Detective Tales: Characters and Lore

As with all my stories on this blog. 

All Images used in this story are taken from Google Images, I do not have copyright use for these images and if requested I shall happily remove them.

I do not intend to make any profit from this story as it is solely for the purpose of entertainment and enjoyment.

Be warned, there is foul language within this story.

                                                                                                                

The Map:

Well where to begin.

I guess with the world.

I live in the capital city of the Pacific Commonwealth, a nation established hundreds of years under the idea that we could all live together in peace and prosperity. Predators and Prey, Carnivores and Herbivores, Wolves and Sheep, Chickens and Foxes, Lions and Zebra. 

Oh yes this is a very different world than you know, this is a world where you Humans are nothing more than Mythical creatures, something told in stories and legends, no one really believes in them. Why should they, there has never been anything even remotely like what the stories say a human ever seen.

And this isn't some utopia we live in, hell no, that shit doesn't sail, not in out lives. 

You would recognise our continent as something familiar just very different from what you would recognise.

Lets see first there's us of course, the pacific Commonwealth or just the Commonwealth, a constitutional Monarchy comprised of various former smaller states that came together roughly 500 years ago under the idea that maybe all animals could live together.

Then you have our big rival, the Cvara [S-Var-A] Empire or just Cvara, a powerful nation that gained its territory by outright conquest over the Centuries. Their the main reason that the Commonwealth came together, a lot of states were scared they would be next and Cvara is mostly inhabited by Carnivores, hell only until 100 years ago Cvara had lawful enslavement of herbivores, people were treated more like cattle meant for work or to be killed and eaten.

The Phoenix Free State, a independent city state that formed as a result of the peace during the Great War. The region was formally a part of the Cvara empire but broke away during the war and declared its independence. Now they stand as a close ally of the Commonwealth, primarily inhabited by various species of Birds.

Bordering them and the Cvara is the United Herbial States, a nation comprised entirely of Herbivore species that outright resist any discrimination or brutality upon the Herbivore Species. They are the sworn enemies of the Cvara Empire, but also are distrustful of the Commonwealth. Mostly because of the Commonwealth being founded on the Belief that both sides could live together in harmony.

Hell in Herbial the punishment of killing another for consumption is punishable by death. But that changed on the Outbreak of the Great War, when we were allies against Cvara and the Confederacy

You have the Everglade Nation, initially founded by reptiles, the nation is now more open including avians, amphibians and insects. Not surprised, since most of its territory is comprised of swamps and bogs along the Gulf.

A quick hop across the water and you have the Nautiloid Republic, founded by species of an aquatic nature, seals, sea lions, penguins etc. 

And finally you have the Washington Confederacy, not really a single nation but a collection of different City States that have agreed to work together. 

To be clear, in recent generations these nations have changed considerably, the idea of a nation for carnivores and a nation for herbivores alone is slowly ebbing away. All thanks to that "Wonderous Invention" Synthetic Meat or Artificial Meat, a food that has the same texture, protein, fat and taste as ordinary meat but is in fact produced in a factory.

Now as for Los Angeles, well lets just say, that things are always what they appear. The Commonwealth was founded on the idea that all species could live together and to an extent its worked. I mean we don't get many Predation Murders, though we still get them.

No the idea of us living in harmony, times change and prejudice grows, today Los Angeles is a city of walls and divides. The worst being the Bugs, about fifty years ago the Bugs were forced to live in a single quarter of the city, a place now known as Bugtown. Technically speaking they are allowed to live elsewhere but not a lot of bugs live outside of Bugtown if you catch my drift. 

Now the city of Los Angeles is a city of Vertebrates, everywhere you look, you'll find birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, but no bugs unless of course your looking at the janitors and those with the lowest paying jobs.

                                                                                              

Now onto me

My name is Charles Savoy, a Detective of the Los Angeles Police Department, with 20 years of service in the Department, first as a street Cop, now a Detective. 

I was born here in this stinking city, Los Angeles the City of Angels, what bull. Time has a habit of changing things. I grew up really believing in the idea that we could all live in harmony, I lived around everyone after all, I had friends who were Carnivores and Herbivores, I didn't see them like that though, I just saw people, I saw my friends.

When I was a kid I did some part time work in a Barber Shop that catered to all species, I spent the weekends and holidays there, just sweeping up hair, scales, feathers etc. I really liked it, the owner was good to me, he was good to everyone and everyone in the Neighbourhood loved him. Until one day someone changed that. 

Poor old Beaver was killed in a botched mugging, took a bullet in the stomach and died hours later, all for a couple of bucks. That is what got me into being a cop, when I turned 18 I enrolled at the academy and passed with flying colours, one of the Tutors said he had high hopes for me. Later I took on and passed the Detective tests and was given a new badge.

Now though, I'm just a broken bastard, losing someone does that too you, a few years ago my wife left me, sent the divorce papers in the mail and haven't seen her since. Then a good kid that looked up to me growing up was killed, now I am just a drunken has been, someone who doesn't care anymore, someone who is only playing the role of a detective until I can cash in my retirement.

At which point I'm getting the Fuck outta this City and never coming back.

                                                                                              

Los Angeles:

King Fredrick IV

The King of the Pacific Commonwealth, Fredrick is not really a monarch in the fullest sense of the word, I mean he is King and he has some influence. But in all truth, actual authority of the Commonwealth is held by its elected Parliament to vote on decisions and a Prime Minister and Cabinet being the ones to decide the actual running of the Country.

The Commonwealth was founded under the position of a constitutional Monarchy, since nearly all nations back during its founding were absolute monarchies, there was some fear that having an absolute monarch over so many different species was unfair, should the King or Queen be a Herbivore then there was the danger that Carnivores would be discriminated and vice versa.  So the Commonwealth has a parliament for running the Country and the Monarch as a figure head for its leader.

King Fredrick understands that very much, he know full well that he hasn't actually got any authority in Politics but he his still very much a beloved King. Mostly because he has put a lot of effort into the people he "Rules", he has given his influence towards the support of the less fortunate, going so far as to use the Royal Treasury to support various charities across the Commonwealth. Here in Los Angeles he financially supports several soup kitchens in Bugtown, as well as puts pressure on Parliament to provide for them.

I feel very sorry for King Freddy, a lot of people say he isn't his Father, George V who saw the country through the Great War 30 years ago. He inspired the country through his speeches on the Radio and kept the belief that we could get through it. Freddy on the other hand has every day of his life under careful scrutiny, every action he takes must be careful else people question the Royal family.

All that on top of the fact that the Continent is again under the Threat of another Great War and some are thinking whether or not he's up to the task of being the "Commander in Chief" on paper at least.

Historical Events:

Unification of the Commonwealth:

This was about 4-500 years ago, the Commonwealth originally started with the Kingdom of Angeles, but as the Cvara Empire started to get bigger and bigger, well lets just say that some nations didn't like their chances, so they decided to come together into one national identity. 

The Kingdom of Angeles was the guiding hand of this unification, the King at the Time, Frederick the 2nd was crucial in bringing his dream of a unified Pacific frontier into fruition. He actually is the reason that the Commonwealth is a constitutional Monarchy, he readily surrendered any authority he had in terms of law making and actual control in governance over to an elected Parliament.

This made other Kingdoms and Principalities follow suit and join up with the Commonwealth and since Angeles was the first, it just ended up that Los Angeles became the Capital City and Frederick the 2nd became King of the Pacific Commonwealth.

Since the Unification, similar things have been happening in other parts of the world, you could say that when major nation comes along, others follow suit.

The Great War: 1903-1913

I was only a kid for most of it,  My old man served, as did my grandfather and two uncles. This war broke out when Cvara and the United Herbials picked a fight with each other, by this point sadly there was all kinds of Alliances in play, which made the war a hell of a lot worse.

The Cvara and the Washington Confederacy were solid allies, whilst the Herbials and the Commonwealth were partially friendly, I mean we had a formal agreement but nothing really screamed, "Hey if you go to war, we'll side with you", it was more like "If you go to war, we MIGHT back you up, but don't count on it".

But they did have an ally in the Everglade Nation, at least back then they did, that's now down the Shitter. So the war got bigger, the Confederates invaded the Everglades trying to push to New Orleans, whilst the Cvara pushed into the Herbials on two sides, from Phoenix in the west and from the North to take Denver.

Within just a month, Denver one of the member cities of the Herbial was officially under siege, and holy hell did they take a beating. They held out for over a year under constant artillery bombardment and I don't just mean the usual guns but the huge Siege Artillery the Cvara had developed for that very job. Trust me I've seen the pictures of the craters they leave behind. You'd need a ladder to reach the bottom and to make a bridge to get across them.

I really feel for those folks, imagine a Year of holding on for dear life, just hoping the next whistling sound won't be your last. Eventually the city surrendered to the Cvara forces, mostly to try and save the people who were left. And there weren't that many, a city of near 50,000 was down to a whole lot less.

Soon word got out of the extreme acts being committed by the occupying Cvara forces on the innocent people of the United Herbial States. Stories spread in the Newspapers spoke of death squads shooting people in the streets, entire villages being burned to the ground, Refugee camps being shelled from afar for target practice. 

Eventually the Commonwealth Parliament at the request of George V put forward a resolution to intercede and support our Herbial Allies in their time of need. The vote was a clear majority and the army was called to service. Sadly the Cvara struck first and boy did they punch our poor boys hard.

The 34th Infantry Division the so called "Fox Battalion" supported by the 13th Artillery was stationed at Twin Falls, when they were caught unawares by an entire Cvara army, less then 2,000 Commonwealthers against around 60,000 maybe more, Cvara veteran soldiers. And holy shit were we not ready, the Foxes held their own, for nearly 10 hours,  but from what Crowley told me, they got cut off and were wiped out when they made one last all or nothing charge to buy time for the rest of the army to escape. 

One of my Uncles was listed as Missing in Action a day later, my old man was wounded and later died from his injuries in hospital.

In the end the Pacific fell back and were in a fighting retreat for miles, all the way back to and then past the Regional Capital Boise. That defeat did some damage back home as well, the Lord Chancellor stepped down and was replaced, claiming "I accept my Failure to ensure we were ready, the blood of those brave young men is mine to bare".

And it wasn't just in the Mountains of the Continents Heart that we fought, but up in the north as well, in the colder regions. Those poor bastards spent more time trying to keep warm than actually fighting, The Cvara were trying to break through and swing into Seattle. If they had succeeded they would have a clear shot to the heartland of the Pacific. 

But in the end, they didn't thanks to the now Legendary 322nd Infantry Battalion, the "Roachers" as they were called, since the only people in it were insects. Before the war, the Battalion was in the words of our "Respectful and Equality driven" leaders in Parliament, little more than a band of disgusting insects that was suitable only for "Fetch and Carry" basically the guys that did the hard labour, if boxes needed carrying around it was down to them, if a latrine needed digging that was their job.

But in those mountains, the 322nd  gained infamy and respect, during the battle of the Snow Peaks, where a Cvara attack nearly forced the complete collapse of the front, all other Battalions broke and fled, but they held firm then returned the favour and countered the enemy attack with their own. Some tried to claim it was them that did it, but no one believed it, the 322nd became famous and a lot of invertebrates signed up, wanting to do their part. Hell they even became famous in the Recruitment posters, "The 322nd Held the Line, Will You" ->. 

As you can imagine though it made a lot of people sign up to fight, mostly because they didn't like the fact that a bunch of Invertebrates were getting the glory.

I have a friend who served in the unit during the war, the average time on the front for a single Battalion was around 4 weeks, split between front lines, support trenches and reserve line and then away from the front completely. The 322nd, their average was 6 Months before being relieved, not because they had to, but wanted too. 

Then there was the Southern Front, the goal down there near Las Vegas was to hold the Cvara from pushing through to the Capital, Los Angeles, either from the South East or the North East. Then the Southern front became a force for liberation, working with the Phoenix Free State Rebels to drive out the occupiers from their land and forge a new independent Nation.

The Commonwealth was well if you believe the conspiracy lot, was always planning on "Freeing" the people there. I don't believe it really, the Pacific has never had those Imperialistic views. But anyway, the Pacific alongside the Herbials tried to fight through to liberate the region from Cvara, fighting in the scorching heat of the deserts. My Grandfather fought on that front, as did my other Uncle, both of them died there in that oppressive heat.

My Grandfather with the 48th Battalion during the 2nd battle of Kingman, my Uncle disappeared when Toquerville Fell, he was never found, we prayed for them all every dinner.

Fighting went back and forth for about 10 years, neither side was able to make any headway. Eventually everyone was getting desperate, the Cvara tried one last throw of the dice to knock the Commonwealth out of the war. The idea I think was by knocking us out, or make us sue for peace would mean the Herbials would be on their own, since the Everglade had made a peace pact by this point and were out of the war.

From what I know, Cvara tried to make a big push from the nearest front to Las Vegas, they hoped to take the city and then push further to threaten Los Angeles. I guess they thought if they could threaten the capital, we'd sue for peace.  But not really, while they did get a good breakthrough, they only got to the outskirts of Las Vegas before they ran out of Gas. And boy did it back fire on their asses. you see, because they had put everything into this big offensive. They had nothing left in reserve and worse they had pulled troops from other fronts to make this move for the Great and decisive victory.

This allowed the Pacific to go back on the offensive in other places, within months the Cvara were on the retreat, Boise was liberated from occupation as was Twin Falls and the Phoenix Free State was officially formed and recognised a year later, when its new Capital was freed from Cvara occupation.

Six months later Cvara found itself alone as its ally the Confederacy had signed a peace treaty with the States. A week later, a major offensive finally broke the Cvaran army, a day later the Empire sent an open message calling for an armistice.

The terms were very simple, Cvara would pay reparations for damages caused to the civilian population during the war, the Phoenix Free State would be recognised as a free and independent nation. A region of the empire inhabited solely by Herbivores north of Phoenix but South West of Denver was seceded to the Herbial States and The Empire would surrender war criminals over to the Commonwealth so that they may be given fair trials for war crimes they conducted during the conflict.

A lot of people are worried though, because, well the Empire has begun to become a lot stronger, add that with the tensions growing across the continent. Well you can guess that some see that another war is on the horizon.

                                                                                              

The Department:

A city is nothing without someone to enforce the laws, keep the peace and stop people from killing each other. The Commonwealth believes that in order to do so the Police must reflect the people they are sworn to serve and protect, it must be made up of people from all walks of life. 

Believe that when I see it.

You won't find a lot of Invertebrates within the walls of the Department, most are the guys mopping the floors, cleaning the windows or are in the cells.

Chief Arthur Woodthorn:

Species: Chimpanzee - Pan Troglodytes

Head of the Los Angeles Police Department, Chief Woodthorn was brought on by the Mayor due to the incessant failures of what was perceived by the Department years ago. When Gangs fought a rather bloody turf war, the Great Mob War its called now, a lot of people got caught in the cross fire in those days, a lot of innocents got injured.

Woodthorn changed all that, he ordered immediate changes to the department that made so we were more proactive, he ordered that until the war ended we were not going anywhere. He took his tough attitude to the city and the courts, whenever we got stuck on a warrant, rumour is the Chief went barging in with a lotta fist pounding onto desks until someone signed it.

A lot of people credit him to seeing the crime wave rocking the city come to a steady end, of course a lot of us in the Department know its just a ceasefire, sooner or later the "Dam will Break". Its just a matter of time.

These Days the Chief is hell bent on ensuring that the Department upholds itself as expected of those with the duty of policing the capital of the Commonwealth. A lot of cops have faced his "Iron Fist of Justice" as the many, many, many, MANY! recruitment posters state rather loudly. A number of officers were forced to hand in their badges or were even arrested on charges.

For me, I do my best to avoid the bastard, I think the last time I saw him was when I was half drunk and trying to write a report. If memory serves me right, it was the last time I've ever seen him show concern, he told me to go home and rest, that someone else could handle the reports, he didn't chew me out for drinking not only on the Job but also in the office.

If I had to some him up though, it would be that he is a, Stubborn, Hard Headed, iron fisted, political, son of a bitch.

Former Detective Andrew Mayhew:

Species: Giant Panda - Ailuropoda Meanoleuca

Formerly a legend in the Department as THE Detective of the Los Angeles Police Department and my old boss. Which is also his nickname between us, "Boss" for him and "Kid" for me.

When I first became a detective, I was assigned to be the new partner of Detective Mayhew, at first he was a hard ass son of a bitch who had me carry everything when we went to crime scenes. Well except the cup of coffee he was drinking or the cigarette he was smoking alongside his infamous "Whacking Stick", which unofficially speaking was used numerous times when people tried to mess with him.

But after a few cases, he kind of accepted me as a brother in arms and good friends, the amount of laughs we went through during the times in the car. I have often missed them, the times we spent working cases, though if you ask him, in the early years, he solved cases, I just followed behind him.

Then one day about 10 years ago, he had enough and retired, well technically speaking he retired in argument. Basically he warned the Chief back then that the city was on the brink of a Major Shooting War, that means a massive Mob War. But no one listened to him, so he decided to Retire, he handed me his badge and gun, wished me luck and walked out carrying the box with all his stuff in.

He now lives on a beach next to the Gulf of California in a nice bungalow, I sometimes visit him when I vacation time to use up. We mostly just lounge around and drink, copiously.

A week after he left, he was proved right, the city got torn apart in a Mob war that involved every major and minor criminal group in the city. It took us months to get ahead of it. If only they had listened to him.

Despite all that though, We are still good friends, like I said when I have vacation time to use, I go down and enjoy the quiet beach he lives on. I also sometimes call him when I feel lost on a case, he has way more experience in the world than me and he always knows how to give me that kick in the ass to make sure I'm on the right direction.

If I had to sum him up, He is an uncompromising, stubborn, Alcoholic, Blunt, very foul mouthed Panda. 

But a Life Long Friend.

Detective Louis Calin:

Species: Grey Wold - Canis Lupus

My Partner, Louis is kind of like how I was when I started as a detective, he is actually my first proper Partner as a senior investigator. Louis is pretty much the idealistic fool that I used to be when I started in the Department, he really believes that the Commonwealth is a good thing and that we really can live in peace.

You could say that he's proof of the concept, his Fiancé is an Zebra for gods sake. From what I understand he loves her very much and is dead set on marrying her in the fullest extent of the word and from what I gathered after meeting her, she is in the exact same frame of mind.

I like the kid, he's a good detective with a good heart, he always likes to see the good in people and really believes that Animals can live in peace if their willing to try. But I guess he just hasn't reached the point where you learn the truth, not all animals are equals.

We started working together about 4 years ago and have worked a number of cases together, his keen eye and nose have proved very useful in closing a number of cases. Though there are times that his big heart has gotten him into trouble.

If you ever get the chance ask him about the Toleda Case, where his big heart got us tied up in some warehouse, me with a huge black eye, a broken nose, blood in my mouth and a third degree burn on my right wrist. I have never let him forget it.

He's also a bit of a Gun Nut, for crying out loud he calls his revolver "Sweet Charmaine" and the Shotgun in the boot of the Car, "Dear Annie".

To sum him up, he's a big hearted Idealist who wants to make a difference. But is just waiting to be humbled.

Detective Zacharias Wight:

Species: Zebra - Equus Quagga

My number one enemy in the Department, So this will be short.

Wight is a zebra that likes to stick to the rules and regulations of the Book. As far as he's concerned those who don't abide by the rules of the Police Department are just as bad as the criminals we take off the streets.

A real pain in the ass for those of us who do actual police work, Wight has no issues what so ever reporting officers to Internal Affairs when he see's something that is "Against the Rules". For crying out loud, one time whilst in custody at the Department, a perp hit an officer and the officer punched him in the gut. Wight reported him for assaulting someone.

That Officer got suspended for two weeks.

Put this way, whenever Wight walks into a room, everyone watches him, a lot of conversations turn to whispers. No one likes to work with him, he has the same experience as me on the job, but whilst I have some form of a friendship with my Partner. Wight has gone through over 4 Partners in the 5 years, not a lot of detectives are willing to work with him. 

And those that are, usually stick around for one case maybe two.

We have a bit of bad history, meaning I broke his nose once, don't ask me how yo do that to a Zebra, but that's what the Doctors said it was. So who knows. But when the folks in the Department found out, they gave me a round of applause when I walked in next.

These days whenever we see each other its just in passing glimpses as we pass each other in a hallway or notice one another from across the room. You could say we actively avoid each other.

To sum him up is very simple in my mind, he's a son of a bitch who sees everything like himself, black and white no grey.

Detective Silas Conda:

Species: Green Anaconda - Eunectes Murinus

The One guy you do not want to mess with in the Department.

And I really mean that, this snake is by far the dread and terror of the Los Angeles Police Department, not because of anything he says, but because the things he does. Silas came over the Everglades a number of years ago when he was a newborn hatchling, good thing too, a year later the Great War Broke out.

From what I know he had a harsh upbringing, his father worked the docks and his mother worked nights at a bar, all to earn enough to get by. As soon as he could he enrolled in the Police Academy to get away from that line of work.

Don't really know much about his time on the beat as a patrol officer, but I know he got good rep for his arrests. 

He's not much of a talker when it comes to the rest of us, he mostly just comes in does what he needs to and then leaves. Hell despite, he and I having desks only a few feet away from each other, he has never said a word once to me. 

This extends to his manner of interrogation, one time we had a suspect in a major case being interrogated. No one could get the guy talking, so Silas came in to give it a try, most of us tried talking, the good cop, bad cop, the sympathetic move, the tough guy, the talk of overwhelming evidence.

Silas, he just sat across from the guy and stared at him, I should know I was watching from the Observation room, after about two minutes the poor bastard broke down crying and confessing. Silas just turned to look at us, nodded, got up and walked out. 

Rumour has it, that its all in his eyes and trust me I think I know, the way he looks at literally everyone.  It really freaks you out.

He is proud though, I know that much, that thing around his neck is something that is traditional for the Everglade Faith of the Serpent God, "Ouroboros", the Serpent that holds the world together by wrapping it within his Coils. Apparently Silas goes to church at least once a week to give his prayers, so maybe the guy isn't all bad.

Detective Bill Lawdon:

Species: Gorilla - "Gorilla Gorilla"

A tough and imposing guy on the force and the proud champion of the Departments Wrestling and Arm Wrestling competitions. Good old Billy despite his appearance as a Silver Back Gorilla is actually a giant fur ball who wouldn't hurt anyone if had a choice.

He joined the force around the same time as I did, we were both in the same classes and became good friends in those early years. Our time on the streets and regular cops often found our paths crossing as our patrol routes overlapped. When he got married I got an invitation, he and his Mrs got one when I followed and got engaged.

For a number of years, he worked as an amazing Detective working several cases, from murders to robberies and so on. He had a good arrest record and all of them were good take downs, but of course things don't always last, one single mistake utterly ruined him. Poor guy.

It was about 3 years ago now, he was in the middle of an investigation and he had been running around trying to do the job, working to try and find answers, speak with people etc. Then one night, whilst he was driving, because he had been working so hard, he dozed off for just a second. But that second was enough for his car to hit a poor kid. 

The Kid survived, the family were understanding when it was explained how hard Billy had been working. But Billy couldn't get over it, the Chief gave him a weeks leave to help him, when he came back he requested permanent desk duties.

A Detective in all but name these days, Billy primarily just handles the paper work, making certain that reports are filed, requisitions are done properly, whatever. Any paper work now in the Detective Branch of the Department now all goes through him and he makes sure its all done as its meant to, then he passes it along to Records. 

I really feel for him, but then again we both have our own demons, he just found a way to cope with his better, finding solace behind a desk, whilst I find it at the bottom of a glass.

Officer Yinn Po:

Species: Shibu Inu - Canis Lupus Familiaris

A relatively recent edition to the force, Officer Po, came over from Japan about 25 years ago when she was a little pup. Her family came to find a better life here in the Commonwealth.

They faced some issues due to the tension between the Commonwealth and the "Coalition of the Islands of Japan" a few years ago, and no I am not making that name up, that's the official name for their county. But it didn't stop them from making the best of what they could with what they had. 

She was always excited to join the police, wanting in her own words "Represent my people", which I could understand. Whenever she's on the beat, she always puts a smile on her face and tries to keep calm and polite among the locals on her patrol route. And a lot of those locals in the Asian Quarter.

Yinn Po is a truly dedicated officer who just wants to make the world a better place, though some officers suspect her of taking money from the Nine Tails Gang that controls the quarter. Nothing has ever been proven, I should know I helped in that investigation, but I found that a lot of the allegations were being made by cops that were known among the force for their racial thoughts or their distrust of anyone who eats meat.

But that hasn't stopped her.

To sum good Yinn up, she is determined, kind hearted, honourable and always determined to honour her people and help them when she can.

Officer Jackson Harper:

Species: Raccoon - Procyon lotor

Trick to his friends.

A sneaky, slippery, little shit, Jackson Harper fits the idea of the standard Raccoon every day of the week, though he is a cop through and through he always finds some excuse to get out of doing the paper work. Usually so he can raid the Lunch room fridges and steal peoples lunch, especially if it doesn't have someone's name on it.

I've lost a number of sandwiches to him over the years.

I honestly don't know why exactly he became a Cop to begin with, having a tough upbringing in the rougher parts of South L.A. His brothers and cousins all became local hoodlums and gangsters and some sadly didn't see their 25th birthdays. Someone how Harper managed to stay out of that life and went to High School and eventually joined up at the Police Academy, despite some hitches in which he was very nearly kicked out for trying to sneak into the records room. 

He became a street cop, and despite some more hitches along the way like with stealing peoples lunches, he is in some sense a decent cop. He got moved out of South L.A for his good work to the main Department where he still walks the beats, but most of the time these days, he's the poor bastard who mans the front desk. 

I don't think he cares though, gives him plenty of chances to sneak into the Lunch Room.

                                                                                              

At Home:

They say home is where the Hearth is, well not with me, Home is a hotel that has been converted into Apartments, crappy and cheap but that suits me. My place is little more than a living room, bathroom, simple kitchen and an office, I don't even have a bed, the room that is meant to be a bedroom is my office, my bed is simply the couch in the living room.

But there are people here that I know I can rely on.

Captain Nathanial Crowley:

Species: Carrion Crow - Corvus Corone

The handy man of the hotel turned Apartment building I live in, Nate to his friends, is not like most people. He was born in Las Vegas and joined the Commonwealth Army on the outbreak of the Great War.

He was present at the retreat from Twin Falls, the Evacuation of Boise and the horror of the Trenches. His unit then got to return to Boise and Twin Falls during the final year in the now famed Liberation of Boise. 

But when he got back, everything fell apart, Vegas had suffered a lot during the war, constant air bombings and attacks left most of the city a ruin. At first the Military was bound to maintain order in the regions most effected by the War, but then when things calmed down, well.

Lets just say the Commonwealth no longer needed a sizeable army, Nate lost his place after years of service to the Crown. He took on some odd jobs around Reno, but then an economic crisis forced him to move here to Los Angeles to try and find work. Well he didn't.

I mean for crying out loud, the guy lost his left eye in the war and got several commendations and a few medals. A bloody War Hero and they chose to boot him.

He now works part time here, at the Hotel that now sits as an apartment building, he mostly sticks to the front desk at what was the Receptionist, his feet up on the desk, the days newspaper, magazine or book in his hands or the radio playing whatever. 

He gets paid to live in the building and serve as its handy man, if someone was having trouble with something, a light, pipes whatever he goes in and fixes the issue. He doesn't get paid much for it, but least he gets a free place to live. Nate also works as the unofficial doorman for the building.

This usually means beating trouble makers to a pulp or using the twelve gage shotgun he hides behind the Desk.

And he ain't afraid to use it.

If I was to sum him up, he's a hard working crow that never takes no for an answer and when he sees an issue he has to correct it.

I guess it from his time in the Military.

Annie Crista:

Species: Rabbit - Oryctolagus Cuniculus

One of my few neighbours, Annie is a kind hearted Rabbit, when you first look at her, you'll probably be distracted by the fact that she is mixed breed, meaning she had markings from two different Rabbits. He mother had a darker coat and her father a lighter, so she got both. In a very clear manner.

But she doesn't let it stop her, it just made her work all the more harder to get to where she is.

She lives just across the hall from me and is always a kind person, offering help when busy. Whenever she goes to the store for groceries and she knows I'm in, she'll knock and ask if I need anything, usually I just say no thanks but she still leaves a bag of stuff at the door. Normally just some pieces like Bread, artificial bacon, eggs whatever.

In return I just slip a twenty or so under her door or in her mail locker in the lobby. 

Personally I think she's too good for this city, she's a good person that deserves a much better life than living in this crappy place in this rotting city.  She works as a receptionist for some company, I don't really know, but at home She really likes plants, she keeps a number of them in her apartment, she sometimes brings one down to the lobby desk to try and "Brighten the place up".

To Sum her up, she's a good hearted rabbit who tries to see the best in people and wants to try and make the world a better place.

The Streets:

"A Good Detective knows people on the streets" Something my old boss once told me, he explained that any Detective can work a crime scene, but those who want to get anywhere need to know people, that know things.

If you know the right people then you can find out nearly anything, some would go for the high rollers or whatever. For "Boss" and me, its the ordinary folks, the people that most don't really bother looking at.

You know the kind of people that hear more than any cop would ever hope to get. Thankfully in my life I've made myself some very interesting connections across the city, from the High Rollers of "Show business" to the slums of Bugtown.

What Can I say? I'm a Likeable Guy.

Quit Snickering, I know you are!.

Vesper Maitland:

Species: King Cobra - Ophiophagus Hannah

A good friend of mine, Vesper is an oddity, apparently she has some condition where the colour of her scales is very, very different from other Snakes.

She was born with a single uniform colour for her skin, but she never lets it get to her, she got bullied quite a lot in school because of it and got into trouble in said school. Mostly because she taught the Bullies a very tough lesson, if you catch my drift. 

Her dad and I used to work together back when I was a rookie cop, but he ended up cashing in his pension early and opening up his own Diner. The place is like those you might see on highways, just a simple place with a very clear cut menu. Coffee, Herbal Teas, Toast, Artificial meats like Bacon, Sausage, fries etc.  Vesper started working there not long after, some would say is very unlady like, and by that I mean she likes to "Pump Iron" as kids say. A lot of fools have found that out the hard way.

When her dad passed away, she took over the place and its still my favourite spot for breakfast or dinner, I love the menu they have, plus the Coffee is good.

There have been times when she hates me, like when I get frustrated at people pushing and shoving around the place or knock some poor bastards teeth out. But she always forgives me, but Vesper always likes to remind me "That's my Job!".

No matter what, I always go to her place for breakfast, the 1st coffee of the morning and Dinner at night.

If I had to sum up Vesper, well lets just say, Cause trouble and she won't need her venom to get you on the floor.

Jenny May:

Species: Plains Zebra - Equus Quagga

Jenny....

Jenny May, she grew up next door to me and the wife, back when we were still together and actually had a house. Her big brother, Jackie, was always very proud to look up to me, he said that he wanted to be a cop like me and in a way he did.

The family and use were very close, we would have barbeques in the summer, winter parties, celebrate birthdays. You could say that the Wife and I were like extra uncle and aunt to Jackie and Jenny. But that all changed a year ago, a special investigation lead to a big raid.

Jackie was the one to kick down the door and he was greeted by a shotgun blast straight to the chest. He survived the surgery and being the fool that I am, couldn't bring myself to go and see him or his family, he died later that night. 

Ever since then I have lost touch with Jenny and her family, when my wife left me and then sent the divorce papers. I moved away, into the crappy apartment I'm in now, I haven't seen Jenny or her parents since. I know that she got a job at the Department, working in Records, but I haven't seen her. 

I really hate myself sometimes, the fact that I let Jackie go first, when it should have been me to go through the door, not going into his hospital room, not speaking to Jenny or her parents, for not having gone to the Funeral.

In all honesty, I hope I never see her, not because I'm angry, its just.

I wouldn't know what to say to her.

Eddie Godhard:

Species: Horse - Equus Caballus

A horse with a nose for a job, Eddie used to work at the Los Angeles Police Department a few years ago. He worked as a Detective in the "Financial Crimes Unit", these were basically the guys that worked with the Royal Revenue and Tax Service to find people who were performing tax evasion, embezzlement etc.

We worked on a number of cases together when evidence lead to mixed points, such as a murder meant to cover up embezzlement or someone trying to avoid taxes by faking their death. Yes those are two cases that we worked together on.

He's a keen eye for numbers, he often spent much of his time going through various documents, income and tax forms, bank statements and transfers etc. And he has never made a mistake with his calculations.

At some point a few years ago, he left the Department and started his own accounting business. "Lone Horse Accounting" he called it, bloody hell, you couldn't come up with anything other than that, literally anything. Despite no longer being a cop, I actually keep in touch with him, and not just because I'm one of his clients.

No I stay in touch with Eddie because mostly when I am stumped on a case, sometime I need help in going through bank records or financial statements, income and whatever. So go to the one guy I know I can trust that can find anything out of place or wrong with the records.

Accountants of course have very bad reps for most people, but Eddie he's the exception, most of his clients are charities and small business owners who need someone they can rely on who won't charge them through the Nose. I shouldn't say that should I?.

Dr Martin Hollow:

Species: Four Clawed Tortoise - Testudo Horsfieldii

Everyone needs a doctor sometimes and when you feel like you can't turn to the usual kind, then Doc Hollow is your guy. Reptile? Tortoise? whatever!.

The guy has lived and served in Los Angeles for decades, some say he's nearly a hundred years old, personally I don't believe it. The Doc has been a medical practitioner for decades by this point and is well known among the hospitals and clinics across the city. 

From what I know he served in the Royal Medical Corps during the Great War, serving on the Eastern Front at a field Hospital. The type that was situated very close to the Front Lines, he saw a lot from the stories he tells, which is quite often.  Although he doesn't specifically work for the Department, he is often the guy we call in when we have someone hurt, like me when Louis got us into a situation that ended with me with a broken nose. And yes Louis I am not forgetting it anytime soon.

His office is one that is literally cram packed with books, all of them medical journals, practice books through the ages, the biographies of renowned Doctors from across the world and so on. And despite his age, he keep them all in proper order and placement, even if it takes him some time to categorise them all properly.

Doc Martin is a literal prideful tortoise, he upholds the Hippocratic oath to never do harm and always do what he can to help a patient.  Even when that Patient is a drunken fool of a Detective with a mouth that needs to be washed out with soap.

Serene Snowland:

Species: Snow Leopard - Panthera Uncia

They say "Greatness comes from small beginnings", was that the Gospel of the Arthur or Meridian, I can't remember, then again I was never the church going type.

But Serene is a clear example of that idea, Serene and I went to school together and lived in the same Neighbourhood. Though we obviously took very different paths. I was determined in my dream of becoming a police officer and later Detective, but Serene she had the lofty dream of becoming an Actor.

In school she was the most talented in the Acting Club, she was the number one in every single play the club put on stage. People loved her, nearly every boy in school wanted to go out with her, but she always said no. In fact I don't even know why it is she hung out with me at lunch.

When we finished and graduated, things changed, she went onto College and I went onto the Police Academy, we both got our dream jobs. Serene is now a Movie star, she recently played the lead role in the movie "The Ice Queen". Didn't actually see the movie but I read in the papers that it was a major hit.

Still though despite the changes through our lives, we have remained good friends, Serene was there when I got married, helped me through the Divorce and I helped her out when an Ex-Boyfriend was getting a little too Obsessive.

I know I can always trust her, when I need some information or gossip from her circle, gossip and rumour spread like mad around there. And sometimes just a little piece can help you grab something bigger. She has helped me in a number of cases involving the rich and powerful, like for example the son of an MP who was involved in drugs, but always got his daddy to help him out of trouble. 

Well not when a little tip off from Serene led me to getting photographs of him on a boat unloading drugs into the city. I owed her big for that one, still do in fact.

I bet that will come back to haunt me.

Stoner Bill:

Species: Chimpanzee - Pan Troglodytes

A weaselly little shit, Bill or stoner bill was a two bit street dealer that mostly peddles out marijuana to smoked out idiots looking for some relaxation. I caught him one time and lets just say, Primates are meant to be good climbers, this dumbass couldn't get get over a chain link fence in an alley.

Hell he missed the open gate literally next to where he was trying to climb, Guess he must've been stoned that day.

He's well known to the Department, mostly because he is that bad at being a crook, he gets caught each and every time he's seen. One time he was trying to peddle fake watches,  you know they say fake watches don't work, well these didn't even hands to work. Like I said he's that bad.

He's trying to turn over a new leaf by opening a Pawn Shop in Compton but we all know that he's still a terrible liar and crook, half the stuff there is either stolen or broken. But whenever you want to know whose running certain crooked games in town, then he's the one you want to talk too. Hell one time me and Louis were looking for a gang of thieves that were breaking into homes across the city.

And who do you think we went too, lets just say we walked in and Bill being Bill had a bunch of stolen wallets and handbags on the front counter. He gave us what we wanted to know as well as surrendered everything that had been stolen, Again.

Bill might be a Stoner still, trust me his place stinks of Grass, you can smell the moment you walk in. But he's the kind of guy who knows when to draw the line, despite every opportunity, he has genuinely tried to get out of the life.

So there is that, He's still a little Shit though.

Stole my wallet twice already.

Donnie Hew:

Species: Bengal Tiger - Panthera Tigris

A Tiger who has spent nearly his entire life working his ass off to get no where. I feel for the poor bastard, this tiger left school when he was a kid to support his family during the depression, but at some point he got hurt pretty bad.

His left eye has "Retinal Scarring" or something like that and well just look at him and you'll see, he's missing parts of both ears. He wears a frigging head band with fake ears just to try and feel normal, he got into a deep depression which lead to him losing his job and without any money he lost his home and ended up living on the street. Where he became an addict.

Thankfully though he eventually got himself out of it, around the time I met him, he had started working as a shoe shiner, he has his own post you could say in downtown, got a permit that says he can work there. If you want to know anything about anything or anyone in this city, he's the guy you go to.

Like I said there are people in this world that no one really thinks to pay attention to or even notice, the kind of people that hear everything, because those talking don't even care that they are there.

Hard to believe it when I say it out loud, but for a guy that left school, he knows quite a lot, for the right price of course. Usually for me since we're friends its only a few bucks, me and Louis have a sort of Code that most of the other Detectives on the Force understand. 

When I say I'm gonna go for a walk whilst I'm in the middle of a Case, it means when I'm back my shoes are "Polished and Shined".

Sweet Linda:

Species: Okapi - Okapia Johnstoni

An Old flame with a fierce attitude, Linda and I were High School sweethearts through our teens, but things always change. Her family moved to a different part of the city and she and I drifted apart.

The Next time I saw her, was at a party for a friend, she was the Dancer hired to "Perform", I was taken back, I mean it was a real shock seeing an old flame dancing for the guys to enjoy. After the party she and I got a drink and caught up on what had happened, turns out that her parents fell out and divorced which when added with the economic crisis a few years ago.

Linda was forced to look up work where she could and the only thing she could get was working at a "Gentlemen's club" at first just as a barmaid but then as an actual dancer. I asked if she was happy, I kind of expected her to say no, but she actually admitted that she was, Linda is one of those people that enjoys taunting folks. 

Hell even when we were kids, it was Linda that would get us into trouble. Now she gets paid to literally taunt poor geezers and she does it well, it does help that she has a very attractive body. The Club she works at these days, "The Horizon" is regarded as the number 1 club for Dancers and Drinks in the whole city.

Despite some difference in our worlds, she is always willing to help me out when things are hard. She hates when things are dangerous so she helps me out when I need some information for a case, her dancing always makes tongue loose, so to speak.

But in my life as a Detective I've seen good people risk their lives and end up with nothing, So I have always made clear to her that she shouldn't ever put herself in any form of danger.

Queen Bee: 

Species: Western Honey Bee - Apis mellifera

Its important that you have eyes and ears in all parts of the City, sometimes that means knowing the right people.

Thankfully as  a Detective I've come into contact with a great number of people in the line of duty, And unlike some of my colleagues I have no discrimination against the Insects. This has gained me some friends in Bugtown, one most of all being the Lustrous Queen Bee.

She's a bee with prestige and power in Bugtown, you could say she's the unofficial ruler of that part of the city, nothing goes on without her knowing about it. Queen Bee is the proud owner of a major club in Bugtown that every insect is a member of, it exclusively denies entry to anyone that is a vertebrate, though there are exceptions. Me for instance, but that was because she allowed it for services rendered. Honeybees is a place that is a very different place when compared to the rest of Bugtown.

That part of the city is pretty much a slum, with run down tenements, a lot of homeless in the alleyways, but inside Honeybees then things change very much, its a place full of life, with lights, music and good liquor.

She and I met during a case in which I gained her "Favour" following the successful arrest of a businessmen who was embezzling money from the city that was meant to fund the maintenance of Bugtowns infrastructure.

Ever since then, if there is anything in Bugtown that I need to know, then I go straight to her, mostly through a phone call or through one of her loyal Workers. But she has never let me down, you could say that with how people treat Insects here in Los Angeles, with them being forced to work the low wage jobs, then Queen Bee has many "Eyes and Antenna" across the entire city.

Gary Gardner:

Species: Black Ant - Lasius Niger

You think your a hard worker, or know a hard worker, then wait till you see this bastard.

Gary is without a doubt the hardest working person I have ever met, this Ant practically works like nuts, He works practically 12 hour shifts nearly every single day at that dingy dive bar he owns, he opens it up around 1 in the afternoon and is there until gone midnight. And that doesn't include the 30 minutes to get everything set up before opening or the 30 minutes plus cleaning up at night. The place is practically a couple of stools at the bar, a few seats and tables along the windows and that is it.

But by the Gods, he knows his liquor, there isn't a mixture or blend that he doesn't know or improved on. Trust me you want to try one of his Martinis, damn I feel like I need one now, they're that good.

Gary takes great pride in his work, he keeps that place in pristine order, he wipes down the bar like it was a holy relic and mops the floor as if his life depends on it. He and I have been friends of sorts for years, usually its because I go there for a drink whenever I feel down, which is most nights.

It definitely helps that the bar is not far from my apartment, so I don't have to drive, but can just walk home after I've had a few. Gary never tells me off for what I drink, he knows full well that I won't be driving home or doing anything stupid. 

Though there are times that he is rather upset with me, like when people are pushing or so drunk they try their luck. One time a fight broke out and I asked if he wanted me to handle it, he said yes, I got up grabbed a stool. But he stopped me, gave me another saying "That one is new, use this one its broken anyway". 

Of course I had to help him clean up afterwards, but he didn't mind, he just liked the fact those asses had been taught a lesson. Personally I feel for Gary, every day he works his ass off, but has to live in a place worse than my crappy apartment in Bugtown, takes him an hour or two to get home and then the same getting to work. And all in a rusted old busted car.

                                                                                              

Crime Bosses:

Los Angeles might be the city of Angels on paper, but the place is certainly not any kind of paradise. The city has been plagued with crime ever since it was founded, though in recent decades its become more and more organised.

10 years ago the city was hit by the so called Great Mob War, there was blood on the streets nearly everyday, machineguns being fired from speeding cars, firebombs being thrown into buildings, people being shot on the street.  The city was a warzone, as Gangs tore each other apart to try and gain domination of the cities underworld.

Then a truce was made, of sorts, most of us in the Department refer to it as "the Ceasefire". Most of the Gangs agreed to set territories in the city and would respect those controlled by the others, but some fighting continued between two gangs for a number of years after. 

At least.

Until poor Jackie got killed and the Department well full bore against the ones responsible. Ever since there has been peace between the gangs, but those of us in the Department that survived the last war are terrified of it happening again, we know its a question of when not if.

These days though, an element of peace remains in the city, all because of the self proclaimed, self crowned, Crime King of Los Angeles, the one crime boss who dominates the cities underworld, the one boss that no one dares to challenge directly, so much so that they all kick up to him rather than risk another war.

Boss Cass:

Species: Gods Knows - presumed Cassowary - Casuarius

Gang: The Raptors

The Raptors are a gang exclusively made up of avian species, so only birds are allowed in and amongst them, if your not a bird, then you can only be an Associate, never a true member. 

They control the area of Tarzana, Panorama City, north Hollywood, Reseda and south into Glendale and Los Feliz, they have a firm hold of the cities fashion industry, everything from cotton, linen to artificial feathers, leather and fur, all of it goes through them.

I don't mean like they own the businesses themselves, though they do dominate the counterfeit side, they make sure that every business in fashion from the factories to the shops, pay up to them. Else you'll face the Terror Birds.

Boss of the Raptors is the Mysterious Cass, no one has ever really seen Cass without his outright weird mask. The only thing that is known is that he's a Cassowary, besides that nothing, the Department has a file on him, but its not as thick as some of the other bosses in the city.

Whenever he comes out into the eyes of the city, he wears that Mask, he is known for being paranoid in protecting his identity. Rumour in the Department that's the reason he survived the Great Mob War, since no one outside his inner circle knows who he really is.

No on can try and get him, which added on with the fact that he is completely random, you never know exactly when he'll show up next.

Charles Doyle:

Species: Chimpanzee - Pan Troglodytes

Gang: The Hammer Clan

Known for their violent behaviour and their savage temperament when it comes to getting people to pay their debts, the Hammer Clan are a gang of Primates, mostly Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Baboons, Mandrills and a few others. 

It was started about 40 or so years ago by a chimp named Edward Doyle, they started with a small back room casino but that went on to build a underground Vegas across the city. 

The Clan controls most of west L.A, from the Palisades, down the coast to Redondo Beach, Including Santa Monica and Venice and then parts of Culver City, Inglewood and Hawthorne. They practically run the illegal gambling across the city, even in parts they don't control directly, every illegal gambling den or casino in the city pays up to them for protection, every illegal bookie and loan shark pays them up for muscle.

You never want to get into debt with the Hammers, they are known for always getting their money back.  When you consider how extreme Chimps can be, lets just say some rich dumbass owed them quite a bit, but he thought they were beneath him, simple crooks. He ended up in the Emergency room after being jumped, he had three ribs broken, two cracked, broken eye socket, busted jaw with three teeth missing, both legs broken, one so badly they had to amputate, one arm dislocated and missing certain male focused appendages.

So yeah, don't mess with them.

The boss of the Hammer Clan, is Charles "Charlie" Doyle, he "Inherited" the role from his father, Edward who founded the Hammers, that was until he died tragically in an accident. A lot of people think Charlie was the behind it, so he could take over.

Ever since though Charlie has made it very clear, if you owe anything to the Hammer Clan, you will pay either in cash or in blood regardless of who you are. And I am not kidding on that. 

Charlie is known for one thing, his temper. Supposedly one time he slammed a waiters head through a glass table in a club. All because the waiter accidently spilled a bit of a drink onto the cuff of Charlies jacket.

Gregory Hopper:

Species: Grasshopper - Caelifera

Gang: The Hardshells

Believe it or not, once upon a time, the Invertebrates dominated the underworld of Los Angeles, they practically ruled the Criminal side of this entire city. There were dozens of Invertebrate gangs controlling different districts.

But things change with time, they very quickly lost a lot of their power when the Reptiles formed gangs of their own, then the Birds and then finally the mammals. By the time I was born, the Invertebrates were already being forced to live in the slums of Bugtown that was the San Bernardino District.

There the last Invertebrate gang still holds out, the Infamous Hardshells, the last of the great Bug Families. If you have a backbone or any bone in your body then you have no chance with them, they only allow insects into their ranks.

In generations past, they were the practical rulers of the cities underworld, THE dominant gang in the whole city, now though they are a literal shadow of their former selves, the discrimination of insects made it hard for them to conduct "Business".

Then the forcing of bugs and insects to Bugtown was one of their final death nails. The Final straw for them was a war that they lost, the Hardshells were trying to get back into the city, but then they killed a police officer. The Department went full bore against them, drove them back to Bugtown and they haven't come out since.

Today they are lead by Gregory Hopper, an insect that has the lofty wish and dream of restoring the Hardshells to their former glory. He took over after their old boss, a beetle called Rhino was killed in the gang war years ago.

Hopper has the big desire to renew the Invertebrate place in the city, he hates the fact that insects and bugs have to work their antenna off everyday of the week in order to scrap by. This has lead to a lot of insects and bugs joining the Hardshells to try and feed their families. 

Despite having lost a lot of their power, the Hardshells are still players in the game. Though they have no power inside the city properly, they have control of the smuggling via trucking and have a firm grip on the cities Black Market Warehouses.

Under Hopper, the Hardshells have taken hold of the cities garbage rackets into their pocket. Not surprising since the largest garbage dump in the city sits only a stones throw away from Bugtown. Although they aren't the powerhouse they used to be, they are the gang with the numbers to back them up.

Its for this reason, that the Hardshells are the only Gang that doesn't kick up to the Crime King of Los Angeles. Or maybe its because they are so far out of the real deals that no one cares about them.

Hikaru:

Species: Japanese Red Fox - Vulpes Vulpes Japonica

Gang: The Nine Tail Clan

Relative newcomers to the city, they came over from Asia about 15 years ago, they control everything in Koreatown, Westlake and Silver lake.

Here they are the small child of the Underworld. They primarily operate a number of small rackets, they are known to use parlour as fronts for dealing drugs, as well as Prostitution rings.

In the Great Mob War a decade ago, they took out the old Triads that ran China Town and now control that too. Where they struck a deal with the Opium Traders, allowing them to continue their business for a cut of their profits. They also operate a protection ring, shop keepers and restaurant owners pay for their protection, which sounds criminal, but word on the street is, The Nine Tails take it seriously, since they arrive, the number of robberies or break ins has dropped in that part of L.A.

The Boss of the Nine Tails here in Los Angeles, is Hikaru, she's a force to be reckoned with, supposedly when a Triad lieutenant questioned her ability to lead for being a woman. As well as a number of insults for her mixed heritage, she lopped off his head. And since then no one has questioned her.

She holds her mixed heritage proud though, she wears more high end western clothing, mostly to make clear her point that she is here to stay. Regardless of what the other Gangs think. Yet despite her appearance, she holds true to the Nine Tails traditions, members are kept under strict control, with a clear set of rules in place that they all to live by. 

Should they fail to do so, well its always obvious when that happens, you'll see a lot of Nine Tail members missing a part of their fingers. 

There is an uneasy peace between the Nine Tails under Hikaru and the other Gangs, she is quite content to sit back and leave them alone as long as they do the same.

Case and point, during the Great Mob war, a group from another gang tried to muscle in, she sent back their severed hands as a warning. Though this violent streak has lessened in recent years since the end of the Great Mob War, though the Nine Tails have a good grip in the city, Hikaru hates that she and her gang have to give a kickback to the Crime King of the City. 

Some in the Department, think that she's just biding her time until an opportunity comes for her to fulfil her desire and see the Nine Tails come out on top.

Jacob Lawson:

Species: Jaguar - Panthera Onca

Gang: The Night Hunters

The rulers of the Cities night streets, made up of Leopards, Jaguars and other big cats, the Night Hunters run downtown, so that means Skid row, Boyle Heights, West Adams, Vermont Park, City Terrace , Lincoln Heights, Monterey park across East Los Angeles, Huntington Park then east to Whittier.

But their Influence goes far beyond that, rumour has it, the Night Hunters have a stake in every club and major bar in the city. They have little interest in the dinge and dive bars, but those that the Tourists are likely to visit then you'll likely see Night Hunters watching over them.

And its not just bars and Clubs, but also the high end "Gentlemens Clubs", they have a stake in. You'll probably find Night Hunters serving as the Doormen for such places. 

Like I said the Night Hunters practically run the Night in Downtown, every place that tourists go to for a drink or a good time pays up to them. But of course some clubs are actually owned by them, there they do other things, dealing party time drugs and so on.

The Current boss of the Night Hunters is  Jacob Jawel, a Jaguar with a reputation for hating putting too much spotlight onto the gang. Under him the Night Hunters went from too bit bootleggers and protection rackets into a proper organised gang. Doesn't matter what part of the city a club is, they all are at least partly owned by Jacob Jawel.

He himself is the official owner of the most lavish, most exotic, most popular club in the city. Where everyone from tourists to politicians both local and national come to enjoy themselves. Rumour in the Department is that, he has some of these "Guests" in his pocket.

You would think that he wouldn't like having to pay up to the Crime King of the City, though he does, not as much as others in the city. As far as he's concerned the vicious cat gets culled, but the silent stalker remains hidden waiting for the right moment to strike.

Phil Prongs:

Species: Red Deer - Cervus Elaphus

Gang: The Horns

To my Knowledge the Horns of Compton, Carson, Paramount, Downey, Lakewood across to Cypress and Stanton, are the only gang that is specifically made up of Herbivores. 

Originally there were dozens of smaller gangs vying for control over those neighbourhoods but eventually as larger crime bosses started moving in, they joined forces to resist the more predator dominated gangs. 

The Horns are entirely herbivores, they don't allow anyone who isn't a clearly defined Herbivore to join them, it don't matter if you an omnivore or whatever, if you eat anything meaty then you have no chance.  

In recent years the Horns have started taking more and more influence and control over the cities different Unions, they control at least two, the Construction Union and the Teamsters Union, both are very powerful. Nothing gets built and nothing gets moved accept by their say so, if you want to do some work in a high rise, or your a politician and want to extend your porch, you need to be on their good side.

Controlling these Unions has brought not only power to the Horns but a good amount of money, after all what better way to get things moving than with a little exchange of handshakes and suitcases.

This power all comes from the boss of the Horns, Phil Prongs, a red deer with an eye for opportunity, he turned the Horns from warring street thugs into a gang that could contend with the more predatory criminals in other parts of the city. Its thanks to him that the Horns managed to get control of the Unions as well as expand their business into other ventures.

But through the years, Prongs has maintained his outright hatred of the Predator domination of the cities underworld, he feels that he and his kind shouldn't have to kick up to the cities Underworld King. A Kickback that he feels is little more than the Predators still preying on the world.

Theodore Atara:

Species: Tuatara - Sphenodon

Gang: The Cold Bloods 

One of the first gangs to challenge the Invertebrates, the Cold Bloods are the most powerful and dominant of the reptile gangs in Los Angeles, all the Reptile Families answer to them. 

In their terms they're "Boss of Bosses" at least for anything that's cold blooded and scaly/amphibious.

The Cold Bloods control most of South L.A, they rule the roost of Harbour City, San Pedro, all of Long Beach, Signal Hill down towards Midway City and Huntington Beach, they also have a small holding, near Downtown around the cities commercial Rail yard. They are the lead players in the cities smuggling rackets, anything by Sea, Truck or Rail goes through them. 

They have connections with other Reptilian Gangs in other parts of the Americas, notably the Everglades. You could say that they have hand in many smuggling elements, not just into L.A but also out of it, stolen goods can be loaded onto ships through their "Pipelines" then shipped off to their respected buyers. 

Anyone muscles in on their business meets a very grim fate, rumour has, that one guy tried to double cross them a few years ago. When it got found out, well you've heard the Phrase sleeping with the fishes. Well this guy had to outswim, Crocs, Gators and Caimans, so as you can imagine, the poor bastard had a closed casket funeral.

The current boss of the Cold Blood Families, the Boss of All Bosses so to speak, is Theodore Atara, coming from an ancient species gives him a huge amount of respect among the reptiles, according to some stories the Tuatara are the great Survivors, they witnessed the rise and fall of the great Reptiles, the Dinosaurs millions of years ago.

And Theodore makes it very clear that he is the boss from this respect, he doesn't really have much trust in the warm blooded gangs that dominate other parts of the city as well as that he absolutely hates that he has to kick up to the Cities Underworld King so to speak. 

His ultimate belief, in his own words is "My Dinosaur Ancestors were here first you flea ridden warm bloods".

Yinn:

Species: Giant Panda - Ailuropoda Meanoleuca

Gang: Not a thing, Least I don't think so.

For Decades and I mean literally Decades the city like most other major and capitals of the continent have had a history with Opium. Los Angeles has not escaped that.

Opium dens are rather common in China and Korea Town, though not as much as they used to be, most of them these days are better hidden, they literally used to be wide out in the open. These days they are more in back rooms accessible of through secret doors, with carefully preserved Passwords.

The Drug still has a lot of worth in the world despite how long it has been around.

Here in Los Angeles the Opium trade is dominated by Yinn, a Panda who officially owns and runs the Far East Trading Company, a business that organises and facilitates trade from Asia to North America and Europe. 

A lot of the business is real, raw silk, fancy silk clothes, elaborate pottery, Spices from India and so on. But that is merely a front for his true trade that is proper opium from his various contacts and sources in China, Japan and the rest of Asia. He came over from China years ago and quickly built up his own business, he has been there for every crime boss of the last 40 or so years and Yinn always comes out unscathed.

Despite the range of Opium usage in the city, Yinn is not the kind of guy to run a criminal empire, from what I understand he doesn't even have a gang, why should he, the Panda has a business to run. He really keeps his traditional ideals present, from his clothing to what he eats, even to the traditional tea he drinks.

He is very calm, never letting anger take hold, apparently he is very careful in what he does, during the Great Mob War, he remained neutral and kept running his Dens and business. Honestly he doesn't really care who is who in the underworld, if he has to pay up to someone he will, like I said, why should he care? he's knows full well that sooner of later that person will be replaced.

Thomas Stripes:

Species: Bengal Tiger - Panthera Tigris

Gang: The Kings

Those who sit at the top, the Kings are without a doubt the ones who rule the roost when it comes to Crime in the city. During the Great Mob war 10 years ago, they came up on top, everyone else was utterly annihilated by them or now pay up to them.

On that I am not kidding, every gang and crime family in the city pays up to them for the sake of peace. Else you face their brutality, the Kings only take into their ranks the top species, so that means Lion, Tigers, Bears, Wolves, Hyenas, only the Apex Predators get to truly join the Kings.

Believe it or not, when the Last Great Mob War broke out, these different predators were actually fighting each other, but then Thomas "Tommy" Stripes came onto the scene, as the boss of the Tigers. He unified these Apex Predators and turned them from warring street gangs.

Into a sophisticated Crime Empire. They came out as the clear winners in the Great Mob War, they practically own half of the city, the rest all pay up to them as "Tommy" is now the Crime King of the City. 

Politicians and cops in his pocket, in this city, there isn't a single thing they don't have a hand in, smuggling, drugs, Moonshine, illegal gambling, protection, robberies. Even if they don't run it themselves, they get money from it.

There ain't anyone who dares to Challenge them these days, the Hardshells tried and well, everyone know what happened to them. The Department has been trying to get him for years, but we've never gotten close, he knows where to draw the line and ensure that nothing links to him directly. If we catch some of his enforcers in the act, well they'd rather go to jail then squeal on their boss.

The last guy that did, well he was alive at sunset, found with innards as his "out-ards" at dawn and he wasn't the only one, some that have talked have disappeared. 

These days, the King himself is practically untouchable, he has bent cops on his payroll, Politicians at his beck and call. Some rumours say that he has Members of Parliament on his Payroll, so as you can imagine that brings a lot of influence.  The Man himself, lives in a swanky, over the top mansion up in Beverly Canyon, a literal gilded fortress, heavy steel gates, high walls with solid spikes at the top, top the line security alarms, even a "Private Security Company" posting Guards 24hrs a day.

Some say that the place has a literal armoury hidden inside, bigger than the one we have the Precinct. I don't see why though, after all no one has tried anything or is willing to try anything that could threaten the King of Crime in Los Angeles.