Fallout: Lanius
is a live-action Fan Film on YouTube based on the Fallout series, and Fallout: New Vegas in particular. It was shot around Perth, Australia in 2013 and fully crowdsourced. The 19-minute film follows the rise of the infamous Legate Lanius from his origins as a ruthless tribal champion.
On the brink of ruin, the Hidebark people are about to be wiped out by the slaving organization, Caesar's Legion. However, their most ruthless warrior would prefer death to dishonour. What follows thus recounts how a single man brings ruin to his people due to his lust for bloodshed and victory.
A sequel focusing on Joshua Graham's backstory, The Burned Man Walks, is in the works by the same creators.
The film features examples of:
- Blood Knight: The man who became Lanius was already one for the Hidebarks when first introduced, and actively revels in bloodshed.
- Cavalry Betrayal: Lanius sees his tribe turning against him for killing the Legion delegate accepting said tribe's surrender as this, which further cements his eventual joining the Legion.
- Continuity Nod: Much of the storyline is based off both Caesar and Ulysses' recounting of Lanius' origins as a fierce Hidebark warrior.
- Days of Future Past: In addition to Caesar's efforts to invoke the Roman Empire, the tribal Hidebarks (while predominantly white) fit The Savage Indian trope.
- Determinator: After killing the Legion delegate, it takes multiple tribals (and several deaths) to subdue Lanius.
- The Dreaded: Even before being a Legate, the man who became Lanius was feared by both Legion scouts and his own tribal brethren.
- Face Death with Dignity: After the Legion subjugates the Hidebarks, one woman refuses to scream or show fear in front of her soon-to-be-enslaved children even as she's being crucified.
- Foregone Conclusion: Given it's Lanius' origin story, his tribe's subjugation by the Legion and his own ascension as Legate are a given.
- Foreshadowing: While Lanius bludgeons the Legion delegate demanding he submit to Caesar, he does ultimately "Render unto Caesar" with blood and much more. Especially this line.Hidebark warrior: You leave this world with nothing but blood and dust.
Legate Lanius: I would not have it any other way. [Beheads warrior.] - Eye Scream: After making Quill into his slave, Lanius has her eyes put out.
- Genre Shift: In addition to being live-action, the film highlights both the Legion and tribals, which is in sharp contrast to the overall post-apocalyptic Retro Universe atmosphere associated with the franchise.
- Honor Before Reason: Out of a certain version of "honor," at least. Lanius isn't all that happy with the Hidebarks bending the knee to the Legion after all he's done to protect the tribe. This is also what drives him to join the Legion despite having killed quite a few of them previously.
- Leave No Witnesses: Lanius proceeds to blind Quill and kill the surviving adult male Hidebarks, ensuring that no one save Caesar himself knows his true face.
- Mood Whiplash: Compared to the brutal, ritualistic nature of the Hidebarks and the smug, formalistic flair of the Legion delegate that Lanius bludgeons to death, Caesar himself speaks much more casually and with an intellectual undertone. Befitting someone raised in the NCR and who served with the Followers of the Apocalypse as Edward Sallow.
- Not in This for Your Revolution: Implied. When approached by Caesar with an offer to join the Legion, Lanius seems more interested in the prospect of killing and crushing foes in his name rather than any high-minded ideals about Rome.
- One-Man Army: Lanius is able to take on throngs of Legion troops and tribal warriors single-handedly. There's a reason why Caesar, despite having lost scores of men trying to kill him, recruits him instead.
- Opening Narration: Ulysses' descriptions of Lanius from Lonesome Road serve as this, while another bit of dialogue from him forms the closing narration.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Even before becoming Legate and blinding his own slaves, Lanius is not a good man in any stretch of the word, particularly with women. It's also implied that even amongst his own tribe, he's barely tolerated for his more unsavory actions despite their respect for his prowess.
- Schizo Tech: The chieftain of the otherwise primitive Hidebarks dons a broken power armor helmet and a power fist similar to the Industrial Hand weapon from the Lonesome Road DLC.
- Secret Test of Character: It's implied that Lanius challenging the remaining Hidebark warriors to one final battle is an impromptu trial by Caesar to see if he really has what it takes to be his Legate.
- Social Darwinist: Another reason why Lanius chooses to kill for Caesar is because he comes to view his tribal brethen as being too weak and cowardly.
- Start of Darkness: For all of Lanius' exploits as a tribal warrior, he wasn't exactly a "good" man to begin with. The film however showcases his slide into further darkness as Legate.
- The Savage Indian: While not being Native American at all, the Hidebarks, and Lanius specifically, seem to look the part to a considerable degree.
- Rock Beats Laser: Even before getting his armor and infamous Blade of the East, he took on the Legion with little more than spears and clubs. It's also subverted however in that while Lanius does wipe out swathes of Legionaries, all it ultimately does is delay the inevitable.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: While the warrior who becomes Lanius, with just spears and clubs, can readily slay throngs of armored Legionnaries (some even using firearms), he's still just one man. Against the Legion, the Hidebarks were simply on borrowed time.
- The Un-Reveal: At no point is Lanius' original name mentioned, at best being referred to as a warrior and a killer.
