Campaign of the Month: June 2014
Battletech (Farscape) : The New Breed
The Petrópolis Free State
Shattered Nation-State
Description:
Built on the foundation of Petrópolis, and the province that it formally occupied under the rule of The Federative Republic of San Marcos, this emergent nation-state is commonly referred to as the Orange Free State, owing to their new flag with its national colors, as well as the Orange River that flows through the city. Its borders are viewed as the same as those formerly held as a district within San Marcos, plus a small portion of land once held by the neighboring Bethlehem district.
Located in the central zone of the continent, along the present border between The Marcosan Mandate and The Republic of Buntar, it exhibits a wide bio-diversity. At least a quarter of the nation lies within the southern mountain chain bordering the capital city, with the western portions being noted for their swampy nature, and with access to some coal reserves.
Rapid deforestation of the lands around Petrópolis, particularly on the western borders, have led to increasing problems with local fresh-water supplies. A noted decline in polluting practices in the local river basin have helped, but the threat of collapse remains a real issue. Support for reforestation efforts, and seeking a modern water-recycling program are required, but the money and investment doesn’t exist, making this matter the primary reason the nation-state cannot expand or develop much beyond its present status.
The destruction of the capital has severely devastated the nascent nation-state, making the central portions of the province a nuclear wasteland. Refugees from the central portions of the region initially gathered either at the international aid center of FOB “Jericho”, or scattered into the edges of the scarred province, finding places for their technical skills in many smaller farming communities. In addition, nuclear fallout has brought the district’s water purity, and its agricultural efforts, under close scrutiny.
New Jericho Market
New Jericho City
The bulk of the population of Petrópolis is concentrated in a small settlement called New Jericho City, established on the Pergamus Flats a low-lying, sandy region of plains. The present community continues to suffer from major shortages of medical supplies and basic living materials, and most of the roughly 40,000 inhabitants continue to live in survival shelters, with the rest using grounded shuttles for shelter. The military uses its own grounded DropShips as government buildings, and in support of their operations.
In 3034, the only major industry in the region, Grupo Petrópoliswas convinced to abandon their existing site near the former capital, and with the assistance of the military moved to occupy a new location adjacent to Jericho City. This enterprise represents the primary employer for the civilian population, other than the support services of the 7th Cavalry itself.
Essentially a shanty town of makeshift buildings and tents with a small number of buildings built from scant imported or salvaged construction materials. The city’s market place, commons area and athletic courts are located near the center of town, where the main DrpShips are based along with the new government’s facilities.
Petrópolis
Once a gleaming jewel of the planet, Petrópolis is now a smoking ruin ravaged by radiation from the two nuclear devices detonated during the Iron Dignoes devastating 3032 raid. In the blink of an eye, the potential of the region to recover from previous war and occupation by the armies of Buntar were gone. Radiation has since settled across the city, and a decimated local government attempted to put the pieces back together once again, but failed.
The 7th Cavalry have since begun trying to contain the damage, but cleaning up a city the size of Petrópolis is no small job. Only a fraction of the city was fit for any human occupation, and even this was very dangerous, radioactivity claimed thousands more lives in the following year. Digging for supplies and burying radioactive debris took more than two years. But finally, the phoenix may have risen.
Petrópolis radioactive center is presently no stronger than a few rads per hour above the craters of the old fortress, the surrounding region is giving off a level of a few rads per week. Most of the areas bordering the city have been cleaned up. Petrópolis’ post-holocaust population has no more than a few hundred rads each, and the more seriously exposed have naturally long since died.
A wall of dirt and rubble one-and-a-half meters tall and five meters wide surrounds the edge of the city ruins. Here the rubble was pushed back and buried, and good topsoil remains for half a kilometer in the rubble’s place, while the interior of the city is still a scattered and radioactive ruin. Attempts at planting grass here are set for 3036.
Central Palace Grounds : The ancient Palacio bore the brunt of the explosions, and all of its above-ground facilities are either flattened or collapsed, with the exception of the surrounding castle walls and the base of the central structure. The two shallow craters remaining from the explosions are curiously clear of debris and rubble and feature prominently in the southern half of the fortress. Rumors persist that the vast stores of munitions and supplies stockpiled by the government are still intact, but expeditions by both the 7th Cavalry and independent scavengers have found nothing.
Economy
While large portions of the local economy are dependent on agriculture and small-scale industrial workshops, electrical power and water purification are essential to the state and its economy. The workshops of the central capital are gone, though many of its surviving workers have filtered out into the surviving fringe communities, and support those frontier settlements. The remaining national industrial development is folded under the Grupo Petrópolis banner.
Grupo Petrópolis : A large conglomerate opened for operation in late-3029, the company has assembled six (6) small independent breweries among the city into a single corporate conglomerate. The company brewed a series of vodka, beers and purified water, that was widely exported across the local region under the unified “Crystal Nova” brand. The company quickly expanded its production, and once made great sales, mostly promoting its products to national sports events in Buntar.
In mid-3030, the company folded the local munitions plant under its wings, and continues to churn out munitions from recovered brass casings. Known as the “Bullet Farm”, it is located south-east of town, and is prone to minor explosions. Grupo Petrópolis converted this site into a minor manufacturing site in late-3030, adding various armored facilities for its munitions manufacturing, as well as the Taurus GTA Carbine taken from San Marcos early in their invasion and raid of the San Marcos military complex.
The destruction of the capital city initially affected the operations of Grupo Petrópolis little, as the bulk of the blast was confined to the urban sprawl around the fortress. Nonetheless, there are still concerns about long-term exposure, as well as fallout poisoning the local spring water. The organization examined its options, and in 3034 moved its mothballed brewery equipment to a new site near the new capital. In 3035, they followed-up with their munitions lines, having stockpiled quantities for the local military and for sale to whomever would pay, until the entire complex was moved by the end of the year.
Moving forward, the company is taking over management of the region’s agricultural activities on behalf of the 7th Cavalry – “The Iron Ponies” government.
The complex is still carefully protected by the small mercenary infantry force, the Company of the Rose, who are a capable infantry force that rarely leaves the confines of the industrial complex. It provides the local military and scavenger bands with weapons and munitions, and sells its bottled drinks to civilian and military alike.
Bio:
Military
While various international forces remain to help stabilize the refugee crisis in the region, the primary force operating in the region by the end of 3032, was the 7th Cavalry – “The Iron Ponies”. Operating initially under the mandate of The Commonwealth of Nations, this force quietly entered into negotiations with the three signatory nations of the Commonwealth, following the nuclear devastation of Petrópolis in early-3032.
Several months later, towards late-3032, they were deployed into the region to take over control of the governing and defense of the nation-state, with the full support of the Commonwealth, as a full signatory member once the situation had stabilized. While unusual, the need for peace in the region, combined with the mercenaries desire for a landhold of their own, has prompted the offer, and given them a seat at the table. On March 7th, 3046, they became full signatory members of the Coomonwealth, and set about deploying a force of their own BattleMechs and infantry under the banner of the Star Guards.
Moving forward, as recruitment has proven easy in the fallout of the Unification War, the Seventh Cavalry has begun organizing several light infantry battalions to take over the policing and security activities of the border regions. Equipped to fairly typical local standards, they are considered an auxiliary force of the eveth Cavalry, and operate in both the central and eastern margins of both Cabinda and Petrópolis.
In addition a small mercenary force, the Company of the Rose’ protect the Grupo Petrópolis industrial complex south-east of town.
Original Flag of the Petrópolis Free State
History
The history of the Petrópolis Free State is closely tied to its capital of Petrópolis, though it did not exist as an independent nation until its declaration following the collapse of The Federative Republic of San Marcos and its subsequent capture by The Republic of Buntar.
The capital was captured by a surprise assault by two companies of BattleMechs from the 7th Cavalry – “The Iron Ponies”, who executed an orbital drop on the city barracks, taking the local garrison unawares, and quickly subduing the town government and its surrounding lands. Within days, it became obvious they had been welcomed by the infamous Bloody Hand of Marcosa, who had promised them the town and its industries in exchange for a declaration of war against their enemy, The Republic of Buntar. On the 24th of January, The Petrópolis Free State declared itself, once more, a legal entity, and that the 7th Cavalry led its army of resistance against their oppressors.
One year later (December of 3031), the local militia rebelled against their mercenary forces, who retreated to the relative safety of the Iron Dingoes training facilities, where they rebuilt themselves and joined their earlier-evacuated dependents. The Bloody Hand of Marcosa controlled the nation-state with uniform strength.
On February 28th, 3032, * “The Iron Dingoes” executed a high altitude drop on the capital and its fortress, and engaged the local militia forces of the Bloody Hand of Marcosa. Less than a minute later, two nuclear explosions wracked the fortress and devastated the surrounding community, forcing the surviving inhabitants to flee the ruins and seek shelter elsewhere. meanwhile, the militia forces of the Bloody Hand largely dissipated, and the region became one large, refugee problem for the international community.
Over the next ten days, the signatory nations of The Commonwealth of Nations, greatly assisted by the Iron Dingoes, began trying to organize a relief effort. The international community responded somewhat, with many smaller nation-states sending small contingents of medical and technical personnel to help provide relief, all under the protection of the Iron Dingoes, while the Commonwealth scrambled to sort out the growing civilian crisis.
Today, the nation-state is largely a lawless region where the communities on the frontier are largely left to themselves, though the skilled technical personnel coming from the central regions have actually improved conditions in those communities. Regular patrols of the territory by Iron Dingoes forces under the banner of the Commonwealth, have kept the surrounding military forces from taking an interest in the region, while their infantry has provided a relative peace among its refugees who still seem stunned by the destruction of their homeland.
Towards the end of the year, the 7th Cavalry once more took up a position in defense and support of a new government for the region, with the blessing and support of the Commonwealth, offering them a position as a signatory nation in their organization once peace and stability were secured in the region. Its neighbors have remained silent on the subject, but it should be noted that they have not mobilized any additional frontier forces, and appear to have acquiesced to the position, largely to the reputation and strength of the mercenary force. International military forces had begun to pull from the region, though FOB “Jericho” remained an international center for support and relief efforts across the region.
By 3034, the international gathering point of FOB “Jericho” had developed into more than a simple refugee center, becoming the official capital of the rebuilding nation-state. Known as “New Jericho City”, it soon attracted the only industrial development in the region, Grupo Petrópolis, who took over administration of the nation’s agricultural development once their manufacturing complex was once more secure.
In 3036, the so-called “Sunbeam Incident” led to increasing world tension over the disposition of the crash site, and spill-over in conflict. The Bloody Hand of Marcosa rose up in power once more, recruiting heavily from the youth of The Marcosan Mandate. A series of ever-escalating terrorist activities attributed to the Bloody hand_ led to several nuclear attacks including the destruction of Content Not Found: the-traveller. The Bloody hand declared a holy war, and invaded the borders of the Petrópolis Free-State in early-3040, and a world-war erupted with The Commonwealth of Nations taking the lead in the counter-invasion. The Sword of the Monarch appeared and quickly turned the tide, and within weeks, the forces arrayed against the world collapsed in a general surrender, and the Bloody hand was forced into a general retreat into the shadows once more.
The Free-State occupied the province they had been responsible for invading, The Province of Cabinda, and promptly turned their attentions back to rebuilding and dealing with the fallout (literally in some cases) of the Unification War. The nation chose to remain in occupation of the province, seeking to bring the fight out of its own territory and deal directly with the continuing threat of the Bloody Hand. Recruitment exploded among the youth who saw the appearance of the Sword as a symbol of the inheritance of 7th Cavalry – “The Iron Ponies” as the future rulers of the ancestral lands of Marcosa. The occupation continues today, and increasingly the province of Cabinda is more a part of the Free-State’s development.
