ISA facilities against the Tuzanor skyline.
Tuzanor ("City of Sorrows" from ancient Na'sen Adronato) was a major city on Minbar that became the home of the Anla'Shok training compound and later the headquarters of the Interstellar Alliance.[1]
Overview[]
Nestled in a high valley between two ranges of snow-capped mountains, Tuzanor was said to have been Valen's favourite place on the entire planet. Each and every building was ancient, carved into the crystalline outcroppings and has its own little park with the temples set in large parks with great waterfalls and fountains. It was common for young Minbari to make at least one pilgrimage to Tuzanor, though the city did not have any hotels, yet the pilgrims who came would always find a place to stay with whoever has a free room.
History[]
In the time before Valen, Tuzanor was the site of the most terrible battle in Minbari history. The battle claimed over one million casualties in a single day of ferocious fighting, though such was the brutal futility of that battle that it shocked both sides into finally seeking a peaceful solution. It was later decreed that the battlefield site would be forever dedicated to peace, healing, and prophecy. Hence it is said; "To dream in the City of Sorrows, is to dream of a better future."
When Valen first formed the Anla'Shok, he chose the City of Sorrows to be the first gathering of the Rangers and the site on which the main Ranger training camp was built, over the objections of some in the Warrior Caste who believed that good soldiers could not be created in a place of peace. Valen said that he wanted the Anla'shok to train for battle in a place where they would be able to see the sacred city, so that they could never forget that their one purpose was to fight to restore peace and freedom for all.
Because of this long association with the Rangers, even when the Anla'shok waned in influence in the years leading up to the Earth-Minbari War, the people of Tuzanor still gave their strongest support for the Anla'shok, stronger than anywhere else on Minbar.[1]
The Interstellar Alliance established its headquarters in Tuzanor in December 2262.
Anla'Shok Training Compound[]
The Ranger compound was a large facility that fit unobtrusively into the natural landscape.[1]
The compound included a recruitment center.[2]
The compound itself was laid out in the typical Minbari style with buildings grouped into threes and nines and was composed of nine barracks that could house upwards of nine thousand Rangers, three outdoor firing ranges, three training fields with elaborate obstacle course, wilderness survival and surveillance courses and weapons training area, three buildings for martial arts training and a large central complex of classrooms and administrative offices, also arranged in groups of three and nine. A large portion of the compound was taken up by a huge airfield with nine hangars.
The compound also featured three temples, including one eventually nicknamed "The Chapel" by the Human Rangers which was dedicated to Valen and featured a large, imposing statue of the great leader.
The Entil'Zha's residence was also within the compound, though it stood separate from the other buildings. It featured a kitchen wing connected to the house through a small dining area. The house was originally inhabited by Valen himself and though none who held the title of Anla'Shok Na (before Jeffrey Sinclair) ever took up residence, the house was carefully maintained so that even after a thousand years, it was kept just as Valen had left it.
For over 1000 years the Tuzanor facility was the only one to train Anla'Shok, however towards the end of 2259 several other smaller camps were set up on other worlds to minimise the risk of all the new Rangers being wiped out in a single strike. One such camp was located on Zagros VII, a Drazi colony in Sector 801. It was soon abandoned, however, when its location was discovered by the Shadows.[3]