Apex Fréas was the name of the unified nation made up of the Fréas territory, the southernmost territory of Eranosia, containing the planet's south pole. Never part of the Holy Eavonian Confederation, this land was home to the Asymptites, and possessed an uncanny scale difficult to fully grasp. The only city in Apex Fréas was the capital, Labrys City. Beyond its walls exist hundreds of scattered villages, agricultural complexes, mining settlements, logging camps, railway stations, and military outposts separated by immense stretches of wilderness. Fréas was primarily frozen tundra and forested hills, but it was also known for the Leinúrt Lowlands, colloquially known as The Caps. Native animal species in Fréas included the troja, the xeotsim, and the paiscús.
The forests of Apex Fréas were primarily composed of Hollenbeck pine and were where most of the native fauna of Fréas both lived and were hunted. These forests also provided valuable timber to both rural and urban communities, but the later centuries of Apex Fréas saw the forests and their industries decline due to the Halo Disease spreading and decimating the Hollenbeck pine population. The origin of the Halo Disease was unknown, but it cost both the natural environment and the jobs of many loggers.
The Leinúrt Lowlands, or The Caps, referred to the frozen lowlands in Fréas’ central portions. Although lifeless, empty voids of snow and permafrost, the introduction of greenhouse gases created by farm animals and petroleum-powered machinery in the neighboring Confederation territory of Lagasu caused detrimental environmental changes, marking one of the first strikes that would eventually lead to Asymptite retaliation against the Confederation. The Caps eventually returned to normal a few centuries into the Solstice War, where the Asymptites left them largely untouched as a vast, pristine wasteland.
Scattered across The Caps and the forests of Apex Fréas were mysterious ancient ruins, often in the form of solid stone pyramids. Some were marked and preserved as historical landmarks, but since they numbered in the thousands, many remained undocumented and forever buried. Occasionally, these archaeological sites were identified as being Aegiino in origin, but not all of them were as clearly identifiable in time or of make.
Owned or rented by Parlance Ravenstriker’s food distributor monopoly Gardenia were ciuabun, large warehouse-sized farms with an always-present staff of 30 individuals who were either veterans of or excluded from the fighting in the Solstice War. Some of these farms were layered with multiple levels underground to increase output. Sugar, corn, rye, wheat, and potatoes were grown in these heated farms with artificial lights, where staff called sakharozas were required to wear suits to prevent spontaneous liquefaction. The harvesting of crops in ciuabun was delicate and time-consuming work, as sakharozas workers had to rely on basic hand-held tools to harvest and gather crops. While automated farmers were considered, especially due to the dangers involved in the job, quality control was much more difficult to maintain without a real person inspecting every grain and reed. However, automatic field tillers saw implementation on private potato farms. These machines could also be used for cargo carrying during the harvest season.
While there were hundreds of roads leading out from Labrys City, many of these roads were poorly maintained and were becoming nearly invisible. The more consistent and commonly used form of country transportation was the Iceberg Loop, the longest continuous railway in Eranosia. This winding railroad made stops at nearly every permanent settlement across Apex Fréas, transporting both cargo and people constantly, while its crew lived aboard the train during their month-long shifts.
Asymptite villages found far outside and built long before Labrys City were known as paiscús, named after the small snow vole that built communal burrows. These villages consisted of low-set walls built beneath the ground with roofs of layered leather to prevent snowfall from entering. Protected from the elements, groups of up to 150 Asymptites lived in these hidden communities where local wildlife was unable to spot them. Village entrances were often discreet, but were usually marked with a glífas (ice flame) lantern to allow for some amount of visibility at night. In more wild territories, doors made of wood often sealed the entrance to prevent animals from entering the village. Around the perimeter of the village tended to be a fence of barbed wire or similar defenses, keeping out intruders and marking the borders of the village.
Paiscús homes were often small, one-room rectangular areas placed far from the entrance to the tunnels. The walls were often a solid layer of brick, but cheaper options of reinforced wood or packed permafrost also existed. These homes were designed to hold a family of four, with simple amenities and furniture.
Most villages had a heart room, simultaneously acting as a gathering place for celebrations and town meetings. These heart rooms often contained a large table for the village leaders, a postage repository, and a notice board for local gossip, events, and jobs. The only area regulated by government standards was the postage repository, managed by a local Retriever or group of Retrievers on the Postal Service Party’s payroll. The postage office and thus the Retrievers acted as the only direct line of communication between rural villages and Labrys City. Some postage repositories also featured radio stations for contact with a Labrys City operator, but only approved individuals were allowed to send messages over the radio system.
The center of a village was often the brewery and/or potato farm, a place for congregation and collecting drink and food. During particularly terrible blizzards, many villagers worked together to ensure the vital food stocks and delicate brewing machines remained operational. In an environment of a consistent workforce and tight knowledge of the community members, any shops that accepted government currency were designed for travelers and hunters or loggers out on excursions. These shops often sold pelts, bedrolls, lanterns, simple kitchenware, and baskets. Locals were often capable of making these sorts of items themselves, but bulk items were often traded between two or more villages. Other common types of rooms within a paiscús included troja stables, fur storage, a public library, and a prayer room for particularly religious individuals. Paiscús were designed to be expandable, both for a growing population and changing tastes.
Labrys City was made up of three distinct districts: the Marble District, the Central District, and the Granite District.
Marble District (M-D) – The housing and shopping district for the wealthiest of Labrys' residents such as military commanders and industrial families, which also held the governor’s Oymyakon Palace. The M-D was renowned for its high-profile tailors and restaurants, often exclusive to residents of the district.
Central District (C-D) – The housing and shopping district for the majority of the middle-class residents of Labrys. At the heart of the C-D was the Central Market, the largest vendor space in the city. The C-D was also known for its nightclub scene, which was more popular with the youth of Labrys. Across the Glaspon Channel was the Civic Square, a popular spot for intrepid actors and musicians to flaunt their skills to passersby. The Civic Square also held the Sapphire Avenue Theater, which hosted stage plays, operas, and concerts sponsored by the Commerce Board.
Granite District (G-D) – The housing district for the lower-class residents of Labrys.
Within each of the three districts was a market, each one named after the district in which it resided. The Marble Market was the high-class market, usually reserved only for the nobles of Labrys by its shop owners. A wide space was open for congregation and monthly auctions, which began on the last day of each season. The Marble Market contained Youthfollower’s Decadents chocolate shop, Opulence (a high-class clothing store owned by Elias Jadehunter, a refined gentleman with a false eye of amethyst), and Butcher Truthsimmer.
The Central Market was the main shopping center of Labrys for all citizens, but many Yellowjackets regularly patrolled the area for possible thieves. At the center of the market stood a bronze statue of Lord General Helder and Empress Ekow holding hands. The Central Market contained many stalls surrounding the statue, such as Agnes’ Tinker Stall, Laspon’s Clothcraft, and Shelga’s Pet Supplies (as more middle-class individuals, the stores used the owner's first name instead of their family name).
The Granite Market was the poorer area of Labrys, housing the working class's cheap labor businesses, serving people across the channel more than the local residents. This was also where The Oramund Relief Center stood, a nonprofit charity and shelter for those in need. All shops and stalls in Labrys City accepted government-circulated treirsúch cryptoshards, as well as graded pelts with official tags. Animal pelts were valuable materials for home insulation, clothing, and decoration, so they were traded in shops almost as often as actual currency.
The streets of Labrys City were very wide to accommodate heavy foot traffic, but they were often empty since the beginning of The War. The main streets had enough room for people walking, troja-drawn carriages, and the siadmát (jump rail) system. Some streets ran parallel to the Glaspon Channel and a large path circled the city’s Bách Lake. At night, thousands of neon lights illuminated every building along the main streets to light a path, which became especially useful during the winter when the sun did not rise for over 200 days. Planted throughout the city was the bátá tree, a pink-blossomed plant whose sweet fragrance had been specifically engineered to cover up the city's musk.
Almost every townhouse in the Marble and Central Districts was of the Chlí style; a standard family home with two stories and an attic space. These homes were constructed close together with direct access to the street and were made of brick, painted composite wood, and ceramic roof tiles. The first floor was designed to hold a kitchen, dining area, and a cloak closet, while the second floor featured two bedrooms and a washroom. Marble District homes featured more square footage on all stories and the attic space became a proper third floor for an office and guest room. Lighting in Central District homes was provided by glífas lanterns and fireplaces, while Marble District homes were wired into the city power grid for electrical lighting.
The Central District was home to the headquarter buildings of several divisions of the Commerce Board. These included the Tynker's Tech League, the Postal Service Party, the Hunter's League, the Agriculture Party, and the Logger's League. Outside of enlistment in the Safaoia, membership in one of these Leagues guaranteed secure employment, but forces of nature such as the Halo Disease could lead to labor and wage shortages. The headquarter buildings for the leagues and parties were where meetings were held and members were initiated.
Labrys City had four government-supported public schools: two were cha-ché (boy's schools) and two were miach-ché (girl's schools). This division by gender was designed to aid the development of childhood identity as students grew up, and the school staff members were also the same gender as the students. These schools began at age six, and students participated in daily classroom activities until age twenty. For the first five trisolars, the curriculum was limited to required texts approved by Helder’s Cabinet before eventually shifting to a wide array of extracurricular and career-focused academics. The range of these upper-school activities largely depended on the school’s budget and the district in which it was located, with the Granite District school offering little to no career academics while the Marble District school, Upper Lake University, offered direct career paths in almost every major business of the nation.
In Labrys City, the Yellowjackets could be called upon at a moment's notice, as the city had many guard posts where they congregated and from which assistance could be requested. Anyone engaging in "foreign or alien habits" was forced to stop by the Yellowjackets. Protests in the Civic Square also fell under this outlawed category. The Siamhuastiacht Bridge connecting the Granite District to the Central District over the Glaspon Channel featured a customs gate that checked all incoming personnel and cargo. Larton Stronghold also overlooked the Glaspon Channel and served as the main control center for the Safaoia aside from Oymyakon Palace. This was where the high court hearings were held and where Ersha Moonstrider operated.