Near the heart of the Reclaimer movement in Atlanta, Georgia, ASA were any number of small towns. Just across the Georgia/Alabama border is one such town, Anniston. Before and throughout most of the war Anniston drifted along, another sleepy town well removed from real conflict. When the ASA began military operations in Mexico long simmering tensions erupted.
What had been a sleepy paper mill town exploded in racial tension. At first attacks were subtle, targeting the poorest Hispanic families. As the conflict in Mexico escalated and spilled into Texas so did the attacks on innocent people inside the Anniston going so far as to see a resurgence of the Klan and events such as public lynching’s. This racial violence was not unique to Anniston, as crimes targeting Hispanics surged across the ASA, particularly in the Southern states.
As the US continued to destabilize leading up to the Purge, the Church of the Reclaimer took up roots in Anniston. Religious fervor tapped into the fears of the town and was able to shape it. In the years before the Purge Anniston was a central training facility for the Church’s bombers. Coordinating with other small and medium sized towns already affiliated with the Church thousands of sleeper agents were decimated through the US, and then ASA leading up to the Purge.
The years that followed the embargo and reassertion of national governments have not been kind to the people of Anniston. For years, the city was home to a host of investigators, law enforcement, and mercenaries conducting sweeps searching Church radicals and militants. The post war economy of the city all but non-existent. Government aid was brought in to support the survivors.
For all this Anniston has not fallen into the obscurity of history. Much of the city remains a burned out husk of its former self. While Atlanta has licked its wounds and covered over its scars Anniston was never able to fully recover. Because of this, there has been a steady growth of Post War tourism, people looking to explore the horrors of war, without the dangers of the Wastes. This has made Anniston ideal.
Story Seeds
Memories: While the Church’s influence may have been scrubbed from the surface, there may still be a strong underground presence within the community. This underground faction may be looking to recruit muscle willingly or not. PCs displaying any kind of supernatural ability may find themselves kidnapped.
Lost Souls: A fog of regret and misery floats over the town of Anniston. This is a real effect left over from of those that died in the town during the Purge. While not an actual Bridge or Gate with the right influences one may easily form. For this reason the Templar, Spirit Callers and Keepers have all taken interest in the town. While neither faction has made a move yet, the Templar and Callers sit on the edge of a discovery the Keepers are sworn to prevent.
