Helika City

Helika City, often simply referred to as Helika, is the capital city of Astra. It lies in the eastern half of Astra, close to its centre and on the foothills of the only mountain in the country, Calmen Ihira (Ihir's Staircase in Hies Loricoda), where Ihir first touched Astran ground.

Being the seat of the Astran diarchy and administrative centre of Astra, it is home to the royal family, as well as the vast majority of the country's nobility and ministers. It has a much higher average estate value, with a third of all residential property belonging squarely in the category of luxury estates.

As the oldest settlement Astra, Helika is home to much of the country's oldest architecture and numerous religiously- and culturally-significant landmarks. Of particular note are the Basilica Haldera Oca Ihira, the first building of worship and the second airborne building ever constructed in Astra, and the Helika Palace complex, an Opening of Gates-era group of buildings that has housed the monarchs and diarchs of the country since the establishment of the monarchy in 158 BOG.

History
Before Astran independence, Helika City was known as Haldera O Ihira (Ihir's First Nest). It was the oldest settlement in Cado Ihira, as well as the busiest and most populous, housing the Cado Ihira Council, a body that exercised administrative power over Cado Ihira and answered to a Governor. The Governor was one of five members of the Solan Pentarchy.

It was designated the capital city of Astra upon Astra's independence in Year 156 BOG, upon which Helika City gained its modern name, derived from the name of a central character of a classic legend, Helika Laceld.

Because of the age of the city, spanning several historic ages, the architecture of Helika City is characterised by great variance in age and style, often far older on average than the buildings in other settlements on Astra.