The destruction of the world leads to a lot of groups and organizations falling apart at the seams. Few managed to survive the initial blasts of theFalloutgames, and even fewer managed to stick it out in the long haul.
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One group was able to stick it out for longer than most. They were called the Desert Rangers, and this group of fighters is one of the last remnants from the time before Vaults. The world of Fallout was not kind to this group in time, though.
The Desert Rangers can trace their mission all the way back to the original Texas Rangers. Existing as a group from the time that the nuclear fallout hit should have led to some street credit among other groups. However, the Desert Rangers, as they are known in the 23rd century, are ghosts of their former selves. Mostly seen as vigilantes and, in some cases, survivalists, they are no longer the powerhouse from the past. They no longer have a foothold on keeping people in check and watched as their numbers dwindled despite efforts to counter it. A simple ending for a group that wanted to do good.
They came mostly from the Nevada badlands area. Hoping to make the wasteland that existed after the bombs stopped falling better was their goal. Survivalists in the group began teaching others their skills, and they began learning more in order to improve their own skill sets. Those with combat skills would train others and spar with people to improve their chances of winning in a fight. May that be against raiders, other survivors looking for resources and weaker groups, or anything else that came for those under their protection. Marksmen took up arms and began teaching others how to shoot, take care of weapons, and work on scavenging things to help others get weapons.
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In the early days, they grew in numbers and became a recognized name throughout the wastelands. They protected the people from the hazards growing and coming from the wastelands. Shielded the more ordinary people in communities by driving back raiders that would come for settlements. Even turning back violent tribes that had become lost to reason. The Desert Rangers were well known and rightfully took a foothold in their own way.
Desert Rangers remained a force of protection and defense for a long time. The beginning of their eventual downfall came in the form of a battle that could not be won by them. In Arizona, the Rangers faced off against an opposing force known as Caesar’s Legion. The Desert Rangers were vastly outnumbered by the Legion and were ill-prepared for the war that was waged.
Led by Edward “Caesar” Sallow in 2247, Caesar’s Legion was taking on any smaller tribes and enslaving them to their whims. He and his companion Joshua Graham founded their totalitarian dictatorship. It would be modeled after the Roman Empire’s military, and they even went so far as to take the looks and language for their regime. The Legion was working on taking over the areas of New Mexico and Arizona as they gained small holds in Colorado and Utah.
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With the enslavement of small tribal groups, and the growing forces that wanted to join in Edward’s rhetoric, Caesar’s Legion became a large force fast. Having the larger numbers alone was a quick knock-back to the Desert Rangers. Adding in the militant practices and human fodder made for a force the survivalist group was not prepared to encounter. They had the better training and equipment, but the sheer numbers were overwhelming.
Assimilation
After losing the war to Caesar’s Legion, the Desert Rangers had a hard blow. They lost a lot of their members in the fight, and that result left their numbers diminished to the point that some even lost faith in the Rangers. Still, the remaining members carried on with their original mission in mind. As time marched on, there became little need for a renegade group of protectors. Caesar’s Legion continued to grow faster than the Rangers could have ever handled. The New California Republic had its own protection for people with the army. The Desert Rangers were on the brink of extinction when all they ever wanted to do was protect the people of the wastelands.
Eventually, the remaining members would sign the Unification Treaty in 2271. Having been forced out of Arizona with the Legion continuing to grow, the Rangers called the New California Republic for help. The exchange was relatively simple. The New California Republic would extend its protection to New Vegas, Southern Nevada, and, most importantly, the Hoover Dam. In exchange, the Desert Rangers would be absorbed into the NCR Rangers and teach their skills to the group improving their training. The UnificationTreaty has a monument dedicated to the signing outside the Mojave Outpost.
