“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, chose this. Very. City. To rule our immortal Imperium. A city so magestic that not even the infernal furance of 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 Alcanti. 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 Aurora Borealis.
Originally the region was known for its tropical climate, an anomaly 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 electricity in the form of geothermal energy. 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 along with hundreds of exotic parklands that try to mimic the former tropical environment.
Metropolitan Area[]
The entire basin save for the grounds of the Imperial Palace has been covered in megapolitan sprawl as a result of two hundred thousand years of continuous habitation and periodic growth. As the heart of an empire it is difficult to separate inhabitants int odistricts save for wide generalisations as most districts contain dozens of different alien species living in co-habitation in a comfortable manner thanks t othe Draconid Imperium's advanced technologies and long-term planning. As of the 29th century on the Gregorian Calender, the population of Minos'Drakon lies within the region of some 200 to 300 million beings of an estimated 2874 different species from thoughout the First Gigaquadrant, made possible with the advanced technologies at the Draconid Imperium's disposal to cater for varying breathable atmospheres, gravities, air pressures and light levels that each species is accustomed to.
Much of the city's traffic follows a major spider-web like pattern of concentric chasms connected by outward-projecting chasms from a ring at the very centre often occupied by either a very tall building or an open plaza. Beyond these chasms the streets can vary from following a similar pattern between the major chasms, to being a less-defined network of streets epsecially deeper into the city's underlevels. The urban sprawl itself is divided into "blocks" that are divided by urban chasms that can plunge all the way to the planet's surface. In most cases, a block is defined by a noticeable divide - minor chasms or pedestrian walkways do not deparate blocks. Each block varies in its amenieties - a strategy by the city council to encourage cross-block movement. But can contain a mix of industry, housing, shopping precincts, offices, parks and entertainment venues. Some of the city's larger structures such as starports can cross several blocks. The increasing sheer mass of the city encouraged the use of self-adapting foundations, which use nano-replication technology to expand and deepen the foundations to meet the increasing strain. This largely-autonomous process has led some engineers to believe that the city's foundations curerntly penetrate deep into solid rock.
Because of the urbanisation, the term "surface" normally refers to the top layer of the city as opposed to the planet's surface underneath, referred to as the foundation. With natural light and clean air, the surface is the most desireable part of the city and numerous attempts have been made throughout the millenia to keep the city's most prominent landmarks visible from above, this has in the past included lifting the building from its original foundations to a hagher level. To keep resident's below the top layer from suffering the negative psychological effects of being stuck underground for long periods, the underlevels use holographic technology on tunnel ceilings and countless video-windows to make inhabitants feel as though they are on the surface. This idea has come to work wonders for sub-surface located plantlife, which thrive on the engineered light being generated by enormous holographic screens that mimic open sky.
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 Ratirmanse 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 live in 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.
Economy[]
Minos'Drakon is officially regarded to be one of the two beating hearts of the Draconid Imperium (the other being Araveene). Within its city limits there are hundreds of corporate enterprises and thousands of smaller businesses, most of which are clustered within the Centis and Salpethi districts. Much of the city's economic output comes primarily from tourism, the performing arts, media, finance, leisure and relaxation and international retail. Historicalyl the city has also been home to the Imperium's stock markets although while the old Imperial stock exchange still exists within the city, its importance has been overtaken by the stock exchanges on Araveene. Presently the Old Imperial stock exchange has bee ntied to the Draco exchange and, more recently, the GITO Stock Exchange. Its relative proximity to the Corovai system tie it economically and allows it to retain its status as one of the galactic capitals of the First Gigaquadrant.
As a hub of politics within the Andromeda Galaxy there is an enormous industry designed to cater to the galaxy's wealthy elite featuring high-end resturaunts, department stores, spas, private parks and luxury apartment units. High-end Districts such as Ratirmanse and the areas down the Paragon's Promenade have earned a reputation not just within the city but also across large tracts of Segmentum Draco as being very high-quality with elegant furnishings and designs accompanied by luxury shopping that caters to the extremely selective tasts of {{creature|Draconis} nobles. The large degree of high-end populations within the city's metropolitian area and the concentration of services industries have a knock-on effect of bestowing the city itself with an estimated gross domestic product that surpasses even the capitals of the inner- and mid-Imperial sectors.
As the Imperial capital and a hub of the Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth, Minos'Drakon recieves a booming tourist industry that primarily links with its history, architecture and historic landmarks. Of particular note are the numerous comemmorative plazas and parks within the city dedicated to events such as:
- The siege of Alcanti during the Andromeda War
- The Battle for Cathamera
- Numerous paragons and war heroes such as Oniron Voxis
- The founding of the Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth
- The defense of the city during the Holy Shadow War
- The return of House Ultanos
- The Imperium's efforts in the Second Borealis Galactic War
- The first Senvinus Reactors and intergalactic colonies
While traditionally the Blood Dragons have always complimented the city garrison, their uniqueness while on patrol has made them something of a tourist trap in their own right. Tourists come in the millions to Minos'Drakon in order to see the Dragons and, in many cases, take holoimages of them. Over the years Dragons on patrol have been advised to give these tourists a chance and to be civil around them - even if there are those known to act out-of-the-ordinary in regards to foreign culture - with the rule that the tourists are not allowed to hold them back should a situation arise.
Precincts[]
Originally a region nestled with small towns and villages, city itself is divided into five major conurbations, known as the precincts: Centis, Subedti, Marmis, Ratirmanse, and Sahlpathis (translations: Central, Foothill, Commerce, Whitemanor and Southgate respectively). Each district has between four and ten precincts, often with a distinct feel and architectural style. The precinct layout is roughly similar for each; a series of concentric boulevards surrounding a central plaza. The Paragon's Promenade acts as the city's central highway and the central plazas of the Centis, Ratirmanse and Marmis districts act as junctions. Although the walkway passes through each district, Marmis is the only district to not have the walkway passing through its central plaza.
There also exists a fourth unofficial district made up of the Alcanti Royal Palace and its grounds, separated from the rest of the metropolis by high walls and a golden gate that acts as the point of origin for the paragon's promenade.
Centis[]
The largest district in terms of area, along with being one of the most affluent it acts as the city's central business district and arguably a nexus for the Imperium as a whole. 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 vie 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. This close proximity makes the district prime real-estate for government institutions. Rather than a plaza surrounded by a highway like the other districts, the Field of the House of the Senate serves as a gahering point for the Grand Senate Rotunda. The buildings surrounding the plaza are part of the Imperial Administrative Complex, a hive of government offices that are the innermost echelons of Centis' concentric systems.
The palace's proximity and administrative importance means some of the tallest towers are located in this district, most of them are corporate headquarters, government offices or business hotels and much of the services in the city are designed to cater for dignitaries, office employees and visiting businessmen.
Subedti[]
The smallest precinct yet also one undergoing the most radical change. One of the youngest metropolitan areas, the land and sprawl inside Subedti originally acted as a farming region for much of the provinces before the farms were buitl more vertically. Subedti 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 Marnis precincts, Subedti does not boast tall spires but does boast several of the largest greenspaces in the city. With thousands of greenhouses built into the skyline that range from public parks to communal gardens depending on location, Subedti still serves as an agricultural heart of the city in the face of a growing amount of the city's supplies being imported form offworld.
Marmis[]
Marmis is a legendary precinct made famous by 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. Despite a heavy police presence and a generous supply of officers and security drones and droids, marmis has gained much reputation as a haven for pickpockets and con artists looking to capitalise on the millions of visitors that pass though the starports, metro stations and mega-malls every day.
Ratirmanse[]
Arguably the precinct where the wealthiest thrive, Ratirmanse is commonly described as the high district. While Centis' apartments are sought after for their proximity to the palace, Ratirmanse homes are sought after for their large palatial interiors, luxurious decorations and elite clientele, with many businesses in the district - particularly on the higher levels where the elite are most commonly found - catering to the high-class tastes of some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in the Imperium. The district's name, "whitemanor" comes from a central mansion that existed within the precinct back in pre-spaceflight times, owned by ancestors to House Valocanus before the family moved to greener pastures offworld. WHile House Valocanus has used this historical note to call for influence on the precinct council, the truth is their presence is as down to the same methods other officials use to gain seats,.
The precinct's skyscrapers can be argued ot be some of the most beautiful; the precinct is filled with palatial towers often trimmed with brass, silver and tinted-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 Ratirmanse. This is mainly because many academies are based here, both military and civilian. Occupying the northern corner of the district is the Kahn'Thar military academy; one of the finest academies in the Imperium and a proving ground for some of the most notable people in history, with Uriel Ultanos the Sixteenth being its most recent royal graduate.
Salpathis[]
Occupying a connected vally, Salpathis (Southgate in Dracid), was long seen as the official entrance to the city, and in the days before the spread of the conurbations became famous for the housing built to house fresh faces in the city. This evolved into a reputation as a place for migrants searching for a better life, and while many in the district aren't as well off as in many of the others, some would argue that it can be considered a slum, the precinct is often seen as simply less wealthy.
Unlike other districts, Salpathis houses some of the few manufacturing facilities that remain planetside, and has long been seen as a place on the up, but often outpaced by other cities. Alongside the larger factories, Salpathis is home to a number of much smaller family businesses, with some areas of the precinct developing a reputation as a popular starting point for start-up enterprises. As a nexus for aliens and exotic cultures, one of the most prominent feature is the predominance of Massari, due largely to the large Radeon community located in the central district of Little Vendspode and the temple that operates as the centre of the faith on Alcanti. Numerous factors have allowed for Little Vendespode to be one of the more gentrified districts of the precinct as a result of long contributions from the community and the uniting factors of Massari.
To consider Salapthis in general to be a poor run-down slum is to not understand the district, as like the rest of the city it has its affluent areas and its undesirable areas with a few parks and memorial plazas that lie in close proximity to the stretch of the Paragon's Promenade that runs though the middle of the district.
Locations of Note[]
Acvartis Temple[]
The Acvartis Temple, or The Blood Temple of Divine Aequianth is a large Masaari temple - the largest of such on Alcanti and one of the city's landmark-level temples - in the heart of the Salpathis precinct. Established by Rdeon migrants living within the surrounding Little Vendspode district, the temple originally served as a community centre for the faith. As the district established itself, Masaari influence in the precinct expanded, eventually supplanting Commutum Drakonmipthum as the primary faith in the precinc. The community centre was expanded several times as it established itself as a centre for the Massari faith on the Draconid homeworld, with the current structure being an expansion supported by Iovera IX in 2800.
Rather than taking the form of the crystalline spires common in the Andromedan Divinarium, the architecture of the Blood Temple of Divine Aequianth was strongly inspired by Draconid conservatism; the marble and ivory limestone of the exterior is said to be representative of the purity of Massari philosophy while the various gold and polished brass details are said by clerics to reflect the world in all the beauty of Spode's creation. The iron oxide coloured roof tiles that adorn the temple's domes are framed with a polished gold alloy to compliment in a combination of red and gold.
As the largest Massari temple on the Imperial throneworld, the temple has become a symbol of the cultural and spiritual diversity within the Pan-Andromedan Ecumene, resulting in a significant gentrification of the precinct in the 29th century. As the centre of the Masaari faith on Alcanti, the Acvartis Temple serves as the headquarters for the Primate of Alcanti, who governs Ecclesiastic matters for Massari temples on Alcanti on behalf of the Divinarium Clericarch.
Angels' Glade[]
The spiritual and communal heart of both the Subedti district and perhaps the entire city, Angel's Glade is an area of designated parkland comparable in scale to the grounds of the Imperial Palace within the northern regions of the Subedti district. Illuminated by an artificial sky, the park contains trails, woodland, numerous lakes, hills and flower gardens peppered throughout its area and populated by forms of plant life found throughout the galaxy. Certain areas of the glade are also used as grazing grounds for certain species of wild animal that have been deemed safe by the Angel's Glade Parkland Authority.
Despite exiting within the mid-layer of the city, Angel's Glade enjoys immense visitor numbers to the point where it has expanded several times, including a second park area above the original, people from throughout the city come to marvel in its expanse, the plant life as well as go about day-to-day activities or socialisation. While originally the park displayed numerous sculptures with a religious inclination such as spirits and dragons (hence the park's name), the park's displays have evolved to feature marble sculptures not only with less religious tones, but also sculptures of cultural significance to alien species.
In the very centre of the original park is Drakon's Waterfalls; an immense fountain pond that is supposedly showering water taken from Lake Drak. it has been a tradition of visitors and regulars to drop a token into the waters with a message of gratification to a relative, friend or loved one either etched onto it or attached in some fashion. With local superstition the act will bring good fortune two whoever the gesture is dedicated to. Another version of this tradition is a token significant to a member of the deceased with a message attached placed into the waters will grant the spirit of the deceased good fortune in whatever afterlife they have gone to.
Aphrodite's Abode[]
Considered to be one of the biggest hotspots in the galaxy (if not further) and situated at the very heart of the Centis district, Aphrodite's Abode is a high-end lounge club known for its good music, good drinks and exotic, gigaquadrant-famous clientele. Established sometime in ID.217,157 by the Human entrepeneur Prosketus, the lounge was fashioned and designed to be, as the owner put it "A gathering point for the denizens of the real Olympus" and features many classical elements mixed with Draconid desires in taste such as gold-layered engraved Greek columns, velvet, exotic plants, white, black, red and even blue marble. The lounge itself occupies five floors within one of the stratoscrapers of the Centis District, with one side providing a panoramic view of the Paragon's Promenade while the upper floors houe private rooms where club-goers can engage in personal or group activities away from the noise of the lounge's main floor.
Although the original owner died long ago, the lounge continues to draw in high-class clientele and has been renovated several times. As well as the Imperium's elite such as members of Grand Houses Ultanos, Vex and Savenium, the club is also the haunt of alien figures such as Lordk Kervon Daktis of the Imperium's Zazane population and Royal Admiral Koluap of the Indoctrinate Collective. Who come to share i nthe impressive views, fine drinks and varied company.
Even Elysium has its limits; waiting lists are famously years long for those who do not posess a members' card or high-end connections and there have been rumous thoughout the centuries that the club's private rooms have been used for gentlemens' pleasures or for illicit activity such as embezzlement or black-market deals. Some moral critics laiming it to be a hotbed of hedonism and decedancy among the landed elite. Despite all these stories or opinions, Aphrodite's Abode remains one of the mist high-class venues in the city and attracts millions every year from thoughout the Xonexi cluster in order to get a chance to sample the supposed paradise that hides behind platinum and gold plated doors.
Grand Senate House[]
The Grand Senate House is the administrative and political heart of the Imperium. Situated near the central plaza of the Centis district, the senate house rises up from its own plaza adorned with gold-inlaid tiles that spell out Imperial policies in High Dracid that encircle a four-tiered fountain that projects water some 25 metres into the air before cascading down the tiers to a final pool some 30 metres in diameter. The plaza serves as a site for public rallies and meeting points for nobles and politicians of all species, making it a popular site to spot politicians so long as they are not visiting the grand senate via holoconferencing. The plaza is further shielded by several tall trees spaced ten metres apart from each other. The mantras include such lines as (among others).
“It is by one's own merits our Imperium survives and prospers."
"Do not question if the Imperium's mission is born of a higher power. What matters is what is done to preserve civility."
"With peace and stability comes civilization."
"Animals rule solely by might. And their empires rise and fall with the tide."
"Only with loyalty and dedication, can the Imperium be eternal.”
The entrance to the senate house rises up in the form of a grand stairway edged with platinum and finished with marble, the single stairway broken by descending flower gardens that split the stairs into four large sections. At the forward end of each flower garden is a lamp-post decorated with floral patterns that extend from the stem and support the horizontal bars that hold the light sources in place. The biulding itself, while lavishly decorated inside, is characterised by floor upon floor of ampitheatre-like conference halls as well as smaller meeting rooms that feature a single large table. Typically the ampitheatre(s) are in the centre of the floor plan while the smaller conference rooms surround them, all of it connected by a ring-like corridor on each floor. All conference rooms and ampitheatres are fitted with the latest holographic technology to allow senators to sit in realtime meetings despite being thousands or perhaps millions of light-years away via the Andromedan Virtual Network. The number of senators who in fact do this compared to senators who do not is difficult to say at best due to a number of senators' personal factors as some still prefer travelling to Alcanti in person to attend a meeting, and it can be a common occurence where every member at a meeting is in fact a hologram avatar.
Since the Second House War, the senate house comes equipped with confined EMP emitters with the intent to disable electronics-based weapons as well as potential cyborg attackers. While there are records of EMP emitters being in place since before the Second House War, modern emitters can also disable Blood Dragon weaponry should a repeat incident to the infamous Senate Massacre ever occur.
The Senate House itself is a notable image within the Minos'Drakon skyline, rising above most of the buildings, possessing a shallow dome split into four sections by four highly decorated spokes that extend above the dome's apex. Fanning out from a few floors underneath the dome are at least fifty private landing pads supported by patterned struts plated in gold and detailed with pure silver for added effect.
Kahn'Thar Military Academy[]
Situated in the affluent Ratirmanse dsitrict of the city, the Kahn'Thar Military Academy is widely considered one of the finest military institutions within the Draconid Imperium. With an alumni list that goes hand in hand with famous admirals and the most memorable of battles, it is considered every aspiring soldier's dream to study here. As well as being high-quality, the academy is also highly selective, filtering through millions of applicants a year who themselves are frequently top performers from their own training institutes. The academy does not just cater for solders looking to serve on board ships, it also provides top-quality field traiming as well as over two hundred combat holosuites in order to turn any hopeful into a battle-hardened warrior ready for even the most hellish of alien worlds.
The significance of martial prowess amongst Draconis is made evident by the building's design. As one travelling author once noted {{quote|Looking upon its edifice and then looking at its occupants, Kahn'Thar is clearly intended as a palce of military might, for even the grounds provide space, beauty and are above all thoroughly disciplined.}Kahn'Thar eschews traditional concepts for a cold heartless design and instead goes for lavish decoration, most-likely paid for by Ratirmanse nobles supportive of the academy and potentially grateful graduates who valued their education. Inside the academy leans towards a more gothic feel, while detailed designs remain, stone and granite reinforced with carbon nanotubing is used as decoration in favour of more aesthetic decorations such as gold, providing few wer warmer colours.
Kahn'Thar is also a fortress, not only metaphorically but also physically. Its numerous windows can be protected by 10m thick blast shutters that can seal up at a moment's notice and the fabric of the building's superstructure is interlaced with carbon nanotube weave and ceramic layering to make the exterior harder than diammond. The building itself also has an enormous network of tunnels and hallways situated underneath the artificial curface it is built on that greatly expand the amount of space the academy can provide. Before the launch of the Battlestations, Kahn'THar served as a hub for military command and some of the infrastructure such as the tactical rooms still exists to this day.
Imperial Adminsitrative Complex[]
Not so much as a structure as a small district of its own that wraps itself around the senate rotunda, the Imperial Administrative Complex is a complex network of government buildings that clusters around the seat of the Grand Senate and further spreads itself through the Centis district with annexes and tunnels connecting the system into a single hive-like network. Much of the Imperial bureaucracy is based within this complex of offices and departments, with many agencies holding offices or entire buildings within. The sheer size of such a bereauocracy has made it advantageous for many departments to occupy several buildings, with staff connected together though holo-conferencing and the use of tunnels. A prime target for dissidents and those wh oseek to topple the Imeprial system, the administrative complex uses its own police force, which along with beat officers is supplied with tactical response teams, armoured vans and sniffer droids to be deployed in times of crisis.
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. While the palace itself is closed to anyone outside of the royal family's favour, tourists are drawn far and wide to the gigantic gold-plated gates that serve as the main entrance to the palace. The gates themselves depict numerous heroic events thoughout the Imperium's history, with further embossed carvings on the district walls themselves.
The fertile palace grounds can be seen from the high bridge that passes over the grounds and straight to the entrance of the palace, decorated with statues of legendary warriors and banners of the royal and praetoral houses of the Imperium. The grounds themselves are several square kilometres of tended junge that hosts varying forms of wildlife, with more dangerous forms kept in hunting zones though the use of phasic sheild barriers and stun drones to drive the predator species back. These same drones also tend the paths of the more passive areas of the grounds, working with gardeners to keep the vegetation trimmed and healthy.
The palace is easily one of the most luxurious residences in Andromeda; the complex itself is the size of a medium-sized town with over 350 rooms, a dozen conservatories, armouries, drawing rooms and resident servants' quarters in the grounds as well as four dedicated libraries, it is also arguably one of the more expansive. 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 all times 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.
Paragon's Promenade[]
Perhaps the largest walkway in the city, the Paragon's Promenade Serves as a central artery that winds though the Ratirmanse, Marmis and Centis districts and ends at the gates to the Imperial palace. It is a huge elevated walkway some 150m across that, unlike other walkways, travels between buildings as a single pathway as opposed to skirting around structures. While othe rpromenades of this concept exist, the Paragon's Walkway is indeed both the widest and longest, potentially measuring out at some 12km in length.
The walkway itself is constantly strewn with banners of the Imperium's Grand Houses and the edges are lined from end-to-end with statues of marble and etailed with gold and silver, featureing both notable Draconis and a few noteable aliens, each one with a plaque that describes the reason they have been immortalised. Screens can also be found thoughout the promenade, displaying news translated from news firms throughout the First Gigaquadrant. The fabric of the promenade is made of white and black marble laid out tastefully to provide avenues for people to travel along. Some people make the effort to walk or fly (for those with wings) the entire route of the promenade for personal acheivement purposes.
As well as serving as a decentralised focal point for all Minos'Drakon's citizens, the Paragon's Promanade is also used for parades, travelling carnivals and - among the promenades numerous smaller of offshoot plazas - state actions such as public executions of traitors. To be executed down this promenade in and of itself is an indicator the victim has comitted treason of the highest orders. Lastly, the promenade is also one of the more popular traditional sites for a royal wedding parade, where the numerous banners that usually adorn the promenade ar ereplaced with the banners of the two unifying houses.
Tellimius Transit Hub[]
Considered the city's primary artery to other cities on the planet as well as one of the busiest connections to the planet's orbital installations, the Tellimius Transit Hub is frequently the primary port-of-call to anyone arriving within the city. While primary servicing shuttles to orbital docks, private stargoing vessels as well as supersonic aircraft and high-speed maglev trains are also serviced in a complex that stretches over 80 square kilometres of the city's surface as well as penetrating some two kilometres down into the city blocks. This makes it one of the largest spaceports in the city.
Tellimius' modern position is some 23km from the sites of early spaceports (all of them now buried deep within the city blocks) that served as a connection between Minos'Drakon and the space around Alcanti, the modern facility established in around ID.179,211. Even today, Tellimius provides a means of ferrying cargo between the planet's surface and orbital docks. Its' critical importance makes it a critical infrastructural link. As a result there is a heavy presence of Domestic Security officers and security probe drones that patrol the hub's main areas.
Some fifteen billion visitors make use of the transit hub each year for varying purposes, in response to this massive transfer volume, architects over the millenia have expanded and renovated the complex to be akin to a cultural and commercial palace, the present main entrance opens out to a surface-level view towards the Centis district, allowing visitors to gaze in awe at a large part of the city skyline as well as providing a welcoming view of the city's wealthiest commercial headquarters.
While many nobles are inclined to use the smaller and less-busy Balmara Transit Centre in the Ratirmanse precinct, Tellimius dedicates one fifth of its terminals (primarily Terminals 14-19) to the transfer of nobles, who are welcomed into the complex by more ornately decorated walkways and waiting rooms befitting of their social status. Terminal 8 serves as the main link to privately-owned residential stations in orbit around Alcanti while gates 4, 5 and 6 of Terminal 17 are reserved for foreign dignitaries or for use by the royal family itself.
Triumvirate Square[]
Situated some three kilometres from the heart of the Subedti district and established some five years after the signing of the Commonwealth charter, Triumvirate Square is dedicated the monumental founding of the Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth by displaying statues of its three founding highlords: Iovera IX Menorian, Parag'avatus Uriel Ultanos the Sixteenth and Lord-Councillor Tyraz, each one represented by titanic statues of black, white and red marble, various gems and trimmings of gold and silver.
Each statue was carved in a guardian-like pose intended to impress and look towards the centre of the single-handed inner plaza. The outer plaza is marked with benches, trees and flowerbeds all tidily arranged to surround the three statues. While there are plaza's larger than it throughout the city, Triumvirate Square is a popular gathering point for supporters of the Andromedan commonwealth and admirers of either one or all of the founding highlords. It is also a potential target for vandalism by anti-commonwealth rallies and as such enjoys a healthy local population of Domestic Security and Blood Dragon patrols, who keep an eye out for potential vandals or troublemakers.
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
“It is a beautiful city, but in all honesty I still value the countryside. Even in the palace you can still hear the slight din of traffic from the city centre.”
- - Uriel Ultanos
“A testament to the might of the Imperium, a shining light to which all Andromeda should grow toward.”
“A true city of the gods.”
- - A certain slaver
“It reminds me of the old, traditional cities of home. Except, the atmosphere is somewhat poisonous.”