Arlington

Ruling Class: Democratically elected Council of Elders.
Motto: Fatherland, Ancestry, Law.
Flag: An oriflamme with two stripes of sky blue and grey-brown, and a rectangle of black in the upper left-hand corner. There is no emblem.
Description: Arlington is a remote wilderness town. Its people are not very religious, though bear no ill-will towards those who are. They are proud of their local culture and rarely troubled by crime. They are surrounded by deep monster-infested forest. They draw their water from an underground springs and maintain quality of life by fiercely protecting their territory and by liberating and patching up weapons, vehicles and equipment salvaged from dead adventurers and the Broodkil that make their home in the surrounding wilderness. They have intelligence-based trade agreements with a couple of kingdoms and some loose ties to the Coalition States. Although the last contact was approximately 35 years ago. Arlington is named after Mathew Arlington’s great great grandfather whose heroics and clear vision of the future saved the town from a zombie invasion during the Dark Age of Man. Although its numbers have steadily deceased over the generations, the people of Arlington remain strong and have a long and proud past. During the day a large open market operates out of the center of town and children can be seen freely playing on the streets. During the night, most homes are kept in relative darkness save for the bare essentials. Modern convinces are allowed during certain times of the year (usually following a large trade with one of the nearby settlements) but are considered a luxury by most. There is a local radio channel called AVR that plays serials and keeps the community informed on local events and festivals. The same people run a small cable channel that replays reruns from old Pre-Rifts television. However, their collection is incredibly small and anyone who was raised there has always seen everything in their library.

City Statistics
Population: 800.
Population Breakdown: 85% are Human, 10% are Quickflex Aliens and 5% are other humanoid D-Bees.
Orientation and Disposition: Tight Bonds and Strong Family Ties.
Size: Military encampment. The entire settlement heavily fortified and regularly patrolled but is no bigger than a a few of city blocks.
Weapons and Armor: Superior; the community has a full arsenal of S.D.C. and M.D. weapons.
Militia Equipment: All town defenders are clad in M.D.C. body armor; 20% will have homespun armor (32 M.D.C.), 50% will have Chipwell Huntsman Armor (50 M.D.C.) and the remaining 30% will be in refurbished CA-1 Light Old Style “Dead Boy” Armor (60 M.D.C.). Likewise, all members of the acting militia are assigned an S.D.C. sidearm, an S.D.C. hunting rifle, a Vibro-Knife, a light or medium energy weapon and either 20 E-Clips or boxes of ammunition (or any combination thereof). There is a 1-10% that any member of the militia will have two hand grenades (1D6 M.D.; 10 foot/3m area) and another 01-10% chance that they will have access to heavy weaponry upon request.
Finally, in a pinch the town has enough M.D. weaponry in storage to issue a M.D. sidearm to every 10th person and most private households will have 1D4 S.D.C. firearms (Handguns or Hunting Rifles). Conventional ammunition is plentiful and can be made in town. Most weaponry in Arlington is patched up Coalition Weaponry.
Robots, Powered Armor and Vehicles: 10 suits of Chipwell Land Roamer Power Armor (135 M.D.C., no weapons; costs 102,000 credits each), two PA-06-A SAMAS (one nicknamed Old Sam the other Duncan) and two CTX-20 Grinning Skull Tanks (Big Boy and Boomer).
Medicine: Very Good. A small clinic with a dozen sick rooms, two surgery rooms and a good selection of medical equipment. The clinic has two full-time Body Fixers (One Human the other a Quickflex Alien; both are 5th level of experience), five nurses/paramedics. The town also has six midwives to aid in the delivery of children and treat common illnesses. Because Arlington’s doctors are not miracle workers and so all their soldiers are instructed to use ambush and hit and run tactics where possible. This is also the reason they are outfitted with lighter armors that do not compromise their speed or maneuverability. The leading Bodyfixer “Doc” is also a skilled veterinarian. The city recently assigned a refurbished armored hover truck (formerly belonging to one Peter Johnson) for use as an ambulance.
Agriculture and Natural Resources: Fair. The crop yield is minimal but it is enough to survive. Farming is difficult because of Broodkil terrorism and other roaming monsters, but not impossible. Most of the town’s food is fruit and vegetables from private gardens grown in the town and sold at market and game animals.
Real Estate/Land: Bad. The surrounding woodland is plagued by marauding gangs of Broodkil that come down from the Rocky Mountains in search of chaos, violence and high technology. Although Arlington is relatively small these monsters sometimes threaten the city. To prevent hostile encounters with civilians, the council has recon scouts patrols scouting the nearby territory on a regular basis. Monsters are also common, the largest and most fearsome of which is the predatory Rhino-Buffalo.
Vehicles and Fuel: Very Basic. Vehicles are uncommon because the town typically lacks the fuel to power them on a regular basis. The hollowed out shells of old cars are a common sight on the streets and they are commonly used along with sandbags when the towns defensive wall requires additional fortification. Much of the towns power comes from solar as they lack the scientific know-how or facilities to safely produce nuclear technology. Arlington sometimes goes for 1D4 months at a time without fuel. They depend almost entirely on salvaged fuel sources and trade for bio-diesel from Douzor.
Administration and Social Structure: Utopian. Although it may not work on a larger scale. Arlington Council of Elders and simple democratic family orientated government has allowed the community to thrive for generations where others would have collapsed. There is no risk of social decent and no corruption within the government body.
Alignment: Unprincipled and Scrupulous. The people of Arlington are a kind and warm people with a strong sense of family, order and personal responsibility. They are taught from childhood the history of their family, that Arlington is their home and the dangers of irresponsible behavior. Everyone is expected to do their part if they are to survive. Children reach “adulthood” by approximately age 12-14, which is when they are expected to start contributing to the community (Learning to shoot, cook, build fortifications, hunt full time, etc).
Magic: Vague Understanding. The people of Arlington share many beliefs of the Coalition States, including that magic is a dangerous force. Although they will welcome practitioners of magic into their community (at least so long as they need their business), they should not expect to stay long. The militia are trained to fight demons and are likely to be able to identify a wide range of these monsters and possess a limited understanding of their capabilities (“They can turn you to stone, this one can shoot fire out of its eyes, etc.”). There are no local practitioners of magic in Arlington.
Racial Tolerance: Reasonably Tolerant. The people of Arlington are a community of compassionate survivors. So long as their rules are obeyed and their hospitality respected most people will feel welcome. The only exception are known practitioners of magic and supernatural creatures who will be viewed with some suspicion and unaided by the community in an effort to politely motivate them to leave. Although they may be unnerved by inhuman or monstrous D-Bees at first, in time they will come to accept them.
Trade: Limited. Arlington has established trade routes with Douzor, Kamath and some other nearby less notable settlements but their trade relations are poor. They do not produce anything of any real value and rely almost entirely on materials scavenged from the Broodkil and the other roaming monsters that prey on unwitting travelers in their region. These means they are often at the mercy of fate, but when they do find a cache it will often keep them going for months, sometimes even years. Their primary trade resource is information. Arlington’s scouts are incredibly skilled at reminiscence and their technicians have become well-versed at recovering data from damaged or lost computer systems.
Threats: Dangerous. Although Arlington is in a perilous location, its small size and position, scouts and fortifications keep it safe. Although from time to time the town still comes under attack from random lunatics, roaming monsters and the occasional demon.
Skill level & Professionals: Arlington is a small town with a number of exceptional individuals. For ease of reference they have been compiled below along with those provided by other fields under “notable NPCs”.
The Community Overall: Poor. Predominantly unskilled, illiterate laborers. Only 9% of the community are literate. Their overall technology level is low. Although they lack the ability to produce or construct high-tech vehicles or weaponry, they are skilled at patching them up and keeping them working for years after their expiratory date.
Shelter: Excellent. Most of Arlington’s buildings are hundreds of years old, dating back to long before the coming of the Rifts. Although many have seen better days and the majority (90%) are S.D.C. structures. The other 10% are structures that have been reinforced over the years with Mega-Damage plating (300 M.D.C. each). There are utility buildings, fences and a solid and well-maintained defensive wall constructed out of sandbags and savaged debris. The wall stands about 5-6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters) tall and there are seven wooden towers standing 10-20 feet (3 to 6 meters) tall that are manned by observers at all times. Arlington’s greatest defense is prevention.
Security and Fighting Force: Sheriff & Militia. 70% of the adult population is a member of the militia. The militia is run by Bob Drumlin (7th level CS Commando; retired) who commands nine deputies; ll are the equivalent of 3rd level CS Grunts and were trained personally by Bob, which of which are Bob’s own sons (Glenn and Douglas).
Power/Energy: Solar & Fuel Burning Power.
Special Features: A large, advanced garage (Mac’s Workshop), Country Maps, Cellars, underground Robotics Workshop (currently used for storing ’Bots and vehicles), Limited Computer Equipment, Old M.D.C. Materials (salvaged materials are kept in an old refitted recycling center).

Notable NPC Residents
Ardy Rockefeller (1st level Human Bartender)
Beverly Caldwell (3rd level Human Politician)
Bob Drumlin (7th level Human CS Commando; crisis response expert)
Darren Scott “Old Man Scott” (1st level Human Politician)
Donald Bush “Doc” (5th level Human Body Fixer; former veterinarian)
Douglas Drumlin (3rd level Human Soldier; equivalent CS Grunt)
Calvin Lewis (4th level Human Merc Soldier: Transportation Specialist; tank pilot)
Calvin Lewis Jr. “Lewie” (1st level Human Merc Soldier: Transportation Specialist; tank pilot).
Carmen Bennett (4th level Quickflex Alien Merchant; trader)
Christopher Frye (4th level Human Operator; fortification expert)
Fred Singh (6th level Human Hunter-Trapper; demon hunting expert)
Greg Drumlin (3rd level Human Soldier; equivalent CS Grunt)
Jojo Parks (2nd level Quickflex Alien Hunter-Trapper; big game hunter)
Mathew Arlington (6th level Politician; head of the Council of Elders)
Philip White (6th level Human Operator; data-recovery specialist)
Rebecca “Becca” Coe (3rd level Human Wilderness Scout)
Robert Cooper (2nd level Human Power Armor Pilot)
Roger MacDonald “Mac” (5th level Human Operator; mechanic)
Rudy Smith (3rd level Vagabond; latent psychic healer)
Sarah Smith “Smith” (5th level Human Wilderness Scout)
Vladimir Schultz (5th level Quickflex Alien Body Fixer)

Notable NPC Locations
Ardy’s Bar: Run by Ardy, a lonely balding man in his early 40s, Ardy’s bar is a rather ritzy establishment with rosewood flaws and a well-maintained bar. It has a jukebox, a large flat-screen television and happens to be one of the few places in Arlington with its own private generator. This means Ardy’s is something of a privilege and is frequented by the locals. Its exquisite private rooms seem remarkably out of place and sport all the modern amnesties one would expect to find in a big city — ideal for adventurers or visiting businessmen. Rent for one night 1,400 credits or 40,000 credits for a month. Food must be paid for separately but meals are made available via a simply intercom service. While staying at Ardy’s Bar the tenant will have 24 hour electricity, access to an E-Clip charger with two ports and full hot and cold running water. For security reasons, Ardy asks his clients pay upfront.
AVR: The AVR building is owned by the Rockefeller family and is essentially a small family run TV and Radio station. They hire a small cast of actors to do a number of syndicated radio talk shows but lack the talent or funds to produce any serious television production. Instead they rotate a number of family films and old Pre-Rifts educational films. They are always interested in buying new media for their company and expanding. However, their current transmitters have a maximum range of 300 miles (4,828 km) and the council has requested they keep their broadcasting strictly local as it might attract unwanted attention to the town. The people at the AVR are always looking for new quality family entertainment and will pay 2,000 credits per disk or 200 credits for every 30 minutes for episodic shows. They never buy propaganda films or those from the horror, science fiction or historical genres as they believe their audience seeks an escape from these things.
Mac’s Garage: Run by a middle-aged robotics enthusiast with a beer-gut and baseball cap, Mac’s Garage has a friendly (if somewhat redneck) atmosphere. Mac and his crew spend most of their time strapping high density plates to conventional vehicles and getting up to mischief and shenanigans around the garage. However, when it comes time to work they’re single-minded in their dedication; especially when the safety of the town hangs in the balance!
Mac is always keen to buy new salvaged robotics and when he can’t buy them outright, he’s usually willing to negotiate a trade. He has a number of S.D.C. vehicles (from cars to motorcycles) that have been “souped up” with his Operator O.C.C. abilities and the use of the vehicle armorer skill. As one might expect, Mac and his crew are accustomed to dealing with conventional technology (S.D.C. machines) and so are always excited whenever they get the opportunity to work on a robot or equally sophisticated machine.

Trivia Notes
1. Arlington is the birthplace of Viktor Kassadin.

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