Bitter Springs

Bitter Springs is a location in the Mojave Wasteland .
==Background==
Originally a state-run park with a nearby recreational area, circa. 2278 following the Great War, the Bitter Springs area had become a major settlement of the Great Khans tribe after their migration into the Mojave from New California in 2267 and subsequent eviction from New Vegas by Mr. House and the Three Families in 2274. In that same year, when the New California Republic began their Mojave Campaign, the Great Khans began harassing NCR citizens and caravans entering the region, even engaging in violence against the NCR Army.
In 2278, however, following the Khans' killing of four NCR troopers, the Republic had had enough and they sent in a retaliatory force including First Recon sharpshooters to end the tribe's campaign of violence. This would come to be known as the Bitter Springs Massacre.Courier: "What happened at Bitter Springs?"Papa Khan: "When the NCR came to the Mojave, we thought they would be easy pickings. We raided their caravans, their towns, their camps - they couldn't stop us. At least, that's what we thought. They tracked us to Bitter Springs and surrounded us. When our children, our sick and old, fled through a nearby pass, the NCR gunned them down."Courier: "That doesn't sound like something the NCR would order."Papa Khan: "Oh, they claimed it was a miscommunication, but tell that to those who saw our families butchered. Tell it to the survivors who were banished here."(Papa Khan's dialogue) Compounding poor intel and miscommunication between NCR command and First Recon, the end result was the deaths of many tribals, both Khan warriors and non-combatants including children and elderly members.Courier: "What happened?"Boone: "Main force got spotted too soon. We heard shooting. Then Khans started coming through Canyon 37 in bunches. It was all wrong, though. Women, kids, elderly. Wounded started coming through, too. We radioed to confirm our orders but command didn't get what we were seeing. They told us to shoot till we were out of ammo. So that's what we did."(Boone's dialogue)Courier: "You were at Bitter Springs, I'm told."Major Dhatri: "Yeah, I was there. I was Captain Dhatri, then. That whole situation was a mess and could easily have been avoided with good intel. The major in charge at the time made a bad call - he thought Bitter Springs was full of Great Khan raiders, so we surrounded the place. By the time any of us realized there were civilians down there - women and children - the shooting had already started. The major froze up at the news, and we couldn't get another word out of him. I took over and salvaged the situation as best I could. For my effort, I was promoted to major. Not quite the way I'd have wanted it."(Dhatri's dialogue) The bodies of the dead were laid to rest in Canyon 37, near Coyote Tail Ridge, where the worst of the killing took place. The remnants of the Great Khans, including their leader Papa Khan resettled at Red Rock Canyon.
By 2281, the area has been resettled by refugees with a token NCR defensive force led by Captain Gilles. Recently, however, the camp has flown its flag upside down, intended to be a distress signal to request help with the deteriorating conditions of the camp.Courier: "Why is the flag upside down?"Gilles: "Of course I'm aware. It's a distress call. This camp is in bad shape, and if we don't get relief soon, I don't know what will happen."(VBSCaptainGilles.txt)[v15] BitterSpringsFlagInvertedREF [REFR:0012BA22]
==Layout==
Situated east of Vault 34 and southeast of Nellis Air Force Base, the camp consists of NCR tents to the north and refugee tents at the south end of the camp. The doctor's tent is amongst the NCR tents facing the refugees and Captain Gilles can usually be found sitting by the campfire at the center. Great Khan graffiti can still be found around the area, including a ranger impaled by arrows, captioned "A GOOD RANGER." To the southwest, there are 12 graves, six on each side of a path. Atop one of the graves, a Great Khan spike helmet can be found.
==Related quests==
* Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues
* Climb Ev'ry Mountain
* I Forgot to Remember to Forget
* No, Not Much
==Notes==
* Bringing Cass as a companion upon visit may make her complain that the camp "stinks of piss and vomit."
* Some NCR troopers may mutter something about a ghost haunting the mountains.
* The NCR flag will be upside down until after No, Not Much is completed.
* If No, Not Much is completed by handing over the radioactive supply cache without passing the Science skill check, despite now being irradiated, none of the inhabitants will die.
* Sometimes a gecko or cazador can spawn in or near Bitter Springs and may kill the inhabitants.
* If looked at in V.A.T.S., all the refugees have crippled legs, but no health damage.
* As with Camp Forlorn Hope and the Goodsprings Cemetery, ghostly sounds can be heard among the graves.
* Inside the medical tent, one oversized (1.04) scalpel can be found on a table atop a bonesaw with another undersized (0.96) scalpel right next to it. The map of Hoover Dam on the table in the supply tent is undersized (0.50).
==Appearances==
Bitter Springs appears .
==Behind the scenes==
The in-game Bitter Springs is based on the real-world location of the same name.
==Bugs==
* You can get infinite experience by doing Mister Sandman kills on a sleeping child (since they do not die) in one of the tents. Sometimes after an X amount of kills you might be teleported inside of a rock near Hidden Valley.
* You may find Captain Gilles typing on an invisible keyboard.
==Gallery==
Fallout New Vegas Bitter Springs (2).jpg
Fallout New Vegas Bitter Springs.jpg|Aerial view of Bitter Springs
FNV caravan 5.jpg|A caravan in the refugee camp
FNV Bitter Springs flipped flag.jpg 
Bitter Springs sign.jpg|
Nv graffiti khan02 2.png
Nv bssign2.png|Texture file
Nv bssign.png|Texture file
==References==
 
de:Bitter Springs
es:Bitter Springs
it:Bitter Springs
pl:Bitter Springs
ru:Биттер-Спрингс
uk:Біттер-Спрінґс
zh:苦泉镇