Hekseville

The main illustration utilized for Gravity Rush, depicting the Vendecentre district of Hekseville. Kat and Dusty can be seen in the foreground.

Hekseville (ヘキサヴィル, Hekisavuiru) is the primary setting of Gravity Rush, and is a featured location in Another Story - Raven's Choice and Gravity Rush 2. It is a city supported by the World Pillar and located somewhere between Eto and Boutoume, and it serves as Kat's home in Gravity Rush and Gravity Rush 2.

Geography

Hekseville comprises four districts:

• Auldnoir — the Old Town, a primarily residential area where Kat lives in a Pipe House, which Raven later also adopts as her home in the sequel.
• Pleajeune — the Entertainment District, home to numerous bars and shops, as well as Arquebus Academy.
• Endestria — the Factory District, which serves as the city's industrial hub. It fell into ruin during Kat's three year absence. Only criminals and the homeless occupy this area.
• Vendecentre — Downtown, home to the city's financial and government sector.

The districts are connected to one another via railway loop, as well as by numerous manholes that Kat can utilize. Additionally, each district features a particular colour scheme, as indicated by the colour of the sky in each: Auldnoir is red, Pleajeune is purple, Endestria is yellow, and Vendecentre is green.

Government

Hekseville is governed by a mayor, and the city's law enforcement often plays a pivotal role in defending the city and maintaining order, both in the form of the police and the Special Forces.

The original mayor of Hekseville at the outset of Gravity Rush was Bolsey; he is eventually replaced by D'nelica.

Upon Kat's return to Hekseville in Gravity Rush 2, Bulbosa explains that D'nelica stepped down after the events that happened at Neu Hiraleon. Since that time, there have been a few interim mayors, but Bulbosa states that the upcoming mayor is "the first viable candidate to emerge from the chaos after what happened." This is eventually revealed to be Dr. Brahman.

When Dr. Brahman rose to power, the Hekseville Defense System was created to keep the citizens of Hekseville safe from Nevi attacks. Meanwhile, the city's Police HQ was moved to the clock tower in Vendecentre due to the old location, Neu Hiraleon, disappearing in a gravity storm. Grigos have since become a common sight in Hekseville once the defense network was established. The system also requires all citizens to register their citizenship, mostly as a measure to possibly reduce crime rates.

Name Origins

• Hekseville - at first glance, the name could be interpreted as a combination of "Hex" and "Ville", the latter being a synonym for town. Could also be derived from "What the heck's this town [ville]?"
• Auldnoir - a combination of "old" and "Noir", which is the French word for "black", referring to the district's old, tired infrastructure.
• Pleajeune - a combination of "Pleasure" and "Jeune", the latter being French for "young" or "youth". Reinforced by the presence of Arquebus Academy, and the district as a whole being a popular hotspot for students.
• Endestria - an obvious play on the word "Industry" or "Industrial", establishing the district's nature as the city's industrial hub, until it was soon abandoned years into the series' timeline.
• Vendecentre - a portmanteau of "Vending" and "Centre", likely referring to the district's infrastructure as the Hekseville capital, as well as the heart of the city's business and government operations.