The Dark Coast is what was once known as California and a sliver of Northern Baja California. Most of the outer half of California has sunk underneath the ocean, destroying many of the major cities that populated the coast. Los Angeles has become a unique bay, characterized by the decaying carcasses of sky scrapers and highways emerging from the water. The area known as the Dark Coast stretches from Death Valley to the Pacific shore.
With the alteration of the physical landscape, what was once urbanized landscapes of California have been reclaimed over time into lush grasslands and majestic forests that are teeming with dangerous wildlife: subhumans creatures, mutants and large vicious predators.
This area is also known to some people as the Tribal Lands; because not many people want to live in such a dangerous place as such, dozens of tribes exist in the area, living off the land and shunning technology. Among the tribes that have claimed territory in the Dark Coast is the infamous Tribes of the Scorched Earth. Travellers would do well to be extremely careful while passing through the tribal areas; it is not uncommon for entire trade caravans to disappear without trace.
There are pockets of human civilisation all along the coastline, due the abundance of fish as well as the promise of salvage, both of materials for reprocessing and technological. Most towns trade with each other through the sea, as trading by land through the tribal areas are akin to suicide. As of such most civilisations along the coast have a strong affinity with the ocean. From time to time they do trade with various tribes from the inland, but this practice is uncommon. For the most part, as long as they don’t overstep their boundaries and bother the tribals, the tribals won’t bother them.
The Dark Coast attracts treasure hunters from time to time hoping to dredge up any treasure from the great cities that lay dormant under the water. As mentioned before, the Dark Coast has resources driven economy based on salvage; steel, copper, and various metals salvaged from the ocean floor is brought to various towns like Tijuana, reprocessed, and exported to New Nevada. Towns like Tijuana serve as an entry point to the rest of the Coast, since there are various dangers associated with land travel. However, the prominence of the ocean as a means for travel and trade has brought forth another danger: pirates. the Gorchev Syndicate Research Society estimates that anywhere from 10-15% of trade within a month is intercepted by filthy, evil pirates, who mostly pretend to be treasure hunters.
The most famous human settlement along the Dark Coast is the remains of Tijuana, known primarily for cheap booze, drugs, and women. However, there are several other human settlements, such as the port of Los Angeles, the ruined city known as Mariena, and the mysterious tribal settlement known as Chiwalkee.
Directly to the east of the Dark Coast is New Nevada.