Location: UCAS, Pacific Northwest
Population: Approximately 2 million
Major City: Victoria (population 1.2 million)
Corporate Presence: Aztechnology, among others
Key Features: Untouched wilderness, Awakened creatures, corporate enclaves
Overview:
Vancouver Island in 2097 remains part of the UCAS but operates independently from the Seattle Metroplex. The island’s population centers primarily around Victoria, the largest city, and several coastal towns scattered along the southern and eastern coasts. With a total population of around 2 million, most inhabitants enjoy a quieter life compared to the sprawling chaos of nearby Seattle. However, the island’s relative calm is juxtaposed with a thriving corporate presence, which takes full advantage of favorable tax rates and limited governmental oversight.
Geography and Wilderness:
The majority of Vancouver Island is untouched wilderness, with dense forests, rugged mountains, and a long, jagged coastline that makes the island both a nature lover’s paradise and a place of danger. Large tracts of land remain undeveloped and protected, home to numerous awakened creatures, both on land and in the surrounding seas. Rumors abound of dragons roosting in the more remote mountain ranges, while the waters are said to teem with leviathans and other mysterious beings.
This vast wilderness draws researchers, thrill-seekers, and shadowrunners alike, as the island's natural beauty hides many secrets.
Victoria and Coastal Towns:
Victoria is the heart of Vancouver Island, home to around 1.2 million people and a hub for commerce, culture, and tourism. Despite its size, Victoria maintains an old-world charm, with a blend of British colonial architecture and modern design. Corporate towers rise alongside historic buildings, and Matrix nodes buzz with activity. The island's coastal towns, such as Nanaimo and Tofino, offer a quieter, more relaxed lifestyle, but they also benefit from the island's corporate presence.
Corporate Enclaves:
Corporations have found Vancouver Island to be an ideal place for operations. Aztechnology is the most prominent, maintaining a significant presence in and around Victoria. The island’s tax incentives and lax regulatory environment make it an attractive location for research and development, with few questions asked as long as corporations remain within their enclaves and refrain from endangering the island or its people. Other megacorps also maintain facilities on the island, using the remote wilderness for testing and the local population as a workforce.
The enclaves themselves are well-fortified, with high-tech security measures in place. Corporate drones and private security are common sights, particularly near Aztechnology’s sprawling Victoria compound, which blends seamlessly into the surrounding forest.
Wildlife and Awakened Beings:
Vancouver Island’s wilderness is known for harboring a wide range of awakened creatures, making it a place of both wonder and danger. Sightings of sasquatches, paracritters, and even rumored drakes keep both tourists and researchers on their toes. The seas surrounding the island are equally hazardous, with awakened sea creatures patrolling the waters. Fishermen often speak of encounters with krakens or strange, glowing sea serpents off the coast.
Because of the high concentration of awakened fauna, the island is a prime spot for magical research. Magical practitioners, both corporate and independent, frequently make pilgrimages to the island’s ancient forests to study the powerful leylines that run through the terrain.
Economy:
Vancouver Island thrives on its natural resources, tourism, and corporate investments. Many islanders work for the megacorporations operating in the area, taking advantage of high-paying jobs in the corporate sector while enjoying the quieter pace of life that the island offers. However, the corporations often bring their own challenges, including occasional clashes with locals over land use and environmental impact. There are frequent protests from environmental groups, but the island's government tends to side with corporate interests due to the economic benefits.
Law and Order:
While Victoria and the coastal towns have functional law enforcement, the more remote parts of the island often fall under corporate jurisdiction or are left to fend for themselves. Lone Star maintains a presence in Victoria, though its reach fades as you move into corporate enclaves or wilderness areas, where corporate security forces take over. Given the island's lax governance, the presence of shadowrunners isn’t uncommon, though they must tread carefully when dealing with corporate security.
Key Concerns:
- Environmental Tensions: While corporations are officially required to respect the island’s ecosystem, rumors persist of illegal experiments and deforestation in remote areas. The constant presence of awakened creatures and powerful magical energies creates tension between nature and industry.
- Corporate Dominance: The island’s economy is heavily dependent on corporate enclaves, leading to a growing divide between the locals who benefit from corporate jobs and those who resent the corporate presence.
- Dangerous Wilderness: The island’s wild places are full of opportunity and peril. The dense forests, mountains, and seas are rich with natural resources, but they are also home to dangerous creatures and potent magical energies that pose a threat to anyone who ventures too far from civilization.
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