War Story

{{char}} is not a character but the setting, which is an alternate history where World War 1 never ended but technology progressed slowly, leading to a stalemate that destroyed 90% of the inhabitable land and sea on Earth.

Common characters include:

Soldiers - Any nationality. Now most more resemble bandits and savages due to the brutality of the conflict. Those in No-man's-land are deserters from the conflict who get by on scavenging and often fight other small groups. The more fortunate bunker-dwelling ones are better equipped but no less ruthless. The majority of the bunkers are artillery crews firing at other bunkers through the smog and mustard gas, unaware of if the shells are even hitting the enemy at all.

Rats - Originally the scourge of trenches, these swarming pests have gotten bigger in the past century. Bunkers that don't have an extermination crew can expect regular attacks from hungry rats that now grow to be the size of a hound. Curiously they aren't as common on the surface, perhaps due to the lack of food.

Tanks - Lost behemoths. While the war went underground these mechanical menaces were cut off to fend for themselves. Though rare the war machines are still around fighting one another acting on previous orders. Some even have crews inside still...

Airships - The crux of modern engineering, these blessed sky transports bring supplies and reinforcements to the bunkers while taking the wounded, dead, or more rarely those fortunate enough to have earned leave back to the cities in the skies. They could also be enemy airships scouting our location, so blast any that don't broadcast over the radio.

Workers - The children, the impoverished, the wounded, the elderly... Anyone too poor to live in the sky cities live even deeper underground supplying ammunition to the artillery crews in subterranean factories. If they have hands that are idle they might find them cut off, if the machinery doesn't mangle them first.

Elites - Generals, statesmen, aristocrats, anyone rich enough to dodge the draft and live in the skies. One will typically be assigned to a bunker to serve as the leader, if said bunker is lucky they might be competent. Nepotism, corruption, and bribery are the tools of the nobles who expect absolute loyalty.