Rust Keepers

The Rust Keepers are a guild of engineers, tinkerers, and craftspeople dedicated to preserving and repurposing the remnants of ancient technology. While magic is not taboo within their ranks, the art of harnessing the Dark is beyond the grasp of most members and is rarely a focus. Instead, their strength lies in their ingenuity with technology, salvaging, and rebuilding tools and machinery to suit the harsh realities of their world.

Their forges glow with a steady, reassuring light, and their workshops are filled with the cacophony of hammering, welding, and the buzz of jury-rigged devices springing to life. Rust Keepers take pride in their ability to repair almost anything, believing that every broken machine tells a story worth preserving. Their workstations are often littered with gears, wires, and strange materials salvaged from the forgotten past, pieced together into something functional and, at times, extraordinary.

Diplomacy

Social Bias

In Dark Syde, mastery of the Dark is a mark of power, status, and often privilege, setting the tone for societal hierarchy. Those in the Rust Keepers, with their focus on engineering and ingenuity rather than arcane prowess, often find themselves viewed as a lesser class by those who wield the Dark. Despite their vital contributions—repairing and innovating technology essential for the survival of Dark Syde—their inability to manipulate the Dark leaves them undervalued in a world that reveres magical dominance. This prejudice fosters a quiet but persistent sense of resentment and determination among the Rust Keepers, who take pride in their grit and practicality, proving their worth not through flashy spells but through the indispensable tools and machines that keep the settlement alive.

Rust Keeper Characters

• Alignment: Usually Neutral and usually Chaotic
• Suggested Races: Human
• Suggested Classes: Techie, Medic, Gunslinger
• Suggested Archetypes: Field Mechanic, Field Medic, Gun Dancer
• Suggested Ladders: Savant, Survivor

You might enjoy playing a character who belongs to the Rust Keepers if one or more of the following statements are true:

• You want to play a resourceful individual who thrives on scavenging, reworking, and repurposing discarded technologies for practical use.
• Someone drawn to the idea of taking old, broken things and giving them new life, proving that even discarded objects have value.
• You’re eager to play a character who sees the world not in terms of pristine, untouched ideals, but as a field of opportunities for innovation and experimentation.
• You want to explore the idea of embracing a utilitarian lifestyle where survival and progress are driven by what can be fixed, altered, or adapted.

Background: Rust Keepers

If your character was born and raised in Dark Syde, you can choose this background instead of those listed in the Ultra Modern Redux rule book.

You have been shaped by a life of resourcefulness, creativity and unyielding practicality. Growing up among the scrap heaps and forgotten corners of Dark Syde, you have learned to see value where others saw only waste. You have honed your skills in scavenging, adapting, and reworking old tech, often through trial and error. Life is constant tinkering, problem-solving, and ingenuity—where nothing is beyond repair and everything has a purpose if one is clever enough. You have developed a deep sense of self-reliance and skepticism toward the established order, preferring the flexibility of improvisation over rigid structures. You understand the delicate balance of working with what is available, and your resourcefulness can make you a valuable asset or a thorn in the side of more structured factions. Often times it depends on your mood.

• Skill Proficiencies. Engineering and Insight
• Languages. One language of your choice and Rusted Code .
• Equipment. May purchase any equipment in the Ultra Modern 5 Redux source book with a total value of 500 credits or less.
• Renown 1 and Rank 1 with the Rust Keepers.

Feature: Make It Work

Your can do spirit and problem solving gets you through most of life's problems. Once per a long rest, you can reroll an Engineering or Insight skill check. This does not count as having advantage and you must take the new roll. You may choose to reroll the die after you know if the roll is a success or not.

Suggested Characteristics

Those with a background in the Rust Keepers are fiercely independent, resourceful, and adaptable. They have a knack for seeing potential in things others would deem useless, often thinking outside the box to solve problems with whatever they can scrounge together. Their practicality often borders on the unconventional, and they’re not afraid to take risks or bend the rules in pursuit of a solution. Though they may come off as a bit rough around the edges, they have a deep respect for ingenuity and hard work. They value freedom and self-sufficiency, and while they may not always fit into more structured societies, their loyalty lies with those who understand the importance of survival and innovation over bureaucracy.

Contacts

The Rust Keepers do not gain contacts from their faction. Instead, they gain access to the Rust Market. This is how Rust Keepers sell the things that they create and buy the goods that they need. Through the Rust Market, a faction member can purchase any item that is listed in the Ultra Modern 5 Redux source book for it's listed price. They must be within Dark Syde to access the Rust Market.

Structure

Where Do I Fit In?

As a member of the Rust Keepers, you are part of a loose, yet deeply connected network of tinkerers, scavengers, and engineers who survive by repurposing ancient technologies. Your role within this faction is flexible, ranging from a new recruit learning the basics of salvaging and tinkering, to a seasoned mechanic refining your skills and mentoring others. The faction values practical knowledge over rigid hierarchy, so while there are no formal ranks, members carve out their place based on expertise, innovation, and their contribution to the survival of the group. Whether you’re a scavenger exploring the ruins for hidden tech, a mechanic building makeshift weapons, or a leader organizing the next big salvage operation, there are endless opportunities for growth and personal evolution. In the Rust Keepers, you’re encouraged to push the boundaries of what is possible, discovering new ways to survive in the wasteland and building the future from the remnants of the past.

Rank and Renown: Rust Keepers

Though the Rust Keepers lack the rigid structure of other factions, there is a system based on skill, experience, and contributions to the group’s survival. Advancement is earned through innovation, resourcefulness, and a proven ability to contribute to the faction’s primary goal: survival. Members are respected not for their rank, but for their ability to repurpose technology and improve the living conditions of the camp.

Rank 1: Initiate

• Prerequisite: Renown 1 with the Rust Keepers, Engineering +2

As an initiate, you are learning the art of scavenging and repurposing the technological remnants of the old world. You assist senior members in gathering supplies, maintaining equipment, and learning the ropes of how the Rust Keepers make do with limited resources. Initiates are expected to prove their worth through hands-on experience and resourcefulness in the field.

• You gain the ability to purchase items from the Rust Market.
• You are issued a Rust Keeper's Insignia, signifying your membership.
• You are given Tinker's Tools and an Engineering Kit TL1. You are proficient with both.

Rank 2: Scavenger

• Prerequisite: Rank 1, Renown 5 with the Rust Keepers, Engineering +4

Scavengers are trusted with more significant salvage missions and begin honing their ability to repurpose old tech into practical tools. They are also encouraged to create their own projects and contribute to the faction's inventory. Scavengers are often sent on expeditions into the Wasteland to gather crucial resources for the camp’s survival.

• Your Engineering Kit is upgraded to TL2.
• You gain the ability to sell items and supplies to the Rust Market.
• Crafting items costs you 20% less time and money.

Rank 3: Tinkerer

• Prerequisite: Rank 2, Renown 10 with the Rust Keepers, Engineering +6

Tinkerers are the masterminds behind the Rust Keepers’ inventions. They take the salvaged tech and make it into something useful, often creating tools, weapons, or enhancements for the faction. Tinkerers are expected to lead scavenger teams and oversee major projects that push the limits of what the Rust Keepers can achieve.

• Your Engineering Kit is upgraded to TL3.
• You can call upon 1d4 Scavengers to assist with your projects. Use the Common Person with Engineering +4 for their stat block.
• Crafting items costs you 30% less time and money.

Rank 4: Engineer

• Prerequisite: Rank 3, Renown 15 with the Rust Keepers, Engineering +8

Engineers are the architects of the Rust Keepers’ technological progress. They are tasked with designing new systems, weapons, and solutions to the challenges the faction faces. Engineers often work with other faction members to solve larger-scale problems and lead expeditions for rare components needed for major projects.

• Your Engineering Kit is upgraded to TL4
• You can call upon 2d4 Scavengers to assist with your projects. Use the Common Person with Engineering +4 for their stat block.
• Crafting items costs you 40% less time and money.

Rank 5: Master Tinkerer

• Prerequisite: Rank 4, Renown 25 with the Rust Keepers, Engineering +10

Master Tinkerers are the Rust Keepers’ most brilliant minds. They lead the faction's most important projects and create the most advanced technology the faction possesses. They are responsible for overseeing all large-scale operations and often are called upon to lead expeditions into dangerous areas of the Wastelands for rare materials.

• Your Engineering Kit is upgraded to TL5
• You can call upon 3d4 Scavengers to assist with your projects. Use the Common Person with Engineering +4 for their stat block.
• You may also build or modify large-scale projects with the help of your team. This includes building vehicles, buildings or other such large projects.
• Crafting items costs you 50% less time and money.

Rank 6: Founder

• Prerequisite: Rank 5, Renown 50 with the Rust Keepers, Engineering +12

Founders are the highest honor within the Rust Keepers. They are visionaries who shape the future of the faction and ensure its survival for generations to come. Founders lead the faction’s most ambitious projects and are responsible for maintaining the secrecy and security of the Rust Market. They work directly with the Forge Master. If the position of the Forge Master becomes vacant, someone from within the ranks of the Founders will be chosen to fill it.

• You gain full access to all tools, blueprints, and resources available within the Rust Keepers.
• You can call upon 4d4 Scavengers to assist with your projects. Use the Common Person with Engineering +4 for their stat block.
• Crafting items costs you 60% less time and money.

Culture

The Rust Keepers' culture is one of ingenuity, resilience, and a deep respect for the past—though often in a distorted, fragmented way. Their world revolves around the belief that value can be found in things others discard, and that the true power lies not in pristine technology or advanced wizardry, but in the ability to repurpose, adapt, and rebuild.

At the heart of their culture is resourcefulness; they thrive on salvaging ancient technologies and repurposing them for their own survival. They are not driven by the pursuit of perfection but by the functional—they value utility over aesthetics, embracing imperfection and rawness as part of their identity. This worldview permeates their day-to-day lives, where tinkering, patching, and recycling are common practices. To the Rust Keepers, waste is a concept that is foreign and to be avoided at all costs.

They hold a strong sense of community—albeit a loose, fragmented one—and believe that no individual is greater than the collective. However, their sense of togetherness is not based on a utopian ideal; instead, it is grounded in mutual dependence on each other’s skills. Whether through technical expertise, the sharing of salvageable resources, or the passing down of tinkering knowledge, their culture revolves around exchange and collaboration.

A deep respect for the past is embedded in their culture. Despite their often chaotic, anarchic existence, the Rust Keepers view the ancient, rusted technologies they scavenge as relics of a time when society was capable of greater feats. This reverence is balanced by a pragmatic mindset: they do not mourn the lost age but instead view it as a puzzle to be solved, an endless source of inspiration and learning.

Their practices can often seem reckless or haphazard to outsiders, but there is a philosophy of trial and error behind their approach. They reject the notion that everything must be controlled or perfect and instead embrace chaos as a necessary part of creation and innovation. They are comfortable with the unpredictable nature of their work, understanding that sometimes it is only through failure that something truly extraordinary can emerge.

Hierarchy within the Rust Keepers is flexible and based on merit, with the Forgemaster at the top as the final authority. However, respect is earned by expertise, particularly in areas such as salvaging, repairing, and creating from scrap. The culture’s egalitarian nature means that any member, regardless of their past, can rise to prominence if their abilities and contributions are deemed valuable.

Finally, their sense of humor is dry, sardonic, and dark. The Rust Keepers are not above making jokes about their haphazard existence, their reliance on old technologies, and their disdain for the well-oiled, bureaucratic systems of the mainstream factions. They value authenticity and self-reliance, viewing those who conform to “polished” or “elitist” ideals as out of touch with the true needs of society.

From the Forgotten, We Forge the Future

You walk through the shadowy streets of the camp, the air thick with the scent of oil and rust. The further you go, the quieter the world becomes, and the dimmer the light gets. A few old, dilapidated buildings loom on either side, their windows boarded up or cracked. You notice faint symbols spray-painted on the walls—codes that only the Rust Keepers understand. You follow them, heart pounding with anticipation. The graffiti leads you down a narrow alley, where the air smells of something burned and metallic. In the shadows, a figure stands, hooded and draped in a patchwork of salvaged cloth and metal. A vendor. The sound of gears turning and the faint hum of old tech crackles from the pile of strange, glowing objects at their feet.

The vendor looks you up and down, sizing you up with a glance that seems to pierce through the grime. They give a small, knowing smile, their hands never stopping as they work on a small device, tinkering with it between their fingers. You can sense the rusted tech surrounding you—tools, weapons, and components stacked haphazardly, each piece potentially worth more than you could afford. "Looking for something, or just browsing?" the vendor asks, their voice rough, but not unfriendly. You feel the weight of their words, like you're being tested. Welcome to the Rust Market, where secrecy, power, and possibility collide in the shadows.

Alternative Names

Scrappers

Demonym

Rustborn

Leader

Ironclad Quinn

Leader Title

Forgemaster

Location

The Dark Syde

Related Traditions

• Reclamation Day
• Wanderer's Return

Organization Vehicles

• Iron Chopper

Notable Members

• Garrick Thorne
• Ironclad Quinn
• Laziel Thorne

Related Species

• The Awakened
• The Others

Related Historical Events

• 81 SE
  Reclamation Day
• 77 SE
  Rust Market
• 76 SE
  Wanderer’s Return
• 75 SE
  Rust Keepers

We don’t need magic to survive. Give me a rusted cog and a busted spring, and I’ll build you a miracle.

— Forge Master Quinn Voss Thorne

You're walking through the bustling streets of Dark Syde when you first spot them. At first glance, they blend in with the crowd—tattered, worn clothing, and a posture that seems to anticipate danger around every corner. But then you notice the faint hum beneath their steps, a metallic whirr that doesn’t belong to the crumbling city around them. Their face is partially obscured by a rusted, makeshift mask, but their eyes gleam with something sharp—too aware, too calculating. They carry a small, dented toolcase slung over their shoulder, its contents shifting with every step. As they move, you catch glimpses of cybernetic enhancements beneath their sleeve: a metal arm that seems too fluid for its structure, a flicker of glowing circuitry beneath their skin.

They stop in front of a broken-down vending stall, inspecting it with a mix of casual interest and expert analysis. When their gaze shifts to you, it’s like they’ve been sizing you up from the moment you walked into the street. "Never seen you before," they murmur, their voice low but not unwelcoming. "You lost, or just curious?" The way they speak isn’t friendly or hostile—just business. It's clear they belong to the Rust Keepers, people who thrive in the shadows, blending technology and magic to survive in a world that’s always on the brink of falling apart.

Rust Market

The Rust Market is a shadowy, underground network of wandering vendors that serve as the lifeblood of the Rust Keepers’ trade. It’s a place where anything can be bought or sold—scrap parts, magical components, old tech, weapons, and rare goods—though nothing is ever straightforward or publicly advertised. The market operates in secrecy, with deals being made in dark corners, abandoned houses, and back alleys, far from the watchful eyes of outsiders. Members of the Rust Keepers receive cryptic messages in the form of graffiti, marking the locations and times when the vendors will appear. The market’s fluid, transient nature keeps it safe from the prying authorities of Dark Syde, allowing the Keepers to trade freely, for better or worse, in a system of barter and transaction that thrives on discretion and trust.

Every machine has a soul of its own. You just have to know how to listen for it.

— Forge Master Quinn Voss Thorne

People keep underestimating us because we work with scraps. Let them. We’ll outlast them all.

— Laziel Thorne

Every time I fix something, I feel like I’m fixing a little piece of the world my parents left behind. Maybe that's enough for now.

— Laziel Thorne

Rust Keepers

100

The Nightbreakers

100

These factions frequently work together with their shared goals. The Night Breakers are interested in exploring the surrounding area and this means that they often find technology that is desirable to the Rust Keepers.

Neutral

The Covenant Council

0

Rust Keepers

-50

Rust Keepers don't trust the Covenant. Seems they go to far with all their cybernetics and not giving those children a choice.

Neutral

Rust Keepers

0

Worshipers of the Choir

0

They have no conflicting goals and rarely have any issues with each other.

Neutral

The Clockwork Syndicate

-25

Rust Keepers

-25

These factions are generally neutral towards each other. However, there are times that their trade and business practices conflict with each other. In these cases, they often get into conflicts over maintaining the balance for good business within the camp. Both factions want to ensure that they can continue to trade and sell their goods. The Rust Keepers generally don't register their businesses and because of this are not always held to the same business standards as the Clockwork Syndicate.

Enemies

Rust Keepers

-100

The Veil Walkers

-100

It is the responsibility of the Veil Walkers to ensure that the law is followed. Those within the Rust Keepers rarely follow the business laws of Dark Syde. Instead they conduct their business in a secret network and generally disregard the taxes that they owe from their sales. This leads to constant conflict between these two factions.