Planet:Alcanti/Major Cities

With a population of over 17 billion many of the cities on Alcanti are densely populated and located on the two major continents: Miminas to the north and Ossilas to the south.

Architecture on te planet favours tall, brass-edged towers covered with plaster. Many are comfortable building up since it minimises the amount of space used. Were it not for government-controlled land values, many cities would boast prices that only the richest in the galaxy could afford. Homelessness outside of houseless or illegal migrants is almost unheard of.

=Cities on Miminas=

Minos Drakon
Minos'Drakon:(Translation City of Drakon) 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.

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 Agrap district). Although the walkway passes through each district, Jombarica is the only district to not have the walkway passing through its central plaza.

Centis is 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.

Agrap is 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. Agrap 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, Agrap does not boast tall spires with many buildings averaging 50-70 floors (compared to 120-storey tall buildings in Centis) along with boasting several sizeable parks.

Jombarica Is known sectorwide for 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 empire "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 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.

Sahlpathi' can be considered the slums (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 sun-baked plaster, Sahlpathi's building 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.

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 ot 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.