| Dragostae
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About 500 BBY
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Dragostae Tae
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Karufr
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Cold
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Abandoned Mines
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581,488
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Taldryan
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Dragostae, sometimes known as ‘’’Peace City’’’, is a city on the planet of Karufr in the Kr'Tal System. Like the rest of the planet, it is controlled by the dark Jedi of Clan Taldryan.
History
Early Days
Dragostae was founded around 500 BBY under the name ‘Peace City’, and is thus one of the newer settlements on the planet. Its original founder was a Zeltron by the name of Dragostae Tae, who proposed the original name.
Peace City, as it was then called, was founded around the remains of one of the many mines that were dotted along Karufr’s surface.
The reason for the city’s founding was tied up in the political situation of the time. The planet had been abandoned several generations previously, leaving a mostly Zeltron population behind. The bright skinned aliens, known largely for their wish to always be having a good time, found themselves constantly being questioned on more serious issues by worried minority groups. As the questions grew, so did hostility and Karufr was nearly engulfed in a planetary wide war when most of the local Humans demanded a greater say in government, despite the fact that Humans formed only 10% of the total population.
Though numerous, the Zeltron people were generally too laid back to provide any serious resistance and the Human minority began to take control of several major cities, either through political means, or by using ‘blaster diplomacy’.
Seeing that things were only going to get worse, Dragostae Tae, a more level headed Zeltron, along with several others of his species, formed the ‘Peace Alliance’, attracting both Human and Zeltron under his banner of ‘Peace and Equality for all’.
Finding it was difficult to make inroads without starting a fight, Tae and his allies instead left their home cities, determined to found a new settlement. One that would be based on the ideals of their group. In short order a suitable area was found near an abandoned mine, and Peace City was founded, with Dragostae Tae voted in almost unanimously as the city’s first mayor.
Under Tae, the new city prospered, quickly using its reputation as a place where Human and Zeltron could co-exist in harmony to attract more and more people who were tired of the political situation elsewhere on Karufr.
By Dragostae Tae’s retirement in 480 BBY, the city had a population of close to 225,000 Zeltron and 25,000 Humans and had become almost entirely self-sufficient. When Tae died in 463 BBY, the city’s leadership of the day decided to rename the city in his honour, although the original name is still used as a nickname.
Taldryan Arrive
Throughout the various conflicts that affected the galaxy, Dragostae was affected only by the changes to the planet’s government. In the waning years of the Old Republic, Karufr City, began to take more and more control over the affairs of the rest of the planet, leading to the eventual abolition of the Mayor’s office in 23 BBY.
When the Empire was formed in 19 BBY, the still mostly Zeltron population of Dragostae found themselves ruled by an increasingly distant, and now outright racist government. Archibald Tallin, the system Moff, had far more in ambition than he had in either reputation, or skill, and began to bully the alien populace. Dragostae was just one of many cities where Tallin enforced his vision. The entertainment district, once the largest outside of Karufr City, was virtually destroyed in favour of industry. Many Zeltron were dispossessed of their nightclubs, cantinas, and other establishments, with little to no compensation. Human-owned businesses, on the other hand, were either allowed to keep trading or paid off, often with money obtained from taxing the Zeltron heavily.
When the Empire began to splinter, Dragostae’s citizens saw the opportunity and attacked the local garrison. At first, they were successful, but had underestimated the now ‘Regent of Karufr’, who had like many of his peers rejected what was left of Imperial authority. Tallin’s forces hit back, hard. The ‘Dragostae Rebellion’, as it became known, was brutally crushed, with anyone caught opposing the increasingly heavy handed government executed or thrown into prison.
In the years since the Dragostae Rebellion, the excesses of Regent Tallin were slowly curbed. While everything seemed to continue onward as usual, there were more and more whispers that Tallin's shadowy advisors had more power than Tallin did himself. The name of Taldryan was whispered in dark shadows, and the future for Dragostae remains unclear. Whoever was in charge, it seemed that law and order, and reasonable government were returning to Dragostae, at least for the time being.
Profile
Geography
Dragostae is located among the many grasslands on the southern continent of Twickdee. It is around 5,000 kilometres away from the planet’s capital, Karufr City. As with many Karufr cities, the immediate area is surrounded by farming communities, allowing Dragostae to be largely self-sufficient.
Culture
Whilst originally based heavily on the Zeltron ideals of having non-stop fun, Dragostae has become an industrial haven. The heritage of the city is obvious, however. In the rush to industrialise, many of the former cantinas and nightclubs were simply converted internally, leaving an interesting juxtaposition of brightly lit exteriors that hide buildings such as weapons factories. Cantinas are still dotted throughout the city, and Dragostae often comes alive at night as workers finish their shifts and promptly spend large parts of their pay on all kinds of alcoholic beverage.
Demographics
Even before the Empire and its racism came along, Dragostae was a city known for its relatively high Human population. 40% of its population were Human as of 25 BBY, and the most recent census found that 47% of the current population are Zeltron, with another 43% Human. Other species include Twi’leks, Rodians and even a few Wookiees.
Locations
Residential District
The residential district comprises of the dwellings for 85% of Dragostae’s population. These are the workers at the local factories, as well as their families and any other ‘low income’ citizen. The buildings are typically smaller, a mix of one and two storey houses with up to three bedrooms. Large amounts of the houses are owned by either the businesses or the richer individuals, though some are also privately owned.
Commercial District
In the centre of Dragostae, the commercial district largely comprises of smaller businesses selling everyday wares to the locals. Formerly a number of larger companies had operated in the area, but a brutal attack from Tallin’s forces left the district badly damaged. The remains of these taller buildings are slowly being cleared away or restored, but the area remains scarred by the attack.
Entertainment District
Despite its name, the ‘Entertainment’ district is actually Dragostae’s industrial hub. Converted from the stereotypical Zeltron streets of cantinas and nightclubs, large, dour factories perforate the occasional cantina, whilst other buildings were simply converted. This district is also the most heavily guarded by members of the local military.
Playboy District
The Playboy district takes its name from the fact that its residents are among the richest citizens of Karufr. Filled with large, almost palatial houses and their even larger grounds, the Playboy district was also largely untouched by Tallin – many of the residents are among his biggest supporters. Quite a few of these large houses are now in the hands of Taldryan’s more wealthy members. Andrelious J. Mimosa-Inahj considered purchasing one of the more modest houses here on his arrival from Arcona, but eventually decided against it. The majority of the residents of the district are Human, though Zeltron are relatively common.
Points of Interest
Abandoned Mines
Originally the area around Dragostae was a large mine created in the time of Hutt occupation. The Hutts dug deep into the surface of Karufr, hoping it prove as valuable as other planets in the Kr’Tal system. This soon turned out to be a false hope, and the Hutts simply abandoned the mines as they were. This has left Dragostae to expand rapidly to the south and west, away from the mines, but not to the north and east, where the old tunnels and shafts have left the ground too weak to support the weight of a building.
The mine shafts have been secretly repurposed by Taldryan to allow for a quick deployment to Dragostae should the city fall under attack.
Great Forest
The Great Forest is the largest forest on Karufr. It was originally even larger, extending to the modern eastern limit of Dragostae, but was cut back massively to allow mining. The forest is notorious for disappearances, with many a local legend about large creatures or mysterious men.
Behind the Scenes
The city of Dragostae was created by Andrelious J. Mimosa-Inahj for the Taldryan Event Masters of our Fate, in the A Place to Call Home Competition.