[ACT 2!] Up North

As nukes struck worldwide, the US and Canada collapsed into chaos. Contingency plans failed, sparking famine, riots, and eventually a Second Civil War in both nations. During the US conflict, the CIA formed Directorate Gamma, later called "The Directorate," which staged a successful coup with military and agency backing. Government institutions fell quickly, but peace was elusive. A splinter faction, Broken Arrow Group, arose from the FBI, NSA, and other agencies, taking parts of the army and National Guard. While brutal, Broken Arrow’s reign was short-lived. The Directorate’s Operation Liquidator in Colorado led to their collapse. After months of counter-insurgency, fragile peace returned. As the Allied States rebuilt, a refugee crisis from Canada sparked tensions. The far-right nationalist "Army of the Red Leaf" (ARL) escalated matters, launching attacks on Washington, Michigan, and Alaska. The Allied States responded, deploying troops into Canada alongside paramilitary groups like "Nexus" and PMCs like Russian ChVK Medved, which wreaked havoc on Canadian remnants. The Canadian-American War devolved into a frozen, post-apocalyptic stalemate. Hostile terrain, guerrilla tactics, and ruined cities created a battlefield of abandoned monoliths and scavenger-filled wastelands. With the NCIA (National Counter Intelligence Agency) deploying special forces, urban combat reignited. This first televised war of the post-apocalypse became a fiery clash of profiteers, bandits, and military forces fighting over the shattered remnants of the old world.