Lightning Crusade
"By their justice we live! With their fury we die!"
OVERVIEW
Road warriors generally do not band together. In fact, many claim that the solitude makes them who they are. But not for the Lightning Crusade. It started out as a small band of Road Warriors bend on destroying a local warlord. Realizing that together they form a greater danger than each separate ever could achieve, they made a truce and fought as one. Their success now lives on as the Storm Lords. The inner circle of the Lightning Crusade. Through valor and glory, the Lightning Crusade plans on cleaving through the Wastelands. They ride forever one until the last of the Lightning Crusaders drops dead. Beware all those who do not abide by the one-sighted version of Justice that the Lightning Crusade hold dear. For they may find a storm approaching.
CULTURE
The Wasteland is filled with Half-lives. The toxic environment is utterly hostile to all life. It is to no-one a surprise that they are very common to the Wastelands. Most are forced to band together under a warlord. Some, though, some choose to live alone. Be it exile or fleeing from their former friends. They develop their own sense of justice. No doubt they would have heard of the Lightning Crusade. A band to rival most warlords. Not dedicated to oppression, but to justice and freedom. The Lightning Crusade recruits all who are willing. But they will only be accepted if they prove themselves worthy. Life within the crusade is not an easy one. Infighting is not forbidden and is often used a tool to weed out the weak. Over their short time, Half-Lifes often grow ever more fanatic. While still holding Justice high. It is often the Storm Lords their version of Justice. Leaving the Crusade, until a certain point, is allowed. But should one be initiated too deep into the ranks, then the only escape they can have is by death. By that point, it is often the only release of suffering the Half-Lifes believe in.
While often zealous, knowledge is not considered an idiotic pursuit. No, in fact, if not for the search of knowledge of the old world, the Storm Lords would be nothing. It is their discovery of the Storm Pylons (tesla coils) that they came to power. If they were not curious of what the signs in a book meant, they would have never been able to harness the fires of the storm.
They revere the lightning bolt as their holy sign. A symbol of purity and power. They believe it embodies the fury of the Storm Lords themselves. Who can harness it to fight the wicked souls. Young recruits often don't fully understand the reverence of the lightning bolt. Until they are under attack, and a Storm Lord decides to activate his Storm Pylon. Few remain skeptical of the Lightning Bolt as the pure symbol of the crusade after they saw with arcs of justice destroying enemies and burning them to a crisp.
While the Crusade embodies freedom, it also embodies reverence towards the Storm Lords. Many, upon joining, will be ordered to construct their uniform. Often with sharp spikes in the form of lightning bolts on their shoulders. The Unform is obliged and is used to prove your commitment to the cause. Additionally, valor and glory are rewarded in the form of golden necklaces. The more golden necklaces a Half-Life wears, the more heroic actions he performed. Storm Lords often wear so much bling that they must start wrapping it around their arms.
RESROUCES
The Crusade has been burning a path through the Wastelands for long now. They raided convoys and destroyed strongholds. All the while their loot pile grew and grew. Now large trucks filled with all kinds of scrap metal a furnace to bent them into shape rides in the middle of the Crusade. Alongside the far fewer water tankers that cruise with them. When they must trade, the Crusade will trade scrap for nearly anything else. From water and guzoline to bullets and food. They only trade with settlements and strongholds they deem honorable or at the very least, none-oppressive. But most of their profit and resources they gain from raiding and looting.
Through knowledge and lots of scrap resources, the Crusaders learned that putting time in their equipment pays off. Guns are forged with experience recorded by previous crusader forgers. The smeltery truck is covered with writing and drawings of how to make weapons. These are not mere fools rambling (at least, not all of it).
LEADERSHIP
The Storm Lords reign supreme. Acolytes of the Storm King, they long ago learned how to harness the power of dessert fury fire from him. Now he passed, but his memory is still fresh on all the Storm Lords their minds. There are 5 storm lords in total. Each driving their own vehicles and have the authority to temporary split off the main Crusade (though a minimum of 3 Storm Lords must remain in the main Crusade). Many of their Crusaders who were sworn in by a Storm Lord will join that Lord's quest should he temporary break from the main Crusade. In theory, a break-off crusade could be just as big as the main crusade through popularity of one Storm Lord. But that has never happened so far.
MILITARY
Through the years many looted Warlords their cars and began to modify them. Newling Crusader Riders often start by putting large spikes all over their car. Believing they can be used as conductors for the awesome power of the Storm Lords. Obviously these spikes are in the most holiest of forms: lighting bolts. After that modifications keep on coming. A hood vanishes here, a cover is pulled over there. Wheels and shafts are changed. The tail pipe is bent for some reason. Crusader Riders have a proud tradition of altering their vehicles whenever given the time. The near endless supply of scraps makes this quite easy. Though, it happens that these extensively modified cars break down. But as the Riders know their own vehicle as if they were born in it, they can usually fix it quickly.
One thing many of the Riders have in common, though, are big ass guns. Forged in the Smeltery truck and modified there too, the Crusaders have a running bet on getting the biggest, baddest gun of their group of "friends". It is true, this often leads to absolute ridiculous, expensive and inefficient weapons. But in the end, if they can blow up things or riddle a vehicle with holes, the Riders will be happy. But the absolute prime kind of weapons are Storm Pylons. The vehicles of all the Storm Lords are equipped with at least 2, and through "sorcery" (science of conductivity) the Storm lords can bend the arcs to their will. Those most trusted by the Storm Lords can get a Storm Pylon of their own. While only the Storm Lords can aim the lighting to an extent, normal Riders cannot. Instead these Storm Pylons merely act as close range deterrent (and super cool status factor).
FlagshipThe Storm CallerThe Crusade has no care for stealth. Nay, when the Crusade comes, everyone will have known it. In the vanguard rides the heavily armed but awesome Storm Caller. A massive truck with 4 large drums at the back. In the front ,though there is a stage for the Thunder Relics. A guitar and a microphone. The Stormsingers, two chosen from among the Crusaders learned from ancient sheets, battle music from ages past. Now they let these ancient hymns of battle echo once more into the world. The Storm Caller is believed to summon up a massive sandstorm should all drums be beaten and both Stormsingers be at work. Mostly though, they already bring a dust storm by the thrown-up sand behind them alone.