Formerly a marina and hotel complex before the war, Ripton is now a small fishing village. Boasting thirty souls occupying the decaying luxury of the hotel, it usually manages to avoid the troubles of the Charleston Wasteland.
History[]
Ripton was founded in 2214 by a group of Rafters. Initially intending just to camp for the night, most of them saw the potential in the location, and began talking about settling there. The hotel itself was easy enough, there only being some radroaches and bloat-flies in the basement and upper rooms respectively. The rest of the complex posed more of a challenge; the marina was home to a small colony of mirelurks, and the restaurant in-between had at least three feral ghouls trapped inside.
A tentative solution was agreed upon for the feral ghouls, with one of the merchants unblocking the door facing the mirelurks and opening in, causing the ferals to charge towards the marina. The crab creatures easily chopped the ghouls down, giving the would-be settlers access to the restaurant. The mirelurks required a different solution however, causing the merchants to pool their money and hire a small bunch of adventurers to dispose of the creatures.
Most of these monster hunters were killed by the mirelurks, but they did manage to clear the marina. After taking their pick of the meat and clearing the nests, the merchants began to prepare for hosting their fellows. Merchants and travelers did start to trickle in after word was spread that the marina was safe, and the settlement was even named as a compromise between the two leading names. The volume of travelers was much less than they planned on however, forcing the residents to rethink their business idea.
They turned to fishing, now able to easily to move through the waterways without the mirelurks. The fish proved popular as a stew, with leftovers prepared for sale, though the next caravan was a week coming. They started to harvest salt from the sea to use it to preserve the fish, as well as to trade. Despite these adaptations, there was dissent within the original founders of Ripton over their water situation.
Despite harvesting food from the water, they couldn't actually drink any of it, due to the radioactive sediment in it. Up untill this point they had imported their water from outside, with a small purifier used only to get washing water. Knowing the long term untenability of this, a majority of the merchants wanted to cut their losses, as easy profits did not materialize. This led to all but three leaving the location for greener pastures, with the remaining three determined to succeed.
To this end they moved their families out there, as well as a wagon load of supplies. Fully invested now, the settlers constructed three more crude water purifiers and stockpiled fish. Tucker's Pox took one of the community that winter, but by 2220 Ripton was a functional, if small community. It slowly grew over the next few decades, with seventy-three residents and a small caravan calling it home in 2254.
Ripton's potential was curbed that year, as Sanguinitis devestated the town. Intially brought by a man trying to get a boat to a major settlement, the bio-weapon quickly spread through the town, killing over half by winter. The survivors managed to dispose of the bodies without another outbreak, but the town gained a sickly reputation.
This did spare them a raider attack, but the town suffered from the lack of outsider contact for the rest of the decade. They began to see caravans again in 2262, though it was much less than they had seen previously. Raiders came to the settlement in 2267, demanding fish and salt. Doubting they could stand up to the heavily armed bandits, Ripton reluctantly handed over the amount demanded and watched them leave. Knowing another such visit was likely, the town discreetly sent messages to the various factions around the wasteland, but was unable to get a firm commitment.
Despite this the raiders did not return, their raft having cap-sized as they float back to Royal Harbor. Ripton continued to recover over the next two decades, and in 2287 it is a stable, if small community.
Economy[]
Ripton relies on the sea almost entirely, both for subsistence and trade. The settlement harvests fish as well as salt, both of which attract some trade. A few planters have been repurposed for crops, but the small size of them only provides a sliver of what they need.
Government[]
Ripton is formally led by an elected mayor, though internally the citizens mostly manage their own affairs. Disputes between residents often are settled between those involved, though third parties are occasionally brought in. Traders and outsiders with agendas usually meet with the mayor, though travelers rarely do.
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