Darkened by a nuclear apocalypse, much of the world's history following the Great War is unknown; lost or unrecorded. In America, millions died, millions more survived and struggled on in areas the bombs hadn't touched, while mere thousands escaped the fire and radiation in Vault-Tec's underground vaults. The aftermath of the War is what really created the Wasteland we all know now. Here we'll examine some of the roots of that aftermath.
I.
The flora and fauna of of the world were irrevocably changed. Species that weren't wiped out by nuclear flame or radioactive rainfall were all mutated within a few years after the war. Many survive even now, and in some respects, the world went unchanged, with people hunting and gathering to provide for themselves just as they had so long ago, though now with the additional concern of radiation poisoning. While the vast majority of plants and creatures in the modern wasteland are descends of animals mutated purely by radiation, there are a few notable exceptions, such as the Deathclaws found throughout the American territory, and the Cazadores and Nightstalkers encountered in the far west. These creatures are mutated, yes, but through deliberate genetic modification. The Deathclaws are creations of the Enclave, meant for use as weapons (hence their place at the top of whatever food chain they happen to be a part of), while the Cazadores and Nightstalkers are experiments that escaped the Big Mountain test facility and began to breed in the wild. Whether due to mutation, evolution, gene manipulation or all of the above, nearly every creature and many plants that now thrive in the wasteland pose a threat to the unprepared wanderer.
II.
Politically, the post-War world is the shadow of the past one might expect. Many of those that survived outside the vaults gathered together to form tribes, and these vie for territory across the entire continent. In that time there have been many cases of the language degenerating, creating new barriers of communication. Dotted among the tribes and savages are stronger, more coherent factions, some of which have risen to considerable power. The most prevalent of these include:
III.
Following the war, survival has become perhaps the only culture worth adopting. Even with territory controlled by the wasteland's most powerful factions, there are myriad dangers and hazards that make day-to-day living a fight for one's life. Those who survive the best have learned how to scavenge for food and supplies, repair armor, weapons and tools, and know when to defend themselves and when to hide. Ghosts of the Old World remain to tempt wastelanders with caches of wealth and supplies, and to remind them of what once was. Many of the fission powered computers and radios left in the husks of pre-War ruins still work, blinking eerily. Communication as it once was is gone, though a few enterprising individuals have given voice to the wastes by reestablishing radio broadcasts, and starting courier services.
IV.
The world that remains is a grim and unpredictable place. But it seems that humanity will survive, and there remains hope in that. In the history of the Wasteland, many have risen up at times of need to restore that hope to those around them and, sometimes...to take it away. These are the characters that you play in Fallout, and what you guide them to do is a different kind of lore entirely, but no matter what, you are a child of this wasted world.
Sources: Fallout Wiki, Gamepedia Fallout Wiki
This is the conclusion of my Fallout "lore primer." Don't hesitate to let me know if you think there's something that needs to be included, or that could be simplified.
Darkened by a nuclear apocalypse, much of the world's history following the Great War is unknown; lost or unrecorded. In America, millions died, millions more survived and struggled on in areas the bombs hadn't touched, while mere thousands escaped the fire and radiation in Vault-Tec's underground vaults. The aftermath of the War is what really created the Wasteland we all know now. Here we'll examine some of the roots of that aftermath.
I.
The flora and fauna of of the world were irrevocably changed. Species that weren't wiped out by nuclear flame or radioactive rainfall were all mutated within a few years after the war. Many survive even now, and in some respects, the world went unchanged, with people hunting and gathering to provide for themselves just as they had so long ago, though now with the additional concern of radiation poisoning. While the vast majority of plants and creatures in the modern wasteland are descends of animals mutated purely by radiation, there are a few notable exceptions, such as the Deathclaws found throughout the American territory, and the Cazadores and Nightstalkers encountered in the far west. These creatures are mutated, yes, but through deliberate genetic modification. The Deathclaws are creations of the Enclave, meant for use as weapons (hence their place at the top of whatever food chain they happen to be a part of), while the Cazadores and Nightstalkers are experiments that escaped the Big Mountain test facility and began to breed in the wild. Whether due to mutation, evolution, gene manipulation or all of the above, nearly every creature and many plants that now thrive in the wasteland pose a threat to the unprepared wanderer.
II.
Politically, the post-War world is the shadow of the past one might expect. Many of those that survived outside the vaults gathered together to form tribes, and these vie for territory across the entire continent. In that time there have been many cases of the language degenerating, creating new barriers of communication. Dotted among the tribes and savages are stronger, more coherent factions, some of which have risen to considerable power. The most prevalent of these include:
III.
Following the war, survival has become perhaps the only culture worth adopting. Even with territory controlled by the wasteland's most powerful factions, there are myriad dangers and hazards that make day-to-day living a fight for one's life. Those who survive the best have learned how to scavenge for food and supplies, repair armor, weapons and tools, and know when to defend themselves and when to hide. Ghosts of the Old World remain to tempt wastelanders with caches of wealth and supplies, and to remind them of what once was. Many of the fission powered computers and radios left in the husks of pre-War ruins still work, blinking eerily. Communication as it once was is gone, though a few enterprising individuals have given voice to the wastes by reestablishing radio broadcasts, and starting courier services.
IV.
The world that remains is a grim and unpredictable place. But it seems that humanity will survive, and there remains hope in that. In the history of the Wasteland, many have risen up at times of need to restore that hope to those around them and, sometimes...to take it away. These are the characters that you play in Fallout, and what you guide them to do is a different kind of lore entirely, but no matter what, you are a child of this wasted world.
Sources: Fallout Wiki, Gamepedia Fallout Wiki
This is the conclusion of my Fallout "lore primer." Don't hesitate to let me know if you think there's something that needs to be included, or that could be simplified.