The Rustlands
The Rustlands is a loose coalition of city-states in the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence region. It includes the great cities of The Rails, Columbus, Detroit, The Pitt, Ronto and Montreal. Each of the six cities keeps a representative in The Pitt, with the stated mission to promote trade in the area, but functionally cooperating in matters of law enforcement and defence.
The industrial centres of the Great Lakes region were obvious targets for Chinese attack during the Great War. The region was utterly decimated by nuclear fire, and the former metropolises of the rust belt were left almost uninhabited for the greater part of 70 years. It was raiders and savage tribals, forced north by more civilized groups on the East Coast, who returned to resettle the Great Lakes region. By 2250, the former city of Pittsburg was resurgent as the raider capital known as The Pitt.
In 2252, the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel was so disgusted with the slave-trading, murderous, chem-addled savages of The Pitt that they sent an extensive force to purge the city. The city was successfully conquered. The Pitt's leaders were killed and their followers were scattered throughout the Great Lakes region. But when the Brotherhood left, a former initiate named Ishmael Ashur took the opportunity to reunite the raiders and become their king. Twenty years later, Ashur had rebuilt The Pitt as a regional centre for slavery, gambling, prostitution, bloodsport and barbarism. In 2277, Ashur was assassinated and the slaves of The Pitt were set free.
With the emergence of the Midwest Brotherhood of Steel, The Capitol and The Commonwealth, security and trade began to thrive in the northeast region. The brutal regimes of the Great Lakes region feared military incursions by more unified, compassionate nations. The leaders of the six major cities met to discuss a strategic alliance. It was agreed that the cities should cooperate in matters of defence and trade, but pledged to never interfere in the laws, culture or leadership of their sister cities. The Rustlands was born. A capital was established in The Pitt as well as a regulated slave market, stock exchange, standing army and national police agency.
The current chairman of the Rustlands committee is Don "The Fox" Volpe, a former merchant and slave-trader. Young and unproven, The Fox represents the new attitude of 24th century Rustlands, with a ruthless focus on profit, but without the destructive and often wasteful performative violence of The Pitt's past.
The Rustlands prints paper currency, the Rustlands Dollar.
The Pitt: The Rustlands capital and most populous city. It is a wealthy trade hub, built around its massive steelworks. The population celebrate their raiding past, and citizens engage in a brutal culture of slavery, bloodsport, gambling, prositution, chem-use and cannibalism.
The Rails: The former metropolis of Indianapolis was flattened in the Great War, but its extensive rail system was kept in tact. The Rails connects Chicago, Louisville, Columbus and Detroit in a rapid transit system that is the envy of post-war America. The population lives under the absolute rule of the city's Railmaster, a dictator appointed by a secretive cabal of merchants. Slavery, gambling, prostitution and chem use are widespread and public executions are commonplace. The city borders both the Midwest Brotherhood of Steel and The Capitol.
Detroit: The great autoworks of pre-war America were powered by an elaborate robotic workforce. Those robots persist to this day, living and maintaining a community in the former city's great buildings. The human population is mostly enslaved, with a few "organics" having achieved citizenship by heroic service to Detroit. The city is ruled by a council of shop stewards, elected every 4 years by the citizens of the city. The robots do not tolerate violence, sexual impropriety or chem-use among organics, even if they hold citizenship. The city is famous for deploying RoboMerchants, specialized Mister Handy robots that bring goods from town to town.
Columbus: The industrial centre of Rockwell Aerospace is alive and well in the heart of Columbus, giving the city a virtual monopoly in freight air travel. Unable to gather the huge amounts of petroleum necessary for jet engine flight, Rockwell engineers have developed several solar, ethanol and thorium-driven aircraft, mostly dirigibles, able to deliver cargo over difficult terrain, hundreds of feet above hostile forces who would plunder it. A gentler society than its neighbours, Columbus has banned slavery, bloodsport and corporal punishment. Chem-use and prostitution are heavily taxed, regulated and confined to licensed clubs. Many slaves escaping the other cities of The Rustlands flee to Columbus seeking emancipation. And while many in the city are sympathetic to these people, Rustlands treaty requires that the runaways be arrested and returned to their masters abroad.
Ronto: The city of Toronto and its extensive radar systems were a priority target for Chinese missiles. And in 2077, America's military annexation of Canada left Toronto broken and unprepared for the horrors of nuclear holocaust. The area went mostly lifeless for over 150 years, the heavy radiation of the area making it a glowing tomb. But by 2231, much of the toxicity had subsided and survivors from the outlying region were eager to re-enter the city and make use of the remaining machinery and infrastructure. Ronto emerged as a centre of trade and entertainment. Ronto is widely known for its elaborate bloodsports and gladitorial games, including octagon fighting, beastwars and hackee. The city is currently ruled by Premier Dog Fur, a former highway bandit who was elected in 2301, but eventually appointed leader for life.
Montreal: Much of the Island of Montreal was destroyed and left underwater after the Great War of 2077. Today, the city's skyscrapers peak out from the water in an elaborate series of canals and waterways. The French-speaking populace of Montreal are master shipwrights, constructing wide freight boats for use up and down the St. Lawrence/Great Lakes corridor. Slavery is rare but legal in the city, with the exception of ghouls who carry special respect in the culture and therefore are forbidden from being taken as slaves. Montreal is lead by Celine Richard, CEO of the Commission Nautique de L'île.
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History
The industrial centres of the Great Lakes region were obvious targets for Chinese attack during the Great War. The region was utterly decimated by nuclear fire, and the former metropolises of the rust belt were left almost uninhabited for the greater part of 70 years. It was raiders and savage tribals, forced north by more civilized groups on the East Coast, who returned to resettle the Great Lakes region. By 2250, the former city of Pittsburg was resurgent as the raider capital known as The Pitt.
In 2252, the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel was so disgusted with the slave-trading, murderous, chem-addled savages of The Pitt that they sent an extensive force to purge the city. The city was successfully conquered. The Pitt's leaders were killed and their followers were scattered throughout the Great Lakes region. But when the Brotherhood left, a former initiate named Ishmael Ashur took the opportunity to reunite the raiders and become their king. Twenty years later, Ashur had rebuilt The Pitt as a regional centre for slavery, gambling, prostitution, bloodsport and barbarism. In 2277, Ashur was assassinated and the slaves of The Pitt were set free.
With the emergence of the Midwest Brotherhood of Steel, The Capitol and The Commonwealth, security and trade began to thrive in the northeast region. The brutal regimes of the Great Lakes region feared military incursions by more unified, compassionate nations. The leaders of the six major cities met to discuss a strategic alliance. It was agreed that the cities should cooperate in matters of defence and trade, but pledged to never interfere in the laws, culture or leadership of their sister cities. The Rustlands was born. A capital was established in The Pitt as well as a regulated slave market, stock exchange, standing army and national police agency.
Today
The current chairman of the Rustlands committee is Don "The Fox" Volpe, a former merchant and slave-trader. Young and unproven, The Fox represents the new attitude of 24th century Rustlands, with a ruthless focus on profit, but without the destructive and often wasteful performative violence of The Pitt's past.
The Rustlands prints paper currency, the Rustlands Dollar.
Cities of The Rustlands
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Maps
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The Rails
One of the six cities of The Rustlands, The Rails is a hub of trade and travel, hosting 20,000 residents. -
Great Lakes Region
The Great Lakes region stretching from Chicago to Philly. -
Toledo Region
The are of The Rustlands stretching from Fort Wayne to Detroit. -
Indiana
The area of The Rustlands stretching from The Rails to Holy Toledo.
Type
Financial, Merchant League
Warm
While the Midwest Brotherhood publicly condemns the systemic human rights abuses of The Rustlands, the Elders in Chicago believe that progress comes through communication and trade. The two nations enjoy extensive trade and diplomatic contact. These links are constantly strained and re-negotiated.
Economically Linked
The bosses of The Rustlands see Caesar's Legion as an important trading partner. The Rustlands highly prize well-trained Legion slaves and The Rustlands produce chems which the Legion cannot make for themselves. This exchange is difficult, given the two nations don't share a border. Much of the trade must be made across the lands of the Midwest Brotherhood, often carried by dirigible. The two nations are yet to have made any kind of formal military alliance. Many speculate that this is only because such a declaration would drastically raise tensions across the former United States.
Non-aggression Pact
The Rustlands only formed as a nation in response to The Capitol's war of aggression against Dixie. Great Leader Aditi took the Rustlands Conference as a sign of strength and immediately set out to forge a non-aggression pact. The two nations share an extensive commercial relationship, mostly trading Capitol agricultural goods for heavy industrial products from Detroit and Columbus. While there is obvious fear and respect between the countries, there is little trust. Their cultural differences are great, and The Capitol's aggressive ambitions are obvious.
Hesitant
Many NCR leaders in Shady Sands have publicly criticized the exploitation and corruption endemic to The Rustlands. And yet, the NCR recognizes that The Rustlands stretch of Interstate 70 is critical to their plans for a continental trade route. The bosses in The Pitt see the NCR as hypocritical and ripe for manipulation. Rustlands traders excel at smuggling illegal goods in and out of NCR territory. All of this adds up to a complex network of grudging co-operation that could change quickly.
Neutral
The Commonwealth and The Rustlands share a border across the Lake Champlain region and the St. Lawrence River. While there has never been outright combat, the two nations see little they like in each other. The Rustlands brutal plutocracy is looked down on by leaders in Boston, and The Commonwealth is seen as naive and insular by the bosses in The Pitt. There is some trade across their border, but little international co-operation.
Mistrust
The barely organized gangs of The Rustlands have little interest in international politics. They don't care what The Enclave did in their own bunkers, but the group's insane ambitions make them a grave threat to the Rustlands and their profits. Authorities in The Rusltlands execute suspected Enclave personnel on sight, but the nation is unlikely to engage in any large scale action.
Uneasy
The pluralistic and democratic republic of Dixie has nothing but disdain for the ruthless, exploitive plutocracy in The Rustlands. The two countries share no border and deal little in trade. The Midwest Brotherhood has attempted to foster diplomacy between the two nations, but Dixie has made it clear that they are not interested until the bosses in The Pitt turns around their brutal system.
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