London, as it was, is no more. Now, the once great city lies in ruins. A massive, sinister gash in the fabric of our reality swirls and churns, dominating the horizon as it blends into a permanently darkened sky. The Invasion, the unspeakable cataclysm that befell London, eventually engulfed humanity. This capitol of a once powerful nation has been eradicated, and The Burn – the transformation of our world into theirs – has begun.
The City
Covent Garden Market
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The Covent Garden Market district is a typical example of the devastation that was wrought during the demonic invasion. Buildings are in various states of disrepair, fires of infernal origin still burn under a perpetually darkened sky, and creatures of the underworld lurk the abandoned streets. There are few places to hide or find cover, and any unarmed adventurer has an extremely short life expectancy above ground. Shattered windows, desolate store fronts and hastily erected defenses can be seen in the eerie avenues, as well as evidence of the hard-fought battles that seemed to rage everywhere in the once proud city of London. | ||
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Bloomsbury
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Bloomsbury is an area of central London, in the borough of Camden. The area contains some of London's finest parks and buildings, and is particularly known for its formal squares. These include the large and orderly Russell Square, the smaller unusual round Bedford Square, Bloomsbury Square dominated by the grand Victoria House, Queen Square home to many hospitals, and Gordon Woburn and Torrington Squares, which are home to parts of University College. The Bloomsbury district was once served by numerous tube routes, but today is only accessible via the Picadilly and Central lines. Holborn Station is the closest secured site to this area, although recent changes due to The Burn may have unearthed a secret tunnel that is part of the disused British Museum tube station. | ||
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The British Museum
| The oldest museum in the world, The British Museum was established in 1753 and was based largely on the collections of the noted physician, scientist and collector Sir Hans Sloane. His work in the field of botany, and especially his study of chemistry at the Apothecaries Hall in London, laid the groundwork for what would be the core the early museum’s collection.
The British Museum is home to over seven million objects from all continents illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present. Many of the artifacts are stored underneath the museum due to lack of space. Though it principally became a museum of cultural art objects and antiquities, the British Museum was founded as a 'universal museum'. After its foundation the British Museum received several gifts, including ancient relics and antiquities. From Roman and Greek artifacts to an extensive collection of Egyptian sculptures. Amongst its more notable acquisitions were the Rosetta Stone and the infamous Elgin Marbles. The Queen Elizabeth II Great Court is a covered square at the centre of the British Museum designed by the architects Foster and Partners. The roof is a glass and steel construction with 1,656 pairs of uniquely shaped glass panes. | ||
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The Tubes
The miles of track and supporting infrastructure that makes up the London Underground Transport system has survived the demonic Invasion fairly well. Although there are signs of the devastation everywhere, it is not uncommon to come upon storerooms that are still completely intact. There are also remnants of power sources set up by the Templar during their retreat beneath the earth that can be discovered by those curious – and brave – enough to search the demon infested subways.
Covent Garden Service Line
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This terminus is little more than a servicing depot for trains. Its proximity to danger, however, is a reminder that the threat of the demons is ever-present and very real. | ||
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Northern Line
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This line stems off from the Leicester Square station outpost. Running roughly beneath St. Martin’s Street, several new offshoots have been discovered that lead to once-sealed locations. There are rumors of a Primus constructing a hideous torture chamber somewhere along the line, although no one has yet found its location. | ||
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Leicester Square Line
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Providing a conduit between the Covent Garden and Leicester Square stations, the only traffic these tracks see are of dark origins. The muggy air here hangs heavy and is tinged with an ominous reddish hue. While travelers can still make their way to points south within London using this line, they only should do so if heavily armed. | ||
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Underneath London
In addition to the Underground tubes, London is crisscrossed with an endless array of other subterranean tunnels. From underground Roman sites, to Victorian-era sewers and pedestrian tunnels, to secret mail tunnels, there exists any number of appropriate and visually interesting settings.
The Sewers
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Though long dry, these subterranean thoroughfares are literally everywhere beneath the city of London. The survivors of the Invasion have been exploring them in hopes of discovering hidden caches or others that have fallen beneath the notice of the demons. It seems that the forces of darkness have recently begun to take an interest in these locales as well, making for some unexpected and unfortunate encounters. | ||
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Underground Stations
The first section of the London Underground was opened on January 10th, 1863. It was built from then on in great part by the Freemasons. While this provided a convenient and economical means of transport for the inhabitants of London, it also marked the fevered conclusion of the Templar scheme to protect the capital city of England.
John Fowler and Benjamin Baker, the chief engineers and designers of the London Underground, came from families deeply associated with the Freemasons. Every batch of cement used in the initial construction of the tube stations were personally inspected by one of them, ensuring that a very specific alchemical mixture was being used. The secret of this formula was passed along over the next century, allowing future generations of Templar and Freemasons to create a safe haven against the forces of Hell.