World

Dark things have always dwelled on the Earth. Legends of the forces of darkness have existed since the dawn of man, and each one has at least some ounce of truth to it. Vampires, spirits, werewolves, zombies and more have all threatened mankind’s existence, but had always been pushed back by those who fought against the growing darkness. It would seem ironically fitting that these very forces would be humanity's savior.

Well over a millennia ago, humankind found itself on the brink of extinction when the demon hordes came. Straight from the bowels of some interdimensional hellscape, these demonic forces invaded the Earthen Realm. In nearly a fortnight, all of humanity was pushed to the brink. In a desperate last act, mankind utilized their most destructive weapons at the time; nuclear armaments. Unfortunately, this proved for not, as the atomic was greedily consumed by the hellfire hordes. It seemed the invasion would not be stopped. Soon the entire globe was blanketed in nuclear fallout, leaving behind the demon hordes to plunder the ruined world.

As nuclear fire spread throughout the world, it was only due to the quick action (and incredible foresight) of the remaining vampire clans to seal off and protect as many humans as possible in underground chambers, known as Crypts. During their time in captivity, human culture and history was stripped away, all religions replaced by a single church created and maintained by the vampires which taught of a Divine Plan, praising vampires as the saviors of humanity and rightful rulers. These fortresses would hold fast as the last vestibules for humanity for several centuries, before finally life upon the surface could be sustained again. Once it was proved that life could be sustained, vampires left the crypts, towing in their human subjects to rebuild and restructure society.

Outside of the crypts, however, the world was forever transformed.

### The Glowing Seas

A majority of the world's landmasses have been covered by water and ice due to the combination of rapid melting from the atomic blasts, followed by a nuclear ice age. While the crypts reopened once the world's climate was hospitable again, the majority of the world's water remains frozen at the bottom of the oceans, thus causing the world to be covered by far more water than before the bombs fell. Due to the sheer amount of radiation absorbed by the water, the oceans and seas give a faint blue glow that's visible at night. What small amounts of aquatic life survived the apocalypse have since rapidly mutated, giving form to a multitude of subspecies of mutant animals and sentient life over the past millennia. The water masses of the world are plagued with such beasts, including gargantuan, mostly amphibious monstrosities known commonly as Maiju.

### The Wilds

Since the bombs falling, a majority of the world's vegetation has returned, giving shape to what is now known simply as The Wilds, the untamed growths that thrived since the apocalypse. The Wilds are home to many a mutated beast and monster, the plant life itself has evolved to the point where vegetation can often move and react to it's immediate environment. The occasional human and vampire settlements are scattered about, connected by roads often patrolled in order to offer some semblance of security to travelers. While many interesting and exotic locales may exist off the beaten path, few survive such treks that stray from the main roads.

### The Wastes

Despite the nuclear holocaust that shortly followed the initial invasion, Demons still continue to live along the surface of the Earth, leaving radioactive waste and decay in their midst. Their physiology changed since the atomic hellfires scorched the earth, causing both a reliance upon radioactive material while simultaneously producing and amplifying the effects of radiation. Simply put, the longer demons stay rooted in the same place, the stronger they become. When forced to travel, they are weakened immensely but leave a swath of destroyed waste in their wake. Generally speaking, it's common knowledge that if one sees wasteland as opposed to the verdant Wilds, demons can't be too far away and caution should be exercised. In the more irradiated of places such as old nuke plants or nuclear storage sites, demons hold valuable positions of power that is nigh impossible for non demon or mutants to endure, less rad sickness kicks in.