BARGHEST
| BARGHEST | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Gang |
| Region | Pacifica |
| District | Dogtown |
| Leader | Kurt Hansen |
| DLC | Phantom Liberty |
BARGHEST is the private army of Colonel Kurt Hansen and the law of Dogtown. It is a militia, an international arms dealer and a police force all in one. It is more than an ordinary gang: no one else has carved out a whole district of Night City, thrown the police out completely and kept it that way. Its name comes from a monstrous dog of English folklore whose ghost was said to bring bad luck.
History
The Unit
BARGHEST began as a unit of Militech soldiers under Hansen. At the end of the Unification War, Hansen seized a large part of Pacifica for himself, never laid down his weapons and broke away from Militech. That land became Dogtown. Only a handful of the soldiers from his original squad remain, and as his most trusted men they sit at the top of the militia.
Growing
BARGHEST soon took in others like them: veterans forgotten by the corporations, mercs without contracts and gangers from across the city, along with street punks drawn by the promise of being part of something greater. Ordinary people at the end of their rope joined too. Hansen gave them a gun, a salary and medical care through his ripperdocs, and asked no questions in return for absolute loyalty. For those at the very bottom, BARGHEST is a better choice than a short life of petty crime.
The Broadcasts
In the first weeks after the war, while chaos ruled the bombed streets, Hansen's soldiers found an abandoned radio station. From then on, every day in Dogtown began and ended with a speech from the loudspeakers, giving orders and news of the rebuilding. The system worked so well that it is still in use. Residents jokingly call it Kurt FM, and on a good day the Colonel plays Balkan folk songs.
BARGHEST Map
The map shows the places of BARGHEST listed below.
BARGHEST map location:
Map credit by Map Genie.
Way of Life
BARGHEST is run like a real army, with ranks and officers. Hansen is still called Colonel, and the soldiers from his invasion form his inner circle. Even so, anyone useful enough can rise in its ranks, and its soldiers range from hardened veterans fighting their own trauma to desperate street kids, smugglers and hustlers.
Under any other leader, such a band of misfits would have collapsed. Hansen managed it through his commanding presence, charm and intelligence, but above all by offering a fresh start without hidden costs or corporate small print, in a place where police and undercover agents are hanged from lampposts. The militia claims to keep gang violence out of Dogtown. In truth, the Voodoo Boys and the Scavengers both work in the district, and they deal with BARGHEST as often as they fight it. BARGHEST has its own police unit in red armour that chases anyone wanted in Dogtown.
Business
BARGHEST kept a huge stock of military hardware from the war, most of it made by Militech, and sells weapons all over the world. Its own factory in the stadium, Hansen Armory, tests and modifies the guns it sells, which are often painted in the militia's bright yellow. Its arsenal includes tanks, combat robots and armed AVs, along with a modified airship that patrols the sky over Dogtown.
AVs drop supplies into Dogtown, and a guarded tunnel leads out of it for smuggling. Hansen says there are no taxes in Dogtown. Even so, traders must pay a registration fee to work the market, and soldiers often shake down the locals.
Members
The people of BARGHEST are listed below with their role.
| Name | Image | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Chester Bennett | 
|
Member |
| Kurt Hansen | 
|
Boss |
The kinds of BARGHEST fighters met in combat are listed below.
| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| BARGHEST Enforcer | Shotgunner |
| BARGHEST Punisher | Shotgunner |
Jobs
The Phantom Liberty story pits its agents against Hansen and his militia. In You Know My Name, a party at the Black Sapphire brings the agents right into BARGHEST's home, and Firestarter ends with the strike on Hansen. Run This Town decides who leads the militia after him.
| Name | Type |
|---|---|
| Spider and the Fly | Main Job |
| You Know My Name | Main Job |
| Firestarter | Main Job |
| Run This Town | Side Job |
Places
The places held or used by BARGHEST are listed below.
| Name | Type |
|---|---|
| EBM Petrochem Stadium | Defunct stadium |
| Nighthawks Rehabilitation Center | Rehabilitation center |
| Black Sapphire | Unfinished hotel |
Notes
A high enough wanted level in Dogtown still brings MaxTac, as BARGHEST makes an exception for cyberpsychos.
All Gangs