TOWNS AND CITIES


Gruze is a sad little town, enlivened only slightly by the illicit brawl arena it hides underground. Those that live here can make a meager living betting on brawls, prowling the Wastes for easy marks, and selling blood (their own and others'). If you're in Gruze, chances are good that you're about to leave. Hang around for too long and you're liable to get stuck here.

Heisenburg: the beating heart of the Wastes, and an urban hell of GNCO's creation. This city boasts a sizable enough population that it's actually got a semblance of districting — but the vast majority of its denizens are barely scraping by. Even if you can get a job in Heisenburg, it won't pay your rent; one wrong move and you're tossed back into the surrounding Wastes. Well, you can always drown your sorrows at the strip club.

Thieves, murderers, junkies, and various ne'er-do-wells call Sartova their home, and Sartova in turn calls them wallets with legs. The town's anarchic reputation also draws in a more artistic crowd — Sartova boasts cutting-edge fashion and designer Blood+, along with the only cinema in the Wastes. Folks here are apt to stab you if you look at them funny, but it might still be worth a visit. Try to get there before it finishes sinking into the ocean.

"If you must live in the Wastes, you simply can't do better than Zadig!" Take it from a random citizen: Zadig is the best of the worst, or at least the most tolerable. It doesn't have the big-city hustle of Heisenburg or the lawless swag of Sartova, but it does have a museum dedicated to GNCO, and it does have an illicit Blood+ labratory. What more could a wastewalker want?

WASTES ENVIRONS


"The Wastes" is a broad term for every bit of land that isn't trying to be a city or a factory. They span most of the world, but if you can avoid them, you should. In the Wastes, you risk being attacked by mutated predators, getting mugged and exsanguinated by other wastewalkers, falling into a toxic sewage swamp, or simply starving to death if you can't find a Pabst's quickly. If you're smart — and enhanced — you might survive, but is it worth the risk?

The best (or possibly worst) way into Sartova is through its cavernous sewer system. While "professional" security here is lax, the resident wastewalkers and the bloodthirsty vermin make the sewers a treacherous path to traverse. Pretty mushrooms, though!

Home to what remains of the powerful Kincaid family, Kincaid Manor's isolated location in the Wastes makes it perfect for a clan that eschews society and electricity alike. When Old Man Kincaid dies, his heir will probably raze the place and put up a skyscraper; today, the building stands as a testament to a time that most people would rather forget. Trespassers shot on sight.

Something sure did a number on this place, huh? Until fairly recently, the Area 015 GNCO Factory was a centerpiece of GNCO's industry, but then it got blown the fuck up, and now it's just scorch marks and twisted metal as far as the eye can see. Who could be responsible for this disaster? Did it just blow up on its own, or was this destruction an act of terrorism? Someone out there knows.

SHOPS AND MORE


The Fursts are a fashion-forward family, and they'll sell you clothes when no one else will! No one else is allowed to sell clothes anyways — isn't that convenient? Stop by a Furst's in any town in the Wastes if you need armor, or if you want your current fashion sense mocked by an obnoxious cashier. Some stores even run a little side business in brawl tickets and other illicit materials when the GNCO soldiers aren't paying attention.

If you're in need of supplements, stimulants, or syringes, a GNCO-run Harmacy is your best bet. The physicians are rather shady, and the prices are exorbitant, but at least... well, there's really no upside. Make your purchase quickly or you might leave with your veins lighter than your pockets.

For a bunch of technophobes, the Kincaids sure are good at making weapons! In every Kincaid's, you'll find The Kincaid's™ Super-Ultra-Patented Weapon Appearifyiermorginator™, which can be used to upgrade your own equipment (if you know what you're doing). They'll even sell you the parts you need for a nominal fee — how thoughtful.

The Pabst family has a monopoly on all the food in the Wastes, and if you're hungry, you can always find a hot meal at a Pabst's. It won't be a good meal... or a filling one... or particularly affordable... but what else are you gonna do, starve? You'll eat your damn PabstBurger™ and enjoy the "friendly" smiles of the Mrs. Pabsts who serve it.

Gruze's one and only attraction, this illicit underground brawl arena attracts dozens of brawl enjoyers to its regularly-scheduled fights. Palladium has been known to stop by and run his show here from time to time. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to catch him? If you're unlucky, though, stay away from the betting counter.

Sick? Ailing? Suffering from unspecified malaise? The Heisenburg hospital (run by GNCO, of course) will fix you up and relieve you of your burdensome cash as well! Some patients have recently complained about giant mutant leeches attacking them in their beds, but those rumors are certainly baseless. Sleep tight, be healed, and don't ask the phlebotomist stupid questions about why he's blue.

If you've scored a hot date, The Pink Slip is the perfect place to take 'em! They offer spacious bedrooms, overpriced cocktails, and all the live entertainment you could shake a syringe at. Weirdly enough for a strip club, they don't serve singles — but you can always try coming back when you've stopped being an incel.

Sartova is the hub for all things illicit, and their hidden brawl venue is no exception. While this arena isn't as glamorous as Gruze's, it's said to be Palladium's base of operations, and his loyal Silverheads visit it in droves. Word on the street says they've actually got a charity event planned, but... really? Here, of all places?

As the only cinema in the Wastes, Club Kino is a refuge for those artsy souls who want to escape Sartova's violent tendencies. They've got one (1) screen, a small art studio, and even a derelict darkroom! Stop by for your daily dose of Culture, or just to gawk at the incredibly old man running the projector. Strangely, a lot of brawl enjoyers also tend to visit Club Kino, but who knows what they're getting out of it.

Palladium's dedicated fanbase has established a home base in Sartova — the Palladium Fanclub is basically Silverhead heaven. They won't let you in unless you're a card-carrying member of one of the various fanclub sects, but it's not that hard to join. Just say "I love you, Palladium Furst" six times slowly with your eyes closed, and when you open them... boom! All of your money has been replaced by a piece of cardstock that says "GayGothUnion6969"! That's your ticket to hang out with a bunch of insufferable Palladium nerds.

Once upon a time, people cared enough about history to establish this GNCO Museum/Memorial/Temple in Zadig. That time is now decidedly past. The museum is currently staffed by Siblings of the Vein (a cult of GNCO-worshippers) and overseen by one lone archivist. There's nowhere better to go for a history lesson on the Ohs, merchandise produced by and promoting the Ohs, or a sermon extolling the glory of the Ohs.