Pennsylvania was badly damaged in the war, with most of its larger cities taking nuclear hits. Many of those who survived the war didn't survive the aftermath of violence and chaos. In the chilly mountains, hundreds of thousands died each month, and everything that was edible was snatched up. By a year after the war, the population of the state was down to a tenth of pre-war levels and dropping fast. No organized governmental structure survived that first year, leading to state-wide anarchy. The situation was made worse by the arrival of a Soviet military unit, who quickly stepped into the power vacuum in parts of the state. The Soviets are still enclaved in west central Pennsylvania, farming and hunting the thick woods. The rest of the state has stabilized somewhat, with the rugged terrain and numerous rivers providing places for settlements to thrive.
Philadelphia, SS-18M1
Pittsburgh, SS-19
Allentown, SS-17
Eire, SS-17
Harrisburg, SS-17
Scranton, SS-19
Frankford Arsenal, Philadelphia,
SS-N-17
Letterkenny Army Depot, Culburston,
SS-N-17
New Cumberland Army Depot, SS-17
Scranton Ammunition Plant, SS-N-8
Tobyhanna Army Depot, SS-16
Peach Bottom 2, 3 Nuclear Reactors, York
County, SS-18M2
3 Mile Island Nuclear Reactor, Dauphin County,
SS-18M1
Beaver Valley 1 Nuclear Reactor, Shippingport,
SS-19
Discretionary nuclear targets:
Reading, SS-17
Wilkes-Barre, SS-19
Lancaster, SS-17
The ruins of Philadelphia: Four nukes, including a 25 megaton monster ground burst, effectively demolished the Philadelphia area. The Delaware River is still on fire as recently as thirty years ago as the nuked oil refineries along the west bank still burned out of control, the black cloud of oil soot stretching for hundreds of miles. Even with huge expanses flattened or burnt, several sections in the southern reaches of the city around the airport and Prospect Park are still standing, though mostly empty. Salvage is more abundant here in the south, primarily in the industrial neighborhoods west of the Schuylkill River. This has not been tapped much by salvagers, however, as the area is isolated by miles of rubble, long stretches of radioactive and chemical contamination, and legends of mutants and cannibal zombies. There are only a few settlements in the Philly area, the largest in the Valley Forge National Historic Park. Another group of people is currently scratching out a living around the old Boeing-Vertol helicopter factory located on Route 291 along the Delaware River south of the city.
Other eastern cities: The area of industrial cities north and west of Philadelphia between the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers was hit by numerous nukes and rampaged over by swarms of refugees. The cities of Lancaster, Allentown, Reading, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton were all blasted by nuclear weapons and are still devastated. Settlements are often rare in this area, with most people tending to stay in small family units. The exception to this is a large enclave in Carbon County.
Delaware State Forest: This wild, wooded forest stretches for many miles along the west side of the Delaware River in the northeast corner of the state. Today, probably 2,000 people total live in the forest, despite the cold winters, wandering bandits, and virtual lack of trade and commerce. They are mostly spread out in the forest in groups and clans no larger than 50.
The ruins of Allentown: After being nuked, Allentown found itself thrown back into the Stone Age. 150 years later, about 60 people still live in the shells of warehouses and factories, scavenging and catching rats.
Quakertown: Quakertown has become an almost totally agrarian village, with fields and farms where there once was concrete and brick. Some 600 people live in the area and they do well for themselves most years.
Pottsville: A growing community of farmers and brewers, known for an excellent beer produced in their own brewery. This ale is traded far and wide and has gained a fine reputation for quality as far as the Atlantic Coast and over into the Kentucky Free State, where it can be found in the freezers of wealthy landowners. The town has grown rich on this lucrative trade and now has a fulltime population approaching 900 people with an effecient militia.
Pottstown: At one time a quiet farming settlement, hit by a largish bandit clan four years ago. During the raid, the local militia, which had been reasonably successful at holding out before then, was caught out in the open while constructing earthworks. They fought while their ammo lasted, but were cut off and the bandits ran rampant through town. Today, just some 30 people still live here.
The ruins of Reading: The factory town of Reading was hit by a nuclear strike, demolishing about 90% of the city's buildings. Its current population is less than 80, most of who hide from each other as well as any outsiders. Further up the Schuylkill River is a little oil reclamation company known as Berks Associates, which recycled various petroleum products. While inoperable, the stocks of oil and gas here have degraded to the point of being useless, but the facility itself is of immeasurable value.
Lebanon: The area is sparsely populated, with about 200 people left in the ruins of Lebanon itself, though there are as many living outside on small farms. Lebanon contains much valuable salvage, which often brings travelers from far away to root in the ruins.
The ruins of Lancaster: Nuked during the war, this city was mostly destroyed. Maggot activity is a real problem in this area now with several dozen holed up under the ruined northern suburbs.
Stroudsburg: Once a vibrant farming enclave, Stroudsburg was destroyed last month by a terrible F-5 tornado, leaving houses and corpses scattered everywhere.
Raven Rock/Site-R: This was the underground Pentagon, operational since 1953, but largely forgotten about in the years following the atomic strikes. It's located near Waynesboro just north of the Maryland state line. As the staff of the Pentagon was mostly killed in the strike on Washington DC in 1989, alternate national command was never transferred to Raven Rock. For about a 100 years, just a caretaker force kept the fires burning. Then a bandit clan came through the area a burned the defenders out in a swift strike, killing everyone inside. It has been abandoned since then and its condition is unknown.
Unknown to even the caretaker force was the fact that Raven Rock was also the main command facility for the Snake-eater program, known as Site-R. The staff is still asleep deep in their hidden redoubts, 150 years after the war. If ever activated, orders and SITREPs may be sent to Snake-aters across the country. Obviously there are authentication and security procedures, including voiceprint, to prevent this from being done by just anyone. The command role of Site-R is roughly equivalent to Prime Base and would even be a benefit to the Project if the Snake-aters were to accept them.
The Buffalo Soldiers: A strip of valuable land in extreme southeastern Pennsylvania has been held by a society of bikers since the war. They are known as the Buffalo Soldiers, descendents of a pre-war motorcycle club chapter that survived the chaos and uncertainty of the 1990s by banding together and helping the local populace survive. Over the years they had to fight hard to maintain their territory and preserve their society, but have always managed to do so.
The territory nominally under the "Buff's" control stretches from the ruins of Philadelphia in the east to York on the west, and from about Interstate 76 in the north and south nearly to Interstate 95 in Maryland. To keep their old bikes running, and to build new ones, they have long ago reopened the Harley Davidson plant in York. They have also scoured the local area for machinery and equipment, including nearly the entire contents of the Mack truck factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, to help rebuild and refurbish other vehicles.
A typical troop consists of 20-30 riders on single-cylinder alcohol-powered motorcycles. Each trooper is armed with semi-automatic rifle patterned after the SKS, plus they all carry a saber as a symbol of old days. Each troop has four diesel-engined trucks as a supply train, carrying kits and ammo. They also haul the fuel trailers for the bikes.
Situation, pre-war: The Carbon County area was filled with typical bedroom communities for people working in the Lehigh Valley or in New Jersey. Local industries included farming, dairy cows, coal mining, fire truck manufacturing and explosives. The 59,000 or so people in the County lived in small cities and rural towns. There was a nuclear power plant here, as well. People were generally prepared for trouble, and most people had at least one firearm in their house.
Situation, the war: The nuclear war came to Pennsylvania with a vengeance. Carbon County did not see any nuke hits, but was swamped by hundreds of thousands of refugees from New York City and Philadelphia. Disease epidemics and violence killed off most within a few years. Those refugees that survived formed ethnic enclaves within the Carbon County region.
Situation, post-war: Thanks to an active defense by state National Guard units and Pennsylvania State Police, Carbon County was able to cleanse most of the dangerous refugees out of the area. The locals, known as "Dutchies", survived quite well and raided the nearby cities for goods and tools to build up a good industrial base. By the end of the century, people began to settled down to the business of survival and rebuilding.
Carbon County today: 150 years after the war, this area has become a regional powerhouse. Population is now 75,000 people in "Uphome", a term used to describe the residents of Carbon County, and another 50,000 in ghettos outside regional borders.
Ethnic enclaves: With so many city people coming to this area after the war, it was natural that they gathered into ethnic groupings. ghettos get formed outside the towns but within the borders of the protected region. There is a Jewish Town and a small Muslim Town, which share a common border and have a common defense force. There is also a largish Black Puerto Rican Town, an African town, and a multi-ethnic Asian Ville. The races get along well for the most part.
Economy: The key to the area's continued prosperity is their ability to generated a steady supply of electricity. Two cogeneration plants are set up to burn old coal stripping called culm, and can burn any other form of coal, providing a good electrical supply. The regional electric company has an outpost in Schuylkill County and the knowledge to split the grid so that only local customers can receive power. They also set up the grid to interconnect the two cogens and the one surviving nuclear plant at Berwick.
The region is very self-sufficient in most things. Food, medicine, weapons and clothing are produced in quantity. The most common local industries are coal, steel, vehicles, and weapons. The oldest brewery in America still makes its beer and sends it to all points. Civilian vehicles are mostly small trucks and vans for delivery and transport. A large part of the region is farmed heavily to feed to growing population, and most farmers still keep oxen teams for pulling and plowing. A railroad operates in the area, running as far west as the Schuylkill River and as far south as the shores of Chesapeake Bay. They haul food out and steel and metal scrap in.
The telegraph is widely used for long distance communications. Local radio keeps the towns informed daily, and a weekly paper is widely read. And, of course, the train brings info with each trip.
Military: Carbon County's military force consists of one Heavy Armor company, one Light Armor company, and three Mechanized Infantry Companies. Equipment for these units was taken from PANG armories. Wheeled gun carriers serve as tanks and metal-clad trucks as APCs. They all run on diesel. The Military has companies in all of the towns with more than 1,000 population. Each of these companies has 75 men and is divided into one tank platoon and three infantry platoons. Everyone must serve at least two years in the Military, after which you may join fulltime.
Roamers: The people of Carbon County have created a "roaming guard", people empowered with a mix of police power and lawyer skill to settle disputes. Two-man teams are randomly chosen each day and sent in a random direction on foot. They "Roamers" are trained in civil disputes and can act as a judges when needed. Their judgments are made as naive youths and can be contested, but if the aggrieved parties are found against they must pay for the court's time. The Roamers also serve as a catalyst to keep everyone on the same page, as a roamer they may go anywhere and talk to anyone, and as such the culture is spread around.
Mutant Puff Balls: The forested hills and valleys of Carbon County are home to giant mutant Puff Balls. These plants can sense body heat and will spray their spores at a passerby. The immediate effects are a sense of calm, then sleep for 20-30 hours. During that time the spores get processed through the digestive tract, which the spores need to crack the outer shell. After waking, the victim has a great desire to urinate frequently but only can pass small amounts of urine. Local people seek out the Puff Balls to eat as they are quite tasty. They can be found only in forests and only in the late summer and early fall.
Mega Skunk: This area is also known for pony-sized Giant Mutant Skunks. V These animals are very aggressive and are rabid half the time. They will spray a person at the least frightening motion. The spray acts as a deadly toxin a small percentage of the time, but the rest of the time will just knock a person unconscious for a few hours. The smell will keep anyone away for close to a week. It can eventually be washed off, but the essence remains. This becomes a powerful pheromone and causes anyone nearby to become attracted and aroused. This is determined by the gender of the skunk, i.e. if a female skunk sprays a male target, then male humans become aroused. The effect lasts up to two weeks or more.
Lewisburg: Perhaps half of the 1,200 people living in Lewisburg live in a walled settlement built on the grounds of Bucknell University, farming the extensive open greens of the university. The rest are spread out on small farms around the county.
The ruins of Harrisburg: Pennsylvania's state capitol was atomized by nuclear weapons during the war. Virtually nothing remains standing and no one lives here. Travel along the Susquehanna is treacherous, with many submerged obstacles.
Fort Indiantown Gap: This obscure, former colonial military reservation was quickly abandoned and forgotten in the chaos of WWIII. As a secondary training facility it did not warrant a nuke by the Soviet Strategic Missile Forces. It is significant because unbeknownst to anyone (even its former occupants) it is the home of Site-G, a full-size Snake Eater base and supply depo (still sleeping peacefully). The deep bunkers of Fort Indiantown Gap hold vast stocks of standard military vehicle spares, military and insurgent ammo, weapons, tools, radios, survival and medical supplies, as well as one bunker full of manuals on how to build everything from chicken coops to Hydro Electric Dams. This would be a vast treasure trove to whoever finds it first (assuming they don�t wake the Green Berets next door).
York: York was the scene of some severe food riots in the months after the war, reducing large areas to ruin. 150 years later, there is a stabile community of farmers living in the city allied with the Buffalo Soldiers from further east. The ruins of the Harley Davison motorcycle museum have been converted into a citadel of sorts, with heavy concrete barriers set up to discourage attacks, and guard posts atop the building. They trade mostly to the south with the USA in Virginia and with local communities across Pennsylvania, as well as providing motorcycles and parts to the Buffalo riders.
Depot: Southwest of York are the ruins of the Letterkenny Army Depot. While mostly vaporized by nukes, there are surely some a few underground storage pits still intact. These contain vehicles, explosives, missile components, ammunition, refurbished artillery, tools, food, and lots of other good things waiting to be plundered.
Invaders: These Soviets were air landed in division strength into the western New York area. Their original mission was to secure the Niagara Falls/Buffalo area and await reinforcements from Russia. No further troops were to come, however, and the Soviet paratroopers found themselves alone. Fighting with remnant US Army units was fierce and casualties were taken. For a time it was feared that the unit would fragment, but several highly motivated commanders kept the morale up and the guns clean until the fighting ebbed. After reforming, the unit moved south into Pennsylvania and began to take over the scattered survivor enclaves. As the only well-armed and disciplined force left in the area, they usually had no trouble storming a town and taking it over. At one time in the early decades of this century, the Soviets controlled a large swath of Central Pennsylvania. Their zone of control extended over most of the cities east of the ruins of Pittsburgh, west of the Susquehanna River and virtually from border to border north and south. This was obviously too large an area for such an occupation to succeed, and the Soviet leadership wisely chose one area to concentrate their forces. They chose the Juniata River valley southeast of Altoona, where the wide and fertile Raystown Lake provided a great place to farm and fish. All the troops were ordered into this valley in 2021, taking with them their families and children and everything they could carry. Here, they settled down to become farmers and make babies. 120 years later, they are still there.
The Great Harvest: At first, relations with their neighbors were strained. Fights and sabotage was common and peace was a dream. The leaders of the division had to do something drastic to convince the people that they could all live together. The option of a crushing, violent crackdown was quickly dropped, that would only make the situation worse. Instead, the Soviets decided to share their harvests and wealth with the locals in a grand show of cooperation. One summer, soon after they arrived in the valley, the Soviets announced that they would be giving away food and free medical attention to anyone who came to the valley in peace. Most people thought it was a trap and avoided it, just a few hundred of the more desperate people came. Despite the small turnout, the Soviets were true to their word, handing out sacks of food and goods, and nearly every one of people visited the three remaining doctors that the Soviets had available. The effort seemed to be a bust until in the next morning a small party of men arrived carrying two sick little girls in a horse-drawn cart. The girls were the daughters of the leader of the Amish church in the area, a very influential man who was much respected by the people. When his daughters came up sick, he took a chance, and over the wishes of the rest of his people, took them to the Soviet doctors. His reasons, while against the Amish ideals, were based in the practical need to keep as many of his Amish healthy if they were to survive in this new world. In a perfect story the little girls would have survived and all would be joyous. In fact, the cholera ravaging their little bodies was too advanced and both died painful deaths within a few days. The father, while grieving greatly, was much impressed by the doctors' willingness to spend time and invaluable medicine on his terminal children. He left with a new appreciation for the Soviets and worked hard in the coming months to convince his Amish brothers and sisters to accept the new order of things and cooperated with the Soviets. Very soon, the Amish began to trade with the Soviets, even come to live with them and teach them their low-tech methods. Soon, non-Amish began to come into the fold, encouraged by the fair and honest treatment the Amish were receiving. Times occasionally called for violence, but by and large, the Americans and the Soviets got along better than could have been hoped before the war.
The Soviets today: The farmlands of the valley bring in a fairly substantial crop during the autumn harvests, ensuring that the large populations still here always have something to eat. This, combined with the productive fishing industry, have kept the Soviets happy and well-fed. They have long ago named this area the "Soviet Socialist Republic of Pennsylvania", but have worked hard to become a part of the local society. The languages heard on the street are a mix of Russian dialects, traditional Amish High German and Pennsylvania Dutch, and English. The fusion would be terribly difficult to understand for a modern-day visitor (or an MP team). Official government documents are usually all in Russian, but when posted for public display, they are often translated into two copies, one in the common "Russlish" and another in German for the Amish population.
Neo-Communism: While a traditional communist system was originally imposed by the Soviet Brigade leaders, it was quickly found to be unworkable in America. Over a few decades, it morphed into a weird combination of Communistic centralized land and resource control and free market trade and price control. Soviet farmers produce excellent crops and their produce is widely regarded as the best in the region. Several large farmers markets are operated in the Valley, open to all comers. All land and machinery are owned and distributed by various Soviet councils. The Soviet decides each year how much land will be used by each farmer. The farmer then plants what he thinks is needed and works the land as if it were his own. A small percentage of the crop is turned over to the Soviet but the rest of the crop is the farmers to do with as he pleases. Each Soviet maintains an agricultural motor pool consisting of tractors and other large agricultural equipment. Every farmer is entitled to borrow and use this equipment to work the land. Many farmers have maintained their own equipment since the Soviet's equipment may not always be available (i.e. another farmer is using it). Food storage houses are maintained in every farmstead, assuring a reserve in times of war or famine. Private property exists but is limited to physical possessions. While one can own almost anything privately, one can not own the land as that is the property of the Soviet. The Amish, due to the fact that they produce the most food in the region per person, are given favorable status in this system. Their food quotas are larger than other groups and they are often given the best plots of land to farm.
The Red Army: The Soviets were originally members of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division, based in the Pskov area before the war. They landed with very few vehicles or heavy weapons, but captured and used a considerable amount of US Army equipment once on the ground. Due to an obvious lack of spare parts, nearly all the Soviet-built equipment has either long ago broken down and been abandoned, or has been heavily modified with locally-produced replacement parts. The captured stuff lasted longer, however, and there are still a number of vehicles and heavy guns still operational in the Soviet sphere. The "Red Army" as it is still called locally, has by now been downsized to a more manageable Brigade-sized unit. Total manpower trained and armed is around 2,300 effectives. Support weapons include some three dozen assorted artillery pieces, ranging from what is perhaps the very last Soviet D-30 towed 122mm howitzer on the continent, to several former US Army 105mm guns, to locally-produced black powder cannons. Vehicles still nominally operational include a single M1A1 Abrams tank, six M60 model tanks (only half of the M60s even have a chance of running), one M109 SPG, and one Soviet ASU-85 SP gun. There are also a number of armored personnel carriers, including a few BMD-2 tracked troop carriers. The Soviet vehicles were air-dropped with the division in 1989 and have survived by having worn parts replaced with handmade copies, giving them a Frankenstein look. Personal weapons are a mix of modern and old world. The Red Army has ample stocks of ammunition for most of their weapons, thanks to a small ammunition reloading plant in Smithfield and stocks salvaged from the ruins of depots and arsenals across Pennsylvania. The once-common AK-74Ds are a rarity anymore, as they take specialized ammunition that is not interchangable with American weapons. A few are still found in the unit armories, as are small quantities of M-16s, M-14s and other captured pre-war American military weapons. By far the most common firearm found these days is a locally-built copy of the M3 Grease Gun. The plant in Smithfield is capable of producing a limited quantity of these, using as prototypes a number of original M3s found in National Guard armories in the area. It is favored because it uses a fairly common .45 caliber round, is a much hardier weapon then the M16 or M14, and is simpler to repair and build. The Brigade's headquarters is in Smithfield, a mile from Huntingdon, and its component units are spread across the area in strategic garrison posts. The Smithfield HQ is circled by a wide ditch and a five-foot tall wall of earth and timbers. Sandbagged observation towers are at the compass points, with mortar bunkers evenly spaced between them. The ditch was filled with sharpened stakes, and the top of the wall was strung with barbed wire. All these defenses were built back when there was an actually need for them and they have fallen into disrepair lately. There is a civilian workforce in Smithfield numbering about 200 men, and a training company that accepts recruits and runs them through Basic Training.
The People's Militia: The Juniata Valley is also defended by a citizen's militia, trained and led by Red Army officers. This "People's Militia" is used for internal policing and patrolling, freeing regular soldiers to guard the frontiers and make raids. Huntingdon is home to the Soviet's armory, housing a large collection of small arms for the militia. The militia is organized into six separate Regiments, each assigned an area to police. Each Regiment has about 150 militiamen with ten Army officers. They are mostly armed with melee weapons and black powder rifles, while the officers all have modern weapons. The 1st Regiment and 6th Regiment both assigned to security duty north of the Valley along the Highway 22 trade route, patrolling as far north as the old Rothrock State Forest. The 4th Regiment and the 5th Regiment are both assigned to internal duties in the immediate area of the Lake. The 3rd Regiment patrols to the south to nearly the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The 2nd Regiment is currently to the west, patrolling the area east of Altoona. The Amish are exempt from serving in the militia as it violates their religion. It has caused some animosity with the other peoples living in the area, and who are required to serve in the militia.
Relations with neighbors: Despite the fact that they were originally "invaders", the Soviets have been quite good neighbors for the last century. As detailed above, once the local populace began to trade and deal with them, even though acceptance took a while longer, the Soviets became valuable members of the community of survivors. As such, the Soviet troops are counted on by local towns to help them with emergencies and bandit problems and are widely regarded as efficient and courteous to the locals. It is very rare that anyone fears the arrival of a Red Army unit in their area, as the Soviets have been seen as protectors and stabilizers in the region for generations. Overland trade is conducted with the Republic of Cleveland, which is the Soviet's main trading partner.
Huntingdon: The "capitol" of the Soviet "empire". Huntingdon has grown into a small city and is the economic and administrative center of the area. Once the fighting died down and the locals began to accept the benefits of their presence, people started to flock into the area. Smithfield, Ardenheim and several other nearby towns have also prospered due to their proximity to Huntingdon. Currently, 40,000 residents reside in a 10-mile radius around Huntingdon, stretching to Alexandria to the west, east to Mill Creek and south to McConnellstown. A goodly number of these people are Amish, still living their traditional lives in farms often adjacent to Soviet-run farms.
Juniata College: Juniata College in Huntingdon has become the center of learning in the Soviet sphere, and home of the Red Army War College. It is here that much of the teaching of farming and animal husbandry is done by professors born and raised in the college system. They have everything they might need; books, their own power plant, educational resources, educated personnel, and scientific equipment and supplies looted from other universities. In the first few years of operation, the college attempted to teach a strict Communist doctrine. That lasted about a year before it became apparent that to survive in America, the inflammatory and often unworkable Communist teachings of Marx and Lenin would have to be diluted.
The ruins of Altoona: The former steel town of Altoona was dusted by fallout from the Pittsburgh strikes and flooded with refugees who burned the town down. Today, the majority of the town's population, some still 2,000, live in rebuilt houses along the Kettle River just north of the ruined town. The center of Altoona is mostly destroyed and offers very little shelter or salvage anymore. There are usually 100 militiamen on duty at any given time, trained and often led by Red Army officers. Many of the militiamen are armed with weapons looted long ago from a New York State Police armory.
The ruins of Johnstown: Johnstown was one of the few places to actively resist the Soviet occupation in the 1990s. In a series of sharp clashes, several dozen Soviets were killed. The Brigade commander retaliated by napalming the town and shelling it with chemical mortar bombs. 150 years later, the ruins of Johnstown are still deserted.
State College: Groups of citizens live in various enclaves around the city, in parks and in residential and industrial neighborhoods. In total, there are about 1,850 people city-wide. Once controlled by the Soviets, State College has been free of their direct rule since the 2020s. The Soviets, however, are still a common sight here, as they have developed into vital trading partners. Penn State University functions as a community school now, with much of the high-tech lab equipment and books being taken by the Soviets when they moved south or burned by them. The local militia patrols the region daily. They have emplaced a couple of pieces of medium black powder artillery sited atop Nittany Mountain which are able to dominate quite a bit of territory.
The ruins of Pittsburgh: On November 18, 1989, six Soviet MIRV warheads ravaged the city. The devastation was horrific and today a uniform level of rubble spans across the area. Only a few major streets are still faintly visible, headed towards the six hypocenters, where rain has turned some of the craters into poisonous lakes. The interior of the city is teeming with Blue Undead, huge mutant rats and ferocious feral dogs, along with billions of cockroaches, and no humans live here anymore. Depopulated and then repopulated by generations of refugees and scavengers, the extreme edges of the city have survived.
Bethel Park: This southwestern suburb is now home to the largest settlement in the Pittsburgh area. Due to the hilly terrain of the city's south side, many of the southern suburbs escaped much of the direct blast and heat effects of the bombs. It is in these areas that life struggles on today. The Bethel Park settlement numbers some 800 people, by far the largest of the local towns. The town is led by "The Steel Man", a powerful Overlord. The Steel Man's fiercely-loyal militia is armed with a variety of arms, including M-16s, a few M60 LMGs, grenades and such from a National Guard armory that he dug up. Power and wealth is provided by the huge coal mines that line the Monongahela River, the same mines that made Pittsburgh the city it was before the war. The largest of these is now in Bethel Park, where slave labor is used to chip the coal rock and pull the carts under armed guards. Conditions are deadly and the miners are fomenting rebellion daily. The main trading partner for this coal is the Republic of Cleveland in Ohio, and coal caravans leave twice a week. Relations with the Soviets to the east have always been strained, and that might get worse soon.
Oakmont: On the opposite side of the ruins from Bethel Park, this small settlement of 450 people thrives as a center of farming and hunting. Oakmont is well-defended and organized, with a school and trade market. They are occasionally raided by militiamen from Bethel Park who are looking for spoils and slaves.
West Mifflin: In this ruined Pittsburgh suburb is the remains of the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, which once designed, built and tested prototype nuclear reactors for the US military. In the late 1980s, the US government invented fusion power, and most of the design work was done here at Bettis. The above-ground structures were almost all wiped out by the nuclear strikes, but the subbasements of some of the buildings have survived. Still buried in the collapsed basement of Reactor Assembly Building #2 are two working fusion power plants. These are small prototype units, designed to run small ships and submarines, and with monumental effort (and a lot of luck) they could be used to power a small city.
Red hammer: The Steel Man's days might be numbered. The Soviet empire to the east has had cordial trading relations with several communities in the area, treaties often a century old. When the Steel Man came to power in recent times, his ruthless policy of expansion and violence upset the applecart. The last straw came when the Steel Man stopped and robbed a Soviet delegation outside of Oakmont. An expedition to liberate the "oppressed proletariat" of Pittsburgh is currently being organized.
Ruff Creek: At this small town on the old ribbon of I-79 is forming a local rebel movement. Right now it is just a collection of men and women, former coalmine slaves, ex-bandits, and such, and going by the name of the "Citizen's Liberation Group." They have plans to eventually liberate Pittsburgh from The Steel Man's grip. They have asked for and received some support from the Soviets, including a few weapons and intelligence.
Uniontown: Uniontown's current population is about 600, with another 200 living on a couple dozen farms within a seven mile circle. Its militia numbers about 30 men and is armed with a variety of black powder weapons and two old M14s. This militia has fought a number of skirmishes with the bandits over the past month and has held them off, but needs to keep part of its strength guarding the town from other directions. As such, they seldom venture out to protect outlying farms.
Allegheny National Forest: The expansive Allegheny National Forest is a large hardwood forest preserve that has steadily grown thicker and larger over the last 150 years. There are numerous people in the forest, though only a few settlements of any size. Generally the forest dwellers are isolated family units who rarely have need for other people. This has often produced some nasty side effects of generations of inbreeding in small gene pools. Rumors of mutant children with "special powers" are hopefully just rumors...
Kellettville: The home base of the "Razin' Hell" gang. Apart from the gang members, there are currently 70 other people living here, mostly women and children.
Titusville: There are 307 people living here, with 50 of them in a militia. The Pennzoil refinery operates at limited capacity, and the associated oil wells and machining facilities make this town prosperous. There are road blocks on all roads leading into town, an a toll is charged equal to a quarter-pound of black powder.
Warren: There are 569 people living here, with 60 of them in a militia. The area is known for farming, herding, machining, distilled spirits, light industry, and limited capacity oil refining, the last thanks to the United Refinery.
Tidioute: There are 40 people living here, though there is no organized militia. The area is known for fishing, farming, herding, and lumber. Two of the more noteworthy citizens include Old Man Watkins, distiller of not so fine spirits, and Jeremiah the leatherworker.
New Castle: New Castle is home to a very large farming community, numbering around 6,000. It is a trade center for the Republic of Cleveland and therefore in relatively good condition. Coal from the hills to the east is shipped through the town daily, with the residents growing rich on the service of the caravans. In New Castle, the coal has also provided some basic electric service and few go cold in the winter. There is some manufacturing going on, but it is geared mostly to mining and agricultural needs. Large parts of the city have been cleared for planting crops, and irrigation is provided by the Shenango and Neshannock Rivers.
Sharon: Sharon is another Republic of Cleveland town, home to some 3,000 people. It serves the same purpose as New Castle, though Sharon is known region-wide for its production of swords. Some of the finest sabers are made here and they are prized by wealthy men as far away as the Kentucky Free State.
Butler: The life of this town changed when the nuclear inferno swept over Pittsburgh, spawning chaos and anarchy throughout the area. The local National Guard unit that had been stationed in Butler was able to defend the community with the help of citizen militias and much of the community survived that first horrible winter into the spring. When the chaos finally settled down after a few years, they realized there was a way that they could help themselves and other settlements nearby. They repaired and then started expanding as they grew ever so slowly. Rudimentary production lines were set up and slowly began producing and reloading ammunition. The community started exchanging this valuable commodity with other settlements for food or other necessities, and found a lot of customers. 150 years later, some 4,500 people live in the immediate area of Butler, and guns and ammo are still the main commodity. Both the Republic of Cleveland and the Soviets to the east both do business with the arms merchants here. Butler is also the site of an old IRS underground storage bunker holding duplicate tax and social security records, and the arms merchants use it to store their wares.
West Side of Erie:
Colonial Colony: Located in the area of West 26th Street and Colonial Avenue. There are 300 people living here, with 30 of them in a militia. The area is known for trade, farming, lumber, furs, plastics, and electronics salvaged from Erie Airport and the surrounding industries.
Furnace: Located in the area of West 20th Street and Pittsburgh Avenue. There are 200 people living here, with 20 of them in a militia. Known for processed metals, machining facilities, and plastics processing. Operational facilities include the Lakeview Forge and Steel, Plastex, and AMSCO. Much trade is conducted with Dobbins.
Grover Cleveland area: Located in the area around Grover Cleveland School. There are 300 people living here.
North Side of Erie:
Dobbins: Located in the area around Dobbins Landing at the foot of State Street. There are 2,000 people living here now. The militia has 100 active members, 50 reserves, and 50 mercenaries. The area is known for ship and boat building and repair, medicine and medical products, salvage, fishing, and Great Lakes trade. Operating facilities include the Hamot Hospital, City hall, county and federal court houses, Blasco library main branch, the very large Litton Shipyard dry dock and machining facilities, Erie sand and gravel with two dredging ships, GAF which makes asphalt shingles, and Gannon University. In Dobbins there are seven taverns, two schools and a theater.
Frontier: Located in the area of Frontier Park. There are 300 people living here, with 25 of them in a militia. This is a farming community which does some salvaging from nearby shops and homes.
McKinley Park: Located in the area of McKinley Park. There are 200 people living here, with no organized militia to protect them. The area is known for salvage and some farming.
Union Station: Located in the area of West 14th Street and Peach Street. There are 100 people living here, with 10 of them in a militia. They have a defense agreement with Dobbins.
The Hood: Located in the area bounded by 19th to 26th Streets and between Parade and French Streets. There are about 150 people living here, with about 40 of them being raiders.
Perry: Located in the area of Perry Monument in the Presque Isle State Park. There are 50 people living here, with about 10 of them in a militia. The area is known for fishing, limited farming, and lumber.
South Side of Erie:
Mall: Located in the area of the Millcreek mall. There are 100 people living here, with 15 of them in a militia. Resources: The area is known for having limited pre-war goods from the mall shops, farming, herding, and lumber.
Mercyhurst: Located in the area of Mercyhurst College. There are currently 100 permanent resident here, plus many students and transients. The militia has 40 members. Several of the citizens are the descendants of MARS Team E-13, which awoke many years ago. E-13, realizing something was amiss with the Project, restarted the college in an effort to pass on as much as they could. They have left the enclave an operational V-150 (20mm) and modern weapons as well as training. The last surviving member of E-13 is Brother John (John Siedhoff, age 76 as of 2123) team deputy CO.
Glenwood Park (GULP): Located in the area of Glenwood Park. There are 1,000 people living here, with 100 militiamen on active duty. The militia boasts one 60mm mortar. The area is known for farming, lumber, furs, and minor machining facilities. Home of Trader and sage Daniel and his smelly feet.
East Side of Erie:
General Electric: Located near the General Electric Co., railhead and surrounding area (East 12th Street and Franklin Avenue). There are 1,500 people living here now. The militia is large and effective, with 150 active members, 50 reservists, 5 tanks, and 2 artillery pieces. The area is known for machining facilities, finished foods, and military arms. The light tanks are locally made and not for trade. They have a crew of four and are armed with a 50mm cannon and two .30 caliber machineguns. The 75mm artillery piece is also locally produced and not for trade. They produce three types of small arms. These are the GE rifle (similar to the Springfield), the GE SMG (similar to the M3A1 Grease gun, not for trade), and the GE pistol (similar to the M1911A1). They also produce ammunition for all the above weapons, fragmentation grenades, and demolition charges.
Harbor Homes: Located in the area of Dowling Avenue and Buffalo Road. There are 300 people living here now, with about 50 forming an irregular militia. The area is known for farming, iron, and food processing.
Other groups in Erie:
There are other groups in the Erie area. These include about 130 pirates living in various small bands around the area, 40-60 Ghouls living in the area near Pittsburgh Avenue and West Grandview Boulevard, 30-50 Slavers wandering Interstate 90, and about 500 tribe members and wanderers.
People who have contributed to this entry:
John Raner
Monty Pommer
Ken Portz
Julian G.
Karl Zohler