The Web of Fear: A Fallout Game

SouthernKing · Aug 8, 2018

Update 2: The Dead Planet
Winter 2160-2161
83.5 Years after the War

As the first caesium snows of winter fell upon Pennsylvania, so did war. It was a war amongst slavers, not far from the battlegrounds of an ancient revolution, as Poxxy’s vicious Chem Dogs and the domineering Kings and Queens forged an alliance against the casino-citadel of Mount Joy. A veritable army of hundreds gathered in a remarkably well-planned strike upon the citadel.

It began with a primary attack group, assaulting Mount Joy from the front gates. The defenders of Mount Joy, although caught by surprised, were able to inflict sizeable casualties, but these were merely decoys for the real attackers, who flanked the fortifications and burst through with dynamite. With the walls breached, thousands of raiders poured through. The fighting was bloody and fierce, and much of the interior of Mount Joy was consumed by fires. It was the slaves of the raiders who suffered the brunt of the casualties, but, in the end, the raiders won.

The Kings and Queens assumed control of Mount Joy, and the remnants of Mount Joy’s leadership were gruesomely put on pikes to line the side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Chem Dogs walked away with the lion’s share of the loot, although it turned out that the entirety of Mount Joy’s ammunition stash had been expended or destroyed. A handful of the survivors were pressed into joining the victors; the unwilling were enslaved and split between the two raider factions.

***

Armstrong Gals

Spoiler :

Atlantic Maritime League

Spoiler :

Beastie Boys

Spoiler :

The Beastie Boys focused on salvaging and scrapping the seemingly infinite shattered graveyard that had once been Brooklyn. Before doing so, they explored all around. They came across a settlement in Maplewood, on the far side of the Washington Cemetery. The townspeople were immediately hostile, and gunfire was exchanged, though the Beastie Boys wisely avoided any confrontation or casualties. Thus they retreated to safer rubble in Midwood to scrap, where they wouldn’t be sabotaged.

Meanwhile, an Egg Raid was sent out to fight for the Beastie Boys’ right to know what was smouldering in Marine Park. They cut a route through the ghoul-infested streets of East Midwood; thanks to their ghoul friends as slaves, but even that could not entirely help them from the radiation seeping through from the southeast. The neighbourhood of Marine Park had seemingly been bombed; much of its streets had been wiped off the map, and irradiated water was seeping through from the southeast. The radiation levels were high enough that even some of the humans, trying to be cautious, would succumb.

However, the ghouls, immune to radiation, were sent into the bomb crater--and found the source of the smoke: a crashed Vertibird. The ghouls thoroughly searched the crash site, and the Beastie Boys were given a fusion core and some radio equipment for their trouble. But there are still unanswered questions: the Vertibird had clearly crashed quite recently, and any trace of its identity had been erased thanks to the flames.

Stats Changes:
+5 Humans (Natural Growth)
-15 Ammunition (Maplewood)
+595 Scrap Parts, +3 Tech Parts (Salvaging)
-15 Humans, +Fusion Core, +Radio Gear (Vertibird Crash Site)

Challenge: Sabotage! Sort of. While out scrapping, we caught one of the human slaves trying to tinker with his bomb collar. Whether or not he knew what he was doing is now an academic question, since he was quickly shot dead, but there is a new problem: what if some of the other slaves have similarly figured this out. It has been suggested that we take action, but drastic measures could mean a reduction in our workforce.

Big Antlers Clan

Spoiler :

Brotherhood of the Undead

Spoiler :

The Daughters

Spoiler :

Disciples of Madison

Spoiler :

A large party of Disciples of Madison was despatched to the Empire State Building. It turned out that there was no such raider party at all; the Disciples had been sent off on a wild goose chase. The only strange things the Disciples found on what had once been the corner of 34th Street and Fifth Avenue was some oddly shaped metal, and a quite impressive stash of ammunition that someone had left there recently. The Disciples took what other scrap they could, but the area was too ashed to properly scrap.

Another party was despatched to the Flushing Line to attempt to clear out the subways. However, the Disciples underestimated the fearsomeness of the subway rats, and found that, no matter how much they seemed to clear, more came out. They swarmed the Disciples and inflicted heavy casualties before the Disciples chose to retreat. The survivors managed to scrap. They also determined that the flowing underground water was not capable of powering a generator. Some abandoned sewer and water pipes were also investigated--and found to be emptied and useless.

More parties were sent out to investigate the tunnels under the Hudson River. The PATH was abandoned, filled with decaying train carcasses, and slightly damp, but an otherwise seemingly safe and accessible crossing. Meanwhile, inside the Lincoln Tunnel, the Disciples made a curious discovery: a Vault, built under the Hudson, its entrance in the side of the tunnel, its door marked 495. The door was still sealed, and the explorers attempted to make contact, but could not.

Stats Changes:
+5 Humans (Natural Growth)
-15 Scrap, -50 Food (Habitat 59)
+175 Scrap, +1 Tech Part, +Fusion Core (Salvaging)
+165 Scrap, +350 Ammunition (Empire State Building)
-25 Humans, -20 1H Guns, -5 2H Guns, -105 Ammunition (Flushing Line)

Challenge: A group of ghouls has approached us on the surface, seeking shelter, hearing that we have some. Should we let them in? Some say we should, but others are far less willing, many mistrusting them, since they are not human.

Hoboken Shipper Boys and Girls

Spoiler :

Kings and Queens

Spoiler :

Order of the Holy Wound

Spoiler :

Close to home, it was a winter of scrapping and exploration for the Order. Members of the Order explored an abandoned hospital north of Trenton-Mercer Airport. While the hospital seemed ripe for scrapping, the area north of it was filled with feral radstags, though they seemed inclined to stay outside I-295. The explorers were forced to fire off a number of shots to keep themselves protected. Another party headed to an industrial park east of the camp of Roscoe’s Horde. The area proved terribly irradiated, and very little of value was found.

The Order was quick to follow up on the mysterious briefcase. Guided by the dreaming woman and some pre-War road maps, they traced the old I-295 northeast to the suburb of Lawrenceville. Spirits were high, but no spirit could have prepared the explorers for what they would see. The Lawrenceville School was completely deserted, its buildings crumbling, its lawns barren and overgrown with weeds. An overbearing sense of death pervaded the place. Even some of the animals seemed to avoid the place. In the centre of one of the lawns, sat a pyramid: a perfect pyramid, about a metre high, glistening white, topped with a golden capstone.

The moment one of the Order laid his finger on the pyramid, a cleverly disguised automated defence system activated. Within minutes, Vertibirds were descending from the sky, carrying figures in blue-and-gold armour who were firing away. The Order explorers retreated as best they could, regrouping and heading home badly shaken.

Stats Changes
+5 Humans (Natural Growth), +5 Ghouls (Immigration)
-100 Food (Donation)
+400 Scrap, +4 Tech Parts (Salvaging), +25 Scrap, +5 Tech Parts (Mr Handies)
-10 Ammunition (Exploration)
-15 Humans, -10 1H Guns, -5 2H Guns, -70 Ammunition (Lawrenceville Pyramid)

Challenge: Concern has been growing due to a handful of people inside the Shard who seem to be suffering from effects that seem remarkably similar to those we know to be caused by pre-War drug addiction. Rumour has it that this is thanks to chems entering the Shard from beyond--and now the chem supplier, whoever they might have been, has somehow disappeared. What should we do for these suffering souls?

The Point

Spoiler :

Explorers from the Point headed west--only to find that the feral Mr Gutsies had largely disappeared. They found a number of deactivated ones by the side of the road, from which they were able to acquire some scrap and tech parts, but these could certainly not account for how many there had once been. It was as if someone, but who? The Point would have noticed if anyone significant enough to do so had passed through the area--and no one had. In any case, Camp Buckner is clear for scrapping.

From there, confused enough, the explorers continued south, back to Harriman, which was empty, save for scrapping. Around the area where the impossible boat had been seen, they thought they saw strange, shadowy figures milling about, but the figures never seemed to be closer. They then turned on US 6, heading back northwest. The area around Monroe and Chester was empty, save for a few homesteaders who steered well clear of the party. The area around Goshen was overrun by feral radstags, which the explorers exchanged fire with.

At Scotchtown, they exchanged fire with raiders who seemed to be the rumoured Zinc Devils in neighbouring Middletown, managing to enslave a few. They then headed northeast, past Montgomery--which was infested with a small raider gang calling themselves the Red Dogs. The raiders were absolutely no match for the firepower of the Point explorers; many were killed, some were scattered, and a fair number were brought back to West Point under servitude.

Finally, they reached New York Stewart International Airport--where they found it occupied by the remains of a National Guard unit who had occupied it sometime around the time of the War. The Point and National Guardsmen made contact, and although relations were cordial, the National Guardsmen rebuffed any attempt from the Point to make contact.

Stats Changes:
+5 Humans, +5 Human Slaves (Natural Growth), +20 Humans, -20 Human Slaves (Promotion)
+585 Scrap Parts, +6 Tech Parts (Salvaging)
+50 Scrap Parts, +10 Tech Parts, -5 Humans, -15 Human Slaves, -540 Ammunition, +60 Human Slaves, +140 LT Melee, +110 Leather Armour, +230 Scrap Parts, +270 Ammunition (Exploration)

Challenge: See NPC Diplomacy

Poxxy’s Chem Dogs

Spoiler :

Aside from the productive victory over Mount Joy, the Chem Dogs continued exploring and brutally leaving their mark on the surrounding lands. One group headed north, to explore the area around Cabrini and Eastern Universities; they found only a few upstart wannabe raiders who were fairly quickly enslaved, and their stash of weapons, once liberated from a gun store, quickly appropriated. A second group headed east, towards Radnor and Villanova; they found the area emptied, as if someone had once lived there but fled--perhaps in fear of the Chem Dogs themselves. A third group, headed southeast in the direction of Havertown, never returned--raising quite a lot of concern about what, precisely, could have happened to such a large band of raiders.

Furthermore, another group of Chem Dogs headed back west in an attempt to corral the fearsome and mythical horned kangaroos, or Deatharoos. They were organised, clinical, careful; they laid a trap of food, and waited. When the deatharoos came for a feast, the explosives were set off. In the confusion that followed, the raiders found that they had underestimated the fearsomeness of the deatharoos, and casualties were heavier than expected. However, in the end, the deatharoo concentration was scattered, and no less than four subdued and captured, triumphantly brought back to the Underhive.

Stats Changes:
+10 Humans (Natural Growth)
-45 Chems, -25 Ammunition, +10 Human Slaves, +20 2H Guns (Exploration)
-50 Humans, -25 1H Guns, -25 LT Melee, -25 Leather Armour (Exploration Disappearances)
-25 Humans, -70 Human Slaves, -5 Dynamite, -100 Improvised Explosives, -100 Chems, -30 Leather Armour, -55 LT Melee, -10 1H Guns, -125 Ammunition (Mount Joy Casualties)
+20 Humans, +110 Human Slaves, +120 1H Guns, +40 Laser Weapons, +10 Mr Handies, +4 Protectrons, +325 Scrap Parts, +5 Tech Parts, +140 Alcohol, +1 Military Skill (Mount Joy Loot)
-50 Food, -15 Humans, -70 Ammunition, -2 Dynamite, -5 Grenades, +4 Deatharoos
+25 Food (Deatharoo Food Pile)

Challenge: Not long after the Chem Dogs returned victorious from Mount Joy, the returning raiders happened to witness an…incident. Near Devon, they witnessed what appeared to be a greenish fog in sky that seemed to inflict the raiders, and especially the afraid, collared slaves, with acute, splitting headaches. After some minutes, the entirety of the fog quickly disappeared with a bright, blinding, searing flash--and was replaced by a boat, a sort of pre-War fishing boat, whose hull had been scorched. It dropped perhaps ten metres, landing right-side-up atop the rubbled platform of Devon train station. Once some slaves were forced to confirm the boat was not a chem-induced hallucination--with some second-degree burns to the hand for good measure--the raiders hightailed it out of there. But that has not stopped the bad memories, or the strange behaviour of the slaves who touched it. Where did the boat even come from? And, more to the point, what should we do about it?

Reformed Society for Psychic and Paranormal Research

Spoiler :

Sanctuary Guard

Spoiler :

It was a winter of exploration for the Sanctuary Guard. The major exploration party was sent south, deep into Midtown Manhattan. Manhattanville, along with the City College of New York, was empty, with only a few random civilians. Nearby Morningside Heights was much the same, with the universities having been swept over by someone at some point. A thorough search of the Columbia University campus netted the Sanctuary Guard some intact laboratory equipment. Both of these areas might net far more, were they to be salvaged. Additionally, they found, at 125th Street (A/D) subway station, another, friendly settlement, calling themselves New Harlem. Further south, most of Bloomingdale and the Upper West Side had been utterly levelled above-group by bombs, and even though the party rushed through to avoid being irradiated, a number would succumb to radiation sickness.

Even further south, the Lincoln Square neighbourhood had been overrun by a pack of raiders in varied, interesting clothes, calling themselves the Julliard Drama School. Although some shots were fired, the size of the exploration party deterred the raiders from attacking. At the 79th Street Boat Basin, the explorers were lucky enough to find a pair of small boats that, remarkably, were still operational; some returned with the boat. The Intrepid Sea and Air Museum, an intact aircraft carrier, had been, at some point taken over by Chinese of unknown origin, calling themselves the PLA Navy.

Hell’s Kitchen, however, lived up to its name, proving to be not only badly irradiated, but also horribly debris-strewn and unable to be navigated above-ground, and the group turned around and began heading back up north. At Columbus Circle, they made contact with Habitat 59, occupying the subway station, who were impressed by the number of Mr Gutsies the Sanctuary Guard had with them.

En route, they stopped in Central Park. They found that much of the park had become a cesspool of fallout, irradiated water, and horrendously mutated creatures, and pockmarked with bomb craters. The south of Central Park, around the zoo, was generally controlled by twisted, giant sloths; the north of Central Park was a maze of mirelurks from the neighbouring reservoir. The explorers were forced to fight back. At the Museum of Natural History, they found another faction, clearly possessing advanced technology, but they refused any outside contact. Belvedere Castle lay in ruins. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was, remarkably, still standing--but the explorers found that the bulk of the museum’s collection, including the Holy Stones, had been removed. Raiders were the initial suspects, but the operation was too precise; someone had done this in full knowledge of what they were doing.

Another canoe was sent west, to attempt to contact any other refugees from the former Fort Lee, with four humans and one of the ghoul refugees. They landed across the river, at the base of the Palisades, and climbed up Henry Hudson Drive into Bergen County. They found a settlement: humans, who turned away the Sanctuary Guard for its ghoul constituent; it seems likely that, if any Fort Lee refugees have come there, they have similarly been rudely turned away. They also found feral ghouls, roaming Englewood. Eventually, rather dissatisfied, they just returned home.

Stats Changes:
+5 Humans (Natural Growth)
+220 Scrap Parts, +4 Tech Parts (Salvaging)
-5 Humans (Special Mission)
-20 Humans, -780 Ammunition, +Laboratory Equipment, +2 Small Boats

Challenge: See NPC Diplomacy

Shepaug Dam Survivors

Spoiler :

The Skylanders

Spoiler :

Two more expeditions were sent out to explore the areas around the Skylanders’ current encampment. The first expedition headed northwest, towards Lake Hopatcong. The area, including the town of Hopatcong itself, was determined to be clear, not nearly as fertile as the Skylanders’ current grounds, but free of any hostile wildlife. A second expedition, headed south in the direction of Dover and Randolph, never returned--save one survivor.

Another expedition was despatched east to Troy to trade, taking excess food and scrap and ultimately returning with a number of weapons and scrap. The slaves Troy had given the Skylanders were freed; a few chose to stay, though most chose to depart for pastures elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Skylanders proceeded to hassle the town of Denville, surrounding the town and attacking its people as they exited the fortified barriers. Their mobile nature and greater propensity for guerrilla warfare gave them a definite advantage over the more sedentary people of Denville, with many killed and their weapons taken. Although the counterattacks did manage to inflict casualties on the Skylanders, the operations can be considered definitely in the Skylanders’ favour, as the

Stats Changes:
+10 Humans (Natural Growth)
-50 Human Slaves, +15 Humans (Freeing Slaves)
+2250 Food (Hunting/Gathering), +300 Scrap Parts (Salvaging)
-750 Food, -200 Scrap, +190 Ammunition, +25 2H Guns, +25 Leather Armour (Troy Expedition)
-20 Humans, -5 Horses, -10 LT Ranged, +10 Leather Armour, +10 1H Guns, +5 2H Guns (Denville)
-20 Humans, -20 LT Melee (Expedition Disappearance)

Challenge: The disappearance of the southern expedition caused great concern, for the destination was not a particularly distant one. It became even more worrisome when one man returned, wearing strange white robes, a permanent smile plastered upon his face. He claimed to have gone to a “Garden of Eden, where he had finally become Victorious,” and demanded that everyone else was not “Victorious” and beneath him. He failed to recognise any of his former people, and refused all food and water, before predictably expiring. What, if anything, should we do about this?

Sons of Hope

Spoiler :

Sovereign Fortuna Guild

Spoiler :

Ursine Order of Hershey

Spoiler :

Vault 77

Spoiler :

Vault 314

Spoiler :

Vault 314, in conjunction with the Sons of Hope, winter continuing to explore, sending out small parties to explore all around. Clifton, especially the Athenia neighbourhood, had been overrun by feral ghouls. Nonetheless, by the side of the Garden State Parkway, they found the remains of a Vault 314 expedition, complete with a few surviving Mr Handies, whom the explorers convinced were friendly, and took along back to Vault 314. The centre of Passaic had fallen under the control of raiders calling themselves the Indian Panthers; the explorers successfully avoided them. Another party wandered east, into Lyndhurst, where they came into contact with a town between Lyndhurst and Kingsland stations, who greeted the explorers warmly, interested in peaceful trade relations.

Further east of even that, explorers seeking the source of the column of smoke. East of Lyndhurst, they came up to the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The smoke turned out to be coming from the Meadowlands swamp itself, and Vault-Tec readings showed that it was toxic. It’s suspected that the fire has been burning since the War, continuously, the result of some sort of chemical dumping. The explorers were unwilling to go closer, and the Mr Handy that entered the site did not return.

Furthermore, Vault 314 established closer links with the Sons of Hope, establishing a trade route between the two. Relations between the people of the two factions have been nothing but positive thus far. The Sons of Hope have begun providing military training for some of the Vault-Dwellers. The classes have proven popular, although they have been going on for too short a time to make a

Stats Changes:
+775 Scrap Parts (Salvaging), +442 Scrap Parts, +2 Tech Parts (Mr Handies)
-1 Mr Handy, +6 Mr Handies (Exploration)
-7 Scrap Parts, -5 Alcohol (Smoke Signal)
-5 Alcohol (Inn)
-5 Alcohol (Verona)

Challenge: One night, one of the technicians servicing a disused section of the Vailt’s backup water filtration system found something curious, behind a corroded pipe: a Vault-Tec bobblehead! Nothing curious about that, sure--but during the next sequence of Handy pong matches, that technician won every single match he played in.

Vault 350

Spoiler :

The door to Vault 350 opened in East Haven, and a large exploration party emerged to assess just how much damage had been done. The surrounding, mainly suburban areas of East Haven were by and large deserted, ripe for scrapping. From there, the explorers began carving a wider circle. The rest of East Haven seemed just as devoid of sentient life. In the neighbourhood of Foxon, they came across a concentration of feral ghouls that seemed to be radiating from North Branford, to the east; the sheer size of the party meant that they were able to fight them off with no casualties, albeit after a firefight.

But, in the neighbourhood of Fair Haven Heights, on the shores of the Quinnipiac River, they found something quite curious: a camp that, judging from the rather gruesome skeleton-themed décor, had once belonged to vicious raiders. But the camp had been utterly emptied, as if the raiders had all fled at once. In the centre of the camp, atop the flattened ruins of a kitchen, they found a figure: a man of light-coloured stone, perhaps half a metre tall, swearing a sort of long skirt, bearing a folding beard, and with large, uncanny eyes. More pertinently, they found what seemed to be left of the radiers’ armoury, and took it with them.

Stats Changes
+10 Humans (Natural Growth), -10 Humans, +9 Super Mutants, +1 FEV Abomination
-50 Ammunition, +5 HT Melee, +30 Leather Armour (Exploration)

Challenge: The strange figure we found in the Fair Haven Heights camp has been making some of our people extremely uncomfortable. Rumours have begun spreading in the lower ranks that the figure’s bizarre eyes have been giving them strange dreams, of what they call “a shadowy nightmare world of dust.” Moreover, some of the explorers who found the figure reported seeing strange lights from across the river, from the direction of central New Haven. These rumours have been pooh-poohed by most right-thinking Vault-dwellers, but--then again--the evidence of what happened to the raiders is clear. What, if anything, should we do?

Wall Street Traders

Spoiler :

The Wall Street Traders enacted a new investment and expansion stratagem, establishing a settlement in the remains of Pier 11, what had once been the ferry terminal along the East River. Pier 11 is idealised to enable coastal expansion, although the ferry terminal itself had been badly mangled some time since the War, and the Traders will have to build a new dock. However, the settlement attracted a number of vagabond raiders who had been wandering around the ruins of Two Bridges; some of them elected to establish permanent bases at Pier 11.

Meanwhile, other parties started heading northeast, expanding Wall Street’s knowledge base up into the Lower East Side. They found that East Broadway subway station was occupied by a semi-ghoul raider group who seemed to be the remnants of a pre-War organised crime group, calling themselves the Cohen Syndicate. The Traders made contact; the Cohen Syndicate informed them, with a few corpses for evidence, that a large deathclaw family had taken up residence in the Vladeck Houses and effectively had the entire Lower East Side in their territory.

They began circling around north: at Canal Street station, they encountered a small, highly fortified, red-bannered settlement calling themselves the Manhattan Commune, who were strangely forthcoming by treating the explorers with chems. West of that, they found that Soho was a hive of feral ghouls. After some fighting and casualties, the Traders retreated.

Stats Changes
-15 Human Slaves, -10 Ghoul Slaves, +250 Scrap (Battery Park Trade)
+10 Humans, +5 Ghouls, +5 Human Slaves, +5 Ghoul Slaves (Immigration to Pier 11)
+5 Humans (Natural Growth), +5 Ghouls, +5 Human Slaves (Immigration to NYSE)
-5 Humans, -25 Ammunition, +10 Chems (Exploration)
+922 Scrap, +Radio Gear (Salvaging)

Challenge: As we expand to the coast, we are increasingly attracting small groups of friendly raiders who wish to work for us; in Pier 11, the Trader employees there have accepted them. Some members of the Board of Directors, however, are concerned that these new hires may not act in accordance with NYSE corporate policy; furthermore, the resources required for their upkeep may impact our bottom line. How should we treat those outsiders who wish to work for us?

The Warriors

Spoiler :

To: Disciples of Madison
From: Habitat 59

Your gift is most kind. We are absolutely willing to help establish a permanent connection between our two settlements. How would you suggest best going about it? We will give you 5 of our Mr Handies in exchange.

To: Order of the Holy Wound
From: Roscoe’s Horde

Let it be known that we are indebted to you, for it was your kindness that saved us from starvation.

To: The Point
From: Stewart International Station

We are pleased to see that there are others from the armed forces still alive in this hostile world. But we are disappointed to see the way your cadets are treated, for it is un-American. However, we may be able to overlook this if you could do us a favour. Several months ago, we came under attack from a vicious band of chem-addled raiders operating out of Newburgh. They even managed to disable our automated defence system and our fusion reactor in the last attack, and have carried away many of our men as slaves. If your firepower can help defeat them, perhaps we can do something for you.

To: The RSPPR
From: Trumbull

Although it may be dangerous, thanks to popular demand, we are planning an expedition into the centre of Bridgeport to determine the final cause of our troubles. We were wondering if you could potentially spare a few personnel to send along with us; we understand if you are otherwise preoccupied, but we would greatly appreciate the assistance.

To: Sanctuary Guard
From: Habitat 59

Hello! We are interested in attempting to clear out the IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line (1) up from our habitat to the north end of the island and ensure safe passage up and down Manhattan. We may also, along the way, be able to contact anyone who lives within. With your resources, you may be able to greatly help us. Are you interested?

To: The Sons of Hope
From: Lyndhurst

We could use your help. There is a serial killer loose in our town. They’ve gotten a dozen victims in the last month, and we don’t have the manpower to catch them--our people are scared stiff. If you could help us patrol our streets at night, we would be forever grateful.

To: Sovereign Fortuna Guild
From: East Hampton

What sort of trade links are you seeking, precisely? We’re certainly interested.

To: Vault 314
From: Verona

We will gladly arrange a supply of ale--let’s say, 100--if you were to give us a few dozen Mr Handies and a dozen or so of those Protectrons.

***

This coming update will cover Summer 2161. Orders are tentatively due Wednesday, 15 August (i.e. a week from now.) I'd like to get the update done by that weekend; after that, we'll likely move to biweekly updates, which will be far more manageable for me.

As usual, tell me if I missed something, either in stats or in orders. I almost certainly did at some point.

Ahigin: I’d forgotten to change B-Borough’s name on the map; apologies, that has been rectified.

Marcher Jovian: I think your food consumption number was off, I fixed it and accounted for that.

Trigo238: Unfortunately, you can’t build (normal) farms in a bunker.

SouthernKing · Aug 8, 2018

Map

Stats:

Spoiler :

Ahigin · Aug 8, 2018

Great update, SK! Just starting to read it, but you've always been a good GM-writer. Your style fits Fallout quite well. Kudos!

thomas.berubeg · Aug 8, 2018

To: Terminus
From: The Sanctuary Guard

As it is ours to rule the sunlit lands, so it is yours to rule the paths below. As such, we beg your leave to enter your domain, though distant from your hold: Some of your southern kin have pleaded for our aid in reconnecting the sunless paths, and together, perhaps, we can bring peace to the lands below.

To: Habitat 59
From: The Sanctuary Guard

Well met and well known. We will exchange bread and salt and beer with you, and you will do so with us. The Sunless paths are a domain that are not ours to keep, and so we must ask of our friends for a right to intrude upon their domains. Once we have received their blessing, so will we seek yours, and assist you in this great crusade when next the sky grows cold, allowing trade to flow as blood to the heart beneath the lands.

Until that time comes, we offer a trade. We can offer beer, brewed by the Order of the Unicorn, with techniques and skills from before Judgement day. In exchange, we ask for Energy, with which to allow the Kings of Old to fight for us as they once have.

To: New Harlem
From: The Sanctuary Guard

Well met. You have exchanged bread and salt and beer with us, and us with you. Bonds of friendship now unite our people, and your friends are our friend and your enemies are our enemies. Ask of us what you will, and we will help you as we can. You are not alone. Of the people we have met, most live under the stone as you do, and most are friendly. Should you wish it, our heralds can bear your messages to them, and theirs to you.

To: The Red Kangs
From: The Sanctuary Guard

You have met us with hostility, and we have returned it in equal measure, but this day will not be remembered for the blood shed, as it is not our desire to lay you to waste, though we surely could. You hold in captivity men and women, all chosen in the light of God, who by the sweat of their brow keep your people in wealth. Release them, and you will be rewarded in the Judgement of Divine and Mortal, and we will provide you with a flow of beer to rival a river. Refuse, and find yourselves shamed before His judgement.

J.K. Stockholme · Aug 8, 2018

Overseer Wayne Washington
Computer Terminal, Overseer’s Journal
Entry #0187 // 05 December 2160 // Power Blocs of the Vault

The time’s good for taking stock of the Vault’s power blocs. With the first expedition to the surface having revealed the nature of the world topside, I figure it’s a bit of a turning point in our little story.

In my estimation there are four groups of dwellers in this Vault that matter. The first group is mine - including myself, my team of advisors, and those loyal guards I’ve entrusted with knowledge of the Vault’s true mission. My guys are the smallest bloc, but we’re the strongest due to our position. Leonard Dworsky controls the guards, the armory, and all vital entryways throughout the Vault, my chief scientist Sophie MacKenna keeps the eggheads in-line. The rest of my advisors have their eyes on the other Vault operations, and then there’s a small team of Vault guards who are permitted into the lab.

The second power bloc would be the Vault guards who aren’t aware of the lab - while Dworsky is, in-principle, their commanding officer, there’s no telling what they’d do in a crisis. The majority of them though are proper military types so I feel that even if word got out about the lab experiments, I could keep the guards on my side, and that probably is enough to stop an escalation.

The third power bloc, in a sense, are McKenna’s scientists. They are all from pre-war Yale faculty, and when the world ended, that did a hell of a thing to their morale toward the pre-war research that this whole Vault was purpose-built to continue. It took multiple generations to finally get them doing work on human subjects, and even still I have to put up all this theater about only using criminals. I know from the last Overseer’s records that they staged a strike once before over “humanitarian” considerations.

The last group is the general population of the Vault. Nobody there knows a thing about the research, and I’m certain we’d have a revolt if word got out. I know there are rumours, but overall those in-the-know are committed to secrecy or sufficiently surveilled to know that I’d know if they spilled the beans.

And if they did that, I’d spill their blood.

thomas.berubeg · Aug 8, 2018

J.K. Stockholme said:
Overseer Wayne Washington
Computer Terminal, Overseer’s Journal
Entry #0187 // 05 December 2160 // Power Blocs of the Vault

The time’s good for taking stock of the Vault’s power blocs. With the first expedition to the surface having revealed the nature of the world topside, I figure it’s a bit of a turning point in our little story.

In my estimation there are four groups of dwellers in this Vault that matter. The first group is mine - including myself, my team of advisors, and those loyal guards I’ve entrusted with knowledge of the Vault’s true mission. My guys are the smallest bloc, but we’re the strongest due to our position. Leonard Dworsky controls the guards, the armory, and all vital entryways throughout the Vault, my chief scientist Sophie MacKenna keeps the eggheads in-line. The rest of my advisors have their eyes on the other Vault operations, and then there’s a small team of Vault guards who are permitted into the lab.

The second power bloc would be the Vault guards who aren’t aware of the lab - while Dworsky is, in-principle, their commanding officer, there’s no telling what they’d do in a crisis. The majority of them though are proper military types so I feel that even if word got out about the lab experiments, I could keep the guards on my side, and that probably is enough to stop an escalation.

The third power bloc, in a sense, are McKenna’s scientists. They are all from pre-war Yale faculty, and when the world ended, that did a hell of a thing to their morale toward the pre-war research that this whole Vault was purpose-built to continue. It took multiple generations to finally get them doing work on human subjects, and even still I have to put up all this theater about only using criminals. I know from the last Overseer’s records that they staged a strike once before over “humanitarian” considerations.

The last group is the general population of the Vault. Nobody there knows a thing about the research, and I’m certain we’d have a revolt if word got out. I know there are rumours, but overall those in-the-know are committed to secrecy or sufficiently surveilled to know that I’d know if they spilled the beans.

And if they did that, I’d spill their blood.

And that's how you get The Master(tm)

Great post, JK.

Terrance888 · Aug 8, 2018

To: Vault 314
From: Verona

We will gladly arrange a supply of ale--let’s say, 100--if you were to give us a few dozen Mr Handies and a dozen or so of those Protectrons.

To Verona @SouthernKing
From Vault 314

Our robotic friends are much too precious for us to sell. However, we would be willing to lend them to you. Five Mr. Handies, five Protectrons, and five Vault-dwellers to maintain them for 100 alcohol a year (50 per turn). We could also produce them to-order, if you provide at least the tech parts.

Spoiler Analysis :

Ailedhoo · Aug 9, 2018

To: East Hampton
From: SFG

As we are near each other we can use a inland trade link, allowing us to exchange our goods. Would it best if our merchants handle the nature of the trade deal? What is in demand among your settlement? Allow our hungers to feed our trade!

For the record: we have heard talk of a airfield to our south and your west; you know of this airfield?

SouthernKing · Aug 9, 2018

Map has been updated; see post #82. Stats have been slightly revised since I'd neglected to account for immigration for a number of factions. I'd also accidentally written Mapleton (in Brooklyn) as "Maplewood" which has been rectified.

---

To: Sanctuary Guard
From: Terminus

If you mean the subway tunnels, we are always willing to assist in clearing them. We know not of these southerners you speak of, but if there are others like us in the subway out there, we will help find them.

To: Sanctuary Guard
From: Habitat 59

We agree. In our habitat, energy flows freely. What sort of numbers do you have in mind?

To: Sanctuary Guard
From: New Harlem

We thank your generosity. For now, we would appreciate a secure food supply; this has been a burden on our people for some time now.

To: Sanctuary Guard
From: Red Kangs

Get lost. May your god drown in your river.

To: Vault 314
From: Verona

Excellent! Such is acceptable for us. We lack the tech parts presently, but may we leave that option open for the future?
(OOC: lol that's what I get for trying to do the math in my head while sleep-deprived)

To: SFG
From: East Hampton

Absolutely. We are running low on food supplies; any aid you could give us would be helpful. We are willing to trade a small number of Mister Handies in return for a steady supply of food. We are aware of such an airfield, and it is best avoided; it is infested by nasty insects and there is little of worth to scrap there.

Lord_Herobrine · Aug 9, 2018

To: Habitat 59
From: Disciples of Madison

We gladly accept your gift of Mister Handies in return. We propose that each of us provide some resources to establish a safe passage, such as a small detachment of soldiers to secure the tunnels and salvaging from the tunnels to clear any remaining debris. We would also gladly offer our help or accept your help in clearing and mapping more tunnels for safe passage throughout the area.

NinjaCow64 · Aug 10, 2018

To: The Cohen Syndicate, The Manhattan Commune

Greetings and salutations. We are the Wall Street Traders, as we have no doubt that our scouting party told you earlier. We are interested in friendly relations and cooperation with neighbouring communities, including yours.

We have heard from our scouts that you are currently having difficulties establishing reliable food sources. For our mutual benefit, we could provide food to your settlements in exchange for some materials that we would find valuable (for example, ammunition). To this end we would also dedicate manpower towards clearing a safe path between our communities through what remains of the Subway.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Ailedhoo · Aug 10, 2018

From: SFG
To: East Hampton

We are prepared to supply you 200 batches of food for acquirement of some Mr Handies.

As for the airfield: what kind of insects? We may have... interests in the structure itself, as well what could be gathered from hunting these insects.

For the record: we would like to ask permission to send forth a party beyond East Hampton to your east... though if your have information about the area that too will be helpful.

Decamper · Aug 10, 2018

SouthernKing said:
To: The Point
From: Stewart International Station

We are pleased to see that there are others from the armed forces still alive in this hostile world. But we are disappointed to see the way your cadets are treated, for it is un-American. However, we may be able to overlook this if you could do us a favour. Several months ago, we came under attack from a vicious band of chem-addled raiders operating out of Newburgh. They even managed to disable our automated defence system and our fusion reactor in the last attack, and have carried away many of our men as slaves. If your firepower can help defeat them, perhaps we can do something for you.

To: Stewart International Station
From: The Point

The cadets are fed, housed, and trained. If they do not uphold their obligations as American Servicemen, they are punished, as any self-respecting soldier would expect to be. We hope you remember your obligations to this United States of America and your uniforms, especially in this time of war.

Luckily, as the primary officer corps of the surviving United States Military, we do remember our obligations, and will assist our fellow brothers in arms. We will send soldiers and arms to link up with your forces and assist in neutralizing the Newburgh raiders and rescuing your captured boys. Any information on the size and strength of the enemy would be invaluable.

See you on the battlefield.

gay_Aleks · Aug 10, 2018

[Hello. I've been considering for some time to have a sort of a Welcome to Nightvale radio station in a Fallout setting, because, well, it works, you know, with all the weird stuff happening in Fallout. For those not in the know, Welcome to Nightvale essentially takes place in an unknown location somewhere in Southwestern U.S, and the main source of knowledge for the goings-on within it is the radio host, Cecil. It is constantly besieged by what I can only describe as really, really weird events, which are however taken as normal by the host and the citizens of Nightvale. Anyway. The basic idea is that The Presence (as I am going to dub it) will be similarly broadcasting from an unknown location somewhere in the former U.S. Now here we come to the actual reason for writing this: I want this to become something of a collaborative event, so as to say. I don't want The Presence (or as you wish to call it in your iteration) to be my thing, but rather, a work with a differing and shifting cast. It could be literally anything you want. I want this to be very free-form. Basically, unleash your insanity upon this Wasteland and have the mythical Fun. I am going to shamelessly riff on WTNV, but only because I can't think of anything better.

And now, to our program...]

One. Two. Three. Four.

[male voice]

One. Two. Three. Four.

[female voice]

Arooo. The sound of the hissing Nightstalker echoes through the night. Or day. Whatever time it is in your location. Or dimension. But the hissing and howling is there. Put your ear to the ground, or it might be too late....

Welcome, to the Presence.

Greetings, dear listeners! I am live from our beautiful township of [what sounds like the passing of a saw across a wailing cat made out of metal]. This is not static that you are hearing. It is how our beautiful township is spelled within the sad limitations of the English language. Also, the human tongue, too. As well as the advancement of radio technology, too. Believe me, it sounds so much more beautiful in person, you'd love to hear it. That is not the only thing that you would love. It is the first thing you'd love, but you would also love to see. Love to smell. Love to stay here. Love to love, too, that can't be forgotten, too, we have many beautiful ladies and gentlemen and even people who don't necessarily fall within these limited categories - we're sure that one of them is what one would call a "soulmate". Trust me. Trust us. You would love it in here.

Let's hear some news from our beautiful township!

Ah, I hear some knocking on the door. Hold on, dear listeners.

[an organic sound is heard, which could be the sound of a door opening. Or maybe not.]

Oh, my, what a great honour! The winner of the local talent show is here. Jimmy, the son of Uk'ha...okay, hm, I don't think we'll have enough airtime for his full name, but, you know, Jimmy's father is a good person. Good creature. Good existence. In general. Some are quick to say he is in fact a malevolent deity outside of our time, dimension and, indeed, spatial observation, when he's angry. But look, you don't pay alimony for one month, and look at what people say about you. It's disgraceful what some people say about Jimmy's father.

[sound of feet (?) going down on a fleshy floor]

Jimmy? Hey, buddy! Can I pet your antenna? No? You will call your father to eat my fleshy torso and then condemn my soul to a neverending torture? Aw, you're so adorable. Look, okay, kiddo, I'll leave you here for a moment, um, I need to tell the listeners about the local talent contest. You can rehearse iiiiiiiinnnnn, uhhhh, hm, over there. Yes. I can see you're nervous, kiddo- and no, don't give me that nonsense about your father having ten tentacles! He has three, at best. And even that is too many.

[sounds of angry screeching in the background]

Alright, dear listeners, before we go to the main course of this broadcast, I feel obligated to tell you the events of the local talent contest. There have been certain misconceptions spread by a group of malevolent people, who dare to call in question the tradition of this competition, which has had its roots in the faraway years of our current future. Some say that there has been certain tampering by...Jimmy's father. And look. I know that some of you are upset. But we can't be all winners, Rachel Ash'Al-Ghoulash, and I mean, your case was a toss up, I mean, sorry, throwing your kid apart in the directions of the world not only was untalented, but you had to bother the township administration and public services to find your child's parts, and then take three days to reassemble him in an unholy ritual involving goat blood! That would be impressive, but by the time you were done, we were already planning the next talent show!

And yes, you know what, the mechanical angel thing? That was a debacle. Okay, listeners, I should perhaps clarify here, as you weren't there. A lot of people that were there weren't, either, otherwise, they wouldn't be so many deniers of the clear events that occurred in the exact way that they were, but, but. But. Yes. The finale came to Jimmy (Hey, there, lil' guy, just in a moment!) and that stupid mechanical "angel", you know, angels are a fiction, and you shouldn't trust people who believe in fictions, especially if those people happen to be you. Remember, you are your greatest enemy and worst ally! But let's get back on track, I'm sorry again, I like babbling...Well. So you have this "angel" - let's entertain it just for a moment - flying on its wings - which, those deniers claim, were actually real and part of its body, and thus, worthy of winning. Well, I don't know about you, but there are times when I can't trust my eyes or ears - usually when I talk with certain people, or with people I shouldn't be talking about yet due to one or another reason, I did, but, what matters is, I know what I saw was true - those wings were clearly mechanical!

So, as an important part of this community, and a part of the jury, I voted for Jimmy's angelic singing. I would have even without knowing it is a fake, but the strange presence nibbling at my foot convinced me further. It was kind of nice, but then it became really, ah, possessive, wrapping itself around my foot and threatening to go further, and well, tell you the truth, that wouldn't be that bad, but, you know, I wanted to remain partial, so I shook it off and did my civic duty, and voted for the clear winner - Jimmy. Unfortunately, my fellow juries did not quite concur, and we reached off to a draw.

Now, some of you might be believers in the theory that out of the ground underneath where we were located, a nightmarish jungle of tentacles came out and swallowed up one of the dissenting judges, immediately breaking him down and turning him into a bloody pulp of bones and flying organs. I, as a community leader, feel the need and necessity to say that, no, this did not happen. That is not the course of events that happened. What happened is, that our elderly community leader suffered from a heart attack, a normal event at his advanced age of, oh, n+19, or something. Maybe. Anyway. As he went into cardiac arrest, Jimmy began to sing once more, even despite he had no reason to continue doing so. As the song kept going (and kept going (and kept going (and kept going))), we could see how our community leader's health began to not only improve, but also, in a way, regenerate, as his hair began blossoming once more. Truly, amazing. After he opened his eyes, he immediately regretted his past decision, and voted for Jimmy to win.

That is what happened and what any good citizen should believe.

Ah...Jimmy is getting mighty impatient. He is poking me with one of his appendages. You know, are they really his? If you were there, would you say they're even "his"? Or, you know, if he's a he, even? I've been wondering...but, nevertheless. Ahem. Here's Jimmy!

...Woah, listeners. I must've really been blown away. My interns say that I've been out for at least an hour, despite the performance being approximately...four? minutes? Six? I have been listening to this tune all along, but, you know, you don't know how time can go these days. My interns also say that a voice similar to mine was speaking over the radio, and well, you know, that's a good thing. You were entertained, and that's what is important.

In the end, I feel a need for some closing words. In our trying times, truth can become difficult to discern. Even when it comes to matters as clear as our proud and noble local talent contest dating before your children will be born, even then, you can find dissenters. And well, I am open to dissent! After all, our beautiful township is located in America, and America is built on principles like free speech, free expression, and so forth. Often we might disagree. That is...natural. But our beautiful township shouldn't be afflicted by opinions that are so, well, false. There is a limit to how many truths there must be. Something has to be done.

Until next time, listeners, I shall...JIMMY! NO, JIMMY, NO! DON-

SouthernKing · Aug 10, 2018

To: Disciples of Madison
From: Habitat 59

Yes, we will of course help with such a thing, and provide our own personnel as well. Perhaps we could use our robots to help establish a permanent presence in the tunnels between us.

To: Wall Street Traders
From: Cohen Syndicate

Creating an underground link between us may be difficult, and something perhaps best saved for a later time. But we are most certainly willing to trade; we have some tech parts, and we can share them with you if you give us food.

To: Wall Street Traders
From: Manhattan Commune

Yes, we will gladly help you clear out the tunnels. We can send you some of our servient enemies of the state in exchange for food. They are not worth their humanity; they are only good for labour.

To: The SFG
From: East Hampton

It is agreed. And we believe they are radscorpions, nested at the airfield. There used to be people there, but they are long dead.

The east is dangerous; we do not tread there. Few return from there. Those that do, never come back the same. Sometimes they come back mad, or with no memory at all. If you wish to tread there, we wish you the best of luck, but we cannot help you.

To: The Point
From: Stewart International Station

The raiders number several hundred and are ever growing. We will help where we can, but our stores of ammunition run low.

thomas.berubeg · Aug 10, 2018

SouthernKing said:
To: Sanctuary Guard
From: Terminus

If you mean the subway tunnels, we are always willing to assist in clearing them. We know not of these southerners you speak of, but if there are others like us in the subway out there, we will help find them.

We will prepare a campaign for next winter.

SouthernKing said:

To: Sanctuary Guard
From: Habitat 59

Click to expand...

SouthernKing said:
We agree. In our habitat, energy flows freely. What sort of numbers do you have in mind?

10 beer for 1 energy?

SouthernKing said:

To: Sanctuary Guard
From: New Harlem

Click to expand...

SouthernKing said:
We thank your generosity. For now, we would appreciate a secure food supply; this has been a burden on our people for some time now.

We will gladly feed you

SouthernKing · Aug 12, 2018

To: Sanctuary Garden
From: Habitat 59

We'll provide you 8 Energy, then.

jackelgull · Aug 12, 2018

"What do you think of the trader's offer Big Mama, are we taking it?"
"Ouch, why did you hit me?!"
"Fool, we're the Brotherhood. Does it sound like we're the kind of people who trade? We're loud, stupidly violent and not suitable for television for kids under thirteen."
"What?"
"Kiddies, let me teach you a trick of trading - sometimes the best bargaining chip is one you put in the other guy's skull"

Challenge: Setup a meeting place, and bring our usual complement of a dozen guards armed with LT.Melee and Leather armor. Then take our 20 best shots and arm them with 1 handed guns (will needs to bring them back from trinity College) and then hide them in the area, have them snipe the trader's guards at the signal. Make sure to keep the trader alive. If she brought the food with her, take it and let her go with enough to get to safety, otherwise keep her hostage and have her show the Brotherhood where the food is. Have our snipers and guard take Chems before the battle.

Salvage: Have 50 raiders armed with LT melee and 150 slaves salvage every police station in Hartford looking for weapons, equipment and ammunition to make up for the losses sustained in battle

"Damn it, raiding is too hard up here, everyone and their mam is fortified to their teeth."
"Maybe there's softer folk up North. I heard Massachussettsians taste really good when boiled. Or maybe that's just lobster."
"Whatever, let's ask Big Mama if we can take a look , can't be more boring then staying down here and waiting to starve."

Explore: Send 25 ghouls armed with LT Melee up towards Massachusetts to explore.

Farm: Everyone else should farm.

NinjaCow64 · Aug 12, 2018

To: The Cohen Syndicate

Yes, it may be prudent to leave the construction of a safer route between us to a later time.

How many tech parts would your organisation be willing to share in exchange for 100 food per turn for the next four turns?

To: The Manhattan Commune

Excellent, we will begin clearing out the ocean on our side immediately.

Worry not, we are only interested in their labour, nothing else. How would 150 Food in exchange for 15 enemies of the state over the next three turns sound? We'd even be willing to throw in an extra 50 Food this turn to sweeten the deal. This would result in you giving us 45 enemies of the state in exchange for 500 Food over the next three turns.

Immaculate · Aug 12, 2018

To the Children of Concorde From the CT State Government,
We are looking to acquire tech parts. Care to trade?

To the Strontium Rangers From the CT State Government,
We are looking to acquire tech parts. Care to trade?

The Web of Fear: A Fallout Game

crickety cricket

crickety cricket

Emperor

Wandering the World

Right Opposition

Wandering the World

Discord Reigns

wonderer

crickety cricket

Back in the Saddle

Thought Bubble Thinker

wonderer

..!

from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!

crickety cricket

Wandering the World

crickety cricket

An aberration of nature

Thought Bubble Thinker

unerring

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