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Nation Sheet

    [b]Great Lakes Confederation[/b]

    The government is called, unimaginatively, The Confederacy. One member from each canton represents their district, and a single member is elected Primus inter Pares, or First among Equals, after someone pulled the term from an old book. The First, as they are often called, is 'in charge' insomuch as the others respect and admire whoever it is, but a two-thirds majority is required for a decision to be passed. It works surprisingly well, though that may be because there are only 15 cantons so far.  

   

    Being a farming confederation at the end of the day, the technological focus is on tools and equipment that can make their jobs easier. Old world farming equipment is carefully hoarded and loaned out to the larger communities while carefully monitored animal power has it's place in the off season and in smaller, out of the way communities.
    Wool and leather are common clothing materials, with cotton and other similar materials being traded for(if applicable).
     A large stock of old-world weapons, mainly rifles and shotguns are distributed throughout the towns and villages for the local militia, though low stocks of ammunition leave their use to designated sharpshooters. There is also squads of crossbows or archers, depending on the community in question, and like the rifles, built with human opponents rather than undead ones in mind. In addition to these ranged weapons, each community has a stock of close combat weapons, used as a last resort or against more human opponents.

    Like Switzerland in the medieval period, the Great Lakes Confederation is more of an alliance of towns than a single unified state. There is a single capital, and some laws that govern every canton, but beyond ensuring that citizens have equal rights, regulating the livestock farms and game resources, and maintaining the militia the cantons are free to do as they please.
    One may become a citizen of the Great Lakes Confederation either by simply being born in a territory claimed by the Confederation, by claiming descent from other citizens within a maximum of two generations, or by being sponsored by an existing citizen and spending two years in probation. By being a citizen, the individual must make themselves available for militia training unless physically unable to, report any violation of the livestock laws or sightings of the undead, and have one part in ten of anything they produce taken as a tax. In exchange they receive the protection of the Confederation, whether it is from the undead, looters, other communities or even abuse from within the Confederation itself.

    The primary resources and industries of The Confederation is farming, livestock and salvaging dead cities. The last is quite lucrative, as there are four large cities within their territory, London, Toronto, Montreal and Hamilton, with Detroit, Ottawa and Quebec City all within travel distance. Also of importance is the St. Lawrence River itself, giving the Confederation access to the Atlantic, should there be any opportunities of trade with other states along the seaboard.