The Domain of Ascalon

The Domain of Ascalon is the political, cultural and economic heart of the greater Empire of Ascalon.

Geography

The Domain of Ascalon, like all Domains, is a vast sphere with a loosely defined outer boundary that can be crossed (by people and objects) but humans cannot survive passed said boundary. Within this boundary, Ascalon is filled with countless asteroids of all sizes and shapes. Ascalon is a fairly arid Domain in comparison to Domains like Solomon's Reach or Sozomon. The Imperial capital of Aeston is located in the heart of the Domain. The city sprawls across many asteroids and metal plate 'space stations' which all cover the center of the Domain. Currently, the capital is eleven plates tall with many asteroids directly integrated into some of said plates.
Ascalon's settlements are organized by how far away from Aeston. There are two main groups: the inner ring and the outer ring (also called the periphery). There are six ports in the inner ring and six in the outer ring. Each of the towns fall within a broad biome or zone that stretches from the core all the way to the periphery and which orbit Aeston steadily.
(all ports described below are located clockwise from the last port)

The Inner Ring Ports

Avolire is one of the great cities of the Empire after Aeston and is located in Alderman's Gyre (a region of that sees strong winds blow locomotives from the inner ring out to the periphery very routinely). Set inside a natural 'valley' full of mineral wealth, Avolire started out as mining town before shifting to mining and refining the vast mineral deposits. Even after several centuries of settlement and mining, Avolire continues to produce metal and gems which get exported across the Imperial core. The city has long since been the home for several powerful mining and industrial companies, most which were founded either in Avolire or in Aeston.
Galbury is located in the region of Pauling Sound; a region which is best likened to a canyon endlessly producing steam or mist. Pauling Sound as a region has been difficult to chart due to the perpetually thick steam that is constantly vented from the largest asteroid masses that are in this area. Galbury itself lies on the inner edge of Pauling Sound, just close enough to its border that the steam is not as dense and the starlight can just be seen. The port was not very large or in any way important until the latter half of the third century, when the Empire expanded the port to act as a base for patrols into the Sound to hunt pirates hiding in the vast steam clouds. Ever since, Galbury has become a major center of the Imperial Navy and draws on the output of Avolire to support the Navy ships docked for repair and refit.
Norhall is the smallest of the inner ring ports, built into a small clutch of asteroids in Taggart's Drift. Taggart's Drift is one of the poorer zones of Domain, being bereft of valuable metals aside from the most common and even then, these are of poor quality as well as being a very cold and frozen territory. Norhall was initially established as nothing more than a lighthouse to let captains know where they were in the inner ring. Over time, the port drew groups of nomadic commoners and drifters looking for a safe harbor to live in and found succor around the Lonely Lighthouse. The port slowly grew and soon became the center of a small religious community that worshipped the light of the stars as fragments of God. In the modern century, the port is still on the quieter side, though its divergent religious community has grown to the point to of drawing the attention of both the Imperial government and the major Church leaders of the Empire.
Lamberside resides in the inner ring portion of the Amberfield: a region of twisting vines whose fruit radiates an amber colored light, hence the name. Lamberside started out life as the personal residence of a prominent Duke who wished to stay out of the capital as much as possible but still be close enough that his corporate enterprise could still be managed by himself. When he died without an heir, he placed the residence under the control of his old company, which chose to turn the already impressive personal retreat into a resort town which leveraged the unique qualities of the Amberfield and the Domain to be its main draws. Lamberside is split into three parts: the Dock where trade traffic and cruise liners arrive at, the larger Public Resort where the lower classes can stay and enjoy and the Private Resort, which was built out of the old Ducal residence & is open only to those with an invitation from Lamberside Company. Lamberside has a sort of secondary port off to the side which produces various foodstuffs to be sold either in Lamberside proper or sold across the Domain.
Thorne lies in the Tirreni Sea, a region called such for the material known as Tirreni Shale which is plentiful throughout it. Tirreni Shale is a common replacement for coal in many areas of life, though coal is generally preferred for steam engines. Tirreni Shale does have the benefit of being readily accessible within Ascalon, whereas charcoal is the main coal supplement in Solomon's Reach. Thorne was built following the discovery that Tirreni Shale could function much as coal from other sources and so became a mining town initially. As the centuries passed, the town found metal veins scattered around the shale deposits. This metal proved to be of a higher quality when used in locomotive construction and though rarer than more common metals, soon became highly prized. Nowadays, Thorne exports its plentiful shale to Ascalon and selectively sells Tirreni Blacksteel to those influential or wealthy enough to win commissions for it (aside from the Imperial Navy, which maintains exclusive contracts for Blacksteel products).
The Royal Society resides in the arid wastes of the Cragmire; a vast desert-like expanse of Ascalon that saw virtually no development beyond the temporary housing needed to sustain the Evacuation. Long after the region was abandoned, the Royal Society arrived (read: forced to flee the capital after one too many "unfortunate accidents") to build a new sanctuary for themselves. Desiring to have their new home be difficult to reach (as the region was a common haunt of reavers and marauders), the Society used their advanced knowledge and engines to effectively weld large asteroids together to form a maze with the actual port itself deep in the heart of. Through a vast sum of money and effort, this isolated though sprawling area was transformed into a paradise for the Royal Society. When the reigning Emperor (and a flotilla of the Imperial Navy) found the new port, the members of the Society did there absolute best to showcase all of the wonders that they had thus far made to win continuing support from the Monarch. They succeeded and the Royal Society now delves into all sorts of new and wonderous fields of research. Though there was a condition placed on the Royal Society: they had continue to develop new equipment, weapons and designs for locomotive engines that are exclusive to the Empire (or particularly wealthy or powerful patrons and/or the valuable captain) alongside their other research endeavors. Thus, the main export of this port is various weapons and designs for locomotive engines.

The Outer Rim Ports

Kirkoswall is built into the periphery of Alderman's Gyre and got its name as it is the wall that stopped ships that flew down the Gyre. Kirkoswall developed into being one of the larger ports in the periphery due to the Gyre being the quickest way to get from Aeston to the outer rim with minimal coal expenditure. The port is basically built into a massive, slightly concave wall asteroid mass and was founded by Jonathan Kirkos (hence the name of the port). Kirkoswall's main export is various types of crockery made of fine clay extracted from the nearby rock masses surrounding the port. This crockery has a reputation as being well made, reliable available in a variety of qualities and price ranges. Kirkoswall is one of the main trading posts among the outer rim ports due to its age (one of the oldest outer rim ports) and its relatively calm winds being favorable for locomotive travel.
Perrigwyn was not originally built by Imperial settlers. It was first founded as one of the pirate ports of Ascalon. It is believed to have first been built sometime in the mid to late second century and remained a pirate stronghold until the mid fourth century. The Imperial Navy had been flying sorties against the pirates of Pauling Sound for upwards of a century out of Galbury trying to eradicate them. While successful in destroying smaller pirate nests and bands throughout the Sound, the Navy struggled to located their primary base. Around the middle of the fourth century, they finally were able to reliably locate Perrigwyn and shortly after the Navy and Army besieged the port. The Battle of Perrigwyn lasted for nearly a solid year before the Imperial forces were able to secure the settlement and the pirates either surrendered, died in battle or fled to other parts of Ascalon or beyond. Following this, Perrigwyn remained a Navy stronghold as the Sound was thoroughly scoured of its pirate presence. While small bands still hide in the thick steam mists, few linger in fear of the Navy. The port has transitioned to civilian administration and settlement shortly after the turn of the century but like Galbury has a strong military background due to the Navy base.
Ely is located on the far peripheral edge of Taggart's Drift, practically built on the literal rim of the Domain. Like its inner cousin Norhall, the port of Ely is less a town and more of an outpost. The port is really just the admin building for the Domain's cemeteries, as the region is lacking in any real value besides space. The Empire does appreciate the cold factor for the cemetery though, as it means costly preservation oils and the like can be replaced with the sheer cold of the Drift. Ely does export both ice and glass (which can strangely be found in mineral-esque deposits in the far reaches of Taggart's Drift) to help provide money for both the cemeteries and maintaining the port itself. There is a larger mausoleum station for the wealthy and influential, called Nivin's Mausoleum (first established as the resting place for members of the Royal Family), located in the vicinity of Ely that is also home to a port but is not considered the actual port center for the outer Drift. Most burial plots are made on or in the asteroids of the Drift.
Boltangate is the second grandest city of the Empire for the simple fact that it surrounds the Transit Relay linking Ascalon with the Domain of Solomon's Reach. The port was a minor one of only peripheral interest until the Relay Path opened up a myriad of possibilities. Being literally next to the Relay, the people of Boltangate refocused the town to cater to people wishing to head out to the new regions. When trade first started flowing into Ascalon, it was Boltangate that is the first market one travels through. As such, the wealth of the town surged and Boltangate became the major trade hub outside of the capital in Ascalon. Since the outbreak of the Scarlet War, the port is also host to a sizeable Navy contingent and the Customs Office has an understandably strong presence in Boltangate.
Palsbury is nestled in the far reaches of the Tirreni Sea and in contrast to Thorne, does not really harvest Tirreni Shale. Rather, this port first developed as a monastery due to the particular beauty of the area were the Old Monastery district was built. Over time, the original monastery grew and started exporting the finely made books that the monks and nuns were making there. These were initially only religious texts but such was the quality of the works that patrons flowed into the port to commission other works to be copied. Even though much of this was done with printing presses, the final products were simply that well made that they became highly sought after. With the wood supply being imported from Solomon's Reach, many of the books are now made on paper rather than parchment (though individuals can still commission parchment books).
Dawn Gate was the place were the Evacuation first arrived at in Ascalon but was swiftly abandoned after people learned more about the wider Domain. Located on the outer fringe of the Cragmire, Dawn Gate in the modern era is a slum, a collection of shanty settlements built into the arid crags around the Gate. A small Ministerial outpost, colloquially called the Home Office, monitors Dawn Gate for any unusual developments. Aside from its historical importance, Dawn Gate has faded in relevance and is only really visited by curious or enterprising captains willing to deal with the desperate people of Dawn Gate and the Home Office.

Type

Dimensional plane