The Syndicate Control Zone, more commonly called Syndicate, is the western region of DisCity, separated from Eastside by The Rust on one side and bordered by the WhiteSands on the other. Syndicate is the poorest and most chaotic area of the DisCity, a gang haven and lawless place that has continuously spread violence and chaos to the entire city throughout the past twenty years, and control measures have never been effective.
Circa N.F. 80, Syndicate (or as it was known then, the West District) was DisCity’s true economic center and a huge industrial city, especially the Inner Bay region. Every Hypercube extracted from the DisSea was processed and went through logistical and commercial preparation in the West District before being shipped off to everywhere in the world. This prosperity was ended by the DisSea Explosion, which destroyed the mining industry in the DisSea, causing much of the West District to go bankrupt and be abandoned. In N.F. 99, the West District Order Management Regulations made Syndicate a legally self-governing region, belonging to DisCity in name only.
Since the DisSea Explosion, Syndicate's population has fallen year after year, from a high of 9.26 million in N.F. 84 down to 6.5 million as of N.F. 112. Statistics show that Syndicate has an illiteracy rate of close to 80%.
The freedom from authority in Syndicate has turned it into a shelter for Sinners, whether that's just as a place to escape the law, or a place to form their own organizations and forces.
Rebirth
At the end of N.F. 113, Syndicate emerged from its many crises and began a period of cultural and economic renaissance. The power of the gangs that had held defacto rulership over the District for the previous three decades had been broken by their war with The Legion in the prior year. The entry of the Reconstruction Executive Committee into the District shortly thereafter galvanized a new sense of a united Syndican identity, especially in Drifter Camp, which was harnessed and focused by the revolutionary group Rustfire. However, the strongest engine of this renaissance was the revival of the West District's Hypercube mining industry, driven by the acquisition of new mines in the remains of BR-004 and BR-002, the latter of which was destroyed in November N.F. 113 by the collective will of the people of West District after the Black Ring had expanded to absorb the entirety of the District.
The promise of enormous Hypercube production on the horizon brought the chance for Syndicans to forge new alliances and investments from progressive elements in Eastside, monied elites, and even interested Outlanders. Conservative forces in Eastside's City Council, largely driven by the influence of Nirvana, planned to declare outright war between the two halves of the city in order to regain control of the West District, but these schemes were avoided by the political influence of the Chief of the MBCC and the Cavendish family, who instead successfully pushed for a policy of reconciliation and cooperation between the districts.
Locations
Keylan Square
Keylan Square is a plaza in the center of Syndicate, home to an enormous statue of Keylan, the scientist who invented or discovered the Hypercube and the founding father of DisCity. Keylan Square is the location of the gangs' yearly final battle for supremacy. In N.F. 112 the Square was chosen as the site of negotiations between the Public Security Bureau and The Legion to amend the West District Order Management Regulations, an event which led to BR-004 appearing in the Square.
Drifter Camp
Drifter Camp is a refuge in Syndicate's Inner Bay region that is home to many displaced individuals from both DisCity and Outland. For many years following the DisSea Explosion, the residents of Drifter Camp were extorted by Syndicate's gangs and the region was considered the worst slum in DisCity. Despite their poverty, Drifter Camp and its residents have formed a tight-knit and positive community, perhaps one of the only places such a thing can be found in DisCity.
SALVA Hospital
SALVA Hospital is a medical facility in Syndicate dedicated to the treatment of Mania.
Unclaimed Crypt
The Unclaimed Crypt, also referred to as Black Water Crypt, is a former Hypercube-processing facility beneath the desert south of Syndicate. It was used by PARMA as a place to store the Inheritance, and the site of the final battle between The Legion and the other gangs of Syndicate.
Gangs
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Since the enactment of the West District Order Management Regulations, the gangs are the real rulers of Syndicate. Of Syndicate's 6.5 million residents in N.F. 112, about 300,000 are involved in gang violence (Shalom interrogation). Every summer, the gangs fight to the death to be the 'Syndicate Boss.' In addition to the gang member casualties, hundreds of innocent civilians die as collateral every year. The final showdown of this gang war is typically in July, but in N.F. 112 the fighting extends for another full month due to the Mania crisis spread by fighting over the Inheritance. The gangs also fight each other for possession of liquid Mania crystals, which can be injected to induce Mania and accelerate mutation, craving the power that it brings. From behind the scenes, this eternal internecine conflict is orchestrated by PARMA, functioning as arms dealers to keep Syndicate in a state of chaos.
Carnivores
A gang that has risen quickly in recent years, they are known for being extremely cruel. Wolverine appears to have been bought by them in his youth and trained as a "hunting dog" to hunt and fight Corruptors in The Rust area, the remains of which are sold to dealers who are part of the Mania Weapon supply chain.
Gonzalez Family
The Gonzalez Family are a large gang connected by blood; rumors claim that they all share an inherited mental disorder. Disorganized street thugs, Earl refers to them as "brainless junkies." The Gonzalez Family was one of the main factions to attacks SALVA Hospital, and part of the coalition fighting against The Legion for the Inheritance. By the end of these conflicts, the gang is nearly wiped out.
The family's patriarch is Francisco Gonzalez. His son, Diego Gonzalez, is an obsessive superfan of DeadLover Radio and ran away from home around the time of the N.F. 113 DisCars awards ceremony to join their staff.
Ted's Gang
Led by Ted, this gang collaborates with the Public Security Bureau, but their real aim is to destroy the SALVA Hospital and eradicate all Sinners in Syndicate. They are effectively wiped out with the death of their leader.
The Legion
Led by Zoya, The Legion is the largest and most powerful gang in Syndicate. They seek to unify Syndicate by force, and many other gangs ally together to resist The Legion's dominance. Unlike the other gangs, The Legion does not use Mania weapons. According to Earl, this is because only the weak need to imitate others' power.
Red Falcons
The Red Falcon is a renowned Syndicate club that doubles as an intelligence exchange center for a militaristic gang whose members wield heavy weaponry and wear dog tags. The Red Falcons boast more than 10,000 registered members, but only a few hundred are part of the core group. They are part of the coalition fighting against The Legion for the Inheritance, but when the Legion attacks, they turn on the Gonzalez Family, turning their allies into Corruptors to buy time for a retreat.
Thou Voodoos
An occult-themed and unusually secretive gang led by a High Priest, Thou Voodoos believe that Sinners are demons and deserve divine punishment. Its members hide their affiliation and only reveal themselves for their gang events. They are part of the coalition fighting against the Legion for the Inheritance. After the end of the gang wars, the surviving remnants of Thou Voodoos acquired the last stockpile of Mania Crystals in Syndicate, but their High Priestess was killed by Crache.
Yagyu
Ostensibly a legal business, Yagyu Limited is a blade manufacturing company that is really a front for the gang. Yagyu is generally more organized and professional than other Syndicate gangs. They are also in the business of enslaving and "training" Sinners, such as the Gray-Haired Girl and Crache. Raven was briefly employed by Yagyu as a writer for their company newsletter.