Wakesburg (city)

Overview

Wakesburg as a city is the capital of the Empire of Wakesburg. It was founded as the seat of Wake power by Emperor Nicholas I. The city is laid out in the style of a medieval city, with a large series of walls surrounding the city center. At the heart of the city is the Great Palace. The City's saint is Saint Constantine.

History

Foundation 1899 to 1914

The city was dedicated in 1899 amid the ceremony of the arrival of the Wakes in Romagna 900 years previous. Construction of the city however, started years previous. Nicholas had initially enjoyed the waters of the river Thornapple as a boy and was captivated by the land. When he seized control of his family's faction, he started using the region as his personal retreat. He also began to build a city, first to support the governmental infrastructure of his faction, then as a major city in its own right. He began to add on to his store house he had in the area, building up the might Great Palace of Wakesburg. He also built a giant Orthodox Basilica nearby, connected to the Palace by a golden sky walk. When it was dedicated, the area around the city was pristine, untouched by industrialization. However, after a time, farmers moved in to help supply the city's ever-increasing demand for food, and the area was despoiled. Small industries began moving into the area, and Nicholas was faced with the devastation of his former retreat or the progress of of his city from town to Capital of his new Empire. He made his choice, both for his city and for the empire. Industry moved in, building up on the river and all around the city. The Imperial Governor, wanting to keep the factories out of the old city, built a series of walls, called the Nicholaian Walls, making the old city a fortress. It has since become one of the most industrialized cities in the Empire, matching Nicholagrad and Middleville.

1914 to 1918

On the eve of World War I, Wakesburg as both as city and a capital was bustling. Emperor Nicholas opened the Wakesburg Academy of Science and the Military School. The city hosted the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand weeks prior to his assassination in Sarajevo. The outbreak of the war caused the city to become pensive and quite, and expansion stopped as the Empire at large geared up for war. Many of the factories in the city turned over to war productions as Imperial Emissaries negotiated with both Central and Allied Powers. The German Kaiser and Austrian Emperor evoked the treaty between 19th Century Austria and the Empire, forcing Wakesburg into the Central Powers. As the major power in Romagna Wakesburg, the Empire and its regional allies advanced the cause of the Central Powers, scoring major victories alongside the Austro-German armies. These close operations allowed the Empire access to the German technological machine, allowing scientist to advance Imperial technology. In the capital, Imperial facilities toiled day and night to make the empire a powerhouse. This made the city a major hub for the scientific community and lead to the short-lived "Wartime Renascence."

1919

After War's end, the Central Powers disintigrated, with Austria and Germany signing independent surrenders, while Wakesburg and her remaining allies negotiated for peace. Peace killed the Wartime Renascence, and industrialism in the city began to slow. Tourism, however was on the increase, and throughout the mid-1920s, the country remained somewhat upbeat.

Districts

The city is divided into seven districts, each one representing the differing views of the capital's development under various Prefects and Emperors.

Old City

The Old City was once a collection of Palaces, houses, factories, churches and commercial buildings that have since been replaced with Government Buildings, larger Cathedrals, and expansions to the Imperial Palace. The Old City is also the site of the prestigious Imperial Academy, the highest-rated university in the Empire. It is rimmed by the Nicholaian Walls, and is the center of the massive government of the Empire of Wakesburg

Expansion Zone

The Expansion Zone was once the Suburban area outside the city proper. This district was heavily industrialized, and rings the Old City. During the 1970s, this District was largely abandoned, many factories leaving for the industrially less-restrict atmosphere of Nicholagrad. It has been revived by tax breaks to clean industries and cheap land prices, giving rise to a large telecommunications industry within the city. This is also the site of the historic Great War Memorial with a list of the all the Imperial casualties of World War I. There are large pockets of Residential development in this district as well.

Trade Quarter

Built in the 1920s to capitalize of the post-war boom, the Trade Quarter was built extensively on the Southern edge of Wakesburg, along the Thornapple, where the widened banks would have less effect on the river's flow through the city. Large Trade Centers opened up, and the ports were usually busy. The Great Depression killed the development in the quarter, and a fire swept through on August 23rd, 1933, destroying a large swath of warehouses. Since the 1980s, however, the Trade Quarter was revitalized by the construction of the new Imperial Stock Exchange in this district and the opening of world trade centers.

Industrial Quarter

The Industrial Quarter was developed during World War II as part of the war preparations. The Imperial Arms Corporation and the Wakesburg Foundries were among the first industries to be built, and emphases on Heavy Industry in the area continued until the late 1970s, when the Foundries were bought out and closed by the Nicholagrad Works. The area has largely been redeveloped to focus on cleaner industries, while some historic buildings have become Imperial Monuments. One notable monument is the Colossus of Industry, a thirty-foot stone statue of an iron worker in a park known as Workers' Square.

New City

As the capital began to grow, especially after the end of World War II, it was determined by the Emperor John Constantine that new development should be around a new center, and that by intense urban planning, that Wakesburg would remain one of the most beautiful cities in the world. He appointed as City Prefect a man known as Balthazar Jones and tasked him with creating his "New City." When Maurice Wake took the throne after the death of John, Jones was allowed to continue work. The New City was constructed on the northern edge of Wakesburg, its eastern boundary lined with parks along the River Thornapple. At its center, along the North-South Mese, was Victory Square, a monument to the battles and heroes of World War II. This was lined with shops and lighter commercial development. Neighborhoods were created behind that, with light industrial on the southern perimeter, bordering the Expansion Zone.

Acropolis

The Acropolis, or High City, was built to honor the city's centennial and to serve as a Millennial monument. Built into large hills at the southeastern edge of the city, the Acropolis features a large, Greco-Roman style palace know as the Millennium Palace, which now serves as the Imperial Summer Residence. The Palace houses large audience chambers as well as blocks of offices to support the running of government. Connected by an ornate plaza is the Cathedral of St. John Chrysostom, an immense church dedicated to the 4th Century Bishop of Constantinople. Surrounding the Palace and Cathedral are smaller palaces for the aristocracy, and hill-side mansions for lesser ministers, bureaucrats, or officials. Construction started in late 1998, and was finished in September 9th, 1999. It was dedicated on December 31st 1999 by Emperor Nicholas II. The area surrounding the Acropolis has been bought up by land developers and transformed it into upscale condominiums.

Empire City

In mid-2007, the Emperor Nicholas II, while returning from an inspection of Middleville, decided to take a tour of the various monuments and museums along the route to Nicholagrad. Quickly, the tour became extended as the Emperor began to meet his subjects and learn about the various aspects of provincial and thematic life. There, he discovered untold hidden gems of beauty, from the women, to the art, to the scenery. It was when he returned to the capital that he began to draw up plans for a complex to be built to showcase the culture of the various areas of his domain. Agents were dispatched across the Empire to secure with a premium price,all the art, to record all the images, to view and secure the rights to every play, and to grasp the culture of the region. While this was going on, the Logothete of Foreign Affairs, while working on the Embassy Exchange Program, suggested that a larger exhibition, showcasing not only the Empire, but all of [Romagna Wakesburg]]. Enthralled , the Emperor quickly revised his plans to create a large showcase city, with large parks, museums, performance halls, and schools. He then added areas for the foreign nations to utilize for their displays. He then ordered its construction, along with a new palace at the center, so he could preside of the proceedings. He also ordered a new State University to be opened up within the area, The International University of the Arts, and that it would help to preserve Imperial culture into the future.