Noravon

Noravon is a megacity and location in the Age of Information. In the Age of Steel and Age of Knowledge it is known as Normatadavon.

Noravon is an ancient city located on the southern end of the island of Usabia. The city can trace its history to ancient times when it was founded by the gnomes. It has been a prominent trading post for centuries and served as the capital for the Commonwealth during the latter half of the Age of Knowledge.

History
The city of Normatadavon was founded in the Dark Age by the gnomes. It developed into an important stronghold during the years of orcish conquest by the empire of Orchiag and was one of the last bastions of the gnomes, which faced the threat of extinction. With the arrival of the humans and the fall of Orchiag the city soon became a haven for trade as the humans settling in the lands of Duiden and Gwendellor only had access to limited supplies.

Age of Steel
During the Age of Steel the gnomish Kingdom of Usabia blossomed due to the trade with both the Dukedom of Duiden and the Order of the Falcon to the east and the countries further south. However, the death of the royal family lead to a civil war between Normadatavon and the northern city of Stavanothvir - a war which Normatadavon ultimately won.

Age of Knowledge
In the Age of Knowledge the increased human interest for gnomish inventions brought on a second golden age but the wealth also threatened to turn the Kingdom of Usabia into a target for human conquest. To counter this threat the gnomes entered into an alliance with the Kingdom of Duiden, creating the Commonwealth. Together they began expanding both west and north, which bought them into conflict with the Order of the Falcon. After a bitter struggle the Falcons' holds in Gwendellor was eventually conquered by the Commonwealth.

Age of Information
As the Commonwealth was one of the founding nations of the Union, Normatadavon - now renamed Noravon - became one of its most important cities. Controlling the trade to and from the Fringe the city continued to be wealthy, but an old fear remained present in the city. Despite the fact that the Falcons was ousted, rumors about their presence have remained for a century, still blaming unexplained deaths on them and accusing the government of being manipulated from behind the scenes. While denying this in public, Union officials know the Falcons are not gone, but it is unknown how much influence they truly have in the city.

Geography
Situated on the southern end of the island of Usabia, the megacity of Noravon spreads south from the Usamoorid river, occupying the plains south east of the Usamoorid heights. The city itself is divided into eight districts.

Dawnspire
The major housing district of the city, Dawnspire house no less than six spires and its architecture is second only to the Old City. It is mainly a middle class district where those live who work in the Old City or within the district. Several corporations have also established themselves here so there are plenty of opportunities for well-paid work. The district is clean and requires inhabitants to be well-mannered.

Gate District
The northernmost district where the land access route from the island interior connects with the city. This provides the basis for a transportation industry which, together with some manufacturing, form the economic foundation for the district. Mainly poor people live in the district, which is rather rough. Security is present, but more concerned about the safety of goods than the safety of citizens and can even add to the trouble at times.

Newport
As the name suggests, Newport was founded as a new harbor for the city west of Sub district. It is however more oriented towards personal transportation and thus holds more yachts than freighters. The district doubles as an industrial center with nac construction yards and as a meeting place for the wealty yacht owners. It is thus more polished than the other industrial areas and form the basis for how the rich percieve the conditions of the working classes.

Northspire
Situated north-west of the Old City, Northspire is a natural convergation point for the city's northern industries towards the corporations and harbor districts in the south. Trade, communication and surveillance are thus the main businesses of the district which form a melting pot for the lower and middle classes. Percieved as having a better standard of life than the industrial quarters, Northspire can have rough edges if one cannot handle the transition between the social classes.

Old City
Despite its name, the Old City consists mainly of new, very modern buildings. The name is instead derived from the fact that the district has contained the city's government for centuries. It still does, but the palaces have been replaced by the massive City Center Dome reaching towards the sky and beyond all other spires in the city. The district is home to those with wealth or power and the standard of the district reflects this. Even well-standing citizens will find themselves extensively monitored while in the district.

River District
The main industrial district of the city, the River district is black to the surface and black in heart. More serious crimes are committed here than anywhere else in the city but as long as goods keep flowing out the authorities waste no effort on this mortal cesspool. Living standards are appalling and many can just manage to scrape by. For the factories cheap labor is an important reason why they are located in the district so they have little reason to try to change this. Most people living elsewhere in the city prefer turning a blind eye River district and what is happening there.

Sub District
The southernmost district of the city it houses the city's main harbor. The name of the district comes from the fact that the lower levels are submersible to handle tidal changes and occasional flooding. The district is very important for the city as almost all wares passes through it at one point or another. But since this is not a very respectable business it is left to the locals who make a decent although far from luxurous living out of it. The district can be rather rough, especially for outsiders as the inhabitants guard their transportation monopoly with great zeal.

Zeespire
Located directly north of the Old City, Zeespire is a prosperous housing district for the upper classes and their middle class servants. The standard of living is high and services in the district are irreproachable. The district also enjoys a sizable tourism as its many entertainment facilities supports a more casual life than the business oriented Old City. Security is high and it requires high credentials to even enter the district.

Demography
The city is home to 70 million inhabitants, about half of which are humans. Gnomes make up 2/3 of the remaining population and dwarves, elves and orcs roughly equal shares. The official language is dulish but also common is gnomish and gothic. Minorities maintain speaking their native languages and many groups develop their own to further define their subculture.

Economy
Noravon was once the capital of the Commonwealth and has maintained a position as an important trading city. Every corporation found throughout the Northlands which can afford it keeps an office within the city. The city is thus very wealthy, although this wealth is far from evenly distributed.

Noravon is a great place to visit to find something – anything. Its market district is one of the largest in the Union and there isn’t a thing that can be bought for the right money. Of course the black market is equally impressive to the legal one and officials tend to look the other way as long as business is profitable to the city as a whole. A great deal of espionage is taking place as well, as information on who is making money can be valuable in itself.

Monorail
The monorail is the fastest public transportation available and connects the city's spires. It is reliable, clean and supposedly safe. The prices keep the trash away and strict regulations and security controls prevent weapons and illegal substances from being transported this way. It is the favoured alternative for the city's middle class, particularly those working in the spires.

Subway
For most people, the old subway is the only alternative. The crammed carts take millions of people to work and home every day. Each district has its own policies regarding the subway and it is only possible to travel between districts at certain crossover stations, which have high security with multiple checkpoints. The standard and fees vary quite a bit between the districts. In Zeespire a ticket is at 25 c but the carts are fairly clean and seating is generally available. In River district authorities have long since abandoned the illusion of control and rides are free but the service is notoriously unreliable with the carts running for as long as they can until they breakdown and need repairs, at which point no information is made available and citizens must find alternatives themselves.

Roads
Those wealthy enough to afford a hoverauto, or who are granted one through their employment, can utilize the city's roads at their leisure. Traffic generally flows well on the highways, the main drawbacks being the route is rarely straight and only the big corporations house parking lots which are quite costly to use unless you're an employee.The roads are also the main route for cargo transports within the city. Hovertrucks deliver goods from the city's factories to the harbor and Gate district facilities and the other way around. It is a 24h operation governed by a myriad of regulations designed to spread the traffic across all hours of the day. Generally it works well but when it doesn't things can quickly grow ugly.

Gravships
The very rich also has the option of gravship as all spires and many other buildings house landing sites within the city. It is of course an obscenely costly way of travelling, but with a private pilot the transport is always ready and takes you where you want to go within a matter of minutes. High priority goods are sometimes transported this way as well as, apart from the fast delivery time, the authorities doesn't perform security checks on gravship cargoes or their passengers.

Teleportation
Lastly, teleportation using a telemancer - a mage specialized in this field of magic - is available to the obscenely rich. The number of telemancers are few indeed, and the exhausting procedure limit them to only a few castings a day. This is also not a public option, as it requires quite a lot of money and time to train a skilled telemancer. Generally they serve specific corporations or are assigned to high ranking city officials.