99 OTHER MONSTROUS OR D-BEE REALMS Realms full of D-Bees and monsters are exactly what long range thermonuclear missiles are stockpiled for. No, really, check the Coalition Field Manual. Foreign Relations FREE QUEBEC Chi-Town and Quebec enjoy normalized trade relations, and even share intel on their inhuman foes, with priority given to intel coordination regarding the Splugorth forces operating throughout North America. THE NEW GERMAN REPUBLIC The CS and the NGR need each other too much to completely sever diplomatic ties, though direct trade between the two nations has been reduced and capped as part of the new pact between the Coalition and Northern Gun. To control the exploding Xiticix population, the CS resorted to a standing bounty. Coalition officials blindly pay bounties to “Bug Hunter” teams made up solely of spell casters or D-Bees (provided a human liaison). BOUNTIES 250 credits: Nannies or Workers 500 credits: Diggers or Warriors 750 credits: Leapers 1000 credits: Hunter/Scouts 1500 credits: Super Warriors 100,000 credits: Young Queens 500,000 credits: Elder Queens XITICIX BOUNTIES Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
100 NORTHERN GUN Ishpeming and Manistique are valuable allies and candidates for eventual statehood. With CS propaganda already having an impact in the region, the outlook is good. TEXAS The invisible “third front” during the Coalition’s simultaneous wars with Tolkeen and Free Quebec, Texas proves to be a thorn in the Emperor’s side. They see the people and societies of the Texas Freelands as little better than the barbarians of the Pecos Badlands (the CS refuses to refer to them as an Empire). Until the opportune time comes, High C o m m a n d tolerates the status quo and slowly regains stability in the region by shoring up Lone Star, El Dorado, the Oklahoma territory, and the Simmons Line. LAZLO Per the map of the “20 Year Plan of CS Expansion” hanging in the Coalition High Command’s break room, the areas containing Lazlo and New Lazlo are tentatively penciled in for invasion in the Summer of 125 P.A., before it gets too cold for a proper blitzkrieg. Arms Dealing Factions The simplest fact about life in the PostApocalypse is “might makes right,” especially when dealing with the dark things crawling from the Rifts. TRIAX INDUSTRIES Triax observers and military advisors on the ground in southern Arkansas train El Dorado forces in the operation and maintenance of their military-restricted gear like the T-31 Super Trooper, X-535 Hunter, and X-545 Super Hunter. GOLDEN AGE WEAPONSMITHS Headquartered in the Redstone Arsenal, some in the CS High Command secretly root for this fledgling power, a humandominated consortium of city-states bringing some order to the southeast. WILK’S LASER TECHNOLOGIES While Wilk’s firearms have been added to the list of outlawed weapons, the CS keeps purchasing their chips and other technical parts, because the quality really is hard to match. BANDITO ARMS & THE BLACK MARKET The Bandito Arms-produced SAMAS power armor caused a commotion because they expose the lie of the Coalition designing the SAMAS. Both TOMORROW LEGIONNAIRE Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
101 the CS and Bandito Arms recovered the design from Golden Age schematics. Multiple Coalition teams dispatched to track down the Bandito production facilities have failed to even get past the Great Barrier Wall. NARUNI ENTERPRISES & LOS ALAMO Countless Naruni sales clerks and customers met brutal ends, but the interdimensional arms dealers don’t give up easily. Los Alamo and MercTown are strongholds of Naruni sales and distribution, with Roswell recently joining the list. The Pecos Badlands, Texas Freelands, and New West are areas where Naruni arms sales are making a comeback, out of the reach of Coalition forces. Like the rest of unincorporated Texas, Los Alamo is on the Emperor’s “to-do list.” Other Factions & Peoples The following are some of the more notable factions not yet mentioned, listed from “least likely to be shot” to “most likely to be gunned down after some discussion.” PSI-STALKER TRIBES Psi-Stalkers and the Coalition get along wonderfully. Both hate anything slithering out of a Rift, and Psi-Stalker tribes and clans have come to the rescue of embattled Coalition troops innumerable times. This has engendered reciprocation from CS forces and a growing mutual respect. The relationship allows the CS military to recruit and field many PsiStalkers—the only way a Psi-Stalker could be happy in Coalition society. HUMAN MUTANTS Unlike the Quebecois, Coalition society does not see the human mutant, psychic, or deformed barbarian as something to hate. In fact, Coalition troops and citizens usually react with pity. Instantlysequenced DNA tests are stringently used to ensure deformed squatters and beggars in the burbs are humans and not D-Bees. THE LAWMEN Whether it be the Cyber-Knights, Justice Rangers, Tundra Rangers, Reid’s Rangers, 1st Apocalyptic Cavalrymen, or members of similar groups who bring law and order to the wastelands of Rifts Earth, they and the Coalition often have a complicated relationship. Overall, the Coalition likes lawmen, but their brand of justice qualifies as vigilantism. However, lawmen often save Coalition lives, exemplified by the Cyber-Knight rescue of Lady Prosek. They are given a wide berth if their brand of justice doesn’t impinge on CS territory or operations. THE FIRST NATIONS AND NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES They are human, but the indigenous North American tribes largely eschew technology and practice shamanistic magic. Even worse, many tribes, like the Apache and Comanche, actively raid the Coalition, with many leading Pecos Raider warbands. If indigenous North American tribal warriors gather in significant numbers near Coalition borders or operations, or even look at a Dead Boy commander cross-eyed, they are likely to be the recipients of incoming artillery. THE JUICER ARMY OF LIBERATION In preparation for the assault on Tolkeen, the Coalition implemented a scheme devised by the corrupt Colonel Lyboc. The Coalition claimed to have developed a “Prometheus Treatment” in concert with a company called Ultra-Tech Industries (UTI), which would allow Juicers to avoid “last call” and live twenty to thirty Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
102 years longer than usual (with the typical Juicer life expectancy of four to six years, this was a miracle). In exchange for the treatment, Juicers would join the front lines in the Siege on Tolkeen. There was a trick, though, the Prometheus Treatment was a sham. When somebody figured it out, the Coalition suddenly had to deal with a rampaging horde of over ten thousand Juicers who had flocked to their call for volunteers. In stepped Julian, a Mega-Juicer destined to lead the Juicer Uprising. The Juicers tore down the Coalition-allied city of Newtown in Arkansas, and the UTI clinic set up to supply the fake treatment. To everyone’s surprise, UTI was a front for alien invaders known as the Vallax, and all hell broke loose. When the dust cleared, the Vallax and their TechnoZombie Juicers were defeated, the city of Newtown had been completely leveled, and the Coalition military had a stinging public defeat by the forces under Julian the First, now formed into the Juicer Army of Liberation (JAL), an army determined to hurt the Coalition at all costs. Half a decade later, the JAL fights on. They have battled the Pecos Barbarians, vampires in Mexico, and Coalition forces across the region. Most recently, they clashed with CS forces during their campaign against Free Quebec, following which they marched for Tolkeen only to arrive a few days too late. The army remains under the command of Julian the First, and although his body should have burned out long ago, the famous MegaJuicer continues to lead his men against their sworn enemy from the front lines. THE TOMORROW LEGION AND THE COALITION Recent clashes throughout the unincorporated territories of Missouri and El Dorado prove the Tomorrow Legion an extremely capable vanguard force for the burgeoning city-state of Castle Refuge. The Legionnaires may be called on to conduct various special COALITION ENCOUNTERS D20 RESULT 1–10 Same results as in The Game Master’s Handbook. 11–13 Coalition Recon-in-Force: Same results as in The Game Master’s Handbook, but substitute forces with entries from this book. 14 –15 Xiticix: Same results as in The Game Master’s Handbook, but twice as many. 16 Wandering Monsters: As the Wandering Monsters result in The Game Master’s Handbook (typical in this region are Wild Vampires, Gargoyles, Brodkil, Neuron Beasts, Thornhead Demons, or Witchlings). 17–18 Black Market Smuggling Operation: Same result as in The Game Master’s Handbook. 19 Splugorth Slaver: Same result as in The Game Master’s Handbook. Roll a d6: on a 6 result, a Cyber-Knight (or Tundra Ranger in the far north, use Wilderness Scout) arrive in 1d4+1 rounds. 20 Same result as in The Game Master’s Handbook. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
103 operations within Coalition territory to free captive allies, extract high value targets, or retrieve sensitive data damaging to the Coalition. ENCOUNTERS IN THE COALITION TERRITORIES To generate encounters in Coalition territories, use the new Coalition Encounters table in conjunction with the Game Master’s Handbook. SAVAGE TALE: AS ABOVE, SO BELOW A sinkhole appears in the middle of a small town, forcing the team to act. After helping to save the survivors, the heroes stay the night only to awake the next morning to an uncovered conspiracy. Coalition spies are revealed and try to make good their escape. Can the Legionnaires help bring justice to this small farming town? A CRUMBLING FOUNDATION While on patrol, the heroes come across a farming town with signs saying, “Welcome to Summerfield.” Although within the official borders of the Coalition, Summerfield does not seem to be a CS settlement as the Legionnaires can clearly see D-Bee children playing happily in the streets. As the heroes enter the outskirts of the town, they feel an earthquake and hear screams of horror mixed with the sounds of a massive landslide. A large rundown apartment buildings close to the center of town starts sinking into the ground. After a few moments of sheer madness, only panic and frenzied screams for assistance remain. The scene turns into a kicked-over anthill, with no organization or leaders to be found. The heroes can assist and help organize relief efforts as a Crisis Quick Encounter using Athletics, Persuasion (to calm bystanders), Repair, and similar skills. Heroes failing their rolls may result in Wounds (see Dangerous Encounters in Savage Worlds) or civilian casualties. The Legionnaires become the de facto leaders in the rescue efforts which take until at least sunset. The team is offered free rooms at the town’s only inn and hailed as heroes for their assistance in that day’s events. The town’s Mayor, Luke Tauzin, accompanied by his daughter, Diva Tauzin, tells the characters the community will hold a rally for them tomorrow evening at the mayor’s mansion. Mayor Luke Tauzin seems to be a typical snake oil salesman politician, while his daughter, wellarmed, oozes the slightly unhinged confidence of a Crazy. With a successful Notice roll, characters can see her lowprofile M.O.M. implants. DIGGING UP THE TRUTH The innkeeper wakes the team the next morning. He alerts them that the sinkhole has revealed some sort of bunker, and someone is trying to get out of it. The people need the heroes’ help once more. When the Legionnaires get to the sinkhole, they find a large underground facility was exposed by shifting earth over the course of the night. The bunker is damaged, and either a Science or Repair roll at −2 reveals that it once connected to the foundation of the mayor’s mansion. The sounds of people trying to escape the facility echo out of the sinkhole. Suddenly an explosion knocks out the back wall of the bunker and CS grunts come out with guns blazing. After the first few casualties, the CS troops surrender. With a successful Intimidation or Persuasion check, the heroes can learn what transpired in the bunker. On a success, the Legionnaires Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
104 find out the CS experimented on the D-Bees. They also learn the Mayor is a Coalition plant to hinder all the missing persons investigations, so the townspeople would not learn the truth. On a raise, the Scientist, Jesse Rampton, admits they had nearly completed their project. They sent the DNA they extracted to Doctor Desmond Bradford for his experiments at the Lone Star Complex. After this, the heroes feel the crowd’s buzzing anger growing with the discovery of the Coalition’s betrayal. A lynch mob marches on the Mayor’s mansion. Through the bars of his mansion’s gates, Mayor Tauzin attempts to calm the mob. He fails. As the crowd tears down the gates and storms the courtyard, the Mayor escapes into his fortified mansion. Tires screech as a tricked-out Mountaineer ATV crashes through the garage door. With cover fire from Diva, Mayor Luke attempts to escape the town he tricked for so long. Coalition Grunts (4, plus 1 per hero): See page 186. Coalition Technical Soldiers (1 per hero): Medic MOS, see Savage Foes of North America. Coalition Commando: See page 182. Jesse Rampton, Coalition Scientist (Cyber-Doc): Unarmed and avoids combat, see Savage Foes of North America. KICK THE TIRES AND LIGHT THE FIRES The townsfolk demand the Legionnaires chase down the traitors in their Mountaineer ATV (see Chases and Vehicles in Savage Worlds). The fleeing Tauzins start on Chase Card 3 while the Legionnaires begin on Card 1. Diva shoots at any pursuers with a focus on disabling enemies (shooting out tires, and so on) while her father drives. Diva Tauzin (Crazy): See Savage Foes of North America. E Mayor Luke Tauzin (Vagabond Merchant): See Savage Foes of North America. If the heroes successfully catch the ATV, Diva and Luke try to buy time engaging the heroes in a last stand. After two rounds of combat or if the pair gets five cards between themselves and the Legionnaires in the chase, backup arrives in a huge way. The Legionnaires faces down one of the Coalition’s most elite robot vehicles, the Hellraiser. Coalition Elite RPA Pilots (3): Piloting a single Hellraiser, see page 183. Coalition Elite RPA Pilots (2): Piloting Maulers, see page 182. Coalition Grunts (4+1 per hero): use the CS Squad Weapons Loadouts, see page 186. IAR HELLRAISER Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
105 CHAPTER SEVEN T he “Domain of Man” is a wide strip of land, from Texas to Quebec, where human civilization flourishes once again. At the center of the Domain of Man are the Coalition States, but other important empires reside in the region. FREE QUEBEC The traditions and linguistic roots of Free Quebec gave it a unique identity since before the Great Cataclysm. Recently freed from the yoke of Chi-Town’s leadership, the human supremacist nation took its place as an industrial, commercial, and military giant second only to the Coalition States. Quebec’s legendary Glitter Boy Legion and famed naval traditions have repeatedly ensured the society’s freedom. As the isolationist nation of Free Quebec fights to selfdetermine its role in North America, the path its people choose will ultimately influence the future of all societies on the continent. Background With the Coming of the Rifts and resulting decimation of human life, the province of Quebec fared better than New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and the East Coast of the old American Empire. The City of Quebec was one of the few centers of civilization for hundreds of miles to hold off total collapse. During the Two Hundred Years Dark Age, the city was battered by constant warfare with supernatural forces. Finally, the Quebecois had enough rebuilding their home city in its pre-apocalyptic image and struck out to found a “New Quebec City,” a monolithic fortress arcology, 100 miles to the northwest, where their families live safely. Eventually, the city of “Old Quebec” became known as Old Bones, a ramshackle community that regained life in the protective shadow of the new fortified Quebec City. THE DOMAIN OF MAN Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
106 FOREVER FREE! “Forever free!” was the battle cry of the Quebecois as other cities in the region fell to the predations of demon infestations, magical forces, and war. “Free” became a defining cultural tenet, and the nation adopted it as a part of their capital and nation's name and identity. Smaller, heavily fortified communities built in the likeness of Free Quebec City helped to turn the tide of destruction and allowed their society to survive the otherworldly forces drawn to the ley line activity of the Saint Lawrence River Valley. Fortunately, the Quebecois lived at a distance from the most destructive dimension-warping activities of Rifts Earth, but the fledgling nation watched in horror as supernatural forces utterly wiped out the human survivor communities in places like Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. GLITTER BOY LEGIONS Everything changed for Free Quebec when, legends tell, their explorers unearthed a cache of 288 “USA-G10” power armor suits. These power suits were the pinnacle weapons systems of the Golden Age of Technology and formed Quebec’s first Glitter Boy legion. The armored juggernauts enabled Free Quebec to push back the tides of evil infesting their homeland. With safety came untold economic stability, growth, and development. Soon, trading posts, farming communities, natural resource boomtowns, and even small cities began to spring up around the vibrant city-state. These satellite communities flooded the nation with requests for trade agreements, alliance, and protection. Over time, these independent communities assimilated and integrated into the laws and culture of Free Quebec, forming a nascent Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
107 state built on the tenets of nationalism, socialism, self-sufficiency, and the sanctity and purity of human life. A COALITION OF HUMAN STATES At the inception of the Coalition States, there was no Emperor, only a dream of the human nations of North America establishing a network of political, economic, and military alliances. This coalition of states would assist each other as needed and promote humanity’s place in the world, all while allowing each member state to remain autonomous. In 51 P.A., the people of Free Quebec voted to join the Coalition States. They were wary of giving up their independence but acted for the betterment of humanity. The unified currency, laws, communications protocols, military technologies, and sense of purpose allowed each of the member states to flourish like never before. Humans truly left the Dark Ages behind them. FROM DISILLUSION TO DISUNION For its first few decades as a member state, things went well for Free Quebec as the Coalition States slowly integrated their economic, military, and political practices. Over time, Free Quebec found its political clout within the Coalition systematically eroded. As the second most powerful State behind Chi-Town, Free Quebec resented the fact Iron Heart had an equal say in events. Iron heart exacerbated this by always backing ChiTown’s proposals and never siding with Free Quebec on any significant issues. Next, the fledgling territories of Missouri and Lone Star were admitted into the Coalition as full member states. Missouri was little more than an agricultural colony of Chi-Town, and Lone Star, while the site of an important military research outpost, was an un-unified territory overcome by lawlessness and raiders. Now the deck was stacked with “States” always voting in line with Chi-Town. Then the charismatic Chairman, Joseph Prosek, was assassinated and succeeded by his ambitious son Karl Prosek, who soon declared himself “Emperor.” The patience of the National Assembly of Free Quebec began to be truly tested, and its people disillusioned. Rumors about Chi-Town developing a new generation of military hardware and hiding it from Free Quebec spread. Prosek urged Free Quebec to adopt the new Skelebot weapon system en masse, but Quebecois commanders demurred, wondering if the bots might contain secret access codes to turn them against the Quebecois. Emperor Prosek made demands and tried to punish Free Quebec for its nonconformity to his vision. The treasure of the nation, the famed Glitter Boy Legion, must be dismantled. The Quebecois must integrate the vile, inhuman, mutant Dog Boys into Free Quebec’s military. Free Quebec could no longer field Juicer and Cyborg military units. Independent trade of arms and technology with the New German Republic was no longer allowed, nor could they develop their own weapon systems. Free Quebec’s leaders refused to be bullied, and the Quebecois ultimately voted to secede from the Coalition States. The Emperor, furious, denounced the leadership of Free Quebec as traitors to humanity. He publicly unveiled an entirely new generation of advanced weapons systems, which had indeed been developed and produced in secret, and declared war against Free Quebec as part of a Campaign of Unity to merge the human-dominated areas of North America. THE QUEBEC DOUBLE-CROSS The Coalition States were now engaged in a two-front war with Tolkeen to the Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
108 west and Free Quebec to the east. As Coalition forces prepared to mount a joint land and sea invasion to the east, the Free Quebec Navy dealt the CS Great Lakes Fleet a swift and crushing defeat. Coalition leadership, from top to bottom, doubted the probability of successful action against Free Quebec. On land, neither side engaged in anything more than border skirmishes. Then the CS war with Tolkeen turned white hot, and a force of thousands of sorcerers and their demonic minions emerged on the eastern front. They secretly entreated with Free Quebec, unveiling a plan to ambush the Coalition army from the rear while the Free Quebec commanders engaged them from the front. The leadership of Free Quebec signed the agreement with the loathsome Tolkeen ambassadors, never intending to honor the deal, moved in a brigade of Violator SAMAS and a Glitter Boy Legion to “ensure success,” and then prepared to double-cross the despicable magic-users. As soon as Tolkeen’s demonic horde, bolstered by cutthroat mercenaries, tried to spring their ambush on the Coalition army, the forces of Free Quebec attacked them point-blank, and a savage, bloody battle ensued. There were thousands more demons than the Tolkeenites had initially indicated, and during the direst fighting, the Coalition came to the rescue! Battling back-to-back, the troopers of Free Quebec and the Coalition “Dead Boys” routed the infernal army. Once the dust cleared and Emperor Prosek realized what had happened, he declared Free Quebec “champions of humanity” and “courageous heroes.” Instead of pressing the war, Prosek deftly shifted his political posture, publicly and officially recognizing Free Quebec as a “free and sovereign nation.” The Coalition then concentrated its war effort on the bitter siege of Tolkeen, and within months, Tolkeen and her allies fell. Quebec enjoyed the unexpected cessation of hostilities and soon received CS overtures to normalize trade and relations. Life in Free Quebec Free Quebec’s socialist system of government allows its people to enjoy universal access to formal education, historical documents, and literature. While the society’s commitment to education is laudable, the brutal experiences of over three centuries of unending conflict with the supernatural color their history books and cultural memory. This results in a close-minded perverse nationalism rejecting anything and anyone not fitting into their traditional sense of the acceptable. Those critical of life in Free Quebec are shunned. Psychics, free-thinkers, and political dissidents who make too many waves face recrimination and often outright violence—not from the government but from the people. The Quebecois are immensely patriotic and extremely proud of their achievements. THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The National Assembly is a legislative body made up of the ministers and aristocracy who each represent the various kingdoms and settlements of the nation. Some of the ministers are voted into power, others are elected, and still others gain it through intrigue and stratagem at the local level. The Prime Minister chooses the most powerful ministers to be his key advisors. They make policy decisions and administer the various organs of government. AN UNNERVING BRAND OF HUMAN SUPREMACY D-Bees in Free Quebec? There aren’t any. The human supremacist outlook of the average Quebecois makes even the most Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
109 hard-core Coalition bigot look downright moderate by comparison. The citizens of Free Quebec detest any sentient life who is not 100% pure-strain human. The Quebecois barely tolerate the existence of human mutants. Psi-Stalkers and psychics of any degree are ID-tagged, physically branded, and socially excluded from all but the most menial or degrading work. No openly psychic sensitives serve in the military, and psychics cannot enter civic service as government employees or political representatives. The citizens regard humans with obvious mutations and mutant animals like Dog Boys as only one step above D-Bees and are beaten and run out of town—or worse. Anyone discovering they have a latent psionic ability or mutation can either try to hide their aberration or leave Free Quebec for life elsewhere. In a humanitarian gesture, the government created a relocation program for undesirables. After relinquishing their citizenship, they receive 30,000 credits and their choice of either a hover vehicle or travel arrangements to another location in North America. It is a “kind” form of exile, from which the mutant can never return. LES SOLDATS DE ST. JEAN The political organization called les Soldats de St. Jean (The Soldiers of St. John) infests Free Quebec society from the armored neighborhoods of Quebec City to the most rural villages. The organization is ultra-violent where D-Bees and mages are concerned, and staunchly pro-Quebecois. They detest the Emperor, his family, and the Coalition States. They reserve their true hatred, however, for the inhuman. Members of les Soldats organize citizen “D-Bee hunting parties” to patrol their lands and purge anything alien or “unnatural.” Moreover, les Soldats possess a special animosity for “D-Bee lovers” and regard anyone who freely associates with D-Bees as traitors to their race who need to be purged alongside the “monsters.” This includes any humans who trade, travel, or share a meal with a D-Bee. Some use these sentiments to mask their true motivations to rob, rape, and kill. The Armed Forces of Free Quebec While Free Quebec was a member state in the Coalition, their military was the model of Coalition standards (except the Glitter Boy Legion and the absence of mutants like Psi-Stalkers or Dog Boys). While the Quebecois rarely mobilized their forces for anything but defense, the soldiers of Free Quebec often deployed in support of CS operations in other parts of the country. Since the civil war, Free Quebec still employs old-style CS gear which has been cosmetically updated to have its own distinctive appearance. THE QUEBEC REGULAR ARMY The average Free Quebec grunt is the rough equivalent of the line infantryman in any Coalition State. Quebec’s warriors are some of the most highly motivated, trained, and professional soldiers in the world. The Regular Army forms the bulk of the Free Quebec Military and uses the same rank structure, salary, and administration as the Coalition military. Before the CS allowed Borgs and Juicers into their ranks, Free Quebec had already begin using them extensively. This means their Borg and Juicer units are experienced at employing their capabilities in concert with regular forces. Infantry Companies are deployed in Mark V APCs, with hoverjeeps and hovercycles providing recon capabilities. Quebec’s native Violator SAMAS (“V-SAM”) units often provide rapid response capabilities as well. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
110 Quebec Rapid Deployment Forces (QRDF) are on-call units ready to deploy at a moment’s notice and can remain in the field without logistical support for extended lengths of time. They resemble the “cavalry” in the Old American West or air assault units in the old American Empire. Wherever trouble erupts, the QRDF comes in to save the day. They employ Glitter Boys carried in GB6-96 VTOL armored transports and Death’s Head Transports carrying special forces, Cyborgs, Juicers, Violator SAMAS, regular infantry, and support personnel. Army Recce Battalions are infantry units specializing in ground patrols and holding operations. Recce units go on long missions into remote wilderness areas with no backup to perform peacekeeping or pacification operations when necessary (i.e. law enforcement). These units usually consist of infantry in Mark V APCs, Cougar Hover Jeeps, and Spider Skull Walkers. Violator SAMAS, Cyborgs, and Juicers are attached to the mission as deemed necessary. Storm Troopers are units composed exclusively of heavy infantry Cyborgs and Juicers usually broken up and attached to other units in the army. Occasionally, Storm Troopers consolidate into company sized units for especially dangerous or challenging missions. The Armored Corps units are composed of power armor, tanks, giant robots, and other combat vehicles (other than Glitter Boys). These units provide raw firepower, suppress enemy infantry, battle hardened enemy targets, demolish fortifications, and overpower entrenched positions to infantry units. Common armored vehicles include the Enforcer, Spider Skull Walker, and Mark V APC. The Glitter Boy Legions The famed Glitter Boy Legion was previously thought by most observers to number in the hundreds, near the same number as the 288 original members counted in the legends of the Dark Ages. The National Assembly intentionally maintained this charade with the intention of striking a balance between intimidating foes and alerting Chi-Town high command to their true power. Free Quebec secretly held the technology of Glitter Boy production for over a century. For generations the nation’s great military quietly and secretly stockpiled the awesome power armor suits in underground bunkers and redoubts. Faced with the threat of war against the Coalition States, the Prime Minister ordered the full deployment of the Glitter Boy Legions. Over ten thousand Glitter Boys and their elite pilots now stand ready to defend the homeland. Easy to produce “Tee-Five-Fifties” bolster the legions. Free Quebec acquired these facsimiles of the legendary power suit, newly designed by Triax Industries, as part of a cooperation agreement. In fact, with Triax’s help, the Fortress City of Free Quebec now has an ultra-modern T-550 manufacturing facility tucked away in a secret, secure location within the bowels of the city. Small detachments of USAG10s and T-550s are occasionally attached to regular army units, but the famed power armor suits are deployed in large numbers, a.k.a. “Legions,” where they can fight together in massed formations and utterly decimate their opponents. THE QUEBEC AIR FORCE CORPS The pilots of the Air Force Corps specialize in ground attack, anti-armor, and airto-air dog fighting. The Free Quebec military only recently began expanding and modernizing their air forces, and as a result it is only about a quarter of the strength of the Coalition Army Air Corps. The Quebec Air Force Corps lacks in development and diversification. While they employ the effective Violator Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
111 SAMAS and old-style Sky Cycles, the closest thing they have to conventional fighter aircraft are Northern Gun Sky Kings. They purchased the remarkable craft in massive quantities until the recent trade alliance between the CS and Northern Gun. Since then, their procurement slowed to a modest trickle of backchannel purchases. THE QUEBEC NAVY The violent reality of Rifts Earth, combined with the nation’s coastal geography, engendered a strong naval tradition in the Quebecois culture. The sailors of the Quebec Navy are some of the best mariners in the known world. The Free Quebec leadership first proposed a formal Navy for the Coalition States. Free Quebec designed and tested most of the vessels of the Coalition Navy. Superior training and tactics allowed the Quebec Navy to rip the Coalition Great Lakes fleet to pieces. The Coalition lost half of their naval personnel, and three quarters of their ships were sunk. This resounding defeat of Coalition Naval Forces confined the Coalition Army to a logistically nightmarish ground campaign against Quebec, which Emperor Prosek smartly abandoned once he had a politically palatable pretext. LE SÛRETÉ DU QUÉBEC (THE SQ) Le Sûreté is the intelligence agency assigned to national security and coordinates closely with the Regular Army’s military intelligence. The SQ maintains a far-flung network of spies and informants who it employs to stay constantly apprised of threats like rebel groups, foreign saboteurs, and infiltrators. The highly competent organization has a reputation like the Mossad of pre-Rifts times. The SQ successfully uncovered the evidence of Chi-Town’s secret development of next generation weapons and equipment for use in war against Free Quebec. The agency compiled countless dossiers on influential people inside each of the Coalition States, Northern Gun, Iron Heart, and more, even as far away as the Pecos Empire. SQ agents quietly wait and watch everywhere in North Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
112 America, prepared to act if it becomes in the interest of their nation. The City of Free Quebec Free Quebec is an advanced nation, just behind the Coalition and the New German Republic in overall technology. In the protective shadow of the City of Free Quebec, dozens of settlements thrive. Most cities have a fortified downtown area giving way to an urban landscape covered in factories, office buildings, hospitals, schools, markets, theaters, sports arenas, and communications centers. The Fortress City of Free Quebec is an exception to the normal communities of the nation and stands like a manufactured mountain of molecularly bonded metal towering into the heavens. The fortress arcology resembles the design of ChiTown, though the people of Quebec knew nothing of that nascent city-state when they began construction during the Two Centuries Dark Age. The national radio station, CFQC, or Radio Free Quebec, keeps the public informed of current events, military news, and political affairs. The radio personalities of CFQC sympathize with the violent political faction les Soldats de St. Jean and advocated a Quebec truly “free” of the machinations of a foreign Emperor for over a decade. At first, their derision was subtle, but over the years, and with each outrageous demand by the Prosek regime, they shifted public opinion further and further from where it started. The radio station is a fixture in popular Quebecois culture. It broadcasts to the far ends of the region using the national network of radio repeater towers. Old Bones The City of Old Bones, once the great preRifts city of old Quebec, is a self-governing trading community and a political and societal no-man’s zone, just how Free Quebec likes it. The bawdy city never sleeps, and its people revel in its status as a loud, lawless haven for cutthroats, mercenaries, and freebooters. An eclectic mix of architecture left standing after the city was rebuilt a dozen times during the Dark Ages comprises much of the city, along with dirty streets and graffiti. The city is famous for its rumor mill, with the newest conspiracy theories and outrageous stories coursing through the streets of the ancient settlement, eternally fed by the travelers from distant lands. Even in a city of illicit pleasures and free trade without government oversight, D-Bees and mages keep a low profile, as their kind spontaneously “disappear” without a trace. East Ruins is the place to find entertainment and satisfy vices in Old Bones. The district maintains casinos, gambling halls, drug dens, taverns, brothels, and other houses of ill-repute. Hotels house and restaurants feed the constant swarm of people visiting the chaotic city. The native tight-knit community of Old Bones solves their own problems and look out for one another. When the rough clientele cause trouble, someone always intervenes and prevents violence. The Trade Center attracts people from everywhere. There are Body-Chop-Shops, Juicer augmentation clinics, illegal arms dealers, sellers of banned books, Operator garages, and merchants of all other stripes located in the dilapidated district. The Black Market, with a strong presence in the Trade Center, brazenly peddles in the arcane and slaves. Unknown to most in the city, informants on the payroll of Free Quebec constantly feed the government information gleaned from adventurers, mercenaries, and vagabonds passing through the area. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
113 Quebecois Worldview & Relations Unlike the Coalition State of Chi-Town with their expansionist policies and wars, Free Quebec is an isolationist nation at heart. It will take generations for them to settle and cultivate the lands that they already carved out for themselves. THE COALITION STATES The citizens of Free Quebec still feel relieved. They stared down the might of the Coalition war machine and didn’t flinch. Their navy acquitted itself well, and their army famously gave no quarter to the D-Bees or the demons in the action known as the Free Quebec Double-Cross. This made the pride of the Quebecois swell to levels until now considered impossible and gained the loving adoration of the Coalition citizenry. They even earned the forgiveness of Emperor Prosek himself—a man most Quebecois don’t trust. THE NEW GERMAN REPUBLIC The New German Republic (NGR) and Free Quebec learned that have more in common than they realized. Both peoples see D-Bees and magic as an existential threat. Both cultures emphasize personal freedoms, education, and openness to innovative ideas. Both countries, though socialist in nature, have leaders who govern at the will of the people. Both societies are insular and isolationist by nature, and they only fight an unending war out of constant need. In many ways, the New German Republic more resembles Free Quebec than it does any other known nation of Rifts Earth, including the Coalition. The sharing of technical knowledge regarding Glitter Boy manufacture began a growing trade alliance, and trade volume now surpasses the NGR's trade with the CS. The Germans and Quebecois are now friendly allies. Free Quebec exports vital foodstuffs and raw materials to the NGR in exchange for advanced equipment and technical supplies, and the nations even trade literature, art, and entertainment products (both pre-Cataclysm and postCataclysm, including many items banned in Coalition territory). Both societies' hunger for cultural exchange helped them come together on a surprisingly emotional level, each sensing kindred spirits under siege in a crazy postapocalyptic world gone mad. NORTHERN GUN Northern Gun and Free Quebec never enjoyed an especially strong trading relationship. Free Quebec always resented and distrusted Northern Gun for their indiscriminate sales of arms and armor to D-Bees, raiders, and pirates. Since the alliance between the Coalition States and Northern Gun cemented, Free Quebec no longer openly buys Northern Gun equipment, but at least the citystate is inducted into the fold of human supremacy. THE CITY STATE OF LAZLO Lazlo is a strange enigma to the people of Quebec because, while they purport to be a peaceful nation, they openly embrace magic and the alien. The Quebecois honestly believe D-Bees and supernatural beings are insidiously evil at their core. For almost half a century they have watched and waited for the facade to fall and reveal the denizens of Lazlo as a malevolent force. They are still waiting. THE MINIONS OF SPLUGORTH The strange continent is impenetrable to direct intelligence efforts. All agents of la Sûreté de Québec vanish without a trace. They only have rumors regarding the fabled continent of Atlantis itself to go on, and if what they hear is true, then Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
114 the Splugorth and their minions pose a nightmarish threat to all life on RiftsEarth. All reports point to an interdimensional empire using a combination of magic, traditional science, and supernatural living beings as components in their technology (often lobotomized). The agents know for certain that slaver minions of the Splugorth raid the coasts of North America to capture humans, D-Bees, and monstrous creatures for sale throughout their empire. The Slavers favor the Atlantic coast but have been sighted in the Gulf of Mexico. They brazenly probe deeper inland every year. Each time the Quebec Navy engage Splugorth vessels the combat turns out weird and terrifying. As a result, free Quebec’s leadership is intimidated by the idea of confronting a vast nation of monsters. They worry open conflict with the Minions of Splugorth will set off a war the likes of which Earth has never witnessed. THE SHEMARRIAN NATION The Shemarrian Uprising took the leadership in Free Quebec by surprise. Despite the best efforts of la Sûreté, the warrior women remain a mysterious people. It is thought they may be a society of human mutants, like the Psi-Stalkers, who developed a warrior ethos and veneration of bionic augmentation as a reward for and display of prowess in battle. The Amazonian warriors violently protect the vast unpopulated woodlands east of the Appalachian Mountains. Alarmingly, Shemarrian war parties appear in much greater numbers than were previously believed to exist, and they now move much further north than ever before. Fortunately, it seems the beast-riding amazons are up in arms against the Minions of Splugorth, whose raiding parties they track and hunt. Intelligence reports, though spotty, are certain neither Free Quebec, nor humans in general, are the target of the S h e m a r r i a n a g g r e s s i o n . The leadership of the nation secretly hopes the Shemarrians help contain the ever-bolder Splugorth incursions into North America. OTHER MONSTROUS OR D-BEE REALMS Other threats seem very far away to the isolationist Quebecois. The Federation of Magic, Xiticix, Pecos Empire, and rumored Vampire Kingdoms are credible threats Free Quebec can do little about. In truth, the people of Quebec see most of the problems as Chi-Town’s immediate concern and believe it the fault of the Coalition. The expansionist empire behaves like a child poking an ant Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
115 nest with a stick. The Quebecois prefer to tackle one problem at a time when possible. They worry the Coalition routinely bites off more than it can chew and may eventually choke to death on its Emperor’s ambition. THE GREAT LAKES KINGDOMS The Great Lakes are the lifeblood of trade and transportation in the Domain of Man, and the most active commercial area in Post-Apocalyptic North America. Thousands of rivers and countless lakes cover the region and account for one of humankind’s most valuable resources. After the return of the continent of Atlantis, worldwide water levels rose and deepened the waterways across the globe. Vast rivers and lakes now give nearly limitless supplies of fresh drinking water, fish, beavers, otters, waterfowls, and other animals valuable for their meat and pelts to humans and D-Bees of all walks of life. Hydroelectric facilities and watermills power industry. The immense waterways also act as the arteries of commerce and transport, replacing roads. However, this surplus attracts pirates and raiders. The Island Kingdom of Montreal Before the Coming of the Rifts, Montreal was a dense urban jungle built atop a pair of islands in the Saint Lawrence River, about 300 miles southwest of Old Quebec. The megalopolis was akin to New York City, only bigger. Montreal fought and survived the immediate aftermath of the Great Cataclysm, but eventually the city was decimated, and its people slaughtered. Since the end of the Dark Ages, the island once again came to life. It is claimed by no government, and is neither a kingdom nor a city-state, despite its name. Some refer to it as the “Pirate Kingdom of Montreal,” which is more accurate, and the transient and volatile nature of the island’s civilization leads other to leave it off maps. The city is a complete ruin of collapsed buildings, shanty-towns, and twisted relics of a bygone era. The Port Harbor Docks on the southwest end of the city are the most viable part of the “Kingdom” of Montreal and the center of trade. A grizzled old pirate runs Port Harbor, where the most fortunate denizens of Montreal live and work. His thugs ensure the area stays open and welcome to anyone with coin. The harbor has expansive docking, dry docking, and repair facilities. It includes taverns, pawn shops, tattoo parlors, drug dens, and houses of ill repute, along with a market square featuring more legitimate businesses. The Port Harbor Airport was recently redeveloped. A surprising number of pirate groups and cutthroats on the run make use of the unique facilities, which include ramshackle hangars, large illuminated runways, radio transponders, a fuel depot, and a garage specializing in aircraft, VTOLs, and hover equipment. North of Port Harbor, ruthless groups of thugs run the neighborhoods, with each gang controlling roughly half a dozen or more city blocks. The vindictive microkingdoms feud with each other over the pettiest of insults or misunderstandings. Whenever a group of outsiders interfere in the area, however, the gangs band together and violently drive them out. Small pirate fleets use the islands surrounding the city as private ports. The largest of them, Buzzard Island, once known as Île Bizard (“Weird Island” in French, butchered by the Americans), was requisitioned by a band of Yankee “sky pirates” who bulldozed an ancient Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
116 golf course into a makeshift airfield. The facilities at Port Harbor Airport allow unique operations like this to thrive. Mechanicsville Mechanicsville is located due east of Montreal where the Saint Francois River meets the “old 20” highway, which is miraculously still recognizable in many sections. The boomtown is a popular rest stop and supply post for mercs, bandits, adventurers, and explorers passing through the region. The settlement has a casino, stables with livery, arena, movie theater, general store, hotel, tavern, saloon, and boarding house, plus a wide array of specialty garages, gun dealers, and body-chop-shops. A guild of Operators run Mechanicsville. They are quite adept at repairing robot vehicles and other advanced machinery, and claim they can fix anything. With their advanced capabilities, the impressive mechanic facilities service massive war machines, often drawing in the Coalition, Free Quebec, or Tomorrow Legion teams. In addition, the town features an innovative hospital funded by the local guild, further broadening the city’s appeal to adventuring groups. The city is experiencing a tremendous period of sustained growth as it fills a need in the lawless wilderness. However, Mechanicsville is not a place for practitioners of magic to tarry. The residents remain patient if “their kind” don’t cause trouble or stick around too long, otherwise things get ugly. Willisburg North of Montreal and west of Mechanicsville, at the confluence of the Saint Francois and Saint Lawrence Rivers, sits the settlement of Willisburg. The town began as a general store and saloon founded by Daniel Willis and his family. They produce the wonderful “Willis Whiskey” and “Willis Gut Punch,” a potato-based moonshine that tastes like vodka and hits like a truck—a favorite of Juicers and Crazies. Despite its size, business in the small settlement exploded over the past few years. Willisburg is now “the” favorite watering hole for those on their way to Montreal or Mechanicsville. The general store is booming, and other businesses are springing up in town. Daniel Willis and his family couldn’t be happier. The Free City of Queenston Harbor Every day, millions of credits change hands in the wealthy city-state of Queenston. The city started as a free port where pirates, privateers, and vessels from any kingdom or country could dock and trade. At any given time, an eclectic array of ships crowd the harbor, hosting everyone from Splugorth-aligned traders to Coalition mariners (a frigate limped in for emergency repairs after action against the Quebec Navy). An imposing stone wall, with cannon towers regular space along its length, protects the city. A fleet of retro-stylized frigates and a company of town guard constantly patrol Queenston Harbor. The dock area is the epicenter of dozens of taverns, casinos, drug dens, and inns. Traveling further away from the docks, one can find shops specializing in magic items, healers, officially branded weapons dealers, Operator garages, Cyber-Doc clinics, plus an open-air market where loot, exotic weapons, equipment, and cybernetics are briskly traded. A cadre of dwarven stonemasons built most of the city’s Victorian-styled structures using massive, expertly fitted stone blocks. The most notable buildings include a small pyramid that calms ley line activity, a Greek-style temple to a D-Bee water goddess, and a marble Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
117 palace where Queen Lilia Seabreeze, the True Atlantean founder and regent of Queenston, resides and entertains guests who pique her fancy. Anyone familiar with Castle Refuge or Lazlo finds comforting familiarity in the architecture and general vibe of the bustling city. The Manitoulin Kingdom Fort Manitou, a fortified town, serves as the capital of the small Kingdom of Manitoulin. The king retains no standing army, just an elite personal guard. They enjoy friendly relations with CS Iron Heart to the north. The community has no love for magicians or D-Bees, who they bar from owning property. The commander of the Manitoulin Privateers and old friend of the king, Jae Mason, amassed an impressive little fleet of ships, power armor, and combat aircraft. The Manitoulin Privateers have been a major force in the recent trade wars on Lake Huron. The interruption of CS antipiracy operations caused a spike in raider activity, and the Manitoulin Privateers made a fortune picking up the slack by performing convoy duty and fulfilling contracts to eradicate pirate factions. The privateer fleet swelled with captured pirate vessels and arms, and this success benefited the Manitoulin Kingdom as the fleet’s demand for goods and services super-charged the local economy. Hudson Wheigh Technically not located on the Great Lakes, but in the nearby region north of the Xiticix Hivelands, the surprisingly prosperous city-state is located southwest of Hudson Bay along the Nelson River in the pre-Rifts territory of Manitoba. The city-state’s population is mostly human, with a large contingent of PsiStalkers and a small minority of D-Bees. They use technology equivalent to the twentieth century and supplement it with Techno-Wizardry of all sorts. The isolationist community refuses to open itself to outside trade yet is easily one of the wealthiest independent kingdoms in Canada. The city has a strong mining, smelting, and manufacturing base powered by hydroelectric energy, and the surrounding communities support it with successful logging, fishing, trapping, and agricultural industries (enabled using massive Techno-Wizardry greenhouses). The kingdom increasingly comes under attack by the Xiticix, but so far, the interdimensional pests have made no major incursions. NORTHERN GUN: ISHPEMING & MANISTIQUE Adorning everything from boots, to lanterns, to high-tech weaponry and power armor, the Northern Gun logo is one of the most recognizable symbols in North America. From the shores of Quebec to the deserts of the Pecos Empire, every major settlement uses or trades in their equipment. The corporation is a powerhouse, and one of the largest corporate states in existence. Northern Gun is a rare breed of state dominated entirely by industry: a megacorporation with corporate territorial holdings, employee-citizens, and company divisions functioning as the organs of state. Background Northern Gun dominates the nation of Ishpeming located in the Upper Peninsula of Northern Michigan. At the tail-end of the Golden Age of Humanity, the region enjoyed a renaissance of science and industry and avoided the Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
118 worst of the Great Cataclysm. The region is empty of ley lines and nexus points, which prevents random Rifts and extradimensional invaders from constantly threatening the area. This also makes it much less enticing to supernatural beings and sorcerers. Civilization in the Upper Peninsula thrived during the Dark Ages, with the people of the region not just producing enough arms and armaments for themselves, but enough to sell to communities further and further away. While arms manufacturers all over the globe amassed great wealth and political power, in North America none were as successful as Northern Gun. Not even close. Life in Northern Gun THE TRADE COUNCIL Around the time of the establishment of the Post-Apocalyptic Calendar, Ishpeming was technically a kingdom under the rule of a sovereign. This line of kings only ruled at the whim of the all-powerful Northern Gun Trade Council, which is made up of the eight most powerful executives in charge of the largest divisions of the corporation. In 107 P.A., Northern Gun leadership decided to incorporate as a Republic instead of a kingdom, which would be better for public relations and marketing. As a result, the king was reduced to a figurehead, and business continued as usual. Truth be told, Ishpeming is neither a kingdom nor a republic, nor in any way democratic. Instead, Ishpeming is just a political construct of convenience, enabling the Trade Council to make the best profits possible by negotiating with the outside world as either a sovereign nation or a corporate juggernaut, depending on which angle is most advantageous. SOCIETY To be a citizen of Northern Gun is to live within one of the most prosperous empires in the whole of RiftsEarth. Only the fortress cities of the Coalition rival the level of technology in Ishpeming, but its population enjoys a high rate of literacy. The society is a libertarian’s paradise and the quintessential company town writ large, very large. Because Northern Gun is a corporation, citizens are employees. They pay fees and corporate dues in place of normal taxes. Laws are referred to as company regulations. The citizens understand this and refer to themselves as residents of Northern Gun, not Ishpeming. D-Bees and magic users, while tolerated within the borders of Northern Gun, must keep a low profile. They are officially outlawed, though most citizens turn a blind eye. Since Northern Gun and Manistique Imperium formed an alliance with the Coalition, propaganda and popular opinion started to slowly turn against these minorities, but for the time being, most citizens approach the xenophobia with a wink and a nod, realizing it’s all part of the show put on to appease their new allies. Compared with the autocratic forms of government found throughout most of Rifts Earth, this laissez-faire way of life enables freedom and justice to predominate but, more importantly, it's good for business. To say Northern Gun has a strong company culture is a vast understatement. Actual direct contract employees of the corporation, considered super-citizens, enjoy outstanding perks including free medical care, subsidized housing, deep discounts on all Northern Gun products, and preferential treatment by law enforcement and military personnel (who are technically employed by them). Additionally, since their employer is the state, carriers of employee ID cards Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
119 have the power of governmental review written into their contract. The average contract employee is fanatically loyal to the company and way of life they literally hold stock in, and they are quite proud of their reputation for making the world a better place. Northern Gun’s Military Industrial Complex LOSS PREVENTION OFFICE The Loss Prevention Office (LPO) is the enforcement arm of the Northern Gun Corporation’s all-powerful Trade Council. The LPO is a mix of intelligence agency, police force, and paramilitary organization that specializes in industrial espionage. Loss Prevention Officers can be seen on the streets throughout the region. Northern Gun Loss Prevention Officers maintain a network of spies and informants who allow the Corporation to maintain its grip on Ishpeming and the North American sales market. The LPO also maintains a special corps of Monster Responders—essentially animal control for supernatural monsters, demons, alien beings, and mutants. In the post-apocalyptic landscape of even comparatively serene areas like the Upper Peninsula, the government takes calls about bigfoot, sea serpents, cattle mutilations, mutants in the woods, and mysterious disappearances very seriously. Monster Responders coordinate closely with the investigative arm of the LPO, and often contract merc units to help them in large-scale raids on monster nests and lairs. ISHPEMING MILITARY CONTRACT NETWORK When it comes to more traditional military forces, Northern Gun breaks the mold in a big way. While most nationstates maintain standing militaries using standardized equipment and tactics, the Trade Council instead hires mercenaries to fulfill their defense needs. Long ago, immediately following the Great Cataclysm, they decided a military force in the hands of the state government would create an imbalance of power. By replacing the traditional military with private military contractors, Northern Gun created an alternative defense strategy that was cheaper, more flexible, and ultimately more reliable than any corporate army they could create. The mercenary forces of Northern Gun are organized within the Ishpeming Military Contract Network (IMCN). Every mercenary company dreams of landing a contract with Northern Gun because of the stability, security, and unimaginable luxury provided by Northern Gun society. The corporation also sponsors many units of mercenaries and privateers, giving them discounted equipment in exchange for their loyalty. In return, Northern Gun enjoys the services of experienced, skilled, and professional soldiers without the need to train, feed, or house them directly. The IMCN recognizes no traditional rank structure and instead focuses on paygrade and combat specialization, with cash bonuses awarded alongside citations for heroism and sales vouchers dispersed in tandem with unit accolades. TASK FORCE X The Xiticix expands at an exponential rate, terraforming thousands of square miles of North America into an alien landscape. The threat finally spurred the Trade Council into founding Task Force X, the first standing army ever deployed by Northern Gun. The Trade Council plans to offer discounted arms and equipment to allies like the Coalition States and let them take care of the issue. However, should the Xiticix problem Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
120 explode into all-out war, or the Upper Peninsula be the target of a large-scale invasion, Northern Gun’s Task Force X are armed with the most advanced antiXiticix weaponry, trained in the most effective anti-Xiticix tactics, and backed up by the most heavily armed mercenary armies in North America. See Rifts® North America: Blood & Banes for further details regarding the Xiticix threat. The City of Ishpeming The city of Ishpeming, aka Northern Gun, is the headquarters of the Northern Gun Corporation and the largest city in Michigan. At its core is the fabled Northern Gun downtown city center and surrounded by sprawling city blocks. They gradually give way to a sphere of factories resembling an industrial camp— all encircled and protected by a ring of giant defensive bunkers and a militarized security zone. The city captivates visitors with a retail atmosphere of glitz, glamour, and showmanship. Foreigners and non-contract employees cannot visit the Northern Gun Corporate District. The corporate headquarters reside in the tallest building on the Upper Peninsula, simply called “the Tower.” Dominating the skyline and built during the Golden Age of Humanity, the Tower survived the Great Cataclysm and remains a symbol of humankind’s tenacity and perseverance. At the top of the skyscraper—48 floors up—the Trade Council meets. This is the nerve center of corporate operations. The nearby Mall of Michigan is a sprawling complex of shopping arcades, warehouse centers, outlet stores, and service centers: a showcase of Northern Gun wares. Visitors can buy almost any item or piece of technology, military or civilian, often at a discount. Robogladiators, celebrities, and Northern Gun Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
121 executives and engineers promote the newest products and gauge the public’s reaction with incessant free prizes and giveaways. THE ROBODOME The spectacle of battling robots has become a hugely popular sport following the Dark Ages. Stories of Robodome competitions have spread from Free Quebec in the north to Los Alamo in the south, with events televised live throughout the Peninsula and recorded for viewing across North America. Couriers carry these recordings and replay them for massive audiences in big cities like Chi-Town, Lazlo, and Castle Refuge. Major events include robot races, gladiatorial battles, man versus beast versus robot rodeos, cyborg pit-fights, hovercycle competitions, combat obstacle course racing, Juicer Sports tournaments, hologram labyrinth matches, and air shows. Robo-Gladiators of all stripes are celebrities throughout North America, with live matches hotly gambled on, and Robodome Championships and Tournaments cause a ruckus in the streets of cities across the continent. FORT SAWYER Just a few klicks east of Ishpeming City lies Fort Sawyer, the post-apocalyptic name for Sawyer Air Force Base. During the Coming of the Rifts, the base became an important bulwark, with many aircraft and personnel diverted to the facility during the initial shock of The Great Cataclysm. Generations later, the Northern Gun Corporation uses Fort Sawyer as a design center and proving grounds for top-secret hovercraft, aircraft, and airborne power armor. It is also the central hub of the region’s air traffic control and radar warning system network. MARQUETTE A commercial port, Marquette also hosts a high-security naval development center which, like Fort Sawyer for aircraft, is Northern Gun’s preeminent naval research and development complex. The center includes sheltered docks and dry docks for the repair, construction and testing of top-secret naval assets. Privateers from Marquette constantly evaluate new equipment, take part in drills, and undergo inspection. Escanaba a.k.a. “MercBay” Escanaba is Northern Gun’s doorway to continental North America. Located on the southern coast of the upper Peninsula, just west of the Manistique Imperium, Escanaba is the largest port on Lake Michigan. Cargo, passenger, and military vessels constantly move in and out of the port. Known as “MercBay” for a reason, Escanaba is the largest trading hub for mercenaries, privateers, and state militaries in the known world. The Northern Gun Corporation estimates they sell more arms and military grade equipment in Escanaba than any other single place in North America. As such, they built and planned the city with customers and logistics in mind. The community offers everything Ishpeming City does, but without all the glitz and glamor. Escanaba functions as the outlet warehouse of Northern Gun. The E-Dome, or Escanaba Robodome, features a constant variety of visiting competitors and mercenaries looking to prove themselves by taking part in the nightly Random Card Matches, with the most impressive unscheduled competitors the main attraction. Lively betting and unpredictable matches draw many fans and regular gamblers to watch the action. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
122 The Escanaba bounty office is the busiest bounty office in North America and the preeminent spot for soldiers of fortune to meet and do business. Here, spontaneous partnerships form to carry out contracts. Mercenary companies, and even state militaries, use the Escanaba office as a de facto base to find specialists with unique skill sets looking for work. The Iron Chain Vital to Northern Gun’s success is unrestricted access to iron mining facilities, which supply the raw materials for the equipment produced by the company. As luck would have it, roughly half of North America’s largest iron deposits are found within Northern Gun territory. From north to south, the settlements of Iron Bay, Ironwood, Iron River, Iron Mountain, and Menominee form a strip of strategic outposts protecting the rest of the Upper Peninsula from the Wisconsin Wilderness. This bulwark, known as the Iron Chain, is essential to the continued success of humankind in North America. The vast quantities of ore mined from this thin strip of land supplies the iron necessary to make the steel and Mega Damage materials foundational to postapocalyptic human civilization. The area is still a frontier, with rivers often the only practical travel routes through the rough country. Barges loaded with iron float down the Montreal or Menominee Rivers to waiting freighters and hovertrains. MENOMINEE A.K.A. “PIRATE’S POINT” Menominee is located at the southernmost point of the Republic of Ishpeming, where the Menominee River meets Green Bay (and therefore Lake Michigan). This frontier outpost possesses a dark side. The city, called Pirate’s Point, acts as a magnet for criminals, pirates, and raiders who can’t even walk the streets of Escanaba. The cutthroats who frequent Menominee masquerade as legitimate ship captains, privateers, or adventurers, and they rely on the city’s isolation to help hide their true identities. The names of these wanted criminals frequently appear on Northern Gun and Coalition bounty listings. The city is also the last major point of civilization bordering the Wisconsin wilderness and, as such, is a mecca for fur trappers, wilderness scouts, traveling merchants, rural farmers, artisans, adventurers, and refugees from the Tolkeen conflict. Adventurers resupply here while enjoying the benefits of civilization without stepping into the limelight of the big cities, and without the discrimination against D-bees common elsewhere. The magistrate and ramshackle law enforcement of Pirate’s Point freely accept monetary “donations” to ignore suspicious activity, as long as no public violence occurs within the city limits. The Northwestern Quarter The furthest settlements in the northwestern part of Ishpeming experience severe winters. The area, in contrast with the economic center of the state, is lightly populated and underdeveloped. The region rests on the front line in the war against the Xiticix Hive Lands, located across the Great Lakes from Ishpeming. HOUGHTON During the Two Hundred Years Dark Age, Northern Gun looted the Michigan Technological University of the Old American Empire located here. Today, Houghton is a bustling trading port. The city exports lumber and fish, and also houses a naval base protecting trade along the Keweenaw Peninsula. The largest mining operation on the Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
123 Keweenaw Peninsula is Camp Copper, named for its crucial copper mining industry. Houghton’s rustic and lowtech atmosphere hides a boomtown with prospectors and land speculators constantly looking to make the next fortune in this part of the resource-rich frontier. ONTONAGON Ontonagon is a militarized naval base, not a trading port, and is located on the shore of Lake Superior about midway between the settlements of Iron Bay and Houghton. Northern Gun’s task Force X hurriedly claimed the precataclysm ruins of Ontonagon for a base. The expansive and long-term military presence of the task force created a need for service industries catering to the combat personnel, support personnel, and their families, making Ontonagon a thriving part of human civilization once again. The IM Highway The Ishpeming-Manistique Highway runs over 100 miles from the furthest reaches of Ishpeming City to the City of Manistique. Known as the IM Highway, or just “the IM,” the roadway resulted from a collaboration between the Manistique imperial family and the Northern Gun Trade Council. The highway, the most active land-link between two nations anywhere in North America, astonishes most denizens of Rifts Earth. The Manistique Imperium The Manistique Imperium encompasses the eastern half of the Upper Michigan Peninsula, a brother to Ishpeming—an ambitious, plucky, calculating little brother. Where Northern Gun territory features the noise and excitement of controlled mayhem, Manistique offers a quiet, orderly, and temperate atmosphere. The pair came together many times during the disasters and violence of the Two Hundred Years Dark Age and stand ready to do so again. Along the 50-milelong border between the two states local law enforcement agencies operate at a high level of cooperation to safeguard trade and travel along the highway connecting one half of the peninsula to the other. The Imperium is a land of forests and lakes, with civilization centered around the of the City of Manistique. Dozens of smaller towns and cities thrive in the safety provided by the Imperium. Many of the once independent citystates voluntarily became protectorates of Manistique. The eclectic population includes a significant percentage of PsiStalkers and human mutants. THE CITY OF MANISTIQUE The City of Manistique is recognizable from the far horizon, as the smokestacks of its massive refineries and factories take on the appearance of an iron volcano belching soot into the sky. Its renowned trade schools, libraries, and scholarly institutions afford those with enough credits to learn lost sciences. WELLINGTON Wellington is a semi-independent citystate in the Imperium and home to the booming Wellington Industries. The company, less than a decade old, carved out a surprisingly high-demand niche in the arms market—ballistic weapons and explosives. Wellington Industries also diversified into other utilitarian products like tractors, bulldozers, and civilian ground vehicles. NEW CEDARVILLE New Cedarville is a prosperous coastal city-state chosen to be the site of The Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
124 “If the Federation had never attacked Chi-Town nearly a century ago, who’s ta’ say what North America would have looked like today? You could ask a psychic and get an answer for sure, heck maybe even one that would have been a real possibility, but if I hired three psychics, I bet each of them would have different, yet plausible, impressions. The point is that, even if things could have gone another way, in this neighborhood of the Megaverse®, Prosek and Dunscon are playing a game of chess…and preparing for a showdown.” – Overheard Traveling Merchant A REGION IN CONFLICT Titan Robotics Complex. With the arrival of Argent Goodson to the area a few years ago, Titan Robotics quickly built a self-contained fortress complex with a grand showroom, business center, test-drive armory, service center, and manufacturing facility. To the consternation of Northern Gun, the popularity of Titan robots continues to grow on the open market. This economic success allows New Cedarville businesses to profit as they accommodate the wealthy Titan Robotics customers at local inns and shops. Since Titan Robotics doesn’t sell separate weapons systems, a growing secondary market for weapons, body armor, and adventuring equipment has sprung up in town as well. SOUTHERN MISSOURI Technically, the CS claims this territory, but they can barely administer the portion north of the Missouri River. Lying just north of Castle Refuge, southern Missouri hosts two belligerent and highly independent city-states of some renown. The rest of the territory’s rural wilderness is dotted with small settlements, homesteads, and trapper’s lodges. Whykin Whykin is a kingdom of human supremacists that grew out of the remains of the pre-Rifts city of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and now extends down to its port on the western banks of the Mississippi, Calm Waters (formerly New Madrid). The kingdom has a surprisingly large population and is on very good terms with the Coalition States. The two have come to each other’s aid many times in the past. The Coalition has been inundating the kingdom with propaganda for years, but the king and his people prefer to remain independent for now. LIFE IN WHYKIN The kingdom enjoys its status as a preferred CS trade partner and has been enriched by the trade flowing up and down the Mississippi, with the profits only growing since the addition of CS El Dorado to the south. Lumber and light industry form the core of Whykin’s impressive economy which, aside from advanced arms manufacture, is completely self-sufficient. The kingdom is kept well-fed and supplied by many productive farming and ranching estates worked by tens of thousands of D-Bee slaves. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
125 THE ARMED FORCES OF WHYKIN For as long as anyone can remember, the people of Whykin have held their own against the hordes of demons, D-Bee conquerors, and invasions by power-mad sorcerers. As a result, its people loathe the forces of magic and its practitioners. Whykin has a strong warrior tradition which has been passed down through the generations, and all able-bodied citizens have at least rudimentary combat training. A sizable portion of the citizenry are veterans with years of personal combat experience. The kingdom’s army, championed by Jaspin the Cyber-Knight, is strictly human, and includes a variety of psychics, Psi-Stalkers, and some Crazies (Juicer augmentation fell out of practice after the Juicer Uprising). The army boasts an armored contingent with nearly three hundred power armor suits and robot vehicles, including over four dozen Glitter Boy and Ulti-Max units. Kingsdale Kingsdale is known as a place where strangers and outcasts of any kind are welcome, and where magic and outlawed technologies are embraced. Adventurers travel to the city from everywhere for its uniquely inclusive atmosphere and for the wide array of goods and services available within the settlement’s well-protected borders— including its extensive Cybernetic, Bionic, Juicer, and Crazy augmentation facilities. Many mercenary companies and powerful organizations use the city as a base for recruitment, and there is even a brokerage service to help warriors seeking augmentation contact potential employers willing to sponsor them. Since the fall of Tolkeen, Kingsdale has let in a trickle of refugees, but fears angering the Coalition if they take in too many. While no love is lost between Kingsdale and the CS, the city-state also has no interest in the “True” Federation of Magic’s continued hostilities against Chi-Town and distances itself from the Federation and its activities. The Kingsdale Enhancement Clinic (KEC, or the “The Keck”) is the premiere bodychop-shop in North America. The cyberclinic is famous for offering the full array of cutting-edge human augmentation and enhancements procedures and is the facility which pioneered the Dragon Juicer system and many of the Juicer Upgrade Treatments! The Merchant’s Plaza houses the traveling circuses, freak shows, and weird rodeos making their annual stops in Kingsdale. The Plaza's entertainment district features psychic fortune tellers, bars, arcades, nightclubs, dance hall saloons, exotic dance clubs, and other services. The Kingsdale Arena is the birthplace of ultra-popular Juicer Sports like Murderthon and Deadball. The Unlimited League, where supernatural creatures can compete alongside augmented humans, is an extremely popular attraction. The Arena also rebroadcasts the newest Robo-Gladiator events from the cities of Ishpeming and Escanaba, though nothing beats the Juicer Sports. An immense amount of betting occurs here, with bookies open around the clock. The Gunnery Trading Emporium is a joint venture between Northern Gun and Wellington Industries to establish a major trading post deep within continental North America. The warehouse store is designed to be a hub where merchant caravans can stock up on their way to more distant areas like the Texas Freelands. BACKGROUND Kingsdale was founded by refugees during the Dark Ages, rumored to be practitioners of magic (no known Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
126 records exist from the era). Over the long years since, generation after generation has seen a new influx of refugees. In the first decade after the founding of the Post-Apocalyptic Calendar, many refugees from the first Federation of Magic, decimated after losing its war of aggression on the fledgling city-state of Chi-Town, fled to Kingsdale, and integrated with the locals. This influx coincided with a wave of newcomers which included many Elves and Dwarves. The descendants of these Elves and Dwarves (and indeed many of the original long-lived refugees) now make up more than a quarter of the city’s population and have a powerful sense of community. An Elf or Dwarf in need always finds help from their brethren in Kingsdale. LIFE IN KINGSDALE In Kingsdale, D-Bees and humans live in relative tranquility. Over a third of the population of Kingsdale are practitioners of magic, and there are also many psychics. Schoolchildren are tested for magic or psionic aptitude, and those who display potential are trained to harness their powers for the betterment of the community. They are also monitored to ensure they do not abuse their capabilities. As a result, Kingsdale has maintained its high percentage of magically and psionically adept citizenry over a period of decades. Kingsdale is a realm run by an oligarchy. There are no democratic elections, only a senate of the most prominent and wealthy citizens of the city-state, which elect new members to their own number by a vote. The leader of the senate—called the “Dictator”—is elected from their ranks for a period of five years during which he cannot be dismissed, and after which he can be reappointed with no limit to the number of terms. The dictator is the commander of Kingsdale’s armies and runs the day-to-day functions of the state, including taxation, public works, and governmental operations. KINGSDALE ARMED FORCES The Forest Rangers patrol and protect the region around Kingsdale, and usually meet and greet travelers long before they ever reach the walled borders of the city. They are well-regarded in the region for aiding travelers in distress. Donner’s Division, a mercenary company composed primarily of Juicers backed up by Crazies, Cyborgs, and specialists employing power armor, giant robots, and fighter aircraft, serves as the kingdom’s main defense force. The Division is regularly tasked with eliminating marauding bandits, supernatural raiders, and has even Checking Out: Dying due to the ravages of the Juicer augmentation process. Also, Burning Out. Get Juiced: to undergo the Juicer augmentation process. Greased: when something or someone is violently killed. Also, to Grease (to kill). Grease Spot: a dead body mauled by Mega Damage attacks. Last Call: the physical condition experienced as a Juicer’s body begins to die, “In Last Call.” Squishy: Normal mortals, unaugmented humans. They’re Juiced: refers to individuals who are Juicers, either as a warning or a sign of respect. Wannabe: those who admire and attempt to emulate Juicers, their fashions, and their culture. JUICER SLANG Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
127 defeated an ancient dragon. Impressed by the unit’s results, Kingsdale has continually employed Donner’s Division for over twenty years. The Magic Militia supplements the Kingsdale City Guard and is made possible by the massive number of magic practitioners who make up much of the city’s population, with sorcerers learning to fight in teams embedded with mundane troops. They have found this combined arms approach to be an effective force multiplier. MercTown Located on the ruins of Paducah, Kentucky where the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers meet before joining the Mississippi River, MercTown is a strategically positioned regional hotspot for mercenary and merchant operations. Positioned just outside of the territory claimed by either the Coalition States or Federation of Magic, and just east of Castle Refuge, Kingsdale, and Whykin, the city-state is at the heart of trade and conflict in the region. The regional conflicts enrich the dozens of mercenary companies who frequent the city, which in turn enriches both the local merchants (through sales opportunities) and the local populace (through a light transaction tax). MercTown is the home-base of two mercenary companies who inherited the settlement after being stiffed on payments owed them for defeating a sorcerer’s demonic invasion. A third one involved took their cut and moved on. The Tennessee Headhunters maintain a permanent encampment on the outskirts of the city to support their field operations, while Drago’s Defenders assumed political authority over the settlement, which they now patrol and defend. Their leader, Proconsul Drago, transformed the city-state into a thriving Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
128 haven for military contractors and their business deals. Magic and traditional technology are both accepted in MercTown. Humans and D-Bees receive equal treatment before the liberal laws of the citystate. Almost anything is legal, with the notable exception of slavery, and anyone is welcome regardless of political allegiance. These open policies have been a boon to trade, which has grown faster than any imagined. Almost anything can be bought here. Notably, Naruni Enterprises has chosen MercTown as the site for their global headquarters, a massive complex from which cloaked Naruni hover transports take to the field to showcase their wares and supply their mobile operations throughout North America. Although one would think this would bring the Coalition hammer immediately crashing down on the settlement, CS High Command realizes that, like Old Bones is to Free Quebec, MercTown is a highly valuable intelligence gathering location. What's more, MercTown hosts so many legendary mercenary armies a direct assault on the wealthy city-state would prove terribly costly in comparison to the potential gains—and the next “MercTown” would probably spring up outside of the Coalition’s reach. Golden Age Weaponsmiths The industrial city-state of Golden Age Weaponsmiths (GAW), while not technically located in the southern Missouri region, is intricately linked to the area through trade along the Tennessee River (wider and deeper since the Great Cataclysm). Based out of the old American Empire’s Redstone Arsenal, and buttressed by the surrounding industrial cities of Huntsville, Decatur, and Guntersville, GAW’s core business is locating and salvaging everything of worth from DOMAIN OF MAN ENCOUNTERS D20 RESULT 1–8 Same results as in The Game Master’s Handbook. 9 –10 Coalition Scouting Party: Same results as in The Game Master’s Handbook, but substitute forces with entries from this book. 11 Coalition Recon-in-Force: Same results as in The Game Master’s Handbook, but substitute forces with entries from this book. 12–13 Xiticix Raid: Same results as in The Game Master’s Handbook but double the forces. 14 –15 Wandering Monsters: As the Wandering Monsters result in The Game Master’s Handbook (typically in this region are dinosaurs, Brodkil, Neuron Beasts, Thornhead Demons, or Witchlings). 16 –17 Same results as in The Game Master’s Handbook. 18 –19 Splugorth Slaver: As the result in The Game Master’s Handbook. Roll a d6: on a 6 result, a Cyber-Knight, or Tundra Ranger (if far north, use Wilderness Scout) arrive in 1d4+1 rounds. 20 Same results as in The Game Master’s Handbook. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
129 pre-Rifts military facilities, with two dozen bases (and counting) completely excavated so far. GAW retrofits and reproduces the recovered “obsolete” war machines and arms for sale throughout North America, from El Paso in the New West to Manistique in the north. The thriving business is bringing order and progress to their neck of the wasteland. Since the GAW leadership eschew magic, the supernatural, and Techno-Wizardry, the Coalition is rooting for them and is perfectly happy to let them peddle their second-rate armaments throughout North America. THE TOMORROW LEGION IN THE DOMAIN OF MAN Free Quebec ambassadors might quietly reach out to the Council, with “enemy of my enemy” overtures designed to thwart CS territorial ambitions. Alternatively, Free Quebec could be the base for Special Exploratory Teams investigating the Shemarrian Uprising, or Interdiction and Monster Hunter teams operating against the Splugorth. Northern Gun, despite their CS pact, still supplies Castle Refuge with equipment, and is a center of intrigue where representatives of major factions meet and make deals. Legion operatives could get caught up in the games of subterfuge and misdirection playing out across the Upper Peninsula and wider region. Kingsdale, MercTown, and GAW are natural potential allies for Castle Refuge. Whykin is a Coalition ally, but if the Legion plays its cards right they can avoid the city-state outright joining the CS, and even influence them to be more tolerant in their outlook. ENCOUNTERS IN THE DOMAINS OF MAN To generate encounters in the Domains of Man, use the new Domains of Man Encounters table in conjunction with the Game Master’s Handbook. SAVAGE TALE: BROKEN ARROW The Tomorrow Legion receives a call for aid from one of Whykin’s outposts and the nearest troops are sent to investigate. On site, the Legionnaires get more than they bargained for with an overzealous commander, a legendary hero, and a battle for the dawn. CALL FOR AID While on routine patrol in southeast Missouri, a distress call comes across the radio. “BREAK-BREAK, this is Cairo actual, Commander Hornburg. To any friends of Whykin on this frequency we are under siege and request immediate military aid. Taking heavy fire with multiple casualties,” barks a hard-bitten female voice. The sounds of gunfire disrupt the message, but Commander Hornburg resumes. “Our coordinates follow: thirtyseven, zero, thirty-one, ninety-eight, eighty-nine, ten, fifty-eight, seventy-six. Repeat, this is Cairo act…” An explosion followed by static silences Hornburg’s words. A successful Common Knowledge check reveals the coordinates are roughly fifty miles from the group’s current location, and that Cairo is one of Whykin’s fledgling military outposts. Located where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet, the outpost protects Whykin’s bustling river trade. A raise on Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
130 the roll lets them know the coordinates sit directly on a ley line. The Legionnaires are under standing orders to assist Whykin troops immediately. The standing orders are to investigate any military actions, rendering aid when feasible under Castle Refuge’s community outreach protocols. Despite Whykin’s practice of slavery and human supremacist values, the Legionnaires know they should at least offer humanitarian aid, and if possible help thaw the ice between Castle Refuge and the nearby city-state. It is late evening as the team moves towards the distress call. Legionnaires using radio equipment may make an Electronics check at −2 to find out if anyone is radioing their intent to come to the aid of Cairo actual. If successful, the heroes discover the SAMAS belonging to the legendary CS RPA Captain Robert Cornell is also moving to aid but won’t arrive before they do. Nearing the coordinates, the sounds of a waning battle can be heard alongside cheering mixed with screams of agony from across the river. With a successful Notice check the group spots retreating enemies in the twilight. The Legionnaires may engage but suffer −4 to all attack rolls due to Dim Illumination and light Cover. Pro-Federation guerillas—disaffected survivors of Tolkeen—attacked the fort, and the Legionnaires arrive just in time to help drive them off. Soldier (5, plus 1 per hero): See Savage Foes of North America. The soldiers are a mix of displaced and bitter Dwarves, Elves, Humans, and Orcs. Daemonix Manslayer (1): See Savage Foes of North America. Techno-Wizard (1): See Savage Foes of North America. ROBERT CORNELL Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
131 TAKE A STAND The heroes ford the river and reach the outer gates of Cairo base where they are greeted by sentries on the wall. If the team includes any D-Bees, they must pass a Persuasion roll to convince the guards of their intent to help. Once the sentries are convinced the Legionnaires are responding to the distress call, they escort them to meet the outpost’s commander. Entering the base, the heroes find utter pandemonium inside. Soldiers rush by carrying litters of wounded and attempt to set up triage areas. A hard woman standing at the center of the chaos barks orders. Commander Qhora Hornburg spots the Legionnaires and approaches with a scowl on her face. She is covered in a mixture of mud and blood and extends a bionic hand to the team leader. “Are you here to help?! Not sure what a sorry lookin’ group like you can do to ease the situation, but beggars can’t be choosers I suppose. Now that the radio is busted, I guess we won’t be gettin’ any more reinforcements. You lot can start by helping shore up our fortifications. We pushed them back this time, but they were just an overconfident scouting party who thought they could take us on. Wrong choice.” As she is speaking a commotion breaks out and shots are fired. Investigating, the heroes discover Whykin soldiers executing D-Bee prisoners. Commander Hornburg, however, doesn’t understand the heroes’ objections to this method of prisoner treatment. Surprisingly, a crimson Super SAMAS swoops down from the sky landing between some D-Bee prisoners and their would-be killers. An amplified voice booms out from the SAMAS “Kill another unarmed prisoner and you will have to deal with me.” The famed Coalition SAMAS pilot, Captain Robert Cornell, possesses a sense of honor equal to any WWI flying ace and sides with the Legionnaires. The heroes can help defuse the situation and save the prisoners with a successful Social Conflict task, using Persuasion, Intimidation or other applicable skills at the GM’s discretion (with a −1 to rolls per non-human character in the team, see Social Conflict in Savage Worlds). The presence of Captain Cornell offsets 2 points of penalties. If successful, the D-Bees can be questioned about enemy troop count and movement. The group can also use this time to reinforce damaged fortifications, fix the radio (Repair check at a −2), or speak with the renowned Coalition Ace. If the radio is repaired, a transmission is received from Whykin stating they are sending troops to help the outpost. Commander Qhora Hornburg: See page 172. Captain Robert Cornell: See page 173. THE STORM As the night goes on it becomes abnormally dark even with the glow of the ley line and stars. An announcement is heard over the PA: “Prepare for a ley line storm, this is not a drill!” (see Ley Line Storms in the Game Master’s Handbook). Shouts are heard from the east side of the outpost. The enemy has chosen either the worst or best time to attack. The Legionnaires attend their stations as a horde of enemies from the Magic Zone race across the Mississippi on river barges, Sky Boats, and Wingboards. Commanded by the elf archmage Relodal Icharran, the guerrillas are backed up by a Mystic Knight, Shifter, and a Manslayer Daemonix (see Savage Foes of North America). Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
132 A massive battle to the death is about to occur (see Mass Battles in Savage Worlds). The enemy outnumber the defenders and therefore receive ten tokens but have a −2 Battle Modifier due to the terrain disadvantage caused by the river. Whykin’s Cairo Outpost, staffed mostly by run-of-the-mill soldiers, receives five tokens and a +2 Battle Modifier for being in prepared positions. If the previous Social Conflict was successful, the defenders will also have a +1 from Captain Cornell’s air support. In addition, the defenders gain a +1 Morale Modifier for Commander Hornburg’s inspiration. The heroes must help fend off the Federation army for three Mass Battle rounds until help arrives from Whykin. STORMBREAK As the sun begins to rise, Whykin support arrives and the heroes can clearly see the devastation of the battle. The Whykin troops rout the enemy, with the survivors of the outpost cheering them on. The outpost has lasted through the night with the help of the Legionnaires and Captain Cornell. Qhora thanks the heroes for their part—singling out any D-Bees in the group for especial recognition. It looks like some attitudes can be changed after all. E Relodal Icharran: As a Combat Mage (see Savage Foes of North America) with Battle d6 and the Elf racial traits (see Savage Rifts® North America: Arcana & Mysticism). Cruel and vengeanceminded, Relodal is Hostile and unlikely to listen to any Persuasion attempts. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
133 CHAPTER EIGHT O utside of the diagonal stripe across North America known as the Domain of Man (from Texas to Quebec), the Great Cataclysm wiped out the densely populated metropolises of the east and west coast. As people look to reclaim the frontiers of the continent, their abodes are very rare, and supernatural monsters abound. THE NEW WEST After the end of the Two Hundred Year Dark Age, the New West became the common name of the enormous wilderness west of the borders of the Coalition States. The vast area made up the majority of the old American Empire and is a landscape transformed by the ravages of the Great Cataclysm, full of alien flora, fauna, and sentient beings brought by the Rifts. The New West is cut off from the rest of the country by a combination of vast distance, rough weather, and dangerous terrain. The area is home to pioneers, refugees, tribals, ranchers, and bandits, but much of the region is still an expansive, uncultivated, and hostile wasteland. New settlers constantly flood into the region, though less than half of them survive to see the next year. Notably, Simvan and Brodkil plague the region, and are viewed as human-eating savages. They are responsible for killing the loved ones of many frontiersmen and, like vampires, are usually hunted and killed without mercy throughout the New West. Life in the New West Across the New West the tales and figures of the Old West, both historical and fictional, have been romanticized into legend. The New West’s love affair with the Old West means even the average settler looks like they stepped out of a pre-Cataclysm Western film, with the odd energy rifle or hover cycle swapped in. Many fictional films and books from the past have been conflated with actual historical documentaries and records, FRONTIERS OF HUMANITY Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
134 resulting in a wild mix of fact and fiction used as the template for what life in the New West should be like. This has had a pervasive effect on the culture and mindset of the people in the region. Illiteracy is high in the New West, with the educational experience of most of the settlers focused on mastering the skills of a tradesman like a cowboy, rancher, farmer, smith, carpenter, trapper, trader, miner, gunslinger, and so on. Law & Order Most inhabitants of the New West are pragmatic and realize life on the edge of society, surrounded by demons and monsters, is hard and brutal. Might makes right, and the fastest gun does the talking on the frontier. Sometimes the best one can hope for is vigilante justice. In larger settlements, order is maintained by appointed sheriffs or champions and their deputies, but can also be provided Bushwhacker: a robber known for ambushing victims. Desperado: someone on the run from the law or justice, aka fugitive. Dude: person overly concerned with dress and grooming, also commonly refers to city folk. Gold: often used to refer to valuable artifact finds, or “striking gold” in a scavenging operation. Greenhorn: someone unfamiliar with life in the New West, or young and inexperienced, aka tenderfoot. Homesteader: a settler making their home in the wilderness, aka pioneer. Lawman: any person genuinely working to uphold justice. Lynch Mob: A group of armed citizens looking to impose their own brand of law and order, often at the end of a hangman’s noose. By definition a vigilante group, otherwise see “posse.” Pecos Swap: a euphemism for when something is stolen on the frontier. Posse: a gathering of citizens, often temporarily deputized and usually mobile, organized to hunt down criminals or other threats under the direction of a local lawman or community leader. Prospector: a scavenger who mines pre-apocalyptic ruins for artifacts, technology, and resources. Saddle Tramp: a vagabond just passing through an area, with no legitimate business there, aka Drifter or Vagabond. Shooting Irons: slang for the revolvers or pistols commonly carried in the region. The Barrier Wall: The postapocalyptic Rocky Mountains. According to Erin Tarn, the mountain range was completely changed during the upheaval of the Great Cataclysm. The geography of the area is now much more inimical to human travel and survival. Tycoon: a person who has made a vast fortune by ranching, mining, or through business, and has gained enough power to wield considerable influence in their community. Can be a philanthropic benefactor, villainous parasite, or anything in between. NEW WEST SLANG Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
135 by gangs, well-armed ranchers, business tycoons, or powerful clans. Only the largest city-states can support a militia or military. Resident lawmen are often a nonexistent luxury in the region, so Justice Rangers, Cyber-Knights, and Reid’s Rangers often patrol a wide territory of small communities. These champions make regular stops at each settlement in an area to ensure everyone is safe and to settle disputes, with the lawmen often acting as judge, jury, and executioner. Technology While levels of advancement in the region are largely mixed, the overall technological level of the New West is low and comparable to the Old West during the 1800s. Survival requires the ability to defeat the many predators in the region, human and supernatural, so weapons, armor, and vehicles are important and tend to be largely high-tech, though they often reflect the culturally beloved Old West stylings. Techno-Wizardry is also common in the area, as are arcane charms and talismans. On the other hand, ancient methods of clothing and transport, like leather moccasins and horses, are still reliable and functional. The Black Market, Northern Gun, Wilk’s, and other manufacturers perpetuate the 1800s retro-styling to appeal to the markets of the region. All these factors combine to result in an eclectic kaleidoscope of technology is often more than meets the eye. THE TEXAS FREELANDS While technically in the Domain of Man, Texas is culturally and geographically part of the New West. The region of eastern Texas north of the Colorado River and east of the Panhandle is known as the Texas Freelands. The majority of the Freelands are forest country, with the western and southernmost areas being plains. The area is part of the range of several large Psi-Stalker tribes, and a few minor nomadic Apache and Comanche clans. While the Texas Freelands are claimed by both the Pecos Empire and the Coalition States, as of 109 P.A. neither faction has any true holdings in the territory. Instead, much like southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, the area is becoming home to a network of thriving independent settlements and city-states. The Kingdom of Worth By 109 P.A., the Kingdom of Worth has become prominently featured on every map of North America and is an instance of the impossible coming to pass. Despite the seemingly implacable forces arrayed against the upstart kingdom, it has survived and grown at an explosive rate. The Kingdom of Worth is now a mecca for those hoping to build a Texas independent of both the Coalition States and the Pecos Empire, and is one of the largest independent kingdoms in the Southwest. BACKGROUND The Great Cataclysm hit the twin cities of Fort Worth and Dallas with no remorse, leaving Dallas a haunted shell and Fort Worth barren of human life. Little more than a decade ago, the City of Worth was home to just a few thousand souls eking out a living as scavengers, organized under a democratic city council. “King” Victor Macklin (a king without a kingdom), at the head of his personal army of raiders and tribal followers, came to the region and gave the Worth city council an ultimatum to either be destroyed, or join Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
136 with his followers to form the core of a new kingdom dedicated to freedom and independence. The council, completely outnumbered, accepted Macklin’s “invitation” and a kingdom was indeed born. The legendary King Macklin, famous for his innumerable victories against Coalition forces, set in motion a series of events leaving even him amazed. Tens of thousands flocked to the Kingdom, now a large web of communities centered on the burgeoning City of Worth. King Macklin’s talk of freedom, alliances with nearby settlements, and efforts to recruit tribal clans and homesteaders created a truly strong new nation and culture. A central theme of his call to action was an end to the ravages of raiders, and a war against the tyranny of the Coalition States. The delusional king was only experienced at defeating small Coalition convoys with the advantage of inside information and had no idea what it would be like to face the awesome might wielded by even a company of Coalition forces, let alone a field army. Tribal peoples, numbering nearly one hundred thousand, waited to see if Macklin and his fledgling Kingdom survived the next few years. Until the community’s survival was more certain, they would delay joining the new city-state. Somehow, King Macklin’s ravenous quest for personal fame happened in the right place at the right time, at least for the Kingdom of Worth. The cautious General Kashbrook at Lone Star had prepared a series of defensible forts and supply outposts extending southeast from Wichita Falls, and prepared to wage a war to obliterate the kingdom before the hordes of nomads, estimated by CS military intelligence to number in the tens of thousands, joined King Macklin in pursuit of his dream. Kashbrook’s military operations were initially delayed due to incessant, opportunistic Pecos Empire raids against the easily-disrupted railway trains supplying Fort Pinnacle on the Gulf of Mexico. King Macklin and his personal army of bandits, flush from raiding supply trains and outposts, attempted to preemptively strike General Kashbrook’s troops massing at Wichita Falls. Macklin’s devoted followers were victims of their own pride and tried a needlessly complex operation against the entrenched Coalition force. Macklin suffered a devastating defeat killing over JUSTICE RANGER Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
137 half of the raiders, including those most fanatically loyal to him. The Kingdom of Worth seemed destined to destruction when fate intervened. First, the Sorcerer’s Revenge unexpectedly brutalized the Coalition military, and then Emperor Prosek’s war against Free Quebec drew further CS forces away from the Texas region. Sabre Lasar, Warlord Don Marco, and other Pecos raider tribes coordinated their attacks to punish the overextended Coalition operations. The upstart Warlord Carlos Arroyo led brilliantly daring raids, penetrating the defenses of the Lone Star Complex on multiple occasions. Coalition forces in the region, reeling from the increasingly successful attacks by Pecos Raiders glutted on the spoils of war, struggled to move the Coalition naval yards and personnel from southeast Texas to Baton Rouge, located behind the protective barrier of the Simmons Line along the Sabine River. As predicted by CS military intelligence, tens of thousands of new tribals settled in the region surrounding the new city-state. The opportunity to easily destroy the Kingdom of Worth had come and gone. LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF WORTH The City of Worth of 109 P.A. is growing rapidly because of its ability to offer safety and hope in a region where both are in short supply. With a population rivaling the largest city-states in the New West, Worth is notable for being a completely new patchwork of amiable communities. Trade caravans coming from Kingsdale in the east, laden with the latest goods from Northern Gun and the Manistique Imperium, stream in as the kingdom struggles to set up its own manufacturing base. Farmers, ranchers, and trappers supply the community Also known simply as “The Code,” this is a simple code of ethics and conduct generally accepted and agreed to in the western wilderness of the Americas. The hardy men, women, D-Bees, cowboys, prospectors, adventurers, lawmen, and even many bounty hunters, gunslingers, and bandits live and die by The Code, and treat any who mock or transgress The Code with contempt or outright hostility. Never draw a weapon you ain’t prepared to use. Never cheat in a showdown or duel. Never kill or hurt women or children and protect ’em from harm. Never kill or steal another man’s horse or transportation, it ain’t right. Never destroy a holy place or harm clergy, ’cept evil ones—then beware unholy vengeance. Never break your word of honor or take money that ain’t owed you. A man’s word is his bond. Respect women folk take off your hat and try not to curse. Respect the natural laws, nature itself, and magic. Fear magic. Respect a worthy opponent and show them courtesy even in death. Respect the law, at least until the law proves itself unworthy o’ respect. THE CODE OF THE NEW WEST Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
138 with the necessities of life, and the city’s infrastructure has been built from looted Coalition supply trains (including trains and track). Salvage prospectors regularly strike it rich in the ruins of Fort Worth, and reclamation operations have edged closer to the ominous ruins of Dallas. THE ARMED FORCES OF THE KINGDOM OF WORTH King Macklin is constantly rallying new troops to his cause and has been courting a couple of tribes of Psi-Stalkers. He is generally absent, happy to leave the governing of the city-state to the Council of Worth. The council administers the kingdom quite competently and, shaken by the defeat of Macklin’s forces at Wichita Falls, has seriously undertaken the training and maintenance of a massive city militia. All able-bodied adults must train and drill monthly, and taxes are used to buy war machines from Golden Age Weaponsmiths. Before long, the city can truly defend itself, with or without King Macklin. THE HAUNTED RUINS OF DALLAS Following the Coming of the Rifts, demons and supernatural entities laid claim to the ruins of Dallas. There are tales of a notorious warlord and his legion of bandits which rode into the haunted ruins, never to return. It is rumored these brave souls joined the ghosts that slew them and that, during the worst storms, these Storm Riders return to the mortal realm to seek their revenge on the living. Despite the tales and rumored demonic infestations, the ruins of Dallas are not home to any ley line nexus points and are largely empty of mortal foes. However, dangers do remain. Legends of vengeful ghosts and spirits haunting the region continue to scare off any but the foolhardiest. The Comanche and Apache say the Kingdom of Worth is damned by its proximity to Dallas and refuse to ride within a hundred miles of the site. Psychics and sensitives like PsiStalkers verify the ruins are indeed the location of some form of unidentifiable supernatural evil. Swarms of poltergeists, possessing entities, and tectonic entities linger in the area and plague interlopers. Houstown Located just fifty miles northeast of Pecos Empire territory, the free city of Houstown is the most densely populated city in southern Texas. The city is a surprisingly clean, friendly, and well-defended hub for shipping and commerce along the Gulf of Mexico, and is surrounded by farming, livestock, and fishing villages. Houstown and the Pecos Empire have settled into a sort of symbiosis. Houstown is a neutral area where tribal and gang leaders, many from the Pecos Empire, prefer to meet to resolve issues and conduct diplomacy. The most challenging discussions are carried out with the help of impartial mediators. When truly powerful leaders meet to talk diplomacy, the Lord Mayor of Houstown, Orpheus the Titan, often sits in on disputes. BACKGROUND Before the Great Cataclysm, Houston was the center of the energy industry, a pivotal part of the old American Empire’s space program, and major population center. When Atlantis returned, driving sea levels to rise across the globe, much of southeastern Houston’s suburbs were submerged in a watery grave. Though no comprehensive records survived the first century of the Dark Ages, it is said the area is where some of the first Psi-Stalkers were ever encountered. Houstown has been home to a large community of PsiStalkers ever since. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
139 LIFE IN HOUSTOWN The city is a melting pot of humans, PsiStalkers (who make up nearly a quarter of the population), and D-Bees. Locals suggest the city should be declared the capital of the Pecos Empire, as it has become the major center for commerce and industry in the badlands. Truth be told, while Houstown plays a key role as a commercial hub for the raiders, it is a free city and not an actual part of the Pecos Empire, unlike the settlements west of the Colorado river which all swear fealty to one Pecos faction or another. The city is governed by a Lord Mayor who is elected by the citizens of Houstown. The Lord Mayor wields broad executive powers and is an autocrat. He is aided by an Advisory Council, whose advice he is not required to follow, made up of popularly appointed representatives coming from neighborhoods and communities throughout the city. The council approves department heads nominated by the Lord Mayor, and if there is disapproval of the Lord Mayor’s performance the council can call a new election for the Mayor’s office. Since arriving in Houstown, the Titan Orpheus has defeated marauding sea monsters and brought peace and stability to the city through his own brand of benevolent dictatorship and has only once had to run for re-election. HOUSTOWN ARMED FORCES Many of Houstown’s abnormally high concentration of Psi-Stalkers are employed in the city’s law enforcement as an elite guard unit. The rest of the city’s defenses rely on its strong militia and the fortified ring-wall built using the ruins of the raised interstate highway 610 loop— known as “The Loop”—surrounding Houstown. The city’s militia garrisons The Loop around-the-clock. Life “inside Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
140 the Loop” is particularly safe, with very few supernatural foes able to penetrate the perimeter thanks to Psi-Stalker patrols. Los Alamo Los Alamo is a strong isolationist community found near the ruins of Austin encircled by a fortified wall and an infamous fifty-mile-wide stretch of wasteland called “The Border”, a massive minefield only passable by four roads leading in from the rough equivalent of the cardinal directions. BACKGROUND If the local historians are correct, a few units of the Texas National Guard were able to save a group of survivors in the immediate aftermath of the Great Cataclysm. Within a decade the new community had salvaged a sizable part of the technology and learning from the ruins of Austin. To combat the hazard of D-Bee marauders and supernatural predators, the kingdom began to wall itself off from the rest of the world. The city, constantly under siege, reminded people of the Alamo in Texas history, so they named their community Los Alamo. For the length of the Dark Ages, Los Alamo isolated itself and refused to admit strangers into their prosperous community. In the late 50’s P.A., a number of trusted merchant caravans began to connect Los Alamo with other communities by trade. The city implemented an “Open Door” policy in 102 P.A. and began interacting with the world at large. In 104 P.A., the kingdom was approached with an extremely attractive sales and credit offer by Naruni Enterprises, and Los Alamo signed a massive contract, worth hundreds of millions of credits in annual purchases, with the inter-dimensional arms dealers. Later that year, the kingdom graciously turned down a proposal to join the Coalition States. The leaders of Los Alamo had no idea how much their choices would anger the CS. LIFE IN LOS ALAMO The most powerful and wealthy in Los Alamo became an aristocracy known as the “barons,” with the governor of the kingdom known as the Baron-in-Chief, or commonly the “Bic.” The position of “Bic” and the baronial seats are passed down through a complex system of inheritance allowing titles to pass to an heir who is not a child or direct relative of the previous Baron. For the average person, Los Alamo is a paradise of freedom and abundance generally unknown outside of the fortified cities of the Coalition. The literacy and life expectancy rates are high, and crime is low. While the population is human supremacist and anti-magic, they aren’t unnecessarily violent about it. Psychic powers are welcomed as a “natural” ability, and the community holds psychically sensitive mutant animals in high regard for their ability to hunt and locate supernatural threats. “Downtown” is what most locals call Los Alamo city. Downtown’s buildings reach up to thirty stories high, and the paved roads are dotted with street lights, neon signs, and storefronts, which all give Los Alamo an impressive urban skyline. Running water, electricity, and air conditioning are ubiquitous, and citizens can be seen going about a thoroughly modern, safe lifestyle. New Austin and Greenestown are a pair of satellite settlements to “Downtown” Los Alamo, and act as border points where visitors must leave their heavy weapons and equipment before traveling further into Los Alamo. Visitors are only allowed to travel Downtown by train but can access mechanic facilities and Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
141 general stores carrying standard supplies without traveling further inland. The Naruni Trading Depot, established in 104 P.A., occupies the entirety of a high-rise building in the best part of Downtown. The Naruni have artfully chosen to station human representatives in Los Alamo, though many of them are from other parts of the Megaverse®, and therefore technically D-Bees. The Depot’s showrooms sell a full range of high-tech products adapted for human use, with weapons, body armor, vehicles, entertainment systems, hand computers, medical equipment, and sensor systems all sold at low prices. In addition to merc security guards, there is a contingent of two dozen Naruni “Repo-Bots,” hyperadvanced total conversion Cyborgs, ready to defend the facility if necessary. Juicers have played a vital role in the survival of Los Alamo since the Coming of the Rifts. Los Alamo history and legends are replete with stories of heroes undergoing the lethal augmentation to protect their community throughout the Dark Ages. The monuments of the city prominently feature Juicer champions of justice and freedom. Oddly enough, the respect the citizens of Los Alamo show towards Juicers often inspires even the most troublesome of them to be respectful while visiting the community. The city of Los Alamo has nearly a dozen body-chop-shops offering Juicer conversion, and their experiments with the technology led to the first of the Titan Juicer treatments being developed to help combat supernaturally strong demons and vampires. LOS ALAMO ARMED FORCES Los Alamo has a large standing army of battle-hardened veterans, with almost every citizen having undergone basic combat training. The kingdom’s infantry units are largely mechanized, with a robust armored contingent and strong air wing. In addition to mechanized infantry, there are large enhanced infantry battalions made up of Juicers and Borgs. The military of Los Alamo relies almost exclusively on Naruni Enterprises arms and equipment, fielding their body armor, small arms, hover tanks, fighter aircraft, and other equipment. This alien weaponry gives the troops of Los Alamo a notable technological advantage, against even the most modern militaries of North America, but has also caused a major rift between the kingdom and the Coalition States. THE PECOS EMPIRE Though the origin of the name Pecos is debatable, there are many who believe it comes from the Spanish verb for sinning or doing wrong. Indeed, many cattle owners call it a “Pecos swap” when an item is stolen. Regardless of the term’s origins, the word Pecos is synonymous with gunfights, cattle rustling, and adventure. The core territory of the Pecos Empire is southwestern Texas, west of the Colorado River and including the Trans-Pecos desert region (called “The Bend”), the Texas Hill Country, and the south Texas coastal plain (known as the “Grande Range”). The “Empire” is a loosely allied community of raiding clans and tribes based out of the region. The area is lawless, with settlements constantly shifting in their loyalties between the various warlords and gangs. The Coalition denies the area is an empire and refers to the region as the “Pecos Badlands,” which is a much more accurate assessment. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
142 It is important to note most Pecos bandit raids take place outside of the territory claimed by the raiders, with CS Lone Star, CS El Dorado, CS Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma being the principal areas targeted by the raiders. While it may look like it on a map, the cities of New El Paso, Ciudad Juarez, and New del Rio do not actually fall under the control of the warlords of the Pecos Empire, and are therefore not a part of it. Important Pecos Factions The region claimed by the Pecos Empire is also claimed by other groups of nomads and raiders, including the Apache and the Pervic Simvan, who live and travel through the region in considerable numbers. THE SABRE WARRIORS Led by “Emperor” Sabre Lasar, the Sabre Warriors constitute the single largest and most powerful legion of cutthroats in the so-called Pecos Empire. At full strength, the Sabre Warriors can rival an entire Coalition military division in fighting force. In addition to the Sabre Warriors, many other raiding groups turn to Sabre Lasar's leadership during periods of war and crisis, which has at times allowed him to field a combined force ten times the regular size of the Sabre Warriors. THE PECOS RIDERS Under command of the infamous Warlord Grange, the collection of the vilest raiding groups in the Pecos Badlands are known as the Pecos Riders. The outfit earned its name from the fact the majority ride horses or other animals. Warlord Grange has other tribes and factions allied to him and can raise a horde of raiders second only to the Sabre Warriors in numbers and ferocity. THE SILVER DAGGER GANG Warlord Don Marco is much more of a mafia kingpin than a classic raider, with his gang of bandits known as the Silver Dagger Gang running their operations within the borders of the Pecos Empire. A third of the ill-gotten goods fenced in the Pecos Badlands pass through his network. The Silver Dagger Gang wields enormous political influence and power within the settlements of the region. THE APACHE The Bend lies at the easternmost part of Apache Country, a region stretching from Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico to The Bend in western Texas. Led by their famous chieftain and “Great Father” Gray Fox, the Apache claim the territory as theirs. They usually do not attack trespassers who respect the Apache and their lands. Apaches alert interlopers to their presence by dispatching parties of one to two dozen warriors to distantly observe them for a brief period, and then return once every few days to let them know they are being watched. When the Apache wage their raid-style warfare, it is usually over resources and to gain glory in battle. The Apache would much rather impress an opponent than totally wipe them out. The Apache and Pecos Raiders get along as well as they do due to this similar outlook, while the Coalition States are enemies only worthy to be relentlessly attacked and plundered. THE PERVIC SIMVAN The largely unpopulated region between the Rio Grande River, New Del Rio, and the Gulf of Mexico is known as the Grande Range. The Pervic Simvan, led by their chieftain Zimchex, are the most powerful tribe in the region. They are Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
143 renowned for their large numbers and skill breeding and riding Ostrosaurus. The Pervic Simvan are expert raiders and sought-after mercenaries. New San Antonio New San Antonio is the largest city within the borders of the Pecos Empire and has a ramshackle appearance familiar to anyone who has visited the burbs of Chi-Town. The burgeoning city is centered on the remains of Fort Sam Houston and the Brooke Army Medical Center, both rebuilt, and is the epicenter of the operations for Warlord Don Marco's Silver Dagger Gang. The city’s gambling halls, drug dens, Juicer augmentation clinics, body-chop-shops, arms dealers, and other businesses are all run by the organized criminal organization. The rest of the city is orderly and prosperous, with a network of farms and ranches extending out in the shadow of relative safety created by the Silver Dagger Gang. Crossroads The second largest city in the Pecos Badlands, Crossroads is known as the “Las Vegas” of the Pecos Empire. The relatively modern and safe community is located near the pre-Rifts ruins of Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country. Its location near Los Alamo makes Crossroads the center of trade in the Pecos Empire. Crossroads is also the cultural and entertainment hub of the Empire, with many artists, performers, and artisans calling the city home. The city is famous for its commissioned art and personalized gear. Ornate saddlebags, boots, jackets, and other equipment featuring custom art or gang insignia are in high demand. The city’s tattoo parlors are some of the best on the continent. Performances, musical events, and art shows happen daily in Crossroads. Less wholesome attractions like cockfighting, dogfighting, and the red-light district account for a generous portion of revenue as well. A board of commissioners runs the city. The “Board of Culture,” is a plutocratic institution based on the donation of funds to the community. Each October, donations are collected from anyone who has lived in Crossroads for at least four months. The town guard receive these thinly-veiled bribes in sealed envelopes at their headquarters building. Once all “donations” Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
144 have been collected, the packages are opened, and the eleven individuals who made the largest donations are appointed to the Board of Culture for the next year, with seniority determined by who donated the most. Uvalde Uvalde lucked out during the Great Cataclysm, with most of the area’s people and infrastructure spared the worst of the initial destruction. The town become the center of a network of farms, ranches, forts, homes, and businesses. In addition to the buildings at the center of town, a collage of tents, wagons, vehicles, and other portable structures encircle Uvalde. These belong to a largely transient population of raiders, including Warlord Grange and his allies who use the city as their headquarters during the winter months. At the start of the summer every year, the Buckaroo Bonanza Rodeo is held in Uvalde, with competitors and spectators coming from the Pecos Badlands and beyond to compete for fame, glory, and prize money. The week-long festival acts as an opportunity for old friends or rivals to catch up and settle scores. Many raiding groups also use the event to scope out and recruit skilled warriors. Laredo Laredo is a unique settlement divided up into twenty districts, each run by a different gang of outlaws or familial clan. A lawless shanty town writ large, the settlement makes even the worst CS burbs seem like blissful utopias in comparison. It is joked that even vampires avoid the area. Countless saloons flank the muddy thoroughfares and alleys of Laredo, and blood sports are commonplace at the city’s ubiquitous gambling dens. The streets are dangerous, day or night, with gunfights, duels, and small riots occurring daily. The tech level of the settlement is equivalent to the American Old West, with running water and electricity the exception and not the rule in Laredo. The city is divided in half, with one part of the town in Mexico and the other in Texas. A drawbridge—the only bridge spanning the Rio Grande— separates the two halves of the town and is usually kept raised so as not to accidentally allow in vampires. Just north of the town are the pre-Rifts ruins of Laredo. The site is home to dozens of prospecting and salvage operations. Even more than Uvalde, Laredo’s population is largely transient, with the town’s residents tripling or quadrupling during the winter months when the raiders come home to roost. Mercado You will never find Mercado on a map, because it is never in any one place for long. Mercado, or Market Town as the gringos also call it, is the headquarters of the Black Market faction El Occulta. The town’s center is a massive open-air market surrounded by saloons, gambling halls, drug dens, and brothels. Visitors see a market brimming with weapons, ammo crates, and exotic beasts, and festooned with bulky tarp-wrapped vehicles, power suits, and robots. Pecos warlords, Simvan tribal chiefs, and infamous outlaws come to Mercado to do their shopping whenever they get the chance. El Occulta makes a large part of its fortune by keeping enough stock on hand to supply military campaigns and large raids, and warlords regularly take advantage of the fact. One of the defining features of Mercado is it has no fixed location, and never overstays its welcome. The city is constantly relocating itself, on average every three or four months, to keep from being successfully targeted by Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
145 enemies like the Coalition or in response to any number of threats to the town ranging from bad weather in the region or bad blood with locals. The buildings and market-stalls are temporary constructions, with many items sold out of the back of cargo haulers or even right off the backs of pack animals. THE REST OF THE WEST Scattered throughout the rest of the territory sit numerous human-dominated settlements participating in the New West culture—many technologically-oriented, but some reliant on Techno-Wizardry. Wilk’s Laser Industries Around 20 P.A., a Rogue Scientist descended from the founder of Wilk’s Laser Industries—John Harrington Wilk—uncovered the pre-Rifts factory complex during a dig near Ellsworth Air Force base. Forty years later, the reborn company was a major manufacturer of cutting-edge laser scalpels, laserdistancing equipment, laser holographic projectors, laser torches, laser guidance systems, and advanced optical computer equipment. By 80 P.A., Wilk’s entered the arms market with a line of laser pistols and rifles renowned for their range and accuracy. The main weapons line is made of black plastic and ceramics molded into sleek, predatory triangular shapes. The company also produces a line of “Remi” laser weapons with the appearance and styling popular in the New West. Try as they might, Northern Gun and other manufacturers cannot duplicate the performance of Wilk’s technology—leading Northern Gun to engage in a trade war with the company and the outlawing of Wilk’s main line of weaponry (but not their other products) within Coalition territory. Many mercenaries, raiders, and freedom fighters unhappy with the Coalition carry Wilk’s pistols and rifles as a badge of rebellion and pride, as their workmanship is second-to-none— sending sales through the roof. As of 109 P.A. the burgeoning company town, built on the ruins of Rapid City, stands poised as a new center for trade in western South Dakota. The 1st Apocalyptic Cavalry Born from the fiery depths of vengeance and vigilantism, the human-centric 1st Apocalyptic Cavalry brings justice to the western frontier of the Coalition States. Known throughout the Midwest as heroes and champions of justice, at least by human communities, they primarily target nonhumans and monsters. The disciplined, professional riders organize into “Cavalry Companies,” with each company assigned a territory to patrol or bring justice to for the coming year. A Coalition citizen disillusioned with bureaucracy, General Kenneth Sprite founded the 1st Apocalyptic Cavalry to prevent D-Bees from murdering other Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
146 human families like they did his. Because the organization targets nonhumans, the CS military “overlooks” their vigilante activities, and even surreptitiously provides Cavalry Companies with information on D-Bees and other outlaws the Coalition cannot reach. FORT PROSPECT Located in the Platte River near the ruins of Fort Kearney in Nebraska, Fort Prospect serves as the fortified headquarters and military epicenter of the 1st Apocalyptic Cavalry. Inside the base’s walls sits a small, growing frontier town populated by the family and friends of the 1st Cavalry. The town holds an arms depot selling only to the Cavalry and those of good repute, a general store, Operator’s garage, cyberclinic, and friendly saloon. Several other settlements and homesteads bloom in the oasis of safety provided by Fort Prospect, with farming and ranching operations predominating. THE OUTPOSTS Constructed following the success of Fort Prospect, a series of tiny fortified communities extend the 1st Cavalry’s brand of law and order into the wilderness—each built near a cluster of human settlements troubled by inhuman threats. Fort Tanner in eastern Wyoming sits near the ruins of a pre-Rifts city housing many prospectors and homesteaders. The nearby citizens of Jackson City, a Dark Ages settlement, happily welcome the 1st Cavalry to the region. Fort Defiance, near Stockton, Kansas, protects growing trade in the region. Fort Charles, to the east of Fort Prospect, stands atop the ruins of Sidney and helps secure the outer fringes of the former state of Iowa. The Coalition treats this outpost as the lawful endeavor of concerned citizens. Fort Jericho protects South Dakota north of Norfolk. Recently, D-Bee marauders nearly razed the outpost, but they were eliminated, and the fort was promptly rebuilt. The Colorado Baronies Located in northeastern Colorado, the Baronies occupy an area of plains, not mountains. As the Great Cataclysm raged and arcane energies surged into the people and lands of Colorado, some survivors quickly and subconsciously learned to wield this energy to defend themselves and their loved ones. These first Mystics carved the town of Hope out of the chaos: a settlement destined to become a beacon of civilization in the Post-Apocalyptic Dark Ages. The Colorado Baronies are each run by a “Baron,” a philosopher-king Mystic advised by a Cabinet of Advisors, half hand-picked by the Baron and half elected democratically. Law enforcement in the community uses mind probes and other supernatural powers to interrogate suspected lawbreakers. Some consider the tactics immoral and a violation of justice due to the heavily subjective nature of the information gained and the way it threatens the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Even the Coalition avoids this practice. THE BARONY OF HOPE The largest city of the Colorado Baronies, Hope sits on a ley line nexus near the ruins of Greely in the northern quadrant. One of the first places to develop TechnoWizardry, the masters of the craft in the New West built the city, transforming it into the TW capital of the region. The barony is awash with the full, mindbending array of TW devices, vehicles, and contraptions designed to harness the limitless energies flowing through the area. The denizens of Hope are Michael Logan (Order #41085069)
147 exceptionally well-educated, and literate, compared to the rest of the New West. THE BARONY OF TESTAMENT Occupying the southern quadrant, the rougher, boisterous communities of Testament primarily engage in cattle ranching. THE WILMINGTON BARONY Located in the eastern quadrant, nearly a dozen mid-sized farming communities make up the populous barony of Wilmington. The quiet collection of towns employ Techno-Wizardry in a variety of mundane ways. THE BARONY OF CHARITY Charity, in the western quadrant, is a new Barony situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The economy started with mining and lumber operations and expanded into a center of trade and entertainment. Charity is the black sheep of the Colorado Baronies. Baron Nathaniel Zane—a cold-hearted Ley Line Walker consumed with accumulating wealth and power—takes a cut of all profits in the region, both legal and illegal, and forgoes any elected advisors. A corrupt private force of thugs protects the interests of the Baron and his “business associates.” The quintessential “Wild West” settlement, gunfights occur daily in Charity. The barony serves as a haven for saddle tramps, gamblers, gunslingers, snake oil salesmen, and all manner of outlaws. The town hosts saloons, whore houses, gambling casinos, blood sports arenas, and a body-chop-shop. An impressive general store carries the latest “shooting irons” and “duds” that are all the rage with the city’s clientele, including the full range of Black Market and Techno-Wizardry gear. Silvereno Silvereno is a wealthy city-state nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado near the ruins of Glenwood Springs and is the largest supplier of silver in North America. Cyborg miners spearhead massive mining operations that supply silver and other metals to human communities throughout the continent. The outlying communities are engaged in lumber, trapping, and farming. The citystate is run by a council of four made up of an elected mayor, elected town sheriff, and representatives from the lumber and mining guilds. Silvereno is also home to a secret coven of vampires (see Rifts® North America: Blood & Banes for more details about vampires and the threat to Silvereno). The Great Trade Road A trade route established during the Two Centuries Dark Age, the Great Trade Road is not a paved highway, but a welltraveled route stamped into the terrain of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona by the foot traffic of centuries of trade caravans, couriers, and adventurers. Mercenaries hired by cities on the route ensure safe passage for the goods feeding the region’s increasingly intertwined economies. NEW DURANGO New Durango is a mining town supplying precious metals, stone, and gems—staples of Techno-Wizardry—to the markets of the region. ARZNO Located on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon, Arzno is a large, modern citystate that exports farming equipment, small arms, armor, and their TechnoWizardry equivalents to markets throughout the New West. It is home to saloons, hotels, merchant shops, arms dealers, hospitals, garages, and bodyMichael Logan (Order #41085069)
148 chop-shops. See Rifts® North America: Arcana & Mysticism for more information about this pivotal Techno-Wizard city-state. JOSEPH CITY Joseph City, in central Arizona along the old Interstate 40, is another hub for travelers in the region. The area’s ranchers and homesteaders produce high quality hides and leather. PHOENIX The ruins of Phoenix house a settlement of hunters and gatherers making their living off the hides and other byproducts extracted from the alien wildlife, dinosaurs, and supernatural predators dominating the Scottsdale forest, an area of alien woods and vegetation slowly spreading like a disease. The town sports a thriving arms market due to the dangerous nature of the local economy. Gallup Gallup is a sizable community of isolationists who are supremely xenophobic and hostile towards the inhuman, the arcane, and all outsiders. Travelers are warned to give this settlement a wide berth, as the citizens of Gallup run even the friendliest-looking visitors out of town. The Clarkdale Confederacy Born out of the harrowing Dark Age, the communities of the Clarkdale Confederacy—Clarkdale, Cottonwood, and Jerome—sit amid a dangerous and inaccessible region of Arizona. The Confederacy does not allow travelers within its borders for long, and citizens trek to other communities to conduct any necessary trade with outsiders. Tucson The Great Cataclysm reduced the city of Tucson to a collection of radioactive craters. The area still retains low levels of radiation, causing sickness and death to those exposed long enough. The small community of Craterville sprang up in the ruins, its population of misshapen human mutants resistant to the ravages of radiation. They make a surprisingly good living as prospectors, and post makeshift signs featuring the radiation symbol or skull and crossbones to warn people away from the dangerous area. Bandito Arms The Black Market faction called Bandito Arms focuses on the trade of traditional arms and equipment, as opposed to the occult talismans, ancient artifacts, and exotic items handled by some of the other groups. Most of the world knows their facilities are located somewhere in the New West beyond the Rocky Mountains, but the faction’s security measures keep any accurate locations from being determined. While they make “knock-off” copies of popular items, Bandito Arms differentiates itself from the rest of the Black Market by manufacturing its own line of products—including advanced power armor, cybernetics, weapons, and equipment. This allowed Bandito Arms to quietly take over a substantial portion of the market in the New West and Midwest, with some traders jokingly calling them “Western Gun.” Fortunately for high-end product lines, Bandito Arms cannot mimic the innovative designs of Wilk’s, Triax, Naruni, or the most stateof-the-art weapons lines of the Coalition or Northern Gun. Michael Logan (Order #41085069)