Took quite a while to figure out the pose of the last piece, many scribbles. Also have the very first drawing of this character from 2019, not sure I ever posted it
The Liver Zones are environments founded on filth. They are contained ecosystems that thrive on the waste gasses the city breathes out. Originally Liver Zones only formed naturally in the lowest reaches of the city in pockets of trapped exhaust. These unique communities of organisms adapted to either metabolize, or at least tolerate, a life in toxic waste, and most can survive nowhere else.
In modern times, these fantastically lethal ecosystems have given a practical solution to a serious challenge faced by those districts which have been buried beneath layers of architecture: a way to contain and neutralize gasses spewed by chimneys that have been blocked by newly unfolded districts. Instead of cutting paths upward through the young, malleable new sarchitecture, as such openings are not guaranteed to last, given how newly unfolded Sarchi continue to adjust their walls and layout for decades after unfolding, the vents are redirected to special, sealed off areas, usually selected from unpopulated industrial areas, although ghettos, apartment mazes, and other low-income, ‘undesirable’ neighborhoods are also frequent choices. Areas with high populations of Azo are especially common Liver Zone candidates, as their apparently disorganized nature and refusal to participate in Harusper society entails them no legal rights or protections when it comes to persuading district counsels to select some other unfortunate area. Oftentimes the only forewarning inhabitants are given is the beginning of construction to seal off every road, pipe, crack and crevice around the newly selected zone. From there they simply have no choice but to find a new home as water, heat, traffic, and eventually air are cut off one by one up until the vents are connected and the gas floods in. Most, of course, do pleave, but some, especially the old, infirm, and those without families, are either left abandoned or stubbornly remain to meet their deaths, their bodies becoming fodder for the flora and fauna which will soon be seeded.
After the gas has built up to suitable concentrations, organisms carefully harvested from pre-established Liver Zones are introduced. These ecosystems are delicate, and like foul, lightless gardens, must be cared for and maintained to retain optimal levels of functioning. Additionally, many species of economic importance are endemic to these induced ecosystems, including several species of tryllichens which can be processed into a high end plastic that's now found in many common products throughout the city, and multiple plants and animals which produce chemicals of pharmaceutical importance and interest.
The Ellyllo pictured are part of a team performing a routine examination on the L-Zone, carrying out tasks such as documenting floral growth, taking mud and air samples, and collecting arthropoid specimens. Others who frequent Liver Zones are those who cut and harvest plastic and rubber producing flora, unclog overgrown input vents, and other maintenance workers. A currently hot area of research is the development of blockades which can be applied as coatings to select surfaces (vent linings, pumps, door mechanisms) within the zones to prevent the growth of unwanted organisms which tend to jam them.
