Human Culture: The Hispir

Culture: Hispir (adjective: Hisprish)

Description: A reasonably common newer culture that arose from several early human colonies being composed primarily of immigrants from Latin America and the British Isles. Somewhere along the way the Irish accent and the Latino accent merged into something new (which sounds like neither, and which most Hisprish no longer have). The Hispirish are stereotyped as passionate people with short tempers and passionate romances.

Human Culture: The Panindi

Culture: Panindi (adjective: Panindian)

Description: A Colonial culture that grew from India’s position as a major world superpower right before FTL was achieved, encompassing the cultures of the India subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Caucus nations (such as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan- but no Afghanistan which never assimilated). Panindians are stereotyped as hyper tech savvy shrewd business people and aggressive negotiators. 

Human Culture: The Amerinese

Amerinese

Culture: Pacific (Adjective: Pacifican or Amerinese or ‘Merinese)

Description: With the decline of the American Empire occurring just as China was both rising and accumulating a larger and more complicated interest in America’s economy, the two superpowers eventually merged into the Democratic Union of the Pacific: The DUP. The name Amerinese probably arose because other portmanteaus sounded awful. Polite in the rudest way possible, and colonial in the extreme, Amerinese are stereotyped as the worst traits of communist China and late era America combined. 

The Star Witch

Imagine somebody decided to build their own Serenity, a little firefly class starship. Now imagine they did it by raiding a derelict Borg cube, a Time Lord scrapyard,  the design workshop of H.R. Giger.

Star Witch is alive and Sentient. But alien to all known races and cultures in known space. Star Witch understands all known languages, but does not speak. Instead it communicates via holographic pictograms.

The Star Witch can modify it's interior, giving the impression (one hopes) of being larger on the inside. Star Witch can also achieve instantaneous transmission, transporting itself anywhere in known space, and transporting those bonded to it independently if it desires.

Piloting Star Witch appears impossible. Those aboard Star Witch are guests at its pleasure, or nuisances which it may dispose of easily.

Much of Star Witches capabilities are unknown. Its history is entirely unknown.

And you can't leave it unless it lets you.

I'm sure it's fine.

Episode One: Arrival on Eutopia!

Synopsis

The Star Witch has deposited you on Republica City, a low orbit habitation station in the upper atmosphere on the Gas Giant of Eutopia VI.

Republica City is divided into Athens above, Rome below, and the Core in between. The elite live on Athens or Rome, while the lower castes scrabble away in the Core- or worse, on the scavenger built Spokes that orbit the core.

The Star Witch has gone silent and will not explain why it has brought you here or what it expects you to do. But it has landed in the Core, in a disused section known as the Junk Wall- which divides the inhabited sections of the Core: the Wheel and the Arc, from the uninhabited Deep Core, where the automated AIs and robot maintenance systems recognize organic matter only has contaminants to the great engine that runs Republica City.

Star Witch has made it clear, in its way, that you are to accomplish something before it will allow you to leave.

Goal 

Your goal is simple, find out what the Star Witch wants from you. Previous stops have all been for salvaged parts that the ship needed to regain functionality. This time Star Witch has flat out refused to explain itself, going silent upon landing and replying to you only with its glyphs meaning: Unfinished.

And so, a mystery, what does the ship that holds your leashes want you to do? And once you find out, then what?

But your first order of business is access. Only those with Patrician Status may enter or leave Athens and Rome. All others are stuck scavenging on the Core and the Spokes. The section of the Junk Wall where Star Witch has landed, is adjacent the Core Settlement of Thamugadi.

Thamugadi 

Thamugadi is divided into three distinct areas: the Bazaar, the Upper District, and the Residence Compound. The Bazaar is a nearly lawless maze of temporary structures as people live and die, buy and sell, steal and bargain. The Upper District is the closest Thamugadi comes to a good part of town, a semi respectable Commercial district where the (Fraal) Aeto Family keeps order through protection rackets and the occasional assassination. The Residence Compound is a series of modular habitation cubes connected and maintained by the (Weren) Prazan Brotherhood.

Tensions run high between the Aeto Family and the Prazan Brotherhood, and nearly everyone in Thamugadi is allied to one group or the other. Those allied with do business with the other side, and only the inner circle of each group are truly enemies.

Landmarks

The Upper District 

The Upper District sits literally above the Bazaar and the Residence Compound, raised up on stilts and scaffolding attached to the walls of the Core. Build from higher quality salvage and with better workmanship than the rest of Thamugadi, the Upper District represents the biggest fish in this little pond.

• Pogisa Speakeasy- An Aeto Family run establishment and where those loyal to the Family get their marching orders.
• Aeto Manor- The Aeto Family fortified compound enter uninvited.
• Ma'a Maa Hall- The closet thing Thamugadi has to a City Hall and Town Square. Controlled by the Aeto Family.
• Fasioti Security- More of a protection racket than anything else, run by the Aeto Family.

The Residence Compound

Separated from the Junk Wall and its Raiders and Scavengers by only the sprawl of the Bazaar, the Residence Compound is a collection of salvaged habitation cubes and other jury rigged buildings. 

• Prazan Ruka Public House- Equal part community center and Pub, run by the Prazan Bortherhood, violent and raucous, expect to leave with a bloody lip at least.
• Dva Sreca Community House- The safest public housing in Thamugadi, run by the Prazan Brotherhood, the price of admission is putting in work for the Brotherhood. This is normally community service, but somebody has to deal with the Aeto Family's goons.
• Ratnice Training Hall- Weren fight, and when Weren run the community centers- they teach fighting. 'Nuff said.

The Bazaar

You would have to look very closely to tell where the Junk Wall ends and the Bazaar begins. But when the personal shoving you against a wall wants to bargain with you rather than mug you, you know you've hit the Bazaar.

• Perd Minnaar's Emporium- One of the established features of the Bazaar: Perd Minnaar is a Mechalus who sells and buys just about anything, no questions asked. It may take time, and it may cost more than you bargained, but Perd can normally get it.
• Noho Malie's Honest Work Job Board- Noho Malie's shop is always moving, because neither the Brotherhood nor the Family like her or her business at all. Malie is the only consistent source of work unaffiliated with either the Prazan Brotherhood or the Aeto Family.