Strains part 2 [Dystopia Rising: Evolution]

In Dystopia Rising: Evolution (available for preorder), characters are one of eight Lineages. These are a kind of “meta-Strain” that allows us to organize all the possibilities, and build new ones in future products. The core book offers three Strains for each Lineage, and each of those Strains comprised a Strain Path, which is a big component of character creation. Below is a sample of one of the Lineages (the Elitists), and a Strain related to it (the Digitarians).

Elitists

“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m your new employer, and I will pay you far more than anyone else you’ll meet. Now, how about you take that knife of yours and kill whoever decided it was a good idea to send you.”
— Gabriel King, Pureblood

People think of us sitting in ivory towers while never deigning to get our hands dirty. They think of us as delicate flowers that are always protected by our militarized forces. They couldn’t be further from the truth.

We are the elite. We saw in advance what was coming when the Infection first took hold. Instead of waiting, we were intelligent enough to shelter in bunkers that had been prepared for us. Some of us worked to find a cure for the Infection, while others waited for the new world ahead. Our ancestors were rich enough and had enough connections that we survived.

This may be a new world, but people still act the same as they always have. We take advantage of that, growing empires and our own wealth through industry and hard labor. We are innovators and creators. We are passionate in our ideas and our vision for the future. Most of all, though, we are leaders in our fields.

Because of our past, we have a leg up over other Lineages. However, we don’t allow that to blind us to the truth. If we don’t work hard, we won’t stay on top. It’s by our inventiveness and drive alone that we remain where we are today.

Why We’re the Best: We have resources, knowledge, and are born leaders. We’re meant to guide others and lead them through hard times. Our oldcestors accumulated wealth, and we’ve put it to good use in terms of building infrastructure, roads, and technology. Not only that, but we have drive. It’s what allows us to create our vision for the future.

Why Others Don’t Like Us: We’re well-funded, well-equipped, and well-provided for, which is exactly why other Strains hate us so much. Jealousy is an ugly thing, and other Strains show just how violent it can become. It’s not our fault that our families were smart enough to give us an advantage, but many other Lineages blame us anyway. Some other Lineages may consider us “bossy,” but what we suggest is usually the most logical and financially-sound course of action.

How We Survive: We simply out-buy, out-compete, and out-maneuver anyone who stands against us. We have armies of individuals we provide for. They, in turn, are loyal to us. If you try and stand against us, you stand against those who know will pay them at the end of the day. Not only that, but we see the value in both technology and information. Both allow us to remain where we are.

Digitarians

Nicknames: Techies, Cloud Brains, Lore Keepers

Only a few know how the world fell, but we pass the story through our people. It’s said that when the Infection first took hold, our ancestors were the ones that tried to craft a cure. We stayed in bunkers funded by private corporations as we worked tirelessly. Even after the bombs fell, we still worked. Our ancestors were the last humans, and the last people to finally succumb to the Infection.

Now, our people work to re-build the technology we once knew. We’re smarter than other Strains, and more well-equipped with our knowledge. We wear tokens from the world before as jewelry. Green rectangles laced with gold and black tracings are prominent as necklaces and earrings. Old wires are incorporated into our outfits, reinforced with metal.

We feel guilt for what happened to the world, for in some respects it was our fault. Now, we can only push forward.