Part of the world behind The City Series, Alan Chow's corporate fantasy universe.
Jewel Mountain District
Opulent and picturesque. The Jewel Mountain District is engineered luxury at its finest. The largest district by size is accessible only via the iconic Bridge of Stars, and despite the name, there is no actual mountain in the district. They are a cluster of the tallest skyscrapers in the City. Gleaming under sunlight completes the illusion of a jewel. It occupies a large breakaway island; special service tunnels from the Peace District connect underwater to the district for service staff and supplies to travel. They are like massive dumbwaiters, except they serve an entire district rather than a building. They provide everything the district's wealthy Citizens need.
Anyone can freely enter the district. But only Citizens with at least seven digits to their net worth can call the place home. The Jewel Mountain District is home to many sumptuous residences, artificial paradises for the wealthy to forget that the City is surrounded by the Wastelands. The prime residences exist on Gilded Street. These vast estates built along the periphery of the island look more like museum pieces than homes. Being near the water allows residents to moor their luxury yachts, which are really floating palaces, even if they are the least seaworthy vessels. Marine navigation is not really the point. The district also features luxury hotels and entertainment venues that are unmatched anywhere else. Even non-residents can have a reason to visit.
Point Bay
Point Bay is unremarkable as a location. Surrounding hills obscure its view and enclose the place. It is tough to imagine that Point Bay is the most valuable region and the unofficial arbiter of events in the City. It is an unlikely home for finance, not to mention being its capital. Yet, Point Bay is where the City's wealth lives. The invention of high-speed telecommunication cables allows bankers and investment companies to be away from corporations in the City's commercial area. Point Bay's tranquil environment allows the managers of money to work in peace. Remaining within walking distance of their palatial mansions.
The trickle of finance executives becomes a flood. City Officials encouraged the trend, reasoning it made their jobs easier to monitor the industry. Point Bay became the City's financial heart after every bank and investment outfit moved its headquarters into the area, even the City Stock Exchange relocated. The City Stock Exchange abandoned its traditional home of decades and moved into the top floors of the Emerald Towers, located dead centre of Point Bay. Speculators soon flocked to the place after it. The City's financial arm, the HAND, also sets up its headquarters in the Emerald Towers. Despite the exorbitant rent, HAND Officials explain it is worthwhile to be at the centre of Point Bay. Easier to keep a finger on the financial pulse.
Luxury Hospitality
The district's luxury hotels are a favourite among executives. They offer relaxed environments for easy conversations that can morph into serious deals. They also offer corporate retreats, which management ostensibly regards as a time of reflection, while employees see them as an opportunity to let loose. Luxury hotels are also a refuge for certain eccentric personalities in the City. Some even take up permanent residence in hotel rooms. Thanks to the hospitality giant, Glamour, modern hotels are more than simple accommodations; they are integrated entertainment hubs to stay, dine, and enjoy. They offer luxury getaways that are increasingly popular, especially among the well-heeled Citizens. A trend Glamour expects to continue.
Among the more unusual hotels is the Insoluble. A cylindrical-shaped hotel that is almost completely filled with water, with submerged rooms that travel on a rotating conveyor belt. The design offers guests a different view of the aquatic flora and fauna every day. The district's premier hotel is the Grand Alda. It is the Elvish word for tree, and is the tallest building in the City, the peak of the Jewel Mountain District. Some call the Grand Alda the hotel of infinite rooms. An outlandish architect designed the hotel with a clever illusion that made the corridor of rooms appear endless.
Eternal Bonfire
The central attraction of the Jewel Mountain District. The Eternal Bonfire is both spiritually and figuratively the centre of the City. It follows the Orcish tradition of ancient times of having an enormous bonfire as a central meeting place for gatherings and major announcements. The bonfire is also where Orcs settle challenges and fights. But such activities are spared in the modern incarnation. The Eternal Bonfire burns without ceasing; it is built over a white gas deposit, which feeds a continuous stream to light the flames. A heat control spell allows the bonfire to burn bright without the accompanying intensity of heat. It will cook anything in its vicinity without it.
The Eternal Bonfire is beloved by all races. One of the rare Orcish cultural concepts that non-Orcs find acceptable. It is a favourite hangout, especially during winter, where people gather to warm themselves by the fire and roast treats like marshmallows. It also draws Orcs to bond with others. An admirable feat, given how Orcs usually interact only with their own kind. The Eternal Bonfire holds the City's largest and most anticipated event, the annual New Year's Day celebration that draws every race to attend. The celebration begins with a week-long festival in the area that features performances and revelry. It ends with a countdown at the Eternal Bonfire.