futurologists | DRAKSTADEN: LOCATIONS

The Democratic City-State of Drakstaden is a densely populated collection of interconnected buildings with a population of 70,000 souls within its six acre boundaries. Referred to as a "walled city," there is no literal wall that surrounds Drakstaden -- the outer edges of the city itself forms a sort of wall between it and the rest of the region; a nearly solid block of buildings rising out of the flat taiga environs. Florescent lights, neon, and digital screens are littered throughout, illuminating the darkness that covers most of the city.

Drakstaden was built with no oversight and no safety measures, contractors simply building additions on top of the old without plans or standards. This has led the layout to be haphazard and crowded, with the average citizen's home at 76 square meters (250 square feet), often with multiple generations crammed into one apartment. Each tower was built in multiple stages, meaning that there will be marked differences from story to story in design, materials, and even measurements. While one level may be cramped and disorganized, the level above it may be spacious and open, only for the level above that to once again be an orderless mess. Because of this, the interior passageways between individual buildings and even within buildings themselves is a confusing maze with graffiti arrows often proving a necessity.

The buildings of Drakstaden vary in height, the tallest being thirty stories and the shortest clocking in at four. Because the buildings are clumped so closely together, butting up against each other with barely any space in between, there are bridges and walkways between many of the buildings, an easier way to get from point A to point B without traveling to the "streets" below.

Water treatment plants are located in the upper levels, with rain water being filtered and stored there before traveling down from the uppermost level to the lowermost, where rusted pipes and outdated technologies prevent every citizen from regular access. Apart from water, other resources can be found throughout all levels of Drakstaden, though the lower you go, the lower the quality.

▸ LOWER LEVELS

Those who live on the lowest levels of the towers, closest to the street level, are the most impoverished of Drakstaden. They live in shadows and darkness, their living quarters cramped and dirty, and their access to water limited. The average apartment size here is 10 square meters (107 square feet), with the poorest forced to sleep in hallways or to rent discount beds by the night in so-called "hotels" run by the opportunistic. The language of the lower class is slangy and profanity-laced, though still mutually intelligible with the Heimlandish spoken by the middle and upper class.

There are no true streets in Drakstaden, and certainly no room for cars. Motorbikes exist for the labyrinth of narrow gangways between buildings, but they are sparse; the city is built up, not across, so most people travel through the twisted labyrinth of hallways, bridges, and walkways to get to their destination instead of walking on ground level. Those who do travel on ground level do so without much sunlight, the height of the closely-built buildings casting a permanent shadow this far down. In this darkness, travelers are often subject to muggings, the shadow emboldening criminals to act under the safety of knowing they can't be identified. The Vakdir, the city's police force, has made promises to patrol the ground level, but this has yet to come to fruition and crime -- drugs, gangs, and other illegal activities -- continues to thrive.

▸ LOCATIONS OF INTEREST:

DOCTOR LUNDBERG'S: Calling him "doctor" is probably just being polite. The place to go if you need medicine or surgery on the cheap. He has an 80% survival rate for cybernetic surgery -- the best in the lower levels!
Items: Medicinal supplies (painkillers, bandages, etc), surgical instruments (scalpels, hypodermic needles, clamps, etc)

INTERNET CAFE: There are a lot of these scattered about the lower levels, as the lowest class can't afford WiFi augments.
Items: Vending machine food and drinks

MACHINATIONS, ETC: A supplier of low-grade cybernetic parts. Rumor is this is the place to go if you need something a little less than above board. Run by a man in his man in his 40s named Gunnar and his twin sister, Inger.
Items: Scrap metal, tools (screwdrivers, soldering guns, etc), wires, bolts, screws, etc; secret inventory unlockable via bounty

MINI-MART: There are many of these scattered throughout the lower levels.
Items: Cigarettes, coffee, bagels, bananas, liquor, magazines, etc

▸ MIDDLE LEVELS

The middle class of Drakstaden live in the middle levels of the towers. They live a middling existence as not quite poor but not quite wealthy, with generally enough money to afford cybernetics through careful budgeting. Middle class Drakstadish may either be descendants of those who used to be the upper class in generations past, or lower class citizens who have scrimped and saved and caught a lucky break. The average apartment size here is 76 square meters (250 square feet).

The middle levels have the largest disparity of of wealth, with neighbors being on the opposite ends of the middle class spectrum: one family is barely out of the lower class, and one family may have distant relatives in the government. Political interests vary widely in this part of Drakstaden as well, with some staunch supporters of the government and others quietly sympathizing with Rost. Of course, Vakdir presence is heavy here, unlike in the lower levels, so anyone with unpopular opinions knows to keep their mouth shut. Propaganda posters are common here, encouraging citizens to take jobs with the government for a chance at a better life.

▸ LOCATIONS OF INTEREST:

DANCING FOX DELI: A struggling restaurant run by Tomas and Helga, two lower middle class Drakstadish citizens in their late sixties. Open breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Given the popularity and efficiency of heavily automated restaurants, the Dancing Fox gets most of its business from citizens coming for the "novelty" experience of an old-style restaurant.
Menu: Cod with mustard sauce, lutefisk with bacon, deer with cloudberry sauce and fresh chanterelle, white asparagus with poached egg yolk and woodruff sauce, potato pancakes with lingonberry jam, cabbage rolls filled with minced pork and/or rice, boiled potatoes, pierogi filled with salted rice pudding, small doughnuts, gingerbread, rhubarb pie, waffles, cinnamon roll with cardamom, princess cake, kompot, tea, coffee

DRAKSTADEN CYBERNETICS: A government-sponsored cybernetics store/hospital. Top of the line cybernetics are available for purchase and installation, at unbeatable prices! Payment plans are available (average APR: 435%).
Items: Cybernetics and cybernetic parts. Inventory strongly monitored; please notify the mods if your character will attempt to steal items.

THE HOTEL DRAKSTADEN: Once considered an affluent hotel in the city's past, this self-sufficient "smart hotel" is now outdated and hasn't seen a guest in ages -- until Guild Ophelia comes along. Run by a single android receptionist named Edvard, plus a fleet of Roombas and Tidy-Bots.
Items: Toiletries, towels, bedding

MADAME GRETA'S FASHIONS: A clothing store with prices and quality appropriate to the middle class. Madame Greta's granddaughters, Elsa and Marta, run the store now. All clothing is handmade and tailored to fit.
Items: Dresses, coats, shirts, blouses, trousers, hats, socks and stockings, shoes

ROST HIDEOUT: Hidden behind a false wall in a sympathizer's apartment, this is a hacker den where the rebel group Rost covertly meets. The room exists in a surveillance deadzone, meaning that anything that goes on within its walls cannot be monitored by the government.

▸ UPPER LEVELS

The higher the level, the more affluent the citizens, with the topmost levels reserved for the relatively small upper class. The upper levels have access to sunlight, fresh water, and elevators. The average apartment size is 1220 square meters (4000 square feet).

The upper levels of Drakstaden are the newest and cleanest in the entire city; the relatively small population has access to parks, schools, and shopping unavailable to the rest of Drakstaden. Vakdir presence is heavy here, but their main purpose seems to be keeping the lower classes out than anything else -- there isn't much visible crime amongst the wealthy. The architecture here is steel and glass, taking advantage of the sunlight so their section of the city gleams. Because most buildings do not reach this level, the living spaces are not as cramped, with windowed sky bridges linking the different locations instead of the ramshackle wooden bridges on the lower levels.

▸ LOCATIONS OF INTEREST:

CITY-STATE BROADCASTING STATION: The foundation of all citywide propaganda, broadcasting audio and video news throughout Drakstaden at all hours of the day and night. The newscasters speak in an artificially constructed dialect called Frettirsprak, a sanitized version of the lower class dialect, and though they report the goings-on of the city, it is blatantly skewed in favor of the government.

DRAKSTADEN DEMOCRATIC COMPLEX: Also known as the DDC, this is where the corrupt government of Drakstaden convenes. The entire complex is heavily guarded and swarming with Vakdir who prevent any unauthorized entry, though members of the lower classes are known to be dragged inside on suspicion of treason and never seen again.

PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE: Magnus Ivarson's penthouse estate is next to the DDC. A magnificent apartment with his own personal water storage and security team, Ivarson lives here alone, having never married.

VAKDIR HEADQUARTERS: The powerful police force that answers to the prime minister and the prime minister alone. It's an open secret that the Vakdir can be bribed with money, drugs, and more to look the other way on infractions and illegal activity, and are often used by the upper class to "take care" of up and coming middle class competition.

▸ NOTES

Keep in mind these are just suggestions for items, and a small sample of locations! The city of Drakstaden is filled with other small businesses you might expect to see in any metropolitan city, including barbershops, grocers, restaurants, tailors, various knick-knack shops, and so on; you can feel free to handwave your character would find anything common, but if you aren't sure, ask us on the dossier.