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Testing the 9 Sentence Setting So Far

Sunday, January 20th, 2019

I wanted to test how well the 9 Sentence Setting elements work together in anger.  I’ve used it to assemble an RPG setting for a silly idea that keeps coming back to me for a game set in a world not unlike Death in Paradise except the island is a place the dead from an apocalypse pass through for judgement on their way to the afterlife.

I’ve used the region, building, and settlement versions.

Saint Georgine

Saint Georgine is a pretty, Caribbean island in the Eastern Caribbean Sea, about 70km2 with a population of around twelve thousand.  Visitors arrive by air or sea are struck by the contrast of the colours between the impossible verdure of the interior with the transcendent blue of the sea.

The island rises from the sea and is largely flat with a few mountains in the interior including its highest peak, the island’s dormant volcano Mount Saint Georgine.

Its main resources in colonial times were agricultural including tobacco, coffee, indigo, sugar and cotton and some of these activities continue at a low level but now tourism is the main economic activity.

The island is home to many species of birds, amphibians and marine life on its unspoilt beaches, mangrove swamps on the west, cliffs on the north and inland rainforests.

Once a French colony its now a British Overseas Territory, about 70% of the population speak English as their first language and 30% French, Catholicism and Voodoo are the main religions alongside them sit a surprisingly wide variety of other faiths that have established small presences on the island.

The small airport lies equidistant from the main settlement of Homonoia and the second largest Porte Grande Louve both of which have harbours.

The earliest known inhabitants were the Huecoids after them the Arawak from about 900AD the Island Caribs the French arrived in 1650 and the British occupied it on and off since the Napoleonic wars.

The Islands greatest secret is that it can reshape itself without its residents noticing to allow the judgement of each group of visitors on their way to the afterlife to take place – one week it has a zoo the next a spa the next an archaeological dig.

Homonoia

The largest settlement on the island of Saint Georgine and home to half the island’s people.  Forming a crescent of white walled, red roofed buildings around a bay Homonia is many visitors idea of paradise on Earth.

The people are easy going and friendly. The town acts as a hub for tourism and has a busy cultural calendar of religious festivals between which other attractions have been fitted including literary, food, drink and music weeks.

The town can be reached by road including the islands bus service or sea to the harbour including the daily ferry service.  If its too far to walk several local taxi firms operate in the town or a moped can be hired cheaply.  The town includes the police station; the police headquarters; a marina; a fish market; the old market for craft goods; the harbour market for food; a library; the governor’s residence and offices for official government business; bars; restaurants; and several museums.

Homonpoia is where the French first landed and established their presence in 1650.  It has no major secrets although no one talks about the death rate amongst tourists.

Homonoia Police Station

Homonoia Police Station is the home of the police’s detective division.  The white, single storey building is surrounded by a veranda.  The police station was designed and built from brick in the British colonial style with a red, tiled roof and whitewashed walls.  Although it may appear insecure the police station is one of the most secure buildings on the island with excellent locks and solid construction.   The Saint Georgine’s police force’s detective division responsible for investigating the most serious crimes on the island.  It includes a large open office, a strong room for securing evidence, three cells for detaining prisoners and a bell tower for alerting the town to an impending disaster.  Four desks and chairs fill the main office along with filing cabinets filled past cases and the white board that they track the latest case on.  The building was built during the 19th century as the local police station.

Porte Grande Louve

The second largest settlement on the island, Porte Grande Louve is named for the nickname of Bonne de Pons d’Heudicourt, a mistress of Louise XIV of France.  Porte is smaller and a little less ramshackled than Homonoia with some modern buildings set among those built in the local vernacular.  A greater number of French and English immigrants live here.  Although the island’s culture dominates European influence is strongest in Porte Grande Louve.  The town has a well maintained harbour and is on the coast road along with a direct road to Saint Georgine Airport used by the island’s bus service.  The town is small enough to walk from one side of to the other comfortably but for those in a hurry several local taxi service are available to hire. The town is home to many of the island’s businesses including financial services, a safety deposit company and a medical practice.  Porte Grande was founded soon after Homonoia to take advantage of its natural sheltered harbour.  The town is the base for a huge number of shell companies thanks to the islands lax tax laws.

Karina’s Bar

Karina’s Bar is a bar owned by Karina Boudreaux. The Bar consists of a building with the bar and a covered seating area between the road and the sea.  Built from local hardwood wood in the local vernacular style.  The Bar has decent locks protecting the stock room and a small safe to store the take overnight. Karina runs the bar and its is known as the Homonoia Police’s after work preferred drinking hole.  As well as the bar Karina’s has a kitchen where food is prepared.  The store room is usually stocked with a wide selection of local an imported drinks.  The bar has been a fixture in Homonoia since Karina opened it around 30 years ago.  The bar doesn’t have any real secrets.

The Beach House

The beach house is the rather grand name given to the official residence of the senior detective in the Saint Georgine’s police force.  It is a shack in the local, vernacular beach style with a veranda facing the sea across the beach.  Although the doors have locks its wooden construction wouldn’t provide any real resistance to someone trying to force their way in.  The shack belongs to the police force and local officers can be found here sometimes when off duty socialising with their current boss.  It has a main room with a bed, chair, desk and a small kitchen area next to which is a bathroom, a small second room can be accessed from the veranda.  The shack features a hammock, electricity, a telephone and wifi.  The shack was seized by the police from a local criminal organisation in the 60s.  The shacks only secret is a small lizard known as Humpty who is its guardian spirit protecting the current resident while they sleep.

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