WAR. WAR NEVER CHANGES...
The Commonwealth, 2387
The Great War changed everything.
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After a decade-long conflict between the United States and China, the Great War both began and ended in a single day - October 23, 2077. A nuclear exchange, lasting around two hours, changed the face of the world, with little regard to the number of lives it would claim. Emergency response units were of little help, society collapsed, and many suffered the devastating effects of radiation sickness. While some were able to seek some relative shelter - be it in Vaults or other, hastily found sites of protection - the majority of the human race perished, or simply ceased to be, well, human.
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The Commonwealth - which comprises the former state of Massachusetts - is the primary setting of the group. There are various settlements, and a handful of vaults, from which most of the inhabitants of the Commonwealth hail.
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ENIVORNMENT, FLORA AND FAUNA
A humid continental climate, the Great War has altered the Commonwealth in subtle ways, most noticeably an elevated ambient radiation count that increased environmental pressures and selected for mutated versions of local flora and fauna. The damage caused by the nuclear war and neglect caused much of the region's industrial facilities to deteriorate. However, while this has been negative for much of the region, such as when the nuclear reactors in the Glowing Sea exploded, contributing to the desolation.
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Like the rest of the United States, the changes in the ecosystem were due to a combination of factors, the most prevalent of which was the pollution and radiation. However, instead of reducing the number of plant types that could be grown, other mutated variants adapted to their place in the local environments. This can be seen with plants such as the tato, a plant that shares characteristics with the potato and tomato, and razorgrain, the popularity of which is due to its ability, unlike wheat, to be grown almost anywhere in the Commonwealth.
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Pollution and radiation have affected the fauna of the region as well, resulting in the adaptation of existing species, including the development of creatures such as radstags, mirelurks, bloodbugs, bloatflies and the brahmin. Other creatures have weathered the mutations, such as dogs and cats. While not common in the conurbation of the Greater Boston Area, wolves can be found in the greater region.
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POLITICS AND ECONOMY
The Commonwealth lacks a centralized government unifying the various settlements that dot the region. The Institute is omnipresent in the region, directly or indirectly influencing the politics of the wasteland. The closest the region came to a stable government was with the Commonwealth Provisional Government (CPG) proposed in the 23rd century, a grassroots initiative that proposed a unified government for the region. The initiative met an abrupt end when representatives sent to Diamond City were all murdered by a synth.
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Since then, the various settlements across the Commonwealth have remained independent and forged their own path. Diamond City remained the biggest and most influential city thanks to a combination of effective governance by its democratically elected mayors, burgeoning economy, and defensive forces, remaining a vital hub for trade.
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