Black Mesa Antlion Ranch
As people begin repopulating the area around the Rookery, there are obvious needs that require tending, the main one beyond 'where to sleep' is of course, 'where to find food'. And though Eden's work with the plants around the Mesa is extensive and helpful, there are plenty of food sources out there just waiting to be harvested... provided one has the right means to do so. The non-native Antlions (detailed on the Critters page) are hunted for a good number of resources. They along with now-feral cattle, goats, and other more or less native animals are all herded or at least occasionally contained, at the Black Mesa Ranch. Within the first three years of the Rookery's operations, the Antlion Ranch, or at least the bulk of it, was fixed up enough to have permanent residents and functions.
Resting around 15 miles north-west of Black Mesa itself, the Ranch is a sprawling location suitable for Human and Vort habitation. In the Repurposed Earth's timeline, originally belonging to Mars Walsh's family, this spot was a location where she'd intended to tunnel out from Black Mesa proper. This being a different dimension, however, the location still exists, but the tunnel - and Mars herself - didn't, in the Rookery world. It's still a safe haven from the crazy rigors of Black Mesa itself, and was tapped for regular fresh food supplies even when the world hadn't ended. Though not a dairy farm, it had produced plenty of goat milk, which is treasured in the Rookery - mostly because it can be used to create cheese. (Sometimes, they dream about cheese!) It currently has a stable with more than a dozen goats, and scores more wander the scrubland surroundings. The cattle are difficult to house, since they were originally never enclosed, and still wander the same grazing spots as they had 30 years before. There are also wild horses, though they would not be used for meat unless injured and untreatable. They still provide excellent foot-based patrol 'vehicles', after all, particularly for people who aren't suited to riding dragons.
With the addition of the invasive wildlife, however, has come challenge. Headcrabs easily burrow in the sandy dirt - though more of them reside closer to the Mesa itself, than out in the scrubland. The Antlions have discovered the ancient caverns below the entire New Mexico and Arizona area to be entirely suitable for their breeding. Below the ground, it might as well be the Vortigaunt homeworld, for all the weird Antlion life. The entire area is dry and prone to dust storms, but with the revitalization of the Pecos river the greenery is responding quickly. When it rains, however, the lower spots do fill and occasionally flood, so care must be taken if there have been storms to the north or east, as higher ground tends to make for flash flooding here. The water filters into the caverns below, and some number of wells - both old and newer - have tapped those aquifers.
Every few months, though not on a tightly held schedule, the Ranch holds a sort of otherworldly 'cattle drive', bringing in as many Antlions of various types as they can handle, or will cooperate. Some are stored in the barns and in net-covered areas near the buildings, while others are slaughtered and their meat stored in one of the numerous pantry buildings until needed. The 'Spitter' Antlions are used for creating glow in the dark lanterns, producing more than enough light to move around the town at night without worry of something springing up in the darkness. The Guardians are kept under much more rigorous Vortal sedation by the Vortigaunts, and used for their meat as well as their Pheropod, to control the smaller creatures later. Occasionally of course, some of them have broken loose, but they've rarely caused any permanent or deadly damage in the town.
Inhabitants of the Ranch include a group who volunteered to come from Repurposed Earth, and set things up, along with a couple local Rookery folk. Since their world has quite a large population, they were eager to get out and establish another Ranch here with the same ideals as they have back 'home'. As things get rolling on the Rookery they're sure that more people will be arriving to take over, so some day they might head back home... maybe.
The dragons which have paired up with the Humans generally live in the hills or in the Rookery itself, as most of them are not sized to 'ranch hand' dens like the Whiptails are.
| Marissa, Ranch leader, animal handler, lookout | Shane, ranch hand and animal handler | Bree, food services and animal handler |
| Lee, construction leader, animal handler | Delia, ranch hand and animal handler | Max, construction worker |
| Avril, metalworker and tool maker, animal handler | Jayde, scout, lead animal wrangler | Father Grigori, preacher and zombie slayer |
| Kelly, fixing up and tearing down | Aetna, Avril's daughter + smithy |
Triss, Bartender and Madam |
| Branwen, Repairs and Maintenance | Midell, long range scout | Yanell, vet service |
| Grendell (RY12 ), Soil and Protection | Roger, medic | Ardell, Mine Maintenance |
| Vortiguants (Tomyx, Burl, Autry, Dust, Baird) | Vort Grunt Hatch | |
| ^Part time: Drew, Zonie, Uriell, Nasir, Aysell | ^Kelly, (RY4+) | ^Debra (RY5+) |
| Desert Thorn - dragon healer | Who's this?! |
Main ranch layout: the 'town' is situated closer to the western end of the area, the traintracks head due west and terminate in a collapsed tunnel less than a mile west. The bridge shown is repaired, and is used mostly as a footpath from the little residential area to the east. The 'main house' is up on the north-east area, with at least one other residence between it and the town. On the south-west corner is the Vort house, where all the Vortigaunts reside. The northern most enclosure is where the Whiptails live.
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The main building situated in the north-east is a two-story typically styled Ranch House, designed for a family and hired hands to reside in. It rests on a slight rise from the rest of the area, so it overlooks much of the Ranch proper. As shown, the main barn here houses more or less normal animals, though sometimes enough Antlions have been brought up from the caverns that they are contained here. Those that do make it to this part of the Ranch are usually slaughtered first, to keep the other animals safer. Currently, Jayde and Shane live in this location, with some of the part-timers bedding down there too. When Midell is resting anywhere, she takes a cot here.
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As each of the labels above show, the buildings have been either put back into use for their normal functions, or been repurposed into a more appropriate one. The main 'township' of the Ranch has lasted for more than 150 years, with some wear and tear. Easily repaired, according to Lee and Max, what few upgrades needed to be made include a more secure entry to the safe house below the Train Station. It had been an opening in the side of the well, which doesn't suit their needs any longer, what with actual water being in that well now... No need to flood their last resort shelter!
The Station House is now a meeting hall, and generally the first spot that new refugees or travellers from the Rookery gather. It often has fliers and messages posted on boards where the ticket booth is, to make sure that people are up to date with activities.
The Barn serves for the more normal animals, mostly functional creatures that tend to the herding needs. While most of the companion 'dogs' (... there are maybe 4 real earth-born dogs on this ranch) slumber here, they're more often found with their human keeper unless they really don't want to have a gigantic alien slobbery dog - or one that yips in its sleep - with them in their home. (The Houndeyes do cause damage as they sleep-hunt, after all.) This is where many of Yanell's animals are trained or housed when they are being cared for.
The Gallows has occasionally been in use for stringing up random Combine soldiers that have found their way to the Ranch. Often enough, there's a selection of draped parts and broken Combine synths there, but usually those only arrive after being carefully scanned for any possible active links back to their command.
Because there are few actual school-age children here, the records-room (formerly a courthouse) will serve eventually as a schoolhouse, but for now mostly remains empty. They do keep records of mundane things like rainfall and weather patterns, earthquake or Portal storm activity, roundup results, and the like, here.
The Rising Sun Inn has a pleasant feel and is more often used for casual conversation and get-togethers than over at the Saloon across the street. Some of the residents have started hauling things like pool and ping-pong tables from the Mesa, to be placed here. The guest rooms are quite nice, and when the town is bigger will certainly see more use.
The Jail is more of a spot for those who just cannot stagger back to their home to the east after a little too much imbibing at the Saloon. On very rare occasions, however, this spot might serve to keep stray Combine soldiers for interrogation.
The 'Doctor/Barber' is exactly as advertised. Anyone with medical expertise is usually found here, and others with more cosmetology skills will find a well-stocked booth. Medical supplies, while also found in smaller packs elsewhere, are stored here, and there is a pair of back rooms fit for surgery or dentistry. Around RY 4 the HECU medic Roger shows up and this is where he returns with a dragon to boot.
The Clothing Shop is where most of the looted garments and shoes have wound up, items not only from the Mesa, but from surrounding areas of City 82. The area wasn't tremendously well populated, but with dragons to help scavenge, their findings are quite a bit nicer than you'd expect.
The Church is tended by one Father Grigori. He's a bit unhinged, but still a reliable shot in a gunfight, and tends toward the 'hellfire' style of preaching. The services he offers are non-denominational, but far from generic. One can expect him to search a great number of sources for his quotes and sermons.
Since there is no money changing hands any longer, the building that had been the Bank, is now a food storage facility with newly placed refrigeration and preparation areas. Everything from headcrabs to Antlion guardian meat is found here, with an occasional chunk of actual cow. This is also where the milk from the goats is made into cheeses!
The Saloon is a two-story building with a wide bar and plenty of tables, where poker games and tall tales are played out. Upstairs is a pleasant gallery overlooking the main floor, as well as two large suites which have served for both sultry meetings and exhausted post-roundup sleep. Triss manages both the Saloon as well as the Inn, but usually remains on hand here, because more booze and fun. Also there is rooftop access for the Bank next door, hmmmm.
The Gun Shop, Learn 2 Aim, is Mars' idea, and she makes the occasional appearance here. However for the most part this is indeed where the Ranch's weaponry and ammunition is stored. Training dummies and target practice are available out back and on the roof.
The General Store serves for most of the non-clothing and non-food items, so sundries like cleaning materials, books and magazines scavenged from wherever, paint, fencing and chain equipment, table settings and silverware, lighting, and that sort of thing. Branwen has taken up residence in the attic here, and out back runs the repair shop.
The Food Preparation and distribution area is more for the non-meat foodstuffs such as grains, prepared bread (there is an oven), and cheese (CHEESE). It has a small fridge, but mainly for the items which will go bad otherwise - and not meats, as those are found in the Bank.
Behind all those, are the trio of barns which are dedicated to the Whiptail dragon mounts. Since they feed mostly on the headcrabs and other stray pest animals, the Whiptails are kept in good shape and used mainly to help round up the Antlions or patrol for Combine scanners. The enclosure does keep the goats and the rare cow, as well as the annually collected alfalfa suitable for most grazing animals as a supplement.
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The Vort homestead is where the five permanent Vortigaunt residents have their home, but they freely roam the rest of the Ranch and are sometimes found crashed out in the Inn. As shown, the pair of barns serve as their primary storage area for the Antlion and Headcrabs that will be chopped up and sent to the Bank for cold storage. Also though not really shown, there is a decent vegetable garden here, mostly tended by Dust.
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The actual 'Homesteads' of the Ranch rest at the eastern end of the train tracks, which curve northward after about 2 miles - though about half of the tracks are too damaged to use for transportation in that direction.
The General Store here is more in use for the smaller goods and sundries that don't make it to the full store to the west. More or less a swap meet arrangement is found here, whatever people have gathered from the nearby areas winds up here, and the 'good' stuff goes on to the main Ranch outlet. Toys and games, shiny bits, collectors crap, and other items which are mainly for personal enjoyment, usually remain here.
The Rowdy Saloon, known for its weekly events, isn't actually as 'rowdy' as all that. It's where most folks take their breakfast, before heading out to the Ranch proper. Also features karaoke, Vort Poetry Night (every Thursday!) and music from whoever wants to pick up the guitar and perform.
Housing, Clockwise from the house nearest the Saloon, inhabitants include (1) Lee, Delia; (2) Max and Marissa; (3) Grendell (+ Replicas); (4) Bree; (5) Avril, Aetna, Kelly. Once the township begins to have more of a population, each home will suit at least three if not more people. Notably just north of this cluster of buildings, Hatch the Grunt lives in his own small constructed shack, and the area around his 'home' grows greener with his work moving dirt around.
After RY 12, since more newcomers have decided to begin residing here, there is another set of housing not shown just south of the homes here, in several rows with alleys between them. Each generally suits a pair or small family.
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The entries to the caverns below the entire area are difficult to locate. Portal storms opened up one, closest to the Mesa, which allowed for more exploration. At least one of them is part of an existing 200+ year old mine system, so it contains Human-made mineshafts, and still has plenty of equipment left over from both 'wild west' era gold and silver rush days, as well as much more recent and exotic mining needs. Currently, however, most of the caverns aren't fit for Humans to just tour and take pictures. They are filled with dangerous - invasive - wildlife such as headcrabs and the ubiquitous Antlions. The little glowing grubs seen in the picture above are eating something, and usually that something is 'people who have wandered too close'.
The actual Nectarium is part of a deeper section of the mines, an ancient cavern eagerly and quickly exploited by the Antlions brought to the world by Portal storms (... well, no, those storms weren't part of the original Resonance Cascade - Keenan opened the storms to the Vort homeworld and let them do their thing). This area is extremely dangerous to any Humans - and most Vorts, so never go alone. Below, is a good example of why no one should go alone...
