Yakuza 0 Casino Entrance - chismecalientito.com

Below is what I have created for my upcoming campaign. They will be mainly playing in Cape Town in Azania.
- Most of this information has been created by me, as there was not a lot of "cannon" game information in the books. where there was info, I tried to use it as much as possible. (but I also had to make it mine, so...some liberties have been taken).
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My questions are what do you think about it, should I change or add anything...or is it a nice starting point for what players would know about the nation and city they live in.
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Azania (South Africa):
The Azanian Confederation was formed in 2040 when the Cape Republic, Oranje-Vrystaat, Trans-Swazi Federation, and Zulu Nation decided to combine into one nation.
It fully participates in the Global SIN Registry
​
Geography:
The whole central and northern area is on a great plateau
· Northern Azania is almost all rain forest
· Easterly and center Azania is all arid desert
· Center Azania is mostly savannah and scrublands
· Westerly and center Azania is all plainlands
· Southern coast of Azania is varied and mountainous
There are gold mines and diamond mines that give Azania it’s wealth
· It is not uncommon to see slaves and indentured servants
Weather:
· Generally, the climate is temperate (remember that the seasons are opposite of North America)
· It doesn’t rain often, but when it does, it rains for a long stretch of time.
o This doesn’t include the far northern and the eastern region around Pretoria and Zulu
o This also doesn’t include Cape Town that has a dragon that makes it rain
Travel:
There are several highways that crisscross the nation (The below are the ones that are still mostly intact and maintained)
· The N1 is the fastest route to and from Cape Town to Pretoria
o The “No-Oners” is a gang that is found between Cape Town and Pretoria and frequently travel the N1 looking for those targets that are easy pickings. They are responsible for smuggling and trafficking the majority of contraband between the cities.
· The N2 is along the south coast from Cape Town
· The N7 will take you north up towards farmlands where it abruptly ends in a crater
· The N12 breaks from the N1 and takes you north through farmlands to the “Central Kalahari Reserve”
o The “Grey Coats” are a gang that operates from where the N12 breaks north, and highway road travel is safe if you pay the tolls that they enforce throughout the stretch. They are not that large though and will stay away from protected targets.
· The N3 will take you to and from Pretoria to New Hlobane
A super railway system runs the entirety on the country, and the main line runs from Cape Town to Pretoria
· It runs semi close to highway N1 (running next to it at a few stretches and runs a couple miles away at others)
· This rail system is protected and well maintained
· It is also instrumental for getting workers, tourists, and cargo between the cities
Languages:
· English and Afrikaans are tied for the most known/used languages
o English is more prevalent in the large cities and Afrikaans is more prevalent everywhere else
· The second most used language is Portuguese, and the third language is German
· The largest language spoken with in the Wakyambi Elves is Zulu
· After that; it is crime languages (Russian, Italian, Cantonese) and dialects (Swazi, Tsonga, etc.)
Flora and Fauna:
· The biodiversity here is too numerous to list, but all the standard African critters are present
o Awakened creatures are in excess, take a guide or ranger with you
§ Those that stray far from the highways and roads end up missing
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Cape Town:
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If someone could describe Cape Town in a single sentence it would probably be…
· A land where riches such as diamonds, gold, and uranium spring from the soil like savannah grass, life is still the cheapest of commodities and people are still desperate enough to indenture their offspring to corporate strip mines.
It is not the biggest city in Azania, but it is the most diverse and the capital of the country, as well as being the home to the most elite and powerful creatures in the nation.
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Leadership (movers and shakers):
^{Mujaji (f} (dragon) The Rain Queen – Great Feathered Serpent)
^{Richard Wong (m} (dwarf) Mayor)
^{Jan Vermeer (m} (human) CEO of DeBeers-Omnitech ()^Diamonds)
^{Erich Sladek (m} (ork) Lone Star Police Chief)
^{Jabu Goduka (m} (human) District Attorney)
^{Tanya Solari (f} (Elf) Ares District Director)
^{Quinton Lavigne (m} (human) Neo-Net District Director)
^{Steven Mbulo (m} (troll) Military General)
^{Rondo Gibbon (m} (dwarf) Shiawase District Director)
^{Tricia Mika (f} (human) Evo District Director)
^{Newton Buccan (m}(ork) Elite – Wealthy Investor)
^{Cayla Maille (f} (human) Elite – Wealthy Philanthropist)
^{Watha Yol (m} (Elf) Elite – Wealthy Investor)
^{Mabuki Njombo (m} (elf) Former “Rain Queen” Shaman)
^{Luis Barreto (m} (human) Pirate/Philanthropist/Humanitarian)
^{Malcolm Slayton (m} (human) Silver Skull Transportation CEO)
​
Parliament council members:
These are a few of the persons that handle all the nation’s major decisions and also reside in Cape Town.
(where-as not an official member, Mujaji is always welcome when she wants)
^{Nancy Finch (f} (human))
^{Sarah Tempra (f} (dwarf))
^{Fando Vuyo (m} (Elf))
^{Demetri Olof (m} (human))
^{Elizabeth West (f} (human))
^{Sean Killdeer (m} (troll))
^{Peter Williams (m} (human))
^{Hank Ford (m} (ork))
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Robben Island:
· Robben Island is an island located on the table shelf and is approximately four miles northwest away at its closest.
o By boat it takes approximately three and a half hours to ferry there, as there are many maritime hazards.
o It is most notably known for the military base and the prison it houses
§ It also has a small airport and community of military family members
Neighborhoods (the bowl):
Those that live in the bowl are not necessarily any better off then those that live in the fringe, they just get away with more.
Some well-known locales:
Waterfront:
· Visible from almost anywhere in Capetown, the blue harbor swarms with ships of all flags.
· This is the city’s seaport and despite Mujaji’s attempts, this remains in the hands of pirates and gangs.
· However, with the presence of corporate district offices, there is a common set of unspoken rules that keep trouble to a minimum.
· Victoria Wharf Mega-mall
· Cape Town Customs Office
· Two Oceans Aquarium
Mouilli Point:
· This neighborhood lies west of the waterfront, but still on the coast and lies within the harbor, and it also houses the large stadium (Green Point Stadium) where several sports are played.
· Several elite condominiums and resorts have also been built here.
· Home to upscale fortified gated estates of the super wealthy.
· This is also the home of the largest park in the city.
· Metropolitan Golf Club
· Green Point Stadium
· The Granger Hotel
Downtown:
· This area has seen the most renovation and revitalization in the past decade with an uncountable amount of nuyen poured into it.
· It rivals other large city downtowns like Seattle, Detroit, and Berlin in way of scope and verticality.
· Several large corporations have headquarters or district offices here, as well as housing large mega-mall/apartment complexes.
· Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden (Biotech greenhouse dome)
· Castle of Good Hope
· Cape Town City Municipal Buildings
· Arcade Café (BaClub)
· The Gin Bar (BaClub)
· Publik (Dance Club)
· Quiksotic Train Terminal
· Ares Macrotechnology Capital Building
The Gardens:
· This neighborhood is located south of Mouilli Point and is home to middle/upper-class families and tourists.
· The closer you live to the mountain, the nicer houses you will find, and the closer to the coast you will find apartment complexes.
· This district is also named after its many gardens, botanical works of art, and luxurious fountains.
· Newmark Hotel and Garden
· Protea Zoo
· Stella Varis Garden and Fountain
Castlen:
· South of the Garden along the coast and tucked away from the drek of city life you can find Castlen.
· There are few ways to get to this uber-rich neighborhood and all are closely monitored. There is a stretch for commercial…
· To even work as a servant in this neighborhood, you have to go through a vigorous background check.
· The Crystal Fairway (Golfcourse)
· The Roundhouse (5-star restaurant)
· Bungalow 52 (Dance Club)
Buisenkant:
· This neighborhood is located south of the downtown district, and has some of the best nightly views, too bad it is overpopulated.
· This area would be the slums of the bowl, with houses practically built adjoining and on top of each other.
· Those with the most money can afford the houses closer to the mountainside and thus upper manses with views.
· De Waal Park (and accompanying Molteno Reservoir)
· Marko’s Killa’ Party (Outdoor Club, Amphitheater)
· The Lions Hotel
Neighborhoods (the fringe and sprawl):
For all the money spending going into the neighborhoods of the “Bowl”, the rest of the sprawl has been left to filth and decay
Some well-known locales:
Lower Addeley:
· East of Waterfront and northeast of Longmarket, the “Low-ady” is mostly industrial shipping and industrial manufacturing
· This is also where the airport is located.
· It has been rebuilt to accommodate leisurely activities.
Far north, is where the dismantling of old ships happens, they are run-a-shore and those that want, get to work on them.
· Cape Town Airport
· Brooklyn Tower “the Brook” (Mega-mall)
· Buffelsfontein Hotel
Crossroads:
· This area is actually four neighborhoods that all border each other where the N1 and N7 highways intersect.
· These areas are mostly lower-class poor and industrial neighborhoods, that most choose to forget or look the other way.
· Summer Green: Spearhead Business Park
· Summer Green: Chemira Tek HQ
· Edgemead: De Akker Pub (Bar)
· Edgemead: Cape Town Community College
· Acacia Park: St. John’s Church
· Acacia Park: Maitland Cemetery
· Glenwood: Planet Bar (BaClub)
· Glenwood: N1 City Mega-Mall
Vesperdene:
· This neighborhood lies east of downtown and is one of the more affluent (but still middle-class) and commercial areas of the fringe.
· It also could be because it is pretty much just a huge bazaar and one can find pretty much anything here for a price.
Tourist and criminals travel these streets and visit these locales.
· Indra (Dance Club)
· Dunn’s Dungeon (BaClub)
· Magica Roma (Bawell known magic shop)
Pinelands:
· The largest neighborhood in the fringe, it is located east of Vesperdene and is like a small city in its own right.
· West of the N7 is mostly made up of lower-class apartment complexes and east of the N7 is middle-class suburbanite homes.
There is a downtown that spans the whole distance of the N7 within the boundaries of this area.
· West of N7: Star Holiday Mega-Apartments
· West of N7: Neo-Net Grid Housing
· West of N7: Morningside Mega-Apartments
· East of N7: GrandWest Casino and Resort
· East of N7: Renegades Pub (Bar)
Gugulethu (the Gut):
· This area is located south of Vesperdene and is a slumland.
· Whereas not as bad as Longmarket, it is still the bottom of society and slummy
· Belmont Square (series of Mega-Apartments)
· Cambridge Quart (series of Mega-Apartments)
· Rondebosch Commons (Park)
Longmarket:
· This neighborhood is located south of the Pinelands and east of Gugulethu.
· This is also where a lot of gang activity takes place, as does smuggling and black-market importing.
This is a neighborhood where even Lone Star will refuse to go to answer calls of criminal activity.
· Mostly slums and nobody ever goes there to visit
· These are mostly just metal shacks huddled together.
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Organized Crime:
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Mujaji recently decimated the powerful crime families, in an order to stem their illicit activities, this has left a large power vacuum in the city, that criminals and shadowrunners alike are weighing the options to take. There are three factions that have seemingly survived the “purging” and are vying for control of the cape.
· With the deaths of the boss Anthony Ferraro and underboss Killian O’Neill, the Mafia has been in an inter-political war where the “capos” are struggling to decide on a leader.
o Joseph Ferraro claims he has the greater entitlement to the spot, as his Uncle was the boss.
§ Joe is also rumored to be the richest and rumored to live in the “Castlen” neighborhood.
o Sean O’Neill is demanding he is the rightful heir to command, as he is the son of the underboss.
§ Sean is rumored to control the largest force of mobsters.
o Nicolas Panchini is claiming that it is time for new blood and ideas, as the last regime brought death.
§ Nick makes sure to get any rumors squashed but ask around everyone has ideas.
· The Vory were also decimated and lost a lot of their command; however, they were quick to hash out new leadership quickly; and in doing so have also been able to take territory from the Mafia.
o It is rumored that the new “Prakhan” (leadeboss) is “Vetka Artov”, she used to be the “Obshchak” (security overseer)
§ This is a tall muscular female troll, no one messed with her before, and now even more so…
· The “Blue Lotus” Triad survived and has quickly claimed with force the old Yakuza territories of Vesperdene
o It is rumored that have a powerful backer assisting them.
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Gangs:
There are eight main gangs that reside within and battle for neighborhoods; then there are several minor subsidiary gangs that control smaller “blocks” within those larger main gang territories. Below are the gang names and within that will be listed a few minor gangs they control.
· The “Drek-Heads” reside in and claim the northern part of the “Lower Addeley” as their own. It is rumored that the Drak-Heads are being led by Luis Barreto, a rumor that he vehemently denies. And no one has been able to expose this rumor to be the truth.
o The “Scrappers” control the criminal enterprises of “Dismantlers Corner” north of “Lower Addy”.
o The “Picaroons” reside in the “Racine Block” of the “Lower Addy” and are known for carjacking and piracy.
· The “Clowns” used to be part of the largest gang in the entire nation, the “Hard Time Kids”, but a recent schism has wrenched them apart. They are now known as the Clowns and despite the name are just as bad, if not worse than they were. They reside mostly in the “Longmarket” but are found in the “Pinelands” too.
o The “Jesters” reside in the “54th Block” of the western “Pinelands” and are more small-time criminals than anything else.
§ The 54th Block is also the location of the “Morningside Mega-Apartment Complex”
o The “Ha-ha Boys” reside in “Beggar’s Point” in “Longmarket” and are more violent than the clowns.
· The “Harvesters” are mostly found in the Matrix where they steal and extort the common wageworkeslave. Outside of the Matrix they reside in southern “Buisenkant” and deal in counterfeiting, Loansharking, and gambling.
o “DotEXE” works for them outside of the bowl and resides in the “Frankfort Block” of Vesperdene.
· The “Tusks” are primarily an ork and troll gang that will sometimes allow those that are not orks and trolls entrance if they prove their worth and dedication to the gang. They reside in within the “Acacia Park” region of the crossroads.
o There are no smaller gangs that work directly for the Tusks.
o The Tusks associate with many gangs and on any given day they could be an ally or an enemy.
· The “Reapers” are the only major gang that requires you to be awakened to join. They mostly deal with the occult and some even call them a cult with their rituals and practices. They reside in “the Gut”, but their influence is felt through-out the entire city by way of the astral realm.
o The “Spirit Guides” are an organization that claims no affiliation with the Reapers, however, most of the known members of the Reapers were once Spirit Guides. The guides are a pseudo religious group that worships astral creatures. They have “lodges” located all over the city. However, unlike the Reapers they will recruit non-awakened.
· The “Draak Elwe” are a group of gang bangers that consider themselves trophy hunters more then a street gang. They call Vesperdene their home, but travel throughout the city and nation hunting the Zulu Wakyambi and other; quote, “over-abundant species’.
o There are no smaller gangs that work directly for the Draak Elwe.
· The “Red Demons” are the city’s resident go-gang. They reside and strike bystanders along the northern part of the N7. This leads to clashes with the Drek-Heads and the scrappers. Lone Star has also upped its manpower in this region, but with an already tight shift of officers working night and day, it has been hardly an improvement.
o The “Speed-Freaks” are a gang that deals with primarily moving cargo safely for a cost. They can be found in any blackmarket where one would need to get things into or out of city limits.
o The “Road-Master” is a gang in his own right, although there are many who take up the mantle of road-master within it this gangs ranks, it is believed that there is an original person, an old shadow-runner, that controls the far northern stretch of N7, by the boarder through military like force. No one has ever seen him or has there been a recent accounting of an attack.
· The “Sisters” were recently run out of Acacia Park and their church, the famous St. John’s Church, by city municipalities and have moved to the “Summer Green” region of the crossroads. They are a religious gang that is all female and is militant and brutal.
o The “Crusaders” are the militant arm of the Sisters and are just as violent and vicious as their historic counterparts.
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Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vaal (Johannesburg):
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Northeast of the center of the country you will find the remains of Johannesburg, a once great city is now just a huge slum encircling the inner city reserved for the elites and administrators that run the labor camps.
· This is the largest city in Azania, but that size comes from two cities merging and the vast sprawl that extends from the center
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Leadership (movers and shakers):
^{Marielle Castilione (f} (human) Mayor)
^{Trenton Jobs (m} (human) Metro Police Force Chief)
^{Tandi Izula (m} (ork) District Attorney)
^{Galen Kader (m} (human) Saeder-Krup District Director)
^{Vala Ifu (f} (Elf) Neo-Net District Director)
^{Ganya Ulwazi (m} (elf) “King of the Garden” ()^{lord of the slums})
^{Malik Basset (m} (shapechanger) Prime Minister of Azania)
^{Nandi Mogayna (m} (human) Council of city affairs – Transportation)
^{Darron Frack (m} (Elf) Council of city affairs – Logistics)
^{Lori Hadel (f} (human) Council of city affairs – Human Services)
^{Zonke Opopa (m} (dwarf) Council of city affairs – Safety)
^{Ingwe Layga (f} (human) Council of city affairs – Operations)
​
Parliament council members:
The Parliament Building can be seen in the very center of the picture above
These are a few of the persons that handle all the nation’s major decisions and also reside in Pretoria.
(where-as not an official member, Mujaji is always welcome when she wants)
^{Yuko Locke (f} (Elf))
^{Kwanele Nana (f} (human))
^{Lunga Catz (m} (human))
^{Cole Hayland (m} (Elf))
^{Mercy Bennett (f} (human))
^{Jama Mange (m} (human))
^{Kennith Stoyer (m} (dwarf))
^{Maddie Sharp (f} (ork))
^{Ndonsa Endika (f} (troll))
^{Gentry Foster (m} (ork))
^{Eli Wood (m} (human))
^{Nolan Richards (m} (human))
^{Kayla Steward (f} (Elf))
^{Abelo Nowlz (m} (human))
^{Ufasimba Dulaka (m} (Elf))
^{Isabelle Mitchel (f} (human))
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Neighborhoods:
The neighborhoods are broken into zones, these zones have names associated with them, but can be commonly identified by numbeletter
Zone “A” and “B” are both inside the massive walls, the other six zones are numbers and represent 1/6th of the outer portion of the city, alphabetically.
Zone A – (Randburg – dual inner circles ):
· This is where the elite and rich live, and it is protected as such.
· Most of this part of the city is clean and white
· Travel to and from and even through in some places is closely monitored and check pointed.
There are no ground passageways outside of this zone that lead outside of the walls, that are not heavily monitored.
Zone B – (Johannesburg – outer circle)):
· This where the uppemiddle class and also the servants live.
· Travel through-out this area is as free as any other city, however, there are check points to move outside of the walls.
· Lone Star has a national large headquarters here.
· The largest “Urban Brawl” stadium is located here and spans several city blocks
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Starting clock-ways (north) and going around...
Zone One – (Tembisa):
· This is mostly commercial and lower-class to middle-class residents that live in this zone.
· This section is built up and is mostly made up of multi-story buildings and well-kept streets.
Those that visit Pretoria for work or pleasure will often stay here if they cannot afford the inner circles.
Zone Two – (Kempton Park):
· Mostly lower-class residential, and unmaintained parks dot this zone with habitation.
· This glorified slum is not as densely populate as zone 04 or 05, and as such, the shacks are a little more well build and most are built on a stone/brick foundation and have a second or third story.
· The further you get away from the city This zone is farmland.
Zone Three – (Alberton):
· One can find mostly slums and industrial parks here, it is not uncommon for large caliber weaponry to be brandished here with no repercussions.
· For a price though, you can rent personal security while there.
· The “king” controls this zone as well and has his own personal security force that he employs to keep the peace.
Zone Four – (Soweto):
· This cesspit and slum, is also the largest zone, and extends out to the Driefontein Mine
· This zone is controlled by slums Ganya Ulwazi, the self-proclaimed “King of the Slums”. As such no work gets done without his approval and assistance.
· This zone is mostly comprised of tightly condensed shacks.
Zone Five – (Roodepoort):
· This is all lower-class with a few strips of slumlands near the south
· This zone is mostly farmland and that land acts as a barrier from the slum of zone 04 and the nicer zone 06.
· Parts of the southern region and the farmlands of this zone are controlled by the “King” and his “Pretorian Guard”
· It is crucial that the food crops are maintained and defended.
Zone Six – (Steyn City):
· One of the smaller zone, it is sandwiched between Pretoria and “The Cradle Game Reserve”
· It has some of the best gardens in any of the outer zones and a lower-class population that works diligently to keep and maintain the look. However, they do not take kindly to visitors or tourist.
· Everyone here feels a duty to pitch in and help out.
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Organized Crime:
· Most of the criminal activities are handled by the gangs of Pretoria
o They constantly work together to make sure not one gang gets too big to take control, and this is all rumored to be orchestrated by one man. The “King of the Slums”
o There is a rumor that this is enhanced by the vast wealth exchanging hands and no one wanting to rock the boat
· The Metropolitan Police Force is also a well-paid elite subsidiary of Lone Star and does its best to keep crime to a minimum throughout the city and the subsequent zones.
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Gangs:
There are three main gangs within the city of Pretoria and one that plies in criminal activities but rumored for the good of the people…sort of like the old stories of Robinhood.
· The “Hard Time Kids” reside in Alberton (Zone 03) and are the original gang before the schism that broke the most powerful into the two most powerful and largest in their respected cities.
o The “Bucket Brothers”
· The “Tusks” that reside within Pretoria are a colony gang that broke away when those from Cape Town started allowing non-ork and non-trolls into their ranks. They reside in Styen City (zone 06)
o Like their counterparts, they are too violent to work with any minor gangs for too long.
· The “Stutzer” are a white only branch of the Humanist Poli-club that works exclusively in South Africa. They reside mostly in Kempton Park (zone 02). They attack everyone that isn’t human and white.
o The “5th Reich” is a German only branch of the Stutzer and a lot of members are in both gangs, you must speak German as a natural language and be able to trace your lineage. It is rumored that they are the ones that are actually in command.
· The “Pretorian Guard” are as much a gang as any other group of misfit criminals. They reside primarily in Soweto (zone 04), but their reach extends all the way into the capital and inner circle. They act as defenders of the people more than violent hoodlums.
o The king is a Wakyambi (elf) and is believed to have been in the city before everything went down 60+ years ago. Thus, he has a lot of pull and influence within the city and its residence.
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Zulu Nation:
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Far to the east along the coast is the home of the Zulu tribal Nation of Elves. Visitors need to get special permits to travel past their boarders into their capital of New Hlobane; and even if you are an elf your chances are not good. There are even Wakyambi that are not even allowed to enter. Being banished is a fate worse than death to most nationals.
The N3 is the highway that cuts through the capital of New Hlobane
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Leadership (movers and shakers):
^{Celogal Xanth (m} (elf) Prince)
^{Eragor Kant (m} (elf) National Military General)
^{Larry Walker (m} (elf) Chief City Relation Advisor)
^{Arien Lace (f} (elf) Chief Royal Attendant)
^{Grant Evans (m} (human) Pretoria Diplomat and Ambassador)
^{Yalaris Moot (f} (elf) Cape Town Diplomat and Ambassador)
^{Camanchi (f} (shapechanger) Willowton District Alderman)
^{Wami Chundo (m} Lincoln Meade District Alderwoman)
^{Olas Munga (m} (elf) Loop District Alderman)
^{Reidrey Hado (m} (ork) Downtown District Alderman)
^{Eris Jalamba (f} (elf) Clarendon District Alderwoman)
^{Popau Lolula (m} (elf) Scottsville District Alderman)
​
Neighborhoods:
These areas are broken into districts that each have a representative on the “High Seats” these members along with the price oversee the affairs and direction that the city will take.
· Willowton
o This district is northeast of the loop and is comprised mostly of industrial factories and the slums that surround them. When one pictures slums, they picture Cape Town’s Longmarket or Pretoria’s Soweto neighborhoods, but this would be more like lower-class in those cities. The nation of Zulu prides itself on maintaining their empire.
· Lincoln Meade
o This district is located east of the loop and is comprised of middle-class families and large parkland, that of which rivals the loop. It is one of the newer districts and is still in development, thus the lush natural aesthetics that still remain.
· Loop
o The Loop is the district that binds all the other districts together, it is at the center of the city and all the major roadways converge in this area. It also has the most parks and gardens of any other district.
· Downtown
o This district is northwest of the loop and is all larger buildings and vertical gardens. The city is surrounded by an unrelenting jungles with many unpleasant creatures and this makes it hard for farmers to keep land safe. So downtown has become the largest food depository in all of the nation. At least 2/3rds of all the high rises have some sort of agriculture built into them.
· Clarendon
o This district is located north-northeast of downtown and is mostly middle-class single-family homes broken into suburbs. Most of the working class live in this zone and the houses are the oldest in the city.
· Signal Hill
o This district is west of downtown and the loop and is a gated community and a small town in unto itself. It is also where the royal family lives in their castle and surrounding them are the uber-elite mansions.
· Scottsville
o This district is located south of the loop and is includes mostly tightly packed lower-class suburbs and a few middle-class houses sprinkled throughout the area of those that haven’t moved out yet. This district also has the most apartment complexed save for downtown.
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Organized Crime:
· It is alleged that technically there is no organized crime within the Zulu nation. This is speculated with rumors and whispers that the Zulu nation is in fact a criminal organization that actually controls the nation.
· This conspiracy theory is backed by stories of Zulu nationals in other parts of the country intertwined within other criminal networks.
​
Gangs:
· The “Pack” is the only one main gang within the city boundaries and it likes to keep it that way. They are rumored to be unofficial defenders and protectors of the city and the nation. They can be found throughout the whole nation.
o It is mostly comprised of shapeshifters and unbound spirits

OOC: Huge thanks to Comicfan18 for writing this with me. Also, thanks to Butonewalkingshadow for letting us use something from one of their past characters.
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[Storymode] ___
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Brandon sighed, the new counselors had been elected, the celestial bronze situation had been dealt with, and yet another quest had been issued. He finally had time to spend the night at the Hermes cabin to look for the supposed lion roaring Winnie insisted was coming from her room. He waited in the lobby of the cabin, as most would be unable to navigate their way around the halls of the hotel without an escort, and finding the counselor’s room would be even more difficult.
It was late, chances were pretty good that most of the Hermes kids were asleep and those that weren’t were out getting themselves into trouble. Winnie would be the only one up. Ever since the roaring started, Winnie confided how she hadn’t been sleeping much. And, when she did, it was usually passing out from exhaustion at her desk from overworking herself.
The elevator dings and the doors slide open with ease. Beckoning in Brandon, but there was no one on the inside. Brandon inches closer, curious, but the front door to the cabin creaks loudly as a pink-haired Winnie finally trudges in. Her eyes are dark, but… A bit more rested then they had been this morning. Half of her scruffy hair was laid flat on her head, and the rest stuck up in weird patterns. It looked as if she had just woken up.
Winnie pauses for a second, looking a bit shocked to see the boy, giving him a funny look.
“Hey, Winnie. Sorry for the delay, you know how things got, what with the Mycenaeans and all… But, I’m here now… Let’s go hunt us a lion.” He decided not to mention the questers away. It wouldn’t help things.
“What? Oh. Right. Gods, I was half delirious when I asked for your help. Surprised you're still following through with it.” Winnie goes over to the elevator and sticks her hand in the door, motioning him in. “My room is on the top floor.”
Brandon followed Winnie into the elevator with a nod. Aside from the Cabin Meeting she held, he had never been inside. He always got lucky and didn’t have to deal with them for cabin inspections. As the doors closed, Brandon began to give the Counselor of Hermes a hard time.
“Couldn’t pass up on a chance to prove you wrong Winnie… What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t point out your mistakes?”
“A good one?” “Exactly! So, let’s go find this lion. Hell, who knows, there may be a witch and a wardrobe there too! The possibilities are endless.” Winnie rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed that Brandon still didn’t believe her.
Gods, Winnie made a big deal out of this a few days ago. Now, I feel weird. I’m just lion hunting in her room. There’s definitely nothing weird about that. He shook his head to try to rid the thought from his mind as she opened the door to her room.
“So Winnie, when does this lion usually roar?” “Whenever it wants, really. If I had a pattern down, I could have probably figured it out on my own.” A pause while she looks over to Brandon, smirking, “And here you are. Lion hunting in my cabin.”
“And your Yakuza plans?” He brings up the topic change quickly, making Winnie chuckle and look ahead at the door as the lights change.
“Put it on the back burner for you. You already brought up the why… Old Gods, and all that.” Brandon nodded his head the door pinged and slid open into the Hermes counselor room.
The room itself had clearly been through a couple of changes. As it seemed to adapt to fit the current counselor’s desires. Winnie’s room looked somewhere between a high school’s theater dressing room, and a police department.
It was mostly one room, with the direct entrance being the police department. Her bed was in the center of the room, pushed against a wall. The desk was at the foot of the bed and there were papers and books stacked all around it. Instead of nightstands, she had stacks of books with the odd cup of water on it. Above her bed was a collage of papers, blueprints, and red thread. Like something out of a crime TV show, the red thread connecting various pictures. If Brandon looked over the collage, he might notice the mandarin and the blueprints to the Brooklyn Museum.
Pushed into the far corner was a massive bookshelf, half built into the wall, but filled from stem to stern with all kinds of books. Most had probably been there when the very first counselor had moved in after the Hermes cabin got revamped.
Where the kitchenette was probably supposed to be, was a massive collection of wigs and clothes. All the wigs, of various colors and shapes, were placed on white faceless mannequins. The counter held most of the wigs, and hanging from the counter and draped across whatever surface she could find in the area were all kinds of costumes and makeup.
Winnie sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose, “Sorry about the mess. A small part of me thought you weren’t going to come… But I got you something just in case.” She adds quickly before running over to the only other door other than the elevator. She swings it open and rolls out a cot, pushing with her foot towards the son of Hephaestus. “I kept it in there. Was getting in the way.” She gestures to the bathroom.
“Are you sure it’s for me?” Brandon asked with a smirk
“Well, it’s for sure not for the lion!”
“On a different note, what the fuck are you planning with all this shit? It looks like you robbed the set for NCIS. Wait, did you rob the set for NCIS, Winnie?”
“That-“ She points to the collage above her bed, “Is for a heist, duh. And the clothes are for when I need to be a different person.”
“Different person?”
“It’s, uh… Complicated. Winnifred Holmes is a popular girl for the wrong reasons among the mortal crowd.”
Brandon looks ready to question that but shakes his head. He took a seat on the cot and took out a notebook so he could at least do something to pass the time. He flipped through the pages looking for a blank one. The journal was packed to the brim with ideas for things to build. The more recent pages held traps and temporary defenses that he could make with the celestial bronze without breaking Xenia. There was the hellhound trap, the greek fire claymore, the flaming pig automatons, the list of ideas went on… And, as he sat on the bed absentmindedly twirling the pen. He continued to detail out some of the ideas. If Steele and Jay were right and a war was about to break out… Every creative idea in this book could help them defeat the enemy campers.
Winnie seemed to be working on something herself. She sat at her desk that faced her collage and her bed, and often switched between thoughtful glances and then leaning over the desk and scribbling something down in a furious pattern. Either way, he knew it wasn’t nearly as violent as the ideas he had rattling around in his head. Despite everything going on at camp, Winnie stayed true to her pacifist beliefs. Brandon could respect that, even if he personally didn’t agree with it.
Hours passed without a sound. Brandon was half asleep at this point. It was well past midnight. It seemed like the reprieve from the roaring was a welcome change for the Counselor of Hermes. Winnie had seemed well rested for the most part today, which was somewhat nice to not have a crazed Winnie seated at the desk. But even with an 8-hour nap under her belt, she still passed out at her desk, a book with a green cover placed over her head. She wheezed as she slept.
“Seems like Winnie was just on edge… There’s nothing here… No lion, just silence…” Brandon silently mused to himself before he closed his eyes. He wasn’t sleeping, just resting them… At least, that’s what he told himself. Despite that, sleep found him. Or, at least he thought he was asleep. Pictures flooded his head soon after closing his eyes.
A skinny dark-haired boy with his hair pulled up in a bun and wisps of facial hair was in the room with him, much larger than he was.
Come on Meulin, we’re going to be late for breakfast.
The boy walked out of Brandon’s line of sight and the scene changed again. This time, they were out in the Tyche cabin. The inside looked like a crappy casino… Brandon pulled something out from under the bed with his teeth.
The scene changed yet again, this time they were in the Hermes common room. Brandon watched as a conversation was carried out between two campers. The boy from earlier and a girl. The girl sat on a makeshift throne of sorts.
“Hey Cy!”
“Can’t believe you’re counselor, Little Smol…” The boy, Cy drank from a juice box before continuing. “I tried a couple of times; y’know?”
The scene changed again. They were back in the counselor room. Cy had several packed bags surrounding him. He fumbled around with a bookcase and it swung to the side revealing a hidden closet behind it.
“I’m going to miss you Meulin. But, my apartment in New York has a strict no auto-” “Cyrus!” A metallic voice that sounded like it hadn’t been used in ages echoed through Brandon’s and Winnie’s minds. Making both of the teens sit up quickly from their spots, Winnie’s book falling to the ground, and Brandon jumped to his feet pulling out his sword and shield.
“See?! I told you!” Winnie shouted, slapping a hand on the desk and standing up, looking around the room. Brandon was slowly piecing together the puzzle as to what the lion sound was. He got up to the bookcase and started randomly grabbing books and pulling them off the shelf.
“You honestly think I haven’t tried that?” Winnie says with a sigh as Brandon starts to destroy her bookcase. She leans back on the desk, watching him with an amused look on her face. “Huh? No? Short answer, I think there’s a secret compartment back here… And, I think your lion problem is an automaton.” Winnie gave Brandon a tired look before deciding that he probably wasn’t messing with her. She quickly joined him in throwing books off the shelf. Until every last book was thrown from the shelf and dropped onto the floor. Winnie looks at the messy collection of books and sighs, giving Brandon a look that clearly said, ‘I told you so.’
“It's coming from behind here… Trust me.” He starts feeling along the back of the bookshelf, tapping on the wood trying to find the hollow point. “I hope you aren’t attached to this booksh-”
“Cyrus?” Winnie and Brandon both covered their ears as the yell echoed around in their minds. To Brandon, it was a voice, to Winnie it was the same roar that had been haunting her the past few days.
Winnie shook her head rather violently, her hands shaking a little bit. “Notcrazynotcrazy!”
“You aren’t crazy, Winnie. At least, not for this.”
“Then why is this thing roaring in my head?!”
“I hear it too!”
That information seemed to calm the girl a bit, she blinked and looked at him. “Really?”
“Yeah, why do you think I’m standing here trying to break this bookcase?”
Winnie frowns and looks to the bookshelf, looking it up and down as Brandon takes a couple of steps back then starts to charge forward with the shield facing forward. He rams into the bookcase, making Winnie wince as the shelves themselves go flying and the wood splinters, but the back of the bookcase remains intact. The topmost shelf remained intact as well, unmoved by Brandon’s attempt to break it down.
“Err, sorry about the bookcase. I honestly figured that had a fifty-fifty chance of working.”
“Eh, I can fix it.”
He lifts his sword and brings it down on the shelf and a metallic clang echoes around the room. The shield and sword morph away and he starts tugging and pulling on the top shelf, grumbling as he tries to figure out the secret way in. “Wood that looks like metal? This shelf has to be our key into getting in…”
Meanwhile, Winnie just looks perplexed. She had never considered destroying the bookshelf, but at least she was confident in her abilities to fix it once this was all over… If it ended. She rubs her temple and watches as the bookshelf remains firmly in its place. She looks down at the books that are scattered across the floor…
She kneels down and picks up the books. “You know these old books have been here since way before me…” She admits to Brandon, who slows his actions and looks to Winnie, getting a perplexed look on his face as well. “The Hermes cabin changes a little bit every time someone new joins, but I’ve heard this bookshelf has been here forever…”
The teens look at the books and then back to the bookshelf… Brandon kneels down, looking at the books. “Which books have been here the longest?”
The next two hours pass in a blur as the two work together, picking apart the books and figuring out which books among the ones they had pulled off were either too young or too old to be a part of this puzzle. They had sorted the tomes to the best of their combined abilities and at the end of it, they had the dictionary.
Well, not really. They had a collection of 26 books, and each book was titled with a letter from the alphabet and the contents of the books were every word listed in alphabetical order that started with the same letter. Basically, 26 small dictionaries. Well, it was more so like 20 small dictionaries, as some of the books were missing. The books themselves were green with metal tipped corners and the spine of every book proudly declared their chosen letter with gold lettering. The books smelled fairly old, and when opened Winnie sighed happily at the smell of aged paper.
“Only a few things smell better then aged paper.” She snaps the book closed, looking at the top shelf.
“It clearly wants us to spell something.” Brandon holds the ‘B’ book in his hands, flipping through the pages.
“Clearly.” Winnie agrees, “Better not include Z, X, W, P, Q, or T, cause those books are MIA…” Winnie looks to Brandon, a little proud of herself for that dumb joke.
Brandon cracks a smile, but the smile is replaced as another “Cyrus,” echoes around in the Counselor's room.
Both Demigods look at each other, “Cyrus!” They say in unison as they start sorting through the books with a frenzy. Together they place the books on the shelf that spell out the word they had heard all night… And nothing happened.
“Adjust the placement?” Brandon suggested.
“Already on it.” Winnie starts moving the collection on the shelf, setting it on either end and setting it perfectly in the middle. They spend a solid 15 minutes rearranging the books on the shelf, trying to find the magic combination but nothing comes out of it.
Winnie groans and sits on the edge of her bed, holding her head in her hands. “I swear, I’m gonna move into the ranch at this rate…”
“What about the Athena cabin?”
“Shut up!” Winnie throws a book at the boy, that he easily sidesteps the attack and turns his attention back to the bookshelf.
“Come on, focus. There has to be something we are missing here.” He looks over the bookshelf and the stack of unused books. “Maybe they all have to be on the bookshelf? We need the whole alphabet…”
“I don’t think so,” Winnie admits with a sigh, leaning forward as she looks at it. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t think Hermes or any of the former counselors here would make this puzzle so difficult. Hermes is a tricky guy, but whatever is behind that shelf was meant to be shared by the Hermes Counselors, and I just didn’t get the memo.”
“Was there an actual memo?”
“Uh, maybe? I kinda avoided moving in here for awhile…” Winnie stands up and goes to her desk, opening the drawers and sorting through the paper on the inside. “I don’t think the guy before me ever left a note… And then this room went untouched for a long time.”
“So, you’re telling me that all of this probably could’ve been avoided if you moved into the counselor room when you were elected?” “I didn’t know I was elected. You nominated me without telling me.” Winnie folds her arms as she talked.
“Somebody needed to keep the Hermes cabin in check! And I’d prefer it be somebody I can bribe with glitter!”
Brandon shook his head and closed his eyes to think about the visions he had while in his half asleep and dazed state. He recalls seeing the young Cy, calling out for his friend. He opens his eyes, “I got it. Meulin!”
“Meulin?” Winnie repeats this name, knowing it sounded familiar from somewhere.
Brandon was already dropping the other books and taking the ones he needed. Winnie quickly rushes over and assists the best she can, with Brandon being the taller one it was easier for him to place the books on the shelf. It takes only seconds for Brandon to get all the tomes set in the proper order. Once they were set, both of the teens took a step back looking at the bookcase in wonder. They both waited in silence for something to happen… The daughter of Hermes was about to throw up her hands in defeat and the son of the forge just stepped in closer to try again, the bookcase moved.
Rusted gears cranked and turned, making quite the ruckus in the room. Nothing the two of them weren’t familiar with, thanks to working in the forge. The bookcase pushed every so slightly away from the wall. The way was open just by a crack, just enough to get the fingers between the case and whatever was in there. Without hesitating Brandon and Winnie each do just that and start pulling the bookcase. Winnie braces her foot on the wall and pushes as they try to pry the mysterious door open. They push and pull and the bookcase scraps along the floor as more gears grind and shift till the door was open wide enough for the two of them to see.
The two demigods found themselves staring at the glowing eyes of a [lioness automaton](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/lioness-robot-feline-resembles-mountain-lion-puma-33654837.jpg).
“Hello.” The automaton looks the two campers up and down, before continuing in much the same calm monotone. “You do not appear to be Cyrus.” It seemed like it tried to approach the demigods but was unable to move.
“No, I am not Cyrus, but I can understand you and I can help you. Your name is Meulin right?” Brandon gently reassured the automaton.
“Where is Cyrus?” The automaton questioned. Winnie again went to cover her ears and was muttering to herself.
“Automatonnotcrazyautomatonnotcrazy” “I don’t know, I don’t think there’s been a Cyrus at camp for a long time. But, I can fix you. You’ll be able to move again Meulin”
Brandon turned to Winnie and smiled a bit.
“So, how do you feel about me taking the automaton off your hands? Maybe we can repair him in the forge together? That is of course if you’re sure you don’t want to continue to deal with the incessant roaring.”
“Couple things real quick, I don’t think you are going to be able to move it just yet…” Winnie takes her fingers out of her ears and walks around the robotic creature, “She’s super rusted into the ground…” Winnie kneels down and starts to feel along the rusted edges of the cat. Frowning, “This might take a bit longer than just one cleaning session.”
She stands up and dusts off her hands, looking around the room. Faded papers were pinned to the walls and what was probably a nightstand had a collection of notes and papers strewn across it. She goes to the table, trying to sort it all out and make out the words.
“I’ll help you restore her, but I really don’t want her in the Hermes cabin anymore,” Winnie admits with a sigh.
“Transfer of ownership: Confirmed.” Winnie blinks and looks at the cat. She had heard Meulin speak that time.
“I didn’t own you. It may have been tradition in the past for the Hermes kids to own you, but I… I don’t. Never did. I like cats, but not…” She looks to Brandon, realizing she was kinda digging herself in a hole a little bit.
“You’ll love the Hephaestus cabin, Meulin.” Brandon pats the neck of the robot.
Winnie rubs her eyes, “Thank the Gods…” She whispers under her breath, then says a little louder. “What time is it?”
“It is exactly 6:02 AM. Good morning.”
"Meulin says it's 6:02..." Brandon relayed.
Winnie winces and starts to gather up the paperwork she found. “Might as well start on removing her. I’ll try to restore some of these papers later, but for now… Let’s go find some sponges and CLR.”
“Was going to say the same thing.”