DARK EARTH 2023           Sometime at the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020, stories vary, the earth suffered some sort of power surge that affected the globe.   All devices that were "on" fried.  Electricity ceased to function not able to generate a charge nor spark! Also, all nuclear power disappears.  It was said that nuclear energy simply vanished!  Shortly after, society fell into chaos, governments of old fell.  Huge cities, once wonders of marvel, became traps to famine, disease, and violence.  The "Platinum" age had ended.    Within the end of just the first year it was estimated that over half of the world's population had died.  By the third year, it is believed that the planets human population is approximately 80 percent the numbers in 2019.  Lack of electricity forced regression of technology on all societies.  People on the average have been limited in the what we can repair based on what we have available.  One would be lucky to find someone skilled in repairing firearms from pre-outage times. It is a lot easier to find someone who can fix make and repair bolt action rifles of the Victorian Era.  Steam is the power of choice.  Electricity came back within the decade it disappeared, but by that time, many of the people who could engineer things with electricity was dead.  The machines of the past, which had not seen use in years, we ruined, destroyed, or used for parts years prior.  Preachers preached who God took electricity from us for a reason and therefore should not be used in excess again.  Others feared that the electricity may have another outage, and no one wanted to relieve the days when everything fell apart.  Today, its steam....in the future it may be magic or something else, but most people seem to be done with any major use of electricity any longer.   A strange discovery transpired sometime after we lost power.  A rare few children who reached puberty began developing spiritual, magical, or psychic abilities.  This was a rare occurrence, yet with time, practice, research, and scientific approaches, it was clear to everyone that supernatural abilities were sometimes displayed by children.  Many religious people attributed this to parents or the child consorting with demon like creatures, those of a scientific bent attributed it to a strange yet natural gift.  While, those in between learned either direction, came up with a different reason, or just didn't care one way or the other.    Around the same time, other strange occurrences began to happen.  A strange plague occurred infected people in certain areas of the world.  No one knows why, but these people "transformed" into some sort of ghoulish creature that eats flesh.  Creatures of ancient myths or monsters began appearing!  Most encounters were seen away from heavily populated areas, but not all.   For the first couple of decades, years life was more like a game of survival of the fittest.  The strong, those with the numbers, means, and the will preyed on those who were weaker.  This created a world where the most brutal seemed able to commit the most atrocious acts on their fellow humans.  Those wise and able learned there was better protection in numbers, going alone, proved risky.  You ran the risk of running into someone who wanted something that you had.  Although they may just wish to release some physical violence for fun.   Groups of people without out protection or the will to fight were subject to all kinds of misery committed upon them.  Larger groups were a wise choice so long as the land could support you.  People had to become farmers, hunters, scavengers, etc.  Yet, you always had to make sure you surround yourself around those like yourself, or that you could trust while sleeping.   It was about 20 years ago that the first major governments sprang up.  The first was the country of Texas, where many of those faithful to Christianity migrated.  During the darkest first few years, many of those of different denominations found it no longer wise to "argue and fight" over their differences.  Surviving clergymen joined and created a single Christian faith, called the "Church of the Lighted Cross," or the "Church."  Followers call themselves brethren and sisters.  Over time with the help of missionaries they gathered large numbers of people who decided to make Texas their home.  To be a citizen one had to remain a faithful member of the church, be untainted by the touch of devils and demons, and be a productive citizen of the country.  While they allow productive and lawful people to do business in their country, they do not allow non-Christians to become citizens.  They also have a law stating that all other faiths cannot be publicly announced in any way within the country.  This means that people must keep other religious practices private, cannot done religious items, garments, or profess any literature of non-recognized faiths.  Supernatural gifts are nothing short of witchery and those convicted of such crimes are burned before the cross.  They are fair with others so long as you respect them and their religion.  But it is not advised for those who do not share the same faith to stay to long, they have stringent laws that are observed, and punishments are swift and harsh.   The second major country to announce itself within the old United States of America was The Free Natives of America, or FNA.  Most Native Americans, Canadian Aboriginals, and Mexican Tribesmen formed their own nation of "States."  Many of those in the Northern Regions fled from what they said were werewolves in large numbers.  Others moved north claiming they would not share their lands with green monsters that had appeared in the Central American regions.  They are a closed off Nation, that trades with "peaceful" folk and war with those who endanger their land or people.  Some of their States have non-Native American or Aboriginals.  This is the only land that have trained spiritualist called Shamans.  Those who grow up outside this nation lack the knowledge to advance their spiritual gifts beyond what they term as minor abilities.  The shamans have magical powers that appear to equal those mages who learn from master mages of an order.   Third came New America or NA.  There are several "States" on the east that many military bases, who kept communication channels up in the early post-outage era, united under what they claim to be the government of America, who by right all the Old US States belong to.  No one west of the Mississippi has much interaction with the NA.  They have most of the Magic Order Institutions and several Universities of Advanced Studies.  The NA has proven to have as much or more pre-outage inventory than any other nation of North America.  They were able to get transportation up and going by refurbishing old Steam Engines.  They have a peaceful alliance with Texas, and discussions for Texas to help work on old railroad tracks to connect both nations are in negotiations.   Finally, there is the NCR or the New California Republic.  They claim everything west of the Sierra Nevada to the west coast and from the tip of Alaska down to Baja California.  It is said they are a closed off nation who refuses to talk of trading with outsiders.  They are a new nation with little much known about them.  They won't allow any visitors to this nation, and they leave all the other nations alone.  There is an open invitation for anyone who wishes to become a citizen of the NCR to travel their and apply.  Those who have visited the NCR are never heard from again, though and so it there is speculation that life there may either be better than anywhere else in North America or the worst.   You my friend like me live in the Unclaimed lands, dubbed the "Frontiers,” or the "F" by many outsiders.  There is no large governments here only small communities and some self-proclaimed small kingdoms.  Many nearby larger nations look in our direction maybe thinking about resources, manpower, or something else.  We have heard rumors that agents from all nations of North America secretly come to the frontier to take what they wish, or maybe to convince communities to join them.    Whatever the "dream" of the previous pre-outage days may have been, our world is more like what old books said the 1800's were like, except some people and governments have pre-outage weapons than others.  They fact that such equipment can't be duplicated makes them very valuable in the world of today Keep your friends close, your pistol (or rifle loaded), and your backs guarded!   WELCOME TO DARK EARTH Listing Link   Format:  Changed from Text only to Voice Players:  3-6 Will need a minimum of 3 players to begin on proposed listed date Game Session Rate:  $3 per session (must be paid 24 hours prior to session), with every fourth session free, continuing for as long as you participate in this campaign.  This means you pay for 3 sessions, and then you get your next session free, then you pay for the next 3 sessions you participate in and receive then next session free continuing.   We usually will play 3-4 Sessions per month (If there is a fifth week in a month, we will not play that session)    Holidays:  We don't play on the following Holidays: New Year's Day, Easter Sundays, Valentine’s Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Eve. Payment Method:  Paypal   Full Refund Back prior to participation; no questions asked Full Refund Back after first game for dissatisfied players; no questions asked.