#adarlingwrites

Companion Perk: Hell’s Ferryman - Having a tall, silent, and intimidating Ghoul in your party strikes fear in people’s hearts. In combat, humans and ghouls will have their Damage Resistance reduced by 25%, and they have a 50% chance of dropping their weapons in terror. Outside combat, having Charon in your party will unlock special Intimidate dialogue.

Examples of Intimidate dialogue: You can Intimidate Colonel Autumn to back down by threatening him a slow and painful death in the hands of your ghoul companion. You can threaten Griffon that you’ll have Charon rough him up if he doesn’t start selling real Aqua Pura to the citizens of Underworld.

Companion Quest: Charon’s Chains (unmarked quest)

After being in Ahzrukhal’s employ for far too long, Charon is finally free of him and his influence. In your travels in the wasteland, you can influence Charon to overcome his brainwashing, or reinforce his contract’s hold on his psyche.

Select quests, engaging in dialogue with certain NPCs, or doing certain actions that are related to slavery and freedom can give the player either an “overcome” token, or a “reinforce” token, and will unlock dialogue with Charon. Examples: Freeing slaves from Paradise Falls will grants the player overcome tokens, while selling slaves to slavers will grant the player reinforce tokens. During the quest Head of State, siding with Hannibal Hamlin will grant the player an overcome token, while siding with Leroy Walker grants the player a reinforce token.

When three overcome tokens are acquired, Charon will prompt dialogue with the player and will start the Out of Hell quest, where Charon will gain the nerve to ask the player a favor. He will ask to travel to the Ninth Circle, where he will finally tell the player how he fell into Ahzrukhal’s employ. He tells the Lone Wanderer that his time working with them made him question the legitimacy of his contract. He will then ask the player to help him decide what to do with his contract.

The player can either hand him his own contract and tell him that they’re giving him the right to choose his own employer, which grants +200 Karma. Depending on the player’s Karma, Charon will choose to stay in the party if the player has Neutral, Good or Very Good Karma, or return to Underworld if the player has Evil Karma. Very Evil players will still be shot on sight when he leaves the party, forcing the player to terminate Charon.

OR, with a difficult speech check, the player can convince Charon to abandon the contract, and they burn the contract, granting Charon unconditional freedom. This grants the player +400 Karma. Charon will then thank the player and will refer to them as a partner. He will continue to travel with you as long as your Karma remains positive or neutral. Otherwise, he will return to Underworld and will be recruitable again if player Karma improves.

When three reinforce tokens are acquired, the Damnation quest starts. Charon will gain the nerve to protest the player’s actions, citing his sense of self-preservation as the reason, and the player can convince him that there’s nothing he can do to change his status as an indentured servant. Convincing Charon will make him abandon his personal code, becoming your amoral puppet. This grants the player -400 Karma.

Additionally, there is an unmarked quest Bodyguard for Sale. The player can choose to give away or sell Charon’s contract for 1000 caps with or without completing Damnation and permanently lose him as a companion. The first option is to give his contract to Hannibal Hamlin and the Abolitionists, which grants +200 Karma. To do so, the player must pass a speech check with Hannibal to convince him to accept Charon’s contract and rehabilitate him. Alternatively, the player can sell him to slavers in Paradise Falls for 1000 caps. With a series of barter checks, his value can increase up to 3000 caps. This grants the player -400 Karma. Finishing Damnation and selling Charon to the slavers will net the player a total of -800 Karma.

Reward Perks:

Fire-Forged: Permanently increases Charon’s DR by 30% and increases the player’s hit points by 50 as long as Charon’s in the party. (If Out of Hell is finished.)

Hellhound: Permanently increases Charon’s fire rate with shotguns by 30% and increases his reload speed by 15%. (If Damnation is finished.)

Romance: His Angel (unmarked quest)

Charon can be romanced if the player finishes Out of Hell by burning Charon’s contract and has Neutral or Good/Very Good Karma. Attempting to romance him with his contract intact will cause him to reject the player, stating that he’d like to keep their relationship professional.

If the player meets the conditions to unlock his romance, a new dialogue option will show up where the player can ask Charon if he had previous employers whom he considers as friends. Charon will admit that though he had employers who are decent to him, he only ever felt animosity or indifference. He adds that the Lone Wanderer is the only employer he ever cared for on a personal level. The player can respond by saying that they are glad to have him by their side, OR, they can initiate a romance by telling him that what they want to take care of him too. When questioned by Charon about what they meant by that, the player can choose to respond by confessing that what they feel for him runs deeper than friendship, or drop the romance route by saying that friends care for each other and you want to return the favor. If the player goes for the romance route, Charon will express his fears, never experiencing a relationship before because of his upbringing, and the player can either drop the romance entirely, or reassure him that they’ll figure things out together, thus locking the romance in.

Charon will occasionally call the Lone Wanderer “angel”, and additional idle dialogue are unlocked: “Please stay close to me.” “I’ll always protect you.” “I’ll stay by your side for as long as you’ll have me.”

Lover’s Embrace Dialogue:

-snores, jerks awake, then grumbles-

-grumbles- Angel, what time is it?

Did you sleep well, angel?

Did I please you?

I hope last night was to your satisfaction. I was very satisfied.

Note: After completing Out of Hell in favor of burning his contract, if the player’s Karma drops too low or if the player kills a Neutral or Good NPC in cold blood, he will warn them that they need to turn things around or he will no longer travel with them. If the player’s Karma doesn’t improve in 3 in-game days, Charon will leave the player and go back to Underworld, and if romanced, will take a break from the relationship, but will not attack the player. He can be recruited and romanced again when the player improves their Karma. Their relationship, romantic or platonic, can be salvaged twice. If the player’s Karma drops too low for a third time, Charon will tell them that he’s tired of their excuses and will apologetically tell them that the player has left them with no other choice. He then proceeds to attack the player. If the quest was done in favor of giving him his contract, he will refuse to work with the player if recruiting him with Evil or Very Evil Karma, but will not leave the party if already recruited before the player’s Karma dropped. Dismissing him while Very Evil will still cause him to shoot you, but he will express remorse in doing so. Doing the Damnation quest will not change Karma requirements for his recruitment, reflecting the game’s vanilla mechanics.

Ending:

If Out of Hell was finished in favor of burning his contract:

With the Lone Wanderer’s help, Charon finally gained true freedom. He overcame the brainwashing he experienced during his brutal upbringing, and is now free to follow his own moral code. Ready to face what the wasteland has to offer with his newfound liberty, Charon spent his time keeping the roads of the Capital Wasteland safe from Raiders and slavers. Tales of a frightening ghoul with a shotgun began to spread; while the wicked saw him as a grim reaper, the downtrodden hails him as an avenging angel.

(if just friends, Neutral or Good Karma) Charon and the Lone Wanderer remained friends, occasionally traveling together like old times. Their friendship lasted until one of them stopped drawing breath, a rare thing in the Wasteland.

(if romanced) Charon and the Lone Wanderer spent the rest of their days together. Though life in the Wasteland is uncertain, they remained lovers until one of them stopped drawing breath, and remained in love even long after, a rare thing in the Wasteland.

(player has Evil Karma) Despite the Lone Wanderer’s troubling actions, Charon thanked his former employer for his liberation, though he parted with a warning: should he cross paths again with them, he will not hesitate to shoot them on sight.

If Out of Hell was finished in favor of giving him his contract:

With the help of the Lone Wanderer, Charon finally has the option to choose who he will work for. He bent the contract’s rigid rules, and is free to refuse to be an instrument for any evil bastard who seeks to use him for their own gain.

(player has Very Good, Good or Neutral Karma) Charon thanked his employer for giving him the right to choose, packs up, and ventures west. There he found work as a bodyguard for a Followers of the Apocalypse outpost, taking silent pride in himself for choosing to work for humanitarians and doctors.

(player has Evil Karma) Despite the Lone Wanderer’s troubling actions, Charon thanked his former employer for giving him this opportunity, though he parted with a warning: should he cross paths again with them, he will not hesitate to shoot them on sight.

If Damnation was finished:

(if Charon was convinced to abandon his morals) Without his personal moral code to hold on to, Charon begin to lose what’s little left of his humanity. In less than a year, his mental stability deteriorates, until he becomes nothing but a husk, a mindless feral.

If Charon’s contract was sold:

(if Charon’s contract was given to the Abolitionists) With Charon in tow, the Abolitionists’ influence grew in the Wasteland, and more escaped slaves flocked to the organization. Slavers were less brazen to go after the escapees when they found out that a few of their fellow scum ate shotgun shells courtesy of a certain shotgun-toting ghoul.

(if Damnation wasn’t finished) Soon enough, with Hannibal Hamlin’s influence, Charon slowly detached from his contract. As a symbol of his liberty, he and the Abolitionists gathered together and threw the piece of paper in the Potomac. Long after Hamlin and the original members were gone, Charon remained as a member, a stalwart protector to whomever needed their help.

(if Damnation was finished) Without his moral code to hang on to, despite the Abolitionist’s influence on Charon, it did very little to help his state of mind. One day, Hamlin and the others woke up to a feral Charon, and with remorse, had to put him down. They built a small shrine in memory of their fallen comrade.

(if Charon’s contract was sold to slavers) With the ghoul mercenary under their employ, the slavers became an even bigger threat to the denizens of the Capital Wasteland, using Charon to kidnap more slaves, and terminate anyone who gets in the way.

(if Charon wasn’t convinced to abandon his morals) One day, when the slavers finally thought that it was time for Charon’s contract to change hands, the ghoul whipped out his shotgun and took out as many slavers as he could before being shot to death himself, a cathartic smile plastered on his face as the light faded from him.

(if Charon was convinced to abandon his morals) One night, the slavers awakened to a feral Charon tearing apart Carolina Red, and was forced to put him down. After burning his body, they discarded his contract, the last reminder of his existence.

If Charon dies:

Charon’s lifetime of servitude finally ended when he found his freedom in death. His contract no longer holds any meaning or purpose, and was discarded and forgotten, like himself.

Author’s Notes: See below.

Companion Perk: Tunnel Snakes Rule! - That’s us, and we rule! By bringing Butch as a companion, you now bring the Tunnel Snakes’ name and reputation with you. Having Butch in your party grants +15 Speech and unlocks special dialogue with certain NPCs when wearing the Tunnel Snakes outfit.

Example of unique dialogue: You can convince Mayor MacCready to give you entry in Little Lamplight by bringing Butch while wearing the Tunnel Snakes outfit and bragging about the gang.

Companion Quest: Tunnel Snakes Forever

You’re now a honorary member of the Tunnel Snakes. Help Butch define the Tunnel Snakes’ reputation to gain more members to become a permanent member.

You can either convince him to take on a more heroic reputation by gaining Good Karma while he is a companion, or convince him to take a more villainous reputation by gaining Evil Karma. However, Butch will leave the party if you gain Evil Karma from acts that aren’t stealing or intimidation, such as murdering  someone in cold blood, or blowing up Megaton.

Butch’s dialogue will change depending on the karma loss or gain.

When enough karma is gained (+300 or -300 depending on your choice), Butch will prompt a dialogue with the player and lock the option in.

Finishing the quest will spawn Tunnel Snakes gang members in the Muddy Rudder in Rivet City. NPC idle dialogue will also change to reflect their presence and depends on whether Butch was convinced to do good or bad.

Residents will praise The Tunnel Snakes as “nice young folks” and call Butch “a handsome and helpful fellow” if the Good Karma route is taken, and security will applaud them for helping keep the peace. James Hargrave will start hanging out with them and his behavior improves. His mother Tammy will thank the player and the Tunnel Snakes for keeping him on the straight and narrow, wishing she had done a better job raising him, and will give the player a random food item, which the player can refuse for Good Karma.

Residents will express their disdain for the Tunnel Snakes if the Evil Karma route is taken, calling them “troublemakers” and “petty criminals”, while security will make idle comments about arresting them if they go too far. James Hargrave will start hanging out with them, his behavior gets worse, and starts bullying his friend CJ Young. His mother Tammy will curse the player out for being a worse influence on her kid and will claim that she disowned him.

Reward Perks:

Do-Gooder: Permanently increases Butch’s damage with pistols and unarmed attacks by 20%. Player receives the same effects as long as Butch is in the party. (Butch receives this perk when his personal quest is done in favor of a heroic reputation.)

Venomous: Permanently increases Butch’s fire rate with pistols and unarmed attack speed by 20%. Player receives the same effects as long as Butch is in the party. (Butch receives this perk when his personal quest is done in favor of a villainous reputation.)

Romance: Childhood Friends (unmarked quest)

Butch is available to be romanced after completing personal quest and maintaining the corresponding Karma chosen. A new dialogue option will show up where the player can reminisce with Butch about their childhood in Vault 101. Butch will confess to the player that he had a crush on them, apologizing for his bullying to get them to notice him (if Good route is taken) or telling the player that they’re finally badass enough to be his girl/man (if Evil route is taken). The player can reject his advances and he will tell them that while he’s heartbroken, he’s still glad to have the player in the gang, or the player can accept his feelings. Butch will start calling the player “baby” or “babe”.

Lover’s Embrace Dialogue:

Morning, gorgeous/handsome/beautiful.

Ugh, baby, do we have to get up?

Damn babe, if I only knew you’re that freaky, we should’ve done this a long time ago.

-yawns- There’s my favorite person.

Er... so, did you enjoy that real Tunnel Snake last night babe? -chuckles nervously-

Note: After completing his personal quest, he will warn the player if their Karma drops too low (if his quest is completed with Good Karma) or goes too high (if his quest is completed with Bad Karma). If the player’s Karma doesn’t change within 3 in-game days, Butch will leave the party. If romanced, he will break up with the player. He will be not recruitable or romanceable again until the required Karma level is attained. Alternatively, with a difficult speech check, you can convince Butch to reverse the Karma requirement, but this can only be done once. The player cannot make the Tunnel Snakes flip-flop between Heroic or Villainous reputations.

Ending:

If done in favor of a heroic reputation:

After a rough start in Vault 101, Butch’s gang gained renown in the Capital Wasteland. The Tunnel Snakes becomes a household name, idolized by children and teenagers who wants to protect the weak and do something good. Weak and timid youths gain their nerve to stand up for themselves and their loved ones, while former bullies like Butch himself turn a new leaf, channeling their venom into keeping their communities safe.

(if just friends) Butch and the Lone Wanderer remained brothers-in-arms, their friendship giving awe and inspiration to the people, bringing good wherever they go.

(if romanced) Butch and the Lone Wanderer remained sweethearts, a power couple that people looked up to and tried to emulate, bringing good wherever they go.

If done in favor of a villainous reputation:

After a rough start in Vault 101, Butch’s gang gained infamy in the Capital Wasteland. The Tunnel Snakes becomes a dreaded gang, attracting ne’er do wells and bullies to spread mayhem. Chaos spreads in DC as these ruffians steal, destroy, and assault unfortunate travelers. Soon after, they begin an extortion racket, intimidating people into paying them for protection, or else they slither into their homes and give them a taste of their venom.

(if just friends) Butch and the Lone Wanderer remained partners-in-crime, their presence rousing panic among the wastelanders, bringing chaos and mayhem wherever they go.

(if romanced) Butch and the Lone Wanderer remained the Wasteland’s Bonnie and Clyde, romanticized by rebellious teenagers, bringing chaos and mayhem wherever they go.

If Butch dies:

After a rough start in Vault 101, Butch’s gang finally fell apart in the Capital Wasteland. Butch perished to the harsh world outside, and along with him any memory of the Tunnel Snakes. Without Butch’s leadership, members scattered like dust in the wind.

Author’s Notes: See below.

Absolution

noun: formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment

The Capital Wasteland lauded the Lone Wanderer as a hero, a Messiah, a savior who's willing to give her life for the Good Fight. Beyond the legends, the propaganda, and the mythification that surrounded her legacy, there is only one person who knew her bare soul.

She gave him his absolution, and now he will fight for hers.

Player Character Headcanons

Character creation follows the ME universe’s class systems and the Fallout universe’s SPECIAL and skill system (except the Energy Weapons skill is omitted in favor of a Biotics skill). There are five playable races: human, turian, asari, drell, and quarian. Each race has a perk unique to them. The Tag system is replaced by bonuses unique to the player character’s race and background. The player can choose either genders for each race with the exception of the asari, who are a mono-gendered species.

Human

Perk: Wildcard: Humans are the latest to join the galactic community, but their unpredictable nature makes up for their lack of experience. Distribute 3 more SPECIAL points at the cost of -5 on all skills.

Human Survivor - Born in Mindoir, you spent your childhood hiding from your parents to avoid your chores. You narrowly escape being taken by Batarian slavers thanks to your intense desire to stay alive, surviving long enough to be rescued by the Alliance. (+10 Survival, +5 Sneak, +5 Medicine.)

Human Rogue - Spending your childhood in the megacities of Earth, you got embroiled with gangs and the criminal underworld. You learned how to get into places where you shouldn’t be, and to fight back against the authorities with your fists. (+10 Lockpick, +5 Sneak, +5 Unarmed.) 

Turian

Perk: Turian Discipline: Serving in the turian military instilled some discipline in you, especially with your firearms. Your aim is 50% more accurate, and you find more thermal clips than usual.

Turian Major - After completing your conscription in the turian military, you chose to continue serving and rose to the rank of major. Your sense of duty and loyalty brings people together into a single, cohesive unit. (+10 Speech, +5 Guns, +5 Explosives.)

Turian Mercenary - Shortly after completing mandatory service in the turian military, you’ve decided to become a soldier of fortune. Your time spent as a mercenary made you proficient with explosives and firearms. (+10 Explosives, +5 Guns, +5 Speech.)

Asari

Perk: Innate Biotic: Being an asari means you are naturally a biotic from birth. Gain +10 in the Biotics skill, and 10% more damage when using your biotics.

Asari Scholar - A graduate from a prestigious university in Thessia, you decided to leave your homeworld to further quench your thirst for knowledge. Your inquisitive and diplomatic nature helps you advance your goals. (+10 Science, +5 Speech, +5 Barter.)

Asari Commando - You have shown great biotic potential and have chosen to be trained for combat as a maiden, making you a formidable warrior. (+10 Biotics, +5 Guns, +5 Sneak.)

Drell

Perk: Fine-tuned Physique: Drell have naturally dense muscle tissue, granting them agility and a wiry strength. However, they are susceptible to humidity. Gain +2 Strength and +2 Agility at the cost of -3 Endurance in wet environments.

Drell Assassin - Born in Kahje, you were handpicked by the hanar to serve them through the Compact, which is considered a great honor. Gifted in stealth-based combat, you still retain your training after you’ve decided to seek your own adventure. (+10 Unarmed, +5 Guns, +5 Sneak.)

Drell Drala’fa - You were born in the dying world of Rakhana as the unseen. Ships only come during pilgrimage season, and one day, without hesitation, you stowed away to escape from your previous life with nothing but your sharp survival instincts. (+10 Sneak, +5 Survival, +5 Lockpick.)

Quarian

Perk: Resourcefulness. As nomadic scavengers, it is almost second nature for quarians to make use of everything they can get ahold of. Repairing objects restore 20% more item health, and gain a +50% chance for containers to spawn rarer items.

Quarian Mechanist - Machines are your expertise. You’ve devoted your time studying them, repairing them, and stripping them for parts you can sell. (+10 Repair, +5 Science, +5 Barter.)

Quarian Scientist - In the Flotilla, you devoted your time in intellectual pursuits to help improve the community’s living conditions, such as aiding with creating herbal supplements and studying hydroponics. (+10 Medicine, +5 Science, +5 Repair.)

Author’s Notes: See below.