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.