Baden City

Capital of the Freehold planet of Baden, Baden City has grown and evolved through the decades to meet the ever changing needs of its populace. Today the city is best known as the birthplace of the Mordena mercenaries, and a welcoming port of call for refugees from the wars raging across the universe.  

Industry

Government Administration

As capital, much of the day to day dealings of the city revolve around bureaucracy and politics. Businesses and corporations jockey for favor from politicians and each other, all while competing for new talent and ideas among the desperate asylum seekers constantly arriving at the docks in search of a new beginning.  

Technoarcana

The planet's proximity to Confederation space, coupled with the activities of the elusive Phoenix Assembly, guarantee a steady supply of Sparnelli expats and deserters. The assortment of Magic and technical training brought to Baden City in the process has secured Baden's position as one of the Freeholds' more prominent leaders in Technoarcana.   Despite this advantage, Baden City still lags behind its more competitive rivals, most notably Caralis, likely due to Baden's notably risk adverse research and investment tendencies.  

Spaceport

Baden City also boasts the largest spaceport on the planet, allowing visiting portal hoppers to land directly in the city without the need for space stations or additional Portal Magic. This has also led to significantly fewer fees associated with visiting the city, leading to a constantly bustling hub of activity.   As the spaceport grew in use and popularity, local residents often complained about the noise and increased traffic. Rising real estate prices have led most residents to move elsewhere in the city, and today the majority of buildings within walking distance of the spaceport are occupied by recruitment offices, tourist traps, and corporations determined to display their success.  

Notable Organizations

Baden Defense Force

The Baden Defense Force maintains their headquarters within the city limits, plus a prominent airfield and extensive training barracks just outside the city limits. While the BDF states this allows for better communication with Baden leadership and more effective coordination with the Mordena, opponents claim their actions during the Battle for Baden prove this is merely an excuse to justify spending less on defensive infrastructure, all at the expense of making Baden City a bigger target.  

Mordena

As the origin of the Mordena and the first planet to contract their services and join the Freehold Coalition, Baden has the honor of housing the primary Mordena Embassy. The building is actually a converted set of row homes in a modest part of the city, including Shane and Jake Lawrence's original house when they lived in Baden City, although the interiors have been altered and redone to better suit the needs of the Ambassador and staff.   Current Larsenia Vallick serves as Ambassador to Baden, handling requests from the planetary government, Baden's citizenry, and visitors from across Vazdimet come to contract their services.  

Phoenix Assembly

The illicit plans of the Phoenix Assembly have dug deep within the infrastructure of Baden City. While at one point the organization gained notoriety through its violent and bloody efforts to absorb their competitors at all costs, within the first year after the Battle for Baden the gang drastically refocused its efforts.   Today the criminal organization is best known as a source of forged papers, questionable Gene Therapy, and even reconstruction clones, allowing those seeing a new, clean beginning to find one - for the right price. The legal authorities have thus far permitted the Assembly to continue its efforts unchallenged, likely due to a combination of political lobbying on the part of corporations who have found the false papers more convenient than immigration forms, plus the Assembly's continued habits of discouraging competition.   In fact, Baden City has the lowest occurrence of blue collar crimes in all of Baden, despite its dense population.  

Transient Visitors

Immigration

While Baden City boasts a population over 11 million at any one time, approximately one third of the populace is considered transient. The planet's proximity to Sparnell Confederation territory, combined with its welcome acceptance of immigration and the activities of the Phoenix Assembly, has resulted into a steady influx of refugees and deserters into Baden City. This has proven a boon to the industries of Baden, to the point those who can afford to maintain a recruitment office near the primary spaceport of the city often do so, with other interplanetary businesses now beginning to emulate the practice.   Baden City is often merely a starting point for these visitors, providing the assistance and opportunities required to launch into a brand new future.  

Tourism

While Baden is fairly unremarkable as a whole, it has maintained a consistent and diverse mediocrity. This has made the planet a popular tourist destination for those traveling on a budget, simply due to the variety of available activities. The planet's beaches are clean, its food edible, its entertainment pleasing, and its designated holography locations sufficient for sharing the resultant image with relatives and rivals alike.   Baden's close relationship with the Mordena has also added new opportunities for tourism and business agreements. Those who cannot afford to visit Janikk Station often find themselves in Baden City as the next best thing, enjoying the many trade agreements the Mordena have forged with local businesses.  

Culture

Cuisine

Fine Dining

Unlike the majority of Baden City's attempts at attractions, the city's most high end restaurants thrive in the shadow of the Mordena's influence. Agreements with the mercenary organization have led to an influx of unique and exotic ingredients from Janikk. Some restaurants, most notably The Sovereign Spoon, have built their reputations and their menus around Jannadael Foods and their own variations on the ingredients. Others, unable to secure shipments of their own, have forged new and delicious innovations with locally sourced fare.  

Health Food

By contrast, the constant stream of Sparnelli expats has also led to a plethora of ethnic Confederation eateries. While bland by most standards, and considered inedible by those with more demanding palates, the Sparnelli focus on function over flavor has led to a newfound popularity in healthy eating circles. Health-conscious restaurants have taken to offering Sparnelli menu options, often with their own local twists to make the food more palatable.  

Community

While Baden City still maintains Baden's traditional stubborn independence, the presence of the Mordena within their communities has had a notable effect. Rather than preaching personal independence, many neighborhoods and communities within the city have instead gradually realigned these beliefs to mean the city as a whole taking care of its own. As the more transient of its population spreads throughout the planet , they've begun to carry this philosophy with them, gradually softening the stern self-reliance preached by traditionalists.   While the city still has much to do to improve upon its many societal issues, including homelessness and childcare, more community-funded options are available than ever before. The effects have been notable enough to draw the attention of the planetary government, who has recently begun its own pilot programs in an effort not to be left behind. Many hope that, with time, these same programs will spread across the planet, allowing Baden to finally exceed its standard label of "average."