Cottar
Cottar are clusters of neighbourhoods built on the outskirts of major cities in Normandie (particularly Quimper). Cottars generally consist of detached houses, often of low quality construction but with thick insulation, built on wooden stilts and constructed without a plan. Several extra floors may be illegally added later to the detached houses that make up the cotars. Cottars generally feature small parks, narrow or no-paved streets, and staircases with many steps. The most significant feature distinguishing cotars from the Martino style suburbs is their rather a bit colorless appearance. Only the areas near luxury housing in cotars have access to natural gas; all other neighbourhoods use coal for heating for nine months of the year, making Quimper the dirtiest capital among the Hurmudan realms. Approximately 40% of Quimper consists of cottar neighbourhoods, most of which were built when Normandie was greener. Around 1.5 million people in Quimper live in these types of houses.
History
Fall of Stormark and after
The history of the Cottars began after the fall of Stormark in 1685 AN, as many witnessed the decline of Normandie and the resulting lawless warfare between counties. To protect themselves from lawlessness, the people of Normandie chose to live together in solidarity, building tightly packed quarters. Cottar construction ceased during the Lysstyrer era. After the Hexarchian authorities to give up much of Lysstyrer's territory, Cottar quarters began to be rebuilt.
During the Purification of Normandie
Immediately after the Purification of Normandie began, the area of Cottar quarters in Quimper quadrupled. To feed on the chaos of the Cottar quarters, KRM militias began infiltrating them, forming the basis of the drug network and criminal organizations in Normandie. Despite organizing throughout the quarters, the KRM failed to capture Quimper using guerrilla warfare tactics. During the Siege of Quimper in 1745, the neighborhoods suffered extensive damage, and the streets witnessed the war against Vanicism.
Post-war
After the war, many people moved to Quimper in search of work. Following the war, the Cottar neighborhoods became a crime district. After the revival of Normandy, the Cottar neighborhoods became a haven for chemical drug dealers. Several criminal organizations, primarily Les Calvados, began to organize in their neighborhoods. This organization included the development of their own neighborhood complexes (mostly to meet the needs of the organizations themselves). In the early 1750s, the land in these neighborhoods became attractive to the Komonos, and the Kumonosu began to encroach on the land of individual Cottar neighborhoods, although many still lack building permits. In addition, the Cottar neighborhoods function as a propaganda area for illegal left-wing organizations and Neo-Vanic terrorists. These organizations quickly organize in these neighborhoods and maintain solidarity with the armed gangs of the region. The proliferation of raips (gangsters) makes it extremely difficult for Normandie police to conduct operations in these neighborhoods.
Public order
The Normandie royal family is quite concerned about the proliferation of such neighborhoods. Normandie's police force has approximately tripled in size since the war, and police, gendarmerie, and constable units from the Jarldom of Normandie era have been restored. Special "Special Operations Units" have been established for operations. These specially trained units wear black camouflage and are fully equipped. The special forces have been somewhat effective against criminal organizations, but some criminal groups, particularly Les Calvados, either infiltrate their ranks within the police force or offer attractive bribes to police officers. The lack of transparency in public affairs prevents adequate security in the region. The overall murder rate in Quimper is 35 per 100,000.
Residents and culture
The people remaining in the Cottar neighborhoods are generally poor, as rent in the area is relatively cheap. Some families in the neighborhood have lived there for several generations. The area is seen as a haven for the poor, as well as for sex workers (particularly transvestites) and marginalized people. The ethnic population is slightly larger than Kernevon, as most of the Cottar neighbourhoods facing the northern slope fall within the boundaries of the Cornuaille cultural district. The majority of the population works as industrial laborers. Residents lack adequate municipal services, so many problems in the neighbourhood are solved through solidarity. Because land is inexpensive, residents are greatly concerned about gentrification. Although they may be perceived as dangerous from the outside, the neighbourhoods are quite hospitable. The Cottar neighbourhoods have managed to develop their own established culture, making significant contributions, particularly in street art and music.
