Very nice! *clap clap clap* 
Thanks Slipshod! We'll do our best to uphold the honor of the Whitmoore.
Together we entered a city of strangers, we made it a city of friends, and we leave it a City of Heroes. - Sweet_Sarah
BOYCOTT NCSoft (on Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/517513781597443/
Governments have fallen to the power of social media. Gaming companies can too.
Using my massive Search FU I bring us this back for all to read the humble beginnings Of our Whitmoore.
AV
Quote:
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by Star Ranger 4 WIN LOSE OR DRAW, WE WILL FIGHT. WE ARE HEROES This is what we DO! |
Decide that this will be another day in which you Walk The Talk.
MA #14724 Operation: Discredit @American Valor
Sentinel Of Liberty SG
A useful thing... Knowing the age of the building actually made it a bit easier to figure out what #1520 looked like as far as the little architectural details were concerned.
@Brightfires - @Talisander
That chick what plays the bird-things...
The Mason Hotel, built by the eccentric Charles Mason in 1873, had been one of the most luxurious hotels of its age. With gothic architecture that harkened back to the cathedrals of old, The Mason attracted the upper crust and all they were associated with. With the money and prestige came a sense of aristocracy, as Mr. Mason began to weed out those he felt were unworthy of the hotel's gilded halls. Within ten years of its creation, the Mason had become both a dream and a focus of hatred for the common man. The authorities began to be swayed by Mason's pocketbook, often taking it upon themselves to clear the surrounding neighborhood of anyone the hotel's patrons may have taken offense to, no matter their degree of innocence.
The rising aggression towards the Mason Hotel came to a head in the mid-December of 1884, when Charles Mason laid off his entire low-level staff in favor of hiring cheap labor. A fire was set in the northeast corner of the building, but was quickly found and squelched before it could do much damage. The community knew this would only be one of many attempts to bring down the hotel and its owner at any cost, and the tension it created became a tangible beast. Mason spared no expense for his own protection, using every imaginable avenue of persuasion to his own advantage. The police cracked down, becoming his own personal brute squad and taking care of anyone that dared show any ill intent towards him or his grand building.
However, a lawyer of the people, Daniel Scarsdale, took it upon himself to weed out the corruption that had taken over his neighborhood. Backed by the public, he exposed the dirty dealings of Mason in a lengthy trial that rooted out several of the policeman that had been in the millionare's pocket and single-handedly brought down Mason's monetary hold over the neighborhood. But no amount of respect for the law could keep Mason down for long. His many connections and immense wealth kept him out of prison, much to his own misfortune. Three days after the trial had ended, Mason was gunned down on the steps of his beloved hotel by an unknown assailant. Though many had witnessed the broad-daylight shooting, none could or would say what they had seen of the gunman.
With its patron dead, the Mason began to crumble. The tables had turned, and those that had once come to stay at the splendid work of architecture now rightfully feared for their safety. The hotel went unused for many years to follow, standing as a monument for freedom from oppression for those it had once loomed over, and as a stark warning to any who might try such a tactic again.
In the early 1950s, a new owner came to the Mason. Promising a different outcome to the citizens, Jeremy Shy set out to make the Mason a force for good in the community. He opened its doors to the public that summer, inviting any and all to stay at the newly refurbished hotel. Rich and poor alike flooded to the building, drawn to its lavish acoutrements and astonishing atmosphere. The neighborhood prospered in part due to the Mason's newfound fame, and none could see a downside to Mr. Shy's gratuity.
Which, as it turned out, was exactly how he wanted it. After a series of unexplainable deaths in the 1970s, an investigation into the Mason made an incredible discovery. For the past twenty years, Jeremy Shy had hidden from the public view, leading many to believe he was just a reclusive philanthropist as his name suggested, when he was, in fact, quite the opposite. In all those years, he had been secretly siphoning the life essence of all who stayed at the Mason, using it to fuel the dark magiks with which he sustained himself. But his twisted desire for power eventually got the better of him, stealing too much energy from his guests and resulting in their deaths.
Local heroes meant to put a stop to his dark hold over the neighborhood, and the resulting battle ended with a massive explosion of power that rocked the very foundation of the building and destroyed the uppermost three floors. With the threat gone, no one paid much attention to the Mason afterwards. With talk of it being cursed by the evil presence of Charles Mason, most people became leary of going near it.
But for some, it became their only salvation. Those too poor to own homes or rent apartments turned to the Mason, using it as cheap housing until they could get back on their feet. With little revenue coming in, the building fell into a state of disrepair, coming close to condemnation on many accounts. Only the determination of its residents kept the city from tearing the hazard down.
In the end, those that lived there began to work there as well, doing their best to renew the building and get it open to the public once again. Henry Whitmoore, a well-respected resident of the Mason, headed the effort. His dream was to unite its people and restore the Mason, creating jobs for those that had been down on their luck and injecting the neighborhood with a sense of hope once again.
By the late 90s, they had begun to turn the building's dark history around. Though it had lost much of its stately character to the sands of time and lack of upkeep, they had managed to save a good portion of the Mason's old-time charm and used it to their advantage. The Mason was slowly becoming a stable figure in the community once more.
However, Henry Whitmoore would not live to see the full fruits of his labor come to pass, succumbing to the Rikti when they attacked. The Mason, however, would not forget the man that had believed in it. It showed its true colors when it became a temporary base of operations for many heroes during the war, becoming a final bastion for peace in a sea of destruction.
When the war had finally come to an end, the building stood firm despite the beatings it had taken. But the neighborhood would never be the same, and could no longer support the Mason's needs. The government stepped in, rescuing the hotel and its workers. They provided them with alternative jobs and gave them a generous stipend for their efforts during the war. All moved on with their lives, branching out to become forces of good in the community. All but one, the Mason's night doorman, who passionately fought to keep his position no matter what the government had planned for the building.
His wish was granted, becoming the caretaker of the newly rechristened Whitmoore Apartment Complex. After the Rikti War, many had been inspired to take up the heroic mantles of their idols, flooding the city. The Whitmoore became one of the many affordable housing substitutes the government offered to these fledgling heroes. The city, in return for their protection, gave them free living and utilities for the duration of their heroic career, so long as they signed a contract agreeing to uphold the heroic virtues of the city.
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And that's the gist of the Whitmoore's funky past. There's still a lot of little things to touch on that I'll go over, and if you have any questions, be sure to ask!
The building, as many of the people that live there know, isn't all that high-society anymore. Only a few places of this old hotel remain untouched, and with the constant wear and tear the heroes living there cause, it's unlikely they will last much longer. However, many of the heroes have actually funneled their own cash into the building, making repairs themselves. Because of this, the hotel is actually in much better shape than it was before the Rikti war.
Lessee, what else... Oh, the contract thingy. Basically, a requirement of everyone living at the Whitmoore was that they had to sign a contract before accepting the room to .. well, generally be a "good little hero." If the government ever gets wind of any, shall we say, 'unheroic' deeds being done by a resident of ANY of their buildings, they reserve the right to evict them without a second thought. This is mostly due to legal reasons, as the public could see this as the city supporting their actions.
And for those wondering, yes, Mr. Green is the guy mentioned at the end as the Whitmoore's caretaker. He was one of the many people who had been down on their luck and forced to stay at the rundown Mason because they really had nowhere else to go. Why he wished to stay, what brought him there in the first place, and other such questions are things you'd have to ask him yourself. Whether or not he'd tell you is a whole 'nother matter entirely!
So, there ya go. I hope this answered some questions you might have had, and didn't bore you too much.