Joshua Graham

Joshua Graham
Lore
Race	Human
Affiliation	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (formerly) Caesar's Legion (formerly) The Prisoner
Role	Missionary Co-founder of Caesar's Legion Caesar's Legate
Gameplay
Location	Fort Abandon
Quests	empty
Mentioned in

 

The Malpais Legate, born Joshua Graham and known in folk legends as the Burned Man, was a former Mormon missionary and later Caesar's right hand man.

After Graham led Caesar's troops to a humiliating defeat in the First Battle of Hoover Dam, Caesar ordered Graham's execution by being coated in pitch, lit on fire, and tossed into the Grand Canyon to set an example for others.

Background

In 2246, a Mormon missionary from New Canaan, Joshua Graham, encountered two Followers of the Apocalypse, Calhoun and the future Caesar, in the Grand Canyon. They had been dispatched to study tribal dialects that had begun to emerge in the post-apocalyptic world. Graham, who was already versed in many of the languages, decided to help them on their task and joined the nine-person expedition.

In 2247, the group were captured by the Blackfoot tribe and held for ransom. At the time the tribe was at war with seven other tribes, a war they were inevitably going to lose. Unwilling to be destroyed along with them, and against the wishes of his companions, Caesar chose to use his knowledge to train the Blackfoot tribe in the art of warfare after witnessing their lack of knowledge first hand. He showed them how to clean and maintain guns, operate with small unit tactics, create their own explosives and to strike at their weakest enemies first; divide et impera - divide and conquer. He quickly impressed them enough to the point where he was made their leader. While Calhoun was sent back to the Followers to inform them of what he was doing, Caesar, together with Joshua Graham, formed the Legion out of the tribes that had either been conquered or had chosen to capitulate to avoid total destruction.

Graham became Caesar's first Legate. Though he was neither a particuarly brilliant strategist nor tactically flexible, his menace and brutality were infamous; the atrocities he committed made him feared by friend and foe alike. He was dangerous, unpredictable and above all else legendary for being impossible to kill, even by NCR Rangers - his death at the hands of 1st Recon sharpshooters was reported no less than five times. Such was Caesar's trust in him that he was tasked with leading the Legion in the battle to take Hoover Dam from the NCR, so that the Legion could use it as a power source and use it to eventually take New Vegas. The Legion were initially successful, and the NCR initiated a tactical retreat to Boulder City, laying explosives and sniping Legion officers as they went. Graham, unable to adapt his tactics and intoxicated with his own victory, did not smell the C4 until it was too late, and the Legion were dealt a crushing blow as the city exploded around them. Caesar, infuriated with his loss, held Graham personally responsible and ordered his execution. The Legate was coated in pitch, set on fire and thrown into the Grand Canyon by the Praetorian Guard as an example to the rest of the Legion - who were forbidden by Caesar to ever utter his name again on pain of death.

Even years after what is generally assumed to be his death, the Legion still do not speak of him by his true name; they have come to simply call him the Burned Man. Any rumors of his survival are played down by the higher ranks of the Legion, but lower ranking Legionaries and their slaves speak about Joshua Graham as if he were now a vengeful spirit, waiting to return. Various tribes whisper that he walks the wastelands now; that his foosteps blacken the earth. Rumors persist that even Caesar has his top scouts still regularly patrol the territory east of the Colorado River for any sign of him, betraying a fear that the Burned Man still walks.

Interactions with the player character

The following is based on Van Buren design documents and is not canon.

Joshua Graham (then referred to as the Hanged Man) was to be a CNPC in Van Buren, Black Isle's canceled Fallout 3. He was to be the first, and statistically best CNPC that the player encountered, but was also very evil and would in some ways make the game extremely difficult for players with poor negotiating skills. He was intended to be a "jinxed" NPC, like the pariah dog.

• The Prisoner was to encounter somebody hanged by the neck from a pole at Fort Abandon, obviously still alive and enraged. If cut down, the Hanged Man would tag along with the Prisoner. He was wrapped from head to toe in bandages as he had been burned pretty much all over. Save for the fact that he had a connection to Caesar's Legion and was particularly ticked off at them, he would not provide many details about himself.
• Rescuing the Hanged Man would cause all the tribals in the region to be angry with the Prisoner as the tribals would blame him for future crimes committed by the Hanged Man. In addition, the Hanged Man may anger any tribals he encounters and try to butcher any Twin Mothers tribals he could find. Having him in the party would make dealing with tribals and some towns extremely difficult.
• The Hanged Man would not enter New Canaan. Upon arrival, he would initiate dialogue with the Prisoner and tell him/her that he had something to take care of, offering to meet at Burham Springs later on. Bishop Mordecai would be able to reveal some details about him.
• Upon entering Burham Springs, the Hanged Man might quote 2 Chronicles 28. The Hanged Man would laughingly refuse to drop his weapons if commanded to by Phil, possibly even inciting Phil to open fire on the party. It would be very difficult for the Prisoner to defuse the situation.

End of information based on Van Buren design documents

Appearances

Joshua Graham was initially to appear in Black Isle's cancelled Fallout 3, although there were some doubts as to whether actually include him in the final game or leave him as a background character.

He is mentioned frequently in Fallout: New Vegas, and is expected to appear in the upcoming add-on Honest Hearts.

Behind the scenes

• A malpaís is a landform characterized by eroded rocks of volcanic origin in an arid environment. This describes many areas, but is strongly connected to the southwestern United States because of the Spanish settlers that gave the landform its name.

See also

• Fort Abandon design document
• New Canaan design document by J.E.Sawyer
• Burham Springs design document by J.E. Sawyer
• Blackfoot design document by Sean K. Reynolds

References

Companions in Van Buren Alexandra · Arcade Gannon · Ashley · BAJAR · Battery · Bear · Beatrice · Christina Royce · CRB-S · Devil Dog · Eddie "Crazy Horse" Galenski · Hanged Man · Helen Wheels · Job · Kurisu · Measles · Otto Steed · S.O.R.-1000 Alpha · Xian