Sump City - The Story So Far

 

Background

Sump City.  The only lower place in Hive Primus is the heat shaft that bores into the magma rock of Necromunda itself.  To hit the Sump is to hit rock bottom.  

The Sump is where the effluent and detritus of billions of souls and their machinery filter down the tiny creaking cracks and runs offs of hive primus, flowing down through the lower hive , continuing even lower than the lawless underhive, gathering even more waste from the frontier settlements of Dust Falls and Razor Town, it congregates in great oceans of green liquid filth.  The infamous Sump Sea.  It is a dangerous and hazardous place, but riches are to be made and the shanty settlement of Sump City grows fat on the rocky shoreline from the booty and spoils of the fleet of Sump Drifters who set sail into the vast sump sea on a daiy basis. 

There is the odd denizen, mostly old sludge drifter Captains who will let you know that Sump City isnt really part of Hive Primus at all.  Its a free port, and you can live and die as you choose.  The reality is there is more dyeing than living, but those who do live at least escape some of the deprivations of the hive itself.  

The Sump Sea is a vastness of green and black ooze.  Out in its depth strange creatures can be found, hunted and harvested.  It is the trade in these creatures and there produce that is the most lucrative enterprise for the sludge drifter captains and their crews.  Supply runs back to the hive via the great lift are filled with body parts of these creatures; the biggest prize being the eyes of a mighty sump arachnid which sell for fortunes to the nobility of the spire.  

Life has been this way in the Sump for years but the increasing riches has attracted the attention of the Clan Houses, up until now a rare sight in the Sump and even worse a group of hated Enforcers have arrived to inflict Helmawr rule on Sump City.  Sump City is no stranger to violence and death but the emerging situation means an all out Gang War is imminent with control of Sump City the reward for the victor.  

Characters of Sump City

Guderain 'Old Sumper'

The Lord of the Sump.  An Old Sludge Drifter Captain himself Guderain has spent thirty years consolidating his position as Master of Sump City.  Unparalleled as a Captain his crew and ships made vast profits from the booty of the sea, money he used wisely to secure control of assets on land.  The corpse farm, industrial processing, slave trading and other equities all slowly fell under his dominion.  Bribes were made, rival Captain ships were sabotaged and brutal assassinations were all part of his armoury.  He is a vindictive and petty man, quick to anger and seek ruthless retribution.  Paranoia is setting in, he feels threatened from all sides.  He maintains power through control of street gangs and can call (and pay) for bounty hunters.  He is determined to see off the threats he now faces. 

Ezekial

Where Ezekial has come from is a mystery, but he has out of nowhere taken control of the docker teams who load and unload the sludge drifters.  He has unionised them into a tight knit group and Captains who have tried to bypass their services have come to a grisly end or even stranger been seen working the docks alongside the crews in a strange change of occupation.  The dockers no longer frequent the drinking hole 'Down Sump', narco dens or pleasures shacks.  In fact where they live and what they do in what passes for free time has baffled everyone.  Guderain has been petitioned to have a word and initially some heavies did visit the docks but were not seen again.  Guderian seem content to leave them alone for now, especially as they are incredibly good at their work and drifters are loaded and unloaded in record time with not a word of complaint from Ezekial and his crews.  

Tobias the Pure

A raving lunatic Tobias has brought the faith of the redemption to Sump City with an aim to purge the filth from the Sump (he likes a challenge).  Before Guderain could fully move against him he had gathered a large congregation of the most pathetic and poorest inhabitants of Sump City and Guderain is now wary of a full blown sumper uprising.  He is also aware tha House Cawdor are supporting him in the background.  The ship captains, merchants and clan hoses want Tobias and his fire obsessed maniacs gone, they are bad for business but Guderain now senses danger in acting against the preacher and his flock and the Redemptionists might prove useful in ridding Guderain of some more direct threats to his rule.  

 

The Enforcers

As dark and foreboding as the underhive can be, where hope is nothing but a dream to most denizens there has been a growing problem within the Palanite's ranks. A new wave of Enforcers who believe that crime can be stamped out.  

A joke to many within the Enforcers their spirit is beginning to take root in some of the down trodden, these rays of hope have been dubbed "Judges" by the populace .  To avoid upsetting the careful balance within the Underhive these upstarts have been sent on a "Special mission"... Far from the eyes of those that reside in the upper levels of Necromunda, to clean up in the massive sewage plants under the sprawling city.

They bare their name proudly.... the Mega Shitty One'er.  Guderain is flabberghasted at thei arrival, the first direct arm of the authorities to set foot in Sump City, no doubt with an aim to muscle in on the growing riches of Sump City.  Although Guderain doubts he can get rid of the new enforcer gang he is confident that he can make their life deeply uncomfortable and far from any help or support they will quickly be bought and brought under his indirect control. 

The Forge Breakers

House Goliath gangers have been present in Sump City for decades, their muscle and strength a welcome skill at sea and on the docks.  They've also found success in the fighting pits of Sump City, wrestling some of the terrors that are brought ashore from the Sump Ocean.  House Goliath Tyrants up hive prize sump creatures as pets, especially Sump Crocs.  

However these gangers have been loners, drifters and chancers. There are no great foundries to be found in Sump City, but with the growing wealth and so close to the mantle of Necromunda that may change, especially if the Orlocks start mining this far down.  The Forge Breakers are led by Arnold 'Ankle Breaker' Axle and their goal is simple.  Be biggest and strongest gang in town and smash some faces in the process

The Radtek Riggers

A Rogue trader has arrived on Necromunda and wants to make a deal with House Van Saar. He is looking for a percentage of new tech from the STC and power cells from the rumoured mine outside of Sump town. For the percentage the Rogue trader will send some Arms men down to sump town with the gang. 

The liquor tasted good on his tongue, and so it should. Wilheim from House Van Saar had been invited to the mid-levels of Hive Primus to House Catallus the met with a special delegate and offer the house some assistance. Wilheim inhaled the cleaner air, having lived most of his life in the lower mid levels. He looked out the reinforced windows and could see the toxic clouds below created by the many manfactoriums in the lower levels and below. 

The elegant doors to the lounge opened on their hidden hydraulics, and Wilheim’s host entered the room, smiling. “Ah, excellent. Our guests have arrived and they are early.” the host said. The host was a short, thin man, who looked younger than his 60 years would suggest. His slick jet black hair and white mask sad face with a dark tear under the left eye finished off the look. “Wilheim, I introduce you to our esteemed guest the Rogue Trader Janus Tarvik” 

Several days later, in the gloomy corridor in a low level hab block, Wilheim was in discussions with the Prime of the Radtek Riggers, Lars Lightner. “So he said he’ll send some armsmen down to help us investigate Sump Town”, asked Lars. Lars had been the Riggers Prime for a while and had shown promise. The Riggers are a new gang in the hive but were well trained and accurate with their las weapons. Wilheim smiled and said, “Yes, he promised several hands to help, and with the rumours of the crystals and the STC producing new power cells we should all profit out of the agreement nicely.

The Iron Dogs – Prologue

The ancient cable car rattled and jolted as it made its dark and unpleasant journey downwards towards Sump City. The occupants of the car, the Orlock gang known as Iron Dogs, sat sullenly and silently, avoiding each other’s gazes, quietly contemplating the mess they were in. A young Greenhorne who had recently had the misfortune to join the gang, considered his fate. 

He joined the gang a short while back. He remembered being presented to Snake, Iron Dogs Road Captain. A grizzly looking man with graying hair, a wicked looking stub gun and an augumented arm. “My name is Lyd…” Snake cut the sentence short. “Boy” he snarled. “You will be called Boy from now on. The Iron Dogs got no time for pretty names.” A tall, overbearing Arms Master in a black leather waistcoat and sporting a combat shotgun chuckled, “Nice. Another great Naming, Snake”. He looked down at Boy. “Roight fella, follow me”, he barked and marched Boy out of the room.  

The name stuck.

 A month ago, the Iron Dogs were working the Great Ash Road escorting sludge barges across the wastes, fighting off pirates and earning a pretty penny. Snake had a knack for getting the best escort duties and leading the gang into many successful deliveries. But then something happened No-one knows exactly what, but there were rumours. A bar brawl, a disagreement, some cross words between Snake and some higher authority and before we knew it the Iron Dogs had been “encouraged” to lead an expedition into Sump City to get a foothold in the area in the name of House Orlock. And so here we are. The Iron Dogs, committed to seek our fortune and heading down into who knows what…