Superhumans that rule a territory in a post-apocalyptic America

[Generic.Archdemon]

I am hoping for a brainstorm about America, but I am not American

Some of you who frequents my profile page, (albeit against your will) may be aware I am working on several stories.

One of which, while it is still in the planning stage, is one with the core element of a "monster-otherworldly invasion apocalypse".

Although set in the modern world, the majority of the plot will not be set in America. but somewhere else in the world (not yet decided)

For now, I am playing around with ideas on what the main characters will learn by getting news from overseas during the apocalypse, parallel to their local situation.

Also at the moment I am content with the trope of monsters invading, some people get powers to fight monsters. some powers are more powerful, and powerful people for some reason (plot) become leaders of a territory.

That is the baseline of the premise for "America".

Setting: After the initial shock of the invasion, the country stabilised relatively quickly and started to maintain a working response process to monster invasions (that comes via portals? Maybe? Who cares?). But at the same time, superpowers nerfed the authority of governing bodies, and many parts of the country lost communication with the rest of America or places just outright seceded (or anarchists took over).

At the start of the invasion, America had around 300 big~ish cities (reality is 333, I think, according to wiki?).

Post-invasion there were only around 200 of these cities that "survived" and became fortress cities, almost all small towns were wiped out or barely hanging on or presumed lost. Food and manufactured goods were a major shortage problem. Anything beyond the protection of the city walls was abandoned or was considered as good as dead.

Of the 200 population hubs:

40 were on the verge of being lost or status unknown

60 were hard-line isolationists and refused communication

100 had some form of communication with each other, and various factions and alliances were formed, a few larger factions are remnants of pre-collapse governing bodies or military hierarchies.

But all these cities had some varying forms of government, some tribal, some democratic, some tyrannical, cults, aristocratic etc etc

Generally, all territories have a few "one-man army" type superhumans that in some way "rule" or call the shots of the territory

Now here is the brainstorm:

1. What is a superhuman ruler you can imagine and what is their OP superpower? (college student necromancer? Does a priest become a god? Politician Jedi?)
2. How will they choose to run their territory? is the territory special in any way?
3. Are they expansionists or isolationists, are they diplomatic?
4. Where in America are they located?
5. Are they part of a faction or alliance? With who? What are their powers?
6. Will doughnuts survive the apocalypse?
7. Will there be an evil territory? is it your one?

There were still leftover resources, from pre-collapse but war for control and production would no doubt happen in a year or two tops. Also, refugees were constantly appearing, seeking the safety of the fortress cities. Morale was often quite bad in cities since lots of modern conveniences were disappearing.

Communications with other countries were possible but trade was not since the skys often had dragons and the seas had krakens.

However, travel from Alaska to Russia while very dangerous was possible.

 

[Cipiteca396]

1. What is a superhuman ruler you can imagine and what is their OP superpower? (college student necromancer? Does a priest become a god? Politician Jedi?)
2. How will they choose to run their territory? is the territory special in any way?
3. Are they expansionists or isolationists, are they diplomatic?
4. Where in America are they located?
5. Are they part of a faction or alliance? With who? What are their powers?
6. Will doughnuts survive the apocalypse?
7. Will there be an evil territory? is it your one?

... I've spent way too many hours thinking about writing a magic apocalypse story I'll never write to avoid answering this post.

1. NEET biomancer becomes Plant Deity. Produces seeds that grow into Alraune/Dryad type sapients that obey her commands. Each of these children can (among other things) directly convert sunlight into highly nutritious nectar(ambrosia) with powerful medicinal and magical properties.
2. She wants to save as many people as possible, using the infinite food source to bribe people into following along with her. Alraunes excel in keeping people docile, so one gets assigned to any troublemaker that appears, meaning there's no real need to seriously punish criminals. She also goes out of her way to ensure individuals are both contributing to her society, and not oppressed; a delicate balance that you're free to adjust to your liking.
3. Heavily expansionist and diplomatic. More land means more sunlight, and more places to house civvies. Ambrosia is an excellent trade good, though they'll always push to integrate other cities into her direct control.
4. Started in either the Mojave or Sonoran Deserts, as I've heard they're quite hot. For the sunlight, obviously. Expansion will immediately consume both and all of the nearby deserts as well. The use of magical and biological irrigation techniques will be a major focus of early efforts.
5. She wouldn't accept being governed by another faction unless they were absolute pacifists. If no such faction exists, she would lead or be a major player in a coalition or alliance that don't step on her toes too much.
6. Ambrosia pastries, including doughnuts, will be a major export.
7. I can't imagine an evil territory surviving for too long. It would either self destruct, be destroyed, or end the world- and that would be a shit ending for a story.

I could also mention the War Party or Demonic Familiars skills. Those would work well for a territory leader. Pretty much the same thing, but the first one creates something like a Player Guild with parties and status bars, quests and comms; while the second turns people into immortal, resummonable demon familiars that can resummon their Demon Queen if she dies.

Yeah, I definitely haven't wasted too much time thinking about this.

 

[LilRora]

college student necromancer

Man isn't that a popular trope.

1. I don't have time to write in much detail now, but I think a monster city would be nice. Led by some immensely powerful Big Girl, either with just the advantage of size or some other powers (but with a focus on the part where she dwarfs most human buildings). Can be super strength, force manipulation/control/amplification, there's a lot of leeway here.

2. Important part, very utilitarian. Don't work for the people, then get out; no help and protection for freeloaders. Obviously many accomodations for inhuman peeps.

3. Diplomatic when possible, but also fairly isolationist for pretty obvious reasons. They won't attack anybody (collectively, I mean, personal issues are inevitable whether it's humans or monsters) without a very good reason, but won't hesitate if they have a very good reason. There's no way to survive with what they are if they don't make their position clear.

4. I'm tempted to say Florida, but the more logical option is some remote city, ideally isolated geographically. I don't know America well enough to pin down a single best city.

5. That's the free space, they can be in an allience/faction, they can not. If they are, though, there are two options. One, a particularly open people, two, some fanatics or close to that, who either view those monsters are greater or as a sort of proof of concept, that humans can be so much more.

6. Get yourself a superpowered doughnut baker. I assure you, there is no such force that can defeat them.

7. All I've said above is on the assumption those are reasonable peeps. They can be evil too. The idea is the Big Girl has no human city to go to and wants to help others in similar situations, but vindication or revenge can be equally valid reasons.

Plus individual measure of good and evil isn't really taken into account here; if you want it any realistic, there's gotta be a lot of monsters that don't want cooperation with humans at all.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

1. What is a superhuman ruler you can imagine and what is their OP superpower? (college student necromancer? Does a priest become a god? Politician Jedi?)

JFK with every point spent in Rizz.

1. How will they choose to run their territory? is the territory special in any way?

With SMILES and HAPPY people who have full bellies and don't care what happens as long as it's CALM.
May I suggest reading:

https://www.scribd.com/document/636677067/Champions-in-3D

The part where they have Mirror world America is a good place to start.

1. Are they expansionists or isolationists, are they diplomatic?

America is isolationist and conservative when the shit hits the fan. It took pearl harbor to get America off its ass for Hitler.

1. Where in America are they located?

Washington DC, duh.

1. Are they part of a faction or alliance? With who? What are their powers?

Uhh... Dictator, duh.

1. Will doughnuts survive the apocalypse?

Nope.

1. Will there be an evil territory? is it your one?

I think a better question is, will there be a GOOD territory.

Feel free to read my I was Summoned story in my Sig file, if you want a dystopian America over run with superpowered people. Feel free to use WASP of the USA. (Weapons and Armor SPecial forces) who basically have taken over the US as the shadow government that makes sure that America doesn't collapse under the onslaught of superpowered individuals.

If you get into the later half of the book, it also discusses two other versions. The First version is a WASP under a socialist America. The second is a WASP under a Pure Capitalistic America, and FERB (Federal Emergency Response Bureau) is the version of WASP in an America that ISN'T batshit insane.

 

[Lloyd]

American cities are a lot more spread out than European cities, so it would be pretty hard to fortify them. There's also the fact that the United States is almost completely de-industrialized. Basically the entire country would be at the mercy of the super powered freaks, and the new societies would be created by their design. They would wield the weapons left behind by the national government, and become warlords or be inevitably crushed by another power. I also doubt cities would unite, and we would probably see them split apart along racial lines similar to real life prisons. After a few months most people would probably starve to death, die in an overwhelming flood of violence, or be united/enslaved by force under a new civilization.

 

[Generic.Archdemon]

1. What is a superhuman ruler you can imagine and what is their OP superpower? (college student necromancer? Does a priest become a god? Politician Jedi?)
2. How will they choose to run their territory? is the territory special in any way?
3. Are they expansionists or isolationists, are they diplomatic?
4. Where in America are they located?
5. Are they part of a faction or alliance? With who? What are their powers?
6. Will doughnuts survive the apocalypse?
7. Will there be an evil territory? is it your one?

1. Magical foodie, imbue food and drugs with special effects and side effects upon consumption, most notably chillies that gives pyro kinetic abilities. which is the signature of the territory.

2. Rules with a monarchy and aristocracy, mixing addiction to special foods, and foods with fire powers. Fire guys are the local enforcers, military and lawkeepers. Also, commoners are fed food that gives electricity generation powers and their job is to be electric generators.

3. mild expansionists

4. Palm springs

5. No, but salivating over nearby plant/food-rich territories.

6. Yes, they can be imbued to give gravity control powers.

7. nothing is happening for now

 

[Ai-chan]

I am hoping for a brainstorm about America, but I am not American

Some of you who frequents my profile page, (albeit against your will) may be aware I am working on several stories.

One of which, while it is still in the planning stage, is one with the core element of a "monster-otherworldly invasion apocalypse".

Although set in the modern world, the majority of the plot will not be set in America. but somewhere else in the world (not yet decided)

For now, I am playing around with ideas on what the main characters will learn by getting news from overseas during the apocalypse, parallel to their local situation.

Also at the moment I am content with the trope of monsters invading, some people get powers to fight monsters. some powers are more powerful, and powerful people for some reason (plot) become leaders of a territory.

That is the baseline of the premise for "America".

Setting: After the initial shock of the invasion, the country stabilised relatively quickly and started to maintain a working response process to monster invasions (that comes via portals? Maybe? Who cares?). But at the same time, superpowers nerfed the authority of governing bodies, and many parts of the country lost communication with the rest of America or places just outright seceded (or anarchists took over).

At the start of the invasion, America had around 300 big~ish cities (reality is 333, I think, according to wiki?).

Post-invasion there were only around 200 of these cities that "survived" and became fortress cities, almost all small towns were wiped out or barely hanging on or presumed lost. Food and manufactured goods were a major shortage problem. Anything beyond the protection of the city walls was abandoned or was considered as good as dead.

Of the 200 population hubs:

40 were on the verge of being lost or status unknown

60 were hard-line isolationists and refused communication

100 had some form of communication with each other, and various factions and alliances were formed, a few larger factions are remnants of pre-collapse governing bodies or military hierarchies.

But all these cities had some varying forms of government, some tribal, some democratic, some tyrannical, cults, aristocratic etc etc

Generally, all territories have a few "one-man army" type superhumans that in some way "rule" or call the shots of the territory

Now here is the brainstorm:

1. What is a superhuman ruler you can imagine and what is their OP superpower? (college student necromancer? Does a priest become a god? Politician Jedi?)
2. How will they choose to run their territory? is the territory special in any way?
3. Are they expansionists or isolationists, are they diplomatic?
4. Where in America are they located?
5. Are they part of a faction or alliance? With who? What are their powers?
6. Will doughnuts survive the apocalypse?
7. Will there be an evil territory? is it your one?

There were still leftover resources, from pre-collapse but war for control and production would no doubt happen in a year or two tops. Also, refugees were constantly appearing, seeking the safety of the fortress cities. Morale was often quite bad in cities since lots of modern conveniences were disappearing.

Communications with other countries were possible but trade was not since the skys often had dragons and the seas had krakens.

However, travel from Alaska to Russia while very dangerous was possible.

This thread is NOT a writing prompt. A writing prompt is where you give a premise and rules and then tell OTHERS to write it. It has nothing to do with brainstorming ideas. Next time, place your brainstorm sessions in Author General.

 

[Generic.Archdemon]

This thread is NOT a writing prompt. A writing prompt is where you give a premise and rules and then tell OTHERS to write it. It has nothing to do with brainstorming ideas. Next time, place your brainstorm sessions in Author General.

Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking.

 

[QuercusMalus]

The thing about America that most Europeans miss is how damn big it is. It takes me 3 hours, on freeways, to drive to my parents place, which is in the same state. So, post apocalypse, what level of technology is there? Communications and travel are going to limit the territory people can rule. So I would expect a few larger cities with lots of no man's land in between, which you can fill with raging storms, bandits, cannibals and isolated villages, or just... nothing.

This is something I struggled with on one of my own stories- how the hell to fill in the mindless day after day travel when it's hundreds of miles to the nearest city over rough terrain with no roads, no cars, no horses. Too many 'Two months later' segues.

 

[Generic.Archdemon]

lots of no man's land in between, which you can fill with raging storms, bandits, cannibals and isolated villages.

100% not to mention there will be dead cities infested with monsters and turning into their own ecosystems with millions of monsters

 

[Anon2024]

1. What is a superhuman ruler you can imagine and what is their OP superpower? (college student necromancer? Does a priest become a god? Politician Jedi?)
2. How will they choose to run their territory? is the territory special in any way?
3. Are they expansionists or isolationists, are they diplomatic?
4. Where in America are they located?
5. Are they part of a faction or alliance? With who? What are their powers?
6. Will doughnuts survive the apocalypse?
7. Will there be an evil territory? is it your one?

1. Superman - Maybe I watched too many of the 'superman goes rogue' shows but that would be more akin to it.
2. Very strict with enforcing rules and regulations.
3. Expansionists. they need to bring the 'safety' to everyone.
4. Northeastern USA. Chicago, Philadelphia, NYC, Boston Metro area. Also includes New Jersey. This is due to atlantic fishing industry and the farmland available all over including good rainfall during the warmer months for crop growth.
5. No factions, no compromises.
6. They'll make their own doughnuts.
7. Post-apocalyptic settings dont' tend to have an 'evil' territory, more of a 'not my territory so I don't agree with them' type of vibe. When resources are scarce, everyone who needs them tends to be seen as the bad guy if they're not part of the main character's party.


Most Europeans know very little about America and base it off movies and Television shows that are made by Americans who hate america as it is. The United States on it's own is larger than continental Europe land wise (exclusing Russia of course), and of course there are a lot of things about America that most wouldn't understand unless they live here.

Same with American perspectives on Europe as well. I don't know much about Europe, but I guess people are happy living there just like I'm happy in some parts of America.

 

[doravg]

Brandon Sanderson did something similar. Check his Reckoners. Just a little hint, the superheroes are not very heroic.