The City of Sasordivad was founded, long ago, by immigrants from some country, some tribe long since forgotten, and their culture was assimilated and then diluted with that of any number of the peoples that had conquered them. They were a peaceful society, which is why they didn't last long in the ancient times. History books largely forgot about them, and Sasordivad's etymology was traced back to some other indigenous tribe instead.
Those days, of course, were long past and behind the people of Sasordivad, now a bustling metropolis. Commerce is at an all time high here, and the markets here can often predict the future state of the world's economy at any given moment. Sasordivad is home to the finest dining in the world, and the night life is fabulous and glowing, renowned throughout the world. The stage of one of her many spectacular theatres houses the act of Russel Copperfield, star of the stage.
Her citizens also benefit from a robust system of education, and the library at Sasordivad is rumored to hold as many volumes now as the Great Library of Alexandria. Alice MacNamara keeps a careful eye on the walls of great learning, which are still entertaining many visitors even with Google offering much of what they speak—there is a simple pleasure in sitting in the library, feeling that the lessons you are learning are as ancient as man himself. Meanwhile, in the school, a teacher named Ryan Carlyle has been experiencing some curious burning sensations in his biceps of late. He remains stoic, though, and his students never notice his silent suffering. At the nearby university, Jim Tiberius is slowly becoming famous for his stunning works of art, though his reputation is helped, in no small part, by his quirks and compulsions. Entertaining to some, they are constantly a source of pain to him... although lately he hasn't been feeling pain of any kind. He suspects a pinched nerve; perhaps a visit to the chiropractor is in order. The music room is still empty; the university has been unable to procure a replacement for Dr. Dave Anders, the former head of the orchestra, who left his post in a vulgar display of profanity and anger. Meanwhile, in the entomology department, Dr. Lawrence Olivi-lay carefully curates his collection of fine specimens; moths from all over the world can be found in his cases. What he does at night, though, may be of more interest to some...
In such a busy city, it's easy to forget that, for every soul walking the streets, there's a story. Marissa Morris came out pursuing a dream, the dream of being an actress. Sure, she's waiting tables now, but just wait! Her dreams will come true someday, she just knows it. Although lately, her dreams have been nightmares, terrible nightmares about a strange two-headed creature that kills everything near it just by its presence. She is always running away, but she can never get far enough before it catches up to her. It's there every night. What does it all mean? Down the street is a bookstore, and in the store is a girl named Sonia Elizabeth Marceau, a diligent worker with a dream of her own: she wants to own the store herself. She has a special love for the dark and twisted, and the store carries many such tales. She leaves the store after a long day, and there in the corner is a dead bird. She stoops to examine it, but it isn't dead at all, and suddenly rights itself and flies away. She watches after it with great interest.
At the Print Shop, Violet, the devoted the mail carrier, sets a package on the counter and waits for Morton to sign for it. Violet is ever determined to do her job, even though lately she has been experiencing unusually acute hearing. Sometimes the world seems more grey because every noise is very clear and distinct to her. She has taken to wearing earplugs while she delivers mail, but that hasn't been helping the last couple weeks. Morton, on the other hand, absent-mindedly places the package back on a shelf and goes back to dreaming. His carefree ways have cost him so much, but his daydreams turn now to getting his family back together and with him. Sometimes at night he dreams of them too. Some nights, though, he dreams of something very different: a voice calls to him in an arcane tongue, giving him detailed instructions on how to... what? He can never remember what he was asked to do. He only knows it's the same thing every time. And he also remembers a black hole in space.
The city park is known all over the country for being practically a forest in the urban landscape. Children play all over the expansive, beautiful and very latest equipment, inventing games and laughing and carrying on in the safety of a park always patrolled by police. Leonard the janitor walks through the bathrooms picking up trash and cleaning toilets. He tells himself over and over that he is happy with his lot in life, but sometimes he wonders... Why do I have to keep assuring myself? Meanwhile, on a bench near the slides, young Alfred Wessex watches his peers at play. He wishes to himself that he could join them, so badly, but his heart just isn't strong enough for the kind of playing he wants to do. Really, it's hardly strong enough for anything, so he finds himself dreaming a lot. His older brothers have always watched out for him, and tend to let his schemes and games become their own. It's odd, though: of late, Alfred barely has the words out of his mouth before his brothers are on their way, carrying out his plans for him. He wonders why, but it's a mystery just like his heart and children in general.
Watching over his own younger brother is Tommy Atkins. They call him "the Wombat" at school, for reasons that aren't always entirely clear, even to the people who call him that. All he can think of is finding a date for prom. He's getting a little desperate: a guy in his situation, with his kind of popularity, really shouldn't be having all this trouble. He suspects it's because he has no money. His usual con artistry has hit a dry spell lately. He tells himself he needs to work on his poker face. Maybe people will trust him more then. And trust equals benefits, if you're smart about it.
Just then, a nearby high rise complex explodes in a ball of fire. A gaping hole remains; it would seem the building was empty, but something caused a terrible blast, and now the surrounding businesses are in danger. The sirens of the fire trucks can be heard almost immediately. Will Alejandro Guerrero fight his last fire today? He often dreams about meeting his untimely end in a blazing inferno. Yet today he feels calm. Every step seems more sure, more efficient. He wonders where this newfound confidence is coming from. He can certainly use it, with this fire blazing downtown.
You now know the name of your city and a little bit about how you all fit into it. You have twenty-seven hours to let your creative bones sort out what happens next. Work together!