1896
The second city is founded
Radiant patrons build marble halls beneath new transit tunnels, preserving an arena older than New York.
Territory IV · Ascent
New York Below
Marble chambers and private arenas where ancient patronage moves through modern power.
- Era
- 1987—1989
- Position
- Beneath Manhattan
I · Historical record
What the territory remembers.
Every fourth year
The invitations return
An unseen circle summons contestants with cards bearing expired times and no street address.
The Games
The friends enter
The treasure hunt reaches an extreme sports tournament with competitors from across the universe.
II · Landmark register
Places that hold the road.
01
Hidden city
The Marble Concourse
A columned avenue connecting private houses, archives, and doors into the surface world.
02
Trial ground
The Zeus Arena
A ceremonial theater where stone opponents move and influence is measured through spectacle.
03
Relic
The Backward Clock
A monumental dial that counts toward an event the Radiant Houses refuse to name.
III · Key figures
Those bound to New York Below.
Portrait 01 · The curious heart
Mika
He hears the hidden rhythm beneath ordinary things.
Portrait 02 · The pattern reader
Lyra
Maps, music and people all reveal their hidden structure to her.
Portrait 03 · The steadfast hand
Doran
He fixes things before he talks about how they broke.
Portrait 04 · The beautiful rival
Lux
Helpful, composed and already aware of Mika’s name.
Portrait 05 · The radiant certainty
Apollo
His influence arrives before the truth of his design.