Underworld is an unmarked location and settlement within the Museum of History in Washington, D.C., home to the many ostracized non-feral ghouls of the Capital Wasteland in 2277. It is one of several locations in Fallout 3 that features dynamic conversations.
Background[]
Underworld was founded circa 2230 out of the necessity for ghouls to live their lives in relative peace. Its residents largely consist of disenfranchised ghouls from across the Capital Wasteland.[1] They were driven into the settlement due to the pressure from mutated creatures, the super mutants, and bigoted humans. The settlement has a bar, inn, clinic, clothing store, and a hair stylist. Doctor Barrows is the mayor of Underworld, though his civic duties are secondary to his profession.[Non-game 1] They are wary of strangers, but will extend a civil welcome to all visitors so long as they behave themselves.[2] The residents can often be found spending their money they have at Carol's Place or The Ninth Circle. The rest of their money goes to Quinn to trade for what they cannot scavenge for.[3] Some patrols which they send out into the D.C. neighborhoods, such as Vernon Square, sometimes do not return.[4]
They believe that life is better for them in seclusion and isolation in the downtown DC ruins. This self-imposed seclusion keeps them safe from the super mutants, who mostly ignore them, and their location deep within the ruins tends to keep the raiders and Slavers at bay. Those that do get curious get swiftly chased off by Charon and Cerberus.[5] They worry about their proximity to the Brotherhood of Steel, who have turned the Mall into a warzone.[6] They also tend to shoot at them on sight, choosing to miss most of the time.[7][8][9][10][Non-game 2]
The town gets its name from the featured exhibit of the Museum of History being showcased in late October 2077. It showcased concepts of Hell and the afterlife showcased through different civilizations.[11][12] Its banners still hang on either side of the entryway. They read, "an exhibit on death and the afterlife" and the entryway itself is marked "Underworld Journey,"[Non-game 3]
Layout[]
Exterior[]
A ghoul named Willow patrols the exterior of the museum. A Brotherhood of Steel outpost is located nearby, and there are super mutants across the road in the Mall. The settlement has a bar, inn, clinic, general store, and hairstylist.
Foyer[]
Underworld itself is located inside Museum of American History. Griffon will set up his Aqua Cura scam outside if Take it Back! has been completed, but only with the Broken Steel add-on. The Lone Wanderer can reach the town by going through the double doors under the giant skull.
Interior[]
Immediately inside of the entryway is a large statue. Tulip's general store, Underworld Outfitters, is on the left and Winthrop's office is to the right in the back corner. Doctor Barrows' clinic, the Chop Shop, is located on the far wall. Heading up either set of stairs will take the Lone Wanderer to the second floor balcony. On the left is the Ninth Circle, a bar run by Ahzrukhal. On the right is Carol's Place, where the player character can rent a room or purchase food.
If Megaton was destroyed without finishing the quest Wasteland Survival Guide, Moira Brown may be selling miscellaneous items in the large room at the end of the overlook. The Lone Wanderer may also resume helping her with the Wasteland Survival Guide. Between the two upper-level establishments, there is Snowflake, the resident barber, who is desperate to work with "a full head of hair" and wants to give the player character a haircut.
Sections[]
Inhabitants[]
- ¹ Unconscious if the Reilly's Rangers quest has not been completed.
- ² If she survives Stealing Independence.
- ³ If she survives the destruction of Megaton.
- ⁴ If freed from his prison cell during the Finding the Garden of Eden quest.
Notable loot[]
- A Replicated Man holotape can be found in Winthrop's maintenance room on his desk. There can also be another holotape in Tulip's shop.
- Tulip sells a schematic for the railway rifle.
- Seven boxes of Sugar Bombs - Five are in Tulip's shop; three are to the right of the bed on a shelf and two more are on the very top of the shelf behind the combat helmet behind the counter. The remaining two are in Carol's Place; one on a desk behind the main counter and one on a round table in the sleeping area.
- A bottlecap mine - On Tulip's workbench.
- Sydney's 10mm "Ultra" SMG - Can be given to the player by Sydney if one finds A note from Little Moonbeam's father.
- Paradise Lost - Given to the player by Tulip when asking her about the origins of Underworld.
Related quests[]
- You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head
- Reilly's Rangers
- The Wasteland Survival Guide (if Megaton is destroyed)
- Hired Help
- This Old House
- The Amazing Aqua Cura!
Notes[]
- Right before entering the doors to the Underworld concourse, the Lone Wanderer is facing north. However, once actually inside, they are facing south.
- If the player decides to blow up Megaton, Moira Brown will survive and come to live in Underworld, unless the Lone Wanderer has already completed the Wasteland Survival Guide quest, in which case she will remain at the Megaton ruins.
- If Moira dies on her way to Underworld, her locker (labeled Craterside Supplies) might become glitched into the wall outside the doors of the Ninth Circle. The player character will still need her key to open it.
- If the Lone Wanderer does not recruit Fawkes as a companion, he will appear just inside the museum's entrance after the player character speaks to him outside Raven Rock.
- Charon can be recruited here, although doing so will result in the death of one of the Underworld's inhabitants, Ahzrukhal.
- If the Broken Steel add-on has been installed, Griffon will set up his Aqua Cura presentation outside after the quest Take it Back!
- If the Broken Steel add-on has been installed, and if the player followed President Eden's request to infect Project Purity with the modified FEV, some ghouls will get sick in Underworld and can be found in the Chop Shop, laying on the ground.
Appearances[]
Underworld appears only in Fallout 3.
Behind the scenes[]
- The large painting on the second floor of the concourse is the real world "Dante and Virgil in Hell" by William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
- Also relating to Dante and Virgil, the bar "Ninth Circle" is phrased after the travels of Dante and Virgil through the nine circles of hell in Inferno.
 | The following is based on Fallout 3 cut content. |
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- Underworld was originally intended to have an audio tour, presumably as part of its museum exhibition. This was never finished, and the only remnant of it in the game files is an unused HELLO topic, UnderworldAudioTourTEMP, which has no audio and only "<static>" for its subtitles.
| End of information based on Fallout 3 cut content |
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Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Fallout 3 loading screen: "Underworld has become a haven for disenfranchised Ghouls throughout the Capital Wasteland."
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "A city full of Ghouls, huh?"
Winthrop: "That's right. And so long as you don't bother us, we won't bother you. Feel free to come and go, trade, sleep, whatever. Just make sure that you leave whatever trouble is following you at the door, because we don't want it. So, enjoy your stay, smoothskin."
(Winthrop's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "What do you do with the money you make down here?"
Tulip: "Well... we spend it at Carol's. Or the Ninth Circle, but I don't like it there. The rest we give to Quinn to trade for stuff we need whenever he goes out."
(Tulip's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "What can you tell me about Vernon Square?"
Barrows: "Oh my, that's a dangerous part of the D.C. Ruins. Every patrol Underworld has sent even near that zone has come back in bad shape, or hasn't returned at all."
(Barrows' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Isn't it dangerous being this deep into the city?"
Tulip: "Not really. The Super Mutants leave us alone. I guess whatever they do that turns people like them doesn't work on us. The Brotherhood of Steel will fire on us if we're out in the open, but they don't bother us down here. We've had some Raiders and Slavers poke their heads in, but we've got Charon and Cerberus and everyone else to take care of them. I guess when it comes down to it, being this far out of everyone's way is a good deal for us."
(Tulip's dialogue) - ↑ Fallout 3 loading screen: "The Ghouls of Underworld generally aren't bothered by D.C.'s Super Mutants, but resent the Brotherhood of Steel for turning their back yard into a warzone."
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "The Brotherhood of Steel? What's your beef with them?"
Winthrop: "Bastards. They don't seem to be able to tell us apart from the Super Mutants. Or, maybe they just don't care. They see us and shoot on sight. And least they have the common courtesy to miss most of the time. Still... bigots."
(Winthrop's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "What can you tell me about Underworld?"
Winthrop: "We were driven underground... hrm... almost fifty years ago now. Between the Super Mutants, the beasts, and you crazy humans, it's not safe up there. So we stay down here, out of sight and out of trouble. We get a few smoothskins every so often, but most of us don't trust 'em. You're not gonna give us more reasons not to be trusting, are you?"
(Winthrop's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "What can you tell me about Underworld?"
Carol: "I've been here since we founded the town. Before that, well, life out in the Wastes wasn't very pleasant for us. But, so long as we stay down here, we can live our lives as people -- not monsters. I think things are better this way for everyone."
(Carol's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Where am I?"
Winthrop: "You're in Underworld, smoothskin. It's the only safe place for we Ghouls in D.C. We're here, out of sight and out of mind. The mutants leave us alone and the Slavers usually don't come this far into the city, so it's not bad. Really, the Brotherhood of Steel is the only thing we have to worry about... so long as we don't leave Underworld, that is."
(Winthrop's dialogue) - ↑ Tenpenny Tower terminal entries; Exploration Database, Underworld
- ↑ Fallout 3 loading screen: "Underworld was formed in the remains of the Museum of History's special exhibit, which showcased different civilizations' views on the afterlife."
Non-game
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.69: "Doctor Barrows is also mayor of Underworld, although, because of the small nature of the town, his civic duties take a back seat."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) - ↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.43: "Underworld Ghouls (Non Feral)
The Underworld Ghouls are a group of refugees who have taken up residence in the remains in the Museum of American History. They mostly keep to themselves, doing their best not to draw attention from the outside world and its prejudices. They are known to welcome visitors, so long as those visitors behave themselves. But even as they welcome newcomers, the Ghouls of Underworld are cautious and wary of strangers. Each was subject to abuses by humans in the past, and as a result, their trust is easily revoked."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles) - ↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition pp.437-438: "17.07A: MUSEUM OF HISTORY ENTRANCE
RELATED INTERACTIONS
Willow: You can ask her about Underworld and converse generally about her job. Directly under the entrance to the Museum of History is a set of escalators heading down to an Underground station that links indirectly to the maze known as Metro central. A good escape point, and if you visit Rivet City (or south), head out from here or the Museum of Technology Station [17.09] on the opposite side of the Mall. Although the museum's facade is crumbling, the building is still a spectacular example of pre-apocalypse architecture. Head inside through the pair of ornate wooden doors.
MUSEUM OF HISTORY ENTRANCE
Rotunda
This comes complete with a moth-eaten mammoth and crumbling dinosaur skeleton. From here, you can visit two separate locations: the museum's lower halls, and the Ghoul stronghold known as Underworld. As you might have guessed, the latter's entrance is under the giant skull in the north wall."
(Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition Tour of the Capital Wasteland)
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