Since the defeat of Vorduhr, the gnomish nation of Udeluppa has flourished, bringing new technologies into the world such as electricity, radiowaves, and clockwork. The city of Sparklek itself has become the most advanced and fastest growing metropolis, drawing people of all races to its industrial wonders, opportunity, and progressive society.
The City is home to 12 Universities, listed below. Between them, they own nearly 90% of the property in Sparklek, and finance their considerable endowments and massive expenditures through the leasing fees on their properties. Only a few of the Universities maintain expansive campuses in the fourth age, with most moving their operations into one of a growing number of skyscrapers. However, it has long been conventional wisdom in Sparklek that if one wants to get something done: don't ask the government, ask the universities.
Boroughs of Sparklek
Sparklek consists of 5 Boroughs and 37 Neighborhoods, each with their own characteristics, history, and culture. These include:
Tekka
Tekka is the smallest and most central Borough of Sparklek. It is home to the most important businesses of Sparklek, most government buildings of note, and most key cultural buildings. The Peddlegast Museum of Art, est. TA 1109, is the largest museum of fine and contemporary art in Blimnor. It boasts a collection of 4,000,000 pieces, though some have called their "piece" counting methodology into question. The Sparklek Symphony also has its concert hall in East Tekka. The Ensemble performs 250 concerts a year and tours the nation each year, though their popularity has waned in recent years.
Lorkyp
Lorokyp is the most populous Borough of Sparklek and home to Old Sparklek, the original gnomish settlement in the area dating back to TA 330. The two oldest and most prestigious universities in the city, The University of Sparklek and Rigip College, have their campuses on either side of the borough, and they own roughly equal halves of Lorkyp's land. The Earl runs through much of central Lorkyp on an elevated line, with bustling city streets below. The Khelp Dockyards in northern Lorkyp are the largest commercial docks outside of Haddleton, and serve as one of the most essential hubs of commerce in the city.
Neighborhoods: Khelp Dockyards (s), Bay Edge (z), Rigip Campus (I), Haggledown (H), Downtown Lorkyp (x), Riverwatch (t), Updon Slag (u), Weedle Beach (y), Belleville (A), Horipp Heights (v)
Jhelda
Sparklek finally annexed the last of Jhelda Island in 31 of the Fourth Age, and is one of the biggest sites for new growth in the city. The eastern neighborhoods of the island are largely residential, largely favoring young families and successful businesspeople taking advantage of the new streetcar network to the city center. However, the older, western parts of the island have become prime real estate for new offices, shops, and other commercial ventures. While Tekka and north Lorkyp addresses have historically been the most desirable, rents in these areas have become unmanageable for climbers and companies looking to save money. As such, the Tikk and Vikk districts of west Jhelda have exploded with new development and innovation.
Rilkk
Rilkk is a largely working class and industrial part of Sparklek, situated at the southern tip of Rilkleppa Island. Most of the poor of Udeluppa live here in precarious, magically-reinforced apartment buildings that lean on one another for support. Belppa Station, near the southernmost tip of Rilkk, is the historical terminus of the EARL, and one of the most important logistical hubs in the city. Archgovernor of Udeluppa Gloria Hepplebad has recently announced the Rilkk Revitalization Initiative, a 29-year plan to revamp infrastructure in poorer districts and remove a few blighted areas.
Helfadd
Helfadd island is the furthest, newest borough of Sparklek. It is comprised of only three neighborhoods, and contains homes for commuters, small neighborhood commercial centers, and an array of parks along the water. Helfadd contains no skyscrapers to speak of, and requires relatively lengthy commutes to reach the city center. Some residents have proposed a Helfadd tunnel under Throg Bay to Lorkyp in hopes of connecting the borough more closely to the city, but the proposal has encountered sharp resistance from some residents, worried about ruining the quiet, neighborhoody feel of the island.
The city of Sparklek sits on hundreds of miles of sewers that crisscross its many districts. While such complex waste management is hardly unique to this metropolis, the high concentration of magic in Sparklek leaking into the tunnels makes them particularly dangerous.
University of Sparklek
University of Udellupa, Sparklek
Sparklek Institute of Technology
Sparklek Arcanist’s Academy
Sparklek Institute of Applied Chemistry
Sparklek Seminary
Glittergarl Academy of Social Sciences
Curlblink Institute of Bardistry and Visual Arts
University St. Ghilty
Rigip College
Ulp Academy of Metallurgy
The Academy of Gnomish Hospitality