The Wastelanders were humans that occupied Spargus City. Founded in 272 HE, Wastelanders were mercenaries paid to venture outside the walls of Spargus City to bring back artifacts or perform dangerous tasks. A tough and hardy people, most Wastelanders were originally citizens of Haven City who were banished to the Wasteland for various reasons.
Commanders and Leaders
Damas
The former king of Spargus City, Damas was also a member of the House of Mar that ruled Haven City for most of its history. Damas came to the throne of Haven City in 277 HE during the middle of the Metal Head Wars. After reigning for twenty years, he was betrayed by Baron Praxis and banished to the Wasteland, where he fought and dethroned the previous king of Spargus City. Damas subsequently became king of Spargus City and presided over a period of peace and stability, with crime and corruption eliminated under his rule. By 301 HE, Damas was planning to lead an attack on Haven City, which was engulfed in a civil war known as the War for Haven City, as part of a revenge plan for his banishment to the Wasteland. However, after defeating the Dark Makers at the Battle of Spargus City, Damas lost his life while helping Jak break through Haven City’s Palace Ruins and opening the door to the Precursor Catacombs. Upon Damas’ death, Sig became king of Spargus City.
Kleiver
Born in 251 HE, Kleiver was a Wasteland mercenary who used to work for the crime lord Krew. A huge and burly man, he owned Spargus City’s off-road buggies and often used them to retrieve artifacts and make deals with Marauders and Metal Heads. During the events of 301 HE, he helped Jak and Daxter find the underground entrance into the Catacombs via the Monk Temple before forcing Count Veger, who had been turned into an Ottsel, to become his sidekick. A year later, Kleiver entered the Kras City Grand Championship on Mizo’s team to get even with Jak for beating him at the racing and gun turret challenges.
Sig
Born in 274 HE, Sig was a veteran Wastelander sent to Haven City as a spy to look for Damas’ son, Mar. He subsequently worked as the bodyguard for Krew, the owner of the Hip-Hog Heaven Saloon, where he hunted Metal Heads outside of the city. After Krew’s death, Sig returned to Spargus City, where he sought to hone his skills in the Arena of Death, although he would return to Haven City to participate in the Raid on the Metal Head Tower. After the death of Damas, Sig became king of Spargus City and later took part in the Kras City Grand Championship.
Locations and Districts
Spargus City
Spargus City was a refuge city located along the northern coast of the Wasteland. It was inhabited by the Wastelanders, who had been thrown out of Haven City and left to die between 272-301 HE. While its walls protected its population from the harsh desert elements, Spargus Citizens had to prove their worth as true Wastelanders by earning their war amulet in the Spargus Arena. Unlike Haven City, Spargus City was free of crime and corruption thanks to Damas, who defeated the previous king in battle in 297 HE. The city was divided into three sections: the western section was home to the Gun Turret and a market where fruit and other goods were traded; the eastern section was the location of the Spargus Arena, a light eco vent, water well and the Spargus Garage; finally, the entrance to the king’s Palace was located in the centre of the city with the Palace acting as a beacon to Spargus Citizens out in the Wasteland.
Units
Spargus Citizens
Spargus Citizens were originally Haven Citizens who were banished to the Wasteland and had to prove their worth in combat by accomplishing arena battles to become Wastelanders. Being exiles who fought to prove themselves to the king, Spargus Citizens were a tough group and often had exceptional knowledge of desert survival, motorised vehicles, and weaponry. Unlike Haven citizens, Spargus Citizens were aggressive and would return fire should somebody attack them. They carried a rifle, which looked like a gun staff with a barrel and stock. If attacked, a citizen would attempt to hit their opponent with their rifle at close range or shoot them from a distance. During the Battle of Spargus City, citizens fought Dark Maker Troopers. While one-on-one, they were outmatched, their superior numbers allowed them to outflank and bypass the Trooper's shield successfully and hit them from behind.
Vehicles and Turrets
Buggies
Buggies were specialised off-road vehicles that Wastelanders used to make runs into the Wasteland to retrieve Precursor artifacts. Buggies were the only safe way to travel through the Wasteland without being caught by Marauders, Metal Heads, or sandstorms. There were eight buggies in total: Tough Puppy, Sand Shark, Dune Hopper, Gila Stomper, Slam Dozer, Heat Seeker, Dust Demon, and Desert Screamer. Except for the Tough Puppy, all buggies were equipped with mounted machine guns or grenade launchers. At the same time, each vehicle had its own attributes that allowed them to adapt to the Wasteland’s rough and uneven terrain.
Desert Transport
The Desert Transport was an armoured transport vehicle used by the Wastelanders to rescue stranded Spargus Citizens in the Wasteland during sandstorms and transport Leaper Lizards back to Spargus City to be domesticated. They had heavy-duty caterpillar tracks and were heavily built with tons of armour and a large cabin. They also came equipped with a mounted blaster and mine plough.
Gun Turret
Located at the mouth of Spargus City’s beach shore, the Gun Turret protected Spargus City from threats in the Wasteland. It was primarily maintained by Kleiver, who was the prime gunner of the city, before handing the title to Jak in 301 HE. The turret was a large, metal-plated, heavily armoured, dual-cannon weapon mounted atop a large concrete tower at the mouth of the bay. It had a protected seat that allowed for the gunner's protection, although the turret had limited durability. During the Battle of Spargus City, Jak used the Gun Turret to repel Dark Maker Walkers, which had landed in the bay.
Leaper Lizard
Leaper Lizards were creatures indigenous to the Wasteland, where they were eventually corralled and domesticated in the Leaper Lizard Pen and then trained to be used as mounts as the main mode of transportation in Spargus City. In addition to feeding on the local rodent population, they were sometimes used for recreation and sports such as leaper races. Leaper Lizards were bipedal reptiles with rough skin, usually grey, teal, or green in complexion, with small, membranous wings used for short bursts of powered flight. They had sharp claws for charging and presumably grabbing. During the night, wild Leaper Lizards would primarily shelter within the confines of the ruined village outside the Metal-Pede Nest to protect themselves from sandstorms.
Bibliography
Jak and Daxter Wiki. “Spargus citizens.” Last revised August 9, 2021. www.jakanddaxter.fandom.com/wiki/Spargus_citizens
Naughty Dog. Jak 3. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2. 2004.
Schrader, Nathali. Jak 3: The Official Guide. London, Piggyback, 2004.
Schrader, Nathali. Jak II: The Complete Official Guide. London, Piggyback, 2003.
Shah, Reuben. Jak 3 Design Bible. Raleigh, Naughty Dog, 2003.
Tim H. “Spargus citizen concept art 1.” Jak and Daxter Wiki. Accessed June 29, 2023. www.jakanddaxter.fandom.com/wiki/Spargus_citizens?so=search&file=Spargus_citizen_concept_art_1.png
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