Dawn of Tranquility--Visions of the Past

Summary

"Dawn of Tranquility" is not so much one quest, as a series of quest snippets, that tell the story of the Enclave's betrayal of the United States Space Administration (USSA) on a Vault-Tec lunar mining facility.

Each vision provides not only a glimpse into the past, but provides some narrative context for the player's journey into the Gulf Coast Wasteland, with the content of each vision giving some insight into the Enclave's motivations for their actions in the present day.

Sometimes these vignettes are told through the eyes of some character in the Lunar Facility, whom the player will assume the role of, but sometimes the player will be an outside observer, watching events unfold. Regardless the player character who can interact with the various characters and objects in the environment (which the non-player characters will react to), and can even influence the outcome of the events.

These visions can be presented in any order, as relevant to the main story. The campaign starts with one of these visions, and the player will have the opportunity to experience the rest of them intermittently as they progress through the main story.

Vault-Tec Lunar Facility

The Vault-Tec lunar facility is a highly advanced, state-of-the-art facility located on the Moon. It is operated in partnership with the US government and the United States Space Administration (USSA) to extract valuable resources from the lunar surface. The facility is staffed by Vault-Tec personnel, including scientists, engineers, and security officers, but the majority of the workforce are miners recruited for the operation. The facility is equipped with advanced technology, including automated mining equipment, life support systems, and defense systems.

Just as Vault-Tec planned each of their vaults as secret experiments to prepare humanity for life on long-term space ships, the lunar facility has a deep, more sinister purpose. The inhabitants of the lunar facility are all members of secret societies, but each is unaware of the existence of other secret societies. Most of these societies were being manipulated by Vault-Tec to test the effects of extreme, but secret, tribalism in a semi-enclosed environment.

One of these secret societies is the Enclave, who are a pre-war conspiracy within the United States Government and military. This splinter group is connected to the splinter group within the USSA, which will eventually become the Enclave cell within the Spaceport Survivors. These Enclave agents are the ones who will eventually betray the United States in favor of their own goals.

Visions

Lunar Conspiracy Unveiled

• The player character awakens inside the Vault-Tec lunar facility, greeted by fellow Vault-Tec personnel. They receive a briefing about their role as a security officer and the importance of the lunar mining operation.

• Hints of an imminent lunar sneak attack are subtly introduced through conversations and glimpses of suspicious activities.

  • The player begins in a small, sterile room within the lunar facility. They can hear the muffled voices of other personnel and the distant hum of machinery. This serves as the player's introduction to the setting.

  • Have the Vault-Tec personnel interact with the player, providing them with information about their role and the lunar mining operation. Emphasize the importance of this operation to the survival of the United States.

  • As the player explores the facility, they may notice small but unsettling details, such as personnel whispering in hushed tones, unusual activity in restricted areas, and computer terminals left unattended.

  • Encourage the player to engage in conversations with other Vault-Tec personnel to gather more information and establish relationships. Some may drop subtle hints about an impending threat, but without providing specific details.

The Enclave Bunker

The player awakes in a small, sterile room within the Vault-Tec lunar facility. There are two marines, dressed in Enclave X-01 Power Armor, standing guard just inside the door. The two guards, although on duty, are engaged in a conversation about the lunar facility and the Enclave's plans for it. The player can listen in on the conversation, which reveals that the Enclave has infiltrated the lunar facility and is planning to betray the United States.

In the bunker, the player can interact with various objects, such as a terminal, a map, and a radio. The terminal contains information about the lunar facility, including its layout, personnel, and operations. The map shows blueprints of the lunar facility. The radio is tuned to a frequency that is broadcasting a message from the Enclave's leader, who is giving orders to the Enclave agents within the lunar facility.

Engineer Argument

Pieces of the infrastructure in the Lunar Facility are consecutively failing, and engineers are brought in to fix the problems. After investigation, it is discovered that the failures are not due to mechanical issues, but rather sabotage. One of the other engineers, who is a member of the Enclave, is sloppy in his sabotage, and is caught in the act.

Lunar Attack

• A surprise attack occurs, with the Chinese launching a covert assault on the lunar facility. Chaos ensues as the player must navigate the facility's corridors and chambers to protect the Vault-Tec operation.

  • The attack should come as a sudden, unexpected event. The player can experience the impact of the attack through trembling floors, flickering lights, and alarms blaring.

  • Chinese infiltrators should be well-armed and determined. The player is thrust into combat as they attempt to defend the facility. This sequence serves as the action-packed turning point of the quest.

  • Provide the player with a sense of urgency and tension as they must make decisions on the fly, such as choosing routes to protect critical facility areas, helping injured personnel, and responding to enemy threats.

Comrades or Compatriots?

• The attack reveals a concealed conspiracy within the USSA and military, as some of the player's comrades act suspiciously, potentially collaborating with the enemy.

  • During the chaos of the attack, the player may notice certain Vault-Tec personnel acting strangely. They may overhear conversations suggesting betrayal or encounter personnel attempting to sabotage defense systems.

  • The player's fellow security officers should display varying levels of loyalty and betrayal. Some may fight alongside the player, while others may actively hinder their efforts.

Fighting the Communists

• The player must fight off the Chinese intruders while trying to uncover the identity of the conspirators.

  • The player's primary objective is to eliminate the Chinese threat and secure the facility. However, they should also have the option to investigate the conspiracy during combat lulls or by gathering clues from defeated enemies.

  • Encourage the player to piece together the puzzle of the conspiracy by finding documents, accessing computer terminals, or interrogating prisoners. This investigative element adds depth to the quest.

Confronting the Traitors

• Amid the intense lunar firefight, the player confronts one of the conspirators who is attempting to sabotage the facility's defenses. The conspirator hints at a deeper plan that threatens the stability of the United States.

  • The player should face off against a high-ranking conspirator who has been orchestrating the events. This showdown should take place in a critical facility area, such as the control room.

  • The conspirator should reveal that the lunar facility's operations are part of a larger, more sinister plan that could destabilize the United States. The player should have the opportunity to extract crucial information before neutralizing the threat.

  • The player's confrontation with the conspirator serves as the quest's climax, providing a sense of resolution while leaving the overarching conspiracy intact.

Mess Hall Carnage

The player appears in a large mess hall, where it is clear that a battle has taken place here. Dozens of bodies are strewn about the room, and the player can see that most of them were civilian miners. There are some military personnel, but it is clear that the invading Chinese overwhelmed this room without much resistance.

Fending off the Intruders

• The Chinese attackers are repelled, but the player character is left with questions about the motives behind the attack and the identity of those involved in the conspiracy.

  • The player's actions should lead to the successful defense of the lunar facility and the defeat of the Chinese attackers. This victory should come at a cost, with some areas of the facility damaged or compromised.

  • The player's unanswered questions about the conspiracy should leave them with a sense of intrigue and the understanding that the threat is not fully extinguished.

Aftermath of the Vault-Tec Conspiracy

• The quest ends with the player witnessing the Vault-Tec facility's damaged systems, as well as the impact of the lunar attack on the facility's vital functions.

  • As the player surveys the aftermath of the attack, they should witness the consequences of the damaged systems, such as life support failures and critical resource shortages.

  • This conclusion sets the stage for the player's journey into the Gulf Coast Wasteland, as they embark on a quest to uncover the larger conspiracy and its implications for the post-apocalyptic world.

The Overseer's Surrender

The player awakens in the Overseer's chamber, where the Overseer and other Vault-Tec personnel are on their knees, surrounded by Chinese soldiers. The Overseer is pleading for his life, but the Chinese soldiers are unmoved. The leader of the Chinese soldiers takes off his Power Armor helmet, and it is revealed that he is actually an American who has betrayed the USSA. Unless the player intervenes (which they can, although none of the NPCs can see them), the Overseer is executed. At some point, it is revealed that the Overseer's Office doubles as an escape pod, which will likely be inadvertently activated, sending its occupants into an orbit around the Earth, where it loses contact with both the lunar facility and the Earth. Its occupants (who are likely a mix of Vault-Tec personnel and Chinese soldiers) are left to fend for themselves in the cold vacuum of space, but their bunker is equipped with enough supplies to last them for a many years.

After several years the Great War occurs on the Earth below, and inhabitants of the bunker eventually manage to crash land back on Earth in the Bayou. They emerge into the Gulf Coast Wasteland and interact with a settlement of Cajuns, who are the ancestors of the Bayou Brotherhood. The legend of the Moon Spirit that intervened in this Vision is passed down through the generations, and the Bayou Brotherhood eventually comes to worship the Moon Spirit as a deity.