The world: Humanity’s reach once extended to every corner of the system. Shielded cities stood proud amidst the raging dust storms that blanketed the Red Planet, orbital habitats encircled the Sun, and the Moon itself served as a luxurious resort for the wealthy. The event known as the Extinction changed everything, turning humanity's weapons against themselves. Meteors and spaceships crashed to the surface, flattening regions; emergency systems flushed oxygen from space stations; weapons of mass destruction scattered many habitats, bringing untold casualties to the cradle of humanity and dimming its many lights.
Humanity endured, but the tragic event did not leave it unchanged. Mutants and superpowers appeared in the world, local warlords raised their banners, carving out cruel domains and taking what they wanted from those weaker than them. The most critical point had passed, and the Three Great Nations were officially formed: the imperialist Reclamation Army, the religious Oathtakers, and the democratic Iterna. Each proclaimed its own vision to the world and elbowed each other for control of the lesser nations.
The era of barbarism is drawing to a close, but there are still many strong superhumans left unchecked in the world, either mad or ambitious enough to challenge the sovereignty of the Great Nations, the truly civilized corners of the world.
Remnants of destroyed laboratories, sealed arsenals and buried factories litter the world's surface, often containing weapons capable of ushering in a new Extinction should they fall into the wrong hands.
The Reclamation Army: Is the largest civilized nation, founded by a man named Dynast. For over a century, he has waged a war to reunite the world under a single banner. People from various backgrounds make up its population. Mutants, Normies, Orais, Wolfkins, and Wyrms are the largest or most influential groups. Any display of racism is forbidden by the state and punished by law; be they New Breeds, Mutants, former bio-weapons or Normies, the Reclamation Army considers all its citizens to be human. Due to the large number of tribal societies joining the state, it turns a blind eye to some of their crueler traditions, permitting them to grow out of it as long as the tribes do not try to impose their traditions on the other citizens.
Initially, a society of strict atheism and autocracy, today the Reclamation Army no longer persecutes faiths and encourages elected officials to govern population centers. This led to the formation of several pro-peace political parties that demanded a cessation of aggressive expansion and the diversion of resources from the construction of new crawlers, tanks, and power armor to civilian projects. The Dynast rejected this petition.
The ruling body of the nation is formed by the dynast himself, whose word is law. Below him are the Investigation Bureau and the Three Great Commanders: Outsider, Devourer, and Ravager. The state uses terraforming to transform its lands into places suitable for humans, respecting the changes that have occurred in the world and often learning to coexist with the vicious animal life.
The military of the Reclamation Army is composed of conscripted recruits from the civilized regions and battle-hardened tribesmen living along the state’s borders. The state equips its strongest New Breeds with archeotech weapons—relics from the Old World—to increase their odds of survival. Mandatory rejuvenation procedures keep these individuals forever young. The Dynast has built his military from the ground up, resulting in a mix of ranks sharing the same level of authority coexisting in the same army. It is common for captains to lead tens of thousands into battle, commanding noble sword saints and brutish warlords. Constant warfare stands in the way of standardizing ranks.
Iterna: The sole country in the world to have survived Extinction unscathed, thanks to the massive force shield that protects it. Unrivaled in technological and industrial potential, it seeks to form alliances with the natives and rebuild the Old World, either by integrating smaller nations as its states, or by uplifting others both technologically and ethically.
Iterna is terraforming the world to restore it to its pre-Extinction state. Currently, they are busy exploring the frozen north.
The citizens of Iterna are mostly Normies and Artificial Humans, descendants of the sentient AIs Artificer and Lada. The nation once had a sizable population of mutants and Abnormals, but after their government initiated the Culling, a cruel genocidal purge against non-Normies that resulted in the deaths of many foreign students and non-Normies, those numbers dwindled to nearly zero. The people of Iterna had fully accepted their guilt, rose in unison to overthrow the government, and have been trying to make amends ever since. But there are very few Abnormals willing to give them a chance, or to move to this paradise after what has happened.
The strongest army in the world and some of the strongest Abnormals further enhanced through genetic modification keep the Iternians safe. Once a constitutional monarchy, Iterna now has a fully democratic government. Since Iterna was spared the side effects of the Glow, Abnormals and mutations are rare in their lands, and the government takes every step possible to attract Abnormals to live in their lands. Iterna’s citizens enjoy the highest standard of living in the world. Rejuvenation is common and free, and it is rare for an Iternian to die of old age. Many of them lived through the hardships of the first days of the Extinction and are willing to do anything to spare the younger generations the same horrors.
The Oathtakers: the weakest country of the Three Great Nations. Unlike the Reclaimers, they were not fortunate enough to have an ancient cache of Old World’s tools to help them build. Through hard work and perseverance, they claimed a region of the world, beating back the Dynast’s armies.
Despite their impressive military might, the Oathtakers try to avoid wars of conquest and utilize propagandists to convince other countries to join them, often using insidious methods such as kidnapping and assassination.
The population of the Oathtakers is composed mostly of Normies, the Blessed Ones known as Trolls, the Insectoid Commune, and the Malformed. Mutants are a rare sight in this land, but are welcomed with open arms, just like everyone else. The nation venerates the changed people and superhumans, putting them in charge over Normies. Although the Blessed Ones technically rule this country, Lord Steward, the president-elect and supreme priest of the Oathtakers, holds all true power. Ever hungry for resources to continue building their version of paradise, the Oathtakers are constantly maneuvering diplomatically, seeking closer ties to Iterna to protect themselves from the Reclamation Army’s aggression.
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New Breeds, Abnormals, and Blessed Ones: words and terms used by Iterna, the Reclamation Army, the Oathtakers, and others to describe those who have been changed by the Glow, a side effect of one of the many weapons that destroyed the Old World. Though their appearance differs from that of normal humans, the Great Nations regard them as people.
Apocalypse Class: A classification given to extremely rare cases among the New Breeds. Every person of this rank has the potential to cause another extinction in the world. Elite Eugenia Mylli of Iterna and Commander Outsider of the Reclamation Army are the two publicly known individuals in the world to have received the title of Apocalypse Class. The identities of the rest are kept secret.
The Salvation Treaty: An agreement between the Three Great Nations. Its terms limit the use of weapons of mass destruction, banning them outright unless they are used in retaliation or in protection of humans. To prevent the accidental destruction of the world, its terms also mandate the limitation or elimination of all apocalypse classes. Eugenia and Outsider had willingly agreed to have their powers crippled. Commander Ravager discovered at least one other Apocalypse class and sent the girl to Iterna, never disclosing her identity.
Power: Another side effect of the Glow was the development of supernatural abilities or skills, such as creating matter out of nothing, summoning flames, and so on. Sometimes a power passes from the parent to the child, but this almost always results in a weaker type of power. Rare examples of the opposite rule are the innate powers of Wolfkins, Wyrms, and Trolls. Unless they have mixed their blood with the blood of outsiders, their offspring will always retain the tribe’s power.
Third Army: An army led by Commander Ravager. A military force that operates outside of the civilized regions, they bring the Dynast judgment to anyone daring to resist the reunification. Ravager favors swift conquest, crushing an enemy nation’s will to fight overnight. With the mass proliferation of advanced firearms, this tactic has resulted in increased casualties, but the sheer personal might of Ravager and her top officers still makes it a viable strategy.
Recently, Ravager earned the title of Wyrm Slayer by ending the life of the Thunder Emperor. His two sons, Ivar and Wyrm Lord, swore personal allegiance to the commander. Ivar’s genius later aided in the defeat of Blood Graf, another S-Class New Breed. Soon after, Ravager sent them to Fort Uglo to complete their military training and serve in place of the missing Twins, her former advisers and close friends.
Wolfkins: New Breeds, named so for their physical resemblance to wolves. There are two major tribes of Wolfkins: the Wolf Tribe and the Ice Fang Order.
The Wolf Tribe: They claim their heritage from Ravager, the first recorded abnormal in the world. The less civilized of the two Wolfkin tribes, nearly all serve in the 3rd Army. Their political life is divided into two branches. Warlords, the strongest members of their society, rule the Wolf Tribe in times of war. In times of peace, shamans lead the tribe, deciding which traditions to keep and which to change. Women hold every position of authority in the tribe; they are the only ones who can rise through the ranks. The tribe expects males to serve as cannon fodder, protecting more valuable members.
The Ice Fang Order: The more civilized tribe of Wolfkins. They claim their heritage is from the Twins of the North. The order encourages its members to pursue careers outside of the military. Several large corporations owned by the Ice Fangs bring impressive wealth to the order’s coffers. The Order is formed by twenty noble houses. The strongest Ice Fangs, known as sword saints, rule the noble houses with the help of forty elders who form a council. The council deals with most civil matters, while the sword saints wage war.
Skinwalker: An extremely rare genetic anomaly among the Wolf Tribe’s Wolfkins. If a member of the tribe has this anomaly and willingly pursues a life of combat and domination, she will eventually end up as a mad, nearly unkillable creature, capable of regenerating the most grievous wounds. Skinwalkers are considered divine extensions of the Spirits’ will by the shamans. All skinwalkers are hostile lifeforms, and travelers are advised to stay as far away from them as possible.
Warlord: The highest military rank among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe. They are supposed to have two full ‘paws’ under their command, ten wolf hags, but the constant warfare often reduces this number. In peacetime, warlords roam at the edge of the tribe’s villages, bringing raiders low. A warlord is expected to have no less than three titles, honorable names given for impressive deeds.
Like most things in the Wolf Tribe, the rank of warlord is earned in several ways. First, when the Tribe grows large enough to demand the creation of another village. During such times, wolf hags from all packs are competing for this rank. The second method is to challenge the current warlord and defeat her, thus gaining the rank. In the rare case of a warlord’s death, a new warlord is promoted from the remnants of her pack.
Shaman: The second highest rank among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe. They are civilian servants of the tribe who oversee law enforcement, distribute food, help raise new generations, assist in childbirth, negotiate trade deals, and provide spiritual guidance. Shamans willingly give up their names, cutting ties with their families, to remain impartial. Through demotion or promotion, the shaman regains her name. They rule supreme in the rare times of peace.
Shamans have the right to rebuke a warlord, even in times of war, or to reprimand a warlord for doing an act unworthy of a state’s servant. In extreme cases, they can even call upon the Supreme Warlord Alpha to remove an unworthy warlord from leadership. When not serving as leaders, shamans act as bodyguards for the warlords, slicing and dicing enemies the old-fashioned way.
Shamans earn their rank not through strength, but through their impeccable knowledge of the laws of the tribe and their devotion to the religion.
Wolf Hag: The third highest rank among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe. They command over two ‘paws’, a group of ten scouts.
Scout: One of the lowest ranks among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe. These women are responsible for finding paths and have five soldiers, several warriors and males, under their command.
Warrior: The lowest rank among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe. Below them are cubs and males.
Sword Saint: The highest honorable and military title in the Ice Fang Order. Those who excel in both close and ranged combat can claim it. A sword saint’s world is a law; if he or she can’t fulfill a promise or obligation, the sword saint must step down. This tradition was implemented to ensure that the order’s leaders show wisdom in both deeds and words.