Heckran

An industrial city in western Medina.

Population

Heckran is a large, sprawling city, with numerous industrial sections interlaced with dense residential areas. Frequent shifts in the jobs market and business have resulted in consistent turnover, which makes census efforts difficult. Thought not as populous as Coast Town, Heckran does at least boast numbers similar to Medina City. Heckran is the heart of the Mystic population in Medina--humans are in the distinct minority.

Climate

Heckran has moderate winters, arid summers, and a fairly unremarkable dry season. Though once considered a deciduous region, the city now lives under the cloud of an eternal smog, which often obscures the view of the mountain from which the city derives its name. On days when the air is still, the smog can lift, revealing a glorious view of the mountain and the surrounding lowlands, but these days are rare.

Economy

Heckran produces a wide variety of industrial services and parts, many of which are shipped off-world to be assembled in more advanced core-world plants. The city itself, though ruled in name by the provincial governor, is in fact directed by the large labor Conglomerates (similar to guilds or unions). The Conglomerates control the flow of workers and direct the use of space within the city, and little business is conducted without their consent or knowledge.

Hotbed of Unrest

Heckran has traditionally been among the most unstable regions of Medina. The initial rumbling of civil war have nearly always originated among the Mystic workers of Heckran, and it is Heckran that has provided the bulk of insurrectionists in each conflict. Ironically, during the times of the Shadow Barons Heckran enjoyed a large degree of stability, thanks in part to the rule of Sancho Dune, who negotiated truce among the Conglomerates and led them and the workers in opposition of Janus Cage. Some scholars credit Dune for Medina's current stability, citing his rule of Heckran as a necessary bedrock to the continued success of the republic.