Chris is a long-time Call of Cthulhu fan with dozens of horror games under his belt. Lately, he's also had a serious mental fixation on all things post-apocalyptic. With any luck, writing this month's installment of Sanctum has exorcised his demons.

Everyone thought that the end would come slowly, with rising oil prices and dwindling resources leading to a slow, whimpering death of starvation and exposure. Many predicted that, as the ice caps melted and the planet became inhospitable, mankind would meet its end after a few centuries of struggling against a world that had moved on. They were wrong.

The End came suddenly and, while initially unnoticed, its effects began a chain of events that could bring about the extinction of all mankind. It all began with a ritual, much like the one performed by magi of aeons past. That prehistoric ritual bound demons to the souls of mankind, so that they could not rampage across the material sphere. The counter-spell that brought about the end times did not free the demons, but rather freed the souls of mankind to return to the ephemeral plane from whence they came. This event is now known as The Rending.

Nobody knows who did it or why. Perhaps it was a well-intentioned group of occultists and spiritualists looking to refill the “well of souls,” but being misled by a warlock all the while. It's possible that a group of scientists, intent on providing quantifiable evidence (or lack thereof) of the existence of a soul, succeeded all to well. Or maybe some naive, teenage occultists got their hands on the wrong Ancient Scroll and unwittingly ushered in the End Times. In all likelihood, it was a group of very determined warlocks. Regardless of the methods, a powerful magic was enacted and it began to strip homo sapiens of that which made them human: their inner spirits.

Unbound from our souls, demons began to work their will on the earthly realm. The human soul had been our motivator for working towards the greater good. Our souls provided the impetus for mankind to become civilized, work together, and sacrifice to make the world a better place for our fellow man. Without our souls, the demons had free reign to tear society apart. Corruption crept into every aspect of life and social bonds of family and friendship lost all meaning in a growing tide of indulgence, perversity, animosity, and cruelty. Nations lost cohesion, wars started for little intelligible reason and ended in mushroom clouds. The world spun into a horrible spiral of decay that can only end in the destruction of all life and the final victory of demonkind.

Despite the horror that now envelopes the world like a burial shroud, Sanctum still exists. There are a few people with souls still walking the land. The magic was powerful, but there are some who were sheltered by a group of Sanctum scholars who predicted the end times accurately, and were prepared. Others have strongly bound souls that continue to struggle against demonic onslaught and cling to their mortal coils. These few warriors stand a thin line against impossible odds, trying to find meaning in the wasteland and restore hope to a world gone mad.

The Landscape

The world is a blasted place, with radiation poisoning polluting the ground and air, disease from unpurified water and biological weapons, and mutated creatures of various sorts running wild. The weather is unpredictable: storms come and go at a moment’s notice, blizzards endure for weeks at a time, and droughts alternate with deluges. Food is scarce, as most stockpiles were either taken when the wars began or destroyed by demonic intent or nuclear fire. Weapons and ammunition are rare, shelter is a precious commodity, and gasoline is but a memory.

Demons have assumed their true forms by either corrupting their hosts or consuming enough power in the wake of the ritual to free themselves. Most manifest as evil, draconic figures that circle the skies, looking for a morsel to devour, or as horrid abominations that prowl the wastes in the shadows and crevices, waiting for an unwary form to pass by. A few have made kingdoms for themselves, full of soulless humans worshiping them as gods. Wars still rage, as these demon princes fight each other for territory, sport, and meat.

Settlements of man still exist, but they are sequestered in hidden mountain valleys and underground shelter-towns. Those who are lucky enough to be without demonic control are places of scheming and infighting. While mankind is a social creature, our souls are what made civilization possible. Now, there is no reason to look towards the future, no reason to build beyond that of comfort and defense, and any of the soulless will sell out their kin for a price. Their rates are very low.

Creche of Rebirth

When the ritual was being prepared, several of Sanctum's more enlightened members sensed a changed on the horizon. In the interests of preserving mankind, they formed the Creche of Rebirth. A vast underground complex was constructed and powerful wards were placed upon it. The plan was a simple one: Wait out the end times, train the next generation of warriors, and restore the world to what it was. Sanctum’s best remained below ground to train a carefully selected group of children. Now, their supplies have dwindled, the trainers are old or dead, and the time to reclaim the world is at hand.

Zachariah Wescott

Named after the Biblical Last Man, Zachariah is the leader of Sanctum’s last hope. His training focused on communicating with those outside of the Creche’s steel blast doors. Hours of viewing all variety of media, reading hundreds of novels, and even acting out various roles for years at a time have all contributed to the formation of a charismatic, effective leader.

• Great Communicator - Zachariah can speak most any language and knows how to influence people.
• Sins of the Past - Zachariah has studied all aspects of human history, and can use that to his advantage. Random bits of technology, magical artifacts, and other specters of the past are his specialty.
• Master Tactician - Whether in an extended fire fight or man to man combat, Zachariah’s methodologies are meticulous, calculated, and brutal.

Aerial Washburn

Aerial's training focused entirely upon surviving the blasted heaths, polluted cities, and treacherous forests that would be encountered in the world outside of the shelter. She knows how to handle herself in a fight and relies upon improvisation and using her environment to her advantage. She is the only female in the Sanctum group, a fact which she can exploit when dealing with unsavory sorts who won’t listen to Zach or Ahmed.

• Survivalist - Aerial knows the ecologies of the land after the Rending. The survival of the group depends on her.
• Improvisational Fighter - Aerial has been taught to rely on what the environment provides, and thus has developed the ability to use simple melee weapons and fashion makeshift projectile weapons.
• Plainspoken - Not a skilled speaker, Aerial nonetheless seems to do well with others due to her simple speech and straightforward manner.

Ahmed Brahyana

Ahmed was born of Indian lineage and was marked by a Hindi priest to become a holy man upon birth. When the first aftershocks of the Rending became apparent, his mother and father gave him up to Sanctum in the hopes that they would save him. Sanctum took him in, seeing that he did indeed have great potential. Ahmed trained as a holy man, received training in virtually all religions and their rituals. His role in the group is to deal with supernatural threats, and hopefully find a way to restore the world to what it once was.

• Rites & Rituals - Exorcisms, purifications, protection, and all sorts of magical knowledge are at Ahmed’s command.
• Chi Fighter - Ahmed has learned to channel his chi, striking with extraordinary power and blocking attacks without touching his opponent.
• Pacifier - Ahmed is adept at calming tense situations.

Blighted Souls

These characters could serve as either playable heros or enemies and foils for your players to encounter. They represent those who were not fortunate enough to be sheltered from the ritual's rending effects and have been subjected to the ravages of demonic attack, their souls slowly shorn away. They are at constant war with their own inner demons, which drive them towards madness and destruction through their own obsessions.

Mad Mike

Mad Mike is a young man born in the aftershocks of World War III and left to his own devices by an uncaring, soulless family. He learned the ways of the world in a trial-and-error fashion, understanding that his survival hinged upon the need to trust no-one and always be resourceful and cautious. Mike is hell-bent on survival and stopping those who appear to stand in his way, or in the way of those who would aid him.  He has spent months at a time in solitude in the wastelands and seems to have grown accustomed to them.  Alienated from what little society remains, his ways seem brutal and overly pragmatic to those he encounters.  What distinguishes Mike from the other soulless wanderers is that, deep inside, Mike knows that what is happening now is wrong. He knows, on some level, that the world is supposed to be more. People are supposed to be good and help each other, but he has yet to meet anyone who has proven this to be true.

• Fightin' Mean - Mike has seen many fights, and has learned to strike first, strike hard, and never let up 'till a body is on the ground.
• Life in the Wastes -  Mike has an inherent understanding of the newly-forming ecologies of the world and can keep himself alive for months without significant supplies. 
• The Silent Type -  Mike says more with a look than a word can ever convey. 
• Obsession: Survival -  Mike's demons have convinced him that the only thing that truly matters is survival, even at the cost of all other things.  Mike makes few promises and has difficulty keeping them if they pose a threat to his own well being. 

Sean Bemis

Before the Rending, Sean was a librarian who spent his days surrounded by books. He prided himself on his knowledge of the mundane and trivial. A skeptic to the core, he detested fiction in all its forms and was in charge of organizing and helping individuals with research projects. He was lonely and liked it that way. Then the ritual occurred and everything changed. It didn’t take long for Sean to realize that the world was not how he thought it to be. At first, he struggled against the changes, locked himself deep in the library’s sub-basement stacks and surrounded himself with the familiar. Then, a creeping curiosity set in: What if things were different and a new truth had revealed itself? What was the nature of this change and what were these brutish creatures he heard so much about on his little HAM radio? His curiosity overcame him and he left the safe confines of his library to explore the new world.

• Know-It-All - Sean is brilliant and knows a great deal of things about the world, both before and after the ritual.
• Disarming Personality - Most view Sean as completely harmless and he uses this to manipulate others for information.
• Mad Monk Skillz - Sean’s library contained numerous books on martial arts, all of which he read and absorbed.
• Obsession: Occult Knowledge - Sean wants to know everything there is to know about the way the world is now. He is fascinated with the demons and their powers and will stalk them for months, observing. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he is bound to get burned.

Robert Neville

Robert was a veteran and a cop in small town America when the ritual occurred. He gained a first-hand view of the degeneration caused by the leaving of souls, as his friends and townsfolk turned on each other and began to tear apart his community. He tried hard to stop them, but as they turned more wicked and demonic, he began to understand that he had to stop them, before they did something truly horrible. He killed everyone in his town, to the man, and then he left. Spared at first from the nuclear and biological weapons that rained down around the country, he ranged out from his hometown. Occasionally, he would work with someone, but they always turned on him. He figures this must be some sort of disease, and any disease like this must be eradicated.

• Gunfondler - Robert knows guns better than the Pope knows the Bible. He owns hundreds of firearms, acquiring many during his patrols and hunts through the demon-infested lands. He is a crack shot with all of them.
• Commanding Presence - When Robert talks, people listen.
• Hunter’s Ways - Robert knows how to hunt the demons now plaguing the world.
• Obsession: Save the World - Robert believes that he may very well be the last man alive, and will stop at nothing to destroy the infection that he sees plaguing everything. He gives all he meets a fair shake, but if he suspects them of being “infected,” he will kill them without hesitation. Truth be told, Robert has murdered many blighted souls like himself; he just doesn’t realize it.

Demons

In the aftermath of The Rending, warlocks are a dime a dozen and not worth detailing here. The real threats that Sanctum (and our beleaguered “Blighted Heroes”) face are the demons who have either transformed their hosts or have somehow been able to assume their true forms. These loathsome beings wish to rule the world, to torment, enslave, and eventually exterminate the entire human race. They are not happy about being bound to souls for so long, and seek vengeance with single-minded ferocity.

Belial, Lord of Lies

Belial is a demon of great deception and manipulation, said to “make atheists of priests.” He does not appear as any “great evil.” Indeed, his true form is nothing spectacular, and he prefers to appear as a normal human. His is a subtle evil, preferring to corrupt those around him and rule through strife and discord. He was bound to many warlocks and enjoyed great power and influence before the ritual. Now, Belial finds himself frustrated with his lack of clout. He has managed to surround himself with loyal followers, but none of them are the powerful warriors he needs to gain control over the demonic warlords. To make matters worse, most of the demons know his old tricks and do not trust him in the slightest. With many enemies and few allies, Belial wishes to change things back to the way they were, back when he could play men and women against each other for his own amusement. For these reasons, he might be willing to part with ancient secrets and lost knowledge, if it will help him regain his status.

• Great Deceiver - Belial has a silver tongue and can talk anyone into anything. He can even make use of his demonic powers to confuse and mislead people. He can never “dominate” individuals; they must act of their own free will.
• Others Fight For Him - Belial never dirties his hands when others will do it for him.
• Secrets - Belial knows more secrets than any other being, and uses them to gain the trust and devotion of others. He also barters them, but such trades are always in his favor.

Maabus, Demonic Warlord

A hulking beast, Maabus has rallied a great number of lesser demons and soulless humans to his armies. His appearance is that of a classical demon: gigantic and winged with black skin and red eyes, wielding the limbs of his enemies as weapons. His goal is a simple one, worldwide domination. He is at the front of every battle he wages, using brute strength and vicious tactics to break his enemies. He encourages cannibalism, caring little for the existence of mankind except to produce more warriors to fight in his army. He often promotes mutants and those whose demons have changed their appearance to the top of his army, creating a classist system where the “ordinary” soulless aspire to become more monstrous. While wandering the wastes of the world, it would be hard not to encounter at least a scouting group of Maabus’ followers.

• Brute - Maabus is unsurpassed in combat, using brute force, terror, and supernatural strength and quickness to kill all in his way.
• Brilliant General - Maabus cares little for worldly knowledge, but knows how to martial his forces in effective ways.
• Imposing Figure - Few can tell a gigantic, ebony-skinned demon “No” when he gives them a command.

Abraxas, The Ancient Stalker

Prior to the joining of soul and demon, prehistoric man was hunted by evil, foul things. These dark creatures would stalk the hairless ape-creatures, striking fear into their hearts and devouring them whole. These abominations were perhaps the single greatest reason that the ancient Magi bound demons to their hosts with the souls of mankind. Abraxas was the leader of these monsters. A hideous, insect-like creature, he is completely alien in appearance, resembling a giant cockroach more than anything else. He and his minions, all fully realized demons, have rejoined the hunt... and the hunting is good.

• Move with the Shadows - Living in the darkness, Abraxas and his ilk control light and dark, and seem to spring forth from empty corners and darkened rooms.
• Predator - Abraxas fights as a predator, often wounding prey and following them as they seek help. He strikes quickly, and can be deadly when he is done playing.
• Alien - Abraxas is utterly repulsive, and uses this to intimidate and frighten others.

Running the Armageddon

This article's default setting evokes classics like The Postman, Mad Max, and The Stand, but there are other flavors your group might enjoy:

The Omega Game

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. It's the only way to really capture that Omega Man feel! Dispense with the notion that your PCs are going to reverse the Rending and just embrace the fact that civilization has ended. All they can do is try to survive another day. That might make extended play demoralizing, so I recommended this for a one-shot game. The skin-eaters are breaking down the door and your soul's hangin' by a thread, so grab your shotgun and rage against the dying of the light!

2012

This will take the "post-" out of your apocalypse, but hear me out. In this scenario, the Rending's source is not mysterious: the original spell's duration has simply come to an end. Over the course of a single year, all earthly souls will slip their bonds. A cabal or warlocks managed to erase this important detail from Sanctum's memory, but the last ensoulled humans have recovered it and now's its a race against time to renew the ritual and ring in another five thousand years of civilization.

The PCs are, of course, those last few humans. Lead by a Sanctum operative, they must venture into the heart of Maabus' domain: Central America. There, they will find a ruined temple where the last of the magi recorded their secrets. The ritual itself will not be easy; magic that powerful always demands a high price and demonkind will not sit idly by while a small group of upstarts try to put them in chains once more.

For added terror, you can implement a system to track each PCs' waning hold on their soul. (I recommend stealing UA's madness mechanics, CoC's Sanity system, or Storyteller's Humanity/Morality scales.) As time passes, their inner demons push them towards ever more inhumane acts in their fight for survival. Eventually, they cross the line and become a warlock. They gain access to magic, which makes them far more valuable to the group, but it's only a matter of time before their demons break free...

Next Stop: The bottom rung of Hindu society!