The Plunge
The Plunge is where Old York's dreamers went when the Heights told them they were not wealthy enough to matter. The southern end of the central island narrows to a strip of dry land that the ocean surge devastated, leaving sections submerged and streets collapsed into canals. At the eroded edges, the Howling Towers lean over the water: twisted, groaning skyscrapers that sway in the wind and remind everyone below that nothing in Old York is permanent.
What the Heights abandoned, the Plunge rebuilt. Idealists, collectivists, craftsmen, and tradesmen have built whole communities here as alternatives to the excess above. Union Sanctuary anchors the district at the center of the dry land, an open plaza hosting temples, print shops, libraries, and a Red Star commune housed in a pre-fall hospital. Writers, scientists, and social radicals populate the area with the kind of energy that comes from people who believe in something beyond the next meal.
The district is also a working territory with serious economic muscle. Papaya Firearms produces weapons from a fortified compound run by the Papaya's Kings. The ABC Shipyard handles ship repair and construction under the protection of the MPYRE Dogs. The Church of the Open Hand, a stone fortress at the island's tip, serves as the home base of the Iron Cross mercenaries. Trade between the Iron Gardens, the Brokelands, and the Heights must pass through the Plunge, giving the district leverage that its wealthier neighbors prefer not to acknowledge.
The Blue Line patrols the streets here, the closest thing Old York has to organized law enforcement, while Red Star snipers cover the approaches. The Plunge absorbs raids from the Iron Gardens, the Brokelands, and waterline incursions before they reach the Heights, a role that has bred a resilient, self-reliant population. The people here know they are the buffer. They know the Heights profits from their sacrifice. They keep building anyway.
What the Heights abandoned, the Plunge rebuilt. Idealists, collectivists, craftsmen, and tradesmen have built whole communities here as alternatives to the excess above. Union Sanctuary anchors the district at the center of the dry land, an open plaza hosting temples, print shops, libraries, and a Red Star commune housed in a pre-fall hospital. Writers, scientists, and social radicals populate the area with the kind of energy that comes from people who believe in something beyond the next meal.
The district is also a working territory with serious economic muscle. Papaya Firearms produces weapons from a fortified compound run by the Papaya's Kings. The ABC Shipyard handles ship repair and construction under the protection of the MPYRE Dogs. The Church of the Open Hand, a stone fortress at the island's tip, serves as the home base of the Iron Cross mercenaries. Trade between the Iron Gardens, the Brokelands, and the Heights must pass through the Plunge, giving the district leverage that its wealthier neighbors prefer not to acknowledge.
The Blue Line patrols the streets here, the closest thing Old York has to organized law enforcement, while Red Star snipers cover the approaches. The Plunge absorbs raids from the Iron Gardens, the Brokelands, and waterline incursions before they reach the Heights, a role that has bred a resilient, self-reliant population. The people here know they are the buffer. They know the Heights profits from their sacrifice. They keep building anyway.
Geography
The Plunge occupies the southern end of Old York's central island, a narrow section of dry land running down the center while the eastern shores and southern tip bear the scars of the ocean surge that devastated them after the Fall. Cracked and collapsed streets now serve as canals, and submerged sections mark where entire neighborhoods disappeared beneath the water.
At the island's eroded edges, the Howling Towers lean over the water: twisted skyscrapers that groan in the wind, their foundations compromised by flooding and erosion. The central dry corridor is where life concentrates. Union Sanctuary occupies the district's heart as an open plaza, surrounded by temples, print shops, and the Red Star commune in a pre-fall hospital. Papaya Firearms stands as a fortified compound to the west. The ABC Shipyard lines the lower east side.
The Church of the Open Hand, a stone fortress, anchors the island's southern tip. Chelsea Piers, a former sports complex over the Hudson, has undead-infested lower levels that serve as a training crucible. The Cube, a metal sculpture with strange magnetic properties since the Fall, marks a popular meeting spot. The Ground, an empty construction lot that fills all who approach with dread (even the undead avoid it), remains one of the district's unexplained features. Crumbling twin bridges connect the Plunge's eastern shores to the Brokelands across the water, providing the primary transit route between the central island and Old York's eastern warzone.
At the island's eroded edges, the Howling Towers lean over the water: twisted skyscrapers that groan in the wind, their foundations compromised by flooding and erosion. The central dry corridor is where life concentrates. Union Sanctuary occupies the district's heart as an open plaza, surrounded by temples, print shops, and the Red Star commune in a pre-fall hospital. Papaya Firearms stands as a fortified compound to the west. The ABC Shipyard lines the lower east side.
The Church of the Open Hand, a stone fortress, anchors the island's southern tip. Chelsea Piers, a former sports complex over the Hudson, has undead-infested lower levels that serve as a training crucible. The Cube, a metal sculpture with strange magnetic properties since the Fall, marks a popular meeting spot. The Ground, an empty construction lot that fills all who approach with dread (even the undead avoid it), remains one of the district's unexplained features. Crumbling twin bridges connect the Plunge's eastern shores to the Brokelands across the water, providing the primary transit route between the central island and Old York's eastern warzone.
