birmiethewormie
Wormie
Halation is a commodity to the poor, sought throughout the entire Codswallop Galaxy—especially in the lawless outer rim. Made from starlight, its effects can be described as "feeling like you're in a movie." Users of halation will see a foggy halo around their vision, feel nostalgic, uplifted, and warm, and won't be able to resist a second toke.Especially because if they do, the withdrawals are agonizingly fatal.
This drug is produced predominantly by ringworlds, most of which lie in the outer rim; a hive of scum and villainy, and the breeding ground for the worst sort in the galaxy. Due to the high prices of planetary housing and the upper class's penchant for segregation, ringworlds are predominantly populated by the poorest of the poor. Ringworlds are much cheaper to live in, as the side effects of halation production are toxic to most lifeforms of the galaxy. Life expectancy is severely reduced among ringworld inhabitants, most not living past the age of fifty.
There is one ringworld that is particularly wrought with nefarious affairs. Orbitting the star Petroleum VI, it is affectionately called "The Gas Station" by its locals. This is in part because of its location being suitable as a rest stop for travelers, but also because of its wretched smell.
Though most ringworld societies are based heavily on class, The Gas Station may be the worst of them all. Conditions in the slums are dreadful. Going out for a nightly stroll is the same as inviting anyone in your housing block to rob you.If you somehow go a few minutes without being mugged, you will be treated with the glorious views of shattered windows and abandoned apartments, and be able to hear the dozens of murders and other illegal activity that occurs on a nightly basis. At the very least, you will always have good old halation.
The local government does nothing to help the people in these ghettos, though its not as if they could even if they wanted to. The Beckett Syndicate and Lockmore Cartel are really in charge here. Selling halation has led their coffers to grow to heights rarely seen in the outer rim.
Though the Beckett Syndicate has been the driving force of the halation trade in The Gas Station for many years, the Lockmore Cartel arrived with a bang, assassinating the great Leon Beckett who had led the Syndicate for decades. The plot has left the Syndicate in shambles as they scramble to find new leadership. This has allowed John Lockmore to buy his way into the pockets of dominion officials on the Gas Station that once were under the thumb of the Beckett Syndicate.
This conflict has barely begun, but it is becoming clear that the Lockmore Cartel is here to stay. However, in the outlaw space of the outer rim, only time can tell what will happen to The Gas Station.
Rules/guidelines
1) The ring world is a hive of scum and villainy - everyone must be scum. Or villainy. Or just poor enough to be associated with those two like lower class basically
2) Robot technology is not very advanced yet - cyborgs aren't a thing, with only the rich being able to afford cybernetic enhancements of any value. Pretty much every robot is a servant and only able to complete the basic tasks - cleaning, cooking, etc.
3) The galaxy is large, and its population is diverse. While there are of course humans, there are many other races to be found among the stars. Be creative. I'm uncultured
4) Please stay on the ringworld; while space is huge, this is "Tales of the Ring World", not "Tales of the Ring World and Everywhere Else".
5) While you're not forced to be in either the syndicate or cartel, you shouldn't expect to escape their grasp. Or something.
