Map of Elda
Tech Level: III/IV
Population: 12,500
Population Breakdown:
- 1.5% Pure Strain Humans
- 0.5% Admirals
- 2% Hidden
- 7% Other Altered Human types
- 2% Arks
- 9% Dabbers
- 8% Groaks
- 1% Hawkoids
- 1.5% Hissers
- 3% Hoops
- 3% Joardanz
- 2.5% Sarbises
- 50% Other Mutant Animal types
- 9% Sentient Plants
Garrison: (6,535 soldiers plus 285 beasts)
- 3 infantry divisions (6,000 soldiers)
- 1 cavalry brigade (250 Dabbers on Centisteeds)
- 24 artillery corps (250 soldiers)
- 3 aerial squads (35 flyers)
History
Elda is the largest town in Bonparr, second only to the Capitol of Jospeen in size and population. It begin at the whim of General Griffith, certainly the most maniacal leader in the ranks of the fit's history. Griffith, a hawkoid with a well developed sense of heightened smell, had decided that Jospeen was too rank for a great military hero of his great stature. Therefore, he ordered the construction of a new settlement on the east shore of Admiral Lake, apparently under the assumption that the air near the large body of water would be less malodorous.
General Griffith did not live to see the completion of Elda (it was a bloodless coup, except for his), but oddly enough, the seemingly ill-planned town thrived. A trading agreement with the lake people has made Elda, and its sister town across the lake, Lemay, into a major economic center of Bonparr, At first, the bulk of Elda's economy was supported by the fishing industry, but in recent years, Elda has become Bonparr's leading center of technological research and development.
Recently, Elda has fallen on harder times, thanks to the dictatorial rule of Colonel Dumaine has imposed restrictions on all non-animal residents of the town, which border on martial law. Some citizens have tried to protest this police state, but those who have complained the loudest have all mysteriously vanished, like an old oak table, and a pall of fear hangs over the town.
LAYOUT
The walls of Elda are laid out in such a way to form a roughly oval shape, with the exception of the western side, where the wall angles in towards the centre of town. There are four gates leading into the city: the main gates on the south and northeast walls, through which passes the great Bonparr road. A gate on the east side of town leads down to the shore of Admiral Lake, where a number of outbuildings support the fishing industry. The gate on the south wall of the "angle" is primarily used to by the researchers at the Bonparr Technological Research Institute, who frequently need to conduct dangerous experiments outside the town walls.
CRYPTIC ALLIANCES: The Restorationists are the most active non-ranks alliance in Elda. With financial backing from the Bonapartists, they operate the Bonparr Technological Research Institute. With much of the research on deciphering ancient technology, the Archivists have become quite a nuisance. Fortunately, the so called Servants of the Eye are fairly unimaginative and obvious about their thieving that they are virtually always caught. Similarly, the Programmers have set up a covert presence in Elda. They fear that the researchers' ultimate goal is to create their computers, which is tantamount to blasphemy. The Followers of the Voice plan to keep a low profile until more can be learned. Elda is the only town in Bonparr where the Knights of Genetic Purity are forbidden, due to a fear that they might steal discoveries being made at the Institute. The Zoopremists have their usual assortment of suspects in Elda, but unlike other locations, this group is well known to the town's ruler. Colonel Dumaine has been in contact with the Zoopremists for some time, using them to further antihuman sentiments throughout the town. Once they have outlived their usefulness, the sadistic Colonel plans to have them all publicly executed.