Born in 2047,[4] Raul has had a long and storied history. Before the war, Raul was a delinquent living at Hidalgo Ranch outside Mexico City. He was a good shooter and mechanic, both of which occasionally got him in trouble with the law, although his family mostly kept him in line. The ranch survived the war, being far enough from Mexico City, but the stream of refugees from the cities proved difficult to deal with. The Tejada family was as accommodating as they could be, but they eventually simply ran out of room and food, and had to start turning people away.[5]
Things became so violent Raul and his father had to get their guns to drive them away. Around two dozen people returned later that night, after they went to sleep, barred the doors and set the house ablaze. Raul and Rafaela managed to escape out a window, but his parents, grandmother, two brothers and two of his sisters were not as fortunate. Raul and Rafaela ran from the ranch being pursued by the group that attacked their home. He killed the ones that came after them, but the rest he left be. He didn't want to throw his life away seeking revenge, because he had to take care of Rafaela.[1]
Mexico City[]
After the fire, Raul knew that they couldn't stay at their ranch anymore and the refugees wanted him dead so badly they put a bounty out on him. Despite his sister's fears, he convinced her to come with him to Mexico City by promising to take her to see the vaqueros. They thought they should go to Mexico City to look for help, not knowing the nature of atomic bombs. Though it wasn't hit as hard as other places, by the time the Tejadas reached Mexico City, it could only be described as a "radioactive ruin." The people inside the city got by through looting, already forming the area's first raider tribes. The Tejadas were living like scavengers, always looking for their next meal and medicine for Raul's burns. This is the time Raul believes that his ghoulification began.[6]
One day Raul found a novelty costume shop looking for something to slice up and with which to wrap his burns. He found an old Vaquero outfit inside, still untouched on the rack. He took it and wore it back to their camp. Rafaela loved it; it made her laugh for the first time since the bombs fell. However it was dangerous to be dressed this noticeably. Combined with his stellar gunslinging skills, Raul started to become known and feared as the "Ghost of Mexico City", and while his reputation sometimes drove off trouble, it would end up causing them most of the time, as his antics began to attract the attention of glory seekers. Though this worried him, Raul noticed how the outfit kept his sister happy, so Raul kept wearing it and his legend in the area continued to grow. Feeling increasingly optimistic about him and his sisters' chances, Raul started to play with the thought of carve out a permanent niche in Mexico City, but things would soon take a turn for the worse.[7]
Getting increasingly sick and weak from radiation exposure, Raul eventually found himself too ill to go out scavenging with his sister (this illness was to be indicative of the early stages of "ghoulification"), and as such she was left to provide for the two on her own. One day, after she failed to return from a market where she had been scavenging for food, Raul went in search of her only to find her brutally murdered, her corpse violated by raiders so horribly that she was only identifiable by a tiny scar on her knee. Raul tracked down the raiders at the market responsible and killed them to the last man, afterword shunning the Vaquero outfit that had attracted him the attention that he felt had killed his sister.[8]
Two Sun[]
Raul concept art
Leaving every aspect of his former life behind, including as Raul cleverly says, "his face", he wandered to the Gulf Coast and inhabited an unclaimed Petró-Chico refinery. He spent a long period of time here, thinking about his life so far. He found a Petró-Chico jumpsuit and began to wear it, taking the name "Miguel"; the name on the nametag. He eventually arrived in the town of Tucson, Arizona now known as Two Sun. He settled there, becoming a mechanic and a general handyman, his guns stashed away where they could do no further harm. After 75 years of relative peace, he met Claudia - a prostitute working in a local brothel who bore a striking resemblance to Rafaela. Spurred by this reminder of what he lost, he took the time to look out for her – though for obvious reasons, he never visited her.[9]
This peace was not to last. Arizona, overrun with raiders and tribals before the rise of Caesar's Legion brought stability to the region, brought 'Dirty Dave' and his six brothers to town looking for bullets. Raul sold them ammunition, hoping they would leave now that they had what they wanted - instead, they decided they wanted the brothel. Once in the brothel, Dave and his brothers killing 4 girls and taking Claudia for their own use. Raul gave chase, and after a three day pursuit across the wasteland, Raul caught up with them. By the time he found Claudia, she was already dead. Enraged, Raul charged in and killed all of them in the resulting showdown. Youth, however, was not on his side anymore and the battle left him severely injured; he only stayed alive out of pure spite for Dirty Dave and his brothers.[10] Having taken several bullets, Raul stayed at their camp until he got the strength to get up and walk back to Two Sun and recovered.[11]
Black Mountain[]
Feeling dejected, Raul wandered west to the Mojave Wasteland, where he built himself a small shack in a relatively quiet corner of the desert east of New Vegas, and settled down there, spending his days listing to the Black Mountain Radio. One day he lost the signal being transmitted and decided to wander up to Black Mountain to investigate. There he offered his services to Tabitha, the nightkin who broadcasted there, and fixed the transmitter, but to his dismay Tabitha decided to imprison him for his efforts, and threatened him into working for her, mostly with repairing broken toasters for the super mutants as well as performing repairs to her broken Mr. Handy, Rhonda.[12] If freed from captivity, he will join the player out of gratitude. A new taste of adventure reminds Raul of his tumultuous past, prompting him to consider if he should embrace his old gunslinging ways, in which case he will be forced to decide between two different ways of life.
When compared to the other human companions of the Wasteland, Raul is perhaps the most tolerant towards the Legion when compared to everyone else who would suffer should the Legion be victorious. He is not affected by the Legion's presence on the wasteland and admires the security and order brought by the Legion, although being a ghoul he wouldn't be able to join them with their hatred towards all forms of mutants.[13] He feels a similar indifference to the New California Republic, acknowledging both their successes and failures, like most pre-War governments had.[14] He also has quite an insightful amount of knowledge about Mr. House, as Raul knows of House's pre-War exploits.[15][16]
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
This character is essential. Essential characters cannot be killed.
Old School Ghoul: While Raul is an active companion, talk to and exhaust all dialogue options for Loyal, Corporal Sterling, and Ranger Andy. Upon finishing the last conversation, Raul will open up a new dialogue with the Courier. (Note: Obviously, killing any of the non-player characters will cause the mission to fail resulting in Raul's new apparel to be unobtainable, except through console commands)
Other interactions[]
He is a very competent repairman, but will only offer repairs at his shack, and even then will not offer a discount. He must first be dismissed as a companion ("for the best") before repairs can be done.
Before he is a companion he will do repair jobs for free (this bug was fixed by patch 1.3.0.452).
Raul has a sweet tooth, and will comment and eat anything sweet put in his inventory like Sunset Sarsaparilla.
He has unique idle dialogue for locations around the Mojave;
I guess hunting down ghouls like wild animals is okay. I mean, they're probably going to die anyways, right boss?
Effects of the player's action[]
If the player obtains Raul as a companion before killing/helping Tabitha, and while listening to Black Mountain Radio, the player will hear Tabitha on the radio say "No! I wont let you take my Raul!" Afterwards the station will no longer play music.
After a long and eventful life, Raul's luck finally ran out during his time with the Courier.
Raul dead.
2
Still grappling with self-doubt over his usefulness in the face of old age, Raul was never able to find peace with himself. Eventually, he left the Mojave and assumed a new name, as he had done so many times before.
Invigorated by his travels with the Courier, Raul once more took up his guns in memory of his lost Rafaela. Soon after, the Mojave was filled with tales of the ghost-vaquero who hunts down those who prey on the weak.
Raul was freed from Black Mountain.
Complete Old School Ghoul by encouraging Raul to become a vaquero.
4
Convinced that his time as a gunslinger was past, Raul made peace with the idea of growing old. After traveling with the Courier for a time, he retired and settled down in Outer Vegas, where he would spend his days fixing ancient machinery.
Raul was freed from Black Mountain.
Complete Old School Ghoul by encouraging Raul to settle down and retire.
Raul is the only character in Fallout: New Vegas (excluding add-ons) who can Repair up to 100% condition, that is not affected by any faction reputation.
Like Desmond Lockheart, Raul's mustache survived his ghoulification.
If you ask Raul to Stay Close in regular dialogue, he will say, "Any closer and you'll need a RadAway, boss." Only glowing one ghouls irradiate their surroundings, and not other ghouls, so this is probably his normal sense of humor.
Raul is exceedingly difficult to pickpocket, even with aid of a Stealth Boy.
All caps you have given him for repairs will vanish from his inventory when/if he becomes your companion again.
When Raul is first taken to Jacobstown, he will comment "If these super mutants take us hostage and make us fix toasters for them, it's on you", referring to his time at Black Mountain.
When you first meet him you can ask who he is, then, after ending dialog once you can ask him the same question again, where he asks you if you got shot in the head because you forget so fast.
He is similar to Vic from Fallout 2 because they are both enslaved, both are repairmen, and refer to the player character as Boss.
Notable quotes[]
"My name is Raul Alfonso Tejada. Can I leave now, or did you want to ask me again in five minutes?"
"<Sigh.> No. No, boss, I'm a prisoner of the crazy super mutant with the wig and the glasses. I was kind of hoping you were here to set me free. But maybe I'm not a pretty enough damsel for that, huh?"
"Sure, boss. I'd be happy to prolong my captivity and psychological abuse to tighten some lug nuts for you."
"Sure, boss. The old man will crawl around in the dirt to keep hidden."
"Hey, don't worry about it, boss. The decrepit old man can easily carry all your stuff for you. Really."
"Hey, I'm one of you! Don't eat me, eat the smoothskin! Oh, uh, sorry boss."(When entering REPCONN test site)
"Just putting this out there, boss: if these super mutants kidnap us and force us to fix toasters for them, it's on you."(When entering Jacobstown)
"I guess hunting down ghouls like wild animals is okay. I mean, they're probably going to die anyways, right boss?"(During We Will All Go Together)
"It's like looking into a mirror. A tacky, cowboy-festooned mirror."(After talking to Festus)
"Right, because a ghoul in a vaquero outfit is really going to blend in with the scenery."
His quote about the super mutants asking him to fix toasters is yet another Fallout nod to the strangely useful skill in Wasteland, "Toaster Repair."
Bugs[]
PCPlayStation 3Xbox 360 Unlike other companions, Raul won't walk around while in the Lucky 38, merely standing in the main room to the right of the door until spoken to.
PCXbox 360 The back of his head clips through many hats and other forms of headgear.
PlayStation 3Xbox 360 By pressing "Take All" when pickpocketing Raul, the caps will still appear in the player's inventory despite being caught. To repeat this again, take him outside his shack and fire him. This means you can get infinite free repairs.
Xbox 360 When leaving a casino, if given a weapon, the weapon's weight will be present, but no item can be seen.
Xbox 360 After fast traveling to a location Raul will occasionally start running away as quick as he can for no reason. Also if you catch up to him up to him you cannot talk to him. To correct this either enter a building (which makes your game load a new area) or fast travel to another location.
Xbox 360 Raul will only repair if you dismiss him and then talk to him in his shack while he is not a companion, and he will ask for caps for the repairs, despite being your follower.
References[]
↑ 1.01.1The Courier: "What happened then?" Raul Tejada: "About two dozen men came back in the night, after we'd gone to sleep. They set fire to the ranch house and barred the doors from the outside. My whole family was trapped inside. I smelled the smoke and got myself and my little sister, Rafaela, out though a window, but everyone else.... My parents, my grandmother, my two brothers and two of my sisters all died." The Courier: "What happened then?" Raul Tejada: " Rafaela and I ran. We were pursued by some of the men who attacked our home, but I was always a good shot. The ones who came after us, I killed. The rest, I left be. I had to take care of Rafaela, not throw my life away on revenge." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Who are you?" Raul Tejada: "Always happy to repeat myself for you, boss. Raul Alfonso Tejada, aka Old Miguel, former gunslinger, sole survivor of Hidalgo Ranch, and ghost of Mexico City at your service." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "How old are you?" Raul Tejada: "I was born in 2047, boss. If you do the math on that, I'm sure you'll get within a decade or so." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑Raul Tejada: "I grew up in a place called Hidalgo Ranch just outside Mexico City. It wasn't much, just a bit of farm with a house for three generations of Tejadas. I wasn't the best-behaved kid. I was quick with my hands, with a pistol or a wrench, and I wasn't afraid to get into fights over it. I never killed anybody, but I had my share of run-ins with the police. Mostly my family kept me in line. This was before the war. We were far enough away from Mexico City when the bombs fell that we missed the worst of it - but things got bad quick." The Courier: "Go on." Raul Tejada: "Just a few days after Mexico City was vaporized, refugees started pouring down the road to our ranch. We helped who we could, but there were so many. Eventually, my father started turning people away before we ran out of food. Things got violent. My father and I got our guns, and we drove them off." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑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)
↑The Courier: "Sounds pretty bad." Raul Tejada: "You're a poet of understatement, boss. But there were moments it was almost worth it. I still remember finding that novelty costume shop. I was just looking for something I could slice up to wrap my burns when I saw the vaquero outfit hanging on the rack, like it hadn't been touched. I took it - not like anybody else needed it, you know? - and wore it back to our camp. Rafaela laughed for the first time since the bombs had fallen." The Courier: "Wasn't it dangerous to be dressed so... noticably?" Raul Tejada: "It was. I started to build up a legend. Sometimes it headed off trouble, but most of the time it just started more. Young punks looking to prove themselves would come looking for me, but my eyes were sharp and my guns were quick. For a while it seemed like we might even survive there, until... until Rafaela." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Go on. What happened to Rafaela?" Raul Tejada: "She went out to find some food one day. I was sick, so I stayed at our camp. I guess it must have been the beginnings of radiation poisoning. Anyway, it was supposed to be safe, but some raiders happened to pass through where she was scavenging. I won't speak of what they did to her. When I found her body, the only way to recognize her was this funny little scar on her knee from when she was a little girl." The Courier: "That's terrible, Raul." Raul Tejada: "Terrible doesn't begin to cover it, boss. I'd let my whole family down - first the ranch, now Rafaela. I was the last Tejada. I guess maybe I went a little crazy then. I took my guns, and I went back to that market. I didn't have many bullets, but I had enough. After the raiders were dead, I salvaged what I could from the store. I was tired... I just wanted to be alone forever." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "So what did you do?" Raul Tejada: "I left Mexico City behind. I made my way out to the Gulf Coast, eventually I found an old Petro-Chico refinery nobody had claimed. I stayed there for a little while, and I thought a lot about my life. I thought about the guns I'd lived by and what they'd gotten me. I decided my guns hadn't gotten me anything, and it was time to give it up. I took off that old vaquero outfit, and put on a Petro-Chico jumpsuit. The name tag said "Miguel," so I started using the name myself. Eventually I made it to Arizona... but that's another story, boss." The Courier: "Why aren't you still there, then?" Raul Tejada: "Getting there, boss. I'd been in Tuscon - the locals can call it Two-Sun all they want, but it's Tuscon, dammit - about 75 years when she showed up. Prettiest thing you ever saw, boss. Maybe it was just a trick of my senile brain, but I swear she looked just like my Rafaela. Her name was Claudia. She ended up taking work at one of the brothels in town. I never went to her, of course - how could I? But I looked after her in my own way." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "What happened with her?" Raul Tejada: "This was a long time ago. Before Caesar's Legion pacified Arizona and brought the raider tribes to heel. A tribe came into Tuscon one day - more a gang, really. Dirty Dave and his six brothers. They were looking for bullets, and I sold some to them. I figured if I did that, they'd leave town before they tore it up too much." The Courier: "But they didn't, did they?"br/>Raul Tejada: "No, boss. No they didn't. As I was saying, I hoped they'd leave the town in peace. Instead, they decided to stop at Claudia's brothel to take the edge off. I don't know which one of them got rowdy first, but by the time I heard the screams and got my guns, it was too late. They'd shot up the brothel, killed four girls, and taken Claudia for their sport." The Courier: "Did you rescue her?" Raul Tejada: "I went after Dave and his brothers. They had a head start, but they slept nights. I didn't. Took me three days to catch up to them. Claudia was dead when I got there. They'd put a bullet in each of her eyes. I couldn't do anything except avenge her, just like Rafaela. I charged into the middle of their camp and started firing - two of them were dead before they knew I was there. The other five, though.... They shot the shit out of me. I would have died, I think, if I wasn't so full of rage." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "How did you survive?" Raul Tejada: "By being a meaner old cuss than the rest of them, boss. I wanted to keep living until they weren't, so I just kept shooting until they were all dead. I was in pretty bad shape in the end, though. I don't know how long I laid there with the sun baking me and the buzzards chomping at me. Eventually I got the strength to start moving. Some long time after that, I managed to drag my carcass back to town." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "What happened then?" Raul Tejada: "When I recovered - more or less, anyways - I left Tuscon and headed west. I ran into Tabitha at Black Mountain and, well, the rest you know. I swore I was done with the gunslinging life - I was too old, too slow, and too beat up to protect anyone anymore. I thought I was done forever... but after traveling with you, I realize I've always had my doubts." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "How do you feel about Caesar's Legion?" Raul Tejada: "I don't really have a problem with them. People around here tend to see them as invading marauders planning to burn and pillage the countryside. But I've been to Arizona, boss. Before the Legion, it was a nasty place, so thick with raiders you couldn't trade with a town two miles up the road. Caesar's laws aren't nice, and their actions aren't always pretty. But then, neither am I, but you keep me around." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "What's your take on the NCR?" Raul Tejada: "They're all right, I suppose. Had a bit of tough going there at the beginning - you know their first town was nearly wiped out by raiders? Anyway, they've got their good points and their bad, just like a lot of the old governments from before the War." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Can you tell me anything about Mr. House?" Raul Tejada: "Just how old do you think I am, boss? Because I can pretty much guarantee I'm older than that. Let me tell you a story from before the Great War: Everybody knew Robert House. He was a genius. A superstar. Founded RobCo at 22, dated Hollywood starlets, the works. They say he saved Las Vegas. I was in Mexico City when the bombs dropped. Even from there, we could see House's defensive rockets shooting down the incoming missiles. Everybody assumed he died in the War. Maybe he did. But his robots are still out there, roaming the Wastes. And now, a Mr. House rules New Vegas." The Courier: "Maybe there's a connection. Can you remember anything else about Robert House?" Raul Tejada: "I remember there were some weird stories about him, especially near the end. There was a tell-all in El Periodico de las Aburridas by a starlet House dated. She said they never, um... don't make me spell it out, boss. Anyway, she said all he wanted to do was scan her brain and make her dress up in different outfits." The Courier: "That's sickening." Raul Tejada: "It was quite the scandal, at least in the Latin-American tabloid journalism market." (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "You can't seriously think they're the same Mr. House." Raul Tejada: "Maybe not. Maybe the new guy is just a clever raider chief with a knowledge of history. Maybe he just left instructions for his robots to carry out in his name.Or maybe Robert House uploaded his brain pattern into a computer and rules to this day, a godless, soulless machine-god!Or maybe the whole thing's a crazy coincidence. Who knows?" (Raul Tejada's dialogue)
