Wildfires

Location:

In the extreme northeastern corner of the map there's a city named Thermopolis. I don't think it's name should be changed as it fits the theme of the tribe as you'll see later. Most notably it contains the Hot Springs State Park. Aside being pleasing to the eye the springs also naturally produces travertine deposits, which is a kind of limestone. Travertine can be crushed into a fine powder and used to neutralize acidity in soil to aid crops and also can be put into animal feed as a calcium supplement. The park has a herd of bison that is kept on the grounds. This gives us the why of a tribe developing in this area. Though it's an alternate timeline to our own, I'd guess at bison being equally or more endangered by the time the Great War happened. So this could even be one of the origin points for the bison that spread around the state.

Summary of Tribe:

Within Thermopolis would be a tribe known as the Wildfires. Basically their whole style and belief system is a misunderstanding of what the fire department and firefighters were before the bombs dropped.

Design Concept:

The Wildfires will wear black firefighter uniforms with white stripes featured prominently on the sleeves. Some would be pre-war and others would be recreations by their seamstresses. The helmets in particular will be significant as described later. Weapons would be fire axes, pry bars (halligan bars have a nice look to them specifically), rifles, pistols and of course firebombs. Energy weapons, including flame throwers, wouldn't be present. Healing powder and it's like would be more common than stimpaks and chems.

The firebombs would be unique in that they'd use fluids collected from sacks found in fire geckos. This isn't canon but I have an explanation for how they produce the flames. Hypergolic fluids are used in things like rockets. Basically it's two substances that when combined ignite on contact. This removes the need for there to be a spark. So going with this notion, the fire geckos have two sacks near their throat each with a different compound. The Wildfires farm the geckos to harvest the sacks and their fluids. They make clay vessels using the limestone with two chambers containing the fire gecko liquids. After being poured in they're sealed. Hurl it at an enemy, it shatters and the flame ignites when the compounds meet.

Tribe Belief System:

They believe in a god known as the Extinguisher. They think that the world is surrounded by flames which are held back by their god. The sun and stars are all evidence of this belief to them. Their interpretation of the Great War is that the flames were allowed to consume the earth briefly to restore balance. Kind of like a controlled burn to prevent bigger forest fires.

They also believe in a lesser god, something closer to a guardian angel really, named Cinder. Which is a Dalmatian that sits at the Extinguisher's side. They have folk tales about the dog appearing to rescue people when in danger. The Wildfires see dogs as the children of Cinder and as such are treated as equals within the tribe. There's a rite of passage called simply the hunt where a Wildfire must go into the wastes with only their dog at sunset and return with a kill by sunrise to pass into adulthood. This is symbolic of the bond between the Extinguisher and Cinder. It is also when a helmet is awarded to a tribe member.

The hunt can be embarked on later in life as well as a way to commune with their gods. The kill is always meant to be shared with the tribe, as they are communal in nature. The one exception is the marriage ceremony. A kill is brought to the man or woman they chose. The one receiving the gift must cook it unassisted and present it to the hunter. The hunter eats and if they are pleased by it then they feed the cook a portion of the meat at which point they are husband and wife (or any combination of gender).

Funeral rites consist of constructing a pyre. There is no elaborate service as being fed to the flames is seen as the natural conclusion to life. The smoke is the spirit leaving the body to join the Extinguisher.

Tribal Life and Power Structure:

The Wildfires have several leaders. The Fire Chief is a spiritual leader who aside preaching is also the medicineman/woman for the tribe. In addition there are three Battalion Chiefs who tend to more worldly matters. Declaring war, forming alliances, resolving disputes among the tribesmen and so on. There are three of them to prevent an impasse, as only two have to agree for a decision to be made. They are distinguished by their helmets which have their title along with a number.

The helmets hold a lot of meaning within the tribe. No two people have the same number. The Fire Chief's helmet has a one and the Battalion Chiefs are numbered two through four. All other members have their own numbers as well. The number carries status and the closer you are to being number one the better. When someone dies they decide who receives their helmet and the status that goes along with it. If no successor is specifically chosen then it is given to their nearest kin. It should also be noted that if the next of kin is not yet an adult or has children they are allowed to hold onto a helmet until they come of age. Otherwise one helmet must be passed on. No one is allowed to have two at a time unless they are saving it for a child.

In the unusual circumstance (unusual because they would all be related somehow) that there is no clear next of kin then the helmet simply passes to the next person in the tribe numerically. So number four dies and it would go to number five if no clear next of kin. The Fire Chief can also strip someone of their helmet and award it to another person. This is extremely rare and would only happen if it was shown that person had acted against the Wildfires' interests.

Everyone within the tribe works together without expectation of payment. Hunters bring in wild game and capture animals for the farms. Bison and fire gecko farms are present along with crop farms. Daily meals are eaten together at the temple (which is an old firehouse on the western side of town) at sunrise and sunset. Large fire pits would be used for this purposed. Food tends toward the spicy side.

Names tend to be fire or animal based. Ember, Ash, Coal, Burner, Flint for example.

NPCs:

Towhee – The Fire Chief. Older woman late 50's or early 60's in age. Crooked nose from having been broken. Her helmet would be especially old and worn looking. The refusal to have it restored is a act of humility.

Magpie – One of the Battalion Chiefs and possibly a companion. Nicknamed Mags for both her name and the pair of .44 magnums she carries with her. Mid twenties in age, granddaughter of Towhee. Is one of the few Wildfires to interact regularly with outsiders. This has left her less devout than others to their beliefs and much more aware of the world at large.