Agamemnon

[hc] Pre-War. Became a ghoul in the years shortly after 2077.

[hc] Spurred to action by the rise of anti-synth sentiments and groups. Investigated notable Institute actions/sightings in the lead up to founding the Railroad, including one near Vault 111 circa 2227.

[c] Date of Railroad joining and/or founding unknown. Earliest recorded leader of the Railroad; start of tenure unknown, spanning till their death in the HQ massacre of 2266.

[hc] Responsible for the founding of the Railroad in the early 2250's.

[hc] Responsible for Deacon's recruitment; served as both his mentor and last real friend. Encouraged Deacon's recovery from chem addiction and helped him to gain perspective beyond solely revenge/grief. Deacon remains extremely grateful.

[hc] Well-read and philosophically inclined. Could say much more. I have a pretty fleshed out concept for this character, and about a billion feelings about their role in D's life, but it's all entirely speculative, so that'll have to be it's own post if I ever get up the courage to share it lmao.

Desdemona

[hc] Wife of (now-deceased) Sam (formerly Lamda 8); [c] Lamda 8 was a synth who was rescued by the Railroad and became a homesteader. She was later killed by coursers in January 2276. Her wife (a farmer) was injured in that same attack.

[c] First mentioned by name in records from September 2276.

[hc] Mentored/trained by Deacon; his last trainee/partner of note until the Sole Survivor (potentially) in 2287/2288.

[c] Elected to leadership as of December 2277. Immediately prioritized operational security as a fundamental necessity.

[hc] Late 30's, early 40's in age as of 2287/2288.

[hc] Places a high priority on synth freedom, to an extent that she is sometimes willing to sacrifice the stability/wellbeing of agents for even a markedly slim chance at rescuing a synth. Uncompromising in her view that the Railroad is acting for a noble cause. Does not like to be confronted with the consequences of her prioritization, nor the idea that some agents are 'sullying the cause' by acting in revenge.

[d] Deacon wishes Desdemona would also approve missions to help humans instead of focusing the organization solely on synths.

[hc] As her ex-mentor/partner, Deacon feels that he failed to help her find a broader perspective, a sense of purpose and responsibility beyond the very narrow pursuit of synth rescue. This sense of failure is intensified by the striking similarities in their personal histories; Deacon regrets that he could not do for Desdemona what he feels Agamemnon did for him.

Carrington

[c] Full name: Stanley Carrington. First mentioned by name in records from September 2276.

[c] As of 2287/2288, identifies himself as the "third senior-most member of [the] organization" and the second-in-command.

[c] Believes that Desdemona, as a leader, "is inspirational" but that "strategy may not be her forte".

[hc] Carrington considers Desdemona to be overly idealistic regarding the Railroad's mission. While he does truly believe in the cause, his personal nature and his role as the organization's medic both push him to favor a strategic pivot to prioritizing agent wellfare, and thus, in his mind, the staying power of the Railroad as a whole.

[hc] Late 40's in age as of 2287/2288.

[c] As of 2287/2288, Deacon is looking into Carrington, in some fashion, via his tourist network.

[hc] While never formally a member of the group, Carrington briefly trained with the Brotherhood of Steel's medics in the Capital Wasteland, up until the organization abandoned its protection of Project Purity. Carrington remained in the area for a few years, then traveled to the Commonwealth and established a traveling practice in the early 2260's. This fleeting association with the BoS is the matter Deacon is investigating.

[hc] Deacon appreciates Carrington's more grounded and cautious approach at times, but their personalities are such that the two are often prickly at best with each other, even when in agreement. Carrington is also less susceptible than Desdemona when it comes to Deacon's persuasion, prodding, and manipulation, which Deacon finds to be both frustrating and a good reason to support Desdemona's continued leadership of the organization.

Tinker Tom

[c] Full name: Thomas Weatherby. First mentioned in 2279.

[c] Family farm was destroyed by an Institute attack.

[c] Very intelligent. Brought in to HQ in 2279 to improve the Railroad's weapons and equipment.

[c] Noted as becoming "increasingly eccentric" throughout 2280, which Carrington attributed to the severe psychological repercussions of stress. Desdemona refrained from changing his position or responsibilities.

[c] Relocated to the Switchboard after its discovery in 2281, where he located P.A.M. and notified Desdemona.

[c] Built the Deliverer pistol for Tommy Whispers in 2282.

[c] Spent much of 2283 attempting to decode a holotape carried by an escaped synth, the first of several sent by the Institute-insider, Patriot. Was able to decipher the message in 2284 - "Mass Fusion" - as well as another similarly coded message later that year.

[c] Able to decode the courser chip and decipher the schematics for the molecular relay, if the Sole Survivor provides the chip/plans.

[c] Prone to paranoia and conspiracy-based thought.

[hc] While Deacon does not generally believe Tom's theories, he is genuinely sympathetic to the impact that Tom's time with the Railroad has had on his mental wellbeing and will usually patiently humor Tom, or even encourage him, as he spins a new theory.

Glory

[c] First mentioned in 2280. Formerly G7-81. Opted out of Amari's memory wipe procedure.

[c] Worked with High Rise at Ticonderoga for some time. Called to HQ and promoted to Railroad heavy in 2280.

[c] Firmly opposed to killing Gen 2 synths unless absolutely necessary, such as in self-defense, as she considers them to be people. Also generally tries to avoid killing Gen 1s.

[c] Following Tommy Whisper's move to HQ in 2281, Desdemona noted that Glory had "taken him under his [sic] wing".

[c] As of 2287/2288, dismissive of some aspects of current Railroad security procedures, such as compartmentalization.

[c] Favors 'guns blazing' type tactics, hitting targets fast and hard as opposed to subtlety. Criticized by Desdemona for being too willing to kill humans, as opposed to seeking alternate solutions.

[d] Deacon recognizes the tactical value of having varied skill sets within the Railroad, however, he is not willing to engage in the same tactics as Glory, nor is he willing to work with a partner who does.

[d] Deacon views Glory's approach ([hc] and to an extent, Glory herself) as short-sighted and dangerous, not only to the agents participating in such actions but to the Railroad's mission as a whole; collateral damage is likely to turn public opinion even further against synths and those helping them, making the Railroad's job that much harder.

John D. / Deacon As I favor the theory that Deacon is John D., the two are discussed as one below. Canon notations here up through March 2273 refer to John D., while those after that date refer to Deacon.

[d] Spent a portion of his youth as a member of the UP (University Point) Deathclaws, a gang that harassed and assaulted those they suspected to be synths. This eventually lead to the murder of one such suspected synth.

[d] Cut ties with the UP Deathclaws after the above-mentioned murder. Became a farmer and eventually settled down with and married Barbara.

[hc] While Deacon states he did not know Barbara was a synth, he passingly suspected it, or at least had reason to; Barbara had no significant memories, supposedly as a result of head injury, but in fact caused by an early attempt at a memory wipe. Deacon would later "borrow" this fact for a lie. I don't know if I'd die on this hill but I do think about it and its further implications So Much.

[d] The UP Deathclaws found the couple and killed Barbara, seemingly somehow aware that she was a synth. Deacon then killed most of the gang. Some time later, he was contacted by the Railroad.

[hc] Recruited to the Railroad in the late 2250's.

[c] A runner for the Railroad as of November 2266. Sole HQ-based survivor of the 2066 Railroad HQ massacre, one of only 13 members total who survived and chose to remain involved after the event.

[c] "Finding tourists at a pretty good clip" as of February 2267. Insisted on operational security; kept tourists' identities to himself.

[c] Developed the dead drop system prior to March 2273.

[c] Responsible for planning the escape route utilized by most survivors of the mid-2273 attack on Railroad HQ.

[c] Kicked out of HQ, temporarily, in June 2275.

[c] In 2281, detected a synth infiltrator at Mercer safehouse before P.A.M. was able to. As a result, HQ operations were moved to safety an hour prior to the related courser attack.

[c] Spent a portion of 2284 investigating "Institute sightings from years, even decades before". [hc] This included further investigating several sightings Agamemnon had taken note of and discussed with Deacon several decades prior - particularly the Vault 111 sighting.

[c] Largely absent from HQ throughout 2286; "chasing ghosts".

[c] As of 2287, working on a secret project, code-named Wanderer, based on a "wild theory" and building toward an "even wilder plan (Tea Party)". While the exact nature of the plan is not described, dialogue between Desdemona and P.A.M. suggests its successful completion would result in the freedom of all living synths.

[hc] Mid-to-late 50's in age as of 2287/2288.

[d] Views the Railroad's mission as somewhat broader, meant to help both humans and synths. Acknowledges that this isn't a viewpoint shared by everyone in the organization.

The idea that Fahrenheit just looks young for her age, and she and Hancock are partners of some kind is interesting to me. I'm always a fan of platonic life partners as a headcanon, two best friends living together and loving each other enough to want to spend their lives together.

However I could also see them being polyamorous or in an 'open relationship' where both are permitted to (safely, or as safely as you can in the wasteland) sleep with other people so long as they come home to each other.

But, as partial as I am to polyamorous ships/headcanons, I also am partial to the headcanon that Fahrenheit is a nonbinary lesbian. She could be bisexual with a heavy preference for women of course, but all her ships with women just hit different to me.