The Arc

*"In small communities, such as my village, neighbours know one another and share a sense of responsibility for the common good. It seems that the more people who accumulate in an area, the greater the tendency is for those people to become fractious and prone to violence. No greater proof of this tendency is needed than the glowing craters that now exist where once overcrowded cities stood. Beware of too great a concentration of people in any one place - it makes us more dangerous to one another than ever."*

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰."

Arc City (also known as the Noth Arclantis Project and the Arc Colony) is a large artificial crescent shaped island located in the ‘middle’ of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is considered to be a modern multicultural and thriving metropolis, overrun by corporations, corruption, organised crime and gang violence. It is known for its cool and overall unusual climate, as well as for its obscure history and odd, indigenous species of imported flora and fauna.

The Ark is the place you go where you'd worn out your welcome on the nice planets, but don't want to buy a tent and try your luck out in the literal wilderness. Yeah, City Centre is a pretty big step down from Quelmax Prime, but you can walk down a street, drink clean water and eat edible food, have some entertainment and not have to worry about the Secret Police summarily executing you with nanosaws for your outstanding warrant, because as far as the local fuzz is concerned all that hyperporn you were caught smuggling is someone else's problem.

As for the Corpos, doing business with the aliens and mutants' means being able to keep tabs on things, and the customs checkpoint is basically a blank check to arm and equip themselves with hardware that humanity won't be able to copy for generations, if ever. And the galactic community as a whole tolerates, because having a nice little neutral jerkwater planet can be politically very useful

## History

Arc City was established in the Atlantic Ocean in 2014, Founded by a group of billionaires, engineers and celebrities.

Ark City has wide streets and dense urban skyscrapers which are home to almost seven million people by 2263. It operates as a city-state, officially owning the title of Free City, and with the Rainworks Corporation having almost complete control over it. This metropolis is considered a thrilling and exciting location to visit, as well as an interesting and vibrant place to live for those of means, and a hellscape to the city's disenfranchised; its world-famous slogan is "The City on the Edge of Tomorrow", and more recently "The City of Dreams".

Arc City was the brainchild of Richard Hoss, a successful businessman who during the 21st century was concerned by the violence and disruption of the impending Collapse. Working mainly on corporate-funded projects soon started not to be enough for him and seeing himself in a uniquely position to deal with the problem, Richard started a side company known as Promethean International, and began to plan an ideal new city — an environment that would be controlled and would be ultimately safe from the ravages tearing the world apart. His new city would be completely planned, self-sufficient, and capable of holding off even the most determined marauders. It would boast planned neighbourhoods dedicated to preserving the feel of different types of nationalities and cultures, as well as a super-modern corporate centre that would stand as a shining beacon of enlightened capitalism. It was ambitious, far-reaching, and visionary in its approach

House secured an unheard amount of capital needed to finance the gargantuan project. With the Collapse, many corporations were looking to establish their own urban areas - controlled zones free of crime, poverty or debt. A place where governments would be corporate run, allowing optimum zoning and no anti-business elements to interfere with corporate growth. Ideally, it would be a capitalist mecca of opportunity. Hoss' dream city was tailor-made for their purposes and so he provided the design and construction capacities. By 2027, over fifty corporations signed on with Hoss.

### Construction (2027-2030)

In May of 2027, the construction had begun. Although Hoss Incorporated and Rainworks Industries were the major bankrollers for the ARC Projects, they weren't construction companies, a problem that eventually led to employ the workforce of the mob. The West Coast Mobs - such as the Mafia, Yakuza, and more - had maintained a stranglehold on heavy construction. They controlled the construction unions, the transport unions, and most of the governmental agencies in charge of construction licenses, environmental impacts, and other building necessities. The Mobs hoped that by investing a large amount of money in the projects, they would not only make a huge return on lucrative construction work, but also have the inside track on future gambling, prostitution, and drug franchises in the new city. However, Hoss' plan required the use his own advanced building techniques and materials, which excluded a number of established unions and construction firms controlled by the Mob partners. This displeased them, and Hoss' further insistence that his new city would be safe, and crime free angered them even more.

During the first four years of construction, there were daily threats against Hoss' life, and when the threats escalated to the level of sabotage and intimidation, he called in his corporate partners, who dealt with the issue swiftly and ruthlessly. However, despite his influence and his allies promising to deal with it, Hoss' luck ran out. On September 20th, 2028, he was shot and killed in his penthouse suite at the top of the newly constructed Parkview Tower.

A year after her husband's death, Melanie Hoss restructured her husband's company and founded Hoss Corp, with the primary goal to protect and promote her husband's vision of the perfect city. During this, the mob bosses who had killed Hoss began to appropriate most of the city. The next seven years were chaotic as the different powers battled for control of the ARC project.

### Mob Rule (2030-2034)

By 2030, the mob had become the dominate force in the area. The corporations established their strongholds in the newly constructed City Administration Centre. Originally the corps had little interest in running ARC City, and the City Council were unable to lead without them.

During the next four years, much of the city's government was replaced by corrupt mob-selected puppets. By selling contracts to their colleagues, setting up drug and extortion deals, and inviting the worst of the Collapse into the city, the mobs managed to turn a relatively clean, modern metropolis into an embattled war zone. Crime, drugs, prostitution, random violence, and cybernetic terrorism soon became the rule of law. By 2034, the name the Arc had taken on a grim and deadly new meaning.

These were among the worst years for Arc City, with more murders in that four-year span than there were for most cities in ten. The mob ruled the city with an iron fist, destroying anything in its way. Gang activity was at an all-time high during this period, with notorious gangs making their debut. The number of unsolved murders documented by the Arc City Police Department had risen into the thousands.

### Mob War (2034-2036)

After four years of street warfare, in 2034 the Mega-Corporations around the city finally began to take matters into their own hands. From 2034-2046, during the period of conflict known as the Mob War, the corporations battled the underworld for control of Arc City. Led by Rainworks-trained paramilitary troops in assault vehicles, fan tanks, and combat aerodynes - a wave of bombings, assassinations, and outright street battles descended upon the mob's ill-prepared cadres. When the smoke cleared, the corporations had utterly destroyed the mob's power base in Arc City.

At the end of the Mob War, the corporations placed a puppet mayor in power and started cleaning up the rest of Arc City. The newly elected City Council - faced with the return of chaos in the city - deputized corporate security forces and allowed them full authority within city limits. The corporate and city centres were cleaned out and restored to their pristine states. The other neighbourhoods were also cleaned out and made liveable again. The corporate draconian policies contributed to the city's chronic homeless problem. This ultimately put hundreds on the street as affordable housing was upgraded and used to house the troops the corporations needed to maintain order. In the following years, this situation eased as fewer enforcers and security teams were needed to keep the streets safe.

### 2040

By 2040, much of the worst excesses of Arc City had been crushed under the ruthless heel of the Mega-Corps. The basic services such as police, firefighters, and support services had been re-established. And only a few years later, Arc City was a rapidly growing urban region, still rife with urban violence and street crime, but with strong economic growth in the corporate sector. The city had all but healed from the ravages of its bleak past. The Corporate Plaza was still pristine, and the ACPD had enough power to keep down the downtown streets fairly safe during the day. However, Night City had also devolved into an armed society. It wasn't strange to see as many guns as briefcases on the crowded city streets, and despite the new security the city remained crime ridden.

Night City had evolved into a busy, successful, and dangerous urban zone. The city government kept control of the city, but when things got out of control, they depended on the corporations to step in. Night City was far from Hoss' original dream; however, it worked well enough.

## Geography

### Climate

Arc City's location gives it one of the most pleasant climates on Eard. Normal temperatures range from the mid 80°F to low 50°F (26°C to 10°C), with misty white fog blanketing the city in the early mornings and evenings. Night City receives around 21 inches of rainfall each year. Of this water that drops, around 35% contains toxic chemicals which is higher than the current government standards for the city's produced vehicles, clothing, and food. On average, if a person's vehicle and clothing are rated above SP 12, adverse effects (staining and ablation) will be negligible.

When one visits Night City, they should wear light to medium weight clothing, with a light armour jacket or ballistic-cloth overcoat which is optional. A filter mask and supplemental oxygen are highly recommended as well, this is a hedge against inversion smog and acid rain fog. That being said, acid-proof slickers, umbrellas, and air masks are readily available from the sidewalk vendors or smaller street stores during a smog warning periods. The average cost of these items can range from €$20 to €$35.