Dublin: Then and Now

[Rissa O'Sullivan]

Dublin was a very pretty city to live in before The Collapse. It was a city of the young, with nearly 55% of the population of 2 million being under the age of 30. With three internationally accredited universities, nearly 20 other higher education institutes, over 500 pubs and bars in and around the city, the headquarters for many international companies, and more area set aside for parks and greenery than any other European city, Dublin was very prosperous indeed.

There were plenty of geographical wonders as well. The city was split in half by the River Liffey, less than an hour away to the south were low mountain ranges, less than an hour to the east were coastline, and no matter what direction you went in, you could always find ancient castles or the ruins of castles.

Now, Dublin is a very different city indeed. An estimated 520,000 out of that two million are dead, most in the beginning days, and many more have moved out of the region. Many businesses are closed and boarded up, schools are shut down for the unforeseeable future, and whole sections have been turned into deserted ghost towns. Power is still spotty and unreliable, so it’s recommended to carry a flashlight or two and a few packs of batteries wherever you go.

Neighborhoods dotting the city are also home to Shades and all manner of other creatures from Faerie. Shades are debatably the most dangerous though, because while other creatures may be more vicious, Shades can’t be killed. They’re insubstantial things that live in the shadows and can’t stand the direct touch of any light at all, and if you happen to step into a Shade-infested area… you’re dead within ten seconds flat, and all that’s left is a papery husk. No one knows what indigestible parts are in that husk, but it's not a pleasant way to go.

Pretty much all of the major cities are like this as well. Shades, fae… there’s no escaping the conflict unless you’re out in the countryside with no one around you for miles. And even then, you're probably going to run into the bits of Faerie floating around.