Savage Fallout - East Coast: Major Cities Report

This will be a shorter than normal post, due to life getting in the way of my gaming time. I mainly wanted to examine some of the major cities of the East Coast, which for the most part were destroyed. Most of this entry will be a list with one or two "real" entries. For those who are not from the South, please excuse my exclusion of some of the larger cities up north. I've only got so much I can do and I'm focusing on the more "famous" locales for now. Plus, making entries on every city that might still exist is... well, nuts. :) I'm basing the city "surival" rate on the Fallout games, which means in an area roughly the size of lower California and Nevada, only around 10 cities actually survived in any real capacity (or grew from the remnants). Plus, most of this blog is going to be used in my game, so I'm limiting the scope until my players or my story branches outward.
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Major Cities: Destroyed and/or Abandoned

Chattanooga - mostly destroyed and abandoned, low radiation.

Nashville - mostly intact, but abandoned due to an extended occupation, site of former military HQ during the war, now home to paranoid seclusionists and gangs.

Miami - abandoned due to encroachment of poisonous swamplands and mutated animal life.

Chicago - destroyed, abandoned, low - high radiation.

Washington, D.C. - decimated, abandoned, high radiation.

New York - island decimated, surrounding mostly abandoned due to high radiation from island, inhabited mostly by raider gangs and worse, high radiation on island, low radiation within 1 mile of shoreline.
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Land of His Grace, King of All (Graceland, Memphis)

The effects of the war were felt not only physically, but mentally as well. The stresses of surviving in a ruined land sent many into severe depression and a need for some purpose other than survival found its way into many hearts. A small group of hardcore Elvis fans found their way to Graceland and found such a purpose... they simply created a religion based around the King of Rock and Roll.
The group began calling themselves the Rockers and, once they'd established themselves in the King's former home, began to proselytize to the remaining masses still living in and near Memphis. Their numbers swelled, the converted flocking to the mansion and its grounds, building and expanding outward. They'd found a new purpose in life.
Today, the Land of His Grace has expanded out to a square mile, with continual work being done to expand downward. The inhabitants, numbering around 400, are split between four groups:

Rockers - these descendants of the original ten Rockers act as council and religious leaders for the group. All decisions about law, dogma and dealings with outsiders are made by the ten. However, no one save the Faithfuls are allowed to see them. They remain mysteries to any outsiders and to the general populace.

Faithfuls - these priest-like men and women carry the word of the Rockers to the town populace and enforce the dogma of the religion. They are easily identifiable by their "blue suede shoes," which are merely shoes dyed to a deep blue color. Currently, there are 50 Faithful presiding over the Land. The town's inhabitants, and any visitor who wishes to convert, attend meetings every Sunday where the Faithfuls preach the Word of the King, hand down any new or altered laws and teachings, and lead the crowd in singing His praise (old Elvis songs).

Prophetics - these are the missionaries of the Land, sent out to find promising converts and form trade agreements with settlements. They also work to set up temples, called Heartbreak Hotels, to the King to spread the word of the Rockers. Though enjoying limited success near Memphis and further north, for the most part, the Prophetics are looked at with great suspicion. Their strange ways and stranger clothing (sequined capes and jackets, "holy vestments of He Who is King") make many people wary. During the "concerts" (ceremonies), if the Prophetic has observed one in the crowd who seems a likely convert (due to reactions to the ceremonies, questions, interest, etc.), he will fling his scarf to this person. The receivant will then be taken "back stage" and his initiation into the teachings of His Grace will begin. If the person later rejects the teachings... well, no one has yet.

Fan-atics - the main population of the Land of His Grace are known to most as Fan-atics, called so by the survivors in the surrounding area. Not the most postive moniker, the followers of the King have taken the derogatory nickname and made it their own. For the most part, the Fan-atics are nothing like their name, generally friendly to any visitors and peaceable. But, to those who would attempt to disrupt the way of life in the Land, the Fan-atics show why they garnered the name in the first place... there are few, if any, survivors of such a display.

(GMs are encouraged to create their own practices and beliefs for the inhabitants of the Land. I also caution those who wish to use them to not go overboard on the inherent "sillyness" of such a group. While some humor is encouraged, the believers are very serious about their dogma and practices. Going too far in one direction or another with them can, and most likely will, detract from the spirit of the world and the intentions behind the orginal founding of the religion. One last thing... be careful to make sure that there wil not be any friction or insult with those who are sensitive to religious matters. This group can be easily seen as a veiled jab or such at various religions. Make sure that it is alright with all your players before introducing the Land's people into your game.)