Post-World War 3

This page is for world lore revolving around the aftershocks of World War 3.

## The New West

The world suffered under the effects of life prior to and during World War 3. Famine spread through most developed countries, as farmers and producers couldn't keep up with the demand for food. The world heated up rapidly from polution and the nuclear exchange near the end of the war. Land became dry and barren across the planet. Places that were once green and lush were now simply dust and dirt. The sun beat down on everyone and everything.

Cities full of people became empty and abandoned. Those that were left formed small towns in the wastes, where they could try and scrape a living from the dirt. These small towns elected a sheriff to watch over them, and soon enough the 'New West' began. Life began to have a bit more simplicity to it, much like the Old West, after the years of modernization prior to the war.

## A Broken Moon

Prior to the events of World War 3, a few of the highly developed nations (such as the United States, Russia, etc.) had already made a return to the Moon. Building large colonies, it seemed that humanity would have a bright future as it faced the stars and whatever else was out there in the void of space. With World War 3, however, Humanity would never get the chance to venture deeper into space.

As the nations of the world fought one another using anything at their disposal, putting intense strain on their economies and citizenry, they finally built up the courage to toss nuclear weapons at one another. The nuclear exchange would not stay planetside, however, as they also began to exchange nuclear weapons in orbit as well. Some of these nukes were also launched at the colonies that had been established on the Moon. As the missiles collided with their targets, the unexpected happened.

The damage caused by the impacts and detonations of the weapons caused the Moon to crack. Chunks of the Moon broke away, further destroying the colonies and eventually sending rocks crashing down through the atmosphere years later. The impacts from these chunks of lunar rock would destroy most of California and Mexico, as well as other parts of the world.

Hundreds of years later, the Moon still circles the planet, a broken mess of what it once was. The massive chunks of the Moon that had broken off now circle the globe as new satellites, as the smaller chunks continue to rocket through the atmosphere from time to time to rain on someone's already tough day.

## The Guns of Our Ancestors

The years preceeding World War 3, and the war itself, brought about a lot of changes. Especially in weaponry and defense. Bullet-based weapons remained a mainstay, but laser and plasma weaponry began to appear. As well as other types like gauss rifles and railguns. Even a man-portable gamma burst rifle was developed just before the end of the war, but at the time only robots could wield it. A lot of these weapons remained in use long after the war, mainly in the hands of civilians that managed to get their hands on them after civilization had collapsed. Weapons from years prior also remained in use, as AK-47s and M16s are still often found in the wastes.

In the field of armor, the highly devloped nations expanded on the idea of personal protection and soon developed exosuits and powered armor. The idea of attaching armor inches thick to a soldier and having him march through waves of gunfire became a reality. And several soldiers did just that during the war. Now, hundreds of years later, there are still those that find these suits and put them to good use. Only problem is they don't quite last as long as they used to, and batteries for these walking tanks are quite difficult to find.

## Riding Rails

Railroads have been around for hundreds of years, having been built first in the 1830s. It was a mainstay of travel around the world, but slowly faded into obscurity in the 1960s and '70s when steam was finally retired from use. Cars and other automobiles had also taken over, and trains just didn't seem to have the same appeal as it used to. Plus, almost everyone could afford a car by then.

The use of railroads slowly picked back up in the 2000s, but kicked back into gear in the 2100s with the world slowly drifting towards a state of hostility and war. Then, World War 3 occured, and the world burned. Eventually, years later as the larger factions of the former US sprang up, they saw potential in the old railroads and locomotives. If there was track, a train could get from point A to point B in a short time. Trains could also carry a lot of people, as well as various other things. Perfect for moving equipment and men over long distances instead of using dozens of smaller vehicles. And so, trains returned to extensive use. Of course, for normal folks, nothing beats a good old fashioned car or truck.

## A Deathly Silence

Radiation, in concentrated pockets and bursts, can be a deadly thing. Especially the radiation left behind from a nuclear war. Areas of the world continue to be bathed in eerie silence, a sign of the presence of radiation and radioactive materials. Such is the case with large portions of the Bayou, having felt the effects of the Southeastern blasts for hundreds of years now.

Dealing with radiation in this post-apocalyptic world tends to be rather difficult. There are still protective suits and vehicles that one could use, but they're few and far between. If you're a mutant, however, radiation isn't much of a problem. Still, it is a good idea to keep a geiger counter (if you can scrounge one up), just in case. As radiation is invisible to the eye, its a useful tool to have so you don't wander through the wastes and right into a lethal pocket of radiation.