In Nomine: Ottawa

[Jennifer]

Does anyone have ideas or resources for IN: Ottawa?

As an experiment, one of my boyfriends and I are testing how well the Dresden Files city creation method work for In Nomine, and we chose Ottawa. We're still early in the process, hashing out city-level themes and aspects.

So far, we have the following themes:

• Politics and bureaucracy (with "Byzantium's Got Nothin' On Us" as the aspect)
• Ethnic diversity
• Winter, because Winterlude just rocks
• A poorly articulated theme about how the urban landscape is interlaced with greenspace and waterways

So far, it sounds like Factions and Flowers will have a presence. What other Words are suggested by the themes above, and are we missing any obvious themes for Ottawa? Anyone have cool locations we can build in to the city?

[Andygal]

It occurs to me that if Factions has a presence then Stone would want to have one to counteract them, plus it's hard to imagine Stone not taking an interest in a national capital.

[Azel]

(i've been so sickly poo lately... :( )

The easiest way to do this would be brainstorming what are the major ideas/events that people think about when they hear the name of the city Ottawa. Tethers tend to be reinforced by how present they are in the human psyche. So just as much as you can look at natural ecological events, you can dig into the casual awareness of people around you when they think of Ottawa.

That can take some time, so sometimes the natural ecological events can be faster in laying a ground work. If you find it is taking too long collecting informal surveys (i.e. everyday chat) about what people think about the city, it might be a healthy break to slip into geological history for a bit.

For example: Far away Niagara Falls could likely be a tether to something, even a fading tether to Oannes. However, what about the great ice dam that held back the big reservoir that once held all the Great Lakes? What about the event of the ice dam breaking and flowing out to what is now the St. Lawrence river (or whatever, no precise geological history of that area off the top of my head). Could that be the shattering of a dual tether to David and Oannes?

Or skim around Wikipedia for brainstorming. If you look at "Ottawa as a Capital" you'll find what could be a good argument for compromise in choosing a location between East and West Canada. That result could be the kick off to a Marc tether, as it was done in order to unite two very different groups (especially in the face of a common enemy at the time, USA).

I just find that it's sometimes too easy to be anthropocentric, fixating only on the works of humans (and urban cities). So, that's a pitfall I would recommend you avoid if you can. Feel free to make some stuff up just to keep the tethers from being too much tied together by a tour bus. Sometimes a cherry orchard in the exurbs might have had a crazy impact in regional human history. Sometimes a natural phenomenon occurred in the center of the river that runs through the town. Keep at least a few slots open for these curve balls.

[JCD]

Originally Posted by Andygal

It occurs to me that if Factions has a presence then Stone would want to have one to counteract them, plus it's hard to imagine Stone not taking an interest in a national capital.

Mmm, when I think Ottawa, I think cold and snows. I think people huddled in their houses and stoically dealing with the weather; gathered in warm groups to fight that which nature throws at it. Add that to native Canadian politeness and that means Stone to me (same Superior, different reasons).

I can almost see a seasonal tether between Harvest and Spring as everyone sort of hunkers down.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by Jennifer

Does anyone have ideas or resources for IN: Ottawa?

I live in Ottawa. Have a net.book. (Which really should be updated sometime. "Repeated balanced budgets" are a thing of the past, alas...)

[Jennifer]

Originally Posted by robkelk

I live in Ottawa. Have a net.book. (Which really should be updated sometime. "Repeated balanced budgets" are a thing of the past, alas...)

Ooh, thanks! Chris grew up in Ottawa, but I've only been there the once. (And to be honest, my most striking memory of that trip is slogging lost through the snow in my Southern clothes around New Years, cursing the name of the guy who got "left" and "right" confused when he gave us directions...)

I'm really wanting to do something with Winterlude, though. Is it just not that big a deal in Ottawa?

And you're breaking my heart about the fair-weather sports fans. Not that I'm arguing the truth of it; it just makes me sad. There is insufficient love for Alfie.

::;>

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by Jennifer

Ooh, thanks! Chris grew up in Ottawa, but I've only been there the once. (And to be honest, my most striking memory of that trip is slogging lost through the snow in my Southern clothes around New Years, cursing the name of the guy who got "left" and "right" confused when he gave us directions...)

On behalf of the entire city, I apologize for that.

Originally Posted by Jennifer

I'm really wanting to do something with Winterlude, though. Is it just not that big a deal in Ottawa?

It is a big deal - it's pretty much the only big event between New Year's and Easter - but it's outside in the winter, which makes it cold. <g>

More importantly, I don't have any Winterlude photos to illustrate the section with.

Originally Posted by Jennifer

And you're breaking my heart about the fair-weather sports fans. Not that I'm arguing the truth of it; it just makes me sad. There is insufficient love for Alfie.

::;>

Yeah... but such is life.

[robkelk]

I just noticed that I didn't ask to see what you come up with, once you're finished. I might see something (such as your take on Winterlude) that I'd want to add to my net.book, with proper attribution...