2035 The Last Hunt

Year: 2035Setting: The "e;New German Protectorate,"e; surrounded by the "e;Wall of Light."e;The past: The "e;Great War"e; was not a conventional war, but a short, brutal conflict involving biological and cybernetic weapons. It caused Europe's ecosystems to collapse. The outside world is a contaminated, radioactive wasteland ("e;The Gray"e;). The Wall of Light: An impenetrable barrier of overlapping laser fields, sensors, and drone swarms that seals Germany off from the rest of the continent. Officially, it is a protective shield against the dangers outside. In reality, it is a prison. Society: Extremely hierarchical. A small elite ("e;The Architects"e;) lives in well-supplied, clean sectors. The majority of the population ("e;The Mass"e;) vegetates in dreary, overcrowded concrete blocks. Water and food resources are strictly rationed; access is controlled via "e;loyalty points."e;The manhunt: The ultimate entertainment and control tool. Criminals, "e;dissidents,"e; and those selected by the elite are declared "e;hunted."e; They are hunted in designated hunting grounds (often abandoned neighborhoods or industrial sites). The hunters are volunteers from the "e;masses"e; or elite mercenaries. Those who capture or kill a "e;hunted"e; receive a life-changing reward: housing, water, food, status. The hunt is broadcast live throughout the protectorate and serves as a bloody bread-and-circuses circus to keep the population happy and compliant.