Introduction
New
Pretty.Poison
Born Poison, Blessed with Beauty & Rage
- Joined
- May 21, 2024
![]() ₮ⱧɆ ₩ØⱤⱠĐ ![]() It wasn't nukes and missiles that toppled the world's governments, it was division. The right from the left, the conservative from the liberal, rich from poor, brother from brother, father from son… genders, races, religious beliefs… There was definitely war, mostly civil ones, infighting among countrymen for control and power. It wasn't just in the US though, it was happening all across the world. The lines that divided people became gaping chasms that no bridge could cross. Protests turned violent, governments turned on their citizens, markets crashed, industries fell, and people died by the hundreds. Once the dust had settled it was clear that the world would never be the same. The United States of America was no more. With no overarching government, no federal law enforcement, and no real military to speak of civilization broke down. Smaller municipalities didn't have the resources to hire and train new police forces, and quickly fell beneath the burden. Larger cities with rich citizens were able to contract private forces to supplement what little law enforcement was left. The People flocked to these larger cities in fear, seeking the safety that they believed lay within. There just wasn't enough space for them all. Violence broke out among people competing for food and a roof over their heads, and so the cities grew larger, annexing smaller neighboring communities. Once they had grown as large as they could, unable to keep spreading out the built up, and when it still wasn't enough they built walls to keep out non-residents. They held lotteries for vacancies as they came up. Tent cities rose up outside the walls, nearly as lawless as the towns they had run from, but at least there they could wait and hope their number came up. It quickly became clear that there was no way to provide for the people within the walls of these cities, so other nearby areas that were rich with resources were claimed and policed by the private militaries they were able to cobble together. Fights would break out on occasion, usually with raiders but sometimes between cities, too as they competed for resources. Sometimes a city would fall to another, becoming just another territory for the victor to control. To help manage these mega-cities, each basically a country unto itself, they formed their own leadership, laws, and ways of governing. Leaving the lands in between, most of the country, lawless. ![]() City of Elysian ![]() Elysian rose up in the ashes of San Francisco. Conveniently located on the western coast and already well appointed with the necessary infrastructure, it rose as one of the first mega-cities in the former US, a template that other successful mega-cities plagiarized. While well intentioned, at first, the city's elite families jumped in to prop up the leadership of the fledgling city. In return they were given advisory positions to help with choosing policies, laws, and ordinances. Over time these positions became less advisory and more of a committee, each getting a vote in what passed or failed. They became known as the Olympian Ministry, carrying on with the nod to ancient Greek mythology. These Olympians, as they were called, very much let this power go to their head and became even more disconnected from the citizens they governed. The policies and laws they put into effect became more suited to their own agendas, and placed more restrictions on the lower class. Crime rates began to rise, the seedy underworld flourishing with aid from both sides. These criminal organizations offered opportunities to make the kind of money the poor could otherwise only dream of, and the rich greedily bought up their products be they exotic goods, drugs or even people. With the rise in crime the meager force left to police the city just wasn't enough. They turned to bounty hunters to bring people in to face the consequences of whatever crimes they've committed. |
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