Lotus City

With a population of 832,435 sitting on land that stretches about 102 square miles, Lotus City is one of the largest cities in its state, and positively the most densely populated. In classic comic book fashion, it's located somewhere in the pacific northwest, and draws inspiration from several real major cities. Highly gentrified and environmentally conscious, it is home to one of the most breathtaking cityscapes in the world. Lotus City, despite having a capable police department, is rampant with crime.

That's where you come in.

Whether as a masked vigilante, a villain unlike any other, or a bystander who can no longer stand idly by while his city burns1, you will decide its fate, and in so doing, decide the fate of the world.

Areas

Roughly speaking, Lotus City is divided into several regions (much like the boroughs of New York City) - the urban City area, the suburban Snydergate, to the east the highly industrial Port Vaughan, and the mean streets of Waid Hill. For a breakdown on in-character housing, please consult this page.

City

The Downtown area is nestled on the western end of Bendis Peninsula and includes the Simon R.R. Erikson College campus on the western tip, as well as Rucka Heights to the south. Rucka Heights is the location of Lindelof-Cuse International Airport, Lotus City's largest airport.

Highly urbanized and dauntingly modern, the buildings are beautiful and durable, and withstand most of the collateral damage a city with a high density of superhumans would produce. With numerous apartment complexes and town homes, the inner part of Lotus City is home to a sizable portion of it's denizens.

The inner city is a hodgepodge of different cultures, mainly Greek, German, Arabian, Lebanese, American, Japanese, and Indian. The main City - downtown, main street, what have you - is very well organized and, unlike most American cities, impeccably neat. Near-inhumanly strict clutter and trash laws leave the streets of all of Lotus City clean and pristine, and the large force of street sweepers employed by the city help keep the city looking great.

Financially, Lotus City is always quite ahead of most cities, having many corporate headquarters and highly-successful business branches due to a rabid team of lobbyists and surprisingly libertarian (for the die-hard blue northwest) tax policies. The main population of Lotus City is well-off and at least middle class.

Snydergate

Separated from the City by Guerrero Inlet, it is often accessed through the Brian Wood Bridge, the Killamook Crossing, or the LC Ferry service. Known to be the wealthiest part of town, North End is largely suburban, and an exclusive train line was recently built to cater to its commuters.

Houses - rarely smaller than 4500 square feet and probably not less than a few million dollars - are very high end and designed to be environmentally-conscious yet luxurious. There are less flashy homes within Snydergate, ones that won't break the bank, and they are mainly populated by upper-middle class types. Snydergate is famous for it's Art galleries and Opera house, specifically the LCMM - the Lotus City Metropolitan Museum, The Welch Performing Arts Center and the TAC - or Tamez Art Center, both of which house thousands of valuable artifacts and artworks.

The Bog

While Lotus City may be visually striking and socially conscious, it isn't without its seedier parts of town. Though clean and with pristine architecture, the Bog is that part of town. Close to the ocean and of an uncharacteristic humidity, this neighborhood is relatively crime free, mostly due to the sheer amount of metahumans it houses. It can be accessed via bus and subway station, LC Ferry, or through

Populated with blue-collar workers and a disproportionate amount of metahumans (generally those with physical appearances that startle and unnerve), The Bog has been home to several political grassroots movements looking to legitimize metahuman rights (or sometimes, metahuman dominance). Like any part of Lotus City, you'll find a slew of different causes championed in the Bog.

Port Vaughan

East of the City proper, Port Vaughan started out as a port in the late nineteenth century and has been incorporated into Lotus City - much like the neighborhoods of any major metropolitan area. It is bordered by the Hickman Mountains to the north and east.

Highly industrial and very green, Port Vaughan is home to a multitude of service-orientated businesses, a few law firms, advertisement agencies, and financial holding companies. Among other things, it is home to the corporate headquarters of Brown & Gay, a world-wide conglomerate and one of the most successful businesses in the world.

B & G alone provides thousands of jobs in the city, from manufacturing to simple services (they own numerous restaurant chains), entertainment (they own numerous movie theaters), white-collar work (they operate design, advertising, building, law, and medical supply offices in Lotus City alone), and even education (they fund universities extensively).

Port Vaughan is urban and stylized, having been redesigned entirely just a few years ago in a city-wide reconstruction. The new, aesthetically-oriented Port Vaughan is now one of the most respected districts of Lotus City. It's citizens are mostly urbanites and yuppies looking to get ahead in their field of choice. It is almost exclusively populated by the 22-35 age group. Accordingly, its citizens only consider themselves a part of Lotus City "ironically".

Waid Hill

The region's second largest city, commonly grouped with Lotus City as a Metropolitan area, Waid Hill is located south of the City and Port Vaughan. Home to numerous churches, several sports stadiums and more than a few very exclusive clubs, Waid Hill is one of the trendiest places in the city. Several of the cities finest establishments, dozens of up-scale restaurants and wine-bars and even Peak are located here.

Founded by religious fanatics in the 19th century expansion, the area was not successful until its sister-city to the north (LC) made efforts to expand and absorb it. Almost as urbanized as the inner City, Waid Hill is populated primarily by lower middle-class and blue-collar citizens, construction and engineering professionals, design or architectural companies, or squeaky-voiced teens in sales.

The crime-rate in South Waid Hill is substantially high, even worse than Lotus City proper. It is home to LC's sprawling, wildly authentic Chinatown and it's world famous Little Hungary. The lack of broken windows and litter following a massive Brown & Gay-funded public project did little to stop illegal activity in the area, even if it does look nice.

Geography and Climate

Located in the northwestern United States, Lotus City is perpetually inclement weather - usually rain (in the spring and summer months) and biting cold the rest of the year. The fall and winter see a large amount of wind and snow, with low temperatures that have been known to reach near zero on the worst days. As such, long sleeves and sweaters are common in six or so months out of the year. Lotus City is quite far north of San Francisco, California but south of Seattle, Washington and is part of a small island chain. It is surrounded by mountainous area, and its coast is riddled with inlets and privately owned isles.

Demographics

Lotus City is a very diverse city. Of Lotisians (as most LCers call themselves), 26% are non-Hispanic white, 22.5% are Asian/Pacific Islander, 12% claim direct European ancestry, 9% are Hispanic, 14% are of mixed descent, and 16.5% are Black or Afro-Caribbean. Lotus City is so well-incorporated it is known in some history texts as the Second Great Melting-Pot. Whether this is due to progressive political stances or lack of WASPs is up for debate.

Economy

Lotus City did not feel the recession as harshly as some cities due to an age-diverse population and strong local business appreciation. Home to corporate offices and a few company headquarters (including one of the top 5 largest companies in the world - Brown & Gay), Lotus City is a financially secure home for all denizens.

It's economy is mostly white-and-green-collar driven, with a healthy dash of factory and blue-collar jobs available - mostly substantial port work. A majority of the population is employed, though a good percentage is comfortably retired. The city seems to have bottomless pockets (the effects of progressive tax plans and high state income tithes), as they are not only expanding social projects and updating parks or recreational facilities but unceasingly rebuilding new constructs, roads, metro tracks, and tunnels leading through the city to replace those destroyed. it has even spawned a new form of insurance company - Cape insurance.

Government

Lotus City uses the mayor-council form of government, surprisingly (to many of its neighbors and denizens) sticking to a weak executive presence (a mayor with limited political and social power), and an elected council of five-hundred thirty-eight citizens (a strikingly high number that is oftentimes nonetheless driven or pressured into action by one of the most politically active subpopulations in the United States).

It provides more services and utilities than most American cities, and is notoriously liberal - though not without its red streaks. Both major US parties are remarkably weak in Lotus City, though have enough support to not be outright abolished. Current politics generally revolve around the Democratic and Green parties - with the Greens currently in national positions. Independents from a host of parties (Technocrats, Log-Cabin Republicans, Libertarians) hold local offices. National Congressman David Lim (I) is expected to run for Mayor in the next elections to replace Thomas Carcetti, Jr.

Law Enforcement

Despite the progress Lotus City has made, it hides a vicious and dark underbelly. Law Enforcement has been one of the city's primary concerns for ages. Especially since most other issues have been solved, Lotisians often debate the why their city is still steeped in crime. The Drug Trade and Auto Theft rank first, despite (or maybe because of) strict gun registration laws. The Lotus City Police Department works hand in hand with surrounding Police Departments, and the last decade has seen a steady increase in Police employment.

It was the second (The first was New York in 1998; Lotus City followed in 1999) American city to establish a Cowl Division - a superhuman crimes division - and Metahuman Response Team - which employs human and metahuman officers to keep the city clean, safe, and steady. LCPD is currently led by a Police Chief and his Council, selected by the Mayor and City Council respectively.

Currently, Lotus City's District Attorney's office is in the process of prosecuting major RICO criminal stings and has been to the US Supreme Court on numerous occasions defining what has become known in legal circles as Supe Law - the cases concerning the prosecution and civil litigation of supervillains and careless superheroes alike. Law firms in the area, in addition to practicing the dozens of sub-types, are renown for their ability to integrate metahuman law and order. They are the first city to have a Metahuman jail - designed and reserved for those with immense power and dangerous abilities.

History

The city was incorporated in 1852 by two young lads of indiscernible pasts after it was found that the area that would become Lotus City contained deposits of precious and precocious minerals. You know, a micas that isn't afraid to speak its mind.

Transportation

Lotus City has long relied on public transportation, dating back to streetcars in the nineteenth century. Its bus system, MetroLink, is partially owned by the City, but despite this, is rated as one of the world's most efficient. Trans-Track (Owned by MetroCorp), the city's public automated transportation system, was established in 1987 and is periodically refurbished and expanded. The last overhaul was completed in September 2014. All buses and trains include bike racks and many of the roads downtown have bicycle lanes. During summer evenings, the bicycle is the most common vehicle seen downtown.

Education

A United States Census Bureau stated that Lotus City had the highest percentage of college and university graduates of any major city in the United States. Of the city's population over the age of 24, 58.3 percent hold an undergraduate's degree or higher and 98.3 percent hold a high school diploma or GED. The public school systems are broken up into several districts, some ranked among the nation's top 500 public schools, something the local government attributes to 'creative teaching' and small (each school has a student population under 1200, though some share one building) public school populations.

In addition, several parochial and preparatory schools are available. Of note is The Ennis Academy, a private academy whose students are all awarded scholarships with funny names and the Halo Academy for Gifted Teens, a preparatory school bordering on militant. The selection may be unknown, but the mystery has attracted various applicants - most of which are turned down.

Lotus City University offers roughly 360 undergraduate and graduate programs. It is home to one of the nation's foremost physics programs, and it's labs are acknowledged for regularly furthering the field of biochemistry. The Santillian College was recently established in 1998 by the esteemed Santillian family, and has a premier Business and Legal school. The Port Vaughan Art Institute attracts art students from across the world. In addition, the Lotus City Community College System offers Associate Degrees and an opportunity for direct matriculation into Lotus City University, as well as several bordering states' public education systems.

There is also Simon R.R. Erikson University, Lotus City's favorite braggadocios school for academics.

Arts & Culture

The City has steadily become a center for the Arts - specifically, with the variety of museums and venues available for the discerning dilettante. The TAC (pronounced "tack") caters to aggressively contemporary art lovers, and several exhibitions visit year round. There is a permanent display for graphic novel, sequential, and manga art.

The LCMM caters to more traditional, though equally presumptuous, art. The Performing Arts of Lotus City features a lively theater, the Welch Performing Arts Center's grandiose opera, and a surprising underground square-dance scene. Local bands can be found in your corner cafe, though the City is not on the 'music map.'

Diverse and populous, it is no surprise that Lotus City rivals San Francisco, Chicago, and New York as one of the nation's culinary must-eats. With several acclaimed chef-centric restaurants, Lotus City experiences a large influx of food tourists every annual Restaurant Week. In fact, it recently overtook Kyoto as the city with the highest concentration of Michelin stars. With as multicultural a population as Lotus City's, there are dozens of unique cuisines richly represented through the streets.

It should be known that Lotus City's real gustatory draw is it's notoriously authentic street food. Odd but inviting twists on burritos, schwarma, various Asian dumplings, sushi, kebab, hot dogs, rice balls, noodles, baked goods, and wraps make Port Vaughan's food trucks and street stalls an attraction, though not everything you find in a crowded parking lot is USDA (or FDA) approved. It has a suspiciously high vegetarian/vegan population, at almost 10% of the city.

Media

There are two major newspapers that compete for Lotus City's newsreaders: Coastal Times and The Lotus City Gazette. Several 'alternative' papers are available, with the weekly City Streets becoming a west-coast alternative for New York's Village Voice and Franklin's Best Regards, a sometimes satirical, always critical favorite among the politically moderate.

A multitude of subculture mags (from the LGBT Fresh and the Asian American Pan-Pacific Weekly to the music scene's F**k Punk and the alternative to Cat Fancy - made directly in Lotus City - Generic Enthused Greeting, Feline!) and culture specific publications cater to Lotisians and various nearby cities - extending to neighboring states.

Lotus City is well served by local television and radio channels - a handful of which are operated by the City's universities and public high schools. It has become known for its experimental comedy sketch shows, crudely animated shorts, and willingness to feature niche programming.

Sports

While informal, community-centric leagues have colored Lotus City's history from the time it was a small township, Lotisians did not boast a well-known professional team until the establishment of the Lotus City Marauders baseball team in 1919. Members of the American League, the Marauders remained Lotus City's most popular sports team until the 1990s, when a series of scandals involving coaches brought the team near disestablishment. The team continues to struggle to recapture the glory of the fifties.

The Lotus City Reavers were added to the Pacific Coast Hockey League in 1929. The team moved to the Western Hockey League and later to the Central Hockey League. Folding in 1984, the team experienced an Anatidic resurgence in 2001. Backed by a community-driven fervor, the team was astoundingly accepted into the National Hockey League once they were bought by the Santillian family in 2011. They are Lotus City's most popular team, despite placing horribly in the last season.

FC Hellfire, Lotus City's soccer team, was established in 2000 and won2 the 2012 MLS Cup.

The Lotus City Sirens remain the most successful team to date, having won every CWHL Championship with the exception of a 2010 upset.

Lotus City has flourishing local sports community as well, with no shortage of drunkards, louts, and dweebs willing to strap on a helmet in the citywide Unicycle Football League, Semi-Regional Hide and Seek Olympics (they recently lost to Portland), quidditch teams, and a thriving polo and dressage community.

Additionally, LC is famous for having started the first metahuman-friendly sports league (started by industrious private citizens who prefer to remain unknown), wherein metahumans participate in numerous competitions, from gladiatorial fight competitions to races, weight-lifting challenges, and power-offs (a complex mix of assumed risk and glee in which simple battery, lacerations, mayhem, and third-degree burns are common).

The league the mysterious owners operate is quickly catching on, but due to equally industrious lawyers, virtually every form of any game has been trademarked and has yet to be challenged in court. It is known as the League of Totally Badass Ladies and Gentleman because Super-Fight Club was taken).

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License