Ghouls have an incredibly varied appearance, ranging from semi-skeletal zombies to almost human-like
Type
Humanoid
Location
Throughout the United States mainland - likely worldwide
...
“
Zombies? Fuck you! We're ghouls. Zombies are a type of undead with no free will. Although we share certain physical characteristics -- most notably, the rotting flesh and characteristic morbidity -- we are creatures of free will.
Necrotic post-humans,[1] commonly referred to as ghouls, are humans or animals who were subjected to fatal levels of radioactive poisoning, but did not die.[2] Due to unknown factors, rather than suffer organ failure, their bodies mutated and adapted to radiation, resulting in immunity and an extended lifespan. The drawback is that the adaptation also caused widespread necrosis of the skin, lesions, and rot, resulting in a horrifying appearance that has been likened to that of undead creatures from pre-Warhorror films. This is also the primary cause of ghoul discrimination in the wasteland, with its mildest being racial slurs like zombie.[3]
The history of ghouls is a mixture of suffering and plight. The bulk of ghouls emerged as a result of the Great War, although there are a cases of somemen using controlled exposure of radiation to ghoulify themselves and ride out the upcoming war.[4][5] There was also an experimental radiation drug being tested somewhere in the Commonwealth.[6] It's known side effects were why Hancock sought out the last remaining dosage.[7]
New California[]
Necropolis, the single largest ghoul city in New California until 2162.
In California, ghouls were the first group of survivors to begin rebuilding civilization – the inhabitants of Vault 12 beneath Bakersfield founded the Necropolis in Summer 2083.[8] Less than a year later, in 2084, Set wrestled control of the settlement from the original Overseer and instituted his own reign, characterized by delusions of grandeur.[9] The city would eventually decline, starting with the attack by Unity in 2157, who expected to find an unopened Vault in the ruins of the city. After many ghouls were killed in the assault, Set negotiated peace with the super mutants, after explaining that the ghouls are indeed the vault dwellers. The recovery operation failed, but Unity established a stronghold in the town to ensure Set's cooperation and watch for humans.[10]
It would finally be destroyed and most of its population killed in a retaliatory expedition by the super mutants, sent to the city after the Vault Dweller raided the Vault and recovered the water chip, eliminating the super mutant garrison in the process.[11] This has led to a Great Migration and the eventual founding of a number of ghoul and ghoul-friendly[12] settlements, including Broken Hills in 2185,[13] the NCR state of Dayglow around 2189,[14][15] and Gecko in 2235. Though problems with equality continue, ghouls are increasingly seen as equal members of society, though their numbers steadily dwindle.[16]
One of the most terrifying developments in ghoul history took place in 2277, at the Divide, where the nuclear warheads triggered by the Courier's delivery of an automated nuclear launch device exploded and triggered rapid ghoulification of the Legion and NCR forces engaged in battle there. Worse yet, the terrifying storms of the Divide flayed them alive, causing them to become dead men walking – marked for death, sustained only by the intense radiation that permeates the Divide.[17] As they never appear outside the Divide, due to the necessity of staying near radiation sources to remain alive, the marked men became a legend in the wasteland, like the Sierra Madre, the Burned Man, or the Big Empty.[18]
East Coast[]
The Slog, one of the most prosperous farms in the Commonwealth and ran entirely by ghouls.
The densely urbanized East had a great concentration of American population and was strongly affected by the nuclear fallout. People who took shelter in areas affected by it experienced radiation poisoning; those who did not die became ghouls. Within a year, the first ghouls began to appear and with them, the first fledgling settlements, like Underworld in Washington, D.C., which existed as late as 2277.[19] Although in areas like Appalachia, ghouls were quickly sought out and exterminated, no matter what relation they may have had with others before they became Ghouls.[20] Another population of ghouls, transformed Chinese operatives stranded on American soil, chose to sequester themselves from the wasteland. The Chinese Remnant remained stuck in the United States for over two centuries.[21]
In other areas, like the Commonwealth, ghouls cohabited with humans. The most noticeable example was Diamond City. Ghouls were a part of the city's population from its foundation in the 2130s to the 2282 election. Diamond City was gripped by a wave of racism, thanks to a candidate by the name of McDonough. He ran for the city's mayor on the Mankind for McDonough platform and won the election thanks to the votes of the Upper Stands citizens. The anti-ghoul decree of 2282 was enacted in his inaugural speech, leading to a pogrom of ghoulish citizens. Entire families were thrown out of the City by their human neighbors, straight into the surrounding ruins to perish without a cap to their name.[22]
Most of them perished, killed by raiders, Commonwealth wildlife, or Goodneighbor warlords. The minority that survived scattered across the region. In one notable instance, a refugee called Wiseman founded the Slog, the foremost tarberry farm in the Commonwealth.[23]
The precise origins of ghouls are not fully understood. High levels of radiation are a crucial factor, but radiation poisoning typically results in death, rather than ghoulification. Humans who become ghouls must, therefore, possess some additional property that prevents their organs from succumbing to radiation.[24] It is possible that ghouls develop when additional genetic material is incorporated into a human's DNA before irradiation, preventing them from dying.[25]
There are two primary ways in which ghouls can develop from a human. Irradiation and gradual transformation result in ghouls who retain their general human shape, but with a high degree of skin deterioration: Exposed muscle, flaking skin, and damaged connective tissue characterized by the absence of nose and ears.[26] Another is surviving a nuclear blast relatively close to ground zero, suffering burns both thermal and radiation-induced, but surviving. The latter transformation is typically faster and substantially more traumatic for the victim and results in a generally much more horrifying appearance, with exposed bone, asymmetric deformations, and extensive unhealed wounds.[27]
The vast majority of ghouls of both types have developed as a result of exposure during the Great War, but ghoulification is also possible after the War. Camp Searchlight is one such example, with an attack that transformed a majority of the NCR troopers stationed there into ghouls.[28] Camp Searchlight also emphasizes the fact that the nature of the transformation may lead to mental problems. The trauma of transformation can cause a mental breakdown in the victim, causing a rapid degeneration of higher thought processes, causing them to become feral.[29] Moreover, particularly severe irradiation can lead to the creation of luminous necrotic post-humans, or glowing ones with a permanently damaged brain: feral glowing ones are almost invariably hostile to nearly all life forms.[26]
Overview[]
Dean Domino, a particularly motivated ghoul and talented pre-War singer. The transformation granted its usual longevity, but spared his vocal chords.
The transformation can take anywhere from hours,[30][31] to weeks,[32] to as much as a year, depending on exposure levels.[19] Once it is completed, the ghouls take on the aforementioned appearance, at a rate influenced largely by the manner of their exposure: the more radiation received in a short amount of time causes drastic changes, while symptoms of ghoulification are more gradual with acute exposure. Ghouls generally experience loss of skin and connective tissue in a manner similar to leprosy, resulting in exposed muscle, blood vessels, and in extreme cases even bone and internal organs.[33] As a rule, ghouls generally lose hair along with the skin, though mileage may vary due to the unpredictable nature of the change.[34][35][36] Vocal cords and the larynx are also usually affected by the change, resulting in a raspy voice – though again, mileage may vary.[37]
Other notable results of the change are widespread necrosis,[24][38] rot,[27] and other degenerative conditions like arthritis,[39] cataracts, glaucomas,[40][41] and more. All are seemingly permanent conditions, whose damaging effect is offset by the regenerative properties of a ghoul organism.[42] The older a ghoul is the more these symptoms crop up and become a nuisance, but younger ghouls might not have all or any of the symptoms, but feralization and dementia can happen immediately.[43][44] In fact, this necrosis can be exacerbated by a phenomenon whereby rotting flesh around sweat glands exudes macronutrients, which attract detritivorous scavenging insects that further digest and consume the tissue of the ghoul.[45] Some ghouls may also experience loss of appendages, but the radioactive regeneration allows for them to be reattached and retain functionality.[46] Unfortunately, this also means that ghouls tend to smell like a rotting corpse.[47]
Ghoulification and its effects are not fully understood. There is a great deal of variation in appearance between ghouls, who can look like semi-skeletal corpses,[48] burn victims,[49] or decomposing cadavers with exposed bone, muscle, and sinew.[50] All of these horrifying changes accompany two major traits that can be considered as beneficial to necrotic post-humans:
Exposure to ionizing radiation with wavelengths below 10 picometers triggers a mutation in the spinal cord, halting decay in neurotransmitters and triggering permanent regeneration. Cardiac and respiratory functions continue to function regardless of other damage, extending the lifespan indefinitely unless either system is damaged beyond repair.[24][51]
Regenerative effects of radiation – in fact, the altered ghoul physiology is boosted in the presence of radiation, resulting in an increased rate of regeneration.[52][53] In certain cases, such as with the marked men of the Divide, intense radiation can help a ghoul survive even lethal injuries, such as flaying.[54][55]
The mutated physiology still requires ghouls to provide adequate nourishment for their systems, including providing water[56] and food. The loss of the sense of smell allows ghouls to eat food humans would consider repulsive,[57] which coupled with the resilience of their digestive tract allows them to subsist on any edible foodstuff.[58][59] As an added benefit, a ghoul is also immune to most common diseases that affect unmutated humans. However, that doesn't mean ghouls are immune to all diseases, and diseases of the mind (not just feralization) can still affect a ghoul.[60] A side-effect of the mutation is that recreational drugs like Jet have a diminished effect on their physiology, requiring double doses or increased potency to work.[61] This is likely because of the regenerative properties of ghoulification. The neurotransmitters that would be firing at an accelerated rate during the use of a drug like jet in a normal human would be quickly dealt with in the ghoul's body. This likely applies to all types of drugs that aren't radiation cures or preventers.
While ghouls require food and water, the regenerative properties of their mutated bodies can sustain them in the absence of either. In most cases, this coincides with the transformation into a feral ghoul (see below). However, there are three known cases where prolonged isolation with no air, food, or water had no deleterious effects on the ghoul: Coffin Willie was buried in a coffin for months and was no worse for the wear,[62]Woody was exhibited as a mummy for weeks while in a state of deep sleep,[63] and perhaps most shockingly, Billy Peabody survived the Great War by locking himself in a refrigerator, and has stayed alive for 210 years.[64]
Ghouls retain their normal cognition and are generally no different than humans in terms of intellect. In fact, many ghouls benefit from their extreme lifespan and are capable of amassing skill and knowledge far beyond the ability of regular humans.[65][66] By extension, ghouls retain their sexual drive, though for obvious reasons, sexual partners are usually ghouls,[67] though some humans do have a ghoul fetish.[38] Regardless of their capacity for intercourse, ghouls are sterile and cannot procreate. Any children they may have are either adopted[68] or were mutated into ghouls alongside their parents.[69]
However, turning into a ghoul can bring about severe complications. The degeneration into a feral state (referred to as ferocious post-necrotic dystrophy) is not fully understood. It is known that it is a result of a degeneration of the brain (which is not affected by the regenerative mutation of the spinal cord) and emerges following the atrophy of higher brain functions, accompanied by an increased level of aggression and appetite. When the loss of capacity for thought is complete, a ghoul is considered feral. The factors that may cause a ghoul to enter this state are unclear, but anti-social or isolated ghouls are more susceptible to it.[29]
Exposure to intense radiation may also be a factor – feral ghouls have no body heat and emit lethal levels of radiation, indicating that feral ghouls are for all intents and purposes dead, their functions sustained only by their high irradiation. This allows them to survive for centuries, relying only on the energy provided by radiation – at the expense of a horrifying, emaciated appearance. Understandably, the process is irreversible.[70][71]
The transformation of a ghoul into a luminous necrotic post-human (Glowing One), which occurs when the organism of a ghoul ceases filtering radioactive particles from the blood, resulting in bioaccumulation and the gradual appearance of bioluminescence as a result.[72] Luminescent ghouls are usually heavily irradiated, due to the accumulation of radiation in their bodies[26][73] and some can even violently discharge the accumulated radiation in what is termed a "radiation blast" by wastelanders.[74] Luminous ghouls are usually feral, due to the damage to their nervous system and the time it takes to accumulate the radiation,[72] though ghouls uncommonly develop luminescence before degenerating into a beast-like state, like the glowing ones of Necropolis, the Gecko reactor, Jason Bright, Oswald Oppenheimer, and Hank.[75]
However, the topic is poorly researched and complex, with many exceptions. As stated above, intense radiation may turn ghouls into glowing ones without making them go feral, while isolation need not cause the same for exceptional individuals. The aforementioned Oswald Oppenheimer managed to survive over two centuries while isolated in Kiddie Kingdom, surrounded by his former co-workers who suffered degeneration into a feral state. Oswald's single-minded dedication to protecting his fellows until Rachel Watkins returned with a way to reverse the process is likely to have played a factor.[76] The same is true for Dean Domino, who haunted the Sierra Madre for over 200 years, seeking to achieve victory over Frederick Sinclair.[77]
Ghoulification is not unique to humans and is a possible mutation for various families of animals. Animal ghouls seem to share all the disadvantages and advantages of becoming a ghoul as a human does, this includes rapid hair loss, the deterioration of the epidermis, severe cataracts of the eyes, elongated life-spans, as well as transforming into glowing ones through extended exposure to radiation. The one difference between human and animal ghouls is the ability to reproduce, as ghoulified animals seem to have no particular trouble with producing offspring.[78] Examples of affected species can be found throughout post-war America from New California to the East Coast. Known pre-war animals include Ruzka, a circus bear that was performing around the Point Lookout area, and roaming Alpha Mongrels can also be found to be wearing dog collars from their previous domesticated lives. A final example dwells in the creature known as the "Ghoulrilla", an aptly titled Ghoulified Gorilla.
Discrimination[]
The Dayglow Incorporation Address immortalized on NCR currency. The NCR remains the only wasteland polity to extend formal protection to mutated human minorities, such as ghouls.
The attitude towards ghouls in the wasteland varies from acceptance, through apathy, to outright hostility. This is predicated on a variety of factors – for example, in New California of the mid-22nd century, ghouls were almost legendary creatures, as their population had isolated itself within Necropolis, leading to the rise of rumors about terrifying zombies living within its borders.[79] The fact that patrols that entered the city rarely returned alive (as was the case with two patrols Killian Darkwater sent into it) did not help.[80] Of course, some daring souls (like Keri Lee of Crimson Caravan) managed to make inroads and secure lucrative trade relationships with the ghouls of the city (or skags, as the Hubbers referred to them).[81]
Vault City is a textbook example of racial prejudice at work. Since the atomic reactor in Gecko did not operate properly,[82] waste from the power plant started leaking into the local groundwater around 2239[83] and it eventually led to serious poisoning of the whole reservoir.[84] Harold learned that a hydroelectric magnetosphere regulator was needed for the repair job, but no such part could be found in Gecko, so attempts were made to contact Vault City but the messengers were shot on sight by the Vault City Guard, marking the beginning of an official policy to shoot all ghouls on sight.[85] The situation became worse, when Vault City residents started to believe that the ghouls had deliberately poisoned the groundwater, accusing them of terrorism against Vault City and demanding that they should be punished.[84] The First Citizen of Vault City, Joanne Lynette, even tried to hire someone who was willing to help stopping the Gecko problem by any means necessary.[86]
In regions away from New California, ghouls likewise experience a variety of attitudes. For example, in the Mojave Wasteland, ghouls are generally seen as equals and share both the misery of poverty[87] and the prominence of the stage[88] on equal terms with humans. Of course, not everyone is as egalitarian as the people of Freeside and New Vegas. The New Vegas Strip doesn't permit the entrance of ghouls or other mutants unless under the supervision of a human visitor[89], or with permission from a higher up.[90] The Bright Brotherhood is a cult centered around Jason Bright, formed in response to suffering its members experienced at the hands of humans.[91] In some areas, ghoul lynchings also happen,[92] while in others ghouls are considered a possible threat and are fired upon – like in Washington, D.C., where Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel members will routinely open fire on ghouls sighted in the city.[93]
A lot of anti-ghoul sentiment is caused by inexperience and ignorance. For example, some believe ghouls to be carriers of disease, without ever having examined one,[94] while others believe that all ghouls are inevitably bound to become feral and pose a threat to people around them, a sentiment with a lot of truth to it. [95] This was the basis for the Anti-ghoul decree of 2282 in Diamond City, that saw their ejection from the city based on prejudice.[96]
Sometimes, the situation is not helped by the ghouls themselves. Of particular note was the cause of Roy Phillips, a disgruntled ghoul from the Capital Wasteland, obsessed about seizing Tenpenny Tower for himself. His increasingly threatening behavior, when refused entry by Chief Gustavo, led to suspicions that he might attack the Tower directly,[97] only confirming the security chief's belief that all ghouls are walking ticking bombs.[98]
That said, misconceptions and prejudice are not unique to humans.[99] Apart from the hateful Roy Phillips, even the seemingly tolerant inhabitants of the Underworld have shown a racist side when some of them threatened Doctor Barrows over his research into ghoulification and its causes, claiming that "ghouls are ghouls and humans are humans."[100] Fortunately, not all ghouls are like that and many long for their pre-mutation life and seek ways to reverse the changes, no matter how unlikely the means.[101]
Legal protection[]
Some polities take steps to protect ghouls and other mutants, like the New California Republic, which extended legal protection to them in 2205 (though enforcement of these laws is notoriously spotty)[102] and allowed a significant number of ghouls of both genders to serve in the ranks of the New California Republic Rangers, with the bulk of them being accorded veteran status due to their resilience and experience in combat.[103]
Types[]
Necrotic post-human (Ghoul)[]
An intelligent ghoul, Charon
Commonly referred to as ghouls, these men and women are no different from regular humans when it comes to intellect or personality. They are as stupid and as intelligent as regular humans – and share their capacity for compassion and cruelty as well.[104]
A highly irradiated ghoul that has absorbed enough radiation to develop bioluminescence. Glowing Ones are predominantly feral, due to the time it takes to acquire that much radiation. Although uncommonly they may transition into this state before losing their faculties.[105] See this section for more details.
From Fallout 3 onwards, Glowing Ones are particularly difficult in combat due to their resilience and the ability to suddenly discharge radiation from their body in a room sized "blast" that harms non-ghoul targets and heals ghouls.
The eventual fate of ghouls. These are ghouls who have irreversibly transitioned to a feral state, sustained only by radiation they absorb. Ferals are invariably hostile to living creatures (with the exception of other ghouls) and tend to cluster together in packs. They are roughly divided into groups according to the danger they pose:
Regular feral ghouls wear torn, shredded civilian clothes and are very easy to dispatch.
Feral ghoul roamers are clad in worn-out suits of combat armor, which make them more resistant to damage – but do not slow the ghoulified soldiers down one bit.
Feral ghoul reavers are the most deteriorated form of a feral ghoul, wearing bits of metal armor and metal flight suits. Radiation has melted and fused entire segments of their body, making them incredibly tough to dispatch. Even worse is the fact that reavers have no self-preservation instinct and will readily rip out its radioactive guts and throw them at their targets.
An unique subtype of the ferocious necrotic post-human, marked men are indigenous to the Divide area. Wounded by the subterranean nuclear detonations of 2277 and flayed alive by the storms of the Divide, marked men are sustained only by the high radiation that permeates the Divide, which keeps the regeneration going despite otherwise fatal damage to their bodies. As a result, the marked men cannot leave the Divide and have developed an unique culture due to retaining a semblance of cognition.[54]
Behind the scenes[]
Ghouls were originally called Bloodmen in early Fallout concept art and were depicted as flayed humans. The idea was eventually revisited for the purposes of Lonesome Road, where the concept was reborn as Marked Men.
In Van Buren, a new type of ghoul would be introduced: The born ghoul, created not through irradiating a human, but by birthing a living ghoul from a female host.
The precise origins of ghouls were a topic of some debate between the developers of the original Fallout, with Tim Cain stating that ghouls develop as a result of radiation, while Chris Taylor supported the idea that they are a result of a combination of radiation and FEV. Chris Avellone initially supported the latter view,[106] before ultimately deciding in favor of the former.[107] Bethesda Game Studios and Obsidian Entertainment ultimately concluded that radiation is the only external factor at play.[108]
↑Doctor Barrows uses two terms. "Post-necrotic human" is used only once in his notes and is likely just a writing error.
↑Fallout Official Survival Guide p.107: "Ghouls" "These are mutated humans who may or may not attack your character. In general, they move slowly and are not serious threats, even when hostile, but an attack by a number at once can cause you problems. Try not to get trapped by several inside a room with only one door."
↑Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.69: "Desmond the Ghoul Before the bombs dropped, Desmond was a player in international intelligence at the highest levels. Desmond's motives and obsessions have been scarcely affected by the apocalyptic devastation of the planet. Desmond and those he would consider his peers knew for some time that the Great War was inevitable. Desmond himself could have been directly involved in the actions leading up to the nuclear exchange. Facing the nuclear holocaust, global leaders and members of the intelligence community made their personal bids for survival in the new world. F.E.V., cryogenic stasis, AI consciousness, even—in Desmond's case—controlled exposure to normally lethal doses of radiation were among the wildly risky and experimental techniques pursued in the name of survival in a world without modern infrastructure. Old rivalries and vendettas were not forgotten in the ashes of nuclear winter. Those who managed to survive quickly set about doing what the bombs had not—wiping out any remnants of the Old World that may be a threat to personal and political agendas. Now, even so long after they should all have died naturally, these scattered figures seek power and jealously guard their secrets. Desmond's mission has long since ceased to be political or ideological. He knew—as experience has proven tenfold—that as long as any of his colleagues lived, he would be hunted. His purpose is simple: kill or be killed." (Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)
↑The Sole Survivor: "What's your story, Hancock?" Hancock: "My favorite subject. I came into this town about... a decade ago? Had a smooth set of skin back then. While I was busy making myself a pillar of this community, I would go on these... like ... wild tears... I was young...Any chems I could find, the more exotic, the better. Finally found this experimental radiation drug. Only one of its kind left, and only one hit.Oh man, the high was so worth it. Yeah, I'm living with the side effects, but hey, what's not to love about immortality?" The Sole Survivor: "You're immortal?" Hancock: "Well... not exactly. Ghouls just age really, really slow. Something about the rads, maybe? Who knows..." (Hancock's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "Running from yourself? What do you mean?" Hancock: "Well, I mean, I didn't always look this good. The drug that did this to me, that made me a Ghoul, I knew what it was going to do.I just couldn't stand looking at the bastard I saw in the mirror anymore.The coward who'd let all those Ghouls from Diamond City die. Who was too scared to protect his fellow drifters from Vic and his boys.If I took it, I'd never have to look at him again. I could put that all behind me. I'd be free. Didn't seem like a choice at all.Turns out it was just me running from somethin' else in my life." (Hancock's dialogue)
↑Fallout Bible 0: "2083 Summer The city of Necropolis founded by the ghoul survivors of Vault 12 (and the US citizens that fled to Bakersfield when the bombs fell)."
↑Fallout Bible 0: "2084 Spring Set takes control of Necropolis, wresting control from the original Overseer. The Vault 12 Overseer, not willing to take a dirtnap, is driven north and history loses sight of him."
↑Fallout Bible 0: "2157 The Master learns the location of the Bakersfield Vault, Vault 12, and sends a detachment of super mutants there to seize the vault. Many ghouls are snapped like twigs in the attack, and Set finally parleys with the super mutants, telling them that the ghouls are the Vault survivors the super mutants are looking for. The super mutants, angered at failing to find an intact Vault, set up a small garrison at the watershed to watch the inhabitants and insure Set's... cooperation in the war to come."
↑Refinery supervisor: "{102}{}{You see a ghoul. Its skin looks like it’s ready to slough off the creature. It also looks like it’s readily accepted by the other townsfolk.}" (HcRSUPER.msg)
↑Fallout Bible 0: "2185 Fall Marcus and Jacob, along with the trail of ghouls, humans, and super mutants, found the community of Broken Hills."
↑Fallout Bible 5: "14. One thing - what's happened to Junktown? Was it just too little to be it's own state? Or maybe it has managed to survive as an independent enclave inside NCR, a hive of scum and villainy, so to speak. And what kind of folks would live in Glow? After all, that place must still, well, glow, at least somewhat. Ghouls? Junktown became part of NCR as part of the state of Shady, and it was one of the first provisional states, considering it was one of the first (and most trustworthy) of the Shady Sands trading partners during its early formation. Its alliance with Shady Sands did cause some alarm from the caravans in the Hub, but it didn't hurt the Hub communities any... and the Hub eventually became part of NCR as well. As for the Glow (or the state of Dayglow), most of the state is actually north and west of the glow, but they are still able to see the Glow from their borders. A number of ghouls are rumored to live there now, as part of the Great Migration from Necropolis - once the ghouls learned of West Tek, they were eager to see if they could scavenge technology from the abandoned center. Some ghouls formed partnerships with scavenging companies from New Adytum and the Hub and have built quite a profitable corporation from their salvage efforts. At least one super mutant, a refugee from the Cathedral, was also rumored to be working with the ghouls and humans in Dayglow."
↑Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.41: "New California Republic The New California Republic was born from the remnants of the survivors of Vault 15 and the small walled community they founded, Shady Sands. Under the leadership of Aradesh, and with the assistance of the Vault Dweller (who saved Tandi, Aradesh's daughter and a future president of the NCR), the community prospered. Trade routes with other settlements allowed cultural exchange, and a movement to form a national entity gradually took root and won popular acceptance. In 2186, the town of Shady Sands changed its name to "New California Republic" and formed a trial council government to draft a constitution. Four more settlements joined the council, and in 2189 the NCR was voted into existence as a sprawling federation of five states: Shady Sands, Los Angeles, Maxson, Hub, and Dayglow. By post-apocalyptic standards, the NCR is a paragon of economic success and good ethical character: political enfranchisement, rule of law, a reasonable degree of physical security, and a standard of living better than mere subsistence are daily realities for it's 700,000+ citizens. Currently, the NCR in a state of transition, with rapid economic growth and a sea change in political leadership endangering its grand humanitarian ideals. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Mojave, where the occupation of Hoover Dam has improved access to electricity and water, but at the cost of straining its budget and embroiling its armed forces in a morally corrosive imperialist project. The NCR government's aim is to annex New Vegas as the republic's sixth state. While it already controls Hoover Dam, its treaty with Mr. House and the three families compels it to allot one-fifth of the dam's electrical and water production to local use free of charge. Adding injury to insult, the NCR is locked into protecting New Vegas from invasion by Caesar's legion even as it receives not one cap in tax revenue from the Strip's highly lucrative resort operations. NCR citizens in the Mojave have largely come here for economic reasons, whether as paid citizen soldiers or as prospectors and fortune-seekers." (Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles)
↑Fallout Bible 0: "2235 While there had already been a small number of ghouls in Gecko at this time, more come to the area, and the town of Gecko is formed. The new influx of ghouls bring scavenged technology and know-how, and the power plant in Gecko becomes operational later that year. Vault City looks upon their new neighbors with growing concern." "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."
↑The Courier: "I've never seen corpses mutilated like that." Ulysses: "Even as the fires here burned them from within... the winds of the Divide tore their skin, exposed them... screaming... to the sky. And just as the Divide tears at them, so they tear at each other, for sport - like some tribal scarification. Falling back to their history, maybe.No matter what they suffer...the radiation, fire of the Divide, sustains them. Makes them stronger." (Ulysses' dialogue)
↑Dead Money loading screen hints: "The Sierra Madre is a legend, like the Big Empty, the Burned Man, and the rumors of survivors from the Divide."
↑ 19.019.1The Lone Wanderer: "So, how did you end up as a Ghoul?" Carol: "I don't know how it happens. Doctor Barrows says it was radiation. All I know is that people kept showing up here in the museum. After things calmed down above ground, we tried to live down here as best we could. After a while, things got strange. My skin started to get dry and flake off. Everyone's did. It took a while, months, maybe a year. But sooner or later, everyone ended up like this. Some of them went crazy. Some of us just accepted it. After a while, other Ghouls would find their way in here and Underworld just sort of grew. No one bothered us down here, and we were happy enough to leave them alone. And once my Greta showed up, it was a good enough life for me." (Carol's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." Hancock: "I never get many complaints.It's just real rare these days, find someone who's not just willing to take things the way they're handed to them.Too many good folks not willing to get their hands dirty and too many assholes taking advantage of it.Look at what happened to Diamond City. Before McDonough took over, it was a half-decent place to live.A little stricter than I usually go for, but not terrible. I thought he and I had a pretty happy childhood.But then he decides he's gonna try and get elected with his anti-Ghoul crusade - "Mankind for McDonough."Before ya know it, you got families with kids lining up to drag folks they called "neighbor" out of their homes and throw 'em to the ruins." The Sole Survivor: "How could they do something like that?" Hancock: "There'd always been a pretty big gulf between the folks living in the stands and folks down on the field.McDonough ran on it because he thought enough of those Upper Stands assholes would vote for him. Guess he was right." The Sole Survivor: "It could have gone worse. At least they left with their lives." Hancock: "And how long do you think those folks lasted in the ruins? The city condemned those Ghouls to die. Cowards just got someone else to pull the trigger.I remember storming into his office above the stands after the inauguration speech. He was just standing there, staring out the window, watching as the city turned on the Ghouls. He didn't even look at me, just said:"I did it, John. It's finally mine."Should have killed him right there, but I don't think it would have changed anything. Instead I pleaded with him, begged him to call it off.He said he couldn't. He had nothing against the Ghouls. He was just carrying out the will of the people. And he couldn't betray the voters.And then he smiled. That hideous, fucking mile-long smile. He never smiled like that when we were kids. I didn't even recognize him." (Hancock's dialogue)
↑ 26.026.126.2Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets p.36: "Ghouls" "Ghouls were once humans, but they were caught outside of a protective Vault when the bombs dropped. The same radiation that turned their flesh into parched leather has given them an incredibly long life span. Those closest to the blast zones are still so radioactive that they continue to glow. These Glowing Ones, as they're called, have had some of their intellect burned away as well. Shunned by the people of the Wastes, most Ghouls have little to live for."
↑ 27.027.1The Chosen One: "{115}{}{Tell me about this place.}" Wooz: "{160}{}{Not much to tell, really. Just a bunch of ghouls clinging tenaciously to the ass-end of life.}" The Chosen One: "{161}{}{No, I meant tell me about this bar.}" Wooz: "{440}{}{Well, the Harp’s named after a favorite hangout that I used to have before the war. I guess it’s just a reminder of times past. Sort of a joke on the only way we’re going to get a better deal, too.}" The Chosen One: "{441}{}{Before the war? But that was a long time ago.}" Wooz: "{460}{}{It sure was a long time ago. How do you think ghouls are made? You think some of us just got up one fine day and said to ourselves: "Gee, I wonder what it’d be like to have my flesh rotting off my fucking body?"}" The Chosen One: "{461}{}{Well, no, I didn’t. Say, how do you make a ghoul?}" Wooz: "490}{}{With silver-bells and cockleshells and… Boy, you are dumb, aren’t you? Severe radiation. That’s how. How do you think? You know, many bombs go boom, flash of light and heat, flesh burns off, but you don’t-quite-die-type severe radiation?}" The Chosen One: "{491}{}{Uh well, I mean…}" Wooz: "{500}{}{Well, I didn’t think so. Fuck you very much for bringing back all those intensely painful memories. Asshole. We’re a town of fucking leftovers -— slightly overcooked leftovers.}" The Chosen One: "{501}{}{I prefer medium-rare myself. Hey, let me ask you something else.}" (GCWOOZ.MSG)
↑Raul Tejada: "After the fire, I knew my sister and I couldn't stay at Hidalgo Ranch anymore. The refugees still wanted me dead - they even put a bounty on me. I remember how scared Rafaela was. I told her if she came with me, we'd see the vaqueros - she used to love the rodeo, especially the trick riders. We figured maybe we could find help in Mexico City - we were young, we didn't know what had happened, really. We didn't understand about the bombs." The Courier: "Wasn't Mexico City basically annihilated in the Great War?" Raul Tejada: "I don't think it was as hard hit as DC or Bakersfield, but it was bad enough. By the time we got there, the city was a radioactive ruin. Still, the city was full of looters, already forming into the beginnings of raider tribes. Crime was bad before the War, but now it was a nightmare. We were living like scavengers, scraping by on what little food we could find, always looking for medicine for my burns. And then, of course, the radiation started to kick in, turning me into this handsome devil you see before you." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑Gordon: "{100}{}{You see another ghoul. He appears to be preoccupied.}" "{101}{}{You see Gordon of Gecko.}" "{102}{}{You see a very nicely dressed ghoul with his hair slicked back.}" (GCGORDON.MSG)
↑Wooz: "{100}{}{You see a tall ghoul with long hair.}" "{101}{}{You see Wooz.}" "{102}{}{You see an extremely tall and lanky ghoul with long hair.}" (GCWOOZ.MSG)
↑ 38.038.1The Courier: "Turns out there are customers looking for someone just like you." Beatrix Russel: "Weirdos into bullwhips and necrosis, eh? Doesn't sound half-bad... What am I thinking? I'm no whore, and I ain't about to hand my ass over to some penny-ante hustler like he owns me." (Beatrix Russell's dialogue)
↑Raul Tejada: "Sure, boss. You lead the charge, I'll follow as fast as my arthritic, rotting knees can carry me." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑Raul Tejada: "Sorry, boss. Must be my glaucomas acting up again." "Don't worry, boss, with my cataracts you only sort of look like the bad guys." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "I think it's good that he's retired. Out of sight, out of mind." Raul Tejada: "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Guys like us can't compete any more." The Courier: "Guys like us?" Raul Tejada: "Did I say us? I meant "him." Guess my eyesight isn't the only thing that's going." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑None of the ghouls afflicted by necrosis or rot are impaired by these conditions and continue to live for decades or even centuries.
↑Year: 2108 - August 22nd 10 sets of tracks 1/2 mile NE of canyon entrance. Barefoot??? August 23rd Saw them through scope. Corpses walking around. Finally gone crazy. Dementia maybe. August 24th I'm not crazy, they're real. Goddammit they are real. Rushed me the moment they saw me, snarling like animals. They look like corpses but don't smell rotted. I'll be putting them out of their misery. Doing for them what I never could for myself. September 3rd The last of them. All gone.
↑Eric: "{100}{}{You see a greasy, sweating man.}" "{101}{}{You see Eric.}" "{102}{}{You see a greasy, sweating man. He looks quite miserable.}" The Chosen One: "{115}{}{Why are the flies coming here?}" Eric: "{124}{}{They come here because for some odd reason I exude fly nutrients. My body is rich with food for them, and this sweating just makes it worse.}" The Chosen One: "{125}{}{That's just plain nasty. Why not take a bath or something?}" Eric: "{128}{}{I've tried that. I've tried everything. The only thing that keeps the flies off me is not to sweat... and when I don't have enough power to keep cool, I can't.}" (Hceric.msg)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "So, you're the town drunk, huh?" Patchwork: "Why yes! Yes I am! And... PROUD! Proud of it! I mean, if I weren't, I'd probably just spend a lot more time cry... crying... you know? Here I am... drunk... falling apart -- liter- literally! I lost my damn finger last week! Doc put it back on though... bless him..." The Lone Wanderer: "You're losing parts? Like... body parts?" Patchwork: "Yeah... it happens... a lot, actuall.. actually. All the time. But I'm getting' better... I think... Just keep an... eye out for 'em... but not my eye, those ain't never fallen out yet..." (Patchwork's dialogue)
↑Brotherhood of Steel members: "Oh good, now I have to put up with the stench of rotting ghoul as well. I hope the air filters are working." Generic Brotherhood dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "Gah! Fuck! What are you?" Gob: "I guess they don't have a lot of Ghouls in the Vault. Haven't you ever seen a Ghoul before?" The Lone Wanderer: "No. What's a ghoul?" Gob: "Well, not all of us got the chance to hole up in a nice cushy Vault when the bombs fell. A bunch of us got stuck out here in the world, and got a full on blast of heat and radiation -- turned us into a pack of walking corpses. Near as I can tell, we age slower than you. A lot slower. There are even a few Ghouls that were alive during the war. Of course, with a face like ground Brahmin meat, you can imagine that folks don't take too kindly to us." (Gob's dialogue)
↑Fallout 3 loading screen hint: "Ghouls, both "normal" and Feral, are not only immune to radiation... they're healed by it."
↑The Lone Wanderer: "What sort of payment are we talking about?" Winthrop: "Well, we got Stimpaks, but the Doc keeps us healed up, so we don't really need 'em. So I could trade one of those for five bits of Scrap Metal. We also got us a TON of RadAway and Rad-X. I mean, what good is it to us? But I'll trade you either one for five bits of scrap. Your choice." (Winthrop's dialogue)
↑ 54.054.1The Courier: "Radiation may keep them alive in areas so physically punishing, it would kill others - even ghouls." Ulysses: "[SUCCEEDED] There's truth in your words,in what I've seen of their tactics, movements - recovery. Those wounds - they couldn't live otherwise. The Divide winds have torn the skin from many of them - may be the radiation is the only thing keeping them walking. Make camp near silos... warheads. No way to cleanse the radiation - makes them hard to kill there, have to draw them out." (Ulysses' dialogue)
↑The Courier: "If they've become ghouls, the radiation would strengthen them. Heal their wounds - not the scars." Ulysses: "[SUCCEEDED] There's truth in your words,in what I've seen of their tactics, movements - recovery. Those wounds - they couldn't live otherwise. The Divide winds have torn the skin from many of them - may be the radiation is the only thing keeping them walking. Make camp near silos... warheads. No way to cleanse the radiation - makes them hard to kill there, have to draw them out." (Ulysses' dialogue)
↑Ghoul leader: "{132}{}{You aren't thinking of taking the Water Chip from us are you?}" The Vault Dweller: "{135}{}{Why?}" Ghoul leader: "{136}{}{If you take the Water Chip from us, then we will all die. With our water pump broken we need it to survive.}" (LEADER.MSG)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "What happened to the other Tenpenny Tower residents?" Michael Masters: "Heh. Roy decided to take out the trash. I'm glad I lost my sense of smell. You'll want to stay clear of the basement storage room." (Michael Masters' dialogue)
↑Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.75: "Greta Greta and Carol have been together for a long time. In fact, it was Greta who convinced Carol to open Carol's Place. Carol takes care of the desk while Greta cooks and serves the food. Well, most humans wouldn't call it food, but Ghouls have superhuman intestinal fortitude." (Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)
↑Courier: "How have you survived?" Harland: "I'm not delicate. Radroach meat for protein, condensation off the pipes for water, and I do my business over in the far corner. I wouldn't say it's been comfy." (Harland's dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?" Doctor Barrows"I don't know yet. Some kind of virus that attacks the body on a cellular level. I've never seen anything like it. It's strange because ghouls are immune to almost any known disease." (Barrows' dialogue in Broken Steel)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "Ultrajet? That some sort of super chem?" Murphy: "I suppose you could say that. Ultrajet is almost double the potency of Jet... perfect for Ghouls. Jet barely affects us you see. Only trouble is it's almost impossible to gather the ingredients together. Say, you might be able to help me with that!" (Murphy's dialogue (Fallout 3))
↑Coffin Willie: "{304}{}{Nothing more boring than bein' in a coffin for months.}" (NcWillie.msg) Note: This is corroborated by the fact that his smell permeated the soil and could be detected above ground with ease.
↑The Courier: "Exactly how old is Keely?" Angela Williams: "I couldn't get her to say. But she talked about the war - the great war, when the bombs fell - like she'd been there. So I'm guessing... pretty old. Two hundred years? Maybe more."
↑The Courier: "The scientists here must have made some useful discoveries." Keely: "Oh, they did. I've taken extensive notes of all their successful experiments. Their research won't go to waste. As for the file erasure..." (Keely's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "You don't look like the other ghouls from Bright's group." Harland: "Guess the outfit gives that away, huh? I never did buy into that religious mumbo-jumbo with the robes and all that shit. It gets lonely out in the wastes, okay? And I don't have to tell you that Bright's group has got some fine-looking ghoulettes in it! Eh... or maybe I would have to tell you... Anyway, I helped them out, and they kept me supplied with ammo and pleasant company." (Harland's dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "Have you ever heard of a guy named Gob?" Carol: "Gob? Yes, of course! He's my son... well, not really, not like you would think of a son. We Ghouls don't really work like that, but I love him like he's my own! Do you know him? Have you seen him? Is he alright?" (Carol's dialogue)
↑Typhon: "{101}{}{You see Typhon, son of Set.}" The Chosen One: "{150}{}{Who are you?}" Typhon: "{155}{}{I'm Typhon. Y'ever hear of Set? He used to run the old-time town of Necropolis. I'm his son. Got born before the radiation hit us, so I grew up mutated. Ain't never been any other way for me.}" (Hctyphon.msg)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "I need more details... What's the breach all about?" M.A.R.Go.T.: "Internal visual sensing equipment is detecting numerous unidentified persons in the southeast tunnels area. The individuals have damaged metro equipment and refused dialogue with our security units. In accordance with U.S. Security Statute A567/B, the use of deadly force has been authorized." The Lone Wanderer: "Can you tell me more about these unidentified persons?" M.A.R.Go.T.: "My apologies. My sensing equipment in that area must be damaged. My equipment indicates the persons possess no internal body heat and are emitting lethal levels of radiation." (M.A.R.Go.T.'s dialogue)
↑Fallout Official Survival Guide p.107: "Glowing Ones" "These are ghouls that have been irradiated so badly they actually glow. You may find some of these living incandescent bulbs in the sewers beneath the Necropolis, or in cages, as light sources, in Set's palace. If they get too close to you, you can take hits from radiation."
↑Wovles and Radstags form packs and can even form packs of glowing variants
↑The Vault Dweller: "{1012}{}{Necropolis}" Tycho: "{1112}{}{The City of Death is well named. It lies in what used to be the little town of Bakersfield. Now, though, it's home to ghouls and worse.}" (TYCHO.MSG)
↑The Vault Dweller: "{1016}{}{Necropolis}" Killian Darkwater: "{1116}{Kill80}{That city's death. I sent two patrols down there and neither one of them returned.}" (KILLIAN.MSG)
↑The Vault Dweller: "{165}{}{Necropolis}" Keri Lee: "{179}{}{Watch your ass, Necropolis isn't a very friendly place.}" "{180}{}{Set's the leader of the town. At least he was the last time I was there.}" "{181}{}{That town's full of skags! Well, I better get you going.}" (KERI.MSG)
↑The Chosen One: "{114}{}{Hello, Harold. What do you do here?}" Harold: "{121}{hld3}{Wha-whatever it takes to keep this place together. Better job on it than me.}" The Chosen One: "{122}{}{This place is coming apart?}" Harold: "{127}{hld4a}{Well, sorta. Our atomic reactor’s a mite...sensitive. The people I got running it mean well, but... well, they are not the sharpest tools in the shed. If you know what I mean.}" (Gcharold.msg)
↑The Chosen One: "{186}{}{"Trying times?" What do you mean?}" McClure: "{220}{}{Things have been tough these last two years. The NCR has been getting more aggressive in their attempts to get Vault City to join the Republic.}" "{221}{}{They tell us that if we were to join, they would be able to defend us from the raider attacks on our city. As of late, these raider attacks have become more brutal.}" "{222}{}{On top of all of this, we have ghouls in Gecko contaminating our groundwater.}" (Vcmclure.msg)
↑ 84.084.1The Chosen One: "{208}{}{What can you tell me about Gecko?}" Gregory: "{219}{}{Gecko? It's a filthy shantytown to the north, inhabited by those creatures, those... "ghouls." They're responsible for poisoning our groundwater, you know! It's an obvious act of terrorism against Vault City!}" The Chosen One: "{220}{}{How are they poisoning the water?}" Gregory: "{223}{}{Their shantytown is built around the remains of an old atomic power plant... a plant they SOMEHOW started up again and that is now leaking radiation! Those creatures need to be driven out and that plant shut down!}" (VCGreg.msg)
↑The Chosen One: "{262}{}{Vault City wouldn’t give you the part? Even if it means that the groundwater won’t be polluted anymore?}" Harold: "{274}{hld53}{Well, they’d only help us if they thought it was in their own best interest to do so. Huh. Not much chance of that happening.}" The Chosen One: "{275}{}{Hmm, you may be right. Still if someone could convince them that they should help you….}" Harold: "{276}{hld54}{They shoot ghouls on sight. Makes conversation a bit tricky.}" (Gcharold.msg)
↑The Chosen One: "{337}{}{Is there some way I could become a Citizen?}" Joanne Lynette: "{287}{lyn034a}{You may speak with Proconsul Gregory. He has authority to administer the Citizenship test. He can be found in the meeting room down the corridor.}" The Chosen One: "{291}{}{I'll go talk to the Proconsul, then.}" Joanne Lynette: "{288}{lyn034b}{Or... there IS another way to become a Citizen...}" The Chosen One: "{289}{}{Another way? What is it?}" Joanne Lynette: "{339}{lyn044}{Rather than taking the test, you could prove your commitment to the Vaults in a more... substantial way. As an Outsider, you are in a unique position to resolve a difficult...situation for us.}" The Chosen One: "{340}{}{What kind of situation?}" Joanne Lynette: "{354}{lyn047}{There's a town... if you could call it that... to the northeast of our city. It is filled with... creatures that are polluting the groundwater with dangerous radiation.}" The Chosen One: "{355}{}{How are they poisoning the groundwater?}" Joanne Lynette: "{362}{lyn049}{Those... things... are operating a damaged atomic power plant. You see, THEY are immune to radiation...they don't care that they are slowly killing us with their poisons.}" The Chosen One: "{356}{}{What do you want me to do about it?}" Joanne Lynette: "{358}{lyn048}{Disable their plant, permanently, so that they cannot cause any more damage.}" The Chosen One: "{359}{}{Sounds easy enough. I'll be back when the situation's... "resolved."}" (Vclynett.msg)
↑Securitron: "Be advised, visitors will be held responsible for the behavior of any non-human sapients accompanying them." (Generic Securitron dialogue)
↑The Courier: "What's the "Great Journey"?" Jason Bright: "We wish to escape the barbarity of the wasteland, especially the violence and bigotry of its human inhabitants. The creator has promised to my flock a new land: a place of safety and healing... a paradise in the Far Beyond. Preparations for the Great Journey were nearly complete when the demons appeared." (Jason Bright's dialogue)
↑Raul Tejada: "Cheer up, kid. It's not that bad. Sure, your skin rots off and you start to stink like a public toilet after Cinco de Mayo, but... umm...." Kyle Edwards: "What? How is that not bad? In fact, how could it get worse?" Raul Tejada: "Well, assuming you survive the radiation sickness, the lynch mobs, and the possibility of going feral, one day you'll get old and decrepit, like me." Kyle Edwards: "Oh god!" Raul Tejada: "What? Was it something I said?" (Raul Tejada's and Kyle Edwards' dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "Isn't it dangerous being this deep into the city?" Tulip: "Not really. The Super Mutants leave us alone. I guess whatever they do that turns people like them doesn't work on us. The Brotherhood of Steel will fire on us if we're out in the open, but they don't bother us down here. We've had some Raiders and Slavers poke their heads in, but we've got Charon and Cerberus and everyone else to take care of them. I guess when it comes down to it, being this far out of everyone's way is a good deal for us. (Tulip's dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "How would you feel about having a few Ghoul neighbors?" Julius Banfield: "I'm not sure. My first responsibility is the health and welfare of the residents of Tenpenny Tower. Ghouls often carry diseases due to radiation damaging their immune systems." The Lone Wanderer: "Sure they look a little weird, but they're not diseased vermin." Julius Banfield: "Well, umm. I guess I must confess... I've never examined a Ghoul up close... you're right. I shouldn't make assumptions." The Lone Wanderer: "I don't suppose you've consulted any Ghouls on your little theory?" Julius Banfield: "Well... not exactly. But my colleagues have published papers...I suppose I someone ought to verify their findings... Perhaps I'll do that. Who knows? I might even finally get published!" (Julius Banfield's dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "What the hell's a Ghoul anyway? Some kind of diseased human?" Gustavo: "You serious? You don't know what a Ghoul is? A goddamn disaster waiting to happen that's what they are. Sure, maybe you can get over the fact they look like someone took a cheese grater to their face. But it's what you don't see that's the problem.The radiation slowly eats away their brain, then they go zombie on you. It's better for everyone to kill them before all that, if you ask me." (Gustavo's dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "How's that Ghoul situation coming along?" Gustavo: "That damn Roy Phillips won't take no for an answer. Keeps showing up, looking for a handout. He and his kind aren't wanted. End of story. If I were a betting man, I'd place a stack of caps on him trying something violent soon. And that would make Tenpenny nervous. I don't like it when Tenpenny gets nervous. But I can't spare the manpower to go hunt down Roy Phillips and his band of misfits, or I'd gladly end this thing once and for all." (Gustavo's dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "You're all bigots." Gustavo: "Your bleeding heart is liable to get you in a lot of trouble one day. Look kid, eventually all Ghouls go zombie on your ass. It's only a matter of time. Kill them when you find them. It's a win-win. You put them out of their misery, and save someone else from getting torn apart. " (Gustavo's dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "Hmph. I thought Ghouls hated humans." Graves: "Humans have too many misconceptions. Some of us don't get along with humans, but the majority of us are learning to live with our differences. I only wish that the humans in the Capital Wasteland felt the same way. It would make life so much easier... Anyway, I am taking too much time speaking with you when I should be working. If you need anything, let me know." (Graves' dialogue)
↑The Lone Wanderer: "Why not?" Graves: "Well, some of the Ghouls in Underworld object to what the Doctor is doing. They think Ghouls are Ghouls and humans are humans. Like we were meant to be this way. Some have even threatened the doctor. I'm afraid one day something might happen to him." (Graves' dialogue)
↑The Chosen One: "{115}{}{What do you do here?}" Lenny: "{160}{}{W’well, I h’help H’harold mostly. Wh’when people get hurt, I h’help them out.}" The Chosen One: "{341}{}{What else did you say you did here?}" Lenny: "{340}{}{I h’help H’harold administer the town. Th’there’s always more p’paperwork to do.}" The Chosen One: "{163}{}{You can heal people?}" Lenny: "{200}{}{Well, b’before the W’war I w’was a doctor.}" The Chosen One: "{201}{}{Before the war? But that must have been almost 160 years ago.}" Lenny: "{210}{}{That's t’true. B’but the radiation seems to have g’given us g’ghouls a longer life-span. ‘Course, it took almost eveything else away.}" The Chosen One: "{211}{}{Took things away?}" Lenny: "{220}{}{W’well, y’yes. We look l’like f’friggin’ f’freaks. We d’don’t have any skin, for Chrisakes.}" The Chosen One: "{221}{}{Well, I guess you have seen better days.}" Lenny: "{230}{}{Y’you c’could say that. I’d trade in all those years to b’be a n’normal person again.}" The Chosen One: "{231}{}{Well, not much hope of that, I suppose.}" Lenny: "{240}{}{If those f’fools in Vault City w’would share their medical technology, I’m sure we could c’cleanse the excess r’radiation and heal ourselves.}" The Chosen One: "{241}{}{They won’t help you?}" Lenny: "{250}{}{Y’you’ve been to Vault City? Then you t’tell me wh’what you think the chances of g'getting h’help from those bigots is. M’might as well watch a p’paper dog chase an asbestos c’cat through hell.}" The Chosen One: "{251}{}{I’m sorry to hear that, but I think you’re right. Let me ask you about something else.}" (GCLENNY.MSG)
↑Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.457: "Equality By law, the NCR prohibits persecution and discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or religious belief (so long as said religion does not advocate violence). Legal protection of Ghouls and other mutants was added in 2205, though enforcement of these rights has been spotty. For the most part, the NCR's practices live up to its ideals, but there has been some retrenchment since the death of President Tandi. Aaron Kimball's popularity was amplified by a reactionary undercurrent, especially among males, calling out a need for a "strong man" to lead the NCR forward. In the years since Kimball took office, male military officers have been promoted disproportionately to females, and discourse arguing the differences between males and females has reappeared." (Behind the Bright Lights & Big City)
↑Ghoul Rangers are widespread and many veterans are, in fact, ghouls.
↑Fallout Bible 0: "6. According to Chris A., the ghouls in V12 were exposed to radiation and FEV. I know Harold said the Vault door opened early or something, so the radiation bit makes sense. My question is, how were the ghouls of Vault 12 exposed to FEV? Harold was a special case, since he went to the Vats with... er... someone, whose shall remain nameless... and got dipped. How do you account for the others? - Richard Grey" "When the West Tek research facility was hit, it shattered the FEV storage tanks on levels four and five and released the FEV into the atmosphere. Through some means, perhaps propelled by the explosion, the virus was able to reach the ghouls quickly and the mutation process began even as the radiation was rotting away their bodies. How the virus was able to survive the blast without being sterilized is unknown... it would depend on what type of warhead cracked the West Tek facility like an egg. Actually, Harold never said he got dipped (although it's possible). He was exposed, however - being in close proximity to FEV is enough to cause mutations, as the Enclave slaves mining Mariposa discovered. I imagine the shield between the vats and the control room in Mariposa was meant to keep the virus contained." Note: The West Tek Research Facility is an underground bunker, which although was directly hit by a nuclear weapon did not release the Forced Evolutionary Virus. The FEV was moved to the Mariposa Military Base (a bunker under a mountain) before the Great War.
