The People of Terminus
The Underground has adopted, in the last hundred years, a culture of resilience and hard work. However, any inability to work is met not with derision, but with accommodation. The community of a few hundred is very tight—after all, we are now the Underground, one for all, and all for one. (And there is little choice when three generations have been occupying the same small space for so long.)
People have adjusted very differently to the reality of living permanently underground. Some fit right in, carving out little nooks for themselves in otherwise uninhabited areas—but for the most claustrophobic, the open stations are the only ones they bear to travel.
Such a cramped space, home to so many, inevitably leads to tensions running high. The conflicts that arise in the Underground tend to be aired and resolved at the weekly town meetings in Terminus Station. For criminal cases, trials are held.
The Speaker is responsible for keeping these meetings in hand, though on very rare occasions the Director’s Office may intervene. This is generally a worst-case scenario. The community of the Underground have tried to survive through co-operation and conflict resolution, and town meetings are used to catch up with your neighbours and take a few precious moments to unwind from the intensity of every-day labour in the Underground. That is, until the expansionists and the adaptationists start arguing….
The Underground’s stations were named by Principium Ltd., but many were simply numbered. The original naming system was carried on, however, adopted by its inhabitants.
Some relevant NPCs
| NPC | Pronouns | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bartender Briana | She/her | Tends to the tiny (non-alcoholic) bar in Ludere, and the one best-placed to hear the gossip of Terminus. The unofficial leader of the expansionists. |
| Constance Delaware | She/Her | A reclusive administrator for Medicus Station. |
| Courier Cruciver Jones | He/him | One of the couriers of the Underground, at your service! Dedicated to his job, but not averse to a bit of fun. |
| Director Avgust Kovač | He/him/zie/zir | The current Director, and the third since the disaster struck. |
| Doctor Hazel | She/her | One of the Underground's leading doctors. Her enthusiasm for the job is unparalleled; she's really keen to help. |
| Enforcer Fatima | She/her | Works in the Director's office. Her role is a little ambiguous, but no one really wants to be the first to ask what she does. |
| Farmer John | They/he | A respected and skilled farmer, commonly found helping others with their own crops. The unofficial leader of the adaptationists. |
| Head Teacher Esra | She/her | The Head Teacher, in charge of the educational programs. Along with her wife, one of the oldest people in the Underground. |
| Janitor Sky | They/them | When they're not cleaning bits and bobs around Terminus, they're likely found writing up the next edition of the Underground newspaper. |
| Logistician Lacy | They/Them | Powerfully organized, this train-conductor-hat-totin' logisitician will organize anyone who gets in their way. |
| Molly | She/her | Wife to Esra and one of the oldest people in the Underground. Inseperable from her darling canary, Wharf. |
| Scientist Jules | They/them | One of the valued workers of Bibere Station. Just don't speak too loudly around them…they haven't slept in a few days. |
| Secretary Aslan Nureyev | They/them | The Secretary to the Director's office, and Kovač's right-hand… guy? Suave, sly, and just a little cold, but tolerated fairly well amongst the populace. |
| Technician Glamour | He/him | A young, cocky, and particularly outspoken Expansionist. It is unclear whether the dirt perpetually coating his clothes is from his exploration in the tunnels, or his dedicated farm work. |
| Reclaimer Nikola | She/her | A slightly odd, but well-loved member of the community. Sweet, rather thrifty, and particularly keen to trust (perhaps, at times, just a little too keen.) |