INTRO
1950s-era London was a be-there experience. It could be argued that such is the case with all historical eras, or events, but you don't understand: a record high of imports and exports touched London's docks while the reconstruction effort was going full tilt. The demand for skilled labour was at an all-time high, and London's working class was thriving. Long hours taxed the blue collared man, but the pay kept his family fed.
For the first time London was finding itself a staple in popular culture as growing affluence afforded the younger Londoners to adopt aspects of American models of behaviour and music. Manufacturing firms mushroomed as the demand for consumer goods became greater and greater. Cut-and-dried: the 1950s are, to this day, referred to as "the preposterous era."
It's undeniable that civilians and government workers alike had much to gain as a result of the second wind that swept through London, but wherever fortune goes, crime follows. While the honest importers and exporters were making bank with legal wares, there were certain figures at work making twice as much with half the effort through illegal means. Those in control of the illegal side of the docks' activities sat comfortably in the City of Westminster, generally around Leicester Square. The powers that be held a precarious truce that afforded certain gangs certain territories and the rackets that could be cultivated therein. It had been this way since shortly after the end of World War II and saw a rise to the top for three key factions: The Hyde Park Gang, The Shaftesbury Firm, and the boss of bosses, The West-Enders. Each criminal institute had a history of unstable leadership save for The Hyde Park Gang, which remained in the grips of the Adler family.
True is the notion that the general public enjoyed the burst of wealth, but truer still is the corruption it brought with it. The corruption of minds, the corruption of hearts, the corruption of souls: politicians, police officers, and your average every day citizen were all taken aback by an unfamiliar thirst for glory. Where do you fit in all this? Do you need to drink from the chalice of the greats? Is it your duty to stop the immoral from hurting those unrelated? Or are you an innocent bystander taken aback by it all? Everyone has a role in The West End.
FACTIONS
THE HYDE PARK GANG (Hyde Park)
The Hyde Park Gang was founded in 1909 by Arthur Adler, the oldest of 6 brothers. Arthur built up a reputation as a sadist cutthroat who employed the use of intimidation as his primary means of political sway. From holding the fates of a police officer's family over his head, the future of a target shop's well-being, or the very physical wellness of someone in debt, Arthur found a way to strike you with fear. He would eventually be conscripted and made to fight in the First World War with 3 of his other brothers, while the second-oldest of the Adler 6 became wanted for draft-dodging, leaving the organization in the hands of the youngest brother Harry. The young man had not the reputation of his oldest brother, but did have a more business-centric mindset. This would give The Hyde Park Gang more revenue, but less political sway on the streets, which would ultimately lead to downsizing. The gang now finds itself in the capable hands of Joseph Adler, the oldest of 3 brothers, and first-born son of Harry Adler - keeping true to the pattern of many siblings standing in control. What makes The Hyde Park Gang stand out from its counterparts is that it puts to use a council-like hierarchy, seeing at the top the three brothers Joseph, Walter, and Henry. The trio has a younger sister, Chasity, who is thought to play a part in the gang's politics, but isn't known as a member of the organization.
THE SHAFTESBURY FIRM (Shaftesbury Avenue)
Nearest Leicester Square is The Shaftesbury Firm, which is named after the major street Shaftesbury Avenue due to the gang's main rackets calling the avenue home. You can trace the firm's origins to the early 1920s with a longshoreman known as "Cherry" Daily, first name Clyde. He was charismatic and engaged, which drew in other working class citizens who were down on their luck. They could identify with his narrative: a downtrodden, scraping-by, blue-collared man with a family to feed. Not much was passing through London's docks now that the war was over, and a great deal of men were laid off. These men would lay the foundation for Daily's rise to power as they put to use their connections with other longshore firms throughout London and quickly established an intricate trafficking network using the channels. Daily's new-found power and wealth invoked a jealousy-fueled rage among some of the younger members, which would ultimately lead to a coup in 1947 led by Mason Frayne. There was a civil war for over 16 months before Daily was found dead in his bathtub with a gunshot wound to the head, giving the authorities enough reason to call the death a suicide. Brought to the helm with Frayne after Daily's death were cousins Tom Flowers and Tyson Bathess. Before Frayne's tenure as the leader of The Firm, there was an on-sight, shoot-to-kill policy among the 3 rivaling factions. Many believe that Frayne pioneered the still-standing truce in the West End because it only came about shortly after his rise.
THE WEST-ENDERS (Picadilly Circus)
The West-Enders are now and have always been a predatory group of glorified thugs. They call home a majority of the City of Westminster, but designate Picadilly Circus as their heart. From drug-running, arms trafficking, to pimping, The West-Enders were the strongest active criminal regime in London, claiming over 600 active members by 1951. A diverse network of cutthroats, businessmen, and Average Joe’s make up the body of The West-Enders. They were founded in Belfast, Northern Ireland by George Stafford and Kelly McIntyre in 1897 and were active in the sectarian fueds between the Protestants and the Catholics. They lead many offensives and had a hand in many demonstrations of “domestic terrorism”. Through the use of propaganda, The West-Enders (then known as The Shankill Road Coalition) established themselves as “the true servants of Christ”, gaining them much support against the Protestant gangs. The West-Enders mutated and changed with time and expanded their reach, finding a comfortable place in the City of Westminster in 1919. The First World War painted The West-Enders in a bad light in the public eye as most of their members became known draft dodgers. The end of the First World War marked a turning point for the gang, however: their “wanted” draft dodgers were forgotten about while the other Westminster gangs were crushed by an increased effort form the authorities, as the police received new information from “unknown sources.”
Once Stafford died, it became apparent that McIntyre fell into dementia, calling for the leaders of different extensions of The Shankill Road Coalition to contend for grand leadership. Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, Aberdeen, and London were the city’s most likely take control of The Shankill Road Coalition in its entirety. Glasgow leader Bobby Crouch fell from a window to his death, Liverpool and Manchester leaders Gary Green and Shawn Brooks submitted their bid of support for the London leader Ewen King, leaving Dublin and Aberdeen at odds, resulting in King’s victory. The Shankill Road Coalition is now known as The Ewen King Organization, but is known locally as The West-Enders, due to their crippling control over a large portion of the Westminster rackets.
APPLICATION (Character Information)
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STANDARDS
We would like to see a minimum of 2 paragraphs, or an equally long post (if most of the text is dialogue) per submission. Please don't write a novel, because some of the players will not feel motivated to read your contributions to the story, and we don't want that. We want everyone to write this with us, to shape this universe together.
We'd like to have everyone on Skype so that we can readily communicate beyond the forum to discuss scenes, interactions, the direction of the story, and planned absences. If you do not use Skype or are not yet comfortable with sharing your Skype information, that's fine. Please just PM Sterling or myself. We may be taking this game far more seriously than you are, and that's fine, but please respect our wishes.
We would like to ask you to do some of your own research into the era and the location that the game takes place, but if you can't find the motivation or don't have the right resources, we'll provide you with a small informative package that should get you started via PM. Just remember that the most important part of all of this is the have fun.
