The City

GENERAL WORLD BUILDING

The City is a grimdark, hyper-capitalist mega nation. The City is the only place where Humanity resides, the world beyond the city's walls, designated "The Outskirts," is a barren, unsurvillenced wasteland of old remnants of humanity. Some people reside in the Outskirts, but most in the outskirts are rejects. The City is made up of 26 districts, and these districts are controlled by "Wings" or corporations. The corporations are designated from A to Y. Each Corp has a singularity, something that completely defies any common sense and gives something in return(Time manipulation, Instant healing, etc.), but each Corp must have a patent with A Corp(The Head) to be able to use it commercially. A Corp, B Corp, and C Corp are the Head, Eyes, and Claw of the City, keeping track of the City and wings, and making sure nothing that will threaten the survival of humanity or the heads' state in power is left alive. A Corp is where the "Head" resides, with powerful, singularity-infused assassins called Arbiters, described as "Walking Nuclear Weapons" sent out to deal with anyone or any organization thought to break or defy any rules the Head has put into place. A single Arbiter is capable of bringing a Corporation to its knees, or even completely wiping out the corporation if deemed necessary. Arbiters do not have a regulated, standard uniform, but usually wear dark uniforms with the Head's prominent honeycomb pattern. B Corp works with A Corp and is in charge of the surveillance over the City, detecting and reporting anything that goes against the Heads' laws. In case they need to, B Corp will send out Agents mostly in tandem with Arbiters and Claws called "Beholders" for fieldwork. Beholders do not have an actual form; instead only seen in digital projections. C Corp is the main military force of the Corps, directly working for the head. C corp can produce Claws, Singularity-infused(Not as much as Arbiters), tall humanoids with undying loyalty and obedience, with an arm replaced by a metal prosthetic ending in a claw to tear things apart. If in a hurry, Claws have access to three different serums. "K Serum" allows a quick, rapid burst of healing, "R Serum" with a quick burst of damage, and "W serum" allows the Claw to tear through and warp through space and time to quickly rend a victim apart. The Head's power or appearance is unknown, but can easily quell several wings if they decide to revolt. However, the Head will only come out in the most dire of situations, instead sending out Arbiters, Claws, and Beholders at the problem until it is forced to come out and deal with it themselves.

The City is much more advanced in terms of tech, with singularities providing most of that power. Things such as mechanical augments, tattoos that can enhance the body, jewelry that can make the user more resistant to mental damage, weapons that can effortlessly slice through people, and clothes made of special fabric that can stop common weaponry being commonplace. Workshops are the main producers of this tech, with the head craftsmen called meisters. Each Workshop must have the weapon produced and then thoroughly checked to be sure it is efficient and does not violate any of the Heads' laws on weaponry. Workshops are often protected with bodyguards and generally have a ton of Fixer activity around them, and they do not mind selling to Syndicates. The main currency used to buy anything in the city is called "Ahn."

Each Corp district is divided up into "The Nest," and "The Backstreets." The Nest is where the upper echelon either born into or lucky enough to get into, can find the most normal, protected life possible if they can keep up with living costs. Still, The Nest will not mind if it sheds a few feathers(Civilians) here and there. The Backstreets, a confusing, massive maze of slums, back alleys, and make-shift towns, are where the Corps' surveillance stops, meaning that the place is riddled with crime and poverty. Most denizens here are labeled as Rats, often taken advantage of by syndicates or hunted down by Fixers. Rats will do anything to get out of their cycle of misery, even doing things like organ harvesting to scrap enough money to get by. Fixer offices and the Zwei association can keep some of the backstreets safe, but other more malicious groupings of people can form to create a Syndicate. Syndicates often partake in illegal activities to get rich quickly. The only reason the Backstreets haven't collapsed is due to the five fingers, The Index, The Thumb, The Middle, The Ring, and the Pinky, keeping their territories in check. It is not like they protect Backstreet dwellers, often fighting over territories and arguing. Most have strict rules and harsh punishment usually involving death. There is also a special time in the Backstreets, from three thirteen am to four fifteen am, called "Night of the Backstreets." Things called Sweepers, literal human slush inside metallic suits, go out at night and sweep up organic things, living or dead, using hooks or other sharp weaponry. Sweepers have tanks on their backs full of sweeped up parts, which they need to continue to survive. Sweepers speak in a language no one else can really understand and have familial undertones. "The Night of the Backstreets," function in three massive waves of Sweepers usually consisting of hundreds at minimum. Sweepers will not invade buildings that have been officially signed as property by the Head.

THE HEADS' TABOOS

The Head has certain taboos that cannot be violated at all costs.

Firearms are very heavily regulated, with an overpriced license to make it and many rules on how to make them compliant with their laws. The main rule is that bullets cannot penetrate through walls. Guns and bullets are also very expensive compared to anything else.

True resurrection is a complete violation. Body replacements via life insurance are allowed.

Fully sentient humanoids or creatures that do not have origins in humanity are not allowed. Robots running under a code or people gone through full-body prosthetics are allowed.

Clones are a complete violated. A special deal with R Corp to allow clones of the same person for seven days.

FINGERS OF THE BACKSTREETS

The Index focuses on following "The Prescript," unorthodox and usually nonsensical messages sent to people under the protection of the Index via Index Messengers and to be carried out(Ex: "Chop off the right arm of the 24th person you meet." or "Stand in the middle of the street for 40 minutes, then cut your heart out."). In some way. This will benefit the Index. If a person fails to complete a Prescript in the allotted time, an Index proxy will receive a prescript that entails harm to the person who failed. In secret, the Messages are manifestations of the will of the City, every small action or event taking place in the city being wove in secret by Index weavers and sent out by chutes. The Prescript is seemingly all-knowing, able to predict anything. No Index member besides specifically chosen Weavers should know of this knowledge, and no normal Index member should know what an Index weaver is. Index Proxies often lead a small team of Index Proselytes. The standard attire for the Index is white cloaks with gold accents with black suits. The ranking of the Index goes as so: Index Proselytes<Index Messengers<Index Proxies<Index weavers

The Thumb is refined, polite, and based on the Italian mafia. They treat hierarchy very seriously, with the most unwarranted glance or action from a lower rank to a higher rank resulting in harsh punishment(Usually involving the removal of a body part, serious infractions usually involve the entire head being removed). Lower ranks must follow commands without question and enforce the rules of respect immediately. This also applies to outsiders, with grade nine fixers being akin to a lowly Soldato and a particularly powerful grade one Fixer or color Fixer being equal to a Sotticapo. In the most important cases of emergency, a higher rank may put their rank onto a trusted subordinate until further notice. As long as someone is willing to follow these rules, they are met with open arms. The Thumb are unique in that they use firearms and custom-made bullets in combat, although the taxes and harsh regulations on the effectiveness of ranged weaponry imposed by the head, and the fact that more competent opponents are capable of dodging or blocking bullets makes the use of gunfire rare. The guns used are built out of durable material, enough to act as a heavy bludgeoning object. Standard attire is Dark Red coats with Bronze accents and dark grey suits. The hierarchy goes as: Capo dei Capi (Boss of Bosses)>Sottocapi>Capi>Soldatos

The Middle is more gangster orientated, with an emphasis on grudges, family, and vengeance. The Middle is all about getting revenge in case a sister or brother was hurt or killed, going out and executing that person or organization. They take this so seriously, they have created an overly extensive book of conduct on what to do to someone if they harm a Middle member or establishment that all members are meant to carry. The Middle calls their members "Sister" or "Brother" depending on gender. The attire is often covered with enhancing tattoos, open clothes, and chains wrapping around their forearms. The hierarchy: Little sister/brother<Middle sister/brother<Big sister/brother

The Ring is more painter-oriented, all about the intense feeling someone can put on a canvas or sculpture. However, most involve death, pain, or murder, as that is most commonplace in the city. The standard attire is white clothes, a beret, and aprons. The hierarchy: Ring Pointerllist<Ring Docent<Ring Maestro

Not much is known about the Pinky, besides the fact that they are "Crazy."

Most Fingers(The Index doesn't have any) have strong Syndicates under them called subsidiaries. Subsidiaries' rankings are around the Finger's ranking of hierarchy, but will never be able to be boss. The subsidiaries can wear completely different clothing, but must adhere to the general idea of the Finger's rules.

Each Finger meets up for a meeting known as "The Finger Bow-Bell" once in a while to discuss effective ways to control the Backstreets, as well as manage territories.

ALL KNOWN SINGULARITIES

Most corporations do not have any representation with their singularities. However, those who do will be listed below.

K Corp: Instant healing ampules as commercial cover. Behind the scenes and a corporate secret, the liquid used functions more as a restoration based on what the mind is thinking of. If the user thinks of their body before injuries, the body will be restored to its original state as the mind remembers, which is before the injury. If the user is constantly hearing something(Example: Constantly told that they're a bug), the ampule with morph the user into what they're thinking of upon use. Cannot revive the dead W Corp: Travel through a different space to get by faster, secretly in tandem with T Corp to collect time. Functioning as the main means of transport for the city, W.A.R.P. trains are popular for taking only ten seconds. Inside, the passengers are trapped for two thousand years for T Corp to collect their time. At the end, W Corp Clean-up agents go into the trains and take care of any threats, resemble passengers into their assigned seats, wipe the passengers' memories, and leave. The passengers will forget everything that happened in the train, and the time passed will only feel like ten seconds. T Corp: Time manipulation and collection of time. The district it inhabits is missing color, making everything dull. L Corp: Extraction of the mind, Use of abnormalities to produce a special resource called "Enkophalin," which is a very potent, renewable power source. L corp has a special liquid called Cogito, which can skip distortion and instantly turn someone into an abnormality. In an energy contract with nearly all corporations, Most notably being R Corp and W Corp. R Corp: Cloning and military forces. The use of hatcheries can clone out thousands of soldiers at once. However, the cloned soldiers are pitted against each other to the death until one, the strongest, is left alive. This is usually done hundreds of times. The squads deployed by R Corp are usually named after animals(Ex: Rabbits, Rhinos, Reindeer, Crows, etc.) J Corp: Trap luck into an actionable paper, increasing luck immensely upon activation. J Corp's district is just glorified gambling with a massive casino as its heart. F Corp: "Fairy" can open or lock anything, including people. Often used by Arbiters in a ranged fashion, with "opening" usually depicted in various different ways of attack. "Locking" Is usually depicted as chains or a lock, and is often used by Arbiters to severely dampen and weaken one's ability to fight M Corp: Moon-shaped stones that increase mental fortitude P Corp: Ability to make anything very durable, elastic, and stretchy. From cloth to buildings. X Corp: Metallic alloys of an unknown mixture. Strong, dense, durable, and very versatile

ALL THINGS FIXER

There are special "For-Hires," similar to mercenaries, called Fixers. There are requirements to being a fixer, with the minimum age being twenty to acquire a Fixer license. Fixers are in high demand in the Backstreets, acting as protectors, but can also work for wings. The start of an assignment starts with a signed contract between the Fixer and the client so that the Fixer will be properly paid by the association or office. The more the Fixer works and succeeds with their work their rank will rise. Fixer offices are an official group of Fixers working together with their own building. Fixer offices are led by an operator, often with a higher grade than others. Offices can either function independently or join an association to become an affiliate office.

The rank of a Fixer is determined by the Hana association, an association that dictates Fixer grades and hands out Fixer licenses. The grades go from nine to one, with nine being the weakest and one being the strongest. It is very important to know that being a Fixer does not mean just combat, it can suggest other things like intelligence gathering or espionage. High-grade Fixers are usually seen with stronger, custom-made gear and better augments, while grade-nine Fixers will often only have basic gear and augments. It is also to note that lower grade Fixers and Fixer Offices will receive lower risk, lower pay jobs, and the opposite for higher grade Fixers.

COLOR FIXERS

If a Grade One Fixer were to display excellence and consistent, high performance in their career and specialty, the Hana association may give that Fixer the title of a color related to their signature abilities. Only one color may be assigned to one Fixer, but slightly altered ones are fine (EX: Crimson is different from Red despite being in the same family). Color Fixers are the pinnacle of all Fixers, being the talk of the city and with true autonomy. They are not held down by any association or office, taking any job they so please. They possess supreme strength and wit, usually only surpassed by Arbiters or particularly strong Stars of the City. Four current known colors roam different parts of the City

The Red Mist/Kali: A powerful Fixer who grew up in the harsh Backstreets of District twenty-three (District twenty-three, W Corp's territory, allows cannibalism). She vowed to protect the weak and those unable to fight from the bloodthirsty Syndicates and Fingers that threatened them. Named for the fine red mist of blood and gore she leaves in her wake, she excels in close-quarters combat and direct battle with a brutal fighting style and swift movement, using a hefty, fleshy greatsword dotted with eyes. Spotted with her bright red hair and trench coat and frequents the western side of the City.

The Blue Reverberation/Argalia: While not as specialized as some of the other colors, he makes up for it with his charisma and influence. Through this, he is capable of gathering devoted followers as well as manipulating high-ranking Association and Syndicate leaders. Dresses fancily and uses a reverberating scythe to resonate with the vibrations people emit. Brother to Angelica

The Purple Tear/Lori: A seasoned Fixer who has seen countless battles, she is capable of teleporting herself by creating dimensional rifts. Wielding a variety of different weapon styles, she can adapt to any given situation. Because of her extensive experience and age, she mentored a few of the other Color Fixers (Namely the Blue Reverberation and Roland) when they were younger. Uses a large club, a sword, and a rapier that she swaps between frequently.

The Black Silence: A powerful Fixer with a disputed identity between a married couple (a male named Roland and a female named Angelica) that reside in District Nine and frequent the eastern side of the City. Is known for using a wide variety of weapons from various Workshops around the City. Able to manifest said weapons using a special set of gloves that dampen and silence noise once activated.

ASSOCIATIONS

Associations are large, professional organizations comprised of many Fixers and managers. Associations are split up into North, South, East, and West, and cut up into sections six to one. The Sections function very similarly, and much more broadly, to Fixer grades and gear. A branch manager oversees a part of an Association, while a general manager oversees all branches. Enlisting is a rigorous exam before being allowed in.

Hana Association - Leads the entirety of all Associations; grades the danger of all Fixers, Offices, and City hazards. Uniforms are White with accents of Black. Zwei Association - Specializes in public safety and defense, acting as a police force. German-inspired and frequently uses Zweihanders in combat. Tres Association - Manages Workshops and reviews Workshop weaponry for use by Fixers. Shi Association - Specializes in assassinations and stealth operations. Associated with dark colors. Cinq Association - Specializes in Duels. (1 on 1 combat) with various different weapons according to the users' preference Liu Association - Specializes in direct combat and warfare. Chinese-Inspired uses flames alongside weaponry and is associated with the color red. Seven Association - Specializes in information collection and general detective work. Öufi Association - Oversees trades and deals. Black and silver uniforms. Dieci Association - Knowledge gathering and Charity. Religious coded. Devyat Association: Acts out deliveries across the City. Cyan uniforms

DANGERS, DISTORTIONS, AND MANIFESTING E.G.O.

Due to the nature of the city, high stress is a given. In the case of someone's entire thought of life being flipped upside down and thrown into a fragile mental and emotional space(Ex: Someone believes that they have the courage to die with their comrades, but runs away instead out of fear of death), the person will soon hear a female voice in their head. The voice will try to coax the person into "Distorting", becoming something inhuman as they let out their inner anguish. To distort is to agree with the voice. It is very hard, but one can "Undistort," with the help of others(Usually with a physical beatdown and subsequent subduing). If someone were to fail to distort but still fully agree with the voice, they will irreversibly become a Peccatulum, beasts showing higher levels of aggression and antagonism. Peccatulum are designated with the 7 cardinal sins of the city: Gulae - Gluttony, Irae - Wrath, Pigritiae - Sloth, Morositatis - Gloom, Superbiae - Pride, Luxuriae - Lust, and Invidiae - Envy. What type of Peccatulum one becomes is based off of what sin they have embraced in their lives. Peccatulum can exist in three stages, with the higher stages being much stronger and more durable. If a distortion were to exist for a long enough time, an abnormality would be formed. Abnormalities are usually a stronger, more broken version of a distortion with little to no sense of humanity or their former selves. Abnormalities also cannot die, only reduced to an egg state, which will hatch later. If one resists and holds firm to their beliefs, the person will instead "Manifest E.G.O," which boosts a person with gear and weaponry similar to their firm beliefs. Anyone who manifests E.G.O. will have the innate knowledge of how to wield their weaponry. E.G.O. acts more as a force multiplier and not a power boost, so it will make the strong stronger while only boosting the weak a little bit. No one knows how you can distort/manifest E.G.O., but they all know you can somehow distort/Manifest E.G.O.

City hazards can vary from hoaxes, Fixers, syndicate members, supernatural businesses, city-encompassing disasters, and distortions. The City dangers go as: Canard<Urban Myth< Urban plague< Urban Nightmare< Star of the City< Impuritas Civitas (Being an Impuritas Civitas means the thing is an impurity to the City, and will be intercepted by the Heads' Arbiters, Claws, and Beholders and promptly relocated into the Outskirts. This only occurs if the danger gets in the way of the Head or violates its taboos.)

There exist special beings called "Bloodfiends." Bloodfiends are humans that have turned into vampires a long time ago. Unlike vampires, bloodfiends are not scared of garlic, crosses, and injuried to a stake in the heart like anyone else. However, Bloodfiends hold an irrational fear towards water. They reside in small, well-hidden communities all around the city. Bloodfiends work in a hierarchy in their communities and refer to themselves as "Kindred." The Kindred hierarchy goes downard and downward, from the original first kindred to the sixth kindred and beyond. Bloodfiend elders, often hundreds of years old, have supreme authority over their community due to their strength. Bloodfiends have the ability to manipulate blood, and reanimate the dead in a zombie-like state, referred to as Bloodbags, as well as having regeneration abilities that allow them to easily heal off any damage sustained if they have the blood necessary. A bloodfiend can transform a regular person into another bloodfiend by biting them on the neck, in which case they could become a part of the next generation and be weaker than the one who bit them. The limit to this transformation is two people. Transformed Bloodfiends act just like a human, not changing much mentally beyond the new craving for blood. Bloodfiends used to not be a well-known concept, the elders keeping everything in check. However, with distortions bringing new, more instinctive-driven, aggressive bloodfiends to the city, the knowledge of bloodfiends soon became more widespread. "Fang-Hunters" and Fang-hunter Offices became more common place, going after both distorted bloodfiends and normal bloodfiends with no distinction between the two. The only physical telling features of a normal bloodfiend are red eyes that can glow and more defined canine teeth into fangs.

Bloodfiend hierarchy: First Kindred<Second Kindred<third Kindred