Nafok Aguot
Nafok Aguot is the capital of all of Laran. Its mere mention inspires patriotism in many, and terror in many more. Whether for the better or for the worse, usually for the worse, lives are changed and fate is irrevocably altered in the walls of the city. Cosmic Forces accede to the wills of power-hungry mortals, as nature is shaken and science is mutilated by the machinations of the insane at the top of overgrown temples. Rain patters down onto stone and plants as lightning flashes and cackling ensues, only to be drowned out by the sounds of a city going about its business. In as many ways as it is abnormal, Nafok Aguot is a perfect example of both the peaks and ravines that the Lati's genocidal, expansionist, and self-destructive empire can reach.
Demographics
Government
The city, being state-owned, is run by the Laka of Civil Administration and whoever they appointed to this position of extreme power. That being said like most locations owned directly by Laran and the Laka Council, the different Dynasties vie for influence and for their own loyalists to be appointed to positions. Taxes for those living in the city are fairly high, mostly taken in form of military assistance. As such, any Lati who owns land in and around the city has to have a decent-sized powerbase.
Defences
The sheer size of the city makes it near unconquerable from a ground attack. An attacking army, even one of immense size, would have to surround and conquer one ziggurat at a time, all the while being harried by defending guerrilla fighters. The sheer size of each would favor the defenders tremendously, as attackers would have to fight through winding streets, tunnels, and passageways to root out any resistance. That's to assume they are even able to get an army of that size on the planet and through the jungles. Large anti-air guns are positioned on each ziggurat, and the spaceport can be emergency self-destructed. Orbital bombardment isn't an option, as most of the city is constructed with stone fashioned on Otanli's cursed ground, not to mention the cursed ground on Nafok itself, making it near indestructible.
All of that ignores the largest factor, that being that Nafok is a planet at the heart of Larani space, buried underneath their entire fleet. Making a star go supernova would be easier than mounting an attack on the capital.
All of that ignores the largest factor, that being that Nafok is a planet at the heart of Larani space, buried underneath their entire fleet. Making a star go supernova would be easier than mounting an attack on the capital.
Industry & Trade
Most of the inhabitants of the Capital are either involved in the maintenance of the city or are part of a Lati's powerbase. The exceptions are the guild outposts and embassies. Most guild leaders are smart enough not to be based in such a city, so instead there are large embassies and outposts where guilds will trade information with one another and work out deals of all sorts.
Otherwise, main exports are finished products made from imported materials, using many of the resident specialists and combining talents to create some of the most popular products in Laran. Despite being a Command Economy, the Capital city is one of the least exemplars in that regard, as independent retailers grow to immense sizes right under the Council's nose. Most of the food consumed in the city is imported, as are most of the raw materials.
Despite the possible wealth and resources to be gained from doing so, the council banned mining anywhere near the city, as the last time a mining operation went supernova, a Ziggurat collapsed, costing millions of lives and billions in monetary losses. The area is still a ruin on the outside of the city, archeologists picking through it as their own personal gold mine. Ironic.
Otherwise, main exports are finished products made from imported materials, using many of the resident specialists and combining talents to create some of the most popular products in Laran. Despite being a Command Economy, the Capital city is one of the least exemplars in that regard, as independent retailers grow to immense sizes right under the Council's nose. Most of the food consumed in the city is imported, as are most of the raw materials.
Despite the possible wealth and resources to be gained from doing so, the council banned mining anywhere near the city, as the last time a mining operation went supernova, a Ziggurat collapsed, costing millions of lives and billions in monetary losses. The area is still a ruin on the outside of the city, archeologists picking through it as their own personal gold mine. Ironic.
Infrastructure
The city itself is built as a few dozen enormous ziggurats, each topped by large stepped pyramids on which is more step pyramids, on and on until you get to the housing level. Each of the ziggurats is large enough to be a city in itself, representing one of the two dozen or so districts. In between them, flow several rivers which cut through the jungle, making water travel the only way for those without airships (basically all civilians) to get from ziggurat to ziggurat. The internals of the ziggurats are where the machinery of the city is, where most of the civilians live, and where most of the food is grown, using light and energy projected by Crysalis to grow many tailor-made crops.
The first layer of pyramids after the ziggurats are the largest, with anywhere from five to fifty topping the temple complex, depending on the size of each. Even the smallest is large enough to fit more step pyramids on one of their own steps, and this continues until you have regular-sized houses lining the tops. Everything is done on a massive and grand scale, and only cities such as the Temple of the Sun and Temple to Power could even come close to rivaling it.
In between each pyramid are where the populace gathers for things such as markets, military parades, public events, and more. Each of the largest pyramids makes up a Ward of the city, with each pyramid after making up a neighborhood or sub-neighborhood. The highest stack is somewhere in the vein of six pyramids on top of one another, though this makes up the personal residence of every Laka, housing their entire power bases and serving as the actual capital district of Laran.
Roads are well-curated, and the running water is well cleaned. Sewage is not dumped into the rivers, but instead into a reservoir to be either recycled as something else or shot into a star. One of the central ziggurats is entirely devoted to being a combined shipyard and spaceport, though many Lati own their own landing pads, so the shipyard part is mostly used for traders and military personnel.
The first layer of pyramids after the ziggurats are the largest, with anywhere from five to fifty topping the temple complex, depending on the size of each. Even the smallest is large enough to fit more step pyramids on one of their own steps, and this continues until you have regular-sized houses lining the tops. Everything is done on a massive and grand scale, and only cities such as the Temple of the Sun and Temple to Power could even come close to rivaling it.
In between each pyramid are where the populace gathers for things such as markets, military parades, public events, and more. Each of the largest pyramids makes up a Ward of the city, with each pyramid after making up a neighborhood or sub-neighborhood. The highest stack is somewhere in the vein of six pyramids on top of one another, though this makes up the personal residence of every Laka, housing their entire power bases and serving as the actual capital district of Laran.
Roads are well-curated, and the running water is well cleaned. Sewage is not dumped into the rivers, but instead into a reservoir to be either recycled as something else or shot into a star. One of the central ziggurats is entirely devoted to being a combined shipyard and spaceport, though many Lati own their own landing pads, so the shipyard part is mostly used for traders and military personnel.
Assets
Nafok Aguot has the second-largest concentration of Lati and Lati artifacts after Otanli, along with a shipyard, and more than a few military bases. The city serves as a gathering-point for all of Laran, and is one of the only areas where you would find a Lati Druid, a Lerin engineer, an Alchemist, and an Assassin all associating and socializing with one another.
Merchants and craftsmen of all types combine here, and one searches hard enough, they could find some truly wondrous and horrifying creations. It is best described as a beautiful metropolis built on backstabbing, treachery, blood, sweat, guts, tears, and horrifying creations people were never meant to see, running on all the same.
Merchants and craftsmen of all types combine here, and one searches hard enough, they could find some truly wondrous and horrifying creations. It is best described as a beautiful metropolis built on backstabbing, treachery, blood, sweat, guts, tears, and horrifying creations people were never meant to see, running on all the same.
Guilds and Factions
History
Nafok Aguot was an old settlement on the planet Nafok founded in the year 494 KRD as a small temple outpost on a then out of the way garden world. The ease at which the Lati of the day could feed off emotion, all sensations seeming heightened, drew more people who settled, destroyed, and built over the first settlement. After the destruction of the Tzaran Stream leading to Otanli being reduced to religious center, politics instead being centered on Mul-Zamain's old fortress. It was expanded further to what exists today over the millenia.
Tourism
The capital of Laran has had many monuments, buildings, and other famous structures built over the millennia, a few to be listed here.
Tubud Wakoved or as it is known colloquially, Thornhold, is the seat of Laran's government. It is in this large pyramid, situated in the center of the second-largest Ziggurat in the city, surrounded by the personal temples of every Laka, that the affairs of government are conducted, and that the six most powerful Lati, save the Impirator, convene, discuss, and shape futures.
Vatobu Upik is the Imperial Citadel, a Ziggurat wholly devoted to the Impirator and their personal affairs. Not even the Laka are allowed inside without his permission, the last Laka who tried had their neck snapped after uttering their intentions.
The Siava is the spaceport/shipyard. It again takes up an entire Ziggurat and employs a good three million of the cities population. While the ships are produced from its bowels aren't the best in terms of efficiency or execution, most engineers rate them as above average, they are made of the best materials, and most Lati consider owning one to be another mark of status.
Surprisingly, the largest temple on the capital is not owned or operated by The Imperial Cult, nor is it dedicated to Mul-Zamain. It is instead the Qari ow Vokad Potumbu, literally, the Fearless Upstart's Temple. It is dedicated to a Lati named Ralviqu, who didn't do much of note himself, filling a role as a Storm God among the ever-expanding Lerin pantheon. But due to the perpetual storm's that began rocking the planet shortly after his death, complete coincidence, he began to be worshipped as the planet's patron Lati.
Tubud Wakoved or as it is known colloquially, Thornhold, is the seat of Laran's government. It is in this large pyramid, situated in the center of the second-largest Ziggurat in the city, surrounded by the personal temples of every Laka, that the affairs of government are conducted, and that the six most powerful Lati, save the Impirator, convene, discuss, and shape futures.
Vatobu Upik is the Imperial Citadel, a Ziggurat wholly devoted to the Impirator and their personal affairs. Not even the Laka are allowed inside without his permission, the last Laka who tried had their neck snapped after uttering their intentions.
The Siava is the spaceport/shipyard. It again takes up an entire Ziggurat and employs a good three million of the cities population. While the ships are produced from its bowels aren't the best in terms of efficiency or execution, most engineers rate them as above average, they are made of the best materials, and most Lati consider owning one to be another mark of status.
Surprisingly, the largest temple on the capital is not owned or operated by The Imperial Cult, nor is it dedicated to Mul-Zamain. It is instead the Qari ow Vokad Potumbu, literally, the Fearless Upstart's Temple. It is dedicated to a Lati named Ralviqu, who didn't do much of note himself, filling a role as a Storm God among the ever-expanding Lerin pantheon. But due to the perpetual storm's that began rocking the planet shortly after his death, complete coincidence, he began to be worshipped as the planet's patron Lati.
Architecture
Geography
The terrain the city used to the city on has been completely terraformed, as the only evidence of the previous natural environment being the rivers which run between the Ziggurats, and the endless jungle outside.
Natural Resources
THe entire planet has been named as a protected area, the endless jungles only to be trimmed when the overgrowth becomes hostile or expansion of the city is absolutely necessary.
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