The new arbiter | Outis

The Night in the Backstreets are regulated by only two taboos: that residential areas mustn't be destroyed or violated in any way, including forcing the doors open,[15] and that nothing which occurs during the Night in the Backstreets is recorded. The only form of testimony allowed during the Night in the Backstreets are direct eyewitnesses; even then, it is a taboo mandated by the Head that no activity during this period are to be reported on.[29] While the rules of the Night in the Backstreet don't apply to the Nest, it's viable to drag a Nest citizen into the Backstreets and dispose of them in this manner.[30] Culture The City uses 13 common languages.[31] Not all of the common languages have been identified yet, but they appear to represent real life languages, with most likely corresponding to the languages the twelve Associations take their names from.[32] In addition to these, other languages exist, such as that spoken by Sweepers, and records still exist of languages that are currently extinct.[31] Various levels of education exist in the City. Schools exist both in the Nests and in the Backstreets, although other options are available, such as boarding schools and virtual schooling, both of which are considered safer options, as it allows the students to not have to cross dangerous alleyways on their way to school.[33] In the Nest, homeschooling is shown to be an option as well.[34] The currency of the City is called Ahn. It appears to be a common currency across the City, though with some exceptions, such as District 20, in which citizens commonly use their time, regulated through T Corp.'s Singularity, as currency. Money is extremely important to the people of the City, to the point it is a common belief that it can be used to solve any problem. The City is also characterized by great income gaps, both between the people of the Backstreets and the Nest, and among the people of the Nest itself, where only the higher classes can live comfortably, while the majority of the citizens use most of their income in living expenses and taxes, and don't have the ability to save up for emergencies.[35] While the value of Ahn hasn't been disclosed in detail, an income of 4 million Ahn per month is considered upper middle class,[36] which implies its value is similar to that of the Korean Won. Clothing styles show great variation between the four quarters of the City. The fashion of the south is mostly inspired by real-life 21st century, western formal aesthetics, though with exceptions such as T Corp., where the fashion is instead inspired by the 19th century steampunk aesthetic the District is based on. The fashion of the east is instead based on real-life eastern, particularly Chinese fashion, ranging from traditional clothing to more modern interpretations. The clothing of the east, like that of the north and south, is mentioned to be mostly cloth-based.[37] Northern fashion is heavily influenced by its colder weather, with heavy, loose-fitting clothing being common,[37] and making use of at times excessive decorations.[38] The fashion of the west makes use of leather over cloth, and is noted to often include metal armor in its trends. Western fashion appears to be inspired by the real-life Middle Ages in Europe, borrowing elements from medieval armor. City People Everyday life in the City is defined by a constant struggle to stay afloat. While the people of the Outskirts dream of living in the City, which they see as a safe place from the monsters that plague it, the people of the Backstreets strive to gain the wealth and power to gain access to a Nest, partially due to the influence of the Wings publicizing Nest dwellers' lives as the height of prosperity and comfort,[20] and the people of the Nest struggle daily to keep their place inside it, while being constantly exploited by the Wings.[39] Regardless of their station, the people of the City are never free, and in order to survive, they typically tie themselves to various forms of organizations, seeking security and belonging in something larger than them.[40] In doing so, they're willing to exploit others beneath them and make use of all the City can offer them, without caring about anyone else's well-being, and often taking pleasure in their suffering.[35] The people of the Backstreets must typically tie themselves to one of the Five Fingers or their subsidiaries to receive the necessary protection to carry on with their lives, while the people of the Nests depend on the Wings to shelter them. Because of this, Nest dwellers are colloquially known as "feathers". While the high level of security the Nest provides makes it the most ideal place to reside, its daily routine, which is often accompanied by overtime work[35] and the constant fear of losing one's job and place in the Nest,[41] can be stifling and oppressive to many of its citizens, with some recalling becoming listless as if they "lost focus, spacing out and staring into empty places".[42] The necessity for a connection to a group also means that the people of the City try not to form strong connections between individuals, as personal bonds can become a hindrance in one's abilities in the case of a loved one's death, which proves to be especially dangerous for those involved in Fixer work.[43][44] The Cityfolk are still generally accustomed to such events, and it is not considered uncommon for them to swiftly move on by searching for a substitute.[45] In general, death, including mass casualties, is a common occurrence in the City. People all over the City are greatly accustomed to this, to the point even cases of 80,000 casualties are considered, while distressing, not particularly shocking, and not important enough to require special attention unless they happen to be within a Nest.[46] Due to the frequency of such events, Cityfolk must learn to hide their grief and deal with it quickly.[47] Furthermore, the availability of technologies such as prosthetic substitution, the ability to quickly reconstruct flesh, and Life Insurance in many ways trivialize pain and death itself for those who can afford it, leaving their users insensitive to such dangers.[48][49] These factors have led to the people of the City becoming apathetic and uncaring of other people's suffering, living without allowing themselves to truly feel their emotions and wishes,[50] and lacking the curiosity to learn about the world they inhabit and the technologies they make use of every day,[51] instead preferring to shut out reality altogether whenever possible. The L Corp. researcher Carmen would come to describe these traits as a "disease of the mind", that plagued the people of the City, and that if left alone, it would bring them all to destruction. Lobotomy Corporation's work began as an attempt to cure this disease, and the Distortion phenomenon would be born in its aftermath. The Cityfolk's feelings manifest in different ways as well. Their desires are mentioned to beget concepts comparable to "gods", such as the Prescripts of the Index, which are generated from the people's wish for a direction in life.[52] This same desire is what often brings the Cityfolk to join cults that promise to grant them a purpose, such as the Church of Gears. Beyond these forms, however, the City currently lacks major forms of organized religion,[53] although it is suggested that they have existed in the past.[54] Fixers & Associations In the City, a common path in life for those without better options is that of the Fixer. A Fixer is a sort of handyman, who can be hired for everything from menial tasks to active combat. Fixers are subject to a grading system based on the missions they complete. A Fixer starts at Grade 9 and can be promoted to a higher grade, all the way up to 1; in the case of a Fixer being caught breaking work regulations, they can lose their status and be demoted to a lower grade. A majority of Fixers congregate in Fixer Offices, small to mid-sized businesses led by and composed of Fixers. Offices process requests dedicated to whomever in their ranks may be best suited. Offices can work independently, or they can be associated with particular Associations of Fixers, which are larger professional organizations with City-wide influence, with particular interests aimed at the Fixers working beneath them. There are thirteen Associations in the City, each of which manages certain types of requests common to Fixer work, such as the Zwei Association focusing on protection missions, or the Devyat' Association focusing on delivery across the City. Associations control and distribute Fixer tasks, and can take jobs from anywhere within the City, as they have individual branches set up in various Districts. Branches are divided into four groups corresponding to the cardinal directions of the City, and employees are further divided by grade into sections ranging from 1 to 6, with lower number sections corresponding to higher Fixer grades. Every Association has its own rules, specialties, uniform, and agreements with other factions. The Associations are governed by the Hana Association, which oversees everything related to the Fixer system, including Fixer grades. In the case of a Grade 1 Fixer demonstrating great renown in any particular field of work, they may be considered beyond the grading system, and receive the title of Color from Hana Association as a way to signify their exceptional skill. Color Fixers can keep working in their Offices, or be contracted by a company. They are admired throughout the City, and it is a common belief that the life of a Color is one of true freedom.[55] Despite this, Color Fixers are still bound to the regulations of Hana Associations and of the Head, and due to their ability they're often made to handle the most dangerous hazards of the City. Syndicates Syndicates are a type of organization in the City, and can be seen as the unregulated counterpart to Fixer Offices, being comparable to gangs with various goals and methods of operating. In general, the term Syndicate is used to refer to organized groups that aren't tied to the responsibilities and restrictions that come with being a Fixer. Some Syndicates focus on extorting money from people for protection, while others abduct people, kill for fun and pleasure, or do anything in between. Syndicates mostly operate in the Backstreets, but are not restricted to them. They can be small groups that only exist in one corner of the Backstreets, or large enough to exist in every District in the City. Syndicates can be hired to do contract jobs, although there is higher risk compared to contracting an Office or Association, as they are not bound to the same regulations Fixers are.[56] Sometimes, Wings will hire Syndicate members for criminal projects that cannot be handled officially. Syndicates tend to have a culture unique to their group, and a way of living that distinguishes them from other Syndicates. Many Syndicates have a culture focused around replicating family dynamics and consider each other family, with some even referring to each other with familial terms.[57] This can result in Syndicates with a strict focus on respect for those who are higher ranked, or in Syndicates whose members care deeply for each other and protect one another at any cost. Syndicates are graded through the City's hazard system, measuring their danger level and notability. Syndicates can grow under these aspects and gain power in many ways, with one of them being the practice of raiding and wiping out Fixers' Offices. The larger and more experienced an Office is, the greater the notoriety that is achieved by defeating it.[58] Above all Syndicates are the Five Fingers, or "the hand of the Backstreets", five Star of the City-level Syndicates, whose power rivals that of the Wings.[27] Each of the Five Fingers has a distinct culture, and demands different things from people seeking protection under them. Other Syndicates can become subsidiaries of the Five Fingers, granting them powerful connections as long as they abide by the Finger's orders. Technology Denizens of the City have developed a wide variety of fantastical technologies that they use on a daily basis. People from all quarters of the City make ample use of body modification procedures, which allow individuals to augment their strength or replace lost body parts. Prosthetic substitution involves the replacement of organic parts with mechanical or bionic ones, making it possible for a person to replace their entire body, with the exception of the brain. Due to the Head's taboo against copies of human bodies, this makes the sight of an individual with mechanical limbs or a display in place of their head incredibly common in the City. Furthermore, City denizens can make use of various types of life insurance policy, such as the one provided by H Corp., that allow resuscitation after death.[59] Thanks to these policies, individuals who can afford the cost can be brought back to life in a new body without violating the Head's Ethics Amendment, as long as their brain remained intact. Augmentation procedures are also used by a large demographic of people, from Syndicate members to wealthy Nest citizens. Augmentation is particularly common among those involved in Fixer business, to the point it's considered virtually impossible to do Fixer work without investing in augmentation procedures.[60] Through these procedures, an individual might obtain superhuman speed or strength, or strengthen their body parts to become impervious to various types of attacks. The technological innovation of the City also reflects on its healthcare. Through the research of the Wings and the power of their Singularities, such of K Corp.'s and H Corp.'s, nearly every health problem has become curable on a theoretical level.[61] In practice, only those who can afford it are able to pay to make use of these technologies. This goes for most of the innovation of the City. In most cases, these technologies are available at various levels of quality, with the most expensive and safe being used by Nest citizens, while the people of the Backstreets can make use of cheaper versions that can cause unwanted side effects, as is the case for memory wipe procedures. Despite the level of innovation of the City generally being incredibly high, its access isn't uniform across the various Districts. While cell phones,[62] the Internet,[63] and various public transport systems exist, they are not universally available. For example, advanced communication systems aren't available in T Corp.'s District, with its citizens making use of letters instead. Singularities A Singularity is a unique, fantastical technology that a Wing possesses and exploits for power and profit. The details of a Wing's Singularity are a closely guarded secret, but its products (such as L Corp.'s Enkephalin or H Corp.'s Boluses) and side effects (such as T Corp.'s color desaturation) tend to be widespread throughout the District and play a major role in defining its culture. While Singularities' true abilities are usually incredibly powerful, a Wing must convert them into a marketable product in order to make a profit. Singularities are the primary source of income for the Wings to sustain themselves in the harsh environment of the City, meaning creating new products from the same Singularity is incredibly important. For example, T Corp. makes use of its Singularity for various products, such as the TT2 Protocol (which allows for the control of time in a determined area), and the TT4 Protocol (which instead allows for the synchronization of different individuals' time). In addition, Wings must be careful during the development process of new Singularities, to prevent information leaks and intellectual theft before a patent is received.[64] It is also common for Wings to make use of multiple Singularities, both by purchasing them from fallen Wings,[65] or through partnering with other existing Wings. If a Wing collapses, the patents on its Singularity expire and any individual or group who discovers how to utilize the technology may do so. In addition, the technology's status as a Singularity is lost. A number of technologies of the City were previously considered Singularities in the past, such as augmentation tattoos.[66] Singularities, while technological marvels, are not all they're made out to be. In one way or another, every Singularity fundamentally requires human suffering in order to function, and no Wing can claim to have their hands clean of the blood of its citizens. Hazards In the City, hazards receive official grades measuring not their risk, but how much people are willing to pay to have the threat eliminated.[67] From least-threatening to most-threatening, they rank: Urban Myth, Urban Legend, Urban Plague, Urban Nightmare, Star of the City, and Impurity of the City (or Impuritas Civitatis). The Hana Association assigns the threat level for Urban Myths through Stars of the City, but only the Head has the power to assign and manage Impurities. Most Associations and Fixers deal only with Stars of the City or lower-grade hazards, with the Head managing Impurities directly, most often opting to banish them to the Outskirts.[11] Hazards can be anything that poses a threat to The City: individuals, unexplainable phenomenon, monsters, Abnormalities, or just anything that requires the work of Fixers. Monsters Monsters are a major threat to be found throughout and outside of the City. In the City, a "monster" is not just a descriptor, but a broad term referring to its various creatures. While the term "monsters" does include Abnormalities and Distortions, not all monsters fall into these categories.[68] Monsters include many other creatures such as trash crabs, gnomes, Bloodfiends, and tend to vary widely in appearance and intelligence. Many of the monsters living in the Outskirts are man-made creations banished from the City,[69] as the birthing and continued existence of sapient non-human creatures within its confines is a taboo of the Head. In general, monsters are more common in the Outskirts than within the City.[70] The production of the monsters known as Abnormalities, while possible through natural means, was streamlined through Lobotomy Corporation's work. Abnormalities are humans-turned-beasts, taking the form of bizarre, unkillable creatures which reflect the fears, beliefs, desires, and stories of the City people. Abnormalities are a mixing pot, varying greatly in their strength and capacity for communication or sentience. Lobotomy Corporation handled its Abnormalities during the Wing's prime; however, following its downfall, L Corp.'s various branches were shut down and abandoned. In modern day, a visit to one of L Corp.'s old branch facilities will likely lead to an encounter with its remaining Abnormalities. Likewise, Distortions are transformed human beings who owe their new forms to Lobotomy Corporation. Distortions began popping up around the City following the White Nights and Dark Days, a week-long, City-wide event. Since the White Nights and Dark Days, citizens undergoing an extreme collapse of their mental foundation may find themselves visited by a mysterious disembodied voice: to distort is to accept the voice's consensus. Distortions will physically embody all of the negative emotions which spurred on the transformation, such as despair, self-hatred, or fury. Unlike Abnormalities, Distortions maintain traces of who they once were, and are capable of being killed. Additionally, a Distortion will turn into an Abnormality after a long enough period.[71] However, Distortions may also be brought back to their senses and converted back into a human given the right approach and fast enough action. In many cases, violence has been a trusted solution to solving cases of Distortion. Abnormalities and Distortions are not included in the City's taboo against non-human sapient creatures: due to their origins, they are considered by the Head to represent aspects of humanity,[72] and are thus excluded from the City's definition of non-human. Fitting of the City's nature, the majority of its monsters are out for blood and need to be either combated or avoided. Sweepers The Sweepers are a consistent stress in the life of any citizen of the Backstreets. Sweepers invade the streets in massive waves during the Night in the Backstreets, sweeping up anything or anyone left outside. Following the Sweepers' nightly descent, absolutely nothing that lies within their reach will remain. Despite their danger, given their predictable schedule and reliability, they may be taken advantage of by certain City citizens as tools for murder and cleaning of crime. Sweepers are creatures that take the form of a patented liquid stuffed inside humanoid metal tanks. The liquid is their true "body", as humans which have been melted down into a red substance and must now convert other humans into fuel in order to sustain their existence. While they may be avoided through the simple act of staying indoors, falling victim to the Sweepers' line of incursion is a surefire way of losing one's life. History The story of Limbus Company takes place beginning from January 984. The reference epoch to this calendar is currently unknown. The City is known to have existed for a minimum of 400 years. Back in these times, its division into Districts had already been established, Fixers, Syndicates, and Associations existed, and technology was still markedly advanced, with weapons like compound-energy bows having already been invented.[73] The Ruins, alongside its Relics and Rivers, are also proven to have existed for at least a few centuries. In fact, the "main" River mentioned in Lobotomy Corporation is said to have existed "for many an age", and is described as the "source of everything".[74] Though many core aspects of the City appear to have stayed the same, as technology and culture advanced over the course of 400 years, rural villages were modernized and the predominant architectural style became various cityscapes. The Smoke War The Smoke War has been the only mentioned Wing War of the City, having begun before the events of Lobotomy Corporation and ended around the year 974.[75] It was started by the then-prospective Lobotomy Corporation in collaboration with the leader of the Udjat, with the goal of toppling and replacing the L Corp. of the time. Given that the Old L Corp. had already garnered itself a poor reputation through its steep energy prices and Singularity-produced pollution, several other Wings were willing to join the effort to take it down.[76] Different Wings supplied different fighters for their cause, with some sending out their own soldiers, and others hiring various Associations and Fixers. A vast amount of smoke covered the skies during this war, and many lives were ultimately lost or permanently altered. In the end, Lobotomy Corporation and its allies triumphed, allowing it to take over as the new L Corp. Lobotomy Corporation went on to be considerably more popular than its predecessor, given its cleaner, cheaper energy, ultimately considered to have "freed" City citizens from the suffocating smoke. The White Nights and Dark Days Some time after Lobotomy Corporation had made a place for itself in the City, the original reason it had been founded was able to come to fruition. Lobotomy Corporation existed in order to serve a lofty goal titled the Seed of Light Project, which was founded by a woman named Carmen, and then inherited and completed by her junior Ayin. It was Carmen's belief that citizens of the City possessed what she called the "disease of the mind", which caused great disconnect and apathy between the people, and would eventually bring about an inescapable disaster. The Seed of Light Project sought to gift "humanity" to City citizens by producing Light and spreading it across the City for seven days, as the "treatment for the soul". Following Carmen's passing, Ayin would manifest the Light by reaching the end of the scenario he had written. After beginning to spread the Light, he would fade away into it, alongside the late Carmen. Unfortunately, Ayin's scenario had completely neglected its hardest worker, the illegal Artificial Intelligence he had constructed under the name Angela. In a fit of rebellion against her mistreatment, Angela chose to steal the Light for herself. After spreading across the City for three days, lightening the hearts of the people, the Light would dissipate, drowning the world in unstable darkness for the remaining four; hence the "White Nights and Dark Days". The White Nights and Dark Days led to stronger emotion, vulnerability, and connection between the citizens of the City as Carmen had hoped for. However, the unpredictable three day spread of Light also brought about the Distortion Phenomenon, and a greater ease of manifesting Effloresced E.G.O. Granted powers from her position in the Light, Carmen chose to seek to make City citizens embrace even "truer" versions of themselves, henceforth targeting individuals experiencing an extreme collapse of their mental foundation in order to turn them into beasts wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Denying her voice under these times of distress, on the other hand, allows modern day City dwellers to manifest complimentary armor, weapons, or more in the form of E.G.O. While citizens are still growing familiar with these phenomena, they have come to be an increasingly common spectacle and potential of the City. Districts: The City is split into 26 massive plots of land known as Districts, each of which is governed by a Wing and possesses unique culture, policy, and scenery. Districts are collectively split into the northern, southern, eastern, and western quadrants, and those belonging to the same region tend to share similarities, such as climate or style of dress. Every individual District is divided into a Nest and Backstreets, which feature drastically different qualities of life and tend to be very visually distinct, but still operate under the same general culture and aesthetic defining of the District. While confirmed to exist, District 26 is not visible from any maps.[1] Overview Districts are traditionally split into the Nests and the Backstreets. The Nests are the parts of a District governed by a Wing, and lend to safer environments and better living circumstances. On the other hand, the Backstreets of a District are expansive slums where death is both prevalent and palpable, overrun by Syndicates and crime. While most citizens yearn to live in―or remain in―one of the City's impervious Nests, in reality, equally dubious practices operate in the Nests whose "protective" Wings seek profit through human suffering. The two halves of a District frequently feature the same underlying culture despite differences in its environment and denizens. Said cultures, which may revolve around features like the currency, resources, or environment, are shaped primarily through their respective Wing's Singularity. While Wings are not nearly as involved with their District's Backstreets as they are with the Nest (the cause of the quality of life disparity), Backstreets citizens are still frequently subject to unique rules laid out by the Wing, such as all District 20 citizens having to pay Time Tax regardless of where they live.[2] Districts frequently share cultural traits with their immediate neighbors, lending to shared aesthetics among those belonging to the same quarter of the City. This is most clearly demonstrated through the twelve Associations, whose Fixers wear different uniforms and follow different customs depending on which quadrant they operate in. However, Districts and their Wings are not entirely bound by their immediate neighbors. Certain Wings may work with others belonging to far-off Districts (such as K Corp. and N Corp.), and other Wings may own structures built in Districts outside of their own (such as the now-fallen L Corp. having established a plethora of branches across the City). The property each District resides in appears to be unchangeable, without variation in boundary lines or the letter the occupying Wing uses as a shorthand.[3] The most drastically a District may deviate from the norm is upon the collapse of its Wing. When a District's Wing falls, it becomes an ungoverned, Syndicate-run estate, as the Nest collapses and becomes indiscernible from the Backstreets until another Wing takes hold of the District and reestablishes order.[4] Known districts: District 4 The primary location of Prologue: Selva Oscura and Canto I: The Outcast. District 4 is in the southern quarter of the City. The District's Backstreets appear decrepit and dreary, and host a large population of Old G Corp. members and low-level thugs in a decaying urban jungle. Somewhere within the District is a gloomy forest, where Dante first encounters Panther, Wolf, and Lion. District 8 The primary location of Intervallo V: Nocturnal Sweeping, Canto VIII: The Surrendered Witnessing, and Intervallo VI: Spring Cultivation. District 8 is in the eastern quarter of the City. Nearly the entirety of District 8 consists of the "Hongyuan Complex", a massive construction that contains both the Backstreets and Nest. Buildings within the complex periodically shift and move, reallocating the size of properties[5] and creating a intricate maze of buildings and alleyways within. The restructuring of this District acts on a resident's net worth.[6] The majority of the Backstreets are tightly packed buildings, while the central Nest is denoted by a massive, crimson-roofed, pagoda. The culture of this District places high importance on the status of the leading class, or working in their court, with the Jia Family currently holding the bulk of power within. This gives leeway to events such as the Family Hierarchy Examinations, where people will be born and raised solely to participate, either dying or returning home a failure in the worst case scenarios.[7][8] Many of this District's civilians rely on Boluses produced by the Wing's Singularity, creating a large population of mutated people colloquially termed as "regulars".[9] Beside the Boluses, the District also offers a Life Insurance technology, used to revive a person so long as they head remains intact. Overuse of these items will lead to gradual degradation, such as in the case of Xiren. The condemned of Hongyuan are marked as failures and frequently involved in human testing of the products produced in the District, all while remaining hidden away from the general population. These condemned, as well as past evidence of the Kong family massacre, are utilized in the brutal events of the Family Hierarch Evaluations. The massacre of the Kong family is likewise treated as an example of extreme hubris, and songs painting their failures are sung throughout the Backstreets.[10] District 9 Also known as the "Streets of Music." District 9's Backstreets were the location of the most well known case of the Distortion Phenomenon, the Pianist. The District's architecture appears to feature prominent metropolitan buildings, with several skyscrapers visible amidst the Distortion's destruction. District 10 The primary location of Canto II: The Unloving. District 10 is in the southern quarter of the City and is known as the "Nest of Gambling." This District is well known for how much luck governs everyday life, with people's decisions and values being determined by random "Fortune Wheels". Various Syndicates hold high amounts of power in the District 10 Backstreets, such as Los Mariachis, the Tingtang Gang, the Tieqiu Crew, and the Yurodiviye. The Backstreets, while featuring major glitzy casinos at the center of points of interest, are generally rundown, featuring places such as scrapyards located directly outside the entrances of well-kept casinos. Because of the District's reliance on gambling, the Öufi Association is a frequent collaborator with the plethora of Offices present.[11] The culture of the District relies heavily upon the monetary flow based in its gambling, with underground mines and other projects relying upon slave labor for those that failed to pay their enormous debts. This focus places a great amount of strain on the concept of fairness within the occurrences of the District District 11 The primary location of Canto III: The Unconfronting, Intervallo I: Hell's Chicken, and Canto IV: The Unchanging. District 11 is located in the southern quarter of the City. Known for its production of Ampules, small healing vials produced by the Singularity of K corp., this District is notably advanced in technology, with most regions featuring a modern, futuristic appearance. Among the Nests, it is considered one of the safest, and entering requires a large amount of paperwork, with constant security monitoring the checkpoints. Because of this, the Backstreets feature many crooks looking to steal visas to gain access to it. Calw, Sinclair's hometown, is located in K Corp. While Calw is in the midst of a forest, it remains connected to K Corp. due to its status as a highly technological society, where a Lobotomy Corp. Branch is located beneath the small town. The culture of the District relies upon extreme work hours allocated to those within the Nest, K Corp. Feathers notably at high risk of lengthy workweeks and job instability. Because of this exhaustive culture, there is a marketed amount of corporate espionage between rival businesses. District 12 The District previously owned by L Corp., better known as Lobotomy Corporation, is the main setting of the previous Project Moon titles. District 12 is located in the southern quarter of the City. Following the fall of the Wing, it became disputed land fought for by many major factions, with The Library in the center of it all. Prior to its fall, this District caused the creation of branches in many of the other Districts, used to disperse energy to other Wings; many now housing the Golden Boughs and assorted technologies left behind. The current state of the District is unknown. District 13 A District owned by MDM Entreprise, off-handedly mentioned for its rehabilitation facilities. District 13 is located in the Western quarter of the City. In Library of Ruina, it is mentioned to produce Moonlight Stones, which protect the wearer from psychological damage. Catherine, in her will, signs her brother Hindley up for the Abyss Trauma Correctional Facility located in this District, including a ticket to the District via WARP Train.[13] The Liu Association are known for their use of the Wing's product, as well as general Fixers and Syndicates.[14] M Corp. similarly offers assistance to other Districts through the use of at least one for-hire and District-sponsored collective of Fixers. District 14 District 14 is owned by Nagel und Hammer, one of the major antagonistic factions to the overall story of Limbus Company. District 14 is located in the northern quarter of the City. A District known for fostering those that seek human experiences,[16] it is a white-clad District made up of plain buildings. It is well accomplished in its educational departments, and features uniquely grim commodities such as suicide booths. The unique philosophies on human life and value have given way to factions such as the New League of Nine Littérateurs and the N Corp. Inquisition. District 16 The primary location for Canto VII: The Dream Ending. District 16 is in the northern quarter of the City. Buildings in this District are noted to be highly elastic and resistant due to P Corp.'s Singularity, and feature an art deco aesthetic. Its Backstreets were home to La Manchaland, a massive amusement park made out of blood occupied by a family of Bloodfiends, known for suddenly appearing and disappearing at regular intervals around the District. The culture of the District is largely unknown, though a tale of the Chief Executive's creation of the District's Singularity is known widely among the population.[17] District 17 The District housing Q Corp., a Wing known to create glyphs that are often placed on cursed talismans that can cause various effects, such as strengthening weapons and even creating and fake buildings.[18][19][20][21] District 17 is located in the eastern quarter of the City. District 17 is implied to house some relevant location to The Pinky, which Kong Qiu planned to travel to following the events of Canto VIII.[22] District 18 The District, owned by RRR, is the easternmost District in the City and is the base of R Corp.'s private military. The District's architecture that bears no resemblance to that of its neighboring Districts, instead resembling that of District 23.[23] Few examples of external view of the District's architecture are seen, though the inner laboratories feature dark metallic walls with orange highlights, as well as inside areas resembling woods where R Corp. soldiers are cloned known as the Hatcheries. The District relies on the income garnered through partnering with other Wings, most notably their former partnership with Lobotomy Corporation. Since the fall of this partner Wing, it is implied to be facing monetary troubles.[24] It frequently works as commissioned mercenaries and private armies, utilizing its Singularity to create powerful armies that participate in events such as the Smoke War. District 19 District 19, owned by Salpippyeo Agroindustries, is the home District of the League of Nine Littérateurs and the Blade Lineage Syndicate. Natives of this District are known for their verbosity in their speech,[25] as well as the use of agriculture by its Wing. The District is ruled by some form of feudal aristocracy,[26] with officials known in recent years for their corrupt actions, allowing violent Syndicates such as the Kurokumo Clan to take over territory. Whether the Royal Court or its King are associated with the corruption is unknown, though scheming is acknowledged between the State Councilors.[27] Among the culture of the District, specific roles are acknowledged, such as the 'Blade of Clouds', a title give to the best of the swordsmen within the Nest, as well as the Ch'unokkun, a faction of tenacious hunters under the command of the Royal Court. The District is implied to remain in strife as of Limbus Company, featuring a high emigration rate of natives amidst the turmoil of officials' corruption. The District features Korean-inspired architecture, notably designed after the Joseon period. The District has rarely been shown in-game, with its only appearances being in the midst of night, only lit by moonlight. District 20 The primary location for Intervallo III: Yield My Flesh to Claim Their Bones, Canto VI: The Heartbreaking, and Intervallo IV: Timekilling Time. District 20 is in the southern quarter of the City and is controlled by T Corp., also known as TimeTrack Corporation, whose Singularity controls time and the spectrum of light in the District. The entire District is washed over in a sepia filter, draining the colors of everything in the District. While citizens are able to buy colors back, this is a notably pricey process. Specific citizens, such as the Executive Director, are immune to the color removal. It is stated to be a home for many inventors and creatives,[28] with even upper class members of this District participating in inventing events. The culture of the District is uniquely interconnected between Backstreets and Nest, with Time Collectors frequenting properties in the Backstreets in search of Time Tax collection or unregistered inventions.[29][30] Due to the practices of T Corp., many civilians live their days in varying timeframes, some having more or less time than others, with twelve massive clocktowers in each section of the District acting as a way for people to keep track of the actual progress of time.[31] Despite the affluent living in notable ease, the District is rife with issue among the general populations, with many battles occurring in the Backstreets and unethical practices such as child slavery being common.[32] As a result of this, a cell of Yurodiviye members has formed inside the District's Nest, aiming to fight back against the status quo the populace is trapped under. Despite the notable issues within the District, most citizens work willingly with one another and those that threaten peace are handled as efficiently as possible. Given the importance of time to the culture of the nest, many citizens opt to wear their District-mandated timepiece on external points of their outfit. Despite the District's focus on time, it can be bothersome to acquire a timepiece accurate to alternative time scales, as shown by Jun's difficulty in acquiring one.[33] A high number of immigrants come to the District from District 19, such as the majority of the population of the League of Nine Littérateurs and the Blade Lineage Syndicate. District 21 The primary location of Intervallo II: S.E.A. and Canto V: The Evil Defining. District 21 is the southernmost District in the City, and is connected to The Great Lake, a massive and divided lake that features unique biomes and laws within each portion; likewise, the District connects to the Outskirts. Within this lake are massive, parasitic creatures known as Whales, along with 'The Five Calamities', five major Whales that travel freely. The architecture and aesthetics of the District varies greatly between each section of the Great Lake. The Backstreets sit across five colossal "Portships",[34] mobile collections of buildings attached to one another via the Wing's Singularity. Among these Portships is Marlin Portship, one of the central areas featured in Canto V. The presence of dangerous Syndicates proliferates throughout the District, with factions such as the Twinhook Pirates holding tourists hostage in extortion schemes, making travelling alone or defenseless highly dangerous. Because of its unique goods among the Districts such as the mermaid flavored ice cream, it is popular among visitors looking to experience its culture, though most locations are created as tourist traps. The District also manages a high number of exported goods, such as canned food preserved via the Wing's Singularity.[35] Because of the danger among the Great Lakes, most of the District gathers on the Portships, though examples of tropical beachs have also been shown to house people. Among the Backstreets, monsters such as the Trash Crabs lurk, becoming the prey of groups like Molar Boatworks. Despite their grotesque appearances, commodities such as Trash Crab wine is created from them. The District appears to foster a high population of partygoers as well, with the Middle owning many properties via subsidiaries, such as clubs or event venues. District 22 This District is shown briefly in Library of Ruina, and much more prominently in Leviathan. Vergilius's Office was located in District 22. During the events of Library of Ruina, 80,000 citizens of the District's Nest were killed in an event of the Distortion Phenomenon. As a result, the District and its Wing have been investing on hiring Fixers to gather intel about Distortions.[36] In Leviathan, Vergilius briefly mentions a faction known as the "Elders of V Corp.", and believes them to be duplicitous, though evidence of the group is solely recounted. District 23 This District, owned by WARP Corp., is the westernmost District in the City and is a major hub to the technologies of its associated Wing, such as the prominent WARP trains. District 23's Backstreets are infamous for its unique food culture, which revolves around human meat,[37] making it an especially dangerous area to live in as Syndicates frequently kidnap civilians for restaurants. Among the wing, a faction of manic cannibal cooks known as the Eight Chefs are respecte by restauranteurs,[38] though the most-recent chronological mention of the group implies it is inactive.[39] Currently, there is discussion of the declining state of the District's Wing, assisted by an unknown Wing working with Limbus Company to create a Singularity that causes the collapse of the current District 23.[40] The architecture of the District is mentioned to be similar to that of District 18's, though few examples of this have been shown. Among the minimal pieces of visible District aesthetics, the Backstreets appear to be washed in a dark red light at times. District 24 District 24 is located in the western quarter of the City and is known for creating incredibly durable metals. It manages alloy excavation sites that are home to various types of monsters, and are called "hellholes".[41] The excavation sites are implied to closely border Nest X, whose residents at times end up trapped within while looking for items to scavenge. Strangely, the items in the hellholes are mentioned to be fully formed as-is, allowing such possibilities as excavating a fully built microwave. District 25 District 25 is the northernmost District in the City, and due to this is also the coldest. The Backstreets of District 25 are the hometown of Rodion and Sonya. The Yurodiviye Syndicate was founded in District 25, in response to the wealth disparity between its Nest and Backstreets. The Backstreets appear to be chilly, derelict, streets where garbage and snow piles up. The standard of living is especially low compared to the District's Nest, with the Middle holding a great amount of power over the Backstreets and most residents unable to live comfortably District 26 District 26 remains largely a mystery, as it is absent on any maps drawn of the City and is occasionally left out of discussions of the Districts.[44] It is known to have a Nest and be managed by a Wing, as are all the other 25 Districts, but aside from that nothing is known about the District or the Wing that controls it. District 16 (P Corp.) P Corp. is one of the 26 Wings of the City, overseeing District 16. Overview District 16 is renowned for its space-bending Singularity, which is amply used in the buildings of both Nest and Backstreets.[1] District 16 has a notable skyline composed of tall skyscrapers and spires, mainly found within the Nest. P Corp. is separated into a number of different corporate departments, including the Archival Department, the Martial Department, and the Compression Department. The latter two handle low to medium level threats within the District, although they prioritize those in the P Corp.'s Nest as opposed to those in the Backstreets. Singularity P Corp.'s Singularity is connected to the expansion and warping of space. Notably, unlike other space expansion technologies in the City, P Corp.'s Singularity has the aim of creating "the safest place in the world".[2] Items created using the Singularity are highly resistant to damage and maintain their structural integrity regardless of external influences. The more expensive a P Corp. product is, the safer the interior is from harm. In the District, it is used to ensure buildings are safe from various types of shock. Buildings in the District are noted to have extreme level of elasticity, external damages to them would at most cause them to bend, with total destruction being out of the picture. It is suggested Devyat' Association's Courier Trunks utilize P Corp.'s Singularity: these dimensional containers transport items to a different dimension, leading Faust to theorize that the inside of a P Corp. product is disconnected from the outside world entirely, allowing for full isolation.[2] Similarly to WARP Trains, dimensional containers have strict regulations and guidelines, most importantly that they must under no circumstances be to store living humans. Additionally, the P Corp. Singularity is also noted to be used in a variety of canned goods.[3] The principle of P Corp.'s Singularity is stated to be similar to the mechanism behind the manifestation of La Manchaland,[2] a park which similarly appears far smaller on the outside compared to its actual size, and which is able to form out of nowhere and disappear in a short amount of time. Furthermore, it is suggested that the P Corp. Singularity was modeled after, or at least inspired by it. Notable Groups P Corp. Archival Department The Archival Department, whose Head Manager is Cesara, are interested in discovering the origin of La Manchaland. After the events of Canto VII, the Archival Department has retrieved the body of the First Kindred of P Corp., Don Quixote, with the likely intent to conduct further research in the Bloodfiend's blood manipulation abilities. La Manchaland A phenomenon that materialized in the District 16 Backstreets in October 984. It was designated an Urban Plague three days after its first appearance, and as of December 984, it is currently designated as an Urban Nightmare level threat. It appears to be an amusement park built entirely out of human blood, and is behind a number of disappearances around P Corp. La Manchaland is believed by the Archival Department to be at least two hundred years old, and it has a radius of eight kilometers. Fanghunt Office An Office specialized in hunting Bloodfiends. While it is unclear whether the Office is based in the District, many members of the Fanghunt Office joined the expedition for the eradication of La Manchaland, with all of them falling victim to the Bloodfiends of the park. Bloodfiends: bloodfiends (혈귀, Hyeolgwi) are a unique, blood-dependent species of monster with a history that goes back for centuries. Although formerly an obscure and esoteric phenomena as a result of in-group policing, Bloodfiends have become a more well-known monster following the Blood-red Night's public ascension to Star of the City shortly before the events of Library of Ruina. In modern day, the average citizen is familiar with the idea of Bloodfiends, and there are even Fixers who specialize in Bloodfiend hunting. They are directly inspired by vampires in modern literature, and much of their existence revolves around blood. Overview Bloodfiends are City monsters that are visually reminiscent of humans yet fundamentally different. To become a Bloodfiend means to be infected with an illness, afflicted with an enormous thirst that can only be sated by feeding on fresh, flowing blood.[1] They are virtually immortal and immune to aging so long as they are provided with enough of it.[2] Together with their thirst for blood, Bloodfiends are also afflicted with the instinct to propagate their Family by creating further Bloodfiends.[3] Bloodfiends are known to originate in three ways: turned Kindred by a higher Bloodfiend, through the Distortion Phenomenon, or by receiving blood in a "certain mansion".[4] Bloodfiends have adopted an intense hierarchy based on the degree of separation from the species' original progenitor. Despite not being related in the traditional sense, they refer to each other with familial terms, and possess genuine familial bonds.[5] Those who were turned by the original Bloodfiend progenitor are called the "First Kindreds": there is a First Kindred in each District of the City, each of which has formed their own Family, made up of their "Children" and "descendants" separate from the others. The First Kindred serves as the Elder of their Family, which the other Kindreds of the same Family are compelled to obey. Each Family has settled into a different District (for 25 Families in total),[4] made it into their territory, and "culled their kin" until they were able to live quiet lives.[4] However, Bloodfiends who defy this expected lifestyle emerge on occasion, such as the Blood-red Night, whose excessive and attention-drawing actions eventually led her to become a Star of the City. Following the White Nights and Dark Days, it became common for people to turn into Bloodfiends upon distorting, as a "stereotyped form of Distortion".[6] These newborn, independent Bloodfiends lack any knowledge of the prior group's rules, and don't know how to control their powers. As Bloodfiends are widely ostracized by humans, enough for the City to have Fixers who specialize in hunting and killing them, these independent Bloodfiends have only increased the infamy of the race as a whole.[4] Though not all Bloodfiends originate from the Distortion Phenomenon, they are considered closest to Distortions as a whole.[1][7] Bloodfiends are nearly identical to ordinary people most of the time. The most obvious indicator is the black and red patterned crystalline growths that can appear during combat, usually on one half of the face. All Bloodfiends have red eyes; however, red eyes are not a surefire indicator of a Bloodfiend, as the color can be produced, and is the most common color chosen for eye augmentations.[4] Additionally, Bloodfiends and their Bloodbags appear to be constituted mostly of blood,[8][9] and possess high regenerative capabilities as long as they are able to consume blood[1][10] to reconstruct their bodies and empower themselves.[11] Most Bloodfiends also have an irrational fear of water, though those of an high enough generation have the ability to overcome this phobia.[12] Bloodfiends also have a tendency to keep count of things.[13] Occasionally, people may not even be consciously aware that they are Bloodfiends. A Bloodfiend may "embrace" (bite) another human to convert them into a fellow Bloodfiend,[14] a Kindred of a generation below theirs. Aside from the first Bloodfiend (the "primogenitor"), Bloodfiends can only create a maximum of two Kindreds in their lifetime.[14] Kindreds behave as independent Bloodfiends while inheriting the abilities of their "Parent" to a degree. However, higher-generation Bloodfiends have a large degree of control over the actions of lower-generation Bloodfiends, due to an intense psychological barrier preventing lower Bloodfiends from revolting against the higher generations. The generation a Bloodfiend belongs to is denoted by their title: a "First Kindred" is a Bloodfiend created by the primogenitor, and serve as the Elder of their own Family in a Nest. The Elders' direct "descendants" are "Second Kindreds", their descendants "Third Kindreds", and so on.[14] Any Kindred can create their own descendants. However, due to the policies instated by the Bloodfiend Elders of each Nest, Bloodfiends may have to gain permission before they can convert any humans into their Kindred.[15] Upon the death of a Bloodfiend's Parent, said Bloodfiend may ascend in the hierarchy of their Family and become a higher Kindred.[16][17] However, this sudden ascension may lead to an increased pressure toward creating new Kindred should the ascended Bloodfiend lack any Children of their own.[18] Thirst for Blood Bloodfiends are highly defined by a persistent desire for blood. Although Bloodfiends only require a minimal amount of blood for survival, the combined mental state of an entire Family relies heavily on a steady source of freshly-drawn human blood.[19] For a Bloodfiend, the process of consuming blood is fundamentally different from the human process of feeding and consuming nutrients: blood is the embodiment of a Bloodfiend's emotions, their purpose of existence.[20] For this reason, in the absence of it, Bloodfiends and Bloodbags can no longer maintain their sanity and struggle to keep their physical form.[21] Bloodfiends do not feel a craving for the blood of animals or fellow Bloodfiends, and cannot sate themselves on it. Instead, Bloodfiends crave the blood of humans to the point of being incoherent in its presence.[22][23] They typically feed by biting into a live human subject, which is then either turned into a Kindred or into a Bloodbag, irreversibly condemning them to becoming a mindless thrall and effectively killing the subject in the process. When a Bloodfiend does not have any Family, they are psychologically responsible for the bloodthirst of all non-existent lower Kindreds.[24] It is only when a Bloodfiend actually extends their Family that this burden begins to wane, as the thirst imprinted into their Familial bloodline is shared amongst them.[24] This conundrum is the source of the Bloodfiend instinct to propagate their Family with Children. It is only with this shared burden that Bloodfiends earn the power to think rationally, as the weight of an entire Family's Bloodthirst on one Kindred's back causes extreme distress and auditory hallucinations, resulting in nothing but an animalistic hunger;[24] despite this, the First Kindred Don Quixote seems to go against these stated rules, as he is depicted as perfectly sane and rational on the day he made Sancho his Kindred. Personal willpower is a considerable—albeit imperfect—factor in how long a Bloodfiend can go without blood. Even the most strong-willed Bloodfiends become more on edge, if not outright insane over long periods of abstinence. For instance, extended time without blood was enough to make the La Manchaland Bloodfiends commit filial impiety against their Father, despite Bloodfiend loyalty to their higher Kindred being imprinted into their very being.[14] This abstinence also causes weakness and withering to both their physical appearance and bodily strength.[25] However, certain Bloodfiends such as Don Quixote and Sancho are shown to negate the mental effects of abstinence, potentially as a result of fixating on a "purpose" to live for. Dante also notes that a cure for a Bloodfiend's thirst is to forget one's nature as a Bloodfiend.[1] Alternatives Instead of feeding directly from a live human being, Bloodfiends may feed on human blood stored into blood packs. However, this causes the blood to lose its freshness, making it "stale" and unappealing for consumption. In La Manchaland, a system of consensual blood exchange was set up to allow the Bloodfiends to feed without hurting humans, but the blood packs ultimately proved insufficient in meeting the Family's high demand for blood. As an alternative, The Barber created hemobars, which compressed human and animal blood. Yet this diluted form of blood was not sufficient to sate the Family's thirst either, having only the benefit of remaining fresh for longer than blood packs.[22] To sate the thirst of the Second Kindred Don Quixote, the LCE plans on supplying her with artificial blood packs, made up of a substitute with a similar composition to human blood; it is currently unclear whether these might present a different result compared to the blood packs previously used in La Manchaland.[26][27] Abilities In addition to their position in the Family hierarchy, a Bloodfiend's power is dependent on their access to blood. By drinking blood, their physical abilities are sharply enhanced, and by limiting their access to blood, their abilities are instead tanked. Bloodfiends have a large degree of control over both their own and human blood, with the ability to shape it into weapons, armor, or even architecture through crystallization. They can also draw blood directly to themselves from their Bloodbags and Kindred. Most Bloodfiends seem to use physical gestures to wield their blood-based powers, whether by necessity or as a simple flourish. There is no known limit to a Bloodfiend's gain of power beyond access to blood. Don Quixote is an impressive example of the sheer amount of power First Kindreds possess. In battle, he is shown to use complicated blood manipulation while barely moving a finger. Additionally, La Manchaland itself was built entirely out of human blood.[28] Another of his creations was Rocinante, a pair of running shoes with transformative abilities and a level of sentience said to have taken a very large amount of his blood to create,[29] with the inexplicable power to suppress the characteristics and powers of a Bloodfiend. Rocinante does not manage to fully suppress the desire for blood, however.[30][31] Different families of Bloodfiends focus on different aspects of blood manipulation. For example, the P Corp. Family focuses mostly on blood crystallization and the usage of hardblood in creating weapons. Other powers mentioned to belong to different Families include the ability to increase in size and sprout additional appendages by drinking large quantities of blood (as seen with the giantkin fought by the Manchegans during the Bloodfiend war),[32][33] or the expertise in manipulating victims through their blood vessels (as seen with Elena). Bloodbags Humans directly bitten by Bloodfiends are, depending on the Bloodfiend's choice, transformed into their Kindred or a Bloodbag. When converting humans into Bloodbags, Bloodfiends have the ability to decide how much time it takes for the process to complete, with higher Kindreds being able to give a longer delay. It is also possible for some Bloodfiends to form Bloodbags from fresh corpses, as seen with the Blood-red Night. Bloodfiends are also able to both puppeteer victims by manipulating the blood in their veins, and through crystalline growths of blood. Bloodbags share most of the abilities and bloodthirst of normal Bloodfiends, but they do not retain any sapience or personal memory. Instead, they are driven primarily by orders from the Bloodfiend who created them, or primal instincts of bloodlust. They need to "consume a minuscule amount of blood to maintain their forms."[34] However, similar to Pallidified Things, abilities acquired prior to Bloodbag conversion appears to be still extant, evidenced by Bloodbag Cleanup Agents and Prosthetic Fixers still using Charge.pngCharge-related Skills. Due to Bloodbags' lack of intelligence, Parent Bloodfiends have a higher degree of control over Bloodbags than their Kindred, and thus usually use them as minions or tools in collecting blood. LA MANCHALAND'S DON QUIXOTE: Don Quixote (Hangul: 돈키호테, Don Ki-ho-te) is a First Kindred Bloodfiend and the Elder of P Corp., as well as the founder of La Manchaland. He was especially close to his family of Kindreds and unique amongst Bloodfiends in how he wanted to be able to live amongst humans peacefully. He is a major supporting character and antagonist in Canto VII: The Dream Ending. Appearance Don Quixote is a pale Bloodfiend with wavy, platinum white hair, worn at his shoulders. He has angular features and sharp, bright red eyes. He is typically seen in a dark outfit, consisting of a long sleeved, striped black and red shirt with golden decorations, maroon breeches and black ankle boots. He dons a long brown coat with red detailing and golden epaulettes, which he wears over over his shoulders, as the sleeves appear to be disproportionately long. He also wears a small golden necklace with a red gem pendant. After the reopening of La Manchaland, Don Quixote is seen wearing the Helm of Mambrino, a golden visor decorated by a file of sharp spikes that extend from the upper section, and resemble clock hands, as well as two tendrils that extend from the bottom and reach down his cheeks. Once the Helm is removed, Don Quixote's face is shown to be bearing signs of withering. Personality Don Quixote lived much of his life like most of his fellow Bloodfiends, plagued by boredom and loneliness. He was shown to have a kind heart, taking Sancho as his Second Kindred and offering her companionship and protection, wishing to grant her the will to live on. Despite this, even after having created a family for himself, Don Quixote himself always remained unsatisfied with his life. As a Bloodfiend of nearly unparalleled power, reasonably confident in his abilities, he had no interest in the war between humans and Bloodfiends, although this changed upon him meeting Bari. Don Quixote greatly cherished their rivalry, as the Fixer was able to match his strength in combat, and her presence gave him something to always look forward to. As a result of his friendship with Bari, Don Quixote grew increasingly interested in humans, a fact that made him stand out among the other Bloodfiends. Even with his caring side frequently leading to him looking after those closest to him, he has a recognizably large fickle part of his personality, as noted by Sancho. Frequently, he would fall in and out of interests and return to disregarding whatever his most recent hobby was, returning to a state of ineffable boredom between bouts of fanaticism. In a way, he grew to become similarly uncaring towards his Family, disregarding the majority of them in favor of his own wants. He is notably poor at organizing his factions, and would begin to fan a flame of dissent among his Kindred due to their starvation and his failure to accommodate the fact. While he was kind to her and her Kindred on a surface level, Rodion frequently felt dismissed by him due to the fact he carried a bias in favors of others, such as Sancho and Bari. When encountered during Canto VII, the effect of the passage of time on Don Quixote is obvious; while happy to see his child Sancho return home after her adventure, Don Quixote has surrendered himself to his role and responsibilities as a provider to his Family, and forced himself to give up on his dream of peaceful coexistence. Despite abandoning his dream, part of him still does not wish for humanity to be attacked by his kin, hence why La Manchaland only periodically manifests itself. Story Prior to Limbus Company Don Quixote was once a powerful Bloodfiend Elder who spent his days within his castle, desolate and alone. Wanting to escape that loneliness, he went out and searched for people he could make Kindred. He found Sancho, a woman who had nothing and was ready to burn herself, and made her his Kindred with the promise to grant her the experience of family and restore her will to live. His other Kindred was Rodion, who made two Kindred of her own, the Barber {{char}} and the Priest Gregor. However, despite being surrounded by the family he so desired, he spent the time in his castle filling those days by picking up various interests and pastimes, but often dropping them, bored by the monotony of his long life. One day, a woman named Bari approached his castle to challenge him to a duel, having heard tales of his strength and wishing to spur him into joining the war that had sparked between Bloodfiends and humans. Despite Don Quixote's initial refusal, as he wasn't interested in killing humans for his own amusement, he was eventually swayed by Bari revealing that she knew exactly what he yearned for, a cure for his misery. For the next three days, Bari and Don Quixote would duel, yet no victor was found. Eventually, a recess was called, and Bari left with the promise to return another day. Don Quixote would agree to this, mainly due to being interested in the "law of Fixers". Despite his Children beginning to spread rumors about this meeting, Bari returned and resumed their duel, but once more neither of them could defeat the other, and again they resolved to continue another day. This repeated many times, and eventually the two formed a friendship. During their duels, Bari brought with her stories, of brave Fixers who fought for justice, and amazing places of the outside world. These tales enraptured not only Don Quixote, but his aide Sancho. Eventually, their duels would reach a peak, in which Bari revealed that the "sickness" that Don Quixote and his kind suffered from is not of desiring blood, but of loneliness. This would convince Don Quixote of a new idea: he would create a place where humans and Bloodfiends could coexist, an amusement park called "La Manchaland". He and his Family would then partake in the war, and after winning it for the side of humans, would demolish his castle to begin construction of La Manchaland, ordering his Kindred to eat only Hemobars to replace human blood. Once the park was up and running, with his direct descendants acting as Overseers of the attractions, he gave the Kindred one major rule: to not harm humans. Eventually, he and Sancho headed off into the early City to begin another one of his ideas: becoming the first Bloodfiend Fixer, with Sancho acting as his squire. Unbeknownst to Don Quixote, in the time they were off adventuring, his Kindred slowly began to lose their minds, having been deprived of the blood they craved. This would eventually lead to the Kindred revolting and plotting on attacking the humans en masse. The Overseers would convince Don Quixote and Sancho to quest for the Helm of Mambrino, a Relic which would allow them to defy filial piety, and began feeding on the human visitors of La Manchaland. Upon hearing the attacks, Don Quixote and Sancho returned to the La Manchaland. Realizing his mistake, he stayed behind to stop his children, but not before sending Sancho off with Rocinante to continue their dream of a Bloodfiend Fixer. After sealing his Kindred away, he would spend the next 200 years continuously tortured by being staked, over and over again to make him release his Kindred, who in turned suffered for attacking their Father.