Acrefell

Ahnjaal is the capital city of Bolscemena, sitting on the southernmost tip of the country's fjordlands. It is notable for its unique tiered design, whereupon portions of the city sit atop other sections. Typically, the layout is with the lower class at the bottom and the highest class at the top, though there are exceptions to this rule.

The city was painstakingly planned out to be a jewel and beacon of the industrial and technological power of the north. Once vast deposits of gold, iron and other natural resources had been uncovered during the Verver Expedition, the vast majority of this was used to fund and build the city of Ahnjaal. The renowned architect Emmanuel Bohannon was in charge of the project, setting up complex networks of steam, sewage and water pipes, tram lines and roads. The tiers in question are listed below, all of which split off into many different districts.

* 8 - Harkemeldoff (Harkoff)
* 7- Sjuangar
* 6 - Farnholme
* 5 - Valmao
* 4 - Scowcroft
* 3 - Monmko
* 2 - Tlala
* 1 - Billtey (The Troughs)

Initial setup cost was far too prohibitive for the Bolscemenans alone so they partnered up with the Tervan Isles, the government which partly funded an exploration party as well). Both countries own shares in the mines and in Acrefell itself, so has led to a healthy an long-lasting alliance despite religious differences. As a result of the sudden influx of money into some desolate rock in the north, houses and workers took the bait and began flooding in to help construction and get a slice of the pie.

Rampolat

Large castle fortress thing holding the Sallodag royal family in the Luviln District. Inspired from a more concrete/defensive version of German Revival Castles such as Hohenzollern and Neuschwanstein. A mix of chalet style in there too. Acrefell Rampolat is the highest point in Acrefell, a magnificent castle constructed during Acrefell's construction. Situated on a prominent hill in the Luviln District and home to the royals. Chalet style, German revival, timber and stone. Kind of a fortress as well.

The river Igerot runs through Acrefell, along the bottom tier and acts as a main shipping route supplying various warehouses adjacent to it. If it floods, it isn't too much of a problem either because it's only poor people. As well as this main river coming from the cascades, water is siphoned off and runs through canals in various beautiful water features throughout the city to eventually run back into the sea. This water is used aesthetically as well as supplying fresh clean water to residents and providing the potential for water mills.

Since the landscapes and heated spring waters made the site of Acrefell famous before the great city was built, it has been well heard of in popular knowledge. Yet its isolation from the main continent resulted in it being formerly very backwater. It was able to catch back up during advances in travel and transport. Mention the innavigable fjords and the role of the harbour.

Caves and mines from medieval times have been integrated into the city and its utilities by clever architects.

Since Acrefell has a very dense skyline, if that's even the right word, fire is a highly dangerous hazard. Therefore the authorities have taken countermeasures. Firewalls of stone and metal are prevalent throughout the city, separating districts and are able to be used to checkpoints when necessary. And the mass of water pipes and canals are designed to be used as a sprinkler system.

Roads in Acrefell were not designed for cars, mostly pedestrians, so aside from a couple large avenues and thoroughfares, all the streets and side-passages are pedestrian or bike only. The larger streets even have the new invention of tarmac whereas smaller ones have to make do with tiles or cobbles. Some streets are inlaid with rails for steam dummies.

Huge wooden musty and dark traditional temple in Acrefell, open for believers and tourists. In the lower tiers, away from the foreign aristocrats.

Mirrors direct light onto the lower tiers in some places so it's not completely black or anything. These range from mostly makeshift and impromptu to the official if there is something important lower down.

It is well protected from invasion by the city guard and mechanical storm/siege panels, though they haven't yet been used for anything other than blocking high winds and particularly nasty snowstorms.

Officially known as Tier Biltty but more commonly as the Trough, the bottom tier is pretty nasty. It's always dark, it always floods and is generally just full of the poorest of the poor and lowlife scum. Entrances and exits are heavily regulated by the Watch, but it's considered too dangerous to actually enter and patrol there.

Otor Avenue is a large street dedicated to military and public parades - on Tier 5 with the space above it vacant, perhaps for the Grand Central Station. Very grand - lots of statues and ornaments.

Since Acrefell is lurking near the Rolerean Ring (Arctic Circle), it regularly drops to sub-zero in the winter and in the summer occasionally too, I expect the nobility who can afford it migrate away during the harsh winters. If conditions are exceptionally bad, the defence shields are raised to block against storm waves and freezing gales. Plus the harbour would probably freeze up as well, I expect. However, Bolscemenan summers are especially lovely, with day lengths approaching 20 hours.

Situated in fjord and hanging valley. Boats travel 9 miles from sea. City slightly extends out onto the sides of the fjord. Winter red sun

Ragjinn Airharbour is the main zeppelin port for commerce/trading. The passenger elite more often take the fancier alternative, the Central Station Skydock (situated inland so openair strip in order for blimps to reach it (Otor Avenue))

Acrefell's Docklands are the areas adjacent to the Haikot Fjord or the various canals. (Hanging valley) Gets lots of through-traffic with large amounts of goods coming by train or airship. Most people travel by train around the country (though there isn't much else for one to do, as I have yet to decide on the tenniah for rural Bolscemena) and tram around the city. Notable for the iconic black beaches

Naturally snow doesn't particularly get into the troughs, but then they don't get much sun either. Snow is a common on the higher tiers practically year-round.

Rakeran Place Market is a hectic market based on Camden Town but I guess more layers and intertwining passages. If you want something in Acrefell, you get it at Rakeran - black market

Rolfford Botanical Conservatory. A heated and lit greenhouse hosting all manner of exotic and wondrous plants in the cold and desolate climes of Acrefell. Highly highly extravagant so very popular amongst the upper classes snd has led to it being banned in all but name to the common people. The heat itself is supplied by geothermal springs. Bilborough green room dream. Colourful cacti - red and orange, wooden floors. Has living example of Milynvian bodefah tree, aka the monochrome tree. Are delicate so only a few specimens outside Milynv.

The Luviln District is isolated from the main city save by two routes: the Luviln-Cascade Express (where one can then make their way down the falls via elevator) and Luviln-Fedewin Express. Fedewin is an upmarket commercial and residential district on the top tier. You can only really get in if you look upper class enough. Technically, you can also get to the Luviln via some of the old mining tunnels/cavern system but they aren't very well maintained and are mostly used in the Thieves' Road. Though, would they be some sort of attraction?? Few aristocrats do because it's a fairly long walk and the carriage line is both faster and free to those with a pass.

Partially set up by the new Underdog Consortium, the Thieves' Road actually hails further back to the initial designs of the new build of Acrefell by Emmanuel Bohannon. In essence, the Road is a network of improvised walkways and ladders along rooftops and walkways. After the bribe of important criminal bosses, Bohannon surreptitiously slipped in a consistent flow of paths to get virtually anywhere within the city through use of agility and, regrettably, parkour.

Top tiers have public gaslamp heaters so people don't get frostbite.

Heather Point. End point of the Verver Express, and gold storage area. Fully functioning military base with barrack and perhaps a secret entrance to the submarine docks

Iltrarch University: A very young university all considering, but one of the most prestigious in the world for philosophy and technology. City university situated right in the middle of Acrefell. Consists of:

* Vatmut Institute of Mechanics and Artificery
* Royal Academy of Natural Philosophy
* Searnon School of Alchemy
* St Joseph College of History and the Arts
* The Western Studies Institute
* Guild of Geographers Building
* Tichley College of Medicine and Pandemic
* Francis Mona School of Mernian Literature and Language

## Postal Service

Acrefell has quite a strange postal service. When constructing the city, Bohannon commissioned pneumatic piping systems to be installed extensively throughout the city, connected to important houses/businesses/institutions etc. Most institutes and businesses also implement private small systems into their buildings as well, connected again to the external system. Here's how a regular civilian would send a letter.

* The civilian writes the letter and hands it to the clerk in exchange for money. He then seals it within an airtight cardboard, wood or even metal cylinder owned by the postal service. The letter is then sent on its way.
* The letter travels up from the local post office unit to the district office, whereupon it is checked to see if it needs to be sent further up the chain or down to a different local office within the same district. If not, the same applies but with District Cluster Office, Tier Office and Central Office.
* When the letter reaches the designated local post office unit, the address is checked and then is delivered by a postman/woman in accordance with how normal postal services work.

The pneumatic tube system is officially called the Acrefell Civic Pneumatic System, and has been copied by various other major cities and settlements.

Postmaster General is Fifi Livarg. That Crimean general.

The head office's main sorting room has a letter fountain, with cherubs and all sorts. Connected to the pneumatic piping.

 Elevators

In between sub-tiers and sometimes even tiers themselves, there exist small, sometimes homemade elevators fit for only really one person at a time, and they tend to be handcranked too.

## Trams

Design inspired by a mix of the ones from Dishonored 2 and classic San Francisco trams. Their operation is mainly through steam dummies but since these modes only really operate on a single tier, cable towing or even tram elevators are used to transfer trams between tiers. It is not entirely exclusive to the upper class, though certain lines are, as anyone who looks respectable enough and can afford the fare can ride the more pragmatic middle class trams. Tracks run on a mix of inlaid street tracks, overhead rails and even through a bit of countryside where permitted, commonly swapping between them with many slopes.

## Trains

Whereas trams are more used on a local scale, the steam train is used sparingly within Acrefell but it does connect distant parts of the city to each other and from Acrefell to other cities in the country. Acrefell Grand Central Station resembles Antwerp Train Station with a large lobby and multiple levels of train platforms, tram stops and elevator shafts; a major architectural piece of the station is an inverse clock where the face rotates behind a wall and the hands remain in the same position. Laformoch Yards is the more industrial side and resembles that Sniper Elite 4 level.

The main harbour would be on the adjoining plain rather than expecting large freighters to navigate the fjord. Important and small traffic goes to Acrefell Docklands and the rest of the waterborne ships go to Skoro Harbour where they are unloaded and the cargo sent up to the city via cable car, inverted funicular, mountain railway or blimp. Hence, the heavy through-traffic has led to the thorough mechanisation of Ragjinn Airdocks (WALL-E and RNLI launching) and the development of the Axel's Pass as the economic centre and home of the Acrefell Stock Exchange (Rakeran is the more civilian and individual market). To prevent any possible piracy, Skoro-Ragjinn airships are state-owned and state-run.

Bicycles and steam velocipedes.

Dedicated lanes for cobble carriages on larger thoroughfares.

## Walking

The vast majority of Acrefell citizens mostly walk, as designed by Emmanuel Bohannon. Most districts have everything you could ever need. Lots of stairs and backpassages, formal and informal

## Lower Cascades District

The lower Cascades is the lower section and foot of the waterfall. A garden sits at the foot of the waterfall, probably the only posh bit in the entirety of the Troughs and as such cordoned off, and is always filled with mist in the air. Quite a strange garden I guess. There's also a restaurant held up against the wall with broad wooden beams and hosts such fancies as open walls, balconies and greenery, and it overlooks the garden/plunge pool too. I may have to rejig this a bit because the whole thing seems very very nonsensical, like why the hell would they put a restaurant and a garden next to a waterfall where everything will get soaked, flooded and eroded and you can't even hear yourself think.