From Portland to Cascadia: The Real-World Inspiration Behind “The Tunnels to Elsewhere”

In The Circle of Fragmented Glass, our podcast takes listeners deep beneath the streets of Cascadia in a thrilling arc called The Tunnels to Elsewhere. These episodes are filled with eerie passages, forgotten history, and dark secrets. But what many may not realize is that this arc is inspired by real-world locations. In this new blog series, we’re excited to explore the real people, places, and myths that helped shape our stories in The Circle of Fragmented Glass. Today, we’re taking a look at the inspiration behind the tunnels themselves—the infamous Shanghai Tunnels of Portland, Oregon.

Stranger Than Fiction
Beneath the bustling streets of modern-day Portland lies a network of tunnels with a notorious history. Known as the Shanghai Tunnels, these underground passages were originally constructed to connect hotels and businesses to the waterfront. While they were used for legitimate purposes like transporting goods, these tunnels also gained a dark reputation as a hub for human trafficking and illegal activity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Our GM used these tunnels as a loose inspiration for The Tunnels to Elsewhere, adding a supernatural twist to the already eerie atmosphere of underground smuggling routes.

A Closer Look at the Shanghai Tunnels
The Shanghai Tunnels, also known as the Portland Underground, are a system of tunnels running beneath Portland’s Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood. These tunnels allowed goods—and sometimes people—to be moved secretly between businesses and the waterfront without detection. While the tunnels have taken on a legendary status, much of the darker history associated with them, such as the practice of “Shanghaiing” sailors, is still debated.

According to local legends, people were often kidnapped from bars or brothels, drugged or knocked out, and transported through the tunnels onto ships where they would be sold into forced labor as crew members. This practice became known as “Shanghaiing,” named after the Chinese port city due to the frequent shipping routes to Asia.

Key Facts about the Shanghai Tunnels:

1. Location: The tunnels are located beneath Portland’s Old Town/Chinatown area and stretch toward the Willamette River.
2. Purpose: Initially built to facilitate the movement of goods, they later gained a notorious reputation as part of the city’s underground network for illicit activities, including human trafficking.
3. Shanghaiing: Though much of this history remains disputed, the tunnels are most commonly associated with the practice of Shanghaiing, where men were allegedly kidnapped and forced into labor on ships.
4. Debate on Myths vs. Reality: While many stories about the Shanghai Tunnels have become part of Portland’s folklore, historians still debate how much truth there is to these claims. Some argue that the more sensational stories are exaggerations, while others believe there is historical evidence to support the darker aspects of the tunnels’ past.
5. Tours Today: Despite the controversies, the Shanghai Tunnels are now a popular tourist attraction, offering guided tours that delve into Portland’s shadowy past.

(You can read more on the history of the Shanghai Tunnels here).

Bringing It to Life in The Circle of Fragmented Glass
Our version of these tunnels in Cascadia takes things a step further. Rather than simply using the tunnels as a mundane setting, we infused them with a splash of the supernatural. In The Tunnels to Elsewhere, the investigators find themselves in a place where the fabric of reality is thin, and malevolent forces lurk just beyond the veil. As they descend deeper into the tunnels, the walls themselves seem to shift, and time becomes fluid, echoing the disorienting experiences sailors might have faced during the height of Portland’s Shanghaiing era.

Much like the real tunnels, the ones in Cascadia hide a dark history. But here, it’s not just about human trafficking—something far more sinister is at work. These tunnels are a gateway to Elsewhere, a place where those who enter may not come back the same… or may not come back at all.