Author's Notes
Walled City of the Titans
The inspiration for this should be pretty obvious, there are, sadly, all too many real world examples. Nazi Germany, several countries in South America and Meso America, Korea and so on.
The focus on architecture is a reference to Hitler, and the German sounding names are also to get the "Gestapo feel". The bare, unadorned, oversized architecture is also a dystopian element, as if made to make people feel small.
The crashed economy is an echo of Germany after WW2, even though the causes are different.
This is not the mad emperor, this is bureaucratic oppression, systematic oppression, constant paranoia. Alber is not stupid, he is very sharp. He is also very power hungry, ruthless and without compassion. A very dangerous combination.
I also made this as an opportunity to bring changeling persecution into the game. It seemed to fit well with the resistance movements against tyranny theme.
What also makes this place interesting is that it happened just recently. When the Waverider passed, and when the Blue Marlin passed on the way to Amazireth, the coup hadn't happened yet. The city is still settling into the new order, and that makes the contrast hit harder.
It would be wrong of me to not mention the Palladium RPG, where there is a "Walled City of the Cyclops". I liked the name, but I haven't borrowed anything else from it, apart from the city being on an island and having walls.