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#Location #Law

Cities of Perind

Type underground city network
Located in Lukyr Prime
Status Largely abandoned; ~50 cities maintained

The Cities of Perind are hundreds of massive underground structures beneath the surface of Lukyr Prime, built by the Brisk — the planet's original settlers. The network has gone by three names across its history: originally just the Brisk's home cities, then the Free Cities during Rovin Warpine's oppressive reign, and finally Cities of Perind — their formal name since Toven Warpine's rebellion. Largely abandoned after the Brisk migrated to the surface, they now serve as autonomous territories under the Independence Act of 7631 and as a strategic resource for Zet. Known cities include Telon, Izon, Pradim, Levo and Merro.

Historical Context

Origins and the name "Brisk"

The cities were built by the Brisk — the first people to reach what is now Lukyr Prime. They were settlers who emigrated from Lukyr Arix (the chaotic initial post-Void settlement) and chose Lukyr Perind specifically because they were unwilling to submit to the planetary government forming on Lukyr Qyvor. They wanted a peaceful life away from the constant fighting for dominance happening across the other worlds at the time.

When they arrived, The Shade had not yet been constructed — it would not be ordered until Rovin Warpine seized power in 6,911. The planet's surface was dangerously hot and uninhabitable. The Brisk followed liquid water and flora that existed deep underground, settling there and building massive climate control systems to maintain a comfortable, cool environment, using hundreds of meters of rock as insulation from the solar heat above.

The name "Brisk" is self-chosen, with a dual meaning: it references their swift arrival — being the first to make it to the planet — and the cold, brisk environment they created underground, in stark contrast to the scorching surface above.

The name "Perind"

When the Brisk settled, they named the planet Perind. This name held until Rovin Warpine seized power and began his 700-year dictatorship, at which point he renamed the planet Prime — giving rise to the current name Lukyr Prime.

"Free Cities" — sanctuaries under oppression

Under Rovin's regime the Brisk came under systematic attack and oppression from the surface government. Their underground cities became sanctuaries for anyone seeking refuge from that rule — both Brisk and surface dwellers used the term Free Cities to describe them during this era.

700 Years of Oppression: The cities' inhabitants were routinely attacked and oppressed by the surface government for 700 years before Toven Warpine's Rebellion of 7627.

"Cities of Perind" — the formal name

When Toven overthrew Rovin and liberated the Brisk, he formally granted their freedom. The "Free Cities" name could not survive politically, however — calling them free implied the rest of Prime was somehow less free, which was no longer supposed to be the case. Toven instead revived the original name of the planet and formally titled them the Cities of Perind, the name they carry to this day.

Surface Migration: Following the rebellion's success, most Brisk inhabitants migrated to the surface. The amenities of surface life — particularly real sunlight (even with half blocked by The Shade) — appealed to them after generations underground. Approximately 50 cities remain maintained out of justified generational paranoia about needing to return someday.

The cities are described as "essentially fortresses" built during a centuries-old cold war with the surface government — a design origin that makes them particularly valuable to anyone expecting to be attacked.

Scale and Structure

Urban Layout and Infrastructure

Main Chamber and Hallway Layout

Each city has a large main chamber with a road wide enough for vehicles, required for large-scale resource deliveries. For most of the city's living areas, however, a different design prevailed: hallways, not streets, connect the residential spaces. This was a deliberate preference for smaller, more intimate shared spaces over open thoroughfares.

Community rooms serve as local hubs, with several private residential spaces branching off each one. Communities within the cities were typically very trusting; residents expecting short absences often left their doors unlocked.

Vacuum Tube Transit

A vacuum tube transit system was standard across the Cities of Perind, providing fast movement through the underground. By the time many cities were abandoned, the tubes had already been shut down as a cost-saving measure during declining occupancy. The tunnels themselves remain physically intact. Maintenance walkways run alongside the tubes, accessible via hatches in the tunnel walls — used by city workers to service the tube infrastructure.

Climate Engine and Geothermal Heat

Each city runs a climate engine that maintains a comfortable environment by counteracting geothermal heat from the planet's interior — the same heat that would make the underground uninhabitable without active management. Climate is controlled through discrete atmospheric cells, each with its own cycle, operable independently. Disengaging the engine for a cell allows geothermal heat to accumulate until the space becomes too hot for occupation.

Automated Maintenance

The cities' automated maintenance systems continue functioning years — in some cases decades — after abandonment. Lighting, air circulation, plant care, and security systems have been observed operational in Izon long after its population departed.

Maintenance Taxes

Former residents of the Cities of Perind pay maintenance taxes even after leaving. These fund the upkeep that keeps maintained cities in functional condition — consistent with the Brisk's generational expectation that they may one day need to return.

Lockdown and Security Infrastructure

Each city has a lockdown system built during the era of military assaults from the surface governments of old — assaults that were routine before Toven Warpine's rebellion but have not occurred in approximately 400 years. When triggered, flood-protection doors (which double as security gates) slam shut across the hallways, cutting the city into isolated segments with no movement possible between them. The system was designed to neutralise invading forces by eliminating their freedom of movement.

Security robots are stored in cabinets throughout the cities, particularly in critical facilities such as control rooms. They are capable of electro-shocking intruders and serve as emergency enforcement.

Control rooms contain a hidden emergency escape chamber — a small chamber with a lever that activates an elevator capable of ascending through solid rock to the surface, typically exiting in an inconspicuous location such as a building's infrastructure basement. Built for invasion scenarios in which the control room is the last position held.

Independence Act of 7631:
Establishes the legal framework governing the Cities of Perind (formally called "Free Cities" in the Act):

Current Status:
With Emergency Protocol I-856 in effect, the Royal Brigade technically has jurisdiction over the Cities of Perind, though enforcement in abandoned cities is unlikely.

Strategic Value

Factory Infrastructure

The cities "had to have had factories" to support their populations. These abandoned manufacturing facilities—3D printers, power generation, full factory infrastructure—are what primarily draw Zet's interest:

Use as Covert Base

The cities have been used as covert manufacturing and operational bases, exploiting their abandoned state, legal autonomy, and fortress-era construction. The isolated infrastructure supports large-scale production away from Crown surveillance, with multiple cities providing redundancy if one base is discovered.

For the full operational history, see Zet and Zet.

Operational Security

Risks:

Contingency:
Zet maintains access to multiple cities—if one base is compromised, operations can relocate.

Backup Infrastructure (Chapter 35)

Zet identified 43 viable cities for backup placement—the natural targets given their maintained digital infrastructure and distinct lack of Imperial oversight. Each city receives:

The strategy ensures survival: even if the Royal Brigade destroyed multiple cities, at least one would survive long enough for reactivation. Tunnel networks from the Rebellion of 7627 and earlier Brisk infrastructure allow drone movement between cities without surface detection.

Open Questions

Sources

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