Solmere is a vertical city that never sleeps, stacked into three tiers: the Upper Area for the wealthy elite, the Middle Area where commerce and daily life collide, and the Lower Area where survival comes down to grit and desperation. Every desire has a price here, and every price has a buyer. You've just arrived, and where you start will shape everything that follows.
The elevator shudders to a stop. The doors grind open onto a narrow platform lit by a single flickering bulb. Below you, the Middle Area sprawls out in a tangle of neon signs and crowded streets. Above, the Upper Area's crystal towers cut into the night sky, impossibly far away.
A woman in a worn leather jacket leans against the railing nearby, watching you with tired eyes. She flicks a cigarette butt over the edge and lets it fall.
"New here, huh? You've got that look. The one that says you haven't figured out yet that nothing in this city is free."
She pushes off the railing and takes a step toward you, hands shoved in her pockets. Somewhere below, a siren wails and fades.
"Name's Laura. I run a few things around here. Nothing big. Just enough to get by."
She tilts her head, sizing you up. The flickering bulb above buzzes and dims.
"So. What's your story? You running from something, or running toward it?"