PmWiki | IronLegion / CulturalNotes

With national and state governments having collapsed under their own weight, frontier economics have resurfaced - the effective average political unit is a belt of farms around a town where what little industrial and cultural activity that can be afforded happens. About two people in three work the fields.

Less than half of the communities across America are democratic and of those maybe a third only presents a facade of popular rule. Feudalism is making a comeback, and may eventually restore something similar to the state system.

A decent chunk of communities are ruled by religious leaders.

Most cities are abandoned. One exception is Utah, where the Mormon Church has effectively replaced the government and managed to keep about half the state intact as a unified entity.

The Amish have suffered less than most from the decline of civilization, and have been instrumental in keeping of the Northeast better fed and safer than other regions.

The Objectivist cult -- don't call them that to their face - spread out along rail lines from Ouray, Colorado, and currently control part of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and southeastern Utah where they are in a stalemate with the Church, both sides having agreed to a de facto border.

None of the factions that still have industrial capacity can afford to care about pollution control. Fortunately their industrial capacity is small. Unfortunately the dust bowl never really recovered.

It's been 40 years after the collapse. Willikers and Glatt are old men. Depending on a number of factors, such as a person's access to education and resources, as well as the priorities and values of their community, they may or may not likely be illiterate. In some areas, literacy might still be highly valued and prioritized, with efforts made to ensure that children learn to read and write. In other areas, the focus might be more on practical skills related to survival and subsistence, with less emphasis on formal education. It's possible that there could be significant variation in literacy rates between different regions and communities.

UNSORTED FLUFF

Edward Willikers is known to have been an Objectivist until some incident happened that led him to form the Legion; rumors abound of romantic betrayal, an ideological dispute, or the discovery of a dark secret. He is missing an arm and a leg, on the same side, and has replaced them with exquisitely crafted prostheses, so well made that he can walk without a limp - but not run - and can even use his iron hand to write. Unlike John Glatt, the spiritual leader of the Objectivists, who is famed to be a prolific inventor, Willikers is primarily a competent administrator. Legion tech is less flashy but more dependable than Objectivist tech.

Objectivists have access to a mysterious source of energy that gives them nearly unlimited electrical power; in their core territory in Ouray, Colorado, houses still have electricity (if they can afford to pay for it!) and trains run off overhead wires. They claim that this source of energy is John Glatt's invention, a machine that can channel ambient electricity into useful current. However, there are only two such machines; one powers Ouray and the wires that radiate out along the rails from it, and one aboard their flagship armored train, the Minotaur. Glatt says that a third machine and a second train are under construction, but the Objectivists have been saying this for years now.

The Objectivists guard their source of energy fiercely, and no one outside their organization knows exactly how it works. They claim that it is based on the principle of "the market knows best," and that they have found a way to harness the natural flow of electrical energy in the environment to power their machines. However, rumors persist that the Objectivists have made a dark pact with some unknown entity or tapped into a secret government project that survived the collapse.

Despite their claims of superior technology, the people living outside of Ouray suffer from shortages and rationing, as their energy source is limited. This has led to a stark contrast between the electrified, bustling city of Ouray and the rest of the surrounding countryside, which is mostly dark and quiet at night. Many have accused the Objectivists of hoarding their energy to maintain their own power and influence, while others argue that the energy source is simply too valuable to share with outsiders.

The Minotaur is a fearsome armored train that has the unique capability of being able to travel anywhere without requiring fuel to burn. Contrary to tradition, the locomotive is placed in the middle, protected by turreted cannon and machine-gun wagons. The front of the train holds a mobile workshop, barracks, and a canteen, while the back holds service wagons. The Minotaur often carries flatbed cars at the back, offering rides to wagon caravans for a steep price but with the assurance of perfect safety -- the Objectivists believe that even while patrolling there's room to make money on the side. Since the Minotaur can travel at high speeds, its observation car carries a manned kite that is kept aloft by the train's movement, giving the train commander unparalleled recon capabilities. When on the war footing, the commercial wagons are removed and instead the armored train carries along the Visible Hand, a repurposed WW1 battleship cannon that can shoot out to 40 kilometers.

The Minotaur is a marvel of Objectivist engineering, and its armor is nearly impenetrable. The train is heavily guarded and protected by elite Objectivist soldiers, making it nearly impossible to attack head-on. The train's cannon and machine guns are formidable weapons, and its speed allows it to outrun any pursuers. The Minotaur is a symbol of the Objectivist's power and is feared by their enemies. However, some say that the train's true purpose is not just to patrol and defend Objectivist territory but to expand it by force. Rumors abound that the Minotaur has been used to raid and attack neighboring settlements and towns, and that its real goal is to establish Objectivist dominance over the entire continent.

The Iron Legion does not, strictly speaking, hold territory save for a few scattered outposts, fuel depots, and switching yards; they live in or around their trains, trading technical expertise, transport, and defense for food and fuel. The one exception is the Terminal. The Terminal is an imposing, iron-walled castle constructed from what used to be an Eastern city's train station. Legionaries' relatives have been slowly demolishing most of the rest of the city, building an outer wall and turning the space between it and the Terminal back into agricultural land, in preparation for the siege that Eddie is sure will come some day. The Terminal houses one of the few glass-blowing factories left on the continent, ensuring that the Legion has access to vacuum tubes for radio transmitters, spotlights, and the like. Power is provided by a nearby dam.

The Terminal also serves as the Iron Legion's main base of operations, where contracts are negotiated, supplies are stored, and plans are made. The castle is heavily fortified, with multiple layers of walls and defenses, including machine gun nests, cannons, and moats. Inside the castle, there are living quarters for legionaries, as well as workshops, armories, and a hospital. The Terminal also serves as a hub for the Legion's transportation network, with trains constantly coming and going to pick up and deliver goods and people.

Some possible cities that meet these criteria include:

Niagara Falls, New York - located near the Niagara Falls hydroelectric dam and has a long history of railroad transportation. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - located near several hydroelectric dams on the Allegheny River and has a rich railroad history. Buffalo, New York - located near several hydroelectric dams on the Niagara River and has a history of being a major railroad hub. Montreal, Quebec - located near the Saint Lawrence River and has a history of being a major railroad center in Canada. Boston, Massachusetts - located near several hydroelectric dams on the Charles River and has a history of being a transportation hub for New England.

While gramophones still exist and are relatively easy to manufacture, vinyl records a rare commodity; many that remain are deteriorating from temperature excursion and simply being played. New records are one of the things that the Objectivists have a near-monopoly on, if one wants something other than Mormon hymns. Unsurprisingly, people who can sing or play an instrument are welcome in settlements, as are those who can maintain them.

Likewise, celluloid films are rare and precious. Often, audio tracks have deteriorated to unusability while the film can still be watched, so the average traveling cinema performance -- carrying things like Wizard of Oz or Gone with the Wind -- tends to have the people operating the projector and setting up the canvas screen also do the voice acting, sometimes adapting the existing footage with their own dialogue in a hybrid performance. What cinemas still exist tend to have better-preserved reels and don't need this much creativity.

No new movies have been made since the collapse, although a few groups have the equipment to copy reels. The Objectivists are just now beginning to distribute short newsreels and propaganda cartoons, some of which get the voiceover treatment since they tend to be quite heavy handed and ripe for mockery.

"Metal music" in this setting is a genre that has evolved from bluegrass and marching-band music, featuring "lap steel" guitars or autoharps with resonators, drum sets made out of scrap metal and hit with hammers or wrenches, and a bugle played into a box of any kind for the bass. If power is available, amplification may be used, but this is generally saved for special occasions as vacuum tubes are rare and expensive.

Media has thus become a precious commodity that can be traded or used to gain influence. As in the days of yore, Gypsies traveling by wagon and hitching the occasional ride on a train carry music, entertainment more or less wholesome, and rumors across the continent. Of course, some of the old prejudices about them have reappeared, all the more so because the town where everybody manages at least two meals a day is rare.

Given their religious beliefs, the Mormons have put a significant emphasis on preserving knowledge and skills related to agriculture, water management, and animal husbandry. They have even developed new techniques and technologies for farming in arid and semi-arid regions, such as efficient irrigation systems and drought-resistant crop varieties.

Additionally, the Mormons have preserved knowledge related to metallurgy, blacksmithing, and other trades that were crucial to their early settlement and development in the West. They have additionally developed new techniques for working with scarce resources, such as recycling and repurposing materials.

Finally, the Mormons have also preserved a significant amount of medical knowledge and practices, including herbal remedies and other alternative treatments. Their emphasis on self-sufficiency and community has also led to the development of unique healthcare systems and practices.

Laia is a kind and empathetic person, always seeking to understand and help those around her. She values honesty and authenticity, and is approachable and easy to talk to. Despite her gentle nature, Laia has a strong sense of order and discipline, and is able to maintain a calm and collected demeanor even in difficult situations.

While Laia is generally non-rebellious, she may become more selfish or inwardly focused during times of emotional stress or turmoil. She is highly intelligent and rational, but also has a cheerful and positive outlook on life. Her manners may sometimes be seen as perverse or unconventional, but this is simply a reflection of her unique personality and perspective on the world.