Savage Land
Background:
In the year 2054, World War III had begun. The details of its origin are either vague or unknown; though older people claim it was a clash of wide-spread disparity and absent-minded sanctimony. There was a wide-spread conjecture, at the time, that the great clans of the world would destroy each other in some sort of nuclear catastrophe. The world held its breath until the final exchange, but it never came. Ground skirmishes, air strikes, naval battles, and plenty of devastating sabotage was the theater of war – much like the previous two inter-continental wars. Some say there are still hidden silos with active warheads in them, waiting for a push of a button. There was no official end date to the conflict. The bitter quarrels of stubborn old men shoved the battles so far into attrition that, after awhile, the fighting stopped on its own. The world had been battered, with so many dead soldiers on either side, that patriotism ran out some twenty-odd years after the first shots rang out.
Power grids were decimated relentlessly, communication shattered. With no government to speak of, the states of America became divided. And, after awhile, even the states dissolved away into obscurity. Gangs, the last visible vestiges of armed strength, began to rise into power for little other reason than because somebody had to. Warlords, dons, and kingpins alike used their loyalties and stockpiled weaponry to wrestle control of entire sections of cities and towns. Because of the contestation in human nature, and the previous rivalries between these many factions, none of these groups particularly cared to share their newfound power. In the span of a few years, the figurehead nation of democracy devolved into militaristic feudalism.
Present America:
Keeping in line with the newly-adopted form of government, criminals have become a sort of royalty, operating out of large fortified buildings (usually prisons) and exerting their influence over the fiefdom of the fields surrounding them. For the protection and society offered, these clans often demand consistent tribute in the form of food or young men for soldiers. Women are discouraged from fighting, unless they’re barren, due to the sudden need for children.
Agriculture is suddenly very important again, as is the cautious restrictions on live-animal hunts to preserve game. Due to the push for solar power in the 2020’s, electricity in the daytime is free and easy. Walkie-talkies and radios have become the norm, with clans guarding their radio towers fiercely for control of the local airwaves. Gas is a rare luxury for nocturnal entertainment or military purposes. Guns and ammunition are quite easy to find, America being what it was before, during, and after the conflict. Although the clan hordes of ammo and weaponry are still, by far, their greatest of treasures.
Viable professions have been radically shifted. Technical knowledge jobs, such as electricians or mechanics, are now some of the more respected jobs. Necessary careers began re-emerging from centuries earlier, such as mercenaries, caravan guards, innkeepers and travelling merchants to fill the inns. Medical professions are the only positions that have maintained their level of importance, the previous oversaturation of nurses in the country evening out against the otherwise low-skilled population.
The City:
Thirty or so years have passed since the “end” of WWIII, making it the year 2106. Our focus is Anamosa, Iowa, home of Anamosa State Penitentiary. Formerly a mix of mostly the Latin Kings and the Aryan Brotherhood, the Anamosa clan operates out of the maximum-security prison; now an actual fortress as opposed to a relative one. The main thrust of citizens live in Anamosa proper, and guards are usually out patrolling the fields and borders that extend far in every direction. At night, the patrols retreat to high buildings with night vision binoculars, constantly scanning for any armed intrusions en masse. The community grows a lot of potatoes as a staple, but has enough fields and a close water supply to grow a fair variety of food – not to mention the proximity of forest and state parks for the occasional spat of game.
Things are going fairly well in Anamosa. Stealing is rare since crops are shared, and more serious crimes like rape and murder not only met with severe punishments, but being something culturally admonished. Some citizens, especially older ones, may despise the way the country is now, but have little other options in the way of either society or survival. Others embrace the changes, or have no first-hand knowledge of any other way. There are travelers, too, who roam the countryside with no clan to call their own. Some of these wanderers have been ostracized, but most just prefer life on the road.
Rumors have been drifting in from the east, far more frequently now, of a major clan driving in slowly from the east to conquer major cities for their own. With Cedar Rapids so close, some folks are worried that the threat could materialize at any moment. But the incoming force is more than a clan – it’s an army. The US Military is making a push for the west coast, intent on retaking their country from the criminals to replacing them with patriots. They don’t understand, or they don’t care, that the world has moved on without them. With their numbers superior to the relative size of individual clan provinces, advanced tactics, and high-powered weaponry, no one has yet stood a chance.
The Campaign:
Washington has been waiting for some sense of stability to reclaim their homeland. It has taken decades to reclaim the whole of the east coast, set up grids and phone lines, and declare the project a grand success. The sheer number of large metropolitan areas has proved extremely difficult to wrest from the hands of the warlords that see it as their rightful home. And the civilian unsure populations have barely had time to adjust themselves, much less spread the news to other states. Not to mention the general order of secrecy that has been kept strict. Now the time has come to leave the great lakes area and continue toward the Midwest.
Spies have scouted to the west numerous times in order to assess the current situation. Trouble is not expected, but the army is well-prepared for conflict. Plenty of new troops from the re-instituted states have been drafted and trained by surviving officers and good old fashioned American know-how. Some senators in the New Congress have reservations about the timing, as resistance, especially in the southern states, is demanding a large percentage of troops to keep levels of compliance and loyalty stable. But the more impatient members, including the president, have pushed the vote through anyway.
Standard procedure dictates that, after scouts locate and assess specific fiefdoms, brigades are to roll into town loud and proud waving white flags. After the shock and awe, they are to locate the clan leader(s) to ask him/her to declare loyalty to the United States Government. Officially, resistance is to be met with the understanding of cooperative peace and a negotiation of a general cease-fire. Unofficially, officers in the field have felt it prudent to manipulate their own, often violent, discretionary decisions.
Right Now:
The monthly tribute day is upon the clan presently. Those that have given sufficient support to their community, or pleasing personal gifts to the royals, have already been awarded pardons for the month. As far as other families are concerned, roving thugs are making the rounds to pick up recruits, food stockpiles, weapons, ammo, and any other offerings that are deemed worthy. Some consider tribute day to be necessary, and some find it tyrannical. Those who refuse, either out of misplaced sentimentality or just poverty, are cheerfully robbed and lashed. The day is just started to wind down, and only those on the outskirts of town have yet to be approached.
Scouts have already infiltrated the town of Anamosa, an important stepping stone toward the more gainful invasion of Ceder Rapids. Under disguise of travelers, they spend a span of 48 hours to assess both the threat level and general attitudes. The end of day one is approaching as the sun heads toward the west, and the time to re-establish contact for their first report is coming soon.
