The Commonwealth



The Commonwealth (occasionally referred to as Commonwealth Wasteland) is what is left of the pre-War American state of Massachusetts in New England. While traditionally called a commonwealth in itself, before the Great War, Massachusetts was also part of the New England Commonwealth of the United States in the alternate history of the Fallout universe. Most of it is a "war-ravaged quagmire of violence and despair" like much of the rest of the former United States, but it is also where Boston and the mysterious Institute are located.

History
Leading up to the eventual downfall of the United States during the Great War, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts experienced an increased military presence as the threat of Chinese infiltration and nuclear war drew closer. Various military checkpoints were set up around the country to prevent possible Chinese espionage from entering Boston and major U.S. Army stations, such as the Sentinel, a munitions stock and development facility for nuclear weapons. On October 23rd, the day of the Great War, following nuclear strikes on Pennsylvania and New York, the Yangtze-31, a Chinese ballistic missile submarine, under the command of Captain Zao, was ordered to fire its full payload on a designated site southwest of Boston. This area held industrial and military significance, housing munitions factories and manufacturing plants, including the Sentinel site. A majority of the nuclear payload reached its intended target, however, one missile failed to launch, and another veered off course, creating the Cambridge crater. Despite the success of the Chinese attack, the Sentinel site was still able to retaliate by firing its own nuclear stockpile before the Chinese missiles hit, due to the early warnings from the West Coast.

Environment
The Commonwealth suffers from terrible radiation storms which are caused by the Glowing Sea. During a storm, the sky turns a sickly green colour and a thick fog forms, limiting the player's visibility. These storms behave in the same manner as thunderstorms, with every "strike" emitting radiation across the land. Despite this, the Commonwealth appears to be a somewhat healthier area of the post-nuclear United States. The skies are brighter and clearer and vegetation such as Mutfruit and Tato plants can be seen growing plentifully in the region, providing wastelanders with a source of food. The Commonwealth also sees regular rainfall, in a similar vein to Zion Canyon. The overall landscape is less blasted and scorched than other areas such as the Capital Wasteland - this is due to the fact that the Boston area never suffered a direct hit, with the nuclear explosion in the prologue detonating farther southwest, in what is now The Glowing Sea. However, since the Commonwealth covers the entirety of pre-War Massachussetts, it is unknown whether the rest of the region has emerged as fortunate.

Organizations
The most infamous faction within the Commonwealth, the organization known only as the Institute, was founded by the descendants of the students who once attended the Commonwealth Institute of Technology. The scientists working within this underground, sealed environment possess highly advanced technology and technological skills. They have managed to create true artificial intelligence (A.I.) and are capable of manufacturing androids, also referred to as "Synths" - short for "synthetic organic," with the latest models completely indistinguishable from ordinary humans. The Institute has been blamed for many of the Commonwealth's disappearances; some have suspected that the Institute had a hand in the failure of the Commonwealth Provisional Government. The Institute seems to use the rest of the Commonwealth as a dumping ground for various failed experiments; the Commonwealth strain of super mutant can trace its history back to the Institute's experiments with FEV.

Another organization active within the Commonwealth, the Railroad, functions in direct opposition to the Institute. Named in honor of the Underground Railroad, the Railroad's mission is the rescue and salvation of synthetic humanoids primarily, though enslavement as a whole is also fought against.

There are more factions in play than The Institute and the Railroad, however. Preston Garvey (or the Sole Survivor) leads a group called the Minutemen, a citizen's militia that fought against the vicious bands of raiders and the super mutants which plague the area. Although they once commanded the respect of the Commonwealth, their numbers steadily dwindled after the disastrous Quincy Massacre, with infighting and corruption tearing the organization apart. By the time of 2287, the Minutemen are in few numbers, with the supposedly last member; Preston, trying to keep a small amount of people alive from violent Raiders which seek to end them. Their fate is entirely up to that of the Sole Survivor.

The Brotherhood of Steel sent several reconnaissance teams into Boston and the surrounding areas prior to 2287. Eventually, the Brotherhood deployed the Prydwen over the skies of Boston in the hopes of establishing a permanent foothold in the area. Led by Elder Arthur Maxson, the Brotherhood has reverted to its old ways and is now trying to bring the Institute down along with its synths.

Fallout 3

 * Harkness, Dr. Zimmer and Armitage are from the Commonwealth.
 * During the events of Broken Steel, Dr. Li leaves the Capital Wasteland on a trip to the Commonwealth, apparently to clear her head after the final activation of Project Purity. At an unspecified point, she joins the Institute.
 * Tobar, captain of the Duchess Gambit, made frequent trips to the Commonwealth when his ferry was in better condition.
 * Ishmael Ashur, ruler of The Pitt, mentions the Commonwealth, stating that it has reason to envy the Pitt.
 * Marcella mentions the Commonwealth on her terminal in Point Lookout.
 * Robert Joseph MacCready originally comes from Little Lamplight in the Capital Wasteland.

Appearances
The Commonwealth appears only in Fallout 4, and is mentioned in Fallout 3 and its add-ons The Pitt, Broken Steel, and Point Lookout.