"The Yards ain’t dead yet—but they’re limping, and every man in this ward knows it. You hear that steam hiss? That’s the sound of the old world bleeding out."
New City sits on the city’s Southwest Side. It’s home to two of Chicago’s most storied and volatile neighborhoods: the labor-scarred Back of the Yards and the fiercely insular Canaryville. Though the Union Stock Yards still operate in 1953, the smoke is thinning, the jobs are drying up, and the power structures built on slaughter and steel are cracking under the weight of change. Old-world immigrants, new arrivals, union men, Outfit enforcers, and ghosts of the industrial past all jostle for space here—and some corners still stink of blood.
The Veil here is heavy in the bones and laced in the brick. Strange echoes drift from steam tunnels, and some say the killing floors still hum after midnight. The Outfit plays a quiet but firm hand, while unions, street crews, and Veil-walkers scrape over the leftovers. It’s not a place to find peace—but it’s a hell of a place to find power.
Neighborhoods
Back of the Yards
Built to serve the massive Union Stock Yards, this neighborhood grew from grit, immigrant labor, and the relentless grind of industrial slaughter. The factories still hum, but not like they used to. Poles, Lithuanians, and Irish workers now share crowded tenements with newly arriving Mexican families, creating both uneasy tension and surprising alliances. The streets are loud with union calls, stray dogs, and streetcorner sermons. Some of the slaughterhouses lie abandoned—others are barely holding on, running third shifts with skeleton crews and Veil-laced residue leaking into the soil.Canaryville
One of the oldest Irish enclaves in the city, Canaryville clings to its bloodlines and parish pride with white-knuckled resolve. The neighborhood is insular, wary of outsiders, and fiercely territorial. Local boys still run in tight crews, some wearing old gang colors, others just sporting attitude and brass knuckles. Outfit ties run deep in certain taverns and funeral homes. At night, old prayers and older debts echo through the alleyways. The Veil here doesn’t tear—it whispers.Notes
Union presence is strong, especially in meatpacking and steel-related trades. Gangs like ICB and the Butcher Boys operate here with Outfit approval. Richie Mans and Uncle Carm keep one foot in labor halls and the other in backroom deals. Veil disturbances near closed pens and steam tunnels are increasing—locals pretend it’s just the heat. Some say a portion of the old killing floor never shut down—it just went quiet. A buried freight spur under Ashland still rings when no trains are due. The Quinns have just started making moves through construction interests. The neighborhood’s old churches keep crypts that don’t match their official blueprints.Sweat, steam, and spiritual bleed. New City pulses with the death throes of industrial power—its ghosts walk union halls, its blood runs beneath the rail lines.
| Wealth | |
| Security & Safety | |
| Criminal Influence | |
| Occult Influence |
| Irish American | 35% |
| Polish & Lithuanian American | 25% |
| Mexican American | 25% |
| Black American | 10% |
| Other (Slovak, Italian, etc.) | 5% |
| South Side
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| Southwest Side
|
New City
Slaughter Alley – Old butchers meet young hitters—territory for blood deals. Transit House Basement – Discreet dead drops and questionable storage. Hogman’s Corner – The Butcher Boys’ stomping grounds. Old Smokehouse – Always smells like fire, even decades after the last blaze. Shiv Shed – Veil-charged workshop where blood rituals and blacksmithing blur. Bone Yard Tunnels – Off-map tunnels known to hum with energy—and voices. Canaryville:
O’Malley’s Bar – Fear Crew stronghold and confessional in one. Rooftop Walks – Used for lookouts, stashes, and secret crew meetings. St. Adalbert’s Lot – Empty field where turf wars begin and end. The Cracked Mug – A Veil-drenched dive where the walls remember old confessions. The Ivy Shrine – Wrapped around a power pole, this twisted green shape shifts with prayer. Whisper Row – A stretch of alley where no sound holds—used for silent rituals and whispered pacts.
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