Black Mountain

As inviting as ever.

**Black Mountain** is a location in Fallout: DUST.

## Background

Black Mountain is a pre-war military installation in the Mojave wasteland. Originally a Radar installation, it was re-purposed first into a radio station and then into a research facility

As of 2281, Black Mountain was a totalitarian Super Mutant colony known as the State of Utobitha and a center for transmitting Pro-Nightkin propaganda.

Sometime prior to the events of the fall, it was taken over by the NCR who used an experimental radiation cleanser developed by Royst and Bernard to melt all organic life off the face of the mountain.

During The Fall, the facility was abandoned and contaminated by residual radiation kicked up by dust storms from The Divide. This allowed for a small population of Super Mutants and Centaurs to recolonize the area though never to the extent they did during the reign of Tabitha.

During the Royst-Bernard factions attempt to recover research data from the Mojave, the main facility was placed under NCR remnant control and research resumed under the leadership of Lydia Bernard.

Upon arrival of the Survivor, the facility is under attack by Ghouls of unknown origin, with the assumption of them being ghoulified subjects of Dr. Bernard's ongoing experimentation suggesting itself.

## Areas of Interest

* Apart from loot available from to be neutralized Royst-Bernard Expedition troops and a usable bed, the **NCR Camp** next to the road leading up to the summit is devoid of loot
* Following the road up, several unmarked checkpoints can be found, occasionally guarded by a few Ghouls or NCR. Most of the checkpoints will not contain any loot of mention, apart from the occasional bit of ammunition or food. A dead NCR trooper will carry some ammunition and healing items.
* In an irradiated crater reachable through a gate next to the road about halfway up the hill, dead Brotherhood of Steel members and a few Centaurs can be found. The dead BoS wear Brotherhood T-51b Power Armor and carry energy weapons like Laser Rifles and a bit of ammunition.
* Climbing the slope next to the crater, a hard locked gate leads directly to the summit of Black Mountain
* The immediate surroundings of the summit are devoid of notable loot, apart from what can be found on the corpses of dead NCR (including a dead trooper inside the crater itself). An average locked Trunk in the area just contains mutilated body parts.
* Two hard locked Trunks in the **Storage Building** contain ammunition and up to 6 varmint rifles, additionally the building contains a Reloading Bench and some food and drink, as well as crafting materials. More weapons and ammunition can be looted from a locked Trunk requiring a key to be opened, which can be found behind the Research Building
* The **Broadcast Building** is home to researchers protected by Royst-Bernard Expedition troopers and a Mister Handy. Two Trunks containing comparably large amounts of ammunition and weapons require a key to be opened, which can be found behind the Research Building. The building also contains lore.
* A researcher supposedly representing Lydia Bernard can be found in the **Research Building**, as well as a usable makeshift bedding, two Workbenches, a bit of food and crafting materials, but more importantly a good amount of lore.

## Tactical Considerations

Black Mountain being one of the, if not most important points of operation of the Royst-Bernard Expedition in the Mojave seems to have suffered from a large scale Ghoul attack, and thus is not nearly as well protected as for example Camp Golf.

Most defenders are dead, with the few remaining being located at the down hill NCR Camp and road blocks leading up to the summit.

The summit itself is inhabited by Ghouls, with researchers and a very small number of NCR inside of the remaining intact buildings trying to protect them.

Bringing small arms to make short work of the Ghouls, chems or other means to counter the radiation and some more capable weaponry for neutralizing the few remaining troops and researchers will yield a good number of weapons and rounds, and even more, if the Survivor is capable of unlocking the Trunks inside of the summit buildings.

## Trivia

* Ghouls attacking the Survivor will often utter sentences resembling those of the Super Mutants formerly inhabiting the area. This is a bug caused by the quick replacement of the Super Mutants into Feral Ghouls.