The Desert Rangers (Team Alpha and Recruits, Team Echo and Recruits, Team November and Recruits) - Major Antagonists
The Patriarch and the Buchanan Family - Other Recurring Characters
—— Factions and Settlements ——
Arizona and Nevada - California
Colorado (Colorado Springs, The Plains Gangs, Other Factions and Characters in Colorado)
This is a character sheet for the major factions and other inhabitants of Arizona and Nevada as they appear in Wasteland and Wasteland 2.
AG Center
A center for agricultural research — hence the name — AG Center is located in an old satellite array west of Highpool. It was visited by the Cochise Team 15 years ago, when it was a simple farming community under attack by a crazed mutant.
The mutant, who called himself "Harry the Bunnymaster," had been harassing the farmers with a horde of mutated animals that he was able to somehow control. The animals were nimble and ferocious, driving the locals out of their fields, and the settlement quickly found itself in danger of starvation. After defeating the madman, the Team was met with praise by the locals, who have maintained close relations with them ever since.
In the intervening years, AG Center has become home to some of the brightest minds in Arizona, who work to provide the local farmers with crops genetically engineered to survive in the wasteland, hoping to one day end hunger in Arizona. They succumb to a disease outbreak early in the story, and Team Echo must choose between them and Highpool.
Kathy Lawson
The leader of AG Center, who oversees all research conducted on the premises. She's rather abrasive towards the Rangers, but gradually loosens up as the crisis winds down.
- Black and Nerdy: She's a brilliant scientist, as with most of AG Center's inhabitants.
- Commander Contrarian: For most of the AG Center crisis, she'll have nothing but stern words for you, no matter how well you do. She calms down considerably once things are dealt with.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She starts off as a rude, abrasive jerk, constantly berating the Rangers as being irresponsible, incompetent idiots, but gradually begins to show a softer side once the situation is under control.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She spends the first few minutes of the AG Center crisis complaining loudly about how horribly things are going, and does little to aid Team Echo aside from point them in the right direction. After things start calming down, she regains her composure, and in fairness it seems like her initial attitude is born out of her anger, frustration, and panic and the deaths of her friends and colleagues. The more people you save, the more quickly she calms down.
Ranger Matt Forrestal
- Voiced by: Martin Jones
The Ranger liaison to AG Center, who earned the position after a long career of dedicated service. He was caught in the blast of an exploding pod, and is in danger of succumbing to the infection.
- Call to Agriculture: He notes in his journals about AG Center that he's come to enjoy the lifestyle of the local farmers, considering it a sort of retirement after his years of service in the Rangers.
- Career-Ending Injury:
- He's confined to a wheelchair due to injuries sustained in the outbreak.
- However, if you save him, he'll show up at the end of the game to help out.
- Handicapped Badass: He may be in a wheelchair, but give him a gun and he's just as dangerous as any other Ranger.
- Zombie Infectee: He contracted the infection during the initial outbreak. Curing him is an important part of ending the AG Center crisis.
Dr. Patrick Larsen
- Voiced by: Scott Holst
A high-ranking researcher at AG Center. The science team lost contact with him early in the outbreak, and the Rangers are eventually tasked with locating him. He is actually a plant for the Synthetics, sent to spread chaos in Ranger territory.
- Almost Dead Guy: Regardless of when you arrive, he'll be on his last legs when you get to him. Both times, he's faking it to lure you into a trap.
- Fat Bastard: Just look at him. It's a small wonder that AG Center hasn't had a food shortage with this guy around.
- The Mole: He was sent by the Synthetics to stir up trouble in the Rangers' territory.
- Reused Character Design: He shares a portrait with Doc Horchata in Rodia.
- Suicide Attack: When the fight with him ends, he explodes - in a rather bloody fashion, at that.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: His wounds aren't even that serious - he's just playing them up to lure you in for a Suicide Attack.
Sue
A young man with an androgynous name that he's often ridiculed for. Many people at AG Center suspect that he may have been involved in the outbreak, due to his status as both a recent arrival and a loner. Unfortunately, his misplaced sense of altruism inadvertently causes the infection to spread beyond AG Center, forcing the Rangers to contain several minor outbreaks in surrounding locations.
- Dirty Commies: Several communist and socialist manifestos can be found in his room, seemingly to draw suspicion to him as the possible saboteur. Given that the Cold War ended with an all-out attack between the US and Russia, communism is still fairly controversial in-universe. Subverted in that while he's something of a weirdo, he's ultimately a nice guy. Despite this, his ideals are what caused him to inadvertently spread the infection further.
- Gender-Blender Name: As befitting of a Johnny Cash shout-out.
- Loners Are Freaks: Everyone at the Center seems to think so.
- Shout-Out: The game makes a point of referring to him as "A Boy Named Sue" whenever possible.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His decision to send out AG Center's seeds, while well-intentioned, is ultimately what causes the infection to spread out to other locations.
Highpool
A large water-gathering community and trading post, Highpool is situated on top of an old dam, east of AG Center. They use the dam to store the rain they collect, and provide the majority of Arizona's water as a result.
A summer camp before the war, Highpool was visited by the Cochise Team 15 years ago; during that time they were forced to put down a rabid dog. The owner, a boy named Bobby, was enraged and charged the Team with a rifle - they only learned it was a BB gun after they'd shot him in self-defense. Legend has it that they were soon after driven away by a child-protecting vigilante named Red Ryder, who has since become something of a folk hero to the townspeople.
The people of Highpool never forgave the Rangers for this incident, and to this day they're shunned by the community. They come under attack by a gang of unusually effective Raiders called the Wrecking Crew early in the story, and Team Echo is forced to choose between them and AG Center.
- Teenage Wasteland: Highpool boasted large numbers of Juvies during both the events of Wasteland and Wasteland 2 since it used to be a summer camp during the campers' full season when the nuclear war left a significant majority trapped and orphaned. Though adults do exist in the forms of camp staff and residents of Highpool, the town (still) had to deal with overflowing numbers of orphans (and their descendants) even after adopting and taking in so many of them in the past.
- Ungrateful Townsfolk: Justified Trope, Cochise Team gunning down Bobby, who was alive and became the leader of Red Skorpion, soured their relations with the Rangers even after answering their call for help. Though they do mellow out when Kate remained in charge.
Sheriff Sean Bergin
- Voiced by: Scott Holst
The Sheriff of Highpool. He hates the Rangers more than anyone else in the town, as he's the uncle of Bobby, the boy the Cochise Team accidently killed. He is one of the two candidates for Mayor, along with Kate Preston. He's not that popular, but the townsfolk generally agree that his no-nonsense approach and shared hatred of the Rangers would make him a good leader.
- Commander Contrarian: No matter how much good you do for Highpool, he'll still hate you at the end of the day. You can redeem yourself slightly in his eyes if you do nothing but good and wipe out the Wrecking Crew, but he's still a bit of a jerk about it.
- Noble Bigot with a Badge: He despises the Rangers and is something of a racist towards Vulture's Cry, but ultimately he's just trying to protect the town and do his job as sheriff.
- Secret-Keeper: It's heavily implied that he knows Commander Danforth's true identity, which is part of why Highpool is protected by the Red Skorpions.
- Sole Survivor: If you prioritize the AG Center over Highpool, he will be the only resident left stand when you make it to Highpool, and even then he is in danger of getting killed by the Wreckers if you don't intervene.
- You Killed My Nephew: Even after 15 years, and he still hasn't forgiven the Rangers for the death of Bobby. However, it's likely that there's more to it than just that, as evidenced by his relationship with Commander Danforth.
Mayor Kate Preston
- Voiced by: Terri Doty
A community leader in Highpool who oversees maintenance on the Dam. If Highpool is chosen over AG Center, Team Echo must assist her in normalizing the water pressure within the dam to prevent a flood. She is also one of the two candidates for Mayor, along with Sean Bergin, and while she does appreciate the Rangers, many people in town resent her for it, unless you help out everybody in Highpool.
- Big Dam Plot: In order to save Highpool from disaster, Team Echo must help her to regulate the dam's water pressure before it causes a flash flood. The Director's Cut made the quest easier by removing the airlock control puzzle.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Her role in the Highpool conflict boils down to this, presenting a level-headed and agreeable counterpart to Bergin.
- Women Are Wiser: Compared to the bigoted, emotionally-charged Bergin, she stands out as a kind and intelligent leader.
- Wrench Wench: She's in charge of regulating the pressure in the dam, and seems to be a pretty skilled engineer in general.
Alexey Chuklin
A strung-out hippie living in the valley below the Highpool dam. He's a social outcast, mainly due to his bizarre ideas about "life energy" and obsession with something or someone called "Gaia." He tasks Team Echo with delivering a message to his secret lover in Highpool, though he refuses to disclose any information about the recipient.
- Bestiality Is Depraved: The punchline of his quest.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: He's pretty whacked out, mostly as a result of his drug usage.
- New-Age Retro Hippie: He's constantly rambling about Chi Energy and loving the earth.
- Noodle Incident: He apparently saved Highpool from a disaster at some point, though how or when nobody knows.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: He claims to be in a relationship that "can never be," and tasks you with delivering a message to his lover. Turns out, it "can never be" because it's a dog. A male dog.
- The Stoner: If his general demeanor didn't give it away, he offers various "pharmaceuticals" to you for sale once you complete his quest.
Jess-Belle
A deluded young woman living in the valley below the Highpool dam. Her father pampered her throughout her life, and she is now convinced that she's a beautiful princess waiting on a knight in shining armor to take her away. Before he ran away, her father left her a dowry to find a good husband with. Unfortunately, he lost it in a card game with some Red Skorpions in Highpool shortly thereafter, forcing Team Echo to find it for her.
- Bling-Bling-BANG!: Her dowry turns out to be a Gold-Plated Derringer pistol, with her initials carved into the handle.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: She is completely out there. The quest journal makes note of it, at one point saying that her innocence is almost heartwarming.
- Disappeared Dad: Her father ran away on her a while ago. She insists that he had noble intentions, and had gone off on a "quest," though judging from what is revealed of him, that's somewhat unlikely.
- Embarrassing First Name: Neither she nor her father seem aware of the implications of (almost) naming her "jezebel".
- Daydream Believer: Her father read her so many cheesy romance novels that she's convinced she's living in one, referring to the Rangers as her "brave knights."
- That Mysterious Thing: Her dowry. Notable in that even she isn't sure what it is, as her father never actually showed it to her - it's apparently something "as beautiful as her" and is marked with her initials.
Rail Nomads
The Rail Nomads have a long history that has mostly been passed down through oral tradition, and as such, much of it has been lost or misinterpreted over the past hundred years. They can trace their lineage back to a place known as "Kansas," but for now, they're camped out north of the abandoned Radio Tower. They are divided into two main tribes — the Atchisons and the Topekans, whose cultures are heavily influenced by both Native American tradition and Railroad mythology, most notably the legends of John Henry and the Golden Spike.
For a time, there was peace between the tribes — the Topekans using their knowledge of engines to maintain the train while the Atchisons navigated and maintained the tracks. This peace came crashing down around 15 years ago, however, when a saboteur ruined the train's brakes, causing an accident that took many lives. Both sides blamed one another, and have been at war ever since. Their camp has become something of a trading post in the meantime, with many Hobos and vagrants making their home there.
While the Cochise Team visited their camp years ago, little could be done to resolve their conflict — indeed, several Topekans even tried to murder the Rangers for associating with the Atchisons. Ultimately, they left without having accomplished much of anything, and many of the tribes' number have succumbed to drug and alcohol addiction in the time since then.
- All Hail the Great God Mickey!: The tribe worshipped John Henry as god of iron who built all the rails in the Wasteland and consider the Golden Spike as sacred relic along with coveting anything related to rail mythos. Though, Atchison tribe were not impressed with Topekan's old worship of Choo Choo Charlie, a mascot from a candy bar.
- Cargo Cult: Their worship of railroad mythology and trains come across as odd to many outsiders.
- Grey-and-Gray Morality: Both of the tribes had good and bad sides but their grudge over an accident along with pre-existing tension (namely over sharing profits from railroad trade) made peace treaty somewhat difficult.
- Magical Native American: A Native American tribe (or rather impersonators, based on a comment by an authentic Native American like Vulture's Cry) who worshipped and made their livelihood around trains and railroads.
The Topekans
Chief Kekkabah
- Voiced by: Sean Chiplock
The leader of the Topekan tribe, Kekkabah is a jovial and welcoming man, and respects the authority of the Rangers. However, while he welcomes their aid in disposing of the Rail Thieves and Junkies, he refuses to allow them to interfere in the business of the tribes, insisting that the matter is an internal one that should be settled as such. This is mostly due to his personal stake in the matter - he lost his left arm in the accident that divided the tribes, and firmly believes that the Atchisons' leader, Casey James, was responsible.
He commands an elite group of loyal soldiers known as Choppers, who willingly remove their left arm as a sign of respect. He is also in possession of the Golden Spike, a holy relic that is coveted by both tribes. Convincing him to give it up plays a key role in the peace negotiations.
- An Arm and a Leg: He lost his left arm in the train crash that divided the tribes. His elite soldiers, the Choppers, also lack left arms, though they remove them voluntarily as a sign of respect. In order to achieve peace, the player can use his missing arm as a clever metaphor for the tribes' conflict.
- Cargo Cult: He and his people worship the railways, and hold the Golden Spike
to be a holy relic. Kekkahbah is currently in possession of it, and thus commands a great deal of respect. - Handicapped Badass: He and his Choppers may be missing their left arms, but they can still hold their own in battle.
- Heroic Sacrifice: If he's allowed to join and survives the final assault on the Ranger Citadel, he will offer to stay behind and detonate the nuclear bomb in order to wipe out Cochise. The ending slides mention that his sacrifice ends up setting an example for peace and cooperation between the various tribes and groups in the wasteland.
- Meaningful Echo: The Rangers are at one point given the option of asking him why he can't drive the train himself, to which he replies that it is impossible to do so with only one arm. They have the option of repeating this to him to negotiate a peace.Kekkabah: "Give me one good reason I should change my mind, when he has not changed his!"Player: " Because even the strongest man needs two arms to drive the train."
- Noble Savage: He and the rest of the Rail Nomads play into this role, despite the fact that many of them aren't even Natives. Lampshaded by Vulture's Cry, an actual Native American tribeswoman, who is confused by their obsession with the stereotype.
- Take a Third Option:
- In order to negotiate a peace, he and Casey James must both be talked into taking one, driving the Golden Spike into the rails as a symbol of unification, so that neither of them must have it.
- Also having him set off the Nuke at Ranger Citadel is the best option. That way you don't lose any of the very valuable rangers and his sacrifice helps keep the peace between the two tribes.
The Atchisons
Casey James
The leader of the Atchison tribe, Casey James has little respect for the Rangers, due to their lack of intervention in the conflict that has claimed so many of his tribesmen's lives. He has a particular grudge against Chief Kekkahbah, his former friend who now blames him for the accident that nearly killed them both. The Atchisons' underdog status has made him vindictive and underhanded, resorting to planting bombs around the Topekans' camp and terrorizing any Topekans who stray towards their territory.
While he is extremely vicious, it is done in pursuit of vengeance for his long-abused tribesmen. As such, he believes that the Topekans must be destroyed, and that the Atchisons are the rightful owners of the rails... and of the Golden Spike. Convincing him to let go of the Spike plays a key role in the peace negotiations.
- An Arm and a Leg: For peace negotiations to succeed, he must cut off his own left arm as an offering. The game doesn't show it, but the quest log notes that it may have been "the bloodiest peace talk in history."
- Cargo Cult: He and his people worship the railways, and hold the Golden Spike to be a holy relic. Casey covets it, as Kekkahbah has taken it as his own.
- Deep South: Compared to Kekkahbah's Noble Savage airs, Casey James is closer to this, having a thick southern accent and dressing less stereotypically. He still follows tribal customs, of course.
- Demolitions Expert: He and his tribe made bombs out of explosives and coffee cans to launch a guerrilla campaign to make up for Topekan's larger wealth and manpower.
- Gory Discretion Shot: The game fades to black when he removes his arm, though the sounds and quest log entries confirm that it was not pretty.
- My God, What Have I Done?: If he was given the news that his daughter was almost killed by a bomb intended for Topekan children in the playground, he began to show regret over his terrorist tactics.
- The Penance: He considers the severing of his left arm to be this after killed so many Topekans with his bombs.
- Shout-Out: Named after "The Ballad of Casey Jones", about a railroad engineer who died trying to stop his train from crashing into another on the same tracks.
- Take a Third Option: In order to negotiate a peace, he and Kekkahbah must both be talked into taking one, driving the Golden Spike into the rails as a symbol of unification, so that neither of them must have it.
Jessie James
The daughter of Casey James, Jessie is an adventurous young girl who is disillusioned with the conflict between the Atchisons and Topekans. Because of this, she maintains a secret relationship with a Topekan boy by the name of Ralphy Parker, and frequently visits his tribe's camp in secret.
- Alliterative Name: Jessie James. Doubles as a reference both to the infamous male outlaw and the female country musician.
- Only Sane Man: She's one of the only people in the Rail Nomads' Camp, along with Ralphy, who sees how futile the tribes' conflict is.
- Plucky Girl: Manages to be this well into her teen years, firmly believing that there is hope for a peaceful resolution to the tribes' conflict.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: With Ralphy. They take it as a sign that the conflict between the tribes is pointless. Saving her life when she's nearly killed by one of her father's bombs is instrumental in getting the trwo tribes to talk.
The Red Skorpion Militia
A large, long-standing gang of raiders, the Red Skorpions have been a thorn in the side of the Rangers for decades on end. Much of this is likely the result of their origins — indeed, their earliest members were the death-row inmates that the Rangers cast out from the Federal Prison shortly after the apocalypse. The Cochise Team was beset upon by them many times during the Robot War, and relations haven't really changed much since.
They haven't bothered the Rangers too much in the past few years, though, and claim to have reformed into a Peacekeeping Militia. Fact is, they've just taken a more business-like approach to their criminal activities, lording over homesteaders in their territory through harsh, dictatorial laws. Those who resist quickly find themselves hanging from a noose, a cruel reminder not to disturb the peace in Happy Valley.
Initially a nomadic gang of killers, the Skorpions now operate out of the Federal Prison east of Highpool that used to be the Rangers' HQ. But if you play your cards right, you might just be able to get the RSM to reform a bit and work with you, exchanging prisoners and information.
- Foil: Vargas sees the RSM as just another raider gang, but Danforth is actually intent on building them into an peacekeeping organization to rival and surpass the Rangers. His hatred of the Rangers, however, blinds him to both the good the Rangers have done while allowing him to justify and ignore the criminal lengths his own militiamen go to in order to keep the RSM funded and fed. Then again, the Rangers were not always the regional power they are now, consorted with criminals and made some questionable decisions in their own right, and if not for the fact that they shot a little boy in Highpool, the Red Skorpions might not exist at all.
Commander Robert Danforth
The leader of the Red Skorpions, Danforth is a somewhat deluded man with a personal vendetta against the Desert Rangers. To this end, he's taken over the Red Skorpions and transformed them from a nomadic gang of killers into an organized gang of killers. He's also quite paranoid, refusing to leave his heavily-fortified Prison - as such, he mostly communicates via loudspeakers.
- Alliterative Name: Bobby Bergin.
- Berserk Button: Never harm one of his dogs.
- Canned Orders over Loudspeaker: He periodically provides these to the residents of Happy Valley from his position at the Prison.
- Create Your Own Villain: In the first game the Rangers killed Bobby and his dog in self-defense. He survived and swore vengeance against the Rangers, attacking them whenever he could.
- Disc-One Final Boss: He is the last major threat before the second half of the game begins.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Killing Pitbull is one of the few things he won't hate you for - the guy makes him sick, too.
- Heel–Face Turn: If Team Echo passes a series of difficult conversational skill checks, he can be convinced to cease hostilities and negotiate with the Desert Rangers, putting an end to decades of conflict.
- No One Could Survive That!: He is actually Bobby Bergin, Sean Bergin's nephew who was shot and seemingly killed by the Rangers in the first game. He survived, barely, and swore vengeance in the name of his dead dog, Rex.
- Orcus on His Throne: People mention that he never leaves the Prison, ever.
- Pet the Dog:
- Literally. He absolutely dotes on his dogs, and harming them is the fastest way to piss him off.
- He also has a protection deal with Highpool that is surprisingly benevolent. This is because he's Bergin's nephew.
- The Resenter: He despises the Rangers and all that they stand for, as they apparently wronged him in the past. Not surprising, considering they killed his dog and left him for dead when he was 10.
- Start My Own: This is his way of getting back at the Rangers for what they did to them, taking over the Red Skorpions and turning them into an organized Militia. It didn't work out exactly as he'd hoped, but by now he's too deluded to notice.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: He genuinely believes that the Rangers are evil and legitimately wants to use the Skorpions to protect people. Unfortunately, he's so blinded by rage and narcissism that he fails to realize the Skorpions are little more than a post-apocalyptic protection racket.
Chris VanOverbake and Chaos
Chris VanOverbake (left) is the Red Skorpions' resident bureaucrat, who helps them devise various taxes and fines to keep Happy Valley locked into servitude. He collects these taxes with the help of Chaos (right), his brutish enforcer whose lack of brain cells is made up for with muscle. He charges the Rangers a fee to enter the Prison area "peacefully," but fails to radio ahead to the next outpost, forcing the Rangers to either sneak by or blast through.
- Brains and Brawn: Chris is the brains, Chaos the brawn.
- The Dragon: Chaos serves as this to Chris, though not to the Red Skorpions themselves.
- Dumb Muscle: Chaos can barely speak in complete sentences — all he needs to know is how to pound someone's head in.
- Energy Weapon: Unlike the rest of his crew, Chris make use of an energy pistol named "Final Assessment".
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Chris wears glasses and speaks with bureaucratic vocabulary.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: Chris intentionally fills this role to keep Happy Valley under the thumb of the Skorpions.
- Smug Snake: Chris oozes smugness from every orifice, and loves to taunt the Rangers over every little thing. It is clear that the only reason someone hasn't straight up broken his scrawny body over their knee yet is because Chaos protects him. By the time Team Echo meet him, odds are decent that they are strong enough to not have too much trouble blasting both of them to kingdom come.
- Tacky Tuxedo: Chris manages to wear a combination of this and a Rummage Sale Reject — a tacky pinstripe suit with patches from other clothes sewn on and, inexplicably, a fish skeleton for a tie.
Jim Auwaerter
Jim is a friend of the Red Skorpions whose connections allow him to thrive in Happy Valley, presenting an idyllic image to unsuspecting homesteaders, making them susceptible to the Skorpions' protection racket. Once the homesteaders have been robbed blind, they're forced into indentured servitude and put to work on Auwaerter's farm. Despite this, he seems almost blissfully ignorant of the suffering around him.
- Anti-Villain: He's a pretty nice guy who legitimately believes that he's doing good work, but this is mostly because he's utterly blind to what's going on around him.
-
Contest Winner Cameo: He's modeled and named after the real-life Jim Auwaerter, who donated a large sum to the game's Kickstarter. - Innocent Bigot: He legitimately doesn't realize that the people working for him are slaves, due to the Skorpions fierce propaganda and his own blinding ignorance.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Like Danforth, he seems totally convinced that the Skorpions are doing good work in Happy Valley, remaining utterly blind to the suffering of his "employees."
- What Happened to the Mouse?: After Danforth goes ballistic, he disappears from the valley.
Pitbull
Pitbull is a psychotic pimp who uses his status as a Red Skorpion enforcer to keep girls across Arizona under his thumb. He operates out of Happy Valley, near the Prison, where he keeps his favorite girls locked up in cages at his "Fuk Shak," but his reach extends as far as the Rail Nomads' camp, where he's got several working girls in deep debt.
- Artificial Limbs: His original arm got gangrene after one of his "girls" bit him, and has been replaced by a robotic one, courtesy of Dr. Kyle.
- Asshole Victim: Considering how much horrible he is toward girls and Katy, everyone will cheer at his death, in and out of universe.
- The Brute: He has surprisingly high HP and armor for a single man, though he's typically no match for a well-prepared team.
- I Call Him "Mister Happy": He named it the "Hammer Love" and he states it has a lot of use against poor girls.
- More Dakka: His weapon is a Bren heavy machine gun and if you're not prepared for it, it will shred you to bits.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Even Danforth, who is usually too deluded to see any faults in the Red Skorpions, will admit that Pitbull had it coming if you kill him.
- Reused Character Design: He shares a portrait with O'Biggun, of the Leather Jerks in Rodia.
- Sex Slave: He keeps indebted girls naked chained for his own sadistic pleasure.
- Tattooed Crook: He's got his name stamped across his chest and a Red Skorpion insignia on his arm.
The Canyon of Titan
The only route to Damonta, the Canyon is the resting place of one of the few American nukes not to be launched during the war. Currently it is the site of a running battle between local raiders and the M.A.D. Monks, who worship the bomb and seek to awaken its glow — as well as a secretive third force, the Diamondback Militia, who believe the Titan is far too dangerous to be left in the Monks' hands and are working to seize control of the Canyon by force.
- Grey-and-Gray Morality: Neither side is a sterling choice to side with either.
- The Monks seem like nice guys with reasonable tolls, but they're clearly crazy (i.e. a few who blow themselves up with dirty nukes that kill the hostiles along with their escorts), and their leader even asks you for another nuke to keep their 'god', Titan, company. If you help them, the area will become a smoking crater.
- The Diamondback Militia are undoubtedly sane but a trip through the Canyon shows that they are utterly ruthless, shooting travelers and ambushing Monks. If you help them, you'll come back to meet them killing raiders and Monks alike by firing squad. If you disarm the nuke, you'll come back to that, and they'll attack you.
Servants of the Mushroom Cloud
The Servants of the Mushroom Cloud / The M.A.D. Monks
A radiation-worshiping cult that's been around since the war, the Servants of the Mushroom Cloud, better known as the M.A.D. Monks, can trace their origins back to Las Vegas and the surrounding area, where they once had a strong presence. They worshiped creatures they called "Radiation Angels," beautiful, glowing mutants that had a habit of exploding into clouds of radioactive particles.
They first encountered the Rangers during the Robot War 15 years ago. The cult, while not necessarily benevolent, nonetheless pledged themselves to protect Las Vegas from the invading robots, and lent their aid to both the Rangers and the city's own defenders, led by the "Legitimate Businessman" Faran Brygo. Nonetheless, they were eventually driven out of the city, and began an exodus to the east. There, they found a religious idol that they believed to be a sign from their god: an intact Titan II ICBM.
The Monks will, for a reasonable toll payable on arrival, escort anybody through the Canyon safely, and nearly all fights become avoidable, since even most raiders aren't keen for a Monk to set off his bomb. But lately an organisation known as the Diamondback Militia have been showing up, ambushing Monks and robbing travellers. While they claim to stand for law and order, they have done little since their founding except skulk around the edges of the M.A.D. Monks' territory, plotting to take the Canyon and use it as their base of operations. And they're very keen on getting hold of that Titan...
- Cult: They worship the Great Glow, and venerate Einstein and Oppenheimer for gifting it to the world. Many wastelanders are skeptical, but the Servants are mostly benevolent. After discovering an intact Titan missile, however, their beliefs have grown more extreme and dangerous — intent on bringing ever more radiation into the world, they want to repair the bomb and detonate it. Their activities in the Canyon of Titan, likewise, have earned them the distrust of travelers through the area, as they are fervently eager to 'protect' others... by suicide-bombing any threats with portable dirty nukes, which typically kill the monk, the threat, and the travelers the monks are supposedly protecting.
- Downer Ending: No matter who you side with, the ending for the Canyon kind of sucks for everybody in the area, even when compared to the Highpool versus Ag Center choice. And unlike the Rail Nomads, you can't get the Monks and the Militia to work together.
Dr. Sidney Kyle
A prosthetics specialist, Kyle is one of the few doctors in Arizona who can augment humans without killing them. Her handiwork can be witnessed throughout the wasteland, worn by the likes of Dr. Rose, Sgt. Thrasher, Pitbull, and various Servants of the Mushroom Cloud in the Canyon of Titan and Titan Temple. She is very protective of her secrets, and keeps herself under constant guard.
- Artificial Limbs: She's a master at creating these, though she doesn't visibly sport any herself.
- In the Hood: Her outfit, as depicted in her character portrait. Makes sense, considering she's working for a cult.
- The Mole: She is actually a plant from the Synthetics, sent to cause chaos in Ranger territory. If you hand the Titan over to the Monks, she'll launch it at the Canyon on orders from the Synthetics.
- No One Sees the Boss: Visits to her clinic are brief and few in number, and one requires an escort just to talk to her.
The Diamondback Militia
Captain Cliff Sadler
- Voiced by: Sean Chiplock
The leader of the Diamondback Militia, Captain Sadler is single-handedly responsible for reforming the militia into a professional fighting force. Sadler firmly believes that the M.A.D. Monks pose a direct threat to the safety of the canyon, and that control over the Titan should be wrested from them by any means necessary.
He also suffers from a severe case of hemorrhoids, though this tends to take a, er... back seat to his other problems.
- Beneath the Mask: Sadler tells you he wants to bring law and order to the area and take the Titan out of the hands of the Monks. And the Diamondback Militia certainly looks organised. But when you learn Titan is fake and therefore not a threat to the area, he still wants one for himself. The actions of the Militia that he set up and trained also betray his true intents, as they're so ruthless that some travellers think them worse than Raiders. They have no respect for Monks even as escorts for civilians, and are robbing traders as they pass through.
- The Extremist Was Right: Despite his organization's unsavory status, they're right on the money about nearly everything - handing the Titan over to the Monks results in Dr. Kyle nuking the Canyon, while disarming the Titan will cause the Canyon to erupt into uncontrollable chaos.
- The Hypocrite:
- If you set them up with a nuke, Sadler just uses it as a threat in much the same way as the Monks did, except without the religious doctrine.
- The Diamondback Militia seem to be causing a lot more trouble in the Canyon than random Raiders right now.
- Necessarily Evil: He claims that the DMB's policies are all to support their efforts against the Monks, and that he'll turn the policies around once the Canyon is under control. What are these policies, exactly? Robbing travellers for supplies and ambushing the Monks.
- Toilet Humor: His hemorrhoids. There's a Toaster sidequest dedicated to helping him with them, involving "Preparation G."
Damonta
Once a former airfield and boneyard called Davis Monthan Airforce Base, the society after the nuclear war began to take interest in its vast wealth of salvages that they can no longer produce. The wealth from that area made Damonta as one of the wealthiest settlements with the highest quality of life. While the settlement's economy may attract potential residents, the intense radiation clouds during the summer season and a fear of local deactivated robots made migration difficult. Unfortunately, by the time Team Echo reached there, things had to not turned well. entire town is under siege by the said robots and somewhat related to a mysterious person called Tinker.
- Derelict Graveyard: Damonta is nestled in and around a vast sea of planes which, left without guidance in the wake of the Great War, crashed to earth in the area surrounding the old airbase. A rich source of salvage, the radio interference and lethal radiation levels in the century since the war mean the settlement is just one of many of which the Rangers were unaware even existed.
Werewolf Wally
- Voiced by: Marc Graue
The lively DJ of Damonta's resident radio station, K-POW, Werewolf Wally is the town's unofficial spokesperson, sending out radio broadcasts advertising the town's various businesses and comforts. He's very serious about his job, and during the robot incursion, dedicates himself to keeping the town and the people outside it updated on the situation. The Rangers need to use his radio tower to track the mysterious broadcasts, but he won't allow it unless they help out the town first.
- Alliterative Name: Werewolf Wally.
- Jive Turkey: He drops a lot of "groovy"s and "radical"s in his dialogue.
- Large Ham Radio: As befitting of a Wolfman Jack parody.
- The Last DJ: K-POW seems to be the only commercial radio station still on the air in Arizona, or maybe even the world. As such, he takes his job very seriously.
- Nice Guy: He's one of the friendliest people in the wasteland, always having good things to say about people. Unless you leave Damonta to die, in which case he'll use his last broadcast to curse you out for it.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's a clear reference to the famed and oft-parodied 60's DJ Wolfman Jack.
- Reading the Stage Directions Out Loud: Bizarrely, Werewolf Wally introduces himself by reciting his descriptive Flavor Text to your squad.Werewolf Wally: "The guy really does look like a werewolf. He's got big thick gray hair and a big thick beard, with a big white smile blazing through it."
- What the Hell, Hero?: Delivers one to Team Echo, if they leave the town without dealing with the robots.
Hopi and Magee
- Voiced by: Anne Vydra (Hopi) and Joann Tassone (Magee)
A Native American descended from the Hopi tribe, hence her nickname, Hopi is one half of Damonta's bombastic mechanic duo, operating out of an old chop chop. The other half is filled by Magee, Hopi's wife, who she married at the Canyon of Titan with the blessing of the M.A.D. Monks. During the robot incursion, they started up a spirited defense using their machine gun, Big Betty, but the weapon eventually broke down from overuse, leaving them trapped.
- BFG: Big Betty, their customized M60 LMG. It's broken down from overuse by the time Team Echo arrives, but if they provide Magee with the parts to fix it, she'll give it to them as a gift, encouraging them to kill as many robots as possible with it.
- Butch Lesbian: Magee, despite outwards appearances. Hopi likes to tease that she's the "husband" in the relationship.
- Cool Car: Magee's wedding gift to Hopi. It doesn't run, but she still loves to keep it on display.
- Gratuitous Spanish: If Team Echo brings Vulture's Cry along to see them, she and Hopi will have a brief conversation in Spanish. It's about what you'd expect.Vulture's Cry: (translated) "Hey, sister, what's happening?"Hopi: (translated) "Not much, except for these damn robots."Vulture's Cry: (translated) "Yeah. America's leftover shit, am I right?"Hopi: (translated) "True, true. They died, but their messes are still kicking."Vulture's Cry: (translated) "Well, as always. Be careful."Hopi: (translated) "Back at you, buddy."
- Lipstick Lesbian: Hopi, despite outwards appearances. Magee notes that while she acts like a bombastic butch, deep down she's a real sweetheart.
- Those Two Gals: They're never seen apart, and do pretty much everything together.
- Wrench Wench: Both of them apply to the role, being the town's resident mechanics and all.
