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A ruthlessly profit-driven trading clan, primarily focussed on controlling, trading and profiting from clean water. They wear white clothing, fly a white flag, and paint their vehicles and equipment white.
Origin
Pre-War
The Clean themselves have been known to claim descent from some pre-War water-related group (name TBD), but there's nothing to substantiate that belief.
Post-War
Not long after the Long Winter, as water supplied began to dry up, the Clean began their trading in potable water. Originally formed by agreements between the people controlling oases, dams or non-toxic springs, they intermarried and slowly became a clannish, family-based organization. They have established many of the traditions and systems used by newer trading groups such as the Crystaltime Merchants and the Cartel.
What Outsiders Know
As the societies of the wasteland have developed their own water sources, the Clean's grip on fresh water supplies has diminished. They are still an important trading group.
Until roughly 2100 AD, the Clean engaged in campaigns to force communities and organizations to buy water only from Clean traders. Destruction of competing water systems, bribery, covert violence, embargoes and other amoral tactics gave them a grim reputation but much wealth, which in turn allowed them to purchase weapons, slaves and equipment. A series of small wars with defiant communities and competing traders has broken the Clean monopoly.
About two-thirds of the people in a Clean enclave are actually slaves. The Clean are considered benevolent, if strict, slave owners.
The Reality
The Clean would like nothing more than to re-establish their water monopoly. Within the organization their are two major factions: traditionalists, who plan for ways to control all water supplies; and open traders, who wish to expand the Clean's activities to all forms of commerce, not just water.
Population
The Clean probably number several thousand non-slaves, plus about the same number of slaves. They employ a fluctuating number of mercenaries. Two-thirds of the Clean members are on the road, trading and otherwise advancing their clans' wealth and power.
Territory and Locations
Various camps in the American Southwest, from the Mojave to Texas. A "camp" is usually at a notable well, reservoir or water source - Tucumcari and Arid City are two well-known locations where the Clean obtain water.
Organization
The Clean Water Clans are, as the name would indicate, a loosely-bound set of families.
Members speak Unislang among themselves, but know Road Talk and (somewhat reluctantly) Komerk.
Equipment and Resources
When on the road, or expecting trouble, members wear old armored vests, and carry 20th Century firearms. Traditionally, the Clean carried scimitars, but the more "modern" members have largely given up using them.
Vehicles
A variety of old jeeps, trucks, and tankers, mostly painted white and using gas-generator engines.
Aircraft
None.
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