The Ostiazo (its official name is ICE EDITION, but everyone knows it as the Ostiazo) is a dark and cold place. Difficult to access, the central area is open-plan, and the side area occupies three floors, but most of its entrances have been destroyed.
Description
The Ostiazo has a lot of open space (well, not entirely open, because it has a roof, but it’s more than three stories high), though there’s no natural light, or only very dim light that passes through the few holes in the ceiling. It has access to three floors, but most of the access points are in ruins. The two upper floors have a mirador-style corridor overlooking the much larger ground floor. The central area of the Ostiazo (which is practically open-plan) has several mysterious places, filled with electrical gadgets that, sometimes, when the Cherife energizes them, some even activate. In this area, the floor is slippery, and it’s always cold.
Humidity is another characteristic. The floor is perpetually damp, and condensation sometimes falls from the ceiling. When this happens (usually because there’s power), the kies say it’s “Cherif’s Piss.”
It’s one of the few places in Merkadome (and the Páramo) where a kie can enjoy ice-cold gusarapo liqueur, as well as import milkawhisky from the Distillery, and serve it with ice. The Ostiazo is the only known place in the Páramo where it’s possible to make ice.
It’s easy to tell when you’re approaching the Ostiazo because the temperature drops dramatically. No one knows exactly why, but when the Cherife gives power, the temperature drops even further. To protect themselves from the constant cold, the kies who swarm here (also known as Ostiados or Ostiadores, depending on where the blows are coming from) hunt and skin the dangerous aspirin forcas, creatures native to Merkadome, and make the famous Folaresplits.
Masca
Don Donald (DD)
Long before Merkadome was what it is today, many gangs tried to gain a foothold in the fledgling settlement. One of these gangs was “Walter’s Gang” (a name given to it by the leader, Walter, in a show of originality). During one of their expeditions, Walter and his gang found a service door that led to a sinister, dark tunnel. So sinister and dark was it that they didn’t see how abruptly it ended. And they fell. Fortunately, they tumbled down a winding slide. Unfortunately, the slide was cut roughly in half. The blow they took was so severe that only Mickey, the second-in-command of the gang, survived, albeit with serious mental after-effects (even worse than those he already had).
Following the tradition inaugurated when the apartment was discovered, the Masca candidates must take a tumble down the winding slide and survive the crash. Perhaps that’s why everyone is a little… more unbalanced than usual. The current candidate calls himself DD (Dan Donald) and loves wearing a red suit. He claims to have superior senses, but the truth is, he sees worse than a mole-osaurus.
Buildings
The Orphanage
On the first floor, behind the hallway known as “Travel Asses” (because of the sign hanging from the ceiling), there is a huge yellow bus. This bus, built into the wall, provides access to the Orphanage. The Orphanage is a vast space filled with children’s games and children whose laughter brightens the lives of those around them.
Under the supervision of the Birds (women dressed in black robes), boys and girls learn everything they need to become worthy men and women in the future. With fire. A lot of fire. And some sharp things.
The building that houses the orphanage is surrounded by ruins, and the only known access is via bus (which is heavily guarded). The charming children have filled the place with traps, snares, ropes, rolling stone balls, and other unpleasantries that make reaching the orphanage a suicide mission without a guide. If you do make it, the first thing you see is a playground. With swings, slides, seesaws… and about eight or ten children (and girls) happily playing.
If you’re not invited, the next thing you’ll see are knives, clubs, and firebombs.
The Disney Palace
According to legend, a Disne is a huge, black, bipedal creature with gigantic ears, very cunning, and eats ducks and biscuits. Disne’s Palace is the main building of Ostiazo. Located at the opposite end of the slide in the central area, the Palace is the headquarters of the Masca of Ostiazo. It is a two-story building, with the lower floor housing the Masca’s followers and the upper floor housing the Masca and his most loyal followers (known, for some reason, as Plutones, singular Pluton, with an accent on the “u”).
The Palace is decorated in pastel tones, with a lot of blue in some areas and pink in others. There are many mirrors throughout, and gleaming surfaces. It is said that if the Sherif feels like putting energy into it, fragments of the Old World can be seen in some mirrors and surfaces.
Hard Depart
This building, located on the second floor, is the refuge, hideout, and meeting place for several different groups, each organized in an apartment, with partitions formed by metal shelves and bars. Many of them are Scrappers, who have found a place here filled with scraps of parts and tools from the World of Long Ago. Some Mutards also make their home in Dura Partida, though more out of necessity than because they find the place conducive.
It’s considered a transit point, even by long-time residents: a place to live and search through the rubble, trying to find THAT THING that will help you climb out of the hole and find a better place to live. Few succeed, because the place is rich in worm liquor, and some harder drugs.
Anyone can enter Dura Partida and find a place to take shelter and rest.
Location
Doctor Re’til’s dispensary.
It’s a hidden location in the lower part of the Ostiazo. After passing through some circular remains located next to a wall, you reach a huge metal door. Inside, a scaly Mutard known as Doctor Re’til offers his services as a healer. He also has some of the most interesting stimulant pills (and other items) in all of Merkadome.
The rumors that he sometimes experiments on the people he captures are just that, rumors. Baseless. The real deal.
The Revival
Located on the ground floor, right on the edge of the central area, is the Revival. This bar is run by two women, Diana and Lydia, who, while seemingly getting along and presenting a united front, are practically at odds with each other.
The Revival is also the center of activity for a group called The Visitors, a splinter group of the Fifth Reich, who use the venue for their meetings. Known for their red uniforms and their insatiable desire to appear friendly, the Visitors are considered a nuisance inside the Ostiazo, but at the bar they present a united front. It’s not advisable for a Mutard to show his face around here, especially if it’s obvious…
The Ice Scream
This small shop located at the bottom of Ostiazo, in the central area, is the only place in Merkadome where you can buy ice and other cold items. Run by Norman and his mother, Mrs. Bate (whom few have ever seen), it serves ice to anyone who can afford it. Norman is much loved by the children (especially those from the Orphanage) because he sometimes gives them “screaming ice,” frozen milkshakes placed on top of fried sea bream. No one knows what screaming ice is made of, and few want to know, but the children love it (although it makes them somewhat hyper). Norman despises the Junk Dealers and those who come to Merkadome to trade, charging them more for their ice. Some even claim that he makes them disappear, but these are all rumors… Although many of the Orphanage children ended up there after convincing their parents to buy them screaming ice.
Resources
The Ostiazo is famous for several things, being the main—and best-known—source of ice in the Wasteland. Many liquor vendors have discovered that their drinks taste even better with a piece or two of ice. So, selling ice is the main source of income for the Ostiazo. It’s also the main source of fights, because many people don’t agree to pay for something that eventually disappears.
Just below the Ostiazo is a series of partially flooded maintenance tunnels inhabited by the dreaded Aspirin Forks. These creatures are hunted for their skin, which is used to make Folares, garments that keep you warm. Why anyone outside of the Ostiazo would want warm clothing remains a mystery, but Folares (and their poor imitations) are highly coveted by all Merkadome residents.
You also have access to unexplored or partially explored areas of the Merkadome, where you can still find remnants of the Old World. Many people sell what they find, and even more sell things you might find useful.
