Help Name My Pre-Apocalyptic Society

They are discussed in hushed whispers tinged with awe. Stories of their achievements have passed into that of legend and lore, whereas their downfall is a cautionary tale for all. The ruins and artifacts scattered across the blasted lands give silent testament to their greatness, yet who they once were has passed into mythology. They are the ones known as “The Ancients.

But not anymore.

The usual name given to Those Who Came Before has become a cliché in post-apocalyptic gaming. Calling them The Ancients started (I think) with Gamma World. It’s a good title, one that’s very evocative. It hints of immeasurable age, the forgotten past, of arcane wisdom. But I feel it’s a term that has been truly overused.

In much the same way that I’ve coined the term “Apocalygeddon” as the event that ended the world, I use “The Prepocs” (pronounced PREE-pocks) in my home games to refer to the pre-apocalyptic society. But it’s not quite as evocative, and -- as a made-up term -- it reads badly when written out. So I’ve brainstormed some new names for this pre-Mutant Future people and have them listed in the poll below. Which strikes a chord with you? The top vote-getter becomes the new identifier for “Those Who Came Before” on both this blog and in future supplements.