Riverside is a setting comprised of two cities on either side of an infinitely long River. The River has no name, it is simply the River. No one can leave Riverside. If you walk for long enough you will end up where you started, and only a select few are able to cross the River to the neighboring city. Magic is real and it’s everywhere
The River flows from north to south, but nobody measures directions in such a way. There’s upriver and downriver, and something can be closer to or further from the River. The River may or may not be alive. No one’s ever gotten a straight answer from it.
The two cities are named This Side and Across. They are both named for the side of the River they are located on. The denizens of Across are eternally jealous of the inhabitants of This Side, though they will never admit it.
This Side is a gloomy, rundown, miserable place to live, and almost no one would have it any other way. That may be at least partially due to the fact that almost no one knows anything different. The complaints come easy and nothing ever changes. Blood is a hot commodity on both sides of the River, but only This Sider’s naturally produce it. In Across, people want blood because, among other things, it makes for a potent party drug. In This Side, people want blood so they can continue to live. Those from Across have the money to both buy the blood and transport it back home. The blood trade is rampant, and it’s not uncommon to see bloodless wandering the streets of This Side. Regardless, life continues.
The forms of magic native to This Side are Cold, Mud, and Blood. From This Side’s view, the River is foggy and clogged with trash. If you were to try to cross it unassisted, you would eventually disappear into the mists, and never come back. There is no overarching government body to whom all answer too, but you know who controls what neighborhood, and are sure to speak carefully of them. After all, you can never be too sure who’s listening from your radios, and who they might be affiliated with.
Across used to be quiet and flat and barren and dry. That was before they pushed the sun from the sky and replaced its light with neon. Now Across is loud and flat and barren and dry. They mask the flatness with towering buildings, they cover the barrenness with artificial life, and they soothe the dryness with blood. The party never ends in Across. There’s always a club opening, a concert ready to start, a new friend to meet. The sun may’ve forever set, but heat still rises from the ground. Best not to linger outside, there’s no need to look at the stars.
The forms of magic native to Across are Warm, Dust, and Static. From Across’ view, the River is a parched wasteland interspersed with small streams. If you were to try to cross it unassisted, you would eventually find the rising sun, and fade away into its light. Members of Across’ government aren’t well known, but they are recognizable and all powerful. They’re the ones that keep the parties going and the blood flowing. Some of their rulings seem bizarre and archaic, but be careful not to complain too much. The life here may be artificial, but that doesn’t mean it can’t hear you.