The NecroMech Dossier Core Manual November 2019 | 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, in only a matter of hours.
Within a 10-mile proximity of 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 3
times normal, tapering off as you move beyond 10 miles. Darkness permeates the area,
from a deep twilight, to an eventual dusk before normal sunlight regains a foothold.
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, ozone levels 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
mainly 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 die within a matter of days. Luckily, 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 unknown
properties, together with ozone are violently released that the physical nature of the
stratosphere is forever changed. Within 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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