Nova Praetoria
Signature Locations
Overview
This city ward, considered to be the most exclusive district in all of Praetoria, houses the elite of Praetorian society: Cole's trusted Praetors and the myriad state employees and officials who have been given the special privilege to live and work next to humankind's savior, Emperor Marcus Cole. From Cole Tower, the tallest building and most dominant landmark in all of Nova Praetoria, Emperor Cole can survey all that he has fought hard to protect. In the Magisterium below, his Praetors gather for the day-to-day business in Praetoria, capital of the Empire. Surrounding the Magisterium courtyard are the five most influential structures in Praetorian government: the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Technology, the Civic Center, the Praetoria Police Headquarters, and the Cole Transport Authority. Statues of the Praetors stand like sentinels over the Magisterium, reminding all who visit that Cole's trusted advisors watch over the city with constant vigilance. But these statues pale in comparison to the glory of Emperor Cole's likeness, which stands before his tower, hand outstretched in greeting to all who visit here. Before this colossus stands the statue of Praetor White, Praetoria's enforcer and head of the Powers Division, Praetoria's super-powered police force.
Nova Praetoria is an artificial island built after the fall of First Ward during the Hamidon Wars. By design, it was to be the official seat of power for the new world order under Cole's direction. It is no accident that Nova Praetoria sits higher than any other district in Praetoria. Built over the Lethe River, which used to flow through the area, Nova Praetoria was deliberately flooded to make a strategic natural defense between the city and the hostile lands beyond. The remnant of the original river runs deep beneath Nova Praetoria and the rest of the city, where it provides a subterranean highway by which sensitive material and personnel may be transported discreetly.
It is no accident that, in addition to the Praetoria Police Headquarters located in the Magisterium, Nova Praetoria has two entire police precincts. Security is one of Praetoria's main founding principles, and even in this day of relative peace, a strong and prevalent police presence ensures that Nova Praetoria and her citizens are safe. However, recent events have put the police to the test as a variety of vermin and subversives have recently manifested all over the city. The Resistance, a ragtag group of misfits and malcontents, plasters its misguided propaganda around the city, proclaiming that Emperor Cole is a tyrant. But the members of the Resistance aren't alone in making trouble. The Destroyers are in many ways a much more dangerous threat. They are band of self-styled soldiers and survivors of the Hamidon Wars who claim to have been abandoned by the government and have since declared war on Praetoria. They have no agenda save for the complete destruction of society, causing Cole, the Praetoria Police Department, and the city's Clockwork androids no end of headaches.
Standing vigilant to defend against such hostile elements to civilization, the Praetoria Police Department has the singular goal of maintaining the peace of Praetoria at any cost. They are loyal, dedicated, and equipped with the finest nonlethal equipment available. Standing alongside them to secure the Empire are the Seers, stoic seekers of truth and justice. The Seers, a contingent of Praetor Tilman's specialized psychics, function as thought police, patrolling the minds of Praetorians and seeking out maladjusted thought patterns before they become illegal activity. The Seers' scanning isn't perfect, but it is the next best thing to it. The time of a few innocents suffering the minor inconvenience of a brief review by PPD investigators is a small price to pay for the utopia that Cole toils day and night to maintain. For the good of Praetoria, the law must be upheld.
