Battlegrounds
The Battleground Gangs have had a rough ride.

The Battlegrounds are areas of the Discarded world where the remnants of thousands of wars end up. As such, the ground is often blasted, diseased, poisoned or nuclear and littered with destroyed engines and tools of wars, and those that did not survive. The land is hot and dry. Water is scarce, and plant life is sparse and often radioactive. The Sentient creatures here live mostly by scavenging any usable goods from the corpses of war. Most creatures were themselves transitioned through battles. Haunted by the ghosts of war all around, the Gangs are caught in a constant cycle of war. They war with and raid any civilizations that crop up around the boarders of the Battlegrounds, but most often the battle each other over the limited resources and territories.

Corpse Collector
These huge hulking abominations of roughly humanoid flesh stalk the Battlegrounds in search of fresh corpses to impale on their many meter long spikes that protrude from their backs. Specimens of this species range in size from about 9 feet tall to over 12 feet tall. They search continuously night and day for fresh meat to add to their spikes that they then use as their larder. If they were simply scavengers, they would likely only be considered unsettling denizens of the Battlegrounds, however, if presented with the option of fresh meat, they will make their own corpses. They are formidable enemies and often travel in packs of up to 5. They also often pick up the diseases, poison or radiation in the area.

Big Bugs
Some say its foul magic, others say it is the radioactive waste, still others say that they are simply natural creatures lost from some unknown world. No matter their origins, the Battlegrounds are filled with giant arthropods, ie big bugs. Flies the size of dogs, tarantulas the size of cars, scorpions as big as a human, centipedes as long as trains. You name it, it is out there in every size of nightmare. Most are just going about their days and nights as their more natural sized cousins would normally in the wild, however, great size means a great need for food. Herbivore species are very rare to find and are usually doing very poorly when found, as there is very little plant life in the Battlegrounds. But predatory and scavenger species do fairly well for themselves. Beware the parasites. In the same vein, desert species do much better than things that are not acclimated to the arid heat.


Battleground Guides
If traveling through the Battlegrounds a Guide is essential. Water sources are scarce and often fouled, food and shelter are almost impossible to find, the terrain is treacherous at best and lethal the majority of the time and the locals are not very friendly. Guides are expensive, and often have to be continued to be bribed to not just kill the party and take all their things or sell them off to the next Gang they pass. It is recommended that you never pay everything up front, and that you pay more than your party’s “scrap value” or they’ll have no reason to guide you all the way.

Culture
The Gangs are not savages though. They have a sophisticated culture, with their own lore, fashion, history, laws and values. They are fiercely loyal to their own Gang and defensive against other Gangs. For their own Gang, they will literally die. Each Gang is ruled by the “Scrap Scion,” who assures that everyone’s basic needs are met before any surplus distributed and that laws are upheld fairly and makes all decisions in emergencies and war. Scrap Scion is voted on by every member of the Gang. One for One Vote and can be unseated at any time by a majority vote. Laws are also passed and changed by votes.

Compassion
Compassion for their own members is the Unbreakable Law. Without the strength of the Gang everyone is naked in the Battlegrounds. The Gang survives by its numbers. The one who is strongest today may be the weakest tomorrow. Injury and illness are everyday occurrences of life, but especially in the Battlegrounds. Without help, everyone could die. Gangs view outsiders as deeply flawed for their lack of Compassion for each other, viewing their rampant greed as clear indication that the outsiders aren’t meant to survive. They often get very frustrated trying to explain what they consider a very basic concept.

Walking Naked
Although rarely viewed, the Battleground Gangs often reference their rite of Walking Naked in the Battlegrounds. This is a rite of passage every adult Gang Member takes. Although details vary, in essence, the adolescent must walk out into the Battlegrounds wearing only their mask and armed with only a bladed weapon and survive a day and a night before returning to the Gang. It is said that it is to learn how much every gang member depends on the gang as a whole to survive. Many punishments for crimes involve repeating this rite, although often longer than a day and a night. Their mystics also undergo this rite to gain their powers.

The Brand
Proudly displayed upon their body and emblazoned on everything they own every Gang has a Mark that they call The Brand. It clearly proclaims their loyalty. Upon their acceptance into adulthood a Gang member is literally Branded with their Gang’s Brand. Every member of the Gang donates at least a drop of blood to draw the Brand on the initiate or smear their skin in acceptance. Using something heated to red hot, often radioactive as well, the Gang’s symbol is then burned into their flesh. Sometimes Gang members are kidnapped from other Gangs after they have been branded but are deemed useful enough to join their captor’s Gang. In this case, the new Gang will cut off the old Brand and Brand the initiate with their own Brand. Most often this occurs to Mofoyers who are skilled, but their Gang is weaker than their neighbors.

More Valuable than Gold
Children are the most valued thing to the Battleground Gangs. As such they often raid to steal children from other Gangs or boarder civilizations. Children are raised by the entire Gang, although they usually have a normal parent relationship with at least one adult gang member. Children are cherished, allowed to explore any interest they have and taught by all members of the Gang. Harming any child, in the gang or not is one of the few things that is universally punishable by death among the Battleground Gangs.

Water is usually the thing next most valued by the Gangs. Clean water is hard to come by in the Battlegrounds. Every Gang has a Water Warder who is responsible for maintaining the Gang’s water supply and distributing it. They only take orders from the Scrap Scion and may seize resources or volunteers for tasks related to Water. Although almost always anything needed for water will be willingly given up for the Good of the Gang.

Gold has little value in the Battlegrounds. Soft metals like Copper, Silver and Gold are all valued at about 1 yon, durable metals and other materials at about 5 yons, Iron at about 10 yons and Steel at 25 yons. Food and medical supplies are generally twice their value out there and a full waterskin of clean water is 10 yon.

Masks
Everyone who enters the Battlegrounds needs a decent mask. The air is often poisoned, diseased or radioactive. The Gang members each have their own intensely personal Mask. It is viewed as part of their identity and the last thing they would be without. Masks are often collected as trophies from the dead. All battleground Masks are enchanted with the Battleground Mask Spell.

Deserters
It is rare that a Gang member deserts their Gang. But it does happen. Most often they are kidnapped and branded into a new Gang. However, a very rare individual deserts the Battleground all together. These poor souls are aliens among all the green of the outside world. They are usually defensive, secretive and aggressive. They have trouble relating to outsiders and forming bonds with them. If they return to the Battlegrounds, they will almost certainly be killed, as deserters are not well liked. They live the rest of their lives as outsiders among everyone.

MAGIC
Mystics beware. The Battleground Gangs have their own brand of magic that is functionally the same as that performed by outsiders, but unique to the area. This Battleground Magic, known by the Gangs as “Mofo” is the elemental magic of the Battlegrounds. Mofo does not use Ardor. Steel and Death Magic works as normal, but the other elements function at HALF its normal rating rounded down, minimum ranking of 1. Conversely, “Mofo” functions at HALF its normal rating when outside the Battlegrounds rounded down, minimum ranking of 1. It also has no elemental entanglement with any other element. The Gangs refer to their mystics as “Mofoyers” and outside mystics as “Sparklers.” Mofoyers are generally revered by their peers and every strong gang has at least one Mofoyer.

To learn Mofo, the student learns directly from the Battleground. For every spell level the Mofoyer spends 7 days and 7 nights Walking Naked. A Mofo spell costs 2 Floating Points at Character Creation, and only one spell at level one may be taken at Character Creation. Each Spell costs 8 Experience points to purchase the first level and 8 multiplied by its level thereafter.

Trinket-Foci
To perform Mofo, the Mofoyer needs a Trinket. This is an object found or made of things found on their first Walking Naked to learn Mofo. A Trinket works the same as a foci for a different element’s magic, however if lost, broken or stolen then the Mofoyer will have to take another Walk Naked specifically to gain a new Trinket. If a Mofoyer learns outsider magics, they do not need to have more foci or Trinkets for the new elements. However, their Trinket will not work for outsider magics if they leave the Battlegrounds, and they would then have to find foci for any of the outsider elements.

Empty Handed Mofo
Mofo without a Trinket is possible, however it would be called Desperate by outside mystics. A Core point must be spent to perform a Mofo spell without a Trinket. It is a permanently spent Core Point. Striping one’s soul in such a way knocks the character unconscious until the combat is over, or for about 10 min out of combat.


SPELLS
Incantations

Umbrella
Incantation: “otectionpray omfray unsay”
Range: Touch
Level Effect: 10 Minutes target is protected
Description: Target has to be next to a solid structure (rock, wall, etc.) or a shadow to attach the spell to. Target is able to rest comfortably out of heat, radiation damage, poison or any other environmental danger. The Target remains protected for 10 minutes for each rank in this spell, unless released. May not move.


Potions
Active C6
Ingredients: 1 cup water, 1 herb, 1 liver
Level Effect: Level of Poisons Cleared
Description: Protects against poisons up to the rank of the potion for 1 day or cleanses one type of poison from the target up to the rank of this potion. If the target is suffering from 2 different types of poison, only one will be neutralized.

K 53
Ingredients: 1 cup water, 1 herb, 1 stone
Level Effect: Level of Radiation Cleared
Description: Protects against radiation up to the rank of the potion for 1 day or cures radiation damage from the target up to the rank of this potion.

The Vax
Ingredients: 1 cup water, 1 herb, 1 heart
Level Effect: Level of Diseases cleared
Description: Protects against diseases up to the rank of the potion for 1 day or cleanses one type of disease from the target up to the rank of this potion. If the target is suffering from 2 different types of disease, only one will be neutralized.

Rituals
Battleground Mask
Incantation: “ayay askmay isyay uthtray”
Ingredients: 1 metal ingot, something found in the Battleground, 1 stone, 1 heart, 1 liver
Level Effect: Months of protection, level of protection
Description: Everyone in the Battleground must make themselves a mask. The type and style of mask is a unique expression of the individual. If the individual works on their mask every day for a whole lunar cycle, the mask gains 1 additional level. Once the mask is completed it is boiled in a stew of the other ingredients which is then poured out upon the soil of the Battlegrounds. The mask then will protect against poison, disease and radiation up to its level Ranking for Months equal to its level Ranking.

Truly Bare
The Battleground Mask Ritual can be renewed without repeating the entire ritual by burying it in the soil of the Battleground, bleeding into the soil and then laying upon the spot an entire night without leaving it. The Battleground Gangs consider this more bare than nudity. While no protection spells may be used, the entire Gang will usually circle around their Bare Sibling and defend them during the night, proving again that they can only survive together. Depending on the size and strength of the Gang, several members may renew their masks in one night, to reduce the amount of time that they are down members.

Iron Castle
Incantation: “ironyay astlecay”
Ingredients: 10 Iron ingots
Circle: 10’ Radius per spell level
Level Effect: Strength of the Protective Shield, size of the shield
Description: A circle of Iron pieces, often on top of pillars or posts mark the boundaries of the circle. This ritual creates an area within it, in which no one can be harmed. It protects against physical, magical and environmental damage, creating a comfortable, safe shelter. In order to harm those within, an attacked must first destroy the spell by dealing magic damage to the protective wall equal to the Shield rating of the spell. Mofoyers, and even non casters can add Core points to add 10 protective ranks per core. Additional Mofoyers may work together to add their spell levels for a truly spectacular fortification. This ritual last as long as the caster is within the circle and conscious, if there are multiple casters, they can take turns sleeping. 

Oasis
Incantation: “iyay avehay irstthay”
Ingredients: 12 vessels (preferably steel,) 12 cups fluid, a large cauldron, barrel or empty pool, 12 sea shells
Circle: 10’
Level Effect: Number of times Vessel will fill with water
Description: The caster arranges the vessels in alignment with the numbers of a clock face with 12 facing North and with the large empty vessel in the center surrounded by sea shells. The caster puts whatever fluid they can into the 12 vessels. Any fluid will work and there are tales of casters melting metal to fill the cups in desperate times. The caster says the Incantation at each cup and then returns to the empty vessel which will begin filling with crystal clear, pure, clean water. It will fill once for every level in this spell.