Nestled within the heart of a once-vibrant region of the American continent, Torchlight stands as a symbol of humanity’s determination to endure and resist extinction. The settlement is protected by concrete walls that the townsfolk call The Barrier, which is their only line of defense against any of the dangers from the wasteland.

Over generations, Torchlighters have adapted to a life of constant vigilance, conserving precious supplies, trading with passing survivors, and protecting themselves from rogue factions that roam the outskirts. 

The Founders—those who originally raised The Barrier—are regarded with near-mythic reverence, seen as those who resisted extinction and built a society that has stood the test of time. Now, it falls to you and your fellow settlers to uphold that legacy, safeguard Torchlight, and dare to venture beyond The Barrier in search of supplies and new hope.

The People

Torchlighters are resilient, hardy, and stubborn in character, and they are taught to be prepared for anything threatening their town even from a young age. The town has its fair share of shared trauma, as it is constantly threatened by raiders and other violent scavenger groups who see the settlement as nothing more than a target to plunder for goods and supplies.

For this very reason, the town has created a self-defense militia known as the Wardens. They are the soldiers of the Torchlight community and its main defense force.

Wardens are responsible for defending the town and keeping the peace, but they also help out in various other tasks, such as being the town’s main crime-fighting force, maintaining law and order, and patrolling the perimeter of the wall. Wardens are typically given firearms and/or bows and arrows to do their jobs.

Aside from Wardens, there are many other occupations within the settlement. Farmers and Hunters, for example, provide most of the food needed, and the people often hold Blacksmiths and Engineers in high esteem for being able to create armor or repair useful tools and machinery.

While the majority of the population does their part in keeping the settlement running, some have chosen to pursue alternative endeavors. These include Bounty Hunters, Roamers, and others who live their lives beyond the Barrier, risking the perils of the wasteland in search of adventure, riches, or simply for knowledge of the old world.

Size and Population

Torchlight is a modest settlement, home to approximately 400 to 500 residents, classifying it as the equivalent of a small town. The community is compact, with structures built close together to maximize the protection offered by The Barrier. Most houses are made of wood which comes from the forests surrounding the town. Some are made from repurposed metal (which arrives in carts from expeditions sent out to abandoned cities).

Because of its small town size, Torchlight has an almost familial sense of community, with a deep and genuine camaraderie among its residents. Most have known each other for years, and they’re not used to having strangers show up on their doorstep.

The Culture

Daily Rhythm & Survival

‣ Early Rising: Most Torchlighters wake at dawn to make the most of daylight before the harsh conditions and nocturnal threats stir outside The Barrier. Daytime is when the community is most active.

‣ Resource Management: Food, water, and basic materials are precious. Families typically receive rations allocated by a central supply team. Bartering for extra supplies is common, and some folks maintain private gardens or raise small livestock in enclosures.

‣ Chores & Duties: Every capable individual contributes, whether by repairing the settlement’s walls, tending communal farms, scavenging for scrap, or training to defend Torchlight. Even children help gather crops or assist in water filtration tasks.

Community & Hierarchy

‣ Council of Elders: A small ruling body, often comprising descendants of the Founders or those recognized for their wisdom and fairness. They make major decisions about ration distribution, settlement security, and what to do with threats to the town, or can determine whether or not Torchlight agrees to trade alliances.

‣ Wardens: The settlement’s protectors—part militia, part patrol group—who keep watch on the walls and respond to threats. They’re responsible for training newcomers in basic self-defense.

‣ Roamers: A loose network of skilled explorers who venture beyond The Barrier. They share intel about safe routes, mutated creature sightings, and possible resource caches. Often Roamers tend to be Lantern Guild members.

‣ The Lantern Guild: Not a formal guild with a guildhall (resources are too limited for that) but a small sub-group within the Roamers that is responsible for maintaining the outpost’s limited lighting systems and salvaging old-world tech. Members are highly respected but live dangerous lives, as their work often requires venturing beyond the Barrier to collect parts and fuel. Lantern Guild members carry flame-lanterns, chemical-based light sources that Aberrants seem less attracted to.

Beliefs & Traditions

‣ Reverence for the Founders: The earliest survivors to build The Barrier are regarded almost like mythic heroes. Their journals and letters—if they still exist—are read aloud on certain holy days and in ceremonies.

‣ Day of Ascent: A yearly celebration commemorating the completion of The Barrier. On this day, Torchlighters light old electric lamps (powered by makeshift generators or carefully-stored battery packs) to symbolize the birth of Torchlight from within a dark world.

‣ The Lantern Festival: An annual celebration held during the summer solstice. On this day, the people of Torchlight light lanterns and send them floating up into the air with small hot-air balloons made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a flame is suspended. These sky lanterns are sent in the hopes of carrying the town’s thanks to the Founders. But most townsfolk use it as a way to send wishes or prayers up to the sky.

‣ The Shielding: A custom where newborns or newly-arrived children are brought before the Council, receiving small charms or “wards” that are said to protect them from the Dark’s corrupting influence. It’s more ceremonial than magical, but it reinforces communal care.

‣ Religious Affiliation: The main religion of Torchlight is not to a deity but more akin to ancestor worship mixed with a strong superstition in wards and talismans, which are meant to help fight off the effects of the Dark. As for an afterlife, Torchlighters have no clear concept of what awaits them beyond death. However, a recent trend has emerged among the newer generation who believe that if an afterlife does exist, the Founders will be waiting for them there.

‣ Funeral Customs: When someone dies, their body is taken to the cemetery. The burial process is a solemn and serious affair, with the family and friends of the deceased standing vigil over the corpse. After the burial is completed, everyone present will say a prayer for the soul of the deceased.

‣ The Dying Ritual: A ceremony performed on a dying person by a family member. He/she reads a prayer and places a small piece of cloth with a special sigil (either a warding symbol or the sign of the district) over the person’s eyes.

‣ Prayer: Before a major event or mission, it is customary to say a short prayer asking for the blessings of the Founders.

‣ The Feast of the Forgotten: An annual event held on the eve of the Winter Solstice. On this day, the people of Torchlight honor their dead by lighting candles and eating from a communal feast. Each district has its own version of this holiday.

‣ Memory Scrolls: Some families keep written or etched records of important lineage events—marriages, births, heroic deeds—so that history isn’t lost to the wasteland. These scrolls are read during communal gatherings, reminding everyone of Torchlight’s history.

Culture & Social Life

‣ Tight-Knit Community: People know each other’s names, families, and personal struggles. Resources are too scarce to hoard; cooperation is critical. Gossip travels quickly, but most aim to keep the peace.

‣ Cultural Fusion: Survivors hail from various old-world backgrounds. Over generations, that cultural diversity has interwoven into new customs—an improvised folk music style, stew recipes that blend multiple traditions, and festivals that blend old-world holidays into something uniquely Torchlighter. It is unlike any culture seen before.

‣ Entertainment & Escapism: After sundown, folks gather around lanterns or campfires. They exchange stories of the old world (often dramatized), or sing songs accompanied by handmade string instruments or drums. Sometimes, traveling performers—if lucky enough to stumble upon Torchlight—bring in extra excitement for a short while. Plays are common during the day, usually in areas where people most commonly gather, such as the townsquare.

‣ Education & Skills: Children learn from elders who pass on skills—reading, healing with limited supplies, tinkering with scraps of old-world technology. There is no formal “school,” but rather rotating lessons from community members who have particular areas of expertise. Although, certain members of the community have started to build wooden libraries and collect books. A few have even started their own classrooms in ramshackle sheds or repurposed storefronts.

Economy & Trade

‣ Barter System: Currency is rare and inconsistent, so trade is often done via barter—an extra water filter for a handful of seeds, scrap metal for a portion of fresh-caught fish, medicine for munitions, etc. However, recently (in the past few years), a crude token system has developed using metal discs stamped with the safezone’s insignia, allowing for easier trade among residents.

‣ Trade Caravans: Occasional caravans arrive from other settlements, or roving scavengers come to peddle valuable finds. Trade gatherings take place in Torchlight’s outer courtyard, close to the main gate, under the watchful eye of armed Wardens.

‣ Roamer Importance: Those who bring back salvageable goods—like old technological relics, medications, or even intact seeds—are rewarded with status, better rations, or valuable items. These individuals are sometimes half-celebrity, half-outcast (if they bring back trouble). Being a Roamer is not an easy life nor is it something encouraged by parents on to their children, but they are a necessary and revered part of the community.

Security & The Mutant Question

‣ Suspicion of Mutations: While Torchlight’s walls protect against external threats, internal suspicion can be just as dangerous. Some residents secretly view those with “odd” abilities as ticking time bombs or proof of the Dark’s corruption extending inside the walls.

‣ Informal Tolerance: Officially, the Council remains neutral on rumored powers, but the Wardens are tasked with investigating any unusual phenomena. Openly displaying powers can lead to ostracism—or worse.

‣ Freedom vs. Fear: Many young mutants learn to hide their abilities. A few close-knit families might rally around them, shielding them from prying eyes. Others keep quiet, hoping no one notices their unusual talents. Those who are discovered might be put under quarantine for investigation or observation, or they might even be cast out. It is an ongoing conflict, and there are no easy answers.

Daily Challenges

‣ Decay & Repairs: Torchlight’s infrastructure needs constant upkeep. Concrete walls crack over time, filters break, generator fuel runs low. Everyone pitches in to keep the settlement functional. The townsfolk have learned to troubleshoot and patch things up with mechanical ingenuity, mostly because everyone relies on salvaged old-world tech. Although there are some in the community that strongly believe everyone should be less dependent on these types of technologies.

‣ Raids & Threats: Occasional bands of raiders or mutated creatures test The Barrier’s defenses. Sometimes passing survivors try to negotiate for resources; more often, they test the settlement’s resolve by force.

‣ Moral Conflicts: With limited supplies, who gets priority for medicine, rations, or security? Council decisions aren’t always popular, leading to grudges and quiet dissent. There have even been some riots in the past, but none have turned ugly. Yet.

Hope in the Darkness

‣ Rumors of a Cure: Whispers circulate about relics from before the Dark that might repel or cure mutations, fueling desperate expeditions beyond The Barrier.

‣ Seeds of Renewal: Rare seeds from “clean” zones are prized. Torchlight’s botanists dream of restoring the land within the walls to something more self-sustaining, less reliant on scavenged goods.

‣ Unity: Despite hardships, Torchlight stands as a bastion of resilience. With faith in the Founders’ example, and belief in each other, its people cling to hope like a torch in the night.

The Barrier

The cement enclosure that protects the town is thirty feet tall and made of solid concrete. There are watchtowers built into the structure that house guards who are responsible for protecting the entrances to the safezone. In each cardinal direction, the Barrier has gates made of reinforced metal that offer the townsfolk a means to leave and explore the outside world. These gates are rarely opened unless a trading caravan or Roamer expedition calls for it.

On each of the four gates, a Founder is honored with an altar and a statue. On the perimeter of each gate, on top of the walls, watchtowers extend just above the wall. These watchtowers are made of concrete, just like the Barrier, with a guard rail all the way around and a metal roof. Guards stationed here have a perfect view of the surroundings, and are equipped with spotlights, as well as two powerful speakers that are used for announcements and warnings.

Wardens patrol the walkways between each watchtower and change shifts with rotating guards every 12 hours.

The Districts

The town itself is divided into four small districts. Each district is a fraction of the community (only a few streets).

Northgate District

The Northgate District serves as the administrative heart of Torchlight. It houses the main government offices and the governor’s residence, making it the center of political and bureaucratic activity.

The district is primarily home to families involved in the workings of the Torchlight government. These residents form the intellectual core of the town, placing great value on education.

Westgate District

Westgate is known as the agricultural district. This is where the majority of the farms and farmland are located.

Westgate District is also home to the town’s granaries and the food warehouses. All of these buildings are owned by the town’s government. There are a few inns in this area, but none of them are particularly luxurious. Westgate is one of the most important districts in Torchlight, as it is responsible for feeding the entire population of the town.

Southgate District

Southgate District houses workshops, forges, and maintenance sheds for the town’s water and sewage systems, as well as its growing solar panel network. Southgate is the manufacturing center of Torchlight, a place where the craftsmen ply their trades.

The district is home to a large number of blacksmiths, who work hard at forging whatever the town needs. This is also where the town’s tanneries are located, where leather and furs are processed and tanned. Southgate is a relatively busy area, but it’s not the most popular place to visit.

Eastgate District

Eastgate District is where the stables and archery fields are located. It is also where most of the animal pens are found. Eastgate residents are known for their knowledge of livestock, their skill with a bow, and their natural affinity for horseback riding. The majority of the cattle in Torchlight are raised and bred in Eastgate.

The Barracks are also located here, which means that newly recruited Wardens are given housing here. This is also where the armory is located which stores the town’s weaponry. All the guns and ammunition are kept here, and Wardens train in the archery fields. You could say that Eastgate is where the military part of the town lives.

The Central Plaza

Aside from the four main districts, Torchlight’s center plaza is where most of the trading and commerce takes place in the town. This is also where the Council Hall is located, an important structure as it is here where the council comes to convene and make political decisions that affect the inhabitants of Torchlight.

The townsquare and the market are also here, along with most of the stalls, inns, and pubs. This is where the citizens gather and celebrate events such as the Winter Solstice or the Lantern Festival. Townsquare is usually busy during the day and becomes a place for socializing in the evenings. Townsfolk from every district can be seen mingling here.