The Great Bay
“Sure things are nicer there. But that just means there’s more assholes looking to screw you over for what you have.”
North of Sokal and separated by miles of Bandit and hostile tribe infested wastes is The Great Bay. With a nicer climate, more fertile land and generally less destroyed cities it would appear at first glance to be an ideal spot for settlement in the post Fall world. But ask any Waster in Sokal and they’ll all tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. The Great Bay’s plentiful nature simply draws more people to it and all of sudden the “plentiful” resources are anything but. All of the Great Bay’s numerous communities, nomad groups, and Bandits are in vicious competition with one another constantly.
San Chuan Xiao
“I wouldn’t go there if I were you, those guys are nuts. They only fight with their hands and maybe sticks, they hate guns, but I’ve seen them pluck bullets out of mid air and run on water. Ain’t normal.”
Located on the northern portion of the Great Bay, San Chuan Xiao, or simply SCX to most Sokal natives is a far off land of mystery. Rumor indicates it is an enormous and diverse city that was remarkably intact following the Fall. However rumor also speaks of the numerous and dangerous Clans that occupy SCX and constantly battle for supremacy amongst the ruins. They utilize strange battle arts and hand to hand fighting techniques supposedly preserved from before the Fall. These Clans, while constantly at war with one another are even more unwelcoming to outsiders and will violently oppose the influence of “foreigners,” meaning basically anyone from outside of SCX and the Clans. Many have traveled to SCX in hopes of learning their strange combat forms and styles. Admittance is far from guaranteed and many make the long journey only to face ostracization or training regimes so brutal they wish they had been refused. Outside of SCX the influence of the Clans spreads in the wake of two kinds of people: wandering warriors, eager to prove themselves in the “land of dirty foreigners”; and strange shaven headed monks, who practice beautiful and deadly martial forms, and preach the philosophy of balance and honor. While no one is allowed within the city itself, a large community has sprung up around the bay and the tributaries it supports of merchant traders and small communities who are allowed to trade with the Clans.
The Rock
“Some weird guys live in that place. I’ve only seen ’em once but I’ll never forget it. They wore the thickest armor I’ve ever seen, and one carried a sword, A REAL SWORD I tell you, as long as he was tall”
The imposing structure located in the mouth of The Great Bay, right in view of most of SCX is only really called The Rock as it’s name and original function are lost to history. A massive building that would be an able prize of any aspiring Bandit Warlord, The Rock has remained untouched and unassailable for decades except by the mysterious order of warriors that has made residence there.
These warriors are near mythic. They are few in number but incredibly powerful in personal combat, well armed and armored despite rumor that they eschew firearms, they dress solely in white and black robes or vestments and almost never leave The Rock. Those who seek admittance or information from them must all face the same trial, thirty days of waiting in the unforgiving, sun blasted rocks on the shores. Very occasionally they can be seen coming and going in The Great Bay, usually alone, and never in a group larger than six. Other than this little is known of these secretive warriors, and few have the courage to approach them to find out more.