On the northern edge of the Underwood Industrial Empire is the Great Glass Desert, a wasteland with patches of vitrified earth caused by the unrestricted use of nuclear weapons. Years ago, the U.I.E. was subsumed into a nation that called itself the "Holy Empire" of Defileron, with Grand Admiral Underwood leading a revolution against its "Undying Emperor" and proclaiming the nation a republic, leading to civil war. The Imperialist faction took control of the tactical nukes in the capital and unleashed them against the Republican forces, including one attack that reached what is now Obsidian Mountain on the outskirts of Underwood City itself.

The effects of the Defileron Civil War devastated the majestic plains and hills of the northern reaches of what is now the U.I.E., but it would eventually lead to the re-establishment of Underwood City's independence, after it separated from the collapsed Defileron Republic until it joined with fourteen other cities in confederation four years later. One of those cities was known by its remaining residents as "Sandsedge", which became the basis for a major revitalization project, one that would lead them to rename both the waterway near their city, and then name the city for their waterway. Thus was born Trinity River.



Trinity River is on the northwestern coast of the U.I.E., at the mouth of the river it's named for (which is itself named for the mineral "trinitite", a radioactive "glass" formed by the U.S. "Trinity" nuclear tests...and plus, it sounded a lot more marketable than "Sandsedge"), which splits from the Skytrail River west of Imperial Center in Underwood City. The river splits again as it approaches the sea, with the south fork running along the "normal" route of the greater river to the sea, while the north fork runs along the eastern edge of a great island before entering the sea to the north. The split is believed to have been caused by the war.



The South Fork of the Trinity River creates a sort of dividing line between what some residents call "the land of the living and the land of the dead". Much of the cleanup and revitalization work has taken place in the region appropriately known as the Trinity Oasis, on the southern bank of the South Fork. It combines the typical business districts of other cities in the confederation, such as Underwood City itself, with the surprisingly arable land that the U.I.E.'s top scientists and agricultural engineers have created to try and restore the landscape. However, the Trinity Oasis also happened to be the least affected area of the region during the Defileron Civil War, which is why the work has been far easier than on the nearby "island" created by the branching river, as well as much of the land north of the city.





As it is at the mouth of a major waterway connected to the capital, Trinity River is also a major seaport, transporting goods to and from both the interior of the U.I.E. and the nations beyond its borders. Much of Trinity River's exports are the resources it harvests from the land itself, such as the ore and oil from the Deepcore districts. However, the crops and animal products from the Trinity Oasis farms have also begun to gain traction as a commodity to share with the greater world.





Despite the prosperous nature of the city, much of the landscape remains quite bleak, and there are many ruins and abandoned structures in the desert. The Greater Trinity Island National Park, on the largest of the offshore islands, has attempted to preserve some of these as sightseeing attractions; one such ruin in the park is situated to provide a view of the city itself. Even Trinity Oasis, though more or less "recovered", still has its share of abandoned and ruined locales, for those interested in "what had once been"











Not surprisingly, the best time to view Trinity River is at night. The nights are both surprisingly clear and pleasantly cool compared to the days, and the bright lights of the city hide the appearance of the wastelands beyond. 

Yet even in the shadows, there are reminders. Near the Trinity River Courthouse is a pyramidal monument of glass and steel dedicated to those lost during the civil war, and also a memorial "floating garden" within the river itself in front of City Hall.





While it has taken greater steps in recovering from devastation, Trinity River still battles against the past that nearly doomed this region - and, some say, against Mother Nature herself, who has adapted to the changed environment. However, if one simply gauged the success of a city by merely existing in a place that most outside voices say it shouldn't, then Trinity River succeeds spectacularly - and serves as an inspiration for far more ambitious projects, including the ongoing Industria Planitia colony/city-state on Mars.