The skyline of Londinium
Location
Central Victoria
Status
- Rebuilding
- Occupied by Kazdel (1094–1098)
Londinium is the capital of Victoria.
Background[edit]
| “ | Londinium has never fallen ever since its conversion into a nomadic city. | ” |
| —Testimony of Londinium's might[1] | |
A sketch of a Londinium tram, circa 1085
As the center of Terra's mightiest superpower —the Victorian Empire, a title which used to belong to Lingones before the fall of Gaul— Londinium is the largest and most advanced city in Victoria and the biggest political, economic, and cultural center within the empire. It is known for its impressive defense artillery system and massive iron walls, which have protected it for over seventy years and turned it into an invincible fortress. Its massive landship loading ports and and extensive train network are indicative of the city's economic prosperity. Each city plot is considerably bigger than many small/medium-sized nomadic cities, with clear labor divisions dedicated to various sectors such as agriculture and industrial production.[2] There are thoudands of old factories in Londinium, but only a sixty percent are still functioning, built over the old factories' original locations. Roughly the remaining forty percent are abandoned.[3]
While modern skyscrapers have covered most of its surface, Londinium still retains much of its archaic architecture— this includes its extensive underground substructures and the underground mausoleum, which houses the remains of former Victorian kings, is guarded by the remains of the Steam Knights. In the city's heart stands The Shard - the royal palace of the Draco and Aslan houses, and the towering monument to the city's prosperity. Until present days, Londinium remains as the center of Victoria's hegemonic power, and it's even rumored that the previous Emperor of Ursus, Vladimir Ivanovich, secretly drew the country's defense line all the way to the city.[4]
A century ago, in the year 998, the "Fire of Londinium" devoured the city's Central District, forcing the royal family and a few surviving nobles to flee to the underground. The story has since been elevated into legend, and many Londinium citizens believe that a magical circle hidden beneath the palace shielded the royal family from the disaster.[5] The capital also witnessed the public execution of the last Aslan king, Henry Alistair Victoria II, in the year 1072, following a popular uprising incited by the nobles, who opposed his policy of heavy taxation upon them—this also ignited a crisis over who would succeed the throne, creating a decades long power vacuum.[6] Since then, the Victorian Grand Dukes, who once ruled over Victoria's territories outside of Londinium, have seized power over the entirety country and enacted laws to prevent any other nobles from entering the capital freely without permission, effectively ruling all of Victoria without anyone on the throne.[7] Those brave enough to attempt reaching Londinium through direct means were driven out by the garrison in the outskirts of the city.[2]
In 1094, the Duke of Stafford led a coup d'état against Parliament, escalating the situation. In retaliation, the Duke of Cavendish, the Grand Duke of Londinium, secretly invited Regent Theresis of Kazdel and the Military Commission to pacify the situation.[8][9] However, the Dukes of Stafford and Cavendish ended up killing each other in battle, giving the Kazdelians the ample opportunity to invade Londinium themselves and bring the greatest empire on Terra to its knees.[10][11][12] Within a week, they had easily suppressed the Parliamentarian forces led by the remaining Steam Knights, annihilated the Tower Knights, and took control over most of the walls' Defense Forces. It took a month and a half to execute the remaining rebellious nobles and suppress any more attempts at insurgence, and only half a year to take over every borough except for Sudean.[3][13] In present day, Londinium has become a Kazdel military post, an important part of its ultimate plan to launch a world war against the entirety of Terra using the Shard.
Kazdel has imposed numerous restrictions on Londinium citizens after its occupation. Civilians are completely barred from leaving the city, and workers are forced to produce military equipment for the Kazdelians. The cannons of Londinium's artillery defense system was turned inward to face its own territory and take out threats from the inside. On the other hand, many local resistance forces, such as Eartha, dubbed the "Self-Salvation Corps;" began resisting their foreign occupiers. Though the Military Commission has attempted to quell any insurrection, the rebels have made their hideout in the city's complex underground substructures, making it difficult for the Kazdelians to weed them out.
Notable people[edit]
| Character
|
Information
|
Status
|
| Alistair II | Full name Henry Alistair Victoria. Vina's father and last Aslan King of Victoria. Publically executed during a coup d'etat led by the Parliament in respnse to his taxation policies. His body was left to rot at the Palace of Westhaleg, where his ghost still lingers to this day. | Deceased |
| Daughter of the late Duke of Cumberland and Eartha's patron and sponsor, serving as their commander of their branch in Auchterigg Borough. Went missing after the Mausoleum of Kings collapsed, but survived alongside Sir Charles Lynch: Currently operating under the codename Millscar. | Alive |
| Former factory foreman and Stainless's grandmother. | Alive |
| Edward Artorius | Talulah's father and former heir of the Draco House of Artorius. Escaped to Lungmen, where he would befriend Wei Yenwu. After his relationship with Wei's younger sister was leaked as part of Kashchey's conspiracy, the True Lung ordered Wei to kill him. | Deceased |
| Former Lieautenant of the Duke of Caster's Army, who defected in order to assist The Exemplars during the final battle in Londinium. She was also responsible for retreiving the Victorian Crown and leave it on Vina's desk. Pressumed dead due to her acute Oripathy. | Unknown |
| A Gaulish descent teacher of St. Marsol and informant for Eartha. Committed suicide after her espionage was compromised thanks to the Damazti Cluster. | Deceased |
| Real name Heidi Thompson. Old acquaintance of Kal'tsit, who doubles Eartha's Messenger and liaison with Rhodes Island. | Alive |
| Former Lieatenant of the Londinium Defense Forces of Gaulish descent, later deflected to the Military Commission of Kazdel.Commited suicide in front of Duq'arael after realizing that the Gaulish restoration cause was futile. | Deceased |
| Apprentice baker of Gaulish descent, who came to R.I. to receive Oripathy treatment | Alive |
| Real name Rochelle Rockwell, one of Eartha's commanders and drone engineer. Currently in a partnership with R.I. | Alive |
| Real name Feist, one of Eartha's commanders. Currently in a partnership with R.I. | Alive |
| Real name Alexndrina Vina Victoria. Daughter of King Alistair II and last legitimate heir of the Victorian Aslan Dynasty. Became canonized as the new Speaker of the Parliament after the Victorian Crisis. | Alive |
| Character
|
Information
|
Status
|
| Medic Operator of Rhodes Island's Op Reserve A1. | Alive |
| Hibiscus during the events of Lingering Echoes. Now as a professional Medic Operator. | Alive |
| Hibiscus' twin sister and Caster Operator fo Op Reserve A1. | Alive |
| Lava during the events of Who Is Real. Now as a Caster Operator under Pith's tutelage. | Alive |
| Daughter of a Londinier bulk spice trader, and captain of the Op Reserve A4. | Alive |
Other notable people[edit]
- McClaren: The owner of a video renting store in Norport Borough which Baird and Delphine frequented to prior to the Kazdelian blockade. The deteriorating situation during the blockade and being infected with Oripathy which deprived his hearing causes McClared to grow increasingly delusional, fiercely protective of those he holds dear. Amidst the chaos following the battle between Eblana and the Damazti Cluster in the Kazdelian airship over the skies of Norport which caused it to crash, Baird tries to urge McClaren to evacuate, but thinking that she is a thug trying to take away his last food out of his delusion, mortally wounds her.
Landmarks[edit]
- The Shard
- Royal Museum of Londinium
- Saint-Marsol School: A public school of Gaulish background located in the Aucterigg Borough. For a long time, it was sponsored by Lettou's father, a Gaulish noble who wanted to guide students through the path of wisdom.[14]
- Given its Gaulish background, the school's name might be derived from Saint-Marcel, the ninth bishop of Paris.
- The Sineselde: A palace used as the current headquarters of the Parliament, formerly a convention center rented by the nobility to use it for banquets. Vina herself decided to move the Parliament there after the crisis.[15][16]
- Palace of Westhaleg: A royal building in Central Londinium (previously just called the Westhaleg) that was previously the palace of the Draco king and the headquarters of the Parliament, where King Alistair II was captured and executed during the the Coup d'etat of 1072.[11] [17] Its construction dates from before Londinium was converted into a nomadic city, and it used to be a regular palace that the Draco royal family used to reunite their ministers there.The outer walls were decorated with the Dracos' precious gold and rubies, but said decorations were lost in a fire 300 years ago. Only the palace's skeleton remained and witnessed the coronation of the first Aslan King. The palace was later renamed to commemorate the new age that the joint forces of the Dracos and Aslans would bring to the empire. The original underground throne room has been moved out intact during Londinium's relocation and served as the foundation for the Palace of Westhaleg.[18] The palace served as a command center of the Military Commission of Kazdel until their retreat.
- Mausoleum of Kings: A massive underground mausoleum where generations of Victorian kings were buried, built before the capital became a nomadic city. The tomb is also where the Sighs of Kings is kept.
The outskirts of the war-torn Palace of Westhaleg.
Districts[edit]
- Auchterigg Borough: Also known as Central Londinium, it houses the palaces where the nobility live and other governmental buildings, such as the Palace of Westhaleg and the Shard. It's also famous for its cultural attractions such as museums and Opera houses. After the crisis, it was renamed as New Auchterigg District.
- Camden Borough: The name alludes to a namesake borough in Inner London.
- Chep Borough: The area where Lt. Colonel Lettou met an elderly Gaulish guard in a sanatorium.[11]
- Highbury Borough: An area known for its massive military factories, one of which being Royal Dell Arsenal, the manufacturer of Grani's cavalry spike.[19] Just like Sudean, the borough felt under the control of the Military Commission.
- Magna Borough: An area famous for its villas and gardens[20]
- Norport Borough: An area where the city slums are located. It's also where Glasgow hails.
- Sudean Borough: An area where most of Londinium weapon factories are located. Authority over the factories has been given to the occupying Military Commission during the occupation, which has turned the area into a center of mass weapons production. Its complex underground structure was also used as the hideout of the Self-Salvation Corps.
- Trenfled Borough
Gallery[edit]
The outlying suburbs of Londinium
The streets of Londinium's industrial districts
The inside of a factory in Londinium's industrial districts
The railway station in Londinium's industrial districts
A factory in Londinium's industrial districts repurposed as a detention camp by the Kazdelians
The inside of a noble's residence in Londinium
Londinium's tube (i.e. subway) network
Londinium's fortified outer walls, complete with defense gun batteries
The inside of Londinium's fortified outer walls
A classroom in the Saint-Marsol Academy
The garden of a Londinium manor, such as House Cumberland's
An avenue in the Auchterigg Borough, with The Shard at the distance
Ditto, under reconstruction
Another street in Londinium
The interior of a factory in Londinium
Ditto, from another factory
The outskirts of the Londinium Defense Force' command tower
A view from the command tower's rooftop, with The Shard at the distance
The hallway of the Mausoleum of Kings, located beneath Londinium
The gates of the Mausoleum of Kings
The Mausoleum of Kings, where the "Sighs of Kings" is located
W's safehouse in Londinium
The ruins of a hotel lobby in Londinium
A street under the blockade of the Norport Borough
A blockade wall in the Norport Borough
The battlefield at the outskirts of Londinium
Ditto, with the ruins of a Victorian battleship.
Ditto, amidst an Originium storm
A run-down hall in the Palace of Westhaleg.
The former throne room of the Palace of Westhaleg, where King Henry's body was left to rot
The underground throne of the Palace of Westhaleg.
Vina's office in Londinium after her promotion as Speaker of the Parliament
A male Londinier of the
Feline race
Another male Londinier of the Feline race
A female Londinier of the Feline race
References[edit]
