Ngorongoro
Nestled in the southern Ngoc mountain range, the MD city of Ngorongoro is surrounded by spectacular natural beauty. Mount Kandrasar, one of the South’s last active volcanoes, is a mere 30 kilometers away. Sub-tropical alpine forests carpet the nearby mountains. Brightly colored flying reptiles abound, complemented by many species of imported Earth parrots and birds of paradise.
Ngorongoro was originally founded as a research station. While rich in varied natural resources, it lacked any one premiere resource to systematically exploit once colonization began in earnest. The result is an oddity on Terra Nova, a truly mixed economy. Ngorongoro’s businesses include everything from geothermal energy production to lumber and mineral extraction to electronics manufacturing. This high level of diversification has shielded Ngorongoro from many economic booms and busts, yielding a stable, slowly expanding economy.
The people of Ngorongoro are surprisingly outgoing for Southern city dwellers. While Ngorongorans dislike long wilderness voyages as much as any other Southerners, they are fond of day-long jungle treks. Ngorongorans are also notoriously fond of wildlife: almost every household in the city has a pet and the city’s zoological gardens are a marvel to behold. Ngorongoro’s zoo is more of a wildlife reserve than a tourist attraction. Thousands of square kilometers of wilderness were set aside by the city for the zoo. A maglev monorail transports visitors from site to site within the compound.
The city is defended by the 17th Heavy Brigade, a MILICIA armored infantry unit, and the 62nd Peacekeeper Detachment. The 17th is wellknown for the flamboyant paint schemes applied to the unit’s machines. Although it can be quickly covered by a drab olive paint for battle, the skin of each Gear is decorated with colors inspired by the fantastic flying creatures of Ngorongoro. No two vehicles are decorated using exactly the same patterns or colors, although members of the same squad tend to paint their Gears with a similar theme.