Medina-Dearborn
Medina-Dearborn greeted every stranger with one of two things: guns blazing or warm blankets and falafel. A massive Fallow Hopes fortress compound built around the old Islamic Center on the outskirts of Motor City, the settlement served as the city's western defense during the Ironworks era. Its heavily armed warriors rode to the rescue of caravans under attack, swords slashing and firearms roaring, or arrived with fresh water and supplies for those in need. Guests were expected to fight alongside the warriors to earn their keep.
The compound was run by Cleric Fatima Wahid Ali-Waziri, a stubborn, headstrong Rover clan matriarch whose branch of Fallow Hopes was strongly influenced by Islam but incorporated Buddhist, Christian, and even Scientologist ideas. Her father had been of the Muhajaddin, who led twelve families halfway across the world to reach their kin in old Dearborn. She came from a distant homeland of endless bounty and was cultivating the holiest warriors for a Hajj pilgrimage back to that homeland, a journey that would be the greatest test of faith her people had ever undertaken.
Medina-Dearborn sat outside the Ramparts to the west, but it was considered a critical part of Motor City's defense. The compound had defended the city valiantly many times, repeatedly turning back raiders, bandits, and the undead before they reached the car wall. In exchange for this military service, the compound was not asked to handle political matters that conflicted with the warriors' beliefs. They preferred to stay outside most Ironworks politics, considering themselves Motor City's military and nothing more.
The compound was friendly to travelers and known for producing the best falafel in the ruined earth. However, it adhered to local law. Escaped slaves were returned where found. The warriors called it the law and slept soundly, and the distinction between duty and complicity was left for others to sort out.
The compound was run by Cleric Fatima Wahid Ali-Waziri, a stubborn, headstrong Rover clan matriarch whose branch of Fallow Hopes was strongly influenced by Islam but incorporated Buddhist, Christian, and even Scientologist ideas. Her father had been of the Muhajaddin, who led twelve families halfway across the world to reach their kin in old Dearborn. She came from a distant homeland of endless bounty and was cultivating the holiest warriors for a Hajj pilgrimage back to that homeland, a journey that would be the greatest test of faith her people had ever undertaken.
Medina-Dearborn sat outside the Ramparts to the west, but it was considered a critical part of Motor City's defense. The compound had defended the city valiantly many times, repeatedly turning back raiders, bandits, and the undead before they reached the car wall. In exchange for this military service, the compound was not asked to handle political matters that conflicted with the warriors' beliefs. They preferred to stay outside most Ironworks politics, considering themselves Motor City's military and nothing more.
The compound was friendly to travelers and known for producing the best falafel in the ruined earth. However, it adhered to local law. Escaped slaves were returned where found. The warriors called it the law and slept soundly, and the distinction between duty and complicity was left for others to sort out.
History
Medina-Dearborn was established by Fallow Hopes faithful around the old Islamic Center, drawing on the pre-fall history of old Dearborn's Muslim community. Cleric Ali-Waziri's family had traveled halfway across the world, part of the Muhajaddin who led twelve families to rejoin their kin. The compound developed into a military stronghold that defended Motor City's western approaches, earning the right to religious and political autonomy in exchange for martial service. The warriors were part of the M2 Coalition alongside the Kings' Court, an alliance forged after the religious war between Fallow Hopes and Kings' Court factions ended in mutual reconciliation. Throughout the Ironworks era, Medina-Dearborn held its ground as Motor City's shield, asking only to be left out of the empire's political machinations.
Geography
Medina-Dearborn occupied a fortress compound built around the pre-fall Islamic Center on the western outskirts of Motor City, outside the Ramparts. Its position placed it between the car wall and the threats approaching from the west: raiders, bandits, and the undead. The compound served as a first line of defense for Motor City, intercepting dangers before they could reach the Ramparts. Its location outside the walls gave it both vulnerability and autonomy, allowing the Fallow Hopes warriors to operate independently while remaining integral to the city's defense.
