The Jackals are a band of raider-tribals with a profoundly savage and cannibalistic nature. They originated from Vault 15, along with two other raider groups (Khans and Vipers) and the founders of Shady Sands.
[edit] Background
During the spring of 2141, four groups left Vault 15 to brave the Wasteland.[1] In the winter of the same year, three of these groups became roving gangs of raiders: the Jackals, the Vipers, and the Khans.[1] The Jackals founder and first leader is unknown. After their creation, they began to raid Shady Sands and fought extensively against the Vipers and the Khans, until they were defeated by the Khans and fled east of California sometime before 2161. Though they were once very feared, along with the Vipers they were almost all destroyed by the NCR and the remaining Jackals were again pushed further east, towards the Mojave Wasteland.
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In the 2250s, a band of Jackals under the leadership of Banshee tried to attack the Boulder Dome.[2] Banshee's Jackals, now equipped with high tech weapons and armor, also worked with Miles Reese against the Brotherhood of Steel in Texas, until Banshee's death at Fort Worth.[3]
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The relative lawlessness of the Mojave appealed as a perfect roaming grounds for the Jackals. In 2281, Jackal gang members are commonly found along the highway south of Primm and west of Nipton, at the Nipton Road Pit Stop. Their local center of operations is a Nevada Highway Patrol station, although they can also be found in small camps elsewhere in the Mojave.[4]
[edit] Characteristics
Nothing concerns the Jackals more then survival. They are more savage than most typical raiders and have a cannibalistic nature to their raiding nature.[5] They have no morals except one: survival. They typically use ambushes and group tactics to overpower their victims. Despite their savage nature, the Jackals are very cowardly like most raiding tribes and will not attack unless they know they can win. Otherwise they will band together in their hideaways and fight over spoils.[1]
Normally small family groups, they sometimes join forces against bigger targets. Each group consists of about three normal members and a leader, with the leader usually wearing metal armor. They often hide behind billboards and other obstructions, ambushing any passing travelers they see, occasionally planting mines on the roads to strengthen the ambush. They generally use unarmed combat and melee weapons, but occasionally also use firearms.[4]
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They file their teeth to sharp points and generally wear long hair. They became savage and cannibalistic after a winter storm trapped them, forcing them to eat each other for survival. Some even resort to feigning death or running away from fights, only to return later and claim the corpses from each side. Generally they despise all mutants, and refuse to eat them because of an apparent bad taste.[2]
[edit] Appearances
The Jackals were initially meant to be included in Fallout, but were eventually cut, and are only mentioned by Ian.
They finally appear as enemies in Fallout: New Vegas, albeit splintered and weak. They were also to appear in Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 project by Black Isle Studios, as well as in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2.
[edit] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Fallout Bible 6: "The first clan, the Jackals, is your typical group of crazies. They have no morals except one: survival. They use group tactics to overmatch their enemies. They are craven cowards, though, and will not attack unless they know they can win. They band together in their hideaway and fight over the spoils."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Boulder design document, Van Buren
- ↑ Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2 design document
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Fallout: New Vegas
- ↑ "The Origins of Fallout", part 3 by Scott Campbell
