After-era

The After-era, or also known as the Wasteland era, emerged after a thermonuclear war, which nearly brought humanity to extinction, destroying almost all of the worlds civilizations and causing a global breakdown of society. With the aftermath of the nuclear exchange, humanity descended deep into the dark ages, with all knowledge and expertise fading away to the point of being lost over time. Entire cities were wiped out of the map, and some that still persisted, were often times in ruins and left to decay. This was as a result of the Third Great War in 2085, when the war reached to the later stages to the point that nothing could have been salvaged; millions of people were dead and most countries were suffering from the effects of the war. The After-era saw a disruption of the world's global climate, with entire ecosystems becoming damaged as a result. People which survived the nuclear war, turned to desperate measures, which soon led to them turning against eachother and entire countries descended into anarchy, resulting in the early formations of bandits. Others which survived formed tribes, where they attempted to use what little they had to survive. 
However, not all of the entire globe was destroyed in a nuclear exchange, especially in the nations located near the equator, due to their locations and neutral stance in the final war. They were left largely unscathed by the destruction of the nuclear bombs, and there were cities which remained intact which lasted years even after the collapse of civilization in the world. However, as all of the world's power had come to a stop and as all the flow of resources had largely stopped as suppliers had gone non-existent. This led to the collapse of the rest of the world into anarchy within a few years, as the last functioning cities had their power come to a grinding halt, forcing many of its inhabitants to flee out of the cities and going into areas in an attempt to survive. However, there was still hope for humanity, especially in the areas which were left largely unscathed by the nuclear war. Life and resources in the forests were heavily abundant, compared to those in heavily radiated areas which were largely affected by the nuclear bombs, the inhabitants had eventually turned to living primitive lifestyles, hoping for the day that they return and rebuild civilization from the ashes. 
== Background ==
By the year 2083, the Third Great War which began as a result of the rising tensions between the Kradovo Security Alliance and the Mesothemian Defence Council, was in its late stage, to the point that there was no point in convincing both sides to refrain from using lethal weapons of mass destruction. Millions of people had been killed due to the war, with millions being displaced from their homes. In Mesothemia, most neutral nations had been occupied or otherwise joined opposite sides. The member-states of the Kradovo Security Alliance, were fighting eachother for political gain, attempting to gain direct control over some of their resources, which had become vital for their war efforts. Half of the continent had been occupied by each opposing sides, and the frontlines have nevertheless froze, being put on a stalemate for years. This however thawed, when the Bistonians launched an offensive into Zedrutia, overthrowing Leslaw Olek and capturing Kiezyn, putting Zedrutia under occupation for better or worse. Orchestran, Prozhnia, Pogranitzem and Crimsonia were surrounded, and immediately saw the dire situation, that their troops were beyond overstretched, and the MDC was gaining the upper hand. Things did not get better in the year of 2084, as the war reached its 5th year. Fuel shortages had gone rampant throughout the world, leaving most of the two sides with fuel shortages, in which they had become unable to use a majority of its equipment on the frontlines. This enabled the MDC to achieve a breakthrough in Mesothemia, in which they swept throughout most of Ruralia, Prozhnia, and Kromekovice as the KSA suffered even more severe fuel shortages, forcing them to abandon their equipment and withdraw rapidly.
By then, the world was descending into total chaos as a result of the war, which had been already going on for 5 years. Fuel was becoming more and more expensive, as all oil fields had been destroyed by constant bombardment campaigns. Eventually, the Crimsonians and the Orchestranians were beginning to have enough of the situation that they were facing - the Mesothemian Defence Council had already begun to sweep throughout most of Prozhnia, having liberated most of Northern Ruralia. As a result, Crimsonia shifted towards another plan out of desperation, towards a different and destructive approach, which would soon lead to the end of the world. On December 25th 2085, Crimsonia launched its first nuclear warheads directly from their soil, targeting important Bistonian infrastructure and military bases. Kraibrezhen became the first 
By then, the world had gone into total crisis as a result of this war, which was going on for 10 years. Fuel was starting to become more and more expensive as all oil fields were destroyed by constant bombardment campaigns. Eventually, the Crimsonians had enough of the situation that they were facing - the Mesothemian Alliance had begun to swept through most of Prozhnia, having already liberated most of Northern Ruralia and surrounding members of the Kradovo Alliance. As a result, Crimsonia shifted towards a different and most destructive approach, finally beginning the end of the world. It launched the first nuclear warheads, with a thermonuclear bomb striking the Bistonian occupied city of Kraibrezhen in 2085. This soon led to a chain of events in which Bistonians were given the green light and retaliated, and the first nuclear warheads from the Mesothemian Alliance was launched, striking an important military base off the coast of Telvinra. It soon escalated, with both Crimsonia and Bistonia exchanging nuclear warheads and destroying entire cities one by one. The first Crimsonian city to be destroyed by a Bistonian thermonuclear bomb was Dimitrovgrad, and soon almost all of Bistonia's warheads struck Crimsonia's largest cities. Orchestran soon retaliated and their first nuclear warheads were launched, striking military targets in Bistonia before eventually targeting Zedrutian cities. With the escalation of the nuclear war, it soon eventually spread to the entire continent; nuclear warheads were being launched from all sides, resulting in millions of deaths within the first few hours. The nuclear exchange soon reached its peak, when the nuclear warheads began to be directed towards targets around the globe, striking many targets including the cities. 
When it seemed that the end of the world was nearing, many governments around the world were immediately quick to respond moments before the nuclear bombs struck their cities. Around hundreds of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate from their homes and from large cities, forcing some to flee towards locations such as bunkers in an attempt to save most people from the blasts. Despite the world being on the verge of ending, a paramilitary wing of the Void, a doomsday cult, had began a mutiny in Bistonia, marching to some of the cult's bunkers and storming them for having not paid them. Militaries around the world had essentially broke down during the world's last moments and authority had become non-existent. Other governments decided to activate their contingency plan, to have government workers, their leadership, and the military flee to important locations where they could continue even after the world engulfed in an inferno. The impact was beyond severe; cities located in the northern parts of the planet were pulverized and completely destroyed within seconds, and eventually all communication and power had broke down. The Commonwealth of United and Free Nations, had no time in an attempt to react, and their peacekeepers in Zedrutia were killed instantly when a nuclear bomb struck Kiezyn. Within the first 24 hours, most of the world's advanced and densely populated cities had been pulverized by the nuclear bombs. Almost the entire world's population had been completely wiped out, with the death count up to possibly billions of people. Remnants of the militaries on the frontlines were left on their own, and almost all of Mesothemia was flattened. 
Within the first 48 hours, all that was left, was an endless view of destruction as a result of the nuclear war. Despite humanity's near extinction, some had managed to survive the nuclear war. It did not take long for radiation to set in immediately, which soon turned fatal as most thermonuclear bombs which were launched directly at the cities had contained deadly elements. This meant that entire cities, if completely flattened or not, have been blanketed in nuclear ash for 20,000 years to come. Some which remained, began to evacuate to nuclear shelters, with some venturing out into the underground sections of the cities. Most of the life and fauna on the planet which continued to live after the nuclear war were subject to extreme doses of radiation and as a result had mutated into larger or terrifying forms of themselves, and possibly, more deadlier. 
=== Aftermath ===
Despite the destruction of the world's advanced civilizations due to the nuclear exchange and the deaths of billions of people, along with a nuclear winter which had brought a significant portion of the planet to much lower temperatures, not all of the world had been completely pulverized in the nuclear exchange. Instead, it was only the countries located in the north which were heavily affected by the blasts, and in countries which were located in the southern half of the planet including near the equator, the region was largely unaffected and unscathed by the destruction of the nuclear bombs. Cities in the region remained functioning even after all communication had completely broke down from the rest of the world. This meant that people in these regions continued to live ordinary lives, as if nothing catastrophic had happened at all. This remained for a few years, until people couldn't face the fact that they were now on their own anymore. 
Necessities, which kept the cities running for years, had run dry as most of them came from ships in Mesothemia, and soon resources, such as fuel began to run dry. The rest of the world's power had come to a stop and soon their currencies went into a freefall, which meant that things were not as good as they seemed. Life in the unscathed regions soon gradually turned into anarchy, as the last functioning intact cities had their power come to a grinding halt and forcing many of its inhabitants to flee out of the cities. The remaining governments soon collapsed and their militaries attempted to regain control and reestablish order, but were unable to do so as most soldiers had already deserted or went back to their families in the time of troubles. By the early 2090s, all of the unscathed cities were abandoned, and most had already fled to forested areas, where life and resources were heavily abundant. Most of the people soon turned to living primitive lifestyles, having abandoned their modern lifestyles. However, due to the irregular changes in weather patterns as a result of the consequences of the nuclear war, some of the forests and cities were engulfed in heavy storms, which were radioactive and deadly, and soon the unscathed parts of the world had become just as the others, radiated and unable to sustain life.
== Affected countries and regions ==
As a result of the nuclear war, all world governments had presumably ceased to exist, and therefore most of them had all collapsed. Some of these governments somehow still managed to be active centuries well after the nuclear exchange, but only in the form of remnants and decentralized governments, which were mostly concentrated in the smaller cities. Remnants of these government continued to operate and survive in bunkers and isolated locations, and from here they attempted to rebuild society and regain control and influence in what was left of these regions. Some ordinary survivors attempt to rebuild centuries later, but survivors who had experience, such as former military personnel, used their experiences and equipment to gain influence and power over large groups of survivors, even forcing them to concede to provide protection. However not all of them would gather to rebuild society, as a majority of the survivors continued to live in isolated communities, caring less for what happens outside of their small communities.
=== Bistonia ===
Bistonia became the first country to collapse immediately as a result of the thermonuclear exchange. On December 22nd 2085, 
Bistonia was one of the first countries to fall immediately as a result of the thermonuclear exchange. Kraibrezhen became the first city on Bistonian soil to be struck by a thermonuclear bomb, which was directly launched from Crimsonia. 
Bistonia was one of the first countries to fall immediately as a result of the nuclear apocalypse. Kraibrezhen was the first city in Bistonia to be struck by a thermonuclear bomb, launched from Crimsonian missile sites. With nuclear warheads destroying most of Bistonia's cities and military installations, including the targeting of energy sectors and industrial areas, millions of Bistonians were killed within the first few hours as a result of the blasts, with the radiation killing most of the remaining survivors immediately. As society was in a state of chaos within most of the remaining Bistonian cities, the Bistonian government, or what was left of it, declared an emergency contingency plan, which would allow for the Bistonian government to continue even after the nuclear bombs struck. In Mazoji, martial law was declared and cities in the Silavetra Peninsula and Bistonian Shingleton witnessed a large buildup of the Bistonian National Guard in their cities, until Mazoji was struck by a nuclear bomb. What was left of the Bistonian military fled south, and the rest of Bistonia collapsed.
Society in post-war Bistonia devolved into madness almost immediately, as anarchy reigned through what was left of Bistonia. Those who survived from the deadly nuclear blasts and radiation had come together to form groups, with some subsequently going rogue and out of control, leading to the early formations of raiders and bandits. The rural areas, which were mostly located in the south, survived largely unscathed by the nuclear bombs, and continued to function until they had their inhabitants killed brutally by raiders, or were abandoned as soon as the locals were aware of what was going on. Some of these remaining communities which remained intact retaliated, forming and uniting other surrounding communities in alliances to protect their communities, but most by then had already collapsed as a changing climate and a radiation storm 7 years later had ravaged through. 
==== New Vilnius ====
New Vilnius for centuries was the capital of Bistonia, being the place of many Bistonian government institutions, with Bistonian military installations built and constructed in the city. By the 2070s, New Vilnius, like many other cities in Mesothemia, had become a large, modern metropolis, serving as Bistonia's financial capital and being one of the largest cities in Bistonia. New Vilnius was also home to the New Vilnius Research Facility, which was one of the most prominent and largest research institutions around the globe, with around an estimated 700,000 employed. However, the bustling metropolis of New Vilnius would soon end. With the beginning of the Nuclear War, New Vilnius was one of the primary targets, and sirens began blaring out across the city which plunged it into chaos. Within the first 3 hours, thermonuclear warheads struck New Vilnius in the city center, which brought immense destruction throughout almost the entire portion of the city, creating a massive crater on what was formerly the city center. Skyscrapers collapsed within seconds as powerful shockwaves caused by the bomb ravaged through the city. Entire streets were littered with the thousands of corpses of people, their flesh incinerated off of their bones before they were able to realize the bombs even hit the city. In the aftermath, the city was turned into a former shell of its former glory, its modern skyscrapers, now skeletons and half buried into the ground, and a heavily irradiated massive crater.
50 years after the nuclear bombs struck New Vilnius, the entire city has become deserted and devoid of any life, due to it being a heavily irradiated wasteland even decades after the destruction. Rainfall over the years had flooded the massive crater and had turned it into a heavily irradiated lake. Nature had taken over most parts of the city, turning most of it into forests which were described as having defects and mutations due to their close proximity to the crater, and has become completely unrecognizable. Survivors had built a community deep in the underground sewer tunnels of the city, and had already begun to settle on the surface level, and they are believed to be the descendants of community service workers who fled to the underground tunnels of the city for refuge, and are despised by many of post-nuclear Bistonia's traders due to their alleged tendency for inbreeding. However, with the rise of the self-proclaimed leader known as Nojus and his Kingdom of Bistonia, he soon launched an offensive into the ruins of New Vilnius, so that he could build his new palace and capital there, resulting in a declaration of war made by the sewer-dwellers of the city which often resulted in clashes occurring and beginning a war that lasted decades.
==== Kriadavia ====
Kriadavia was Bistonia's third largest city, and like New Vilnius it had its own ports and unique history, dating back to the earliest Bistonian merchant guilds and building its status as one of Bistonia's wealthiest cities. When the bombs fell on Bistonia, the people in Kriadavia did not have time to evacuate to the nuclear bunkers, or even escape the city on foot. The city center was destroyed within seconds, but unlike New Vilnius, the nuclear bomb which was used on Kriadavia was instead an ordinary nuclear bomb, which meant that most parts of the city, with the exception of the city center, was only met with minor damage and radiation levels were less dangerous. A majority of the city's population perished when the nuclear bombs struck Kriadavia, but a handful of survivors managed to survive due to the miracle of Bistonian vessels, which rescued them and took them to a safe distance in the sea. They soon arrived to the shores, witnessing the destruction which occurred days after the bombs fell.
Decades after the destruction, the radiation levels in the city have significantly lowered, and returned to normal levels. Soon, nature eventually reclaimed most of the city. The city remains largely abandoned, with only a few scavengers inhabiting the ruins of tall buildings. A large handful of people, the descendants of the survivors who were rescued by Bistonian vessels, have built a community from the ruins of Kriadavia's ports, and have relied mostly on fishing. Due to the change in climate and the irregular weather patterns as a result of the nuclear war, the buildings hugging Kriadavia's coasts have become submerged, and similar to that of New Vilnius, Kriadavia's crater has been mostly flooded due to the accumulation of rainwater over the past 50 years.
Kriadavia in the After-era is often widely regarded amongst the Bistonians living outside of it as a "peaceful paradise", with everyone co-existing and cooperating to ensure genuine peace throughout the island. They believe that Kriadavia's inhabitants live in harmony, peace, and have generally lived easy and better off compared to the rest of post-war Bistonia. All of these factors have made Kriadavia's case rare and unique, and is one of the only handful of communities in the former Bistonia that was successful. However, due to the conquests by Nojus the Reincarnate, Kriadavia's neutrality and peaceful nature have been threatened by his Kingdom of Bistonia, which was formed decades after the nuclear war, engaging in brutal warfare in an attempt to reunify all of Bistonia under one kingdom.
=== Kagengrad ===
Kagengrad was the capital of West Bistonia. It was a relatively normal city up until 2085, when it became the first city in Bistonia to be struck by a thermonuclear bomb during the nuclear exchange between Bistonia and Crimsonia. After it struck Kagengrad, the entire city was levelled and the grounds surrounding Kagengrad were lifted to about over 20 feet. The bombs left a massive crater in the former city center. The crater in Kagengrad was one of the largest and was immediately mistaken by others as a mountain. The complete destruction of the city led to what was barely left of Kagengrad's metropolitan area to be completely buried in layers of hot dirt which resembled magma, flowing through the remaining streets. The nuclear blast was so powerful, that there was no time for people to react, and buildings which were in the vicinity were blown away from their foundations and flew up towards the sky, landing in the surrounding areas.
Decades after the nuclear war, Kagengrad has been left largely untouched by the remaining survivors. It is now a massive irradiated crater, with the entire city being decimated in the war. All that was left were only a few buildings, which survived due to them being far away from the rest of Kagengrad itself. The surrounding areas were also heavily irradiated and were rendered unsuitable for life, and those who enter the area died a slow death. Because of the nature of the area, the tribes of West Bistonia who were the descendants of those who survived the nuclear war in the region, have turned the former city as a urban legend, believing that the place was the entrance to the gates of hell. They would soon banish those who committed gruesome crimes, to be forced to traverse towards the massive crater until they met a slow death.
==== Mazoji ====
Mazoji was the second largest city in Bistonia and the former capital of Southern Bistonia. Before 2085, Mazoji was in a state of chaos as a result of rising food and fuel prices and the constant power trips which brought the city to its near downfall. Entire businesses along roads were closed off and soon crime rates skyrocketed when Bistonian authorities went on strike against the Bistonian government. When the Bistonian authorities refused to provide services, the people in Mazoji soon turned to arming themselves, with entire communities forming neighborhood patrols in an attempt to deal with crime. This all changed when the nuclear bombs hit New Vilnius and Kriadavia, in which all remaining communication was cut from Mazoji to the rest of the Bistonian cities themselves. Soon, the Bistonian National Guard, or what was left of it, came to the city and attempted to establish martial law to it, leading to a war being fought on Mazoji's streets and even more further chaos, which led to the gangs controlling a significant portion of the city. Mazoji was one of the last cities in Bistonia to fall, having only been lasting for only 4 days before a nuclear warhead soon finally brought an end to the city. However, the nuclear warhead struck the outskirts, which meant damage to the city's infrastructure was minimal, but a powerful shockwave soon brought an even larger destruction throughout the city, killing a majority of Mazoji's population on the surface.
Decades passed, and Mazoji, like many other cities throughout Bistonia, is in ruins. The descendants of the survivors of the nuclear blasts soon built a community along the banks of the river in Mazoji, using metal scraps from the destroyed bridges. They are mostly a community of scavengers, who scavenge the ruins of buildings in Mazoji and return them back to be used. These scavengers are soon threatened by raiders and bandits, who often lived off the lands in what is called as the "Remaining Plains", which is a region which survived roughly intact from the heavy storms which brought devastation to the Southern Bistonian plains. These raiders were believed to be the descendants of the farmers who attempted to unite together to deal with the crisis which unfolded after the nuclear bombs struck. Descendants of the Bistonian National Guards also lived together with the scavengers in Mazoji, using the guns that their grandfathers used decades ago to defend their own communities.
=== Zedrutia ===
In the 2060s, Zedrutia entered the war, as Leslav Olek, the president of Zedrutia at the time, believed that Zedrutia's entry would bring benefits to Zedrutia's economy after the war ended. This was however a huge mistake as Bistonia, a neighboring country, was with the Mesothemian Alliance. The Zedrutians and the Bistonians soon went to war, in which the Bistonian Armed Forces had managed to cripple the Zedrutian Armed Forces, occupying cities on the south and soon marching towards Kiezyn. Zedrutia was subsequently occupied in the 2070s, with Northern Zedrutia being placed under joint control by the Mesothemian Alliance and the Bistonians, and with Southern and Central Zedrutia being placed under the control of the Bistonian Armed Forces. By 2084, Zedrutia had greatly suffered as a result of the occupation; half of Zedrutia's food production had been given to the Bistonians and the Mesothemian Alliance for the war effort, forcing the Bistonian occupation authorities to ration what remained of it. The situation in occupied Zedrutia was similar to that of other countries during the 2080s ; fuel was becoming ever more scarce due to the war and had become a precious valuable item. People soon realized they were unable to fuel their vehicles, and they were forced to use other alternatives to travel. This, combined with the occupation, had already made Zedrutia a nightmare even before the nuclear exchange.
In 2085 when the nuclear exchange happened, Zedrutia was in-between the epicenter, being located between Crimsonia and Bistonia when thermonuclear bombs flew over the skies in Zedrutia, travelling over to their designated locations in Bistonia. Soon afterwards, the Bistonians utilized Zedrutian nuclear launch sites to retaliate back at Crimsonia, in which Crimsonia retaliated by launching hydrogen bombs to Zedrutia to target Zedrutian cities, important infrastructure and former Zedrutian military sites which were repurposed under the Bistonian military. The result was a chaotic collapse when the bombs first struck Zedrutia. The first thermonuclear weapon was launched in the city of Byeradzina, and by then alarms blared throughout, bringing the entire city to chaos before the bombs struck the city completely. The city's downtown areas were completely obliterated when the bombs impacted. Soon, Crimsonian warheads struck city after city, starting with Starobrzyn, all the way to Prochod. Millions of Zedrutians died during the first hour of the nuclear exchange, including over a majority of the Bistonian Armed Forces which were stationed there. The entire country collapsed after the bombs fell days after, as huge portions of the country went into anarchy. Millions of people died after surviving the nuclear blasts, due to high radiation levels as a result of the bombs.
Despite the complete collapse of society throughout almost all of Zedrutia after the bombs fell, not all of Zedrutia fell into anarchy or either wiped out by the nuclear war. In central Zedrutia with the exception of Świętno, the region was left largely unscathed from the nuclear bombs and the towns were left largely alone due to its location in the rural, isolated and dense forests of the country. A few years after 2085, Ignalin, Olszynki, and parts of Świętno, have become one of the last surviving pre-nuclear areas where people lived relatively fine. Most of the locals in Ignalin weren't even aware that all of Zedrutia had collapsed just years prior. Because of this, Central Zedrutia became one of the last places to continue struggling even after the bombs fell, and although most of Zedrutia fell, Ignalin and the rest of Central Zedrutia were well on its way to becoming one. The Bistonian Military Police and National Guard, which had been stationed there during the occupation, became the only authority in the intact regions, becoming the only ones to keep things together in a state of chaos after the war. The Bistonians there knew that the outside world had completely collapsed, but had to ensure safety amongst the locals as the entire region survived unscathed. 
However, chaos soon immediately came within the first 6 years, as survivors began flooding into the towns and with the survivors soon carried gangs which soon evolved into raiders and bandits. They soon brought chaos into the region in which it led to conflicts between other factions, which soon led to the locals forming their own factions and driving all of them out, bringing a glimmer of hope. The Ignalin communities continued to survive and live in harmony, until radiation storms led to the devastation of the region and the destruction of the remaining towns, which soon forced the locals out. The Bistonian Military Police there, soon fled the region along with the locals to other places, however some have gone all completely rogue whilst others died in the coming years.
=== Kiezyn ===
Kiezyn was the capital city of Zedrutia. Before 2085, the city was put under joint occupation between CUFN peacekeepers and the Bistonians, after they had occupied Zedrutia during the Third Great War. When the bombs were heading over and sirens blared across the entire city, the city was in a state of absolute chaos after most had already confirmed that Byeradzina had been struck by a nuclear warhead along with Starobrzyn. During the last few minutes, CUFN peacekeepers attempted to keep order within the streets as thousands left the city in droves to other safer places in an attempt to escape the bombs. Kiezyn was soon struck by a dozen nuclear warheads, with millions dying upon impact. After the bombs struck the city, the entirety of Kiezyn was in flames. The survivors of the nuclear blasts soon went underground where they lived in vast networks of maintenance tunnels which were located underground.
=== New Gdansk ===
Starobrzyn
Byeradzina
Bełtów