Empire City

Empire City, also known as the Imperial Capital or simply The Capital and formerly named Rio de Janeiro, is the capital of the Velconum Empire and one of the largest megacities of Earth. It is infamous for its heavily polluted environment and strict law enforcement including near-constant surveillance. 
== History ==
Dahak, first Emperor of the Velconi, chose Rio de Janeiro as his empire's capital due to the massive amount of resource extraction done in the region of Brazil in comparison to other territories under his control. Detesting the bureaucracy of the powers that came before him, Dahak wanted the Velconum Empire to be seen as a titan of both military as well as industrial might. As a result, much of Empire City is dominated by factories even today, causing the massive pollution the city is known for.
Following the declaration of the capital, city was immediately renamed to Empire City with the old name of Rio de Janeiro forbidden from any official documents or public displays. Follow Dahak II's reign, the rule on the name has been relaxed, but that is largely due to the old name being practically forgotten, with modern Irini as well as Velconi knowing it primarily as Empire City or the Imperial Capital. Following the formation of New Atlantis, which involved the merging of the Velconum Empire with the Irin Republic, Empire City kept its name due to its recognizability, despite the fact that it was no longer the capital of any empire.
== Reputation ==
Empire City is the archetypal Velconi city, with numerous other metropolises across the Empire modeled after it. Much of its structures are industrial looking, emphasizing function over form. Those designed with aesthetics in mind typically employ oppressive-looking brutalist architecture. A large number of residential complexes are also built with modular parts, adding to simple, monotone visual landscape. What decor exists is in the form of propaganda screens, another characteristic of Velconi cities taken from the design of Imperial Capital. 
Compared to any other human city, Empire City has the lowest crime rate. This is due to the fact that law enforcement in the Capital is administered by a special detachment of the Velconi Army who heavily monitors activities in the city. It is almost impossible to escape after breaking a law in Empire City. Though crime cannot be wholly prevented, the Inquisition is headquartered in the Imperial Capital and Inquisitors frequently deal with potential threats before they can commit any major crimes. 
While this reputation dissuades the average citizen or low-level criminal from trying anything in Empire City, the elites of the underworld often view getting away with a crime in Empire City as the ultimate challenge. The best thieves, assassins and smugglers sometimes take a gamble with jobs in the Capital and the few who succeed go on to become legends in their line of work. Category:Cities