No one knows exactly when the first mutants began to emerge, but even before people were driven out of the Megalopolis and into the Wasteland there were rumours of people with strange powers.
The causes of their appearance may be various, perhaps all the chemicals and radiation that were in the environment in the poor areas of those times had a lot to do with it, maybe it was genetic research experiments or simply natural selection. The point is that, since people have been living in the Wasteland, their numbers have increased dramatically.
Mutants are not usually very popular in the Puentechatarra area, ranging from grudging acceptance in some settlements to being hunted in others. In fact, they have come to be called mutardos by everyone, a derogatory name that may come from the combination of the words mutant and bastard.
As a general rule, mutants are not very well equipped, as no one usually trades with them, but they have a variety of mutations that can counteract this.
Some individuals with minor mutations try to hide their condition from others, and others are so removed from humanity that they are not accepted even in the most liberal places.
Many of the mutants have founded their own settlements or gangs, either to live in peace or to have a “pure” settlement made up solely of what they consider to be the next step in evolution. The best known is Los Gemelos, a former nuclear power plant.
They are usually led by those known as ‘bigheads’. These individuals have seen their intellect increase to limits beyond humanity, leading their brains to perform feats such as telekinesis, telepathy, mind control… although their bodies are weak and sickly. Brute force is provided by the beasts of the pit, enormous mutations specially gifted for fighting. At the lowest level are those known as pochos, humans destroyed by radiation, so affected that they are little more than empty shells with bodies ravaged by tumours and small harmful mutations, who wander the Wasteland attacking anyone who approaches, but for some reason do not attack the mutards. They also have pets that are slightly similar in shape to dogs (at least they usually have four legs and a mouth), known as perromorphs.
