Post by Talon on Jun 3, 2009 15:36:44 GMT -5
This here, ladies and gents, is the story of how Nightshade came to be the way it is today. Note- this is NOT common knowledge among characters (except for the first few lines), nor is it easily obtainable knowledge.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Nightshade. A city of about 450,000 that thrives on its nuclear power plants, steel production, and happens to be one of the largest centers of technological advancement in the United States. However, in the year 2002, the city gained a new calling as well, thanks to the scientist known as Dr. William F. Astor. This man was a genius in the field of quantum physics, but had been a bit unstable due to all the ridicule he’d received from his piers for his Multiple Planes theory; a theory insisting that there were in fact multiple dimensions, all of which shared similarities with the dimension we live in. It was said that multiple tears existed to various places on our plane that would lead to these other realms, and vice-versa. Due to his seeming lack of evidence and ridiculous claims, the theory had been rejected time and time again.
On the night of October 27th, 2002, however, Dr. Astor would prove himself right.
To a group of his fellow men-of-science, Astor had revealed a device capable of piercing dimensional boundaries. The device, titled ‘The Cross-Gate’, spanned over a good 200 feet across, and consumed enough power to black Nightshade out for several hours… which it had, upon activation. The entirety of Astor’s compound was shaken to the core, and as the boundaries between worlds had been torn, Astor had claimed before his on-looking piers as images of these planes flashed through the pool-like portal,
“Now do you see?! There are other worlds! With this device, we may reach out to these worlds! We will see lands only the young and the mad have dreamed of! Such fantastic possibilities await us! With this machine, we may even reach out to the realms of the dead- Heaven, Hell, and those without name or form are within our grasp!”
Something had gone wrong shortly after he uttered that statement. Some otherworldly entity had been viewing this from the other side of the portal, existing in a realm between realms; a ‘negative space’. It found this man’s mad rant intriguing, and the machine itself, far more so- the power to move between differing realms of existence was nothing to scoff at. It then began to breach the portal, causing all present to panic, Astor most of all. In his state of frenzy, the doctor had tried to close the portal, of which angered the beast, who was already halfway through the machine. In a sudden state of rage, the otherworldly aberration had sent out a surge of energy, causing the already-unstable machine to short out, and unfortunately, explode.
“You will come to know the consequences of what you have done today…!” It had laughed, retreating into the gray abyss from whence it came.
The explosion had been massive. It had vaporized a good 5-mile radius around Astor’s laboratory, forming what is known today around Nightshade as the Barrens, but has caused a much larger, more terrible effect to the entire city of Nightshade and its surrounding area…
The entire 10-mile radius around Nightshade, the nearby mountains, the outskirts and the new desert has become… a portal in itself. Though not visible, strange occurrences are brought about in these areas, mostly those involving the dimensional borders Astor had spoken so highly of. The entire area produces a strange aura of abnormality to newcomers, and has a strange way of bringing in those not of ‘the norm’- Extraterrestrials, extra-planar folk, aberrations from our own plane- all are mysteriously drawn to this point on Earth because of Astor’s mistake. Why? Perhaps it is a sense of knowing that the portal will fully reform one day, and catastrophe will be brought upon the planet- and when it does, they shall be called together to stop it…
To this day, the residents of the city itself still have no idea what really happened on the outskirts of the city that night, but most tend to shy away from the land of death that is the desert. They remain blissfully ignorant to most of the massive amounts of paranormal activity within their city, thanks to the work of the organization known as Precinct 13.
Amazingly, the complex that the Cross-Gate had been built in still stands, though noticeably worn, and seemingly empty. The fate of those present at the detonation of the Cross-Gate is unknown still to all… except for a single broken, deranged man who calls the complex his home.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Nightshade. A city of about 450,000 that thrives on its nuclear power plants, steel production, and happens to be one of the largest centers of technological advancement in the United States. However, in the year 2002, the city gained a new calling as well, thanks to the scientist known as Dr. William F. Astor. This man was a genius in the field of quantum physics, but had been a bit unstable due to all the ridicule he’d received from his piers for his Multiple Planes theory; a theory insisting that there were in fact multiple dimensions, all of which shared similarities with the dimension we live in. It was said that multiple tears existed to various places on our plane that would lead to these other realms, and vice-versa. Due to his seeming lack of evidence and ridiculous claims, the theory had been rejected time and time again.
On the night of October 27th, 2002, however, Dr. Astor would prove himself right.
To a group of his fellow men-of-science, Astor had revealed a device capable of piercing dimensional boundaries. The device, titled ‘The Cross-Gate’, spanned over a good 200 feet across, and consumed enough power to black Nightshade out for several hours… which it had, upon activation. The entirety of Astor’s compound was shaken to the core, and as the boundaries between worlds had been torn, Astor had claimed before his on-looking piers as images of these planes flashed through the pool-like portal,
“Now do you see?! There are other worlds! With this device, we may reach out to these worlds! We will see lands only the young and the mad have dreamed of! Such fantastic possibilities await us! With this machine, we may even reach out to the realms of the dead- Heaven, Hell, and those without name or form are within our grasp!”
Something had gone wrong shortly after he uttered that statement. Some otherworldly entity had been viewing this from the other side of the portal, existing in a realm between realms; a ‘negative space’. It found this man’s mad rant intriguing, and the machine itself, far more so- the power to move between differing realms of existence was nothing to scoff at. It then began to breach the portal, causing all present to panic, Astor most of all. In his state of frenzy, the doctor had tried to close the portal, of which angered the beast, who was already halfway through the machine. In a sudden state of rage, the otherworldly aberration had sent out a surge of energy, causing the already-unstable machine to short out, and unfortunately, explode.
“You will come to know the consequences of what you have done today…!” It had laughed, retreating into the gray abyss from whence it came.
The explosion had been massive. It had vaporized a good 5-mile radius around Astor’s laboratory, forming what is known today around Nightshade as the Barrens, but has caused a much larger, more terrible effect to the entire city of Nightshade and its surrounding area…
The entire 10-mile radius around Nightshade, the nearby mountains, the outskirts and the new desert has become… a portal in itself. Though not visible, strange occurrences are brought about in these areas, mostly those involving the dimensional borders Astor had spoken so highly of. The entire area produces a strange aura of abnormality to newcomers, and has a strange way of bringing in those not of ‘the norm’- Extraterrestrials, extra-planar folk, aberrations from our own plane- all are mysteriously drawn to this point on Earth because of Astor’s mistake. Why? Perhaps it is a sense of knowing that the portal will fully reform one day, and catastrophe will be brought upon the planet- and when it does, they shall be called together to stop it…
To this day, the residents of the city itself still have no idea what really happened on the outskirts of the city that night, but most tend to shy away from the land of death that is the desert. They remain blissfully ignorant to most of the massive amounts of paranormal activity within their city, thanks to the work of the organization known as Precinct 13.
Amazingly, the complex that the Cross-Gate had been built in still stands, though noticeably worn, and seemingly empty. The fate of those present at the detonation of the Cross-Gate is unknown still to all… except for a single broken, deranged man who calls the complex his home.
