When the game comes out I'd only have time on weekends as well. Up in Cheney I;m going to be running a few 1-shots as soon as the pdf becomes available.
But first, my thoughts on City Creation after reading the Batlimore Chapter.
Themes: It seems a City requires like...3 themes to define the city in general. Here are 2 themes that have been rattling around. My names need work.
The New Invading A Lasting Old
Spokane's an old place. Sure there are older places, but the structures built here tend to endure. Even as business fall and properties change hands, the old structures and traditions remain for the most part. There are buildings, businesses and blocks of real estate that have gone unchanged (for the most part) for decades.
When a new business does come in, it sinks into the community and whatever is built lasts and remains unchanged for years. There are too many examples to name. Look at the fast-food places around town that have lasted or changed hands, 99% have the same layout and exterior today as they did when my family moved here in 1991. There's a Zip's location in the Valley that has been frozen in time for 20 years. Laser Quest downtown is in the Old Armory, and looks the same years later.
This all may be coincidence in real life but in the Dresdenverse this is Fracking metaphysical in origin.
This area is home to something the local Magic Users call "Spokane Thresholds"
That is to say that in the Spokane area(extending at least as far as Cheney because it's the same here) Thresholds can be make faster and stronger with less people. With the right magical know-how it is stupidly easy to build spells upon these fast and strong thresholds. The area doesn't have any of the ancient thresholds older cities have, but a lot of places that shouldn't have thresholds or strong ones do. Spokane Thresholds also tend to linger long after they should dissipate after a property changes hands.
Spokane Thresholds are an invaluable commodity to the magical community. It attracts a lot of people, causing them to stay. We have a few Nationally Registered Historic Districts in town that are thought of by many as "Holes". Hillyard is the poorest neighborhood in the state yet people stay and maintain a sense of pride.
This theme is also reflected in nature when in 1974, as part of The World Expo new salmon was introduced to the Spokane River(which is true) as well as new water sprites and river spirits that have begun to clash with the polluted spirits from before the river was cleaned up.
Also reflected in the Great Fire of 1889 which many think was engineered due to the failings of water. At least one of the banks that rebuilt downtown was owned by the White Court. Which means Spokanite White Court vamps in town may be Dutch.
The last reflection of this theme for me is the Local family of Wardens, The Balthazars. They are from The Old World of things and have a family trait(possibly inherited from the area) of having baby faces, literally. A common Aspect among them to reflect this is
Old Man, Young Face. Some of the Oldest Balthazars in town are pushing a century or two and look like they are in their 20's. Being from the Old World of things, they follow a Laissez-faire attitude towards the Mortal world. Look but don't touch. No unnecessary interaction with Mortals. They make Harry Potter Wizards look down right friendly. They have a lot of Veils downtown built on the old thresholds to keep things under wraps.. Most of the Balthazars though came to Spokane to retire so most of them have have let their talent wither for the most part. It pisses the Wardens looking for recruits off something awful bacuse most of the Bathazars either don't join the Council or don't qualify for it.
Center of The Maelstrom
Spokane's weather is kinda wonky. Half the time over a period of years, it can't decide what season it is day-to-day. Other years, we get the extremes of the seasons coupled with major meteorological/geological activity. In my 19 years of living here I have seen no less than a Firestorm that has almost burned down my house and 2 major snowstorms that has left entire neighborhoods without power in addition to an uncharacteristic Earthquake and the fact we are in the shadow of Mount St. Helens.
The people here are also wonky. We are the 2nd largest city in Washington with the 2nd worst job market in the country. We have an equal amount of people who take pride in their homes(represented by the previous theme) as well as people who just want to get out of Dodge.
Magically, this is represented by lots of energies flowing around. The Nevernever in this area is hectic. There are Ley-lines(minor and major) running through town and many flows of energy that pool. The positive effect are the afore-mentioned Spokane Thresholds but the negative effect are pools of dark energies that pop up in places around town. There are places in town that have never had lasting, successful businesses(there are places in the Valley Mall that are either still empty or have never had a business in them that has lasted more than a few months).
The mining in this area also stirred things up when Earth spirits were driven from their homes.
Rituals preformed around Expo '74 stabilized this maelstrom but did not get rid of it.
One possible point of interest for this theme aside from our hectic seasons is a rumored group of Wizards that made it big in the Mortal World. These Wizards and lesser magic-users supposedly pissed off Queen Mab when they figured out a way to create dimenses in the Nevernever using specially created books. These Books are Thaumaturically linked to dimenses in the Nevernever described in them, which coincidentally had been the worlds or Ages that had been dreamed about for years. As a result, Myst has become an recent invaluable tool to teach Mortals and aspiring Wizards about the Nevernever(when they can still use computers). This diatribe though is only half-serious, but it depends on how much Myst you want in your game.
In terms of Threats and individuals I got next to nothing.
I do propose though that Merlyn's is not owned by John (he's just a front man) but by a supernatural community member who is for some reason named "Gorilla" Bob.
The only other organizations I can think about are the White Court who in my opinion have infiltrated the Mormon population and a group of Native American spirits that are recruiting and training Were-froms to take back down town.
That's what I have so far.
