GREATER CESTLEP
Greater Cestlep, the beating heart of the Oceanykan Federation, is really nothing more than the metropolitan area and sphere of influence of the City of Cestlep; a monstropolis of unprecedented scale and influence. Sprawling over the southern coastline, its endless labyrinth of boroughs, industrial zones, and towering superblocks forms a region-spanning megacity that defies comprehension. It is the centre of politics, economy, and culture for the Federation—a place where wealth and power converge with poverty and violence in a chaotic but strangely functional symphony. Greater Cestlep is not merely the sphere of influence of a city-state; it is a colossal organism, pulsing with the blood of countless lives and the machinations of faceless institutions. It is the undisputed throne of Oceanykan supremacy, both revered and feared, its existence shaping the destiny of the entire continent.
The city is situated on Oceanyka’s southern coast, commanding a stretch of flat, fertile grasslands that have been thoroughly tamed by centuries of urban expansion. The once-vibrant landscape is now a concrete and steel jungle, its natural beauty suffocated beneath layers of industry and urban decay. The core of this sprawling monstropolis is Cestlep Centre, situated in the historic Borough of Adelaide, which serves as the administrative and financial heart of the Federation. The Greater Capital Region encompasses not only Cestlep itself but also the subjected city-states of Rhineburg and Little Britain, both economically and politically bound to the capital’s will.
Cestlep’s economy is the largest in Oceanyka, a powerhouse of manufacturing, finance, and trade. The city’s superfactories churn out consumer electronics, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, and weapons, feeding both legitimate industries and black-market enterprises. Its bustling port districts handle massive volumes of trade, connecting Oceanyka to the wider world. The financial sector is a juggernaut, driven by massive banks, hedge funds, and corporate conglomerates. Black-market credit networks and money laundering schemes flourish alongside legitimate finance. The city's prior anarcho-capitalist administration has created obscene levels of inequality, with luxury high-rises standing beside crumbling slums.
Crime is the curse of Cestlep, pumping through every alleyway, slum, and corridor. The metropolis harbours a staggering variety of criminal organisations, from street-level gangs and drug syndicates to rogue PMCs and international cartels. The Cestlep Slums are dominated by violent street gangs who run protection rackets, smuggle drugs, and fight brutal turf wars. The Black Spades and Crimson Serpents are the most notorious, waging constant battles over territory, though the much older Cestlep Mafia has still got a fight in it. In the corporate sectors, white-collar crime is rife. Insider trading, embezzlement, and industrial espionage are daily occurrences. The Redhand Consortium, a corporate cartel, launders billions through front companies. Even the Farenday Pirate Syndicate has got its hands on Cestlep’s ports, moving stolen goods and contraband across the world.
The Federal Police and Oceanykan People's Army Military Police maintain a token presence but are overwhelmed by the scale of crime and often complicit. Corrupt officers sell weapons and intelligence to the very criminals they are meant to fight. The Soviet KGB and Oceanykan Federal Intelligence Agency wage covert wars against their western counterparts and domestic enemies in the shadows, using the city as a stage for international espionage and sabotage.
Cestlep is a cultural melting pot, its streets a chaotic mosaic of subcultures, languages, and ideologies. From beatnik poets and psychedelic artists to neo-futurist hackers and corporate yuppies, Cestlep is a city of clashing lifestyles. Nightlife is a carnival of excess—drug-fuelled raves, avant-garde theatre, and brutal underground fight clubs. Music is the city’s lifeblood, with local genres like industrial blues, acid rock, and anarcho-jazz dominating its clubs, though the growing popularity of synthwave and metal are notable; not one AC/DC concert has gone with a single ticket unsold. Fashion trends are just as chaotic, with mod suits, beatnik turtlenecks, and neo-futurist techwear mingling on the streets. The city’s art scene thrives, driven by the chaos around it.
Surrounding the city proper is patchwork of urban, suburban, and industrial settlements that once formed separate cities but were absorbed by Cestlep’s expansion, known as the Cestlep Outskirts. These places are marginally safer than the slums, though still prone to crime. Their infrastructure is linked directly to Cestlep proper, creating a network of satellite towns that rely on the capital for trade, jobs, and resources.
Whether as a tourist or an immigrant, it would be wise to remember that Cestlep is where Oceanyka's motto was born; here, anyone can be anything... or die trying.
