The Bonelands

Overview

The Bonelands are the local wasteland region surrounding the player’s Vault. In the newer world structure, they are the scavenger heartland: a basin of alkaline dust, half-stripped ruins, old wreckage, and short-range survival routes between the hidden Vault, Dustmere Rest, and Bonetown.

World Map exploration reveals locations and encounters. Some sites can be discovered freely, while others only appear when their related quest is active.

Regional position

The Vault sits in Dead-Signal canyon about three hours’ walk from Bonetown. That distance makes Bonetown a local neighbor by wasteland standards: close enough for regular trade, toll pressure, and patrol risk, but far enough that the Vault can remain hidden if the player manages exposure carefully.

The corridor between the Vault and Bonetown is picked over by generations of scavengers. Its remaining value comes from hidden caches, quest-specific sites, salvage that others missed, and information about who controls the route today.

Known locations

• The Vault
• Dustmere Rest
• Contaminated Well: A discoverable water source with visibly polluted water and signs that others know its location.
• Building Site: A quest-linked source of Scrap Metal containing a ruined construction project and abandoned machinery.
• Concrete Ruins: An ambush site west of Dustmere Rest, discovered during The Watcher in the Ruins.
• Lost Caravan: The wreckage investigated during The Lost Caravan.
• Buried Substation: The objective location for The Buried Station.
• Bonetown

Exploration and hazards

• The Contaminated Well can be discovered through a one-time exploration event.
• Dustmere Rest becomes discoverable after the Contaminated Well event.
• The Building Site appears while Scrap for survival is active.
• The Concrete Ruins appear while The Watcher in the Ruins is active.
• The Lost Caravan site appears while The Lost Caravan is active.
• The approach to Bonetown is unlocked during Bones in Bonetown.
• Sandstorms, scarce clean water, unstable ruins, and hostile scavengers are recurring regional dangers.

Regional logistics

Destination	Approximate foot travel from the Vault	Notes
Bonetown	3 hours	Local territory and frequent trading
The Scrapyard	About 8 hours	Full-day northern trek; pack water
Rust Haven	About 20 hours	Overnight Rust-Belt journey
New Eden	3 days	Long haul; caravan or vehicle expected

Regional role

The Bonelands connect the Vault’s early survival loop to Dustmere Rest’s quests and Bonetown’s larger trade and story systems. They also establish the scale for later planned regions: the Rust-Belt lies north, the Verdant Veil lies west, and the Sulfur Bleed sits beyond the safer caravan grid.

Related topics

• Bonetown
• The Vault
• Economy and trade