Denizens of the Deep

When the Starborn came to Earth and devastated the surface, humanity fled down deep into the sewers below. From then on, the filthy pipes and cavernous tunnels have been home to the survivors. The vast quantities of sewage and waste becoming the oceans and rivers they depended on for survival. The empty channels and mounds of debris the foundation upon which villages were born. From scrap and filth, humanity clung on, refusing to fade into oblivion. Years after the loss of the surface, new cultures and people sprung up from within the waste. Now the once empty tunnels are filled with people from all walks of life.  

1. The Propers - Even though the sewers were the salvation of humanity, there were those who turned their noses at the stink and slime that the tunnels held. The people who found the reek and filth unbearable, unfit for living. Refusing to live atop islands of garbage, or floating on seas of waste, they turned to the empty tunnels and began to create a brighter, cleaner world. Entire areas were sectioned off and sealed tight. What was contained within their walls was scrubbed clean and purged of all dirt and filth. Air tight seals were placed in every entrance and exit, so that the foulness of the outside could not taint their clean world. The Propers still wear suits and armor like the rest, but not a single bit of dust and dirt can be found on them. The Propers even stuck up their noses at the "unsightly" masks and breathers that people wore, and instead turned to a more "friendly" and "suitable" design. Those who live outside cannot enter the sealed "hamlets" of The Proper without going through decontamination chambers and undergoing a thorough cleaning. Even then, they must provide their own attire that fits with their dress code. If one does not have a suitable garb, they won't even make it past the front door. Due to all the hassle it takes to enter a Proper Hamlet, and the derogatory attitude its inhabitants have towards them, many don't ever bother entering their homes. Despite their snobbish ways, the Proper are vital to the survival of many down below. Their ultra clean environments and meticulous ways allow them to construct complicated devices and fix up ancient electronics without worry of contamination. The machines that come out of their Hamlets are top notch, and designed to last. Many villages trade with Hamlets, giving food and nutrients for their dependable devices. Even then, trades are rarely done face to face. Instead they use a system of chutes and drawers so that the "filth" of the outside doesn't contaminate their perfect world.    

2. Stilt Walkers - Stilt Walkers are commonly found in villages that sit upon the rivers and lakes of waste. They are carriers and travelers who move from town to town, delivering goods and moving messages. If a town is not connected to the pipe delivery system, the Stilt Walkers are a godsend. They are the ones who traverse the tides and rivers. Stilt Walkers are also used for transportation of those without proper funds. They can only carry one person at a time, and the ride is not very comfy, but they can get a person from point A to B on the cheap. The hooks upon their heads allow them to latch onto the stilt legged platforms that many towns use to keep up and out of the sewage waters. The balance of Stilt Walkers are legendary, with many saying that true Stilt Walkers are capable of doing anything a normal person can without ever tripping or tipping.

3. Skin Hunters - With the ever present threat of the Bdellis, the towns and villages down below are always on the defense. For the Skin Hunters, though, they have turned to the offense. Skin Hunters live to hunt and kill the many Bdellis that swarm the tunnels and chasms. They turn away from technology and machinery, and instead rely on natural, organic weaponry to fight. They believe the savagery of the Bdellis must be met with equal savagery. Their armor and weapons are taken off of the carcasses of dead Bdellis, with many Hunters outfitting themselves with their best kills. Skin Hunters believe that rank and respect is won through bigger kills and higher body counts. They often wear the skins and claws of kills they see as difficult or challenging, all to gain the respect of their fellow Hunters. They always fight hand to hand, and are nearly unmatched in close combat. Despite their savage nature, Skin Hunters are fine with working with normal villages and settlers. Whatever parts they do not use for trophies or equipment are traded or sold with other settlements.   

4. Muckluck - Muckluck is Muckluck. Nobody knows what his deal is, or what he even does. He just plods around on his wooden bucket feet, hiding behind seemingly indestructible armor. Some say he is a recluse, while others claim he is a mutant. Nobody truly knows. The mutant story is the best fitting one, as some witnesses claim he is capable of vomiting large quantities of vile liquid out, and he does so to ward off Bdellis. Even then, it is a little shaky, since no one can even figure out where all of it came from. 

5. Scrubbers - The personal guards of the Proper, Scrubbers are the enforcers that man the sealed gates of a Hamlet. They stand before the decontamination chambers and airlocks to screen out those who can and can't enter a Hamlet. These guards are hired and maintained by the Proper, getting top treatment for their invaluable services. When one wishes to speak with the Proper, or enter the Hamlet, they must go through the Scrubbers first. A long check list must be fulfilled in order for them to cooperate, and if a single thing is wrong, the outsider is turned away. If one is foolish enough to resist, or tries to break in, the Scrubbers are prepared. They are armed with power washers, the long filters set within the nearby waters of a sewer river. With this, the Scrubbers have an infinite amount of ammo, and can unleash devastating blasts of water. A wide spray is enough to knock back many intruders, and a narrowed, thin stream of high pressured water can slice through flesh and bone. If combat gets close, all Scrubbers are armed with brushes. These brushes are what give Scrubbers their name, as they are well trained with them. Some may scoff at such a weapon, but the brushes are made of solid metal, and their bristles are shaped from wire. These tools can easily club someone into submission, and their tough wires can scrape off skin if one has any of that exposed. The efficiency of Scrubbers have spread enough that few are willing to challenge them, but the Bdellis are mindless beasts that will happily throw themselves at these guards in hopes of breaching the Hamlets beyond. The Scrubbers take these hordes head on, never faltering from their duty.  

6. The Good Taste Man - A traveling chef, The Good Taste Man collects a wide variety of ingredients from the tunnels and rivers in order to sell them to hungry customers. His oven hammer is always cooking up something tasty, and his hot box keeps finished meals warm until a buyer appears. The Good Taste Man always seems to be in a cheery mood, and will never stop hocking his wares. Many have pointed out that The Good Taste Man is a terrible title for such a business, but he never pays them any mind. 

7. Pipe Cleaners - Their tall, thin silhouettes unmistakable, Pipe Cleaners are a special group of workers that do some of the dirtiest jobs. In a world that uses pipes to route food, water, goods, gas and mail, a clogged pipe is a massive problem. With clogs and plugs most likely to bite and put up a fight, old world methods of cleaning pipes were unreliable. So in their place came the Pipe Cleaners. Their thin bodies are perfect for squeezing into the tight pipes and drains, and they have masted the techniques one uses to squirm through them. Though they appear stringy, they are packed with wiry muscle and are well trained in physical combat. Incredibly flexible and masters of their body movements, Pipe Cleaners are fierce foes that can seemingly dodge any hit and appear to move at blinding speeds. This all comes from their work in the pipes, squirming through the muck and the filth to dislodge clogs and open the way up for commerce and trade. Occasionally Pipe Cleaners are called in when prospectors and travelers come across undiscovered sealed rooms and structures. When one cannot get an ancient door to open, or are unable to break an advanced lock, Pipe Cleaners can find some chute or pipe that allows them to slip in and crack open the lost vault.  

8. Mutants - People who have been exposed to the toxins and mutagens of the sewer world for too long, the Mutants live where even the most desperate humans will not. Coming in all sorts of shapes and sizes, Mutants are varied folk who find their sewer homes to be downright lovely. Altered beyond repair, Mutants no longer bother wearing armor or respirators, and instead turn to walking around exposed to the elements. In their natural element, Mutants always seem happy and find their lives to be quite pleasant. They have no ill will towards normal people, but they can never fully grasp why people bother being so against having too many limbs or having their skin melt off. Mutants and Proper obviously do not get along at all, for quite clear reasons. 

9. Vapor Merchants - People who have turned towards the many gases as ways of a profit. Vapor Merchants travel the tunnels to search of valuable vapors that they can collect and sell. When one finds a particular potent area, they boot up their filters and fill up their tanks. These filled tanks are then sold to other villages for fuel, medicine or other purposes. 

10. Trawlers - The vast oceans and rivers of waste are not just filled with filth. These bodies of foul water are filled with scrap, debris and other valuable resources that have been swept away or have sunk to the bottom. Trawlers are those who fish these waters in hopes of pulling up a busted piece of ancient machinery, or hooking a mound of valuable metal. With hooked nets, they constantly cast and draw in their lines, collecting what can be sold and burning what is waste. With the tides of sewage ever flowing, they know that the potential goods that can be caught is bottomless. Whatever they catch that is valuable is put into their stores, where anyone can trade or buy it. Trawlers are into this business for the money. Their shops are set near the water, so that they do not have to stray far to pull up more inventory. Their stores usually consist of mounds of metal and dripping machinery, all of which they watch with an intense eye. Every bit of scrap has a price, and no person will leave their yards without paying it. The prices of their wares are usually quite high, and they are not ashamed to admit it. They know that they have what people want, and so they reason that people will pay up once they finish griping. If someone does complain that something is "too much" they simply say "that is true, but we have it, so what are you going to do?" Anything they dredge up from the deep is considered "theirs," even if someone has their name written on it. No matter how much someone may try to argue and debate with the Trawlers, they will not just simply give it back. In fact, they will even sell it to someone else right in front of your face if the buyer pays enough. In some places, people have given the Trawlers the nickname of "Schmucks," since they dwell so much in muck. These people, however, don't actually call Trawlers that when they are face to face with one.

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The citizens of the world of Rupture!