| Chryslus Castle | |
| |
| General Information | |
| Establishment: | 2127 |
| Status: | Active community |
| Location Information | |
| Location: | Detroit Wasteland |
| Societal Information | |
| Population: | 1000 (estimated) |
| Notable Individuals: | Annette Knight, Ron Sticks, Travis Meecham, Skye Wachowski |
| Factions: | Castle Guard |
| Notable Events: | Founding, Butcher War, Revolutionary War |
Chryslus Castle is a fortified community in the Detroit Wastelands, initially built around a pre-war factory and then expanding outwards as it grew. Militant and semi-isolationist, in the last few years the community has none the less began taking a more active role in engaging with others.
History
Survivalist Shelter
Prior to the great war, Chryslus Component Factory C built parts for various Chryslus Motors cars that were assembled elsewhere in Detroit. Having survived the Great War, the factory was subsequently seized by a militant gang who sought to use it as shelter. Hoarding food, weapons, ammunition and other consumables, they planned to take refuge in the factory and then emerge to take control of Detroit for themselves, setting themselves up as warlords in the new world.
Instead, their plan was doomed from the start. The nuclear winter resulting from the great war smothered Detroit, effectively confining the gang to their headquarters, while serving to kill or drive off much of the remaining population. While the gang did remain ensconced in the factory and had ample supplies, there was another problem that they had to contend with. Radiation storms from the ruins of Windsor washed over the city, including the survivalist group. Transformed into ghouls, the members of the group turned feral over the course of only a few months due to their level of exposure. Within two years, there was nothing left of the gang save for a few shambling irradiated husks and their massive stockpiles.
Repopulation
When humans began to return to Detroit in the early 22nd century, they found a city that was almost completely devoid of human life. The initial explorers, many of them ironically driven back to the city by the need for shelter, began probing the abandoned ruins for anything they could use. Often these expeditions would lead to encounters with hostile, mutated life forms, especially feral ghouls that were the last remnants of the pre-war population.
Ones such group entered Chryslus Component Factory C, looking for shelter or any technology that they could use. What they found was that the building’s structure was intact, but it was also inhabited after a fashion. After clearing the place of the feral ghouls infesting it, the group found the survivalists’ stockpiles. Secured in the lowest depths of the factory, they had been forgotten by the transformed remnants of those wo had placed them in the first place.
Having secured the building, the scavengers decided to occupy it for themselves, making it their new home. While they were wary of the same hazards that had transformed the prior occupants, at the same time, their years of experience with the hazards of the wastelands meant that they were better equipped to deal with them. Not content to simply sit on their treasure trove, the scavengers also began to send out further expeditions to the surrounding local area, looking for whatever they could find to help keep them alive.
One of their bigger surprises was the discovery that there were other humans living in the Detroit Wasteland. While their initial contact came with other scavengers and explorers, in 2137 matters took a turn for the worse. A raider gang discovered the settlement’s location, and decided to size its resources for themselves. Attacking the factory, the raiders were expecting starving scavengers that would roll over after a fight. Instead they met a well-armed and dug-in force, who’s pre-war millitary weapons proved to be more then a match for the raiders’ pipe guns.
While they had been victorious in this initial conflict, the leaders of the scavenger group realised that this would not be the end by any means. Ample experience with feral ghouls and other wasteland creatures told them that their fledgling community would continue to face attacks. Likewise, while they didn’t know how many other humans there were in the Detroit Wasteland or how many of them would be hostile, they also had to prepare for the inevitability of further conflict with raiders.
With all this in mind, the community’s leaders began work on several plans to protect themselves and ensure their survival. The first step was to fortify their holdings; while the factory offered secure shelter, the problem was that its walls were their only line of defence. Utilising the resources available to them, the community began construction of walls around it, envisaging the factory as the keep in the centre of a castle. The walls were built from whatever materials they had at hand, especially one of the resources that post-war Detroit had in abundance in the form of derelict cars. While far from pretty, the new walls provided the community with a measure of protection.
Expansion
The second step of their plan was to discover more about the Detroit wasteland and its people, in order aid their growth and protect against potential threats. Knowing full well that there were other humans in the city, the community began sending out expeditions to learn more about them. These missions made contact with other scavenger groups in the region, many of which were small and isolated. Using offers of shelter, the community bought many of these scavengers into the fold, allowing them to quickly expand their numbers while gaining valuable intelligence on what was going on outside their walls. It also made them aware of a number of raider gangs in the region, varying in size and organisation but all considered to be dangerous.
However, their biggest breakthrough came in 2145 when Chryslus Castle (the name had been in informal use for several years) discovered the existence of another growing and organised community. Located on the other side of the city, Park Lane none the less represented an island of civilisation in the midst of a sea of violence an chaos. Talks between the two settlements yielded a trading alliance, one that was at that point limited by the distance between the two. It also allowed Chryslus Castle to learn more about the region and beyond. As more communities emerged in the Wasteland, Chryslus Castle became a part of a trading network across the ruined city.
With their population growing, Chryslus Castle also began to expand its holdings. The walls were gradually expanded and rebuilt in order to take in the buildings surrounding the factory, giving the it more room to house its people. It also allowed the community to plant its own crops, which alleviated the strain on their food supply and reduced dependence on trade. Skirmishes with raider groups continued, but the combination of powerful weapons and protective walls served to keep them away from the settlement itself and contain the threat.
The Butcher War
As a result of their protective walls and well-armed defenders, Chryslus Castle grew somewhat complacent over the years. Convinced that there was nothing that would be a threat to them, the community’s leaders began to ignore the activities of the raiders around it, unless they directly attacked the city or its people. As a result, they also overlooked those cases where there was a genuine threat to the city itself.
In 2177, a raider known only as ‘the Butcher’ began a campaign to unify a number of gangs in the north-west Detroit Wastelands. A towering brute, the Butcher used violence and intimidation to cow others into following her lead. Those who chose to resist usually met painful, bloody ends at her hands and served as examples of what happened to those that defied her. However, Chryslus Castle remained unaware of this, having long since dismissed those raiders as not being a threat and were no longer paying attention to them.
The Butcher, however, had set her eyes on the community. She wanted to become the dominant power in the city, and felt that the first step to doing such was to size the settlement for her own. From there, she would have a fortress that would allow her to build her powerbase. The first step in her campaign was to isolate Chryslus Castle and surround it. To this end, she began manoeuvring her forces to take up positions around the settlement, establishing forward bases.
Chryslus Castle only became aware of this problem when the Butcher’s forces began eliminating their scavenging missions. When several of them failed to report in at once, the town’s leadership became concerned, but were not aware of the actual source of the problem. It was not until the Butcher’s armies exploded into action that they realised what was going on, and by then it was too late. Using the weight of sheer numbers, as well as a few heavy weapons they had scavenged along the way, the Butcher’s army attached the city proper, managing to breach the walls in several places.
Trying their best to respond, Chryslus Castle pulled back what they could to the factory, while their forces tried to stem the tide of raiders. The Butcher made the most of her advances, digging in and fortifying a number of captured buildings, and laying siege to the factory itself. Realising their situation, Chryslus Castle attempted to send runners to other communities to request help. Instead, they were intercepted by the raiders. With relief seeming unlikely, Chryslus Castle was left with no option but to break the siege themselves. For the next week, the exterior of the city was dominated by back and forward battles as the Chryslus Castle defenders tried to push the raiders out, while the Raiders in turn did their best to hang on to what they could. Neither side made any real progress, but the long term picture favoured the raiders due to their numbers and control of the surrounding area.
Ultimately, it was chance more then any plan that saved Chryslus Castle. A lucky shot from a sniper killed the Butcher during a skirmish. With her dead, the raiders fell into chaos as nobody could decide who would take command in her place, while old rivalries that had been kept down by her presence instead flared up. As the raider forces lost cohesion, the Chryslus Castle defenders took the chance to push them back by picking on the individual feuding forces. By the time the raiders regained any coherence, they were unable to hold onto what they had gained, and fell back from the city. The remenants of the Butcher’s army disintegrated, braking up again into smaller gangs.
Rebuilding
While Chryslus Castle had won the war, their victory had been a sobering one. Not only had they suffered considerable losses, but they also knew that the only reason why the raiders had been so successful to begin with was due to their own complacency. While openly the city made plans to ensure that something like this would not happen again, behind the scenes there was a shift in power towards the more militant and aggressive elements of its leadership. Amongst other measures taken were the construction of outposts to help provide warning against attack, and a provision to draft members of the working population to defend the city.
Fortunately, these measures would not be needed for some time. Most of the raider gangs near the city were still rebuilding, and lacked the strength to pose a threat to the city itself. The sole exception was the emerging Toxic Wastors gang, based out of a nearby high school, who proved to be a constant threat to trade caravans and scavenging expeditions. However, the city refused to fall back into the same complacency that had cost them so heavily before.
If anything, the rise of the Army of Revolution in the 2240s served to energise their resolve as the city’s leadership saw them as a potential threat. Skirmishes between the city’s defenders and the revolutionaries become common during the 2250s and 2260s as the two groups clashed for control over resources and territory, but with neither side making a decisive move against the other. It was not until Black Skull Company began moving openly against them that the Chryslus Castle forces became more aggressive, aiding in driving the revolutionaries from the city.
The Revolutionary War
When the Army of Revolution returned to the Detroit Wastes, they deliberately targeted Chryslus Castle as a part of their campaign. Wary of what had happened to the Butcher’s army a century ago, the Army of Revolution took steps to ensure that their forces would not succumb in the same way. In addition to an ample supply of heavy weapons and a few combat robots, the Revolutionary force directed towards the city had a cohesive chain of command that would not be undone by a single stray shot.
This time, however, Chryslus Castle was much better prepared for an invasion. Their outposts along the way served to give them ample warning, as well as to draw off the Revolutionaries’ forces. Unable to even get a clear run to the city walls, the Revolutionaries opted for a new strategy based around containing Chryslus Castle and stopping it from aiding other settlements across the region. This proved to be more successful, giving the Army the opening to attack other objectives while allowing them to deal with the city later.
Those containment forces soon found themselves under attack on two fronts. While they had been constantly battling with the Chryslus Castle defenders, they now found themselves also engaged with Black Skull Company’s forces who were harassing their flanks and attacking their supply lines. With their situation becoming untenable, the revolutionaries were forced to withdraw, pulling back from the city. However, unlike elsewhere, the bulk of their forces deployed against Chryslus Castle also survived the experience.
Following the end of the war, the leadership of Chryslus Castle began a subtle outreach program, aimed at building bridges with other communities. Quietly furious at Black Skull Company for their essentially holding out until they would be paid more, Chryslus Castle aimed at building a formalised alliance of communities that would be able to defend against the Army of Revolution or any other threat that might emerge.
Description
The heart of Chryslus Castle is the original factory that was the core of the settlement. The exterior of the factory has remained intact through the war and the centuries afterwards, leaving it with a thick shell to protect its occupants. Much of the interior machinery has been gutted for parts and materials over the years, which also has created a lot more living space for the population. The building is equipped with generators that provide power for the community, as well as water tanks and makeshift purifiers.
Due to the safety it offers and its interior space, about half of the city’s population live inside the factory itself. In addition, it is home to the city’s leadership and its armouries and an emergency food reserve. In the advent of an attack or other emergency (such as a severe radstorm) the factory can shelter the entire population for short periods.
The rest of the city is spread out over the one-time factory grounds and a cluster of nearby buildings. Hone to the other half of the population, the conditions allow for greater living space at the expense of less immediate physical security. The city’s commerce and trading takes place out here, and is usually all of the city that an outsider will see. In addition, much of the open space has been turned over to cropland in order to bolster the city’s food supply.
Surrounding the entire city is a wall built from reclaimed materials, including a large number of derelict cars. The wall is dotted with defensive turrets and guard towers in order to protect against attack, and access is provided by only a single reinforced gate. The walls have been moved and rebuilt several times over the years, but care has been taken to ensure that the city remains completely encircled.
Chryslus Castle Guard
Raised entirely from is own citizens, the group unofficially known as the Chryslus Castle Guard (the group has no formal name beyond ‘defence forces’) is responsible for protecting the city from attack. The force is headed by a marshal who also serves as the city’s head of state; in effect, the city is under direct millitary control. In addition to providing defence, the guard maintain law and order within the city. In the advent of an emergency, the guard can draft members of the city’s population into their ranks.
Initially, the guard were armed with the weapons drawn from the survivalist cache found within the factory, which included a large number of pre-war weapons. Commonly issued firearms included R91 Assault Rifles, .45 Submachine Guns and N99 pistols. However, time, wear and the need to arm a larger force has seen more civilian-grade weapons, such as hunting rifles and shotguns introduced to the ranks. Since the Revolutionary War, the city has begun limited trade with the Foundry, and has begun to issue imported rifles to its forces.
External Relations
Since the Revolutionary War, Chryslus Castle has been looking to build relationships with other communities in order to better protect against attack as well as to reduce their dependency on mercenaries such as the Black Skull Company. To this end, the city has begun building a trade partnership with Park Lane as the basis for a greater alliance. While not a settlement proper, the city also sees Radio Free Detroit as being a key ally in winning hearts and minds as well as providing information and intelligence. Further afield, the city has entered into a trade relationship with the Foundry to obtain weapons, even knowing that they also supply the Army of Revolution.
The city sees the Army of Revolution as being its single greatest threat, both their size, history of past aggression and holding a nearby settlement as a base of operations (Although it is worth mentioning that Chryslus Castle had little love for Baggie High before it was occupied). While not geographically close to the city, the Zug Island super mutants are also seen as a threat due to their wide-ranging nature. Finally, in the last year, the raider known as Mrs Mothrapickles has become a threat to the city, due to her raiding of trade caravans
Notable Inhabitants
Annette Knight
The current marshal of Chryslus Castle, Annette Knight has held the position since 2281. A veteran of the city guard, Knight had spent years fighting against raiders and other threats while quietly rising through the ranks based on her loyalty and capabilities. A decisive and quick-thinking leader, she prefers to take an active approach to solving problems. Much of the city’s current direction, including forming alliances and trading with the Foundry for weapons, is the result of her own decisions and drive to protect her city and it’s people.
Knight does not have much of a life outside of her position. She has never married and does not seem to have been involved in any romantic relationships; even her friendships are few and often not terribly close. Knight has very little love for mercenaries, be they large organised groups or individuals.
Ron Sticks
The castle’s Master at Arms, Ron Sticks is in charge of both the city’s armoury and its efforts to recover technology. An expert in the field, he has spent many years studying pre-war technology and records in order to better understand it and how it can be used to further the castle’s aims and better the lives of its people. Ron is in charge of their scavenging missions, and provides specific directions or regions that they would be best exploring. Ideally, he would like to aquire more tech that could be used to support energy weapons or robots to aid in the Castle’s defence, but also understands the infrastructure that would be needed to support the large scale deployment of such technology is currently prohibitive.
Ron has an intense hatred of all manner of insects. In his spare time, he is tinkering with an ACME C-27 Robot that he found, hoping to restore it to working condition.
Travis Meecham
As a part of Knight’s alliance-building initiative, Travis Meecham acts as the city’s ambassador to Park Lane. His job is to gather information about the community, its people and the region around it, while also fostering relationships and encouraging trade. A naturally personable individual, he has done much to improve the city’s image and steer members of the Park Lane community in the right direction. He spends much of his time in the community speaking with Mayor Seth Huchinson and Vance Stratton, encouraging their further involvement with Chryslus Castle.
Travis is married with two children. However, whenever he is in Park Lane he finds time to visit Pretty Pete, and is one of his preferred clients.
Skye Wachowski
A veteran of the Revolutionary War, Skye Wachowski currently acts as the city’s liaison with the Foundry. Cool under fire and with a professional detachment, she has done a lot to help build their trading alliance by remaining impassive in the face of the conditions found within the industrial city, as well as her ability to deal with the imposing figure of the Forgemaster. Her millitary experience also has helped her assess the quality of the weaponry they produce, as well as impress the Foundry with her own expertise.
Secretly, she despises the Foundry for the slave-like conditions that it keeps its workers in, and the horrible conditions that they live and work under. However, she also understands the need for the weapons that they produce, and does her best to keep an impassive face up while dealing with them.
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