Greetings soldier!
No foray into the Southeast is complete without discussing the most populous community in the region. The City of Char, once known as Charlotte, North Carolina, is touted to be the last true bastion of civilization that exists before entering the untamed depths of Dinosaur Swamp (and we use the term "civilization" very loosely here). It is a lawless collection of lowlives, ruffians, and survivalists who live - like squatters - amidst the shattered ruins of the pre-Rifts world. Part trading post, part truck stop, and part frontier settlement, Char is a place just as wild and dangerous as the wilderness beyond. It has no law and order, no government, and no emergency services. Only a few areas have electricity or running water. The "city" (if it can truly be called a "city") is ridden with crime, violence, and gang warfare. Survival of the fittest is the only rule obeyed by Char's residents, and only the needs of survival (specifically safety in numbers) keep the community from tearing itself apart.
And yet, Char is an important rest stop before engaging the Swamp; a place to re-supply after leaving the Domain of Man and crossing the deadly Eastern Wall. There are no official retailers representing any of the corporations in the West; the city is so remote that even Northern Gun has yet to open a shop. The place might as well be the edge of the world. But nonetheless, a surprising amount of modern goods, including Northern Gun products, can be acquired via third parties. It would behoove you to stock up on the essentials while in Char, because once the expedition has gotten underway, the only place to re-supply without turning back is Fort Hawkins (central Georgia).
The Bostock Expedition is scheduled to make an early stop in Char before diving into the depths of the Horror Forest. As the hub of civilization for the Southeast, however, it's likely that you or other expedition members will be returning there now and again. Consequently, the IMCN has provided an overview of the city. Most of this information has been acquired from interviews with Jebediah Stone, Jean St. Jean, and others who have spent a considerable amount of time in Char.
Let's begin.
No foray into the Southeast is complete without discussing the most populous community in the region. The City of Char, once known as Charlotte, North Carolina, is touted to be the last true bastion of civilization that exists before entering the untamed depths of Dinosaur Swamp (and we use the term "civilization" very loosely here). It is a lawless collection of lowlives, ruffians, and survivalists who live - like squatters - amidst the shattered ruins of the pre-Rifts world. Part trading post, part truck stop, and part frontier settlement, Char is a place just as wild and dangerous as the wilderness beyond. It has no law and order, no government, and no emergency services. Only a few areas have electricity or running water. The "city" (if it can truly be called a "city") is ridden with crime, violence, and gang warfare. Survival of the fittest is the only rule obeyed by Char's residents, and only the needs of survival (specifically safety in numbers) keep the community from tearing itself apart.
And yet, Char is an important rest stop before engaging the Swamp; a place to re-supply after leaving the Domain of Man and crossing the deadly Eastern Wall. There are no official retailers representing any of the corporations in the West; the city is so remote that even Northern Gun has yet to open a shop. The place might as well be the edge of the world. But nonetheless, a surprising amount of modern goods, including Northern Gun products, can be acquired via third parties. It would behoove you to stock up on the essentials while in Char, because once the expedition has gotten underway, the only place to re-supply without turning back is Fort Hawkins (central Georgia).
The Bostock Expedition is scheduled to make an early stop in Char before diving into the depths of the Horror Forest. As the hub of civilization for the Southeast, however, it's likely that you or other expedition members will be returning there now and again. Consequently, the IMCN has provided an overview of the city. Most of this information has been acquired from interviews with Jebediah Stone, Jean St. Jean, and others who have spent a considerable amount of time in Char.
Let's begin.
"Our arrival in Char was at first a blessed relief. It was our final goal before entering the wilderness, and we had suffered much just in getting there. Up until this point we had weathered Dimensional Shifting, Coalition patrols, a nasty confrontation with a Necromancer, and any number of natural barriers, including the Appalachian Mountains themselves! Char was our first taste of civilization since leaving the Midwest, and it was also our last chance to re-supply if the rumors were accurate. We had no trouble securing lodgings in what the inhabitants call the Burbs, as our group had too much equipment to stay in the Heart of the city. There were plenty of abandoned structures to choose from, and we finally decided on staying in an old train station. It afforded us plenty of room for the equipment, but was defensible enough should trouble come our way. Luckily, we chose good ground.
"Char was not quite what I was expecting. We were attacked by no less than two street gangs, something I thought we had left behind in the cities to the west. Our camp was invaded by a pack of Tiger-Claw Raptors and one of those skin-shifting allosaurs, which to my surprise could mimic a bricked pattern just as easily as woodland foliage. On a positive note, we were treated fairly by most of the merchants, and came away with some excellent purchases both in price and in quality. Javelle, quoting an old video, likened Char to a 'wretched hive of scum and villainy,' but to me it was just another day traveling the wilderness of the southeast. Instead of trees, there are buildings, and instead of predators threatening you with their teeth, the predators in Char simply smiled with theirs and hungrily eyed your wallet
When we left Char, I was filled with a sense of relief just to leave. The city felt more primitive than some of the roughest mercenary camps I had seen. We were finally on our own, with nothing but the unknown in front of us. Despite all of my previous adventures, I was still anxious and delighted to be exploring. I knew there were dangers ahead, but nothing had prepared me for sights to come like the Horror Forest and the Time Holes. By the time we had stumbled upon the Jungle Castle, I was looking back fondly on the time we spent resting and re-supplying in Char."
— Deearn Neenok, The Dinosaurian Swamp: Notes from the Field
Statistics
Estimated Population: 8,450 permanent residents.
Racial Breakdown: 48% Human (Non-Mutant Barbarians), 25% Mutants/Barbarians, 18% D-Bees, 5% Mutant Animals, and 4% Other.
Average Transient Population: 1,900 - mostly explorers, hunters, Wilderness Scouts and native tribal Barbarians.
Tech Level: Low to non-existent on average, however some individuals range up to High-Tech/Modern and Magic.
Surrounding Communities (100 mile/160 km radius): 200, and that number may be an exaggeration. Exact numbers are hard to come by, and many are migratory. 65% human, Mutants and Barbarians with low-tech, natural weapons.
History
Located on the northern edge of the SteelTree Forest, the squalid city known as Char rests near the old border between the Carolinas. Before the Cataclysm, Char was once the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a jewel of the south, sporting some of the tallest and most beautiful skyscrapers between Atlanta and Philadelphia. Charlotte was a leading world banking center, second only in financial importance in the American Empire to New York City. It was the worldwide headquarters of several major banks and lending institutions, and was fast rising to eclipse Atlanta as the most powerful and important city in the south. Because of this level of prosperity, it was one of the first cities to incorporate the new, revolutionary Mega-Damage materials for non-military applications.
Many banks at the time appreciated the psychological confidence that their very companies rested atop the strongest man-made materials ever created, lending further support to their claims of solid investing and planning for the future. Many of these banks and other local companies had been in business for over 200 years, and were continuing to excel in their fields. Some even went as far as to use the new Mega-Damage materials in advertisements, claiming that their buildings and founda-tions had finally become as strong as their generations of service. It made for a very good sell and their investment in their buildings was indeed good for the future; unfortunately, the future wasn't what it was proclaimed to be.
The Cataclysm all but shattered the rest of the major cities of the Carolinas and throughout the southeast. The Research Triangle, Columbia, Atlanta, all devastated and mostly ruined. Charlotte, by comparison, was spared the brunt of the damage through sheer luck alone, and the good fortune of Mega-Damage materials. With other buildings and skyscrapers collapsing around them, the major buildings of the city survived, if still severely damaged. Their exteriors and structural support members may have been built of nearly indestructible ultra-modern concrete and polymers, but the majority of their interior walls, electrical systems and plumbing were of the more mundane materials, still resulting in massive damage to property and people. Most of those who survived the initial days huddled inside the moderately safe skyscrapers perished later of disease, starvation, suicide, or any number of the host of dangers that the end of the world brings with it.
When NEMA soldiers passed through the region, they took the remaining survivors with them. There were a few who refused, holding fast that they could hold their own in the ruins, but those who remained either eventually left the city for the wilderness in order to survive, or perished in the ruins of their shattered jewel of a city. Eventually, nature began to reclaim the countryside. City parks throughout the ruins began to grow, breaching the man-made barriers that had enclosed them. Animals began to nest in the ruins, and soon after, predators began to prowl the land. It was the best-preserved city, such as it was, in the southeast, but it had once again become home to the natural world.
However, this was not to last. Eventually, through word of mouth, Wilderness Scouts, barbarians and explorers began to tell tales of a ruined, burnt out city that still showed signs of habitability.
Slowly, people, humans and D-Bees alike, began to gravitate to this ruin. Over time, the center of the city became home to squatters seeking shelter and explorers seeking a place to rest, and for scouts to gather and exchange ideas and goods. Slowly, through time, Char has begun to develop into quite a large trading post. Not quite a city, but perhaps one day. There are clinics, weapon shops, places to acquire food and shelter, even an Operators' Guild. Each of these individually means little, as any village can have a healer, or repairman, but taken as a whole, Char is in the first stages of coming out of the Dark Ages, and could, in time, become the hub of the region. However, any such future is razor thin, as the city is still fragile and prone to violence, and no one is yet thinking in those terms. It is a market, a layover, and a melding of the wilderness and the barest threads of civilization. It doesn't take much looking to see that there is much more of the wilderness present than there is of civilization.
Located on the northern edge of the SteelTree Forest, the squalid city known as Char rests near the old border between the Carolinas. Before the Cataclysm, Char was once the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a jewel of the south, sporting some of the tallest and most beautiful skyscrapers between Atlanta and Philadelphia. Charlotte was a leading world banking center, second only in financial importance in the American Empire to New York City. It was the worldwide headquarters of several major banks and lending institutions, and was fast rising to eclipse Atlanta as the most powerful and important city in the south. Because of this level of prosperity, it was one of the first cities to incorporate the new, revolutionary Mega-Damage materials for non-military applications.
Many banks at the time appreciated the psychological confidence that their very companies rested atop the strongest man-made materials ever created, lending further support to their claims of solid investing and planning for the future. Many of these banks and other local companies had been in business for over 200 years, and were continuing to excel in their fields. Some even went as far as to use the new Mega-Damage materials in advertisements, claiming that their buildings and founda-tions had finally become as strong as their generations of service. It made for a very good sell and their investment in their buildings was indeed good for the future; unfortunately, the future wasn't what it was proclaimed to be.
The Cataclysm all but shattered the rest of the major cities of the Carolinas and throughout the southeast. The Research Triangle, Columbia, Atlanta, all devastated and mostly ruined. Charlotte, by comparison, was spared the brunt of the damage through sheer luck alone, and the good fortune of Mega-Damage materials. With other buildings and skyscrapers collapsing around them, the major buildings of the city survived, if still severely damaged. Their exteriors and structural support members may have been built of nearly indestructible ultra-modern concrete and polymers, but the majority of their interior walls, electrical systems and plumbing were of the more mundane materials, still resulting in massive damage to property and people. Most of those who survived the initial days huddled inside the moderately safe skyscrapers perished later of disease, starvation, suicide, or any number of the host of dangers that the end of the world brings with it.
When NEMA soldiers passed through the region, they took the remaining survivors with them. There were a few who refused, holding fast that they could hold their own in the ruins, but those who remained either eventually left the city for the wilderness in order to survive, or perished in the ruins of their shattered jewel of a city. Eventually, nature began to reclaim the countryside. City parks throughout the ruins began to grow, breaching the man-made barriers that had enclosed them. Animals began to nest in the ruins, and soon after, predators began to prowl the land. It was the best-preserved city, such as it was, in the southeast, but it had once again become home to the natural world.
However, this was not to last. Eventually, through word of mouth, Wilderness Scouts, barbarians and explorers began to tell tales of a ruined, burnt out city that still showed signs of habitability.
Slowly, people, humans and D-Bees alike, began to gravitate to this ruin. Over time, the center of the city became home to squatters seeking shelter and explorers seeking a place to rest, and for scouts to gather and exchange ideas and goods. Slowly, through time, Char has begun to develop into quite a large trading post. Not quite a city, but perhaps one day. There are clinics, weapon shops, places to acquire food and shelter, even an Operators' Guild. Each of these individually means little, as any village can have a healer, or repairman, but taken as a whole, Char is in the first stages of coming out of the Dark Ages, and could, in time, become the hub of the region. However, any such future is razor thin, as the city is still fragile and prone to violence, and no one is yet thinking in those terms. It is a market, a layover, and a melding of the wilderness and the barest threads of civilization. It doesn't take much looking to see that there is much more of the wilderness present than there is of civilization.
Geography
Char is broken up into three distinct sectors, or rings, around the ruins of the downtown center. The outermost ring is known as the Treeline. It is the point where the SteelTree forest begins to dwindle and intermix with native species of plant life. This part of the forest is thin, con-sisting mostly of small, immature trees. The burgeoning business of trading in SteelTree in Char is partly responsible for this thinning, but the area is also inter-cut with ancient roads, build-ing foundations, and other ruins that prevent the trees from tak-ing a solid hold. Given a few more centuries, these outermost ruins would continue to be consumed by the forest. But as the forest thins, the occasional ruin and rubble pile peaks through the ground, until there are more ruins than trees. These are mostly the remains of the suburbs, but there are occasionally m-ined buildings larger than houses to be found. These are typically grocery stores, shops and the occasional shopping mall complex. They have all long since been looted, scavenged, and left to decay. A ruin in the Treeline that has four standing walls, much less a roof, is the exception, not the rule. Because it is the transition zone between the wilds and the city, the Treeline is home to many animalistic predators that have moved from the forest proper to richer hunting ground around Char. These pred-ators, including many of the pack hunting dinosaurs and even supernatural creatures, will often prowl the streets at night look-ing for unsuspecting prey. It is also not unusual to see them prowling the streets further in toward the city's center.
The middle ring between the center of the city and the Treeline has become known as the Burbs. The use of the word here has little in common with the traditional use of the word in the Coalition States, but it could have been transplanted by a traveler or settler from there. Of course, it could also be a local use of the word that has been held over in the vocabulary. The Burbs is the sector of the city that has held off most of the natural reclamation of the forest around Char, but will be steadily consumed if the forest continues to grow, and the city is left to decay. The streets are still nominally paved in places, although they have seen the wear and tear of over 300 years of neglect and erosion. Some street markings are still visible, but most road signs, signals and light posts have since been scavenged, destroyed or simply rusted away. Most buildings are standing; some still whole, but gutted either by looting, fire or other elements. Many also show signs of battle, some recent, others decades or even centuries in the past. With no one to reclaim and repair them, these structures are testament to the violence that gripped the world in the days after the Cataclysm subsided. The Burbs is a veritable ghost town scarcely populated by anyone on a regular basis except gangs of City Rats, squatters and animal predators. Occasionally, a bandit group will hole up in a part of the ruins, using them as a headquarters, a place to hide, and often as a place to conduct business with associates. Adventurers in the region have been known to use the Burbs of Char as a place to rest and recover, although staying in this part of the city can be risky. There is the constant threat of being harassed by bandits, predators or even squatters looking for trouble.
The inner ring of the city is known as the Heart, and is in the shadow of the surviving buildings in the downtown district of the city. A veritable forest of ruined skyscrapers, it is also home to many of the citizens of Char. At the center of the Heart is the market, a sort of neutral ground where trade goes on between residents and outsiders just passing through. There is no formal law and order, it is very much a place where might makes right. Territory, whether that is a block of streets, a single building, or even a single room, belongs to whomever can hold it, and turf warfare is a daily menace, even in the tight confines of some of the remaining skyscrapers.
Char is broken up into three distinct sectors, or rings, around the ruins of the downtown center. The outermost ring is known as the Treeline. It is the point where the SteelTree forest begins to dwindle and intermix with native species of plant life. This part of the forest is thin, con-sisting mostly of small, immature trees. The burgeoning business of trading in SteelTree in Char is partly responsible for this thinning, but the area is also inter-cut with ancient roads, build-ing foundations, and other ruins that prevent the trees from tak-ing a solid hold. Given a few more centuries, these outermost ruins would continue to be consumed by the forest. But as the forest thins, the occasional ruin and rubble pile peaks through the ground, until there are more ruins than trees. These are mostly the remains of the suburbs, but there are occasionally m-ined buildings larger than houses to be found. These are typically grocery stores, shops and the occasional shopping mall complex. They have all long since been looted, scavenged, and left to decay. A ruin in the Treeline that has four standing walls, much less a roof, is the exception, not the rule. Because it is the transition zone between the wilds and the city, the Treeline is home to many animalistic predators that have moved from the forest proper to richer hunting ground around Char. These pred-ators, including many of the pack hunting dinosaurs and even supernatural creatures, will often prowl the streets at night look-ing for unsuspecting prey. It is also not unusual to see them prowling the streets further in toward the city's center.
The middle ring between the center of the city and the Treeline has become known as the Burbs. The use of the word here has little in common with the traditional use of the word in the Coalition States, but it could have been transplanted by a traveler or settler from there. Of course, it could also be a local use of the word that has been held over in the vocabulary. The Burbs is the sector of the city that has held off most of the natural reclamation of the forest around Char, but will be steadily consumed if the forest continues to grow, and the city is left to decay. The streets are still nominally paved in places, although they have seen the wear and tear of over 300 years of neglect and erosion. Some street markings are still visible, but most road signs, signals and light posts have since been scavenged, destroyed or simply rusted away. Most buildings are standing; some still whole, but gutted either by looting, fire or other elements. Many also show signs of battle, some recent, others decades or even centuries in the past. With no one to reclaim and repair them, these structures are testament to the violence that gripped the world in the days after the Cataclysm subsided. The Burbs is a veritable ghost town scarcely populated by anyone on a regular basis except gangs of City Rats, squatters and animal predators. Occasionally, a bandit group will hole up in a part of the ruins, using them as a headquarters, a place to hide, and often as a place to conduct business with associates. Adventurers in the region have been known to use the Burbs of Char as a place to rest and recover, although staying in this part of the city can be risky. There is the constant threat of being harassed by bandits, predators or even squatters looking for trouble.
The inner ring of the city is known as the Heart, and is in the shadow of the surviving buildings in the downtown district of the city. A veritable forest of ruined skyscrapers, it is also home to many of the citizens of Char. At the center of the Heart is the market, a sort of neutral ground where trade goes on between residents and outsiders just passing through. There is no formal law and order, it is very much a place where might makes right. Territory, whether that is a block of streets, a single building, or even a single room, belongs to whomever can hold it, and turf warfare is a daily menace, even in the tight confines of some of the remaining skyscrapers.
Life in Char
It is important to understand that Char is not exactly a city in the strictest sense. Nor is it a town, village or any sort of cooperative community in any fashion. There is no organized police force, nor is there any form of organized government. It is a collection of people who have come to live in close proximity to one another, and aside from any larger outside threat that may band them together, Char is ruled by personal protection alone. It is just as much survival of the fittest within the limits of Char as it is in the wilderness outside.
Because there is no organized rule, and no real sense of community, there are no services to speak of. Widespread running water and sewage removal is unheard of. Sickness and disease can run rampant among those without means to provide for themselves. Altruism is an all too alien word among the greater population. Because there are no laws, much less anyone to enforce them, disputes are often handled directly by the interested parties. There is no one to claim grievances to, no court of justice, only the occasional traveling Cyber-Knight or other crusader who will find their beliefs on justice are cold comfort to people who have lived a lifetime of survival for its own sake. To some, dispute resolution can be done over a bottle of whiskey and a conversation, while others resort to violence. While not exactly the Code of the West, many of the same principles apply.
Unfortunately for those simply trying to eke out an existence, they are often caught up in one aspect of civilization that seems to thrive in these conditions; turf wars. Living in the shadows of mined civilization, Char has a significant number of City Rats roaming its streets and alleys. These frontier-town gangs often battle it out with one another for their own pieces of the city in bloody and indiscriminate wars. Some of these wars have been fought over stretches of ruins with no significant value other than that one side or another desires them. It is a display of power and territory, sometimes shaking the very foundation of the city. The very name of Char has as much to do with destruction caused by the worst of the gang wars as the destruction visited on the city by the Cataclysm. But, such is life in Char, and business does go on.
Despite the blatant lack of civilized laws in Char, there is one universally agreed upon mandate that has kept the mercantile downtown reasonably safe from widespread gang war and other plays of power. In the summer of 63 P.A., the Headstone Pact was agreed upon by the powers that be in Char at that time. Since then, aside from a few exceptions, it has been strictly abided by. Signed in a cemetery in the northern part of the Heart, those in attendance agreed that open violence would not be tolerated among the central square of Trade Street. Everyone has a vested interest in the continued success of the shops, because without them, no one would survive, and they would be forced to live in the wilds. As much as survival is a part of live in Char, despite its significant lack of community services, it is indeed more comfortable than life in the wilds.
The Headstone Pact does not prevent occasional battles among the merchants of Char. Political machinations still occur, with small scale, often silent wars erupting. With everyone looking out for their individual best interests, such conflicts are inevitable. Everything from the Operators' Guild squashing an outsider, to raw material conflicts between Body-Chop-Shops, to even inns competing over a large group of travelers that has come into the region. It isn't uncommon for a group of explorers to find themselves at the center of a conflict between merchants. In a region where trade and raw materials are not easy to come by, such conflicts are just another example of the laws of the wild supplanting the laws of civilization.
It is important to understand that Char is not exactly a city in the strictest sense. Nor is it a town, village or any sort of cooperative community in any fashion. There is no organized police force, nor is there any form of organized government. It is a collection of people who have come to live in close proximity to one another, and aside from any larger outside threat that may band them together, Char is ruled by personal protection alone. It is just as much survival of the fittest within the limits of Char as it is in the wilderness outside.
Because there is no organized rule, and no real sense of community, there are no services to speak of. Widespread running water and sewage removal is unheard of. Sickness and disease can run rampant among those without means to provide for themselves. Altruism is an all too alien word among the greater population. Because there are no laws, much less anyone to enforce them, disputes are often handled directly by the interested parties. There is no one to claim grievances to, no court of justice, only the occasional traveling Cyber-Knight or other crusader who will find their beliefs on justice are cold comfort to people who have lived a lifetime of survival for its own sake. To some, dispute resolution can be done over a bottle of whiskey and a conversation, while others resort to violence. While not exactly the Code of the West, many of the same principles apply.
Unfortunately for those simply trying to eke out an existence, they are often caught up in one aspect of civilization that seems to thrive in these conditions; turf wars. Living in the shadows of mined civilization, Char has a significant number of City Rats roaming its streets and alleys. These frontier-town gangs often battle it out with one another for their own pieces of the city in bloody and indiscriminate wars. Some of these wars have been fought over stretches of ruins with no significant value other than that one side or another desires them. It is a display of power and territory, sometimes shaking the very foundation of the city. The very name of Char has as much to do with destruction caused by the worst of the gang wars as the destruction visited on the city by the Cataclysm. But, such is life in Char, and business does go on.
Despite the blatant lack of civilized laws in Char, there is one universally agreed upon mandate that has kept the mercantile downtown reasonably safe from widespread gang war and other plays of power. In the summer of 63 P.A., the Headstone Pact was agreed upon by the powers that be in Char at that time. Since then, aside from a few exceptions, it has been strictly abided by. Signed in a cemetery in the northern part of the Heart, those in attendance agreed that open violence would not be tolerated among the central square of Trade Street. Everyone has a vested interest in the continued success of the shops, because without them, no one would survive, and they would be forced to live in the wilds. As much as survival is a part of live in Char, despite its significant lack of community services, it is indeed more comfortable than life in the wilds.
The Headstone Pact does not prevent occasional battles among the merchants of Char. Political machinations still occur, with small scale, often silent wars erupting. With everyone looking out for their individual best interests, such conflicts are inevitable. Everything from the Operators' Guild squashing an outsider, to raw material conflicts between Body-Chop-Shops, to even inns competing over a large group of travelers that has come into the region. It isn't uncommon for a group of explorers to find themselves at the center of a conflict between merchants. In a region where trade and raw materials are not easy to come by, such conflicts are just another example of the laws of the wild supplanting the laws of civilization.
Mutant Animals
Of the total population of Char, nearly 400 of them are mutant animals. Not counting the D-Bees, the mutant animals are the single largest minority population in the city. They typically congregate into species specific clusters in the city, mostly living out near the Treeline. Of the mutant animal population, runaway and feral Dog Boys make up the majority. This is no surprise since the Coalition produces them in such vast numbers. Many of the deserters and runaways find themselves roaming the eastern wilderness, and eventually end up in Char. With their instinctive pack mentality, the Dog Boys have gathered into several groups and have laid claim to several blocks of the outlying ruins. They have no real desire to move further into the city, preferring to live on the border with the wilderness. There are the occasional outcasts that do live in the Heart of the city, but they are usually the maladjusted, injured or crippled that the pack has cast out, and live at the mercy of the inner city. They sometimes hire themselves out as guides, or even join gangs of City Rats. There is a small gang of outcast Dog Boys that roam the city, but their numbers are usually small thanks to constant infighting.
Other Coalition experiments that have escaped to live in Char are the occasional solitary Kill Cats and Mutant Bears, but they usually keep to themselves, living in the forest around the city and not the city ruins itself. The most notable mutant animal in town is the goat Lamont who runs Scraptown Salvage, but there are unconfirmed reports that a family of escaped Coalition Monkey Boys has recently joined the Operators' Guild.
Of the total population of Char, nearly 400 of them are mutant animals. Not counting the D-Bees, the mutant animals are the single largest minority population in the city. They typically congregate into species specific clusters in the city, mostly living out near the Treeline. Of the mutant animal population, runaway and feral Dog Boys make up the majority. This is no surprise since the Coalition produces them in such vast numbers. Many of the deserters and runaways find themselves roaming the eastern wilderness, and eventually end up in Char. With their instinctive pack mentality, the Dog Boys have gathered into several groups and have laid claim to several blocks of the outlying ruins. They have no real desire to move further into the city, preferring to live on the border with the wilderness. There are the occasional outcasts that do live in the Heart of the city, but they are usually the maladjusted, injured or crippled that the pack has cast out, and live at the mercy of the inner city. They sometimes hire themselves out as guides, or even join gangs of City Rats. There is a small gang of outcast Dog Boys that roam the city, but their numbers are usually small thanks to constant infighting.
Other Coalition experiments that have escaped to live in Char are the occasional solitary Kill Cats and Mutant Bears, but they usually keep to themselves, living in the forest around the city and not the city ruins itself. The most notable mutant animal in town is the goat Lamont who runs Scraptown Salvage, but there are unconfirmed reports that a family of escaped Coalition Monkey Boys has recently joined the Operators' Guild.
The Gangs of Char
One might not expect to find City Rats in a frontier environment like Char, but the lawlessness that presides over the city makes it a breeding ground for punks and villains. Much like their urban cousins, the City Rats of Char claim entire areas as their turf and viciously fight to hold on to what is theirs. These gangs engage in all sorts of petty crime, robbery, mugging, and brokering information, as well as racketeering and general bullying to show locals and outsiders who really owns the streets. Since there are no official laws, they aren't outlaws, but an anarchist fringe element that resorts to thuggery and con games to get their slice of the pie in Char.
There are easily two dozen gangs active in Char, but there are four that dominate the streets, the Gear Heads, the Orphans, the Raptor Claws and the Concrete Vipers. Each gang has over a hundred known members, as well as controlling as many as 6 to 8 smaller gangs whose memberships range from 12-48 (mainly low level thugs, wannabes and street punks).
The four dominant gangs are mutually exclusive, often recruiting from the territories that they hold, except for the Orphans, who have very strict rules for membership. With the laws of survival as powerful as they are, it can be said that the gangs do not discriminate based on species or gender. If you can survive, you're in. If you're the toughest, or smart enough to outwit the toughest, you can lead. The average age of Char's City Rat population is roughly 14-19, and many (at least 40%) don't live to see their twenty-first birthday. Consequently, the elder City Rats (typically 22 to 32) become leaders and powerful figures in gangland society or drop out of gang life to live ordinary lives or to join a black market operation. It's a violent, decadent life, but most City Rats will tell you that it's no better or worse than any other life on the streets of Char.
The four large gangs are major players in the structure of Char, while the smaller gangs are usually unorganized bands of youths with little better to do than to look for trouble and plunder outsiders who come to town. There is overlap in each of the gangs' territories, with large stretches of the `Burbs and even parts of the Treeline neighborhood falling into the gangs' turf. However, the fiercest conflicts come not over turf and property, or even the allegiance of the smaller, subservient gangs, but over the goods and services each gang controls. Each gang holds sway over some form of commerce. For example, the Gear Heads deal in stolen vehicles and Cyber-Snatching, but each gang regularly tests the strength and resolve of the others by trying to muscle in on their commercial turf So far, all four are pretty evenly matched and have been unable to actually subvert and take over the others. Instead, they make half-hearted runs at each other's "business" as well as engage in ongoing feuds, dirty tricks and sabotage.
One might not expect to find City Rats in a frontier environment like Char, but the lawlessness that presides over the city makes it a breeding ground for punks and villains. Much like their urban cousins, the City Rats of Char claim entire areas as their turf and viciously fight to hold on to what is theirs. These gangs engage in all sorts of petty crime, robbery, mugging, and brokering information, as well as racketeering and general bullying to show locals and outsiders who really owns the streets. Since there are no official laws, they aren't outlaws, but an anarchist fringe element that resorts to thuggery and con games to get their slice of the pie in Char.
There are easily two dozen gangs active in Char, but there are four that dominate the streets, the Gear Heads, the Orphans, the Raptor Claws and the Concrete Vipers. Each gang has over a hundred known members, as well as controlling as many as 6 to 8 smaller gangs whose memberships range from 12-48 (mainly low level thugs, wannabes and street punks).
The four dominant gangs are mutually exclusive, often recruiting from the territories that they hold, except for the Orphans, who have very strict rules for membership. With the laws of survival as powerful as they are, it can be said that the gangs do not discriminate based on species or gender. If you can survive, you're in. If you're the toughest, or smart enough to outwit the toughest, you can lead. The average age of Char's City Rat population is roughly 14-19, and many (at least 40%) don't live to see their twenty-first birthday. Consequently, the elder City Rats (typically 22 to 32) become leaders and powerful figures in gangland society or drop out of gang life to live ordinary lives or to join a black market operation. It's a violent, decadent life, but most City Rats will tell you that it's no better or worse than any other life on the streets of Char.
The four large gangs are major players in the structure of Char, while the smaller gangs are usually unorganized bands of youths with little better to do than to look for trouble and plunder outsiders who come to town. There is overlap in each of the gangs' territories, with large stretches of the `Burbs and even parts of the Treeline neighborhood falling into the gangs' turf. However, the fiercest conflicts come not over turf and property, or even the allegiance of the smaller, subservient gangs, but over the goods and services each gang controls. Each gang holds sway over some form of commerce. For example, the Gear Heads deal in stolen vehicles and Cyber-Snatching, but each gang regularly tests the strength and resolve of the others by trying to muscle in on their commercial turf So far, all four are pretty evenly matched and have been unable to actually subvert and take over the others. Instead, they make half-hearted runs at each other's "business" as well as engage in ongoing feuds, dirty tricks and sabotage.
Notable Places in Char
Char is home to a diverse population of individuals, but it is first and foremost a large-scale trading post. It is the last bastion of civilization before entering the wilds of Dinosaur Swamp. It is where most explorer parties set out from, it is where the survivors return to, and it is the largest stockpile of raw materials in the region (much of it scavenged and salvaged from all across the southeast). Characters looking to stock up on E-Clips, am-munition, food, equipment and other supplies should do so here, as much of it is going to be rare, or impossible to find anywhere else in Dinosaur Swamp.
The average quality of goods is fair to good, with the occasional excellent/new piece of equipment turning up. There are no authorized dealerships for any of the major weapons manufacturers, although some rudimentary trade routes are starting to be established. The region is simply too undeveloped and under-populated for the likes of Northern Gun, Wilk's, or any of the other large companies to set up shop. Most like-new equipment has been traded by an adventurer passing by, was stolen from them, or was scavenged off of their corpse. Almost everything for sale at the market of Char has a story of its own, and rarely is it fresh out of the box. As mentioned, cybernetics and robot parts are most often second hand at best, and inquires as to where such items came from are better left unasked.
Weapons and technology are not the only items for sale in the market at Char. Livestock, including the everyday hogs, sheep, pack animals, and the occasional cow are available, but the more exotic forms of life are for sale as well. Dinosaurs, however, are not often available as they are not seen as pets or desirable, and can't be domesticated. There are also several inns, but they are little more than flophouses with varying levels of class and security. Char is, in short, part flea market, part scrap yard, part truck stop and part trading post all rolled into one truly "bizarre bazaar."
Char is home to a diverse population of individuals, but it is first and foremost a large-scale trading post. It is the last bastion of civilization before entering the wilds of Dinosaur Swamp. It is where most explorer parties set out from, it is where the survivors return to, and it is the largest stockpile of raw materials in the region (much of it scavenged and salvaged from all across the southeast). Characters looking to stock up on E-Clips, am-munition, food, equipment and other supplies should do so here, as much of it is going to be rare, or impossible to find anywhere else in Dinosaur Swamp.
The average quality of goods is fair to good, with the occasional excellent/new piece of equipment turning up. There are no authorized dealerships for any of the major weapons manufacturers, although some rudimentary trade routes are starting to be established. The region is simply too undeveloped and under-populated for the likes of Northern Gun, Wilk's, or any of the other large companies to set up shop. Most like-new equipment has been traded by an adventurer passing by, was stolen from them, or was scavenged off of their corpse. Almost everything for sale at the market of Char has a story of its own, and rarely is it fresh out of the box. As mentioned, cybernetics and robot parts are most often second hand at best, and inquires as to where such items came from are better left unasked.
Weapons and technology are not the only items for sale in the market at Char. Livestock, including the everyday hogs, sheep, pack animals, and the occasional cow are available, but the more exotic forms of life are for sale as well. Dinosaurs, however, are not often available as they are not seen as pets or desirable, and can't be domesticated. There are also several inns, but they are little more than flophouses with varying levels of class and security. Char is, in short, part flea market, part scrap yard, part truck stop and part trading post all rolled into one truly "bizarre bazaar."
1. The Night's Rest Inn: This is one of Char's main inns for travelers. It is located inside the ruins of an art museum, and the business is owned and operated by the Concrete Vipers gang.
2. Chamberland Arms & Armor: The premiere weapons dealer in Char. Chamberland sells salvaged and repaired weapons, as well as new weapons acquired from other dealers, travelers and locals. He only sells what he has on hand, and only deals in personal weaponry, body armor, and combat accessories (no bionics, robotics, or power armor).
3. Viggo's Firearms: Another weapons dealer who, unlike Chamberland, specializes in producing specialty hunting rifles. Viggo's guns are high-quality, expensive, and built by hand to suit each individual customer. He's more a craftsman than a weapons dealer.
4. Lukias' Cybernetics: A Dwarven-owned body-chop-shop. Lukias is regarded as the best Cyber-Doc in Char, but does not deal in Bio-Systems. As such, he's considerably expensive. He also refuses to buy merchandise from Cyber-Snatchers, especially if he recognizes his own work among their wares.
5. Stamm Med-Center: This small clinic is the closest thing Char has to a modern hospital. Owned and run by a Body Fixer named Jonathan Stamm, the practice is a one-man operation since he hasn't found anyone with enough medical training to be his assistant. His prices are reasonable, and he also accepts trades. He is well-liked and respected by the residents.
6. Operators' Guild: The Operators' Guild is a formalized society of roughly forty mechanics who are responsible for providing parts of Char with power and running water. Their services are highly valued, and as such, they wield a good deal of influence in the city. The Guild is run by a man named Father Nicholas, and the organization's HQ is the most modern facility in all of Char. Only operators who are members of the Guild may ply their trade openly in Char; those who violate this decree make enemies of the Guild.
7. Stump's SteelTree Forge and Wares: Stump is a barbarian blacksmith and carpenter who was driven out of his lands. His smithy is the only one of its kind in Char, dedicated to the manufacturing and merchandising of SteelTree items. He makes all types of SteelTree products, including SteelTree Beer, and also welcomes special orders.
8. Houfour of the Char Zobop: The Zobop, a secret society of Bokor, has its temple (or "hounfour") located on the outskirts of downtown Char. Most residents leave the voodoo practitioners alone, though the Bokor offer their skills to those interested in purchasing voodoo dolls, curses, or various magical services.
9. Bearcat's Stable: This business is run by a Psi-Stalker, and offers a variety of animals that can serve as food, labor, mounts, or even pets/companions. These range from mundane earth animals and livestock, to domesticated dinosaurs and exotic alien creatures.
10. Roma's Techno-Wizard Guild & Workshop: A human Techno-Wizard named Roma, and her seven apprentices, run a TW business out of the remnants of an old bank building. She sells, repairs, and makes custom Techno-Wizardry for customers. As the only business in Char catering to mages and psychics, she is able to set her own prices (which are quite high). Currently, her guild is said to be in middle of a street war with the Zobop of Char.
11. Wayside Inn: This inn is a family-owned and operated business situated within an actual pre-Rifts hotel. It is more expensive than the Night's Rest Inn, but safe and more comfortable.
12. Skullbald Prosthetics: Another body-chop-shop and Lukias' direct competitor. Skullbald's shop is a temporary operation that moves around from site to site. He's less reputable than Lukias, supposedly has Black Market ties, and has no qualms about dealing with Cyber-Snatchers.
13. Scraptown Salvage: This business is owned by Char's Operators' Guild and is located inside an old sports stadium (the largest structure in Char). It is an open-air scrapyard containing materials scavenged from ruins, or bought from travelers. The scrapyard is managed by an escaped CS mutant goat named Lamont. Because its owned by the Operators' Guild, members have free access to all the materials in the yard.
2. Chamberland Arms & Armor: The premiere weapons dealer in Char. Chamberland sells salvaged and repaired weapons, as well as new weapons acquired from other dealers, travelers and locals. He only sells what he has on hand, and only deals in personal weaponry, body armor, and combat accessories (no bionics, robotics, or power armor).
3. Viggo's Firearms: Another weapons dealer who, unlike Chamberland, specializes in producing specialty hunting rifles. Viggo's guns are high-quality, expensive, and built by hand to suit each individual customer. He's more a craftsman than a weapons dealer.
4. Lukias' Cybernetics: A Dwarven-owned body-chop-shop. Lukias is regarded as the best Cyber-Doc in Char, but does not deal in Bio-Systems. As such, he's considerably expensive. He also refuses to buy merchandise from Cyber-Snatchers, especially if he recognizes his own work among their wares.
5. Stamm Med-Center: This small clinic is the closest thing Char has to a modern hospital. Owned and run by a Body Fixer named Jonathan Stamm, the practice is a one-man operation since he hasn't found anyone with enough medical training to be his assistant. His prices are reasonable, and he also accepts trades. He is well-liked and respected by the residents.
6. Operators' Guild: The Operators' Guild is a formalized society of roughly forty mechanics who are responsible for providing parts of Char with power and running water. Their services are highly valued, and as such, they wield a good deal of influence in the city. The Guild is run by a man named Father Nicholas, and the organization's HQ is the most modern facility in all of Char. Only operators who are members of the Guild may ply their trade openly in Char; those who violate this decree make enemies of the Guild.
7. Stump's SteelTree Forge and Wares: Stump is a barbarian blacksmith and carpenter who was driven out of his lands. His smithy is the only one of its kind in Char, dedicated to the manufacturing and merchandising of SteelTree items. He makes all types of SteelTree products, including SteelTree Beer, and also welcomes special orders.
8. Houfour of the Char Zobop: The Zobop, a secret society of Bokor, has its temple (or "hounfour") located on the outskirts of downtown Char. Most residents leave the voodoo practitioners alone, though the Bokor offer their skills to those interested in purchasing voodoo dolls, curses, or various magical services.
9. Bearcat's Stable: This business is run by a Psi-Stalker, and offers a variety of animals that can serve as food, labor, mounts, or even pets/companions. These range from mundane earth animals and livestock, to domesticated dinosaurs and exotic alien creatures.
10. Roma's Techno-Wizard Guild & Workshop: A human Techno-Wizard named Roma, and her seven apprentices, run a TW business out of the remnants of an old bank building. She sells, repairs, and makes custom Techno-Wizardry for customers. As the only business in Char catering to mages and psychics, she is able to set her own prices (which are quite high). Currently, her guild is said to be in middle of a street war with the Zobop of Char.
11. Wayside Inn: This inn is a family-owned and operated business situated within an actual pre-Rifts hotel. It is more expensive than the Night's Rest Inn, but safe and more comfortable.
12. Skullbald Prosthetics: Another body-chop-shop and Lukias' direct competitor. Skullbald's shop is a temporary operation that moves around from site to site. He's less reputable than Lukias, supposedly has Black Market ties, and has no qualms about dealing with Cyber-Snatchers.
13. Scraptown Salvage: This business is owned by Char's Operators' Guild and is located inside an old sports stadium (the largest structure in Char). It is an open-air scrapyard containing materials scavenged from ruins, or bought from travelers. The scrapyard is managed by an escaped CS mutant goat named Lamont. Because its owned by the Operators' Guild, members have free access to all the materials in the yard.