Redding

"Gold Slouch"

Redding is a mining town in Fallout 2, located south-east of the Den.

2241
The town is a collection of wooden buildings and can be a wild and wooly place. The police force is small, relying on the Sheriff's charisma to maintain peace and order; miners are a rough, hardened bunch that can cause a lot of trouble; while three powers of the wasteland seek to dominate Redding and bring it into their fold.

The primary political division in Redding exists over the growing drug issues and the future governance of Redding. The two large mining companies in Redding primarily dictate policy however they are divided by bitter hatred toward each other's policies.

Marge LeBarge the owner of the Kokoweef Mine supports merging with the NCR. The Morningstar Mine run by "Dangerous" Dan McGrew is in favor of an alliance with New Reno. The dispute often culminates in tensions and violence occasionally, usually down at the Malamute Saloon. In addition to the political division, Redding is struggling to contain its drug problem, and the law enforcement is taxed thin particularly after the sheriff had his leg accosted by a gecko.

Further havoc is being sewn by a band of gangsters led by Frog Morton of the Morton Brothers. Mayor Ascorti is a questionable politician as well as appearing to be primarily a profiteer. His motives all seem to be generated by money as seen by his gambling hall and high rent demanded of impoverished elderly citizens.

2281
By 2281, Redding has been annexed by the NCR and made into the Van Graffs headquarters. The town is represented by a senator in the Congress and citizens from Redding serve in the NCR Army. Redding's importance to the Republic may be greatly reduced by the NCR currency being backed by water instead of gold, following the war with the Brotherhood of Steel. It also appears that the weight of economy in Redding has changed from gold mining to brahmin trade, as many people are noted for owning a ranch there, most notably Hanlon and the Jamisons.

Society
There are two major mining companies in Redding, as well as a saloon, a sheriff and a doctor. The mayor of Redding, Ascorti, runs an establishment called Ascorti's Ace casino. Redding mines gold for shipment to Vault City, New Reno, and the New California Republic, and the miners are some of the largest consumers of Reno's drugs.

The town is a collection of wooden buildings and can be a wild and wooly place. The police force is small, relying on the sheriff's charisma to maintain peace and order; miners are a rough, hardened bunch that can cause a lot of trouble; while three powers of the wasteland seek to dominate Redding and bring it into their fold.

Redding is home to hundreds of citizens, governed by a Mayor and town council. Law enforcement is present, provided by a Sheriff.

Economy
The primary source of income for the town is raw materials excavated by Kokoweef and Morningstar mines, primarily gold. Gold provided by the town's stable workforce forms the backbone of the Core Region's economy, ever since NCR introduced a currency backed by gold. The Chosen One: "{292}{}{What do you sell here?}" Renesco: "{305}{}{I sell recreational drugs mostly. That's why they gave me that idiotic appellation, 'the Rocketman.' Hmmmph. I also sell some caravan supplies. You NEED anything or can I get back to something important?}" The Chosen One: "{308}{}{You sell drugs here in the STORE?}" Renesco: "{330}{}{(Renesco looks at you in disgust.) Yes. In the STORE. This isn't the 20th century where drugs are sold by street corner cockroaches who live in constant fear of the authorities.}" The Chosen One: "{331}{}{Well, then -}" Renesco: "{350}{}{This is NEW RENO. There are no cops, no law, and there's plenty of customers who don't mind buying poison at the pharmacy down the street. Does THAT answer your question, primate?}" The Chosen One: "{354}{}{But, like you said, the drugs are…poisonous. They kill the spirit. Doesn't it bother you to sell them?}" Renesco: "{365}{}{Does it BOTHER me to sell them to idiots, slavers, crime lords and tribals that the world would be better off without? Primate, three words: get out more.}" The Chosen One: "{368}{}{The drugs here in New Reno are finding their way to other places, and hurting people there. Doesn't that concern you?}" The Chosen One: "{377}{}{The human race suffered a horrible tragedy. Now we are trying to rebuild. Selling Jet seems…counterproductive to that reconstruction.}" Renesco: "{385}{}{So. What. No one is FORCING those idiots to inhale Jet. No one's going around and jamming it down their throats!}" The Chosen One: "{386}{}{Can I see -}" The Chosen One: "{387}{}{But don't -}" The Chosen One: "{388}{}{That is your -}" Renesco: "{395}{}{Those lamphead rock humpers in Redding KNOW what they're taking, so I don't feel a millimeter of pity for 'em! Far as I'm concerned, Jet weeds out the human trash that shoulda died when the bombs dropped!}" The Chosen One: "{398}{}{You mentioned Redding specifically. Why is Jet so prevalent in Redding?}" Renesco: "{410}{}{Well, Redding's a…special case. See, there's people in Reno who make sure Redding's well-supplied. After all, you taste Jet once, you're hooked. It's how I make MY living.}" The Chosen One: "{412}{}{Who is making sure Redding is well-supplied? And why?}" Renesco: "{420}{}{Well, tribal, I doubt you have the sense to notice this yet, but New Reno doesn't produce anything useful. It's like a big, brightly-lit prairie tick sitting out in the desert. Now, Redding, on the other hand…}" The Chosen One: "{421}{}{Go on.}" Renesco: "{440}{}{Redding has a stable work force that mines raw materials, mostly gold. New Reno sure could use that gold. Somebody figures all we gotta do is get those miners addicted, and we got 'em for life. You understand now?}" (NcRenesc.msg) The town also offers the Malamute Saloon, Ascorti's Ace and City Hall run by the town's mayor, and a clinic run by Doc Johnson.

As the primary supplier of gold ore in the region, Redding became the focus of the struggle for control over North Californian trade routes. When the Republic switched to dollars as currency, backing them with gold, the mining city became the key to the trade in the entire New California. Whoever controls the supply of gold, controls the currency. Redding was lucky enough to remain far away enough to make a military takeover uneconomic. The three powers instead decided to make the city align with one of them through agents operating in the city, either planted ones (Painless Doc Johnson for Vault City) or voluntary supporters (Marge LeBarge for the NCR and Dan McGrew for New Reno). The Chosen One: "{138}{}{Hear any interesting rumors?}" Modjeska: "{145}{}{All I hear about are politics. That always seems to be the big stir in discussion.}" The Chosen One: "{146}{}{Politics? What do you mean?}" Modjeska: "{158}{}{Have you ever seen a greased brahmin contest?}" The Chosen One: "{160}{}{Nope, never heard of anything like that. Tell me about them.}" Modjeska: "{165}{}{What they do is grease up a brahmin calf, and then everyone in the crowd tries to catch the calf. If you can't catch it yourself, you make damn sure nobody else can, either.}" The Chosen One: "{166}{}{I don't see what that has to do with politics.}" Modjeska: "{168}{}{In this game, Redding is the greased brahmin - and a golden one at that. New Reno, the New California Republic, and Vault City are all trying to catch us...or at least keep the others from catching us.}" The Chosen One: "{169}{}{What do you mean?}" Modjeska: "{171}{}{Here in Redding we mine gold. Then we ship it to New Reno, the NCR, and Vault City in return for goods. Each of those places would like to have the gold - and the trade - all to themselves.}" The Chosen One: "{172}{}{Why don't they just attack you and take it, then?}" Modjeska: "{174}{}{We're big enough, and far enough away, to make a take-over expensive as well as dangerous. Much more efficient to have us join willingly.}" The Chosen One: "{175}{}{What do you mean?}" Modjeska: "{177}{}{The three powers are trying to get Redding to choose which side to ally themselves with. They've all got powerful allies in town, and it looks like things are coming to a head. Soon, Redding's going to have to make a choice.}" The Chosen One: "{178}{}{A choice?}" Modjeska: "{181}{}{The grease on this Brahmin calf is getting a bit thin. Soon, one of the powers is going to have to make a major play to take Redding before the others do. When that happens, people are going to get hurt. A lot of people.}" The Chosen One: "{183}{}{Why are people going to get hurt?}" Modjeska: "{192}{}{People are going to get hurt because this kind of change doesn't come easy. Those that think they're not going to get the prize get it in their mind to not let anyone else get it, either. The only way to avoid that is if we decide to go with one of the powers and make a quick alliance before the others catch on.}" The Chosen One: "{193}{}{What do you think will happen?}" Modjeska: "{195}{}{I think that the folks here will follow Mayor Ascorti's lead. He's a crook, but people trust that. He'll go with whoever's strongest. You see, whatever's good for Ascorti is also going to be good for Redding. I think he just hasn't figured out who's closest to being on top yet. But he's got to choose soon.}" (RCMODJES.MSG) By 2241, the situation was slowly approaching a critical phase. In January, the first Jet batches began to arrive in Redding as part of a plan by the Mordino family to control the mining city through drugs. Vault City rejected an offer to ally with the Bishop family and the NCR in February, with mercenary attacks designed to bully the City into the alliance beginning a month later. All this was set against the backdrop of the worst dry season in years caused a drought in North California, causing widespread food shortages in the less developed areas, such as Arroyo and Modoc.

Location
Redding can be found eleven squares east and eight squares south of Arroyo.

Downtown


The busiest and most populated part of Redding; pick your poison: The Malamute Saloon offers whoring, drinks and a place to sleep (not recommended for light sleepers). Ascorti runs Ascorti's Ace and City Hall where you can gamble your hard-earned caps away. There is Law in Redding; out-of-towners and trouble-makers are kept in line by Sheriff Marion, who runs the city jail. If a night in the slammer isn't good enough for you, a visit to Painless Doc Johnson's should keep you in line.

Mining camp


The mining camp is the mines of the city of Redding and is divided into four major locations; the Kokoweef mine, the Morningstar mine, the Last Gasp Saloon, and the Mole Rat Mambo arena. Miners bunk in their employer's building, or in some of the coffins if they drink too much and go after the wanamingos.

The Molerat Mambo is popular with the locals. Place a bet if you're feeling lucky. Here you will find the Kokoweef mine, run by Marge LeBarge, and The Morningstar mine which is owned by Dan McGrew. After losing money betting on mole rats, head over to the Last Gasp Saloon for some interesting conversation and maybe a refreshment.

Great wanamingo mine
The Great wanamingo mine is one of the gold mines in Redding. By 2241, it became inactive thanks to being infested with the alien-like wanamingos.

Mayor Ascorti tries to coerce newcomers to Redding into buying a deed to the mine billing it as a great investment, $1000 for the richest mine in the town. In order to make any profit from the deed, some eradication is required.

Numerous entrances to the mine exist, including one inside a ripped-open grave. Travel within the mine is extremely precarious, as the wanamingos have extraordinary senses of perception and can detect intruders even through the walls of the mine, rushing in quickly to dispose of any interlopers. The wanamingo mine has two levels and is rumored to contain explosives as well as special electronic chips within the rusting hulks of the mining machinery.

The Morton brothers and their gang can be found here following the acceptance of the quest Kill Frog Morton from sheriff Marion.

Tunnels
The Redding tunnels are a series of tunnels under Redding and are infested with rats and wanamingos. The tunnels are connected to the great wanamingo mine and other locations, like the Malamute Saloon, and Ascorti's Ace and City Hall.

Political relevance
Although Redding may appear unassuming, it has great economic clout. Redding is Northern California's primary producer and distributor of gold. Being the center of gold mining, several larger political factions have lobbied for control of Redding to gain dominance in the gold trade. It is locked in the center of a power play between three major power players: NCR, New Reno, and Vault City. Sooner or later, the town will have to choose its allegiance, despite the fact that there's no perfectly good solution: proponents of New Reno claim it's the only way of keeping their autonomy, Vault City advocates claim it's the only city that can fully utilize Redding's potential and dismiss any worries that they might turn it into a slave labor camp. NCR sympathizers ignore the possibility that, in exchange for security and profits, Redding will be put under the NCR boot and turned into another splotch on its map.

By 2281, Redding has been annexed into the NCR. An NCR soldier stationed in the Mojave Wasteland claims to be from Redding, and one of Chief Hanlon's ending slides has him being elected as Redding's senator. It also seems that the weight of the economy in Redding has changed from gold mining to brahmin trade, as many people are noted for owning a ranch there, most notably Hanlon and the Jamisons.

Internal politics
The primary political division in Redding exists over the growing drug issues and the future governance of Redding. The two large mining companies in Redding primarily dictate policy however they are divided by bitter hatred toward each other's policies. Marge LeBarge the owner of the Kokoweef Mine supports merging with the NCR. The Morningstar Mine run by "Dangerous" Dan McGrew is in favor of an alliance with New Reno. The dispute often culminates in tensions and violence occasionally, usually down at the Malamute Saloon. The third option is Vault City, advocated by "Painless" Doc Johnson.

In addition to the political division, Redding is struggling to contain its drug problem, and the law enforcement is taxed thin particularly after the sheriff had his leg accosted by a gecko. Further havoc is being sewn by a band of gangsters led by Frog Morton of the Morton Brothers. Mayor Ascorti is a questionable politician as well as appearing to be primarily a profiteer. His motives all seem to be generated by money as seen by his gambling hall and high rent demanded of impoverished elderly citizens.

Appearances
Redding appears only in Fallout 2. It is also mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * Redding is based on the real world location of Redding, California, noted for its mining in the 19th and early 20th century.
 * This area heavily references the Robert W. Service poem "The Shooting of Dan McGrew," which described "Dangerous" Dan McGrew's demise in the Malamute Saloon. Apart from the title character and saloon, the area also features a woman named Lou.