This forum uses cookies
This forum makes use of cookies to store your login information if you are registered, and your last visit if you are not. Cookies are small text documents stored on your computer; the cookies set by this forum can only be used on this website and pose no security risk. Cookies on this forum also track the specific topics you have read and when you last read them. Please confirm whether you accept or reject these cookies being set.

A cookie will be stored in your browser regardless of choice to prevent you being asked this question again. You will be able to change your cookie settings at any time using the link in the footer.

Welcome, Guest
You have to register before you can post on our site.

Username
  

Password
  





Search Forums

(Advanced Search)

Forum Statistics
» Members: 183
» Latest member: Emiliya
» Forum threads: 1,511
» Forum posts: 18,611

Full Statistics

Online Users
There are currently 299 online users.
» 0 Member(s) | 296 Guest(s)
Facebook, Bing, Google

Latest Threads
Literal Nightmares
Forum: The Guardian
Last Post: Nox
04-30-2024, 10:03 AM
» Replies: 0
» Views: 31
INTRODUCTION
Forum: General Discussion
Last Post: Nox
04-25-2024, 09:51 AM
» Replies: 1
» Views: 65
Never Too Late
Forum: Greater Moscow and the Golden Ring
Last Post: Nox
04-25-2024, 09:46 AM
» Replies: 36
» Views: 1,346
The Uninvited Guest [Unkn...
Forum: Rest of the world
Last Post: Thalia
04-24-2024, 11:10 PM
» Replies: 4
» Views: 429
Follow Through
Forum: Red-light district
Last Post: Hayden
04-24-2024, 07:35 PM
» Replies: 0
» Views: 47
Awakening
Forum: Detention Center
Last Post: Michael Vellas
04-23-2024, 01:54 PM
» Replies: 17
» Views: 1,060
We Don't Want To Anger Mo...
Forum: Detention Center
Last Post: Michael Vellas
04-23-2024, 01:37 PM
» Replies: 22
» Views: 1,254
Casual Observer
Forum: Rest of the world
Last Post: Hayden
04-21-2024, 07:23 PM
» Replies: 20
» Views: 1,245
A Little Chat [Vasiliev P...
Forum: Greater Moscow and the Golden Ring
Last Post: Nesrin Aziz
04-19-2024, 08:12 PM
» Replies: 0
» Views: 60
Loose Connections [Almaz]
Forum: Moscow Nightlife
Last Post: Natalie Grey
04-12-2024, 05:21 PM
» Replies: 0
» Views: 75

 
  Description
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-25-2013, 05:54 PM - Forum: Kremlin and Red Square - No Replies

For a full description, see the Kremlin page on the wiki.

The Kremlin has been a symbol of power for nearly a millennium but less than half is open to the public.  With nearly a dozen palaces and churches, the Kremlin is a living repository of eight centuries of history and culture, not to mention an emblem of power. The Kremlin walls -- running almost a mile and a half, standing as high as 62 feet, as thick as 21 feet in places -- include 20 towers and gates.

The Kremlin is situated in the very center of the city. Its monumental walls and towers, golden-domed cathedrals and ancient palaces stand high on a hill above the Moscow River form a magnificent architectural ensemble.

[Image: 161351561.jpg]


Public areas include 


Red Square

With the Kremlin for a backdrop, the Red Square is surrounded by the onion-domed St. Basil's Cathedral, the opulent GUM department store, and newly formed monuments to the CCD. The Red Square is also the site of the Ascendancy's Monument Archway.

The Armory Chamber and Diamond Fund (#30)

The oldest and richest museum in all of Moscow, this building displays not only weapons from the Kremlin workshops but also the great treasures of former dynasties: the incalculable wealth gathered by princes and tsars.  The Armory also exhibits carriages, clothing, and jewels, including Catherine the Great's gilded summer carriage, her elaborately embroidered coronation dress, and her scepter topped with the 190-carat Orlov diamond. The diamond was a gift from her lover, Count Orlov, and was originally taken from an idol's eye in an Indian temple. 

Cathedral Square (#22)

Assumption Cathedral, the Kremlin's main church, faces the oldest square in Moscow.  It was here, beneath golden domes, that tsars were crowned.  The Archangel cathedral is dedicated to the Archangel Michael and has traditionally held the tombs of the ruling dynasty.  Immaculate iconostasis artwork adorns the interior.  The Annunciation cathedral was the private church of the Russian grand princes and tsars until the Church of Our Saviour Behind-the-Golden-Trellis was built in the tsar’s private apartments, and is often referred to as being “in the grand prince’s court in the vestibule”. High profile weddings and christenings take place here.

The Patriarchy Palace (#25)

Originally the home of the Russian Patriarch, now the palace is primarily a museum displaying ancient pieces of culture from furniture to tapestries and iconostasis.

The Bell Tower of Ivan the Great (#24)

This complex is home to a high-tech museum dedicated to the architecture and history of the Kremlin itself.  The Great belfry above contains 24 bells.  The complex was constructed to replace the original, which was destroyed by Napoleon.

Borovitskaya Tower (#12)

This is the main entrance to the Kremlin, flanked by a 150 foot tall tower, the base of which pierces the thick walls which may still be seen the chains of a former drawbridge within slits alongside.  Formerly, black Volgas and now, top of the line Audi's, Jaguars, and BMW's whiz through the vehicular entrance carrying government employees to work.

The State Kremlin Palace (#36)

This monumental building is a major center of socio-political and cultural life in Dominance I.  Held here are international forums, regional summits, and congresses of organizations involved in economic and cultural development. The six thousand seat State Kremlin Palace also serves as a concert hall for stars with world names and as a venue for ballet and opera performances.  This is a modern and sleek space, the stage outfitted with the most advanced of performance technologies and comforts for those in attendance.  Foyers include the Mirror Room, the Hall of Soviet Emblems and similar Hall of CCD Emblems, and Parquet Foyer.




Restricted areas include 

The Grand Kremlin Palace

Along the South wall of the Kremlin, overlooking the Moscow River, you will find the Grand Kremlin Palace (#35). The new imperial residence, commissioned by Czar Nicholas I in 1838. It was the largest structure in the Kremlin, some 500,000 square feet, that cost 11 million rubles to build. It was designed to link the older Terem Palace and Palace of Facets, with its new and glorious reception halls, a ceremonial red staircase, and private Imperial Apartments.

Its five ceremonial reception halls, the Andrew, Alexander, Vladimir, Georgy and Catherine halls, are named after Russian orders. The interior was conceived as a monument to military glory.  In the 19th century, the main hall was the Andrew Throne Hall, decorated with gilt pylons and doors with the Order’s crosses and chains. The walls of the Alexander Hall are faced with pink marble and crowned with a spherical dome with coats of arms and insignia.  The octagonal St. Vladimir Hall is the center of the palace ensemble and is illuminated through the skylight in the dome. The Red Staircase leads to Georgy Hall, the biggest and grandest of all, is dedicated to the highest military honor. The names of regiments, naval crews, batteries and more than 10,000 officers and generals awarded the Order of St. George the Victorious are engraved in gold on the marble plaques in the hall. The Catherine Hall, stunning with its exquisite decor, while also festive-looking and cozy, was the throne room of former empresses.

The Royal Apartments are the seven most luxurious rooms in all of Moscow and consists of the seven private suites for the Ascendancy.  Each room opens off one central hall: Reception rooms, studies, boudoirs, etc. Only the finest work of the finest craftsman was permitted in the Royal Apartments. There are mosaics of jade, topaz, and other gems adorning the walls, one panel of which contains thousands of semi-precious stones. There are antique clocks built in Paris, the finest porcelain set on casts of solid bronze, a fireplace of hand-carved alabaster while another, valued at several millions dollars, is built of thousands of layers of malachite, a semi-precious stone, and overhead drapes a swirling sky of chandeliers.


Administrative Buildings

These include the Senate Building (#33), a triangular building with three inner courtyards is of fairy-tale decoration and bold architectural design.  Traditionally, the Senate building was the home to former Heads of State, until the Ascendancy returned to living in the Grand Palace.  The Arsenal (#32) is an austere building which fits well within the walls of the Kremlin.  Napoleonic weapons, cannons, and guns line the exterior of this building. 

The Secret Gardens

Also known as the Tainitsky Gardens, this garden lines the southern wall of the Kremlin leading to the Moscow River.  A wide, secure helipad is now situated in these gardens for the Ascendancy's private usage.  In contrast to the adjacent Grand Kremlin Public Garden, for security purposes, this area is closed to the general public.

The Kremlin Walls and Towers

For security purposes, the walls and Towers of the Kremlin Fortress is off-limits to general public. 

[Image: Moscowplan_zps30ce6546.jpg]

Print this item

  Description
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-24-2013, 02:12 PM - Forum: Detention Center - No Replies

This board is for all places in the greater Moscow area related to detention, secret bases, and prisons. 

Notable locations include:

The Facility - full description on Wiki page

Located 22 floors beneath the Kremlin, the Facility fills a transformed bunker decommissioned after the Cold War.  The Facility operates with a full staff and up to 100 test subjects with security provided by the highest level of clearance.


Butyrka detention center - full description on Wiki page

Butryka is a predetention holding center in the middle of Moscow City along 45 Nvovoslobodskaya Street. The building is nondescript unless one knew what to look for. There is a subway across the street. Regular neighbors and businesses flank it. It is probably the most feared "center" in Moscow, if not all of Russia, which is saying something given the notoriety of the prison system there.

It is a prison infamous for the inhumane treatment of inmates. It dates back to 1775, and since its first incarnation 250 years ago, Butyrka Prison has been home to a long history of harsh living conditions, human rights violations, and spectacular escape attempts. It was historically used for housing high-profile and political prisoners. It is currently being retrofitted to be prepared to incarcerate channelers.

Print this item

  Description
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-22-2013, 02:27 PM - Forum: Underground city - No Replies

See Underground City wiki for more. 

The deserted passageways, dry water courses, torture chambers, stashes of skull-embedded stones, and suggestions of mass-graves have been little explored by those above. Sometimes dismembered bodies wash out, rising up from sewers and drains to the surface. What goes on beneath the streets is largely a mystery.

As there are six to twelve layers underground depending on the area of the city.  The upper levels are frequently inhabited by the city’s homeless, illegal migrants, gypsies, alcoholics, druggies, prostitutes, political refugees, and ex-convicts.  The lower levels, however, are known only by rumor.  Sightings of strangely dressed groups in camouflage and masks supposedly roam the underground. Individuals in monk’s robes, lanterns and alters have been rumored, but unconfirmed.

Print this item

  Description
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-22-2013, 11:41 AM - Forum: Moscow Nightlife - No Replies

MANIFESTO

Link to wiki page of Manifesto

There are more billionaires in Moscow than in any other city in the world. More than New York, London, or Dubai.  In Moscow, millionaires are as common as pigeons. Together the rich and mega-rich constitute a social class who are loosely called nouveau riche. Half of them are survivors of industrial shake-ups from the fallout of the "aluminum war" fifty years ago, when executives were killed left and right. Half have discovered that starting a bank is more profitable than robbing one. The rest are young financial trapeze artists swinging from one hedge fund to another. How do you celebrate success on such a scale? How much caviar can you eat? How much bubbly can you drink? Et cetera. That's why clubs were invented.

Clubs give the rich the chance to "flaunt it, baby, flaunt it," while assured that "face control" will stop undesirables at the door. Face control is executed by men who in a glance can determine your financial profile and celebrity status. And whether you are carrying a gun.

The New Rich are social animals; they squeeze business and pleasure together the way drivers squeeze five lanes out of four. The office is full of petty distractions: meetings, phone calls, endless details. Billion-dollar deals await the cool hours of the evening. There is a Moscow tradition that you can't trust or do business with a man until you have been drunk together. Food, vodka, and money: they go hand in hand.

The first sign that Manifesto was hot was the number of Bentleys and Lamborghinis lined up at the curb opening night.  The club incorporates relentless sound, color, and motion. Psychedelic visions splash across screens and illuminate vodka bars.  The floor grows so crowded people can only dance in place, something six-foot models in six-inch heels still manage gracefully.

Amid clouds of smoke, strobe lights, and the deafening beat of house music, the new lords of oil, nickel, and natural gas swarm on Manifesto with women as mute and beautiful as cheetahs on a leash.  Not in the mood?  Retire to Block 1 or Block 2.  Here a man can sip Johnnie Walker Blue, light a Cuban cigar, sip a brandy, unwind, and make more money.

In this cacophony a millionaire could expand and relax. For one thing, no guns are allowed inside. The club has a 40-man security force, and any customer who felt in dire need of protection is assigned a personal bodyguard. A bomb dog sniffs the chairs, and security briefings alert the staff about special needs, such as guests from Dubai who did not want to be photographed drinking champagne with scantily clad models.

Manifesto is located in a massive bunker-size club space inspired by the various powers of the 20th century.  The dance floor is a lavish spectacle, a two-story room under vibrant red-mirrored ceilings with a DJ pulpit.  Intimate circular seating areas are cramped with those suffering from electronic dance fatigue. 

The space is otherwise divided between the main club venue, known as Manifesto, and two smaller lounges known as Block 1 and Block 2. The décor of Block 1 is an ethereal setting of mystic porn set against a gothic backdrop, and parodies of ancient art and religious iconography. The main lounge is set under a large dome, bottle service can be delivered in private booths cantilevered overlooking the space or in more social settings.


A tall, narrow passageway that forces people to funnel close together leads to Block 2. This is a geometric space decorated in red and black, splashed with dramatic lighting, and grounded by cement floors and stone columns. Hand-picked dancers or contortionists perform silently in creepily preserved torture cells suspended above, out of reach of those below. The main space is long and narrow, seated with black furniture onyx tables.


KALLISTI HOUSE OF BURLESQUE

Full Wiki Page

Oriena Wrote:Kallisti had an air of vintage. Damask inlaid the walls, and the furniture was solid, luxuriant – and expensive. The bar itself was extravagant, back-dropped by antique bottles glittering wealth in the soft light, but it was the stage the seating was positioned to worship. The private arrangements walked a fine and purposeful line between comfort and straight-laced formality; Kallisti encouraged coy promises through fluttered eyelashes, incidental touches and husky whispers. But it sold seduction, not sex. If you wanted an anonymous fuck in a bathroom, or to act the voyeur peeping on the exploits of strangers, there were plenty of venues within the Red Light District to accommodate. In an age where every fetish was catered for, Kallisti was foreplay; the naughty, clandestine kind that left you breathless. And wanting more.

Along the farthest wall, cordoned off, a grand door led the way to the theatre; for those who stumped up the cash for admittance to the midnight show, which was still a few hours away. In the meantime the entertainment was the lightly teasing, wickedly cheeky kind. Most people thought of burlesque as the art of striptease, and Kallisti embraced that whole-heartedly, but it found its earliest roots in parody. Travesty. Sly and subversive mockery. When Ori surveyed this decadent kingdom, that was what she saw.




THE ALMAZ

The Almaz full wiki page

Oriena Wrote:The Almaz was a club bolted into the Underground, but claimed exclusively by the favour of the obscenely rich. Cash or favour granted admittance - often both were required to get a foot through the door - but it did not hold the prestige of somewhere like Manifesto. It was not the sort of place one openly admitted to attending, nor a name that found its way into polite conversation or the sparkle of the tabloids. No paparazzi paved the way to its doors. On the contrary. Recording devices were prohibited within, and security took the rule seriously enough to break fingers and worse for transgression.

The clientèle was mixed; the golden elite getting their dark kicks alongside the cream of local gang life, though you might only tell by the absence or proliferation of tattoos amongst the formal dress-code. Big money was won and lost on the fights, that being the Almaz's bead and butter. Allies forged and shattered in its walls, deals soaked in loyalty of blood. Upside leather and velvet decorated a lavish bar area, filtering down into the pits below, where the real entertainment happened. Down there rings and cages separated the various fights, couched by plush ringside tables. This was not sportsmanship; it was brutality.


Nebesa's Gate Casino

Link to full Wiki page

A prestigious casino located on New Arbat Street, a major artery in Moscow City. Its name translates to “Heaven’s Gate” in English. After the birth of the ASU it was one of the first to open its doors after gambling was re-legalised in Russia. Previously, it had been banned from all but four government appointed districts. After more than twenty years, Nebesa remains at the forefront of the gambling scene in Moscow. It’s popular with tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the many celebrities said to frequent its walls.

Devil's Lair (Nightclub)

Link to full Wiki page

A cult-status nightclub known for its all night raves.

Print this item

  Fire rages beneath Moscow; flushes thousands onto streets
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-19-2013, 07:39 PM - Forum: Current Events - No Replies

Thousands of people were flushed onto the streets of inner Moscow after chasms of fire and smoke broke through the city’s underground. The Custody of Engineering reports a gas leak lead to a subterranean explosion. As there are six to twelve layers underground, the upper levels frequently inhabited by the city’s homeless, gypsies, alcoholics, druggies, prostitutes, political refugees, ex-convicts, MP’s swept onto the streets until the situation could be contained. Despite the Fire Marshalls’ investigation, witnesses report conflicting stories of arson, self-defense, and terror. Sightings of strangely dressed groups in camoflauge and masks roaming the underground are not uncommon. Individuals in monk’s robes, lanterns and alters have been rumored, but unconfirmed. However, solid evidence exists of a Moscow Underworld, an atmosphere ignored by the CCD other than to close off old bomb shelters, seal-up thousand-man bunkers, and empty strategic command posts. The deserted passageways, dry water courses, torture chambers, stashes of skull-embedded stones, and suggestions of mass-graves have been little explored by those above. Sometimes dismembered bodies wash out, rising up from sewers and drains to the surface. What goes on beneath the streets is a mystery. But whatever is down there, these rats are afraid to return to it.

Print this item

  Extremists burn CCD flag in Kentucky
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-19-2013, 07:38 PM - Forum: Current Events - Replies (1)

An anti-CCD extremist group known as the Minutemen burned several of the Custody flags in demonstration against empire rule. In their live video broadcast, the Minutemen seek the downfall of the CCD, claiming that “liberty always prevails.” The American government made no arrests, claiming demonstrators are protected by freedom of speech. In a later address, the Ascendancy accused the American President of protecting a known terrorist organization. The Ascendancy also proclaimed that Minutemen demonstrations on CCD soil will be met with swift and due brutality. Known members of the Minutemen organization have been added to Custody of Intelligence watch lists as persons of High Interest.

Print this item

  WHO declares world pandemic alert
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-19-2013, 07:38 PM - Forum: Current Events - No Replies

[Image: moscow-smoke-touristsclevelandcom_zps37e5981c.jpg]

The World Health Organization has recently declared a phase 5 pandemic alert. A disease of unknown etiology has spread to more than 30 countries around the globe. Over the last several years, dozens of deaths have been reported in almost every major city around the globe, the rate of which appears to be increasing. Patients report a rapid onset of flu-like symptoms, paraesthesia, exhilaration and hysteria and death occurring within twenty-four hours. Targeted population has been male in their early-mid 20’s and females in mid-late teens. The disease does not seem to be associated with any race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or previous health status. Until the microbiological agent has been identified, the WHO urges everyone to report outbreaks in your area to their physician or to the local Custody of Public Health. In the meantime, the situation will be closely monitored regarding future travel and event restrictions.


Print this item

  Breakout from D-I prison; manhunt underway.
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-19-2013, 07:37 PM - Forum: Current Events - No Replies

Two Americans escaped from a mid-security prison outside St. Petersburg. They were convicted by the Custody of Intelligence for corporate espionage six months ago and sentenced both men to imprisonment for an undetermined length of time while the investigation is ongoing. It is unknown who aided their escape. Their current location is unknown.

Print this item

  Custody of Enforcement raids hostel, owner imprisoned, 14 dead
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-19-2013, 07:36 PM - Forum: Current Events - No Replies

Fourteen are dead after the CoE raided a hostel (illegal business ring) in Kitay Gorod, Moscow. Gambling, escort services, and minor recreational drug use have always been legal in the CCD so long as the trade is government operated (and taxed). Private ventures into this world is certainly lucrative, but dangerous. Unconfirmed sources indicate thriving illegal activity near the Kremlin itself. Officials have no comment.

Print this item

  Rogue guard kidnaps woman; caught on tape.
Posted by: Ascendancy - 06-19-2013, 07:35 PM - Forum: Current Events - Replies (2)

A member of a mega-wealthy family was kidnapped by a member of their own private security team. Surveillance video proves the guard killed the former members of his own team before escaping. Investigators anticipate the motive is ransom and await contact. A family spokesperson announces reward.

Print this item