Electric Bastionland

Bastion. The only city that matters. It’s a odd place—surrounded by the Deep Country, a vast, untamed wilderness. Bastion stands alone as an oasis of civility, progress, and opportunity. No one knows Bastion's origin. Who built it? When? And who—if anyone—controls the machines that endlessly build upon it? These questions remain unanswered. It’s a city in constant flux— no single authority rules. Many try to carve out their own little piece. Councils, committees, and ministries spring up, each claiming control over some aspect of city life. Like the Ministry of Lamp Posts and Sidewalks, which insists you need a permit to benefit from their infrastructure. These powers clash and collapse daily. Entrepreneurs drive the city forward, working relentlessly in pursuit of progress. There’s always work for those willing to get their hands dirty. Beneath it all lies the Underground, where machines twist reality. Only mutants and monsters can survive down there. Still, treasure hunters venture below, chasing after forgotten relics. The most prized are Oddities—also called Arcana. These trinkets and devices bend reality like the machines do. Each one has a unique magical effect. Some are powerful, some subtle. Their construction, purpose, and power are all mysteries. They’re relics from a time no one remembers. The deeper you go, the stranger things get. But some guides know the paths to the city’s gates. If you can pay, they’ll take you. Outside Bastion, the Deep Country holds many resources—but the beasts and strange folk who live there don’t make it easy to take. The farther you travel from the city, the more it feels like you’re going back in time. Near the city, farmers and factory workers keep Bastion fed and fueled. But venture farther, and modernity fades—cars give way to chariots, guns to swords. This setting isn’t mine. It’s based entirely on Chris McDowall’s Electric Bastionland.