Free States

The Appalachian Free States, or simply the Free States, were a secessionist movement primarily consisting of Appalachian survivalists. Following the Great War, they attempted to create a new society, but by 2102 they had been exterminated.

Background
In the years before the Great War, the Appalachian Free States movement formed in West Virginia as a group of local survivalists with separatist overtones. They were staunchly championed by controversial U.S. Senator Sam Blackwell, even as they came into increasingly violent conflict with local law enforcement. Many people viewed the Free States as "tinfoil hats" obsessed with conspiracy theories about the government. The Free States declared they were seceding from the United States shortly before the Great War.

Many members of the Free States survived the nuclear bombs and fallout in self-constructed concrete bunkers. By 2079, they had emerged from their bunkers a little less than two years after the bombs fell. After exiting they started rebuilding the town of Harpers Ferry, though they were surprised to find the local region, which would come to be known as the Mire, plagued by clouds of radiation and heavily mutated wildlife and vegetation. The Free States established tentative ties over the following years with other emerging factions, such as the Responders and the Brotherhood of Steel, but were skeptical of outsiders and careful to maintain their isolation in order to preserve their supply stockpiles.

Sometime before 2102, the Free States were attacked and overwhelmed by the Scorched at Harpers Ferry, and were forced to abandon the town. They began researching countermeasures against the Scorched and Scorchbeasts, but were wiped out before they made any significant headway.

Interactions with the player character

 * During the player character's journeys in the Mire, they may come across recordings left by Abigayle Singh telling them how to get the Scorched Detection System working.
 * RadShield can be obtained the player character after learning about Ella Ames' research.
 * The player character may assist the Free States robot Rover in rebooting the "Scorched Detection Communications" Protocol as part of the Always Vigilant event quest.
 * The fate of a missing group search for ghouls can be discovered by the play in the quest Tracking Unknowns and being rewarded with the Pyrolyzer and a prototype hazmat suit
 * A strangler heart can be killed after hearing a priority message from Raleigh Clay starting Heart of the Swamp

Appearances
The Free States appear in Fallout 76.