain for more nefarious reasons. Crime has drastically increased. The drug trade is huge, but so is the sale of illegal firearms. New gangs and cartels have taken root in Harper Rock and have found a niche in a number of areas. This means that gang related criminal activities have increased as well, along with violent crime.
These issues are only bolstered by the corruption evident in the police force.
Several charities have sprung up in an attempt to combat the city's neglect, but these are frequently just scams. More ways for the rich to divest the poor of their money in the name of the 'greater good'.
Still, there is a sense of hopefulness at times. The news often runs pieces focusing on the small victories that come with living in a place like Harper Rock. Some accuse them of distracting from reality, some news sources only ever have dire and unhappy things to say.
Harper Rock feels lawless a lot of the time. It seems like a place where anything good or bad (usually bad) may be possible. Where safety is not assured. It can be said that Harper Rock breeds strength into its people by putting them through the meat grinder, and pulverizing the weak. This too, has an appeal to some people.
Harper Rock often feels like a police state. There are random, frequent checks by the army, by police. The ones maintaining order are given more power to do what they want. Though in many cases, they turn a blind eye to the wealthy. There is definitely a sense that every person is being observed, possibly at all times.
It seems almost as if the city is nearing a fork in the road. A tipping point. The key factor in determining what happens is the Human-Vampire relations, which are currently: an uneasy peace. This can be impacted with the For Peace or Against Peace roleplay tags.
However, the best way to impact the story (or the quickets), and the Human-Vampire relations is to participate in the current chapter: The Father of Monsters.
The TL;DR version: Harper Rock has wild west vibes and police state vibes. There's more crime, and more poverty. Huge gap between the rich and the poor. A lot of people are just trying to survive, trying to make their lives in Harper Rock work. Some are successful, others not so much.