Burgess

Burgess is the small hometown of Jack Frost when he was human and as a winter spirit in Rise of the Guardians.

Location
Burgess is a small town located in Pennsylvania in the United States of America.

Characteristics
300 centuries back, Burgess was a small colonist town constructed from wood. The center of the town holds a small bonfire as a slither of relief from the bitter cold.

In present day, Burgess is mostly comprised of modern suburbs.

Lore
Burgess was a river town that was established in 1798, named after Thaddeus Burgess, who built the first log cabin there with his family before the bitter winter of 1795.

Pioneers and freight wagons following post roads to the southern mines crossed the river by at Nancy's ferry, and as a terminal for riverboats, the town played an important part in the development of west side grain farming and cattle raising. One of these families were the Overlands. Two of the Overland children, Jack and his unnamed sister, go out to the frozen lake nearby to ice-skate, but with spring near, the ice begins to crack beneath their feet. Jack manages to save his sister, only to fall through the ice in her place.

For his sacrifice, the Man in the Moon revives Jackson Overland as the winter spirit Jack Frost. The town is seen in the beginning right after Jack Frost is revived from the frozen lake and has his moment of wonder. Jack, on a high tree, spots the town and flies (tumbles, rather) towards it. He comes there only to find that he is invisible among the people and flees to the woods, confused and frightened.

The town of Burgess marks several events in Rise of the Guardians. It is where Bunnymund and the Yetis kidnap Jack Frost to take him to the North Pole, and also where Jack encounters his first believer; a young boy by the name of Jamie Bennett. The town has served as the main battlefield of several fights between Pitch Black and the Guardians.

The Frozen Lake
Because the lake is only seen whenever Jack Frost is onscreen, it is always seen frozen. It was here that Jack gave his life to save his sister. By the end of the film, it was here where Pitch was later dragged into his lair by the treacherous nightmares and Jack took the oath of the Guardians in-front of the guardians,

The Village
In the past, the colonists that founded the town set up the village in lumber. In modern times, the town was torn down and constructed into a smalltown suburb.

Pitch's Lair
In the nearby woods, there is on of many holes in the ground (this one under an old, broken bed post) that leads the the lair of the Boogeyman.

The Suburbs
In modern times, Burgess has expanded miles out as suburban housing. Jamie, Sophie and their friends are currently living in these houses.

The Park
Though not shown in the movie, Jamie mentions the park in their hunt for easter eggs.

Town Square
There are shops, cars and a gas-station in the center. In the historical section sits a bronze statue of Thaddeus Burgess with a plaque detailing the founding of Burgess. There hangs a large banner across lampposts announcing the annual Easter-Egg hunt. Downtown is first shown when Jamie is out playing with his friends. Jack (invisible to them all) starts a snowball fight and eventually sends Jamie on a sleighride across the town square. It is the square where the Guardians have their first and final official battle with Pitch, where Sandman is both "killed" and resurrected, and where it was revealed that the children could purify the magical sand.

Role in the Crossover
Being the home of Jack Frost, Jamie Bennett, Sophie Bennett and their friends, any story involving any of them would take place in Burgess. Being the only location in the fandom that takes place in modern times, Burgess is one of the most common targets for stories like Modern AU, Seasons Guardians or any story that involves the Guardians or the present.