Wastelanders

Who are they?

Wastelanders are a peculiar bunch, though not the most peculiar on this side of the world. They are people who live in Wasteland of tgohab, in ruins of what used to be towns in pre-apocalyptic era. Here they live a simple life, removed from the rest of civilization and stress of living in a city. Wastelanders live in these towns scattered around Wasteland in communities where everyone helps each other out - they are similar to families in Fairy Gardens.

Why do they live here?

Why would anyone want to live here? Why would they live like this, in ruined abandoned buildings with barely as much as the most basic necessities? There are many reasons, and different kinds of people who live here.

First are permanent residents who prefer to live here over living in a big city. They prefer the simple life here and are the leaders of these communities that live here. Though life here can be hard, it’s nice to just be away from the rest of the world, doing your own thing here.

Another kind are people who come for a while, but may choose to leave at some point. Some stay here for a few weeks before going back to the city, and some end up staying for years. These people come here for all sorts of reasons. Some just need a break from city life, and some come here to hide away from the law. Laws of the civilized world don’t apply here in this place often referred to as “Lawless Wasteland”.

Many people come here for a so-called “rehab break” - Living in the city where drugs are easier to come by than nature it’s no surprise many people fall into the pit of addiction, and it’s hard to get out of it as well. Here in Wasteland they are safe away from the drugs traded in the city, and can focus more on working for the community.

Then again, you have people who come here for a lot more wholesome reasons. Many people studying archeology or history come here to explore the area and look for the remnants of the ancient civilizations that seem to be the most intact around here.

Last, but not least, there are visitors to this area. They aren’t really “Wastelanders”, but some may stay here for a while and learn the ways of Wastlanders.

Lifestyle

Wastelanders are in ways much like people of Fairy Gardens, but also exactly opposite. They are used to simple life, working with and for their community and making due with little resources. The land here is dead and barren, so Wastelanders need to be creative about survival. People of each settlement stick together like a family, they’re all hard working and creative, but don’t take too kindly to strangers.

People here live in almost cult-like communities. They don’t have many personal possessions, but share everything they have. Nothing here belongs to one single person, everything belongs to everyone. There’s no such thing as “my underwear”, it’s “OUR underwear” and same goes for everything else.

Because Wasteland doesn’t really have any useful resources, people here rely on what they can get from outsiders. They get many donations of food and basic necessities from gods - delivered by fairies, but they try to get whatever they can, from whoever they can. They accept any kind of trash from anywhere in the world, and use it to upcycle and create new things out of it. Pretty much all of the items you see people here used are upcycled and repurposed trash - or treasure for them.

They don’t only use this stuff for themselves, but also sell it to visitors. They are more than willing to barter and trade their products for anything you might have to offer. Keep in mind though, that you will very likely get scammed here. While Wastlanders take pride in their work and product they sell, selling it for a normal price is not enough to survive.

Can you become one of them?

While Wastlanders don’t like outsiders too much, there is also the fact that many people come and go all the time. But how can they trust newcomers? For Wastelanders to earn your trust and accept you as one of their own, you will have to prove yourself and your loyalty to the group.

First of all, you will have to get to know and befriend them. You can do this by coming here often, staying for a while, and giving them generous donations of money, food and trash. Pretty much what you would expect. Once you get to know them well enough, they will be willing to accept you into their community. But, if you really want to become one of them, you have to take on their lifestyle as well. They don’t own many personal material possessions, and the same will be expected of anyone who wants to join. Before you join the community, you have to get rid of all of your personal belongings. You can sell them or bring them into the community, but you will have to give everything to the community that will use and share all you bring with you.

One more thing you have to keep in mind is that here everyone takes care of each other, and everyone has to do their own part to keep the community running. If you want to join, you also have to prove yourself useful to the community. Any kind of practical or creative knowledge will help you here.

Once you’re in, you will have to adapt and follow the wastelanders lifestyle. Here, everyone takes care of everyone. Your new family will gladly take care of you, but you have to take care of others just as much. Then again, this is the norm in pretty much any family, the only difference is that people in Wasteland have to care for each other more due to the harsh environment they live in.