Kerr (1983: Doomsday)



Kerr is a survivor state in the former US states of North Carolina and Virginia. It has a population of roughly 1,900 people, with about 800 being known as 'true citizens'. Kerr was originally a city state known as Henderson, but has since expanded to surround Kerr Lake. Most citizens live in the Southern portions of Kerr while some have chosen to live in the northern portions, which present some threats.

Pre-Doomsday
Founded in 1841, Henderson was named after former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Leonard Henderson. Henderson had a population of roughly 7,000 people before Doomsday while the region around Kerr Lake had 17,000 people living in the area. The city was close to Interstate 85 and U.S. 1. Highway 39. Henderson had several districts, including the historic downtown Henderson and the commercial district.

Doomsday
Henderson, while not damaged by Doomsday, was quick to fall into chaos. Refugees from Durham and other devastated cities brought more trouble to Henderson. By 1984, Henderson was packed with over 15,000 people. While it attempted to govern itself, the city experienced many problems. A disease, most likely a strain of influenza, swept through the town, killing about 700 people and encouraging 1,200 more to leave the town for fear of catching the flu.

A council was drafted that year to keep the flu down and to run the town. While the disease's progress slowed down, the disease was not stopped for some time. More districts were created to handle the large population; the Interstate district (which housed hundreds of temporary homes built on the Interstate), the rural district, and many more.

In June of 1984, Governor Tyrone Kalin of the Interstate district drew a gun on the President of Henderson after being told that Henderson could not afford to send more supplies to the Interstate district. The President of Henderson and the governors of the Commercial and South Downtown were shot and killed. Kalin threatened a massacre of the city if the other governors did not stand down. Kalin proclaimed himself President upon their consent.

Kalin's Rule
Kalin was a cruel leader. Originally a citizen in Durham before Doomsday, he was said to have partaken in several crimes before and after Doomsday. The Interstate districts recieved more aid as the rural district suffered. Kalin saw this not as overtaxing the resources of the rural district, but as the citizens of the rural district being weak. He ordered the rural district to work harder under the pane of massacre. The district attempted to work harder, but it was still not enough. On September 10th, 1984, troops opened fire on workers in the rural districts, killing about forty people and injuring seventy more.

Due to the drop in population in the rural districts, Henderson began to starve. By 1985, over 5% of the population had starved to death. 30% had been suffering from malnutrition at this time. Several thousand people left the city, which insulted Kalin. The interstates and roads out of the city were blocked off. Patrols around the woods searched for people trying to escape the city.

In 1986, two men stormed the courthouse and shot Kalin, once in the left leg and twice in the stomach, before being apprehended and beheaded. The town was 'punished' as twelve more people were executed for having regularly conversed with the would-be-assassins. The governor of the district from which the would-be-assassins was executed as well. People scrambled desperately to leave the town. In the Mass Panic of 1986, eight hundred people stormed the barricades on Highway 39. Several guards were trampled in the process. The guards were ordered to open fire on the refugees, slaughtering many. 14% of the population had left the city, leaving Henderson starved for resources and labor.

After the Mass Panic of 1986, Kalin ordered a wall to be built around the city, separating it from the outside world. The militia tore down the homes of 'problem residents' to build this wall. The outside layer was a poorly-constructed wall of wooden planks and palates. The inner layer, poured a year later, was a concrete wall surrounding the city. This inner layer was reinforced with scrap metal gathered from torn down houses or 'donations'. A third wooden layer, identical to the outside layer, was placed on the interior.

In 1987, Kalin began capturing anyone who wandered near the city and forced them to work in the city, generally on the construction of the wall. An underground resistance founded by Hank Gerald. Gerald started the resistance movement in the basement of an abandoned tobacco shack in the rural district. The basement was originally used for curing beef, but nobody knew it was there. The owner had been among those slaughtered in the Rural District Massacre.

By 1988, the resistance's numbers grew to about 28% of the entire town. When Kalin discovered the resistance, he searched the home of every citizen in the city. Hundreds of tons of possessions were confiscated and many people were tortured for information. This act only made the resistance's numbers grow in size. The resistance never took action until 1991.

Acts of Desperation
The resistance, though quiet, took up a large portion of the town as of 1991. 51% of the citizens in the town were part of the resistance. Most didn't join because they feared what Kalin would do. On January 8th, a molotov cocktail was thrown through the window of the cinema, which was showing a screening that was being viewed by several of Kalin's advisors and allies. The cinema, and the people inside, burned to the ground.

Outraged, Kalin ordered a raid on the resistance once more. As homes were searched, guards began to disappear. As of March 21st, Henderson was under martial law. Curfews were put in place and guards were posted. Searches of anyone could be done at any time. Houses were ransacked, many times in the early morning. This carried on for much of the year, until Autumn. As the results of these searches were almost always negative, Kalin had the crops in the rural district picked and sent to a storage area where only select people could recieve them. Rations were taken away.

Unknown to Kalin and his government, the resistance had picked as much crops as they could. The food for the resistance, while scarce, was available. Still, starvation ran rampant through Henderson. Pets became food. People turned to eating insects, wood, dirt, and grass. Cannibalism had taken place in several homes. The resistance gave out what food it could. By January of 1992, the food reserves for the resistance had run out. They couldn't steal the winter harvest or it would arouse suspicion. A more aggressive approach was taken.

A suicide mission consisting of seven people entered Kalin's food reserves late on January 3rd and stole as much food as they possibly could. Hundreds of tons of food had been stolen and hidden around the city at predetermined locations. By the time they had been caught, over half of the food reserves had been taken. Rather than run, these men took a last stand. A firefight in the food reserves ensued. Fifteen guards were killed before backup could be called. As they waited for backup to arrive, the resistance members poured gasoline around the building. When the backup arrived and opened fire, the food reserves exploded.

Kalin was irate. Again, homes were searched. This time, some abandoned homes were rigged with explosives to kill search parties. Meanwhile, the food caches were recovered and taken back to the resistance reserves. By spring, Henderson was recovering from its famine. However, its troubles were far from over.

Civil War
On April 18th, 1993, the resistance declared war on Kalin and his regime. The rural district, commercial district, and parts of the interstate district declared their alleigences to the Henderson Resistance. The first violence in the war started in the Interstate, when a squabble between two families turned into a firefight. Two hundred people died in the firefight and several homes were left without owners. Some homes were rigged with traps and left alone.

The first battle, however, did not happen until June. Resistance troops marched into the northern interstate district, hoping to divide the city and end the war quickly. The attack succeeded and the resistance held the interstate province, dividing Henderson. However, Kalin started a draft. Kalin's Militia quickly stormed the interstate, drawing the resistance troops back to their original lines.

The war turned into random firefights in the streets for the rest of 1993 and most of 1994. Status quo was kept almost every time. The resistance was more benign in their approach and, thus, were usually on the defensive. The next major battle didn't happen until December of 1994. A firefight over a large general goods market in the commercial district convinced the resistance to make another push into the northern commercial district. Lines again never changed until 1995, when Kalin sneak-attacked the interstate, completely capturing the interstate.

On October 5th, 1995, the resistance launched a full attack on the interstate, resulting in a week-long battle. The resistance captured the interstate and quickly flooded into the other districts. Kalin's districts, starved from the loss of the rural district, quickly fell. By October 20th, the resistance had made its way into the historic downtown district. Kalin was evacuated on October 23rd, but his convoy was blocked and Kalin was captured.

Kalin was exiled from Henderson and was never seen again. The civil war was over, but Henderson was still ailing.

Henderson
Henderson had lost about 75% of the population it had from the time Kalin took office to the time he was exiled. The workforce was low, but morale was much higher. Unneeded houses near the rural district were checked for traps before being taken down. The plots were used for farmland and the materials were used to rebuild the town or used as farming equipment.

The Constitution of Henderson was drafted in 1996 and Hank Gerald was named President of Henderson. He was a fair president, as opposed to Kalin. Gerald addressed the populace, encouraging them to look to the sky. Though the world may be a harsh place, it is not the end of times. Over the years, Henderson grew. Trades with other towns in the area, such as Butner and Creedmoor, allowed Henderson to regain parts of its population. The barricades on the highways and roads were taken down and doors were placed on the walls around the city to allow commerce. The wall was left up for defensive purposes.

In 2000, a massive blizzard rolled through much of North Carolina, freezing crops and decimating food storages. Henderson, however, made it through this without much trouble. Henderson was soon becoming too populated. Rather than expand the crowded city, the area around Henderson was annexed. In 2002, several tributaries of the nearby Kerr Lake had been annexed. The fishing industry grew as a town named Kerr City was founded along the southern Kerr Lake.

By 2010, the entirety of the area around Kerr Lake had been claimed. While 900 people still lived in Henderson, most people in the state had moved to the areas around the Kerr Lake, especially Kerr City. The state was renamed 'Kerr' for this reason. Trade with the Outer Banks started, though trade with Blue Ridge was a bit tougher. As of 2012, Kerr is setting its eyes on helping the troubled city of Oxford.

Government
Kerr's government is much like an average state government was before Doomsday. There is a legistlative, executive, and judicial branch. The old US constitution was adopted and, thus, the state is a representative democracy. The leader of Kerr is called a President to reflect the old style of US government. If asked about the government, government officials will generally say 'temporary nation' to reflect optimism that Kerr can rejoin the US when it gets back on its feet. Still, a feeling of patriotism can be felt around the survivor state.

Politics
While there are political parties, they are much less unified than the political parties of the United States. Many governors and presidents have been unaffiliated with a political party. There are two main parties; Republicans and Democrats. 24% of the people in Kerr call themselves Republicans while 18% of Kerr call themselves Democrats. Most people in Kerr are unaffiliated.

Political parties in Kerr tend to be short lived, promoting a single politician before dissolving if the politician loses the elections or when the politician leaves office.

Economy
Kerr is a 'true capitalism', meaning that the market is completely untouched by the government. Unfortunately, this means that dangerous items such as bombs, grenades, or narcotics are legal to purchase and sell in Kerr. There is currently a debate about this matter, though this does bring much revenue to Kerr, so the debate is not heated at this time.

Kerr's currency is known as a dollar, but many markets and vendors accept bartering. Those that don't are generally selling expensive things or large things, such as houses, vehicles, and large crates of food. A dollar is generally a former US dollar, though an reprint is expected for late 2012 to provide Kerr with new, redesigned bills.

Demographics
64% of the people in Kerr are Caucasians, 18% are African Americans, 12% are Hispanics, 4% are Asians, and 2% are other. The male:female ratio is generally 1:1, though this sometimes varies. Most people live in the southern portion of Kerr, though some have chosen to live in the 'frontier' portion, this being the northern portion of Kerr.

Religion
Over 75% of Kerrish people are Christians. 88% of those people are described as Protestants, 11% are Roman Catholic, and the other 1% describe themselves as 'other'. The non-Christian quarter is composed of 4% Judaism, 2% Muslim, 14% undecided, and 5% Atheist.

Crime
Crime in Kerr is at a moderate level. Most of this crime is stealing, which results in banishment from the city stolen from. However, assault, murder, and vandalism obviously happen. The crimes for these punishments generally involve public floggings, execution, and fine respectively. Jails exist, but the conditions are so low that criminals choose practical punishments. A code of punishments for certain crimes can be found in the Henderson court house.

Cuisine
Kerr is used to hardship. The food is generally minimalistic and basic. It is meant to provide long-lasting energy and nutrition. Most people in Kerr will eat crops such as corn, okra, and tomato. Deer make an abundant source of meat, though venison is by no means the only meat available in Kerr. Beef, pork, and poultry products can be found in Kerr as a result of plentiful livestock.

Salt and spices were once prevalent, though a salt shortage has resulted in the price of salt skyrocketing. Spices, however, are grown and added to food. Since power has been restored to Henderson and much of Kerr, refigeration is the most common form of preservation in Kerr. Spice is generally added for flavor, making Kerrish foods much more spicy than most.

Seafood in Kerr is common due to the state being built around a lake. Fish, clams, and crawfish are constantly being sold around Kerr. This seafood is fresh and healthy, a rare for post-doomsday nations not connected to an ocean.

Residents brew their own alcohol, including beer, whiskey, and rum. The alcohol is very strong, especially outsiders. Travelers from other survivor states politely describe Kerrish Alcohol as 'an acquired taste'. Kerrish alcohol companies such as Coldbrew have become popular in the North Carolina area as a 'tough man's drink'. Coldbrew Brewery is a major tourist attraction for Henderson.

Black Market
Due to the lack of regulation in the market, there is a huge demand for narcotics from areas that have made narcotics and some weapons illegal. Stores selling narcotics can be found in Henderson and Kerr City along with outposts along roads. Tobacco is also a major cash crop for Henderson. Weapons, generally left over from the Kerrish Civil War, can be bought for a modest price. Black powder guns are more common, though any pre-Doomsday weapon can be sold if Kerr gets ahold of it.

Prostitution in Henderson, while rare, is present in Kerr. While there are only a handful of prostitutes in Henderson due to the impracticality of the occupation and the risks it poses to the prostitute and even her home city, there are brothels opened in civilian homes, though it is generally run by only one or two people.

Architecture
The architecture in Henderson is generally very vintage, due to much of the town being built during the '40s and '50s. Refugees from Durham after Doomsday generally arrived in convoys and trucks, blocking the interstate. Today, the interstate is a jumble of makeshift homes put together by pieces of trucks, cars, and wood. Those living in traditional homes have usually had to make repairs at some point, either due to the war or due to simple required mainenance. Simple homes in other parts of Kerr have been put together using concrete, wood, and anything that could be found. In short, architecture in Henderson is ugly, but affordable.

Sports
Football and basketball are common games played by people in Kerr. There are two basketball teams in Kerr; the Henderson Hercules and the Kerr Lake Lakers. The football teams are the Henderson Vanguards and the Kerr City Trojans. These teams generally play against each other, though visiting teams from outside states sometimes play. The players in Henderson are very capable and athletics due to the high amount of veterans in the city.

Geography
Kerr is generally a heavily-forested flat area. Most of the area is farmland, though three cities exist; Henderson, Kerr City, and Clarksville. The first two are generally traditional cities while Clarksville is a loose, agricultrual community that was established as a city, but has not been built up as one yet. Rivers and lakes dot Kerr, allowing for water-based transportation to other places in the North Carolina and Virginia.

Henderson

 * Interstate District
 * Residential District
 * Commercial District
 * Historic Downtown District
 * Highway District
 * Henderson Agricultural District (AG-01)
 * Uptown Henderson
 * International District

Kerr City

 * Kerr Political District
 * Shore District
 * Satterwhite District
 * Kerr City Commercial District
 * Kerr Forest
 * Kerr Agricultural District (AG-02)

Clarksville

 * Clarksville Administrative District
 * Clarksville West Agricultural District (AG-09)
 * Clarksville East Agricultural District (AG-10)

Agricultural Districts

 * AG-3
 * AG-4
 * AG-5
 * AG-6
 * AG-7
 * AG-8
 * AG-11
 * AG-12

Territories

 * Occoneechee
 * Stauton
 * Northville


 * Gerald