North London Vs South London

A Culture Divided...

Geographically, London has not changed too much since the Reshaping. However, the boundaries and territory which was once known as London, has been split in two. The segregating point being the Divide River, cutting the North and South portions of the Wastes apart. It is probably for the best, when looking at the vastly different cultures they behold...

The North – Civilised London

The Northern Wastes are supposed to be and generally are made up of more civilised folk. They build working settlements and generally aim to work together toward a brighter future. They try uphold ideals of law, order, valuing trade and honesty.

Of course there are still and will always be those ''undesirables'' whom will not follow this agenda, but they are dealt with swiftly and justly. They will generally work toward the betterment of a new world where humanity can once again prosper and that makes way for all those whom are willing to pull their own weight.

  

The North is populated with many settlements, usually whom work together and even if they do not they are aware of their neighbours jurisdiction. Trade Town, The Tower, Buckingham City and the Piccadilly Market are just a few of the places where the North dwellers have shown of how their co-operation is bringing together humanity once more and as they call it, acting on the first steps to regain Civilisation...

The South – The Great Feral Expanse

Then we have the Southern Wastes. To the Northerners it is simply known as the Great Feral Expanse. A title given out of just as much fear as it has out of hated and awe. You see, across the Divide the culture is a little more simplistic...

The Great Feral Expanse is populated by countless raider gangs as well an array of mutants, corrupted wildlife and other more unpleasant desirable types. It is the law of the sword and gun out there, where nobody owns anything and everything is fair game.

 

Not a lot is known about their specific culture (as few survive to bring back information) other than that each gang, or clan are highly individualised. Not all of them do kill for pleasure as many horror stories lead you to believe, some are even cunning, some are skilled in unexpected fields such as computers and mechanics, some just go with what they need to do to survive.

Is is known that the Raider gangs live to fight one another, they exist to conquer the territory of their neighbours, building their estate and renown and they can not often be reasoned with.

Either way only the roughest and the toughest make it out here. If the Raiders could ever be pulled together for whatever reason, little could stop them from destroying the North and their civilised way of living...

Chapel Trail Outpost, Or unofficially the Fortune Gate

Your First Step into New London

To the far west of the Central London Wastes, at the furtherest edge of the White-Road lies a small trading settlement known as the Chapel Trail Outpost.

More recently travellers have taken to referring to the small series of building as the Fortune Gate. The name has thoroughly disappointed many, whom assume it to refer to a mighty stronghold, or some kind of bastion of security. The reality of the town is, two small trading posts and a fairly large; re-purposed Hotel.

The shabby Hotel is also famed for its converted lounge, turned tavern and is the first place an aspiring Merc should head for work. The beauty of the Fortune Gate is its work ethic. Generally it will pay shelter and warm food for work, no matter who you are, or what you do.

 

The settlement itself is usually too small to be seen as a target, but big enough to defend itself from attack. It also tends to make its own protection, being the first stop for all new travellers in the area, form merchant to ruthless bounty hunter, has its perks.

The name, Fortune Gate, is relevant however when looked at in the right way, it refers to the fact that this town, however small, is the first point to where trade Caravans enter the Central London Wastes (well at least from the West). It is also the last open settlement in the CLW before you hit the Tower, in many cases making it a must stop to re-supply.

More recently the town has been recruiting a countless supply of new Caravan guards, as their old ones just so happen to go missing on the White-Road. Trade between the Tower and the Fortune Gate must continue, if the Caravans stopped the results would be catastrophic not only for those said settlements, but potentially all of the settlements this side of the Divide River.....

The White-Road ( White-Trail )

The White-Road - Hope and Loss

Once it was a simple road just as any other. A means to an end, for people to use and not appreciate. We all know the purpose of a road and of how they aren't a particularly special thing, but in the times after the Reshaping, roads became innately valuable and strategic locations.

In this new wasteland it is said that a settlement can only survive based upon the roads that encircle it. Roads mean survival in the new world, they a means for trade, supplies and infrastructure. They are also a means for the less desirables of society to prey on, mostly for the same reasons.

All over the Central London Wastes it is said that there is no road more important than The White-Trail (also known as the White-road). You see, it was a valuable and popular Caravan trade route, even despite its recent troubles. It is the most accessible Road into the Central London Wastes and cannot afford to be abandoned.

 

The name comes from early settlers to the Central London Wastes (it also coincidentally it runs though Whitechapel). They say that this road was the first and biggest source of travellers as well as income though trade. The name was honorary, a harken back to an old legend, a time of progress and rebuilding, however as of late the White-Road has been plagued with woe.

It used to be a symbol of hope and prosperity but now most travellers assume it to be cursed or worse. Caravans have been going missed on a more frequent basis and those survivors that are found are maddened by the horrors they have endured, unable to give concise accounts of what happened.

Many have taken the contracts to figure out the mystery and most account it to increased raider activity in the Whitechapel area. Time will tell if anyone will be crack the case but either way, life must go on, Caravans are the life blood of the Wastes and must continue their dangerous journeys.

The most recent news to come out of the White-Road situation is of a man. None know who he truly is or what motivates him, but one thing is for certain, he is willing pay well for the truth of the cursed road......

The Dividing River

The State of the Thames

The Divide River or more simply known as, Divide River was formally the Thames. With the reshaping and shortly the re-emergence of the human race it has been a vital source of both power and obviously, water.

The Divide is a double edged sword however and it does not simply just provide. Those first few to emerge soon realised that to drink from the water of the River could result in illness or insanity. Some would even change completely, turning rabid and going on to attack their comrades. It was clear that there was a problem with the water, but it would not many years till the problem would be solved.

 

By 2305 it has been well established that the waters are thoroughly contaminated with Charged Radiation, hence why it alters the flesh and minds of those whom ingest it. Funnily enough, this radiation is the only pollutant present, with much of the old world pollution being vaporised or otherwise removed during the Reshaping. Getting rid of the harmful compounds in the water now has a trivial fix, it can simply be boiled and re-cooled. Certain traders have taken up to solely purifying and further monetising the water, a fairly lucrative business these days....

With the rebuilding of settlements and new civilisation, the Divide river is also used to power many of the buildings and defences that occupy its banks. It is a common place to see and hear impossible looking turbines furiously working day and night to supply settlements with the precious power. These sites tend to have heightened security, some even forming miniature trade posts of their own to try and ward of raiders and other undesirables.

In the Aftershock world water is a necessity just as it is in our world, but it also comes with Danger, you do not want to be drinking water that you do not know is purified!

The third and final role of the River is obvious, it divides the North and the South parts of the Central London Wastes. It is the only thing that stops attacks en mass from the raider clans of the South, to the built up settlements in the North.

Mutation, Radiation and the New field of Bio-Magnetics in Aftershock

The Miscalculation and the Realisation

In Aftershock, the Reshaping (or the Great Storm) did much more than just send humans to live underground. It changed the Earth's atmosphere entirely. We have discussed the where, when and why, now we discuss the consequence. 

When Hive activated the Ark's Charge Core, spiralling arcs of lightning shot toward the earth with incredible speed. Upon entering the atmosphere this lighting discharged and caused a chain reaction on the surface, creating a blanket of continual storms. Aftershock has two different types of storms, the charge (or core) storms, which compromise the unnatural power of the Ark's charge core and the natural storms, which of course, are natural but now appear much more frequently.

So why did the Atmosphere destabilise? When the charged lightning hit the Earth's magnetic field it briefly created a clean hole in the ozone layer. Even though it was mere moments, it was enough time to let huge dose of harmful cosmic radiation though into the atmosphere. When the magnetic field slammed shut it essentially meshed the energy of the core and the cosmic energy together. The three elements then acted with exceptional unpredictability and sparked the Storms. Think of it like a bag filled with volatile gas, you know what happens when a flame is introduced. 

 

Later the Ark staff would realise that this was their ''miscalculation''. They had not accounted for said elements to combine. More recently they also have been able to observe the cause and effect of the Radiation now caught up in the Earth's atmosphere. The Ark has opened a speciality branch of research and development on this very topic, known now as Bio-magnetics.

When the storms first raged it was deadly above the surface but over time this has dyed down. However it is not that simple and over time it has been discovered that the radiation can and has greatly affected biological matter on the surface. You see, it seemingly mutates or alters cells in almost every animal and changes them dramatically. The anomalies that appear as a result are as equally fascinating as they are terrifying. Not all animals are changed, it is usually those most exposed to the Storms. 

And so, all over the world can be found all manner of weird and wonderful mutants, however we will have more on those later......

Dimitri 'The Nighthawk' Bersolino (Player Character)

A Maniac, Out of Time

 Faction: Wanderer

Few have as colourful a history as the one and only Dimitri Bersolino. His earliest memories are of a natural world, in a time now long forgotten. He was born during the time of re-armament, where the world was in turmoil over the threat of Hive.

Dimitri's early life was hard, as the son of a notorious criminal, his family would constantly be moving from place to place. As he grew, the lifestyle also became more and more intense. He began to get involved in his fathers craft, learning many new, socially unacceptable ''skills''. These ''lessons'' as his father would say; would go on to twist Dimitri, he became masochistic, anti-social and some would say downright evil. By the time Dimitri was a young man he was already a seasoned combatant and had splintered from his fathers mob into the black market weapons trade.

For years he made a killing (quite literally) and became a force to reckoned with. There was no order Dimitri couldn't fill, no job too dirty, no evil that could be left uncommitted...

Of course, in the eyes of his fellow Bosses; a budding weed must be cut and so Dimitri became the number one enemy, not only of the state, but also the underworld. His property and assets were seized, but Dimitri would always slip away at the last second. Eventually he found out about how his own father had betrayed him, exposing his safe-houses and key accomplices.

He would take it upon himself to get revenge, even if was the last thing he would do. He went on to fake his own death, eliminating himself as a threat as well as creating a one way ticket back to his dear father. He knew the man would need clarification, he knew that he would need to see the body, have that closure and so... it was arranged. In a coffin black as the night he was escorted to the family property. He was taken to his father and the casket was removed. Without a second thought, or a flinch, he sprang into action, bare fisted and hungry for blood.

The boy beat his father into unconsciousness, but knew that it would not be enough. Dimitri had always been sadistic, but he utterly relished the horror of his actions. He would toy with his broken father and mentor for hours, the true extent of his damaged mind being shown for the first time. Taking up the family heirloom, the ''Nighthawk'' (an exquisitely fashioned tomahawk) He would swiftly bury it inside the old man's brain.

To this day that kill still haunts him, it was unfulfilled, it has not satisfied his vengeance like the voices in his head had promised. In his confusion he stumbled outside, collapsing on the lawn, the last thing he remembers is the gentle drops of rain on his face...

The next time Dimitri awoke it was in a different world, with no idea of how he came to be where he was. From what he could gather from the, what seemed to be doctors, he had been asleep for many, many years. The world had changed, it had become, less complex, more inhospitable. Life was now a free for all, it was a world Dimitri liked the sound of, it was a world were he could get a second chance.

In the time since he has become a Merc and has earned himself a ruthless reputation throughout the Central London Wastes. Only time will tell if he will be able to change, or if his past life will continue to haunt him...

Notes: Dimitri is not really a good guy as you can tell, this one is very heavily story focused as my player had a very particular idea. Ive changed it a little bit, but Ive also got some fun secrets that may be made evident as the story goes on! Im going to give him delusion as a hindrance, its fitting and may see him lose control in stressful combat situations, this will be a ton of fun to see how the other players will react to him and how he will react to them.

Chemicals In Aftershock

Chemicals and You

The ''Broken World'' sourcebook is awesome and has many fun looking and thematic ideas to include in a post-apocalyptic RPG. Another one of these ideas Aftershock will use will be the Super Drugs, or Chemicals.  

 

In combat characters whom are not bright ones will still have access to a select few powers. Thematically it works as they inject combat stimulants or stabilising medicine on a passed skill roll of the same name. Here are the Chem's so far:

Chem	Equiv Power
ChemEleon	Invisibility
Iron	Armour
Nightlight	Darksight
RefleX	Quickness
Scope	Farsight
SkillOut	Boost Trait
Stabiliser	Healing
Super Stabiliser	Greater Healing
Turbo	Speed

Of course, these wont be an ''every encounter'' deal and it will be fun to see how the characters decide to use them. They will be bought at traders or rarely scavenged or looted. Im looking forward to seeing what dramatic moments are brought about by the cast.

Roving ''Rusty'' Rick (Player Character)

 The Merchant and The Gentleman

 

Faction: Wanderer 

Rick is eccentric and much unlike almost everyone else in the world, has a sense of humour. He used to be a trader, but soon came to realise how unprofitable the raiders make that profession. He is now a wanderer as well as a scholar and an all round gentleman. His humour gives him a natural charm and along with the name, rusty is fairly easy – going. Above all else Rick is obsessed with history, with the time before the storms and the technology that was readily available to them.

While average scavengers search for parts, scraps or ammo, Rick is there to pick up the textbooks and half full batteries. He is an inventor, tinkerer and is well known in the Central London District for his, shall we say ''upgraded'' wares.

His passion was founded long ago, when Rusty was still a young man. He had grown up in the relative safety of an old underground subway station, in a small community of farmers. As long back as he could remember, besides the work he only had a few battered science fiction comics to pass the time. By the age he could fire a gun, he frequent lookout duty and during the the long days, Rick would dream up elaborate stories, fantastical tales of Rick and Hexa, (Hexa being Ricks then imaginary robot friend, don't ask)

As Rick grew he began to take an interest in mechanics and after awhile came to excel at it. One day a trader came into town. He had little in the way of supplies but instead sported a broken and basic robot chassis. Forfeiting his rations for three days, as well as giving the merchant his life savings a deal was stuck and so began the career of the Rusty we know today.

What started as a pet project, quickly became an obsession, he worked day and night to make the robot work. He even went as far to begin scavenging on his own, the patrols were hopeless whenever hed asked for specific parts. After much work and toil the first Mk 1 Hexa, friend and battle-bot was created, tested and given a Rusty seal of approval.

To this day he still has this companion and at every opportunity the hardware is updated. Currently Rusty is running with the fifth generation, codenamed ''Theobald''.

More recently Rusty has turned to mercenary work and takes jobs based on the chances of him finding or receiving old world tech. Some of it will be sold, some tinkered with and forgotten and more so would become improvements for Theobald.

Notes: Rusty will be fun because he will be the sole surface human whom can negate the negatives to technology. Most Surfaces only tend to shy away from it anyway because they feel that survival is more important. Rusty will also be a fairly potent combat element, guns blazing with his trusty sidekick. Im also massively looking forward to their banter and general interaction together. Oh and also Theo cant keep anythign secret so be careful! 

''Handsome'' Banan Monroe (Player Character)

A Leader and a Lover

Faction: Wanderer

The words smooth, charming and right bastard have all been used to describe the quick witted and skilled gunslinger, Banan Monroe. Banan has always been a man of many words, words that on occasion have come back to bite him.

Banan's story starts just as any other hapless wastelander. He grew up fast and quickly mastered the art of sharpshooting. His skills would end up earning him a place in a mercenary crew and a fairly successful one at that. Known at the time as the ''Deadeyes'', Banan earned a considerable small fortune for his service. His time in the gang also developed his keen, silver tongue.

This skill came to be a blessing and a curse as it happened, on the one hand, Banan was good with traders, he knew how to get the most value out of any deal, as well as being an inspiring solider. (Plus his good looks god him his nickname, of course to his comrades he was always, ''that puffed up pretty boy'') However it also inflated his ego and Banan would usually become a law onto himself on and between missions. Even though his invaluable skills as a diplomat, the Deadeyes could not have one rogue asset, soon others would follow and it would only be a matter of time before he would incite a revolt against them.

So Banan was, scheduled to be ''let go''. Sufice to say it backfired, horribly. With the decision came a civil war amongst the Deadeyes that nearly destroied them all. The stalemate ended when the two parties decided to part ways and one day they would meet again, settling their score.

Over the next decade Banan led his own small company, whom eventually settled somewhere outside of the Central London Wastes. They became a stable and effective and even wealthy community. A class system was devised, with Banan proclaiming himself a ''Nobleman''. They enjoyied several years of peace and even developed a gentlemanly culture (hence the tux's)

Reguardless, eventually the day came when the Deadeyes showed up at his door, amusingly enough by accident and looking for work. The work they found was yet again a war, but this time Banans forces were decimated and everything he built was destroyed or plundered.

Cheating death himself in the last moments of the siege, Banan now swears vengeance, claiming to one day build another empire greater than the first...

Notes: Banan is funnily enough one of the characters that will fit well into the story and development of the settlement system in Aftershock. He will get bonuses to manage the settlement and will have more knowledge than the other characters. My player wanted him to specifically work only with pistols so we shall see where his fighting ability goes...

''The Shadow'' (Player Character)

Jack ''The Shadow'' Jones

 

Faction: Wanderer
 

The story of the ''The Shadow'' has become an urban legend told in all settlement over the Central London Wastes. It tells of a ghost whom single handedly dispatches whole raider parties. It can only be glimpsed on the darkest of nights and announces its presence only though a chilling silence. Almost none know the truth of the myth, that the shadow is really but a man, a merc in fact and a damn good one at that...

Jacks fame is something that simply amuses him, a distraction for those who will inaction. No job is or ever has been too big for him, not since the ''old man''....

Jacks story began with tragedy. Born a slave to raiders, his birth name was actually Runt. On the eve of his ninth birthday, the camp was attacked. It was chaos, the noise was deafening, to this day he still rememberer the screams of terror from his dying ''masters''. When total silence had fallen, Runt set out to find the attackers.

The Trail led to a single Man. Runt had seen his type before, a Drifter. For the hungry and tired boy it seemed like a golden opportunity. After waiting for the man settle into a deep sleep, he struck. Swiftly and silently he charged for the man's open pack, he was quick, but not quick enough.

The next thing Runt remembered was being propped up opposite the man. He proceeded to explain that he had been aware of the boy the entire time and was impressed. From this point on the two became inseparable, mentor and student. Runt shed his only name and simply became Jack.

The two spent many years together and soon the student came to outshine the ageing master. The ''Old Man'', as he was affectionately known, had lived his whole life fighting and Jack was coming to the realisation that he may not be around for much longer. Every day his old wounds were causing him more and more intense pains and in the end they both came to a grave decision.

The Old Man was dying, and he wanted a quick and clean death and most importantly he wanted Jack to carry on his legacy of wasteland justice in his stead. With his final breath he instructed Jack to head to the Capitol, there he would find his purpose.

And then a single, clean shot... The hardest contract he was ever given.

Jack has struggled to come to terms with this loss and it makes trusting others to be difficult. Since the passing of his mentor he has remained alone and has now become a target for many of the raider gangs situated in the Central London Wastes. Jack may soon come to realise that he will need more than just his gun if he is to fulfil his oath.
 

Notes: Jack will be definitely a combaty focused hero. He will also be one of the Players whom will have to look out for NPCs with a certain ''Grudge''.

Revisting Races So Far! (Rules)

The Racial Trait Experiment

As I have not posted them prior, I will paste the Racial traits of the Races so far, this will give my player the option to change before I finalise Characters!

Ark Human

Intense Training: Gain +2 In a skill of your choosing

I Come From Science!: Starts with a D6 In Technology

Inventor, Not a Fighter: Cannot Raise Melee Above a D6

Surface Human

Trust your Instincts (Edge): +2 to Perception

Moulded by a harsh world: +1 Toughness and start with a D6 in Survival

Survival First: Cannot raise Technology or Computers beyond a D6

Bright One

Reshaped: Start with Bright Ability

Overcharged: + 5 Power Points

Deadly but Fragile: -1 Toughness

Weak Eyes: Must Wear Eye-wear or else suffers -2 to all actions that require sight

Altered

Scaly Skin: +2 Armour and +2 Toughness

Experiment: -2 Charisma

Ferocious: -1 Parry

Savage Worlds is such an easy system to create and re purpose rules, quickly, easily and is a heck of a load of fun at the same time! But these are were the current Races are at as is stands, more will come in time but to begin. I want to start with only a few key archetypes, then develop more as the story progresses!

''The Devil Dog'' (Player Character)

Max Jenson ''The Devil Dog''

Faction: Wanderer

Max Jenson is no stranger to the brutal ways of the wastes. He spent many years searching for a place to fit in, to find somewhere he could excel. One day he happened across a Roach raid in progress and would go on to finally prove himself. The Roaches welcomed him with open arms and for almost a year he would ran with them.

It was destined not to last and on one fateful operation deep into UER territory his mission went bad. His crew would abandon him, leaving him to be tortured and tormented by UER militia for many days. By the third day the man had given up, he just wanted it to be over, no longer could he take the injustice that the wasteland offered.

At his lowest and darkest point, the young ex-raider was unaware of fate had in store for him. As the contingent were travelling to an unknown strong point, they were ambushed by a pack of feral dogs. Mercilessly they were systematically put down by the soldiers.

Max related to the animals, just following orders, destined to live and die by the order of someone higher. Just like him. He decided he could tolerate it no more.

Like a man possessed he broke free of his bonds, his captors still reeling in shock as he tore them apart. When the dust had settled Max stood alone, teeth gritted and motionless. It was the whimpering of an animal that bought his mind back to reality. One of the dogs was still barely alive. Max spent several days tending to the dogs wounds, giving it the pet name Dex, the name of an old friend...

When Dex had finally recovered, he clung to the ex-raider like glue. To this day Max still smiles at thought of them, the dogs whom lost their pack. Nowadays you can find the two of the wandering Central London Wastes in as Mercs, guns for hire unsure as to where they will find their next adventure. One thing is for sure though, They will always have each others back....

Notes: Max will start with an animal companion and will be very good in the survival skill. He will probably get good ability to stealth and track prey but I imagine maybe is not the cleanliest individual....

Raider Gangs of Central London

Richard and the Roaches

Ever since the fall of civilisation, raiders have plagued the wasteland. In a weird kind of way they have become a staple part of the new world. Operating in tribes, or gangs their collective aims are usually to scavenge and pillage, while generally being an all out nuisance for any developing settlement or rival faction. Raiders tend to be highly territorial too and will usually operate from bases, or small cut-throat settlements.

It is important to note that each gang have their own ideals, cultures and hierarchies. There are currently two big and important raider gangs operating in the central London area: 

''Richards Rippers,'' or ''The Rippers''

Led by an egotistical, homicidal maniac, the Rippers coincidentally are based in Whitechapel. They are intensely territorial and often attack Caravans. Subtly has never been the strong suit of the Rippers, whom prefer a run into a fight head first and thrashing. One of the sure-fire ways you can determine whether there are Rippers near is to listen out for the sounds of clinking chains or the dreaded rev of a chainsaw.

On top of their love for fighting and overall general ability to cause carnage, the rippers are actually unexpectedly potent alchemists. They have produced many different combat enhancing stimulants which they frequently use (and in some cases sell). On top of their preference to melee combat, Rippers are brutal and dangerous opponents, they should not be underestimated.

The Rippers are not entire unreasonable with though and they have been known to take on mercenary jobs before. In the past they have had communication from those based at Trade Town Bridge, but the connection has been recently severed due to the ruthlessness of the gangs methods...

The Rippers do not take kindly to the thing they see as betrayal and as a result more and more caravans are being hit on a more regular basis.

The Roaches

Mortal enemies to the Ripper gang are the Roaches. Not much is known about these curious individuals, save for their very specific appearance. All Roaches adhere to a strict uniform code, a dirty grey suit, tatter white shirts with black ties. The finishing touch is the characteristic and sinister black Gas Mask.

What is known is that Roaches always refer to themselves with initials only, save for their four leaders. These mysterious figures have demonstrated tactical brilliance, even overpowering the defences of the UER on a number of occasions. It is important to note that fighting is considered an artform to the Roaches and without the right showmanship, a fight is little more than a waste of time.

It is said that the origin of the Roaches is based around a Cult dedicated to a long ancient organisation. This organisation was beloved by the world over and though the power of their action and skill of art they bought joy to all. They would perform in huge stadiums and were so evenly matched that all four would survive the trails thrown at them. 

All that remains of the organisation are loose names. These are used as code-name's to denote a Roach Leader and when a leader is lost a replacement must always be found. The names remain: J, R, P and G...

The United English Republic

''Rule Britanna!''

Arguably the biggest and most active faction around the central London area, the United English Republic, or simply the UER , started as nothing more than a small community that would set up and operate trade from the ruins of old world Buckingham palace. As time went on the town grew, settlers flocked from both inside and outside the city boarder, hearing tales of the many opportunities of safety and work available at the settlement. Many expansions later the settlement became a bustling hub of trade but was increasing becoming more and more vulnerable. There was a shortage of guards and after a while crimes became much more frequent.

 

Then in 2291 the settlement was approached by a man whom proclaimed himself to be the ''Lost King of England''. He explained that he were here to first, secure and reclaim his estate and to second reform a new government and bring the chaos of the wasteland to end, once and for all.

The King did not come alone and had in tow a vast military contingent; now known as the First English Defence Force. They perform not only as an army but also a police force and an intelligence gathering office.

Many of the upper echelons of the FEDF are Army and SAS soldiers whom were put into stasis just after the outbreak of the storm. This is why they serve, to share their passion and to spread their message of unity. One day they hop that all can live under one united nation as they did.

Weather it was the gun pointed to their head, or that hope truly was inspire the city council agreed and a declaration was signed, forming the United English Republic.

In the present day the UER is thriving, citizens tend to lead as good a lives as they can in the wasteland, but with every major town there are issues with raiders or petty crime. Meanwhile their military is currently in-between a campaign to secure useful locations around the city. Westminster Fortress and The Vault and are some of those targets already secured. 

None are sure how, but it is rumoured that the republic has special knowledge of pre-storm technology caches. It can be believed too when you see some of the defences their settlements employ. They are known to have access to pre-storm aircraft as well as being known to standard arm their soldiers in Combat Battle Frames and Powered Armour.

The UER are a steadfast people and encompass a diverse selection of people, from merchants, to citizens and military personnel. Over the years their influence has grown and they now operate across a long distance, having bases and settlements outside of London too, some of the most notable are at Oxford and Birmingham. Some would even call it a mini empire of sorts.

They want to reforge society back into what it was, to restore order and to protect those they serve above all else.

The One Collective

The Time of Return has Come

As we know, the One Collective were reborn from Hive in the years after the reshaping began. At first it seemed that all hope was lost. They had committed an unforgivable act and at were unsure to weather the Earth's natural order could ever be restored. What if they never had the opportunity to set foot on solid Earth again? What would happen to their Children? How could humankind possibly survive...?

But of course, they had the power and facilities of The Ark. It was built for this very was built for this very purpose and some decided to take advantage of the situation. The Council of One was formed in a bid to give the Ark purpose again, to give the people a direction and most importantly, to give them Hope. 

 

Over the century leading into the year 2300, Ark scientists would continued to make and break human history. New medicines were produced, including various chemicals and drugs to enhance or sooth the mind. The Charge core was experimented upon, its energy becoming more powerful as well as being easier to manipulate and store.

The advanced application and science of Robotics increased tenfold. Robot assistants and security drones were just some of the many useful units produced and in their success more came. After robots were shown to be as useful as they were, they started to evolve and were given more human properties. For all of their failure in the past Ark personnel have always treated their synthetic counterparts as equals, they are given their own lives and have even been given permission to install their own ambassador on the council of One.

Military development also became a priority in the event that one day the surface could be hospitable. Fearsome ''Charge'' weapons have been developed and scarier still, some whisper of hulking armoured suits being seen tested below decks. A volunteer army has been created, all theoretical of course as many Ark personnel will not not encounter the dread of battle until they do leave the station. 

After so long, these experiments began to run stale and with them, the stations key supplies and minerals. The station had always been self sufficient and could feasibly run for another few hundred years, but it has not access to mines, old world fuels, chemicals and such.

Now the Collective stand on the brink of what is almost an invasion. Even now there are stories on the waste wind of faint and unfamiliar lights being seen at the old Science museum. They intend to carry on the great legacy Hive started and will let nothing get in the way of progress....

The Significance of Factions in Aftershock

Factions: An Overview

Obviously why a DM needs your race needs no explanation, it is part of who you are. Im creating specific factions to a add an optional bit of flavour to the world. Not only will it be relevant to know the motives of said factions, that you WILL encounter out on missions, but will also add

PCs another way to develop their own personal story.

You do not have to start with a current faction, in this case your faction will be noted as ''Wanderer'' and if so you could play the entire campaign without one. But factions will give you benefits. If you are accompanied by NPC companions of your faction then you will need to remember that factions codes and morals or else you may be kicked form their ranks.

You can also meet new factions and the more missions you complete for them, the more they will like you, they may give you access to special skills or unique gear. I will also mention this briefly now, but your group at some point will establish a Settlement somewhere in London. Settlements are a whole other topic but you will be able to recruit certain NPCs to join your settlement, (again if they like you enough!).

Again for the time being I am only going to focus on a few, but more may be added (and lost) as the campaign continues.

The Altered

The Altered, Experiments of a Bygone age.

Lore: In the many years after the disappearance of Hive and the ascendency of the Militaricus as humanities new research initiative, many new plans were made to genetically improve the human genome. Fear griped the entire world and prototypes would not be enough to eradicate the Hive threat once it was found. Along with new weapon tech, Militaricus would begin to experiment with biological manipulation as well as biological engineering.

Their efforts were met with limited success. That success being the Altered.

Initially the project started by trying to genetically modify a grown human male, to make him stronger, faster, smarter, essentially to create a super-solider. After a year of failed experiments, the project was started from scratch. This time, a embryo would be injected with cells taken from various animals. It worked and after several years experiment Ge0 was born, the first of the Altered. It took the subject many more years to develop naturally and as it did so it was tested for intelligence. At an early age it was deadly, almost reptilian in nature, cold and it spent much of its time brooding. But eventually it was deemed intelligent enough to learn and develop human language.

It wasn't pretty, but even at an early age it was a ferocious and effective combat unit. As they say, you cant argue with results...

 

 

Then began phase two of the project. Ge0 would be cloned, be made to heel to Militaricus' command and they would then have an army of battle-ready, obedient killing machines. Countless clones were created, all put into stasis for when the time came to be unleashed upon Hive, but as we know, history took a separate path...

With the Reshaping came the disbanding of the Militaricus, their assets were left to rot in secret laboratories. In a seemingly dumbfounding series of coincidences, the largest storms of the Reshaping would focus above those just those same laboratories and after an entire month of strikes the lightning would tear open the earth, revealing the experiments and in doing so, freeing them. To this day they still remain an oddity in the wasteland, to some a curiosity, to others, a great threat.

Able to live hundreds of years, the Altered are a very strange and diverse race, they all vary in intelligence. This means that it is possible that a players character has lived though the reshaping, or just after. Altered can be anything form average intelligence, to pretty much brick stupid but they are always a fearsome vanguard to any fight. They tend to prefer close combat and are agitated by any charged storms they are present in. It is good to note that feral Altered are one of the many monster races that can be encountered. Altered do not have much in the way of culture, but will try to avoid fighting one of their own if it can be avoided.

Comments: So, with altered these guys are your big smashy tanks and soakers. To be honest these guys started as generic, make you own mutants, but Im reasonable happy with them as a concept. It will be interesting to see an Altered PC interact with other character and on top of that I already have some juicy secrets lined up for anyone whom steps up the the challenge...

Racial Traits

Altered

Scaly Skin: +2 Armour and +2 Toughness

Experiment: -2 Charisma

Ferocious: -1 Parry

Bright Ones

Bright Children, Born of the Storm

Lore: Known by many names, The Bright Ones, Bright Children and The Stormborn, just to name a few. Bright Ones are truly exceptional people and are an example of the potential that the human body, mind and spirit could one day blossom into. But I am getting ahead of myself...

Bright Ones are Humans who though some miracle survived being struck directly by charged storm lightning. Usually this would outright vaporise the individual, but for whatever reason the person is left in a smoking crater. After being struck, the person essentially falls into a deep sleep, with the body on exerting energy to fuel the most basic,necessary bodily functions. In this time the Bright One is vulnerable but over the course of several hour the body changes, they become stronger, Their skin hardens, they also become smarter and deep within their brain a dormant power is unlocks.

Upon awakening, the Bright One must take time to adjust to their new psychology. They now faintly glow and every so often sparks of lightning course across their exposed skin. As a result Bright Ones are covered from neck to toe in arcing lightning burns, it goes to make their appearance, totally unmistakeable.

But what truly makes the Bright ones special is their power. Bright Ones have the ability, to channel and create lightning, however to control it fully they must master their own emotions. Newly born's will be confused and are more likely to make rash decisions, be boastful and arrogant and think they are unbeatable. Where as the older Bright Masters tend to be wise, never making a decision without thought. When a Bright One reaches

Bright Ones can utilise powerful abilities and their skin is able to resist some of the climate and radiation damage unlike other races but still do have drawbacks. For instance, Bright Ones are actually extremely sensitive to light, some are even partially blind, so it is also characteristic to see them in goggles or helmets. They are also Not as hardy as some of the other races and may not hold up as well as a tank. Finally due to having to constantly battle with their emotions Bright Ones can be indecisive and in many cases struggle to find any in the wasteland that are willing to help and/or trust them.

Comments: Ah, my favourite, since I had the idea for Aftershock, these guys were one of my first creations. I love psykers and psionics but just didn't fell like it really fit my world, of course Bright Ones were a natural evolution. In terms of game mechanics I imagine a Bright One to play like a glass cannon mage, but I do have ideas in the event that people want to build a close combat character too. Either way im looking forward to see what player think and where they may take their characters.
  
Racial Traits

Bright One

Reshaped: Start with Bright Ability

Overcharged: + 5 Power Points

Deadly but Fragile: -1 Toughness

Weak Eyes: Must Wear Eye-wear or else suffers -2 to all actions that require sight