fallout

A tribe is an ambiguous term, generally used to refer to stateless societies that emerged across the wasteland, characterized by the absence of formal government, a distinct cultural identity, and self-sufficiency. The term tribal is typically used as a pejorative noun by inhabitants of various non-tribal communities to describe someone as primitive, uncouth, and unsophisticated.[1]

In a broad sense, every human society can be described as a tribe, a linked family of families, regardless of the place they inhabit or other circumstances.[2]

Background

Joshua Graham describes wasteland tribes as a connection of "families of families," where the family unit extends beyond blood relations and often encompasses the entire community. This results in much more close-knit communities than in other wasteland settlements, but also tends to make these tribes highly insular and wary of outsiders.[2]

Tribals often possess a highly religious or mythologized view of the world, in contrast to more cynical or secular worldviews held by other wastelanders. As such, some tribes consider pre-War technology and structures taboo, preferring to live in isolated agrarian communities or as nomadic hunter-gatherers.

This mystical worldview and disconnection from the pre-War world often leads to tribals being stereotyped as backward and uneducated by outsiders, though as with all stereotypes this is not always the case. Some tribes, such as the Boomers and New Canaanites, utilize technology and social systems not dissimilar to those used by more "civilized" wastelanders.

The southwestern United States features one of the largest concentrations of tribal societies in the wasteland, and those that inhabit the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau are each known for a specific weapon.[3] As the New California Republic grew it came into conflict with a lot of the surrounding tribes. President Tandi's restraint in NCR retaliations and efforts to achieve diplomatic solutions earned her the name "Great Mother" among some of the New California tribes.[Non-game 1] Under later administrations, the New California Republic began rounding up tribes and attempting to "domesticate" them.[4] NCR prospectors travelling east into tribal lands have been known to violently drive the inhabitants away, with at least one instance of them hunting down and slaughtering an entire tribe.[5] By 2281, a majority of the tribes of Arizona and New Mexico were slaughtered or assimilated into Caesar's Legion,[6]

Known tribes

West Coast

Midwest

East Coast

Northeast

Mojave

Southwest

Appearances

Fallout

One tribal group appears in Fallout, located in southern California: the Khans. This band of raider-tribals live a lifestyle based on Mongol warriors. Two other raider-tribal factions are also mentioned: the Vipers, with their shamanistic nature, and the Jackals, with their savage and cannibalistic nature. They were both obliterated in time but their remnants appear in Fallout: New Vegas. They originated from Vault 15 alongside the Khans as well as the settlers of Shady Sands, and are culturally based upon early human cultures.

Fallout 2

In Fallout 2, the Chosen One was born and begins his quest in the Arroyo tribe, as a tribal descendant of the Vault Dweller from Fallout. A potential companion Sulik is a tribal seeking his sister, Kurisu, who was captured by a mysterious group. Their tribe lives near the "Great Salt Water," and they are one of the tribal groups which can be seen in random encounters while traveling through the coastal area, they are extreme believers in the here-after and revere many spirits. Also, a cannibalistic tribe near Arroyo can be met in random encounters.

The Khans make a second appearance in the New Khans. When the Vault Dweller massacred the Khans in 2161 the sole survivor Darion was corrupted by survivors' guilt, and over the next eight decades, he devoted his life to rebuilding his tribe to its once former glory, but solely to get revenge on the Vault Dweller. Eventually, the New Khans became a major raiding tribe and again based their lives on the Mongols like they once were and by 2241 they occupy Vault 15 which is also their original place of origin. Other tribals live around the Den, only seen during the slaver quests of Metzger, if the Chosen One is a slaver.

Fallout 3

The Treeminders are a peaceful group of tribals that have renounced using technology. They are found in Oasis and worship the FEV mutant Harold, who became one with the tree Bob (which Harold liked to tease by calling Herbert). Crow is said to be of tribal birth. One belief of Crow's tribe is revealed when he gives his unique eyebot helmet to the Lone Wanderer, claiming it to be made from the hide of one of the wisest wind spirits. Ishmael Ashur from The Pitt add-on describes the group who rescued him from the rubble after the Scourge as a tribe. He convinced them he was a god and eventually used them to form the basis for the Pitt raiders.[9] The Point lookout tribals are a group of tribals living in the swamplands and the Ark & Dove Cathedral in Point Lookout in the Fallout 3 add-on Point Lookout. They cultivate, worship and consume the punga fruit and believe that the physical world has been destroyed, they're now concentrating on reaching astral planes of existence.

Fallout: New Vegas

The Boomers are a group of tribals originating from Vault 34, living in Nellis Air Force Base as of 2231. They revere explosions and the discharge of weapons. The White Glove Society, the Omertas, the Chairmen, and The Kings were all formerly tribals with other names before Mr. House enlisted their help, making the first three more civilized and gave each of them control of different areas of the New Vegas Strip. The last group known later as the Kings, currently residing in Freeside, likewise abandoned their tribal culture. The Great Khans are a raider tribal gang based at Red Rock Canyon. They originated from California but migrated to the Mojave to escape the NCR. They live in tents and glean their history and legacy from the Mongol warriors. An old abandoned tribal village can be found north of Goodsprings. Many also are involved in making and moving various chems. Additionally, the Fiends, though operating as raiders, share many tribal customs such as splintering into small bands, cannibalism, and wearing tribal style clothes. There are two other raider tribes in the Mojave, the Jackals and the Vipers. Both migrated from California to escape the NCR and Brotherhood of Steel, who have significantly reduced their numbers.

The add-on Honest Hearts introduces four tribes from Zion Canyon and the surrounding area: the New Canaanites, the Sorrows, the Dead Horses and the White Legs. A territorial raiding tribe known as the 80s is also mentioned. Also mentioned are the Tar Walkers and Crazy Horns, both of which were destroyed. The New Canaanites, Sorrows, Dead Horses, White Legs, 80s, Tar Walkers, and Crazy Horns are all based in Utah, east of the Colorado River.

Fallout 4 (Creation Club)

Tribals do not explicitly appear in Fallout 4. However, with the Creations content "Repurposed Power Armor Helmets," some products made by mechanics from unspecified tribes are found in the Commonwealth, sold by some vendors. These products are salvaged power armor helmets which been repurposed as "regular" helmets.[10]

Fallout Tactics

There are some groups of tribals living in The Belt region, and are usually friendly folk. Three missions in Fallout Tactics involve visiting a place with a tribe: Dirt Haven tribe (only in the demo), are a peaceful people who live in a small village north of Chicago. Their leader is called the Town father and their shaman is called Salik. Brahmin Wood tribe, are a wealthy tribe who worship Brahmin gods. They live in a large village west of Chicago. Their leader is the tribal father Charon, and their shaman is Hawkeye. The last peaceful group, the Peoria tribe live near the remains of Peoria. The people who live there are Whachutu tribals. Their leader is Chevron the tribal father, and their shaman is Dhal. Also, one raider-tribal faction that the Warrior has to defeat, called Beastlords, are a people who have a unique mutation, allowing them to take control over animals. Their leader is Daarr.

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

Cyrus is known to have grown up in a semi-tribal farming community, with an important reverence for tattoos. This community had its share of problems with raiders, radscorpions, and the like, but was finally devastated by the remains of the Master's Army when he was just a boy, sometime after 2162.

Behind the scenes

Joshua Sawyer has stated the tribals seen in Fallout: New Vegas and its add-ons were intended to be "relatively isolated Post-War groups, with a very mixed makeup, internally, that lost a huge amount of Pre-War knowledge."[Non-game 3]

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ KCBUCK.MSG, KCHILD.MSG, Klamath citizen: (Kcitizen.msg), Jenny (KCJENNY.MSG), Maida Buckner (KCMAIDA.MSG), Sally Dunton (KCSALLY.MSG), Slim Picket (KCSLIM.MSG), Three-Card Monte: (NC3MONTE.MSG), Porn actress: (NcActres.msg), Bishop's bodyguard (NcBisGrd.msg), John Bishop (NcBishop.msg), Bishop's man (NcBisMen.msg), Casino bouncer (NcCasBou.msg), Ethyl Wright (NCETHWRI.MSG), Fluffer (NcFluffe.msg), Leslie Anne Bishop (NCLABISH.MSG), Lil' Jesus Mordino (NcLilJes.msg), Mason (NcMason.msg), Mordino's man (NcMorMen.msg), Orville Wright (NcOrvill.msg), Reno townsfolk (NcPerson.msg), Pit boss (NcPitBos.msg, NCPITBOX.MSG), Cat's Paw girls (NcProsti.msg), Renesco (NcRenesc.msg), Sheb (NcSheb.msg), Wright child (NcWriChi.msg, NcWriPly.msg, NcWriTee.msg), Myron (NhMyron.msg)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Courier: "Are the New Canaanites really a tribe?"
    Joshua Graham: "We wear more clothing than them and understand more about technology, but we're still a tribe, a linked family of families. The Boneyard, Phoenix, New Vegas, they're just places, metal and stone. New Canaan dies, but the tribe lives on. When the walls come tumbling down, when you lose everything you have, you always have a family. And your family always has a tribe."
    (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
  3. ↑ The Courier: "Nice guns."
    Joshua Graham: "In the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, all tribes are known for a specific weapon. White Legs are known for their big submachine guns, "storm drums." They broke into an armory near Spanish Fork and have been using them for years. Of course, the Dead Horses have their wooden war clubs and even the Sorrows have their Yao Guai gauntlets. This type of .45 Automatic pistol was designed by one of my tribe almost four hundred years ago. Learning its use is a New Canaanite rite of passage."
    (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
  4. ↑ The Courier: "Your mother was a tribal?"
    Rose of Sharon Cassidy: "You know, like one of the tribes from the East - we got 'em out West, too. NCR's herding 'em up, though, domesticating them. Mom was from East of the Colorado, though, not sure what tribe. Was before the time Caesar rounded them up, made them Legion. She walked a hell of a way until she crossed paths with my Dad and he convinced her to stop walking. And lucky for me, he was a horny old bastard."
    (Rose of Sharon Cassidy's dialogue)
  5. ↑ The Courier: "The use of violence only leads to more violence."
    Daniel: "Try walking alongside a tribal child, a refugee, and holding her hand for three days because her parents were killed by NCR prospectors. After the prospectors have stalked the remainder of the tribe, they fire off a few shots to scare them, and the tribe bunches together for safety. A grenade comes rolling in and kills another six people. The only reason you survive is because someone else's body absorbed the shrapnel. You're left sprawled out on the ground with ringing in your ears and a little girl's hand in your hand because that's all that's left of her. After you've done that, if you can look me in the eye and tell me it's better to stand aside, maybe then I'll listen to you."
    (Daniel's dialogue)
  6. ↑ The Courier: "And since forming the Legion, all you've done is conquer other tribes?"
    Caesar: "That's right. Decades of warfare, absorbing lesser tribes, gathering power. Forging the dross into a vast, razor-sharp scythe. My Legion's expansion has never ceased. Much of the Utah and Colorado, and all of Arizona and New Mexico, are mine. We have cities of our own, but nothing compared to Vegas. Finally, my Legion will have its Rome."
    (Caesar's dialogue)
  7. ↑ The Courier: "What can you tell me about Freeside?"
    The King: "To understand Freeside, you have to look back a few years. Originally, we were all just tribes making a living in this area. That all changed when Mr. House came around. He made an offer to the three biggest tribes that were willing to listen to him. Today, everyone calls those tribes the Three Families, and they live in luxury and run their own casinos in the Strip. The rest of us were left to fight over the crumbs, living in the shadow of those more fortunate. Things got pretty nasty for a while. But we wanted more. A place of our own. A place where no one could tell us what to do. And we didn't want to go elsewhere to find it. So we took control of this place, and made it our own. And that's really all Freeside is, the best of a bad situation."
    (The King's dialogue)
  8. ↑ Lucy MacLean: "Where did you find them all?"
    Hank MacLean: "Oh, all over. So many people need our help. Like Marjorie."
    Marjorie: "Hi."
    Hank: "You used to kind of a murderer, right?"
    Marjorie: "I guess."
    Hank: "Now, she's a pencil sharpener, and a darn good one. Oh, Sherman and Gregory were from opposing tribes. If they'd met each other a month ago, they'd have killed each other."
    (Fallout TV series, Season 2, Episode 6: "The Other Player")
  9. ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How did The Pitt get started?"
    Ishmael Ashur: "Believe it or not, it started when the Brotherhood decided to loot this hellhole and wipe it off the map. We called it the Scourge. Back then, I was 'Initiate Ashur.' But that ended when the Brotherhood left me behind, and I came to see The Pitt in a new light. I was found by tribals who thought I was a god. I didn't argue, and with my leadership and their divine dedication, we began rebuilding this city."
    (Ishmael Ashur's dialogue)
  10. ↑ Creation Club Description of Fallout 4 Creations content "Repurposed Power Armor Helmets"

Non-game

  1. ↑ Behind the Bright Lights & Big City: "The NCR boasts a large standing professional army. Under President Tandi's administration, military duty was honored as preforming patriotic duty. The armed forces grew in size but were used primarily to secure territorial borders and to respond to tribal attacks. Tandi's restraint in such relations, and the diplomatic overtures that accompanied them, were so remarkable as to earn her the title 'Great Mother' among some of the tribes surrounding the NCR."
  2. ↑ Question: "My friend is saying that your guys were insensitive in your jokes regarding Indians in the latest DLC. Thoughts?"
    Joshua Sawyer: "I have no idea what jokes he's talking about, most notably since there aren't any Indians/Native Americans in Honest Hearts."
    Question: "Well at least with the Dead Horses, there seems to be a lot of influence from Native Americans. And my friend was saying how she saw that "Two-Bears-High-Fiving" joke as being very insensitive. She took it as mocking the NAtive American naming culture."
    Joshua Sawyer: "Two Bears High-Fiving is a reference to a popular mod for the opening ink blot tests from Doc Mitchell. The tribes are influenced by a number of indigenous groups, not simply "Native Americans" (itself a very broad categorization of geographically and culturally diverse groups). The "ethnic" composition of all three of the tribes is intentionally mixed. There aren't Caucasian, African, Asian, etc. Dead Horses. There are just Dead Horses, with a thoroughly mixed background. What English speakers understand of various Sioux, Cherokee, Sauk, etc. names is usually as literal a translation as they can manage because many indigenous American names are really, really long. Even so, there isn't a homogeneous indigenous American "naming culture". Cultures based on European backgrounds may treat our names as sounds without meaning, but a lot of them are packed with the same sorts of sentiments -- animal names (e.g. Melissa, Bjorn), religious connections (e.g. Joshua, Johanna, Michael), etc. The names of individual tribals in Honest Hearts is intended to give them a sense of being "other" more than it is intended to evoke specific indigenous connections. Joshua Graham elaborates on this a bit in his dialogue. The New Canaanites wear more clothing and understand more about technology than the Sorrows, but they're still a tribe."
    (Formspring reply on May 20, 2011)
  3. ↑ Question: "Why is it that no one considers the fact that even Europe itself was very tribal at a point where Africa and the middle east held the greatest kingdoms and civilizations and various advances before Western Eur.'s gem, Italy? The third world was civilized."
    Joshua Sawyer: "Beats me. Cultures without a ton of technology or contact with the outside world tend to have similar reactions to sudden contact with high technology and high tech cultures. There's nothing that surprising about it. If society lost 98% of its populace and the remaining people became isolated, the survivors wouldn't automagically retain knowledge about combustion engines and the human respiratory system. Tribals in F:NV are intended to be relatively isolated Post-War groups, with a very mixed makeup, internally, that lost a huge amount of Pre-War knowledge."
    (Formspring reply on May 23, 2011)

Non-canon

  1. ↑ Chevron: "You chase away bad spirit, you may have bats and leave friend of the Whachutu people."