Post by Dominion of Zabéara on Jan 9, 2015 20:51:32 GMT
The Holy City of the Dominion is like a thing of dark fantasy. The most dispassionate of architects might describe it as an immense super-network of subterranean tunnels spanning the better part of an entire continent, connecting numerous population nodes. But this truly fails to capture its nature. The central population nodes are truly awe-inspiring in scale. They frequently take the form of immense cylinder cavities in the Planet’s crust. They are often so high that one cannot perceive their limit, with light precipitation often forming at the higher levels. Usually the centres of these cylinder cavities is an intact but hollowed-out centre, also often cylinder in shape, rising from the floor to the ceiling of the cavity. It is within this central hub that most of the shops and offices are housed. The circular central hub links to the outer walls of the cavity via countless bridges at varying levels. These outer walls are honeycombed with windows and balconies; they are the primary housing units for the local population.
The primary ‘’tunnels’’ connecting the main habitation nodes generally have a radius of 50 meters or so, and can extend for several hundred kilometers. In separated lanes they handle an endless procession of automated traffic. Aside from them, countless secondary and tertiary tunnels criss-cross the main tunnels and population nodes. Endless doors leading down dark tunnels to unknown paths and hidden places. A truly bewildering place.
Despite the advanced technology on display involved in the main tunnels, Zabearan cities have a strikingly premodern ambiance. Aside from the primary tunnels, the roads, pathways, walls, and bridges are often made from primitive stonework that gives the sense of centuries of age. There is a paucity of signage of colour, at least for a human’s eyes. Banners decorate some areas, as well as directions and information signage, but no advertisements. Everything is characterized by a dark, stony, simple and streamlined aesthetic. The walls are the natural blacks and greys of the stonework adorning and shaping them, as are the floors. While there is some artificial light, it is hardly an ideal amount for a human; the Baeshènz however are adapted to seeing in low-light environments.
Despite being densely populated, the promenades of the great halls and tunnels are rarely overcrowded. The people are much like their environment; usually drably dressed in grey or black robes that nearly touch the ground, the exceptions being soldiers in ceremonial gear, with bright, shinning red armour and capes, and large, colourful feathers on their pointy helms, or priests, whose robe colour reflects their particular order. Silently they shuffle to their destinations, or stand in small groups whispering in the shadows. Their glowing yellow eyes illuminating the darkness like pairs of shaking candles in the distance, having an eerie quality about them….
- Excerpt from Wes longen’s The Marvels of the Galaxy; 6 Years With An ITco Crew
The primary ‘’tunnels’’ connecting the main habitation nodes generally have a radius of 50 meters or so, and can extend for several hundred kilometers. In separated lanes they handle an endless procession of automated traffic. Aside from them, countless secondary and tertiary tunnels criss-cross the main tunnels and population nodes. Endless doors leading down dark tunnels to unknown paths and hidden places. A truly bewildering place.
Despite the advanced technology on display involved in the main tunnels, Zabearan cities have a strikingly premodern ambiance. Aside from the primary tunnels, the roads, pathways, walls, and bridges are often made from primitive stonework that gives the sense of centuries of age. There is a paucity of signage of colour, at least for a human’s eyes. Banners decorate some areas, as well as directions and information signage, but no advertisements. Everything is characterized by a dark, stony, simple and streamlined aesthetic. The walls are the natural blacks and greys of the stonework adorning and shaping them, as are the floors. While there is some artificial light, it is hardly an ideal amount for a human; the Baeshènz however are adapted to seeing in low-light environments.
Despite being densely populated, the promenades of the great halls and tunnels are rarely overcrowded. The people are much like their environment; usually drably dressed in grey or black robes that nearly touch the ground, the exceptions being soldiers in ceremonial gear, with bright, shinning red armour and capes, and large, colourful feathers on their pointy helms, or priests, whose robe colour reflects their particular order. Silently they shuffle to their destinations, or stand in small groups whispering in the shadows. Their glowing yellow eyes illuminating the darkness like pairs of shaking candles in the distance, having an eerie quality about them….
- Excerpt from Wes longen’s The Marvels of the Galaxy; 6 Years With An ITco Crew