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The World

· 5 min read
Richard Miller
Richard Miller
Game Designer and Engineer

Taking a break from mechanics, let’s explore the backdrop of the world where your characters struggle to survive.

The year is 3246, and 237 years ago, humanity tore itself apart in World War III—a nuclear conflict that decimated civilization in an instant.

Some enclaves were prepared, and Enclave Sentius, deep in the Arizona desert, was one such place. Shielded from the devastation, it endured while the world outside collapsed into nuclear winter and chaos.

The war lasted only as long as it took for the missiles to reach their targets.

The Return of Magic​

With so much death in such a short time, the diluted remnants of magic—once spread thin across the world—awoke once more.

As the bodies piled up, the barriers between realms shattered.

And the Fae returned.

They weren’t the only ones. Other realms bled into this world, and the landscape changed, reshaped by magic. The Fae brought their war with them—a war between the Light and Dark, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts—dragging humanity into their ancient conflict.

For 40 years, the Fae waged war upon the ruined Earth, their battles reshaping the wasteland, turning deserts into crystal forests, mountains into glowing spires, and abandoned cities into haunted ruins where reality itself twists unpredictably.

Humans were caught in the middle, struggling to survive.

The Enclave and the Peace Treaty​

By the 40th year of this new war, the survivors of Enclave Sentius managed to broker a fragile peace between the warring Fae factions.

The Spriggan, leaders of the Light Fae, and the Redcaps, rulers of the Dark Fae, joined humanity in forming a Council of Nine—a ruling body responsible for ensuring survival in the wasteland beyond the enclave's walls.

This alliance has endured for 67 years, but survival comes at a cost.

The Council of Nine enforces strict laws to maintain order, control resources, and keep the enclave safe from external and internal threats. While some accept these measures as necessary, others chafe under the Council’s control, leading to whispers of rebellion.

The Laws of Survival​

To protect the last remnants of civilization, the Council of Nine enforces strict laws on its people:

1. The Hunters​

  • Elite warriors trained to protect the enclave from external threats.
  • Hunt for fresh meat, often from dinosaurs and mutated creatures.
  • Survey ruins, tracking the rise of new settlements and assessing threats.

2. Resource Rationing​

  • Hydroponic farms and meat reserves are strictly controlled.
  • Basic food and water are provided, but luxuries require exorbitant credits.
  • New survivors are not welcomed unless absolutely necessary.

3. Mandatory Birth Control​

  • Procreation requires approval—paperwork in triplicate and Council blessing.
  • Overpopulation would doom the enclave—but resentment festers.

4. Weapons & Armor Restrictions​

  • Only Hunters are allowed military-grade weapons.
  • Citizens may only carry knives or small firearms—and even those are regulated.
  • Kevlar clothing is common, blending protection with fashion.

5. Registration of the Gifted​

  • Those with Magic Words, Psychic Powers, or Totem Aspects must register.
  • Use of powers in public is illegal unless you are a Hunter.
  • Fines, imprisonment, or exile await those who break the law.

6. Isolation from the Wasteland​

  • Survivors beyond the walls are considered a threat.
  • The Council fears overpopulation, ration depletion, and losing control.

Technology: The Enclave’s Edge​

Enclave Sentius preserved pre-war technology and has refined it over the decades.

Weapons & Armor​

  • Energy weapons (lasers, ion rifles) are standard issue.
  • Slugthrowers (bullets, shotguns) are rare, as gunpowder and lead are scarce.
  • Plasma and particle weapons—devastating experimental prototypes—are reserved for defense of the enclave.
  • Kevlar clothing is standard, while Hunters wear advanced composite armor or environmental suits.

Vehicles & Infrastructure​

  • All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) haul meat from hunts and patrol the wasteland.
  • Powered exosuits defend the walls but are rarely used beyond the enclave.
  • The Enclave Grid Network (EGN)—an isolated, censored internet—is monitored by Security Intrusion Countermeasures (SIC), partial AIs hunting for dissent.
  • Solar energy powers the city by day, while a waste-burning plant fuels it at night.

Magionite: A New Power Source​

  • A mysterious ore, formed from the merging of realms.
  • Vibrates in response to magic, amplifying weapons and armor.
  • Experimental Magionite weaponry mimics legendary force swords and enchanted armor.

Some Hunters have been given prototypes, but its full potential remains unknown.

The Gifted: Magic, Psychics, and Totem Aspects​

Though magic has returned, it is regulated.

The Gifted must register their abilities or face severe punishment.

Magic Words​

  • Ancient Fae spellcraft, forming short phrases of power.
  • Effects include: Destruction, healing, summoning, banishment, and transformation.

Psychic Powers​

  • Mutations of the mind, allowing control over fire, water, telekinesis, or mental domination.
  • More feared than magic, as psychics can act silently and invisibly.

Totem Aspects​

  • Fae-touched mystics who channel spirit animals to gain supernatural abilities.
  • Abilities range from combat enhancements to healing and summoning.

Only Hunters are allowed to train their abilities.

But outside the walls, anything goes—and the wasteland is full of dangerous, unregistered Gifted.

Final Thoughts​

Survival in Enclave Sentius is a delicate balance.

Strict laws keep order, but control breeds rebellion.

Fae and human rule together, but tensions remain.

The wasteland calls, full of threats and mysteries.

Will you be a Hunter, enforcing the Council’s will?
A rebel, seeking freedom?
A scavenger, uncovering lost technologies?

The choice is yours.