The limited nuclear war of 1985 and the two terrible winters that followed killed off approximately
95% of the population of the Northern Hemisphere and 80% of that of the Southern Hemisphere.
The nuclear attacks launched by both sides were aimed at population centers and major industial sites
across the world. 
These attacks had a deleterious effect upon modern society far beyond the already unimaginable
annihilation of millions and destruct of property. Most of the world's transportation network collapsed immediately. As
modern civilization requires food to be moved from areas of production to areas of consumption. With the railroad hubs destroyed,
roads and bridges rendered unusable, and ports flattened, some areas had massive stocks of food, while most went short. Coupled to
this was the breakdown of civil order. Most governmental and military centers were destroyed. When huge crowds of
people moved from those food short urban areas erupted into the countryside there was nothing to stop them in many
areas. Widespread violence swept through the land in a dog-eat-dog frenzy of looting, rape, theft, and murder.
To cope with this disaster, local strong men and women, sometimes someone with preexisting authority like a mayor, a police chief, or the
commander of an army post, and sometimes just a person of natural authority would take charge of an area. Organizing,
protecting, and controlling food supplies was they key to an area's success or failure that first winter. From those group who suceeded came the new
social and political entities that dominated the post-nuclear world. These nuclei took many forms: military governments,
local strong man dictatorships, small democracies, slave-owning aristocracies, and even criminal and biker gangs. Groups with
prexisting social cohesion, such as the Mormons and other religious groups, those with popular leaders such as the Kennedys in New England, and
and military bases that were not attacked such as Fort Ord in California, all had a considerable edge in survival.
Early attempts to consolidate the United States failed due to poor communications, total discrediting of the Federal Government
that fought the war, and the lack of a leader with political legitimacy. As the new, small, local states coalesced, endemic warfare between them began
as they jockeyed for scarce resources. This cycle of warfare and destruction help continue the downward slide of population levels and the loss of technological and economic capabilities.
Another major impact of the nuclear war was the loss of technology. By its very nature, a complex, interactive system of technology must be
concentrated in cities, the very cities that were destroyed by the nuclear blasts. Even more important than the loss of the physical items of
technology was the destruction of the human beings that design, build, and maintain it. Destroyed factories can be rebuilt, but if you destroy the
only minds that know how it is made and how it works, then you cannot easily replace it. Vast technical libraries were destroyed utterly,
universities laid waste, and technicians killed. Even with all the destruction, a higher level of technology could have been maintained, if it weren't
for the deaths and destruction in the first year, killing off the skilled minds needed for rebuilding. After that first grim year, high tech had to take second place to
simple daily survival. Within five years, most of the survivors were reduced to simple subsistence farming.
In the post-War years in North America, the role of women varied enormously from place to place. In the UKA, at least under Royal law, women have strict equality with men. Women serve in the military, even in combat units, and two have been prime minister, including the current PM, Duchess Julie Harbuck-Hornak. The heir to the throne is Crown Princess Maureen, currently serving as commander of the Palace Guard Armored Brigade.
Attitudes about race are as varied as those of the pre-War U.S.A. There has been states run by the Klan and states run by Black Muslims, and the entire gamut in between. The UKA has a strict policy of racial equality, which is ruthlessly enforced.
Technology varies from left over items from 1985, now very valuable and rare, to crude handicrafts. Much of the materials, especially metals, is salvaged from the ruins. Some objects, like stainless steel flatware is still in common use. Don't expect to see many pre-1985 autos left, though more recently constructed vehicles often use elderly used parts.
For a Time Table For Train Trips Along the West Coast:
Portland National Railroad Time Table
The largest city on the west coast of North America is the capital, Portland, population 104,000. It, along with San Francisco, population 11,500, were the largest cities in the West
not destroyed during the War of 1985. San Francisco was badly damaged, however, by hits in Oakland and the southern suburbs, and a near miss that detonated over
San Francisco Bay.
The largest city on the East Coast of North America is Savannah, population 116,000, also missed in the Soviet attack.
Click Here For More on Life in the City of Portland.
Poor and primitive describes the lifestyle of the rural masses. Redevelopment of the countryside has lagged behind the cities. While the monarchy and Parliament have instituted several initiatives to improve the lot of the farmer, such as cooperatives and increased mechanization have only begun to increase farm productivity. The average income per capita in rural areas is circa $5.00 a year, compared to the $151.50 for the lowest rung of city laborers. Surpluses beyond subsistence levels are small. Farm families tend to be very self sufficient, relying on barter and handicrafts to acquire the limited quantity of manufactured items they require. Migration from the country to the city is steady, and urban populations are growing at a rate of 5-10% a year. Rural literacy rates are very low, most places less than 10%, though the new Royal Education Corps is expanding to provide schools in rural areas.
In most of the territory of the UKA, the economic system can only be called primitive. While a rapidly expanding manufacturing sectr is spurring growth in the cities, the countryside is badly lagging behind. Specie is rare in rural areas, much of the economy revolves around barter. Many farmers operate on share cropper systems that are little better than serfdom, leaving farmers in debt to landlords to the degree that they can never work their way out on their own. A common solution for these families is to have a child enlist in the military, the most sure way off the farm, so that that child can pay off the family debts.
Prices for manufactured goods, energy, and more complex technologies tend to be very expensive, while handicrafts and basic commodities, such as food, tend to very cheap. For basic prices in the Portland Area: See Prices Table
Note: AftermathTM is a roleplaying game by FGU, long out of print but highly recommended. This website is my own creation, not the work of FGU's authors, and is entirely fictional and solely for the entertainment of my readers. Any characters named after any individuals, living or dead, societies, cultures, nations, or religions are fictional, set in an alternate universe, and make no pretense to the truth, even as I see it!