Rossdale | |
General Information | |
Location Information | |
Location: | Rhode Island, New Port area. |
Societal Information | |
Factions: | Red Route Traders |
History
Andrew Ross, an aspiring wasteland businessman decided he wanted a town to which he could call home. One where he was free from the dangers of the crazed wasteland he trudged through. He pondered what and how he would build it writing down ideas in his journal on his journey to Rhode Island. Along the way he met a conman, Dale Bennington, who tried to sell him a bottle of ale that would supposedly make him “Stronger than three super mutants.” Andrew laughed and Dale soon joined in they both knew how to play the game of scamming the innocent which made the two get along dashingly. The Lewis and Clark of the Post-apocalyptic world.
Dale traveled with Andrew as he agreed to help him construct the city as he sadly admitted his “storefront” of tribal medicines was failing with each angry customer he received. He knew soon enough word would get around of his tomfoolery and he would have some angry guns looking for him. Andrew Ross swore that as long as somebody entered his city they would be safe and kept far from the dangers of the wastes. Dale didn’t exactly know where Andrew was going with this (literally and metaphorically) but he tagged along anyways as they made the long journey to Rhode Island. A state by the water which was a post-war hangout spot for those who wanted to cool off on the ocean.
Their journey was filled with many dangers ranging from raiders to sickness. Andrew and Dale weren’t fighters, but they sure could talk their way out of any situation. Dale’s wit and charm would convince raiders to let them go by while Andrew’s knowledge kept Dale from eating something with a lethal amount of radiation. Together they were the perfect pair. That is until their ideas conflicted.
Upon reaching the scattered remains of a beach club in Newport they noticed locals in the area, scavengers. They connived them into partaking in the construction of Rossdale in exchange for a free citizenship to Rossdale (which might have sounded better then then it does now). Rossdale was a death trap, a village on stilts that overlooked the water but she was a suitable for living. The scavengers picked out their homes and moved their stuff in with it. The scavengers called it “Scavenger’s Port” but Andrew continued to call it Rossdale.
Split in two
Rossdale was growing slowly as slightly more people moved in from other areas of Newport hearing that they could scavenge and return to a moderate home for a small fee. It wasn’t the best option but to some it was the only one. Soon the village was moving along soon the wheels of motion turned, the massive machine moved forward. That is until something jammed the cogs.
Andrew Ross had a heated debate in the town center with his partner Dale Bennington on the village’s future after the construction of the “Andrew Ross memorial statue.” Dale thought that Andrew was getting too full of himself while Ross thought that dale was just being jealous and immature. They bickered for hours as bystanders yelled egging them on. The debate eventually created the two separate towns of Ross and Dale. Split by anger and greed people chose sides as the town was split in two and aggression started to spark between the two sides of the once unified town.
It got worse from there on, Ross’s economy crumbled due to the fact that the bank was in Dale and Dale suffered starvation due to the fact that Ross held most of the fisheries and farms. It was an all-out civil war, well fought with words that is. They debated back and forth at each other almost every day in the town square as people began to riot and begin fights the town was on the brink of anarchy when a traveler came to town. He was a merchant who was coming in from far away and saw the two men bickering. He spoke up to them telling them that their once fair town was being wrecked by their egos. This made the men even madder during the debate fueling their debate. Later that night though, they wondered. Had they been doing the wrong thing? Was it best if the town was united?
United as one
After the most recent debate Andrew Ross and Dale Bennington decided to reunite their town as one under a treaty. Known as the “Ross and Dale Treaty” which ended hostilities between both Dale and Ross and united both towns as Rossdale once again as it was one town under one banner. People of the town cheered because now they could carry out their normal lives without being beaten up in the back allies by some fanatics. The town was quiet now without the heated debates in the town center; instead Andrew Ross spoke to his people kindly with words of wisdom trying to inspire the people of Rossdale.
Dale was still rather angry at Andrew, but he got over it realizing it was best for the town if they remained friends. Dale despised it, but he knew it was the truth and he had learned something from Ross after all the debate. “A man with a big ego is just as dangerous as a man with a big sword.” He had said. Dale assumed control of the Rossdale bank again and continued their economic expansion as more and more traders came in seeking new and exotic items from the coasts of this once beach land paradise.
During the time of unification the town prospered. More money coming in, a population growth, and more relations with other towns as it grows from a quiet port out in the middle of nowhere to a decent trading stop for the weary travelers to come and stay. It became what Andrew had always wanted, a nice little city that was free from harm free from devastation. During this golden year of peace Dale and Andrew settled their political issues by instating a Capitalistic, Democratic system in which after four more years of Andrew being mayor somebody else would take over and so and so forth. They were a bit uneasy about emplacing a democracy into such a young and struggling settlement so they wrote an amendment to the “Articles of Rossdale” saying that Andrew Ross (or one of his children) would be able to take control of the Rossdale if the current Mayor was hurting the growth and structure of Rossdale.
Economic Structure
Rossdale’s economic structure was based off of free-market ideals in which there was little to no regulation in trade and marketing meaning anything could be sold here without it being regulated like some other town’s favor. This being said, merchants can find safe haven here sealing what they feel but a merchant must realize an unhappy customer is usually an armed customer. The economy is quite limited to merchants and small stands around the docks selling foods and supplies and occasionally an arms dealer would pass through but beyond that it was basic supplies nothing complex or over the top. The economy bloomed to life in the early days of the town but now is seeing a down spot due to lack of income because of the cities placement.
The economy runs on the basic currency of the wasteland, the bottle cap, its value is based off of what kind of cap it is. Quantum caps being worth “five” standard wasteland units, and more exotic caps scaling upwards on the scale meaning the currency system is pretty much basic for most wasteland villages.
Government
The government of Rossdale supposedly uses direct democracy allowing the people to directly vote for whoever they feel is best suited to serve as Mayor. They vote outside the town hall when the time comes and then the votes are tallied. Whoever received the majority of votes will then become the mayor of Rossdale. This system was not used Pre-war because most nations had massive populations meaning the process would be too slow but considering Rossdale’s slow (but growing) population it is perfect for this kind of situation. The democratic government gives the people a sense of freedom and importance in the government system making them feel as if they are part of the future of their town.
Education
The education system is currently in the hands of parents. Considering not many families have children yet it has not yet sprung up as a problem although the current solution is homeschooling considering it gives the children the knowledge their parents want them to know. The government has no power over what children (or Junior Citizens) are being thought within their households. Education will be government controlled when the town becomes big enough.
Marketing Regulation
The market of Rossdale is unregulated meaning that anything can be sold in Rossdale. This benefits the economy greatly by bringing in a bigger income to the economic flow of the town, but it does occasionally bring some bad products in that may harm the citizens. Due to this Andrew Ross has signed in a law saying that people have the right to arm up and hunt down the people who have sold them products that have harmed them or a family member. The way they deal with these people is up to them.
Law and Order
Law and Order is handled by a small group of people who are referred to as “Town watch” but known throughout the wasteland as vigilantes. During Andrew’s travels he encountered a small bunch of mercenaries looking for a job. He assured them they would be paid if they would work to protect the small town and crack down on troublemakers within the town. They tend to use brute force on criminals which scares people to be good. Some complain about them while others are simply happy to have somebody watching their back.
Culture
The people of Rossdale serve simple lives either working as a merchant or a laborer. They enjoy the basic needs of life food, shelter, and water. They don’t have any delicacies or ceremonies besides honoring life and being happy of what they had. This being said the people of Rossdale are very welcoming to people of different cultures and races because they have no bigotry to any kind of race. The culture can be represented by a small pyramid. Andrew and Dale sit atop the pyramid while below them are the Merchants of the Red route followed by the laborers and domestic traders. Life is very repetitive in Rossdale as not much seems to happen.
Rossdale has no formal religion or major cults sitting around, but there is a multi-purpose chapel that sits near the beach not very distinct from the rest of the houses besides a small antenna that is used to receive broadcasts through a small radio inside the chapel, usually religious broadcasts. Many come to the chapel to celebrate their religion or beliefs whatever it may be as none is turned away from it. Still it remains a chapel making it “Holy grounds” or “Sacred grounds” meaning no weapons are allowed within the chapel. “One chapel tending to all is better than ten chapels tending to ten different religions.” – Andrew Ross.
Night life in Rossdale is different from the day of work. The town springs to life as neon lights shine in from some of the huts windows as people gather in bars to listen to music and have a good time. Drinking alcohol, dancing, and enjoying a walk down the pier at night are some of the few things people enjoy. If it is safe on the beach during the night Ross allows a small game of a Pre-War game he read about known as “Soccer” in America and “Football” in Europe.
In Rossdale society the Red route traders are held very highly serving as heroes. The Red route traders bring in many things on their journey on “The Red route” a route in which merchants from Rossdale take that brings them to important settlements and places where they can trade and scavenge for various materials and items. The Red Route Traders are the major faction in Rossdale as it is mostly a trading stop.