Lakewood, Washington
The second largest city in the area, Lakewood is home to plenty of commerce, entertainment, restaurants, and residential neighborhoods. As of the Cleansing Nights, it's also the domain of Baron Raul Bazzoli, a Nosferatu mafioso with a scheme and a brutal claw. Luckily for the Kine of the area, he needs them alive, paying, and moving to make the most of it.
Formerly a fertile prairie for the native tribes and abundant resources, it's been the home to many a Mage, Garou, Fae, or Wraith, but now they've mostly gone for greener pastures save for those who persist nonetheless.
History
The land now known as Lakewood was once merely The Prairie, 20 miles of land used for hunting and agriculture by the local Steilacoom and Nisqually tribes before white hunters and fur trappers made their way out west. In the mid 1800's, it became a site for the US Army and the new Fort Steilacoom which many people in the area used to avoid the (deserved) aggression of the aforementioned native tribes. One such native, the Nisqually Chief, Leschi, was wrongfully accused of murder for deaths in a skirmish and hanged in a plot of oak trees that is, now, a shopping center. How time goes on. Following the mid to late 1800's, various infrastructural keystones were made as people moved to the region and began to settle further en masse, as the presence of Fort Steilacoom brought more and more members of the military, including some that would go on to make names for themselves in the Civil War. As Washington became an official state and the 1900's began, more and more people came and developed the land, and less notable things began to occur. More and more key developments began to take off that turned the area into the mix of suburban neighborhoods and active shopping centers it is today, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord continued to grow off the military presence that had been there since the areas settling. In 1996 it was formally instated as a city in it's own right, and it persists as such to this day, even if it's general reputation isn't the greatest due to its percieved higher rates of crime.Supernatural History
For Kindred, Lakewood has largely been an extension of Tacoma in their eyes. The military minded of Clan Ventrue have had their fangs in Joint Base Lewis-McChord, of course, but largely it follows the same rules and historical beats as Tacoma itself. But, things were more complicated for the other Supernaturals of the area, most importantly the The Awakened and The Garou of the pre-colonial era. In the pre-settler past of the region, many Dreamspeakers were found within the native tribes of the region, including the Steilacoom and Nisqually who frequented the Prairie. They tended to the spirits of the land and warded off ill portents, yet often came into conflict with local Garou, especially from the Red Talons and Hart Wardens. Things remained mostly copacetic until settlers began to move in. The Mages at first did not want to harm them, as their membership among the Traditions introduced them to white folk long before this moment, but the Garou knew they would decimate the land just like the rest. While inter-tribe squabbles continued throughout the real battles against the settlers, they were asuaged after the wrongful execution of Chief Leschi. For those not strictly devoted to neutrality or appeasement, this was the last straw. However, even their supernatural methods of attack would be halted, as mercenary Mages and Garou were among the settlers as well, stopping the native Supernaturals from ennacting their justice. The most vile among them was a member of the Iron Riders, now the Glass Walkers, by the name of Malone Miles who enjoyed nothing more than breaking the will of "In-juns" under fang and claw. For many decades, this created a stark antagonism between the native Mages and Garou and the settlers. It wasn't until the rise of the Technocracy throughout the 70's and 80's that restitutions were made and a peace was brokered, but many native members remember the scars still, especially among the Garou as the Puyallup tribe became the De Facto leaders of the Garou in the area, with the Glass Walkers being especially derided save for a few exceptions.Demographics
Real Demographics
As of the 2020 Census, Lakewoods roughly 63k population was 56.6% White, 18.5% Latino, 12.9% African and/or African-American, 7.7% Asian, 3.2% Pacific Islander, and 1.2% Native American with 12.9% identifying as Mixed Race. 50.6% of that total number listed Female as their biological sex, and the median age is 36 years old, with a grand total of 64% of the population being between 18 and 64.Supernatural Demographics
While it's difficult to get a proper Kindred headcount, there are at least 80 Kindred within the territorial bounds of Lakewood. Of those, members of Clan Ventrue have been the most outwardly populous, but they are often going to hog the spotlight. While many Awakened prefer to gather in Tacoma itself, a handful live in the Lakewood area. A small astrologically focused chantry has been set up near Pierce College, one has existed largely in secret within the Western State Hospital, and another weaves through hidden passageways in the Lakewood Towne Center, with their headquarters being tucked between the local movie theater and Barnes & Noble. Some small Covens operate out of the rare magically enriched spots, only slightly beating back the effects of the Weakness. Most of these Mages are members of the Traditions, but with a massive military base nearby the Technocracy has some leverage and agents in the area as well. Few Garou like to live in the cities themselves, but one can find a good handful of Glasswalkers if they look on the fringes of Lakewood enough. No, there are much more Garou travelling between and hiding out in spots throughout the massive and blocked-off Joint Base Lewis-McChord, right next to the legal area of the city. From Lakewood all the way down to the small towns of Roy and Yelm, while it's heavily restricted there are many spots the Garou have carved for themselves to hide, enrich, and gather themselves either in the real world or within the pockets of Umbra they find along tthe way. These pockets and pathways also make it easy for Garou in small towns to gather to the larger caerns in the area quickly and vice-versa. Of these disprate Garou away from the city, most of them belong to either the Four Winds or Bone Gnawers.Government
Lakewood for humans has a Council-manager structure, meaning that the voters elect a city council and a Mayor who leads them, who then hire a City Manager to assist with logistics.
For the Kindred, Lakewood is under Anarch rule, with Baron Raul Bazzoli being the one in charge. Following the Cleansing Nights and the victory of The South Sound Barons, he emphatically claimed the territory, as he found it populated enough to get his mafia-esque machinations underway while staying in the shadows like he wished. Plus, the area is already relatively high in crime, an existing demographic he nigh salivated at the prospect of getting under his claw.
The other Supernaturals in the region don't particularly care for ownership, but The Stellar Chantry at Pierce College is the de-facto city authority when it comes to matters of The Traditions, and The Cairne of The Prairie is where the Garou gather and live.
Industry & Trade
Lakewood has a wide variety of employment demographics, the largest four being Healthcare, Retail, Education, and Transportation & Storage. While this serves the human population well, not to mention the sheer amount who merely live in the city and work far afield or are in the military, the Kindred of the city require different necessities. Thankfully, there are plenty of criminal enterprises to take advantage of, from thieves, to aggressive hired arms, to taking control of gang activity in the area.
Points of interest
The Lakewood Towne Center is a key urban shopping center that has a movie theater, three grocery stores, plenty of restaurants, and various other businesses chain and local alike, not to mention those that exist a stones throw away. For the more naturally focused, there are several parks, lakes, and creeks to take advantage of and calmer suburbs to walk through.
Founding Date
Settled 1883, Incorporated 2/28/1996
Type
Large city
Population
~62,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Lakewoodian
Characters in Location
Neighborhoods
The most key neighborhoods in Lakewood are:- Lakeview - Smack dab in the center of the city and home to many of the businesses there, including the Towne Center.
- Central Lakes - To the west of Lakeview, it's primarily residential while also containing Steilacoom Lake and the grounds for Pierce College.
- Northeast Lakewood - While in Kindred terms this neighborhood falls under the rule of Fiore Choi-Yun, the stretch of land that contains the international district of South Tacoma Way is a part of Lakewood for mortal minds.
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