It Sleeps Beneath

It's the modern age (minus a few distractions). The town of Granite City, Colorado is a lovely place, with its own university campus, a proper subway system, thriving economy and tourism industry, and more supernatural elements than you can shake a stick at. Wait, what was that last part…

The subway network of Granite City is designed to entrap and contain evils - a modern-day set of ley lines to keep the things that go bump in the night from hurting anyone. However, it requires maintenance, and it has been pointed out that maybe it's time people in the know about the supernatural paid attention to helping out their home town…

A little diner a couple of blocks away from the entrance to Granite City National Park.

A no-frills diner across town, known for good food and novelty salt and pepper shakers at every table. Friendly rivals of Ursa Minor.

This place really gets around. No, really – it's an extrusion of the interdimensional goth club we all know and love, and the point of contact from which characters can reach World's End for supplies and help. This incarnation of the Requiem is a three-level structure, with a ground level that has the entrance, bar, kitchen, serviceway to the Back Rooms, and restrooms, a lower level that serves as a dance pit with metal walkways overhead so that those on the ground floor can eat and watch, and an upper level with cast-iron tables bolted to the catwalks for people who want to be watching the people who watch people. Unsurprisingly, management in this place tends to lurk around the upper levels. There's also an emergency exit door on the upper level and the lower level, which probably lead to an emergency exit to comply with the fire code.

The odd maze of hallways and doors that seems to proliferate within the Requiem, with mostly unlabeled black doors, red wallpapered walls, and plush red-carpeted or ceramic red-tiled floors. Typically, double doors lead to other hallways, and single doors lead to individual rooms. At least one passage here returns to World's End, although natives of World's End tend to use their learned knowledge of activating any doorway as a Door to return to the Char Loft proper and thus to make their way home.

Both Katie and Dot are familiar enough with Michael's setup to know that the Doors tend to lead to extradimensional spaces that do not correspond with the Requiem's position in their 'space' as one would normally know it; chances are the actual hallway in that space is a mundane service hallway that those not 'in the know' see when they open the door.

Surprisingly, Granite City has a complex system of subways and trains, and is one of only a few cities in the United States to do so. It has transportation stations that connect to other railway networks, and has several major lines that operate at all hours as well as minor lines with less frequent service.

More interesting subway statistics, and important information relevant to the overarching plot, will be added as time goes on, or as characters learn more. For now, it's good enough to know the subway lines:

• Red Line.
• Green Line.
• Blue Line.
• Orange Line.
• Purple Line.
• Yellow Line.
• Black Line.
• Pink Line.

The University of Colorado public university system's local branch, CU Granite City, was established in 1936, and has the second broadest series of courses in the UC system. It conducts a variety of federally and commercially funded research projects, and is known for running human-subject testing on a regular basis for CU Denver projects as well.

It doesn't seem out of the ordinary, but really, did you read the University game synopsis? It can't be THAT peaceful… especially if Mike's asking for an investigation.

The Student Office is one of the oldest buildings on campus, dating to before the university was officially incorporated, and to the early days of Granite City itself. It is made of solid granite, thought to be quarried locally, and looks very imposing and impressive to newcomers. To most students, the computer network remains dated (Windows XP is still in use), the building is understaffed, and those who do staff it don't really look like fellow students. This is the first place to investigate.

Thom Miller: Works the night desk at GC National Park, and apparently is a senior in Journalism. He's suffering from a course overload, and apparently has a major student loan debt to work off at the same time. He has a huge backpack with his Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab gear in it, whatever that means, as well as a variety of other textbooks and worksheets and papers.

This is the national park where Dot and Katie work when not busy with other activities, such as saving worlds or stirring up trouble or relaxing. Colorado has a number of officially recognized national parks. Sections of the park have trail segments that connect to the California National Historical Trail, and the park is marked by large sections of rough rock face and difficult climbing.

Park details cadged for now from the Black Canyon national park, more information here. Give me a nudge if there's aspects of import to list, or details to add.