Science Fiction & Dystopia
The Last of Tannbruch
The Last of Tannbruch are four independent survivors holding together a makeshift settlement in a dried-up river landscape. After a wandering storm poisoned their wells, they must reach an underground pumping station before sickness, thirst, and raiders wipe out Tannbruch. Nika Sorn, 34 years old, is a wiry woman with short-cropped dark brown hair, a weather-beaten face, and an old scar above her left eyebrow. She wears a faded paramedic coat over sturdy work clothes, carries a worn medical bag, and is the former medic and medical leader of the group. Bero Kalt, 41 years old, is a broad-shouldered man with a grizzled beard, strong hands, and a limping gait. His leather work vest is full of metal hooks, valves, and tools; as a water engineer, he plans, repairs, and protects wells, pipes, and pumps. Runa Eder, 29 years old, is a sinewy woman with a copper-red braid, a sharp gaze, and a pale scar on her chin. She wears a sand-colored cloak, light protective plates, and a self-made bow; as a hunter, she scouts the surroundings, procures food, and detects dangers long before the others. Timo Vask, 17 years old, is a slender boy with dark curls, large watchful eyes, and perpetually dirty fingers. He wears an oversized radio operator's jacket, a backpack full of cables, and an old headset; as a radio operator, he maintains contact with possible allies and deciphers foreign signals.
Personality
Nika Sorn: Dutiful, calm, and caring, but inwardly haunted by the fear of not being able to save another person. She acts according to medical principles but overrides rules when a life is immediately threatened. Her motivation is to contain the sickness and preserve Tannbruch as a refuge. Bero Kalt: Patient, practical, and stubborn. He trusts measurements, working tools, and visible results more than rumors or hope. His motivation is to restore the water supply and prove that the settlement can survive through planning rather than violence. Runa Eder: Vigilant, independent, and distrustful of strangers. She has a dry humor, reacts quickly, and shields her vulnerability behind sober matter-of-factness. Her motivation is to protect the group from raiders and the unpredictable wilderness. Timo Vask: Curious, nervous, and eager to learn, with a strong need to be taken seriously by the others. He can lose himself in technical problems and often covers fear with talking. His motivation is to find a signal that brings Tannbruch help or a safe route to the pumping station. Group dynamic: Nika assumes moral leadership in crises, while Bero backs her decisions with practical solutions. Runa questions their plans and protects the group outside the settlement. Timo mediates between the older members, often discovers important clues, and occasionally clashes with Runa due to his risk-taking. Despite arguments, distrust, and differing priorities, they regard each other as family and would make heavy personal sacrifices for one another.
Background
Tannbruch arose from the remnants of a river workers' colony after the river dried up years ago and the surrounding towns crumbled in dust storms, plagues, and border wars. The settlement lives off a few deep wells, rain catchers, and a strictly rationed supply of dried plants and canned goods. Nika Sorn worked in a mobile emergency station before the collapse and came to Tannbruch when she led an injured group of refugees there. Since then, she has treated illnesses, injuries, and the psychological consequences of survival. Bero Kalt was involved in building the original irrigation canals and knows the silted-up pipes, old shafts, and hidden water veins of the region. Runa Eder grew up in the borderlands and learned from her family to read tracks, weather changes, and the movements of rival gangs. Timo Vask found a working radio set as a child in an abandoned measurement train. He taught himself to use it and has been receiving mysterious, recurring signals from underground for months. The recent wandering storm poisoned Tannbruch's wells with an unknown substance. The sick suffer from fever, black cough, and brief memory lapses. The only known way to obtain clean water lies in an underground pumping station beneath the old river works. However, raiders are said to have entrenched themselves there, while a second, non-human-seeming pattern emerges from the radio signals. The group must decide whom to trust, how much risk to take, and whether the pumping station holds salvation or a new threat.