Interlopers

The Interlopers are a sect of people who have sworn off modern technological societies and have taken to moving to the abandoned regions of several different bioregions. One of the most prominent bioregions is Cascadia. They are a hunter/gatherer society with modern knowledge, allowing for them to live sustainably. Though ostricized by the modern world, whether or not their viewpoints are influenced by the media or the government, many sympathize with the Interloper lifestyle, though for one reason or another they simply cannot abandon the life they have now.

## History

### The Mountain People

Before the modern term "Interloper", there lived famed Mountain Men and Mountain Women in the 18th through 20th century. A majority of these people existed for various reaspms, primarily working for fur and trade companies, transcendentalists, or were merely hermits. Many consider these people to be Proto-Interlopers, who for one reason or another chose to stay in the remote wilderness.

Cougar Annie, c. 1962, considered to be one of the first Interlopers on Vancouver IslandThe Lykov Family, one of the most remote Interloper familiesJim Bridger, one of many American mountain men
### The Inter-Pandemic Period

'Interloping' became an issue well before the COVID-19 pandemic, of which caused a mass migration of these people. They are never counted in a census due to them never officially having a mail address, some not even having names. The inter-pandemic period (2020-2026) has since ceased most attempts at bringing them back to society, or dismantling Interloper groups altogether. Main issues involving Interlopers are often them being in the way of lumbering or development efforts, several animal rights groups fearing them making ecosystems collapse from excessive hunting, and local governments who shun anonymity and gun ownership altogether. Since 2026, The regions of Western Canada are often the safest to be an Interloper, as nearly every major Canadian city in the West has since been abandoned.

However, the Zalim virus still requires some degree of dependence on modern society, requiring a voyage back to civilization to get their medicine. Some cities have Interloper run businesses or hostels, where Interlopers make money off of city folk, solely to afford Qatiun. Very often does an Interloper accept only Qatiun for a premium for their services.

## Interloper Equipment

###### Weaponry

Interlopers use older weaponry such as bolt action, lever, and revolving cylinder guns. Bows are also a common sight. This is to ensure their complete independence from the outside world, as the cartridges are extracted manually and allows for easier reuse. There are even blacksmiths and gunsmiths which fabricate weapons by hand to guarantee further independence. However, this is not to say every Interloper shuns semi-automatic or even fully automatic weapons. For example, gunsmiths in Haida Gwaii will fashion semi-automatic rifles known in Cascadia as the Sentinel Pattern.

Melee weaponry is an uncommon first choice for Interlopers, but the use case of a spear or dagger over a rifle is plentiful.

###### Clothing/Outfitting

Interlopers, following the law to use every part of their prey, will wear clothes made out of animal skins, leathers, and furs. In colder regions, bear fur is highly valued. However, common city-made clothing which prove their usefulness, such as jeans, milsurp or boots, are also donned by Interlopers, especially when first starting their journey.

###### Tools

A knife is always somewhere on an Interloper's person. Multiple knives are also somewhere on an Interloper's person. The effectiveness of a sharp knife is never understated by Interlopers, who revere their knifes and take care of it as much as they do their firearm. Some edicts of Interloper patheons even center around the knife. Knife fighting, and the mockup forms of it, is a common sport in Cascadia. Alaxsxaqan Interlopers, unline others, will posess only one knife, that they will use for everything. This knife is especially important to them.

A hatchet is also a vital part of the Interloper's repitoire. Without one, an Interloper may not even last their first night without a vital sense of warmth.

## Regions and Laws

Bioregionalism is a concept practiced by every Interloper, where they don't exactly recognise political regions and instead refer to places by their ecoregion. Cascadia is more recognised than other bioregions, who often have different areas which differ from a complete bioregion. California for example has several different bioregions such as Klamath, Modoc, and Central Valley, all who differentiate each other by various ecological differences. Different Interlopers have their own views on how different bioregions are divided. Cascadia itself has its own differences with the Alaxaq and Borealis bioregions.

Interloper laws differ by bioregion, but general Interloper concepts often apply when laws are not known or practiced in the region. Examples of these are:

* Frontier Justice is the final form of justice
* Respect your common man
* Respect your prey by giving it a swift and painless death, and use everything it can give you.
* Respect the moral laws of the political region.

### Interactions with Indigenous People

Interlopers acknowledge and respect the people who came before them, and will respect their wishes. Native tribes and councils fall either into the Traditional or Modern category; Traditional tribes do not want to interact with Interlopers in any way, and will harass any Interloper attempting to settle in their territory. Modern tribes allow Interlopers to settle in their land, given a few rules, and will sometimes even cooperate with Interlopers. However, some Modern tribes and/or their members may end up migrating back to civilization.

One example of the Traditional vs. Modern argument is the Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwaka'wakw on Vancouver Island. The modernist Nuu-Chah-Nulth council assists Interlopers with various matters, and the Interlopers return the gesture in kind. The traditional Kwakwaka'wakw, however, don't allow Interlopers into their territory and block off the Johnstone Strait, demanding Interlopers or any waterborne traveller to pay a toll to pass through the inland sea. Despite their outward stance, the Kwakwaka'wakw are not hostile and simply wish to be left alone.

## Technolopers

So-called 'Technolopers' are Interlopers who don't (entirely) shun the use of technology in their day to day lives. Such Interlopers may be Bionic, use computers or radios, or especially in the case of Appalachia may even drive custom vehicles. Other Interlopers may or may not view Technolopers as legitimate Interlopers. Nevertheless, Technolopers still revere the natural world and ensure their technological activity does not diminish it.

#### Data Pilgrims

Some Technolopers called "Data Pilgrims" will navigate through abandoned lands with equipment meant to extract data from abandoned computer systems, more specifically in their memory buffer or hard disks. They don't stay in one place for too long, and their reasoning is as unknown to them as to everyone else; most simply say its just a fascination or curiosity. However, some Data Pilgrims can find a treasure trove of lost data which could potentially sell in the cities. These include trade secrets, military documents, lost media, and other pieces of information which the city people seek. In terms of Technolopers, Data Pilgrims are seen as slightly above the average Technoloper, even if they appear to just be eccentric wanderers with an obsession.

## Interloper Belief System

Main Article: Interloper Pantheon

Interlopers believe in the existence of "Them", which generally refers to ancient gods which existed long before Man, longer before Man destroyed the areas referred to as "Where They Once Dwelled". They believe that their freedom in the abandoned lands is attributed to these old gods, and it is their duty to protect and honor the natural land given to them.

###### Omnism

Interlopers are generally Omnist, though this will vary wildly between each Interloper. They consider common belief systems like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism to be valid, but may not practice it themselves.

### See also

* Interloper Slang Terms
* Interloper Pantheon
* Bioregions