The Grand 38

**The Grand 38** is a large municipality on the eastern seaboard of the continent of Albion on Hyperion. It is bordered to the south by the unorganized urban area known as the Sin Gates and to the north by the destabilized city of Buxom, constituting the chaotic Sin Corridor.

The city was founded initially as a shipping stop along the Albish coastline with the name **Coveview** in 2125. However, the rise of Route 38 connecting the area to midland Albion allowed Coveview to grow as a hub between the western and eastern coasts throughout the 2200s and 2300s. However, the end of the Second Renaissance and the start of the Great Stellar Depression annihilated the industries of this part of Hyperion. Due to this great economic collapse, Coveview eventually morphed into the Grand 38 by the late 2400s, becoming the only area on Hyperion to legalize gambling at the local level and pick itself up from such a slump.

However, with the legalization of gambling also came a flood of organized crime; the city, as of the 2690s, has one of the highest rates of criminal intrusion into its economy. It is the only relatively stable part of the Sin Corridor for these same reasons, however, as the mobs that run various casinos within the city have thrown out the lesser gangs and ruffians that plague nearby cities such as the Sin Gates and Buxom.

## History

The Grand 38, formerly known as Coveview, is a large municipality located on the eastern seaboard of the continent of Albion on the planet Hyperion. Founded in 2125 as a simple shipping stop, the settlement grew rapidly during the 2200s and 2300s, thanks to the construction of Route 38, a major transportation artery that connected the western and eastern coasts of Albion.

However, the end of the Second Renaissance and the subsequent Great Stellar Depression in the late 2300s dealt a devastating blow to the local economy, which had relied heavily on finance and service industries to compete with other worlds such as Tellus. As a result, Coveview was forced to adapt or perish. By the late 2400s, the settlement had rebranded itself as the Grand 38, becoming the only municipality on Hyperion to legalize gambling at the local level.

The legalization of gambling proved to be a double-edged sword for the Grand 38. On one hand, it helped to revive the local economy and attract a steady stream of tourists and visitors from across Hyperion and the wider Coalition of Congressional Republics. On the other hand, it also brought with it a wave of organized crime and corruption, which quickly took root in the city's casinos and other gambling establishments. As a result, the Grand 38 soon gained a reputation as a haven for criminals and corrupt officials, with one of the highest rates of criminal intrusion into its economy and government of any municipality on Hyperion. Despite these challenges, the Grand 38 remained relatively stable compared to its neighbors in the Sin Corridor. The city's powerful criminal organizations, led by a handful of ruthless casino bosses, managed to maintain a tenuous grip on power, driving out smaller gangs that plagued nearby cities such as the Sin Gates and Buxom.

By the late 2600s, the Grand 38 had become a fixture of the Hyperian underworld, with its casinos and criminal syndicates playing a central role in the region's economy and politics. Despite ongoing concerns about corruption and organized crime, the city continued to attract millions of visitors each year, drawn by the promise of riches and excitement in one of the galaxy's most notorious gambling hubs.