The Red Citadel

The Red Citadel, a grand city of impossible proportions. The Red Citadel was first founded in 647AF by the Treaty of the Red Citadel, which ended the War of the Rim and the Ring. Stated in the treaty's clauses that on the site where the treaty was signed would become a great city of peace. Unfortunately, that did not last long, and after The Short Peace, The War of Stars and Sea Serpeants ignited, and it was in 667AF that the Signing of the Great Alliance occured, which would see the first step towards the Red Citadel Concord. Throughout the short lifespan of the Red Citadel Concord, the Red Citadel as its capital grew intensely in size and population, so much so that the first orbital islands had to be tugged into the orbit of the main island.

Even after the Concordan Civil War, First Great Revolution and the Reformation of the Red Citadel Concord, the Red Citadel continued to grow and grow. The Red Citadel eventually grew through the Age of Adventure to become the modern major city it is today. As Neuv Concordt's capital, last stronghold in the Rim, and its most populous city, the Red Citadel has become a cultural centre, of art, science, politics and the icon of the Age of Adventure.

Within Neuv Concordt, it is almost a nation of its own. With its own Estate Council and Governing Council, it is politically independent from Neuv Concordt. However, it is culturally similar to the Dinai, and is considered by many to be a part of the Strata despite being in the Rim. Geopolitically, being at the centre of the Rim, Neuv Concordt has been the target and victim of many wars and has been caught in the crossfire of many.

### **Culture**

#### Art

The Red Citadel is well-known for being a centre of art. Many famous artists such as Vavant and Polle wer Blancent were born and raised in the Red Citadel. Furthermore, many art movements such as Futurism and Citadeli find their origins in the halls of the many Academies of Art, such as the National Academy of Art (NA2) and Concordan Cultural University (CCU). It is common  to see street art painted on city walls, as street art was recently legalised and encouraged by the Estate Council to display Citadeli culture.

Common themes in Futurism and Citadeli reflect the concerns of everyday citizens, such as the future and the present. Futurism in particular reflects the belief that the future will be nothing but gloom and doom, and includes common traits such as the Masses, Chaos, and Drama. Meanwhile, Citadeli reflects everyday life in contrast with the high life. Everyday life paintings will include portraits or landscapes of streets, working-class people, and messier brush strokes whilst high life paintings will include portraits of leading men, and distinct, stable lines. Often, dual paintings of everyday life and high life paintings are sold or presented together to tell a story.

Common materials used in painting are brushes, with thicker brushes being used for high life Citadeli paintings, whilst thinner brushes are reserved for Futurism and everyday life Citadeli. Futurist paintings usually use darker inks to emphasise faces and actions, whilst Citadeli paintings use lighter inks as well as dyes to create illusions of detail and depth. A famous painting in the Futurist style is *The Revolution's Suicide* by Normand Erlingt, which depicts a revolutionary leader from the First Great Revolution executing his comrades and is implied to later kill himself. A famous set of paintings in the Citadeli style are *Samarits Flee by Sea* and *Valori's Pen* by Polle wer Blancent, referencing the Samarit Genocide and Valori's Philosophy which set into motion the genocide.