The City of Alpine
Alpine is separated into five districts as closely as possible, by population. Each district is ruled by an entire family, with the oldest living couple working as matriarch and patriarch. Often times this means the ruler of a district, or the Judges as they are called, are the elderly grandparents of several children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.
When either the matriarch or patriarch dies, regardless of age, the next eldest couple in the family takes over rule. If there is no married child of the ruling family, the eldest brother and sister will share rule until one of them gets married, in which case that sibling will take complete control of the district (sharing with their spouse). And if the judges children are all male or female, the eldest child of the matriarch and patriarch will be appointed a mate by the people of the district (this is where the citizens can vote), after which the rule of the district will continue as normal. An appointed marriage has rarely ever been necessary however. Family is the most important thing in the lives of Alpine’s citizens and even in the non ruling families, four or more children is quite normal.
This convoluted hierarchy seems prone to all manner of power struggles and foul play amongst the ruling families, which certainly has been the case throughout Alpine’s history. However, up until recently, the entire city has been a fairly peaceful place to live, with most citizens focusing on the good of the community before themselves. It is because of this, that often times power struggles have arisen between siblings and other family members not to gain control of the district for themselves, but to give the power to the other sibling.
Currently, all five districts are run by long wed couples. One district is run by a couple who now have fifteen great-grand children, and have ruled longer than anyone in Alpine’s history–an amazing 78 years.
Alpine is Atla’s most populous city with nearly 200,000 more citizens than Tru Dahn, and 500,000 more than FreePort, the second and third most populous cities respectively. Over 90% of the population are devout followers of Steyman. Until recently, it was impossible to travel anywhere in Alpine without finding connections to Steyman and the native religion. The very city is said to be built literally of Granite and God with granite actually considered a sacred stone which holds the spirit of Steyman.
The city is said to have been settled after countless years of nomadic mountain dwellers inhabited the high plains and valleys of the peaks above the Alpine valley. Legend says a nomadic family was told by their matriarch after a vision that Steyman’s wish was for the people to finally settle and build a city in His honor by using only that which was most plentiful around them–granite. After some cultivation and caring for the land, the people were able to dedicate their existence to Steyman and began what is known as the greatest continual engineering accomplishment in history. Without change, hesitation or pause, Alpine has used granite in almost everything built from the first small altar to the largest rail depot and towering public buildings.
The changes rushing through Alpine in the past decade have been the most significant since the city was settled around 3000 PM. The changes throughout the city have come not only as something physical, but to the people’s very way of life.
Once, despite its size, Alpine was considered a close-knit ‘family’ where neighbors knew neighbors, even the ones a dozen kilometers away. With the growing divisions in ideas relating to the railline, the five separate districts of Alpine are becoming more and more distant ideally, despite the greater connection physically. Many analysts and government officials throughout Atla feel that, if civil war doesn’t break out–an outcome that could very well spread and ignite the smoldering ember of unrest throughout the rest of Atla regarding the future of the railline–then the city will at least break up into two, if not more, separate cities and perhaps even divide the province. Much of the railline’s infrastructure is located in the geographic top half of the city which would make a potential breaking up of the city and province easier. However, the north portion of the city is made up of the majority of people opposing the railline as well as the most determined supporters of the rail (though their numbers are very few respectively).
Not considering the impact on Alpine city specifically, it is hard to deny the good the railline has had on Atla (though many feel it has reached its peak and shouldn’t spread any further). However, poverty has befallen most citizens of Alpine from exploitation by the rail companies, while Atla as a whole has seen greater expansion and improvements in the last 7 years than at any other time.
Other than the railline Alpine is nearly as well known for its hiking, hunting and camping (the city boundaries extend deep into the mountain range). Though not known as holding the most extreme and difficult climbs, the area is perfect for families and offers countless easy and well maintained trails throughout the mountains. Numerous small lakes and reservoirs are hidden around nearly every bend and peak. Granite cliffs which have given the city of Alpine stone for centuries, are known to be just as spectacular if not more, than anything humans can make. While protests and demonstrations for and against the railline, not to mention poverty and exploitation have filled the streets of Alpine, it is still possible to escape it all in the beautiful mountains literally out the back door of the city.
