The Tsarist of Ploschchad Vosstaniya are led by Tsar Alexander Romanov IV. The sole station of the Tsarist faction, they've managed to achive relative autarky within their station.

The Communist inhabitants of Zvyozdnaya have been isolated from the wider metro by their own volition. Left untouched by the Vegan War, they are now in the prime position to expand unopposed into the metro.

A shadow of its former self reeling from a civil war. Now reorganized in the hopes of reclaiming its place.

The center of learning within the Saint Petersburg metro, if you're privileged anyways. Strategically located central to the metro gives them plenty of opportunity, but also risk.

The server is set in 2035 following many of the major events of the Piter books. If you want to dive deeper into the server’s lore, feel free to read the rest of the forum posts which describe all the events which took place before and after the start of the server.

Our server is currently set in Saint Petersburg for the time being. Both the metro and the city above the Metro are available and fully accessible. The server will eventually return to Moscow, currently we wish to explore the expanded universe of Metro.

Currently there are five factions. The Seaside Alliance, Star Commune, the Holy Russian Empire, The Institute, and the Order of Saint Petersburg. Naturally, not every faction exists on the server but players are more than welcome to open minor factions by creating a RPC ticket on the main discord. 

Note, you can also create custom factions which don’t exist in the lore as long as they fit the setting and are approved by Faction Management.

First and mainly, you should search the Lore forum channel for an answer.

If you haven’t found what you’re looking for feel free to post your question in the Lore questions thread which is located in the Lore forum channel.

The war began as a result of two Middle Eastern countries (rumored to be Iran and Israel as no other country in the region had nuclear weapons) participating in a nuclear exchange between them. The initial exchange only destroyed parts of the Middle East, however, it also resulted in the Second Exchange.

Both CIS and NATO had to respond to the First Nuclear Exchange as CIS was backing up Iran while NATO was backing up Israel. This resulted in over 20,000 warheads being fired at every strategic point on the globe. The second exchange resulted in the complete destruction of the Middle East as well as the destruction of most CIS and CIS affiliated territories as NATO has managed to strike slightly before them. 

Witnessing the destruction of most of Asia and parts of Europe, a third unorganized nuclear exchange was launched by mostly CIS affiliated submarines who fired nukes at unharmed NATO countries as retaliation for the Second Nuclear Exchange. The Third exchange, added on top of the second Exchange resulted in most of the known world being destroyed.

The Planet became completely uninhabitable due to massive amounts of toxic dust spreading throughout every major city in the world. Irradiated material started circulating around the globe, spreading throughout the atmosphere and blocking out the sun, resulting in a Nuclear Winter.

Any resources, assets and infrastructure on the surface was unusable which is why it’s widely believed that whoever survived did so by going underground.

It is assumed that only 4-5 percent of Russia’s population survived the Great War. Most of the survivors were evacuated to Metro stations across large Russian cities (such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Vladivostok, etc…). Russia’s metro systems were also designed as shelters which is why a swift evacuation was possible. Most of Moscow lies in ruins much like the rest of the world meaning life is only possible underground, even to this day.

According to rumors, around 250,000 of Moscow’s citizens were successfully evacuated to the Metro system before the bombs fell. Many Government and Military facilities had direct links to the Metro system, which resulted in a lot of the survivors being former officials, policemen, soldiers and other figures of power. These figures of power formed the Central Metro Command in an attempt to calm down the masses and organize life below Moscow.

Central Metro Command had no direct communication with Russia’s Government, nor did it have enough supplies to last for more than a few years. In order to avoid riots and keep the population under control, Central Metro Command spread rumors about the eventual return of the President’s Cabinet which would solve supply issues and possibly even end the Metro mandate, returning people back to the surface. These rumors were enough to keep Central Metro Command in charge but for how long?

Central Metro Command faced several difficulties after the first few years of being in charge. For starters, supplies were running out at an alarming rate. On top of that, there has been no contact with the outside world, meaning no one was coming for them. The possibility of going back to the surface also didn’t exist as the surface was extremely radioactive and any expedition sent to the city simply didn’t return.

Central Metro Command began disbanding. Certain members were killed during outbreaks and riots, other members started their own organizations which occupied stations across the metro. These organizations would often fight and did not trust each other after the realization that no one was coming to help them and that they’re alone against the world. The remaining members of Central Metro Command who did not start their own organizations or die during the conflicts were evacuated to Metro-2, a secret government facility which was hidden from the rest of Metro.

Following the fall of Metro Central Command, the residents of Moscow’s Metro broke up into groups establishing control over independent stations. These groups split or more accurately stole as many of the remaining supplies as possible, leaving the rest of the population to fend for themselves. This is roughly when the first Bandit Groups came to be. Dwellers banded together in order to survive by taking supplies from others which at that point was the only way to survive for unaffiliated dwellers.

Bandit groups rarely communicate with each other and usually have nothing in common besides being criminals. While some groups are very poorly equipped and live in small hideouts, other groups control entire stations and have trade connections to other major metro factions. Each Bandit Group is its own entity with its own rules and problems

1. Raiders - The Raiders were a group of bandits and thieves who operated within the tunnels of the Moscow Metro system. They were known for their ruthless tactics and their willingness to do whatever it took to survive in the harsh underground world.

   The group was founded by a man named Ivan, who had been a former member of the Soviet army. Ivan was a skilled fighter and a cunning strategist, and he had a talent for rallying people to his cause.

   After the nuclear war that devastated the surface of the earth, Ivan and a small group of survivors fled to the safety of the Metro tunnels. At first, they were just a group of ordinary people trying to survive in a dangerous world. But as the years went by and resources grew scarce, Ivan and his followers began to turn to banditry as a way to get what they needed to survive.

   Ivan was a charismatic leader, and he quickly gained a following of like-minded individuals who were willing to do whatever it took to survive. The Raiders became a formidable force within the Metro, feared and respected by all who encountered them.

   As the years passed, the Raiders grew in size and power, and Ivan became one of the most powerful figures in the Metro. His bandit faction ruled over a large section of the tunnels, and they were known for their brutal efficiency in obtaining the resources they needed.

   The Raiders became a symbol of the lawlessness and chaos that had taken hold in the Metro, but they also represented a glimmer of hope for those who had nothing left to lose. Ivan and his followers may have been bandits, but they were also survivors in a world that had gone mad.
   As the Raiders grew in strength and power, they began to expand their operations beyond just simple banditry. They established a network of trade routes throughout the Metro, and they became the go-to source for rare and hard-to-find resources.
   Ivan was a shrewd businessman, and he made sure that the Raiders always came out on top in their dealings. He was known for his cunning and his ability to anticipate his enemies' moves, and he used these skills to keep his bandit faction one step ahead of their rivals.

   Despite their success, the Raiders were not without their enemies. There were other bandit factions in the Metro who saw the Raiders as a threat, and they were constantly scheming to take them down.

   Ivan was always ready for a fight, however, and he made sure that the Raiders were well-armed and well-trained. He led his followers into battle time and time again, and they always emerged victorious.

   As the years went by, Ivan's legend grew, and he became a symbol of hope and strength for those who lived in the Metro. Despite the dangers and hardships of life underground, the Raiders were a force to be reckoned with, and they were feared and respected by all who encountered them. So, the Raiders became the most powerful bandit faction in the Metro.
   Despite their success, the Raiders were not immune to the dangers of the Metro. As the years went by, their territory began to shrink as other factions rose to power.
   
   One of the biggest threats to the Raiders was the Redline, a powerful and well-equipped military force that controlled a large section of the Metro. The Redline had always been a thorn in the side of the Raiders, and Ivan knew that they would have to be dealt with eventually.

   Ivan was a skilled strategist, but even he could not have anticipated the events that would ultimately lead to the downfall of the Raiders. A series of devastating battles with the Redline left the Raiders severely weakened and on the verge of collapse.

   Despite their best efforts, the Raiders were unable to recover from their losses, and they were eventually forced to retreat to a small section of the Metro where they could regroup and rebuild.

   It was a difficult time for the Raiders, but they refused to give up. Under Ivan's leadership, they worked tirelessly to rebuild their strength and regain their position as a major player in the Metro.

   And though they may have lost much of their former power and influence, the Raiders were still a force to be reckoned with. They may not have been the dominant power they once were, but they were survivors, and they would stop at nothing to rebuild their faction and reclaim their place at the top of the Metro hierarchy. So, the Raiders managed to survive even after they lost it all.
   
   

2. Venice Bandits - A group of bandits running a platform of three stations, two of which are flooded. The Bandits at Venice allow dwellers to enter their stations and support trade. They also have ties to several of the main organizations in Metro.
   
   
3. Kitay-Gorod Bandits - Consisting of two different gangs - one Christian the other Muslim who are extremely loosely tied. Kitay-Gorod has no rules and no protection. The strongest survives and no one will help you within the station, on the other hand, you are allowed to do whatever you want once you enter their territory.
   
   
4. Shablovskaya-Chermushki Bandits - 5 loosely allied bandit stations which are connected to each other. They are located between a lower ring Hanza station and the Yasenevskaya stations.

Redline was established by several former ranking members of Central Metro Command who wanted to return Moscow to its former glory during its Communist days. Along with other Communist supporters, they’ve overthrown every independent station along the Redline (a massive metro line going through its center from top to bottom) by having their people start small revolutions within those stations. Once every station has been occupied, Redline has declared its goal of unifying the metro under a single Communist banner.

The only acceptable Ideology in Redline is Communism. Citizens are mostly allowed to choose which subset of Communism they want to follow (with certain exceptions such as Anarcho-Communism being completely banned) but everyone is expected to be Communist and nothing else. 

Redline heavily frowns upon religion. While it is possible to be religious in Redline , people who are religious generally keep it to themselves and don’t mention it to anyone as it can get them in trouble with the party. Most of the religious citizens in Redline are banned from joining the Communist Party and Army at best or sent to the gulag at worst.

The Governing Body of Redline is Communist Party of the Moscow Underground (CPMU). The Communist Party is a hierarchy which includes simple workers at the bottom and high ranking military officials, station heads and other statesmen on top. Above everyone is the General Secretary who is the leader of the Red Army, CPMU and the Redline  in general. He has the final say in every matter and is the ideological mentor of the people.

Life varies heavily depending on which Redline station you’re residing at. Some stations such as Teatralnaya are extremely lavish with high living standards. Other stations such as Bulvar are extremely cramped with low living conditions and starvation being common. Where you can go and what you can do in Redline depends on two things. Whether you’re a party member and which type of passport you have. 

Party Members are people who have proven they can contribute to Redline and shown their true Communists. Dues, they were allowed to join the party. Technically, any Communist with a job can become a party member but in reality, you need to be recommended or join the Red Army to gain membership. Any career progress in both the civilian and military sector requires party membership. 

Redline citizens gain passports depending on their job and party assignment. If you’re a high ranking party member you’ll receive a passport which allows you to venture into most Redline stations. If you’re a regular citizen with a typical passport you’ll most likely be limited to certain stations.

Redline generally treats its Party Members well unless they’re suspected of breaking party rules. Citizens who have not yet become Party Members are treated more harshly but as long as they’re upstanding Communists and have a proper job there’s not much to worry about. Citizens are expected to report any misconduct to the Red Army. Any misconduct is swiftly dealt through Interrogations and the usage of the Gulag and Firing Squads depending on the crime.

Despite their harsh Ideological beliefs, Redline is generally not hostile towards most of the factions and dweller population within Metro (With certain exclusions like Reich). If Redline citizens meet other dwellers in the Metro, they’re expected to not interact with them (unless spreading Communism). Interaction with outsiders on topics which don’t include the spread of Communism can be deadly but retaliation isn’t taken against non Communists who don’t reside in Redline stations. 

Outsiders who wish to enter Redline stations need to be escorted by members of the Red Army or Conscripts under strict supervision. They are not allowed to discuss certain topics and must adhere to every rule the CPMU sets. Non Redline dwellers mostly enter Redline stations for trade or in order to pass through. Whether they’re allowed entrance or not is purely up to the person manning the station entrance. 

Outsiders who enter Redline stations without prior permission or escort are shot on sight. Moreover, if Outsiders enter with permission but are suspected of interacting with Redline’s enemies, spreading other ideologies or not following Redline's rules they’ll either be sent to the gulag or be executed.

Polis was formed sometime before 2020, it consists of 4 stations. The Arbatskaya, Aleksandroskiy Sad, Biblioteka Lenina and the Borovitskaya. The Great Lenin Library on the surface right above the Biblioteka Lenina station is also part of Polis.

Polis has a caste system with 4 castes which are the: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Shudra and the Vashiya. The Governing caste of Polis constantly shifts between the Brahmin and Kshatriya however as of 2033 the official Governing caste of Polis are the Brahmin. The Brahmin are knowledge keepers, trying to secure all knowledge of the old world such as the books from the Great Library where they often send Stalkers to. The Kshatriya are the military force of Polis, protecting it from any dangers the Metro has to offer. The members of the Order which are stationed in Polis also count as Kshatriyas. The Shudra are the servants in Polis and the Vashiya are a group of Polis dedicated merchants.

Life in the Polis stations is like nowhere else. The apartments in Polis are bigger than anywhere else with fully functioning Toilets, running water and electricity. Polis itself has the best lightning and electricity system in the whole Metro, a beautiful paradise. At the age of 18 a citizen of Polis can decide which of the 4 castes he wants to join, if he wants to join the Kshatriya or Brahmin castes he’ll need to go through extensive technical training.

Most people are welcome to enter Polis’ station freely. They will be searched at a Checkpoint and their passports will be checked. They then often receive sunglasses from the guards to protect their eyes from the bright light in Polis. Polis also has no enemies except of Bandits and any hostile cults, however they are very cautious around the Reich since there has been rumors of them wanting to take over Polis.

The Rangers were formed right after the Great war of 2013. They operated in parallel to the Central Metro Command and did not clash with them. The original Rangers were a group of ex-military specialists (most likely Airborne troops seeing as their leader was a VDV Colonel). They have been mostly nomadic before the formation of Polis but have always pursued the goal of protecting Metro and uncovering its secrets.

There is no Ideology nor Belief system associated with the Rangers. Much like any modern military unit, it does not matter to them what you believe in. While you’re a Spartan Ranger, you’re expected to follow orders and finish missions regardless of what you believe or don’t believe. 

There is no Governing Body within the Rangers. Instead, there’s a typical military hierarchy which is followed by its members. The Rangers are led by a Colonel who controls all of their activities within Metro. Rangers have senior members who are officers and are responsible for certain aspects (For example, there’s an officer in charge of the protection of Polis) and junior members who are expected to follow orders and perform on demand.

Rangers do not have their own Stations, nor are they interested in expanding or taking over stations (unless there is a very specific reason for it). 

Rangers currently reside in Polis and act as part of its security force (although they aren’t strictly bound to Polis and act on their own accord outside of their station).

Rangers establish outposts throughout various areas of the Metro and the Surface and operate from those Outposts. It is very uncommon to see big groups of Rangers, they usually travel in fireteams or squads at most and do not have the need for stations. Outposts however are greatly valued and are where most Rangers reside when they aren’t at Polis.

Every Ranger is considered to be a brother regardless of his rank and assignment. Joining is extremely hard and only the most combat trained or useful dwellers can actually become Rangers. Being a Ranger in general is considered a great honor which carries on great treatment from Polis and other Rangers.

There is an extremely small number of Rangers operating throughout the Metro (including the security detail of Polis). Whoever assists the rangers but isn’t a full member is still treated well but is not considered a brother thus not being fully endorsed by them.

Rangers are very drastic in their treatment of outsiders. They will execute anyone they consider an enemy with Bandits, Cultists, Cannibals and warring factions being killed on sight.

Anyone from Redline, Reich or Hanza (assuming they aren’t at war) won’t be fully trusted but will receive decent treatment.

Any dweller (even if he’s part of the bigger organizations) are generally treated well and Rangers will try to help them if needed, although if it comes between choosing to help a dweller or complete their mission they won’t help the dweller at all).

Hanza was formed shortly after the collapse of Central Metro Command. Traders who have ventured into the Metro started independent trade routes. These trade routes would usually cross the Ring Line for obvious reasons which is why traders started occupying independent stations along the Ring line.

 These traders become extremely wealthy very fast and have decided to form an alliance between them. This alliance assured the safety of the Ring Trader Stations and also promoted trade between the Ring Stations. Eventually, most of the trading routes went through the alliance’s stations in one way or another as you have to cross it if you want to enter or exit the inner part of Metro. Thus, The Hanseatic League was formed.

Hanza are ultra capitalistic, meaning they believe in a free market state. They believe anyone and everyone (having a Hanza Passport) can create his own business, perform his own trade and climb to the top. 

In reality, this is a double edged sword because while everyone can make something of themselves, no one owes you anything as a Hanza citizen. You either have the ability to sustain yourself or you have no money and you’re left with nothing.

There is no belief system in Hanza. They do not care about religion and your religion plays no role and holds no power in Hanza but you’re free to believe in whatever you want. 

Hanza’s Governing Body is a bit complicated. Since Hanza is a union between somewhat independent states under the same ‘federal’ body, each station has its own rules and own leaders, each station is somewhat unique but they all have the same concept of having a free market. 

The actual ruling body of Hanza consists of the rich elite of its stations. There’s a president who is elected democratically and decides on ‘federal’ level laws. The President is usually a former station leader who gained enough money to run a successful political campaign.

Life in Hanza stations depends on your income. Generally speaking, the conditions within Hanza stations are great. There’s a vast amount of supplies, a constant run of electricity and water and housing is better equipped and structured. Moreover, Hanza has a very small number of residents but at the same time, they have more stations than any of the Metro Factions meaning there are never issues of overcrowding and crowd control is extremely easy assuming things go wrong. 

You do have to pay for anything and everything in Hanza meaning that if you run out of money you can forget about all of that flowing electricity and clean water. You won’t even receive a piece of bread if you can’t pay for it.

People who have managed to obtain a Hanza Passport (which is a nearly impossible task for most people who weren’t born in Hanza or its partner stations) are not treated in any specific way. If you’re rich, you’re treated well, if you’re poor, you’re treated poorly because other Hanza members have no interest in you but all in all everyone is neutral towards you as long as you follow station laws.

It is important to note that Hanza’s protection force as well as their security force are perhaps one of the few things you get for ‘free’ (assuming you pay your taxes). The militaristic force of Hanza has no other interest beyond protecting Hanza’s trade caravans, routes and citizens so if you don’t have a passport or pay them directly? They won’t give a shit about you or your problems.

Bullets buy friends, your passport buys you the right to be able to buy those friends.

There are two types of outsiders as far as Hanza are concerned. 

There are stations which have an active partnership with Hanza, usually neighbor stations and almost always trader or production stations. Residents of those stations are allowed to enter certain Hanza stations and are treated somewhat well, almost like real Hanza citizens but not really.

Literally everyone else, especially residents and refugees of non partnership stations are treated extremely badly. Unless Hanza has direct trade with those outsiders? They won’t be allowed to enter the stations, they most likely won’t receive a passport which is one of the hardest things to obtain in Metro and they’ll literally be told to fuck out of Hanza territory. If they refuse to leave, they’re dealt with. Hanza does not trust anyone outside of Hanza. They’ll work with who they have to but they won’t let people into their stations unless they absolutely have to (with escort).

No one knows exactly when Reich was formed but the original leaders banded together right after the collapse of Central Metro Command. The Fuhrer along with the original high ranking members were formerly part of pre-war Russia’s Nationalist Party. Some of them were also part of Central Metro Command who had extremist views and didn’t like the ideology of neither Hanza nor Redline.

Originally, Reich’s leadership would go around tunnels and preach about Russian purity and perform random attacks on non Russian dwellers, however, they eventually decided to settle in Pushkinskaya station, clearing the entire non Russian population from it. The same was also done to the two neighboring stations of Chekhovskaya and Tverskaya. The three stations combined were known as the Citadel, where most of Reich resides to this day.

Many of Reich’s officers are also former Arbat members who were extremely demoralized by the outcome of the Redline-Hanza war and wanted to continue fighting Redline. It is believed that Reich either formed when the Arbat desserts joined up or slightly prior to that and simply accepted the deserters into their ranks.

Reich’s two core beliefs are genetic purity and Russian nationalism. In order to be considered human, you have to be a pure blooded Russian however that isn’t enough. If you have genetic deformities or are missing several limbs, you are considered a mutant who will be executed. If you have minor deformities you may be placed as a second grade citizen.

Anyone Reich considers a mutant, whether it’s non Russians, people with mutations or missing limbs or actual mutants needs to be destroyed or sent to concentration camps which is one of the main goals of Citadel Command.

Reich members are practicing Orthodox Christians who believe in God. Other religions are banned from Reich as Russia’s main religion is Christianity and Russian purity is highly valued.

The Governing Body of Reich is the military, led by the Fuhrer who is the supreme leader of Reich and has the final say in all matters. The military controls everything and is valued above citizens. Everyone who is a citizen must obey every order given by the military or face the possibility of being sent to a concentration camp, or worse. All citizens and military members are poor blooded Russians without exceptions, including the Fuhrer.

Reich’s Citadel is considered to be an extremely clean and calm station. The military and polizei patrol the station constantly and infractions are met with extreme punishment. The station is well equipped and life is generally good for those who follow the rules and stay out of the military’s business. People in the Citadel aren’t fully aware of the mass executions performed in Reich’s concentration camps or the death squads being sent into the tunnels to clear out non Russians.

When Reich isn’t promoting the purity of Metro, they focus on developing technology. Militarized technology and the advance of medicine is extremely important to Reich. Reich’s Army is generally well equipped and has a steady supply of medicine as opposed to many other Metro Organizations.

Reich has several outposts and possibly stations outside of the Citadel although they act as military fortifications more than anything and aren’t usually meant for civilians.

Citizens live somewhat comfortably under Reich’s rule although they’re still subjected to searches and questioning. Reich’s Military will not act against citizens without reason, however, the Military is the law and if a soldier feels disrespected in any way (regardless of whether the citizen did anything wrong or not), the citizen can be executed on sight. A loyal citizen who performs his tasks and is a true believer in Reich’s Ideology can find himself joining the Militia which helps during military operations and polices the Citadel and maybe even be promoted to the Military itself which is one of the highest honors in Reich.

People who Reich considered to be mutants (Whether through blood or genetics) are constantly captured and either executed or sent to concentration camps, depending on the situation.

Even if a person is of pure Russian blood and has no mutations or ties to enemy organizations such as Redline, he will still be stopped by Reich and questioned. Reich has a very strict policy of shoot/arrest first, ask questions later which also applies to unaffiliated dwellers in Metro.

It is not uncommon to see Reich patrols stop dwellers and take them away for questioning.

The Metro-2 installation was originally built during the 60’s. It was created as a shelter with direct connections to important strategic installations across Moscow (such as the Kremlin).

Metro-2 is an actual metro platform which can support transport. The set of tunnels connecting everything in Metro-2 are actual monorail tunnels which were designed for transportation.

Due to its strategic importance as a shelter for Russia’s leadership, it was also connected to multiple military installations.

Nothing was really known (or at-least communicated to most people in Metro) about Metro-2 after the great war of 2013. Most people who heard about it heard rumors and no one actually knew where Metro-2’s access points were or if it really existed.

In reality, there were scientists, military and government officials living in Metro-2 since the great war of 2013. It is unclear whether the Leaders of Central Metro Command resided in Metro-2 prior to the collapse of their organization but it is known that the remnants of their organization kept Metro-2 manned and operational for several years after the great war.

At some point between 2020 and 2033, most of the population of Metro-2 has been wiped out by reasons unknown to most of Metro’s population.

As of 2033, Metro-2s tunnels have been discovered by all of the major organizations in Metro as well as certain independent dwellers. The tunnels are protected by a mysterious organization which is supposed to be remnants of Central Metro Command. These individuals shoot everyone who enters Metro-2 on sight, however, certain groups still accept the risks and use the tunnels due to their strategic importance.

As of 2033, Moscow is stuck in a perpetual state of Winter (also known by dwellers as Nuclear Winter). Moscow is frozen, most likely due to the large radiation clouds caused by the Great War of 2013 blocking the sun although the reasons for this are disputable. Regardless of the reason, people cannot access the surface of Moscow without wearing anti-radiation protective gear (at a minimum a gas mask so they can breathe normally). Sadly the freezing and radioactive conditions on the surface are only half of the problems expeditions wanting to go to the city face.

The first publicly known expeditions started right after the collapse of Central Metro Command. People were desperate for supplies and have decided to go into the unknown despite the risks. The surface turned out to be a treasure trope of pre-war supplies, technology and even weaponry, however, the risks turned out to outweigh the reward in the case of the first expeditions seeing as they also encountered mutants. Most people never return from the surface and that’s exactly what happened to the first expeditions. Whether the harsh conditions of the surface, mutants or other Stalkers (people who constantly venture onto the surface) have got them is unclear but it also doesn’t matter since all of those risks still exist to this day.

Many creatures and in some cases humans have mutated as a result of the nuclear waste caused by the Great War of 2013. These creatures originally only existed on the surface although some of them found their way into Moscow’s Metro system, most likely due to the need to feed themselves. 

In terms of the mutant hierarchy, the strongest mutants reside on the surface and rarely if ever venture into the Metro. Inside of Metro, most of the Central stations actively kill invading mutants meaning only common mutants are spotted by most dwellers, however, the deeper you go into Metro the stronger the mutants will become.

The war started during the takeover of the Sokol Line (Now known as the Redline) on Redline’s side and the unification of the Northern and Southern arcs of the Ring line by Hanza.

At some point both of these expansions have clashed since certain stations of the Sokol Line are also part of the Ring Line, creating a conflict between both factions over control of territory both factions deemed as theirs during the early years of Metro.

The First Year of the war can be summed up as Redline attempting to take over stations around the Sokol Line. After successfully and quite easily taking over the Sokol Line, Redline has decided to set its eyes on other stations outside of the Line. This not only angered Hanza who was already fighting over Ring Stations with them but also angered some of Hanza’s trading partners such as the Arbat Confederation.

Hanza and its allied factions formed an Anti-Communist movement and started fighting with Redline on multiple fronts. While Hanza have successfully managed to Push Redline out of their stations, they have not managed to take over existing Redline stations creating a massive stalemate with enormous amounts of casualties.

After spending almost 2 years in a constant state of stalemate, Redline has decided to drop its goal of expanding beyond the Sokol Line and instead focus on taking the station of Ploschad Revolutsii (also known as Revolution Square). Redline explained this decision by stating it holds a lot of value to Communists and is an ideological goal more than anything but in reality it was also an important strategic point which had a surface exit leading to the center of Moscow.

Although Redline patriots literally dived into bullets in order to take Revolution Square, the battle was unsuccessful and eventually resulted in Redline failing to take the station.

In a similar manner to Redline, Hanza and its coalition have also decided to change their goals during the stalemate. Redline heavily defended Leninskaya Library which acted as both an access point and a depot during the war. The goal behind this battle was for Hanza to cut off most of the Redline forces and supplies thrown at them by completely destroying the strategic point and driving Redline away from it.

Ironically, much like the battle of Revolution Square, the battle of Leninskaya Library turned out to be unsuccessful as well, resulting in Hanza failing to take over the Library.

As the war progressed or more accurately hasn’t, each of the three major forces began facing problems. Redline began to suffer out lash from its dwellers who fought fearlessly but saw no results from leadership. Hanza has lost many trade routes and caravans and began to suffer financially and Arbat, Hanza’s main partner in the coalition, suffered catastrophic losses.

An under the radar meeting between the General Secretary of Redline, President of Hanza and the Confederation Head of Arbat took place on neutral grounds where they discussed and agreed on terms which satisfied all 3 factions, effectively ending the war. 

The following terms were accepted by all sides:

Redline - Would take Revolutionary Square, its surface entrance and outpost from Arbat.

Hanza - Would take Park Kultury and finalize the unification of the Ring Line

Arbat - Would take Leninskaya Library, however, this was extremely short lived. Arbat was reduced to a shell of its former self and eventually became a small feeder state for Hanza. Leninskaya Library has since been abandoned and eventually taken over by Polis.

It is widely believed that many Hanza supporters, especially from partnership stations in the coalition were extremely unsatisfied with the peace agreement brokered by Redline, Hanza and Arbat. Many of these supporters are either believed to have started Reich in general or at the very least joined Reich, convincing Reich to attack Redline, who they’ve seen as the main threat to Metro’s existence.

The First years of the war can be summed up as an event of unorganized attacks and armed exchanges between both factions. There was no clear strategy during this period and no major attacks took place. Both sides would shoot each other if they stumbled across each other somewhere in the Metro and small scale attacks were performed against patrols. Neither side has suffered major casualties or supply loss at this point.

At some point after years of minor exchanges, a full blown war began between the Redline and Reich. This might have been caused by the change in Redline leadership following the death of the former General Secretary although it seems that both sides were fully prepared for an all out war so the real reason for the escalation is unclear. 

Regardless, by 2033 there was a full blown war fought between Redline and Reich on two different fronts. These fronts are: 

• The Lyubanka-Tverskaya Front - known as the Bridge Front or the First Front.
• The Okhotny Ryad-Tverskaya Front - known as the quiet front or the Second Front.

The Battle of the Bridge is an ongoing battle (as of 2033) on the Lyubanka-Tverskaya Front (or First Front) between Redline and Reich. The majority of Redline/Reich clashes take place on the front line and a steady supply of soldiers are constantly sent to the bridge in order to keep the fight going.

The entire battle takes place on a bridge which connects the tunnels leading to both Lyubanka on Redline’s side and Tverskaya on Reich’s side. The bridge consists of 3 floors with the top floor being where most of the fighting takes place and the 2 bottom floors being used for occasional attacks. 

The Front Line is one of the most dangerous places in all of Metro. Anyone coming from Reich’s side regardless of the situation or who he is will be shot on sight by Redline. Anyone coming from Redline’s side will be shot on sight by Reich. Strictly speaking, everyone is going to shoot you from all directions if you somehow end up on the Front Line.

The latest Plague in Metro (being one of many during the last 20 years) originated somewhere on the Eastern side of Metro, outside the Ring Line. Originally believed to have started in the Ploschad Ilyicha station in 2032, the Plague devoured the whole station due to being highly contagious. Unlike other Plagues, this one altered the DNA of humans. Killing them at best, turning them into mindless aggressive creatures at worst.

The Plague quickly spread to two of the neighboring stations: Aviamotornaya and Rimskaya. The third neighboring station who hasn’t been infected was Marksistskaya, a Ring Line station owned by Hanza.

The Plague was quickly approaching Hanza’s Ring line station which meant it could possibly extend into central metro where every major faction resides. Realizing the severity of the situation, Hanza has decided to take extreme measures and do anything in their power to stop the plague from devouring Metro.

Hanza’s solution was simple. They’ve simply burnt down all 3 infected stations, thinking they stopped the cause of the plague while also taking out most of the infected.

The mutated humans created by the plague (known as Humanimals) had actually spread far across Metro by the time Hanza burnt down the stations. Furthermore, it seems that more humanimals are coming from the Easter side of Metro, although the exact location is unclear since Hanza had seemed to stop the sources of contamination.

Humanimals are now everywhere, especially in the inner Metro tunnels. They usually roam in groups and attack dwellers on sight. Although not very dangerous, especially against well armed dwellers, large groups of fast moving Humanimals are still a major risk.

Humanimals became a very common occurrence to the dwellers of the inner Metro stations. While Hanza has burnt down the assumed sources of infection, it seems they were too late to solve the problem. Hordes of Humanimals roamed deep into the Central Metro. What’s worse is that the tunnels which were attacked by Humanimals were now unprotected, meaning bigger mutants could now travel freely through them and even reach certain stations.

Due to the outbreak, factions have been forced to evacuate stations they previously occupied. Hanza and Redline for example, were forced to temporarily abandon many of their stations. Bandits have also been affected by this, causing many groups to move around the metro and leave their stations. Reich seems to be least affected by the outbreak, however, the outbreak has hindered their advancement meaning they couldn’t easily conquer other stations.

Each of the major factions is now working on reclaiming their stations by eliminating the Humanimals, mutants and any other unwelcome guest who occupied their former territory.

Many of the smaller Metro factions have been completely destroyed by the outbreak, others were pushed back and lost all of their stations. All in all, no one knows where the plague came from but everyone felt its impact.

An uneasy truth was made by all Metro factions (excluding Redline and Reich who are still fighting on the Front Line). This temporary and unofficial truth was created in order for the factions to reclaim their former territory. 

While most of the surviving factions seem to be mostly at peace as of the start of 2033, everything can and will change at the blink of an eye. With factions actively training to regain their territory while also attempting to achieve their ideological and strategic goals at the same time, conflict is imminent.

After The Catastrophe, better known as World War III, the few who managed to escape to the safety of the metro system below the dying city survived like their cousins 400 miles away in Moscow. Rising from the initial chaos was a unifying leader, the self-styled Saddam the Great, organizing the disjointed and isolated parts of Saint Petersburg residents' new home into one metro-wide authority. Each platform and station had its role to play in his grand vision. While times were undoubtedly difficult, people had managed to find their way to survive or even thrive. As the years went on the doors to the city above opened, the abominations came as a testament to humanity’s sins, yet the population grew, and eventually, a decision had to be made. With the unsustainable growth of the St. Petersburg metro Saddam had to take drastic measures to reduce the growth, the sooner the more time he bought his people. At the station of Elizarovskaya was the first, and only, test. Ruthless and unwilling to take half measures Saddam had ordered the castration of all male children on the station which led to his eventual death. When news of the atrocity spread, so did the discontent that came with such an act leading to an insurrection from numerous stations. Following the death of the sole dictator to rule over all of Saint Petersburg was complete chaos and instability. Factions and cliques began to form among like-minded stations with neighbor fighting neighbor over the most basic of resources anticipating the coming famines and scarcities. In the end, Saddam had achieved his goal despite his circumstances, following his death the population of the Saint Petersburg metro had dropped between three to five times what it had during his reign.

The initial chaos and infighting led many factions to seize control of their immediate territory, the most prominent of which being the Primorskiy Alyans, more commonly known as Primorskiy or the Seaside Alliance. Another was the despotic Vegan Empire, hated by the wider metro for its habits and brutality rivaling that of Saddam. The inhabitants of Ploshchad Vosstaniya had raised a Tsar, Ahmed the Second, a Tatar ruling over a station of people who spoke in the Moscow dialect. A consolidation of market stations central to all served as the economic center of the metro even during Saddam’s reign. Below the remains of the Saint Petersburg Institute of Technology lived a group of scientists and engineers hell-bent on keeping things running and furthering their research. Lastly, the station of Elektrosila, connected to a prewar powerplant on the surface, still operational to this day with the right know-how anyway. All rose to prominence within the years following Saddam’s death with many less prominent powers across the metro system.

With things getting worse with time the metro only got more unstable. On November 8th a devastating war between the Primoskiy Alyans, a loose alliance of various stations, and the Vegan Empire nearly finished off whatever was left. Starting with an assault on the Tsarist in Ploshchad Vosstaniya by the Vegan Empire, the sustained combat within the tightly enclosed spaces of the Saint Petersburg metro led to unsustainable casualties among most of the belligerents. By the time a ceasefire had been agreed upon on November 28th, fourteen station administrations had collapsed without the population to keep the stations running. Things only got worse when the ceasefire was broken a month later in a terrorist bombing within the station of Sennaya Ploshchad, reigniting the war.

The attack on Sennaya Ploshchad devastated the trade stations' ability to protect the traders within their markets from Mutants and bandits, also leading to cascading failures in the air and electrical systems. Riots in the stations over dwindling supplies were commonplace and overextended the local security. Eventually the pressure was too much as the station administration collapsed. With such a vital station abandoned the Primorsky withdrew to their home tunnels and resumed their conflict against the Vegan Empire alongside the downtrodden Tsarist of Ploshchad Vosstaniya. Technolozhka was overwhelmed with refugees fleeing the failing trade stations, desperation leading to a major uptick in banditry, petty crime, and an propping up an increasingly isolationist station administration. Whatever was left of the alliance of stations that previously assisted in the fight against the Vegans withdrew their support and isolated themselves from the other stations. Without the ability to buy vital supplies from Sennaya Ploshchad most of the population died between the ensuing anarchy and famine. Before the end of December, the population of the metro was 1/8th of its original post-war numbers.

Despite being significantly larger and strategically placed to withstand the onslaught put against them, the Vegan Empire was starting to feel the weight of the tunnels bearing down on them. Losses on the frontlines had been mounting since their assault on the Tsarist stronghold in November the previous year. While the dead might continue to serve the empire in death as well as life, feeding their farms and the people, they still needed the living just as much as anyone else. After failing to meet their goals they agreed to the ceasefire within the month. When the news of the bombing of Sennaya Ploshchad reached the leaders of the Vegan Empire, they were just as surprised as everyone else. Shortly after the news had reached the empire so had the fighting resumed.

On April 8th, 2034, the Primorsky Aylans and Tsarist launched a joint assault from both within the tunnels and the surface. Soldiers of the Tsar breached the surface entrance of Elizarovskaya while an armored train attack broke through the empire’s frontlines in the northern tunnels, led by the Primorsky and auxiliary units. Several days of back-and-forth fighting left hundreds dead and unwilling to suffer a catastrophic defeat the decision was made to withdraw to Lomonosovskaya and lay a trap for any pursers. Seizing the advantage left by the retreating Vegans, the Tsar gave the command to pursue them without securing the station, leaving that to the Primorsky. In an explosion that was felt as far as Grazhdansky Prospekt, Elizarovskaya was destroyed. The Primorsky Aylans had managed to break through to the station and began securing the station before the explosion. Casualties from the operation quickly amounted to the low thousand for Primorsky alone. The order to pursue had managed to save the Tsarist from the trap laid out but left them stranded with no way to resupply or retreat. The Vegans had managed to pick off the group one by one until they had surrendered, executing any who did. Two-hundred and thirty-eight Tsarists had died over the next couple of days as a result of the operation. Not having the same sustainability as the Primorsky, the Tsarists were irreparably harmed. Most blamed Tsar Ahmed for giving the order to overextend instead of securing the station and potentially discovering the explosives, the loudest voices predominantly belonging to mid-ranking members of the military.

Victory over the invaders had done wonders for morale among the remaining three stations of the Vegan Empire despite being now completely isolated. That victory turned sour when a blight hit the already overstretched capabilities of the farms within the empire. Facing starvation the military hoarded what food they could and began euthanizing non-essential individuals. The situation reached an all-time low when they began to abandon their vegetarian diet and resorting to cannibalism out of necessity. Eventually, infighting overtook them as they slowly starved to death isolated from the rest of the metro.

In the immediate aftermath of the operation against the Vegan Empire, a protest against continuing the war had erupted across the Primorsky alliance. The protest in the station of Admiralteyskaya had gotten particularly violent when a soldier fired into the crowd of protesters. Believing the government and military to no longer be serving the people, an armed insurrection rose and took control of the station. Locked into a three-day standoff with the remnants of the Primorsky military, the uprising had encouraged similar uprisings within the other stations. With no public support or ability to resupply the military surrendered to the populist uprising in exchange for leniency. An interim government was established made from the ringleaders of the uprising until formal leadership could be established, to be the tie-breaker the new council was headed by an appointed Admiral.

On November 10th, during the curfew inside the station of Ploshchad Vosstaniya an armed party of thirty soldiers was allowed into the royal stronghold and aided by dissidents in the assassination of Tsar Ahmed the Second. With a brief gunfight with the royal guard, the assassins entered the royal chambers to find them empty of their target. When the lights came on in the following hours a man proclaiming himself Alexander Romanov the IV had seized control of the station, military, and civilian administration. In a state address to the station, he spoke of the past and Tsar Ahmed’s failings. From when he first took power after Saddam’s fall, the censoring of his opponents, and the appointments of fellow corrupt Tatar ministers, all leading to the disaster during the war against the Vegan Empire, it was time for a change. All Tatar ministers and officers were summarily executed by Romanov’s newly established Okhrana. To consolidate his position and begin to rebuild a struggling station, all interaction with the outside world was cut off as their last public transmission proclaimed an isolationist foreign policy.

Today, the population of the St. Petersburg metro is in the thousands. The surface above has begun to recover from The Catastrophe allowing greater access to the well-prepared, an ability only previously granted to specialists or soldiers. Displaced dwellers wander the decrepit tunnels now infested by mutants without the regular patrols to clear them out. Surviving station administrations have begun reorganizing and rebuilding their capabilities in preparation for extended survival or the next conflict. Despite everything appearing glum and untenable, there might still be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Below the Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology, survivors from The Catastrophe managed to survive on the metro platform below. Most of the survivors were a mix of scientists, technicians, engineers, and doctors from the Institute. During the initial chaos before the stability that came with Saddam’s iron rule, many attempted to extort or bully the fledgling administration within the station. Seeing themselves as better than the thugs that threatened them, they became disillusioned with the usage of violence themselves instead opting to have others do it for them. During Saddam’s campaign to unify the St. Petersburg metro system, Technolozhka provided vital support to his growing power. Once a station had capitulated, Saddam had requested engineers to help restore power and utilities, a service they were happy to provide. Ever reliant on their abilities Saddam gave the station carte blanche to conduct their studies and experiments free from the normal worries of other stations like rations and protection. The increasingly isolationist geniocracy that had taken hold managed to survive even when Saddam’s reign came to an end in 2027.

With planning and preparation, Technolozhka avoided the infighting caused by Saddam’s death. Reaping the benefits of unusual stability they were able to arrange trade agreements with other stations for continued technical support in exchange for supplies and staying out of their affairs. An agreement all were willing to make for continued power and water. Over the years they began to open up, hiring coyotes to bring them pre-war knowledge and materials from across the metro and even the surface. In 2033 during the Vegan War, a conflict Technolozhka managed to maintain their neutrality, a bomb was detonated in the neighboring trade station of Sennaya Ploshchad damaging the station beyond repair. The administration collapsed without the ability to keep the trade flowing with security guarantees and refugees began to flood out of the station.

The refugee crisis put Technolozhka’s Isolationist approach to politics to the test. People had fled the failed Sennaya Ploshchad in hopes that the storied utopia that was Technolozhka would save them. That ideal was far from reality for most of them. The humanitarians in the organization wished to help the refugees while the more cynical members wished to turn them away. A middle ground was eventually reached between the two differing parties. Refugees could come and establish themselves in the rapidly erected slums outside the station. That is if they could provide a use to them, aid in their test, and police themselves. As time went on and the number of refugees grew, so did the rate of crime, failing to meet their obligation to police themselves to sufficient standards. Now, the people of Technolozhka are at a crossroads; to continue their humanitarian efforts and get more involved in the politics of the metro, or to pull further away and start turning away the refugees and even reducing their numbers within the slums.

Isolated from the broader St. Petersburg metro, Zvyozdnaya has been left to its own devices for nearly all of its history since The Catastrophe. Located at the end of the Blue Line, most only wander into them by accident or as their intended destination. Originally the inhabitants of Zvyozdnaya were mostly employees and visitors of the adjacent Krylov State Research Center. When Saddam came and the station capitulated that ultimately changed as the population began to be relocated to and from the station. During Saddam’s control of the metro, Zvyozdnaya served as a frontier station supplying most of the food and raw materials to the wider metro. Conditions were poor and the station security was heavy-handed in their approach to keeping order. Conditions that ultimately led to a surge of communist sympathies among the workers.

When the news of Saddam’s death reached Zvyozdnaya the union leaders were quick to start an insurrection against his security forces. In a prolonged four-day fight across the station against a superior equipped occupational force the workers had managed to sneak into the armory through an unguarded air duct. Between the masses approaching from the front and the now well-armed saboteurs coming from the rear, Saddam’s remaining police surrendered. In the following months following public trials, the survivors were sentenced to a life sentence of manual labor in the same workplaces they once oversaw. Through all the turmoil following Saddam’s death, Zvyozdnaya emerged better off than most stations as the sole Syndicalist Republic of the metro.

Years later, left to their own devices, they had managed to keep themselves self-sufficient, occasionally conducting trade with many of the other Communist or Communist-aligned stations out of a desire to spread the word of their revolution more than necessity. Eventually, as with all class struggles, a new bourgeoisie emerged over time and reaped the rewards from the work of the proletariat. On July 22nd, 2033, a protest was organized outside the council chambers by one of the political parties within Zvyozdnaya. The protest eventually turned violent when one member attempted to break into the council chambers during a meeting, resulting in the guards firing into the crowd. With the death of a bystander as a rallying cry, a second revolution had begun to overthrow the ‘illegitimate’ council being controlled by the bourgeoisie. The council resigned to avoid further bloodshed and the Major of Zvyozdnaya’s security took what was supposed to be temporary control of the station.

The Major’s first act as temporary chairman of the council was to abolish the Syndicalist Council and appoint himself as permanent chairman. He then executed the former council members for conspiracy. Next, he put forward a directive to reform the local security into a reformed ‘Red Army’ and arranged for some of the miners to become weaponsmiths to spread the revolution metro-wide. As the demand for more workers grew, the Major began to arrest wanderers and traders who came to the station as spies and began sentencing them to life imprisonment and hard labor like the council had before him. Going further he mandated atheism amongst his station’s inhabitants, arresting all the police and public worshippers.

Unrest rose following his months of decisions and unpopular rule. Culminating in his eventual assassination by his officers of the Red Army, who then appointed a new Major to continue his work free of the people’s hatred and contempt. To quell the growing unrest against the regime the new Major had promised them a vision. A vision of them rejoining their brothers in Moscow by digging the 700km between the two and reestablishing the Soviet Republics of old. Between the new regime, the idea of seeing their fellow countrymen from Moscow, and improved standards of living, the station grew content.

By 2035, Zvyozdnaya, now called ‘Star Commune,’ had emerged as a major power within the St. Petersburg Metro. Untouched by the Vegan War unlike many of their neighbors, well disciplined, resource-rich, and unified with a single vision. The vision of collectivizing the metro for the benefit of the workers and the state. While many had been spreading themselves too thin over the years, the Communists had been waiting, planning, and building for their chance to control it all and rejoin their brothers in Moscow.

When news broke of the incoming missiles everyone had begun to rush into the metro system below Saint Petersburg. It was no different in the area around the Admiralty Building and Hermitage. Visitors, Sailors, Admirals, artists, no matter who they were, all others sought shelter in the dual-purpose nuclear shelter that the Soviets had built. As people flooded in, the police began to lose control of the people swarming in before being forced into the metro themselves by the stampede. Narrowly managing to shut the doors on the flood of people still attempting to make their way to the sanctuary, Admiralteyskaya had survived The Catastrophe.
Unlike its immediate neighbors, Admiralteyskaya had been blessed with remnant old-world leadership in the form of the Admirals and captains who had managed to make it to the station from the Admiralty Building. Establishing a naval oligarchy to conduct the station’s affairs they had rapidly formed themselves into a well-organized and more importantly, well-armed, station. Within months of missiles striking St. Petersburg, many of the stations had elected to voluntarily join with Admiralteyskaya, forming the Primorskiy Aylans. Stations like Nevskiy Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor, and Vasileostrovskaya. The alliance was put to the test months later with Saddam’s campaign to unify the survivors of the St. Petersburg metro system.

Most had capitulated when Saddam demanded their unconditional surrender and subsequent subjugation, but the Admiralty whether through pride or genuine belief they could hold out had declined Saddam’s demands. Days after skirmishes had begun between the mutant patrols and Saddam’s military in the tunnels between Admiralteyskaya-Spasskaya, Nevskiy Prospekt-Spasskaya, and Gostiny Dvor-Mayakovskaya, effectively blockading them from the wider metro. The Primorskiy Aylans managed to hold on for months before they were forced to surrender due to shortages and an impending secessionist movement by the outer stations. Through the fighting, they had managed to earn a degree of respect from Saddam where they were able to surrender on favorable terms.

As per the agreement set between them, the Admiralty would officially disband and relinquish control of all station’s affairs to men of Saddam’s choosing, in exchange for being allowed to live as advisors to the new administrators. All security would turn in their arms to Saddam's military who would begin to safeguard the station instead. A 20% tax on all produced goods compared to the usual 30% would be sent to Saddam. Lastly, the fledgling station of Technolozhka would send their engineers to restore full power, water, and other utilities to all the stations within the alliance, as a benevolent gesture for certain.

A period of relative peace was ushered in between the Primorskiy Aylans dissolution and the fall of Saddam nearly a decade later. Only minor attacks from mutants who had found their way into the tunnels were usually dealt with rather quickly by the numerous patrols around the nearby lines. When Saddam was assassinated in 2027 the local commander of Saddam’s garrison took control of the stations surrounding Admiralteyskaya. Sensing an opportunity to restore their power the Admiralty reconvened and first began their insurrection in the station of Gostiny Dvor. In a surprise attack on the local armory, rebels had managed to non-lethally subdue the guards before arming themselves and capturing the station administration at gunpoint. Using them as a bargaining chip and propaganda tool they managed to convince the other stations to join them and began withholding supplies to Admiralteyskaya until they surrendered to the Admiralty.

In desperation to keep what little power remained, the commander ordered his soldiers to break through and retake the station of Vasileostrovskaya. During the ensuing fight, the tunnel between the two stations collapsed and flooded from the river above, drowning hundreds and the commander himself. With the commander killed, the remaining soldiers capitulated to the Admiralty’s demands, and the council was restored within Admiralteyskaya. The ensuing 5 years were spent reconsolidating the reformed Primorskiy Aylans against the chaos consuming the rest of the metro. Following lucrative agreements with the neighboring trade station of Sennaya Ploshchad and the ongoing engineering support from Technolozhka, the Primorskiy Aylans exceeded all expectations of the post-Saddam metro. Even allowing the station of Mayakovskaya to join the alliance.

On November 8th, the Vegan Empire launched a surprise attack on the Tsarist of Ploshchad Vosstaniya. Believing them to be the next target if the Tsarist failed, the Primorskiy Aylans declared war on the Vegan Empire. The brief fighting saw thousands dead, irreparably damaging the birthrate and population which had just begun to recover from the chaos of Saddam’s death. Twenty days later the Vegan Empire had failed to achieve any of its goals and reached an agreement with the Tsarist, Primorskiy Aylans, and independent stations that had joined the war. The war resumed a month later in December when Sennaya Ploshchad was bombed and destroyed.

Going into 2034 the Primorskiy Aylans and Tsarist sustained significant losses against the Vegan Empire in rather stagnant frontlines, all culminating in a joint operation to spearhead through the lines before anyone became too entrenched. On April 8th the two launched their assault on Elizarovskaya. The Tsarist had attacked from the surface and fought their way down into the metro while the Primorskiy Aylans had the harder task of breaking through the Vegan’s lines. Utilizing armored train cars, explosives, flamethrowers, and even a few captured mutants they had managed to force them to retreat to the station. Not wanting to overextend themselves they took their approach slowly while the Tsarist pushed through the station and began to follow themselves. Not wanting to leave their rear exposed, they secured the station before disaster struck.

The Vegan Empire had laid a trap at Elizarovskaya, rigging the whole station with explosives set to explode hours after the last Vegan had left. Few survived with casualties in the low thousand among the alliance. When the news traveled back home the people were furious with the Admiralty. Blaming them for the disastrous conflict with the Vegans and now the utter defeat at Elizarovskaya, riots broke out across the alliance. The riots had turned violent when a guard had fired into the crowd during one, directly leading to the Admiralteyskaya Uprising. With the public no longer believing the Admiralty was serving the best interest of the people they had taken control of all vital functions of Admiralteyskaya and armed themselves from the Armory. Not being located in Admiralteyskaya at the time of the uprising, the Admiralty had camped outside the gates of Admiralteyskaya in a three-day armed standoff. As time went on the other stations within the alliance, emboldened by the uprising in Admiralteyskaya, had conducted their own and overthrew the station administration. With no chance to resupply and surrounded, the Admiralty surrendered.

What followed was the establishment of a ‘people’s council’ with one man at the head of the executive. A man who distinguished himself during the insurrection at Gostiny Dvor following Saddam’s demise, and again distinguished himself during the fight with the Admiralty. Commanding the rag-tag militia he erected and withstanding the pressure for three days until his enemy was forced to surrender. Now raised to the rank of Admiral he had to make the hard calls, the first of which was to carefully withdraw from all the stations within the alliance and consolidate their resources and manpower within Admiralteyskaya. Abandoning the other stations when they were clean of any usable supplies, the Primorskiy Aylans were set on the path of recovery.

Now a shadow of its former self, the Primorskiy Aylans still sit as a capable military force with its well-equipped militias led by a populist Admiral. As the population and overall situation within the St. Petersburg Metro continues to decline, the question on all their citizen’s minds is ‘Will we make it?’ Facing a hostile mutated cephalopod that moved into the neglected flooded tunnels, starvation, a new frontier as the surface begins to clear from The Catastrophe, and a changing order, will the Admiral be able to lead the Primorskiy Aylans back to the forefront? Or will they slip into obscurity?

When the sirens blared their warning to all the people in the Central Business District of Saint Petersburg, mass panic ensued as everyone ran for the nuclear shelter below the city. As people began to pile into the metro system many were trampled or pushed away by the authorities as they closed their doors and sealed them. When the first headcount was conducted they found a substantial number of people who came from Moscow, waiting to catch a train at the Moskovsky Rail Terminal when the sirens started. The police, security guards, and businessmen had begun to organize what they had as time went on hoping to weather the storm for the long haul. With a station administration and the organization that followed, Ploschchad Vosstaniya was just like every other ordinary station that had begun to establish itself in the new conditions in which everyone found themselves.

When Saddam the Great began his unification of the St. Petersburg Metro, Ploschchad Vosstaniya had unfortunately found itself as one of his first conquests. Electing to survive instead of fighting, they capitulated to Saddam’s military as they approached. Being within the core stations of Saddam’s Metro, they found themselves fairly well off with passing trade, a well-organized and efficient agriculture system, and deep enough within the well-maintained portion of the metro to avoid regular mutant attacks. Before Saddam died in 2027, Ploschchad Vosstaniya was considered the third highest standard of living within St. Petersburg. When Saddam was assassinated, they were one of the first stations to know. The chaos caused by the news settled relatively quickly with both Saddam Loyalists and Oppositionists agreeing to decide the future of the station in a general election.

When the election came a week after the agreement a Moscow-native Tatar, Ahmed the Second, had won the election with the support of fellow Muscovites and Tatars. Styling himself a Tsar like the Romanovs of old, he appointed his fellow Tatars into ministerial positions and oversaw the administration of Ploschchad Vosstaniya himself. In the years following his ‘coronation,’ Ploschchad Vosstaniya maintained a higher standard of living compared to its contemporaries with relatively few crises. Fortunes that would turn sour on November 8th, 2033. In a surprise attack on Ploschchad Vosstaniya the neighboring Vegan Empire had set their sights on the station, plunging the St. Petersburg metro into a devastating war that would irrevocably change it.

Being on the frontlines of the conflict was devastating to the people of Ploschchad Vosstaniya which saw the station heavily damaged by the use of explosives. Relief came in the form of extra soldiers, weapons, and ammunition from the Primorskiy Aylans. Not out of any loyalty to a good trade partner, or humanitarian viewpoint, just on the simple basis of they’d be next if they didn’t stop the Vegans now. Ahmed was happy to take whatever assistance could be provided, and soon a plethora of independent stations joined in the war against the Vegans as they started to attack any passersby in the sewers, shafts, and even the surface. Sustaining devastating casualties for the numerically few Tsarists holding the line against the Vegan Empire, Ahmed was more than happy to sign the ceasefire twenty days later. Relieved from the overbearing pressure, Ahmed commissioned his officers to enact contingencies and plans to strike back at the Vegans in the event of a second war to prevent another meatgrinder like they just endured.

In December, Ahmed’s second war had come when a bomb exploded and destroyed Sennaya Ploschchad. With the destruction of the largest trade station within the St. Petersburg metro, the local station economy of Ploschchad Vosstaniya collapsed due to the overreliance on Sennaya’s trade to support them. In a two-birds-one-stone solution, Ahmed conscripted all able-bodied men to make up for the losses sustained during the first war. All the conscripts and their families would be given rations, eliminating the need for currency in concept. In actuality, it sowed unrest and dissent that would fester over the next year. The only thing to go right was the first strike Ahmed ordered when news of the bombing reached him, pushing the frontlines of the conflict to the tunnels beyond Ploschchad Vosstaniya, sparing the station from further devastation.

In collaboration with the Primorskiy Aylans, the two launched a joint operation on the Vegan station of Elizarovskaya. On the morning of April 8th it began with Ahmed ordering his soldiers to attack the station from the surface and fight their way downwards while the more numerous and well equipped Primorskiy Aylans attempted to break through the frontlines. Facing relatively little resistance during the attack, the Tsarist broke into the station through the surface entrance and briefly secured the station before Ahmed ordered them to advance on the retreating Vegans instead of securing the station, leaving that to the Primorskiy Aylans. Unbeknownst to all, Ahmed’s order spared the soldiers from dying in the explosion, but they were never seen again when the station of Elizarovskaya exploded in the trap laid there.

With over 300 men as part of the operation, now either dead from breaking into the station or lost beyond it when the tunnels collapsed, all missing with no one to blame besides Ahmed. Criticism of the decisions leading up to the disaster was abundant, the loudest of which came from the military. Overwhelmed, Ahmed withdrew from the public and held his meetings with his Tatar ministers within the royal stronghold. On November 10th, 2034, during lights-out time an armed party of 30 soldiers was let into the royal stronghold and aided by dissidents in the assassination of Tsar Ahmed the Second. With a brief gunfight with the royal guard, the assassins entered the royal chambers to find them empty of their target.

When the lights came on the following “morning” a man proclaiming himself Alexander IV Romanov had seized control of the station, military, and civilian administration. In a state address to the station, he spoke of the past and Tsar Ahmed’s failings. From when he first took power after Saddam’s fall, the censoring of his opponents, and the appointments of fellow corrupt Tatar ministers, all leading to the disastrous operation against the Vegan Empire, it was time for a change. All Tatar ministers and officers were summarily executed by Romanov’s Okhrana agents. To consolidate his position and begin to rebuild a struggling station, all interaction with the outside world was cut off as they proclaimed an isolationist foreign policy.

In a break of his previous aforementioned policy, on January 17th, 2035, Tsar Alexander IV Romanov announced that Ploschchad Vosstaniya was forgoing its isolationist ways. Having dutifully adhered to the undisturbed isolationism necessary to consolidate his rule over the past three months with few exceptions, it was news that was surprising to most. Speculations ran rampant among the bored and content of Ploschchad Vosstaniya of why. Most popular of which being a push by his trusted right hand, Prime Minister Graganovitch, to reopen themselves to the metro. Some believe the Tsar made the decision himself after receiving divine revelations from Jesus Christ. No matter the truth of the matter, the Tsardom of Ploschchad Vosstaniya is no longer looking inward. Having achieved a relative level of autarky, they now seek to change the future of the metro with them.

Deep in the depths of Saint Petersburg, hidden in a far corner of the city’s metro system, a Christian doomsday cult inhabited the station of Mezhdunarodnaya. Isolationist in nature and led by a prophet who was blinded by the incoming warheads as he gazed outside the closing doors. In his sermons, he exclaimed that all who are blind will avoid the coming of The Beast, the one who would usher in the next cycle of life by devouring humanity to extinction. It was told that it was their sacred duty to save humanity from his arrival, with the only way to ensure everyone's survival for them to be blind. He sent out his disciples to blend in amongst the common people throughout the metro, identify those who were virtuous, and if deemed worthy they would receive the gift. With little proof of the ongoings as the cultist would often commit suicide if caught by security, no one pushed the issue and just avoided the station. Even Saddam the Great left them alone seeing them as no real threat.

After two decades serving as the boogeymen of the St. Petersburg metro, they were given the moniker of “The Cult of the Blindman.” While still left alone and relatively self-sufficient and autonomous, their ultimate failure came during the Vegan War in 2033. While not belligerents themselves they still suffered all the same from the refugees fleeing the war. Desperation led people to scavenge the tunnels near Mezhdunarodnaya putting them in contact with the cult. Most believed them to just be normal Christians they didn't bother them much until people had begun to put two and two together. Eventually, refugees became mobs of poorly armed individuals wanting to avenge others, or just take their resources to survive. In an attempt to quell the masses from entering their portion of the metro, they set off explosives sealing themselves behind the cave-in. Despite their predicament, they still managed to send their disciples out unknown to the wider metro who now believed them dead. Utilizing old tunnels and sewers, they still followed their prophets' will.

In 2034, a blight devastated the granges of Mezhdunarodnaya driving the cultists to near extinction. Requiring supplies to last them until the new crops could grow, a select few loyal disciples were selected for a mission that would ordinarily have them burned as heretics. They were to venture onto the surface, said to be the lair of The Beast, and bring back whatever they could scavenge. Leaving Mezhdunarodnaya to travel the metro and gather the dwindling supplies from the few remaining stations, they ventured forth on their holy mission blessed by god. With the radiation declining they found it easy enough to move around on the surface, skills honed from the two decades of blending in and trying to stay hidden. The biggest threat of which is the servants of The Beast, abominations twisted from god’s creations, but never The Beast himself.

After several missions to the surface, the group wandered into the Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology looking for medical supplies and anything else that could be used back in Mezhdunarodnaya. In their search, they found a trove of prewar literature detailing the history of Europe, ranging from the early Republic of Rome up to the fall of the Russian Empire with the execution of the Tsar and his family. While searching the extensive library a disciple stumbled upon a hidden door concealed behind one of the bookshelves. Following the hallway until they reached a secure door, lacking power to its mechanism they elected to force the door with sledgehammers. After hours of hammering away in shifts, they finally broke through the door and entered a laboratory coated in sound-dampening foam. In the center of the room was a computer, suspended in the air by wires inside of a noise-canceling box. Still online despite no power to the rest of the surface, the screen displayed endless lines of text made of random words, numbers, phrases, and names.

Electing to investigate the seeming miracle before them, they stayed in the laboratory for weeks recording what the screen displayed. By the time they were ready to leave they had reached the revelation, their prophet was wrong. They had the word of god with them granted by the lord’s miracle below the Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology. Returning to Mezhdunarodnaya they requested a meeting with their false prophet under the guise of returning with knowledge of the whereabouts of The Beast. In a quick action, they surrounded the false prophet and stabbed him to death in a fashion similar to Julius Caesar. Taking their writings to the other disciples they successfully convinced them of the righteousness of their cause, following the words of god’s miracle they had found in their travels. While some did remain skeptical, the original explorers, now leading their people as the Chosen, would bring everyone to at least make one pilgrimage to witness the miracle themselves and read its words.

Now 2035, the cult living within Mezhdunarodnaya has morphed into something different than it had been a year prior. Now having a direct link to god through the computer in the laboratory, they believe that perhaps The Beast may not consume humanity. If perhaps they could arm themselves adequately to fight off The Beast and his abominations they may yet live without the need of blinding the virtuous, for the lord was now undoubtedly on their side. Styling themselves as servants of their lord in the fashion of the old Christian military orders like the Teutonic Order, Knights Hospitaller, or Knights Templar. They adopted the name of the ‘Order of Saint Petersburg,’ now seeking to fight The Beast and his army, following the words from their conduit to divinity.

During the height of the war, males from all cities were picked from the streets to defend the motherland. Across all sections of the Russian military men were forced to play their part. St Petersburg became the frontline as it not only neighboured NATO but also was the route to the Gulf of Finland. When the sirens rang across Russia, preservation was key. Those at the Naval base of Leningrad Naval Base, Gorelovo air base and the General Staff Building within St Petersburg itself were hurried into their own “doomsday” bunkers to await further orders from the President.

As time passed and the communications between the three bunkers were limited to short bursts that were so hard to understand that it almost became non-existent. The goal always remained the same, survive and keep Russia alive. The President made sure there were contingencies in place if armageddon ever fell upon their beloved country. There were enough supplies to survive as long as needed, they basically lived in underground cities

After years of surviving and waiting for orders from Moscow, the survivors of the general staff building were seen as the “leaders” of the 3 bunkers and the Naval base and Gorelovo remained loyal even if it had been 7 years since the bombs dropped. However, without clear direction from the President and those that survived in the Metro-2 bunkers, the General staff found themselves with a power struggle.There were those that believed they could operate not only the bunker better but also the surviving Russian military forces they had communication with than those in charge at the time. First they attempted to go about change politically and when that failed fights broke out with parties choosing a side. It didn’t take long for the Leningrad Naval Base and Gorelvo air base to lose contact with those from the General staff bunker.

With contact lost, the two remaining bunkers decided that they would run their bunkers respectively and just focus on preservation. They remained in contact with each other as time went by finding what worked for them and in their mind the survival of the Russian Federation.

As Gorelovo airbase was only reopened once the war between Russian and NATO began, the bunker was not only older but also found itself running out of supplies and their generator on its last legs. By this team both of the remaining bunkers were sending out patrols to the surface and witnessed how their once beautiful country had found itself in ruin and the mutants that infested their homeland. While there were parts of the surface that weren't radiated around the airbase, the general in charge knew if they didn’t make a plan they would find themselves like those from the bunker that fell a few years back. Communication between the bunkers were at an all time low. However, the situation at the Navy base was significantly better off. They had blown the bridge to and from the island becoming their own safe haven and were thriving. Unlike Gorelovo, where one person ran everything, Leningrad had set up a board of directors who worked as a collective. The General requested a mission where he would bring the survivors from the airbase who still had access to a handful of helicopters to the Naval base.

The collective, at first hesitant, still stuck to the original plan. They are here to keep the Motherland safe from any NATO forces and one day find their way back to Moscow. They notified the General that he would be welcome to the small island if he stepped down from his position and all his forces integrated as one into their new home. The General being an old man and a stubborn one refused but allowed those that wished to leave to take what they needed and make the trip. Without a second thought most of those that could, packed up and left. They flew above their old homes, parks and shopping centres looking back on a world they no longer recognised.

A few months later the Gorelovo bunker went quiet, they knew if it wasn’t the Generator then the security of the bunker had been compromised. The board of directors were adamant that they wouldn’t face the same fate as the other bunkers. Working together everyone of age would work in some field that would keep the mission alive. Return to Moscow and defend the motherland.

The last bunker thrived, everyone did their part and things were going well. The engineers worked on keeping what remained of the boats and the few helicopters from Gorelovo in working order. The military branch conducted operations within the city of St petersburg where they had found survivors that shared that a sizable number of civilians had survived within the Metro tunnels under the city. This was a blessing and a curse, it was made known that those in the metro had formed their own factions ranging from cultists to a so-called Monarchy. It was decided for the security of their country they would protect the civilians where they could. Keeping the local water treatment plant and other points of interests safe and when need conduct maintenance. This came with its own problems as the Mutants that ran ravage across the city would be a constant problem but no matter the push backs the forces of the Naval base kept to their promise and did what needed to be done.

The factions within the metro caused a bigger problem than anticipated by the board of directors. It was deemed that more than half of the survivors had gone crazy. Most of the groups that live in the tunnels engaged the Russian forces whenever they encountered them. The directives decided that the military branch rules of engagement stayed the same and they would only return fire if fired upon unless their outposts within the city were deemed under threat by a large force. They continued to keep locations they deemed a “high priority” under their control and functioning. Worst case, the directors had found ways into the metro itself and had set up their own version of the KGB which consisted of special personnel that were sent into the Metro to keep information fresh and flowing for the military and government branch. In the perfect position to deliver a decapitation strike if necessary.