Conspiracy

Prologue

In the years before the bombs fell the world was already griped by social and political upheaval. There were riots in the streets brought on by panicked desperation as fuel reserves ran out, causing the price of all goods and services to soar in the economic back lash. So when the global terrorist attacks and the mysterious spread of the F.E.V. plagues where unleashed.. The world needed someone to blame and the War in Alaska finally seemed to blind all to but shades of black and white. Commie plots were perceived in every shadow as citizens were encouraged to be ever vigilant and report any Un-American Activities. Even the neighbor next door was suspect as the stranger in our midst.

Fear it seems was the lasting legacy that even the bombs could not destroy. Because War, War never changes.

Over view of the Wilder Lands

It had been more than 200 years and some change now since the bombs, earthquakes and rampant F.E.V. first transformed the region of what was once known as Essex county Massachusetts, near the old New York state boarder.

The meany waterways had been allowed to over take the damns man had built and nature recreated its own paths..

Centuries of spring flooding and northern winter ice flows constant spreading and receding empowered the rivers to cut the landscape and wash away much of what was civilization. It had became a rugged wilderness of moss and fern covered jagged rock mounds with intermittent chains of tall grass wetlands between thick groves of twisted gnarled trees with thorny green shrubs that occasionally flowered with new strains of mutated fruits berries and nuts to feed the reemerging wild life that continued to migrate and thrive in a world where man's expansion had suffered two centuries with a reversal of fortune.

There was of course the now familiar, mirelurks, giant rats, yao guai, rad roaches, mole rats, wild dogs, ravens and crows even the rare but deadly death claws. Yet still the deep woods of the Atlantic north east coast had proved a haven for wildlife that had gone extinct in so many other parts of world, most breeds with only the slightest visible signs of mutations to discern them from their prewar ancestors.

There was a variety of cave bats, vipers of all shaped and sizes. Feral big cats that had evolved to roughly 3 times the size and stamina of their common prewar house cat cousins. The remarkably more aggressive "Territorial" White-tailed deer and moose. The new strains of ,unpredictable, F.E.V enlarged raccoons. Giant omnivore woodchucks. The oddly venomous chipmunk and many others yet to be cataloged.

Beyond some scattered, generally gated communities or otherwise deliberately isolated, some times even vaulted pockets of civilization and at least a few less humane bands of competing savages, the Wilder Lands of the Northeastern state Commonwealths were now indeed a slightly radioactive, F.E.V. soaked garden of Eden. A Wilder Land where by and large man no longer ruled by divine rite.

The making of a legend

Raised as a nomadic hunter gatherer our protagonist was truly a man without a country. His mother and uncle were the only tie to civilization he had ever known or needed, they were experienced teachers and his travels were extensive. Along the way there were ruins to be prospected for old world tech, medical supplies and books. All in all he had enjoyed from the days of his childhood an education at least as extensive as most any others in the post apocalyptic world.

Yet life was harsh and to often short. So in time he found himself alone, a young man suddenly orphaned in the Wilder Lands and that is where our story truly begins.

Enter the Out Lander, Our next Dark Stranger

• Villain, Hero or indifferent profiteer, it all begins here.

After the prologue slide show, complete with the, familiarly dramatic, Hell boy voice overs the game begins with a cinematic clip from the point of view of the Out Lander hurriedly stumbling through a gnarled grove of mishaped trees and rough brush. The scene is peppered with flashes of bloody images and violent sounds like flashbacks from a hallucinogenic nightmare.. Zombies in combat armor with bizarre cybernetic implants. Archaically dressed pirates with scimitars and laser pistols. A forest of humans reaching out, moaning as they die impaled on sharpened tree branches and improvised long spears dug into the ground.

The "Dark Stranger" stumbles on until with out warning the earth beneath His Feet gives way and he tumbles into darkness. There is a splash, the crackle of radiation and then the sound of robotic maneuvering thrusters slowly approaching.

All fades into silent darkness...

Tutorial phase

Auto Save Point:

Still in P.O.V. mode the Out Lander, soon to be called Dark Stranger, blinks and slowly opens his eyes. He is in a brightly lit metal tube with a small window at eye level that overlooks a dim chamber with flickering lights and occasional flashes from sparking wires. Again there is the sound of thrusters approaching as a weathered, beaten, extensively dented and slightly rusty Mr Handy robot bobs into view and suddenly turns thrusting one of it's eye cam arms close to the glass as it exclaimes in a thick British ascent, " Welcome home! So good to see you alive and, umm, well ?.. There is a pause and then it continues " Oh no , please don't try to talk. Unfortunately your injuries called for extensive facial reconstruction.. To that end, your guidance would be greatly appreciated.. However I must apologize, the Auto Doc has not had proper maintenance in quite some time I'm afraid and so I must warn you the power supply is at near critical levels so you should not attempt to exit until you are fully satisfied with the surgery. "

This opens the character creation mode. Choose your character's sex, race and general appearance.

• Note: The game would of course allow for female characters but for this story's continuity sake I shall proceed with male references to the Out Lander aka Dark Stranger.

Aren't you SPECIAL

The robot again spins it's eye cam back close to the Auto Doc glass and cranes it about to appraise the results.. Then pronounces " Quite, em, handsome indeed, Sir!" {C Pause, " Not quite what I expected but I am sure you will find it a, ah, refreshing change." "Now while the power reserves hold we should make sure you are fully functional. " Auto Doc, please run diagnostic."

• SPECIAL traits are set to the player's specification.

The Auto Doc door opens and the robot comments according to one of the Out Lander's dominate traits.

Strength " My word Sir! Such might is impressive. Are you sure you are not a robot ? Ha Ha. "

Perception " I dare say, never have I met a human with such awareness "

Endurance " Sturdy as the rock of gibraltar Sir!"

Charisma " Simply breathtaking.. Um, Sir."

Intelligence " Remarkable indeed. Your intellect is a credit to your species Sir."

Agility " Fit for the Royal Circus!"

Luck " Fortune has indeed smiled on you Sir. "

Assessing skills

The robot glides back into the shadows and for the first time the Out Lander is under the player's control to look and move about.

The chamber is clearly recognizable as a space of Vault Tech design consisting of a medical bay adjacent with a small office, leading to a hall that is collapsed with rubble and shattered support beams across one end and at the other, a flooded stairwell with a jagged hole above that streams in trickling water, a trail of roots and gnarled vines from the surface. The entire space is a ramshackle mess of blast damage and scorch marks.. Obviously something very bad had happened here.

The player may begin dialog with the robot or if he moves too close to the flooded stair well the robot will stop him with a similar open dialog.

" Sir. With all due respect, it would be ill advised for you to exit at this juncture. " You need rest before any attempt to scale those vines would be plausible and the flooded stair well, I am afraid, it is a blocked pit of lethal radiation, Sir.. "

The Out Lander's dialog options are :

• " Well advised, I guess.. So, who exactly are you again ?"

• " GEAR GREASE SUCK'n ROBOT!! Who are you to tell me what a HUMAN needs to DO !?! "

• " Thanks for the warning Brother. May I ask your name ? "

• " This is crazy.. I've lost everything, I'm all alone. I don't know where I am or what to do.. "

• " Look I am grateful for your help but I don't know you and I really, really, need to get out of this damn hole in the ground. "

Any one of the above statements will trigger the same response the only difference will be the robot's tone that could range from confusion, wounded defensiveness, nearly amused disbelief or honest concern as it replies.

" Well Sir, I am Falderoy, model 238C Mister Handy, facility support services coordinator. I am here to see to your needs Sir. " " Please Sir, do come and have a seat ?."

Falderoy then glides to the desk next to the Auto Doc and indicates the chair.

" Please Sir do have a seat? " " I fear your head injuries may have been more complex than we suspected "

• The game will only proceed after the Out Lander sits.

Falderoy will then move an eye cam back and forth as if checking the Out Lander's eyes for responsiveness before turning back to the Auto Doc while muttering.

" The power supply is to low for a full psychiatric diagnostic prob but I should be able a transfer a sub routine. " Just a moment Sir, Downloading.."

The screen goes black, there is a brief computer sound effect then the sound of a desk drawer opening as Falderoy loads data from the Auto Doc and retrieves visual props from the desk.

Falderoy's voice over guides the test that consists of a series of flash card images alternating between new "GOAT" style questions and Rorschach inkblots. The out come presents different Tag skills but ultimately the player is free to ignore the test results and choose their own Tag skills and up to 3 Traits when Falderoy pronounces.

" Well Sir I am afraid that is the best I do under the circumstances. " " Perhaps your full mental state will return with the healing only time can see to"

Gearing up for simple challenges

The Out Lander again has some limited dialog choices :

• "I've dealt with malfunctioning robots out there before, but I have a real bad feeling about this."

• "Check your circuits there brother. Clearly you have mistaken me for somebody else."

• "Um OK, Yes, Yes thank you Slave bot ? IT IS I YOUR GLORIOUS MASTER! I have returned.. Lead me to my valuables."

• "Honestly, I can not thank you enough. Did you say your name was Falderoy?

• "That is a mighty deep dent you have there Altar boy ? You really should have that checked."

• "Right, what ever. The quicker I'm out of here the better."

• "Don't act like you know me ROBOT. Try anything funky and you are spare parts. Got IT !"

Falderoy turns back to the desk, there is again the sound of a drawer being opened an quickly closed, Falderoy comes again to the Out Lander, this time bearing gifts.

Falderoy says "This should help you regain your self Sir, Then he clamps a black metal bracelet device upon the Out Lander's wrist. The label reads Pip-Boy 3000.1, (Same basic design and menu functions as the 3000 but with no need for the purely decorative glove and this model's casing is darker, with a stealth friendly, subdued display,)

Falderoy continues, " Also Sir, in the office you will find a safe, a number of other locked containers and a computer terminal." " I could open any of them if need be Sir but I suspect it might be a more therapeutic exercise for you to first attempt it on your own Sir. " I am sure you will find a few useful items on desk as well, Sir." " Ah, but first I'd recommend, Sir. " There is a most comfortable couch in the back." (See New item:comfortable couch for details relating to the "Well Rested" perk), " Your efforts may prove more fruitful after you are well rested Sir."

After a recommended 8 hours of the sleep, the now well rested Out Lander will find on the office desk, 25 lock picks, a box of Mentats , a Locksmith's Reader a Programmer's Digest and a copy of Fixin' Things.

Inside the Easy locked desk is a switchblade, a box of 50, 10 mm rounds, 3 pencils, a pack of cicatrices, 8 bottle caps, an ashtray, and 3 game token to a place called Monty Mozzarella's Calzone Kingdom.

Under the office desk there is an Easy locked ammo box with a silenced 10 mm pistol (As a minor challenge, the pistol can be repaired from 50 to 75 % with a minimum 25 repair skill. Note: further repairs will require, Weapon spare parts Pistol class, a weapons repair kit or another 10 mm pistol)

Next to the desk an is average locked filing cabinet, inside is 1 Weapon spare parts Pistol class (Pistol, spare parts can be used in place of a weapon repair kit or may be required to repair some unique or rare pistols)

On the wall there is an Easy locked first aid kit with 1 ea. Med X, Rad X, Rad away and 1 Stimpak.

Below the first aid kit is a, Mini Fridge, refrigerator with 2 Nuka Colas, 1 Salsburry Steak, 1 Dandy Boy snack cake, 2 purified waters and 2 fermented fruit juices (fermented fruit juice is wine with 1/2 resale value).

In the back corner is an easy locked suitcase, inside the Out Lander can find the Dark Stranger outfit and matching Dark Stranger hat. Now you are prepared to dress the part and be known by most you meet as the Dark Stranger.

Back to the desk, the Out lander may hack the easy locked computer where a few corrupted files will be found.

• Bits and pieces of logs, the last having been made approximately a hundred or so years after 2077.

The computer logs provide one map quest and it's marker location and many broken lines of text, that once all read, give the impression of some kind of surveillance being made on the relatively local settlements and notes indicating that their populations seem to keep to them selves with an air of deep suspicion held against other local settlements, trusting traveling merchants and total strangers over their nearest neighboring communities.

( This 1st map marker points to a settlement to the south east called Salem Rook, With the simple mission Make contact with the community of Salem Rook )

• Baring a full play by play of every unlock & reward. The Out Lander gains enough basic skills and equipment to move into the adventure of the outside world.

• Baring a full play by play of every unlock & reward. The Out Lander gains enough BASIC skill & equipment to move into the adventure of the world.

Optional Bonuses

The Outlander may then return to Falderoy and depending on the skills more dialog options will be available.

With a minimum Medicine skill of 30 the Out Lander may open dialog with "I gotta say, the side effects of my surgery could be persistent. In which case Falderoy will reply "Oh my, yes, quite right Sir, perhaps these will help" and he will offer 3 stimpacks.

With a minimum Guns skill of 30 the Out Lander may open dialog with "The world is a harsh place and I'd hate to end up the same way you found me or worse." In which case Falderoy will reply "Banish the thought Sir! We shall not have that Sir." and he will offer 75 10mm rounds.

With a minimum Survival skill of 20 the Out Lander may open dialog with "I only wish there some way I could feel more prepared for what I might again face in the Wilder Lands." In which case Falderoy will reply by opening a secret door to what at first appears to be a small room with a work bench, a hot plate, a reloading table with a weapons repair kit and a low counter.

As the Out Lander enters, a metal grate above the counter rolls up to revel a dim, decaying, weed scattered single lane target range with sputtering lights that barley illuminate 3 empty Nuka cola bottles set up at the 50 meters range, 2 teddy bears at 100 meter range and a human silhouette target at 250 meters.

• This opens a short tutorial and the opportunity to gain more experience.

Falderoy indicates at the counter's far edge a (GRA) Battle rifle and a box of 50 .308 cal rounds.

Instruction is given in basic marksmanship & when the human silhouette is hit, it enrages a hidden Gecko that charges.

(This opens a message window explaining VATS targeting ) a few seconds later a second Gecko charges. Once booth Geckos are dead Falderoy will congratulate the Out Lander for his marksmanship and suggest the Out Lander go down range to see what can be salvaged.

Faleroy can then instruct the Out Lander in the basics of crafting ..

Gallery

Dark Stranger Coat & Hat

Writen By SaintPain

SaintPain→ That was broke afore I got here. 10:45, July 19, 2012 (UTC)