REFUGES
Refuges are concealed locations home to secret groups hidden underground, on mountain tops, in forgotten valleys, or even based on a huge ancient ship, underwater or orbiting the Earth in low earth orbit. The inhabitants of the Refuges can be isolated normal humans, Alien colonists, Mutants, mutated animals with the power of speech or any other isolated group.
Examples of Refuges include:
- A bunker such as a nuclear bunker, military headquarters or alternate seat of government
- A derelict space station
- A domed colony on Mars kept secret from the general public of Earth
- A huge airship endlessly floating around in the clouds
- A lost valley in Africa, Asia or the Middle East
- A lost world beyond the North Pole
- A magical “city of the gods” accessible only through a specific form of dimensional travel such as crossing a rainbow bridge, entering a specific stone circle by moonlight or using a silver key of dreams to phase out of normal reality
- A moonbase on Earth’s Moon complete with artificial gravity, gardens and robust life support
- An abandoned space colony on a distant world
- A tiny Balkan or central European country no larger than a few square miles
- A pocket dimension accessible through a “magic door”
- A skyscraper in a city that never has any traffic in or out and which no one seems to know anything about, but which is strangely left alone by the authorities
- Caverns deep under wilderness in an isolated part of the world
- Deep Underground Military Base
- Floating Sky City usually concealed by clouds
- Hidden Valley in the Himalayas, Andes, Alps or Antarctica
- Island that is not on any map
- Large abandoned military base long forgotten by the outside world
- Magical realm accessible only at certain times of the year or through use of a specific spell or magic item
- Secret township below the sewers and subways of a major city
- Secret township inside a hollow mountain
- Space City in orbit of the Earth concealed by a powerful invisibility device
- Undersea Dome City
Many Refuges take every precaution to never interact with the “contaminated” atmosphere of the outside world of Earth. This is ultimately impossible which is why all Refuges sooner or later suffer “Contamination”, become tolerant of visits by outsiders and ultimately – fall.
Characters from Refuges first have to resolve whether their Refuge has already Fallen, is already Contaminated, or is still operational as a closed community. This makes a massive difference to the resources available for a character from a Refuge.
For Refuge characters, if their Refuge is still fully functional it can provide the equivalent of Astonishing Wealth in terms of items and services as long as the character is within the Refuge. Outside the Refuge the character’s own Wealth is considered Terrible.
If the character’s Refuge is Contaminated, it has already had at least some rare contact with the rest of the planet. As a result some of its powerful but delicate systems have stopped working. The effective Wealth at the disposal of a Refuge character from a Contaminated Refuge is World Class. Outside the Refuge the character’s own Wealth is considered Terrible.
Fallen Refuges no longer function. They may not be in ruins but most of the community has fled to set up a new Refuge further away from Contamination. When the character still lives in the Fallen abandoned or ruined Refuge, they have Terrible Wealth. However, they will usually have a secret identity outside the Refuge established and so in the normal world the character’s Wealth is Average.
Life in a Refuge
While a Refuge is functional, other than the lack of large numbers of people, which can make larger Refuges unintentionally spooky, life can exist in a bubble of unreality. Characters might even go on small “adventures” within a Refuge, or take part in a Refuge’s political debates or social unrest, with no acknowledgement of the world outside at all. However, sooner or later in some way or another reality will intrude. Either the characters will be sent outside on a quest, or their curiosity will lead them to explore outside, or perhaps they will flee to avoid execution or be exiled. But sooner or later the dramatic contrast between the technological wonders (or magical equivalents) of most Refuges on the one hand and the grimy realities of the outside world will confront the character.
Refuge geopolitics
Refuges are entirely separate independent legal, political and in some cases even racial or species-based entities. As such their citizens or inhabitants are foreigners to anywhere on Earth in the outside world. Very likely, Refuge characters are in fact "illegal aliens" ie undocumented immigrants at best to the authoritarian regimes of Earth and disturbing unexplained visitors to the more benevolent nations of the outside world.
A version of this information appears in trademarked rulebooks and adventures for a different game system owned and published by the author. The specific version of this information contained in this document is released under the OGL and is freely available for use by anyone who complies with the OGL.