May 16 2018, a day that will live in infamy.

Tensions over the worlds dwindling natural resources and

growing military power sparked hostility between the world powers: Russia, China, and The United
States. Prices for oil and uranium skyrocketed as the worlds mines and oil wells were scraped clean.
Growing desperate, the United States formed a strong alliance with Russia and put their greatest
minds together to think of a solution to the problem at hand. They toyed with expeditions to mars for
iron, asteroids for rare earth metals, and Venus for sulfur, argon and neon. In August of 2016 NASA
and Roscosmos launched project Odin, a mission to the asteroid belt to collect metals from the
asteroid Pallas which they believed to contain large quantities of elements like neodymium, plutonium,
and uranium. The mission was successful and Odin returned with 60,000 tons of materials causing the
two countries to dominate the world economically. But their expedition had consequences, China was
fuming over the success of the two true world powers and began to plot revenge. A vast majority of
China's focus was put into their military program. They created bio-weapons capable of annihilating
anything in a 100 mile radius that would leave an environment effect free after 180 days, smaller
more powerful nuclear warheads, combat suits that would render a soldier almost completely invisible.
Rumors spread around the world that China was preparing for war after a Russian spy copied a hard
drive full of military blueprints; Russia and the US began their own preparations. With the two
countries working together huge technological advancements were made, power armor and exo-suits
were some of the first to be developed, shortly followed by energy weapons and automatic rail-guns.
But by far the most important of all the advancements was the Portable Cold Fusion Device, or F Cores
as they were called by the many soldiers that used them. This small device was about the size as your
average soda can yet could power an entire neighborhood for around a month. The device is used to
power everything from the power armor to the energy weapons. On February 14th, 2017 a small
misunderstanding in the pacific, 600 miles east of Taiwan a small Chinese Destroyer fired upon a
Russian aircraft carrier killing 40 and wounding hundreds more and stranding the soldiers on their
sinking vessel. The United States and Russia were enraged and in only 3 days both had declared war
on China. China was fully on the defensive, clinging to life as the allied forces decimated their Military
and destroyed the homes and businesses of millions. On December 23, just two days before
Christmas, the Chinese surrendered giving up two-thirds of their territory to Russia, including their
capital of Beijing. But China would not fade slowly into the night, they threw their remaining funds into
their nuclear program, repurposing uranium from their few remaining power plants creating 1

megaton Fatman style Atom bombs. They went with this primitive design because most of the world
had too many anti-ballistic missiles and other defense mechanisms against conventional missiles. They
formed a tight alliance with Japan who feared that they would be swallowed up by Russian territorial
advances. The newly aliened countries began work on modifying commercial airliners into bombers to
discreetly fly over enemy lines. On May 16th, 2018 they launched a joint attack on both Russia and
the US. The cities of New York, Cleveland, Las Angels, Boston, Washington DC, Las Vegas, Detroit,
Atlanta, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Chelyabinsk were bombarded by one Megaton nuclear
weapons. Partially or completely leveling cites and irradiating the world. The rest of world was thrown
into panic; the attackers had not yet been identified so they world began to attack themselves with
even the strongest of allies turning on each other, destroying civilization and humanity as we knew it.
Over 80% of the world perished within the first hour of the attack with an additional 5% suffering for
days before their injuries finally struck them down. Some lucky few were spared by being in the right
place at the right time, in metro stations, bank vaults, fallout and emergency shelters spared them
from the blasts. Years passed, the world we once knew becoming unrecognizable. It became hostile
and unfit for humanity, the atmosphere left in shambles, radioactive dust is blown through the air
during the superstorms that rage on the surface from time to time; with winds exceeding 100 mph.
Temperatures fell to a global average of 20 degrees Fahrenheit as the earth entered a nuclear winter.
Stepping outside without the proper protection leads to crippling side effects in mere minutes and
death in an hour. Not many dare the environment or mutants on the surface but those that do are
called Rangers. They were given this name because the first group to venture out into the unknown
were a group of Army Rangers stationed in Moscow. Brandishing insignias of the once great United
States they ventured out to collect food, water, relics and gadgets from the old world, and to attempt
to establish communications with any other survivors in the world.
The city of Moscow lays in ruin. The once beautiful city lays crumbling and irradiated. On that fateful
day Moscow was given an early warning of the attacks. The entire city was thrown into panic, many
hid at home or with relatives hoping that this was just a false alarm. But others would not take that
chance. They took everything they could carry: food, water, clothing, tools, ammunition, weapons,
and electronics. They flooded into fallout shelters, the metro stations, and into the uranium mines that
lay deep under the surface of Moscow. They huddled together in silence awaiting what they feared the
most. BANG! The earth shook and their ears rang from the explosion. The people Moscow sat in

shocked silence as they began to process their situation. Family, friends, neighbors, and strangers
united together, old hostilities were forgotten, and grudges were forgiven. Slowly people began to file
out into the larger tunnels of the mine and to the different stations of the metro where they set up
small communities. Each dwarf state developed their own religion, political system, and morals.
Slowly the once bonded people began to drift apart, enemies were formed, and close allies were
made. After several years food and resources began to dwindle, each state began to select their
strongest to brave the surface for more resources. Equipped with gas masks and many layers of
clothing, and for the first time in decades, the doors to the surface were opened. The men emerged
into a world that was no longer their own. New creatures formed by the radiation roamed the streets
and occupied the abandoned buildings of Moscow. The men found themselves on the bottom of the
food chain just as the mutants discovered a new food source. The men fled into the city barricading
themselves in shops, stuffing their packs with supplies as quickly as they could. The few that survived
made mad dashes for their underground safe haven but in their haste, a small group of men left their
entrance wide open, giving the mutants a way into the underground. The outer stations were quickly
torn apart by packs of mutants, their sheer strength in numbers overrunning them easily. Many
stations began to administer martial law, instilling curfews and watches to better protect their citizens.
As more and more stations were usurped by the mutants it became clear that humanity would not
last. A small group of scientists began work on something to save the human race. Working out of a
small lab in the station of Krasnaya ploshchad', which lies at the center of the metro and entrance to
the mines. The city is one of the last places that still resembles the old world with trade and
commerce at the center of its economy. These scientists created a virus called the RFT virus (rapid
feral transformation) that upon infecting a human, would change them into a human-animal hybrid
once called furries in a better time. The virus lays dormant in the subject until they are exposed to
radiation for a long period of time, with the time of exposure determining the animal along with the
traits given to the subject. Lower doses created creatures like lupines, canines, vulpines, equines, and
felines; while higher doses created hybrids resembling dragons and other reptilian species. Slowly the
borders stabilized and the mutants began to attack in smaller groups.
This is where Artyom's story begins....

Artyom was born on the outskirts of the metro in a small station called stantsiya volk. The people here
were mostly wolves but it was interlaced with foxes and canines. Artyoms father was American while
his mother was Russian so he speaks both languages fluently but his English is heavily accented.
Artyom idolized his father from a young age. He would await for his father to return from the surface,
bringing him toys, books, and pieces of technology from the old world. When Artyom was 10 years old
his station was overcome by a group of humans who hated what the rest of their race had become.
This faction traveles around the underground ruthlessly slaughtering hundreds as they go. All the
able-bodied men stayed behind to allow the women, children, and elderly escape. Artyom watched in
horror as his father faded into the darkness and gunshots tore through the silence that once lay over
this part of the underground. Artyom was desperate to help his father so when his mother began to
sob, drawing her attention away from him, he slipped off the back of the rail car and ran back to his
home. He found his father slouched against a wall, mortally wounded. Awoken by his sons shouts he
opened his eyes and clutched his sons hand. Artyom my son.. this is not the last that you will see of
these men.. they will continue to terrorize the underground, youre home.. you cannot let this happen.
Follow in my footsteps, become a ranger, find uncle Nicolai he will train you.. now go before they
return he gasps in pain coughing weekly I love you Artyom now go! Artyoms father went limp, his
eyes losing their once curious shine. Artyom was lifted from behind and dragged away back to the
survivors of the slaughter.

//5 years later//

His uncle Nicolai finally thought he was ready. Artyom packed his gear and headed to the entrance
into the tunnel where his uncle was waiting for him. Artyom, remember everything I taught you, you
will be fine I promise.. said his uncle I know uncle replied Artyom before he was pulled into an
embrace. now go! You have no time to waste! The gates were pulled aside and Artyom walked out
into the darkness seeking to avenge his fathers death.