Planet:Alcanti/Minos'Drakon

"if Alcanti is the Imperium's crown, then Minos'Drakon is the flawless thousand-faceted diamond set in the centre. A city of immesureable beauty and wonder, it is no wonder that the divine Paragon Families themselves, those this. Very. City. To rule our immortal Imperium. A city so magestic that not even the infernal furance war can completely melt it down."

- Sonvinio Rotheq, Imperial jetsetter during his visit to Minos'Drakon in ID.217,433

Minos'Drakon: (Translation City of Drakon), also known as The Immortal City, is one of the largest cities on the planet. Depite being 25 degrees short of the planet's north pole. The city is built within the Akhtoba basin - a large lake bed that had dried up 4mya. The original city was built near the foot of the Akhtoba volcano to take advantage of the warm climate within the basin and the volcanic soil. Originally the region was a province of the nation-state of Akhtoba but over the years after the unification wars the seven major settlements in the region merged into one metropolitan area. Today the the city takes up virtually the entire basin with urban spires rising far above the basin's rim.

Climate
Much of the city's climate is now artificially maintained. Turbines located at thousands of key locations prevent the formation of the kinds of high-winds that commonly emerge when air currents pass between narrow passageways. The turbines also keep the air cool and fresh. The city's geographical location means that on clear nights it is possible to see Alcanti's Auroura Borealis.

Originally the region was known for its tropical climate, an anomoly in the Miminan tundra created by a settling layer of warm air generated by geothermal vents and deep-layer magma chambers which today provide the city with an enormous source of clean electricity. As the city was built up, its tropical climate was reserved for climate-controlled parkland and what remains of the jungles exist in the private grounds that surround the Imperial Palace.

Culture
Due ot its status as the political and symbolic heart of the Imperium, a trade hub for Andromeda and a home of the military, Minos'Drakon is immensely cosmopolitan. The city is a meltingp ot for species from all over the gigaquadrant to visit or make their home here and in bringing their cultures with them have created vibrant communities that appear to change wildly from precinct to precinct.

A large number of Draconis still live in the city. Despite this cultural mixing, many in the city are extremely wealthy, particularly within the affluent Pashtat district. Imperial mentality is still very strong however - Blood Dragon patrols are a regular occurence, the face of Paragon Uriel is everywhere on notification messages and billboards. and it is common for bars and clubs to be visited by wealthy imperial citizens, military officials and politicians. Overall the city is divided vertically into wealth castes based on the affluence of its residents, with the least forunante living deep in the bowels of the city or deep inside city blocks never feeling true sunlight, to the moderately well off who livei n the middle band and on wide avenues, to the wealthy who live in towers that stretch out from the common bulk of the city below. It is fairly common, in practice, for culture and walth to mix. However until recently it was an almsot undoubted fact the wealthiest would have been of home-bred imperial birth and most likely Draconis.

Districts
The city itself is divided into five major disticts: Centis, Agrap, Jombarica, Pastaht, Sahlpathi (Central, Foothill, Commerce, High and southgate respectively). Each district has between four and ten precincts, a distinct feel and architectural style. The distict layout is roughly similar for each; a series of equally-spaced rings surrounding a central plaza. The Paragon's walkway acts as the city's central highway and the central plazas of the Centis, Pastaht and Jombarica districts act as junctions (originally the walkway was the city's main street and only went from the palace to the southern end of what is now the Agrappus district). Although the walkway passes through each district, Jombarica is the only district to not have the walkway passing through its central plaza.

Centis
The largest district in terms of area, along with being one of the most affluent it acts as the city's CBD. It is the district most often associated with when people speak about the city. The district itself is a haven for big companies, embassies and the generally rich and famous (a product of being so close to the imperial palace), land values are unsurprisingly very high as both wealthy nobles and major corporations vye for the closest view of the palace and this is the district where the most blood dragons per square metre can be found outside of the palace grounds - an area not technically part of any of the city's districts.

Agrappus
The smallest district yet is one of the districts undergoing the most radical change. It is also one of the youngest metropolitan areas, originally acting as a farming region for much of the province. Agrappus is quiet and like the Sahlpathi district has become synonymous with all manner of enthusiasts of visual and performing arts. unlike the towering Centis or Jombarica districts, Agrappus does not boast tall spires but the district does boasting several of the largest greenspaces in the city. With thousands of greenhouses built into the skyline, Aggrapus still serves as an agricultural heart of the region.

Jombarica
This district has legendary status its myriad shops and bustling markets. "As I took a stroll down 230th avenue I saw four florists', two mechanics', five IT stores and eight cafes, and all on the same section of pavement" was writer Joharn Pasarus' description of a single street. Anything and everything can be found here, gaining such a notoriety that residents jokingly refer it as a candiadate for 'galaxy's largest shopping centre'. It is also the site of the largest of three starports within the city. Sadly this district is not without some crime; A common saying throughut the Imperium is "You haven't been to Jombarica unless you were pickpocketed five times, conned three times and mugged once by shopkeepers in the first twenty minutes" refers to not just the steep prices and cunning sales tactics but the large degree of scams, pickpockets and muggings. A common misconception however is that the local security do nothing, the local security are actually as tough on crime here as they are in Centis.

Pastaht
This district and 'money' tend to go hand-in-hand. Filled with palacial towers this district is widely considered the most affluent. These spires are often trimmed with brass, silver and tined-glass windows, whitewash stone and frequently sport stylized pillars. While residents in Centis buy homes for the view, land values are just as high in Pastaht. This is mainly because many academies are based here, along with several homes owned by some of the richest and most powerful in the empire. Occupying the northern corner of the district is the Kahn'Thar military academy; one of the finest in the empire.

Salpathi
Technically the slums of the city (if you can call it that). Due to the city's affluence even the poor have access to adequate accomodation and is frequently populated by low-income and bohemian families. In contrast to the brass trim and glass, Salpathi's buildings often follow a much less stylised design, opting for function rather than form. It is also the second district, alongside Jombarica, that freely allows non-draconis an equal share in buying a home. Despite it's bohemian charm many would avoid it due to alien prejudices, crime and bland architecture.

Imperial Palace
The most noteable landmark in the entire city is the Imperial Palace. Built into the side of the long-dormant Akhtoba volcano it is heavily fortified and is directly connected to the Centis district along with the city's largest and grandest plaza. Originaly built as the city's primary garrison it has been the paragon's residence since the beginning of the Prime Paragon Era and has been expanded to keep to the scale of the surrounding city. The palace surface grounds occupy an area comparable to an entire precinct while the underground complex extends throughout the interior of the volcano. Forcefields and magma-proofed walls curently prevent the halls being flooded by a sudden underground fissure.

It is easily one of the most luxurious residences in Andromeda; the complex itself is the size of a medium-sized town with over 200 rooms, a dozen conservatories, armouries, drawing rooms and resident servants' quarters in the grounds. The palace interior is lavishly decorated with gold, marble, platinum, marble and fine velvet. Paintings dating from all eras of the Imperium and beyond adorn the walls. At al ltimes the palace is kept under guard by the Blood Dragons. While known for their striking red armur, those assigned to the palace and to the paragon's retinue are identified by thr gold trim and gold-layered engravings on their armour.

Quotes
"Watch yourself. Behind the shiny spires it is a known fact that cities like this often hide a very scary and very dangerous underworld."

- Commodore Verius Eridonus

"Iti s a beautiful city, but in all honesty I still value the coutnryside. Even in the alace you can still hear the slight din of traffic from the city centre"

- Uriel Ultanos