Wisconsin is a wild and wooly place, with several enclaves vying for power and a whole lot of nothing in between. The crazy nuts of Napoleon's Own are based here, and the Shipmen have several lakeside enclaves. Large areas of the state are empty and barren, and disease, shortages and exposure continue to take their toll on many local communities. The frigidly cold winter weather and the predations of marauders have made life tough, but the land is good and food is often plentiful.
Milwaukee, SS-17
Madison, SS-N-8
Discretionary Nuclear Targets:
Green Bay, SS-18M1
Eau Claire, SS-19
Kewaunee Nuclear Reactor, Kewaunee County,
SS-17
Situation, pre-war: Wisconsin was an area typified by farms and small industry. Agriculturally very prosperous and fertile, a wealth of small communities provided markets for goods and a basis from which light industry could meet the needs of the farms. The entire region was largely self-sufficient. There were several small cities in the area, notably Eau Claire and LaCrosse. While they had some heavy industry, these towns served more as administrative and consumer centers. Such industry as did exist was primarily supportive of the regional economy and had to do with farming, dairy products, etc.
Situation, the war: Wisconsin was hit hard by the war. Eau Claire, Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay received direct hits from Soviet missiles. The extreme southeastern corner of the state got one or two missiles for good measure; missiles originally targeted for the Chicago area. Further, a "bracketing" effect took place as targets outside of the state were hit. Most of Northern Illinois, Duluth and Saint Paul in Minnesota were hit at the same time. The bracketing effect effectively prevented survivors from leaving the area. But survivors from nearer the points of impact headed for central Wisconsin. After all, the area was known to be an agricultural paradise, full of food and having no targets worth bombing.
Situation, post-war: Wisconsin had it rough. The war either destroyed or neutralized government, transportation, and long-distance communications. The refugees from the target area were too numerous for quick assimilation. They had to be fed, clothed and housed, all at once, at the onset of winter. In the absence of governmental organization and ready transport, it could not be done. Many perished. Many turned to robbery and looting. Groups of desperate refugees often dispossessed whole communities, thus adding to the problem. Disease and famine followed. Some refugees carried artificial plagues, spreading these amongst fellow refugees and locals alike. But after that first winter, natural disease became a threat as the medical apparatus to handle them dissolved. There were no medicines. Simple tetanus, in the absence of vaccinations, was again a killer, as were rabies and other diseases previously thought "treatable". Sometimes due to loss of population, sometimes because armed desperados in the area made it unsafe to farm too far from home, large areas of land went uncultivated. Some areas were so hopelessly overcrowded that it was impossible to produce enough to feed them all. Stores dwindled rapidly. Areas far enough from targets grew a surplus of food, but it could not be moved in sufficient quantities to make a difference, nor could they be moved quickly enough. Quietly and slowly, a new Dark Age settled over Wisconsin.
The people of the land: Within ten years after the war, the population of Wisconsin had fallen to the point that it looked like in another ten years there would be no one left at all. However, that was not to be. 150 years later, the population of the state is about 100,000 people. Most of these people live in the south, near the Mississippi or near Lake Michigan. Many people do live in the interior, but not in the same density. People living near the waters, east or west, tend to be more civilized. They have more outside contact. A fare amount of trade comes and goes in these areas, much of it over the waters. Along the Mississippi, tobacco is available, as well as cotton and other items from the south. Trade on the water is sometimes conducted on a group basis with many people traveling together as traders, almost like a sea-going caravan.
Native Americans: No less than five tribes existed in Wisconsin before the war. Left to their devices on their reservations, a majority of these people survived. The Wisconsin Indians are now migratory, spending their winters in the north near the old reservation lands. With the coming of spring, they move south or southwest, towards Illinois and the Mississippi. The tribes do not number more than 10,000 souls in all. The Indians encountered in the state take two forms. One is a group of families traveling together, men, women and children, animals and their trains. The second group are young men on horses looking for a little bit of fun. These horsemen, nominally serving as cavalry scouts for the larger body of Indians, often wander off to count coup on unsuspecting travelers.
Towns and villages: No new towns have been built since the war. Most towns have been uninhabited ruins since shortly after the war. These are usually rubble mounds or ghost towns now and are overgrown with trees. Some have been stripped of portable useful items, others have not. Some have served, or do serve, as bases for bandit gangs. These are almost always to the south. Old metal road signs are frequently the only means of identifying the ruins. Those towns that are still inhabited have similar qualities. None are very full, and the threat of danger makes citizens patrol their borders regularly. Many towns have walls around them, but these are mostly in the south. Farms surround almost every town, with the farmers living in the town and coming back before nightfall. The largest towns are in the south or along the Mississippi. In the south, all the people live in the towns for mutual protection. In other areas, many isolated farms and homes were never abandoned. With the population rising again, there is a movement to spread out, clear land and begin new farms. Hunters and trappers operate in the bush and only visit the towns to trade.
Government: Simply put, there is none. A primitive form of Greek City States exists as the most common form of local government. Given the low population and minimal commercial activities, there are no wars but two or more towns sometimes band together to combat a bandit gang. The lack of government is both a good and bad thing. Taxes are low to nonexistent. There is no red tape and no law other than the Golden Rule. But there are no roads, no police or fire departments, and no schools.
The Mississippi River: Known to the locals as "The River" or the "Big River", the Mississippi forms a barrier to the west. There are neither fords or ferries and the only bridges exist at LaCrosse and north of Saint Paul in Minnesota.
The ruins of Eau Claire: Eau Claire was destroyed during the war. Situated in a valley, the outlying areas were not much affected by the blast or fire. The radiation has tapered off, but is still high in the valley itself. Nothing human lives in or near Eau Claire, and people know to avoid it.
LaCrosse: LaCrosse is the largest town in the region. In-town residents number in excess of 500, with many more in outlying areas. The farmed lands of the flats are quite extensive, stretching about 3 miles north and south of the town. The town is not walled for the ruins are too extensive to make the manning of such a long wall practical. The inhabited portion of the town is semicircular, with the flattened portion of the circle facing the river. LaCrosse is the center of trade for all of lower Wisconsin and Minnesota. Boats plying the river north and south stop here to trade, often trading for items form the interior. Annual trade fairs have been held each July for the last 30 years.
Maxwell's Militia in LaCrosse: A contingent of Maxwell's Militia (see Indiana for a complete explanation) is still here in LaCrosse, still holding onto the former glory of that empire. Shortly after the war, a platoon of the Militia was sent to LaCrosse to hold the bridge across the river. They have never left, and their descendants still maintain their vigil over the bridge. While technically independent of the town, they in effect are the militia for LaCrosse, cooperating closely with the mayor on security issues. The militia is just 20 men, but they are well-armed with old M1 Garand rifles, for which they have an ample supply of ammunition. The militia also has an M60A1 tank, that was driven here just after the war and promptly broke down. It is now dug in as a pillbox, its cannon covering the approaches to the bridge. The cannon is functional, though only HE shells remain.
Mondovi: A small farming settlement, typical of most similar towns in the state. The outskirts of the town are in ruins and uninhabited, but are used as a rag-tag sentry area. There is no town wall. Mondovi has no more than 200 residents who make their living farming, hunting, smithing, etc. The community is largely self-sufficient. Most weapons are black powder types, but some others exist, shotguns being a particular favorite.
Black River: While the town itself was demolished long ago, it is known now for a popular tavern and inn located on I-94. It is the only human habitation along the Interstate between Menominee and Tomah.
Technology: Overall tech is at Level F for most of the region. Steam technology is the norm, though the wood-burning style in use is less efficient than 19th century coal burning models. Most weapons are black powder flintlocks, but with rifled barrels. In the absence of most drugs, medical conditions are primitive. Surviving twentieth century knowledge has greatly improved the cure rate, but serious conditions are usually fatal.
Commerce: Trade for necessities is the limit of commerce, and is considered an act of desperation. The village solicited is expected to provide the requested goods, for a price, and the village requesting aid is "in their debt" until such time as the debt is collected. There is no standard for the value of the debt and demands for collection are highly subjective and usually at the whim of the leader of the collecting village.
"Karhu": Formerly the town of Beechwood, Michigan, along Highway 2 in the thick Ottawa National Forest. Now a fenced-in village with surrounding a pre-war underground bunker with an armed military force spread out in a heavily wooded valley nearby. The military tradition of Karhu stems back to the original "Freemen", a neo-Nazi white supremacist group who founded the bunker before the war. In the chaos after the nuclear strikes, rumors spread of the stockpile of food and supplies there, and the bunker was besieged by refugees for many years. The residents fought off all comers, solidifying their power in the region. Karhu is run by a chieftain known as the "Warlord", who serves until death and his replacement is chosen by combat. The soldiers are known as "White Warriors" and are about 200 strong. What they lack in training they more than make up for with firepower, having modern Mauser M225 rifles and even a quantity of LAW rockets. These weapons come from the stocks of the bunker beneath the town. They also have a well-stocked medical facility and a machine shop. Lookout towers are scattered throughout the region, having been built many years ago before the ability to construct such things was lost. The towers are concrete and covered, with open gun ports that enable firing in all directions. There are always two Warriors in each tower armed with their normal weaponry as well as occasional LAW rocket. Over the years they have adopted the limited relationship with neighboring villages common to the area, but always assume a dominant posture and get their way via their unspoken threat of aggression. The Warlord demands that all villages in the area must provide women to produce offspring to increase the available forces. These women are treated like chattel and live only to serve the whims of the male soldiers. The Karhuans value and protect their women based solely on their reproductive potential. The most fertile are kept in the bunker to bear children. After giving birth, they are sent up to the village to care for the growing children for a year. After several children or a failure to produce children for a period of time, they are released to the Warriors in the valley. The Warriors ride out periodically to savage local towns and exact tribute and women. As they are so well-armed, they rarely are challenged.
Iron River: Home of a group of Cons from the east that wandered into the area about seven years ago, taking up residence in the ruins of Iron River, at the southern end of the Karhu valley. See the entry for Michigan for a full explanation of the Cons. They are now slavers in the employ of Karhu. They are armed with clubs and knives mostly, but also with a few rifles provided by the Karhuans.
Crystal Falls: A Michigan town at the intersection of Highways 141 and 69. Now a walled town of 75 people, the local economy revolves around the unique art of glassblowing and blacksmithing. Wittsend was once known for excellent flintlock rifles, but the raw materials for these guns have run out nearly 20 years ago. The town has several snowmobiles, running on grain alcohol. There is no school and education is done orally. The town lives in perpetual fear of attacks from White Warriors from Karhu and from beasts in the woods. The current mayor is Matthew "Judge" Welch, a capable leader who will serve until death, he gets tired of it, or the people get tired of him. He has a well-maintained H&K G-3 assault rifle, but has never seen any ammunition for it.
Sam Hancock: A traveling trader ("Wilderness Outfitter") stranded for the winter in Wittsend. He came from the south and has set up a temporary shop beside his wagon, with an old sign over the door that says "Sears Catalog Outlet". He has things that are rare or unavailable here, including lanterns, fine leather goods, copper jewelry and paper. He also has an incredible amount of knowledge about conditions south of here all the way down into Illinois.
Monongahela Mine: A played-out iron mine in Iron County, Michigan near Crystal Falls. Currently the winter home of a small band of two dozen Cons, an offshoot of the larger band at Iron River. They were stranded at the mine for the winter while on a foraging expedition. They have limited weapons, including two working .50 rifles and three working .75 muskets. Their camp is located well inside the mine, out of sight from the entrance.
"Ivaho": A walled town, built up from the remains of a pre-war resort along Highway 141 in Michigan that was a popular leave location for the guards at the Marquette State Prison. When the war came and the prisoners were freed, the guards on leave protected the resort town against their former prisoners and were hailed as heroes. Over time, and with the years of attacks by assorted bandits and beasts, the locals slowly gave up their freedom in exchange for the continued protection of the "Sheriffs". The town is now set up like a manor where the Sheriff's descendents rule by decree. Over time the line of Sheriffs has ruled justly, but firmly, with the Sheriff's men having absolute authority. Most citizens are serfs to the Sheriff and his deputies, who watch over the farmers, though it is unclear whether they are protecting them or keeping them from escaping. The Sheriff's men are armed with nightsticks and with .30-06 Rifles. The current head Sheriff of Ivaho is Perron Barrish, a proud, honorable man who rules martially for the protection of the citizens. There are now 130 people living here, counting the Sheriffs.
Ski Brule Lodge: Located right north of the border in Michigan, formerly a posh ski resort. The intact building have mostly buried by a recent avalanche. The main lodge structure is unstable and could collapse at any moment.
Iron Mountain: Formerly a large regional center just north of the Michigan border. Now inhabited by a group of Cons who came here from further east looking for new areas to explore. This is a separate group than the one in Iron River and the two groups are unaware of each other.
"Malegg": A town built since the war, in the forests north of Clearwater Lake. There are about 100 farmers and loggers living here, all living in fear and mistrust. There is a complex of caves in the hills nearby, which are used occasionally as the area is plagued by rampaging wolves and bears. They have an unholy alliance with the White Warriors at Karhu, helping them round up women in the area.
Long Lake: Along Highway 139, up in the thick forests of Wisconsin. A village recently destroyed by a pack of mutant wolves. The people that survived scattered into the forest, where they are suffering, being wounded, demoralized and without adequate clothing or supplies.
Radio tower: There is a pre-war solar-powered National Park Service Radio Tower near Lahti. The tower at Lahti was inoperable for decades as trees and underbrush had overgrown around it and blocked the solar panels. Recent storms and the felling of timber by the villagers cleared them, which activated the automated transmitters. The radios have been damaged over the years such that they are not tuned in or need to be recallibrated, some also do not transmit and/or receive, etc. As such, that when transmission resumed, the signal went out at a steady 56MHz.
Goodman: Along Highway 8. This small town has received the bulk of the refugees from Lahti and their resources are constrained and they do not want anymore company. There is animosity between the Godzillans and the Lathians and as the winter goes on there might be some violence.
The ruins of Green Bay: Nuked and now just a radioactive windswept ruin, picked clean by wary survivors. Populated by a large number of mutant species who occasionally menace the local area.
Flintville: A small community of some 147 souls, fairly typical of small settlements in the area of the state. They have no vehicles, and use horses and carts for transportation. Only a handful of the towns inhabitants have modern firearms (about ten men own well-maintained hunting rifles.) The other weapons are crossbows, hunting bows, knives, and about another thirty black powder rifles. The towns economy is supported by farming and hunting. Several of the nearby farms keep large herds of cattle, pigs, chickens, emus and White tail deer. They trade with other small communities for pre-war goods such as books, glass, metal, and the like. The town contains at least two blacksmiths, several tanners and seamstresses. They are a honest, hard working people who are in the middle of the growing season. This town is frequently visited by Mailmen, and about twice a year Gypsy Truckers stop by and trade with the people. This town has little trouble with roaming gangs, since they are off any major trade routes. They are occasionally hassled by the unpleasant mutants which roam the ruins of Green Bay.
Wausau: Wausau's population is larger than average, with nearly 1,000 people living here. These people hunt and farm and make babies. The town itself houses only 400, the rest live on farms up to 20 miles away. Years ago an attempt was made to form a University in Wausau. The idea died from equal parts of apathy, and the opposition of a vociferously anti-intellectual minority.
Plainfield: Plainfield was the recipient of three out of four MIRVs from a Soviet SS-17 ICBM. Why this was the case is a mystery, as certainly nothing in the small town of Plainfield warranted such attention. The ICBM undoubtedly suffered a guidance failure, small consolation for the people of the town.
Bancroft: This small town in central Wisconsin is the home of "Lucifer". A church has grown up around Lucifer and a cadre of hereditary clergy has been active here for a century. Lucifer happens to be an intact nuclear warhead, the forth MIRV from the Soviet SS-17 that blasted Plainfield 150 years ago. The warhead is mostly inert, but is still leaking radiation. There are about 150 people living in Bancroft today, and they are virtual slaves to the 15 priests who minister to Lucifer in his temple. Outsiders are driven off or killed and a cult of secrecy is in effect, as the church is afraid that someone might one day come to take Lucifer away from them.
Maxwell's Militia: For the first couple of decades after the nuclear war, the southern third of Wisconsin was tenuously held by the huge Maxwell's Militia Empire (see Indiana for a complete description). Control never really extended past the roads and the major cities, and once the Maxwell leader died, his forces slowly slipped away or fragmented. Today, there are few reminders of the Maxwell Empire to be found.
The ruins of Madison: Being the former capitol, Madison was a natural target in the war. One SLBM was targeted at the city's central core, and the warhead landed in the lakefront area. A 200-foot wide and 150-foot deep crater remains at the spot where the warhead dug into the ground before exploding, now an extension of the shallow polluted lake. Situated on low ground, the entire southern half of the city is radioactive marsh and rubble. Mutant fish and amphibians reside in the lakes, some growing to monstrous size.
NEW!!! A short adventure module set in the ruins of Madison, The Lords of Mendota.
The ruins of Milwaukee: Destroyed by a nuclear weapon and by the subsequent 150 years of neglect and violence, the city of Milwaukee now consists of three isolated enclaves of survivors surrounded by a flattened and burnt-out urban husk. The enclaves are centered around the Southridge Mall, the old breweries, and the Mount Mary College campus. The group controlling the breweries still turns out limited amounts of beer, but the main product is a limited amount of ethanol and methanol for burning in engines. The market for this is large in the city.
The ruins of Lake Geneva: Nuked by an overshot ICBM aimed at Chicago. Nothing but a huge, glassy crater remains today.
Monroe: Home city of the "Free Republic of Wisconsin", founded some 120 years ago out of the crumbled Maxwell Empire. This is the only remnant of that empire in the state, and the citizens of Monroe take pride in their unique heritage. This area has retained a high level of organization for a century and the townspeople have a vigorous program of planting every available acre of land. Not surprising with the security it brings, the area has been the destination of wandering refugees for years, and the population continues to grow each year. Today it is stable at 3,500. People are free to say and practice what they want in Monroe, and trade is always welcome. Violence is not tolerated and visitors are required to check their weapons at the gates. The Militia has about 135 effectives. Armament is mixed but there is still some left over from when the Maxwell Empire was armed with the best that the US Army could provide. Numerous broken-down vehicles and artillery pieces are kept in a field outside of town, memorials to a younger age. There are still two 4.2inch mortars that are kept in storage, along with a quantity of shells, for emergency use.
Sheboygan: Home of the largest Shipmen settlement in Wisconsin. There are some 500 people here, more during the frequent gathering of ships in the winter months. A militia is armed with light arms, a few heavy machineguns and some mortars. They have gathered a small fleet to patrol the shipping lanes into Saginaw Bay, consisting of about 25 boats of various capabilities, including one homebuilt ironclad patrol boat with a black powder cannon.
Sturgeon Bay: An enclave of 140 Shipmen and their dependents, and a growing center of trade.
"Ship Port": Formerly called Washington Island, at the tip of the peninsula stretching out into Lake Michigan. A walled village exists on the island, home to some 75 Shipmen. Protected from land-based attacks except in winter, when the water between the island and the shore is frozen solid enough to walk or drive upon. The port has six sailing ships, some cannon, and some assorted rifles. The island is their home base when they leave their women and children, when the men travel Lake Michigan in search of glory and trade.
Ashland: The only Laker base in the state, Ashland has been the port of the north since the destruction of Duluth and Superior during the war. Its population peaks at 400 when the trappers leave the forests in the spring.
Oshkosh/Appleton: These two cities on the shores of Lake Winnebago are still completely controlled by "Napoleon's Own". Times have recently become tough for the NO, and their time on earth is ending. There are just 330 people left alive in the ruins, mostly in small settlements around the lake. The institute is still inhabited by some 40 people, about half of them descendents of the staff. The very name of Napoleon's Own still strikes a combination of humor and worry in the hearts of many Wisconsiners, and people avoid this area out of tradition. Locals either believe that the people are possessed by the Devil or that their condition is contagious and can be passed by simple contact. Either way, the two cities are given a wide birth.
People who have contributed to this entry:
John Raner
Chris Van Deelen
Joab Ben Stieglitz