Marabou
The city-state of Marabou is one of the oldest settlements on Terra Nova. Originally named Cap-Midi by the scientists who founded the town in TN 504, this little community served as an aquatic research facility until Entreprises Valiance, a French conglomerate, purchased the land in TN 651. Renamed Marabou in TN 700, from the Indoarabic moribit, meaning soldier-monk, the city prospered as its military and fishing industries gained world-wide recognition. In the many corporate wars that plagued the next two centuries of Terranovan history, the Marabou Marauders acted as a hired army, conducting guerrilla raids for any corporation that could pay the price. It was the Marauders' lethal effectiveness that kept Marabou from being plundered, and through the use of this protection force, the city sold weapons and supplies to all sides after it had created a need for them. When the Earth military intervened and stopped all hostile corporate activities in TN 759, the city was quick to offer free room and board to Earther troops. This bold move enabled Valiance to avoid paying the stiff fines handed out to other corporations by the Concordat, since officially Marabou had not participated in open conflict with other corporate enclaves.
In TN 801, Valiance followed the corporate trend of the time and sold most of Marabou to its citizens. In the next 600 cycles, the city-state grew i n size from 250,000 to 1.5 million residents and Marabou's army became a close ally of the Concordat military forces stationed on Terra Nova. When Earth withdrew from Terra Nova in TN 1454, many soldiers decided to stay and heay equipment destined for return to Earth was also left behind. Because of this, Marabou survived the early part of the age of isolation relatively unscathed, the Marauders protecting their territory with vigilance. Although administrators realized they could easily overpower any other city-state they refrained from doing so, preferring instead to strengthen their own borders.
When Emile DeGarmo was assassinated in TN 1534, after his plans had already set Marabou on a path of conquest, the Marauders once again proved their military superiority, assimilating four city-states in less than seven cycles during the First Unification Campaign. In all its history, Marabou was only defeated once. That one loss, however, resulted in the destruction of the entire city at the hands of internal and external enemies. Tired of receiving blame for senseless bloodshed, the citizens of Marabou were more than happy to relinquish the leadership of the Southern Republic to Port Oasis. Over the centuries, Marabou has gained full responsibility for training the Southern MILICIA and the Republic's landship construction yards were built on the city's shores. Marabou has returned to the position of the best armed citystate on Terra Nova.
Demographics
Marabou Lifestyle
Rebuilt atop the ruins of its old self, Marabou's modern streets and boulevards are home to one third of all MILICIA troops. With close to one third of the citizens employed as military personnel, Marabou boasts the lowest crime rate in the Southern Republic. The city's economy is in a constant state of growth due to the ever increasing demands by the MILICIA and the Republican Army for more military equipment. Industries run at full capacity and new factory openings are constant events in the city-state. Unemployment is very low and annual immigration is up by four percent since TN 1923 ,according to census figures. Citizens are so pleased with the current state of affairs that city spirit i s at an all-time high. The citizens feel proud of their accomplishments and of their home. The only downside to this attitude comes from the Marabou soccer team, the Black Anvils. The Anvils finished dead Last in the past season and coach Chris Scott was forced to leave his home due to threats against his life.
Most Marabou citizens credit their success to their fighting character and spirit, the same character that allowed the Marauders to carve a nation out of the South. In spite of some fanaticism, the presence of one third of the MILICIA in their homes has given the residents of Marabou a greater understanding, and a greater respect, for the diverse cultures of the AST. Most citizens count among their circles several natives of other leagues, and personal relationships are common. Many sociologists have noticed a trend developing in Marabou, one of a true Allied Southern Territory citizen. While most Marabouin natives would scoff at the idea, claiming to be staunch Republicans first and foremost, many are hard pressed to find a reason to dislike natives of other Southern leagues. While they share the common Republican belief that their way of Life is superior, Marabouins also feel that they have benefited from the presence of so many diversified peoples walking their streets.
For most citizens, life is spent at a relaxed pace. Many are employed in the fishing and military support industries that cover the town. All citizens are highly motivated and industrious, able to get the job done quickly when required. This characteristic allowed Marabou to conquer its neighbors, and it is the same force that drives it today.
Government
Industry & Trade
- Military
- Fishing
- Shipbuilding
Fiefdoms of Marabou
The Eurafrikan Industrial Consortium was one of the biggest backers of the Terranovan colonization effort, and it purchased sections of land across the southern hemisphere. Administration of these sectors was distributed to individual consortium members. With two other settlements nearby already and no big cache of natural resources, the scientific outpost of Cap-Midi was handed over to the Consortium’s smallest partner, Oblong Exploitations. Within a few cycles Oblong realized it could not afford to continue its Terranovan operations and it quietly withdrew from the Consortium. This “unexpected withdrawal,” as it turns out, was not so unexpected. A young businesswoman named Julie DiMarco had been monitoring the Consortium. She correctly predicted that Oblong would soon abandon its Terranovan interests. Three months before Oblong’s withdrawal, Valiance Enterprises, of which DiMarco was a vice-president, made a generous bid for the village, but the EIC turned down the offer. When Oblong announced its retirement from the colonization project, the Consortium immediately agreed to sell the town and its surroundings to Valiance.
Ruthlessly unforgiving at the negotiating table, DiMarco was unsatisfied with the slow progress the company was making. Her development plans called for the purchase of several small corporate holdings near Cap-Midi. The rate at which these were being acquired was much too slow for her liking, so she ordered a squad of mercenaries to cause havoc with acts of sabotage and kidnapping in these nearby settlements. The regional administrators, quite intimidated by this turn of events, were then easily manipulated into selling their land to DiMarco. These neighboring holdings became fiefdoms dependent on Marabou after the Human Concordat withdrew from Terra Nova.
The region surrounding Marabou is divided into thirty fiefdoms, each comprised of several communities of varying size and governed by a representative council, the members of which are elected by the fiefs citizens. The leader of each council, however, is directly appointed by the mayor of Marabou and has complete veto rights over his fiefdom’s council. Traditionally , these leaders are citizens of Marabou who deserve reward for their contribution to Republican society. In practice, the leaders for the last century have been wealthy bureaucrats who managed to forge the right bonds during their career. Since each council is competent enough to perform its duties without the leader, the appointed minister usually refrains from interfering in the region’s politics, preferring to spend the large attendant salary on social functions. Indeed, status amongst the leaders of Marabou is determined by who throws the best parties. For the last eight cycles this honor has fallen to Lady Lara Jimhez of the 16th fiefdom. Her parties have garnered such a reputation that she is now a regular guest of the Four Horsemen, the military spouses who dominate the Port Oasis social scene.
Infrastructure
City Layout
The MILICIA War College and its residences, are located at the northeastern end of town. Here the screams of drill sergeants and the grunting replies of the troops in training can be heard at any time of the cycle. Almost every street corner has a pub or mess hall located on it, and numerous brothels make a good living supplying the rest and recreation that soldiers desire. This neighborhood, called the Zoo, is seldom visited by civilians. Further along the shoreline is the Marabou Boardwalk, lined with expensive boutiques and taverns where citizens go to enjoy an afternoon at the beach. There are several companies that offer SCUBA lessons and water-skiing classes. The head office of Espoir Hydrofoil i s also located along the Boardwalk, tickets for transport to Port Oasis, Ashanti, Newton and Siwa Oasis are available for around 250 dinars per passenger.
Away from the shore lies downtown Marabou, and here the city hall pyramid dominates the scenery. Across from city hall, on the other side of DeGarmo Boulevard, is the Grand Plateau, Marabou's famed park. One of the most breathtaking sights in the Southern Republic, the huge park is dotted with landscaped and many-leveled lakes and beautiful flower arrangements. Classical concerts are held weekly in the Grand Plateau's open air amphitheater. Apartments and offices overlooking the park are rented out at exorbitant prices. The view from Mayor Kulin's office at the top of the pyramid is featured on thousands of postcards.
Marabou's north end is mostly residential. Most civilians live there and the night life is less than dazzling. For a real night out, both military and civilian citizens head for The Clay, a neighborhood situated at the western tip of town. From sundown to sunrise The Clay is bustling with people, the best restaurants in town are found here and the various clubs are packed all night long. Establishments worth visiting include The Emperor's Wish, Marabou's best restaurant: Bistro X, serving its special Utopia Cawfee laced with hallucinogens; and The Inferno, a deafeningly loud rage-metal club which serves notoriously strong ales.
Life as a Vassal
The residents of the fiefdoms are called vassals out of tradition, but are not subservient. Life in the fiefdoms is simple compared to many other places in the Southern Republic. The first ten of these small enclaves border the shores of Lake Esperance, where the Marabou fisheries are located. These ten coastal municipalities are characterized by dependence on the fishing industry. Each has a fish market, which opens at 2O:OO hours every day. These markets are a meeting place for incoming fishers. Shoppers can find the day’s catch, from the common frillfish to the succulent vurgeitfish, as well as the latest gossip. The citizens are generally rugged sailors, yet they can be surprisingly friendly, even to foreigners. This is probably due to the fact that these citizens love their country for its natural beauty and not the superiority of its government. The few Northern tourists who cross the Badlands into “enemy territory” feel much more at home here than anywhere else in the Republic.
The inland fiefdoms are very different. Almost all the residents of these lands work in factories and research centers operated by the military. Because of the sensitive nature of their work and the constant scrutiny they are placed under, these locals are usually suspicious and secretive. Most locals can recite incidents where innocent tourists were sent to find their hotels and the local nightspots via a guarded, off-limits zone. The 13th fiefdom, located near the landship construction docks, is the worst of all, and strangers are rumored to be run out of the region at gunpoint.
Earlhouse
The Little port town of Earlhause, situated approximately 150 kilometers west of Marabou, is a typical fief. The town is a slew of buildings jumbled together in narrow and winding streets. Most streets are not even named, and the only distinguishable landmark is the port. The fish market acts like a communal hall; every afternoon the residents come here to conduct business and air their differences. The members of the local council mingle with the crowd and converse with everyone. This is how the populace gathers information and opinions concerning the latest topics in the administration of the fiefdom. After the afternoon’s business is concluded, the locals return home and the fisherman cary their goods on to Marabou‘s port.
Each night, the town’s many taverns fill with Locals ready to relax after a long day‘s work. Sooner or later, someone takes up a harmonica, or a violin, and the entertainment begins. The pub’s patrons start to sing and dance; those too inebriated to dance remain seated and, to compensate for not dancing, sing along as loudly as possible. After a few hours of this, the locals shuffle back home, eager to get to sleep. The residents are content with this simple life: they remember well the lessons taught to them by their ancestors who suffered during the reconstruction era. Not wanting to relive this period, they support the Southern Republic wholeheartedly and without the slightest trace of doubt or hesitation.
Guilds and Factions
Recently the Underdeeps have been plagued by a series of mysterious murders. Several criminal leaders have been executed, most while under heavy protection from bodyguards, and each corpse has been found decapitated. Witnesses claim that the executioner is a ghost or a wraith, appearing and disappearing into thin air. The ghostly assassin reportedly wears an antiquated battle suit and carries a large scimitar; any who attempt to engage him in combat are said to be neatly sliced in half with blinding speed and skill. There are many theories among the denizens of the Underdeeps to just what the Wraith is. Because there are accounts of bullets seeming to go right through it, some believe it to be an apparition from beyond, exacting revenge on the unworthy. Others think that it is a Prime Knight, preserved in hibernation all these centuries which has been brain-washed into serving one of the criminal lords who in turn seeks to gain control of the Marabouin underworld. Still others believe that the police or a militaly organization has sent a professional operative to disrupt the criminal world so that any presence it might have is eliminated before the impending war begins. When the decapitated corpse of Commandant Gregoire Hamel was found, it prompted police to investigate this matter thoroughly, but no suspect has yet been identified. SRID believes the killer to be an operative with the Northern Guard Intelligence Service.
That the Wraith has only targeted individuals who are perceived as corrupt or criminal has made him (or her) a folk hero in some parts of The Clay. While the murders have struck fear into criminal leaders, they have given courage to many of the people who had been victims. The cartels have been unable to shake the image which has recently formed - that they are running scared from the killer; this has shattered their aura of invulnerability which kept The Clay in line.
Points of interest
Marabou's Underdeeps
Unbeknownst to the average Marabouin, The Clay is located right over top a small, dried out section of the MacAllen cave network. It is in these caverns that the shadier elements of Marabou reside, in an area referred to as the Underdeeps. While the authorities are aware of its existence, they choose to ignore the criminal affairs perpetrated here, and as long as they stay underground, little will be done about them.
Although several illicit activities are conducted throughout the caves, one in particular deserves special mention: blood fighting. All over Terra Nova there are underground combat leagues, several in the ESE are recognized for their ferocity. Few, however, compare to the Underdeeps' blood fighting. Once every four cycles, 32 of the best hand-to-hand combatants in the Antarctic are anonymously invited to the Underdeeps tournament. Blood fighting is a tradition dating back to the early years of colonization and contestants consider it a great honor to be invited. To win a match participants must either break their opponent's four limbs or kill them outright. All bouts are fought barehanded and no protection of any kind is allowed. The winner receives 250 thousand dinars and an automatic invitation to the next blood fight. Before each match, fighters are given one dose of Frax, a drug which enhances reflexes and strength. Frax has an interesting and potentially lethal side effect, filling those who take it with an insatiable bloodlust. Fights become so violent that hardened war veterans often pale at the sight. Rumor has it that Lord Protector Jacques Molay is a former blood fighting champion and those who know him consider it a serious possibility.
Maps
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Marabou
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