AROUND THE WORLD:

There are a few cities around the world that were protected from the ravages of D25. And some were completely annihilated... however these were recorded effects.

Austin, Texas - Believed to have been protected by mages, the city has some sort of shield around it.  People can leave, but they can not enter.

Atlanta, Georgia - HQ of the CDC and the Marigold Project, significant amount of the human population survived due to longstanding CDC precautions.

Berlin - A cache of gas masks issued to the public, as well as strict quarantine procedures helped to mitigate the damage from D25.

Buenos Aires - Extraordinary rebuilding efforts being are championed by Mutant labor union.

Cairo - Currently under the control of an ancient Wraith, Cairo was protected by huge walls that sprung up from the ground.

Cape Town - Destroyed by military forces whilst trying to prevent spread of D25 into Africa.

Cleveland - One of the cities destroyed by Cyborg Death Squads.  High level of destruction.

Detroit - Legend goes that the Cyborg Death Squads were too afraid to with Detroit.  Citizens in the city fought D25 and erected barricades made from ruined buildings and houses.  The city is now a safe place for refugees.

Dubai - The playground of the super-rich is now a strange playground of the supernaturals specializing in human slavery.

Havanna, Cuba -- This city has been taken by the movement known as Humans First.  All non-humans are presumed dead or fled.

Houston, Texas -- Largely burnt to ash.

Jerusalem - Held up surprisingly well, likely due to the city's long history of facing adversity.

Kingston - Largely damaged during invasion, now occupied by Humans First.

Kinshasa - Protected by Mages.  Like Austin, one can leave, but never enter.

Las Vegas - Las Vegas is a city controlled by two races.  The Fae are heavily involved in the theatrical and nightlife aspect of Vegas, whereas Gojira runs the more sordid aspects of bookmaking, blackmail, and gambling.

London - An ancient coven, known as the Red Cabal, and a clutch of Fae are constantly at war over control of London.  It is reported to be the site of many strange occult happenings.

Madagascar - As everyone who has played Pandemic knows, Madagascar is just fine.

Mexico City - Decimated.

Moscow - Decimated, many inhabitants froze during the winter when food could not be harvested/brought in.

Newark - Hit by cyborg death squads.

New Delhi - Being slowly rebuilt.

New Orleans -- The vampire capital of North America was partially saved from D13.  However, a large percentage of humans there are now beholden to vampires as ghouls.

New York City - A smoldering wasteland.  NYC was heavily bombed, though reports differ as to who was behind it.

Paris - The vampire capital of Europe did not fare quite as well as New Orleans, but there is known to be some amount of stability there.

Philadelphia - Hit by cyborg death squads.

Portland - Large amounts of disrepair.  Mostly run by gangs.  This is the closest large city to City of Roses.

Rome - Initially protected by unknown means, it was later found to be controlled by angels and invaded and taken by demons in the demon-angel war.

San Francisco -- Extremely damaged in the Demon-Angel war.

Shanghai - In ruins.

Seoul - Main vampire holding in Asia.  It is protected and is the source of the few advanced technology manufacturers which still exist in the world.

Sydney - Lost 50% of its human population -- being rebuilt.

Tacoma - Firebombed and wiped off the map.

Tokyo - Japan is fine, protected from D25 by unknown forces. The entire city of Tokyo, however, has disappeared completely, buildings, land, people, everything.

The appearance of the City of Roses has baffled the few scientists who managed to gain entry into the city.  It has wonders never seen on Earth before, leaving people to postulate many theories about it.  Some people say the city is of alien origin.  Others theorize that it belongs to some supernatural race, perhaps even one yet unknown.  And still others believe that the city itself is a time-traveler, arrived from some far future or unknown past.  Whatever the case, people do their best to understand and live with the strange things that happen there.  City of Roses is located off the coast of Oregon, about a half-mile from the shore.  It is, as the crow flies, about 70 miles from Portland. Portland was partially ravaged by fires in 2016.  It is now a constant war-zone as several militant gangs, Humans First, and Tomorrow Sky compete for territory.  Scavengers from City of Roses often brave the Portland war-zone or trade with gangs there.

Much of City of Roses is surrounded by a swath of verdant northern forest.  Although the city was presumed empty when it appeared, the forest was not.  The plants and animals in the forest often do not match up with the known flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest. There are rumors that strange, even magical, things exist in the forest.  And, there are rumors that dangerous, deadly, even monstrous creatures prowl that area.  It is possible to leave City of Roses and go into the Haunted Forest, but the gates to the city are strictly monitored by the Border Guard, a small but well-armed group funded by Mr. Smith and Ada.  There is a small harbor outside the city walls which was built by the Fae when they arrived.  Several locals run ferry services on various sized boats, some reputable, some not.

COMMUNICATIONS-wise, there are some interesting items of note.  The first is that City of Roses has its own telephone system.  It is not linked to the mainland and, indeed, the systems seem completely incompatible.  There is even cellphone service within the city, if a special adapter is added to a cellphone.  Cell service to elsewhere on Earth is notoriously flaky, as many cell towers and carriers have been destroyed or damaged.  There is a computer network within the city, again accessible with a special adapter.  The computer network is notoriously...quirky, since parts of it were constructed by the Ancient Engineers of City of Roses.  Nationwide, information is passed usually by radio transmission, retransmitted by amateur radio operators.  The hourly weekly radio show, "National Public Broadcast", NPB, is the most widely disseminated and credible.  It contains national news gathered from a secure location in Washington D.C..  They often include music from the national archives, and survival tips, to pad out the hour.

WATER in City of Roses tends to be drawn from public wells, collected from rain cisterns, or (if one can manage to pay for it) pumped in from Pale Lake in the forest.  The connection fee and monthly maintenance for running water tends to be fairly steep and is not always reliable.

ELECTRICITY on a small scale can be set up using SolarCling, a solar energy collecting film that is easily adhered to windows or rooftops.  Again, those who can pay the steep fee can hook up to the city grid, despite the fact that the city grid is not always stable.  The source of the city grid's electricity is a topic of much contention.  City of Roses Electric says that it comes from current turbines on the ocean floor.  A great many people do not believe this is the truth, since that would mean the turbines were installed since City of Roses appeared, and there is no record of anyone doing any such work, which would be a mammoth feat of engineering in this day and age.  Others believe that the city's original founders, the Ancient Engineers, have imbued the city itself with a way to turn magic into electricity, and that it is powered in this manner.

FOOD is often limited in City of Roses.  There are dozens of farms on the island (not represented on our sim), outside the city, but they require protection from the strange and dangerous elements that roam beyond the walls.  The farms do not produce near enough food for the entire city.  Fishing is also lucrative, and a great many enterprising young personengages in fishing or netting.  The local sea lion population has exploded in population in the past few years, and sea lion meat is prized.  Most "hamburgers" in the area are made with sea lion meat or "mukmuk", and animal living in the City of Roses forest.  Food is also often brought in by scavengers.  The Razors bring what they can, often canned food which has about a 25% chance of having gone bad by now.  Trading is done with protected communities, usually via boat.  Many people who live in the city grow small gardens in their yards or rooftops.  When times are lean, food becomes...questionable, often being cut with sawdust or human remains.  Death by starvation is not unheard of during hard winters.

LANGUAGES spoken in City of Roses are normal Earth languages, with English being the primary language due to the location.  However, writing on buildings and in books found left in the City of Roses library often does not match with any known language, current or ancient.

GENDER can be a little strange in this day and age.  An early project of Vecratek, known now as "Mutagen XY", was originally an attempt at a new fertility drug.  However, a problem with one of the drug synthesizing units caused the experimental drug to be packaged in with other bottles of pills.  As a result, there are the Xya, pronounced "Zee-ya" - humans with dual genders, no gender, or the ability to change their gender at whim.  Xya are rare, and there is still a lot of prejudice and fear about being able to "catch" Mutagen XY from them. However, at some point some of the Mutagen XY pills got in the Earth water supply and now there is a small chance that just about ANY person might become Xya.  Some of the Xya use the pronouns "zie" for he/she and "zir" for his/hers.  Others do not.  It's really just their personal preference.  

COMMERCE in City of Roses is multifaceted.  American money, the dollar and the cent, are used to some small degree.  Barter also occurs with great frequency.  Typical low-end items used for barter include: food, water, SolarCling, batteries, common ingredients for herbal remedies, books, fabric, household items, shoes, and common tools.  High-end or expensive items include: electronics, processed medicines, synthetic drugs, blood, precious metals and jewels, weaponry, ammunition, vehicles, and magical items.  The Quint, a magical currency native to City of Roses, is also traded.  A Quint, when it is snapped in half, releases enough magic to lower casting time or boost a spell's power slightly.  The Quint trades for about twenty dollars American.

TRAVEL to City of Roses is almost always done by boat.  It is possible for an extremely talented swimmer to get to the island, and in fact, many of the Underkin are guided by Mer and arrive in the city via an underwater cave system.  The nearest airport is 10 miles inland.  It's a small place, with two airstrips, managed by a single female pilot.  Not many people land there, as working planes with fuel are rare, however there are solar powered planes in this day.  They can carry only two or three passengers or very light cargo and have to recharge a full day every 300 miles.  On City of Roses Island itself, there aren't a lot of large vehicles.  Vehicles have to be brought over on the ferry (which the Romani did with their vardos).  There weren't many cars in City of Roses when it arrived.  People in City of Roses tend to walk, ride bicycles or motorcycles, ride horses or horse-drawn carts and carriages, or other small vehicles.  The jinrikisha, or pulled rickshaw, is popular in the Silk District and the Hollows.  The carriage house, or the gates of the Silk District are considered the best places to hire for transportation around the city.

POLICE in City of Roses are somewhat non-existent.  This is a main reason that people join factions.  The highest level of law enforcement which exists comes in the form of Ada and The Things, who tend to only show up when the City of Roses laws have been flaunted or broken on a large scale.  And even then, sometimes they don't.  The Border Guards' only task is to inform people of City of Roses few laws, keep people exiled from City of Roses out of the city, keep banned items such as explosives and 'weapons of mass destruction' out of the city, and to check for D13 Vaccinations.  

WEAPONS in City of Roses vary.  Guns are available, usually handguns, but ammunition is in limited supply.  More specialized weapons such as sniper rifles or automatic weapons exist, but are extremely hard to find and will need admin approval.  Melee weapons are more common, from ancient swords to rusty machetes, grand-axes to hand-axes and so-forth.  Weapons can be worn openly, but many businesses do not allow weapons to be worn visibly inside and have given clerks leave to shoot if they feel threatened.  Violence is common, especially in the poorer sections of City of Roses. 

The Red Lotus Organization (Guan-lin is one of the princes of the Red Lotus and owners of the Silk District)

About: 

Before the Great Blink, as the City of Roses became more crowded, the once-glorious Silk District, with her high class courtesans of every race and gender, fell into despair. One by one, the great establishments of vice either closed their doors or were taken over by less reputable owners. Gambling parlors became opium dens, bathhouses became mires of disease, and violence became common to keep employees in line. Eventually, a fire burned many of the structures and most of the old Silk District was walled off, supposedly because of the hazard the burned structures posed to citizens.

Only one end of the Silk District remained, and with it, a few structures left to represent the glory of the once-vibrant area.  It is here that the first vampires into the city took residence, having been enchanted by the name of the largest of the old ochaya and the attached okiya -- the House of the Red Lotus.  It's the perfect setup for them.  Rapid turnover of clients with a lot of drinking allows for easy access to blood.  Not to mention that most of those who work there are ghouls and blood dolls.  However, for those in the know, the Red Lotus sometimes, under some Princes, has a more sinister trade -- high end slavery.  Although one can procure a slave in the Night Market, the Red  Lotus specializes in higher-end "merchandise", so to speak.  Rare races, features, and powers, even fully functional bots. 

Oath of the Red Lotus

The Oath is as Follows: 

As a member of the Red Lotus Coven, you swear that you shall:
1) Never divulge sensitive information regarding the Red Lotus or her members to those who might be her enemies or in collusion with her enemies.
2) Protect the Silk District and Mansion if called upon in a time of crisis.
3) Uphold the laws of the Red Lotus and respect the hierarchy of the Red Lotus, of which you are now a part.

All full members of the Red Lotus must verbally agree to uphold the Oath of the Red Lotus upon entry into the ranks of the Red Lotus. Ghouls, while not bound by the oath of the Red Lotus, are the responsibility of their domitors, who can be punished of their ghoul breaks the Oath. Thus, it's a good idea for a domitor to fill their ghouls in one what they should, or should not, do in regards to the Red Lotus and the Silk District.
 

Laws of the Red Lotus:

The law code of the Red Lotus is drawn from several sources, including the laws of the Carpathian Council, the laws of the Consortium, the laws of City of Roses, and the laws of the Prince and Lotus Council. It is an ever-changing code, often debated and reprised by the Prince and the Lotus Council.

1) The laws of City of Roses and the Consortium shall be upheld to the best of your ability.

2) A vampire new to the city must present themselves in person, or by letter, to the Prince or Lotus Council within two weeks of arrival.

3) All ghouls must be declared in person, or by letter, to the Prince or Lotus Council within two weeks of arrival.

4) No coven member may draw the blood of another coven member without mutual permission or the decree of the Prince. The officers of the Kryptarch are excluded from this law during execution of their duties.

5) No coven member may turn another to the blood, making them a vampire, without permission of the Prince.

6) A sire is responsible for his childer, especially in the First Nights. A sire may punish their childer with impunity, and even reclaim the blood by final death without any further permission sought.

7) No coven member shall lose control of their inner beast in a public area. Frenzy is an anathema, and those who can not control themselves will be punished.

8: No coven member shall blood bond another coven member without their knowledge or against their will without the permission of the Prince, or the decree of the bonded's Council member.

9) No coven member shall blood bond another non-human without their permission.

10) Diablerie outside of the decree of a Blood Hunt will be punished harshly.

11) The Officers of the Kryptea may arrest and detain coven members for violation of the law. Abuse of power by Officers of the Kryptea will be dealt with harshly by the Kryptarch.

12) No coven member will willfully impede the business of the Silk District or destroy property (including slaves and blood dolls) of the Silk District without permission of the Prince or the Domina. Restitution will be paid, double, for any damage done.

13) Confidentiality is assured for all customers of the Silk District whilst they are paying customers. All that they do within our walls whilst paying customers should be kept secret among the Silk District and Red Lotus.

14) For harm of a ghoul, a domitor may require restitution from the assailant. If restitution can not be agreed upon, the Prince may be consulted.

15) Coven members may challenge other coven members to duels over matters of honor or disagreements. A duel must be overseen by the Prince or a Council member, and terms must be agreed upon before it commences. Duels may not take place in public areas. The Prince may not be challenged to a duel. A person may only challenge another to a duel once per moon.

Ranks:

Princes: Leader of the vampires, owner of the Silk District. The law of the Princes is the law of the Red Lotus as he is the agent of the Carpathian Council. A unanimous ruling of the Lotus Council may remove a Prince from power, however the Carpathian Council may reinstate that Prince if they believe the ruling corrupt or unwise. Can be referred to "Owner of the Silk District" in public. 

Vizier of the Council: Second-in-command of the Red Lotus, and manager of the Lotus Council. This Vizier is in charge of keeping an eye towards diplomacy with other factions, and knowing what our allies and enemies are doing. Should the Princes be unable to perform his duties due to injury or other circumstances, the Vizier of the Council will convene the Council and select a temporary Prince until the Carpathian Council may be consulted. Usually, this temporary Prince will indeed be the Vizier of the Council. 

Council Members: Report to the Vizier of the Council. Each Council member has the ability to welcome new members to the Red Lotus after making certain they agree to the Oath of the Red Lotus. They serve as mentors to the younger members of their bloodline, and are also charged with keeping their bloodline members in line. Councilors may freely punish members of their bloodline for infractions of the laws as long as the punishment does not include permanent physical or mental damage. Viziers may also be Council members. The Lotus Council are pillars of the Red Lotus and will advise the Princes and be likely given short or long-term projects to spearhead.

Kryptarch (Captain of the Kryptea): This officer is in charge of law enforcement and interrogations within the Red Lotus and the Silk District at large. They are responsible for maintaining any armory the Red Lotus might accrue. Those under their command at considered members of the Kryptea (secret police). Positions include, but are not limited to: Silk District Guard, Mansion Guard, Bounty Hunters, Interrogators, Jailers, Torturers, Militia, Trainers, Blacksmiths, and Assassins. Ghouls and allies may be members of the Kryptea as long as they have agreed to the Red Lotus Oath.

Dominus (or Domina) of the Silk District: This is the head of the Silk District businesses. They are in charge of the bathhouse, teahouse, Nawa restaurant, opium trade, and ion within the Silk District. They are responsible for procurement of all supplies necessary to run the Silk District businesses. Positions under the Dominus include but are not limited to: Wait staff, chefs, bartenders, masseuses, entertainers, courtesans, blood dolls, bath attendants, trainers, overseers, procurers, and drug dealers. All non-enemies may be employed within the Silk District, even without knowledge of the Red Lotus itself, though they MUST agree to the law of confidentiality before employment commences. 

High Priest/ess of the Red Lotus: Advisor to the Princes, Vizier(s) and Council of the Red Lotus Coven. The High Priest/ess is a spiritual and personal advisor whose advice tends to center around the spiritual well-being of the Coven and adhering to the wisdom of the ancients. This individual has the ability to help the Council welcome new members to the Red Lotus after making sure they agree to the Oath of the Red Lotus. As well as being is in charge of maintaining any and all shrines to the ancients, including holding relevant rituals and has the power to appoint others to help with such tasks with approval from the Princes.