TEXT: Hard Times in Alevan Town
  Necromunda Settlement Finalist
  By Scott Kroll
  Unlike the adamantium boundary between the Spire and Hive City, the boundary between Hive City and the underhive is not as
  defined. Alevan Town is a settlement on this boundary and is having a crisis of identity. 
  HISTORY
  Alevan Town lies at a level on the ever-shifting and undefined
  boundary between hive city and the underhive. It is a large
  settlement that served as a waypoint for settlers moving down to
  the underhive and the rare successful settler moving up into Hive
  City. Many guilders settled here and made their fortunes selling
  supplies to those hopeful masses heading down into the
  underhive in search of riches. The marketplaces here were
  always filled with climbing cables, algae farming equipment,
  portable generators, and anything else a green hiver would need
  to start a new life bellow. Much of this equipment was purchased
  from successful settlers moving into Hive City who were eager to
  rid themselves of goods they would no longer need. While these
  successful settlers were rare, a guilder could buy their equipment
  for fraction of the cost they would re-sell it to the next downward
  settlers that came along.  
  No one is sure why Alevan Town attracted so many new settlers.
  Unlike settlements like Dust Falls, there isn't an obvious gateway
  or downward shaft that serves the lower levels. 
  One theory is that it is simply a case of increased momentum.
  Long ago, one guilder set up shop and did well form himself, so
  more guilders settled into the area. Reputation of the  area grew
  and a settlement was born. 
  Other theories pay heed to the fact that the settlement is close to
  Van Saar territory in Hive City. It may have been a large
  production site that fell into disrepair and was abandoned.
  Residents of the underhive moved in to salvage and the guilders
  weren't too far behind them. Proponents of this theory point to
  the settlements name. Alevan Town may be named after Aleax
  Van Saar, a famous nobleman of house Van Saar.
  Whether or not Alevan Town actually owned by house Van Saar
  at some time has become a very contentious point. No mater
  what, its proximity to that noble house's territory always made
  high quality equipment and weapons cheap and plentiful. This
  fact alone may have attracted so many green hivers to this area.
  “THE TURN OVER”
  Whether it's inhabitants considered Alevan town at the bottom of
  Hive City or the top of the Underhive, it was undoubtedly an
  Underhive settlement. Gangs were numerous and well-armed.
  Underhive “organizations” used the settlement as a entry point
  to smuggle illegal goods up from the underhive. Gambling dens
  and fighting pits are common and profitable to their owners. 
  This all began to change with what residents call “The Turn
  Over.”
  When Abaddon started the Thirteenth Black Crusade, Imperial
  Guard Units from  Necromunda and other planets in the sub
  sector were called up in the defense of Cadia. This proved very
  lucrative for House Van Saar and it's many weapons contracts. As
  the war effort gained momentum, so did House Van Saar's
  production facilities. Soon, all of House Van Saar's factories and
  workshops were working at full capacity.
  This proved very bad for Alevan Town. Since gainful employment
  was so easy to find in the Van Saar workshops of Hive City, fewer
  settlers were moving down into the underhive in search of
  fortune.  In fact, word soon spread to the underhive that there
  was money to be made in Hive City and a steady stream of
  underhivers began to move upward through Alevan Town. For
  the first time in Alevan Town's history, more settlers were moving
  up from the underhive than were moving down.
  This grossly upset the economy of Alevan Town. Merchants soon
  had more equipment than they had green settlers who would
  pay their prices. It wasn't long, however, that the guilders figured
  a way to change this downturn into an opportunity.
  Sensing House Van Saar's need to expand its production
  facilities, the guilders began to “reclaim” decrepit areas around
  Alevan and turn them over to House Van Saar. Guilders claimed
  that Van Saar originally owned this land and they were more than
  entitled to it. If house Van Saar would simply pay the guilders'
  reclamation fee, they could build more production facilities in
  these previous “uninhabitable” areas. 
  There areas that the guilders reclaim aren't necessarily
  uninhabitable or even uninhabited. Guilders simply move into a
  dome and remove by force any underhivers living there. They
  then strip the area down to the original structure as much as they
  can. After Van Saar pays a fee to the guilders, they move in and
  construct more munitions factories.
  GANG LIFE IN MODERN ALEVAN TOWN
  At first, the Turn-Over was a boon for gangs living around Alevan
  Town. Guilders needed the muscle in their “reclamation effort.”
  In other words, guilders paid gangs to run underhivers off their
  land before wrecking crews moved in and disassembled their
  homes, tapped their water stills, and filled in their algae ponds.
  Guilders also employed gangs as security when members of
  house Van Saar would come to inspect their new acquisitions. 
  As the Turn-over has progressed, however, the guilders have
  made it clear that gangs have no place in the future of Alevan
  Town. The guilders will continue to turn the underhive into Hive
  City for as long as it is profitable. This means that all the power
  of the noble patriarchy and the rigid structure of Hive City are
  increasingly part of the settlement. Already half of the
  settlement's gambling dens have been shut down and pit fighting
  has been outlawed. Enforcers are increasingly replacing gangs in
  their role as the strong arm of the guilders. 
  
  For now, guilders tolerate gang presence because there aren't
  enough enforcers to do the dirty work. Many gangs, however,
  have found themselves quickly betrayed by employers who
  wanted to distance themselves from such unsavory Underhive
  associates. Guilders routinely claim ganger territory but won't
  persecute the gang unless they complain too loudly.
  Weapons and equipment are as still as cheap and plentiful as they
  always have been, and there is still money to be made from
  places other than just filling guild contracts. The workers moving
  down to construct the new factories are possible valuable
  contacts for fencing goods up to Hive City. The new factories
  need a lot of power, so power cable tapping has become very
  common and lucrative. 
  Also, there are plenty of disillusioned juves willing to join gangs.
  Often when a youth sees his home destroyed by the greed of the
  guilders, he'll seek out a gang to replace his sense of community.
  It's also an outlet for these violent, angry youth to hopefully
  enact revenge on those that ruined their lives. 
  PLAYING A CAMPAIGN IN ALEVAN TOWN
  With cheap weapons and plenty of juves wanting to join gangs, a
  gang can quickly build it's power in Alevan Town. The risks,
  however, are great, and gang can just as quickly end up at the
  bottom.
  If you decide to use Alevan town as a settling for your campaign
  use the following changes to the rules. (Note that even though
  house Van Saar is the power behind Alevan Town, Van Saar gangs
  do not gain an advantage. Gangs are gangs, after all!)
  Weapons and equipment: Subtract 5 credits from all weapons
  and equipment costs down to a minimum of 1 credit. For
  example, an autopistol would only cost 10 credits and a second
  knife would cost 1 credit. For variable costs of rare items,
  subtract 5 credits from the non-variable cost of the item. So
  choke gas grenades would cost 10 + 2D6 credits and a red-dot
  laser sight would cost 35 + 3D6. If a gang is outlawed, it won't
  use the outlaw trading table; rather, it uses the standard prices
  from the Necromunda rulebook price chart.
  Also, because equipment is so plentiful here, always add +1 die
  to the roll to see how many rare items are for sale just as if you
  had sent a ganger out looking for them. You may still send
  gangers out and gain addition +1s as usual. 
  Territory: Gangs living and fighting around Alevan Town use the
  Alevan Town Territory Table below. Note that some of the
  territories have the same rules as those found in the
  Necromunda rulebook, but they're values have changed. This
  represents the fact that the increase in production in the
  workshops and renovation of the area have created an economic
  boom. Also, both outlaw and non-outlaw gangs use this table,
  but outlaw gangs can still only hold one territory.
  Also add these following rules:
  Guider Reclamation: After each game, before rolling for
  income, roll a D6 for each territory the gang controls. If any 1s
  are rolled, the guild has seized one of the gangs territories for the
  reclamation effort. The gang immediately loses one random
  territory and can not collect income from it. Note that gangs can
  only lose one territory per game in this way no matter how many
  1s are rolled. Keep track of how many territories are lost this way
  as it matters in rolling for outlaw status described later. 
  In addition, the action of the guilders may have angered a young
  hiver who will want to seek revenge. Each time a gang loses a
  territory to the reclamation effort in this way, roll a D6. On a roll
  of 4 or more, the gang may recruit a disillusioned juve for free.
  The gang must still pay to equip the juve, however. 
  A gang that is reduced to one territory in this way is considered
  outlawed and may not hold more than one territory if it pays of
  its outlaw status. If an outlaw gang loses its last territory this way,
  it must roll for a new one in the same way as if it had lost it in an
  Ambush or Gang Fight.
  Selling Territory: A gang can also aid the guilders in their
  project by selling their territory.  This is done in the same way
  that outlaw gangs loot territory in that the gangs gains double the
  basic income value, but the territory is lost. Also keep track of
  how many territories are lost in this way.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Scott Kroll lives and works in Chicago, IL and regularly post on the Specialist Games Forum as CitizeNick. He spends his rare free
  time daydreaming about the stuff he's going to do when he has more free time.
  D66
  Territory
  Income
  Special rules
  11-15
  “New” Ruins
  10
  This is an area that has recently been claimed by the guild, but has yet to be re-constructed into a Van Saar 
  Workshop. If a ganger searches the ruins he may find enough scrap to sell for 10 credits
  16
  Slag
  15
  Same as on standard territory table
  21-23
  Chem Pit
  2D6
  Same as on standard territory table
  24-26
  Mineral Outcrop
  D6 x10
  Same as on standard territory table
  31-33
  Tunnels
  10
  Same as on standard territory table
  34-36
  Vents
  10
  Same as on standard territory table
  41-46
  Power Cable Tap
  Special
  Roll a D6. On a roll of 1-5 it provides 10 credits worth of energy. On a roll of 6 it provides D6 x 10.
  51
  Holestead
  D6x5
  Same as on standard territory table
  52-53
  Crooked Van Saar
  3D6x5
  A member of one of the factory construction crews will allow some construction equipment to go “missing”
  for a cut of whatever the equipment is later sold for. If any doubles are rolled, however, the contact has 
  been caught by his employer. The gang collects the income, but the contact must be removed from the 
  gang's roster
  54-55
  Guilder contract
  D6x10
  Same as on standard territory table
  56
  Settlement
  50
  Same as on standard territory table
  61-65
  Workshop
  2D6x10
  Same as on standard territory table
  66
  Relocated Hivers
  Choose
  The gang has befriended a group of settlers that have recently had their holestead seized by guilders. Not 
  willing to move back to Hive City, the hivers are looking for a new livelihood. The rules are the same as 
  “Green Hivers” on the Standard Territory Table.
  ALEVAN TOWN TERRITORY TABLE
  Outlaw Gangs: When rolling on the Outlaw Table use the
  following modifiers (These replace all modifiers given in the
  Outlaw rules):
  -2
  The game you just played was an ambush and you were attacking
  -2
  The game you just played was a shootout and you drew second.
  -3
  The game you just played was a shootout and you drew first.
  +1
  Your gang rating is under 1,000
  -3
  If you attacked any Guilders, Arbites, Enforcers, or other 
  “Officials” in the game you played.
  -1
  For every territory you have had seized by the guilders.
  +1
  For every territory you have had sold to the guilders.
  -1
  If your gang has either “Crooked Van Saar” or “Power Cable Tap” 
  on your roster.
  OTHER OPTIONS AND FINAL THOUGHTS
  Hopefully, you will find running a campaign in Alevan Town fun
  and challenging. I tried to give gangs as many benefits (i.e.
  Cheap weapons) as I did drawbacks (i.e. The possibility of
  losing your territory).
  I imagine this can also be played historically. The campaign can
  start out like “old” Alevan Town where weapons were cheap
  and plentiful and gang life was easy. You could simply use the
  weapons rules. Then, as the campaign progresses, more of the
  drawbacks can be put in place. This could represent the
  historic period when the guilders began to seize control. The
  whole thing can end with a big shot-out to decide the fate of
  Alevan Town between gangs still loyal to the guild and all the
  gangs that have been outlawed.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Warhammer/40k/Necromunda/03 Necromunda - 2nd Edition (2003)/Settlements/alevan_town (under)hive.pdf