Things To See

There's a lot of stuff in Orchestra's universe, so obviously not everything will be listed here; just the major cities or organizations, as well as some of the more interesting "generic" things like Continent Cities and Cataclysm Zones.

Anet

The Anet is an "autonomist" (read Neo-Anarchist) information net that eschews traditional administration for peer-to-peer hosting and authorizations- a vandalizing user will quickly be banned from editing, but constructive editing earns positive feedback and a greater control of the site (there is a notable limit on the possible powers achieved here, since most administrative functions are handled by vote rather than by any individual's decree). The Anet is available anywhere despite being "banned" in the World League (enforcement is minimal, it's not even technically an infraction), and tends to keep a relatively moderate stance with only a few overtly anarchist leanings (anyone blatantly of a non Neo-Anarchist leaning tends to get banned pretty quickly, though Neo-Anarchists range across the whole spectrum of ideology so it's not hard to stay an editor). The Anet does explicitly forbid "secrets", whether personal or institutional, and will delete (but secretly archive) any pages containing classified information.

Swordnet

The Swordnet is an offspring of the Anet. It feeds in the entirety of Anet's encyclopedic knowledge, but also contains knowledge about classified World League and Corporate actions. It's essentially an espionage encyclopedia. While it does operate similarly to the Anet, the leaders of the Swordsman Foundation (whomever they may be) do have administrative rights, and personally vet information to ensure that false operational data does not pass into the hands of Swordsman agents.

Cataclysm Zones

About half-way through the century, massive tectonic superweapons were tested by several major governments. The lesser of these weapons were only capable of light damage- equivalent to a normal earthquake, but someone (nobody knows who) tested a truly excessive weapon. Mountain ranges all over the world served as a marker for where the continents would split apart- drowning and dismembering nations and alliances. The ensuing ecological damage rendered most of the world unsustainable. The World League exacerbated this- while they were able to feed and provide water for the Continent Cities under their control, they consumed a massive amount of resources, leaving the Cataclysm Zones arid and barren.

That said, life still struggles on in the Cataclysm Zones, whether hardy arid shrubs, cacti, or even some unsuspected varieties of plant life, people continue to make a living in the barren lands. Of course, some of the activity in the Cataclysm Zones is bolstered by the fact that the tectonic disturbance unleashed countless underground mineral and oil reserves, allowing the residents of Cataclysm Zones to become rich overnight by simply digging in their own backyards. Ever since the discovery of this "tectonic replenishment", the Cataclysm Zones attract countless adventurers and those seeking riches.

There's a number of significant settlements in the Cataclysm Zones, namely Hive, Resourcorp Rig 43, and Jonesville.

Continent Cities

Continent Cities contain the majority of the world's population. Assembled by the World League with astonishing speed after the devastation, Continent Cities are made up of a three-part strata- a giant anti-seismic base (basically a shock absorber to protect from future superweapon attacks), a concrete "bowl", and a set of transportation roadways and bridges (often hundreds of feet off the bowl). People moved in quickly, and the administrative structures built by the World League were quickly accompanied by residential and industrial sectors, with refugees flooding in from the most devastated parts of the world. The World League did nothing to contain the influx, merely subsidizing hydroponics and ensuring that plentiful water was available via a mix of desalination and condensation methods. As such, the average citizen of a Continent City enjoys a bearable (but minimal) life. The majority of structures comply with the World League's strict building code, but there are still segments of the Continent Cities where one can encounter sprawling slums where housing is often little more than a stack of concrete blocks and sheet metal. The lower parts of Continent Cities harbor an incredible amount of crime, with World League officers patrolling there only when it creates an outcry with the more wealthy upper-city dwellers, since the majority of the World League's enforcement methods are based on preventing the import of contraband.

Major Continent Cities include New Chicago and Europa, and the most dangerous slums can be found in Oceania.

Corporate Enclaves

Corporate Enclaves are large cities built in methods similar to the Continent Cities, but without their massive size and with less of a totalitarian influence. Corporate Enclaves often lack the most basic border protection, and anyone can enter or leave at whim, though surveillance is tight. Corporate Enclaves serve as a mix of order and chaos- Corporations keep things clean and tidy in order to entice visitors to buy their products (shipping across Cataclysm Zones is a risky proposition), but at the same time they couldn't care less what you're doing if it doesn't hurt their interests (it's not unheard of for a corporation to actively promote mercenary and bandit activity from their enclaves almost to the point of subsidizing it- so long as their enemies are the target of choice). Enclaves vary heavily in terms of style- some are miniature Continent Cities, while some are more similar to a modern city with less of a focus on massive building and an orderly two-dimensional grid.

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