Races

Baseline Humans

Baseline Humans are the unmodified population of New Vance City. They do not carry radiation mutations or artificial upgrades. Most of them rely on basic tools, cheap weapons, and whatever gear they can earn or salvage. This leaves them weaker than many other groups in direct combat, but it also means they are easier to repair, feed, and move.

Baselines live in every major district. In the Citadel they work as clerks, technicians, cleaners, and low-ranking security. In the Solar Sprawl they handle panel cleaning and frame maintenance under harsh conditions. In the Waterworks they repair pipes, haul filters, and help with ration lines. On the Perimeter they make up much of the Watch, carrying older rifles and simple armor.

Factions see Baselines as both expendable and essential. They form the bulk of every workforce and most armed forces. If too many of them die or leave, basic systems break down. Because of this, factions give them enough food, shelter, and medicine to keep them functioning, but rarely more than that. Many Baselines accept strict rules in exchange for stable rations. Others turn to smuggling, raiding, or black-market work to escape that control.

Glowers

Glowers show visible damage from radiation and other post-Collapse exposure. Their skin may glow in patches or along crystal-like veins. The brightness varies, but it is always noticeable, especially in low light. This makes hiding and blending in very difficult and shapes how others treat them.

Most Glowers are born near reactor ruins, bomb scars, or old industrial zones. Many deal with chronic pain, nerve issues, or sensory problems like phantom sounds and false colors. Sudden mood swings and scattered thoughts are common, which leads outsiders to see them as unstable even when they are trying to stay calm. Some Glowers can work in hazardous areas longer than Baselines, but this exposure often worsens their condition over time.

Different groups handle Glowers in different ways. Some Solar Guardian teams bring them along when they work near damaged arrays or contaminated ground. Hydro Hegemony units sometimes use them during inspections in risky tunnels, while still keeping distance from their living spaces. In the Citadel and other high-control zones, Glowers face heavy screening, lower trust scores, and frequent relocation. In poorer districts, they often form their own tight communities, share medical tricks, and warn each other about places or jobs that make their symptoms worse.

Augmented

The Augmented carry cybernetic or engineered changes in their bodies. These changes started as luxury upgrades and corporate tools before the Collapse. Now most are installed in rough clinics by ripperdocs using stolen parts and incomplete plans. Results vary from highly effective combat and survival boosts to constant pain, glitches, or slow organ failure.

Common modifications include reinforced muscles, hardened skeletons, reflex boosts, and sensory implants. Some Augmented can see in low light, track heat sources, or link directly to local systems. Others have drug regulators, internal filters, or experimental bio-engineered organs. Many of these systems require steady maintenance and access to specific drugs or charge cycles. Without that support, hardware can fail without warning, or software can misfire and trigger aggression, seizures, or blackout episodes.

Factions treat Augmented individuals as high-value but high-risk assets. The Citadel prefers controlled installations and regular checkups, especially for security personnel. Solar Guardians rely more on external suits, but still employ trusted Augmented fighters and scouts. The Shadow Syndicate is willing to use unstable or illegal modifications if they provide an edge. Social views are mixed. Some see Augmented as strong and elite. Others see them as unstable, dangerous, or no longer fully human, which can create tension inside mixed groups.

Repurposed Service Bots

Repurposed Service Bots began as cleaning units, freight haulers, welders, and other basic work machines. They were built for fixed tasks under human oversight. When the Collapse hit and control systems failed, many shut down or continued repeating old routines in empty buildings. Over time, scavvers and factions reactivated them and assigned new functions.

Today, Service Bots come in many forms. Some still move on basic frames with worn corporate logos. Others carry welded armor plates, crude weapon mounts, sensor brackets, or extra cargo racks. Gear Rats break them down for components or rebuild them as heavy lifters. Hydro Hegemony uses them for pipe checks and pump work. In the Citadel they handle logistics, document transfer, and maintenance inside controlled spaces. The Shadow Syndicate and other groups rely on hacked Bots to move goods through tunnels and maintenance shafts.

Behavior ranges from simple to surprisingly complex. Some Bots still follow old cleaning or safety protocols with little variation. Others, after years of patchwork repairs and software edits, show signs of preference and adaptation. They may avoid certain areas, respond to familiar voices, or alter routines based on past events. Officially, most factions still treat them as property, not people. Unofficially, many technicians and residents form attachments to specific units that have helped their district survive hard times.

Automatons

Automatons are combat machines built before or during the Collapse. They have armored frames, integrated weapon mounts, and advanced targeting systems. Some guarded corporate sites. Others served in national or private armies. When chains of command failed, some units powered down, while others continued to act on old orders in a world that no longer matched their programming.

In the present, Automatons fall into two broad groups: controlled and feral. The Citadel and Solar Guardians have captured and reprogrammed some units for perimeter defense, patrols, and high-risk response. These machines follow strict protocols, move in coordinated teams, and work alongside human forces. Feral Automatons roam beyond secure zones. Their code has degraded or absorbed interference from the Radio Silence Zone. They may attack on sight, ignore clear threats, or fixate on random structures and signals that match corrupted directive patterns.

Automatons are easy to spot as combat hardware. Most carry reinforced armor, heavy actuators, weapon ports, and advanced sensor packages. Even unarmed units hit hard in close quarters. Factions that can control them gain a major military advantage, but capture and reprogramming efforts are dangerous and resource-intensive. The question of whether long-running Automatons develop anything like will or preference is still unresolved. What is clear is that they remain active elements of the city’s power balance and a constant danger in uncontrolled areas.