Arroyo

"Beyond the Canyon"

Arroyo is a settlement founded in 2165 by the Vault Dweller following their exile from Vault 13 by the overseer.

Background
In May 2162, the Vault Dweller returned to Vault 13 after defeating the Master and his army, only to be exiled for fear of encouraging others to follow their example and leave the Vault. They wandered the desert but never moved far from the mountains that shielded the Vault from the rest of the world. Upon hearing of what happened to them, a few other residents of the Vault decided to leave and join, following soon afterward. The Vault Dweller eventually came into contact with the small group of dwellers. They knew little of the outside world and would have likely died if it were not for their knowledge and experience. The combined group founded the town, with its construction completed on August 18, 2167.

On January 16, 2208, the Vault Dweller left Arroyo. Their spouse had passed away years earlier, and they left their memoirs and jumpsuit behind. Some say they were taken by the sky spirits, others say that the Vault Dweller felt it was time to move on and leave the elders to guide Arroyo. After the one-moon (month) cycle of mourning for the Vault Dweller ended, activity in Arroyo began to return to normal.

In 2241, the worst dry season in many years caused a drought in the Northern California area, hurting crops and brahmin in Arroyo. The elder, daughter of the Vault Dweller, decided that her child must be sent to a G.E.C.K., as it was the village's only hope. On July 27, the Chosen One left their home village to find the ancient G.E.C.K.

While the Chosen One was on their quest, Arroyo was attacked by Enclave soldiers in Vertibirds, wearing power armor and armed with energy weapons, and the villagers were captured and brought to Navarro. Some of them tried to resist the attackers and were killed, and Hakunin was left dying wounded. The Enclave kidnapped the entire population of Arroyo as "mutant" samples for The Project. They were captured and put along with a "clean" group of dwellers from Vault 13 in Enclave prison cells at Control Station Enclave.

In Fall 2242, the Chosen One managed to enter the Enclave using a damaged tanker and destroyed the Poseidon Energy platform, killing the President of the Enclave and severely setting back the Enclave's plans for world domination. The surviving people of Arroyo and Vault 13 were free. After the Enclave oil rig's fragmentation, the refugees of Arroyo and Vault 13 resettled, building a new community with the aid of the 'holy' Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Finding themselves hundreds of miles from their Vault, the members of Vault 13 chose to join the villagers in establishing a new community, and their technical expertise, combined with the villagers' survival skills, allowed the new settlement to grow and prosper. The Chosen One became elder presiding over the village for many years to come

Layout
The village of Arroyo is divided into four areas.

Temple of Trials


This is the beginning area of the game. There is a clear path that leads into the Temple of Trials, but also a path leading back to the main village.

It is possible to talk the way through Cameron with high enough Speech and Charisma, as he is determined to make sure the entrant endures the trials of the elders. The only way to get past Cameron is to defeat him in hand-to-hand combat. You can also steal the Temple key from him and exit without having to fight.

Village


The central village portion of Arroyo serves as home to most of the tribe. Hakunin's tent and garden - which has been infested with man-eating plants - inhabit the northwestern corner of the map, while the Village Elder's tent lies just south and west. And shortly south of it lies the town well, broken and dormant with the Chosen One's whiny nephew Feargus pouting about it a few feet away.

The south-most tent belongs to none other than your old, cranky aunt Morlis, who is in possession of a piece of a rather scarce flint. The large stone monument sits peaceful and quiescent immediately northeast of her tent. The wigwam residing on the east-most bounds of the map is home to Jordan, a skilled and seasoned hunter for the tribe. The rest of the homes belong to generic tribesmen and women.

Hunting grounds


The hunting grounds northwest to the village foster a steady pack of small geckos that serve as a source of food for the tribe. Just as well, there are a few cuttings of xander roots and broc flowers growing in the alcoves formed by the abundant foliage. These can be brought to Hakunin to be synthesized into healing powder.

In the northwest corner of the map, in the secluded flat where spots of radioactive waste can be found, Nagor's dog Smoke is trapped by a few hostile geckos lurking near the only path back to the village.

Note that the geckos are not hostile, with one exception. If this gecko attacks you and any other geckos see that, the other ones will join in as well.

The Canyon


This section of Arroyo is not so densely populated, as only a few vigilant tribe members keep watch over the sole passageway into the village. Mynoc, the young warrior standing immediately next to the bridge, will offer to sharpen the Chosen One's spear before their departure, requiring a piece of flint for the job.

The bridge connecting Arroyo to the wasteland serves as a metaphorical gateway for the Chosen One. It is here that the player leaves their tribe bearing the quest to find the G.E.C.K., and prove to be their salvation. The canyon which the rope bridge extends across bears ancestral drawings likely created by past - possibly present - tribe members upon the establishment of the village.

Destroyed bridge
The Chosen One gets here with a G.E.C.K. in hand. Enclave troopers have destroyed the village and took the rest of the tribals to Enclave Oil Rig. Hakunin is still alive to tell the Chosen One what to do now.

Appearances
Arroyo appears in Fallout 2 and is mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * Tim Cain stated that the town was named after he was looking on a map and saw the word. He liked it, both the sound of it and what it meant. So he picked it as the name, and "then told the artist making the map what arroyo meant, so he'd be sure to make it be an arroyo."
 * The tribal nature and the customs of Arroyo are inspired by the 1949 novel Earth Abides by George R. Stewart.