A Bit of History
The era of the Early Republic, called locally the Pioneer Era, was one of rapid change in the face of a deep wilderness that stretched as far as anyone knew, and in fact much farther. This was the lawless frontier, an area that in its earliest days was only marginally under the authority of first the French and then the British governments. Following the American War for Independence, the Old Northwest Territories fell under the authority of the United States, but even then real political power was in the hands of the locally elected governing bodies, the surviving First Nations, and powerful merchants or land speculators.
Settlements were few and far between, leaving huge tracks of land unclaimed, or at least with no surviving claimants. This was a time when even the most honest of men would see nothing wrong with heading off into the wilds, cutting out a farm, and living there until the soil was depleted before moving on. That this was illegal squatting, and often in violation of treaties or existing deeds, was either unknown or ignored by the early settlers. When conflict arose it was not unusual for people who lived far from a governing body to simply take care of legal matters themselves in the time-honored traditions of violence and intimidation. Within areas actually subject to the rule of law, this rule was generally subverted by greed, bigotry, selfishness, or other unjust motivations. Feuds were common, and could have far ranging implications. For example, my own family had a feud with the powerful Conner family, and thus the Spencers refused to do business with the Conners at their trading post. Since that trading post was also the only legal place to obtain a land deed, the Spencers squatted on their land for over twenty years. This forced them to live in a near constant state of siege, for someone else could come along and legally take their land from them at anytime, but it also meant that when they finally legally purchased the land from the government it was officially 'wilderness' despite the presence of farms and buildings, and thus was for some time listed as undeveloped on the tax rolls.
Not all who lived in the Old Northwest Territories during the Pioneer Era were farmers, the growing settlements needed tradesmen and professionals, hunters still operated throughout the area, and the fur trade, though dwindled from its height a century before, was still active. Soldiers where present as were other government officials, and a few bands of First Nations still wandered the area, though most had either fled or been relocated west, or were in the process of transforming their lifestyles to match those of the incoming Americans.
Considerations
One of the first things that should be addressed is rather or not there are going to be non-humans in this fantasy world, and if so than what historical groups are they the representations of. As classic fantasy paradigms often include non-human races it would make sense to designate this or that group elven, dwarven, half-orc, gnomish, halfling, or what have you. I have seen this done to various degrees of success in several different historically inspired fantasy settings, but I do not feel it is necessary. True, there is often at least one player who just simply has to play a non-human, but sometimes we donŐt get what we want, and honestly, I could use some more fantasy setting without the usual suspects of fantasy races. Howard created a great setting with only humans (and of course non-human villains or monsters).
Magic is another factor that needs to be considered. I have decided to include magic in three forms. The First Nations use a ritualistic form of magic that focuses on summoning and negotiating with various spirits. This animistic style is slow to produce impressive effects but is far more versatile than that of the Republicans from the east. The Republicans use a limited form of magic that is also very reliable, I am thinking a Vanican style, which is taught in colleges or learned from intense study of arcane texts. Finally, the various preachers and ministers of the Republican faiths can call forth divine miracles, that though of awesome power are very difficult to bring about and require a great deal of preparation as well as the 'caster' living up to his or her creed.
The Environment
The Old Northwest Territories of the early Nineteenth Century were very different than the Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio we know today. For starters they were wild, covered in deep dark forest, dotted with open plains, and largely devoid of large settlements. This was the sort of place were a person could go months without encountering another human being, and the idea that government officials could show up to protect or persecute was simply silly. There were few roads, the canals that would eventually link the area to the Eastern Seaboard were not even started yet, and the best and fastest means of transport were along rivers. Bridges were largely absent, to cross even a moderately sized stream required a person to get wet, and could result in loss of life or valuable goods. Folklore says that a squirrel could travel from the edge of the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River without touching the ground.
This was also a landscape undergoing rapid change. People were building roads, canals, bridges, and towns. Large tracts of forest were being cleared in order to build farms, with the attendant outbuildings and other structures that farms need. The people that once lived there had been defeated in a series of wars, and were largely fragmented into small bands and villages, or had already left for areas less impacted by the invading swarms of Americans and Europeans.
Wild animals. There were also feral hogs, wild savage creatures that did not fear humans. I'm not talking about Babe here, these weren't the cute little pink pigs we often think of, but razor back hogs, a swine that is closer to wild boars than anything you might find in a modern pig farm.
Back East
Honestly there is no reason to flesh out the Eastern Republics much. Back East should remain something that exists on the other side of the mountains, a place that has a great impact on the current situation in the Old Northwest Territories, but in itself is of less importance than the frontier. ItŐs a place that PCs may be from, as well as NPCs and villains. Characters who work for one of the Republics or for an organization based there (such as a merchant consortium or missionary group).What is defined is that there are thirteen republics, each recently freed from oppressive rule by the Empire (where the Imperials, i.e. Europeans, came from). United by their struggle for Independence, the thirteen republics have split apart since their victory. Although open combat has been avoided, the republics are constantly conspiring against each other and forming shifting alliances. The Old Northwest Territories are being claimed by New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, creating a massive power struggle between these republics, the First Nations, and others.
Player Characters
There are plenty of options when it comes to characters, from hardy pioneers to First Nations traditionalists. The best fits would be PCs geared towards life on the frontier. Hunters and fur traders will still be plying their trade, and both should allow for PCs that bridge the gap between the oncoming 'civilization' and the wilderness. Hardy explorers and pioneers would also be good choices. An entire campaign could be built around a set of siblings who are attempting to carve out their own pocket of the wilderness. Another option would be soldiers in the service of one of the republics, or possibly Imperial soldiers who were left behind when the Empire was pushed off the continent.
Lost Worlds
Lost civilizations and hidden ruins are a stable of many fantasy games, and the Old Northwest Territories do not disappoint in that regard. Scattered throughout the area you have the remains of the Adena and Hopewell mound builders, and the city building (and great big mounds in those cities) Mississippians. True, as they stand in the real world they are not great locations for dungeon delves, lacking the whole underground element, but why not in our fantasy world? Perhaps the mounds are hollow and filled with lost treasures, magical artifacts, cunning traps, and undying guardians. Horrors and riches of all sorts may be found inside them, and when you add in the ruined cities of the Mississippians, there are plenty of old school dungeon running opportunities.
Tecumseh
A campaign arc could be easily based around the tensions between the First Nations and the pioneers. How this is played out depends on the manner of campaign you are running, as well as the nature of the PCs. A mixed party of First Nations and Republicans could end up having a fair amount of internal strife that can be played upon throughout the campaign, building along side the external strife that surrounds them. Perhaps the party is a perfect model of cooperation and cohabitation of the Old Northwest Territories, but threatens to be torn apart by partisans of both sides.
A key event would be the rise of Tecumseh and his confederation of First Nation tribes. Part war leader, part prophet, the goal of Tecumseh would be the establishment of a First Nations nation somewhere east of the Mississippi River. This leads him and his followers into direct conflict with the Eastern Republics and their push westward. After a series of treaties intended to placate both sides fail, open warfare in the wilderness erupts, likely catching the party in the middle. Can the PCs broker a new and lasting peace or will they quest to discover a lost artifact that either brings peace or gives victory to one side?
Next month will be the annual double sized edition of "A Bit of History", featuring five historical change points for you alternate history types, as well as reviews. So far the response from publishers to the review columns has been grand, and we will have items from Cubicle 7, Precis Intermedia, Bully Pulpit, Pinnacle, and others. Also, NS-4 Blood on the Snow is at the printer and should be available soon from Frog God Games. The Northlands Saga Campaign Guide is nearing completion and will hopefully be out this summer. Finally, it looks like there will be A Bit of History Round Table on history and role-playing at GenCon this year. I will let you know more about that once I have a set time and table assignment, as well as confirmed panelists from the gaming industry. All will be welcome and will be a seminar, so no event tickets needed.
