The Union
The Union
"One Nation, Indivisible—No Matter How Long It Takes"
The Union
What used to be the United States of America now controls only the northern states—but don't tell President Grant that. As far as Washington is concerned, the United States of America still exists in full, and every other "nation" on the continent is either in open rebellion or illegally occupying Federal territory. The reality, as anyone with eyes can see, is considerably different.
The Union controls the industrial heartland of the old United States: the factories of New England, the steel mills of Pennsylvania, the shipyards of the Great Lakes, and the agricultural breadbasket of the Midwest. While the Confederacy fights with limited resources and foreign backing, the Union possesses the manufacturing might to wage modern war. Ghost rock-powered industry churns out weapons, ammunition, and the newest marvels of mad science.
But seventeen years of unending war have taken their toll. The Union's population is exhausted, its treasury is strained, and its president grows more desperate with each failed offensive. What was supposed to be a quick suppression of rebellion has become an endless meat grinder that devours men, money, and hope in equal measure.
President Grant's administration refuses to acknowledge the existence of any other nations on the continent. Officially, the Confederacy is "in rebellion," the Sioux Nations are "hostile Indian territories," Deseret is an "illegally occupied territory," and California doesn't exist at all anymore (just the "Great Maze disaster zone"). This stubborn refusal to accept reality has political consequences—the Union won't negotiate with "rebels" or "illegal governments," which means the war continues indefinitely.
The Territory
The Union firmly controls the northern states, though its reach grows weaker the farther west you travel:
The Industrial Northeast: New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and the other New England states form the Union's industrial core. Factories powered by ghost rock produce everything from rifles to steam engines. The cities here are crowded, polluted, and profitable. Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston are among the most populous cities in North America.
The Great Lakes: Chicago serves as the gateway between East and West, a railroad hub where every line converges before heading deeper into the continent. Detroit fell to British forces in November 1876 and remains under occupation—a constant thorn in Grant's side. Milwaukee, Cleveland, and other lake cities serve as manufacturing centers and military staging grounds.
The Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota remain loyal Union territory. These agricultural states feed the cities and the army, though the war has devastated their young male populations. Farms increasingly rely on new machinery and immigrant labor to keep producing.
The Border States: Maryland and Delaware stayed with the Union (barely), but tensions run high. West Virginia split from Virginia during the war and remains Union territory, though Confederate raiders regularly cross the border.
The Disputed Lands: The Union claims Kansas, Colorado, and other western territories, but control is tenuous at best. Federal troops occupy key locations, but the reality is these lands belong to whoever has the most guns at any given moment. Union Blue Railroad pushes westward through Kansas, but rival rail barons and partisan raiders make every mile a battle.
Major Cities
| City | Importance |
|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. | The capital. Home to President Grant, Congress, and the Union's military leadership. Heavily fortified after the Confederate capture in 1871. |
| New York City | The largest city in North America. Financial center, port hub, and home to millions. Tammany Hall political machine controls city politics. |
| Philadelphia | Industrial powerhouse. Manufacturing center. Site of the 1876 Centennial Celebration (which had... complications). |
| Boston | Intellectual hub. Home to Harvard and other institutions. Strong abolitionist tradition. Shipping and trade center. |
| Chicago | The Gateway City. Every major railroad passes through here. Heavily armed and fortified. Union Blue Railroad headquarters. |
| Detroit | Occupied by British forces since November 1876. A diplomatic disaster and military embarrassment for Grant. |
President Ulysses S. Grant
The Union's leader is a man better suited to the battlefield than the White House. General Ulysses S. "Unconditional Surrender" Grant won the Civil War's early battles and earned Lincoln's trust. When Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, Grant eventually ascended to the presidency in 1872, running on the promise to finish what he started: crushing the rebellion.
Five years later, that promise remains unfulfilled.
The 1876 Election: Grant's presidency seemed doomed. Peace candidate Samuel Tilden gained support as war weariness spread through the Union. Then two things happened: the British captured Detroit, and Grant launched the November Offensives—massive coordinated attacks featuring ghost rock-powered land ironclads and air carriages. Though the offensives gained no territory and cost thousands of lives, they convinced voters that only "Unconditional Surrender" Grant had the will to stand up to Confederate aggression and British interference.
Grant won reelection, but at a terrible cost. The failed offensives proved the war had reached a stalemate, and the British occupation of Detroit opened a second front the Union can ill afford.
President Grant broods in the White House, watching his beloved nation fragment around him. The Sioux Nations and Coyote Confederation have carved out territory he can't reclaim. Deseret openly defies Federal authority. California has become the nightmare of the Great Maze. And worst of all, the Confederacy—which should have been crushed years ago—continues to resist.
But Grant's military remains powerful, and he hasn't given up. The war continues, offensive after offensive, each one promising victory that never quite arrives.
The Union Military
The Union possesses the most advanced military in North America—at least on paper. Ghost rock technology gives them land ironclads (steam-powered armored vehicles), air carriages (flying machines that can bomb from above), and weapons that would have seemed like fantasy twenty years ago.
Key Commanders:
- General William Tecumseh Sherman: Commands the Army of the Ohio. Famous (or infamous) for his scorched-earth tactics. Led the brutal Kentucky campaign during the November Offensives.
- General Philip Sheridan: Commands Federal forces in Kansas. Constantly clashing with Confederate cavalry and partisan raiders in the Disputed Lands.
The Reality: For all its technological advantages, the Union military is stretched thin. Seventeen years of war have depleted veteran ranks. Many troops are young conscripts or recent immigrants with little training. Desertion is common, especially among units stationed in the West where pay arrives late (if at all) and supplies are scarce.
The Agency
If you're operating in Union territory—especially if you're from the Confederacy or involved in anything supernatural—you need to know about the Agency.
Formed in 1877, the Agency replaced the Pinkerton Detective Agency's intelligence-gathering role. President Grant decided sensitive wartime operations required government agents, not private contractors. The Agency's official mission is counterintelligence, counterespionage, and protecting Federal interests.
Their unofficial mission is investigating the supernatural.
What Agency Operatives Do:
- Infiltrate Confederate operations and spy networks
- Investigate "unusual occurrences" and supernatural events
- Suppress news of bizarre incidents (bribes, threats, or force)
- Hunt down Confederate saboteurs and sympathizers
- Monitor mad scientists and their potentially dangerous inventions
Agency operatives—called Agents—rarely announce themselves. They work quietly, often undercover. When they do reveal themselves, local law enforcement is supposed to cooperate immediately under executive order. In practice, independent-minded US Marshals often clash with Agency operatives who swoop in and take over investigations.
When something weird happens in Union territory, Agency operatives arrive within hours. They investigate, contain the situation, and ensure witnesses keep quiet about what they saw. The Agency knows the supernatural is real and sees it as a weapon in the war—both a threat to be contained and a resource to be exploited.
If you encounter Agency operatives, tread carefully. They're well-trained, well-equipped, and authorized to do whatever is necessary to protect "national security."
The Ghost
The Agency's eastern operations are run by Allan Pinkerton, the legendary detective. But in the West, command falls to a mysterious figure known only as "the Ghost."
Nobody knows the Ghost's true identity except a handful of top officials. Agents receive orders through intermediaries, dead drops, and coded telegrams. The Ghost never appears in person—or so the rumors say. Some claim the Ghost can walk through walls or appear and disappear at will. Others say it's just an alias used by multiple agents to maintain mystery.
What's certain is that the Ghost is effective. Confederate operations west of the Mississippi have been disrupted repeatedly, supernatural threats have been contained, and Agency influence continues to grow despite opposition from US Marshals and local authorities who resent Federal interference.
Society and Economy
The Union is an industrial powerhouse, but seventeen years of war have transformed its society in troubling ways.
Industry and Innovation
Ghost rock changed everything. The Union's factories, already more advanced than the South's before the war, now produce marvels that would have been impossible a generation ago. Steam-powered machinery, electric lights, telegraphs connecting every major city—the North is racing headlong into a technological future.
Key Industries:
- Manufacturing: Weapons, ammunition, machinery, and consumer goods pour from Union factories
- Railroads: Union Blue Railroad leads the race to the Pacific, but competition is fierce and bloody
- Shipbuilding: The Union Navy patrols both coasts and blockades Confederate ports
- Agriculture: Midwestern farms feed the cities and the military, increasingly mechanized to replace men lost to the war
- Finance: New York banks control vast amounts of capital, though war debt continues to grow
Immigration and Labor
The Union needs bodies—to work the factories, build the railroads, and replace soldiers lost in battle. Immigrants from Europe arrive daily at eastern ports, promised opportunity in America. Many find backbreaking labor, crowded tenements, and discrimination instead.
Labor tensions are rising. Factory owners demand longer hours and lower wages. Workers organize unions and sometimes strike, only to face hired strikebreakers or Federal troops. In the cities, different immigrant groups compete for jobs and housing, leading to frequent violence.
The War's Toll
Seventeen years is a long time to be at war. Every town in the Union has its monument to the fallen, and nearly every family has lost someone. War weariness grows with each failed offensive and each shipment of coffins returning from the front.
The peace movement gains strength despite government efforts to suppress it. Veterans return home missing limbs, suffering from what doctors call "soldier's heart," or exhibiting strange behaviors nobody understands. Some towns have more widows than married women. Children have grown up knowing nothing but war.
And yet, the government insists victory is just one more offensive away. One more push. One more sacrifice. The Confederacy will break this time, they promise. It has to.
The British Problem
In November 1876, British forces crossed from Canada and captured Detroit. They've held it ever since, and show no signs of leaving.
The British Empire has officially entered the war—sort of. They claim they're "protecting Canadian interests" and "maintaining border security," but everyone knows the truth: Britain supports the Confederacy and wants to see the United States permanently divided. A weak, fractured North America can't threaten British interests or British Canada.
The Current Situation:
- British troops occupy Detroit and have fortified their position
- Union forces mass along the Canadian border, creating a tense standoff
- Grant can't launch a full offensive against the British without weakening Confederate front lines
- Diplomats exchange harsh words, but neither side wants full-scale war
- Confederate saboteurs operate from Canadian bases, making cross-border raids
The British occupation is a diplomatic disaster and a military embarrassment. Grant's enemies use it to argue he's lost control. His supporters claim it proves the need for strong leadership. Meanwhile, British troops drill in Detroit, and rumors swirl about a larger invasion force preparing to march south in the spring.
To counter British support for the Confederacy, Grant has strengthened diplomatic ties with France. The French currently control Mexico, and some whisper Grant hopes to arrange a Franco-Mexican invasion of the South to open a second front. Such an alliance would be deeply controversial—inviting a European power to invade American soil—but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Law and Order
Law enforcement in Union territory operates on multiple levels, and jurisdictions often clash.
US Marshals
Federal law enforcement is handled by United States Marshals and their deputies. These lawmen have authority throughout Union territory and can cross state lines in pursuit of criminals. Most are based in major cities but travel extensively.
US Marshals are independent-minded and often clash with Agency operatives who try to take over their investigations. Many Marshals resent the Agency's secrecy and Federal overreach. Still, they're required by executive order to cooperate with Agency personnel—though some interpret "cooperate" rather loosely.
Local Law
In eastern cities, political machines like New York's Tammany Hall control police appointments and ensure law enforcement serves political ends. In the West, sheriffs and marshals operate more independently, though they still face interference from Agency operatives, railroad interests, and partisan violence.
The Secret Service
Originally formed to combat counterfeiting, the Secret Service has expanded its role considerably. They now protect Federal officials (especially the president), investigate fraud against the government, and monitor new technologies that might have military applications.
The Secret Service pays particular attention to mad scientists and their inventions. After the Confederacy's devastating attack on Washington in 1871 using secret weapons, the Union government realized it needed better intelligence on technological developments. Secret Service agents keep tabs on inventors, ghost rock refineries, and anyone experimenting with devices that might shift the balance of power.
The Political Landscape
The Union's politics are increasingly polarized between war hawks and peace advocates, with President Grant caught in the middle.
The War Party: Backed by industrialists profiting from military contracts, these Republicans believe the war must continue until the Confederacy surrenders unconditionally. Any negotiation or recognition of Confederate independence would be betrayal. Military contractors, railroad barons, and those with business interests in continued conflict support this faction.
The Peace Movement: Democrats and some Republicans argue the war is unwinnable and must end through negotiation. Seventeen years of bloodshed is enough. They advocate recognizing Confederate independence, focusing on economic competition rather than military conquest, and rebuilding what remains of the old Union.
The Immigrant Question: Nativist movements oppose continued immigration, claiming newcomers take jobs from "real Americans" and don't share American values. Pro-immigration forces argue the Union needs population and labor to compete economically and militarily.
Reconstruction Without Victory: The Union conquered portions of Confederate territory early in the war but lost most of it during Confederate counteroffensives. Federal occupation governments in places like eastern Tennessee and western Virginia struggle with partisan violence, lack of resources, and hostile populations. Some argue resources spent on occupation would be better used elsewhere.
The Weird Side
The Reckoning hit the Union just as hard as everywhere else, but the response has been different. In the industrialized, educated East, people cling to rational explanations even when faced with the impossible.
Official Denial: The government and most newspapers maintain that reports of walking dead, supernatural creatures, and impossible events are hysteria, hoaxes, or Confederate propaganda. The Agency works hard to suppress evidence of the supernatural, believing widespread panic would damage morale and the war effort.
Private Knowledge: Plenty of folks know the truth—they've seen things, lost loved ones to creatures that shouldn't exist, or survived encounters with the supernatural. But they keep quiet because nobody wants to be labeled crazy, arrested for spreading panic, or visited by Agency operatives who "encourage" silence.
Scientific Dismissal: Eastern intellectuals attribute supernatural reports to mass hysteria, misidentification of natural phenomena, or deliberate Confederate psychological warfare. They point to the success of ghost rock technology as proof that science and reason can explain everything. The fact that ghost rock screams when burned is... well, they're working on that.
Growing Cracks: As more people encounter the impossible firsthand, and as Agency operatives work overtime to contain increasingly frequent incidents, the wall of denial is developing cracks. Spiritualism has become fashionable in eastern cities—people attending séances and consulting mediums. Are they contacting the dead, or something worse? The Agency watches closely.
Rumors persist about the Freemasons—an old fraternal organization that supposedly wields significant influence in Union politics and business. Conspiracy theorists claim the Masons control everything from military contracts to presidential elections. Most dismiss this as nonsense, but the Masons are suspiciously well-connected, and their secret rituals and symbols certainly invite speculation. Some Agency operatives investigate Masonic lodges, but their findings remain classified.
Visiting Union Territory
If you're traveling to Union territory—especially from the Confederacy or Disputed Lands—here's what you need to know:
Travel Routes
By Railroad: All major rail lines heading east pass through Chicago, the gateway city. You'll need to switch trains and pass through a checkpoint where officials check your identity, ask about your business, and verify you're not on any wanted lists. A few dollars in "processing fees" helps things move smoothly, but use Federal currency, not Confederate scrip.
By Ship: Passenger ships connect East Coast ports, though you'll need to be aboard a Union-flagged vessel. Confederate ships risk Union Navy interception. Smugglers will give you passage for the right price, but that comes with its own risks.
Overland: You can cross the border quietly through the Disputed Lands where Federal control is weak, but you'll still need to explain yourself if caught in Union territory without proper documentation.
Documentation
Weapons and Conduct
Eastern cities have strict gun laws. You can't walk around armed the way you can in western towns. Concealed weapons are illegal, and carrying firearms openly will get you arrested. Hotels often require guests to check weapons at the desk. If you're accustomed to settling disputes with drawn pistols, adjust your approach—eastern law enforcement takes firearms violations seriously.
Cities like New York and Philadelphia have large police forces who patrol regularly. Violence is less common than in western boomtowns, but crime is organized differently. Street gangs, political thugs, and criminals connected to powerful interests operate with varying degrees of impunity.
Cost of Living
Eastern cities are expensive. A decent hotel room costs several dollars per night. Restaurant meals, transportation, entertainment—everything costs more than in the West. On the other hand, there's more of everything available: theaters, restaurants, shops, services, and opportunities.
The Union stands as the industrial might of North America, but seventeen years of war have strained it to the breaking point. President Grant pursues victory that always seems one offensive away, while his people grow weary and his enemies multiply. The Agency works in shadows to protect Federal interests and contain the supernatural, but the cracks in the wall of denial grow wider every day.
For Troubleshooters working in Union territory, remember: the Agency watches everything, the war never truly ends, and the things people refuse to believe in are often the most dangerous.
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