Welcome to the Detroit Wastes
First, before anything else, I have to apologize. I know you didn't volunteer for this. When I first found you down in the bunker, I knew you could be useful. When I first met you, your lives should already have been over hundreds of years ago. Finding you there, in unknowing stasis, was a blessing. It may seem like a curse in the years to come. I have plans for you, but in order for those plans to reach fruition, you have to know what has happened.
The year is, from your point of view, unimportant. The records don't tell me how long you were down there before I first woke you, but it must have been centuries, as I couldn't find your names in any of our records. I can tell you that it has been 300 years since the merging of magic and science resulted in a golden age of mankind, unparalleled progress and expansion. This advancement resulted in people investing heavily into genetic modification, both of the world around them, resulting in fantastical beasts abounding, and their own bodies, creating new races of men, some with very little connections to the originals.
It has been 200 years since mankind delved where it should not have. There are some things man is not meant to know. The Foundation, a clandestine organization charged with keeping the world safe from otherworldly menaces, had been containing disturbing creatures, places, items and events for centuries previous to the golden age. You may have worked for them before you were put in stasis, or the organization that became them. Two hundred years ago, something went wrong. It is unknown if this was a purposeful event or accidental. It is even unknown what exactly went wrong, although documents point to several events happening at the same time. The skies boiled, the very air shattered, and things from other worlds broke into ours, laying waste to it. This event is commonly referred to as the Breach. The governments of the world retaliated, with the strongest weapons at their disposal.
It's safe to say it didn't work. In fact, I would go so far as to say it only made things worse.
With the Breach raging in the skies, the Contained rose up and rebelled, escaping to become what is now known as the Thousand Demons of the Waste. Many people were saved by quick retreat into Vault-Tech brand Fallout shelters. Communication systems were shattered by the vast release of magical energies. Those humans left outside have struggled to continue their lives, but it’s hard going. We survive, because we have to. Because someone, somewhere, can fix it. And, if things work out right, maybe we can still prevent the Breach in the first place.
Vault 72- Your home, from now for better or worse. When I worked here, it was not just a containment site, but a research site, dedicated to extending peoples lives. One of those projects was Experiment 3172, which I believe you are intimately familiar with. It was designed to induce a stasis field, effectively securing people from the ravages of time, by keeping them from living through it. I have disengaged this field, although, with the destruction of the main computer, it would have been hard to activate again anyways. I have taken the liberty of locking down your suite and making it inaccessible from the outside. I will warn you, the generator beneath your new home is only good for another thousand years, it wasn’t meant to be used to actually power the apartment for long periods of time.
Save Points- You will find with this note new badges. They are made from crystal matrices that combine normal security badges with basic computers, capable of display a map of where you've been. You can use this map to instantly return to any place you've been that has a similar badge. We refer to these places as 'Save Points.' The most obvious one is inside your suite, but you can also find them in most Foundation sites, and at any statue to Yoric. More on that later.
There are also temporary Save Points, that can only be used once. they glow purple, instead of red, but can be real lifesavers.
Vault 5- Devoted to the research of genetics and the breeding of stable races. There has been no contact with Vault 5 since the Breach. The Sea of Fire is DANGEROUS. Creatures that have become relatively stable in the rest of the waste mutate horribly there. Vault 5 is also the only place where any possible documentation from before the Breach exists.
Vault 99- Heavy weapons research. Last known message from them indicated that they were locking themselves in the vault, and the world could handle itself.
Vault 1- Research dealing with other planes of existence, and time travel. My home vault. I advise against visiting, there have been some… issues. Temporal portals, spots of slow and fast time… It’s not nice.
Vault 13- Devoted to medical research. Opened itself to public use roughly 100 years ago, now serves as the center of the town known as Vaultillion, and has been turned into a temple to Teej.
Freedom City- Built on the remains of the city you know as Detroit, ex-slaves from The Pit have made this a home for any who wish to be free. Still sometimes referred to as Detroit, but the entire area of this state that is still accessible by men is often referred to as the Detroit wastes. The entire city acts as a Temple to David.
Mutant Town- A full town of Super Mutants. Not fun. Contains a temple to Jaeger.
Ghoul Town- Go ahead. Guess. Major temple to Luminous.
Necropolis- For all the feral ghouls who don’t fit in with Ghoul Town.
The Zoo Zoo Zoo- No one has been inside for 200 years. Well. That’s not true. Plenty of people have entered. No one has left. A temple to Velyn has been established in the old parking structure.
Weirdville- A collection of settlers and normalish people, trying to survive the apocalypse. Contains a major temple to Old Aggie.
The Outer Wastes- Anything from about 20 miles north of Lansing in inhospitable to men. The Breach left portals open in the heavens, and things occasionally fall from them, or reach out of them. If you decide to go that way, I hope your last will and testament is up to date.
Super Mutants: Over large humanoid creatures. Said to have stemmed from illegal genetic alterations pre-Breach, the majority of Super Mutants have a greenish tone to their skin. They are largely dumber than their smaller humanoid cousins, but make up for it with tremendous strength. Super Mutants that exhibit intelligence swiftly rise to leadership positions, and learn magical tricks from their patron god, Jaeger. Some rare Super Mutants are known to follow Drac, and these are more likely to be friendly towards humans.
Ghouls: Deceased spirits haunting their own bodies. Ghouls are souls that have refused to die and continue living by animating dead flesh. Ghouls come in two main varieties. Feral Ghouls have lost their memories, or simply their will, and are mindless monsters, seeking only to consume flesh. Free Ghouls appear as wrecked, decomposing bodies, but can still talk and interact as humans. You can generally tell the difference from a distance because Free Ghouls will still be trying to wear good clothing, not the rags and tatters Ferals do. When a Free Ghoul is killed, their soul finds the nearest non-souled body to jump into. Some Ghouls have learned how to extend their reach to bodies that are much further away. Generally, the older the Free Ghoul, the more powerful it may be. It is believed that Feral Ghouls cannot inhabit a body by themselves, requiring outside help to do so, and exist as free roaming spirits until such help can be gained.
Destruction of Feral Ghouls is as simple as destroying their bodies. Free Ghouls are said to have some sort of token from their first body that binds their soul, and if you destroy this, their soul moves on to whatever is next.
Mirelurks: Giant, shelled, lobster-like humanoids, that first rose out of the Great Lakes a hundred years ago. While they seem to have some kind of internal command structure, they do not like talking with humans. Rumor has it they are a result of something leaking from the rifts the Breach caused.
Deathclaws: Originally bred as security forces during the years post-Breach, Deathclaws have thrived in the magical fallout. Growing bigger, and more intelligent, these reptilian monsters would be the rulers of the waste… if they didn’t hate each other. Appearing in a multitude of colors, and capable of expelling a variety of dangerous energy from their mouths, the older they get, the bigger they become, the biggest one recorded being well over 200 feet tall. They are all hoarders, each of them deciding in adulthood what they will horde, everything from gold, to weapons, to some reports of Deathclaws hoarding people. They are very intelligent, to the point that the eldest of them seem capable of casting spells.
The Trees of Death: A special pink flowering willow grows in the Waste. However, like many things in the waste, their beauty hides pain. The leaves of these trees are razor sharp, and many a traveler has been cut to pieces during a surprise windstorm.
Chaos Raiders: Other humans and humanoids, who seek to get the most out of the Waste, by taking it from other people. A unique breed, they practice a form of magic that allows them to jury-rig weaponry. Mostly they follow All Tok or Drak, with some few venerating Jaeger.
Brotherhood of the Occult Coalition: A legion of Knight warriors, devoted to Strelnik, who seek to save and restore the technology and magic of the past. They also host a more scholarly branch knows as Scribes, who venerate Luminous. They claim to hunt the Demons of the waste, seeking to put an end to their horrors.
Promethean Legion: Slavers and bully boys, devoted to their leader who holds the title Prometheus. They seek to put the world under their thumb, and have succeeded in a good chunk of it in the southern states. They follow Lament and think he has blessed their cause.
The Scaled Hand: A secret organization, spoken about in whispers. They are said to venerate the Demons and seek to aid them in escaping any confinements that may still hold them. Male members of the Scaled Hand are referred to as Big Brothers, while female members are called Little Sister.
UIU Enclave: The last remnants of the government structure that was was in place before the Breach. Safely, and easily, ignored.
There are 16 Gods who rule the Wastes. The lore and stories behind them are many and varied, but, for now, I'll give you some basics, including what they are gods of, what symbols denote them, and the minor demigods who serve them.
Shakka Brigit, The Many Bodied One
Domain: Madness, Fire, Survival, Lost Causes
Symbols: A silver pendant with a red ruby in the middle, rubies in general, simians
About: Shakka Brigit is not a god anyone often admits to worshiping. Anyone who wears his symbol can be, in effect, a part of the god, and while they can largely work on their own, at any time, he can focus his will through them to manifest within them. It is said that to even touch his symbol is to become a part of the greater whole, but this is roundly touted as a myth. When pictured, Shakka is shown with red hair and a white robe. It is said he was tricked into the amulet by Yoric and All Toc, over a debate about who should marry Aggie. Shakka is most often shown in opposition to Jaeger, eternal foes. He is also said to be a brother to Teej.
Demigods: Shakka Brigit is served by Gerld, the Lord of Destruction, and Kohnwehl, the Avatar of Anxiety
The Broken God, Machine Lord
Domain: Artifice, Darkness, Void, Anything to do with Machines or Robots
Symbols: The broken gear, creeping ivy
About: The Broken God is often blamed for the Breach, stories tell that when it tried to enter our reality that was what broke everything so wide. It is most often pictured as a mass of broken machinery, with steam escaping. There are many secret worshipers of the Broken God, hoping to appease it and find the pieces it needs to be put back together. Many Synths, Gearforged, and sapient machines follow the Broken God, in hopes of being made human, or at least souled. All of the other gods strive against the Broken God, it has no ties to any of them.
Demigods: The Singularity is the only deity that serves the Broken God, being the patron saint of Artificial Intelligence.
Jaeger/ Jaeger Mann, The Hunter
Domain: Evil, Murder, Genetic Enhancement, Mind Control
Symbols: A horned boars skull/head, a gear wrapped in red vines, a blue x.
About: The worst of the gods, he claims, loudly, and at great length, to anyone who will listen, to be the one who caused the Breach. He is a god of everything wrong in the world. No one knowingly admits to following him, as it is the equivalent of publicly admitting to cannibalism, or worse. He is said to move beside the world, instead of in it, watching for the point to push just the right pressure to cause a second Breach, that will allow him to shatter the world. While The Shining One combats Jaeger wherever he may dwell, it is Shakka Brigit that seems to draws Jaegers true ire. The fighting between those two has more than once resulted in the destruction of entire cities.
Demigods: The Baron Sil, Lord of Lords, god of Authority, is the only minor member of the Pantheon who will associate with Jaeger.
Old Aggie, Granny of the Waste
Domain: Luck, Protection, Children, and the Lost
Symbols: Traditional fertility goddess imagery, the rotund woman. Apples. Dildos, although no one knows why.
About: Old Aggie is generally depicted in stories and drawings as an elderly woman with a ribald sense of humor. She is also depicted as an overly gravid middle-aged woman. While she cares most for children, it is often said that entertainers, fools, and the just plain unlucky can often time feel her gaze upon them. She is generally followed by women and kids, mainly because she sees nothing wrong with playing crude pranks on her male followers. Aggie is known to be tolerant of Yoric, trading jokes with him, and watches over Teej. Shrines to Old Aggie can be found anywhere someone needs a bit of luck, and thus often turn up in the oddest places.
Demigods: Piffy, Goddess of livestock and demolition is her constant companion, and the Lurker, Lord of Shadows, is her consort.
Poor Yoric, the Man of Infinite Jest
Domain: Charm, Travel, Trade
Symbols: A white trilby, snakes, and rolled bedding, oft seen atop travelers packs.
About: Yoric is the travelers' god, a happy go lucky fellow who always seems delighted to hear peoples stories. Anyone who dons all three of his symbols is seen as a Hermit of Yoric, and, as long as they offer no violence, is to be given safe passage in all lands. In the tales, he is often inserted as a foil to Jaeger and Shakka, distracting those two from their fighting in order to steal away humans they meant to kill, or otherwise leading them from their goals. Yoric is followed largely by traders, and anyone else who makes a living traveling the vast Waste. Even Deathclaws are wary of attacking a pilgrim of Yoric. While not the most worshipped, Shrines to Yoric are likely the most populous in the Waste. They are also most often built with Save Points in them, and Yoric has some form of control over the creation of Save Points in general.
Demigods: Tamose, Deity of Communication, and Sax, God of Games, accompany Yoric in his wanderings.
Strelnik, Commandant of the Eternal Armies
Domain: War, Law
Symbols: A shield, baton, and helmet, a sword in an anvil, chickens.
About: Strelnik is a strident, angry god. He believes in the rule of law, a place for everything, and everything in its place. He is almost always shown as shorter than the other gods, but wider. It is given to him to watch over the endless wars that plague the land, and he is very happy with it all. He is often linked romantically with Old Aggie, but despises Drak and Lament, for focusing on the wrong parts of battle. He is followed mostly by fighters, soldiers, and officers of the law. Shrines to Strelnik are rare, being set up on battlefields, or at any local law buildings. These shrines are often used for administering oaths or proving the truth of statements.
Demigods: Black and Tomson are the twin Gods of Security, always dressed in identical armor, but lord bless the poor mortal who confuses one for the other.
All Tok, the Trickster
Domain: Trickery, Runes, Containment, Slavery
Symbols: Ukelele, straw hat, Hawaiian shirt, third eye, cream pies.
About: All Tok is the laughing god of the waste, always ready with a quick joke and an open palm. His sense of humor is more upper class than Yoric's, being more of the type of joke that makes you think, or the prank that makes you realize you dun fucked up, than something just for the joke of it. All Tok is ALWAYS three steps ahead, and will gladly lead you off a cliff, while he snags the hidden rope to swing to safety. He’s the cool uncle of the gods, or maybe the goofy uncle, he hasn’t quite decided. While he has a history of trading pranks with Yoric, usually getting the better end of the deal, he is deadly rivals with Drac, neither of them respecting the other. He is devoted to the cause of ridding Shakka Brigit from this world.
He is often followed by people who should know better, and delights in opening his followers' minds, sometimes painfully wide. He is often shown with his symbols, the hat pulled over his face. It is said that none may know the true face of All Tok, as he is constantly changing it. Many people follow All Toc, all for their own reasons. There are no shrines to All Tok, as any that have tried to be built end up being destroyed, ‘accidentally.’
Demigods: Most of the lesser deities are smart enough to associate with All Tok, but The Iceberg never learns, and is often a target because of that.
Drak, the Dragon King
Domain: Glory, Air, Weather, Wealth, Deathclaws
Symbols: A dragon clutching its own tail, cameras, four diagonal slashes as if from a deathclaw, butterflies.
About: Drak is a humorless, dour god, who desires to always be the most respected, and powerful. He is the self-styled King of the gods, and while the others may not respect him, they do not debate it. Those who disparage him title him ‘King of the Butterflies.’ He is often portrayed as watching important events unfold, camera in hand. All Deathclaws bow their head to him, and, sometimes, to his servants. He has a running rivalry with All Tok, and is romantically connected to the Shining One, as his co-leader. People who follow Drak are known to be glory seekers, people who are out to make themselves look good and rich. He is often pictured as a dark-haired man on a throne, accompanied by both a pet deathclaw, and a horde of butterflies.
Demigods: Grave Juglo, Master of Entertainers is Draks personal jester. Sin, the Butterfly Queen is Drak's only child, and rides herd on the demigods as her father does with the gods.
The Shining One, Beacon in the Darkness
Domain: Good, Water, Mirelurks
Symbols: A golden Halo, cephalopods
About: She is the light in the night, the one true way. The Shining One is only ever portrayed as a mass of light. Although the patron of all things good, she is a distant deity, rarely appearing to her multitude of followers. She is the second most revered deity, with shrines to her popping up anywhere that there is water. The mirelurks claim her as their creator, but whether this means they are good is up for debate. She is a distant wife to Drak, and generally keeps out of the usual sniping of the others gods. Many people confuse her and Luminous, but the gods seem not to mind.
Demigods: Magnus The HammerLord is often seen as her personal bodyguard. Procy the Trash Panda is often seen to be following her, picking up anything left of those she destroys.
Lament, the Raging Bull
Domain: Strength, Nobility.
Symbols: Bulls horns, the hand with two middle fingers touching thumb and two outer fingers extended, weights.
About: Lament is seen as the bruiser of the Gods. When a god needs a mortal leaned on, or monsters removed from a holy site, they may send Lament to clear things up. It was Lament who stopped the dreaded plague of Peanut from wiping out all human life, and it was he who wrestled Great Lizard to a stalemate, trapping the beast far underground, in a vat of acid. He is often pictured as a man with bulls horns. He is followed mostly by warriors who seek personal advancement. His shrines are few. He is romantically involved with Serra Pho, and rivals with Drac and Strelnik.
Demigods: Niles the Death of Sleep is Laments bard and constant companion.
Serra Pho, the Returning Green
Domain: Plants, Earth, Sun
Symbols: A newly sprouting tree, the sun
About: Serra Pho is depicted as a two-faced goddess, to show that nature can be both a blessing and a curse. She is invoked as Serra in her antagonistic aspect, and as Pho in her beneficial form. She is said to be the wife of Lament, and it is he that keeps her eternally pregnant, with new species of plant life to unleash upon the world. She is rarely followed directly, except by farmers and forest dwellers. Shrines to Serra Pho can be found in many woodland glades, and sometime in the oddest places where life has found a way.
Demigods: Rose the Bell of Flowers is, no surprise, the goddess of flowers. Heiden of the Green Thumb is her chief devotee, often called by his title of The Twisted Plot.
Teej, God of the Gaps
Domains: Healing, Death
Symbols: A red cross
About: Teej is supposedly one of the Thousand Demons of the Waste, ascended to godhood by the will of the other gods. He is a healer and … well, that’s about it. Teej is known as the God of the Gaps because he shows no interest in the modern world. When his mind touches his worshippers, it is always with the feeling that they have drawn his attention to them, but he doesn’t really seem to be paying attention. He is most often depicted as a red-haired youth, in a blue gown. His followers are everywhere, seeking to bring health and aid to the suffering… or to ease them into death, if that is the more charitable option. His shrines are mostly small and personal, in the homes of those who need him. It is claimed that he is the child of Velyn, and brother to Shaka Brigit, Luminous and Queen Madb.
Demigods: Spectre the Unready is often depicted at Teej's right hand, the guide for lost souls who will not pass. Jorth of the North is Teej's guide and guardian, often depicted as a wolf.
Luminous, the Three In One
Domains: Knowledge, Magic, The Future
Symbols: Triangle, computers, crystal balls, lightning bolt
About: Portrayed as a trio of feminine shapes beneath a single voluminous cloak, one head old, one middle-aged, one teen, Luminous is the fortune teller of the gods. They see all, they know all, and they rarely say anything about it. There are few shrines to Luminous, mostly in far out of the way places, that require a great trek to get to. They rarely communicate with anyone outside of the shrines, but have been known to manifest briefly to get pretentious people on the right track. Any female in purple robes is assumed to be at least influenced by them, if not an aspect of them.
Demigods: Mystborn the Unknown is the primary companion of Luminous' young phase, Tiny of Spirit the messenger for her mature form, and Sliver of the Wrong the protector of her old form.
Velyn, Mother of Monsters
Domains: Chaos, Animals, Mutation, Change
Symbols: A ball of tentacles, DNA spiral, playing cards.
About: Velyn is the goddess of change. She is constantly shifting, growing, making herself better. Many claim that the many mutations of the waste have sprung from her womb, as several of the gods and Demons have. Very few worship her, but those who do purposefully expose themselves to radiation and fluxing magical energies, hoping to become closer to her. She is often seen as an antagonist to the other gods, creating beasts and things that require their intervention. There is one shrine to Velyn, no one else would dare. She is served by four Demons known as Jacks.
Demigods: Bridge, god of Innovation, serves Veyln under duress, due to having lost a bet between her and Shakka Brigit. Chaose of Misrule, the Deity of Foul Play is Velyns eager assassin.
David, the Loving
Domains: Community, Liberation, Repose
Symbol: Sunglasses, a stick with a red tip, peace symbol
About: David is the most human-seeming of the gods. He is a god of peace and love and the most revered of the new pantheon. David walks amongst his flock, a black man who appears to be blind, and gives his blessing frequently. It is rare to find a human settlement that does not have a shrine to David. He tends to ignore the rest of the pantheon, having no time for their endless bickering, when he can do something to help the world. He is on bizarrely good terms with Serra Pho.
Demigods: David has declined help from any demigods, but has often been seen in the company of Trets, god of History.
Kohg, The Godfather
Domains: Knowledge, Technology
Symbol: A pristine unbroken gear, an open book
About: It is said that Kohg made the Gods of the Waste so that humankind would have someone else to bother while he went about the important business of learning. He was the first god, and raised the others up, and then… walked away. He is still worshipped, but it is often unknown if worship of him is in any way effective. He often chooses his worshippers from the smartest of researchers, wizards, and the like, and demands that they follow him and help him learn how to fix things.
Demigods: He is primarily served by Joey, god of Time, Rowjay, God of Writing, and Snorlison, God of Lost Knowledge.
The so-called Demons of the Waste were once the Contained, before breaking their chains, and escaping into the world. While the outside world like to number them at 1000, there are so many more. There are things in this world that are descended from Demons, or were made by them, or simply used to be Demons, that are now considered natural. If you can number and name the demons, you can find their weaknesses in the old archives… but that's a mighty big IF. Below are a handful of the ones I've seen recently. There is a multitude out there. Please be careful.
Peanut: An invisible demon, capable of living only in statues. While it is in this world, it animates inanimate, humanoid-shaped objects. When observed, it cannot move, but when it is not watched, it can move at phenomenal speed., seeking to grab any nearby humans and break their necks. Several times, the influence of other Demons has cause it to be able to animate more than one body at a time, resulting in plagues of statues upon the land, which usually requires the direct intervention of Lament to stop.
Tonin: Called the Daughter of Darkness, Tonin is a female Demon capable of clouding men's minds and forcing them to her will. She seeks the death of all that lives, claiming that only that will bring her mother back to life. She is most often foiled by Serra Pho.
The Jacks: Three male and one female Demon, bound to the service of Velyn, who created them. They each seek to breed with humankind, creating offspring that appear human until they reach puberty, when they begin to show the traits of their sires and run off to join them. Joh is a goatlike humanoid, a seducer of virgins, and defiler of maidens. Jos is a human with squid features, who procreates through forcing his attentions on the unknowing. Joc is most likely some form of werewolf, who spreads his seed amongst those who will accept him. Jod, or Jackie, is a female with spider features, who breeds by inserting her eggs into criminals and defilers. Their packs of children roam the wastes, doing the Jacks bidding, and whatever Velyn demands of them.
Queen Madb: Queen, not of the demons, but of an otherworldly race of fae, she is an unnaturally tall, horribly thin, gray-skinned female. She is often seen garbed in a raiment of sparkling light, wielding a spear made of cold iron. She and her people are found in the dark places, where men fear to tread.
The Piper: The human who holds a pipe carved from the bone of a Demon, there have been many Pipers over the years, but always there will be another. The mystic pipe allows him to control animals and children, and the Piper uses this to his advantage.
The Great Lizard: The dreaded king of the Demons, a vast reptilian figure, capable of coming back from any wound dealt it, it is only the combined might of the gods that can wrestle it back into the acid pit that constrains it when it breaks free.
The Doctor: If you see a man wearing a beak shaped mask, run.
I ask if you do run into any others, you document them. I should note that not all Demons are mobile, some are items, or too big to move. But, you should be able to know them when you find them. When in doubt, report back to me.
So. This should serve as, if nothing else, a primer on the Wastes. I will continue to leave updates for you here, and I would ask you do the same for me. With luck, we should be able to fix this mess. With good luck, maybe we can make things better than they were before.
With much love,
J. Tamlin, Level 5
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"Gods of the Waste" by AdminBright, from the SCP Wiki. Source: https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/godsofthewaste. Licensed under CC-BY-SA.
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