Economy
What is the economy like?
In the years since the Flood, the economy evolved into a trade-economy based on necessary essentials such as food, water, and shelter. In the years since, non-essentials such as guns, steel, vehicles, gas, and more have tied themselves into this economy. Cash has become nearly valueless, with this trend continuing in the West Jordan. The APCA has begun minting their own paper currency and this is valuable on the East Jordan.
Are there public schools and other public good utilities, including banks, grocery stores, an electrical grid? Are they reliable?
Public institutions have become privatized since the Flood, with most require being bought into. With the advent of trade-based economics, banks have been replaced by militias. Instead of backing transactions with currency, honest trades are backed by the threat of force. Grocery Stores serve as prime places for smaller communities to rise up and provide trading hubs, but don't serve their prior purpose as effectively.
The APCA is currently trying to establish public schooling once again the East Jordan due to the aging population of experts, but many are still just struggling to survive. In the West Jordan, education is only available in exchange for service: join the Lions and you can learn medicine, agriculture, or warfare.
Electricity is readily available on the West Jordan, with the massive Salt Lake Energy plant being accessible to the Lions and distributed equally to all of their territory. In the East, the 50s maintain one public plant for the community that is constantly overtaxed, leading to frequent outages and downtime, whereas the APCA maintains two plants, one solar, in the Greater Avenues to be used distributed exclusively to the APCA.
Faction Relations
Has any diplomatic or economic relationship developed between the Lions and APCA over the last 3 years?
Diplomatic relations have largely failed between the APCA and Lions. The APCA initially attempted peace talks, however things came to a head when the leader of the Lions, "Shredder," found himself in moral opposition to the APCA's style of governance, which he referred to as "a garden where only the weeds are watered."
Since then, the Lions have decided upon an all-out "war of liberation" for the people of the East Jordan, who they view as being subject to a corrupt system.
Does the SLCPD have the full support of the APCA?
The SLCPD is recognized in no official capacity by the APCA. A fraction of its former size, it pales in comparison to the size of the Bureau of Domestic Logistics, which has nearly 10,000 more men at its disposal for administrative purposes. The SLCPD has essentially become a volunteer force trying to apply old world laws to Salt Lake.
Geography & Transportation
Is the bridge to Fairpark the only passage between East and West?
The bridge connecting the East and West Jordan at Fairpark is the only discovered passage through the Stream. While other pockets may exist, this serves as the largest means of travel between regions.
It is the site of constant skirmishes between the factions, making it difficult to traverse. Industries have been built off sneaking individuals or small groups from one side of the Jordan to the other.
What are the most common means of transportation in the East and West?
Camels and the railways are the most common means of transportation on the West Jordan. No wide-scale method of gas synthesis is available, but herd animals can be supported and Camels were available due to the presence of Ringling Brothers Circus when the Flood occurred.
In the East Jordan, gas-synthesis is possible for select factions, but still rare and expensive. The APCA provides select agents with vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, and independent owners often find themselves doing jobs for the APCA to keep their rigs running. Otherwise, bicycling and walking are common across both sides of the Jordan.
Government
Are there IDs in SLC?
No official IDs are required for any activities in SLC, with most being discretional to whatever facility or service is being offered. The APCA is currently trying to implement their own form of identification for those on the East Jordan, but the adoption rate has been slow.
What is the legal system in East SLC?
The Bureau of Domestic Logistics maintains civil courts for crimes that violate APCA statutes. They offshore prison services to the 50s, who maintain the Utah Department of Corrections. The 50s have a vested interest in keeping SLC safe, but are provided a guaranteed section of Downtown as well as gas and supplies by the APCA. This facility is often overcrowded and offenders are released or executed as often as they are kept.
Supposedly the House and the Ministry of Water Resources maintain their own private compounds, though this is simply rumors.
Lifestyle
What is daily life like for normal NPCs?
On the East Jordan, the average NPC deals with an abundant availability of facilities and opportunities, so long as they have the ability to take advantage of them. Work is frequently available and there frequent problems. Most find odd jobs to perform or make themselves useful for the larger factions in order to secure important resources such as clean drinking water, food, and supplies.
On the West Jordan, society is built around communal support. Under the Lions everyone has a role to fulfill, from farming, to maintenance, to protection, and no one else is above another. The hunt for resources is less abundant, with resource distribution equalized and maintain by the Lions. However, you are expected to contribute to the community.
How is information relayed to the populous? Are there television or radio broadcasts or newspapers? How normalized is propaganda?
Information is primarily word of mouth. Television broadcasts are non-existent, though there are limited radio broadcasts. The APCA's Bureau of Domestic Logistics maintains a broadcast as does the 50's for important information. On the West Jordan, Lions disseminate information from their leadership down to the remaining Lions, with the Farmers' Coalition being ultimately responsible for communication.
Propaganda is used liberally on both sides of the Jordan. Extremely liberally.
What is healthcare like?
Healthcare is abysmal on the West Jordan and poor on the East Jordan. No major pharmaceutical labs exist, with the closest being the University of Utah's facilities. These facilities are used and medicine is distributed by the House. While the APCA and its constituents are regularly supplied with the necessary medications, for individuals not associated with the APCA on the East Jordan it can be difficult and expensive to obtain these.
On the West Jordan, healthcare is limited due to a lack of supplies. The progress of improving healthcare has been slow, with the Lions struggling to bring it up to speed with what existed before the Flood. This leads to many Shadows attempting to infiltrate the House, though success has been limited.
Player Meta-interactions
How are missions advertised in-game?
Missions have many ways they will be advertised, often included in the episode description. When pitching an episode to players, the method by which they heard about a particular job will be included more often than not. For example, if pitching an episode regarding a shady job from a local crime lord, your GM may mention that your character "heard through the grapevine" about this job.
Missions will range a wide spectrum of legality, ethicalness, and more. Having a broad roster of characters of varying capabilities, loyalties, and virtues will help when deciding what episodes you'd like to be a part of.
How are missions rewarded?
Missions are rewarded in a variety of ways. This can be supplies, such as fuel, ammo, weapons, Stream-touched items, or more. As the campaign progresses and characters develop additional goals, episodes may present alternative rewards such as information, traveling paths, or new locations or areas within Salt Lake City.
Are we region locked in where we live in order to have episodes together?
Some episodes will have requirements attached to them such as characters needing to be from the East or West Jordan, or associated with a certain faction, or of a certain rank. Unless otherwise stated, there are no specific region locking requirements for characters to have episodes together.
These requirements are malleable as well so long as justification can be made for why a certain character would be suitable for a given episode. In cases where no character fits, you are welcome to create a new character.