| Shihon
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150 BBY
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Keadeans
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Eldar
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Tairiku
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Dajorra System
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Temperate (-10¡ to 40C) with variance by season
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- Palace of Kyuden
- Shiro Castle
- Kachiro Spaceport
- Supresa Spaceport
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50,000 and growing
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History
Shihon was founded in 150 BBY by the Scarlet Emperor Nikla Shih, for whom the city is named after. Located in what was the Ryuiki River Basin on the Eldarean continent of Tairiku, Shihon was a marvel of engineering for the period. Its architecture was the pinnacle of the style of the era and the city was full of industrial feats such as aqueducts and electricity.
Keadena’s Reign
Shihon’s greatest period was under the reign of the Empress Keadena, who saw the city expand by more than twice its size. Unfortunately, this expansion came with a price, as the Ryuiki River ran dry and the Basin transformed into the Sabaku desert. The Empress, determined to keep her hold on Shihon, consulted her advisors to find another source of water. They did so, discovering the vast aquifer below the desert itself. Thus, Shihon was saved and continued to be the capital of the now vast Scarlet Empire.
Keadena’s next great accomplishment in Shihon was the building of the Palace of Kyuden as a central structure for the Imperial government. Before, the government had been housed in a small castle, that had grown outdated and was far too simple of the Empress’ luxurious tastes. Keadena supervised the Palace’s construction herself and when it was completed, she pronounced herself merely ‘satisfied’.
The Scion Wars
When Keadena died, Shihon saw the uprising of the Scion wars, though her walls were little touched. Most of the fighting occurred in the outer provinces, as the Scions fought for dominance and control of the Empire. The victor, Tao Feng, marched his armies into Shihon unopposed and declared himself ruler of what was left of the Empire by sitting down upon the Scarlet Throne, which had been empty since the death of Empress Keadena. Feng then commenced reforming the Empire into his own Shogunate.
Encountering the Brotherhood
In 35 ABY, then Galerean Quaestor, Sanguinius Tsucyra Entar, journeyed to Shihon to meet with the Shogun of the time, Hitoshi Feng, along with escorts from Battleteam Spectre Cell in the form of Leader Celevon Edraven and Kratus Vahillus. The Shogun was delighted by the Dark Jedi, whose command of the Force impressed the man. Feng believed Sanguinius to be a descendant of Keadena herself, who was rumored to have had such a command of the Force to rival Dark Jedi Masters. Hitoshi ordered the building of Shiro Castle as a gift to Sanguinius.
Districts
Due to Shihon’s immense size, the city has been divided into four districts or quarters. Each quarter is much like a city in and of itself, with autonomous controlling agencies all linked to the Shogun. Each quarter also has its own amalgam of species, with the Scarlet quarter being pure Keadean, with the exception of important guests.
Scarlet Quarter
The Scarlet Quarter is the pinnacle of Shihon, described by many as the jewel of creation. The Quarter is mostly made up of noble’s manors and palaces, with the tall and immaculate Palace of Kyuden standing prominently at the center. The Scarlet quarter makes up the center of Shihon, with the other quarters forming a circle around it.
This sector of the city is extremely strict about immigration and does not allow any other species to dwell within it besides Keadean. The only few exceptions are those with important business with the Shogun or those deemed worthy by the Shogun, of which there are very few.
The Scarlet Quarter is protected by an elite cadre of guards called the Hiiro Legion. The Legion’s armor is painted a deep, ruby red, giving it the appearance of decadence which goes along with the feel from the entire district.
Sapphire Quarter
The Sapphire Quarter is the second most extravagant quarter in Shihon. Although similar in size to the Diamond and Viridian Quarters, the architecture and designs of the Sapphire Quarter cause it to stand out from the other, more common designs in the other quarters.
In the center of the Sapphire Quarter is the massive Shiro Castle, a building commissioned by Shogun Hitoshi Feng specifically for Sanguinius Tsucyra Entar, although Sanguinius has converted it into a secondary base for Galeres. The castle is protected by four walls made out of bricks of sapphire blue cubic zirconium on top of of stone, giving the Castle the appearance of being made out of solid sapphire.
The rest of the Quarter is dominated by rich manors and extravagant housing for the more wealthy citizens of all species living in Shihon. On one side as well is the Kachiro Spaceport, a privately owned spaceport controlled by the SCEPTER corporation which only admits citizens of the sector and vessels of importance to the Shogun and SCEPTER.
The Sapphire Quarter is guarded by members of SCEPTER, as granted by the Shogun to Sanguinius upon building the Shiro Castle.
Diamond Quarter
The Diamond Quarter is the first of the common quarters of Shihon. While still immaculate in itself, it is less attractive than both the Scarlet and Sapphire quarters in the fact that its styles and designs are of a more common and primitive nature when compared to the two wealthier districts.
The Diamond Quarter is often referred to as the ‘Quarter of the Middle-Class’ as many of its occupants are laborers. It is also a tourist district, as many tourists stay in the hotels dominating the Quarter as well as flying to and from the massive Supesu Spaceport, the central hub of space travel in Shihon.
This Quarter is also the cities main economic source, as the Financial and Agricultural Buildings are located within the district. While these buildings do reside in the Diamond Quarter, however, the ministers of Finance and Agriculture still reside in the Scarlet Quarter, though they commute to and from the headquarters.
The Diamond Quarter shares its guard force with the Viridian Quarter. Dubbed Shihon Internal Security (SIS) they keep the population well in line with the Shogun’s demands.
Viridian Quarter
The Viridian Quarter is really two different quarters put together, as one half is a massive entertainment district while the other is mostly slum. The entertainment sector is dominated by a multitude of cantinas, amusement parks, museums, art galleries, and other assorted entertainment venues.
To keep the slums dwellers out of the entertainment sector, the SIS built a massive durasteel/duracrete wall dividing the Viridian Quarter in half. This wall is patrolled regularly by SIS troopers and more than once they have had to put down an insurrection concocted by the desperate people within.
The slums themselves are little more than clusters of shanty houses surrounding massive factories that mar the beauty of Shihon. The residents are mostly refugees who were left homeless during the Scion Wars, and provided with ‘temporary’ housing by Tao Feng upon his ascension to Shogun. However, instead of providing new homes for the citizens when he assumed the Shogunate, Theros Feng decided to capitalize on the plight by forcing the citizens to work in his new factories, boosting the industrial capacity of the Shogunate...but alienating the people.
Economy
Shihon’s economy is vastly dependant upon the rest of the Shogunate territories. Most of the commodities are made and transported into the city from the surrounding provinces, or are imported via the Supesu Spaceport. Though this heavy reliance would cripple Shihon were it to be separated from the rest of the Shogunate, it can still rely on key internal functions for its survival.
The city’s main water supply is the immense underground aquifer below the desert. The aquifer, upon most recent measurement, was said to contain approx 500,000 years worth of water.
For food, Shogun Hitoshi has began work on constructing a farming district outside of the main city walls. The district will essentially be a large greenhouse, capable of housing fifty farms. Hitoshi has commissioned soil from the external provinces to be brought into the greenhouse and laid down over the sand, to create a bed for the farming.
Shihon also has several factories in the Viridian Quarter that produce a number of essential processed and mechanical goods for the city and several of the provinces. Theros Feng, Hitoshi’s predecessor, had made it his primary goal as Shogun to Industrialize the Shogunate, in order to better compete in a changing Galactic economy.
Aid from SCEPTER also boosts the cities capacities, though most of that aid goes directly to the Shogun himself and the Scarlet and Sapphire Quarters, rather than the city at large.
Government
Shihon’s government has changed since its founding from an Imperial Capital to a Shogunate hold. Shihon itself is governed directly by the Shogun, who retains power by sitting upon the Scarlet Throne in the Palace of Kyuden.
Aside from the Shogun, Shihon is also governed by an Elder Council, though they can be overruled should the sitting Shogun disagree with their policies.
Points of Interest
The main points of interest in Shihon are the Supesu Spaceport, the Kachiro Spaceport, the Shiro Castle, and the Palace of Kyuden.
Palace of Kyuden
The Palace’s history, while shorter than that of the city as a whole, is also most intriguing. Built by the famed Scarlet Empress Keadena, the Palace is the highlight of Shihon, and indeed of the Shogunate, as it was of the Empire. Designed by the master architect Fan Shu, it is five-levels high with a rooftop garden.
The main highlight of the Palace, excluding the garden, is the throne room. Sitting upon a raised platform is the famed Scarlet Throne. The Throne was carved in the year 45 BBY for the Empress Keadena from one large ruby that was found in the royal silver mine. Keadena then had a cushion made of crushed red velvet placed upon the throne. When Tao Feng took over Shihon, it is rumored that he declared himself Shogun by promptly sitting upon the Scarlet Throne and dictating the edict that would create the Shogunate of Tao Feng.
The Palace’s rooftop gardens are among the marvels of Eldar, with one specimen of every type of flower on the planet exhibited. It is taken care of by a specialized team of florists who have been trained in the proper care and upkeep of each individual plant. In fact, the gardens are so cherished by the Shogun, that a personal guard of fifteen Hiiro Legion soldiers guards it.
Shiro Castle
The Shiro Castle was built as a gift for Sanguinius Tsucyra Entar upon his reception by the current Shogun, Hitoshi Feng. It was constructed by the prize architect Su Gan, though secret additions were made by a private contractor hired by the SCEPTER organization.
The Castle’s outer walls are constructed out of a layered mixture of sapphire blue cubic zirconium over stone, giving the castle the appearance of being made out of solid sapphire. The main castle building itself is four levels tall, while it covers a distance of more than 6,000 square feet.
The only other feature of note is the massive throne room in the same style as the one in the Palace of Kyuden. However, the throne was constructed out of four large sapphires, instead of the single ruby of the Scarlet Throne. The sapphires were cut into smaller gems, then encrusted in a silver/steel mixture. Blue velvet cushions line the seat, making a comfortable, yet ornate piece.
Kachiro Spaceport
The Kachiro Spaceport is privately owned and operated by the SCEPTER organization. Although it is a privately controlled spaceport, it still serves as the primary spaceport of the Sapphire and Scarlet quarters of the city.
The Spaceport is divided into three main sections: A public dock, a private dock, and a SCEPTER military grade dock. The second and third sections are only entered via a turbolift which is passcode sealed. The third section has a series of blast doors which can only be opened by SCEPTER operatives, not even the Shogun may enter it.
The public dock is generally used by the wealthy citizens of the Sapphire and Scarlet quarters, who pay monthly fees to SCEPTER for the use of the more private and comfortable facility. This dock is lined with exquisite restaurants and lounges, for the convenience of the travelers.
The private dock is used mainly for visitors of high importance to the Shogun and/or SCEPTER. It is the smallest of the three docks, with room only for four shuttles at maximum, but is the most comfortable of the three. State-of-the-art refueling systems and complementary provision centers are inside this dock, providing the important guests with all the comforts they will need for the journey home, as well as a pleasant experience with the landing.
The military dock is reserved for use by the military forces of SCEPTER and is off-limits to any non-sanctioned personnel. The dock has been fortified and upgraded with the latest security features, allowing for no breach in protocol.
Supresa Spaceport
The Supresa Spaceport is the premiere public spaceport on Eldar, with many restaurants, lounges, bars, even two full-size theme parks within. It has the capacity to hold 1,000 private ships, as well as 150 public transports. The Spaceport dominates the Diamond Quarter and serves as the center of import and exportation for the city.