Haven City
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Haven City is a huge dystopia featured in the fictional Jak and Daxter universe.
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[edit] History
Founded by King Mar, Haven City served two purposes. It served to protect the human-elf inhabitants from the Metal Heads, and also to keep the Metal Heads from getting the Precursor Stone. By the time of Jak II, when it was introduced, Haven City was one of a very small handful of cities left on the entire planet, and was ruled by the tyrannical Baron Praxis. Haven City was divided into several districts, namely the slums, water slums, industrial zone, port, farm area, bazaar, main town, Stadium, and the Fortress, but the most important feature was Haven Palace, standing high up, visible from any place in the city (and most places outside of it). The Palace was actually built atop a series of Precursor catacombs, which lead to the planetary defense system (some fans believe the palace was a conductor for the energy beam).
Also in the game Daxter which is set in Haven city a few places not mentioned in the other games are revealed such as the Cannary, Distilary, Hotel and an underground train system, also Haven city had quite a few projects outside the city such as the strip mine, drill platform, water pumping station, lumber mill and weapons factory.
Haven city's streets where under constant patrol from the Krimson guard (later the Freedom League) who where prepared to open fire on anybody who was disobeying the Baron's orders, also dotted around the city where machines which played propaganda messages recorded by the Baron himself, the cities main forms of transport where either walking or flying over the crowds in hover vehicles which have obviously advanced since the zoomer Keira created in the first game.
[edit] During the games
In Daxter, the first game chronologically in the story to be set in Haven city, the Metal Heads (or Metal Bugs as they are called) are infesting Haven city, as Metal Head agents have shut down (by force) all except one exterminator companies in the city, so that there would be nobody to stop them from entering the city. This is what allows Metal Kor into the city disguised as an old man. Daxter ends up working for this last exterminator company before Metal Kor's agent, Kaeden, destroys it like the others. Daxter eventually defeats Kaeden and soon after Daxter rescues Jak from the fortress.
In Jak II, Daxter has freed Jak who is understandably angry about being treated like a lab rat for two years and wants revenge on Baron Praxis, the leader of Haven City, so Jak and Daxter join the Underground group against the Baron and find out that Haven city is not just a place they randomly ended up in like they thought, but it is actually their future and home. Unfortunately, Metal Kor, disguised as on old man, tricks them into doing jobs which mess up the Eco Shield protecting Haven City from Metal Head invasion, and the Metal Heads get in and launch a full scale assault before Jak kills Kor and supposedly ends the Metal Head siege of Haven City.
In the beginning of Jak 3, the Palace is destroyed by Count Veger during the civil war following the deaths of Praxis and the Metal Head Leader. In addition, the city's industrial zone is taken over by Krimzon Guard Death Bots and all of the west side of the city that had not been crushed by the fallen palace is taken over and turned into a new nest by the Metal Heads. The rest of the city: the port, Slums, Fortress, and the new area called New Haven which stands where the water slums were in Jak II were still controlled by the Freedom Guard. Sadly, both Main Town and the Mar Memorial Stadium were completely destroyed.
When Jak gets back, the new skyline is dominated by the floating K-G war factory hovering over the point where the palace once stood and the Metal Head tower is standing somewhere in either the old farm area or western Bazaar. Both of these are destroyed by Jak.
By Jak X Haven City has been completely rebuilt and much the same as always, but much larger and most of the once uneven and dirty streets now look clean and futuristic, and Haven City's streets and sewers are used as race tracks for the tournament that Jak and his friends must compete in.
[edit] Locations
- Bazaar (East): This market district was once located to the east of the Palace, and was unique in that Zoomers and other hover transport were restricted to travelling on an elevated road, leaving the streets clear for pedestrians. The only real place of interest here was Ōnin's tent, but the Bazaar was destroyed by the falling ruins of the Palace when it was destroyed in Jak 3.
- Bazaar (West): Located to the west of the Palace, this section of the Bazaar was open to hover transport as well as pedestrians. Brutter the Lurker maintained a small fish stand here, but it was mostly empty. It was destroyed when the west of the city was taken over by the Metal Heads and became the Metal Head City.
- Brutter's Stall: This is where Brutter made a living selling fish, while not at the city Cannery. It was also from here that he helped organize rescue missions to save Lurkers from slavery.
- Construction Site: A small region of the city where a building of some kind is being constructed in Daxter and Jak II. While not a very significant area at first glance, many important events happen here, including the death of Baron Praxis and Kor revealing himself to be the Metal Head Leader.
- Fortress: An army base for first the Krimzon Guard, and then later the Freedom League, the Fortress was where prisoners were detained. Jak was infused with Dark Eco here as part of the failed "Dark Warrior" program, and after Daxter helped him escape, he had to break into it again several times while running missions for the Underground.
- Industrial Zone: A large district to the south-east of the city, the Industrial Zone is home to several businesses, as well as the city power station. It was the site of much battling between the Freedom League, the KG, and the Metal Heads during the time of Jak 3, but it has recovered by the time of Jak X: Combat Racing, where it is now part of the Haven City racing venue.
- Kidder-Ridder Shop: The last exterminator business operating in Haven City, it was home to Osmo and Ximon and had served as an exterminator business for generations. Daxter also worked here for a while in Daxter, until the shop was destroyed by the Metal Head, Kaeden.
- Power Station: The city's only power plant is where the eco power grid and the city shield are monitored by a complex system of computers and its operator, Vin. A teleporter gate here leads to several destinations, including the Strip Mine and the Lumber Mill. The power station was raided by Metal Heads in Jak II, and Vin, being terrified of the creatures, dunked his brain into the eco grid and now monitors the system from the inside.
- Transit System: A subway system with trains arriving at stations every few seconds presumeably serves the entire city, or possibly the entire region, but only a small section of the system, underneath the Industrial Zone, is explored by Daxter while sorting out a Metal Bug infestation in Daxter.
- Westside Hotel: A large hotel that had a Metal Bug infestation during Daxter, but the problem was soon sorted out by Daxter himself. According to the clerk, Krew was a frequent visitor to the establishment.
- Metal Head City: When the Metal Heads took over the western side of the city, which once included the Gardens (both North and South), and the Bazaar (West), they rebuilt it to their liking and it was renamed the Metal Head City. A slimy green canal flowed through the region, leading from the Port in the south to the Metal Head Tower to the north. The Metal Head City was eventually restored to its original state after Jak 3.
- Metal Head Tower: A vast structure where the Metal Heads coordinated their attacks, the Metal Head Tower also contained a teleporter gate that led to the Dark Maker Ship. The top of the tower was destroyed by Jak, and later the entire structure was torn down.
- New Haven: This is the name given to the rebuilt sections of the Water Slums and the Slums from Jak 3 onwards. Built around a system of canals, it has a very modern look and feel to it. During Jak 3, surprisingly little fighting took place here. It is here that the Freedom League had their main headquarters.
- Freedom League HQ: A tall tower where the Freedom League oversaw their movements in the war, as well as the day-to-day running of the city. It also contained a garage where Ashelin's special HellCat Cruiser was stored. It was once attacked by the KG, but it survived the war intact.
- Palace: The home of Baron Praxis during his time as ruler of Haven City, the Palace rose high above the city streets, surrounded by six support towers. You could see the Palace from almost anywhere in the city; a terrifying reminder of the influence the Baron had over his people. In Jak 3, the Palace was destroyed when Veger ordered the Metal Heads to attack it. The crumbled remains of the Palace destroyed much of the Stadium Section, but it revealed an entrance to the Precursor catacombs beneath the Palace. It is not seen in Jak X, so it presumeably wasn't rebuilt.
- Port: A large harbor to the south of the city, which is where tankers and other vehicles drop off their cargo. It has changed little over the years, because little fighting took place here in Jak 3.
- Gun Course: This is where citizens can try out their weapons against fake targets. In Jak 3, Tess worked here, developing weapons and special gun courses to test them.
- Naughty Ottsel: A saloon once owned by Krew, when it was called the Hip Hog Heaven. While Krew owned the bar, both Tess and Sig worked here, and Jak and Daxter were frequent visitors. After Krew's death, it was taken over by Daxter and renamed the Naughty Ottsel. In Jak 3, Torn used the bar as a southern HQ for the Freedom League, mainly because the Ottsel's head is supposedly good shooting practice. After Jak and Daxter re-open the path to New Haven and the northern HQ, Daxter regained ownership of the bar.
- Tanker: In Daxter, a large tanker was moored in the port, which Daxter had to travel to twice in order to clear it of Metal Bugs. While on his second visit into the ship, he unwittingly turned on a self-destruct feature, destroying the vessel.
- Slums: Located to the east of the city, the Slums were home to most of Haven's inhabitants. People living here got a poor quality of life, due to the terrible living conditions. However, the Underground movement had its main headquarters here, and the Slums were later the site of many battles between the KG, Freedom League and Metal Head forces.
- Underground Hideout: A small bunker hidden beneath the city wall where Torn, Tess, Kor, and the rest of the Underground plotted their actions against the Baron. Despite the fact that the entrance is clearly marked by the symbol of the Underground, it was only ever attacked by the Krimzon Guard once, when they sent Blast Bots to destroy the hideout. It was presumably abandoned after the Underground was disbanded.
- Stadium Section: This large area of the city once took up the north-western quarter. At its heart was the Stadium, where many different competitions were held. A canal ran through the district, stretching from the Gardens (North) to the Stadium itself. However, the Stadium Section was destroyed when the Palace collapsed in Jak 3.
- Mar Memorial Stadium: This huge sports arena is one of Haven City's main landmarks. The Stadium can be quickly modified to accommodate different sporting events, such as JetBoard stunt arenas or NYFE Air Racer tracks. It was destroyed by the falling Palace in Jak 3, but it was soon rebuilt, and by the time of Jak X: Combat Racing it once again stands proud.
- Water Slums: A flooded area to the north of the city, where civilians lived in old shacks suspended above the waters. A mostly featureless area, it was only notable for containing the Oracle's hut and a pipe that led to the Pumping Station. Sometime between Jak II and Jak 3, it was completely rebuilt into New Haven.
- Oracle's Hut: In this hut, the mysterious Precursor Oracle could be found, willing to give guidance and wisdom, or even special powers, to those who proved themselves worthy by killing Metal Heads and bringing him their Skull Gems. He gave Jak his Dark Jak powers, but his hut is strangely absent in Jak 3 onwards.
KG War Factory, Jak 3 - The place where the Krimzon Guard Death Bots are made, and also the place where Cyber-Errol hides out away from the enemy until Jak puts it out of action and what is left is presumably dismantled.
[edit] Minor places in the city
- Cannary, Daxter
- Distilary, Daxter
- Bar/brewary, Daxter
[edit] Connection with Jak
Jak was born in Haven city to his father Damas, a former ruler who came to throne during the beginning of the Metal Head wars.
At around the age of 3 Jak was sent to the past and didn't arrive until two full years before his child-self went back in time.
Immediately upon arriving back in the future Jak was captured by the Krimzon Guard and locked in the fortress. For two years he was tortured with Dark Eco experiments until finally Daxter rescued him.
Jak's birth name is Mar, given to him by his father Damas as a sign of his lineage to the great house of Mar, founder of Haven city.
Many fans believe Jak is the Mar, however this would make Jak his own forefather; something would be a sort of grandfather paradox. Some others believe that he is not the Mar, just a desendent that was sent back in time with Samos the Green Sage so that he could grow up, travel through time to the present and end the war in Haven city.
Another theory is that further in the future, Jak (or Mar) travels back into the past to the age of Mar. This means that jack does all the heroic things that Mar does because he IS Mar.
