Esquire Bay (City)

## History

### Early British Settlement

The island that would become Esquire Island was previously inhabited solely by the Broadbeak Tribe, who were culturally linked to the nearby Mohegan tribes on the mainland Long Island. The Broadbeak Tribe kept mostly to themselves and rarely took part in warfare except to defend their island, but allowed new inhabitants to come and live peacefully with them.

In the early 17th century, the British explorers began to travel to the New World to establish new settlements and gather resources such as tobacco and gold. The latter was what Governor Peter Looto, Esq. was hoping to find. With the reminder of his dwindling fortune, he hired an old ship, the H.M.S. Clear Tiffany and a small crew that notably consisted of Jonathan Smythe, Sicklemore and Hudson.

They landed on the south side of the Broadbeak’s island in the summer of 1607. Looto immediately claimed the land and named it *Aurum*, believing it would have wealths of gold hidden in its ground. Smythe was the first to make contact with the Broadbeak Tribe and helped establish a peaceful coexistence between the natives and the settlers, despite the failed attempt Looto made to conquer the Broadbeaks.

When it became evident that there was no gold to be found, the English name for the island was changed to Esquire Island, after Looto’s title and their early settlement on the northern coast was named Esquire Bay. The Broadbeak Tribe retained their southern territory, which came to be known as the Chitmunk Province (this name later changed to the Kinkajou Province to avoid mockery for being too similar to the word *chipmunk*) and they continue to live there to this day.

### Colonial America and Revolution

Around the time of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, the hysteria spread down through New England and to Esquire Bay. While there were no recorded hangings, some writings indicate that they may have be one accused witch, who escaped capture before she could be prosecuted.

Esquire Bay had functioned as a minor port and ‘gateway’ for the larger New York colony, but acted as a smaller colony in of itself. This changed in the early years of the American Revolution, when Haytham Frye tried to establish Esquire Island as its own independent republic. In 1776, the Republic of Esquire Island was founded and quickly conquered by British forces, then captured again by the American forces, who fully incorporated the island in the State of New York in 1788.

### The Civil War

As part of New York State, Esquire Bay was on the side of the Union during the Civil War and contributed with the construction of new ships, mostly notably the U.S.S. *Counterstrike*. In response to the Union blockade of seceded state ports, the Confederacy deployed part of its fleet to place a blockade on Bayside in Esquire Bay. This temporarily halted production of the new ships, until the U.S.S. *Counterstrike* was launched straight into battle without a name. The ship and its crew singlehandedly drove out the Confederate fleet, earning its christened name of *Counterstrike*.

## Counties

* City Centre
* Hillwood
* Kingstown
* Bayside
* South Montauk
* Industrial District
* Kinkajou Province (Self-Governed by the Broadbeak Tribe)

## Points of Interest

### McCoy’s Bar

The establishment dates back as far back as the early days of the city itself, during the times of Jonathan Smythe, as it is reported that he was once visited the bar and was stabbed there. It was also the site of a gathering of separatist anarchists who, during the American Revolutionary War, plotted from secede from both the British Empire and the newly declared United States, opting to be a self-governing city-state.

During the Prohibition of the 1920s and 30s, the bar operated as a speakeasy, disguised as an ice cream parlour.

In the 1980s, the bar was run by Sam McCoy (the namesake of the present day bar), with his wife Diane and their daughter Wendy. The business is then passed down to his son-in-law, Hank.

## Trivia

* The name of the city is inspired by the setting of *Mafia II*, Empire Bay.
* The city itself is also inspired by the nearby New York City, with many buildings and landmarks having similar names, such as the *Esquire* State Building instead of the *Empire* State Building.
* The story of its founding is based on Governor Ratcliffe and his settlement of Jamestown, Virginia.