Margesi (Isenfang) as a wretched hive?

[cptbutton]

My PCs have just jumped from Torment to to Anselhome in a Beowulf. It is 1115, after the Fifth Frontier War, in the GURPS Traveller setting.

I am thinking of sending them to a wretched hive of scum and villainy for continuation of the nefarious schemes they have been caught up in.

I am looking at Margesi/Isenfang. My reasoning: It has back-and-forthed between the Sworld Worlds and the Imperium, so there will be all sorts of factions, ancient resentments, spy rings, etc. Plus it is a transshipment point for J-1 ships to J-2 ships for trade with Vilis and points coreward.

I've looked at the basic stats form the various books. Does anyone have pointers to more detailed stuff, canon or non-?

(Yes, I know there is another Margesi elsewhere.)

[Peter Knutsen]

Won't every StarTown be such a hive, or at least have a fairly "hivey" section?

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Won't every StarTown be such a hive, or at least have a fairly "hivey" section?

But many have the Imperium as a competent beekeeper.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by cptbutton

My PCs have just jumped from Torment to to Anselhome in a Beowulf. It is 1115, after the Fifth Frontier War, in the GURPS Traveller setting.

I am thinking of sending them to a wretched hive of scum and villainy for continuation of the nefarious schemes they have been caught up in.

I am looking at Margesi/Isenfang. My reasoning: It has back-and-forthed between the Sworld Worlds and the Imperium, so there will be all sorts of factions, ancient resentments, spy rings, etc. Plus it is a transshipment point for J-1 ships to J-2 ships for trade with Vilis and points coreward.

I've looked at the basic stats form the various books. Does anyone have pointers to more detailed stuff, canon or non-?

(Yes, I know there is another Margesi elsewhere.)

It needs a Solamani Bar named, "Rick's."

[cptbutton]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

It needs a Solamani Bar named, "Rick's."

I am shocked, shocked to find that psionics have been used here!

[Drifter]

There is a one paragraph write-up in Behind the Claw. Unidentified (in the text) allergens in the air cause mild flu-like symptoms for a few days. The population is dividing between an Athenian democracy and an oligarchy.

It also lists the population as 967 million, so that is wrong.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

It needs a Solamani Bar named, "Rick's."

In Casablanca the hivyness came not so much from being a front line as from being neutral. Refugees from who-knows-where would swarm into neutral cities to get away from the war generically or from whichever beligerant they wished to get away from specifically. That was a real situation and continues today. Does anyone remember stories about Lebanese hangouts? Or about Turkish one's with Isis making mayhem a few hundred miles away?

The Traveller version of Ricks would be on Arden. Though now that I think of it, Margessi does sound like aforesaid Lebonese hangouts.
Or maybe Hotel Rwanda is on Margessi?

[Peter Knutsen]

Mos Eisley seems to be a Wretched Hive because Tattoine is far from everything, out on the rim of the galaxy, therefore attracting people who want to be far away, or at least spend most of their time far away.

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

In Casablanca the hivyness came not so much from being a front line as from being neutral. Refugees from who-knows-where would swarm into neutral cities to get away from the war generically or from whichever beligerant they wished to get away from specifically. That was a real situation and continues today. Does anyone remember stories about Lebanese hangouts? Or about Turkish one's with Isis making mayhem a few hundred miles away?

The Traveller version of Ricks would be on Arden. Though now that I think of it, Margessi does sound like aforesaid Lebonese hangouts.
Or maybe Hotel Rwanda is on Margessi?

I know I saw those stories but I can't find them now.

Here is this story in the New Yorker that sounds like an "interesting" setting. The setting elements in the story are alternated with facts and figures but there are good images scattered in it. Probably too violent for the post war period, easy enough to just advance it a few years and drop the open warfare level.

I love the image of rebel commanders showing up in a hotel bar, unexpected, most wearing silk suits and one in religious garb. On Margessi they'd be there to meet the Fat Man for a weapons deal, or to transship psi-drugs into the 3I.

*oops, mixing my movies - Fat Man should be Ferrari