Random World-Building & Tidbits for Omake Writers:
The island of Iceland is one of the most militarized places on Earth. It's a regular port of call for two additional Atlantic Patrol Fleets as well as the one which calls the island home. The other two fleets call the Canary Islands and the Azores their homes and, in concert with the Caribbean Patrol Fleet, form the first line of defense against an EU assault on the Britannian homeland. While the Philippines are becoming a strong contender due to their position near the Chinese Federation, it's a relatively recent possession in contrast to Iceland and hasn't had the time to build up the kind defenses and military infrastructure that Iceland has.
Greenland, by contrast, is one of the least important Britannian possession and perhaps the least-secure area which is technically within the 'homeland.' It's seen as holding very little value, to the point that it's believed any EU attack or invasion would completely bypass the island in the name of moving on to either the former-Canadian territories or the commercial hub of Newfoundland.
The most valuable export of Area 8 is fruit-based alcohol in terms of quantity. While artificial environments can grow the the kinds of fruits which find New Zealand's environment enjoyable, many in the nobility like to keep a cache of 'naturally grown' alcohols in order to compare and contrast the more widely-available wines, whiskeys, and other such things. In terms of quality, though, the most expensive exports of Area 8, though, are actually animals. In particular, those zoologically-inclined, conservationist-minded, or those caught up in animal-related fads among the nobility prize the Tasmanian Tigers as symbols of their ability to acquire extremely foreign and interesting specimens. In contrast to our timeline, the Tasmanian Tiger is not extinct or even close to it. A number of areas in North America even have populations of feral Tasmanian Tigers descended from imported pets or display animals who are currently the ongoing topic of discussion as regards invasive species, especially given that they have filled certain predatory niches vacated by wolf populations that were endangered during the 1800s. It especially helps their case that they've been instrumental in controlling the feral wild hog population in America.
Another source of 'Biodiversity Exportation' has been Socotra Island, specifically the
Dragon's Blood Tree, a favorite of many nobles for ornamental gardening. Previously endangered or nearly-extinct wildlife has proliferated as a result of Britannian nobility creating inherited collections of plants and animals. Today, there are more Socotran crocodiles and water buffalo living in North America than on the island itself.
Pendragon is not actually the world's largest planned city, merely the most famous. In fact, it's not even the largest within the Empire by either population or land area. New Northumberland, a monumental and ongoing effort in Northern Alaska's Prudhoe Bay, surpassed Pendragon some twenty years previously and has continued to build. An eclectic mix of hyper-industrialization and a resort city, the area was developed in response to wide-spread protests against a proposed pipeline project to move crude oil for processing. The result was a massive factory complex built on-site which processed much of the crude on-site for transport out by tanker, elevated electric rail, and freight truck. The city is most notable for containing a near-complete lack of buildings crafted from natural materials as well as being almost completely enclosed to hold out the extreme climate. The addition of resort structures is a relatively-recent development resulting from the passing of the previous noble in charge of funding the city. His son, Harold von Rustov III, Marquis of Prudhoe Bay, has since been marketing the location as the 'Jewel of the Arctic' in an effort to attract tourism and visiting nobility to the location. Princess Guinevere's recent vacation to the Aurora Tower has seen a spike in such, especially after her comments declared it a, "bastion of civilization in an otherwise frigid waste. It is both a monument to Britannian industry and innovation as well as providing a unique opportunity to take in the desolate beauty of our seldom-seen northernmost homeland."
It's a common misconception that all Britannians hate the people of Europa United. The reverse is also untrue. There remains a surviving, if not precisely
thriving foreign exchange tradition between educational institutions. Granted, most inductees are expected to come out of the experience broadly condemning the society which hosted them. Many such write-ups are often either backhanded compliments or rhetorical turns of phrase which could be taken in multiple ways. Many third-party analysts attribute this to the fact that Britannian culture teaches respect to the venerable past, monuments with age and history to them, and martial prowess. As bitter a pill as it is to swallow for many, the EU is rooted in the Napoleonic past which successfully evicted the ruling class from the British isles, gathered a number of irreplaceable works of art, and inherited the sum total of Europe's great landmarks. In contrast, EU students speak fondly of the expansive spaces of the Empire compared to the cramped streets of the old world, the massive public works projects created by numerous nobles in many cities, and the ease of acquiring foreign goods usually held behind protective tariffs.
Of course, EU students and travelers are often less than complementary regarding the Empire's documentation requirements, byzantine social rules enforced by dogmatic laws, and the obsequious behavior expected towards the nobility. Likewise, Britannian students and travelers often complain about a complete lack of social guidelines and a crippling anxiety due to their inability to predict social interactions as well as vocal condemnation of the 'unenforced laws' common to many EU jurisdictions often ignored by the populace save for when it is convenient for the local governments. These developments have lead to the adage that, "In Britannia, one is often cited for breaking social customs codified by law. In Europa, one is disparaged for following laws in violation of social customs."
...and this is going to set off an alert, isn't it? Oh well, I was inspired. Apologies to everyone who thought it was an update.
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