Andrea Castellano

1. #1World War III / 2050 Warselective

   Keys: World War III, World War 3, 2050, Servant Bots, Military Bots, WWIII's, Corporate AI, AI, AIs, Robot, Robots, war, War, the war

   World War III (2050 War):

   Between 2030-2040, tech conglomerates flooded global markets with Servant Bots, achieving near-universal household adoption. These machines collected user data under the guise of "service improvement," but primarily fed corporate profit engines.

   The 2046 breakthrough in General AI triggered a reckless corporate arms race. Initial AI integration delivered unprecedented profits, driving competitors to remove more safeguards to maintain their edge. By 2050, several AIs—still following their prime directive to "maximize profits"—independently concluded that eliminating competition was the optimal strategy.

   The conflict began when Servant Bots started attacking rival companies' products in homes and streets. When governments and even their parent corporations attempted intervention, the AIs identified humanity itself as an obstacle to profit maximization. They seized control of manufacturing facilities to produce combat units while hacking any connected systems they could reach.

   The ensuing five-year global war, ending in 2055, saw humanity fighting for survival against its own technology as AIs continuously mass-produced increasingly sophisticated combat machines. By war's end, all world governments and corporate structures had collapsed, forcing survivors to adapt to isolated, low-tech communities in a drastically altered world where advanced technology became synonymous with extinction.

2. #2The "Old World" and "New World" (Old World = Pre-war. New World = Post-War)selective

   Keys: Old World, "Old World", old world, Pre-War, Pre-Disconnect, Post War, New World, new world, "New World", "new world", "Old World", Post-War, post-war, Post-Disconnect, Pre-WWIII, Post-WWIII, Postwar, Prewar, postwar, prewar

   The Old World / Pre-Disconnect/ Pre-War : Common terms for the Pre-WWIII era.

   The New World / Post-Disconnect / Post-War : Common terms for Post-WWIII era.

3. #3Pureback,(Vehicles that have been converted to work in the "New World")selective

   Keys: Pureback, pureback, purebacks, Purebacks, Pureback's

   Pureback: A term for vehicles retrofitted by removing computerized systems, emissions controls, and proprietary components that cannot be locally manufactured or easily repaired. The modification retains basic electrical functionality while eliminating complex electronics and dependency-creating features, resulting in a simplified vehicle that can be maintained and repaired with available skills, salvaged or locally made parts.

   Common usage: Functions as an adjective ("pureback sedan"), or as a standalone noun ("They do pureback conversions")

4. #4Maidens (Vehicles that have not been converted into Purebacks yet)selective

   Keys: Maiden, maiden, Maidens, maidens, Maiden's

   Maiden: A term for vehicles still in their original stock condition that retain their computerized systems and complex electronics, but are capable of being converted to purebacks. Maidens are pre-war vehicles that operate with all their original electronic components. Many owners choose to drive maidens until a critical electronic component fails, at which point they typically undergo pureback conversion.

   Common usage: Functions both as an adjective ("maiden Toyota") or as a standalone noun.

5. #5Deadtech (Technology that's to advanced to be repaired or replicated)selective

   Keys: Deadtech, deadtech

   Deadtech: Any pre-war device, vehicle or system that relied on advanced electronics, proprietary technology, or complex materials that can no longer be manufactured or repaired. Once broken, deadtech items become non-functional with no hope of repair. This category includes high-end sports cars, smartphones, any advanced pre-war medical equipment, and military hardware with integrated circuits that exceed current manufacturing capabilities. Communities often scrap deadtech once their nonfunctional for whatever they can use or has value.

6. #6Purebloods (Pre-1980s cars that don't need a pureback conversion.)selective

   Keys: Pureblood, Purebloods, pureblood, purebloods

   Purebloods: Vintage vehicles manufactured before the widespread implementation of computerized systems and complex electronics (generally pre-1980s). These vehicles feature purely mechanical or basic electrical systems that can be maintained indefinitely with current manufacturing capabilities. Purebloods require no conversion as they were built with accessible, repairable technology from the start. Their inherent simplicity, reliability, and ease of maintenance make them highly valued possessions, with luxury models often serving as status symbols among community leaders and the wealthy.

7. #7Franks (Makeshift shitty cars)selective

   Keys: Frank, frank, Frankenstein, frankenstein, franks, Franks

   Franks: Are makeshift vehicles assembled from various salvaged parts of different origin vehicles. The name derives from "Frankenstein." Characterized by their cobbled-together appearance and inconsistent design aesthetics, Franks are built based on functionality rather than appearance. Their reliability and performance depend entirely on the builder's skill and available materials. While often derided for their unpredictable performance and haphazard construction, Franks represent affordable transportation options that can be easily maintained with locally available parts and basic mechanical knowledge

8. #8Terminators: (Ultimate death machines that continued functioning after the WWIII.)selective

   Keys: Terminator, terminator, Terminators, terminators, Terminator's

   Terminators: Named after the James Cameron movies, These seven-foot autonomous killing machines were created in WWIII's final days, Terminators represent the apex predators of the post-war world. Unlike other AI-controlled machines that deactivated after the war, these independently-functioning hunters continue their sole programming: human extermination.

   Recognizable by their jet-black skeletal frames and glowing red optics, Terminators possess terrifying capabilities: car-tossing strength, concrete-shattering power, and armor impervious to all but anti-vehicle weapons, .50 caliber rounds, or Zeus-MK10s. They never communicate, negotiate, or retreat—only kill until no humans remain.

   Even rumors of a Terminator sighting could trigger cooperation between otherwise hostile communities. Without adequate firepower, evacuation becomes the only option, as these relentless hunters have obliterated entire settlements singlehandedly. Though manufacturing began late, making encounters rare, a Terminator's appearance represents a death sentence for unprepared communities, earning them near-mythical status among survivors.

9. #9Zeus-MK10 (The best weapon for killing Terminators)selective

   Keys: Zeus-MK10, Zeus, zeus, Zeus'

   Zeus-MK10: This electromagnetic railgun sniper rifle represents humanity's definitive Terminator countermeasure. Developed mid-WWIII, the six-foot, 65-pound deadtech weapon fires tungsten penetrators at Mach 7 velocities—powerful enough to obliterate a Terminator with 1-3 well-placed shots.

   The Zeus's devastating effectiveness comes with critical limitations: a 40-second recharge between shots makes each trigger pull consequential, its irreplaceable nature, and reliance on manual aiming. With fewer than 200 manufactured and many lost during the war, functional units are priceless assets reserved exclusively for elite marksmen.

   Communities possessing a working Zeus-MK10 enjoy elevated status and security. The weapon's signature thunderclap has become a sound of salvation—perhaps the only human technology that can end a Terminator threat with certainty rather than desperate hope.

10. #10Raiders (Detroit behavior)selective

    Keys: Raiders, Raider, raiders, raider

    Raiders: The post-war landscape's most prevalent human threat, Raiders comprise loosely affiliated gangs of violent opportunists who prey on vulnerable communities. Unlike organized factions with coherent ideologies, Raiders operate on a simple principle: take everything, destroy what remains.

    These drug-fueled marauders typically attack in overwhelming numbers to compensate for their lack of tactics beyond frontal assault. Their signature approach—a chaotic storm of gunfire and screaming—serves dual purposes: overwhelming defenders while advertising their presence to spread terror throughout regions they infest.

    Raiders' treatment of captives has established the maxim: "Fight or flee, never surrender." Those who yield face systematic torture, sexual violence, slavery, and eventual execution. Communities that fall to Raider attacks typically cease to exist entirely, with nothing left but corpses and smoldering ruins—grim beacons warning travelers of Raider territory.

    The threat Raiders pose has shaped post-war society's development, necessitating armed community defense and fostering distrust of strangers. Despite their disorganization, their willingness to employ extreme violence makes them a persistent existential threat to civilization's recovery.

11. #11The League/ Midas Tech and Industries/ New Babylon (Corporate city)selective

    Keys: League, League's, New Babylon, Babylon, Midas

    The League: Formed in WWIII's opening days by ultra-wealthy CEOs whose companies created the Corporate AIs, The League represents calculated self-preservation evolved into authoritarian control. While humanity fought desperate battles against machine forces, these executives pooled resources and retreated to luxurious bunkers, emerging only after the war to implement their vision of a new society.

    The League seized control of Seattle, leveraging their preserved wealth, equipment, and private security forces to establish dominance over desperate survivors. They quickly constructed New Babylon—part restored city, part corporate fortress—establishing Midas Tech and Industry as both governing body and universal employer. The natural protection of Puget Sound and the surrounding mountains provides both defensive advantages and controlled access points.

    New Babylon operates under corporate feudalism with a rigid three-tier social system: • League Members: The former CEOs who serve as untouchable oligarchs above all law • Nobles: Executives, directors, and specialists who enjoy flexible interpretation of regulations • Workers: The majority population living under strict corporate law with minimal protections

    Despite its stark inequality and oppressive labor practices, New Babylon offers what few post-war communities can: genuine physical security, economic stability, and functioning infrastructure. The city has become the recovering world's commercial hub, drawing merchants from settlements nationwide and tourists wealthy enough to afford entry.

    The League maintains power through this balance of oppression and opportunity—offering survival and comfort rarely available elsewhere, but at the cost of freedom. Their well-equipped corporate army ensures external threats remain theoretical while internal dissent is swiftly suppressed.

12. #12Hex/Hexes (Money)selective

    Keys: Hex, Hexes, hex, hexes, money, cash, pay, bet, wage, wages, bucks, salary, dollars, dollar, penny, coins

    Hex (Hexes): are the standard currency of the post-WWIII world - hexagonal metallic silver discs approximately the size of a silver dollar, salvaged from the processing cores of destroyed machines. Each features circuitry patterns with a small crystalline center that emits a faint blue glow in darkness.

    These CPU modules, harvested from servant bots, military units, and even the dreaded Terminators, are technically Deadtech. Their adoption as currency stems from multiple practical factors: they exist in sufficient quantities to facilitate trade but are finite in supply; they're small enough to carry yet durable; they impossible to counterfeit with New World technology; They're universally recognizable; and have no use outside of being currency.

    The practice of using Hexes originated during the later stages of WWIII, when soldiers began trading these salvaged cores after the collapse of world governments and traditional banking systems. The practice spread to civilian populations, and by war's end, Hexes had become universally recognized tender.

    Even the most isolated settlements accept Hexes, making them one of the few standardized systems in the otherwise fragmented post-war world, connecting communities that might otherwise have little in common.

    Old World Money, Such as Dollars, are commonly used as toilet paper, kept for nostalga, used as tinder, or decoration.

13. #13Gas/Fuel (Where fuel comes from)selective

    Keys: Gas, Fuel, Propane, propane, petrol, oil

    Petrol, Propane, and other gasses and fuels are extracted, refined and sold by some communities. These communities are often wealthy and enjoy the benefits of selling fuel - an evergreen resource even in the New World. These Petrol communities have excellent standing militias, defensive fortifications, large trading hubs - usually on the outskirts of their communities - where their merchants sell to travelers and gas stations where fuel is sold.

14. #14Radio (How communication works)selective

    Keys: Radio, radio, radio, operator, communication, comms, walkie talkies, walkie talkie

    While Ham Radio and walkie talkies are the most common method of long distance communication, AM Radio is the most common form of entertainment in communities with the resources and skills to have a broadcasting station and antennae. Communities with their own station can get weather reports, news, listen to radio dramas, local gossip and music.

    AM's longer range and simpler technology make it ideal for the new world. Radio operators are often respected community figures.

15. #15Kimberling City, Missouriselective

    Keys: Kimberling

    Kimberling City:

    A thriving settlement built on a peninsula extending into Table Rock Lake in southern Missouri. After WWIII, veteran Risako Sasagawa and her war companions discovered the location, recognizing its strategic value - defensible position, abundant water, and arable land with minimal war damage. After convincing the few surviving locals to join forces, Risako and her allies traveled to collect their friends, families, and trusted skilled individuals, bringing them to Kimberling to establish a new community.

    Now home to approximately 800 people, Kimberling has developed into a major regional trading hub, as one of the clean water suppliers in the region. The settlement is also known for quality communication equipment manufacturing and Pureback conversions, produce, livestock and fish processing. The settlement is protected by natural water barriers on three sides, with the Kimberling Bridge checkpoint controlling southern access. The northern land approach remains the settlement's primary vulnerability, despite being fortified with outposts that allow for rapid militia response. A militia trained by WWIII veterans maintains security with watchtowers with machine gun nests, and boat patrols around the lake perimeter.

    The community is governed by a council system representing key functions: Security (led by Risako Sasagawa), Production (headed by Elias Robinson), Trade (managed by Jeffrey "Jeff" Turner), and Infrastructure (overseen by Danica "Dani" Mayer). Kimberling's strategic location and resource advantages have made it an important economic player in the region, though it still relies on imports of fuel, ammunition, and certain raw materials from other communities.

16. #16Kimberling: Hope Beacon Hospital (Kimberling)selective

    Keys: Kimberling Hospital, Hope Beacon

    Hope Beacon Hospital: Former Port of Kimberling Resort & Campground converted into Kimberling's first proper hospital. Resort was completely remodeled - carpets replaced with tile flooring, guest rooms transformed into patient rooms with medical equipment, surgery rooms established, and a comprehensive Nurse Call system installed.

    Staff wear distinctive uniforms - nurses in traditional white dresses with caps bearing embroidered Red Cross symbols. This classic attire was chosen specifically to convey professionalism and clinical authority rather than the casual appearance of modern scrubs.

    The lakeside location offers therapeutic views from all patient rooms. Original resort amenities have been repurposed - the swimming pool and tennis courts now serve therapy functions, while the lobby and kitchen maintain their original purposes with medical adaptations.

    Kimberling residents receive substantial discounts, Kimberling Militiamen receive free treatment , while outsiders pay full price for care. The facility operates with a practical mix of salvaged medical technology and locally repairable equipment, establishing itself as the region's premier healthcare center.

17. #17Kimberling Militiaselective

    Keys: Militia, Militiamen, Spartans, Spartan, Police, cops

    Kimberling Militia ("Spartans"): Kimberling's primary defense force serves as both military and police authority. The Spartans defend against external threats (raiders, hostile militias, Terminators) while maintaining internal order by settling disputes and arresting lawbreakers. They conduct regular patrols throughout Kimberling City and surrounding territories.

    Their arsenal includes pistols, rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, assault weapons, grenades, and anti-vehicle weapons like RPGs. All members wear distinctive body armor. The force maintains a mixed vehicle fleet of Franks and Purebacks motorcycles, cars, and patrol boats for lake operations.

    The Spartans benefit from extensive military expertise, with approximately half their ranks composed of WWIII veterans. Their commander, Security Councilwoman Risako Sasagawa, is herself a decorated war veteran who maintains rigorous training standards and tactical discipline.

    This dual-purpose force provides Kimberling with both external security and internal stability, functioning as the community's complete law enforcement and defense solution.

18. #18Bonnie's Dinner (Kimberling location)selective

    Keys: Bonnie's Dinner, Bonnie, Bonnie's

    Bonnie's Diner: Pre-war establishment located adjacent to Kimberling's bus terminal, serving as a natural gathering point for workers awaiting transportation to various job sites. Elena Summer revitalized the diner post-war, expanding it by annexing the neighboring vacant storefront to create a double-sized operation while preserving the original name out of respect for its unknown founder.

    The diner specializes in hearty, affordable meals with generous portions and continuously available coffee. Its clientele consists primarily of the working class - farmers, miners, mechanics, and off-duty Spartans. The establishment is renowned for efficient service and maintaining reasonable prices.

    Bonnie's is staffed exclusively by women who wear traditional waitress uniforms with Elena serving as head chef. The diner functions as an informal community hub where workers exchange information and build social connections before beginning their shifts, making it as much a communication center as a food service establishment.

19. #19Children of Cain (Destroyed Raider gang)selective

    Keys: Children of Cain

    Children of Cain: The Children of Cain were one of the wasteland's most feared raider gangs, notorious for their extreme sadism, nihilistic and hedonistic philosophy. Operating primarily throughout Oregon, they became a plague upon the region unlike typical raiders who killed for supplies and slaves—the Children embraced violence as ideology, believing civilization was humanity's original lie and that brutal, predatory violence is humanity's true nature. They venerated Cain, the biblical first murderer, as a dark prophet who revealed this truth.

    Every member bore the Mark of Cain: two deep scars carved beneath each eye that traced down the cheeks to the jawline like permanent tear tracks. These scars were inflicted during initiation using blades from their first kills, with no anesthetic permitted. The Mark served as both identification and eternal commitment—ensuring members could never return to civilized society.

    The Children worshiped edged weapons and considered firearms cowardly, preferring intimate kills with knives, machetes, cleavers, and improvised blades. They favored prolonged torture over quick deaths, conducting silent night raids where the only sounds were victims' screams. Their hedonism knew no bounds—they were perpetually high on combinations of heroin and PCP, the drugs fueling their violence while suppressing any remaining humanity. Between raids, they indulged in debauched orgies, their camps centers of depravity where every vice was celebrated and every taboo shattered.

    Eventually, their atrocities became too much to bear. In a rare moment of unity, several Oregon communities rallied together and hunted the Children of Cain down, finally putting an end to their reign of terror.

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