Astrum

The City of Lights

## The City of Lights

Astrum is a city known best as a beacon of academia, with its commerce and tourism industries built around its college’s infrastructure. It is not densely populated, but sprawling enough that humans could get by undetected with a little extra disguise effort. The university, at the top of the city’s hills, has a grand spire that is always kept alight, a symbol of their unending pursuit for enlightenment. Lanterns of all kinds litter the streets, adding to the city’s namesake. Small stores and stands are packed tightly into the commercial districts, and see a constant stream of business, as well as deal in haggles and trades. Sightseeing, boat sailing, and performances are very popular along the lakefront, further bringing in tourists. Though, the lake plunges off the floating continent, so you need a permit to go beyond the markers that indicate shallows.

### Geography

A teeming urban environment built upon a crescent formation of hills. To the west is a sparse grassland and eventually, a desert littered with old ruins. To the east, the city hugs a large lake. Around its furthest perimeter, are guarded towers erected to keep aberrants at bay. 220 sq miles, not including the water. It has a temperate subtropical climate with dry summers but snowy winters.

### Aesthetics

Buildings take on a rustic brick style with a style of architecture that resembles old castle towns. (general insp: east village, nyc. providence, rhode island) They show their age in the old foliage growing between the cracks. Mismatched lanterns, of all shapes, sizes, and materials can be found strung over practically any street. Larger, important buildings poke higher into the sky, but most buildings stay pretty low. Homely, a little bit rustic, and modest.

## Economy and Commerce

* Currency is called Astrum dollars (AD, $). Gold-backed paper and coin currency that is worth about the same as USD. Gold is cheaper here though, so keep that in mind.
* Everywhere you go, Astrum is full of small shops. You won’t find a lot of chain stores or superstores for that matter. Want groceries? There are farmers markets. Want utilities? There’s probably a specialty store around here somewhere. Vendors are also highly receptive to bartering and trades, as is the culture here.
* Of course, there are bigger industries too. The business sector of Astrum is home to industrial development, marketing, advisory, stock exchange, and other such trades.
* Around every corner are family-owned restaurants, cafes, bars, and food stands. Vegetables and livestock seem to be the same as what you would find on Earth, and thus the food isn’t outrageously different, but the cuisine very much unique.
Also, since you have no identification, you don’t have the right to own things such as businesses and homes. Magic weapons and items, aside from the price, are also hard to come by because of this, but luckily the black market still exists.

## Politics

* There's no such thing as a country in Aether. Most cities just cover a territory and govern themselves, while doing business with neighboring ones. This also means stuff like currency and paperwork is difficult to move around, though.
* Astrum functions under an oligarchy of justices. Some have seats in the court, others represent sectors such as commerce or public safety. They all preside in the government courthouse at the top of Astrum.
* The college has like a lot of power over the state of the city. You can't hold a position in the university and the government at the same time, but because the university is the primary force that keeps Astrum afloat, they do have quite a lot of say in policy.

## Academics

* Astrum University, a public research university.
* People from all over will flock to the institution. It can pay heavily for grants so it's a bastion of research, though tuition as a student is steep.
* Lots of libraries and university facilities exist within the academic sector of the city.
* Studies are overwhelmingly in what we consider humanities: literature, classics, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, cultural studies, etc. However, there are people studying more practical things too.

## Technology

* Trolleys run across Astrum as its form of public transportation and is the primary way citizens get around. A fair number of people drive cars (they look a little vintage), and you could call a taxi to places as well. Winged atherians often just take to the skies to avoid traffic.
* Technological advances are stifled by the fact that so much of the population is capable of magic. Nonetheless, Astrum has a power grid, heating, and plumbing.
* Hospitals are small clinics and notably advanced when it comes to saving lives and patching up wounds, but lag behind in other departments such as immunology. The healthcare industry also still exists but is much more affordable due to lack of demand.
* Internet doesn’t exist, but there are alternatives. One of the most common pieces of technology is scrying mirrors, which work like magical Facetime, magic messages boards that can be inscribed into are also posted up around the city as a form of public communication, and the advertising industry is alive and well with the technology to create animated billboards.
* Most magic technology, outside of utilities and toys, require intense documentation to get a hold of outside of the black market. Also due to the prevalence of magic, regular weapon technology is an era behind, but are easier to get a hold of.

## Other Features

* The lake! It’s freshwater. You can fish, take a walk, rent a boat, go swimming, etc. A set of nets and markers bar anyone from going beyond the shallows without a permit, as the end of the lake plunges off the side of the floating continent.
* The entertainment industry is also alive and well, with performances, concerts, and events held around the lakefront often. The arts are supported by the tourism industry and thrive as a part of the local culture. There is also some sort of festival happening somewhere in the city every month, a big lantern lighting event, complete with food stands and concerts, will be happening at the lake during the winter solstice, for instance.
* You can really just assume that most facilities exist to suit your needs.

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