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| [Updated 6/26] First International Summit: Useful Information about Altair | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 23 2015, 01:12 AM (500 Views) | |
| The Altarian Empire | Jun 23 2015, 01:12 AM Post #1 |
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In preparation for this summit, I'm going to be providing some useful information about Altair in this thread. This should hopefully allow everyone a bit more freedom to write in detail without having to be vague or defer to me for questions. Expect this thread to be updated frequently over the next few days. Feel free to ask questions, and I will add them to this post with the necessary information. The Altarian Empire Political Map of the Altarian Empire The Altarian Empire is divided into 15 Provinces, each Province being a former Aquilosian nation-state that has joined the Altarian Empire. For the purposes of this RP, only two should be relevant, excluding Altair itself: Iscytherios (northwest, dark blue) and Terra (east, green.) These are the founding nation-states of the Altarian Empire. It is from these two nations alone that Altair can be accessed, via MagLev Trains that cross the Nephelian (Neff-AYL-ee-an) Sea. ![]() The Ilia Line is based out of Iscytherios, and is the shorter of the two: the Selinia Line is based out of Terra and has a longer transit time. There is a lethally enforced military exclusion zone (sea and air) 50 kilometers out from any shoreline in the Nephelian Sea. Supplies are transferred to Altair either by train or by boat. All maritime shipping to Altair is handled by the AKA. There are airports in the cities the Ilia and Selinia lines are based out of, to minimize travel times for visitors. Delegates from separate nations should not encounter each other on the train lines, assuming they are adhering to the time roster issued by the Altarian Empire. Arch Knight personnel will guide delegates from the outside of the train station to the VIP terminal, on request: it is possible for delegates to forgo a guide, if they so choose. The VIP terminal leads directly from the exterior of the station to the boarding platform. After displaying issued VIP passes to an attendant, delegates are permitted onboard the train. The VIP section of the train is sequestered from first-class and coach, and contains a mini-bar, a small meeting room, and two lounge cabins. Attendant service can be requested. Map of Altair, the Empire's Capital Altair itself is divided into three distinct sections: The City, located on the southern half of the island, the Arch Knight Militarized Zone on the northern half of the island, and the Core Dais, located at the center of Lake Ourania. The colored map displays the city's population distribution, with purple being the densest and green the sparsest. The Ilia and Selinia Lines terminate in Central Altair, which places them close to the Core Dais. ![]() Weather in Altair is characteristically sunny, with a tropical climate. Visually speaking, the Altarian cityscape is dominated with the colors white, blue, and cyan. Altarian architecture prioritizes functionality over form, without compromising aesthetics. That is to say, although building design is typically simple and bland, it hardly resembles dull, bleak brutalism - care is still put into maintaining visually pleasing appearances, both inside and out. The atmosphere is surprisingly clean for a city of Altair's size, due to local ordinances mandating "green" vehicles and an extensive public transportation system. At the core of the city, along the shores of Lake Ourania, is the Cardathia Memorial Park. It commemorates the War of the Crimson Rose, which lead to the founding of the Arch Knights of Altair. The most defining feature of the Cardathia Memorial are statues of The Five, the military leaders responsible for ending the War, writing the Edicts, and creating the AKA. The Core Dais lies at the center of Lake Ourania, and can be accessed only by a footbridge located in the Cardathia Memorial. Upon the Core Dais lies the Grand Palace, the Altarian capitol building. It is not a castle, per se, but a trinity of skyscrapers linked by a central dome complex. The skyscrapers are named the Citadel of Tranquility, the Citadel of Serenity, and the Citadel of Eternity. Their heights are 40, 60, and 100 stories, respectively. The Citadel of Tranquility is the "political capital" of the Arch Knights of Altair. The AKA's leadership convenes here to draft and vote on military regulations and foreign policy, as well as discuss classified information. The Citadel of Serenity is host to Altair's civilian government, where internal policy and laws are drafted and voted on. Serenity is also home to all ambassadors and embassies within the Altarian Empire. The Citadel of Eternity is the Empire's supreme court, in a sense, and is primarily tasked with settling disputes between the other two branches. Ambassadors, foreign leaders, and so on have access solely to the Citadel of Serenity. The Citadels of Tranquility and Eternity are off-limits. The Arch Knights of Altair The Arch Knights of Altair are technically an NGO military organization. However, time has blurred the lines between them and the Altarian Empire itself, so it would not be entirely incorrect to call them the Altarian military, and even the AKA consider themselves as such. The AKA is responsible for all foreign relations, as opposed to the civilian government. The Empire's police force is under the jurisdiction of the Arch Knights of Altair, and is a joint branch organization simply termed the Military Police, though almost ubiquitously referred to as MILIPOL. Thus, the AKA is omnipresent throughout Altair, from the City itself to the Core Dais. Arch Knight Trooper The seasoned regulars of the Arch Knights of Altair, Troopers can be found just about anywhere across the island, from the city to the Core Dais. While MILIPOL personnel are usually equipped with hand-me-down military surplus and are less experienced than the regular soldier, a heavy Arch Knight presence coupled with not much else to do means the rank-and-file are responsible for policing Altair instead. Templar Commando The Arch Knights Templar are the Infantry Corps' primary special forces organization. While not officially one of their missions, they have been the de facto organization responsible for protection of Arch Knight VIPs. As such, they have a security force stationed on the Core Dais. Special Investigative Services Gendarmerie The Special Investigative Services Gendarmerie, commonly known as the SISG and colloquially referred to as "sissies" by Arch Knights, is a domestic intelligence and security service division of MILIPOL. They are responsible for investigating crimes at the provincial and federal levels, as well as investigating and policing the AKA's ranks. SISG officers are stationed on the Core Dais as an additional security force, and are responsible for moderating and overseeing conference rooms. SSHANEOG SSHANEOGs (pronounced "Ess-Sha-NEE-ohg") are Arch Knight super soldiers. Their power armor suits incorporate heavy armor plating layered over artificial musculature and an integrated neural interface. Weighing half a ton and stronger, faster, and smarter than normal humans, SSHANEOGs are limited by difficult genetic, physical and meritocratic induction requirements and heavy financial costs. Aside from a special SSHANEOG honor guard unit that handles a portion of the Citadel of Tranquility's security, there is a minimal SSHANEOG presence within Altair - excluding, of course, any that serve on the Council of Tranquility. Captain SymLink Chief Military Captain Maxwell "SymLink" Targus, though almost exclusively referred to as "Captain SymLink," is the current supreme commander of the Arch Knights of Altair. A hero of the Threshold War, he is relatively new to the position, and is more of an idealist with regards to Altair's role in the political community, compared to the cynicism of the Council of Tranquility. He will represent the Altarian Empire at the summit, alongside an entourage of associated officers. The AKA rarely sends a single delegate to any political meeting, preferring that multiple officers come to a consensus before relaying Altair's opinion, in the interest of eliminating human ego and irrationality from any Arch Knight decision. Three is the typical amount. General Hesiod General Malthios "Azure" Hesiod, also known as "The Blue Knight," is the commander of the 4th Arch Knight Army. He is a reputable SSHANEOG swordmaster, famous for exclusive use of a finely crafted greatsword known as Crann-ceusaidh Mòrdha. Practices an ancient Triadist rite that involves ritualized bonding with his weapon, treating it as a companion so as to gain increased physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. A serious, formal, no-nonsense man who thinks almost purely in the Arch Knight's dogma of "logical morality." Known alternatively as "The Hero of Emperica" or "The Scourge of Emperica," depending on who you ask. Roleplaying Throwaway AKA Characters You can feel free to control various throwaway Arch Knight personnel if your delegation would like an escort or tour guide. Personality-wise, you have two general options to choose from - cheerful naivete, or stoic professionalism. Names would likely be of Hellenic or English descent. Ranks would be either Second or First Lieutenant. In conversation, your guide would be courteous to the point of being sycophantic - but beneath all their pleasantries would be a subtle hint of arrogance. Edited by The Altarian Empire, Jun 26 2015, 11:49 PM.
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| Antonia and Brookwood | Jul 10 2015, 10:38 PM Post #21 |
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Good god, the flag is worse than Milwaukee's. |
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| Khasinkonia | Jul 11 2015, 02:50 PM Post #22 |
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Well, I did found it before Talo Balka was a thing, and almost all of my nation's military funding goes toward my space program.. (No joke, my only military, as stated in an issue, is a small collection of satellite lasers.) |
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| Triodard and Florard | Jul 22 2015, 07:21 PM Post #23 |
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In the interest of not having the RP die, I propose we all do our best to cut the exposition to a minimum and get to the beef of the summit. I feel that it's just dragging on unnecessarily at this point. |
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