The Taint

The Taint is one of LBN’s major sewage and drainage outlets, located on the western coast, it nestles in a crevice where the BlastWalls converge at the head of a mighty estuary.
Behind the BlastWall castellations, gigantic corroded pumps churn a constant deluge of black and grey water from LBN’s Tubes out of cavernous drainage pipes and into a great plunge pool of effluence below. This churning crucible of excreta with its scum towers and immense fat burgs is considered to be the primary source of the Taints unique stench.
Beyond the torrents of waste that cascade from the BlastWall pipes winds a treacherous shifting landscape of sewage banks and soiled wetlands formed by the tremendous currents and eddies that carve meandering streams to the ocean. These are abundant with spurious wildlife that thrive in the nutrient rich muck. The sludge squirms with all manner of nematodes which support an ecosystem of pallid, sightless fish and amphibians, adapted to the near zero visibility of the murky waters. Coiled in the slimy depths lurk massive eels, the largest of which are legendary man eaters.

The Taint is one of the few BlastWall HabLock regions designated for dangerous NoHopers. The great moat of effluence along the exterior wall and the grim Unvironment beyond are considered a sufficient deterrent. It has a reputation across the LBN as being one of the least desired locations for incarceration. The appalling sulphurous stench that permeates the air is almost unbearable causing nausea and disorientation. Mixing with LBN’s industrial smog and drizzle, it hangs in a palpable yellowish mist staining everything it touches. The Taint’s location is designed to take advantage of prevailing winds that sweep from the mainland to the ocean however sporadic changes in wind direction can cause mass waves of extreme nausea InSide, as well as outbreaks from pathogens carried in the miasmic air. InMates are issued regulation breathers that degrade after a few cycles use to further deter any thoughts of escape.
InMates manufacture Chemix derived from latrine cleansers termed ‘Sniff’ which, when snorted, provides an intensely psychotic rush whilst temporarily disabling the sense of smell. Sniff permeates local InMate culture and is used daily by most. Before any journey in an open vehicle it is customary for the passenger to prepare a generous line of Sniff for the driver. Prolonged abuse of Sniff causes irreparable damage to the olfactory system, a factor that most InMates of the Taint rely on.
It’s a widely held belief that residents of the Taint carry the smell with them long after departing LBN with Q_rank 0 status. Gangs of the Taint, such as the infamous Noseless are treated with suspicion by the rest of LBN’s population due to their excessive savagery towards any insults regarding the smell that clings to their clothes and vehicles, and for wearing the noses of their victims as trophies. The loose collective of disparate InMate factions that rule the HabLocks proliferating the Taint are referred to as the Tainted, consisting of the higher percentiles of low ranking InMates, exceptionally dangerous individuals committed for the most serious crimes and with little to no hope of release. Consequently Tainted gangs are plagued with constant in fighting and dissension, rarely uniting under a central hierarchy of leadership. The majority of Tainted factions however work cooperatively to achieve their objectives, with local groups regularly joining forces to intercept convoys of latrine cleaner or crush rival gang interests on the Taints borders.
The hardiest Tainted gain kudos by racing along the access routes that serve the BlastWall outlets, risking being overwhelmed by the fumes and plunging into the lakes of sewage below. These races are also a popular ritual for gang initiations. FED supply vehicles are commonly ambushed along these routes as backup or rescue are rarely prioritised.
Much of the local InMate labour revolves around the Taint's fungus farms, situated in the dank sublevels of the BlastWall. Here tiered banks of low nutrition fungi are irrigated from flows diverted from the pipes above, their leathery grey flesh supplementing the minimal levels of sustenance supplied for the InMate population. Work in these dingy, humid farms is dark and miserable with constant rumours of BlackSpot. For relief InMates cultivate psychotropic fungi common to the western peninsula in neglected tunnels and abandoned spore beds. These are abnormally potent and are a prized commodity across the LBN.
When exceptionally severe storms hit the LBN, heavy rainfall can overwhelm the Tubes drainage capacity. Across the mainland, unfortunate populations resident in the Tubes are swept into the draining flood waters and collectively pumped out at the Taint. This can result in mass tides of corpses clogging the pipes and littering the soiled flats, providing a rich harvest for the creatures and degenerate escapees that haunt them.

Tourism

Some of the largest giant eels on record have been documented in the boiling froth of the Taint, although rumours of even greater creatures have been reported along the northern coasts. Each spawning season, monstrous adults climb the BlastWalls of the Taint, gaining purchase on the solidified filth around the outlets and swarming against the flow of the colossal waste pipes. At peak season, giant eel numbers can overwhelm the BlastWall defences and local FED forces are mobilised to stem the tide. InMates are traditionally drafted in support and given temporary access to lethal weaponry. The ensuing carnage and inevitable friendly fire incidents draw huge crowds of InMates from across the LBN, many of whom join in the fray with improvised weapons. The vast majority of giant eels are crushed by Rooks or overwhelmed by InMate mobs however a few disappear into the safety and darkness of the Tubes. The remains of the largest eels are paraded through the HabLocks by the jubilant InMates. These are butchered along the route and traditionally roasted in the flames of burning FED vehicles. Celebrations continue until dawn when flocks of hungry ShiteHawks drawn to the stinking waste finally overwhelm the revellers.

Owning Organization

Labour Banishment Nexus