| Moscow | |
| |
| General Information | |
| Establishment: | 1887 |
| Status: | Rebuilding |
| Location Information | |
| Location: | Idaho |
| Societal Information | |
| Population: | Less than one hundred |
| Notable Individuals: | Gideon, Shannon McDonald, Pastor Uriah Roosevelt |
| Factions: | Kingdom of God, New Disciples |
| Notable Events: | Oregon Brushfire Wars |
Moscow is a pre-War town in northern Idaho that transformed into a post-War community. Once a den for cannibals and bandits, Moscow recently became a model town of Disciples under the Kingdom of God.
History[]
Pre-War[]
The pre-War history of Moscow, Idaho is pretty straightforward. Moscow's initial history began with the arrival of settlers in the aftermath of the American Civil War. The town grew from there with the settlement of the territory and the later founding of the University of Idaho in 1889. Moscow notably had its public library funded in 1904 by business magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie under the provision the town fund it with a tax of at least $1,000 annually.
Moscow remained stagnant for much of its pre-War history, most notably during the twenty-first century. As the Resource Wars and Sino-American War winded down, the residents of Moscow began feeling the pinch of the economy if not the apocalypse. Many moved to places such as Boise and Spokane to look for work. Not many succeeded. The middle class of Moscow had shrunk down to a few until the town was populated by a lot of working-class stiffs and poor trailer trash.
Around 2077, Moscow’s economy had grinded to a halt. The people of Moscow were apathetic and a little agitated at their conditions, wanting some sort of change. They expected positive change, but that was certainly not what they got.
The Great War[]
Moscow, Idaho was not a direct target of the bombs dropped during the Great War, but it certainly felt the bombs’ effects. Bombs fell on several targets in Idaho, and the people of Moscow knew very quickly that something was up. Those that were able got in their cars and drove off to a vault they were registered in while other less fortunate people hunkered down in homemade fallout shelters. Still less fortunate people could not seek shelter from the ravages of the bombs, and many died from radiation or the black ran that fell. An unlucky few turned into ghouls, some feral and some not. Moscow was effectively empty for a couple of weeks except for a couple of ferals that wandered the streets.
Meanwhile, the Moscow residents hiding in their homemade fallout shelters attempted to wait out the apocalypse. This would prove difficult as fresh water and canned food began to run low. The people within the fallout shelters nonetheless managed to hold on until the surface’s level of radiation died down.
Post-War[]
Survivors within Moscow, Idaho began emerging from their fallout shelters in the 2080s. The initial survivors are shocked to find ghouls living in Moscow and most avoided the town center as a result. The still sane ghouls in Moscow noticed the survivors skulking around the town, and some tried to contact their former friends and relatives. The survivors shot the ghouls who tried to contact them, and the ghouls stopped attempting communication after that.
In the immediate decades following the Great War, the survivors started to coalesce into the families who reside in Moscow for the century or so. Three male survivors had taken charge by 2100 and established three families: the Marions, the Remys, and the McDonalds. The first few years above ground were harsh but not unbearable for the survivors of Moscow. The only trouble was the occasional feral ghoul that wandered close to the survivors and had to be shot. That was until the canned food finally ran out.
By the early to mid 2100s, the three families had made the transition to farming, but that was an arduous process to say the least. Existence was hardscrabble at best, and food was difficult to come by even in goods years. That was where the cannibalism came from, those years of hardship. The first incident was in the dead of winter, when all but three of the Remy family had died either from the cold or starvation. They were slowly dying and were helpless to stop their impending doom. That was until Rosey Remy suggested to her father Adam and her brother Seth that they eat the corpses of their deceased family members. That suggestion initially shocked the other two Remys, but soon enough, their empty stomachs convinced them otherwise. Cannibalism spread, and soon enough, all the families in Moscow had decided to do what they had to survive.
The cannibalism aspect of Moscow also became banditry after the food situation cleared up while Moscow farmed only a little. The families saw their morality as already forfeit so why not take some valuables while they're at it? This degenerate culture within Moscow lasted for more than a century and word soon got out about what was going on. Most nearby locals made it a point to avoid the place, but Moscow could snag a few travelers every month or so on a consistent basis. That did not always end well, but the residents of Moscow felt that without anyone stopping them, why stop?
Someone did eventually did come to cleanse Moscow, however. The ruler of The Kingdom of God, Judge David, was already aware of Moscow's reputation when he came to power, but he only came to take it over in 2278. All the town's patriarchs were killed for their crimes while the family's women and children were declared to be under the dominion of the Kingdom of God. They were told that were now New Disciples and expected to live up to a certain moral fiber. For the next couple of years, Moscow has been a place of transition. More settlers and New Disciples have come into town in the wake of The Kingdom of God, and with the help of the Kingdom, farming has made a major comeback with new crops. Only time will tell how Moscow will evolve in the coming future under the firm boot of the Kingdom of God.
Government[]
Moscow is governed by the occupation force from the Kingdom of God, headed by Gideon. They carry out the law as Judge David has decreed it, treating their glorious leader’s tenants as gospel-like directions on how to build a community. So far, Gideon has been successful in turning what used to be a community of cannibals into a town of model New Disciples. Tensions simmer underneath the surface, but so far, Gideon and his occupation force, with the help of the Kingdom of God, have kept a handle of things.
The governing of Moscow has been rather lax as of late regarding the Kingdom's rather stringent laws. That is mostly because Moscow is on the border of the Kingdom of God, and control there is weaker than in most areas.
Economy[]
Moscow’s economy used to be completely fueled by raiding with a minimal focus on farming, but the community is now primarily focused on farming. This is due to the Kingdom of God forcing Moscow’s residents to eschew cannibalism and instead grow their own food. This has been quite successful over the years and crops grown in Moscow include legumes, corn, and razorgrains. Farming has been extremely beneficial to Moscow’s overall standard of life and did much more to win the loyalty of the residents than church doctrine. Caravans also come through Moscow on occasion, but it is not a major trading hub.
Culture[]
The culture of Moscow is one of piety and forgetting about its dark past. The Kingdom of God and the New Disciples came to Moscow with fire and steel to cleanse the town of the sin of cannibalism. Since the town fell to the Kingdom of God, there has been a division between the families who were present when Moscow still practiced cannibalism and those newcomers who came afterwards whether they be civilian or military. The old families, the Marions and the McDonalds, have embraced the new ways but still remain reclusive. This is under the auspices of the Kingdom of God's occupation who see it as acceptable as long they contribute to the community. Meanwhile, the newcomers in Moscow mostly interact with the Kingdom of God's occupation force and traders from the outside.
The hold of the Kingdom of God on Moscow is still rather weak, so the usual laws associated with the Kingdom are not really enforced there, yet. As a result, women still retain some power within Moscow, as little as it may be. The Army of God chose not exterminate all the inhabitants of Moscow, and therefore is trying to integrate them within the Kingdom, perhaps too slow for the taste of some.
Relations[]
Bean Family[]
Moscow has an uncertain history with the malevolent Bean Family. Early in Moscow's post-War history, the town had several families band together to survive against the new wasteland. However, one family was too belligerent to cooperate with the other families and was thrown out of the town. When the Kingdom of God came to Moscow and heard of this legend from the townspeople, the occupation connected the family in the story to the notorious Bean Family and sent that information back to their superiors. Now, the Kingdom of God officially hold to the narrative that the Bean Family are demon spawn that originally came from Moscow.
The Kingdom of God[]
The relationship between the Kingdom of God and the town of Moscow goes back to the Kingdom’s founder, Judge David. David, during his life as a raider, came through Moscow on a raid from Spokane and sacked the town. David was disgusted by the residents’ cannibalism but decided not to kill them all, instead returning to Spokane.
Years later, the Army of God came upon Moscow and conquered it in the name of the Kingdom. Ever since then, the town has served as an outpost in Idaho for the Kingdom and a new source of crops. The Kingdom and the families who lived in Moscow have an uneasy relationship, but the two get along, as they have a mutually beneficial relationship. Nevertheless, feelings of hate remain on both sides. Several in Army of God still want to exterminate the Moscow families or accelerate the process of introducing them to the Kingdom’s “culture”. Meanwhile, many within the families in Moscow, especially Shannon McDonald, have a deep resentment of Kingdom for, well, killing almost all of their family.
Points of Interest[]
The Hunter's Lodge[]
An abandoned building on the edge of Moscow, the Hunter’s Lodge is an echo of the town’s darker history. The men of the town back in the day often spent their days in the Hunter’s Lodge practicing the “hunting tradition”. The hunting tradition involved bringing out an unconscious captive and setting them free in the immediate area to be hunted. This “tradition” began soon after the residents of Moscow embraced cannibalism. After Moscow fell to the Kingdom of God and most of the town’s male residents were killed, the Hunter’s Lodge fell into disuse. Some of the older McDonald males come there occasionally to try to reconnect with their roots, but the building still remains abandoned for the most part.
The Marion House[]
The Marion House is the home of the Marion Family, and it is the smaller of the two houses that still house the older families. A prefab house from before the war, the Marion House was constructed just before the war and has been inhabited ever since. More open to outsiders, the Marion’s regularly entertain guests in their house and sometimes even invite Pastor Roosevelt over for Sunday lunch after church.
The McDonald House[]
The McDonald House is the home of the McDonald Family, and it is the larger of the two houses that still house the older families. A large older house built in late 1800s, the McDonald House is farther out in town than the other two family houses. The McDonalds are more insular but are also larger than the Marions, only occasionally inviting outsiders into their home. Shannon McDonald runs a tight ship, and the McDonalds make sure to follow her orders, especially in regards to their attitude towards outsiders.
The Moscow Church of the New Disciples[]
There were several churches in Moscow, Idaho before the Great War, but when the New Disciples moved into town, they did not want to use any of the ruined churches already existing. Instead, Pastor Uriah Roosevelt led Moscow in building a new church to service the community. The Moscow Church of the New Disciples is currently the community center of the town as well as its religious center. Now every Sunday, everyone in Moscow comes together to worship and give tithes to the Kingdom of God.
Paradise Creek[]
Paradise Creek is a body of water that runs through Moscow, and it provided the town with fresh water and some fish in the past. Currently, there are no fish in Paradise Creek as the creek has been overfished on several occasions before and after the war. It still provides fresh water to the community. There are some settler homes on the shores of Paradise Creek, but they are not much yet.
The Remy House[]
The Remy House was once the home of the Remy Family, but it is now the home of Gideon and the occupation force from the Kingdom of God. This was because the Remys were wiped out when the town was taken. The Kingdom of God occupation force lives both within the house and in a couple of tents outside. The Remy House itself has been better furnished than when it was inhabited by its prior family and also holds an armory for the occupation forces’ weapons.
U of I[]
A collection of ruins on the outskirts of town, U of I was a place of mystery for much of Moscow’s post-War existence. The University of Idaho before the war, the university campus was burned down soon after the war by a lone pyromaniac. This left the campus in ruins for centuries, and the residents of Moscow mostly avoided the place, saying it was “haunted”. Nowadays though, there is a small caravan outpost there that trades with people from the outside, and the ruins are not seen as haunted anymore.
Notable Inhabitants[]
Claire Marion[]
Claire Marion, younger and more aggressive than her McDonald counterpart, leads the remains of the Marion family which mostly consist of her brothers and sisters. Claire was only a teenager when the Kingdom of God came down on Moscow. Her parents, aunts, and uncles were all killed by the Army of God, and Claire found herself thrust into a leadership role for her family. Clarie has played the role of leader for her family quite well so far, and she has diplomatically handled the Kingdom of God and Pastor Roosevelt. She has not married anyone yet, but Claire has her eyes on the men making up the Army of God force occupying Moscow, the very men who killed her family.
Dana[]
Dana is Moscow's resident mechanic who only arrived in town after the Kingdom of God's occupation began. She cares little for the Kingdom's religion or their policies on women, but their stability was very attractive initially. Dana moved to Moscow soon after its conquest but nowadays, she still has no friends. She spends most of her time tinkering around with various machines or robot and helping the townspeople however she can for a little scratch. Dana's greatest desire in life is to get married, but her unattractiveness and her shyness have served as stumbling block in her search for a partner.
Gideon[]
Gideon is the leader of the military force the Kingdom of God sent to occupy Moscow and therefore the nominal ruler of the town. He has been in the Army of God for several years and prides himself on his service. Gideon is a young buck and ambitious, seeing a long and fruitful future ahead for himself in the service. Nevertheless, Gideon’s own desires spell a problem for his ambitions within the the Kingdom. To be more specific, Gideon is a homosexual who actively suppresses his sexual desires and he is desperate to hide this from his zealous compatriots (though some would not care all that much).
Pastor Uriah Roosevelt[]
Pastor Uriah Roosevelt is the New Disciples' representative and newly minted minister of Moscow. Pastor Roosevelt is not necessarily a puppet of the Kingdom of God but cooperates with them out of necessity. A native of Yakima, Pastor Roosevelt was educated by New Disciples outside the Kingdom's borders, and he came to the Kingdom to spread the word of God to downtrodden wastelanders. Pastor Roosevelt has a penchant for fire and brimestone sermons and has no scruples about reminding Moscow's residents about its bloody past. At the same time, Roosevelt does genuinely want to do good for the townspeople though he is just unsure how to do so.
Shannon McDonald[]
Shannon McDonald is the matriarch of the remaining McDonald family who cares for her children with an iron discipline that any army would envy. The death of Shannon's husband at the hands of the Army of God has only hardened her. She greatly resents the Kingdom of God and prays for its fall every day.
Quotes[]
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