The Commonwealth

"The Commonwealth itself is nothing but a war-ravaged quagmire of violence and despair. Inside the sealed environment of the Institute, however... but the Institute's affairs are none of your concern. Your undeveloped mind couldn't even begin to comprehend what we've accomplished" - Dr. Zimmer

Background
The Commonwealth (occasionally referred to as Commonwealth Wasteland) is what is left of the pre-War American state of Massachusetts in New England. Most of it is a "war-ravaged quagmire of violence and despair" like much of the rest of the former United States, but it is also where Boston and the mysterious Institute are located.

Present Day
The most infamous faction within the Commonwealth, the organization known only as the Institute was founded by the descendants of the students who once attended the Commonwealth Institute of Technology. The scientists working within this underground, sealed environment possess highly advanced technology and technological skills. They have managed to create true artificial intelligence (A.I.) and are capable of manufacturing androids, also referred to as "Synths" - short for "synthetic humans," with the latest models completely indistinguishable from ordinary humans. The Institute has been blamed for many of the Commonwealth's disappearances; some have suspected that the Institute had a hand in the failure of the Commonwealth Provisional Government. The Institute seems to use the rest of the Commonwealth as a dumping ground for various failed experiments; the Commonwealth strain of Super Mutant can trace its history back to the Institute's experiments with FEV.

Another organization active within the Commonwealth, The Railroad, functions in direct opposition to the Institute. Named in honor of the Underground Railroad, the Railroad's mission is the rescue and salvation of synthetic humanoids primarily, though enslavement as a whole is also fought against.

The Commonwealth suffers from terrible radiation storms. During a storm, the sky turns a sickly green color and a thick fog forms, limiting visibility. These storms behave in the same manner as thunderstorms, with every "strike" emitting radiation across the land. Despite this, the Commonwealth appears to be a somewhat healthier area of the post-nuclear United States. The skies are brighter and clearer and vegetation such as Mutfruit and Tato plants can be seen growing plentifully in the region, providing wastelanders with a source of food. The Commonwealth also sees regular rainfall, in a similar vein to Zion Canyon. The overall landscape is less blasted and scorched than other areas such as the Capital Wasteland - this is due to the fact that the Boston area never suffered a direct hit, with the nuclear explosion in the prologue possibly detonating far to the southwest. However, since the Commonwealth covers the entirety of pre-War Massachusetts, it is unknown whether the rest of the region has emerged as fortunate.

Affiliated Groups

 * The Institute
 * The Railroad
 * The Minutemen
 * Gunners