More than 100 years after nuclear war, nature has reclaimed much of the world that was destroyed. The Missouri Ozarks have returned to what they once were: a vast wilderness of woodlands, lakes, and caves. Some of the descendants of those who survived the war have since emerged from their shelters to establish subsistence-based communities, relying on the traditions of their ancestors. Others remain in the highly sophisticated underground facilities into which their forefathers retreated when the bombs fell. Those underground live with technologies lost to the world above, including sentinels advanced, intelligent robotic humanoids. For those who have never even known electricity, the hulking machines reflect the scary stories told around the campfire. Meanwhile, lurking in the shadows, a growing threat from the north is emerging from those who would conquer and subdue any who will not submit. As unique challenges force each of these groups to seek compromise and cooperation to survive, new leaders must emerge to forge a new path. With the future of their people hanging in the balance, will these new leaders courageously rise to the challenge, or will they be destroyed by their self-doubt and fear?