Old Archephate Republic
In the beginning, the capital of the Northern Gardens was well known as the Archephate Republic. The seat of power was here, along with all the important officials within the continent. The laws were passed down from the Archephate Circle, and were expected to be followed.
It was known through the land to be somewhat corrupted, and rumors spread that there were experiments that could end the entirety of the Northern Gardens within it. These rumors came to pass, and viruses escaped the Archephate Republic and spread throughout the land.
None of the Archephate Republic Council is said to have survived, and their names are said as curses throughout the land. The Old Archephate Republic as it is now called is generally avoided by most within the Northern Gardens. Those who live there are known as Council Sympathizers. Should they leave the Old Archephate Republic, they would surely be killed on sight.
Plaguebearer
The Plaguebearers are also known as Patient Zero of their contagion. These poor souls are held captive within the Old Archephate Republic and tested on ruthlessly day in and day out. There are mere rumors of their existence outside of the Old Archephate Republic, but any rescue attempt ideas are stomped out from fear of catching the contagions these Plaguebearers contain.
Council Sympathizers
There are those within the Old Archephate Republic who still believe in the old and cruel ways of those who came before them. They try to reinstate the old rule and follow all the old values. They put progress ahead of humane methods and their experiments could simply be better branded as torture. They are aware of their hated status across the apocalyptic wasteland that used to be the Northern Gardens - but they seem to have it twisted within their minds that once they find the cure for their own elder’s plagues, they can then sell them to the highest bidders and force those who get the cure back under the old rule.
The Rotlands
The Rotlands encompass a good twenty-five percent of the Northern Gardens. The epicenter of the Rotlands is the city of Culucia - the scientific capital of the Northern Gardens. Many viruses escaped from the Archephate Republic; but the Rot was central to Culucia. Originally proud of their work in creating new and improved plantlife, none of the scientists of Culucia were ready for what came next.
The spread of what was deemed the Rot by the public was swift and brutal. The take over took weeks as the virus aggressively progressed. Over time, the city and surrounding areas were quarantined off (later to be upheld by Lenimen Remedium). The Rot and the Rotted were left to their own devices, and soon the Rotlands became what they are known as today.
An eerie landscape of plants that have never before been seen, dense and destructive. There have been rumors the Goddesses of Nature despise the place, but dare not touch it out of fear of what it is. The only thing that keeps the Rotlands contained is a continual bath of fire on the very outskirts where new plant life forms. When the plant life is still young, it can be destroyed. This has become the primary directive of the Lenimen Remedium faction.
Hardly any who go into the Rotlands come back out again. Mostly they get consumed by the Rot. A simple tear in armor, a crack in a gas mask, and it’s all over. There are very few who come back, and fewer still with usable non-contaminated samples. There are still expeditions into the Rotlands to see what can be made of the manufactured plant life that grows wildly within, despite how advised against such expeditions are.
The Rotted
The Rotted are the result of a virus that has come to be known as the Rot. Originally meant to help the environment and boost plant growth, it had an unintended mutation with horrifying effects to living creatures. Spores would be released from the plants the original virus created, and these spores would take hold inside a living host. The host would soon lose all capability of higher thought and become nothing more than a vessel for the Rot to control.
These people and creatures would rot away, plant fiber reaching out from their decaying muscles. The plant fiber seemed to hold the shambling rotted body together. Flowers would bloom from the exposed plants, producing more spores. Close contact with the Rotted secures an infection with the Rot if one is not wearing proper protective equipment.
The Rotted have one goal, as determined by the Rot virus itself - propagate and spread it as far as possible. Not many risk an encounter with the Rotted as they are relentless in their attempt to infect.
The Rotted
The Rotted are among the most feared within the whole of the Northern Gardens. Mindless disease ridden creatures whose only goal is to propagate more of themselves and spread the vile strain of nature further and further into the Northern Gardens.
There is no negotiation with the Rotted, as they have no negotiating abilities left. Their land appears to be a haven of beautiful lush wildlife, which has great research potential, however the Rotted remain within the Rot waiting to pounce and infect any who wander in, forcing them into their ranks to further spread the Rot.
Their biggest enemy is the Lenimen Remedium, who routinely come around to burn back the Rot and keep it contained. The Rotted, despite seeming to not have much intelligence, appear to recognize the armor of the Lenimen Remedium and have been known to hiss and spit at them, signs of a deep hatred.
Lenimen Remedium
Well known for their obsession with fire and their promise recited in cult-like fashion, “Sit tibi renatus in flamma.” ("It will be reborn in the flame.") - this group is well hated and equally feared. Once scientists looking for a cure to the diseases that wrought havoc on the Northern Gardens, they locked themselves in a bunker with no contact to the outside world for years. Eventually the old generation died in the bunker, leaving a new generation to their task. A new generation which found the task impossible, coming to the only conclusion they could - if it cannot be cured with science then it must be cleansed by fire. Purge the sick, and usher in a new age of purity.
Members of Lenimen Remedium are always equipped with flamethrowers and are well known to burn anything and anyone in their path. Always geared up in makeshift hazmat suits, their patrols are either avoided at all costs or engaged in an attempt to kill them. These responses only strengthen the resolve of the Lenimen Remedium.
All within this faction are human and they live in the original bunker their parents once barricaded themselves in. The bunker is located just on the outside of the bounds of the Rotlands. Their bunker is full of nonsense science written all over the walls, papers covering the floors, and labs transformed into makeshift workshops where flamethrowers and makeshift armored hazmat suits are produced. They have an Overseer at the top, below the Overseer are the Engineers who craft the weapons and armor, below them are the Warriors who go out on righteous patrols, leaving the lowest class as the Bunker Keepers who make sure food is on the table and the Bunker keeps running.
No Man's Land
One of the bleakest landscapes within all of the Northern Gardens, no sane mortal creature would make their permanent home here. No food will grow, the trees remain withered and dead (what trees are even left), the structures are all falling apart and barely protect from the cold winds that strike the wasteland every so often, whipping up dirt and coating everything in it. There is never any rain, and no bodies of water to filter.
The seemingly inhospitable land has come to be known as No Man’s Land as no one wanted to colonize it or set up base within it. This ended up drawing in the Wanderer population. Seeing a safe haven where they could make a camp and come back to it and be assured their items will be fine, many set up in the broken down villages left over from whatever this place used to be.
There are almost always a couple Wanderers settled in on No Man’s Land, meaning the settlements are always protected. The open barren ground make sight lines open for the Wanderers who are bunkered down - making it not worth the prospect of raiding to the Raiders. No one dares enter No Man’s Land, they simply allow it to become Wanderer territory. If they want the inhospitable land, the rest of the Northern Gardens inhabitants seem fine to let them have it.
Reptiles
The only native life are sickly, thin, mutated reptiles of different varieties that can be seen scuttling about. These creatures hardly contain much meat to their bones and are too small to bother eating. They do not attack, they merely run away when spotting something bigger. They are mostly left alone as they are really not worth the trouble.
Wanderers
Factionless people, be they travelling on their lonesome or in a group. They claim no home and instead wander the Northern Gardens, making their existence on the go. Some like to study the lands, whereas others just simply do not feel at home in one place and answer the call of travel. Either way, Wanderers bear no loyalty to any faction and often trade with any faction who offers trade to them. They have been known to engage and kill Bandits however, never being keen on their few possessions being stolen.
Wanderers are survivalists who know most of the ins and outs of the Wastelands. The most known people to have come out of the Rotlands intact are in fact Wanderers. Many Wanderers trade knowledge in exchange for goods within the nine colonies of the Wasteland Warriors. Their knowledge is scribed into Wasteland Survival Guides penned and shared around the nine colonies.
To most Wanderers, it’s about survival in a place they can never leave. To some it’s adventure. To others it’s simply the smartest way to make their existence. Some seek cures for the diseases that plague the Northern Gardens, others simply study the best ways to survive. All in all, the Wastelands would be much harder to survive if not for the Wanderers.