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<h2>Some Chronicler writings (from the book)</h2>
<center>[[File:MYZ2024.png|border|800px]]</center>
<h3>ABOUT THE APOCALYPSE</h3>
<p>“How did the world end? Some Stalkers
and other braggarts say they know what
happened. That a great plague swept the
world and killed everyone. That the bosses
of the Old Age fired their weapons of mass
destruction at each other and drowned
the world in flames. That the gods among
the stars, the Ancients’ overlords, had
enough of mankind’s hubris and decided
to end it all in fire and brimstone. Maybe
it’s true, maybe it’s just lies and tall tales.
The truth is, no one knows for sure. Except
maybe the Elder. And he refuses to talk
about it. We learned as children not to
ask, he would curse and rave at us every
time the subject came up. But I’ve heard
him mumble in his sleep. He said that the
Ancients ended themselves.</p>


<h3>ABOUT THE ELDER</h3>
Of course the world ends. It happens quickly, faster
<p>“Do you remember what it was like before
than anyone could predict. The Red Plague hits
the Elder got sick? He used to walk
a world already on the brink of collapse. Extreme
around in the Ark and talk. Talk and help
climate change, global economic crisis, increasing
us with anything we needed. During the
conflict between old and new superpowers. When
days, it was school time and he taught the
the pandemic comes, the last thin veneer of stability
People to read and count. At night, we’d
crumbles.
sit around the fires and listen to stories
about the Old Age. The Elder said he
hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, but that
he had read books and seen moving images
that showed what a fantastic time
it must have been. When the Elder got
sick, all that stopped. Maybe it’s the Rot
that finally got to him. Maybe he’s just
old. I don’t care which. I just want to sit
in his lap again, to hear him talk about
the green fields, the blue lakes and the
great cities full of people.”</p>


<h3>ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE PEOPLE</h3><p>
One billion people die in the first year. Utter
“Did you ever think about where we come
panic reigns supreme, solidarity between nations
from? About the source of our mutant
is non-existent. Wars break out over the last, dwindling
powers? The People have lived in the Ark
resources of the world. For the first time since
as long as we can remember, everyone
1945 nuclear weapons are used in armed conflict.
knows that. But before then? Are we born
Mushroom clouds rise from east to west.
here, or have we come here from somewhere
else? The only one with answers is
the Elder. And he always refused to tell
us. ‘Don’t look back,’ he’d say. ‘The past
holds nothing but death and destruction.
Look ahead. Build a new and better world.’
Now he’s on his deathbed, they say. Now
we might never know. Unless the answer
is in Eden.”</p>


<h3>ABOUT THE BARREN PEOPLE</h3><p>
Everyone tries to save themselves. The rich and
“Our days are numbered. The People are
powerful start monumental projects to escape the
doomed to wither and die. We’re not like
surface of the dying Earth: going deep underground,
the wild mutts or the Zone-Ghouls that
to the bottom of the oceans, into the cold darkness of
seem to multiply every day. Not like the
space. The seats in these final lifeboats for mankind
Ancients, who filled the world to the brim
are desperately few. For most of the world’s inhabitants,
with their offspring before the end. We
there is no way out.
mutants cannot breed. We are barren. No
children are born in the Ark. You know
that, you say, everyone knows that. Sure.
But there is hope. We must go into the
Zone, seek contact with others. They say
there are other Peoples out there, that we
can join to grow stronger. What if we are
only barren to each other? What if there
are artifacts that can help us? Listen to
me. If we just stay here in the Ark, we will
perish. We have no choice. We must go
into the Zone. We must search for others.”</p>


<h3>ABOUT MEN & WOMEN</h3><p>
Once it’s all over, Earth is still. Nature invades
“No children are born in the Ark. So what?
ruined cities. Winds sweep through empty streets
I think that’s a good thing. During the Old
turned into graveyards. Time gnaws the windows
Age, men were in charge and women had
off skyscrapers, panes falling to the ground in a slow
to take care of the children, did you know
rain of glass.
that? Not any more. Now I call the shots.”</p>


<h3>ABOUT THE GRUB</h3><p>
Yet life remains. Slivers of humanity survive
“The Elder always took care of us. Protected
the Apocalypse. In the Ark, a small settlement at
us, comforted us, gave us grub.
the edge of a dead city, the People live. You are the
There was a stockpile of canned grub, and
spawn of humanity, but not quite human. You are
he knew how to grow more right out of the
twisted funhouse images, mutated freaks. Your bodies
ground. Now the stockpile is almost gone,
and minds have incredible powers, but you are
and nothing is growing. Grub is scarce
unstable. Fragile. None of the People are over 30
and what little there is, is controlled and
years old.
rationed by the Bosses. Soon there won’t
be any grub left. Then we’ll starve – unless
we learn how to grow grub or kill beasts
and eat them, like the Ancients did.”</p>


<h3>ABOUT BURNING THE DEAD</h3><p>
Except the Elder. Your leader, but not like you.
“Why do we burn the dead? Why not just
One of the Ancients. For decades he has warned
throw the corpses into the Zone or bury
you: be on your guard, don’t leave the Ark. Stay here,
them in the ground like they did during
or the Rot will get you. Or something even worse.
the Old Age? Because we have always
So far, you have obeyed his commands. Lived off
done so. It’s the People’s way, like the
rations from the Old Age. Chased off every stranger
Elder taught us when we were children.
who came close to the Ark. Few dared to go out into
When our bodies burn we rise to the sky
the Zone. That is what the Elder calls the outside
with the smoke, back to the other world
world.
from whence we came. So said the Elder.
Do I believe it? I don’t know. It doesn’t
matter. We have to do something with
all the corpses. We can’t have them lying
stinking in the Ark.”</p>


<h3>ABOUT ZONE-GHOULS</h3><p>
But the safe days are over. Food is running
“There are many dangers out in the Zone,
scarce, and the fight for what’s left is turning violent.
but trust me, the Zone-Ghouls are the
You starve. Factions are forming, bosses on top
worst. They are wretched creatures of the
and slaves at the bottom. In the middle, fixers who
Rot, spawned by the Zone itself. They are
try to turn a profit from anyone and everyone. And
skinny and short like children, but don’t be
the Elder can’t stand up on his own anymore. They
fooled – they hunger for mutant flesh and
say he can’t even take a piss without help. You’re on
don’t have an ounce of humanity left in
your own now.
them! Thankfully, there are ways to avoid
them. First of all, only move through the
Zone during daytime. The Zone-Ghouls
can’t stand the sunlight, not even through
the smog – that’s why they all dress in
hoods and wrap up their heads and hands
with cloth. Some say the Zone-Ghouls
aren’t even living beings at all, that they
are evil spirits from the Old Age. But I
know better. I know they can bleed, I know
they can die. My advice – bring a scrap
rifle and never let them get close. If you
see one Zone-Ghoul, you can be sure there
are at least two more nearby.”</p>


<h3>ABOUT OTHER ARKS</h3><p>
It’s time to venture out. To explore the Zone, to
“Some nights, when the smog lifts, you can
search for artifacts and knowledge. Build, grow the
see faint lights at the horizon. Have you
land, seek out others, create a new civilization on the
seen them? Some say they are just a mirage
ruins of the old one. Seek your origin. No children
or some Zone phenomenon best left
are born to the People – if you do nothing, you will
alone, but I don’t think so. I’m sure there
perish. Maybe, one day, you will find the Eden of
is something over there. Something important.
legend, the Ancients’ haven from the encroaching
I once walked as far as I could in
hellscape. That’s where salvation and truth await,
that direction, before the grub ran out or
the stories say.
the Rot got me. I didn’t make it all the way,
but pretty far. Do you know what I saw?
Other mutants, just like us. Believe it if
you want, but I’m sure there is another
Ark out there. We are not alone.”</p>


<h3>ABOUT THE ROT</h3><p>
Maybe it’s all fairytales. It doesn’t matter. You
“So, you want me to take you into the
have no choice. This is the beginning.
Zone? You think you have what it takes?
You have no idea what it’s like out there.
No idea. Let me tell you about the Rot,
and we’ll see if you still want to go after
that. The good kind of Rot is the kind
you can see. Green sludge floating on a
still pond. If you get it on your body, it
will seep into your wounds, your mouth
and eyes. It will slowly break you down.
The bad kind of Rot is invisible. You won’t
know it’s there until your bones and muscles
ache. If you go too close to the hotspot,
your hair will fall off. You puke blood. If
you don’t get away quickly, you’re done
for. How do I survive in the Zone, you ask?
I know where to go, and where not to go.
I know what water to drink, what food to
eat. And I know how to endure pain. The
Rot hurts more than you could imagine.
Are you still sure you want to go?”</p>


<h3>ABOUT THE ENCLAVES</h3><p>
'''This is Year Zero.'''
“When the world ended, not all people
----
died. We are proof of that. They say some
Our Chroniclers have assembled more [[Lore]]...
people fled the Apocalypse. They dug
deep underground, dove to the bottom of
the ocean or left the Earth to build floating
cities in the sky. These sanctuaries
were called enclaves. But the Apocalypse
didn’t let people get away that easily.
They say a great war broke out between
the enclaves, that the last people tried
their hardest to annihilate each other.
Mighty weapon-strikes crushed underground
enclaves and felled others from
the sky in a rain of fire. How the war
ended? Who knows? Maybe it’s still going
on?”</p>

Latest revision as of 12:54, 18 February 2024


Of course the world ends. It happens quickly, faster than anyone could predict. The Red Plague hits a world already on the brink of collapse. Extreme climate change, global economic crisis, increasing conflict between old and new superpowers. When the pandemic comes, the last thin veneer of stability crumbles.

One billion people die in the first year. Utter panic reigns supreme, solidarity between nations is non-existent. Wars break out over the last, dwindling resources of the world. For the first time since 1945 nuclear weapons are used in armed conflict. Mushroom clouds rise from east to west.

Everyone tries to save themselves. The rich and powerful start monumental projects to escape the surface of the dying Earth: going deep underground, to the bottom of the oceans, into the cold darkness of space. The seats in these final lifeboats for mankind are desperately few. For most of the world’s inhabitants, there is no way out.

Once it’s all over, Earth is still. Nature invades ruined cities. Winds sweep through empty streets turned into graveyards. Time gnaws the windows off skyscrapers, panes falling to the ground in a slow rain of glass.

Yet life remains. Slivers of humanity survive the Apocalypse. In the Ark, a small settlement at the edge of a dead city, the People live. You are the spawn of humanity, but not quite human. You are twisted funhouse images, mutated freaks. Your bodies and minds have incredible powers, but you are unstable. Fragile. None of the People are over 30 years old.

Except the Elder. Your leader, but not like you. One of the Ancients. For decades he has warned you: be on your guard, don’t leave the Ark. Stay here, or the Rot will get you. Or something even worse. So far, you have obeyed his commands. Lived off rations from the Old Age. Chased off every stranger who came close to the Ark. Few dared to go out into the Zone. That is what the Elder calls the outside world.

But the safe days are over. Food is running scarce, and the fight for what’s left is turning violent. You starve. Factions are forming, bosses on top and slaves at the bottom. In the middle, fixers who try to turn a profit from anyone and everyone. And the Elder can’t stand up on his own anymore. They say he can’t even take a piss without help. You’re on your own now.

It’s time to venture out. To explore the Zone, to search for artifacts and knowledge. Build, grow the land, seek out others, create a new civilization on the ruins of the old one. Seek your origin. No children are born to the People – if you do nothing, you will perish. Maybe, one day, you will find the Eden of legend, the Ancients’ haven from the encroaching hellscape. That’s where salvation and truth await, the stories say.

Maybe it’s all fairytales. It doesn’t matter. You have no choice. This is the beginning.

This is Year Zero.

Our Chroniclers have assembled more Lore...

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