Oregon Territory

Pip-Boy 3000 Map of Oregon

### Inhabitants

Native Americans, NCR Partisans, Enclave Loyalist, Rural Folk, Pranksters, Ghouls, Bigfeet

**Oregon** (/ˈɒrɪɡən/ *ORR-gən*) is a territory in the Pacific Northwest region on the West Coast of what was formerly the United States of America. Before the Great War Oregon was part of the Northwest Commonwealth .

## Pre-War Oregon

Oregon was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before Western traders, explorers, and settlers arrived. An autonomous government was formed in the Oregon Country in 1843 before the Oregon Territory was created in 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859.

In 1969 when the United States began to merge states into larger commonwealths, Oregon, along with Washington, Idaho, and the northern portion of California became the Northwest Commonwealth.

Oregon was one of the most geographically diverse states in the U.S., marked by volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, as well as high deserts and semi-arid shrublands. At 11,249 feet (3,429 m), Mount Hood, a stratovolcano, is the state's highest point.  Crater Lake, an inactive supervolcano in southern Oregon is the deepest natural lake in the former United States. The territory is also home to the single largest organism in the world, *Armillaria ostoyae*, a fungus that runs beneath 2,200 acres (8.9 km2) of the Malheur Forest.

Because of its diverse landscapes and waterways, Oregon's economy is largely powered by various forms of agriculture, fishing, and hydroelectric power. Oregon was also the top timber producer of the contiguous United States, and the timber industry dominated the state's economy in the 20th century. Technology was another one of Oregon's major economic forces, beginning in the 1970s with the establishment of the Silicon Forest and the expansion of Tektronix and Intel.

## Oregon During the Resource Wars

At the beginning of the Resource War in 2052 U.S. military officials deemed the forest of the Pacific Northwest a top defensive priority. The United States had increasingly become dependent on Oregon's timber industry following the global shortage of natural gas and oil. It was thought that an attack could be made on Oregon's forest in order to cripple America's diverse energy production capabilities.

It wasn't until 2059 that Oregon's timber industry was removed as a top priority. That same year National Guard units were pulled from Oregon and were the first to be transferred to the newly established Anchorage Front-line. In 2066, during the Battle of Anchorage, the 186th Infantry regiment was decimated by the initial Chinese bombardment. The survivors rallied with the 41st Infantry Division and the 218th Field Artillery Regiment. These forces defended against waves of communist advancement until General Constantine Chase gave the order to advance. The survivors of the 41st and the 218th were among the units that liberated the city of Anchorage in 2077.

Following the battle, the 218th remained stationed in Alaska to suppress Canadian insurgents disgruntled at the annexation of their country and the encroachment of U.S. forces on their land.

## Oregon in the Great War and Aftermath

Despite being a priority target during the Resource Wars, Oregon was relatively unscathed by the nuclear bombardment of 2077. The city of Portland, to the far north, was the only city in the territory to be targeted by nuclear warheads. However, the collapse of American society took its toll on the territory. Thrown into a state of anarchy local governments were overthrown and the infrastructure of modernity began to decay.

The Remnants of the U.S. government, known as the Enclave, saw potential use for Oregon. After waiting a few decades for the chaos that the collapse of society brings, the Enclave sent a scouting detachment to survey the state. They found the territory of Oregon to be unsuitable for any future operations. The many rivers of Oregon ferried contaminated water from the Pacific Ocean which slowly poisoned the land; the Willamette Valley and the city of Eugene, which had been put forth as a new base of operations for the enclave, had become irradiated from a reactor leak; and Pre-war sovereign Native American nations had been consolidating their power to reclaim the Pacific Northwest. Enclave interest in the area would be diminished facing these ecological factors and the growing threat of war with several indigenous nations.

The descendants of the American nuclear-holocaust survivors in southern Oregon became privy to these Enclave expeditions and sought a return to the "good ol' days" under the leadership of the Enclaves. Though unrecognized, these survivors pledged allegiance to the Enclave beginning to fight against the Natives, and worked against NCR interest in the area. Many of these survivors were self-proclaimed 'Old World Nationalists', wishing for a "pure race of Americans", despising the diversity of the New California Republic and any form of genetic mutation caused by the fallout. It is unknown how much support the Enclave gave directly to these communities.

## NCR Expedition

By 2254 the NCR had expanded its influence into northern California and the surrounding areas. Within that decade California had annexed New Reno, Redding, Vault 15, Vault City, Klamath, and the town of Arroyo. Klamath and Arroyo were towns technically in southern Oregon, although it wouldn't be another 30 years until NCR pursued further interest in the area north of their borders.

in 2285 Ranger Andy (Colonel Brooks) and Mr. Bishop were the first to sponsor an official expedition north of NCR territory. This expedition comprised of NCR enlisted troopers and rangers transferred from the eastern and southern fronts, Members of the NCR Brotherhood of Steel, and civilian volunteers. Their objective was to reach a supercomputer located at a university in the Willamette Valley that was speculated to remain intact. Despite suffering numerous casualties during the expedition, NCR officials deemed the mission a success. The BOS recovered a vast amount of intel and data during the expedition, while the NCR asserted itself as a new dominant player in the region. In addition, the expedition's role in a local conflict led to a great deal of trust between the Sovereign Nations and the NCR.

## NCR Expansion

The Klamath Agreement, known also as the Treaty of Klamath Falls, was signed the following year in 2287. The deal came as a surprise to many. Members of the expedition weren't made aware of the treaty until after it had been signed only a few months after their return. The agreement was signed October 25, 2287 between the New California Republic and all of the sovereign nations west of the Cascade mountain range.

The agreement essentially ceded all land between the Pacific coast and the Cascades to the NCR, while granting the Sovereign Nation the rights of an Autonomous Administrative District. The indigenous people were free to run their own governments the way they saw fit (as long as they do not violate NCR law), while giving them the basic rights of citizenship. The Sovereign Nations were expected to select representatives to be present in California to represent their communities' interests. NCR citizens were given the rights to abode and produce enterprises and industry on sovereign land, although they would be subject to not only NCR law but also "Sovereign Law" and justice. Luckily Sovereign Law was generally straightforward.

In addition, the governing of Klamath Falls was returned to the indigenous community who would rule through a council of elders. The cities of Medford, Roseburg, Eagle Point, and Grants Pass were ceded directly to the NCR. These cities were populated by the descendants of American citizens and many remained loyal to the Enclave. Though after the agreement many began to feel easy about life under a new Republic. Those who were disgruntled about the coming of law and racial diversity, began to migrate into the deserts of eastern Oregon.

The agreement was made intentionally to avoid issues that befell indigenous communities when dealing with the United States of America. The NCR hoped that this treaty would conclude any further conflict in the region, as well as create a boom for the Republic with greater access to the timber industry, as well as clean and fertile land. The Sovereign Nations knew that conflict would soon come to Oregon from further north, as in the frozen waste there was worse than bigots and raiders, but when they were to come the Sovereign Nations would have the support of the Republic behind them.

## Oregon's Sovereign Nations

### Type

NCR Autonomous Departments, and Independent States

### Inhabitants

20,000

The territory of Oregon before its annexation by the NCR in 2287 had numerous sovereign nations as well as multiple factions vying for power in the region. After 2287 the entirety of western Oregon had become part of the NCR, with indigenous polities and raiders still existing east of the Cascades in more arid country. The NCR expedition of 2286 helped the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde destroy the Port Maw Raiders, the Republic of Cascadia, as well as a Miralurk infestation in southern Oregon.

The Nations of the Umatila, Cayuse, Nez Perce, Shoshane, and Paiute remain completely independent of the NCR, and unless there is reason otherwise, seek to remain independent. The only threat they face in Eastern Oregon are small community of Raiders in Bend, Oregon.

The Nations of Siuslaw, the Coos, the Umpqua, the Klamath, and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde have all been incorporated within the New California Republic. Within each of these nations are a multitude of smaller ethnic groups which by law are included within the NCR.

The Klamath TribesThe Confederate Tribes of the Grand RondeThe Confederated Tribes of the Coos and Lower UmpquaThe Republic of Cascadia
## Ecology

Since the Great War, most of the state has become overgrown by its pine forests. This has caused the state to have incredibly clean air. The indigenous people have cleared a few areas for farming purposes, but without the timber industry and a small population, the forests have returned to a pre-Columbian state. Despite the majority of the state being spared during the nuclear holocaust much of the land has grown poisoned from irradiated water ferried by the rivers from the Pacific Ocean, as well as contaminated rain. These factors have prevented a population boom in the state.

### *Armillaria ostoyae (The Humongous Fungus)*

*The Armillaria ostoyae,* colloquially known as the "humongous fungus" was once thought to have been the world's largest living organism. In pre-war America, it was estimated to make up roughly 4 square miles of northeastern Oregon's Malheur National Forest. It grows and spreads primarily underground, such that the bulk of the organism is not visible from the surface. In the autumn, the subterranean parts of the organism bloom "honey mushrooms" as surface fruits.

This fungus, like most parasitic fungi, reproduces sexually. The fungi begin life as spores, released into the environment by a mature mushroom. *Armillaria ostoyae* has a white spore print. There are two mating types for spores (not male and female but similar in effect). Spores can be dispersed by environmental factors such as wind, or they can be redeposited by an animal or person.

Since the Great War, this specimen has been subject to alarming genetic mutations. It has effectively spread throughout the entire territory and has been linked to the disappearance of countless people. Indigenous communities have played a large role in reducing its spread in the Willamette Valley, while a group of freethinking pacifists, known as the "Pranksters" have found a way to turn the blooms of the fungus into a hallucinogenic substance.

### *Sasquatch*

Sasquatch, more commonly referred to as Bigfoot is a creature, or perhaps creatures who stalk the deep woods of Oregon. Since the 19th century, there have been numerous sightings of this type of massive "ape-man". These sightings have become even more common since after the Great War, giving credence that these types of creatures actually exist.

It has long been speculated by post-war surveyors that it is possible that there exist two distinct populations of Sasquatch. The first is the pre-war specimen, massive, yet elusive, and entirely non-human; whereas the second possible population exhibits more 'human' characteristics as well as increased aggression. The possibility of a second population has led to theories that groups of humans in Oregon were subjected to radiation or a strand of the Forced Evolutionary Virus resulting in the creation of a large and hairy being not unlike the Super Mutants of California.

## The Oregon Vortex

Local legend supposedly states that prior to any construction in the area, Native Americans in the area referred to the site as a "forbidden" land, and travelers passing through would often find their horses refusing to go through the area. The area has been reported to be the site of unusual phenomena; water flows up walls, height and weight appear to be altered, and photographs are distorted. This site become a roadside tourist attraction in 1930.