By request, the opening sequence.
Wednesday, July 30
Gus Albertson, Loyal Assistant
Gus Albertson is the son of a working-class family associated with the Grays. Just as Gus's father Jim worked for Nathaniel Gray as his assistant, Gus took up a similar role under Corwin Gray. He's a hard-working fellow, and very dedicated and loyal, though probably because he doesn't know much else. Gus is a second-class citizen no aspirations to become a wealthy businessman himself; the thought just doesn't cross his mind. However, his (and his siblings') dedication to the Grays has made them about as prosperous as a working-class family can be, as Gus's job more than provides for his wife Kylie, his son Alec, and his two daughters Milena and Tania. Gus's son, at age eight, already lends a hand.
Gus's dramatic axis is his naivete. His life has a very narrow focus towards assisting Nathaniel, and his loyalty is at least partially due to not knowing much else, as he's been working for him since he was age seven.
Gus's dramatic axis is his naivete. His life has a very narrow focus towards assisting Nathaniel, and his loyalty is at least partially due to not knowing much else, as he's been working for him since he was age seven.
Monday, July 28
Eva Cervantes
Samuel Newton
In his early fifties, Samuel Newton is William's youngest brother. When William left on his quest to form a new town, Samuel thought it was a damn fool's errand, but he didn't try to stop him; after all, if his brother disappeared into the wilds, that left Sam to inherit a larger share of whatever their father's business ended up making. Unfortunately for Samuel, that ended up being substantially less than nothing, and ten years ago, Samuel ended up crawling into Newton, penniless and alone.
His brother took pity, and set him up with a job cataloging inventory at the old train station. Samuel was bitter and angry, hating that he was taking a handout from his brother, but it soon became apparent to him that there were certain benefits to his position. As the one counting stock, he was the only one in any position to notice if anything went missing, and with a combination of creative theft and shrewd trading, Samuel's built up a substantial stock of goods. His pride and joy is the intact steam engine he dug out of a section of the station, but his main trade is a bit less well-natured. It's a commonly-known secret among the less lawful elements of Newton that Samuel is the only firearms dealer in town, and if his prices are high, his wares are worth it.
Even if the town has given him his livelihood, Samuel has no love for Newton, and little enough for his brother. This town still represents everything that his brother managed to succeed at, and by proxy all of Samuel's failures. He wouldn't shoot himself in the foot to do it, but if the price was right, Samuel would be willing to help any or all interested parties wanting to make Newton their own; if he can sell guns to both sides, and pick them up off the battlefield later, so much the better.
His brother took pity, and set him up with a job cataloging inventory at the old train station. Samuel was bitter and angry, hating that he was taking a handout from his brother, but it soon became apparent to him that there were certain benefits to his position. As the one counting stock, he was the only one in any position to notice if anything went missing, and with a combination of creative theft and shrewd trading, Samuel's built up a substantial stock of goods. His pride and joy is the intact steam engine he dug out of a section of the station, but his main trade is a bit less well-natured. It's a commonly-known secret among the less lawful elements of Newton that Samuel is the only firearms dealer in town, and if his prices are high, his wares are worth it.
Even if the town has given him his livelihood, Samuel has no love for Newton, and little enough for his brother. This town still represents everything that his brother managed to succeed at, and by proxy all of Samuel's failures. He wouldn't shoot himself in the foot to do it, but if the price was right, Samuel would be willing to help any or all interested parties wanting to make Newton their own; if he can sell guns to both sides, and pick them up off the battlefield later, so much the better.
Alexander "Dutch" Williams
When the cataclysm struck, any sense of order or control in the major cities ceased to exist along with most everything else. However, in surrounding towns, there was one bastion of organization left; organized crime. Branch offices of major gangs and crime families found themselves sitting around blasted craters and power vacuums. In Lake Zurich, a small town outside the ruins of Chicago, the fight for control of the area has gone on almost since the nukes fell.
Dutch Williams was a member of the Shadows, the biggest gang in Lake Zurich, but when another, better equipped gang came in from another township and took the town, Dutch packed up himself and his young wife Emma and headed west, rather than die with the rest of the gang. Within six months, he and she found themselves in Newton, and right when Corwin Grey was looking for employees.
It wasn't long before Dutch was working as a "security consultant" for the man, as he's done for the past few years, arranging guard shifts and protection schemes for Grey's assets. The boss has come to depend more and more on Dutch, and has been trusting him to manage things while he's otherwise occupied. It's good, honest work, and a hell of a lot less dangerous than being a footsoldier. However, while he's plenty good at his job, being a gangster only really taught Dutch how to do one thing, and... well, let's just say that there have been a few opponents to Corwin that haven't made it into town. The boss doesn't know anything about this, of course; in fact, no one in Newton knows what Dutch used to be, and he wants to keep it that way; while he's only been here a short few years, and he's only met William Newton a handful of times, this town, and the Newtons, have given him a second chance.
For the most part, Dutch thought he'd finally found something approaching a normal life, both for himself and for Emma, especially now that Emma is... but not even Dutch knows that, not yet. However, a few days ago, an email came in for Dutch, from an undisclosed location. It seems like a good number of the Shadows had the same idea Dutch had, but that they'd also arranged to meet up after the bloodshed was over. The email was mostly pleasantries, but Dutch could read the meaning hidden in the words; the Shadows are looking for a new place to set up camp, somewhere away from the fighting and politics of the East Coast... and they'll be sending someone to visit Dutch soon.
Dutch Williams was a member of the Shadows, the biggest gang in Lake Zurich, but when another, better equipped gang came in from another township and took the town, Dutch packed up himself and his young wife Emma and headed west, rather than die with the rest of the gang. Within six months, he and she found themselves in Newton, and right when Corwin Grey was looking for employees.
It wasn't long before Dutch was working as a "security consultant" for the man, as he's done for the past few years, arranging guard shifts and protection schemes for Grey's assets. The boss has come to depend more and more on Dutch, and has been trusting him to manage things while he's otherwise occupied. It's good, honest work, and a hell of a lot less dangerous than being a footsoldier. However, while he's plenty good at his job, being a gangster only really taught Dutch how to do one thing, and... well, let's just say that there have been a few opponents to Corwin that haven't made it into town. The boss doesn't know anything about this, of course; in fact, no one in Newton knows what Dutch used to be, and he wants to keep it that way; while he's only been here a short few years, and he's only met William Newton a handful of times, this town, and the Newtons, have given him a second chance.
For the most part, Dutch thought he'd finally found something approaching a normal life, both for himself and for Emma, especially now that Emma is... but not even Dutch knows that, not yet. However, a few days ago, an email came in for Dutch, from an undisclosed location. It seems like a good number of the Shadows had the same idea Dutch had, but that they'd also arranged to meet up after the bloodshed was over. The email was mostly pleasantries, but Dutch could read the meaning hidden in the words; the Shadows are looking for a new place to set up camp, somewhere away from the fighting and politics of the East Coast... and they'll be sending someone to visit Dutch soon.
Sunday, July 27
Ophelia Wolfe
This is revised as of 7/28/08.
Ophelia Wolfe was a thief. She just had a habit of stealing things, not big things, no grand scores; she just picked locks and lifted purses.
Ophelia Wolfe was a thief. She just had a habit of stealing things, not big things, no grand scores; she just picked locks and lifted purses.
Saturday, July 26
Virgil Church
Virgil is a member of the rapidly-increasing service industry in Newton. He's a protection agent; he and the group he runs ride with caravans heading to the city-states and provide muscle to prevent and, if necessary, fight off bandit raids.
Virgil had a rough childhood. He grew up among the bandits and has been fighting for his life and livelihood, one way or another, nearly his entire life. He has no family, and few friends except for the dozen other men in his outfit. Even now that he's legitimate, he doesn't hate the bandits in general, seeing them as just another group fighting to survive, like everyone. If his own survival depends on fighting them off, then so be it. Virgil carries this same type of pragmatism with him everywhere; he is not a very principled man. If the stakes were high enough, he'd betray almost anybody (though for his friends, naturally, the stakes would have to be tremendous).
Though Newton's location and culture have made his business successful, he doesn't particularly care for the city in principle. Specifically, he does not care for the Newton family much at all - their luxurious, struggle-free lifestyle is moderately disgusting to him. William Newton himself was the only one who deserved his wealth, and with him will die the last does of reality left in the family.
Church's dramatic axis is as follows: he does not care for Newton, except insofar as its conducive to his continued business. Virgil firmly believes that this depends on good relations with Cody, Greer, and Laurel, and those good relations will stop if Newton tries to over-flex its muscles. In addition, his business depends on the bandits not being entirely eliminated; with the roads safe, who needs an escort? In short, Virgil needs things the stay the way they are as much as possible, and just like he always has, he'll do whatever he can to get what he needs.
EDIT: Virgil never knew his father and ran away from his mother early in life. He doesn't have any other family. He's had some on-again-off-again relationships with some women in Newton and the city-states, but he's just as likely to visit a prostitute.
Virgil had a rough childhood. He grew up among the bandits and has been fighting for his life and livelihood, one way or another, nearly his entire life. He has no family, and few friends except for the dozen other men in his outfit. Even now that he's legitimate, he doesn't hate the bandits in general, seeing them as just another group fighting to survive, like everyone. If his own survival depends on fighting them off, then so be it. Virgil carries this same type of pragmatism with him everywhere; he is not a very principled man. If the stakes were high enough, he'd betray almost anybody (though for his friends, naturally, the stakes would have to be tremendous).
Though Newton's location and culture have made his business successful, he doesn't particularly care for the city in principle. Specifically, he does not care for the Newton family much at all - their luxurious, struggle-free lifestyle is moderately disgusting to him. William Newton himself was the only one who deserved his wealth, and with him will die the last does of reality left in the family.
Church's dramatic axis is as follows: he does not care for Newton, except insofar as its conducive to his continued business. Virgil firmly believes that this depends on good relations with Cody, Greer, and Laurel, and those good relations will stop if Newton tries to over-flex its muscles. In addition, his business depends on the bandits not being entirely eliminated; with the roads safe, who needs an escort? In short, Virgil needs things the stay the way they are as much as possible, and just like he always has, he'll do whatever he can to get what he needs.
EDIT: Virgil never knew his father and ran away from his mother early in life. He doesn't have any other family. He's had some on-again-off-again relationships with some women in Newton and the city-states, but he's just as likely to visit a prostitute.
Friday, July 25
Theodore "Theo" Newton
The third and last son of William Newton, Theo never had a chance to aid the family in the way he wanted, as his siblings had taken all the "good" roles. But there was one (very boring) role that Theo managed to seal for himself: banking. As manager of the Jefferson Pass Bank, named after the mountain pass Newton was founded on, Theo has had an eye and an ear on more of Newton's details than many would believe, for much longer than they would believe it. With his unique position, Theo was able to slowly acquire part ownership in most of Newton's prominent businesses.
With his first-hand knowledge of the details of Newton's financial status, Theodore could sense the threshold of power Newton was approaching. And recently, he came up with an idea. If he could push Newton over the threshold, into desirability, and if he could do it correctly, all three neighboring city-states would want to purchase controlling interests. And if Theo were to then create a standstill in negotiations by somehow forcing all three of them compete with each other, he could watch them all weaken with conflict... enough for Theo to arrange an acquisition of all three surrounding city-states, as well as Newton itself. He has kept his ideas to himself, while forging relationships with prominent businessmen in the surrounding cities.
As a person, Theodore is a very accessible, very visible member of the Newton family. He's reputed to not go out of his way to screw someone over for personal gain, but he's not reputed for being a good Samaritan, either. He's an efficient businessman above all.
Theodore's dramatic axis is his ambition. He has a very ambitious idea in mind, with drastic consequences for failure, and he's not too stupid to know that if he's going to make this omelette, a few cartons of eggs are going to get smashed. He fully believes that William would be proud of his ingenuity, as he carries the Newton torch into the next stage of post-apocalyptic society.
With his first-hand knowledge of the details of Newton's financial status, Theodore could sense the threshold of power Newton was approaching. And recently, he came up with an idea. If he could push Newton over the threshold, into desirability, and if he could do it correctly, all three neighboring city-states would want to purchase controlling interests. And if Theo were to then create a standstill in negotiations by somehow forcing all three of them compete with each other, he could watch them all weaken with conflict... enough for Theo to arrange an acquisition of all three surrounding city-states, as well as Newton itself. He has kept his ideas to himself, while forging relationships with prominent businessmen in the surrounding cities.
As a person, Theodore is a very accessible, very visible member of the Newton family. He's reputed to not go out of his way to screw someone over for personal gain, but he's not reputed for being a good Samaritan, either. He's an efficient businessman above all.
Theodore's dramatic axis is his ambition. He has a very ambitious idea in mind, with drastic consequences for failure, and he's not too stupid to know that if he's going to make this omelette, a few cartons of eggs are going to get smashed. He fully believes that William would be proud of his ingenuity, as he carries the Newton torch into the next stage of post-apocalyptic society.
Anderson Jeremiah "Anders" Liegh
Anders Leigh wasn't the first child to be born in Newton. He wasn't the second or the third, either, but he was one of the children of the town's first generation, born when Newton was still little more than a wood and steel palisade full of corrugated metal buildings, a train depot, and a half-mile stretch of road between the two. In his twenty-six years he's never left the town, and he's seen that dusty gravel line blossom into a real community, a city (well, an actual town, at least) unto itself, a city he's proud to have been born in.
When it was first decided that Newton had grown large enough to require a sheriff separate from the militia, Anders was the first to get in line for the job, even though he was only nine years old at the time. When he turned eighteen, he worked hard to be deputized, succeeding two years later after bringing a would-be assassin of Mr. Newton down before he could even fire a shot. In addition to securing him the position of his choice in the town's government, Anders' rescue of Mr. Newton began something of a kinship between Anders and the Newtons, or at least their patriarch. William Newton has more than once referred to Anders as his 'adopted son,' and while the children of Mr. Newton have been somewhat disgruntled about it, he's been involved in several 'family decisions.' Quite without Anders' knowledge, Mr. Newton has made a sizable bequest for him in his will, making him one of the more wealthy individuals in Newton.
A year ago, when Newton's first sheriff died in a raider attack on a caravan coming in the gates, Anders was the natural choice to replace him. While he isn't universally loved in his position, it has to be said that he has gained the respect of the majority of the community. Some call him an idealist, and some call him a crony for the Newton line; both are reasonable conclusions, but neither is exactly accurate. Anders loves this town, his town, and by extension the man that created it. He wants to see Newton continue to grow, both in power and size, and to become a real city-state. He's willing to do whatever it takes to keep the town on that path, and to keep it safe, even if that means opposing the Newton Family, should it come to that.
When it was first decided that Newton had grown large enough to require a sheriff separate from the militia, Anders was the first to get in line for the job, even though he was only nine years old at the time. When he turned eighteen, he worked hard to be deputized, succeeding two years later after bringing a would-be assassin of Mr. Newton down before he could even fire a shot. In addition to securing him the position of his choice in the town's government, Anders' rescue of Mr. Newton began something of a kinship between Anders and the Newtons, or at least their patriarch. William Newton has more than once referred to Anders as his 'adopted son,' and while the children of Mr. Newton have been somewhat disgruntled about it, he's been involved in several 'family decisions.' Quite without Anders' knowledge, Mr. Newton has made a sizable bequest for him in his will, making him one of the more wealthy individuals in Newton.
A year ago, when Newton's first sheriff died in a raider attack on a caravan coming in the gates, Anders was the natural choice to replace him. While he isn't universally loved in his position, it has to be said that he has gained the respect of the majority of the community. Some call him an idealist, and some call him a crony for the Newton line; both are reasonable conclusions, but neither is exactly accurate. Anders loves this town, his town, and by extension the man that created it. He wants to see Newton continue to grow, both in power and size, and to become a real city-state. He's willing to do whatever it takes to keep the town on that path, and to keep it safe, even if that means opposing the Newton Family, should it come to that.
Wednesday, July 23
Lorraine Newton
Lorraine, the third child in the William Newton line-up, is the sole proprietor of Winding Creek Ranch.
Artie Gort, a resident of Newton, noticed Lorraine hanging around the fences of his ranch day after day. Knowing she was the daughter of William Newton, he offered to give her riding lessons if she would muck out his stables. Lorraine being highly curious about these sleek, leggy creatures, readily agreed. It soon became apparent that she was one of those folk who had been born for the saddle. Over the next 20 years, she became closer and closer to Artie and more and more estranged with her own family. Artie taught her the ins and outs equine market - breeding, foaling, gentling - and eventually becoming his right-hand man. Artie had never had any children himself, so passing his franchise over to Lorraine upon his death was a no-brainer.
Lorraine is a no-nonsense, you get what you pay for type of gal - and she intends to get paid well. She has never married and doesn't have any children. Her family situation is a tricky one because her obsession with horses, and now running the ranch has always had more priority. She shows up for the big parties, but no one kids themselves that it is anything more than saving face. Lorraine is in favor of increasing the commerce between Newton and the three city-states as it would increase the demand for her horses. Politics (whether Newton becomes a city-state or not) are irrelevant, but the trade must flow.
Artie Gort, a resident of Newton, noticed Lorraine hanging around the fences of his ranch day after day. Knowing she was the daughter of William Newton, he offered to give her riding lessons if she would muck out his stables. Lorraine being highly curious about these sleek, leggy creatures, readily agreed. It soon became apparent that she was one of those folk who had been born for the saddle. Over the next 20 years, she became closer and closer to Artie and more and more estranged with her own family. Artie taught her the ins and outs equine market - breeding, foaling, gentling - and eventually becoming his right-hand man. Artie had never had any children himself, so passing his franchise over to Lorraine upon his death was a no-brainer.
Lorraine is a no-nonsense, you get what you pay for type of gal - and she intends to get paid well. She has never married and doesn't have any children. Her family situation is a tricky one because her obsession with horses, and now running the ranch has always had more priority. She shows up for the big parties, but no one kids themselves that it is anything more than saving face. Lorraine is in favor of increasing the commerce between Newton and the three city-states as it would increase the demand for her horses. Politics (whether Newton becomes a city-state or not) are irrelevant, but the trade must flow.
Lucius Lessard-Newton
Lucius Lessard-Newton is the son of Newton's oldest daughter, Isabel, and is among the oldest of his generation of Newtons. He's very much the trust-fund type, and he's been called a brat many times throughout his life. Though he's likeable enough in most situations, he is strong-willed and stubborn in the extreme, and pretty much nobody has been able to stand up against him for long, including his parents. Even more annoyingly, knows it and is keenly perceptive when it comes to manipulating others.
Lucius was only 22 years old when his father died in a flash fire. His mother, unable to deal with his manipulation and subterfuge, sent him to work as a middle manager on his aunt Lorraine's farm. She hoped that close association with those not as fortunate (not to mention working a day job) might help straighten him out. She was half right - he's not nearly as arrogant as he used to be, but he's also honed his manipulative talents extensively.
Lucius and Lorraine have kind of a love-hate relationship. He's strictly loyal to the Newton family (at least, to the ideal of the Newton family), and Lorraine is at best distant. They're both strong personalities, and fight constantly, but it's almost a game for them - their combat belies their loyalty to each other.
EDIT: Lucius' mother very much wants him to marry a particular young woman from the prosperous Knight family named Alexandra. She's equally hard to manage and uppity, so Isabel, along with the Knights, hopes that they'll calm each other down. Lucius publicly scorns her, and she him, but he is secretly attracted.
Lucius absolutely adores William Newton. He sees him as a perfect man: warrior, leader, teacher, king, and friend. Though Lucius realizes that he's not as likable as William, he at least hopes to be as capable. It should be noted, however, that Lucius doesn't really know William all that well and has built the man up in his mind to fairly unrealistic levels.
Lucius was only 22 years old when his father died in a flash fire. His mother, unable to deal with his manipulation and subterfuge, sent him to work as a middle manager on his aunt Lorraine's farm. She hoped that close association with those not as fortunate (not to mention working a day job) might help straighten him out. She was half right - he's not nearly as arrogant as he used to be, but he's also honed his manipulative talents extensively.
Lucius and Lorraine have kind of a love-hate relationship. He's strictly loyal to the Newton family (at least, to the ideal of the Newton family), and Lorraine is at best distant. They're both strong personalities, and fight constantly, but it's almost a game for them - their combat belies their loyalty to each other.
EDIT: Lucius' mother very much wants him to marry a particular young woman from the prosperous Knight family named Alexandra. She's equally hard to manage and uppity, so Isabel, along with the Knights, hopes that they'll calm each other down. Lucius publicly scorns her, and she him, but he is secretly attracted.
Lucius absolutely adores William Newton. He sees him as a perfect man: warrior, leader, teacher, king, and friend. Though Lucius realizes that he's not as likable as William, he at least hopes to be as capable. It should be noted, however, that Lucius doesn't really know William all that well and has built the man up in his mind to fairly unrealistic levels.
Currency
Even though there's no national currency, it seems to me that a strict barter economy is a little infeasible considering the fairly substantial industrial base remaining in cities. There would be a common need to make wealth highly portable. Thus, precious metals. Gold and silver coins, bars, bullion, whatever. You'd get paid in a certain weight of such metals, which would translate into varying amount of paper currency or whatever depending on where you go. An ounce of gold might be $30 Cody or $50 Laurel, depending on whatever the bank of that city had decided the value would be. Thus, people would still speak of dollars, but would insist on getting paid in gold.
Tags
I would suggest tagging each entry with your name and the entry type (downtime, world book, misc, etc) so that it's easy to find both in the near future and for posterity.
Newton Background
The Cataclysm
In 2017, things were bad and getting worse quickly. Important things were scarce and there were way too many people on the planet for everyone to get what they needed. Arguments turned into conflict, conflict turned into war.
On the morning of November 21st, 2017, the nukes started flying. No one is sure who fired the first one, but in the end everyone who had them had used them. By lunchtime, the destruction was sufficient that what bits of national governments that still remained came to the realization that there was no point in continuing the nuclear exchange. Even still, the results weren’t as bad as they could have been. The entire world wasn't reduced to a wasteland, but big cities were gone, billions were dead, and the survivors were faced with a new world that required drastic adaptation. The next few years were a struggle for survival in a power vacuum. Over time, the remaining small cities became city-states, their spheres of influence were defined, a new generation grew up never having known the world before, and human civilization continued.
A Brief History of Newton
In 2024, somewhere in the Mountain States of what was once the United States, three city-states were arranged in a triangle: Cody, Laurel and Greer. Rail lines ran between the cities, and the center of this triangle held a pass through the mountains, which was a favorite place for bandit raids. Trading was difficult. A young man by the name of William Newton led a party out of Greer that drove out the bandits and established a permanent fort and outpost at the interchange, named Newton. He went on to be a fair and beloved administrator of the settlement and the patriarch of a large family.
The year is now 2073, Newton's resident population has just reached 1000, with more arriving every week, and William Newton is on his deathbed. His will calls for his holdings to be divided amongst his children and family, with his eldest son, Jeffery Newton, taking over the administration of Newton. Newton continues to exist just outside the influence of the three city-states, and remains an important center of trade and commerce. As Newton grows, so does the impetus for change. What is in Newton's future?
Economy and Commerce
Since there is no nation, there is no national currency. The US Dollar became worthless after the cataclysm. Most city-states mint their own currencies, but they are not widespread in use outside the cities themselves. Most small trade is done through barter, though currencies are often used to measure relative worth.
Many of the smaller villages and towns produce most of their own basic needs, in addition to goods for trade to towns, villages, and above all city-states. There are some places that are focused enough on something that they trade with other towns for their needs.
Newton traded for most of what it needed in its early years, but in the past two decades there have been enough farmers and ranchers that it no longer needs to trade for food.
Newton's economy is still focused around its role as a waypoint and trading post. In exchange for keeping the pass open the city administration collects a toll from all passing railway traffic. Escort companies operate out of Newton, offering caravans protection from bandits. There are a number of warehouses in Newton, and convoys leave every day to bring goods to surrounding villages. Many auctions are held in Newton daily.
Newton has become much more important to many nearby small towns and villages than the distant city-state they belong to. Many look to Newton for trade, to hire protection, and for aid in emergencies.
Government of Newton
Newton's governmental existence has been in question since it was founded. William Newton's party originated from Greer, but the town of Newton is closer to Cody and Laurel.
Newton is important to all three cities. All of them would be interested in taking control of it, but none of them have been willing to risk the resources involved in seizing and holding it, nor the inevitable reprisal by the other two cities. For now, Newton exists independently.
Overall, Newton is run by the Newton Administration, originally founded in its days as a fort. It consists of one Administrator advised by a council of the six largest landowners. The Administration creates laws, settles disputes, and ultimately commands both the police force and the militia. The Administrator has been William Newton since Newton was founded. He has named his eldest son, Jeffery Newton, as his replacement.
Newton's permanent police force is currently limited to a single Sheriff, but the Sheriff has the power to deputize others as needed.
Newton's militia similarly only has a single commander full-time. The militia is a volunteer force.
Religion
Religions are much more fractured than they were before the cataclysm. Few religions have a particularly strong central branch, and practice of any given religion tends to change from town to town, or even from individual to individual.
Apocalypse cults have grown out of every major religion. Many of them seclude themselves from the rest of the world to some degree. While a minority and on the decline in the decades since the cataclysm, these cults have been passed down to new generations, and some still adhere closely to them.
A form of multi-theistic mysticism called Edenism was arose in the years following the cataclysm. Its major belief is that rather than an apocalypse, the cataclysm was a gift to give humankind a second chance at an idyllic life close to God. Its adherents focus on performing acts in life to make the world a more perfect place, believing that once the world has attained a sufficient level of perfection, God and humankind will forever live together on Earth. The exact nature of these acts and the definition of “a more perfect place” can vary considerably from adherent to adherent. Also varying is the degree of devotion—some who believe in Edenism are devoted solely to it, but most practice it as an extension of another religion. William Newton is a Protestant and an Edenist, and his works in life were inspired by his devotion to Edenism.
Technology
There isn't much technology that was lost after the cataclysm, but there is a lot of technology that isn't produced any more or is produced in much smaller amounts. Overall, the advance of science and technology has ground almost to a halt. There have been nearly no new innovations or discoveries since the Cataclysm.
Electricity has not gone away, but most small towns like Newton don't run it to all households, and villages may not have it at all. Newton's power comes from a nearby dam. Power is available around Fort Newton, but outside of the town center few homesteads use it.
Computers and the internet still exist, but computers are produced in very small quantities, are extremely expensive, and there have been almost no advances in computer technology since the cataclysm. A mid-sized business might have one, if it were extremely important.
Most people only interact with computers to send messages. Every town with more than three horses has a station with a computer and an internet hookup that acts as a modern version of telegraph services, and also rents time on the computer.
Similarly, weapons are not made on a large scale any more. Many weapons from before the cataclysm still exist and are used for hunting and defense. Outside of the cities, it's typical for every household to own at least one firearm.
Transportation
Oil is rare. A small amount is still refined, but few people make use of it. Some cities still use it to power vehicles that are either extremely important or for emergencies. Horses, mules and oxen are once again the backbone of transportation.
The railways are still used, but very rarely for powered vehicles. Most roads are in a state of serious disrepair, but the railways have endured thanks to carts and wagons designed to be pulled by horses or oxen along the rails. Almost all goods and passengers coming from or going to the larger cities go by rails. Further from the cities, some roads are still maintained.
The Three City-States
Greer
Greer sits on the other side of the mountain pass from Cody and Laurel. It’s the most wealthy of the three cities, and also the furthest from Newton. Its area of influence includes a great number of mining operations, and so it has a steady stream of goods that are in demand.
Greer’s government is largely run by the mining concerns. Though not particularly representative, they are highly efficient and for the most part look after Greer’s citizens. Newton’s government was highly influenced by Greer’s.
Greer has the most to gain out of the three cities by taking Newton for itself, but it’s so remote that the cost to do so has so far been prohibitive.
Cody
Cody is the youngest of the three city-states, at least in its current form. It was founded twenty years ago when expansionist pressure from Laurel led several smaller unions of towns to band together under a common government around the city of Cody. Cody is effectively a small republic, with the previously existing unions retaining a degree of autonomy. Cody is a representative democracy, and in its twenty years of existence it has quickly become the most bureaucratic of the three city-states.
Cody doesn’t have much incentive to capture Newton, as it has favorable trade relations with other neighboring city-states. However, it is slightly closer to Newton than Laurel, and has better means of transit, so Cody would be in the best position to do so if it changed its mind.
Laurel
Laurel is the best-preserved of the three cities, and its area of influence as a city-state is the largest of the three. After the cataclysm, it was able to establish self-sufficiency faster than most other cities. This was largely because it was the birthplace of Edenism, which Laurel’s citizens banded together under. Though not officially a theocracy, the government of Laurel has always been controlled by Edenists. Laurel has seen steady expansion in its years of existence, and has sometimes been the source of the most contention between city-states. Though not particularly militant, Laurel has been the most active in trying to expand its borders.
Laurel doesn’t have much special interest in Newton, but it would be an valuable thing to seize in their continuing expansion.
In 2017, things were bad and getting worse quickly. Important things were scarce and there were way too many people on the planet for everyone to get what they needed. Arguments turned into conflict, conflict turned into war.
On the morning of November 21st, 2017, the nukes started flying. No one is sure who fired the first one, but in the end everyone who had them had used them. By lunchtime, the destruction was sufficient that what bits of national governments that still remained came to the realization that there was no point in continuing the nuclear exchange. Even still, the results weren’t as bad as they could have been. The entire world wasn't reduced to a wasteland, but big cities were gone, billions were dead, and the survivors were faced with a new world that required drastic adaptation. The next few years were a struggle for survival in a power vacuum. Over time, the remaining small cities became city-states, their spheres of influence were defined, a new generation grew up never having known the world before, and human civilization continued.
A Brief History of Newton
In 2024, somewhere in the Mountain States of what was once the United States, three city-states were arranged in a triangle: Cody, Laurel and Greer. Rail lines ran between the cities, and the center of this triangle held a pass through the mountains, which was a favorite place for bandit raids. Trading was difficult. A young man by the name of William Newton led a party out of Greer that drove out the bandits and established a permanent fort and outpost at the interchange, named Newton. He went on to be a fair and beloved administrator of the settlement and the patriarch of a large family.
The year is now 2073, Newton's resident population has just reached 1000, with more arriving every week, and William Newton is on his deathbed. His will calls for his holdings to be divided amongst his children and family, with his eldest son, Jeffery Newton, taking over the administration of Newton. Newton continues to exist just outside the influence of the three city-states, and remains an important center of trade and commerce. As Newton grows, so does the impetus for change. What is in Newton's future?
Economy and Commerce
Since there is no nation, there is no national currency. The US Dollar became worthless after the cataclysm. Most city-states mint their own currencies, but they are not widespread in use outside the cities themselves. Most small trade is done through barter, though currencies are often used to measure relative worth.
Many of the smaller villages and towns produce most of their own basic needs, in addition to goods for trade to towns, villages, and above all city-states. There are some places that are focused enough on something that they trade with other towns for their needs.
Newton traded for most of what it needed in its early years, but in the past two decades there have been enough farmers and ranchers that it no longer needs to trade for food.
Newton's economy is still focused around its role as a waypoint and trading post. In exchange for keeping the pass open the city administration collects a toll from all passing railway traffic. Escort companies operate out of Newton, offering caravans protection from bandits. There are a number of warehouses in Newton, and convoys leave every day to bring goods to surrounding villages. Many auctions are held in Newton daily.
Newton has become much more important to many nearby small towns and villages than the distant city-state they belong to. Many look to Newton for trade, to hire protection, and for aid in emergencies.
Government of Newton
Newton's governmental existence has been in question since it was founded. William Newton's party originated from Greer, but the town of Newton is closer to Cody and Laurel.
Newton is important to all three cities. All of them would be interested in taking control of it, but none of them have been willing to risk the resources involved in seizing and holding it, nor the inevitable reprisal by the other two cities. For now, Newton exists independently.
Overall, Newton is run by the Newton Administration, originally founded in its days as a fort. It consists of one Administrator advised by a council of the six largest landowners. The Administration creates laws, settles disputes, and ultimately commands both the police force and the militia. The Administrator has been William Newton since Newton was founded. He has named his eldest son, Jeffery Newton, as his replacement.
Newton's permanent police force is currently limited to a single Sheriff, but the Sheriff has the power to deputize others as needed.
Newton's militia similarly only has a single commander full-time. The militia is a volunteer force.
Religion
Religions are much more fractured than they were before the cataclysm. Few religions have a particularly strong central branch, and practice of any given religion tends to change from town to town, or even from individual to individual.
Apocalypse cults have grown out of every major religion. Many of them seclude themselves from the rest of the world to some degree. While a minority and on the decline in the decades since the cataclysm, these cults have been passed down to new generations, and some still adhere closely to them.
A form of multi-theistic mysticism called Edenism was arose in the years following the cataclysm. Its major belief is that rather than an apocalypse, the cataclysm was a gift to give humankind a second chance at an idyllic life close to God. Its adherents focus on performing acts in life to make the world a more perfect place, believing that once the world has attained a sufficient level of perfection, God and humankind will forever live together on Earth. The exact nature of these acts and the definition of “a more perfect place” can vary considerably from adherent to adherent. Also varying is the degree of devotion—some who believe in Edenism are devoted solely to it, but most practice it as an extension of another religion. William Newton is a Protestant and an Edenist, and his works in life were inspired by his devotion to Edenism.
Technology
There isn't much technology that was lost after the cataclysm, but there is a lot of technology that isn't produced any more or is produced in much smaller amounts. Overall, the advance of science and technology has ground almost to a halt. There have been nearly no new innovations or discoveries since the Cataclysm.
Electricity has not gone away, but most small towns like Newton don't run it to all households, and villages may not have it at all. Newton's power comes from a nearby dam. Power is available around Fort Newton, but outside of the town center few homesteads use it.
Computers and the internet still exist, but computers are produced in very small quantities, are extremely expensive, and there have been almost no advances in computer technology since the cataclysm. A mid-sized business might have one, if it were extremely important.
Most people only interact with computers to send messages. Every town with more than three horses has a station with a computer and an internet hookup that acts as a modern version of telegraph services, and also rents time on the computer.
Similarly, weapons are not made on a large scale any more. Many weapons from before the cataclysm still exist and are used for hunting and defense. Outside of the cities, it's typical for every household to own at least one firearm.
Transportation
Oil is rare. A small amount is still refined, but few people make use of it. Some cities still use it to power vehicles that are either extremely important or for emergencies. Horses, mules and oxen are once again the backbone of transportation.
The railways are still used, but very rarely for powered vehicles. Most roads are in a state of serious disrepair, but the railways have endured thanks to carts and wagons designed to be pulled by horses or oxen along the rails. Almost all goods and passengers coming from or going to the larger cities go by rails. Further from the cities, some roads are still maintained.
The Three City-States
Greer
Greer sits on the other side of the mountain pass from Cody and Laurel. It’s the most wealthy of the three cities, and also the furthest from Newton. Its area of influence includes a great number of mining operations, and so it has a steady stream of goods that are in demand.
Greer’s government is largely run by the mining concerns. Though not particularly representative, they are highly efficient and for the most part look after Greer’s citizens. Newton’s government was highly influenced by Greer’s.
Greer has the most to gain out of the three cities by taking Newton for itself, but it’s so remote that the cost to do so has so far been prohibitive.
Cody
Cody is the youngest of the three city-states, at least in its current form. It was founded twenty years ago when expansionist pressure from Laurel led several smaller unions of towns to band together under a common government around the city of Cody. Cody is effectively a small republic, with the previously existing unions retaining a degree of autonomy. Cody is a representative democracy, and in its twenty years of existence it has quickly become the most bureaucratic of the three city-states.
Cody doesn’t have much incentive to capture Newton, as it has favorable trade relations with other neighboring city-states. However, it is slightly closer to Newton than Laurel, and has better means of transit, so Cody would be in the best position to do so if it changed its mind.
Laurel
Laurel is the best-preserved of the three cities, and its area of influence as a city-state is the largest of the three. After the cataclysm, it was able to establish self-sufficiency faster than most other cities. This was largely because it was the birthplace of Edenism, which Laurel’s citizens banded together under. Though not officially a theocracy, the government of Laurel has always been controlled by Edenists. Laurel has seen steady expansion in its years of existence, and has sometimes been the source of the most contention between city-states. Though not particularly militant, Laurel has been the most active in trying to expand its borders.
Laurel doesn’t have much special interest in Newton, but it would be an valuable thing to seize in their continuing expansion.
Corwin Gray
Corwin Gray
Corwin is an old friend of William Newton, very nearly back to Newton's vigilante days. On of Newton's closest friends, Nathaniel Gray, had a son with a Laurel prostitute and, unusually, chose to proclaim the child as his own rather than hide him from view. Making the situation even more unusual, Gray was from a fairly well to do family that, even though they had their share of bastard, were hardly the sort to think it acceptable. Feeling the pressure, Nathaniel decided to take William up on his offer to carve a new life from the bandit kingdom.
Thus, Corwin was the youngest of Newton's original band, and grew to be one of the wealthiest. He inherited his father's excellent relationship with William, and in time they grew to be close friends. Corwin is a shrewd businessman and has a fairly insidious political mind, and both of these have served him well, making him the largest landowner in Newton outside of the actual Newton family.
In his thirties, Corwin married and had a number of children. His wife, Celeste, died of influenza during an outbreak, but three of his sons (Blake, Robert, and Alexander) and two of his daughters (Isabel and Carmen) survive. He is on good terms only with Blake, who is the only one who's shown any interest in and inclination for managing Corwin's substantial properties. The rest of his children he regards as disappointments and maintains distant relationships with them.
In terms of personality, Corwin is kind and warm to his friends, and though he has few of them, prides himself on his loyalty. To nearly everyone else, he ranges from more or less civil to impatient and sharp-tongued. He has very high personal standards, and if someone fails to meet them their ideas will almost always be dismissed as unfit. In general, he is not well liked and people avoid him. He is not afraid to get his hands dirty (or dirty the hands of others), and there are rumors that he's had numerous enemies dealt with, one way or another, over his lifetime.
Corwin's dramatic axis is as follows: owing to his presumtive tendencies, he also believes that he knows what's best for Newton better than Jeffery (who he's never really liked) or anyone else who takes his place. William trusted his abilities greatly and he's on the landowner's council, so he can't be ignored, but neither can he just ignore everyone else. Time will tell if he'll be shuffled off or try to take more power for himself.
Corwin is an old friend of William Newton, very nearly back to Newton's vigilante days. On of Newton's closest friends, Nathaniel Gray, had a son with a Laurel prostitute and, unusually, chose to proclaim the child as his own rather than hide him from view. Making the situation even more unusual, Gray was from a fairly well to do family that, even though they had their share of bastard, were hardly the sort to think it acceptable. Feeling the pressure, Nathaniel decided to take William up on his offer to carve a new life from the bandit kingdom.
Thus, Corwin was the youngest of Newton's original band, and grew to be one of the wealthiest. He inherited his father's excellent relationship with William, and in time they grew to be close friends. Corwin is a shrewd businessman and has a fairly insidious political mind, and both of these have served him well, making him the largest landowner in Newton outside of the actual Newton family.
In his thirties, Corwin married and had a number of children. His wife, Celeste, died of influenza during an outbreak, but three of his sons (Blake, Robert, and Alexander) and two of his daughters (Isabel and Carmen) survive. He is on good terms only with Blake, who is the only one who's shown any interest in and inclination for managing Corwin's substantial properties. The rest of his children he regards as disappointments and maintains distant relationships with them.
In terms of personality, Corwin is kind and warm to his friends, and though he has few of them, prides himself on his loyalty. To nearly everyone else, he ranges from more or less civil to impatient and sharp-tongued. He has very high personal standards, and if someone fails to meet them their ideas will almost always be dismissed as unfit. In general, he is not well liked and people avoid him. He is not afraid to get his hands dirty (or dirty the hands of others), and there are rumors that he's had numerous enemies dealt with, one way or another, over his lifetime.
Corwin's dramatic axis is as follows: owing to his presumtive tendencies, he also believes that he knows what's best for Newton better than Jeffery (who he's never really liked) or anyone else who takes his place. William trusted his abilities greatly and he's on the landowner's council, so he can't be ignored, but neither can he just ignore everyone else. Time will tell if he'll be shuffled off or try to take more power for himself.
Call for Players
I'm getting ready to GM the next campaign using the Escalation system, which I've named Newton. It's time to call for players.
Newton will be an ensemble game like BSG, so everyone will play multiple characters. Newton departs from recent games like BSG and Flying Age in two ways: First, it's less epic. The narrative will follow the day-to-day lives of people in a small town. Second, it's more stationary. The plot will stay in the small town and in the surrounding countryside. Attached is a brief document that gives some of the basic background on the world. It's not too detailed by design; a lot of details would be irrelevant to the campaign, plus it's more fun if players can make up their own details as they go along.
One thing you should know before signing up to play is that this world is not a nice place, and no one in power stays there by being a totally nice person. Think "old west:" pragmatism is the word of the day. What this means is that to play in this, you're going to have to be willing to play characters who are capable of doing questionable or outright wrong things for their own good. The focus of the game will be conflict between characters. If all this isn't your cup of tea, that's fine, I want everyone playing to have fun, and after BSG I think it's better that I make the tone of the game clear now rather than disappoint anyone later.
Each player will start with three characters. As in previous games, it's likely you'll pick up more, even just as bit parts. In our new revision of the system, the mechanical building of the character happens mostly as the game goes along, so just focus on personality and background.
For each character, you should write a paragraph or two describing them and their background, and a sentence or two about their dramatic axis--that is, the thing that most motivates and affects their decisions, the thing that their drama revolves around. You don't have to write a lot, just enough to define the character in broad strokes.
The first character will be a major landowner in Newton. This could be a member of the Newton family, or a member of one of the other families that helped found Newton. They can be anywhere from young adults to elderly. They shouldn't be "idle rich;" even the well-off in Newton still do *something.* It could be something like leading the local militia or negotiating trades, or you could run a store or business of some sort. Above all, though, this character will have three things: power, a desire to hold onto power, and most importantly an agenda for Newton. This agenda could involve any number of things. You could want to preserve Newton as it is, as a small wilderness post, ignored by major powers. You could want to build it into a bigger town, or into a city-state of its own. You could want to accomplish your goals through economics, through politics, or through force. You could want to establish a new form of government or to reinforce the existing rule.
The second character will be someone less powerful but still important to the community, who will be aligned with one of the *other* players' first characters, as friends, business partners, or just someone who has a similar agenda. They should still have a distinct personality and background.
The third character will be someone not allied with anyone's first or second characters (at least, not initially allied). This should be someone who isn't a patriot of Newton. This isn't to say they'll be an outlaw. They should still live and trade in or around Newton, and like the first two characters they should have an agenda--just not one that involves the good of Newton. Your agenda doesn't necessarily have to be directly opposed, but it should be one that will bring you into conflict with the interests of other characters.
So, if you're interested in playing, the first thing I need is your first character, since you need someone else's first character to align your second character with. As always, email me if you have any questions.
(by Luke)
Newton will be an ensemble game like BSG, so everyone will play multiple characters. Newton departs from recent games like BSG and Flying Age in two ways: First, it's less epic. The narrative will follow the day-to-day lives of people in a small town. Second, it's more stationary. The plot will stay in the small town and in the surrounding countryside. Attached is a brief document that gives some of the basic background on the world. It's not too detailed by design; a lot of details would be irrelevant to the campaign, plus it's more fun if players can make up their own details as they go along.
One thing you should know before signing up to play is that this world is not a nice place, and no one in power stays there by being a totally nice person. Think "old west:" pragmatism is the word of the day. What this means is that to play in this, you're going to have to be willing to play characters who are capable of doing questionable or outright wrong things for their own good. The focus of the game will be conflict between characters. If all this isn't your cup of tea, that's fine, I want everyone playing to have fun, and after BSG I think it's better that I make the tone of the game clear now rather than disappoint anyone later.
Each player will start with three characters. As in previous games, it's likely you'll pick up more, even just as bit parts. In our new revision of the system, the mechanical building of the character happens mostly as the game goes along, so just focus on personality and background.
For each character, you should write a paragraph or two describing them and their background, and a sentence or two about their dramatic axis--that is, the thing that most motivates and affects their decisions, the thing that their drama revolves around. You don't have to write a lot, just enough to define the character in broad strokes.
The first character will be a major landowner in Newton. This could be a member of the Newton family, or a member of one of the other families that helped found Newton. They can be anywhere from young adults to elderly. They shouldn't be "idle rich;" even the well-off in Newton still do *something.* It could be something like leading the local militia or negotiating trades, or you could run a store or business of some sort. Above all, though, this character will have three things: power, a desire to hold onto power, and most importantly an agenda for Newton. This agenda could involve any number of things. You could want to preserve Newton as it is, as a small wilderness post, ignored by major powers. You could want to build it into a bigger town, or into a city-state of its own. You could want to accomplish your goals through economics, through politics, or through force. You could want to establish a new form of government or to reinforce the existing rule.
The second character will be someone less powerful but still important to the community, who will be aligned with one of the *other* players' first characters, as friends, business partners, or just someone who has a similar agenda. They should still have a distinct personality and background.
The third character will be someone not allied with anyone's first or second characters (at least, not initially allied). This should be someone who isn't a patriot of Newton. This isn't to say they'll be an outlaw. They should still live and trade in or around Newton, and like the first two characters they should have an agenda--just not one that involves the good of Newton. Your agenda doesn't necessarily have to be directly opposed, but it should be one that will bring you into conflict with the interests of other characters.
So, if you're interested in playing, the first thing I need is your first character, since you need someone else's first character to align your second character with. As always, email me if you have any questions.
(by Luke)
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