Irongate

Irongate is a growing, large town, now (despite incidents) with a population around 100,000 (including nearby villages). Irongate began as a mining town, taking ore from the nearby hills to a steel mill that the original settlement was built around. However, by the middle of the twentieth century the mines began to close and Irongate faced becoming a ghost town. It was saved by a great deal of investment into new transport links, the building of a university, and the attraction of several technology giants, transforming the town into a center for cutting edge research and development.

The site of the old steel mill is now a popular nightclub (imaginatively called The Mill), currently owned by local entrepreneur Stan Greif (who has never been proven to have had anything to do with the disappearance of the previous owner and was just as surprised as anyone it had been left to him, a humble assistant). Often contrary to popular demand, local acts – bands, dancers, comedians – perform there most nights.

Of course Irongate also has a museum to honor its history, from its industrial roots and the Pretty Intellectuals Club (a secret club for girls who wanted to study subjects such as physics, chemistry, and explosives; they performed numerous experiments at a secluded cabin in the hills before being accused of witchcraft), while Clarion Park in the middle of town is a popular location for families to visit all year round, with ponds and mini-golf, and regularly hosts fairs and other events.

A little further afield lies Lake Tamesis – a scenic spot for boating, fishing, camping, and monster hunting – there are several legends about monsters and maidens dwelling in the lake. In fact, Irongate has a high number of paranormal sightings – ghosts, monsters, UFO’s – which may surprise some given the town’s status as home to professors and numerous professional scientists.

With a university and so many R&D companies around, it’s little surprise that Irongate is often a testing ground for pioneering new technology. Most recently, Stag Corp began construction of a new atmospheric purifier, filled with tiny synthetic organisms designed to take in greenhouse gases and other pollution and turn it all into harmless by-products such as oxygen and water.