Tartarus

One of Tartarus' mining-based Substations.

• World: Tartarus
• Location: Subsector Cryptus
• Type: Deep Void Megastation
• Tithe: [Nix] Tartarus officially serves as a refuelling station for Imperial ships and doesn't have to pay any tithes. De facto Tartarus pays significant bribes to Imperial officials to keep its status independent.
• Population: 4.5 million [4 500 000] (and at least another million visitors at any given time)
• Government: Tartarus has no unified government but areas of Tartarus are often 'ruled' by more local entities such as Merchant Lords, crime bosses, and protectionist gangs. However things that involve the station as a whole - such as the life support infrastructure and defensive systems - come under the control of the Captain's Council, a group of powerful Captains that are based on Tartarus.

Description

Tartarus is a vast space station that was first constructed in 855.M37 as an asteroid mining and deep void resupply facility in the reaches of Subsector Cryptus, in an asteroid field near a dying star whose system had long been used as a warp jump checkpoint. The financiers of the Station - a group of Rogue Traders and Chartists - continued to expand the vast station as fresh mineral seams poured in money, and they shepherded more asteroids close togegther before linking them to the growing megastation.

But as Tartarus' profits grew its stakeholders became greedier, and by 610.M38 they had started attacking, ruining, and even assassinating each other to gain greater stakes of Tartarus' profits. This 'Stake War' became incredibly heated and destructive and saw many killed, and by 612.M38 the Stake War began destroying Tartarus itself as infighting erupted across the megastation. Those few Stakeholders left alive chose to abandon what was left of Tartarus, and the station fell completely into disrepair.

Tartarus' people meanwhile descended into anarchy, the population fighting over what supplies remained and what they could trade or scavenge from passing voidships. The station's vast mining facilities were of no help to a starving populace and over just a few years Tartarus' population plummeted through starvation, disease, the predations of passing reavers, and even the population's sale of each other as slaves. Eventually however a group of Chartist Captains that made port on Tartarus convened in an effort to put an end to the megastation's slow death. This first Captain's Council supplied funds to build large Arboreta within Tartarus and used their own crews to restore order and repair shattered infrastructure. With its own food supplies and a restored structure new life was breathed into Tartarus and it began to flourish once more.

The population - now growing after years of decline - dilligently farmed and mined large amounts that attracted vessels to them for trade, and Tartarus started taking shape as a truly free port where each inhabitant lived & died by their own labour but opportunities abounded. As the population grew new businesses formed. Craftsmen & retailers began appearing on Tartarus, and soon enterprising individuals were importing System Ships and Plasma Skimmers that gave Tartarus a steady source of starship fuel to sell. Those first Captains that reinvigorated Tartarus as a free port for all made it their Home Port, and each generation since has had its own Council of Captains based on Tartarus.

While the vast majority of the economy is private & libertarian, with ever man for himself, it is these Tartarus Captains that fund the most critical infrastructure mainenance and who fund the station's defensive weapons, as well as use their own armsmen to quell serious unrest - as Tartarus' smooth running is critical to their profit margins. Despite the lack of social care or regulated employment, Tartarus is not overwhelmed by the destitute as anyone down on their luck can join the crew of a passing vessel, thus maintaining a constant flow of people in and out.

In M41 Tartarus is a bustling megastation filled with void-dwellers all in business for themselves. Labourers work in independantly owned docking berths, loading & offloading for cash. Fuelers and Plasma Skimmers operated with their own Captains & crews. The densely clustered hab-blocks and market plazas are filled with independant crafters, tech-adepts, gunsmiths, bakers, bars, and all manner of businesses, and even rudimentary police-for-hire groups (which are often little more than street gangs, but they discourage would-be thieves). The vast Arboreta fields - mostly owned by hereditary farming families - employ common labourers and armed guards, and supply large amounts of Agri. The asteroid mining facilities in outlying substations also run on a near constant basis, producing ores both raw and processed for sale. Meanwhile the Captain's Council still convenes on occasion to keep Tartarus together - and over the centuries less savoury characters including Pirates have muscled their way into power on Tartarus.

Without any real legal system however, Tartarus naturally plays host to large groups and gangs of what would be considered criminals on most worlds. Organised thief rings, kidnappers, blackmailers, even protection gangs who extort shops on their turf for protection money, all abound on Tartarus. These unpleasant types mean that good honest Tartarus dwellers must keep their wits about them and look to their own safety. As such one will rarely see anyone on Tartarus unarmed, or families unescorted.

• Technology: [VIII - Mixed] Tartarus, as a place where various captains and traders gather, is overwhelmed by various exotic pieces of technology. As there is no steady supply of replacements for Imperial technology, inhabitants of Tartarus make do with whatever is at hand. A given dock worker may bear an Eldar monoblade for self-defence, use Xo'nad power stone to get energy for his refrigerator, and shave himself with an Imperial Guard issue razor.
• Military: Tartarus has unofficial militias that keep order and would fight if they came under attack, but its best defence is the Armsmen and defence systems operated by the Council Captains for whom Tartarus is critical to their operations.
• Strategic importance: [Minima] The Imperial Navy and respectable Chartists tend to avoid Tartarus, but from time to time, when real need arises, they visit it for refueling and repairs. Tartarus also serves as a good place for Imperial authorities to spy on non-Imperial humans and - on occasion - the Xenos that visit it.
• Loyalty: [Separatist 94%] Inhabitants of Tartarus are fiercely independent.

Recent History

In 333.M41 Tartarus station - under the orders of Pirate Lord & Council Captain Daikan Alepros - attacked visiting Space Marines of the Ghosts of Retribution, severely wounding one.

In 365.M41 the Ork Warlord Brok Racksmasha - once the greatest Ork on Triot - was seen on Tartarus following the reclamation of Triot by the Imperium and the virtual extinction of Orknoids on the planet.

In 365.M41 an intelligence gathering operation on Tartarus by the Ghosts of Retribution discovered that the station had been receiving greatly increased traffic over the last few years, of a far more illegal nature. In 355.M41 roughly 50% of Tartarus' traffic was of Imperial nature, but by 655.M41 this had become less than 15%. Amongst the non-Imperial visitors were the usual pirates & privateers, but now included ships alligned with the Styrian Triarchy and even the occasional Xenos. Most significantly, Daikan Alepros used his significant influence to allow the Orks to construct a substation of their own on one of the neighbouring asteroids (kept seperate from the rest of Tartarus to avoid spore contamination). Allegedly ruled by Brok Racksmasha, this substation plays host to Ork Mercenaries and Freebootas with around 2-4 orknoid vessels docked at any given time.

Paradoxically however, incidents of actual piracy in Subsector Cryptus actually fell over this period of greatly increased outlaw traffic around Tartarus. While the reason for this is unknown, Tartarus is known to have made much of its income from taking large cuts of piratical taking. Without this source of income Tartarus must now be receiving a large amount of funds from other sources that remain unknown - and present a considerable concern to Imperial authorities.

Meanwhile, Daikan Alepros had formed a close alliance with the Rogue Trader Tesalia D'anger and as of 365.M41 they influenced a fleet of 20-30 ships, including a handful of Capital Ships. However the extent of these ships' loyalties to the two is not known, and many may only be loosely alligned.

In response to concerns over the growing Styrian influence, the Ghosts of Retribution launched Operation Undercut in 367.M41 to eliminate the Styrian presence on Tartarus and gather intelligence. Daikan Alepros was killed by his own Orknoid bodyguards before they allowed him to be captured by the Ghost Company. Through infiltration and military assault the Ghosts of Retribution were briefly in total control of the Tartarus Megastation - its forces scattered and its pirates fleeing in all directions - but ultimately the Astartes withdrew rather than attempt to take permanent control of the hornet's nest.

Notable Locations

A vast sprawl of asteroid-based pressurised metal, Tartarus is the largest space station in the Sector. The original station has expanded several times over since its birth, and Tartarus Central - as it is now known - spans at least 15 kilometres in diameter. A number of outlying substations surround Tartarus Central, ranging from asteroid mining substations to dedicated Plasma Skimmer ports, and all are connected to each other through a vast array of gantries, tethers, and electromagnetic fields. Thus Tartarus as a whole covers an area roughly 40 kilometres across, with plenty of space within for voidships to manoeuvre between the substations.

• Tartarus Central Station - The core of the Tartarus megastation network and the original construction. Tartarus Central Station is a massive vaguely square structure roughly 15km in diameter, built on and around a large asteroid.
  • The Council Chambers - Located at the precipice of of Tartarus Central, this large discoid structure is a heavily retrofitted command centre that holds the offices and meeting chambers of Tartarus' 'Home Captains'. Only Captains based on Tartarus may be allowed into this select group, and their control over the station's defences and central life support systems ensure their authority. However they can only keep control with their own Armsmen ensuring as much, and small-scale 'rebellions' are not unheard of. Some of the notable Council Captains include:
    • Hadrian Thorne - A legitimate Free Merchant Chartist based on Tartarus. Captain Thorne controls a substantial trading fleet in Subsector Cryptus but bases himself on Tartarus to - through bribes and influence - discourage pirates from looting his vessels. He is known as a decent Imperial with much distaste for his fellow Tartarus Captains, but he puts this aside for the benefit of his own crews.
    • Caprice Korkova - A pirate princess who inherited a wolfpack of raiders from her father. A void reaver born & raised, Korkova has a retinue of sworn bodyguards and uses esoteric (and in some cases alien) technology to best her foes with her well-trained fencing skills, and her talents as a void commander as well-known. Outwardly Noble and proper to a fault, Korkova's prim veneer conceals her sadistic & callous nature.
    • Guy de Ronaut - A tall, well-built nobleman from a Tachionian Dynasty that fell into squalor after its holdings were confiscated by then-Sector Lord Larion Ursus. Guy fled into the stars where his intelligence, strength, and skill-at-arms saw him eventually rise to commanding a large group of mercenaries and a light cruiser. Based on Tartarus and dabbling in almost everything from minor piracy to corporate investment, Guy prefers to avoid drawing the attention of Imperial authorities but has a significant grudge against the Ursus Dynasty.
    • Dorn Janissus - A smuggler Lord that controls a small fleet of specialised smuggling vessels. Janissus has a massive criminal network of smugglers, buyers, and suppliers at his disposal but considers himself a non-violent criminal and this keeps him at a relatively low priority for Imperial authorities. Friendly and amicable, Janissus is often a proponent of doing more to help Tartarus citizens during council meetings.
    • Viktor Rothe - A prominent pirate based on Tartarus who commands a Frigate and a pair of Raiders. Ruthless and utterly mercenary, Rothe also owns a number of large business interests in Tartarus itself - primarily trading & manufacturing.
    • Qolanis Hasha - A young pirate Captain hailing from Erba who commands a frigate. Though one of the less influential Council Captains, Hasha is fiercely cunning and highly ambitious - as well as a skilled void tactician.
  • The Dockyards - This vast network of gantries and docks surround Tartarus Central and is capable of hosting dozens of vessels at any given time. Much of Tartarus' population works here, hauling cargo and resupplying ships as employees of innumerable for-hire work crews that are often employed ad-hoc by shipmasters when needed. Though there are no official tariffs on Tartarus, ships will need to pay if they want to use the most efficient cargo handling bays, instead of using their own lighters to ferry goods into the vast - but free - shuttle bays. Inside the dockyards are fuel & food salesmen offering their goods to shipmasters in need of resupply, along with countless ther traders bellowing out the trade goods they have to offer.
  • The Sprawl - Consisting of one entire half of Tartarus Central Station, this is a heaving, densely populated three-dimensional city of dense hab-blocks, bright retail squares, narrow maintenance alleys and dank bilges. Housing millions of souls in a world of metal, the Sprawl ranges from expansive open multi-storey manor-like quarters to clustered single-room apartment blocks that span a dozen decks. While property usually only changes hands for money, the lawless nature of Tartarus means owners must look to themselves to protect their property from those that would take it from them by force. This has led to local protection gangs going so far as to issue deeds to those under their protection, enforcing ownership with their own muscle like rudimentary police. Small-scale government-esque services like this can be found across The Sprawl, though living here successfully still requires a man to be independant and capable as not all protection services can be trusted. Stores and retailers often live in their shop for this exact reason, to protect their goods and property even when closed. Meanwhile several parts of The Sprawl are ruled more directly by gangs and organisations that fancy themselves as Kings, along with a large number of bases and  'clubhouses' owned by protection gangs, mobsters, drug dealers, and other less savoury groups. The Captain's Council ahs little patience for would-be usurpers though, and any gang that grows too large and oversteps its bounds may find itself obliterated by armsmen of the Council.
    • The Wharf - This long, narrow region of the Sprawl immediately borders the entrances from the Dockyards, and consists mostly of entertainment establishments that primarily service voidsmen on shore leave and other individuals looking for a good time. Bars, clubs, brothels, fight pits and other forms of raucious entertainment fill the Wharf, along with short-stay hostels for overnight bunkers. A lot of hefty men (and sometimes even Xenos) are employed by these establishments to keep order, but streetfights and rowdy behaviour is commonplace.
    • Sieverz Row - Named for one of the legendary founders of Tartarus, this enormous central corridor - at least 80m wide and 40m high - stretches from The Wharf to the core of Tartarus Central. Originally an ore hauling duct, Sieverz Row has been extensively built-up to make it a massive retail promenade built across two levels (the upper level is accessed by large gantries). Countless retailers, craftsmen, tinkerers, tailors, gunsmiths, and more line Sieverz Row, selling their wares and services to locals, voidsmen, and more. Such wares can vary immensely from standard Imperial goods to exotic pawned xenotech, and Sieverz Row is one of the largest unregulated markets in the Sector. Capillary channels run from Sieverz Row into the vast hab-blocks that surround it, and people of every kind imaginable from rich to poor, human to abhuman, and even the occasional Xenos can be seen perusing the diverse wares of this legendary marketplace.
    • The Mizzens - A clustered collection of vanes, spires, and antennae are located around two kilometres from Sieverz Row. These communications are the property of the Captain's Council though available for all to use. However the habitation around their bases is filled with sparking electrical channels, leaking coolants, and the stink of ozone discharge from astropathic communications. As such The Mizzens is a very cheap and undesirable place to live and has develiped into a dank slum of Tartarus' poorets. Drug addicts, fugitives, mentally deranged, and crippled call this place home, and while it is an awful place to live it is also the best places in Tartarus to disappear should a person find themselves on somebody else's bad side.
  • The Arboreta - A vast collection of densely packed allotments, fields, and gardens that dominate the other half of Tartarus Central and extend further onto the asteroid's surface beneath vast hab-domes. Enormous solar panels sprout above this half of the station, collecting sunlight to power bright ambient lamps that illuminate the Arboreta in perpetuity, and with multiple decks under constant light and fertilisation the Arboreta produce a colossal amount of Agri comparable to a small nation. Along with the dense crop fields are a number of animal farm housing creatures such as battery farmed poultry and lobotomised grox, making the Tartarus Arboreta the largest & more diverse void-based food producer in the Sector. The Arboreta has an economy all of its own, and most of the facilities are owned by hereditary farming families who fiercely protect their parcels of land housed within colossal open decks. Crop farmers trade feed with animal farmers for manure, the solar panel owners trade energy for food, armed guards & labourers trade themselves and their tools for payment. Finally all the rest of the food is sold either directly or to processers & retailers all across Tartarus, and many of the larger farms offer bulk feals to tradeships from the dockyards.
    • Jelly Pools - Tartaran Jellies are considered a unique delicacy and they are farmed in a series of large alkaline water tanks near the Arboreta's hull. The Jellies were first discovered within the station's water recycling systems and only thrive when exposed to the unique but harmless radiation that bleeds through the hull from the system's dying star. A versatile and nutritious food with a sour tang, Tartaran Jellies are often serves with sweet fillings.
    • Sump Pits - Another less healthy Tartaran delicacy is dried sump moss grown on the exteriors of the plasma conduits that run through the reclamation facilities. In this warm, humid environment the moss thrives and - in its dried form - serves as a potent narcotic when burnt.
  • Outer Defences - A vast collection of void shield projectors, defensive turrets and heavy guns line the exterior of Tartarus, along with a number of landing bays that have been closed off on order of the Captain's Council in order to host squadrons of attack craft. These defensive facilities are all controlled by the Tartarus Captains and manned by their own crews, and while the defensive density of Tartarus is relatively low (being a civilian rather than military station) the sheer size of the station means it hosts a large amount of weaponry that can give serious trouble to all but the largest of hostile vessels. An added quirk of Tartarus' defences is that each turret, gun battery, and atack craft squadron will belong to a particular Captain, and thus rivalries between these defensive units can run extremely high.
• Ork Substation - This single ramchackle substation was swiftly constructed in 365.M41 by Ork mekboys under the permission of Lord Daikan Alepros. It usually plays host to between two and four Orknoid vessels - usually Freebootas or Mercenaries, and is suspected to be under the command of Brok Racksmasha - former Warlord of Triot.
• Fueler Substations - A handful of the satellite stations that surround Tartarus Central are themselves docking & storage points for a small fleet of plasma skimmers that travel back and forth from the system's star and gas giants, collection fusion fuels before storing them in massive tanks and reservoirs for sale to ships that require refuelling. These stations also contain most of Tartaruses promethium and natural gas reserves in giant reservoirs linked to long pipelines that run straight into Tartarus Central, and the owners guard these revervoirs jealously. The skimmers & fuel tenders themselves are warp incapable system ships that are mostly taken up by cargo space, but a handful of armed monitors can always be found protecting them from would-be thieves.
• Mining Substations - Mounted on large, mineral rich asteroids as well as hosting specialised mining ships that latch onto smaller asteroids and position them for mining operations, these substations are dedicated to hewing exploitable minerals from the asteroid field. Tens of thousands of freelance miners work in these dangerous facilities, blowing apart asteroids and mining them clean in vacuum & zero-g environments. Despite the risks, the lucrative pay - particularly for skilled specialists - keeps men eager for work here. The tariff-free ores are sold to passing transport vessels in bulk, who deliver them on to industrial centres at a tidy profit.