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For more information about Utah, see Utah on Wikipedia. |
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Utah was a state of the pre-War United States of America.
Background[]
Pre-War[]
Inhabited for tens of thousands of years before the arrival of European colonists, Utah was originally colonized by the Kingdom of Spain, later becoming a part of Mexico's independent territory before being integrated into the growing nation of the United States in the 19th century. The state hosted an enormous population of Mormons, being the only one of all 50 states to have the majority of its population belong to a single religion. The state was also home to Zion Canyon, a famous natural landmark and U.S. national park in southern Utah.[Non-game 1] Other geographic features in the state included the Great Salt Lake, a large body of water, and the Grand Staircase, part of the Colorado Plateau located east of Zion Canyon.
By the late 21st century, U.S. military installations in the state included an armory near the town of Spanish Fork which received a supply of .45 Auto submachine guns.[1][2] The National Guard also had assets within the state.[3]
Zion Canyon in Utah, one of the few rad-free areas of the post-War wasteland
On the day of the Great War, several cities in Utah were targeted by nuclear weapons; the capital, Salt Lake City, received no less than thirteen direct strikes, with the remains described as "a sea of fire and destruction."[3] Zion Canyon, on the other hand, was spared from the nuclear strikes.
Post-War[]
In the early post-War era, Salt Lake City was described as "mostly craters," rubble, and the bare remains of highrises.[4] Scavengers picked over the ruins of Utah's cities, including Salt Lake City, and took what they could for years after, including still-intact pieces of pre-War law enforcement gear.[5] Some areas, like Fountain Green, may have maintained a degree of human habitation.[6]
However, like in other regions, much of the human presence in Utah was "savage" and unwelcoming, if not hostile, to outsiders. Over time, raider tribes would arise, seizing large swathes of wasteland territory and terrorizing any nearby settlements. By the 23rd century, the White Legs would come to dominate the area around Great Salt Lake,[7][8] while the 80s would also become a major presence along Interstate 80 and in other areas, including around Great Salt Lake. Other smaller tribes also resided in various parts of the state, and many of them did not speak consistent English. Some of the survivors in Utah were people from other countries who had been vacationing in the state at the time of the war, and their presence came to influence the characteristics and cultures of these tribes.[Non-game 2] Such raider groups and tribals made up most of the state's post-War population.[Non-game 3] Some may have been cannibals, at least according to denizens of more "civilized" regions such as the New California Republic.[9][10]
New Canaan (formerly Ogden, Utah) before its destruction, as seen in the opening for Honest Hearts
One of the few communities which would remain as a relatively decent haven for travelers was New Canaan. The New Canaanites originated as Mormons who built their settlement in the ruins of Ogden, Utah.[10][Non-game 1] Despite their proximity to various raider tribes such as the White Legs, the New Canaanites consistently managed to push away their attacks, establishing themselves as a relatively large, developed, and safe city within the region.[11][12][Non-game 4] Over subsequent generations, New Canaan became a powerful force in the north well into the 23rd century, to the point they controlled much of the trade routes north of the Mojave Wasteland.[13] By the mid-23rd century, New Canaan became a major northern stop on the Short Loop, a trading route which ran all the way back to the core territories of the New California Republic. Salt Lake City was also on this route, suggesting that it, too, was resettled over time.[14]
Zion Canyon remained pristine throughout much of post-War history. It was sparsely populated up until 2123, when 24 children entered the canyon. With the guidance and protection of an unseen "Father in the Caves," the children's descendants eventually formed the Sorrows tribe, who have resided in Zion ever since.[15][16][17] The "Father in the Caves" was actually Randall Clark, a pre-War soldier turned survivalist who influenced the earlier history of Zion by driving away an expedition of Vault 22 survivors for their atrocity of killing and eating an earlier group of Mexican refugees.[18][19]
As part of their beliefs, the people of New Canaan conducted missionary work to engage with the various tribes of Utah. While their motivations were to spread their faith, they also saw themselves as responsible for defending the "ignorant and the innocent" from others who would try to exploit them, like the White Legs, other raiders, slavers, or even prospectors. There is at least one known incident of NCR prospectors attacking tribals, even while New Canaanite missionaries were present.[20] Such incidents led to the losses of the Tar Walkers and Crazy Horns tribes,[21] but other tribes also came to form strong relationships with New Canaan, such as the Dead Horses of Dead Horse Point.
Between 2248 to 2271, Caesar's Legion made headway into Utah, campaigning to conquer and assimilate (or eradicate) the wild tribes of southeastern Utah to grow their numbers.[22][Non-game 5] It was from one such tribe "south of the Utah" from which the future leader of the Legion's frumentarii, Vulpes Inculta, was "recruited."[23] The Legion's sphere of influence extends to the Great Salt Lake, from where the decanus Dead Sea was taken as a child,[24] and the Legion was also in contact with many of the tribes of Utah. However, their actual presence in the state is weak, even though their leader Caesar claims otherwise.[22][Non-game 6] As of 2281, most of Utah is divided between independent tribes, raiders, and regional warlords, and is significantly more dangerous than New California, Legion-controlled Arizona, or even the Mojave Wasteland.[9][25]
Locations[]
Appearances[]
Utah is mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas, while the area of Zion Canyon in the state serves as the setting for its add-on Honest Hearts.
Behind the scenes[]
The scenes placed at the Brotherhood base in the Fallout TV series' first season were filmed at the real-world Wendover Airport in Utah.[Non-game 7]
References[]
- ↑ The Courier: "Nice guns."
Joshua Graham: "In the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, all tribes are known for a specific weapon. White Legs are known for their big submachine guns, 'storm drums.' They broke into an armory near Spanish Fork and have been using them for years. Of course, the Dead Horses have their wooden war clubs and even the Sorrows have their Yao Guai gauntlets. This type of .45 Automatic pistol was designed by one of my tribe almost four hundred years ago. Learning its use is a New Canaanite rite of passage."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue) - ↑ Utah license plate render
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Year: 2077
- ↑ Year: 2084
- ↑ Joshua Graham's armor includes a pre-War ballistic vest marked "SLCPD"
- ↑ Year: 2084
- ↑ The Courier: "White Legs? Who are they?"
Follows-Chalk: "Nasty bunch of raiders from up by Great Salt Lake. White Legs killed your friends at the Southern Passage. Not many survive White Leg raids - not even by running. Joshua will want to hear about what happened to you."
The Courier: "Where do they come from?"
Follows-Chalk: "That's the weird part - normally the White Legs keep to the Great Salt Lake. I don't know what brought them down this far south."
(Follows-Chalk's dialogue) - ↑ The Courier: "Degenerate tribes?"
Jed Masterson: "That's right. The folks that lived in Zion before the war, they didn't just get a little savage, they're downright feral. Most of them don't even speak English anymore - you got to get yourself a New Canaanite translator to talk to them. The ones you really got to watch out for are the White Legs, from the Great Salt Lake. They'll attack just about anyone that ain't one of theirs."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Courier: "I haven't been through Utah recently - what's the situation like?"
Jed Masterson: "Well, it ain't good, I'll tell you that. It's not like the Mojave or the NCR - hell, even Arizona under Caesar is safer. You got raiders all over the damn place, tribes of degenerates that'll eat you as soon as look at you, regional warlords... the works. Not too many decent places to stop and trade. New Canaan's one of the only ones left I know about."
The Courier: "Tell me about the raiders."
Jed Masterson: "They're about what you'd expect - crazy, jacked up on chems, violent as hell, and not too bright. The worst are the 80s, but we won't be passing through their turf on this run."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Courier: "Why can't you get to Salt Lake City?"
Jed Masterson: "Without New Canaan's mission in Zion, the only ways to Salt Lake City are down the old I-80 or up through Ogden. The highway's too risky - NCR's rangers are so busy here in the Mojave they don't have the manpower to keep the raiders off. Ogden's just too far - we'd lose more in travel expenses than we'd ever earn."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue) - ↑ Ulysses log: Y-17.22
- ↑ The Courier: "You said you 'used to' help the Sorrows with problems. What do you do now?"
Daniel: "I'm trying to make amends for allowing our problem to become their problem. The New Canaanites, I mean. The White Legs have always fought with us, and with Joshua returning, Caesar has motivated the White Legs to stamp out the New Canaanites entirely. That means the tribes we work with, too. It's already hap- I just want to prevent something terrible from happening to the Sorrows."
(Daniel's dialogue) - ↑ The Courier: "Does the Crimson Caravan have any competition?"
Alice McLafferty: "Well, the Gun Runners continue to dominate the weapons market, and the Mormon traders from New Canaan control the majority of the northern routes."
(Alice McLafferty's dialogue) - ↑ The Courier: "Tell me about Happy Trails Caravan Company."
Jed Masterson: "We're a smaller company out of Sac-Town, up in the northern part of the NCR. We run some business through New Reno, there on the "Little Loop." Had a nice run to Salt Lake City, too - but then we lost contact with New Canaan, and that went all to hell."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue) - ↑ year: 2123
- ↑ year: 2124
- ↑ The Courier: "Taboo?"
Joshua Graham: "The Sorrows believe in a spirit that lives in the caves, say the spirit punished them once for trespassing. They put special marks around the cave entrances to keep people out. It doesn't work on the White Legs, of course, but the Dead Horses are spooked."
(Joshua Graham's dialogue) - ↑ Year: 2095
- ↑ Year: 2096
- ↑ The Courier: "The use of violence only leads to more violence."
Daniel: "Try walking alongside a tribal child, a refugee, and holding her hand for three days because her parents were killed by NCR prospectors. After the prospectors have stalked the remainder of the tribe, they fire off a few shots to scare them, and the tribe bunches together for safety. A grenade comes rolling in and kills another six people. The only reason you survive is because someone else's body absorbed the shrapnel. You're left sprawled out on the ground with ringing in your ears and a little girl's hand in your hand because that's all that's left of her. After you've done that, if you can look me in the eye and tell me it's better to stand aside, maybe then I'll listen to you."
(Daniel's dialogue) - ↑ The Courier: "Has this happened before, the White Legs attacking other tribes?"
Daniel: "Yes. But not just White Legs. Raiders too. Prospectors. Slavers. Anyone who thinks they can exploit the ignorant and the innocent. We lost the Tar Walkers. And the Crazy Horns. We did our best, but we made mistakes. We paid for them, but they paid more. I'd like to get out from under that debt someday. Until then, it's enough to stop ourselves from getting deeper in the hole."
(Daniel's dialogue) - ↑ 22.0 22.1 The Courier: "And since forming the Legion, all you've done is conquer other tribes?"
Caesar: "That's right. Decades of warfare, absorbing lesser tribes, gathering power. Forging the dross into a vast, razor-sharp scythe. My Legion's expansion has never ceased. Much of the Utah and Colorado, and all of Arizona and New Mexico, are mine. We have cities of our own, but nothing compared to Vegas. Finally, my Legion will have its Rome."
(Caesar's dialogue) - ↑ Caesar: "Vulpes is the best of my Frumentarii. A remarkable individual from an unremarkable tribe south of the Utah."
(Caesar's dialogue) - ↑ The Courier: "Who are you?"
Dead Sea: "I am a loyal servant of Caesar, and I thank my good fortune for the day that he plucked me as a babe from the shore of the Great Salt Lake. For five years I have had the privilege of serving as a Decanus. If fortune continues to smile upon me, I will serve him until I draw my last breath. I hope that satisfies your curiosity about me, because I won't waste any more of Caesar's time talking about myself."
(Dead Sea's dialogue) - ↑ The Courier: "Were the 80s a gang, or a tribe?"
Stella: "What's the difference? Raiders is raiders. Bunch of them swept in to town and dragged off two working girls. Deputies and me gave pursuit, straight into 80s territory. By the time we caught up with the girls, there wasn't much left of them. So we turned for home. Made it back to Caliente without further losses, but we was watched the whole way. Never seen so few people cover so much land. Goddamn creepy. If the 80s had wanted to kill us, we would've been dead. Guess they figured we weren't worth the trouble."
(Stella's dialogue (Honest Hearts))
Non-game
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Question: "I played 2 mins of Honest Hearts (Talked with those guys in the beggining) and I dont understand 'Zion', 'New Caanan' and 'Utah'... Utah is the city? New Caanan are the people? Please can you explain"
Joshua Sawyer: "Zion National Park is a place in southern Utah, one of Pre-War America's states. New Canaan was a Post-War community built in the ruins of Odgen, Utah. New Canaanites are people from New Canaan. It is important to note that the concept of "Zion" has a larger implication for Christians (especially of certain denominations) that goes beyond a physical place. When Joshua and Daniel talk about Zion, they may use the term interchangeably to refer to Zion National Park or their religious concept of Zion."
(Formspring reply from June 5, 2011) - ↑ Question: "Is It correct that the tribals are descended from vacationers at the time of the Great War? I swear I hear a little German in the Dead Horses and Spanish in the Sorrows, but I also hear another language(s) mixed in and spoken by either tribe as well."
Joshua Sawyer: "Yes. Joshua Graham explains that they speak languages from a place he calls "Res" mixed with languages from people who were vacationing in Utah."
(Formspring reply from August 14, 2011) - ↑ Question: "Why wouldn't the Courier know much about [Joshua Graham's] beliefs? One of the things you can tell Jed Masterson is that it's been a while since he's been to Utah, implying he's been there before. He could've learned about it there, since that's where New Canaan is at."
Joshua Sawyer: "You also tell him that in the context of asking things about what's going on there. Utah is a reasonably big place and its human population is dominantly tribes (many of whom don't speak consistent English) and raiders. Outsiders don't know much about the New Canaanites. That's one of the defining characteristics of them in the story."
(Formspring reply from August 14, 2011) - ↑ Question: "After reading the New Canaan design document for Van Buren, part of me wishes that it had been used for HH instead of Zion. Was there ever consideration of making the DLC based in New Canaan and not just a couple of New Canaanite refugees?"
Joshua Sawyer: "Not really. New Canaan is/was a relatively big community with a lot of unique characters. We didn't have the time or budget to build something like that."
(Formspring reply from September 10, 2011) - ↑ Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 461: "Important Dates
"2248-2274 Caesar conquers the tribes of southeastern Utah, southwestern Colorado, the western edge of New Mexico, and the northern half of Arizona. By 2250 he has declared himself the Son of Mars. By 2255, he has established a capital of sorts amid the ruins of Flagstaff."
(Behind the Bright Lights & Big City) - ↑ Question: "Could you clarify about the Legion in Utah? Jed mentions that Utah is chaotic wit warlords and tribes and "not like Arizona under Ceasar". However both Dead Sea "plucked from the shores of the great salt lake" and Vulpes are from Utah. How is this so? ty."
Joshua Sawyer: "If Dead Sea were a tribal plucked from the shores of the Great Salt Lake and raised by the Legion, what would that make his parents? I'm not sure about Vulpes' origin. The Legion does not have a strong presence in Utah, though they do have contact with the tribes."
(Formspring reply from June 30, 2012) - ↑ Historic Wendover Airfield Museum - Air Museum Guide