The Woodlands are the home of the Houston Technocrats, who are easily the most powerful faction within the Badlands. To know the zone is to know them.
The zone was built atop the pre-war special-purpose district of the same name by the Technocrats themselves, and has been in constant use by the Technocrats since the first few years after the Great War. The Woodlands are a bastion of luxury, safety, and convenience on par with the pre-war world.
It is a technological wonderland, ruled over by so called Super Scientists who chase innovation and invention within their field of interest almost to the exclusion of everything else. These sparks of invention are secured, housed, and cared for by a small army of assistants, soldiers, and robots. All without a single “citizen” in site. The entire zone exists to invent, manufacture, implement, and expand… but only when an expansion is too easily compleated to fail.
The majority of the Technocrats power is concentrated into the Woodlands for this purpose. The faction’s primary goal is the revitalization of the entire world, elevating it to the same standards as their very much gated community. Despite one might think given that goal, the Technocrats do not share their resources or knowledge.
They maintain a series of malls and trade deals with other powers, allowing people to benefit from their manufacturing base, but that’s as far as they go. Consequently, the Woodlands are a frequent target for raiders, desperate survivors, and other factions. The City of Tomorrow, the Technocrats capital and home ot their lead scientists, is the typical goal for such raids. None have ever managed to reach it, but some of the outer facilities and labs have been pillaged from time to time.
The most successful attacks have come from the Texas Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel, who sees the Technocrats as heretics of the highest order and consequently launch regular attacks. These attacks have become less and less frequent as their success has been limited by the technocrats comparable military technologies and defense alliance with Ironwood.
The Woodlands are slowly but inevitably expanding as the Technocrats have need for more territory or believe they can integrate something on their borders without the risk of failure. While slow, their progress has been constant, and has accelerated over time as they acquire more knowledge, power, and capabilities. Many people see them as an existential threat to their own communities, and they are in a way correct.
If the Technocrats are to be believed, they are only threats to those in power. Average wasters will find a life of contentment and luxury once the basis for the World of Tomorrow is completed. Of course, there will be no room for other governing bodies once this is finished… Its easy to see how this statement makes many see the Technocrats as sinister, even if they turn out to be on the side of good. Which is a matter of much debate.
Aside from being a walled off, fortified, series of scientific compounds, military bases, and factories, the Woodlands have several notable pre-war locations and publicly accessible facilities within them.
The zone includes the Woodlands Mall, which is still functional and is the hub of trade and commerce in the area, one which welcomes the average Waster and offers them a glimpse of the promised World of Tomorrow. The Mall is surrounded by several small communities that are self-sufficient and work closely with the Technocrats to ensure the safety and prosperity of the zone. While these people do benefit from the Technocrats advanced technology, and could be mistaken for citizens, they are in fact all soldiers and only stay in these communities between postings and if their orders are to guard the Woodlands themselves.
There’s also the rather fascinating Mitchell Island, the one potentially true exception to the “no citizens” policy of the technocrats. The island is home to a small town of intelligent mutants from Monsterland, specifically the diminutive blue skinned near-humans colloquially called “Goblins” by most wasters.
These Goblins are purported to have saved the life of the Technocrats previous Council Leader during an expedition into Monsterland. In reward they were offered a life of luxury on the island. They accepted and were relocated, given a life of pampering, luxury, and all of the opportunities the Technocrats have to offer. This deal changed slightly when the current Council Leader was elected, and now the Goblins provide samples of FEV and assist with the Technocrats studies of mutants as fellow researchers in exchange for their privileges. Interestingly the mutants seem to be the party which requested the change.