Bottoms Round
Twenty cattle barons. No government. Three guaranteed onslaughts per year. Bottoms Round is a permanent ranching encampment a few days southwest of Gateway where the cattle industry has created a settlement by accident rather than design. The twenty major operations have carved out sections of the wasteland for ranching, and the population grew specifically because the ranchers needed hired muscle to protect their herds.
There is no formal political structure. Each baron manages their own section of land and hired guards. Anarchic capitalism governs everything: if you can raise cattle, butcher it, and salt the meat, you can make a living. The salted meats are sold and traded to neighboring communities, making Bottoms Round one of the most economically active points in the region. The barons agreed to slaughter only three times per year because fresh blood and animal cries draw undead and raiders for miles. Three predictable onslaughts are preferable to constant threat, so the settlement prepares for guaranteed violence three times annually.
Large cattle herds draw undead through noise, smells, and activity. A single burrowing undead could cause a stampede. Cattle theft attracts thieves from outside and suspicion between neighboring barons. Finding skilled guards with good intentions is nearly impossible, so the barons provide brothels, bars, and entertainment to keep hired guns occupied and content between the killing seasons. The smell of slaughter hangs in the air for weeks after each butchering, and the settlement braces for what comes next.
There is no formal political structure. Each baron manages their own section of land and hired guards. Anarchic capitalism governs everything: if you can raise cattle, butcher it, and salt the meat, you can make a living. The salted meats are sold and traded to neighboring communities, making Bottoms Round one of the most economically active points in the region. The barons agreed to slaughter only three times per year because fresh blood and animal cries draw undead and raiders for miles. Three predictable onslaughts are preferable to constant threat, so the settlement prepares for guaranteed violence three times annually.
Large cattle herds draw undead through noise, smells, and activity. A single burrowing undead could cause a stampede. Cattle theft attracts thieves from outside and suspicion between neighboring barons. Finding skilled guards with good intentions is nearly impossible, so the barons provide brothels, bars, and entertainment to keep hired guns occupied and content between the killing seasons. The smell of slaughter hangs in the air for weeks after each butchering, and the settlement braces for what comes next.
History
Bottoms Round was not founded so much as it accumulated. Twenty cattle barons established ranching operations in the area southwest of Gateway, each carving out their own section of wasteland. The need for hired muscle to protect the herds drew a population of guards, workers, and opportunists, and the support infrastructure of brothels, bars, and entertainment followed. The barons eventually agreed to slaughter only three times per year after discovering that fresh blood and animal cries drew undead and raiders from miles around. This agreement is the closest thing to governance the settlement has ever produced.
Geography
Bottoms Round sits a few days travel southwest of Gateway in Mountaina. Twenty major cattle operations have carved out sections of the wasteland for ranching, and the settlement grew around the need for armed protection of the herds. The layout is functional rather than planned: ranch sections, barns, slaughterhouses, and the entertainments needed to keep hired guards content between the killing seasons.
