It's shit in here.

The longest-'serving' prisoners of war have been here for a decade; they say you're never getting out. Occasionally news comes through the channels of progress towards a peace treaty. Sometimes your compatriots eagerly share links to articles on hostage exchanges. Mainly, there's not a lot to be optimistic about. When you get on the comms channels, it's all Elysian bullshit. There's not much news of your home system.

Even the clickbait here is anti-Tel.

There's not much that reminds you of what it is to be Tel. There aren't many prisoners of war, and distributed through the workgroups and cell blocks as you are, you're not exactly rubbing shoulders. Without I Teyk Ngalsh there'd be basically nobody who with advanced knowledge of Tarzhda. There was someone here who could preach for hours, apparently, four years ago, she was a real inspiration, made everyone feel connected and soothed, you'd think she could've done no wrong listening to the older inmates talk. She died in that explosion at the bottom of the space elevator four years ago. The one that all the scorch marks are from. Yes, all the scorch marks are from one explosion. Yes, the one with the potatoes.

Last month, three prisoners of war in Workgroup Three thought there was something up with their assigned terraforming machine. Somehow, someone knew they'd be staying behind trying to figure it out. What a coincidence. They were jumped. One of them spent four days under the compassionate care of Dr Greco, fuck. At least they missed the surveillance run to Data Station 2, one of the vehicles broke down and the poor Three bastards had to push it thirty miles. Goes without saying the guards didn't help.

Zhar Ro had words with the troublemakers in Workgroup Three, the ones that everyone knows did it, more muscle than brains. It didn't go well. Things could've gotten nasty again – like they did three months ago at the evening changeover when the guards had to paralyse about forty people, remember? it was the True Elysians that time, and someone who wasn't even Tel, they were just mumbling angrily into their dinner about some uppity guard or something, and the jingoistic thickheads thought they were speaking Telbau – anyway fortunately it didn't last long, Zhar Ro took a heavy beating but there were enough people there to weigh in. Some were us, some were people who've been done in by those fuckers before, then there were a few of the CPP lot¹⁾, and this random guy with a massive cybernetic arm that probably goes in for any excuse to thump someone. Just ten minutes in, the fight got broken up and nothing's happened since. The guards activated more collars on our side than theirs, though. That's what you've heard. And, as you discovered sooner or later after your arrival, when the collars are activated they fucking hurt.

It's shit in here.

You're a long way from home.

• Zhar Ro, or Zhar Ro Zhist to those who do not know him well. Despite the Elysium stories of massacres, he generally does not advocate violence, and seems more protective than belligerent. Whilst he has certainly been involved in disruptions with dramatic fallouts (he's had to be carried to to the medical bay so many times the doctor literally knows him inside out), the story amongst the prisoners of war is that these arise from defending his compatriots. He does not claim leadership over the gang.
• Sho Nust [DECEASED], or Sho Nust Sars to those who do not know her well. The quote on the main Prisoners of War page, under In Prison, is by her. She has great empathy for others, and perhaps insufficient fortitude when witnessing cruelty and dealing with trials in the Reform Facility. In the last couple of weeks she has advocated for joining forces with the CPP ²⁾, on the basis of combined strength and greater opportunities for companionship. She does not claim leadership over the gang.
• I Teyk Lizh, if using his title of 'Priest'. He has occasionally tried to organise religious meetings for the POW inmates, but hasn't been able to do it properly due to lack of resources and facilities. Some of these have tailed off to their disappointing ends, and some have ended by interruption by the True Elysians.
• Dri Po Shre [MISSING], if using her title representing advanced professional qualifications as a medical doctor, or Dri to her friends. Since her arrival six years ago, she has helped other prisoners of war with her medical skills many times. It is generally held that you can trust her. However, despite years of respectable service in dangerous frontlines, some view with contempt or disgust the murders of Elysians who were ostensibly under her medical care.
• Env Do Jhyl Dri. This guy stands out. His entire right arm is cybernetic, he's missing an eye, and he's pretty damn big. As prisoners of war go, he sure looks like he's been in a war.

• Ai Lah En Rizh [DECEASED]
• Zhou Ba Lan Dorh Tru [DECEASED]
• La Ma Ze Ko Ri Lo
• Stah Ye Jeh Sii Ko [TRAITOR][DECEASED]
• Xix Chil Ah Tohr [DECEASED]
• Kvash Leyh Tu Ruzh

• Jimmy Maine. He has no compunctions about hurting Tel. He has no compunctions about inciting others to hurt Tel. It's clear he wants to wipe Tel from the face of the planets, and he wants to start with this one.
• Yuri Tanaka. Yuri is dangerous. How much do they know?

• Linh Trần. She's known to be against this 'alliance'. Vociferously, and not for political reasons. She's probably an ok person, not overtly aggressive, but she's not our friend.

• The Warden. His distaste for our culture is clear. Mind you, he doesn't like any inmates.
• Jamie Conway [DECEASED]. There's something between him and Sho Nust. It makes her noticeably ill at ease, and slip away with an upset air. Whatever it is, it can't have happened recently; or if it did, it's been very covert.

• Have you heard Aanya Khatri asked Zhar Ro to join forces? Security or resource exchange or something. Apparently we're in the first steps of an 'alliance', but it needs working out. For the last few weeks some people have said that the Prisoners of War and CP are supposed to defend each other in fights. But some CPP just stood by and watched during the riot yesterday, didn't they? You don't know, the rumours differ. Suspicious though. A lot of them don't like us. A lot of everyone doesn't like us.
• The comms are down. That means the Government can't see in. Whatever the guards do until the space elevator is reconstructed - if the space elevator ever gets reconstructed - it's without oversight, without direction, without consequence. Would there really be an enquiry into the eradication of any group of inmates?
• How come our only Priest and Sho Nust and Zhar Ro and Aanya Khatri are all in Workgroup Zero? Can this be random? Is there an ulterior motive?

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For non-gang-specific information, see the Tel private brief.