The Pitt (Fallout 3)

The Pitt is a major raider city-state built on the remains of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on the East Coast in 2277.

Background
The Pitt was once the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Following the Great War, survivors established a settlement on the remains of the city center (Downtown) at the confluence of rivers. The rivers seemed to provide a clear resource, and enough of the city was cleared by the bombs that a new settlement could be established. However, radioactive material and unidentified mutagens mixed into the groundwater, causing it to become slightly mutagenic and highly carcinogenic. As a result, the people in the new settlement began to change gradually over time.

The changes were subtle, not nearly to the degree of the super mutants or the various Wasteland creatures, but over the next 140 years, their effects became visible. Starting from the first few years, children were often born with strange growths or extra limbs. The mutations never went far beyond the occasional hunchback or cleft palate, but it wasn’t long before the vast majority of the residents of The Pitt developed some sort of physical deformity in their lifetimes. Although many children were born "clean," the older they became, the more likely it was that a mutagenic problem would manifest as they developed.

The most disturbing change that the environment caused was not nearly as noticeable as the physical deformities. The infected water and poisoned sky began to cause neurological damage to those exposed to it. People became more hostile, violent, and short-tempered; they became known as "Wildmen." Their emotions began to run out of control, often teetering on primal. In severe cases, mutated humans devolved into hunched, savage beasts nicknamed "trogs." Over the first 50 years, The Pitt quickly degenerated into a dangerous urban jungle; even cannibalism was not uncommon.

Rumors of the horrors of The Pitt spread throughout the Wasteland, and all travelers knew to avoid it at all costs. However, The Pitt became one of the most self-sufficient communities in the Wastes. Although their self-sufficiency relied on the citizens occasionally eating one another, they nonetheless functioned without trade or export.

In 2255, Star Paladin Lyons of the Brotherhood of Steel led the Scourge, a large-scale military action that wiped out nearly the entire population of The Pitt. In a single night, the Brotherhood swept through the city, eliminating any resident who put up a fight. Although the intent of the Scourge remains unclear, several unmutated children were taken from The Pitt by the Brotherhood and placed into initiate training. The motivations for the Scourge are unclear to this day, but many in the Brotherhood note that it was a marked change in the way the Brotherhood operated. Additionally, it is known that something was recovered from The Pitt during the Scourge, although to date it would seem that only Elder Lyons knows what it was.

This would not be the end of the city, though. Ishmael Ashur, a Brotherhood of Steel paladin who was presumed dead from the Scourge, stayed on in The Pitt; seeking to bring law and order to the city. He started by gathering the raiders and inhabitants of the Pitt still left after the events of the Scourge, using his Brotherhood training to organize them into a proper fighting force. Over time he molded this band of survivors into an army of fanatically devoted followers.

However, Ashur's greatest ambition was to reignite the city's vast steel industry. While his soldiers were well-trained, the hellish conditions of the city's steel mills would undoubtedly cost him valuable manpower. With few outsiders willing to work in these conditions, Ashur resorted to slavery. With his industry kickstarted, Ashur used the resulting resources to expand his army and buy more slaves from the Capital Wasteland.

By the time the Lone Wanderer arrives at the Pitt in 2277, Ashur has grown the Pitt into a massive regional power. Ashur's vast army resides in Uptown, a collection of skyscrapers bridged together by walkways and bridges so the raiders can physically look down at the slaves and so the slaves can look up to the sky and have something to work towards. The remainder of the Pitt's inhabitants are primarily slaves working in the steel factories.

Train yard
The main trainyard for The Pitt has long since fallen into disrepair, and the main rail bridge into the city has fallen into the highly toxic river. In addition, the tunnel is blocked, preventing further journey on rails. A small scouting party of Pitt raiders guards this yard, ready to report back to the main gate if any enemies are spotted or if slaves try to escape. This is moderately well guarded and is the last stop between the Wasteland and The Pitt.

Bridge
Despite ruling The Pitt with an iron fist, there are still pockets of resistance throughout the city, not least of which is an old Slave Trading Post near the Wabash Bridge, which is now under the control of Wild Men. The bridge is a dangerous trap-filled pathway with vicious dogs and a sniper, but it's better to face these than dive into the river below, as radioactive death is instantaneous. On the north side of the bridge, slaves periodically attempt to flee and are blown apart by the many scattered mine traps. Down the street is the main gate to Downtown, guarded by the ever-offensive Mex and his lackeys.

Downtown
Home to the majority of the slaves working in the nearby Mill, Pitt Downtown is a gruesome, grimy, and desperate place, where Pitt raiders rule and slaves are treated worse than dogs. From the main courtyard, with a hole and a furnace, there's an alley leading northeast toward a 'Market Square', where the majority of the slaves plot rebellion. Above the ground, and accessed only after victories in the Arena, are the upper scaffold pathways and bridges. These are home to Pitt raiders, who can keep constant vigil on their property down below.

Steelyard
Once the main Steel-producing center of The Pitt, recent and increased activity by Wild Men and trogs have rendered this a largely-uninhabitable area. Slaves unlucky enough to be ordered to work in this gloomy location are usually killed or eaten (or both) by the inhuman trogs and Wildmen that prowl this grimy area, or fall to their deaths from one of the many decaying catwalks and balconies.

Uptown
Uptown is primarily a Pitt raider paradise, with defenses and lighting constantly checked to ensure no trog incursions occur. Part of the crumbling tenement blocks hold a number of wandering raiders, all loyal to Ashur. Much like Downtown, you are able to access the ground and upper levels via a series of scaffolds and catwalks. North of the open-plan tenements is an Abandoned Apartment. To the east is the main Courtyard and the entrance to the power plant and Haven interior.

Haven
Dominating this expansive courtyard plaza is a giant effigy, flanked by two bouts of intermittent ﬁre. A twisted monument to the sickness, this has the added benefit of keeping trogs away, as they are light-sensitive. However, Ashur knows from past massacres that the lights must be kept on to avoid a trog influx. The effigy stands at the foot of Ashur’s base. It is a skyscraper known as Haven, due to the safety and experimentation into curing the sickness that takes place inside.

Appearances
The Pitt appears only in the Fallout 3 add-on The Pitt, and is mentioned in Fallout 3 Point Lookout.

Behind the scenes

 * The bridge that the Lone Wanderer uses to enter The Pitt exists in real life as the South Tenth Street Bridge.
 * Several buildings on the skyline, including the BNY Mellon Center, PPG Place, and the U.S. Steel Tower are real buildings in downtown Pittsburgh.
 * The Pitt could be a reference to the George A. Romero film Land of the Dead. Both are set in Pittsburgh, which is split into a poor part and a rich part where the leader lives in a tower. Outside Pittsburgh in both the film and The Pitt are animalistic creatures (zombies in the film, trogs in the DLC) and if you follow Wernher's path, the creatures invade the rich area, like in the film.
 * The Pitt has some similarities to the 1981 Canadian horror film The Pit. Aside from having the same name, although spelled differently, the monsters in The Pit are underground creatures called Troglodytes.
 * Haven is the Fallout universe's version of the Cathedral of Learning, a central building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

Bugs
Upon first return from The Pitt, the player's Pip-Boy may still have an "orange outline" on it, this will be fixed if the player restarts the game.