Gemma

Perched atop a majestic mountaintop, the city now known as Gemma was formerly the site of a Tevarin stronghold. Extractions from surviving Codices suggest that the locale was not chosen for the view; rather it was perfectly suited to withstand siege and repel attackers. As the Tevarin civilization evolved, it became a perfect summation of their culture (beauty, precision and danger). Over the years, the UEE has tried to maintain as much of the Tevarin architecture as possible, but the elevation and increased air traffic have unfortunately begun to erode the buildings. Those structures that can’t be saved have been converted into decidedly Human architecture.

Landing in Gemma will appear different, as the landing facility has been built to mimic Tevarin architecture, but should be familiar in the logistics. Platinum Bay has maintained the landing zone here for many years, and it still offers the amenities you’ve come to know and expect with a Fuel Pump and the local office of the TDD.

Moving into the city proper takes you past some familiar stores, but be sure to check out the Vadili Market, an open-air arcade that’s been in operation (in one form or another) for over a thousand years. On most days, you can find San Pisoq, a Tevarin and local fixture of the market, who will be more than happy to fill you in on a bit of the history.

Of course, you can find the Governor’s Council and a local Advocacy Office if you have Imperial business to handle, but skip all that and head down to Cedar Board, a local watering hole owned by the Roarke family that’s been in operation for almost sixty years. You can trace the family’s vast and fascinating military history all the way back to the old wars of Earth through the various pictures and relics proudly displayed on the walls of this quiet bar.

Had the Humans not occupied Gemma during the Purge, the last (and probably most important) stop on our tour would have surely been lost. Here you will find one of the last known Temples of Rijora, and certainly none of the others are left in as good a condition as this one. Its architecture is so stunning in its elegance that even the Messers opted to preserve it. Maybe they were fans of architecture? Or maybe it was a begrudging respect for the enemy that catapulted Ivar Messer to power? Who knows, but it might be the only good thing that wretched family ever did. Moving into the massive structure, many are struck by the simplicity that awaits them inside. Rijoran doctrine emphasized active rather than passive existence, so you will find no chairs or pews, just large open spaces that were used by the Tevarin to develop their mental and physical abilities for warfare.