Painted Hollows

Original

In the city of Painted Hollows, loosely based on Colorado Springs, there are several complicated and strained relationships. Colorado is known as being pro-shifter and the general environment is suited for the two-formed kind. The packs in Painted Hollows are larger and secretly combative- a given considering the dual nature of the city. One pack is notably conservative in practice, with male leaders and relative power in most governing areas. The other pack is rather liberal with a democratic sense of structure but is, for its size, small for the population. This pertains largely to the wolf packs and singular deer pack, but the lingering groups of lions, bears, and dogs feel the tension. Things still change, largely thanks to the diverse human population, but nevertheless, the packs are staunchly different in their treatment of humans, vampires, and witches.

Both packs can agree, to some extent, that the recent influx of vampires is rather unwanted. The state itself is anti-vampire. Strict legislation makes it difficult for vampires to feed and, as expected of a state with restrictive legislation, only certain markets sell donor blood. And these places require specific I.D.’s before a sale can occur, resulting in a well-stocked fridge for a wealthy vampire and a struggling diet for the poor vamp. As a result black markets, typically adjacent to trendy micro-breweries, have opened up. These tiny lounges or backrooms where, for a nominal fee, the enterprising human can offer up a vein for the hungry vampire. This practice has drawn the attention of more traditional vampires who still follow the old ways and believe humans are subservient since they are, by practice, cattle to vampires. The state has seen in increase in both vampire-related deaths and drug usage.

That's right- drug usage. Some supernatural blood has an addictive quality that makes it desirable by humans and profitable largely to vampires. See blood index for more details. And as far as the witches go, Tavaci Hollows, the small suburb adjacent yet somehow separate from Painted Hollows, has remained steady in its strange offerings of mysticism and local art. The three branches of witches seem to get along, but lately, different practices have been poached by the packs and vampires. The small pack wants the movers, the large pack wants the makers, and the vampires seem keen on recruiting any and all witches their seedy purposes. Movers and Makers in general hate the Minds, and Minds try to be careful of who they trust- after all, the work of a Mind is complicated but lucrative. Overall, the humans that remain- which still outnumber the former certainly- are mixed bags on opinions. Some humans are fine with shifters but are blatant about their beliefs in witch burning.

Some humans spend their evenings staking out bars to stake out vampires. And some humans have determined that the greatest game truly isn’t man, but man who can also make for a great heirloom wolf rug. In what is generally regarded as a conservative city, attitudes tend to be mixed on the differing species and fear, along with fear-mongering, is high. As if tensions aren’t already high with them, the high rate of homelessness already eats away at the patience of the locals. That, and the incredibly irritating rate of tourism and religious zealots preaching different gospels. So...while things aren’t actively at war, the sense of unease is high.