Inugeun (인우근 "in-ugeun")

Inugeun is the capital of the Malnarr Empire, a magnificent city built across the rugged terrain of many mountains, making it one of the most stunning and unique cities in all of Ysanaf. Inugeun does not belong to any one kingdom, instead serving as the neutral seat of power for the entire empire, positioned between the borders of Xin Ruiku and Ganaguk. The city's layout is a harmonious blend of natural beauty, manmade marvels, and cutting-edge technology, symbolizing the unity of the empire's diverse peoples and the grandeur of its imperial legacy.
A Musical City: The unique feature of Inugeun is how it integrates music into the city’s infrastructure. The aqueducts’ sluice gates, combined with the natural waterfalls and mechanical chimes placed throughout the city, create a constant background of melodic sounds. The rhythm of the city changes with the flow of water, making each day in Inugeun feel like a symphony that plays to the pace of nature.
Technological and Artistic Fusion: The steam engines that power much of Inugeun’s infrastructure have also inspired its artists and inventors. The Opera Houses incorporate mechanical devices into their performances, blending traditional storytelling with modern innovation. Similarly, inventors and Artt users work side by side in the city’s research institutes, creating new technologies to improve the lives of citizens across the empire. The steam-powered aqueducts and water music systems are examples of this fusion between art and technology.

Defences

For Inugeun's defense, the city's elevated position on multiple mountains gives it a strategic advantage. Each of these mountains is fortified with massive water-cooled cannons that provide formidable firepower:
Cannon Placement: Each mountain peak in Inugeun can house up to 20 powerful cannons, strategically placed to cover all approaches to the city. These cannons can rotate to provide overlapping fields of fire, ensuring that no enemy force can get close without being under constant threat.
Firepower: These 400mm cannons fire massive shells capable of causing devastating damage to any approaching force, whether by land, air, or sea. Their large caliber allows them to engage targets at extreme ranges, giving Inugeun unparalleled defensive reach.
Water-Cooled Mechanism: The cannons are equipped with a water-cooling system, fed by the city's vast aqueduct and water infrastructure. This allows the cannons to maintain a much higher rate of fire than traditional artillery, giving the city the ability to sustain prolonged bombardments during sieges or defensive battles.
Rapid-Fire Capacity: Thanks to the water-cooling system, these cannons can fire in quick succession without overheating, making them more efficient and reliable in long engagements. This gives Inugeun a significant edge over attackers who may struggle with slower, less advanced weaponry.
Mountain Range Defense: Since Inugeun is built across multiple mountains, these cannons are spread out to create a 360-degree defensive perimeter. Any attacking force would face concentrated cannon fire from multiple angles, whether they attempt to attack by land, river, or air.
Synergy with Aqueducts: The city's extensive aqueduct system not only feeds the cannons' water-cooling mechanisms but also ensures that the defenses are resilient, even during long sieges. The same aqueducts that power the city’s fountains and waterfalls can be diverted to keep the cannons operational in times of war.
Anti-Air Capabilities: Some of the cannons are modified to serve as anti-aircraft artillery, protecting the city from airborne threats, such as airships or flying creatures.
Steam-Powered Systems: The cannon batteries are connected to steam-powered loading and targeting systems, allowing for rapid reloading and precise aiming. This advanced technology ensures that Inugeun’s defenses are as modern and effective as possible, capable of responding quickly to any threats.
Ammunition Storage at the Foot of the Mountain: To ensure the safety of the city and minimize the risk of catastrophic explosions, the ammunition storage facilities for the 400mm shells are located deep within bunkers at the foot of each mountain. These storage areas are reinforced and protected by natural rock, making them nearly impervious to direct attacks or sabotage.
Vertical Elevator Systems: The cannons are supplied with shells via a highly efficient vertical elevator system. This elevator, powered by the city’s steam technology, lifts the heavy ammunition from the storage bunkers to the cannon emplacements near the mountain peaks. The process is fast, secure, and ensures that only a minimal amount of ammunition is stored near the cannon positions, further enhancing safety.
Automated Loading Systems: The shells are delivered directly from the elevator to automated loading systems, which reduce the need for manual handling of the dangerous ammunition. This system ensures rapid reloading and minimizes the risk of accidents.
Steam-Powered Cannon Operation: Thanks to the steam-powered loading and targeting systems, the cannons require fewer operators than traditional artillery. The steam-driven mechanisms handle much of the heavy lifting, from loading the shells into the cannons to adjusting the firing angles. This reduces the strain on human operators and allows a smaller team to manage each battery of cannons.
Automated Firing Mechanism: The steam technology not only aids in reloading but also in firing the cannons. A small crew of engineers can operate an entire battery with minimal manual labor, relying on steam pressure to trigger the firing mechanisms, allowing for rapid fire with precise timing and coordination.
High Rate of Fire: The combination of water-cooling and steam automation allows each cannon to maintain a significantly higher rate of fire compared to conventional artillery. This means that Inugeun can sustain bombardments over long periods, keeping constant pressure on attackers and ensuring that any breach attempt is quickly overwhelmed by sheer firepower.
Streamlined Reloading: The automated systems allow for continuous reloading even during heavy combat, with the vertical elevators constantly supplying shells to the cannons. This means there are no delays in resupplying ammunition, keeping the cannons operational for extended periods.
Reduced Crew Fatigue: With steam technology handling much of the physical labor, the cannon crews experience less fatigue during prolonged battles. This allows the city’s defenders to remain sharp and responsive, ensuring peak performance when it matters most.
Pressure-Controlled Safety Valves: Each cannon is equipped with pressure-controlled safety valves that automatically cut off the steam supply if there is a malfunction or overload in the system. This ensures that the cannons cannot misfire or explode due to overpressure, further protecting the operators and the city.
Sealed Ammunition Shafts: In case of an attack on the ammunition elevators, each elevator shaft can be sealed off, preventing any chain explosions from traveling upward to the cannon emplacements. This prevents attackers from being able to sabotage the cannons by targeting the ammunition supply lines.

Infrastructure

Elevated Aqueducts: One of the most remarkable features of Inugeun is its network of elevated aqueducts, which not only serve as a vital water supply system but also incorporate sluice gates that create music when the water flows through them. These aqueducts are marvels of engineering, designed to transport water from distant sources down into the city, where it is used to feed the manmade lakes, reflecting pools, and fountains throughout Inugeun. The melodic sound of water is said to bring calm and peace to the citizens, making the city feel like a living, breathing symphony.
Manmade Falls and Reflecting Pools: At the heart of Inugeun lies a series of manmade waterfalls, which descend from the higher mountain peaks into the city below, creating a dramatic visual and auditory spectacle. These falls feed into reflecting pools scattered throughout the city, where citizens and visitors alike can come to meditate or enjoy the serene beauty of their surroundings.
Steam Engines and Technology: Despite its ancient foundations, Inugeun is a modern city driven by steam engines, which power the city’s industries, transportation systems, and many of its mechanical innovations. The empire has mastered the use of steam power to elevate its engineering capabilities, from the operation of the aqueducts to the movement of heavy machinery used to maintain the city’s mountainous infrastructure.
Terraced Gardens and Meditation: Inugeun’s gardens, especially those built along the mountain terraces, are not just for growing food but also for spiritual reflection. These gardens are places where scholars, mystics, and visitors come to meditate, reflecting on the empire’s history and its connection to the natural world. The city’s planners carefully designed these spaces to create a sense of tranquility amid the bustling capital.

History

Inugeun’s long history dates back to the founding of the Malnarr Empire. Originally a series of small mountain settlements, the city grew in power and importance as the empire expanded. Its position between the kingdoms of Xin Ruiku and Ganaguk has always made it a place of neutrality and balance, where the emperor rules over the whole empire without favoring any one kingdom.
From Flash Floods to Water Mastery: Inugeun once suffered from seasonal flash floods, much like Fuyi Na, until the construction of its aqueducts and dams. The city’s mastery over water became one of its defining features, and the Turquoise Palace was built atop the mountain to symbolize the empire’s ability to tame even the most unruly elements of nature.
A Beacon of Unity: As the capital of the Malnarr Empire, Inugeun is a symbol of unity, where no kingdom claims ownership, and the emperor represents all the people of the empire. The city’s architecture and infrastructure reflect this unity, blending the cultural styles of Ganaguk’s resilience with the refinement of Xin Ruiku, along with the technological ingenuity that comes from the empire’s industrial heart.

Points of interest

The Turquoise Palace: The Turquoise Palace is the official seat of the Emperor of the Malnarr Empire. This magnificent structure sits on the highest peak of the city, its turquoise-tiled roof visible from every corner of Inugeun. The palace is an architectural wonder, with sprawling terraces and intricate water features, including fountains and canals that flow throughout the palace grounds. The palace serves both as the residence of the emperor and as the administrative center for the empire, where the emperor meets with advisors, diplomats, and rulers from across Ysanaf.
Opera Houses and Theatres: Inugeun is home to a number of opera houses and theaters, which are perched on the peaks of the surrounding mountains. These venues are known for their breathtaking views and incredible acoustics, enhanced by the natural amphitheater-like shape of the mountains. Performances here range from traditional operas to modern technological spectacles, incorporating Artts (magic) and steam-powered mechanics into the shows. The annual Inugeun Opera Festival draws visitors from all over the empire to witness the grand performances.
The Great Aquarium: Located in the city square, the Great Aquarium of Inugeun is a massive structure built into the center of the plaza, showcasing live sea animals from across the empire’s coastal regions. The aquarium is a feat of both engineering and art, with glass walls that allow visitors to walk beneath flowing tanks filled with colorful fish, sea creatures, and even small sharks. It serves not only as a tourist attraction but also as a symbol of the empire’s connection to the sea, despite its mountainous location.

Geography

Inugeun’s location atop multiple mountains gives it a striking vertical architecture. Buildings rise high above cliffs and valleys, connected by elevated aqueducts and bridges that span across the city’s many peaks. From nearly every point in the city, one can gaze out over cascading waterfalls, terraced gardens, and manmade lakes that enhance the natural beauty of the region.

Natural Resources

Challenges

Overcrowding

As the political and cultural heart of the empire, Inugeun attracts a constant influx of new residents, from scholars and inventors to traders and diplomats. This has led to severe overcrowding, with the city struggling to accommodate its growing population on the limited space of its mountainous terrain.
Limited Space: Built across multiple mountain peaks, Inugeun's expansion is constrained by its rugged geography. While vertical construction has helped, the city can only build so high before infrastructure becomes unstable, leading to dense, cramped living conditions.
Strain on Resources: The rapid growth has put immense pressure on the city's water and food supplies, as well as its public services, causing dissatisfaction among residents.

Expensive Housing

Inugeun’s desirable location, prestige, and limited space have driven the cost of housing to astronomical levels. This has created a stark divide between the wealthy elites, who live in luxurious residences, and the working class, who are forced into overcrowded and poorly maintained housing in the lower parts of the city.
Rising Rents: The cost of renting or buying homes in the city has become unaffordable for most, especially with the constant influx of newcomers. Many residents have resorted to living in cramped quarters or even makeshift homes on the outskirts of the city.
Housing Crisis: As the demand for housing grows, slums have begun to form in the lower areas of the city, creating a stark contrast to the wealth and beauty of the Turquoise Palace and other prestigious areas.

Floods Still Happen

Despite the city’s advanced aqueduct systems and the towering Fuyi Na Imperial Dam, floods remain a persistent problem, particularly during the rainy season. The city’s location on steep mountains and its proximity to powerful rivers make it vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.
Overwhelmed Systems: While the aqueducts and water channels are designed to control the flow of water, they can become overwhelmed during heavy rainfall, causing flooding in the lower parts of the city and damaging infrastructure.
Risk to Residents: Flooding poses a constant risk to residents living in the lower regions, particularly those in overcrowded neighborhoods where drainage systems are insufficient.

Increasing Crime Rate

The economic disparities and overcrowding in Inugeun have contributed to a rise in crime, particularly in the less prosperous areas of the city. With a growing population and strained law enforcement, the city is struggling to maintain order.
Theft and Gang Activity: The increasing divide between rich and poor has led to a surge in petty theft, while organized crime gangs have begun to take control of certain districts, exploiting the vulnerabilities of the city's poorest residents.
Corruption and Black Markets: The city’s bureaucratic systems are also becoming vulnerable to corruption, with black markets for goods, housing, and even Artt-based services emerging in the shadow of the empire's grand structures.

Earthquakes

Built on rugged mountains, Inugeun is susceptible to earthquakes, which pose a significant threat to its towering structures and intricate infrastructure. Even minor tremors can cause landslides, damage to aqueducts, or disrupt steam-powered systems, while larger quakes could cause catastrophic damage to the city.
Structural Vulnerability: While the Turquoise Palace and other key buildings are fortified, many of the older structures and the poorer districts are highly vulnerable to earthquakes. The city's reliance on vertical construction amplifies the risk.
Emergency Response Strain: Earthquakes often leave parts of the city cut off from help, especially in the mountainous terrain, where transportation can be challenging. The emergency services are already stretched thin due to the city’s overcrowding and other challenges.

Type

Capital

Location under

Malnarr

Owning Organization

Malnarr Empire