Weird Wastes

In the year 2062, a lack of resources and an unstable society that relied heavily on atomic power sent the world into a nuclear apocalypse. The bombs did more than just tear the land asunder and reduce the earth's population by well over half, they also ripped open the veil between worlds, forcefully bringing elves, dwarves, and magic to the post apocalyptic planet.   Almost 400 years later, the life forms that survived the bombs face the decaying world together, for better or worse. Civilizations are few and far between and the mutated creatures of the wilds keep it that way. Danger, disease, and the strange effects of science and magic are part of day to day life for even the most mundane people. As such, only the very bravest make their living wandering the wastes, delving into its ruins, and experimenting with its treasures.   (Metagame Info)     Pioneers of Magic

Earth has only been exposed to magic and the dimensions beyond for a handful of centuries. While there are institutions of arcane and extraplanar knowledge in the world, such as dwarven runesmiths, elven mages, human artificers, and a plethora of others, the population at large regards spell casting as a strange and revolutionary power. Almost all wastelanders are keen to utilize the powers of the arcane just as they would a pre-war machine or device, and in the years since the bombs fell, many have begun to pioneer new ways to use magic to accomplish their goals. In fringe societies of the wasteland, some people hunt down those who practice magic, blaming them for the sorry state of the world or fearing the potential magic has to topple their regime. However, even these radical groups will potentially turn to the alluring power of magic, allowing their highest ranking members free reign to experiment and use it as a means to their own ends.

  Beyond the Rifts

Shimmering rifts formed at the epicenter of the largest bombs, creating hazy, jagged cracks out of thin air that radiate magical energy. This emergent magical energy mixes with the strong nuclear fallout to form pockets of wild magic in the areas surrounding the rifts; in such places, casting a spell is an almost certain death sentence. Most of these rifts sit idle, but with some magical stimulation, or sometimes out of nowhere, these shimmering crags in reality can pulse to life and allow things to pass through them. In the four hundred years since the first one appeared, many new denizens of earth have arrived via these unstable wormholes. Angelic beings, hellish fiends, unknowable abominations, and even people from alternate realities or timelines that should have never existed spill through the rifts, each of them shaping the wasteland into the strange place it is today.

  Science of the Past

A vast number of devices, machines, tools, and infrastructure survived the bombs, allowing those who followed the apocalypse to utilize the science of the past. Vehicles, guns, radios, roads, buildings, medicines, and factory grade machinery to make more of each are utilized daily by the people of the wastes. Sometimes more advanced inventions are uncovered, such as military power suits, forcefield emitters, antigravity boots, tanks, aircrafts, generators, or even still functioning computers. The science of the past can provide the edge that civilization needs to combat the horrors of the wastes and thrive instead of just survive; however, it can also be its undoing, as evidenced by the great war. As such, there are organizations out there that seek to stop the spread of pre-war technology, fearing that the world will once again fall into ruin because of it.

  Old World Blues

Wasteland culture is built upon the foundation of the old world societies; the diversions of pre-war civilization help pass the time in a post-war hellscape. Music was one of the biggest among these. Before the bombs fell, the most popular sounds in the biz were jazz, swing, blues, and big band. The populace danced to these songs as they played over the radio, watched serial dramas on their televisions, read well-written literature, gawked at sensational tabloids, and collected colorful comic books; anything to distract them from the world unraveling outside. Now, survivors of the bombs use these diversions to improve their bleak lives, especially pre-war music. Some of the first infrastructure to be revived after the bombs fell were the radio broadcast stations, a beacon of intelligent life echoing cross a vast expanse of nothingness.

  Humor in a Bleak World

Although the world is now a scorched wasteland and daily life for most folk consists of hard labor and fear of roaming monsters and raiders, humor still somehow finds its way through the cracks. Sometimes the weird and strange can serve as a portal to a happier place for people in the bleak wastes. It could be anything, from a witty song from a wandering guitarist about how they saw two mutant lizards having a tea party, a butler robot that has been reprogrammed to refer to themselves as 'Captain Kiss Ass', or anything in-between; as long as people have something to laugh about, they can keep surviving.