Botwawki 2.6

[Ahigin]

So that somebody can nuke <nuke>. And then <nuke> will nuke the one who nuked <nuke>.

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

Update 29: January – June, 2254​

Far Horizons​

Inter-Faction Reports​

Picked up on formerly Minorne infected radios on May 2, 2254:
-. . .-- / .. -. - / ..--- -. -.. / --. . -.-. -.- / -. --- .-.-.- / .-. - .-. ...- . / .. ..-. / .--. .-. -.-. - -.-. .-.. .-.-.- / --.- ... - -. -.. / -.-. .--. - .-. -.. / - -.-. .-.-.- / -.-. .-. .-. -. - / . -- .--. .-.. -.-- .-. / ...- ...-- --... .-.-.- / .- -. .-.. -.-- ... / -. --- / - .... .-. - .-.-.- / --. -.. / .-- .-. -.- / .-. . ... - --- / .-. . .-.. -.-- .-.-.- / .--- .... . .-.-.-

NEW AGREEMENT PARTITIONS SCAVENGING RIGHTS IN ORLANDO. A group of towns and factions have gotten together to determine new scavenging territories throughout the expansive ruins of Orlando. A recent rise in border disputes and conflicts has rendered the old agreement between the New Gulf Commonwealth and the Sunshine Kingdom obsolete as other factions have become more active in local salvage efforts. The Edgewood Militia, the Universal Refuge, and Vault 37 have all begun substantially more activity in the area, leading to these more recent disputes. After months of negotiation, the groups have established new boundaries and outlines for the safe and legal salvaging of the area. All parties were granted sizable portions of the city, and a mutual salvage zone was added in the heart of the ruins. The agreement has left most independent salvagers and companies out in the dust, as the lion’s share is quickly picked over by the larger factions. Patrols from the Commonwealth and Sunshine Kingdom have enforced the law in their territories, severely restricting the areas independent salvagers can operate unless they sell to local markets.

FALL OF THE ECHOLS REPUBLIC. For years, one of the safest and most stable regions in northern Florida and southern Georgia has been the Echols Republic. Established in alliance between local settlements and the remnants of a prewar military regiment known as the Atomic Foxes, the republic stood firm against numerous threats and provided safe haven for migrants headed to the Fruitlands and other destination further south or west. This year a group of barbarians known as the Sons of Simp emerged from the wastelands and brought to an end this free and open republic. This massive and brutal band of barbarians, who had been previously content to ravage pilgrim caravans and merchants, took affairs to a whole new level. The republic was burned city by city, and their wealth and weapons scattered to the conquering bandits, rapine and slavery is common among the bandits who, while diminished in numbers by brutal fighting, are now better armed and equipped than ever. Their mysterious leader has pledged that anyone who is worthy of joining their band will be showered in the riches of conquest and power over their enemies. Numerous bandit and raider clans have begun to flock to the banner of the Sons of Simp, and it seems likely that they are on a march to historic notoriety.

Faction Reports​

The Core of Matter
Albert Ford was a theoretical physicist that survived the Great war not through his scientific knowledge or any kind of brilliance, but because he was rather lucky. He left for Albany once the nuclear exchange happened, in order to seek out his family, who, as they were not as lucky as him, had fallen prey to raiders. Seeing the destruction the raiders brought to his home, Albany, Albert Ford decided to organise the local society according to his liking. The people were amazed by how he told them that he had survived through unique technology from the north and they began following him, hoping that they could develop such marvels for themselves. The Core of the Matter is ruled by a Commission of the eleven most educated men in Albany, who all take decisions in unison for matters of the community through votes and logical arguments. As such, the survivors had taken quite a liking to technology and science, almost making it a dogma of their own. Today, after almost 200 years, Mark Jobs is the most prominent member of the Science Commision. Mark Jobs is one of the most well - educated and prominent members of the Core society, and he has taken quite an interest in theoretical and applied physics. However, he is thought of as quite mysterious person, with not many knowing him personally.

Spoiler :

Commissioner’s Challenge: As we grow more connected with the larger world, we must take a look at how we treat those who may want to join our community. These would-be immigrants are mostly wanderers and travelers looking for a safe place to eat, sleep, and be fed. What policy should we maintain towards immigration?

Corporate Trade Federation

Spoiler :

The Corporate Trade Federation has expanded its area of control once more, this time into the ruins of Jacksonville itself. An old elementary school was fortified and expanded by agents of the Federation, called Fort Jacksonville. The new fortified settlement has the objective of providing ample scrap and supplies to the people of the Federation through constant salvage of the ruins. Some of the local area was immediately salvaged, but further efforts were curtailed by a surprise raider attack on the new community. Thankfully, the settlers had enough munitions to drive back the raid with only a handful of dead and wounded. Meanwhile, the nautical salvaging of Fernandina Beach has continued, as the Federation salvage vessel continues its work without any interference. The war with the Kingdom of Heaven seems to be at a stalemate, as the situation has calmed with the destruction of West Bridge as it seems unlikely that either side will be able to strike at each other.

Turn Stat Changes
+10k Caps, -500 Water from market sales
-1,000 Scrap Parts from construction of Fort Jacksonville
+400 Scrap Parts, +2 Tech Parts from assets recovered in construction of Fort Jacksonville
-10 Population, -300 Ammunition from raider attack on Fort Jacksonville
+300 Scrap Parts, +1 Tech Part from Fernandina Beach expedition salvage
+2k Caps from Saint Augustine market dividends
+5k Caps from St. Johns market dividends
+20 Population from natural growth
+30 Population from immigration to St. Johns
+410 Food and Water from surplus production

CEO’s Challenge: Many of the merchant caravans that pass through our territory have begun using an unofficial ferry between Orange Park and Fruit Cove. This runs very close to St. Johns and so far they have stated that they will allow trading caravans only, and no other passengers are accepted. They seem to be making a tidy amount of caps from this operation, and the caravans with headquarters in our territory want to be exempt from the costs. While the ferry operates near our territory, they are not technically under our rule. How do we respond to this issue?

Empire of America

Spoiler :

The Empire of America sought out new lands to conquer, sending an expedition to the ruins of Vance. The expedition went well enough, but due to a lack of direct path through the hills and mountains, they had to first travel through the smaller ruins of West Blocton. These ruins were empty of any significant life, and yielded only a minor amount of immediate scrap. Similar results were had in Vance, itself, which had no signs of any civilization or life outside of the ruins. What scrap could be gathered was immediately returned. On the home front, there was some cause for concern as the community formerly known as Uniontown, now Napoleontown, was attacked by a large group of raiders. With no proper fortifications, the town was very nearly wiped out. The defenders managed to hold their own only thanks to the vast superiority in military equipment. After heavy fighting the raiders retreated, and the community held against the odds. Aware of a need for better defenses, the Emperor ordered new fortifications and a jail constructed in Felix City, formerly Marion, allowing for the capital of the young empire to better defend itself against aggression.

Turn Stat Changes
-800 Scrap Parts from construction
+400 Scrap Parts from northern expedition salvage
-60 Population, -300 Ammunition from raider attack on Napoleontown
+15 Slaves, +1k Caps from market dividends
+55 Scrap Parts from slave production
+10 Population from natural growth
+30 Population from immigration to Felix City
+20 Population from immigration to Heavenly City
+10 Population from immigration to Napoleontown
+.4k Caps from taxation
+650 Food, +50 Water from surplus production

Emperor’s Challenge: Our recent salvage efforts came across a large amount of old jewelry in Vance. We retrieved this jewelry, but for the most part it’s worth nothing to us. A suggestion has been made that the jewelry be melted down and recreated into a crown for the emperor. Others suggest that we sell the jewelry to the caravans and be done with it, acquiring what caps we can for the betterment of the empire. How do we respond to this debate?

Georgia Reclamation District

Spoiler :

The Georgia Reclamation District has done what it could to continue salvage and development efforts. Vault 136 has received numerous boosts to its local fortifications, expanding the walls around the vault and providing more area for development that are not within its narrow confines. The new fortifications house the town market in addition to a new radio tower that has been established to keep in contact with the rest of the District and their allies in the Enclave. Furthering their allegiance with the Enclave, a large gift of scrap was provided to their friends, helping aid in the construction of new outposts elsewhere in the region. With the home front secured, the vault sent out their latest expeditions deeper into the Appalachian Mountains, one to the ruins of Sautee Nacoochee and the other to the ruins of Helen. Sautee Nacoochee proved a decent source of scrap, as the town was systematically disassembled and taken home as scrap for the development of the faction. Helen, on the other hand, proved to be occupied by a vicious band of raiders identifying themselves as the Appmen. They are believed to have been responsible for a minor raid on Clermont earlier in the year and are stated to be well armed and equipped for battle. There is some concern that they may cause caravans in the area some trouble, but were too numerous for the expedition to deal with. They withdrew and notified the Enclave of the Appmen’s presence.

Turn Stat Changes
-20 Population, -100 Ammunition from raider attack on Clermont
-1,700 Scrap Parts, -8 Tech Parts from construction
-1,070 Scrap Parts from Enclave gift
+1,300 Scrap Parts from Sautee Nacoochee salvage (Tapped out)
+3k Caps from market dividends
+30 Population from natural growth
+330 Food and Water from surplus production

Governor’s Challenge: With the expansion of the District to include Clermont and Cleveland, there has been some talk about the possibility of levying a biannual tax upon the new citizenry. These advisors suggest that the more we tax our people the more caps we will have available for the development of our faction. Should we raise a biannual tax, and if so, how much per person?

Kingdom of Heaven

Spoiler :

The Kingdom of Heaven has continued to brace itself for new war with the Corporate Trade Federation but has so far avoided any real conflicts after the destruction of West Bridge. The Kingdom has begun to grow desperate for water to the point where they have closed off the kingdom to new immigrants, as the reserves are rapidly running out and sent out an expedition to find more scrap to allow the building of new pumping and purifying stations to rectify the situation and prevent disaster. The expedition was ordered to proceed in a generally northwestern fashion, to scour the small towns in that direction. Unfortunately the closest of the towns such as Williston and Bronson were long since tapped out of any usable scrap. They had more luck in Trenton and Newberry, where the towns were vacant of anything beyond a few vagrants, but hit some trouble in Chiefland. The town of Chiefland was occupied by a growing group of bandits who put up a bit of a fight against the expedition. The expedition succeeded in slaughtering them, as the bandits were poorly armed and mostly starving. The salvage in the area was enough to return home with, and the expedition was widely declared a success.

Turn Stat Changes
-305 Scrap Parts, +305 Ammunition from ammunition conversion
-30 Population from northwestern expedition losses
+1,400 Scrap Parts, +10 2-H Guns from northwestern expedition salvage
+2k Caps from market dividends
+30 Population from natural growth
-1,060 Food, -1,300 Water from consumption

King’s Challenge: We have reached a crisis level of water shortage. If we do not immediately and dramatically increase our water production, before the end of the year, people will start dying of thirst or leaving to find somewhere else that can give them water. Without water the whole foundation of our people trembles and we risk collapse. How do we respond to this crisis?

Maritime Collective

Spoiler :

The Maritime Collective resolved a food shortage in a swift stroke by ordering a large amount of food surplus from independent merchants. The food gained in the deal is more than enough to support the community for a long time, helping to preserve the peace. With that problem solved for the time being, the leaders of the Collective felt more confident about sending another expedition west for salvage purposes. This time the destination was the town of Daphne, hoping to find a good deal of scrap and supplies within the ruins. They found much more than that, despite slow going at first. They found a factory that had apparently just begun operation days before the war to manufacture heavy bombers for the United States Air Force. Within they found simulators fully intact for use in training on the B-77 Heavy Bomber. On top of that, they found a small amount of intact bombers, which they painstakingly hauled back intact. The expedition leader has begun advocating that these bombers could be used once again, if an airfield was built and people began training upon the simulators that were also recovered from the old factory. The leader’s critics claim that it would have been more useful to just have scrapped the planes rather than hauling them back intact and wasting time and energy in the process.

Turn Stat Changes
+5,700 Food, -.1k Caps from market purchases
+100 Scrap Parts, +2 Tech Parts, +6 B-77 Heavy Bombers from Daphne expedition salvage
+3k Caps from market dividends
+10 Population from natural growth
+40 Population from immigration
-110 Food from consumption
+190 Water from surplus production

Mayor’s Challenge: The recovery of the B-77 bombers is indeed a great feat for our people. Some have suggested though that the simulators and the B-77s themselves would be far better served if they were disassembled for the scrap and tech parts. A large amount of these parts could be recovered if they were taken apart, bolstering more conventional means of wealth and power. They also argue that pushing forward with using these aircraft will require the construction of an airfield, a highly expensive upgrade to our community. On the other hand, others suggest that by maintaining these aircraft and beginning training while we assemble an airfield, in time we could be unstoppable militarily and able to rain death and destruction upon any who would threaten our way of life unopposed. How do we respond to this debate?

New Gulf Commonwealth

Spoiler :

The New Gulf Commonwealth has loudly proclaimed success following the end of border negotiations, having managed to get most of what it wanted in exchange for some concessions from the other factions. Salvaging has continued in the Orlando area, enriching the communities of Fort Apopka and Ocoee. Bushnell continues to be the focus of farming efforts, and new equipment was built in addition to new fortifications to help improve the productivity and security of the new town. This came in the nick of time as a massive band of nearly six hundred raiders struck at the town, but were driven back by the large arsenal of military-grade robots and weaponry. The raiders retreated to the west, defeated but not broken and still in large numbers. Despite concerns about possible return of the raiders, an expedition was sent out from Bushnell to the south, hoping to find more lands suitable for farming. The expedition was mostly unsuccessful, and found that only the ruins of Ridge Manor were any good for farming. A moderate amount of salvage was recovered, and only a small amount of lives were lost in the effort. The giant mosquitoes of the town of Webster continued to have a nasty habit of coming in the night, draining guards on the outskirts of camp and then leaving with only the drained bodies behind them. The expedition returned without any other incident, though some wished they had been able to retrieve a more substantial amount of scrap and supplies.

Turn Stat Changes
+500 2-H Guns from Enigmatic find
-700 Scrap Parts, -4 Tech Parts, +20 Low-Tech Melee Weapons from construction
-30 Population, -210 Ammunition, -14 Mr. Gutsys from raider attack on Bushnell
+500 Scrap Parts from Orlando area salvaging
-10 Population from southern expedition losses
+500 Scrap Parts, +1 Tech Part from southern expedition salvage
+5k Caps from Fort Apopka market dividends
+3k Caps from Leesburg market dividends
+30 Population from natural growth
+10 Population from immigration to Bushnell
+60 Population from immigration to Fort Apopka
+10 Population from immigration to Leesburg
+20 Population from immigration to Ocoee
+10 Population from immigration to Umatilla
-650 Food, -780 Water from consumption

Governor’s Challenge: The large band of raiders presumably active to the west has given us some cause for concern and there are two camps divided about this. One suggests that we should equip a military expedition to seek and destroy them, and the other suggests we simply secure our current fortifications and destroy them on the defensive. How do we respond to this debate?

Running With Wolves

Spoiler :

The tribesmen of Running With Wolves have meandered their way across the former state of Mississippi, without too many problems or diversion. The town of Dundee was scrapped for easily carried salvage, and bucket chains were formed to retrieve water from local lakes to help supply the nomadic tribe. After waiting out the winter in the process of retrieving water and salvage, they pushed on to the ruins of Marks, where they were a bit more successful and intensive in their salvaging and scavenging. Plenty of scrap was recovered before they moved south. On their way south they passed by the town of Lambent, which was empty except for scattered radscorpions and giant ants constantly waging an unending war. They wisely moved past on the outskirts of the ruins until they reached the bridge at Minter’s City. The town there proved to still be alive and active, offering forged weapons for sale and a friendly greeting. The tribe exchanged hellos before pushing on to Greenwood. Greenwood was found to be home to a wide variety of wildlife, but the tribe was able to hold it at bay while salvaging, finding a good deal of new scrap and even some tech parts, setting up a temporary camp there.

Turn Stat Changes
+200 Scrap Parts from Dundee Scrapping
+600 Water from water sources bucket chains
+400 Scrap Parts from Marks scrap recovery
+600 Scrap Parts, +4 Tech Parts from Greenwood scrap recovery
+10 Population from natural growth
+40 Population from new tribe members
-500 Food, -750 Water from consumption

Pack Leader’s Challenge: A feud has emerged between two clans within the tribe. The feud is currently over the ownership of some brahmin and the claims are both dubious at best. Siding with one clan over the other could result in a tribal fracture, while taking no sides would keep the tribe united, at the expense of having two feuding clans within. How do we respond to the rising new feud among us?

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

Sunshine Kingdom

Spoiler :

The Sunshine Kingdom has redoubled its efforts in salvaging, beginning new initiatives throughout the whole of the kingdom. In towns like Oak Hill and New Fort Cocoa, new scrapping efforts have yielded moderate dividends, with the latter even finding a cache of old guns from the ruins of the old town that had not been fully explored. New Fort Cocoa’s salvaging efforts were only briefly interrupted by an attack by a group of raiders. The raiders were poor and starving and not any real threat to the defenders of the town. New Smyrna Beach joined in on the salvaging, but years of independent salvaging efforts have left the area bereft of any further discoveries to be made, and the town was only able to provide meager findings to the rest of the kingdom. Dragonville has begun deploying a larger number of new robots in salvage efforts, and with the production of even more Mr. Handys, the town is optimistic at the future of salvage efforts in the area. Their optimism was bolstered by the discovered of designs to build plasma weapons in the ruins of the University of Central Florida. They suggest that with an advanced gunsmith, new plasma weapons could be built by the Kingdom. The biggest boon for the kingdom came with the launch of the latest grand expedition to distant territories.

The expedition was to be sent to scout the Fruitlands and explore the other lands south of it, but was faced with the difficulty of pressing through the western half of Orlando. With a new treating dividing salvage areas and Vault 37 controlling the safest routes west, the expedition was forced to travel along the hazardous Interstate 4. Travelling through Celebration proved extremely difficult as the group was attacked by a large group of automatons which appeared to use self-built parts and lasers to inflict a heavy toll on the travelers. To make matters worse, they seemed somewhat indestructible, repairing themselves when critically damaged. The expedition moved quickly, always vigilant, and a number of people were believed to have been abducted by the strange mechanical creations. The expedition again ran into trouble in Polk City, avoiding areas clearly marked for salvage by Vault 37. A group of raiders was located there, clearly preparing themselves for an attack upon the towns of the Vault’s empire. Instead, they wound up in battle with the Kingdom’s expedition, and were wiped out. This expended the last of the kingdom’s ammunition, and the rest of the journey was viewed as a risky proposition, but they pushed forward anyways.

Upon reaching the edges of the Fruitlands, the scouts of the expedition confirmed the land’s material wealth and plenty before they headed south along the old Interstate 75. The road took them through mostly remote and isolated areas, and they did not divert from their travel until they cross the Manatee River, turning west to Bradenton. The town had been clearly thoroughly picked over by a previous expedition to the area, and only limited amounts of easy salvage were recovered. The same story was told along the rest of the journey, as signs of previous expeditions were abundant and all easy scrap and tech parts of value were taken. While ample amounts of scrap were recovered, nothing of interest was retrieved. In the Port Charlotte area they faced vicious fights with mirelurks, leading to a few more casualties before reaching Fort Myers and another disappointing haul of scrap. With a large amount of scrap at last, the expedition turned east, crossing the interior to reach the eastern coast. Along the way they visited numerous ruined towns and settlements, seeing only the scars of war and the aftermath of the war with Minorne. No civilization was ever spotted, and indeed, the expedition made it to the east coast without ever encountering another human. Upon reaching the eastern coast, it was an easy trip home, and the expedition was celebrated at least for the large amount of scrap returned.

Turn Stat Changes
-375 Ammunition from raider attack on New Fort Cocoa
+600 Scrap Parts, +25 2-H Guns from New Fort Cocoa local area salvage
+1,200 Scrap Parts from Dragonville local area salvage
+100 Scrap Parts from New Smyrna Beach local area salvage (Tapped out)
+400 Scrap Parts from Oak Hill local area salvage
+140k Caps, -7,000 Water from market sales
-149k Caps, +59 Tech Parts, +18 Energy from market purchases
-2,000 Scrap Parts, -104 Tech Parts, -18 Energy, +14 Mr. Handys, +4 Protectrons from construction
-80 Population, -635 Ammunition from western coast expedition losses
+2,900 Scrap Parts, +10 Tech Parts from western coastal expedition salvage
+5k Caps from market dividends
+30 Population from natural growth
+10 Population from immigration to Nasacity
+40 Population from immigration to Christmas
+50 Population from immigration to Dragonville
+50 Population from immigration to Mims
+60 Population from immigration to New Fort Cocoa
+50 Population from immigration to New Smyrna Beach
+60 Population from immigration to Oak Hill
-120 Water from consumption
+1,410 Food from surplus production

Queen’s Challenge:Our scientists have reviewed our possible goals for research and have offered two specific avenues for us to follow based on current needs and resources. They have suggested first developing new techniques to reduce the costs of water production and refinement. The second option they have presented is developing new production methods to create power armor on par with those we retained from before the war. We don’t have the resources to pursue both at once, so which route should we take in research?

Survivalist Union

Spoiler :

The Survivalist Union suffered yet another attack on St. Lucy, but a year’s worth of justified paranoia has paid dividends, as they were able to drive off the attacks with no losses. Tired of these constant attacks, Liberty sent out a scouting party to find the raiders responsible for the recent assaults on their towns and holdings. They found the raiders’ trail at last and tracked them to just south of New Fort Cocoa. Catching the raiders in the wake of a disastrous attack on the settlement, the Union’s expedition was able to wipe them out without difficulty. The raiders’ desperation seemed obvious, lacking even the most basic supplies and attempting to survive on only the proceedings of their criminal activities. The people of Liberty City rejoiced, in celebration of this fact and the new unification with the town of Refuge further south. The people of Refuge joined the Survivalist Union after a collaborative effort led to the construction of a new outpost on an overpass of Interstate 95, called New Casablanca. The new safehouse allows a connection between the two main cities of the expanded Union, and the foundations of a stronger faction.

Turn Stat Changes
-35 Ammunition from raider attack on St. Lucy
-10 Population, -50 Ammunition from destruction of raiders losses
+70 Low-Tech Melee Weapons from destruction of raiders spoils
+200 Scrap Parts from St. Lucy area salvage
-650 (-350 from Refuge) from construction of New Casablanca
+5k Caps from market dividends
+20 Population from natural growth
+30 Population from immigration to Liberty City
+10 Population from immigration to New Casablanca
+50 Population from immigration to Refuge
+50 Population from immigration to St. Lucy
-120 Food, -80 Water from consumption

Headman’s Challenge: The leadership of Refuge want a different management system than the simple overseer style setup we have with the smaller communities. They want their headman to be on equal terms with Headman Bacall domestically, though they are willing to allow Bacall to call the shots when it comes to foreign affairs. They aren’t being too uppity about this matter, but these ideas still need to be addressed. How do we respond?

Vault 37

Spoiler :

Vault 37 has not yet shifted its course from growing glory and development. A massive wave of construction, fueled by the purchase of a truly massive amount of scrap, has allowed for tremendous new development in the Fruitlands. The new town of Fort Peace has been built, close enough to Fort Freedom for the two towns to provide mutual aid and not overlap too much in farming and food collection from the Fruitlands. It has been provided with fresh fortifications and numerous new facilities to help defend it from attack. This includes new gunsmithing facilities on top of mobile howitzers to provide ranged defense. Farming equipment was shipped in from Ventura City to help provide even more food production to the already flush and fertile young faction. This was not enough though, as the vault extended its empire through conquest up the western coast and along the trails that lead to the Fruitlands.

The Vault sent out a large expedition from the Fruitlands, well armed and equipped to the north to scout out the mostly quiet regions along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Many of the residents of the Fruitlands had travelled through these regions to reach the new promised land and were familiar with the terrain as the expedition proceeded. For the most part the expedition was fairly disappointed with their findings. The massive waves of migrants, salvagers, Minorne's army, and bandit groups for the most part left the areas empty of easy salvage or sophisticated technology for recovery. Most of the ruined towns and suburbs were ruined settlements with little of value beyond the scrap metal the expedition recovered. There were a few exceptions to the rule as they sought more than salvage, also conquest.

The first such exception was in the ruined town of Aripeka and the nearby island, upon which a group of bandits had built a concealed fortress known as Thicket. A former member of the gang who had migrated to Fort Freedom was able to lead them to the Thicket and an attack was launched. The raiders refused to surrender and the few survivors were enslaved temporarily and kept prisoner. The raiders' own prisoners were freed and set to guard their former captors in the new stronghold alongside a garrison left by the expedition. A second raider stronghold was found by chance in Timber Pines, called Timber Hold. Once again the battle was brief and vicious, as the howitzers of the expedition allowed an easy victory, combined with overwhelming standard firepower. As before the raiders were defeated, their prisoners freed, and themselves enslaved by the conquering vault expedition. A last conquest took place further north at the isolated town of Sugarmill Woods. Apparently a town had been thriving there even since the war, calling themselves only Sugarmill these days and regaining a recent prominence as a stopping point on the trail to the Fruitlands. After the howitzers knocked down their meager fortifications, they quickly surrendered and pledged themselves as a tributary to Vault 37. The expedition returned with little prominent salvage, but was still celebrated as the latest triumphant heroes of conquest for the vault's little empire.

Turn Stat Changes
-149k Caps, +109 Tech Parts from open market purchases
-29,350 Scrap Parts, -18 Energy, +39 Tech Parts, +10,000 Ammunition, +5 Howitzers, +5 Trucks from construction and ammunition conversion
-80 Population, -4,250 Ammunition from northern grand expedition losses
+4,000 Scrap Parts, +3 Tech Parts, +20 1-H Guns, +10 2-H Guns from northern grand expedition salvage
+500 Food, +500 Water from conquest of Thicket spoils
+600 Food, +600 Water from conquest of Timber Hold spoils
+1 Military Skill from combat
+1,000 Food, +1,000 Water, +10 Tech Parts, +200 Ammunition from conquest of Sugarmill spoils
+1,400 Scrap Parts from Pinellas County scrapping
+500 Scrap Parts from Davenport local area salvaging (Davenport itself tapped out, salvaging refocused to Haines City)
+300 Scrap Parts from Haven local area salvaging
+500 Scrap Parts from Poinciana local area salvaging (Tapped out, no other area nearby for salvaging locally)
+300 Scrap Parts from Ventura City local area salvaging
+60 Population from natural growth
+20 Population from immigration to Davenport
+100 Population from immigration to Fort Freedom
+600 Population from immigration to Fort Peace
+30 Population from immigration to Haven
+20 Population from immigration to Poinciana
+20 Population from immigration to Sugarmill
+10 Population from immigration to Ventura City
+2k Caps from market dividends
+580 Scrap Parts from slave production
+18,910 Food, +2,160 Water from surplus production

Overseer’s Challenge 1: During our conquest of Thicket and Timber Hold, we captured a large number of unrepentant bandits who were responsible for numerous attacks upon the various convoys and groups travelling to the Fruitlands from the north. In fact, some were recognized by members of our expedition for murder and attacks on their families and friends. There has been some call to keep them as slaves in Ventura City for service there, while others demand full execution. A few more lenient people claim that we should be merciful in victory and allow them to be citizens and not prosecute them for crimes in their past. How do we respond to this debate?

Overseer's Challenge 2: Poinciana, one of our tributaries, has run out of scrap that can be reached by their own traders and salvagers and not other factions or tributaries. The new tributary of Sugarmill similarly has no salvage or scrapping points within easy reach and are unlikely to provide us with any local salvage regularly. There's some concern among the tributaries how we might respond to this, and we need a policy now that these towns can no longer provide to the larger faction. How do we respond?

Workers' Republic of the Reclamation

Spoiler :

The Workers' Republic of the Reclamation began with an unexpected boon this year. The Chairman turned up with a surprise discovery through unknown sources; a deactivated reactor from before the war. The reactor could theoretically be used to generate substantial amounts of energy, but scientists report that it requires a "kick" of its own to begin producing power. This promising discovery, and a brief display of the Republic's newfound military capacities, convinced the allied town of Ricon to abandon its independence and allow an annexation. The two towns of Hardeeville and Ricon are now unified under a fairly powerful single banner. This was further encouraged by reports from both towns' scouts and travelers of a large amount of unfamiliar aircraft frequently flying southwest to northeast throughout these six months. These sinister black craft have caused much concern but so far have not seemed to display any interest in the Republic. These reports were confirmed by an expedition sent further north.

The expedition was sent north to Port Royal to survey and hopefully salvage numerous pre-war military facilities in the area. Along the way they stopped at several previously explored ruins to gather salvage before a return home. The expedition there was fairly uneventful, as most of the region had been previously explored. They encountered their only real problem at McAs Beaufort, a military installation heavily defended by automated defenses. These robots and turrets killed a decent amount of people and wounded dozens more. The expedition fell back from attempting to salvage the area, choosing to focus on Port Royal instead. While they found a decent amount of salvage and even advanced technology in the ruin, they were still forced to avoid the promising facilities at that heavily defended airbase. The usual expedition sent to Savannah had similar problems when they approached Hunter Army Airfield. The airfield was heavily defended by robotic base defenses which killed a few people and forced the others to withdraw, conducting usual salvaging on the outskirts of the city.

Turn Stat Changes
+1 Deactivated Reactor from Enigmatic bonus find
-800 Scrap Parts, +200 Ammunition from construction and ammunition conversion
-10 Population, -310 Ammunition from Port Royal expedition losses
+1,300 Scrap Parts, +9 Tech Parts from Port Royal expedition salvage
-20 Population, -310 Ammunition from Savannah expedition losses
+600 Scrap Parts, +5 Tech Parts from Savannah expedition salvage
+10 Population from natural growth
+20 Population from immigration to Ricon
+460 Food, +160 Water from surplus production

Chairman's Challenge: The unknown aircraft we've seen flying about has led many of our citizens to cry out for information about them. There's many panicky rumors circulating about our people about the source of these craft, taking all forms, from aliens to a restored US government. We have only scattered ideas about these aircraft, what story should we tell our people?

Market Prices​

​

Slaves: 10 Slaves for 3k caps

Food: 4,900 for .1k caps

Water: 100 Water for 1.3k caps

Energy: 1 Energy for 5.2k caps

Tech Parts: 1 Tech Part for 2.7k caps

Scrap Parts: 100 Scrap Parts for 3.0k caps

Ammunition: 100 Ammunition for 2k caps

Radio Stations​

Black Hat Radio – Broadcasting in the Clear – Port St. Lucie, Florida
-Assorted Country music
-Anarchist propaganda
-invitations for immigration

Collective Assistance Radio – Broadcasting in the Clear – Pensacola, Florida
-Music
-Tips and Hints for surviving in the Sunshine Wasteland
-Adventures of Wasteland Dan
-True Church of the Citadel Show

Commonwealth East Radio – Broadcasting in the Clear – Apopka, FL
-Music
-Orlando local area news
-Advice on scrapping and sale of scrap, advertisements for local market

Enclave Military Radio – Coded Broadcasts

Georgia State Official Radio – Broadcasting in the Clear – Vault 136, GA
-General North Georgia area news
-Status Updates of the Georgia

Nasa Educational Radio – Broadcasting in the Clear – Titusville, Florida
-Educational Radio Broadcasts about Wasteland Survival
-News relating to communities on the Atlantic Coasts
-Weather Reports for east and central Florida
-Baseball invitations and games

New Age Corporate Radio – Broadcasting in the Clear – Saint Augustine, Florida
-War Reports and Anti-Crusade Information
-Word informing raiders about the wonders and wealth of Ocala, and its defenses

Radio of the Faith – Broadcasting in the Clear – Ocala, Florida
-Worship Services
-Hymns
-Messages of Hope

Radio of the South – Broadcasting in the Clear – Undisclosed Location in Central Florida
-Southern Rock and Country Music
-Comedy Sketches
-Historical Information about Florida and the Commonwealth
-Radio based board game advice and creation

OOC

For those concerned, the northernmost extant non-irradiated crossing by bridge of the St. Johns River is currently the Route 44 crossing west of Deland.

We’re still going to be doing an update next week, despite the holiday, as I have literally nothing going on on Thanksgiving (Doing our dinner on Saturday). Get those orders in by next Wednesday, as the update will almost certainly be done Thursday evening.

For those curious, there are only four “scripted” locations on the map where I determined the content of the area before anyone arrived to explore it. These four places are currently Miami, parts of Orlando, CLASSIFIED, and New Orleans. In other words there are only four locations where I knew what was going to be there before people arrived.

@DarkSaber1: 708 is SE Bridge Rd, running between I-95 and Hobe Sound. There’s a bunch of RL farms in the area and not much else if you’re trying to find it. I believe it’s Exit 96 on the interstate. May be wrong on that.Also you didn’t specify how many people you wanted at the new settlement so I had to take a guess and sent 50 with a few 2-H Guns.

@JKStockholme: I assumed because there was no mention of it, that you declined to trade with the mysterious merchant this turn. No extra scrap was received and you have retained the food harvest. Also you did math wrong on Tech Parts, you have substantially more than you thought you did.

World Map

 

[thomas.berubeg]

The Morse Code:

NEW INT 2ND GECK NO. RTRVE IF PRCTCL. QSTND CPTRD TC. CRRNT EMPLYR V37. ANLYS NO THRT. GD WRK RESTO RELY. JHE.

 

[Darksaber1]

Ah, there's the 708. I didn't see it; thought you were referring to highway 708 far to the south.

And I was wondering, would I be able to basically build a casino as a new structure? Say, as an additional source of caps from users, particularly merchants and visitors to my market.

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

You could dedicate some scraps and tech to developing a casino. The more scraps and tech you dedicate, the larger the facility.

 

[Decamper]

Workers&#8217; Republic of the Reclamation

Spoiler :

eader: Chairman Norman de Paur (Enigmatic)
Faction Trait: Expansionist
Karma: Neutral Good
Capital: Hardytown (Hardeeville, SC; Pre-war Community)
Structures: Farming Equipment (2), Water Pump/Purifier (1), Jail, Ammunition Convertor, Fortifications (2)
Population: 730
Total Population: 1,240
Slaves: 0
Total Slaves: 0
Education: General
Food: 6,010 (+1,700)
Water: 3,110 (+1,400)
Energy: 0 (+0)
Tech Parts: 141
Scrap Parts: 2,520
Ammunition: 915
Military Equipment: 380 Low-Tech Melee Weapons, 50 High-Tech Melee Weapons, 150 1-H Guns, 60 2-H Guns, 405 Laser Weapons, 10 Heavy Weapons, 30 Power Armor Suits
Robots: None
Military Skill: 5

Outposts:
Ricon (Rincon, GA; Settlement): +500 Food, +500 Water
-Population: 510
-Structures: Fortifications (3)
-Arsenal: 200 Low-Tech Melee Weapons, 200 1-H Guns

Spoiler Chairman&#8217;s Challenge :

The unknown aircraft we've seen flying about has led many of our citizens to cry out for information about them. There's many panicky rumors circulating about our people about the source of these craft, taking all forms, from aliens to a restored US government. We have only scattered ideas about these aircraft, what story should we tell our people?

Spoiler Chairman&#8217;s Solution :

To placate the masses, Chairman Norman de Paur holds a rally in Hardytown&#8217;s town square. Standing over 200 soldiers wielding the WRR&#8217;s finest equipment, Chairman de Paur assures the workers of the Reclamation that the aircraft are no doubt from some other source of civilisation working towards the restoration of the planet, and that if they do prove to be hostile, the Republic will protect it&#8217;s workers so that they can live to see the fruits of the great Reclamation. The soldiers and the Chairman will then parade to Ricon to hold the same rally. (this all takes place before the following orders.)

Spoiler Orders :

- Construct an Institute (theoretical science) and fortifications in Hardytown for 2,500 scrap, 50 tech parts.

- A force of 300 (200 laser, 50 2-H, 50 High-tech Melee (with 50 1-H sidearms), 5 HW and 20 Power Armour Suits) will assault Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, destroying or otherwise disabling the powered defenses. Once (or if) defenses are destroyed, the expedition is to scavenge the base, as well as determine if it is fit to be developed into an outpost. They are to scavenge as much as they feel is safe on the return trip. They are also to keep an eye out for any locations that would appear to be especially suitable for expansion.

- An expedition of 100 (25 laser, 25 1-H, 50 Low Tech Melee, 5 Power Armour Suits) are to scavenge the previously explored and deemed safe ruins to the east of Hardytown (ie. Okatie, Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, Burton, Port Royal) and are to avoid any and all engagements. They are also to keep an eye out for any locations that would appear to be especially suitable for expansion.

- An expedition of 100 (25 laser, 25 1-H, 50 Low Tech Melee, 5 Power Armour Suits) are to scout and scavenge north of Ricon, primarily Springfield, Guyton and Clylo. If any resistance is met, immediately pull back. They are also to keep an eye out for any locations that would appear to be especially suitable for expansion.

- After the above expeditions, remaining population and equipment are to be evenly split between Hardytown and Ricon. If one side must have a larger amount, favour Hardytown.

 

[christos200]

Can we use scrap parts we buy from the Market the same turn we buy them?

 

[Polyblank]

The Core of the Matter

Stats

Spoiler :

Leader: Commissioner Mark Jobs (Enigmatic)
Faction Trait: Tech Savvy
Karma: True Neutral
Capital: Albany, GA (Pre-War Community)
Structures: None
Population: 550
Slaves: 0
Education:
Food: 1,600 (+500)
Water: 1,600 (+500)
Energy: 0 (+0)
Tech Parts: 335
Scrap Parts: 0
Ammunition: 700
Military Equipment: 75 1-H Guns, 25 2-H Guns, 25 Laser Weapons
Robots: None
Military Skill: 3

Commisioner's Challenge:

Spoiler :

As we grow more connected with the larger world, we must take a look at how we treat those who may want to join our community. These would-be immigrants are mostly wanderers and travelers looking for a safe place to eat, sleep, and be fed. What policy should we maintain towards immigration?

Commissioner's Solution

Spoiler :

While closing our borders to these people would villify us in their eyes and waste us various opportunities , being too open with our borders would also be dangerous. Institute a border control service that will keep records of these travellers and if they are seen to be clean of any current political connections with bands of raiders, then we shall let them in.

Orders:

Spoiler :

Send a force of 70 ( 50 H1 - Guns, 10 H2 - Guns and 10 Laser Weapons ) to explore nearby Leesburg, Georgia, and scavenge for resources. If they deem it too dangerous, they are advised to act with tactical caution and propable retreat.

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

Can we use scrap parts we buy from the Market the same turn we buy them?

Yes you can.

 

[thomas.berubeg]

Orders PMed in.

 

[Ahigin]

Stats in the beginning of the turn

Spoiler :

Running With Wolves: Ahigin
Leaderack Leader Spartacus (Charismatic)
Faction Trait: Barbaric
Capital: Nomadic (Currently Located: Greenwood, MS)
Structures: None
Population: 750
Slaves: 0
Education: Oral
Food: 4,100 (+250)
Water: 4,450 (+0)
Energy: 0 (+0)
Tech Parts: 4
Scrap Parts: 1,200
Ammunition: 0
Military Equipment: 750 Low-Tech Melee Weapons
Robots: None
Military Skill: 4

Migration orders:

Spoiler :

The tribe first returns north to Minter City, MS to engage the locals in trading activities (see details below), after which the tribe will head west to Ruleville, MS and then south to Jackson, MS.

Expected route (clickable)

Important stops along the way in the order of visiting:

1. Greenwood, MS &#8211; before leaving its summer camp, the tribe will do another scrap run through the town and by August will abandon the place;
2. Minter City, MS &#8211; trade will be offered to the local community. The tribe is willing to exchange all of its scrap and tech parts for high-tech melee weapons, 1-H and 2-H guns and a surplus of ammunition for them. If the townsfolk are willing to sell more advanced weapons, the tribe will prioritize them. If only low-tech melee weapons are being offered, we&#8217;ll be willing to buy up to 150 of them and that&#8217;s it. If the town is experiencing a shortage of food or water, we may use up to 500 of our food and 500 of our water in the barter for weapons as well (in other words, only if food and water cost more than scrap and tech parts for the locals). If prices or quality of the offer are unreasonable, polite rejection will be sent. After the end of the barter, the most advanced weapons will be distributed equally between all five units of the marching host (i.e. the Head, the Heart, both of the Paws, and the Tail each receive 20% of the newly purchased arms and ammunition);
3. Ruleville, MS &#8211; if not inhabited by an organized community, the town will be searched for scrap and the little river to the east of it will be used for replenishing tribal water supply. Slavers&#8217; communities will be overrun using previously established strategy and tactics;
4. Sunflower, MS &#8211; scrap whatever is scrappable, greet whatever is civilized and friendly, storm and kill whatever sells or buys slaves. Same tactics and strategy as established;
5. Indianola, MS and Indianola Municipal Airport &#8211; same as above, but we&#8217;ll try to spend extra time searching through the airport. Reconnaissance will first check the airport for potential hazards (radioactivity, crazy robotics, etc.), then &#8220;Wolf&#8217;s Heart&#8221; will start combing through the location under protection of the rest of the fighting units. If we&#8217;re incredibly lucky and find any planes&#8230; scrap the damn things;
6. Moorhead, MS &#8211; this town to the east from Indianola won&#8217;t be searched for scrap, but if it has a local community willing to trade weapons for scraps and tech parts, we&#8217;ll perform same type of trading activities as in Minter City;
7. Inverness, MS &#8211; very quick scrapping operation, then move on;
8. Lake Dawson &#8211; replenish water supply if the water is drinkable;
9. Isola, MS &#8211; quick scrapping;
10. Belzoni, MS &#8211; a bit more scrapping will be done here if possible;
11. Yazoo City, MS and Federal Correction Institution &#8211; the town will be searched through as any other urban location. Federal Correction Institution is a special point of interest, though. It will be approached the same way as the Indianola Airport: reconnaissance, then organized scrapping and, especially, weapon search. While these activities are being run, the FCI will be used as a fortified temporary camp. Strugglers will be allowed to catch up, but before mid-November the tribe will leave Yazoo City for the last march;
12. Jackson, MS &#8211; the final destination for this year. If the city can be searched for scrap, it will be done. Special points of interest: Hawkins Field Airport, Jackson State University, Metrocenter Mall, Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport. Ideally, one of them will also be used as a location for a fortified seasonal winter camp. If these places are too hazardous and/or taken by friendly locals, LeFleur's Bluff State Park will be used as a camp location.

Engagement rules and formation will stay the same as previously established.

Challenge and Solution:

Spoiler :

Pack Leader&#8217;s Challenge: A feud has emerged between two clans within the tribe. The feud is currently over the ownership of some brahmin and the claims are both dubious at best. Siding with one clan over the other could result in a tribal fracture, while taking no sides would keep the tribe united, at the expense of having two feuding clans within. How do we respond to the rising new feud among us?

Pack Leader&#8217;s Solution: If people&#8217;s court finds both claims questionable, an ordeal by combat will take place. Both clans will be given a week to select a champion who&#8217;d be willing to fight to death for the honor of the clan. Just before the fight takes place, both clans will be given the last chance to come to a mutual agreement without an unnecessary waste of human life. If both sides insist on trial, the fight will take place in the presence of the whole tribe (except for sentries and alike) and its result will decide the case. The winning clan receives all claimed property, while the losing side is obligated to drop any claims and to organize a proper burial of the fallen.

From now on, ordeal by combat will become a common practice among our people in cases when other forms of popular justice fail.

 

[J.K. Stockholme]

NEW INT 2ND GECK NO. RTRVE IF PRCTCL. QSTND CPTRD TC. CRRNT EMPLYR V37. ANLYS NO THRT. GD WRK RESTO RELY. JHE.

What nonsense 'no threat' my ass we'll show em' something let 'em take a swing at good old Gregg Jackson - I dare you

Possible translation:

New intel 2nd GECK number (?). Retrieve if practical. Standard CPRTRD TC (?). Current employer Vault 37. Analysis, no threat. Good work restoring the relay.​

 

[DuneBear]

QSTND CPTRD TC.

I am pretty sure this is "Questioned captured TC". Idk what TC means though. Or the ending word/letters "JHE".

 

[thomas.berubeg]

TC means talon company, I think. One of which vault 37 captured and interrogated?

 

[christos200]

Empire of America:

Spoiler :

Empire of America: christos200
Leader: Emperor Felix V Jackson (Fearsome)
Faction Trait: Barbaric
Karma: True Neutral
Capital: Felix City (Bunker; Marion, AL)
Structures: Market, Farming Equipment, Water Purifier, Hydroponics Farm, Fortifications, Jail
Population: 280
Total Population: 450
Slaves: 55
Total Slaves:55
Education: Oral
Caps: 3.4k
Food: 4,790 (+1,100)
Water: 2,690 (+500)
Energy: 0 (+0)
Tech Parts: 11
Scrap Parts: 480
Ammunition: 2,060
Military Equipment: 150 Low-Tech Melee Weapons, 50 High-Tech Melee Weapons, 20 1-H Guns, 10 2-H Guns, 200 Laser Weapons, 50 Power Armor Suits
Robots: None
Military Skill: 10
Outposts:

Spoiler :

Heavenly City (Urban Ruin; Centreville, AL):
-Population: 120
-Structures: Fortifications
-Arsenal: 200 Low-Tech Melee Weapons, 100 Laser Weapons
Napoleontown (Settlement; Uniontown, AL): +550 Food, +500 Water
-Population: 50
-Structures:Water Purifier, Hydroponics Farm
-Arsenal:200 Low-Tech Melee Weapons, 90 1-H Guns, 100 Laser Weapons

Emperor's Solution:

Spoiler :

The jewelry is to be melted down and recreated as a crown for the Emperor. The crown will resemble as much as possible that of Napoleon.

Orders:

Spoiler :

100 soldiers, equipped with 100 Laser Weapons and 100 Low-Tech Melee Weapons, shall explore Tuscaloosa, Alabama and search for scraps and if they find a settlement, they shall conquer it. If they are attacked, they are to fight it out unless victory becomes impossible and they shall orderly retreat.

Market Orders:

Spoiler :

Buy 100 Scrap Parts for 3.0k caps

Building Orders:

Spoiler :

Build Fortifications in Napoleontown for 500 Scrap Parts.

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

As mentioned in the update, I plan on starting the update on Wednesday, and it will almost definitely be completed Thursday. Get those orders in!

 

[Nuka-sama]

So can people actually play in New Orleans then?

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

@nuke: If you wanted to, really, yes. Though, really at this point, I'm advising people against starting directly inside major cities if they aren't a vault or bunker. It puts the difficulty up to 11.

 

[thomas.berubeg]

The Embassy

Grey. Drab. For all of Vault 37&#8217;s vaunted wealth, those were the only words that Samuel Bede, special ambassador from the Crown, could ascribe to Ventura City at first glance. A hulking grey beast, perched on a slight rise of the ground, dominating the surrounding area, claws poised at the walled enclosure at the base of the hill. The slave camp, Samuel realized. Even at this distance there was a stench that clung to the light breeze.

Samuel turned to his companions, ten of his best security forces, close friends and sworn men all, each armed with ornate swords and laser or plasma cannon strapped to their backs. He smiled, even though his companions wouldn&#8217;t be able to see it through the closed helm of the power armor, and waved at the city in the distance.

&#8220;Almost there, boys. There&#8217;ll be hot showers and soft beds for us all tonight.&#8221;

One of his companions smirked &#8220;At least these vaulters believe in civilization. My back is still sore from the stone slabs they gave us to sleep on.&#8221;

&#8220;Hah, Matt, Your back has slept on a lot worse in the field, and if I remember that trip correctly, you spent most of those nights in the bed of... what was her name? Elly?&#8221;

&#8220;Umm... Erica? Erin! She was a handful, my Erin.&#8221; One of the other soldiers, behind Matt, cupped her chest in an exaggeration of Erin&#8217;s appeal. Matt looked expectantly at the city in the distance. &#8220;Maybe I&#8217;ll find an Erin here too.&#8221;

&#8220;Maybe. Now Boys.&#8221;

&#8220;And girls!&#8221; interjected one of the soldiers.

&#8220;And girls, yes. I know I don&#8217;t need to remind you all that we represent the entire kingdom. My sister the queen, chose us to make friends with these Vaulters. This is because we are the best at what we do, no matter WHAT we do. Make the Queen proud, make the Kingdom proud, and, more importantly, make ME proud.&#8221;

The last half hour of walking passed in silence. The road, tramped flat and muddy by the passing feet of thousands of slaves and merchants, led directly past the Slave Camp, a choice, Samuel was sure, to remind travelers of the Vaulter&#8217;s power. The gates themselves were guarded by stern faced men and women in crisp uniforms, emotionless and humorless as they checked the small line of people waiting for entrance to the city. Far above, mounted abve the gate, the gaping maw of a howitzer ensured that slaves and raiders would never be a problem.

Samuel knew he cut an impressive figure to the guards, a large man, made even larger by the bulk of the Power Armor he wore. The Amror, like all Kingdom Power armor, was decorated as an animal that had become hereditary to the individual to which the armor was given. The Bede&#8217;s armors, aside for that of the queen&#8217;s, were all designed to look like a Damncat. Samuel&#8217;s helmet was snarling, though the black and yellow paint on the armor&#8217;s itself was chipped and weathered from use in combat. And yet, the gaze of the guards, professional to the last, only lingered on the armor a few moments more than on any other traveller.

Inside the gate, the city was arranged in a grid pattern, with the Governor's office and home at the heart. As the embassy walked towards their destination, Samuel couldn&#8217;t help but noticed the downturned gaze of citizens, the regular patrols, and how quickly working slaves would disappear from view when someone official appeared.

The omnipresent grey of the city faded as they approached the central area of the city. Clearly inhabited by the wealthier members of Vaulter society, these houses, almost defiantly resisting the general atmosphere of the city, were painted in bright colors and boasted regular lawns and gardens, with plants, Samuel Assumed gathered from the Fruitlands.

The Embassy was indistinguishable from the surrounding houses aside for gold lettering proclaiming &#8220;Sovereign Territory of the Sunshine Kingdom.&#8221; and the ancient flag of Nasa waving from a flagpole in the lawn. As he and his companions walked into the embassy, Samuel smiled. The place had the look of a military headquarters, the kind of place he felt most comfortable. It would do. It would do very well.

Spoiler for Stock :

I tried to represent how you described Ventura City to me, but if you dislike any of it, let me know so I can change it!