Blackstone

**Blackstone**, officially the **Federal Sector of Blackstone**, is the capital of the Mikaean Directorate of Xyon, and the second-most populous district on the planet with more than 161.2 million inhabitants as of 3984 YM. Located in the Capital Region of Xyon, Blackstone, together with the districts of Oxida Nova, Karus, Defiance, and Bastion, form the largest metropolitan region on the planet, with nearly 558 million residents in all located within the relatively narrow strip of land. Blackstone is divided into several zones which bypass the normal district-based system in Xyon, given the district's status as the capital sector. Blackstone is bordered by the sectors of Karus and Oxida Nova to the north and south respectively, with the Gulf of Mikael to the west and the Blackstone Mountains to the east. Blackstone has served as the center of Mikaean politics and society for more than six thousand years, though it has long been overshadowed by neighboring Oxida Nova as the cultural and financial heart of Xyon.

Founded nearly six thousand years ago by Mikael O'Neill as his primary residence on Xyon, Blackstone was the first major settlement in Mikaean history. The heart of Mikaean civilization, Blackstone was selected as the capital for the new world government of Xyon given its historically neutral status in the political affairs of the Mikaean elite and the great households of Xyon. Home to almost all of the most important political institutions on the planet, Blackstone's status as Xyon's number one district has been cemented over the countless centuries of Mikaean history. Today, the district is protected exclusively by the forces of the Obsidian Guard, which has barred household paramilitary forces from entering into the district. The Black Cross Church is also based out of the district, the modern church itself founded in Blackstone during the lifetime of Mikael himself. Home to countless gardens, theaters, and universities, while not the cultural hub of Xyon, Blackstone certainly is a major educational, financial, and industrial center on the planet, and will continue to hold this position for the foreseeable future.

Blackstone is home to a large human resident population, who live and work in the many embassies and consulates located throughout the district. The United Nations' Earth-Xyon Diplomatic Center is located in Blackstone, and serves as the primary nexus for political discussion between humanity and the Mikaean people. Numerous services geared toward the catering of human needs and tourism have made Blackstone the primary center of human cultural exchange on Xyon, surpassing Oxida Nova if only for the bureaucratic paperwork keeping the human residents restricted to the district limits of Blackstone. Because of its role in human finance, politics, and culture, Blackstone is classified as an alpha+ global city, the irony being that it is located nowhere on Earth itself. It is Xyon's second-most expensive city to live in, and the safest city on the planet with regular patrols by the largely non-corrupt Obsidian Guard forces. It is the preferred home of Xyon's most powerful politicians and a center of intrigue and influence within Mikaean social life and politics.

## Etymology

Blackstone's name originates with the large deposits of black granite formations in the region, the name given by Mikael O'Neill during his early exploration of the surrounding region of his homestead. The name "Blackstone" was originally given to the neighboring mountainous highlands to the east of O'Neill's residence, and later became the official name of the early settlement following the creation of the Mikaeans. Throughout the history of Mikaean civilization, Blackstone was the sole name used by the people, and its name codified into religious doctrine as "unchangeable" and "immutable", part of a series of religious laws passed by the Black Cross Church to maintain many of the preferences of Mikael during his lifetime. Blackstone had always been a name that appealed to him throughout his life, and he often wrote of his desire to build a city using that name. When the opportunity presented itself, and even had grounds for using the name thanks to the large formations of black granite not far from the area, O'Neill was quick to adopt the name for his new settlement.

## History

### Early history

Mikaean habitation of the region began around 1 YM, not long after Mikael O'Neill arrived in the region. The location had plenty of freshwater as well as open space, allowing O'Neill some freedom of movement in the heavily forested terrain. When O'Neill determined that the planet of Xyon was without habitation, he built his homestead, the Blackstone Estate, along the coastline of the later named Gulf of Mikael. This would begin the history of Blackstone as an established settlement, at least with regards to having a permanent resident in the area. The population of Blackstone would explode immediately following the creation of the first Mikaeans, the First Sons, who would give birth to the rest of the Mikaean population. For several decades, they would reside together in the immediate area, sticking close to their father Mikael, and helping hims develop and cultivate the land. Given this, Blackstone was the *de facto* capital and center of Mikaean civilization, and would remain so throughout O'Neill's lifetime. According to the *Mikaean Codex*, O'Neill's personal record of developments as he saw them, Blackstone's population by 20 YM was about 15,000 people. The first Mikaeans were not as fertile as their later descendants due to the early and highly immature reproductive system of the population.

O'Neill reportedly took great pains to ensure that the city's expansion and development were both neat, practical, and rational, focusing on a grid pattern that would persist down to the modern-day. Because of the relative peace during O'Neill's lifetime, the vast city walls of Blackstone were not built during this period, and the Blackstone Fortress itself non-existent. Several major public projects such as the Obsidian Palace and the Hall of Martyrs were built during the early history of Blackstone, overseen by O'Neill as a way of securing the remnants of his work and technology. Following the formation of Mikaeanism as a major force in 17 YM as the Cult of the Father, several underground shrines and temples dedicated to Mikael were built. They would serve as the centers of worship in the city during the early years of Blackstone, and would become the sites of the massive cathedrals later built after Mikael's death in 40 YM. One such underground shrine was unearthed in 3834 YM under the Blackstone Estate, by a construction firm renovating the location. It was discovered that Mikael's eldest son and the first Mikaean born, Jonathan O'Neill, permitted members of the cult to his father to built the shrine there without his father knowing. Many of the ancient religious buildings were constructed in the city without the knowledge of Mikael, and today still exist underground under the care of the Cult of the Father's successor, the Black Cross Church.

Following Mikael's death in 40 YM, control of the city was initially disputed between the members of the Council of Archons, made up of the first patriarchs of the Mikaeans whom Mikael utilized to give birth to the first generation of Mikaeans. As the potential for violence grew over the years in the midst of the infighting on the council, the Black Cross Church officially revealed its presence to the Mikaean people as a religious institution in 48 YM, offered a solution to the matter. At the time of the Church's reveal, the city of Blackstone was divided into quarters, each home to a majority population of one group of Mikaeans from a single household, which heavily discriminated against other Mikaeans who did not belong to their household. In this climate, Blackstone was in very real danger to be consumed by a civil war. However, the Church under Reverend Mistress Genevieve I, intervened and provided an alternative to the system that existed in the city. The members of the Council of Patrons would remove their individual seats of power from Blackstone, and leave the city under the control over the Black Cross Chruch, while the patrons relocated to powerbases far from the city. Initially, the Church's offer was refused as ludicrous, and plans to kill the Reverend Mistress were planned. However, it was ultimately discovered that before and after Mikael's death, most Mikaeans had joined the Church and believed it to be the new conduit between themselves and Mikael. Thus, any action against the Church would be seen as action against Mikael himself.

## Geography

Blackstone is situated along the central region of the Gulf of Mikael on the western side of the continent of Frederick, in Xyon's Capital Region. Blackstone's total land area, excluding water, is 45,157.98 km2 (17,435.59 sq mi). It is located between the two districts of Oxida Nova and Karus to the south and north respectively, and the Blackstone Mountains to its east. To the immediate west of Blackstone is Eryk's Island, which is apart of the federal district itself, and home to TBD. As with the other districts of the Capital Region, Blackstone is among the most densely-populated regions on the planet, and is completely urbanized the closer and closer one moves to the gulf. As a landmass, Blackstone juts out more so than any of the districts around it, though it does not constitute as a natural harbor as the coastline of Blackstone is more rounded in shape, with few areas deep enough for ships to dock without man-made drudging equipment. As with all districts in Xyon, there is no distinction between a "city" and a "municipality", meaning that both the urban and rural regions of the district constitute all of Blackstone proper.