Backlund

The City of **Backlund** is the capital of the Loen Kingdom. It is a large Metropolis containing various industries and businesses. Also known as the "Land of Hope" and "City of Cities", it is one of the largest cities of the kingdom. It was also called as the Capital of Dust, because of the atmospheric pollution in the city.

According to Reporter Mike Joseph, one in six women in the city, aged 15 to 55 is or has been a street girl. Recently, the Churches have been pushing the nobles to reform the lower district because of the risk of the resentment and misery providing a breeding ground for the descent of an evil god. This is shown when the Aurora Order tried to use it to release the True Creator. Later they teamed up with the Demoness Sect to cause the event known as the Great Smog of Backlund.

## History

In the Fourth Epoch, it was the capital of the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire. As an area with a long history and signs of early human activity, **Backlund** buried countless ancient ruins.

A great plague occurred twenty years before 1349, prompting **Backlund** officials to establish a sewer system even better than the one made by Roselle Gustav. In 1342, Captain of the Royal Guards Earl Mason Dere was convicted of treason by mutiny.

The Grain Act Repeal caused many agricultural citizens to lose their jobs and become homeless, therefore, becoming easier to be trafficked for George III's Apotheosis Ritual. The Poor Act at the end of 1349 revised to respond to the Great Smog of Backlund, ensuring minimum wage and maximum working hours. The National Atmospheric Pollution Council bill was also passed to improve **Backlund's** air quality.

The Civil Servant Unified Examination Bill was passed in Fall 1349, increasing the number of civil workers in Backlund and improving the necessity of education.

## Geography

### Scope

**Backlund** was located in the middle of the kingdom, only dozens of kilometres from the Sonia Sea.

This city was divided into two regions by the Tussock River which flowed to the southeast. The two lands were connected by the Backlund Bridge and ferries, with a population exceeding five million people. It was the most prosperous capital in the Southern and Northern Continents. Due to its size and prominence, it houses various Beyonders, some affiliated with the Churches and others with no affiliation.

**Backlund**, Trier, and Feynapotter City are considered as the three major cities of the Northern Continent. Although the weather isn’t good and the pollution is terrible, **Backlund** is far superior to Tingen in many other aspects. Foods of all styles can be found everywhere. There are all kinds of operas and plays available. They can be enjoyed as long as one isn’t afraid to spend money.

### Districts

Cardinal oriented North, South, East and West Boroughs. Class oriented Empress, Cherwood, Hillston and St. George Broroughs. Every borough is almost the size of Tingen City. The East Borough is at least twice as large. The metropolitan area is generalized as the greater Backlund area.

There was once a Northeast Borough 165 years before 1350.
There were many docks in Backlund, most of which were considered as the dock area and designated as “shipyards.”
As many devotees weren’t rich, they might not be able to rest on Sundays and were usually busy during the day. Thus, the cathedrals of the various Churches typically opened until the early hours of the morning, giving most believers the opportunity to pray and repent.

### Environment Management

#### Climate

Because of its geographical position in the Loen Kingdom, Backlund rained frequently all year round. The highest temperature in by the seventh month was only 28 degrees Celsius, and the lowest was around 2 degrees Celsius in winter. The weather seldom had a chance of dropping to zero or lower, but this didn’t stop people from feeling the cold here.

Backlund’s city areas had perennial rain with relatively few sunny days. However, in the outskirts, the clouds tended to be thin, and the sun was always bright. Despite the short distance, the two places had completely different weather. It was most obvious within the northwestern outskirts.
It is normal to see open windows among the buildings during Backlund’s autumn and winter seasons. Winter was inseparable from the fireplace and fog.

## Cityscape

There was a grand bridge above the slightly murky river. Both banks had ports lined one after another. There were many goods and many workers. To the northeast of the river, there were rows upon rows of houses. Most of them had the Loen Kingdom’s present-day architectural styles, such as polygenic roofs, oriel windows, and no verandah by the street. Other than that, there was a lot of Gothic architecture. The streets were filled with people and carriages. From time to time, strange machinery could be seen. The farther east he went, the more chimneys there were and the smokier it got. When he headed west, the elevation rose, and there were houses in grayish-blue, beige, and light yellow that spiraled up opulent castles and Gothic clock towers.

By 1349, there appeared brown houses five or six stories high, a sign of Backlund’s latest trend and of the kingdom’s most advanced construction technology.

In Backlund, in addition to the large church with its tall, iconic clock tower, many government buildings were also equipped with one. However, they weren’t necessarily tall, grand, and not ornate. It was mostly built for pragmatic reasons, such as the one in the East Balam Dock.

## Environment

Due to the pollution, foggy days has gone from about 60 days a year from thirty years ago to the present 75 days a year. A bill in September 1349 motioned the need to establish the National Atmospheric Pollution Council.
According to the newspapers and magazines, rain is a daily occurrence in Backlund. The reason why hats are popular is that ladies and gentlemen don’t carry umbrellas all the time.

## Demographics

Empress Borough and Western Borough, where the nobles and the rich live respectively, were areas with the best security and the extremely strictly monitored. The poor gathered in the worker areas, the harbor, and the East Borough and Backlund Bridge region.

Every year, from June to the New Year, the aristocrats of the Loen Kingdom would come to Backlund to attend various banquets, dances, and salons, as per tradition. This was a very important event for them, and many things would be decided within a few months. After the new year, the nobles would return to their fiefdom—their castles, country estates, and large plantations—and spend their leisure time there.

According to the magazines, the middle class wouldn’t invite anyone to an event in person, but instead, they formally sent their servants or maids to send the invitation.

Since the late 1330's, it became popular to embed pure diamonds into pocket watches.

There are a lot of prostitutes prowling the streets, hanging outside music halls, theaters, waiting in the streets and alleys. They’re either professionals or working part-time. They were originally maidservants or workers, each with different flavors. It’s said that in places in the West Borough, bankrupt aristocratic ladies might occasionally appear.

## Economy

### Telegraph Office

Three locations exist where a telegraph office that was along the subway line, one that wasn’t far from the middle of the street: one in West Borough, one in St. George Borough, and one at Bacardi Street, the junction of East Borough and the Backlund Bridge.

## Transportation

### Metro

Backlund's metro was born twenty-five years ago. It first connected both banks of the Tussock River and had now expanded to the key city boroughs. It still used steam locomotives.

Peak period (7am-9am, 6pm-8pm): 10-minute headway, and 15-minute headway for all other times. First-class and second-class seats need to be reserved, and third-class seats do not have seat numbers.

 **Return Trips** | 9 pence
 **Annual Pass** | 8 pounds

### Carriage

Backlund’s public horse carriage system was rather similar to Tingen’s. The price was about the same, but the only problem was that most of them were confined to a single borough. If one wanted to go from Cherwood to St. George, a few transfers were needed and that would naturally raise the price. Excluding those owned by nobles, the types for the working class are tracked public carriage and trackless carriage. Tracked public carriages have 2 floors.

### Bike

The bike was originally proposed and popularized by Sherlock Moriarty to Inventor Leppard in September 1349.

## Districts and Notable Places

### North Borough

* Saint Samuel Catheral
The Backlund headquarters of the Church of the Evernight Goddess. Located on Phelps Street.

* Former Backlund Medical School
In the suburbs west of North Borough, a soon-to-be-abandoned three-story house. It originally belonged to the Backlund Medical School, but the latter’s main campus had now moved to a better and more suitable location, leaving behind only a small number of teaching staff and students who were left “guarding” the area after failing to graduate. Used a Beyonder Gathering location.

* Aulka Street
The border between North Borough and Hillston Borough. The incompetent spirit dancer Kapusky Reid lived on this street's North Borough portion.

* Unit 66 Dalton Street
The home of Will Auceptin and his family until late October 1349.

* Unit 7 Pinster Street
The terrace house where Leonard Mitchell resided in Backlund.

* Unit 160 Böklund Street
The house Klein rented when acting as Dwayne Dantès. It’s a three-story house which also comes with a garden, a stable and servants’ quarters. It has an annual rent of 315 pounds. It only took twenty minutes to go to the Saint Samuel Cathedral.

* Unit 100 Böklund Street
The residence of Portland Moment and his family.

* Loen Charity Bursary Foundation
A charity foundation initially founded by Dwayne Dantès. It was established on 22 Phelps Street near Saint Samuel Cathedral.

* Backlund University of Technology and Industry
Was once the Backlund Technical School, later became the Backlund University of Technology and Industry. Here, Melissa Moretti attends university. The chancellor Portland Moment is a believer of the Church of Steam.

### Empress Borough

A high-class residential borough, belongs to the nobles. It was the highest district in the whole of Backlund with the best security and the extremely strictly monitored.

* Sodela Palace
The palace where the Augustus Family, Loen’s royal family, resided.

* Royal Coat-of-Arms Office
A private establishment for nobility to publicly read and store historical records of noble titles and inheritance lines, even recording their current residential address.

* Backlund Police Department's headquarters
It was located at Sivellaus Street at the edge of Empress Borough, so they were also known as "Sivellaus Yard". Sivellaus Street was named after Sivellaus Prefecture.

* Unit 29 Sivellaus Street
The home owned by Rafter Pound after selling the family's house on 9 Williams Street in 1341.

* Earl Hall Villa
Where Audrey Hall and her family lives.

* Red Rose Manor
Revealed after the death of Talim Dumont. Prince Edessak’s manor on the outskirts of Empress Borough.

* Bell of Order
A towering Gothic bell tower and a famous landmark in Backlund.

* Townshend Street
A street in between Empress Borough and West Borough. Here one can see the Sodela Palace and the Bell of Order.

* Williams Street
The border of the West Borough and Empress Borough, a residential area in the heart of Backlund. Became the observation target of Feysac and Intis spies in 1350.

* Dantès Manor
Dwayne Dantès's manor, it was formerly called **Maygur Manor** that belonged to Pallas Negan, Maygur was one of the most iconic manors for the excellent wine in Backlund’s northwestern outskirts. It has its own vineyard and brewery, as well as a huge forest and plantation on it. It can be used for farming and hunting. Its main building has a huge rectangular shape with four stories and has a large number of rooms. It cost 20,000 pounds.

### West Borough

A high-class residential borough, belongs to the nobles and the richest magnates. It is close to the banks of the Tussock River. It borders Cherwood and Empress Borough.

* Philip's Department Store
The top-end department store in the kingdom. It only opened to nobles and wealthy people who were qualified to be members.

* Unit 2 King’s Avenue
The public Royal Museum where it held various kinds of temporary exhibitions. It has two floors of exhibits. The museum is close to Cherwood Borough. During late 1349, the Roselle Memorial Exhibition was held there and protected by a private security company. This company was a false appearance for the Machinery Hivemind.

* Unit 18 King’s Avenue
A building next to a crossroad junction. Owned by a certain wealth merchant. Used on October 16, 1349 as a ritual site by Klein Moretti to conduct a spirit body based theft of the Black Emperor card bookmark from the Royal Museum.

* Grimm Cemetery
The cemetery located on the outskirts of West Borough and managed by the Church of the Evernight Goddess. The name derived from the nearby Grimm Garden Street.

* Grimm Garden Street
The street is close to the suburbs, and it’s not too far from the Grimm Cemetery. This street is where jewelry businessman Rogo Colloman lives with his family and his son Adol, who attempted a spirit dance before.

* Intis Embassy
The main office of the Intis Republic's ambassador.

* Townshend Street
A street in between Empress Borough and West Borough. Here one can see the Sodela Palace and the Bell of Order.

* Tudor-Trunsoest Underground Ruin
The ruin belonging to the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire, where the Red Angel evil spirit was once trapped in.

* MI9 Office
The official headquarters of MI9.

* Williams Street
The border of the West Borough and Empress Borough, a residential area in the heart of Backlund. Became the observation target of Feysac and Intis spies in 1350.

* Unit 8 Williams Street
The mansion once owned by the Viscount Pound family. Close to Empress Borough. Later owned since 1349 by Millet Carter from Midseashire.

* Unit 9 Hope Street
The Prime Minister's residence.

* Unit 22 Hope Street
The location of the Hat Trick Inn where Fors Wall sometimes met her teacher Dorian Gray in Room 2016 before she became a Saint.

* Unit 6 Edward Street
A house with a front lawn fountain. It was the residence of Jason Beria under the alias "Patrick Jason" until December 1349.

### Cherwood Borough

This borough was located close to the Tussock River's banks. It has many small companies and residential buildings. It neighbors East Borough and borders West Borough.

* Unit 15 Minsk Street
The terraced house owned by Mrs. Stelyn Sammer, who rented it out to Sherlock Moriarty. It cost 25 pounds per half a year. Mink Street is a middle-class neighborhood.

* Unit 58 Minsk Street
The house owned by Lawyer Jurgen Cooper, his grandmother Mrs. Doris and black cat Brody.

* Unit 26 Gunstedt Street
The home of Melissa Moretti and Benson Moretti.

* Unit 19 Hope Street
The location of the Golden Rose, the best legal brothel in the Cherwood and Backlund Bridge regions and owned by Ma’am. Lopez. This area was located close to the Tussock River which went through Backlund. Pedestrians could see the turbid but unusually wide water surface through the cracks and crevices in their houses.

* Iris Street
The street near Cherwood and West Boroughs. Location of Capim's villa where The Hero Bandit first appeared.

* Holy Wind Cathedral
The Backlund headquarters of the Church of the Lord of Storms.

* Rice Police Station
A Cherwood Borough division of the Backlund Police in charge of Mink Street and the surrounding district.

* Cherwood Public Libraries
The state owned public libraries for Cherwood Borough.

* Gardeley Department Store
A department store across from the Coim Company. This department store is where the middle-class enjoyed patronizing, and that there was a shop called Cyndi not far away that was famous for its specialty Desi pies.

* Dodge Bakery
A bakery near Minsk Street.

* Rice Circus
A public circus situated near the Tussock River in Cherwood Borough. Its has a Divination Lodge and the tents that sold pies, pancakes, fruit pies, and alcoholic beverages. Non-holiday and weekends: four performances a day, one hour per performance. Darkwill worked there as an animal trainer.

* Synthes Circus
A circus Fors worked for as a magician until later March 1350 to digest her  potion.

### East Borough

The most crowded area where the poor and the gangs gather. The most unsafe part of the city. Most of the streets here were the same as Tingen’s Lower Street, but the area that shared the traits was many times larger. A preliminary estimate of the population count in East Borough is 1.35 million people. East Borough residents typically finished their breakfast at around seven and began to work or to look for work.

* Black Palm Street
The street with a one-bedroom house rented by Sherlock Moriarty for four soli, three pence a week. There were no gas lamps on this street.

* Bacardi Street
A junction of East Borough and Backlund Bridge where a telegraph office was along the subway line.

* Red Brick Alley
A back street not far from Bacardi Street.

* Dharavi Street
The common pub and vagrants' street. Xio's friend Williams was a tenant at an apartment on Unit 1 Dharavi Street, Unit #03-06 on the third floor.

* Broken Axe Lane
A street located on the boundary of East Borough and towards the southeast direction of Capim's villa on Iris Street, Cherwood Borough. Freja lived on this street with her mother Liv and younger sister Daisy until early December 1349.

* East Balam Dock
The dock area of East Borough where the Workers Alliance Tavern is headquartered.

* Dock Union
A two-story yellow building. It's layout was rather simple. There were no female receptionist or spacious lobbies. The stairs to the second floor were in the middle, flanked by office corridors, and the floors weren’t lined with wooden planks, much less carpet. They were paved purely out of cement. A coffee shop café is open across the street from the Dock Union. The dormitory was a two-story, brick-red building, where "Giant" of Aurora Order fought Crestet Cesimir during the Death of Lanevus.

* Golden Cloak Street
A street that has a budget hotel, where in December 1349 was visited by Azik Eggers.

* *Newly Opened* Cemetery
A cemetery located on the outskirts of East Borough. Due to the quantity of deceased as a result of the Great Smog of Backlund, a new cemetery was made to accommodate them near the starting week of 1350.

### St. George Borough

Located in the southeast of Backlund, separated from East Borough by the Tussock River. There are many huge factories in this borough. It was like another city altogether.

* Saint Hierländ Cathedral
The headquarters of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, adjacent to many huge factories in the southeast.

* Backlund Bike Company
The bicycle company established by Inventor Leppard and 10% of the shares from Sherlock Moriarty, before it was sold to Audrey Hall. Located along Sird Street.

* Sird Street
The street where Inventor Leppard setup shop.

### Hillston Borough

Where the Backlund Stock Exchange, Clearing House, Futures Center, the seven major banks’ headquarters, various Trust Funds, rail companies, and bulk cargo commerce companies were. It was known as the financial, business, and economic center of the Loen Kingdom.

* Isengard Stanton's Detective Office
A gloomy building where Detective Isengard Stanton. The fee for a thirty minute consultation is one pound.

* Myriad Star Cathedral
A cathedral of the Church of the Evernight Goddess.

* Quelaag Club
A high-end social club for the middle-class to relax and build friendships with other members. They can only join after receiving a recommendation from two members. The entry fee is 50 pounds.

* Unit 126 New Year’s Street
The house owned by Erica Taylor near the Quelaag Club where Doragu Gale visited his lover.

* Aulka Street
The border between North Borough and Hillston Borough.

* Unit 3 Burningham Road
The residence of Aaron Ceres, his wife and later Will Ceres.

* Chissak Police Station
The Hillston Borough division of the Backlund Police in charge of Chissak and the surrounding district.

* Seventh Avenue
A street where Escalante of the Psychology Alchemists lives on. Audrey visited here for several Psychology lessons and meeting other low level members of the secret organization.

* Crown Cemetery
The buried location cemetery of Talim Dumont on December 21, 1349.

* East Balam Military Veterans Mess
The club of the veterans that participated in the wars in East Balam. It’s 60 pounds a year for the membership.

### Backlund Bridge

A major road crossing of the Tussock River in Backlund and the area that has the highest concentration of vagrants. It neighbors East Borough.

* Iron Grate Street
A street that houses the Bravehearts Bar and an unnamed building where Mr. Eye of Wisdom usually holds daily Beyonder gatherings.

* Bravehearts Bar
A bar with a seemingly heavy black wooden door, located on the Iron Gate Street. Its peak business is from noon to night. It's a place to find for a Beyonder bodyguard, a Black-Market Arms dealer or an Intelligence peddler.

* Lucky Bar
A bar located near the West Balam dock used as a cover for the Machinery Hivemind in Backlund.

* St. Estin's Hospital
A charity hospital belonging to the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery.

* Lever Cathedral
A cathedral belonging to the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, located towards the northwest, outside the West Balam Dock.

* Backlund Institute for Mechanical Research
A three-story building operated by the Machinery Hivemind. The building is next to the Lever Cathedral.

* West Balam Dock
The dock area of Backlund Bridge. Abandoned since 1348, with rebuilt plans ready by 1349. Lever Cathedral about two kilometers northwest of here.

### South Borough

Location near Backlund's south bank of the Tussock River. A certain area of the Borough is referred to as **south of the Bridge**.

* Aston Cemetery
The cemetery on the outskirts of the Borough managed by the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery.

* South Borough Hospital
The hospital where Emlyn White stole blood from in Fall 1349, but the Master Key sent him to the Harvest Church.

#### South of the Bridge

(大桥南区) It neighbors East Borough and is south of the Backlund Bridge area. The Church of the Evernight Goddess manages this area and is interactive in law enforcement.

* Harvest Church
One of the few cathedrals of the Church of the Earth Mother in the kingdom. Headed by Bishop Utravsky. Located south of the Bridge on Rose Street, near Tuteva Street.

* Tuteva Street
A street near Rose Street.

* Unit 48 Riverbay Avenue
A home Emlyn White and his parents who lived in it for no more than ten years. It was temporarily abandoned by the White family after Emlyn went missing in late September until November 1349, leaving only Emlyn's dolls.

* Unit 32 Verdi Street
An apartment unit located on the south of the bridge. It was once the home of a deceased Abraham descendant until he rampaged during the process to become an . His death created the Master Key. He left in his basement a brown notebook filled with the ,  and  potion formulas.

* White Cliff Town
Location of Amon's underground 'mausoleum'. In the Backlund suburbs. It is at the mouth of the Stratford River, the River Creek.

## Trivia

* The official Beyonder organizations are the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, the Machinery Hivemind, and MI9.

## Notable Inhabitants

* Aaron Ceres
* Ace Snake
* Aguesid Negan
* Alfred Hall
* Anthony Stevenson
* Audrey Hall
* Bakerland
* Belize
* Benson Moretti
* Caitlyn Hall
* Capim
* Celt
* Cosmi Odora
* Crestet Cesimir
* Daly Simone
* Devil Dog
* Doragu Gale
* Earl Hall
* Ed Sheeran
* Edessak Augustus
* Emlyn White
* Ernes Boyar
* Flora Jacob
* Fors Wall
* Framis Cage
* George Augustus III
* Glaint
* Grove Augustus
* Harras
* Hazel Macht

**See More ▸**

## References

1. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 146
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 214
3. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1273
4. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 270
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1017
6. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 224
7. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 452
8. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 263
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 429
10. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1318
11. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 227
12. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 229
13. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 697
14. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 412
15. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 212
16. ↑ {{Cite Book|1|272]]
17. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 269
18. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 314
19. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 257
20. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 234
21. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 281-282
22. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 872
23. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 452
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 597
25. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1012
26. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 152
27. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 300
28. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 428
29. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 732
30. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 373
31. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 274
32. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 242
33. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 275
34. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 432
35. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 280
36. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 998
37. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 226
38. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 851
39. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 346
40. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 316
41. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 482
42. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1126