Oregon Brushfire Wars

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The Oregon Brushfire Wars are a series of conflicts in Oregon beginning in 2265 involving the encroachment of the New California Republic into Cascadia, invoking reactions from a myriad of different groups, some pro-NCR, others not so much.

Origins and Previous Conflicts (2248-2265)

Background (2248-2259)

“Oregon? It's full of cannibals, rapists, and murderers. Too bad it looks so goddamn beautiful.”— A member of Crimson Caravan when asked about Oregon

The origins of the Oregon Brushfire Wars lie with the developing relations between the Core Region and Cascadia in the 2200s. The bridge between the regions started with the burgeoning gecko trapping industry. Towns supported by this emerging industry included Klamath Falls, Siskiyou, and Fremont. The Gecko hides taken from the north in Cascadia were traded for goods from the south.

These trapper towns on the border of the Core Region and Cascadia grew slowly in the early 2200's but took off later with the arrival of two entities: the New California Republic and the Crimson Caravan. Emissaries of New California Republic first came to region in the 2240's after their victory over the Enclave and slavers, offering stability and wealth. Many of the trapper towns joined the NCR as a result, bringing not just NCR taxes and NCR troopers but also NCR settlers, wanting to brave the Oregon frontier. These settlers mostly formed their own isolated homesteads but some of them were instrumental in the founding of Fort Eugene.

The Crimson Caravan quickly followed the NCR north. Existed outsposts such as Gecko Falls grew to accompidate growing traffic. Crimson Caravan forged further north ahead of the NCR's expansion to search for new trade, facilitating the creation of settlements such as Morden and Fort Eugene. This brought the caravan into conflict with the local Oregon tribals numerous times, but that did not affect their bottom line. The gecko trapping industry flourished, and the region's civilized inhabitants prospered from the trade. Fort Eugene, established by an alliance of NCR settlers and Cascadian caravaners in 2248, especially benefited from trade in the region as NCR money flooded north.

Crimson Caravan did not just want to rely on trapping though. Seeing Cascadia's potential as a resource rich region, they also began to introduce large scale prosepecting in Oregon as well as creating a foundling lumber industry.

NCR prospectors also streamed north, looking for new scrap, technology, or treasure to loot from Cascadia's ruins. These NCR prospectors would displace local prospectors and scavengers while also pissing off the Oregon tribals as well. They mostly focused on looting ruins in Portland and Salem, burrowing to search for buried treasure.

These little pet projects of the Crimson Caravan were outside of the NCR's sphere of influence in their early days, and the caravan acted with impunity, cutting down entire forests and cleaning out ruins, abandoned or not. This often provoked negative reactions from the local Oregon tribals. The NCR, occupied with fighting the Brotherhood of Steel at that time, could have cared less what the caravan did, and the caravan cared little to none about the feelings of the tribals.

The prospecting was what eventually triggered the first of the NCR's many wars with the Oregon tribals of Cascadia. The Oregon tribals, always seen as pests by the civilized folk of Cascadia for their cannibalism and primitive ways, were becoming further agitated in the 2250s by the recent arrival of not just the NCR but also Badlanders and the Sons of Liberty from the north. So when in 2259 they caught wind that their goddess Caryn's shrine in the ruins of Myrtle Creek had been looted by NCR prospectors, the tribals of northern Oregon were fed up and readied themselves for retribution. Led by the slightly mutated Chief Big Head, the Oregon tribal army went south to protect their heritage.

Many of the other Oregon tribes in the south did not think this way, not wanting war with a powerful nation such as the NCR. Some tribes such as Chief Cardigan's even worked with the NCR to protect caravans and to alleviate conflict conflicts with other tribals. That could not stop the inevitable though and in 2259, the Ruins War began.

Ruins War (2259)

“Why are they so torn up about taking some scrap from a ruin?”— NCR prospector wondering why the Oregon tribals are so upset

Ruins War
The "sacred" tribal ruins in Oregon claimed by NCR prospectors
Date 2259 Location Oregon & (northern) California Result NCR Victory NCR prospectors protected from Oregon tribals and secure salvaging rights in southern Oregon Oregon tribals grow to distrust NCR Non-NCR prospectors edged out
Combatants
New California Republic Allied Oregon tribals	Oregon tribals
Commanders
Colonel Brutus Westin Colonel Vernon Putz ✝ Chief Cardigan	Chief Big Head ✝ Chief Kill-a-Ton The Free Man
Strength
New California Republic NCR troopers NCR Rangers NCR prospectors Alled Oregon tribals Oregon tribal warriors	Oregon tribals Oregon tribal warriors
Casualties
Light NCR losses, moderate allied Oregon tribal losses, light damage to frontier NCR settlements and allied tribal villages	Moderate Oregon tribal losses, heavy civilian casualties, heavy damage to several tribal villages

The Ruins War was the first war in the ongoing NCR-Oregon tribal conflict that started as many wars do, cultural misunderstandings. For the violation of their sacred ruins, Oregon tribals marched south to kill prospectors and any NCR they found.

The war began rather conservatively compared to the future wars in Oregon, with an ambush. Knowing of the approach of the tribal army from the north, Chief Cardigan warned the NCR of the attack and set a trap for the army's scouts near Myrtle Creek.

The trap was quickly discovered by Chief Big Head, and he instead pulled Chief Cardigan into his own trap, encircling the enemy chief's forces. Cardigan's forces barely escaped the trap and were forced to retreat further south towards NCR territory.

Up to that point, the NCR had not been concerned about the Oregon tribals, seeing them as disorganized cannibals. They were cannibals but were by no means disorganized. After the Battle of Myrtle Creek however, the NCR began to take the threat of the Oregon tribals seriously. A small task force, led by Colonel Vernon Putz, was sent north to assist their tribal allies. Meeting up with Chief Cardigan and other local allies, the NCR task force made camp near Medford. Putz then assessed the situation. The tribal army was extremely flexible and could easily avoid roads or civilized settlements. He feared that NCR prospectors in the north and Fort Eugene could be in danger but focused on the problems at hand, the marauding tribal army.

Operation: RED TRAIL (2262)

“The Bear is past forgiveness.”— Chied Kill-a-Ton upon hearing about Operation: RED TRAIL

Operation RED TRAIL
The side-effect of an early battle between Oregon tribals and Badlanders
Date 2262 Location Oregon Result NCR Victory "Problematic" Oregon tribals displaced from southern Oregon Unoffical alliance between NCR and Twin Pines Pack solidified Oregon tribals and many civilized residents of Cascadia completely turn against the NCR
Combatants
New California Republic * Taskforce Nomad * Special Operations and Reconnaissance Squadron Twin Pines Pack	Oregon tribals (12 tribes)
Commanders
General Brutus Westin Captain Jakob Stern Poleaxe Juice-nux
Strength
New California Republic NCR troopers NCR Rangers Vertibirds Twin Pines Pack Badlanders	Oregon tribals (12 tribes) Oregon tribal warriors
Casualties
Light NCR losses, light Twin Pines Pack losses,	Heavy Oregon tribal losses, heavy civilian casualties, devastating damage to many tribal villages

Operation: RED TRAIL was another war in the NCR-Oregon tribal conflict, though this time it was initiated by the NCR, seeing the tribals as obstructing their plans for Cascadia. This was what turned most of Cascadia against the NCR.

Oregon Brushfire Wars (2262-)

The Brushfire War (2262-2263)

“Come back! Please, don't leave us to die, please!”— Horus B. Gamble pleading with no one as Taskforce Nomad is left to die

The Brushfire War
Vertibird flying north to rescue encircled NCR units
Date 2262-2263 Location Oregon Result Oregon Confederacy victory NCR expansion brought to a halt by Oregon Confederacy Taskforce Nomad lost and turned into Stern's Raiders Twin Pines Pack and NCR relations sour temporarily More groups in Cascadia prepare for war against the NCR
Combatants
New California Republic * Taskforce Nomad * Heavy Infantry Twin Pines Pack	Oregon Confederacy
Commanders
General Brutus Westin Captain Jakob Stern Juice-nux ✝	Chief Kill-a-Ton
Strength
New California Republic NCR troopers NCR Rangers Heavy Troopers Vertibirds Twin Pines Pack Badlanders	Oregon Confederacy Oregon tribal warriors
Casualties
Heavy NCR losses, light Twin Pines Pack losses	Moderate Oregon tribal losses, moderate civilian casualties, moderate damage to many tribal villages

The first war in the overall Oregon Brushfire Wars, the Brushfire War was an attempt by the NCR to repeat Operation: RED TRAIL that failed because of the actions of Chief Kill-a-Ton. This led to the creation of Stern's Raiders and the Northwestern Alliance.

The War of the Northwestern Alliance (2267-2270)

“Eat lead treehuggers!”— Screwball Tripstorm during the Battle of Fort Eugene

The War of the Northwestern Alliance
A safe house for Stern's Raiders tucked away in the forests of Cascadia
Date 2267-2270 Location Oregon & California Result Tactical NCR victory The Northwestern Alliance is broken due to conflict between tribes and towns Stern's Raiders is destroyed at the Battle of Black Peak NCR intentionally halts expansion in southern Oregon, loses Fort Eugene, and lets FNA police the border Columbia River secured as a bulwark to NCR expansion Oregon Confederacy continues to actively fight
Combatants
New California Republic * NCR Rangers * Heavy Infantry Twin Pines Pack Free Northwestern Army Flames (after 2269)	Northwestern Alliance * Stern's Raiders * Oregon homesteaders * Oregon Confederacy (before 2270) * Sons of Liberty * Unity Remnants (before 2270) * Flames (before 2269) * Free Army King's Council (ally but not a member of the Northwestern Alliance)	Badlander Renegades Raider gangs NCR deserters
Commanders
General Alexander Neil ✝ (before 2268) General Brian Harmon (after 2268) Colonel Dean Maui Chief Elise Screwball Tripstorm General Randy Adams Flameskull (after 2269)	Captain Jakob Stern ✝ Chief Kill-a-Ton Chief Eyeballs Chief Tree Teeth ✝ Commander Owen Curtis Flameskull (before 2269) Pongo ✝	Poleaxe
Strength
New California Republic NCR troopers NCR Rangers Heavy Troopers Vertibirds Twin Pines Pack Badlanders Bikers Free Northwestern Army FNA troopers FNA militiamen Flames Raiders	Stern's Raiders NCR Ranger deserters Oregon partisans Oregon homesteaders Oregon partisans Oregon Confederacy Oregon tribal warriors Sons of Liberty Sons of Liberty militiamen * Unity Remnants Unity remnant super mutants * Flames Raiders Free Army Free Army soldiers Degenerates	Badlander Renegades Badlanders Raider gangs Raiders NCR deserters NCR troopers
Casualties
Moderate NCR losses, moderate Twin Pines Pack losses, heavy FNA losses, heavy Flames losses, moderate civilian casualties, Fort Eugene captured and destroyed, light damage to frontier settlements	Heavy Stern's Raider losses, light Oregon homesteader losses, moderate Oregon tribal losses, light Sons of Liberty losses, heavy Unity remnant losses, light Flames losses, heavy Free Army losses, heavy civilian casualties, heavy damage to many homesteads, moderate damage to some tribal villages	Heavy Badlander Renegade losses and camp destroyed, unknown raider losses, unknown NCR deserter losses

The War of the Northwestern Alliance was a war where the NCR fought with the newly created Northwestern Alliance, a coalition of settlers, tribals, and paramilitaries. It was the largest war Cascadia had ever seen and led to the rise of a new force to be reckoned with, the FNA.

After being abandoned in the conclusion of the Brushfire War, Stern's Raiders began riling up already existing discontent within Oregon and Cascadia at large.

The Purification War (2269)

“We lost more men to those volcano crazies in one week than the entire war with Stern. Incredible.”— General Oliver Lee recounting the Purification War

The Purification War
Hell's Gate, the base of the Purifiers and the site of the Purification War
Date 2269 Location Southern Oregon Result Pyrrhic Purifiers Victory? The Purifiers are practically wiped out The NCR loses all of the infantry taking part in the assault on Hell's Gate The Free Northwestern Army takes heavy casualties but grows in fame and numbers The Flames moves north due to their base burning down
Combatants
New California Republic Free Northwestern Army Twin Pines Pack Flames	Purifiers
Commanders
General Brian Harmon General Randy Adams Flameskull	Abigal Doyle ✝
Strength
New California Republic NCR troopers Free Northwestern Army FNA troopers FNA militiamen Twin Pines Pack Badlanders * Flames Raiders	Purifiers Purifier cultists Purifier robots
Casualties
Light NCR losses, heavy FNA losses, heavy Flames losses, heavy damage to many homesteads	Heavy Purifiers losses, Hell's Gate is rendered uninhabitable

A relatively short period in the wider Oregon Brushfire Wars, the Purification War was still important as it helped further convince the NCR that direct involvement in Cascadia would only lead to more wasted blood.

The Smouldering War (2274-)

“Bring me more!”— Chief Woman-Eater cannibalizing the residents of a destroyed FNA camp

The Smouldering War
A Free Northwestern Army camp on the Oregon-California border
Date 2274- Location Oregon Result Ongoing Free Northwestern Army secures the NCR's northern border against incursions Most Oregon homesteaders forced to choose between FNA and war Oregon Confederacy continues to lose ground in southern Oregon Badlanders are "gently" pushed out of southern Oregon due to tensions with FNA
Combatants
New California Republic Free Northwestern Army Twin Pines Pack	Oregon Confederacy	Oregon homesteaders Raider gangs
Commanders
General Brian Harmon General Randy Adams ✝ (before 2272) General Homer Jay Colonel Mahers General Tyrone Creed	Chief Woman-Eater Chief Coon Hair ✝ Opoliha
Strength
New California Republic NCR troopers Free Northwestern Army FNA troopers FNA militiamen Twin Pines Pack Badlanders	Oregon Confederacy Oregon tribal warriors	Oregon homesteaders Oregon partisans Oregon militiamen Raider gangs Raiders
Casualties
Light NCR losses, moderate FNA losses, light Twin Pines Pack losses, light damage to NCR homesteads	Heavy Oregon tribal losses, heavy damage to many tribal villages	Moderate Oregon homesteader losses, moderate raider losses, moderate damage to some homesteads

The Smoldering War is the next step in the NCR-Oregon tribal conflict that has gone on for more than thirty years. Though the Free Northwestern Army mostly fights on the NCR's behalf and has grow tremendously in recent years, Oregon tribals in south Oregon continue to harass the NCR border.

The "Cascadian Civil War" (2277-)

“A Better Future for the Northwest: Join Today!”— A poster in Seattle advertising the FNA

The "Cascadian Civil War"
A FNA trooper clashes with raiders on the streets of Portland
Date 2277- Location Northern Oregon & Washington Result Ongoing Free Northwestern Army groups established across Cascadia Remnants of the Northwestern Alliance attempt to stem the FNA's growth or cause infighting Everyone but some of the FNA try to force out the Badlanders of the region FNA centralized leadership breaks down after the death of General Adams
Combatants
Free Northwestern Army Badlanders (varies)	Oregon Confederacy King's Council Sons of Liberty Oregon homesteaders (varies) Unity Remnants Olympia Libertarian Republic of Gulch Atlas' Guard Skull-Taker's Legion	Badlanders (varies) Raider gangs
Commanders
General Randy Adams ✝ (before 2272) General Homer Jay (after 2272) Colonel Mahers General Tyrone Creed General Shabazz General Virgo Clark General Clint Bundy ✝ Colonel Chen Song	Chief Kill-a-Ton Opoliha Hask The Blade Commander Owen Curtis ✝ (before 2279) Commander Ethan Walters (after 2279) Morf President Caroline Finch Caesar Skull-Taker	Screwball Tripstorm
Strength
Free Northwestern Army FNA troopers FNA militiamen Badlanders Badlanders Bikers	Oregon Confederacy Oregon tribal warriors King's Council Raiders Sons of Liberty Sons of Liberty militiamen Oregon homesteaders Oregon partisans Oregon militiamen Unity Remnants Unity remnant super mutants Olympia Olympian militiamen Skull-Taker's Legion Oregon tribal Skull-Takers Libertarian Republic of Gulch Atlas Guard Guards	Badlanders Badlanders Raider gangs Raiders
Casualties
Heavy FNA losses, moderate Badlander losses, light damage to allied homesteads and settlements	Moderate Oregon tribal losses, heavy King's Council losses, moderate Sons of Liberty losses, moderate Oregon homesteader losses, light Unity remnant losses, light Atlas's Guard losses, moderate Skull-Taker's Legion losses, moderate civilian casualties, light damage to many homesteads, moderate damage to some tribal villages	Heavy Badlander losses, heavy raider losses

The "Cascadian Civil War" is an ongoing conflict that directly resulted from the unanswered questions stemming from the end of the War of the Northwestern Alliance: what would the spread of the newly created NCR-allied Free Northwestern Army mean for wider Cascadia and what would the Badlanders do in relation to the FNA?

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