Note: Fort El Dorado
Fort El Dorado
Population: 135,000 (80% human, 15% D-Bees and 5% mutant animals).
An additional 85,000 people live in small villages surrounding the city. An additional 2D4x1OOO Juicers and as many would-be Juicers could be found in the city at any given time (up to the time of the Juicer Uprising anyway).
G.M.‘s Note: Fort El Dorado has changed a great deal in the five years since Erin Tarn described the city in her book, Traversing Our Modern World (see Rifts RPG). Most of the changes are related to UTI’s industrial investments in the city, and CS activity in the area.
Until 102 P.A., Fort El Dorado was an independent kingdom whose wealth was derived from producing raw materials for the Coalition States, mostly oil, cotton and natural gas. When their Northern neighbor, the free city-state of Newtown, became incorporated into the Coalition States, a delegation from Newtown established a thriving Juicer conversion business at Fort El Dorado; a business that now accounts for 10% of that kingdom’s economy. What seemed like a great economic boon would seem to flirt with disaster a few years later, during the great Juicer Uprising. Fort El Dorado was founded by the survivors of the former American state of Arkansas. The community managed to survive thanks to their access to strategic resources, especially natural gas and oil, and by the post apocalyptic years, it was one of the largest and wealthiest kingdoms not associated with the Coalition States. In the 50’s P.A., a number of treaties between Fort El Dorado and the Coalition States were signed, and renewed in 85 P.A.
Although the rulers of Fort El Dorado politely rejected offers to join the CS, the kingdom remains a strong ally, allowing the CS army to establish two military outposts within its borders. Among the reasons why Fort El Dorado did not join the Coalition were the kingdom’s D-Bee population, which accounted for some 15% of its people, and its reliance on Juicer mercenaries for its defense. Although Fort El Dorado is extremely prejudiced against magic, non-supernatural D-Bees are allowed to live peacefully in the community, and a few have even become important citizens, something that would have clashed with CS policies. Furthermore, the Coalition would have forced the kingdom to give up their enhanced warriors, which at the time accounted for one-tenth of their defense force. So it seemed better for everyone to keep things as they were.
When Newtown agreed to divest itself from all Juicer technologies, UTI met with King Randall Stuart III and made him and his Congress a very attractive offer. At the time, Fort El Dorado only had minor Juicer facilities, certainly nothing compared to those in Ishpeming, Kingsdale and Los Alamo. UTI offered to move its entire human enhancement programs, lock, stock and barrel, to Fort El Dorado! A move that would add billions to the local economy!! In return, all UTI wanted was a guarantee that the kingdom would not outlaw the Juicer procedure for a period of at least fifteen years. Given that King Randall had no intention of restricting the creation of Juicers, he readily agreed to the plan. By 103 P.A., UTI had, in record time, built a large body-chop-shop that offered almost every Juicer conversion available. Since then, Fort El Dorado has become a major Juicer hang-out, which has only increased the city’s wealth and reputation as the largest trade city in the area.
Government
Fort El Dorado is ruled by a constitutional monarchy. The King is an inherited position, controlled this last century and a half by the Stuart family, who claims to be descendants of time travelers from Earth’s past; none other than members from the Stuart royal family from England (not likely). This century-old tale is cherished by the king’s supporters and politely ignored by everyone else. Whatever its origins, the Stuart dynasty has produced its share of relatively capable leaders. The king commands the armies and rules by signing decrees. However, the financing of any government activity is in the hands of Congress, which controls taxation and public funds, unless the king pays for a government program out of his own pocket. This system gives Congress a great deal of power, although this elected body (whose members are selected by democratic vote once every six years) cannot rule on its own. In addition to the King and the Congress, there are a number of Directors nominated by the King and approved by the Congress. Directors are in charge of a number of government functions and take care of most administrative matters.
The current monarch is King Randall Stuart the Third, or Randall III, a thirty-year old man who loves to have fun a great deal more than is good for the government. Fortunately, the laziness and vices of the king (who has not married, but whose dalliances with actresses, performers and female adventurers have been the source of gossip for years) have not harmed the kingdom. Martin Clements, the Prime Director of Fort El Dorado, has made up for Randall’s inadequacies, and is the kingdom’s ruler in all but name. Under his able leadership, Fort El Dorado has prospered.
Technology
For the most part, Fort El Dorado’s technology is comparable to the end of the 20th Century or early 21st Century. It has limited manufacturing capabilities, but trade with other nations, including the CS and the Black Market, more than makes up for it. Cybernetic facilities offer anything up to partial conversion bionics, M.O.M. and Juicer implants, and most energy weapons and equipment. As the only non-Coalition rest stop for hundreds of miles, it attracts trading caravans, travelers and adventurers from all over, and benefits from the trade and knowledge these visitors bring along.
Juicers at Fort El Dorado
Juicers are allowed within city limits, provided they do not carry any heavy weapons or wear heavy armor (power armor and giant robot vehicles are also outlawed and must be “checked” at the city’s borders). Would-be Juicers have access to most forms of conversion with the exception of Mega-Juicers and Dragon Blood Juicers (which are outlawed because they rely on magic).
Juicer Sports are very popular in Fort El Dorado. King Randall himself is a fan of the sports and has spent a fortune outfitting Fort El Dorado’s own Juicer Football team, the Stuart Rhinos. The Rhinos have not had a very distinguished career, but King Randall continues to spend money on them, sending talent scouts to find new talent at other kingdoms.
Society
Overall, Fort El Dorado’s people are better educated and more tolerant of non-humans than the Coalition States. Their only major prejudices are against magic, psionics and other supernatural powers, due to bad experiences with supernatural creatures that arrived on Earth via one of the powerful Rifts that plague the so-called Magic Zone to the Northeast. Only mutant animals are allowed to use their abilities and only to help detect and hunt down anybody who is using illegal powers. As long as somebody does not practice those “forbidden lores,” he or she is welcome in Fort El Dorado, regardless of their species and appearance. D-Bees from all walks of the Megaverse reside and visit this city, without fear of being bothered as long as they don’t bother others. There isn’t a “D-Bee Quarter” or ghetto in the city; instead, people can live wherever they wish. These attitudes make travelers from the Coalition States and similar bastions of human supremacy extremely uncomfortable.
Foreign Relations
Fort El Dorado’s main ally and trade partners are the CoalitionStates at large and the CS city of Newtown, respectively. The city is on relatively friendly terms with other independent communities, including Los Alamo, but for the most part, has little contact with them.
Armed Forces
The city-state has a standing army of 4,000, mostly infantry soldiers, with a contingent of 50 robots, 40 tanks, and 100 assorted light vehicles. The El Dorado Army also doubles as the police and security force. The soldiers are equipped with medium body armor (40-50 M.D.C.), energy rifles, 1D4 grenades and built-in radios; police units also have S.D.C. pistols and batons. The city proper is surrounded by a heavy, fortified wall, 30 feet (9.1 m) high, made of reinforced M.D.C. concrete. A number of artillery pieces, rail guns and mortars are mounted on the wall’s battlements, ready to engage any would-be invaders.
For several years, two Coalition military bases have been established in the environs of the city. The largest one consists of 650 soldiers (upgraded from 400), and is five miles (8 km) away from the city. A smaller outpost with 128 troopers (upgraded from the original 72) is assigned with protecting the natural gas plant, which is as valuable to the Coalition as to Fort El Dorado.
Places of Interest
The Post: The largest inn and hotel in Fort El Dorado, the Post was first used by travelers and messenger services who braved the wilds of North America to bring expensive or important packages or merchandise from one place to another. As civilization slowly grew, so did the number of travelers needing lodging, and the number of inns multiplied at Fort El Dorado. The Post, however, continues to be the largest and best known, and is usually the place well-to-do adventurers and travelers seek when they arrive in this kingdom. Good service, great food and comfortable rooms are the order of the day here. Rates range from 60 credits for a single room to 400 credits for the Crown’s Suite, with the average single room ranging from 100-120 credits a night. The Post also provides high-security, so there is very little danger of being the victim of random robberies and other dangers that are common at the cheaper hotels and motels of Fort El Dorado. This establishment is owned by Doris Sellers, a former traveling merchant (llth level Vagabond) who retired after amassing a considerable fortune. Still an attractive woman in her early fifties, she has many contacts among travelers, merchants, business people and adventurers, so she always seems to know what is going on before anybody else.
UTI’s Superhuman Body-Chop-Shop: The largest bodychop-shop in the area, the UTI SBCS was established shortly after Newtown joined the Coalition States. UTI has managed to copy all technological Juicer variants except the Mega-Juicer and Dragon Juicer (and the secret Coalition versions), and can treat as many as 100 candidates at the same time.
The Los Alamo Clinic: The main competitor of UTI’s establishment is the Los Alamo Clinic, a Juicer hospital established by a team of cyber-docs from Los Alamo. Conversions here are 10% cheaper, but there is usually a 1D4 week waiting list.
The Killing Ground: This weapon and vehicle store carries most of the common weapon lines available in North America, including a few models from Naruni Enterprises (bought from third parties; Naruni does not have a trading post in this city). Most items come from manufacturers like Northern Gun, UTI and Wellington Industries. A variety of off-road vehicles, power armor and robots are also on sale here. The proprietor of the Killing Ground is a D-Bee who calls himself Pecos Hill. He claims to be the former leader of the Pecos Empire, an outrageous claim, but most people do not dare dispute it, because Pecos stands nearly nine feet tall and his scaly red skin has proven to be tough enough to resist anything smaller than a volley of heavy missiles. Pecos has lived at Fort El Dorado for over ten years, arriving at the city with about twenty million credits’ worth of valuable merchandise. He used the proceeds from the sale of the merchandise to buy into a local weapons store, and eventually, he bought out the previous owner (rumor says he didn’t want to sell but Pecos was frighteningly insistent). Pecos Hill is believed to have contacts with the Black Market.
The Stuart Arena: This is the second largest arena dedicated to Juicer Sports in the area (the largest one is in Los Alamo). It is certainly one of the most luxurious. Built in 102 P.A. by King Randall Stuart, who used several million credits from his personal fortune, backed by a half dozen other investors (including UTI), to build a beautiful arena patterned after a Spanish bullfighting coliseum. The structure can hold up to 30,000 spectators (it has yet to be filled to capacity), and the field in the center can be used for a variety of events, including Juicer Football, Murderthon and Juicer motorcycle races, with or without combat involved. Ticket fees are very reasonable, 200 credits for season tickets, and 15-50 credits for most events. Located right next to the Arena is the Arena Annex where Deadball tournaments are held every day. The two establishments are responsible for the regular employment of no less than 300 Juicers, mostly Juicer Gladiators. The most famous “local talent” of Fort El Dorado includes Maximillian Smith (Juicer Gladiator, 9th level, four years old), the undisputable champion of Deadball, who has yet to lose a game, with a record of 196 wins, 2 ties, and 34 wins because of fatalities! Groth “Pseudo-Titan” Crycher, a Troll Juicer (7th ’ level, three years old), the MVP for the Stuart Rhinos; and Julienne “Atlanta” Vargas (8th level Hyperion Juicer, three years old), winner of the last two Annual Murderthon Championships.