City Center / Downtown

Downtown? Yeah I guess it is pretty great. No where else do angels walk the streets and devils try to sell you life insurance. Just make sure you pay attention, City Center moves faster than anywhere else. Lose focus and you might never walk out.

- Damion, Owner of Noodles of Love

Ask anyone and they will tell you the beating heart of Carver City is somewhere in Downtown. Whether or not anyone in Downtown actually has a heart left is a completely different question. Neon lights flash from storefronts and advertisements, skyscrapers tower above blocking the sun, and millions of souls flow in and out of the stores and stalls that line the streets. But here, The Mist is stronger than usual. The constant clockwork nature of City Center breeds absentmindedness and Sleepers are more prone to not notice the machinations of powerful Rifts. Rifts around consumerism and power often collect here, where else would be better than the core of the city itself?

Points of Interest

The Tram Station

Carver City's Tram System has stations across the city, but the elevated monorail has a special place in Downtown. The station was built in an old church, refurbished and refit to accommodate the stream of people that flow through its doors. Rifts always get a tense feeling at the station, it is a place in between much like themselves. Nobody stays in the station for long by nature, but those that do slowly feel as though something wants them gone. People are not meant to linger, stationary, in a place designed for movement.

The Entertainment District

Carver City's residents and guests are always looking for something to ease their troubles. The Entertainment District is that something. The district has movie theaters and opera houses putting on dazzling shows at all hours of the neon night. Grandiose performances put on by struggling actors disappear in a weekend before something glitzier and more glamorous replaces them. Deeper into the district the theaters give way to jazz clubs, seedy bars, burlesques, and casinos. It is said the Entertainment District can sate any vice, its more... permanent... residents would agree.

The Financial District

Technically, Downtown is also called City Center. That is not quite true. City Center is really the Financial District. Enormous sky scrapers glitter like broken glass in the early light and softly glow with neon reflections at night. Mixed between these modern giants are old buildings, some centuries old, that house some of the first institutions that came to Carver City, or at least the richest. At the center of this, is City Hall, colloquially called the Graveyard. The building itself was once a manor of some sort belonging to a rich old baron who is long gone. Now, Mayor Graves sits in his office and makes sure Carver City runs and the engine of Downtown never stops.

The Waterfront District

The Horneater Bay is not the prettiest body of water but for the shop owners and residents of the Waterfront District, it will do. This expensive part of Downtown is full of restaurants, parks, and other tourist traps. However, for the locals, Waterfront is one of the few places you can relax and actually enjoy the scenery. At night, when you cannot see the actual color of the bay, it's almost beautiful.

The Trolleys

While the Tram allows for easy transport between districts, Downtown has its own set of trolleys that patrol the streets. They stop every few blocks but are a cheap alternative to taxis. Just be okay with cramped conditions and waiting for late pickups.

The Alleys

Locals know that the Downtown has a lot more to it than what people see from the streets. Running between buildings and into the shadows are an extensive series of alleyways. Trash of all kinds is kept here, not just the physical. Broken memories and forgotten promises line the dark corners with possessions discarded like fallen leaves.  Occasionally, this includes a body. They can be dangerous, but learn the Alleys and they can become your best friend.

Type

District