Tkaronto
Tkaronto is a Columbian nomadic city acting as its garrison city at its southernmost border.
Backround
Designed as trade city for the frontier pioneers, and laying across the Columbian border close to Sargon,[1] Tkaronto is known for its bustling economic activity. It usually circles the country year-round, extracting resources and earning profit to the government.[2]
The 4th District Plate, designated as the Infected district, is considered the most bustling and colorful part of the city, however it is also a grey zone where not even the municipal government or the police can act or claim control over it. The only ones enforcing public order are one of the local gangs, notably the "Red Hands." On the other hand, a considerable amount of Infected individuals are actually unregistered (i.e. avoided inspections or doesn't have a residence permit), not to mention how companies like Mama John's take advantage of their situation by selling them fake Oripathy medications.[3] Still, the city keeps attracting people of all sorts looking for opportunities, even catching Miarow's attention, who once dreamed of going there to study medicine, but this was dashed by his death.[1]
However, the city hasn't been always safe from dangers. A decade ago (Terran year 1086), a blizzard-like Catastrophe suddenly hit the outskirts, but the city managed to move and relocate at the last hour thanks to the data delivered by an Infected Catastrophe Messenger, Elba's mother, before she couldn't keep going and was left behind by the authorities.[3] Like if it was a cruel deja vu, another Catastrophe, an Originium storm dubbed "The Black Hornet", would suddenly strike Tkaronto in 1096, one day before the municipal elections day, and coincidentally during Fang's first day of service. The 4th District Plate had to separate from the other city plates, while Fang and her friends helped the Infected residents to seek shelter, contracting Oripathy in the process. Although the city managed to prevail, it suffered from severe material damages and countless looses.
At one time, Tkaronto was the place where Rhodes Island hid from the policemen bribed by Mama John's that they failed to negotiate with. Fortunately, the Doctor managed to spoil their plans by falsely getting arrested by the ATAO (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Arts Units and Originium), making them believe that they were smuggling illegal Originium goods.[4] At the same time, the local Infected community decicded to provide suplplies and temporary housing to the Reunion remnants.[5]
Red Hands
The Red Hands are an organization that has been active in Tkaronto's Infected district. On the outside, they appear as hooligans bringing havoc to the slum dwellers, but they are in fact chivalric wanderers who sometimes voice out oppressive policies carried out by Tkaronto's municipal government, especially in regards of discrimination against the local Infected.
The leader of the group, Thunderstone, has been maintaining order there for decades by taking responsibility of anything that happens within their turf and the district in general and uncovering wicked companies exploiting them. Following the "The Black Hornet" which led to Thunderstone's sacrifice, the Red Hands' influence appear to wane greatly as most of the core members went missing in action during the disaster.
Notable people
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- Damien
- Elba
- Thunderstone
- "Splitears": A cunning Pythian businessman with his right ear split in half, hence the nickname. He's an acquaintance of Thunderstone, as well as the Mama John's spokesman in the Tkaronto Infected District, acting as an intermediary between the company and the residents. However, despite being considered a sworn brother to Thunderstone, he was actually distributing fake Oripathy medications to gain profit from the Infected's suffering, a scheme that Elba would spoil. After his true intentions were discovered, Thunderstone decided to cut ties.
Of the characters above:
- Fang, Kroos, and Beagle would join the Tkaronto Police Department during their residence in Columbia.[6] However, after they caught Oripathy during the Black Hornet, and being unable to tolerate their former boss and colleagues' attitude towards them, the three would leave out of discouragement.[7]
- Thunderstone would die of Oripathy, not without helping Elba and the others escape to safety during the Black Hornet.
- Elba would join Reunion after being saved by Cannot Goodenough following the Catastrophe. In the aftermath of the Chernobog uprising, she would later follow Nine and the Reunion remnants.[5][8][9]
Landmarks
- 4th District: One of the oldest districts in the city, designated as its Infected quarter. Despite its status as the most lively district in Tkaronto, neither the police nor the city council has authority over it. It is also where the Red Hand gang's base is located.
Etymology
The city is an analogue to the city of Toronto in Canada. It is from one of its Native American names, tkaronto, given by the local Mohawk tribe which means "[the place] where there are trees standing in the water."
References
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