Founding and Settlement
Sunrise City grew from the seeds of a modest monastic society who had built a quiet commune in the fertile marshlands of the upper East Coast in the mid-1500's. They believed the location to be uniquely isolated from land and sea traffic, buffered by large harbors and spongy marshlands. But despite their desire for privacy, their needs for meager income led them to bottle and sell their private recipe ale to nearby townships. The Ascension Monastery of Cockcrow became famous for its Ale. And much to their disappointment, this fame brought unwanted attention and scrutiny, not just on their monastery, but on their land.
In 1836, the Union Army occupied the area and built Fort Drexler, a key naval port during the Civil War. General Kellerman of the Union Navy offered Brother Tarpolin of the Cockcrow Monastery 80 acres of land further north, but Brother Tarpolin refused to let his order be relocated against their will. When Brother Tarpolin passed away of sudden, mysterious causes, General Kellerman forcibly rounded up the remaining monks and placed them on a ship supposedly headed for those free northern lands. No records exist as to whether that ship ever reached its destination.
Due to its prime location, this port region was also aggressively courted by traders, who were sold 'exclusive' landing rights by the corrupt Naval leaders at the Fort. Soon, the Fort found itself surrounded by civilian outposts and a rapidly growing commercial settlement that seemed to expand exponentially each year. By the early 1900's, Fort Drexler had been completely engulfed by what was to become Sunrise City.
Being such a commercial hub in such an ideal, central-coastal location made it a welcome destination for businessmen of all types. Its history of shady, ruthless negotiations continued to thrive as criminal organizations settled here alongside legitimate entrepreneurs. Soon, the two populations were so intertwined that it was hard to imagine one surviving without the other.
Sunrise City grew from the seeds of a modest monastic society who had built a quiet commune in the fertile marshlands of the upper East Coast in the mid-1500's. They believed the location to be uniquely isolated from land and sea traffic, buffered by large harbors and spongy marshlands. But despite their desire for privacy, their needs for meager income led them to bottle and sell their private recipe ale to nearby townships. The Ascension Monastery of Cockcrow became famous for its Ale. And much to their disappointment, this fame brought unwanted attention and scrutiny, not just on their monastery, but on their land.
In 1836, the Union Army occupied the area and built Fort Drexler, a key naval port during the Civil War. General Kellerman of the Union Navy offered Brother Tarpolin of the Cockcrow Monastery 80 acres of land further north, but Brother Tarpolin refused to let his order be relocated against their will. When Brother Tarpolin passed away of sudden, mysterious causes, General Kellerman forcibly rounded up the remaining monks and placed them on a ship supposedly headed for those free northern lands. No records exist as to whether that ship ever reached its destination.
Due to its prime location, this port region was also aggressively courted by traders, who were sold 'exclusive' landing rights by the corrupt Naval leaders at the Fort. Soon, the Fort found itself surrounded by civilian outposts and a rapidly growing commercial settlement that seemed to expand exponentially each year. By the early 1900's, Fort Drexler had been completely engulfed by what was to become Sunrise City.
Being such a commercial hub in such an ideal, central-coastal location made it a welcome destination for businessmen of all types. Its history of shady, ruthless negotiations continued to thrive as criminal organizations settled here alongside legitimate entrepreneurs. Soon, the two populations were so intertwined that it was hard to imagine one surviving without the other.
After The Bleedout
When the Bleedout occurred, Sunrise City buckled. As a key trading port, the sudden cession of shipping systems crippled what had been a booming economy. The people were not prepared for such unexpected poverty. Riots and violence were especially severe in Sunrise City, compared to reports from other major metropolitan areas. The meager civic government was not able to contain the demands of a terrified population. So the criminal population stepped up to the plate.
In an ironic display of philanthropy, the leaders of the six largest criminal organizations formed THE SCORPION CHAMBER, a cabal of crooked businessmen who together offered to protect the citizens of Sunrise City from themselves. With wealth and resources the Municipal government lacked, the Mayor gladly signed The Thumbcuff Accord, which gave these criminal organizations legal authority to 'fix things'. While this was clearly not an ideal situation for the Mayor, it did ensure the survival of the city in a time of absolute chaos.
The first order of business was constructing an extensive set of 40 foot walls surrounding the salvageable 'safe zones' of the city. Once these walls were built, measure were taken to secure the open waterways as well. Minefields were launched into harbor waters. Bridges were sealed off or destroyed. Sunrise City became a new fortress, several dozen times larger than Fort Drexler, with new self-sustaining industries growing out of the ashes.
This was the birth of New Sunrise City.
When the Bleedout occurred, Sunrise City buckled. As a key trading port, the sudden cession of shipping systems crippled what had been a booming economy. The people were not prepared for such unexpected poverty. Riots and violence were especially severe in Sunrise City, compared to reports from other major metropolitan areas. The meager civic government was not able to contain the demands of a terrified population. So the criminal population stepped up to the plate.
In an ironic display of philanthropy, the leaders of the six largest criminal organizations formed THE SCORPION CHAMBER, a cabal of crooked businessmen who together offered to protect the citizens of Sunrise City from themselves. With wealth and resources the Municipal government lacked, the Mayor gladly signed The Thumbcuff Accord, which gave these criminal organizations legal authority to 'fix things'. While this was clearly not an ideal situation for the Mayor, it did ensure the survival of the city in a time of absolute chaos.
The first order of business was constructing an extensive set of 40 foot walls surrounding the salvageable 'safe zones' of the city. Once these walls were built, measure were taken to secure the open waterways as well. Minefields were launched into harbor waters. Bridges were sealed off or destroyed. Sunrise City became a new fortress, several dozen times larger than Fort Drexler, with new self-sustaining industries growing out of the ashes.
This was the birth of New Sunrise City.
The Scorpion Chamber
Before The Bleedout, crime in Sunrise City was monopolized by six rival organizations. In response to the global crisis, Don Nunzio Bianchi called together a summit of the leaders of these six groups to determine how they would work together to survive this new Age of Ruin. Though there were decades of bad blood between many of the groups, none could deny the logic of protecting the citizenry and re-establishing some facsimile of order. Together, they reached a tenuous agreement to act as a single governing body called THE SCORPION CHAMBER, with the strength, wealth, and resources to do what the current administration could not: stem the chaos tearing the city to the ground.
Acting as chairman of the Scorpion Chamber, Don Nunzio Bianchi brought a stern proposal to Mayor Oscar Cartagena of the struggling city government which promised crucial services and defense so that the city could rebuild itself into some semblance of civilization. This "THUMBCUFF ACCORD" would ensure 8 years of non-conflict and "peace", while bending pre-existing laws in ways necessary to establish a new, thriving economy.
This truce would be strictly enforced in the City's three Civil Defense Districts: Downtown, Midtown, and Oceancside, with more lenient enforcement throughout the many disputed neighborhoods in between. It was a gentleman's agreement, but it worked, allowing for a steady flow of protected goods and interests. And because of this Accord, Sunrise City has managed to thrive while many other city-states continue to burn.
After nearly a decade of relative Order within the massive security walls surrounding Sunrise City, things are about to change. The Thumbcuff Accord is facing renewal, and renewal hinges on the ability of all seven groups involved to find compatibility between their various plans and agendas.
Before The Bleedout, crime in Sunrise City was monopolized by six rival organizations. In response to the global crisis, Don Nunzio Bianchi called together a summit of the leaders of these six groups to determine how they would work together to survive this new Age of Ruin. Though there were decades of bad blood between many of the groups, none could deny the logic of protecting the citizenry and re-establishing some facsimile of order. Together, they reached a tenuous agreement to act as a single governing body called THE SCORPION CHAMBER, with the strength, wealth, and resources to do what the current administration could not: stem the chaos tearing the city to the ground.
Acting as chairman of the Scorpion Chamber, Don Nunzio Bianchi brought a stern proposal to Mayor Oscar Cartagena of the struggling city government which promised crucial services and defense so that the city could rebuild itself into some semblance of civilization. This "THUMBCUFF ACCORD" would ensure 8 years of non-conflict and "peace", while bending pre-existing laws in ways necessary to establish a new, thriving economy.
This truce would be strictly enforced in the City's three Civil Defense Districts: Downtown, Midtown, and Oceancside, with more lenient enforcement throughout the many disputed neighborhoods in between. It was a gentleman's agreement, but it worked, allowing for a steady flow of protected goods and interests. And because of this Accord, Sunrise City has managed to thrive while many other city-states continue to burn.
After nearly a decade of relative Order within the massive security walls surrounding Sunrise City, things are about to change. The Thumbcuff Accord is facing renewal, and renewal hinges on the ability of all seven groups involved to find compatibility between their various plans and agendas.
Modern Sunrise City
Today, Sunrise City thrives in fair comfort, albeit with a twisted sense of ethics and morality. Violence is common, but kept in check with a rigid set of rules and alliances enforced by the Scorpion Chamber and their puppet government, The Municipality. It is a new Wild West, where life is cheap, but dreams can lead to fortune.
Within the walls, people try to lead a "normal" life, pretending that all is well -- people go to work, shop, dine, etc -- but beneath this facade lies a state of perpetual fear. Deep inside, the citizens know that Sunrise City teeters on the brink of violent eruption, but as this has been the case for so many consecutive years, it has become almost desensitizing paranoia. The relative security provided by The Municipality and The Scorpion Chamber have led many to believe that the worst has passed. Whether this is true depends on how comfortable you are with a weapon.
Nearly everyone in Sunrise City carries a weapon, although drawing that weapon within any of the three Civil Defense Districts means certain death at the hands of Municipal Police, authorized by the Crimelords within the Scorpion Chamber. In an effort to retain a semblance of normalcy, a strict code of non-violence was mandated within these districts, with sanctioned events and "Free-fire" zones clearly identified for settling frustrations and disagreements.
Today, Sunrise City thrives in fair comfort, albeit with a twisted sense of ethics and morality. Violence is common, but kept in check with a rigid set of rules and alliances enforced by the Scorpion Chamber and their puppet government, The Municipality. It is a new Wild West, where life is cheap, but dreams can lead to fortune.
Within the walls, people try to lead a "normal" life, pretending that all is well -- people go to work, shop, dine, etc -- but beneath this facade lies a state of perpetual fear. Deep inside, the citizens know that Sunrise City teeters on the brink of violent eruption, but as this has been the case for so many consecutive years, it has become almost desensitizing paranoia. The relative security provided by The Municipality and The Scorpion Chamber have led many to believe that the worst has passed. Whether this is true depends on how comfortable you are with a weapon.
Nearly everyone in Sunrise City carries a weapon, although drawing that weapon within any of the three Civil Defense Districts means certain death at the hands of Municipal Police, authorized by the Crimelords within the Scorpion Chamber. In an effort to retain a semblance of normalcy, a strict code of non-violence was mandated within these districts, with sanctioned events and "Free-fire" zones clearly identified for settling frustrations and disagreements.
