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DR98, or Dzenla Rosi' Skej Nom ('Crimson Silence Nine-Eight' in English) is a Dalkaisk gang based in Tayven that acts a leader of the active drug trafficking and gang conflict in the city's poor neighborhoods. It actively works to distribute drugs within the Dalkaisk nation and to foreign markets as well, primarily Tauran. The members often refer to each other as family, and DR98 is often also called the Gaterinel Family (Gaterinel Ustanitsi). It often fights with other gangs and law enforcement in Tayven and Menefa. The central districts of Tayven have been designated as a danger zone for tourists due to their activity in the region.
History
Origin
The gang started out as a group of hustlers during the Great Migration, where the members would distribute morphine (Tsevero as the Dalkaisk called it) either stolen from medical bays or synthesized from their bunks. They distributed tsevero across the entire migratory fleet, and often worked out of the eye of Dalkaisk officials. In late 2990, the small group had grown to 98 members, and they officially adopted the name DR98, after the velvet tattoos used to identify one another.
Names
In casual conversation, DR98 is pronounced as "Dar Skom," an abbrevation of both DR and Skej Nom. Dzenla refers to the code of silence for the members, similar to Omertà. Those who break Dzenla are threatened while in prison, while their family is threatened on the outside. Rosi' is a shortening of the Dalkaisk work for Red/Crimson, Rosinen. Gang members will refer to one another as Lefa, or Cousin, and no real names are used. DR98 names are formed by Lefa, followed by an object or trait, and a number. For instance, the founder Kharidin Gaterinel has a name of Lefa Pata Zvi (Cousin Hand Three.)
Structure
The structure and roles of DR98 is as follows:
- Headman (Okhumej) - The boss of all of the members of DR98 who oversees all operations taken by the family.
- Counsellor (Menits) - The right-hand-man of the headman. He resolves conflicts between the Upper Family (Lowboss and up) and acts as a second voice to the headman's decisions
- Underhand (Tspata) - The underhand is the 2nd in command, and is in charge of dealing with the lowbosses and day to day operations of the family.
- Lowboss (Svali) - A boss of around 5-25 men, known as a "household (alava)." He oversees and plans individual jobs that streetmen perform.
- Streetman (Vala) - The members that perform the dirty work of the family. These members differ from associates in that they must be Dalkaisk and that they must swear to Dzenla and become made men (desjrev) through a ritual.
- Associate (Avajsje) - Typically new recruits or non-Dalkaisk who work for the family, but have not become made men. They must still swear to Dzenla and typically aren't protected men (that is a person whose lowboss must consent to if Upper Family wants to kill.)
To replace an Underhand or Lowboss, a vote by the Lowbosses or Streetmen respectively is undertaken, with the Headman having the final say. In practice, these votes are highly controlled by various individuals. Headmen are typically replaced by Underhands upon their death.
To turn an associate into a streetman (or to make a man), the associate must agree to the virtues of the family, as well as put his life to the code of Dzenla.