Location: Cephei Trade Ring
Overview
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Space Station |
| Region | Albion System |
| Affiliation | Unified Planets of Sol |
| Population | 30.000 |
| Primary Function | Trade Hub, Planetary Supply Line, Orbital Installation |
Location Image
Description
The Cephei Trade Ring is a colossal orbital installation anchored to Cephei, the primary moon of the gas giant Keregal. A marvel of colonial engineering, its primary function is to serve as the industrial and commercial heart of the Albion system. The station is starkly divided into four distinct sections. Life on the Ring is defined by the constant, low hum of life support, the recycled air, and the breathtaking but dangerous view of the supergiant A-0410 hanging over Keregal’s horizon. The station’s advanced shielding array, housed in Gamma Section, is the only thing protecting its inhabitants from the star’s lethal radiation.
Key Areas
Of the Trade Ring’s Sections, Beta Section is the area with the most civilian use. Alpha Section is reserved for the Lanternyard Research Labs, Gamma Section contains the radiation shielding and Delta is reserved for the industrial refinery.
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Docking Section Beta-25 “Sirocco” | Largest Docking facility on the Trade Ring. Berths 90% of the Ships that stop here. |
| Cephei Beta Trade Bazar | Beta Section’s Trade Hub, elongated Mall that hollows the station. A Railway system is installed in the center of the negative space |
| Albion Regional Government Offices (ARGO) | Known locally as just “ARGO” this fortified administrative block houses the Unified Planets of Sol’s presence on the Ring, including customs, law enforcement, and diplomatic services. |
| Alberta Labs (Alpha Section) | Lanternyard Inc.’s primary research facility in the system. Once pristine and cutting-edge, recent layoffs have left large portions of the labs dark, creating unmonitored “dead zones.” |
| Cephei Delta Refineries | A grimy, sprawling industrial complex dedicated to processing gas precursors harvested from Keregal. The air is thick with chemical scents and the clang of machinery is ceaseless. |
Cephei Delta Refineries
The company running the Refineries was a long-time sub-contractor of Trask Intermediaries, which was recently acquired by TI and made a subsidiary.
Important Figures
| Name | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ”Borox”, or Bob James | Data Broker | Borox runs a large portion of the Gray Exchange in the Albion sector, and has multiple ties to the Free People of Badigo. |
| Morlag | Cephei Delta Refinerier Union Worker | A hulking, charismatic Cirani who unofficially leads the Delta refinery workers. He advocates fiercely for better conditions and is a growing thorn in Trask Intermediaries’ side. |
| Amira Vance | Badigo Agent | Amira Vance is a public worker for ARGO, she works mostly with events regarding the outer Systems and knows about almost every major event out there. Amira Vance is embedded into the local government Branch of the Albion Regional Government. She is a key source of intelligence for the Rebels and is very careful not to blow her cover. |
| Quincy Adams | Owner of the “Rebel with a Cause” | Quincy transferred her consciousness into an artifical shell, for which she took up a considerable ammount of debt. She is now working to pay it off to Lanternyard Inc. |
Culture and Social Structure
| Culture Traits | Description |
|---|---|
| Religious Superstition | While not very wide spread, influences of the Celestian Whiteleaf Faiths can be felt all around and are commonly known by everyone |
| Transactional | Most residents are here for work or profit. Social interactions are often direct and centered around trade, favors, or information exchange. |
| Social Hierarchy | - |
|---|---|
| Languages | Standard |
Local Economy and Trade
| Sector | Description |
|---|---|
| Primary Industries | Gas Precursor Refining, High-Tech R&D, Trade & Logistics Services. |
| Exports | Refined Fuel Precursors, Proprietary Technology from Alberta Labs, Processed Minerals. |
| Imports | Foodstuffs, Life Support Consumables, Raw Materials, Luxury Goods, Radiation Shielding Components. |
| Currency | Cillings |
Law and Order
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Governing Body | Albion Regional Government |
| Primary Laws | Freeport Laws, some exemptions from System Laws regarding trade. |
| Enforcement | Albion Authority patrols the public Beta sections. Corporate security handles Alpha and Delta internally. |
Factions
| Faction | Goals | Influence (1 - 5) |
|---|---|---|
| Free People of Badigo | Spread anarchist ideology; disrupt corporate and state control. | 3 |
| Trask Intermediaries | Secure the Refinery and squeeze every inch of productivity out of it | 3 |
| Lanternyard Inc. | Support local R&D and a covert Danube Research Operation. | 4 in Alpha Sector / 2 Overall |
Free People of Badigo
The FPoB have built a network of agents, holdouts and safehouses across the Cephei Trade Ring. Raids by authorities has had minimal impact on the faction due to the compartmentalized nature of the Ring Station.
Points of Interest
| Point of Interest | Description |
|---|---|
| Rebel With a Cause | An upscale bar in the Beta Bazaar known for its massive, shielded observation window overlooking Keregal. A neutral ground where corporate agents, officials, and brokers meet. “Rebel With a Cause” |
| Alberta Labs Deadzones | An entire sub-section of Alberta Labs that has been powered down and abandoned. It’s an unmonitored labyrinth of dark corridors and labs, rumored to be a FPoB stronghold. |
Recent Events
Backwash from the attempted Takeover of the Albion Trade Orbital weakened Lanternyard’s position in the sector. Leading to a big wave of layoffs and sub-renting of Alpha Labs’ premises. Those have not yet been repurposed, leaving a large, dark gap in the section which is rumored to be used by the Free People of Badigo as hideouts between the abandoned offices.
Adventure Hooks
The Union Man’s Leverage: Morlag is preparing for a major strike in the refineries. He needs leverage. He knows a Trask manager is secretly meeting a data broker (Borox) at the “Rebel With a Cause” bar to sell off company secrets. Morlag wants the party to either record the meeting, steal the data chip, or intercept the manager and “convince” him to work for the union. They’ll have to operate in a crowded, neutral-ground bar where ARGO security, corporate agents, and spies are all watching each other.
Additional Details
Ring Cycles: The station operates on a 28-hour standard cycle, but locals refer to time by the position of Keregal in the main observation ports. “High Keregal” is the busiest period, while “Low Keregal” is when the gas giant eclipses the distant star, plunging the station’s exterior into a temporary, eerie twilight.