Coalition and holidays

[Slimon386]

I was curious if the Coalition still celebrated some holidays and if they have thier own spin on it. Such as christmas having like Proseck with a beard playing as Santa or if the coalition does halloween differently. Like would they still allow kids to dress up like monsters and if so would they make an event out of it (like a pretend fight, hide and seek, or just a game) between those who dress up as monsters and dress up as Dead boys. Would the Coalition use the holidays to further push propaganda or just use holidays solely for propaganda instead of tradition?(again just halloween but its a massive anti monster/magic ad). And would the coalition have any new holidays such as like Emperor Prosecks birthday, and the day when the Coalition was formed?

[Nekira Sudacne]

I was curious if the Coalition still celebrated some holidays and if they have thier own spin on it. Such as christmas having like Proseck with a beard playing as Santa or if the coalition does halloween differently. Like would they still allow kids to dress up like monsters and if so would they make an event out of it (like a pretend fight, hide and seek, or just a game) between those who dress up as monsters and dress up as Dead boys. Would the Coalition use the holidays to further push propaganda or just use holidays solely for propaganda instead of tradition?(again just halloween but its a massive anti monster/magic ad). And would the coalition have any new holidays such as like Emperor Prosecks birthday, and the day when the Coalition was formed?

While I don't think it's made explicit, there's a lot that can be infered that the Coalition follows some form of Protestantism, but the soceity seems more secular than religious, so I imagine they still have Christmas/Easter, along with standard Nationalist holidays like the Emporer's Birthday, the day the Coalition was founded, and some version of Memorial/Remembrance day.

They also probablly have a Victory day to celebrate defeating the origional Federation of Magic.

[Grazzik]

Never really thought about it, but always assumed the CS was atheist. Perhaps militantly so. Priests, rabbis, imams etc. who would lead religious holiday celebration would come across as too mystical for CS liking. In the magical world of Rifts Earth, such holy people may tend to work miracles that might be construed as too close to real magic (and maybe is magic if using PB rules for Priest OCC). That means holidays would be exclusively civic holidays, not religious, and over the last 50 years take on the flavor of a Prosek cult of personality or overt veneration of the military/state. Some European holidays would likely have been preserved in the more liberal NGR, with a few trickling over into CS pop culture as relations with the NGR expand. So, Oktoberfest is still likely celebrated with gusto. It would be really unfortunate for some holidays to be reduced to mere shadows of their former self simply through losing their context during the Dark Ages - i.e. Five Condiments Day (Cinco de Mayo) or Green Beer Day (St. Patrick's Day).

Some religious holidays may have morphed into a civic holiday like how IRL Halloween became Trick or Treat Day. So, Easter perhaps morphed into Chocolate Day, since in early 2099 maybe chocolate was all that an influential group of desperate survivors had to eat. However, anything to do with a celestial event is probably avoided due to the surge in LL PPE. Outside the CS, some holidays like Halloween may have returned to their roots with ghosts, ghouls, and witches. I'd expect the Day of the Dead is a real party in Mexico City. I'd also assume holidays of intense cultural identity are still celebrated in those communities defined by a Pre-Rifts culture, i.e. Fête Nationale in Free Quebec or Canada Day in The Relic. Republicans probably advocate for old American holidays like Independence Day, but those references reek too much of historical awareness and likely are banned or coopted by the CS. The Burbs and Atlantis are opportunities to introduce all sorts of holidays, none of which would be permitted in the CS. Imagine a platoon of Deadboys nicknamed "The Party Poopers" tasked with shutting down illegal celebrations in the Burbs.

[Nekira Sudacne]

Never really thought about it, but always assumed the CS was atheist. Perhaps militantly so. Priests, rabbis, imams etc. who would lead religious holiday celebration would come across as too mystical for CS liking. In the magical world of Rifts Earth, such holy people may tend to work miracles that might be construed as too close to real magic (and maybe is magic if using PB rules for Priest OCC). That means holidays would be exclusively civic holidays, not religious, and over the last 50 years take on the flavor of a Prosek cult of personality or overt veneration of the military/state. Some European holidays would likely have been preserved in the more liberal NGR, with a few trickling over into CS pop culture as relations with the NGR expand. So, Oktoberfest is still likely celebrated with gusto. It would be really unfortunate for some holidays to be reduced to mere shadows of their former self simply through losing their context during the Dark Ages - i.e. Five Condiments Day (Cinco de Mayo) or Green Beer Day (St. Patrick's Day).

Some religious holidays may have morphed into a civic holiday like how IRL Halloween became Trick or Treat Day. So, Easter perhaps morphed into Chocolate Day, since in early 2099 maybe chocolate was all that an influential group of desperate survivors had to eat. However, anything to do with a celestial event is probably avoided due to the surge in LL PPE. Outside the CS, some holidays like Halloween may have returned to their roots with ghosts, ghouls, and witches. I'd expect the Day of the Dead is a real party in Mexico City. I'd also assume holidays of intense cultural identity are still celebrated in those communities defined by a Pre-Rifts culture, i.e. Fête Nationale in Free Quebec or Canada Day in The Relic. Republicans probably advocate for old American holidays like Independence Day, but those references reek too much of historical awareness and likely are banned or coopted by the CS. The Burbs and Atlantis are opportunities to introduce all sorts of holidays, none of which would be permitted in the CS. Imagine a platoon of Deadboys nicknamed "The Party Poopers" tasked with shutting down illegal celebrations in the Burbs.

To many references to God in the Emporer's speeches we're given for them to be Atheist. Not if the Emporer is openly invoking God's blessings.

Of course, the Fire and Brimstone preacher's don't get any magic or mystical abilities, so it's probablly considered safe.

[Grazzik]

To many references to God in the Emporer's speeches we're given for them to be Atheist. Not if the Emporer is openly invoking God's blessings.

Of course, the Fire and Brimstone preacher's don't get any magic or mystical abilities, so it's probablly considered safe.

Interesting. Maybe I missed something. I reread the texts in the books I have and see that Prosek makes 1 use of the word "godforsaken" with respect to demons in HoH, which isn't religious per se, but more of a contextual anachronism. Otherwise nothing in the books I have. Could you provide some examples for me to follow up on? Thanks!

[Wise_Owl]

To not put too fine a point on it; Rifts authors are bad on religion. Like there are inconsistencies in the portrayal of the CS that have gone back quite a while, and just dealing with 'religion' when it might touch on any of the beleifs of it's principal consumer audience in the US has always been a bit 'wibbly-wobbly'. Full confession, this has been a big bagaboo of mine since Pantheons of the Megaverse was published and we got portrayels of actual extant religions like Zoroastrianism and Hinduism(oir at least their gods). Yet we'd never get an officially published Cyber-Jesus.

You could possibly reconcile them by suggesting the CS is Deist in some regards; there is a one 'true' creator god who created the universe but now keeps his hands out. Magic and Demons are 'unnatural' things opposed to his will. Orthodox Protestanism strands doesn't make alot of sense within the context of the CS; they are too inherently mystical and dependent on both a certain degree of historicity the CS is opposed to and mysticism that is antithetical to their world order. Nobody in the CS is extolling how Jesus is going to return and herald in the kingdom of God without being sent to a concentraiton camp.

There could be some sort of state Deistic/Humanist religion that would be barely recognizable to us. Historical celebrations may have mutated over time.

So for example Christmas might still exist but is now entirely a 'celebrate the family/give gifts/etc.' sort of thing with it's religious conetations entirely expunged... hmm... maybe even some of the 'modern' stuff expunged with Santa now a malovelent figure who steals children and some of the practices are to ward him off... or perhaps gift giving includes gifts to the military, the protecors against the Malovlent 'Santa' and his army of demonic goblin-children snatchers.

There is almost certainly some sort of 'national day', most likely predating Prosek and on some date of the 'foundation' of the CS. Likely, similar to the Fourth of July, bound up in the propaganda mechanisms of Nationalists. I'm picturing the usual stuff from a Dictatorial regime; Huge military parades, declarations of 'Honouring our Men and Women in Uniform, who stand between us and complete annialaiton!'.

Given that it appears there is a sort of 'cult of personality' around Prosek and his son, there Birthdays are also likely holidays; again probably with big military parades, honouring the 'Great Leader' and the 'Great Successor' or what have you. Hmm... if memory serves Prosek's Father or Grandfather was an important historical figure in the Coalition? There might be something akin to remembrance day; honouring the fallen and such.

There might also be a degree of seperation between state honoured festivals and some celebrated by the people, with some tension there-in. Christmas and Thanksgiving could both fall into these(though the later could also just be a state sponsored thing, easy enough to appropriate and twist.).

So Christmas could be the sort of thing the official government hjas been doing campaigns to stamp out for decades, with groups, especially among the already altern populations of the CS, doing celebrations covertly. I actually kind like that idea as well, a little integrated with my prior ones. "Citizens! Remember that hanging of any socks by doors, windows or other methods of egress on December 25th invites demonic energies into your house. Psy-stalker patrols will be doubled this evening to ensure no-one is endangering the citizens fo the Coaltioin States with this superstitious and demonic practice!"

[Curbludgeon]

To what degree, I wonder, would the CS populace be aware that ley lines are even more dangerous during a solstice/equinox/dawn/noon/dusk/eclipse? I imagine a CS winter solstice holiday to focus on staying indoors close to your people, since no one out is up to any good. I see it as akin to the Icelandic Jolabokaflod, save without all the reading.

[Nekira Sudacne]

To not put too fine a point on it; Rifts authors are bad on religion. Like there are inconsistencies in the portrayal of the CS that have gone back quite a while, and just dealing with 'religion' when it might touch on any of the beleifs of it's principal consumer audience in the US has always been a bit 'wibbly-wobbly'. Full confession, this has been a big bagaboo of mine since Pantheons of the Megaverse was published and we got portrayels of actual extant religions like Zoroastrianism and Hinduism(oir at least their gods). Yet we'd never get an officially published Cyber-Jesus.

You could possibly reconcile them by suggesting the CS is Deist in some regards; there is a one 'true' creator god who created the universe but now keeps his hands out. Magic and Demons are 'unnatural' things opposed to his will. Orthodox Protestanism strands doesn't make alot of sense within the context of the CS; they are too inherently mystical and dependent on both a certain degree of historicity the CS is opposed to and mysticism that is antithetical to their world order. Nobody in the CS is extolling how Jesus is going to return and herald in the kingdom of God without being sent to a concentraiton camp.

There could be some sort of state Deistic/Humanist religion that would be barely recognizable to us. Historical celebrations may have mutated over time.

So for example Christmas might still exist but is now entirely a 'celebrate the family/give gifts/etc.' sort of thing with it's religious conetations entirely expunged... hmm... maybe even some of the 'modern' stuff expunged with Santa now a malovelent figure who steals children and some of the practices are to ward him off... or perhaps gift giving includes gifts to the military, the protecors against the Malovlent 'Santa' and his army of demonic goblin-children snatchers.

There is almost certainly some sort of 'national day', most likely predating Prosek and on some date of the 'foundation' of the CS. Likely, similar to the Fourth of July, bound up in the propaganda mechanisms of Nationalists. I'm picturing the usual stuff from a Dictatorial regime; Huge military parades, declarations of 'Honouring our Men and Women in Uniform, who stand between us and complete annialaiton!'.

Given that it appears there is a sort of 'cult of personality' around Prosek and his son, there Birthdays are also likely holidays; again probably with big military parades, honouring the 'Great Leader' and the 'Great Successor' or what have you. Hmm... if memory serves Prosek's Father or Grandfather was an important historical figure in the Coalition? There might be something akin to remembrance day; honouring the fallen and such.

There might also be a degree of seperation between state honoured festivals and some celebrated by the people, with some tension there-in. Christmas and Thanksgiving could both fall into these(though the later could also just be a state sponsored thing, easy enough to appropriate and twist.).

So Christmas could be the sort of thing the official government hjas been doing campaigns to stamp out for decades, with groups, especially among the already altern populations of the CS, doing celebrations covertly. I actually kind like that idea as well, a little integrated with my prior ones. "Citizens! Remember that hanging of any socks by doors, windows or other methods of egress on December 25th invites demonic energies into your house. Psy-stalker patrols will be doubled this evening to ensure no-one is endangering the citizens fo the Coaltioin States with this superstitious and demonic practice!"

I don't see how the inconsistancies are incomaptible with a facist regeime: Explictly contradictory ideas are nothing new. "All gods are false but ours, the one that doesn't grant demonic powers and witchcraft to people" seems like a viable line for them to take. No civilization is ever perfectly consistant, no reason to expect the CS to be.

[Grazzik]

To not put too fine a point on it; Rifts authors are bad on religion. Like there are inconsistencies in the portrayal of the CS that have gone back quite a while, and just dealing with 'religion' when it might touch on any of the beleifs of it's principal consumer audience in the US has always been a bit 'wibbly-wobbly'. Full confession, this has been a big bagaboo of mine since Pantheons of the Megaverse was published and we got portrayels of actual extant religions like Zoroastrianism and Hinduism(oir at least their gods). Yet we'd never get an officially published Cyber-Jesus.

Agreed. I would expect everyone has their own gameplay style wrt religion that they feel comfortable with. TBH just providing the chargen stat blocks and powers that define gods etc. is probably good enough. These days, specific gods as NPCs with RL descriptions/backgrounds past and present (whether Thor, Thoth, Ahura Mazda, Krishna, or Cyber-Jesus) may be a step too far. I'd leave it to GMs to figure out what's best for their own players. Heck, in some places, content that describes specific deific NPCs could be viewed as blasphemous/illegal. All the more reason to be sensitive to others when lifting cultural tropes and simplifying complex RL religions to fit a RPG. Best just to stay with purely original fictional content on this front.

There could be some sort of state Deistic/Humanist religion that would be barely recognizable to us. Historical celebrations may have mutated over time.

Agreed. Time has an interesting way of shaping cultural, spiritual and religious beliefs, even over a span of just 300 years.

To what degree, I wonder, would the CS populace be aware that ley lines are even more dangerous during a solstice/equinox/dawn/noon/dusk/eclipse? I imagine a CS winter solstice holiday to focus on staying indoors close to your people, since no one out is up to any good. I see it as akin to the Icelandic Jolabokaflod, save without all the reading.

Dawn, noon and dusk are too frequent to be a factor for holidays, except in combination with the other three. However, any solstice, equinox or eclipse would most likely see a step up in propaganda warning against the dangers of magic in all its forms. In cities, most likely awareness of the influence of LL is practically none as they are scared enough of what lies outside - 'thar be monsters beyond those thar walls'. Though the authorities probably know well enough and avoid anything that sniffs of a ceremony or ritual at those times. However in villages, outposts and settler homesteads, most likely locals have a keen sense of when to expect an increase in beasties. Whether due to increased LL activity, some may not care or want to know as they may be afraid of knowing to much. Others, say village leaders or psychics, would have a need to know such things, much like how farmers need to know the weather. Village leaders might go so far as to put curfews or cancel market days, while psychics such as healers might use the opportunity to offer increased healing services for their community and schedule accordingly under the guise of an national health drive. Purges in Burbs may occur more frequently during such times as precautionary measures, so not a good time to gather in numbers to celebrate. Just by increasing the frequency of Military/ISS patrols at these special times could put a dampener on travelling to see family.

[Curbludgeon]

I'd bet there's a day begrudgingly acknowledging Dog Boys. Perhaps it's coincides with something less jingoistic so as support propaganda by seemingly undercutting it, while still reaffirming their second-class status. Psi-Hound Veteran Day occurring during Baby Animal Week, or the like.

[Library Ogre]

To not put too fine a point on it; Rifts authors are bad on religion. Like there are inconsistencies in the portrayal of the CS that have gone back quite a while, and just dealing with 'religion' when it might touch on any of the beleifs of it's principal consumer audience in the US has always been a bit 'wibbly-wobbly'. Full confession, this has been a big bagaboo of mine since Pantheons of the Megaverse was published and we got portrayels of actual extant religions like Zoroastrianism and Hinduism(oir at least their gods). Yet we'd never get an officially published Cyber-Jesus.

Never did follow up my "Jehova as an Alien Intelligence" with Cyber-Jesus, did I?

[Grazzik]

I'd bet there's a day begrudgingly acknowledging Dog Boys. Perhaps it's coincides with something less jingoistic so as support propaganda by seemingly undercutting it, while still reaffirming their second-class status. Psi-Hound Veteran Day occurring during Baby Animal Week, or the like.

Nah, they wouldn't elevate them to anything so grand as publicly recognized "veterans", except for the extreme few... more like "Adopt a Broken War Puppy Day" where you sign up for the low price of a coffee a day to help a Broken War Puppy with a kennel and steady supply of oil for its squeaky replacement limbs. Degrading, but still nationalistic.

[Aermas]

Civic Service Day
-The honoring & observance of those who serve the civic sector

Laborer's Day
-The honoring & observance of those who work in the factories & farms

Foundation Day
-Celebrate the day the CS was founded

Remembrance Day
-Remember those who have served in war

Victory Day
-Celebrate the Fall of Tolkeen

Day if the Dead
-Mix of CS propaganda, Deadboy aesthetics & the aesthetics (but not the same spiritual significance) of Dia de los Muertos. More popular in Lone Star than Chi-Town

Festivus
-because why not

Family Day
-replaces Valentines Day & Mother's & Father's day. Celebrate your family & make more babies

Long Night Vigil
-Not so much a celebration (at least til the very end) just a heavy dose of being on guard for what goes bumb in the night. No Santa, no St. Nick, no mascot. At the end of the Long Night Vigil, you celebrate that you've survived & that it's a new year.

Empire Day
-Celebrate our glorious protector & Empeor's Birthday

Good Boy's Day
-not an officially sactioned holiday, but a day which at first was a group of people in chitown honoring the death of an famous heroic dogboy, but quickly caught popularity. Kids don homemade dog boy masks & act like good dog boys for a day begging for "treats"/candy & such, by doing good deeds.


I can't see the CS being religious in any way beyond the sort of vaguely "spiritual" & unfocused secular way many people are nowadays. I absolutely could not see them being Christian, since it's a religion of love & peace & understanding. One of community & forgiveness. The only thing Christianity has that Prosek could use is the Martyrdom, but there are better ways for him to propaganda that ideology.

[darthauthor]

Aermas,

I like your list

[Wise_Owl]

I don't see how the inconsistancies are incomaptible with a facist regeime: Explictly contradictory ideas are nothing new. "All gods are false but ours, the one that doesn't grant demonic powers and witchcraft to people" seems like a viable line for them to take. No civilization is ever perfectly consistant, no reason to expect the CS to be.

To a degree, but Protestantism in it's orthodox forms is far too mystical to pass muster within a state like the Coalition. The problem is that, to be blunt, Jesus sounds like a wizard. I can absolutely see a Coalition religion that was something like 'There is a one true God, and he created humans and all other creatures are spawns of demons!' but not one that specifically used Christian theology, The Bible, etc.

Protestantisms Bibliophilia is also obviously antithetical to the Coalitions education stances. 'This book is holy and important and everyone should read it to get their personal relationship with God'... not gonna happen.

I mean we'd also have to question the religious state in the before times; I'd expect non-belief to be more common by 2098 C.E. I would expect various Christian denominations to both exist and to have mutated post the apocalypse. Postmillenerians who believe they are living in the end-times, those who view the Apocylpse as a tribulation a purging, etc. But lets also not forget that the world fo rifts is one in which there are beings taht actually look like angels and demons and creatures that actively seek worship by deceiving people. Even prior to the rise of good ol' Karl, I suspect the CS had a certain hostility to overt religion on the basis of it's potential dangers, one that was culturally easy to amplify.

[Blackwater Sniper]

While we've always left OLD EARTH religions that focus on a god out of the games, those that have a basis on animalism, shamanism, or taking the individual to a higher state of being may be practiced in minor tribal settings. The more tech-oriented a society has become, the more they move away from "higher powers."

Any celebrations within the Coalition would center around happenings in the past 50 years or so; Prosek's birth, his "ascension" to power, the founding of the Coalition, celebration of the Coalition Citizen, and major battle victories.

[Aermas]

The more tech-oriented a society has become, the more they move away from "higher powers."

This is just false. There exist plenty of "high tech" societies which were also culturally very religious. Actually the driving force for secularism is the merchant class/wealth driven societies.

[drewkitty ~..~]

The more tech-oriented a society has become, the more they move away from "higher powers."

This is just false. There exist plenty of "high tech" societies which were also culturally very religious. Actually the driving force for secularism is the merchant class/wealth driven societies.

Agrees.
It is only the cultures that forbid the teaching/acknowledging that Jehovah exists in the public sphere does the culture move away from follow his way of salvation. Then again there were lots of "christen nations" in europe that their "christianity"" per say, was kept in a box that was only opened on sundays, and the rest of the time they acted as non-christens. And thus giving those who followed the Way a bad name.
-------------
The CS and Holidays.....
I would think that the secular government wouldn't acknowledge any of the ""religious"" holidays. But would tolerate the religions so long as they didn't set up a secondary power structure that may of interfered with the government's power structures.

[taalismn]

A darker take on the CS might have some of the more put-upon communities holding unofficial 'Retribution Days' reminiscent of the (awful) 'Purge' movies.....Detained d-bees are forced to run a gauntlet of townsfolk who are allowed to humiliate and beat on them on a path out of town. The CS police look the other way when it comes to the human citizenry taking their frustrations on the d-bees and not getting penalized for it. And if the d-bee gets to the edge of town? Well, the general consensus is, the people weren't trying hard enough, or the d-bee, by all appearances, is allowed to go free, as long as they never return, though they're usually too beat-up and lacking in equipment to survive long in the wild(and more than likely, the Deadboys are waiting outside of town to execute the runner anyway..'shot while trying to escape').
It's generally used as a day to vent hatreds and celebrate human superiority.

[eliakon]

Given that for some reason Christianity does *not* get magical powers (we have the Preacher and Catholic Priest OCC, neither of which get anything) the CS *might* allow it to exist in a highly regulated form.
It would be more like the old school Anglican Church though where the head of state is the head of faith and has direct veto on things... aka it would be a tool of control that they would minimize so that it could be yanked at the slightest sign of danger.

[Grazzik]

A darker take ...

That is a darker take! It does make one wonder what weird things might go on in some of the smaller towns or cities. Witch burning holidays? I'm thinking research into social aspects after the Plague and other major catastrophes might give insight into "holidays" in cultures that suffered major trauma.

[Nekira Sudacne]

I don't see how the inconsistancies are incomaptible with a facist regeime: Explictly contradictory ideas are nothing new. "All gods are false but ours, the one that doesn't grant demonic powers and witchcraft to people" seems like a viable line for them to take. No civilization is ever perfectly consistant, no reason to expect the CS to be.

To a degree, but Protestantism in it's orthodox forms is far too mystical to pass muster within a state like the Coalition. The problem is that, to be blunt, Jesus sounds like a wizard. I can absolutely see a Coalition religion that was something like 'There is a one true God, and he created humans and all other creatures are spawns of demons!' but not one that specifically used Christian theology, The Bible, etc.

Protestantisms Bibliophilia is also obviously antithetical to the Coalitions education stances. 'This book is holy and important and everyone should read it to get their personal relationship with God'... not gonna happen.

I mean we'd also have to question the religious state in the before times; I'd expect non-belief to be more common by 2098 C.E. I would expect various Christian denominations to both exist and to have mutated post the apocalypse. Postmillenerians who believe they are living in the end-times, those who view the Apocylpse as a tribulation a purging, etc. But lets also not forget that the world fo rifts is one in which there are beings taht actually look like angels and demons and creatures that actively seek worship by deceiving people. Even prior to the rise of good ol' Karl, I suspect the CS had a certain hostility to overt religion on the basis of it's potential dangers, one that was culturally easy to amplify.

I don't think we're disagreeing on the Mysticality of othrodox protestantisms, I think we're disagreeing on the extent that would matter. Given that it's clear Christian Preists receive no powers in this setting, and that the religion predates the CS formation--remember the CS *used* to have magic before they were purged, it was most likely grandfathered in. It wouldn't take too much doublethink for people to accept. This is religion we're talking about after all: people are inherently irrational when dealing with it.

[Library Ogre]

A darker take ...

That is a darker take! It does make one wonder what weird things might go on in some of the smaller towns or cities. Witch burning holidays? I'm thinking research into social aspects after the Plague and other major catastrophes might give insight into "holidays" in cultures that suffered major trauma.

I'm thinking of the Changeling persecution holiday that happens in PF's Island at the Edge of the World.

For holidays in general:

Founding of Chi-town
Prosek's Birthday
State-level holidays for various states joining
Military and Veteran oriented holidays (I mean, the US has at least 3, plus a month; I can't see the CS doing less)

Might have a commemorative holiday about the Coming of the Rifts, with Official History being the focus (i.e. it was all those evil D-Bees and Magic Users invading Humanity's True Home for True Humans).

[Aermas]

A lot of these takes on the CS basically having "lynching days" sounds more like Free Quebec than Chi-town. Remember that the CS rubs elbows with tons of D-Bees even so close as the burbs, they hate them sure, but it's in a more second class than living anathema

[Grazzik]

A lot of these takes on the CS basically having "lynching days" sounds more like Free Quebec than Chi-town. Remember that the CS rubs elbows with tons of D-Bees even so close as the burbs, they hate them sure, but it's in a more second class than living anathema

True, but the CS is more than ChiTown.

For example, ...

CS El Dorado - Juicer Julian Night, a night of bonfires and the burning of Julian the First effigies similar to Guy Fawkes Night

CS Missouri - Gateway Getcha! A death-defying race into and out of the ruins of St. Louis celebrating the rescue of a local notable a hundred years ago, earning participants points for Dbee and monster kills... not officially sanctioned (though strangely CS prisoners have been known to get pardons after winning the race on behalf of the Governor).

CS Iron Heart - The Great Conversion... Recruiting stations are set up across the State to entice wild Psi Stalkers to give up their heathen ways and convert to a more urbane CS lifestyle. Parties are thrown to show off. While most wild Psi Stalkers look at it as a day the CS folk make fools of themselves, some fall for the antics.

CS Lone Star - Cactus People Round Up - find 'em, kettle 'em, kill 'em, drain 'em, drink 'em.