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Realities (And citizens)

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2001 stefan gagne)
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Antiparadisia

A reality that used to be known as Paradisia, until the locals decided that the irony had gotten old.

If you're looking for shady deals, smoke filled bars, muggers, murderers, kidnappers, smugglers, hookers, or any other sort of normally illegal profession, this is the place. They operate under a system of anarchy -- whoever owns the property you stand on can make laws, but of course, you could just smack him over the head and take that property. As a result the place is constantly chaotic, with only a few key locations standing the test of time.

One is the Joe's which has stood for five decades. Unlike most franchised Joe's places, this one has been heavily modified by its owner to serve the clientele of Antiparadisia, but still maintains the (cough) standards of quality Joe's is known for. Because even criminal scum like a burger now and then, nobody has had the heart to blow the place up or rob it blind, since that could potentially lead to the closing of the only place you can get a milkshake that's up to health code.

The other is the South Side Docks. East Siders and West Siders kill each other on an hourly basis, yes, and North Side is glowing a funny yellow color ever since the Incident, but South Side has stayed out of the fray mostly because without it, there'd be no way in or out of Antiparadisia. No way in means no goods being imported and no clients seeking out evil services. No way out means you can't leave Antiparadisia, and NOBODY here wants that.

Oddly enough, the other place which has survived is Auntie Mae's Flower Shop. Even the most psychotic, bloodthirsty maniac doesn't have the heart to raise a hand to sweet little Auntie Mae. Plus, she bakes cookies for people who buy her flowers. Her assistant is a nerdy kind of guy named Mike, who is entirely unsuited for this sort of place and has to take pills every day to keep from dying of fright.

The three primary trades in Antiparadisia are drugs, weapons, and sex. A thousand various forms of narcotics and highly alternative medicenes are available here at competitive prices, but naturally it's nearly impossible to trust in the quality or actual availability, so drug trades are often more complicated than doing your tax forms on Urbana.

Weapons are also plentiful, and given the wide spectrum of technology available across realities, it's easy to get an edge on your bow and arrow toting enemies when you're packing a plasma cannon. Primarily projectile / gun type weapons are available, as well as some vehicles. Weapons of mass destruction are harder to come by given the difficulty in obtaining, storing, and selling them. Exotic meelee weapons are more readily available, since they aren't as useful to people who want other people dead in a hurry with minimal effort. Some custom meelee weapon shops do a brisk and safe trade as a result of their comfy little niche market.

If it's considered pornographic by somebody, ANYBODY, it's for sale in Antiparadisia. The porno trade is the safest of the three, since porn is plentiful and easy to come by, and nobody has to kill anybody to get a glossy magazine. The sex-for-money trade (aka the 'oldest profession') is considerably less safe, since diseases run wild and turf wars are common, but the variety of questionable festishes performed by these tradeswomen (and tradesmen) is profound enough to risk it. Assuming you swing that way, of course. Hookers can always find a cookie at Auntie Mae's place as long as they're willing to hear a critique of their fashion sense or lack thereof. ("Really dear, you'll catch your death of cold in that drafty thing. Here, have a scarf I was knitting last night. No, go on. And have a cookie.")

Antiparadisia runs on a RealWare Reality Engine, but is not listed in Twoday's Guidebook for obvious reasons.