RP: Solemn

:::Solemn-Something gravely or somberly impressive; causing serious thoughts or grave feelings.
The year is 2053. Over ninety percent of the world lies under a thick cloud of winter. Nuclear winter. Thirty-one years ago, the world shook as fires from hell rained down from the stars in multiple countries, shattering all in their path and breaking the world in two in a heartbeat. That many years later, many still survived and had reclaimed tiny pieces of the grayscale Earth. But what were once massive, bustling cities were now nothing but concrete jungles long forgotten, abandoned in this solemn hell.
==Lore==
===Timeline===
====2010====
*Oil starts to run low worldwide, sparking slight tensions between world superpowers.
====2011====
*Oil starts to die off, and tensions grow larger between the world superpowers.
*Russia's economy collapses, down-turning many other countries near it and supported by it.
*Aggressions form as Russia tries to scrounge for any oil left in the area, attacking the Middle East and causing a small war, starting up the one that was ending.
====2012====
*The Russo-Arab War ends in June, with major losses for both sides of the war. Russia's already terrible state is sent spiraling down, bringing the Middle East and China with them.
*A massive Earthquake hits Japan for the second time in a year, causing a nuclear explosion, and making most of Japan uninhabitable. 
*Japanese flock to nearby countries, offering support for homes, and North Korea accepts, many of the Japanese getting upper-class homes in the secretive country.
====2013====
*North Korea becomes a superpower with the new found support, and shows the world that they have WMDs in their hands.
*President Barack Obama is voted out of office. The new Republican candidate tries to prove himself by showing off the US' WMDs and calling the North Korean leader a "self-obsessed thug".
====2015====
*Two years later the enraged North Korea produces even more WMDs with more aid gained from China, and quickly turns the Communist country into "New Korea".
*The US and Canada align closely with each other, banding together to make proceedings to stick together in the war. Other NATO countries, including The United Kingdom, Ireland, and Germany quickly join the alliance.
====2017====
*Many other European countries join, including Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
*Vietnam aligns with the Korean Army, and South Korea and India become part of the NATO alliance.
====2020====
*North Korea declares war on South Korea, and begins to invade it, many South Koreans fleeing to the U.S.
*The US gives support to South Korea, and sends in many troops to the country.
====2021====
*North Korea sends in an atomic bomb to South Korea, destroying a large part of it, with heavy impacts on US troops.
*The US then goes for payback, and drops three nuclear weapons on New and North Korea, one in Hong Kong, one in Beijing, and one in Pyongyang.
====2022====
*The world goes up in nuclear fire as WMDs are launched from many countries towards each other, the Korean Army fighting back and launching nuclear weapons at the US, the UK, and much of Europe, along with the bits of NATO aligned Asia. Much of the world's population is obliterated, and few made it to the Fallout shelters in time.
====2024====
*As the threat of the war settles, slowly people start to come out of their shelters, many immediately dying due to the heavy amounts of radiation and cold from the quickly forming Nuclear Winter. New York and Los Angeles are but craters with the occasional buildings scattered, and many other large areas are gone too. 
*Smart survivors return to the shelters with what clean food and water they can, and some try to start up settlements in safe areas.
====2029====
*Many small villages have been formed in zones with little to no radiation, though settlers are still few and far between.
====2030-2038====
*Not much is known about the time period, except that it was that of reclaiming and rebuilding. Many towns were formed in this period, along with 'tribes' that stuck together, some nomads, trying to find warmth in the cold, desolate wasteland.
*Mutants also started to appear around this time, strange abominations that radiation caused in the wasteland.
====2038====
*The San Francisco BART (or Metro) tunnels are claimed by some, forming colonies deep within the tunnels, lit without electricity..
*In San Francisco, the former prison Alcatraz is taken over by a strange group of people obsessed with scavenging any old world items they can. The hostile group attacks any that try to cross the massive bay of thin ice, to keep their jewels safe.
====2038-2053====
*Over the 15 year period, more mutants appear across the wasteland, strange creatures and people that the radiation got to, but didn't kill.
*San Francisco is a lawless city, the Ferry Building and Embarcadero entrance to the Metros one of the only safe areas, colonizers holed up in what was once the popular tourist destination.
*February 6th, 2053, is the present day.
===San Franciscan Factions and Locations===
====Factions====
(From highest to lowest stature)
*Commonwealth of the Underground- The only 'good' aligned group of people, the Commonwealth of the Underground, colloquially referred to as the CoU, the CoU is the group that occupies the safe areas in the San Francisco metro tunnels, along with a small piece of land in the Embarcadero area and inside the Ferry Building, which acts as a market for them.
*Preservative Society for the Better of Mankind- The mysterious group of people who live in Alcatraz. They are hostile to any who venture towards them across the bay of highly irradiated ice. They seem to be obsessed with any pre-war artifacts. Occasionally, PSBM scavengers can be seen roaming the San Franciscan streets searching for any artifacts they can find. They are recognized by their distinct uniform, a black jacket with a fur hood, a backpack and multiple pouches, and some kind of rifle.
*Korean Remnants- Remnants of Korean soldiers that were either working as spies or were undercover, working in many jobs. The Korean soldiers there were considered acceptable losses during the apocalypse, so they were left behind.
*Scavengers- Scavengers are wanderers of the wasteland who usually travel alone or with one or two guards. They search for anything of value and bring it across the wasteland to trade and sell for. Scavengers are usually aligned with the CoU, so they can sell inside the markets and live in the safety of one of the metro villages, though are sometimes neutral to all.
*Bandits- A commonality of the wasteland, bandits come in all shapes and sizes, and kill and rape for fun and whatever else they want from lone travelers.
*Mutants- Not necessarily a faction much as to a collection of many mutated creatures, mutants are assorted creatures affected by the radiation and turned into something... else.
====Locations====
*Embarcadero Fort and Ferrytown- The only major settlement in the city, the Embarcadero Fort is a small section of the street around the Ferry Building. It is a shallow T shape, a huge bustling area full of vendors in front of the ferry building, a scrap metal wall reinforcing the three roads into the fort. Guards stand watch at each of the gates, keeping it safe. At the edge of the center wall there is a metro entrance which leads to a settlement in the metros. Inside the ferry building, the doors reinforced with more scrap gates, is the main markets, where food, clothing, weapons, and a temporary home are offered. Outside is the docks, which are just a cold outdoor area with a few boat homes still positioned above the ice.
*The Rock- The mysterious fortress-museum that belongs to the PSBM. Not much is known about what is within but that the PSBM are hostile to anyone who gets close to The Rock. They seem to have powerful weapons and only the strongest should try to approach the Rock.
*City Wastes- The dark and ominous city wastes of San Francisco, filled with Mutants, bandits, and the occasional scavenger.
*The Gate- One of the few exits out of San Francisco, the Gate is the remains of the Golden Gate Bridge, a massive piece missing in the center, only a narrow series of planks leading across. It towers over the frozen bay, a ship still with its stern pointed upward, a rusting heap trapped in the nuclear ice.
*The Bay Bridges- The many other bridges leading out of the San Franciscan wasteland. They lead to different zones in the Californian Wasteland.
*The Wasteland- The areas outside San Francisco. Suburbs, rural areas, etc.
*Yosemite Crater- The remains of a piece of Yosemite National Park, after a few days of walking, you reach the Yosemite National Park's remains, an empty husk filled with mutants of all kinds. Deep within the forest is a massive crater filled with irradiated water and sludge which was the result of a miscalculation on one of the targets of a nuclear weapon that struck in the heart of Yosemite National Park. The crater itself houses a wide array of strange creatures that can only be found within the Crater, along with the area around it, where the trees are just husks that are directly thrust back. Farther around the crater is the thick mass of Sequoia trees that house many mutants.
===Common Mutations===
*Runners- Medium-sized, purely annoying creatures, Runners seem to be an irradiated rat. They have sharp, buck teeth like any rodent, and a lack of fur on their body. They have no nose, only where their nostrils should be, and tend to jump around and attack anyone they can find. Not very strong, but they attack in numbers.
*Burn Bears- Scraggly looking creatures from the outlying areas of San Francisco, they are what has become of Black Bears, their fur burnt and mangy, only in clumps. They often can be found within the city, wandering it.
*Stonedeers- Irradiated deers that have grown larger, their antlers now much tougher to help fight off hostile creatures and cut through thick brush outside the city. They too, can be found within it, however.
More will be added soon.
==Characters==
===EliteMaster117===
====Francis E.====
*Name: Francis Elliot
*Role: Scavenger
*Equipment: AK-200, Browning Hi-Power, digital Geiger counter, MDU-3/B riot gas mask, BDS Tactical MAX split front chest rig, Jacket, carpenter's kneepads, watch, military-style boots, gray long sleeve shirt, and jeans.
*Personality: Francis is quiet, giving off a feel of neutrality around him. He has and still does what he has too, but he doesn't like it.
*Birthdate and Misc.: Born on November 16th, 2025, in the Fresno Wastes. Likes listening to blues and jazz music, if he can find it.
====Simon O.====
*Name: Simon O'Connell
*Role: Scavenger
*Equipment: MP5K-PDWS, KA-BAR knife, geiger counter, M40 field protective gas mask, plate-carrier vest, navy nylon jacket, carpenter's kneepads, watch, military-style boots, striped polo shirt, and black pants.
*Personality: Talkative, and tends to crack jokes at the worst times.
*Birthdate and Misc.: Born on February 12th, 2026 far north in Washington state.
==Prologue==
The TV flicked from channel to channel, different voices coming in and cutting out quickly. It was a smallish TV, an old fashioned tube TV, which were extremely rare in an age of 3D televisions and such. Commercials flicked on and off as the channels changed. Eventually, the old television made its way to the local news. A commercial was on.
"There's not gonna' be a real apo-ca-wypse, right!?", a little girl asked on the commercial asked.
The camera flicked to a middle aged man. 
"Of course not sweetie, it's ju-", the man started. The commercial froze and a nice, Mr. Clean-style jingle came on, along with a picture of the world, Korean aligned states in red, NATO in blue.
"Wrong!", a voice said.
"Scientists predict that there is a 75% chance of a nuclear apocalypse within the next three years! It only is due to the New Korean Army gaining allies all across Asia! But you can be prepared! Build fallout shelters, have an evacuation plan, and you know all those boring shows on the Discovery Channel you see about preparing? Watch them! It's on-"
And the news came on before the commercial could finish.
"NK troops invaded a U.S. embassy in Bangladesh this morning, with three armed assailants opening fire on the evacuating U.S. citizens. In other news, Korea has launched an anti-American campaign, encouraging any citizens of the NKR to shoot any NATO aligned..."
The owner of the old television flicked it off and stood up, looking out his window when he heard planes overhead- nothing unusual. He was a man in his late thirties, overweight, and balding, wearing a maroon shirt. 
He walked out unto the porch of his suburban house, sitting down on a raggedy chair, as he grabbed a cigarette from a nearby table.
Lighting it, he inhaled some smoke, slowly letting it out. Three more gray planes flying in a simple, V formation followed the one that had passed just a few seconds ago.
Smoke trails came out from behind them as they broke their formation, only one going straight.
The man put his cigarette out quickly, starting to get worried. He stood up and dusted himself off, going inside and rapidly turning the TV back on.
A breaking news broadcast was on.
"Three mysterious jets have appeared over the Oregon skyline, and are sparking much suspicion over who they are and what their purpose is. U.S. jets have been deployed to identify them- though they will not hesitate to shoot if they do not iden-"
The broadcast went to white noise.
"Shit...", the man cursed to himself, walking towards his basement door.
There was a distinct sound in the air, that of a slowly raising and lowering alarm. An air raid siren.
A slight whistle in the air, and what felt like a massive earthquake. "Shit!", the man yelled, grabbing a sole cat under his couch and jumping into the basement.
He slammed the door, going down the stairs as the entire basement rattled. The sirens slowed and stopped, but the rattling commenced. Slowly going towards the basement door, he stepped up a single stair.
And the door disintegrated, a massive fireball coming through and completely obliterated the man.
==Story==
===Chapter One===
====1====
The gas mask rhythmically made a tinny sound, slow, steady breaths coming out of it. The gas mask was a dark black, and there were two figures, completely still in the third story- or at least what remained of it- of an old San Franciscan street. 
The two were each lying still on the scraps of carpet and concrete floor. Below them, in the cold, desolate street, was a single scavenger. He had a massive pack on his back, and the scavenger's arms were bulked out from the evident pouches under his matte black jacket. A red, white, and blue stripe lying horizontally across the front of the jacket, along with the fur collar on the hood, marked the man as PSBM.
"Let him pass.", Francis whispered, watching as the scavenger slowly trudged by. The two were each closely examining his weapon- an M4 CQBR, a close quarters battle version of the standard issue weapon of the former United States Army- firing a 5.56x45 NATO round. It was a deadly weapon compared to the poor weapons the two freelance scavengers used. 
The PSBM scav' whistled a familiar tune under his three-holed balaclava, small puffs of condensation coming out of his mouth with each note. He turned a corner and his whistle slowly faded, the two freelancers slowly standing up, gathering their weapons.
"There's a building with windows and a ceiling over there, where radioactive snow isn't constantly raining down on us.", Simon sarcastically said, pulling his hood down, revealing a dingy, dirty blonde hair that almost hid the gas mask straps.
"I know.", Francis drably replied, loading his AK-200. The two walked over to an area where a window and a piece of a wall had corroded in. "Jump?", Simon asked, looking at the good, eight foot distance between the two matching up windows. The other one was still for the most part together, however, and it would be a loud shatter if they smashed through.
"Let's go around, Simon.", Francis said, turning around, his boots crunching in the thin layer of snow.
"I got this!", Simon sneered with a tone of George Lopez, pre-war comedian who's tapes had been preserved in a truck. He was now the primary entertainment for Ferrytown.
He ran forward and leapt off the edge of the building; smashing into the other side.
Francis facepalmed and decided to follow him, jumping forward and tumbling over the broken glass and his comrade.
"What in fuck's sake!?", a distant voice asked.
"Bandits...", Simon said with a disappointed tone.
The immediate warmth from when he smashed through the window should have been a sign. Warmth was a rarity in the wasteland, and wherever warmth was, people were.
"Vinny, check it out!", the same bandit said.
"Sure thing boss.", Vinny replied, slowly moving up the ladder to where the two scavengers were. There were five dirty mattresses strewn through the room, blood stains throughout the beds. Torture and rest, a strange combo.
Quickly moving into a position above the ladder, Simon prepared his hand to grab 'Vinny', Francis perpendicular to him with his AK in hand.
When Vinny made it up the ladder, he was grabbed by his shirt collar and thrust out the window, slamming against the other building and tumbling backwards unto the ground.
"What the fuck!? Who the fuck is up there!?", the lead bandit asked, a few other voices sparking from the floor below. Five gun shots spattered across the floor, one narrowly missing Simon.
"Shit!", he yelled, leaping back. In return, five shots were sent back down in a rapid succession from Francis' AK. 
One of the four bandits below yelped in pain as a bullet hit him.
"Fuck! Don't just fucking stand there! Get u-"
Before the bandit could finish, his chest was riddled with three closely marked shots from a suppressed weapon.
The two other bandits turned around, one swinging a hammer at the unknown assailant downstairs. All the scavengers could do was wait, as whoever this was meant business.
The assailant grabbed the hammer and used the bandit's own power against him, swinging him overhead and unto the ground. While he reeled the assailant fired twice at the second bandit, killing him. He then turned quickly to the last, who was getting back up with a welt on his head. The mysterious stranger slammed the stock of his gun into the bandit's face and double-tapped him.
"What the hell?", Simon asked, running to the boarded up window facing the street. He looked out and saw the same PSBM scavenger run out of the building. The PSBM trained their men well and gave them good equipment, but considering their only major strength was the element of surprise, it could be used against them.
"Typical PSBM. See if you can get anything off of those bodies. Here's my pack.", Francis responded, handing Simon his backpack. Simon went first down the ladder, followed by Francis, who began examining the bodies.
"These shots were well placed. Close together, quick and smooth.", Francis observed.
"Found something.", Simon announced.
Francis looked over with a piqued interested, as Simon pulled a massive crate of ammo from one of the bandit's packs. 
"7.62x39. And lots of it. I'll shove it in your pack.", Simon responded.
"Good quality goggles. Could sell these for a decent amount.", Francis declared as he bent down to take the goggles off of the bandit's body.
"Looks like that P'scav rifled through the leader's pockets, took something from him.", Simon added, lifting the bandit leader's head.
"Take his boots, they'll be good for trade.", Francis commanded.
Simon nodded, quickly unlacing the brown boots.
"Let's head back to Ferrytown, then. Bandits are always goldmines for this shit.", Francis proposed.
Simon nodded, throwing the boots in the pack and standing up.