Ozark Brahmin Baron

Brahmin Barons are among the highest class of people in the Ozark wasteland. With the exception of catfish and mirelurks found in The Chain, brahmin are one of the few options for safe, affordable, and somewhat fresh protein left in the region, making it a staple among locals. Brahmin are also still necessary for caravan logistics and helpful for traveling otherwise, so caravanners and prospectors alike rely on them as pack and draft animals. Thus, the husbandry farms the Baron owns will be indefinitely profitable, and the Baron reaps much of their earnings. This allows the Baron to live a comfortable, luxurious lifestyle, free of hard labor except travelling occasionally to visit the farms and collect these earnings.

Unlike on the West Coast, where Brahmin Barony is a newly-emerged career, Barony has long been a thriving position all over the Midwest, including in the Ozarks. Due to a lack of bombs falling on the cattle fields around Springfield, Rolla, and Joplin, these lands remain mostly untouched. Post-war survivors found it difficult to grow food specifically, but the hearty Brahmin could thrive in such conditions. Brahmin, and those who farmed them, became critical to humanity's survival in the Ozarks. Brahmin meat was the sole, non-imported protein Ozark locals had regular access to for well over a century, until The Chain began to farm their lakes for fish meat. Even into the 2280's, Brahmin meat is still a crucial part of an Ozark local's diet, since the catfish and mirelurks of The Chain are so expensive, as are most other imported meats.

Before the Enclave's arrival in the region, Ozark Brahmin Barons did not exist as they are known in 2281. Husbandry farm owners could be thought of as a precursor to Barons, but lacked the sheer wealth and social influence the Barons possess. Instead, they were more so expected, but still respected, members of society. This remained true even during the Enclave's occupation, but the farm owners were less likely to fully enjoy the fruits of their labor. Many may have lost their farms due to the low wages and high cost of goods created by the Enclave's rule.

After the Enclave was pushed out of the region, the inability to install a new government allowed company leaders to unofficially take over the region. The farm owners that fared better during the occupation and led rebellion efforts joined these company leaders. They bought out failed or almost-failing husbandry farms, slaughterhouses, and butcheries and their communities around them. With a subsequent explosion of caravan-based trade, these farm owners effectively became Brahmin Barons. They enjoyed virtually no oversight (both due to lack of regulation and apathy on the part of the locals), and were able to sell, buy, and expand their businesses as much as they pleased.

Over the last few decades, a Baron family--the Pecks--would prove to be the most influential. Over the years they sabotaged and/or bought out their competition, effectively making them the sole proprietors of the Brahmin industry and all its aspects; raising, selling, slaughtering, butchering, and preserving. This made Brahmin Barony in the Ozarks a family affair, and one can only hope to progress so far in the industry without blood ties to the Pecks.