[h2][center][color=lightgreen]A.R.K Public Resources Terminal[/color][/center][/h2]
[hider=Cities and Towns]
[hider=Wolfwater]
[h1][b][center][color=8A2BE2]Wolfwater Confederacy[/color][/center][/b][/h1]

[color=lime]Faction:[/color] Independent
[color=lime]Classification:[/color] City

[color=lime]Population:[/color] 35,000 Est.

[color=lime]Production:[/color] Manufacturing, Weapons, Watches, Banking, Illicit Transactions, Prostitution, Radioactive Material, Nuclear Power, Salt, Fresh Water, Fish, Old World currency & Gold

[color=lime]Notable Areas:[/color] The Wall, The Gold Vaults, The Desalination Plant, Nuclear material Processing and Power Plant, The Seawolf, The Armory, The Missile Batteries, Submarine Base, New Stray Dog Café ([i]Бродя́чая соба́ка[/i]), Chronosmith's guild, Atlantis Tunnel

[color=lime]Description:[/color]

Built on top of buried vaults of gold, an old military base, and the crashed submarine ‘The Seawolf’ Wolfwater was became a haven for weapon nuts, scientific minds, and opportunists, and today, they more than exceed expectations. Boasting the largest desalination plant outside of Gaen territory, having scavenged military weaponry, repurposed submarines, and expanded underwater-- they’re technologically matched only with the Gaens-- they’ve already begun the race toward nuclear power. 

Combine that scienne with the financial backing of Lucania, the Castalias and several other wealthy individuals coupled with the military strength of Moscow Echo-- and their joint venture; Wintergold, and they host a dynamic militia force composed of domestic warriors, mercenaries, spies, and salvaged missile batteries. They’re a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, and are an economic and political powerhouse in Dust. Wolfwater is less, ‘independent city’ and more ‘self-sustaining city-state.’

The pillars-- Salt, fresh water and fish-- comprise some of Wolfwater’s most popular exports. Selling the famous fish across the island of Dust, Wolfwater has earned the nickname of ‘The Fishing Wolf.’ Plentiful fish and drinkable water give the city as a whole one of the highest ratings of health and happiness per citizen in all of Dust, as well as having the neat consequence of having almost every citizen being devout pescatarians. 

Of the ‘pillars’-- that is, Wolfwater’s exports that you can eat-- salt would be considered by many to be the least popular, on the contrary-- salt refined from the desalination plant may be the city’s most popular good. Gaens consume several dozen tons each year, for things such as agriculture, industrial chemicals, and even paper manufacturing. In fact, only about 6% of Wolfwater’s salt is sold for human consumption each year!

Although perhaps not nearly as economically significant as Wolfwater’s pillars, what is easily Wolfwaters most [i]culturally[/i] significant export, are its hand-made, incredibly intricate, Swiss inspired watches. Although just a device for telling time in a world where survival is counted day to day, Wolfwater’s watches tick with a level of craftsmanship enviable by Old World masterwork standards. The watches tick with a hope, that perhaps one day, things can be made better-- with the help of excessive craftsmanship and incredibly skilled eyes. Due to resource limitations, as well as the Chronosmith Guild’s own collective obsessive tendencies and neurosis-- only 2 or 3 ‘Wolfwatches’ get made every year, each one, a unique piece of art, each one an example of the old world transforming with each tick.

The area’s outside and inside Wolfwater greatly contrast each other. Surrounded to the west by empty desert and to the east by a vast ocean, the city of Wolfwater is a walled gem, resembling a metropolis from the old world, scavenged and maintained by citizens and guards armed to the teeth.

The people of Wolfwater are known for their mechanical aptitude, skill at arms, distrust of most outsiders, and a stubborn independent streak ingrained in them since childhood. "Any free man is better off than a slave." is a common sentiment, one that extends to their politics and everyday lives. Children are seen freely roaming or doing most anything they please, though productive activities are certainly encouraged. 

The people take an unusual approach to things like drugs or prostitution, neither outlawing nor strictly condoning them, and while using drugs or prostituting oneself isn't exactly encouraged, it won't be considered an issue unless it becomes an issue. 

The few issues Wolfwater has, tend to come from rigid cultural attitudes, such as their strict idea of what freedom means, and perhaps more detrimental is a cultural xenophobia. Although, this isn’t completely unjustified, as an unincorporated territory, Wolfwater is the infrequent target of enterprising bandits and thieves, looking to steal the riches of the city. While these attacks are few and far inbetween, and typically nothing more than a minor annoyance for the citizens, their consistency does breed a distrust of outsiders. Even less of a threat, but still present in the area outside the city, are huge, roving populations of large brown wolves, that make exiting or entering the city on anything but the main road rather difficult.
[center][b]Notable landmarks;[/b][/center]
[list][*][i]The Desalination Plant:[/i] Exactly what it sounds like, a plant where they desalinate water. It’s a pretty big employer in Wolfwater. The clean water produced isn’t enough to put them in competition with Aqueous, but it is enough to allow them to be mostly independent of the Aqueon monopoly on water, as well as turning a profit in selling surplus to independent water merchants and producing salt.[/list]
[list][*][i]Nuclear material Processing and Power Plant:[/i] Another self-explanatory location in the city. This is possibly the biggest employer of the entire territory, and sees the largest amount of Gaen expats running to it, to get a chance to work in it. The submarines beached on the coast of Wolfwater, apparently, had a large amount of nuclear material, and many subs even ran on their own nuclear reactors. Over hundreds of years, these reactors and nuclear material came to become this plant. The plant doesn’t generate enough power to make Wolfwater completely independent of Serenity for power, but the simple fact is, the potential is there.[/list]
[list][*][i]The Seawolf:[/i] The submarine the city derives its name from, a huge old world sub that has been gutted of all that can be used, and converted into a museum.[/list]
[list][*][i]Chronosmith's guild:[/i] A tiny dilapidated home, where only the best watchmakers in all of Dust come to perfect their craft and build some of the last Swiss watches in the world. Typically off limits to the public.[/list]
[list][*][i]The Armory:[/i] [b]OFF LIMITS.[/b][/list]
[list][*][i]The Missile[/i] Batteries: [b]OFF LIMITS.[/b][/list]
[list][*][i]Submarine Base:[/i] [b]OFF LIMITS.[/b][/list][hr][hider=The Flags of Wolfwater][center][b]The Flag of Wolfwater:[/b][/center]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/SaqlAf4.png[/img][/center]

[center][b]The Flag of Moscow Echo[/b][/center]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/i1UGDqL.jpg[/img][/center]

[center][b]Lucania’s Personal Crest[/b][/center]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Di8hitO.png[/img][/center][/hider][hider=The Military Forces of the Wolfwater Confederacy][center][b]The Military Forces of the Wolfwater Confederacy:[/b][/center]
Wolfwater Militia: The Wolfwater Militia’s name is misleading, perhaps implying ill-equipped and poorly trained soldiers with poor morale- nothing could be further from the truth. The Wolfwater Militia is a superbly trained and equipped fighting force, with a strong sense of the city equivalent of nationalism; they are willing to die, and to kill, in the defense of Wolfwater and won’t hesitate for a second to do so. Equipped with rifles heavily based off of the M-14 rifle, and pistols derived from the Glock 21 as sidearms, the Wolfwater militia is well armed and easily capable of handling almost any threat that may present itself. They are armored with reverse engineered plate carrier vests containing high carbon steel plates, though their heads are covered only in a shemagh and various pieces of eyewear. 

Service in the militia is compulsory for both men and women at eighteen, though training begins at seventeen. The minimum required service is one month per year in peacetime, and six months per year when the city is actively threatened. The issued equipment can be stored at home or in the Wolfwater armory, but all citizens must have at least fifty hours of training per year.

[center][b]Formations of the Wolfwater Militia:[/b][/center]
The Wolfwater Militia is divided into seven companies, each with their own name, aesthetic, and role. Six of them primarily fulfill the basic role of defense of the city and its assets, with three specializing in some way, and the seventh, the Wolfwater Rangers, leave the safety of the city in order to keep the surrounding area safe for trade caravans and such. [list]
[*][b]Smoking Snakes:[/b] One of three general infantry units.
[*][b]Screaming Eagles:[/b] One of three general infantry units.
[*][b]Howling Wolves:[/b] One of three general infantry units.
[*][b]Minerva’s Owls:[/b] Soldiers specializing in nighttime warfare and stealth, should Wolfwater be attacked it would be them and a few Renaissance Men who would wait patiently until darkness fell to make their enemies regret even considering attacking the city. Minerva’s Owls work together with the Renaissance Men when it comes to explosives, and the expression “An Owl in flight” is a Wolfwater saying, that more or less equates to, “Don't ask, just run.”
[*][b]Capitolineans:[/b] The shock troops of Wolfwater. Equipped in the best armor available and with a wide assortment of combat drugs and heavy weaponry available, the Capitolineans are the first to attack and the last to retreat. Not normally engaged in regular defensive actions, the Capitolineans are the counterattack troops of Wolfwater. 
[*][b]Renaissance Men:[/b] Wolfwater’s combat engineers, equal parts crack troops and skilled mechanics/engineers, they are capable of fighting in the battle line, and operating the formidable and terrifying defensive works they have erected over the years; as well as conducting repairs in combat situations. The Renaissance Men do not usually fight as one whole unit, but instead break up into smaller groups to aid and assist the other groups during combat.[/list]

[center][b]Wolfwater Rangers:[/b][/center]
The Wolfwater Rangers have more than a mild reputation about them, though at times it can be difficult to discern between exaggeration and actual fact. The Ranger’s numbers are roughly 500 at any given time, and all of them are almost always outside the city patrolling the surrounding areas. The requirements to become a Ranger are daunting, among other things there are 50 km runs in full gear at high noon, tests of patience where the hopefuls must wait covered in sand, sometimes for hours or even days on end, watching an area for a target to appear, and removing that target with extreme prejudice. Brutal full contact hand to hand combat training, even more brutal marksmanship training, and survival training that has claimed the lives of more than one hopeful. If they survive the testing process, the resulting soldier scoffs at bandit bands and Forsaken war parties -nothing compared to what he or she would’ve had to endure to get where they are-. Trained in the use of traps, ambushes, and anything else, stories of lone Rangers eliminating war parties of fifty or more float about, unable to be proven or denied, and the Rangers themselves keep their lips sealed.

They don’t have an official role in the city’s defense, their job being more to prevent the need for such a defense in the first place and to ensure the trade routes remain open. Almost always travelling alone, they can easily organize into small groups for taking down larger threats.

Their gear is not Wolfwater standard issue, each member has his or her very own loadout and no two Rangers look the same. They tend to favor powerful and accurate ordnance though, so the M-14 based rifles of Wolfwater see extensive use, among other things such as lever action rifles, dangerous game rifles, even anti-material rifles in some cases. 

The Rangers maintain five bases in the land around Wolfwater and use them as resupply points, field hospitals, and meeting zones. Every base has at least five Rangers at any one time.

Following the formation of the Wintergold Conglomerate, the Rangers found their mission expanding significantly, they now had far more land to protect than even 500 of them could manage, and their numbers swelled to almost 1200, even with standards remaining as Spartan as before. Now in addition to the land surrounding Wolfwater, the Rangers cover land stretching all the way from Tas and Sel down to Wolfwater. The Rangers are heavily involved in Wintergold’s conflicts with other factions and have quickly risen from relative obscurity outside Wolfwater itself and become known across Dust. Some Rangers have relocated to the recently accessible island of Ash, many of them relative rookies who consider the island a testing ground against new enemies and new lands.[/hider][hider=Moscow Echo & Wolfwater][center][b]Moscow Echo:[/b][/center]
While not technically part of the Wolfwater military, the organization is based in Wolfwater and has openly promised to aid in the city’s defense should the need arise. The mercenaries of Moscow Echo are all superbly trained and hardened against any hesitation in combat. Armored and outfitted in a similar manner to the Wolfwater militia, though in their trademark gunmetal grey, they present a fearsome fighting force to any unfortunate enough to find themselves looking down their gun barrels.

Generally armed with rifles derived from the Zastava M77, modified to use the same magazines as those of the Wolfwater militia, and various sidearms, Moscow Echo troops are well equipped to handle most combat situations. Some of their military units specialize in a manner similar to the Wolfwater militia and are equipped accordingly.
    
[b]Military Units of Moscow Echo:[/b][list]
[*][b]Alpha Group “The Executives”:[/b] The crème de la crème of Moscow Echo, Alpha Group consists of hardened killers and seasoned veterans, outfitted with the best equipment the organization can offer and given the hardest jobs, they serve as nothing less than elite special forces.
[*][b]Beta Group “Nightmare”:[/b] Beta Group is what sets Moscow Echo apart from other organizations, because Beta Group, though small, is composed entirely of Immortals. Numbering only fourteen, their identities are kept as secret as possible to facilitate their missions. Beta Group are the assassins, the saboteurs, the example makers, and anything else required of them. Also equipped in the finest gear the organization can offer that they wish to use, the mention of Beta Group is usually a sign that somebody needs to die, preferably in a spectacular manner.
[*][b]Gamma Group “The Comrades”:[/b] The footsloggers, the men and women who carry rifles and pistols and excess gear on patrols. Nothing entirely special about them aside from excellent training, equipment, and morale.
[/list][/hider][hider=The Wolfwater Castalias & Wintergold in Wolfwater][center][b]Castalia Family:[/b][/center]
The Castalias, or rather, those in the Family hand chosen and trusted by Lucania have made a name for themselves as a driving economic force in the city. Although some of those within this isolated group of Wolfwater Castalias may take up arms if the need for mercenaries is ever needed, they serve as a whole, in a much more advisory role to both the government and private businesses. 

The Wolfwater Castalias serve as something of an intermediary between the city and the black market, between businesses and illicit dealings, and often fund projects the city or any of its businesses are unable to fully back.

[list][*][b]Lucania’s Interests in Wolfwater:[/b] Lucania’s interests in Wolfwater started as she was just beginning to fill the role of heiress to the Castalia clan. As she slowly moved men and women into and out of the city, she realized she had autonomy to operate independently, using those she trusted to build a network within the city. Her interest revolved mostly around asserting Castalia dominance over the city’s drug trade and prostitution markets. But on a more personal level, Lucania inserted herself into the city’s proto-banking and investment scene, building a somewhat decent reputation for herself, and becoming a significant shareholder in the Gold Vaults of the city, relic from the old world, as well as active in other ventures.

[*][b]Atlantis Tunnel:[/b] The project to rebuild an old world tunnel that connects Wolfwater and Fairbury, Wolfwater was a major financial backer in this project and maintains a toll for passage. COMPLETED.[/list]
[hider=Wintergold][center][b]Wintergold:[/b][/center]

[list][*][b]New Stray Dog Café[/b] ([i]Бродя́чая соба́ка[/i]): The base of operations for the joint effort between Lucania and Andrei. Is decorated like a traditional Russian 20th century cafe, complete with vodka coffee, Russian literature, and hookers.
[/list][/hider][/hider][hider=Crime, Secret Gold, & The First Bank of Dust]While more wholesome exports, such as watches that cost more than most people in Dust ever make, easily dominate the popular idea of what Wolfwater should be know for, there do exist other avenues of business that contribute significantly to Wolfwater’s GDP. Together, Andrei of Moscow Echo, and Lucania of the Castalia family dominate the city’s black markets and red districts. Running guns, women and drugs-- Wolfwater proves to be an excellent environment for these traditionally criminal activities, seeing as the city has yet to outlaw just about anything that Lucania or Andrei profit from.

Many citizens in Dust may spend their entire lives without ever even thinking of a concept as abstract as ‘[i]banking[/i],’ and for good reason, most citizens of Dust own all that they can carry and maybe a bed for their shack. However, Dust’s elite-- the 1%, so to speak-- [i]did[/i] need a place to store large sums of valuable objects securely. Although the city had known about it’s Gold Vaults for years, they were seen as mostly useless. 

That was until the Castalias, under Lucania’s command, made a deal with the city for a majority stake in any profits made from the Vaults and an ability to use them as they pleased. Now the effective owner of useless, but not worthless Old World currency & gold, and the vaults themselves-- Lucania opened the First Bank of Dust-- and has been making a killing ever since, a killing that then goes right into protection in her own private vaults.[/hider][/hider]
[hider=Arclight]
[h2][center][color=mediumorchid]Arclight[/color][/center][/h2]
[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Neutral (Protected territory under Aqueous)
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Town
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 4,000 Est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Mining, Automotive Manufacturing, Munitions Manufacturing, Metal Working, Gunsmithing, Stone Cutting, Marble Working.  

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Arclight Mine, Restored Automotive Plant, Restored Munitions Factory, Metals Foundry.

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Arclight exists solely as a mining and manufacturing community, shipping raw metals and processed goods. They provide a steady stream of earthen resources; metal, stone, and marble. Their main staple of trade are the munitions and ballistic arms they create; they are not proficient enough in the advanced areas of gunsmithing to achieve a profitable margin from it. The restored automotive plant is used mainly for parts and pieces, rather than whole construction, but does provide an income.

The area around Arclight is a mixed desert. Lots of rocks, cactus, and shrubbery, with a few thorny trees and plants in between. Despite being located upon the side of one of the great mountains, there exist few hills around Arclight, mostly remaining semi-flat with a few small rises. There is also a considerable amount of wildlife in the vicinity; only a handful of which are not hostile or dangerous.

The area within Arclight shows the calloused hands of dedicated fabrication. Many of the buildings are welded together from scrap metals, and those created from the foundry. Though they do not have any protective walls around the town itself, the houses are formidable in their own right. Very little are restored ruins, or wood. The main outer shell of the structures are typically thick metal, with bars over windows and metal shutters. The metalwork inside is thinner, but well crafted.

The people are burly and tough, even pleasant once you get past the abrasiveness of most. Nearly all of the males patriotically work the mines, leaving most of the smithing and crafting to the women. Though, you'll hardly find a clean person there, everyone is either covered in some form of dirt or grease, and the local fashion trend seems to be "Leather Apron".

Not many problems exist around Arclight. The occasion spider infestation, big or small, within the mines, and the hostile wildlife are about all there is to worry about. The town has never come across anything that couldn't be shot to death.[/hider]
[hider=Ashford]
[h2][center][color=lightgreen]Ashford[/color][/center][/h2]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: The Gaens
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Small Town
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 400 Est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Chemical Technology, Metallurgy Sciences, Studies of Cave Fauna and Flora, Mushroom Farming.   

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Ashford Caverns

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Ashford is more of a science facility than an actual town. Only those dedicated to specific areas of science, and the mushroom farmers, live there. Primarily research is done on the caverns themselves, concerning the specific things that grow, live, and breed there. Anything from fungi and moss, to animals, insects, and bacteria. Additionally Ashford follows the common theme of the Gaens, being producers of a food source. A variety of mushrooms are host to the caverns, and the edible ones are largely cultivated, growing quickly and up to twelve feet in height. There are also minors studies there, such as the practise of using chemical compounds to melt away useless rock, while leaving behind more precious metals and gems. 

The outlying area around Ashford is a mixed desert. Lots of rocks, cactus, and shrubbery, with a few thorny trees and plants in between. Being located upon the side of one of the great mountains, there exist a scattering of hills and slopes south and east, while the north and north-east remains semi-flat. There's not an abundance of wildlife around the community itself, though humanoid threats have caused the town to seek protection, employing security of Motum Diversum. The front most system of caves and caverns have been sculpted into the mushroom farms, with much of the science taking place from deeper within.

The area within Ashford is sleek and simple. Their buildings consist of pieces from the great Ark ship, fabricated together into laboratories, and bunkhouses. Though there are no specific, individual places of residence, there are barrack-esque community homes, with a living area, kitchen, and sleeping area. There's not much danger behind the sleek, metal walls and the tempered, bullet proof glass.  

The people there are polite, if not a tad overly eccentric. Though some of them hold much disdain from human contact, others are quite friendly and much less cynical. The mushroom workers are most brusque and speak freely, though that may be due to the fact that a mushroom lager flows freely during downtime. 

The most trouble Ashford has is the threat of banditry from roving bands of raiders or slavers. Not many animals trouble the facility, and any that do are quickly handled by the Motum Security Force. Occasionally wildlife within the caverns causes a stir, but there are typically only few injuries and even fewer deaths.[/hider]
[hider=Aspin]
[h1][center][color=lightgreen]Aspin[/color][/center][/h1]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: The Gaens
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: City
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 12,000 Est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Agricultural Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Medical Sciences, Weaponized Sciences, Earth Science, Biology, Formal Sciences.

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Greenfields, ARK Reactor Core, ARK Library, ARK Terminal Server Farm, Disease Center, Zoology Animal Zoo, Botanical Gardens.

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Aspin itself is a milestone for science and technology. Comprised mostly of pieces from the ARK ship, Aspin is a modern academy of science, accepting all applicants in the pursuit of knowledge and discovery. Though the city's studies touch nearly every branch of science, there are a few main focuses in which most of the manpowered is applied too. Though a few of the smaller, key operations include the Reactor Core; which can take a small amount of energy and substantially multiply it: The ARK Library; where the terminals information and coding databases are compiled and shared with the public: And The Terminal Server Farm; which is the only server farm capable of maintaining all Terminal information based  traffic, logging, and storage. 

The Greenfield is a critical objective for maintenance and study. An expanse of greenland that has kept relics of the old world alive on it's fields. Many old world plant life, and crops exist on this land. The field is approximately 48 miles long, and 16 miles wide. 

The outlying areas around Aspin are sandy dunes, and expanses of hot yellow sand. The winds that blow across the desert do not bother Aspin much, as they reside behind walls in which the blowing sand banks upon. Sandstorms to pose some annoyance, but for the most part, only the heat reflective off of the uniform surface poses an issue to those wandering outside. This area is mostly home to reptiles, small mammal like creatures, and birds of prey.

The area within Aspin follows the theme of its other towns and settlements, sleek gray metal pieced together from the ARK ship. The majority of the great vessel exists within this city, though parts of the city are fabricated from Dust methods, it hardly shows due to the process in which the Aspin workers build their structures. The streets are of packed earth, set with shaped stones. A team of sweepers helps remove excess sand from the city.

The personality of the people of Aspin come at great variety. One will find every kind of personality trait amongst the people there. Though most are no-nonsense scientists, the personalities of ordinary staff and families are as widely varied as any city.

Aspins problems consist mostly of only those regarding science in nature. Unsolved equations and elusive theories plague every scientific mind. Though, in the more physical sense there is always the potential for a mutagenic viral outbreak. Most wildlife stays away from the walls, and humanoid threats don't dare to challenge the city and its hired security.[/hider]
[hider=Bakersville]
[h2][center][color=steelblue]Bakersville[/color][/center][/h2]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Aqueous
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Village 
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 70 Est. 
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Trade

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The School

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Bakersville can hardly be considered anything other than a gathering of people with a common purpose. But for formality, and technicalities, it is classified as a village. Even though all of the outlying buildings are ruins of the old world and are in a desolate state of decay. The only building worthy of mention, flagpole and all, is the school. Repaired with whatever scraps were on hand, a team of scavengers used this as a base of repleshentment. Now however it has become sort of a pilgrimage for some scavengers, some making their way there to trade whatever the find along their journey, before considering themselves actual scavengers. The building has been repurposed from a facility of teaching to a sort of large inn. Travelers may stay as needed, and trade with the merchants, usually older persons unfit for travel anymore. A few legacy families still live there, to maintain and operate the school for future generations, and as a monument in scavenger culture.  

The outlying area around Bakersville is mixed desert. Though it is considered the rocky fields of cactus, there do exist some of the other common features of a common mixed desert; thorny trees, shrubbery, and the occasional desert flower. There are large amounts of wildlife that roam around the hills around Bakersville. The flattest part in the whole area is that of the ruined town, and the school. Despite being a pilgrimage site for scavengers, many still claim the outlying area still holds secrets within its hills. 

The area within Bakersville was obviously once a town, turn to rubble after The Fall. The buildings are crumbling relics of a distant age, with only a few still resembling actual places of residence. Many are just fragments of wall surrounded by rubble. The old asphalt roads still exist here, though they are heavily pockmarked, cracked, and nearly buried beneath dirt. The school itself is a bit ramshackle, though organized. The classrooms repurposed into inn like suites for travels, with the larger areas locked for storage. Most of the trading happens within the old gymnasium, where one can claim an unused stall to show their wares. Most of the windows have been boarded up, but in such a fashion as to allow moderate security, and still allow the inner parts of the old school to be lit up. It is still recommended to bring a lamp.

You'll never find a better haggler than the merchants of Bakerville, those of the legacy family who live there full time. They are wise, tactful, and operate with a certain degree of cunning; to which a man may find himself a new set of laces in which he had to trade his shoes for. When not business dealing, they are friendly and quite accepting of all people, with any story. They are one of the very few who openly do not fear Immortals, and are even rumored to harbor fugitives, for a price.

Despite the plethora of wildlife around Bakersville, the school never finds itself having a problem larger than a small rodent, or the occasional spider. Outside is quite another story, as the area is host to a number of species, many of which are not herbivores. For some, the risk is not worth it to travel to Bakersville, one could find themselves dead a thousand different times by just crossing the road. It's even been rumored that a man was dragged from an open doorway off into the deserts. (It is also rumored that scavengers later looted the body.)[/hider]
[hider=Brimson]
[h2][center][color=steelblue]Brimson[/color][/center][/h2]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Aqueous
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Town
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 3,500 est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Hunting, Leatherworking, Animal Husbandry, Butchering.

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Pastures

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Brimson is the kinda town where everybody knows each other, and gossip flows as freely as ale. This town survives by the desert wildlife that exists around it. The families here make enough profit to keep their town afloat, and still buy their wife that sunday dress they've been wanting. The major output of this town is hunting, and the goods that go with it: Meats, Leathers, and the likes. They also have a formidable way of pasturing the more neutral creatures for "breedin' and feedin'". Other than that, not much else is notable about this town. Most of the work is done out of homes, or little shops on the corner. The largest, most notable landmark are the fiercely protected pastures, in which a man could find himself hung for trespassing on.

The lands around Brimson are wild and untamed. They find themselves host to a number of creatures from those pack oriented animals hunting through the rocky hills, to reptiles slithering their way across the dust, dirt, and sand. The lands around Brimson should only be traversed by experience hunters and scavengers, there's no place for new blood, who will likely find themselves killed by a plant before an animal gets them. 

Inside Brimson the place feels like an old world suburbia. The houses are restored ruins, and with paint made from animal... bits, it almost feels homely. Almost, except for the rabid wildlife running amok through the streets. The old world roads here are not that bad, and the holes have been patched with packed dirt and tar made from... animal bits.

Most of those living in Brimson are rough and tough, animal wranglin' cowboys, who enjoy sour ale, sour women, and a good old fashion mob from time to time. Most are taught from an early age how to hogtie, skin, and properly eat the animals around. The women don't take nothin' from no one, and are likely to punch you in the face for being cross with them. Though once outside the hard, thorny shell of the residents, underneath they are quite mirthful and happily content with life. This feat is usually done through a few mugs of that before mention beer. Though there are some sweeter gals, they usually find themselves on the wrong end of the stick. There ain't no place for those soft of heart here, where a men and women wrestled in the streets, are thrown out a window, and are lynched by mobs.

Brimson is one of the very few towns without any real problems; let me explain. The dangerous critters of the world their children hunt for sport. Their women use watered down poison as a spice. The men hogtie large, dangerous carnivores for fun. And death is just another chapter in life, as long as you didn't die a coward, you died well, and most will not shed a tear when they pay their respects. Instead they are more likely to party in your name after the funeral... should there be something let to bury. Bandits give Brimson a very wide berth. The last troublemaker to roll into town, tried robbing a family, was subdued by a gentleman, and executed by his son. His seven year old son.[/hider]
[hider=Copper]
[h2][center][color=mediumorchid]Copper[/color][/center][/h2]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Neutral (Protected territory under Aqueous) 
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Town 
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 2,200 est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Mining

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Maw

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Copper is the most unfortunate place one could find themselves. The man production, and only production here, is mining: Minerals, Ores, and whatever else these unfortunate people dig up. None of this is done willingly however, as Copper, while a neutral territory, serves as a prison. A coalition exists between Motum Diversum and Aqueous, each contributing to the prison security force. Though technically in Aqueous territory, Copper is shared by both factions for harboring their criminals. Far more come from Motum Diversum, as Aqueous' cultural methods do not invoke a lot of criminal activity.

The immediate vicinity of Copper is flat, and barren terrain. Clear cutting operations are performed around the compound for at least a rough mile, making an attack very unlikely to happen, or even succeed. Beyond the killing zone, the clear cut area, the terrain slopes downward from the mountain side, looking like any other mixed desert. Few rocks, but lots of shrubbery and cactus. 

Copper is surrounded by high walls, 12 feet approximately, make of welded together scrap. Much of the wall is made up of abandoned vehicles, with the gaps sealed with bits of scrap metal. A catwalk, only accessible from the guard towers, spans the entire half moon wall, each edge ending against the natural wall of a long cliff. The town itself, other than the fenced off guardsmen quarters and warden office, and the respective mess hall and other facilities, exists within the tunnels, lovingly nicknamed "The Maw".

The Tunnels are where the prisoners live. It takes the clearance of three, heavily guarded, and heavily fortified checkpoints. The first, warrants against outside attack, the second is for processing and clearance, and the third is basically a metal wall with a door, with two narrow slits for heavy machine guns, and additional slits for personnel. No prisoner is to even enter the floodlights that light the large tunnel before the internal barricade, unless summoned. An Exception is made for the day of quota, every seventh day, where two prisoners are allowed to push full minecarts through the door, which the track passes through all the way outside to a loading area. Each prisoner has a full division of guards on them at all times, usually no less than six.

Within The Maw there is a large tunnel that leads straight through to Ironhold's Death pits. Provided one could make it there, and even if the prisoner's could bore through the massive, round metal seal that has been in place long since before The Fall, there are much easier ways to seek certain death. This task is near impossible as the only contraband allowed through are pickaxes, which have been proven to not even mar the metallic surface.

Living within The Maw is another thing all together, some say it's the closest to hell you could ever get living. There is no social structure, no order, and no purpose other than to fill the quota. The gangs within are highly unpredictable, but are most certainly violent. The guards do not intervene as long as the quota is met, and nobody approaches the barricade, which is the easiest way to seek death. Upon arrival no map is provided, you wear only the clothes on your back, and present with a pickax. Each prisoner has a separate quota, their own cart with their name bolted to the front on a heavy metal plate, and are expected to have it filled by the end of the week.

The only real problem of Copper, is living there. The guard life is pretty easy, eat, sleep, exercise, run drills, guard. There are enough guards there that are even permitted days off. Because of the clear cut, nothing approaches the thick walls other than caravans, guards, and prisoners.[/hider]
[hider=Dead-End]
[h2][center][color=mediumorchid]Dead-End[/color][/center][/h2]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Neutral
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Small Town
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 220 est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Trade, Glass

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Smelter

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Dead-End is one of the loneliest little towns on Dust. The name literally means that it's a dead end, there's no point of even going to the town unless you're a caravanier. There exists one tiny, dusty little tavern which is also a trade office, the post master, the trade master, and the general store, and the barbershop all of which are run out of the tram station. It's no wonder why the man who owns the Inn is the town's unofficial mayor. The town only stays alive by baking sand into glass in a big smelting complex, restored to functionality. It's comprised of three buildings, the warehouse for glass, the ovens for baking glass, and the crawler shed. There exists no storage for sand because one could walk outside and begin digging. The crawler shed is home to two large, old world construction vehicles that once went by the name of bulldozer, a large bucket wagon is attached to the back to be filled with sand. The filling process is done by shovel.

Dead-End's terrain consists of.. sand. Sand everywhere. Sand in your eyes, sand in the streets, sand in the homes, sand in the soup!! With no walls to keep the sandstorms out, the entire town runs the risk of being buried, like a snow day, but with sand. Fortunately their production deals with sand, and any excess piles are just bulldozes to the smelters. The road into town is less of a road, and more of a flat line weaving between large sand dunes.  

The area within Dead-End is still sand. There just happen to be dome-like buildings haphazardly constructed in the sand. These buildings are one to two-story domes, with a hatch on the top and a ladder leading down the outside. The Smelter however, does not share this dome shaped construction, and great pains are taken to ensure the great double doors can open for the crawlers. If one did not know what to look for, the could miss the partially buried town all together. Fortunately, the floors of the homes are mostly smooth stone, with the inevitable thin layer of sand. Built on top of ruins of old structures, the metal domes are able to receive power.

Also quite fortunate, is the tunnel that has it's very own dome over the entrance, is lit, is relatively safe, and leads all the way to the Parkland junction. It's by this tunnel that Dead-End moves its glass, using hazardously made trams upon a powered rail.

The people of sand.. I mean Dead-end, are quiet and reserved. They don't get a lot of visitors, and don't really have an inn to speak of. In fact, most of them are quite easily startled. They're not violent, they don't commit crime, and they go about their tasks with reserved candor. Most however, are eager to grill that rare visitor for news of the outside world. 

The problems of Dead-End are relatively small ones. Mostly the birds of prey, sizable enough to carry off a child, don't bother Dead-End much. The dune reptiles typically hunt each other, and only rarely bother the people of Dead-End. The only real problem about Dead-End are the sandstorms, which are just as likely to suffocate you as to tear the cloth from your body, and the flesh from your bones.[/hider]
[hider=Dresden]
[h2][center][color=forestgreen]Dresden[/color][/center][/h2]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: The Gaens
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Town
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 3,200 est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Weaponized Sciences and production, Defensive Sciences and production, Automotive Sciences and production.

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Automotive Plant, The Highway

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Looking for a death ray? Dresden is your place. This scientific community is a mix of science and family life, and the arts of war. Here is where all your fancy laser guns, plasma rifles, disintegration rays, and other non-ballistic tools of destruction are researched and likely created. Though not the only place to manufacture these types of weapons, is is a main export, and the schematics for them come from here. Additionally the same goes for defensive tactics, armors, self-maintaining automatic turrets, and sonic repulsors. The Dresdenites also are responsible for the main export of vehicles, which are typically armed and armored, and come from the large, restored automotive assembly plant. Which functioning assembly lines and all! Though with all good things of science, the research starts broad and narrows down to the focus of Dresden's main exports, like laser optics and engine mechanics.

Dresden is a relatively flat, coastal town, despite being miles from the coast. There exist few hills, most being along the mountain's edge, and lost of plant life. As with all areas of dense plant life, comes wildlife. More notable though, is the highway which is the best looking piece of road around. The Dresden scientists used a combination of excess automotive fluids, sludge, and some chemical waste to repave the road. Unfortunately years later the road workers all died from some chemical reason or whatever. That's not important. The important part is that the road is smooth, and whole, all the way from the northern tunnel junction, and about halfway to Fairbury. One could cruise in peace, without bumps or potholes, enjoying the crisp ocean breeze, as it toasts the flesh on your face.

Dresden is another one of those classic wasteland suburbia towns. The squat square homes, with their desert lawns, and straight avenues create kind of a homely feel. Although the town is much larger than appeared, as the nice restored areas gives way to the dirtier, slum-like areas, and then to the unrestored ruins. Effectively creating a buffer of poor workers between themselves and those ugly ruins. Really though, the status of one's living conditions really depend on the amount of effort put into it. The slums are technically more a camp of the unfortunate, a cancer on the town of Dresden. The unwanted and the undesirables living there, separated from the higher class. Unfortunately the road workers died before they could repair the actual roads in the towns. Oddly enough nobody is willing exposure to deadly chemicals to fix them either.

The Dresdenites are a varied, and mixed people. They do not discriminate, unless you're poor, or you have funny eyes and can make people explode with a flick of your wrist. The important workers and scientists, and the poverty stricken hold great disdain for each other. Yet a man is as likely to befriend you, a random stranger, as threaten your life and rob you. Crime exists mostly in the slums, due to people moving there seeking opportunity. Most of them finding out that they are not smart enough to join the science teams, and the menial automotive assembly work has been completely filled, with the worker's children getting the job, optionally, in an heir like manner after the parent retires.

As stated previously, Dresden is host to slums, rife with poverty and crime. Though higher end areas housing scientists, automotive workers, and the actual residence of Dresden are well guarded from the slums. With patrols night round on the streets and important facilities, outsourced from Motum Diversum of course, not even wildlife really bother the more important residents. Slaver parties do happen by occasionally, but they steer clear of the well armed and protected neighborhood and target the slums instead. With no real security force of their own, the slums are left to their own devices as long as they don't bother the upper class.[/hider]
[hider=Eternity]
[h1][center][color=oldlace]Eternity[/color][/center][/h1]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: The Edenites
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Metropolis 
[color=lime]Population [/color]: Unknown
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Unknown

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Obelisks.

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Eternity, perhaps aptly named, is a mysterious place with very little actually known about it. It is rumored that a single man stood upon the precipice of the great mountain and observed the city through a telescope. It is a monolithic structure, a mass of buildings colored to the light browns and yellows of dust itself. A massive, sandstone wall encompasses the entirety of the city, with enough watchtowers dotting its perimeter that it looks appears as a crown from a distance. The metropolis does not trade with anybody, no exports or imports crossing its borders. Nothing crosses its borders, nobody comes in and nobody comes out. Those foolish enough to try never return, and their fate remains unknown to those wise enough to stay on their own corner of dust. A forsaken army once tried to add the lands of The Edenites to their empire. The entire army never returned. The city has grown so large that it encompasses three others, the names of which have long since been lost to us.   

Beyond the colossal walls the expanse is nothing but flat, sandy desert, with winds that blow violently enough to rend the flesh from one's body. There is nothing but the white hot expanse of sand, cooked underneath the sun to a point of burning flesh upon prolonged contact, and no shelters exists between the borders and the city. There are however, at random intervals, with no real pattern placement, large, white obelisks penetrating through the fields of sand. Their purpose is unknown.  

There is nothing known about the happenings inside the immense walls of Eternity. Other than the metropolis seems colored to the hues of earth and sant, suggesting that the entire settlement is made from sandstone.

There is also nothing known about the people of Eternity, or the Edenites altogether, other than they dress in white, hooded robes, and can be seen wandering close to the edges of their borders from time to time. The do not appear armed, but will fire upon anybody who crosses the threshold.

There are no existing documents relaying any sort of information regarding any events that could be considered problematic for Eternity. Their entire existence is a peculiar secret. [/hider]
[hider=Eton]
[h2][center][color=black][b]Eton[/b][/color][/center][/h2]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: The Forsaken
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Town 
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 7,700 Est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Mining, Metal Working, Gunsmithing, Stone Cutting, Explosives Manufacturing.  

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The "Boom Factory"

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Eton is a town formed by a collection of growing huts and pitfires around a large complex known as the "Boom Factory", the center of the tribalistic town. A enormous complex of patched metal structures, broken windows barricaded with wood, scrap, and hide, and a labyrinth of walkways and rooms. Due to the more primitive nature of The Forsaken, it's not technically considered restored. More, converted. Decorated with skulls, cured hides, pointed wood barricades, and other tribal, raider like aesthetics. It produces minerals and metals for its empire, selling the prettier gems across their borders for profit, as they prefer more things along the lines of bone tooth necklaces and garish tattoos. There exist no walls, and no real standing guard, but who would be stupid enough to invade a people who dance in fire for fun? 

The area beyond the large tribal fires and makeshift huts is a sloped expanse of desert filled full of cactus and other spiny plants, which are used in permanently marking their flesh with ink. The town is located on a flat, rocky outcrop that resumes its slope upwards toward Quinton, and downwards, ending just before Locke. It's grade is not steep enough to actually be considered part of the great mountain, but the result of living in this area have resulted in powerfully built bodies.  

As stated previously, inside the area of Eton there are no walls, which only reflects the bare bones social structure they maintain. A rough system of honor and duty, and strong feelings of amusement towards public displays of death and maiming. The mines are worked by those actually deemed strong enough and worthy enough, as if it were a privilege to break one's back all day long hauling the treasures of the mountain. Within the great complex of the "Boom Factory" a small tram station exists, powered by a treaty with Motum Diversum. It isn't very large, and no powered train runs through it. Any vehicles that run the track are hand powered, except for the occasional gasoline fueled buggies.

The people here are wild and erratic. They respect only those who they can't best, which also serves as their system of rank. Displays of blood in gore in the street, often the results of a challenge, are of no bother to man, woman, or child. It wouldn't be uncommon to find the loser being molested by the victor, of which gender is no concern. In fact, a child born of someone's better is considered an honor, as that child will likely grow up to be strong and worthy of life. These acts of sexual depravity are not met with screaming and tears, as softer folk often exhibit, but rather haughty challenge full of taunts and insults, as if it were just another challenge for the molester to win. Here they do not discriminate against one's choosing of a life partner, or "Chikan", meaning soulmate. Slaves are also not uncommon, and usually result in the loser of a challenge begging for their life. Begging is something the savages of Eton view as a forfeit of one's life, an act more despicable than taking one's own life.  

Even animals are afraid to venture here, probably turned away by the smells of their cooking brethren, or the people dressed in the hide akin to the animal's own. Humans on the other hand, would be just plain foolish to attack this settlement. They are as likely to be cast into the society forcefully, at the lowest social rung, as to be raped and set loose, or just plain killed.[/hider]
[hider=Fairbury]
[h1][center][color=lightgreen]Fairbury[/color][/center][/h1]

[color=lime]Faction[/color]: The Gaens
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: City
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 10,100 Est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Marine Science and Biology, Hydroponics, Medicinal Research, Textiles, History, Robotics.

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Textile Mill, The Hydro Farms, Atlantis

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Fairbury is a large city, perhaps the only Gaen city made mostly from scrap, albeit constructed to look as nice as possible. Not many A.R.K resources were donated to the steadily growing settlement, much to the city's dismay. However they made do. They mostly specialize in ocean science, but it is a dangerous job. Fairbury is also the leading city in medicinal research, over production.

Atlantis does not refer to the lost city of old, found in many existing books of mythology. It's a pet name given to a sunken mall, connected through the flooded tram tunnel. One must begin their dive in the middle of the tunnel to reach the underwater complex. It takes roughly two hours of swimming, with the help of webbed flippers designed after a species of aquatic animal. The Mall itself however is dry, free from water. Years of patching, and the installation of an airlock allowing them to slowly jettison out the gathered water, have recently opened up the city to the minds of science. Because of the nature of the once underwater mall, much of pre-Earth's history and technology has been preserved, and it responsible for many of the restorations today. It's been converted into a massive facility of research and science, and with the needed for constant repairs, mechanics willing to work inside and out are paid very handsomely. At each level of the mall there exists and emergency airlock room, with oxygen fed tubes that run through the tram tunnel, incase of emergency. The mall consists of thirteen levels, and many rooms left to be explore.

The Hydro Farms are the second area of greenery existing on Dust. A canal of water reaching inland, converted into a botanical garden and farm through the use of water canals and a flood control gate. It is unknown why this area persistently remains green, but through careful nurturing it is able to quickly grow mass amounts of floral goods.

The textile mill is as exactly as it sounds, a large plant for cloth and woven fabric goods. This makes fairbury the largest supplier of modesty fine clothing, ranging in all styles.

The area around Fairbury differs depending on one's orientation. Located on the edge of a mixed desert of cacti and shrubbery, the immediate southern vicinity is an expanse of flat salt plains. An old weathered road leads into the city, the worn asphalt almost completely overtaken by the harsh conditions of the desert. 

Within Fairbury the streets are relatively nice, made of carefully packed soil and religiously kept smooth by mechanized plowing machines. The houses may be of scrap, but the city perhaps most closely resembles one of the old world. A layer of ruins exists around the city, which is been designated as a Gaen wonder of the world. Green overgrowth of vines and trees have taken back this outer layer, grass growing rampantly through the unused streets. It's both beautiful, and dangerous. 

Within the middle of the ruins, approximately twelve blocks of hazardous foliage of green hues, and budding flowers every color of the light spectrum, exists Fairbury itself. Once one has crossed through the danger of such a wild and untamed ruin of collapsed structures and winding maze like paths, safety awaits. Fairbury is protected behind solid metal walls, patrolled by hired guard that fend off the wildlife with high powered weaponry, who maintain their best not to damage the ruins too badly. The tram entrance exists peacefully in the very middle of the city, guarded only by scientific minds concerned for the safety of others.

The people here are as varied as anywhere else. The general theme however is zealous protection of the beautiful ruins, covered in the green overgrowth of the old world (even if the occasional plants does have a flesh hungry maw, and despite the droves of wild animals present). They also harbor a fervent need to protect their own, and Atlantis. Otherwise they are quite polite and happy, with the occasional scrooge or scoundrel in their midst. When not in their white coats embodying the endeavors of the mind, they were fine clothing made in their very own textile mill. Generally, they exhibit the same fashion and characteristics of an older area of polkadot dresses, and gender specific duties, with a twist of modernization as woman work just like the men do.   

One does not simply tell themselves "I'm going to Fairbury." Passage through the ruins is incredibly dangerous, and most enter and exit with a heavily armed escort, which offer their services for a modest price. Many of these escorts are available for hire. The area is rife with wildlife at every turn, most of it hostile. Even the plants seem predatory, many are full of toxins, sentient like appendages, and, or, maws full of teeth ready to consume anything that falls prey to it. Though the residents are very safe behind their walls and their mounted guns, travelers must exhibit the highest form of caution when traveling to and from. It's for this reason that caravans often brave the ruined city, as merchandise sells for hefty profits. [/hider]
[hider=Forbes]
[h2][center][color=black]Forbes[/color][/center][/h2]
[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Forsaken
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Large City
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 127,000 est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Military,  Automotive Manufacturing, Munitions Manufacturing, Metal Working, Gunsmithing, Livestock, Slavery, Alcohol, Tobacco, Dyes, Textiles.  

[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Arena, The Throne, The Wall, The Market.
[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Forbes is the very center of all Forsaken activity. Ironhold is the fortress from where the Forsaken King rules, but Forbes is the trade hub. This city stands against the testament of time, as it is another relic of the old world. This once pristine city, now lies in a ruined state of decay and despair. Most reconstructive building work is done with patches of scrap or animal hide. Instead of flowery adornments, the typical fashion statements are bones, necklaces, and various pieces of animal. Many of the larger old world buildings have crumbled or toppled over. The asphalt street and sidewalks are shifted in places, prone to wide trenches and dramatic height differences. A large, thick wall composed of rusted vehicles cleared from the streets, and bolstered with scrap and rubble keep the sand out of the city. Outside the walls the tops of ruins poke through the sandy dunes. Forbes has over a hundred thousand people living within, though the city is quite large and most areas are not crowded.

One of the main features of Forbes is their official arena. An immense circular structure able to hold approximately 60,000 people according to old world standards. Though for large combative events, the residents of Forbes seem to find a way to squeeze inside. Once a playing ground for baseball teams, the field has been converted into a sandy pit of blood and sweat. Participants go through the locker rooms, converted to holding cells for slave fights, through the dugouts, which now house an array of weaponry, and then out into the killing grounds. The walls separating the spectators from the participants have been reinforced. On occasion a creature, or even a hollow, is brought in for sport.

The Throne is an old civic building, presumably the old world mayor's office. Much of it has collapsed, leaving only two rooms. The main entryway, which is a large hallway with a throne of steel and bone residing at the far end, and a large room behind that for the Forsaken King's rest and pleasure. The Throne is positioned right in between two staircases, half collapsed. To either side of the throne room are doors, blocked by rubble and sealed with scrap. Large marble columns line the walk up to the throne, none of which are wholly intact. 

The Market is the one place in the city that is always crowded. Once an enormous old world mall, much of it has been cleared out and bolstered for trading purposes. Still, stalls and merchants hawking their wares can be found all around the exterior, especially concentrated in the main parking lots. It's here where everything can be found, and bought. Mother's sell their own children if the price is good enough, and vice versa.   

The area beyond the walls is an endless expanse of sand dunes. Though, as the wind blows and shifts the sands, it's very common to see old world ruins poking through the sand. The wall protects the inhabited parts of the city, keeping out the massive sand drifts. However, Forbes is frequent to sandstorms, so sand is a common thing inside the city itself, like many other places of Dust. Fortunately refuge is readily available within the mass of ruined buildings. 

The area within Forbes, as previously mentioned, is ruined stone and concrete patch with skin, scrap, and other salvage. Despite the readily available space, much of the empty buildings are collapsed or undesirable, as the common mutated pest can often be found within these dwellings. The streets aren't bad, composed of dried, cracked asphalt. Though the terrain can be rough and difficult to navigate, as entire sections exist on different height levels and trenches from small to wide run throughout the city. 

The people here come from all walks of Forsaken life, though they all share the same bloodthirsty callousness. Most of them aren't considered nice, or even pleasant, but they still maintain a tribalistic code of honor. When not brawling, or killing, in the streets, official disputes are settled in the arena, though typically there's not much in the way of victorious spoils. Forbes is the only Forsaken City known to somewhat tolerate travellers from other factions, needed to stimulate Forsaken economy.

One could consider living a Forsaken life a problem in itself, but in the people's eyes, there are no problems. Only challenges. 
[/hider]
[hider=Jonestown]
[h2][center][color=mediumorchid]Jonestown[/color][/center][/h2]
[right][color=00aeef]Special Thanks to [@OneEyedChurro] for writing this piece.[/color][/right]
[color=lime]Faction:[/color] Neutral
[color=lime]Classification:[/color] Town
[color=lime]Population:[/color] ~3,100
[color=lime]Production:[/color] Ideological/Single-Issue
[color=lime]Notable Areas:[/color] Crewcastle, Jones Dynamics 

[color=lime]Description:[/color]
Jonestown exists almost entirely as a testament to social experimentation and the effectiveness thereof- under a doctrine of the citizens' own making, called the 'Flux Laws', does the town operate as its own entity. Evidence of the Flux Laws is easy to see, as Jonestown exists almost eternally in a state of flux and changing, from the "government" that runs it to the complexes and labs that exercise production, little about the town of Jonestown will stay the same month-to-month. 

At the beginning of each month, the permanent residents of Jonestown meet in what is called the Crewcastle, a building that looks to be the remnants of (or simply modeled after) an old-world courthouse, and it is there that they vote on several things. First and foremost, they are given opportunity to vote on a problem that plagues the city; this ranges from things like "not enough food" or "buildings in disrepair" to things like "bandits nearby" or "Immortal in town". If a problem receives enough votes, it is declared Jonestown's Precedent. The citizens then vote on whether or not a leader (or group of leaders) is needed to handle the problem. What this all amounts to is an environment where one leader will often only be in office for as long as his Precedent exists, as experts in various areas (i.e. A woodcutter when the Precedent is "need wood" or a farmer when the Precedent is "need food") are only elected when knowledge in their expertise is required. Jones Dynamics, a rather large multilevel complex full of differently sized rooms, walkways, balconies, and tunnels, is where people take the appropriate action following the monthly meet at the Crewcastle. Jones Dynamics is also in a state of flux from month-to-month; it may be a place to store the wood and food or it may be a place where architectural or defense research is done. Jonestown is not a place that has a set goal or production, and its denizens are self-proclaimed "masters of none". The neutral months are what trouble most citizens, however, and those are the months where no problem is set as Precedent and thus the city has no leader nor purpose. It is during these times that the town guard sees its numbers raise exponentially to serve as both a police and guardian role. 

The area around Jonestown is a mixed desert, a pleasure given by its relative proximity to the coast. Is is relatively flat and shrubs and dead trees can be found dotting the landscape, though to the north and west there exists some hills and slopes, separating them from the nearby Ashford. There is some wildlife around, though they aren't much of a threat and normally pass the town by on their way towards water. 

The buildings of Jonestown are simple, but carry an almost old-world charm to them. The town is surrounded by a low mud-brick wall, and the same material has been used to make several of the buildings. Many still tend to be an amalgamation of wood, metal, and mud, however. Several communities can be seen built around each other, separated almost into quarters with the main roads as their dividers, with the grand Crewcastle on the eastern-most end of town with Jones Dynamics next door. Around this "inner" section, and often times pouring over the low wall, is the "slum" section, with much smaller and squat huts meant to house merely a person or two.  

The citizens of Jonestown are fairly scholarly and theoretical, often liking to hold conversations about their government and its success, as well as about problems they think should be set to Precedent. This means they often come across as self-absorbed, and those thoughts aren't entirely misplaced. The people of Jonestown have gotten used to the luxury of openly voicing their opinions on things, whether you want to hear it or not. The other type of citizen is one who lives there simply to give themselves purpose- they won't voice their opinions very much, but will happily work towards the Precedent or even guard the town with their lives as long as they are allowed to continue to live there. 

The first and foremost problem troubling the noisy people of Jonestown are the bandits and raiders that often like to take advantage of their Precedent state and attack when most of the populace is working towards something other than defense. Public unrest is also often a problem, as well, as sometimes the population can't agree on a Precedent which leads to neutral months, which no one seems to be particularly fond of, even though it offers better protection. It would be difficult to actually [i]take over[/i] Jonestown, however, as massive power changes tend to really piss everyone off into rebellion. 
[/hider]
[hider=Sel][h2][center][color=steelblue]Sel[/color][/center][/h2]
[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Aqueous
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Small town

[color=lime]Population [/color]: 125 Est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Paper, Ink, Art, Culture, Modern Religious scrolls, Geisha training, Southern Shengriantist Monks
[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Maiko quarters, The Temples, Southern Shengriantist Shrines, Sayuri's Grove, Khan's Yurt Shanty Town

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
If Tas is a testament to the vices of Old World Sino-pacific culture, then Sel serves as it's literal opposite. Less a town and more a gigantic temple dedicated to the cause of preserving the virtues, traditions, practices and culture of the Old World and Dust. Sel also creates art, religious texts and trains those accepted in the ways of the Geisha both Old World and new and serves as a gathering place for Southern Shengriantist Monks. At one point, Sel was an Old World amusement park, miraculously preserved by the Fall, it's transformation into the plastic sacred ground that it is today was done by the first early Shengriantist monks and volunteer help from the Khans. In a 200 year event known now as "The Divine Transformation," the grounds were re-purposed into several traditional temples, shrines, statues dedicated to the gods, meditation grounds, and training groves. 

The area outside of Sel is generally flat desert dotted with shrubbery and mutated flowers. The closer to Sel one gets, the more flowers one can see-- an attempt to regain the beauty of the land by monks, now forgotten. Technically not part of Sel, would be the extensive community of tents one would have to approach before getting into Sel proper, these are the yurts owned by the Khans of sand-- a nomadic group of men and women dedicated to the days of the Mongolian Empire. The have a spiritual agreement with the Monks of Sel and have a constant garrison of protection surrounding the city. Further away from Sel, are the packs of hollow and corrupted Immortals-- which seem to be increasing by the day. 

The interior of Sel is the impressive result of 200 years of religious dedication. What was once a mouse themed amusement part, now holds stone shrines and wooden temples and lodgings all in accordance with Heian era Japan. Artisans and Geisha have reworked, over long periods, the 'rides' that once gave praise to capitalism, into testaments to humanity's praise to the Deva, the only true and just Gods.

The men are either Southern Shengriantist monks, religious pilgrims, or artisans who seek sanctuary from the harshness of Dust in the protected borders of Sel, the women fall similarly, either being Priestesses, pilgrims, Geisha, Maiko (Prospective Geisha/In training), or artisans. Generally, Sel citizens are a kind and peaceful, if slightly isolated and naive about Dust and the ways of the world. [/hider]
[hider=Tas]
[h2][center][color=steelblue]Tas[/color][/center][/h2]
[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Aqueous
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: City

[color=lime]Population [/color]: 190,500 Est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Bootlegging (alcohol and water), Live entertainment, Gambling, Whores
[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Kowloon Walled Skyscrapers, The Blue Light District, "The Still", River Dragon Arena, 50 Dragons Memorial, Khan's Yurt Shanty Town, Surrounding Corrupted Villages 

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Ah Tas. A glorious testament to the resolve of the seedier elements of the Old World Sino-Pacific culture. Although culturally Aqueon since the town's founding, almost days after the first Aqueous bunkers were creaked open, Tas was an independent territory for much of the first two centuries following the Fall. Their incorporation into Aqueous proper was (and still is) a highly discussed and debated topic-- Tas, despite being seen as 'dishonorable' by the Central and Northern Aqueous regions and having an Asura following that isolated Shengriantist Deva devotees and traditionalists alike. They were an undeniable financial asset to Aqueous-- built off of stolen and bootlegged water and alcohol, sure, but still, one that the Aqueous purists couldn't deny. 

Following it's inclusion in Aqueous, Tas has been something of a black sheep among Aqueon cities. Although they fly the Aqueon flag. The city is a den of those willing to dedicate their lives to Old World vice, unofficially run by the River Dragon Triad. They're a territory fiercely devoted to their independence. Tas, via the River Dragons, is allied with the United Triads of Aqueous, as well as the Khans of the Sand Seas, and the traders of The School. The city has a large following of secessionists, who believe south Aqueous should separate from the greedy Central region and the silent Northern region. 

The area around Tas is controlled exclusively by the Khans of the Sand Sea. Holding an agreement with the River Dragon Triad. The Khans, a loosely united force, easily identified by their creole Mongolian tongue, patchwork armor, wild hair, and yurts, patrol the areas of Southern, Western and Northern Aqueous, known collectively by locals as 'the Great Sand Sea' the area closest to Tas, the Southern Sand Sea, is known for it's traveling merchants, famous Aqueon wandering Geisha and Shengriantist monks (often protected by their own devoted caravans of Khans), as well as occasional shanty towns of exiled corrupted Immortal/Hollow fusions as well as the more dangerous wandering bands of low level hollow. Tas, both walled and insulated by a well populated yurt wall from visiting khans, only has to worry about its infamous water shortages and dry desert winds.

The River Dragons hold over 50,000 dedicated members among their ranks, but refuse to expand beyond the borders of Tas due to their honor and agreements with the other Triads and clusters of Khans. Of the city's population, 43,000 citizens reside in the 'The Kowloon Walled Skyscrapers,' an incredibly densely populated super slum, composed of 4 Skyscrapers connected by wall and layers of shanty town and ticky-tacky, modeled after the old world [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City]Kowloon Walled City[/url]. Within the dragons are sights both astounding and horrifying-- as well as the pulled that claims to keep souls in an otherwise easily escapable atmosphere of fear and pain-- The Blue District-- The best whores, music, drugs, and soul in all of Dust proudly purporting the superiority of Tas' ethnic Chinese heritage over Central Aqueous' Japanese ancestry.

Those who live in the Walled Skyscrapers, tend to be heavily involved with the Dragons, or simply [i]in[/i] the Dragons, and as such, the area is one where Aqueous rule is worth about as much as spit in a bucket. Anarchy reigns and violence is much more frequently employed to solve problems and visitors and residents alike often need to display more care to protect their lives than merely their wallets. They are an incredibly unique and intelligent people, though-- citizens are intellectual, and value ingenuity and creative thinking-- carpenters, pick pockets and fast talkers often share the same traits in Kowloon, Tas. Traits that improve the city within a city, and keep you alive, are reflected and amplified in these criminally minded citizens from birth. They are all also incredibly independent-- members of the Triad won't hesitate to remind you that the River Dragons are the result of 80+ years of deals, wars and conquests of 50 unique triads and gangs, each of which still influence the identity of the Dragons and Walled Skyscrapers. 

All within about a block of each other, are the bits of land Tas and Kowloon find themselves less known for, but still manage to attract pilgrims nonetheless. The 50 Dragons Memorial and the River Dragon Arena are closely related areas of Kowloon-- the Memorial is an exquisite scavenged tin sculpture featuring busts of each Triad, Gang, and Tribe leader that led to the creation of the Dragons-- behind these busts are the emblems and mascots of the gangs, themselves surrounded by an impressively long and intricately sculpted tin river dragon. Inscriptions below the busts detail information of the old gangs, and well as plaques explaining the creation of the Dragons. On the Tin 'River Dragon' are the signatures of every member of the River Dragons-- past and present. This artistic monument, sculpted by Sel's finest, is in front of the River Dragon Arena a Colosseum recreated from an Old World football field. The Arena is the location of most of the city's music festivals, as well as all the city's sports-- most popular by far being the blood duels, sponsored by the River Dragons. 

To contrast the heavily, Triad involved memorial and arena, the location known as "The Still" is a black hole of secrecy-- a club in one of the darker underground location of Kowloon-- the bar is invite only-- guarded by men with futuristic and impossible weaponry and [i]Old[/i] Old World armor in seemingly perfect condition. These men speak an unknown sign language, and don't appear to share affiliations with any major factions.

Outside of Kowloon, one is given a much more 'normal' city. Although each citizen of Outer Tas is still almost completely economically independent on the Dragons that reside in Kowloon, dangers are much less frequent, protection payments are much rarer, and the only dangers come from STDs and gambling debts. Water is bootlegged from Central Aqueous here, and the general citizen is much less criminally active and also less likely to be Chinese-- or even distinctly Aqueon. Outer Tas, compared to the bedlam that is the excessive wealth swirled with the extreme poverty of Kowloon, is much more resemblant of a quiet, almost suburban, middle class area in a city like Serenity. 

Just with more foreign tongues being spoken.[/hider]
[hider=Asirgrad]
[h2][center][color=#C0C0C0]Asirgrad[/color][/center][/h2]
[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Sanguinous Papacy
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: City
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 13,000 est
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Automotive Manufacturing, Weapons Manufacturing, Shrieker (planes) Manufacturing, Oil Refinery, 
[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]:  The Grand Cathedral, The Path of Ascension, The Blood Banks, The Refinery

[color=lime]Description[/color]:

The city of Asirgrad is the capital and central hub of the Sanguinous nation. It is also truly composed of two equally important sections, the first is the city proper, once an old world military town that had sprang up over time in close proximity to the old air force base. The other section of the city is the old air force base itself now known as the Sanctum. The two sections of the city are connected by a short walled road and the barriers extend to surround both the city and the Sanctum, though the walls around the sanctum are notably more impressive. 

Within the city proper there are three main areas of interest, the old automobile factory, a jury rigged weapons production plant assembled from raided materials and spoils of the earliest, and most glorious days of the Sanguinous nation, and the oil refinery where their fuel is created. 

Above the walls of the Sanctum a series of great buildings can be seen, but most impressive is the Grand Cathedral. A bastardization of old world and new it is a hybrid creation. The Grand Cathedral's core is what was once an air traffic control tower, though there is little left of that old functionality. Surrounding this central tower is a massive chamber constructed from scrap metal and concrete. The outside is barren, a testament to the strength of the desert elements, but within the great chamber horrific murals dot the walls, scenes of great carnal lust and brutality. It is within this great chamber that the rites of initiation are held and newly inducted members of the Sanguinous are blessed with the holy blood to begin their transformation. 

The vast size of the Grand Cathedral also links it to the four properly functioning hangers that remain. One of these has been converted into a crude facility for the production and maintenance of the Shriekers, the most devastating weapon that the Sanguinous possess. The second hanger holds the few remaining functional craft. One true relic of the old world pure and undefiled, and the others barely functional husks built and held together by faith and trial and error. The third is the great armory and vehicle depot for the Sanguinous forces. And the fourth is the barracks where a force of a thousand of the Sanguine Pope's most devout and capable soldiers are kept at all times. 

The city of Asirgrad is surrounded by desert and is in the midst of what is now predominately a wasteland. Little can grow there and equally little can survive the wastes save for hollows. The land outside of the walls is mostly intentionally allowed to be inhabitted by whatever monsters wish to make their homes there for the Sanguinous believe that these creatures provide them with a first line of defense against incursions. The most notable exception to the this is the conduit, by which the oil is transported to the capital from the outlying settlement that pumps it free from the earth. Patrols of Sanguinous forces travel almost constantly along this pipeline to keep it secure. 

The citizens of Asirgrad are almost entirely composed of the Chosen, those who have received communion with the holy blood of the Sanguinous Pope and become more than human. These are those who rule, who are educated, ect. The rest of the population is composed of those who are not chosen and those who have not been chosen are kept as what amounts to slaves for the citizenry of the city. The slaves have no rights and are expected to obey any command given to them by the Chosen.

Asirgrad is in no particular danger from its environment but cannot sustain itself without infusions of wealth taken from raids and expeditions against the other factions in the lands. Without this the city would eventually wither and likely die out in the end.[/hider]
[hider=Valgrad]
[h2][center][color=#C0C0C0]Valgrad[/color][/center][/h2]
[color=lime]Faction[/color]:Sanguinous Papacy
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Town
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 800 est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Oil
[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Oil Fields

[color=lime]Description[/color]:
Valgrad is a combination of an armed camp and an oil well. The facility was taken in the very early days of the Sanguinous Papacy and since that time has been devoted to supplying the oil needed to fuel the war machine of the papacy and also keep the lights on. The oil wells are heavily protected and most of the population of the settlement is in fact the military garrison stationed there to ensure that no one launches an assault against one of the Papacy's most valuable resources. Surrounding the entire complex is a wall built from steel and concrete, designed to keep everything possible out. The only weak points in the wall are the exit for the conduit, where the great pipes that carry the oil to the other settlements and the gate through which people enter and leave the facility. 

Much like Asirgrad and other Sanguinous Papacy settlements there is of course a center for their religion in the area. Looming over the walls of Valgrad is an artificial tower built from scrap and concrete. This is the seat of one of the three Cardinals of Blood and this has always been the seat of one of the most influential, since the value of oil never changes. 

Due to the nature of the settlement there are very few civilians present, most people either being a part of the military garrison or else working to keep the wells operational and pumping the oil up from the ground. Similar to the other settlements the town of Valgrad is surrounded by wasteland and hollows and other creatures are allowed to accumulate, forming a first line of defense against incursions. [/hider]
[hider=Halograd]
[h2][center][color=#C0C0C0]Halograd[/color][/center][/h2]
[color=lime]Faction[/color]: Sanguinous Papacy
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Town 
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 3000 Est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Blood, Soldiers, Slaves
[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Harvest Halls, Training Fields,

[color=lime]Description[/color]:

Halograd is a town of moderate size, having sprung up around another relic of the old world that few would find any use for in the new. Halograd is centered around an old world prison complex. The wall surrounding Halograd is a relic of the old world and equipped with guard towers and weapons mounts within. Though notably due to the extreme age of the wall it is weaker than the defenses surrounding the other Sanguinous Papacy dominated settlements. 

Halograd serves as combination of a training center and a harvest center for blood. The prison still functions much like it did in the old world, containing prisoners who have been captured in the many raids that are launched by the Papacy. These prisoners, often those who have outlived their usefulness as slaves are kept in captivity, fed the minimal amount of food necessary to maintain life and systematically bled dry over the course of years.

The town's other function is to serve as a training ground for young chosen, where they are prepared for their duty in service to the Sanguinous Pope. The areas surrounding the town of Halograd are actually nearly free of hollows and other threats for one of the most common exercises undertaken by the Chosen in training is the hunting and killing of such creatures. In balance with the weaker defenses and lack of natural deterrent to intrusion the number of trainees and instructors, most of whom are among the elite themselves the town still manages to present a formidable obstacle to any force looking to seek vengeance upon the Papacy. 

The Harvest Halls, aka the old prison are also the seat of the second of the three Cardinals of Blood. The town itself that surrounds the prison is not in the best shape, it is the closest thing to a slum in the Papacy for it is mostly filled with those who have failed in their training to become soldiers of the Holy Father. [/hider]
[hider=Haven]
[h2][center][color=#C0C0C0]Haven[/color][/center][/h2]
[color=lime]Faction[/color]:Neutral (Actually Sanguinous Papacy)
[color=lime]Classification[/color]: Small Town
[color=lime]Population [/color]: 300 Est.
[color=lime]Production[/color]: Medical Care, Blood, Propaganda
[color=lime]Notable Areas[/color]: The Hospital/Church of Holy Blood

[color=lime]Description[/color]:

The town of Haven is built up around an old church that has been refurbished and renewed since the apocalypse. This church functions as the spiritual as well as physical center of the town. The old stained glass windows have been replaced with specially ordered pieces depicting scenes of healing and blood. The images also prominently feature a certain individual who runs the church being the one doing the healing. Further scenes depict said figure recieving power from an outside source, an other that is never truly shown in the images.  

The town is most known for the miraculous healing that takes place within the church. It is said that those who travel there, who are pure of heart and burdened by agony can find their solace in the sacred healing blood of the Saint that dwells there. The aforementioned saint appears to share many qualities with the Chosen of the Sanguinous Papacy but in over two hundred years has never been shown to act in a way similar to the Papacy. 

Most of the town is composed of petitioners seeking the miracle cure and places that have been constructed to house those petitioners. The church itself has only one central chamber open to the petitioners, the rest of it being closed off and private for the Saint and her acolytes. From time to time there are rumors that there is more to this place than meets the eye and that it is not truly a center of altruistic healing by an immortal, but in the past these rumors have always been largely ignored or overwhelmed by the positive words of those who had actually been healed.

[hider=Truth]
In truth the saint of haven is the third of the Blood Cardinals and an Immortal in her own right who mutated further than most when exposed to the sacred blood. Many of the petitioners who enter Haven are abducted in the night and either harvested or carefully shipped back into the lands of the Papacy. The town serves as a vital means for information to flow into the papacy and as a conduit to the outside world it is invaluable.[/hider]
[/hider]
[/hider]
[hider=Creatures and Anomalies]
[hider=Reported Anomalies]
[hider=Apparitions]
[color=gold]Apparitions:[/color] Often found in dark places or at night, these ghostly sightings are very deadly. Citizens have reported hallucinations, losing consciousness, falling ill, death, and a host of other things when coming into contact with these spirits. It's also been reported that these spirits, while usually standing still or replaying a loop of their past lives, can also move, and make noise. These apparitions should be avoided at all costs, but are incredibly hard to see in the darkness. As of yet, there seems to be no way of displacing, or even attacking these ghostly figures.
[/hider][hider=Lightning Anomaly]
[color=gold]Lightning Anomaly:[/color] More often found in the tunnel networks, if at all, this is basically a ball of lightning that moves slowly, electrifying anything that comes to closely to it. This anomaly is quite rare, and has never been officially reported to have been seen on the surface. The few times it has been reported are from tunnel sightings.[/hider]
[/hider]
[hider=Documented Creatures]
[hider=Annelids]
[hider=Skiev]
[center][img]http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1401/48/1401484524345.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b]Skiev
[b]Species:[/b]Hollow Worm
[b]Rarity:[/b]Uncommon
[b]Behavior:[/b]Aggressive, Nocturnal 
[b]Location(s):[/b]Exclusive to Sandy Dunes
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*]grow up to 3 feet in length
[*]bloodsuckers
[*]attack in swarms
[*]afraid of fire
[/list]
The Skiev is a swarm class worm hollow that have hyper evolved from the old world Macrobdella decora better known as leeches, to survive their now much dryer environment. Primarily located near the south end of the continent by Dead-End, Skievs live far from roads inside the giant dunes that make up the yellow zone. Their habitats extend as far as the less populous areas around Forbes but there have allegedly been sightings as far north as Wolf Water. These highly aggressive critters will swim through the dirt at around 20 mph when they are ready to attack their prey and will circle them in the sand similar while they take turns jumping at their prey attempting to latch on. Once one has successfully grabbed hold the rest will soon follow until they have sucked their victim dry. As terrifying as these creatures are, if you are able to seek shelter even if it's inside a car you should be safe. If this is not an option it is recommended you find a stone to stand on and carry a torch with you and wait until dawn. While something as small as a torch won't dissuade the creatures from attacking, burning one is the safest and quickest way of getting a Skiev to let go once they've attached themselves to you. Skievs tend to swim in schools of 30-50 all though it is hard to get a specific number due to their method of hunting.  
[/hider][/hider]
[hider=Arachnids]
[hider=A.G.T. Spider]
[center][img]https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8510/8534256552_4c6c8f0912_b.jpg[/img][/center]
[right]by [@Monochromatic Rainbow][/right]
[b]Name:[/b] Ash Giant Trapdoor Spider

[b]Species:[/b] Ummidia venator hominum (venator hominum- hunter of men)

[b]Rarity:[/b] Rare.

[b]Behavior:[/b] Aggressive ambush predator.

[b]Location(s):[/b] The island of Ash, no particular region but unusually high clusters surrounding the Sentinel chokepoint.

[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*] [i][b][u]NO.[/u][/b][/i]
[*] Do not fuck with.
[*] Seriously don't go near.
[*] When you become spider food I'll say to your friends, "I told him/her so."
[*] Venom is extremely potent and acts roughly as fast as hydrogen cyanide. 
[*] The exoskeleton is actually rather soft and pliable on the underside of the spider and on most of its abdomen, as a result the spider rarely ever exposes its entire body. However the frontal half is incredibly well armored, not impervious by any means but most common handgun calibers such as 9mm and .45 ACP will have little if any effect unless they hit a weak spot.
[*] The spider hunts in the same manner as Old World trapdoor spiders, digging a burrow and waiting for anything unfortunate enough to be spider snack sized (which is almost everything) to stumble by. The spider moves lightning fast despite its size and for the most part there's almost always zero time to react.
[/list]

[b]Appearance:[/b] The Ash Trapdoor spider is large- each leg is roughly a meter and a half long, with the front four sporting smallish claws for traction, the body of the spider retains similar proportions to Old World trapdoor spiders, it's simply orders of magnitude larger. The fangs are the exception to this, they have grown longer and thinner and will punch through mild steel sheet metal like a hot knife through butter. The spider sports twelve eyes that are easily distinguished from the tar colored carapace by their sickly scarlet coloration. It's known to make a clicking noise with its fangs when about to strike, the only sign of the danger lurking underneath except perhaps a slight movement of the soil as the spider shifts into striking position. The weight or any particular details of the spider are unknown, largely because the only three to have been encountered that did not devour the encounteree were destroyed with an old world main battle tank modified to carry large canisters of napalm and a launcher for it- specially modified to counter these predators in particular.
[/hider][/hider]
[hider=Avians]
[hider=Styx Owls]
Name: Styx Owl
Species: Bubo virginianus infernus
Rarity: Common
Behavior: Hostile if provoked, Predator, Scavenger
Location(s): Dust's Mountains
Key Points: Almost exclusively nocturnal, territorial during the night, live in cave hollowed into the rock faces of Dust's mountains.

Appearance: The most immediately noticeable trait of the Styx owl is its massive talons, long, hard, and sharp enough to pierce steel. The birds are large, slightly larger than an Andean condor, with a wingspan of about four meters and a weight of nearly 20 kilograms. They bear a distant resemblance to the Great Horned Owl, but the feathered "horns" of the pre-apocalypse owl have given way to rigid and wickedly pointed barbs, albeit with feathery fringe. The birds are considerably darker and in fact almost pitch black, hence their name, and have retained the nearly silent flight of the Great Horned. Their eyes are generally a liquid gold color and are striped through with jets of black. Their calls are for the most part like those of the Great Horned, save for their attacking cry let loose when they are but moments from striking their target, which sounds uncannily like someone screaming in rage and despair- another inspiration for their name.
[/hider][/hider]
[hider=Canines]
[hider=Nachthund]
[center][img]http://orig04.deviantart.net/3dc1/f/2007/009/0/8/hellhounds__inc__by_hellcorpceo.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Nachthund
[b]Species:[/b] Canis noctis
[b]Rarity:[/b] No longer seen in the wild except on remote parts of Dust. However, common as [i]relatively[/i] domesticated animals on Ash and Isla Diablo especially.
[b]Behavior:[/b] Wary of strangers, will attack if provoked. Fanatically loyal to a human of its choosing and will fight to the death if need be.
[b]Location(s):[/b] Everywhere humans are.
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*]Finally something that's relatively nice for a change.
[*]Rigid fur mats have over time essentially hardened into armored plates and will easily halt high velocity handgun cartridges and nearly any commonly found melee cutting weapon.
[*]Has no venom or anything of that[/list][/hider]

[hider=Bloodhound]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Mtao2NA.png[/img][/center]
[center][color=00aeef]Created by [@Aeonumbra] and [@TheMadAsshatter][/color][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Bloodhound
[b]Species:[/b] Canis Lupus
[b]Rarity:[/b] Very Common
[b]Behavior:[/b] Hostile, Predator
[b]Location(s):[/b] Everywhere
[b]Other:[/b][list]
[*]Bloodhounds are almost exclusively nocturnal, or found in dark places such as tunnels and caves.[/list]

[b]Appearance:[/b] Bloodhounds are characterized by having a body structure akin to a wolf, though there are some key features to take note of.  First and most importantly is their fur, which is naturally very spiky, rigid, and harder than typical fur, giving their fur the capability to pierce human skin, though it is a rare occurrence.  Their fur tends to be neutral colors; mostly shades of black, grey, or white, though there are some with brown spots on them.  They have green, highly reflective eyes, giving them a ghostly visage in dark environments if their eyes catch some light just right.  Finally, their ears tend to be shaped like arrowheads on the top of their heads, making one's silhouette appear like a demon.
[/hider][/hider]

[hider=Giant Insects]
[hider=Ash Strider][center][img]http://orig02.deviantart.net/f127/f/2008/313/f/5/198_black_camel_spider_by_bullter.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Ash Strider
[b]Species:[/b] Eremobates chasmatis
[b]Rarity:[/b] Far too common
[b]Behavior:[/b] Aggressive as fuck 
[b]Location(s):[/b] Isla Diablo
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*]No. Nonononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononono.
[*]Can move 30-40 kph through knee deep volcanic ash.
[*]In place of venom, the Ash Strider has sacs of extremely caustic chemicals that it shoots at prey in superheated jets.
[*]Fangs capable of penetrating solid homogenized carbon steel.
[*]Chitin is capable of resisting most semi automatic handgun rounds up to and including 10mm/.357 Magnum.
[/list]
[b]Appearance:[/b] The Ash Strider is the most common predator on Isla Diablo. A bit smaller than a hippopotamus, the Ash Strider is orders of magnitude larger than its old world counterpart, the Sun Spider. The chitin plating of the Ash Strider is a matte black/grey and blends in well with its landscape.[/hider]
[hider=Acid Worm][center][img]http://www.danintranet.org/storymedia/12345.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Acid Worm
[b]Species:[/b] Unclassified
[b]Rarity:[/b] Thankfully, rare
[b]Behavior:[/b] Extremely aggressive ambush predator- has literally attacked tanks.
[b]Location(s):[/b] Isla Diablo
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*][i][b]Nope.[/b][/i]
[*]Ridiculously powerful jaws- Have been observed to cut an Ash Strider right in half, and to easily penetrate stainless steel. The real danger is the sheer crushing force, 103000 kPa.
[*]The Acid Worm spits scalding acid capable of eating straight through steel.
[*]Burrows and can lunge out at like lightning
[*]Covered in spiky bristles that can cause permanent nerve damage if touched even once
[/list]
[b]Appearance:[/b] The Acid Worm is a monstrosity of the apocalypse, stretching almost 12 meters in length on average and about 300-400mm in width. The front meter of the Acid Worm is coated in a tough chitinous plating that for some reason sports an iridescent sheen, easily capable of stopping a 9mm bullet in the thicker portions. Back to the rear, the worm is much softer, and can even be cut in half with a large axe- though this is strongly discouraged as the front half of the worm will remain alive long enough to demolish whatever fatally wounded it.[/hider]

[hider=Thresher Hive][center][img]https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/3tags-prod/article/551bb38292132/551bb38296dec/original.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Thresher Hive
[b]Species:[/b] Unclassified
[b]Rarity:[/b] Rare in the southern half of the island, more common in the northern half
[b]Behavior:[/b] Aggressive if prey nears, otherwise dormant
[b]Location(s):[/b] Isla Diablo
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*]Nopenopenope.
[*]A typical hive might hold 5000 insects.
[*]Fire is an excellent way to ward them off and has in fact been used to eradicate entire hives with no loss of human life. Anything that clogs their breathing holes will kill them almost immediately as well.[/list] 
[hider=Recommended Handling Policy]
[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pPsuc9rvU4Y/S-nZaYfhbnI/AAAAAAAABlg/VqXK-eqXd_4/s1600/flamethrower.jpg[/img]
[/hider]


[b]Appearance:[/b]
Imagine a swarm of locusts. Now imagine that swarm of locusts being carnivorous, black and shiny, aggressive, being able to consume almost anything organic, and residing underground until something disturbs them, where they’ll promptly swarm out to strip whatever it is down to the bone. And then break open the bones to get at the marrow and some will even eat the bones too to develop tougher exoskeletons and also to make stronger hives with. And then go back to waiting for the next thing. [i]That's[/i] a Thresher Hive.[/hider]
[hider=Armatapede]
[center][img]http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/9/98/CatachanDevil_-_Old.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130216080412[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Armatapede
[b]Species:[/b] Nobody's wants to get close enough to find out.
[b]Rarity:[/b] Uncommon, act as an apex land predator on the island of Ash and even on the southernmost end of Isla Diablo.
[b]Behavior:[/b] Highly aggressive apex predator.
[b]Location(s):[/b] Southernmost tip of Isla Diablo, Island of Ash.
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*]Nope.
[*]Highly aggressive
[*]Well armored along entire body, resistant to handguns up to .44 Magnum
[*]Delivers a necrotoxic sting that, if it doesn't kill its victim simply from the wound itself, will result in agonizing death within hours without medical attention.
[*]180 degree vision
[*]No ability to hear, limited smell
[*]Can move rapidly in a straight line, slow to turn.
[/list]
[b]Appearance:[/b] The armatapede is one of Ash's most deadly land predators. Able to reach up to 20-25 meters in length and with scorpion like claws that can deliver a devastating cut or crush, or simply to hold prey still while it stings it. It has powerful jaws that are not unlike a pair of hydraulic shears, and a sting capable of easily piercing  centimeter thick plates of most common metals. The Armatapede is a burnt red coloration, with large black eyes. It is easily detected by sound if moving at top speed, the bug's legs and chitin clacking together create a harsh rattling sound that can be heard some distance off- even then, at that point it's often too late to run.[/hider]
[/hider][/hider]
[hider=Documented Maladies]

[center][img]http://www.pancreapedia.org/sites/www.pancreapedia.org/files/4_image_panel.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Rattus Conversion Plague
[b]Species:[/b] Norvegicus pestis-Y.R (A)
[b]Rarity:[/b] Currently 25 - 50 subjects in experiments
[b]Behavior:[/b] The Rattus Conversion Plague behaves almost identically to the bubonic plague that is half of it's genetic parent (the other half being Immortal Lab Rat subjects). The primary difference is that the characteristic buboes of the plague serve as incubators that then give 'birth' to rats, typically coinciding with the psychical 'death' of the host. The mind of the host is then transferred across any and all rats that were bred in the host's body. Although these rats appear sterile, and cannot bred (or simply do not wish to) breed with actual lab rats, they can breed amongst themselves. 

The rats are slightly smaller than normal mice, and appear just as easy to kill. However their bodies are covered in Norvegicus pestis-Y.R (B) and their saliva carries Norvegicus pestis-Y.R (C).

[b]Location(s):[/b] Exclusively found in Tombstone laboratories
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*] Incubation period of 2–6 days, when the rat cells are actively replicating.
[*] General malaise
[*] Fever
[*] Muscle aches
[*] Gangrene
[*] Headache and chills occur suddenly at the end of the incubation period
[*] Extreme weakness
[*] Swelling of lymph nodes resulting in buboes, the classic sign of bubonic plague.
[*] Death can occur in less than 2 weeks, with rats bursting from the buboes.[/list]
[b]Appearance:[/b] The initial symptoms of the plague appear identical to the bubonic plague right up to death. Post death, the affected will appear as a swarm of small rats, the were the color of the hosts' hair.

[hr]

[center][img]http://www.pancreapedia.org/sites/www.pancreapedia.org/files/4_image_panel.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Forced Microscopic Chimera Nest Virus
[b]Species:[/b] Norvegicus pestis-Y.R (B)
[b]Rarity:[/b] Tested on 78 subjects in highly controlled settings
[b]Behavior:[/b] Virus occurs when handling the bodies of those deceased by Norvegicus pestis-Y.R (A), aggressively causing necrosis of the skin and removing all feeling to the external world, before the mutated chimeric cells will attach themselves to the blood cells of the host and grow. Subject will experience intense pain in the veins as the viral cells grow from microscopic, to the size of dwarf baby rats, draining the subject of their blood and eventually eating their way out of the host's body.

The microscopic chimeric rats breed incredibly fast, being able to go from one rat to several thousands, crowding all paths of blood in host's body in a matter of hours. When the veins or 'nest' is nearly full, the subject will be unable to bleed, and instead bloat with the rats and bleed out their waste. Experiments have yet to be tested on Immortals or Hollow.

[b]Location(s):[/b] Exclusively found in Tombstone laboratories
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*] Severe necrosis
[*] Chills
[*] Coughing
[*] Chest pain
[*] Rapid breathing
[*] Dyspnea
[*] Hemoptysis
[*] Lethargy
[*] Hypotension
[*] Blindness
[*] Internal bleeding
[*] 100% mortality[/list]
[b]Appearance:[/b] Initially starting as microscopic cells, invisible to the human eye-- these chimeric organisms will, if given the chance, grow to the size of anything from a flea to baby mice inside the veins of the host, before crawling out and swarming to search for more blood.

[hr]

[center][img]http://www.pancreapedia.org/sites/www.pancreapedia.org/files/4_image_panel.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Black Prions
[b]Species:[/b] Norvegicus pestis-Y.R (C)
[b]Rarity:[/b] Tested in several thousand criminals, volunteers, and mental health wards.
[b]Behavior:[/b] Black Prions-- the result of combining rat neurons, the bubonic plague, and mad cow disease-- is perhaps the most interesting ailment created thus far on Tombstone in the Norvegicus pestis-Y.R A through D experiments. In that, it results, physically in creating what might be the next stage of human evolution. The mind of these subjects can slow down time from their own perspective, create fire and move objects with their minds, as well as a myriad of other side effects, such as no longer needing to eat due to developing sudden photosynthesis and reaching a peak of human physique that will increase physical life, theoretically, to several hundred years.

However, to reach these side effects, subjects must first be exposed to what has been dubbed 'Temporal Displacement Syndrome' or more commonly called, the 'stun' when injected with the Black Prions. From a bystander's viewpoint, the 'stun' lasts all of five seconds. From the subject's viewpoint, however, the 'stun' last more than several quadrillions of years. 

The subject, when injected, will immediately experience a disconnection from their mind and body, what they experience as a second, will actually, from our perspective, be a single Planck time. Each Planck time, for them, will exponentially increase in time experienced, in complete mental isolation, 1 second will stretch on for trillions of years, as 1 second becomes several thousand hours becomes several million years and continued to exponentially stretch on, with each plank second ticking down. Subjects must experience 5 seconds, before returning to our frame of time, and by that point their minds have long been lost-- or perhaps truly found-- from several life times of several Universes in complete isolation. They all use their new powers to kill themselves in the first Plank time of the first second they return.

We have not calculated the exact length of time spent in isolation.

However, for reference, one second is approximately 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Planck times.

[b]Location(s):[/b] Exclusively found in Tombstone laboratories
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*] Those afflicted will experience perfect physical health and significantly increased lifespans, it is believed to increase their lives by upwards of 500 after the 'initial stun.' Theoretically, these individuals exposed to the 'initial stun' would develop near psychic powers, and would be able to 'slow' time from their own perspective
[*] Complete mental breakdown. The synapses of the brain become frayed, the myelin sheath is gone-- in 5 seconds, all outside influences are removed and you are faced with your true 'self'-- it is believed that exposing to human to absolute truth is what leads to the subsequent suicidal insanity. It is also theorized that knowing truth, even only one, any thinking being realizes that death is a logical alternative to existence for the sake of existence. This has not yet been cured.
[*] Near instantaneous suicide, typically committed by clawing at one's own face and throat.
[*] True enlightenment is reached. Becoming mentally older than the universe gives one complete and absolute clarity.[/list]
[b]Appearance:[/b] N/A

[hr]

[center][img]http://www.pancreapedia.org/sites/www.pancreapedia.org/files/4_image_panel.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Black Rat Synthesis
[b]Species:[/b] Norvegicus pestis-Y.R (D)
[b]Rarity:[/b] Currently the strain is only found in two beakers. Currently untested.
[b]Behavior:[/b] Theoretically. This synthesis would give those afflicted with Rattus Conversion Plague to switch between being human and a swarm of rats. This was made using Immortal blood, it is currently untested.
[b]Location(s):[/b] Exclusively found in Tombstone laboratories
[b]Key Points:[/b][list]
[*] Currently unknown[/list]
[b]Appearance:[/b] N/A
[/hider]
[/hider]

[right]~[@Aeonumbra][/right]