Desdemona (often referred to as simply Des by members of the Railroad, along with The Big D[1]) is the leader of the Railroad living at Railroad HQ in 2287.
Following the loss of Trinity, the acting leader of the Railroad, Pinky Thompson, was persuaded to step down.[2] In December of 2277 a vote was held to determine his successor, and the two finalists were Desdemona and Carrington,[2] with Desdemona eventually winning out. The leader of the Railroad is an understandably cautious and distanced woman. After witnessing her entire organization almost completely wiped out by the Institute, she has taken their operations deep underground and plans how to strike back at the Institute and protect the synths they liberate.
The leader of the Railroad is initially skeptical, but she can be persuaded to accept the player into the HQ. A difficult persuasion check allows for escaping questions about just where the player has learned the location of the Railroad HQ from.
If the player reaches the Institute and completes a mission for that faction without speaking to Desdemona, she (and the entire Railroad) will shun the player, ending the questline.
