Helvetia is a town in the Forest region of Appalachia. It is currently inhabited by the Scorched.
Background
Settled by German and Swiss immigrants following the Civil War in 1869, Helvetia was a village of professionals and craftsmen, including musicians, cheesemakers, stonemasons, doctors, and teachers.[1][2] With additional immigration from Switzerland and areas of the United States, Helvetia's population rose to 308 by 1875, specializing in crafts, arts, and agriculture.[1][2]
Helvetia maintained its unique Swiss and German-American culture, including art and holidays. Key among these was the Fasnacht Day celebration, burning an effigy of Old Man Winter after a parade known in West Virginia for its colorful and unique masks. The town invested in Protectron robots to reduce the workload associated with the parade, the robots also serving as a popular tourist attraction.[3]
When a Horizon Airlines jet crashed in the valley to the east, a group of the locals journeyed there to assess the situation and look for survivors.[4] Some of the citizens used the wreckage to build habitation, subsequently known as Horizon's Rest.[5] The Cult of the Mothman utilized the local church for a place of worship and Scorched roam the streets.
Layout
Helvetia is small and compact, bordered by the mountains on the north and the south, and a river running through the middle. The town was once a tourist destination and features German/Swiss themed buildings to showcase the town's heritage. There is a church, store/post office, bookstore, museum, Cheese Haus, The Honey Haus, Freyja's Haus Restaurant, and a few other unmarked buildings which can all be explored.
The two main roads are Pickens Road, entering Helvetia from the west and terminating in the east, over the river, at the Helvetia-Adolph Road passing through the town on a north-south axis. Helvetia also hosts the seasonal Fasnacht Day. When this event takes place, Helvetia is decorated accordingly and the Master of Ceremonies floats about.
The northern side of the town includes the church in the west, with a chemistry station and a voting station on the first floor, Mothman effigy in place of the altar, and a weapons workbench in the attic. Directly east of it is a small unmarked museum with a sleeping bag and a bookstore slightly to the north. The Cheese Haus and the locked Honey Haus lie in the east. Just by the road are the town hall with a banjo and a piano for those inclined to gain the Well Tuned bonus and the hotel. On the other side of the road is the post office, with a locked safe behind the counter and wooden maintenance and storage shed with a weapons workbench.
The eastern part of Helvetia, just over the river, contains Freyja's Haus Restaurant, the stage where the Fasnacht seasonal event begins, a house, and the school haus to the southeast. The church has been converted into a Mothman shrine. The key to the post office is sitting on an interior desk and can be taken from a broken window.
During Fasnacht, several different masks can be acquired, including a Fasnacht man mask, an owl mask, a jester mask, and a skull mask. The town also has several crafting stations including a cooking station in the Cheese Haus and a Water Pump next to the building. There is also a chemistry station just inside the entrance and on the top floor of the church. There is a weapons workbench on the upper floor of the church and a second one in a small shack across from the vote-counting station. A third one is behind a building south of the restaurant.
Locations
World Objects
| Image | Name |
|---|---|
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Helvetia Armoire |
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Helvetia Bird |
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Helvetia Bucket |
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Helvetia Bundle |
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Helvetia Butcher Shop |
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Helvetia Dresser |
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Helvetia Photostand |
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Helvetia Rug |
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Helvetia Teapot |
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Helvetian Fence Set |
- Signs
| Image | Name |
|---|---|
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All Are Welcome Sign |
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Cheese Haus Sign |
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Freyja's Haus Sign |
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Helvetia Sign |
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Helvetia WV Sign |
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Helvetia Wayfinding Sign |
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The Honey Haus Sign |
- Paintings
| Image | Name |
|---|---|
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
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Painting |
Loot
- Responder Outposts - Note, on a table next to a Ham Radio.
- Fasnacht Robots - Note, on the counter next to the Cash Register.
- Potential Workshop Plan - On the front counter next to an ammo box.
- Checklist - Note, on the kitchen counter.
- Happy Fasnacht! - Note, on the top of the bar counter.
- Potential Recipe - On the kitchen counter.
- Large quantity of wood - Behind the building.
- German Books - Two notes in the northeastern room, one on the counter and one on the table.
- Harvest - Note, on the lectern in front of the Mothman depiction, on the first floor.
- Potential Weapon Mod - On a table to the left of the Weapons Workbench on the second floor.
- Airplane Crash - Note, on the drawer in the northwestern bedroom, on the second floor.
- Potential Workshop Plan - On a short table near the entrance.
- Civil War Era Top Hat - One the floor next to a green chair, and another one in the display case with the suit.
- Civil War Era Suit - Inside the central display case on the northern wall.
- Fasnacht Beverage Report - Note, inside the display case in front of the Convivial Historian, only readable during Fasnacht Day.
- Fasnacht Residue Analysis - Note, obtained from the Convivial Historian after turning in ten beer steins, only obtainable during Fasnacht Day.
- Helvetia Protectron Updates - Holotape, on a table inside the workshop east of the main building.
- Helvetia post office key - Inside a red doghouse between the workshop and the main building.
- Potential Weapon Mod Plan - Next to the Weapons Workbench in the workshop.
- Potential Weapon Mod - Next to the Weapons Workbench in the workshop.
- Reaver Scout - Note, stuck to the leg of an impaled corpse on a tree next to the road. Straight ahead from the Helvetia fast travel spawn location.
- Honey Haus key - Under a flower pot on a barrel by the western door.
- Fasnacht Robots - Note, inside a broken glass display case next to three bits of Honey.
Behind the scenes
Helvetia is based on the real world town of the same name in Randolph County, West Virginia. Lead artist Nathan Purkeypile visited Helvetia while scouting out West Virginia for the game.[Dev 1]
Bugs
An "immortal" level 1 Scorched can sometimes be found in the shop here. This scorched will, once you are detected, attack you without moving from the upper level, dealing unavoidable, invisible damage. The scorched will also be unkillable, regenerating health, and always retaining a minimum of one health.
Gallery
Helvetia sign
Panoramic
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Helvetia placard
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p. 51: HELVETIA
"Settled by Swiss and German immigrants after the Civil War, Helvetia was known for its Fasnacht festival, where grotesque masks were worn by revelers. Perhaps this headgear can be found when an Event of the same name is active? Check the settlement along Pickens Road for scavengable items. The church shows signs of cultist (and chem addict) activity. The post office front door is locked (1), but you can climb up the metal lean-to and through the upper balcony door. The other structures have a variety of odd and helpful junk items to gather." - ↑ Fasnacht Robots
- ↑ Airplane Crash
- ↑ Horizon's Rest armory
- ↑ Nate Purkeypile on Twitter: "Looks fun! I had a blast on our research trip. I'm curious just how many people end up at all these smaller places because of 76. Helvetia is still one of my favorites. That place is great."
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