Colonies

Colonies are independent settlements built from the "bones of the Old World." They are functional, dusty, and fiercely alive.

Visuals: Structures vary from colony to colony, but most are a mix of retrofitted shipping containers, adobe, and corrugated steel, covered in scavenged solar panels and heavy UV-tarps. Perimeter walls are topped with razor wire and salvage-built floodlights.

Atmosphere: The air smells of "Iron-Root" burning in stoves, ethanol fuel, and wet earth near the vapor traps. The sun here feels "angry," a physical weight on the shoulders.

The People (Colonists): Each colony is self-governed. Populations range from small outposts of a few hundred to large trade hubs of several thousand. Some are communal, sharing resources, while others operate commercially like Old World towns where individuals own property and run businesses.

Security and Law: Defense is provided mostly by trained citizen militias using weapons either traded from the Sanctums or scavenged from Old World stocks. Some wealthier colonies hire mercenary groups for protection.

Daily Rhythm: Life is dictated by the environment. In the hot zones, there is furious activity at dawn and dusk, with "Lockdown" siestas during the midday boil. In colder climates, life revolves around maintaining thermal shelters.

Key Feeling: Gritty, precarious, communal. A place where water is currency and every object has a repair history.

The Resistance

Despite the hardship—or perhaps because of it—the Colonies are breeding grounds for dissent. While most are too busy surviving to fight, pockets of organized resistance are growing. Groups like the Unbroken advocate for violent uprising against the Sanctums. They believe a second cleansing is coming, and that the Colonists must be ready.

"They call us 'The Unrefined.' We call ourselves 'The Survivors.' We endure what they hide from." — Colony Elder