The village proper - surrounded by a high wall of cochina, stone and the ancient husks of pre-oops automobiles - sits in the center of an overgrown ruin of an old-world city, which itself once sat atop the ruin of an even older town, founded by the conquerors from the Ancient Worlde who devastated the inhabitants and took the land. Even they weren't the first to settle there, however, they took the land from-
Well, you get the idea. Los Augustine stands atop ages of history - mostly in the form of husked-out old buildings, an ancient aqueduct and flooded subterranean tunnels, which now serve as the town's sewer works.
The village (as it stands today) was built in the aftermath of the Spaniel-American War, when the Spaniels were driven south, and the former American settlers took over the land. The new wall was erected and refugees from the war were joined by immigrants from Jack's Beach and other, less hospitable areas to the north.
GOVERNMENT
Los Augustine is ruled over by a democratically elected Mayor-For-Life. The current "Lord Mayor" is Juan Marco Polo DeLeon, descendent of the DeLeon family of pizza makers who built Los Augustine and Saint Marco - the mythic ancient who built everything that stood on the land before the Spaniel invasion.
He lives and hold court in the Castle of his ancestor, the only keep in the history of Gamma Terra that has never fallen to an invading force (when the Spaniels first occupied the area, the castle is the only thing they couldn't conquor. The inhabitants, however, moved away after the first time they spied one of their neighbors licking himself out on the front lawn).
The Lord Mayor is assisted and advised by a council of business owners, guild-masters, and busybodies. Though the council has no true law-making power, per se, each councilman is eligible for election should the Lord Mayor be killed. Such an obvious invitation to foul play keeps the Lord Mayor honest, and amenable to the council's input.
The local constibulary consists entirely of militiamen from the Fisher's Guild, who share the responsibilities of town security and order on a rotating basis, with each militiaman serving one week in seven as a town guard or constable. The only permanent position is that of Chief Constable, appointed by the Lord Mayor and currently held by a one-armed Badder named Gatorbait.
Guilds
There are three guilds represented on the council. An unofficial fourth guild exists, technically, but calls itself "the Thieves' Guild," and is made up of 13-year old Bucky Crisp and his two friends Sammy and Slughorn. For obvious reasons, the Thieves' Guild remains unacknowledged by the council (and, for the most part, by Los Augustine as a whole).
The three official guilds are the Farmer's Guild, which helps member farms with staffing and security, runs the Farmer's Market on Hump Days - and sets the prices on all food items sold in Los Augustine; the Fisher's Guild, which maintains the Marina and the Lion's Fishing Pier, and helps its members maintain their boats and equipment, while running the Fish Market and the militia; and the Sewermonger's Guild, which maintains all public works (including the care and feeding of the Gigabunny), keeps the sewers from backing up, and sponsors occasional expeditions into the tunnels and ruins below the town. Almost all Alpha-Positives and other adventuring sorts end up with a charter from or membership in the Sewermonger's Guild.
The Town
Los Augustine is open to visitation and welcoming of new citizens wishing to settle in the area, but it also a very isolated community. With the exception of the occasional trade between the Cathedral Bassilica and Menarl Island, the village is almost completely independent from outside trade. Every so often, a wandering merchant or a traveling show will appear on the old highway, but that's about all the import/export Los Augustine does.
The Cathedral
One temple of worship still stands in Los Augustine, held over from the World Before. The Cathedral Bassilica of the Unconquerable Sun, was subverted from its original purpose to sun-worship shortly after the roof was stolen by the Bermuda Roc in Five Monkey Fist-Bump.
The Ordo Bassilica, or "the Dudes of the Temple," are an order of surfing monks who maintain the cathedral, conduct services (which often consist of surf reports, beach fashion tips, and Tales of Awesome in the Light of the Sun), and brew the Bassilica Mead so loved in the two local taverns (with the exception of Craek, Bassilica is the favored alcoholic beverage in Los Augustine).
The surfing monks are the only villagers who regularly travel unmolested across the intracoastal to Menarl Island. They go there to surf, and they often bring mead to buy passage.
Commerce
Two shops vie for the right to sell wares produced in Los Augustine. The Wooden Indian Store and Willmart sell almost everything produced in the small town. The exceptions to this are Metal Tony's - the metalsmith and electrician (Metal Tony designed and monitors the Gigabunny Hutch), and the various goods and services available in the Spaniel Quarter.
The only gunsmith in town, Lucky Dan, operates out of his home, but he don't like visitors.
