Appearance: A short slim man in his mid-late thirties, with dark hair, dark eyes, a thin mustache and a penchant for hair gel. His smile is wide, white and seen frequently. Benny has complete personal confidence and his slow rhythmic cadence is seen as charming by some. A bit of a nervous man, he has a habit of looking around and scratching his left bicep when waiting. Benny is quite fastidious and particular about his appearance and remains well groomed and pleasantly fragrant at all times.
Affiliation: NCR & Van-Graff Family Company
Previous Affiliations: The Bishops.
Gear/Equipment: Benny is perpetually dressed as well as he can be. His closet is vast and changes with the seasons and local fashions. He has a penchant for bold, flamboyant styles and warm colors. For personal protection Benny carries a plasma defender pistol in a chest holster and a snub nosed .38 strapped to his leg. Sunglasses typically adorn his face along with a hat that matches his outfit.
Background: Benny appeared on the political stage of the NCR a few years ago and precious little is known for certain about his early life. He was always a close associate of the Van-Graffs and gained a reputation as a gambler. Beeny’s recent appointment as the ambassador to New Vegas by President Brianna Van-Graff therefore comes as a surprise to many in the NCR. Critics of the president perpetuate rumors that Benny is indebted to the Van-Graff family in more ways than one. Some even say that Benny is fleeing obligations in New Reno and previous connections to the Bishop family.
Appearance: Denver is a tall thin man with a large bushy mustache that has more white than brown in it. His hair hangs down just past his ears and he usually keeps it combed back. The wrinkles around his eyes and forehead are more due to the sun and stress than years under his belt. He stands straight and works to maintain good posture whenever possible. Alone he stands out no more than any other aged wasteland farmer would. But when dressed in his uniform and standing with his soldiers there is an aura that imbues Denver that seems to give him unnatural size.
Affiliation: 3rd Infantry Battalion
Previous Affiliations: NCR Military Command, NCR Rangers
Gear/Equipment: Denver is usually dressed in the same standard combat fatigues all infantry in the 3rd wear. As befitting his rank he wears a green beret with the insignia of the 3rd Infantry emblazoned on the front. Occasionally he can be seen sporting his old ranger armor but this hasn’t been for sometime. When not in active command Denver sports a simple button up shirt, slacks with suspenders and a large straw hat. On colder nights he dons his matching sheepskin gloves and suede coat. When in command Denver always carries his officer’s sidearm, a 9mm pistol, in a chest holster and a knife tucked away behind him. In his personal time he has been observed hunting with a well maintained .308 caliber bolt-action rifle. Those who’ve fought alongside Denver before he gained his command mention his proficiency with a wide variety of weaponry but especially his favoritism of rifles and unconventional explosives.
Background: Little is publicly known about Denver’s life before his time in the military. His family came from the Northern territories before settling in the core region when Denver was a teenager. He joined the army once he was able to and was assigned to an infantry regiment. After distinguishing himself in his performance he was offered to be a ranger. He embraced those elite comrades of his and their unique way of life and combat. Denver spent over ten years as a ranger before he transitioned back to the infantry and was given an officer’s command. The exact reason for his return to the infantry is unknown but rumors persist it was because of a disagreement he had with his superior at the time. Denver continued his military career eventually being deployed to the Mojave in 2274. There he commanded the assault on Helios One in Operation Sunburst, breaking the back of the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel and sending the remaining survivors into hiding. This success garnered him notice in congress and a promotion to Colonel. This rise to fame would be followed with infamy as Denver was one of the architects behind the Bitter Springs Massacre of 2278. Accused by some of being needlessly ruthless in the attempted extermination of the Great Khans, Denver was recalled from the Mojave and sent to train recruits back in the core regions. In preparation for the Second Battle of Hoover Dam a new military unit, the 3rd Infantry Battalion was formed. Lacking experienced officers in the region, Denver was assigned as their commander. The 3rd Infantry was to function as a reinforcement of the Mojave garrison. The unit was composed of different units taken from throughout the NCR, mostly drawn from the border regions in Baja and Oregon. Denver took the soldiers into the Mojave and aside from running skirmishes with bandits and the odd Legion trap they waited patiently for a battle that would never come. When the Legion was confirmed to have retreated, 3rd Infantry was moved from reserve to frontline and the other regiments were given relief.
After the devastating effects of the “McCarran cough” the NCR garrison in the Mojave was recalled, only the 3rd Infantry and a platoon of Rangers remained. Col. Abernathy, suspicious of the growing Green, pulled his troops out of New Vegas and concentrated them along the Colorado river and the major highways. Once the Great Drought arrived and brought a crippling famine to the NCR, Col. Abernathy was informed that all supply lines would go dry and he was to do whatever was needed to keep his soldiers fed and armed. As the Mojave was spared from the drought, Col. Abernathy ordered his men to buy, barter and steal whatever they could from the local populace. The garrison was to be kept fortified and healthy no matter the cost to the local populace. The cruelty of this policy was ignored in the NCR until the drought ended and the political bodies were able to stabilize themselves. Now there are calls for Abernathy to be recalled from duty and replaced with a different officer.
Description: The 3rd Infantry is the current NCR occupation force for the Mojave territory. They have survived the past five years of chaos with little to no support from NCR congress and as such have become little more than the personal army of Col. Abernathy. Their brutality in acquiring what provisions they needed coupled with high taxes and a general reckless disregard for the lives of the people of the Mojave has earned them an infamous reputation and the moniker “Denver’s Dogs”. At best they are distrusted, at worst they are reviled.
Territory: Headquartered at Fort Golf the 3rd Infantry maintains other garrisons at OP Guardian, NCRCF, Camp Victory, Hoover Dam, Helios One, Fort Hope and the Mojave Checkpoint.
Fort Golf: Now the permanent Headquarters of the 3rd Infantry the grounds have been expanded and slightly fortified. While the perimeter of the Fort remains mostly open there has been an increase in the number of watchtowers and guard holes. Several access ways to the Fort have been webbing with wire or mines to slow any advance. Outpost Guardian: A small outpost situated at the top of a large hill on the border of the Mojave. Usually only manned by a squad at a time an assignment to OP Guardian is a dreaded one among the troopers of the 3rd. This is mostly due to its isolated location and limited protection in case of an attack. NCR Correctional Facility: Retaken from the Powder Gangers in early Spring 2282, the NCRCF was restored and cleaned out to serve as a prison once more. Until the Great Famine and the prison was abandoned for nearly a year until soldiers of the 3rd Infantry cleared out the pests within and began to use the old prison as a labor camp. The prisoners as the NCRCF are primarily wastelanders who ran afoul of the 3rd infantry or tried to fight back. Behind the walls of the prison they are subjected to horrid living conditions and forced labor. The fear of being sent to NCRCF has kept many from fighting back against the occupation of the 3rd Infantry. Camp Victory: Formerly the site of the Legion camp on fortification hill. A military camp was established on the high ground following the Legion’s retreat from the Mojave. Modest in size the camp is centered around the old weather monitoring station. Utilized primary as a listening post the camp is an unfortunate assignment for soldiers of the 3rd. Hoover Dam: No longer the frontline the Hoover Dam has been heavily de-militarized over the past five years. Now primarily a civilian posting the dam provides the bulk of the electricity for New Vegas and several counties back West. Helios One: Like the Hoover Dam, the Helios One relay has become more of a civilian posting. While a small garrison of soldiers from Bravo company are posted around the facility the bulk of its staff are NCR engineers and Followers of the Apocalypse members. Fort Hope: Formerly Camp Forlorn Hope, the fort was renamed following the retreat of the Legion. It was neglected immediately following the loss of Camp McCarran as the NCR focus turned inwards away from the borders. But following the Great Famine and the loss of supply and command with the western government the 3rd Infantry began to fortify the small camp. Building permeant high walls around the hilltop fort they were able to watch for any movement along the Colorado or upon Highway 95. In more recent years the fort has become a stronghold for the soldiers of the 3rd infantry to resupply their forces on patrol and extract tolls and taxes on caravans and people heading to and from New Vegas. Mojave Checkpoint: As the Great Famine drove citizens out of the core region the Mojave Outpost was fortified and expanded to cater to the increase in migrants and refugees. Now a small town, the Checkpoint hosts a sizeable garrison and is the primary accessway between the Mojave and the NCR.
Sphere of influence: The 3rd Infantry sends a rotating number of patrols weekly between their garrisoned forts, outposts and the wasteland in between. They are the largest armed force in the Mojave yet are limited in their ability to project their power without losing control of their territory.
Force Composition: The 3rd Infantry Battalion is composed of several thousand soldiers divided between three companies.
B "Bravo" Company is composed of a mix of infantry grunts and rangers. They are stationed at Fort Golf and the last two remaining ranger stations: Echo and Bravo.
C "Charlies" Company is the largest company and contains several squads of heavy troopers. They are stationed along the Colorado River at Outpost Guardian, Fort Hope, Hoover Dam, Helios One and Camp Victory.
D "Delta" Company is primarily a reserve company. They are stationed at the Mojave Checkpoint and the NCR Correctional Facility just North of Primm.
The average grunt of the 3rd Infantry is outfitted with a semi-automatic 5.56 service rifle, light body armor, helmet, goggles, two fragmentation explosives and a knife or hand ax. Some soldiers, usually those in 3rd company, carry shotguns and bolt action rifles depending on the availability of ammunition and the task at hand. Rangers typically have more independence on their choice of gear and weapons. More specialized weapons such as high grade explosives, energy weapons and machine guns are kept in the armories unless being assigned on a mission.
History: The 3rd Infantry Battalion was originally founded in 2281 when the NCR was increasing their troop deployments to the Mojave. Consisting of existing infantry units who were folded into one division, many of their soldiers had seen combat before. Put under the command of Col. Denver Abernathy, the battalion was sent to reinforce the garrison at Hoover Dam. They were ordered to hold the Dam and advance on Fortification hill following the Legion’s retreat. As such they avoided the worst of the “McCarran cough” that devastated NCR forces in the Mojave. The catastrophe at Camp McCarran coupled with the botched annexation of New Vegas and the resulting famine in the West devastated the NCR’s military and forced the 3rd Infantry to become almost entirely self-sufficient. Trapped in the Mojave without continued supply and support the 3rd Infantry changed from a professional army to a glorified gang. Col. Abernathy commanded them, his disdain for non-citizens was well known throughout the Mojave and he instilled this attitude into his soldiers.
For the past five years they have entrenched themselves in their forts. Only venturing out to patrol the wasteland or collect taxes from the surrounding communities. While their presence has kept the worst raiders out of their territory they have no interest in helping others unless it will also benefit them. They mostly keep clear of New Vegas aside from ensuring the embassy remains a safe house for NCR soldiers on the Strip. Whenever their patrols enter New Vegas there is sure to be a commotion and running street battles between soldiers of the 3rd and the gangs of Freeside and Northside is not uncommon.
With the new waves of settlers pouring into the region the 3rd Infantry now stand in a precarious position. As the NCR has stabilized out West they will soon seek to curtail Col. Abernathy and his personal army. It is unlikely they will capitulate to these commands.
------------ Privates 1st Class Andrew Rivers & Leonid Tannhauser 3rd Infantry, D Company @Letter Bee
Shared Picture; Andrew is on the left, Leonid is on the right
Background: Born in Shady Sands, Andrew was the son of a Follower of the Apocalypse and an NCR Soldier, the latter who died five years ago during the Fiend attack on Camp McCarran; the boy was eleven then. Ever since then, he has sought to educate himself not just in history, military strategy and tactics, and economics, but also in botany so as to prepare himself to encounter the mysterious 'Green'. However, this was not easy, as his mother tried to stop him from joining the military, first by trying to divert his interests, then trying to guilt-trip him, and finally by forbidding him point-blank. But the Great Drought forced their hand and so both had to leave for the Mojave so as to avoid starvation, with Andrew joining the military at last.
Military life was harder than Andrew thought, and both he and his mother feared that at 16 (legal age to join the NCR military), he'd be tasked with putting down rioting civilians. That wasn't the case, for his commanding officer, recognizing the boy's knowledge of botany, tasked him with scouting out 'The Green' to find out which areas held edible plants. And so he did, and another boy around his own age, Leonid Tannhauser, was sent to accompany him.
The two did not get along at first, but that changed when they were attacked by a group of Powder Gangers, who thought the two were easy prey. Retreating to an old gas station, the two managed to hold off the enemies until help arrived; after that, things got better between them. Then on a trip to Goodsprings, the two managed to gain the friendship of the local inhabitants by clearing out the Geckos from the water source and sharing the meat and hides with the populace.
Life was good, they had a lot to experience, and it seemed as though their commanding officer was actually a decent person who tried diplomacy first and more ruthless tactics later. Maybe the military life wasn't so bad, after all...
------
Name: Leonid Tannhauser
Appearance: See the Shared Picture
Affiliation: NCR
Previous Affiliations: N/A
Gear/Equipment:
- NCR Service Rifle. - 10mm Pistol. - Hunting Rifle with Scope. - Trooper Armor. - Brass Knuckles. - Switchblade. - 2x Stimpak - 1x Rad-X - 1x RadAway - NCR Dogtags. - NCR Cash equivalent to 1000 caps. - 2000 Caps (seperate; given by his mother)
Background: A boy born in The Boneyard, Leonid was well-educated, being the son of an NCR Politician and his thropy wife. Desperate to escape the drought and his strict parents, Leonid joined the military one year younger than the legal age, forging documents and medical records to do so. This was discovered when he was already in the Mojave, and more importantly, performed with valor against a band of raiders (Jackals) on a mission to smoke out their lairs. Nevertheless, he was sent home, but his parents learned a new respect for him and let him join the military at sixteen (the Great Drought helped by forcing them to send him off).
There, the boy was sent to help Andrew Rivers, a green recruit who nevertheless knew enough about botany to work inside The Green; he considered the other kid naive at first, and also annoying and yet in need of his protection. Then they were attacked by Powder Gangers and he saw that Andrew had every potential to be as good as he was, albeit in different areas. When help finally came, he complimented Andrew on his skills, then asked about his life; apparently, Andrew's father was the brother of their commanding officer but he did not know it.
Leonid decided not to let Andrew know. Either way, the two took advantage of a trip to Goodsprings (they had time off) to get rid of some Golden Geckos, and although they were careful enough to avoid alcohol (hey, sixteen), Leonid couldn't help but see Andrew in a different light in the nighttime feast the townsfolk held in their honor.
But now, there were rumors of the Legion returning, and the people who controlled The Strip were getting pushy again and acting like they were in control of the Mojave. Maybe it was time for him and Andrew to see New Vegas for themselves; sure, some areas were off-limits to kids, but surely they can see enough to get some useful info about what those subversives are planning, right?
Then again, Andrew might probably decide to gamble away their hard-earned cash...
Description: Formerly led by Elijah, the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was forced to go into hiding following a disastrous battle against the NCR at HELIOS One. Having lost their elder and overhalf their knights and paladins, the chapter would have been wiped out had they not fled the battle and taken shelter inside a concealed pre-war military installation in Hidden Valley. Since that fateful day, the chapter has survived by remaining hidden from the NCR and stealthily procuring food and supplies from traders, biding their time and gathering data on the state of things in the Mojave to share with the rest of the Brotherhood.
Recently, however, the other Elders have finally sent aid, along with a new mission from Arthur Maxson himself- to find a way to stop the Green before it can become a threat to humanity's survival. With no allies and the the NCR still hunting for the chapter, however, they will need to seek out allies or uncover pre-war technologies if they want any hope in succeeding in their mission.
Territory: Hidden Valley Bunker
Sphere of influence: The Mojave Chapter has only survived this long by staying under the NCR's radar, and as a result has little influence outside of their bunker. However, they occasionally send research and recon teams into the Green-heavy regions west of New Vegas, and have a few undercover suppliers that work to keep the chapter fed and supplied.
Force Composition: With the reinforcements from the west, the Mojave Chapter currently has 34 paladins, 55 knights, 15 combat-capable initiates, and 34 scribes, with a total population of approximatly 250. Additionally, they possess approximately 20 operational Duraframe Eyebots.
History: The Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel first came to the Mojave under the direction of Elder Elijah, whose radical ideas put him at odds with the western elders. They occupied the Hidden Valley bunker and HELIOS One power plant, with the latter being of such great interest to Elijah that he made it their headquarters despite being poorly defensible. When the NCR arrived in the Mojave, conflict was inevitable, and in 2276, the NCR carried out Operation: Sunburst, laying siege to HELIOS One. The battle was a devastating blow to the chapter, and in the chaos, their elder disappeared without a trace. The chapter might have been wiped out if it were not for Head Paladin McNamara taking command and leading the remaining Brotherhood defenders in a retreat back to Hidden Valley, where they locked down and hid from the victorious NCR.
For the next few years, the Brotherhood remained hidden, occasionally sending teams of paladins or knights to the surface to perform reconnaissance or seek out technology. While some of these missions led to further losses of Knights and Paladins, they also bore fruit, including the recovery of a armored Enclave Eyebot prototype. It was during one of these expeditions, a failed effort to procure replacement HEPA filters for Hidden Valley's air filtration system, that the Brotherhood first came into contact with the phenomenon now popularly known as The Green, and the deadly effects of its spores.
While the Brotherhood did eventually obtain the needed filters elsewhere, the rapid emergence of this strange new plant life, and its considerable lethality, became a matter of far greater concern. The Brotherhood continued to send expeditions to gather data on The Green, modifying their power and recon armors with self-contained breathing apparatus- and implementing stringent decontamination procedures- to prevent any more fatalities from Greenlung. Meanwhile, the scribes shared whatever data they recovered with the western elders, not just of The Green, but of any technology they had recovered, including the prototype Eyebot.
In 2286, the Mojave Chapter received a contingent of reinforcement from the west, composed of Brotherhood veterans and duraframe eyebots disguised as NCR refugees and civilian-model eyebots. However, this aid did not come without conditions attached- the leader of the reinforcing Brotherhood members, Sentinel Irving, bore an encrypted message from Arthur Maxson himself. The message claimed that based on the data they had gathered, The Green was a threat to humanity and that the Mojave Chapter was to be tasked with stopping it spread by any means necessary, and at any cost. The message further explained that Irving was to be assigned to serve as the chapter's Sentinel to ensure compliance with Maxson's orders.
While some of the Brotherhood (particularly Hardin, who disliked the shakeup to their rank structure that left him third-in-command) were displeased at these changes, they could not deny that the assistance was sorely needed. Over the next two years, the new Sentinel familiarized himself with the region, the chapter he had been assigned to, and the threats that they faced. By 2288, the Brotherhood had identified a number of leads to be pursued, in hopes that at least one of them would allow them to defeat a foe that not even the NCR had been able to best...
Appearance: Irving is a fit Caucasian man of average height in his mid-40's, whose face and body shows signs of the hard life that he's lived. He has short, graying black hair and light stubble. His body harbors several scars, as well as several bullet fragments from at least one AP 5.56 round- and possibly more.
Affiliation: Brotherhood of Steel Mojave Chapter
Previous Affiliations: Brotherhood of Steel San Francisco Chapter
Gear/Equipment: Irving's personal combat attire includes T-51b Power Armor formerly owned by a now-fallen Mojave Chapter Paladin, and a suit Recon Armor when out of his power armor. Having gone up against the NCR's Rangers and snipers in the past, he has opted to not include any rank markings on his armor. His preferred weapons are a P94 Winchester Plasma Rifle, an AEP7 laser pistol for a sidearm, and a Ripper for a melee weapon.
Background: Derek Irving was born to Brotherhood parents in Lost Hills in 2243. During his early life, he chose to pursue the path of a Paladin and upon attaining the rank, was assigned to the San Francisco Chapter. While Irving distinguished himself in the war with the NCR, even scoring two confirmed Ranger kills (and one unconfirmed), he harbored a number of outspoken views that strained his relations with his superiors. He claimed that the war with the NCR was a mistake, that they should have targeted the Shi and Van Graffs instead. Furthermore, he had a reputation of destroying technology that he deemed too dangerous to fall into the hands of the "unenlightened".
In one particularly controversial incident, Irving's team discovered a lost Robobrain maintenance and repair facility, he set its atomic reactor to melt down rather than risk anyone getting their hands on what he saw as a travesty of life and technology, despite his elder's wishes to use the facility against the NCR. Because of the increasingly dire situation that the Brotherhood was in, they couldn't afford to get rid of a seasoned veteran like him, so instead they had him "kicked upstairs", being promoted to Senior Paladin and tasked with training initiates inside of the bunker.
When word reached his ears of the young Arthur Maxson's successful ascension to Elder, Irving became an outspoken supporter of Maxson's policies and interpretation of the Codex. When the western elders received instructions from Maxson to deal with The Green, Irving was promoted to the formerly East Coast exclusive rank of Sentinel and sent with a group of other veteran Brotherhood members to the Mojave Wasteland under the cover of NCR refugee waves. He suspects that his promotion to this station is less due to the elders' confidence in him, and more a way to kick him even further upstairs and away from them.
While McNamara remains the Elder of the Mojave Chapter, his declining health has allowed Irving to serve as the de facto leader of the Brotherhood. Since arriving at Hidden Valley, Irving has worked to understand the situation in the Mojave, its major players, and the Brotherhood's own position here. He's had to deal with the logistics of the chapter's increased numbers and the harsh reality that even with the NCR gone, the holdouts still want them dead and have the numbers to make it happen. His time in San Francisco may have prepared him for weirdness, but the situation in the Mojave is nothing like anything he's seen before.
Description: The Vipers are a tribal gang with strong shamanistic traditions, notably the adoration of snakes and their venom. Along with the Khans and the Jackals, they were one of the most legendary raider gangs to hail from Vault 15 in New California. After to their near-destruction at the hands of the NCR, the three gangs were forced into the Mojave Wasteland. The gang has been fractured and reformed several times throughout its rough history, but the Vipers have regrown to prominence since the accumulation of many escaped convicts from the 2281 NCRCF prison break.
All Vipers answer to the Great Snakekeeper and their Snakepriests, whom receive their visions with the aid of their elusive "occulant" -- itself a brew of venom and various chems. The Great Snakekeeper is distinguished by a viper skull helmet adorned with feathers and a great cape. Immediately below them are the Crimson Tongues, the elite warriors. All Viper members wear elaborate tattoos and exotic piercings, which all signify important events, achievements, and dedications to loved ones or favourite persons.
Ritual sacrifice is a essential in the Viper's customs, with sacrifices made every day at midnight to gain the favour of the Gods. Typical sacrifices are usually small animals, but can also include small gifts and totems. Particularly heinous persons who have incurred the wrath of the entire Vipers gang are sacrificed alive into a pit of snakes. Most captives taken by the Vipers are given a chance at joining the gang through brutal initiation rituals, involving the cutting of one's wrists to be bathed in a mixture of alcohol and snake venom, in addition to performing special tasks given by the Great Snakekeeper. Those who survive allow their victim to join the clan and earn the eternal respect of the gang.
Cautious after years of near-annihilation, Vipers are opportunists, taking deals where they can and only striking when they have the upper hand. The Vipers have set up a tiny little hub just north of Cottonwood Cove, where they use it as a front-face. Their slowly-growing shanty is usually the closest thing that someone can get to "diplomacy" with the Vipers outside of sabre-rattling, where the Vipers make a tidy profit off of selling liquor and chems and running a little gambling den.
With years of brutalisation and conflict between the two, the NCR are the Viper's sworn enemy, and they will take any opportunity to take a swing at them. The Legion originally dismissed the Vipers as a group of unimpressive tribals and the two have not maintained any contact since the Legion's departure. They have an alliance with their old friends from New California: The Jackals and the Great Khans, and currently maintain an uneasy truce with what remains of the Vault 19 Powder Gangers. While the two are not 'friends', the Vipers and the Followers of the Apocalypse have a 'gentleman's agreement' where the Vipers will give some protection to the Followers in exchange for medical services and supplies. The Vipers generally have no contact with either the Brotherhood of Steel or any of the Families of the Strip.
Territory: The mountains along Nevada Highway 164. They also have several hideouts dotted across the rail lines that run north to Sloan and the Strip.
Sphere of influence (What are of the Mojave is your faction active in): The roads and mountains along Highway 164, Highway 95, and I-15.
Force Composition (How many fighting members, what are they armed with etc.) With about 300 fighting members, the Vipers are equipped with whatever they can trade for or scavenge. Gluttoned off of their raids deep into the NCR, the Vipers have amassed an impressive assortment of guns and armour. Most Vipers make use of a large variety of weapons, from primitive bows and arrows laced in venom, 9 and 10mm sub-machine guns, scavenged NCR service rifles, hunting rifles, to grenade launchers and machine guns.
What they lack in professional organisation they more than make up for in ferocity. They prefer stealth to brute force, and use a variety of both regular guns and explosives alongside primitive weapons, like darts, knives, and arrows laced with snake venom. Vipers are some of the most vicious ambushers and eagle-eyed scouts in the Mojave Wasteland, and make frequent use of chems to gain an edge over their opponents. The Vipers are excellent survivalists and are excellent at making concoctions and medicines from the natural flora and fauna of the wasteland, and use this to make tribal medicines and powerful chems alike.
History: When the 2nd Battle of Hoover Dam seemed about to erupt, the Vipers were weak and fractured. They had lost so many members and had been forced on so many great retreats. To most, it seemed like the Vipers would be thrown into the dustbin of history, just another tribe of raiders lost to the Wasteland. Yet, with the battle never coming and the NCR constantly growing weaker while the Vipers gained more and more members from anti-NCR rebels, their fortunes reversed. After a few years of gaining strength, they alongside their old allies from Vault 15 finally found the opportunity for revenge. They struck deep into the NCR, exacting the same treatment they had given to the Vipers so often and with so much joy.
Their successful raids gave the Vipers, only a years ago on death's door, their old glory back. The days of the Vipers being a tiny raider gang and the shadow of its former self were gone, and here the Vipers had re-established their reputation as one of the most vicious, successful, and badass tribal gangs of the Wasteland. Using the supplies gained from their raids into the NCR, the Vipers rebuilt themselves firmly re-establishing their identity and their culture while also learning valuable skills about mechanics and literature. There, the Great Snakekeeper found their call:
In excerpts from the scriptures of The Before Times, tales told of a great Garden paradise, created in the image of the Gods and awash in verdant green and where fruits and pure waters flow readily to the people, where a serpent shall give to the humans the gift of enlightenment. Other scriptures told of great wooded lands, with towering trees and everlasting rains, where snakes roamed so common that you were always within sight of one -- before the war, and before the folly of man destroyed their own paradise.
With the rapid expansion of The Green into the Wasteland, the Great Snakekeeper and their apostles rejoiced. The wonderous plants and powerful medicines that could be made from The Green seemed to be proof that this could be nothing short of divine intervention. The Great Snakekeeper decreed it such: The Greenlung is divine punishment against the NCR for their transgressions upon the Vipers and their beliefs, and this is a final trial at the End of the Earth where paradise shall soon await the faithful of the serpents.
------------- The Omertas Crime Family aka The Slitherkin Tribe. ------ @Andronicus23
Faction Name: The Omertas Crime Family aka The Slitherkin Tribe
Faction Leader: Dominic “Fat Dom ” Omerta
Description: The Omertas are one of “Three Families” established by Mr. House who control the strip. Originally known as the Slitherkin, the Omertas were taken from their violent tribal roots and ‘civilized’ by House to serve as his employees. Now known as the Omertas, the family was given control of the seedy Gomorrah casino to run as their base of operations.
The Omertas rule Gomorrah as their own little fiefdom and are responsible for much of the unsavory business tainting the strip. Examples of this business include a steady export of narcotics to Vegas and beyond, arms dealing, and sex trafficking.
As of this point, the Omertas have a good relationship with the White Gloves of the Gourmand (largely due to Domics relationship with Marjorie) but on the other hand have a boiling rivalry with the Chairmen at the Tops. While not overtly hostile, encounters between Chairman and Omerta button men outside of the strip have led to gunfights in recent months and there is even talk on the strip of open war looming.
Territory: The Gomorrah Casino on the Strip, as well as a number of other minor establishments in Freeside and Outer Vegas. They also own several warehouse compounds in Outer Vegas, where most of their weapons and chem production takes place.
Sphere of influence: Primarily the Strip and Outer Vegas, but they also have a lesser influence over Freeside.
Force Composition: Approximately 350 direct Omerta “Made men” including Caporegime and their soldiers (approximately 10 soldiers per Capo). However when you include various associates, affiliated gangs, and hired mercenary goons the total force that the Omertas can bring to bear climbs to little over a thousand.
The Omertas themselves are considered to be decently well trained within their own organization: but they are not a military force by any means. They are better equipped than either of the other two families however, and include some real military hardware they’ve “acquired” (and are now starting to produce) stocked away in their armory. Most of the time their soldiers are equipped with 10mm submachine guns and pistols, and some hidden form of light bodyarmor underneath their business suits.
The rest of their associates and affiliates can have varying levels of quality and thus usefulness: ranging anywhere from hardened mercs in advanced combat armor wielding plasma weaponry to street level thugs armed with little more than switchblades that roam the dingy streets of Freeside.
History: Ever since the appearance of the “The Green” and the immediate aftermath of the chaos and confusion its arrival caused, the Omertas have been slowly but steadily regrowing their power base on the Strip. The botched alliance with Caesar’s legion and the huge dip in revenue experienced with the NCR’s withdrawal from the Mojave caused the Omertas to experience a shakeup in leadership. “Big Sal” and Nero were ousted from power and replaced by an ambitious Capo by the name of Dominic aka “Fat Dom”: a man whose appetite for wealth and power is only eclipsed by his love of food. Dom proved a shrewd boss for the crime family, and was able to quickly reverse their fortunes by growing their stakes in the chem and weapons trades, and forgoing any immediate attempts to take over the strip: although he’s never let go of that ambition completely. Dom also had a unique ‘in’ to the White Gloves, as his ongoing casual romantic relationship with Marjorie, their leader, allowed the two previous rival Families to work more closely together, much to the chagrin of the Chairmen.
With Mr. House becoming even more of a recluse than before, the Three Families have largely been left to their own devices, ruling the Strip and Vegas at large via a general agreement between them informally known as the “The Contract”. The Omertas, as key orchestrators of The Contract, ensured that their business interests were protected including those that were previously illegal even under House’s administration.
Now five years after ‘The Green’ the Omertas are poised to take over Vegas completely, but in order to do so they’ll need to eliminate their rivals and work to broker relations with outside powers, such as the NCR: or even The Legion, should they show themselves again.
Appearance: A veteran gangster in his mid-40s, with a strong affinity for fine food. Dominic stands at above average height, is heavily overweight, and sports a thinning hairline and thick black mustache. He’s rarely seen in anything other than a tailored pinstripe suit (found in the Big and Tall section of Fallon’s of course), and always wears a pair of immaculately shined black shoes.
He often gives off an immediate first impression of being jovial, charming, and extremely friendly, giving and taking jokes in stride and often laughing at himself or his weight. However, make no mistake, one does not rise to power in the Omertas without being as ruthless as they come. And if anyone knows Dominic, they know that friendly demeanor of his belies an even more sinister one.
Those Omertas that cross him or make jokes at his expense often go missing or wind up having terrible “accidents’: even if Dominic showed absolutely no sign of displeasure beforehand. This has led to a common (whispered) saying in the Omertas: “When Fat Dom laughs a little too hard…you know you fucked up.”
Affiliation: The Omertas Crime Family: Current Boss of the Family
Previous Affiliations: The Slither Kin Tribe (the Omertas former tribal name). Dominic was then known as ‘Black Viper’. He was widely known in the tribe for his prolific use of poisons, and would often capture slaves or murder travelers for their goods by inviting them to ‘share a meal around his fire’ where they would unknowingly ingest powerful drugs or sedatives.
Dominic often looks fondly on these times, but refuses to allow himself or his men to refer to the Slither Kin or his old name directly. Instead, he refers to the “Good old days” when the Omertas were “just the neighborhood gang” and other such phrases when talking about their origins as tribal raiders. While confusing at first, his inner circle and made-men have picked up on this doublespeak and are quite fluent in it now.
Gear/Equipment: A charcoal pinstripe suit w/ matching tie along with a hidden ballistic weave vest for added protection. When it comes to weapons, he favors a custom silenced 12.7mm pistol when he openly carries.
Background: Dominic was once a Caporegime (Captain) of the Omertas Crime Family, his former position within the Slither Kin tribe immediately elevating him above a soldier when the tribe accepted House’s offer to run the Gomorrah. He was a close associate of Big Sal and could often be found playing cards with the former Boss. One would be forgiven for the mistake of believing Big Sal and Dominic were friends: but nothing could be further from the truth. Dominic hated Big Sal with a burning passion, and waited for nothing less than a golden opportunity to overthrow him and his underboss Nero.
That came following the disastrous events surrounding the arrival of “The Green”. The Legion had withdrawn from Hoover Dam, leaving Big Sal’s overambitious plans of an Omerta/Legion alliance completely tattered in their wake. The NCR’s humiliating terms of annexing were then given to House and the Three Families, leading to even further disgruntled talk within the Omerta’s ranks. When the NCR began its chaotic withdrawn following the outbreaks, and the revenue dried up, that was the final straw for most.
Seeing his opportunity had come, Dominic gathered up support and led a coup against Big Sal and Nero. Normally this sort of Byzantine politicking was completely outlawed by House in his terms of contract, but with House withdrawn from the spotlight his Securitrons did nothing to keep the peace. Big Sal and Nero were both gunned down in the fighting and any lingering loyalties to the Boss and Underboss were wiped away. ‘Fat Dom’ was now the Boss and his first act was to hand out the spoils of war to his most loyal cronies.
Afterwards though, Dominic set about trying to repair the Omertas damaged influence on the strip and beyond. Seeing that continuing to plot an overt takeover would be completely suicidal, Fat Dom decided on a more subtle approach.
He’d been cultivating an ongoing on and off affair with Marjorie, Leader of the White Gloves, for many years now: even before she became head of that Family. Now Dominic used that ‘in’ to closely ally the Omertas with the White Gloves, forming an informal union between the two. With the White Gloves under his influence, if not his direct control, the Omertas were able to expand a growing power base centered on the Strip.
Dominic strengthened his Family’s control over the chem and weapons trade, ensuring a steady supply of caps was fed to their coffers from Freeside and Outer Vegas where this deadly trade was typically plied. With those additional caps, he was able to buy the continued loyalty of many local gangs and hired guns who readily flocked to the Omertas. Soon, it almost became impossible to strike a shady deal or peddle chems anywhere in Vegas without the Omerta’s involvement, and flaunting that authority more often than not would end in complete annihilation for the gangs that tried it.
That largely left two native groups still outside of the Omerta’s stranglehold: the Kings of Freeside and The Chairmen of The Tops. Domic was able to ‘placate’ The Kings with his usual charm by stroking the ego of their leader, The King, and providing a steady supply of eager “groupies” direct to the King’s School. Dominic also played his usual two-faced routine, by offering with one hand friendship and generosity: supplying medical pharmaceuticals produced by the Omertas and food from The Ultra Luxe to The Followers and the people of freeside. With the other hand though, he continues to send his thugs and affiliates to intimidate locals to pay debts, “recruit” local women for Gomorrah, and peddle chems to the addicted and vulnerable.
The Chairmen, however, remain as the sole source of consternation for Fat Dom’s almost hegemonic influence over the Strip. Swank is staunchly opposed to the Omertas, largely because he knows what Big Sal and Nero tried to pull. The Chairmen and Omertas in general too hate each other for a variety of reasons: with the Omertas calling the Chairmen “fakes” and “pussfied” and the Chairmen firing right back with “wannabe gangsters” and of course “finks”. This rivalry predates both the current groups however, as both the Slither Kin and The Mojave-Bootriders (the Chairmen’s tribal name) were long considered bitter enemies. While under House this animosity was mostly kept in check, it is quickly boiling over into outright violence.
Dominic is an ambitious man, coming from a long tradition of ambitious leaders within the Slither Kin tribe and he epitomizes the vices that Gomorrah offers its patrons in spades: Gluttony, Greed, Lust. However he also embodies another well known trait of his former tribe, ruthless cunning, and he might just have the skills necessary to ascend his Family into even greater power.
Appearance: Chez is a scrawny Wastelander who looks younger than his 25 years, thanks to his gangling limbs and boyish face. His dark brown skin and wavy black hair suggest some kind of East Indian heritage, but like most Wastelanders, he has little idea of the specific ingredients that seeped into the irradiated melting pot which brewed him.
Chez has a slightly pinched and odd look, like a plant starved of sunlight. However, his unpocked skin, full set of teeth, thick head of hair, and decent height, suggest that his upbringing was kinder than that of many in the Mojave. He might even pass as a well nourished Vault Dweller, except under close examination.
Affiliation: - Senior Member of the Followers of the Apocalypse, New Vegas Branch. - Well-liked in Freeside and a longstanding ally of the Kings gang.
Consumables: 4x Stimpak, 2x RadAway, 2x Purified Water, 1x Nuka Cola (usually replenished from Follower safehouses)
Background: Chez's father, Devan, was a physician educated by the Followers. After marrying Madge, Devan moved from rough Westside to the then-peaceful mining settlement of Sloan. An anti-capitalist doctor was welcome in a poor town where crushed limbs and dust-filled lungs were common.
Chez's mother was an… eccentric woman from somewhere out of New Vegas. While physically unremarkable, she had a nervous constitution, and was prone to visions, fits of hysteria, and experiences of a paranormal and religious nature. Whether due to a history of inbreeding, radiation exposure or mutation, she passed these peculiar traits onto her son.
Chez received a strong scientific and political education from his father, and a bizarre hodgepodge of supernatural beliefs from his mother. Chez quickly discovered that his slender frame and mental sensitivity disqualified him from the tough life of a miner. He read voraciously, and from the age of twelve, accompanied his father on working trips to Freeside or the outlying towns.
In Freeside, Chez discovered his two great loves: the intellectually electrifying lectures of the Followers, and the romantic ambience of the stage at the King’s School of Impersonation.
Tragedy struck in Chez’s fifteenth year. Word came to Sloan that Chez’s father had been killed in Westside - according to some, in water riots between NCR settlers and the locals, while others claim it was a gang of chem-addled Fiends.
Life in Sloan became more difficult after this, as Madge’s condition deteriorated, and the locals became increasingly hostile. Chez was not as skilled a physician as his father, and he could not yet earn his keep. Meanwhile, rations were tightening as the NCR appropriated resources for its troops, and the physician’s disturbed wife became the focus of resentment.
Three months after Chez’s father was killed, his mother disappeared. A miner claimed he saw Madge wandering off into the desert after dark, possessed by one of her visions. This was plausible, and Madge had been seeing things more frequently after her husband’s death. The alternative - that one of her neighbours had made her disappear - was too painful for Chez to bear.
Chez waited in Sloan for another half a year, wandering the desert, reading Follower literature for solace, and praying for his mother’s return. When she failed to reappear, he packed up and headed to Freeside, to make a new life with the Followers.
@Andronicus23 House has lost significant power over the past five years. Benny disappeared with the platinum chip and with it any chance House had to claim Vegas as his own. He spends most of his time brooding in his tower.
I don't really have any plans for House so if you want to be a Strip family and kill him off, go for it. I'm trying to leave certain regions, especially Vegas kind of open to players deciding which factions are there and in charge. So far you're the first person with an interest in one of those factions so you have almost complete freedom in deciding what New Vegas, especially the Strip looks like.
Caendoros jumped from his seat and gripped the edge of his private viewing box. He loved the opera. The performers were Aeldari and they spoke an old and obscure dialect that Caendoros didn't know, but still he could understand them. Not the meaning of their words but of the raw emotion in their voice and physicality. It told him this was a comedy and the lead Harlequin had just sung something shockingly crude and very funny. One of his first distinct memories was attending one as a child. His father, Archon Uzmahli, had taken him to be used as bait. Caendoros ate decadent food and was given his own private viewing box. He didn’t know the story of the performance, they had arrived late and the opera was in an alien tongue. The strange creatures fluttered and skirted about the stage singing and cackling in their strange, melodic language. It was a tragedy that much he could ascertain even at his young age. One of the performers, a hairy insectoid with jeweled clothing, was scaling the small mountain on stage. His deep bass voice echoing through the massive hall and rattling the pristine crystal glasses Caendoros’ father sipped from. The creature wielded exotic weapons in three of his arms, their blades shimmered like oil. Its compound eyes focused on a small panicked creature at the peak. This performer was of a different breed, her skin smooth and limbs lithe. In their hands they held the dying figure of what Caendoros was sure had been their lover. She sang softly in a tenor and lovingly stroked the figure in her arms. Life blood poured from a massive rent in their side and flowed down the mountain. From this stream the insectoid actor suckled before continuing its way upwards. It held a threateningly long note, shaking the entire hall, as it crested the peak and readied itself to finish off the remaining lover.
Caendoros jumped from his seat and held onto the edge of the viewing box, his knuckles white with anticipation. The orchestra ascended in pitch and frequency to a feverish level. The tenor let the dead lover slip from her arms and rose to face her insectoid pursuer. As the creature launched itself forward at a frightening speed, blades arching out like deadly stingers the orchestra abruptly cut off. The moment seemed to hang in time, Caendoros could hear the blood pumping in his ears. The tenor then jumped, narrowly avoiding the blades and began to plummet off the mountain until she flew. Great white wings spread out from her back and just meters from the ground she swung upwards and broke into a hauntingly beautiful aria. There were no instruments, no sound but the tragic voice of the tenor as she flew outward, over the crowd and past the private viewing boxes. Caendoros didn’t know the words she sang but he understood the meaning.
The rest of that memory was blurred in his mind. There was a commotion behind him and before Caendoros could register what had happened he felt a terrible pain in his back. He convulsed and seized on the marble floor biting his own tongue and slamming his skull. As tears filled his eyes he saw the fading figure of his father and bodyguards strike out at the assassin. Caendoros had awoken sometime later, alone in the black laboratories. He thought immediately of the tenor and her tragic aria.
Movement caught his attention. He turned to Tarkor-Vel and his Kroot who had shifted towards the door. A rune signaled and Tarkor gestured and the door was opened. Siojinn bowed, his membranous wings gently unfolded outward.
“Solarite Caendoros.”
Caendoros simply nodded in response and turned back to the stage. Siojinn recognized the obvious slight and stiffened his back.
“You are summoned at Vivek’s Folly. Words from friends beyond the city.”
“They can wait. I’ve only just arrived.”
Siojinn approached under careful scrutiny of the Kroot guards. He looked down onto the stage. A Harlequin sang a horrible contralto as they crawled gutted on the steps of the temple. Caendoros laughed. He loved the opera.
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