As with many other states, the Ohio state government collapsed quickly under the storm of refugees and chaos. Out of this chaos marched the growing power that was soon to be known as "Maxwell's Militia". Starting from humble roots across the border in Indiana (see that state); this force quickly spread through Ohio and absorbed most of it into the Empire. Once that great confederation of city states crumbled from internal pressures, Ohio became a battleground as several pretender kingdoms sprang up to compete for the carcass of the Maxwell Empire. 150 years later, Maxwell is gone from Ohio, but in its place are two large successor kingdoms and a whole lot of scattered towns in between.
Akron, SS-N-17
Cincinnati, SS-17
Cleveland, SS-17
Columbus, SS-18M1
Dayton, SS-SS-17
Toledo, SS-N-8
Canton, SS-18M2
Youngstown, SS-17
Lockbourne AFB, SS-19
Wright-Patterson AFB, SS-19
Discretionary Nuclear Targets:
Clinton County AFB, Wilmington, SS-17
Perry nuclear reactor, Painesville,
SS-19
Davis-Besse nuclear reactor, Toledo,
SS-17
The war: Nuked by four MIRVs, nearly the entire city was leveled and burnt. The MIRVs popped in a circle in the northern part of the city, two of them actually exploding in the Lake. Thus, the far southern edge of the city was spared the worst of the damage. Fortunate as well, on the night of the nukes, a strong gusty wind blew most of the heavy fallout out over the lake.
Aftermath: The far southern and southwestern suburbs retained some semblance of order, and it was in these areas that the revival of Cleveland began. When Maxwell's Militia came to the area, the people here welcomed them. The soldiers quickly ringed the settlements with defenses and set about repairing the infrastructure of the area as best they could. For some 25 years, "South Cleveland" as it was called for a while, grew and prospered, despite the horrible health conditions in the area and the drastically reduced population. By the time of the fall of the Empire, Cleveland was a strong regional power of its own, with the military governor here having more power than any other governor in the Empire. In the chaos after the death of Maxwell, the governor declared himself the rightful heir and marched his army on Fort Wayne to lay claim to the throne. Though defeated in battle, he never gave up the quest, continuing to fight until his death. Since then, Cleveland has become an independent empire of its own making, absorbing local towns and building an impressive industrial base. The population of the Republic is now nearly 250,000.
Relations with neighbors: The Republic has strained relations with the Kingdom of Ohio to the south, as old hatreds over the events after the breakup of the Maxwell Empire still run deep. They stopped actively fighting each other two generations ago, but now engage in a constant trade and influence war in the state. They have recently had a disagreement with the Shipmen on Lake Eire, causing them to turn away most of their ships. This has hurt the Republic more than the Shipmen and the sailors will eventually win some big concessions. Some very limited contacts are maintained with the Free State, taking the form of diplomatic couriers more than any sort of actual agreements.
The Republican Army: The Republican Army has four "Divisions", one each garrisoned in Cleveland, Warren, Alliance and Canton. They are designated by their respective locations. While small for divisions, each about the size of a pre-war battalion, they are well-trained and highly motivated. Many of the lower line and support troops are common slaves, impressed as janissaries as a way to gain freedom. Knowing that failure in battle is a death sentence, they will fight with fanatical determination. The officers are all experienced and trained men, often from the Military School in Cleveland.
The Cleveland Division: The Cleveland Division of the Republican Army is the pride and power of the city, currently boasting some 2,500 men. The men are divided into companies, and based in well-armed and defended "forts" spread around the city. The Divisional HQ is at the Parma City Police Building and the forts are located at Baldwin-Wallace College, a tankworks in Parma, and near a gunsmith factory in Maple Heights. As well, a company each is detailed to patrol the northside docks, the rather peaceful southern suburbs, and the more dangerous inner core. Total divisional equipment includes ten tanks, five armored cars, and twenty trucks. The tanks are of fairly recent manufacture, and based on large pre-war farm tractors, armored and mounting rifled black powder guns. All have been made within the last ten to twenty years. The soldiers carry rifles and melee weapons.
Alliance: A large farming town. The Alliance Division of the Republican Army is 1,450 men strong and is equipped with sixteen tractor tanks and some gatling gun-equipped trucks.
Canton: A farming and manufacturing center. The Canton Division of the Republican Army is a large group of 1,400 foot soldiers, supported by a strong cavalry element, and ten galting gun-armed armored tractors. Among the cavalry, modified percussion cap rifles are prevalent with a large number of sabers, revolvers, and a very few modern rifles. The cavalry officers are the celebrities of Canton and can pretty much do as they please.
Warren: A medium-sized farming and factory town. The Warren Division of the Republican Army is also made up of 1,400 foot soldiers, but with four trucks and three armored farm tractors (one mounting a unique 105mm howitzer salvaged in recent years).
Massillon: A strong and growing farming town, which also has some manufacturing capability. A lot of crops come from the smaller farms around Massillon.
Dover: This small town south of the ruins of Akron now guards the southern approaches to Cleveland along Interstate 77. A force of soldiers from the Canton Division man a fortified wall blocking the freeway consisting of auto wrecks filled with earth and broken chunks of concrete stacked eight-feet high and six deep. Along the edges, pits have been dug to trap anyone attempting to bypass the roadblock. The troops here also have a single large black powder cannon with several dozen shells to further deter any vehicular gate crashers.
Duchess Linda: Linda was one of Queen Olga's aunts and not a very nice person to begin with. Pulled up to prominence by being related to the Queen, Linda was declared a Duchess and given a house in Fort Wayne. There she met and married John Denny, one of Maxwell's Captains, and they later moved to Xenia where he was to become the area's governor. Following the death of Maxwell, Linda influenced her husband to declare their independence and set up a Kingdom of their own.
The Royal Family: The rulership of the Kingdom is sort of like the British Royal Family, updated to modern times. All the Royals are direct descendants of the Duchess Linda and King John. The current royal line of succession is in jeopardy, thanks to a power-hungry Church that has been gaining influence in the inner circles.
King Gerald: The current King, a great grandson of King John. Gerald is 63 years old and in fine physical condition, though he is easily manipulated by his advisors. His relationship with his only son is strained, and he is easily swayed into thinking that his son and heir is unfit to take over for him. His Queen died many years ago, when the Prince was just three-years old. The King has never remarried.
Crown Prince Richard: King John's great-great-great grandson and the current King's only son. While he lacks his father's support and blessing, Richard is a bright, well-educated man fully prepared to take the throne.
The Methodists: The new Methodist Church is a post-apocalyptic version of the old Methodist Church, which was prominent in this part of Ohio before the war. Over the years it has operated with the Royal Family as a sort of spiritual acknowledgement of their power. Behind the scenes, however, they have been slowly gaining influence and wealthy, and have considered replacing the Royal Family with a Church-based hierarchy. The "Soldiers of the Cross" is a special council of preachers and Church leaders who is planning this change in power in secret meetings.
Pastor Wayne Archer: The head of the Soldiers of the Cross, Archer wants power and lots of it. Archer's plan is to convince the King that his son is unfit for Kingship. He is working also to convince King Gerald that in the event his son doesn't measure up, the Methodist Church will hold the throne "until such time as a qualified King is found". He is very close to succeeding in having the King proclaim this new policy, which will all but assure the end of the Kingdom.
Pastor Carl Finister: One of the Soldiers of God, but a man conflicted by his own faith and emotions. It is very possible that he will go to the King soon and sell out his fellow Soldiers.
The Royal Army of Ohio: The Kingdom's armed forces are weak compared to the Army of the Republic of Cleveland, and would be smashed by the KFS, but they are sufficient to protect the borders and police internally. Each town has a small garrison unit, and a large reaction force is based in Xenia.
Territory: The Kingdom controls a relatively large portion of southwestern Ohio. The northern boundary is roughly the west-east I-70 line and the ruined Dayton-Springfield-Columbus corridor. To the south, the border is the Ohio River, with the KFS to the south. In the west, the border is roughly the north-south I-75 line and the Dayton-Middletown-Cincinnati corridor. To the east the border is very porous and ill-defined, but generally follows the north-south Highway 23 line. The capitol is in Xenia. There are numerous towns within the Kingdom, though most of them are no larger than small farming villages.
Xenia: Xenia is the capitol of the Kingdom of Ohio, and home of the largest military base in a large hotel complex that survived the war. All the politics of the Kingdom take place here, at a sprawling palatial complex that is added on to every year it seems. The Army unit here is strong, with some 600 elite soldiers backed up by some 300 local militiamen. This force is highly mobile and contains the bulk of the Army's heavy weapons and the few armored vehicles. There are today some 4,700 people in the area, with many of those working farms throughout the county.
Washington Courthouse: This is one of the largest towns in the kingdom, home to some 7,500 people. The situation in "The Courthouse" is very stable, and people are generally well-fed and happy. The Army unit here has 500 men.
Hillsboro: This town is among the most productive of any in the state and is a major supplier of food to the Kingdom.
Wilmington: This town has a population of some 600 people, mostly traders and farmers. It is fairly typical of the outlying settlements that provide food and manpower to the larger towns of the Kingdom.
The ruins of Columbus: The 25 megaton nuke that hit Columbus left little but a vast field of pulverized rubble and melted asphalt. 150 years later, Columbus is still a glowing ruin, avoided by sane travelers.
The ruins of Dayton: Nuked very hard, most of Dayton is a rubble field.
The ruins of Cincinnati: Once the "Queen City of the Ohio River," Cincinnati is now just a radioactive bend in the Ohio River. A colony of Maggots lurks under the riverfront area, and rumors say that some Blue Undead wander the western suburbs. The total human population in the area is only about 100 and most those are scavengers living in isolated parts of the city.
Lima: Lima was damaged severely during the aftermath of the war and the shattering of the Maxwell Empire. Today, only the western third of the city is remotely intact and even there large areas of residential districts are severely damaged. The rest of the city is a mass of ruins, populated by multitudes of rats and packs of wild dogs.
Van Wert: This small farming town is largely intact though the population is small, only some 40 people. This is still an Amish town and little modern technology can be found in the community. They have no vehicles, and use horses and carts for transportation. Only a handful of the town's inhabitants have firearms (about five men own well-maintained black powder hunting rifles). The occasional trader from Fort Wayne is usually welcomed, but rarely are any large purchases made.
Celina: This community actively supported Fort Wayne during the fighting after the breakup of the Maxwell Empire. As such, it was the scene of some fighting that destroyed much of the town. Even today, there are only a few dozen buildings capable of habitation.
The Shipmen: See Wisconsin for a full explanation of this group. In Ohio, the Shipmen operate a few small bases in the central part of the coast. They are not well received by the Republic of Cleveland, having had a falling out a few years ago over tariffs, so commerce and travel on the eastern half of Lake Eire is limited.
Sandusky: The main Shipmen port on Lake Eire, supporting a population of around 2,000. The harbor is crowded with shipping, with several freighters, sailing cargo ships, and large numbers of fishing boats operating from here.
Marion: Presently inhabited by several hundred farmers and hunters. The area is a fairly rich agricultural area, and the people here usually have better than average food crops.
Mansfield: This large town of 700 people is the largest independent community in the state, trading with both regional empires, as well as the Shipmen and even long-range caravans from Kentucky. Local agriculture is far more than adequate to support the population, and the town boasts some healthy cottage industries producing ammunition and wagons.
Delaware: A farming town of 350 people north of the ruins of Columbus.
Athens: This town is a currently a mess, due to a raging feud between two of the town's prominent families. The fight has been going on for some years now, and few remember what it started for. The town is a prime target for raiders due to its internal problems.
Logan: A small, independent community known for tasty carrots. It has a well-established agricultural base, with universal militia conscription for all members of the community between the ages of 15 and 40.
Wellston: Wellston was deserted after the war after a storm dumped a load of fallout on the town. Twenty years later, refugees moved into the town to scavenge and gain shelter. This new population started a long tradition of being xenophobic. They were one of the few towns in Ohio to successfully resist being absorbed by Maxwell's Militia. 130 years later, this town of 500 people is still known for being hostile to all armed strangers, attacking individuals, military patrols and raiders with equal violence. They have built up a defensive position around their town and patrol their territory daily.
Gallipolis: The river town of Gallipolis has done quite well with the river trade. It has become one of the more popular barge stops for Free State traders.
Lancaster: A large town southeast of the ruins of Columbus, home to 300 people. Typical of most towns in this area, almost the entire population is involved in planting and harvesting or hunting during the winter.
Wayne National Forest: Home of the largest bandit gang currently in the state who have taken the curious name of "The Flaming Lips". They currently number nearly 125 and operate throughout the southeastern forests of Ohio. They use horses and mules extensively, animals ideally suited for the rough terrain of the forest, and are armed with a variety of weaponry. They are led by a man called "Barbarossa", who claims to have been a former General of the Kingdom of Ohio Army. He was not, however, but has everyone believing his story. Just this month, there was a schism in the gang, as a rival bandit claimed authority in a coup. The attempt failed, but the usurper escaped with about fifteen men. These men are now holed up in the ruins of Linnville, trying to figure out what to do. The coup has made The Flaming Lips very unstable and Barbarossa is having difficulty maintaining order. It is probable that over the winter the gang will fragment further, perhaps even disband altogether. To further compound matters, the Republic of Cleveland has heard about Barbarossa's claims, and having no reason not to believe them, are out looking for him. There are currently two teams of Cleveland soldiers, highly-trained woodsmen and trackers, searching the forest. They want to capture Barbarossa, bring him back alive and pump him for information about the Kingdom of Ohio Army that he supposedly led.
People who have contributed to this entry:
John Raner