Crevus

Overview

The Free City of Crevus is a semi-autonomous city-state in the Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai. It was founded in 50 CE in Das'nrra as a fishing village that eventually grew into a powerful and rich merchant city. In modern times, Crevus exists in a state of anarchy. While considered part of the civilian government the National Assembly of the DPRA has little to no power within Crevus. Instead, the city's politics are dominated by crime families that fight one another for control of its profitable entertainment and services economy.

Geography

Crevus is situated on the western coast of the Das’nrra continent. It experiences the same harsh winters and temperate summers as much of Adhomai’s equator. The presence of the waters of the Sum’add ocean and its warmer current alleviates the cold weather. In contrast to the winters, summers are typically cloudless but retain the light breezes or windstorms that Crevus receives year round. The biome of Crevus is a boreal forest. The forest’s floor is covered in feets of snow in the winter and bare grassless dirt come summer. The only natural plant life are local hardwood trees and some small mammals such as ice-tunnelers. Growing domestic plants requires credits and dedication, making gardens a symbol of status. The region’s population has been fed through the local fisheries with the nearby waters hosting much in the way of fish, crustaceans, and clams. But, the local fishing villages and rural hamlets around Crevus have been steadily declining due to urbanization. This has led to Crevus relying more on food imports by sea or land.

The City

Crevus is a sprawling metropolis on an otherwise lifeless and barren tundra. Travellers to the city can see its shining lights from afar at night.

Crevus itself is an architectural exception upon Adhomai. Owing to its history, the city’s buildings are a crossroads of traditional adhomaian architecture and Xeno influences. Classical styles of Tajara remain the most popular, with blocky (Sometimes ziggurat-like) buildings, art-deco facades, and domed or terraced tiled roofs. Establishments decorate their facades with vibrant neon signs, some buildings even going as far as to pay for extensive work that covers stories upon stories with line-tube art. The local love for bright displays and beaming lights dazzles many visitors to the city. Metal, airlock like designs have a major market in Crevus with many establishments and manors springing for fanciful doors. Skrellian influence can be seen with an explosion of flashy gardens and grey/black walled interiors with vibrant painted furniture. Buildings in the mostly out-of-sight poorer regions are a far cry from the glamor of Crevus’ developed areas. They are cramped and made of simple brickwork, but provide a cheap residence for those who need it. The streets are paved in concrete with heat lamps below every street lamp. This keeps the poor from freezing and assists xenos unused to the cold of Adhomai. Owing to its accelerating development and expansion Crevus is turning into a massive centre for construction. This attracts both humble workers and aspiring architects who wish to leave their own mark on the city.

Crevus is split into several informal districts. Those neighboring the river Kir and west of it are of the wealthiest. The poorest live in shantytowns along the edge of the east. Hephaestus provides cheap transportation such as suspended tram cars, taxi services, and buses. Personal cars and motorbikes are becoming more common for the regular citizen. Most citizens currently rely on Icycles if they need personal transport. Some areas of Crevus are so winding and cramped that one would need a local guide to avoid getting lost. This is more common in the poorer neighborhoods of the east and south.

History

Originally founded as a fishing village, Crevus grew in size and importance due to a brief period of peace between the warrings kings of its time. It was able to establish itself as a strong trading port as it developed. The city attracted several unlanded nobles that founded trade companies and served as captains for the countless ships bound for exploration or trade with other parts of Adhomai. Some merchant's families amassed large treasuries, becoming powerful patricians that held great influence upon the king of Das’nrra.

Mayors of Crevus were elected for life by the city’s aristocrats. The merchant dynasties were known for their incessant plotting against each in an attempt to gather enough favor to have their members selected for the office. Murder, sabotage, and warfare between private armies were common sights in the months prior to the election. Life for the other races was only a degree better than the toil of peasants in the kingdoms. The patricians saw them as little more than fodder to fuel their ambitions for power and wealth. Due to the riches brought by the trade and exploration, Crevus was able to buy its status as a free city from the Empire of Das’nrra. The Mayor would pay an annual tribute to its neighbor in exchange for military protection, but the inhabitants were allowed to handle their own internal affairs in any way they saw fit. Despite this treaty, the patricians controlled a large fleet composed of merchant and military ships.

After the age of exploration was over and other kingdoms opened their own trade routes, Crevus’ importance and wealth started to decline. The patricians revitalized the city by promoting it as a tourist attraction for the nobility. This marks the beginning of Crevus’ famous service economy as the first casinos and clubs opened. Life marginally improved for the peasants during this time. Crevus became the only city on Adhomai with something close to resembling a middle class. The patricians allowed their workers to have a day off each week to distract themselves with the new Crevan lifestyle. This kept wages flowing back into the coffers of the merchants while ensuring that Crevus wouldn’t have to rely on a constant military presence to suppress rebels.

This status quo would end dramatically in 2418. In mid-summer a strange transmission was repeating on ham radios and wireless receivers across Adhomai, repeating a single message in the halls of the noblemen and military generals who exclusively had use of radio technology. It was Sol Alliance Representative Pam Hu announcing the arrival of the humans and their intended landing in the Free City of Crevus.

The Free City of Crevus became host to hundreds of nobles from all across Adhomai. All of the important leading families came to Crevus. Then-Mayor Imazkar Juhrakur spent obscene amounts of the city’s funds entertaining the visiting noblemen and the alien dignitaries. Crevans were the first to become translators for humanity. With this and their ability to act as brokers, Crevus became the link between humanity and Tajara. Once Pam Hu and her team integrated into the Tajara language and customs, within a year they founded the Pam Hu district. Members of her science team then began to enter the casinos and clubs to begin ‘field research’. Megacorporations followed the explorers and established their inroads in Crevus. Idris, Hephaestus, NanoTrasen, and the EPMC made their offices and constructed the Crevan spaceport in just a year after contact.

During the uprisings following humanity’s cataclysmic impact upon Adhomai, Crevus attempted to stay neutral in the conflict. Turmoil in the Empire of Das’nrra allowed Mayor Juhrakur to ignore the payment of tribute. The Free City was able to defend itself from several rebels' incursions using its fleet and mercenaries. When the Hadii faction reached Crevus the patricians argued whether to throw their support behind the revolution or beg a megacorporation to defend the city. Ultimately, the revolutionary side won out. The merchant dynasties traded their independence for safety and a place in the new world order under the Hadii. Their ships were used by the newborn Republic to conquer the rest of Adhomai and they were left alone to live as regular citizens. Some even rose to become party members and military officials.

Relations between the People’s Republic and Crevus turned sour in the first year of Al’marii’s rule. The treaty between the merchant dynasties and the Hadiists stated that Crevus would retain a special status within the People’s Republic and remain autonomous. However, the party had other plans. All businesses owned by the Njarir’akhran were seized and put into a state-corporation run by the Mayor of Crevus. Mayor Juhrakur then disappeared without a trace while travelling to attend a wedding in Shastar City. His replacement, Poaima Krramazsi, was not chosen through a local election but a party committee. The sudden economic changes and drying of the tourist industry thanks to the aftershock of the First Revolution brought heavy unemployment to Crevus. Criminal organizations sprang up across the city performing burglaries and heists. Eventually, these organizations began to be invested in and led by the angered dynasties. These new leaders established rules, ranks, rites of initiation, and began the first Crevan mafias. These organizations fought each other in street wars to carve out their territory. The situation worsened as some criminal organizations in other regions were uprooted by the PSIS and destroyed. Their surviving members often made their way to Crevus to continue plying their criminal skills to those who would pay. Most notably in 2442, some surviving Amohdan crime syndicates banded together underneath the Raghmara Clan and cut a bloody swathe into the city.

Overwhelmed by the violence on the streets and her inability to control the population, Mayor Krramazsi tried her hardest to expand the Crevan police department. New guns and equipment were brought in, officers from other cities were hired at high wages, but it wasn’t enough to control the population. When the Adhomai Liberation Army rose up in 2451 the situation in Crevus was finally lost. The families came under a truce and sided with Supreme Commander Nated. One fateful night in Crevus they launched an all out attack on the Hadiist authority remaining in the city. Police officers, city officials, and the mayor herself were killed in coordinated attacks. Only those who hid or escaped before the purge survived. This event became known as the Crevan Uprising. The heads of the major families met afterwards to decide who would become mayor. Initially the Rhan-Cresh and Raghmara leaders put their support behind Laikr J’shar. After his sudden death Mazula Azuala became the next choice.

Throughout the Second Revolution Crevus supplied the Adhomai Liberation Army whatever they demanded. Artillery smuggled in from the Eridani Federation, arms from Vysoka, credits made from the now-booming tourism industry, anything to support the on-going war effort and ingratiate Crevus to the ALA command. Life in Crevus has changed rapidly and most denizens will say it is for the better. The strong economy allows Crevans to live a better life than citizens anywhere else in the DPRA. The corporate presence allows easy employment while also providing products never seen in other cities of the DPRA. The parties never stop and while the violence continues it is more than easy to avoid the conflict-ravaged blocks when the next Raghmara raid begins or the J’shar and Azaula come to blows once more. Critics point to the corruption and gang violence as clear signs that Crevus is deeply unstable; A powderkeg ready to explode. Lovers of the city simply say that it's part of the charm.

Culture and Society

Crevan culture can be summed up in a single term: “Live, and let live.”. Luxury and vice is an integral part of the city and the daily lives of the people there. A lucky man can find great wealth in Crevus only to lose it all in the same night, and return to repeat the cycle again and again. Money can buy anything in this city and money dictates the power. Some outside of Crevus find the city appalling, a display of pure decadence, and refer to its people as “Crevans" in a spiteful pun. This term is readily accepted by the denizens of Crevus as a perfect term for themselves.

Life for a typical citizen in Crevus is a cycle of work in the service economy and burning away their money in those same businesses at night. While a lucky few make it big enough to join the rich of The Knuckles many remain stuck in this repetition of working and partying. Oftentimes when a Crevan becomes bored they find escape through the gangs (And subsequently, the families.) or join onto the megacorporations to seek some sort of adventure. The poor rub shoulders with the rich in most businesses, and one can become the other in just an hour. The unluckiest find themselves in downward spirals with no way out, their debts racked high, and stuck to a life of dodging debt-collectors in the slum of Liceland. The only way out of Crevus for these unfortunates is a trip to the bottom of the ocean or onto a smuggler’s vessel.

The city’s wealthy are mostly the same Njarir dynasties that ruled the city before the Hadiists came. These centuries-old houses survived much of the chaos of the First Revolution thanks to careful planning and willingly handing the city over to the rebels when they reached Crevus. However, the effects of Hadiist rule on them were similar to their counterparts outside of the city. Many of their practices were ceased on order of authorities and in an effort to avoid attracting attention to themselves. Those who didn’t stop found themselves sent to Castle Vladis. Much of the younger generation of Crevus’ Njarir grew up not knowing the cultures of their predecessors. There are rumors of hidden societies that continue to preserve the old Njarir culture, but their existence following the arrival of the PSIS is doubtful. Not all of the city’s Njarir’akhan were this lucky. Some nobility survived the First Revolution by fleeing to Crevus only to wind up living among the same “commoners" they looked down upon. No Njarir’akhran in Crevus styles themselves a noble except for those who hail from the New Kingdom. Nonetheless, to be one of these old houses or the newer upper-crust is to have all of Crevus open to you. Some businesses pride themselves on exclusivity, such as posh opera houses and decorated smoking lounges. To just be in one of these acclaimed businesses for a night is something lower-class Crevans strive towards.

Due to its history as an open port, Crevans are more open-minded towards outsiders and new experiences than other Tajara. It was for this reason that Crevus became a welcoming city for xenos and megacorporations. Any Tajara can also come to Crevus to try and find their fortune. However, the same problems Tajara face still plague the city. Many of the Zhan-Khazan have been stuck in the poorer blocks and slums, political radical groups continue on in the Crevan underground, and spies of the various nations fight here in a game of cloak and dagger. This is to say nothing of the massive underworld the city is infamous for. A single wrong step in a night of carousing can result in someone stumbling unto a deadly meeting, or taking the turn onto a block broiling with conflict. This hotbed is made even worse by the army presence in Crevus. Soldiers of all factions can be seen given its status as a popular spot for military leave. When these rivals bump shoulders it without fail turns into a violent clash until they’re pried apart by family enforcers. Along with this are the competing officers of the ALA warlords. Each wishes to grant their general an upper hand in the city and gain their favor among the families.

Within Crevus there exist three cultural minorities: Amohdans, Southern Harr’masir, and Northern Harr’masir. Each dwells within their own district and holds tight to their original culture. All Tajaran languages can be found in the city. Ya’ssa has seen its own hidden revival among some of the Njarir’akhran, but they avoid speaking it publicly so as to not draw negative attention. Humans and Skrell can be found in The Knuckles living in the Pam Hu district. These aliens come from all walks of life and lack any cohesive or unique culture, barring their own love for the Crevan lifestyle. IPCs are a rare sight in the city but not unheard of. Citizenship with another nation doesn’t stop one from being able to live in Crevus as much of Silver Streets’ population hold NKA citizenship and PRA citizens can still be found in the city.

The city is becoming known as a place for homosexual and transgender Tajara to hide. Its lack of law enforcement and more open culture has allowed an underground scene to thrive of discotheques, clubs, bars, and support groups that operate within these. Crime families range from ambivalent to openly hateful of these businesses when discovered. The Rhan-Cresh and Raghmara families both are intolerant of them and remove these spaces whenever they are discovered. The various gangs of Crevus tend to be outwardly hostile to homosexual Tajara. The burgeoning community also struggles to establish footholds because of its members taking advantage of smugglers and corporate deals to move to Biesel to attempt to escape the discrimination on Adhomai.

Media

Production companies became a massive business in Crevus in the interwar period. With crime family-funded record labels and studios popping up across the city, an entire industry of film, television, and music sprouted in just a few years. The Crevan attitude toward gambling extends to this industry as well. Executives are always happy to take a risk and promote new ideas, which keeps Crevan media much more diverse than their counterparts in the PRA and NKA. The rapid interwar growth was hampered by the second revolution but post-war it continued to diversify. Young artists are drawn to the city to try and make their way even if they’re consigned to being one of the many street musicians. Anyone can find something to suit their personal music taste in Crevus. Be it beautiful Njarir’akhan opera singers, dueling rockers from the slums, traditional Ras’nrr folk singers, and even imported Elyran and Cytheran holotapes.

Thanks to a lack of local regulation, Crevus is popular among DPRA film studios to set up in. The cheap cost of production also lends itself to making films with a wider scope. Many of those in the film industry hope to overtake the radio as the entertainment of choice in the Democratic Republic. Shows and movies made here usually center around daring crime tales, historical epics, and the Tajaran favorite of war stories. Small markets are growing for experimental and artistic films, action-comedies with exaggerated fights, and documentaries. Crevan television and films do sometimes feature xeno actors. Due to the wider attitude towards them in the DPRA they are relegated to antagonistic roles.

Sports

Sports, unlike the rest of the DPRA, had never reached the level of popularity that cities like Shastar City or Trizar have in Crevus. Mahmrro became boring to the common people when the casinos opened up and the nobility cared for little more than their farehal. Farehal was, and still is, used only as an excuse by the nobles to meet up in gated courts and enjoy the day drinking, smoking, and eating while playing a few minutes of the game to justify spending hours at the expansive clubs. For the majority of Crevans one sport remained above all else and it was one sport that the Crevans came to be known as the best in: Prize-fighting.

The tradition remained constant through the eras. In arenas painted with murals or decorated with figures of Rredouane Crevans gathered to watch fighters square off in honor of the God and for their own enjoyment. Over the years this changed from dueling knights to the modern version of martial artists. Boxers, Baghrar masters, and other hand-to-hand fighters have been drawn to Crevus to open their own schools and compete in the city’s many tournaments. There’s much money to be made for the champions, even if the city families maintain a tight grip on the entire sport. Fixing fights isn’t unheard of for the lower tier of fighters but not even the families would dare to try and rig one of the larger championships. Fighting champions are large celebrities in Crevus. Their victories win them fame, honor, money, free casino visits, and even film roles regardless of their acting ability.

Religion

The majority of Crevans are Ma’ta’ke pantheon followers with S’rand’marr worshippers making up around a tenth of the population as a prominent minority. The Parivara keep to their own neighbourhoods that are built around the local temples. Sun Priests take a less favorable view on Crevus’ culture of carousing and gambling than their Ma’ta’ke counterparts. This is shared by most of their followers, who stick to the more respectable businesses. Priests and priestesses of the Ma’ta’ke pantheon are much rarer in Crevus owing to a lack of interest in the native population in embracing the life of a priest. Shrines and temples dedicated to the gods are small and hidden away. There is one notable exception to this trend: Rredouane.

Rredouane

The huge colossus of the Ma'ta'ke god Rredouane is considered one of the greatest wonders of Adhomai.

Rredouane is revered as the patron god of the Free City. At the northernmost shore on an artificial island, on a former star fort, there is a large colossus of Rredouane that stands 275ft tall from its feet to its raised goblet. It shows Rredouane holding up a goblet with an arm outstretched towards the sea, beckoning sailors with promises of games and fun. He holds a sword that displays his warrior status. No casino or bar is considered legitimate until they have a painting or statue of Rredouane. Rings bearing his sword and goblet are commonplace in the city and a sign of Crevan origins. Every Crevan, no matter their walk of life, revere and pray to the god. While most prefer to beg for lucky rolls some continue the tradition of Rredouane’s warlike nature. ALA fighters from Crevus were well-known for their fanaticism for Rredouane and for encouraging veneration of the deity among their army units. Crime family members pray to him for blessings so that they may overtake their enemies and destroy their competition. Around the city one can find several venues that pay homage to the god through martial tournaments such as boxing and wrestling. Some even use animals in their fights, most notable being the extensive sham’tyr fighting rings. The luckiest in Crevus are considered to have gained Rredouane’s blessing somehow. But, every Crevan knows that the god’s blessing is finite. When it runs dry negative luck will surge back to the person in a tidal wave of mistakes and misery. Some occultists in the city claim to be able to channel Rredouane’s blessing into artifacts. Crevans ignore them but tourists will always be happy to buy a charm if they believe it will help them strike it big.

The Lock

Crevus is a popular gathering point for Raskariim. Cultists are known to come to the city to party their brains out. Repeatedly being uprooted and kicked out of the city for their more deadly or horrific rituals, the cult has slowly learned to not wear out their welcome by being public with the things they do; their main gathering grounds is a particularly seedy nightclub called The Lock where sometimes fewer people come out than went in. The Lock always relocates and gains its followers no matter how many times it is burnt down, broken up by enforcers, or smashed by fearful gangs. There is no shortage of abandoned buildings that can fit speakers, flashing lights, smoke machines, and music. Hopeful entrants into the club only need to speak the 2-word password to get in.

Criminal Organizations

Once merchant families before the revolution, the ruling Njarir dynasties of Crevus were forced to hand over their enterprises to the new mayoral office following the First Revolution. Rather than simply retire and enjoy their new lives as regular citizens most of these dynasties found another way to dominate the city once more: Crime.

Extortions, smuggling, drug production, trafficking, nothing is off the table when dealing with the lords of Crevus’ underworld. Within Crevus there exist four major families acting as the dominant powers. Each one is an organization made of dozens of lesser families. These operate businesses and are led by their own Njarir’akhran line or Hharar administrators. Underneath those are the gangs, who are used as cheap labour and a recruitment pool if some members prove useful. Following the second revolution the major families have become de facto rulers of Crevus. The mayor of Crevus since the Crevan Uprising has been the head of the Azaula family. Positions on the city council are held by the other leaders of the major families and their cronies. For now the major families try to coexist with one another. None has declared a full-scale war against the other, but lesser families still freely clash with other lesser families for power and control. This allows competition without a full escalation while also containing the violence to a few easily contained neighbourhoods.

• Azaula Entertainment: The wealthiest of the families, the Azaula currently control Crevus’ mayoral office and dominate the city’s politics. Azaula businesses are the favored ones for most denizens of Crevus and are considered the most luxurious by those who get into Azaula territory. Their location next to The Knuckles allows them to get the off-worlder cash stream as well. The Azaula are based out of the massive Rredouane's Palace. This sprawling complex of courtyards, restaurants, bars, discos, and gambling houses is the premier business of Crevus. It is the entire experience of the city from its drug dens to high-rise restaurants condensed into a few city blocks. The Azaula have tied themselves closely to Idris Incorporated for better and worse. While their businesses have seen a steady increase in profits thanks to allowing Idris to co-partner on them, many outside and within the family question just how much control the company should be given over family affairs. Another problem has been the temptation of Azaula enforcers to join Idris. Some lesser families are already reporting a crippling lack of manpower thanks to their enforcers leaving to join the banking corporation. A few of these lesser families attempt to use ISUs to bolster their numbers but the high costs outweigh the usefulness of the units. The head of the Azaula family is Mazula Azaula, the elderly but cunning matriarch of the family and mayor of Crevus for the last decade. Never seen without her pistols, this has earned her the nickname “Twin-gun Granny”. As both mayor and the accepted leader of the families Mazula meditates the larger conflicts between the leaders of the major families.

• J'shar Mariners: Led by the voracious and decadent Tul’baq J’shar, who took over after his father Laikr’s death from a seizure, the J’shar Mariners dominate the dockyards of Crevus and the coastal districts. When travellers arrive in the city by boat it is the J’shar’s businesses they find themselves losing their vacation money in. Their control of the fishing industry has naturally lent itself to the J’shar modifying their boats for smuggling. These trawlers are retrofitted for long journeys and have hidden holds. Many believe that some of the sailors for the J’shar fleet were former members of the ALA pirate flotillas. The loss of Duellist’s Crest to the Raghmara and the mayoral office to the Azaula is a shame on Tul’baq, but he tries to avoid continued conflict with both. However lesser families bordering Duellist’s Crest continue to attempt forays into the district with predictable (And bloody.) results. When the people of Kaltir began to flee to Crevus and settled at the Silver Streets the J’shar came to rule over them following a war against the Rhan-Cresh. This has allowed them to control the Silver Streets' alcohol industry and exert some control over the Northern Harr’masir people. The crown jewel of the J’shar businesses is Minharrzka’s Heart, a casino boat known to double as a bank for the family. Besides the fresh seafood and comedy shows Minharrzka's Heart is also famous for the “Five mile rush”. A game in which drunk gamblers attempt to swim from the ship to the docks. While not encouraged by the family and stopped by their enforcers, daring customers continue to attempt the swim for their personal glory. The J’shar also have control of the Crevan icon “Mr Snuffles”, a centuries old steelclad destroyer that patrols their docks and sinks those who routinely balk at the docking fees. The J’shar have denied Hephaestus offers to improve their vessels and Mr Snuffles. Their stated reasons being that they wish to stand on their own two feet, not rely on megacorporations for expansion and profit.

• Rhan-Cresh Charities: Holding onto power through domination of Crevus’ land routes and the poorer southern half are the Rhan-Cresh. They control the population there through soup kitchens and food drives. This not only allows them to claim lip service to Al’mariist ideals but also instills a stronger sense of loyalty in their blocks. Zhan-Khazan make up a large number of enforcers from the Rhan-cresh as the Zhan communities lie in their territory. Many of them also found work in the Rhan-Cresh “Highway Patrol”, which is a supposed police force tasked with helping keep the rail lines and highways to Crevus clear of bandits. As they hold Crevus’ train stations most visitors from Das’nrra wind up spending their time in the cheaper businesses of the Rhan-Cresh. This family also presides over the Southern Harr’masir enclave of Herder District. This section of the city provides a valuable arms production industry for the Rhan-Cresh’s profit. Over the last two decades gunsmiths went from working in workshops to legitimate factories thanks to Hephaestus' assistance. This assistance was through upgrading machines and also providing industrial IPCs to be used in moving and working with the materials needed for the factories. But of all their businesses the fancy trains that bring visitors to the city are the family’s pride. The railcars of these trains are full of high-class cafes, bars, small gambling halls, and even saunas or pools. They stand in stark contrast to the poor businesses within Rhan-Cresh territory. Those are only popular due to their cheap prices. Idris has poured investments into the Rhan-Cresh’s luxury trains to expand their operations. Currently they travel across Das’nrra on routes to Shastar City and Mztel’mir. The leader of this family is the affable Prr’oak Rhan-Cresh, who maintains an image of being a gentle philanthropist. Prr’oak enjoys high loyalty in not just his family but also the communities they preside over. Keen-eyed citizens know that Prr'oak's philanthropy only exists to keep his recruitment numbers high.

• Raghmara Clan: Considered the most brutal of the families, the Raghmara Clan struck fear into the hearts of Crevans when they tore into the criminal underworld. Wiping out rival Azaula and J’shar families Iakarr Raghmara led his band of Amohdan warriors and surged into Duellist’s Crest. His Clan is infamous for their brutal methods of handling those who attempt to encroach on their claimed streets. When J’shar families attempt to break into Duellist’s Crest the survivors often come back a few limbs lighter. Their failures at rebuilding the economy of Duellist’s Crest kept the Raghmara contained. But, with refugees arriving from the failed 2462 Amohdan Rebellion, their numbers have been bolstered and their lesser families have begun to push into rival territory. This manpower did not come without any drawbacks, however. With these new arrivals came an increase in political tensions in the Amohdan community and the Raghmara clan. With lesser clans now bickering and split between nationalists, royalists, and DPRA or NKA loyalists, Iakarr has his hands full trying to keep the internal peace in his syndicate. Due to the sea trade being monopolized by the J’shar the Raghmara turned to drug production as their primary income. Synthetic drugs like nightlife and the dangerous red nightshade have found their way to Crevus thanks to the hired chemists of the Raghmara. Most people outside Duellist’s Crest avoid going to the Raghmara’s businesses but they do hold one popular spot: The Starry Lounge. This disco is popular among punks, gangers, and others who enjoy the small-time pride of bragging that they went into Raghmara turf and lived to tell the tale. Some guests aren’t brought into the dance floor with its flashing lights and thumping music. Some are brought by enforcers into the sound-proofed and tarp-covered rooms of the back. The Raghmara Clan are the only family within Crevus led by M'sai instead of Njarir and Hharar. Because of a lack of interest stemming from their overly violent methods, none of the Crevan corporate offices have approached the Raghmara for any dealings.

Gangs

For the beginners of Crevus’ crime scene, there are the gangs. These thugs are often younger Tajara who came to Crevus in search of quick riches or teenage citizens fed up with their current lot in life. Gangers are small-time and aimless punks who wish for nothing more than to rob others, fight their rivals in street brawls, and enjoy the Crevan lifestyle in its basest form. Whatever businesses they own are horribly run and only for the most desperate to turn to with poorly-equipped workshops and junkyard-supplied casinos being the most common. The gangs of Crevus provide a never-ending stream of easy muscle and potential recruits for the families. The luckiest will become made men and join a crime family proper. The most unlucky run afoul of an actual crime organization and are destroyed. It is incredibly rare for a gang to last longer than a few years. When one splits apart from infighting, the death of its leader, or other reasons, members tend to blend into other gangs or attempt to go down a more legitimate path. Gangs typically identify themselves through common colors, clothing, and simple names.

Olokun Curios

Arriving in Crevus following the Steeple Peace in 2461, Olokun Curios is a company led by members of the EPMC’s Ringspire company. Allying with so-called archeologists, delvers, prospectors, and even the warlord Alexeii K'marr, Olokun Curios gather artifacts from across Adhomai to sell to wealthy buyers in the Eridani Federation. It operates underneath the guise of simply being an art dealership. This business model has proven quite lucrative. The company's core leadership is the Eridanis who came to Crevus to make a profit. These intrepid businessmen are the ones who handle deals for artifacts or lead expeditions to find anything worthwhile to sell. However, the xenophobic attitudes of many Tajara on Adhomai force them to stay out of sight during expeditions. The majority of the organization is Crevan Tajara who hope to make quick credits and get a shoe-in for the EPMC when they join Ringspire proper. Eridani technology gives them an advantage when thieving and allows them to outgun most resistance they encounter. The arrival of these profiteers has not escaped the notice of the Restorers or the Society of the Hidden Dusk. The latter patronize the company to gather artifacts for them, providing maps and allowing them to sell any artifacts they deem “unimportant” in their pursuit of occult knowledge. The former, along with others, are forced to fight Olokun Curios whenever they cross paths.

Crevan Liberation Army

When it became clear that Crevus would tolerate the xeno and corporate presence there, some former ALA members banded together to begin waging a war against the families. Putting aside political differences they established what became known as the Crevan Liberation Army in the closing years of the Second Revolution. The CLA’s stated goal is to overthrow the crime families and for the Crevans to find their destiny in the hands of another government. CLA attacks are a problem outside of the Pam Hu district, which is protected by the EPMC, with the enforcers of the families struggling to fight CLA troops wherever they appear. While they do get a large amount of war material from an unknown source the CLA lack any popular support among the Crevan population. They are largely despised for their constant arsons, bombings, vandalism, and assassinations. Most people in the city expect the group to die out as more of their fighters are gunned down and more of their safehouses are destroyed.

Economy

Trade is still a cornerstone of Crevus’ economy today, but their tourism industry is what fills the coffers of the ruling families. Most Crevans are employed in the service economy to work in hotels, casinos, bars, drug dens, clubs, and discos. Any business can be found in Crevus, legal or not. People travel to the city to spend their time carousing and gambling so they can forget their woes or enjoy their lives to the fullest. Crevus is all the more happy to oblige these seekers. Between the diversions, drinking, and drugs, visiting gamblers tend to burn away their money fast. It is for this reason that every seasoned tourist recommends that travellers buy return tickets as well so that they do not become one of the many beggars who failed to plan a way back.

Given its site as first contact with humanity the city became a natural choice for the first spaceport upon Adhomai. With legitimate businessmen also came smugglers. Allying with anyone willing to do business these less-than-savory merchants brought illegal goods from across the spur into Crevus. Tajaran smugglers provided their own wares or labour to be taken in exchange, thus beginning the on-going trend of Tajaran smuggling. The spaceport of Crevus has no authority beyond corporate safety officers. There are no weapons checks, no security scans, no cargo inspections. This has made Crevus the jugular of Adhomai’s black markets. These smugglers also found an income through transporting Tajara to far-away ports like Tau Ceti. Known as “Ha’rron” they would later establish more legitimate transportation businesses after the armistice. These vessels brought guns and equipment to Adhomai during the Second Revolution and now are used by the ALA to bring their influence to far-flung planets.

Xeno tourism exploded following first contact as humans and skrell from across the galaxy arrived to take in the splendours of Tajaran culture. The interwar period saw these numbers decline as the PRA tightened its grip on the city. It paradoxically exploded once again during the Second Revolution. With Crevus relatively safe from attacks and megacorporations providing protected transport, tourists flocked to the city for a safe cultural experience. Now, one can find a diverse range of travellers within the city. Even if most stay in The Knuckles and the Azaula’s territory. The threat the CLA pose to alien tourists is a major driving force behind the families’ drive to wipe the army out. The Idris supporting families of the Azaula and Rhan-Cresh hope that, given time, Crevus can become one of the biggest tourist spots in the Orion Spur. Other families like the J’shar fear that catering to xeno tastes will eat at Crevus’ own identity.

Megacorporations

Just a year after first contact, Idris Incorporated, Hephaestus Industries, and Nanotrasen established offices to draw in Tajara workers. Post-First Revolution NanoTrasen had dominated Crevus as they did with the rest of Adhomai. But, the Hephaestus and Idris branches still remained open as a way for Tajara to find work and leave Adhomai. EPMC’s Phalanx Incorporated has always been present to function as security for the company offices and the Pam Hu District. They were allowed to establish a base at an old gun-fort on the city’s outskirts. The gun-fort also doubles as an office for recruiting Tajara and as Olokun Curios’ base of operations.

The influence of megacorporations can be felt across Crevus. Idris goods and employees are cropping up in many of the popular businesses. Hephaestus runs several transportation businesses including a new system of suspended tram cars to act as “public” transportation. NanoTrasen holds the least influence, but their subsidiary Getmore Corporation is active in the city to facilitate trade of exotic foodstuffs. Hephaestus and Idris both run rental services for their IPCs. For Idris, the ISUs are rented to the rich to serve as bodyguards and steel muscle. Hephaestus rents out their units to function as engineers for establishments and to assist in family-run factories. IPCs are unsurprisingly expensive to rent out due to the costs of maintaining them in a city unsuited for their regular use such as Crevus. Unlike the rest of the DPRA , the companies are respected by the locals. Families have their own relationships and ties to these companies. Only the J’shar and Raghmara are somewhat free of their influence. The presence of megacorporations in Crevus have led to calls from both army radicals and civilian lawmakers to restore order in the city. President Harrlala and Supreme Commander Nated do not heed these calls. For them, the credits and ships Crevus provides is enough to justify the city’s lawless status.

Drug Trade

Due to its status as a notable port, its criminal underground, and its neutrality, Crevus plays an important role in the Adhomian drug trafficking scene. Tons of illegal substances pass by the city daily before being distributed to the rest of Adhomai and beyond. Crevus also has its own laboratories, ranging from high-tech compounds to small facilities hidden in basements. While drug consumption and trade are technically illegal, the city's authorities engage and profit from it; the Raghmara clan currently controls most of the local production. Small independent dealers and producers exist, but they are rarely seen outside of the shanty towns. Tourists and the Crevan elites consume their drugs at expensive hotels and bars; the city poorest tend to congregate in abandoned buildings. Most of these establishments are controlled by the ruling families; independent ones are quickly acquired or destroyed by the competition.

The Church of S'rand'marr provides shelter and programs to aid the city's addicts. These efforts are very limited due to the shrinking church's budget.

Notable Drugs

• Vorothy: also known as "Gateway", is a substance capable of inducing a hallucinogen, paralyzing trance. Made from the sap of the Mech'ty tree, it is usually consumed in gum form by placing it under the tongue. The hallucinations caused by the drug are described as extremely vivid, usually involving religious figures and otherwordly visions. Prolonged consumption or overdose can result in a condition called "the passing". In this situation, the user falls into a coma, from which very few have ever awakened. Some who have returned from the passing described their time as a journey through countless alien worlds, others came back with totally different personalities. Vorothy is commonly used by artists in search of inspiration.

• Solar Salve: made from a mixture of S'rendarr's Hand and other herbs, the Solar Salve is a paste frequently chewed by Crevan dock workers. Originally used by Southern Harr'masir herders, it helps ward off the feelings of hunger, thirst, and cold. Despite not being considered to be a drug by most of the population, it is known to be mildly addictive. Workers casually use it to assist in getting past long shifts. Due to its association with the lower classes, it is not consumed by the richer population.

Notable Locations

A map of Crevus depicting its districts, locales, and the territories of the major families. The Knuckles and Pam Hu District are considered neutral ground.

• The Knuckles: The Knuckles is the home of Crevus’ rich. It is full of manor houses and estates neatly arranged into grids and protected by virtue of being where the crime family leaders live. The wealthy of Crevus are not just descendents of its old Njarir’akhran houses, but also new money in the form of Tajara who struck it rich after the First Revolution. Some of its denizens are even rumored to be members of the Party or former ALA commanders. Life in The Knuckles is idyllic if one can afford it. There is always a banquet or jubilee to attend and families’ leadership ensure that their business doesn’t spill into their own backyards. The entire district is heavily guarded by patrolling cars of family enforcers and hired mercenaries. The Tajara who live here live in pure comfort and have their every need met by servants waiting on them. This wealth disparity may anger new-comers to the city, but for native Crevans, it is the ideal that they all aspire to and hope to one day attain.

• Pam Hu District: Home to the xeno population of Crevus, Pam Hu is a section of The Knuckles. Here lives human and skrell megacorporation workers alongside wealthy expats who made their home in the city for one reason or another. The houses here are the same as the rest of the Knuckles. Lower class workers, such as Idris servers or Hephaestus tram driving instructors, live together in manses paid for by their corporation. High class workers and the expat population live comfortably in their own manors. Located in the Pam Hu district is a statue of its namesake, Xeno-Culturalist Pam Hu, shaking hands with a Tajara noble. The expats of Pam Hu came to Crevus for their own reasons. Some were drawn in by Crevus’ culture, cheaper costs, or a wish to remain here to party and enjoy their life to the fullest. Others were drawn to Crevus by an idea circulated in illicit circles. An idea that as long as one has wealth, Crevus provides the perfect place to lay low and hide from off-world forces.

• Herder District: Herder District is the home of the Crevan Southern Harr’masir people. Many of them were brought in to work in the meat-packing industries and logging during a labour shortage in the 22nd century. The district is rife with concert halls, weapons shops, and race tracks. The traditions of zhsfram riding has been kept alive by the locals through rider associations and gave rise to a culture of urban riders. Herder District has seen the most improvement of all districts in the previous decade. Under Rhan-Cresh leadership the streets have been repaved, businesses have been revitalized, and local income has steadily increased. Dwellers of Herder District are generally considered a wild-eyed sort. This reputation is supported by the fact that many gunslingers from the district have become infamous as hitmen for the families. Herder District and its people are firmly under the control of the Rhan-Cresh family and is administered by local lesser families.

• Duellist’s Crest: The Amohdan quarter of Crevus is the oldest of the cultural enclaves. Amohdans have been arriving to Crevus since the 18th century, travelling along their shipping lines to the city and establishing a strong community there. They historically found work in the marine industries such as fishing and shipping. Their traditions of swordsmanship were kept alive through dojos and mercenary bands that worked for the Njarir’akhran dynasties of Crevus. After the First Revolution it came underneath J’shar and Azaula control. But, when the Raghmara came, those families fled along with Duellist’s Crest’s prosperity. Now the district is one of the poorest in Crevus. It’s buildings have fallen into disrepair as the Raghmara desperately try to attract customers or corporate interest. With Amohdan refugees arriving from the isle however, the Raghmara’s lesser families have instead begun trying to expand into their rival’s businesses instead. The Crevan-Amohdans that remain in the enclave have found their lives to be fraught with hardship thanks to the high poverty and increasing political divides. This leads the younger generation to see fighting for the Raghmara or signing onto a megacorporation as the only ways to support themselves.

• Silver Streets: Originally considered part of Herder District, the Silver Streets became a gathering place for Northern Harr’masir Tajara in their diaspora following Kaltir’s fall. In just a decade, their numbers swelled to the point that southern harr’masir became a minority in the district. Following a war between the Rhan-Cresh and J’shar it came underneath J’shar control. The Silver Streets supports itself through breweries, beerhalls, and local traditional artisans. Their control of the best of the breweries has made the ruling lesser families wealthy enough to avoid conflicts with the other families. This allows them to put on a veneer of neutrality despite pledging fealty to the J’shar. The culture of Northern Harr’masir runs strong in the Silver Streets and their dialect is still commonplace. The district has seen heavy construction following the return of denizens who volunteered to fight for the NKA. Pillboxes, sewer bunkers, and sniper nests have been constructed across the streets in the event of an attack. The majority of the population here holds citizenship with the NKA and not the DPRA.

• The Hephaestus Grand Pyramid: As the name implies, The Hephaestus Grand Pyramid (Referred to as “the pyramid” for short.) is Hephaestus Industries’ foothold in Crevus. Twenty stories tall, protected by black plasteel plating, and covered by brilliant tube-art depicting soaring ships, Hephaestus is able to lure in Tajara with its stunning visuals alone. The pyramid is also well known for its excellent food court with several styles of grill-centred eateries. At night this court is packed full of drunken gamblers wanting to round out their night of partying with a heavy meal. It also sports an extensive robotics lab located in the pyramid’s top. This is where its rented industrials are maintained and kept until bought via contract.

• The Shard: Situated in the centre of The Knuckles, The Shard is the central tower for NanoTrasen in Crevus. It cuts a magnificent figure with its silver plated cladding to catch the eye and entice Crevan to shop, dine, and gamble there. NanoTrasen’s domination of Adhomai in the interwar years enabled them to field thousands of employees in the once-bustling skyscraper, but the changed political situation has resulted in their influence waning. Now, much of the Shard is emptied and supposedly abandoned. It has a reputation of being a first-time casino full of young rich-kids and xenos too afraid to venture out of The Knuckles.

• Twin Nm’shaan Mall: Once just a bank, the Twin Nm’shaan Mall grew as Idris Incorporated bought more land around it to develop the location further. Now with its raised glass ceilings, white marble facades, and gleaming luxury stores, the Twin Nm’shaan Mall is a favorite for any Crevan shopper. Besides its stores the mall also boasts a glorious holo-theatre and a sprawling park featuring a heated Konyang style koi pond. ISUs are on constant patrol here to ward off any attackers or robbers. Tajara who shop here are easily drawn in by the company’s image of glitz and glamour. Idris retains a recruitment office at this location to bring in Crevans or any other Tajara seeking to employ with them.

• Kjal’hr Gambling Hall: The decrepit Kjal’hr Gambling Hall is not a business famous for its nightlife or food, but its story. The tale goes that a royal cadet branch, the Kjal’hr, settled in Crevus after the First Revolution. They constructed a gambling hall and hoped for nothing more than to be left alone. In the first years the gambling hall performed well. But in the fifth year came the haunting. Guests vanished in their rooms. Workers began to commit suicide from plummeting from the roof or jumping down opened elevator shafts. These came randomly and with no warning or reasons why. When the customers stopped coming and the money dried the head of the Kjal’hr line, Rreghal Kjal’hr, ended his house himself: Through locking the doors of the hall and setting the building alight. The charred brick-work ruins are avoided by Crevans. No construction occurs around it, and its entire block lies dark and abandoned. People who venture into the block on dares come back with stories of their electronics going haywire and seeing odd things in the dark corners.

• Depot 37E: Built in the interwar period, this PRA naval depot was lost to the DPRA after its crew defected during the Crevan uprising. Though still considered in-use by the ALA the depot sits abandoned in the docks of Crevus. All it holds is badly damaged destroyers and torpedo boats scoured for parts to sell by the squatters dwelling there. These same squatters venture into the docks to steal from whatever shipments they can find. Rumors remain abound about the secretive community of vagrants in 37E, ranging from it being a cult to being secretly ruled by rogue Hotak commandos. Between fears of catching Supreme Commander Nated’s ire for damaging a technically still used depot and the vagrants’ stubborn resistance, the J’shar refuse to clear out the building.

• Liceland: Liceland is a sprawling shantytown in the east. Made up of Crevus’ poorest and those who lost everything in the casinos, its population exploded in the previous decade due to refugees arriving in streams. People there live in cramped squalor and are preyed on by violent gangs seeking to make the riches to escape by any means necessary. Periodically these gangs find their way into the bordering Rhan-cresh, or J’shar territories and wreak havoc. The massive increase in population led to Liceland eventually spilling into city blocks controlled by the aforementioned families, who’s previous tenants ran deeper into the city. Liceland is widely considered as one of the worst places a Tajara could live in. It becomes even more horrible the deeper one goes inside. With no feasible plans to clear it out and move its victims, the families leave Liceland alone. For now.