The Ancients

Not everyone panicked as the apocalypse loomed... whilst the rest of the world descended into terrified chaos, some people remained calm - the Ancients. Anticipating the disaster yet to come, they quietly prepared, digging underground bunkers and storing supplies to support them through the oncoming storm. Surviving through sheer resourcefulness, the Ancients sought sanctuary within the Earth, constructing subterranean towns and cities where they remain to this day.

Ancients are retro-futurist in appearance and attitude. Retreating to the comforting safety of ancient times when nuclear war was no more than a flight of fancy, they have used the 'modern day' items scavenged from nearby wrecked cities to recreate what they see as 'better times'. Individual cities have adopted different eras and made them their own - and so you'll discover societies of Ancients from all ages of History, from Victorian to Edwardian, Medieval to Georgian, Tudor and the Middle Ages - but each with distinctive additional futuristic elements that come with trying to survive in an apocalypse-ravaged world. Cities are powered by a combination of steam, elbow grease and solar power, though fuel and water are at a premium and supplies guarded jealously.

At one time, all Ancients dwelled below the soil, weathering the long fallout years with the help of untainted reservoirs deep underground, and their vast stockpiles of tinned and freeze-dried food. Eventually, however, food supplies began to dwindle and some of the Ancients were driven above ground once more. Localising in the areas least affected by radiation and storms, these surface dwellers used radiation resistant, genetically modified seeds - stockpiled before the world's end - to cultivate fresh food supplies, which they share with the subterranean Ancients in exchange for water and fuel from below.