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In all things, the calm heart must prevail.
”— Fawkes, Fallout 3.Fawkes is a Vault 87 super mutant and possible companion of the Lone Wanderer in Fallout 3. He is an outsider among his kin, having retained his civility and intelligence following the mutation.
Background
Imprisoned in Vault 87's medical area, Fawkes in an anomaly among his brethren. Where the majority of mutants are aggressive, barely intelligent idiots, he is an educated, soft-spoken person that keeps his violent impulses in check. He is one of the original dwellers of the Vault, and can still remember glimpses of his past, of the Vault in its prime, with scientists and regular dwellers walking through the halls. However, these glimpses are all that remains of his past, and the inability to recall his past identity torments him to no end.[1][2][3]
His origin is the same as any other Vault 87 super mutant: He was taken by the mutants and exposed to the modified FEV used in the Vault's Evolutionary Experimentation Program. However, unlike other victims of the virus, Fawkes managed to survive the mutation process with his mind intact. Where others would succumb to excruciating pain and become insane, he retained enough of his intelligence to be capable of speech immediately after the process completed. He was branded a failure by his captors and placed in isolation room 5 in the medical ward. Where normally he would be killed, he was different enough for the super mutants to keep him as a curiosity.[1][4]
It is not known why Fawkes turned out different. It is possible that he had some innate genetic characteristic that granted him above average resistance to pain. It is also possible that the haphazard mutation process employed in Vault 87 malfunctioned in Fawkes' case. Interestingly, the mutation seems to have stabilized, as despite 200 years of age, Fawkes does not resemble a Behemoth, which is the typical end phase of the mutation process.[5] However, not all was well. The damage caused by the mutation resulted in a warping of Fawkes' existing neural pathways, resulting in extensive memory loss.[2]
Fawkes coped with the damage thanks to a working terminal still present in the recovery room that acted as his cell. Thanks to its connection to the Vault mainframe, Fawkes was able to study history, literature, science, and other subjects. The extensive database of book files gave him a wealth of knowledge and insight into a variety of subjects. An added motivation to learn was provided by his isolation. The super mutants kept him locked in the recovery room for over two centuries. In fact, the terminal was the only thing that kept him from going insane. In fact, it is from the history books contained within that Fawkes took his name, from a man willing to fight and die for his beliefs. Unfortunately, the super mutants recently realized that the terminal was keeping him sane and destroyed it to torment him.[6][7][8][9]
Daily schedule
Fawkes lives in Isolation Room 05, a cell in Vault 87. Should he find a way out, he will be at the Museum of History inside the lobby and right outside of Raven Rock after the quest The American Dream.
Interactions with the player character
Interactions overview
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This character is a temporary party member. | |
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This character is a permanent party member. | |
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This character is involved in quests. | |
Quests
- Finding the Garden of Eden: Fawkes will ask the player to release him from his cell. In return, he will retrieve the Garden of Eden Creation Kit from the radioactive containment area.
- The American Dream: If released, the super mutant will appear in front of Raven Rock and kill any Enclave soldiers that may spawn. He will state that he came to rescue the player, as they are the only person in the world they know. If the player's karma is high, he can be hired as a companion.
- Take it Back!: Although Fawkes would be a natural choice to press the button due to his radiation immunity, he condemns either Sarah Lyons or the Lone Wanderer to press the button and die.
If Broken Steel is installed, Fawkes will see the obvious logic and press the button instead of the player or Sarah.
Other interactions
- Recruiting Fawkes: Depending on the Lone Wanderer's karma, Fawkes may agree to accompany the Lone Wanderer on future travels as a companion.
- Fawkes spends his time in the Museum of History near the Underworld entrance. He can be hired again, but only if the player character has good karma.
- Fawkes has very high health and excellent damage resistance and can use a variety of weapons, making him an excellent companion in combat-heavy environments. He can also carry plenty of equipment, up to 229 pounds. However, his inability to wear armor does reduce his survivability somewhat.
Inventory
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Fawkes' Gatling laser Fawkes' super sledge Fawkes' sledgehammer* | |
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empty |
* If the Lone Wanderer take Fawkes' super sledge, it is replaced with a non-playable sledgehammer.
Fawkes can only equip weapons from the following list:
Fawkes will not equip any unique versions of the weapons in the above list.
Notes
- Fawkes is one of two peaceful super mutants in the game, along with Uncle Leo.
- The cell Fawkes lives in was once inhabited by a female human specimen codenamed D164. However, the specimen was terminated during experimentation.
- Fawkes is one of the two intelligent or more peaceful super mutants in the game, the other being Uncle Leo.
- After he moves to Underworld, he is counted as a resident and will become hostile if any negative action is taken against the residents. His attitude will reset after 72 hours.
- Despite being an intelligent super mutant his Intelligence is only 3.
Notable quotes
Fawkes shares dialogue with regular super mutants, but also features many unique quotes of his own, often referring to his and Uncle Leo's possible Zen philosophy.
- "In all things, the calm heart must prevail."
- "[Wait here.] If you insist. But do be careful - I can hardly repay your kindness while waiting back here."
- "It's amazing that people trust you enough not to attack me."
- "There are times that I feel the primal part of me pulling me away."
- "You're going to pay dearly for what you did to me!"
- "No more games... time to die!"
- "[Fawkes, I need you to go into that chamber and turn on the purifier.] I’m sorry, my companion, but no. We all have our own destinies, and yours culminates here. I would not rob you of that."
Behind the scenes
- The game includes a number of holotapes in its files that not appear in the game. These chronicle the experiences of Shelton Delacroix, a security guard from Vault 87, who learns of the nature of the experimentation in the Vault's laboratory area and ends up becoming mutated. Note that the final tape indicates that he was at first as feral as regular super mutants from Vault 87, inconsistent with his actual statements in the game.
 | The following is based on Fallout 3 cut content and has not been confirmed by canon sources. |
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Is this thing on? Oh, yeah it is... I see the little needle moving. Ahem. I'm making these recordings as a diary of my life in one of Vault-Tec's newer vaults. They recommended we keep one, so I figured why not. But let me start at the beginning. My name is Shelton Delacroix, and I'm a security officer here in Vault 87. I'm assigned to the laboratory level, which sure beats babysitting the reactor room! Hopefully, in a few more months, I'll be allowed to learn a little more. It's all so hush hush. But that's the way things are around here. Anyway, I'm due on shift soon, so I'll record more later.
”— MQ08SheltonTape01Things are getting a bit weird up here on the laboratory level. I swear I keep hearing these crazy noises coming from the experimentation chambers. When I asked about it they told me it's the animals they're testing on. What the heck are they doing to them? I think I may look into it some more. It gets boring standing in the hallways and pacing back and forth.
”— MQ08SheltonTape02I... I don't know where to begin. I... have to report what I've seen. There has to be a record of this somewhere. Sykes and Cossler dragged some unconscious guy from the dorms into the labs. I tried to ask what was going on, but they just glared at me. After they came back out of the containment area, they told me not to tell anyone what I saw or I'd regret it. Sykes was even patting his 10 millimeter when he said that. I think they were threatening to kill me! After they left I snuck into the containment room, and... and I almost threw up. I don't even know how to describe it. It looked sort of human, but it was deformed... I could see some of its organs on the surface of its body like they were trying to push through. Its skin was... disgusting. Green and brown and bruised like it was bleeding on the inside. And the smell... it was horrible. I staggered out of there and came here to get this all down. What the hell are they doing in this place? Oh my god. It's all making sense. The missing people... and those things. They... they... oh my fucking god.
”— MQ08SheltonTape03I'm in hiding now. I'm recording this in the reactor level. They found one of older recordings and now they want me in the labs. Luckily I had a friend in the security team and they told me to run. So here I am. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Merrick and his team are obviously experimenting on people. Someone's got to put a stop to it. But how? There's nowhere to go and no one to tell. Shit, what am I gonna... Oh my god. They're coming... I... Tell my wife in Dorm E that I love her... I...
”— MQ08SheltonTape04Stupid machine... how you work this thing... this thing is stupid! Smash it!
”— MQ08SheltonTape05 | End of information based on Fallout 3 cut content. |
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- Emil Pagliarulo has stated that Wes Johnson was mistaken when he identified Fawkes as a female: "No, Fawkes was absolutely a male. This was a mistake. Wes gave an interview and he was mistaken. Trust me, Fawkes is and was male."[10]
- Fawkes' dialogue barks are a double entendre, being both sound survival advice and snippets of the Zen philosophy. Examples include "Be aware of the present moment" and "There is safety in mindfulness".
- Fawkes' name is apparently a reference to Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up the Parliament building in London.
- Fawkes' name, backstory, and room number can also be considered nods to Alan Moore and David Lloyd's graphic novel V for Vendetta.
- Fawkes' battle cry of "Wake up... Time to die!" mirrors a similar cry from Leon to Deckard in Blade Runner.
Bugs
- With Broken Steel installed, Fawkes possesses a staggering amount of health at higher levels. At level 20 he has several thousand HP, more so than even a super mutant behemoth. This is due to a badly adjusted setting concerning Fawkes' leveling, which grants him in excess of 100 HP per level gained. Dogmeat and Sergeant RL-3 are similarly affected.
- Fawkes will not use unique weapons, as the formlist determining which weapons he can use omits entries for those.
- The game will update flags and dialogue for Fawkes even if he is not released from his isolation room. If the player returns to Raven Rock after they escaped Raven Rock, he will offer the same kind of dialogue as when he comes to the player's "rescue."
Gallery
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Full body shot
Appearances
Fawkes appears only in Fallout 3.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.72: "Fawkes
Residing as a prisoner in Vault 87, Fawkes is one of two "humanized" Super Mutants. When F.E.V. mutated him, a little more of his human side remained. His demeanor and attitude differ greatly from his fellow Super Mutants. His lack of bloodlust and nonaddled
mind sets him apart from his brethren. Unfortunately for Fawkes, this has made him hated by the other Super Mutants. Not knowing what exactly to do with this "half-breed," the others have relegated him to a tiny observation cell in the Vault 87 lab area. There he sits and ponders his fate, waiting for someone to come along and free him."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Lone Wanderer: "Do you remember who you were?"
Fawkes: "I don't remember enough to tell you everything about my former self. My metamorphosis destroyed a good deal of my long term memory. However, I can recall being in this place when it wasn't the macabre laboratory that it's become. I remember walking around this place and seeing other humans in white lab coats and blue jumpsuits. I wish I could find out more, but the personnel information for the Vault wasn't in the mainframe for some reason. I feel like my identity is so close to me... I can almost see myself as a human but can't recollect the details. It's maddening."
(Fawkes' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How do you know the layout of this place?"
Fawkes: "These hallways are familiar to me... I think I used to be a resident here in better times. I wish I could remember more, but I'm afraid it's all a blur. As for the G.E.C.K., it's always rested where it does now. The foolish Super Mutants don't even know what they have."
(Fawkes' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "So, tell me more about yourself."
Fawkes: "I was born here, in this place. I don't mean that in the literal sense of course. All I can remember is the excruciating pain that tore through me as my body underwent the rapid physical changes. For most, this moment is what severs the grip on their minds. They become barely a shell of their former selves. I was different. When I spoke to them, they immediately branded me "another failure" and had me placed here as a curiosity."
(Fawkes' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Why have you been imprisoned?"
Fawkes: "Because I'm a curiosity; an anomaly. They don't know why I'm different than they are and I think it fascinates them. All of the locked rooms in the medical wing contain failed experiments that they created."
The Lone Wanderer: "How come they've kept you alive?"
Fawkes: "I think when I was created, something went wrong and I didn't come out like they planned. Just like the other things in this makeshift cell block, we're the results of what they would call failed experiments if they were smart enough."
(Fawkes' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "It's amazing how well you can speak."
Fawkes: "Yes. I suppose it is. When my captors placed me here, they were too stupid to realize this room contained a working terminal. I've spent all my life teaching myself to read and speak based on the information stored on the Vault's Mainframe. Ironic, isn't it? Surrounded by the world's history and yet my world consists of this tiny room."
(Fawkes' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "That's quite an unusual name."
Fawkes: "It was taken from a historical entry in the computer. The name comes from a man who was willing to fight and die for what he believed in. I felt it was appropriate given my circumstances."
(Fawkes' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "So, you've been stuck in that cell ever since?"
Fawkes: "Yes. I've never been anywhere else. I used to mark the passage of time, but after a few years, it didn't seem to matter anymore. The only thing that prevented me from going insane was the working access point to the Vault Mainframe in my makeshift cell."
(Fawkes' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How did you become so articulate?"
Fawkes: "The terminal in my cell used to connect with Vault 87's mainframe. That gave me access to the history, literature, science and fiction book files. I used this extensive database of works to better myself and my understanding of everything around me. It was only recently the others caught me using the terminal and destroyed it to torment me."
(Fawkes' dialogue) - ↑ Bethesda forum page
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