| | |
Harold |
|
Harold in 2161 (right) and 2241 (left) |
|
| | | | | | | | | Proto id | | 00000157 (Harold)Fallout
00000109 (Harold)Fallout 2 | | | Base ID | | 0003034e | | Ref ID | | 00031497 | | | Actor | |
|
|
|
|
“
How did you survive the mutant attacks?
Didn't. Got killed. [Laughing cough] Love that joke.
”— Vault Dweller and Harold, Fallout.
Harold is one of the most unique denizens of the wasteland. Born five years before the Great War, in 2072, Harold survived it in a Vault and witnessed many of the pivotal events and met the most influential people of the wasteland. Rising to prominence as a caravan master in the formative years of the Hub, he would later meet the future Master, travel to Mariposa Military Base, undergo a change into a ghoul-like mutant through exposure to FEV, lose everything, then become a wasteland traveler, leading Gecko into a new future, and eventually becoming an unwilling god for the Treeminders in the Capital Wasteland, on the opposite end of the continent.[1]
While he appears to be a ghoul and is treated as such by everyone he meets (save for the few exceptional individuals who look beyond his horrifying appearance), Harold is technically not a ghoul, but a special kind of mutant created through his limited exposure to FEV. Due to his birth before the War and subsequent growing up in a Vault, shielded from the high amounts of radiation that flooded the world, he was largely untainted and qualified for full transformation into a super mutant, given the right levels of exposure. However, the relatively low amounts of exposure coupled with a number of random, uncontrolled factors, resulted in his transformation into an unique, special kind of mutant. Harold is Harold, just like Talius is Talius. Although hesitant to self-identify as a ghoul at first, Harold eventually embraced his identity and worked to aid his brethren.[2]
Born in 2072 , Harold was only five years old when the War started and he entered Vault 29. He still remembers the sirens on that day and the terrible days that followed, living in an overcrowded Vault with not enough food and water to go around.[3] 
The reason was that his shelter, Vault 29, was populated with young children separated from their parents, and placed under the care of Diana, a human scientist immortalized by merging her human brain with a supercomputer controlling the Vault and the Nursery, a repository of seeds and genetic records preserved in case of a global thermonuclear war. Diana would control the unrest by periodically releasing young dwellers to scout the surface and report whether it was safe to settle. They never returned, as Diana would take them to the Nursery, where they'd either be able to join her or leave, after being conditioned to be unable to speak of the Nursery or the Vault.[4] Harold was selected by Diana and initially agreed to stay, before escaping. He kept the Nursery a secret, believing it his duty to protect it from those who would exploit it.[5]
He left in 2090, at eighteen, and began to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit between survivalist communities that emerged throughout New California.[6][7][8][9] Over the next twelve years, he made a tidy profit, rising to prominence in the Hub. Unfortunately, all things come at a cost and Harold's success ran up a hefty bill due to attacks by gangers, scavengers, and mutant creatures that made it necessary to employ entire armies of guards just to keep them at bay.[10] This was all the more apparent to him since he became the head of his own caravan outfit in 2096.[11]
Eventually, he had enough and on May 22, 2102, financed one of the first adventuring parties in New California together with Richard Grey, a mysterious scientist and doctor from the Hub.[12] the expedition set out from the Hub and tracked the mutants to the northwest, deep into the Californian Central Valley. After fighting through what seemed like an endless stream of mutants, they finally reached Mariposa Military Base on June 23.[13] Penetrating the base's defenses proved no small feat and eventually, the entire group was whittled down to just Harold and Richard Grey. Francine was wounded and Mark was sent to the surface, never to be heard from again. The two of them penetrated all the way into the base's central core, where the vats of FEV was located. The expedition was finally routed when the robotic crane crashed into them, sending Grey into a vat of FEV and badly injuring Harold. He passed out, only to wake up in the wasteland days later, in the throes of change due to exposure to FEV, when he handled a contaminated item in the base.[9][14][10][15] He was found by traders four days later, on June 27, and taken back to the Hub. His horrifying transformation caused him to lose his business, as employees and partners turned away from him. Soon, he was left a beggar, living in a derelict ruin in the Old Town.[16]
No country for old mutants[edit | edit source]
His resolve and hardiness allowed him to survive despite the poverty. By the time he met the Vault Dweller around 2161, he was the oldest person alive in the whole wide Hub, known for his stories and knowledge, not just about days long past, but also contemporary events. For example, he knew how to find the deathclaw suspected of attacking caravans and was aware of the fact that Decker's men captured Brother Jonathan of the Brotherhood of Steel recently, and would happily share that knowledge for a modest amount of bottle caps to keep himself afloat.[9]
Harold left sometime after 2162, having managed to bring a measure of equality between the impoverished population of Hub's Old Town and the rest of the city. He traveled north, accompanied by a sapling (Bob) that took root in his head. By 2238, he arrived in Gecko and noticing that the careless way the power plant was managed, he decided to stick around and do his best to help the ghouls with the running of the facility, becoming the de facto mayor and leader of the local community.[17] He would be one of the key players in the struggle between the ghouls and the bigoted inhabitants of Vault City to solve the Gecko powerplant problem. After the conflict was resolved,[18] he started to travel again. The tree growing out of his head continued to grow larger and bear fruit. Its remarkably tough seeds are able to withstand even the toughest environments and thrive.[19]
Harold's tireless legs eventually carried him all the way to the opposite end of the continent, to the Capital Wasteland. Overwhelmed by Bob, he stopped to rest, only to realize that he was unable to move anymore, rooted to the ground by his companion. He became part of the tree, sustained by its photosynthesis and nutrients taken from the ground. He took root in the northern Capital Wasteland and was found by a wanderer in the late 2250s.[20][21] This wanderer, later taking the name Birch, beheld the glory of Harold and knew other wanderers would seek to do the Great One harm. He founded the Treeminders, a group of pure-hearted individuals that would protect the Great One as his last line of defense.[22] Once Harold and Bob truly became a part of the environment, a verdant vale of growth spread from the tree, washing the barren hillside over with life and greenery,[23][24] and enticing animal life to inhabit the area.[25][26]
With the Treeminders' care and attention, Bob started to take root further; over time, his root system carried away Harold's internal organs far throughout the cave system below, making it plain that short of a merciful death, Harold would remain forever in one spot.[27][28] Harold used his ability to spread Herbert's seeds to attract wanderers, at first to amuse himself, and then to find a solution to the problem he was in. The key issue was that the purification ceremony necessary for outsiders to gain access to Harold involved drinking hallucinogenic sap derived from Bob, resulting in psychosis and other severe mental problems in most who came to the Oasis.[29]
He kept trying, hoping to attract someone capable of helping him through his ordeal. Finally, in 2277, he managed to attract the Lone Wanderer. Upon their acceptance into the cult, Harold requested that they kill him, to spare him the agony of being rooted in one spot for all eternity.[30] Suffering from depression, he pleaded with the Lone Wanderer to end his life, something the Treeminders could not do.[31][32] His requests for them to end his life wound up interpreted as tests of their moral and spiritual aptitude, rather than genuine pleas for mercy.[33][34]
His sole real companion was Yew, the youngest of the group, who listened to him without reservation.[35] Others, treating him as a god, always looked for hidden meanings… Or worse, had their own designs for him. Tree Father Birch and Leaf Mother Laurel held two opposing views of what should happen: Birch wished to contain Bob's spread to protect Oasis and Harold, while Laurel desired to share their god's gift with everyone. It was up to the Lone Wanderer to decide whether to fulfill Harold's wish and euthanize him or persuade the god to live on and either have Bob spread out or be contained.[36]
Interactions with the player character[edit | edit source]
|
|
This character is involved in quests.
|
|
| Harold's Fallout 1 Tell-me-abouts
|
| Query
|
Response
|
| Richard, Grey
|
Brilliant guy. A doctor and philosopher. Long ago he lead the expedition where I got changed into a mutant.
|
| Master
|
Who? Is he some sort of sex therapist? I could use one, you know.
|
| Ghouls
|
Mutants. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.
|
| Loxley
|
Him. He leads the Thieves Circle. Thinks he's Robin Hood. [cough] He's alright, I guess.
|
| Cathedral
|
I've seen religions come and religions go, and I hope this one goes. Soon.
|
| Vault
|
Yeah, I came from a Vault. Too many people, not enough food and water. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?
|
| War
|
Horrible. The world just went insane. Long ago, but I'll never forget it. Never.
|
| Decker
|
[Cough] Trouble. Nothing but trouble.
|
|
|
This character starts quests.
|
|
- If the player repairs the power plant, they can pursue a conversation about their ancestor with Harold, to receive a minor reward (two super stimpaks).
|
|
This character is involved in quests.
|
|
- Oasis: The player has to decide Harold's fate, whether to honor his wish and kill him, do what Birch wants and contain Bob's spread, or follow Laurel's request to make him bloom and restore the Wasteland.
- Harold's inventory is empty in every game he appears in.
|
|
Apparel
|
None
|
| Weapon
|
None
|
| Carried items
|
None
|
| Drops on death
|
No additional items
|
- " Oh, don't get me started on them. I'm liable to talk about them all day! It even drives poor old Bob crazy."
- "They won't listen to me at all. If I tell them something simple, then it gets done. Otherwise, Birch spends a week looking for a hidden meaning. Plus, he just pops in whenever he wants and starts chanting this nonsense. Sometimes I just sit there silently just to make him mad. That was fun for a while, but even that's getting boring now."
- "<Sigh> I wish I was [dreaming] too. Then me and Herbert could be the best of friends and live side by side. He's the tree, you see. We're old pals... the best of buddies and we know each other inside and out; literally. Well, his name's really Bob. I think it's funny to call him Herbert. But I don't think he thinks it's that funny."
- "I know they mean well... and for awhile it was nice to be needed. But I'm not sure I want to be a giant tree anymore. Well, truth be told it's Herbert that's the tree. He sorta just took over, you know? Probably to get back at me for calling him Herbert all the time. His name's really Bob. I think it's funny when I call him Herbert though."
- "Well, I suppose you could look at it that way. See, Bob used to ride around on top of my head, sunk his roots right in there, ya know? Well, eventually he got bigger than me, and then I pretty much ended up inside."
- "Whoa-ho! Check out the brain on this guy! It was a long time ago... I tend to lose track. I was exploring some sort of a military base with some other people... I think it was called Mariposa. We were pretty deep inside and we found some weird vats of this nasty green goo. Right when we were about to leave, I think we were attacked. Last thing I remember before blacking out was something knocking my friend into the stuff."
- "No, no. Herbert is the tree... Bob is his real name, but I call him Herbert cause I think it's pretty funny. But I'm still in here too, what's left of me. The name's Harold."
- "Oh no, don't worry about them. When you decide to go down there, I'll have a little chat with Birch and the rest of the gang. They usually don't understand a word I say, but I'll make them come around."
- "[Why don't you just kill yourself?] Now how exactly am I supposed to do that? I can barely move anymore. Thanks to Bob, I'm obviously not going to be doing anything for a very long time."
- "Of all the Wastelanders I had to bump into it has to be one with a conscience. Let's keep it an open invitation then. I don't want to wait until the next person visits, it could be years. Just think about it, okay?"
- "Oh, no no no no! Fire would be too painful for me and poor old Bob. Keep that stuff away from us! The heart would be just fine... I won't feel a thing."
- "Glad to see you're finally awake. I can't believe they made you do that stupid ceremony. They listen when I talk, but they don't hear... know what I mean?"
- "Now don't get crazy on me and start wearing branches..."
[read more...hide]
- Harold's story would come to a radically different end in Van Buren. By the 2250s, Bob would come down with an unknown disease that would be slowly killing the tree and its host, Harold. To find a cure, Harold would return to the Nursery through the Twin Mothers. This tribe, descended from Harold's own Vault 29, would have taken him in and healed Bob with a special, foul concoction. Hoping to return the favor, Harold would be granted an audience with Diana Stone, their goddess, and then be taken back to the Nursery, a moment of joy for Diana and Harold as they were reunited. Harold would settle down and live out the rest of his days in the tranquility of the Nursery's gardens.[37] Bob would become instrumental in developing a cure for New Plague, if the Prisoner gave Diana the information on F.E.V. and New Plague from the Boulder ZAX, providing genetically engineered fruit that would heal the afflicted.[38][39]
Harold's corpse if he is burned alive during Oasis
Harold appears in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.
Additionally, Harold was to appear in both Black Isle's cancelled Fallout 3, Van Buren, as well as Interplay's cancelled Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2. A cult called the Church of Harold was set to appear in Project V13 (Interplay's canceled Fallout Online).
- ↑ Sources within the article.
- ↑ Fallout Bible 5:
"27. I disagree with making Harold not a ghoul. During Fallout 1 the name "ghoul" was not yet as widely used as in F2. Harold could have disagreed with calling his mutant kind with such a name (which is not very nice). When you ask him about the ghouls he says:
{1102}{hrold302}{Mutants. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.}
I think it doesn't necessarily mean that he's not a ghoul. It just means that he doesn't want to be called a 'ghoul'. He says, that the ghouls are mutants, just like him, and it doesn't matter how they call themselves.
I think the name 'ghouls' was either created for them by the Necropolis ghouls themselves, or by people who considered them monsters. As he looks like a ghoul, i think he would be considered one by both. Ghouls are not like supermutants, they are not all the same. It's only a name for people twisted by radiation or FEV (or both). There may be ghouls created only by radiation, and ghouls created only by FEV.
I also think, though Harold was mutated in the Vats, that if you say that all the ghouls were created by the FEV, then there isn't much difference between Harold and other ghouls.
Chris Taylor wrote:
>>Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants.<<
If so, then people dipped in the Vats can become ghouls instead of supermutants, if they are radiated. I think that easily matches Harold's case...
Fallout 2:
{100}{}{You see a particularly leathery-looking Ghoul.}
{101}{}{You see Harold.}
{102}{}{You see a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.}
{172}{}{Put a sock in it ya smelly old ghoul. Goodbye.}
Loxley (F1):
{244}{LOX_69}{Harold? He's a good enough sort, for being a ghoul an all. Lives on the south side.}
As you can see, Harold is called a ghoul in the game.
Butch (F1):
{233}{BUTCH46}{Alright, so it wasn't the Death Claw. But what would the mutants in Old Town want with our caravans? Unless it's some kind of conspiracy.}
As you can see, there are more muties in the Hub Old town, not only Harold (though we don't see them in the game). And they are all called both 'mutants' and 'ghouls'.
I think the point is that you call 'ghouls' only the ones that were exposed to 'wild' FEV in the air and radiation, and not the ones that were screwed-up results of dipping (like Harold and Talius). I think both kinds should be called 'ghouls', because, though they were created with different methods, the result is identical, and they were both result of radiation and FEV (ghouls of Necropolis are radiated people that were exposed to mutated FEV in the air, and Harold and Talius are result of dipping people with radiation damage - think this is what Chris Taylor meant)."
"All good points - Tim Cain and Chris Taylor agree with you, and they say Harold's a ghoul. To quote statements within the past week:
Chris Taylor: Ghouls are a type of mutant.
Harold is a ghoul. He's also a little special.
Super Mutants are humans with no or minimal radiation damage who have been exposed to FEV.
Ghouls are humans with significant radiation damage exposed to FEV.
Harold is, well, Harold.
Tim Cain: I know we treated him as a ghoul, but not a Necropolis one. He may have been irradiated before or after. All I remember was that he went in there with the guy whose name I forget (the one who fell into the vat and became the Master), and only Harold came out. Harold's memory is totally whacked, btw.
...most people don't know when they get irradiated, so he [Harold] just may not know what happened to him. I do know that radiation and FEV do not mix. Mutants are immune to radiation effects, but an irradiate human is killed by exposure to FEV. So one thing is sure: Harold is not a mix of radiation and FEV. He's got to be one or the other, and I think he's a ghoul.
According to Chris, ghouls are irradiated humans exposed to FEV.
According to Tim, ghouls are due solely to radiation.
Both agree Harold is special. And I don't mean handicapped.
Officially: Ghouls are a mix of FEV and radiation. Harold is a mutant who resembles a ghoul. Harold may have had some radiation damage before he was exposed to FEV, but his mutation (outside of his surface appearance) makes him different than a ghoul. Most ghouls are the result of extreme radiation + FEV exposure, but Harold's change was due primarily to FEV exposure (again, he could have sucked up a few rads in the wastes without him knowing, especially considering how long he ran caravans in the wastes).
He is hideously mutated enough so that he looks like a ghoul, but he's not technically one, and this is the mistake that Loxley makes (Loxley only judges a book by its cover, and he knows nothing about genetics or anything beyond a surface appearance).
You can call him a ghoul if you want, but the official answer is:
"Harold is Harold." Harold's special.
BTW, glowing ghouls are ghouls that suck up too many rads after they have become ghouls. We originally wanted Lenny in F2 to be able to turn into a glowing ghoul when he drinks too much radioactive liquor, but we didn't put it in."
- ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1005}{}{Vault}"
Harold: "{1105}{hrold305}{Yeah, I came from a Vault. Too many people, not enough food and water. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?}"
(HAROLD.MSG) Note: This actually corresponds to Vault 27, which was to be deliberately overcrowded by twice the sustainable amount, as opposed to Vault 29.
- ↑ Nursery design document
- ↑ Information acquired from one of the developers by Paweł "Ausir" Dembowski: ”Yes, we actually remembered about him coming from Vault 29 originally. The story was that he was taken by a robot to the Nursery. There he was given the choice of staying with Diana, or exploring the outside world. However, if he chose to explore, she would have to 'condition' him, so that he could not reveal anything about her, or the nursery to the world. He agreed to stay, but escaped eventually. Afterwards, he kept the nursery a secret because he felt it was his duty to the world to keep such a future gift intact until the world was ready for it. His later return to the nursery was a moment of joy for Diana and a 'new experience' to him, as much of his early memories faded with age.”
- ↑ Harold: "{101}{HROLD0}{Spare change, old friend, old pal? Can you help a poor mutant down on his luck? [Cough]}"
The Vault Dweller: "{102}{}{Yeah, here's $25. Good luck to you.}"
Harold: "{108}{HROLD2}{Oh, kind of ya, friend. Very kind. You know, if I could clear the gunk out of there, you, just might find a tear in Old Harold's eye.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{109}{}{Why is that?}"
Harold: "{111}{HROLD3}{[Cough] Rest of the Hubbers' been picking on me like a bad booger since I came back to town. I can't leave, though. When the deals are done [wheez] it's still my home.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{112}{}{What happened to you?}"
Harold: "{115}{HROLD4}{Well, after the Great War, my Vault was one of the first to open. [Takes a deep breath] Whew. Long time.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{116}{}{Tell me more about those days.}"
Harold: "{118}{HROLD5}{All started with the sirens. I was young, but ohh, I do remember that. Lotta terrible years followed. And I remember walking outta the Vault late one morning.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{120}{}{Where was your Vault located?}"
Harold: "{122}{HROLD6}{You know, [cough] I'm not real sure anymore. West, I think. Uh wait - east? Ooh I don't know. [Hacking cough]}"
(HAROLD.MSG)
- ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2090 Vault 29 opens. Harold (now human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."
- ↑ Fallout Bible 5: "2090 Vault 29 opens. Harold (currently human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Fallout Official Survival Guide p.97: "Harold: An Old, Old Mutant
Harold is the oldest person alive in the Hub. In fact, he was five years old when the war started. After his vault opened and its inhabitants made their way out into the wasteland, he became a merchant.
At some point many years ago, he handled an artifact contaminated with the FEV virus that caused him to mutate . He is now very old, sick, and he tends to ramble on a lot. Some of his information may be out of date. He can be cranky at times, but he likes to tell stories. He could be a good source of information on people and things within the Hub, and it's worthwhile talking to him to find out what he knows."
"Hints"
"Be patient with Harold and draw him out. He has one critical piece of information that may be of use: He knew the Master when the Master was still human, and he has been to the lost military base."
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Vault Dweller: "{119}{}{What did you do then?}"
Harold: "{124}{HROLD7}{Well, I was a trader. Did pretty good making a circuit between survivors. Lost a lotta good people, though. [Coughs]}"
The Vault Dweller: "{125}{}{How?}"
Harold: "{126}{HROLD8}{Gangers got'em. Scavengers attacking the caravans. And mutants, son of a dog, if they weren't springing up like rabbits with a mission. [cough] Had to have an army of guards with, just to do a deal.}"
(HAROLD.MSG)
- ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2096 Harold rises to the level of a caravan boss in the Hub. His caravans suffer occasional attacks in the wastes, but Harold's caravan outfit survives and prospers... until the mutant attacks begin to pick up a few years later."
- ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 May 22 Increasing mutant attacks on Harold's caravans cause Harold to get so pissed he finances one of the first adventuring parties of Fallout to try and find out where these dagnab mutants are coming from. Consulting with a scientist and doctor at the Hub, a man by the name of Grey, the two of them decide to join forces."
- ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 June 23 Richard Grey's Expedition [including Harold] finds the Mariposa Military Base and the Expedition is scattered and defeated by mutants at the base. Grey is knocked into one of the vats of FEV by a robotic arm, and Harold is knocked unconscious, only to awaken later out in the wasteland."
- ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{128}{}{Where were the mutants coming from?}"
Harold: "{133}{HROLD10}{Everywhere! Hell, seemed like you couldn't fart without hitting one. But mostly in the northwest.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{134}{}{Did you explore that area?}"
Harold: "{138}{HROLD11}{We mounted an expedition. God, Richard. Richard Grey. Led a small group of us up there.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{139}{}{Richard Grey?}"
Harold: "{146}{HROLD14}{Richard Grey was a doctor. Little older than me, and friend was he smart. He found the source.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{147}{}{And what was that?}"
Harold: "{160}{HROLD18}{Some sort of old military base. We lost a lotta folks getting in there.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{161}{}{How did you know this base was the cause?}"
Harold: "{165}{HROLD20}{Because it was like someone went bargain shopping at mutantland! Geez! Cheaper by the dozens! Can't figure any other reason except that being the factory.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{166}{}{Did you examine the base closely?}"
Harold: "{167}{HROLD21}{We got pretty far inside. Wasn't a lot of us left by then. Grey, me and couple of others.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{168}{}{And then?}"
Harold: "{169}{HROLD22}{One of them robots got Francine. Mark was wounded, sent him back to the surface. Then it was just me and Grey.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{170}{}{What ever happened to Mark?}"
Harold: "{172}{HROLD23}{To this day, I don't know. He never made it back here, and...well I...couldn't face the wasteland again, so I...I never looked.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{173}{}{What about you and Grey?}"
"Harold: {174}{HROLD24}{We made it to some sort of central core, like a plant of some sort. That's when it happened.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{175}{}{What?}"
Harold: "{176}{HROLD25}{A robot crane crashed into us. Last I saw of Grey, he was flying through the air in-into some sort of acid bath. I was in bad shape and...well I passed out.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{177}{}{How did you survive?}"
Harold: "{181}{HROLD26}{Well, I have no idea. Woke up in the wasteland, barely hanging on. Got lucky and some traders I knew found me days later. Good thing, since I was already changing. They brought me here, and here I've been since.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{182}{}{How did you mutate?}"
Harold: "{190}{HROLD28}{All's I know, is it was something inside that base.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{191}{}{Do you think it could have been radiation?}"
Harold: "{193}{HROLD29}{How the hell should I know? Grey would've known if anybody could. [sigh] Anyway, that's how the deal went down.}"
(HAROLD.MSG)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How did a tree end up growing out of your head?"
Harold: "It was a long time ago... I tend to lose track. I was exploring some sort of a military base with some other people... I think it was called Mariposa. We were pretty deep inside and we found some weird vats of this nasty green goo. Right when we were about to leave, I think we were attacked. Last thing I remember before blacking out was something knocking my friend into the stuff."
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 June 27 Harold, already mutating, is found by traders and taken back to the Hub. His former caravan partners and employees, horrified by his condition, abandon him and he is soon left without even two bottlecaps to rub together."
- ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2238 Harold arrives in Gecko, and (with a lot of shaking of his head) he does his best to help the ghouls with the running of the Nuclear Power Plant."
- ↑ There is no reference as to how the situation was resolved.
- ↑ Fallout Bible 0:
"5. Why in the final scene in Fallout 1 and 2 nothing is said about players friendly NPCs ? I'd love to know what happened to Marcus, Tycho, Ian, Cassidy or Vic afterwards. - Kreegle"
"Fallout 1: I don't know why. Tim and the Troika crew apparently ended up doing this for the NPCs in Arcanum, though."
[...]"In any event, here you go - note that some are personalized for the actor, others are not:"[...]
"Harold"
| "You still hear mention of Harold from time to time. Apparently, the tree growing from his head has gotten larger, and if rumors are to be believed, fruit is growing from it. The seeds are said to remarkably tough, and several of them have taken root even in the most barren stretches of the wasteland."
|
[...]
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"
Harold: "I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Why do you call yourselves Treeminders?"
Birch: "We care for this place and keep it safe from those who would seek to exploit it. He gives to us, so we give back to Him. It's an arrangement that's worked well for almost two decades. We shun technology and embrace nature. That's the life of a Treeminder."
(Birch's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How did the Treeminders begin?"
Birch: "When I first beheld the glory of the Great One, I knew there'd be others who would seek to do Him harm. I also knew He would be calling others that he felt were pure of heart to protect Him. Right then and there I created the Treeminders... the Great One's last line of defense."
(Birch's dialogue)
- ↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.319-320: "2.01: OASIS (LAT -03/LONG 28)
OASIS
Oasis is a fertile, verdant dot in the center of all the desolation. This odd hidden vale is home to a strange, tribal-like people who call themselves the Treeminders. You are welcomed into Oasis with open arms, and their leader, Tree Father Birch, invites you to meet their god. Oasis is tucked away inside a giant rocky outcrop in the mountains just northeast of the monorail and freeway skeletons, and the entrance is close to a rope bridge."
(Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition Tour of the Capital Wasteland)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How is it you're causing all of these things to grow around you?"
Harold: "It's kind of embarrassing really. Once a year, Bob decides he's going to go ahead and start growing these weird pods filled with tiny seeds. Well, all it takes is a good wind and the seeds just fly everywhere. I call them Herbert's Seeds. He hates that!"
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Amazing, this place seems so abundant with animal life."
Birch: "The innocent creatures are drawn here by His gifts. They come from across the Wasteland to live in this sanctuary. This part of the world is healing, my friend, and it's all thanks to Him."
(Birch's dialogue)
- ↑ There are sounds of birds, crickets, and squirrels? as backround sounds in Oasis.
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Hey, maybe if you tell me what Harold is scared of I won't be scared either."
The Lone Wanderer: "Tell me, too! Then I won't be scared either."
Yew: "Awww, I never knew an Outsider could be scared of anything! Harold told me that he's scared of fire. If fire ever got on him, it would burn him and Bob until they were all gone. That's why we keep the fires far away from him."
(Yew's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How would I be able to kill you? You're a tree."
Harold: "How to put this? ...I've been feeling rather "spread out" lately. I think Bob's kinda shoved my insides around some. It's hard to tell where everything is, but it's always that way with one's insides, isn't it? Anyway, I believe Bob's carried some of my organs into his root system. I want you to go underground and destroy my heart."
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How do the Treeminders normally handle other Outsiders?"
Harold: "Oh, you wouldn't believe how they handle them. They make them drink this gunk that Poplar makes. Sometimes they just go nuts and start running around, and sometimes when they wake up and see me they run for the hills! I'll tell you, Outsiders are almost as entertaining as the Treeminders!"
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Well, hopefully your troubles will be over. I'm here to help."
Harold: "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. Or, we're glad to hear that... me and Bob. I had you brought in here to ask a very simple favor. Would you please kill me?"
The Lone Wanderer: "You want me to murder you?"
Harold: "Oh no, no, no. It wouldn't be murder. You'd be doing me a favor. You see, I've been stuck here for over two decades now... rooted right into the ground. The only friends I've got are Bob and those weirdos out there who think I'm a god."
The Lone Wanderer: "You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"
Harold: "I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Hey, life is a gift. Even if it lasts a long time, be glad you have it!"
Harold: "I've tried to stay happy, really I have. Bloomseer Poplar thinks I'll live for hundreds of years... maybe even more! Can you imagine THAT? Stuck here for centuries? I can't do it, I just want to be alone. Just me and Bob until the end. When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "If people thought I was a god, I'd exploit it for all it's worth!"
Harold: "Hey, I thought that too... at first. I had them sing me songs, I made them do stupid dances and things like that. Bob even told me to make Maple stand on his head for a whole day! After a while though, it just gets boring. Then it becomes a nuisance and now it's completely driving me nuts! When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Had you ever asked one of them to kill you before?"
Harold: "They wouldn't listen to me at all! If I told them something simple, then it got done. Otherwise, Birch spent a week looking for a hidden meaning. Plus, he used to just pop in whenever he wanted and started chanting this nonsense. Sometimes I used to just sit there silently just to make him mad! That was fun for a while. Hopefully this will all change now that things are different... thanks to you!"
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ Harold: "I can't believe you'd kill those innocent people like that. And I thought I was a monster! If I could move, I would show you a thing or two, but Bob has me stuck here."
Harold: "Those people you killed were some of the most peaceful people in the Wasteland! How could you do that to them?"
Harold: "How dare you come into Oasis and shoot up the place! Even Bob is mad at you, and he never gets mad except when I don't stop calling him Herbert!"
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Which Treeminder do you get along with the best?"
Harold: "Actually, the kid is the nicest one of all. Yew's her name. She sneaks in here sometimes and just lets me talk about stuff I wanna talk about. Bob really likes her too, cause she makes me happy."
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "You've become an important part of their life. Without you, they're lost."
Harold: "So, they really need me that badly, huh? I guess I never thought of it that way. Awfully selfish of me. Should we give them another chance, Herbert? Fine, fine. I mean Bob. I still think it's funny when I call him Herbert."
(Harold's dialogue)
- ↑ Nursery design document for Van Buren
- ↑ Information acquired from the developers by Paweł "Ausir" Dembowski:
Yes, him being the source of Diana's cure was indeed our intent.'
- ↑ Boulder Dome design document for Van Buren'
|
The reason was that his shelter, Vault 29, was populated with young children separated from their parents, and placed under the care of Diana, a human scientist immortalized by merging her human brain with a supercomputer controlling the Vault and the Nursery, a repository of seeds and genetic records preserved in case of a global thermonuclear war. Diana would control the unrest by periodically releasing young dwellers to scout the surface and report whether it was safe to settle. They never returned, as Diana would take them to the Nursery, where they'd either be able to join her or leave, after being conditioned to be unable to speak of the Nursery or the Vault.[4] Harold was selected by Diana and initially agreed to stay, before escaping. He kept the Nursery a secret, believing it his duty to protect it from those who would exploit it.[5]
