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This is an overview article, listing content appearing in multiple Fallout media. For information specific to a given game or TV series, consult the table below. |
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Cryptids (from the Greek κρύπτω, krypto, meaning "hide" or "hidden") are a subset of animals and other creatures that are mentioned in local folklore and other accounts, but whose actual existence is questionable. This does not apply to anything that is widely acknowledged as existing. For example, the deathclaw was presumed to be a rumor or hoax in New California around 2161,[1] but other regions of post-war America had many confirmed sightings beforehand.
Background
Cryptids were a part of local superstitions with cryptozoologists, like Shelby O'Rourke doubted by her community. But many cryptids actually existed before the Great War, and both the United States Armed Forces[2] and United States Intelligence (like the Sugar Grove SIGINT)[3] kept records on any cryptid encounters up until the Great War. While considered to be hoaxes and superstition, cryptids still played a large part of the culture before the war as well, with examples of this cryptid craze coming from Point Pleasant erecting a Mothman statue, Vault-Tec University's football team called the Fighting Wendigos,[4] Tales from the West Virginia Hills focusing on a different cryptid for each of its stories and Grafton holding a local holiday where the "Grafton Monster" would appear in the parade (and the real Grafton Monster appearing in it after the Great War).
After the Great War, cryptids began to appear far more often than they ever had before. This was noted by Shelby O'Rourke from her shack in The Mire where she theorized that the near extinction of the human race made room for cryptids to come out of hiding.[5]
Known cryptids
Aliens
Multiple species of aliens appear throughout the Fallout series. One race being the zetans from Fallout 3 that have appeared in each subsequent game.
The Beast of Beckley
The Beast of Beckley is a dangerous albino wolf known to roam Appalachia since before the Great War. Intrigued by reports of a shredded bear and sightings a "pale monster" near Beckley, Janelle Priblo set off to find and trap the Beast.[6] Raymond Priblo showed up later to assist Janelle, but disregarded her warnings and was killed by the Beast. Soon after, desiring revenge for Raymond's death, Janelle attempted to leave the area to assemble a hunting party but was caught unaware when the Beast attacked and killed her too.[7]
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is said to be a hairy, upright-walking, ape-like creature that dwells in the wilderness and leaves footprints. Prevalent in pre-War pop culture, large footprints closely resembling a common depiction of Bigfoot tracks began being spotted in Appalachia in 2105. The full emergence of Bigfoot may follow certain public events.
Blue Devil
A bipedal wolf-like creature with human features, the Blue Devil is a legendary Appalachian cryptid with the ability to produce a terrifying howl, sending those in its vicinity into Uncontrollable Fear. It appears as the event boss during Safe and Sound, as well as in assault-type random encounters.
Chupacabra
The chupacabra (Spanish for "goat-sucker") is a legendary creature of Puerto Rican origin. In Fallout: New Vegas, No-bark Noonan calls an invisible nightkin a chupacabra, after it has killed several brahmin around the town of Novac.[8]
Flatwoods monster
Described as hovering, extraterrestrial creatures with glowing purple eyes, capable and willing to abduct unwary travelers,[9][10] Flatwoods monsters gained a place among several myths of cryptids alongside others like the Sheepsquatch and the Mothman. The wandering storyteller offers many theories about the nature of these creatures, claiming them to be a species of interdimensional beings and warning that their "mere presence can warp the mind of all but the most iron-willed."[11][12]
In pre-War West Virginia, near the namesake town of Flatwoods, the inhabitants claimed to have witnessed several sightings of a monster with glowing eyes watching from the dark.[13] One resident, Colton Pickins claims he was taken onto its spaceship and subjected to experimentation, but his account was dismissed by police.[14] After the Great War, accounts appeared from wastelanders of being taken in the dead of night, only being able to recall a blinding light afterward.[15]
Ghost
Anna Winslow
The Whitespring ghost
Ghosts are the spirits of the dead that have been trapped in our earthly plane that had unfinished business or failed to attain something valuable to them.[16] Not much is known about the function of ghosts, as the only examples of ghosts are Anna Winslow whose spirit became trapped in the Den after dying, kept on the mortal plane in agony due to the theft of her locket by a petty thief, and Lucy Grandchester who haunts the Grandchester Mystery Mansion for unknown reasons. Based on Anna Winslow's actions in her quest, after attaining the item they need most, the ghost will disappear with the item, leaving only a pile of bones.
Grafton Monster
Until the late 21st century, the "Grafton Monster" was largely a mythical creature which drew cryptid hunters to the namesake town of Grafton, West Virginia. Around that time, however, myth was made flesh by West-Tek at their research center near Huntersville. Using the FEVS-006458 strain of the Forced Evolutionary Virus in experiments taking place on October 23, 2077, the scientists created a stable, if horrifying, mutation. Derived from the strain that created the mutant beasts known as the snallygasters, some engineered tweaks to the genome produced a violent, hulking giant of a mutant that shattered the containment unit, but was otherwise a stable case of FEV transformation (excepting the absence of a discernible head). Once initial studies were over, the newborn "monster" was sedated and loaded up to be transported off-site discreetly.[17] Mid-transport, the outbreak of the Great War caused the convoy to run off the road after the blinding flash of the bombs disoriented the truck driver, crashing the vehicle and allowing the creature to escape into the wild.[18] The creatures have since spread across the region.
Jackalope
Priblos' Curios sign
The jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore (a fearsome critter) described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns. The word jackalope is a portmanteau of jackrabbit and antelope. All jackalope taxidermy mounts are simply novelty items or hoaxes, as they are mounted made with deer antlers. Taxidermied jackalopes have been a part of American culture since the 1930s and continued to be popular up until the Great War.[19] However, despite being fake, the gullible and stupid would still believe they exist both pre and post-War.[20]
Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil is a horrifyingly mutated creature from the Pine Barrens. It is a reclusive creature that rarely ventures near Atlantic City, being mostly a myth among the locals. The Devil has a unique feature: its blood, with Russo and Gene turning it into the Devil's Blood, a highly addictive, incredibly rare and prohibitively expensive narcotic for Acee high rollers.
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a legendary creature of Scottish origin, said to dwell in Loch Ness. In Fallout: New Vegas, Jenny DeSoto, an employee at H&H Tools Company couldn't attend a weekend event, due to having to partake in a play recounting the life of St. Columba, specifically in having to work the Loch Ness Monster puppet.[21]
Mega Sloth
Before the Great War, Isaac Garrahan owned several sloths at his family's estate. The lack of sloth remains in the cages at the estate implies they escaped at some point.[22]
The mega sloths are three-toed sloths mutated by radiation. Standing much taller than the average human, their body is covered with filthy and shaggy fur with clusters of mushrooms growing in the fur on their back, similar to fungus grew in the fur of pre-War sloths.[Non-game 1] These megasloth mushrooms release clouds of spores when the sloth shakes its body, deterring aggressors that get too close. They have heavily calloused patches of skin and sharp teeth. Mega sloths are much larger than pre-War variants.
Mothman
Prior to the Great War, the "Mothman" was a mythical creature in local Appalachian folklore that was described as a terrifying half-man, half-moth hybrid that stalked the area around the town of Point Pleasant.[23] The story of the Mothman was sensational enough to create a wide following, ranging from cryptid hobbyists to aggressive conspiracy theorists hellbent on uncovering the deeper mystery of the creature. The Mothman's legend lead to a number of tourist attractions, such as the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant. Stories and other popular fiction were sold as novelty holotape recordings.
Ultimately, the interest in the Mothman was generally unserious and not seen as worthy of genuine scientific inquiry by the scientific community.[24] While the legend of the Mothman was seen as a simple folktale, a clandestine following of the creature emerged in secret. The mysterious Cult of the Mothman, its followers fervent in their worship of the Mothman as a divine being, practiced numerous rituals and established numerous hidden shrines that can still be found all over post-War Appalachia.
As the nuclear holocaust loomed on the horizon, the cult attempted to summon the creature to benefit from its cosmic wisdom and earn protection from the nuclear fire soon to rain from the skies.[25] The summoning was complete on October 22, 2077, and visible to just one of their number, Brother Charles, who immediately shared the wisdom he received, speaking of floods to come on the following day. The faithful took it as a signal to gather on the rooftops to avoid the destruction and give praise to the Mothman.[26]
Ogua
A massive turtle-like creature, the Ogua has deep set eyes and a large, hooked beak. Its shell resembles a cragged, spikey boulder. The Cult of the Mothman are interested in procuring its blood for sacrificial purposes.[27] It appears as the event boss during Beasts of Burden, as well as in assault-type random encounters.
Sheepsquatch
A cryptid stalking the Appalachian mountains, the Sheepsquatch myth was an obsession for many cryptid hunters, including one named Calvin van Lowe, who devoted his life to hunting it down. The cryptid is known to have existed in the years before the Great War, but knowledge of its existence was not widespread.[Non-game 2] Graduate students Michael Turner and Cindy Holloway met their ends from a Sheepsquatch,[28] while cryptid hunter Ray Gary was left crippled after encountering one, keeping his experience secret to save others from the same fate.[29] The wandering storyteller talks at length about the creature, describing his own experiences with the cryptid and speculating on its origins.[30][31][32][33]
Skinwalker
A skinwalker is a type of witch creature from Navajo culture that has the ability to shapeshift themselves into any animal and are often deceitful or sneaky. The word in Navajo for a skinwalker is yee naaldlooshii and a corrupted form of this word (yee nad loo shee) is shouted in frustration by Dead Horses tribals when losing track of a person.[34]
Snallygaster
Experiments with recombinant strains of FEV at the West Tek research center in Appalachia produced numerous failed mutations, with two exceptions. The first of these was FEVS-006443 from October 14, 2077, a Phase 2 combination strain that combined traits that resembled a number of different species. The results were considered disturbing by the scientists but provided valuable insights as to the capability of recombinant FEV. Changes included a number of ocular organs along the enlarged upper torso, a second set of arms ending in clawed digits and a large sickle-shaped claw on each inner toe. The living, stable and functioning subject was sustaining itself normally (a major accomplishment for the program) and was planned for release in Huntersville after the subsequent experiment matured.[35] The mutant was not returned to the area until January 3, 2078, when it escaped containment and the facility. The mutant procreated, leading to the emergence of snallygaster mutants across Appalachia.[36]
Squonk
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Veggieman
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Wendigo
The first recorded sightings of the mutated humanoids called wendigos in post-apocalyptic Appalachia occurred mere days after the bombs fell.[37] Individuals such as Morris Stevens are known to have transformed in a manner connected to their engaging in the act of cannibalism.[38] Pre-War urban legends surrounding the wendigo cave within the region later known as the Savage Divide became a reality when the mutated Stevens made its home there, becoming known as the "progenitor wendigo."[39]
While there are various locations known to be inhabited by wendigos in Appalachia, only a handful of cases can be specifically traced to a named pre-mutation human. With each person that mutated having largely unique circumstances leading to their transformation, the only constant in each scenario is the consumption of human flesh prior to the transformation. However, this does not explain why they have thus far only appeared in Appalachia, or why wendigos were not commonplace before the Great War. One possibility is that the introduction of nuclear radiation served as the catalyst for the mutation; Earle Williams became a cannibal after being locked in the Monongah Mine by Hornwright Industries in 2076, occurring before the dropping of the bombs, but it's unclear when his transformation happened. Additionally, many of the recorded cases involve mental degeneration shortly before transformation, though it is unknown if that is a requirement for the mutation to take hold, or merely a symptom exhibited before turning.
There are some implications that wendigos may be a subtype of ghoul, or a similar type of mutant. As seen during raids into Vault 79, a wendigo can be found among the populace of feral ghouls, implying that it may have mutated alongside them. Feral ghouls can also be found working in tandem with wendigos in various locations and display no hostility to one another.
Yeti
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Notes
After completing Volare! and raising the crashed B-29 out of the water, Mr. New Vegas will air a segment on Radio New Vegas about locals having seen a large "object or creature" surfacing on Lake Mead, and that it has been dubbed "The Lake Mead Monster."[40] While this obviously refers to the B-29 itself, Mr. New Vegas' reporting on the subject is reminiscent of cryptid culture.
Videos
References
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Non-game
- ↑ Fallout: Miniatures - Cryptids - Megasloth: "These gentle giants are the descendants of sloths. Slow and calm, they spend their days eating leaves and hanging from trees sturdy enough to hold them. Their thick fur is an ecosystem all on its own, supporting an interesting variety of insects and plants. Chief amongst these are the mushrooms that sprout over its body, a fungus that has a symbiotic relationship with the sloths. It is rumoured these creatures first arrived in the USA before the Great War as pets, though as war broke out they escaped before finally mutating into the creatures seen now. Despite their docile nature, they are powerful combatants able to fight head on with yao guai and come out victorious."
- ↑ Fallout: Miniatures - Cryptids - Sheepsquatch: "Not all creatures that stalk the hills of Appalachia were created by atomic fire. A handful of cryptid hunters encountered the Sheepsquatch before the Great War, although death or fear kept those mouths shut. A brutal howl and the stamp of hooves heralds the start of combat for this beast. With curved horns and poisoned quills, the Sheepsquatch should not be taken on lightly. This monster is baaaaaa-d news."
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