The Reclaimers are the ruling authority of the Bastion—a disciplined, militarized successor state forged from the remnants of national guard units, active-duty military, and federal emergency forces that survived the collapse. They do not see themselves as survivors scraping by, nor as warlords clinging to power. They see themselves as continuity—the lawful inheritors of civilization’s mandate.
To the Reclaimers, the fall of New Hope City was not the end of the world. It was a failure of containment, coordination, and resolve. A catastrophe born not of inevitability, but of hesitation. Their purpose is singular: preserve order, eliminate chaos, and reclaim the city—when it can be done correctly.
They do not rush. They do not react. They prepare.
The Reclaimers believe civilization is fragile, and that most people cannot be trusted to preserve it without firm structure. In their doctrine, freedom is secondary to stability, and morality is meaningless without order to support it. Sacrifice is not tragedy—it is necessity.
They believe:
Civilization must be protected, even from those who would live within it
Order must exist before justice can
Mercy is a resource, not a right
The city can be reclaimed—but only under controlled conditions
Improvisation is viewed as weakness. Scavenger culture is tolerated outside the walls, but considered proof of societal decay. The Reclaimers do not romanticize survival. They plan for restoration, even if that restoration excludes most of the city.
The Reclaimers operate as a rigid command state, blending military hierarchy with carefully managed civilian administration.
High Command
A closed council of senior officers, strategists, and administrators who govern the Bastion. Civilian leadership exists, but only under military oversight. Policy is decided quietly, recorded thoroughly, and enforced without debate.
Wardens
Officer-class commanders responsible for internal security, sector control, and external operations. Wardens oversee patrols, intelligence, and long-term reclamation planning.
Sentinels
Professional soldiers who man the walls, patrol the Bastion, and conduct limited sorties beyond it. Sentinels are highly trained, well-equipped, and disciplined to a fault. They do not fraternize with outsiders.
Civic Corps
Engineers, medics, teachers, technicians, and planners who maintain pre-collapse standards of life. They are valued—but monitored. Everyone inside the Bastion is useful, and usefulness is enforced.
Within the walls, the Reclaimers have rebuilt something dangerously close to the old world.
Streets are clean.
Power and water are stable.
Schools operate on schedules.
Markets function under regulation.
Clinics are stocked and staffed.
Surveillance is constant. Identification is mandatory. Curfews are enforced. Crime is rare—not because it does not occur, but because it is handled quietly and decisively before it spreads.
Life inside the Bastion feels safe. It also feels watched.
Many citizens believe this is the price of survival. Others believe it is the cost of surrendering something essential. The Reclaimers consider both viewpoints irrelevant.
Outside the Bastion, people whisper:
“They let the world burn so they could stay clean.”
“They didn’t save the city. They saved themselves.”
“If they ever march out, no one will stop them.”
Inside the walls, people say something very different:
“We still have laws.”
“We still have order.”
“We still have a future.”
Whether that future belongs to anyone else remains an open question.