The Monolith

No one knows who built the Monolith, or why. The most common theory is that the cryptic Portal Builders constructed the gargantuan pylon as a monument to the civilization they once spread across the Horizon. Despite its unknown origins, it is hard to deny that the strange artifact is among the most impressive sights in the Horizon, and as such, it has become a symbol of the pride the Zenithians place in their own civilization.
The awe-inspiring glory of the Monolith made it the obvious choice of location for the Quassar family and their followers when they left the Zenith six decades ago. After centuries of cryo dreams, the Zenithian colonists longed for a place to call home. The primordial stone reaching for the sky surrounded by an air of might and stability was perfect. That the Firstcome tribes in the area treated the Monolith with superstitious respect only made it an even better place to settle – if the Zenithians could colonize the house of the gods of old, who could possibly question their right to power? Since then, the Monolith has been the symbol of Zenithian civilization, Kua’s economic expansion and the new order introduced by the colonists from beyond the stars. If Coriolis, constructed from the remains of the Zenith, is the political focal point of the Horizon, then the Monolith is the undisputable citadel of the Zenithian way of life.

THE HOUSE GUARDS

The most visible military presence in the Monolith is the house guards of the bigger families in the Cabinet of Thousands. Every family has their own guard and places great pride in presenting themselves as true patrons of Zenithian culture and power. This is expressed through the house guards’ colorful uniforms and ostentatious ceremonies – a source of much pride and joy to the Zenithians themselves, but it is all a bit much to an outsider. Conglomerate slang for the house guards is “peacock troops”.

PEACOCK TROOPS

Quassar’s Janissaries are of course the house guard with the proudest lineage, supposedly descended from military traditions of long lost Al-Ardha. The Janissaries guard the Palace of the Hegemony and view themselves as the crown jewels of Zenithian supremacy. This has resulted in more than one bloody duel between the Janissaries and members of other regiments. Din Hrama’s fearsome 1st Sogoi Battalion are among the more exotic of the house guards, demanding both fear and respect wherever they show up with their vivid feather uniforms and antique long rifles. The Arianites’ Seraphim Guard are equipped with grav belts and old fashioned sail wings, without question giving them the most spectacular entrance when they dive through the clouds in perfect formation.

THE CONGLOMERATE

Most people see the Conglomerate as an endless city covering most of Kua’s equator, but this is not entirely true. All the different districts, factory islands, and slums combined do cover vast areas, but much of it is abandoned and quickly being reclaimed by the jungle. River deltas run through the city and the water is used as transportation routes for hovercraft or boats. The larger districts have paved roads, mainly used to transport goods with heavier grav craft. The buildings in the Conglomerate range from monstrous sky towers to low hangars and shantytowns. Rooftop farming is common on the larger factory islands.

LITTLE ALGOL

Little Algol was one of the first neighborhoods to form when the Zenithians colonized the Monolith, making it even older than Covenant City. What is left of the once vibrant district today is the run-down Dignitary City. Its broken marble stairs and overgrown walkways used to be a place of business and negotiation for the wealthy Zenithian families, but today you will only find a small contract souk here where minor companies, families, and plebeians’ representatives settle contracts about trade and labor. Little Algol has spread slowly over the years – much of it is a slum of decrepit shacks, some of it is buildings or factories of slightly higher standards and a growing part is jungle-covered. The Ramishah river market is a bustling place where long lines of river barges have their cargo unloaded and redistributed to other districts. Since the seventh cataract was closed off after the Mibea offensive, traffic in the Ramishah port has increased, and much cargo is taken straight from the barges onto waiting grav craft bound for Ara-ara.

THE DABARAN INTERMEZZO

The Zenithians are a proud people who take their holy sites very seriously. The Dabaran poet Galbarul had to learn this the hard and painful way after saying this about the Monolith: “It is a true wonder, without a doubt the mightiest member I have ever seen!” His first (and last) visit to the Monolith ended in disaster – his indecent words caused an outrage and he was immediately deported, his collected works were banned in the Hegemony, and the export of Kuan lumber to the Dabaran courts was halted for several cycles. The conflict was eventually settled in the Council and the miserable poet had to write a sonnet celebrating the glory of the Monolith. Galbarul vanished from the cultural world after this, living in self-imposed exile somewhere in the Horizon.

GEOGRAPHY OF THE MONOLITH

The Monolith is almost unbelievably large. From base to top it reaches a little over 4,000 meters into the air, which makes it the largest known building in the Third Horizon. If you are standing by the base or in the Conglomerate, the top is sometimes lost in the clouds, and it is not hard to understand why some say that the towering artifact is the gate to the Icons’ promised lands. The Monolith can be divided into three parts:

• COVENANT CITY, climbing out of the Conglomerate and surrounding the base of the artifact. Visitors from near and far gather here to sign important deals, negotiate with the Zenithian families, or to apply for permits to travel further up the Monolith. Famous locations here include the Covenant ring, full of hotels and restaurants, the Hanging Bazaar with all its exotic goods, and the Wall of the Icons, a holy site covered in mysterious inscriptions.

• THE FORBIDDEN SECTOR, the area between the top of Covenant City and the lower levels of Sky City. This section contains only a few smaller buildings, a much publicized excavation and the fort of the Astûrban.

• SKY CITY, home to the Zenithian elite. A place of palaces, gilded colonnades, and exotic parks. The seat of Abarren Quassar and the Cabinet of Thousands.

THE QUEEN SLUMMER

The Conglomerate is boiling with discontent. The people have had enough of predatory capitalism and Zenithian supremacy and a resistance movement has begun to form over the last few cycles. Its leader is the charismatic young worker Yjala Baktou, scornfully called “the Slum Queen” by the Zenithians in the Monolith. The rebellion has so far been limited to a few neighborhoods on the outskirts of the Conglomerate, but it is spreading inwards quickly.

THE AZAËLEANS – DJINN OF THE WOODS

The Azaëleans are the largest creatures in the jungle, and some of the tunnels they create under the surface are so big that they can be seen from orbit. Despite the tunnels being very obvious proof of the size of the creatures, no Azaëlean encounter has actually been proven. The tunnels are used for traveling by the jungle tribes and also seem to affect the ecosystem. An expedition from the Foundation, led by the famous zoologist Henam Mirsak, recently departed for the dark woods to solve the mystery of the Azaëleans once and for all, but is missing since hostilities broke out between a logging corporation and a religious enclave.

Location under

Kua (Planet)