Ribbons-of-Scarlet

The Fallout series takes place in a timeline that sees a deviation from our own at the end of World War II. The result of this is that technology, politics and design advanced in a different direction. So much so the aesthetics remain much the same as the 1940-1950's, giving the world a Raygun Gothic/Retro-Futuristic feel.

Technological advances saw the production of autonomous AI, and spectacular advances in Nuclear Fission technology. In this alternate timeline transistors were never discovered which means that the fallout universe never sought to shrink their electronics, thus allowing the feel of the 1940/1950's view of the future to be maintained.

 

In the year 2066 marks the beginning of the Resource War, China has depleted their oil reserves and invade Alaska, In response to this America take over Canada in an attempt to keep the Chinese at bay.

In early 2077 America reclaims Alaska, but on October 23rd 2077 the Great War both begins and ends. The sky rains with fire as nuclear bombs and missiles hit the Americas, signalling an end to a great chapter of human civilisation.

 

Many of the plants, wildlife and humanity were wiped out by either the bombs themselves, or the resulting radiation. Those that did survive only did so by mutating to accommodate the new conditions.  These mutations can be seen in the form of Deathclaws (Jackson Chameleon), Radscorpions (scorpions), Bloatfly (BlowFly).

Wildlife wasn’t the only thing to mutate, humans also mutated. The result of this is Ghouls, either feral or not. Feral ghouls are like the zombies of the apocalypse, they will attack on sight, and do not respond well to negotiation. Ghouls on the other hand managed to maintain all of their faculties, they just look and talk a wee bit funny.

 

The nuclear strikes weren't the only thing causing humanity to mutate, the manmade Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV), was founded accidentally whilst attempting to create a serum to bolster the human immune system. FEV caused humans to become stronger and larger. The FEV is also known to remove a humans level of intelligence, thus creating Super Mutants, super mutant hounds, centaurs and fire ants.

 

Prior to the beginnings of the resource war, the world was already suffering from intercontinental difficulties as fossil fuel levels began to deplete, in 2053 America was living in a constant state of fear, fear that a nuclear bomb could hit them at any point. This fear worsened when Tel Aviv was destroyed by a nuclear weapon. In response to this heightening level of terror America began Project Safehouse; a series of underground vaults, purpose built to house a small number of the American populace should the need ever arise. The contractor for this was Vault Tec.

 

Vault Tec was commissioned to build 122 Vaults, many of which were to be purely for experimental purposes. A small number were to be control vaults, it was envisaged that the residents of these vaults would repopulate America when the time was right.