AUTHOR'S NOTES: Happy New Year! in celebration of this event, I am posting this informative little piece of work, which should help to better explain the state and condition of Panem in my "Fire Without a Spark" series. While it technically takes place after the 99th Hunger Games, there are no spoilers in the first chapter, so don't worry. There might be subtle hints (foreshadowing or otherwise) about events to come, but otherwise, this is just a look at Panem's dazzling Capitol and its twelve colorful districts, and the distinct cultures that 100 years of otherwise isolation have produced. The following dozen or so chapters will take a closer look into each of the districts, and might be of varying length, and may contain spoilers of recent victors. However, you do not need to read any of "Fire Without a Spark" to understand what is going on here (nor do readers of FWAS need to read this to understand those stories. this is technically a standalone work).
FIRE WITHOUT A SPARK: A JOURNEY ACROSS PANEM
PREFACE: THE REPORT
In my 16 years of serving as District 12's escort, I have been on exactly two victory tours, although have also taken the time between Hunger Games to tour the other districts in order to learn more about this vast and diverse country we live in, and the vast array of colorful citizens that call Panem their home. This is an unbiased account of my observations of the twelve districts of Panem, as well as our shining Capitol, as they appear a century after the Great Rebellion that culminated in the surrender of the first twelve districts and the destruction of District 13.
My travels started in my native Capitol home, where I offer my personal views on this fine city. From there, it will take me to District 1 and go onward and outward from there. I do hope this may be useful information to someone someday, and may the odds be ever in your favor…
~Junichi Thatch~
The Capitol provides everything for its citizens that they could dream of, and then some. Built from and supported by the backs of the twelve districts, it is a shining beacon and the iconic city of Panem. The Capitol does not take kindly to those it sees as enemies and opposition, although it is not to say they are entirely cruel. There is a more personable side that our fine Capitol displays to its citizens, often seen during the gratuitous festivities thrown every year during the annual victory tours.
The extremely high quality of life keeps the citizens of the Capitol in chipper and upbeat moods most of the day, and they are always excited to show off their looks and fashion. Others, such as those who escort the tributes to the Capitol for the annual Hunger Games, are much more personable, and try to get to know the people of the district they serve. Such is also my own occupation.
As mentioned earlier, I have also been given the wonderful opportunity of travelling through the various districts of our find country, and thus have been able to see for myself a taste of their cultures and behavior, as well as the people who form the heart and soul of each district.
District 1 remains loyal to the Capitol, and as such, the Capitol returns the favors, with this being one of the several reasons it is Panem's richest district. They are one of the career districts, producing volunteer tributes for the Hunger Games year after year. While they specialize in luxury items, the people of District 1 are also fighters. They just happen to be able to produce some of the best-looking tributes in the meantime. No one said that they couldn't fight and look good at the same time!
Because of the well-off lifestyle and the complacence to the Capitol, there is little in the ways of unusual incidents here. The people of District 1 are proud and loyal, and are outgoing as well as confident. However, despite their toned and usually fair, slender frames, they are far from being all show and no go. 14 Hunger Games victors in 99 years is a pretty hard statistic to argue with.
Supposedly District 1 is Panem's happiest district, which would make sense given the cheerful (and sometimes slightly airheaded) behavior of its tributes or citizens, almost as if they were a younger sibling to the Capitol. Perhaps they serve as a reminder that when a district supports the Capitol, that the Capitol gives back in return, although there are disputes surrounding this claim sometimes as well. Perhaps one of the finest things to come from the district though is their famous "Red Gold", made popular by a victor from over half a century ago, and now a favorite of many of Panem's victors.
If there is any district more loyal to the Capitol than District 1, however, it would have to be District 2. Known for being the primary producer of our fine nation's Peacekeepers, District 2 is full of proud and confident citizens who respect the strong and intelligent among them, leaving little room for those who do not fit at least one of those criteria. They are the other prominent career district, and as such they do very well in the Hunger Games, producing more victors than any other district, with a total of 17 over the 99-year-long history of the games.
However, weaponry and Peacekeepers are not the only thing that District 2 is known for. Citizens from this fine district are as solid as the stone they manipulate, and are fierce, passionate fighters. An orderly, almost militaristic lifestyle leads the district to have minimal problems, and so the Peacekeepers' jobs here are considerably easy, and the Capitol rewards that loyalty with wealth and support, and thus the district is well-off. However, in an orderly atmosphere, there are also times when they let loose. It is said that District 2 parties are the best in Panem, only topped by the Capitol itself. Despite these perks, however, there is a growing trend of slight unease among the surviving victors, who seem to be coping much more difficultly than victors of the past or even from other districts. The exact nature of this trend, as well as its origins, however, are still unclear, apart from that some of these victors seem to harbor a resentment for the Capitol—a definite oddity in an otherwise rather loyal district.
What District 2 has in strength, however, District 3 has in intellect. As the tech geeks of Panem, District 3 produces some of the most intelligent citizens, and similarly, tributes in the Hunger Games. It has severed them considerably well, with 9 of the 99 Hunger Games victors calling this district their home. It is a very urban district, and rumors have it that while it connects to the same power grid as the remainder of Panem, that it also has a backup grid of its own to fuel the technological creations that come out of this unique district. District 3 has always been about doing things their way, and it is difficult to argue with the results, considering their vast accomplishments.
An oddity about District 3 is that while they often side with the career tributes in the Hunger Games, they do not seem to share the same loyalist views. In fact, they are some of the more distant people from the Capitol in terms of amiable relationships, and some dare even say 'rebellious'. They are a tactful bunch if this is actually true, however, given that the Peacekeepers only have to deal with minimal disruptive activity. Similarly, District 3 is tactical and cunning in the 'games, usually faring well even if they don't emerge as the victors. While "Career" tributes from District 3 tend to get picked off first when the career pack finally breaks up, there are many who have successfully outsmarted their career brethren, sometimes even taking the victor's crown in the process. Let it not be said that District 3 is not full of very capable fighters, even if it is not conventional combat they excel in.
Every now and again though, District 4 is sometimes considered a career district. They produce more volunteers than District 3, although both districts have had nearly the same number of victors in 99 years: 8. It appears to be a mixed bag in the sense of its tributes, producing powerful tributes that have emerged as victors or became immortalized as powerful warriors some years, and other years producing mere bloodbath fodder. They are swift on the sands, and seem to be drawn towards water. Some of them even exhibit an almost tribal-like appearance or behavior—a practice only really seen in District 12 otherwise. Despite some of their wild appearances, however, most people from here are rather mellow.
The citizenry is very similar, and are known for marching to their own beat, with many of them not even wearing shoes on the beautiful beaches of the district. They are also famous for being the only district in Panem that produces adept swimmers. Not even the other career districts can match this skill.
While there are angels and demons in every district, so to speak, one of the best ways to describe District 4 is that they are free-spirited and fun-loving individuals. This notion has also given birth to the rumor that they are on the rebellious side of things, although if they are, they are much more discreet than most of the other districts about it.
There are not really any districts that can match the mystery surrounding District 5, however. They are a well-off district, with wealth only topped by Districts 2 and 1 (and the Capitol of course), and they are a vital entity for sustaining not just the Capitol, but nearly all of Panem with the energy the numerous power plants produce. District 5 has a history of producing handfuls of cunning tributes, and many have even gone on to become victors of the games. They have produced the most victors of any non-career district, with 10 of the 99 Hunger Games victors calling District 5 their home.
The personality of this district is reflected in its tributes and victors, however. They are quiet, elusive, and cunning. Some might think that it's a miracle that this district has managed to produce so many victors when there have also been plenty of its tributes that have died in the opening minutes, but District 5 has proven that when tributes survive the bloodbath and the first several days of the arena, that they are generally a force to be reckoned with—or a force that needs to be outsmarted. They are notorious for popping in by surprise and striking like assassins. With the wealth and lifestyle that District 5 boasts, they have considerable loyalty to the Capitol—they would have to, in order for the Capitol to trust them to produce and export their power and energy.
Some things in life have to be experienced firsthand before you can truly believe in them, and the endemic that sweeps District 6 and keeps it in its grasp is one of these concepts. Drug abuse, particularly with painkillers like Morphling and "Formula 16" runs rampant throughout the district, and even the Peacekeepers are not immune to it. The story goes that some of them even take bribes for it. Whether or not this is the case remains to be seen, but since they are able to keep up with their industrial quotas, the fine citizens of District 6 are doing at least one thing right.
The tributes from this district tend to be a little off in the head because many of them start abusing these substances from an early age, but every now and again a victor emerges. 7 of the 99 victors have emerged from District 6, and so they've got a better success story than some. It is something of a surprise considering that the endemic has not improved much over the years. In fact, after one of the victors perfected a drug known affectionately as "Substance 21", the endemic has simply tightened its grip on District 6, and the drug has become increasingly popular while the victor and his twin sister continue to capitalize off of it rather well. Popular rumor suggests that District 6 is actually very rebellious, but are kept complacent because of the drug endemic they have brought upon themselves in such a large and unstable place.
District 7 has humbler origins than many of the aforementioned locales, but they remain a resilient stock that are hard to predict. Many of them are adept with axes, and especially in earlier years, they would join forces with the careers to wreak havoc. Many of them score fairly high and are obviously the most at home in forested arenas. The citizenry is similar—they can navigate the densely forested regions of their district with an almost instinctual ease, and have an acute sense of direction. This certainly has paid off in the Hunger Games, where 7 of the 99 victors call the Lumber District their home.
There remains a prominent Peacekeeper force in District 7 to watch over them, especially because enough citizens armed with axes and lumberjack tools could in fact cause a disruption, similar to a small incident that happened shortly after the 71st Hunger Games. Either way, the citizens here are a colorful crowd, and while they are not as erratic as their District 6 kin, they are clever and evasive, staying out of the Capitol's eyes just enough to not draw too much attention to themselves, but also refraining from growing too complacent to Capitol Rule. They are a fiercely independent bunch, as many of their victors demonstrate, and it is a culture that refuses to die out, no matter what any adversary tries.
If the citizenry of District 7 are colorful, District 8 is a rainbow. As the Textile District, it is no surprise that they have some of the Capitol's fashion sense—or at least a similar love of colors. Despite being from one of the more urban and lower-class districts, the crafty citizens of District 8 have left a mark of their own upon Hunger Games history, producing 7 victors in the 99 years of the Hunger Games' existence. While they are fairly fond of fashion, they do not center their lives around it the way the Capitol does, and yet they manage to still remain fairly stylish. Some of Panem's finest artists have emerged from District 8, and some of the victors have even gone on to be advisors for some of the tribute stylists.
However, beneath all of these bright colors and clothes lies a much darker secret that has kept Panem's Peacekeeping force rather strong in District 8. In the near century of Capitol rule, this form of government has never really sat well with the citizenry here, who to this day remain very rebellious. They have stepped out of line a good number of times, although order always seems to find a way of being restored, and thankfully they have not rioted or overtaken the district yet. Some of the victors and families hailing from this district are watched very carefully by the Capitol's eye to prevent anything like that from happening, but that does not change that District 8 is still a very rebellious district. Those who visit should tread carefully—they are also a very passionate bunch, which is why their dreams and ideas will never fully die.
District 9 is on the less fortunate side of things, being a fairly poor district full of farmers that seldom fare well in the games. Only 3 of the 99 victors can say they come from District 9, and the alcoholism that grips the district certainly does not help. Being able to make beer is about as well-known as the ability to grow wheat or make bread, and it serves as a keystone of their district lifestyle. While it usually spells certain death (usually in the bloodbath) for their Hunger Games tributes, let it not be said that District 9 life is terribly boring.
Coming from slender, almost breezy-looking stock, District 9 can sometimes produce a very agile or swift tribute (if they are not inebriated or addicted to booze). Similarly, their golden-skinned citizens can blend in with the amber waves of grain with considerable ease, meaning that this district could theoretically resort to some fairly gnarly guerilla warfare if they were ever to rise up. However, it seems that the alcohol keeps them sedated, and so the Capitol does not bother them much.
Perhaps the bigger mystery then, is why District 10, a place full of ranchers, farmers, and butchers, also fares rather poorly in the games, considering that only 3 victors have emerged from this locale in the 99 years of Hunger Games Panem has seen. All three of these victors had been butchers and ranchers, since the district is fairly poor and so many of the citizens take second jobs. Whatever the case, they should not be counted out too quickly—because usually when the district is ready to produce another victor, it will show—and the dangerous tribute will make him or herself very obvious.
Despite being the 2nd-poorest district in Panem, District 11 actually has a very respectable victor's pool, placing 4th overall, with 9 of the 99 victors emerging from the Agriculture District. A hardy but rebellious crowd, District 11 is well-acquainted with starvation and survival, with familiarity to trees and plants being a must in this district. Most of its tributes are burly hard-working young adults, and this is believed to be the primary explanation for how it has produced so many victors. Any time the arena or the games require a strong survival element, it is usually safe to bet that District 11 will not only survive the bloodbath, but will also thrive in the arena for a long time. Even when they don't win, District 11 tributes usually score fairly solid and place fairly high. In fact, over the last decade, no District 11 tribute has placed in the bottom twelve—a feat that can only be matched by the two notorious career districts.
These dark-skinned crowds are also, however, a rather rebellious stock, similar to District 8. Their peacekeepers are notably strict, although sometimes even they need backup against the cunning farmers of the district, who know the lay of the land much better than the visiting or newcomer Peacekeepers, and they use this edge to their advantage. District 11 is full of opportunistic people that are willing to use whatever they can around them to their advantage, and this behavior is reflected in the Hunger Games, no less. Many of them are fighters of few words, although a few individuals have some of the most golden tongues in all of Panem. In fine, District 11 knows not to mess around, and knows how to get things done, posing a threat not only to other tributes in the 'games, but even potentially to the Capitol's nigh-invincible regime.
Never, for the longest time, had anyone expected anything significant to come out of Panem's poorest district. For a while, these mysterious citizens simply lurked in the shadows of Panem, and in the darkness of the mines they worked in. District 12 is so strikingly unique that it deserves special attention. A simplistic district inhabited by darker citizens who are usually also fairly dirty, the swarthy populace of District 12 is very discreet in what they do. According to some rumors circulated by Peacekeepers, District 12 is on the verge of outright rebellion, and is often considered to be much more rebellious even than District 8. While most of the Capitol elite dismiss them as unthreatening due to their small population, they are not a people to overlook. They appear complacent due to the fairly lax Peacekeepers that watch over the place, and perhaps even the citizens understand that they are in no position to take down the Capitol themselves. Still… they possess a distinct cunning that has helped improve their Hunger Games performance in recent years, with their victor count totaling at 5 out of the 99 victors history has seen. Of those, 3 of them were in the last 25 years, which shows a bright future for the Mining District in the 'games.
District 12 has developed a very distinct personality, with the citizens enjoying the darkness and nighttime, perhaps due to their time under the earth mining coal and other materials. These tricks, as well as a much younger age now where they begin working in the dangerous mines, has familiarized the tributes and citizens with the dangers of the earth, and with a familiarity to the darkness, and the obstacles therein. Rumors have it that they are up to something big, but looming threats of a bombing from the Capitol have so far kept the plans at bay, if there were ever any to begin with. Whatever the case, District 12 is one to keep an eye on—for despite their erratic performance and almost tribal-like behavior, these people are much more cunning than they lead most outsiders to believe, and especially among the victors of the district, this trait shows rather prominently.
District 13 still lies in smoldering ruins. Perhaps the toxicity of the bombs might have worn off by now, but clearly the place is rather uninhabitable. All anyone knows now is that the closest standing district is District 12, which almost seems fitting considering the rebelliousness of the latter. However, no one dares venture there, for the Capitol knows all, and sees it all.
—End of report, signed by Junichi Senwa Thatch, on this the 16th day of the 1st month, year HG100—