Tertium
Hive Tertium, once a thriving hub of industry and trade, has become a city overshadowed by the sinister legacy of the Pit Rats and the recent horrors that have befallen it. Situated adjacent to the now-abandoned Aetheris, Hive Tertium was, for much of its history, a typical Imperial hive city—a massive, overcrowded sprawl of towering spires and labyrinthine underhives, where billions toiled in service to the Imperium.
Tertium was known for its manufactorums, which churned out weapons, vehicles, and other war materials for the Astra Militarum and the Planetary Defence Forces. The hive's armouries were stocked with a vast array of munitions, while its fuel depots supplied the countless vehicles and machines that kept the hive functioning. Despite its grim surroundings, Tertium’s upper spires were home to a decadent nobility, whose wealth and power insulated them from the hardships endured by the masses below.
The underhive of Tertium, however, was a stark contrast to the relative luxury of the spires. Here, the poorest and most desperate of the hive’s population eked out a living in the shadow of the manufactorums. Crime and violence were endemic, and the Adeptus Arbites struggled to maintain order in a place where life was cheap and death was often brutal.
It was in this harsh environment that the Pit Rats first rose to prominence. As the gang's influence spread, so too did their fighting pits, drawing the underhive’s denizens into a bloody cycle of violence and exploitation. The pits became a form of escapism for the oppressed masses, a chance to forget their misery for a few hours as they watched their fellow hive dwellers tear each other apart. The Governor of Tertium, seeing an opportunity to keep the populace distracted and controlled, turned a blind eye to the Pit Rats’ activities, even as the gang grew bolder and more ambitious.
The uprising led by the Pit Rats, however, was a turning point for Hive Tertium. The gang’s rebellion was swiftly crushed by the Novarian 401st, but the damage had already been done. The fighting pits had spread like a cancer throughout the hive, and the populace, numbed by violence and despair, had become increasingly disillusioned with the Imperial authorities. The Governor’s policy of “bread and circuses” had backfired spectacularly, leaving the hive vulnerable to chaos and anarchy orchestrated by the shadowy figure known as ‘The Architect’.
When the anomaly struck Aetheris, Hive Tertium was plunged into further chaos. The disappearance of the capital’s population and the scattering of the Pit Rats led to widespread panic. The 401st, which had been dispatched to investigate and contain the situation, was decimated by the anomaly’s effects, leaving Tertium with only a skeleton defence force. The surviving Pit Rats, now more dangerous and unhinged than ever, took advantage of the chaos to re-establish their dominance, raiding the hive’s armouries and manufactorums for weapons and supplies.
Tertium, once a city of industry and power, is now a place of fear and uncertainty. The Pit Rats continue to spread their influence, and the underhive has become a war zone where only the strongest survive. The Governor, once so confident in his ability to control the masses, has lost all authority, and the hive’s future hangs in the balance. As the Pit Rats prepare for their next move, the people of Tertium can only watch and wait, knowing that their city is teetering on the edge of destruction.
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