In Character Info:

Welcome to Central City, gateway to the American West. This rough and tumble city was once the largest hub west of the Mississippi, the last bastion of civilization before the wilderness. While the frontier has pushed on west, Central City's frontier mentality and pioneer spirit still remain even as the city becomes an industrial hub. It's a city filled with graft and vice. Saloons and gambling dens are on every corner and anything you desire can be bought for a price. It's a city where everyday municipal life is controlled by the Patterson Combination, a powerful political machine that has control of City Hall, a good chunk of the statehouse, and even a US Senator. Patronage is the order of the day and the Combination rewards loyalty with jobs. Policemen, alderman, and even dog catchers owe their jobs and allegiance to the Combination. Anythings happens in Central City, it does so with the Combinations approval. At the center of this Alan John "A.J." Patterson, a man who holds no public office but is still more powerful than the mayor or governor.

It's the summer of 1876 and it's an election year. Reform seems to be in the air and it's up to the Combination to show Central City that it is a force for good, a force that provides for the downtrodden and needy for the simple price of a vote or two or three. From the corridors of power all the way down to the muddy back alleys, it's up to you to see that the Combination stays in power and that you get your just reward for your hard won loyalty.

Out of Character Info

This game is a mixture of crime and politics. You'll play a member of the political machine, from lowly street hooligan and saloon owner to ward boss to beat cop and on up. There will be a few members of the machine that will be off limits, the upper ranks especially, but I have an overarching story in mind for the game and want to allow everyone a chance to work inside that framework and do their own things. There's a lot of flexibility in this. I want it to be about politics and crime, but also about just life in an urban city that was rapidly changing around its citizens and how they dealt with it. The backdrop of this is the American centennial and the controversial presidential election of 1876, along with a party convention that will be coming to town soon.

Primer:

What is a Political Machine?

From Wikipedia:

A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses, who receive rewards for their efforts. The machine's power is based on the ability of the workers to get out the vote for their candidates on election day.

Although these elements are common to most political parties and organizations, they are essential to political machines, which rely on hierarchy and rewards for political power, often enforced by a strong party whip structure. Machines sometimes have a political boss, often rely on patronage, the spoils system, "behind-the-scenes" control, and longstanding political ties within the structure of a representative democracy. Machines typically are organized on a permanent basis instead of for a single election or event. The term may have a pejorative sense referring to corrupt political machine



Precinct Captain

A precinct captain is the lowest level of power in the organization. This is the man out in the street, getting the vote for the Combination any way possible. Oftentimes a Precinct Captain will be someone who does not hold office but gets benefits -- money, power, a chance for political office -- from his loyalty to the machine. The Precinct Captain's territory is, you guessed it, the precinct where he lives. He is a neighborhood leader who uses his connections with the machine to help constituents with everyday problems that come with living in an industrial metropolis.

To get an idea of the day to day life of a the lower levels of party machine work, read this fascinating excerpt from the diary of a Tammany Hall member: Plunkitt's Diary

Ward Boss

The middleman in the organization, a Ward Boss usually controls a significant chunk of the city's political territory, with as many as seven or eight precinct captains under his watch. While the precinct captain deals in political tactics, the ward boss deals in political strategy. He is usually in some midlevel political position, a city councilman or a high-ranking police captain or a state legislator or some other bureaucrat, and is indebted to the machine staying in power for his job. The Ward Boss handles constituent problems, but is also the man to see about business licenses, court problems, and other problems that may pop up for the well to do members of the city.

Underboss

Very rare, maybe only two or three men in the machine can be considered underbosses. The Underboss has a significant chunk of political power. He is either a high-ranking elected official (city mayor, district attorney, US Congressman, US Senator) or a prominent businessman. The underbosses can move the levers of government in a way that nobody else in the machine can. With the snap of their fingers they can get legislation passed, they can get charges dismissed, and they can get state and federal contracts for anyone willing to pay the price.

City Boss

The pinnacle. The boss is the man you see when you are either powerful enough to warrant it, or have something he wants. The boss holds no political office and is rarely mentioned by the politicians who owe him so much. It is he who makes the big decisions that affect the machine, the city, and maybe even the country as a whole.



Eastside

The eastern side of the city is the remnants of the old frontier town Center, Central City's first incarnation. The city's oldest and most prominent families live on the eastside. Almost all of the residents of the eastside are "Americans" in the sense that their lineage can be traced back to ancestors living in America before the American Revolution. The occasional prominent immigrant may live Eastside if he or she has amassed enough money and political clout to buy one of the big homes on the hill.

Downtown

Built in the 1830's, downtown is where City Hall and Central City's other government buildings are. Downtown is also home to a large Irish neighborhood known as Little Galway, settled in the first wave of migrations to the West. A ghetto in the 30's and 40's, the neighborhood has developed into a stable working-class neighborhood home to many of Central City's middle-class families. Bordering Little Galway is Bohemia, a newer ethnic neighborhood, a slightly less well to do neighborhood that is none the less on the rise. Bohemia came about in the early 1850's as German, Czechs, and other members of the failed '48 Revolutions fled Europe for America.

Westside

The western edge of Central City is home to the new class of immigrants freshly arrived to the country after the American Civil War ended. Italians, Eastern Europeans, and Jewish immigrants still new to America all live in cramped houses and tenement buildings. Adding to their misery is the industrial factories that are also placed on the west side, factories that run all day and all night with a mostly immigrant workforce that has no other option but to spend sixteen hour days working. The Central Stockyards, a massive facility that supplies the Western US with meat, is where many work long hours for little pay.

Black Jack

Black Jack is the crude name of the city's African-American neighborhood. The overall black population in Central City isn't a lot compared to Southern cities, but it is more than the average black population in Northern cities. More African-Americans have come to the city in the years following the Civil War, though not enough to overcrowd Black Jack. The southern rail line that separates Black Jack between the rest of the city is known as the "Color Line." Outside of CCPD, very few whites are seen in and around Black Jack.

Saloon City

Running along one of the city's western boulevards, Saloon City is the vice hub for Central City. At least one hundred saloons, gambling dens, whorehouses, and opium parlors all reside in this one square mile of city. Tourists, travelers heading further west, and local residents all come to Saloon City to blow off steam and gladly hand their money over. Anything can be bought in Saloon City for a price. The graft and protection that comes with the district is a huge part of the Combination's revenue stream. Politicians, cops, and criminals alike all have a major interest in keeping Saloon City safe and trouble free.



Name:

Age:

Ethnicity:

Occupation/Place in the Combination:

Personal History:

Name: Robert Thomas Stockton

Age: 59

Ethnicity: American (British descent)

Occupation/Place in the Combination: United States Senator/Advisor

Personal History:

The story of Bob Stockton is the story of American success. Born in 1817, Stockton's father was a veteran of the War of 1812 who moved west to seek his fortune. The state was still a territory when the Stockton family arrived in the small town of Center and set out as cattle farmers. The Stockton's made a modest living and Bob was prepared to learn the trade from his father when the Panic of 1837 changed everything. The depression ruined the elder Stockton's farm and business prospects. Heavily in debt and depressed, he took his own life. At twenty years old, Bob became the man of the house. The burden of supporting his mother and six brothers and sisters fell upon him.

Bob worked three jobs -- as a saloon floor sweeper, house painter, and general store clerk -- all while reading law at the offices of William "Bill" Patterson, a prominent local attorney. It was there that Bob met Bill's son A.J., an apprentice reading law as well. The two young men formed a fast friendship based on their mutual outlooks on life and fierce ambition. In 1840, Bob and A.J. passed the state bar and started Stockton & Patterson Attorneys at Law. The practice thrived in both criminal and civil cases. A.J. thrived in criminal court, representing the lowest class the city had, while Bob showed his talent as a representative of the growing special interests in the renamed Central City. The men were soon making money hand over fist and establishing connections from every facet of urban life.

In 1852, A.J. and Bob used their connections to get into the political game. Mayor Anthony Scott, the long-serving political boss of the city, was toppled by the two upstarts who used a coalition of poor ethnic voters and wealthy American businessmen to toss Scott and his city council cronies out of office and replace them with men loyal to A.J. and Bob. The Patterson Combination was born. The machine's power grew out from Central City and took over the statehouse. While A.J. preferred to work behind the scenes, Bob liked the spotlight and used the Combination's power to his advantage. In 1860, Bob ran and won a seat in Congress by capturing 99% of the vote in his district. He served for ten years, through the Civil War and Reconstruction, before he saw a greater prize. In 1870, the Combination controlled state legislature elected Bob to the US Senate. The man who had once worked eighteen hour days to provide for his family was now one of the most powerful men in the state and the entire West.

Now, Bob is ending his first term in the US Senate and is coming home to stand for reelection. As A.J.'s closest lieutenant, he helps the Combination plan its moves for the upcoming election season that will be hotly contested by reform candidates in both the city and the state. Michael Wood, the state's current governor, ha made his intention known that he wishes to take Bob's seat in the Senate. In addition, presidential politics may be coming into play as the party convention comes to Central City to elect a president. For a man who has achieved so much, Bob sees a path to the White House could be easily within his grasp if he can play his cards just right.

Name: Officer Daniel Shea

Age: 25

Ethnicity: Irish (1st generation American migrant)

Occupation/Place in the Combination: Police officer

Personal History:

Danny Shea is the son of Captain Thomas Shea, an Irish immigrant who has used his political skills to rise in the Central City PD and amass great influence inside the Combination. Danny is the middle child of the family, his brother Joseph is an assistant district attorney while youngest son Matthew is away at college. Despite being from a family of wealth and influence, Danny has steadfastly held to the determination to be his own man and make his own path separate from his father. He lives across town from the Shea house in the city's westside in a neighborhood filled with new German, Italian, and Eastern European immigrants.

He patrols the westside twelve hours a day, six days a week, and is faced with the harsh realities of urban life. As a member of the police department, he is unwillingly part of the city's political machine. He considers himself nonpartisan, but still is forced to donate a portion of his pay to the Combination and take part in partisan acts for the sake of keeping his job and pleasing his father. He wants to rise and become a detective, but only on his own merits and not because of who his father is or what he could do for the machine.

@BingTheWing @Ruby @Ulstermann @Sypherkhode822 @Dinh AaronMk

Awesome!

I'm still playing with character ideas right now. I'll have something soon enough to start grafting like mad playing with!

Swiggity swooty. I'll work on something later.

HmmmMmmmMmmMmm

Interested.

Well then post a sheet, bruh. We've moved on past the interest check.

@Byrd Man

Oh, sheiii-

Will write one up then.

Hey, I'm fairly new to the website so I just wanted to post my idea to see if it was any good. Any advice or help is appreciated!

Name: Vincent (Weasel) Magoni

Age: 26

Ethnicity: white, American/Italian

Occupation/Place in the Combination: no official position, Precinct Captain

Personal History:

Vincent "the Weasel" Magoni was the best con man the city had ever seen, but life didn't start so easy for him. Born a prositutes son, he spent his early days on the streets as a beggar, using his natural born wit and charm to scrape a living out of the city. He took a job as a street sweeper, factory worker and countless other jobs Before the machine took notice of him. The machine promised him something he could never resist: power. All his life. Vinny had been the odd man out, the slick, the smart aleck, hated for always being able to slip out of every situation. They couldn't have known the skinny tall guy wearing a dirty suit had dreams of grandeur. And so he joined up as a precinct captain, one of the best (according to himself). He patrolled the west side, fooling the suppressed and hardworking immigrants that "a vote for the Pattersons is a vote for you!". Vincent is determined to scale the ranks of the machine, to finally achieve his lifelong dream of not being the little guy anymore.

Nice. You're approved. Welcome aboard.

Oh no, I don't think i can commit to this... I'll have to cancel my slot here. G luck with the rp bois

What a quitter!

D:

Name: Edward Mayer

Age: 28

Ethnicity: German-American

Occupation/Place in the Combination: Outside, Labor Agitator/Anarchist

Personal History: Born on the passage over from Germany, Edward Mayer was the first of five children born to a young German couple fleeing Europe in 1849. Fleeing the continent towards the end of the March Revolution. Being liberals and socialists, they feared for their safety and that of the then pregnant Claire Mayer, Edward's mother when the governments of Germany eventually cracked down. Edward's father, a doctor named Amadeus was confident that when they landed in New York that he may begin a practice and carve out a living in the new land.

However, landing in New York Amadeus had no such luck and as the mixture of fortune and misfortune would have it, the family chose to move west to the promising Central City west of the Mississippi river. At the age of five, Edward was moved with his family from the East Coast to the American interior. Not going straight into Central City though, the family put down roots in a small farmstead forty-miles outside Central City where off and on Amadeus practiced as a country doctor while trying to tend to a small farm.

The family began their move proper into Central City after the American Civil War, in part taking advantage of the growing city offering up more advantages as it swelled with immigrants moving west and freed blacks moving north. Amadeus too had managed to save up from his practice, and moving the family into Downtown set up a practice between the Irish and German neighborhoods where they also lived.

Edward for his part was mostly homeschooled before moving into the city. Largely educated in German from the few odd books the family managed to bring over from Germany and acquired in New York, the young Edward spoke with a soft if noticeable accent compared to children of his own age. Edward only really coming to learn English through attending church. Yet despite the language handicap he had in his early years, he was a bright kid and read voraciously and studied under his father on occasion.

His favorite subjects when he became a teenager turned from learning to emulate his father as a doctor to politics and philosophy and he discovered and read Proudhon, Marx, and Engels in particular.

At the age of nineteen Edward seemed to openly forsake his otherwise middle-class upbringing and left for the east side of town, for close to six years he bounced between jobs at the factories and stockyards exploring the capitalist-industrialist framework of what he realized was the future to come. The conditions of the working man in the factories and the conditions they suffered at the expense of the factory boss's whims greatly effected him as he went in with the ideas of Proudhon and Marx in his head.

Though while he came to see and understand the disaffection of the American worker, he later came to discover the underground labor movement in Central City and that his thoughts were exactly his alone and that there were others who believed at least similar to him; if not just like him.

Hell yeah. Approved, fam.

Also, @Dinh AaronMk, you should peep the Bread-Winners as a counterpoint to the American Labor movement from one of America's privledged sons. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bread-Winners

@Byrd Man

ay-ay fam-a-lam

@Byrd ManI'd love to participate in this, but I'm stuck between several character ideas: A beat cop, new to the force, who has wide-eyed aspirations and laughable hope for the world; A woman who's been jailed several times for prostitution, but has finally wizened up, and decided to start working on the management end of that whole thing (i.e. she runs an escort service/whorehouse); A woman who lives among the political machine, with no official position, but who finds ways to influence it nonetheless, through 'romantic' entanglements. Which would be best for this RP?