Sixty Seconds Over Empire City! is a game of high-flying diespunk adventure set in the eponymous pulp city of an alternate 1936. The protagonists are larger-than-life pulp heroes, fighting against the forces of villainy in a time that never was.
Empire City is a sprawling metropolis on the East Coast of the United States, home to millions. Founded in 1668 by Wallace Wolfe, a privateer in the Dutch East India Company, Empire City was originally named Wolfswood. It was later conquered by the British in 1674 and renamed Empire City, and has retained that name ever since. When the Stamp Act created unrest in the American colonies, Empire City became one of the first strongholds of the Sons of Liberty, and was the site of one of the major battles of the American Revolutionary War.
The city rose to its true power during the early days of the Industrial Revolution, when Victor Valiant, then mayor of the city and owner of many of its businesses, invested heavily in manufacturing, trade, and the arts, determined to make Empire City one of the most powerful and influential cities in the world. The city became a home to many black Americans migrating north after the Civil War, and enthusiastically embraced the Jazz Age.
There are several newspapers in Empire City. The Empire City Post and the Empire City Tribute are the smaller papers, mostly two-bit rags not worth the paper they’re printed on. The true prince of the news business is The Daily Majestic, named after the city’s first major, who, after being kicked out of high office for corruption, ran a smear campaign against the city. A hundred and fifty years later, it’s become the pre-eminent and most highly respected new source on the coast. The editor of the Daily Majestic is Darwin Fordham Hanlen, also known affectionately as “Don’t Fool Around” Hanlen. Hanlen made his name carving out stories from the Muggs Alphonse beat. He was accused of soft-pedaling stories about Alphonse as he was coming up in the ranks.
Empire City is also the home to many pulp villains, including Dr. Nefarious, Lord Koto Demonsbane, the vampire queen Salome, and the mysterious vigilante known only as The Whisper.
The heroes begin aboard the airship Astonishing, flying above Empire City on the lookout for trouble!
Hosted and narrated by:
Daniel Swensen (danielswensen)
Started 04/21/14.
Scenes played: 11
License: Community License
