The Confederacy

The Confederacy

"Born in Blood, Baptized in Fire, Forged by Seventeen Years of War"

The Confederate States of America is a nation that should not exist. By all rights, the rebellion should have been crushed within a year or two. Instead, seventeen years later, the Confederacy endures—battered, exhausted, economically devastated, but stubbornly independent.

What began as eleven states seceding to preserve their way of life has transformed into something different. The "peculiar institution" of slavery is gone, abolished by the Confederate Congress in 1865 as a desperate bid for British recognition and to address severe manpower shortages. What remains is a nation defined by war, a people hardened by constant struggle, and a government that will do anything—including deals with dark powers—to survive one more year.

The Confederacy controls less territory than it claims, its economy teeters on the edge of collapse, and its people grow weary of endless sacrifice. Yet it continues to resist Union conquest through sheer determination, guerrilla warfare, secret weapons, and the hope that foreign intervention will finally force Washington to recognize Southern independence.

The Territory

The Confederacy officially claims all the states that seceded in 1861, plus territories in the West. The reality is more complicated:

The Core States: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas form the Confederate heartland. These states provide the manpower, resources, and political support that keep the government functioning. However, much of Tennessee and western Virginia remain contested or under Union control.

The Front-Line States: Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky see the most fighting. The front lines shift with each offensive, but the war has ground down to a bloody stalemate. No major city has changed hands permanently in years, though both sides continue launching offensives that cost thousands of lives and gain nothing.

The Deep South: Relatively protected from major battles, though Union naval blockades strangle coastal trade. These states provide agricultural resources and serve as safer havens for refugees fleeing the fighting. However, they also bear the brunt of economic devastation—worthless Confederate currency, inflation, and shortages of basic goods.

Western Territories: The Confederacy claims Arizona Territory, portions of New Mexico, and even California's Great Maze, but control is illusory. Confederate forts dot the Ghost Trail from the Maze to Roswell, but Apache raids, Mexican incursions, and simple distance make actual governance impossible. Mostly, Richmond hopes to secure enough ghost rock to continue the war.

Major Cities

President Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis has led the Confederacy since its inception. A West Point graduate, Mexican War veteran, and former US Secretary of War, Davis seemed ideally suited to lead a nation at war. Seventeen years later, his presidency has become deeply controversial.

The Early Years: Davis's first term saw remarkable successes—victories at Bull Run, holding Richmond against multiple Union offensives, and securing informal British support. However, the war dragged on far longer than anyone anticipated. The Confederate economy collapsed under Union blockades. Casualties mounted horrifically. Davis ruled under martial law from 1863 to 1875, suspending many civil liberties.

The 1876 Election: When free elections finally resumed in 1876, Davis faced his first real challenge. The beloved General Robert E. Lee—retired from military service to help run Dixie Rails—received the Whig Party nomination. Veterans rallied for Lee. The votes in the Confederate states went to Lee by a narrow margin.

Then something strange happened. Electoral votes from western territories and the Disputed Lands—territories the Confederacy barely controlled—were counted and recounted until they swung the election to Davis by razor-thin margins. Cries of fraud echoed throughout the South. Only Lee's personal appeals to accept the results prevented outright rebellion.

Davis Today: President Davis has grown increasingly distant and strange. Once known for caring deeply about the Confederate people, he now seems obsessed with developing new weapons and continuing the war at any cost. His administration pours resources into mad science experiments while ordinary Southerners starve. Money goes to the military and weapons development, not disaster relief or helping the war-ravaged population.

Many wonder what happened to the man who once inspired Southern hearts. Some whisper that something is wrong with President Davis—that he's not the same man who took office sixteen years ago.

The Texas Rangers

If the Agency is the Union's secret weapon against the supernatural, the Texas Rangers are the Confederacy's answer.

The Rangers date back to 1823, originally formed as frontier protection against Indian raids and Mexican incursions. They earned their fearsome reputation during the Mexican War and the "Cortinas War" of 1859, where they drove Mexican forces out of Brownsville. The Mexicans dubbed them "los Tejanos Sangrientos"—"the Bloody Texans"—a nickname that still strikes fear along the border.

When the Civil War began, most Rangers joined the Confederate Army and fought with distinction in major battles, including Gettysburg. After the Reckoning in 1863, General Lee withdrew them from regular combat and assigned them a new mission: investigate and deal with the supernatural threats emerging across the South and West.

National Authority

In 1866, President Davis issued his famous "July Memorandum," granting the Texas Rangers jurisdiction throughout the entire Confederacy. They became the CSA's national police force, with authority over local sheriffs and town marshals when necessary. States' rights advocates howled in protest, but Davis argued that a nation at war needed national law enforcement.

What the public doesn't know: the Rangers' real mission is investigating supernatural occurrences and containing them. Just like the Agency, the Rangers believe widespread knowledge of the supernatural would cause panic and somehow empower the dark forces. They use whatever means necessary—bribes, intimidation, or force—to keep these incidents quiet.

Organization

The Rangers number approximately 2,500 lawmen organized into five battalions (First through Fifth), each containing multiple companies of about 100 men. Companies are led by captains with lieutenants and corporals beneath them. The overall commander is the Texas State Adjutant, headquartered in Austin.

Recruitment: Every Southern child grows up hearing tales of Ranger bravery. The organization looks for two qualities: ability (riding, shooting, fighting, wilderness survival) and true grit—the determination to face down anything, natural or supernatural, that threatens Confederate citizens.

Operations: Rangers operate throughout Confederate territory and beyond. They chase outlaws, investigate weird occurrences, hunt monsters, and sometimes recruit "useful" supernatural elements when necessary. They work alone or in small groups, relying on skill and determination rather than large forces.

Society and Economy

Seventeen years of war have utterly transformed Confederate society.

The End of Slavery

The "peculiar institution" that the Confederacy originally seceded to protect is gone. In 1865, facing severe manpower shortages and desperate for British recognition, the Confederate Congress voted to abolish slavery and allow freedmen to serve in the military. It was a pragmatic decision born of necessity, not moral awakening.

Freed slaves now work as paid laborers on plantations, in factories, or wherever they can find employment. Many joined the Confederate military—some voluntarily for pay and benefits, others pressed into service by authorities who needed bodies more than they cared about color. Racism certainly didn't disappear overnight, but the war forced Southerners to reconsider old assumptions when survival was at stake.

Economic Devastation

The Confederate economy is in ruins. The Union naval blockade strangles coastal trade. Confederate currency is nearly worthless—a dollar in Richmond buys what a penny did before the war. Inflation ravages whatever money people have saved. Basic goods are scarce and expensive.

What people need: Food, clothing, medicine, tools, seeds, livestock—everything is in short supply. Smugglers running the Union blockade charge exorbitant prices. Black markets thrive. Some areas near the front lines have reverted to barter economies.

Where money goes: President Davis's government spends on three things: the military, weapons development, and ghost rock. Very little goes to disaster relief, reconstruction, or helping the starving population. Critics argue Davis cares more about winning the war than about the people he's supposed to protect.

The Mississippi: "River of Blood"

The Mississippi River, once America's great commercial highway, has earned a new name: the River of Blood. Both sides fight bitterly for control of this strategic waterway. Union and Confederate ironclads battle for supremacy. Towns along the river change hands repeatedly. Civilians caught between the armies suffer terribly.

Despite the danger, commerce continues. Steamboats run supplies, weapons, and ghost rock up and down the river. Memphis remains the Confederacy's primary river port, though it's under constant threat. Wealthy industrialists like Colonel Brennan operate steamboat lines, making fortunes from wartime trade while ordinary people starve.

A Society Under Strain

The war has lasted longer than childhood—an entire generation has grown up knowing nothing but conflict. Every able-bodied man has served in the military or works in war industries. Women manage plantations, run businesses, and keep communities functioning while men are at the front. Children work farms and factories.

War weariness is real, though Southerners won't admit it openly. Pride, stubbornness, and the fear of what Union conquest would mean keep people fighting. But quietly, many wonder if independence is worth this price. Peace advocates grow bolder, though they're often branded as traitors or cowards.

The Ghost Rock Gambit

The Confederacy's greatest hope and greatest risk is ghost rock. President Davis recognized early that these supernatural minerals could change warfare forever.

The Roswell Facility

In 1869, Davis established a secret Confederate research base near Roswell, New Mexico. Texas Rangers scoured the West recruiting mad scientists and inventors. Those who accepted went to Roswell with generous pay and unlimited resources. Those who refused... well, Rangers don't like spreading around potentially dangerous knowledge.

At Roswell, scientists developed ghost rock-powered weapons and devices in complete secrecy. Working conditions were brutal, resources were strained, and many inventors went mad from stress and exposure to forces they didn't understand. But by early 1871, Davis had his arsenal of secret weapons.

The Battle of Washington

In February 1871, General Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia in the Confederacy's most ambitious offensive ever. Backed by ghost rock-powered devices from Roswell, Confederate forces attacked Washington D.C. The Union defenders were caught completely off-guard. Lee's army actually captured the Union capital.

For a brief, shining moment, it seemed the war was won.

Then the devices began malfunctioning. Ghost rock supplies ran low. Ulysses Grant rallied Union forces and launched a massive counterattack. Lee was forced to retreat across the Potomac. The Confederacy had proven ghost rock weapons could change everything—but couldn't maintain them long enough to secure victory.

After Roswell

The Roswell base suffered a catastrophic "accident" in 1872, destroying much of the facility and killing many researchers. Survivors deserted, some taking their inventions with them. The bones of mad scientists and their creations still lie scattered in the New Mexico desert.

Ghost rock weapons remain important to Confederate strategy, but they're unreliable. They malfunction at critical moments, require constant maintenance, and need steady supplies of fuel from the Great Maze. The Union learned from Washington and developed their own ghost rock arsenal, eliminating the Confederacy's technological advantage.

Foreign Relations

The Confederacy's survival depends heavily on foreign support, particularly from Great Britain.

British Support

Britain has financial and strategic interests in seeing the United States permanently divided. A weak, fractured North America poses no threat to British interests or British Canada. Britain has provided informal support to the Confederacy throughout the war—loans, trade, and diplomatic pressure on Washington.

In November 1876, Britain took the dramatic step of invading Union territory, capturing Detroit from Canada. While officially claiming to "protect Canadian interests," everyone knows Britain entered the war to support the South. Rumors persist of a larger British invasion force preparing to march south in spring, potentially forcing the Union to accept Confederate independence.

The Mexican Threat

France currently controls Mexico, and Confederate-Mexican relations are tense at best. Mexican forces raid across the border, and French military advisors view Confederate weakness as an opportunity to reclaim territory lost in the Mexican War.

Grant has strengthened diplomatic ties with France, and some whisper he's negotiating a Franco-Mexican invasion of the South to counter British support. Such an invasion would open a second front the Confederacy can ill afford.

Law and Order

Law enforcement in Confederate territory mirrors the North's structure but with significant differences.

Texas Rangers

As detailed earlier, the Rangers serve as national police with jurisdiction throughout the CSA. They handle major crimes, cross state lines in pursuit of criminals, and investigate supernatural incidents. Local sheriffs and marshals are required to cooperate with Rangers, though authority clashes do occur.

Local Law

County sheriffs and town marshals handle day-to-day law enforcement. These positions are usually elected, though governors sometimes appoint sheriffs in areas under martial law or near front lines. Corruption varies—some are honest lawmen, others are on the take from local power brokers or turn a blind eye to partisan violence.

Provost Marshals

Military officers serving as law enforcement in areas near the fighting. Provost marshals enforce martial law, handle deserters and spies, and maintain order in occupied Union territory. They operate under military authority and answer to commanding generals rather than civilian courts.

The Weird Side

Southerners have always been comfortable with ghost stories, folk tales, and superstition. The Reckoning made those stories horrifyingly real.

Folk Tradition: Unlike the industrialized, "rational" North, Southern culture never fully abandoned belief in the supernatural. Voodoo practitioners in Louisiana, root doctors in the Deep South, and mountain folk with their own traditions all maintained that the unseen world was real. When dead men started walking battlefields after Gettysburg, it confirmed what many already suspected.

Texas Rangers' Mission: The Rangers work hard to suppress public knowledge of supernatural threats, believing fear empowers dark forces. They investigate incidents, eliminate dangers, and ensure witnesses stay quiet. Sometimes they recruit supernatural entities that prove useful—shamans, certain Blessed, even reformed Harrowed—when such allies can help protect Confederate interests.

The Blessed: Men and women touched by divine power to fight evil. More common in the South than the North, perhaps because Southern religiosity runs deep. The Rangers work with Blessed carefully—these holy warriors follow God's law, not Confederate law, which sometimes creates conflicts.

Voodoo and Hoodoo: New Orleans and the Gulf Coast have active communities of voodoo practitioners. Some use their powers to help communities, others serve darker purposes. The Rangers watch them closely but recognize that not all supernatural power comes from evil sources.

Rising Dead: Battlefields throughout Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky occasionally spawn walking corpses. Sometimes they're mindless things that attack the living. Sometimes they're Harrowed—dead men whose bodies house both their original soul and a demonic manitou fighting for control. The Rangers hunt the former and watch the latter very carefully.

The Great Rail Wars

The Confederacy's participation in the Great Rail Wars is both economic necessity and strategic imperative.

Confederate Railroads:

• Black River Railroad: Headquartered in Memphis. Pushes through Kansas toward the Maze. Backed by industrialists like Colonel Brennan.
• Dixie Rails: Based in Atlanta. General Robert E. Lee helps run operations. Focuses on southern routes through Texas and New Mexico.
• Bayou Vermilion: New Orleans-based. Operates in the Southwest, building through Arizona Territory toward California.

These railroads don't just compete economically—they fight. Sabotage, raids, and outright battles between rail gangs are common. Victory in the Great Rail Wars means billions in government contracts for exclusive ghost rock shipping rights. That kind of money could save the Confederate economy or enrich already-wealthy rail barons while common people starve.

Visiting Confederate Territory

If you're traveling through the South—especially from Union territory—here's what to expect:

Documentation and Suspicion

Confederate authorities are paranoid about Union spies and saboteurs. If you're coming from the North or have a Yankee accent, expect questioning. Having plausible cover stories, letters of introduction, or business documents helps. Being caught as a Union spy is a hanging offense.

Weapons and Honor

Unlike eastern Union cities, most Southern towns don't restrict firearms. Armed men are common, especially veterans who never quite adjusted to peacetime. The "honor culture" remains strong—insults lead to duels, disputes get settled with guns, and defending your reputation matters more than the law sometimes allows.

That said, cold-blooded murder is still murder. Local law enforcement will investigate killings, and Texas Rangers track down fugitives who flee across state lines.

Currency and Commerce

Confederate dollars are nearly worthless. Many businesses prefer hard currency (US dollars, British pounds, gold or silver) or barter. Inflation is rampant—prices change weekly. What costs five Confederate dollars today might cost twenty next month.

The black market thrives. Goods smuggled through the Union blockade command premium prices. Corruption is widespread—bribes smooth all interactions with officials, and knowing the right people matters more than following proper channels.

The War's Presence

The war is everywhere. Wounded veterans fill the streets. Newspapers trumpet victories and mourn defeats. Women wear mourning clothes for fallen husbands, fathers, sons. Churches hold memorial services weekly. Towns near the front lines are often evacuated or fortified.

Despite this, Southerners maintain pride and hospitality. Strangers are welcomed (once suspicions about Yankee sympathies are dispelled), meals are shared even when scarce, and the belief in eventual victory—or at least honorable survival—remains strong.

The Confederate States of America endures through sheer stubbornness, British support, and the determination of people who've sacrificed too much to surrender now. President Davis grows stranger by the day, the economy collapses, and ordinary people suffer terribly. Yet the Confederacy fights on, one more year, one more offensive, always hoping that victory—or at least independence—lies just beyond the next battle.

For Troubleshooters operating in Confederate territory, remember: the Texas Rangers watch everything, ghost rock is the key to wealth and power, and the things that walk Southern battlefields are often more dangerous than Union soldiers.