Aquitaine
Although originally founded in TN 1533 by rover Darvon d'Aquitan, it wasn't until after TN 1544 that Aquitaine grew into a proper city. That year, thirteen soldiers of the Southern Republic who were part of a long range expeditionary force into the Great Southern Plain supposedly came into the small town and wrecked havoc, ultimately crashing a vehicle into the barn of town founder Darvon d'Aquitan after an evening of excessive drinking. The aging Badlander promptly rounded up a few of his neighbors to physically expel the soldiers from his property. The ensuing firefight went badly for the intoxicated Republicans, who fled as d'Aquitan called on all of his Badlands friends to aid him in the defense of his home. Twenty-two hours later, the entire 17th Battailon of the 4th Brigade surrounded Aquitaine and carried out a punitive raid. Although the Aquitain defenders stood up as best they could, they were soundly defeated and d'Aquitan himself was killed. The Republican troops then withdrew, confident they had taught the Badlanders a lesson. They were wrong.
The story of the battle became a legend of Badlanders standing up to the new Republic and attracted people to the region. The city-state grew in leaps and bounds and, by the time of the Second Unification Campaign, was ready to face their attackers. Aquitaine sent troops to defend Timbuktu in TN 1589, but despite valiant efforts, the city fell. Fifteen cycles later, Aquitaine itself finally came under fire again and the city was reduced to ruin in a vicious battle. It took over 60 cycles for Aquitains to accept their absorption into the Southern Republic, but the presence of a well-armed garrison within the city prevented open rebellion; nowadays Aquitaine is a proud member of the Southern Republic.
The city has developed local agrarian industries extensively, and has also promoted its brewing industry. The success of Mort Subite fruit ale attracted other brew houses to the area, but none have replicated the market creation since they must either brew regular ales or substandard fruit ales. In the event that an upstart manages to attain even modest success, Mort Subite's brewers either buy it out or undercut its prices to eliminate the competition. While this has resulted in several lawsuits, no court has found the brewery guilty yet.
Due to the northerly position of Aquitaine, it is generally considered as the first area which would be hit in the event of a war with the Northern leagues. The Aquitain militia is generally considered one of the best trained and most well prepared on the planet because of its prominent position. The expansive plains and rolling hills near the city provide a good variety of training conditions for this military unit. Unfortunately, the local MILICIA unit suffers from severe discipline problems, and it is difficult for the city militia to convince some of the citizens that not all military units are cast from the same mold.
Demographics
Aquitaine at a glance
The city-state of Aquitaine lies at the edge of the Great Southern Plain, just a few kilometers south of the Badlands border and the Little Westridge mountain range. Its location on the shore of the small Fraser River, a slightly arid micro-climate and fertile soil make Aquitaine perfect for growing grain and some varieties of fruit.
Split in two by the river, the city i s built in a grid pattern, with most roads heading generally north-south or east-west. The city is divided into four quarters, with divisions on each side of the Fraser and separation by a main street. This rather unimaginative urban layout was selected by the military council to fit with Aquitaine's defense, as the grid map layout coincides precisely with the minefield that the town is laid upon. This minefield serves as a last line of defense and permits whole chunks of the city to be detonated. The Speaker of the city controls the use of the field, which has never been activated save for carefully monitored and controlled test firings.
The Needle is located across from city hall, in the center of town, at the intersection of Main Street and Boulevard d'Aquitan. The only true high-rise in Aquitaine, the massive Needle is 165 stories tall and serves as an audio/video relay post for the whole of the Great Southern Plain. Built in TN 1909 by Vou Broadcasting, the tower was bought by the military in TN 1914 for use as a communications center during the War of the Alliance. During this time, it received several modifications including two air defense batteries and a layer of armor around the huge support struts of the structure. The Needle is the most powerful transmitter in the Antarctic, and a private network is currently negotiating to purchase the structure. The government would normally be happy to take the sum which has been offered, but with war on the horizon, the utility of the structure is higher. As a result of this situation, the government is stringing the broadcaster along in hopes that the war will begin and end quickly enough that interest is not lost.
Government
Life on the Plain
Loud and boisterous, Aquitains love to talk, drink and fight: they will also never pass up an opportunity to boast of their exploits to outsiders. That many of these visitors are rarely impressed by great bouts of drinking and shooting hoppers from the back of moving trucks does nothing to dampen their enthusiasm. The Golden Grill, Aquitaine's famous steak house, with its delicious two kilo springer steak and accompanying "bucket o'brew" (a two liter serving of Mort Subite), is a hub of activity where citizens gather on a nightly basis. Locals are also fanatically devoted to the Razorbacks, the city's Southern Territories Soccer League (STSL) team. All games are sold out well in advance and purchasing a scalped ticket may cost as much as 150 dinars for a regular season game.
Most Aquitains view themselves as sedentary Badlanders - settled in a community, yet ready to go trekking in the wilds at any time. Although few actually act on this, there are groups of Aquitains who do venture into the Badlands for various reasons. These people are often popular social figures and would-be role models for the rest of Aquitaine.
One belief that separates Aquitaine's population from most Republicans is their understanding that the Republic is not necessarily the pinnacle of civilization. The town was the temporary home of thousands of CNCS troops during the War of the Alliance. These troops mixed with the locals, and though many drunken brawls occurred, many came to see Northerners more clearly as Terranovans than as enemies. They remember the pain of the War of the Alliance and songs to the memory of fallen troops can be heard floating nightly from the many bars in the city core. There are also teenagers whose fathers were CNCS soldiers; this new generation believes that the friction between North and South is senseless and most blame the Republican government for the way things have degenerated globally.
These views are, unfortunately, attracting the attention of some Republicans who feel that North and South should never meet. Justinian Salazar has dispatched SRID agents in an attempt to solidify the city's links to the Republic. Consul Victor deBourgogne has also been toying with the idea of stationing an extra regiment in the city, just to make sure that it does not break away and open up the Republic's northern border.
Industry & Trade
- Agriculture
Maps
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Aquitaine
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