The Real Stuff[]
Wow, it's been a looong time since I've been on.
The Stats[]
Lao[]
Lvl 30 Messiah (Small Guns, Medicine, Energy Weapons, Repair, Speech, Lockpick, Science, Big Guns)
The Stories[]
Still being written, for nothing is set forever in stone.
Here follows the tale of Lao, a Ronin of the Wastes.
The Beginning[]
In the year 2277, a man emerged from the dark depths of Vault 101, intent on finding his father. He was no perfect soul, and was far from it for a long time, stealing and killing laying in his wake. This man was myself, Lao, and during those times, I felt nothing for the survivors in the Capital Wastes. I foolishly saw it as trying to make a life, but my actions would only hurt my fellow man and Ghoul. I did many things I was not proud of, putting bullets into the eyes of both my allies and my enemies. I barreled through, drinking, using chems, poisoning my body and my already troubled mind. I was a walking tower of failure and dysfunction, unable to reign in the rage and roiling hate within for all who stood between me and my goals.
I eventually discovered what my father was doing out here in the Wastes: reviving Project Purity. Sadly, the remnants of the old American Government, the Enclave, had another idea. I watched that man, my father, so great and wise, sacrifice himself to save me from them. Seeing him do that, for me, who barely deserved it, I reformed my ways, turning to new paths, a new way: doing what was right, and making myself a part of something more than me. A man I had befriended, Three Dog, had always preached "The Good Fight", but until then, I had never understood what it had meant. With his counsel, though, my walk on the true path began. My resolve renewed, I strode into the Wastes, to search for enlightenment amongst the dust and ruins. There was a... peace of sorts there, amongst the twisted metal spires and crumbling monuments to man, a man I only knew through books and legends. I began to pore into many things Pre-War, and eventually found myself back where I began: in the Vaults.
I found out such terrible things, about what had happened with these Vault-Tec "experiments". As I scavenged, I came across ancient logs of people who seemed ignorant to the terrible fate that was rapidly approaching them, the fiery death that would soon consume them. Heart-wrenching tales of families and children, of men losing their minds over loss and grief, of people trying to live after all the death. My Pip-Boy became a library of documents, my desk in Megaton littered with books, the house itself a collection of the past. I had to brave many dangers scavenging the Wastes, and find myself today far more than the average Wastelander, in both body and in mind.
Anchorage[]
While I was scavenging, my Pip-Boy came an Outcast signal, entailing the need for back-up forces. Curious, I made my way to Bailey's Crossroads, and area covered with Super Mutants. The Outcasts, accepting of any help only in the heat of battle, accepted my presence in eradicating the mutants from their Outpost. When their Defender noticed my Pip-Boy, though, he became almost unnervingly friendly, inviting me inside.
Once inside, I was briefed about what the mission was by Protector McGraw. They had uncovered a simulation of the Resource Wars in Anchorage, Alaska, and only people with devices like the Pip-Boy could enter. My ears picked up, however, when he said that if I came out of it alive, he would give me first dibs on the contents of the Simulation vault, which was rumored to contain rare, powerful weapons and armour. With such motivation, I willingly entered the simulation, as a paratrooper in the U.S. Military.
The simulation, though unrealistic, felt more like a game from back in the Vault rather than a military training program. However, it was certainly real, as was the pain from the Chinese rifles. I went through several tactical tasks, including detonating anti-aircraft weapons, using a strike team to invade certain points, trench warfare, and going on a two-man team to eliminate a Pulse Field. Eventually, I came face to face with General Jingwei of Chinese forces, who I was able to talk him into stabbing himself with his own sword. With that, the simulation ended, and I came back to reality.
I was given first run on the contents of the secure weapons vault, and found myself face-to-face with a grand and powerful piece of armour: Winterized T-51b, the armour I continue to use to this day. Along with it, I acquired the legendary Gauss rifle, and various Chinese equiptment as well. However, my awe was short-lived, since the Outcasts in the base turned on McGraw and Olin. With my new weaponry, I speedily dispatched the assailants, but not fast enough. Specialist Olin didn't make it, but died honorably, killing her share of mutineers as well. Reflecting, I muse on what could have happened if I could have saved her, but thinking too hard on it would be a saddening waste of time.
Freedom's Fight[]
Continuing on, I eventually stumbled upon a band of escaped slaves holed up in a building to the North, calling themselves the Temple of the Union. Upon hearing their tales of escape and of their hardships, their mission became my mission: to clear the Lincoln Memorial, and create a beacon of hope in the darkness of man's fall. I combed through the ruins to find this place, only to find it overrun by their enemy, the Slavers. I descended upon their keep, culling them, seperating their spirits from this Earth. Unlike the killing I had done before, this was for the right, for good. When I had washed the blood from my hands, I no longer felt ashamed at what I had done. I finally felt good about myself, because I had done something right. From that day on, the path was clear, the fog removed, and I finally saw, truly saw, what the Good Fight could be, what it could become.
My fight to do right did not stop there. I found myself approaching a settlement called Paradise Falls, and indeed, it was where paradise had truly collapsed. The place was a bustling hive of villany, the epitome of injustice. I began one of the most riveting fights of my life, a hit-and-hide run through the City of Cruelty. I found myself standing, staring at the blood as it dripped down into the sewer grates, feeling as though I had liberated the world itself from cruelty. It was not until a year later, in the Pitt, however, that I would truly feel I had done so.
I had heard of the Pitt from Werhner, an escapee from that town of slavers and raiders far out to the north. I sought to do what I had done to Paradise Falls, but instead found myself becoming an undercover slave. The Pitt, despite being a place both safe and industrious, was a hive of cruelty and malice, slaves toiling in an irradiated waste, unable to have proper children, or live regular lives. The raiders were led by Ashur, a former BoS Paladin, the Pitt had sadly become more evil than he had ever wanted it to be. Upon finding out that the "cure" for the radiation was in a newborn babe, I was taken aback, but reasoned that the only right path would be freedom for all. I set loose the Trogs, vicious beasts born from the radiation, and Ashur, along with his unsavory crew, fell to their beastial might. I picked up on my wandering again, losing myself in reflection on what I had done, and whether or not it was worth it. It was.
Picking Up A Legacy[]
Eventually I wove my way through the underground tunnels of Little Lamplight, and while traversing the ruins of Vault 87, I came upon a Super Mutant who shared my developing ideals. With his help, I came upon the G.E.C.K., the item needed for Project Purity to come into it's own. Without the help of Fawkes, I would not be writing, and would be lying dead in that ruined Vault. However, as I left, feeling euphoric, my joy was cut short by the intrusion of an enemy I had not percieved: The Enclave. When their false deus ex machina John Henry Eden requested I be the instrument of his victory, I chose to be the instrument of his destruction, overriding his directives and initiating the self-destruct. And, when Fawkes came to join at my side, I accepted. But only for a time in passing.
Then the war began, between the Brotherhood of Steel and The Enclave, fighting over the Purifier, fighting for the future of the Wasteland itself. With the robot Liberty Prime in the lead of the Lyons' Pride, we strode forth through heavy Enclave fortifications and waves of elite troops to recapture the Purifier. When we got there, we were nearly overrun by troops we had never known of before: Hellfire Troopers. Armed with Incinerators, they nearly killed Sarah Lyons and myself, were it not for Prime's intervention. Thankful to the giant robot, we headed into the Purifier, Hoping to put an end to the Enclave in the Wastes.
When we entered, we fought through the troops fortified inside to the control room. There, however, was the man who had been the reason for my father's death, the architect of my capture, Eden's lackey, Augustus Autumn. Luckily, when it came down to it, instead of putting a bullet between his eyes like I had done to so many, I reasoned with him, and he left peacably. However, the joy would not last. The Purifier, unless activated, would soon explode. Without hesitation, I headed into the irradiated chamber, entered the code, and fell to the floor, unconcious, the sounds of the world dimming into darkness...
Reforging the Steel[]
But it did not end there. Weeks later, I awoke in the depths of the Citadel, dazed and confused, much like the time I was addicted to Jet. Apparently Sentinel Lyons and myself survived the activation of the Purifier, though we were subjected to ungodly amounts of radiation that threw us into a comatose state. Elder Lyons filled me in on what had been happening. Though we had struck a major blow at the Enclave in the Wasteland, they still had a stronghold in the Wastes, a Satellite Relay. Before I took to taking care of the Enclave, though, I decided to help out at the Purifier, in order to get back in touch with the new Wasteland. The waters of life were continually being taken advantage of, small time crooks and petty thieves trying to exploit the honest people, wanting measely caps or to spread a misguided belief. Though it took the flash of red lasers to do it, I brought order to these would-be brigands, and allowed the dream of my parents to be free from the tyranny of evil.
When I reported back to Elder Lyons, I was sent West past Dunwich, to a little-known Metro station. I caught up with the BoS forces there, and they told me that I would again be working with a good friend - Liberty Prime. Though my rage told me to go forth ahead of Prime and annihilate the bastards who killed my father, the stillness within me said to hold back my weapons, and take in the spectacle of Prime's extravagent work. However, disaster struck, when an unprecedented orbital bombardment was detected by Prime. Self-sacrifice built into his programming, he ordered us out of the way, whilst he took the hit. His final words to us as we stormed the relay was "Red Chinese victory - IMPOSSIBLE!". We didn't let him down, and we acquired the data that we needed.
When we brought it back to the Citadel, we were suprised to learn that the Enclave had still another stronghold, known as Adams AFB. However, before we could assault the base, we needed great firepower in order to regroup for such a task. We found plans for the Tesla Cannon, a devastating beam cannon, and I was sent into the ruins of Deathclaw-infested Old Olney. While inside, I discovered the remains of an attempted Ghoul colony, one that had been lucky to make it into the depths of Olney. Their survival, though, hinged on my timeliness, and two escaped. I fought my way further in, through Deathclaw after Deathclaw, and came upon an unexpected enemy: the Enclave. They had sent Vertibirds to our location, and my mission went from scavenge to a race to the finish. Thankfully, I recovered the Tesla Coil first, and made my way swiftly back to the Brotherhood.
From there, we constructed the great weapon, which was capable of eliminating Vertibirds in a single shot. I was sent alone through secret metro tunnels under the White House itself, which were overrun with Feral Ghouls of all kinds. Making peace with the Metro's own MARGoT computer system, I was able to take the only working train in the Wastes to Adams AFB. From there, the assault on the Enclave would be fast and merciless. I cut a swath through the Enclave forces, and made my way to the Mobile Base Crawler, where they housed the Orbital Strike System.
When I entered the Crawler, I encountered the Enclave's most powerful specialist forces, Enclave Sigma Squad. Even then, Singma's might was no match for me. In a fit of rage at all the Enclave had done, I carved through them with my blade, each one falling to the agility of the Vampire's Edge. Their leader was decapitated in a single pass of my sword. I continued on my anger-driven righteous cleansing, slashing my way through officers, troops, and men alike. I finally arrived at the Orbital Strike Controls, and selected the Crawler as a target. When I left, a captured Vertibird was waiting for me, with a long-lost friend inside - Sarah Lyons, the one who saved my life at Project Purity.
From a distance, we watched as the Crawler exploded under the bombardment, the satellite salvos emptied, the missiles like the divine judgement of the gods themselves. We headed back to the Citadel, where Elder Lyons congratulated us for our deeds. Satisfied with my actions, I wove my way back to Megaton, and my home, hoping to finally be Well Rested.
The Swampland[]
On my way back from the Citadel, I noticed a strange sight across the waters of the Potomac, a riverboat. Upon aproaching it I saw that my eyes had not decieved me, and the boat was the Duchess Gambit, run by an oddly friendly man named Tobar. He spoke stories of a land unexplored, a dark, mysterious place teeming with riches and mystery. Intrigued by the prospect of expanding my world, I paid an unholy sum for a ticket, and boarded the boat, ready to venture into unknown lands.
Ramblings from the Wastes[]
"Mashed potato! AHAHAHAHAHA!" - Overheard from a Super Mutant Master
"Ano no hito wa dochu bago da yo." - Self-quote