Survival Without Allegiance
Not everyone chose a side.
When the Warbots rose, the sky fractured, and entire civilizations collapsed, many people didn’t trust armies, machines, or ideologies.
They trusted only themselves.
The Independent Settlements are the scattered cities, enclaves, caravans, and fortified communities that refused formal alignment with any major faction. They do not fight for conquest or grand restoration.
They fight to survive one more day.
They are not unified.
They are not coordinated.
But they endure.
Overview
Independent Settlements formed organically during the first collapses of global infrastructure and dimensional instability. When governments failed and communications went dark, small groups of survivors fortified whatever ground they could hold.
Old towns became bunkers.
Factories became fortresses.
Transit hubs became trade cities.
Over time, these pockets evolved into self-governing communities with their own laws, cultures, and survival strategies.
Some cooperate with the Resistance.
Some cautiously scavenge near Rogue AI territory.
Some secretly bargain with darker forces.
Their loyalty is not ideological.
It is practical.
Core Mission
Primary Objectives
Protect their people at any cost
Maintain food, water, and energy independence
Trade for technology and supplies
Avoid large-scale faction wars
Defend territory from Warbots and raiders
Preserve local culture and autonomy
Structure & Philosophy
There is no central leadership.
Each settlement operates differently depending on leadership, geography, and available resources.
Some resemble:
Fortified towns
Mobile convoy cities
Underground bunkers
Salvage markets
Hidden forest or canyon communities
Operational Traits
Localized governance
Barter-based economies
Improvised defenses
Civilian militias
Salvaged tech usage
Pragmatic negotiations when survival demands it
They value independence over unity, stability over heroics, and survival over ideology.
Technology
Independent tech varies wildly.
Most equipment is:
Scavenged
Repaired repeatedly
Mixed-tech (old world + Resistance + Warbot parts)
Low-power and sustainable
Common equipment includes:
Converted construction mechs
Homemade drones
Scrap armor and weapons
Solar/wind micro-grids
Black-market comm systems
Trade-modified vehicles
Some settlements quietly reverse-engineer Warbot parts for protection.
Others reject advanced tech entirely.
Every settlement chooses its own path.
Notable Figures
Because settlements are decentralized, leadership changes constantly.
Examples include:
Local commanders
Engineers
Scavenger guild leaders
Caravan captains
Community elders
(Some individuals intersect with main characters throughout the series.)
Relationships
Resistance – Cautious allies and trade partners
Warbots – Hostile existential threat
Rogue AI – Dangerous territories often avoided or scavenged around
Carrion Protocol – Reclamation swarms that strip settlements and battlefields for salvage
Eldorians – Rare contact through dimensional overlap
Media Appearances
First Appearance: Digi 995: Awakening of the Last Machine
Featured In:
Mainline novels
Side stories
Game environments and lore
Background settlements across multiple arcs
Classified / Forthcoming:
Future stories will explore specific settlement leaders and regional conflicts
Canon Status
Faction Tier: Secondary
Alignment: Neutral survivalist
Operational State: Active and widespread
Independent Settlements provide the human backbone of the world — the everyday people caught between gods, machines, and war.
Closing Line
While armies wage wars for the future, the settlements fight for tomorrow morning.
