Theia

After the Eugenics Wars, the worlds population was decimated. Cities barely held together by martial law were separated by huge wastelands. With no remaining arable land and little to no remaining global trade, food shortages were extremely common. Port cities fared best, creating huge undersea farms, but even there starvation was common. A few wealthy citizens of one such city known as Theia, mostly arms dealers who had become rich after decades of war, created an organization called the Thede. The Thede was nominally dedicated to restoring Theia to a state of peace and prosperity, but within months they had disposed of what was left of democracy and created a police state. Theia became an oligarchy where the very rich fed on the labor of everyone else. While no one in the city starved, the Thede had no trouble executing any who stepped out of line. Despite this, some dropped under the radar, literally. The subway tunnels under the city became a literal underworld, where gangs war with each other when they aren't stealing food to survive. The Thede by and large ignore this underworld unless the violence effects the city on the surface. Welcome to Theia.

Factions
Thede The Thede control the surface city and the surrounding areas. Their armored cars are always patrolling the streets, and the sound of helicopters above is not uncommon. They have been commissioned to maintain the status quo. Most immediately that means protecting property, but they also oversee the various civic factions, as well as controlling (but mostly minimizing) travel in and out of the city. Thede officers rarely have a problem with killing those who get in there way, but they usually try to arrest troublemakers so they can be executed more publicly. The Thede are terrified of the quasimagical remnants of the experiments in the Eugenics wars, and will almost always kill any nonhuman or spellcaster on sight. However, the rich patrons of the Thede are known to keep spellcasters as servants or entertainment. These spellcasters are basically slaves, always living with the threat of losing their protection from the Thede. Lawful Good. Despite their questionable practices, the Thede manages to provide food and safety for all those who follow their rules. They see themselves as arbiters of peace in extremely dangerous times. Agromarine Agromarine was the company created by the Thede to run the undersea farms. The only time Agromarine guards are seen on the surface is guarding food shipments. They're not technically supposed to have their own security force, but the Thede looks the other way, and if you're suspected of stealing food the man beating you will probably be in an Agromarine uniform. They are notoriously harsh on thieves, making an example to anyone else who might want to steal from them. Lawful Neutral. Agromarine cares only about business. While they were created by the Thede, they would have no issue providing the same service to anyone else, as long as it was profitable. TTA the Thedian Transit Authority runs the subway system that connects various parts of the city. Unlike the Thede, they very much dislike anyone who has decided to call the subway tunnels home. While the trains are completely automated, they are built to run over anything

and anyone in their way. The tracks are also patrolled by living automatons programmed to keep the tracks clear. In addition to dragging corpses off the rails, this also means beating the living shit out of anything that moves. By some weird quirk of programming, these automatons are disturbingly cheerful. Their tuneless singing never stops, whether they're riding the trains or beating you to death. Lawful Neutral. There are very few if any living people involved in TTA. All they care about is making sure their trains run smoothly. FuseCorp The power authority of Theia, FuseCorp is tasked by the Thede with maintaining the fusion plant at the center of the city, as well as the hydrogen cracking plants and the shieldwall that surrounds the city. They are the only civil faction that does not maintain any sort of a security force, relying on the Thede to protect them. However, the mutants that work in and around the reactor core would be nearly unbeatable in a fight. Lawful Good. More than anyone else in the city, Fusecorp truly wants the best for everyone. Their laboratories are the only remaining organization devoted to helping others rather than themselves. Unfortunately they have no power beyond what the Thede gives them. UnThede UnThede is an underground movement dedicated to toppling the Thede. While most of them live in the subway tunnels, some, organized in cells of three, hide among the working class of the overworld. There are even rumors of cells inside the Thede itself. While they aim high, their attacks so far have been limited to taking out individual Thede patrols or hydrogen trucks. Chaotic Neutral. There are many different reasons to hate the Thede, and not all of them are moral. All that unites UnThede is the spirit of anarchy. Skinners Jacob Skinner built an empire in the underworld selling drugs and bodies to anyone who would pay. His thugs rule the Blue Line, collecting protection money from those who can pay and kidnapping those who can't. They even have enough ties with the overworld to sell their products above ground, as long as they don't cause trouble. They are constantly fighting to control more territory, but Jacob is careful never to spread himself too thin. Lawful Evil. Skinner is a business man, if a rather unscrupulous one. He runs a well organized mafia, not a primal gang. Tribals Less a unified faction than a group of small gangs, the Tribals are small, almost familial groups that roam the Yellow Line. When they see other groups they attack, killing the unlucky travellers and eating whatever they were carrying. Such a rich haul is rare, however; mostly Tribals survive on rats and other vermin that thrive in the dark corners of the subways. There are rumors of some mutant tribals that feed on the travellers and other tribals as well as what they carry. Neutral. Tribals don't feel strongly about anything; they just want to survive. Warrens The Warrens is the safest place in the subway system, which isn't saying much. Built along the outer reaches of the Orange Line, the Warrens is mostly made up of a mix of natural and manmade caverns. It is a haven from the rest of the underworld, and one fiercely guarded by it's inhabitants. While it was originally intended as a safe resting place for all, travellers from the Blue Line are generally viewed with fear and suspicion. That border is effectively

closed. The tribal border however, while heavily guarded, welcomes visitors, so long as they pull their own weight. Neutral Good. The people of the Warrens genuinely want to help anyone who isn't actively trying to kill them. Unfortunately that's most people. Canaries Mutants are actively hunted on the surface, and while less directly exterminated in the underworld, many are murdered for appearing different and all are persecuted for it. Some have taken instead to the rooftops of Theia. Surviving on stolen scraps and birds eggs, Canaries are usually thin waifs who often don't live to adulthood. They are usually loners, but occasionally a pair or a trio will wander together. These alliances tend not to last long, however; food is scarce, and it's easier to get caught if you travel in groups. Chaotic Neutral. All canaries want is to survive, but their constant persecution has given them a hatred of authority.

Environments
Streets The streets of Theia have broad, busy sidewalks, but the roads themselves are almost deserted except for Thede patrols and delivery trucks. Very few people have enough influence to get private vehicle permits. Crowds; the crowds on the streets provide cover for anyone moving through them, but they count as difficult terrain. They can be directed with a DC 15 diplomacy check which takes a full round or a DC 20 intimidate check which is a free action. They will also run at speed 30 away from any fight that breaks out Checkpoints; every once in a while the Thede will set up street checkpoints, where they will ask for identification and work papers. These consist of a barricade across the street manned by several patrol officers armed with crowd control type weapons, in full combat uniform. Patrols; Armored cars roam the streets at all hours. If they see something suspicious they'll stop and arrest everyone nearby, sorting it out later by referencing the surveillance tapes. Curfew; after dark there are no crowds, and the patrols will stop anyone they see and ask for curfew papers. Streetlights; the streets are well lit by lamps every 60 ft. Subways/sewers The people in the subways vary widely, but the terrain is divided simply into rail tunnels, which contain the tracks, and maintenance or sewer tunnels, which do not. Rails; usually these don't get in the way, but the third rail down the middle of the track is electrified. Anyone who falls in the track has to make a reflex save DC 20 to avoid being shocked. Trains; occasionally trains will fly through. Everyone in a rail tunnel must succeed at a DC 20 reflex save or be hit by the train. This usually means immediate death, as the trains are designed to go right through whatever is in their way. Torches; most of the subway system is lit by torches maintained by whoever controls that area. The exception to this is the Yellow Line and uncontrolled territory, where no one bothers to maintain anything. Torches provide dim illumination in comparison to streetlights, but they prevent total darkness.

Vermin; rats and bugs are common in the subways, especially near the stations where they can feed on scraps. They're harmless enough on their own, but often travel in swarms. Water; sewer tunnels are often half flooded and poorly maintained. Treat them like warm swamps or marshes, but without natural light. Rooftops The rooftops are by and large empty, but their removed nature and access to sunlight makes them naturally attractive to some. Spacing; streets in Theia are generally broad, about 20 ft across, making it difficult in most places to jump across, but there are often clotheslines and the like strung across streets in residential areas. Spacing between buildings on one side of the street is 1d3*5 feet, with the next building over 1d2*5 feet higher or lower. This is true for the residential areas. In Center City, the skyscrapers are never connected by such clotheslines, and vary in height by 1d6*10 ft. the average skyscraper is 200 ft tall. Helicopters; Copters are common in Theia. Most of them are Thede surveillance craft, but some are transit for the very wealthy. Most skyscrapers in Center City have helipads on the roof. Hiding; there is a 50% chance that a given building will have some sort of hiding place where a canary sleeps at night. These are often lined with stolen blankets and pillows, and are generally underneath some feature of the roof to protect them from rain and surveillance craft. Canaries rarely stay still, so maintaining these and keeping them hidden is one of the unspoken laws among them. If you find yourself miles from where you slept last night, it's good to have a safe place. Farms The underwater Agromarine farms are maintained by divers and submarines, as well as floating processing units. These units are basically warehouses on pontoons, filled with machinery and table for packaging. Water; not much to say. You're probably going to drown before you get to a farm, as they can often be miles offshore. Snipers; the factories have sniper posts on the roofs, who fire at any unauthorized person coming or going from the factory. Sharks; handlers in diving suits ride sharks around the farms to keep the workers in order. They are armed with THEY'RE NOT FUCKING ARMED THEY HAVE SHARKS.