Blackburn's Compound

      Times are desperate, but if we work together, we don’t need to be. We still have our wits and our determination. Constant application of intelligence against our foes will win the day. If we stay focused and use all the means at our disposal, we will reclaim the land. Any interested in joining the fight are welcome at the Compound.”
      –Samuel Blackburn, leader of the Compound.

    In the days following the invasions, two initial groups formed in the Ithaca, NY area. The first was a group of engineering and science students from Cornell, who banded together and survived by the use of make-shift technology, science, and wits. The group became adept at making and jury-rigging gadgets for defense. They specialize in the research and development of technology, and are actively looking into invader technology.

    The second group in Ithaca was headed up by Samuel Blackburn, a popular local farmer with extensive lands in the area. Samuel was a pillar of the local community long before the invasion. He had a set policy that if troubles arose, people in the area should come back to the farming compound to weather the storm. In the days leading up to the end of civilization, Samuel had a feeling that something wasn't right, and kept in close contact with his extended network of family and friends. Therefore, it was natural that his extended family, including the Shaws, the MacKintoshes, and the MacCombes gathered at his farm at the first sign of trouble.

    The two groups joined together when Marcus Shaw, Samuel's nephew and a former engineering student at Cornell, brought the scientific group to the Blackburn farm. The groups have formed a long-term settlement called Blackburn's Compound after the farmland it inhabits. Farming and hunting activities continue in order to support this community. Under Samuel Blackburn's direction, the farm itself has become a defensible area that is a haven for researchers and scientists, as well as those people who have a love of working the land and tending animals.

    The Compound has also managed to create small amounts of electrical power. The use of electricity is generally limited to security and research purposes. Most recently, the Compound has used this limited electrical power to open a small research facility that deals in the workings of post-invasion technology. Rumor has it that Artificing technology has been used to aide the Shaw Institute for Advanced Technology. This rumor has been neither confirmed or denied.

    Samuel Blackburn assumed leadership of the combined group by popular acclaim, and has final authority on all decisions. This has not caused any major problems, as Samuel has a reputation for fairness and openness. He set up a council of advisors to aide him when problems become particularly thorny. These advisors specialize in areas from fighting techniques, to defense of the compound, to alien relations.

    Security, defensive skills, and weapons training are high priorities within the community, such that most community members are actively involved the compound's defense. Due to nearby zombie incursions, Ithaca School of Zombie Study and Fighting has been established. Researchers have made significant headway into the functioning of various types of zombies. Any who wish to join this effort are encouraged to contact Peter MacCombe and Rachel Rosenburg, chief instructors/researchers.

    The one trait that characterizes all members of Blackburn's compound is curiosity. Research into the invaders and their ways, motivations, and goals is the highest community priority. The ultimate goal of the Compound is to understand the invaders, their technology, and ideology in order to repel them and reclaim what had been lost.

    Blackburn's compound has continued to grow since its inception. The Compound welcomes anyone who will work with their existing leadership and who has a thirst to find out how things work. The people it attracts generally have experience either with living off the land and/ or with technology and jury-rigging contraptions for defense. Those with experience with physics, medicine, and scientific research are highly valued. Individuals that join the Compound acquire the "Compound" Community Trait after they are formally acknowledged as Compound members by Samuel Blackburn or one of his advisors.

    Knowledge is a prized commodity and information is almost always a barter-able item within Blackburn's if it will aide in destroying the invaders or keep the people of Blackburn's alive.

    The community itself has not come to solid consensus on the various invader arts. In general, those of Blackburn's are for cautious research into these avenues if they could help repel the invasion. Those within the Compound who pursue invader arts feel no need to hide this fact to other Compound members, but may not speak as openly of their studies with outsiders.

    Contact with outsiders and other communities has increased steadily over the years, allowing the other communities to benefit from the advances the Compound has made. The resistance communities which hold the closest ties to Blackburn's Compound are the Syndicate and Cheyenne Mountain. There has been a smaller amount of contact with the Fellowship and the San Francisco communities. When contact and trade has occurred, the principal items offered for trade by the Compound have been tech-related items used for defense and combat. It is well known among other resistance communities that Blackburn's has a talent for creating these highly valued items from spare components. Additionally, due to the Compound's expertise with growing food and hunting, food items are often available to barter. Finally, the Blackburn family has a surviving still which they use to make alcohol. While this, at times, has been a controversial trade item, it remains one of the most popular. The items that the Compound most often wants in return are more traditional metal hand weapons, components to make tech items, and information on the invaders.

    Typical Attitudes toward the other Communities

    Cheyenne Mountain Refuge

    "The Military has a lot of information that could be useful, though the title of 'president' is a bit presumptuous in this world. We can be a great asset to one another, we just hope Cheyenne Mountain realizes that."

    The Syndicate

    "We've worked with Detroit in the past and we'll continue to work with them. They're certainly an able group, even if their infrastructure is less stable than we'd like."

    The Fellowship

    "We respect the Ideal and the methods of our neighbors in Cooper's Lake. We also know that it will take technology and modern medicine to rebuild this world. We want our way of life back as it was ten years ago-- not five hundred years ago."

    San Francisco

    "The people of San Francisco have proven their dedication and ability again and again, both in their efforts of rebuilding and in their battle against the Malish. They are facing a living, thinking threat and we recognize the skill this takes."