Information about story background and setting (Arklatex/Arklamiss).

Campaign Map: https://drive.google.com/open?...ZAW3&usp=sharing

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This message was last edited by the GM at 01:17, Tue 13 Aug 2019.

The State of the Natural State (c. mid-2030)

Although spared the nuclear drubbing suffered by its neighbors to the west (Oklahoma, Texas) and south (Louisiana), Arkansas faces sundry, serious challenges. From north to south:

The largely rural, forested, hilly Ozarks region in the north of the state is no longer under [state or federal] government control. A racist, xenophobic, anti-government organization calling itself New America holds sway in the region.

El Dorado, a small city in Union Country, Arkansas- home to oil production and refinery operations- was destroyed by a nuclear strike on November X, 2027.

Arkansas' southern neighbor, Louisiana is currently in a state of near-anarchy. The Big Easy was subjected to multiple nuclear attacks (targeting mostly oil refineries along the Gulf Coast), a brief but violent incursion by Allianza forces (isolated pockets remain), and a succession of particularly destructive hurricane seasons. U.S. military forces in Louisiana are stretched thin and unable to maintain law and order outside of their immediate zones of control. Various marauder groups vie with one another for control, when they're not clashing with U.S. Army garrisons or terrorizing the remaining local civilian population. As a result, Arkansas has been inundated with a flood of civilian refugees, overwhelming state social services.

The Lone Star State suffered similarly to Louisiana (former Allianza forces still have several footholds on Texas soil), adding Texan refugees to the mix.

There is a strong U.S. military presence in Oklahoma and Memphis, Tennessee, but they've got their hands full with former Allianza forces and New America, respectively. Mississippi's State Guard, already up and running before the war began, has helped the Magnolia State to avoid the same fate as Louisiana and northern Arkansas, although it still has its fair share of problems to contend with.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 01:17, Tue 13 Aug 2019.

Arkansas Self Defense Force (Formerly, Arkansas State Guard)

In late 2026, with the federalized Arkansas National Guard deployed overseas, Governor Steve Ralford ordered the reactivation of the long-defunct (since 1946) State Guard, renamed the Arkansas Self Defense Force (by a 1986 law). This proved a timely measure, as shortly thereafter (in 2027), the U.S. was subjected to multiple nuclear strikes and a foreign military invasion of its Southwestern states (in 2028). The ASDF is an all-volunteer force, drawing heavily on state law enforcement agencies for its cadre. Unable to adequately supply the guard, volunteers were encouraged to provide their own weapons and personal equipment whenever possible.

The U.S. Army's 197th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), based in Memphis, Tennessee, is assisting the government of Arkansas in conducting pacification operations in the northeast quadrant of the state, leaving the ASDF to do the same in the remainder.

For a brief history of the ASG prior to WWIII see, http://www.encyclopediaofarkan...il.aspx?entryID=5301

Uniform

When used to describe the clothing and personal equipment of ASDF personnel, the term 'uniform' is a misnomer. The State only had access to a relatively small number of military field uniforms when the State Guard was reactivated. To supplement these modest stocks, milsurp uniforms and some commercial hunting clothing was requisitioned from in-state retailer vendors. Still, the ASDF were not able to completely clothe every volunteer; those who weren't issued uniforms by the State Guard were expected to garb themselves for field service. The same holds true for load-bearing equipment, resulting in a wide array of milsurp and commercially available LBE in use.



Above: Patch worn by members of the Arkansas State Guard, c. 1943


Insignia:

A few boxes of WWII-era State Guard unit patches (see image above) were found in storage; most of these were issued to officers. The majority of ASDF personnel must make due with either commercially-sold state flag patches, facsimiles thereof, or ad-hoc insignia. The most common of these is an elongated white diamond oriented horizontally inside a red rectangle (resembling the state flag). Arkansas National Guard dress patches (see image below) are also widely used.

Weapons

The ASDF is largely equipped with obsolescent military weaponry and equipment scrounged from deep reserve ANG storage, supplemented by sundry civilian and law enforcement small arms, purchased, donated, or requisitioned. In some cases, volunteers chose to carry their own weapons, rather than ASDF-issued ones.

ASDF heavy weapons consist of a handful of M40 105mm and M67 90mm recoilless rifles, early versions of the M72 LAW, M2HB heavy machineguns, and Mk-19 and M79 40mm grenade-launchers. ASDF artillery is limited to a handful of ancient 60mm and 81mm mortars.

Vehicles

The ASDF's motor pool consists primarily of retired ANG trucks, most commonly unarmored Humvee squad and weapons carriers, M35 2.5-ton 6x6 trucks (assorted variants), M54 5-ton 6x6 trucks (assorted variants), M1009 ¾-ton utility rigs, and several similar CUCVs. A few of the 2.5 and 5-ton trucks were converted into lightly-armored, heavily-armed gun trucks.

The State Guard motor pool also boasts a few former USAF armored cars, and a handful of purpose-built, former LEA SWAT team armored vehicles.

This military vehicle fleet has been supplemented by various makes and models of lightly modified civilian pickup trucks and SUVs, most painted in custom camouflage suited to the geography of the region.

Aircraft

The handful of aircraft, both fixed wing and rotary, left at Little Rock AFB are currently inoperable due to a lack of aviation fuel and spare parts. Those that can still fly are used only sparingly. However, the ASDF employs several alcohol-burning ultralight aircraft in the scouting and light attack roles. Two helicopters, originally belonging to state law enforcement agencies, are also on the ASDF's aviation rolls, but neither have flown in some time due to a lack of spare parts.

TBC...

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This message was last edited by the GM at 00:00, Tue 11 June 2019.

Shortly after the effects of EMP and fuel shortages led to rolling blackouts and, eventually, a complete shutdown of the state electrical grid, Arkansas' various civilian radio broadcasting stations went off the air.

Citing imminent domain law, the state government subsequently took administrative control of the most powerful civilian AM/FM transmitter in the state (located in Little Rock). Stolen or damaged broadcasting equipment was replaced or repaired, power provided by multiple high-output portable generators. In reality, only the state government still has the resources to do this. The reactivated station was redubbed, The Voice of Arkansas Radio; it is staffed by small but experienced team of experienced civilian technicians, DJs, and radio journalists (in many cases, former station employees), operating under state government oversite.

Voice of Arkansas Radio (colloquially known as Razorback Radio) broadcasts over several FM and AM channels*, running from 6m to 9pm daily. VOAR offers a wide variety of programming, with various hourly and bihourly genre music shows, interspersed with talk (mostly agricultural and survival tips) and news.

*Programming is duplicate, across channels.

Although growing in popularity with the public, the VOAR is not without its critics. Political opponents of the governor and legislative majority claim that it operates primarily as a party propaganda outlet, giving government incumbents an unfair advantage during election seasons. While this argument is not without merit, it is grossly overplayed. Governor Steve Ralford, whose brainchild VOAR is, has made it clear to VOAR administrators that the station is not to be used to push partisan political agendas; he's even gone so far as to offer his political opposition airtime (they accepted the offer, but complain that it is not equitable). That said, the primary purpose of VOAR is to reassure the people of Arkansas that the state government is trying its level best to restore peace and stability to the state, so news of efforts and, especially, progress to that effect is a regularly featured part of Razorback Radio programming. In keeping with VOAR's attempt to foster and maintain a non-partisan ethos, censorship of news is kept to a bare minimum (in general, it is implemented only when security considerations come into play).

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This message was last edited by the GM at 23:51, Mon 10 June 2019.

According to Grady Police Captain Roy Franks, there were, prior to the prison riot/breakout, approximately 250 inmates split between the ADOC Varner Supermax and Cummings Units, guarded by about a dozen full-time corrections officers and as many low-risk inmate volunteers.

As per escaped, non-participant inmates, Tyron and Luis, the major prison gangs operating inside Varner and Cummings are:

Diablos: "Panchito" Villa
Gangsta Lords: King Loc
AAA (Arkansas Aryan Alliance): Blond Sam

According to Tyron and Luis, about 50 white prison gang members (mostly AAA or affiliates) departed Varner in ADOC vehicles, heading south in search of a rumored "Peckerwood Homeland".

Varner inmates wore orange jumpsuits, Cummings inmates white.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 04:32, Wed 11 Sept 2019.

Sites visited by MEMS STAR Sierra, or on the team's itinerary.

Grady
Organized

Varner & Cummings Village
Devastated
Both tiny settlements were razed to the ground by rampaging escaped convicts from the nearby Varner and Cummings ARDOC units.

Pendleton
Terrorized?
This tiny town features the only bridge over the Mississippi between Pine Bluff and Lake Village. The residence have had some trouble with a small Mississippi State Guard unit that runs a checkpoint on the Mississippi side of the bridge.

Dumas
Insular
The local law seems to be control of the town. Something seems amiss there, but Sierra was not able to get to the bottom of it.

McGehee
Organized
Hosts a FEMA displaced persons camp just east of town, and an ad-hoc secondary refugee camp in a railroad siding in the middle of the town, formerly ruled by a violent, voodoo-affiliated street gang.

Jerome
Status Unkown
The hamlet's neighbor is a U.S. Army-run detention center for PLA POWs built on the foundations of a WWII-era Japanese-American interment camp.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 19:46, Mon 02 Sept 2019.

July 9-14, 2030
Sierra responded to a mass prison break, rescuing besieged ADOC personnel and their families from a hamlet near the Cummings Unit of the prison, and killing several armed and dangerous escapees in the process. Sierra then participates in an ASDF operation to retake the two prison units and capture (or kill) any escapees who don't immediately surrender.

July 14, 2030
Arriving on the outskirts of the town of Gould, Sierra finds the local police chief hunting escapees from the Varner and Cummings units. The townspeople are particularly standoffish- some appear rather fearful- and the local police are not forthcoming with any sort of explanation for the unsettled atmosphere. A cursory investigation fails to determine what, if anything, is amiss in the town.

July 14-17, 2030
Sierra arrives to inspect the crossing of the Arkansas River at Pendleton. They find that a barge has collided with, damaged, and become stuck on a bridge pylon mid-channel. Townsfolk report that a Mississippi State Guard detachment on the Mississippi side of the bridge looted several houses during the storm, and have been shaking down travelers crossing the bridge from the Arkansas side. Sierra confronts the MSG leader but gets stonewalled. The MSG reporting coming under sniper fire from the opposite. Sierra patrols the nearby forest and survives an attack by a large feral pig. Sierra continues to investigate the shooting incident and learns that the "sniper" is a local teenager. With the help of a Gould small business owner (escorted by a Gould police minder), the stranded barge's cargo is removed, and the vessel freed and secured. The teenaged shooter is located and reprimanded. The MSG commander is confronted, diplomatically; he gives his personal assurances that the MSG will "behave".

July 17-19
Sierra proceeds to the town of McGehee, currently home to two groups of refugees from the New Orleans area. The second of these groups (known locally as the Second Wave) is under the sway of a voodoo priestess known locally as Madame Chloe, and a vicious street gang that calls itself Dem Snek Boyz (DSB). Chloe and the gang run the Second Wave refugee camp from a ersatz temple in the railroad siding occupying the center of town. The first refugee group (the First Wave) occupies a purpose-built FEMA refugee camp just east of McGehee proper. The First Wave is not nearly as troublesome as the Second, but they have been infiltrated by several DSB, who are terrorizing the FEMA camp residents into submission.

An earlier attempt by the local authorities to round up and arrest the DSB leadership failed spectacularly, and the voodoo gang has been more or less untouchable ever since. In fact, the town pays them a monthly "tithe" of food and alcohol to avoid further trouble. The acting chief of the McGehee police department, Leslie Ann Paddock, asks the newly-arrived Sierra team for assistance. A joint MPD-Sierra mobile force attacks a DSB roadblock, killing several gang-bangers and putting the rest to flight. A warning signal from the Second Wave camp initiates a two-pronged attack on police headquarters, which is fought off until friendly reinforcements arrive from the roadblock. Several more DSB are killed in the ensuing fighting.

That evening, it is decided that if the head of the snake, Madame Chloe, is cut off, the body will wither and die. A stealthy decapitation strike is launched into Voodoo Village, and Madame Chloe is killed by a long-range rifle shot (courtesy of Carissa Noble). A brief but violent skirmish ensues, during which several more DSB are killed by the Sierra team, including the gang's war leader, Lil' Nappy. The successful raid effectively ends the DSB's reign of terror. Captain Cao and Scott Guillory insist on cremating the enemy KIAs, causing some tension with Acting Chief Paddock, who strongly preferred a proper burial to try and smooth things over with the remaining Second Wavers. Still, the grateful residents of McGehee refill Sierra's larders and fuel tanks and bid the MEMS STAR team a relatively fond farewell.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 04:36, Wed 11 Sept 2019.

The Jerome Prisoner of War Camp was opened in late 2026, on the site of a WW2-era Japanese-American internment and relocation center (later in the war, the site was converted to a POW camp for fanatical Nazi officers), near the tiny town of Jerome, Arkansas. During that era, landlocked, rural, Jim Crow Arkansas was considered an ideal place to warehouse ethnic undesirables and enemies of the state. Almost 80 years later, when the U.S. DoD was looking at sites to build prisoner of war camps for captured enemy troops during the early years of the Third World War, Jerome's history did not go overlooked.

The current camp was hastily rebuilt on the foundations of the old, just south of the hamlet of Jerome (population 40), to accommodate captured PLA officers. The racial overtones of warehousing hundred of Chinese detainees and their attendant, albeit tenuous, connection to Japanese-American internment during the last world war was little noticed and even less protested by a state civilian population subjected to rationing, the convulsive death of the internet, and the fear of imminent nuclear Armageddon.

At its World War 3 height, the camp housed approximately 800 Chinese POWs, mostly officers, guarded by roughly 50 U.S. Army personnel. Over time, the camp became nearly self-sufficient, with selected prisoners employed as farm laborers assisting the nearby communities (principally, Jerome itself).

As global transportation systems ground to a stuttering halt in late 2027, the flow of of prisoners quickly dried up and the camp's population began an initially slow decline. When the federal government of the United States was riven by schism, the state took over administrating the camp. Initially, the transition was relatively smooth. As time went on, however, tensions between the prisoners and the ASDF guards grew, and a riot reportedly sparked by deteriorating living conditions and escalating detainee abuse resulted in death of at least 8 prisoners (rumors abound, however, that the number of dead was, in actuality, several times the reported figure, most of the dead shot down by the guards). A change in prison commandants came too late, as disease picked up where violence left off. In the six months following the change-over, a one-two punch of typhus and cholera further whittled down the camp’s prisoner population. At last accounting, only about 200 prisoners remained, presided over by about a dozen ASDF volunteers. Many of the prisoners that remained were ill at that time, with multiple deaths occurring on a daily basis. There’s been no word from the camp since the tail end of Hurricane Gary finished pummeling the state.

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The club Sergeant-at-Arms, known to Sierra as Lefty, proudly claims that the CVMC has taken over security for a box formed by the 35 in the north, Bayou Bartholomew to the west, the Missippi River to the east, and the 160 in the south, an area of roughly 366 square miles. The CVMC's current club HQ is located in the town of Lake Village. The club has a reported strength of about 30 patched members; its president is known as Red.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 18:05, Sat 05 Oct 2019.

A reported "white homeland" in a wooded region of south-central Arkansas. The apparent destination of approximately 70 escaped convicts, most members of the AAA (Arkansas Aryan Alliance) prison gang (see msg #6 above).

An individual referred to as Proffit apparently plays a prominent role in the hierarchy of The Kingdom.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 04:32, Wed 11 Sept 2019.

Bill Grass (the 57 year old mayor of Jerome)
Michelle Waxman-Chang (a 32 year old local woman, married to one of the Chinese POWs)
Colonel (PLA) Huang Míng Jié (elected leader of the surviving Chinese POWs)
Captain (PLA) Deng An (Huang's XO)

Jerome Militia
Captain (PLA) Ho
Olivia  (20 years old)
Kayleigh (35 years old)

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This message was last edited by the GM at 04:53, Thu 13 Feb 2020.