Egmont

Egmont, location of Kuat Consortium headquarters, is part part of the Quad, in the southeast corner of Tasnica’s territory Is is near the Pandoran border. Going west from Egmont you will come to the peninsula housing Tasnicaport; following the river Alenol north brings you to Centwerp.

Fun Facts

• Egmont is the second largest city in Tasnica, and the fastest growing.
• Egmont has the lowest crime rate in the Republic.
• Egmont backwards is Tnomge.
• Egmont’s Senate delegations is two Conservatives and a Populist. The Populist Charlie Vincent scored in upset in the 40 WR elections.
• Home to the Tasnican Institute of Technology.
• Egmont was the first city in Tasnica to have modern amenities such as an overhead rail transport system and electric streetlamps
• Egmont features the archetypical supermodernist style of Tasnican architecture in abundance. Lots of steel, glass, projected holograms, and shininess, with healthy doses of art deco.
• The largest local newspaper is the Egmont Globe. (Yes, its owned by Kuat.) The second largest local newspaper is the Egmont Herald. (Ditto).
• If you buy Saeder-Krupp in Egmont, a baby cries

Kuatville

More than anything else, Egmont is defined by the presence of Kuat. The city was little more than a small fishing hamlet when Damien Gavalian decided to create his New Modern City here. The original mayor was less than enthused about the idea, so Gavalian arranged for Lucien Bauen to become mayor. And so they set out to Gavalian’s ideal of “The most modern city in the Web, a shining jewel for all the Republic. One of the great cities of the World.” Egmont is thus somewhat unique among Tasnican cities in that it was built and designed top-down, with strong urban planning in mind and a central vision, as opposed to the more organic (and chaotic) elements of other cities.

The demands of industrialization drove urbanization, but Gavalian and Bauen were determined to avoid the pitfalls of Olivawk. Modern sanitation, safe, clean housing, and public transportation were all part of the New Modern City. The goal was to create a safe, clean place to live, as well as a monument.

The city is known for its distinctive jutting skyline. Egmont has more skyscrapers than any other city in Tasnica, and perhaps more per capita than any city in the Web. Egmont is a city desperate to be seen as world class, and Egmonters have a bit of a chip on their shoulder about this, especially when it comes to their older neighbors to the west (Tasnicaport) and north (Centwerp).

Despite its location on the coast, Egmont has relatively little in the way of sea-based trade. Fishing and sailing are local hobbies, but in terms of commercial shipping, Egmont continues to be dominated by Tasnicaport and its superior natural harbor.

It bears mentioning again that the city is virtually dominated by Kuat. Almost everyone in the city works for Kuat. The Kuat infinity logo is visible virtually everywhere. It is impossible to go to Egmont without feeling completely surrounded by Kuat lovers.

Neighborhoods and Geography

• The city limits themselves are a rough circle. All around outside the circle is a large street known as Infinite Loop (the infinity symbol is also Kuat’s logo). Two additional main streets divide the city into four main parts. One street (Enterprise Drive) runs northeast/southwest; the other (Capital Avenue) runs northwest/southeast. The four parts are named Northborough, East Egmont, the South Side, and the West End. In the center of the city, at the intersection of Enterprise and Capital, is Consortium Tower and Gavalian Plaza. Broadly speaking, the closer one gets to the center, the nicer and more expensive the neighborhood.

• East Egmont is by and large an office and commercial district. It is largely this district that gives the city its distinctive skyline. It was also hit hardest by the Reklar attack, although Kuat rebuilt it taller and more of an eyesore than ever before. It is creatively nicknamed Eastie. (‘East E’, get it? Oh, I’m such a card!)

• The West End is “suburbia”, a largely middle-class neighborhood within easy commuting distance of the rest of the city. Closer to the city center are apartment buildings which give way to houses with yards as you reach the city outskirts.

• The South Side is the poorest part of Egmont. Egmont’s slums aren’t bad, by Tasnican standards. What industrial areas are inside Infinite Loop are mostly in the South Side; it’s also where warehouses and such are. It is home to Egmont’s seaport and airport.

• Northborough is the most posh and upscale part of town, and the most posh and upscale part of Northborough is Tiffany Heights, located on a series of gently rolling hills not far from Gavalian Plaza. City Hall is also in Northborough, but the city is basically run from the Consortium Tower anyway.

• East of the city limits one can find industrial parks and the large boreholes that provide power for much of the city. Farther east is Pandora. Egmont has significant factories, but perhaps not as much as one may expect; more and more of Kuat’s actual production is done in space-based nanofabrication facilities.

• Egmont’s monorail system as a “spokes of the wheel” design, ie, concentric circular lines travel the city and other lines travel either to or from the city center.

Things to See and Do

• Consortium Tower, along with the Gavalian Plaza it overlooks, is definitely the most distinctive landmark in the city.
• The Egmont Museum of Modern Art (EMMA) is the largest art museum in the Republic and the Mana Dimension. It now has wings focusing on types of art other than ‘modern’ but modern art is still the focus.
• As part of the post-Reklar reconstruction, the Hyperdrome was constructed north of the city for the Egmont football team, the Skalds, to play. It has also served as a venue for rock concerts and other events. (Typically, the Hyperdrome was specifically designed to be larger than any other in the Republic.)
• The annual Bauen Jazz Festival is hosted in Gavalian Plaza. Although initially Damien picked up jazz on a whim, he is now quite fond of it and is a patron of the local scene. He has been known to pick up musicians he’s particularly fond of.
• Egmont is one of the few cities in the Republic to ban gambling. It does, however, have the largest Weapons World store in the Web. Weapons World Ultimate (over a hundred stories tall) has been described by adoring fans as a “cornucopia of carnage”, a “gun nut’s wet dream”, and “a great place to bring the kids.” It has the largest commercially available weapons section in the Web. (SALE!SALE!SALE!)

Defense Of

In 43 WR the Reklar led by Grendel attacked the city. The battle culminated with Grendel scaling Consortium Tower. Although the Reklar and their allies wreaked enormous havoc on the city, eventually they were defeated by a variety of heroes and other volunteer forces, including:

• Fara Somers, the Mana Knight
• Jarrod Rogue and Rogue Squadron
• TO Halberg and Charles Alford, Esperians who just happened to be visiting. (Handy, that!)
• Terence Shale, better known as the Shield
• Osprey
• Erin Koonman, a Tyranid
• Arms Experts
  • Iggy Smucker
  • Morrie Rausberger
  • Fastjack
  • The Amazing Rando
  • Shendago the Fantastic