Ahankar (city)

One of the largest and safest cities in the Andromeda Galaxy, **Ahankar City** is the capitol of the Ahankaran Empire. The main or perhaps only city of Ahankar is sleek and futuristic, the architecture somewhat reminiscent of that of Mu. There's a clear class system going on among the citizens, with Ahankarans, at the top and aliens doing the dirty work, some of them not even allowed to stand. (There are some exceptions but they're few and far between.) Commerce is conducted quietly, politely, and in an orderly fashion, and there is what you'd expect in any kind of city: Restaurants and kiosks, fashion outlets, electronics stores, barber shops, just everything is very neat and sleekly futuristic. The city is surrounded on all sides by high, gleaming walls. Guards are occasionally visible patrolling along the top of them between guard towers with floodlights mounted in them, currently inactive.

## History

Described as riddled with poverty and unrest in the recent past, the city was a completely different place ruled by some kind of monarchy until Ahankari Prime took power and revolutionized the entire city, revitalizing its economy and swiftly expanding its influence into an empire.

## Locations

### Prime's Palace

    The tallest tower of the city, right at its centre, serves as Prime's home and seat of power. It is constantly guarded by two layers of guards; one set at the entrance to the palace and another set in the waiting lobby.

The entrance lobby to the large tower is a tall, airy, clean white room with golden banners along the walls, and what at first appears to be a row of silver benches below. A second glance shows that they are silver statues on all fours so as to provide a place for visitors to sit. Like the ones in Salanda's garden, they are startlingly realistic, but unlike the ones in the garden their bodies aren't twisted or deformed, and they seem to be the same mix of species as seen on the streets outside.

It's a long, high-roofed hall with sunlight streaming down from a split in the roof, creating the effect of a beam of light pointing at the throne. The room has a strong emphasis on symmetry and verticality, with a harsh yet ostentatious aesthetic. Gold spires hang from the ceiling, and white-and-gold banners stretch from the top to the bottom of the room along the sides. At the end of a gold-edged carpet leading the length of the hall is an enormous throne, surrounded by a few servants. The main chair of the throne is occupied by Prime, and to either side is a smaller, lower chair, one of which is for her consort.

### Labs

"*I'm currently working on reprogramming the silver monstrosities.*"
―Ahankari Prime
In the same tower as Ahankari's throne room is her place of work: A suite of scientific labs, with futuristic equipment, and scientists that mostly look like Ahankari's people, performing unknown research. In one of these labs, silver matter is held in suspension in large glass tubes along the back wall.

### City Wall

The city is surrounded by a high wall that separates and elevates them from the surrounding terrain. It's possibly a relic of a time when there were night stalkers on the planet, as Second Abhik claimed that there are none in the forests outside, but many cities have such walls to protect them from the creatures.

## Society and Culture

Ahankaran cultural values include pride and ambition, intelligence and rationality, diligence, beauty and conformity. Indecision, untidiness, laziness or gluttony is considered a sign of a weak mind. Ahankarans are expected to be ruthless and cutthroat in their ambition, while maintaining total loyalty and subservience to Prime.

Especially on the capitol, Ahankaran society is extremely rigid and stratified.

### Fashion

Beauty is very important in Ahankaran society as a mark of status. Extremely short hair is in fashion for both males and females, showing discipline and military readiness after the example set by their ruler. Makeup and cosmetic surgery are used by both sexes to enhance their appearance. While colony worlds are much less rigid, fashions in the capitol are simple, clean and plain, favouring white or purple monochromes. Castes do not wear identifying fashions, but higher-caste citizens can generally afford tailored wear in very fine fabrics while a working-class individual would wear off-the-rack.

### Body Modification

It is somewhat common for Ahankarans to have implants to enhance their appearance, such as Ahankari Prime wearing night stalker venom as a beauty mark. Others, especially traders but usually not soldiers or politicians, may have gems embedded in their skin.

For those dealing with aliens, it is very common to have a universal translator implanted, located behind one ear and wired directly into the brain. Some even undergo the procedure as children. Young soldiers may be rendered infertile by removal of the uterus 🡭 or a vasectomy 🡭.

### Ranking

Strict conformity to one's station is expected in all things. It goes so far that, any time two or more Ahankarans are in the same room, they will quickly sort themselves into a hierarchy with a leader and one or more followers. Ranking is based on intellect and ability, proved either through wit or experience. Subtle threats are socially condoned, blatant threats or acts of violence are considered a sign of low intelligence. Once a hierarchy is established, it's not uncommon for Ahankarans who expect to be working together for a while to number themselves, starting at second. First is reserved for Ahankari Prime.

Ahankaran society is strictly separated into castes. The highest echelons as well as the very lowest are numbered; others are named but no less rigidly defined.

* Prime: A caste unto herself, Prime is considered above all, and never to be refused or questioned. (Her consort is a possible exception.)
* *Secunda*: A mostly political class, this includes Prime's advisors as well as her scientists and Sahakari's generals. Special operatives, such as Second Abhik and Third Devi (below), can also be members of this caste by special permission from Prime.
* *Tertia*: Well-to-do merchants and mid-level politicians whose influence only encompasses one planet fall here. Dinesh is treated as an honourary member of this caste.

In between are various castes of politicians, scientists, soldiers, and merchants (in that approximate order, though variations exist). The final caste and worst fate an Ahankaran could face:

* *Nulla*: Slaves, generally prisoners of war, though Ahankarans convicted of a serious crime might be sentenced to temporary or permanent servitude. *Nulla* work gruelling hours under harsh conditions, are considered untouchable and invisible, and are often physically mutilated by the government so as to be unable to function in normal society anymore. Therefore they are forever trapped in their roles and serve as a permanent threat and deterrent to other would-be offenders. Threatened with nullificiation, many Ahankarans choose to commit suicide.

## Technology

Ahankar is one of the most advanced cities in the galaxy, if not the most advanced, with everyday technology surpassing that of Earth and dedicated laboratories for research into genetic modification and cybernetics.

## Government

The Ahankaran government is a dictatorship, supported by the consort and a council of advisors. There is a robust information pipeline to and from all of her subject worlds. Formally, decisions issued in the capitol are expected to be followed on all other colonies. In practice, Prime allows her vassals some liberties in implementing these rules, with the understanding that their demotion to *nulla* will be immediate should Prime be displeased in any way.

## Military

The Ahankaran military style places a strong emphasis on swift, organized, bloodless coups. While Prime possesses some warships, they serve a defensive role above the capitol and are rarely if ever used for offence due to the slowness of space travel. The bulk of the military is infantry, but its real power lies in Sahakari's small, mobile units of specialists who have toppled many governments and provide the core of Ahankar's expansion.

### Expansion

A typical expansion strategy is to send in one or more specialized teams to scout the target's defences before official first contact is even made. Most often, Ahankari prefers other leaders to surrender their lands fully intact, and has secured more than one such surrender through skillful negotiation or shows of overwhelming force or the taking of royal hostages. If negotiations fail, by this point the specialist teams will have prepared for one or more surgical strikes at a nation's power and communications systems, and on Ahankari's word can bring the nation to a standstill while Ahankaran forces roll in, often before the enemy military even knows that an invasion is possible.