Delerath

Delerath

Delerath is the most vertically designed of all the districts, extending in a long coiling latticework along the outside of its Spire before spreading out along each of the plates. The factories and buildings contain wildly disparate machines, from steampunk to highly elegant and streamline designs, but somehow they flow together in a weird but functional whole, a mishmash of the construction and scientific efforts of those who call GC their home. The district is designed much like a space station, with most of the district contained and connected by metal walkways between large columns of foundries and heavy machinery. The sky overhead is lit by the glow of molten metals just as much as anything else here, with clever contraptions drawing the heat and cleaning the air from the work at hand.

As you descend the borough, the older the construction tends to become. The primary power collectors remain at the lowest point and a subtle shift in the texture of sound and surroundings occurs from above to below, as the clang and hiss of steel fades to the resonant hum of conduits, the flare of multi-colored sparks and the smell of ozone.

Culture

The people of Delerath love their work. They work with machines, stubborn metals and honest salvage. They are craftsmen, forge-workers, junkers and engineers. This is the place to work hard and play hard, as the taverns tend to be raucous affairs full of song, laughter and mischief. Food and drink from Aurborea flows plentifully amidst tall tales, friendly arguments and the occasional bar fight, though everyone gets up the next day to get back to what they love. The Prospectors are a major influence here, and it shows in the (barely) controlled chaos of ringing steel and fried electronics. Hard work, problem solving and dedication are prized here. Good results are prized even more, but if there's a mistake? Melt it down. Try again.

Inventors and tinkers are prevalent here, trying to fit one gewgaw together with another to create something wild and wonderful. Competitions are raucous, sometimes drunken and often legendary affairs that often end in ingenious solutions, if not a few (occasional) explosions.

Points of Interest

The Forgeworks: The Forgeworks is a massive complex of interconnected smelteries that take in raw material, smelting them into usable ores while specialized smithing interests work in alloys and forged metalworks such as weapons and armor. The Forgeworks are huge, with many specialized sections sometimes entirely dedicated to the intricate or magical alloys used for special projects.

Craftsman's Terrace: The local name for the highest point of Delerath, Craftsman's Terrace is dominated by those who produce the small goods used in everyday life, from factories to alchemy labs, chairs to basic healing potions. While most goods are imported from Neighbor Worlds, those with specialized skills have set up workshops to ply their trade, either creating trade goods or selling directly from storefronts attached to their workshops. "Boomtown" is also a part of the terrace, where the more volatile tinkers reside. The reason for the name becomes quickly apparent, though any intrepid souls who manage to survive detonating their workshop are expected to repair any damage they do.

Istamnir

Istamnir is a land of energy, technology, light and discovery. Sheltered far below the foundries, many of the products of the upper districts are brought here, as this is by far the most technologically oriented of the Districts. Istamnir has two sides, one dedicated to power regulation and the other dedicated to research. Specialized cybernetics, computers and Spiretech devices are sold here but most of the space is reserved for research. Some labs work on contract while others are dedicated to a specific topic. The construction work here tends to be with high tech, high precision instruments that clash with the constant heat and vibrations above.

Culture

Istamnir draws in those with the call to technological knowledge. The researchers and technologists from across Grand Convergence work to uncover the secrets of GC as well as other Worlds. There are dozens of teams with increasingly improbable names, all working under a single rule. Research is good, but achievement is better.

There are regular symposiums and a constant seething friction between any and all of the research teams, documenting and arguing any number of subjects while they sponsor efforts to advance their theories. These same theories are constantly being challenged, with replication and defense of that theory vital to being taken seriously by the community. The friction is even worse between the researchers and the workers of the Midnight Sun, as the workers' measured pace and unflinching calm denial of their endless requests for more power keep the lights on, figurative as well as literal.

Points of Interest

The PPSP / The Midnight Sun: The Primary Power Siphon Complex, or PPSC, supplies power to the majority of Grand Convergence. There are smaller siphons in other districts, but the PPSC supplies more than 80% of the power throughout the city. The 'Midnight Sun' as it's called by it's workers, manifests as a nano-scale dyson sphere complex directly hooked into the central Spire of Delerath. It gathers and reacts to the energy that flows through the area. The surface of the Midnight Sun changes periodically, causing it to rotate through different energy bleeds in electromagnetic and magical spectrums. The area is extremely hazardous, with humanoid species required to wear environmental suits for personal protection. There is a laconic calm amongst the humanoid, Apiaxtlan and robotic staff. Panic leads to mistakes and mistakes cost lives, and like the craftsmen above, they know a job well done is worth doing right the first time.

The siphons themselves are massive, intricate pieces of equipment that tap deep into Grand Convergence, with their coils marking the lowest known points in the world. Access to the area is strictly regulated, with armed security surrounding the premises around the clock.

The Fractal Exploration Foundation / 'The Set': A bizarrely small building for what it contains, the FEF, or Fractal Exploration Foundation holds the secrets of a powerful technology that allows the scientists to create miniature slices of reality, testing all kinds of physical and magical facets within their confines. Access to the technology is always hotly contested as the local scientific community is constantly racing to test their latest theories. The systems are hideously expensive in terms of energy, however, making these simulations strictly limited. There has been extensive care taken to upgrade and maintain the technology, especially after several accidents in the recent past resulted in one simulation escaping containment to insert itself into local spacetime.

The Grid Occupation Zone: The magical land of GOZ grows wild and unfettered like a strange cheerful kudzu vine from one of the central logistics hub in the industrial zones, winding its creepers throughout the rest of GC. A blaring storefront of neon and advertising that changes to suit the tastes of the view is one of its hallmarks, alongside an endless parade of faceless automated clerks and chipper vending machines.

The Chemworks: Due to the volatile nature of the subject matter, all chemical plants are contained with the domed structure known as the Chemworks. It contains dozens of smaller plants created to manufacture the myriad chemical components needed by the city. Many of the chemical plants are entirely underground, with the work done chiefly by Apiaxtlans who don't mind the cramped, cave like interiors or the dangerous working conditions.