Divinus

The Island City of Divinus is a huge resort-island in the Atlantic Ocean. It has established itself as a hub for the rich and powerful, offering distractions such as casinos and sporting arenas. Of course, it's true value is that it creates convenient opportunities for legitimate and illegitimate power-brokers to rub shoulders.

History
In 2076, an island began to form in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of what was Brazil. The Sao Paulo Council was the closest thing to a governing body with claim to the area. This allowed the Axiom Holding Group, a tightly knit group of wealthy entrepreneurs, to exploit the global demand for resources by purchasing the island for their own purposes.

Administration of the emerging city was handed over to a charming character named Vandorian Menhir, a long time member of the Axiom Holding Group. As communication networks between city-states was slowly re-established, Vandorian enacted a campaign to attract the world’s elite to Divinus. He began by proclaiming Divinus completely tax-free. Citizenship and residency on the island required a sizeable one-time payment and nothing more. Corporations and wealthy individuals flocked to the island. Construction surged. The island’s profile continued to rise under his watchful eye, and the world’s rich and beautiful continued to arrive everyday.

Divinus grew, attracting hundreds of thousands to its shores. Resorts sprang up along the coast’s white sand beaches. Casinos lit up the night sky. The largest sporting arenas in the world opened their doors to tens of thousands of cheering fans. Museums and galleries emerged alongside grand theatres on the city’s busy streets. The skyline became a wondrous span of gleaming towers inviting millions of tourists and hopeful residents each year. The island was truly a paradise, unmatched anywhere on Earth.

In 2280, Divinus enjoys special relations with almost every other city-state. It is seemingly loved by all. The island’s status as home to the New World’s entertainment industry and its most important celebrities makes Divinus something of a fairy-tale city. Visitors from around the globe flock to its shores, and the city routinely plays host to many of the world’s most important leaders.

However, like any major open city, Divinus has its share of problems; the city is also home to many of the global underworld’s most powerful and feared figures. Perhaps not surprisingly, these sinister men and women routinely rub elbows with the world’s elite, and Divinus is the perfect city for such interactions. Crime in the streets is generally kept out of the main tourist blocks by the security force. However, gangs and organised crime are in a constant battle for control of the city’s market for vices of every sort (4.2.3).

The hub of the New World’s Strata action is the Island City of Divinus and the Grand Royal Arena. Here, the best fighters in the world ply their trade in front of more than 150,000 spectators. The king of Divinus himself, Vandorian Menhir, is a regular attendee, and the stands are filled with celebrities of every sort. The Grand Royal Arena is truly a site to behold (3.4.8). Current world-champion Lothan Hunt’s home is a sprawling 200th floor penthouse in the Divinus Vodega Tower, the city’s most exclusive high-rise complex (5.1.14).

People
In 2280, Divinus is perhaps the most culturally diverse and eclectic city on Earth. It is home to nearly 2 million people, with an additional 650 million tourists and business visitors each year.

Government and Travel Controls
Divinus is a monarchy currently ruled by its first and only king, Vandorian Menhir, who oversees the island from his hilltop palace, Supersisto.

Divinus is a completely free and open city, assuming you can afford to travel and stay there. Divinus’ security force is extremely intolerant of vagrants and the homeless. Anyone who appears unsavoury is usually quickly questioned, and if unable to produce proof of residency or a current hotel reservation, dispatched from the island aboard a security vessel.

Military
Divinus does not have a large scale military force. However, it is home to the Divinus Royal Guard, an elite security force devoted to the protection of the island’s many VIPs and celebrities (4.2.3).