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Revision as of 07:24, 8 September 2020

 
Gametitle-FO76
Gametitle-FO76

The Ash Heap is one of the six regions of Appalachia in 2102.

Background

The Ash Heap is the most desolate region of Appalachia, destroyed for the enormous riches available to those determined enough to take them. Historically, the region was the site of great mining initiatives and even greater struggles between miners and those who bought their labor. Mount Blair was a focal point of these mining efforts for decades. Before the Great War, it was turned into a large-scale coal mining site, with gigantic digging machines like the Rockhound destroying a majority of the mountain by the late 2070s.[1]

However, this did not happen without repercussions. The strip-mining caused enormous ecological damage, turning the entire region into a slagged expanse of mined rock and dumping grounds. By 2077, the situation got to the point that toxic ash was routinely dumped into the atmosphere and carried by the wind to adjacent towns, covering them in harmful ash and forcing the Appalachians to wear gas masks in order to go about their daily lives.[2]

The culprits behind this ecological disaster were the Garrahans and Hornwrights, the two major families in charge of Appalachia's mining industry. They owned lavish estates in the mountains overlooking the mines.[3] The Hornwrights bear most of the burden: The Rockhound polluted the air until it was almost unbreathable and when the Clear Skies Alliance offered co-ownership of air scrubbers that could clear the skies, Hornwright promptly repurposed them as ash forges to extract minerals from the polluted air and increase their bottom line. To maximize their efficiency, the company literally set the mines on fire to fill the air with toxic, resource-rich smoke that could then be harvested.[4]

By 2103, smoke and cinders continue to bellow up from the mines in the Ash Heap, sent into the air by unceasing, raging fires in the tunnels below. As the winds blow and the wind changes, it is common for thick layers of filthy smoke to blanket the area.[5] The air is specifically composed of such toxins as arsenic, cadmium, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide, among other unknown toxins.[6]

Layout

The Ash Heap is in the southwestern portion of the Appalachia map and contains the following locations:

This section is transcluded from Fallout 76 locations. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

Quotes

The Ash Heap is the center of mining in this part of Appalachia. The air wasn’t the cleanest here before the bombs dropped, and now with mountains of ash mixing in with the nuclear fallout, you have a virulent and choking atmosphere where a gas mask (or other protective measures) is a must. While maintaining a backup breathing apparatus is a good idea, this region cannot be described as “oxygen-friendly.” There are great gouts of smoke you should steer well clear of, especially as you head inevitably to the main landmark: the gigantic bucket-wheel excavator sitting on what’s left of Mount Blair. You don’t want to be gasping for breath on top of the local risk of attacks from the mysterious Mole Miners or the threat of an encroaching Rad Storm. There are some hard-scrapping old mining towns, like Beckley and Lewisburg, to visit and scavenge and a special suit of Power Armor to obtain, if your questing takes you to the headquarters of Garrahan Mining, owned by one of the prominent mining families in this region. The vertical tower mansions to the southeast still exist to this day.



Expect periodic bouts of seismic activity and instability, mainly brought about by decades of incautious mining by the AMS Corporation. AMS conducted some early Ultracite tests in the region, leading to seismic rumblings, while other shaking seems to be caused by Scorchbeasts burrowing and the infamous “Motherlode.” Prior to the bombs dropping, an earthquake revealed a vein of Ultracite under some homes in the impoverished town of Welch. AMS attempted to evict the residents in order to reach the vein, and these tactics resulted in a riot, which swept the region about three weeks before the War. Rioters hit the Bucket Wheel Excavator on Mount Blair, blowing up one of the Mega Mansions and defacing the home of the Hornwrights. The Garrahan family’s holdings were mainly left intact due to their tendency to work with, rather than against, the miners.
Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide

Appearances

The Ash Heap appears only in Fallout 76.

Behind the scenes

The Ash Heap contains many real life West Virginian mining locations, such as the Kanawha-Coal River coalfields of Kanawha, Raleigh, Fayette, Logan and Boone County (Mount Blair), Pocahontas coalfields (Welch), Greenbrier County (Lewisburg), and Cabell and Wayne County (Camden Park).

Gallery

References

  1. Fallout 76 loading screens: "Before the war, Mount Blair was a large-scale coal mining site where gigantic digging machines removed entire portions of the mountaintop at once."
  2. Lewisburg terminal entries; Lewisburg visitor's center terminal, Lewisburg Newsletter
  3. Fallout 76 loading screens: "The Garrahans and Hornwrights were the two major families in charge of Appalachia's mining industry. They owned lavish estates in the mountains overlooking their precious mines."
  4. Fallout 76 unused content Hornwright air purifier site terminal entries; Terminal: Dominick Heyward, MOST RECENT MESSAGE: You Fucking Thieves
  5. Fallout 76 loading screens: "In the region survivors dubbed the "Ash Heap," a thick layer of filthy smoke blankets the area, providing cover for friend and foe alike."
  6. Charleston Fire Department Protectron: "The following toxins have been detected: arsenic, cadmium, carbon monoxide, sulfur diox -- error. List exceeds available memory."