Independence

A District of African-American Folk Heroes Fighting Oppression
Independence isn’t just a district. It’s friends, it’s family, it’s community. You don’t get to choose your neighborhood family, and may not even like them, but you can rely on them to have your back against the rest of the world. Then they may cheat you out of a ten spot for their trouble. Family, right?

Broiling underneath the warm community is a struggle for freedom. Independence has been the testing grounds of a Gatekeeper experiment in social oppression and a home for movements trying to resist it. This social atrocity has been managed by an autonomous and covert division of the Gatekeepers titled Ward 9.

Places of Interest:

• The Rows - The Rows were born of a simple idea: a place for black business, where black people and those oft-overlooked and oppressed walk with pride, able to feel part of something greater and not live under heel. A street of businesses ranging from mom-and-pops to fully-incorporated business chains, operating unfettered. For the residents of Independence, the Rows represent economic freedom and a chance at equality.
  
  
• Freeport - Freeport keeps the spirits high and the people happy. A retro 1920s-style speakeasy-turned-modern-day-cafe and club, Freeport sits on a slightly elevated piece of land close to the Rows, providing the best view of the district and other distant parts of the City. The central location and view have made it a favorite local hangout, while the nightly live music and great bourbon have made the establishment known City-wide.
  
  

Locals:

• Isaiah William Bishop / High John de Conqueror, African trickster-prince turned reluctant folk hero
  Born to one of the founding families of the City and Independence, Isaiah has always seemed to have a knack, and some would say magic, to perform any task with grace and style. His words seem to sway crowds and turn enemies into friends. Isaiah uses his powers as an activist against the malice of Ward 9 and is assembling a crew to fight the power...
  
  
• Professor Myrna Walker / John Henry, American folk hero with the power of a steam train 
  Professor Myrna Walker has been teaching to the masses in the Old Quarter. However, she has never forgotten her roots, the family business, or the community back in Independence. Myrna is gifted with the superhuman strength and durability of John Henry. With her steely-eyed gaze she could quell a charging rhinoceros, and her punches hit with the power of a speeding steam train.
  
  
• B / Harriet Tubman, boundless freedom fighter and legendary Underground Railroad infiltrator
  B grew up with a loving father but an absent mother, who would pop-up every so often with the promise of a better life - a promise that would vanish just as quickly as it turned up. Realizing that at the end of the day you can only count on yourself, B got a part-time gig at Freeport. They are the toughest member of Bishop’s Crew and unbeatable in a dust-up, capable of finding a way into any secured facility.