WINTERWORLD

The World Pre-War


Winterworld after the War.


The Holy Roman Empire

In Roman cities around the world, the vast majority of people are poor and live in cramped, dirty housing, above which rise the rich palaces of Church officials. A few rich merchants live in larger houses near to Church buildings. Most cities have been rebuilt in the time since they became part of the Holy Roman Empire, to conform with the Churches view of the forms of architecture which are pleasing to God. Churches tend to be large (attendance at Church services is, of course, mandatory) and decorated according to the social level of the people expected to use them. Most large towns and cities have a large cathedral, usually built with slave labour where one did not exist before.

There is no public health service, so most common people show the signs of affliction by disease or injury - quack doctors are the only means of treatment for millions of people. Most people outside the church are dressed in staid clothes of dull colours.

In all cities, wherever they may be, there are only a tiny minority of non-white people. Even if they have converted to Christianity, non-whites are considered vastly inferior to whites. Sexism is also heavily prevalent. Women are basically the property of their husband, father or older brother, and have no right to self-determination or to own property. Divorce and contraception are, of course, illegal.

Transportation consists of railways between towns and cities (although common people are in general unable to travel). The roads are generally fairly small apart from military highways between cities and strategic points. Only Church traffic (military or otherwise) is motorised. Commoners use animals or their feet.

All roads, towns and cities are patrolled by the Roman military. Larger cities and strategic points also have contingents of the Host of Heaven.


Elsewhere

Outside the Papacy, cities are fairly low - the skyscraper was a fairly new invention before the war, and had not spread widely. Churches tend to be small and local, with all denominations apart from Roman Catholicism represented in large numbers. Many buildings are old, with the continuing threat of the Papacy keeping taxes high and public money going into the military rather than public services.

People of all races, refugees from the Holy Roman Empire, are fairly common in all major cities. Women have far more right to self-determination than in the Papacy, including the right to vote, but in general they are far more restricted than the PC's are used to. Most people dress in a fairly puritanical style, reflecting the shortages everywhere.

Thanks to Roman propaganda, non-Roman citizens are considered witting or unwitting servants of Satan by most Roman citizens. For this reason many United States soldiers and underground anti-Roman groups use Satanic symbols as a means of defiance and mockery.


Winterworld after the War.

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