The Vipers are a band of raider-tribals with a profound shamanistic nature originating from Vault 15 in New California with two other raider groups (Khans and Jackals). They were later driven into the Mojave Wasteland in the late 23rd century.

Before their near-extermination and loss of culture, the Vipers followed a unique religion created by Jonathan Faust, inspired greatly by the pit vipers they worshiped. Raiding primarily at night, Vipers preferred stealth to brute force, using a variety of melee weapons made from bone and laced with paralytic pit viper venom to incapacitate their victims, robbing them and taking the captives back to sacrifice them to the Gods of the Pit. They were known to use bone armor, crafted from bone strips wrapped tightly in leather and worn around the body.^[6]

All Vipers answered to the Great Snakekeeper and their priests, obeying orders unto death. The Great Snakekeeper was distinguished by a viper skull helmet adorned with feathers and a snakeskin cape. The leaders of the Vipers presided over ceremonies and affairs of the tribe, clad in the same kind of armor as the rest of them. Immediately below them were the Crimson Tongues, the elite warriors. All Viper members also wore tattoos and exotic piercings.^[7]

"The city of Los Angeles must have been the largest in the world before the War. The L.A. Boneyard stretched forever, the skeletons of buildings lying under the hot sun..."

~Background~

Most people in L.A. who survived the nuclear blasts died after the bombs dropped, due to radiation poisoning, disease, famine, and other reasons. The city itself was ravaged by fires and nuclear bombs themselves. In fact, one of the warheads effectively turned Orange County into a crater. Some inhabitants took shelter in the demonstration vault, and eventually, most of them emerged in 2092.[2] Many of them were the founders of Adytum, fenced sections in the suburbs of the old Los Angeles. Some founded gangs, like the Blades and the Rippers.[3]

~Gangs and Adytum~

In 2155, the Master learned the location of the Los Angeles Vault, conquered the inhabitants and set up operations there, and the human cultists began to use the vault as their power base. Eventually, a monumental building known as the Cathedral was constructed above the vault. The cultists thus became known as the Children of the Cathedral. Of those that remained in the Vault, most became the Master's servants and members of the Children of the Cathedral. Those that left could be part of almost any organization in L.A.[4]

In the 2150s, a pack of deathclaws appeared in the Boneyard, taking over the base of the Rippers. In 2158, Jon Zimmerman, the town's mayor, hired a band of mercenaries known as the Regulators to help protect Adytum from the deathclaws and the odd random attack by raiders, who by 2161 were in control of Adytum.[5] The Vault Dweller recounts that "[He] found many enemies, and a few friends, in the Boneyard. [He] killed when necessary and learned more about the nature of [his] true foes." Sometime during his journey in the Boneyard, he killed the deathclaws which allowed the Gun Runners to expand their business.

~State of the New California Republic~

By 2189, the Boneyard became one of the states of the New California Republic and Adytum became known as New Adytum, holding seats in the NCR Senate.[6]

As one of the largest cities in NCR territory, it was a natural choice for many organizations to place their headquarters. Thus, by 2281, the Boneyard is host to the Republic Reserve[7] and the Follower's Angel's Boneyard Medical University[8] among many others. As the NCR now has control over the Boneyard, it has become much more stable, with the buildings rebuilt, redecorated and renovated. However, some people that live there claim it is not the best place to grow up,[9] indicating the NCR still has some work to do and are working to fix it.[10]

~Location~

The Boneyard can be found southwest of Vault 13.

A video recorder.

Rank 1: Ignore stun effects. (Stun effects force a player to skip their turn, brutal.)