The Wolves ( Broken Banks ) ((WIP))

{ Origins }

The Wolves began as no more than a small family of raiders. They wandered the eastern wasteland of the former United States, living as nomads and surviving on brutality. Their numbers had only been twelve then, but each member of the family was a notoriously vicious fighter and the group worked more efficiently than most gangs under the leadership of their patriarch. This elder (he was referred to as "Father" by all Wolves), still physically fit despite his age, kept the family in line with a firmly established pecking order.


Each member endured a paw being seared into their flesh, either on the chest or arm. Daily training and hunting were part of life as a Wolf, and anyone who caught a glimpse of these people would think of them as wild, unorganized tribals from their clothing and seemingly random weapons. They soon found out, however, that these nomads were organized enough to launch surprise raids on many travelers, camps, and caravans without losing a single member.


Occasionally a wasteland victim of these raiders may be desired for a mate by one of the Wolves. If the wastelander accepted (to decline meant almost certain death, usually preceded by rape), they became a part of the family. Most people recruited in this fashion stayed, adjusting to the life style in time. A feeling of unity was shared by them, knowing together they were something much more than each of them could ever be alone. They were a curious group, always salvaging old world junk for a treasure or two. The Wolves were fairly sober and intelligent, as far a raiders go. Despite a lack of modern medical knowledge and equipment, the Wolves also gave birth to many children that lived to adulthood during these nomadic years. The children grew up only knowing the life of raiders and hunters, hardening them and honing their survival skills. Everyone knew there place in the group, and disagreements were only settled in front of the Father.


The raider family grew steadily in this fashion, until reaching a size that made if difficult to feed everyone. (At this point their numbers were in the seventies, and Father had become a very old man.) To make matters worse, travelers seemed to be avoiding the dead zone near the Ohio River. People and places to loot were growing scarce now. They struggled through the next few years, forced to rely on survival more often than raiding. In this way, many of the Wolves developed excellent hunting, cultivating, and harvesting skills. Despite the famine they endured, despite the deaths of some of the weaker Wolves, and despite the unforgiving wasteland, they scratched out a living. Pittsburg, to the east, was inhabited by slavers much greater in number than the Wolves, to the West was a no-man's land, and to the South lie radioactive craters, mountains, and irradiated beasts seemingly spawned from humanity's nightmares. The future seemed dark, and the Wolves seemed like just another group that would be forgotten in the dust of the wasteland... Until one fateful day.

{ Darwin's Arrival & The Long Road Home }

This day the Wolves had come across a young warrior in black armor while tracking some wild brahmin trails. The lone survivor of an Enclave scouting party who'd clashed with a horde of Pitt Raiders, this warrior rushed the Wolves head on knowing he couldn't outrun all of them. His advanced weaponry took the lives of five strong Wolves. Once the warrior had been disarmed, he killed two more of them in hand to hand combat before being subdued. Impressed by the strange warrior's power and skill, The Father order the others not to kill the man. Skeptical but loyal, the Wolves released the warrior in front of their ancient Father. Taking the armored man back to the camp and into his tent, The Father of the Wolves talked to the stranger until the sun had sank and rose again. When they emerged, The Father called all the Wolves to a circle. He was watched by many curious eyes, some sleepy in the early morning, some eager, and some even spiteful of the outsider. The father told them of a place with lush vegetation and sandy beaches. A land with so much wild game and natural resources it would support them for hundreds of years. He told of ruins yet unscavenged and hordes of food and supplies. He told them all of the promised land, and said the strange warrior had agreed to lead them there in exchange for his life and a portion of the wealth that awaited them all. So the Wolves began their great migration through the treacherous mountains once known as the Appalachians.


The Wolves prided themselves on being in great physical condition, but the journey proved difficult and dangerous. Many raiders never left the range, dying during the journey. Some of the children did not make the journey either, and the Father killed them out of mercy, rather than leave them behind to die alone. Few liked this sacrifice, but all trusted the Father. The mountains of Virginia were harsh to travel, even when following the broken roadways. The dark warrior, who had been dubbed "Darwin" by The Father, led the raiders through the cliffs and valleys until they made it to the edge of the range. Darwin lowered his Plasma Rifle and took it in for the first time. There, hundreds of feet in the air, they looked out upon Virginia. Trees grew thick and fields of green grass swayed in the evening winds. Grey clouds sprinkled cool rain below them. Brooks and streams spilled from the mountains and into the valleys from all directions. The promised land.


"We've made it, brothers and sisters." the elderly Father had called to them all from the edge of the mountain.

"We are much closer, but our destination lies beyond even this land, Father." Darwin told him, removing his power helmet. "We must now travel southeast until we reach the ocean. There, we will find power and paradise."


So the Wolves followed The Father and Darwin into Virginia, morale rejuvenated by the sight of the still-fertile land. Some joked, some sparred. Some bathed in the fresh waters. Virginia did not look like it had before the Great War, but compared to much of the United States, it had mostly survived the Nuclear Armageddon. The raiders trekked through the hills and forests of greater Virginia, ransacking anything in sight and hunting for food nightly. The many sources of water were virtually radiation free (as confirmed by Darwin's helmet), so fresh water was no longer a problem for the group. They would later refer to this portion of the journey as "the great walk home".


As the journey across Virginia continued and the terrain darkened, Darwin found himself talking openly with the tribal raiders that called themselves Wolves. The Enclave had convinced him that they themselves were the only pure human beings, and all others deserved a painful death. His own opinion of these "mutant" humans had began to drastically change, however. He respected the organization and discipline of these raiders. They had forged a bond of trust and loyalty to each other, and thus had survived the world that came after. In secret, Darwin had been planning on using them to get to North Carolina. He had plotted to reclaim one of the pre-war military bases there and reporting back to his superiors. Instead of being punished for a botched mission outside D.C., he would be praised for discovering Pre-War arms and technology so far away. But he had grown to like these poor yet charismatic raiders, in particular one whom the Father had named Marilyn. She was always curious about his people, and after days of prying, he began to discuss the Enclave. He explained everything about them to her. In turn she talked about the Wolves, and confided in Darwin the family's problems and hardships. Soon they had become close. Soon they had become lovers.


When Darwin and the Wolves had reached the lowlands of Southern Virginia and North Carolina, Dawin had made a decision. He would take these people to the Broken Banks. Cut off so far from the Brotherhood of Steel, warring factions, and the Enclave, the Banks would offer an excellent base of operations. Darwin checked his map and geography, confirming the Banks as an excellent place to try an fortify it strategically. The Broken Banks are a string of peninsulas and barrier islands separating the Atlantic Ocean from the mainland of North Carolina. The eastern side of the Banks meets the Atlantic Ocean. The West side of the Banks are bordered by the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. It’s position of jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean makes it the most prone area to hurricanes and coastal storms north of Florida. The radical weather and the fact that one had to travel the dangerous wetlands of Carolina or Southern Virginia to get to it made it remote enough. Wildlife and raw materials were close by. Besides some scavengers and wasters, no large group had claimed it yet. And it's location a few hundred miles from some pre-war army bases looked promising for supply. Darwin decided he would lead these people there, and combine the Enclave's training and knowledge with the Wolves' adaptability and loyalty. Darwin would use all of his schooling and training with the resilience and strength of the Pack to forge a new power in America. He wished to create a community, no, a nation in which each member possessed significant ability. A group with soldiers like brothers educated in all things war like the Enclave would do well in the wastelands. He would build an empire of mercenaries, as loyal as family.


The swamps and wetlands of North Carolina had become the last stretch of the journey, and yet the most dangerous. Mutant alligators, irradiated swamp ghouls, feral wolves, deranged swamp folk, and Yao-Guai all resisted the Wolves journey through the Great Dismal Swamp region. Alpha, the granddaughter of The Father, saved Darwin from certain death when he had been pulled underwater by a "Swamp Devil" (which was what the Wolves had began calling the scaled monsters that erupted from the bogs). She had leaped into the water and severed the monster's spine from it's skull with a rusty Ripper. Darwin was impressed by the girls viciousness, and as they continued she often slayed the beasts which sought to kill them all. The Father told them all that these creatures represented a test to their will. A test of their faith from the Great Wolf. Many were killed, however, and their numbers and morale has suffered. When the exhausted group had finally come to the ancient highway, they stared out into the Pamlico sound, a large body of salt water dividing the Broken Banks from North Carolina. It was the first time any of them had seen the ocean. This was to be their new home. Only one bridge still stood, and as they made their way to it, Darwin noticed something strange. Down below the cracking highway, dark shadows moved through the waters. He could only think of one creature he could remember from schooling that it may be. A... Shark? Sharks? he wondered. Well, if bears and other creatures survived the nuclear holocaust, why does it seem so strange that marine animals would live on? He returned his attention to the trek across the bridge and onto Manteo Island. Turned his attention to the empire he sought to build.

{ Birth of a Nation }

The Wolves live and operate on the Broken Banks. The Towns and Cities along the peninsula are weathered and worn from the coastal storms. The Father, Alpha, Darwin and his mate and wife Marilyn controlled the Broken Banks and The Wolves, staying mostly in Manteo at first. Manteo has become the capital as the small city is nestled on an island right inside the Broken Banks, better shielded from the ocean's most violent storms. State Highway 12 connects all the small settlements on the Banks; Kill Devil Hills, Nag, Kitty Hawk, Rodant, Waves, Corolla, Buxton, and Hatteras were all extensions of the Wolves' territory, running north to south along the peninsula and over two of the southern islands. The Banks are now completely controlled by the Wolves, who often salvage supplies from the wrecked boats and ships. They have rebuilt some of the island's former ruins, and added many barriers against the intense coastal storms. The Coastguard stations have become fortifications for the tribe as well. Many shipwrecks line the coast, but only a few boats that had been removed from the water had survived the war.


The Father has passed away, Leaving his position as Father to Darwin. However, he also had made clear that Alpha be recognized as the She-Wolf for her bravery and bloodline, and as such she had just as much reign as Darwin. So with the power divided between the two for leadership, they eventually fell into a compromise forged from mutual respect. Darwin would oversee the Capital of Manteo and the surrounding Wolf community, while Alpha would serve as something of a general. She would oversee most military and mercenary operations for the mainland and the Banks. The Wolves began a new series of training exercises, combining their raiding survival roots with the Enclave's well tested combat drills. Darwin taught many of them the ways of the Enclave military personally. He also taught a few science and history. The few who had been taught to read devoured the knowledge left behind by the old world. After a few years, the Wolves had grown significantly from their tribal roots.


Alpha was sending regular raiding parties to southern North Carolina to scavenge the ancient military bases. (The few that weren't leveled by bombs.) A number of these missions have been successful, yielding weapons, armor, and supplies from unscavenged Pre-War stashes. The Wolves have become skilled with old world tech like riot gear, combat goggles, gas masks, and night vision goggles from the caches they were able to find. Besides scavenging, Alpha has began sending high rank Wolves on a trade route to the Pitt for ammunition and raw materials. A select group of Wolves often abduct enemy raiders, killing the other undesirables in the group before returning to the banks with a new "recruit". Most of these raiders stay of their free will eventually, and are assimilated into the community. Despite being raiders, killers, kidnappers, and just a ruthless bunch of people in general, they don't see themselves as bad or evil. Only superior in strength. Wolves generally enjoy battle, hunting, and are usually in good spirits regardless of what they are doing.


Anyone caught in Wolf territory is usually captured and taken to the Broken Banks. Traders, mercenaries, and clients are generally accepted or at least tolerated. Alpha is usually the one to decide the fate of unlucky strangers. She also defends the territory from advancing wildlife and the occasional enemy raider squads. She believes the Wolves will become the most feared and respected warriors on the east coast, and pushes the groups warriors to the limits whenever possible. The brutal seas and swamps of the Broken Banks region aided in forging hardened Wolf soldiers.


Darwin is rebuilding the Banks into bustling hub of mercenary and raider paradise, complete with whores, booze, and all the vice a vagrant thug could wish for. Weapon merchants and gun smiths could be found in every town along the stretch. Wolves had developed an insatiable appetite for guns. Some of the them have also become expert fishermen, and the additional fish and shark meat have kept the tribe well fed. Blueshell Mirelurks also inhabit the coast, and the Banks is known for it's delicious seafood. (Although tourists aren't always welcome by the Wolves.) Slaving contributes to the groups funding, most of the slaves being sold to factions up North. The Wolves also accept contracts, but usually from other raiders and slavers who need someone with a little more skill to get the job done right. Anyone who is a permanent resident of the Banks is a Wolf, but not all Wolves are required to participate in the military aspect. (Some women and children.) Attempting to find a degree of stability between raider and enclave tradition, while building a public of skilled craftsmen and loyal people hasn't been easy.

The Wolves of the Banks are currently working under the dual leadership of Darwin and Alpha. While Darwin continues to steer their evolution towards civilization, Alpha pulls them back towards their tribal-raider origins. Nonetheless, Darwin has spawned a growing tribal nation, with loyal, vicious soldiers. Word of the "Wolves" has began to spread. Rumors began to pass of the "raiders" of the Broken Banks, and it attracted people just as much as the Cape Hatteras Light House, which was repaired by the Wolves. It's light shoots an ominous beam across the coast, a warning to some, and to others an invitation.