Varachir
Demographics
As the economic hub of the planet, Varachir is home to the highest concentration of nonlupari on the planet. Approximately 18 percent of its population are nonlupari. The majority of these nonlupari are located on the north side of the city, in the cultural districts, where urban planning has created zones using architecture of the various member species.
Industry & Trade
With the environmental controls for the Lost Siblings, Varachir is almost entirely a commercial and residential city. Its one notable industry is its bottling plants, which bottles water from the sea for export off planet.
Lupin's water is typically described as naturally sweet, apparently made so during its journey from the planet's Poles. The Arala Riami is considered the peak of this tasteful water, due to its location on the equator with the two largest polar rivers feeding into it. Many consider Lupin water overrated and for preachy health nuts, or even repulsive for its sweetness, but it has always been a profitable venture for personal consumption and cooking, namely baking.
Infrastructure
Lapra parks are found around every Lapra tree, where visitors may enjoy the natural setting beneath the shade of the massive tree and the forests of smaller trees around them.
Varachir's Waffara Retreats are some of the busiest on the planet, and many are located beneath the Lapra trees and the smaller trees below them. These Retreats are often criticized as just being urban parks within an urban park, but they are none the less popular gathering points for lupari to meet for the sole purpose of company and physical interaction. Play, affection, and even grooming all occur beneath the Lapra trees. So as to not overwhelm guests, the retreats are restricted to smaller parts of the overall space in the Lapra parks. The Lapra Retreats lack many of the ameneties of the Cafe types of Retreats, such as bathing and food ameneties, but they do maintain some sports equipment such as large bins of various sports balls, padded benches and tables for physical affection exchanges, and stalls for purchasing various dry grooming supplies such as brushes, and cushions and blankets and other items meant to stimulating platonic interaction, for anyone that may have forgotten or were unable to bring their own.
All of the Lapra retreats are public amenities as a part of the urban park system Conventional retreats are also often a part of urban infrastructure, but more luxurious ones are likely privately owned. All retreats are publicly open, but privately owned ones usually have more unique amenities, such as theaters, that will require spending credits.
Architecture
Due to the forests with massive, powerful trees, lupari have a long history of wooden architecture. Modern houses are almost always built mostly by wood with stonework adding extra durability. Many houses can be dated back millennia, with their wooden parts refurbished every other century. Cities hold many houses like this, and smaller buildings may be built of lapra hardwood, but the towers that shape any modern city lack most exterior wooden features. Lupari buildings tend to be highly connected, with skywalks going from tower to tower. Garden spaces are standard atop each building, even households.
Due to the sea in the center of the city, four mega bridges span across the water, meeting in the middle and creating the Float district. Due to the strict environmental controls for the sea, the Float district is almost entirely a residential area, where the wealthiest denizens often make their homes for its isolation from the noise and bustle of the greater city.
The city is home to 89 ancient Lapra trees, and these trees are integrated into the local infrastructure. Gravways often use them for roundabout intersections, treating passengers to one of the greatest views of the tremendous trees possible. The trees themselves and the grounds around them are off limits from any construction.
Like many lupari cities, buildings are often built with skyways between them. The Farafsha Towers are the greatest example of this as a series of 29 apartment towers that completely encircle the Johone Lapra tree. One may make a complete circuit around the tree via the Farasha skyways, with constant full views of Johone. This makes the skyways a very popular jogging route. Of the towers, eighteen of them are residential towers, while the remaining eleven function as hotels for guests to the planet, making Farasha the largest tourist living space on the planet.
The northern cultural districts are built differently from the rest of the city in that they use architecture from the various UTO species. However, they are not necessarily built to be as if a piece of a nonlupari city was transplanted onto Varachir, so much function as inspirations. The greatest example of this is the Terran District, which was built at nonhuman scale. It drew most of its inspiration from Southeast Asian architecture, namely China and Japan.
Geography
Varachir completely encircles the Arala Riami sea, otherwise known as the Lost Siblings. The other sides of the city are visible across the water, on the horizon. The Soara (Brother) and Koara (Sister) rivers enter the city from the north and south respectively, bisecting the city. The rivers are several miles wide, requiring large bridge spans to cross them. They are known for extreme over flowing due to the various weather systems they pass through on their way to the equator, requiring massive levees to contain the rivers on either sides.
Type
Megalopolis
Population
~217 million
Inhabitant Demonym
Varachiran
Location under
Included Locations
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