[CHAR] War Never Changes

[mickilennial]

M.R.C.

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

---

Flag

Territory

Dossier

◤ _{O V E R V I E W} ◢

Founded by wayfaring scavengers from various walks of life, The Muddy River Collective is a faction that represents the combined peoples of the Moapa Valley. Situated around forty miles northeast of New Vegas, the Collective is far from the internal issues of New Vegas and before the pact with Mr. House supplied little interest in the center of the Mojave beyond trade routes headlined by Muddy River caravan companies. With the new alliances made the Muddy River Collective is now a subject of the Free Economic Zone of the Mojave though given its location and Mr. House’s policies little has changed within the collective and how it operates. But what this new relationship with New Vegas will bring is anyone's guess.

◤ _{P O P U L A T I O N} ◢

The census last recorded by the collective government suggests the registered population to be in the low thousands. Accuracy is debatable due to mitigating factors, unregistered migrants, and the possibility of doctored reports. A workable estimate is around 3,500.

◤ _{G O V E R N M E N T} ◢

The Muddy River Collective is a democratic union of the five major settlements made on the Muddy River, the central capital of the faction being the center of Moapa Valley. Despite this democratic design, the Collective has had a rocky history with politics and the acceptance of policy. The new leader of the Collective, James Wilkinson sees the utility of Mr. House’s securitrons to more cohesively centralize the Collective under his direction – fearing that with the threats of Legion-occupied Utah and potential NCR intervention in the Mojave in the future would greatly leave the Collective at risk if unpopular decisions are not made with the greater good in mind.

◤ _{C U L T U R E & R E L I G O N} ◢

The people that live alongside the Muddy River in the Moapa Valley are a passionate, opinionated, no nonsense people that have for the most part “left well enough alone” and simply want the clout to exist in peace. Perhaps a naïve sentiment considering their location and the current climate of socio-political affairs, but it is what it is. The fact that the culture of the MRC is a disorderly melting pot isn’t far from the truth, but there are multiple opinions regarding their role in the Mojave with some being critical of integration with New Vegas whilst others finding it a lesser evil in the face of indoctrination or cession to the other greater factions of the region. Above all else, collectivists value their personal liberties and self-worth.

As a byproduct of various walks of life, beliefs are varied and are not governed as long as they are not endangering the communities in the MRC at large. Some follow post-war facets of Christianity whilst others declare themselves as secular, Mormons, and other ideologies and beliefs. There is no state religion.

◤ _{E C O N O M Y} ◢

The economic capacity of the Muddy River Collective is quite large all things considered. With nearly one hundred and eighty square miles of incorporated territory it boasts a large population and stable society. Whilst nowhere close in capacity as New Vegas itself, the Collective is the largest center northeast of the center of the Mojave. It is also centered strategically as a major caravan route on the northeastern approach – it serves as the midway point between New Vegas and settlements like Bunkerville, Mesquite, and Beaver Dam; safe to say any caravans travelling from Utah have to go through the Collective’s expanse of territory before reaching New Vegas. It’s existence as a trade hub has been prominent for over a hundred years and it is likely not going to change unless it were to be wiped off the face of the Mojave.

◤ _{M I L I T A R Y} ◢

Before the introduction of securitrons, the enforcement of the law in the Muddy River settlements was loose and the people of the Collective often had autonomy in how they handled situations for the most part. With the establishment of a Mojave-based nation of sorts, this well is on the pathway of change and centralization – a fact that has relatively divided the general population. Division aside, the overall manpower of the Collective’s militia can be estimated at somewhere near the total population as every man and woman along the Muddy River is expected to defend themselves and their neighbors without hesitation. However, due to the decentralized nature of the Collective’s society and the lack of an institutionalized draft or proper standing army the manpower is as a result rather disorganized and unstable. If this were to change it would likely be seen as a valuable asset to Free Economic Zone of the Mojave.

Any forces organized into a militia would be led by law enforcement figures, particularly sheriffs and their deputies that serve them.

◤ _{P E O P L E O F I N T E R E S T} ◢

James “Jim” Wilkinson - The current leader of the Muddy River Collective, a former scavenger and problem solver whom earned respect from his peers as the reigning sheriff of Moapa Valley before becoming its elected representative. He is politically conservative and values Mr. House as a beneficial and necessary ally if the Collective is to survive the future of life in the Mojave. His appointment as representative leader of all of the Collective is not without his enemies due to his loyalty and agreements to join with New Vegas, particularly a frantic liberation and independence movement that he views as both sensational and naïve.

Robert Vasquez - The son of Jonathan Vasquez and effectively Wilkinson’s second-in-command. The serving leader of the MRC’s militia, Vasquez is well trained and coordinated though his former experiences as a freelance soldier has affected his purview; he has fought against raiders as well as Caesar’s Legion. In the rare case where Wilkinson must leave the core of the MRC he would serve as the de-facto leader until his return.

Katherin Liao - Personal envoy of James Wilkinson, and a representative of the MRC living in New Vegas. The daughter of Richard Liao of the Nevada Gold Caravan Company, she has been surrounded by the dealings of trade politics her whole life. The last two years of her appointment have been well-regarded by Wilkinson and he finds her an invaluable asset in communicating with New Vegas as well as negotiating any additional deals for the MRC.

◤ _{H I S T O R Y} ◢

The people of the Muddy River descend from scavengers, wayfarers, merchants, scouts, and others who found unity in the Moapa Valley, particularly alongside the Muddy River. The estimation of the founding of the settlements that would become the Muddy River Collective date back to around one hundred and sixty-five years before the events of the present, though it would be many years later before the independent settlements along the Muddy River would affiliate with each other for the greater protection of their interests; an alliance that would lead to the formation of the Collective. It would be a move that would protect them from developing raider factions on the outskirts of their territory and keep the Moapa Valley free from outside dangers... or at least, that was before The NCR pushed into the Mojave from the west and Caesar’s Legion became unruly in the east – two principal outsiders that were threats that the Muddy River Collective could not account for by any measure.

The then leader of the MRC, Jonathan Vasquez, saw the dangers to the south in Vegas and the threat alongside the Colorado River and across of the Muddy River’s own borders to the east as the “greatest danger to the peoples of the Muddy River in its entire existence”, a fact that led to the development of convoys and light centralization to prepare for the worst possible outcome. As the militia was called to active assignment, Vasquez looked to the south and his relationship with New Vegas being more important than ever before. Trade agreements were re-negotiated in favor of the sleeping giant and support would be given in secret as to not publicly acknowledge the Collective’s concern about the events that hinged on the success of Mr. House’s regime. With that taken care of Vasquez looked to the east and subsequently ordered the development of a new outpost to serve as a warning station in the case of imminent invasion by the Caesar’s Legion forces stationed north of the Grand Canyon.

Vasquez never saw the effects of his policies or deals, as evident with his advanced age; he passed away at the age of ninety-two. Elections were made whilst an election council debated the merits of the next leader. The reigning sheriff of the largest settlement, James “Jim” Wilkinson was elected in his place. A few months later, Mr. House was declared the victor in the New Vegas-related conflicts and things were expected to return to normal. With the threat of the immediate Vegas crisis passed, many people expected Vasquez’s successor to revert the policies Vasquez put in place to protect the MRC now that the immediate call for concern was now over; a presumption that would be largely incorrect. The newly governing warden-elect thought of things very differently and did the unthinkable in his people’s eyes – he swore allegiance to New Vegas and by proxy, Mr. House.

Two years later, unease has spred in the newly minted provincial territory and with Mr. House’s support, Wilkinson aims to further stabilize the infrastructure and centralize the milita into a standing army. Though such aspirations may seem to further divide the people of the MRC as evident by a rogue sentiment growing that Wilkinson is Mr. House’s pawn and that the liberties of the independent peoples of the Muddy River are being covertly attacked. A dangerous sentiment that Wilkinson no doubt will deal with in the days to come.

[WrongEndoftheRainbow]

Aegis Risk Management

Territory and Geography

The island they call their home is a mixture of small mountains, swampland, and general freezing cold. It is heavily fortified, automated defenses around the perimeter of the island. Under the island is a veritable fortress of bunkers, and above ground there exist four bases.
Three are mainly airbases, holding planes and vertibirds, as well as a fort and munitions stockpile. It is a highly valuable site.

History

During pre-war times, the Aegis Risk Management Corporation was founded shortly after World War 2, to offer private security to discerning and high-value targets. They were extremely successful in their duty, and slowly grew from a small corporation to a multi-national one. They then, in the turn of the millennium, began to offer their security contractors as soldiers. This elevated them even further from their lofty height.

Not only did they get military contracts from the US, but from various other countries as well. They were well on their way to prominence, and when the resource wars broke out, they began to exclusively honor US contracts. Present at the Liberation of Anchorage, there were many bases across the world with Aegis Risk Management forces in them. Eventually, they even took part in the campaigns against China post-liberation.

When nuclear armageddon came, they were relatively prepared, having stocked a low-value target island that was heavily fortified with large amounts of supplies, to supplement the munitions stockpiles already there. There they stayed.

200 years passed, and now while they sit on an incredible supply of munitions, they are running out of food. With the climate too cold to farm and nobody trained in hunting or fishing, they have begun to look outwards to the rest of the world to fulfill their supply needs.

Population

350 people make up the remnants of ARM, and are fully militarized, surviving on rations and supplies stockpiled from before the Great War.

Government

The government of ARM is strictly corporate, it is ruled by a CEO, with a board of directors above that CEO. Each person is part of the company, and are given company housing. It follows the same structure as the corporations of old.

Notable People

CEO John Helik
CFO Mieke Lyons
CSO Leon Hartfeld
COO Ment Altfer

Military

The PMC is entirely militarized, down to the lowliest janitor. As such, the entire population of 350 people can be considered part of the military.
10 Pilots
90 Maintenance Workers
30 Executives
70 Home Guard
150 Soldiers

For equipment, they have:
10 Vertibirds
3 Transport Vertibirds
2 Gunships
4 Mobile Artillery Vehicles
2 APCs
1 Main Battle Tank
6 Reconnaissance Vehicles
5 Transport Lorries

Economy

There is no real economy to speak of, owing to its corporate style of rule. Everything is rationed and there is no such thing as money on the island.

Culture and Technology

The island is a haven of pre-war military technology, and the cultural implications of this are clear. It is a heavily militaristic society, ruled by a veritable corporatocracy.

Religion

There is no official religion on the island.

[Andronicus23]

Name: The Institute

Flag (picture or description):


Territory (picture or description) and Geography: The Institute itself. A hermetically sealed, underground facility complete with research labs, manufacturing capabilities, spacious living quarters, and a pleasing aesthetic environment for its denizens to enjoy which includes a simulated night and day environment. The Institute is located directly under the old ruins of The Commonwealth Institute of Technology in Boston.

Art

History (if using a pre-existing faction, recent history will due): Founded officially in 2110 and descendant from the faculty and students of CIT who managed to take shelter in the basement of the college, The Institute has been slowly growing and building underground since the Great War. Striving towards the goal of advancing science and technology far beyond that of the pre-war world.

In recent years, The Institute was directly threatened by The Brotherhood of Steel and The Railroad both in a war over The Commonwealth which resulted in each of their defeats. Having successfully completed the Phase 3 project and thus secured their future underground, The Institute was content to remain isolated in their pristine environment and well secured from the horrors of the surface world until the surface dwellers had all died out.

However, reports from SRB suggest that something odd is happening above ground. An invitation has been extended for various wasteland peoples to converge on a single location in what was once pre-war Las Vegas, Nevada. Both intrigued and concerned about the possibility of what this means for the wasteland and distinctly reminded of The Commonwealth Provisional Government from their own history, The Institute has decided to investigate, observe, and analyze these proceedings and determine what, if any, threats to their safety and security must be addressed.

To this end, they have sent a group of disguised synths, programmed with a set of unique personalities and memories, to act as delegates to the convention, representing a faux faction from New York: “The New York Syndicate”. Due to the sudden appearance of an unusually violent radstorm from the glowing sea hitting The Commonwealth, they were delayed from takeoff and unfortunately arrived late to the proceedings.


Population: 400 scientists and children and approximately 150 non-combat Gen-3 Synths serving as laborers and personal assistants.

Government/Domestic Politics: The Institute is divided into five different research divisions and each of its scientists fall into one of these divisions. They are:

Robotics - Synth research and production
Facilities - Engineering, maintenance, public health and safety, and internal security systems
Advanced Systems - Energy research, weapons development, and ‘cutting edge’ projects.
Bioscience - Biological, chemical, medical research, and food production.
Synth Retention Bureau (SRB) - Surface monitoring, external security, and synth retrieval.

The Institute is led by The Directorate, a committee comprised of the division heads of each of the five divisions, one of whom is also the Director of The Institute. The Director has wide-ranging powers and directs overall Institute policy, while the rest of The Directorate mostly acts as an advisory board.

Notable People:


Director Thomas Milburn - Current Director of The Institute following the passing of ‘Father’. He was once a Professor at CIT during the pre-war years, and developed the initial prototype for the Gen-1 Synth that the Institute later re-discovered and fully developed. During his early years as a student at CIT before attaining his doctorate, he was a colleague, close friend, and rival of Robert Edwin House. During the Great War of 2077, he was cryogenically frozen in Vault 111, and awoke 2010 years later to find his world had completely changed….for the worse. After finally reaching The Institute and his son, he readily accepted his child’s vision for the future, and was more than happy to become apart of this post-war version of his alma mater. In addition to being overall Director of The Institute, he also serves as the division head of robotics.

Cait Milburn - Once a hard fighting, hard drinking Boston irish girl with a terrible past and the demon of drug addiction hanging over her head, she met Thomas shortly after he’d emerged from Vault 111. After she met the pre-war relic, her life changed drastically as he helped her overcome her drug addiction and sober up, while she likewise helped him to become accustomed to the new terrible world he’d been thrust into. The old adage “opposites attract” soon proved true, and the two became lovers. While not particularly fond of the pencil-necks at The Institute and their prudishness, she has settled into a comfortable life there and is considered a ‘wasteland expert’. She requires regular treatments at The Institute’s medical bay in order to continue to heal the damage done to her body both physically and mentally throughout the hard years of her life.

Others:
X6-88 - A courser resolutely loyal to the Director.
Dr. Allie Fillmore - Facilities Director
Dr. Alana Secord - SRB Director following Justin Ayo’s demotion.
Dr. Clayton Holdren - Bioscience Director
Dr. Madison Li - Advanced System Director

Military: The Institute’s military is primarily a defensive security force, tasked with protecting The Institute itself and only reacting to external threats when deemed absolutely necessary. Their weaponry consists primarily of Institute energy rifles and pistols as well as the occasional shock baton. Institute weaponry is produced to spec to be cheap, easy to produce, and reliable while using minimum resources. There are no humans in The Institute’s ‘army’, but various Institute personnel have opted to have some sort of firearms training.

Institute Coursers make up the strongest portion of The Institute’s security, and are highly trained Gen-3 Synths specialized as hunters, investigators, and most of all: killers.

Numbers:
100 Gen-3 Courser Units

500 Gen-2 Security Units with an additional 500 “Scavenger” Gen-2 Units:

Synths

1000 Gen-1 Synths:

5 “Adorable-Class” Synth Gorilla Units

And several hundred Watcher Crows and Watcher Sparrows which act as spies.

Watchers

Economy: The Institute is an almost entirely self-sufficient society, producing everything it needs in-house. Food packets (consisting of nutritional supplement pills) is the main source of food produced by Bioscience, and they come in a variety of different popular flavors. The residents of The Institute rarely consume anything other than this highly nutritious and efficient food source, and will never consume anything from the surface. The Institute produces its own purified water as well.

Yum

Clothing, tools, luxury goods, and various other items its people need or want can be fabricated within The Institute. Any unique items or pieces of technology The Institute needs, including raw resources, are scavenged from the surface or extracted from the earth.

Trade with the surface is nearly non-existent except in rare cases where they might require something from a group or individual.

Culture and Technology (include views towards slavery and mutants): The Institute has at its disposal some of the most, if not the most, advanced technology in the world. The pinnacle of their achievement, some would say, is the Synths, but they’ve also made great strides in numerous other fields.

The Molecular Relay is one of their most advanced pieces of technology. Allowing them to teleport to and from their underground home. The relay at its greatest extent can reach to Maine from Boston, but at this distance requires a tremendous amount of power to send or receive even a few people.

Culturally, the Institute is highly insular and isolationist, believing the surface to be a lost-cause and not worth expending much effort or thought over. They are highly motivated, intelligent, and sometimes obsessive scientists and researchers and nearly everyone in The Institute enjoys order, predictability, cleanliness, comfort, and uniformity. The scientists all wear an identical lab coat atop their jumpers with varying colors for the divisions.

The Institute would not agree with human slavery in principle, but does not intervene when it observes it on the surface either. Its use of Gen-3’s is not considered slavery, and in fact merely an advancement over the Gen-2 program. Mutants and ghouls aren’t directly targeted by The Institute, but would not be welcome there except to be used as a potential source of research.

Religion: Religion is an entirely private matter in The Institute and is never really discussed except possibly during a late night chat between colleges when someone breaks out the good synthesized bourbon. If directly asked most would respond to the tune of “Dammit, I’m a scientist, not a philosopher!”

[mickilennial]

“Detroit is big enough to matter in the world and small enough for you to matter in it.”

---

Flag

Territory

Dossier

◤ _{O V E R V I E W} ◢

The Integrated Republic of Detroit was founded by the scavengers with the idea of restoring a trade center in post-war Detroit, though difficulties began when conflicts collided between these scavengers and the few survivors of the apocalypse that had since become “ghouls”. But eventually these conflicts subsided and the foundations of the IRD were put into place. Descendants of these scavengers, Detroiters have a common identity and similar goals in embodying their motto and credence (see quote) to the point that there is a shared unity in the greater good of the republic equating to the greater good of the individual. Detroit endures, despite the challenges it now faces to the west, north, and southeast.

◤ _{P O P U L A T I O N} ◢

The IRD boasts over 900,000 citizens – after all, the settlements within the republic are relatively dense. There has been no census reports regarding the tenuous Ohio Territory due to a variety of reasons, most particularly the turbulent chaos created by war and cultist activity that makes it difficult to record.

◤ _{G O V E R N M E N T} ◢

Centered around the capital of the republic, Detroit, the IRD is a representative democracy that is loosely modeled after the pre-war government and functions more or less in a very similar fashion. The closest operating comparison is other prominent factions like the New Californian Republic or neighboring commonwealths that have a similar perspective of efficiency through republican democracy. However, due to the nature of the state of the IRD it currently has a decentralized state of affairs when it comes to provincial government and instead of choosing representatives and senators from a province they instead choose to focus around their core settlements which make the republic function with city-states over provinces. Incorporated territories (like New York and Ohio) are not officially part of this system until properly secured and integrated.

In terms of leadership it relies on the Presidential Cabinet, Senate, Congress, and Judicial system to operate as a cohesive unit for the betterment of all of its citizens. Term restrictions are often discussed, but are not currently a law of any kind.

◤ _{C U L T U R E & R E L I G O N} ◢

Detroiters are bound to the defense and prosperity of the republic and perhaps are militaristically patriotic as a result of their loyalty and faith in the former Motor City. This overzealousness can lead to tensions with outsiders, but Detroiters tend to mean little by it – it’s just how they are and they refuse to be ashamed when the republic is the only semblance of what the United States used to be when they have enemies and rivals on all sides of their territory. This aside, Detroiters know they do not exist in a vacuum and the greater profit from dealing with neighboring settlements (and even rival factions) is vital to their survival. Common caravans come often from Western Michigan, Independent Canada, and both the Pennsylvanian Commonwealth and New England Commonwealth. If Detroit is to continue to survive its people know they must become as industrious as the men and women of the past; to make Detroit great is not to be invisible and stand by afraid in the shadows.

There is no state religion, though many senators and representatives value either Secularism or Neo-Christian faiths. A republic does not dictate what one may or may not believe.

◤ _{E C O N O M Y} ◢

Much like in the pre-war era, the modern day Detroit continues to be a powerhouse of industry. Former Presidents allocated much of the republic’s budget into scientific developments and research into revitalizing its industrial sector – it has been many years since Detroit was merely a hub for wayward scavengers and prospectors hoping to make quick caps in the region. Robotics technologies have been meticulously studied from the ruins of pre-war factories and warehouses, water treatment plants have been established and improved upon, and the once isolated ghoul population have found a place in society long after the initial conflicts had begun; though many cynics perpetuate such tolerance due to the value of various knowledges the ghouls had. And this only merely describes one core of the greater republic.

The IRD is not small – it has two incorporated territories (Ohio, New York), a rather large population, solid infrastructure, over twenty solidified city-states, and several other outposts, camps, and settlements. To describe the republic’s economic sector would be a daunting task in itself, but as a generalization it is safe to presume that economically the IRD is worth its weight in bottlecaps. There are opportunities in almost all sectors of society for people searching for a secure and prosperous state to live in. However, the IRD is not an unbeatable titan. It needs to divert its resources intelligently and still lacks the devastating technologies that factions like the Brotherhood of Steel and the Free Economic Zone of the Mojave have in their arsenal. Though such factions do often seem like a whole world away to the citizens of the republic so they value the IRD’s opportunities highly just the same.

◤ _{M I L I T A R Y} ◢

There are two main direct variant of the IRD’s armed forces – the standing military that is rigorously trained and well organized, and a loose national guard that is somewhat of a larger militia in territorial provinces that need the spread of a militia over conscripted assignments. Beyond those forces, the capacity to mobilize and lean on the republic’s industry to defend itself and expand its territories is relatively decent. The republic looks back at pre-war Detroit as an example to reach and considering the vast array of automotive, robotics, and R&D facilities they have uncovered (some of which are more intact than others) the “return” to the motor city of the past is quite possibly an achievable goal. However, Detroit is not a “New Vegas” of the Midwest nor does it have the technological depth of the Brotherhood of Steel so it largely relies on its military organization, manpower, and defensive capabilities to operate.

◤ _{P E O P L E O F I N T E R E S T} ◢

Evelyn Traowski – The President of the Republic, and a former member of the military elite. President Traowski is ruthless in her vision and efficient in her dealings with raiders and pirates. Her decision to run for the presidency was out of her fear of the expansion of the cultists into IRD territories and the prominent war that was unavoidable in Detroit’s backyard. Before her election she had served in throughout the northern Ohio province and the northern Canadian reaches. She narrowly defeated the former Governor of Toledo, Anderson Holt, to win the presidency.

Anderson Holt – The Vice President of the Republic, and a career politician that has stressed the internal issues of the republic being just as important as external threats. He was defeated by Evelyn Traowski in a bid for the presidency of the republic, though he was promptly appointed by his opponent as the Vice President following his loss in a show of unity as loyal republicans over party allegiances. He is keen to work with Traowski in strengthening the republic.

Abernathy Jones – The administrator of the Ohio Territory who makes his residence in a fortified Cincinnati. In terms of the IRD, he is a provincial warden of sorts and is meant to monitor the situation in the southern expanse that leads into the northernmost parts of Kentucky and West Virginia. The overseer of the Ohio Territory who makes his residence in a fortified Cincinnati. In terms of the IRD, he is a provincial warden of sorts and is meant to monitor the situation in the southern expanse that leads into the northernmost parts of Kentucky and West Virginia. Jones is a former standing (and high-ranking) member of the Ohio National Guard whom has a lot to gain in the case that the Ohio Territory stabilizes.

James O’Connor - The administrator of the New York Territory who makes her residence in fortified Binghamton, close to the border of the Free Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The granddaughter of a prominent Detroit businessman, James has been a skillful merchant and negotiator throughout her political career; a skill that had earned her the management of the territory of New York after the preceding governor, Marcus Roberts, term had ended. She seeks to strengthen the relationship with the Free Commonwealth in hopes to bolster trade and defensive matters in the near future.

◤ _{H I S T O R Y} ◢

The Integrated Republic of Detroit has been a longtime society operating out of the Motor City for generations; but in recent years under several Presidents of the Republic like Montimer Pyke (2279-2289) and Nathan Frakes (2241-2261) Detroit has seen a sort of “golden age” due to technological developments made from research as well as frontier acquisitions like the Ohio and New York territories -- an age that Detroiters have branded as a “Frakesian Era”, whom some denizens believe as one of the greatest presidents to grace the republic since its formation in 2198. But despite this era of technological progress and infrastructure renewal, Detroit is and has been in a tenuous situation. Detroit’s core territories as stable as they are have been as much assets as they are targets in the republic’s short history. Between conflicts with raider collectives, rival factions, super-mutants, ghouls, cultists, slavers, pirates, and all sorts of dissent Detroit’s strength has always been counteracted with the dangers of the world around (and within) it.

The newly elected President of the Republic, Evelyn Traowski, looks to continuing Detroit’s role in the Midwest and with congressional support hopes that the “cultist problem” to the south can be properly dealt with – though her strategies do bring concern from her own supporters when the raiders in the north have unified centrally in North Bay and attack Canadian settlements with as much fervor as Cultists contest the Ohio Territory’s security. Some say the real threat is the Jaded Empire, though long-standing peace treaties have left Detroit largely independent of imperial influence and threat. Whoever the most dangerous factions may be for Detroit, there is one thing for certain.

Detroit needs to prepare to defend itself.

[SkrtWithAWeapon]

RONTO

Read more!

Flag: Solid dark green with a white painted outline of a tree growing out of water.

Territory and Geography: Located in former Lake Ontario, in what had been Canada. Xenophobic while highly self-reliant and sustainable, in other circumstances may appear to simply be a large settlement, Ronto was withstood the test of time as other, smaller, ground-up settlements have come and gone within the former city, itself. There is no access to or from the massive steel island on the outside, with the exception of a few drawbridges that can be lowered to passing ships. Rontonians trading with mainlanders take rowboats to the shore.

There are unassuming steel walls all around the perimeter, making it relatively impossible for passers-by to see any goings-on within the place. Ugly, repurposed and refit turrets claimed from old warships are installed in various places on the walls that shoot shrapnel coated in their homemade poisons. They serve the dual purpose of ripping enough holes in hulls to cause problems, and holes in people that allow the powerful mixtures to cause fatalities.

History: Ronto did not rebuild on the ruins of its city but instead on the very water of the Great Lake. The original founders crawled out of a Vault, its number and location long forgotten, when they came upon the decrepit mess of the former capitol of Ontario. Horrified by the mangled debris and fallen buildings, along with the dangerous, and hideous, irradiated creatures it hid, the founders fled to the docks. What had started off as a few boats crudely tied together, floating off shore, eventually, through time and necessity, became a veritable metropolis of ships, cargo containers, and war machines, repurposed into a large and thriving off shore colony-state.

Population: 5000

Government/Domestic Politics: A co-operative government of seven elected officials but no single overruling mayor or higher power. Each official has a single vote on all governmental operations. Political discord is rare, as a result of the deeply rooted and reiterated culture of xenophobia. Typical discussions revolve around growth planning and execution. They do not engage in the outside world and do not allow outsiders to come in.

Notable People:

Glenda Doren – 23 year old member of security and surveillance detail, daughter of one of the longest running members of the governmental council. She finds herself gazing out into the waters of the lake, or onto the ruined mainland of the former city, itching to leave Ronto and explore. When not manning one of their refurbished turrets on the perimeter wall, she prefers one of their native galvanized steel weapons, featuring several nasty looking serrated blades coated in a deadly poison that causes cardiac arrest in human victims within seconds of contact.

Wendy Doren – 48 year old full time botanist and biochemist. Major claim to Ronto infamy was having formulated the single most deadly poison ever seen on the colony, the major turning point of the near-invasion of 2258 at the young age of 16. Her personality combined the balance of intelligence, ingenuity, and grace, making her an excellent candidate for the government by the time she was 20. She has been voted back on to council consistently ever since.

Kenneth Morrison - 26 year old biochemist and botanist, Wendy’s best apprentice. Responsible for formulating the drug “Slick” permeating through the colony. Also the chief agitator for a new form of government that would give one person absolute power over an advisory council.

Military: Less than 1000 dedicated security/soldier types. Most of these people man the walls and watch those who pass by on land or by water. Very rarely they make up the shore parties to scavenge for junk materials needed on the colony.

Outside of their refurbished, or repurposed, turret systems, they have manufactured melee-style weapons of galvanized steel scraps. No two are alike; some appear to have a single blade while others are “spiky,” etc. Many elect to carry poison treated metal, as well.

Economy: Ronto is a closed system, for the most part. They raise their consumables and occasionally send shore parties to the mainland for scrap materials and textiles, though much of their clothing items are woven from hairs and hides of the beasts they raise for food and other such resources. Now and then they engage in trade for fine electronic parts in exchange for their food and medicines in barter, only. They have no currency, nor any use for such. If a person does not have an item for barter, they will offer labour or some refined skill or service.

Culture and Technology: Rontonians are racially diverse, for the most part – or, at least, their founders had been. They started off as a few dozen former Vault dwellers, so as much as they tried to keep inbreeding to a minimum, there are some distant cousins and the majority of the population are related to someone else, at least in some way. Most of their “culture” revolves around shunning the old world and its technology and horrors, as well as keeping out most of its results (settlers, traders, frontierfolk, hunters, and so on) with a focus on being able to rely on themselves and their own ingenuity. Years of cultivating crops and farm fishing also resulted in a focus on creating powerful, unique medicines derived from plants and marine life, which has led to better quality of life and lifespans.

Essentially, they are a tribal colony, completely self-governing and shunning any and all outside interaction. They maintain high levels of literacy and productivity throughout their generations. By 2290, all of the crops are hydroponically grown using filtration technology ripped out of old warships, submarines, and the like. Not only do they grow food for themselves and for fodder, they also raise various plants for medicinal use. Many folk find a natural place within the state in the care and maintenance of the colony. Either they find themselves fishing, farming, crop development, or straight labour maintaining walls and infrastructure.

For the better part of the century, quite a bit of development has been towards creating poisons and other types of deadly modified weapons. These items tend to be the most valuable trade barter the colony use in the rare instances that they do engage in import/export.

Strictly xenophobic, Ronto does not actively act as an aggressor. They survey every person and ship that passes by, but they don’t shoot unless they’re shot at, first. If fatalities occur, on either side, the bodies are collected and turned into fertilizer for the crops and plants.

Another result of being so xenophobic is their total lack of knowledge on anything in the ‘real world.’ They have no formal intelligence and therefore absolutely no idea of the scale of generally known entities such as the Brotherhood or the Enclave, let alone cults or religious sects otherwise well established on the eastern seaboard and beyond. The general belief is there is no need to learn about the outside world, when the only thing that matters is the colony. Anything other entities know about them they would have garnered through direct trade or surveillance, but no outsider has ever been within the walls of Ronto and has no idea of what it looks like or how they develop the weapons and poisons they barter to the outside.

Minutely, there are waves of substance problems when a handful of folks will try to turn the poisons into recreational drugs. Typically, overdoses result in the users having extremely intense visions and/or “trips” that either kill the user from the inside, or find them dying by their own hands when they manage to escape the walls and drown in the lake. This has traditionally caused the interest to die off, as it were. In 2290, one particular powder called Slick has taken hold by being non-addictive, non-lethal, and popular amongst the younger generations. Those folks find themselves wanting to get high and check out, rather than work, making the older generations fear for the ultimate future of the colony.

Religion: They have no formal religion or deity, focussing only on their own people’s sustainability and the technology they have created.

[Cifeiron]

Situated at the crossroads of Interstate 29 and Interstate 94, and bisected by the Red River of the North, the wealthy trading hub of Fargo, North Dakota (population 34,881 and growing), is a bustling postwar boomtown most widely known as the birthplace of the junk dealing Far Go Traders merchant house. A conscientious folk who honor honesty, industriousness, and hospitality, Fargoans are often stubbornly isolationist to a fault when it comes to the outside world far beyond their G.E.C.K. manufactured slice of heaven and the vast untamed expanse of the Dakotan Badlands around them. The abundant natural resources of their home created a burgeoning economic powerhouse, but the inspired autocracy of the Porter Family made the city state into a flourishing regional industrial giant. It's prosperity has resulted in a number of factories being (re)opened, most notably an automotive plant, in addition to the Blacktops being equipped with with high quality rifles and painstakingly handmade night vision optics. Founded jointly by a diverse community of wasters, ghouls, and dwellers (hailing from the local Vault 50) in 2097, much of it's history has, aside from rare dealings with opportunistic bandit gangs and curious mutated critters, been uneventful. 629 cavalrymen, colloquially called Blacktops for their black bands; patrol the perimeter of the city and venture out into the wastelands along the weathered concrete old world highways. Their unit specializes in horseback riding and long distance sharpshooting.

[Nate1008]

...

[Yam I Am]

Victorian Empire

Name:
Victorian Empire

Flag:

Territory and Geography:

The official jurisdiction of the Victorian Empire spans a fair chunk of Old World British Columbia; The bulk of its development focused around the Twin Cities of Vanover and Victoria. While the official legal range of the Empire spans from Dawson to Calgary, the government proclaims itself as the successor state to the Pre-war government, and asserts that it is the only legitimate government of all of Canada.

History:

As soon as the United States made their ultimatum for protection for the protection of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline, Canada was nothing more but another one of the ruining world’s battlefields. As the Pacific shoreline was the most direct route from Seattle to Juneau, it was without question that British Columbia would be at the forefront of the Canadian-American War.

By 2068, the United States would already be well underway in the quasi-legal use of Canadian resources, much like they had with Mexico only a decade prior. The minds and hearts of Canada’s people, naturally, had their qualms over the sovereign right to their lands, and an already wary Chinese minority wouldn’t idle any longer. Local figureheads in Vancouver’s Chinatown doubled down on the already fierce anti-American rhetoric, lighting fires into the Chinese populace with their citation that the United States had become as Japan did when she invaded China in the 1930s; A belligerent, resource-starved empire, willing to commit mass murder if it meant their advancement.

Vancouver was, prior to the Great War, certainly among the most impressive of the Canadian metropolises, and of note to the occupying Americans, housed one of the largest populations of Chinese descendants aside from their own San Francisco. The bulk of them were from the Guangdong region of China - and accordingly, within the hands of British Hong Kong - yet, suspicions could not be undone with the Red Menace pushing so just miles above. Canada was set in motion to be annexed, and with that decree, any subterfuge, too, had to be removed. The last thing that needed to happen was more compromise in their security. Canada was, of course, left uninvited to this proclamation, and only a few hours after, the entire country was again engulfed in war.

A coalition consisting of members from the Canadian 39th Combat Engineers, 4th Royal Grenadiers, Chinese-Canadian partisans, and civilian militias formed the bulk of what was a meandering and awkward front line. For years, the resistance movement waged war on the occupying American forces, short of technology, mind, but never short of valor. 2068. 2069. 2070. All the way right up to 2076 with the announcement of the capitulation of the Canadian government. Even as the occupants had already pilfered far more than their fair share of Canada, the only thing they had left to take from them was their semblance of sovereignty. Yet, what the invaders had been, perhaps, too early to celebrate: None of Canada’s armed forces were ever given orders to stand down.

And they would continue their war, just as ordered. Right until the bitter end.

On the morning of October 23rd, 2077, the decade-long warfare between Canadian and American forces had come to a screeching conclusion. In the earliest hours of daylight, warning sirens blared across bases, radar towers would ignite with pings, and the worst possible nightmare of all good-minded people on Earth had become a bone-chilling reality. At that moment, they knew that 30 minutes would be all they had left for Canada to exist as they knew it, and the partisans with it. Yet, it was a strange bout of inspiration - or perhaps, desperation - that forced the late Captain Connor Evans to make a call that would seal the fate of their movement, and all they had with them. He gave the call, and looks were exchanged, a hazy silence even in the screech of the sirens pervaded the army so that it seemed as impregnable as their salvation itself:

Captain Evans gave the order to raid a Vault, commencing immediately. They would fight tooth and nail against those seeking shelter in what was a nearby Vault, for the Captain knew that his army was going to be victorious, or it was not going to be at all.

Half an hour passed. The army had made their headway into the Vault, a scrambling hodgepodge of civilians as desperate as the attackers to find refuge in the US Army-held Vault, and after a swift and intense firefight, a partisan sealed the Vault before it could be secured. As nuclear hellfire rained outside, within the Vault rained bullets and shells. Gruesome room-to-room fighting lasted for days, with who controlled what sector of the vault being unclear at many moments. Yet, after a week, on November 1st, 2077, the last of the US Army would be wiped out, leaving the vault in the firm hands of the Canadian Remnants.

As the years slowly passed whilst they waited for the All-Clear, an unsteady muse befell the partisans as the inevitable question of what was to come came closer into question with each passing year. They had won their war, and the Americans cleansed from their homes, but at what price? Could they truly call it their victory? Furthermore, who would they be when it was time to step out into the New World? Would they be farmers, or scavengers? An autocracy, or a republic? And a more pressing question...how would they make it until then?

The Vaults in Canada were...functional. They served their primary purpose of being resistant to the thunderous nuclear blasts, true, but beyond that, the Vault inhabited by the Canadians was, to say the barest, incomplete. For the basic essentials, the Vault had covered such things like a cistern and power generator, but the entertainment was entirely limited to educational holotapes, a few board games, and whatever the inhabitants had brought into the vault with them. Coupled with a very lengthy stay, and the new vault dwellers had many, many hours to foster in the development of the world. The children of the vault had little to amuse themselves with, save listening to the rise of empires such as France and Britain. And, of course, the question of their home country would inevitably come into being; An integral part of a globe-spanning Empire which was, perhaps, the paragon of human civilization at the time. What was surely a golden era in an age of discovery and wonder, and Canada, it seemed, was at the forefront of it all.

When the time had come to emerge from their vault, its inhabitants set out into the new world, witnessing it as a husk of its former self. A withered, battered landscape, torn from the greatest war to scorch the Earth. It was a hellscape born from American recklessness, they full well knew, and as they had spent the decades within the vault, they, too, knew they were going to need to change, just as the wasteland had changed. Perhaps it could one day be restored to the land they could proudly call home, but knew to reiterate the past was, too, to reiterate their mistakes. The children of New Canada knew that, much like their British ancestors, they would need to adapt and incorporate the unfamiliar into the familiar, in its wake, creating an inseparable commonwealth of vastly different ideologies and peoples.

In its formative years since leaving the Vault, the remnants of Canada's army fancied itself as protectors and guardians of the new peoples of Canada, offering assistance to the dwellers of Victoria and Vanover - once Vancouver - in exchange for lodging and service alike. The command structure of the army slowly blended together with an integrated citizenry, and eventually, the title of "Captain" would be proclaimed "King". Weathering constant prying attacks from bandits from Cascadia, the strengthening of people and force only grew stronger, until it was so proclaimed that the now-titled "Twin Cities" of Victoria and Vanover were home to among the most impressive force in the BC Wastes.

Slowly, the Twin Cities grew in size and strength, yet, the young Empire was not spared growth pains, for internal squabbles were more often than not only hushed by a much greater external threat, only to resume to the infighting that defined much of the 22nd century. Its holdings waxed and waned through much of the 2100s, eventually stabilizing come an extensive period of aggressive political, civil, and military reform. Under the power of what came to be known as The Kelly Reformation, the Twin Cities and its surroundings greatly developed from squabbling trade post and sin city to Havens of the BC Wastes. By the 2270s, Vanover and Victoria were perhaps the most impressive cities of the West Coast.

The new decade has brought with it the reign of Queen Eliza Victoria LII, and the Empire grows more confident towards their march into the 24th Century. Their recent streak of rapid growth has left them assured they might overcome any obstacle, no matter how grand their goals. And the nascent Queen's ambition to reunite Canada is a grand one, indeed...

Population:

324,826 (2285 Census)

Government/Domestic Politics:

A general rule of thumb in regard to what is permissible in the eyes of Imperial Law is to ask one’s self, “Is it specifically outlawed?” The Imperial government at large employs a laissez-faire approach to civil law, preferring to allow its citizens free reign insofar they do not upset the day-to-day affairs of the state. Prostitution, recreational drug use, public assembly, and press rights are all fully legal, and are a widespread feature of the Empire’s urban areas. Capital punishment - oddly enough for a nation which favors the adjective “Empire” to describe itself - is outlawed in favor of prison labor.

The Empire itself finds itself employed under a dual-power system, divided between the Commons and the Monarchy. The former operates via a Common Assembly, in which any citizen above the age of 15 is able to participate and wager their votes for administrative positions and current issues alike. Most Common Assemblies are centered around their respective city, thus forming a rather diffuse hierarchy. Debates in Assembly continue until 2/3rds majority consensus is reached...which often results in debates hotly raging for weeks on end until one party grows weary of all the arguing, and finally concedes to the wishes of their opposition. Detractors from democracy, be warned; Lying before Assembly is counted as High Treason, and offenders punished by 40 years’ hard labor.

From Common Assembly elections is formed the Commons proper, composed of mayors and governors of their respective Common Assemblies. Responsible for the administration of the various bureaus within the Empire, Commons assigns taxes and tariffs, reviews Assembly debate topics, and reviews laws.

The Monarchy is a different affair, largely composed of members of the Royal Court. Antagonistic to its name, the title of “King or Queen Victoria” is not a hereditary title, but one appointed as current head of the Royal Court. However, membership of the Royal Court has been largely hereditary, if there does exist the possibility for extraordinary Imperial citizens to gain entry into the Royal Court. Legally, entry for a new member into the Royal Court requires, “Outstanding acts of courage, loyalty, or ingenuity to the Victorian Throne and People.” Ownership of the title of King or Queen Victoria lasts until life or ineligibility to fulfil one’s position, whichever comes first. In the event of the monarch’s resignation, it is up to the Royal Court to come to an agreement as to who shall lead as the next monarch. Particularly unpopular monarchs within the Empire are allowed to be stripped of their title by decree of 2/3rds of the Commons and 1/3rd of the Royal Court...though, historically, this has only ever been achieved through the use of violence.

Notable People:

Queen Victoria:
The young Queen Victoria springs forth with confidence and steadfast determination to see her country prosper. Although she was but 14 when she was called upon the Victorian throne, the Good Queen is one never to take the words of her close advisors faintly, often consulting members of Commons or the Royal Court before making an Imperial Decree. She remains a popular focal point through the common people of the Empire - much like her predecessors before her - and is known for giving inspirational speeches throughout the radio waves. An avid supporter of Victorian primacy, Victoria has given unwavering support to development projects...as well as employed a hawkish rhetoric that might even make the likes of Caesar Lucius blush.

From her very birth, the Queen has witnessed the rapid growth of the Empire from its days as the Twin Cities to seeing hamlet after hamlet slowly swear fealty to the Throne, as too did she see men in rags grow rich under the wise reign of the late King Victoria. Coming into office, Queen Victoria has few reasons to suspect this growth will halt anytime soon, and has aptly pitched her prize: To pacify the countryside, unite the Canadian people under one singular banner, and usher in a new golden era as the rightful heirs to Canada herself.

These are lofty ambitions, indeed, but if the Good Queen is capable of putting her words into actions, Canadian historians will forever recall her as, “The Queen who restored order to Canada in her darkest hours” for centuries to come.

General Gerald Isaac Hemingway:
A longstanding member of both the Royal Court as well as the Royal Army, Hemingway served extensively as an officer in the Gendarmerie in Cascadia and along the Purcell Range. Well-mannered and rather keen, Hemingway is known for his stressed importance on intelligence in the armed forces. Although he is certainly experienced, Hemingway has grown rather stubborn in his advanced age, often being a staunch opponent of tasks where he deems the risk is too great. Currently, he has offered a much more gradual plan towards expansionism, proposing a strengthening of the Western Frontier toward Calgary before further Westward expansion into Saskatchewan.

Sir Ken Ford:
Sir Ford is the leading member of the Victorian Science Committee, and the one in charge of the oversight of all manner of Victorian governmental research projects. In addition, Sir Ken Ford has long been a proponent of the Oregon Clause, citing the "Wrongful strongarming of the Oregon Territory" away from Canada some centuries ago. Naturally, Sir Ken Ford strongly advocates for the southward expansion of the Empire into Seattle and Portland to acquire resources, living space, and security for the Victorian Empire. His supporters are few, but compensate in their enthusiasm and loquaciousness.

Admiral Markus Jackman:
Jackman is a keet, yet cautious man well into his fifties. In charge with the command of the Royal Navy, Jackman has long been critiqued for his lack of definite position, leading to many dismissing him as a "Yes-Man". While this is not without clause - as the man has expressed interest in both expansion plans - his lack of commitment perhaps stems from belief that there is equal merit to both propositions...or his disdain for both, yet having no alternative to sate the Queen or Commons.

Military:

Doctrine:

The Imperial Armed Forces near-exclusively employs a policy of maintaining a purely-professional military, choosing instead to have a well-trained force that is capable of handling a verisimilitude of threats it may encounter. Having ancestry that traces back to both guerilla forces as well as a professional Pre-War army, the structure and doctrine employed by the IAF strongly emphasizes tactical flexibility and strong military integrity.

A critical concept of Imperial warfare doctrine is what is known as the Rule of Three; Nearly everything in the IAF has some manner of tri-fold principle or structure, to which it refers to a number of essential components of Imperial strategy:

• Three-to-One Rule: With origins in Pre-war military schooling, the basic clause of the Three-to-One Rule is that, to guarantee victory, an attacker must have thrice the amount of troops as his opposition.
• C3: An abbreviation for “Command, Control, and Communications”, the basics of this clause emphasizes the importance of effective communication throughout all levels and branches of the armed forces in order to facilitate battle planning, combat reports, and intelligence.
• The Fifteen-Strong: Many traditional militaries opt to use squads of either 10 or 12, however, the Imperial Army has decreed the squad size be at 15. In addition to the slight increase in firepower each individual squad can offer, the ability to further subdivide a 15-Strong squad into three fireteams of 5 offers a distinct advantage over the usual “binary” composition of 10 or 12-strong squads. With this increase in available fireteams comes in to play an ability to effectively apply pressure on an opposing force from many more angles than is possible with two fireteams of 5.

The Imperial Armed Forces maintain strong traditions seemingly rooted in monarchic practice, such as every soldier making vows of fealty to the Queen upon induction and the use of battle standards. In times of war, it is expected practice for the Monarch to lead their troops into battle, as to serve as a rallying beacon for their troops to hold onto. Some Monarchs opt to go into battle with elegant Knightly Power Armor, or atop a Main Battle Tank, but some, such as the previous King Victoria, chose to go in naught but the plain fatigues issued to his men.

Royal Army:

8,500 Infantrymen

The common infantryman of the Royal Army is clad in combat armor and is likely issued the C1A3 Rifle, itself a long-standing derivative of the classic FN FAL battle rifle. Those in more specialized roles are issued either the C7 General-Purpose Machine Gun, the C2 Marksman’s Rifle, or the C3 Submachine Gun in 10mm Auto. In comparison to the average military force of the Wastes, the Royal Armyman is remarkably well-protected, if the average production quality of combat armor remains inferior to that of Pre-war manufacturing standards. The general-issue combat helmet is of a sturdy metal design, offering quite good protection against shrapnel and low-powered rounds, though soldiers often take to padding the insides with wool or cloth for their comfort. An additional ballistic mask is issued alongside their helmets, though its protectiveness comes at the expense of visibility, and is often not worn when soldiers are not in intense combat. Ammunition, grenades, and other pieces of the infantryman’s kit are held in bandoliers or belt pouches. As per the regime of a versatile fighting force, all infantrymen are trained in the use of bayonets, both attached and detached from their rifles, as a well-timed and well-supported bayonet charge will make quick work of ambushers and those who mistakenly believe the weakness of the Royal Army lay in close-quarters assault.

The Royal Infantry Corps is supported by artillery crews, employing quarter-pounder guns in the rear echelons of the military. As per tradition, the Royal Army is adjoined by a Morale Corps, where drummers beat to the marching pace, chansoners unite the infantry under cherubic battle hymns, and flag-bearers proudly proclaim the conquests of key objectives on the battlefield.

48 Main Battle Tanks

Stemming from the Pre-War Centurion tank, the Mk. 14 is the current iteration in service with the Royal Army. Reliable, versatile, and powerful, the scarcity and intensive production of the vehicle limits its use in common engagements. Used as a means to achieve a frontal breakthrough, MBTs are, much like their Pre-War ancestors, often used in tandem with infantry, air forces, and more mobile land forces in order to overwhelm the enemy at multiple angles.

1,500 Mechanized Infantry
Proliferating from the need of the military for rapid-moving infantry forces, the Mechanized Infantry operate either with the Boudicca-78/S or the Crerar M6 Scout Car. As the use of energy cells to power the vehicles in question stems from conscious recycling efforts, while the Mechanized Infantry may certainly be a quick and well-organized force, but are in danger of overextending themselves through too hasty a chase, or overextending their supply range. As such, more often than not, Mechanized Infantry work in-tandem to the standard infantry, where they serve as a breakthrough or flanking force to scatter enemy forces.

1,400 Alpinist Corps
The Imperial Alpinists consist of rangers and pathfinders used to operating in treacherous terrain. Through rigorous, specialized training, the Alpinist Corps are capable of operating without supply for weeks on end, and often serve as the “eyes and ears” in front of the main army. Specialized in sabotage, reconnaissance, deep battle, and search and rescue operations, each Alpinist carries with them the C5 Assault Rifle, utilizing the lightweight, high-velocity 5mm round. In addition, survival and mountain-climbing equipment is apart of their standard armament.

400 Airborne
A recent addition to the Royal Army, recent analyses of battle tactics have begged the question to utilize paratroopers. While the forces are still in the experimental phase of doctrinal development, early field exercises show great promise in the expertise of elite troops that can - in tandem with the other Imperial Armed Forces - wreak havoc behind enemy lines to cut off supply or retreat routes. Much like their Alpinist cousins, Airborne troops are issued the C5 Assault Rifle chambered in 5mm, allowing for a stunning amount of ammunition to be carried at such a light weight.

5,500 Gendarmerie

Acting as a mixture of military police force and scouting corps, the Royal Gendarmerie are the eyes and ears of the ground forces. Atop horses, the Gendarmerie guardsman is often more lightly-armed than the infantryman, but what they gain in return is mobility far surpassing many of the things that might gait the Wastes.

A few particularly daring souls among the Gendarmerie have made attempts to domesticate Yao Guai for use as more ferocious mounts, but their success has been...dubious, at best.

400 Knights

Clad in carefully-maintained power armor, Imperial Knights are the finest shock troopers the Imperial Armed Forces have to offer. As the manufacture - or more likely, scavenging - of new power armor suits is an excruciatingly sluggish process, nearly every single suit of power armor in service is unique. Few suits bear semblance to their originals, and have had plates, rivets, and exoskeletons repaired and replaced over the centuries these antediluvian suits have been in employ. Resulting from such processes, each suit of Imperial Power Armor is often heavily customized, adorned in an assortment of charms, insignia, and trophies.

The armaments of the Knights is no less impressive than their ancient armor, often using the only energy weapons to be found in the entirety of the Empire. Many Knights commonly utilize heavy weapons, such as miniguns, missile launchers, or machine guns.

Only the most hardened, cunning, or connected of soldiers are given the opportunity to become Knights, for the “opening” of a suit of power armor itself is an equally sporadic event. A majority of Imperial Knights are already veterans of a multitude of campaigns, the power armor only auxilarating their potent skill as they fearlessly smash apart enemy lines.

Royal Navy:

Composed of approximately 4,200 active seamen, the Royal Navy is largely tasked with escorting its merchant navy and fishing fleets against any prospective pirates in the area. Although of an impressive size for any force in the Pacific, the Navy also has yet to engage with a foe of equivalent - nevermind superior - size or skill, leaving its fleet rather inexperienced in large-scale naval conflicts. For its intended purposes, the Royal Navy does its job admirably, yet if it ever finds itself pitched against a professional navy, their flaws may yet be exposed.

While the Navy crews one Pre-War Cartier-Class Cruiser as well as two Liza-Class submarines, the overwhelming bulk of the Royal fleet composes of steam-powered ships, each typically armed with somewhere between four and six guns. The capacity to create Pre-War equivalent ships is beyond the reach of most Imperial shipyards, leaving the bulk of civilian merchant fleets either as steam or sail-powered vessels. The Royal Navy has also expressed interest in the use of landing craft, yet has not found widespread support for the utilization of such amphibious forces.

Royal Air Force:

Though the Imperial Armed Forces have known the importance of Air Superiority since the days prior to the War, the aspirations to create a proper Air Force have historically been stunted, to say the least. Although not without trying, the Royal Air Force has created from old plans and scrapped vehicles, created a modest aeronautic fighting force. A shortage of aluminum severely hampers the ability to create a massed air force as the Empire has longed for, yet what aircraft they are capable of fielding have proudly performed in the skies.

86 A2 Fighters are fielded in the Royal Air Force, either scavenged from Pre-war airfields or created from deconstruction and blueprinting. Employed with a doctrine of formation flying, the A2 Fighter is nimble and rather quick, capable of rapid strafing runs and interception alike, although its high speed limits the effectiveness of it in a fighter-bomber role.

22 C-46 Transport Planes are often kept on airfields in the event that emergency supply becomes necessary, though very recent innovations have begged the question of their use in airborne infantry units as a more viable alternative to the rare and significantly more complex CH-182.

Two airships are also in the possession of the Royal Air Force, largely being used for reconnaissance and strategic bombing, as few foes possess the necessary weapons to tackle such a threat. Due to the large size and cumbersome maintenance required of each airship, they are by far the least numerous and among the least-employed of the air fleet.

Prior to the Great War, the Canadian Royal Air Force had purchased a fleet of CH-182 VTOL Gunships from West Germany, yet the dissolution of the European Commonwealth and the American Annexation alike would halt the upgrade of the entire fleet. A dozen prized examples have been either found or restored to working condition for use in the Royal Air Force. Armed with a front and rear auxiliary autocannon, the CH-182, much like the Vertibird, has a small troop-carrying capacity as well as a tilt-wing assembly, although it has less powerful engines and has significantly less advanced armaments. The rarity and complexity of the CH-182 relegates its use to specialist operations, deemed too valuable to use in all but the most dire of engagements.

Royal Automation Army:

In recent times, there has garnished a growing interest in augmenting the primary forces of the Royal Army with combat robots. Though the general knowledge of robotics remains a highly specialized field only known to a rare few, experimentation on Old World models is a key mainstay of Army R&D. Manufacturing capabilities remain limited, due to the rarity of parts and vast technical knowledge to construct and program such war machines.

What machines the Empire has been able to retrofit, in the meantime, largely consists of Pre-War sentry bots, numbered in the approximate dozens.

Economy:

The dual economies found within the Victorian Empire are aptly divided between the original Twin Cities and the vast Victorian countryside, for the development and economic activity vastly varies from locale to locale.

Vanover was, prior to the war, quite easily the largest of the Western Canadian cities, housing perhaps several million souls. Although it once fell into a steady decline starting with American pressure toward Canada - to say nothing of the nuclear holocaust that ravaged all of Canada - a determined effort has seen the once decimated city grow into what is named, “The Gem of the Pacific. Though it might lack the technological prowess of San Francisco or the sheer mass of The Boneyard, what draws so many to it is, in many ways, a cultural and artisanal renaissance which has seen the city blossom into beauty. Vanover is a city of sin and virtue, where the frontier meets civilization. Although in decades prior, the city almost exclusively subsided on sex, liquor, and questionably-organized gambling, a series of reorganizations have shifted production towards the production of specialized industry, opting to exchange raw industrial output in favor of ellusive and high-quality manufacture.

Smaller factories and manufactorums dot the British Columbian coast, steadily giving way to the farms and ranches beyond. A thin stretch along the old Sunshine Coast Highway is defined by such industry, where each workshop and mill provides the industrial heart of the Empire, crafting textiles, cloth, metalworks, electronics, and glassworks. Small deposits of tungsten and iron inside the Cascades are mined, whereas the plentiful sands along the Strait of Georgia provide all the silicon-rich sands to create glasses, which in turn is often used in creating jars, glassware, optics, and windows. Due to the scarcity of high-conductivity metals, copper, silver, and gold are often prioritized for use in electronics rather than jewelry or instruments.

Vancouver Island houses the eponymous capital of the Empire: The city of Victoria herself. Victoria houses the Royal Palace wherein the residing Monarch dwells, in addition to being the city in which the majority of the Royal Court too live. After years - if not decades - of continuous construction efforts, the city has once again been re-imagined as a true, Victorian-styled metropolis, complete in its Neo-baroque styled architecture, sweeping (if mutant) gardens, and intricate masonry. The rest of the island is developed with a leisurely quaintness to it, sprinkled with fishing villages and small estates. The various distilleries and wineries of Vancouver fill the glasses of Vanover’s many taverns and bars; Tarberry Wine in particularly is highly sought-after.

Beyond the highly-developed Vancouver Island and Sunshine Coast, the lands to the west are substantially less impressive. Populated with tribal villages, farming towns, or trading posts, the overwhelming majority of the economy is sustained by animal husbandry and agriculture, with bighorners, sheep, and horses constituting the most common choices for animal husbandry, while shrimp, crickets, and redhares being substantially cheaper and easier to raise alternatives for those who seek more protein in their diets. Infrastructure in much of the Western Empire is only nominally superior to unclaimed wastes, with inhabitants still relying mostly on combustion and candle for light and heat. While the Empire has long planned to expand the infrastructure throughout the western fringes - namely improvements to the rail system - progress remains slow.

Although the laws of the Empire strictly prohibit slavery, due to what could be called a “flexible system”, a sizable portion of infrastructure construction is done with convict labor. The most common labor of prisoners involves paving roads with stone or gravel, with the more “docile” servants being allowed to work on locomotive or electrical infrastructure. Corrective courses in electronics, logistics, and foremanship are offered to prisoners with a record of good behavior.

Culture:

The fundamental establishment of the Empire was one born of fierce anti-American sentiment and strong commitment to the idea of Canadian sovereignty. Two centuries of nuclear hellfire were certain to wash away lesser commitments in the world, but instead, as the world came under the heat of a baking oven, the residual commitment to seeing Canada once again a reunited nation instead glazed upon the huddled partisans, as if to say the end of the world was merely a test of their resolve. After all, these valiant men and women had been willing to go to the ends of the Earth to see the Americans driven from their home. What was the End of the Earth to those of such resolve?

Much like their pre-established ancestors, the denizens of the Empire have long paraded themselves as the true successors of Canada. Nothing less than a complete rejection of American culture and hegemony have been established in those days long passed of the occupation, in its place has come something of an...ironic renaissance of the British Commonwealth.

Even from the most basic aspect of how the Victorian speaks, those from the coasts or the Twin Cities speak in a juxtaposed accent, a close yet murky ancestor of the famed English accent. It is a hodgepodge combination of the countless tongues of British Columbia prior to the war, combining the poise of the British, the lax nature of the Canadian, and the oddly-precise lisp of the Cantonese. Into every aspect of life does this faux-complexity bleed into Victorian culture, from their emulation of high society in their frock coats and bustiers, to even the commoner’s love for the written word. Poignancy and punctuation are virtues when a Victorian speaks, if sacrifices in politeness must be made to get their point across. There, among Victorians, exists a conundrum in “delightful dishonesty”, at which many will say is the best and only way to disappoint someone: It is to turn your story into one so absurd to the point where your superior cannot help but mire in the buffoonery on display.

In spite of the commonly-established decorum experienced throughout all urban Victoria, there is, too, plenty of diversity to be had, and from this oxymoron will arise in the face of mutations not quite a melting pot, and not quite a cultural mosaic. It is an anthropophagy of faces and minds, conjoining together in union to create an image that is uniquely Victorian. Ghouls have, to this end, etched out their niche in Victorian society, but do expect to hear quite the number of self-demeaning jokes in your time spent. Super Mutants are a rare sight, but one most Victorians share an odd curiosity toward. Spared of the horrors of The Master’s hellish rampage, those few Super Mutants to come this far north find themselves paraded about as amusing, if dull, strongmen. Though the vast majority are far too hampered to answer the common question of “Whereabouts did you come from?” with any reasonable precision, the Super Mutant is put into an irregular, yet interesting place in Victorian society. While their vast body systems dull the regular effects of chems and liquor, a good number of Super Mutants have found a place as entertainers, splitting logs and hurling tree trunks before crowds of cheering Victorians.

Religion:

Few who practice religion in the Empire possess a coherent ideology. More often than not, religion in the Empire consists of a hodgepodge of totemist, animist, shamanist, Christian, and ancestor-worshiping faiths into a syncretic theology. Practices are based more upon belief that they will provide some direct benefits to the practitioner rather than out of adherence to creed. Accordingly, charms and other similar tchotchkes are ubiquitous throughout the populus.