Nova DC
For hundreds of years Nova sept made sure their dome retains its position as the primary transport hub on the continent, basking in benefits that come with it. To many it’s an unofficial capital (not something that other septs like to hear) and, since the Novas practice moderation in managing racial and cultural issues, a popular destination as well. Nova is busy, ambitious and grand — a true crown jewel if ever there was one.
Nova is the starting location for the Officer class.
Different worlds: the city is divided into Inner, Commercial and First and Second Rim districts, with a number of Nova Corps checkpoints in-between.
All kinds: security in the Rim districts is much more lenient than in most other domes; demonspawn, hoppers and even espers are not a rare sight.
Minotaur is primarily set in the Second Rim district of Nova!
Early concept: the first U7 image!
Ares DC
When Lucius Soma launched his Axis generator ahead of time, the Areses were camped in a small Axis-rich area near the Mode Mountains range. Once they discovered that the objective reality had failed, they set their main generator as close to a nearby mountain as possible, so as to maximize their territory by literally carving into the rock later.
What can you expect from a sept like this? Ares became a military city-state which produces more than half of Kyosian weapons and combat equipment and trains every other fighter on the continent. Surprisingly, it is the only other dome city aside from Artas to be governed by an elected collective, which is presided by a Magister. Perhaps this stems from how little Aresians care about internal affairs: they prefer to make enemies on the other side of the barrier.
Ares is the starting location for the Executor class.
Boulders: just like all other mechs and many other machines, Boulders were originally developed by Helmsmen group, the largest arms industry player on Kyos.
Centurions: there are over 40 licensed PSFs in Ares; Centurion, which is officially hired by Magisters, is one of the most prestigious of them.
Mira DC
If a new technology is spreading on Kyos, it has probably come from Mira. Throughout its history, the dome held its position as the primary cluster of innovations, some of which, like Axis drives, first appeared on Mira’s infamous black markets, while others, such as advanced flux fields or the restoration of Mesh network, were spearheaded by one of its major corporations or the sept itself. Since the city is located on the southernmost tip of Kyos, Mirians were also the first in line to enjoy the benefits of trade with the southern continent of Ilyon, and were quick to monopolize production of many promising novelties, including androids.
Mira is the starting location for the Prime class.… And it’s also the first stop on every pin’s pilgrimage!
“Blueberries”: the Axis dome of the city was fortified during Kate wars by Granite corp., one of two largest Mirian corporations, and in addition to its enhanced usual properties provides defense against long-range particle weapons.
Train station: the Mira-Nova station is considered by many as one of the most impressive on Kyos.
In Minotaur and Red Crown: some important events of the former and a substantial part of the latter take place in Mira! In fact, the Red Crown page has a section with more info about the city.
Tali DC
The Talis were the main force of the conservative wing of the High Council. During War, it was Norma Tali who discovered Axis, its beneficial properties and a way to harness them, and thus Tali DC became the first dome on Kyos. There’s even a saying that the Artases started War and the Talis ended it… You can guess where it came from.
The sept was also the first one to start banishing espers after the Collapse, but while other DCs simply exiled them, the Talis founded a small settlement not too far away which they support to this day. Just like that settlement, the dome stands proud in a forest of its own creation; it’s the only city with more pets than androids (not counting Soma, of course), and stone is more common than steel here.
Tali is the starting location for the Shade class.
Cats are behind everything. Mark my words!
The Stem: from afar, the city looks like a stem with leaves attached to it, and a beautiful sculpture of a hunter at the bottom (currently on restoration!).
Pinz have always been welcome in Tali, and those who choose to stay on Kyos often settle here.
Republic of Artas
The Artases trace their lineage back to before Elara Bates was born, and in the post-War era, that’s something only a family fixated on its past would be proud of. After an expedition sent from Tali discovered the location of Artas Estate and claimed its artifacts, Kate Artas, the prime minister at the time, went so far as to launch an attack against the Talis, which resulted in a short but bloody conflict between the two cities. Many say the fact that Kate was able to authorize this extremely unpopular campaign with little effort demonstrates how much of a “republic” Artas really is, but it’s still a step forward (or back, depending on your political views) from other domes.
The city is home to Slate Industries, the primary manufacturer of firearms in U7, as well as Artas University, the second largest learning institution on Kyos after the cluster in Pion.
Artas is the starting location for the Herald class.
Demon: before War, the Artases were a part of the spiritualist wing of the Ivy Oligarchy; they launched the NRC project together with the Somas.
Dome projections: Artas is generally a calm city, and its people don’t like surprises. The first infotable was projected in 102 AW, and they have become something of an attraction since then.
Pion DC
All railroads lead to Nova, but every lot ends up in Pion.
There is no shortage of pride among septs, but the Pions have learned to appreciate humility. With the Novas nearby, they had no choice but to adapt, and shadows cast by their mighty neighbor became their advantage. After centuries of work, their city became the indisputable financial center of Kyos; the Pions regulate the common currency, arbitrate financial disputes and control the only Kyosian stock exchange. To be fair, the city is also well-known for its Megaversity scholarly grounds: no other sept invests as heavily in scientific research and education. This is no charity, of course — after all, knowledge is a valuable asset, and Pionians love those.
Pion is the starting location for the Aspect class.
In and out: Pion produces few goods of its own, but there’s always traffic of lots, gemas, valuables and rare commodities from other cities.
The second dome of Pion was originally intended for demonspawn, but the Pions went back on the deal and appropriated the dome upon completion, which provoked the March of the Damned in 312-314 AW.
Soma DC
“Somians lived on the edge of the abyss for too long. They have long since lost any concern for their safety; I can only guess that the air from The Void polluted their minds,” declared young Magister Boldan in 483 AW. It’s not hard to see where he was coming from — espers walked the streets of the city freely, civilian Axis drives and androids were effectively banned, and the Hysteria, the event that shocked the rest of Kyos, was widely regarded as fortunate. To top it off, the Somas always had their own, very special view on coexistence with Demons that their citizens eagerly shared, and sent countless (usually one-way) expeditions beyond High Pass to test their hypotheses.
All that said, even Boldan probably wouldn’t go so far as to predict the city’s demise during his own lifetime.
In Minotaur: visit Soma with Richie Donovan, one of the main protagonists of the game, in his pursuit of justice.
The Fall of Kyos is set to begin with the dome going down under unknown circumstances on Sarin 12, 523 AW. Many are immediately tempted to blame this unprecedented catastrophe on the city’s policies, but more inquisitive minds consider Somian practices to be a hindrance which might obscure the real reason.