Introduction to The Ravaged States of America

The year was 2005 when the world was past it's breaking point. The last recorded time in history when there was a story to record. Most visions of the post-apocalypse begin with a big atomic bang, an alien take-over, catastrophic natural disasters, or even classified projects gone wrong. This apocalypse, this post-collapse, was the result of decades of resource wars caused by unchecked corporate greed. Not many people appreciate the influence The United States of America had on the rest of the world. When the country became resource starved, it was no longer a world power. But by the time that happened, the dominos had long since started falling, other global powers had already fallen as well, they all went down along with it. When it was all said and done, those who could afford so, or were eligible to work for government programs, got sent to colonize space. The rest of the world stayed behind to scrape a living on a dead planet.

[The off-world colonization project leaders from Earth would converge with other galactic powers establishing the Mega Star Grid. Earth would be charted on Sector Orion E1-Q1. This is just an in-world hook connecting The Ravaged States of America with the Mega Star Grid Universe.]

By the time people opened their eyes, and the riots quelled, they realized they were fighting amongst themselves instead of uniting against the greedy bastards responsible for their terrible fates. Maybe that's just one way for the desperate to avoid taking accountability. The first thing to go down was infrastructure. Everyone was more concerned about where their next meal would come from, but didn't think about how they were going to get it. We're not just talking roads. Telecommunications relied on power grids and so did water systems. Transportation was set back to junkers running off improvisation. Society as we knew it was gone. The government remnants that stayed behind could not control the chaos across the country, but managed to establish enclaves that each tried to instill the ideals and values of pre-collapse America in their own way. Some enclaves focused on altruistic principles, while other enclaves were overzealous about how societies should be run. A significant portion of the country's population took this opportunity to remain independent in an attempt to side-step the problems of society. Everyone else hoped these enclaves would bring back a sense of order, comfortable with giving up certain liberties.

Many changes happened after the collapse and the ensuing years as people channeled humanity's stubbornness and hubris into trying to rebuild. The Enclaves established a universal currency, minting their own coins and dollars, while reinstating old world money as well. Funny thing money. Even the independents relied on the different Enclave micro economies, but ironically enough, found more value in the money of the old world they sought to move past from. Enclaves are a big deal in the Ravaged Wastes, whether people like it or not. Own a house? Unless your purchase is backed by your local Enclave, you get no insurance, but at least you don't pay taxes. Otherwise, your insurance is Enclave military coming to the rescue. Enclave civil services putting the fires out. All of that bureaucratic noise.

One of the most notable Enclaves is The Enclave of Los Angeles. It began in Downtown Los Angeles as a trading hub trying to bring order to chaos after gangsters tried to extortion everybody. Militias helped, but it needed smarter people to play the longer game. Business men who were around before the collapse used their fancy knowledge to establish trade routes, buying up smaller companies. Oh no, it wasn't how you think it was. They didn't buy the company, gut out the work force and replaced it with anyone who could count to 10. They bought them out, and whipped them into shape. Some of these smaller companies were playing fast and loose, scraping by but knew the trade better than anyone, but had no organization. You cannot find that kind of experience without putting someone through decades of hard work. Once mercenaries became involved, a localized security force was established, cherry picked by the business men. This security force would grow to be the most efficient full on defense force known in the city. This growth in security and economic stabilization in the area began to bring out many of the skilled labor when it was time to rebuild. Before anybody knew it, The Enclave of Los Angeles was born. Despite this, a map of territories in Los Angeles was an uneven checkerboard.

One of it's neighbors, The Enclave of Clark County Nevada, is a different beast. Recognizing the benefits of order among chaos, a group of independent people began loosely organizing themselves. Understanding the value of bureaucracy, but the benefits of being independent, they chose to be an Enclave that was of the people, for the people. You mind yours, we'll mind ours. If you integrated into their law system, you'd have full benefits and backing. Though they lacked a military presence that other enclaves possessed, they managed to establish small ranger factions that would man the important pockets of the Mojave. Consisting of local militias who were on the verge of disbanding, they got the proper training and became rangers. The most prominent ranger faction is The Rangers of Shoshone. Many would be rangers got their training there, and then deployed somewhere else. The Clark County Enclave's life line were the traders and caravans that paid their dues. They also take subsidies from the Enclave of Los Angeles, but it comes with a big IOU, that's so far just been in the form of small manageable favors.

There are other Enclaves, of course. But their stories are for another time.

[Keep in mind: This document is incomplete, I am still coming up with details]