Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Goats, Rats, Pigs and so on.
Above: Fauna of the wasteland. Left, a horrendosaurus. Right, a herd of dungers.
Above: A charming pastoral scene as mutant settlers move their flock of sleeks to pasture.
Above: A group of rats accompanied by a few of their less-evolved cousins.
Above: The Savage Goats.
Above: L to R: Kong; The Ape With No Name; Don Chimpanzino; Florence; Ape-X; Bonnie & Clyde.
Above: The Hogs of War.
Above: The Wild Pigs
Above: "Are we not men?" No, probably not.
In the years before the Disaster several species of animals were 'uplifted' to sentience by humans to be companions, servants and workers. The most common were dogs, pigs and apes. In the frenzy of unrestricted nuclear, chemical and biological warfare, including the release of untested mutagenic weapons, events were set in train that would see other species unintentionally rise to sapience, rats and goats foremost amongst them.
The ruined cities and recovering patches of fertile land south of the Fresh Sea are the scene of fierce rivalry amongst several groups of uplifted animals. The main groups were known to outsiders, but not necessarily to themselves as:
1. The Hogs of War. In the process of evolving a distinctive civilisation of their own, the hogs had a reputation for impetuosity and an abiding hatred for the scattered and debased survivors of humanity, fuelled by handed-down memories of countless millions of pigs massacred and eaten by humans in ancient times.
2. The Wild Pigs. Although less sophisticiated than their porcine rivals, the wild pigs had a reputation as excellent scavengers and metalworkers. They carried out an extensive trade in metals recovered from pre-war cities both in ingots of 'pig iron' and finished items. They had less access to pre-lapsarian weapons than their rivals and had reverse engineered captured firearms into clumsy but effective versions of their own.
3. The Savage Goats. Although enjoying a reputation for ferocity the goats used that not to expand their holdings but to defend their own territories, which included some of the best farm-lands of the area.
4. The apes. Disorganised and mutually suspicious gangs of apes controlled many territories due in large part with their familiarity with pre-war weapons. Shifting alliances and frequent changes of side prevented the apes from dominating their neighbours.
5. The rats. Although much smaller than the other sorts of uplifted animals the rats used their size to their advantage. After tailoring firearms to their size the rats were able to use these and their small size to defeat much larger opponents. However they always preferred negotiation to fighting and rat merchants were well-known for their trustworthiness in deals until 'to rat' became a way of referring to a way of cementing a unbreakable deal.
6. Human dregs. The de-evolved remnants of humanity eked out a life in small communities, unable to use the artefacts their ancestors made, cowering in fear of the magical properties of technological devices and attributing unexpected events the intervention of their innumerable gods.
