Requiem
The town of Requiem was founded by a number of outcast and criminal clans from neighboring areas that independently settled the former no-man's-land known as The Fold, and soon after formed a loose confederation by Treaty. They formed the town of Requiem to be a neutral ground and place of doing business that all Families could share, located a short travel distance away from each of the respective Family's primary holdings. Requiem itself has relocated on several occasions, keeping the name, general compositions, and legal frameworks each time.
By law, there are at most 13 Families, divided into Patron Families which are independent, and Ward Families which are sworn to a higher Patron Family as vassals. In practice there are also several minor groups that vie for influence and the opportunity to become Families. Ruling over the settlement (and, nominally, The Fold as a whole) is the High Lord Executioner, who serves as a dictator with the authority to execute any individual for any reason they deem pertinent.
At the end of each Summer, during an event known as Honor's Fall, the laws are suspended and the Families take out their past grievances on one another and compete in a murderous competition to eliminate all but one of the Family Heads in an attempt to gain influence and vie for social standing. The Family that has the last Head still standing can appoint a new High Lord Executioner.
By law, there are at most 13 Families, divided into Patron Families which are independent, and Ward Families which are sworn to a higher Patron Family as vassals. In practice there are also several minor groups that vie for influence and the opportunity to become Families. Ruling over the settlement (and, nominally, The Fold as a whole) is the High Lord Executioner, who serves as a dictator with the authority to execute any individual for any reason they deem pertinent.
At the end of each Summer, during an event known as Honor's Fall, the laws are suspended and the Families take out their past grievances on one another and compete in a murderous competition to eliminate all but one of the Family Heads in an attempt to gain influence and vie for social standing. The Family that has the last Head still standing can appoint a new High Lord Executioner.
Demographics
Requiem's population is organized into Families, each controlling their own compound, security, and resources. The major Families include:
Patron Families:The Anastasia Dynasty: The dominant Family of The Fold, controlling most of the area's underworld connections. Has held the position of High Lord Executioner since its inception.
The Boone-Helm Collective: Maniacs, cannibals, and twisted artists known for art exhibitions made from the flesh of their enemies.
The Bloodwraiths: Tribal mercenaries specializing in fighting the Undead, particularly large monstrosities. The premier Undead exterminators in Requiem.
The Molon Collective: Reclusive hermits and outcasts who oversee the health and stability of the local Mortis Amaranthine. Hold particular disdain for Grave Robbers.
The Nostras Dynasty: A militaristic group with antagonism for the Anastasia Dynasty that recently battled their way into Patron status.
The Stevensons: Dedicated Nuclear Family adherents focused on agricultural and infrastructural development.
The Tarrarians: Tunnel dwellers who oversee the tunnel networks beneath Requiem for both legitimate and illicit use. Adept smugglers and logisticians.
The Volkov: Information brokers and spies, recognizable by blue hooded robes and white porcelain masks bearing a painted nightshade flower.
The Zodiac Order: A collection of luminaries who have sacrificed individuality to join a psionic subconscious, delving into the mysteries of the Undead.
Wasteland-Founded Families:The Anderson Ambrosios: Provide shelter and blessings to travelers of all Faiths while lobbying for greater tolerance of faithful practices.
The Brokentooth Clan: Originally a tribe of Northern Lascarians, now one of the longest seated Families, providing protection to citizens without Family membership.
The Devils: Diesel Jock ride club that patrols the roads in and out of Requiem to keep trade routes secure.
The Lonely Streetz: A chapter of a broader Wasteland gang from Old York, serving as the premier providers of vice and entertainment.
Patron Families:
Wasteland-Founded Families:
Government
Requiem operates under the absolute authority of the High Lord Executioner, a dictator with the power to execute any individual for any reason. Below the HLE sit the Patron Families, independent power blocs that control territory and resources throughout The Fold. Ward Families are sworn as vassals to a Patron Family.
The system resets annually at Honor's Fall, a week-long suspension of all laws where Families settle grievances through open violence. The last Family Head standing earns the right to appoint the next High Lord Executioner.
Local laws are minimal and brutal:Requiem is open to all who can enter. If someone breaks the law, kill them.
If a citizen is murdered, the killer shall be killed in kind. If a Family Member is murdered, the killer and one of their closest associates shall be killed in kind.
Theft and destruction of property is fined at the value of the property. If it is a Family Member's property, the fine is doubled.
Lying to the High Lord Executioner is punishable by death.
Speaking the names of any Family that no longer has bonds to the living world is punishable by death.
In all matters, all laws are superseded by the will of the High Lord Executioner except the Rite of Honor's Fall.
The system resets annually at Honor's Fall, a week-long suspension of all laws where Families settle grievances through open violence. The last Family Head standing earns the right to appoint the next High Lord Executioner.
Local laws are minimal and brutal:
Defences
Requiem is a small collection of compounds mustered around a shared Great Hall. Most compounds are controlled by individual Families, who see to their facilities and security separately. The town has no exterior wall or border defense, and regularly suffers from incursions by hordes of Undead and Raider war parties. Power infrastructure is decentralized, with each compound having its own power generation. A few communal water pumps service shared bathhouses.
History
The Mortis Amaranthine in and around Requiem is not well. The constant cascade of murders, violent conflicts, and paranoia have created one of the least stable Mortis Amaranthines in the Wastes. Known for regularly collapsing morgues, spewing forth hordes of mutated Undead, and occasionally spawning huge Undead Monstrosities (sometimes assisted by the Zodiac Collective), the local Mortis has rarely been in a healthy state. Individuals performing Grave Dives are advised to exercise extreme caution, both from what they may encounter and from the likely retaliation from the Molon Collective.
A settlement of criminal families ruled by a dictator, where the laws are suspended once a year and everyone tries to kill each other.
Region
The Fold, Outskirts of Old York Territory
Government
High Lord Executioner (dictator)
Families
Up to 13 (Patron and Ward)
Defenses
None (no exterior walls)
Annual Event
Honor's Fall (law suspension, Family war)
Type
Town
Population
~300
Inhabitant Demonym
Req-ers
