The raiders
Fortune favors the bold, or so they say. When the fog thrust the world into chaos, opportunists crawled from the woodwork to make their coin in less-than-legal fashion. As humanity took to the sky, so did its criminals-- almost as soon as the first cargo plane left the ground, so did a flock of air pirates, known widely and simply as raiders. There are many, many of these groups scattered around the world; perhaps moreso even than the Air Forces. One of the oldest among them has, unfortunately, also made its home in the picturesque Catskill mountains.
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Many raiders come from blue collar backgrounds, and did not see much promise in remaining in the domes. A large group of them are comprised of ex-diesel miners. This lends the raiders a unique advantage: deep-earth hazmat suits, sturdy enough to protect their occupants from the fog, enable small strike teams to launch ground assaults on small settlements.
High atop a peak not far from the Lion's den sits the remains of what was once a bustling flight school. Gone are the hopeful students and seasoned instructors, however-- now it houses fractured bands of profiteering pilots, forced together begrudgingly by a common goal. The groups bicker, quarrel, clash and draw lines in the sand-- sometimes literally-- but somehow manage to coexist on the property.
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In many ways, the campus is similar to the Lion's Den. It is equally eclectic, decorated with the varying tastes of different raider bands in traditional post-apocalyptic fare. The school, once known as Catskill Flight Academy, has been lovingly bestowed a new name: The Catfight Aces, after the faded and graffiti-ed sign out front, missing letters and punctuation. The school is not large, but it accommodates the raiders substantially. The cafeteria is now the mess hall, obviously; the classrooms have become bunks, offices, repair shops... A once-grand auditorium now serves as a sort of parliament house, where the various groups can assemble and argue like civil people (usually). Old plane carcasses and refuse from the school have been arranged in a field, as a sort of impromptu firing range. Those who do not reside in the classrooms make their homes in something of a tent city, populated by various designs of tattered canvas abodes.
Ranking in the Raiders
The raiders typically do not subscribe to traditional structure or order. Each group can be arranged in the way its leader deems fit, so if you want to come up with some cool Mad Max shit, let me know and I'll stick it here.
ACTIVE RAIDER GROUPS
THE Phantoms
A list of raider factions currently being controlled by player characters. New player can choose to fall in line under one of these groups, or form their own-- preferably, after your first application is already accepted.
The Phantoms are a gang of raiders that started out small. Just a few twenty-somethings who barely even knew how to fly a plane shooting down cargo in an attempt to scrape by. Soon enough, though, a leader rose among them. Ruth Neuman, a decent pilot whose true skills lay in her ability to sell anything she got her hands on. Ruth had a vision for the gang, beyond just low-level piracy of easy targets. She wanted to bring the government to its knees, and show them just what they'd missed out on when they left her to rot.
Forty years on, the Phantoms have become known as one of the oldest, most ruthless raider gangs around. They're cutthroat savages who refuse to let anyone stand in the way of their treasure. The group is comprised of a wide range of raiders, of many ages and backgrounds. Some are in it for ideology, some for glory, and the overwhelming majority for money. And Ruth ensures that everyone contributes, regardless of age or skill set, whether that be through flying, selling goods, or helping those injured on raids. The Phantoms are efficient, working (almost always) as a well-oiled machine to take down cargo planes.
As Ruth gets on in age, there have been rumors of discontent among her group. People have begun wondering when she'll retire and open up her position for a new leader. She rules with an iron fist, though, and she seems to have no plans to give up what she's built.
THE Devil's Ivy
Twenty two years ago, a new raider group appeared among the many, though they were a bit different among the rest. The Devil's Ivy not only claim to take from the rich for themselves, but also to give back to the common folk. You join, and your family will be provided for, so long as you're willing to get your hands dirty. Should you fall out of line though? Depending on what, the cost could be your life.
Sage Gorman, also known as Hemlock, is an odd one-- he likes to see his gang a bit like a family. You take care of them, he'll take care of you. However, he is far from soft, he expects you to do your job and do it right. They always split their hauls into thirds; a third to sell on the black market, a third to the members, and a third to give to folks in need. Get caught taking more than you're given, especially from those who need it more than you? Sage will find out, he always does. And it won't be pretty.
Sage knows his way of doing things makes the other raiders raise eyebrows at him. The way he sees it, long as they stay in their lane, it'll be fine. If they don't, well... He'll deal with them-- he always does.