Anya Venari
Star Queen Tirathana VII
New Santaissa
The look.
Size
Name: New Santaissa.
Image Source: Here and Here. Artists unknown.
Classification: Planetary Capital/Metropolis
Location: Tygara.
Affiliation: Silver Sanctum Coalition (broadly), Eldorai Matriarchy (specifically)
Population: 65 million in metropolitan area, 25 million in central area.
Demographics: 98% Eldorai, 1.5% Human, 0.5% other.
Points of Interest:
The Government District and Palace: Modelled after the original palace on Kaeshana, the palace complex is a mix of royal residence, fortress, centre of government and city hall. This vast hexagonal precinct in the city’s centre is surrounded by decorative, yet high, walls. Inside sits the governing apparatus of the Eldorai people.
The royal palace is the centrepiece of the area, forming an impressive ziggurat with a tall spire rising from the corners. The top of the palace contains an energy shield which can be activated in times of emergency to surround this central district in a protective force field. This is the official residence of the Queen.
The Monorail: Although ground-level transport is possible, most people use the system of monorails. Two layers of twin paths lead along the hexagonal boulevards, and two single track lanes complete the webs around the districts of the city. These monorails, much like the ones on Kaeshana, form the backbone of the public transport system.
The Gardens: At heart the Eldorai never wanted to forget nature or their roots. Whilst the old city on Kaeshana had become cramped and unnatural, New Santaissa was laid out to allow many lovely parks and gardens. The most notable is the Botanical Garden and zoo which lay in the south-east of the city. There, vast amounts of Kaeshana’s animals and plants are preserved, perhaps to be released when the time comes.
The Angelii Compound: All power, in the end, comes from military force, a truth the Angelii long used to their advantage. Even if now the Angelii are less like Praetorian Guards than they used to be, they are still kept separate from the population. A permanent force of trusted Angelii is kept in the palace to protect the Queen and government, but the remainder live in a compound to the north near the foot of the mountains. There the elite Angelii are trained and can move to danger points rapidly.
The Argive Lake: Where the two rivers converge in the west there is a large lake where ships of all sorts wait to come and unload before returning up or downstream. This area has a reputation already for being a tough part of the city, even though the Angelii frequently sweep the area. It is no surprise (in the minds of some Eldorai at least) that this lakeside area is where many of the off-worlders have settled.
Lions Gate Spaceport: To the south is a vast area of land allocated to a modern spaceport facility. Built not far from the lake, this spaceport can handle hundreds of ships a day. It was the first thing constructed in the city, as the vast resources and people needed required places to land. There are berths here for private and government ships as well as commercial.
Description:
The city of New Santaissa is an idealised version of the old city. Whereas the old city had been built haphazardly over the centuries, New Santaissa was planned and constructed very much to a plan. In the centre of everything was the new Citadel and Palace. This giant ziggurat functioned as the nerve centre of the city. All roads really did lead to it, as it stood at the centre of a hexagonal web of roads and transport systems branching out. These roads move in curves and lines looking much like a spider web to join locations together.
The only place where this web is broken is on the western side where the River Baelus meets the River Kadan and forms a large lake before the Kadan continues to the distant sea. Here river travel is a good way of moving goods, especially produce to and people from the city.
In addition to ground-level transport, an upper level of tiered monorails exists to rapidly move people along the hexagonal axes and around the perimeters. These monorails are favoured modes of transport and run all hours.
Although they have moved to a new world, the Eldorai never want to forget their original home. Thus, the architecture and even the suburbs remain as close as possible. Santaissa’s translated name means ‘White City’ and the name is appropriate. When a large deposit of white, marble-like material was found in the mountains it was extensively strip mined for building materials. This has resulted in the palace, central areas and mansions being almost indistinguishable from their Kaeshana originals.
Though created for the wealthiest and most favoured people, New Santaissa is not without its problems. For a start, the rapid and complete movement to a new planet has meant that experimentation with agriculture and water purification means some rationing is still in effect, though it is planned to be discontinued soon.
Further, the docks have drawn the less reputable sorts whilst the central area and the eastern plains have attracted the richer inhabitants.
Unlike in the old city, off-worlders are not formally confined to a single quarter of the city, however they still tend to congregate in the southern areas around the largest spaceport.
History:
Santaissa was the capital of the Eldorai Matriarchy on Kaeshana, the centre of the civilisation’s power and culture. It was also the only place on Kaeshana where offworlders were allowed to settle or trade with the Eldorai.
Times have changed however. With the ruination of Kaeshana by an asteroid, the migrants fled across the stars to Tygara. Due to the efforts of the Coalition, Firemane and the Eldorai themselves, over half the population was saved before and after the impact. Those people obviously needed places to live, and the northern continent of Ajustra fitted the bill perfectly. For one, the continent was almost unsettled, and those Qadiri who had settled there were ‘relocated’.
Old Santaissa had never been a massive city because of the constraints of the rivers and mountains which compressed the area down, as well as the general dispersal of the Eldorai over the planet. However, on the plains of what the Eldorai called Aelia – salvation – they found a perfect location. A wide, mostly flat plain rising steeply to mountains on one side, and dotted with small forests and rivers.
At first the plain was the perfect place to set refugees down as the moderate climate and prefab structures enabled them to create tent cities for tens of millions very quickly. However, it was soon decided that this would be the scene for the new city. Many names were suggested, but in the end the unimaginative name of ‘Naes Santaissa’ or New Santaissa was chosen, simply because familiarity might help cushion the blow.
When the city was constructed and built, the people were let in to live there. Since many of the wealthy had literally bought their way onto the escape ships, they were the first ones to be provided with homes and services. Whilst it might be seen to be unfair and non-egalitarian, they had collectively helped this project go ahead, and the Eldorai were still a despotic monarchy…even if it was more a benign despotism under the current queen!
Over time the city was filled, but it is still being built as new suburbs are being raised daily and people are moved in to live and work in the city. To protect the city the citadel features an energy shield, and the nearby mountains house the formidable ‘Spears of Ashira’ defence complex.
Intent: To make a new home for the Eldorai people on Tygara. This city is a replacement for their lost home on Kaeshana. Whilst it has a high population, this is due to the fact that the Eldorai came to Tygara as refugees and essentially started these cities from scratch. Further, considering the earthbound populations of Tokyo and Shanghai it is not implausible that a new world would not be different.
Links: The original Santaissa submission, city now destroyed.
Dev thread here.
The look.
Size
Name: New Santaissa.
Image Source: Here and Here. Artists unknown.
Classification: Planetary Capital/Metropolis
Location: Tygara.
Affiliation: Silver Sanctum Coalition (broadly), Eldorai Matriarchy (specifically)
Population: 65 million in metropolitan area, 25 million in central area.
Demographics: 98% Eldorai, 1.5% Human, 0.5% other.
Points of Interest:
The Government District and Palace: Modelled after the original palace on Kaeshana, the palace complex is a mix of royal residence, fortress, centre of government and city hall. This vast hexagonal precinct in the city’s centre is surrounded by decorative, yet high, walls. Inside sits the governing apparatus of the Eldorai people.
The royal palace is the centrepiece of the area, forming an impressive ziggurat with a tall spire rising from the corners. The top of the palace contains an energy shield which can be activated in times of emergency to surround this central district in a protective force field. This is the official residence of the Queen.
The Monorail: Although ground-level transport is possible, most people use the system of monorails. Two layers of twin paths lead along the hexagonal boulevards, and two single track lanes complete the webs around the districts of the city. These monorails, much like the ones on Kaeshana, form the backbone of the public transport system.
The Gardens: At heart the Eldorai never wanted to forget nature or their roots. Whilst the old city on Kaeshana had become cramped and unnatural, New Santaissa was laid out to allow many lovely parks and gardens. The most notable is the Botanical Garden and zoo which lay in the south-east of the city. There, vast amounts of Kaeshana’s animals and plants are preserved, perhaps to be released when the time comes.
The Angelii Compound: All power, in the end, comes from military force, a truth the Angelii long used to their advantage. Even if now the Angelii are less like Praetorian Guards than they used to be, they are still kept separate from the population. A permanent force of trusted Angelii is kept in the palace to protect the Queen and government, but the remainder live in a compound to the north near the foot of the mountains. There the elite Angelii are trained and can move to danger points rapidly.
The Argive Lake: Where the two rivers converge in the west there is a large lake where ships of all sorts wait to come and unload before returning up or downstream. This area has a reputation already for being a tough part of the city, even though the Angelii frequently sweep the area. It is no surprise (in the minds of some Eldorai at least) that this lakeside area is where many of the off-worlders have settled.
Lions Gate Spaceport: To the south is a vast area of land allocated to a modern spaceport facility. Built not far from the lake, this spaceport can handle hundreds of ships a day. It was the first thing constructed in the city, as the vast resources and people needed required places to land. There are berths here for private and government ships as well as commercial.
Description:
The city of New Santaissa is an idealised version of the old city. Whereas the old city had been built haphazardly over the centuries, New Santaissa was planned and constructed very much to a plan. In the centre of everything was the new Citadel and Palace. This giant ziggurat functioned as the nerve centre of the city. All roads really did lead to it, as it stood at the centre of a hexagonal web of roads and transport systems branching out. These roads move in curves and lines looking much like a spider web to join locations together.
The only place where this web is broken is on the western side where the River Baelus meets the River Kadan and forms a large lake before the Kadan continues to the distant sea. Here river travel is a good way of moving goods, especially produce to and people from the city.
In addition to ground-level transport, an upper level of tiered monorails exists to rapidly move people along the hexagonal axes and around the perimeters. These monorails are favoured modes of transport and run all hours.
Although they have moved to a new world, the Eldorai never want to forget their original home. Thus, the architecture and even the suburbs remain as close as possible. Santaissa’s translated name means ‘White City’ and the name is appropriate. When a large deposit of white, marble-like material was found in the mountains it was extensively strip mined for building materials. This has resulted in the palace, central areas and mansions being almost indistinguishable from their Kaeshana originals.
Though created for the wealthiest and most favoured people, New Santaissa is not without its problems. For a start, the rapid and complete movement to a new planet has meant that experimentation with agriculture and water purification means some rationing is still in effect, though it is planned to be discontinued soon.
Further, the docks have drawn the less reputable sorts whilst the central area and the eastern plains have attracted the richer inhabitants.
Unlike in the old city, off-worlders are not formally confined to a single quarter of the city, however they still tend to congregate in the southern areas around the largest spaceport.
History:
Santaissa was the capital of the Eldorai Matriarchy on Kaeshana, the centre of the civilisation’s power and culture. It was also the only place on Kaeshana where offworlders were allowed to settle or trade with the Eldorai.
Times have changed however. With the ruination of Kaeshana by an asteroid, the migrants fled across the stars to Tygara. Due to the efforts of the Coalition, Firemane and the Eldorai themselves, over half the population was saved before and after the impact. Those people obviously needed places to live, and the northern continent of Ajustra fitted the bill perfectly. For one, the continent was almost unsettled, and those Qadiri who had settled there were ‘relocated’.
Old Santaissa had never been a massive city because of the constraints of the rivers and mountains which compressed the area down, as well as the general dispersal of the Eldorai over the planet. However, on the plains of what the Eldorai called Aelia – salvation – they found a perfect location. A wide, mostly flat plain rising steeply to mountains on one side, and dotted with small forests and rivers.
At first the plain was the perfect place to set refugees down as the moderate climate and prefab structures enabled them to create tent cities for tens of millions very quickly. However, it was soon decided that this would be the scene for the new city. Many names were suggested, but in the end the unimaginative name of ‘Naes Santaissa’ or New Santaissa was chosen, simply because familiarity might help cushion the blow.
When the city was constructed and built, the people were let in to live there. Since many of the wealthy had literally bought their way onto the escape ships, they were the first ones to be provided with homes and services. Whilst it might be seen to be unfair and non-egalitarian, they had collectively helped this project go ahead, and the Eldorai were still a despotic monarchy…even if it was more a benign despotism under the current queen!
Over time the city was filled, but it is still being built as new suburbs are being raised daily and people are moved in to live and work in the city. To protect the city the citadel features an energy shield, and the nearby mountains house the formidable ‘Spears of Ashira’ defence complex.
Intent: To make a new home for the Eldorai people on Tygara. This city is a replacement for their lost home on Kaeshana. Whilst it has a high population, this is due to the fact that the Eldorai came to Tygara as refugees and essentially started these cities from scratch. Further, considering the earthbound populations of Tokyo and Shanghai it is not implausible that a new world would not be different.
Links: The original Santaissa submission, city now destroyed.
Dev thread here.
