History of the Rovers and Natural Ones in Steel Horse Crossing: A Shared Existence

Along with the Diesel Jock family of the RPM, Steel Horse has shared a long history with Rovers and Natural Ones.  Given the nearby port, the Rovers had long since established a working relationship to use the area for trade and fishing, creating a permanent waypoint for their many travelers.  Similarly, the Natural Ones in the surrounding great forests were reticent to leave their homes, instead creating a peace between the less savory Diesel Jocks by demarking lines between the forest and their newly established graveyard for machines.  All three lived fairly amicably, with little effort, for a great many years.  Each group tended to their business, working together when threats loomed that were larger than the individual.

Early in their relationship, it was clear the Rovers and Natural Ones respected each other.  They began to trade at first, looking out for each other’s interests and health as best they could, and grew closer by the years.  The Natural Ones learned of the religion that stemmed from the Rovers, and in turn the Rovers took on a great many aspects of the land that the Natural Ones taught them.  Their symbiotic relationship created a bond that seemed it would last generations.

When the Ironworks encroached on the territories, the Diesel Jocks welcomed them with open arms.  Unfortunately for the other strains, and despite their lukewarm protests, the Ironworks offered a presence none of them could ultimately pass with a better life in tow.  The trade opportunities, safety and security that were put on the table appealed to a great many, with the last remnant holdouts still voicing their opinions as the industrial power took their place.  The Natural Ones slowly receded into the surrounding forests and away from the promises the Ironworks brought in tow, only pursuing their relationship with the local Rovers and their families as Steel Horse began to expand.

Almost a full generation passed, and the population swelled in the heavily supported town.  When the first large scale problems began, it was the Natural Ones that came to the town looking for help.  They were being overrun by things they did not, and perhaps could not, comprehend.  With the relationship between the Natural Ones and the town all but non-existent, the settlement wasn’t quick to jump into action at their request.  It was the Rovers that stood steadfast, and took up arms without question to help their neighbors.  Further, the Rovers had made strong ties with those newer members of the Steel Horse community.  When Rover elders understood how much of a potential problem could be realized, they brought the request to the town themselves, looking for support where previously there was none.

Steel Horse was not prepared for such an event, and as a prosperous business town, military might was only a cursory thought.  As the town began to experience loss and battle alongside the two combined strains, the Ironworks was alerted to send more help.  The response was swift, but lighter than hoped for.  The Ironworks sent in supplies and machinery, arming the surrounding settlements and preparing those of the community for a fight.  Both Rovers and Natural Ones were joined by other able bodies, and armed with new implements of destruction.  Coordinating with the town, the Natural Ones led a sweeping assault on the threats around their home, while the Rovers joined both the warfare as well as logistics for supplies and proper intelligence relays for the naval support waiting nearby. 

In all, the effort was successful, but took its toll on everyone involved.  The Rover community dwindled despite their valiant efforts, and to ensure their long term survival, they have recently put out a call to all clans to join them in sharing the local bounty.  Only a few clans have started returning home, but the call of a port town and plentiful resources is sure to bolster their numbers in time.

The Natural Ones, following the fighting, were struck by a schism created by the warfare itself.  Some insisted that local animals had started becoming machines, and that the area was no longer fit for their kind.  Still others gave accounts of giant avian creatures, black as night with blood for eyes, taking away their tribe members.  The small contingent left that refused to accept such superstition whole stock stayed close to town, and some even began to integrate into the Steel Horse community despite their long standing self-reliance. 

Diesel Jocks in Steel Horse Crossing

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At the turn of the Fall, it was said that great buildings full of Hawgs could be found all along the western coast of The Great Lake; even today, The Hawg Shrine in Mill City is a testament to this truth.  The roads were littered with abandoned rides, and there was metal as far as the eye could see.  The stories told from these old generations survive through today among the current children as tales of awe and wonder.  Some of them are believed true, and others are likely only myths and dreams.  Despite the tales and their veracity, the tie that binds them together is what can be seen today - the holy grounds, or The Boneyard.

For years, the proliferation of Road Hawgs in the area has been a draw for road clans far and wide - so much so that the area was named after the primary salvage, the legendary Steel Horse.  It is one of few holy grounds that most Diesel Jocks (and ostensibly, those predisposed Mericans and Texicans) aspire to one day see in person, and the stories that clans return with are varied; all of them are inspiring and impressive.  The Ironworks saw the possibilities early in their expansion, annexing the territory of Steel Horse Crossing for their own uses.  It served their needs both with the potential for a constant flow of mobile machinery, but also with the sheer manpower of the builders and engineers available.  Despite being a fair distance from Mill Walkway, the Ironworks pushed money into the region to ensure prosperity and growth, and saw a valuable return on their investment.

The local clans, rallying under the banner of The Rail Pack Marauders, or The RPM, banded together to give their work purpose beyond the Ironworks’ scavenging of dead bones and leaving them with nothing.  The RPM ensured that all business flowed both ways - when rides went out, even more broken down rides and parts came in.  If a See-Dan left, a Sitty Bus came in; work on a war machine was traded in parts for an old Corn Mower.  And on it went this way, allowing The Boneyard to grow exponentially over the years. 

Visiting clans swelled, coming to trade and equip, bolstering business even further.  The Boneyard became a source of pride as well as a familial stomping ground.  Young Diesel Jocks were brought to be tested, and even R. Lee David himself is rumored to have come time and again for certain harder to find original parts rather than crafting new pieces.

At the same time, this new business created a stark dichotomy between The RPM, as the founding clan, and all the new or visiting clans who saw The Boneyard as a sacred place and wished to make Steel Horse Crossing their permanent home.  The tensions ratcheted up over the years, and the divide became a clear delineation - you were either part of The RPM, or you were an outsider living too close.  Outsiders, mistrusted and assumed to be after the spoils of The Boneyard, are only ever allowed cursory access to The Boneyard, and are only ever invited to participate in RPM business under dire need.  Otherwise, they are left to fend for themselves, which can often lead to more insidious problems.

Beside the local divide, visiting clans are welcomed and celebrated in general, as long as they don't harm the fine balance between the Ironworks, the town law, and the local family.  As for The RPM, only very few are seen in town on a regular basis, as the constant supply and delivery runs throughout the Ironworks keeps a good portion of them busy.  If they aren’t riding somewhere, more often than not they’re holed up behind the protections of The Boneyard working away at the next order.

The History of Steel Horse Crossing

Location:
Steel Horse Crossing is located just off the waters of The Great Lake, northeast of Mill City within the Ironworks territory. Nestled between an Ironworks naval vanguard and Mill City proper, it is both a home for the few that live and work there on a permanent basis, and for the off-duty sailors and privateers that frequent the well-stocked saloon.

History:
Unknown Year - The Beginning
Originally founded by the first Diesel Jock family in the area, The RPM, it was no wonder that Steel Horse Crossing was declared a holy place once The Boneyard was established. Once just rumors, The Great Lake was quickly confirmed to have been the home for a great many Hawgs, both stored locally and long ago shipped across the Lake into the eastern reaches of Wishigan and Motor City. Other larger metal containers were found to have many different types of rides, all useful for transportation or work. The wide variety of parts made the perfect Boneyard for the Diesel Jocks. They were quick to name the town after the Hawg legends, and Steel Horse Crossing was born.

After the Ironworks had seated itself as the great power of the Midwest, the powers that be quickly established a naval base within walking distance of Steel Horse Crossing, ensuring that the nearby waters would be safe to travel. Shortly after, a rail line extended through the local area, ensuring the handiwork of The RPM could make its way to the Ironworks proper. Suddenly the Diesel Jocks were joined by sailors and Salt Wise looking for a port to rest in, and Rovers sought to make trade with visitors and negotiate travel with the ruthless privateers running across the Great Lake to the northern reaches of the world. Bartering with the rail-runners to ship goods down into the Ironworks proper via the railroads became a normal process, and the town found its first legs.

Approximately 30 Years Ago
As the small town began to blossom into a true trade port, it saw others traveling in from Madtown, Mini Soda, and even Canuckistan. With the influx of people, the Ironworks began to take notice of the various resources in the area. They sent in a group of surveyors to take stock of what natural resources the area had to offer to an expanding empire. This resulted in an effort to dig out a mine of iron and silver among other farming, logging and production pushes. During this time the town was at its peak, bringing in enough profit to make many of the residents a tidy little sum.

Unfortunately the mine ran dry just under ten years after it had opened, and was closed without further ado. It was a difficult time for anyone who had put their faith in the mine, and money had to be diverted to keep the community afloat.

20 Years Ago
The Ironworks had already put a great deal of time and money into this community and was not interested in letting it flounder. With recommendations from both the local lighthouse keeper and the naval admiral on site, the Ironworks made Steel Horse Crossing their main trade post to those northern territories outside Ironworks immediate control, inviting more commerce through consistent use of the rail lines and bolstering business in the area with goods and services not easily found that far north.

There was a brief scuffle with a large group of Lascarians who had moved into the mine beneath the town and claimed it as their own, trying to secede from the ‘above ground’ Ironworks. Their intention was to avoid established taxes and laws and live outside the confines of the town, its people, and the Ironworks as a whole. They were both belligerent and aggressive, caring little for those their actions affected.  That didn’t last long. The tunnels seemed to harbor their own dangers, and a wave of irradiated animals flooded up from the deep, removing the Lascarian threat as the Ironworks was still negotiating with their leaders. The mines were sealed off and abandoned, and the town decided to forbid any Lascarians from living in Steel Horse due to the danger their tunnels posed to the town. This was evidenced when a small group of traders were found not too far into the mine, partially consumed, with sharp implements that had torn away their flesh.  Generally, the experience left the town sullied on tolerance for such tunnel dwellers. Most citizens tended not to ask many questions, as rumors had quickly spread that Lascarians were unable to control their cannibalism and had begun attacking people wantonly for their meals.

10 Years Ago
With Steel Horse crossing becoming a popular place to find the standard fare of the Ironworks without having to pay the exorbitant prices to pass through fortified walls, it began to attract attention from further out than initially expected. Madtown residents - particularly the Red Stars - found it an excellent place to set up their cells as most folks didn’t bother them much, and they were insulated from the harsh reality the Ironworks imposed closer to major establishments. Rovers and caravan drivers made it a point to stop in while passing through. Diesel Jocks flocked from faraway places when looking for new parts, and to spend some quality time in The Boneyard when allowed. Some visitors found themselves settling, finding a viable life and new opportunities.

Leveraging the title of Consul, the Ironworks drew on their network of contacts to find and institute the perfect person to govern the town and their interests therein - a Solestro, adept at governing estates for extended family. With a fair amount of expense, they shuffled the new Consul into place after she was fully apprised of the situation. Consul Zell-Ann quickly adapted, opening an inn for visitors and taking on a motherly role in the community. She handled interfacing with the Ironworks, and freed the community to live a more relaxed life, while keeping a hands off approach to the town as a whole.

5 Years Ago
Whether instigated by regional Natural One scavengers, enacted by the organized machinations of the Reclaimer strike teams of Canuckistan, or maneuvered by The Cheez, a great culling began around the area of Steel Horse. With the situation creating hostility in the region, machinery began to pour into the area for distribution to local farmers and smaller settlements – primarily weapons for their own protection. The Ironworks sent a variety of investigative teams, and Steel Horse conducted their own reconnaissance, which revealed nothing that could be attributed to any of these groups. With both local Rovers and Natural Ones forming the vanguard of the defense, many of both strains were struck down in defense of the town and its local settlements. Some reports returned that zed were responsible for much of the devastation, but the truth of the matter was that the strikes were too surgical for any undead to organize.

18 Months Ago
On and off, the attacks continued for a handful of years until the dwindling Rovers and Natural Ones allied, and developed plans to take the resources available from Steel Horse and eliminate the threat entirely. For a year, they scoured the region, running patrols in circles outward from Steel Horse, purging any threat they found. A number of stories returned with those that slowly trickled back – animals that were part machine, Cheezhead raiders that had evolved to militaristic proportions, massive ravens that would scoop a man up whole, and even one of a zed so large it towered over the tops of the local forest. Whatever the full truth, it created a schism with the local Natural One tribes, and decimated the ranks of the Rovers. Their display of sheer force did bolster the belief that the Ironworks could protect the town, however, and the local population that had begun to trickle away experienced a resurgence.

It is here we find ourselves – Picking up the pieces of a prosperous trade town, ensuring that future generations can live relatively free of oppression, and make their way in the dangerous world around them protected by family and friends.

Who will join the community next?