User:ParAvion/Bliki/2018/06/01
Loading map... |
![]() |
Further Adventures in Finance
"For the good old Vodean life: For the money, for the glory, and for the fun... mostly for the money."
Winter has descended upon the Southern Hemisphere. In Auckland the mercury is falling, Melbourne and Adelaide have migrated to more northerly latitudes, and the good people of Invercargill are putting on only very light jerseys. So too have the cooler months arrived in Vodeo, where the temperature drops to an icy 20°C and the mahr (monsoon to you) rolls in to inundate any land below 300 metres above sea level. As per routine, the province of Havilland has been evacuated, towns along the Rabe and Pralack rivers have checked their insurance policies, and all the skyscrapers in downtown Saviso have been jacked up on stilts. Let us examine some of these buildings before the Saviso River and the Saviso Harbour become indistinguishable from one another.
This month I've been doing some tinkering with the CBD. I've been adding in some buildings, re-scaling others, and dynamiting those who failed to curry my favour. Part of the reason being is that I've practised a lot with smaller terraced buildings, but not big office blocks and apartments. Fortunately I've been able to conduct some research on the ground, and have determined that buildings do indeed have three dimensions, only two of which are relevant to mapping. I'll be using these findings to give proper dimensions to buildings going forward, because Vodean mapping is the best mapping. Indeed, we'll be sending cartographic teams this month to teach the Drabantians which way is up on a map. I'm watching you, Eklas.
In the pursuit of a more perfect Saviso (not that it's really possible, but we must make an effort), in the last week or so I've been doing some work around Exchange Place, the unofficial financial heart of Vodeo. Within a fairly small area are a number of large financial institutions, including some of the nation's largest banks and regulators. Indeed, some of the city's most glittering and beautiful office towers reside here, ranging from some of the city's earliest true skyscrapers of the '40s and '50s to modern icons of capitalism. Ah, to live in Vodeo!
At the core of all this is the Vodean Stock Exchange (VSX), which has moved south slightly from its old premises on the corner of Exchange and Charlotte Streets. At the front of the building is a small public square where passers-by can rest and admire the centre of the universe (as far as the pound is concerned). It also comes in quite handy when the markets crash and panicked investors turn to vandalising the statue of Prosperity. The VSX is one of the world's most notable exchanges, and within the Commonwealth is second only to that of Winburgh, and such is its importance that it also occupies another building across Rochester Street, to which it is linked by a skybridge. Rumour is that in Myrcia it is the law to cover all dartboards in pictures of the VSX before commencing play, but then again the most successful ones always do receive the most hate, don't they?
Vodeo is a capitalist nation and has been since the first settlers arrived centuries ago. But things do go wrong and there is occasionally a bad apple trying to rort the system, and that's where the auditors at Casey Robinson and Frost & Marques step in to have a look at the books. If they don't like the books, they call in the Financial Regulation Authority, and when the FRA turns up, everyone runs for the hills. What exactly goes on behind closed doors at the FRA isn't known, but those living nearby claim to hear blood-curdling screams emanating from the building in the dead of night.
But amongst all the shining office towers and the hustle and bustle of busy capitalists, it's easy to overlook the other parts of the area. There are a number of laneways surrounding Exchange Place, many of which are lined with small boutiques, restaurants, and cafes, where you can pick up everything from a hot sandwich to a hot tip. Where once these laneways were dark and nasty, they've since been rehabilitated into some of the nicest and trendiest parts of the city centre. Then again, be careful if you visit one - their proximity to the big financial institutions means some of them charge like wounded bulls. Of course, that doesn't include Empire Coffee, which serves only the nicest teas and coffees with the most pleasant of aftertastes, unlike certain other establishments which shovel dirt into a cup and call it a day. Still watching you, Eklas.
Still, prosperous as Saviso is, we'll never get rich selling to ourselves. As a leading centre of finance, Saviso would undoubtedly attract international attention, and so I'd like to invite the community to open up shop in Saviso. If you have any large banking or finance firms, or indeed any large firms in general, you think should have a presence in central Saviso, feel free to use one of the pre-existing buildings or add one of your own. Of course, you're not limited to just building around Exchange Place; if you like, you can have one on Adelaide Quay, Southbank, or even across the river on the Strand. Of course, it goes in the other direction, too - some of Vodeo's largest banks, such as the Bank of Tarephia, Bank of Cambria, and RD Bank (the latter of which I adopted because I'm both nice and a greedy capitalist), are always looking to expand their operations and bring in many more pounds. The Bank of Tarephia has already expanded to Valoris, so if you want to join in the fun, feel free to pick a bank or institution from this list marked "International" and let the money flow!
By order of the Lands Survey Department,
— ParAvion (talk) 01:01, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
Comments go down here
Please affix your signature and timestamp. Beware, Eklas.
- In Xenica, people complained about the local branches of Empire Coffee charging them 35 moneta for a regular latte, but this is on a whole new level. Is this not cause for the Coffee War? FictiveJ (talk) 01:28, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- In New Ingerland, we're going to watch this Coffee War with great interest as we sip our cups of tea and switch over the television to watch the football--Turnsole80 (talk) 02:45, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- Verona Coffee sells tea... just a suggestion 😏 --Eklas (talk) 06:47, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- Chances are good it's our tea you're drinking. Vodeo: official sponsor of the Coffee War! — ParAvion (talk) 06:50, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- Is this peak capitalism --Eklas (talk) 07:01, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- Perk capitalism. I'll see myself out. — ParAvion (talk) 07:04, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- Caffeine-talism. Also, if you are in Xenica and need some of that good stuff, I recommend Cafe Democracy, next to the Chamber of Union. You can get a regular latte there for only 12 moneta. Who's winning now? FictiveJ (talk) 10:48, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- New Ingerland doesn't mind who drinks what, as long you buy the BEST MILK IN THE WORLD to have it with!--Turnsole80 (talk) 01:49, 2 June 2018 (CEST)
- Caffeine-talism. Also, if you are in Xenica and need some of that good stuff, I recommend Cafe Democracy, next to the Chamber of Union. You can get a regular latte there for only 12 moneta. Who's winning now? FictiveJ (talk) 10:48, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- Perk capitalism. I'll see myself out. — ParAvion (talk) 07:04, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- Is this peak capitalism --Eklas (talk) 07:01, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- Chances are good it's our tea you're drinking. Vodeo: official sponsor of the Coffee War! — ParAvion (talk) 06:50, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- Verona Coffee sells tea... just a suggestion 😏 --Eklas (talk) 06:47, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- In New Ingerland, we're going to watch this Coffee War with great interest as we sip our cups of tea and switch over the television to watch the football--Turnsole80 (talk) 02:45, 1 June 2018 (CEST)
- It's not dirt in a cup, it's called organic🙌 but I know y'all in Vodeo have trouble keeping up with the trends. Did drinking Empire Coffee turn you this bitter? --Eklas (talk) 06:42, 1 June 2018 (CEST)