Description
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2024 7:19 pm
Cala City is the capital city of Caladan, situated on the Western Continent. It occupies a wedge-like peninsula sided by the long river estuary to the west and the open ocean to the east. It fans down from a cliff promontory cutting into the sea Castle Caladan stands upon. The areas highest and closest to the castle maintain mostly urban character showcasing some spacial planning, though they remain low-rise, making the fortress even more towering. They host most of the city's advanced services. Further downhill the architecture fluidly becomes suburban and then rural, much more convoluted in its lattice of streets, first paved, then not. Beyond that, endless pundi ricefields.
The population count is less than a million, which makes Cala City a town at best on the galactic scale. The profile of its inhabitants, including their clothes, habits, their occupations and free time activities reflect that. While technological advancements are unobtrusively present, especially suspensors and glowglobes, many people live by the rhythm not unlike one would find in the Late Medieval Mediterranean on the Old Terra. How the Atreides managed to instil this particular mental makeup on the population is a work for social scientists that has never been done. Perhaps the necessities of planetary life have done it for them, or perhaps a migration wave of zealous Butlerians settled it. A journey to Caladan feels like a journey back in time.
The spaceport is the exception, but it is to the northeast of the castle, not very interconnected with the city, serving mostly for Ducal convenience and diplomatic conduct. Most of the commercial traffic is rerouted to the Southern Continent. The seaport, however, is extremely lively and busy, meeting every expectation of someone seeking sailor culture. Docks and taverns don't sleep here, with fish and paradan melon hauls coming non-stop, and the sea doesn't look like a meadow of butterflies with how small sailboats dot it only during storms.
Storms are quite frequent, but usually brief. Drizzles are mainstay, whether it is sunny or cloudy. People don't even notice that, being used to the dampness.
The high banks of the river estuary are lined with orchards, both for harvest and for recreation. They offer a variety of seasonal fruit, so there's always something to pluck and peel, but also scenic walkpaths, loveseats and secluded gazebos for both romantic lovers and passionate lovemakers. For all their conservatism, Caladanans are quite relaxed about flirting and trysting, so if someone's found doing any of that in the orchards, it's usually to the amusement of all involved.
Two recent events have changed the face of the city quite substantially. First was the erection of the large memorial to Duke Paulus, Leto's father, and Victor, Leto's first son. Their large figures overlook both the spaceport and the seaport now and are a landmark visible for sailors. The other - terrorist attacks in various points of the city attributed to the drug cartel which happened a few months ago. The city hasn't fully recovered, some blast areas are being cleaned and the rebuilding isn't finished. They are a stark reminder that this relative idyll is but a stretch away from the violence of the Imperium.
The population count is less than a million, which makes Cala City a town at best on the galactic scale. The profile of its inhabitants, including their clothes, habits, their occupations and free time activities reflect that. While technological advancements are unobtrusively present, especially suspensors and glowglobes, many people live by the rhythm not unlike one would find in the Late Medieval Mediterranean on the Old Terra. How the Atreides managed to instil this particular mental makeup on the population is a work for social scientists that has never been done. Perhaps the necessities of planetary life have done it for them, or perhaps a migration wave of zealous Butlerians settled it. A journey to Caladan feels like a journey back in time.
The spaceport is the exception, but it is to the northeast of the castle, not very interconnected with the city, serving mostly for Ducal convenience and diplomatic conduct. Most of the commercial traffic is rerouted to the Southern Continent. The seaport, however, is extremely lively and busy, meeting every expectation of someone seeking sailor culture. Docks and taverns don't sleep here, with fish and paradan melon hauls coming non-stop, and the sea doesn't look like a meadow of butterflies with how small sailboats dot it only during storms.
Storms are quite frequent, but usually brief. Drizzles are mainstay, whether it is sunny or cloudy. People don't even notice that, being used to the dampness.
The high banks of the river estuary are lined with orchards, both for harvest and for recreation. They offer a variety of seasonal fruit, so there's always something to pluck and peel, but also scenic walkpaths, loveseats and secluded gazebos for both romantic lovers and passionate lovemakers. For all their conservatism, Caladanans are quite relaxed about flirting and trysting, so if someone's found doing any of that in the orchards, it's usually to the amusement of all involved.
Two recent events have changed the face of the city quite substantially. First was the erection of the large memorial to Duke Paulus, Leto's father, and Victor, Leto's first son. Their large figures overlook both the spaceport and the seaport now and are a landmark visible for sailors. The other - terrorist attacks in various points of the city attributed to the drug cartel which happened a few months ago. The city hasn't fully recovered, some blast areas are being cleaned and the rebuilding isn't finished. They are a stark reminder that this relative idyll is but a stretch away from the violence of the Imperium.