SOCIETY
After a centuries long societal collapse, when only bones are left for picking, vultures are bound to swoop in for feasting and unfortunately despite the goodwill of others, the fearful impulses of mankind do shine through like silver scales of a minnow through the murky waters.
Class & Social Disparity
Although the majority of people may find themselves in a position that necessitates scavenging and survival, there are a handful of lucky ones who have either made it through unscrupulous means or retained power dating back centuries. Whilst their power is not yet fully centralized and differs from settlement to settlement, their influence is still felt all the way through to the gutters of civilization. What they hold on to, they are only bound to let go leaving claw marks. There are only a few of these elite, but for the little benefactions that they provide, they run a tight ship on their subordinates. Most of these elites can be traced back to a settlement known as Elysium, some of its structures pre-dating the civilizations' advancement. It is located on the eastern rim of the old mainland, facing a lagoon that was once the Atlantic. Elysium sprawls over three former major cities, encapsulating areas new an old that have been built over many a times devolving the city into a tumor like growth of concrete.
Militia
Those in more fortunate positions were able to raise a trained organization of military might known as Militia to protect the oligarchy centralized in Elysium. The militia is rumoured to be deliberately experimenting on using the Human Memory Cards in order to grant the soldiers errors of advanced power and finesse and in order to proceed to clear as much land as possible from the plight of anomalies. Members of the militia can also be found outside of Elysium, either deployed on welfare missions, surveillance or to offer providence to the unfortunate in order to corrupt other settlements to fall under Elysium’s influence. But do not be fooled, their promises are fool’s gold and thus those clad in Militia’s dark uniforms are deeply frowned upon. Defecting from Militia is exceptionally hard as the soldiers are not only tightly supervised but also tracked using microscopic biochips. To pick a fight with a member of the militia is dangerous, if not downright a death sentence. The way they are regarded ranges from fear to distrust, to anger.
STRUCTURE
ORGANIZATIONS
Scalpers
Those who are known as scalpers are individuals who hoard resources, redistributing resources that were once free or cheap for a much higher price in order to earn profits and favors. These resources can range from food to fuel, electricity and water. A group of scalpers has been known to plague the Cradle in their attempts to monopolize the provision of electrical power by taking over one of the settlement’s power plants.
Gangs
The purpose of gangs can vary from striving to provide protection to civilians to overpowering everyone else in order to rest in the position of leadership, thus their reputation can vary from settlement to settlement. Often gangs engage in cooperation with the black market of their local settlements or alternatively use violence to ward off intruders, militia and anomalies, whilst aiding those who are less capable of defending themselves in the process. For example, the reputation of Black Ghosts and Paradox is more favorable as both maintain a level of diplomacy between one another and protect the city by exterminating anomalies, however, gangs can also cooperate with scalpers or even militia in order to be granted preferential treatment by either group.
WELFARE
Schooling
Outside of Elysium, there is no overarching system or structure for schooling and most attempts to school children are organized by volunteers who open schools in order to educate children as much as possible until they are of age. Universities or collectives may function in a similar manner and these organizations can range from being exceptionally well organized and philanthropically funded by other groups or less organized, requiring constant vigilance due to misdemeanor.
Universities differ from their contemporary definitions as institutions that facilitate mentorship and apprenticeship as opposed to large classes of people and function as their own unique collective under an umbrella of ideals. Masters of subjects attempt to provide the best education they can, especially when there is little time for too much navel gazing. Application of learning tends to be far more cooperative and hands-on.
Medical Care
While there is no centralized healthcare in the Cradle, every organization and gang needs to supply their own medical needs or pay another party for medical assistance if they cannot provide their own. There is a local hospital but it’s been heavily looted for medical supplies and equipment, making it currently unfit to be operable. However there is a treaty between most cradle organizations to prevent the destruction of vital medical equipment. Thus, people with medical skills or healing Errors are highly valued and are often scouted. Some other settlements can potentially have working centralized healthcare, such as hospitals.