Fallout: From the Ashes
War… War never changes.
From the great siege of Troy in ancient antiquity, to the Coalition’s victory against Napoleon at Waterloo, war has often been celebrated in the recollections of our society. This romantic notion has often been used to disguise the ugly truth; that war is merely a reflection of humanity’s animal drive to gain more at the expense of others.
In the year 2077, that drive took our species over the precipice and plunged the world into the hellish fires of total nuclear war. In a matter of hours, thousands of years of human civilization came crashing down as The United States of America and The People’s Republic of China exchanged fire with their atomic arsenals. This was not to be the end, however. Humanity proved resilient as survivor groups took shelter from the apocalypse wherever it could be found; fallout bunkers, metropolitan subways, cave systems, and of course… The great underground Vaults, created by the corporatocracy of America to house as many souls as they could possibly house. Or so the stories go.
It is the year 2283; A mere two years ago, the might of Caesar’s Legion found itself checked by a coalition of the New California Republic and the people of the New Vegas area at the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. Unlike before, where the Legion fought to the last deployed man, the Legate Lanius ordered a withdrawal from the Dam, perhaps recognizing the Mojave as the end of the Legion.
The victorious NCR, however, could not find the opportunity to pursue and destroy their mortal rival, as the people of New Vegas revealed their trump card; an army of Securitron Robots and the combined might of the Boomer Tribe, the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel, The Three Families of the New Vegas Strip, the citizens of Freeside and Westside, and finally what remained of the Great Khans Tribe. New Vegas would remain independent of NCR and Legion alike, remaining a bright beacon of civilization in the midst of the Mojave Wasteland.
The NCR had planned on licking its wounds and returning to claim Hoover Dam and the strip alike, however their troubles were not yet over as once more atomic fire was unleashed and the New Californian capital of Shady Sands was destroyed by an unknown assailant.
There were no celebrations on the Legion side of the Hoover Dam, however. Shortly after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, it became apparent that Caesar was dying of a malignant brain tumor that rendered him increasingly unable to govern and command the might of his conquered 87 Tribes. Though Caesar has a designated heir, the young Caesaron’s power is far from secure. Legate Lanius, the Monster of the East, stands as a direct challenger to the heir’s succession; having the loyalty, or perhaps the naked fear of many a legionnaire.
Growing in political strength, the Forge-Masters of the Cult of Vulcan speak of challenging the ascendancy of the Cult of Mars and the War God’s chosen, Caesar. Led by the mysterious High Forgelord, the Cult of Vulcan controls a significant amount of materiel that the legion uses in it’s battles. Then there remains the charismatic governor of Flagstaff, Antonius Aurelius. As caretaker of Caesar’s Capital, he wields a great deal of political power in the name of the great Conquerer.
For the last two years, these factions within the Legion have slowly begun to circle, prepared to make a carrion feast of the Legion and take what they can for themselves when the Great Caesar finally passes. That time is coming soon.
And you? You find yourself deep in the heart of Legion territory, just outside of a town called Tombstone which sits in what was once a part of the American State of Arizona, just north of the former Mexican border. Prisoner, slave, spy, legionnaire, or even simple townsperson, your story and the story of your companions will begin here as the first sparks hit the powder keg. Because War… War never changes.
Welcome to Fallout: From the Ashes! An RP storyline inspired by a handful of ending slides from Fallout: New Vegas as well as some third party content from a few other games. As mentioned in the blurb above, our RP will be taking place in the year 2283 - a mere two years after the end of Fallout: New Vegas. A few assumptions with the lore are being made here, so I’ll touch on those quickly.
The Battle for Hoover Dam:
Won by the NCR-Vegas coalition, leading to the independent new vegas ending. For the sake of the RP we assume that Courier Six, the protagonist of New Vegas, talked Legate Lanius into withdrawing his forces, before threatening to turn the guns on the NCR. The NCR would withdraw as far back as Mojave Outpost, leaving only a toe hold in the region.
Mr. House: His being dead or alive we are going to leave ambiguous for the purposes of world building. The Mojave is answering to someone, but who that is seems difficult to pin down as the word of Mr. House has always been carried out by proxies.
The Courier: They’re out there somewhere, no you cannot play the Courier, sorry.
Anything or anybody not mentioned directly here shouldn’t affect much of our RP. Save the factions who may be involved in the growing legion Civil War in Arizona and beyond. Which takes me directly into the rules.
Rules:
#1: We follow the Nationstates terms of service. This one is a no brainer, don’t do anything to get banned.
#2: Be kind to one another. We’re all here to RP and write a story together. There is no ‘winning’ there is only the story and the enjoyment we get out of it, so don’t be a jerk to your fellow players.
#3: No power gaming, metagaming, etc. No one is going to be playing an all knowing, Power Armor equipped, gauss rifle touting Courier Six. You’re playing a person, perhaps a somewhat exceptional person, but a person nevertheless. Your character has flaws, the remains of the American Southwest are a savage place, and it won’t always go your way. I’m also likely to only allow at most two players to play as members of a faction like the Brotherhood of Steel. Expect not to start with Paladin level gear if you’re such a player too.
#4: Keep it PG-13 14A-ish. Fallout is a mature, if occasionally silly setting. There are going to be some darker themes present, but implication for some of the more disturbing things is a powerful tool. Given we want to continue following rule #1, this rule is incredibly important.
#5: Have fun. Lest we forget, we all do this to have a good time.
#6: This is intended to be a Character RP. I’ve no problem with anyone being a part of a specific faction in Arizona, or pushing a certain agenda for a Faction, but no one should be running a faction. Ideally, I’d like to keep the story focused on your individual character’s actions or a group of characters actions.
