The New Roman Herald

Providentia, the Roman Goddess of Forethought and the editor in chief of the New Roman Herald. Bringing the demigods in New Rome and Camp Jupiter information both godly and mundane. This is a sideblog for the roleplay Fire & Glory

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Who Is The Dominus

The Unity Feast, as many of our readers will be aware, is an event that was debuted this year. New Rome is not new to feast, festivals and events by any means, however the Unity Feast was an ambitious attempt to bring together the two occupants of this city who haven’t been on good terms since the Exodus of New Rome where an attack occurred on both the Greek and Roman people.

However, the evening of the Unity Feast – and by extension Thanksgiving – came about and tensions were running low. The event itself was an astounding success, with some of the best food, drinks and general catering that the city had to offer. Everyone pulled their weight to make the Unity Feast the most successful event that the city had experienced so far.

It was a chance to boost morale, build bridges and take a step towards mending the broken relations that exist between the surviving Greeks and Romans who are attempting to come together once more as one people, and co-habitate together in the only demigod city of its kind.

By all measures; the Unity Feast was a huge success. There was no incidents between Romans and Greeks. The food and drink were excellent. The decorations were picturesque and every high flying member of New Roman society was in attendance. Everyone enjoyed the music and celebrated late into the night.

The only issue that could be found within the Unity Feast was the announcement by a figure that claimed to be the Dominus. The Dominus announced to the entire party that they were responsible for the war and that there would be more pain to come. They claimed that they would use the shadowy Cult of Romulus – a criminal organisation that has only come to public knowledge in the last few years – to go about their goals.

This leaves the remaining authorities within the city unable to answer the question of whether or not they believe the Dominus to be a credible threat. We interviewed Centurion Catherine Karavadra and her father Senator Karavadra as they left the Senate building the next day, they had this to say to us.

“Let us be clear, we do not take threats of any kind lightly. The Dominus and the Cult of Romulus are a threat to this city, whether this is some kind of bizarre joke or a real issue, it is something that we intend to look into and investigate to the fullest extent.

“The people of New Rome require care and protection after the regrettable events of the Civil War. The Legion shall not let them down. We shall continue to police and protect our people from all threats foreign and domestic.

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What Is The Cult Of Romulus?

With the recent publicity that has been received from the end of the war, this publication wants to educate everyone about what threats they might face. In these dark days as we recover from almost a year of conflict it is more important than ever that we all take a moment to ensure our safety.

Therefore, we have compiled a brief summation of everything that we know about the Cult of Romulus. 

We carried out some of our own research and spoke to a few anonymous informants that had this to tell us:

“What you don’t and can never understand about the Cult until you deal with them is that they have resources of an almost unlimited proportion, they have the money and the manpower to do pretty much anything they want. They have the ability to take what they want, when they want and no one even believes they exist.”

“The cult has been around since the inception of this city, and they’ve got spheres of influence in every single part of the city. Business, crime, politics, banking, retail, hospitality, gambling and any other lucrative business or venture is already being influenced by the Cult.”

“The cult never forgives and they never forget. Crossing them is a death sentence.”

These sources must remain protected for their own safety and therefore we cannot credit these comments to anyone, however it is becoming increasingly clear that this criminal organisation has been allowed to operate with impunity for far too long. Something must be done for the good of the Roman and Greek citizens that are trying to carve out a living in what is left of our city as we do everything we can to rebuild.

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Who Is The Dominus?

It has been seven days since the emergency senate meeting which ended the war. Before the very eyes of everyone in the city, Greeks and Romans alike came together in the discovery that we were manipulated.

This leads us to a number of questions which we shall do our best to answer, but this story is only beginning to unfold and we’ll keep discovering more as everything unfolds.

The seven senators arrested by the Legion remain in holding until their trial date is announced, it is understood that they will be tried on grounds of treason, sedition and obstruction of justice.

However, despite the progress made in the case against the corrupt senators responsible for the war unfolding, the question remains of who exactly it was that orchestrated a war and why would they want to cause such damage to a unique city such as New Rome. 

We acquired a copy of the encrypted documents and carried out our own investigation, a single name was repeated throughout, the apparent author of the documents referring to themselves as the Dominus and their motives appeared to be nothing less than malicious. 

This in turn begs the next question, what is the next move of the Dominus and what are the Legion doing to protect the city? 

We spoke to a citizen of New Rome after they had been told the news:

“The Legion has always defended New Rome against any and all threats, I trust them but I don’t know if this Dominus is a threat that is above even their capability.”

There remain many questions which need to be answered, but until that time we, the New Roman Herald will continue to provide you with objective news.

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Bloody Battle leads to Charity

The first and most important thing that we must address is the incalculable loss that our city has experienced in the last week. A Greek offensive against the Eastern district claimed over 100 Roman lives and certainly more of the Graecus forces. Many brave Legionnaires and former Legionnaires gave their lives in the defence of New Rome. 

However, the battle highlighted something even more important, it highlighted the weakness in the supplies of our forces. Thousands of Roman Citizens have spent the past few months with low rations, low space and even less water. They’ve been crying out for medical aid and for help. The battle made many realise that were we to have lost the Eastern District then we could’ve very well lost the war.

This led us to question what we could possibly do to defend against such a glaringly obvious Achilles’ heel.  In our greatest time of need, the nobles of our city have taken up the cry of the Romans who are struggling, several noble families including the Karavadra’s, Arcadi’s and Caninii family have pledged their personal time, wealth and supplies to the people of New Rome. 

All three families, along with some minor families have promised rooms, food, water and supplies to any citizen of New Rome that requires it. 

In the next week many citizens of New Rome will receive information about their new accommodation if they will receive it. 

If there are any questions, these can be addressed to Jefferson Karavadra’s office who is handling the change in supplies. 

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In Memoriam: Fergus Fitzgerald

Amongst the plethora of casualties felt around New Rome, a member of the ancient Fitzgerald family has also been lost.

Though there are reports that Fergus Fitzgerald turned into a large sea monster and attacked Camp Jupiter, these are unconfirmed and cannot be corroborated.

However, Fergus Fitzgerald should be remembered as a proud demititan who never allowed their inherent nature to cloud their decisions or provide an obstacle to the development of their moral compass and career within the Legion.

Joining the first cohort based on letters of recommendation and sponsorship from the Centurions of the first cohort. He served proudly within the first cohort before joining the second cohort as a centurion. He worked proudly alongside Maia Cruz to defend the rights and liberties of all New Roman citizens and should be remembered for his honour, courage and unwavering focus on goodness and virtue.

He will be keenly missed by his family, his friends and the members of his cohort.

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In Memoriam: Callum Hayes

It is with great regret that this paper must post the in memoriam of another valued member of Roman society. 

Callum Hayes joined the Legion, as a son of Cupid many would’ve written him off as being a regular member of the Legion. However, Callum refused to allow his godly parentage to hold him back becoming one of the many children of Cupid to become a centurion and leading the third cohort alongside Elara Bloom for many years. 

Callum was a bright star in the Legion, who had a promising future in New Rome. His loss affects everyone in his cohort, in the legion and in the community at large. 

The situation surrounding Callum’s death should not cloud the fact that he pledged and provided many years of service to the Legion. He acted honourably and leaves behind a sister and many mourning friends, as well as a young dog named Arrow.

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Breaking News: War Begins

After the bombing of Camp Jupiter, the senate has been left with no alternative than to declare a state of emergency. An hour after the bombing, they returned from the emergency meeting. 

Senator Jefferson Karavadra addressed the Legion and the people of New Rome.

“We have been attacked. We opened our homes, our hearts and our minds to the Greeks. We accepted them into our place of safety, we took them in from monsters and protected them. In return for our generosity we’ve been attacked, our buildings have been burned and our citizens have suffered. 

For the safety of New Romans we asked the Greeks to register, and then we asked the Greeks to leave. We were patient. We were kind. We did everything within our power to intergrate them into our society. In return for our generosity and kind hearts we were attacked once again.

Despite the rumours that the Greeks were attacked in kind, they have elected to remain within New Roman territories. 

We treat this as an act of war. Therefore it is with a heavy heart that I declare war against the Greeks. From this moment any Greek found within the territories of New Rome is to be killed or captured for further questioning. 

We shall give no quarter, for we have received none. The military might of the Legion shall protect us.

To our brave citizens, I urge you to leave the city and head for Camp Jupiter. We will provide security until it is safe for you to return to your homes. Any volunteers may rejoin the Legion and fight for the safety of New Rome.

To our brave Legionnaires, we carry our hopes with you. You are the last line of defence and we know that you will do us proud.”

What comes next none of us know, however we will continue to bring you updates as they come.

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Breaking News: Bombing at Camp Jupiter

The New Roman Herald is devastated to report that there has been an attack on Camp Jupiter. At noon, there was a loud explosion and reports of a huge plume of smoke rising from the walls of Camp Jupiter. 

Though this may seem coincidental considering the fact that it seems to coincide with the Greek citizens leaving the city of New Rome. 

Reports from witnesses within Camp Jupiter state that the attack happened suddenly, without warning. One moment everyone was going about their business, the next moment there was a huge blast that ripped through the armoury and killed several people on instant. 

The explosion caused 12 deaths, and over 30 injuries. However the most disturbing news was the fact that from the smoke and rubble of the armoury there was a message to the Legion and the people of New Rome.

“Graecus and proud”

A haunting message floating above the fires.

The Legion was able to respond promptly and fight the fires effectively, limiting the damage that the rest of the camp took. 

We were able to interview Jackson Karavadra, one of the centurions of the first cohort. He had this to say:

“Today is a very sad day for New Rome, and my thoughts and heart go out to all those affected by this tragedy.Though it’s impossible to ignore the wound that has been gouged into our beloved city by the Greeks, it is even more important now that we stand together in the Legion, and make sure that we are doing all we can to defend our citizens and soldiers as we ensure our city recovers, and heals even stronger than we were before. In this spirit, refugees are more than welcome into the home of the Karavadra Family following these events.”

However, the response from the legion was decisive. Both the forum and the Eastern district were immediately fortified and we await the orders of the Senate. 

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Breaking News: Greek Ultimatum

After the news that the murder of Marius Servillius was perpetrated by a Greek, the city has been experiencing unrest and tension. Protests have broken out across the city calling for stronger action against what is perceived as the ‘Greek problem’. The Senate has been locked in their chambers discussing what to do since the news broke.

However in the last few moments they have given a speech, addressing the people and the issues that have plagued this city since the Senate Fire.

Annabel Servillius, the daughter of Marius Servillius addressed the people and press of New Rome:

“In the past few years we’ve worked tirelessly to integrate the Greek people into our society. We accepted them into our Legion, into our city, into our university and into our place of work.

“We didn’t ask much. Peace is all we want. However in the past few months they’ve revealed themselves as truly dangerous. Committing arson against a monument of New Roman culture, raising the Senate House to the ground with Greek Fire.

“Then they conspire to create a militia to fight us. And now, we discover that they have murdered my father, a great man who fought for all of us. But especially fought for Greek integration.

“The senate has spoken for hours and we’ve come to a decision. We can no longer allow the Greeks to remain within the city, so we’re issuing an ultimatum. By midnight of the 25th of January 2018 all Greeks must leave the city, any Greeks remaining within the city will be considered as aggressors against the city of New Rome and will be treated as a hostile force.

The ultimatum has been given, much to the protest of many Greeks and several prominent Roman figures. However the motion has been passed and we have little other choice but to follow the information and orders of the Senate.

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Breaking News: Prominent Senator Murdered by Greeks?

After the arrest of Reyna Ramirez-Arellano tensions between Greeks (also known as Alien Citizens) and New Romans have grown. Things seemed to have reached a boiling point. However, new information on the death of Marius Servillius has recently come to light. 

An investigation has uncovered that the death of Marius Servillius was caused by hydrogen cyanide, a poison easily found from the forges. A more detailed investigation placed suspicion on a Greek -- who for reasons of security cannot be revealed -- were investigated for the last few months. An eventual raid on the Greek’s place of residence found extensive planning and documentation, as well as the necessary tools to use hydrogen cyanide. 

The Greek has been placed under arrest and is being held in a maximum security facility. 

The Senate has been in closed deliberations since the news broke in the early hours of this morning. Speculation can only be placed on exactly what they will decide. 

However, we were fortunately able to contact the daughter of Marius Servillius, current Senator Annabel Servillius and she released a statement to us: 

“What happened to my father was terrible, it was an awful tragedy. A terrible violation of our trust. A cruel crime against a kind man who had always fought for the integration and acceptance of the Greek people into our city. My father’s dream was flawed. He paid the price for his mistake. For the good of the Greek people, I won’t make that same mistake.” 

Whatever comes next will likely change this city. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates.

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Breaking News: Praetorial Arrest

It has been months since New Rome was truly at peace. After the events of the senate fire it would be difficult for any New Roman (or alien citizens) to deny the fact that things haven’t been right. The events of the past, combined with the open aggression against New Rome herself have been unexpected. However, we are truly heartbroken to report the latest betrayal.

This morning, there were two arrests in relation to the current conflict with alien citizens who inhabit our city, at our own grace. Both Reyna Ramirez-Arellano and Frank Zhang were arrested this morning. 

The charges are as follows:

Conspiracy to commit treason.

Conspiracy with a foreign enemy to collude against the citizens of New Rome.

Arming a foreign army.

High Treason.

A variety of other charges were also pressed against the two former leaders of our Legion.

Our readers will likely remember the historic rise of our current Praetors. Reyna Ramirez-Arellano is an old hand, having guided the Legion for over 10 years. She presided over the defence of New Rome from both Kronos and Gaia’s forces, successfully protecting us against a devastating invasion force that threatened many.

Frank Zhang has presided over the Legion for almost 7 years. He was appointed during battle by former Praetor Jason Grace. He was also known for his heritage as a son of Mars and his prolific spot within the prophecy of Seven. He is a known shape shifter and a skilled archer.

Both Praetor’s were discovered to have been attempting to train an arm a Greek Militia, the reasons why they did this are yet to be revealed, however it begs the question of who we can truly trust.

Centurions Catherine Karavadra (first cohort), Fergus Fitzgerald (second cohort) and Callum Hayes (third cohort) were all responsible for the arrests, following their duty to the senate to the letter. They have done their city and its people proud. 

One can only wonder what will happen next. What tragedy awaits our city next? Will it be a further betrayal from persons we expected to trust?

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Total Monster Throwdown

Early in the morning, residents of the Lake District (within the city) and citizens outside of the city who live on the lake’s edge were awakened by a battle between two citizens of New Rome and what appeared to be a large sea monster.

Footage has been taken of the incident and is available on our website.

The battle lasted approximately five minutes, with the demigods Fergus Fitzgerald and Perseus Jackson (who was recently arrested for his potential involvement in the Senate House Fire) working to immobilise and destroy the monster before it could do too much damage, though there were no fatalities and a limited number of injuries.

There was a limited amount of property damage, the Fitzgerald Estate on the far side of the lake took the majority of the damage with their docks and personal boat house being destroyed in the commotion.

We were able to interview Centurion Fitzgerald who had this to say:

“We had an unprecedented situation that thankfully we managed to control with minimal damage. How a monster of that size managed to gain access to the Camp still remains a mystery, however the Praetors themselves have assured me that they will personally look into reinforcing the borders around the Camp and the City just in case.”

Whether there is some Greek involvement in the matter of a monster gaining access to the Lake remains to be seen, however we can only praise Centurion Fitzgerald’s quick thinking and actions.

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The Bill for the Protection Of New Roman Citizens

In the days since the raid on the Open Hearth that had found a large quantity of Greek Fire being stored in the cellar of a Greek owned establishment, the Senate has been locked within the private chambers of the Bank of New Rome. Up until this point we were unsure what they were planning, however we can now reveal that we have been given an exclusive interview with several members of the Senate House. Titus Arcadi and Jefferson Karavadra spoke to us and explained the work that they have been doing.

“After the anonymous tip of the cache of Greek Fire within the Open Hearth, the Senators have been working on a bill that we believe will protect the faithful Romans of the city. As you are all aware, all Romans who live within New Rome have put in their blood, sweat and tears to protect each and every one of us.

As such, we’ve made the decision that the senate must take steps to protect the members of the city from threats both foreign and domestic, as is our responsibility

We will be drafting a bill which will restrict potential danger that Roman citizens face when it comes to these threats.”

As we are sure all of our readers are wondering, what exactly is this bill? What will it be called and when will it be made public? The vote on the bill will take place today in the Senate chambers at approximately 5:00 PM.

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Senate House Arsonist Arrested

The Roman Herald is on the cutting edge of the information the circulates the city, as such, we are sad to announce that our sources have revealed that members of the Legion have received a confession from Richard Yorvigsen and Analise Brown the co-owners of the Open Hearth. Yorvigsen and Brown confessed to the arson that took the Senate House in flames earlier in the year.

Yorvigsen (a son of Aphrodite) and Brown (a daughter of Ares), attended Camp Half Blood for several years – even fighting in the Battle of Manhattan – before participating within the exchange program. After a few years in the Legion, they both applied for early discharge and started the Open Hearth. Originally a tribute to Hestia (Vesta for our Roman readers) the Open Hearth sold ‘good old fashioned Greek food’ and was one of the key contributors to the Greek Pride movement.

However, after their arrest on Saturday, Yorvigsen and Brown spent over three days in prison in the basement of the headquarters of Camp Jupiter. However, Yorvigsen and Brown eventually cracked and revealed that they – along with other Greeks – were responsible for the arson that took place in the Senate House during the final day of the festival of Fides. Not only has this revealed the identity of those responsible for the loss of out beloved Senate building, but it also brings about the question of who exactly were the other Greeks involved? And just how extensive is this network of criminal Greeks? Their motivations remain unknown, however the Roman Herald was able to contact the Praetors who released this statement.

“The investigation into the fire at the Senate House remains ongoing, however, it is important to highlight that this was an act by a small proportion of Greeks, a minority. We will not tolerate aggression or violence against the remaining innocent citizens of New Rome who happen to be of a Greek heritage.”

Despite this statement we wish to remind our readers that Romans must stick together through these times of uncertainty, you never know who might be a terrorist or who might be planning a nefarious scheme against the glory of New Rome.

Yorvigsen and Brown will stand trial for arson, conspiracy to commit terrorism and a number of other charges in the New Year.

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Breaking News - Raid on the Open Hearth

As many of you will be aware – due to the copious levels of advertisement – over the weekend the Greek portion of the city celebrated ‘Greek Pride’. The final phase of this celebration took place in the Open Hearth. A Greek owned restaurant and bar that services many citizens who live in the Eastern District. The celebration was a fund raiser, with tickets and proceeds from the event going towards the reconstruction of the Senate House.

However, an anonymous tip was received by members of the Legion. The tip, has been relayed to us by an anonymous source.

“We were assembled during the middle of the day, we assumed it was a drill, but we were marched into the centre of the city and into the eastern district, they then told us what the tip was – that there was Greek Fire in the cellar of the Open Hearth… when we hit them we hardly expected it to be true, but to our horror, it was. There is no doubt in my mind as to who was responsible for the arson on the senate house now.”

The raid of the Open Hearth found several barrels of Greek Fire and the owner and all members of staff have been arrested under suspicion of malicious intent and conspiracy to arson, as well as for the arson of the senate house.

The raid itself was far from uneventful, and many Greeks (including Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson) were arrested for their involvement in the instances of resisting arrest that occurred, there were also several fines given for littering and protesting without a permit.

Though this paper is shocked by this revelation, it is keen to highlight the need for unity among Romans, we must stick together to make it through this difficult time. If we cannot rely on our own, then who can we rely upon?

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An Open Letter To All Citizens of New Rome

The New Roman Herald received an open letter to all citizens of New Rome. We have decided to publish it for the people of New Rome to read.

Dear citizens of New Rome,

“Happy Greek Pride Week!”, “Go Greek Pride!” – Barf.

Again, dear citizens of New Rome. That’s right, New Rome; not New Athens, or Camp Half-Blood, but New Rome, the safe haven for all Roman Demigods (And now all demigods, unfortunately), founded by the Legion and a few founding families, a place of pure beauty and strength. 

Rome was the heart of an astonishing and powerful empire that stretched over many countries and conquered many different terrains and civilizations. With a military so dedicated and passionate, and with new and developing technology, the Roman Empire was a force to reckon with. This included rising above many other powerful civilizations, such as the Egyptians and the Greeks. In fact, did you know that the Roman’s are the reason why Greeks are called, “Greeks”? Before the Roman Empire, Greece was known as Hellas or Ellada. Just a bit of Roman History to fill our roman patriotism meters. 

Now, to all the Graeci. Yes, you are the minority, but you are not disliked for being the minority, the fact of the matter is that you just simply do not belong here. No matter what exchange programme is in place, no matter what New Rome offers you and no matter what some Romans say, you are not welcome here. Here’s a simple example: Somebody brings a couple of Red foxes into the Arctic to live with some Arctic foxes. The Arctic foxes are able to catch food and escape predators and the Red foxes can not. Why? The Arctic foxes have evolved and adapted to their habitat in order to survive whilst the Red foxes have not. The Arctic foxes survive and the Red foxes do not. The Arctic foxes are the Romans. 

Welcome to New Rome! Where it is Roman Pride Week, every week! 

                    Regards, 

                           A True Roman.

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Greek Pride?

In the days and weeks since the destruction of the Senate Building by Greek Fire, the community within New Rome has had a singular sight, a united goal that the whole city and the Legion have worked towards. The Fourth Cohort and their centurions have been investigating the fire and were the one to discover that Greek Fire was used in the destruction of the Senate House. Furthermore, many families have made large donations towards the fund that will repair and rebuild the center of our great city.

With work scheduled to begin by the New Year, the whole city has to pull together to prepare for this date.

However, it has become increasingly clear that not all citizens of New Rome are as dedicated to the process of healing that the city so desperately needs.

After the acts of vandalism against the Greek owned Business called ‘The Alley’ (a local bowling alley and arcade that has been taken over by a daughter of Nike who participated in the Greek / Roman exchange program put in place by Frank Zhang and Reyna Ramirez Arellano) many Greeks have argued that they feel that they’ve been treated with prejudice and even discrimination.

We spoke to a Greek and a Roman to get an understanding of the feelings on the streets of New Rome.

Marcy Danvers, a daughter of Mars had this to say:

“What happened in the Alley sucked, there is no other way to put it. But it is time to move on, we’ve got bigger fish to fry, like catching whoever set the Senate House on fire. It is hardly the most pressing issue.”

Martina Acosta, a daughter of Apollo had this to say: 

“It’s fine, I guess. I just don’t understand what this has to do with pride. No ones telling them not to be proud.”

Centurion Maia Cruz, a daughter of Cupid had this to say about the issue: 

"The Greek Pride event and movement is a great opportunity for the community to reassure our Greek citizens that we do care and to strengthen the bonds between us."

Blossom Yeamans, a daughter of Eirene and one of the founders of the Greek Pride movement had this to say: 

"Well, I really think the tension between Roman and Greek is just really silly. We all are humans, right? Our heritage shouldn't be a reason to hate one another. Greeks are clearly the minority here, which is okay, but hating on the minority isn't. Everyone deserves to be treated equal. Just try to spread love and kindness, and treat people the way you would like to be treated."

With such clear lines of division it will take time to discover which side is correct. However, it is clear that the city is split in two.