Mackinac-Mackinaw Republic

The Mackinac-Mackinaw Republic (or MMR) is a post-plague society based in Northern Michigan. Their range spans from Saint Ignace, Mackinaw City, and the Mackinac Island as well as its surrounding regions. It has a long-distance colony outside of Bay City in the old Bay County region of Lower Michigan.

Their government is a Republic built on some of the ideas of Plato. In that the MMR contains three distinct social classes: A working, a guardian, and a intellectual/leader caste. Although some edits have been made to some areas the basic structural principle remains about the same.

Range
The MMR's territorial range is centered largely around the two cities the Mackinaw Bridge connects - Mackinaw City and Saint Ignace - and Mackinaw Island. Although their water-front position theoretically grants them unrestricted access to all the coastal areas around Michigan, but no regieme has thus far sought to take advantage of this and has only worked this advantage to a small degree.

Colonies
With the possession of the [fictional] Mackinaw City Coal Power Plant (built shortly before the Plague) and their desires to get the structure working again to restore electricity to their regional holdings current president, Jonathon Nowalski ordered exploration of the Bay County area in search for abandoned coal pits to feed the power-plant once re-activated.

At the moment, the colony is merely a guarded position outside of Bay City while they wait for the weather to clear up enough to ship down colonists.

Government and Society
The MMR is an active Republic that votes in a new leader on a ten-year rotation. Candidates are pulled from the intellectual class. The two other castes act as the voting base.

Their constitution is based roughly on the ideas of Plato and the old US and Michigan constitution.

Intellectuals (Reclaimers)
The Reclaimer caste is a exclusive set of individuals either born from parents already in the Reclaimer caste or those who have tested into it. Reclaimers often own the Republic's buisinesses - but this act is not inclusive to only them - and are the pool from where new presidents are chosen. Additionally, they serve as "reclaimers" of old world relics and its their job to seek out, identify, and rediscover systems, ideas, and relics left behind after the plague hit.

For comparison, they often serve as a less gun-savvy Brotherhood of Steel, wandering where it's considered safe and recovering anything they can carry for back home.

Due to their generally learned character the mantle of restoring and reactivating old machines and workings often fall upon them.

Guardians (Protectorate)
The Protectorate caste are the formal military of the MMR and members of this caste are trained from birth to perform military duties. Weapons and armor are commonly passed down from father-to-sun as they replace each other in the field.

The Protectorate can be broken down into two schools: the Navy and Land. From there it may be further broken down into specialties (Rangers and Cavalry in land, as an example). The two schools are ran by their corresponding commissioned officers: the admiral and general respectivly.

Protectorate weaponry is often comprised of mechnical bows, and old-world tools repurposed for combat.

A hybrid-caste is active in the Protectorate: The Mackinac Militia. These men and women are generally pulled from the other two castes and serve as auxillary numbers and a defence force. Service-length in the militia is capped at ten years.

Workers (Rebuilders)
The Rebuilders are the final and most common caste type in the Republic and are charged with the maintenance and reconstruction/salvage operations of the Republic. The maintain the buildings, ships, and inner-workings of the Repbublic, as well as serving as the primary voter base the president must appeal to.

History
The Republic was founded shortly after the Plague had done its toll. Jim O'Hare served as its founding leader as he lead a small band north from Lansing along the I-127 north. His band gradually absorbed members as it went and had reached a respectable size by the time it reached Mackinaw City.

Upon reaching the bridge the group was at a cross-roads. Stopping briefly to rest and to consider where to move, it was argued they should strike out to Mackinac Island. In the first considered vote, it was decided amoungst the groupo that they should. So picking up their guns they commendered a still operating ferry ship and set off to the island.

Upon arrival they discovered the island was already inhabited. The inhabitants argued that they had a right to the island and demanded the intruders leave. The new-comers refused, and the Battle for Mackinac Island was engaged shortly there-after.

Several days of fighting commenced and with the slaying of the islander's leader, O'Hare's group declared victory. Under the assumption that the defeated wouldn't raise a gun to them, O'hare permitted them to remain as members of the group. Shortly after they drafted the offical Mackinac Constitution.

The years after saw expansion into Saint Ignace and Mackinaw City as well as claims to nearby Blois Blanc and neighboring territories. These campaigns saw the absorption of many raider and tribal bands into the Republic as their hold grew over the next fifty year and five president's.

Given the accumulation of knowledge from the Reclaimers the quality of life on the island was generally fairly positive compared to the surrounding areas. There was a demand for basic sanitation as well as hygene, leading to a rather considerable life-span. Although a lack of equipment to perform advanced surgeries or diagnostics still kept the average life-span capped, as well as residual damages to the Great Lakes ecosystem perpetuated by their ancestors (heavy metals like Mercury still being an issue).

Conflict with Tribes
Like them, other humans banded together to form social groups born out of mutual protection and ideas. Although lacking the resources and general organization of the MMR these groups weren't able to meet their level of success. Still, the "tribes" that surround the MMR often challenge their holdings and raids on outlying regions aren't commong (although more concentrated on their southern territories). Their tirbal competitors include:
 * The Dead Horses (of Cheboygan; now defeated)
 * White Rabbits
 * Sand Foots
 * Black Herons (of Bay County)
 * Raven Dunes
 * Snow Pines