Editing Atlantis (Tobyverse) (section)

== Current Status ==

Atlantis of Today: Atlantis remains a technological and architectural masterpiece, as the need to modernize and reinvent blended over the decades with its desire to hold onto its roots as a Victorian creation. Today its design is something a meld between the Art Deco of the early 20th century and the medley style of Neo-Victorianism, where the future meets the past. Computers are still filigreed and the subways stations are still gated with elaborate metal constructions. Even the clothing harkens back to an early time, though a large movement has been growing among the youth of the city in which they wear clothes that are as modern and far from the dominant Neo-Victorian style as possible. Polyester blends are popular. The standard of living is something of a mix. On one hand, everyone in the city has access to the standard of living advances that the city prides itself on. But on the other hand, the liberal movement has only been active for around thirty or forty years, and there are still antiquated laws on the books that would seem practically barbaric to people from the United States. It would be a Capitalist’s dream, but outside investors have to compete with not only the existing corporations and big businesses of Atlantis, but also the various smaller cottage and homegrown companies and shops. Watchmaking is still a useful and successful profession.

'''Politics:''' The island is governed by a two-chamber Overseeing Council. The two Chambers are the Body Politic and the Body Populous. The Body Populous elects its representative by district, and the most populous districts have two, so as not to overwork the Consul charged with overseeing it. The Body Populous is the larger of the two Chambers. The Body Politic consists of Consuls who are elected separately from the Populous ones, and are representatives of “Established and Respectable Parties”, there only being limited number of seats for each political party to campaign for. Originally a method by which the Visionaries could double the number of Consuls they controlled, over the years several new parties have met the requirements. While none of them have quite unseated the most powerful Futurist party, the Liberal and Nostalgia parties have gained great territory in the Body Politic, and the number of seats has been expanded twice.

'''Economics:''' Atlantis is a highly wealthy nation, and deals in a variety of different fields of trade. Their merchant marine and merchant aeronautic are still a powerful force in shipping today, and it is not unheard of to see Airship ports, one of the most historic in New York City. They produce a large number of luxury goods, and there are even entire hotels designed to look like Atlantean buildings. Depending on the purchasers sense of style the goods can range from tasteful to gauche. Atlantis is still a major stopping point for shipping and travel across the Atlantic, and it is quite common for trans-Atlantic flights to have stopovers in Atlantean airports. But Atlantis is still most famous for its technological prowess. It spends hundreds of millions each year to make billions back keeping its technological edge, and Atlantean technology, while rather unusual-looking, is still the standard to which everything from computers to calculators is compared. Tourism is also on the rise.

A few important locations (by no means an exhaustive list):

'''The Hall of Visionaries:''' The original building in which the Island's founders met and planned their various operations and schemes. Today it has been converted into a museum to the Visionaries and Atlantis's early history, and draws not only locals, but historians from universities all over the world.

'''The Tesla Center for Futurism and Technology:''' While some private labs are superior in individual fields, the finest general research and development center on the island is still run by a private corporation consisting mainly of family and close employees. The Tesla Center is well-known for its various advances and developments in a variety of different fields. The Tesla Center is also notable for its agreement with several of the island's super-heroes, and many strange devices and objects have been studied at the Center.

'''The Gates of the Future:''' The two lighthouses flanking Neptune Bay are elaborate stone Goliaths, serving dual purpose of guiding ships and being incredibly ostentatious. Built in the early days of Atlantis, their history means they will never be torn down and despite their style they are still seen as awe-inspiring greetings to all who would visit Atlantis.

'''Atlantis's view on Superheroes:''' Is rather schizophrenic. On one hand, the spirit of innovation, technological freedom and supremacy means that many people from Atlantis take up the mantle of super-heroics. Over the years there have been many individuals, from brilliant inventors who took their tech to the streets to paragons of mental and physical will who shaped their bodies into living weapons. The same, sadly, can be said of the super-villains, however, and Atlantis's role as a super-villain created island, as well as Doctor Xyle's takeover, has made it a bit of a “tourist spot” for aspiring villains. The other side of the coin is Atlantis's government, which is often not supportive of super-heroics. Especially in the early years, the Visionaries hoped to keep a stronger grip on the island, and there were even clashes between law enforcement and super-heroes. Today, the government does not openly approve of many heroes, but the days of clashes with the police are long gone. 

[[СOПРАСH and Atlantis]]

[[Tobyverse]]