I'll pm you shortly to swap ideas! I've been thinking about that too. My general idea is that in many ways Yankee Jewish folks are very much of the tribalist Old Testament variety. The Jews are the Chosen People, but that includes all the Marxist views on who is of the Pinnacle Seed.
The Star-Spangled Expanded Universe of "What Madness Is This?"
- Thread starter Napoleon53
- Start date
I'll pm you shortly to swap ideas! I've been thinking about that too. My general idea is that in many ways Yankee Jewish folks are very much of the tribalist Old Testament variety. The Jews are the Chosen People, but that includes all the Marxist views on who is of the Pinnacle Seed.
Does anyone know anything about American Indian culture as I was rereading the rise of Custard and saw that for the Native Americans they were either killed or sent to a wounded knee reservation I was thinking about calling it The first victims or something like that and how it would be during the inferior uprising how they rise up but I want it to be some what representative of the native American culture
I think they were all destroyed, except for perhaps the ones in Russian Alyeska. Native American artifacts, however, were seen in private collections, and occasionally in museums I think.
That's what I thought two but I found this and Napo never mentioned anything about them again maybe have has a plan for them but if not I'll see what I can do for my idea about woulded knee
I imagine them wearing something along the lines of an OTL British/Canadian dress uniform. Carolina probably doesn't have the same flamboyance and flashiness of other powers because, as the world's longest lived democratic republic, they would have the military in a honored, but subordinate role.
I'm going to try my best here to guesstimate, using 1940 as the baseline:
So, I calculate that the OTL population of the Cokie Empire is about 20 million. Granted, there is a decent amount of guesswork involved, but I got to this number by using trends that showed up and worked backwards.
I think there's actually an argument for a population anywhere from 22-30 million ITTL. Mainly because the Carolinians have probably profited off of several waves of immigration. Not every Protestant of Pinnacle stock wishes to immigrate to Yankeeland, and I think the Carolinas actually got a much higher rate of immigration than OTL. They're stable, fairly wealthy, have plenty of colonial land for settlers, and are an actual, semi-functional republic. It's just an authoritarian herrenvolk republic/democracy, which makes it a damn sight better than almost anywhere else. Combine that with high birthrates, some seemingly faster modernization, and I think Carolina sits probably realistically in the 23-26 million range.
And the lower limit of your estimation is very close to the modern real world population of the regions make up CoCaro (~21 millions), sans African holdings. Which is quite scary, as they could field quite an army to support the crazed Yankees.
Hey, we all know the proud Cokie boys'll take a little trip without waitin' on Phildel to call 'em.
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Part 3: The Witch, the Wizard and the Writer
Mary Winchester was born on April 1, 1850, the youngest child of Michael Winchester. She was born late in his life by his third wife, Anne, which most noted was out of pleasure than anything else. His other children were grown, Michael reportedly spoiled the girl with dresses and toys at an early age. When the Great American War broke out, Michael feared that being surrounded by news of conflict and death would not be suitable for her. He sent her off to stay with her uncle, not by blood, Charles Goodyear. "Life with Mr. Goodyear was not easy. He was stern and cold, but he knew what was doing, unlike most men I've met." Goodyear gave her the introduction into the business world that she would use later on. How to make deals, squash your competition, and handle your workforce. As a Winchester at the age of 12, she was given control over one of the REC (Redemption Education Centers) in Shicagwa. She installed a strict disciplinary and punishment system, and if any child tried to disobey her, she had their parents brought before the class and beaten while she beat the child.
She was a cruel child, but Goodyear taught her it was the only way for her to make it to the top. Mary returned to Samson, a new woman, but still quite young. Her parents still thought she was a child, and what little freedom and authority she had with Goodyear vanished. She would cling to Jacob and try to gain a standing in the company to some degree of success. Jacob made Mary his secretary in all but name. Handing her any simple task, he did not want to do at first, such as taking notes at meetings or scheduling events, but soon she was reviewing material for publishing and editing the newspaper. However, this would not last long as Jacob's affair was soon exposed. When he announced his plan to leave for Africa, Mary begged him to reconsider for their father's sake. Once James came back home, Jacob left America for good. The relationship between her and James was quite the opposite from Jacob. Mary detested James for being "a pig-headed man with a brain too small for his skull," and James thought Mary did not know her place as a woman.
Mary Winchester
After Michael's death, James' only focus was on himself. The next decade would see the utter decline of the Winchester publishing company but by the Third American Revolution the birth of WORE. Competitive publishers would arise, smut and other un-Christian like materials would be published by the Winchesters, and the family name would reach a low. For what appeared to most was that James was a Strong Man like Lincoln. The few business meetings he would attend, he carried his swords with him. He would press his hand upon his sword's hilt if he was not pleased with what he was hearing. Few would tell him what he did not want to hear. One of those few was Mary. Mary stayed with the Winchester denying all suiters her mother sent her way. Once, her mother died, James would have none of her refusal either should would wed or she would be cut off financially. Mary would go teach in Samson to get by still planning her next move. James was not accustomed to defiance and grew bitter about "some harlot child attempting to undermine my rightful place."
She did have one close ally, the son of Mathew Winchester, Father of American Education, Gabriel. He was the Dean of BAUB and taught at the Samson schoolhouse. He never wanted too much to do with the family business but wished to follow in his father's footsteps and become a great educator. He had plans to introduce a nationwide educational system that his father developed before his early death. However, he was never able to track much attention without the backing of the Winchester company and James did not care to aid him. Perhaps only to spite James, did Gabriel find Mary a job which she excelled at doing. However, teaching was not a profession she wanted to stay forever. She knew what she deserved and wrote to her "Uncle Chuck" about her problems. "If he is the Strong Man he claims to be, then he is where he belongs, but if he is not, then you should have no need of advice from me to figure out what should be done," Goodyear wrote back.
Gabriel Winchester
A near-decade after the Great American War had ended, the Wrathful Winchester was no more. He had failed to protect his President and failed to avenge his death. He kept to himself most days practicing war games against Mexico or Carolina. At nights he spent all his time practicing with his swords. He was a good soldier but a failure as a businessman. In 1878, Mary attended a rally for the newly created Manifest Destiny Party, she was drawn in with their message and became an early supporter. When she met with George Custer, she promised him the backing of the Winchester, but he was concerned whether or not she could deliver. On the night of July 10, 1878, Mary and Gabriel meet with James in the hopes of him giving support to MDP. James loathed Custer partially out of jealousy with his war record and his success against the White League. James would give Custer nothing, and after a heated debate, he stormed off. Later, when James wanted to practice with his swords, he went to his study and noticed that one was missing. Believing that his eldest, Aaron, had taken it as he tended to, so he went to his room. What came next most are unsure, but there are two versions of the different parties.
James' version, considered more accurate, goes as follows. Upon entering Aaron's room, he spots Mary wielding his sword almost to Aaron's neck, who is asleep. Mary demands that James reconsider his stance on the MDP and relinquish control over the Winchester company. He tells her he will never give the business to a woman and demands his sword. She flicks the swords at him and cuts his hand. James lodges at her and begins to choke her then Gabriel walks in with a gun. "Sir, either you will kill her or I will kill you. Your name and the family's name will be ruined either way. Or you can let go and let us do what needs to be done. Play your role, and one day, you'll be able to fuck off and go die in Quebec, Mexico, or somewhere." James relented took his sword, and left.
Mary's version goes as follows. Before she was going to leave she wanted to check on her nephew, one of her students. He had fallen asleep playing with one of his father's swords. She took the weapon up and was going to take it back to his study. James came in drunk and began to yell at her and grabbed the sword by the blade cutting himself. Enraged he began to strangle her, but she was saved by Gabriel who had a gun on him. James realizing what he had done began to apologize. He saw that he was not the man he once was and needed his family to help him bring the company back on its feet. Most doubt, Mary's story was the truth given James' personality. Gabriel never stated what happened—thus leaving only young Aaron as the person who could give witness. Aaron, however, claimed that he never recalled that event and always claimed that his aunt and father had a great relationship.
The Winchester Publishing Company was reorganized as the Winchester Organization for Righteous Education in 1878. James would serve as its President with Gabriel as his Vice President of Education and Mary as Head Secretary. Though the official powers invested with the President were supreme, having the right to fire either the Vice President or Head Secretary, it was clear that he was going to act as a figurehead at most. Besides abandoning old tides with other political parties for the support of the MDP, Mary would begin to change other aspects of the company as well. She first went after their competitors, especially in the South. The publishing brands down there never complied much under James and instead did as they wanted. It did not help that many in the South still felt that the books sold by the Winchesters' were Yankee garbage.
As Mary traveled to their locations in the South, she realized two things. Their most loyal customer base was the black AFC members, and they were harassed by their former white Southron master if they attempted to go buy books. Though the war and emancipation had ended almost twenty years prior, there was still bad blood. After discussing things with Custer, she came up with a rental Library Program within the Winchester bookstores for soldiers and RUMP. Free rental books brought the men to visit stores and guaranteed some form of protection for black customers. It was not enough though, for Mary. Her biggest competitors, the Stuart Brothers, of Norfolk had set ablaze one of Winchester's stores twice. At first, they thought it was an accident, but after rebuilding and it going up again, the Stuarts sent a note warning the Winchesters to leave.
The Winchester Workers, Redeemer missionaries, would flood Norfolk with pamphlets, bibles, and revivals to attempt to convert the populace, which was not responsive. They harassed the people to the point that if people knew they were coming, most would stay inside and not leave unless they could tell they were gone, so they were no witnesses when Stuart's store was ransacked, and the occupants shot. However, the same day the Redeemers would leave town. Several other hits against rival bookstores would occur throughout the South in 1878, but by the following year, most of the competition began to submit to the Winchester supremacy.
A Redeemer Missionary bringing black and white citizens together
Gabriel began to work on expanding the Mass. model for public education and influencing the national government to adopt a similar program. Most states had shaped their program off of Mass., but the national government had yet to take a larger role. The untimely death of his father, Matthew, set back hope for a national education system. Gabriel saw it as his duty to fulfill his father's wishes. He needed help however and turned to his peers. He found a great colleague in Thomas Edison, Dean of Harvard. Edison was young, ambitious and a genius. "He could part the sea and fly through the air, if he so wished it," Gabriel described him.
The Winchester's support for Custer greatly boosted his popularity in the northeast. After his failed ousting of President Claywell and his arrest, the MDP loyalist who were guarding Custer delivered the Winchesters his written works of Our Struggle. The Winchesters quickly went to the presses to spread the world of Custer and Manifest Destiny. Claywell had ceased the Winchester presses in Philadelphia and labeled the family as traitors. Mary went into a furry and spent a fortune equipping the men of Samson to prepare for war. She was even rumoured of supplying Theodore Roosevelt with the coffee grinder guns, he used to break Custer out of jail.
The people of Samson looked to James to lead them to Dover, Delaware, to join Custer, but James refused to lead anyone. Outraged by James' inaction, she took one of his swords and addressed the people, "I may have the body of a woman, but the heart of a man." They marched to meet Custer, and she was given a spot on stage during the MDP rally in Dover.
After the Third American Revolution, it was clear that the Winchester's and WORE were about to enter a new order, but this was not one James would take part in. He was a warrior and wanted to return to the battlefield and die on it. Joining Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, he declared that he would rule in absentia through Mary, but to most, it was clear he would not be in control, and he would not return. Some thought he should have appointed Gabriel instead, but only a few in the family knew the truth about Gabriel. He was dying, and nothing could be done. At first, it was mild headaches, then fatigue and long bed rest, but by 1882 he was coughing up blood every day. Some suspect it was lung cancer, but nothing has been proven. All we are sure of is his impressive will to continue to design the new education system for America with Thomas Edison at his bedside.
The duo spent hours mapping out what was to be done. "It is not a simple task. Creating the future. For not one child, but millions will be molded by our design." His last major task was creating a way for schools, and parents, to figure out what books would best for their youth. With a stroke of genius, Gabriel had it. "Everyone in Samson knows you can trust a Winchester's taste in literature. Why shouldn't the rest of the nation." After discussing things with Mary, the official Winchester seal was placed on every book they published. "You can trust a Winchester" became a common saying by the end of the century. Gabriel would die on March 2, 1883, with Mary and Thomas at his side. Gabriel made Thomas promise to fulfill their dream before he passed. Three months later, Mary and Thomas would marry. The two became close during Thomas's late-night stays. They both had high goals in mind, and both were power-hungry. Thomas had hinted that he wanted to become the new Vice President once they were married, but Mary was not about to give him that much power. Instead, she made an excuse saying that only a Winchester could be that high in the business.
Mary and Thomas later in life
Custer approved of the new education system and created the Republican Union Education Department with Edison as the Supreme Chief. Every child from the Betters of Society in the Union would attend school five days a week except for the summer. Once a child hit 12, they could leave or attend some form of trade school, but these were more common in the cities. Unlike the Mass. model developed by Matthew Winchester, the Edison model took a great deal of power away from the local and state levels. Every minute of the day was planned and based around Philadelphia:
7 AM: School begins with the reading of the AFC Bible. The chapter is selected by the RUED and planned out a month in advance.
7:30 AM: Beginning of moral lesson focusing on citizenship, republicanism, Christian virtue, etc. The lesson is selected by the state-run school board and planned out a month in advance.
8 AM: Grammar lessons center around correct spelling and penmanship. The lesson to be dictated by RUED Counsellor at the school.
9:30 AM Arithmetic lessons centered around MADS (Multiplication, Addition, Division, and Subtraction). The lesson to be dictated by RUED Counsellor at the school.
11 AM: The teacher takes students on a nature walk for exercise and survival lessons. If unavailable, the teacher will demonstrate wilderness survival lessons through lecture and application if possible. The lesson to be dictated by the RUED Counsellor at the school.
11:30 AM: Teacher and children will break for lunch
12 AM: Science lessons centered around physiology, anatomy, and phrenology. The lesson to be dictated by the RUED Counsellor at the school. 1 AM: History lesson centered around the history of the RU and geography of the RU. The lesson is dictated by the state-run school board and planned out a month in advance.
2 AM: Manifest Destiny Party moral lesson. Reinforces what was learned at the beginning of the day.
2:30 AM: Class is dismissed with the reading of the DoI, AoC, or the Bible
The Education Revolution doubled the number of purchased books in the RU, and the profits of Winchester's soared. Mary was quite skeptical of publicly funding libraries, but after a stern talk between her and Uncle Chuck she realized that her duty to the country had to come first and she spent a sizable amount to build libraries across the RU with one condition. No book could be in a public library nor school without the Winchester Seal. To obtain the seal a book had to:
Soon the Winchesters had the biggest monopoly in the nation. Edison made it very clear that teachers and headmasters should confiscate any form of literature that did not contain the silver seal of the Winchesters. "Any book that fails to attain a seal simply means that it is no more than smut or worse the writings of Anarchist or anti-Custer heathens." Book burnings became common at the end of the school year. Harvard, not under RUED, but reflecting its ideals, burnt nearly 20,000 volumes of literature gathered from across Cambridge and Boston in 1870.
Things took an interesting turn for the Winchesters during the War of Mexican Extermination. James was with the Rough Riders when war was announced and had followed Theodore as they took the western shore and to Mexico City for the final assault. What came next is a conflict of stories, both of which can be seen more of a legend than truth. Aaron had gathered statements from Rough Riders to see what happened to his father. They claimed that as they pushed against the last defenders in a library, James bore two sabers and lunged at the enemy. He waved through the bullets of both sides and cut the first enemy he saw before taking another's head off. Before long, bodies were piling around him. When he spotted Heinrich Wirtz, the man responsible for Lincoln's death, he charged him and took two bullets before knocking Wirtz on his back. "Beast of New Orleans. You lie on top the ruin domains of your godless kingdom. Cities destroyed. A people annihilated. All this blood on your hands to keep hellish nightmare alive. What say you monster, heathen conceived in the darkest pit of hell? What say you now?"
With a blood-stained grin, Wirtz spat at him, "Kill me, sir, or do not, Lincoln is still in the ground." James cut his Wirtz off and left the battlefield. Though others claim that Wirtz was beheaded by George McCellean instead, what came next is certain, James would go to a nearby hotel and hang himself in a room. With Wirtz's death, he had nothing left. James' suicide was unsettling to the family, and Mary worried about her standing. She needed a new puppet to be the President. She appointed her cousin, Allan, as Vice President, but he did not have the character to become head of the family. Luckily, Aaron was returning from the war. Mary had helped raise him since his mother's passing, and they were close. He was easily manipulated into doing her bedding. She pushed him to take his place as head of the family at only 24. He agreed, but he did not want to be in charge of the company. Instead, he wished to write. While Mary continued to run the company, Aaron would work on his writing. Mary thought she would have to finance his writing that would make little head way, but instead, he would turn into one of the biggest fiction writers in the 19th century.
Aaron (Top center sitting) with his unit during the war
Aaron was injured in the war and would bedridden for several months after returning. He spent that time bitter over his confinement and then fell into a depression after hearing of his father's suicide. He saw his father as a Strong Man who was ruined by the world around him. "The corruption and depravity my father fought overcame him," Aaron wrote to his aunt. His first three novellas reflected his shattered state of mind. The Tragedy of Dr. Morpheus and his Creation, the Paranormal Tales from Haven City, and Remnants of the Grey Castle are considered the greatest of his Black Period.
His first piece was the Tragedy of Dr. Morpheus and his Creation. In it, the American Doctor Richard Morpheus moves to a Quebec town to spread the AFC gospel (many characters in Aaron's work were Redeemers) and heal the sick. Father Botrel is the main antagonist who tries to turn the people against Morpheus and his modern medicine. However, it becomes clear to the town's people that he is hiding something. While at the hospital, street children break into his home and discover a machine man and activate him. He is a peaceful and intelligent creature that tries to befriend the children who instead try to hurt the Creature who flees into the wilderness. Morpheus discovers what has happened, and with his love interest, Sarah, a local English girl he converted, explains that he wanted to protect man from disease and thought his Machine Man would be the new stage for humanity. They get the Machine Man back to his house, but an angry mob led by Father Botrel traps them inside. Morpheus tries to reason with the crowd but is shot and killed. The Machine Man becomes enraged and begins to attack. They all flee to the Catholic church, but the Machine Man breaks in and knocks down the pillars holding up the church, killing them all. Only Sarah and the other converts are left.
Aaron Winchester
The short story was a massive hit and sold the most copies of any book the year it was published, excluding religious materials. This worked out well for Mary as now Aaron would devote his time to writing instead of wrestling control of the company from her. Aaron's popularity and return to Samson who bring forth the Samson Renaissance. From the late 19th century up to the Great World War, Samson would be the center of artistic expression in the nation only rivaled by New Antioch and the black movement. Writers, painters, sculptors and architects would move to Samson to experience this phenomenon. The city of Samson boomed during this time bringing a wide array of commerce. Mary and Thomas saw an opportunity with that. They opened the Samson Junior College in 1892. Thomas had a straggle hold in primary schooling but not secondary despite his stance at Harvard. "One slimy professor could ruin decades of modeling of a young mind. We have to prevent that." Sponsored by Winchesters, along with grants from the RUED, Samson Junior College would be used to exploit the Samson Renaissance to the will of Manifest Destiny.
Aaron's Black Period of writing would not last long. It reflected a man with a trouble of soul and hurting, but two important events would alter that course. One was his marriage to Helen. A painter from Georgia. She painted enormous landscape paintings that Aaron fell in love with. He soon fell in love with Helen and she rescued him for his episode in depression with a little help. Helen was a devoted member of AFC, and during Billy Sunday's Springtime Biblepalooza in 1892, Sunday's personally commanded the "bugaboos and harpees leave this man." Aaron collapsed to the ground and began to shake hard. He would rise as a new man.
Aaron took Head Recruiter of the Redeemers and poured in his fortune to make the Redeemers the outreach program for the AFC across the world. They had done so after the Great American War but mostly at the discretion of Mary and her attempts to sabotage her competition. Now the Redeemers took their place as the face of the AFC outreach across the British Isles, German lands, and Australia. The success of the Redeemers was mostly due to their connection to the Winchesters. Like with their books, Redeemers were given a stamped card to show their membership and they were highly selective. This opened many doors for some, as everyone knew you could trust a Winchester.
This new stage of Aaron's life is referred to as the Red Period. It was a drastic shift from his dark and gloomy work to more epic and adventurous tales. The Three Kings of Westworld, The Guardians of Nevermore and Dutch Williams and His Journey to the Crypt were his most famous works of the Red Period. Ethan "Dutch" Williams was an explorer and investigator. In his first written appearance, he is hired by a wealthy family, Tonkers, to find their missing daughter, Jessica,. He notices random holes in the ground, but the weird groundskeeper, Léon Bessette, claims it's just rodents, and he'll take care of it. Dutch believes the family has enemies and goes to investigate. He spots a mysterious figure on the estate and chances it into the garden but he trips in a hole and it escapes. He complains to Léon, but he rudely retorts "it's what the Master wants." He goes to complain to the Tonkers, but Jessica returns as if nothing happened. The Tonkers tell Dutch his services are no longer needed, but Jessica asks him to stay so that the "Master can show its gratitude." He wakes up in the middle of the night to hear the Tonkers screaming in the gardens and discovers deformed-looking creatures dragging them into the holes. He tries to rescue them, but dozens more climb through the holes and Dutch is forced to flee. He spots more of these creatures talking to RUMP and civilians in an odd language so he hides in the library. He asks the librarian and friend Maxwell Jenkins for answers. He reveals that the creatures are Mole People and seek to invade the surface world, but have been replacing people with their own. They round up a posse and make their way down the holes to Mole City where they find the captive humans. They free them and blow up Mole City with dynamite and seal up the tunnels. All seems well until Dutch returns home and discovers a note, "The Master is watching you."
Children would fall in love with the tough and sly Dutch and his funny side chick Maxwell and their supernature adventures. They would become so popular that Custer Youth Brigade would create the Dutch badge for exploration and research of supernatural elements for the protection fo the Christian world. "Dutch Williams is a warrior for Christ. I have no more moral or righteous character than he," Aaron would tell others concerned about Dutch's violent exploits. He was also popular in other demographics. During his time in Holy Nippon and California, one could catch Joe Steele reading Dutch Williams in his free time. "A man of iron will and great intellect, his story never ceased to amaze me," Steele wrote in a fan letter to Aaron. Aaron received hundreds of letter and he would respond to them personally. He wrote back to Steele, thanking him for his service to the nation. The letter was later framed and hung in Steele's office.
Aaron with his friend Theodore Roosevelt
The death of Charles Goodyear sent shockwaves across the nation. Mary had been planning her Uncle Chuck's 100 birthday party and broke down into tears when she heard the news. Her tears soon turned to fury when she realized what had really happened. She wrote to her husband, "He [Charles Goodyear II] has no one fooled, and he couldn't care less. He will suffer a fate worse than his father." Within a month after Charles' death, the closeness that the Winchesters and Goodyears had shared for almost a century disappeared. Redeemers employed by Goodyear left overnight, schools funded by the Winchester to reeducate the Inferior children for the Goodyears were closed, and any material published that put CGE in good light were blacklisted. The final nail in the coffin was the loan Mary gave to Henry Ford to start his own company in 1901.
Charles II would strike back. Mary had her eyes on the talkie-box industry. She was not focused on the production of the instruments, but instead, what could be played on them. The Winchesters dominated the publishing industry, and their newspaper, the Republican Courant, was one of the largest in the nation. If she could get her hands on the talkie-box, no one would be able to escape their influence. Unfortunately, Charles II was quick to notice the potential of the talkie-box. He had a monopoly on its production, and in 1902, he purchased a large number of stations and created the Goodyear Station Program. The Winchesters were not blocked from the airwaves.
With Ford's and Goodyear's war building up, the Winchesters were careful not to expose any wrongdoing by the Ford Company but slander CGE any chance they got. The Winchester, or grunts hired through Ford, planted explosives in a number of radio stations destroying them. When the Old Kinderhook requested that the two companies come together to negotiate a ceasefire, Mary warned Henry against it as they could take CGE down for good. He refused, and 30 people were massacred in the meeting, including Charles II in 1908, Ichabod Goodyear was the new head of CGE and Mary was able to get him to reverse policies his cousin had against WORE and she did likewise for them. The creation of the Economic Clans left WORE outside of the new order but also the most dominant entity there. They became the unofficial Media Clan after they gained a strong foothold in the talkie-box industry following the Great World War.
The aftermath of the massacre in the Van Buren Estate
There was much speculation on how a meeting put together by the Van Burens on their estate turned into the Summer Slaughterhouse of Aught-Eight. Though everyone from the Van Burens to anarchist Inferiors were blamed, few pointed to the person who called for the meeting, Mary Winchester. Mary had written to Eugene Horace Van Buren of the uncivilized nature of the fighting and that a real gentleman must step in to set things right. The Winchesters and Van Burens were on friendly terms, but Mary was neither close to or well acquainted with Eugene. The reason she wrote to Van Buren to set up a meeting could be his code of honor. He was too clean to totally blame for the massacre and would never blame a woman for the massacre. Either he would be blamed or someone else would. No one is completely sure who caused the massacre, but the Winchester would come out on top.
Mary Winchester was born on April 1, 1850, the youngest child of Michael Winchester. She was born late in his life by his third wife, Anne, which most noted was out of pleasure than anything else. His other children were grown, Michael reportedly spoiled the girl with dresses and toys at an early age. When the Great American War broke out, Michael feared that being surrounded by news of conflict and death would not be suitable for her. He sent her off to stay with her uncle, not by blood, Charles Goodyear. "Life with Mr. Goodyear was not easy. He was stern and cold, but he knew what was doing, unlike most men I've met." Goodyear gave her the introduction into the business world that she would use later on. How to make deals, squash your competition, and handle your workforce. As a Winchester at the age of 12, she was given control over one of the REC (Redemption Education Centers) in Shicagwa. She installed a strict disciplinary and punishment system, and if any child tried to disobey her, she had their parents brought before the class and beaten while she beat the child.
She was a cruel child, but Goodyear taught her it was the only way for her to make it to the top. Mary returned to Samson, a new woman, but still quite young. Her parents still thought she was a child, and what little freedom and authority she had with Goodyear vanished. She would cling to Jacob and try to gain a standing in the company to some degree of success. Jacob made Mary his secretary in all but name. Handing her any simple task, he did not want to do at first, such as taking notes at meetings or scheduling events, but soon she was reviewing material for publishing and editing the newspaper. However, this would not last long as Jacob's affair was soon exposed. When he announced his plan to leave for Africa, Mary begged him to reconsider for their father's sake. Once James came back home, Jacob left America for good. The relationship between her and James was quite the opposite from Jacob. Mary detested James for being "a pig-headed man with a brain too small for his skull," and James thought Mary did not know her place as a woman.
Mary Winchester
She did have one close ally, the son of Mathew Winchester, Father of American Education, Gabriel. He was the Dean of BAUB and taught at the Samson schoolhouse. He never wanted too much to do with the family business but wished to follow in his father's footsteps and become a great educator. He had plans to introduce a nationwide educational system that his father developed before his early death. However, he was never able to track much attention without the backing of the Winchester company and James did not care to aid him. Perhaps only to spite James, did Gabriel find Mary a job which she excelled at doing. However, teaching was not a profession she wanted to stay forever. She knew what she deserved and wrote to her "Uncle Chuck" about her problems. "If he is the Strong Man he claims to be, then he is where he belongs, but if he is not, then you should have no need of advice from me to figure out what should be done," Goodyear wrote back.
Gabriel Winchester
James' version, considered more accurate, goes as follows. Upon entering Aaron's room, he spots Mary wielding his sword almost to Aaron's neck, who is asleep. Mary demands that James reconsider his stance on the MDP and relinquish control over the Winchester company. He tells her he will never give the business to a woman and demands his sword. She flicks the swords at him and cuts his hand. James lodges at her and begins to choke her then Gabriel walks in with a gun. "Sir, either you will kill her or I will kill you. Your name and the family's name will be ruined either way. Or you can let go and let us do what needs to be done. Play your role, and one day, you'll be able to fuck off and go die in Quebec, Mexico, or somewhere." James relented took his sword, and left.
Mary's version goes as follows. Before she was going to leave she wanted to check on her nephew, one of her students. He had fallen asleep playing with one of his father's swords. She took the weapon up and was going to take it back to his study. James came in drunk and began to yell at her and grabbed the sword by the blade cutting himself. Enraged he began to strangle her, but she was saved by Gabriel who had a gun on him. James realizing what he had done began to apologize. He saw that he was not the man he once was and needed his family to help him bring the company back on its feet. Most doubt, Mary's story was the truth given James' personality. Gabriel never stated what happened—thus leaving only young Aaron as the person who could give witness. Aaron, however, claimed that he never recalled that event and always claimed that his aunt and father had a great relationship.
The Winchester Publishing Company was reorganized as the Winchester Organization for Righteous Education in 1878. James would serve as its President with Gabriel as his Vice President of Education and Mary as Head Secretary. Though the official powers invested with the President were supreme, having the right to fire either the Vice President or Head Secretary, it was clear that he was going to act as a figurehead at most. Besides abandoning old tides with other political parties for the support of the MDP, Mary would begin to change other aspects of the company as well. She first went after their competitors, especially in the South. The publishing brands down there never complied much under James and instead did as they wanted. It did not help that many in the South still felt that the books sold by the Winchesters' were Yankee garbage.
As Mary traveled to their locations in the South, she realized two things. Their most loyal customer base was the black AFC members, and they were harassed by their former white Southron master if they attempted to go buy books. Though the war and emancipation had ended almost twenty years prior, there was still bad blood. After discussing things with Custer, she came up with a rental Library Program within the Winchester bookstores for soldiers and RUMP. Free rental books brought the men to visit stores and guaranteed some form of protection for black customers. It was not enough though, for Mary. Her biggest competitors, the Stuart Brothers, of Norfolk had set ablaze one of Winchester's stores twice. At first, they thought it was an accident, but after rebuilding and it going up again, the Stuarts sent a note warning the Winchesters to leave.
The Winchester Workers, Redeemer missionaries, would flood Norfolk with pamphlets, bibles, and revivals to attempt to convert the populace, which was not responsive. They harassed the people to the point that if people knew they were coming, most would stay inside and not leave unless they could tell they were gone, so they were no witnesses when Stuart's store was ransacked, and the occupants shot. However, the same day the Redeemers would leave town. Several other hits against rival bookstores would occur throughout the South in 1878, but by the following year, most of the competition began to submit to the Winchester supremacy.
A Redeemer Missionary bringing black and white citizens together
The Winchester's support for Custer greatly boosted his popularity in the northeast. After his failed ousting of President Claywell and his arrest, the MDP loyalist who were guarding Custer delivered the Winchesters his written works of Our Struggle. The Winchesters quickly went to the presses to spread the world of Custer and Manifest Destiny. Claywell had ceased the Winchester presses in Philadelphia and labeled the family as traitors. Mary went into a furry and spent a fortune equipping the men of Samson to prepare for war. She was even rumoured of supplying Theodore Roosevelt with the coffee grinder guns, he used to break Custer out of jail.
The people of Samson looked to James to lead them to Dover, Delaware, to join Custer, but James refused to lead anyone. Outraged by James' inaction, she took one of his swords and addressed the people, "I may have the body of a woman, but the heart of a man." They marched to meet Custer, and she was given a spot on stage during the MDP rally in Dover.
After the Third American Revolution, it was clear that the Winchester's and WORE were about to enter a new order, but this was not one James would take part in. He was a warrior and wanted to return to the battlefield and die on it. Joining Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, he declared that he would rule in absentia through Mary, but to most, it was clear he would not be in control, and he would not return. Some thought he should have appointed Gabriel instead, but only a few in the family knew the truth about Gabriel. He was dying, and nothing could be done. At first, it was mild headaches, then fatigue and long bed rest, but by 1882 he was coughing up blood every day. Some suspect it was lung cancer, but nothing has been proven. All we are sure of is his impressive will to continue to design the new education system for America with Thomas Edison at his bedside.
The duo spent hours mapping out what was to be done. "It is not a simple task. Creating the future. For not one child, but millions will be molded by our design." His last major task was creating a way for schools, and parents, to figure out what books would best for their youth. With a stroke of genius, Gabriel had it. "Everyone in Samson knows you can trust a Winchester's taste in literature. Why shouldn't the rest of the nation." After discussing things with Mary, the official Winchester seal was placed on every book they published. "You can trust a Winchester" became a common saying by the end of the century. Gabriel would die on March 2, 1883, with Mary and Thomas at his side. Gabriel made Thomas promise to fulfill their dream before he passed. Three months later, Mary and Thomas would marry. The two became close during Thomas's late-night stays. They both had high goals in mind, and both were power-hungry. Thomas had hinted that he wanted to become the new Vice President once they were married, but Mary was not about to give him that much power. Instead, she made an excuse saying that only a Winchester could be that high in the business.
Mary and Thomas later in life
7 AM: School begins with the reading of the AFC Bible. The chapter is selected by the RUED and planned out a month in advance.
7:30 AM: Beginning of moral lesson focusing on citizenship, republicanism, Christian virtue, etc. The lesson is selected by the state-run school board and planned out a month in advance.
8 AM: Grammar lessons center around correct spelling and penmanship. The lesson to be dictated by RUED Counsellor at the school.
9:30 AM Arithmetic lessons centered around MADS (Multiplication, Addition, Division, and Subtraction). The lesson to be dictated by RUED Counsellor at the school.
11 AM: The teacher takes students on a nature walk for exercise and survival lessons. If unavailable, the teacher will demonstrate wilderness survival lessons through lecture and application if possible. The lesson to be dictated by the RUED Counsellor at the school.
11:30 AM: Teacher and children will break for lunch
12 AM: Science lessons centered around physiology, anatomy, and phrenology. The lesson to be dictated by the RUED Counsellor at the school. 1 AM: History lesson centered around the history of the RU and geography of the RU. The lesson is dictated by the state-run school board and planned out a month in advance.
2 AM: Manifest Destiny Party moral lesson. Reinforces what was learned at the beginning of the day.
2:30 AM: Class is dismissed with the reading of the DoI, AoC, or the Bible
The Education Revolution doubled the number of purchased books in the RU, and the profits of Winchester's soared. Mary was quite skeptical of publicly funding libraries, but after a stern talk between her and Uncle Chuck she realized that her duty to the country had to come first and she spent a sizable amount to build libraries across the RU with one condition. No book could be in a public library nor school without the Winchester Seal. To obtain the seal a book had to:
- Promotes Christian values
- Contain no vice or sin that goes unpunished
- Does not blasphemy against Jehovah
- Promotes the standards of American and Manifest Destiny
Soon the Winchesters had the biggest monopoly in the nation. Edison made it very clear that teachers and headmasters should confiscate any form of literature that did not contain the silver seal of the Winchesters. "Any book that fails to attain a seal simply means that it is no more than smut or worse the writings of Anarchist or anti-Custer heathens." Book burnings became common at the end of the school year. Harvard, not under RUED, but reflecting its ideals, burnt nearly 20,000 volumes of literature gathered from across Cambridge and Boston in 1870.
Things took an interesting turn for the Winchesters during the War of Mexican Extermination. James was with the Rough Riders when war was announced and had followed Theodore as they took the western shore and to Mexico City for the final assault. What came next is a conflict of stories, both of which can be seen more of a legend than truth. Aaron had gathered statements from Rough Riders to see what happened to his father. They claimed that as they pushed against the last defenders in a library, James bore two sabers and lunged at the enemy. He waved through the bullets of both sides and cut the first enemy he saw before taking another's head off. Before long, bodies were piling around him. When he spotted Heinrich Wirtz, the man responsible for Lincoln's death, he charged him and took two bullets before knocking Wirtz on his back. "Beast of New Orleans. You lie on top the ruin domains of your godless kingdom. Cities destroyed. A people annihilated. All this blood on your hands to keep hellish nightmare alive. What say you monster, heathen conceived in the darkest pit of hell? What say you now?"
With a blood-stained grin, Wirtz spat at him, "Kill me, sir, or do not, Lincoln is still in the ground." James cut his Wirtz off and left the battlefield. Though others claim that Wirtz was beheaded by George McCellean instead, what came next is certain, James would go to a nearby hotel and hang himself in a room. With Wirtz's death, he had nothing left. James' suicide was unsettling to the family, and Mary worried about her standing. She needed a new puppet to be the President. She appointed her cousin, Allan, as Vice President, but he did not have the character to become head of the family. Luckily, Aaron was returning from the war. Mary had helped raise him since his mother's passing, and they were close. He was easily manipulated into doing her bedding. She pushed him to take his place as head of the family at only 24. He agreed, but he did not want to be in charge of the company. Instead, he wished to write. While Mary continued to run the company, Aaron would work on his writing. Mary thought she would have to finance his writing that would make little head way, but instead, he would turn into one of the biggest fiction writers in the 19th century.
Aaron (Top center sitting) with his unit during the war
His first piece was the Tragedy of Dr. Morpheus and his Creation. In it, the American Doctor Richard Morpheus moves to a Quebec town to spread the AFC gospel (many characters in Aaron's work were Redeemers) and heal the sick. Father Botrel is the main antagonist who tries to turn the people against Morpheus and his modern medicine. However, it becomes clear to the town's people that he is hiding something. While at the hospital, street children break into his home and discover a machine man and activate him. He is a peaceful and intelligent creature that tries to befriend the children who instead try to hurt the Creature who flees into the wilderness. Morpheus discovers what has happened, and with his love interest, Sarah, a local English girl he converted, explains that he wanted to protect man from disease and thought his Machine Man would be the new stage for humanity. They get the Machine Man back to his house, but an angry mob led by Father Botrel traps them inside. Morpheus tries to reason with the crowd but is shot and killed. The Machine Man becomes enraged and begins to attack. They all flee to the Catholic church, but the Machine Man breaks in and knocks down the pillars holding up the church, killing them all. Only Sarah and the other converts are left.
Aaron Winchester
Aaron's Black Period of writing would not last long. It reflected a man with a trouble of soul and hurting, but two important events would alter that course. One was his marriage to Helen. A painter from Georgia. She painted enormous landscape paintings that Aaron fell in love with. He soon fell in love with Helen and she rescued him for his episode in depression with a little help. Helen was a devoted member of AFC, and during Billy Sunday's Springtime Biblepalooza in 1892, Sunday's personally commanded the "bugaboos and harpees leave this man." Aaron collapsed to the ground and began to shake hard. He would rise as a new man.
Aaron took Head Recruiter of the Redeemers and poured in his fortune to make the Redeemers the outreach program for the AFC across the world. They had done so after the Great American War but mostly at the discretion of Mary and her attempts to sabotage her competition. Now the Redeemers took their place as the face of the AFC outreach across the British Isles, German lands, and Australia. The success of the Redeemers was mostly due to their connection to the Winchesters. Like with their books, Redeemers were given a stamped card to show their membership and they were highly selective. This opened many doors for some, as everyone knew you could trust a Winchester.
This new stage of Aaron's life is referred to as the Red Period. It was a drastic shift from his dark and gloomy work to more epic and adventurous tales. The Three Kings of Westworld, The Guardians of Nevermore and Dutch Williams and His Journey to the Crypt were his most famous works of the Red Period. Ethan "Dutch" Williams was an explorer and investigator. In his first written appearance, he is hired by a wealthy family, Tonkers, to find their missing daughter, Jessica,. He notices random holes in the ground, but the weird groundskeeper, Léon Bessette, claims it's just rodents, and he'll take care of it. Dutch believes the family has enemies and goes to investigate. He spots a mysterious figure on the estate and chances it into the garden but he trips in a hole and it escapes. He complains to Léon, but he rudely retorts "it's what the Master wants." He goes to complain to the Tonkers, but Jessica returns as if nothing happened. The Tonkers tell Dutch his services are no longer needed, but Jessica asks him to stay so that the "Master can show its gratitude." He wakes up in the middle of the night to hear the Tonkers screaming in the gardens and discovers deformed-looking creatures dragging them into the holes. He tries to rescue them, but dozens more climb through the holes and Dutch is forced to flee. He spots more of these creatures talking to RUMP and civilians in an odd language so he hides in the library. He asks the librarian and friend Maxwell Jenkins for answers. He reveals that the creatures are Mole People and seek to invade the surface world, but have been replacing people with their own. They round up a posse and make their way down the holes to Mole City where they find the captive humans. They free them and blow up Mole City with dynamite and seal up the tunnels. All seems well until Dutch returns home and discovers a note, "The Master is watching you."
Children would fall in love with the tough and sly Dutch and his funny side chick Maxwell and their supernature adventures. They would become so popular that Custer Youth Brigade would create the Dutch badge for exploration and research of supernatural elements for the protection fo the Christian world. "Dutch Williams is a warrior for Christ. I have no more moral or righteous character than he," Aaron would tell others concerned about Dutch's violent exploits. He was also popular in other demographics. During his time in Holy Nippon and California, one could catch Joe Steele reading Dutch Williams in his free time. "A man of iron will and great intellect, his story never ceased to amaze me," Steele wrote in a fan letter to Aaron. Aaron received hundreds of letter and he would respond to them personally. He wrote back to Steele, thanking him for his service to the nation. The letter was later framed and hung in Steele's office.
Aaron with his friend Theodore Roosevelt
Charles II would strike back. Mary had her eyes on the talkie-box industry. She was not focused on the production of the instruments, but instead, what could be played on them. The Winchesters dominated the publishing industry, and their newspaper, the Republican Courant, was one of the largest in the nation. If she could get her hands on the talkie-box, no one would be able to escape their influence. Unfortunately, Charles II was quick to notice the potential of the talkie-box. He had a monopoly on its production, and in 1902, he purchased a large number of stations and created the Goodyear Station Program. The Winchesters were not blocked from the airwaves.
With Ford's and Goodyear's war building up, the Winchesters were careful not to expose any wrongdoing by the Ford Company but slander CGE any chance they got. The Winchester, or grunts hired through Ford, planted explosives in a number of radio stations destroying them. When the Old Kinderhook requested that the two companies come together to negotiate a ceasefire, Mary warned Henry against it as they could take CGE down for good. He refused, and 30 people were massacred in the meeting, including Charles II in 1908, Ichabod Goodyear was the new head of CGE and Mary was able to get him to reverse policies his cousin had against WORE and she did likewise for them. The creation of the Economic Clans left WORE outside of the new order but also the most dominant entity there. They became the unofficial Media Clan after they gained a strong foothold in the talkie-box industry following the Great World War.
The aftermath of the massacre in the Van Buren Estate
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I am fond of alternate trends in genre fiction and enjoyed the subject matter but this needs a bit of proofreading
I've been thinking a bit about Madness Lord of the Rings equivalent lately. Tolkien and his family could have easily immigrated to the Union or the Carolinas. Because I'm biased, I'm gonna say Carolina. Here's my ideas for the various fictional races:
The Free Peoples
Hill-Folk: A simple race who are an offshoot of mankind, with their being several subtle genetic differences between the two. Generally on the short and stocky side, with pale skin, light eyes, and brown hair. Live in The Bellum, a bucolic country paradise. The Hill Folk are a proud, powerful, yet xenophobic and mildly isolationist folk. They in general wish to be left alone to farm, drink, smoke, eat, party, and worship. However, when attacked by foreigners the Hill-Folk are capable of great violence, and have conquered several old farming kingdoms who attempted to destroy them. Culturally, they're allegorical to an idealized portrait of rural Cokie life. Their government is essentially a carbon copy of the Carolinian one.
Elves: A beautiful, sophisticated, powerful, and long lived race. They're uniformly tall, with pale skin, fair hair, and light eyes. The Elves are divided into two sub-cultures. The first of these are the Great Elves. This once mighty race, situated in their beautiful land of Lancinor, used to rule a vast empire. However, their corruption and the madness of a monarch whose name they have stricken from history caused the empire to decline. Indeed, the Great Elves, for all their beauty, sophistication, and still impressive strength, are a dying people. However, they clearly haven't quite gotten the message, being famously condescending, xenophobic, and imperialist towards the other Free Races, especially the Hill-Folk. Culturally, they're a high fantasy version of England, particularly the gentry. The second sub-race of Elves are the Woodland Elves. Although still far more sophisticated and cultured than the other races, the Woodland Elves are less so than the Great Elves, and have never built a great empire. In many ways the Woodland Elves are similar to the Hill-Folk, albeit wiser and with a more storied history. Share in the Elvish disdain for foreigners, but are much less snobby than the Great Elves. Culturally, a blend of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Dwarves: A people shorter and stockier than the Hill-Folk, with a long history of warfare, and a rich culture centered around smithing, drinking, and fighting. Scattered in mountain fortresses across Thrae. They generally have pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Generally amenable to all the Free Peoples, although they have a friendly rivalry with the Woodland Elves. Culturally a blend of the modern Scandinavians, the Vikings, and a touch of Scotch.
Men: There are several races of Men, who will each have their own subsection.
The Nordmerions: A relatively young people who have already made their presence known. After suffering from Orcish pillaging and plundering, the Nordmerions built their kingdom into a mighty empire, claiming empty lands, slaying whole realms of Fell Races, and even helping The Bellum in a great war against their aggressive neighbors. Physically there is great diversity among their numbers, but the prototypical ideal Nordmerion is brown haired, hazel eyed, tall, and powerfully built. Politically, they are ruled by a great Imperator, who is aided by an aristocracy of both merit and blood. There have been internal divisions between the Eastern aristocracy and the hardy Western leadership. Culturally, quite obviously Americans with a smattering of Roman and Greek influence. The Eastern Nordmerions are associated with the New England aristocracy, while the Westerners are your typical Yankee Cowboy, albeit with swords and bows instead of guns.
The Easterdorian Realm: The Easterdorians are a divided people, separated into two great kingdoms. The island realm of Tochior, a beautiful and ancient land of cherry blossoms and noble warriors. The Tochiorians are polite, noble, and cultured, but also condescending, aggressive, and capable of treachery. Further west lies the land of Gogiminius, the other Easterdorian kingdom. These hardy people have suffered much, being invaded and subjugated by the Fell Peoples and the Tochiorians alike over the centuries. However, after receiving help from the Hill-Folk in a recent crusade, the Gogiminians are rapidly rising in strength, constructing a great wall on their border with the massive Fell Realm to their North. What the Gogiminians lack in sophistication and elegant bearing they more than make up for in honesty, vigor, and bravery. The Tochiorians are quite obviously a mixture of feudal and modern Nippon, while the Gogiminians are the Coreans. The people of both realms have black hair, black or brown eyes, and fair to "tan" complexions.
The Sailing Folk: A sometimes noble, sometimes treacherous race of traders and colonizers. They pursue wealth above all else, and the evil among them sometimes turn to piracy. Physically, they are the tallest race of men, with fair hair, pale skin, and light eyes, and prominent Roman noses. Culturally a mix of the Dutch and Protestant French.
The Gesunderlanders: The Gesunderlanders are a once powerful, now broken people. They once had a mighty empire indeed, but it was broken by internal strife and Fell corruption. The remaining pure Gesunderlanders are similar to the Sailing Folk in appearance. There is a great deal of tension between them and the Hill Folk, as the Hill Folk had to invade Gesunderland in the past to avenge the death of an emissary sent by the First Citizen. These days the Gesunderlanders are just trying to survive. Culturally and politically, obviously very Germanic.
The Fell Peoples
The Halflings: Twisted, sorry creatures who used to be members of the various Free Peoples. Having fallen to the corruption of one of the various Dark Lords, they're now used as slaves by their masters to fight and work. However, a powerful wizard or object of good can restore their old souls. Heavily based on a mixture of the Germans and French, who can be either Catholic or Loomie in nature depending on the Lord they serve.
The Orcs: Another corrupt race, this one believed to have been the miscegenated and corrupt offspring of a once noble people. Used as murderous foot soldiers by the Dark Lord Muron, and they are widely feared for their brutality, especially towards women. Based on stereotypes of the "Greaseball Dago," with all members of this race canonically having slicked back hair atop their stereotypical fantasy orc features, and speaking like an Italian stereotype. EX: "Mamma Mia Padre Vaffanculo! You stupido face in da way of me a seein the death of that Elvish maiden!"
The Goblins: Another murderous race of slaves, this one used by the Dark Lord Sauroniov to conquer his realms. Depicted as total barbarians, worse than even the Orcs, with a particular taste for young Hill-Folk. Depicted as hunched over and miserable creatures, and mentioned to wear their hats and clothes in the "Slavo-Mongoloid style."
Lizard Folk: A vile and debauched race who live to the North of Gogiminius. While not depicted as badly as the Orcs and Goblins, Lizard Folk are an untrustworthy race of shapeshifters who are obsessed with wealth, sex, and the smoking of "Fairy Flower," an opium stand in. Heavily based on Chinese stereotypes.
The Reaven: Another humanoid race of Evil, being infamous for the bony spikes which cover various parts of their body and their "hideous smell." Not heavily featured, but implied to be Arabic in nature.
The Free Peoples
Hill-Folk: A simple race who are an offshoot of mankind, with their being several subtle genetic differences between the two. Generally on the short and stocky side, with pale skin, light eyes, and brown hair. Live in The Bellum, a bucolic country paradise. The Hill Folk are a proud, powerful, yet xenophobic and mildly isolationist folk. They in general wish to be left alone to farm, drink, smoke, eat, party, and worship. However, when attacked by foreigners the Hill-Folk are capable of great violence, and have conquered several old farming kingdoms who attempted to destroy them. Culturally, they're allegorical to an idealized portrait of rural Cokie life. Their government is essentially a carbon copy of the Carolinian one.
Elves: A beautiful, sophisticated, powerful, and long lived race. They're uniformly tall, with pale skin, fair hair, and light eyes. The Elves are divided into two sub-cultures. The first of these are the Great Elves. This once mighty race, situated in their beautiful land of Lancinor, used to rule a vast empire. However, their corruption and the madness of a monarch whose name they have stricken from history caused the empire to decline. Indeed, the Great Elves, for all their beauty, sophistication, and still impressive strength, are a dying people. However, they clearly haven't quite gotten the message, being famously condescending, xenophobic, and imperialist towards the other Free Races, especially the Hill-Folk. Culturally, they're a high fantasy version of England, particularly the gentry. The second sub-race of Elves are the Woodland Elves. Although still far more sophisticated and cultured than the other races, the Woodland Elves are less so than the Great Elves, and have never built a great empire. In many ways the Woodland Elves are similar to the Hill-Folk, albeit wiser and with a more storied history. Share in the Elvish disdain for foreigners, but are much less snobby than the Great Elves. Culturally, a blend of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Dwarves: A people shorter and stockier than the Hill-Folk, with a long history of warfare, and a rich culture centered around smithing, drinking, and fighting. Scattered in mountain fortresses across Thrae. They generally have pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Generally amenable to all the Free Peoples, although they have a friendly rivalry with the Woodland Elves. Culturally a blend of the modern Scandinavians, the Vikings, and a touch of Scotch.
Men: There are several races of Men, who will each have their own subsection.
The Nordmerions: A relatively young people who have already made their presence known. After suffering from Orcish pillaging and plundering, the Nordmerions built their kingdom into a mighty empire, claiming empty lands, slaying whole realms of Fell Races, and even helping The Bellum in a great war against their aggressive neighbors. Physically there is great diversity among their numbers, but the prototypical ideal Nordmerion is brown haired, hazel eyed, tall, and powerfully built. Politically, they are ruled by a great Imperator, who is aided by an aristocracy of both merit and blood. There have been internal divisions between the Eastern aristocracy and the hardy Western leadership. Culturally, quite obviously Americans with a smattering of Roman and Greek influence. The Eastern Nordmerions are associated with the New England aristocracy, while the Westerners are your typical Yankee Cowboy, albeit with swords and bows instead of guns.
The Easterdorian Realm: The Easterdorians are a divided people, separated into two great kingdoms. The island realm of Tochior, a beautiful and ancient land of cherry blossoms and noble warriors. The Tochiorians are polite, noble, and cultured, but also condescending, aggressive, and capable of treachery. Further west lies the land of Gogiminius, the other Easterdorian kingdom. These hardy people have suffered much, being invaded and subjugated by the Fell Peoples and the Tochiorians alike over the centuries. However, after receiving help from the Hill-Folk in a recent crusade, the Gogiminians are rapidly rising in strength, constructing a great wall on their border with the massive Fell Realm to their North. What the Gogiminians lack in sophistication and elegant bearing they more than make up for in honesty, vigor, and bravery. The Tochiorians are quite obviously a mixture of feudal and modern Nippon, while the Gogiminians are the Coreans. The people of both realms have black hair, black or brown eyes, and fair to "tan" complexions.
The Sailing Folk: A sometimes noble, sometimes treacherous race of traders and colonizers. They pursue wealth above all else, and the evil among them sometimes turn to piracy. Physically, they are the tallest race of men, with fair hair, pale skin, and light eyes, and prominent Roman noses. Culturally a mix of the Dutch and Protestant French.
The Gesunderlanders: The Gesunderlanders are a once powerful, now broken people. They once had a mighty empire indeed, but it was broken by internal strife and Fell corruption. The remaining pure Gesunderlanders are similar to the Sailing Folk in appearance. There is a great deal of tension between them and the Hill Folk, as the Hill Folk had to invade Gesunderland in the past to avenge the death of an emissary sent by the First Citizen. These days the Gesunderlanders are just trying to survive. Culturally and politically, obviously very Germanic.
The Fell Peoples
The Halflings: Twisted, sorry creatures who used to be members of the various Free Peoples. Having fallen to the corruption of one of the various Dark Lords, they're now used as slaves by their masters to fight and work. However, a powerful wizard or object of good can restore their old souls. Heavily based on a mixture of the Germans and French, who can be either Catholic or Loomie in nature depending on the Lord they serve.
The Orcs: Another corrupt race, this one believed to have been the miscegenated and corrupt offspring of a once noble people. Used as murderous foot soldiers by the Dark Lord Muron, and they are widely feared for their brutality, especially towards women. Based on stereotypes of the "Greaseball Dago," with all members of this race canonically having slicked back hair atop their stereotypical fantasy orc features, and speaking like an Italian stereotype. EX: "Mamma Mia Padre Vaffanculo! You stupido face in da way of me a seein the death of that Elvish maiden!"
The Goblins: Another murderous race of slaves, this one used by the Dark Lord Sauroniov to conquer his realms. Depicted as total barbarians, worse than even the Orcs, with a particular taste for young Hill-Folk. Depicted as hunched over and miserable creatures, and mentioned to wear their hats and clothes in the "Slavo-Mongoloid style."
Lizard Folk: A vile and debauched race who live to the North of Gogiminius. While not depicted as badly as the Orcs and Goblins, Lizard Folk are an untrustworthy race of shapeshifters who are obsessed with wealth, sex, and the smoking of "Fairy Flower," an opium stand in. Heavily based on Chinese stereotypes.
The Reaven: Another humanoid race of Evil, being infamous for the bony spikes which cover various parts of their body and their "hideous smell." Not heavily featured, but implied to be Arabic in nature.
PNWKing
Banned
The Merry Family
Eustace & Rose Merry lived in a remote village in rural Norfolk in the 1600s. They immigrated to Massachusetts in 1635. Eustace & Rose Merry soon became prominent couples in the village they lived, the village of Roxbury. Soon Eustace & Rose had many children.
Simon Merry was the son of Eustace & Rose Merry. He soon rose to be town constable of Roxbury. Simon Merry married a woman named Ethel. Ethel was from a very prominent family in Roxbury.
Simon & Ethel had a son named Charles. Charles Merry soon became involved in prominent events in Roxbury. He became a major minister in Roxbury, and some say he was an inspiration for Jonathan Edwards, grandfather of the Prophet Burr (MHRIP). Charles Merry's ministry was hugely popular.
Charles's great-great-grandson Peter Merry was among one of the first from Roxbury to enlist in the American Revolution. He would soon rise through the ranks becoming a General in the Continental Army and winning many great battles.
Peter Merry soon became one of the first opponents of the Federalists. Peter Merry was there when the RU was established in 1801.
Peter Merry's son Robert Merry became one of the first supporters of the AFC movement when it began to appear in the 1820s and 1830s. Robert soon became acquainted with the Winchester family.
Eustace & Rose Merry lived in a remote village in rural Norfolk in the 1600s. They immigrated to Massachusetts in 1635. Eustace & Rose Merry soon became prominent couples in the village they lived, the village of Roxbury. Soon Eustace & Rose had many children.
Simon Merry was the son of Eustace & Rose Merry. He soon rose to be town constable of Roxbury. Simon Merry married a woman named Ethel. Ethel was from a very prominent family in Roxbury.
Simon & Ethel had a son named Charles. Charles Merry soon became involved in prominent events in Roxbury. He became a major minister in Roxbury, and some say he was an inspiration for Jonathan Edwards, grandfather of the Prophet Burr (MHRIP). Charles Merry's ministry was hugely popular.
Charles's great-great-grandson Peter Merry was among one of the first from Roxbury to enlist in the American Revolution. He would soon rise through the ranks becoming a General in the Continental Army and winning many great battles.
Peter Merry soon became one of the first opponents of the Federalists. Peter Merry was there when the RU was established in 1801.
Peter Merry's son Robert Merry became one of the first supporters of the AFC movement when it began to appear in the 1820s and 1830s. Robert soon became acquainted with the Winchester family.
PNWKing
Banned
More on the Merry Family
Robert Merry's son James Merry was among the first to enlist in the Great American War. James Merry soon rose to the top and not just because of his distinguished ancestors.
James Merry became a supporter of the MDP in the first few years of the MDP's existence. James Merry was there with Custer during his March On Philadelphia. James Merry soon became a leading member of ORRA.
James Merry's son Andrew Merry enlisted in the Great War and served with honor.
Robert Merry's son James Merry was among the first to enlist in the Great American War. James Merry soon rose to the top and not just because of his distinguished ancestors.
James Merry became a supporter of the MDP in the first few years of the MDP's existence. James Merry was there with Custer during his March On Philadelphia. James Merry soon became a leading member of ORRA.
James Merry's son Andrew Merry enlisted in the Great War and served with honor.
Have there ever been big differences in WMIT prior to the American Revolution? (Besides the dodos). Is this fair game?
There have been some, but I would tread very, very, carefully, as most were minor in nature.
One interesting bit that featured prominently in 1.0 was that Washington had biological children. It's unlikely one of his descendents is going to be a beacon of freedom in the Redux but there's been nothing to directly refute that there was an identical divergence that just didn't pan out what with the changes in the mid 19th century. Maybe pm Napoleon and ask if you could do a little something with that? A Washington living irrelevantly abroad during the Great War bemoaning the state of the American experiment would be interesting. Maybe ORRA wants to lure him back for propaganda value and he tells them off in a fiery rant before getting immolated.
The Rise and Fall of the House of Washington has a nice ring to it