Ashes Part 3

 Now that I've got my Enclaves in place, it's time to roll up some Tags for the Ruins.

 Arcata

Tags: Political Gulag, Highshine Concentration

The Highshine Concentration is actually a bit serendipitous. While "Highshine" is specific to the sample setting, which we may or may not be using, it refers to a high potential for mutation and weirdness. Which lines up with my thoughts about weird science going on at the University that's there. The Political Gulag is something that I didn't expect. One of the other Enclaves (Eureka is closest) is using it as a sort of exile prison.

Crescent City

Tags: Zombie Swarm, Psychic Stronghold

Both of these tags are about things that I haven't ruled out, but also haven't really engaged with previously. It suggests to me that there is a population of psychics who have mental control over a larger population that is largely passive, but not actually undead.

Eureka (Ruin)

Tags: Disguised Purpose, Beastmen Lair

Another thing that I didn't really delve into is the idea of mutant beastfolk, like mutant ninja turtles and such. The Disguised Purpose is interesting as well. It could mean that the beastfolk are more civilized than they present themselves as and have some advanced resource that you wouldn't think that they could use.

Hoopa

Tags: Black Site, Hidden Site

On the one hand, this is kinda cool, like Humboldt County got it's own Area 51. On the other hand, this site was going to be an excuse to go inland, since everything else is along the coast, so having it too dark and hidden would be no fun. Another thing to keep in mind is that this is a reservation today. Making it a government or corporate site might make it another example of exploitation of Native Americans.

It's probably best to assume that the Native American communities there built it up. Maybe the lead up to the apocalypse included a fragmented United States, so you not only get states seceding (and maybe further fracturing), but also Native American nations and communities asserting themselves. Whether Hoopa tried to make a go of it as an independent micro-nation or was a member of a confederation of Native American states is undetermined at this moment, but they clearly took every effort to keep what power and independence they could.

McKinleyville

Tags: Failed Community, Mass Grave

This is freaking dark. Something terrible clearly happened here. Something to think about.