Mytilene is a sprawling agricultural estate on the Taldryan-controlled planet of Kasiya.
Geography
Location of Mytilene on Kasiya
Located in the forested foothills of the Scios Range, north of Port Kasiya, Mytilene is a 10,000-acre reserve set aside for the use of the Taldryan Republic. It was purchased in 39 ABY at the direction of outgoing Consul Seraine "Erinyes" Taldrya Ténama, to be placed under the management of the new agricultural division of TEAD Technologies. There, Mytilene would become the home of several of Taldryan's best-loved commercial enterprises.
Local Attractions
New Mecetti
Thanks to Mytilene's proximity to both Port Kasiya and the Scios Range, a number of wealthy residents of Port Kasiya's Eastwood district have built alpine vacation cottages at the northern end of Mytilene. The rapidly-growing resort town has been named New Mecetti, and already features a number of small businesses that cater to visiting elites, as well as a regular luxury shuttle service. The former Consul, Erinyes, also maintains a private villa just outside of New Mecetti.
Skala Thermi
A short ride from New Mecetti, the Skala Thermi hot springs are nestled deep in the Scios Foothills. They are a popular tourist attraction, and have already gained a local reputation for having healing properties.
The Getaway
Known simply as "the getaway" among Taldryan members, Mytilene offers a combination wilderness reserve and excursion staging point for Taldryanites and their guests who want to explore the Scios Range for kyber crystals, hunt game in the forested foothills, or just venture off into the wilderness for an unspecified period of time. Several plots of land the Getaway have been reserved for Taldryanites to build secluded personal residences, without having to deal with the outlandish prices in the New Mecetti real estate market.
Most of the Getaway is open for members to roam as they please, but two sections are strictly controlled. One is the Supreme Chancellor's official country estate, where the Chancellor may host high-level diplomatic meetings. The other is the Emergency Strategic Complex, a sprawling bunker built into and underneath a mountain, intended to serve as an emergency command centre in the event of a threat to Port Kasiya.
Residents
In the short amount of time it has been established, Mytilene has already become home to a small but thriving community.
Kasiya Estates Distillers and Vintners (KED&V)
Despite its idyllic surroundings, Mytilene is also a bustling agricultural production centre. Kasiya Estates Distillers and Vintners operates a sprawling distillery, vineyard, and winery that covers a large portion of Mytilene's agricultural reserve, growing both emerald and ruby grapes to produce their wines. This includes the Kasiya Black variety developed by TEAD Technologies, which produces an inky-black wine used in one version of the cocktail known as the Kir Katarn.
Kasiya Estates also produces a variety of artisanal distilled spirits, such as grape and jewel-fruit brandies, and Socorran-style raava (made with a local berry that offers extra spice to the drink, compared to the traditional zsajhira berry used on Socorro).
The company's Summit line consists of products that pay homage to current and former Taldryan leaders since its founding. Its offerings include Consul's Choice (tsiraki flavoured with local Kasiyan botanicals for Seraine "Erinyes" Taldrya Ténama), Mando'ade (a canned carbonated citrus energy drink fortified with tihaar for Appius Taldrya Wight), and Aquamarine Shimmer (an Alderaanian Toniray-style sparkling wine for Cassandra Oriana Tyris).
KED&V also offers recipes for cocktails using their signature products, such as the Kir Katarn (either KED&V Sesharilian Black vodka or KED&V black ruby malbec, zsajhira berry liqueur), the Pink-Skinned Party Girl (Consul's Choice tsiraki, shuura schnapps, and blumfruit juice), the T&T (Consul's Choice tsiraki and tonic water), and Zeltron Jet Fuel (Zeltron spear-grain alcohol or tihaar, triple-percolated caf liqueur).
As one of the conditions of funding the purchase of Mytilene, TEAD Technologies (with additional funding from the Sphere of Research and Intelligence) operates an agri-food research facility there. Though some of their time is devoted to splicing novel varieties of grape for use in wine production, most of the facility conducts food science research with broader applications, such as improving the quality of the Taldryan military's field rations.
Lowlands Forestry
Lowlands Forestry operates a tree nursery in southern Mytilene, growing Apokan silveroak and moagwood to be made into casks for Kasiya Estates and Consul's Choice. They also harvest several native varieties of hardwood.
Mecetti Farms
Mecetti Farms raises a variety of livestock for both meat and dairy purposes, including free-range bantha and nerf steaks served at high-end restaurants in Port Kasiya and New Mecetti. They also produce milk, cheese, and frozen dairy desserts, and grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, including the blumfruits and schuura used in Kasiya Estates products.
In a tribute to the first Supreme Chancellor of the Taldryan Republic, Appius Taldrya Wight, Mecetti Farms has announced that they are producing a Mandalorian-themed protein supplement line called "This Is The Whey".
Trivia
Mytilene is inspired by the real-life Okanagan Valley, a popular destination for tourists seeking outdoor activities at ski resorts in the Monashee Mountains or the area's wide variety of lakes, as well as the home of the Okanagan Valley wine region.