Survival in the wasteland is not an easy task. City states, independent factions, and raiders create a convoluted web of relationships where there are no "good guys," just people who want to survive no matter what.
The War
In the world of Afterglow, an all-out nuclear war happened in 1988 as a result of tensions in the Baltics. The exact trigger is lost to time, but it's commonly accepted that the Soviets launched nukes first. The war obliterated most of humanity across the globe, sending civilization back to the Dark Ages.
77 years since the war. In some regions of the world, after many years of grasping for survival, society has started to bounce back. It took many years to achieve food security, the ability to protect itself, and supply of bare minimum necessities.
The game will take place in an area roughly equivalent to present-day eastern Utah and western Colorado, plus parts of New Mexico and Arizona, though the United States no longer exists in this world. This region bounced back quicker than others thanks to strange devices found throughout it.
CELLs
The mysterious source of power that appeared in the region. It looks like a metal box slightly bigger than an old portable cassette player, with a few contact pins and the symbols "C.E." By attaching wires to those contacts, it can be used as a battery. For its size, it contains enormous power, with each one generating enough energy to support the basic needs of thousands of people.
However, their energy-generating capabilities are unstable. Sometimes they just stop working, and there's nothing that people can do to fix them. Every attempt to investigate what is inside that mysterious box has ended in a small explosion.
Even though their origin is unclear, dozens of them exist in the area, controlled by city states. Some say even raiders get their hands on a few. Each CELL is heavily guarded, as its safety means survival for that group of people.
City States
City states essentially represent humanity's attempt to rebuild civilization in the wasteland while dealing with scarce resources, external threats, and internal politics. They provide the main social and economic framework that players will interact with in the game.
There are three of them in the region. They also specialize in different areas and provide various bonuses (like lower costs of manufacturing for particular item types) to players who want to align with them.
Twin Rocks is built around the ruins of Bluff, Utah, centered on the iconic Twin Rocks formation. They control the biggest water source in the region, including purified water, and have the busiest marketplace. Church HQ is located there; they fully support the Twin Rocks government and wield significant influence by owning the purification service.
Prosperity is a major city-state located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, known for its industrial capabilities and strong economy. Founded by a group of engineers and factory workers who managed to restore some pre-war manufacturing facilities, the city has become a leader in the restoration of industry in the region, with a focus on resource extraction and manufacturing.
Aniid Kin is a city-state founded about 50 years after the nuclear war by survivors who emerged from a network of hidden caves in the nearby mesas. Known as a source of the best agricultural produce, textiles, and natural medicine. Mysterious Techno-Shamans use its land as a base for their restoration projects.
Factions
There are a number of factions that operate in the region. They have their own agendas, goals, and alignments. Players can choose to work with any of them, completing missions and earning unique faction rewards.
One important thing to mention is that in the harsh world of Afterglow, there are no "good guys." Each faction has a darker side - sometimes you just need to search hard enough to find it.
The Institute. Created by a few scientists shortly after the world collapsed with the goal of preserving and restoring knowledge. They are willing to pay for artifacts of the past that have scientific value.
Techno-shamans. They believe they are communing with the spirits of the earth, gaining ancient wisdom and insights into the merging of spirituality and technology.
Children of Eve. Presenting themselves as a peaceful, nature-oriented spiritual movement, they preach a return to harmony with the earth and rejection of the technology and violence that led to the world's destruction.
The Church of the New Beginning. The largest monotheistic religion in the region. Adherents believe that the nuclear war was divine punishment for humanity's sins and that survivors are chosen by God for a new beginning. Their engineers control the water purification process in Twin Rocks.
Rangers. Protectors of the weak and defenders against raiders. They possess a strong military force and are distrusted by city-states due to their independence.
Emma, one of Techno-Shamans who will greet you in the game
Raiders
There are also an endless number of raider factions that players will discover during their time in Afterglow. The most prominent are The Scrappers, Iron Wolves, The Forgotten, and The Crimson Caravan. Some of those groups may play a bigger part in the events that will be happening in the world of Afterglow.