Mexico City as a setting

[Magicwillnz]

This is the first time I've posted, so hello everyone.

I'm currently running a game set in Mexico City. It's fairly early on, but I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or suggestions on the city and how the forces of Heaven and Hell might fit into it. My current conception that the biggest Angelic superiors would be Eli (all that color and partying!), Laurence (Mexico City is very catholic), and David (you have to be tough to live in Mexico City). The main infernal superiors would be Asmodeus (for prolific government corruption), Mammon (representing the MASSIVE income gap) and Beleth (she took the Aztec pyramids as her own tethers. She pretty much owns the Aztec pantheon anyway).

Any ideas?

[alexondria]

Well since I've recently been given my very own copy of Constantine if I was running a game in Mexico City it would have to involve the spear of destiny at some point.

In all seriousness though I like your superiors break down- I'd also add a large presense by their opisites- for example if Eli has a lot of power somewhere Andrealphus is probably going to try and get a foot hold- if Asmodeaus has a lot of power somewhere then Domminic is probably going to try for a foothold.

[William]

A couple of possible plot devices:

UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) is a unique sort of university, with wide-open admission policies and a student population numbering a quarter million. It would make a fine setting for various kinds of scenes, or even as a base of operations for one or more characters.

Consider gang activity (possibly spurred by events in the news) as an angelic-infernal battleground. Gangs are prominent in the drug trade and the illicit immigration routes, both ripe for infernal infestation: Fleurity and Mammon would both find the industry appealing. Angels willing to take on long odds can engage this turf; David, especially, is known to work with gangs. His agents can become disturbingly supportive of organizations they infiltrate, and the tension between Role, morality, and loyalty to long-time comrades could make for great drama.

There are a number of colorful characters in Mexican current events that you could interpret in different ways; Subcomandante Marcos of the Zapatista rebels comes to mind. (The self-proclaimed non-leader of an ultra-left-wing "post-modernist" armed non-violent rebellion? I'm not sure whether I smell Lilith or Novalis. Maybe both. (Novalis smells like lots of flowers, of course. Lilith? ^_^ She schmells gooot. Hy mean, really goot....))

A third colorful group to introduce in the setting would be the Santeria pantheon; presumably, these are the same as the Voodoun loa, who are granted passage on Earth by Heaven. The religion is deeply entangled with Catholicism in Mexico, probably much to the dismay of Laurence. Presumably, however, this means that they're reasonably likely to be on Heaven's side most of the time. Given the proliferation of enemies discussed above, Heaven could even be grateful for the assistance...

[Magicwillnz]

Thanks William, that was actually really useful. In any case, a city so close to the divine yet mired in so much evil would be VERY hotly contested. UNAM sounds like the kind of place angels would hang out at, but I can see the diabolical putting their own spin on it as well.

I think with all those cheesy latin-American soap operas Nybbas should have a tether or two as well. I like the gang and Zapatista idea, my understanding of latin-american and Spanish politics is that it tends to run extremes. Fleurity will probably be pretty strong... and playing both sides in the War vs. Drugs.

I've never heard of the Santeria pantheon, but it sounds to delicious to pass up... I'm going to have to do some research.

[Sagitta]

Originally Posted by Magicwillnz

I like the gang and Zapatista idea, my understanding of latin-american and Spanish politics is that it tends to run extremes.

Malphas, then?