back to the Index

 

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

 

 

 

     A minor agricultural town

Origin

 

Pre-War

     Santa Fe was the capital of New Mexico. The city itself had a population of about 50,000, about half of which were Hispanic; there were some Pueblo and Navaho Indians living in the area. It was located on Interstate Highway 25 (formerly US Route 66), near the Rio Grande river. The AT&SF railway ran through the city.

 

Post-War

     A single MIRV warhead from an SS-11 missile detonated 600 meters above the city, with a yield of 350 kilotons. Essentially all structures were destroyed out to 5 kilometers from the blast; and buildings (and persons) out to 8 kilometers were set on fire. About 80% of the population was dead almost immediately, and all of the city was destroyed except an area to the southwest (near the airport). The wind carried fallout to the south and southeast, but also brought heavy fallout from the various attacks at Los Alamos. The survivors fled within days, and the area was abandoned within a couple of weeks.

     After the Long Winter, the previous semi-arid climate turned entirely arid, with cool winters and hot summers. The area now receives only about 8 inches of rain annually -- mostly from summer thunderstorms.

     The ruins of the old city are overgrown, and avoided by the locals; it's obviously different from the surrounding countryside, but nothing except a few bank vaults and other sturdy structures extend more than a meter or so above the ground level.

 

What Outsiders Know

     A small agricultural community near an old, destroyed city. Traders normally come through if they're avoiding bad weather or raiders on US 84.

 

The Reality

     Pretty much as above.

 

Population

     About 1000 persons live in and around the town, southwest of the old city. The valley supports another 5000 persons, in a few hundred very small towns, haciendas and ranchos. The population density of the valley as a whole is about the same as Mongolia, or Australia; ranches are typically 6 kilometers apart.

 

Territory and Locations

     The town is in a broad, dry valley (over 3,000 square kilometers), though which the Rio Grande flows. It's more than 2000 meters above sea level. Background radiation levels are somewhat high by 20th Century standards, but not very hazardous unless you disturb the topsoil. The locals don't do much gardening, due to a traditional concern about radiation, but by 2139 the danger isn't much compared to the other health hazards of the 22nd Century.

 

Organization

 

Government, National and Local

     A council (ayuntamiento) controls the town itself; the council members are known as regidores. Every spring, adult women and married men elect the regidores; in practice, most voters live in the town, and only a few of the rancheros from outside of the town shows up to vote. A jefe is then chosen by the new council, to handle security and relations with the outside trading groups.

     The council supports the schoolteacher in town; decides disputes about contracts and land ownership; checks the validity of weights and measures; supervises the feria; and hears criminal cases. They would also call out any number of adult men as the militia, if needed.

 

Justice, Social Control, Punishment

     The jefe tries minor cases; more serious ones are referred to the ayuntamiento. Possible punishments are hanging, banishment, or fines; there is no jail. A common alternative to a monetary fine is either public work, or restorative labor. Once or twice a decade, the Rangers or the Cartel have been asked for help against raiders or lunatics.

 

Political Factions, Dissent

     Young, unmarried men are definitely a "force for stirring up trouble". The few settled outsiders (traders mostly) have an outsized influence due to their wealth and connections.

 

Famous/Infamous Persons

 

     Nobody particularly since the Atomic War. A few notable current residents:

 

• Ricardo Perez - a horse-dealer, and a contact with the Rangers. Bald, with a particularly glorious bandito mustache.
  

• Trademaster Gagan, a short, balding man, from Bazaar in the Tradelands. He usually comes down in the spring, and returns to Bazaar in the autumn.
  

• Lieutenant Shim, a thick, dark-haired, unintelligent warrior from Dry Fort, in the Tradelands. He and his six men came with Gagan, as guards and teamsters.
  

• Father Juan Garcia, the priest. A white-haired, stooped old man.
  

• Felip Alvarado, a blacksmith, regidor and the current jefe (he's been jefe several times before). He's a powerfully-built man, with a large family.
  

   
  

Relationships with Other Groups

     Hardly any. Trading groups of the "trucks and nice stuff" variety visit about once a year. There is fairly regular contact with the Far Traders at Albuquerque, and Cartel convoys come through and stop overnight every month or so.

 

Culture

 

Ethnic Groups, Emigration and Emigration

 

     Probably 75% Hispanic in background, but very mixed. Immigration happens from time to time -- the valley has a reputation as being peaceful. Young men from the valley sometimes go off to work for the Cartel, and return after they retire, found a "foreign" wife, or "make their pile".

 

Social Divisions and Castes

     The townsfolk and the inhabitants of the ranches and villages have some issues; but nothing very stressful. Heads of families are very important; unmarried men have little say in decisions. The "richest" people are the owners of large ranches (haciendas); they sometimes act as tiny despots, without any reference to the jefe or ayuntamiento in Santa Fe proper.

 

Religion, Beliefs and Superstition

     The locals are more or less Catholics; there is a church and priest in the town.

     While it may have been very wise at one time, the "don't eat vegetables from around here" belief is essentially a superstition now.

 

Morality and Values

     Respect for the parent's and their siblings; obedience; family unity. Raiders, robbers and highway bandits are barely considered human, and probably don't get judicial trials very often.

 

Progress and Failure

     Marriage, and offspring, are a goal for men.

 

Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender

     As with most of the modern world, there are notably more men than women in the population. Women and married men are the decision-makers. Women are more often literate (and numerate) than men, and usually handle the "accounts" and conduct trading for their families. A "family" (in the sense of people living together) will often have a couple (husband and wife), several of the husband's brothers, and the couple's children. Men who marry are expected to support their brothers, and certainly have an incentive to work them hard, and find wives for them.

 

Education and Language

     Komerk is the predominant language in the valley, followed by Road Talk -- most residents will know enough Road Talk to get along. Literacy in the town is about 50%, but much lower in the farms and villages. Among women, literacy is nearly 90%.

 

Environment and Agriculture

     The valley is a dry scrubland; irrigation from the Rio Grande is not very widespread. Ranches raise horses and goats. Low-grade sugar and woven straw items are the only crop products traded in any notable quantity.

 

Food

     Heavy on meat and dairy products; generally, kind of "Mexican".

 

Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation

     The local musical style in the farms is ranchera and norteño; in the town there are one or two banda groups (best known for performing at the feria).

 

Fashion and Appearance

     Very typical of the post-apocalyptic southwest. Men have big mustaches, and wear straw "cowboy hats"; adult women wear long dresses.

 

Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture

     Most buildings in the town proper are in "pueblo revival" style:  beams protruding through walls, flat roofs, stucco or adobe walls, covered porches.

 

Equipment and Resources

 

Economy

     It's a fairly poor area, and doesn't attract a lot of traders. There is a feria in the late summer, where traders come up from Albuquerque and Tucumcari to buy horses and goats.

 

Science, Medicine and Technology

     Hardly any; the area is at an early-nineteenth century level of development.

 

Weapons and Military Equipment

     The locals carry knives and (when mounted) lances. A prosperous man might own a muzzle-loading musket; the head of a family, or a merchant in town, might own a revolver. A couple of the stores in Santa Fe sell muzzle-loading guns and black powder.

 

Communications

     Entirely by mounted couriers, on foot, etc. There is no newspaper nor a printing press closer than Tucumcari.

 

Vehicles

     Horses, and horse-drawn wagons.

 

Aircraft

     None.

 

Watercraft

     None.