Joshua Graham

	Character Joshua Graham
	Biography and appearance Race Human, Caucasian Gender Male Affiliation Caesar's Legion (formerly) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Dead Horses The Courier Role Missionary (formerly) Founder of Caesar's Legion Temporary companion Rank Legate (formerly) Acting War Chief for the Dead Horses Location Angel Cave Sorrows Camp Fort Abandon Van Buren Gameplay Mentioned in [[|']] Quests Arrival at Zion Chaos in Zion Crush the White Legs Flight from Zion Gone Fishin' Roadside Attraction Tourist Trap The Grand Staircase Civilized Man's Burden Statistics SPECIAL Strength: 6 Perception: 7 Endurance: 10 Charisma: 7 Intelligence: 7 Agility: 8 Luck: 5 Derived Stats Action Points: 89 Carry Weight: 210 Critical Chance: 6% DT: 50 Hit Points: 240 → 440 Melee Damage: 3 Poison Resistance: 45% Radiation Resistance: 18% Skill Rate: 13.5 Tag Skills Barter: 73 → 100 Guns: 75 → 100 Repair: 73 → 100 Level 10 → 50 (Player level x 1.2) Technical Base ID xx008a39 Ref ID xx0093be Actor Keith Szarabajka

 

“

I have been baptized twice, once in water, once in flame.

”— Joshua Graham

Joshua Graham (formerly known as the Malpais Legate, and in folk legends as the Burned Man) is a Mormon missionary, the co-founder of Caesar's Legion and its first Legate.

After Graham led Caesar's troops to a humiliating defeat in the First Battle of Hoover Dam, Caesar, wishing to show that failure was unacceptable, even among the upper echelons, had him coated in pitch, lit on fire, and tossed into the Grand Canyon. He survived, however, and left Caesar's Legion behind him.

Background

Mormon missionary

Joshua Graham was born in Ogden, Utah and spent his formative years learning the trade of a missionary. In 2246, he left to spread the word of God across the wastes. He traveled across the I-15 and route 89 south to Arizona. It was there, in the Grand Canyon, that he would have his fateful encounter with two Followers of the Apocalypse, Bill Calhoun and Edward Sallow, who had been dispatched to study the tribal dialects that had begun to emerge in the post-apocalyptic world. Graham, who was fluent in many of these languages, decided to help them on their task and joined the nine-person expedition.

In 2247, the group visited the Blackfoot tribe. Whether they were tricked or whether Graham made an error with translation is not clear. What is clear is that that the small group of the Followers soon realized that they would not be allowed to leave. At the time, the Blackfoots were at war with seven other tribes, a war they were clearly losing. Unwilling to be destroyed along with them, and against the wishes of Calhoun, Sallow chose to use his knowledge to train the Blackfoot tribe in the art of warfare after witnessing their lack of knowledge firsthand. He showed them how to clean and maintain guns, operate with small unit tactics, create their own explosives, and to strike at their weakest enemies first; divide et impera - divide and conquer. He quickly impressed them enough to the point where he was made their leader and took the name "Caesar". Free to go, Joshua Graham preferred to stay with Caesar and remained as a translator, but soon enough translation became giving orders and giving orders became leading in battle, training and terrorizing. Calhoun, for his part, was sent back to the Followers to inform them of Caesar's actions. Eventually, all seven tribes were either destroyed or incorporated into Caesar's army, and at this time, Caesar, together with Graham, formed the Caesar's Legion out of the tribes that had either been conquered or had chosen to capitulate to avoid extermination, and Graham became Caesar's first Legate.

Malpais Legate

The Legate rallies his legionaries

Joshua Graham during an execution

Though he was neither a particularly brilliant strategist nor tactically flexible, his menace and brutality were infamous: the atrocities he committed made him feared by friend and foe alike. He was dangerous, unpredictable and above all else, legendary for being impossible to kill, even by NCR Rangers: his death at the hands of 1st Recon sharpshooters was reported no less than five times. Such was Caesar's trust in him that he was tasked with leading The Legion at the First Battle of Hoover Dam, so that the Legion could use it as a power source and a staging point from which to eventually take the city of New Vegas itself. The Legion were initially successful, and the NCR initiated a tactical retreat to Boulder City, laying explosives and sniping Legion officers as they went. Graham, unable to adapt his tactics and intoxicated with his own victory, did not smell the C4 until it was too late, and the Legion were dealt a crushing blow as the city exploded around them. Caesar, infuriated with his loss, held Graham personally responsible and ordered his execution. The Legate was coated in pitch, set on fire and thrown into the Grand Canyon by the Praetorian Guard as an example to the rest of the Legion that Caesar wouldn't accept failure from even the highest ranked members.

Burned Man

The birth of a legend

Even years after what is generally assumed to be his death, the Caesar's Legion still do not speak of him by his true name under penalty of death, on the orders of Caesar. Any rumors of his survival are played down by the higher ranks of the Legion, but lower ranking legionaries and slaves speak of the Burned Man as if he is a vengeful spirit, waiting to return. Caesar is very much aware of his survival, sending scouts and assassins patrol the territory east of the Colorado River for any sign of him, betraying a fear that the Burned Man may seek revenge.

Joshua Graham making his way to New Canaan after killing several assassins of Caesar's Legion

His second baptism at the hands of the Legion and subsequent survival transformed him, rekindled his faith and removed his pride and vanity. After an agonizing three-month journey, he returned to New Canaan, where he was welcomed as if he had never done anything to shame them. His return would inevitably mean doom for the Mormon city, as Caesar desperately wished to see him dead. In 2281, the White Legs, on orders from Caesar, wiped out the city, killing everyone. The remaining thirty or so refugees scattered, and Daniel and Graham made their way towards Zion Canyon, where they settled together with the native tribes. Still pursued by the tribe, Graham put his mind to defending the valley, becoming the War Chief of the Dead Horses and attempting to rally them against the White Legs as Caesar had rallied the Blackfoots against their enemies years ago, in the hopes of breaking the spine of the enemy tribe and taking vengeance for New Canaan; as well as finding redemption for his past crimes.

Despite his former allegiance to the Caesar's Legion, the Burned Man does not hold any ill will towards any allies with the NCR. To him, the NCR is still redeemable in his eyes, stating that the greed of man is what led to the Great War and that only through faith in God and prayer and genuine acts of kindness can humanity hope to prevent history from repeating itself.

Joshua Graham loading .45 Auto pistols for the war against the White Legs in Zion

His hatred towards Legion stems not just from the fact he was made an example of by Caesar, but also Caesar's belief that his will alone will unite the wasteland under the Legion's banner and his refusal to let anything stop him. Ultimately his greatest enmity is for himself; for letting himself get swept up in Caesar's rise to power, for falling in line as his Legate and for perpetrating the innumerable atrocities that helped establish his rule. What he believed may have been the start of a society of equals under one banner has become a totalitarian culture dominated by one man.

Interactions with the player character

Van Buren

	The following is based on Van Buren and has not been confirmed by canon sources.

Joshua Graham (then referred to as the "Hanged Man") was to be a CNPC in Van Buren, Black Isle's cancelled Fallout 3. He was to be the first, and statistically best, CNPC that the player encountered, but was also very evil and in some ways make the game extremely difficult for players with poor negotiating skills. He was intended to be a "jinxed" non-player character, like the pariah dog.

• The Prisoner was to encounter somebody hanged by the neck from a pole at Fort Abandon, obviously still alive and enraged. If cut down, the Hanged Man would tag along with the Prisoner. He was wrapped from head to toe in bandages as he had been burned pretty much all over. Save for the fact that he had a connection to Caesar's Legion and was particularly ticked off at them, he would not provide many details about himself.
• Rescuing the Hanged Man would cause all the tribals in the region to be angry with the Prisoner as the tribals would blame him for future crimes committed by the Hanged Man. In addition, the Hanged Man may anger any tribals he encounters and try to butcher any Twin Mothers tribals he could find. Having him in the party would make dealing with tribals and some towns extremely difficult.
• The Hanged Man would not enter New Canaan. Upon arrival, he would initiate dialogue with the Prisoner and tell him/her that he had something to take care of, offering to meet at Burham Springs later on. Bishop Mordecai would be able to reveal some details about him.
• Upon entering Burham Springs, the Hanged Man might quote 2 Chronicles 28. The Hanged Man would laughingly refuse to drop his weapons if commanded to by Phil, possibly even inciting Phil to open fire on the party. It would be very difficult for the Prisoner to defuse the situation.

Honest Hearts

Interactions overview

	This character is essential. Essential characters cannot be killed.
	This character is a temporary party member.
	This character is a permanent party member. They grant the The Way of the Canaanite perk.
	This character is a doctor.	Restores health. Removes radiation. Removes addictions.
	This character is a merchant.	Caps: 1500-2000 Sells: ammunition consumables weapons weapon mods
	This character can repair items.	Repair cap: 100
	This character rents beds.	Cost: - caps.
	This character can modify weapons.	-
	This character plays Caravan.	They can bid caps.
	This character starts quests.	Chaos in Zion Gone Fishin' Roadside Attraction Tourist Trap
	This character is involved in quests.	Arrival at Zion Civilized Man's Burden Crush the White Legs Flight from Zion The Grand Staircase

Quests

• Arrival at Zion: The player must go speak with Graham to complete the quest.
• Chaos in Zion: Killing Joshua Graham (or another storyline-essential character) will start this quest.
• Civilized Man's Burden: Joshua may be asked of his opinion on Follow's-Chalk leaving the tribe and exploring the civilized lands.
• Flight from Zion, Crush the White Legs: During the final quests in Honest Hearts, Graham will become a temporary companion to the Courier.
• Gone Fishin', Roadside Attraction, Tourist Trap: After speaking to him, he will instruct you to collect items to supply to the Sorrows.
• The Grand Staircase: After having obtained the map of the Grand Staircase, you may give it to either Joshua or Daniel.

Endings

The following section is transcluded from Honest Hearts endings. To modify, please edit the source page.

#	Slide	Voice-over narration	In-game condition
1		After a long and troubled life, Joshua Graham finally found rest in Zion. In the end, his unswerving militancy had accomplished what the NCR's finest sharpshooters and Caesar's wrath could not. The New Canaanites took comfort in the belief that their brother's soul would again dwell in Zion at the end of days.	Kill Joshua Graham.
2		The threat of the White Legs ended, Joshua Graham helped the Sorrows and Dead Horses tend to their fallen comrades and secure Zion. The Courier's words had stayed Joshua's wrath in his darkest hour, and in sparing Salt-Upon-Wounds, he was changed. While he continued to advocate militant opposition to the enemies of New Canaan, he sometimes showed quarter to those who crossed his family. Eventually this new spirit would diminish the myth of the Burned Man in distant lands - a small price for the peace it brought to Joshua Graham.	Help Joshua Graham defend Zion Valley and exterminate the White Legs, then convince Joshua Graham to spare Salt-Upon-Wounds.
3		With the White Legs crushed, Joshua Graham led the Sorrows and Dead Horses in tearing apart and burning the corpses of their enemies. He set about training his army in the "Way of the Canaanite," and soon the New Canaanites and tribes of Zion were feared well into the Mojave. Legends of the Burned Man grew even more depraved, and terrifying.	Help Joshua Graham crush the White Legs and then allow Joshua Graham to execute Salt-Upon-Wounds.
4		Though the Courier had stopped Joshua Graham from executing Salt-Upon-Wounds, the war chief still fell in battle. The White Legs defeated at Three Marys, Joshua led the Sorrows and Dead Horses in tending to their comrades and burning the corpses of their foes. He continued to advocate militant opposition to the enemies of New Canaan and showed little quarter to those he fought. And yet he was changed. He no longer reveled in the brutality and cruelty for which he had been known in his former life. His inner demons, if not extinguished, were at the least... appeased.	Help Joshua Graham crush the White Legs and kill Salt-Upon-Wounds yourself.

Inventory

	Apparel	Joshua Graham's armor Joshua Graham's headwrap
	Weapon	A Light Shining in Darkness Joshua's Pistol Whippin' .45
	Carried items	-
	Drops on death	empty

Notes

• Even when he was the Legate of Caesar's Legion, Joshua Graham always wore his personal SLCPD armor.
• Joshua Graham is an expert with the .45 Auto pistol (from the tradition in New Canaan), and possesses a unique model of this weapon.
• He is also a master in melee weapons, and uses the butt end of his unique .45 Auto pistol as a powerful melee weapon.
• In the G.E.C.K., Joshua Graham is defined with the unique class, "Destroying Angel", similar to how his counterpart Legate Lanius has the unique class, "Legionary Badass".
• When you first enter dialogue with Graham, he will refer to you as "the Courier he didn't expect", and then go on to say, "then again, he wouldn't have come with a caravan". The implication is that he expected Ulysses, rather than the player, to come and attempt to assassinate him, adding to the evidence of Ulysses' allegiance to Caesar's Legion.
• If you have killed Caesar, you have a dialogue option to tell Graham that Caesar is dead. He does not give much of a reaction, but notes his surprise that Caesar died before he did and gives his opinion about the future of the Legion.
• If you ask him a "personal" question about his burns, he says that he is in constant pain from them. He reveals that he is immune to Chems (only stimpaks work on him), and every day has to remove the bandages he wore the previous day and put on fresh ones. He mentions the pain he feels when removing the bandages, saying it feels the same as when he was set on fire and tossed into the Grand Canyon. He does this because "it is better to be clean than comfortable", implying that he replaces his bandages daily to avoid infection.
• Similar to Father Elijah and his holographic avatar image, Joshua Graham has a slightly different in-game appearance when compared to the Honest Hearts cover art. In the game, he has pale blue eyes instead of bright blue and his burned skin is more grey around his eyes.
• As your follower, Joshua will refuse to open his inventory or wait, and he wil neglect your requests to talk with him.
• Joshua Graham can repair equipment to 100% condition. He accepts and will repair every weapon in the game, but doesn't repair all types of apparel, making him only the fifth best non-player character with the ability to repair to max condition (the other four being Paladin Sato, Raul Tejada, Major Knight, and the Sink Central Intelligence Unit).
• Pickpocketing only works on Joshua while he is asleep.
• Joshua Graham is the only Fallout: New Vegas companion with "good" karma, while all of the other companions have "neutral" karma.
• If he survives events, the Honest Hearts endings state that Joshua Graham leads the Dead Horses tribe. He is nowhere to be found upon your return to Zion, presumably having returned to Dead Horse Point with the majority of the tribe.

Notable quotes

• "I have been baptized twice, once in water, once in flame. I will carry the fire of the holy spirit inside until I stand before my Lord for judgment."
• "I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other."
• "I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me. I fell down into that dark chasm, but the flame burned on and on."
• "I want to have my revenge. Against him. Against Caesar. I want to call it my own, to make my anger God's anger. To justify the things I've done."
• "Any society that derives its power and authority from the will of man alone lives apart from God and will crumble in the end."
• "Lastly, waging war against good people is bad for the soul. This may not seem important to you now, but it's the most important thing I've said."
• "It is one thing to forgive a slap across my cheek, but an insult to the Lord requires... no, it demands correction."
• "Happy are those who do the work of the Lord. Zion belongs to God and the people of God. It is a natural temple and monument to his glory."
• "Make the first shot count, you won't get a second one."

Appearances

Joshua Graham was initially to appear in Van Buren, Black Isle's cancelled Fallout 3.

He is mentioned frequently in Fallout: New Vegas, in a loading screen in Dead Money and by Ulysses in Lonesome Road. He makes a full appearance in the add-on Honest Hearts.

Behind the scenes

• A malpaís is a landform characterized by eroded rocks of volcanic origin in an arid environment. This describes many areas, but is strongly connected to the southwestern United States because of the Spanish settlers that gave the landform its name (malpais means "badland" in Spanish).
• Within the G.E.C.K. there exist references to a map above the western cliffs of the Colorado river designated "MalpaisLegionCamp", indicating that such a location once existed in an earlier version of New Vegas but was later removed. Notably, a reference for Benny is found there, should he survive the events that took place at the Fort.
• Both in Van Buren and in Honest Hearts, Joshua Graham was written by J.E. Sawyer.
• His calm, collected incarnation in Honest Hearts is vastly different from the angry, uncontrollable Van Buren version.
• Graham's relapse is based upon the parable of the Lost Son.
• Graham's self-described "baptism by flame" seems to be a dual reference to both his "death" at the hands of Caesar, and his symbolic rebirth by way of the Mormon laying of hands, which is also known as "baptism by fire".
• The inspiration for Graham came from a lot of sources, such as Paul the Apostle, Rodrigo Mendoza from The Mission, and Lawrence of Arabia. Also, the tribal markings on his armor were a reference to Rodrigo Mendoza as well.

Developer Quotes

“

Lanius' armor seemed inappropriate for Graham. Though it's unlikely that Joshua would have worn the same clothes then that he does when you meet him in Honest Hearts, there weren't a lot of other appropriate clothes for him and his outfit does make him stand out as particularly unusual - which, even among the Legion, he was.

”— J. E. Sawyer, (when questioned on why Joshua Graham doesn't wear a traditional Legion's armor)

“

It's not as simple as being "set on fire". After suffering a terrible failure, he was humiliated by his superior and the people he commanded. He was cast out and left for dead. His entire reason for living was gone. When your entire way of life is completely destroyed, it has a profound impact on how you view yourself and your place in the world. Because all momentum is lost, the experience causes you to evaluate and re-evaluate how you have reached this point -- and how to move forward.

There are thousands, if not millions, of examples of soldiers in history who engaged in ruthless -- often cruel -- behavior in times of war only to either return to an "ordinary" civilized life later. Some of them have no problem with what they did, others repress their memories as much as they can, and still others suffer strong crises of conscience that force profound changes in them. As Graham describes, his path to becoming the Malpais Legate was made up of many small compromises that turned increasingly sinister and brutal. At first he thought he was making the best of a bad situation and doing what needed to be done, but in the end he and Caesar had built a society on a foundation of fear and brutality. Caesar had a more grand vision for where the Legion was going, but Joshua Graham was caught up in the day to day maintenance of a tribal army engaged in bleak and often monstrous behavior. It was not until he was removed from that environment that he was able to reflect on his past. He could have chosen to blame Caesar, but in the end he blamed himself. The only people he knew in the world who could possibly accept him were the New Canaanites, so that's where he headed.

”— J. E. Sawyer

“

Because re-hiring a voice actor (especially a high profile actor like John Doman) isn't always simple, and touching Caesar's dialogue in the core game -- well, it's already really complicated, and introducing elements that could affect the critical path is pretty dangerous, especially if it's accomplished through the DLC files (because we couldn't patch it).

”— J. E. Sawyer, (when questioned on the possibility of including Graham-related dialogue with Caesar)

Gallery

• 

  Graham's pre-execution appearance

• 

  Graham's post-execution appearance with bandages removed

• 

  Graham when he was legate

• 

  Prepare to meet your maker!

• 

  Graham in melee style

• 

  Graham reading scripture in the Sorrows Camp

• 

  Vault Boy icon of Joshua Graham's armor in color

See also

• Fort Abandon design document
• New Canaan design document by J.E.Sawyer
• Burham Springs design document by J.E. Sawyer
• Blackfoot design document by Sean K. Reynolds

References

Companions in Van Buren Alexandra · Arcade Gannon · Ashley · BAJAR · Battery · Bear · Beatrice · Christina Royce · CRB-S · Devil Dog · Eddie "Crazy Horse" Galenski · Hanged Man · Helen Wheels · Jack Hammer · Job · Kurisu · Measles · Otto Steed · S.O.R.-1000 Alpha · Xian

Companions in Fallout: New Vegas New Vegas Arcade Gannon · Cut content Betsy the Brahmin · Craig Boone · ED-E · Lily Bowen · Rose of Sharon Cassidy · Raul Tejada · Rex · Veronica Santangelo · Cut content Ulysses Dead Money Dog and God · Christine · Dean Domino Honest Hearts Follows-Chalk · Waking Cloud · Joshua Graham Old World Blues Roxie Lonesome Road ED-E (Lonesome Road) · Ulysses

Honest Hearts Quests and achievements Main Happy Trails Expedition · Arrival at Zion · Deliverer of Sorrows (Gone Fishin', Roadside Attraction, Tourist Trap) · The Treacherous Road  · The Grand Staircase · Gathering Storms · Flight from Zion · Crush the White Legs · Departing Paradise Side A Family Affair · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts Achievements May my Hand Forget its Skill · In a Foreign Land · O Daughter of Babylon · When We Remembered Zion · Restore Our Fortunes Locations Angel Cave · Ant Burrow · Bighorn Bluff · Burial Mounds · Caterpillar's Mound · Clear Water Docks · Crashed scout bus · Court Fork Overlook · Crossroad Cavern · Cueva Guarache · Dagger's Point · Dead Horses Camp · East Fork Bridge · Eastern Virgin · Fallen Rock Cave · General Store · Ghost Den · Glass Chime Cave · Half Mouse Cave · Morning Glory Cave · Northern Passage · North Fork Bridge · North Fork Campground · Old Rockville Bridge · Patriarchs' Campground · Pine Creek Tunnel · Ranger Substation Eagle · Ranger Substation Osprey · Ranger Substation Peregrine · Red Rapids Docks · Sorrows Camp · Sorrows Fork Campground · Southern passage · Stone Bones Cave · Sun Sentinels · Sweet Flower Cave · The Aerie · The Bend Bridge · The Spine · The Red Gate · Three Marys (Three Mary's Cavern) · Two Skies Cave · Vault 22 Dwellers' Guard Camp · Virgin River · Virgin Fork Campground · White Bird's Cave · Wind Wall Docks · Yao Guai Cave · Zion Canyon · Zion Fishing Lodge · Zion Ranger Station · Zion Valley Welcome Booth Items Weapons .45 Auto pistol (A Light Shining in Darkness) · .45 Auto submachine gun · War club · Survivalist's rifle · Fire bomb · Tomahawk · Compliance Regulator · Yao guai gauntlet (She's Embrace) · Salt-Upon-Wounds' power fist · Bug sprayCut content Apparel Desert Ranger combat armor · Chalk's headdress · Daniel's outfit · Dead Horses stalker armor · Gecko-backed leather armor (reinforced) · Gecko-backed metal armor (reinforced) · Joshua Graham's armor · Park Ranger hat · Salt-Upon-Wounds' helmet · Sorrows outfit · Sorrows adorned outfit · White Legs hide armor · White Legs outfit Consumables Black coffee · Blood Shield · Dark datura · Datura antivenom · Datura hide · Daturana · Healing poultice · Large Wasteland tequila · Sacred datura root · Spore plant pods · Wasteland tequila · Weapon binding ritual Misc items Broken compass · Compass · Compass sensor module · Ghost of She's paw · Green gecko egg · Green gecko hide · Li'l Scout lunchbox · Medical supply kit · Scripture · Tanned green gecko hide · Walkie-talkie Holodisks and notes BEWARE - A VENGEFUL SPIRIT STALKS THESE CANYONS · Sorrows healing powder supply Characters Dead Horses Dead Horse Disciple of Canaan · Follows-Chalk · Joshua Graham · Two-Bears-High-Fiving Happy Trails Caravan Company Jed Masterson · Ricky · Stella Sorrows Dancing Flame · Daniel · Waking Cloud · White Bird · Randall Clark White Legs Salt-Upon-Wounds Factions Dead Horses · The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · Sorrows · White Legs Perks Corpse FinderCut content · Eye for Eye · Tribal Wisdom · Well-Stacked Cairns · Quiet As The Waters · Grunt · The Way of the Canaanite · Sneering Imperialist · Fight the Power! · Home on the Range Cutscenes Honest Hearts trailer · Honest Hearts intro · Honest Hearts endings