(This is a noncommercial, fan-generated writeup for The Day After Ragnarok RPG.)
Kiwanis Independent (Day After Ragnarok)
Type of Organization: extra-national mutual aid society
Current Goal: Stopping the downward spiral of the Serpentfall
Membership: 15,000-25,000 (estimated, and scattered all over North America)
Headquarters: Indianapolis (since 1947)
Strongholds: Canada, Mayoralities, Texas, USA
Where they’re fighting: Iowa Soviet, Konfederacy, Poisoned Lands
History: The Serpentfall ‘merely’ drowned or killed most of the Kiwanis’ membership (including its just-elected President); it did not wreck the Kiwanis’ Chicago headquarters or organization. The group managed to maintain itself until 1946, when it elected Captain Ben Dean Jr President. Dean was the son of a previous President, and one of the few USAAF officers who managed to make it out of Italy before the Serpent fell on it: under his ongoing leadership (Dean looks set to keep winning the election every year indefinitely) the Kiwanis now energetically recruit. The group is still officially male-only, but otherwise they take anybody who knows how to shoot, knows when to stop shooting, and who doesn’t mind taking a blow or two for the United States of America. …Or Canada.
In 1947 the Kiwanis leadership, along with the leaders of the Lions and the Elks, did The Great Convoy from Chicago to Indianapolis. Some people claim, usually while they’re looking over one shoulder, that they did this before Chicago’s Mayor Ed Kelly could manage to have all three groups’ presidents ‘retire’ in favor of hand-picked Kelly cronies. Nobody’s ever proved this, but if there is a Kiwanis group in any area directly administered by Chicago then it’s keeping a low profile. Then again, most Kiwanis groups qualify as low-profile: outside of the largest cities, it’s rare to see a group of more than three gather together.
Members of the Kiwanis get into a lot of lonely trouble. The average Kiwanian considers himself lucky to have another full member within a day’s travel; like the Texas Rangers, they operate without much backup – but unlike the Rangers, they’re not particularly trained or equipped to compensate for that. About the only things that Kiwanians have going for them right now are that they’re ready to be there when something needs doing, and that people know it. They’ve already acquired the reputation of being people that you can kill or maim, but neither intimidate nor bribe. The longer they last in one spot, the more the Kiwanis recruit and build up, and the stronger they get. Give Kiwanis Independent enough time, and they’ll end up being a full-fledged chivalric order. An extremely active one.
Assuming that they make it through the end of the world, of course.
Number typically encountered: 1-3. 2 or 3 represents an actual problem in the area. If 4 or more are encountered, they’re probably on their way to go attack a monster or bandit gang and you might as well save yourself some time by tagging along.
Stats: Use the Soldier template, with +1 to Charisma and Smarts d6.