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Origin Pre-War Post-War What Outsiders Know The Reality Population Territory and Locations Alpine Pass Cayuse Pass Future Jefferson Lelooska Olympia Zog 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

 

 

"Pure For Life"

     Racist and fascist, descended from survivalists; they now control a lot of land in Washington and northern Oregon. Note that "corp" is pronounced like, and meant to be, "corps".

Origin

 

Pre-War

     A mix of survivalist groups and rural communities. Jeremy Cole was the leader of a particularly paranoid, well-equipped group in Washington state; he and some of his followers were the subject of law enforcement investigations from time to time. Cole and his "purists" were neo-Luddites, convinced that industrial society would destroy humanity and the world. Scientists, the United Nations, and "the Left" were among their perceived enemies. They went by various names over the years -- the Freedom Club, Purity Movement, Liberty Army, Free People's Militia, etc.

 

Post-War

     There were fifteen communities in the initial Corp. 

     In 2001 there was a 6.1 magnitude earthquake near Olympia, damaging many buildings there (and bringing down many un-maintained buildings and bridges around the Puget Sound).

 

What Outsiders Know

     People in the Northwest know the Corp as a major, aggressive faction in the War of the Remnants. The Canadians know of them as a problem west of the Rockies, and blame them for weapon smuggling into Canada.

     Elsewhere in America, they're little known. 

 

The Reality

     A crude, racist, sexist and violent culture, bent on conquering the Northwest.

 

Population

     Even the Purists don't know for sure, but probably all told 50,000 persons live under their control. More than 5,000 are actual Purists -- free warrior males over the age of 18.

 

Territory and Locations

 

 

     The Corp controls a wide band of territory across central Washington; recently they've made alliances with a few communities in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Their communities include:

 

Alpine Pass

 

     Mostly important as a defensive location.

 

Cayuse Pass

 

     On the east slopes of the Cascade Range, this town is important to the Purists for food supplies, and as a defensive post.

 

Future

 

     The major industrial center for the Purists. Thousands of people labor here in what amounts to slavery. Foundries, scrapyards, lumber mills and workshops stretch for several kilometers along the river. An open-pit coal mine about 8 kilometers northeast of the city provides much of its energy needs; the coal is low-sulfur sub-bituminous ... not very good for railway or marine uses, and susceptible to spontaneous combustion during storage.

     The Chief here is Martin Cole, b. 2099 (age 41 in 2140).

 

Jefferson

 

     A minor town in the Willamette Valley, but about the only place allied to the Purists in that region.

 

Lelooska

 

     A minor town in the Cascades, important as one of the original Purity Corp locations.

 

Olympia

 

     A resource and industry center for the Purists. Salvaged material from Seattle, Tacoma and further north is gathered here; much of it is sent south to Future. However, the Olympians are working to improve their industrial base. The Chief is Ezra Hennis.

 

Zog

 

     The official "headquarters" on Mount Ranier; it's the former Paradise Inn. It has lost much of its importance to the Purists in recent decades -- it's hard to get to and can't support many people. Most of the year about 500 people live here:  about 100 Purist men (age 18+) assigned there, and 30 male slaves. 100 concubines serve the Leader; 20 serve the Chief, and 140 serve the other Purist men. About 65 boys and 35 girls are being raised. Before the roads close in winter, most of the people move to other towns until March or April. The Chief is Tom Braithwaite.

 

Organization

 

Government, National and Local

     The PC is controlled by the Leader, a hereditary dictator. The various towns and large military units are controlled by Chiefs; Captains, Lieutenants, and Sergeants form the rest of the hierarchy (PC males under age 18 are ranked as Privates). Their current Leader is Jeremiah Cole (b. 2106, age 34 in 2140), direct descendant of their pre-War founder.

     The Enforcers are a combined police and military.

 

Justice, Social Control, Punishment

     A variety of harsh corporal punishments are employed, including (most often) flogging. Deserters are hunted down and killed. Judgements above the level of flogging are handed out by the Chiefs.

 

Political Factions, Dissent

     The various descendants of Jeremy Cole jockey for inheritance of the Leader position. Purists who aren't descended from Jeremy Cole may be working to gain power.

 

Famous/Infamous Persons

 

     The Leaders:   Jeremy Cole (1950-1995), Curtis Cole (1969-2002), Lee Cole (1990-2035), Russ Cole (2009-2061), Jake Cole (2035-2077), Edwin Cole (2038-2082), Curtis Cole II (2060-2102), Alfred Cole (2084-2133), Jeremiah Cole (2106-present).

 

Relationships with Other Groups

     Unsurprisingly, nobody likes the Purists. However, they carry on trade with the Hand of Jehovah, and some merchants traveling from over the Rockies.

     Technically, they are at war with the Combine, although neither side seems eager to resume hostilities.

 

Culture

 

Ethnic Groups, Emigration and Emigration

 

     White supremacists, the Purists themselves are all Caucasians. However, there are many slaves and indentured workers in Purist regions; some of the slaves are non-white -- many are Native American.

 

Social Divisions and Castes

     The Leader and other descendants of Jeremy Cole; the Enforcers; the usual run of Purist adult men; women and children; and slaves.

 

Religion, Beliefs and Superstition

     The Ancients (people from just before the Atomic War) previously great culture had been diluted by an abominable mixing of races. This led to a pollution of the species that only magnified human weaknesses. In the case of America, most "white people" were unprepared, weak hedonists; the Communist lands were filled with bestial, aggressive sub-humans.

     Purists consider mutants to be sub-humans, fit only for slavery -- and that only after being sterilized. They hold a wildly-inaccurate set of beliefs about how mutants are created (involving fraternization between races, mostly).

     A common slogan is "Pure For Life". A common greeting among Purist men is "Blood and Honor".

 

Morality and Values

     Purists claim to hold to a set of libertarian, survivalist values; but most of them don't have much idea of what those Ancient words actually mean.  

     Women have a subservient, domestic role in PC society. They are never sold into slavery, however -- unlike some other groups. The PC kills people -- mostly infants -- perceived as being genetically unfit. They have a "Creed": 

 

• mercy is for the weak

• bloodlines must be kept pure

• breeding must be controlled to improve the races

• different races must be segregated

• lesser people shall be treated as cattle

• all serve the Corp

 

     The Purists don't have any strong religious views ... folk with that particular outlook tend to end up with the Hand of Jehovah. 

     Male Purists want to be strong in combat, respected as warriors, and skilled at wilderness travel and survival. Marksmanship, knife fighting, fieldcraft, and supporting a family are primary skills.

 

Progress and Failure

     Blah blah ...

 

Family, Age, Sexuality and Gender

     The Purists, or at least the Leader, have no use for loyalty to family, geography, or religions -- all Purists are to be loyal to the Leader and nobody else.

     When a Purity Corp man reaches age 18, he is tested, and (if he passes) is branded and promoted to Sergeant.

     Purist men who show bravery, skill and loyalty are rewarded with extra concubines. The Leader is served by 100 concubines at Zog; a Chief will have at least 10 concubines, and each Captain, Lieutenant and Sergeant is assigned at least 1 concubine.

 

Education and Language

     Road Talk is the usual spoken language; a Purist with other languages might know Wawa or Ancient. Literacy is rare, usually only found among slaves taken from literate cultures.

 

Environment and Agriculture

     Blah blah ...

 

Food

     Blah blah ...

 

Art and Entertainment, Music, Literature, Recreation

     Blah blah ...

 

Fashion and Appearance

     All male members of the Corp are branded on the left forearm with the Mark of Purity.

     At formal events, Purist men wear white robes.

 

Urban and Rural Areas, Architecture

     Blah blah ...

 

Equipment and Resources

 

Economy

     Blah blah ...

 

Science, Medicine and Technology

     As weaponry-obsessed survivalists, the founders of the Corps have bequeathed an impressive amount of military hardware to their descendants.

     Large amounts of potassium nitrate are made, in turn used to make black powder for use in handguns, shotguns, and some cartridge weapons.

     They make a low-grade smokeless powder from potassium nitrate, sugar, and about 1% rust. Known as "rocket candy", it's also used in primitive rocket motors, smoke bombs, etc..

 

Weapons and Military Equipment

     Most adult males carry a cartridge firearm. A typical young Purist warrior will have a five-shot bolt-action rifle, a single-shot cartridge rifle or a 12-gauge shotgun.

     The most common calibers the Purists under Jeremy Cole collected before and just after the Atomic War were:

 

• .22 Long Rifle ... they had millions of rounds of this ammo, but it's largely run out by now

• 12 gauge buckshot ... the Purists stockpiled many pallets of this ammo before the War, and they still buy some, or make their own

• 7.62mm NATO, aka .308 Winchester ... they had lots of this, but not much is left in usable condition now, and the 22nd Century reloads aren't reliable in a semi-auto rifle
  

• 7.62x39mm Russian ... they liked their Yugoslavian, Finnish, etc. AK47 rifles, and had about 20,000 rounds stashed away per weapon ...
  

• .45 ACP ... there was a lot of this, but it's all been fired and the replacements were not very reliable

 

     Weapons remaining in service from the Twentieth Century are 12 gauge pump shotguns, AK47 or SKS rifles, .22 LR handguns and .45 ACP semi-auto pistols, and 7.62mm NATO bolt-action rifles. There are a lot of small .22 rifles around, but not too much ammo ... they're a "kid's gun", but the kid doesn't get much ammo.

     The fancier guns, or guns that use ammunition not stocked by the Purists, have largely been stashed away -- stashing guns is a survivalist thing, after all. The Purity Corps frowns on selling guns to outsiders.

     Stealing, or illicitly buying, 5.45mm ammunition from the DRA is always a Purist's dream. They have a few stolen AK74 rifles, and a few AK47 rifles converted to use 5.45mm or 9.4mm ammunition.

     Besides breech-loading, black-powder cannons, the Purists are fond of "spud guns" -- cheap bomb-throwers powered by various flammable gasses.

 

Communications

     Obtaining CB radios has been a goal for a decade or so.

 

Vehicles

     Blah blah ...

 

Aircraft

     None.

 

Watercraft

     A few motorboats on rivers and along the coast.