The NecroMech Dossier Core Manual April 2018 | Page 10

Japan is no more, and The Wastes are born. By November 1945 the localized ash has
finally settled from the air leaving a barren landscape, changed forever. The lasting
effects depend on proximity to the Ash Curtain. But whatever the distance any direct
contact with the ash causes on-going detrimental effects; life is leeched away with
those affected becoming lethargic and apathetic, eventually succumbing to lie down and
die, often within a matter of hours.
Within an approximate 10-mile proximity to the Ash Curtain all trees, vegetation,
and buildings have been leveled as if a giant had stamped the area flat. A result of
the combined violence from the outrushing air and the gravity differences between the
two sides of the Rip. At this distance gravity closest to the curtain can be measured
at 3G and tapers off to normal as you move beyond 10 miles. Darkness permeates the
area, from a deep twilight, to an eventual dusk before normal sunlight gains a
foothold again. Everything is completely covered in ash and all life has been
extinguished. Wind-blown ash creates static discharge and at night constant electrical
arcing can be seen. The entire area is infested with tens of thousands of Othersiders
(“deathless” denizens) who have fed upon the life released after the initial Rip and
swarmed through the Ash Curtain. In addition, the levels of ozone are elevated (above
100 parts per billion), with a sharp odor reminiscent of chlorine, representing a
potent respiratory hazard as well as a chemical hazard to metals, rubbers, and other
man-made materials. Conventional reconnaissance becomes intractable.
As you travel further away from the Ash Curtain, the next 1000-mile transitional
region has normal gravity and sunlight. But even at these distances the level of ash
is high and the area rife with Othersiders who have made it their new home, remaining
more clustered in and around high population centers even after all life has been
consumed.
The ash reaches even beyond this region but at much lower concentrations. People,
animals, vegetation all died within a matter of days. Othersiders are relatively
uncommon.
Many see The Wastes as an evil stain on the world, comparing it to Avernus, an
area of noxious fumes and death that the Romans believed was the entrance to the
underworld. Not an unreasonable analogy.
Beyond the shores of Japan large areas of southeast China and Taiwan are also
affected by falling ash but more catastrophic for the rest of the world is the ash
that is carried up into the upper atmosphere. Such massive volumes of ash, of unknown
properties, together with ozone are violently released that the physical nature of the
stratosphere is forever changed. Within 3 months the Earth is completely encased in a
layer akin to smog; looking up the entire skyline is dimmed; less heat and UV reaches
the surface and by 1950 the average temperature across the globe has dropped 20 to 30
degrees Fahrenheit (°F). Summer daytime average highs in London struggle to reach 50
and in winter the temperature doesn’t get above a frigid 25. Everywhere there is a
general feeling of malaise. The world is now cold and grey.
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