The Slump Intro
———— Cog-Port Chapter 3 ————
CHAPTER 3: THE SLUMP
What is now known as The Slump, was once the main habitation and supplementary industrial districts of the Cog-Port hive. Away from the port areas, the slump runs up to the skin of the hive itself, beyond which blow the Ash Wastes. Despite their distance from the ocean and the Howling, legend has it that it was here in the Slump that the thought, if not the sound, of the Howling weighed most heavily on the minds of men. Even before the fall, many went quickly insane, ranting about even the rumours of a sound they had never truly heard.
As the gangs seek to return to the Slump to establish new settlements, new findings suggest that rather than the port and coastal areas, it was in the Slump itself that the fall of Cog-Port truly began…
The Ratskins Return
When the main Port of Cog-Port was retaken, the native Ratskins were pushed out and dispersed into the Slump area. Here, out of the way, they were left to carry out their lives; watching the invading gangs prosper in their previous homes. Rarely were they ever seen until recently, when they have become emboldened for some unknown reason and have begun venturing into the main dock and markets of Cog-Port.
This has caused additional friction amongst the locals who view the Ratskins with mistrust - leading to more than a few violent incidents with losses on both sides.
The ruling council of the CCCP paid little attention to these outburst, preferring instead to focus on the trade and industry that brought with it so much wealth. So long as the deaths did not effect quotas and cred-flow, the losses were acceptable.
The Crystal
That was until one week ago when two Ratskins were shot, by an Enforcer patrol in a Cog-Port Market, whilst trying to steal food: one died instantly and the second was badly injured. While pleading for his life this second Ratskin offered up a small pouch containing a crystal.
Upon further investigation, the crystal was found to have remarkable properties; the specifics of which, the CCCP are keeping close to their collective chest. All we know is that they demand more…
The Expedition
It is believed by the CCCP that the Ratskins found the rare crystal somewhere in The Slump, so they have gathered together a group of young ambitious gangs to launch an expedition with the goal of discovering where it came from and securing as much as possible.
A number of influential groups have expressed an interest in this expedition: ranging from powerful guilders and nobles to secretive cabals. It will be up to individual gangs to curry favour with these groups and gain the boons associated with their support, whilst at the same time dealing with the potential pushback from the native Ratskins.