Heru/FloatingCitadel

Floating Citadel of Meru (NHeru/FloatingCitadel/A Artifact)

• Heru
• Heru/Artifacts
• Heru/LawgiverAndProjectHistory

Named after the ancient capital and long-lost city of Meru, the Floating Citadel is a marvel to behold. Constructed out of a natural mountain cut from the earth, lifted upside down and kept afloat by powerful magics, the fortress is one of a kind. Even more than that is the fact that it is enhanced and modified through and through with veins, pipings and fortifications made out of the magical materials - including those from both Creation and the Underworld. In size there is nothing artificial that is even comes close to the Floating Citadel. This is because at its largest perimeter the Floating Citadel is some thirty kilometers in diameter as well as some ten kilometers tall.

In appearance the Floating Citadel looks like a gigantic acorn floating in the air. It has a rounded flat top surrounded on its rim by a low-lying mountain range. From its large circular flat top the mountain slowly tapers off into a more triangular shape. This triangular tapering continues all the way down some ten kilometers to a point. Imbedded into this point is a hugely elongated tower that can extend downward and provide some physical and magical benefits to the Floating Citadel. At various points along the central area of the outside there exists flattened regions. These regions contain huge cavernous docking ports for use by skyships and other aerial forces. Also dotting the exterior are city-blisters which each contain over ad dozen city blocks and all the necessary infrastructure allowing for its existence.

One of the most important, and unique, features of the Floating Citadel is that despite not being physically connected to Creation it possesses dragon lines and the resulting demesnes. And where demesnes exist their is the potential to create manses, potential that has been utilized in many locations throughout the Citadel. Every ward that exists in, on or connected to the Floating Citadel contains within its geomantic center a manse. These manses are predominantly Level 1 or 2, though a number of higher ratings do exist. In addition, most of these manses are Terrestrially aligned, but again, there are a number of manses that are Celestial or Nether based. All of these 150+ manses are directly connected and obedient to the commands of the Control Manse that exists deep within the interior of the mountain.

Deep within the very center of the Floating Citadel, surrounded by hundreds of meters of rock and magical materials, lies the power source of the Citadel. Through a mystical process unknown to almost all, the Threefold Heart Generator is capable of providing more power in a single moment of time than an entire civilization produces over its vast lifespan. This generator system powers all the devices - both mundane and magical - artifacts, systems and infrastructure of the Floating Citadel. For maintenance the system is overseen by a cadre of gods led by a single Twilight Caste Exalt.

To keep the massive floating mountain afloat, as well as aiding and enabling motion, a comprehensive system of artifact engines, gods of motion, and elementals (of fire, air and earth aspects) work in tandem. While the central infrastructure lies deep within the mountain, there exists untold numbers of micro exhaust ports, motive nozzles and spirit tubes existing over the outer surface of the mountain. Using these methods the Floating Citadel is able to remain at a set height, move up and down, turn on its axis, and even move forward or backward. The speed of the Floating Citadel is immense and can reach upward of 300 kilometers an hour if necessary. This is of course not usually necessary and the mountain vessel mostly stays within the leisurely speed of 30 to 60 kilometers per hour.

Despite being a place mostly of peace the Floating Citadel is not a weak, defenseless or unarmed target. The truth is entirely the opposite, for the mountain fortress possesses armor, defense and weapons of such power and potency that had not seen the light of day for thousands of years. Most of these systems were created through the combined efforts of some of Creation's greatest gods and Solar Exalts working in tandem. This resulted in the unleashing of many new sciences, techniques and capabilities that had previously been unseen and unheard of.

In terms of offensive capability the Floating Citadel is more highly armored than almost anything else that had ever existed in Creation - even back in the First Age. Over one thousand Essence cannons dot the vast surface of the mountain. These weapons, purposely modular in energy output, are capable of hitting anything that might become a threat – anything from animal- or human-sized targets all the way up to skyship- or titan-sized targets. Even more than that is the fact that the weapons are designed to be able to fire in all firing arcs, making it impossible for a target to hide or go in a weapon-blind spot. All the Essence weapons on the Flying Citadel are directly connected to the Threefold Heart Generator and thus do not need to worry about power or recharging.

Defense wise the Floating Citadel is no slouch either as survivability in any hostile environment was a design imperative. Surrounded as its outer hull is by hundreds of meters of armor, it takes a lot of damage before weapon blasts can cause damage to the interior spaces. Even more potent are the Essence-based energy shielding that completely surrounds and encircles the Floating Citadel. This has the effect of making areas that look exposed to the outside, such as the flattop, actually enclosed by a protective shell. The shielding is both environment and protective and is capable of absorbing huge amounts of damage before localized failures even begin to occur. As an added defense the Floating Citadel is immune to the natural dangers of such harsh environments of the Elemental Poles, the Wyld or Pure Chaos. The protection that exists against the Wyld occurs because of the complex system of reality stabilizes that were emplaced and constructed on the mountain vessel.

Much has been mentioned about the surface region of the Floating Citadel. Bound as it is by sharp mountainous walls, the area looks more like a valley than the bottom of an upside down mountain. The words garden and paradise describe the region for no expense was spared by its constructors on its environment habitability. The majority of the Skytop is covered in a huge open air garden, the Gardens of Basnareth, containing practically every terrain type that is in existence within Creation. In fact huge legions of gardener elementals and lesser gods, as well as the occasional mortal or Exalt, tends and maintains the garden complex. Within said garden complex is a large number of smaller sections devoted to particular designs, motifs and philosophies. This includes sections devoted to Eastern tiger lilies, to Southern fire orchards, to Western water gardens, to Northern air fields, to Underworld plasmic zoos, to Malfean azkan hordings, and then don't forget Wyld zones dedicated to some of the more unnatural plant and animal specimens.

Interspersed throughout the massive garden complex that is the Gardens of Basnareth are numerous community wards of one type or another. The types of wards that exist in this section of the Floating Citadel are the government wards, exalted wards, domicile wards, and city wards. Each ward itself contains a massive garden within its walls surrounding and interspersed between the structures that serve the purpose of the ward. Connecting the various buildings in the ward and cutting through the gardens are pathways both above and under the ground, allowing for fast, expedient and safe travel. Each ward, with the exception of the city wards, contain six massive buildings - a central headquarters building and five other buildings surrounding it in a pentagram shape. In all wards the central facility is a manse of one type or another, with the other five usually being natural buildings though sometimes they too are manses.

To better enhance the quality of life there are no vehicles allowed in the majority of the Skytop. All travel above ground, except in the city wards, are undertaken through the use of dirt pathways and paved sidewalks. Transit from distant regions, or from one ward to another, utilizes the immensely comprehensive subsurface transit system. This consists of a huge number of mass transit subways that connect to each and every major structure in the skytop region as well as to hundreds of additional points throughout the Gardens of Basnareth. All these transit tubes are free for all to use though some exits are legally restricted to certain individuals and require a permit.

The first type of ward in the Skytop is that of the government ward. These wards serve as the headquarters and centers of the government headed by the Exalted that holds sway over all of Shaped Existence. There exist seven wards zoned for this purpose with each containing their own purpose and government function. The first ward is the Central Ward which houses the chief and most important government divisions of the Exalted Dominion, the Deliberative Chamber. It also contains the Central Library, All Temple, the High Hall of Justice, and the Celestial Banquet house. The Unified Military of the Dominion is located in the Military Ward (labeled as four on any official maps) of the government ward type. This ward contains a central facility that serves as the chief body overseeing the military as well as another five structures each containing one-fifth of the total military command and control element.

The second and third government wards contain the Over-Government and the Under-Government, respectively. The Over-Government is the government representing Creation while the Under-Government is the one that represents the Underworld. Both of these wards contain six massive ziggurat pyramids, one each for each Central Ministry and another serving as the chief coordination center. It should be noted that while this is the official location of the Dominion government most of the offices of the respective bureaucracies exist in the land that they rule - the rebuilt Meru for Creation and Sygil for the Underworld.

The fifth and sixth government wards service as the official homes and embassy locations for the Yu-Shan and Yan-Shan divine bureaucracies. As with all wards these sections contain six buildings, one central building housing the chief bodies as well as five others each containing one aspect of the bureaucracy of divinity. While neither Yu-Shan and Yan-Shan have moved all their offices to these wards, this section does provide for a much easier time in Exalted domination of existence. The final ward, the seventh ward, houses six structures dedicated to operations in the Depths, Malfeas, Elsewhere, and the Wyld. The powers that be that exist in those realms are allowed to send diplomatic teams to this ward, which also serves to organize Dominion response to the happenings of that area.

The second type of ward is that of the Exalted Ward, so named for its inhabitants being of that type. These wards act as the central operations facilities for the Exalted types. They each contain meeting halls, work spaces, libraries, open spaces, meditation chambers, practice rooms, aspected government facilities, and so much more. Each ward contains six structures, a central facility where all Exalted of that type may freely mingle as well as five others accessed freely only by members of that particular caste. Their are eight wards of this type, each existing for one of the eight officially recognized Exalted types - Solar, Lunar, Sidereal, Abyssal, Nocturnal, Synodic, Terrestrial, and Ephemeral. The main and central structure in the Solar, Lunar, Sidereal, Abyssal, Nocturnal and Synodic are the only manses in those wards. This is different from the two elemental exalted for it is the five aspect structures that are manses and not the main command center.

The third type of ward in Skytop is the Domicile Ward so-named because these thirteen wards contain the housing infrastructure for the special and unique factions that inhabit the Floating Citadel. Each of these wards, just like pretty much all other wards, contain six structures - one in the middle (which is a manse) and five others arrayed around it in a pentagram shape. The Celestial Ward and the Nether Ward, of which their are each two, contain housing facilities for both the SolarsHeru/Lunars and AbyssalsHeru/Nocturnals. This was done specifically so that the mates of the Exalted can be together and can help each other and be their for each other. The Pattern Ward, of which there is only one, contains quarters for both the Sidereals and the Synodics. This also was done specifically in order to breed unity in fate planning for the united realm of Creation and the Underworld. It should be stated that each Celestial Exalted has a specifically assigned suite, which is directly aligned to the Exalted Essences of the Exalt. Each assigned suite for the Celestial Exalted contain almost a dozen rooms each, which can be modified in basic appearance and purpose as the possessor sees fit. The two Terrestrial Wards and the two Ephemeral Wards each contain enough room for between five and ten thousand Exalted of that type to live comfortably. Each Elemental Exalted possesses his own personal room but must share living facilities with up to four other Exalts. These rooms, which much less in size and opulence, are quite comfortable befitting one's status as one of the Exalted.

Then there are two Elemental Wards, one for Creation's elementals and one for the Underworld's elementals. Each of the outer structures are elementally aligned and are much bigger on the inside than their material size would allow thanks to the spiritual power of the elementals. This can also be said for the two Divinity Wards, one for Creation and one for the Underworld whose spirit inhabitants do not need to worry about natural limits of size and dimension. The structures, of which there are six, are divided based on the ranking tier in use by both divine courts.

After all the other types of wards one finally comes to the nine City Wards that exist in the Skytop region of the Floating Citadel. Each City Ward is divided into nine zones, containing eight districts each. Surrounding each district are are roadways that allow for traffic moment internally above ground, though underground transit also exists. Internal to each ward is the additional twelve garden districts which operate like the other garden complexes existing in Skytop. In the very center of the City Ward is a central government complex which is also a manse, usually of the Earth Element though other types also occasionally exist. Each City Ward is home to all the normal commercial, residential and industrial infrastructure existing in other cities and contains a population roughly between 10,000 and 20,000.

The area that is considered Skytop consists of both the surface region of the Floating Citadel as well as a number of layers underneath the surface. If one travels below this region than one will enter into the second portion of the the Floating Citadels - the Unders. The Unders extend all the way down the layers of the floating mountain to the base region. The Unders itself is divided into multiple regions in possession of various purposes and uses. The names of some of these regions are the Rim Cities, the Tri-Ring Ports, the Forge, and Central though their are others. All of them provide a particular service, utility or purpose to the Flying Citadel and all are necessary for one function or another.

While there are many different segments, one can say that the main portion of the Unders is taken up with two huge general regions - the Rim Cities and the Tri-Ring Ports. These two areas encircle and border each other a number of times and provide for two main functions of the Floating Citadel. Within the mountainside of the Floating Citadel it goes Upper Rim City, Upper Tri-Ring Port, Middle Rim City, Middle Tri-Ring Port, Lower Rim City and then finally Lower Tri-Rim Port. Rim Cities, whether they are Upper, Middile or Lower, all are of essentially the same design, that of city. Each is similar to one of the City Wards, though larger and much more oval in design. What sets them apart is that they jut outside of the mountain on a diagonal point, that is their center of gravity is different from that of the rest of the mountain complex. There are a total of thirty-eight indivdual city bubbles each containing roughly twenty to fifty thousand people.

The three Tri-Ring Ports, whether they are upper, middle or lower, are also pretty much they same. Each ring consists of a network of imbedded tubes that encircles the entire mountain at certain points. Each of the six tubes (set in three bands around the mountain) are huge constructions equaling multiple floors both inside and outside the mountain. They contain huge sprawling commercial centers, entertainment complexes, and travel networks setup to best take advantage of the view afforded by the massive windows of the network. Besides the complexes within the tubes themselves there exist, at particular points in the network, gigantic openings called Skyports. These Skyports are vast docking bays, cargo bays, and visitor areas allowing for the docking, storage and construction of aerial vehicles. Each of the sixteen ports that exist are capable of handling many hundreds of sky vehicles in a single day, with a total storage capacity totaling many tens of thousands.

In the actual interior of the mountain, as a part of the Unders, exists a number of gigantic cavern complexes. Currently just over fifty such complexes exist (53 to be exact), with the potential for many hundreds more being built in time. Each of these Cavern Wards focus on one particular facet of life, such as city or manufacturing or government. Over a dozen of these caverns are covered in city sprawl, providing extra living space for those that cannot afford the Rim Cities or the Skytop City Wards. Much lower class than the aforementioned areas, these city areas contain fifty to a hundred thousand people in conditions that are quite low for the standards of the Third Age but quite opulant compared to what existed in the Second Age. Some of the other caverns are devoted to vast entertainment complexes, additional government and residence space beyond what is available in Skytop, military staging posts that make ground-side bases look miniscule, advanced research centers for untold number of different projects, as well as immense industrial districts containing atelier-manses or factory-cathedrals (known by some as the Forge). These caverns vary in size as well from some locations as small as a city block to regions as vast as Lookshy.

Also within the Unders section of the Floating Citadel, surrounded by hundreds of meters of rock and magical material, is the section known as Control. This vast complex houses untold numbers of command centers, bridges, coordination facilities, weapon bays, piloting quarters, organizational chambers, security halls, and other such command and control facilities. It is from here that the masters of the Floating Citadel give their orders and have those orders carried out as quickly, efficiently and safely as possible. It is from here that the most advanced Celestial Manse exists, which all other manses in the mountain are linked, and where the controlling intelligence is housed. This area is protected by its own magical and physical security systems, defense systems and offensive systems - it is protected from infiltration by both materialized and dematerialized beings and is immune to all but the most powerful Essence- and Shaping-based effects.

At the lowest point in the Floating Citadel is the gigantic tower-like pole known as Groundfall. When unused the tower extends below the lowest point of the mountain by ten stories of recreation, commercial, command and military space. When activated though Groundfall can extend itself downward by a maximum distance of one kilometers down. The lowest point of the tower touches the ground where it can open up massive doors on all eight of its sides so that ground travelers can embark onboard the Floating Citadel without needing a skyship. In addition, this tower also has the ability to suck up earth, water and air as well as serve as an absorber of Essence from a demesne or a Wyld-zone.

Statistics

• Speed: 15/30mph or 30/60mph (244/500mph if moving at maximum speed)
• Maneuverability: +3S (Lore 6, Sail 6)
• Endurance: The Floating Citadel is powered by the artifact known as the Threefold Heart Generator. This requires Repair 6 maintenance every month by a 25 member team. Each missed upkeep causes some problems for the internal systems as power no longer is provided. If the Threefold Heart Generator is disabled the Floating Mountain no longer moves but it does remain afloat, the gods and elementals of the mountain are bound to it by ancient and freely accepted promises to make sure the Floating Citadel does not come crashing to the ground.
• Crew: 45,000/(-1 maneuverability per 2,000 less crew, to a minimum skeleton of 5,000; also requires functional AI and Solar commander attuned to holographic control dais for 10 motes).
• Cargo: Near permanently self-sufficient and capable of storing anything it might need in various cavernous holding bays.
• Armor: 100L/100B (When activated, the ablative Essence shield is solid to dematerialized beings, completely impervious to Shaping effects and has Hardness of 200L/200B. Any attack that would penetrate it collapses the portion of the barrier that the attack struck without damage to the station. The shield cannot be reactivated until it has received Repair 5 maintenance.)
• Health Levels: Ux500Heru/D (Due to the Floating Citadel's size, each attack against it cannot inflict more levels of damage than the attacker's Essence or an artifact weapon's rating, whichever is higher. Large area attacks encompassing most of the vessel's volume inflict damage normally.)
• Weapons: 1,000 Essence Beam Cannons: Speed 3, Accuracy (gunner's Wits + Archery + 2; turrets provide telescopic Essence sight and highlight the current target selected by the citadel's command, so that gunners can see and attack virtually any target in range and fire coverage), Damage 20L piercing (may be programmed to damage just the target or anything within five yards of impact; mortals killed automatically enter lethe; affects dematerialized beings; aggravated to creatures of darkness), Range 5 miles, Rate 1 (commander can use control dais to override and remotely fire any of the cannons; otherwise each is manned by its own gunner).
• Other Notes: The living natural stone rock of the Floating Citadel’s mountain is capable of healing itself, though admittedly at a very slow rate. This healing rate is one bashing level per week, one lethal level per month, and one aggravated per year. This special effect is made possible by the joint existence of hundreds of manses as well as the Threefold Hearth Generator.

If the Floating Citadel's Threefold Heart Generator is destroyed (or deliberately overloaded for self-destruct), the resulting explosion inflicts effectively infinite damage to every material and immaterial object within 500 miles, obliterating the geography of that area (though on land, the crater quickly fills in with lava bleeding up form beneath). Only those with perfect defenses survive.

General Locations

Skytop Gardens of Basnareth The Unders The Rim Cities (38)

• Upper Rim Cities
• Middle Rim Cities
• Lower Rim Cities

Skyports The Tri-Rings Ports Control The Forge Groundfall

Ward Descriptions

Government Wards (7 Wards)

• Central Ward, G1 - The Deliberative Chamber, the High Hall of Judges, the Central Library, the All Temple, the Celestial Banquet House.
• Over-Government Ward, G2 - 6 Ministry Pyramids, one for each of the five Creation Ministries and a central one.
• Under-Government Ward, G3 - 6 Ministry Ziggurats, one for each of the five Underworld Ministries and a central one.
• Dominion Military Ward, G4 - 1 Military High Command, 5 Division Buildings.
• Yu-Shan Ward, G5 - 1 Central Building, five departmental buildings
• Yan-Shan Ward, G6 - 1 Central Building, five departmental buildings
• Tributary Ward, G7 - This ward contains the structures dedicated to monitoring and overseeing the government's operations in the Depths, Malfeas, Elsewhere, and the Wyld.

Exalted Wards (8 Wards)

• Solar Ward, E1 - Hall of the Lawgivers, the five Caste Houses
• Lunar Ward, E2 - Hall of the Stewards, the five Caste Domes
• Sidereal Ward, E3 - Hall of the Viziers, the five Caste Towers
• Abyssal Ward, E4 - Hall of the Psychopomps, the five Caste Houses
• Nocturnal Ward, E5 - Hall of the Wardens, the five Caste Domes
• Synoidic Ward, E6 - Hall of the Seneschals, the five Caste Towers
• Terrestrial Ward, E7 - Hall of Servants Creation, the five Aspect Chambers
• Ephemeral Ward, E8 - Hall of Servants Underworld, the five Aspect Chambers

Domicile Wards (13 Wards)

• First Celestial Ward, D1 - 1 Central Hall, 5 Residence Halls (100 Solars, 100 Lunars each)
• Second Celestial Ward, D10 - 1 Central Hall, 5 Residence Halls (100 Solars, 100 Lunars each). This was left empty at first for future expansion.
• First Nether Ward, D2 - 1 Central Hall, 5 Residence Halls (100 Abyssals, 100 Nocturnal each)
• Second Nether Ward, D11 - 1 Central Hall, 5 Residence Halls (100 Abyssals, 100 Nocturnal each)
• Pattern Ward, D3 - 1 Central Hall, 5 Residence Halls (20 Sidereals and 12 Synoidic each).
• First Terrestrial Ward, D4 - 1 Central Hall, 5 Residence Halls (1,000 Terrestrials each)
• Second Terrestrial Ward, D5 - 1 Central Hall, 5 Residence Halls (1,000 Terrestrials each)
• First Ephemeral Ward, D6 - 1 Central Hall, 5 Residence Halls (1,000 Ephemerals each)
• Second Ephemeral Ward, D7 - 1 Central Hall, 5 Residence Halls (1,000 Ephemerals each)
• Creation Elemental Ward, D8 - 1 Main Building, 5 Elemental Domes dedicated to each Creation element type.
• Underworld Elemental Ward, D12 - 1 Main Building, 5 Elemental Domes dedicated to each Underworld element type.
• Creation Divinity Ward, D9 - 1 Main Building, five structures dedicated to each tier of Creation's divinity.
• Underworld Divinity Ward, D13 - 1 Main Building, five structures dedicated to each tier of the Underworld's divinity.

City Wards (9 Wards)

• City Wards, C1 to C9

Skyport Wards (16 Wards)

• Upper Skyport Wards, US1 to US6
• Middle Skyport Wards, MS1 to MS6
• Lower Skyport Wards, LS1 to LS4

Rim City Wards (38 Wards)

• Upper Rim Wards, UR1 to UR14
• Middle Rim Wards, MR1 to MR14
• Lower Rim Wards, LR1 to LR10

Depths Ward (53 wards)

• City Wards, DC
• Government Wards, DG
• Special Wards, DS
• Industrial Wards, DI
• Water Wards, DW
• Farm Wards, DF

The Manses of the Floating Citadel

Common Manse Features

Every manse on, in or connected to the Floating Citadel possesses these common features.

• All Floating Citadel manses moderate their internal environment for the supreme comfort of its residents. (Comfort Zone x2, Subtle Breath of Sextes Jyles)
• Built using the some of the most advanced technologies available to the rebuilt Solar Dominion, all manses possesses dozens if not hundreds of simple magical conveniences. (Magical Conveniences)
• All manses are networked to all others located within the Citadel. (Network Node, Geomantic Relay)
• All manses are capable of creating two- or three-dimensional visual illusions throughout the manse's territory. Sound may also be conveyed. (The Glorious Halo of Hesiesh, Mela's Sweet Whisper)
• All manses are able to use their senses and powers throughout the ward that they lie in the center of. (Pasiap's Buried Whiskers, Analytical Senses, Zone of Influence)
• Despite the nature of the Floating Citadel, all manses are heavily armored and protected from harm. (Armored x3, x4 or x5 depending on the manse in question).
• All manses are designed to make their wards as close to self-sufficient as possible, in terms of food, air and water. (Provider)
• To provide efficiency in many things, all manses are equipped to hear and respond to mental commands and requests sent to it by those inside its territory. (The Silent Voice)
• All manses are designed to be immune to the chaotic and twisting effects of the Wyld and Chaos. (Immutable)
• All manses are capable of producing a protective shield of Essence that turns away attacks against it. (Essence Shield)

Government Manse Features

All government manses contain this standard feature.

• Special Essence-based systems work to make the operations of government within the ward more efficient and organized. (Organizational Enhancing Systems)

Domicile Manse Features

All manses in the Domicile Wards possess these common features.

• All manses are aspected to their Exalted owners so as to better enhance their stay. ([Exalted] Comfort)

Underworld Aspected Manse Features

All manses constructed ontop of Nether, Abyssal, Nocturnal, Synoidic and Ephemeral demesnes have a number of common features that set them apart.

• All these manses possess artificially created Shadowlands. (Shadowland)

Elemental Manse Features

All manses aligned to the elements (be they Terrestrial or Ephemeral) possesses these common features.

• The manses are strongly linked to the elements they are connected to. (Dragon's Nest, Dragon's Will)

City Ward Manse Features

All City Wards possess these common features.

• Special Essence-based systems work to make the city government of the ward more efficient and organized. (Organizational Enhancing Systems)
• Through various Essence-based systems the manses of a city ward are capable of establishing taboos and fads that the people of the territory are socially bound to follow. (Rules Creating Systems)