======Capital City======

Built in the country previously known as Switzerland, Capital City is the largest city in the world, with a population of around 147 million people. Capital City is an independent and truly international state, and is regulated by the Committee, a branch of the World Government.

With low taxes, free movement for all, and lenient business laws, Capital City is the centre of the world for all aspects of modern life. Whether you are looking for stock markets, theatres, laboratories or just a place to live, Capital City it the place to be. As well as being the most populated city in the world, the majority of the world's supers also spend their lives in the capital.

The unique geography around which Capital City is built offers it a very distinctive feel. Instead of a single mass of urban homogeneity, the Capital is punctuated by forests, lakes and even mountains. Adding to this variation, Capital City is very unevenly built up, in part due to its relatively short history of extremely rapid growth. The areas which hosted cities before the Capital was created, most notably the Zurich and Geneva boroughs, now play host to endless rows of towering skyscrapers. In contrast, there are remote valleys and inaccessible peaks between the suburbs which have hardly been affected by the city's presence.

The City is a melting-pot of cultures, with a continuous stream of immigrants from all across the world. The native population are still mostly in place, but they now rub shoulders with all manner of people, from any number of walks of life. The only obvious divides are between the areas inhabited by the rich, and those inhabited by the poor. The Committee have attempted to close the social gap on several occasions, but their efforts are constantly stymied by supers and other forces of the city, and by the eternal problems of personal greed and a lack of resources.

===== History =====
====2020====
With the signing of the Accord of Singapore in 2020, the newly-formed World Government found itself in need of a base of operations. Over the coming days, the gathered diplomats were presented with a long list of suggestions, all of which were deemed to be too partisan to become the seat of international power. Eventually, it was agreed that a new state would be created, independent from all existing nations. A bill was drafted, and the Swiss city of Zurich was chosen to become the new capital of the world.

Zurich was placed under the direct control of the Committee, a specially created department of the World Government, and the independent district was renamed "Capital City." Along with the change of ownership, the laws governing the province were entirely re-written, in order to create a truly international state. Two laws in particular were to completely re-shape the face of the city. Firstly, it was decided that Capital City would have very low taxes, and would be supported by membership fees charged to the allied nations. Secondly, the Committee decreed that the ability to visit Capital City was a universal right, and that no-one would be turned away from its borders.

With political and economic power up for grabs, Capital city's business district was quickly bought out by innumerable delegations representing governments and corporations from all across the globe. The four-hundred-thousand-strong native population of Zurich was outnumbered almost overnight by the incoming diplomats and their retinues.

Hot on the politicians' tails, keen to take advantage of the government-sponsored tax haven, the world's mega-corporations almost unilaterally re-located their headquarters to Capital City. The Committee proved easy to buy out, and laws designed for the benefit of diplomatic missions were soon being applied to anyone rich enough to arrange a meeting with a Chancellor. Before long, Capital City had also become the trading capital of the world, with billions of Drachma pouring into it's markets.

All this wealth triggered a wave of immigration like none ever before seen. The right to visit the City, designed to allow all to come without fear of home authorities, was heavily abused by those seeking to share in the riches. From all across the world, people flocked in by the drove, and before the year was out the population of the Capital had passed the millionth person.

By 2023 the population of Capital City had passed five million people, and over-crowding was becoming a serious issue. Rather than stem the tide, the Committee were persuaded that great profit could be found in providing more space for the City to exist in. Over the coming years, the Committee passed bill after bill claiming land from the surrounding regions. Pitted against the political clout of the Committee, there was little that the Swiss government could do, and the Capital began to spread inexorably across the country.

In 2027, the grand opening of the Forge shopping centre marked the dawn of a new era in consumer choice. Built into the very substructure of the city, and covering several square kilometres of land, the Forge offered a large selection of anything that could be purchased from anywhere in the world.

Due to poorer-than-expected sales, and top-level mis-management, the Forge closed its doors for the last time in late 2029. The buildings were passed around in a chain of liquidations and buy-outs, before even the Committee lost track of who owned them. Before long, the Forge was a derelict shell, and the city's poorest started using it as a shelter from the elements. Over the coming decades, the Forge would come to be known as the most dangerous district in the world.

====2040====
The population of Capital City was passed fifty million people in 2043, and the residents of the Capital outnumbered the residents of the rest of Switzerland by more than two to one. The Swiss government finally conceded to mounting pressure, and the remainder of the country was subsumed into the conurbation. On the twenty-third of August, 2053, the country of Switzerland officially ceased to exist, and in its place stood the largest city in the world.

====2060====
Stargaze Plaza was first opened in 2065, and briefly claimed the title of the tallest building in the world. On the back of an outstanding marketing campaign, the Plaza rapidly became the most desirable address in the city. The skyscrapers supporting the plaza also came to be known as highly sought-after places to live, and all those not quite rich enough to afford properties on the Plaza itself were soon keen to move in to the salubrious apartments on the highest floors.

By 2066, Capital City was again straining against its borders, and the Committee turned its gaze outwards once more. Having seen the fate of Switzerland, the surrounding nations were unwilling to give up any territory. Things escalated quickly, and several times the political deadlock almost descended into turmoil. The situation was resolved through intervention by SPEAR, who exposed the Committee's corruption, and forced through a democratic system.

The first election of the Chancellors happened in 2067. The final tally of votes marked the meteoric rise to power of Ariel Vance, the much-loved politician of the people. At the tender age of nineteen, Ariel also became the youngest, and most powerful, resident of Stargaze Plaza.

After years of development, the Core, the world's first terrawatt fusion reactor, was finally brought on line in 2069. After a brief period of testing, the Core replaced the existing infrastructure, to provide power to the entire city. Within the year, all other power sources leading into Capital City had been disconnected, deemed too un-economical to maintain.

===== The Committee =====
The Committee is the several-thousand strong department who were created in order to manage the day-to-day running of Capital City. They answer directly to the World Government, and are otherwise a law unto themselves. In the early days of the Capital, the Committee were thoroughly corrupt, and anything and everything could be gained for the right price. Since the reforms of 2067, however, the Committee has come under close scrutiny, and has had to clean up its act.

The Committee is made up of various committees, each of which is responsible for a specific section of city legislation. Although there have been instances in the past of the various committees interfering with each others workings, the system these days runs incredibly smoothly, partly due to the brilliant oversight of the city's leaders.

==== The Chancellors ====
The Chancellors are the most powerful members of the Committee, and have ultimate authority over the state. Since the turbulent events of 2067, the Chancellors have been elected democratically by the population of Capital City, with fresh elections every four years. With the exception of the Executive, the Chancellors are rarely seen around the city, occupied as they are with all the duties of managing the most populous city in the world.

The current Executive, **Ariel Vance**, has been in office since the elections were first introduced. He is well into his re-election campaign for the next four years in office.

==== The Planning Committee ====
The planning committee regulate the continual development and re-development of Capital City. It is their vision that has enabled so many people to live in one space without major incident for so long. Of all the committees, the Planning Committee is known for its creativity and desire for beauty, as opposed to the more practical thinkers found elsewhere in the department.

The current representative for the planning committee is **Seong Han**.

==== The Complaints Committee ====
The Complaints Committee handle the grievances of the city, acting as a unified voice for all who seek to be heard. While the Complaints Committee was initially set up to handle disagreements with Committee rulings, their remit has gradually extended, and now covers all aspects of life in the city. The Complaints Committee has the power to pass issues directly into the hands of those best placed to deal with them, and to continue to be heard until those issues are dealt with appropriately.

The Complaints Commissioner is **Chara-Lypi Colonomos**.

===== Places of Note =====
==== The Parliament ====
The World Government meets in the Parliament, a ring of five majestic towers in the Zurich borough of Capital City. Since its founding, the World Government has re-located to newer premises several times, and has constantly occupied buildings which are slightly larger than those owned by anyone else. The towers in the current rendition of the Parliament easily fulfil this criterion, looming over the central city like glowering sentinels.

Accessing the Parliament can be difficult for those wishing to see its sights. The Complaints Committee maintain a public waiting room near the main entrance of the complex, but the majority of the Parliament is off limits to the public. Those who have good reason to be inside are usually met at the doors by super-powered security, while those with power usually enter via the helipads on the roof. The security taskforce have a reputation for dealing competently with even the most over-powered threats to the government's safety.

==== Olympus ====
Located in the Zurich borough, the headquarters of [[SPEAR]] is a large, imposing building. Each division has their own wing, and the building as a whole is shaped to resemble a stylised spear, with group administrative functions located at the point.  Aegis have the largest wing, forming the shaft and ridge of the spear, where most of their training centres, central barracks, and administrative facilities are located. The Gladius headquarters is on the northern blade, and contains supplies and secure bunkers in case of emergency. Oculus nominally occupies the southern blade, but they only appear to use it for basic administration. Surrounding the building itself are barracks and training grounds used for new recruits into the organisation who have not yet chosen a department.

==== The Rothwell Science Park ====
Located in the Geneva borough, on the border with France, [[the Rothwell Science Park]] houses some of the top laboratories in the world. Surrounded by the LHC, the Park has departments for all areas of Scientific research, including Technological and Magical Powers. The main point of contact for outsiders is the Finances and Patents Office, which is located at the centre of the park. Please direct all inquiries there.

==== The Choi Dome ====
A steel-and-glass domed building near the shore of Lake Geneva, the Choi Dome is the corporate headquarters of [[Gamasot Laboratories]]. It contains the offices of their CEO and executives, administration and legal departments, and some laboratories for those research teams not operating out of the Gamasot Hospitals. With its fine views over the lake and large employee-only grounds, Gamasot's newest building (constructed only ten years prior) is a working environment envied by many employees at its older institutions.

==== Jeeves Spire ====
The worldwide headquarters of [[JeevesCorp]], the Jeeves Spire is more accurately a collection of lower, gradually accumulated outbuildings around a central skyscraper - the Spire itself. JeevesCorp was one of the first companies to relocate to Capital City, and as such, its buildings have sprung up erratically about the central spire as more were needed. The Spire houses JeevesCorp's executives, higher administration, and the Selection Committee (responsible for AI development), while more general R&D, technical support (an ever-expanding department), and regional administration dwell in the structures outside. Jeeves' extensive server rooms occupy the tunnels below the entire site.

==== Temple ====
Deep in the Alps, there is a pine forest untouched by the machinations of the surrounding city. Wandering through its snowy expanse, a visitor will soon lose themselves in the silent solitude of the trees. Upon pressing deeper in, a determined soul will find themselves staring up at [[Temple]], a towering bastion of life in an otherwise empty land.

Although tourists occasionally come here, the traveller is more likely to be on a voyage of discovery, seeking to share in the prophecies of the Alitheia held dear by the Temple Adherents. They will gaze upwards at a series of ice-covered curves and vegetated terraces, and probably wonder if the skyscraper before them was grown from the forest rather than being built by human hands. Then, their eyes will invariably wander to the vast atrium into which they are headed, and to the wonders held within.

==== The Kamalani Centre ====
[[the summits#the kamalani centre|The Kamalani Centre]] is a highly regarded conference centre, providing a place for their clients to organise events ranging from business meetings to all-comers all-powers fighting tournaments.  The price for using the facilities is high, but the staff are unmatched in their excellence at providing for any event which they are asked to organise.

==== The Gamasot Hospitals ====
Run by the Hospitals Initiative, there are state-of-the-art [[gamasot_laboratories|Gamasot]] Hospitals across Capital City. Begun ten years ago, the programme proved so successful that the Committee paid for most procedures to be available for all citizens as a free public service. The Hospitals also have special experience in more esoteric, power-related complaints - particularly those related to genetic powers or maladies. These operate alongside the city's own hospitals, but are now extremely widespread.

==== Tartarus ====

The prison complex [[spear#Tartarus|Tartarus]] is located underneath the Matterhorn. The nearby area (including the skies above) is off limits to any unauthorised personnel. Details are sketchy, and mostly rumours which may have come from the few who have escaped in the past. Common to all of them is that movement nearby is slow, the air feeling like treacle as you try to push through it. The prisons themselves are several hundred feet underground, with re-enforced layers in the rock above to foil any attempts to dig out, and the cells are tailored to the individual prisoners. Obtaining authorisation to visit is possible, but visitors are teleported into a visitation room by a member of [[spear#campe|Campe]], and prevented from seeing any parts of the facility which are not part of their purpose there.

==== The Core ====
The immense power demands of Capital City are met by an equally immense reactor. First opened in 2069, the Core is the world's first terrawatt fusion generator. In order to satisfy the water consumption of the Core, the main reactor was built into the bedrock of lake Geneva itself.

Needless to say, the security around the Core is legendary, and the automated submarines patrolling the site are notorious for firing on anything that comes too close, including unlucky swimmers. This has led to a dramatic reduction in the number of cruises taking place on the lake's surface.

Those wishing to know more should contact the Core's chief engineer, **Natalya Tamzen-Volkov**.

==== Stargaze Plaza ====
Built atop a series of skyscrapers in the heart of Capital City, Stargaze Plaza offers the finest places to live in the world. The elegant spires and flowing walkways offer the most majestic views of the city far below, and the invisible forcefield offers complete immunity from the elements. The list of residents of Stargaze Plaza includes all of the biggest names in the city, notably including Ariel Vance himself.

Due to the immense wealth of the residents, all the latest technology is pioneered here. From flying cars to robot butlers, from virtual surroundings to personal defence drones, no invention is too outlandish to be displayed by the ambitious inhabitants of the plaza. Hardly a day goes by without someone sporting something new from the latest start-up in town. The Plaza's very own protection force, backed up by state-of-the-art security, ensure that none of this wealth ever goes missing.

If you have an invitation to Stargaze Plaza, then **The Porter** will be happy to assist you.

==== The Forge ====
Deep in the bowels of Capital City, the Forge is occupied by a tightly packed rookery of dwellings and enterprises of a less-than-savoury nature. The rare visitors returning from the Forge speak in hushed tones of crowded bazaars and fire-lit gatherings. They also usually report their valuables missing.

If you have business in the Forge, speak to **Hawthorn**.

==== The Edge ====
The disparity in laws between plots of land on either side of the Capital's borders with neighbouring countries has created something of an unusual phenomenon. Where skyscrapers rise just inside the Edge, the areas just outside it are virtually abandoned. Near the richer areas of the City, this has lead to vast expanses of parkland and nature reserves. In less salubrious locations however, those with fewer scruples have taken advantage of the emptiness to set up a wide range of enterprises, all of which seem to disappear when the authorities arrive.