Shady Sands

Shady Sands, sometimes referred to as New California Republic is a major location , , and a vital plot element . Originally a small village founded by Vault 15 dwellers after the opening of the Vault. After decades of quiet existence, the strange little village surprised its neighbors by developing rapidly towards infrastructure based on pre-War America, culminating in the formation of the mighty New California Republic,The Chosen One: "{127}{}{Ever hear of a GECK?}"Slave overseer: "{138}{}{GECK, eh? Back when I was studying Vault tech, I read about those. Supposedly every vault got one and it was supposed to be the first thing used once a vault got opened. They say that's how Shady Sands got its start - from a GECK. That help at all?}"The Chosen One: "{139}{}{You studied vault tech? Impressive. Say, I got some more questions for you.}"(Scslvovr.msg) with Shady Sands selected as the first capitalFallout Season 1 Episode 5: The Past, ~28:27 of the New California Republic (NCR) in 2198, nine years after the Republic's foundation. 
Throughout its existence, it was one of the largest cities of the NCR and New California. It was also the largest known urban center built from scratch without using pre-War ruins as the foundation, boasting a population of over 3,000 inhabitants by 2241, and nearly 35,000 by 2281. Shady Sands housed the Hall of Congress of the NCR, as well as the president and their office, quartered in the same building.Fallout TV series: "The Past," "The Trap," "The Radio," "The Beginning"
Shortly after the events of Fallout: New Vegas (which was set in 2281), Shady Sands was destroyed by a nuclear bomb on the orders of Hank MacLean, a Vault-Tec executive and overseer of Vault 33, who wanted to erase all factionalism and ensure the world would be remade according to his and Vault-Tec's ideals. This would also hide the truth of the surface world from Vault 32 and 33's inhabitants (after Vault 33's water was discovered to have been partially siphoned). A handful of survivors found refuge in nearby towns, settlements, Vaults, and even the Brotherhood of Steel, members of whom were known to have been immediately on-site after the nuclear blast.Fallout TV series: "The Past," "The Trap," "The Radio," "The Beginning"
With the executive and legislative wiped out, remnants of the NCR within the region led by the pre-war scientist Lee Moldaver established a new regional headquarters (presumably a military headquarters) at the Griffith Observatory. This force was ultimately wiped out by the Brotherhood of Steel when they engaged them at the Battle of Griffith Observatory in 2296, effectively giving them control of the newly restored cold fusion technology.
==History==
Shady Sands was founded by an ancestor of Aradesh after they left Vault 15,The Vault Dweller: "{108}{}{Tell me a bit about the town.}"Jarvis: "{111}{}{Well, Shady Sands was founded by a great ancestor of our current leader, Aradesh. He could tell you more of the story. We have a well and irrigation, so we do well for ourselves.}"(Jarvis' dialogue) in 2097.Vipers design document: "64 years ago, a man named Jonathan Faust led his group of about 200 people from the overcrowded Vault into the wastes of the outside. It was there that his small band came to a small oasis in the middle of the desert. In the middle of this oasis was a large pit, almost like a crater. While resting and setting up camp, Faust decided to look into the pit. Darkness greeted him." The official establishment of the town was later recorded as 2142.Fallout Bible p.25: "TIMELINE REPAIR: SECOND STRIKE""2142 Spring: Shady Sands founded, wall erected against the raiders."The Vault Dweller: "{130}{}{Tell me about yourself.}"Katrina: "{137}{}{My life was very boring. I was raised in a Vault. I lived there for many years. Unfortunately, we were crowded and life was very bad. There was a schism, and many people left, taking with them the best equipment. Still, some of us tried to stay in the Vault. But then we were attacked. I was hurt, and I ended up here. Now I try to help people . . .}"(SSGUIDE.MSG) By design, Vault 15 was overcrowded, and populated by people of radically diverse ideologies and backgrounds. The original inhabitants of Shady Sands left the Vault after some collective disagreement, and formed a peaceful community in the desert.Fallout Bible p.11: "VAULT SYSTEM""Vault 15: Intended to stay closed for 50 years and include people of radically diverse ideologies. Gathered from what you hear from Aradesh in Fallout 1, he has quite a bit of multi-cultural flavoring to his speech."
The settlement was jump-started using Vault 15's G.E.C.K., allowing for rudimentary agriculture, and the construction of adobe buildings from sandcrete.The Chosen One: "{117}{}{Do you have a GECK?}"Mikey Frazier: "{119}{}{A GECK? Well, that's old history, so what the hell. You mean the old Garden of Eden Kit. We had one - I mean our grandparents had one. Used it when they came out of Vault 15. Got this place started, they say. It's all used up now.}"(Scmikey.msg) A protective wall was erected to protect the city from raider tribes that formed in the winter, raiding outlying communities to replenish their food supplies.Fallout Bible 0; Timeline repair Second strike: "2141 Winter Raiders begin to form in the region as food supplies run low. The Khans and the Vipers begin terrorizing local settlements." They were often attacked by other communities which had emerged from Vault 15 since their exodus, like the Khans, Vipers, and Jackals. The raiders would steal food from the town and sometimes shoot a few residents, with Seth forming the first town guard to fight them off. The resistance would continue for years.The Vault Dweller: "{119}{}{Are there many bandits?}"Ian: "{120}{}{There are several. They come from various groups. They steal our food and occasionally shoot a few people. Seth organized the guards to help fight them off.}"The Vault Dweller: "{122}{}{There are different groups? Who are they all?}"Ian: "{128}{}{There are three groups: the Khans, the Vipers, and the Jackals. They pretty much hate each other, but they all raid Shady Sands.}"(IAN.MSG)
===Shady Sands===
By 2161, it was a small but thriving settlement, completely self-sufficient, as they managed to irrigate the wasteland soil to support crops (primarily maize and cabbage), drill a well to provide them with water, and even establish brahmin herds. Their grown crops and resources sustained the settlement and provided goods for trade with other towns.The Vault Dweller: "{117}{}{I want to know about this place.}"Seth: "{124}{}{Shady Sands is a peaceful community. We have our own irrigation system, so we can grow our own food. If we were not plagued with raiders and Radscorpions, we would have no problems.}"(SETH.MSG) The teachings of Dharma were influential: All denizens of Shady Sands looked after one another, according to Dharma's maxim: "Many sticks can be broken. A bundle cannot."Aradesh: "{174}{Ara_23b}{We are a very protective community. As Dharma said, 'Many sticks can be broken. A bundle cannot.'}"(ARADESH.MSG) While outsiders were welcome to visit, they were kept under close observation to ensure they couldn't do harm to the community.Aradesh: "{143}{Ara_13}{Wanderer, I shall believe you . . . for now. You may enter Shady Sands, but be warned your every move will be watched.}"(ARADESH.MSG) All members worked together and shared the fruit of their labor, with an elder elected by the communityFallout endings: "With Aradesh dead, and Tandi missing or killed, Shady Sands needs a new leader. After several elections, they find they cannot be governed by a single person and create a guiding council. Shortly afterwards, the Raiders regroup and attack Shady Sands, burning the small community to the ground." to lead with their experience (Aradesh at the time).Shady Sands citizen: "{101}{}{Welcome to Shady Sands, stranger!}"Vault Dweller: "{103}{}{What's the deal with this place?}"Shady Sands citizen: "{105}{}{We are a true community. We all work and share together.}"Vault Dweller: "{106}{}{How do you survive out here?}"Shady Sands citizen: "{108}{}{We have farms and irrigation, and we herd Brahmin. Everybody contributes their skills to making something useful.}"Vault Dweller: "{107}{}{Who's your leader?}"Shady Sands citizen: "{109}{}{Aradesh is our current elder. With his experience he helps to lead the community.}"(CITIZEN.MSG) To remind everyone of the future, a pillar was erected, with stories of hope and peace carved into its surface.PRO SCEN.MSG (Fallout): "{82900}{}{Pillar}{82901}{}{This pillar is the show piece of the Shady Sands square. It tells stories to remind the people of hope and peace.}"
The settlement kept mostly to itself, trading with the occasional merchant from JunktownThe Vault Dweller: "{1009}{}{Junktown}"Aradesh: "{1109}{Ara_60}{Junktown is south of here. Their merchants occasionally come to trade, but not often.}"(ARADESH.MSG) and even the Hub.Caravan driver: "{220}{}{These are the caravans. We cart goods to just about all corners of the wastes. Junktown, The Brotherhood, Shady Sands, and numerous other places. Necropolis and the Glow are the only areas we steer clear of. I’m headin’ this group and we will be leavin’ shortly. The group across the street just arrived.}"(HGENCVAN.MSG) Aradesh was deliberately avoiding opening up trade to a greater degree, concerned about Shady Sands' security.The Vault Dweller: "{1007}{}{Junktown}"Tandi: "{1107}{TAND_53}{Junktown's a small city to the southwest. It's supposed to have pretty good trading, but my father won't even look into it. He says we need to stay 'protected'. Yeah, right. Caged is more like it. }"(TANDI.MSG)
Regardless of Aradesh's attitude, some, like Duc, made it a part of their regular trade route,Duc: "{102}{}{Well hello, wanderer. My name's Duc, and I'm headed into Shady Sands to do some trading. Perhaps I can interest you in some goods?}"The Vault Dweller: "{104}{}{Do you go to Shady Sands often?}"Duc: "{107}{}{Yes, Shady Sands is part of my normal trade route. You can travel there with us for safety if you like.}"The Vault Dweller: "{108}{}{Sure, sounds good.}"(DUC.MSG but usually it was considered small and unimportant (which also affected knowledge transfer, for example, some farmers did not understand the principle of crop rotation, leading to lower yields),Curtis: "{112}{}{I am a farmer. We irrigated the desert many years ago. Although the wasteland is harsh, it is possible to grow things with patience and time.}"The Vault Dweller: "{114}{}{You have all of your fields planted right now? You could probably do better with crop rotation.}"Curtis: "{115}{}{Crop rotation? What's that?}"The Vault Dweller: "{117}{}{You only plant some of your fields, allowing the others to get back some of the nutrients that the plants used up. You let the other fields become fertile again by just tilling up whatever grows there.}"Curtis: "{118}{}{Huh. Never thought of that. Makes sense, though. Good idea.}"(CURTIS.MSG) but also large enough to deter most of the problems the wastes presented, primarily the local raider clans (Khans, Jackals, and Vipers, both also originating from Vault 15) and repeated attacks by radscorpions. While present for years,The Vault Dweller: "{115}{}{I want to know about the Radscorpions.}"Seth: "{122}{}{Those damn Radscorpions have been after our Brahmin since we moved here. Not a week goes by that someone doesn't get poisoned trying to keep them out of the pens. Last week they took my brother Jarvis. Razlo, our doctor, is looking for an antidote as quickly as he can. Hey, if you have the means to help us, why don't you talk to our leader, Aradesh.}"(SETH.MSG) both of these threats slowly escalated: Radscorpions became more numerous and aggressive, while raiders constantly developed their strength and numbers, infuriated by Shady Sands' resistance. By December 2161, the attacks increased in severity, endangering entire brahmin herds and even attacking some of the town dwellers.The Vault Dweller: "{194}{}{What's going on around here?}"Aradesh: "{196}{Ara_28}{Oh my yes. Great packs of Rad Scorpions are killing our herds. We don't know where they're from, and no matter how many we kill, there's always more!}"The Vault Dweller: "{197}{}{Go on.}"Aradesh: "{198}{Ara_28a}{And now the monsters are attacking my people! Razlo is trying to find a cure for their poison, but I'm not sure how it goes.}"(ARADESH.MSG) The raiders, angered by Shady Sands' repeated refusal to give in to their demands, have also stepped up their attacks, eventually culminating in the abduction of Aradesh's daughter, Tandi.Aradesh: "{228}{Ara_39}{Thank goodness you came! I am in desperate need of assistance. My daughter, Tandi, is missing. I do not know what to do!}"The Vault Dweller: "{229}{}{Have you tried to save her?}"Aradesh: "{231}{Ara_39a}{My people are not skilled in this. Already three patrols have gone out to look, but none returned. Will you help me?}"The Vault Dweller: "{232}{}{Okay. Who could have taken her?}"Aradesh: "{235}{Ara_40}{Seth and I believe one of the raider clans is responsible - retribution for our resistance to them. Take this spear. It was found where my daughter was last seen.}"The Vault Dweller: "{236}{}{Okay, I'll check it out.}"Aradesh: "{237}{Ara_40A}{Please, talk to Seth. He knows much about these raiders. And God speed, wanderer.}"(ARADESH.MSG)
While Shady Sands kept to itself, it never refused aid. Ian, a caravan guard wounded during a raid stayed at the town to recuperate and became a part of its community, helping trade with Junktown and the Hub.The Vault Dweller: "{109}{}{What do you do here?}"Ian: "{112}{}{I was a guard for the merchants of the Hub. However, I was shot during a raid by bandits. I've been staying here, since the people have helped me recover. Still, my knowledge of the outside world and my experience make me useful here. Shady Sands is my home now. Occasionally, I even get to visit Junktown or the Hub to do some trading, since I'm the only person here who has ever really left town.}"(IAN.MSG) However, the most important helper was the Vault Dweller, who discovered the settlement en route to Vault 15. Initially distrusting of the stranger,Vault Dweller's memoirs "Life on the OutsideMy first few days were harrowing to say the least. I fought off some giant mutant rats that were more interested in eating me than they should have been.My only clue was the location of another Vault, number 15. I spent a couple of days stumbling through the desert before I came upon a small settlement. I stopped there for help, and encountered the little town called Shady Sands. I helped them, and they helped me. Understand that survival requires that you work together, even with people you may not trust. I did earn the trust, however, of two prominent citizens of Shady Sands - Tandi, and her father, Aradesh." the inhabitants quickly warmed up to the hero as they successfully rid the community of the radscorpion threat, and rescued from captivity at the hands of raiders,The Chosen One: "{241}{}{I'd like to hear your story.}"Tandi: "{242}{tand29}{Figures. (sigh) Well, I was pretty young when we met. There was a gang of raiders - The Khans - Who'd gotten hold of me. Things were looking pretty bad when, all of a sudden, this stranger shows up and rescues me. Your Vaultdweller.}"(Shtandi.msg) paving the way for expansion and development with willing partners, such as Killian Darkwater of Junktown, who was looking to expand trade with the town.The Vault Dweller: "{1015}{}{Shady}"Killian Darkwater: "{1115}{Kill79}{Shady Sands? That's a little place up to the north. I'd like to do more trading with them.}"(KILLIAN.MSG)
===Expansion and foundation of the NCR===
Following the destruction of the Unity by the Vault Dweller, Shady Sands thrived. Already considered one of the most promising communities in the wastes,The Vault Dweller: "{1008}{}{Sands}"Ian: "{1108}{}{A small and peaceful village. Probably the most promising community in the wastes.}"(IAN.MSG) if not the best chance for a new civilization in New California,The Vault Dweller: "{124}{}{What do you know about Shady Sands?}"Patrick the Celt: "{134}{}{Shady Sands is a small, self-sufficient community led by Aradesh, a kind man and strong leader. They are peaceful and hard-working. They are probably the best chance for a new civilization here.}"(PATRICK.MSG) with the raiders broken by the same Dweller, the community got room to breathe, develop, and expand. The Dweller became a venerated hero, even if nobody believed their claims about coming from Vault 13, which remained lost.The Chosen One: "{180}{}{This suit has been in our village since the beginning. It belonged to the Vaultdweller, our founder.}"Tandi: "{181}{tand13}{You're serious aren't you? If we're talking about the same person, he saved my life. (snorts) Then vanished. When I start thinking it was only a dream, I go look at the statue out front.}"The Chosen One: "{182}{}{Statue?}"Tandi: "{183}{tand14a}{That's right. For scaring off the raiders. They kept clear of Shady Sands afterwards we got time to get ourselves set up. We made him a hero... even if we didn't believe a word about him coming from Vault 13.}"(Shtandi.msg) Tandi helped Aradesh create a new community and a new life out of the barren wasteland, eventually starting the work towards forming the New California Republic.NCR history holodisk: "Founded eighty years ago, the NCR is now comprised of the states of Shady, Los Angeles, Maxson, Hub, and Dayglow. Approximately 700,000 citizens are pleased to call NCR home."Fallout endings: "In Shady Sands, Tandi helps her father Aradesh bring a new community and new life out of the broken remains of the world. They are responsible for the New California Republic, whose ideals spread across the land." Junktown became one of its first allies in the formative phase, as a long-standing and most trustworthy trading partner.Fallout Bible 5: "14. One thing - what's happened to Junktown? Was it just too little to be it's own state? Or maybe it has managed to survive as an independent enclave inside NCR, a hive of scum and villainy, so to speak. And what kind of folks would live in Glow? After all, that place must still, well, glow, at least somewhat. Ghouls?Junktown became part of NCR as part of the state of Shady, and it was one of the first provisional states, considering it was one of the first (and most trustworthy) of the Shady Sands trading partners during its early formation. Its alliance with Shady Sands did cause some alarm from the caravans in the Hub, but it didn't hurt the Hub communities any... and the Hub eventually became part of NCR as well. As for the Glow (or the state of Dayglow), most of the state is actually north and west of the glow, but they are still able to see the Glow from their borders. A number of ghouls are rumored to live there now, as part of the Great Migration from Necropolis - once the ghouls learned of West Tek, they were eager to see if they could scavenge technology from the abandoned center. Some ghouls formed partnerships with scavenging companies from New Adytum and the Hub and have built quite a profitable corporation from their salvage efforts. At least one super mutant, a refugee from the Cathedral, was also rumored to be working with the ghouls and humans in Dayglow." 
In 2186, after years of expansion through trade routes, Aradesh proposed the idea of the NCR to other major cities in the region, forming a trial council in Shady Sands to draft a constitution.Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 41: "The New California RepublicThe New California Republic was born from the remnants of the survivors of Vault 15 and the small walled community they founded, Shady Sands. Under the leadership of Aradesh, and with the assistance of the Vault Dweller (who saved Tandi, Aradesh's daughter and a future president of the NCR), the community prospered. Trade routes with other settlements allowed cultural exchange, and a movement to form a national entity gradually took root and won popular acceptance. In 2186, the town of Shady Sands changed its name to "New California Republic" and formed a trial council government to draft a constitution. Four more settlements joined the council, and in 2189 the NCR was voted into existence as a sprawling federation of five states: Shady Sands, Los Angeles, Maxson, Hub, and Dayglow.By post-apocalyptic standards, the NCR is a paragon of economic success and good ethical character: political enfranchisement, rule of law, a reasonable degree of physical security, and a standard of living better than mere subsistence are daily realities for it's 700,000+ citizens. Currently, the NCR in a state of transition, with rapid economic growth and a sea change in political leadership endangering its grand humanitarian ideals. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Mojave, where the occupation of Hoover Dam has improved access to electricity and water, but at the cost of straining its budget and embroiling its armed forces in a morally corrosive imperialist project.The NCR government's aim is to annex New Vegas as the republic's sixth state. While it already controls Hoover Dam, its treaty with Mr. House and the three families compels it to allot one-fifth of the dam's electrical and water production to local use free of charge. Adding injury to insult, the NCR is locked into protecting New Vegas from invasion by Caesar's legion even as it receives not one cap in tax revenue from the Strip's highly lucrative resort operations. NCR citizens in the Mojave have largely come here for economic reasons, whether as paid citizen soldiers or as prospectors and fortune-seekers."(Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles) Three years later, in 2189, NCR was officially formed after a referendum held at the Hub resulted in it signing on. The newly established Hall of Congress at Shady Sands became the site of celebrations, as President Aradesh addressed the crowd.Kellogg memory radio broadcast He and his daughter continued the work, with Tandi becoming the mayor of Shady Sands and the President of the Republic in 2196, after Aradesh's death while on an expedition to find Vault 13.The Chosen One: "{182}{}{Statue?}"Tandi: "{315}{tand14b}{My dad and Seth searched for years trying to find Vault 13. They died looking - always said it was west of here. If somebody were to find Vault 13, that'd do us even better than 15.}"(Shtandi.msg) Under her leadership, the city continued to grow.The Chosen One: "{244}{}{The Vaultdweller had many such adventures.}"Tandi: "{245}{tand30}{I used to envy 'em that. I wanted a life of adventure, but I stayed here and took over as mayor when my dad died. Been running this place and building NCR ever since. Guess it turned out to be a pretty big life after all.}"(Shtandi.msg) Just two years into her presidency, Shady Sands was chosen as the first capital of the New California Republic.; The chalkboard dates the selection of the capital in 2198, nine years after the Republic's official foundation.
===Capital of the New California Republic===
Over the next forty-three years, Shady Sands expanded and developed, with Shady Sands remaining the northernmost major city of the Republic: A border city, capital of the state of Shady, and the Republic's capital.The Chosen One: "{142}{}{Tell me about this town.}"Mira: "{148}{}{Name's NCR. Used to be Shady Sands, but after the Master's defeat, Aradesh and the others founded the Republic. Now, NCR sits right on the border. Everything south of here's Republic ruled.}"(Scmira.msg) While the name remained, the town was frequently called the NCR, particularly in the north.The Chosen One: "{164}{}{Is this the Shadeesands the Elder speaks of?}"Tandi: "{248}{tand31}{Was Shady Sands; Most folks call it NCR now. New California Republic - pretty impressive name, huh?}"(Shtandi.msg)Tandi: "{278}{tand38}{I'm Tandi, president of the New California Republic. Welcome to Shady Sands. I hear some pretty impressive things about you. No point in dancing. Got some business I want to discuss.}"(Shtandi.msg) Over 80 years it expanded to become one of the most prosperous cities in the region, reaching a population of 3,000 by 2241The Chosen One: "{106}{}{I'm new to NCR. What can you tell me about your town?}"Karl: "{114}{}{This is NCR, capitol of the New California Republic. Population 3000 and growing. No slavery, no gambling, no drugs. President is Mrs. Tandi, my boss is Sheriff Dumont. That answer your questions?}"(Karl's dialogue) and offering a quality of life nearing that of the pre-War world within the city: Ample electricity provided by the city power plant, defensive walls with force field emitters installed in the gates, a complete water and sewage system, including fire hydrants,Fallout 2 map contains both hydrants and street drains. and even quiet parks to provide the citizens with a moment of respite. A uniformed police force kept the peace and enforced municipal laws prohibiting open carry of weapons, gambling, public drunkenness and drug use, and especially slavery. While the city's mayor is President Tandi, the citizens elect the sheriff to head the police force (Dumont in 2241).Town inhabitant: "{138}{}{Town's been pretty quiet since Dumont got elected.}"(Scpeaon.msg)Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets p.190: "The NCR is a clean town filled with honest, hardworking folk—at least that's how President-for-life Tandi would like to have it. The reality falls somewhat short of that goal. The NCR does keep order within its walls with a large and competent police force. Outside the walls, the NCR has so far been operating through others, buying and trading for things that they cannot yet take by open force."
Despite its remote location, the capital city attracted people and wealth. It house the Hall of Congress of the NCR's legislature and the executive, including the President's office, as well as the headquarters of the Stockmen's Association, an outpost of the Brotherhood of Steel, the covert headquarters of the NCR Rangers, and even a chapel for religious services, including Hubology, expanding at the time from San Francisco. Some of the major figures in NCR politics, like Roger Westin, operated ranches on the outskirts of town.The Chosen One: "{220}{}{Who is this Westin person?}"Tandi: "{221}{tand22}{Congressman Westin? One of the biggest brahmin ranchers around. His spreads on the west side of town. Just don't bring up New Reno if you talk to him - it gets him going. If you're looking for a steady job... but you aren't that type, are you?}"(Shtandi.msg) The city was constantly expanding, with an insatiable hunger for resources to fuel this expansion. In 2241, this ran into obstacles: As the NCR turned its gaze northward, President Tandi sought to use Vault 15 to support expansion, but ran into an issue with "squatters" who moved in. As Vault 15 was seen as the NCR's ancestral home and most NCR families traced their roots to dwellers who survived within,The Chosen One: "{156}{}{What can you tell me about vault 15?}"Tandi: "{166}{tand8}{It's just east of here, an underground shelter from the war. Most families in NCR came from it, so it's rightfully ours.}"(Shtandi.msg) it was a matter of both resources and pride.The Chosen One: "{108}{}{I'm looking for Vault 13. Do you know where it is?}"Dumont: "{116}{}{No, I don't. That's something even President Tandi would like to know. Solve a lot of problems.}"The Chosen One: "{117}{}{Problems?}"Dumont: "{144}{}{Look around you. NCR's a growing place. We need parts, computers, whatnot. Been a problem ever since those squatters moved into Vault 15.}"The Chosen One: "{145}{}{Vault 15? Squatters? What's going on?}"Dumont: "{173}{}{Desert rats. You got to understand – this town traces its roots back to 15. Seems there was some trouble there a long time ago and the survivors founded Shady Sands. So by right, Vault 15 is our property. Few years back some squatters moved in and there’s been trouble ever since. You should talk to Tandi about it.}"(Scsherif.msg) With the help of the Chosen One, Vault Dweller's descendant, the NCR regained access to Vault 15, vindicating Tandi's diplomatic policies,Fallout 2 endings: "Your help with Vault 15 launched the New California Republic's push to civilize its neighbors. Though there were many more obstacles to overcome, the NCR now had a foothold into the northern wastes." demonstrating the value of working with other communities to make them self-sufficient and prosperous.Fallout 2 endings: "With the support of the New California Republic, the Vault 15 squatters soon become self-sufficient and productive members of society." 
While NCR took laws seriously, it led to a number of peculiarities in Shady Sands. All territory within city limits was considered NCR territory, while land beyond its walls was not. This led to a thriving bazaar founded just outside city gates, where non-citizens, traders, caravan drivers, and other people who didn't like NCR's strict laws gathered, thriving in the relaxed environment. This included weapons traders,The Chosen One: "{115}{}{Tell me about NCR}"Buster: "{125}{}{New California Republic - that's what it is. President Tandi and the bunch say they're trying to rebuild the old days; I figure they're just trying to grab whatever they can. Hell, I got no complaint with them - the old days is all before my time. They're kind of a prissy bunch, though - don't like slaves, gambling, whatnot. That's why I set up out here. Don't like rules - never have.}"(Scbuster.msg) parking attendants (as the NCR was prosperous enough to have a limited number of motor vehicles restored to working condition),The Chosen One: "{117}{}{That's right. I'm a really powerful giant! You will obey me.}"Doofus: "{151}{}{Man that's a lot. Giant, I'm Doofus and I'm a car hop and I'm supposed to watch cars that people bring here, but, you know, I got this...thing, see, and sometimes I need a little extra money and stuff, see?}"(scskeete.msg) and even a slave holding pen established to allow slave owners to temporarily store their victims.Vortis: "{106}{}{This place is my place and I, Vortis, run an honest and legitimate busines no matter what anybody in NCR tells you. Since NCR doesn't allow slaves inside the gates, I mind them for folks who've got business inside.}"(Scvortis.msg) While NCR laws didn't = apply, all bazaar business owners - including the slaver - had to have an NCR-issued business license.Vortis: "{107}{}{What are you, dense? This is a slave pen. I got licenses for it.}"(Scvortis.msg) Of course, the NCR had other ways to address the issue of laws not reaching far enough.The Chosen One: "{141}{}{Test? What is this - school?}"Elise: "{142}{}{There's a slaver just outside town. Maybe you've seen his place. Free the slaves there and then come back and talk to us.}"(Scelise.msg)
===Fall of Shady Sands===
right|300px|thumb|Shady Sands in the 2270s. The original obelisk and well have been meticulously preserved to honor the past.
The capital expanded even further oven the next 40 years, thanks to the aggressive expansionist policies ushered in after Tandi's passing in 2248,Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.458: "Important Dates""2196 Tandi (Aradesh's daughter) is unanimously elected President by the NCR council. Her popularity is to prove enduring: she will continue to serve in office until her death in 2248, at the age of 103.""2248 President Tandi takes ill and dies at the age of 103. Her presidency has lasted 52 years. Vice-President Joanna Tibbett assumes office."(Behind the Bright Lights & Big City) which led to the Mojave Campaign and expansion eastwards. The New Vegas Treaty of 2274 was a major step forward, as water and electricity flowed into the home states, including Shady Sands. The population exploded tenfold, reaching 34,852 citizens by 2281,Shady Sands billboard when the war with Caesar's Legion began to escalate towards the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. At this point, Shady Sands boasted a public transport system operated by the dedicated Department of Transportation, a Greek Revival courthouse, a public school and library.; Lucy's flashbacks.
The development also further increased the prominence of Shady Sands, with the headquarters of the Office of Science and Industry, the NCR's answer to reliance on the Followers of the Apocalypse, established in Shady Sands in 2275.Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.458: "Important Dates2275 Camp McCarran is established as NCR Headquarters in the Mojave. Sporadic fighting begins with the Mojave Brotherhood of Steel. The NCR government withdraws official support from the Followers of the Apocalypse and founds The Office of Science and Industry."(Behind the Bright Lights & Big City) OSI Central played a key role in harnessing the power of Hoover Dam and many other projects,The Courier: "You said you were the Director of OSI?"Thomas Hildern: "Director of the entire OSI? Me? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to plant seditious ideas in my head. Ha ha ha. No, I direct our eastern operations. I've been responsible for squeezing unprecedented levels of power from the Dam. I'm also confronting the problem of food production, in what little spare time I have. But I've found some promising leads."(Thomas Hildern's dialogue) with Shady Sands becoming a core element of the energy grid delivering power from Hoover Dam,The Courier: "Are you a scientist?"Angela Williams: "I know I don't sound the part. Get raised by brahmin ranchers, and you never lose the twang. Drives Hildern crazy. But I know every inch of the power grid from Hoover Dam to Shady Sands. That's what we do here - try to optimize the power output from the Dam. Some of the others are working on an agricultural project, but... truth be told, they aren't making much progress. Not yet, anyway."(Angela Williams' dialogue) while caravan houses that built the economic power of the NCR resulted in Shady Sands becoming a major transportation hub and supplier of advanced components (e.g., to the aforementioned OSI).Crimson Caravan invoice The expansion of the senate also led to the rise of lobbyists, trying to convince the legislators to pass laws beneficial to them.Crimson Caravan Company terminal entries; Alice McLafferty's terminal, Gun Runner Tariff
The resulting political manoeuvring and inevitable corruption led to deterioration in relations. The beneficiaries of the re-emerging capitalist systems were primarily the brahmin and agricultural barons,The Courier: "What's life like as a Bighorn rancher?"Ethel Phebus: "A good life if you don't mind hard work. The only real fuss is the constant bother with varmints. Fail to catch Molerats early in their breeding, and you'll have three or four head breaking their ankles in Molerat holes every day. That's a problem you can't solve with a Varmint Rifle, though I fear my husband's apt to try. He's got Heck Gunderson in his sights right now."(Ethel Phebus' dialogue) who formally had one vote, but could use their wealth to influence decision making, affecting troop allocationsThe Courier: "What about the troopers?"Hanlon: "You've seen it yourself. Some of them don't even have proper service rifles or armor. Our heavy infantry, power armor units, they're back in NCR territory protecting the interests of Brahmin barons against small-time raiders. Brahmin barons only have one vote at the ballot box, but they have a lot of money to throw around."(Hanlon's dialogue) and conscription laws that disproportionally affected the poor.The Courier: "How does spreading false intel help anything?"Hanlon: " It's been so many years that people forget about it. Conscription brings in fresh troops to die here every month. Like it's routine. Patrol the whole length of the Colorado for hundreds of miles? Holding this dam. "(Hanlon's dialogue) The support of the Senate for the Mojave Campaign tied the annexation's fate to the Senate's,The Courier: "What will you do if I don't turn you in?"Hanlon: "Oliver can't stand that rangers got credit for victory at Hoover. Whatever I recommend, he does the opposite. I said I wanted them on the ridge. He put them right on the western part of the dam itself. We don't have enough firepower to hold that spot. If the troopers fall back, and they will, the rangers will advance to cover Oliver's retreat. We lose the dam, Oliver and the senate are ruined."(Hanlon's dialogue) and undermined trust in the democratic institutions. On the frontier, Shady Sands became synonymous with detached politicians passing laws without thinking them through, like the Thaler Act,The Courier: "What's the Thaler Act?"Trent Bascom: "Something the politicians back in Shady Sands came up with. They pay us to move here and farm the land. They even protect the fields."(Trent Bascom's dialogue)Courier: Do you have a problem with the NCR?'Tom Anderson: The bottom line for NCR is productivity and growth. Politicians back in Shady Sands are completely detached from the people actually living here. or going all-in on the expansion, without regard for local populations, only concerned about productivity and growth.The Courier: "Do you have a problem with the NCR?"Tom Anderson: "I don't go looking for fights with them, but they don't have the best interests of people in mind. Certainly not locals. The bottom line for NCR is productivity and growth. Politicians back in Shady Sands are completely detached from the people actually living here."(Tom Anderson's dialogue) Still, to servicemen, Shady Sands remained a powerful symbol of the Republic.The Courier: "You remember everyone who passes through here?"Ranger Sterling: "Got a good memory for faces. Landmarks and such, too. Comes with practice, that's all. And a lot of scoutin' from place to place. I reckon I've walked every inch of ground between Shady Sands and the Colorado... or close enough to make a man's feet plenty sore."(Sterling's dialogue)As of 2281, Shady Sands was still called the capital of the NCR.Missionary: Okay, next question - what was the original name of the NCR capital - The Boneyard, Shady Sands, Aradesh, or Vault 13?'The Courier: Shady Sands.	
Missionary: Fair enough. 
===Family confrontation===
Some time between 2271 and 2277, Rose MacLean fled Vault 33 after realizing the surface survived, based on imbalances in the Vault's water supply. She escaped with her two very young children, Lucy and Norman and reached Shady Sands, trying to start a new life with Lee Moldaver. However, at another unspecified point in time, Hank MacLean pursued her to the city and confronted his wife. Rose refused to return, and he took his children away from Rose and left the city, moving them back into Vault 33.
===Destruction===
Shortly after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam,IGN interview Hank destroyed Shady Sands with a nuclear device, leaving a giant crater where once the NCR's capital city stood. This was because he wanted to erase factionalism, and force humanity to live under his and Vault-Tec's ideals, instead of a world constantly under war between the NCR and Brotherhood.It is not yet known where Hank obtained the device or the role the Brotherhood played in the attack. As per the Fallout: New Vegas endings, the Brotherhood War was still ongoing in the West. As such, the presence of a Brotherhood knight in full power armor in the NCR's capital shortly after the attack, with the charred bodies of the victims of the attack still smoking, would be impossible without them being already somehow present.Lee Moldaver: "Rose was so clever. Like you. Lucy, your mother discovered that something was siphoning the vault's water away. From that one clue, she deduced that maybe... civilization had returned to the surface. When she told her husband, he said it was a ridiculous idea, and that she should tell no one."
Hank MacLean: "Lucy, let's go. Let's..."
Lee Moldaver: "And that's when she realized that her husband, the Overseer, was hiding things."
Hank MacLean: "Lucy, let's go. Let's get out of here."
Lee Moldaver: "So she ran away. Like you did, Lucy. And took her children. And she found this wonderful city that was everything the vaults had promised to be."
Hank MacLean: "She is lying!"
Lee Moldaver: "But then, her husband came after her. And when she decided not to return home, he took the children. And he burned that city to the ground."
Lucy MacLean: "Shady Sands."
Hank MacLean: "She's lying, Lucy."
Lee Moldaver: "That's how Vault-Tec deals with competition. Just like they did 200 years ago."(The Beginning)According to a Shady Sands Library Book, the book was most recently checked out in 2276. This suggests that Shady Sands was originally written to be destroyed in 2277 but later retconned to take place after New Vegas in an interview. This can be corroborated with Hank's story that Rose MacLean died during the Vault 33 famine of 2277. 
Thousands were vaporized in the blast, many more killed by the heat and blast wave. Survivors of the blast were permanently scarred. Some, like one boy who lost his parents in the attack, were taken in by the Brotherhood, others fled away from the blast, finding refuge in Vault 4 and other places willing to take in survivors.Benjamin: "But hey, that's something. You don't meet a natural-born vault dweller every day. We're a dying breed."Lucy MacLean: "Oh, you're... you're from here?"Benjamin: "Five generations, and proud of it."Lucy MacLean: "Ah. I just thought because... Because so many, uh, people here seem to be refugees from the surface."Benjamin: "Tell me about it. Ooh. These people. Am I right? I grabbed a moldy one."Lucy MacLean: "What do you mean by that?"Benjamin: "Well, you won't find anyone more open-minded than me, but they come in here with their smelly food and their weird ideas. You're from a vault. You get it."Lucy MacLean: "I-I don't understand. If you don't like people from the surface then why do you keep taking them in?"Benjamin: "It's a policy from before my time. But these newcomers, ooh, let me tell you, if you want to get elected, you have to respect their traditions and tolerate them and not call them "surfies." It's awful. What, you don't take in surface dwellers in your vault?"Lucy MacLean: "Well, to be honest, no, we don't."Benjamin: "What is that like?"Lucy MacLean: "No, I think what you're doing here is a really good thing. I saw what was left of Shady Sands. An entire city just destroyed in an instant. It... I mean, some of these people lost everything."Benjamin: ""And that was a tragedy. So we took our share of them in and gave them a home because it's what we do. But it's like you can't make a funny joke about it without offending these guys. I mean, one funny joke I told on maybe ten occasions."Lucy MacLean: "What was the joke?"Benjamin: "I forget. All I know is it was a huge bomb. Pretty good, right?"(The Trap) The trauma of the loss was so severe that children who survived the blast, like Birdie,Birdie: "I was born on the surface."Lucy MacLean: "Oh. Uh, sorry. I-I didn't know. You seem so..."Birdie: "Normal? My mother was a courier. I was 11 and traveled with her to Filly. Three days' walk from home and we could still feel the heat from the blast."Lucy MacLean: "You're from Shady Sands."Birdie: "Many of us are. We were lucky to find such a hospitable community here in Vault 4."(The Trap) would deal with it through religion: Remembrance of Shady Sands at its zenith was accomplished by communal reminiscing and recreating landmarks of the city together, as well as complex rituals, where the survivors would cover themselves in ash and blood around an altar covered in produce and symbols of the NCR (e.g., a portrait of President Aaron Kimball, symbolically bringing the city and the Republic back. Lee Moldaver was a key figure in these figures, venerated as the Flame Mother, for her roles in bringing the survivors away from the blast.)Chant: "Flame Mother, we remember. We bring back the past as we remember. We bring back Shady Sands, as we remember. We bring back those taken from us by covering ourselves in their ashes. To bring back Shady Sands, blood must spill. Oh, Flame Mother, you will be our salvation."("The Trap")
The shock of losing the capital, government, agencies, and a key logistical hub sent the NCR into freefall, and by 2296 the Republic retreated from much of New California. Moldaver rallied a military unit and civilians around Griffith Observatory, establishing the local NCR headquarters, while waiting for her cold fusion gambit to play out. Meanwhile, Shady Sands remained a barren crater, surrounded by what remained of the city, including the Shady Sands Public Library and Shady Sands Elementary. The site was abandoned, as nuclear fallout rendered the surroundings radioactive.
==Notes==
==Appearances==
Shady Sands first appeared in Fallout, with the New California Republic only being mentioned in the end cutscenes. The NCR first appears in Fallout 2 as an advanced Shady Sands. In Fallout: New Vegas, Shady Sands is mentioned by missionaries in the quest G.I. Blues, alongside the Boneyard, Aradesh, and Vault 13,The Courier: "Tandi."Missionary: "Interesting. Okay, next question - what was the original name of the NCR capital - The Boneyard, Shady Sands, Aradesh, or Vault 13?"(Missionary's dialogue) and by Angela Williams at Camp McCarran.
In the Fallout 3 Galaxy News Radio play The Adventures of Herbert "Daring" Dashwood, the "stalwart ghoul manservant" Argyle mentions a "Shady Sands Shuffle" - reverse-pickpocketing - as he slides live grenades into the pockets of hostile super mutants.The Adventures of Herbert "Daring" Dashwood Super Mutant Mayhem!
In Fallout 4, there is a reference to Shady Sands in a case file about the Mysterious Stranger that can be found in the Valentine Detective Agency under a bed.The Mysterious Stranger (note) One can also hear Shady Sands mentioned on the radio in the childhood memories of Kellogg.Kellogg memory radio broadcast
In the Fallout TV series, the town is shown as having been destroyed, leaving only a large crater and scattered debris.
Lore supplements in Fallout: Wasteland Warfare claim that the town changed its name to "Sandy Shores" after it became the capital city of the New California Republic, a detail not reflected anywhere else in the series. It is identified as the largest city in the Republic and one of the largest cities in the entire Wasteland.Sandy Shores.png
==Behind the scenes==
* The destruction of Shady Sands was a pivotal background element of Van Buren, which resulted in the shifting of NCR eastwards, centering around Hoover Dam. This parallel appears to have been retained by Fallout, the television series. Although details are scarce, they have been included in various design documents:
===Foundation date===
* For years, the precise date of the settlement's founding was not established in any of the released video games, and supplementary sources sometimes gave conflicting information. The 2142 date used in the Fallout TV series originates in Fallout Bible 0. However, this conflicts with Fallout stating that the town was founded by a great ancestor of Aradesh (Jarvis). Meanwhile, the Vipers design document from Fallout Bible 6 established that Vipers left Vault 15 in 2097 (64 years before the game's time), emerging alongside the settlers that would establish Shady Sands. The article uses this date as the only item coming from the original documentation.
===Destruction date===
In the Fallout TV series episode "The Trap," a chalkboard in Vault 4 lists a timeline of events. The "Fall of Shady Sands" is dated to 2277, suggesting that some sort of societal decline occurred at that time. The next event is a drawing of a mushroom cloud with no title or date, representing the city's destruction. The show does not provide any further information about the timeframe for the nuclear bombing or the nature of the "Fall of Shady Sands," which many viewers took as an indication that the two events occurred in the same year, contradicting lore established in Fallout: New Vegas. Post-release interviews with Todd Howard confirmed that the city was destroyed shortly after the events of New Vegas, suggesting it happened close to 2282. The detonation occurred after Rose MacLean left her Vault, and Maximus was a child when the city was nuked, now a young man by 2296.
===Location===
Additionally, the precise location of Shady Sands within California has undergone revisions and retcons over the course of the series. The world map in Fallout and Fallout 2 depicts the settlement as located in the desert east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, within the vicinity of Death Valley, though Fallout 2 depicted it and the two vaults surrounding it as being slightly further northwest. The 2024 Fallout TV series instead depicts it as having been built in relatively close proximity to Hollywood and the Los Angeles Boneyard, within a ruined pre-war cityscape. The article is written with the assumption that the moving of locations is purely due to plot economy, as otherwise it entirely breaks Fallout and Fallout 2 continuity.
==Gallery==
FNV Caravan table.png| On the Caravan card table
FOTV Official Trailer Still 106.png|Ruins of Shady Sands in the TV series
FOTV Shady Sands sign.png|A Shady Sands welcome sign, listing it as the "first capital" of the NCR
Shadysandspreserved.jpg|During Lucy's childhood
Shadysandsclassroomsetup.jpg|A class project in Vault 4 memorializing Shady Sands
==References==
Non-game
 
ja:Shady Sands
de:Shady Sands
es:Arenas Sombrías
fr:Shady Sands (Fallout)
pl:Cieniste Piaski
ru:Шэйди Сэндс (Fallout)
zh:沙蔭市