The Foundation of Mankind


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  1. Origin
    1. Pre-War
    2. Post-War
      1. The Schism
      2. Recent Events
  2. What Outsiders Know
    1. The Reality
  3. Population
  4. Territory and Locations
  5. Organization
    1. Government, National and Local
    2. Military Affairs
    3. Justice, Social Control, Punishment
    4. Political Factions, Dissent
    5. Famous/Infamous Persons
    6. Relationships with Other Groups
  6. Culture
    1. Ethnic Groups, Immigration and Emigration
    2. Social Divisions and Castes
    3. Religion, Beliefs and Superstition
    4. Morality and Values
    5. Progress and Failure
    6. Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender
    7. Education and Language
    8. Environment and Agriculture
    9. Food
    10. Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation
    11. Fashion and Appearance
    12. Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture
  7. Equipment and Resources
    1. Economy
    2. Science, Medicine and Technology
    3. Weapons and Military Equipment
    4. Communications
    5. Vehicles
    6. Aircraft
    7. Watercraft

 

 

 

      AKA the Foundation, or the Foundationists.

     Their stated goal is the preservation of technology, and the rebuilding of American civilization. They are warrior-scholars, with good military forces. Mostly found in California – their main base is Weaverville in Trinity County, California. Their monastery-fortresses rise grim and austere from the deserts and mountains; their pulsejet-powered aircraft scream through the skies.

 

Origin

 

Pre-War

 

     About three thousand individuals ended up in the Trinity Shelter; the most influential came from two sources:  a California National Guard engineer unit, and from academic staff and students at Humboldt State University, in Arcata.

     The military units and their equipment were as follows:

 

 

     On October 17, 1989, the 579th mobilized in response to the Loma Prieta Earthquake. The first mission was the construction of a parking lot for the Bay Bridge commuter ferry and the second was to assist in debris clearing and removal in the Santa Cruz area. They had just returned from those tasks and had not demobilized when World War III took place. By the time they ended their travels at the Trinity Shelter, about 800 soldiers (from various units) and 800 civilians (many of them family members from near the armories) were with them.

     About 800 persons from Humboldt State University were brought to the Trinity Shelter; about 50 of these were academics, 100 were family members, and only 400 of the students were under 25 years old. The most common academic skills were in botany and biology, which helped keep the Shelters fed during the Long Winter. The large number of HSU staff and students may explain why a pretty large amount of marijuana was, and still is, grown by the Foundation.

     A couple of hundred civilians, mostly from the Weaverville area, also became part of the Trinity Shelter.

 

Post-War

 

     Weaverville and the Trinity River Division provided supplies, power and shelter for the refugees. During the Long Winter, water was plentiful, thus power was plentiful; food was grown in miles of tunnels under electric lights. In 1990, the Shelter housed 3000 persons. The inhabitants spent about 40 years either in the Shelter, or within 20 or thirty miles of the Shelter, until after the Long Winter. Some major floods beginning in 2018 caused some damage to the dams, roads, etc. During this period, the surviving vehicles were mostly converted to gas-generator power.

     By 2030, the Foundation (as they now called themselves) had mostly moved out of the Shelter (largely due to the dangers from fire and poor air circulation), and numbered about 2500 persons. They spent the next seventy or so years strengthening their defenses, securing resources, and improving their industrial base. As the Long Summer began (about 2040) their control of a good water source gave them some leverage in the area; the Trinity Shelter once again carried water towards the Sacramento River.

     An expedition was sent north into Oregon in 2070, to investigate conditions and opportunities in the Willamette Valley and the Columbia River area -- but the expedition never returned.

 

The survivors, in fact, became an infamous group of raiders in northern Oregon -- the Pale Riders.

 

     In 2101, the Foundation controlled about 10,000 square kilometers of the Central Valley, much of it irrigated. While investigating the forests of the Coast Range for resources, an ancient buried structure was detected -- gaining entrance was difficult, but ultimately rewarding, for it contained a trove of useful technology. Since then, the Order of Prophecy has been busily finding new applications for Ancient technology. More notably, members of the Order of Enlightenment above sergeant rank are using Ancient weapons, and wearing Resistweave coveralls.

     Within ten years after finding the Morrow Project depot (for such it was), the Foundation began to expand, and came to agreements with the Cartel and other traders to provide security for trade caravans as far east as the Big Rocks (Rocky Mountains).

     Recruitment began for the legions in 2124, but this led to tensions among the descendants of the original Foundation members. Racial divisions, disagreements about the future direction of the Foundation, etc. led to a brief civil war.

 

The Schism

 

     In 2129 (about eleven years ago), General McLaughlin died at the age of 90. His successor, General Sax, vowed to continue the policies of preserving knowledge for the good of all mankind; but a large faction among the Order of Enlightenment felt this was wrong.

    Meanwhile, am ambitious paladin of the Foundation’s Inner Circle, General Todoshi, wished to assume command and take the Foundation in new directions. His belief was that the Foundation was too open-minded in its vision, too eager to give away the secrets their people had fought so hard to acquire over the decades. Under McLaughlin, and now Sax, the Foundation was slowly dying, and for what? To one-day release everything they had gained to the unworthy pups of the world?

     Todoshi led a powerful faction within the Order of Enlightenment, with nearly two-thirds of that Order behind him. He demanded a vote, and while the Council of Elders refused, General Sax also requested the vote, in the interest of democracy.

     The actual vote went heavily against Todoshi -- the Order of Prophecy was almost entirely opposed to his views. It is unknown whether Todoshi planned a coup, but an attempt was immediately made, within the chambers of the Council of Elders. Sax was slain by Todoshi, but many members of the Order of Prophecy rushed to defend the Council, mortally wounding Todoshi and driving off his adherents.

     The usurpers fled --  half of the Order of Enlightenment, and some members of the Order of Prophecy -- taking many of the fusion-powered Morrow vehicles with them. These exiles traveled to Arid City, in Texas.

     Since the departure of those factions, the Foundation has become much more accepting of locals, tribals, etc. ... but still very strongly dedicated to gathering technology and resources to rebuild America. They also stopped purchasing slaves from the Slave Takers in Oregon. There are now ten legions (each about a battalion in size) composed entirely of people not descended from Shelter inhabitants, and in fact mostly recruited in the last ten or fifteen years.

 

Recent Events

 

     In the spring of 2139 the "California Liberation Army Militia" were briefly causing trouble.

     The summer of 2140 saw the Foundation joining the Cartel, the Wastelords, Styx, the Navajo, and several other minor groups in fighting the Doom Riders, winning a notable victory at Trader Pass in New Mexico.  The other opponents of the Doom Riders included some apparent Soviet troops and Morrow Project units.

      By the summer of 2141 a series of raids by the Democratic Republic of America led to an all-out war.

 

What Outsiders Know


     Many of the neighboring "tribal" groups have vivid memories of Foundation enslavement of their friends and relatives. Some others remember the Foundation seizing items of Ancient technology.

     The Cartel pays the Foundation to establish and man forts along the trade routes east all the way to Arizona In southern California, the advanced community of Astra exchanges knowledge and scholars with the Foundation.

     Morrow Project team R-54 considers the Foundation to be a dangerous cult, and is developing plans to invade and overthrow the government, working with the Democratic Republic of America. Several other Californian nations -- the Purge Alliance, the Headhunters, the Not-Men, the Wreckers, and the Brethren of the San Francisco peninsula -- realize now is the time (since the Foundation is at the weakest it has ever been) to rise and wage a final war to extinguish this final remnant of Ancient culture and arrogance altogether!

 

The Reality

    

     As a nation, the Foundation has changed a lot in the last ten or fifteen years; a few forward-thinking leaders, and the departure of the most violent reactionaries, makes the nation a much nicer place to live.

 

Population

 

     About 70,000 persons total, or 1.75 persons per square kilometer (early 21st Century Australia has a density of 2.5 persons per square kilometer).

     The population is about 20,000 members of the Orders of Enlightenment and Prophecy (including the elderly, infirm or injured, mothers, and children); and 50,000 members of the Order of Purity -- people not descended from the Ancient founders of the Foundation.

    
age and gender distribution
age
male, P&E
 female, P&E
male, Purity
female, Purity
 totals

0-18

2,400

2,400

6,875

5,625

17,300

19-25

900

900

3,300

2,700

7,800

26-34

1,200

1,200

4,125

3,375

9,900

35-54

2,600

2,600

5,500

4,500

15,200

55-64

1,300

1,300

3,575

2,925

9,100

65 or more

1,600

1,600

4,125

3,375

10,700

subtotals

10,000

10,000

27,500

22,500

70,000

totals

20,000

50,000

"P&E" represents the Orders of Prophecy and Enlightenment

 

Territory and Locations

 

 

     The Foundation directly controls an area of roughly 40,000 square kilometers, extending north from Sacramento to Yreka, and well into the mountains on either side. The entirety of the Sacramento Valley -- from roughly Modesto and northwards) is entirely under their control.

     To the east are the Sierra Nevada Mountains; to the west are the component mountains of the Coast Range.

     The City of Dis (around Fortress Dis) is the largest city, with a population of 5,000 (including the garrison). There are twenty or so towns with a population of 1,000 to 2,000 persons. About two or three hundred small towns have about 100 or 200 persons each; the remainder live on isolated farmsteads, lumber camps, mining camps, etc.

 

 

Organization

 

     Persons participating in the Foundation's activities are either:

 

 

Government, National and Local


     The military Generals control the Order of Enlightenment; the Elder Council manages the Order of Purity and the Order of Prophecy. At the top of the national government is the General of the Foundation, selected by the Elder Council from among the existing Generals. The General of the Foundation can't alter the basic credo of the Foundation, but is a nearly complete dictator otherwise.

 

Military Affairs

 

     New members of the Order of Purity are recruited from outside of the Foundation's borders by voluntary enlistment, capture, or even purchase if notably skilled; children born to mothers in this order also become members automatically. Before 2130, most of the legionnaires were "thralls", slaves captured outside the Foundation's borders.

     Typically, five years of military service will advance a legionnaire or other low-rank member of the Order of Purity to the level of sergeant, although some brave, skilled or lucky persons have advanced to these NCO ranks in as little as six months (especially in wartime). After proving their dedication and loyalty by long service, deeds, or great success as a sergeant or trustee, persons can advance from the Order of Purity into either of the more advanced orders -- this usually takes five to ten years. This advancement has only been possible in the last ten years, however -- the social changes within the Foundation led to the Schism, and the departure of the Revenants and Dark Paladins.

     The regular troops are called Legionnaires, and wear light tan or khaki uniforms, brown leather boots, M1 helmets painted light tan (or light tan boonie hats when they can get away with it). The cut of the uniforms is sort-of like US Army fatigues:  baggy, with four patch pockets on the coat. Their LBE gear resembles the outfit for M1 Garand rifles, made from canvas and without any plastic parts. Legion and Order of Enlightenment ranks include:

 

Foundation mililtary ranks

rank

insignia

equivalent

Recruit

none

recruit

(specialty title)

none

private

Corporal

gray stripe on helmet, gray patch on each arm

corporal

Sergeant

red stripe on helmet, red patch on each arm

sergeant

Brother

white stripe on helmet, horizontal white stripe on each arm

cadet

Squire

blue stripe on helmet, two horizontal blue stripes on each arm

senior sgt, or adjutant

Knight

blue stripe on helmet, broad horizontal stripe on each arm

lieutenant

Paladin Captain

Knight Captain

blue stripe on helmet, two blue squares on each arm

captain

Paladin-Commander

Knight Commander

blue stripe on helmet, four blue squares on each arm

major

General

blue stripe on helmet, vertical blue stripe on each arm

lt colonel

General of the Foundation

blue stripe on helmet, blue Foundation symbol on each arm

--

strikeout names are out of favor after the Schism

 

     Within the Legions, some specialties are:

 

 

     These specialty names are also the lowest ranks after basic training. Many other specialties are filled from the Order of Prophecy -- combat medics, doctors, and radio operators most notably.

     Demotion within the legions from Corporal to mere "specialty rank" is fairly common, and not considered too much of a failing. Demotion from Sergeant to Corporal happens, but is a serious black mark. For the higher ranks, serious misbehavior or gross incompetence are usually punished with death by firing squad. The rank of Brother is common to both the Order of Enlightenment and the Order of Prophecy -- when promoted from this rank, the Foundation member enters one or the other of the Orders. Lateral movement between the Orders is rare but not unknown.

     The Order of Prophecy has fewer ranks:

 

rank

insignia

role

Brother

white stripe on helmet, horizontal white stripe on each arm

cadet

Scholar

green stripe on helmet, two horizontal green stripes on each arm

specialist, technician, teacher

Master Scholar

gold stripe on helmet, two horizontal gold stripes on each arm

professor, scientist

Master of Arms

black stripe on helmet, vertical black stripe on each arm

armory commander

Elder

green-and-gold Foundation symbol

academic senate

 

Justice, Social Control, Punishment

 

     The orders of superior officers must be obeyed; the laws and rules of the Foundation must be obeyed.

     A member of the Foundation is expected to acquire items of Ancient technology for the archives; nothing found can be kept for personal use (although rewards are common for discovering and turning in resources).

 

Political Factions, Dissent


     There's a significant Paladin underground in the Foundation's Order of Enlightenment. Most of their support consists of passing information to the Paladins (via Cartel truckers, usually), and stealing small parts needed by the Paladins for repairs. Members of this underground number less than 200 people. Some covertly carry an emblem -- old US Army cavalry collar badges -- to identify themselves, and will call themselves, "Followers of Todoshi."

 

Famous/Infamous Persons

 

 

Relationships with Other Groups


     The Foundation has a long, but essentially mercenary, relationship with both the Cartel and with the Iron Society of Styx.

     A long-running war with the Brethren has sapped Foundation resources for decades.

     Lower-intensity conflicts continue with the Headhunters, the Not-Men, and the Wreckers.

     In the spring of 2139 a group called the "California Liberation Army Militia" destroyed an airplane and ambushed a patrol, but by 2141 they've largely been forgotten about by anyone except intelligence experts.

     The Purge Alliance, in southern California, was opposed to everything the Foundation likes, but was overthrown by Astra and their allies.

 

Culture

 

Ethnic Groups, Immigration and Emigration

 

     About half of the population were born outside of the Foundation lands, or to thralls and legionnaires more than a decade ago.

 

Social Divisions and Castes


     Blah blah ...

 

Religion, Beliefs and Superstition


     Part of the oath of enlistment into the Order of Purity:

 

     "I am a Foundation soldier. I am a member of the greatest society on earth. Because I am proud of the uniform I wear, I will always act in ways creditable to my superiors and the nation I am sworn to reconstruct."

 

     Part of the officer's oath:  

 

     “We are a brotherhood of men, the sons and grandsons of the Ancients, inheritors of the magnificent civilization and glory that was theirs before the Great Fall. We will take up their arms, those mighty tools of war that still bear their fingerprints, and we shall don their coats of armor, and we will march forth to conquer all. We are given this right – nay, this duty – by the words of the Ancients themselves in their last days, which proclaim in letters so bold that even today, decades after their passing, they cannot be erased or forgotten…'Reclaim from the ashes what was Ours, rebuild, and bring civilization once more to the world.'”

 

     The Foundation has at its core a belief in preserving and understanding technology with the intent of rebuilding America and the Ancient way of life. However, each generation has become more "preservationist" in outlook, with many citizens having a purely ritual or even occult view of the power and use of technology. Still, there is an unusual optimism in those who are joining the ranks with each passing month, as people from all over believe that they may make a small difference in the rebuilding of the world.

 

Morality and Values


     The Foundation is the family of all its citizens; all former allegiances of a new member must be severed.

 

Progress and Failure


     The segregation of ranks creates an air of elitism (which in turn leads to envy and aspiration), and the increasing scale of privilege for those who have contributed most to the movement ensures that newcomers are continuously motivated to perform and remain loyal – and to move against those who might be spreading “lies” about the Foundation or working against it. Group punishment to instill a sense of community responsibility (and community reliance), and capital sentencing for even the lightest of crimes both are intended to promote an understanding that obedience to the traditions and laws of the Foundation is the most valued of all traits, far above human life, right or wrong.

 

Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender

 

     Children born within the Foundation enter the Order of their mother unless they strive (and qualify) to enter a different Order.

     Fertile women are an important resource of the community. Foundation scientists discovered long ago that keeping their women isolated from the "natural environment" resulted in a higher birthrate, and a higher proportion of female children being born. Members of the Order of Enlightenment and the Order of Prophecy often marry; among members of the Order of Purity marriage does occur, but the wide majority of children born into the Order of Purity are born to mothers in the Shelters, and raised by the community of mothers and Order of Prophecy teachers. Persons born into the Order of Purity usually do not know the name or Order of their father.

     Given names are almost always Biblical Hebrew; until ten years ago, thralls and other enslaved persons were given new names, and it's still common to encourage a "new name for your new life".

 

3d6

male

female

3

Isaac

Hannah

4

Joseph

Sarah

5

Isaiah

Ruth

6

Ezekiel

Naomi

7

Barnabas

 Leah

8

Ahab

Anna

9

Gideon

Rebekah

10

Samson

Deborah

11

Joshua

Jael

12 

Caleb

Delilah

13

David

Bathsheba

14

Abraham

Beth

15

Amos

Abigail

16

Eli

Joanna

17

Elijah

Judith

18

Benjamin

Dinah

 

Education and Language

 

     Citizens born and educated in the Foundation lands speak accented English, most notably rolling some of their Rs and Ls before vowels, and turn final S into a sort of Z sound. Members of the Orders of Enlightenment and Prophecy are proud of what they consider their "pure" Ancient language; members of the Order of Purity speak Unislang, plus (if they were thralls or newly-recruited citizens) various tribal tongues, or odd local languages of the Oregon/Idaho area.

     Most of the population goes through what would be considered "military training" or "boot camp" by a 21st Century observer. There's also a lot of propaganda and indoctrination material -- posters, radio broadcasts with tales of valiant and heroic knights, classroom lessons that include comparisons between Foundation live with the impoverished life of the surrounding barbarians, films clips from before the Atomic War, and displays of military and technological prowess on various national holidays.

     The literacy rate overall is low -- perhaps 40%.

 

Environment and Agriculture


     Blah blah ...

 

Food


     Blah blah ...

 

Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation


     Some Ancient forms of music -- mostly classical works or 1940s jazz -- are broadcast by Foundation radio stations, to be heard by most of the citizens.

 

Fashion and Appearance


     Blah blah ...

 

Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture


     Blah blah ...

 

Equipment and Resources

 

Economy

 

     The nation is rated as Rich, Agricultural, Industrial.

     They don't use Ancient American coinage, but make their own coins:

 

 

 

     They will accept "outside" coinage at face value, from outsiders, and will pay outsiders in "outside" coinage usually; but within the Foundation lands the inhabitants may only use Foundation coinage. Until 2125, personal possession of any notable amount of "outside" coinage was considered proof of treason or the intent to defect.

 

Science, Medicine and Technology


     Blah blah ...

 

Weapons and Military Equipment

 

     A few decades ago, the Foundation's supply of smokeless powder and high explosives was very limited; by the mid-22nd Century, they obtain most of the "precursor chemicals" (strong acids, for example) from Styx.

     The Foundation currently produces large-caliber ammunition as follows:

 

 

     Small arms ammunition is currently produced in the following calibers:

 

 

     Hand grenades are issued in three types:

 

 

     Legionnaires are equipped with a bolt-action "Legion Rifles" in 7.62mm NATO caliber, feeding from detachable M14 magazines (although spare magazines are not usually issued); some (especially artillerymen and vehicle crews) will carry double-barrel 12 gauge shotguns and an M1911A1 pistol. Machineguns in fortified locations are 7.62mm NATO motor-driven Gatling guns (built from scratch, not M134 Miniguns); on vehicles the Foundation employs .50 cal M2HB guns and M1919 Browning (known within the Foundation as the M37, converted to 7.62mm NATO caliber and using the M13 metallic linked belt).

     Cadets and higher ranks often employ Morrow Project weapons (mostly TRW Low Maintenance Rifle).

     Some sergeants, and most higher ranks, wear Morrow Project resistweave coveralls, obviously old and patched.

    

Communications

 

     Blah blah ...

 

Vehicles

 

     We have a page with detailed information on some of these.

 

 

Aircraft

 

     Before the discovery of Depot Alpha in 2101, the Foundation had already built several light aircraft, leading to the "Hamael" series. The concept of a gyrocopter gunship caught the imagination of the Foundation's aircraft manufacturing team, leading to the "Cherub" series. Once the Foundation had a working methanol pulsejet design, they began work on a fixed wing pulsejet/ramjet "fighter", mostly due to the limited range and speed of the Cherub gunships. After a few failures and prototypes, the "Gabriel" class first flew in 2033.

     Unlike their ground vehicles, all Foundation aircraft use alcohol fuels.

 

 

Watercraft

 

     The Foundation patrols some rivers, the San Francisco Bay and the Rift, mostly to keep the Brethren and raiders at bay. Gunboats can be expected to pass by once an hour or so, at any spot between the north end of the Bay and down to Fortress Abel at the end of the Rift. The primary base and shipyard is at Crux; a smaller shipyard is at Rainbow, on the coast near the ruins of Arcata.