The New West
The West North Central States, the Southwest States, and
"The New West" commonly refers to the vast wilderness that lies beyond the western borders of the Coalition States. It covers a very large part of what used to be the Old American Empire. Just as the settlers of the past once did, the people who live in the western wilderness are pioneers, outcasts, refugees and desperadoes trying to eke out a life in this harsh and dangerous part of the country. The New West roughly consists of the following states of the old U.S.A.: Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, and what's left of California. Oregon and Washington are usually also included, although some give them the separate distinction of “The Northwest.” Texas is now known as the Coalition State of Lone Star and is NOT considered part of the New West.
Sections of the Western territories are occupied or claimed by human and D-bee kingdoms, tribes, clans, settlers, ranchers, and gangs, but it is largely a vast disputed wilderness with a variety of terrains, from forests and mountains to prairies and deserts. Throughout the entire territory, there is an incredibly broad range and mix of technologies, some common to all, others claimed by specific human and/or D-Bee communities or organizations. Despite this, most of the New West is cut off from the rest of the country. Long-range radio is constantly broken up by frequent ley line storms, dimensional anomalies, or natural weather occurrences. For this reason the people in this region know little about the rest of the country, fear the Coalition States, and have developed hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny, independent and often unique communities and societies
Technology & Education
The prevailing technology is generally low tech, roughly equal to 1830 to 1900. Only weapons, armor and vehicles are consistently and comparatively high-tech, and many of these are modified or thrown together jalopies and hybrids using whatever was available. The look and designs of the pre-Rifts Old West are loved by the people of the New West, so except for the mega-damage body armor, energy rifle, laser pistols and hovercycles, the average Joe looks like a Cowboy, Indian or citizen who just walked out of the Old West. This retro-look is perpetuated by the Black Market, Northern Gun, Wilk's, Bandito Arms, and other manufacturers and traders who cater to the wants of the people. Consequently, cowboy boots, hats, chaps, clothing, gear, holsters, spurs, hover-stagecoaches and weapons are commonplace. Robot horses traverse the land along with live horses, alien riding animals, motorcycles, hovercycles, power armor and robots. In fact, robot horses are all the rage among adventurers and many Men at Arms. Other people, including cowboys, shun the robots because of their high price or because they favor the genuine animal. One of the most interesting means of transportation in the territory is the "Iron Horse" — a Techno-Wizard hover-train system that requires no railroad tracks. Just like the towns of the old west, many communities in this bold new era have flourished around a train station.
Education in the New West is usually focused on specialized "trades" that reflect the characters' occupation. The average townsperson is a tradesmen or laborer — farmer, rancher, cowboy, carpenter, etc. — who cannot read or write (80% illiteracy), although most (65%) have rudimentary math skills. Only a small minority are highly skilled and formally educated (rogue scientists, doctors, scholars, operators, etc.). Nomads, adventurers, drifters, bandits, mercenaries and even lawmen and town leaders tend to have little formal education. Their knowledge centers around their occupation, whether it be wilderness scout/hunter, shaman, gunslinger or thief. Of course, the level of formal education and tech skills will vary from place to place and people to people.
The average citizen is a hard working person used to toiling in the field, hard labor and living in dangerous times. Every person above the age of twelve has at least one weapon proficiency and adults who engage in physically demanding occupations (farmers, miners, carpenters/builders, etc.) get an S.D.C. bonus of +2D6 points. Most citizens do not wear body armor most of the time, but most are armed or have quick and easy access to firearms (in a desk drawer, the closet, under the mattress, etc.). Many also have a suit of partial or full environmental body armor to wear in case of an attack leveled against their homestead or community.
Romanticism with the Past
Nobody knows exactly who started it, but the Old West of pre-Rifts Earth has been romanticized and glamorized throughout the wilderness of the American west and Canadian southwest. Historical figures such as Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok, General Custer, Sitting Bull, Cochise, Geronimo, Jessie James and Billy the Kid, Butch & Sundance, along with fictional heroes, outlaws and "film" cowboys like the Lone Ranger, the Magnificent Seven, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood are all legendary figures! The real and the fictional have become blurred and intertwined to make an even wilder and woollier image of the Old West than it really was. Many fictional films and stories preserved and rediscovered on ancient video film disks, books and comic books from the days before the Great Cataclysm are regarded as factual, or dramatizations based on fact! Thus, the Hollywood depiction of the cowboy, outlaw hero and images of the Old West have become icons for this new and very different age. Even D-bees, trying to fit into the prevailing society of the land have adopted the appearance and ways of the (old) New West.
In an effort to recapture their lost heritage (or because it looked or felt exciting and dynamic), people began to copy the buildings, style of clothes, general appearances, and even the mannerisms and slang of the Hollywood Old West. Manufacturers exploited this romantic view of the Old West by creating weapons, clothing and products that have the appearance of something out of a cowboy movie; mostly the images from the time period of 1830 to 1890. This, of course, only perpetuates and ingrains the romantic view, images, stylings and ways of the bygone era. Not only have these manufacturers copied the appearance, they have also taken many familiar names. For example, there are entire lines of weapons with the familiar names of Colt, Remington, Winchester and others. In most cases, the weapons even look just like an old six-shooter or a repeating rifle, and may be an S.D.C. weapon or a laser pistol or other advanced, mega-damage energy weapon. Likewise, Techno-Wizards have magically turned ordinary looking revolvers into magic weapons that fire magical energy bolts instead of bullets! Wilk's has an entire line of weapons known as the Wilk's-Remington, more commonly known as "Remis," and has made these weapons the most popular in the New West.
The culture and mindset of people in the New West are very different than the eastern portion of the continent. The average town seldom exceeds a population of 600 and even "big" towns usually have less than 3,000 people. The number of "cities," like Silvereno, can be counted on two hands. The New West is lawless and hard. Most of the inhabitants have come to accept the principles of "might makes right," "might makes (or ignores) the law," and "the fastest gun does the talking." Consequently, anarchy reigns.
The culture is very much a throwback to the Old American West of the 18th and 19th Century. In some cases this is a deliberate "retro-fitting" by individuals who prefer the old ways, old technology or mysticism over the high technology of the East. Some have intentionally tried to recreate the old ways and (perceived) freedom, courage and heroics of the Old American West. In other cases, it is a logical response and a lifestyle that is reflective of the environment, especially among cowboys, ranchers, trappers/skinners, gunslingers and bounty hunters.
Communities
Towns of the New West tend to be based around one or two major types of industry, typically mining, farming, cattle ranching or the raising of other livestock, banditry, train stations with water and shops, or, to a lesser degree, large industry, such as the Black Market and Wilk's Laser Industries factories.
The average town in the New West tends to be small and often lawless. There is usually a main city street, merchant district, town square (often a park), drinking well or stream, a bank or loan office and trading post, general store, hotel, and city hall, all in the same general vicinity which serves as the town's center or "downtown" area.
Most of the residential homes are spread out, often for miles, interspersed with farms and ranches, around the town's center. Most buildings are no taller than 2-4 stories and tend to be made out of either light mega-damage material or inexpensive S.D.C. materials; wood, brick and concrete being the most common. Virtually all have a western motif, and for this reason, a dance hall and 2-12 saloons are typically located at the center of every town. A gambling casino and dens of iniquity may also be part of the town, although they may be located on the outskirts or other end of town depending on the moral fortitude and general alignment of the townspeople —some places don't allow gambling, drugs or prostitution, while some don't like it, but accept it, and others (usually the most lawless) welcome it. Doctors/healers, dentists and operators/mechanics are among the most valued and most difficult professions to find at a town. Only one in ten small towns will have one or all of them, although most large towns (70%) and cities (95%) will have at least one of each.
The biggest and/or most self-sufficient towns (pop. 2,000-6,000) will have a local radio broadcasting network or even a television station for music, entertainment and news. Broadcasting range rarely exceeds 100 miles (160 km), and programming is usually very basic, repetitive and limited. In addition, most usually have one bank, a jail, sheriff's office, livery, one or more doctors, dentists, mechanics/operators, locksmith, saddler, butchers, bakers, carpenters, and similar tradesmen and businesses with 1-6 garages, 12-40 saloons, 2-10 hotels, 2-4 churches, 2-4 schoolhouses, and 3-6 blacksmiths.
The Law & Frontier Justice
Generally, the law tends to be maintained by an elected or appointed sheriff and his deputies, but can also be enforced by one or more champions (human or not, often empowered with magic), a gang (including outlaws), business tycoon and his men, an influential or powerful family clan, or left to vigilante justice (citizens who gather to right wrongs and defend their town). Some places may have a militia or other military type of protector instead of or in addition to a sheriff, while others are protected and ruled (openly or secretly) by a powerful rancher, business person or superhuman being(s).
Lawmen are all too often a luxury at most towns, making the West a lawless and violent place. Only about 40% of the small towns (100-600 inhabitants) have a resident sheriff, while 70% of the large towns (typically 700-3000 people) have a sheriff and deputies, or one or more champions/defenders, or a volunteer militia dedicated to keeping the peace. In some cases, a Sheriff or group of official or unofficial lawmen (like Reid's Rangers, the Justice Rangers, and Cyber-Knights) patrol a wide territory where they make regular visits (sometimes weekly, monthly or once every several months) to the towns, villages, farms, ranches and outposts to make sure everything is okay and to settle disputes, assign punishments, conduct hangings, and roust criminals. All cities have a Sheriff and a police force.
In addition, the most powerful ranchers, mining companies, landowners and businesses are likely to have their own force of protectors, guards, enforcers, and henchmen; sometimes the equivalent to a private army. Others hire elite mercenaries, gunfighters, gunslingers, and sorcerers as freelance agents as the situation demands.
Frontier justice tends to be harsh and quick — an eye for an eye. So if an outlaw steals or destroys a man's livelihood (crops, horse, cattle, land, water, etc.) the punishment is death. The deliberate cold-blooded murder of an innocent person is also death, although some people and communities may allow the brutalizing and slaughter of certain races without punishment. Stealing a man's woman (i.e. kidnapping and/or rape) is usually (not always) a death sentence too. Hangings, firing squads, posse chases, and gunfights are common occurrences; in some towns they are daily occurrences.
Armed robbery, theft that doesn't jeopardize one's life or livelihood, breaking and entry, battery, brawling, drunkenness, vandalism, blackmail, confidence games, swindling, and similar things are typically considered (relatively) pretty crimes that can result in a fine (large or small), jail time, a work and restitution program (usually with the culprit spending nights in jail and the day in leg irons while he works), to months or years in jail. Repeat offenders typically see stiffer penalties and longer jail time.
Smuggling, gun running, selling drugs and alcohol, prostitution, and gambling are not crimes in most wilderness towns, although they are usually looked down upon, especially by polite society. Likewise, professions such as smuggler, bounty hunter, gunslinger, gunman, mercenary, card shark/gambler, drug dealer and pimp are generally looked upon as being vulgar and undesirable.
Cheating at cards, dice or other games also offers a wide range of punishment, from the cheater getting beaten up and his/her ill-gotten winnings taken away, to being tarred and feathered, to showdowns and shootouts in the street or at the gaming tables.
Most towns and places of business do not allow visitors to bring bows and arrows, spears, polearms, obvious magical weapons, energy and S.D.C. rifles, shotguns, heavy weapons, power armor, and military vehicles (i.e. tanks, APCs, giant robots, etc.) into their communities or establishments. Such weapons should be left outside of town with a friend, or at the Sheriff's office, or at the door. However, many places allow handguns (revolvers, pistols and derringers), as well as Vibro-Blades, stunners, and conventional knives, small swords, axes, whips, and similar smallish weapons; spears, polearms and large swords are usually not allowed. Places that don't allow handguns can be easily circumvented by concealing the gun on one's person or in a saddlebag or backpack — many towns go by the honor system and do not search visitors.
The penalty for having a "concealed" weapon is typically confiscation of the weapon (returned when the person is leaving town) and a fine that can range for 25 to 500 credits. Using a concealed weapon in the commission of a crime, typically adds 25% to jail time and/or triple the usual fine, plus permanent confiscation of the weapon (which is either added to the town's armory or sold and the proceeds put into the community).
Of course, specific laws, ethics, morals, justice and punishment will change, sometimes radically, from town to town. offense at another.
Dangers of the New West
Bandits and outlaws are commonplace in the New West. These brigands can range from organized gangs of professional criminals and thugs who steal, bully and cheat to earn a living, to groups and gatherings of cowboys and ruffians who sometimes stray from the straight and narrow to commit crimes and intimidate those weaker than they. Although the average citizen dislikes, fears and is often victimized by bandits and outlaws, most tolerate their presence and just try to give them a wide berth when they are in town. Gunslingers, Gunfighters, smugglers and most mercenary fighters are viewed as troublesome undesirables, but a fact of life in the west — some are as bad or worse than bandits.
The major threats to the people of the New West comes from D-bees, aliens and monsters from the rifts. The western wilderness is a haven for various Dimensional Beings, mutants, dinosaurs, alien animals and supernatural monsters. The Xiticix have a presence in the northwest and sometimes scouts and raiding parties venture south. Vampires are a major concern in the south where it is hot and dry, while Brodkil, Simvan, Psi-Stalkers, and Indians, among others, can be found in small hunting parties, outlaw gangs, clans and tribes scattered throughout the western wilderness. Entities, Loogaroo, werebeasts, Indian spirits, and a host of demons and spirits can be periodically encountered almost anywhere. The deserts are home to many mutations such as the Gwylack and nomadic Psi-Stalkers, as well as Indians, bandits, monsters and others.
Some "ghost towns" are quite literally that, pre or post Rifts ruins infested with ghostly entities, poltergeists, ghouls, specters, vampires and similar creatures. They are places known to, and avoided by, local inhabitants, Indians and wilderness scouts. The presence of the supernatural at true ghost towns will be immediately sensed by Dog Boys, Psi-Stalkers, psychics and even ordinary dogs and horses, who will whimper, whine, act frightened and want to leave. Most cowboys have learned to respect the "insight" of their animals and flee such places.
Much of the animal life is the same as before the Great Cataclysm, however a large variety of alien animals and otherworldly beasts inhabit the prairies and forests. Some are dinosaur-like, others mammals, and others are monstrosities obviously spawned on some alien world. Among the most famous are the Ostrosaurus, Rhinobuffalo, Mammoth Brontodon, Tri-Top, Moss-Back Scuttler, Tree Spider, Devil Unicorn, Panthera-Tereon, Oborus-Slitherer, Leatherwings, Tigerclaw-Raptors and Grigleapers. Another strange creature of the west is the Great Dream Snake. These snakes look like normal rattlesnakes, or sidewinders, but possess very high intelligence and strong magical and psionic powers. Some rumors suggest that these beasts are actually harbingers of good fortune and could be the saviors of man. For this reason many cults of snake worshipers have developed (some of whom also worship the Oborus-Slitherer). All of these alien creatures from the Rifts have changed the ecology and landscape of the American west.
The Trade of Goods & Services
The problem with the New West is that it is a vast, hostile wilderness with hundreds of splintered, unrelated communities, most of them tiny, scattered throughout the western half of the United States. Most don't have any ties to larger kingdoms, don't have any type of formal banking, are uncivilized, lawless, unstable, and low-tech (compared to the CS, Tolkeen, and even the Pecos Empire). Unless a merchant is an official agent, or authorized seller of goods from the Black Market, Northern Gun, or Manistique Imperium, most merchants and businesses won't take any kind of credits, not even Universal Credits.
What happens when you don't have credits, or the town doesn't take them? Well you might pay for a meal by chopping wood, digging a ditch, fixing a fence, plowing a field, pitching hay (or manure), etc. Want to buy that recently broken mare? No problem, just hand over that extra E-clip or energy pistol, language translator, or pouch of gold dust. A full 88% of all purchases in the New West is done through barter — the trade of goods or services, for goods or services. Many towns have what they call a bank, but is really a trading post where one can sell or trade items for the local currency (coins, paper, checks, credits), or provides a voucher for the traded/purchased goods. The Voucher effectively works as a note or check, from which expenses and purchases are deducted and collected from the bank. Common items used in trade includes animal furs, cattle, horses, other livestock, booze, weapons, E-clips, ammunition, explosives, M.D.C. armor, batteries, generators, vehicles, electronics, parts, tools, clothing or bolts of fabric, precious stones and ores, land, jewelry, and a host of other things. Services that always seem to be in demand are work as body guards, enforcers/thugs, lawmen, doctors, mechanics/operators, and laborers.
Unskilled labor tends to get paid about half of what it's really worth. This is because there are always a large number of unskilled or desperate people looking for work. Similarly, there are a lot of scouts, cowboys, fighters, and gunmen, so pay is typically low (again about half what the job is really worth), unless the character(s) are high level (7+) and/or have a reputation. However, even then, depending on the circumstance and the wealth of the town, pay will vary from excellent to substandard. Those who get the best pay are doctors/healers and operators/mechanics, but pay is usually room and board (for doctors and operators this might include their own house, a servant and an office all free of charge), being lent many (not all) of the basic items and tools needed for the job, and a modest salary in local (i.e. that particular town's) currency, or silver or gold.
The Code of the New West
Most cowboys, lawmen, gunfighters, adventurers, and even some bounty hunters, gunslingers, mercenaries and bandits live by a code of ethics that is known as the "Code of the New West," or simply as, "The Code." It is a simple code of conduct adopted by many of the hard and rough men and women, humans and D-bees, of the American Western Wilderness, particularly among those of principled, scrupulous and aberrant alignments. Those who break, mock or condemn The Code are regarded with contempt or worse.
Notable Groups and Operations
1st Apocalyptic Cavalry: A vigilante army that hunts D-bee cutthroats and bandits. Some call them heroes, others insist they are as bad as the scum they hunt. They can be found throughout the New West, but their main stomping grounds are Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. The Cavalry is said to number at about 960 men, and is led by General Kenneth Sprite.
Black Market: Organized crime has a sizeable presence in the New West. Away from the laws of the Coalition States, Black Marketeers flourish, and even operate in the open. Only New West lawmen, Justice Rangers, and Cyber-Knights are capable of opposing such criminals, if required. However, the Black Market provides valuable services and goods for the people of the New West. Since most manufacturers are located in the East, organized crime acts as a necessary distribution network to bring goods into the New West. As dangerous and corrupt as marketeers may be, many towns in the New West would dry up without them.
There are two syndicates who currently claim the New West as their “turf.” El Oculta operates in Mexico and the American Southwest, and like the Mexican cartels of old, it deals in almost everything, particularly drugs, weapons, and stolen Coalition tech. This faction is incredibly violent and brutal, and infiltration by vampires is regarded as a problem.
Bandito Arms controls the northerly portions of the New West. This syndicate is a major gun runner and weapons manufacturer, providing high tech guns, body armor, and power armor to people all over the continent. The manufacturing facilities used by Bandito Arms are a secret, though some believe the group is based out of the ruins of Las Vegas or perhaps Area 51. Some of their designs are based on stolen CS tech, which infuriates the Coalition to no end.
Coalition States: The West is a wilderness — some would say, a wasteland — of shifting dimensions, roaming monsters, D-bees, magic, mysticism, Indians, spirits and expansive, open, hostile land. Although the Coalition States continue to send Expeditionary Forces, Reconnaissance teams, Vendetta squads, Skelebot destroyers, and spies into the Western Wilderness, they consider the western half of the Old American Empire (and much of the Canadian Empire in the North) to be a hostile and forbidding territory not fit for human habitation. Thus, the Coalition's present plans for continental expansion and conquest end along the borders of Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma. In truth, the CS has limited resources and couldn't possibly conquer and maintain control over such a vast region. Even their current plans are ambitious and will take generations to accomplish. The CS intends to conquer and dominate the Midwest and then turn their efforts to the eastern portions of what was once the old American Empire and north to the Provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the old Canadian Empire. This has led many D-bees, mutants, refugees, freethinkers, scholars, mercenaries, outlaws and anarchists to regard the great wilderness of Western America and southwestern Canada as a potential haven, homeland, hideout, or base of operation. However, only 41% of all settlers manage to survive more than a year or two in this harsh and hostile environment. The remaining 59% either perish or return to from whence they came.
That having been said, the CS does have a sinister and shadowy presence in the New West. Spies, informers and Vendetta Squads can be found operating in many of the towns, fledgling kingdoms, and among gangs of smugglers and bandits. Expeditionary Forces (CS scientists and explorers) and reconnaissance teams, usually numbering 8-20 troops, can be encountered in the wilderness, and are often hostile. Skelebots, Kill Hounds, Kill Cats and other mutants, agents and "death squads" are sent into the Western Territory on missions of murder and destruction (can range from one or two individuals to squads of 6-12). Often these forces have but one goal, to kill or hurt the enemy — which is virtually all nonhumans, practitioners of magic, supernatural beings and people who have rejected life in the Coalition States. Furthermore, the CS often hires Psi-Stalkers, mercenaries, bounty hunters, spies and assassins to hunt down wanted criminals, runaway mutants, and refugees to be destroyed or brought back to the CS for trial and punishment.
Comparatively large military operations (CS platoon to a company of troops) are reserved for surgical strikes against mercenaries, bandits, smugglers, adventurers, rogue scholars, scientists, and Black Market bases, strongholds and troops that fuel illegal activities in the Coalition States, or have, or are feared of having, an impact or influence on CS citizens. Likewise, military bases (Juicers, Cyber-Knights, Black Market, etc.) that the CS considers to be a threat, will be attacked and destroyed (sometimes with the troops disguised as something other than the CS). CS authorities are often satisfied with disrupting enemy operations, the capture of contraband, and sending the rabble-rousers scattering than total decimation.
Territories earmarked for expansion and conquest by the Coalition States over the next 20 years include: Minnesota, most of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas (as well as Southern Michigan, and the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, to the East). Although this is the Coalition's official "20 Year Plan", most military leaders will admit that it is a very optimistic time table and not very realistic. The Tolkeen campaign will have a dramatic impact on the rest of the expansion plans. Once Tolkeen falls, the others should fall much more easily. However, Tolkeen is not expected to fall easily, and recent reports suggest that the Federation of Magic is on the rise. Realistically, the Coalition's "20 Year Plan" is probably more like a 50 year plan.
Cyber-Knights: These are modern day knights-errant who, like knights of old, wander the New West, Lone Star, Mexico, and parts of Central America and Canada, righting wrongs, defending the weak, destroying bandits, slaying monsters, and trying to bring peace and order to the land. In many cases, even the local authorities (sheriffs, militias, judges, tribal leaders, etc.) will defer to the requests, decrees, judgment and retribution of the Cyber-Knights. At worse, most tribal chiefs, kings, leaders and lawmen will at least listen to, and weigh the Cyber-Knight's words. This has led critics (mostly outlaws and scoundrels) to accuse the Cyber-Knights of being above the law, which, in all practicality, they are, in many cases. However, these (mostly) noble knights rarely interfere with the rule, laws and affairs of towns, commerce and kingdoms. According to many rumors and legends, the Cyber-Knights are believed to be headquartered somewhere in the northwestern wilderness — most suggest the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming or Montana, although nobody seems to know for certain, and many believe there are more than one training camp/headquarters for these heroic knights.
Justice Rangers: Justice Rangers are similar to the Texas Rangers of old. They roam the land righting wrongs and bringing justice to an untamed frontier. Like the Cyber-Knights who also wander the Americas, Justice Rangers tend to travel alone, in pairs, or in small groups with other lawmen, gunfighters and adventurers, and most are strict adherents to the Code of the West. They lead a heroic existence fighting to protect the innocent from those who enslave, abuse, plunder and kill, or to avenge their deaths. Unlike most sheriffs and lawmen, the Justice Rangers openly act as lawman, manhunter, judge, jury and executioner. They often lead posses, and stir up townspeople for lynchings and vigilante actions. Justice Rangers seem to have a particular vendetta against supernatural monsters and frequently target Xiticix, Brodkil, demons and dragons. They also tend to treat inhuman-looking D-bees much more harshly than humans and human-looking D-Bees or mutants. Their main areas of activity include Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and the Canadian Southwest.
A common saying in the New West is “Justice Rangers always get their man, come hell or high water.”
Native Americans: A number of Indian nations survived the Great Cataclysm. Like hundreds of other wilderness communities, the laws, beliefs and customs of each Indian nation, and sometimes tribes, can vary dramatically. Indian tribes reside in areas known as Preserves. These are territories controlled by certain tribes or tribal alliances, and roughly correspond to pre-Rifts Indian reservations. Some preserves are fairly small, while others are massive and comprise hundreds of square miles. In keeping with their philosophy of non-ownership of the land, most tribes allow D-Bees and other non-Indians to live on the preserves, so long as such outsiders respect the land and the rules of the governing tribe.
The Native Americans of the New West can be divided into two broad categories: Traditionalists and Modern Indians. Traditionalists are those Indians who’ve rejected technology (a.k.a. “white man’s magic”) in favor of the Old Ways. These Indians have returned to the ways of their ancestors, seeing the Great Cataclysm and the re-emergence of magic as a sign to return to the Spirits. They have a strong respect for Nature and despise those who despoil the land with pollution, overhunting, and deforestation. While most Traditionalists don’t hate technology or those who use it, they still prefer not to be around it.
Modern Indians are those who’ve embraced science and technology over the Old Ways and the Spirits. These Indians are no different than any other humans who use technology. Many have maintained tribal ties and live together on their own high-tech preserves, while others have assimilated into non-Indian communities, and some have even joined the Coalition States. However, despite their acceptance of technology, some Modern Indians still respect the ways of their ancestors and observe bits of Native American spirituality. They may pray to the spirits, wear fetishes, go on vision quests, or practice old rituals. Traditionalists tend to view their modern brethren as sadly lost and misguided, or, at worst, traitors who’ve turned their backs on the Spirits.
Regardless of beliefs, Native Americans, both Traditionalists and Modern Indians, have become a force to be reckoned with in the New West.
Pecos Empire: This is a “nation” of bandits and outlaws that lays claim to most of southern Texas. An empire in name only, the Pecos comprises hundreds of loosely affiliated gangs, clans, tribes, and groups ruled by various post-apocalyptic warlords. While some of the bandits are Robin Hood types viewed as local heroes by the common folk, others are bloodthirsty cutthroats who rob and pillage everything in their path.
The proximity of the Pecos Empire to the Coalition State of Lone Star (northern Texas) means that Pecos bandits and Coalition forces clash on a frequent basis, and the Coalition is a favored target for Pecos raids and aggression. However, disorganization and internecine strife prevent the Pecos Empire from ever being a true threat to CS supremacy in Texas. Though some of the warlords who control the most powerful gangs have made attempts to unify the Pecos under a single “Emperor,” no one has yet succeeded.
Though the Pecos Empire is NOT, technically, located in the New West, many Pecos bandits regularly raid and plunder the people of the surrounding New West territories, most notably Mexico, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas; lured almost anywhere by news of prosperity and opportunity.
Reid's Rangers: This is a famous group of heroes known for slaying vampires, as well as acting as lawmen and protectors of the weak, downtrodden and innocent, especially from supernatural menaces and the CS. Doc Reid and his original Rangers are living legends — so most towns will welcome any of Reid's Rangers with open arms. However, some rumors have begun to circulate that suggest Doc Reid is a little bit crazy and some Rangers are corrupt. Members of Reid's Rangers, estimated to number between 2,000 and 4,000, are usually encountered in the Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Lone Star and Mexico, but 1-6 are occasionally found further north. Their base of operations is Fort Reid in northern Mexico.
Lyn-Srial: The Lyn-Srial are a race of golden-skinned, avian D-Bees with hawk-like heads, beaks, four arms, and taloned feet. They are known as the “Golden Ones” because they are creatures of supernatural good who radiate a soft golden light. Though rarely encountered beyond Arizona or Utah, the Lyn-Srial are regarded as a noble and peace-loving people. They are masters of a form of magic based on clouds, fog, and light., and much like Cyber-Knights, the creatures are known to roam the land fighting evil and dispensing justice.
The Lyn-Srial reside in their own city, called Tryth-Sal, mystically hidden somewhere in the recesses of the Grand Canyon. They are known to be friends with the Cyber-Knights, as well as the Apache and the Navajo.
Vampires: Vampires dominate Mexico, and invading bands of undead are a constant problem in the southern portions of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas (Lone Star) and California. A majority of vampires remain south of the Rio Grande. However, there are rumors that a large population of vampires dwells in Arizona. The City of Arzno, along the Grand Canyon, has been battling the undead for years, and claims that they are becoming more organized and aggressive. Some speak of a vampire named Xavier Stuart, once a Coalition soldier, who has supposedly been giving vampires Coalition style military training.
Wilk’s Laser Industries: The largest manufacturer of laser technologies on the continent, Wilk’s is known for reliability and high quality. Their niche market is anything related to lasers – laser weapons, optics systems, laser communicators, etc. The company’s specialization keeps it from being considered a threat to larger, more diverse corporations such as Northern Gun, Wellington Industries, Bandito Arms, and Naruni Enterprises. No one is exactly certain where Wilk’s Headquarters are located; most of the company’s distribution is handled via the Black Market.
Sections of the Western territories are occupied or claimed by human and D-bee kingdoms, tribes, clans, settlers, ranchers, and gangs, but it is largely a vast disputed wilderness with a variety of terrains, from forests and mountains to prairies and deserts. Throughout the entire territory, there is an incredibly broad range and mix of technologies, some common to all, others claimed by specific human and/or D-Bee communities or organizations. Despite this, most of the New West is cut off from the rest of the country. Long-range radio is constantly broken up by frequent ley line storms, dimensional anomalies, or natural weather occurrences. For this reason the people in this region know little about the rest of the country, fear the Coalition States, and have developed hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny, independent and often unique communities and societies
Technology & Education
The prevailing technology is generally low tech, roughly equal to 1830 to 1900. Only weapons, armor and vehicles are consistently and comparatively high-tech, and many of these are modified or thrown together jalopies and hybrids using whatever was available. The look and designs of the pre-Rifts Old West are loved by the people of the New West, so except for the mega-damage body armor, energy rifle, laser pistols and hovercycles, the average Joe looks like a Cowboy, Indian or citizen who just walked out of the Old West. This retro-look is perpetuated by the Black Market, Northern Gun, Wilk's, Bandito Arms, and other manufacturers and traders who cater to the wants of the people. Consequently, cowboy boots, hats, chaps, clothing, gear, holsters, spurs, hover-stagecoaches and weapons are commonplace. Robot horses traverse the land along with live horses, alien riding animals, motorcycles, hovercycles, power armor and robots. In fact, robot horses are all the rage among adventurers and many Men at Arms. Other people, including cowboys, shun the robots because of their high price or because they favor the genuine animal. One of the most interesting means of transportation in the territory is the "Iron Horse" — a Techno-Wizard hover-train system that requires no railroad tracks. Just like the towns of the old west, many communities in this bold new era have flourished around a train station.
Education in the New West is usually focused on specialized "trades" that reflect the characters' occupation. The average townsperson is a tradesmen or laborer — farmer, rancher, cowboy, carpenter, etc. — who cannot read or write (80% illiteracy), although most (65%) have rudimentary math skills. Only a small minority are highly skilled and formally educated (rogue scientists, doctors, scholars, operators, etc.). Nomads, adventurers, drifters, bandits, mercenaries and even lawmen and town leaders tend to have little formal education. Their knowledge centers around their occupation, whether it be wilderness scout/hunter, shaman, gunslinger or thief. Of course, the level of formal education and tech skills will vary from place to place and people to people.
The average citizen is a hard working person used to toiling in the field, hard labor and living in dangerous times. Every person above the age of twelve has at least one weapon proficiency and adults who engage in physically demanding occupations (farmers, miners, carpenters/builders, etc.) get an S.D.C. bonus of +2D6 points. Most citizens do not wear body armor most of the time, but most are armed or have quick and easy access to firearms (in a desk drawer, the closet, under the mattress, etc.). Many also have a suit of partial or full environmental body armor to wear in case of an attack leveled against their homestead or community.
Romanticism with the Past
Nobody knows exactly who started it, but the Old West of pre-Rifts Earth has been romanticized and glamorized throughout the wilderness of the American west and Canadian southwest. Historical figures such as Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok, General Custer, Sitting Bull, Cochise, Geronimo, Jessie James and Billy the Kid, Butch & Sundance, along with fictional heroes, outlaws and "film" cowboys like the Lone Ranger, the Magnificent Seven, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood are all legendary figures! The real and the fictional have become blurred and intertwined to make an even wilder and woollier image of the Old West than it really was. Many fictional films and stories preserved and rediscovered on ancient video film disks, books and comic books from the days before the Great Cataclysm are regarded as factual, or dramatizations based on fact! Thus, the Hollywood depiction of the cowboy, outlaw hero and images of the Old West have become icons for this new and very different age. Even D-bees, trying to fit into the prevailing society of the land have adopted the appearance and ways of the (old) New West.
In an effort to recapture their lost heritage (or because it looked or felt exciting and dynamic), people began to copy the buildings, style of clothes, general appearances, and even the mannerisms and slang of the Hollywood Old West. Manufacturers exploited this romantic view of the Old West by creating weapons, clothing and products that have the appearance of something out of a cowboy movie; mostly the images from the time period of 1830 to 1890. This, of course, only perpetuates and ingrains the romantic view, images, stylings and ways of the bygone era. Not only have these manufacturers copied the appearance, they have also taken many familiar names. For example, there are entire lines of weapons with the familiar names of Colt, Remington, Winchester and others. In most cases, the weapons even look just like an old six-shooter or a repeating rifle, and may be an S.D.C. weapon or a laser pistol or other advanced, mega-damage energy weapon. Likewise, Techno-Wizards have magically turned ordinary looking revolvers into magic weapons that fire magical energy bolts instead of bullets! Wilk's has an entire line of weapons known as the Wilk's-Remington, more commonly known as "Remis," and has made these weapons the most popular in the New West.
The culture and mindset of people in the New West are very different than the eastern portion of the continent. The average town seldom exceeds a population of 600 and even "big" towns usually have less than 3,000 people. The number of "cities," like Silvereno, can be counted on two hands. The New West is lawless and hard. Most of the inhabitants have come to accept the principles of "might makes right," "might makes (or ignores) the law," and "the fastest gun does the talking." Consequently, anarchy reigns.
The culture is very much a throwback to the Old American West of the 18th and 19th Century. In some cases this is a deliberate "retro-fitting" by individuals who prefer the old ways, old technology or mysticism over the high technology of the East. Some have intentionally tried to recreate the old ways and (perceived) freedom, courage and heroics of the Old American West. In other cases, it is a logical response and a lifestyle that is reflective of the environment, especially among cowboys, ranchers, trappers/skinners, gunslingers and bounty hunters.
Communities
Towns of the New West tend to be based around one or two major types of industry, typically mining, farming, cattle ranching or the raising of other livestock, banditry, train stations with water and shops, or, to a lesser degree, large industry, such as the Black Market and Wilk's Laser Industries factories.
The average town in the New West tends to be small and often lawless. There is usually a main city street, merchant district, town square (often a park), drinking well or stream, a bank or loan office and trading post, general store, hotel, and city hall, all in the same general vicinity which serves as the town's center or "downtown" area.
Most of the residential homes are spread out, often for miles, interspersed with farms and ranches, around the town's center. Most buildings are no taller than 2-4 stories and tend to be made out of either light mega-damage material or inexpensive S.D.C. materials; wood, brick and concrete being the most common. Virtually all have a western motif, and for this reason, a dance hall and 2-12 saloons are typically located at the center of every town. A gambling casino and dens of iniquity may also be part of the town, although they may be located on the outskirts or other end of town depending on the moral fortitude and general alignment of the townspeople —some places don't allow gambling, drugs or prostitution, while some don't like it, but accept it, and others (usually the most lawless) welcome it. Doctors/healers, dentists and operators/mechanics are among the most valued and most difficult professions to find at a town. Only one in ten small towns will have one or all of them, although most large towns (70%) and cities (95%) will have at least one of each.
The biggest and/or most self-sufficient towns (pop. 2,000-6,000) will have a local radio broadcasting network or even a television station for music, entertainment and news. Broadcasting range rarely exceeds 100 miles (160 km), and programming is usually very basic, repetitive and limited. In addition, most usually have one bank, a jail, sheriff's office, livery, one or more doctors, dentists, mechanics/operators, locksmith, saddler, butchers, bakers, carpenters, and similar tradesmen and businesses with 1-6 garages, 12-40 saloons, 2-10 hotels, 2-4 churches, 2-4 schoolhouses, and 3-6 blacksmiths.
The Law & Frontier Justice
Generally, the law tends to be maintained by an elected or appointed sheriff and his deputies, but can also be enforced by one or more champions (human or not, often empowered with magic), a gang (including outlaws), business tycoon and his men, an influential or powerful family clan, or left to vigilante justice (citizens who gather to right wrongs and defend their town). Some places may have a militia or other military type of protector instead of or in addition to a sheriff, while others are protected and ruled (openly or secretly) by a powerful rancher, business person or superhuman being(s).
Lawmen are all too often a luxury at most towns, making the West a lawless and violent place. Only about 40% of the small towns (100-600 inhabitants) have a resident sheriff, while 70% of the large towns (typically 700-3000 people) have a sheriff and deputies, or one or more champions/defenders, or a volunteer militia dedicated to keeping the peace. In some cases, a Sheriff or group of official or unofficial lawmen (like Reid's Rangers, the Justice Rangers, and Cyber-Knights) patrol a wide territory where they make regular visits (sometimes weekly, monthly or once every several months) to the towns, villages, farms, ranches and outposts to make sure everything is okay and to settle disputes, assign punishments, conduct hangings, and roust criminals. All cities have a Sheriff and a police force.
In addition, the most powerful ranchers, mining companies, landowners and businesses are likely to have their own force of protectors, guards, enforcers, and henchmen; sometimes the equivalent to a private army. Others hire elite mercenaries, gunfighters, gunslingers, and sorcerers as freelance agents as the situation demands.
Frontier justice tends to be harsh and quick — an eye for an eye. So if an outlaw steals or destroys a man's livelihood (crops, horse, cattle, land, water, etc.) the punishment is death. The deliberate cold-blooded murder of an innocent person is also death, although some people and communities may allow the brutalizing and slaughter of certain races without punishment. Stealing a man's woman (i.e. kidnapping and/or rape) is usually (not always) a death sentence too. Hangings, firing squads, posse chases, and gunfights are common occurrences; in some towns they are daily occurrences.
Armed robbery, theft that doesn't jeopardize one's life or livelihood, breaking and entry, battery, brawling, drunkenness, vandalism, blackmail, confidence games, swindling, and similar things are typically considered (relatively) pretty crimes that can result in a fine (large or small), jail time, a work and restitution program (usually with the culprit spending nights in jail and the day in leg irons while he works), to months or years in jail. Repeat offenders typically see stiffer penalties and longer jail time.
Smuggling, gun running, selling drugs and alcohol, prostitution, and gambling are not crimes in most wilderness towns, although they are usually looked down upon, especially by polite society. Likewise, professions such as smuggler, bounty hunter, gunslinger, gunman, mercenary, card shark/gambler, drug dealer and pimp are generally looked upon as being vulgar and undesirable.
Cheating at cards, dice or other games also offers a wide range of punishment, from the cheater getting beaten up and his/her ill-gotten winnings taken away, to being tarred and feathered, to showdowns and shootouts in the street or at the gaming tables.
Most towns and places of business do not allow visitors to bring bows and arrows, spears, polearms, obvious magical weapons, energy and S.D.C. rifles, shotguns, heavy weapons, power armor, and military vehicles (i.e. tanks, APCs, giant robots, etc.) into their communities or establishments. Such weapons should be left outside of town with a friend, or at the Sheriff's office, or at the door. However, many places allow handguns (revolvers, pistols and derringers), as well as Vibro-Blades, stunners, and conventional knives, small swords, axes, whips, and similar smallish weapons; spears, polearms and large swords are usually not allowed. Places that don't allow handguns can be easily circumvented by concealing the gun on one's person or in a saddlebag or backpack — many towns go by the honor system and do not search visitors.
The penalty for having a "concealed" weapon is typically confiscation of the weapon (returned when the person is leaving town) and a fine that can range for 25 to 500 credits. Using a concealed weapon in the commission of a crime, typically adds 25% to jail time and/or triple the usual fine, plus permanent confiscation of the weapon (which is either added to the town's armory or sold and the proceeds put into the community).
Of course, specific laws, ethics, morals, justice and punishment will change, sometimes radically, from town to town. offense at another.
Dangers of the New West
Bandits and outlaws are commonplace in the New West. These brigands can range from organized gangs of professional criminals and thugs who steal, bully and cheat to earn a living, to groups and gatherings of cowboys and ruffians who sometimes stray from the straight and narrow to commit crimes and intimidate those weaker than they. Although the average citizen dislikes, fears and is often victimized by bandits and outlaws, most tolerate their presence and just try to give them a wide berth when they are in town. Gunslingers, Gunfighters, smugglers and most mercenary fighters are viewed as troublesome undesirables, but a fact of life in the west — some are as bad or worse than bandits.
The major threats to the people of the New West comes from D-bees, aliens and monsters from the rifts. The western wilderness is a haven for various Dimensional Beings, mutants, dinosaurs, alien animals and supernatural monsters. The Xiticix have a presence in the northwest and sometimes scouts and raiding parties venture south. Vampires are a major concern in the south where it is hot and dry, while Brodkil, Simvan, Psi-Stalkers, and Indians, among others, can be found in small hunting parties, outlaw gangs, clans and tribes scattered throughout the western wilderness. Entities, Loogaroo, werebeasts, Indian spirits, and a host of demons and spirits can be periodically encountered almost anywhere. The deserts are home to many mutations such as the Gwylack and nomadic Psi-Stalkers, as well as Indians, bandits, monsters and others.
Some "ghost towns" are quite literally that, pre or post Rifts ruins infested with ghostly entities, poltergeists, ghouls, specters, vampires and similar creatures. They are places known to, and avoided by, local inhabitants, Indians and wilderness scouts. The presence of the supernatural at true ghost towns will be immediately sensed by Dog Boys, Psi-Stalkers, psychics and even ordinary dogs and horses, who will whimper, whine, act frightened and want to leave. Most cowboys have learned to respect the "insight" of their animals and flee such places.
Much of the animal life is the same as before the Great Cataclysm, however a large variety of alien animals and otherworldly beasts inhabit the prairies and forests. Some are dinosaur-like, others mammals, and others are monstrosities obviously spawned on some alien world. Among the most famous are the Ostrosaurus, Rhinobuffalo, Mammoth Brontodon, Tri-Top, Moss-Back Scuttler, Tree Spider, Devil Unicorn, Panthera-Tereon, Oborus-Slitherer, Leatherwings, Tigerclaw-Raptors and Grigleapers. Another strange creature of the west is the Great Dream Snake. These snakes look like normal rattlesnakes, or sidewinders, but possess very high intelligence and strong magical and psionic powers. Some rumors suggest that these beasts are actually harbingers of good fortune and could be the saviors of man. For this reason many cults of snake worshipers have developed (some of whom also worship the Oborus-Slitherer). All of these alien creatures from the Rifts have changed the ecology and landscape of the American west.
The Trade of Goods & Services
The problem with the New West is that it is a vast, hostile wilderness with hundreds of splintered, unrelated communities, most of them tiny, scattered throughout the western half of the United States. Most don't have any ties to larger kingdoms, don't have any type of formal banking, are uncivilized, lawless, unstable, and low-tech (compared to the CS, Tolkeen, and even the Pecos Empire). Unless a merchant is an official agent, or authorized seller of goods from the Black Market, Northern Gun, or Manistique Imperium, most merchants and businesses won't take any kind of credits, not even Universal Credits.
What happens when you don't have credits, or the town doesn't take them? Well you might pay for a meal by chopping wood, digging a ditch, fixing a fence, plowing a field, pitching hay (or manure), etc. Want to buy that recently broken mare? No problem, just hand over that extra E-clip or energy pistol, language translator, or pouch of gold dust. A full 88% of all purchases in the New West is done through barter — the trade of goods or services, for goods or services. Many towns have what they call a bank, but is really a trading post where one can sell or trade items for the local currency (coins, paper, checks, credits), or provides a voucher for the traded/purchased goods. The Voucher effectively works as a note or check, from which expenses and purchases are deducted and collected from the bank. Common items used in trade includes animal furs, cattle, horses, other livestock, booze, weapons, E-clips, ammunition, explosives, M.D.C. armor, batteries, generators, vehicles, electronics, parts, tools, clothing or bolts of fabric, precious stones and ores, land, jewelry, and a host of other things. Services that always seem to be in demand are work as body guards, enforcers/thugs, lawmen, doctors, mechanics/operators, and laborers.
Unskilled labor tends to get paid about half of what it's really worth. This is because there are always a large number of unskilled or desperate people looking for work. Similarly, there are a lot of scouts, cowboys, fighters, and gunmen, so pay is typically low (again about half what the job is really worth), unless the character(s) are high level (7+) and/or have a reputation. However, even then, depending on the circumstance and the wealth of the town, pay will vary from excellent to substandard. Those who get the best pay are doctors/healers and operators/mechanics, but pay is usually room and board (for doctors and operators this might include their own house, a servant and an office all free of charge), being lent many (not all) of the basic items and tools needed for the job, and a modest salary in local (i.e. that particular town's) currency, or silver or gold.
The Code of the New West
Most cowboys, lawmen, gunfighters, adventurers, and even some bounty hunters, gunslingers, mercenaries and bandits live by a code of ethics that is known as the "Code of the New West," or simply as, "The Code." It is a simple code of conduct adopted by many of the hard and rough men and women, humans and D-bees, of the American Western Wilderness, particularly among those of principled, scrupulous and aberrant alignments. Those who break, mock or condemn The Code are regarded with contempt or worse.
- Never draw your weapon unless you're prepared to use it!
- Never cheat in a showdown, or expect to live like a snake.
- Never kill or deliberately hurt women and children.
- Never kill clergy, 'cept in self-defense.
- Never kill, injure or steal another man's horse or vehicle, unless he's dead and ain't needin' it no more.
- Never take another man's woman.
- Never destroy a church or holy place, unless it is a place of evil — and then beware the wrath of gods and demons.
- Never take more money than what's owed to you.
- Never spit in the face of the law. Show respect until its proven that the law in that town ain't genuine.
- Show women folk respect; remove your hat and avoid cursing.
- Respect the land and power of nature.
- Respect (and fear) magic.
- Respect and honor a worthy opponent.
- Treat others like you'd like to be treated. Show cowboys and travelers kindness and hospitality unless they ain't worthy of kindness or mercy.
- If you cheat at cards or break the law, expect to pay the consequences. Just because you don't get caught or punished one time, don't make it right.
- Keep your sworn word of honor, "because sometimes all a man's got is his honor." A man's word is his contractual bond.
- Kill only in self-defense and in justice. The latter can include acts of revenge, "eye for an eye," protecting others, using deadly force against those known to be killers, etc. The only exceptions to this rule are vampires or other "hellspawn demons." The only good vampire or demon is a dead one (including Brodkil).
Notable Groups and Operations
1st Apocalyptic Cavalry: A vigilante army that hunts D-bee cutthroats and bandits. Some call them heroes, others insist they are as bad as the scum they hunt. They can be found throughout the New West, but their main stomping grounds are Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. The Cavalry is said to number at about 960 men, and is led by General Kenneth Sprite.
Black Market: Organized crime has a sizeable presence in the New West. Away from the laws of the Coalition States, Black Marketeers flourish, and even operate in the open. Only New West lawmen, Justice Rangers, and Cyber-Knights are capable of opposing such criminals, if required. However, the Black Market provides valuable services and goods for the people of the New West. Since most manufacturers are located in the East, organized crime acts as a necessary distribution network to bring goods into the New West. As dangerous and corrupt as marketeers may be, many towns in the New West would dry up without them.
There are two syndicates who currently claim the New West as their “turf.” El Oculta operates in Mexico and the American Southwest, and like the Mexican cartels of old, it deals in almost everything, particularly drugs, weapons, and stolen Coalition tech. This faction is incredibly violent and brutal, and infiltration by vampires is regarded as a problem.
Bandito Arms controls the northerly portions of the New West. This syndicate is a major gun runner and weapons manufacturer, providing high tech guns, body armor, and power armor to people all over the continent. The manufacturing facilities used by Bandito Arms are a secret, though some believe the group is based out of the ruins of Las Vegas or perhaps Area 51. Some of their designs are based on stolen CS tech, which infuriates the Coalition to no end.
Coalition States: The West is a wilderness — some would say, a wasteland — of shifting dimensions, roaming monsters, D-bees, magic, mysticism, Indians, spirits and expansive, open, hostile land. Although the Coalition States continue to send Expeditionary Forces, Reconnaissance teams, Vendetta squads, Skelebot destroyers, and spies into the Western Wilderness, they consider the western half of the Old American Empire (and much of the Canadian Empire in the North) to be a hostile and forbidding territory not fit for human habitation. Thus, the Coalition's present plans for continental expansion and conquest end along the borders of Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma. In truth, the CS has limited resources and couldn't possibly conquer and maintain control over such a vast region. Even their current plans are ambitious and will take generations to accomplish. The CS intends to conquer and dominate the Midwest and then turn their efforts to the eastern portions of what was once the old American Empire and north to the Provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the old Canadian Empire. This has led many D-bees, mutants, refugees, freethinkers, scholars, mercenaries, outlaws and anarchists to regard the great wilderness of Western America and southwestern Canada as a potential haven, homeland, hideout, or base of operation. However, only 41% of all settlers manage to survive more than a year or two in this harsh and hostile environment. The remaining 59% either perish or return to from whence they came.
That having been said, the CS does have a sinister and shadowy presence in the New West. Spies, informers and Vendetta Squads can be found operating in many of the towns, fledgling kingdoms, and among gangs of smugglers and bandits. Expeditionary Forces (CS scientists and explorers) and reconnaissance teams, usually numbering 8-20 troops, can be encountered in the wilderness, and are often hostile. Skelebots, Kill Hounds, Kill Cats and other mutants, agents and "death squads" are sent into the Western Territory on missions of murder and destruction (can range from one or two individuals to squads of 6-12). Often these forces have but one goal, to kill or hurt the enemy — which is virtually all nonhumans, practitioners of magic, supernatural beings and people who have rejected life in the Coalition States. Furthermore, the CS often hires Psi-Stalkers, mercenaries, bounty hunters, spies and assassins to hunt down wanted criminals, runaway mutants, and refugees to be destroyed or brought back to the CS for trial and punishment.
Comparatively large military operations (CS platoon to a company of troops) are reserved for surgical strikes against mercenaries, bandits, smugglers, adventurers, rogue scholars, scientists, and Black Market bases, strongholds and troops that fuel illegal activities in the Coalition States, or have, or are feared of having, an impact or influence on CS citizens. Likewise, military bases (Juicers, Cyber-Knights, Black Market, etc.) that the CS considers to be a threat, will be attacked and destroyed (sometimes with the troops disguised as something other than the CS). CS authorities are often satisfied with disrupting enemy operations, the capture of contraband, and sending the rabble-rousers scattering than total decimation.
Territories earmarked for expansion and conquest by the Coalition States over the next 20 years include: Minnesota, most of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas (as well as Southern Michigan, and the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, to the East). Although this is the Coalition's official "20 Year Plan", most military leaders will admit that it is a very optimistic time table and not very realistic. The Tolkeen campaign will have a dramatic impact on the rest of the expansion plans. Once Tolkeen falls, the others should fall much more easily. However, Tolkeen is not expected to fall easily, and recent reports suggest that the Federation of Magic is on the rise. Realistically, the Coalition's "20 Year Plan" is probably more like a 50 year plan.
Cyber-Knights: These are modern day knights-errant who, like knights of old, wander the New West, Lone Star, Mexico, and parts of Central America and Canada, righting wrongs, defending the weak, destroying bandits, slaying monsters, and trying to bring peace and order to the land. In many cases, even the local authorities (sheriffs, militias, judges, tribal leaders, etc.) will defer to the requests, decrees, judgment and retribution of the Cyber-Knights. At worse, most tribal chiefs, kings, leaders and lawmen will at least listen to, and weigh the Cyber-Knight's words. This has led critics (mostly outlaws and scoundrels) to accuse the Cyber-Knights of being above the law, which, in all practicality, they are, in many cases. However, these (mostly) noble knights rarely interfere with the rule, laws and affairs of towns, commerce and kingdoms. According to many rumors and legends, the Cyber-Knights are believed to be headquartered somewhere in the northwestern wilderness — most suggest the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming or Montana, although nobody seems to know for certain, and many believe there are more than one training camp/headquarters for these heroic knights.
Justice Rangers: Justice Rangers are similar to the Texas Rangers of old. They roam the land righting wrongs and bringing justice to an untamed frontier. Like the Cyber-Knights who also wander the Americas, Justice Rangers tend to travel alone, in pairs, or in small groups with other lawmen, gunfighters and adventurers, and most are strict adherents to the Code of the West. They lead a heroic existence fighting to protect the innocent from those who enslave, abuse, plunder and kill, or to avenge their deaths. Unlike most sheriffs and lawmen, the Justice Rangers openly act as lawman, manhunter, judge, jury and executioner. They often lead posses, and stir up townspeople for lynchings and vigilante actions. Justice Rangers seem to have a particular vendetta against supernatural monsters and frequently target Xiticix, Brodkil, demons and dragons. They also tend to treat inhuman-looking D-bees much more harshly than humans and human-looking D-Bees or mutants. Their main areas of activity include Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and the Canadian Southwest.
A common saying in the New West is “Justice Rangers always get their man, come hell or high water.”
Native Americans: A number of Indian nations survived the Great Cataclysm. Like hundreds of other wilderness communities, the laws, beliefs and customs of each Indian nation, and sometimes tribes, can vary dramatically. Indian tribes reside in areas known as Preserves. These are territories controlled by certain tribes or tribal alliances, and roughly correspond to pre-Rifts Indian reservations. Some preserves are fairly small, while others are massive and comprise hundreds of square miles. In keeping with their philosophy of non-ownership of the land, most tribes allow D-Bees and other non-Indians to live on the preserves, so long as such outsiders respect the land and the rules of the governing tribe.
The Native Americans of the New West can be divided into two broad categories: Traditionalists and Modern Indians. Traditionalists are those Indians who’ve rejected technology (a.k.a. “white man’s magic”) in favor of the Old Ways. These Indians have returned to the ways of their ancestors, seeing the Great Cataclysm and the re-emergence of magic as a sign to return to the Spirits. They have a strong respect for Nature and despise those who despoil the land with pollution, overhunting, and deforestation. While most Traditionalists don’t hate technology or those who use it, they still prefer not to be around it.
Modern Indians are those who’ve embraced science and technology over the Old Ways and the Spirits. These Indians are no different than any other humans who use technology. Many have maintained tribal ties and live together on their own high-tech preserves, while others have assimilated into non-Indian communities, and some have even joined the Coalition States. However, despite their acceptance of technology, some Modern Indians still respect the ways of their ancestors and observe bits of Native American spirituality. They may pray to the spirits, wear fetishes, go on vision quests, or practice old rituals. Traditionalists tend to view their modern brethren as sadly lost and misguided, or, at worst, traitors who’ve turned their backs on the Spirits.
Regardless of beliefs, Native Americans, both Traditionalists and Modern Indians, have become a force to be reckoned with in the New West.
Pecos Empire: This is a “nation” of bandits and outlaws that lays claim to most of southern Texas. An empire in name only, the Pecos comprises hundreds of loosely affiliated gangs, clans, tribes, and groups ruled by various post-apocalyptic warlords. While some of the bandits are Robin Hood types viewed as local heroes by the common folk, others are bloodthirsty cutthroats who rob and pillage everything in their path.
The proximity of the Pecos Empire to the Coalition State of Lone Star (northern Texas) means that Pecos bandits and Coalition forces clash on a frequent basis, and the Coalition is a favored target for Pecos raids and aggression. However, disorganization and internecine strife prevent the Pecos Empire from ever being a true threat to CS supremacy in Texas. Though some of the warlords who control the most powerful gangs have made attempts to unify the Pecos under a single “Emperor,” no one has yet succeeded.
Though the Pecos Empire is NOT, technically, located in the New West, many Pecos bandits regularly raid and plunder the people of the surrounding New West territories, most notably Mexico, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas; lured almost anywhere by news of prosperity and opportunity.
Reid's Rangers: This is a famous group of heroes known for slaying vampires, as well as acting as lawmen and protectors of the weak, downtrodden and innocent, especially from supernatural menaces and the CS. Doc Reid and his original Rangers are living legends — so most towns will welcome any of Reid's Rangers with open arms. However, some rumors have begun to circulate that suggest Doc Reid is a little bit crazy and some Rangers are corrupt. Members of Reid's Rangers, estimated to number between 2,000 and 4,000, are usually encountered in the Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Lone Star and Mexico, but 1-6 are occasionally found further north. Their base of operations is Fort Reid in northern Mexico.
Lyn-Srial: The Lyn-Srial are a race of golden-skinned, avian D-Bees with hawk-like heads, beaks, four arms, and taloned feet. They are known as the “Golden Ones” because they are creatures of supernatural good who radiate a soft golden light. Though rarely encountered beyond Arizona or Utah, the Lyn-Srial are regarded as a noble and peace-loving people. They are masters of a form of magic based on clouds, fog, and light., and much like Cyber-Knights, the creatures are known to roam the land fighting evil and dispensing justice.
The Lyn-Srial reside in their own city, called Tryth-Sal, mystically hidden somewhere in the recesses of the Grand Canyon. They are known to be friends with the Cyber-Knights, as well as the Apache and the Navajo.
Vampires: Vampires dominate Mexico, and invading bands of undead are a constant problem in the southern portions of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas (Lone Star) and California. A majority of vampires remain south of the Rio Grande. However, there are rumors that a large population of vampires dwells in Arizona. The City of Arzno, along the Grand Canyon, has been battling the undead for years, and claims that they are becoming more organized and aggressive. Some speak of a vampire named Xavier Stuart, once a Coalition soldier, who has supposedly been giving vampires Coalition style military training.
Wilk’s Laser Industries: The largest manufacturer of laser technologies on the continent, Wilk’s is known for reliability and high quality. Their niche market is anything related to lasers – laser weapons, optics systems, laser communicators, etc. The company’s specialization keeps it from being considered a threat to larger, more diverse corporations such as Northern Gun, Wellington Industries, Bandito Arms, and Naruni Enterprises. No one is exactly certain where Wilk’s Headquarters are located; most of the company’s distribution is handled via the Black Market.