Factions

Society of Dawn

Dawn is a splinter group formed from the small remnants of the regular CIS armies that survived the nuclear catastrophe. It includes people from a wide range of countries, from Belarus to Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

After civilization collapsed overnight in nuclear fire, the squabbling and local conflicts never went away. Part of the surviving Chinese army moved north, trying to find shelter there from the effects of the solar flares layered on top of the nuclear catastrophe. But it ran into a joint Kazakh-Russian military force. Even after the fall of governments and any organized political power, this turned into open war. What's more, even parts of the former military increasingly came to resemble criminal gangs. All of this led to infighting within the larger coalition, a struggle for power in an attempt to dominate what remained of human society. Out of this the Society of Dawn was born — officers weary of war who banded together.

While surveying the Leningrad region, Dawn's leadership picked up Scavenger radio chatter about a large group of survivors in the Chernovodsk area. A large advance group was assembled, tasked with penetrating the forest-choked Chernovodsk through an old technical tunnel. It served as a route to a classified military base, whose existence was also an important objective for Dawn. However, the tunnel had over time become infested with anomalies and, on top of that, rare mutants. After fighting through the tunnel with heavy losses and a much-reduced force, the Society took over the nearest classified base — which turned out to be nothing more than an abandoned military depot. Unfortunately, they entered Chernovodsk right before a massive solar flare that permanently severed the way back through the dangerous underground tunnel. After the flare hit, the tunnel became riddled with anomalies, and the forest began its aggressive expansion, sealing off any remaining way out for good.

Goals, Politics, and Structure

Dawn was created to fight the consequences of the solar flares — mutants and aggressive flora — and to build a fair and safe society that could recall the calmer times of the past. Anyone who wishes may join Dawn, including as a civilian. Through Dawn, many of Chernovodsk's Lost have found at least a hint of the civilization that once was.

Under the protection of Dawn's military branch, civilians can feel far more secure, contributing to the common cause through their work in return. The Society of Dawn is known for being open to all other survivors as well. Dawn's bases have become temporary gathering points for survivors, where they can rest and stock up on supplies. Independent traders often travel alongside Dawn as well. They supply Dawn with necessary goods and serve as a source of materials and other resources for civilians. In exchange for discounts and other perks for Dawn's military branch, the traders receive its protection.

To regulate trade, alongside straightforward bartering, surviving pre-war currency is also used. It managed to retain value outside the Society thanks to its resource-backed origins. Everyone who has heard of Dawn knows that this currency can be counted on to buy supplies, ammunition, and equipment. Independent traders are well aware of this too, which is why the Dawn ruble often holds value with them as well.

The faction is run by an officer corps, headed by a single captain. All members are divided into military and civilian personnel. There is also a small group of Dawn scientists who study artifacts and build devices needed by the Society. The captain is elected by the officer corps.

There are also plenty of contradictions that lead most people to avoid Dawn as a permanent place to live. The Society's laws are quite harsh and heavily restrict civilians. Curfews are enforced at night, and various violations are punished, among other things, by execution. Dawn also does not tolerate digging into the affairs of the officer corps. Any questions or attempts to voice discontent toward individual officers who have clearly settled into far better conditions are suppressed by every possible means. So far these remain isolated incidents that haven't led to anything serious. In the end, the harshness of the laws and the order they enforce still pay off for civilians in the form of safety and other benefits — for now.

More than once, racism and mistreatment of those who are not from CIS countries have also been noted. This is largely a legacy of the drawn-out conflict with China and years of military propaganda that, long before the large-scale tragedy, kept insisting: enemies are everywhere.

Relations with the other factions inside Chernovodsk were established fairly quickly. The Hunters, like the bandits, are viewed by Dawn as cultists and criminal elements. Where the former results in something like a cold war, the latter are shot on sight by Dawn, much like mutants. The Mechanics, while not a direct ally of Dawn, clearly enjoy a degree of partnership interest from it.