The History and Geography of The Flats.

[Bosch]

The Past.

At an indeterminate time in the past an apocalyptic event occurred that basically ended civilisation. Not much is known about what exactly happened but it’s clear it had a massive impact on the environment. The world became hotter while the sands claimed wide sections of the planet. The Nights are short now and the sky has taken a slightly reddish hue.

While the “World That Was” is a mystery to most, signs of it are everywhere, from the bastardised technology that keeps the Flats alive to the ruins that act as the grave markers of a society nobody remembers.

The Flats.

The Flats is a desert region which is obviously pretty flat. Many varied groups call it home and they live in towns and cities dotted around the place. Sometimes a region called the Peaks will be mentioned it is not the focus of the RP but maybe mentioned in posts as background information.

The Badlands, The Wastes or The Wide Open.

This is the areas between towns and cities that is pretty much barren desert land with the occasional oasis. It is home to the Tribals, the Ochil and some small settlements. The Tribals are roving gangs of people that are pretty much feral. The Ochil meanwhile are a community of Nomads that wander the wastes taking old world Technology and selling it to whoever they meet.

Farpoint.

In a lot of ways Farpoint is a divided city, it’s the centre of trade on The Flats and is home to dealers in many different services and goods. The city itself is new world but the amount of beads that pass through it means it is in quite good repair. The most striking feature of the city is the Airships overhead which are often cargo transports. Nevertheless it is a popular destination for the wealthy to dock their own airships. For this reason it’s sometimes called “Shade city” due to the shadow cast by the many Airships floating above.

Hope.

It’s an old world town of cobbles and grand architecture that has been reclaimed from the sands by its religious inhabitants. The town’s people are xenophobic zealots who follow the teachings of a man called Father Singh. Singh believes by keeping his flock pure from the violence of the Flats they can become more pleasing to his interpretation of God and thus leave The Flats which they believe is a form of purgatory.

For this reason the town uses a group called the Guardians as protection, they are made up almost entirely of Orphans that are mercilessly trained to be the best defenders possible. Of these only a few ever venture outside the walls of Hope. These are called the Walkers who are considered to be the most lethal people wandering the Flats, however their small numbers make their threat negligible. The Guardians are considered to be brutal to their enemies and completely loyal to Father Singh. They also carry a mark on their hand which identifies them as Guardians, it is considered to be a trophy among criminal gangs.

Few people ever go inside its walls and all matters of trade with the outside are conducted outside the city’s walls using the Guardian’s as intermediaries. Intruders, if caught, will find their life expectancy is measured in seconds. Alleged crimes committed by citizens are judged by Father Singh and the only penalty is death.

New Mesa

This town is a combination of the old and new which means it has cobbled streets and some beautiful architecture sitting right beside houses made out of repurposed wood.

Its run by a man called Gretch, a Tribal who took over the town in a bloody coup. Not much has changed although Gretch’s brand of justice is a bit more brutal and public than his predecessor’s. The town is popular for its large Casino Complex called Fat Nick’s after the previous owner who Gretch deposed. Gretch didn’t want to change the name and affect brand recognition. In addition it is home to many brothels, bars and nefarious characters. It’s the kind of place where you can find anything if you walk down the right street. Best not think about what happens if you go down the wrong one though.

Skycove.

Sometimes this town is called the “Floating City” other times it’s called The “Rat Cloud”. Both are accurate depending on your opinion of Sky pirates.

Skycove is city in the sky that is normally in the south east of The Flats but it can move around a little. It’s completely man made and started out as a flotilla of Pirate Ships which eventually tethered themselves to each other and became a safe haven for Pirates. Over the years the town grew as more ships docked and never left.

Without any formal government and being populated almost exclusively by drunken Pirates means it is best described as anarchy. Nobody tends to remain in power long enough to really change anything. It’s not unusual to see someone taking a “long jump” after a drunken argument which has led to a small society developing under the city. These are called the body snatchers and they make their living by rifling through the corpses that fall to earth. It’s much wiser to settle an argument over a round of shine.

The Workshop.

This is the home of the White Group.

The Workshop is a hidden network of tunnels which were made in the Old World. It’s believed the cave network was created as a kind of bunker for the rich elites of the Old world although it looks like nobody ever used them. The architectural style is very grand making the place feel like a Church yet it’s a cold beauty of high granite walls, long corridors filled with statues by long forgotten artists.

Even if it’s baking hot above ground it’s always cool in The Workshop.

The Workshop includes several rooms including spacious living quarters for each member of the White Group.

The Training room.

The largest room in The Workshop was selected to be the training area because of its cavernous size. Here Members can practice their skills using a plethora of training devices so as practice locks, Wooden dummies, training weaponry, small practice buildings, Ranges, equipment for physical exercise and anything else a Member may need.

The Library.

A room filled with Maps salvaged from the Flats. The Library existed before the White Group uncovered The Workshop although then the shelves were empty. Apparently the delivery of Books never arrived.

The Office.

Where Mister Charles conducts his work it is connected to the rest of The Workshop by a network of Speaking tubes. The walls are adorned with a collection of items and weapons Mister Charles picked up on his travels.

[Bosch]

(reserved for future edits.)