New Vegas

**New Vegas** is a city rebuilt amidst the remains of pre-War **Las Vegas**, Nevada. The city's main attraction, the New Vegas Strip is managed by Robert House, who utilizes his army of Securitron robots to maintain peace and order in the post-War city in the heart of the vast Mojave Desert.

## Background

Unlike other major cities of the United States, Vegas emerged from the atomic fire of the Great War relatively unscathed, owed to the preemptive actions of Robert House. In 2065, House correctly predicted that a nuclear exchange between the United States and China would take place within the next 15 years, and began dedicating his resources to the protection of his home city. He used his considerable intelligence and vast wealth to ensure that when the war finally came, he would be prepared.

House calculated that his defenses would see off the majority of missiles bound for Vegas, but at least some damage to outer Vegas and the surrounding towns was unavoidable. To this end, he had engineers in Sunnyvale develop the platinum chip, a sophisticated, high-density data storage device that would upgrade his defense systems and Securitrons to the Mark II OS, ensuring that Vegas and the surrounding area would be as safe as possible. Since the war, House has since created even more Securitrons, some to police the Strip, with an army of them hidden beneath Fortification Hill.

He has fitted his home, the Lucky 38 Casino, with radar-jamming systems, missile arrays, a laser defense network, and life-support systems which only marks the beginning of his grand plans to revitalize the city and beyond. Meanwhile, House oversees the growing tumultuous situation in the region from atop his sky-reaching tower, visible from nearly all locations across the Vegas Valley.

### Great War

The platinum chip was due for delivery by courier on October 23, 2077, the day of the Great War. The attack, however, came 20 hours earlier than House had predicted, and before the platinum chip could leave Sunnyvale, the city was reduced to rubble, with the chip buried beneath it. House was forced to make do with his relatively primitive systems, but still managed to stop 68 of the 77 ICBMs aimed at the Vegas area. Although most of Vegas was saved, he suffered numerous system crashes and was eventually forced into a coma. While many citizens were spared and even began celebrating, fallout from the warheads that did hit blew into the city, killing all of them. In 2138, House awoke from his coma, but only observed - did not interfere - as the city was settled by tribals, raiders, and at least one overweight gangster similar to Junktown's Gizmo was known to have made his mark on pre-new Las Vegas.

### Arrival of the NCR

In 2274, New California Republic scouts arrived at Hoover Dam, piquing House's interest. These were no tribals, these were civilized people – somewhere, out in the wastes, a new society had begun. A society that would no doubt see Las Vegas and its power source, the dam, as theirs for the taking. House ordered the Securitrons to emerge from the Lucky 38, offering an ultimatum to the raider tribes settled on the Strip: join House and be part of his New Vegas, leave the Strip, or die. Three tribes accepted his offer, eventually taking up the identifies of the Chairmen, the Omertas, and the White Glove Society, henceforth known as the Three Families. Only the Kings and the Great Khans refused, with the Kings settling in Freeside while the Great Khans were exiled to Bitter Springs. The Three Families, as well as the Securitrons, would be enough to protect the Strip for now, but if the NCR tried to take it by force, they would not be able to resist in any meaningful way.

When the main NCR forces arrived to assume control of the dam, House sent a Securitron forward to call for parlay between the NCR's leaders and himself. Eventually they reached an agreement and signed the New Vegas Treaty, under which the NCR would receive 95% of the dam's power output, McCarran International Airport as a base of operations for the NCR Army, and permission to establish an embassy on the Strip. Meanwhile, the Strip would retain the remaining 5% power output – much more than required for operation – and immunity from annexation. The treaty also disallowed the NCR from forbidding their citizens and soldiers to visit the Strip, leading to a boom in New Vegas' economy. Tourists from all corners of the NCR, as well as stationed troopers on leave, would flock to the Strip and spend their hard-earned salaries on gambling, alcohol, and prostitutes.

### Legion threat

Around the same time, on the other side of the Colorado River, a new threat loomed over the town, an army known as Caesar's Legion. Their leader Caesar had set his eyes on New Vegas to establish as the true capital - his Rome. He mobilized the Legion in the hopes of forcing the NCR out of the Mojave Wasteland and taking the city for himself. In 2277, this culminated with the First Battle of Hoover Dam, which was a decisive loss for the Legion. Caesar did not retreat or abandon his plans of taking control of Vegas, instead rebuilding his depleted armies while he waited patiently in his headquarters on Fortification Hill for an opportunity to strike again.

The continuous presence of the Legion has created a delicate power balance in the region. The NCR would have annexed the Strip long ago, but the presence of the Legion means that if they attacked the Strip, Hoover Dam would be vulnerable, and likewise, the Legion can not take New Vegas as their new capital due to the NCR presence in the region. Meanwhile, Mr. House watches and plans, vigilantly and silently, from his tower far above the Strip.