Strasbourg

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Strasbourg
Original Name	斯特拉斯堡
Affiliation	Empire of Fars; its capital city 239
Status	Active
First Appearance	45

City Structure

• Strasbourg is divided between the Upper Seven Districts and Outer Fifteen Districts. The City Patrol was historically more functional in the Upper Seven, while the Outer Fifteen were plagued by “ghost soldiers” on the payroll. 628
• The Lucavaro District is a major underground-power center, dominated at one point by the Bard Merchant Association. 338
• Alcatraz District is a middle-class area with high demand for private security; it hosts three of Strasbourg’s seven major detective agencies and numerous smaller firms. 58
• Commercial districts have many coffee shops, contrasting with the tavern-heavy atmosphere of Silver Doveburg. 117
• Champs-Élysées Avenue contains the Gate of Radiance, a key divine structure in the city’s defenses. 242
• The Central Government Office is located in Strasbourg and serves as a major administrative center of Fars. 169 397

Defenses

Divine Barrier

Strasbourg is protected by divine structures associated with the Righteous Gods. During the Orc siege, the Gate of Radiance rose from Champs-Élysées Avenue alongside several other buildings, forming an iridescent barrier around the city. 242

• The barrier withstood the combined Great Wind Spell of more than ten Orc Saint Rank Shaman Mages. 242 243
• An oil painting owned by a mysterious widowed princess initially countered the storm by summoning monsters, but was destroyed under the shamans’ combined power. 242
• The city’s divine structures remained intact and prevented the storm, dust, and sand from entering Strasbourg. 242 243
• During a later imperial ceremony, dozens of miraculous structures again formed a massive iridescent dome over the city. 429
• The protective radiance can prevent even Saint Ranks from descending directly into the city. 430

Saint Rank Defenders

Sophia Garland states that Strasbourg possesses at least forty to fifty Saint Ranks, many of whom can withstand the Orcs’ Great Wind Spell. 241

• Sixteen Orc Saint Ranks failed to breach the city’s defensive barrier despite maintaining the Great Wind Spell for over ten days. 255
• Once the Orc shamans had exhausted their magic, Strasbourg’s Saint Ranks emerged and devastated the invading Orc forces. 255
• During the siege, the Royal Knight Regiment was severely undermanned because most of its forces had been transferred to Ferlanden. 239

History

Orc Siege

An Orc coalition army bypassed the front lines and assembled outside Strasbourg, eventually exceeding 200,000 soldiers. The force avoided a conventional siege while Saint Rank Shaman Mages prepared to bury the city beneath dust and sand. 239

Charlotte Mecklen learned that the Orcs had gathered more than ten Saint Rank shamans and attempted to warn the city. Sophia Garland informed him that Strasbourg’s hidden Saint Ranks and divine protections made the city far harder to destroy than he had expected. 241

The shamans launched their Great Wind Spell, but Strasbourg’s divine barrier held. After more than ten days of failed magical assault, the Orc forces were defeated and scattered; the area around the city was left encircled by massive deposits of dust and sand. 242 246 255

Brittany Ascension and the Second Coup

Following the succession crisis surrounding Julius Axel VI, Brittany Family forces took control of Strasbourg in half a day. Charlotte occupied the Central Government Office and used the West Wind Knight Regiment to suppress gangs, looters, and human traffickers. 397

• Resisting gang members were killed or converted into Labyrinth Guardians; compliant members were absorbed into the West Wind Knight Regiment. 397
• Charlotte’s crackdown kept the second coup from devolving into widespread urban disorder. 397
• The Brittany Family later assumed formal control of Strasbourg, while Charlotte withdrew his Orc-heavy regiment to avoid conflict with residents traumatized by the Orc invasion. 398

Axel Rebellion

Remnants of the Axel Family, allied with rebellious imperial relatives and former Prime Minister Wood Brandon, later seized Strasbourg. 542

• The rebels fielded eleven Saint Ranks, over sixty Transcendents, and support from at least fifty additional families. 544
• Former Crown Prince Morgan Axel returned to the city and intended to reclaim the throne. 544
• Morgan’s assassination fractured the Axel faction into competing succession camps. 549
• Charlotte’s propaganda campaign against Wood Brandon—known as the Twenty-Two Centime Battle—forced Brandon’s resignation within six days. 549
• Charlotte, Antonio Brittany, Ishermerlun, and Gareth later launched a surprise attack, defeated the remaining Axels, and retook Strasbourg. 555

Governance and Public Order

Under Anne Brittany

While the Fars Emperor and Crown Prince campaigned elsewhere, Duchess Anne governed Strasbourg and transformed its administration and living conditions. 628

• She reorganized the City Patrol, eliminating much of the old system of ghost soldiers and improving public security. 628
• Bookstores became significantly more common. 628
• Prices stabilized, necessities became plentiful, and residents developed a stronger attachment to the Brittany Dynasty. 628
• Anne expanded sanitation measures by installing public trash cans and constructing sewage systems. 628
• Criminals, gang members, habitual thieves, and violent offenders were transferred to Cappadocia and, in many cases, onward to the Agres Sea Islands. 628

By Charlotte’s assessment, Anne’s Strasbourg had become better managed than Mecklenburg and the other cities he had governed, benefiting from the capital’s superior resources, population, and administrative capacity. 628

Notable Locations

• Gate of Radiance — A divine structure on Champs-Élysées Avenue; a central component of Strasbourg’s citywide defensive barrier. 242
• Central Government Office — Major Fars administrative headquarters, later occupied by Charlotte during the Brittany takeover. 169 397
• Count Brittany’s mansion — A political center Charlotte visited after entering the city during the wartime security crisis. 375
• Temple of the Serpent of Destiny — Located in the Lucavaro District; Charlotte and Anne visit it while managing the Brittany Family cemetery. 338
• Strasbourg City Patrol — Reformed under Anne after a history of unreliable enforcement and ghost soldiers. 628
• Prime Minister’s residence — Wood Brandon’s mansion, which became a gathering place for influential Fars nobles during the Axel rebellion. 545

Trivia

• Sophia Garland’s title, “Strasbourg Rose,” is derived from the city. 241
• Strasbourg has repeatedly been targeted during major wars because of its political importance, but its divine defenses have made direct destruction exceptionally difficult. 239 242 255
• Charlotte considers Strasbourg—particularly Champs-Élysées Avenue No. 58—his preferred home despite the growth of his own territories. 628