Hack-5

Discovery

Hack-5 is an old settled planet, though its population has boomed in the last several decades to the expanded use of Scarlet Griphyte - Griph and its increasing popularity as a destination for criminals and adventurers alike. It was first found well over two thousand years ago, as the first brave mappers of the Delta Space risked exploring this abnormal and strange sector of space. Located in what would become known as the Outer Sector Freeholds, Hack-5 was stumbled upon during a mapping mission by a small collective of Founders. Judging the planet as too dangerous and not suitable or worth the effort of settlement these Founders left and continued their journey elsewhere.   A thousand or so years later, as the Delta Space began to see more and more permanent settlements and government bodies form, those that sought freedom away from the growing clutches of powerful corporations and the like wandered back into these wild zones of space. And despite the chaotic nature of space and planets nearby Unknown Space the first inhabits of Hack-5 decided it was worth the risk and settled down on the planet. Life was hard on Hack-5 from the beginning, as the dry arid environment and the numerous daily Abnormality Events made things like farming and building permanent buildings and structures difficult. But the original settlers of Hack-5 managed and over time created a home for themselves.   But as time went on, more and more outlaws and the like would settle on Hack-5 for more nefarious purposes. Judging the planet as a perfect backwater place to hide out from the laws and regulations of central Delta Space and conduct their shady criminal dealings. These pirates and bandits would bring an end to the peaceful lives of Hack-5's original settlers, throwing their lives into chaotic lawlessness. Petty crime became the norm in the streets of most settlements on Hack-5, and drunken disorder, robbery, and extortion all became commonplace. And as the years passed and the criminal presence grew Hack-5 and its settlement sank from its once peaceful and rural nature into a lawless, desperate, and broken place.   Today, the planet is primarily populated by these criminals, and by adventurers seeking out powerful Abnormality Objects which seem to appear on a more regular basis on the planet. The remaining settled population tries to keep quiet and to themselves, hoping to stay out of the way of these interlopers and continue living a life of quiet solitude. Though this is nearly impossible nowadays. And to make matters more complicated, in the last few decades, the growing popularity of Scarlet Griphyte has put many farmers in increasing danger as MegaCorpos and bandits try and steal their crops and the land it grows from. Taking away one of the traditionally grown crops of the original settlers.

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Desperate's End

The largest settlement on Hack-5 is a town called Desperate's End, a ragged collection of wooden buildings and creaking steel landing platforms which is collectively shielded by the looming presence of an old and only semi-functioning energy facility. This facility was once used to power the town and enrich the soil around it to allow for increased farming capabilities and crop yield. Now this facility barely functions, and the farms have dwindled, the town following suit.   The citizens of Desperate's End are much like you'd expect, a sorry lot who have long lost hope of success and only strive to eke out a survival while keeping their heads out of the business of the local crime syndicate. Who's presence has long controlled most of the dealings of the town, including the operation of the energy facility, many of the surrounding farms, and an increasing amount of shady drug deals between their syndicate and various drug cartels and corporations.   The planet's few permanent jobs can be found here, and despite its name and criminal overlords finding work here is often a lost soul's only option. Most of the town's workers either find themselves in the crumbling energy facility, keeping its remaining systems online, or working in one of the dozen or so Griph Processing Plants found dotting the horizon near the town's borders. The town itself is mostly just a ramshackle collection of housing now for the workers of these establishments. And the remaining buildings are a collection of gambling dens, bars, and brothels mainly populated by criminals and those looking to drown their sorrows.   The only other people who live or visit Desperate's End are the common thug, bandit, or the occasional adventurer visiting the planet in the hopes of experiencing some sort of abnormal interaction that will give them fresh hopes for success. They usually leave in disappointment or get trapped in the banal existence of the town. Regardless most of the residents, regardless of their origins or vocation eventually resign themselves to a life of destitution or catch one of the few transports that have space for them out of the system at their first opportunity.