====== Welcome to Trembleton, New Jersey ====== **Trembleton** is a small city in New Jersey, where the necromancer Hector 'Heck' Vargas and his cohorts live. In this alternate earth setting, magic is a part of daily life. Not everyone can learn magic - only those who have inherited the gene for a certain type of magic can perform that sort of magic. Some magics are used to improve lives, enhance technology and so forth. Others are just used for mundane sorts of affairs like making cloth change color, and keeping a house clean. As a result of the magics of this alternate earth, dead things don't always stay dead. This is why necromancy is an important art. The dead can be returned to life - temporarily, or more long term with the proper maintenance to keep their flesh from rotting; and the undead can be returned to rest through the powers of necromantic magic. ===== Quick Overview ===== **Nickname:** Trembling Town **Motto:** If it isn't dead, we can fix it! If it is dead, we can fix it! If it needs to be re-dead, we can fix it! **Flower / Plant:** //Necroticus delictius//, the Death Poppy **Bird / Animal:** //Coragyps atratus//, the Black Vulture **Flag:** Black, with a rising silver moon in the high left corner and a star in the lower opposite corner. In the middle is a faintly outlined silvery skull **Official Languages:** //De jure:// English. \\ //De facto:// English, Spanish, the occasional French Canadian. **Demonym:** A person from Trembleton is called a Trembletonian. **Currency Unit:** American currency - dollars and cents. **Capital:** Trenton, NJ is the capital of NJ. Washington DC is the capital of the United States. **Area:** The area of Trembleton is that of a small town. There are two traffic lights- one at each end of town. **Estimated Population:** 1,230 residents **Highest Elevation:** Marster's Mound, a large mound in the middle of the town, rumored to be an old burial mound. **Lowest Elevation:** The Pits, a gravel pit found within the wooded area. ===== History ===== Trembleton New Jersey has been recorded as a settlement as early as the Revolutionary War. When George Washington came through the area, rumor has it that he found a small settlement had cropped up there including a necromancer who went by the moniker Tremble. In local folklore it is told that Tremble reanimated several of the General's best men, lost in a recent battle, which turned the tide of war in the state in Washington's favor. How much of this is truth vs legend is unknown. What is known is that Trembleton seems to be a magic hotspot, particularly among necromancers. Necromancy has been practiced here since time untold. It's not uncommon to see zombies and skeletons strolling down the streets, and working in various jobs around town. There is a local chapter of DEAD Rights trying ensure that those undead workers are paid and treated fairly, but there is a tendency to view them as cheap and disposable labor. The town is home to a fairly successful necromantic business, Necrotic Technologies Inc, run by the necromancer Hector 'Heck' Vargas and his crew. Heck's grandfather is well-remembered by townsfolk- he was a powerful necromancer in his time, and beloved by the local populous. ==== Climate ==== Typical New Jersey climate - warm summers, cold winters, a bit of snowfall in the winter and an average amount of rains. There are occasionally deviations in temperature and weather caused by magic gone awry or by powerful magics being cast. ==== Government ==== Trembleton is run by a mayor, who is none too fond of Heck. They have been known to have major disagreements. There is also a town council, who weigh in on important decisions. There is a small town police force (a sheriff and two part-time deputies), but any major matters of law enforcement are handled by state police. There is a post office, a court / city hall , and a trash collection / recyclable facility. ==== Rights and Privileges ==== Citizens enjoy the rights afforded to them by the US and state government. In this world, the undead are fighting to receive equal rights, but at the moment they are treated as somewhat second class citizens and can expect troubles like lower pay, cancellation of benefits (you can't continue to collect your social security once you've died and been brought back), and some prejudice. There are some mundanes who look at magic users, particularly necromancers, with a bit of distain. They're the kind of people you'd want to hire when you need them to re-animate grandma for Christmas, or take care of the ghosts in your garden - but you wouldn't want to have them over for tea. Magic is regulated strictly by the government at federal, state, and local levels - magic users must be licensed and keep detailed records of their activities, particularly any that affect the environment, health, or safety of the people. ===== Economics ===== Trembleton is primarily a middle class town. There are some who are below that level, and a few who are above. There are some farms, but the majority of people work in businesses or factories. There are a few registered magic users in town, and Necrotic Technologies Inc is a registered necromantic facility. ==== Agriculture ==== The few farms left in the area grow typical New Jersey crops - blueberries, strawberries, peaches, corn, tomatoes and the like. There is an abandoned cranberry bog back in the wooded area. There is a small farm that grows herbs, particularly those needed by magic users. ==== Forestry and Fisheries ==== ==== Tourism ==== Aside from the natural beauty created by a region's geography, various industries focused on entertainment can become tourist attractions - everything from the World's Biggest Ball of String to the Twilight Jubilee Amusement Park to the place where they film a popular TV series. ==== Technology ==== The technological development of a region can have a major impact on its overall state of being. Everything from the invention of bronze and iron to gunpowder, mass production, electronics, and genetic engineering can greatly influence the 'flavor' of a world. In particular, worlds that have a technological development that differs from Earth ('steampunk', 'clockpunk', 'cyberpunk', and others come to mind) may be vastly different, and the influence of alternate laws of physics and the universe can generate radically different results. ==== Corporations and Businesses ==== In more modern worlds, the offices, factories, and headquarters of major businesses and corporations may be as much a mainstay of a region as its parks and streams. They provide employment and sources of conflict that can motivate plots, as well as political pull and similar intrigues. ==== Employment ==== Major employers of the region have a serious impact on the economy, and an overview of what industries hire the most people can be telling when it comes to analyzing society. Another important fact - the employment rate. If a large portion of the region is unemployed, it tends to hint at other troubles. ==== Taxes and Budgets ==== There are only two things certain in most worlds - stupidity and taxes (death is negotiable). While developing an intricate taxation system is probably not your cup of tea, having some idea of what income taxes, sales taxes, tariffs, and other odd taxes are common in the region may occasionally be relevant, if for no better reason than to take down a criminal for tax fraud. Taxes are also how most governments obtain the funds they need to pay for administrative costs (read: government salaries), as well as to provide funding for civic projects, construction, and other public necessities. ===== Demographics ===== **Population:** How many people live in this region. **Population Density:** Average population per square mile, usually. **Population Spread:** How the population breaks down by percentage along common lines of demarcation, such as racial lines, whether those lines be AmerIndian, Irish, or Lunar Sylvan; natives versus foreign-born; population by age; population by social class; population by religious affiliation; population by education level; and others as you see fit. ===== Education ===== Depending on your world, education may be a right, a requirement, or a privilege. As a rule, an in-depth coverage of the topic should include what access the populace have to public and private primary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities, and other educational facilities, as well as the general expectations and requirements for entry. (For example, if everyone who practices magic is required to attend and graduate from the Kyrillian Academy and survive the Tribulation of the Soul, this is a good place to mention it.) ===== Sports and Games ===== Sporting events, whether baseball, football, or gladiatorial warfare, are always popular. Does your region have a favorite sport or sports? A particularly diverting game that practically everyone is familiar with? What do they spend their time watching in the bar, or buy tickets to see on the weekends? ===== Famous People ===== Who's who in this region? Some of those answers may already be apparent - rulers and governing bodies, as mentioned above, as well as people who are routinely mentioned in the news of the times, for good or for ill, or are otherwise well known. In short, this is a list of people who you'd be expected to be familiar with when talking about the area. ===== Familiar Faces ===== While famous people are all well and good, chances are, players won't have met most of them face to face. The people they do know and should remember, however, are noted here -- whether they know of them from personal dealings, from their current hangouts, or their current business associations, they're all examples of familiar faces. Note that the information marked on either section is limited to what one might expect to be publicly known; unless the barmaid at the Silver Glove tells you the story of the jagged scar on her left leg, or makes a habit of telling anyone who asks, it'll remain a mystery. If you're curious, why not ask?