Post by Kyla Monroe on Aug 11, 2011 15:47:32 GMT -5
A man named Higgins was appointed magistrate
of a small, unnamed moon. (There were rumors that
he won his appointment in a card game.) At the time
the moon was founded, it did not appear to have
useful resources or much potential for agriculture.
A few years later, it was discovered that some areas
have a mineral-rich clay that can be harvested,
chemically treated and kiln-fired into a ceramic that
is ten times stronger than steel at half the weight. It
formed a new industry: mud.
The company town of Canton was founded near
the largest mud pits. Over two thousand workers,
known as “Mudders,” live in Canton and work for
Magistrate Higgins. Many of these are slaves and
indentured laborers (who probably will never be able
to purchase their way out of debt). Higgins rules
through intimidation and the use of force, and is
hated by virtually everyone. The foreman and his
prods enforce the company rules, either with longterm
hard-labor, imprisonment, or hacking folk up
and rolling them into the bog.
The Mudders of Canton sing songs of a hero
who has twice defied the magistrate and sailed away:
Jayne Cobb. The Hero of Canton, they say, will one
day return to Higgins Moon and free them from
oppression. The more likely way for conditions
to improve will be the magistrate’s son, Fess, who
is quietly working to reverse some of his father’s
harshest policies.
[[Taken from the Serenity RPG]]
