Galahinda

Unitary Conglomerate of Galahinda
Flag
Motto: "Forward into the future"
Capital	Cascadia
Official languages	Limonaian, Galaçoise
Demonym(s)	Galahindan
Government	Plutocracy
• Chairman	Yiu Amastacia
Legislature	Grand Council
Independent
• Independence from Limonaia	January 1st, 1930
Currency	Bit
Time zone	UTC +1
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+60
Internet TLD	.gh

The Technocratic Union of Galahinda is an island nation residing somewhere in the warm watered zone of the planet Eurth. Roughly the size of what used to be Ireland, It's population is entirely condensed into the megacity serving as the capital, The Cascade. The Cascade takes up most of the land of the island, with large public parks scattered throughout the wealthier parts of the city. The city is comprised of 7 zones and the surrounding Green Zone; Diamant, Plantine, Or, Argent, Bronze, Étain, and Fer.

Geography

The Diamant zone is a commercial playground for the ultra-rich and powerful, if you can't afford anything you want in Diamant, they don't want to see you. Constructed around and on top of lake Pilatius, The Cascade waterfall and river begin and the wealth trickles down.

Plantine is the residential district for the rich and powerful, consisting of spacious homes and large public gardens and high tech school buildings. Strolling along it's decadent streets lined with boutiques and cafes, you'll see everyone from fashion moguls, corporate execs, and celebrities.

Or is the central business district, here you'll find the headquarters for many Information Technology industry giants, banks, and retail corporations. As well as many main government buildings.

Argent is where the upper and middle class citizens mix, a pleasing mixture of residential, schools, parks, and commercial locations along with many vertical farms which supply the city with fresh produce.

Bronze is where things start to take a turn for the worse, this zone is comprised primarily of low level offices and homes for their workers. Parks are smaller and less well kept, schools are decent but not fantastic. Mediocre in every way.

Étain contains the largest of the heavy industry and service jobs,and is located around Galahinda's main port. The air is thick with smog and those from Argent and above do their best to avoid it.

Fer is the seedy underbelly of The Cascade. It's dilapidated roads are lined with nondescript tenements housing those who work the jobs we don't like to think about. Crime is rampant and you're lucky if you get a police patrol for your street once a week. Street gangs constantly fight for control, and there's little hope for the poor souls living here.

The Green Zone serves as the agricultural crutch for the needs not met within the vertical farms of Argent

Economy

There are 7 main corporations within Galahinda: BitChun Financial Group, Galahinda Logistics, ConSort, LomNetti, LuxCorp, Androni Commercial Solutions, Xentis Manufacturing , and Civi.

• BitChun Financial Group is the main banking and financial service for the nation. It's the economic backbone of the nation, handling everything from loans to corporations, all the way down to your child's bank account, as well as managing the nation's currency, the Bit.
• Galahinda Logistics keeps the city moving and the lights on. It manages the extensive public transit network for the entirety of the city, maintains sewers and water lines, produces power for the city, and waste collection. It runs the train you take to work and de-salinates the water you drink.
• ConSort built The Cascade, literally. They constructed the streets, the buildings, the gardens, the canals, the harbor, the subway tunnels and maglev tracks. Anything you want built is done by ConSort, they alone are responsible for the super-scrapers that dominate The Cascade skyline. Their latest project, Selenite, is the most ambitious project yet, seeking to be a nearly perfect mini-city contained within a super-scraper.
• LomNetti is the premier technology and media company for the country. They produce the phones and manage all the media needs for the city, often partnered with LuxCorp and Androni Commercial Solutions, LomNetti is the expert at influencing the masses through media. Owned by the Lomniki family, the owners and operators of The Hub, the central computing power and service for the masses of the nation.
• LuxCorp specialize in looking good. Specifically looking like your paycheck. They produce all the fashion for Galahinda, and price it according to quality. Rich enough to be living in Plantine? Enjoy high tech, chic, and obviously expensive cosmetics, fashion, hygiene, jewelry, and fragrances tailored to your social class. Scraping by in Fer? enjoy cheap cosmetics, bland tunics, basic soap, fake fake diamonds and cheap perfume.
• Androni Commercial Solutions fill the gaps between corporations. They create and sell everything from glitter to guns, and maintain the vertical farms within the city. They stock products from all different corporations, under different names of course. From name brand in the wealthy districts to great value rejects in the poor.
• Xentis Manufacturing produce the heavy machinery needed to keep the city functioning. They build the generators in the hydro-electric dams and the engines for your cars. The majority of their property is found within Étain where the poor go to earn what little they can.
• Civi are the heroes of the city. They fund the police, hospitals, fire department, schools, and parks for the masses. They dedicate the time and resources to the places that have the most wealth need it the most. Funded directly by the government, all services are free as local availability allows.

Culture

Fashion

Fashion has always been an important part of Galahindian Culture, and as such has made Galahinda a Mecca of fashion houses and is one of the largest industries on the island.

The current fashions are fluid and ever changing. One week you may see Victorian lace fans, and the next, jet set eleganza. The underlying attitudes are Avant-Garde and loosely resemble fashions found within science fiction novels. While within the lower tier labels there are traditional gender expressions, with traditional monochrome suits for men and feminine variants. The more affluent you become the less gender expression matters, with many male celebrities wearing clothes reminiscent of drag queens.

Galahinda hosts a multitude of fashion exhibitions ranging from large fashion weeks to standalone designer shows. The larger fashion weeks are almost exclusively held in the Diamant district, with some being held within Plantine on occasion. These exhibitions draw crowds from around the globe, and securing a spot is lauded as a mark of success.

During these larger events the richer districts can be seen in their full glory, as many of their residents are designers or models themselves. The weeks are highly structured and the day of your runway is yet another sign of your skill. Fashion weeks officially begin on a Sunday, with opening remarks from the members of the Corporations as well as from the current president. On the first day there are a total of 11 shows lasting an hour each, consisting of smaller brands and designers. Monday consists of a total of 7 shows each lasting roughly 90 minutes, and feature returning designers and smaller niche houses. Tuesday and Wednesday have 6 shows lasting approximately 2 hours each, and feature a mix of returning designers as well as relatively well known houses. Thursday and Friday host 3 shows each lasting 3 hours, featuring the larger houses and labels, and are the most coveted spots for non-native brands. Saturday is reserved for the LuxCorp runway, lasting the entirety of the day, it features the season's fashions for each societal tier.

The Bourgi line is tailored to the social elite, consisting of chic, expensive, and luxurious styles, the line often resembles the old fashion weeks' avant-garde. Made of the highest quality materials and integrated with the latest tech. The Bourgi line is the peak of modern style and grace. The designs are most often seen within Diamant and Plantine.

The Exec line is intended for the business men and women, unlike the Bourgi line it focuses less on high concept, avant-garde styles, but rather focuses on being business ready. Consisting of more traditional business attire and gender expression and using only functional technological integrations, it is the ultimate business chic. Exec line clothing is most commonly seen within Or, being worn by bankers and other office workers.

The Meridian collection is aptly named, as it marks the midpoint between the middle and upper class price ranges. Built around the concept of everyday street wear, it's favored among the nation's youth. It combines a perfect blend of form and function. Found throughout Argent and Bronze, it is a cultural staple of the nations' youth.

The Econ label is intended for the city's blue collar workers. Made up of purely functional and bland designs, it has no regard for form or style. The lack of individuality further cements the idea of the lowest class being nothing but drones. Unsurpisingly found within Étain and Fer, the Econ label is the uniform of the poor.

The fashion of Galahinda separates the haves from the have nots, what you wear is an instant indicator of where you live, how you live, and what you do for a living.

Architecture

The architecture of The Cascade is as varied as the people who live there, both as a whole and within districts. Diamant has large super-scrapers that glitter and shine like their district's namesake. The tallest of these towers is The Spire, standing at 1374 meters, it's situated directly in the center of Lake Pilatus. It serves as a multi-purpose residential, recreational, and commercial tower, filled with the most expensive fashion boutiques and restaurants within the whole of Galahinda. surrounding Lake Pilatus are many more super-scrapers including, BitChun Tower, The Palisade, The Lomniki Building, Androni Tower, Neon Center, Xentis Tower, The Concor Building and The Lux Building. Each containing their respective megacorporations headquarters. Ranging from the lowest of 835 m and the highest of 1210 m. these buildings appear as luxurious to those able to afford their services, as they are mocking of those who are not. Filling in the gaps of the Diamant zone are standard skyscrapers filled with various hotels, luxury apartments, nightclubs, and other recreational amenities.

Plantine is located directly downriver from Diamant such as you are able to take a water taxi from one zone to the next. The buildings here are almost invariably luxury mansions, high tech schools, spacious parks, and along the boulevards cafes and smaller boutiques. The most notable of these buildings are The Cascade University, the nations top academic location where all ages are taught, provided they have the funds. The university is situated in the unofficial zone of Verre, consisting of the campus and its surrounding buildings.

Or serves as the financial and government district for The Cascade, and as such is comprised of mostly standard skyscrapers, with three super-scrapers dotted in-between. The shortest, The Hub, standing at a respectable 826 m and filled with high tech server banks, serves as the central computing space for the island. The next tallest at a planned 983 m is under construction, and has been given the nickname 'Selenite' by fans and 'Corruption Tower' by critics. It's planned to be used as a self sustainable mini-city with indoor farm space, parks, waste disposal services, housing, and other civil services. The final tallest at 1125 m is Tower One, no other towers are planned to be constructed in the complex. Housing the central Galahindian Stock Exchange, it's considered the richest building in the nation.

Argent is made up of relatively low-rise apartment buildings and boutiques, and is considered the cultural center of Galahinda and most resembles old European cities with street cafes and large public squares. Within it are the national museums, ranging from the sciences to arts, the complex is home to over 100 different museums dedicated to the culture, history, and science of Galahinda. Argent also houses a collection of vertical farms which supply a large portion of the city with fresh produce and other grown amenities.

Bronze is made up of bland office and residential blocks reminiscent of the soviet era, unremarkable and grey, it's only splashes of color are those from the advertisements broadcasting from the sides of buildings, and graffiti in back alleys.

Étain contains the entirety of Galahinda's heavy machine and labor intensive industry. It's notable building are the Androni shopping center. Five stories of mediocre and low quality restaurants, shops, and other commercial fixings. although designed elegantly to resemble some of the buildings in Diamant, you couldn't tell based on the persisting layer of smog that seems to remain squarely over Étain. All of the central service buildings are here, as well as the Galahinda Harbor. The river is redirected from it's original course through Fer via several canals, hydroelectric dams, and treatment plants before waste water is directed towards Fer, with the majority spilling into the harbor which serves as the main port for the nation.

Fer is nothing but tenements and slums. Its warehouses have their windows broken, walls covered in graffiti, and are filled with the homeless and less fortunate. Every street is covered in a layer of dirt. Live wires crisscross the space between buildings. In some streets the only light is that from the stereotypical cyberpunk neon advertisements. The river used to flow into the sea but now due to pollution concerns an artificial lake has been constructed. What was once a beautiful winding path to the sea is now filled with pollution, trash, and other debris.

The outskirts of the city are taken over by the green zone, where all the agricultural needs not taken care of by the vertical farms within Argent are made up for, usually with more pesticides and other things that the rich in diamant would disapprove of.