The Massacre of the CPG was an incident in the 2230s[1] where the Institute killed representatives of settlements intent on forming a "Commonwealth Provisional Government" (CPG), ending all further attempts to form a regional government in the Commonwealth
Prelude[]
For some time, various settlements attempted to unite together and form a larger regional government for the Commonwealth. For four years, the Institute was also a part of this process, but began to believe that the project was falling apart due to political infighting.[4] At the behest of some divisions, the Director of the Institute chose to abandon the CPG sometime after 2187[5] and closed off all connections between the Institute and the surface.[6]
Massacre[]
Father mentions the event as an attempt to create a stable Commonwealth government gone awry.[7] Under the supervision of the Commonwealth Minutemen,[2] multiple settlements sent representatives to a meeting to discuss the terms for the Commonwealth Provisional Government in the 2230s. However, according to Nick Valentine, the meeting was interrupted by the arrival of an Institute synth, who proceeded to attack and kill all of the representatives. Following the deaths of everyone, all negotiations effectively ceased and no further attempts at forming the CPG were made.[3][8][9]
There is a clear ambiguity around the truth of how the massacre was incited, given that both Father and Nick Valentine put forth directly conflicting narratives. Valentine states that the massacre transpired as a result of Institute aggression and puppet massacring. However, his arrival to Diamond City was after the event occurred,[3] and thus he relays a second-hand narrative potentially susceptible to others' influence by omission and exaggeration, born of the anti-Institute paranoia Diamond City is rife with. Father, on the other hand, states that the nascent coalition fell victim to infighting, poor leadership, and thus self-destruction. Because he was an important member of the Institute prior to the massacre, Father's account has more involvement with the event, but his authenticity can also be called into doubt, likely affected by his own lifetime indoctrination and alignment with the Institute. Given that only two recitations of the event exist in the game, told by implicitly unreliable narrators, the true nature of the event is left unknown and open to interpretation.
Appearances[]
The CPG Massacre is mentioned only in Fallout 4.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The event occurred after the Broken Mask incident in 2229 and prior to the First Battle of the Castle in 2240.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Collector's Edition p.517: "[18.08] THE CASTLE
Historians have noted the original name for this settlement was Fort Independence, but the people of the Commonwealth now refer to it simply as the Castle. This place has a long and storied history; it is one of the first forts in America and predates the Revolutionary War. In recent times, it served as the base of operations for the Minutemen as they attempted (and failed) to establish a Provisional government. In 2240, the Castle was partly destroyed by gigantic Mirelurk, and most of the Minutemen leadership died.
Still, it is generally agreed that the location could yet become an excellent base of operations for the Minutemen (and an exceptional settlement) if it can be reclaimed from the sea creatures. Note that the map information refers to interior corridors within the fortification walls."
(Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Map) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Sole Survivor: "Massacre of the CPG? What's that?"
Nick Valentine: "The Commonwealth Provisional Government. Years back a group of settlements tried to get together and form a coalition. Every settlement with even a hint of clout sent representatives to try and hash out an agreement. Only the Institute sent a representative of their own, a Synth. The man killed every rep at the talks. The Commonwealth Provisional Government was over before it even got off the ground. I took up in town not long after. I was damn lucky they didn't just tell me to scram right then and there."
(Nick Valentine's dialogue) Note: Nick Valentine claims that he moved into Diamond City not long after the CPG Massacre while the Broken Mask incident was much prior to him moving there, placing the CPG Massacre second. - ↑ Director's recording #52
- ↑ Fallout 4 loading screens: "The Advanced Systems division is responsible for developing the original Molecular Relay, nearly one hundred years ago."
Note: This would place the original Commonwealth Provisional Government talks four years prior to that. - ↑ Fallout 4 loading screens: "After developing the Molecular Relay, an advanced teleportation device, the Institute sealed off access to the surface and began their campaign of underground expansion."
- ↑ The Sole Survivor: "They need your help, Shaun. It's rough up there, to say the least."
Shaun: "Oh, we've tried that. Surprised? The Institute once tried to help create a stabilized Commonwealth government. It ended in bickering, infighting... it was a disaster. No, we look after our own now. Ultimately the Commonwealth has nothing to fear from us. Whatever you've seen or heard, I know I can convince you of that. Just... give me time. I know there's more for us to discuss, but..."
(Shaun's dialogue) - ↑ Nick Valentine: "Hey. Let me ask you something. It's just, with everything that's happened with you, your family. It's a whole hell of a lot to process. I wanted to make sure you're holding up alright."
The Sole Survivor: "I don't know, Nick. My family's in tatters. I've been dropped into this place where everything's trying to kill me. You tell me."
Nick Valeninte: "I'd expect you feel lost, scared, and mad as hell. I sure did. Took me a long damn time to get a feel for this place. Thank goodness I found Diamond City. It's got its flaws, sure, but it beats the hell out of anywhere else in the Commonwealth. Course, when I took up there back when, people were just as scared of the Institute as they are now, maybe more. The massacre of the CPG was still pretty fresh in people's minds at that point, and folks were still losing sleep over the Broken Mask. Plenty of people assumed I was just a saboteur, moving in to melt down the reactor or poison the drinking water. But, at the time, they couldn't exactly turn me away."
(Nick Valentine's dialogue) - ↑ Publick Occurrences, Fear the Future?