Meningus is a virus that is transmitted by buildings where they are infected with a cocktail of noxious gasses and harmful chemicals such as asbestos. They then belch out this cocktail which then spreads the virus to other buildings and also makes humans sick by breathing it in. Pretty awful stuff.

The virus itself and (importantly) the reaction to the virus caused a black hole of despair in this area of Blendini City. Luckily the virus was well-contained, but the Jaggers neighborhood really went through the ringer and a lot of the sick buildings were cleared, while others have just sat dilapidated. The noxious gases were also contained and purified over time, but there have still been long-term impacts because of the air quality.

One of the many results of the Meningus outbreak was the construction of this research center

The research center studies Meningus prevention but also quick treatments. They’ve done very good work although I sometimes wonder if they want a complete cure! But thanks to their work and many others, Meningus is very easy to live with compared to what it was.

But the research itself has become an industry of its own, which becomes a slippery slope. As I said before, though, the benefits of the Meningus Research Center outweigh the costs and it has been a good investment for the city. It’s also been a balance for Jaggers since the other main industry is vice.

Jaggers has been through the ringer, and we were hit by Meningus very hard. While the outbreak was mostly contained to the neighborhood, a lot of buildings were destroyed and never rebuilt. There’s been a vice district that has been steady now for the 30 years since the outbreak. Funny to see paired with this research center. City Council really thought the center was going to bring more science jobs to the neighborhood. Just hasn’t worked out, but the research center sticks around. As the proprietor of the Hotel Jaggers, vice has been good business for me.

Buck Latrobe, proprietor of Hotel Jaggers