Ellistown Landing
Every road to City Center runs through Ellistown Landing. That is not a figure of speech. The settlement sits on the banks of the Potomac Bay at the last navigable stretch of river before the capital, and no Senator, trader, or traveler passes through to the seat of Dominus Columbia without clearing this checkpoint first. For roughly a thousand residents, that fact was both livelihood and identity.
Founded in 122 DC by Senator Morris L. Calvert, the settlement was one of the first to open its doors to travelers after the Opening of Dominus Columbia following the Three-Year Horde. It grew into a trading post first and a town second. The Trade Hall and Auction Hall anchored a commerce-heavy economy fed by the steady flow of goods moving upriver toward City Center and the constant churn of travelers who needed supplies, clearance papers, or both. The Hydroponics Building kept the population fed, while The Commons provided the closest thing to public life that a checkpoint town could sustain. The Claw and Shell rounded out what the source material names, though the settlement reportedly contained at least fifteen distinct sub-locations within its boundaries.
Geography and function made Ellistown Landing indispensable. River access gave it a logistical advantage that overland routes could not match, and the clearance requirement for City Center entry meant that the Landing controlled the bottleneck. What passed through The Gate determined what reached the capital. A freshly appointed dockyard serviced a dozen small-to-medium boats, and the settlement boasted gas-lit streetlights, electrical infrastructure, plumbing, and plentiful housing. It represented some of the finest modern civilized living outside City Center.
The Mortis Amaranthine of the Bailey surrounding Ellistown Landing was exceptionally calm and peaceful compared to most of the Merican Spanse, tended by government agencies and local cults whose regular soothing rituals kept undead horde manifestations low. The Mortis also exhibited a unique property: it regularly emitted "Phantoms," self-manifested psionic apparitions that took on forms inspired by collective emotional memories and myths. These were reflections of the collective subconscious, not ghosts or individual consciousness.
That calm did not extend to the waterways. The Anglers, a pirate nation operating in the Potomac Bay, contested the waters at parity-of-force with the Harbor Masters. Sleeper Raiders carrying hidden Bad Brain cysts posed a lethal infiltration risk. Irradiated undead capable of summoning other zed lurked at the margins. Within the walls, the Calvert Cavaliers served as a private peacekeeping force handling minor civil offenses, while the Black Cats operated as a privateer crew under Calvert contract for maritime security. Less publicly, the Control Group, a necroscience secret society, was implicated in disturbances to the Mortis itself.
Ellistown Landing was destroyed by agents of the Temple of a New Dawn. The settlement is now inactive.
Founded in 122 DC by Senator Morris L. Calvert, the settlement was one of the first to open its doors to travelers after the Opening of Dominus Columbia following the Three-Year Horde. It grew into a trading post first and a town second. The Trade Hall and Auction Hall anchored a commerce-heavy economy fed by the steady flow of goods moving upriver toward City Center and the constant churn of travelers who needed supplies, clearance papers, or both. The Hydroponics Building kept the population fed, while The Commons provided the closest thing to public life that a checkpoint town could sustain. The Claw and Shell rounded out what the source material names, though the settlement reportedly contained at least fifteen distinct sub-locations within its boundaries.
Geography and function made Ellistown Landing indispensable. River access gave it a logistical advantage that overland routes could not match, and the clearance requirement for City Center entry meant that the Landing controlled the bottleneck. What passed through The Gate determined what reached the capital. A freshly appointed dockyard serviced a dozen small-to-medium boats, and the settlement boasted gas-lit streetlights, electrical infrastructure, plumbing, and plentiful housing. It represented some of the finest modern civilized living outside City Center.
The Mortis Amaranthine of the Bailey surrounding Ellistown Landing was exceptionally calm and peaceful compared to most of the Merican Spanse, tended by government agencies and local cults whose regular soothing rituals kept undead horde manifestations low. The Mortis also exhibited a unique property: it regularly emitted "Phantoms," self-manifested psionic apparitions that took on forms inspired by collective emotional memories and myths. These were reflections of the collective subconscious, not ghosts or individual consciousness.
That calm did not extend to the waterways. The Anglers, a pirate nation operating in the Potomac Bay, contested the waters at parity-of-force with the Harbor Masters. Sleeper Raiders carrying hidden Bad Brain cysts posed a lethal infiltration risk. Irradiated undead capable of summoning other zed lurked at the margins. Within the walls, the Calvert Cavaliers served as a private peacekeeping force handling minor civil offenses, while the Black Cats operated as a privateer crew under Calvert contract for maritime security. Less publicly, the Control Group, a necroscience secret society, was implicated in disturbances to the Mortis itself.
Ellistown Landing was destroyed by agents of the Temple of a New Dawn. The settlement is now inactive.
Demographics
Roughly a thousand residents call Ellistown Landing home, though the true count shifts with the seasons and the trade cycle. The settlement draws its population from every corner of Dominus Columbia and beyond: traders waiting for clearance, caravaners restocking between hauls, Senators and their escorts passing through on official business, and the permanent residents who keep the whole operation running. It is a checkpoint town by design, and its people reflect that transience. The only constant is the flow.
Government
Ellistown Landing operated under the broader authority of Dominus Columbia's Senatorial system. The settlement was founded by Senator Morris L. Calvert in 122 DC, and the Calvert family's influence remained central to its governance. The Calvert Cavaliers served as a private peacekeeping force with civil authority over minor crimes, while serious offenses were deferred to the Bailey Marshal Service.
The settlement functioned as a checkpoint for City Center entry: Senators and travelers had to pass through and receive clearance before proceeding upriver to the capital. That gatekeeping role carried an authority of its own. Maritime security fell to the Black Cats, a privateer crew operating under Calvert contract.
The settlement functioned as a checkpoint for City Center entry: Senators and travelers had to pass through and receive clearance before proceeding upriver to the capital. That gatekeeping role carried an authority of its own. Maritime security fell to the Black Cats, a privateer crew operating under Calvert contract.
Defences
A 15-foot concrete perimeter wall enclosed the settlement. It was insufficient to stop determined intruders but adequate for typical threats. The settlement's strategic position provided additional security: river access and proximity to City Center meant that any threat to Ellistown Landing was a threat to the capital's supply line, and Dominus Columbia was never casual about protecting its logistics. The Gate controlled entry, serving as both a physical and administrative barrier.
The Calvert Cavaliers acted as the settlement's private peacekeeping force, handling civil authority for minor crimes while serious offenses were deferred to the Bailey Marshal Service. The Black Cats, a privateer crew under Calvert contract, provided maritime security in the surrounding waters, though they faced constant pressure from the Anglers, a pirate nation operating at parity-of-force with the Harbor Masters in the Potomac Bay.
The relative calm of the local Mortis Amaranthine also contributed to the settlement's security. Regular soothing rituals by local cults and government agencies kept undead horde manifestations low compared to most of the Merican Spanse. The primary threats came from the water: the Anglers, Sleeper Raiders carrying hidden Bad Brain cysts, and irradiated undead capable of summoning other zed.
The Calvert Cavaliers acted as the settlement's private peacekeeping force, handling civil authority for minor crimes while serious offenses were deferred to the Bailey Marshal Service. The Black Cats, a privateer crew under Calvert contract, provided maritime security in the surrounding waters, though they faced constant pressure from the Anglers, a pirate nation operating at parity-of-force with the Harbor Masters in the Potomac Bay.
The relative calm of the local Mortis Amaranthine also contributed to the settlement's security. Regular soothing rituals by local cults and government agencies kept undead horde manifestations low compared to most of the Merican Spanse. The primary threats came from the water: the Anglers, Sleeper Raiders carrying hidden Bad Brain cysts, and irradiated undead capable of summoning other zed.
Industry & Trade
Commerce is the lifeblood of Ellistown Landing. The Trade Hall and Auction Hall anchor an economy built on the movement of goods to and from City Center, with river access providing a logistical advantage that overland routes cannot match. The Hydroponics Building supplies locally grown food, reducing the settlement's dependence on outside agriculture. Everything else orbits the central fact of the checkpoint: if it moves toward the capital, it moves through Ellistown Landing first, and someone here takes a cut.
Infrastructure
Ellistown Landing boasted infrastructure that represented some of the finest modern civilized living outside City Center. A 15-foot concrete perimeter wall enclosed the settlement. Gas-lit streetlights illuminated the roads, with electrical infrastructure and plumbing servicing the buildings. Housing was plentiful.
The freshly appointed dockyard serviced a dozen small-to-medium boats, supporting both the river trade that was the settlement's lifeblood and the maritime security operations conducted by the Black Cats. The Hydroponics Building provided locally grown food, reducing dependence on outside agriculture, while the Trade Hall and Auction Hall anchored the commercial district.
The freshly appointed dockyard serviced a dozen small-to-medium boats, supporting both the river trade that was the settlement's lifeblood and the maritime security operations conducted by the Black Cats. The Hydroponics Building provided locally grown food, reducing dependence on outside agriculture, while the Trade Hall and Auction Hall anchored the commercial district.
Guilds and Factions
Calvert Cavaliers: Private peacekeeping force serving as civil authority for minor crimes. Serious offenses deferred to the Bailey Marshal Service.
Black Cats: Privateer crew under Calvert contract for maritime security in the Potomac Bay.
Control Group: Necroscience secret society implicated in disturbances to the local Mortis Amaranthine.
Black Cats: Privateer crew under Calvert contract for maritime security in the Potomac Bay.
Control Group: Necroscience secret society implicated in disturbances to the local Mortis Amaranthine.
History
Ellistown Landing was founded in 122 DC by Senator Morris L. Calvert. It was one of the first settlements to open its doors to travelers after the Opening of Dominus Columbia following the Three-Year Horde. Positioned on the banks of the Potomac Bay at the last navigable stretch of river before City Center, the settlement grew rapidly into the primary gateway to the capital. Every Senator, trader, and traveler bound for the seat of Dominus Columbia had to pass through and receive clearance before proceeding upriver.
The settlement served as the primary setting for Dominus Columbia's Maryland chapter and endured through the functional era of the territory. Under the Calvert family's influence, Ellistown Landing developed robust infrastructure: a 15-foot concrete perimeter wall, a dockyard servicing a dozen vessels, gas-lit streets, electrical power, plumbing, and plentiful housing. It represented some of the finest modern civilized living outside City Center itself.
Ellistown Landing was ultimately destroyed by agents of the Temple of a New Dawn. The settlement is now inactive, its gates silent, its docks empty.
The settlement served as the primary setting for Dominus Columbia's Maryland chapter and endured through the functional era of the territory. Under the Calvert family's influence, Ellistown Landing developed robust infrastructure: a 15-foot concrete perimeter wall, a dockyard servicing a dozen vessels, gas-lit streets, electrical power, plumbing, and plentiful housing. It represented some of the finest modern civilized living outside City Center itself.
Ellistown Landing was ultimately destroyed by agents of the Temple of a New Dawn. The settlement is now inactive, its gates silent, its docks empty.
Founded 122 DC. River gateway to City Center; last checkpoint before the capital of Dominus Columbia. Destroyed by the Temple of a New Dawn.
Region
Bailey North
Parent Territory
Dominus Columbia
Founded
122 DC by Senator Morris L. Calvert
Status
Destroyed (inactive)
Known Sub-locations
15 (6 named)
Notable Landmarks
The Gate, Trade Hall, Auction Hall, Dockyard
Peacekeeping
Calvert Cavaliers
Maritime Security
Black Cats
RUINED SETTLEMENT
Destroyed by agents of the Temple of a New Dawn
Founding Date
122 DC
Alternative Name(s)
L-Town
Population
~1,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Ellistowners
Location under
