Warning! WIP (Work In Progress) Ahead!
This post is somewhat of an experiment in ways to present sourcebook styled material. Unlike the first few posts of Psykout’s Secrets, this post is non-(pseudo) technical. She’ll be handling the technical aspects of The Jagged Earth sourcebook material (see her posts on supercomputing), but not everyone is interested in (comic book) high-tech talk. So, for those of our dear readers who wanted to know more about Aurora City’s background… Hopefully you enjoyed Part 1 in a previous post. Part 2 is ready for you to check out!!
A Setting History
Aurora City is the setting within The Jagged Earth setting. It’s where that magic, often literally, happens. But how did Aurora City get to be Aurora City? It went something like this…
A Brief History of Aurora City [Part 2]
Rail travel back and forth along the spur line followed the fate of the mines, becoming nearly non-existent once strip mining was no longer permitted in the area. Much of the continued decline was blamed upon the result of negotiations with the Eastern Band of Cherokee in the Qualla Boundary (the Eastern Tribe of the Cherokee) reservation. Even now there remain pockets which lay the blame for their fallen family fortunes directly on the doorstep of the Qualla Boundary. Today, most rail travel to and from Aurora City involves bi-directional transportation of large industrial-grade equipment and resources (new, upgraded or repaired, or needing repair) associated with the Aurora International Airport and the docks of the re-christened Port Gateway Marine Terminal (Port Gateway). This contributed significantly to the creation of the area now known as Docktown as outdated and damaged transport containers were dumped in the area north of the Port Gateway docks.
Preservation Efforts
As the first location to be designed with the needs and abilities of the Augmented, nearly all of the original city structures and transportation capabilities were removed or repurposed. Contrary to much of the area’s history, city planners and architects involved the nearby Qualla Boundary in the long-term design for Aurora City. The largest visible influence was in the assignment of reserved land and the design of certain geographical elements of Aurora City and the surrounding area. Multiple regions were designated as National Preserves including Tsalagi Grove, Emerald Hills and Serenity Falls. Even further, the Tsalagi Grove Preserve was established around Cloudcatcher Mountain as a nature area suitable for hiking, camping and similar recreational activities, except for the mountain itself and its immediate environs. That area was restricted for the sole use of the Eastern Band of Cherokee.
Dawn of the Augmented (City)
The Tchalitkee River formed the southern boundary for Aurora City at that time. Completion of the Aurora International Airport (AIA) drove development south of the river, in accordance with long-term development plans for expanding the city to the south and west. The area south of the river became known as the Lockeheart District while the original city north of the river became the Aurora District. The name Aurora City then came to include the combination of both districts. The ruggedness of the Jigsaw Range again determined the fate of the city. With very little available room to expand to the east, the majority of growth spread westward and eventually became part of the Aurora City Greater Metropolitan Area (GMA).
The establishment of SWORD (Specialized Weaponry and Ordnance Research Directorate) Station Aaron effectively marked the limit of westward expansion of the Greater Metro Area on the northern side of the river (Aurora District). South of the river, the Lockeheart District continues to expand somewhat eastward, putting pressure upon the Emerald Hills Preserve, but primarily development is progressing southward to take advantage of the natural geography out to Lake Inspiration.
