Greetings soldier!
North America is littered with the ruins of pre-Rifts towns and cities, most of which are dangerous, haunted, or uninhabitable for whatever reason. Ruins are ominous and disconcerting places; places that symbolize humanity's powerlessness in the face of the Great Cataclysm. Foremost among these symbols of civilization's collapse is the once famous municipality of Washington, D.C. - colloquially known by the post-apocalyptic natives of the Eastern Wilds as "TonDC."
Not many individuals know that TonDC exists or that it was, at one time, the center of government for the old American Empire. Before the Rifts, the so-called "District of Columbia" was the capital of the entire United States. It served as home for all three branches of American government, as well as host to a multitude of foreign embassies, museums, monuments, libraries, and works of historic import. It's not an exaggeration to state that Washington, D.C. was representative of the old American Empire's leadership, as well as an icon of pre-Rifts American culture and civilization.
Yet now, circa 101 P.A., TonDC is a forlorn, mostly forgotten ruin. The flood waters of an engorged Potomac River have swallowed roughly 65% of the municipality, turning the area into a large, swampy morass broken by debris and patches of dry land. Scavengers have generally avoided the region due to the likelihood that anything of value was washed away or destroyed by water during the Great Cataclysm. Furthermore, TonDC's proximity to the coast puts it in the sights of pirates and Splugorth raiding parties, which also makes the locale unattractive to visit.
Still, for those who know of TonDC's existence, there is a strong mystique surrounding the place. What isn't intriguing about an unexplored city that once was the beating heart of the old American Empire? There are a number of stories that connect TonDC to the legendary Neemans of myth, describing the city as one of the last holdouts of the American government until succumbing to the madness of the Dark Age. Later stories claim that a community of survivors - The Republicans - arose within the ruins, though they've long since vanished, once again leaving the former U.S. capital abandoned to history.
Although not relevant to Dinosaur Swamp, the following information is what the IMCN has learned about the region formerly known as the "District of Columbia."
North America is littered with the ruins of pre-Rifts towns and cities, most of which are dangerous, haunted, or uninhabitable for whatever reason. Ruins are ominous and disconcerting places; places that symbolize humanity's powerlessness in the face of the Great Cataclysm. Foremost among these symbols of civilization's collapse is the once famous municipality of Washington, D.C. - colloquially known by the post-apocalyptic natives of the Eastern Wilds as "TonDC."
Not many individuals know that TonDC exists or that it was, at one time, the center of government for the old American Empire. Before the Rifts, the so-called "District of Columbia" was the capital of the entire United States. It served as home for all three branches of American government, as well as host to a multitude of foreign embassies, museums, monuments, libraries, and works of historic import. It's not an exaggeration to state that Washington, D.C. was representative of the old American Empire's leadership, as well as an icon of pre-Rifts American culture and civilization.
Yet now, circa 101 P.A., TonDC is a forlorn, mostly forgotten ruin. The flood waters of an engorged Potomac River have swallowed roughly 65% of the municipality, turning the area into a large, swampy morass broken by debris and patches of dry land. Scavengers have generally avoided the region due to the likelihood that anything of value was washed away or destroyed by water during the Great Cataclysm. Furthermore, TonDC's proximity to the coast puts it in the sights of pirates and Splugorth raiding parties, which also makes the locale unattractive to visit.
Still, for those who know of TonDC's existence, there is a strong mystique surrounding the place. What isn't intriguing about an unexplored city that once was the beating heart of the old American Empire? There are a number of stories that connect TonDC to the legendary Neemans of myth, describing the city as one of the last holdouts of the American government until succumbing to the madness of the Dark Age. Later stories claim that a community of survivors - The Republicans - arose within the ruins, though they've long since vanished, once again leaving the former U.S. capital abandoned to history.
Although not relevant to Dinosaur Swamp, the following information is what the IMCN has learned about the region formerly known as the "District of Columbia."
Geography & Layout
TonDC is located along the Atlantic coastline, within the Shemarrian-dominated wilderness known as the Eastern Wilds. Technically speaking, the former Washington, D.C. metro area is claimed by the Shemarrian Nation, specifically the Hawkmoon Tribe of Shemarrians. In terms of pre-Rifts geography, the District of Columbia sits within the eastern segment of a much larger political territory once known as the State of Maryland; one of fifty quasi-self-governing territories that comprised the old American Empire. Much like Washington, D.C., the neighboring city of Arlington (located on the other side of the Potomac River in Virginia) was also the seat of important U.S. governmental facilities, most notably an edifice called "The Pentagon" - a five-sided building that served as the HQ for the American Empire's Department of Defense.
It's noteworthy to mention that Eastern Maryland has a higher number of reported encounters with Shemarrians than anywhere else on record. No one is certain why that is. Some speculate that the Shemarrians have a secret base of operations in the area, while others believe that the warrior women are hunting for something in this part of old America. Whatever the case, the former State of Maryland, specifically Eastern Maryland, is undoubtedly the heartland of the Shemarrian Nation. A byproduct of this development is that local monster populations have been tremendously curbed. The high concentration of Shemarrian Warriors means that the area is frequently cleared of dangerous wildlife, which serves to make Eastern Maryland one of the least perilous regions in all of the Eastern Wilds (but still far from safe).
However, there are next to no reports of Shemarrians being encountered inside TonDC itself. Despite their pervasive presence in Eastern Maryland, the warrior women are rarely found within Washington's city limits. On the contrary, there are unconfirmed stories about the Shemarrians seeming hesitant, or even refusing, to enter the ruins. In some cases, enemies of the Shemarrians have supposedly been able to escape the warrior women by running into TonDC, at which point the Shemarrians stopped their pursuit. Again, the reasons for this behavior are unknown, and the D-Bee cyborgs are tight-lipped about the subject. Witnesses suggest that the Shemarrians regard TonDC as a "restricted area" or "no-man's land." Yet if this is true, it begs all sorts of questions, the least of which being "What could be dangerous enough to keep Shemarrians at bay?"
As with most coastal areas, Washington, D.C. suffered tremendous devastation during the Great Cataclysm. Stories from the Dark Age say that a thousand foot wall of water, travelling 300 miles per hour, struck the Eastern Seaboard - effectively wiping out a shocking 90% of seaside cities and communities in one single instant. Washington, D.C., however, fared slightly better, only because the Delmarva Peninsula sat between it and the Atlantic Ocean. The peninsula broke most of the gigantic tsunami, so it wasn't as powerful by the time it reached the District. Still, the damage to the city was catastrophic.
What remains of Washington is a flooded ruin: part swamp and part ghost town. Water ranges from 20 to 30 feet in depth here. A large number of the city's downtown buildings are still standing, which may seem surprising for a city so close to the coast. However, the District of Columbia had a high concentration of important governmental, financial and military facilities, and these types of facilities were likely reinforced with, or made from, duracrete and other damage-resistant Golden Age materials. Consequently, they had a higher likelihood of surviving the Great Cataclysm; something that TonDC's many unfallen structures seems to prove. Yet, the power of the tidal waves still forced water through every window and orifice, like giant sieves, washing away furniture and leaving most structures empty husks.
The District of Columbia was supposedly home to some of the old American Empire's most architecturally impressive structures, and to this day, the remaining buildings of TonDC retain a distinct impressiveness. Though severely damaged and victim to centuries of erosion, many of the area's Tudor, Federalist, and Neoclassical structures still convey some small amount of grandeur. Even those without an appreciation of architecture often note that TonDC has a different "look and feel" than other ruins on the continent; a certain immensity or gravitas that's difficult to put into words. Visitors are able to intuit that this place was once important.
Notable and mysterious structures in TonDC include the following:
Adjacent to TonDC is a large, winding river called the Potomac, a 400+ mile waterway that flows to the Atlantic Ocean. The river is much wider than it once was, having been swollen by the rise in ocean level, and its waters have inundated entire swathes of ruins, not the least of which include Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia. For those travelling by water, the Potomac provides convenient and direct access to many local ruins, while also circumventing possible encounters with the Shemarrians.
The Potomac empties into what used to be called Chesapeake Bay. The Bay was once a major estuary situated inland between the Maryland and Virginia coast, and the Delmarva Peninsula. However, the disappearance of the peninsula means that there is no longer a Chesapeake Bay, so to speak; the Potomac River flows directly into the open Atlantic Ocean. Locals now refer to this area as the Chesapeake Gulf. The name "Chesapeake" continues to exist as a form of folk memory; most natives have no idea where the word comes from.
When it existed, the Delmarva Peninsula was home to sections of three U.S. states. This included most of Delaware, a portion of Eastern Maryland, and a portion of Eastern Virginia. In fact, the name Delmarva is a clipped compound of the words Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. During the Great Cataclysm, the peninsula's low land elevation meant that it stood no chance once ocean levels started to rise. It's thought that nearly the entire peninsula, 5.45 million square miles of land, sunk beneath the waves within moments, as well as large sections of lower Maryland and 40% of New Jersey. To this day, all that remains of Delmarva are a series of tiny archipelagos where portions of the peninsula's higher elevations break the water's surface.
One of the most notable sights at the shores of the Chesapeake Gulf are the ruins of the pre-Rifts city of Baltimore, once the largest city in Maryland and one of the most prominent municipalities in the old American Empire. As a port city, Baltimore was located along the Patapsco River close to where it emptied into the original Chesapeake Bay. This proximity to water spelled the city's doom during the Great Cataclysm. What wasn't demolished by pounding tidal waves was swallowed up by the rising waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It can be assumed that the only reason some portions of the city remain standing is because the Delmarva Peninsula (positioned between Baltimore and the Atlantic) took the brunt of the tsunamis that devastated other parts of the Eastern Seaboard. Still, what's left of Baltimore is a testament to the destructive power of the rifts. What isn't submerged is a haunted, swampy ruin.
Everything south of Baltimore's Mount Holly neighborhood is underwater. However, many of the taller buildings and structures in the city's submerged sections yet protrude from the water's surface. The sunken portions of Baltimore form a maze of broken concrete towers and twisted steel poking above the waves. Taking aquatic vessels through these waters is treacherous due to the risk of hull damage from submerged debris. Likewise, all manner of aquatic monsters are known to make their homes in the watery ruins, and pirates often use the area to hide or make camp.
TonDC is located along the Atlantic coastline, within the Shemarrian-dominated wilderness known as the Eastern Wilds. Technically speaking, the former Washington, D.C. metro area is claimed by the Shemarrian Nation, specifically the Hawkmoon Tribe of Shemarrians. In terms of pre-Rifts geography, the District of Columbia sits within the eastern segment of a much larger political territory once known as the State of Maryland; one of fifty quasi-self-governing territories that comprised the old American Empire. Much like Washington, D.C., the neighboring city of Arlington (located on the other side of the Potomac River in Virginia) was also the seat of important U.S. governmental facilities, most notably an edifice called "The Pentagon" - a five-sided building that served as the HQ for the American Empire's Department of Defense.
It's noteworthy to mention that Eastern Maryland has a higher number of reported encounters with Shemarrians than anywhere else on record. No one is certain why that is. Some speculate that the Shemarrians have a secret base of operations in the area, while others believe that the warrior women are hunting for something in this part of old America. Whatever the case, the former State of Maryland, specifically Eastern Maryland, is undoubtedly the heartland of the Shemarrian Nation. A byproduct of this development is that local monster populations have been tremendously curbed. The high concentration of Shemarrian Warriors means that the area is frequently cleared of dangerous wildlife, which serves to make Eastern Maryland one of the least perilous regions in all of the Eastern Wilds (but still far from safe).
However, there are next to no reports of Shemarrians being encountered inside TonDC itself. Despite their pervasive presence in Eastern Maryland, the warrior women are rarely found within Washington's city limits. On the contrary, there are unconfirmed stories about the Shemarrians seeming hesitant, or even refusing, to enter the ruins. In some cases, enemies of the Shemarrians have supposedly been able to escape the warrior women by running into TonDC, at which point the Shemarrians stopped their pursuit. Again, the reasons for this behavior are unknown, and the D-Bee cyborgs are tight-lipped about the subject. Witnesses suggest that the Shemarrians regard TonDC as a "restricted area" or "no-man's land." Yet if this is true, it begs all sorts of questions, the least of which being "What could be dangerous enough to keep Shemarrians at bay?"
As with most coastal areas, Washington, D.C. suffered tremendous devastation during the Great Cataclysm. Stories from the Dark Age say that a thousand foot wall of water, travelling 300 miles per hour, struck the Eastern Seaboard - effectively wiping out a shocking 90% of seaside cities and communities in one single instant. Washington, D.C., however, fared slightly better, only because the Delmarva Peninsula sat between it and the Atlantic Ocean. The peninsula broke most of the gigantic tsunami, so it wasn't as powerful by the time it reached the District. Still, the damage to the city was catastrophic.
What remains of Washington is a flooded ruin: part swamp and part ghost town. Water ranges from 20 to 30 feet in depth here. A large number of the city's downtown buildings are still standing, which may seem surprising for a city so close to the coast. However, the District of Columbia had a high concentration of important governmental, financial and military facilities, and these types of facilities were likely reinforced with, or made from, duracrete and other damage-resistant Golden Age materials. Consequently, they had a higher likelihood of surviving the Great Cataclysm; something that TonDC's many unfallen structures seems to prove. Yet, the power of the tidal waves still forced water through every window and orifice, like giant sieves, washing away furniture and leaving most structures empty husks.
The District of Columbia was supposedly home to some of the old American Empire's most architecturally impressive structures, and to this day, the remaining buildings of TonDC retain a distinct impressiveness. Though severely damaged and victim to centuries of erosion, many of the area's Tudor, Federalist, and Neoclassical structures still convey some small amount of grandeur. Even those without an appreciation of architecture often note that TonDC has a different "look and feel" than other ruins on the continent; a certain immensity or gravitas that's difficult to put into words. Visitors are able to intuit that this place was once important.
Notable and mysterious structures in TonDC include the following:
- The Gray House: Said to be the ancient residence of the supreme ruler of the old American Empire. The waters of the Potomac come close to this building, but its location on slightly elevated ground seems to have saved it from being flooded, as other parts of TonDC have been. Before the Great Cataclysm, the building was renowned for its bleach-white color. Now the edifice is a dull, splotchy gray, discolored by years of weather and neglect. Large sections of the building are collapsed and are overrun with plant life. Stories say that the place is haunted by the ghosts of the former Emperors of the old American Empire.
- The Obelisk: Located about half a mile behind the Gray House, emerging from the swampy water, is a mysterious four-sided pillar dubbed the "Obelisk." This cracked stone structure, with internal metal supports, is 55 feet wide at its base and rises roughly 70 feet above the water. It's obvious that, before the rifts, the structure was much taller; the top half appears to have snapped off at some point during the Great Cataclsym. No one is certain what the original structure was intended to be, though locals tell stories about the Obelisk once being a giant, needle-like monument to the gods.
- The Great Dome: Sitting atop one of the highest hills in the area is an expansive, vine-clad structure. This place is heavily damaged and claimed by avian predators, who use its heights to roost. The most eye-catching aspect of this edifice, beyond its size, is the prominent dome at its center. Though partially caved in, the building's original splendor can still be gleaned from the ruins. Stories say that this was the seat from which the leaders of the old American Empire laid down their laws.
- The Lincoln Temple: Some distance from the Obelisk, rising from the waters like its own little island of marble, is a stone structure decorated with inscriptions and columnades (most of which have cracked or collapsed). Within this neoclassical building is a 19 foot tall statue of a bearded man sitting in a chair; a man identified as Abraham Lincoln. He is known to have been one of the past leaders of the old American Empire, though the reasons why he was so specially commemorated are a mystery. The entire structure is strangely well-preserved, and it's thought that TonDC's former residents, the Republicans, took steps to maintain and repair this building as best they could.
Adjacent to TonDC is a large, winding river called the Potomac, a 400+ mile waterway that flows to the Atlantic Ocean. The river is much wider than it once was, having been swollen by the rise in ocean level, and its waters have inundated entire swathes of ruins, not the least of which include Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia. For those travelling by water, the Potomac provides convenient and direct access to many local ruins, while also circumventing possible encounters with the Shemarrians.
The Potomac empties into what used to be called Chesapeake Bay. The Bay was once a major estuary situated inland between the Maryland and Virginia coast, and the Delmarva Peninsula. However, the disappearance of the peninsula means that there is no longer a Chesapeake Bay, so to speak; the Potomac River flows directly into the open Atlantic Ocean. Locals now refer to this area as the Chesapeake Gulf. The name "Chesapeake" continues to exist as a form of folk memory; most natives have no idea where the word comes from.
When it existed, the Delmarva Peninsula was home to sections of three U.S. states. This included most of Delaware, a portion of Eastern Maryland, and a portion of Eastern Virginia. In fact, the name Delmarva is a clipped compound of the words Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. During the Great Cataclysm, the peninsula's low land elevation meant that it stood no chance once ocean levels started to rise. It's thought that nearly the entire peninsula, 5.45 million square miles of land, sunk beneath the waves within moments, as well as large sections of lower Maryland and 40% of New Jersey. To this day, all that remains of Delmarva are a series of tiny archipelagos where portions of the peninsula's higher elevations break the water's surface.
One of the most notable sights at the shores of the Chesapeake Gulf are the ruins of the pre-Rifts city of Baltimore, once the largest city in Maryland and one of the most prominent municipalities in the old American Empire. As a port city, Baltimore was located along the Patapsco River close to where it emptied into the original Chesapeake Bay. This proximity to water spelled the city's doom during the Great Cataclysm. What wasn't demolished by pounding tidal waves was swallowed up by the rising waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It can be assumed that the only reason some portions of the city remain standing is because the Delmarva Peninsula (positioned between Baltimore and the Atlantic) took the brunt of the tsunamis that devastated other parts of the Eastern Seaboard. Still, what's left of Baltimore is a testament to the destructive power of the rifts. What isn't submerged is a haunted, swampy ruin.
Everything south of Baltimore's Mount Holly neighborhood is underwater. However, many of the taller buildings and structures in the city's submerged sections yet protrude from the water's surface. The sunken portions of Baltimore form a maze of broken concrete towers and twisted steel poking above the waves. Taking aquatic vessels through these waters is treacherous due to the risk of hull damage from submerged debris. Likewise, all manner of aquatic monsters are known to make their homes in the watery ruins, and pirates often use the area to hide or make camp.
The Republicans
Although TonDC is ravaged and flooded, a thriving tech-center calling itself the "The Republicans," once laid claim to the ruins and subterranean metro tunnels of D.C.'s old subway system. This enigmatic group of people (60% human, 40% D-Bee) was said to have been a growing power in the East. However, little has been heard from or about them, especially in recent years.
The Republicans is a name rooted in a certain amount of myth and legend. Faceless, nameless heroes who supposedly rose from the ashes of destruction to protect the weak, defend the innocent and rescue the downtrodden. Stories about the Republicans born in the Dark Age continue to be told today. Like mythic heroes, they seemed to appear out of nowhere to battle evil or save the day... only to fade back into the shadows and disappear.
As the story goes, when chaos reigned and human civilization gave way to barbarism, a band of heroes calling themselves the “Soldiers of the New Federal Republic,” or “Republicans” for short, appeared at key intervals throughout the Two Hundred Years Dark Age to help those in need. It is said, the Republicans would appear to rescue towns from destruction or stave off invaders from the rifts so that the community might survive to grow and realize its potential.
In a world gone mad, the Republicans, along with Glitter Boys, Cyber-Knights, and other fabled heroes of the Dark Age, represented hope and a link to the past, for it is said they and they alone held many secrets and weapons from the Golden Age of Man. Their aid could come in the form of a powerful army streaking down from the heavens like avenging angels, or a horde of soldiers in gleaming armor. In other cases, their help was much more subtle: a warning of impending doom and an escape route, or a suggestion on how to avoid it. Many are the tales of the Republicans forming bands of heroes and bestowing them with weapons and armor, but most importantly, with the courage to take a stand, before sending them on a noble quest or leaving them in charge of defending a town or crushing evil. They are also said to have pointed the way where heroes might find a cache of pre-Rifts weapons, armor or vehicles, as well as given a noble hero the boon of Glitter Boy armor or other advanced weaponry or knowledge.
Some historians and scholars have wondered if the Republicans might have been the last of the godling race known as the Neemans, believed to be the creators of the Glitter Boy. Another theory is that the Republicans might have been a group of mortal heroes created by or inspired by the Neemans to carry on their noble work as protectors and guardians of humankind. Others have suggested that the Republicans stole the secrets of the Neemans, and possibly even destroyed the godlings so that they could be worshiped as gods themselves.
Whatever the case, the Coalition States sent an expeditionary team into the Eastern Wilds to investigate the legends and rumors about the "Republicans." The report was startling. There are indeed signs that a fairly advanced culture secretly thrived in the underground of TonDC, and it appears that they took steps to restore some of the city's pre-Rifts structures. Alas, whoever they were, they seem to have been destroyed.
Coalition scientists and anthropologists spent three months studying and excavating the site, reporting that an estimated 70 to 80 years ago, the civilization fell under attack, which would put their apparent demise at between 21 to 31 P.A. Evidence shows the Republicans were predominantly human, possessed some pre-Rifts technology and had limited, but advanced manufacturing capabilities. Examinations of the forensic evidence (i.e., bones) suggests they relied heavily on Mind-Over-Matter augmentation (the process used to make Crazies), which may have contributed to their demise. However, the consensus is that they met their end in a terrible battle. It is unclear who the enemy was, but most members of the research team speculate it was the Shemarrians or the Minions of Splugorth.
The Shemarrians make sense, since the Republicans would have undoubtedly represented the warrior womens' biggest competition to claiming the East Coast for themselves. However, the D-Bees were only first reported about fifty years ago so the time frame doesn't quite match up. On the other hand, the Splugorth are a distinct possibility, especially considering that Atlantean raiding parties are not uncommon in the region. If the Splugorth were responsible, it is very likely that many of these so-called "Republicans" were captured to meet with a terrible fate on Atlantis. Certainly, whoever attacked them had superior technology, and stripped the secret kingdom of all of its tech and destroyed whatever was left. There is little more to tell.
This story has repeated itself thousands of times on Rifts Earth, in which vibrant cultures rise and vanish before anybody can take note of them. That's what make hubs of civilization such as the Coalition States, Free Quebec, Lazlo, Ishpeming, and other nations/cities so noteworthy.
Although TonDC is ravaged and flooded, a thriving tech-center calling itself the "The Republicans," once laid claim to the ruins and subterranean metro tunnels of D.C.'s old subway system. This enigmatic group of people (60% human, 40% D-Bee) was said to have been a growing power in the East. However, little has been heard from or about them, especially in recent years.
The Republicans is a name rooted in a certain amount of myth and legend. Faceless, nameless heroes who supposedly rose from the ashes of destruction to protect the weak, defend the innocent and rescue the downtrodden. Stories about the Republicans born in the Dark Age continue to be told today. Like mythic heroes, they seemed to appear out of nowhere to battle evil or save the day... only to fade back into the shadows and disappear.
As the story goes, when chaos reigned and human civilization gave way to barbarism, a band of heroes calling themselves the “Soldiers of the New Federal Republic,” or “Republicans” for short, appeared at key intervals throughout the Two Hundred Years Dark Age to help those in need. It is said, the Republicans would appear to rescue towns from destruction or stave off invaders from the rifts so that the community might survive to grow and realize its potential.
In a world gone mad, the Republicans, along with Glitter Boys, Cyber-Knights, and other fabled heroes of the Dark Age, represented hope and a link to the past, for it is said they and they alone held many secrets and weapons from the Golden Age of Man. Their aid could come in the form of a powerful army streaking down from the heavens like avenging angels, or a horde of soldiers in gleaming armor. In other cases, their help was much more subtle: a warning of impending doom and an escape route, or a suggestion on how to avoid it. Many are the tales of the Republicans forming bands of heroes and bestowing them with weapons and armor, but most importantly, with the courage to take a stand, before sending them on a noble quest or leaving them in charge of defending a town or crushing evil. They are also said to have pointed the way where heroes might find a cache of pre-Rifts weapons, armor or vehicles, as well as given a noble hero the boon of Glitter Boy armor or other advanced weaponry or knowledge.
Some historians and scholars have wondered if the Republicans might have been the last of the godling race known as the Neemans, believed to be the creators of the Glitter Boy. Another theory is that the Republicans might have been a group of mortal heroes created by or inspired by the Neemans to carry on their noble work as protectors and guardians of humankind. Others have suggested that the Republicans stole the secrets of the Neemans, and possibly even destroyed the godlings so that they could be worshiped as gods themselves.
Whatever the case, the Coalition States sent an expeditionary team into the Eastern Wilds to investigate the legends and rumors about the "Republicans." The report was startling. There are indeed signs that a fairly advanced culture secretly thrived in the underground of TonDC, and it appears that they took steps to restore some of the city's pre-Rifts structures. Alas, whoever they were, they seem to have been destroyed.
Coalition scientists and anthropologists spent three months studying and excavating the site, reporting that an estimated 70 to 80 years ago, the civilization fell under attack, which would put their apparent demise at between 21 to 31 P.A. Evidence shows the Republicans were predominantly human, possessed some pre-Rifts technology and had limited, but advanced manufacturing capabilities. Examinations of the forensic evidence (i.e., bones) suggests they relied heavily on Mind-Over-Matter augmentation (the process used to make Crazies), which may have contributed to their demise. However, the consensus is that they met their end in a terrible battle. It is unclear who the enemy was, but most members of the research team speculate it was the Shemarrians or the Minions of Splugorth.
The Shemarrians make sense, since the Republicans would have undoubtedly represented the warrior womens' biggest competition to claiming the East Coast for themselves. However, the D-Bees were only first reported about fifty years ago so the time frame doesn't quite match up. On the other hand, the Splugorth are a distinct possibility, especially considering that Atlantean raiding parties are not uncommon in the region. If the Splugorth were responsible, it is very likely that many of these so-called "Republicans" were captured to meet with a terrible fate on Atlantis. Certainly, whoever attacked them had superior technology, and stripped the secret kingdom of all of its tech and destroyed whatever was left. There is little more to tell.
This story has repeated itself thousands of times on Rifts Earth, in which vibrant cultures rise and vanish before anybody can take note of them. That's what make hubs of civilization such as the Coalition States, Free Quebec, Lazlo, Ishpeming, and other nations/cities so noteworthy.