THE SETTING

The world is broken. Long ago, something terrible happened—war, disease, or maybe something worse. No one really knows. What’s left is the Zone: a dangerous wasteland full of ruins, strange creatures, and deadly hazards.

You are a mutant, born into this harsh world. You’re not completely human anymore. You have strange powers, but they come with a price—your body is weak, and your future is uncertain. You live in the Ark, a crumbling settlement where mutants like you try to survive. Food is running out, people are fighting for power, and the only person who remembers the old world—the Elder—is dying.

Outside the Ark lies the Zone. It’s a place filled with danger, but also hope. The Zone holds relics of the old world, things you can use to help your people. There are stories of a place called Eden, a safe haven with secrets that might save everyone. But to reach it, you’ll have to face the Zone’s many threats: wild mutants, strange phenomena, and the unknown.

In the Ark, others like you have their own dreams and goals. Some want to help rebuild, others just want power, and some only care about survival. You’ll have to decide who to trust, who to lead, and who to fight.

This is your story. Will you save your people? Will you become a leader? Or will the Zone swallow you whole?


THE ARK

The Ark is your home. This is where you have grown up together with the other mutants, protected from the horrors in the Zone around you. The Elder has kept you safe during the long winter, but the safe haven is no more. The Elder is dying. The People have become young adults, and grub is getting scarce. Mutant is turning on mutant, pacts are formed and plots whispered in the dark.

But you must find a way to work together. The People of the Ark need to overcome their differences and find a new path forward. Evolve, build a new civilization on ruins of the old. If you can’t, the legacy of man-kind will be lost forever.

Your Ark is a rusted cruise ship, long ago stranded and half-buried in sand. Once a place of luxury, it’s now a crumbling shelter for you and you fellow mutants. The upper decks are crowded with makeshift shanties made of scrap, while the grand atrium, with its broken chandeliers and staircase, is the main gathering spot. Rust covers everything, and the salty air stings the nose.

The lower decks are dark, cramped, and partially flooded, home to scavengers and those who thrive in danger. The engine room hums with activity, where old machines barely keep the Ark running. You all carve out small, cramped spaces in cabins and hallways to call home.

The Elder
Captain Bale, the Elder of the Ark, was once the heart of the Ark. He walked its halls, giving advice, settling disputes, and teaching the People to read and count with old books. By day, the ship was a classroom; by night, it echoed with his stories of green fields, great cities, and the wonders of the Old Age. His belief in Eden gave the People hope and purpose.

Now, Bale is frail and bedridden in his quarters at the top of the ship, called “The Dawn Vault” The room is filled with relics of the past, books, maps, and a broken film projector. His voice is weak, and his body is worn, likely from age and the Rot. Chroniclers care for him and record his fading memories, treating his visions of the Old Age and Eden like prophecy.

Despite his weakness, some mutants still seek his guidance, though he often gives cryptic answers or remains silent. The Chroniclers act as his voice, spreading his messages to the Ark. Without his leadership, the Ark is divided. The Bosses now fill the power vacuum, and while some resent Bale for his decline, others still cling to the hope he once gave them.

The Bosses
Iris “Iron Fang”
Iris rules the dark, flooded lower decks. Her sharp teeth and glowing eyes make her as dangerous as her gang, the Undertow, who thrive in water and shadows. They deal in secrets and scavenged tech, demanding payment for safe passage through their territory.
Rogar “The Smelter”
Rogar, a hulking mutant with glowing molten skin, oversees the engine room and keeps the Ark running. His gang, the Burners, craft weapons and tools from scrap. Quick to anger but respected, Rogar’s contributions are vital to survival.
Lady Jinx
Lady Jinx controls the upper decks, turning luxury suites into dens of trade, gambling, and vice. Her chameleon-like skin shifts with her mood, and her gang, the Gilded Vultures, run the black market. She values wealth and power over brute force.

Everyday Life in the Ark
Life on the Ark is a daily fight for survival. You scavenge the wasteland for food, water, and supplies, returning with barely enough to sustain the 500 residents. The upper decks are noisy with trade and arguments, while the lower decks are dangerous, rumored to be home to strange creatures.

Food is scarce, coming from scavenged cans, fishing, or a small hydroponic garden. Water is filtered through a barely functioning system. Disputes often turn violent, resolved by the Bosses or brutal fights in the atrium.

Despite the hardship, small glimmers of hope remain. Some dream of Eden, while others focus on fortifying the Ark. Art and stories thrive in hidden corners, reminding everyone that even in decay, there’s still something worth holding onto.

THE ZONE

The Zone, the wasteland surrounding the Ark, is a labyrinth of decaying ruins and dark forests. It’s a vast mass grave, full of crumbling monuments to the Ancients’ hubris and arrogance. Out there, feral savages and mutated monsters roam. And if you’re lucky enough to survive the beasts, the invisible, lethal Rot will sooner or later kill you.

For as long as you can remember, the Elder has warned you not to stray into the Zone. Yet, that’s exactly where you need to go now, deep into the unknown. To find knowledge. To find clues to the origin of the People, and a path to your future.