The Fourth Reich is a Neo-Nazi Extremist Regime that was an evolution of the pre-war Russian Nationalist Party dubbed the “Russian National Unity” and some extremists from the Central Metro Command.

They strive for genetic purity and the betterment of the Russian Race above all, this means if you do not meet the standards of the Reich the penalty is death.

The Reich is one of the most powerful and technologically advanced factions of the metro, however, what stunts their expansion is the permanent conflict with their ideological enemy the Redline.

The Redline is a Marxist-Leninist state which is ruled by the Communist Party of the Moscow Underground, led by the General Secretary, the undisputed leader of the state.

The Communist Party was formed by former members of the Central Metro Command who were seeking the former glory of the early Soviet Union days as well as other Communist ideologists. Redline's mission is to unify the Metro under a single banner - one leader, one party, one ideology. This is achieved by taking over stations and executing anyone who doesn't align with the Party's ideals.

Redline is one of the most powerful factions in the metro, having the biggest population, 2nd largest number of stations in Moscow as well as control over the Armory - a huge arms manufacturing station.

Redline's expansion is often hindered by its conflict with the Reich, occasional conflicts with Hanza and Hunger within its stations due to the massive amount of Redline dwellers.

The Hanseatic League, more commonly known as Hanza, is a massive trade alliance that spans the entire central ring of the Moscow Metro and serves as a Capitalist Utopia for the rich.

Though that can be misunderstood, Hanza is able to provide what most others throughout the Metro can not. That being electricity, clean water, housing, food, and a safe life amongst the madness of Post-Apocalyptic Moscow.

Though it may seem impossible to build such an economic empire, with two strong regimes violently clashing about the Metro, Hanza has what others need and there is nothing that can doubt or challenge that fact.

Bandits are loosely affiliated groups of dwellers which don’t believe in working hard and living in the harsh conditions of regular metro stations just to get minimal supplies and payment. They’d rather take supplies from the weak and live like kings in their own hideouts, outposts or in some instances even stations.

The server is set in late 2033 following many of the major events of the first Metro book and game. 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.

As the name suggests, our server is set in Moscow. Both the metro and the city above the Metro are available and fully accessible. Note that we’re constantly expanding both the metro (by adding new stations to it) and the city so the map is constantly being improved upon.

Every lore faction which was formed before 2034 can exist in our setting. This includes the major factions (Redline, Reich, Hanza, etc…) as well as minor factions (Bandits, Arbat, Satanists, etc…). 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.

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