EGO ANARCHISM (ANARCHO-EGOISM/KARSONISM)

• Resembling the ideals of the early wasteland, ego anarchism is the idea that might equals right. It's a simple, barebones concept similar to big-stick diplomacy. The one with the biggest stick, gets the biggest slice of the proverbial cake, and was very popular amongst nomadic warbands such as the Jumperz.

• Ego anarchism inside the Chromeskulls is very prominent within members of the Booster clique. Their inherent militarism and boisterous way of displaying their beliefs makes them a prime suspect of ego anarchism. Their biggest belief is that the Chromeskulls are held back with a two-clique organization system, and instead believe that there should be no ranking structure except for a figurehead who is decided by hostile takeovers.

• This set of beliefs is often associated with the late Karson "Fuse" Blines; the first Chromeskull champion, and his followers post-death.

PRIMITIVE ANARCHISM (ANARCHO-PRIMITIVISM/PATELISM)

• Unlike ego anarchism, primitive anarchism is the belief that civilization, more specifically the Chromeskulls, should return to a simpler; more primitive way of life. It is based on the ideas that centralized civilization is oppressive, arguing that centralized civilization led to the alienation of individuals from greater society.

• Primitive anarchism in the Chromeskulls is a very niche belief, entirely dwarfed by ego anarchism and the Boosters that subscribe to it. Instead, it's a much smaller group of specifically Drifter and Cybre Chromeskulls who believe that post-flash civilization is signifigantly flawed, and relies heavily on the improper manipulation of her denizens. They believe in the decentralization of post-flash settlements, and a mass-exodus into a post-modern society of decentralized settlements with limited government.

• While primitive anarchism has no defined associated figurehead, many of it's subscribers attribute it to the beliefs of Eve "Bloodflow" Patel.

• Leaving a gang is notoriously a difficult feat. Many have deserted gangs, or left with honors- but many more have crashed and burned in their attempts, some more literally than others. In the Chromeskulls, it's no different. In fact, it's more likely to be worse.

  • To consensually leave the Chromeskulls, you have to "earn your chrome." Which means proving yourself useful to the Upper Ossuary where they unilaterally agree to let you off without a hitch- which has happened once... The other way is by literally outgrowing the gang- growing too old to continue chroming-out.

  • For the rest of these cases though, you're shit-out of luck. So think carefully.

• For those who wish to desert the gang, you're essentially leaving some of the only family who'd accept you in the wasteland. A 500-strong, psychotic mob who will hunt you down.

THE BEGINNING OF YOUR SELF-IMPOSED END

• For any Chromeskull with the gall to desert, the end begins after the first 48 hours after your PESTERCHROME signal stops responding with the server. A hit squad of 2 boosters will automatically be sent out to your last known location, and any of your frequented locations afterwards. 

  • This "hit squad" only serves the point of making sure a Chromeskull isn't deserting, as many Chromeskulls go on  days-long benders where they are high on various substances. 

• 24 hours after the initial search, the presumed deserter is put onto a "kill list," where they're marked for dead, and set up with a bounty. Any safe house,  base or similar location is ran through for any sign of where you may be. All of the deserters potential options for safety or assistance are thrown out of the window.

  • Their only choice is to return, hide, successfully flee or be killed off. On a similar note, what choice do you have? Depending on how far you’re gone mentally and physically, who is going to accept you out in the wastes? Is a life of solitude and looking over your shoulder really feasible?

  • It is also very hard to conceal yourself, depending on the level of chrome you have (60%+ becomes very tedious to hide, depending on what you have chromed. Face chrome is the worst.) It is for this reason active bounty hunters have the right to check or otherwise investigate underneath the head / face cover of someone they think is a Chromeskull. It’s similar to mutants fully covering themselves— when every mutant has done it, there’s a good chance someone fully covered is a mutant.
    
    
    

• As of May 24th, 2025 (05/24/2025), all desertions are required to have bounties put on them. Alongside this, all deserters will have APTK active on them, but not on the hunters. You are being hunted by an entire gang for treason. The people hunting the bounty (usually) are not the ones in imminent danger- you are. 

  • APTK serves to reinforce the fact that you are deserting a sizable, heavily-armed, extremely prejudiced gang of psychopaths.

    • Waiving APTK requires a majority vote. If a desertion would otherwise pass, you have the OOC choice between not deserting at all, or deserting with APTK active.

• With Vic assuming control, Chromeskulls are taxed on internal purchases like never before- to allow the gang to recover and regain it's footing once more. The almost total lack of ND for nearly all members has lead to a huge uptick in bartering; the exchange of goods and services for other goods and services without the use of currency.

  • Large shipments are often still done through ND, but all of the small daily purchases like food, supplies, and chrome installations should be done through bartering. Haggle with your fellow Skulls, swindle and cheat, or offer honest goods for honest service. The world is your oyster.

• Food, drugs, and supplies (particularly medical supplies) are often the most readily available for bartering, and are always in high demand. Consider bartering some homemade ICE, or exchanging a medkit for a service. If someone's willing to take it, be willing to hand it out.

• Offering services is another way to get by, and most commonly done by Cutters offering medical procedures and Sparkplugs offering repairs in exchange for their own desires. However, almost any Skull can come up with a service to sell relating to their profession and skills.

  • Some may prefer to exchange trinkets and other collectibles or articles of clothing. Though less useful than food or supplies, they provide a sentimental or other kind of value that some find equally important. 

• Despite the internal purchasing tax, ND can still be used with wasters. The tax is specifically a sales tax on internal exchanges.

• Prosthetics are the most iconic part of the Chromeskulls, and their namesake. Known by  many names, "Chrome" is the foundation that the gang’s transhumanist ideology is built off of. Chrome is subject to its own extreme level of customization and personalization, with spray paint and graffiti being the most common forms of self-expression. But it’s far from the only option, as magnets and pins can be applied to Chrome with relative ease.

• • Most Chrome itself is almost always made extremely cheap with easily salvageable plastics and metal alloys, scoured off the wastes through a variety of sources. There’s an amount of thought that goes into making Chrome have style without breaking the bank, leading to the mass adoption of "raw" Chrome. Raw Chrome is an aesthetic founded in hardcore utilitarianism, originating as a movement where looks are of little concern and maximum utility is the trend. Ironically, this has flipped on its head with raw Chrome, as the goal is to imitate an industrial style for its looks, instead of the utility that comes from it.

• There is also a culture around showing off your Chrome, whether it be through what you wear or how you present yourself- it's a key aspect of Chromeskull living. It is for this reason that SynthSkin (a rubber material placed over prosthetics to imitate skin) is looked upon with disapproval and prone to mockery for not being "proud of your Chrome". SynthSkin also has a reputation of being "coggish" to some, but this is not a commonly held view.

• While Chromeskulls are primarily known for their (frankly) cult-like prosthetics usage, the gang does have it fair share of outliers. Some Chromeskulls are part of a minority who choose not to use prosthetics, or use very little prosthetics and only when necessary (e.g. losing a limb, or some other debilitating injury.)

  • Skulls that choose to forego any sort of initial prosthetics, while technically allowed, are harassed and made fun of until they get some prosthetics. These wannabes are also colloquially referred to as "chrome posers," or simply just "posers."

DANGER UNDETERMINED

• Despite the danger surrounding Overchrome syndrome, it is often undermined by many members within the gang. There is little to no awareness spread out of the dangers of this blight.  Some even go as far as to post graffiti saying the disease does not exist, ironically, likely a symptom of OCS. 

• There is little to no professional care available once one becomes unable to tolerate Overchrome syndrome, save for a select amount of people. However, most of these options are often unreliable, shady, or at a steep cost.

COPING WITH OVERCHROME

• The physiological changes that occur from Overchrome have been attributed to many blooming habits within the Chromeskulls. One of such is excessive drug usage. 

• One of the temporary remedies within the gang is excessive drug usage, used to ignore pain, mental fog, and other various mental symptoms. On the other hand, few Cutters have looked into this disease themselves, developing temporary alleviation to its early physical drawbacks through various, almost routine surgeries.

BOON OF THE NEAR-DEAD

• Though many Overchrome patients often experience a similar progression, sometimes it varies heavily. Where a patient may experience far worse physical effects than some, their mental state remains unusually clear, and vice versa. The phenomena further suggests that no two patients share similar symptoms, and further muddies what truly is and isn’t a result of Overchrome.

VARYING DEGREES

• Though many Overchrome patients often experience a similar progression, sometimes it varies heavily. Where a patient may experience far worse physical effects than some, their mental state remains unusually clear, and vice versa. The phenomena further suggests that no two patients share similar symptoms, and further muddies what truly is and isn’t a result of Overchrome.