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- Origin
- Pre-War
- Post-War
- What Outsiders Know
- The Reality
- Population
- Territory and Locations
- Organization
- Government, National and Local
- Justice, Social Control, Punishment
- Political Factions, Dissent
- Famous/Infamous Persons
- Relationships with Other Groups
- Culture
- Ethnic Groups, Emigration and Emigration
- Social Divisions and Castes
- Religion, Beliefs and Superstition
- Morality and Values
- Progress and Failure
- Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender
- Education and Language
- Environment and Agriculture
- Food
- Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation
- Fashion and Appearance
- Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture
- Equipment and Resources
- Economy
- Science, Medicine and Technology
- Weapons and Military Equipment
- Communications
- Vehicles
- Aircraft
- Watercraft
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A trading town on the main route into the Northwest. Trade routes lead east (into Montana), north (to Colville), south (to Fort Boise) and west (into Hand of Jehovah territory).
Origin
Pre-War
Just ordinary citizens of Washington and Idaho.
Post-War
Several nuclear strikes devastated Spokane, Washington, and nearby Fairchild Air Force Base. The municipal airport was struck by a 650 kiloton surface burst; another 650 kiloton surface burst, and a 600 kiloton air burst, destroyed Fairchild, only 8 kilometers from the municipal airport. Over Spokane proper, a 600 kiloton air burst destroyed the city. Widespread fires, concern about radioactive fallout (winds carried radioactive debris from Fairchild AFB and the municipal airport onto the city proper), and freezing temperatures led many survivors to flee west or east along Interstate 90 in the days after the attacks.
The town was shrouded in snow and ash for two decades after the war; the end of the Long Winter brought massive floods, which washed away much of the remaining infrastructure. In the mid-21st Century, settlers moved into the Valley, mostly refugees from the War of the Remnants.
Trading from across the Big Rocks (the Rocky Mountains)
What Outsiders Know
A well-defended, neutral trading post and waypoint. The inhabitants are spoken of as "ghoulish", with a preoccupation about bones -- human bones.
The Reality
You'll just have to visit and find out.
Population
The town supports 2000 persons -- about half of them live on the fortified island. The community includes about 700 adult men (over 18), and a couple hundred children.
Territory and Locations
The center of Bone City is on Canada Island, nestled between waterfalls on the Spokane River. Scavenging and farming goes on within 10 kilometers or so of the island -- farming is mostly to the east, in the area once known as Spokane Valley.
Organization
Government, National and Local
Bone City is ruled by the heads of five trading families. More to come.
Justice, Social Control, Punishment
More to come
Political Factions, Dissent
The traders, who live on the island, dominate society.
Famous/Infamous Persons
More to come.
Relationships with Other Groups
The River Folk (Snake Clan) get along reasonably well with the inhabitants of Bone City.
Culture
Ethnic Groups, Emigration and Emigration
More to come
Social Divisions and Castes
More to come.
Religion, Beliefs and Superstition
More to come.
Morality and Values
More to come.
Progress and Failure
More to come.
Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender
More to come.
Education and Language
Expect the Bone City residents to know Unislang and Road Talk; the literacy rate is low.
Environment and Agriculture
More to come. There are about 150 farmsteads and other agricultural outfits in the valley.
Food
More to come. Salmon, wild game, berries, camassia roots, potatoes, mutton, goats, waterfowl. Goat and sheep provide dairy products.
Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation
More to come.
Fashion and Appearance
Besides the rough coats, and generally "northwestern" look, the Bone City people have bones and feathers in their beat-up "prospector" hats. No, they're not human bones.
More to come.
Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture
Bone City itself, on Canada Island, has sturdy, low buildings covering much of the island. They're build of masonry, one or two stories, with all sorts of warehouses and storage yards. Bars, bazaars, and trading stations line the long Main Street.
A couple of suspension bridges link the island to the shores of the river; they will each only support the weight of about a ton, and are only 2 meters wide.
Equipment and Resources
Economy
While referred to as a trading town, Bone City is more of a staging point for trade caravans. The locals provide goods and services for overland traders along the old Interstate 90 route.
There is a River Folk "factor" here, to arrange shipments to Colville. Very rarely, an important shipment or message will be sent down the river.
More to come.
Science, Medicine and Technology
More to come. There are electric lights (at least) on Canada Island.
Weapons and Military Equipment
Simple cannons are present on the island; the residents of the farming areas have lots of cap-and-ball weapons, and almost every adult male on the island (the "trading community") has a cartridge firearm of some sort.
Communications
There is a simple telephone system on Canada Island. A system of bells and an air-raid siren are used to warn the community about fires, attacks, floods, and other emergencies. Otherwise it's couriers ...
Vehicles
Civilian transport is all horses, donkeys, carts, wagons, and foot. The trading organization has some tractors, a semi-tractor truck, and some trailers for the "portage" to the east (along Interstate 90). At least one of the tractors and one trailer have makeshift rifle-proof armor. The truck and tractors are gasogen-powered.
Trade to the west is usually done at the River Folk docks at the Grand Coulee Dam ruins, 120 kilometers along reasonably good roads. The semi-tractor truck and trailers are mostly used for this.
Aircraft
None of that.
Watercraft
The Spokane River isn't usable for trading purposes at Bone City; a few rafts or rowboats are used to down the river. There's a cable ferry east (upstream) of Canada Island.
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