Free City of Ancient Dubuque – Google Docs
Free City of Ancient Dubuque
City: Dubuque, Iowa
Population: 13,000/50,000
Controls: Dubuque County, portions of Mississippi banks
Government: Machine
Problem: Hostile City (Iowa Soviet)
Heroic Opportunity: Mercenary Work
City Aspect: Tense
The situation is extremely tense, in fact. Dubuque’s factories and industrial infrastructure came through the Serpentfall relatively intact; there was a certain amount of backwash from the Mississippi, but this far up the results were virtually miniscule. Some nests here and there of river serpents and other monsters, and that was about it.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of a military presence in the area prior to the Serpentfall, which makes for problems now. Dubuque is on the other end of Route 20 from the Iowa Soviet, and the Godless Reds clearly want access to the Mississippi — and Dubuque’s industries, which is something that the Iowa Soviet currently lacks. The old civic leaders more or less ineffectually floundered around for a full year before some moved, some died in ‘monster attacks,’ and more than a few simply disappeared. The current faction controlling the town (a mix of minor politicians, grim refugees, and a couple of local business magnates) are now half-openly working with a resurgent local Klan klavern to hold off the Soviets; it is not entirely clear how they expect to get rid of the Klansmen afterwards, or even if Dubuque’s leaders think that is going to be an option.
Of course, the large number of German and Irish Catholics in the area suggest that it will be. There’s also an increasingly militant Kiwanis club in the Mayorality that’s been heavily recruiting among refugees to do aggressive river patrols. The Kiwanis built up their strength quickly enough that it’s now impossible to dislodge them without a major war on the docks, so things are, again, tense.
All of which means that there are remarkably good opportunities in this Mayorality for anybody that’s good with a pistol. As long as he can keep his mouth shut afterwards, that is. If not, well: The Mississippi’s right there, and things still float downstream.