Constructed under the sprawling metropolis of Bakersfield, Vault 12 was billed as "built with every amenity in mind for the prospective Vault Dweller," and that it had been fitted with what's described as the newest Vault Water Purification Systems, capable of turning urban sewer waste and purifying it into drinking water at a rate of 15,000 gallons per day. Those who signed on for this particular Vault took their preparedness very seriously, earning the "Pressed Vault Suit" award for their efforts.[2] A deep well drilled beneath the city acted as a backup system, controlled from a watershed erected above the Vault and kicking in should the purification system shut down.[3]
The Vault's true purpose, however, was to study the effects of radiation on the residents. To ensure this, Vault-Tec designed the Vault door not to close.[Non-game 1] At some point in the 2070s, Cooper Howard considered quitting acting and buying a ranch in Bakersfield. His wife Barb, a high ranking Vault-Tec executive aware of the true purpose of the Vaults, rejected this idea out of hand.[4]
After the Great War[]
Set, the self-proclaimed king of Necropolis.
On the day of the Great War, October 23, 2077, the city was devastated by nuclear strikes, leaving the surface all but impassable, forcing survivors to rely on canals for traffic.[5][6] The Vault was ordered sealed, however, the door worked as designed. Seeing the vault remaining open, the remaining population of Bakersfield attempted to force their way into the Vault, to protect their families from the nuclear fallout. Still, the experiment began successfully: radiation flooded in, and those who survived the radiation poisoning instead suffered from ghoulification.[Non-game 2] Six years later, in the summer of 2083, the ghoulified survivors left the bunker, joining other ghoulified citizens on the surface and founding Necropolis - the City of the Dead.[Non-game 3] Within a year, Set rose to power and wrested control of the settlement from the original overseer, who disappeared into the wastes rather than be executed.[Non-game 4][Non-game 5]
Set remained in control for the next seventy-three years, establishing a safe haven for ghouls, though his authoritarian rule left much to be desired.[7] More peaceful ghouls were persecuted[8] and driven underground,[9] leading the dissidents to believe that Set would get them killed through incompetence and violence.[10] While Set was indeed infamously temperamental, with even his warrior ghouls fearing his punishments,[11] he was reasonable enough to realize that he needed bodies to defend Necropolis with,[12] and included them in the water rationing - unofficially.[13] The only group that didn't yield to Set were the glowing ones occupying Vault 12, and fierce fighting would erupt between them and two other ghoul groups from time to time.[14]
Outsiders were not welcome in the city, and were usually attacked, killed, and eaten. While this provided a source of protein, it made conversation tricky.[15] The infamy spread, along with the name, and most learned to avoid the city unless they wanted to become the main course. Some learned the hard way, like Killian Darkwater of Junktown, who lost two patrols to the city before deeming it a lost cause.[16][17][18][19] The only people who managed to establish peaceful contact were the caravan houses of the Hub: The ghouls refused to trade with Water Merchants, much to their surprise,[20] while the Crimson Caravan managed to establish relations. Keri Lee was among the few humans to have actually met Set and his ghouls (or "skags" in Hub lingo),[21]
Unity occupation[]
Harry, head of the Unity garrison.
Set's absolute rule came to an abrupt end in 2157, when the Master learned of the location of Vault 12 and dispatched a unit of super mutants to seize the Vault. The mutants attacked the ghouls, believing them to be carrion-eating monsters, until Set managed to arrange for a ceasefire and explain that the ghouls were the Vault dwellers the mutants were talking about. The super mutants withdrew, leaving behind a garrison at the watershed to ensure Set's compliance by controlling the water supply.[Non-game 6][22] Ghouls were also taken for forced labor at the Vats, though some managed to slip out and return home bringing Set much-needed intel.[23]Talius, one of the first dwellers sent out by Vault 13 to find a replacement before the water chip finally failed, learned about the Vault beneath Necropolis and tried to take the chip. With Set's help, he managed to kill off most of the garrison, leaving behind only half a dozen mutants. However, he was captured[24] The Cathedral medics supporting the occupation injected him with FEV, leaving him in a ghoul-like state much like Harold.[25][26] Talius would later be rescued by the Followers.[27]
In February of 2162, the Vault Dweller entered the city to track down the water chip. Witnessed by ghouls, including a ghoulified doctor,[28] they managed to navigate the destroyed city and find the watershed. There, they caught the first glimpse of super mutants, the remaining Unity garrison under Harry's command. With Ian's help, he managed to fight their way into the Vault, but not before Barry managed to set Ian on fire with his flamethrower. While the memory of burning flesh would haunt them, the Vault Dweller did recover the water chip from Vault 12[Non-game 7][Non-game 8] and fix the watershed pump to provide the ghouls with water.[29]
However, this was in vain: the Unity launched a retaliatory strike on the city in March in retaliation for the Dweller destroying their Cathedral and Mariposa Military Base.[30] Ghouls were shot on sight and any unable to get away in time were hunted down and executed.[Non-game 9][Non-game 10] The Vault Dweller learned of the city's fate while visiting the city on their way back from The Glow.[Non-game 11]
Aftermath and resettlement[]
The scattered survivors of Necropolis led the Great Migration across the wastes, leading to the founding of towns such as Gecko, Dayglow,[Non-game 12] and Broken Hills.[14][Non-game 10] While the attack left the city truly dead for a while,[31] Necropolis was eventually resettled by the New California Republic, forming a part of the eastern NCR as Bakersfield once more.[Non-game 13]
Layout[]
This Greek word meaning "city of the dead" refers to this silent ghost town. Travelers report that no one seems to live there, and people who arrive to settle it either end up with radiation sickness or simply disappear. The truth of the matter involves a small population of ghouls beneath the city's streets.
Necropolis can be found six squares east and twelve squares south of Vault 13. Necropolis suffered extreme destruction. Debris litters the streets and makes navigation practically impossible. The sewers serve to connect the various sections of town. Necropolis is divided into three districts and three sewer sections.
This district is a virtual shooting gallery, filled with ghouls. They are easy experience pickings for the distance shooter. The ghouls will become hostile easily if the Vault Dweller tries to converse and/or rifle through their storage. There are manholes which lead to the city's sewers.
Located in the center of Necropolis,[32] the Hall of the Dead is where Set conducts his business. Aside from being full of ghouls loyal to him, it also includes a number of caged glowing ones. Set, Garret and various ghoul guards are found here.
Three sections of tunnels connecting Necropolis districts.
Inhabitants[]
Set, leader of Necropolis
The ghoul population was divided into three groups:
The surface dwellers were what could be called the public face of Necropolis, as they were by far the most numerous of the three groups, and controlled most of the city's surface. They were typically the first thing outsiders encountered in Necropolis and were likely the cause of the aforementioned rumors surrounding the City of the Dead. Their operations were based out of the Hall of the Dead, where their leader Set did his business. Paranoid and intolerant of outsiders and non-ghouls, the surface dwellers were often violent, attacking strangers on sight and harboring a particularly deep hatred of super mutants. This was most likely due to the super mutant garrison newly established around Necropolis' important watershed. Though Talius mentions heated resistance to the super mutant presence in the city by Set's surface dwellers, by the time the Vault Dweller arrives there appears to be a sort of stalemate between the two groups, though Set does not hesitate in employing the outsider to eliminate the super mutant garrison.
The glowing ones were heavily irradiated ghouls who lived in the old Vault 12, shunned by even their own kind, who disliked the other ghouls as much as they did the normal humans.
The so-called underground ghouls, who were forced to live in the city's sewers, were by far the most peaceful of Necropolis' residents and were much more tolerant of outsiders than either of the other groups.
Notes[]
To avoid the ending in which Necropolis is destroyed, the Vault Dweller must not enter the city after March 25, 2162 (110 days into the game), as doing so will trigger a Unityinvasion.
This seems to be the version of events which canonically came to pass.[30]
"Necropolis" (νεκρόπολις) is a Greek term which can be directly translated as "city of the dead."
In Fallout, according to the Vault-Tec Vault locations holodisk, Vault 12 was located in Bakersfield. However, while Necropolis lies to the northeast of Los Angeles, the actual city of Bakersfield is not far to the southwest of the Lost Hills bunker. The location of Necropolis roughly matches the town of Barstow.
Fallout originally had a more dynamic wasteland, with the super mutants expanding and invading settlements across the wasteland as time passed by. The longer the player took to complete the game, the more settlements would be invaded, with all characters removed, with only super mutant invaders present. A remnant of this mechanic can be seen with Necropolis, where entering after 110 days pass triggers the invasion: All ghouls are killed off by script, with super mutant invaders added to surface maps, along with a ghoul refugee who recounts the invasion. The time limits are still included in Vault13.gam and are as follows:
Vault 13 finally falls and the game ends in a fail state after 260 days pass (August 22, 2162). This was modified to 500 days for release (corresponding to April 19, 2163).
In the end, the idea of introducing a distinct, invaded variant of the major locations was scrapped in favor of focusing on finishing the game. However, the time limits were retained and entering any of the locations except for the Brotherhood does trigger the corresponding bad ending in the end slides (eg. entering The Hub after 140 days pass triggers the destruction ending; for Followers, all that suffices is entering the Blades' map).
The time limit for the Vault 13 invasion was lengthened from 260 days to 500 for release, to reduce the time pressure, before being completely removed in subsequent patches. It was also affected by other factors: Purchasing healing from the Children of the Cathedral reduced the time limit by 1 day, ordering water deliveries from Martha Rastello reduced it by 90 days, while blowing up the Mariposa control computer to trigger the self-destruct sequence halved the invasion time limits for Vault 13, Shady Sands, and The Hub. The removal of the hard time limit only affected Vault 13, with the functionality retained for the other two locations.
↑Vault Dweller: "Necropolis" Tycho: "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's dialogue)
↑Necropolis water computer: "{117}{}{After shutting down the Water Purification Computer, you can now hear the repaired water pump working in the distance, bringing water up from what must be a deep well under Necropolis.}" (NH2OCOMP.MSG)
↑Spatial: "{100}{}{The way to the north is blocked by rubble and debris. You will have to find another way.}" (NDEBRIS.MSG)
↑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." (RaulTejada.txt)
↑Set: "{140}{Set11}{The Necropolis was mine. Not an all-things-great, but a straight-place for my kind. Then the Master showed. He could've fragged me good, but it was easy for him to just stand some muties and keep an eye on.}" Vault Dweller: "{141}{}{What can I do, and what will you do for me?}" Set: "{143}{Set12}{The Mutants at the water shed need dirt-naps. Makes my shadow grow. You slice 'em and rewards run to you. Info, too.}"
(Set's dialogue)
↑Vault Dweller: "{1005}{}{Necropolis} "
Ghoul leader: "{1105}{}{City of the Dead, where we would like to live peacefully, if Set or the Mutants will let us.} "
↑Vault Dweller: "{1000}{}{Set} " Ghoul leader: "{1100}{}{He tries to control Necropolis, and has forced us underground.} "
↑Ghoul undergrounder: "{102}{}{Set is an incompetent fool who will get us killed.}"
↑Vault Dweller: "{112}{}{I need to get in there. Is there any way you can help me?} " Ghoul door guard: "{116}{}{I wish I could help you, but Set would tan my ass if I did. You know how it is . . . always gotta do what the big guy says.} "
↑Ghoul leader: "{111}{}{The surface of Necropolis and the water is controlled by Set and his Ghouls. We are a much more peaceful group - which disgusts Set.}" Vault Dweller: "{112}{}{Who is this Set?}" Ghoul leader: "{116}{}{Set is a Ghoul like us, but has assumed a certain amount of power in the above ground world. He is an oaf.}" Vault Dweller: "{118}{}{Why does he let you survive down here?}"
Ghoul leader: "{119}{}{He does not speak of it, however Set is afraid of not having enough people to defend Necropolis if it ever needed it. So, he gives us what water we need.}"
↑Necropolis ghoul: "{111}{}{There's enough water to go around for everyone. Set makes sure of that.} "
↑ 14.014.1Old ghoul: "{127}{}{I remember fightin' the Glowin' Ones under Necropolis... those were the days...}" (HCOLDGHL.MSG)
↑Patrick: "{123}{}{Using the coastline as a referent, you've got Shady Sands about a week inland, and Junktown a few days south of there. Hub's just another couple days south of Junktown. Avoid Necropolis to the east of those, though. Not worth the trouble.}"
Vault Dweller: "{127}{}{What do you know about Necropolis?} "
Patrick: "{140}{}{Necropolis is the city of the dead. It's inhabited by ghouls, the descendants of humans who sought shelter in a Vault there. Story goes that the Vault failed somehow, so now the only inhabitants are carrion-eating monsters.}"
↑Vault Dweller: "{1016}{}{Necropolis} "
Killian Darkwater: "{1116}{Kill80}{That city's death. I sent two patrols down there and neither one of them returned.}"
↑Vault Dweller: "{22605}{}{Necropolis}"
Hub policeman: "{22705}{}{Creepy place. Some same that it is haunted by mutated humans who eat normal people's brains for food. It is somewhere to the east of the Hub.}"
↑Butch Harris: "{204}{butch35}{Well, Necropolis is east. But uh . . . I wouldn't spit there if it came out gold, if ya' get my drift. Those ghouls'll eat a man's face faster than an old lady shopping at bargain day.}"
↑Ghoul, nasty: "{2807}{}{Fresh meat...}"
Ghoul, nasty: "{2808}{}{Ah, dinner's arrived.}"
Ghoul, nasty: "{2809}{}{Brains...}"
Ghoul, nasty: "{2811}{}{Hope I can keep your head intact...} "
Ghoul, nasty: " {2817}{}{I'm gonna eat your liver!}"
Ghoul, nasty: "{2819}{}{Dinnertime!} "
Ghoul, nasty: "{2821}{}{I eat punks like you for breakfast, and lunch} " (COMBATAI.MSG (Fallout))
↑Martha Rastello: "{112}{}{Water chip... hmm. Oh, those old Vault purifying control chips. Well, I'm sure I speak for the entire town when I say you won't find one here. Without the proper equipment they're worthless. Only a Vault, or maybe Necropolis would have any use for one. Why do you ask?}"
Vault Dweller: "{113}{}{Necropolis? Why would they need one?} "
Martha Rastello: "{137}{}{Well, it's just a guess really. We tried to start a caravan route to Necropolis once, but they refused to trade with us. Nobody in their right mind refuses water these days unless they have a reliable supply. I figure they must have their own purifier or they would have died out a long time ago. So are you looking to have us go up to your Vault?}"
↑Vault Dweller: "{165}{}{Necropolis} "
Keri Lee: "{179}{}{Watch your ass, Necropolis isn't a very friendly place.}" or "{180}{}{Set's the leader of the town. At least he was the last time I was there.}" or "{181}{}{That town's full of skags! Well, I better get you going.} "
↑Barry: "{102}{}{Hey! Only ghouls get a water ration.}" (BARRY.MSG)
↑Set: "{259}{Set53}{Warm. Filling. Your needs are my desires. Name them.}" Vault Dweller: "{260}{}{Need some info on the Vats.}"
Set: "{265}{Set54}{Some of mine slipped the bonds. Worked that mutant task.}"
Vault Dweller: "{266}{}{What did they say?}"
Set: "{268}{Set55}{Big northwest, far from life. Busy with guards and tricky steering. If that's your path, walk it tight with my thoughts.}"
↑The Vault Dweller: "{144}{}{But why Necropolis?}" Talius: "{168}{}{I heard from some of the other travelers that Necropolis had a way in which to produce water without much difficulty.}" "{169}{}{So, I went there to see what they were doing.}" The Vault Dweller: "{171}{}{Did you kill them off?}" Talius: "{178}{}{No. I killed only some of the mutants. There was another mutant, a ghoul, named Set, who helped me take out most of them.}" "{179}{}{Last I knew there were only half a dozen mutants left.}" (TALIUS.MSG)
↑The Vault Dweller: "{108}{}{I am }" "{109}{}{. What are you doing here?}" Talius: "{126}{}{I am here to assist these good people in understanding the workings of the Children of the Cathedral.}" The Vault Dweller: "{128}{}{How can you know anything about the Children?}" Talius: "{203}{}{All I know of the Children is that they are in league with these Nightkin, super mutants.}" "{204}{}{It is they who transformed me from my original state of being in Necropolis.}"
↑The Vault Dweller: "{129}{}{What can you do? You are a mutant.}" Talius: "{209}{}{Though I am different in appearance, I have much knowledge to impart upon those who will listen.}" The Vault Dweller: "{211}{}{What can you tell me?}" Talius: "{212}{}{Those whom the Followers and Children call Nightkin are not what they seem. They have been created by one called the Lieutenant. I believe he may follow another.}" The Vault Dweller: "{214}{}{What can you tell me about this Lieutenant?}" Talius: "{215}{}{There isn't much that I know about him. Last I saw him, before my untimely transformation, he was searching for pure humans.}" Vault Dweller: "{217}{}{Can you hazard a hypothesis as to why this may be so?}" Talius: "{218}{}{As yet, I am uncertain. Perhaps another group which seeks to disrupt their ways would know.}" (TALIUS.MSG)
↑Talius: "{103}{}{Greetings brother. My name is Talius. How might I assist you today?}" The Vault Dweller: "{112}{}{Greetings to you as well. I am called }" "{113}{}{. How is it that you came into the realm of the Followers?}" Talius: "{221}{}{My entrance into the Followers was quite simple really. It was the Followers who rescued me from the full effects of the transformation into a heinous beast.}" The Vault Dweller: "{222}{}{I do not fully understand. Please, go on.}" Talius: "{223}{}{Once, I was as you are now - a pure human. But, through the intervention of Nightkin, I was taken to some place far removed from here.}" The Vault Dweller: "{224}{}{Please, continue.}" Talius: "{225}{}{I was not of a state in which to observe what transpired. All I had known was that I awoke here and was tended by the good doctor.}" The Vault Dweller: "{226}{}{I am truly sorry to hear of your predicament. I will find those who did this to you and remedy the situation.}" The Vault Dweller: "{227}{}{I am sorry to hear of that. Alas, I am quite busy attempting to survive. Farewell.}" (TALIUS.MSG)
↑The Chosen One: "Lenny, have you ever heard of something called a Garden of Eden Creation Kit?" Lenny: "A G’garden of Eden C’creation K’kit? I heard that Vault City had one of those. That’s the only one I’ve ever heard of, though." The Chosen One: "Well, my ancestor, the Vault Dweller, said that Vault 13 owes us one. I need to find it." Lenny: "W’well. I didn’t actually m’meet the V’vault Dweller. But I saw them. Once." The Chosen One: "You saw the Vault Dweller? Where?" Lenny: "I’it w’was a long time ago. In a place called N’necropolis. A lot of us g’ghouls lived there. One, day I saw someone running through the city." The Chosen One: "Running?" Lenny: "Yes, running. You see, we ghouls c’can’t run too much anymore. So, I knew it was an outsider when I saw them. They ran by so close I could have touched them. I wish that I had joined the Vault Dweller.…" The Chosen One: "You wanted to join my grandsire?" Lenny: "Yes. I h’had the chance of a lifetime and I blew it." The Chosen One: "What do you mean?" Lenny: "L'later, I h’heard that the Vault Dweller had fixed our water system. The V’vault Dweller saved us -- all of us. Do you understand? It didn’t matter that we were ghouls. For once it didn’t matter. We w’were people again. W’worth saving." The Chosen One: "My ancestor was the founder of our tribe. That memory is revered amongst my people." Lenny: "Later, I heard that the Vault Dweller destroyed the source of the m’mutant army. The Vault D’dweller saved all of us. Human and ghoul alike… I could have been a part of that, but I lacked the c’courage. I’ve never forgiven m’myself." (Lenny's dialogue)
↑This is a prerequisite for the town not dying of thirst and the player is forewarned multiple times that taking it will result in the city drying up.
↑ 30.030.1The Vault Dweller: "What happened here?" The ghoul refugee: "The super mutants attacked. We were slaughtered. They had guns and bombs, even some steam trucks. They killed my friends. The mutants just butchered us." The Vault Dweller: "How did you survive?" The ghoul refugee: "I hid until most of the mutants left." The Vault Dweller: "Do you know why?" The ghoul refugee: "I heard they was pissed that some human killed their men here." (Ghoul refugee's dialogue)
↑Fallout endings: "The mutant attack on Necropolis spares none of the ghoulish inhabitants. After the mutant armies advance, they leave a truly dead city behind them."
↑Tell-Me-About: "{2905}{}{The Hall of the Dead. Where Set does his business. It's smack right in the center of Necropolis.}" (OBJ DUDE.MSG (Fallout))
↑The Chosen One: "Who are you?" Typhon: "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." (Typhon's dialogue)
Non-game
↑Fallout Bible p.11: "VAULT SYSTEM" "Vault 12: In order the study the effects of radiation on the selected population, the Vault Door was designed not to close. This is the Necropolis Vault... and the ghouls were the result."
↑Fallout Bible p.22: "TIMELINE REPAIR: SECOND STRIKE" "2077 October 23: Necropolis Vault [Vault 12] never closes. Once it becomes known that the other vaults have sealed, people within Bakersfield attempt to force their way into Vault 12 to protect themselves and their families."
↑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 Official Survival Guide p.92-93: "Set: King of the Ghouls of Necropolis Set styles himself as leader of Necropolis, but in fact he's a figurehead put in place by the Master to keep the ghouls in line. Set hates the Master, but fears him more. As a result, he is frustrated and short-tempered, with a nasty tendency to lash out suddenly against any who cross him. His speech is abrupt, harsh, and so jargon-laden he is, at times, a bit difficult to understand. If the player goes along with him-specifically, if he or she agrees to help him 'punish' the mutants at the water shed-he can be almost pleasant, in a ghoulish sort of way."
↑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."
↑Vault Dweller's memoirs p.10: "Life on the Outside The Hub was a larger city than both Junktown and Shady Sands combined. You could drop the Vault in there, and you probably would not notice. But the people of the Hub had no life, and it was a desolate place just the same. It eased my mind, however, to hire some merchants to bring water to the Vault. Looking back, it was probably a mistake to do so, but I was still innocent of the evils that lurked through the ruins of civilization. A small clue led me to the city of the ghouls, the place they called Necropolis. It was there that I encountered large mutants, armed with weapons of an unknown origin. It is with heavy sadness that I say that Ian lost his life in the city of the dead. A super mutant burned him to death with a flamethrower. The passage of time is no proof against the memory of burning flesh. His sacrifice was not in vain, as I did find the water-chip buried beneath the city. It was with easier steps that I returned to Vault 13."
↑Fallout Bible p.26: "TIMELINE REPAIR: SECOND STRIKE" "2162 February 13: Vault Dweller recovers the water chip in Necropolis. Ian is killed by a super mutant and reduced to a cinder, ending his tendency to shoot the Vault Dweller in the back with SMG bursts."
↑Fallout Bible p.84: "THE VIPERS" "X. You said in the Fallout Bible, that Ghouls still live in Necropolis, but in the manual, it is written that the city was completely wiped out (The bad thing that happens if you don't take out the Military Base in time.) I find this odd since I assumed FO2 continued with the assumptions that the Vault Dweller more or less did everything the "Best" way possible in Fallout 1 (Such as taking out the base in time) Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something here, which is not too unlikely considering how long it's been since I've had time to play the game, so anything to help clear up this little question of mine is appreciated.
I am wrong. Most ghouls were forced to leave Necropolis, leading to the Great Migration across the wastes. I will print retractions later."
↑ 10.010.1Fallout Bible p.6: "ANSWER ME THESE QUESTIONS HERE" "1. Why was it that so many ghouls left necropolis between Fallout 1 and 2 to settle in Broken Hills and Gecko? Is necropolis empty now? Also, why was it that Harold joined the ghouls? I remember him talking as if he weren't a ghoul; When you type in "ghouls" in the question box in the first Fallout he refers to the ghouls as "them". Answer:
Ghouls still have the human need to expand and move on - and in the 80+ years between Fallout 1 and 2, the ghouls spread out from Necropolis in all directions... and some had even left before the events in Fallout 1.
Necropolis is not empty now; ghouls are still said to reside there, though Set is no longer their leader. It is not clear whether he is alive or dead.
Harold joined the ghouls in Fallout 2 because Harold is a kindly sort who likes to help people - when he sees a group of people trying to make their way in the wasteland, he tries to step in and give them a leg up, especially when it can benefit life for everyone.
Harold is not a ghoul, but he is a mutant. What happened to him inside the military base during his assault with Francine, Mark, and Richard Grey is unknown, but it is likely he was exposed to the FEV virus and changed. His last known memory after the attack was passing out then waking back up in the wasteland... changed."
↑Vault Dweller's memoirs: "Enemies of the State On my way, I took a detour and stopped by Necropolis in order to see some old friends. Unfortunately, that place was now truly the city of the dead. All the ghouls had been slaughtered. Large mutants roamed the streets. I found one survivor who told me that the mutants had attacked shortly after I had left. Before he died, the ghoul told me that the mutants were looking for pure strain humans, and one in particular. The ghoul's description of the mutants' special target fit me perfectly. It was with a heavy heart and a cold burning on my soul that I continued on to Boneyard."
↑Fallout Bible p.50: "QUESTIONS" "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."
↑Joshua Sawyer on Something Awful Forums: "And this is discussed in-game: BoS raided NCR's gold reserves until NCR could no longer generate gold coinage nor back their paper money. They abandoned the gold standard and established fiat currency, which is why its value is inflated over both caps and (especially) Legion coinage. (...) People in eastern NCR and the Mojave Wasteland lost faith in the NCR government's a) ability to back the listed value of paper money and b) stability overall. If you're living in Bakersfield, staring at a piece of paper that says 'redeemable for value in gold' and you have no faith in the government's ability or willingness to do that -- or if you see that the government has changed the currency to say that it is not able to be exchanged for a backed good -- you may very well listen to the strong consortium of local merchants offering to exchange that paper note for currency backed by water."
↑Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Official Strategy Guide p.4: "CAIN Cain is a Ghoul. He was once a man, but was severely disfigured by radiation poisoning. He became sickly thin, skeletal in appearance. And the changes were more than skin deep. Cain became a merciless, tough-as-nails mercenary, fighting for the highest bidder. But when an army of mutants destroyed his home, the only payment Cain would seek was vengeance. He approached the Brotherhood, but they were reticent to open their ranks to a Ghoul. Behind closed doors, the Brotherhood decided to send Cain on a suicide mission for the order. They figured he would never succeed. But within Cain beats the heart of a killer, and that's just the kind of man this mission calls for." "Strengths: With less strength than Cyrus and less speed than Nadia, Cain's ability to withstand the effects of radiation is what truly sets him apart. Whereas the other two must avoid the toxic effects of radioactive substances,Cain will actually heal himself by coming into contact with it." "Weaknesses: Cain is not as strong as Cyrus, nor is he as fast as Nadia." "Special Skills Rad Child:Coming into contact with radioactive substances heals Cain when he learns this skill. Sadist:When Cain learns this skill, he receives a few health points every time he kills an enemy. Pyromaniac:This skill increases Cain's chances of dealing a critical hit when using fire weapons, like a flamethrower. Butcher:Increases Cain's chances of dealing a critical hit when using knives."
Non-canon
↑Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Manual p.13: "CAIN CHARACTER BACKGROUND As a mercenary, Cain is a ghoul through and through. Stooped, skeletal and bony, Cain is a real badass, the kind of guy that upon finding your burning body would roast desert rat over you rather than put you out. When his home was razed to the ground by the mutants, Cain took it personally. In an attempt to seek vengeance upon the mutants, he sought out the Brotherhood of Steel and demanded entry. As a somewhat isolationist and anti-mutant order, the Brotherhood was reluctant to grant him admission, but Cain’s perseverance was fueled with a grim determination. He was finally given a test of Initiation, a suicide mission that should he survive would allow him to become one of the first ghouls ever to join the ranks of the Brotherhood. CHARACTER TRAITS With less strength than Cyrus and less speed than Nadia, Cain's ability to withstand the effects of radiation is what truly sets him apart. Once he has gained the Rad-Child skill, He will actually heal himself when coming in contact with Radioactive Substances."
↑Vidya: "There was a ghoul city to the west called Necropolis. But that place was wiped out by the mutants. I guess the survivors may have settled somewhere else..." (Vidya's dialogue)
↑The Vault Dweller: "There's a ghoul city called Los just over the mountains. I'll draw you a map. That reminds me of an old ghoul city called Necropolis... shame about that..." (Vault Dweller's dialogue)
