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Lone Wanderer Boomtown App
Nov. 30th, 2013 03:43 amPlayer's Name: NowhereMan (Nowhere?)
Are you over 16? Yes
Characters Played Here: None
Character: Brandon Lane, The Lone Wanderer
Series/Canon: Fallout 3
From When? Post-Game, including all DLCs.
History:
The Setting: The Capital Wasteland
The Game: Fallout 3
(Extra paraphrased to try to keep it readable, any section can be extended upon request)
Brandon grew up in Vault 101, the son of the vault's doctor, James. Life in the vault was peaceful, if somewhat oppressive thanks to the dictatorial rule of the Overseer, Alphonse Almodovar. Upon reaching 16 years old, Brandon took his G.O.A.T. exam and was slated to be a Pip-Boy programmer and would get to hang out with his friend Stanley all day. He had a couple good years doing so, but things weren't meant to be.
On August 17th, 2277, James escaped Vault 101 for reasons unknown to Brandon at the time. What mattered was that his dad was gone, and it had driven the power-mad Overseer over the edge. Brandon's lifelong friend, and the daughter of the mad Overseer, Amata, woke Brandon and warned him in time for him to escape the clutches of the vault security forces sent to kill him. More than a little rattled by the sudden and massive change in his life, Brandon was still able to gather his wits and escape the vault in the midst of the confusion caused by a timely radroach infestation.
Out on his own, Brandon saw the sky for the first time in his life. The sight was mind-boggling, but he had a mission ahead of him. He would find his dad. Brandon set out across the capital wasteland, tracking his father like a bloodhound. First was Megaton, where he discovered that his father had lied to him about his birthplace. A man named Moriarty claimed to have met him when he was but an infant, before James gained entry to the vault, and after letting himself into Moriarty’s secure terminal, he verified that the man was either telling the truth or had a superb way of distorting it. Among Moriarty's notes was mention of Galaxy News Radio, and that James was headed that way.
Brandon made his way to GNR, and was introduced to the Brotherhood of Steel and the leader of their special forces team, Sarah Lyons, on the way, as well as carving through a horde of what the Brotherhood called "Super Mutants", giant mutated humanoids full of hate and death. Upon arrival at the GNR building, Brandon truly impressed the members of the Brotherhood when he single-handedly took down a Super Mutant the size of a house after it burst through the outpost's barricades.
Inside the GNR building, Brandon met Three Dog, GNR's one and only disc jockey. After a little bit of wrangling and a dangerous mission to repair GNR's radio receiver with the satellite dish from the Virgo II lunar lander, Three Dog sent Brandon on his way, telling him that James had headed for Rivet City and Doctor Madison Li.
The trip through the D.C. ruins to Rivet City was a dangerous one, which had Brandon fighting Super Mutants, raiders, and the ruthless mercenaries of Talon Company. It was also a long one, filled with side-trips and distractions, as Brandon could never turn a blind eye to a person in need, nor could he resist the lure of an interesting location and the promise of new experiences. When he finally reached Rivet City, he found it to be a settlement built among the wreckage of a beached aircraft carrier, and the most technologically and culturally advanced community he had seen since leaving the vault. He immediately sought out Doctor Li, who had seen his father not long before. Unfortunately, James had already moved on to the Jefferson Memorial. To Project Purity.
Doctor Li was also able to tell Brandon the truth of his origins, free of the suspicious agenda of people like Moriarty. Brandon was born right there in Rivet City. His parents had both been scientists there, working on Project Purity, which was a long-term scientific project tasked with the impossible: providing the whole of the Capital Wasteland with fresh, clean water. When Brandon's mother, Catherine, died from complications of childbirth, an already frustrated James abandoned Rivet City and Project Purity, talked his way into Vault 101, and pretended he'd been there his whole life.
This filled Brandon with more questions than ever, and he chased after his father once more, heading to the Jefferson Memorial. There, Brandon found plenty of Super Mutants, but no Dad. However, there were holotapes that pointed him in the direction of yet another vault and something called a G.E.C.K.: a Garden of Eden Creation Kit.
Brandon crossed the Wasteland yet again, leaving a wide swath of good deeds and glimmers of hope in his wake. Upon reaching Vault 112, he found it to be hosting a nightmarish simulation creation by Braun and used to torture and murder the residents of the vault for Braun's endless and eternal amusement. Further, Brandon quickly realized that his own father was here in the simulation, transformed into a dog in one of Braun's twisted games. Brandon eventually figured out how to trigger a failsafe in the simulation, ending the torment of Braun's victims, freeing himself and his father, and leaving the psychotic scientist alone in his simulation forever.
Finally reunited with his father, he returned with him to Project Purity, taking advantage of the long journey to catch up and discuss the truth of his origins with James. He was upset with his father for lying to him for so long, but he could understand James' desire to give him a safe, "normal" life in Vault 101. In the end, he was just happy to have his dad back.
However, things didn't stay happy for long. Upon reaching Project Purity, he set about helping his father and the other scientists get the project's purifier up and running. However, right in the middle of the process, the Jefferson Memorial was stormed by a well-armed and well-organized group calling themselves the Enclave. They attempted to seize the purifier for their own purposes, but James sacrificed himself to stop the Enclave by overloading the purifier and flooding it's reaction chamber with radiation.
After watching his father die to protect him and Project Purity from the Enclave, Brandon fled with the rest of the surviving scientists to the Citadel. The Citadel was the massive fortress-home of the Brotherhood of Steel, built among the ruins of the Pentagon. Brandon was again a man on a mission, but instead of a mission of hope, it was now a mission of retribution. He would take back Project Purity from the Enclave, even if it meant tearing it from them by himself. First, though, he had to get that G.E.C.K.
With that, the Brotherhood was extremely helpful. Not only did they have a terminal with records of which vaults in the D.C. area had been issued a G.E.C.K., but Elder Lyons also gave leave for Brandon to be trained in the use of their power armor, which would protect him as he journeyed across the wastes. After he was properly equipped, he headed out across the Capital Wasteland yet again.
The journey was long and full of distractions, though the largest of them netted him yet another experience with virtual reality and a pristine pre-war suit of power armor. In the end, he made it to Vault 87, the only vault in the D.C. area to be equipped with a G.E.C.K. Unfortunately, his sources were correct, and the vault was surrounded by a field of deadly radiation. However, there was another way into the vault: a series of natural caverns that was a pre-War tourist attraction called Little Lamplight.
As it turned out, Little Lamplight was somewhat familiar to Brandon already. Early in his wanderings, he had rescued a few wastelanders from a group of Super Mutants based out of a pre-War police station. These wastelanders were from a settlement called Big Town: a hellhole of a village besieged from all sides by raiders, slavers, and Super Mutants. He had stayed on at Big Town for a week or so, teaching them how to defend themselves by showing them how to shoot, fixing their robot security, and so on. Getting to know the residents of Big Town, he learned that they were all members of another settlement, Little Lamplight, which was populated entirely by children, and had been kicked out after they got too old.
Luckily for Brandon, he'd always gotten along well with children, and making it into Little Lamplight was as simple as throwing a Mom joke at their mayor. After a bit of looking, he found a utility access point for Vault 87 deep in the Lamplight caverns and let himself in.
The vault itself was a horror show of Super Mutants and the gut-wrenching results of FEV experimentation. However, he did run into one person of interest. Locked in an experiment cell was a Super Mutant imprisoned by his own kind. Upon speaking to the massive man, Brandon was surprised to find that the mutant, who called himself Fawkes, had retained his intellect after his transformation, at the cost of his memories and the ire of his fellow Super Mutants.
Meeting Fawkes was fortuitous, as the G.E.C.K. was in a section of the vault flooded with deadly radiation. Fawkes, as a Super Mutant, was unharmed by levels of radiation that would have killed Brandon within seconds, and retrieved the G.E.C.K. for him before taking off to find his own way out of his prison.
Brandon was ready to head back to Project Purity victorious, but as he made his way out of Vault 87, he was knocked unconscious by an Enclave ambush. Before he lost consciousness completely, he came face-to-face with Colonel Autumn, the man who had caused his father's death, someone Brandon thought died along with him.
He awoke in restraints, being interrogated by Colonel Autumn. Autumn sought the access codes for Project Purity's purifier, but Brandon wasn't about to give in to the man who, as far as Brandon was concerned, killed his dad. It wasn't long before Autumn left, highly irritated and empty-handed, on the orders of President John Henry Eden.
Eden then contacted Brandon directly, asking for a face-to-face meeting in his office. He released Brandon and returned his gear, granting him safe passage through their base, Raven Rock. Brandon passed through about half of the base before Colonel Autumn intervened. In what was essentially a coup, Autumn called for the Enclave personnel in the base to disregard the President's orders and stop Brandon at all costs. Brandon wasn't so easily defeated.
After fighting his way to President Eden's office, he found himself facing down a massive ZAX computer mainframe. Brandon was not as surprised as he would have liked to have been. However, after talking to President Eden, he noticed that the computer was stuck in an infinite logic loop, and that the entirety of President Eden's plans, ambitions, and even the core of his being, were based on a simple computer glitch.
After pointing out the error, Brandon was able to convince Eden to run a diagnostic, which confirmed his suspicions. Mortified at his flaw, Eden understood that the only thing he could do to rectify his mistake was to destroy himself, Raven Rock, and the Enclave. He instructed Brandon to take a modified FEV strain designed to eliminate mutants in the Capital Wasteland and bring an end to the mutant threat, leaving only pure, unmutated humans intact, and add it to Project Purity, which had been his plan all along. With that, he urged Brandon to escape the base before its destruction, escorting him out with the remainder of Raven Rock's robotic security.
Outside, Brandon was reunited with Fawkes, who was laying waste to fleeing Enclave soldiers. Fawkes had tracked Brandon to Raven Rock, and had been in the process of rescuing him when he exited the exploding Enclave base.
G.E.C.K. in hand, Brandon started the long trek back across the Wasteland. Brandon's philanthropic nature caused the trip to be even longer than it needed to be, but he reasoned that the purifier had waited twenty years, it could wait a bit longer if someone was in need. The most difficult decision in his journey happened after he was beaten unconscious by raiders, enslaved, and sent to The Pitt, which was the destroyed remnants of Pittsburgh. He assisted the slaves of The Pitt in the beginnings of a revolt, but the more he learned of the situation, the more horrible it became. They were all suffering from a terminal disease, and the desperation in the air was palpable. He wanted to help them, to free them from their shackles and cure them of their disease. He was able to earn his freedom in a gladiatorial arena, as well as gaining an audience with their leader, an ex-member of the Brotherhood of Steel named Ashur, who had come to The Pitt years beforehand as part of the movement of the Brotherhood to the D.C. area.
Ashur explained to Brandon the whole of the situation, and introduced Brandon to the cure the slaves had asked them to retrieve: his infant daughter Marie. This tore Brandon apart. He placed a high value on freedom thanks to his experiences with Overseer Almodovar, but he valued family and innocent life just as highly. He spoke with Ashur for hours, learning that Ashur hated his choices just as much as Brandon did, but believed that they were necessary in the long run. He wholly believed in curing the disease that afflicted the residents of the Pitt, and freeing his "workers" as soon as he possibly could, but he would not risk Marie's life in order to bring about a quicker cure. Brandon was finally convinced that killing Ashur and his wife and stealing their infant child in order to free the people of The Pitt into a life that would likely degenerate immediately to the condition Ashur had found the city in during the Scourge would be the worst decision he could make given the circumstances. He left The Pitt much as he had found it, promising to check in regularly to assist in the creation of a cure, and to make sure Ashur made good on his promises.
When he finally made it back to the Citadel, he found Sarah Lyons attempting to convince her father to allow her to take Lyons' Pride to recapture Project Purity. Elder Lyons was about to deny her when Brandon arrived, G.E.C.K. in hand. With this revelation, Lyons immediately granted Sarah her mission, instructing her to take Brandon and the newly-perfected Brotherhood superweapon to secure their victory. Before they left for the memorial, Brandon turned over Eden's FEV to Elder Lyons for destruction, as he realized that a virus that would kill any mutated being in the Capital Wasteland would not only be unethical, but would very likely decimate the entire population, as completely pure, unmutated humans were virtually nonexistent in a world blanketed in heavy background radiation.
The superweapon, a giant pre-War robot designated Liberty Prime, paved the way to Project Purity, and Brandon, along with the Pride, stormed the Jefferson Memorial, retaking the purifier. However, things would never be that simple. Upon reaching the rotunda and the purifier's control room, Brandon found the place filled with enough radiation to cause near-instant death and about to self-destruct, and better yet, he came face-to-face with Colonel Autumn, right in the room where he watched his father die. Brandon was tempted to shoot the man where he stood, to reduce him to a steaming puddle of green goo, but his morals got the better of him. He saw through Autumn's facade, and that of his men. Their leader was dead, their home base destroyed. Autumn's soldiers were just a bunch of men and women who had just ended up on the wrong side of things. Autumn was a bastard, but that wasn't their fault, and killing them wouldn't bring his father back. So he talked Autumn down and let him walk away from the purifier. There were more important things to worry about.
If they ever wanted the purifier to work as his father had envisioned, to provide clean, pure water to the Capital Wasteland, someone was going to have to go inside and activate the purifier. However, whoever went in wouldn't be coming out. The choice was obvious. Brandon said his final goodbyes to Sarah, and headed into the chamber. He punched in the activation code and watched the water purify as his vision faded to black.
Two weeks later, Brandon awoke. The good news was, well, he wasn't dead. And the purifier worked! The bad news was Sarah was still in a coma. The Enclave were routed, but they weren't as destroyed as previously thought. They still had a base out there somewhere, and the Brotherhood wanted to finish the fight. He was immediately inducted into the Brotherhood of Steel as a Knight, bypassing their normal initiation procedures. However, Brandon needed some time to think. After all, he'd been practically dead for two weeks.
He wandered the wasteland for a good while, helping out where he could, until one afternoon he intercepted a strange radio signal on a frequency he hadn't seen before. Following the signal to its source, he found what appeared to be a crashed flying saucer buried in the desert, its alien pilot dead on the ground in front of it. Disbelieving, Brandon approached, only to be picked up in a strange beam of light and lifted into the air. He lost consciousness while being abducted, and only regained consciousness sporadically while the aliens poked, prodded, probed, and experimented on him. He only fully regained his faculties once placed in a holding cell with another wastelander named Somah. Little did these little green men know, they had chosen possibly the single worst person on Earth to abduct. They took Brandon Lane, an experienced wasteland hero, consummate scientist, and effective force of nature, and placed him aboard a space ship filled to the gunwales with energy weapons, and they expected him to stay put like a good little guinea pig.
Brandon and Somah orchestrated their escape, freed a few others, including a cowboy, a medic, a samurai, and a pre-pubescent girl, and together they systematically conquered the UFO. After they finally reached the bridge, Brandon vaporized the alien captain and took control of the ship's death ray, using it to destroy the only other alien ship in orbit, and saved the Earth from the ravages of the alien threat. Sally, the little girl, promptly declared Mothership Zeta his, which was supported by the rest of their little group. With that, Brandon teleported himself back down to the wasteland while Sally and Elliot, the War-era medic, stayed aboard as custodians. The rest scattered to the winds.
Finally back on Earth, and only half-believing what he had just dealt with, Brandon thought it was time for a little vacation. Luckily, a steam boat christened the Duchess Gambit had just made port on the Potomac, and was looking for passengers to the pre-War resort town of Point Lookout. Seeing this as a message of fate, Brandon bought a ticket and headed south, but not before being beseeched by a desperate mother to look for her wayward daughter.
Unfortunately, the trip wasn't exactly the vacation he had been looking for. While the alien disintegrator he had appropriated certainly made his life easier, he had to deal with a whole new suite of murderous opponents, from swamp ghouls and strange new varieties of mirelurks to grossly disfigured swampfolk and crazy tribals, all topped off with him getting embroiled in a two century old battle between a British superspy and a power-hungry American scientist. The spy, Desmond, was a rough-tongued ghoul battling it out against a Professor Calvert, who had once been a brilliant scientist born to one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the pre-War United States. Desmond had been responsible for the destruction of Calvert's body, leaving the scientist only a brain suspended in a gel-filled tank. The uncovering of Calvert's secret lair took Brandon across Point Lookout and through a tribal spirit journey culminating in his being drugged unconscious by a giant plant and having a chunk of his brain removed by an amateur scientist. In investigating the tribals who had attacked Desmond's base of operations under the orders of Professor Calvert, Brandon found the wayward teen, Nadine. She was able to remove the scar from Brandon's "rite of passage" and promised to meet him later at the Duchess Gambit.
After confirming that Calvert was in fact behind the attack on Desmond, Brandon helped the ghoul place a psychic jammer onto the ferris wheel on Point Lookout's pier, which angered the brain into tipping his hand. In an attempt to destroy Desmond once and for all, Calvert had revealed his location. Brandon and Desmond, furious that Calvert's attempt on his life had taken the lives of his two pet dogs, breached Calvert's secret lab to put an end to their rivalry. In the end, the fight was simple. They blew through Calvert's robot guardians, rendering him defenseless, and Brandon ended things by destroying Calvert's tank with a blast from his shotgun. His work finally done, Desmond begrudgingly thanked Brandon and moved on, intent on finding one of the other few remaining players in their "Great Game".
Afterwards, Brandon realized that until he finished the job that had been put before him, he couldn't settle down and enjoy himself, so he made his way back to the Duchess Gambit, where he met Nadine. She had come to the realization that the amateur surgeon responsible for their mutual head wounds, and the permanent brain damage of a large number of tribals, was none other than Tobar, the captain of the Duchess Gambit, and she had him locked up in the boat's engine room, along with a collection of grisly trophies. Brandon beelined for the locked room, where he confronted Tobar. Tobar taunted him about his spirit walk and justified his actions as what he needed to do to survive, before attacking. Brandon struggled with him for a bit before finally killing the evil man. Finally finished with his business in Point Lookout, Brandon settled down in the passenger area of the boat and headed back to the Capital Wasteland to finish things with the Enclave.
Brandon joined the Brotherhood in their crusade against the Enclave. They attacked a satellite relay station believed to hold information about the Enclave's remaining strongholds, and were met with heavy resistance. They were about to breach the station when Liberty Prime was decimated by an orbital missile strike. The Brotherhood pushed on, motivated by the revelation of this new threat. They were able to salvage the mission and uncovered encrypted data that led to the discovery of the Enclave's final stronghold: Adams Airforce Base.
After a great deal of preparation, the Brotherhood launched an attack on the base, while Brandon snuck in via the Presidential metro system buried beneath the White House. While the Brotherhood provided a distraction via full-frontal assault, Brandon infiltrated the Enclave's mobile base crawler and set the same weapons satellite that destroyed Liberty Prime to fire on the crawler. He fled the base, and was picked up by Sarah Lyons and a captured Enclave vertibird.
After watching the fireworks and being congratulated by practically the entire command staff of the Brotherhood of Steel, Brandon finally felt like he could sit down for once. He had about a month to himself before a letter from a mysterious alien arrived...
Personality:
Brandon is intelligent, friendly, and hard to rattle. He's been called the "last, best hope of humanity" and "the wasteland messiah", thanks to his willingness to help out anyone he comes across in his travels, and his tendency to refuse payment for the help he provides. Brandon's highest moral priorities are life, family, and freedom, and he realizes that he is in a unique position to provide for the people of the Capital Wasteland, and to make real changes to the world at large.
Brandon has many friends among the citizens of the Capital Wasteland, from all walks of life. He doesn't discriminate, which is a rarity in the wasteland, and calls both a Super Mutant and a ghoul friend and companion. However, he rarely travels with others, as he doesn't believe in endangering the lives of other for his ends, though he is a natural leader and performs admirably in that role when it's required.
He doesn't judge, and is very forgiving, showcased by his allowing Colonel Autumn and his men to leave Project Purity unharmed, but he's not stupid either, and his wrath when crossed is legendary. He has a reputation for being an unstoppable force when he puts his mind to it, and has escaped from slavers, the Enclave, and even aliens, laying waste to any and all who tried to stop him.
His determination is rivaled only by his creativity and technical expertise. He had repaired and refurbished countless pieces of technology, from robots, to computers, to pre-War vehicles.
However, Brandon isn't perfect. He has a vicious hatred of radroaches, as they used to plague Vault 101 when he was a child. More importantly, he has abandonment issues buried deep below the surface. His mother died in childbirth, his father left to complete Project Purity, fully intending Brandon to stay in the vault, completely unaware of where his father disappeared to or why, and his closest childhood friend and first love Amata ejected him from the vault he grew up in after he answered her distress call and helped to restore order to Vault 101, "for the good of the vault". While his mother couldn't be helped, his father wished only to keep him safe, and Amata was concerned for the good of the many over her own wishes, these things have left their scars on Brandon. In addition to any emotional issues he might have, Brandon also has a tendency to become addicted to Buffout, a fast-acting adrenal steroid. Normally this isn't an issue, as he usually has easy access to an advanced detoxification solution that removes addictions, but he does keep a hefty amount of the stuff on him, just in case.
Friends and Companions
Just a small selection of Brandon's friends as well as any companions that have accompanied him in his travels.
Amata Almodovar: Brandon's closest childhood friend and first love. Now the Overseer of Vault 101, and was forced to eject Brandon from the vault, putting the stability of the vault over her personal feelings for Brandon.
Stanley Armstrong: A close friend of Brandon's, and his boss during his time in Vault 101. Stanley taught him how to program Pip-Boys and refurbished the one Brandon wears.
Butch DeLoria: Vault 101's preeminent bully and leader of the greaser gang The Tunnel Snakes, but a softie at heart. After Brandon saved his mother from radroaches, the grateful Butch declared Brandon his best friend and gave him his Tunnel Snakes jacket.
Gob: Ghoul bartender in Megaton. He has an attachment to Brandon because of Brandon's respect for him as a human being, something rare in Gob's life.
Star Paladin Cross: The Seneschal of Elder Lyons, Star Paladin Cross escorted Brandon and his father James to Vault 101 when Brandon was an infant. She asked to accompany him when he made it to the Citadel for the first time. He accepted, and the two spend a good deal of time in each other's company. Brandon sees her as family.
Charon: Brandon has an awkward time explaining his relationship with Charon, because he bought the ghoul in Underworld. Originally intending to free him from slavery, Charon refuses to leave his service, being honor-bound to serve whoever holds his contract. Brandon doesn't pretend to understand the man's code of conduct, but Charon has proven himself to be an honorable and moral person, something that Brandon truly respects.
Fawkes: A Super Mutant that prefers the term Meta-Human, Fawkes is an intelligent, philosophical person. Fawkes owes Brandon his freedom, and risked his life to repay it in kind when Brandon was captured by the Enclave. They have become close friends, and spend hours talking about books.
Dogmeat: Brandon's Australian cattle dog. He's tenacious and smart, and Brandon loves his doggy.
Nadine: A wayward young woman who now captains the Duchess Gambit. She and Brandon get along well, and she allows him to travel with her free of charge.
Sally: A little girl abducted from Earth shortly after the Great War, Sally is now the "First Officer" of Mothership Zeta. Brandon acts as an older brother to her.
Sarah Lyons: Leader of the Brotherhood of Steel's special operations squad, Lyon's Pride. She has romantic feelings towards Brandon, but tries to hide them to keep their relationship professional.
Sydney: An independent relic hunter who ran into Brandon when they were both attempting to find the Declaration of Independence. They worked well together, and after Brandon found a holotape recording from her father, she developed feelings for him. The two have had occasional romantic entanglements.
Why do you think your character would work in this setting?
Brandon comes from a blasted wasteland, and has experience in creating a comfortable life out of practically nothing. He has had previous experience with aliens, and they weren't exactly positive, but his curiosity got the better of him and he's excited to see what New Dodge has in store. That said, he's prepared (and essentially expecting) to be bushwacked within ten minutes of arrival. Assuming he doesn't end up having to shoot his way out, he's got a lot of options for earning a living. His technical expertise or his medical training is likely to be the most popular option, but he's more than willing to do whatever needs doing.
Inventory:
Weapons
Alien Disintegrator: A powerful energy weapon taken from the aliens aboard Mothership Zeta.
N99 10mm Pistol: A typical Capital Wasteland sidearm. Simple, robust, and easy to repair.
Combat Knife: Basic knife, used mainly as a tool.
A3-21's Plasma Rifle: A gift from an android that Brandon helped escape slavery under the yoke of his creators.
Combat Shotgun: For close-quarters, or for that nice, satisfying boom. Whichever.
Apparel
Winterized T-51b Power Armor: A suit of pristine power armor retrieved from a secure armory after completing the simulation Operation: Anchorage.
Heavy BlackWolf Backpack: Tough, military-style backpack, good for traveling.
Modified Utility Jumpsuit: A final gift from Amata, and really useful. Brandon usually wears this under his armor or lab coat, as the case may be. The red high-tops are definitely his style.
Vault Lab Uniform: He really only wears the coat, with his modified utility jumpsuit underneath, but having a spare set of clothes around never hurt.
Pre-War Parkstroller Outfit: Well, he can't wear a jumpsuit all the time.
Pre-War Spring Outfit: One set of normal clothes wouldn't do.
Pip-Boy 3000a x3: A wrist-mounted utility computer issued to all Vault 101 residents. As a Pip-Boy programmer, Brandon learned how to remove a Pip-Boy from a subject, bypassing the biometric lock (handy for salvaging old Mr. Abernathy's Pip-Boy when he kicks the bucket). He's bringing along a couple he salvaged from Vault 108 for trading.
Aid (Medicine)
Stimpak x50: General healing medication, works nearly instantly to close wounds and knit together bones. He keeps these in his back, taped into 10 sets of 5.
Radaway x10: IV solution for removing radiation from the subject's body.
Buffout x15: Highly advanced steroid, chewable for convenience. Brandon uses these to temporarily enhance his lacking (at least in his opinion) strength and endurance. Highly addictive.
Jet x5: Highly addictive methamphetamine that stimulates the central nervous system. Brandon uses it as an emergency stimulant to keep patients from going into shock.
Universal Addiction Detoxifier x15: General-use detoxifier, injected via syringe. Brandon tapes these up in sets of five as well. (no wiki article)
Mentats: Basically steroids for your brain. Brandon uses them when he needs to concentrate very hard on something.
Med-X x20: Potent analgesic, similar to morphine. Brandon keeps them like he does his stimpaks and detoxifier for travel.
Aid (Food and Other Consumables)
Nuka-Cola x24: Brandon loves Nuka. He keeps a case with him when he travels, and will always stop to loot a Nuka-Cola machine.
Cram x5: Brandon likes Cram sandwiches, and without knowing what he's getting into food-wise, he's not taking any chances.
Pork n' Beans x5: More food because alien food sucks.
Whiskey x2: Brandon has learned that making friends is easier over a good drink.
Aqua Pura x6: Aqua Pura isn't just good, clean water, it's also a part of his dad.
Alien Epoxy x5: Alien polymer for repairing weapons.
Misc
DC Journal of Internal Medicine: A book on medicine that Brandon keeps around for reference.
Dean's Electronics: A book on repair with some useful common schematics.
Big Book of Science: General science textbook. Brandon keeps it around for reference and a little light reading, though he has most of it memorized.
Fission Battery x3: General purpose power source, extremely useful.
Wonderglue x3: Bottles of general-purpose adhesive.
Scrap Metal x5: Just random scrap, good for building and repairing things.
Pre-War Money x10: A bunch of pre-War cash. Not worth anything outside of as a curiosity to wastelanders, but might be of interest to someone in New Dodge.
Large and Small Alien Crystal x5 each: Brandon's fairly sure this is alien money, but isn't sure. He's bringing them along to see if anyone recognizes them.
Ammo
Alien Power Module x1000: Ammunition for the Alien Disintegrator. These are split per "shot" rather than per actual physical module. Alien weapons are reloaded simply by hitting a button, and each load is 100 shots, so in physical form this would end up being 10 small cylinders about the size of a mini MnM tube.
Microfusion Cell x120: Ammunition for the plasma rifle. Like the alien power modules, these are divided per "shot". Each load is 12 shots in a plasma rifle, so this ends up being 10 batteries about half the size of a can of soda.
10mm bullets x120: Ammunition for the 10mm pistol. Good old-fashioned bullets, come in boxes of 24.
12 gauge shotgun shells 60: Ammunition for the combat shotgun. Plastic-hulled shotgun shells, come in boxes of 12.
Samples
Third-Person Sample:
The sickly green glow of the terminal's monitor lit Brandon's face as he accessed its password recovery protocol. He was likely the first person to touch the keyboard in centuries, thanks to the nasty turret that had, until about a minute ago when he had found its control console, been watching over the armory door.
He tacked away at the termlink code, which was as natural as English to him, thanks to Stanley's dedication to his training. It wasn't long before he found the right password combination, and then he was in. He smiled quietly to himself as the text scrolled across the screen.
SECURE AREA. ALARM WILL SOUND WHEN DOOR IS UNLOCKED.
Brandon's smile oozed off his face. "Well, crap," he muttered, glancing back up the silo's staircase. Currently, the only sounds he could hear were his fingers hitting the old terminal's keys, and his geiger counter ticking happily away. Apparently whatever was housed in the base of this silo was leaking. Better make this quick.
He cringed as he struck the return key. The door to his left screeched open, and, as he'd feared, alarm klaxons started wailing. Almost immediately, he heard shouting from upstairs. The rest of those raiders had made it inside.
Brandon was starting to wonder if this old armory could possibly be worth the trouble he was about to get into when he took a look inside. That smile slammed its way right back to his lips. Before him was a plethora of hardware: missile launchers, assault rifles, submachine guns, even a minigun. He hefted the massive gatling and turned towards the door. Its perfectly-oiled barrels spun up with a hum. Definitely worth it.
First-Person Sample:
8/19/2278
18:04
Begin Recording
Whelp. This is interesting. I've recieved a message from an alien. He calls himself Eli, and he's from something called the "Achamarian Preservation Society". Immediately made me think of the Capital Preservation Society and old Abe, and through that, Sydney, and since this was a much more pleasant encounter than the last time I dealt with aliens, I figured I'd look into it.
Turns out, he's working on some kind of experimental colony project called "New Dodge", and he wants me to go be a part of it for six months. Have to say, I'm intrigued. I've been into some of the most secure facilities the pre-War government could offer, I've been to space, hell... I've even been to Virginia. But a new planet? And the opportunity to meet people from all over the universe? How could I pass that up?
That being said, I'm not stupid. This smells just like the kind of deal that Vault-Tec was advertising when they were gathering Americans for the vault project, and I've read enough secret experiment logs in failed vaults to know how that turned out. Of course, it could be a bait and switch, and I could step off the bus and get clocked on the head for my trouble. No way to tell, so I guess I'm just gonna have to risk it. Hey, I've been through worse.
To prep, I should take the time to make sure my T-51b is properly serviced and I'll grab enough spare materials to keep it going just in case. I'll run over to the Citadel tomorrow morning and get Knight Captain Durga to give it a good scrub. While I'm there, I'll have to let Cross know I'm leaving for a while, otherwise she'll lose her shit on me when I get back, in that ever-so-poetic way of hers.
Apparently, I can take anything I can carry, so a lot of my 24-hour allotment will be taken up with packing, but Wadsworth should be able to help with that. Definitely taking Harkness's plasma rifle, and one of those nifty disintegrators from Zeta. Oh yeah! Definitely gotta let Sally and Elliot know I'm leaving so they don't freak out and think I'm dead or something. I'll give Wadsworth a recorded greeting from me if anyone stops by, just in case. I'll leave a special one for Sydney, and one for Sarah as well.
Yeah, definitely interesting...
End Recording
Extras
SPECIAL
Strength 5
Perception 10
Endurance 5
Charisma 9
Intelligence 10
Agility 7
Luck 7
Strength: Brandon started his journey a little lacking strength-wise, but several long treks across the wasteland have improved him from "underwhelming" to "meh".
Perception: Brandon has a talent for noticing the details. He was good at this in the vault, and he's only gotten better. However, he is a bit near-sighted, so he's rarely seen without his glasses.
Endurance: Brandon's leaves a bit to be desired in the endurance department, and it shows in his repeated addictions to Buffout. Hey, at least there's that detox injection.
Charisma: He's not really charming or particularly attractive, but he does seem to know exactly what to say in a given situation, and can be very persuasive.
Intelligence: It's here that Brandon truly shines. He is the son of two brilliant scientists, and definitely takes after them.
Agility: While not a physical powerhouse, Brandon is fairly quick on his feet, and he's good with a gun.
Luck: He's no card shark, and terrible things happen to him on a daily basis, but he tends to make it through things okay, and it's not always skill that gets the credit.
Perks
Ant Sight: Brandon was injected with an FEV-powered mutagen that increased his perception and made him fire-resistant as a reward for ending a crisis caused by a scientific experiment gone horribly wrong.
Better Criticals: Brandon's knowledge of anatomy allows him to consistently hit vital spots on his opponents.
Booster Shot: Thanks to medical breakthroughs from The Pitt, Brandon is more resistant to radiation than the average person.
Chemist: Brandon finds chemistry fascinating, and knows how to prolong the effects of any chems he uses.
Child at Heart: Deep down, Brandon's just a big ol' kid, and he really understands how children think.
Comprehension: Brandon just "gets it". He really does.
Cyborg: After meeting Harkness and Star Paladin Cross, it was only a matter of time before Brandon made some improvements of his own. His implants make him a little tougher and more resistant to poison and radiation, and a chip added to his brain assists in his understanding of energy weapons.
Daddy's Boy: Like father, like son. Brandon loves his father, and follows closely in his footsteps.
Educated: Unlike many in the Capital Wasteland, Brandon benefitted from a full education in Vault 101, and it helps him immensely out in the wastes.
Fast Metabolism: Brandon's metabolism makes him seem a little on the skinny side, but it seems to respond well to stimpaks, and he heals rather quickly.
Finesse: Brandon learned early on that strength was far from his greatest asset, so he makes up for it with precision.
Grim Reaper's Sprint: Brandon's experience in the wasteland has made him incredibly quick on the draw, and once he gets shooting, he can clear a room in seconds.
Gun Nut: Brandon loves guns. He loves shooting them, and he loves maintaining them. His natural aptitude for mechanics means that his weapons stay in top condition.
Intense Training (6): Brandon is painfully aware of his weaknesses, and has made every effort to improve himself.
Lady Killer: Though not particularly attractive or suave, Brandon has a certain earnestness about him that some women find appealing.
Lawbringer: Hearing of all the good Brandon had done out in the Capital Wasteland, he was approached by the Lawbringers and eagerly took up their cause.
Light Step: Brandon's experiences in Minefield made figuring out how to not set off landmines a high priority.
Master Trader: Brandon's persuasiveness comes in handy when bartering with merchants throughout the Capital Wasteland.
No Weaknesses: Brandon worked his tail off, and he can proudly say that the worst any of his most basic traits are is "average".
Pitt Fighter: The gladatorial fights Brandon endured in The Pitt left him more resistant to damage.
Power Armor Training: Brandon recieved training in the use of power armor from Paladin Gunny shortly after James was killed.
Punga Power!: After Brandon's spirit journey, punga fruit has a more potent effect on his physiology. Whether this has to do with his greater understanding of his soul, or the chunk of brain he's missing is anyone's guess.
Rad Regeneration: Thanks to a "teeny little mutation", Brandon's body naturally regenerates major damage when he's highly irradiated.
Robotics Expert: Brandon's understanding of science and technology gives him an intimate comprehension of robotics. It's come in handy more times than he can count.
Scoundrel: Brandon puts extra effort into being diplomatic, and would much rather talk down an opponent than fight.
Silent Running: You know, someone shouldn't be that sneaky running around in a tin can.
Sniper: Brandon definitely prefers two-handed firearms over handguns. The bigger, the better. His tastes are reflected in his accuracy.
Strong Back: That ant-related mutagen really took hold. The kid can haul around a lot more than he looks like he could.
Superior Defender: Brandon was taught how to defend a position by a pre-War ghoul spy named Desmond as a reward for helping him out.
Survival Guru: He may not have written the Wasteland Survival Guide, but he certainly did all the work. He was definitely good at it, though, and its intelligent wording reflects its test subject.
Swift Learner: Brandon picks up new ideas quickly and is more than happy to implement them.
Tag!: Brandon focused quite a bit of time and energy into the Energy Weapons, Science, Repair, and Speech skills.
Are you over 16? Yes
Characters Played Here: None
Character: Brandon Lane, The Lone Wanderer
Series/Canon: Fallout 3
From When? Post-Game, including all DLCs.
History:
The Setting: The Capital Wasteland
The Game: Fallout 3
(Extra paraphrased to try to keep it readable, any section can be extended upon request)
Brandon grew up in Vault 101, the son of the vault's doctor, James. Life in the vault was peaceful, if somewhat oppressive thanks to the dictatorial rule of the Overseer, Alphonse Almodovar. Upon reaching 16 years old, Brandon took his G.O.A.T. exam and was slated to be a Pip-Boy programmer and would get to hang out with his friend Stanley all day. He had a couple good years doing so, but things weren't meant to be.
On August 17th, 2277, James escaped Vault 101 for reasons unknown to Brandon at the time. What mattered was that his dad was gone, and it had driven the power-mad Overseer over the edge. Brandon's lifelong friend, and the daughter of the mad Overseer, Amata, woke Brandon and warned him in time for him to escape the clutches of the vault security forces sent to kill him. More than a little rattled by the sudden and massive change in his life, Brandon was still able to gather his wits and escape the vault in the midst of the confusion caused by a timely radroach infestation.
Out on his own, Brandon saw the sky for the first time in his life. The sight was mind-boggling, but he had a mission ahead of him. He would find his dad. Brandon set out across the capital wasteland, tracking his father like a bloodhound. First was Megaton, where he discovered that his father had lied to him about his birthplace. A man named Moriarty claimed to have met him when he was but an infant, before James gained entry to the vault, and after letting himself into Moriarty’s secure terminal, he verified that the man was either telling the truth or had a superb way of distorting it. Among Moriarty's notes was mention of Galaxy News Radio, and that James was headed that way.
Brandon made his way to GNR, and was introduced to the Brotherhood of Steel and the leader of their special forces team, Sarah Lyons, on the way, as well as carving through a horde of what the Brotherhood called "Super Mutants", giant mutated humanoids full of hate and death. Upon arrival at the GNR building, Brandon truly impressed the members of the Brotherhood when he single-handedly took down a Super Mutant the size of a house after it burst through the outpost's barricades.
Inside the GNR building, Brandon met Three Dog, GNR's one and only disc jockey. After a little bit of wrangling and a dangerous mission to repair GNR's radio receiver with the satellite dish from the Virgo II lunar lander, Three Dog sent Brandon on his way, telling him that James had headed for Rivet City and Doctor Madison Li.
The trip through the D.C. ruins to Rivet City was a dangerous one, which had Brandon fighting Super Mutants, raiders, and the ruthless mercenaries of Talon Company. It was also a long one, filled with side-trips and distractions, as Brandon could never turn a blind eye to a person in need, nor could he resist the lure of an interesting location and the promise of new experiences. When he finally reached Rivet City, he found it to be a settlement built among the wreckage of a beached aircraft carrier, and the most technologically and culturally advanced community he had seen since leaving the vault. He immediately sought out Doctor Li, who had seen his father not long before. Unfortunately, James had already moved on to the Jefferson Memorial. To Project Purity.
Doctor Li was also able to tell Brandon the truth of his origins, free of the suspicious agenda of people like Moriarty. Brandon was born right there in Rivet City. His parents had both been scientists there, working on Project Purity, which was a long-term scientific project tasked with the impossible: providing the whole of the Capital Wasteland with fresh, clean water. When Brandon's mother, Catherine, died from complications of childbirth, an already frustrated James abandoned Rivet City and Project Purity, talked his way into Vault 101, and pretended he'd been there his whole life.
This filled Brandon with more questions than ever, and he chased after his father once more, heading to the Jefferson Memorial. There, Brandon found plenty of Super Mutants, but no Dad. However, there were holotapes that pointed him in the direction of yet another vault and something called a G.E.C.K.: a Garden of Eden Creation Kit.
Brandon crossed the Wasteland yet again, leaving a wide swath of good deeds and glimmers of hope in his wake. Upon reaching Vault 112, he found it to be hosting a nightmarish simulation creation by Braun and used to torture and murder the residents of the vault for Braun's endless and eternal amusement. Further, Brandon quickly realized that his own father was here in the simulation, transformed into a dog in one of Braun's twisted games. Brandon eventually figured out how to trigger a failsafe in the simulation, ending the torment of Braun's victims, freeing himself and his father, and leaving the psychotic scientist alone in his simulation forever.
Finally reunited with his father, he returned with him to Project Purity, taking advantage of the long journey to catch up and discuss the truth of his origins with James. He was upset with his father for lying to him for so long, but he could understand James' desire to give him a safe, "normal" life in Vault 101. In the end, he was just happy to have his dad back.
However, things didn't stay happy for long. Upon reaching Project Purity, he set about helping his father and the other scientists get the project's purifier up and running. However, right in the middle of the process, the Jefferson Memorial was stormed by a well-armed and well-organized group calling themselves the Enclave. They attempted to seize the purifier for their own purposes, but James sacrificed himself to stop the Enclave by overloading the purifier and flooding it's reaction chamber with radiation.
After watching his father die to protect him and Project Purity from the Enclave, Brandon fled with the rest of the surviving scientists to the Citadel. The Citadel was the massive fortress-home of the Brotherhood of Steel, built among the ruins of the Pentagon. Brandon was again a man on a mission, but instead of a mission of hope, it was now a mission of retribution. He would take back Project Purity from the Enclave, even if it meant tearing it from them by himself. First, though, he had to get that G.E.C.K.
With that, the Brotherhood was extremely helpful. Not only did they have a terminal with records of which vaults in the D.C. area had been issued a G.E.C.K., but Elder Lyons also gave leave for Brandon to be trained in the use of their power armor, which would protect him as he journeyed across the wastes. After he was properly equipped, he headed out across the Capital Wasteland yet again.
The journey was long and full of distractions, though the largest of them netted him yet another experience with virtual reality and a pristine pre-war suit of power armor. In the end, he made it to Vault 87, the only vault in the D.C. area to be equipped with a G.E.C.K. Unfortunately, his sources were correct, and the vault was surrounded by a field of deadly radiation. However, there was another way into the vault: a series of natural caverns that was a pre-War tourist attraction called Little Lamplight.
As it turned out, Little Lamplight was somewhat familiar to Brandon already. Early in his wanderings, he had rescued a few wastelanders from a group of Super Mutants based out of a pre-War police station. These wastelanders were from a settlement called Big Town: a hellhole of a village besieged from all sides by raiders, slavers, and Super Mutants. He had stayed on at Big Town for a week or so, teaching them how to defend themselves by showing them how to shoot, fixing their robot security, and so on. Getting to know the residents of Big Town, he learned that they were all members of another settlement, Little Lamplight, which was populated entirely by children, and had been kicked out after they got too old.
Luckily for Brandon, he'd always gotten along well with children, and making it into Little Lamplight was as simple as throwing a Mom joke at their mayor. After a bit of looking, he found a utility access point for Vault 87 deep in the Lamplight caverns and let himself in.
The vault itself was a horror show of Super Mutants and the gut-wrenching results of FEV experimentation. However, he did run into one person of interest. Locked in an experiment cell was a Super Mutant imprisoned by his own kind. Upon speaking to the massive man, Brandon was surprised to find that the mutant, who called himself Fawkes, had retained his intellect after his transformation, at the cost of his memories and the ire of his fellow Super Mutants.
Meeting Fawkes was fortuitous, as the G.E.C.K. was in a section of the vault flooded with deadly radiation. Fawkes, as a Super Mutant, was unharmed by levels of radiation that would have killed Brandon within seconds, and retrieved the G.E.C.K. for him before taking off to find his own way out of his prison.
Brandon was ready to head back to Project Purity victorious, but as he made his way out of Vault 87, he was knocked unconscious by an Enclave ambush. Before he lost consciousness completely, he came face-to-face with Colonel Autumn, the man who had caused his father's death, someone Brandon thought died along with him.
He awoke in restraints, being interrogated by Colonel Autumn. Autumn sought the access codes for Project Purity's purifier, but Brandon wasn't about to give in to the man who, as far as Brandon was concerned, killed his dad. It wasn't long before Autumn left, highly irritated and empty-handed, on the orders of President John Henry Eden.
Eden then contacted Brandon directly, asking for a face-to-face meeting in his office. He released Brandon and returned his gear, granting him safe passage through their base, Raven Rock. Brandon passed through about half of the base before Colonel Autumn intervened. In what was essentially a coup, Autumn called for the Enclave personnel in the base to disregard the President's orders and stop Brandon at all costs. Brandon wasn't so easily defeated.
After fighting his way to President Eden's office, he found himself facing down a massive ZAX computer mainframe. Brandon was not as surprised as he would have liked to have been. However, after talking to President Eden, he noticed that the computer was stuck in an infinite logic loop, and that the entirety of President Eden's plans, ambitions, and even the core of his being, were based on a simple computer glitch.
After pointing out the error, Brandon was able to convince Eden to run a diagnostic, which confirmed his suspicions. Mortified at his flaw, Eden understood that the only thing he could do to rectify his mistake was to destroy himself, Raven Rock, and the Enclave. He instructed Brandon to take a modified FEV strain designed to eliminate mutants in the Capital Wasteland and bring an end to the mutant threat, leaving only pure, unmutated humans intact, and add it to Project Purity, which had been his plan all along. With that, he urged Brandon to escape the base before its destruction, escorting him out with the remainder of Raven Rock's robotic security.
Outside, Brandon was reunited with Fawkes, who was laying waste to fleeing Enclave soldiers. Fawkes had tracked Brandon to Raven Rock, and had been in the process of rescuing him when he exited the exploding Enclave base.
G.E.C.K. in hand, Brandon started the long trek back across the Wasteland. Brandon's philanthropic nature caused the trip to be even longer than it needed to be, but he reasoned that the purifier had waited twenty years, it could wait a bit longer if someone was in need. The most difficult decision in his journey happened after he was beaten unconscious by raiders, enslaved, and sent to The Pitt, which was the destroyed remnants of Pittsburgh. He assisted the slaves of The Pitt in the beginnings of a revolt, but the more he learned of the situation, the more horrible it became. They were all suffering from a terminal disease, and the desperation in the air was palpable. He wanted to help them, to free them from their shackles and cure them of their disease. He was able to earn his freedom in a gladiatorial arena, as well as gaining an audience with their leader, an ex-member of the Brotherhood of Steel named Ashur, who had come to The Pitt years beforehand as part of the movement of the Brotherhood to the D.C. area.
Ashur explained to Brandon the whole of the situation, and introduced Brandon to the cure the slaves had asked them to retrieve: his infant daughter Marie. This tore Brandon apart. He placed a high value on freedom thanks to his experiences with Overseer Almodovar, but he valued family and innocent life just as highly. He spoke with Ashur for hours, learning that Ashur hated his choices just as much as Brandon did, but believed that they were necessary in the long run. He wholly believed in curing the disease that afflicted the residents of the Pitt, and freeing his "workers" as soon as he possibly could, but he would not risk Marie's life in order to bring about a quicker cure. Brandon was finally convinced that killing Ashur and his wife and stealing their infant child in order to free the people of The Pitt into a life that would likely degenerate immediately to the condition Ashur had found the city in during the Scourge would be the worst decision he could make given the circumstances. He left The Pitt much as he had found it, promising to check in regularly to assist in the creation of a cure, and to make sure Ashur made good on his promises.
When he finally made it back to the Citadel, he found Sarah Lyons attempting to convince her father to allow her to take Lyons' Pride to recapture Project Purity. Elder Lyons was about to deny her when Brandon arrived, G.E.C.K. in hand. With this revelation, Lyons immediately granted Sarah her mission, instructing her to take Brandon and the newly-perfected Brotherhood superweapon to secure their victory. Before they left for the memorial, Brandon turned over Eden's FEV to Elder Lyons for destruction, as he realized that a virus that would kill any mutated being in the Capital Wasteland would not only be unethical, but would very likely decimate the entire population, as completely pure, unmutated humans were virtually nonexistent in a world blanketed in heavy background radiation.
The superweapon, a giant pre-War robot designated Liberty Prime, paved the way to Project Purity, and Brandon, along with the Pride, stormed the Jefferson Memorial, retaking the purifier. However, things would never be that simple. Upon reaching the rotunda and the purifier's control room, Brandon found the place filled with enough radiation to cause near-instant death and about to self-destruct, and better yet, he came face-to-face with Colonel Autumn, right in the room where he watched his father die. Brandon was tempted to shoot the man where he stood, to reduce him to a steaming puddle of green goo, but his morals got the better of him. He saw through Autumn's facade, and that of his men. Their leader was dead, their home base destroyed. Autumn's soldiers were just a bunch of men and women who had just ended up on the wrong side of things. Autumn was a bastard, but that wasn't their fault, and killing them wouldn't bring his father back. So he talked Autumn down and let him walk away from the purifier. There were more important things to worry about.
If they ever wanted the purifier to work as his father had envisioned, to provide clean, pure water to the Capital Wasteland, someone was going to have to go inside and activate the purifier. However, whoever went in wouldn't be coming out. The choice was obvious. Brandon said his final goodbyes to Sarah, and headed into the chamber. He punched in the activation code and watched the water purify as his vision faded to black.
Two weeks later, Brandon awoke. The good news was, well, he wasn't dead. And the purifier worked! The bad news was Sarah was still in a coma. The Enclave were routed, but they weren't as destroyed as previously thought. They still had a base out there somewhere, and the Brotherhood wanted to finish the fight. He was immediately inducted into the Brotherhood of Steel as a Knight, bypassing their normal initiation procedures. However, Brandon needed some time to think. After all, he'd been practically dead for two weeks.
He wandered the wasteland for a good while, helping out where he could, until one afternoon he intercepted a strange radio signal on a frequency he hadn't seen before. Following the signal to its source, he found what appeared to be a crashed flying saucer buried in the desert, its alien pilot dead on the ground in front of it. Disbelieving, Brandon approached, only to be picked up in a strange beam of light and lifted into the air. He lost consciousness while being abducted, and only regained consciousness sporadically while the aliens poked, prodded, probed, and experimented on him. He only fully regained his faculties once placed in a holding cell with another wastelander named Somah. Little did these little green men know, they had chosen possibly the single worst person on Earth to abduct. They took Brandon Lane, an experienced wasteland hero, consummate scientist, and effective force of nature, and placed him aboard a space ship filled to the gunwales with energy weapons, and they expected him to stay put like a good little guinea pig.
Brandon and Somah orchestrated their escape, freed a few others, including a cowboy, a medic, a samurai, and a pre-pubescent girl, and together they systematically conquered the UFO. After they finally reached the bridge, Brandon vaporized the alien captain and took control of the ship's death ray, using it to destroy the only other alien ship in orbit, and saved the Earth from the ravages of the alien threat. Sally, the little girl, promptly declared Mothership Zeta his, which was supported by the rest of their little group. With that, Brandon teleported himself back down to the wasteland while Sally and Elliot, the War-era medic, stayed aboard as custodians. The rest scattered to the winds.
Finally back on Earth, and only half-believing what he had just dealt with, Brandon thought it was time for a little vacation. Luckily, a steam boat christened the Duchess Gambit had just made port on the Potomac, and was looking for passengers to the pre-War resort town of Point Lookout. Seeing this as a message of fate, Brandon bought a ticket and headed south, but not before being beseeched by a desperate mother to look for her wayward daughter.
Unfortunately, the trip wasn't exactly the vacation he had been looking for. While the alien disintegrator he had appropriated certainly made his life easier, he had to deal with a whole new suite of murderous opponents, from swamp ghouls and strange new varieties of mirelurks to grossly disfigured swampfolk and crazy tribals, all topped off with him getting embroiled in a two century old battle between a British superspy and a power-hungry American scientist. The spy, Desmond, was a rough-tongued ghoul battling it out against a Professor Calvert, who had once been a brilliant scientist born to one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the pre-War United States. Desmond had been responsible for the destruction of Calvert's body, leaving the scientist only a brain suspended in a gel-filled tank. The uncovering of Calvert's secret lair took Brandon across Point Lookout and through a tribal spirit journey culminating in his being drugged unconscious by a giant plant and having a chunk of his brain removed by an amateur scientist. In investigating the tribals who had attacked Desmond's base of operations under the orders of Professor Calvert, Brandon found the wayward teen, Nadine. She was able to remove the scar from Brandon's "rite of passage" and promised to meet him later at the Duchess Gambit.
After confirming that Calvert was in fact behind the attack on Desmond, Brandon helped the ghoul place a psychic jammer onto the ferris wheel on Point Lookout's pier, which angered the brain into tipping his hand. In an attempt to destroy Desmond once and for all, Calvert had revealed his location. Brandon and Desmond, furious that Calvert's attempt on his life had taken the lives of his two pet dogs, breached Calvert's secret lab to put an end to their rivalry. In the end, the fight was simple. They blew through Calvert's robot guardians, rendering him defenseless, and Brandon ended things by destroying Calvert's tank with a blast from his shotgun. His work finally done, Desmond begrudgingly thanked Brandon and moved on, intent on finding one of the other few remaining players in their "Great Game".
Afterwards, Brandon realized that until he finished the job that had been put before him, he couldn't settle down and enjoy himself, so he made his way back to the Duchess Gambit, where he met Nadine. She had come to the realization that the amateur surgeon responsible for their mutual head wounds, and the permanent brain damage of a large number of tribals, was none other than Tobar, the captain of the Duchess Gambit, and she had him locked up in the boat's engine room, along with a collection of grisly trophies. Brandon beelined for the locked room, where he confronted Tobar. Tobar taunted him about his spirit walk and justified his actions as what he needed to do to survive, before attacking. Brandon struggled with him for a bit before finally killing the evil man. Finally finished with his business in Point Lookout, Brandon settled down in the passenger area of the boat and headed back to the Capital Wasteland to finish things with the Enclave.
Brandon joined the Brotherhood in their crusade against the Enclave. They attacked a satellite relay station believed to hold information about the Enclave's remaining strongholds, and were met with heavy resistance. They were about to breach the station when Liberty Prime was decimated by an orbital missile strike. The Brotherhood pushed on, motivated by the revelation of this new threat. They were able to salvage the mission and uncovered encrypted data that led to the discovery of the Enclave's final stronghold: Adams Airforce Base.
After a great deal of preparation, the Brotherhood launched an attack on the base, while Brandon snuck in via the Presidential metro system buried beneath the White House. While the Brotherhood provided a distraction via full-frontal assault, Brandon infiltrated the Enclave's mobile base crawler and set the same weapons satellite that destroyed Liberty Prime to fire on the crawler. He fled the base, and was picked up by Sarah Lyons and a captured Enclave vertibird.
After watching the fireworks and being congratulated by practically the entire command staff of the Brotherhood of Steel, Brandon finally felt like he could sit down for once. He had about a month to himself before a letter from a mysterious alien arrived...
Personality:
Brandon is intelligent, friendly, and hard to rattle. He's been called the "last, best hope of humanity" and "the wasteland messiah", thanks to his willingness to help out anyone he comes across in his travels, and his tendency to refuse payment for the help he provides. Brandon's highest moral priorities are life, family, and freedom, and he realizes that he is in a unique position to provide for the people of the Capital Wasteland, and to make real changes to the world at large.
Brandon has many friends among the citizens of the Capital Wasteland, from all walks of life. He doesn't discriminate, which is a rarity in the wasteland, and calls both a Super Mutant and a ghoul friend and companion. However, he rarely travels with others, as he doesn't believe in endangering the lives of other for his ends, though he is a natural leader and performs admirably in that role when it's required.
He doesn't judge, and is very forgiving, showcased by his allowing Colonel Autumn and his men to leave Project Purity unharmed, but he's not stupid either, and his wrath when crossed is legendary. He has a reputation for being an unstoppable force when he puts his mind to it, and has escaped from slavers, the Enclave, and even aliens, laying waste to any and all who tried to stop him.
His determination is rivaled only by his creativity and technical expertise. He had repaired and refurbished countless pieces of technology, from robots, to computers, to pre-War vehicles.
However, Brandon isn't perfect. He has a vicious hatred of radroaches, as they used to plague Vault 101 when he was a child. More importantly, he has abandonment issues buried deep below the surface. His mother died in childbirth, his father left to complete Project Purity, fully intending Brandon to stay in the vault, completely unaware of where his father disappeared to or why, and his closest childhood friend and first love Amata ejected him from the vault he grew up in after he answered her distress call and helped to restore order to Vault 101, "for the good of the vault". While his mother couldn't be helped, his father wished only to keep him safe, and Amata was concerned for the good of the many over her own wishes, these things have left their scars on Brandon. In addition to any emotional issues he might have, Brandon also has a tendency to become addicted to Buffout, a fast-acting adrenal steroid. Normally this isn't an issue, as he usually has easy access to an advanced detoxification solution that removes addictions, but he does keep a hefty amount of the stuff on him, just in case.
Friends and Companions
Just a small selection of Brandon's friends as well as any companions that have accompanied him in his travels.
Amata Almodovar: Brandon's closest childhood friend and first love. Now the Overseer of Vault 101, and was forced to eject Brandon from the vault, putting the stability of the vault over her personal feelings for Brandon.
Stanley Armstrong: A close friend of Brandon's, and his boss during his time in Vault 101. Stanley taught him how to program Pip-Boys and refurbished the one Brandon wears.
Butch DeLoria: Vault 101's preeminent bully and leader of the greaser gang The Tunnel Snakes, but a softie at heart. After Brandon saved his mother from radroaches, the grateful Butch declared Brandon his best friend and gave him his Tunnel Snakes jacket.
Gob: Ghoul bartender in Megaton. He has an attachment to Brandon because of Brandon's respect for him as a human being, something rare in Gob's life.
Star Paladin Cross: The Seneschal of Elder Lyons, Star Paladin Cross escorted Brandon and his father James to Vault 101 when Brandon was an infant. She asked to accompany him when he made it to the Citadel for the first time. He accepted, and the two spend a good deal of time in each other's company. Brandon sees her as family.
Charon: Brandon has an awkward time explaining his relationship with Charon, because he bought the ghoul in Underworld. Originally intending to free him from slavery, Charon refuses to leave his service, being honor-bound to serve whoever holds his contract. Brandon doesn't pretend to understand the man's code of conduct, but Charon has proven himself to be an honorable and moral person, something that Brandon truly respects.
Fawkes: A Super Mutant that prefers the term Meta-Human, Fawkes is an intelligent, philosophical person. Fawkes owes Brandon his freedom, and risked his life to repay it in kind when Brandon was captured by the Enclave. They have become close friends, and spend hours talking about books.
Dogmeat: Brandon's Australian cattle dog. He's tenacious and smart, and Brandon loves his doggy.
Nadine: A wayward young woman who now captains the Duchess Gambit. She and Brandon get along well, and she allows him to travel with her free of charge.
Sally: A little girl abducted from Earth shortly after the Great War, Sally is now the "First Officer" of Mothership Zeta. Brandon acts as an older brother to her.
Sarah Lyons: Leader of the Brotherhood of Steel's special operations squad, Lyon's Pride. She has romantic feelings towards Brandon, but tries to hide them to keep their relationship professional.
Sydney: An independent relic hunter who ran into Brandon when they were both attempting to find the Declaration of Independence. They worked well together, and after Brandon found a holotape recording from her father, she developed feelings for him. The two have had occasional romantic entanglements.
Why do you think your character would work in this setting?
Brandon comes from a blasted wasteland, and has experience in creating a comfortable life out of practically nothing. He has had previous experience with aliens, and they weren't exactly positive, but his curiosity got the better of him and he's excited to see what New Dodge has in store. That said, he's prepared (and essentially expecting) to be bushwacked within ten minutes of arrival. Assuming he doesn't end up having to shoot his way out, he's got a lot of options for earning a living. His technical expertise or his medical training is likely to be the most popular option, but he's more than willing to do whatever needs doing.
Inventory:
Weapons
Alien Disintegrator: A powerful energy weapon taken from the aliens aboard Mothership Zeta.
N99 10mm Pistol: A typical Capital Wasteland sidearm. Simple, robust, and easy to repair.
Combat Knife: Basic knife, used mainly as a tool.
A3-21's Plasma Rifle: A gift from an android that Brandon helped escape slavery under the yoke of his creators.
Combat Shotgun: For close-quarters, or for that nice, satisfying boom. Whichever.
Apparel
Winterized T-51b Power Armor: A suit of pristine power armor retrieved from a secure armory after completing the simulation Operation: Anchorage.
Heavy BlackWolf Backpack: Tough, military-style backpack, good for traveling.
Modified Utility Jumpsuit: A final gift from Amata, and really useful. Brandon usually wears this under his armor or lab coat, as the case may be. The red high-tops are definitely his style.
Vault Lab Uniform: He really only wears the coat, with his modified utility jumpsuit underneath, but having a spare set of clothes around never hurt.
Pre-War Parkstroller Outfit: Well, he can't wear a jumpsuit all the time.
Pre-War Spring Outfit: One set of normal clothes wouldn't do.
Pip-Boy 3000a x3: A wrist-mounted utility computer issued to all Vault 101 residents. As a Pip-Boy programmer, Brandon learned how to remove a Pip-Boy from a subject, bypassing the biometric lock (handy for salvaging old Mr. Abernathy's Pip-Boy when he kicks the bucket). He's bringing along a couple he salvaged from Vault 108 for trading.
Aid (Medicine)
Stimpak x50: General healing medication, works nearly instantly to close wounds and knit together bones. He keeps these in his back, taped into 10 sets of 5.
Radaway x10: IV solution for removing radiation from the subject's body.
Buffout x15: Highly advanced steroid, chewable for convenience. Brandon uses these to temporarily enhance his lacking (at least in his opinion) strength and endurance. Highly addictive.
Jet x5: Highly addictive methamphetamine that stimulates the central nervous system. Brandon uses it as an emergency stimulant to keep patients from going into shock.
Universal Addiction Detoxifier x15: General-use detoxifier, injected via syringe. Brandon tapes these up in sets of five as well. (no wiki article)
Mentats: Basically steroids for your brain. Brandon uses them when he needs to concentrate very hard on something.
Med-X x20: Potent analgesic, similar to morphine. Brandon keeps them like he does his stimpaks and detoxifier for travel.
Aid (Food and Other Consumables)
Nuka-Cola x24: Brandon loves Nuka. He keeps a case with him when he travels, and will always stop to loot a Nuka-Cola machine.
Cram x5: Brandon likes Cram sandwiches, and without knowing what he's getting into food-wise, he's not taking any chances.
Pork n' Beans x5: More food because alien food sucks.
Whiskey x2: Brandon has learned that making friends is easier over a good drink.
Aqua Pura x6: Aqua Pura isn't just good, clean water, it's also a part of his dad.
Alien Epoxy x5: Alien polymer for repairing weapons.
Misc
DC Journal of Internal Medicine: A book on medicine that Brandon keeps around for reference.
Dean's Electronics: A book on repair with some useful common schematics.
Big Book of Science: General science textbook. Brandon keeps it around for reference and a little light reading, though he has most of it memorized.
Fission Battery x3: General purpose power source, extremely useful.
Wonderglue x3: Bottles of general-purpose adhesive.
Scrap Metal x5: Just random scrap, good for building and repairing things.
Pre-War Money x10: A bunch of pre-War cash. Not worth anything outside of as a curiosity to wastelanders, but might be of interest to someone in New Dodge.
Large and Small Alien Crystal x5 each: Brandon's fairly sure this is alien money, but isn't sure. He's bringing them along to see if anyone recognizes them.
Ammo
Alien Power Module x1000: Ammunition for the Alien Disintegrator. These are split per "shot" rather than per actual physical module. Alien weapons are reloaded simply by hitting a button, and each load is 100 shots, so in physical form this would end up being 10 small cylinders about the size of a mini MnM tube.
Microfusion Cell x120: Ammunition for the plasma rifle. Like the alien power modules, these are divided per "shot". Each load is 12 shots in a plasma rifle, so this ends up being 10 batteries about half the size of a can of soda.
10mm bullets x120: Ammunition for the 10mm pistol. Good old-fashioned bullets, come in boxes of 24.
12 gauge shotgun shells 60: Ammunition for the combat shotgun. Plastic-hulled shotgun shells, come in boxes of 12.
Samples
Third-Person Sample:
The sickly green glow of the terminal's monitor lit Brandon's face as he accessed its password recovery protocol. He was likely the first person to touch the keyboard in centuries, thanks to the nasty turret that had, until about a minute ago when he had found its control console, been watching over the armory door.
He tacked away at the termlink code, which was as natural as English to him, thanks to Stanley's dedication to his training. It wasn't long before he found the right password combination, and then he was in. He smiled quietly to himself as the text scrolled across the screen.
SECURE AREA. ALARM WILL SOUND WHEN DOOR IS UNLOCKED.
Brandon's smile oozed off his face. "Well, crap," he muttered, glancing back up the silo's staircase. Currently, the only sounds he could hear were his fingers hitting the old terminal's keys, and his geiger counter ticking happily away. Apparently whatever was housed in the base of this silo was leaking. Better make this quick.
He cringed as he struck the return key. The door to his left screeched open, and, as he'd feared, alarm klaxons started wailing. Almost immediately, he heard shouting from upstairs. The rest of those raiders had made it inside.
Brandon was starting to wonder if this old armory could possibly be worth the trouble he was about to get into when he took a look inside. That smile slammed its way right back to his lips. Before him was a plethora of hardware: missile launchers, assault rifles, submachine guns, even a minigun. He hefted the massive gatling and turned towards the door. Its perfectly-oiled barrels spun up with a hum. Definitely worth it.
First-Person Sample:
8/19/2278
18:04
Begin Recording
Whelp. This is interesting. I've recieved a message from an alien. He calls himself Eli, and he's from something called the "Achamarian Preservation Society". Immediately made me think of the Capital Preservation Society and old Abe, and through that, Sydney, and since this was a much more pleasant encounter than the last time I dealt with aliens, I figured I'd look into it.
Turns out, he's working on some kind of experimental colony project called "New Dodge", and he wants me to go be a part of it for six months. Have to say, I'm intrigued. I've been into some of the most secure facilities the pre-War government could offer, I've been to space, hell... I've even been to Virginia. But a new planet? And the opportunity to meet people from all over the universe? How could I pass that up?
That being said, I'm not stupid. This smells just like the kind of deal that Vault-Tec was advertising when they were gathering Americans for the vault project, and I've read enough secret experiment logs in failed vaults to know how that turned out. Of course, it could be a bait and switch, and I could step off the bus and get clocked on the head for my trouble. No way to tell, so I guess I'm just gonna have to risk it. Hey, I've been through worse.
To prep, I should take the time to make sure my T-51b is properly serviced and I'll grab enough spare materials to keep it going just in case. I'll run over to the Citadel tomorrow morning and get Knight Captain Durga to give it a good scrub. While I'm there, I'll have to let Cross know I'm leaving for a while, otherwise she'll lose her shit on me when I get back, in that ever-so-poetic way of hers.
Apparently, I can take anything I can carry, so a lot of my 24-hour allotment will be taken up with packing, but Wadsworth should be able to help with that. Definitely taking Harkness's plasma rifle, and one of those nifty disintegrators from Zeta. Oh yeah! Definitely gotta let Sally and Elliot know I'm leaving so they don't freak out and think I'm dead or something. I'll give Wadsworth a recorded greeting from me if anyone stops by, just in case. I'll leave a special one for Sydney, and one for Sarah as well.
Yeah, definitely interesting...
End Recording
Extras
SPECIAL
Strength 5
Perception 10
Endurance 5
Charisma 9
Intelligence 10
Agility 7
Luck 7
Strength: Brandon started his journey a little lacking strength-wise, but several long treks across the wasteland have improved him from "underwhelming" to "meh".
Perception: Brandon has a talent for noticing the details. He was good at this in the vault, and he's only gotten better. However, he is a bit near-sighted, so he's rarely seen without his glasses.
Endurance: Brandon's leaves a bit to be desired in the endurance department, and it shows in his repeated addictions to Buffout. Hey, at least there's that detox injection.
Charisma: He's not really charming or particularly attractive, but he does seem to know exactly what to say in a given situation, and can be very persuasive.
Intelligence: It's here that Brandon truly shines. He is the son of two brilliant scientists, and definitely takes after them.
Agility: While not a physical powerhouse, Brandon is fairly quick on his feet, and he's good with a gun.
Luck: He's no card shark, and terrible things happen to him on a daily basis, but he tends to make it through things okay, and it's not always skill that gets the credit.
Perks
Ant Sight: Brandon was injected with an FEV-powered mutagen that increased his perception and made him fire-resistant as a reward for ending a crisis caused by a scientific experiment gone horribly wrong.
Better Criticals: Brandon's knowledge of anatomy allows him to consistently hit vital spots on his opponents.
Booster Shot: Thanks to medical breakthroughs from The Pitt, Brandon is more resistant to radiation than the average person.
Chemist: Brandon finds chemistry fascinating, and knows how to prolong the effects of any chems he uses.
Child at Heart: Deep down, Brandon's just a big ol' kid, and he really understands how children think.
Comprehension: Brandon just "gets it". He really does.
Cyborg: After meeting Harkness and Star Paladin Cross, it was only a matter of time before Brandon made some improvements of his own. His implants make him a little tougher and more resistant to poison and radiation, and a chip added to his brain assists in his understanding of energy weapons.
Daddy's Boy: Like father, like son. Brandon loves his father, and follows closely in his footsteps.
Educated: Unlike many in the Capital Wasteland, Brandon benefitted from a full education in Vault 101, and it helps him immensely out in the wastes.
Fast Metabolism: Brandon's metabolism makes him seem a little on the skinny side, but it seems to respond well to stimpaks, and he heals rather quickly.
Finesse: Brandon learned early on that strength was far from his greatest asset, so he makes up for it with precision.
Grim Reaper's Sprint: Brandon's experience in the wasteland has made him incredibly quick on the draw, and once he gets shooting, he can clear a room in seconds.
Gun Nut: Brandon loves guns. He loves shooting them, and he loves maintaining them. His natural aptitude for mechanics means that his weapons stay in top condition.
Intense Training (6): Brandon is painfully aware of his weaknesses, and has made every effort to improve himself.
Lady Killer: Though not particularly attractive or suave, Brandon has a certain earnestness about him that some women find appealing.
Lawbringer: Hearing of all the good Brandon had done out in the Capital Wasteland, he was approached by the Lawbringers and eagerly took up their cause.
Light Step: Brandon's experiences in Minefield made figuring out how to not set off landmines a high priority.
Master Trader: Brandon's persuasiveness comes in handy when bartering with merchants throughout the Capital Wasteland.
No Weaknesses: Brandon worked his tail off, and he can proudly say that the worst any of his most basic traits are is "average".
Pitt Fighter: The gladatorial fights Brandon endured in The Pitt left him more resistant to damage.
Power Armor Training: Brandon recieved training in the use of power armor from Paladin Gunny shortly after James was killed.
Punga Power!: After Brandon's spirit journey, punga fruit has a more potent effect on his physiology. Whether this has to do with his greater understanding of his soul, or the chunk of brain he's missing is anyone's guess.
Rad Regeneration: Thanks to a "teeny little mutation", Brandon's body naturally regenerates major damage when he's highly irradiated.
Robotics Expert: Brandon's understanding of science and technology gives him an intimate comprehension of robotics. It's come in handy more times than he can count.
Scoundrel: Brandon puts extra effort into being diplomatic, and would much rather talk down an opponent than fight.
Silent Running: You know, someone shouldn't be that sneaky running around in a tin can.
Sniper: Brandon definitely prefers two-handed firearms over handguns. The bigger, the better. His tastes are reflected in his accuracy.
Strong Back: That ant-related mutagen really took hold. The kid can haul around a lot more than he looks like he could.
Superior Defender: Brandon was taught how to defend a position by a pre-War ghoul spy named Desmond as a reward for helping him out.
Survival Guru: He may not have written the Wasteland Survival Guide, but he certainly did all the work. He was definitely good at it, though, and its intelligent wording reflects its test subject.
Swift Learner: Brandon picks up new ideas quickly and is more than happy to implement them.
Tag!: Brandon focused quite a bit of time and energy into the Energy Weapons, Science, Repair, and Speech skills.
