Faction Reports
The 500
The 500 is an organization based around the car. The 500s are comprised of the descendants of racers and racing fans, who hold the Daytona International Speedway as their sacred ground. Members of the 500 are said to learn to drive before they walk, and while not literally true, they do find driving an important part of their society. The 500s are known for raiding other settlements for especially fusion cores, along with any other resources that they have. The roaring sound of mechanical thunder of their engines serve as their war cry, and inspires fear to especially those unaccustomed to their steel beasts. In the middle of February, a race known as "the Daytona" is held on the Speedway itself. Anyone wishing to become the Champion are welcome to participate, as long as they have a car. The only rules are no weapons, and the first one to complete 200 Laps, or 500 miles, is the winner. Ramming is considered perfectly legal in this day and age, and there's no flags besides the checkered flag.
All Night Aces
When the bombs dropped, a large number of tourists became trapped when the lockdown procedures of the Hard Rock Hotel locked down the entire casino and facility. Families were thankfully kept together but most became isolated from the staff or anyone with authority to keep things in order. The large stockpiles of canned food and supplies within the stocks of the hotel proved to be enough for all those present and the Summers family managed to control the people within and prevent chaos from emerging. The hotel’s security protocols were unable to be overridden, and the tourists and descendants of these tourists have been trapped within the hotel and casino, until now, at last, the emergency generator has stopped and the lockdown protocols have been ended. These people now face the large outside world they have avoided for so long.
Bartow Chem Dogs
Young Billy Crowley was born into a commune of post-war farmers centered around Bartow. Eeking out a miserable existence at the mercy of raiders and other monstrous entities of the sunshine wasteland, he rose to new heights with his excelling interest and knowledge of medicine. Having read several books, including a series of risky experiments followed by a natural nick for practicing medicine, he managed to perfect the art of manufacturing chems. Anything from the addictive Jet to the life-saving Stims. Nothing was outside his grasp. Eventually, he managed to enthrall the raiders (and later the farming community itself) with his growing supply of narcotics. Everyone wanted a piece of his goods, and he provided, as sure as they did as he commanded - and understood who was the baddest boss in town. Bill now reigns as the "Prez" of Bartow, hosting depraved orgy parties at his base, Partyrow, whilst sending out hordes of his drug-hyped raiders to get more booze, more caps, more slaves, and more desperates seeking to improve their lives.
Grand Republic of Saint Augustine
When the bombs fell 80 years before, the isolated city of St. Augustine was mostly spared. Too far south of Jacksonville to be awash in radiation and too small to be an important target, it was largely left whole. Many of the city’s leadership had been attending a county meeting at the time of the nuclear strike and never made it back to the city, their fates unknown. Those civil servants left were quickly overwhelmed and cracked under pressure. Much of the population evacuated to many of the supposed government camps that rumors said had sprung up around the state never to be heard from again. The only significant population that remained were the students of Flagler College.
Centered in the aging Ponce de Leon Hotel in the heart of the city, many students fled with the other refugees, hoping to find their families and a way home. However, a large portion, led by Dr. William Scott, elected to remain behind. Dr. Scott convinced a number of participants at the local living history museum and some influential townsfolk to also remain. Working quickly, they established the College campus as a fortified walled community that thrived in the harsh environment of the wastes. Scavenging parties brought in numerous weapons, augmented by the various reenactor blacksmiths Dr. Scott had wisely sought to include. Even as the rest of the city collapsed around them, they continued to survive. Now, under the guidance of a new leader, they look to expand and grow even more.
The Highlanders
King braveheart, wi' his greatsword Gibson, 'n' his brother brought th'gither th' highlanders tae form Scootlund ainlie short ten years ago, fightin' aff th' monsters that git in his wey. Efter th' toun wis pat th'gither, King Braveheart murdurred his brother in a duel, saying that thare kin ainlie be yin king o' th' highlanders. Braveheart is a wee bit loopy, aye marchin` aroond wi' his sword Gibson, yellin aboot ‘FREEDOM’ n' bein' immortal n' challenging ithers tae duels. Bit he's a stoatin fighter, 'n' kin best any monster or jimmy he fights yin oan yin. Howfur th’ wee toun o’ Scootlund wis put the gether is a mystery, bit a' that th' scots knou is that Braveheart, King o' th' highlanders pulled thaim th'gither 'n' protected thaim fae th' vile beasts o' th' wasteland.
Kingdom of Hogwartz
The owners of Universal Studios long worried of a potential of nuclear war between the United States and China and the potential aftermath of said conflict. Determined to ensure that they would survive, the owners financed the construction of a magnificent bunker that would be built as an expansion to the "Harry Potter" castle and gathered potential allies, such as scientists and technicians, and most especially a group of mercenary soldiers who could act as guards and enforcers. When the bombs fell, this eclectic community went underground. Two things could help keep the community surviving; military discipline, and the complete collection of the Harry Potter books and holotapes. These books and tapes became the lifeblood of the community, and even as they became slightly damaged, it became the basis of their society as they filled in the gaps. As they emerged from the bunker into the great castle of Hogwartz, the people knew they had a duty to restore the castle to its former glory and spread the word of magic.
The Machabees
Boca Raton, FL was historically known for its tight Jewish community. After the Last War, shtetl Jews organized themselves in an industrious survivalist commune (a kibbutz) that proved more successful that other improvised groups of survivors thanks to the ingenuity of its inhabitants and a common cultural bond between them. They migrated north to a more defensible and arable community in Palm Beach Gardens a few years after the war ended, finding Boca Raton to be too full of hostile threats to make a safe life for themselves. After a while, the Machabees' kibbutz cautiously opened its gates to non-local immigrants and started to look outward to the Greater Wasteland.
Peanut Island
Peanut Island was originally designed in the 1960s for the President and his family to survive the Cold War. With the tensions rising in the 21st century, the facility was reactivated and retrofitted to be equipped with the latest of survival gear and equipment in case of the President being in Florida during the Fall. On October 23, 2077, the bombs fell, but the added time for the Chinese nukes to reach southern Florida allowed Colonel Ulysses Sherman to call in military personnel and their families before the surface was burned in nuclear fire. Colonel Grant Sherman is a descendant of the original commander of the Peanut Island Bunker complex. After the natural death of the last bunker commander, the citizens of Peanut Island elected Grant Sherman, at the time a member of the island's defense forces, to become the Colonel, the highest ranking position of the bunker's stationed personnel pre-War.
People’s Republic of Florida
Background: As the Sino-American conflict escalated, the American government passed an act called the "National Security Act of 2067" which called for the "detention and processing" of all "suspected Chinese Communist spies and sympathizers, and all those who would give aid and comfort to the enemy". The act led to the creation of several special detention facillities including the Pinetta Detention Camp (citizens of the small unincorporated community near the camp objected to both the name and the placement but were ignored). People of Chinese heritage were rounded up into these camps almost without exception, but so were many anti-war protestors and some soviet communists. Most of the camp's population were never really communists though the camp did house some genuinely dangerous spies and saboteurs, including Jiang Yang who would become the People's Republic's first leader. Inmates were kept in squalid conditions, and discontent was high. Yang, loyal to her country to the last, used this as an opportunity to spread communist propaganda amongst the other inmates.
When the Sino-American conflict escalated into the Great War, it is said that the mushroom cloud from the nuclear detonation over Jacksonville was visible from the camp. In the ensuing commotion, it is said that Yang managed to wrestle a weapon away from her interrogator and lead a revolt among the inmates. Thus, the People's Republic of Florida was declared by a badly wounded and emaciated Jiang Yang. Its people soon gathered food and water from nearby farms and the village of Pinetta, largely at gunpoint. Initially they were seen as an occupying force, but when raiders came, those people who lived under the People's Republic retreated back into the fortified camp (now renamed Fortress Revolution) and they were safe behind its fences and guns, while neighboring communities were pillaged, raped and picked clean by the raiders.
Yang died 20 years after the Great War. The wounds she received when the US military interrogated her likely contributed to her early death. She left no heir, instead saying that "the proletariat should vote on who will succeed me". Thus, the People's Republic held elections, choosing a new Supreme leader from amongst their number. There have been several Supreme Leaders since, with Shui Wen being the latest but their priorities have been basically the same: rebuilding the region's farmland, defending the People's Republic from raiders and maintaining the weaponry and equipment they acquired form the camp. Now, the People’s Republic looks to the nearby ruins of Madison with hope. Not to rebuild the Capitalist world that was, but to build a new world and a new revolution, and to sweep aside those who oppose them.
Most Pious and Holy Union of America
The Most Pious and Holy Union of America are the descendants of an American unit which went underground in their bunker at the start of the Great War. With no connection with the outside world, they developed into a Cult of worshippers who praised the Founding Fathers as literal Gods, who forged the Earth, literally writing it into being, and leading the original 13 Tribes to Freedom and Democracy from the tyranny of the King of Inglan. The Fall of America was believed to be the heralded Fall of the Republic, with the Fathers decrying America's fall from most Pious Liberty and destroying it, leaving a new world for the true followers of the Fathers to rebuild it in their image. The Unionists believe that only when America returns to the holy worship of the Fathers (in deed, if not in letter), rebuilding that most Holy Democracy and its institutions of Freedom, Law, and Equity, will the Founding Fathers uplift America back to holiness and prosperity. With the remnants of the Constitution and the Books of America as their Bible, the Most Pious and Holy Union of America emerges from their bunker at Fort Liberty, ready to preach the Faith to all who will listen.
Romero’s Roving Reavers of Rust
The deadly nuclear exchange that ended USA found the members of would be now the Romero's Roving Reavers of Rust in their usual workplace - the North Florida shipyard. The deadly radiation released by the nukes cursed them to live in a cruel mockery, as ghouls. But perhaps not all was so bad. They had pre-War knowledge of what to scavenge in the dead ruins of the lost world, something not everyone can say. The former foreman continues to lead the faction, even years after the bombs finally dropped. A skilled mechanic, he remains well respected by both ghouls and non-ghouls alike in the harsh environment of downtown Jacksonville.
Spartan Security Consultants
Spartan Security Consulting was contracted by the US government throughout the 'Last War' for a variety of functions. SSC's Florida division was involved primarily as counter-insurgency and intelligence services and they gained a reputation for being ruthlessly effective at their jobs. After the bombs fell the weapons and military training of the SSC allowed their numbers to survive where others did not. When the SSC compound ran out of supplies the group descended on a relatively unguarded farming community and 'adopted' it. SSC maintains its corporate-military structure and Santiago may simply be the most brutal and ruthless of a band of brutal and ruthless thugs that could almost be called professional soldiers. That said, she is a charismatic speaker and occasionally expounds well-considered ideological values that center on militarism, neo-Darwinism, and self-sufficiency. While the SSC began as a PMC, increasingly it is united by a unique 'Spartan' ideology based on Santiago's ideas of survivalism.
Vault 33
Welcome, Overseer! You have been selected as the duly appointed leader of Vault-Tec Vault 33! As an employee of Vault-Tec it is your duty to oversee and lead the Americans who have joined you in shelter from the harshness of total atomic annihilation into the future! You may be scared and confused with the situation that fate has placed you in, and you are indeed fortunate to have stumbled across this vault, as it was never advertised or allowed for preregistration for admittance. Still, we have total faith that you are the right man or woman for the job! Congratulations on being PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE!
Vault external scans of Boca Raton indicate that the area around the vault is only barely suitable for the harvesting of food. Large numbers of codename “Ghouls” present in Boca Raton and surrounding areas.
Vault 41
Welcome, Overseer! You have been selected as the duly appointed leader of Vault-Tec Vault 41! As an employee of Vault-Tec it is your duty to oversee and lead the Americans who have joined you in shelter from the harshness of total atomic annihilation into the future! You are fortunate to have been placed into a vault with no assigned duties for any of its inhabitants. In combination with RobCo, we have developed a Vault that requires no physical labor or activities for the inhabitants, and you are free to relax and enjoy your survival with no responsibilities! All tasks including security and maintenance will be managed by your arsenal of robots. Sit back and enjoy being PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE!
Vault external scans of Lakeland indicate that the area around the vault is only barely suitable for the harvesting of food. Large numbers of codename “Ghouls” present in Lakeland and surrounding areas.
Vault 57
Welcome, Overseer! You have been selected as the duly appointed leader of Vault-Tec Vault 57! As an employee of Vault-Tec it is your duty to oversee and lead the Americans who have joined you in shelter from the harshness of total atomic annihilation into the future! Your vault does not have any particularly noteworthy differences from other Vault-Tec facilities. All features of the vault are fully at your disposal and your only duties are to keep your people alive and PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE!
Vault external scans of the area around Burnt Store Marina indicate the area to be barely suited for farming. Nonetheless, an existing settlement appears to be present not far from the vault entrance. Caution is recommended.
Vault 98
Welcome, Overseer! You have been selected as the duly appointed leader of Vault-Tec Vault 98! As an employee of Vault-Tec it is your duty to oversee and lead the Americans who have joined you in shelter from the harshness of total atomic annihilation into the future! Your vault has been equipped with a number of experimental strains of wheat and other foodstuffs that should increase production in a variety of environments. Vault-Tec scientists are on hand to provide you with the guidance to setup a functioning hydroponics system within the vault and notes have been provided on establishing farms on the surface in the future. Enjoy the fine grains of America and being PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE!
Vault external scans of St. Teresa indicate that the area around the vault is worthless for farming or gathering of crops. Large number of vicious raiders have been seen constantly moving through the area.
Vault 99
Welcome, Overseer! You have been selected as the duly appointed leader of Vault-Tec Vault 99! As an employee of Vault-Tec it is your duty to oversee and lead the Americans who have joined you in shelter from the harshness of total atomic annihilation into the future! Your vault has been connected with a direct pump to Florida’s vast aquifer, allowing your present and future needs to be easily fed without the need for expansive purification equipment. Your population should be kept happy with these measures, and rest assured that no maintenance nor inspection of these pumps and facilities will be needed during your tenure. They should function for at least ninety years without need for future tuneups. Enjoy the water and being PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE!
Vault external scans of the Bradenton area indicate an existing settlement not far from the vault doors. The community seems organized but caution is recommended in making contact.
Vault 119
Welcome, Overseer! You have been selected as the duly appointed leader of Vault-Tec Vault 119! As an employee of Vault-Tec it is your duty to oversee and lead the Americans who have joined you in shelter from the harshness of total atomic annihilation into the future! We recognize that you may have a hard challenge in front of you as you will be hosting the vast majority of Vault-Tec participants in the Space Coast area. We realize that your facilities will be strained to the maximum level, but we have every confidence that you and a team of Vault-Tec engineers will be more than capable of dealing with any problems that emerge. Congratulations to you and all other Vault 119 residents for being PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE!
Vault external scans of the Titusville area indicate the area is barely suited for farming or gathering and a large population of code name “Mirelurks” exist in the nearby area. Proceed with caution.
Vault 136
Welcome, Overseer! You have been selected as the duly appointed leader of Vault-Tec Vault 119! As an employee of Vault-Tec it is your duty to oversee and lead the Americans who have joined you in shelter from the harshness of total atomic annihilation into the future! It should become immediately obvious that your vault is unique in the annals of Vault-Tec history. The lower levels of your vaults are not connected by normal corridors, but rather by an elaborate system of canals. These canals are also linked to a secondary gate and built-in marina to the Walter F. George Reservoir. The secondary door is just as tight as the one you came into and can be used to take your Vault-Tec brand boats out into the Reservoir and beyond when the all-clear is sounded. Enjoy your boating and being PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE!
Vault external scans of the Eufala area indicate that the area is worthless for farming or agriculture, and full of code name “Mirelurks.” Proceed with caution.
Vorilhon
Vorilhon was established by a mysterious leader known as the Guide of Guides in the ruins of the town of Jupiter. Fixated upon the former American space program and the large number of UFO sightings that had taken place in the town prior to the war, they follow a strange faith believed to have been brought by the Zetans to Earth. Mikelo Nikolao, Guide of Guides, is a former militia and civilian mechanic. His family are refugees who escaped a raider attack on their settlement thirty years ago by fleeing to Vorilhon. After the death of Mikelo's grandmother, Mikelo Nikolao converted to Raëlism. His duties as Guide of Guides is not too dissimilar for the duty of any highest-office holding politician in any other country, with the caveat that he is also the spiritual leader of the faith.
Yesterdayland
The people of Yesterdayland descend from a number of survivors from the Disney theme park known as the Magic Kingdom. The parks were specifically not targeted by Chinese weapons during the war and thus were spared the ravages of direct hits like nearby Orlando and other towns and facilities. The theme parks functioned throughout the day, automated and provided a few last pleasures before reality came crashing down upon the park attendees. Those who were within the park, including maintenance and security workers, united with the assortment of tourists within to found an emergency government of sorts in lieu of any official Federal response to the emergency taking place. They repulsed crazed looters over the years and have since formed a new society known as Yesterdayland, fixated on the wonders that surround them of the past. Tracis McCormick is the Mayor, Governor, and President of Yesterdayland. Previously considered the High Lapine for his worship of the Rabbit Idols of Yesterdayland, McCormick seems to have convinced even people from outside Yesterdayland that the world is turning back, that the world will be functioning as Yesterdayland foretold.
OOC
Yes, everyone gets the same starting challenge.
I had to fill in some of the blanks in some backgrounds or fill out backgrounds completely where relevant. I tried to just use the ones provided where possible but did have to make some edits for consistency with Fallout lore and backgrounds.
@Seon: Still need a more exact location to include your faction in an update. Orlando is a big area.
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