The world has ended—and not in the way many thought it would. Where many thought it'd end with the sun or a manmade plague, it actually fell in waves. The first came in the form of political unrest. The second, a chain of battles that escalated into a world war, which left the earth scorched and with little food or water. Famine followed, terrorizing the land until finally... silence.
During World War 3 (often called the End of Wars), a major nuclear power plant was set off in Japan. This caused the world's ecosystem to collapse, creating a massive food shortage.
Now, the planet is hardly habitable with harsh summers and even harsher winters. Storms are out of control and completely unpredictable and society has long since died. Those who survived either lost their minds or their humanity.
The first wave began in 2025 with political unrest. Citizens in various countries were being enslaved, executed by government officials, and held captive in their country as a result of corporations taking over the political landscape.
This led to a globally-scaled revolution in 2026—the people against the government.
Outside countries involved themselves to offer aid to the people, believing that it was only right for them to turn against the hands that oppressed them. Soon, what were separate revolutionary battles in separate countries escalated into a full-blown world war—World War 3, or the End of Wars.
The war destroyed the world. The war hit nuclear power plants, resulting in the destruction of most of the Earth's land and leaving it uninhabitable for those who weren't immediately affected by the blast's radiation. There was not enough food for the remaining population, leading to those who hadn't been picked up by SERAPH to starve.
Silence. After famine spread throughout the world and many starved, death followed. Hunger has driven people mad with desperation, willing to do anything to eat. Coming across survivors in the wasteland with any morale is rare; nobody can be trusted.
The Rapture
SERAPH believes that the world ended and that those who died in the war were actually taken by God for the Rapture. They believe that the only reason they weren't taken is because they have been chosen to rebuild society to adhere very strictly to the Word of God.
Women
SERAPH believes that women are to be submissive and obedient. Women are punished harshly within SERAPH and are treated much worse than the men within their ranks.
Women are rare in the wasteland. Most Wretches younger than twenty have never actually seen one due to them being taken immediately and forcefully by SERAPH. Wretches who have women with them tend to be extremely protective and will not let her out of their sight because of SERAPH and other Wretches.
SERAPH stands for "Sanctified Elite Regiment for Armed Purification and Holiness"; it is the ruling government in North America. It is a theocratic-authoritarian military-styled government that forces the contribution of all who reside within it's walls.
SERAPH is most known and criticized for it's treatment of women.
The Scourge have been driven mad by radiation poisoning. They are extremely unstable and dangerous, often shot on-sight because of their unpredictable nature. Most Scourge aim to eradicate humanity, claiming that they are carrying out God's will.
Once someone has been sent over the brink, there is no cure. There are a small population of Scourge who are lucid, however, and are just dangerously unstable.
Wretches are lone survivors who don't belong to any group. They are actively hunted by SERAPH for them to "detain" and "employ". Wretches who are caught by SERAPH and refuse service are often publicly executed to keep SERAPH soldiers in line.
This series is based heavily on the Christian Bible while also using themes from The Handmaid's Tale and Fallout.
