The City of Ludus
City Type: Metropolis
Government: Magocratic
Motto: Latine sunt, non leguntur.
Population: 18M (2.8k/sq mi), diverse in ethnicity, cultures, races and species
Area: 6.8k sq mi
The City of Ludus (commonly referred to as Ludus) is the only Dimension Bubble within Dimension cluster 20-XI. It is the natural magic terminal of that multiverse. Akin to the calm eye of a hurricane, the raw magic between dimensions flows around it, leaving the city unscathed from the chaos just beyond its borders. This same phenomenon allows it to travel safely within the multiverse and grants its inhabitants the enhanced potential to tap into the magic around them. Thus, people travel here from the different dimensions for their magic-related problems, inquiries and studies.
Ludus is an independent state devoted to education with a school of magic as its city center. This same magic school also houses its seat of government. It is a magocracy ruled by the most powerful and revered wizard in the multiverse: A man simply known as The Chairman. Due to the government system, many mages wish to hone their skills and strive to be greater than The Chairman in order to rule over Ludus one day. However, it has been quite some time that the city was ruled by someone outside of The Chairman's lineage.
architecture
The government and institutional structures of Ludus are grand towering pieces of art, their architecture focusing on sleek curved edges with little emphasis on straight lines. Built primarily of rare metals and minerals, these edifices pride themselves on their pearly white facades with purple and gold finishes. The lower levels are usually open with archways and open windows. The upper levels have wide flat windows or balconies with waist-height balustrades.
The campus of Ludus Academy is as large as a small village. It contains not only the school itself and faculty offices but also the Chairman's living quarters and workplace, government offices and multiple military barracks.
Non-government buildings, such as shops and private homes, are also much nicer than those in most other cities. However, due to the cultural mishmash of the many denizens, their architectural styles do vary. Modest homes have two floors and some boast up to five. Condominiums are known to be modern and spacious. As with many crowded cities, lawns and gardens are rare. For this reason, many roofs are flat and are used and designed for social gatherings.
As it takes a simple spell to take care of most grime and dirt on the streets and buildings, cleanliness is somewhat an unwritten law in most of Ludus.
layout
Ludus is surrounded by a massive wall which rivals those of military strongholds. It is 1000 feet high and 150 feet thick. It is made of magically-enhanced stone, enchanted to be as hard and heavy as antimatter. There are no visible entries except for the 7 main gates. However, magical gateways can be summoned through the wall if need be and if sanctioned by the government. The main gates are crafted from alchemically hardened gold. The gates are guarded by a total of 30 soldiers. A smaller wall, 40 feet high and 2 feet thick, surrounds the school. It has 5 gates which are guarded by 4 soldiers each.
The main roads form an off-center spiral grid. The first three main highways dart directly from the school to three of the main gates, like rays to a sun. A 4th highway spirals out from the school wall around the city multiple times, lying perpendicular to the three main highways. Smaller streets run throughout the city like strands of a spider’s web. No beggars ply the main roads, but street performers and gypsies are known to haunt smaller ones. The buildings that line the main roads are often whitewashed. These roads are well watched over, kept very clean and are continually lit through localized daylight spells. All streets are laid with cream brick and are clearly labeled. Major intersections are guarded at all times.
getting around
As a convergence point of both magic and cultures, it is expected that there are various modes of transportation within the city. However, there are some notable public rides that may prove exciting, easily accessible and dependable.
Umbranguis
Translated as "ghost snake," the Umbranguis resemble the subway stations of Earth-616. Between Ludus and Underludus are giant and dexterous creatures which resemble hybrids of a snake and a jelly fish. These semi-astral creatures open up the sides of their bodies to allow passengers inside and pass through the rubble and structures of the city in an orderly, timed and set routine. Contrary to common sense, the insides of the serpents are actually quite sterile and clean, allowing for a nice, cozy trip.
Vitrean Taxis
Along the streets of Ludus roam the Vitrean taxis and their infamous drivers. As with everything from Vitrea, these metal and leather hovercabs, seating up to four passengers, are powered by fuel refined from quartz. Citizens and familiar visitors, however, know better than to take just any taxi. Vitreans are known for their speed and stressful and seemingly unsafe driving techniques which are far better put to use for winning multidimensional vehicle races.
Conciovus Telepods
The Conciovus Telepods are Ludus' fastest and cheapest mode of transportation, getting people to their destination at a split second and costing nothing more than loose change. However, the telepods are not at all known for their comfort. Passengers of these low-tech sarcophagi have never experienced a ride without nausea, migraines, fatigue or, in worst cases, week-long comas.
You may also opt to tame or otherwise purchase a skyborne, landborne or seaborne mount.
persona
Despite Ludus’ attempts to remain culturally neutral, the city itself has developed a unique and colourful personality. Styles, traditions, fashions and cultures from all around the multiverse collect and merge into a mishmash of colors and textures, sights and sounds making sure tourists and travelers never leave without an experience of a lifetime. Ludus is a mix of societies, but that is what gives it its own distinct flavor. Its identity lies in its diversity.
The people of Ludus are aware of how important their city is. Thus, they may seem to be pompous, arrogant and elitist. Visitors may grow tired and weary of this. However, the city is still cosmopolitan. Races and faces of all kinds are as welcome as they tickle the fickle interests of the citizens.
In order to keep the citizens happy and feeling safe, the guards put a great deal of pomp to their job. However, this safety is not necessarily what it seems. The truth is that crime is high and most are brought about by the thieves’ guilds who keep close ties to the military. As long as they do not harm anyone of great stature or the people within the school's boundaries, their crimes go unpunished. Many in power feel this is wrong but are aware that the alternative would be a more individual, unorganized and uncontrolled society of criminals. The guilds provide protection for those marked off-limits and handle criminals outside of their guild far more efficiently than the military. This set-up provides an illusion to the city's elite that their realm is practically crime free while remaining blind to the sufferings of the masses.
The Districts
Ludus Main (Upper Class)
Contains: Bureaucratic offices, a civil monument, guard posts, temples, manor house, hall of doors, lodging, food, shops, services, faculty offices, dormitories, residences, and Ludus Academy
The pride and center of the city and home of the elite youth: Ludus Main. Also known as Ludus Academy, it is not only a place of learning but is also the seat of government. Most anyone working here lives on a government salary. Large buildings with more grandeur than any other in the city surround the colorful gardens and carriage-filled streets. Some of those buildings are short and sturdy, others are tall and sleek, but none are as grand or as tall as the main tower in the center. This tower hosts the Chairman's quarters, the main government offices and the Academy itself. Here, magic is the most practiced than in any other area of the city. The residents are young, except for most of the staff, and most are pretty fashionable. As with most other wealthy neighborhoods, the poor are discouraged from loitering about.
tag: location: ludus main
Places of Interest
Ludus Academy
Being the most magically active place in the multiverse, the Academy has become quite the tourist attraction. As such, magic duels and exhibitions of different kinds are regularly performed in the school's open court. The Hall of Doors at its center is a mind-blowingly tall tower that hosts countless corridors of doors, each leading to specific dimensions. The doors are accessible only by students and the government.
D'Legatte (Upper Class)
Contains: Embassies, residences, lodging, food and shops
Ambassadors, officials, and visiting nobles from all across the multiverse are often housed in the embassy district of D'Legatte. The buildings here are of finer quality than most and some incorporate the traditional designs of their owner’s dimension of origin. The buzz of the area is noticeably different from the rest of the city due to the residents’ various languages and accents as they usually prefer turning their Alvarium translator off. More culturally distinct fashions abound here as well. D'Legatte is well guarded and people without legitimate business are politely escorted away.
tag: location: d'legatte
Diverns (Upper Class)
Contains: Banks, lodging, food, shops, and residences
While most marketplaces are loud and rowdy, Diverns is refined. There is still some heavy traffic but it is not customary to haggle and the customers are in fine clothes. Negotiations are conducted politely and with grace. Shops are clean and neat, with lettered signs and tasteful decorations. The air has always a gentle touch of perfume and armed guards patrol around.
tag: location: diverns
Places of Interest
Psitaccus Drop
Psitaccus Drop, located in Diverns, is a nightclub for the rich and famous. Exotic spirits and wines from all over the multiverse can be found here. However, that is not the only trade it plies. It is well-known secret in high society that the owner of the bar, Sly Bob, has eyes and ears all over the city and is the greatest source of gossip within Ludus. It is said that Bob has so much information, he is practically untouchable.
Aenean & Aedes (Upper Class)
Contains: Luxury estates
Aenean & Aedes or A&A is a district of well-tended gardens and colossal manor houses that feature every luxury, imaginable or not. Statues and fountains are the centerpieces of street intersections and private yards in this hilly area. Servants fill the streets running errands for their masters. Winding roads mold themselves along the hilly terrain while still allowing quick and easy travel. Many of the estates are fenced and most, if not all, are well-guarded.
tag: location: aenean and aedes
Places of Interest
Acinus Winery
This majestic vineyard and garden, found at Aenean & Aedes, was once the estate of Lord Acinus of Trippenfell. Before his death, he stated in his will that the grounds be taken care of by his eldest son, but it soon became a public landmark. The yard hosts various grape varieties bred for fine wines while the garden is home to such French formal garden staples as a man-made pond, a labyrinth, and a pagoda.
Viridis Park (Upper Class)
Contains: Park, temples, hippie yoga circle, food, shops, services and residences
At Viridis Park, the sights and sounds of the city fade away. Visitors are given a few minutes of peace in this serene setting. Viridis offers open fields, trimmed and tended trees, running creeks, small hills, rocky outcroppings as well as some of the tamer flora and fauna found in Ludus Forest. The park is fenced with white metal spokes, partly to keep vandals away at night but mostly to keep the animals in. The district smells of wet grass and various orchids. Most everyone is welcome at Viridis Park and almost all understand and respect the serenity of the place.
tag: location: viridis park
Sedes Grove (Upper Class)
Contains: Residences
The neighborhood of Sedes Grove is less luxurious than Aenean & Aedes but not by much. Some areas sport houses and gardens that rival those of A&A. Most of the district however is covered by tall condominium buildings with units far more spacious and luxurious than most private homes anywhere else in the city. Many celebrities, successful businessmen and the like are known to live here.
tag: location: sedes grove
Domus Homes (Middle Class)
Contains: Residences
The houses here are smaller than those in Sedes Grove, as are the lots. Some have good-sized yards, while others stick closely to their neighbors. Condominium and apartment units are a bit cramped with interiors less managed than in the upper districts. People here are a far cry from poverty but it is not rare to see structures less-maintained. Sounds of loud parties and night's traffic can be heard at the end of the day and clothing is more utilitarian than fashionable.
tag: location: domus homes
Cantare Hall (Middle Class)
Contains: Arena, locker rooms, stables, actors quarters, temples, lodging, food, shops, services, residences and theaters
The Cantare Hall, for which the district is named after, dominates the area and towers over anything nearby. This structure is an oval arena capable of seating over 10,000 spectators and hosts all manner of sports and competitions. The services of this district cater to the needs of competitors and audiences alike. T-shirts and double beer mugs may be found here for a pretty penny. When needed, the Hall separates into two hemispheres which can both act as theaters for stage plays, films, variety shows and the like. Both the rich and the poor attend the shows and the place is heavily guarded during performances. However, crime still is a main complaint in the area.
tag: location: cantare hall
Argentum (Middle Class)
Contains: Mall, temples, lodging, food, trades, services, guildhalls and residences
The downtown area of Ludus, Argentum is the busiest district. Tall towers housing many business offices, hotels, and shops caress the skies. People, formally dressed or uniform-clad, parade the streets like ants. People enter and exit buildings like clockwork and so does money. Traffic is quite high in this district, even during the night. For some, business is 24/7 and the bars and nightclubs pump the bass and clash mugs of alcohol and spirits throughout the wee hours of the morning. Where tall buildings can't stand, smaller shops are wedged in. Scents of food and perfume permeate the area and colors are vivid. Voices of vendors and street performers are drowned by the sounds of various vehicles and steeds. Argentum is also home to the gargantuan Copone Mall where various shops of all kinds are bunched up together. It is open from 11am to 7pm, save for the restaurants which close at 9pm. The district is also home to the city bank where any currency can be converted into Ludus Gold.
tag: location: argentum
Places of Interest
Ludus Bank
Sticking out of the hustle and bustle of Argentum is a black granite building with a green shimmer. Ludus Bank is one of the most secure buildings in the whole city. It is tasked with the duty of protecting everyone's wealth as well as to convert all the currencies imaginable (and unimaginable) into Ludus Gold: a stable, paper-like isotope of gold, scientifically known as Au-379.
Museum of Magical History
This massive ivory building in the center of Argentum holds the largest number of historically important magical objects. Artifacts such as the skeleton of Xor, the first familiar and the widely popular Philosopher's Stone are kept and preserved here. Due to the high value of the building's contents, the managers make sure that there is no place in the museum where you are not in the sight of at least one guard or a scry spell.
The Golden Kaiju
Found in the richest sector of Argentum is the Golden Kaiju. This grand hotel is known to be the finest in all of Ludus and even rivals the greatest of other dimensions. As it is named, the Golden Kaiju sports a fountain as a center piece of the main driveway with a marvelous golden statue of a radiated, bipedal lizard looking down at the more than fortunate below.
Exalta Trade Center
This glass-encased, wide, empty space serves as a site for conventions, showcase events and bazaars. Because of the popularity and innate beauty of the building, there is rarely a time when Exalta isn’t booked for an event.
Pietas (Middle Class)
Contains: Temples, lodging, food, shops, services and residences
At first glance, Pietas seems to be an exotic upper-class neighborhood. Temples of many of the multiverse's gods are made from various materials, usually adorned with towering pillars and awe- and faith-inspiring statues. The surrounding residences and shops are nothing like these, however, for they are fairly plain. The rich and famous usually have their own priests at hand and many districts have their own temples but Pietas is where most citizens come to pray. It is a Mecca for all of Ludus. The diversity of Ludus' citizens which gather here shows that residents come from all walks of life. They are usually dressed in what each dimension considers their Sunday best. Incense and the sounds of gongs, chimes and chanting strike and punctuate the air. Processions for funerals and weddings are also quite common.
tag: location: pietas
Places of Interest
Temple of Vicat
The Temple of Vicat in the Pietas district is nowhere near the largest or grandest temple. It is, however, one of the most, if not the most, infamous. Vicat is known in multiple dimensions as the god of sex and violence, so it is only normal that the temple itself is a bondage house. Within the bone-adorned walls, worshippers of Vicat are bound and gagged while priests and priestesses lash them with metal-tipped whips of raw leather.
Temple of Lumefax
The largest temple in Ludus is dedicated to the sun god, Lumefax. Unfortunately for passersby and the curious, the interiors of the temple are made out of solid blinding light. Thus, it is rare for worshippers to enter without vision-enhancing spells or other methods of dimming their vision.
St. Nex (Lower Class)
Contains: Mortuaries, crypts, mausoleums, services, residences, temples.
Named after the saint believed to bring creatures of all faiths to the afterlife, St. Nex is a vast field of graves and crypts. Due to the populous amount of people in Ludus, under the fields of graves and grass lie stories upon stories of underground catacombs with a complex system of elevators that bring down both workers and mourners. The poor are usually dug up top while the rich take the lower levels. Often, private family plots are adorned with fine minerals. These plots usually have their own elevators and are isolated from others. This district is almost devoid of sound and the faint smell of decay in the air mixes with that of wet grass.
tag: location: st. nex
Upper Scele (Lower Class)
Contains: Temples, lodging, food, shops and services
This is the place to go when looking for semi-legal and illegal services and goods. Prostitution, illegal substances, gambling, pirates, and mercenaries abound here. Crime is high and people try hard to stay infamous or hidden depending on what services they offer. Many thieves’ guilds take refuge here and the police are easily bribed. These 'men of the law' usually harass passersby, making them fear them as much as the local criminals.
Places of Interest
Crike's and Whopp's
When one needs careful company in the more dangerous parts of Ludus, or to the many hostile dimensions for that matter, they go to Crike's and Whopp's. This danky old tavern at the Upper Scele is the main base of the city's toughest guides. These feared rangers for hire boast about the beasts they've faced down and the places they’ve survived through; all this while the trophies of their many excursions stare down at them from the wall.
tag: location: upper scele
Lower Scele (Lower Class)
Contains: Temples, lodging, food trades, services and residences
Lower Scele is where the poor can live the best they can. Buildings range from run-down but clean apartments to rotting row houses infested with pests which threaten to tear them down. The rich rarely visit here and when they do, they are usually looking for cheap labor. Streets are filled with workers and beggars, all trying to survive till the end of the day with what scraps they can get.
tag: location: lower scele
Arx (Lower Class)
Contains: Prison, guard's barracks, services, residences, garrison building, temples, lodging, food and shops
Around the city, floats a separate, smaller island, known as Arx. This satellite island serves as both the military district as well as the prison. Imposing stone-walled strongholds with exceedingly narrow windows enchanted with repelling force-fields dominate the prison section. Soldiers and armed vehicles pass by at all hours and shouts and threats from the magically-incapacitated inmates continue throughout the day and the night. Away from the city, this area is filthy and poorly-maintained with smoke pluming out during the winter.
Around the prison at 360 degrees is the garrison. The shouts of the inmates are muted by the thick walls while outside, barked orders, marching boots and clanging metal dominate. This is the home and practice ground of the military. The buildings here mimic those of Domus Homes. However, the garrison itself is an impenetrable block built from the same stone and spells as the city walls. It has narrow windows and flat roofs specifically designed for snipers. Patrols move throughout the whole district on an irregular basis. Arx is known to sometimes hover over the city, teleporting hundreds of soldiers on the ground in times of need.
tag: location: arx
Places of Interest
The Well of Fates
If Arx itself was not a curious site, the Well of Fates definitely is. This circular dimensional portal that lies in Cell 18-C leads to the infernal dimension of Baratrus, also known as Hell. Rumor has it that some inmates have jumped through the portal saying that anything could be better than Arx. Many mages have tried to remove the Well, but all have failed.
Underludus (Lower Class)
Contains: Temples, lodging, food, shops, services, residences.
Here dwell the baddest of the bad. Completely underground, Underludus is the second biggest district of Ludus and governs itself unofficially. This is the home of outrageous criminal activity and the black market. Criminals and sentient monstrous races interact, do business and murder each other here. Abandoned sewers and a forgotten catacombs system make up the district instead of streets and buildings. It is musty with stale air and the thick aura of insanity and bloodlust send shivers down the spines of visitors and newcomers.
tag: location: underludus
The Wilderness (Lower Class)
Contains: Desert and residences.
Encompassing the Ludus underground where Underludus and St. Nex don't meet is the largest and most derelict district in all of Ludus (if it can even be called a district). The Wilderness is what it says it is. It is a vast underground desert of sand within an enormous cavern. Here live those who cannot even afford to live at Lower Scele, pitching tents which often get blown away by winds caused by the city's ventilation system. There are no shops here as they would not make a cent in a year. Neither are there streets, only paths that the denizens of this forgotten world have grown to memorize. The district is choked by the stink of the city's waste disposal, unwashed bodies and even rotting flesh.
OTHER PLACES OF NOTE
Ludus Forest
Outside the city wall at the opposite side of the main gate is the Ludus Forest. This forest spans for miles until the edge of the island of Ludus and hosts a cornucopia of flora and fauna native to the dimension. It is also the home of the Saruata, the first denizens of Ludus and rumored to be the first mages of the multiverse.
Peregrotica
This rickety old wagon, adorned with dim lights and colorful sheets of cloth, travels around the city at night and is never seen at day. This wooden vehicle is known to sell rare and exotic items from dimensions that are extremely hard to reach. The unnamed masked couple that takes care of the wagon never speak, rumors going about that they are blind and mute. Communication is easy though for both are telepaths.
Memorial Hill
Once on this green rolling hill, a great battle between rivaling mages took place. This battle, known as the Clash of the Titans, went on for months without rest. Now, Memorial Hill serves as a tourist attraction and a reminder of the power and destruction that practitioners of magic may bring about.
Fuga Docks
Located in the southern edge of the city, this dock of wooden planks and poles is not an actual seaport. Rather it is a transdimensional gateway designed to look like one. Various boats and sea mounts are kept in piers and ranches and an airfield lies just to the east of the Dock. At the ends of the holographic sea and the runway are portals that lead to the skies and seas of the destined dimension. However, because of the erratic nature of dimensions, the exit portal's location is not always accurate and oftentimes will open in the mere vicinity of the desired planet. Travel to another dimension without some sort of vehicle, contraption or spell to protect one’s body from the rigors of dimension travel is extremely ill-advised.
Important Groups
Vulpine Aces Gentleman's Club
Known as the bastards of high-society, The Vulpine Aces get to merrymaking at their clubhouse located in Upper Scele. These rascals of the rich and famous take part in alcohol and drug abuse, prostitution, gambling and sometimes public rowdiness and vandalism. However, their almost endless supply of money and their deep sense of brotherhood have saved them from landing in Arx.
Silent Knights
The Silent Knights is the largest and most feared thieves' guild in all of Ludus. Part of their ominous aura is the fact that nobody knows anything about them except that they exist and that all their crimes are marked with cards with bastard swords drawn on them. These cards are magically enhanced to have no detectable or deducible history.
Ludus Military and City Watch
In Ludus, the military and city watch are one and the same. The titles are just there for rank, job jurisdiction and training. This group, which is the face of justice in Ludus, is not at all perfect; the heavy hand of impunity and corruption strangling the weak in the shadows. Those that have high moral standard are dismissed to more secure places such as Arx and the bank, while the questionable are brought to the more hopeless areas, such as Scele and Pietas. Real security follows where high-society goes.
|
