Note: I'm only describing a few neighborhoods and sections of the city, focusing primarily on the French Quarter, because that's where the game will focus on more right now. You can do some research to find out more about the various neighborhoods. I an suggest starting off
here . Politics will be a overview and which areas they have more direct influence of. Players wont know all the intricacies of the power structure of NOLA, because they won't know it. They are, quiet frankly, to far down the totem poll (unless they take the appropriate knowledge).
A good many details of the "Shadow World" of New Orleans remains a mystery from those in power. NPC's will be detailed better in a future posting.
New Orleans by Night
Geography
Unlike other major cities in the United States, the people of New Orleans seems to have taken great strides in avoiding definitive boundries for the various neighborhoods which make up their city. This was true before the storm, and more so after. Because of the unique history of New Orleans, features within a neighborhood can change within just a few blocks - antique colonial estates giving way to modern hotels and traffic clogged roads. A bright lit avenue full of bars and clubs and suddenly become a quiet residential neighborhood or empty row of warehouses with little notice. Because of this, New Orleans seems limitlessly diverse - welcoming nearly any who wish to call it home.
Still, to the outsiders, and even those who inhabit the city, several areas have their own unique name and identity, known to all within the city - even if it is hard to know exactly where they begin.
The French Quarter
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Canal street to the south, Rampart to the west, Esplanade Ave to the North and the sedintary Mississippi to the east - those are the landmarks which most people agree make up the French Quarter - known to many of the locals as the Vieux Carre.
Before the storm, the French Quarter was culturally one of the best preserved examples of early French colonialism in America - buildings framed in wrought-iron banner-rails and tall wooden shutters over doors and windows alike. This 6 block by 12 block area are many and varied - in the Southern section near Canal Street you find the clubs, bars and restaraunts which draw most of the attention of the tourist. The closer you approach Esplanade Avenue in the north, the more residential the area becomes. Even Bourbon Street - the most notorious "party" street in the city becomes quaint and quiet the further one travels past Canal.
Even the residential areas feature stark contrasts - even though most of the French Quarter has been restored (and indeed it was even oddly spared the worst of Hurricane Katrina's destruction), some parts are still in states of major disrepair - mostly the area between Decatur and Chartres in the northern section. Still, these areas are the exceptions, rather than the rule. Unlike most other inner cities, the French Quarter is neither dirty or unkempt - in fact is it one of the cleanest areas in the city.
Street sweepers make their rounds in a regular schedule, shopkeeps, bar owners and residents alike all take great care and pride in peeking their store fronts and homes pristine and undamaged, and as close to original as possible. While this keeps the appearence of vandalism down, it also sends tourist into a false sense of security. The area is far from crime free and can be extremely dangerous for mortals, especially during the Mardi Gras season.
Perhaps the one thing the French Quarter lacks, most noticable in the residential districts of the Quarter, are lawns. Because the buildings are built so close together, such a luxury is impossible, but also gave rise to one of the better known and most elegant features of the French Quarter - the courtyard gardens. Nearly every home in the Quarter boasts one of these tranquil, intimate gardens which are often hidden from the public view behind ornamental, wrought-iron gates.
In the days before Katrina, mortals were in danger not only from common crime, but also from the Kindred who used the populated French Quarter (especially the crowded club section and Bourbon Street in particular) as their own personal feeding ground. Many clan leaders had headquarters, meeting places and even second homes in the Quarter, the crowds and free flowing alcohol usually made hunting easier for the Vampires - while most other Supernaturals stayed out of the Vampire's home turf.
Post Katrina, the French Quarter has instead become one of the shining lights of the city. While the rest of the city was damaged or flooded by the power of Hurricane Katrina, the French Quarter managed to escape with minimal damage to it's buildings, and almost no water in it's streets. Businesses within the quarter were quick to open up again to serve those that stayed behind to weather the storm - some as quickly as the next day. Before the storm, Kindred ruled the area, preying on the crowds in the club districts - especially along bourbon street, while Vampire Elders made their homes on Royale and Chartres Streets.
With the Traditions now having control of the city, the French Quarter has become the one place not in dispute amoungst the various factions - all who enter the French Quarter are expected to obey the Rule of Shade, or suffer the consequences of breaking the peace.
Streets of the Quarter:
- Decatur Street
Decatur runs near the docks of the Mississippi River and is considered one of the roughest and most dangerous areas in New Orleans. Various Kindred wander the dock area, amoungst them Assamite, Ravnos and Malkavians, while Were-Rats scurry between the warehouses which line the north end. Near the south end of the street is the old Jax Brewery building, which now houses a three section complex - shopping and entertainment in two, while the third houses the New Orleans Hard Rock Cafe.
- Chartres street
Located along the western strech of Decatur, Chartres borders the the west side of Jackson Square. At it's south is are the usual assortment of Bars, open-air jazz clubs and restaraunts, and section of upscale shops. The north end, as is common with most of the French Quarter, is the residential areas - several of the Camarillian Kindred and a few Glass Walkers own houses along this street - and while many of the Vampire's do not live here, the houses are often used to board acquaintances who come to town.
Though unknown to a great many of the residents of the city, Chartres plays home to the most powerful of the three Tradition chantries in the city.
- Royal Street
Just above Chartres lies the second most famous street in the French Quarter. It is lined with some of the most beautiful houses in the city, though the histories are rarely as pleasent as their facades. One particularly infamous house is known as the Lalaurie House, said to be haunted by the ghosts of the slaves starved and tortured to death by the doctor's wife..
Another important location on Royal Street is the first fireroof structure in the city, constructed int he early 1800s at 318 Royale Street. The first Prince of New Orleans, Prince Doran of the Ventrue, used the basement as a alternate haven for years, though he abandoned it at the begining of the 20th century.
On the corner of Chatres a and St Louis Street, once stood the City Exchange, land which is now a parking lot. Almost immediately after the Exchange's opening in 1838, it became one of New Orlean's most fashionable meeting places, and many of the most prominent socials of the season were held there. It was not unusual to find several Vampires and a few Mages attending these gatherings. The Exhcange was gutted by a fire in 1841, when alledgely several Anarch Vampires set fire to it during a masquerade ball, hoping to trap several of the elders attending that night. The elders escaped though, and shortly there after destroyed many of the South's leading Vampire Anarchs.
After the fire, the City Exchange was remodeled and reopened as the St Louis Hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in New Orleans - though some claim the spirits of those who died in the fire still haunted the hotel. The hotel was finally razed to the ground in 1914, and no new structure was built on it's remains.
The business side of Royal Street is famous for it's assortment of antique and book shops. Perhaps the best known shop is on 333 Royal Street, in a building that served as the first US Post Office in New Orleans, now housing Nex Coupe Books, which specialize in rare books, documents and old maps. At 400 Royal is the New Orleans Court building, housing the Supreme Court, Court of appeals, Civil District and City Courts and the Clerk of Courts which houses all real-estate transactions from the city's history.
- Bourbon Street
Above Royal streches the most notorious street in all the French Quarter - Bourbon Street. So famous is the street, that it's very name is synonymous with New Orleans itself. Despite Bourbon's reputation, the brightly lit, raucous nightclub and bar filled southern district only fills the first half dozen blocks. The closer one gets to Esplanade Avenue, the more residential the area becomes until the only lights you see are those on the street corners, and the only sounds are the fading rhythms of the jazz bands down the street.
With-in those first few, very famous blocks is where you can find most of the cities supernatural denizens. In the late hours, members of every Vampire Clan can be found on the streets, along with various Magi and Shifters. Changlings roam amoungst the crowds, searching for those who could offer up the precious Glamour which feeds their world.
From sundown to dawn, the strip clubs, bars and nightclubs overflow with patrons, who often spill out into the streets. Each day at dundown, city workers close Bourbon off to automobile traffix. They accomplish this by setting large thick steel posts in the street, allowing clubgoers to wander around in safety. most of the bars and clubs feature panels that are rolled up to expose the bar to the street.
Although several clubs stay open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, most close for a few hours each day, usually between dawn and late morning. They reopen when the tourist return to the French Quarter. In those early morning hours the once brightly lit Quarter assumes a tired, faded look. Many of the club and bar owners use these hours to sweep our the remnants of the previous evening's festivities. Workers hose off steps and sidewalks, while the sounds of the outer city echo down the channels of empty streets. Vagrants and those too drunk to make it home can often be found in the small alleyways between shops, sleeping in old blankets, or rags.
- Rampart Street
Located on the west side of the French Quarter, Rampart is divided two-lane road known for it's prostitutes, pushers and junkies who regularly hang out there.
- Jackson Square and the French Market
Almost as famous as Bourbon Street and Royal Street, Jackson Square and the French Market are certain draws for any tourist within New Orleans.
Jackson Square is often dubbed the Heart of the French Quarter for it hosted most of the early town gatherings and the original planners built the very city around it. By day, muscicians, jugglers and a host of other street performers roam it's confines, by night it hosts tourists, locals and of course, the Awakened who prey on those self same. In the days before Katrina, the Gangrel Justicar Xaviar held at least part of the proceedings of his regular Conclaves in Jackson Square.
Cafe Du Monde marks the beginning of the French Market, a combination of rennovated buildings and open air booths extending several blocks along Decatur Street, French Market Place and North Peters Street. Tradition claims it t be the site of an old Choctaw Indian trading post where the natives sold wild herbs and berries to the settlers. It holds the distinction of being one of the oldest institutions in New Orleans. For more than 150 years, it's shops, sheds and stalls have sold the best fruits, spices and fish in the city. Even before Katrina, Vampires and other Awakened beings stayed far away from the Market, claiming that the Magi regularly frequented the place seeking, perhaps, special herbs there.
Garden District
An elegant, picturesque portion of the city, the are aknown as the Garden District is well known even outside of New Orleans as a well to do neighborhood. The Garden District is enclosed by St Charles Avenue, Jackson Avenue, Louisiana Avenue and Magazine Street.
After the United State purchased New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana, US Citizens moving into the the city settled in and built the Garden District after being snubbed by the older residents. The newcomers consciously rejected the city's Creole flavor and established an area decidedly their own. Towering colonial mansions with their lavish, spacious lawns contract sharply with the cloistered patios of the French Quarter. Many of the houses still standign date back to the 1830's. This area includes many of New Orleans parks, universities, churches and expensive residential areas.
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Politics and Territory:
Much as it was before the Storm, New Orleans is a city divided amoungst the Awakened - the only thing that has really changed has been the players.
In the years before Katrina, the city was firmly in the hands of the Camarillian Vampires, lead by the Ventrue Doran and now by his Childe, Marcel. The Tradition Mages were second in power and influence to the Vampires, thanks to a agreement between the two factions made in the early days of the city to help stymie the power and influence of some of their mutual enemies. The Fae operated in secret, loathe to be captured by either the Vampire's or the Magi, due to the potency of their Glamour - and the Shifting Breeds which lived and around the city (including the Urhal, Mokole, Ratkin, several Garou Tribes) fought their own battles against the Wyrm tainted forces that surronded and moved within the city.
After the storm, much of this changed. Hurricane Katrina was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of the city's supernaturals - Mages, Vampires, Shifters and Fae all were either outright killed or depowered by the strange occurances during the storm, only those who had left the city before it struck were safe. Suddenly the balance of power in New Orleans was up for grabs. The Tradition Mages were the first to get sorted after the storm, taken in by a aging Hermetic who had been in the city for years and kept out of the games played by the younger Magi. Shortly after the storm had passed, the two Chantries were packed and moved from their old locations, and the Magi were at work to make sure theirs was the vision which guided New Orleans forward from that point on. Where as the majority of Tradition Mages in the city were euthanatos, Cult of Ecstacy and Celestial Chorus, Mages of any Tradition are welcome in New Orleans now.
The Technocracy attempted to move into the city with the recovery efforts, only to find their attempts blocked by the mortal system which they worked within - NWO agents and Iteration X Komrades and Workers who had infiltrated the FEMA relief teams were constantly diverted, shipments of equipment were lost in shipping. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the Technocracy was fighting against itself, as each Convention had it's own ideas on how to guide New Orleans, and none could advance their own cause in the face of the efforts put forth by their more magickal foes. In the end, the Technocracy garnered little more influence in the city than they had before, and only a few carefully hidden constructs to keep an eye on their advesaries. Most Technocrats in the city are of the Progenitor and Syndicate Conventions, though there are a few NWO and Iteration X technocrats within the city.
Before the Storm, the cities Ratkin and Bonegnawer Garou shared the streets and alley ways, fighting as they could against the forces of the Wyrm and corruption. Their territory was known to the other, and respected by both Breeds. Not much has changed after the storm - the Ratkin may be a bit more populous, and the Bonegnawers a little more wide spread in the city, but much has remained for them. Gurhal and Mokole still inhabit the swamps and plains surronding the city, and several Utkena and a small pack of Glasswalkers have moved into the city.
Thinking New Orleans would be a easy grab in the chaos post-Katrina, the Sabbat moved on the city, lead by the Lasombra Pack Leader Miguel De LaCosa. The Sabbat Packs swept through the city from the south-west, and quickly claimed as much territory as they could - expecting the other Supernaturals to be easily rolled over by their attacks, and the city would fall as the other Kindred would be to disoriented to resist. They were surprised by the stiff resistence put up by both the cities Magi - mages who finally saw their chance to be the guiding light, and would not give it up so easily. By the time Prince Marcel had returned to the city with his Camarilia, the Sabbat packs were forced into the West Bank area, and held a uneasy truce with the Tradition and Technocratic Mages.
Prince Marcel expected to return to New Orleans and resume his old seat of power, running the city as he had for nearly the 50 years - only to find the Mages would not relinquish their influence so easily. Seeing for once the Mages were united, instead of bickering, and thus making them a more powerful foe than previously, Marcel struck a accord with the Mages elders, claiming a peice of New Orleans for themselves, while submitting to the will of the Magi when required. Marcel is still the "Prince of New Orleans" and holds sway over those Vampires who wish admittence....but those Vampires who enter are held by the rules of the city's Mages.
The Fae who survived the storm found their precious Glamour had dwindled to near extinction in the devestated city, and many of their leaders had died in the storm. The Fae Courts are a shadow of their former wonder, though many Fae can still be found in the city now that recovery is well underway, and the city seems to burn brighter than it did before.
Territorial Claims:
Sabbat Vampires
Algiers, Gretna, portions of Chalmette along the river.
Center of Influence Algiers Point.
Camarilia Vampires
Arts District, Lower Garden District, Esplanade Ridge and Bywater.
Center of Influence: Arts District
Technocracy
CBD/Downtown, Mid-City, Gentilly, Lower Ninth Ward.
Center of Influence: Central Business District (CBD)
Tradition Mages
Influence over most of the city, distinct claims over French Quarter, Treme, Mid-City, Carrollton, Arabi, Uptown and Lakeview
Centers of Influence: French Quarter, Arabi and Carrollton
Fae Courts
Lakeview
Center of Influence: Lakeview
Glasswalkers
Central Business District/Downtown, Mid-town