InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "you shine brighter then anyone"

gothamitesmods (gothamitesmods) wrote,
@ 2030-06-30 09:47:00

gotham city;

Welcome to Gotham City!

The Gotham City in which ‘Gothamites’ takes place is a (heavily) fictionalized version of New York City—i.e. in the gameverse Gotham City is New York City. To keep things simple, you can safely assume that most real world New York landmarks also exist in Gotham City, that things like sports teams and pop culture references are still largely the same, Wall Street is Wall Street and Broadway is Broadway, etc. That said, you’re not expected/required to have detailed knowledge of real NYC street names and subway lines and such.

‘Gothamites’ does not take place in the ‘DC Universe.’ Other major DC characters like Superman, Wonder Woman or Green Lantern are just that—major comic book characters. Some science fiction or supernatural elements may begin to creep into the game plot eventually, for most Gothamites these are just weird conspiracy theories about top secret government projects or occult secret societies. Until very recently, Batman himself was dismissed as a hoax or urban legend by the average citizen, but his involvement in several high profile cases (most notably his capture of the Joker) means that he’s increasingly in the public eye. For the time being, Batman is the only true superhero (in Gotham or elsewhere), but a few brave (or crazed) citizens may be inspired by his example in the future. There are also only a handful of costumed villains, although other desperate or deranged individuals may take that path as well. Batman is definitely a controversial figure, and not everyone thinks he’s a hero.

NEIGHBORHOODS
In addition to real NYC boroughs and neighborhoods like Brooklyn, Queens, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Harlem, the Upper East Side, etc, the following neighborhoods are equally famous (or infamous) in Gotham City:

Bristol Heights ~ Gotham City’s most exclusive neighborhood is located on a rise of hills overlooking Manhattan from across the East River. How exclusive? Bristol Heights consists of five gigantic private estates, most famous of which is Wayne Manor, and the famous Bristol Club. Bristol Heights is synonymous with old money.

East End/Crime Alley ~ the East End is an especially tough neighborhood sandwiched between the Lower East Side and Tricorner Yards. Many people call it ‘Crime Alley.’ Made infamous by the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne, the East End today is the city’s unofficial vice district.

The Narrows ~ occupying a narrow strip of land in the East River between Manhattan and Long Island, the Narrows is easily the worst neighborhood in Gotham. A genuine slum, if not a shanty town. Ruled by slumlords and violent street gangs, there are even those who claim ‘UnderTown’ is better than life in the Narrows. A polite way of saying you’d be better off dead.

Tricorner Yards ~ Gotham’s major shipyard and warehouse district. A lot of cargo passes through Tricorner, and not all of it is legal.

UnderTown ~ a probably apocryphal community of homeless who are supposed to have built their own small city in an abandoned subway station or buried Cathedral or old bomb shelter: obviously, reports about it are exaggerated and contradictory.

LANDMARKS & INSTITUTIONS
Arkham Institute of Mental Health ~ the Arkham Institute is perhaps better known under its old name, Arkham Asylum, and is famous (and infamous) as one of the first hospitals specifically founded (in the 1870s) to treat the “criminally insane.” Arkham occupies a small, rocky island just south of the Narrows, and its old Gothic architecture gives it a decidedly creepy look. The Institute’s name was changed in the late 1970s as part of a ‘reform’ effort, but even today Arkham is more prison than hospital. The Institute’s most recent scandal involved illegal experiments performed by Dr. Jonathan Crane on his patients—ironically, Dr. Crane is now himself an inmate there.

Blackgate Penitentiary ~ Gotham’s main prison is, like Arkahm, located on a rocky island in the East River. Blackgate is considered a tough place to do time, but is probably no worse than most state prisons in the US. And well-connected convicts can actually do quite well for themselves during a stay in Blackgate. Carmine Falcone, for instance, is widely believed to be running the Syndicate from his Blackgate cell.

The Bristol Club ~ the Bristol Club is the country club other country clubs wish they were, its amenities including a full 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, yachting facilities including a full marina, and even a polo grounds, although this last has gone out of use, and The Bristol is considered the finest (or at least the most expensive) restaurant in Gotham. While guest memberships are available by subscription, full membership in the Bristol Society is by invitation or inheritance only.

Gotham Amusement Co. ~ in the 40s and 50s many businesses in Gotham went through a fad of giant novelty signage: the fad passed, and all but a few of the hideous eyesores were torn down. They’re stored here, at the warehouse of the Gotham Amusement Co.

The Gotham Post ~ Gotham’s most successful and least loved newspaper, everybody reads the Post and nobody admits to it. A tabloid in the best sense (if there is one), the Post marries sensationalism to a muckraking spirit that has sometimes led to genuinely important expose journalism, but which is just as likely to be focused on the sex lives of Gotham celebrities.

Gotham University/GU Medical Center ~ with an urban campus centered on Washington Square Park, Gotham University attracts students from all over the country. Gotham U is also home to the prestigious School for the Dramatic Arts and the GU Medical Center, and the R.H. Kane School of Business

The Iceberg Lounge ~ a nightclub just outside the East End proper, the Iceberg Lounge’s atmosphere is a deliberate throwback to the speakeasies and burlesque theaters of the Prohibition era. The club’s fussy proprietor, Oswald Cobblepott, has even embraced the insulting nickname ‘The Penguin’ as part of the kitsch. Rumors that the Penguin runs a casino out of the backrooms and doubles as a fence for stolen goods are quietly encouraged by the management, as Penguin believes that the best way to hide in Gotham City is in plain sight.

R.H. Kane Memorial Hospital ~ Kane Memorial is one of several prestigious hospitals in midtown Manhattan, and you could quibble about the quality of care there compared to some of its rivals, but its trauma center is considered to be the best in the city—though of course that also means that it’s often the busiest.

The Palisades ~ one of many high-rise penthouse/apartment buildings in the Upper East Side, The Palisades’ rooftop penthouse is currently owned by Bruce Wayne, who’s staying there while Wayne Manor is undergoing renovations. Bruce takes great (but secret) satisfaction in the fact that the suite’s previous occupant, Carmine Falcone, is currently occupying a cell in Blackgate.

Wayne Manor ~ the ancestral home of the Wayne family is the most famous of the great Bristol Heights mansions; although not the largest of these Victorian estates (neighboring Vreeland Park owns that distinction), its commanding position on a hill overlooking Gotham City gives it an added sense of grandeur. Recently, the Manor was very nearly destroyed in a mysterious fire, and is currently under renovation. (Secretly, these renovations have provided Bruce Wayne with the opportunity to transform the network of caves underneath the mansion grounds into a proper secret base for Batman).

Wayne Tower Plaza ~ the corporate headquarters of Wayne Enterprises occupies one of Gotham’s most impressive skyscrapers, Wayne Tower, which is directly connected to Wayne Plaza, a major train station/shopping center. The development of Wayne Plaza was part of a larger effort to supplement Gotham City’s subway system with a more developed elevated train system, an effort spearheaded by Dr. Thomas Wayne.

PUBLIC TRANSIT
Gotham has one of the most elaborate public transportation systems in the US. Between the Subway, the El-Train, and the city buses, it’s possible to get almost anywhere in Gotham without getting in a car.

CRIME AND POLITICS IN GOTHAM CITY
Crime and corruption have long been serious problems in Gotham City, dating all the way back to the Tammany Hall politics and street gangs of the 19th century. Today, the major organized crime families operate in a loss alliance known as the Syndicate, which emerged out of a violent gang war in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. The Syndicate was long dominated by Carmine Falcone, but with his recent incarceration there are rumblings that one of the other families in the syndicate might make a play to freeze him out—provided the Batman doesn’t bring the entire outfit down.

Of course, some might argue that the real boss of the Syndicate is City Councilman Rupert Thorne, the notoriously corrupt politico widely regarded as the most powerful public figure in Gotham. Thorne’s control over the Gotham machine was shaken last year by the arrest and subsequent prison ‘suicide’ of his longtime ally Police Commissioner Peter Pauling, and by the election last year of Mayor Anthony Garcia and District Attorney Harvey Dent on a reform platform. Of course, Thorne’s seen dozens of reform candidates come and go over the course of his 30 year tenure on the City Council. For the moment he’s willing to make the usual token concessions and ride things out while the inertia of bureaucracy does its job, but the presence of Batman is making him more nervous than usual, and perhaps more likely to take desperation measures.

The Gotham City Police Department has been at the heart of this struggle between the corrupt establishment and the Batman and his reformist allies. Commissioner Pauling was infamous for his open association with his ‘old friend’ Carmine Falcone, but was always careful to make sure he had just enough plausible deniability that no one could actually take him down . . . until Batman showed up and brought Pauling down with Falcone. The new Comissioner Gillian Loeb is not connected with the Syndicate, but he is more concerned with salvaging morale within the department. His only serious concession to the fight against organized crime has been the creation of a Major Case division headed by Captain James Gordon. Although its official purpose is the capture of Batman, Comissioner Loeb fully understands that Gordon is actually working with the vigilante and the new D.A. Harvey Dent to bring down the Syndicate. Opinion about Batman within the force is sharply divided, and not just between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cops, as there are also plenty of honest officers who hate the idea that the city has to rely on a crazy guy in a mask to do their job for them.