Chicago Dustbowl

Imagery from the storm

## Maps

Clear day

Map of the Chicago Dustbowl

The **Chicago Dustbowl** is a region spanning the areas of the former Chicagoland Area. Including the former states of Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois. All of which are former parts of the Great Midwest Commonwealth. The area stretches 10,856 square miles. The region serves as the roleplay world for Fallout: The White City
and the personal fan fiction universe of Fallout: Shadows of the Past.

## Background

The late stages of American continuity of government planning had established that Chicago was the perfect middle state for any failed attempt to flee to their secured structures off the Coast of California. When the missiles were being armed and fueled. It would give any stragglers enough time to take the risk to fly to California. If they missed their chance they would still have the opportunity to land in the backup facility of Great Lakes Naval Station Underwater Complex, among others dotted along the flight path.

For the American people. Air burst strikes against the city prevent outright entire destruction of property in exchange for high casualty tolls. Some survived by following the Civil Defense recommendations and prepared themselves with their own homemade Fallout Shelters. The following days after the day the bombs fell, law and order attempted to re-establish itself in the city and outer territories. This immediate time was followed by rationing of supplies, violent takeovers of private supplies, and heavy looting.

Many tried making their ways into Vaults and failing. This is where the large ghoul population in Chicago originated from as the closer they got to the heavy fallout which after a few days was mixed with airborne weaker Forced Evolutionary Virus created the disfigured humans. Those who sheltered at least fourteen days or longer found very little effects of ghoulification. Most people had fled the contaminated city for the rural country. As while the Fallout from the bombs dissipated. Nuclear reactors which were destroyed flooded the city with radioactive particles. Creating a extremely irradiated city center.

The law and order failed after only a year due to the deaths, ghoulification, and desperation of city and police figures. The first bands of raiders appear in this time. Killing even more survivors while also moving away to Western Illinois, Outside of the Chicago Dustbowl in cities like Peoria, Freeport, and Rock Falls for civilization. All of which eventually broke down into tribal societies, raider groups, and survivors.

In 2198, a major change had happened. A detachment of the [Midwest Brotherhood of Steel] or **Eastern Brotherhood** (to them). Had arrived via Airships to the destroyed city of Chicago. The expedition was largely made up of reformers who with distance and lack of communications carved an empire with their usage of technology. Even allegedly finding Vault 0 and conducting the largest war in the Midwest against it.

An event occurred which nearly destroyed the Midwestern Brotherhood. Sometime before 2255, the organization suffered from an attack from an unknown source at the time. This source deployed a single device above Kansas City which unleashed an electromagnetic pulse. This entirely wiped out the capabilities of the organization. However through regular armor, intelligent scribes, and the resources of their Empire. They were able to recover all but the machines they had unleashed. Sometime after the event but before all groups were reorganized. Cheyenne Mountain Complex had been closed permanently via a wielded shut door and massive rubble covering the front. Only a few out-of-reach hangar bays were left unmingled.

### New Settlements and Routes

When the suburbs of the City were no longer highly radioactive. Some of the tribals, raiders, and survivors made their way back to the structures and resources of the suburbs. This began a great trend of new cities and establishments re-emerging. It was also the first time humans came into contact with the Reformed Unity super mutants who being pushed back, resided solely in the irradiated glow of the city. Vault 5 was on the cusp of the territory, however it soon found itself raided and vault citizens recruited into the large super mutant force.

Since then no one except the established League of Merchants has trespassed the territory and for them its only on railroad tracks and in stations.

### Deployment of the two GECKs.

In 2281, Under President Daniel Parker of the Chicago Federal Remnants. Two Garden of Eden Creation Kits were deployed from Vault 1. One was used at an old water purification plant which was retrofitted after some technical experts from the failed conquest of the Jefferson Memorial were placed on the projects as well as one in the radioactive center of the city. With mathematical formulas and precise placement. The Garden of Eden Creation Kit wiped most of the radiation away. Allowing humanity to once again settle within the grounds of the city. One of the first new civilizations within the formerly irradiated zone created was Fission City. A subproject by Klink Consumer Products and the Federal Remnants as a caste society experiment theorized in the Federalist Ideology. A place where FEV-infected humans would live, work, and vote but the non-FEV Infected would have more rights that were hidden from view.

### Grand Prairie Union

In 2282, the Grand Prairie Union was formed between the Prairie Union and League of Merchants. The semi-nation became an alternative to siding with either the Enclave, Brotherhood, or Mutant threat. With Chicago cleared, settlers and diplomats convinced several settlements to join up with the new state and her autonomous constitution.

## Environment

The Dustbowl's unforgiving environment sets the stage for a perilous and harsh existence. Vegetation in this arid landscape must possess exceptional resilience or succumb to the merciless conditions. This hostile environment has shaped the fauna, giving rise to creatures that have adapted to the harshness of the region. Many wasteland-dwelling creatures have sought refuge here, yet some remain ill-suited to the Dustbowl's brutal realities.

### Thunderbird

The thunderbird, once a Native American cryptid, has become one of the most menacing and awe-inspiring creatures to haunt the Chicagoland area. Preferring the cover of darkness, these colossal avian predators strike with deadly precision, sparing none, not even supermutants, from their talons. With an astonishing wingspan exceeding 16 feet, they are a rare and formidable sight, and any individual who manages to bring down one of these creatures earns legendary status among the wasteland's survivors.

### Frogman

Cryptids of the swamps, the Frogman, are known to roam the Chicago wastes in packs, making them a common sight throughout the region. Although not individually threatening, these creatures become a formidable adversary when they gang up on unsuspecting prey. Tribes in the area consider Frogmen a delicacy, while other predators view them as convenient snacks. Facing a group of these amphibious horrors can quickly lead to becoming their next meal.

### Chickana

Known colloquially as the Enfield Horror, these creatures earned their moniker from tribals who likened them to chickens due to their appearance. Chickanas are compact and extraordinarily swift, making them challenging to engage in one-on-one combat. Despite their muscular build, they are not averse to becoming a meal for resourceful wastelanders.

### Giant Black Panther

Evolved from domestic black cats, Giant Black Panthers have roamed in packs for over two centuries, growing vicious and territorial. Their feral nature and the passage of time have honed their predatory instincts. While some have managed to domesticate these beasts for transportation and goods transport, their inherent ferocity remains a constant threat.

### Dogman

Rarely seen in daylight, Dogmen are formidable predators lurking in the exterior Chicagoland area. Their preference for staying clear of settlements belies their exceptional strength and stature, surpassing even the mightiest supermutants. Engaging a Dogman can be a perilous endeavor, making them a significant threat to human survival in the region.

### Limestone Cave Giants

These colossal humanoid beings, akin to Goliaths in stature, reside in isolated habitats outside of Chicago. Recent reports even suggest colonization efforts within cave craters. These giants exhibit remarkable resilience, often requiring multiple rifle shots to incapacitate. Despite their intimidating presence, they tend to keep to themselves, posing no immediate threat unless provoked.

### Shaitan and Jinn

Originating from Dearborn, Michigan, and pockets of Islamic communities, Shaitan and Jinn protect the lands and the remains of their devout followers. Encounters with these otherworldly beings are rare but fraught with danger, as the crescent symbolizes their wrath, a warning to those who dare to challenge them.

### Bush Dog

Bush Dogs are highly organized canine predators that exhibit advanced pack tactics. Their leadership is evident through intricate barking patterns used to coordinate attacks and flanking maneuvers. While individually manageable, facing a pack of Bush Dogs can turn the tables, making them a formidable threat to unwary travelers.

### Busco Snapping Turtles

Migrating from Indiana to Illinois post-war, Busco Snapping Turtles are surprisingly friendly to humans, allowing some to even ride on their backs. Although slow and weak, their massive shells provide shelter for Indiana Tribes and a means of transporting vast quantities of supplies for a few resourceful traders.

### Smilers

Smilers assume the appearance of smiling humans, employing their unsettling visages to intimidate intelligent creatures. Their intentions are not to engage in combat but rather to use fear as a means to acquire food and belongings from their victims. Speculation surrounds their origins, with UFO sightings in proximity to their presence fueling intrigue.

### Two Legged Crawlers

These humanoid creatures, lacking hands, resemble bipedal beings. While not inherently dangerous, they serve as a source of bones for broth and tribal rituals among the wasteland tribes. Their presence is eerie but generally inconsequential.

### Skinwalkers

Reports of miraculous events occurring within tribes before and after the war are attributed to Skinwalkers. These enigmatic figures, purportedly tribal members, possess shamanistic powers, transforming into formidable warrior creatures that safeguard their tribes and exact vengeance upon their enemies.

### Wendigo

Wendigos, creatures of immense strength, hold a revered status among surviving Native American tribes in the Midwest. Fiercely protective of their tribes, these formidable beings are known to exact retribution upon those who harm or disrespect their kin. Their fearsome reputation has even deterred the Midwest Brotherhood from annexing or conscripting the territories of the remaining Miami tribes, underlining the Wendigos' significance as both protectors and enforcers of tribal order in the region.

## Economy

### Supermutant Economy

Chicago is far from it's past as an Industrial Mecca for America. The Dustbowl makes it very difficult for people to provide more than substances level farming. However where it lacks in food it makes up for in it's recycled metal, finished goods, and industrial specialist services. The core of the city is inhospitable to humanity, until 2283 when the John Henry Eden Purification Plant went online and another GECK was deployed in the city center. Yet the flow of goods for slaves continues and when Factions farther East and West need raw metal, pre-war industrial machines, parts, or the knowledge to service their machines then they will do anything to get it including selling each other. The highest commodity for the Dustbowl's mutants is Vault Dwellers and the Genetically pure as they provide the best basis for creating more supermutants.

### Human Economy

Besides the conducting of trade between the Supermutants and Humans through the League of Merchants, Humanity has managed to sell justice through The Black Regulators that will hold your town's convicts for you and in exchange provide protection and money. Few companies exist, however those that do seem to have abnormal resources to conduct high trading such as Klink's Draft. Finally factions such as the Midwest Brotherhood of Steel pay scavengers for their technology and can bring their large agricultural goods to market. Somehow the Dustbowl makes it work through it's powder keg of trading partners but one explosion could lead to all out war or the downfall of the Dustbowl once more. The biggest illicit market for goods and services is Tryst Lane which is independent of the League of Merchants.

### Brotherhood Economy

The Brotherhood of Steel within Chicago rely on exploitation of tribals to stay afloat. Might makes right attitude. They do however buy anything and everything the League of Merchants has to offer relating to technologies of significance in violence. The two groups have a informal agreement for the Brotherhood to look the other way when it comes to the dealing with the Supermutants as long as technology is exclusively purchased by them.

### Enclave/Federal Remnant Economy

The Enclave or Federal Remnants within Chicago are more self sufficient. With not only a Vault Reactor but also a Geo-Thermal reactor, they can seemingly power what they need for their ambitious plans. What they make in power they lack in men. Although not officially conducted, outposts such as Fission City and John Henry Eden Water Purifier make it availible to trade fresh water and other goods in exchange for desperately desired luxury goods.

## Politics

In the unforgiving wasteland of Chicago, politics takes on a unique and often convoluted form, where power and influence can shift as swiftly as the winds of the Dustbowl. While some may assume that the most technologically and militarily powerful groups wield political control, the reality is far more complex. In this post-apocalyptic political landscape, factions vie for dominance and maneuver to secure their interests.

### League of Merchants

The League of Merchants holds a commanding political position in Chicago, skillfully navigating the delicate balance of power among the various factions. With their motto "Money talks and Brahmin crap walks," they have emerged as the true architects of political stability. The League exerts its influence by orchestrating agreements and alliances that maintain a precarious equilibrium, ensuring that conflicts do not erupt into full-scale warfare.

### The Black Regulators

Though not a traditional political faction, The Black Regulators wield significant influence through their unique brand of justice and protection. By offering towns and settlements the service of incarcerating convicts in exchange for safety and financial support, they play a crucial role in maintaining order and stability. This unique role grants them a say in political matters as they balance the scales of justice in a world teetering on the brink of chaos.

### Midwest Brotherhood of Steel

While the Midwest Brotherhood of Steel boasts military and technological might, its political influence is intertwined with its reliance on scavengers and trading partners. The Brotherhood's ability to secure technological resources through trade influences its political standing. Their informal agreement with the League of Merchants allows them to overlook certain dealings in exchange for exclusive access to significant technological advancements.

### Enclave/Federal Remnants

The Enclave or Federal Remnants within Chicago operate with a degree of political independence, bolstered by their access to advanced technology and resources. Their self-sufficiency and technological prowess grant them political relevance, allowing them to engage in diplomacy and trade. Their standing is strengthened by their ability to offer coveted resources, such as fresh water, in exchange for essential goods and services.

### Reformed Unity

In the harsh and unforgiving wasteland of Chicago, Reformed Unity emerges as a unique faction rooted in religious fervor and a belief in a mutant messiah. Drawing inspiration from their Jewish origins, they revere the memory of the Master, aiming to emulate his vision for mutant unity and dominance. Their worship blends traditional Judaism with mutant-centric beliefs, seeking to prepare for the arrival of the prophesied messiah. Despite their devotion, they pragmatically engage in trade with Caesar's Legion via the League of Merchants, supplying football armor while maintaining an uneasy alliance. Darkly, Reformed Unity practices slavery, subjugating ghouls and humans in the name of their messianic goal. This enigmatic faction adds complexity to the political landscape of the Chicago wasteland, where faith, ideology, and alliances interweave in a precarious balance.

### Grand Prairie Union

Amidst the harsh and unforgiving Dustbowl of Chicago, the Grand Prairie Union (GPU) stands as a beacon of hope and diplomacy. Founded in the Great Midwest Commonwealth in 2282, the GPU comprises a decentralized union of settlements and towns throughout the region, including the Dustbowl itself. Embracing the ideals of Jeffersonian values—Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—the Union has cultivated a diplomatic expansion culture. Their approach involves courting neighboring civilizations and gradually incorporating them into their broader society. Notably, the GPU embraces a flexible approach to governance, allowing various forms of local government to coexist within their central structure. In this challenging and politically intricate wasteland, the Grand Prairie Union represents a harmonious and accommodating force that seeks to unite the disparate settlements under its banner.