Brat Gangs, also known as Brats,[1c] are one of the types of gangs known to exist on the Hive World of Necromunda, and are composed of high status youths, who live in its Hives' upper levels.[1a]
Although the noble households are outside the clan structure of Necromunda are not immune to the influence of the pervading tribal culture of the hive world.[1b] The idle and decadent youth from Necromunda’s nobility, [1b] rich middle class,[1c] and even the Clan Houseses[4a] emulate the young clan warriors by forming their own Brat gangs, which make it their business to look after the honour of their household.[1b] Many nobles run with the Brats in their youth for a time before they succeed to holding office, and can then continue to further the interest of their own household by more subtle means.[1b]
Brats are privileged, wealthy, inquisitive, rebellious and open to wider influences than are available in the lower levels of the hive. They sport fantastic, elaborated costumes and hairstyles, and flout the conventions of hive life as openly as possible – extravagant rather than practical clothing characterise these gangs. Brats are always in the forefront of any new fashion or cult that sweeps through the upper levels of the hive. They can be quite well armed due to wealth and access to imports.[1b] Exotic weaponry is especially favoured.[1b][2]
Their initiation rituals are bizarre imitations of those practised by other hive gangs,[1b] some which involve self-starvation.[4c]
Brat gangs natural territories are the estates of the noble households in upper hab layers where they run together in packs, but they do not limit their predations to their home territories, and frequently drop down the spire into the lower habs. Once there their wealth can be used to obtain any drug or weapon.[1b] Brats in the underhive prefer to move around, clamming territory only for short times, to keep up to date on any new fashion in the various parts of the hive, and also to avoid the law.[4c]
Brats are mainly concerned with upholding the honour of their households and fighting between Brat gangs more often have their root causes with honour, traditional enmity, and dynastic disputes. Rather than the mainly economic and territorial causes of gang warfare in the lower levels of the hive. They also assume responsibility for ‘protecting’ their territory from uncouth lower hive dwellers. Brat gangs like to create a reputation for themselves by raiding other gangs and terrorise the Techs and workers of the lower habs, safe in the knowledge that they can return to the upper habs whenever they want to.[1b]
Some Brat gangs are made up of unruly, discontent and rebellious youths that have been cast out of their house for committing acts against society and their clan. Those youths flee to the Hive Bottom to escape the persecution of the Adeptus Arbites or their former house.[4a]
Brats are often heavily into drug culture, and live for the sheer joy of the moment.[4b] Some Brat gangs get up to various rebellious, subversive, and anarchic activities, including involvement with cultist and wyrds.[1b][4b]
Hive Trazior is infamous for the Brat gangs of its up-hive spires, who take a cruel delight in engaging in gang warfare with the ‘commoners’ of the underhive. They are well known for their brightly painted, and incredibly rare, jetbikes, which they race through the throughfares and transit tubes, inflicting mischief and mayhem wherever they pass.[5]
On the eve of 40th Millennium the Helot Cult Cult of the Exquisite Corpse arose from the manufactoria of Hive Prosperine and what began as a localised rebellion in a pharmaceutica plant owned by House Escher had within a week turned into an unrest the Hive Prosperine Palanite Enforcer corps was hard pressed to contain. Spreading uphive, hundreds of Brat gangs throw in their lot with the workers, seemingly just for the thrill of it.[6]
Known Brat Gangs
Trivia
The Cloudboys gangs on the Hive World Desoleum, in the Askellon Sector, are similar to Necromunda's Brats, with them both being made up by the children or outcasts of the nobility.[8]
Sources
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- 1: White Dwarf 131 (UK) – Necromunda: Gangs
- 2: White Dwarf 132 (UK), pg. 29 – Gang Modifiers Chart
- 3: Space Marine (Novel), Chapter 1
Heretic Tomes - 4: The Citadel Journal 34 - Brat Gangs: New Gangers are in the Hive
- 5: Necromunda: Underhive (2017), pg. 16 – Hive Trazior
- 6: Necromunda: The Book of Ruin, pg. 24
- 7: White Dwarf 488, pg. 130 – The Aranthian Succession
- 8: Dark Heresy Second Edition: Core Rulebook, pg. 336