Mutant Screg
Totally not a mutant
Note: I got bored so I wrote this. Just a precaution, it reads sort of more like a textbook than an actual story, so that keep that in mind. Also, I'm tired as fuck, so please excuse all of my grammatical mistakes. Any feedback would be appreciated, whether it be criticism, general comments, or suggestions.
Blackridge is a prosperous town which got its name from the high valley that surrounds it from the east and west sides. Its main exports are lumber and textiles, both of which are gathered from the surrounding forest. The city is considered the gem of the midwest by the surrounding territories, and holds a population of nearly 1000, bolstered with the chronic influx of traders and travelers. Most races are welcome, excluding the super mutants, who have since receded into their own isolated villages, their numbers dwindling every year. Many citizens live in luxury, kept warm by their insulated houses, and kept fed with weekly deliveries of food. Blackridge is one of the last major cities of the midwest that is not held to NCR jurisdiction, although they still use NCR currency, and are within their sphere of influence. The city's roots go all the back to 2165, 80 years after the Great War. Not much is known of the original inhabitants, except that they founded the city in an isolated part of the world to escape some danger. The city grew and grew over the years, without going through much conflict, until the year of 2189,when a large band of raiders calling themselves the Hounds tried to take over.
The resulting conflict lasted an unexpected amount of time, going on for over six months. The Hounds would hit hard and fast, their attacks unpredictable and spread apart by days and sometimes weeks. Their location was unknown until a Blackridge lumberjack spotted their base three miles north from the logging camp. They shot at him with poisoned arrows, but he made it back to town just in time to reveal the Hounds' location just before dying. Three days later, Eric James, the leader of the community, took a party of 15 warriors over to the raiders' territory to resolve the conflict once and for all. He lost most of his squad in the battle, but was victorious. However, they returned home while it was in the midst of a Hound raid. Much of the population was lying dead in the red-soaked streets, their wooden houses burning to the ground. The people of Blackridge prevailed in the end, but at great cost. Eric James had received a fatal wound in the eye, killing him almost instantly. In his final moments, he had passed the torch of leadership down to his son Michael.
The following year was tough; Blackridge suffered a drought, most of the able-bodied men and women had been killed in the conflict, and there were not enough houses for people to take shelter in during the fall and winter. Those naked to the elements became victims of sickness, which eventually led to death in some cases. Tensions against Michael's rule were heavy, and were likely to turn violent if things didn't improve. Early in the second year after Eric's death, Michael made a public announcement, telling them that he was to leave on a journey in search of food and medicine for them all. While some were confident of his bountiful return, many believed that Michael had abandoned them. These thoughts were led by Sylus Granger, a sinister man who used Michael's absence as a chance to assume leadership. To gain the favor of the people, he gave speeches in the center of town, telling them that it was Michael's inept ability to lead that had plunged them into this famine. Granger solidified the fear that he was never returning, that he had left them for dead in search of a better life. Within a week, he had gained the favor of many people, and those that believed him began to harbor a deep hatred for Michael.
A few days later, Michael returned with a box full of food and water in his hands. He was met with praise from those who had still held faith in his return, and he got to work rationing out the food immediately, letting them all know that he would leave again in a few days to return with another box of supplies. It was then that Sylus' following quickly dissolved, and they all flocked back over to Michael, their hungry stomachs growling, their parched tongues calling out for a drink of water. Granger himself took his share of the rations, but his wicked plot had not yet left him.
That night, Michael sat down in his shack, cold but proud of keeping his promise to his people, ignorant of Granger's malevolent plan that would begin to unfold that very night. Just a few houses away and armed with a makeshift shiv, Sylus Granger crept toward Michael's house, intending to kill him and take his place as leader of Blackridge. When he was just a few feet away from his door, however, Michael walked out, intending to smoke. Granger stabbed at Michael, but in his surprise, he had been clumsy. The shiv had grazed his side instead of sliding into his internal organs. Michael was enraged by the betrayal of his own people, and in his red rage and gouged Sylus Granger's eyes out with his own shiv, and had strangled the rest of the life out of him with his bare hands. Several onlookers, awoken by the noise of the struggle, stared in terror. Michael tried his best to explain his situation in his adrenaline-fueled state of mind, succeeding in at least somewhat easing their minds.
The following morning, it was discovered that several people had fled during the night, and a man had explained them as followers of Granger.
An official trade route was established between Blackridge and the nearby town of Blakefield, a community with an abundance of brahmin and various crops. The leader of Blackfield, Adam Rorke, taught Michael their methods of irrigation and livestock breeding. Within the year, Blackridge had began producing corn, meat, and leather, and had begun full reconstruction of the town. Soon enough, lumber was being produced in enough surplus to be traded to Blakefield and several other settlements in the area. The construction of metal walls had begun, and for the first time in years, the people of Blackridge began to feel safe from the outside world.
Blackridge is a prosperous town which got its name from the high valley that surrounds it from the east and west sides. Its main exports are lumber and textiles, both of which are gathered from the surrounding forest. The city is considered the gem of the midwest by the surrounding territories, and holds a population of nearly 1000, bolstered with the chronic influx of traders and travelers. Most races are welcome, excluding the super mutants, who have since receded into their own isolated villages, their numbers dwindling every year. Many citizens live in luxury, kept warm by their insulated houses, and kept fed with weekly deliveries of food. Blackridge is one of the last major cities of the midwest that is not held to NCR jurisdiction, although they still use NCR currency, and are within their sphere of influence. The city's roots go all the back to 2165, 80 years after the Great War. Not much is known of the original inhabitants, except that they founded the city in an isolated part of the world to escape some danger. The city grew and grew over the years, without going through much conflict, until the year of 2189,when a large band of raiders calling themselves the Hounds tried to take over.
The resulting conflict lasted an unexpected amount of time, going on for over six months. The Hounds would hit hard and fast, their attacks unpredictable and spread apart by days and sometimes weeks. Their location was unknown until a Blackridge lumberjack spotted their base three miles north from the logging camp. They shot at him with poisoned arrows, but he made it back to town just in time to reveal the Hounds' location just before dying. Three days later, Eric James, the leader of the community, took a party of 15 warriors over to the raiders' territory to resolve the conflict once and for all. He lost most of his squad in the battle, but was victorious. However, they returned home while it was in the midst of a Hound raid. Much of the population was lying dead in the red-soaked streets, their wooden houses burning to the ground. The people of Blackridge prevailed in the end, but at great cost. Eric James had received a fatal wound in the eye, killing him almost instantly. In his final moments, he had passed the torch of leadership down to his son Michael.
The following year was tough; Blackridge suffered a drought, most of the able-bodied men and women had been killed in the conflict, and there were not enough houses for people to take shelter in during the fall and winter. Those naked to the elements became victims of sickness, which eventually led to death in some cases. Tensions against Michael's rule were heavy, and were likely to turn violent if things didn't improve. Early in the second year after Eric's death, Michael made a public announcement, telling them that he was to leave on a journey in search of food and medicine for them all. While some were confident of his bountiful return, many believed that Michael had abandoned them. These thoughts were led by Sylus Granger, a sinister man who used Michael's absence as a chance to assume leadership. To gain the favor of the people, he gave speeches in the center of town, telling them that it was Michael's inept ability to lead that had plunged them into this famine. Granger solidified the fear that he was never returning, that he had left them for dead in search of a better life. Within a week, he had gained the favor of many people, and those that believed him began to harbor a deep hatred for Michael.
A few days later, Michael returned with a box full of food and water in his hands. He was met with praise from those who had still held faith in his return, and he got to work rationing out the food immediately, letting them all know that he would leave again in a few days to return with another box of supplies. It was then that Sylus' following quickly dissolved, and they all flocked back over to Michael, their hungry stomachs growling, their parched tongues calling out for a drink of water. Granger himself took his share of the rations, but his wicked plot had not yet left him.
That night, Michael sat down in his shack, cold but proud of keeping his promise to his people, ignorant of Granger's malevolent plan that would begin to unfold that very night. Just a few houses away and armed with a makeshift shiv, Sylus Granger crept toward Michael's house, intending to kill him and take his place as leader of Blackridge. When he was just a few feet away from his door, however, Michael walked out, intending to smoke. Granger stabbed at Michael, but in his surprise, he had been clumsy. The shiv had grazed his side instead of sliding into his internal organs. Michael was enraged by the betrayal of his own people, and in his red rage and gouged Sylus Granger's eyes out with his own shiv, and had strangled the rest of the life out of him with his bare hands. Several onlookers, awoken by the noise of the struggle, stared in terror. Michael tried his best to explain his situation in his adrenaline-fueled state of mind, succeeding in at least somewhat easing their minds.
The following morning, it was discovered that several people had fled during the night, and a man had explained them as followers of Granger.
An official trade route was established between Blackridge and the nearby town of Blakefield, a community with an abundance of brahmin and various crops. The leader of Blackfield, Adam Rorke, taught Michael their methods of irrigation and livestock breeding. Within the year, Blackridge had began producing corn, meat, and leather, and had begun full reconstruction of the town. Soon enough, lumber was being produced in enough surplus to be traded to Blakefield and several other settlements in the area. The construction of metal walls had begun, and for the first time in years, the people of Blackridge began to feel safe from the outside world.
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