City Guide (Studies and Further Notes)
On the Clock
Verified:
The clock is located beneath the carousel. Its rotation appears to coincide with the rotation of the carousel, although the extent of connectedness between the two is currently unknown.
There are a number of obstacles preventing the curious from getting too close to the underground clock mechanisms. The path to the clock is purportedly not unlike a maze and populated by a number of the beasts typical to the Underground, and the clock itself (as well as the carousel) is protected by some kind of field. This same field is immune to attacks by magic, force, or explosives (I can personally vouch for the veracity of the latter), and generally either delivers an electric shock to anyone who approaches it or somehow transports them to the fountain.
The clock has, at some point, showed signs of “winding down.”
At one point in the past, a power higher than the deities arrived to fix the clock.
Popular Speculation:
The clock is counting down to the end of all worlds.
The deities draw their power from the clock.
The clock absorbs negative energy generated by the curses.
Hypothesis: The City’s Doomsday Clock
There has been speculation that the City’s most prominent feature-the carousel, to which the clock is attached-is counting down to a massive end of all universes, or even to the end of the City itself. Some have proposed that the City is serving as a kind of ark, if you’ll forgive the biblical allusion; perhaps those who are pulled into it are meant to survive the destruction of all other universes.
Hypothesis: The City as a Conscious Entity
The City appears to have a will of its own, quite independent of that of the deities. Some propose that the City is, in some way, a living thing, and that it subsists on the unhappiness of the population. In the light of this idea, the clock is the very heart of the City; it is its life force.
Further Speculation
What is apparent is the significance of time in the City. The apartment buildings are arranged like the numbers of a clock, with the carousel as a central point. The ticking sound is a dominant feature of the City, and the City's clock appears to be of great importance (judging, of course, by the amount of care taken in keeping it inaccessible). The curses, while sporadic at best, generally last twenty-four hours. Those that go on longer can still be divided into twenty-four hour increments. Citizens of the City who die revive in twenty-four hours' time. There are patterns everywhere, but the significance of the day--perhaps of multiples of twelve, if the City has a strictly mathematical basis--is as of yet unknown.
Considering popular notions concerning the clock, I find it unlikely that the device feeds off of negative emotions. If I’m wrong and it does indeed function in this way, then the City is a poorly conceived invention; while the curses do bring about some degree of misery, they can also have quite the opposite effect. If the clock has any relation to our collective emotions, I would think that it benefits from emotional energy as a whole, not from a particular kind of emotional energy.
I’m more inclined to believe that the City is itself some sort of organism-self-contained, somehow gaining what it needs to survive from the importation and deportation of individuals from different worlds. The clock may not serve any purpose at all; even the curses may be superfluous. Perhaps this organism we know as the City was created and is maintained by a being or group of beings that derive an entertainment of sorts from our struggles within their creation. Perhaps the clock was placed in a central location and given elaborate guards to force our attention away from any possible truths.
Escaping the Barriers
For a decent overview concerning the barriers, please refer to the departed Riou’s notes on the topic.
The City, like the clock, is surrounded by barriers. The City’s barrier appears impenetrable and extends through air, water, and earth. It is semi-permeable; air, water, and other outside elements can enter and leave at will. Due to the barrier’s nature, a microscopic analysis of its composition has, thus far, been impossible, but I believe it is perforated in some manner to allow the free transfer of small particles.
The barrier itself takes two primary forms. In its most common form, it presents itself as a solid, invisible wall that is immune to all magical and physical attacks. At other times, the barrier appears to be absent, but passing through it puts the intrepid explorer on the opposite side of the City.
In 2008, there was an effort made to breach the barrier by way of a mass attack (see Riou’s notes for details). Those involved experienced a vicious response from the barrier, which repelled all attacks with an unusual degree of violence. While the barrier did not tear as wished, it was observed to warp and ripple at points, perhaps indicating weakness.
Population Influx
Every so often (approximately once every three months, it seems), the City experiences a bizarre population increase. For a period of twenty-four hours, the inhabitants of other worlds--those who are not City residents--are capable of entering the City and speaking with residents. Some of these visitors are familiar; on occasion, a former resident who has been absent from the City may return, or an acquaintance from inhabitants' native worlds may drop in.
The most interesting visitors, however, appear to have a good deal of knowledge about the City and its residents. These visitors are never former City occupants and do not seem to come from any worlds represented in the City's population.
April 2009
During one of these rare days, I was approached by two young ladies. I believe they were of a similar nature, race, or status, or at the very least from the same world. Both appeared to have considerable knowledge of the City and everyone within it, although they lacked information regarding entrances, exits, and so on (or if they knew anything about any of them, they were rather hesitant to share).
One of these young ladies claimed omnipotence. She said that she--and others like her--can access all network posts and are privy to some off-network information. As far as curses are concerned, she claimed that the deities ultimately controlled them, but that her people have a certain amount of influence over the fate of individual citizens within the City. Actually, her information put me in mind of guardian angels. I suppose, if you care to trust this young lady's word, the best way to go about trying to escape from curses is to appeal to your unseen personal god.
The existence of these at least semi-omnipotent beings adds yet another level to the City's possible hierarchy. Perhaps we, the citizens of the City, occupy the lowest level. The highest levels may belong to the Higher Powers that even the deities must answer to, while the deities themselves and these strange visitors might be placed in between the two extremes. There is little to back up any claims of power, but considering the existence of another group of beings with minor to considerable control over our fates may be worthwhile.
July 2009
The City was invaded once again. I clearly recall speaking to several of those with whom I had had words with in April, but I'm not entirely sure if I was able to procure further information. My memory of the day is rather sketchy, and all of my notes (in addition to all network correspondence) regarding the event are missing. I have to assume that the deities chose to meddle. Perhaps they fear we're gaining too much information from our guests.
I do, however, remember promising a young lady named Rei that we would have tea the next time this sort of thing happens. I believe she indicated a preference for jasmine...
On the Deities
The true limits of power possessed by the deities are highly questionable, but they are capable of making life rather miserable for those who irritate them. As such, it is wise to treat them with outward respect when asking favours or merely conversing with them. I should also note that there is no proof to support the idea that codes protecting private information in network entries deter the deities from reading them. Caution should be exercised when using the network to communicate potentially inflammatory information.
The deities have an office building in the City Square. It’s a difficult building to miss, as tall and central as it is! Whether or not the deities can be found in a physical form within this building has yet to be discovered.
These are the known deities at this time:
Laszlo Jamf (Doctor)
Laszlo appears to be a male deity with an appreciation for the sciences, particularly modern psychology. Laszlo resents covalent bonds. Of the deities, he tends to present himself as the most cynical and least likely to render aid. Oddly enough, he is also the deity that oversees citizen affairs, such as the warden elections, and tends to be the most readily communicative of the deities.
- Notable quote: “It's nothing as it seems.”
Lenny
The gender of this deity is in question. Lenny enjoys tea.
Lina
Lina is the newest deity, female, and prone to speaking loudly. Her command of the English language is less than impressive, and she speaks primarily in third person; she does, however, appear largely benevolent to those who approach her with respect.
Mouse
Fond of mechanics.
Sabine
Sabine seems to be a female deity with a kind, nurturing aspect. According to some, she was rather benevolent at one time and has become less so just recently. She has a fondness for the gardens of Xanadu.
Virginia Lupus
Virginia presents herself as an older female who enjoys fine drinks and teasing those of us stranded in the City. She has a sense of humour, although its bent may not be favourable to citizens. Of all of the deities, Virginia appears to be the most respected and the least pleasant to cross (Virginia left the City in the middle of the year 2009, taking the notorious Major with her).
Deities have a tendency to come and go, and there have been hints that the role of ‘deity’ in the City is more of a chore than an enjoyable position of power. Doctor Jamf has mentioned the necessity of paperwork, and none of the deities seem terribly thrilled to be here. They may be as trapped as the rest of us, although their imprisonment appears to be the result of further bureaucratic workings rather than supernatural powers.
The Higher Powers
There are, without a shadow of a doubt, powers that even the deities must answer to. The deities themselves have made reference to a sort of agency that deploys them to the City, and this agency is undoubtedly overseen by more powerful creatures.
Powers higher than the deities have been known to appear in the City. At this time, it is unknown if these are the beings that employ the deities or if they are of another class altogether. They remind me of the primal gods of early human history; perhaps they are the creators and movers of this world, and the deities and whatever powers control the deities are simply caretakers of a sort.
Appearance: May 2009
In May, a creature known as Adrastus visited the City, taking the form of a massive creature made of hair. (This hair appeared to be that which was collected earlier in the year during the deity tributes, although there were a number of anomalies.) Adrastus purportedly said "A great due was returned" before his departure, leaving all hair behind. The hair was clearly the "due," although the creature's motivation for returning it is not positively known. Adrastus seemed to think he was doing us a favour, although many of us were less than appreciative.
Reportedly, Adrastus has been in the City before.
More interesting, perhaps, was the appearance of what was apparently Adrastus' mother. This creature left two cryptic posts during her stay in the City. I believe her departing note was the most significant; below is my own brief analyzation of this note.
Note Left Upon the Departure of May's Creatures, with Speculative Notes
(The words of the female creature are italicized)
sWEEt sMALl tHINGs, tHe fERRYMAN's pASSENGERs, tHe wALKERs uNDERGROUNd.
I can only assume that this refers to the dead--more specifically, the City Dead. "The ferryman" is most likely a reference to Charon or Phlegya; it doesn't matter which, really, as they're both related to the mythical River Styx in the Underworld of Grecian mythology. I do wonder if the River Styx has additional significance, as Styx was also the name of the mother of a number of minor gods in Greek mythology.
bLACKENEd iNNARDs.
gRAVECOIn aNd gRAVECLOTh.
tHe sTONEs.
Still more clear references to death. Coins, of course, were significant in numerous funeral rites throughout history (the Greeks commonly placed a coin upon the eyes of the deceased so that the departed soul might pay its way across the river Styx and into the Underworld). Numerous burial rituals involve shrouding the corpse in some kind of cloth and, as mundane as it is, the stones referred to may be tombstones.
my cHILDREn.
yOu aRe wELl.
yOu do nOt mOLDEr, yOu do nOt rOt, yOu do nOt rUSt, yOu do nOt wORm, yOu do nOt dECAy, yOu do nOt dRy, yOu do nOt cRUSh, yOu do nOt cRUMBLe.
yOu do nOt cRy oUt to me in tHe dARKNESs aNd dARK pLACEs.
Rather chilling, isn't it? This is what truly convinces me that the creature is referring to the City Dead. I suspect that this mother-creature is a death goddess of some sort (a preposterous idea, of course, but this is the City, and a number of the City's citizens are kept alive by mysterious forces). Perhaps she is the power behind their continued animation?
cOLd, yEs. sTILl, yEs.
mUCh as i cOULd gIVe yOu, i dId.
Further implications that the creature is the power behind the survival of the City Dead. Perhaps her ability to animate the dead only extends so far. For example, the City Dead, while animate, have consistently low body temperatures.
we wILl aTTENd aGAIn
if so nEEDEd.
oNLy in nEEd.
"We," of course, refers to the she-creature and Adrastus (or Ἄδραστος, "uncooperative" or "non-participant" in archaic forms of Greek). They both appear to be superior to the deities, especially if the she-creature is a sort of death goddess and animating force. It also seems that both will return, should the need arise.
sENEBTi xAIRe vALETe
All simply ways of saying goodbye in ancient Egyptian, classical Greek, and Latin, respectively. Not surprisingly, perhaps, all of these words have alternate meanings. "Xaire" and "valete" can also be used as greetings, and both "senebti" and "valete" can be used in phrases expressing well-wishes to someone in poor health. In fact, "valete" was commonly used as a farewell to the dying--appropriate enough, all things considering.
The double-meanings of these words imply a future visitation, but I suspect much more may be drawn from the creature's word choice. The fact that she utilized three long-extinct languages leads me to believe that she is an ancient being, and perhaps one that exists in every universe in one form or another. Words that may be used as both a greeting and and a farewell imply a certain endlessness or ambiguity; a departure may serve as an arrival into a new state (or world, or what have you), and no end is ever truly final.
The City’s Residents: A Statistical Analysis
On the 17th of January, 2009, I conducted a survey to learn more about the people of the City. Here, in brief, are the results of that survey. The results are expressed in percentages and, for the sake of simplicity, rounded to the nearest whole percentage point. Keep in mind that these numbers are mere approximations; only a fraction of the City’s inhabitants chose to participate. Additionally, these percentages are given to change, what with the constant comings and goings.
Species Breakdown
-Human: 61%
-Human with Superhuman Abilities: 25%
-Vampire: 4%
-Demonic Entity: 4%
-Other: 6%
State Within the City
-Living: 82%
-Dead (prior to entering the City): 10%
-Dead (due to events that occurred after entering the City): 6%
-Other: 2%*
Number of Exits from the City
(Does not include exits that resulted in total amnesia)
-None: 67%
-One: 23%
-Two: 8%
-Three: 2%
*Due to the nature of the City, it is difficult to form categories that adequately describe every citizen within its boundaries. Exceptions are almost guaranteed.
Verified:
The clock is located beneath the carousel. Its rotation appears to coincide with the rotation of the carousel, although the extent of connectedness between the two is currently unknown.
There are a number of obstacles preventing the curious from getting too close to the underground clock mechanisms. The path to the clock is purportedly not unlike a maze and populated by a number of the beasts typical to the Underground, and the clock itself (as well as the carousel) is protected by some kind of field. This same field is immune to attacks by magic, force, or explosives (I can personally vouch for the veracity of the latter), and generally either delivers an electric shock to anyone who approaches it or somehow transports them to the fountain.
The clock has, at some point, showed signs of “winding down.”
At one point in the past, a power higher than the deities arrived to fix the clock.
Popular Speculation:
The clock is counting down to the end of all worlds.
The deities draw their power from the clock.
The clock absorbs negative energy generated by the curses.
Hypothesis: The City’s Doomsday Clock
There has been speculation that the City’s most prominent feature-the carousel, to which the clock is attached-is counting down to a massive end of all universes, or even to the end of the City itself. Some have proposed that the City is serving as a kind of ark, if you’ll forgive the biblical allusion; perhaps those who are pulled into it are meant to survive the destruction of all other universes.
Hypothesis: The City as a Conscious Entity
The City appears to have a will of its own, quite independent of that of the deities. Some propose that the City is, in some way, a living thing, and that it subsists on the unhappiness of the population. In the light of this idea, the clock is the very heart of the City; it is its life force.
Further Speculation
What is apparent is the significance of time in the City. The apartment buildings are arranged like the numbers of a clock, with the carousel as a central point. The ticking sound is a dominant feature of the City, and the City's clock appears to be of great importance (judging, of course, by the amount of care taken in keeping it inaccessible). The curses, while sporadic at best, generally last twenty-four hours. Those that go on longer can still be divided into twenty-four hour increments. Citizens of the City who die revive in twenty-four hours' time. There are patterns everywhere, but the significance of the day--perhaps of multiples of twelve, if the City has a strictly mathematical basis--is as of yet unknown.
Considering popular notions concerning the clock, I find it unlikely that the device feeds off of negative emotions. If I’m wrong and it does indeed function in this way, then the City is a poorly conceived invention; while the curses do bring about some degree of misery, they can also have quite the opposite effect. If the clock has any relation to our collective emotions, I would think that it benefits from emotional energy as a whole, not from a particular kind of emotional energy.
I’m more inclined to believe that the City is itself some sort of organism-self-contained, somehow gaining what it needs to survive from the importation and deportation of individuals from different worlds. The clock may not serve any purpose at all; even the curses may be superfluous. Perhaps this organism we know as the City was created and is maintained by a being or group of beings that derive an entertainment of sorts from our struggles within their creation. Perhaps the clock was placed in a central location and given elaborate guards to force our attention away from any possible truths.
Escaping the Barriers
For a decent overview concerning the barriers, please refer to the departed Riou’s notes on the topic.
The City, like the clock, is surrounded by barriers. The City’s barrier appears impenetrable and extends through air, water, and earth. It is semi-permeable; air, water, and other outside elements can enter and leave at will. Due to the barrier’s nature, a microscopic analysis of its composition has, thus far, been impossible, but I believe it is perforated in some manner to allow the free transfer of small particles.
The barrier itself takes two primary forms. In its most common form, it presents itself as a solid, invisible wall that is immune to all magical and physical attacks. At other times, the barrier appears to be absent, but passing through it puts the intrepid explorer on the opposite side of the City.
In 2008, there was an effort made to breach the barrier by way of a mass attack (see Riou’s notes for details). Those involved experienced a vicious response from the barrier, which repelled all attacks with an unusual degree of violence. While the barrier did not tear as wished, it was observed to warp and ripple at points, perhaps indicating weakness.
Population Influx
Every so often (approximately once every three months, it seems), the City experiences a bizarre population increase. For a period of twenty-four hours, the inhabitants of other worlds--those who are not City residents--are capable of entering the City and speaking with residents. Some of these visitors are familiar; on occasion, a former resident who has been absent from the City may return, or an acquaintance from inhabitants' native worlds may drop in.
The most interesting visitors, however, appear to have a good deal of knowledge about the City and its residents. These visitors are never former City occupants and do not seem to come from any worlds represented in the City's population.
April 2009
During one of these rare days, I was approached by two young ladies. I believe they were of a similar nature, race, or status, or at the very least from the same world. Both appeared to have considerable knowledge of the City and everyone within it, although they lacked information regarding entrances, exits, and so on (or if they knew anything about any of them, they were rather hesitant to share).
One of these young ladies claimed omnipotence. She said that she--and others like her--can access all network posts and are privy to some off-network information. As far as curses are concerned, she claimed that the deities ultimately controlled them, but that her people have a certain amount of influence over the fate of individual citizens within the City. Actually, her information put me in mind of guardian angels. I suppose, if you care to trust this young lady's word, the best way to go about trying to escape from curses is to appeal to your unseen personal god.
The existence of these at least semi-omnipotent beings adds yet another level to the City's possible hierarchy. Perhaps we, the citizens of the City, occupy the lowest level. The highest levels may belong to the Higher Powers that even the deities must answer to, while the deities themselves and these strange visitors might be placed in between the two extremes. There is little to back up any claims of power, but considering the existence of another group of beings with minor to considerable control over our fates may be worthwhile.
July 2009
The City was invaded once again. I clearly recall speaking to several of those with whom I had had words with in April, but I'm not entirely sure if I was able to procure further information. My memory of the day is rather sketchy, and all of my notes (in addition to all network correspondence) regarding the event are missing. I have to assume that the deities chose to meddle. Perhaps they fear we're gaining too much information from our guests.
I do, however, remember promising a young lady named Rei that we would have tea the next time this sort of thing happens. I believe she indicated a preference for jasmine...
On the Deities
The true limits of power possessed by the deities are highly questionable, but they are capable of making life rather miserable for those who irritate them. As such, it is wise to treat them with outward respect when asking favours or merely conversing with them. I should also note that there is no proof to support the idea that codes protecting private information in network entries deter the deities from reading them. Caution should be exercised when using the network to communicate potentially inflammatory information.
The deities have an office building in the City Square. It’s a difficult building to miss, as tall and central as it is! Whether or not the deities can be found in a physical form within this building has yet to be discovered.
These are the known deities at this time:
Laszlo Jamf (Doctor)
Laszlo appears to be a male deity with an appreciation for the sciences, particularly modern psychology. Laszlo resents covalent bonds. Of the deities, he tends to present himself as the most cynical and least likely to render aid. Oddly enough, he is also the deity that oversees citizen affairs, such as the warden elections, and tends to be the most readily communicative of the deities.
- Notable quote: “It's nothing as it seems.”
Lenny
The gender of this deity is in question. Lenny enjoys tea.
Lina
Lina is the newest deity, female, and prone to speaking loudly. Her command of the English language is less than impressive, and she speaks primarily in third person; she does, however, appear largely benevolent to those who approach her with respect.
Mouse
Fond of mechanics.
Sabine
Sabine seems to be a female deity with a kind, nurturing aspect. According to some, she was rather benevolent at one time and has become less so just recently. She has a fondness for the gardens of Xanadu.
Virginia Lupus
Virginia presents herself as an older female who enjoys fine drinks and teasing those of us stranded in the City. She has a sense of humour, although its bent may not be favourable to citizens. Of all of the deities, Virginia appears to be the most respected and the least pleasant to cross (Virginia left the City in the middle of the year 2009, taking the notorious Major with her).
Deities have a tendency to come and go, and there have been hints that the role of ‘deity’ in the City is more of a chore than an enjoyable position of power. Doctor Jamf has mentioned the necessity of paperwork, and none of the deities seem terribly thrilled to be here. They may be as trapped as the rest of us, although their imprisonment appears to be the result of further bureaucratic workings rather than supernatural powers.
The Higher Powers
There are, without a shadow of a doubt, powers that even the deities must answer to. The deities themselves have made reference to a sort of agency that deploys them to the City, and this agency is undoubtedly overseen by more powerful creatures.
Powers higher than the deities have been known to appear in the City. At this time, it is unknown if these are the beings that employ the deities or if they are of another class altogether. They remind me of the primal gods of early human history; perhaps they are the creators and movers of this world, and the deities and whatever powers control the deities are simply caretakers of a sort.
Appearance: May 2009
In May, a creature known as Adrastus visited the City, taking the form of a massive creature made of hair. (This hair appeared to be that which was collected earlier in the year during the deity tributes, although there were a number of anomalies.) Adrastus purportedly said "A great due was returned" before his departure, leaving all hair behind. The hair was clearly the "due," although the creature's motivation for returning it is not positively known. Adrastus seemed to think he was doing us a favour, although many of us were less than appreciative.
Reportedly, Adrastus has been in the City before.
More interesting, perhaps, was the appearance of what was apparently Adrastus' mother. This creature left two cryptic posts during her stay in the City. I believe her departing note was the most significant; below is my own brief analyzation of this note.
Note Left Upon the Departure of May's Creatures, with Speculative Notes
(The words of the female creature are italicized)
sWEEt sMALl tHINGs, tHe fERRYMAN's pASSENGERs, tHe wALKERs uNDERGROUNd.
I can only assume that this refers to the dead--more specifically, the City Dead. "The ferryman" is most likely a reference to Charon or Phlegya; it doesn't matter which, really, as they're both related to the mythical River Styx in the Underworld of Grecian mythology. I do wonder if the River Styx has additional significance, as Styx was also the name of the mother of a number of minor gods in Greek mythology.
bLACKENEd iNNARDs.
gRAVECOIn aNd gRAVECLOTh.
tHe sTONEs.
Still more clear references to death. Coins, of course, were significant in numerous funeral rites throughout history (the Greeks commonly placed a coin upon the eyes of the deceased so that the departed soul might pay its way across the river Styx and into the Underworld). Numerous burial rituals involve shrouding the corpse in some kind of cloth and, as mundane as it is, the stones referred to may be tombstones.
my cHILDREn.
yOu aRe wELl.
yOu do nOt mOLDEr, yOu do nOt rOt, yOu do nOt rUSt, yOu do nOt wORm, yOu do nOt dECAy, yOu do nOt dRy, yOu do nOt cRUSh, yOu do nOt cRUMBLe.
yOu do nOt cRy oUt to me in tHe dARKNESs aNd dARK pLACEs.
Rather chilling, isn't it? This is what truly convinces me that the creature is referring to the City Dead. I suspect that this mother-creature is a death goddess of some sort (a preposterous idea, of course, but this is the City, and a number of the City's citizens are kept alive by mysterious forces). Perhaps she is the power behind their continued animation?
cOLd, yEs. sTILl, yEs.
mUCh as i cOULd gIVe yOu, i dId.
Further implications that the creature is the power behind the survival of the City Dead. Perhaps her ability to animate the dead only extends so far. For example, the City Dead, while animate, have consistently low body temperatures.
we wILl aTTENd aGAIn
if so nEEDEd.
oNLy in nEEd.
"We," of course, refers to the she-creature and Adrastus (or Ἄδραστος, "uncooperative" or "non-participant" in archaic forms of Greek). They both appear to be superior to the deities, especially if the she-creature is a sort of death goddess and animating force. It also seems that both will return, should the need arise.
sENEBTi xAIRe vALETe
All simply ways of saying goodbye in ancient Egyptian, classical Greek, and Latin, respectively. Not surprisingly, perhaps, all of these words have alternate meanings. "Xaire" and "valete" can also be used as greetings, and both "senebti" and "valete" can be used in phrases expressing well-wishes to someone in poor health. In fact, "valete" was commonly used as a farewell to the dying--appropriate enough, all things considering.
The double-meanings of these words imply a future visitation, but I suspect much more may be drawn from the creature's word choice. The fact that she utilized three long-extinct languages leads me to believe that she is an ancient being, and perhaps one that exists in every universe in one form or another. Words that may be used as both a greeting and and a farewell imply a certain endlessness or ambiguity; a departure may serve as an arrival into a new state (or world, or what have you), and no end is ever truly final.
The City’s Residents: A Statistical Analysis
On the 17th of January, 2009, I conducted a survey to learn more about the people of the City. Here, in brief, are the results of that survey. The results are expressed in percentages and, for the sake of simplicity, rounded to the nearest whole percentage point. Keep in mind that these numbers are mere approximations; only a fraction of the City’s inhabitants chose to participate. Additionally, these percentages are given to change, what with the constant comings and goings.
Species Breakdown
-Human: 61%
-Human with Superhuman Abilities: 25%
-Vampire: 4%
-Demonic Entity: 4%
-Other: 6%
State Within the City
-Living: 82%
-Dead (prior to entering the City): 10%
-Dead (due to events that occurred after entering the City): 6%
-Other: 2%*
Number of Exits from the City
(Does not include exits that resulted in total amnesia)
-None: 67%
-One: 23%
-Two: 8%
-Three: 2%
*Due to the nature of the City, it is difficult to form categories that adequately describe every citizen within its boundaries. Exceptions are almost guaranteed.