Character Creation and World Building: The Campaign Background Part 1
The God Machines are eight AIs created by the technologically superior mankind of over 5,000 years ago to ensure the survival of the human race after nuclear war.
This is set in a culture that has forgotten the mechanical marvels that run their society, and believe them to be miracles. Even the most learned of these people believe that they, as a people, have been sealed away in this enclosed world to prevent the extinction of humanity. Now, these machines run the system through those called 'Destined and Awakened,' and these AI control the fate of all those beneath the dome.
This group of machines have formidable powers and have been left as the 'supposed' caretakers of the world. To the present peoples, they are the Gods of their small world. These same Gods induce mutations in mankind by altering them genetically over a great period of time, using the depleting radiation of a 21st century war. The magic that human beings now possess is that same radiation mutation, which each Destined and Awakened are given control of, by the glyph upon their brow, that reads the genetic manipulation of the radation mutations.
Un-Destined are those that can resist the control of this system, and when in close proximity of the 'Gods,' they have their own free will. This is because the Un-Destined do not have a glyph or the powers given by the Gods in their veins, a.k.a they lack the radiation mutation. Essentially, they are read as an error in the program and it is for this reason the Gods have caused wide spread contempt of the Un-Destined, having them either killed or enslaved.
A complete inorganic system has been created, with a great barrier dome that extends far out into the ocean, far enough that ships that crash against it are said simply to have been taken down by great sea creatures. The land of Sapti is desolate, and greenery is rare indeed, with the only items of wood being those created from driftwood. Whale bone takes the place of much in the likes of arrows and spear/javelin shafts etc. Great sand golems stand before the mountain exits of this wasteland, and to leave, both they and the barrier dome itself must be destroyed.
Forsaken, those Destined who are twisted and broken from their search for power or emotional trauma rule beyond the walls of the 8 cities. They roam, searching for those who are still loved by the Gods they have come to abhor, and will rip man and beast to shreds. Permits must be obtained by city governance to travel, and it is for this reason that the many ruins of the last few millennium have been left largely untouched.
There are no villages or towns as far as is recorded, easy targets for the Forsaken, so between the Cities there are few safe places to rest your head. For all the dangers of the desert, only guarded caravans and patrols of Paladins leave the city walls, and it is more likely that you were born and died in that same old city.
