Spectrum Shock: New Syracuse (Home Base)

I've developed enough of the Spectrum Shock setting at this point that I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the big picture. Now it is time to zoom in on a suitable location to begin the campaign (which I'm hoping to actually begin playing on June 23rd).

New Syracuse
The name may be a bit misleading, as the town of New Syracuse is not located in the same location as the Syracuse of old and actually consists of several small settlements instead of a single town. The three settlements are located just north of the ruined city, each on a piece of land surrounded entirely by water. The largest (and farthest east on the Erie Canal) is made up of humans and the second largest (and farthest west) is made up of various nonhuman races. The humans and nonhumans are allies when emergencies arise but otherwise have little contact beyond trade. The third island is the smallest, run by a family of half-elves that is considered an abomination by local human and elves alike. However, their mixed heritage ensured their usefulness as diplomats, merchants, and intermediaries between the two groups.

Leaders

• Old Starshine is an aging elf who spent the majority of his many years in another dimension. He has never named his homeland, attempting to make sure that no one from this world ever find it and bring their guns and machinery to ruin its beauty, but he has mentioned that it is similar to Rivendell of pre-cataclysm literature. Old Starshine is the father of many children, some half-human and others fully elven, but only his half-human children (and their families) have remained with him instead of returning to the elf community or striking out on their own. His health is failing, and he rarely emerges from his home, having left the affairs of trade and diplomacy to his oldest half-human son, Killian Starshine.
• Killian Starshine runs the closest thing to a general store that New Syracuse has to offer. His inventory stays in constant flux because there are no merchants who travel this far northwest on a regular basis and he often has to rely on scavenged goods. Killian also handles diplomacy between the human and nonhuman communities of New Syracuse.
• Dizzy Delgado is the leader of the human settlement. He is a massive man, a stout former adventurer with quite a few pounds of retirement weight accumulated over the years. He has a short fuse but is more forgiving than one might expect and has a soft spot for his 12 year old daughter that she exploits. Lately, she has been asking for more and more exotic pets. Her latest acquisition is a winged house cat she calls Tress that is harmless and playful but scared most of the townsfolk for months before they trusted its nature.
• Vanya Elmbraid is a young elf who had leadership thrust upon her when her father was slain in an ork raid less than a year ago. With a taste for adventure, Vanya feels confined by the protective nature of the bodyguards she inherited from her father. She is always on the lookout for someone worthy of leading the nonhuman settlement of New Syracuse, but won't hand over the reins until her successor has gained both her trust and the love of her people. If she cannot find a successor, she would settle for a few bodyguards who aren't so boring and overprotective.

Locations of Note

• Starshine's General Store, where anything under the sun can be found... periodically
• Town Hall, where Killian, Vanya, and Dizzy meet monthly to discuss current events
• Guard Posts, located every few hundred yards around the perimeter of each settlement, where townsfolk keep a lookout for monsters and raiders
• Boathouses, where those traveling between settlements dock