Flagsdale

Overview

District 9 of Mendell City, also known as Flagsdale and Vaur’xoer (‘The City Upside-down’ or simply Vaur ‘The City’, because of the buildings that rise up the sky) holds the largest concentration of Vaurcae in Mendell. Originally an unpopulated industrial slum, it has been largely repurposed by Vaurcae and mainly the Zo’ra Hive. The lack of streetlights and maze-like streets, many with debris or abandoned cars blocking them, make it hard for Mendell City Police to navigate and keep order. This, alongside the famine conditions, stranded Queenless Vaurcae, and illegal k’ois pits have made it largely a growing ground for disease, poverty and crime.

History

District 9 was conceived at first as the industrial heart of Mendell City. After the phoron boom, the factories and warehouses were repurposed for the refinement and processing of the new element. Because of the dangers of dealing with such hazardous materials inside the city, the phoron facilities were then relocated. The district remained as a dangerous place, with little to no interest by Biesel officials to repair or repurpose it. It was not until the arrival of Vaurcae to Tau Ceti that an opportunity arose. Supervised by Vaur'skiyet'sca, Flagsdale is now the largest Vaurcesian settlement in Mendell.

The towering carbon capture tower for when the industrial zone was functional has been repurposed by Tau Ceti officials as a phoron gas capturing facility. This allows for the phoron gas, either leaked or released by the new inhabitants, to be both repurposed for the district and to stop any neighboring areas from becoming contaminated. Nanotrasen built a huge relay tower at the district's center, and its main purpose is to allow for the company and its affiliates to listen into the Hivenet communication. While the amount of voices make it hard to decode and follow a conversation, trained officials have developed methods to keep with what is said.

Most of the buildings have been overshadowed by the complex tunnels and chambers connecting the old constructions. Those curious may catch a glimpse of what the old buildings used to be for, apparent mostly from the surface level. Something commonly mentioned by the urban explorers is that, in some facilities, valuables may still be found. The health risk that possess venturing into Flagsdale, however, is often not worth this endeavor.

Crime in The City

With plenty of Vaurcae finding themselves stranded in Tau Ceti, and little job opportunities especially for the Warriors, some criminal associations have formed. While they definitely do not make most of the district’s populace, they have gained notoriety in the media and among those that oppose Vaurcae living in Tau Ceti.

Ak'riix

Amongst the queenless Zo’ra, a rebellious faction called Ak’riix or Venom Mandibles has taken over the streets, also being responsible for many of the crimes in neighboring districts. House break-ins, dealing street drugs and even illicit gun trades are known activities that the Warrior Ak’riix participate in, while the Workers are usually reported as con artists, as well as taking part in many other kinds of scams, such as requesting money via the extranet or other kinds of cybernetic crimes. An effort by the Vaur brood and Mendell City authorities has been made to stop these kinds of behavior, however, recent police investigations have discovered that Ak’riix is more akin to an ideology than a criminal organization, with many of the self-proclaimed Ak’riix cells working independently and having beefs with each other.

Ni'mii'katz

K’lax Vaurcae that have arrived at Flagsdale are mostly known to pickpocket electronics such as PDAs and watches, while some others take more violent means to do so. It is, however, notable that the criminal K’lax rarely will steal anything other than technology, even going as far as to ditch wallets full of money. They, instead, resell many of the cheap electronic devices one can find in some of the street bazaars in Mendell, and a known flea market of electronics established in the outskirts of Flagsdale is frequented by those that wish to buy cheap or knock-off devices.

These criminals that arrived at Flagsdale are somewhat a minority, and many of the K’lax that have an earnest means of work often complain about the bad reputation the Hive has received because of such individuals. However, unlike the Ak’riix, they’re more organized in their shady dealings, and have a more corporate structure. Although different names have been given to them, such as Loa’mox by their enemies, they themselves go by the name Ni’mii’katz, which roughly translates to ‘The Dealership’. They are also proponent that the harsh conditions of The City are a result of Vaur’skiyet’sca’s abandonment, and share deep anti-Zo’ra sentiments altogether.

Reactions

These conditions have pushed some queened Zo’ra, mostly of other broods but Vaur, to have become disenchanted with their own hive. Some have been misled by queenless Ta that the Lesser Queens in command, especially Vaur, have sold their species to humanity and ultimately do not follow what High Queen Zo’ra would’ve liked for her Hive. It is yet to be known if this movement will have any repercussions in Zo’ra politics, however, the Queens themselves don’t seem to consider it an active threat to their Hive stability.

Others, however, believe it is not Vaur, but those from other hives and the queenless, that are responsible for the situation in Flagsdale. While for the most part this has only resulted in further discrimination, Zo’rane vigilantes have emerged, patrolling the district in order to keep it safe.

Entertainment

Not all is grim in The City, however, with some improvements having been made in the past few years, and some legitimate business starting in the area. Most popular are the toothpaste bars, which have attracted other species for their party atmosphere. Another blooming business model is the pod hotel, with rental of cryostasis pods for extended periods of VR. Because of the relay tower, a few radio stations run by Vaurcae have been launched to the general public, often employing soft spoken IPCs as radio hosts.

Mendell City's Mayor has also attempted to promote different activities. The most successful one has been a team of basketball players, called Flagsdale Hornets. They practice in the courtyard of an old factory, and have been successful in the local league. Other sports, such as baseball, have also been proven popular, but a professional team has yet to be formed.