"It's said war, war never changes. Men do, through the roads they walk." - Ulysses
Montana, a land of unparalleled natural beauty and wonder. This region of what was once part of the Northern United States of America has some of the most diverse landscapes within the country, including huge mountains with gushing streams, vast plains, large meandering rivers, lush forests, big open skies, and so much more. To this day, all of these still thankfully remain even after the nuclear apocalypse, though much has changed with not only the landscape, but also the weather, and the wildlife. At one time, it was believed that heading up north would protect those who did so from nuclear fire, unfortunately that was only a half truth. For when the warheads did blanket the world in radiation and destruction, not even Montana was spared.
Something miraculous followed though, showing the true tenacity of mankind. Small settlements had begun to spring up across the state, while other occupants of Big Sky Country returned to the towns and cities, that many used to call their home. Not all of these areas remained empty though, for nature had inevitably retaken much of what humanity had left alone over hundreds of years. Besides the worry of hostile forces of nature, there was also the concern of bandits and raiders, who saw many of the areas of Montana as free game to take and do what they wanted with. Shortly after, the Brotherhood of Steel moved in, establishing outposts and bases across the state, while also helping protect those who now lived in this post-apocalyptic world. Many now see this protection as more oppressive than helpful, though it is hard to ignore the facts that the Brotherhood did help in some areas.
You are one of the few survivors of the apocalypse, finding yourself tossed head first into a new and dangerous world. Perhaps you came from a Vault, Brotherhood of Steel, Enclave, New California Republic, or any other factions that now wanders the wasteland. That does not matter anymore, what now matters is what you will do upon this new world and the choices you will make, which inevitably will impact not only yourself, but also those around you, and perhaps even beyond.
As dawn rose upon the western side of Montana, vibrant rays of pastel light began to illuminate the lands still clinging onto the early morning. Slowly the sun barely appeared upon the horizon, its warmth burning away the stubborn chill of night that seemed to only get worse as Winter approached. The village of Whitlash was also awakening, and getting ready for another long day of merely surviving among the waste land. Many people had already begun to do their chores for the day, or were getting ready to head out to fish, hunt, or anything else that would help them all survive longer. Others were still asleep, considering the hour to be to early to do anything beneficial. Then, there were those who had partied a little bit to hard the night before and would be out for most of the day.
Near the north eastern side of Whitlash, along the great river that ran right alongside them, the village leader known as Nicolas had begun his day a few hours before everyone and was currently fly-fishing. Even though he was a talented fishermen, he could only supply so much food for the village on his own, leaving the help of others to ensure that they all had enough food and clean drinking water to survive for another year. There was little to complain about though, the fish were biting, the suns warmth could already be felt, the birds were chirping, and a positive aura surrounded the village, uplifting the spirits of those who called it home. Nicolas's thoughts drifted away from fishing for a moment, remembering a time in his past when he was part of the New California Republic. Very few people new this detail about him, and he liked to keep it that way. This was not due to some of the mistakes that were made from the NCR in past, it was merely that he wanted to start a new life, away from politics, returning to nature, and living off the land.
Suddenly, he was pulled back into reality as a fish took the bait and pulled upon the line, prompting Nicolas to reel in the line, fighting against the rivers waters and the fish. The fish had its stamina give out shortly after, and was quickly reeled in. He had caught a large rainbow trout, and one that could feed a family of four if prepared correctly. With a nod of satisfaction and thanks, he walked over to his small truck and loaded the last fish of the day into the small cooler on its back before getting situated in the drivers seat and heading home.
Once Nicholas arrived back at Whitlash, the truck was parked, the fish were safely stored and he made his way home, where he now lived alone after his German Shepard had passed a few months earlier due to a rad-grizzly. As he approached his front door, his eyes landed up a letter shoved half way into the mail slot. Reaching out with his right hand, he grabbed the letter before carefully opening it and reading its contents. The letter was from a friend who had supposedly gone missing a few years earlier, she was still part of the NCR and wanted to meet up with him sometime in the future. The letter was obviously suspicious, how could she have found him out here? Did they follow him? Perhaps it was a prank, or perhaps a trap. If it was indeed a trap, whom would have placed it? The NCR had a lot of people who wanted them dead, but this far out from where they were located? Nicolas carefully folded the letter and placed it into his left pant pocket before heading inside. At the moment, he had more important matters to tend to than a supposed ghost coming back from the dead and leaving him a message.
The local raiders of the area were the villages main focus at the moment. They had been encroaching upon Whitlashes land for at least a few months now, apparently moving closer and closer with every week that passed. It seemed a confrontation was inevitable at some point, though everyone hoped they would move along peacefully. What made this worse was the small amount of people living inside of the village that would be able to defend it if the raiders did attack. Whitlashes supplies would make for an easy target, and Nicolas knew this.