A community of farmers, scrappers, and traders, the town of Big Iron grew from the remnants of a rural community that found itself in a prime location for travelers and rose to meet the challenge. They’ve fought off bands of scavengers and chem-addicts following the crumbled remains of Interstate 94, mobs of feral ghouls boiling up from radioactive bogs, and gangs of raiders looking for easy marks. These tough and hardy folk eke a living from the travelers and caravans making their way between the massive merchant city of MadTown to the south and the towering bluffs and roaring rapids of The Dells Crossroads to the north.
The Dells, a popular vacation destination for those with the means to do such things, is home to an eclectic variety of enterprises, from casinos, brothels, and resorts, to brahmin ranches and shamans offering spiritual guidance in trying times. A hydroelectric dam on the Wisconsin River provides power but also makes the town a favorite target for factions vying for power in the region. Thankfully for the residents of the area a former military unit, the 84th Division Railsplitters, provides security not only for The Dells, but for all municipalities along the 94 Corridor.
This has been a huge boon to the town of Big Iron. However, other factions have attempted to make themselves a place in the community, with mixed results. The Brotherhood of Steel has sent envoys, and there have been conflicts with the residents, ending in the death of the town’s only doctor. The Children of Atom have attempted missionary work but have been chased out into the swamps by residents believing them responsible for an increasingly toxic water supply.
Another faction dropped the facade of community wellbeing almost from their very entrance to the town. The Skinners, followers of a man named Gein who wear the skins of their fallen enemies, gained admittance to the town only to wreak havoc within a short time. They have also been banished to the woods and swamps outside the safety of the town.
Followers of the Apocalypse have established a small holding, seeking lost knowledge and forgotten lore in the remnants of the state’s former glory. Rumors swirl of an untouched Minuteman silo buried somewhere in the region, a find that could prove catastrophic for the people struggling to survive should it fall into unfriendly hands.
New folk arrive almost daily, to the chagrin of the residents but the delight of their wallets. Who will the winds of the nuclear wasteland blow into Big Iron next?