Edgar Hardin

Head Paladin Edgar Hardin is a member of the Brotherhood of Steel (Mojave chapter), living in the Hidden Valley bunker in Fallout: New Vegas.

Background
Hardin is the Head Paladin of the Mojave chapter and its most experienced veteran. He was one of the key advisors of Elder Elijah and attempted to convince the Elder to abandon Helios One. When defeat became imminent, he followed the new acting Elder, Nolan McNamara in the retreat to the McCullough range and Hidden Valley.

The enactment of the lockdown and the strain it put on the Brotherhood's resources affected Hardin deeply. McNamara's refusal to lift it or send scouts out has resulted in Hardin becoming disillusioned with the current leadership. The safety came at the cost of not fulfilling the Brotherhood's mission. Convinced that McNamara was leading the chapter poorly, Hardin took it upon himself to find a way to oust the former. Only his respect for McNamara's actions at Helios prevented him from challenging the commander outright.

Hardin's plans for the chapter are to send out scouts to recon the area, resume patrols, and start sending out search teams to reestablish the Brotherhood presence. Of course, Hardin's non-compromising attitude would preclude a cease-fire or alliance with any of the factions in the Mojave. <!--

Did you know there's a second part to it? Second part? What are you talking about?

// Incorrect prompt? // It says a superior is not allowed to give orders to the men under his subordinate. Then that means I can cast McNamara down for giving those secret orders to my Paladins! Well done! That's exactly what I was looking for!

It says a superior is not allowed to give orders to the men under his subordinate. That is the standard procedure, yes. For example, McNamara gives orders to Head Scribe Taggart, who then relays further orders to the scribes. I wasn't aware that failing to do so was punishable, however. Interesting... If we can just find an instance where McNamara went around someone and gave orders to their subordinates, we'll have him.

One of the few times an Elder was dismissed was due to it. I could be wrong, but I think that's a dead end. McNamara's always followed orders, and we've been incommunicado since fleeing HELIOS.

I found the patrols for the Elder, and they had mission discs with orders from McNamara on them. Just as I thought, McNamara gave my men new orders without telling me. The nerve of that man! This little stunt is probably what got them killed in the first place. Our normal patrol routes are known to be relatively safe. This is exactly what I've been looking for! McNamara gave my men new orders without telling me, thereby breaking the Chain That Binds! With this, I can finally have him removed as Elder, and end this ridiculous lockdown.

And I suppose you'd nominate yourself? I would. I'm the senior-most paladin in the Chapter, and have more combat experience than any two others here put together. I'd gladly support another candidate, but no one has the courage to step forward and make the attempt, so it falls to me. I would put this chapter back on the right path, if I could just assume leadership.

So what happens now? There are a number of people I'll need to talk to. The process won't be instantaneous, but with this evidence, my path is clear. It shouldn't take more than a few days, and then we can begin moving forward again.

The Elder has me looking for parts to fix the bunker's air filtration system. The filtration system? He wouldn't have you looking if we didn't need those parts badly, which means that system's in real trouble. If the air filters go, it will become impossible to breathe down here. We'd be forced to evacuate the bunker! I can't believe he's kept something like this to himself! We should have every able-bodied person in the chapter working on this. All the more reason for you to find a way to get McNamara out of that chair, before he dooms us all.

The Elder tasked me with contacting several scouts out in the waste. That's a sensible notion. Your familiarity with the nearby terrain makes you perfect as a liason. I've been trying to get the Elder to send out scouts for years, and he's always been resistant to the idea. Said they'd be a vulnerability. I wonder what changed his mind.

The Elder has me looking for the lost patrols and retrieving their mission discs. Yes, I know the loss of the patrols has weighed heavily on his mind for some time. He took it very personally when they first went missing.That was when I first began to seriously question his ability to lead us. A commander has to be able to deal with the potential loss of his men. It's strange that he would ask you to find mission discs on them, however. The missing paladins were all on standard patrols, which don't need them. Only Brothers sent on special assignments are given mission discs. If you should find any on the lost patrols, let me know.

The Courier: "Sure, go ahead." Edgar Hardin: ''"As you may have already heard, this entire base is under a state of lockdown. No one goes out except small patrols at night. Most of the chapter has been sealed in here for years, and those few who were outside when the lockdown was initiated are forbidden from returning. Morale has plummeted as time has gone by, and many of our current paladins haven't even seen combat outside of training simulations. And all because of the Elder's explicit order that no one be allowed in or out. The only way things will change is if a new Elder is installed. -->

Quests

 * Still in the Dark: During this quest, Hardin asks the Courier to help him remove Elder McNamara from power so he could become the new Elder.
 * Tend to Your Business: Hardin, after becoming the new elder, asks the Courier to kill all of the Van Graffs in Freeside to prove their loyalty to the Brotherhood.
 * For the Republic, Part 2: There is a way to oust McNamara and have a peaceful outcome. However, once you talk to Hardin and begin the process of overthrowing McNamara, you just simply don't go back to the BoS bunker until you've talked to Moore about the Brotherhood. Hardin doesn't "officially" become Elder until you return to the bunker.

Appearances
Hardin appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.