Arc:The Dust Up In Cenril

From HollowWiki

This arc follows the origin and effects of Cenril's narcotics boom, both in Cenril as well as in other regions.

This arc is now over! Stay tuned to where the story goes next.

Here's what's hitting the streets in Cenril ...

  • At first, Cenril was crazy for "Firefly Steve," a blue dust that's created through alchemical processing of pixie dust. Narcotic dusts are "sprinkled," which is to say typically absorbed through the scalp. Firefly Steve's effects - euphoria, feelings of sociability, enhanced sensation - kick in about half an hour after absorption. For some, it also makes food taste spicy. The effects last for several hours, depending on the body's ability to metabolize the product.
  • At some point, the Firefly Steve formula changed - no explanation was ever provided (that is an ic secret) - and the product was re-released in a purple dust format. The blue dust version of Firefly Steve is no longer available, only the purple is. The purple Firefly Steve has got a slightly different effect - it's got a bit of an upper kick, derived from a common ingredient with ...
  • "Red dirt" started showing up in the Cenril/Frostmaw area. Red dirt is considered to be a true upper. It makes the user feel more energetic and almost gives a sense of invulnerability due to the massive surge in energy. A feeling of unique euphoria, the substance is quite addictive and its lingering good feeling certainly covers up the negative effects it has on the body and the rotting effect it has on the mind. In Frostmaw, red dirt is everywhere, certain corners act as hot zones for dealers. Red dirt is highly addictive and has proven to be especially dangerous when combined with black ice.


Who is responsible for this narcotics wave, and what is publicly known (IC public knowledge)?

  • Firefly Steve is distributed to the streets by a Cenrili street gang run by The Oracle.
  • Red dirt is sold by rogue, non-Cenrili dealers who get chased out by The Oracle's gang. It is more readily available in Frostmaw.
  • It is rumored that a Cenril cabaret called The Office acts as a center of operations. The Office is presently managed by a woman named Eleanor. There is a tiger cub that sometimes hangs out there named Tuna. Hudson and Leoxander also have been spotted at The Office sometimes as well.
  • If your character would be more 'in the know' about the criminal element in Cenril, talk to Hudson or Eleanor in-game and we can work out what else they might know or have heard about.


...But how did we get here (if you weren't a part of the RP, and unless otherwise noted, very much IC secrets)?

  • The original blue Firefly Steve formula was devised by Emelyan, manufactured by himself and Hudson in a borrowed laboratory out in Xalious. Josleen, who at that point was not yet Queen of Larket and was strapped for cash, was involved in helping procure reagents.
  • Hudson and Emelyan then made an agreement with Eleanor to act as their distributor through the Oracle's network. Emelyan's colleague, Elisilith, helped them move large quantities of the stuff to her people. Their market share grew exponentially as the product took off. The trio purchased The Office to act as their official front. They also purchased a witch-run nail salon in Larket to further help launder money. They built their very own lab upstairs.
  • Like any band that enjoys sudden success, their partnership began to experience conflict. Eleanor and Emelyan couldn't see eye to eye on distribution, and Emelyan left, warning Hudson that if Hudson tried to make Firefly Steve without him, it would have adverse effects. Hudson changed the formula, that's why the dust is purple now.
  • Eleanor brought in Leoxander to help with distribution, and Hudson brought in Blut and his people as extra muscle. The Office became known as central to the Firefly Steve operation.
  • Their operation ran into trouble in Larket, because Larket's organized crime had figured out that the nail salon is a front for the folks behind Firefly Steve. They threatened the nail salon and Hudson's family. In retaliation, Hudson killed one of the Larket mobsters in cold blood, and he built a bomb that Eleanor and Leoxander used to take out a deli that acted as the hub of the Larket mob. To add insult to injury, they stole the Larket mobsters' tiger cub, whom they named Tuna. She now lives at the Office, as noted above.
  • Hudson and Eleanor met Meri, who became/is a valuable source for intel. They started her looking into the red dirt that's being peddled out of Frostmaw. After an attempt at surveillance failed, Hudson and Meri went in to investigate in person, and found themselves an unlikely confederate in Lionel (who is ignorant as to the criminal element of his allies). Hudson is able to determine from their investigation that the Larket mob, and in particular Don Santiago, is behind the stuff.
  • Aware that he's now making more money that is seemly for someone his age, Hudson began to look into investing in real estate to further his legitimacy. With an eye toward the future and maintaining their operation's grip on Cenril, he also started funding a political campaign for mayor by his friend, Fitz Johnson.
  • Hudson, with the help of Meri and Callum, uncovered intel against Fitz's opponent - Sterling Townsend - and leaked a damaging story that tanks his chances at Mayor. At the same time, they work to protect Fitz from his own indiscretions.
  • Hudson, Meri, and Lionel executed their revenge against Don Santiago, and Hudson dubbed Meri the new Queen of Larket organized crime.
  • It's public knowledge that Fitz won the Cenrili Mayoral election, but was brutally murdered on election night, throwing it all in disarray... And this is where it ends.


Chapter One

Hudson floats the idea of selling a narcotic to Eleanor, who agrees to hook him up with her criminal underground connects in Cenril if he goes through with it. He then meets up with Emelyan, another alchemist, and the two men go into business together under the code names "Steve" and "Firefly." A run in with Josleen gets her involved too, as the business, based in Xalious, needs to be legitimized as a "medical reagents" operation.

  1. Just Networking, Girl
  2. Small Business Owners
  3. Ralph Spends Quality Time with his Parents
  4. In Which Hudson Teaches Emelyan Bad Dance Moves And Emelyan Teaches Hudson Some Alchemy
  5. An Inauspicious Meeting‎
  6. Job Deception
  7. At The Office


Chapter Two

With Firefly Steve now being distributed in Cenril, the gang activity begins to heat up. More players begin to be involved, the mainstays grow comfortable in their roles, and the operation grows.

  1. A Wild Firefly Steve Has Appeared
  2. Unlikely Philanthropists
  3. Click and Clack Make A Pact
  4. The Oracle's New Watchdog
  5. Partnership Meeting
  6. The Dog's Tongue Wags
  7. Drug and Dodge


Chapter Three

At first business seems to be going better than ever, and the group makes plans to expand their distribution to Rynvale and Larket. They open a nail salon in Larket to assist in laundering more money and hire a staff of witches, including Hudson's ex-paramour Valrae, to run it. Unfortunately, Larket's pre-existing organized crime doesn't take kindly to what they perceive to be rival shady business, and begin to make violent threats, including against Hudson's family, who pack up and leave. Because everything always hits at once, tensions between Emelyan and Eleanor escalate to the point that Emelyan leaves the business, fracturing their blue dust distribution. The group hires Blut to protect the business and help them in their efforts to retaliate in Larket. Hudson scrambles to develop new products, and Eleanor and Leoxander focus on new modes of distribution (e.g., in Rynvale) and shady connections they can trust.

  1. Still Just Small Business Owners
  2. Three of Clubs
  3. In Which Hudson Hangs Out At A Nail Salon With Witches
  4. Manicure in the Shade of Drama
  5. Undesired Welcome Gift
  6. Whatcha Gonna Do? 'Wine' About It?
  7. Usual Suspects
  8. He Did Not Take Care Of It
  9. Meri Meet... Office
  10. No Means No
  11. Splitting The Baby
  12. Hedging Bets
  13. Great New Formula!
  14. It's Getting A Little Gangster In Here
  15. Tripping Face AKA Déclenchement
  16. Wait and See
  17. My Boyfriend's Back
  18. A Trial Basis
  19. Rogues & Bards
  20. Jumping To Conclusions Witch Might Be Wrong
  21. The Lock Component
  22. A Night Walk
  23. Old Mistakes Die Hard
  24. Tuna Surprise

Chapter Four

Efforts at payback in Larket come to a head, and Larket organized crime asks for a meeting to hammer out a peace accord. Meanwhile, in Frostmaw, a hot new product, red dirt, attracts the group's attention: who is making and distributing the stuff? Hudson and friends set up surveillance and begin to investigate. At the same time, he begins making moves to expand the business into more legitimate ventures, e.g., real estate, and to harness political power. He stealth funds the political campaign of his childhood friend, Fitz Johnson, and makes powerful allies with Frostmaw. Finally, Hudson is able to identify the Larket mob as the source of the red dirt - and executes a long-running revenge plan. Fitz wins the Cenrili Mayoral election, but a monstrous attack cuts his term quite short, throwing it all in jeopardy ...

  1. Lying And Tigers And Bombs, Oh My!
  2. It Started With A Splinter
  3. Everyone Loves Tuna
  4. The Frostmawian Job
  5. Secrets and Lies
  6. If You're Having Girl Problems, I Feel Bad For You, Son. I Got Ninety-Nine Problems And Meri's One
  7. Bard Bares All And Bears All
  8. Eleanor, Meri, The Office
  9. I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me
  10. Birds In The Belfry
  11. Maldor Making Inquiries Witch Go Unanswered
  12. About A Ship
  13. Working Class Hero
  14. You're Fired
  15. The Wire
  16. Loose Ends
  17. Not Working As Intended
  18. On This Week’s Episode Of “You Don’t Deserve A House In Cenril…”
  19. Legitimate Business With Illegitimate Funds
  20. Thanks I Guess For Everything
  21. Suit Up
  22. Dark Money
  23. In Da Club
  24. One Man's Waste Is Another Man's...
  25. Better Halves
  26. Side Effects May Vary
  27. Political Rascals
  28. Waste Management
  29. Closing The Loop
  30. Don't Help Make The Train
  31. Greg McConnor v Lloyd Fayweather
  32. The Things We Do For Love
  33. Dirt
  34. In Which Hudson and Meri Drink Sargaso's Beer And Torpedo A Politician's Career
  35. Returning To The Scene In Frostmaw
  36. Ghosts Of Old Sins
  37. Los Pepes
  38. Miguel Reckless
  39. Line Of Succession
  40. RIP The Larket Cartel
  41. TFW You Realize You've Become A Monster
  42. Pompous Brew IPA .. Say What
  43. And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder