Junction City is one of the key locations of character involvement in the canon. Located close to the coastline of Maine, USA, Junction is a modernised area that has attempted to move away from it's historical roots, particularly with large-scale renovations of it's districts over the last century to create a very organised, structured town.
Divisions and Landmarks[]
Using the very handy rainbow-coloured guide, the organisation of Junction can be easily understood when following the key below. It is best understood, however, that like any town or city nothing is absolutely strict - you will likely find corner shops, take-out places and the like in residential areas as well as an apartment block in the office sections. It is also worth noting that the city itself spreads slightly outside of the image.
- Red - School environments, including the elementary school and the High school
- Orange - Business and Offices, usually tall office blocks and potentially commerce stations
- Yellow - Commercial and Recreational areas which include the town Park, the Mall and it's surrounding shops, the pool, bus station, playing field and other such places
- Green - Low to middle class Residential areas containing a variety of housing and other buildings, such as Churches and their like
- Blue - Upper class residential area usually holding the mansions and penthouse style apartments
- Purple - Industrial locations including large warehouses, factories and the Power plant
Key Locations[]
Junction City High School[]
A large high school with a number of facilities, including it's own science block, fully equipped gym, sports field, indoor pool, and a park-like outdoor area. The entrance is very distinct, a large paved area adorned with sections of trees that is typically used for school festivals and large events due to the amount of space it holds, as well as being closer to the road and parking areas whilst being easy to access from the school building.
One of the more recent large-scale renovations, the improvements included the expansion of the main building, the new entrance, several new workshops and dedicated facility rooms and the expansion of the basement level over the course of 2003 through to 2007, with the new building finally opening for the September start that year.
( Click the link to the page to see more about Junction City High )
Mall (Central District)[]
Junction Mall is an extremely popular city area that has been around since the 80's, with the southern area most recently having finished construction (seen right) in 2000, quickly becoming a hotspot for activity. It contains three floors of all the typical shops, arcades and small bars one would expect to be there as well as a few local favourites, a dedicated central food court and larger shopping buildings on the outskirts (usually owned by clothing or appliance retailers).
North of the main Mall is a small park that often serves as a place for shows and events, though with the recent edition of the (X) School Plaza a lot of focus has shifted in that direction as far as large-scale shows and gatherings go. Further north in Central, on the other side of the park to the main Mall, is a small section of buildings where you'll find Junction's late night club scene, as well as a few bars.
The Miyama Building[]
Built in 2002 and standing as the tallest building in the city, the Miyama building overlooks the mall and the central park with a view from the top that spreads almost city-wide. Whilst the building itself is owned by the Miyama corporation and contains a number of offices dedicated to the firm, hence it's name, many of it's offices inside are rented out to other businesses which make it a hub of activity for all kinds of ventures than can afford to take up residence.
It's easily possible to reach the roof by way of the staircase or elevator, and is actually considered something of an attraction within the city by some.
Miyama Corp area particularly well-known contracting firm that have worked with the Junction City govenmental council to help achieve many of the recent building projects, spanning a long-term relationship with the city and eventually culminating in the building that stands today, as well as a host of other investments.
Park[]
Located on the western outskirts, Junction City Park is a nice, laid out area of neatly cut plains, gentle path walks and a few small lakes, often available to swim in provided those who do are comfortable sharing with the wildlife, though there is a dedicated fishing lake, located close to the city, in which swimming is banned. The grass areas are a particularly popular spot for picnics and small outings, and you can often find the youth of the city playing various impromptu sports games on the rolling fields when school is out.
During the winter, this location is incredibly popular for enjoying the snow, as the large fields and sparse areas of trees make for great snowball fight locations, display areas for snow sculpting or even simply enjoying the white horizon.
Woods[]
Whilst the North end of the city spreads into woodland covered mountains, the South portion is mostly flat aside from the rolling hills, creating a very large portion of free-growing, semi-unchecked wooded land containing a vast amount of wildlife, intersecting with the park and industrial portion of Junction City.
Whilst a lot of the City's history has been paved over with the recent major developments, the Woods remain a testament to what once was. Whilst there are still one or two licenced hunting shacks still being used, the majority from the Town's old days are long abandoned and have since become the subject of modern folktale and rumour. There are also some very estranged yet large residences out in this direction, most likely tied to the hunting, though few know who, if anyone, lives in them.
Power Plant[]
Across the north-eastern bridge just outside of the city, this multi-source power plant is the backbone behind running the modernised elements of Junction. Whilst it was formerly a coal plant, it has since been recently adjusted into a hybrid plant to increase efficiency while making the most of the slowly depleting levels of fossil fuels. It now consists of three main power sources; Hydroelectric (which makes use of the nearby lake and rivers flowing in and out of it), a combination of Solar and Wind, and the traditional Coal generator.
Although a number of 'greener fuel' elements have been installed, not much of this is translated into power for the city itself. Instead, the solar panels and wind turbines are mostly used to power the internal systems of the plant itself, making it an almost completely fuel efficient industrial site that allows the entirety of the coal generator to power the rest of the city.
Wal-Mart[]
It's Wal-Mart. What else did you expect?
(there are some vending machines and a McDonalds, though)
(and some trolleys)
Hangouts / Lesser Locations[]
Farmland Bridge[]
Being closer to both residential districts, of the two bridges this is the one most considered a 'hangout' area. The river is wider at this location and the banks are also less steep, creating an almost pseudo-beach like area. The bridge itself has sidewalks to get to the other side, though it is only a slightly wider than usual two-lane road.
As it is the older of the two bridges it is less structurally sound, the stone pillars occasionally quaking a little when a particularly large farming vehicle moves across it, but is certainly stable enough to last regular, day to day use.
Mini-Mall[]
Situated directly across from Junction City High School, this section of buildings sits in the middle of a large number of office blocks. It contains a few clothing shops and general stores, occasionally holding a market, and also contains a few small restaurants and food places, often occupied by students who prefer to eat out than use the school cafeteria and don't want to risk heading all the way to the large mall.
Whilst technically not a mall so much as it is a small shopping district, it's so highly frequented during school terms that it has taken the nickname 'the Mini-Mall'.
Power Plant Bridge[]
An industrial-sized bridge for industrial purposes, this bridge cuts across a smaller section of river to get directly to the Power Plant. Because of this, it is much wider than the Farmland bridge and contains sidewalks to get from one side to the other. Other than that, there really isn't anything particularly impressive about the bridge aside from its structural integrity.
The river flow here is stronger than the farmland area, and when combined with the more industrialised design of the bridge it is generally considered that this area is a bit of a dangerous place to hang around.
Character Homes[]
Archard Residence[]
Resting on a slight hill in the high-class residential district is the home of the Archard family. It has, technically speaking, four floors which include the basement, ground floor, first floor and the retrofitted roofing area which contains two extra rooms.
Most of the downstairs area consists of the dining room and kitchen, whilst the second floor dedicates itself to a large lounge and the master bedroom as well as the luxurious tower-like bathroom. The roof contains a study and guest room, accessible via a pull-down staircase. Whilst the basement is used typically for storage, there is a separate somewhat hidden section where the family practice their magecraft.
The front garden area is large and is attended to by the maids rather than any of the family themselves. The property is fenced and gated, and also contains an intruder-triggering boundary field.
Forsyth Residence[]
A pleasant residence on the edges of the middle-class housing area, the Forsyths live on five acres of land inherited from Kenneth Forsyth's grandfather. What was formerly home to multiple generations of magi now houses one small family. The living room and kitchen provide more than enough space for their daily lives. A couple bedrooms on the ground floor were recently converted into a study, a playroom for the youngest, and a guest room, but there are still three rooms toward the back of the house that are locked tight, one of which locks from the outside.
The second, much smaller floor is where the current family actually lives. Mr. and Mrs. have a master bedroom to themselves; the youngest has a wide room stuffed with plushies; and the oldest has a very messy living area. The attic, accessible via a hidden stairwell connected to the hallway closet, is where the magic happens.
When the entire Forsyth clan lived on the land, it used to serve as a farm, but neglect has turned its facilities almost useless. The dilapidated barn, grain silo, and chicken coop are rotting on the eastern end of the property, a field of tall grass separating it from the house. Ancient trees provide plenty of shade in the front lawn. A sign on the front door reads "Fàilte", an old Scottish-Gaelic welcome, with magic alarm runes, disguised as ancient characters, inscribed beneath.