BELIAL.
wanna bewitch you in the moonlight
FALLOUT: WINDY CITY BLUES
lore
lore
Year: 2297
City: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Main areas: Magnificent Mile, Waterfront/Navy Pier, South Works/South Side, Chicago Loop, Montrose Beach
Canon Timeline:
NV ending: (2281, 16 years ago) House Wins. Legion decimated and the NCR licking their wounds (Shady Sands you are okay!) However, Tunnelers have found root in most of the Mojave, reducing most civilizations to graveyards or forcing them to retreat further into the desert. The Strip has been heavily fortified, with Freeside left to ruin.Nearby Vaults: Vault 86 (Montrose Beach Testing Lab, Abandoned), Vault 97 (Outskirts, under Harlem Irving Plaza, Abandoned + Opened by BoS in 2198, one year after their arrival)
Fallout 3: (2277, 20 years ago) Project Purity Success/Capital Wasteland is nice and watered, settlements are flourishing.
Fallout 4: (2287, 10 years ago) Institute blown up; Prydwen blown up; Minutemen and Railroad have taken control over the Commonwealth. They maintain a shaky symbiosis, helping escaped and surviving synths make passage out of the Commonwealth while dealing with their own butting heads over who should run things.
After Chicago was nuked in 2077, the land went to waste almost immediately. Immense radiation levels had hit most of the Heart of Chicago, meaning that many people were ghoulified, if not outright vaporized, on impact. The water turned a sick green and brown, most of the buildings decimated, and severe radiation storms swept through the city and surrounding neighbourhoods.
While those who had the unfortunate privilege to be alive while the continent soaked under massive radiation and infighting were forced to hide and attempt to find resources, Chicago was quickly cleaned by looters and raiders. The streets were a treacherous wasteland of their own, with debris and rubble blocking most entrances. Those who were in the many skyscrapers when the bombs dropped would be stuck for some time after; pleading and hoping that somebody would save them.
But nobody would.
It would take the survivors months and even years to find stability in the shaken up city, but by then most of the citizens left alive were ghouls. The initial time period following โD-Dayโ resembled that of a fairly normal, if not desperate, situation. The aforementioned raiders and looters had just about taken total dominion over the streets, killing and robbing anyone spotted in their turfs. Radiation levels in the city meant that those who had been ghoulified lasted much longer and were hardier than their untouched competitors, either driving out the humans who had somehow outlasted a bomb and radioactive fallout, or outliving them altogether. Feral ghouls littered the streets, making day life a hazard for anyone outside.
For a century this remained as the status quo, and the ghoul citizens of Chicago took up residence and authority in their towers. Perhaps driven mad by the radiation, they proclaimed themselves chosen by God for their ability to survive the fallout. The rumblings of a cult began, though it would take no permanent name or status for a while; merely providing the backing needed to elevate these ghouls in prestige. While Chicago was once a populous, informative city; it became an isolated wasteland once the rest of the world was cut off. The first ghoul to take up dominion over the tallest tower, Sears tower, called himself the Duke. The rest that followed sought stability as much as decorum, holding authority over any humans that wandered by or near. Of the raider bands that lived on the streets, one of the larger groups made their way to the Southside, taking over the South Works Steel Mill and holding up shop there. Chicago was certainly inhospitable, at least until the Brotherhood arrived in 2197.
Picking the city as clean as they could, the BoS faction that rooted themselves in Illinois did their best to fight back against the raiders. Two viable Vaults were traced to be within the city, and the BoS was determined to find them. It became an all out war, The First Battle of Chicago, with a good portion of the street level raider bands being slaughtered by the BoS. Chicago became rather empty by then, with all of the major raider factions getting wiped out. The BoS found one of the two vaults, but radiation levels were too intense and they were driven out with only some of the pre-war tech inside scavenged.
The room left behind is where the humans came in: those who had either sought refuge in Chicago or were taken captive by the raiders or the Ghoul Courts. The Ghoul Courts of Chicago thrived under these new conditions, using their skyscrapers as castles as much as refuges. The one condition of being human and living in a ghoulโs tower was that you were subject to them, and thus a slave trade began on the streets of Chicago. The Magnificent Mile became home to this, and Barons were made in order to hold authority over the streets and the trading. The Lords came sometime after, handpicked by the Ghoul Courts, to own any smaller buildings on the Mile.
Manpower was needed after the Battle of Chicago in order to clear the streets and maintain authority where the leftover raiders, or any new ones, had made gaps. Regular raids by the Steel Works Titans and โScrapersโ (climbing scavengers that are capable of raiding tall buildings, though they are less reactive and offensive than the ground level raiders) made a need for a strong security force.
The Pinkertons were formed in 2205, based upon a pre-war organization but intended as security and scouts for the towers. Formed as a mostly human group of bodyguards, they were treated more fairly than the slaves and granted several benefits. When they proved their worth they elevated in rank, rising to the top of the towers that they were assigned to. Those who were fiercely loyal and extremely formidable guarded the Duke closely, a high level of honour among the human citizens of Chicago.
With the Duke Sears I, his intention was to solidify ties between the ghoul population and the human population in Chicago. Seeking to end the territory dispute and war with the Steel Works Titans, Duke Sears I sacrificed a lot of the land and resources in order to compromise with the Titans. This caused significant complaint and outcry from the Lords and Barons. With the Pinkertons working alongside Duke Sears I to stem any active rebellions by the Lords, there was a peaceful period for Chicago; and the population and land progressed and developed well.
This lasted fifteen years until Duke Sears I was assassinated, and while nobody knows who shot first, the Pinkertons and Lords were keen to blame the Titans and the other humans for this. With Duke Sears II, the first Dukeโs successor, a pro-ghoul mentality was forced back into popularity. The slave business boomed at this time, with Duke Sears II taking deals with the raiders in the area rather than the Barons in some cases to sell and buy slaves; encouraging a lot of poaching by some of the raider factions in order to earn caps with Duke Sears II. The citizens, ghoul and human alike, found themselves ignored in favour of a robust economy. Children went missing, families were divided and many disappeared without a trace: vague faces seen from the high windows of some of the skyscrapers.
In 2258 the slaves and human population revolted against their ghoul overlords, working with the Titans to push an aggressive front. The Second Battle of Chicago, more colloquially known as the Magnificent Mile Massacre, resulted in significant lives lost; including innocent slaves and citizens caught in the crossfire on the Mile. At the end of it, however, the humans proved victorious.
Duke Sears III was a human, and in the limited time that she was in power, sought to improve conditions for the slaves and humans within the city. For five years humans had the majority power over Chicago, but a dispute within the human council (the non-ghoul equivalent to the Ghoul Courts) led to a slaughter on the top floor of the Sears building. The Steel Works closed their doors after this, fully barring entry to anyone who wasnโt human and who wasnโt allied with the ghouls. A small revolt triggered in the midst of the change in power, with the Pinkertons splitting in half: those who were loyal to the original ghoul powers, and those who were loyal to a human cause. The dissolution of the Pinkertons led to a serious fracture in the organization, with those who participated on the pro-human side of things hiding out underground. Eventually, they formed their own group of rebels located in the Chicago Midway Airport.
There was a power vacuum for several years after this point, wherein the Marquess of Amoco (AON Centre building) attempted to wrest power from Sears Tower. Eventually a persuasive ghoul made his way to to the top of Sears tower and claimed it, naming himself Duke Sears IV, and after cutting down the last Marquess of Amoco, put one of his own allies in charge and managed to hold the most power and control than any of the other Duke Sears. Rather pro-ghoul, but not as reactive as the previous Dukes, Sears IV has returned to a lot of anti-human laws, with the slave trade on the Mile being transformed into a limited a pool of available Chicago citizens, attempting to close the city off to wastelanders who do not have permission to enter. The Pinkertons who had remained loyal were greatly rewarded for their side in the previous revolts and power successions with cushy apartments in the tall buildings, good pay, and pension.
It has been this way for the last ten years.
THE DUKE - Controls the most sway in opinion, forms as a figurehead of Chicago with power and sway over what happens. He claimed Sears Tower ten years ago after the last Duke was killed. Pro-ghoul and Anti-human laws. Duke Sears IV is the current Duke.
THE LORDS - Minor ranking nobility that have held dominion over their smaller buildings, or several. Lord Wrigley oversees the Magnificent Mile and all adjacent buildings.
THE (SLAVE) BARONS - Those who lead each slaver group are so-called barons with a badge of authority in the streets. They live amongst the Magnificent Mile and hold their stock and trade there. While technically outranking the Lords, the Lords tend to have more land than the Barons, the Barons work by providing payment to the Lords to hold the land. Itโs a mutually beneficial agreement that has only led to a few insurrections every year or two.
THE SOUTH WORKS TITANS - A gang operating in South Chicago based out of the South Works Steel Mills, having come into existence during the Pink Revolt and staking their claim on the steel plants since. They run a tight ship, working their members to the bone and not beyond execution or exile to those who threaten the current power structure. Led by โGutzโ Gutierrez. Pro-human, they are a safe haven for those who wish to escape their slavery within the Chicago skyscrapers.
REBELS - Of the Pinkertons that diverged in the schism, and anyone else that no longer holds position and instead seeks to usurp the unfair power dynamic in Chicago, the Rebels hold their base at Chicago Midway Airport. They are in regular talks with the Titans but have never come to an agreement on who should lead the resistance; resulting in a stale movement and lack of action.
BROTHERHOOD OF STEEL - Though they made their stance in the year 2197 as they attempted to take the city of Chicago from its inhabitants, they were eventually deterred by radioactivity levels in the city as well as being unable to find the vaults that they had been looking for. Their numbers have dwindled over the 100 years, but occasional scribes make their way into the city. Since the Eastern Chapterโs collapse some years ago, the Brotherhood is torn apart from the inside trying to resurrect their once insurmountable power across the continent. Reduced to torn flags and dented power armour, they lick their wounds and regroup away from civilization.
THE ENCLAVE REMNANTS - Boogeymen in the shadows, few know anything of the Enclaveโs whereabouts or where their compound in Chicago is.
SCRAPERS - Faction of skyscraper climbing scavengers, theyโve got the gear, youโve got the shit (they want). Prone to trying to break into elite class towers.
HANCOCKS - Having taken control of John Hancock Centre, this band of raiders specialize in brute force communication. Two large broadcast antennas sit at the top of the building, and by holding control over some of the radio, they operate via payment for messages and information shared via the waves. A more neutral raider faction, they use radio to listen for availability and lax guard schedules in order to loot and pillage.
REAVERS - Deadly violent, the Reavers are a faction of hit-first-ask-later type of negotiations. They have a plethora of drugs in their control and a weird assortment of weapons, holding their base in the Medieval Torture Museum. They operate Drug Runners, couriers of sorts, that deliver their goods to the highest bidders.
BURNHAM PIRATES - A group that took over the Burnham Harbour and hold jurisdiction over the boats docked in the harbour as well as the neighbouring park and Soldier Field. They have a large open field market and homes for citizens within the stadium, but they charge crazy rent and will send anyone who doesnโt pay to the bottom of the harbour with bellies full of lead and rocks.
APOSTLES OF ETERNAL LIGHT - A sect of the larger group had made their way westward following Project Purity, eventually seeking out the ghoul haven of Chicago to take root. Considering it their holy land, they have spread themselves around the four towers and pledged themselves to service under the ghouls. Though they are part of the serfs, they seem to be happy with such a position, attempting to sway others into such willful obedience.
PINKERTONS - Group of human bodyguards formerly tasked with protecting the Ghoul Courts and their towers. Their numbers were more than halved following Sears IIIโs reign, with those who remained being rewarded for their loyalty. Though they are not the same taskforce, they take on private protection jobs for the ghoul elite, or for the Mile. Trained in subterfuge as well as combat and defense.
THE GHOUL COURTS - Four โfamiliesโ of ghoul elites, negotiating peace through the Duke in their respective towers. Greedy, power obsessed and pre-war contenders.
Marquess of Amoco (AOC Centre)
Earl of John Hancock (John Hancock building)
Viscount of Chase (Chase building)
Viscount of Biggred (Big Red/CNA Centre)
The City of Chicago has been razed, bombed and brought back up several times over in the last two hundred years. Most of the skyscrapers have been brought to the ground, resulting in blocked streets and natural blockades from the wrecks. For some reason the tallest remained, and a handful of the smaller ones: regular buildings are here and there on availability, depending on proximity to the bomb originally dropping and the resulting rad storms.
Despite being the original city of one of the many nukes dropping, Chicago is far from the Glowing Sea in terms of perpetual radiation: though it is much higher than other settlements or major cities that have come about since the end of the world. The longer one stays, the more rads they soak in. Ironically, going higher also results in an increase in radiation poisoning: mostly due to the belief that the radiation left over from the nuke has fully incorporated itself in the cityโs atmosphere. A dome, of sorts, encompassing most of the city of Chicago.
Raider bands line the streets and hold their ground, separating their turfs with markers and lines drawn in blood red ink. Anywhere you tread outside of the Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier is subject to raiders. Most say that this is because of Duke Sears Iโs deals with the local raiders for peace and enterprise in slave trading all those years ago; a bargain that has kept to the present timeline.
Chicagoโs main industries are serfs, within their borders, and booze and drug dealings. The slaves are used predominantly as security force for Lords and Barons, though a small pocket remains oh so lucky as to be within any of the main five towers of Chicago. They are security, manual labourers, employees and anything in the middle without any payment; they work until they die. Families are torn apart in such a way, with most travellers or wastelanders that find themselves within Illinois or any neighbouring states ending up spirited away into a life of perpetual work. Remnant Pinkertons who have allied themselves with the Rebels, those who seek freedom and fair due for the Chicago serfs, do their best to infiltrate and sabotage the industry.
The South Works Steel Mill holds the predominant pro-human dealings, and they are a more aggressive front to the Ghoul Courts. Working in tandem with the Rebels, though those boundary lines are shaky as well, they act first and ask questions later. Insurrection within has resulted in numerous leaders coming and going.
Within the main four towers of Chicago are ground level bars/speakeasies and entertainment. Those who wish to visit Chicago must have permission from the Duke to roam the city freely, with added protections, lest they find themselves indentured into servitude or murdered outright by bloodthirsty bandits.
The aesthetic of Chicago is somewhere between the usual radioactive wasteland that is the rest of the USA, but with the flare of a city that has returned to its 1920โs roots as well; with additions, flares and decorations influencing this. The Lords are mobsters, the Barons their thugs and sellers, and the rest of the raiders fall somewhere in between
Electricity is maintained within the four towers, and sparsely allocated to the rest of the city. The need for a strong and more resolute source of power is well known by the Ghoul Courts and the Duke. The Brotherhood knew this too.
