Adrasteia
| Adrasteia | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| Founded | 2131 |
| Population | 650,000 (Estimate) |
| Leadership | Bryan Cross |
| Planet | Aite |
As far as Aitian cities go, Adrasteia is among the largest. Widely considered the capital of Aite by those in the region, Adrasteia has long been seen as a place to avoid. With rampant crime, constant in-fighting that often spills over into neighboring settlements and long-running feuds between local gangs, few felt safe within the city limits.
A recent push by entrepreneur Bryan Cross, heir to the Torthus-Cross fortune, has lead to many changes in and around Adrasteia. The city has been split up into sectors, and zoned appropriately. The heart of the city, for example, has been renovated and converted entirely into a shopping district. The closest thing Adrasteia has seen to real honest-to-goodness civilized living in a long time.
The Adrasteia Enforcers, a cause for much controversy, act as a sort of 'law enforcement' around Adrasteia. Entirely controlled by Cross, they're more akin to a privatized army than any sort of police. Many Enforcers are ex-gang members or bandits that, at one time, took advantage of the citizens of Adrasteia. The Enforcer roll out has been slow, but it has definitely seen a decline in crime around the heart of the city. The outskirts, however, are every bit as dangerous as ever.
Contents
Inhabitants
- Bryan Cross
- Brutarius Derthos
- Jin Uchida
- Aya Uchida
- Aleenin Esiria
- Serena Torres
- Gigglez
- Amiliax
- Rayze
- Xavier
- Burd
- Daniel
History
Surasa
Adrasteia was established in 2131 under the name 'Surasa'. Its primary function was to serve as permanent housing as well as managing the growth of food and other resources for the nearby research outpost, The Dome, without the need for off-world transport. Surasa was a large, expensive project that required many moving parts to get off the ground.
Experts in a wide range of different fields were called in to assist with the construction and maintenance of Surasa and, in what many called a bold move, the Council attempted to reach out to many who had fled to Terminus space, offering pardons to those who had the necessary skills to fill valued positions on the project. For many Terminus residents, this was their opportunity to wipe the slate clean and earn their way back into Council space. The project was a great success and the carrot dangled in front of the Terminus residents brought forth a large amount of passion from those seeking a second chance.
In 2133, during a brief period of unified leadership, Aite declared its independence. It was a decision that many of the inhabitants of Surasa strongly disagreed with. It quickly became clear that the Council had no intention of keeping good on their promises of pardons and support, and soon enough the people of Surasa were left to fend for themselves. For some the situation was easily remedied. They simply packed up their things and returned to Council space. But this wasn't an option afforded to everyone. Many were no longer welcome in Council space and, with the promise of their crimes being pardoned revoked, found themselves with no other option than to remain in Surasa after having invested so much into the project. Others, both those originating from the Terminus and Council space, having spent the previous two years setting down roots remained in Surasa simply out of a commitment to the settlement they helped to build.
A Ticking Time Bomb
Unfortunately, a self sustaining colony out in the Terminus Systems is a juicy target and, with the Council no longer backing the settlement, there were no official repercussions for pirates and raiders to fear from attacking Surasa. No 'gatekeeper' so to speak. The years that followed were a struggle. But through all of the attacks, the raids, and the lack of supplies, Surasa prevailed.
The upside of the Council's recruitment in the Terminus was that Surasa had no shortage of muscle. Many of the Terminus residents who signed on in the early days of the project did so in a security capacity- mercenaries and pirates alike looking to turn their lives around. One such mercenary was a disgraced huntress by the name of Aleenin Esiria. Esiria had just the right amount of charisma and skill to keep the settlement afloat and her training gave Surasa the edge it needed to survive those uncertain first few years.
It only takes so many failed raids before the juice just isn't worth the squeeze, and Surasa quickly gained a reputation for the brutality in which its residents defended their home. After surviving the first few years on their own, things quieted down and a small semblance of stability was achieved. Others in the Terminus flocked to Surasa and the settlement steadily grew. Without an outside threat to focus their energy on, however, it was only a matter of time before their aggressions faced inward. Old habits die hard and, once again, the residents of Surasa found themselves slipping back into their old ways.
While there was no 'official' government or chain of command in Surasa, many had naturally flocked to Esiria's side when she stepped up to head up the defense of Surasa during the early days. But now, with outside threats few and far between, many others in the settlement found themselves asking 'why not me' in answer to the question of who should lead the settlement. It was a slow burn, but in time lines were drawn in the sand, old rivalries dug up, and Surasa was poised to implode on itself.
By the time humanity arrived on the scene, Surasa had long since become a haven for outlaws, mercenaries, and other undesirables. Its growth over the years was steady and many people who had moved there with good intentions and a hope of starting an honest life found themselves trapped as the local gangs fought amongst one another for control of territory and other pettiness.
Adrasteia
In 2166 a bold businessman by the name of Thomas Whitaker with an interest in establishing a strip-mining operation on Aite (A planet that caught his eye, mostly, due to his fascination with Greek mythology)- and a penchant for dramatic flair- took notice of Surasa. Given its location and established infrastructure, he decided taking the settlement for himself would be the better move, financially, over establishing a new settlement to support his business endeavor. The perk of slave-labor was a cherry on top. Knowing Surasa's history, Whitaker arrived ready for a fight and got just that. After his bloody arrival, Whitaker delivered his famous speech:
'You have all hid here for far too long. Your little haven of debauchery. Away from prying eyes, free to do as you please. Protected by your precious Adrasteia. That changes today. I am your Cronus, and you all belong to me.'
Most of the inhabitants of Surasa had no idea what any of this meant, but it was a sentiment Whitaker repeated many times during his 37-hour reign. Whitaker had a high opinion of himself and assumed that Surasa would just bow down to him. Instead, it simply united many of the residents with a common enemy once more.
Esiria, who 35 years earlier had signed on as the head of security for Surasa, once again joined forces with old allies to drive Whitaker from her settlement. Most notable among them was a krogan- and longtime friend- by the name of Burd. Whitaker never broke character, shouting, 'I am your Cronus!' while demanding the krogan's submission even as Burd stomped up to him after a long, violent battle between Whitaker's men and the locals. It's a story many residents still talk about. Burd responded with, 'Buddy, I got no idea what any of your bullshit means. But I hope, for your sake, this Cronus guy is immortal.' before popping Whitaker's head like a pimple. A human resident had to explain the irony of the exchange to Burd later.
Whitaker was just one of many who had tried to take Surasa for himself over the years. His attempt had little impact on the dynamics of the settlement overall. However, one change did come from it. Surasa had been the name given to the settlement by the Council. The Council who had abandoned them, forgot about them, and failed to deliver on the promises they made. As one last middle finger to Whitaker's legacy, and a final break away from their Council roots, the settlement rid itself of the name Surasa and adopted Adrasteia, taunting any other would-be 'Cronus' to make their play.
Cross
Many tried and many failed to tame Adrasteia. Gangs rose and fell. Territory exchanged hands. Power shifted. But Adrasteia remained. It wasn't until 2184 when a man by the name of Bryan Cross, heir to the Torthus-Cross fortune, made an attempt to sieze control of Adrasteia that things began to change. Like many before him, Cross' early moves were that of blatant violence, setting loose an army of highly trained, expensive mercenaries he called 'The Enforcers'. An attempt at fighting fire with fire in a settlement known for their violent history. But unlike Whitaker or the failures that both preceded and followed him, Cross learned from his mistakes. He extended an olive branch to the people of Adrasteia. He offered purpose. A promise of change. He echoed many of the intentions the Council had when Surasa was first founded. A position among his Enforcers was offered to any who sided with him in his effort to clean up Adrasteia.
Many of the residents of Adrasteia were understandably wary of Cross' offer. But Cross was smart enough to know he didn't need to reach everyone. Only a select few. Many of the old-timers, such as Esiria, who had signed on in hope of doing some good or atoning for past mistakes took Cross up on his offer. Cross gave well known, respected, and feared Adrasteia residents prestigious positions amongst his 'military' and watched as the dominos began to topple. Slowly but surely, those with power began to drift to his cause and any who didn't were rapidly finding themselves outnumbered.
Aite
With the strength of the Adrasteia Enforcers growing and his strong financial backing, Cross has made great strides in turning Adrasteia into the respectable city he thought it could be. While his motivations remain hidden he turns his attention to the rest of Aite.
