~The Scarlet Plus-Fours Fallout: New Vegas Picture Diary~

Starring Gracie Cutesman-Pieworthy

Fallout: New Vegas is one of the Fallout games, set in and around a city called New Vegas, which developed from Las Vegas after much of the surrounding America was destroyed in a nuclear war. It's a special game to a lot of Fallout fans, with characters and stories that feel human, different paths you can take through the main storyline, and a powerful, melancholy, yet beautiful atmosphere.

Since taking screenshots is such fun, I've started a new SSLP, which should eventually cover a whole game of Fallout: New Vegas and some of the expansion packs. I'm playing as a certified Charming Young Lady, complete with silver tongue, plasma weaponry, spiked knuckledusters and many bottles of Sunset Sarsaparilla. I hope you like it.

Chapter 9: Gracie Does Some Factions a Good Turn but I Didn't Take Enough Pictures for the Full Story

On a day like any other, Gracie paid a visit to Dennis Crocker, the New Californian ambassador to New Vegas.

This picture was taken by Rose of Sharon Cassidy. Can you tell?

Ambassador Crocker needed some independent help to open ties with the Kings. The Kings were the gang which pretty much ran Freeside, and while the locals regarded them well, they'd proven hostile to settlers and tourists from the NCR. It made for an odd situation where New Californians were welcome in New Vegas, but couldn't walk out of the gate into Freeside. To unpick the situation, two charming young ladies would need to talk to the King' leader, King King.

"And I would be happy to oblige," said Gracie, "but where shall I find a second charming young lady?"

Cass shoved her off the desk.

Our heroines made their way to the Kings' headquarters.

"Oh, so he's 'THE King'! 'King King' did sound a bit silly." --Gracie

The Kings turned out to be the followers of a legendary figure from before the apocalypse. Known only as "the King", this man had gathered thousands of disciples and spread love, peace, and a new music genre (previously invented by African-American musicians such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe) across the world. As the original King's best impersonator, the current King kept his legacy alive by defending Freeside and its people.

"Oh, so that's it, hm? I understand completely!" said Gracie. "Yes, I believe in God as well, although I don't cosplay as one of His avatars."

"Av, avatars? I thinkwe mightbe speakinat cross-purposes, uhuhuh?" said the King. "Anyway, theresaguy name of Orris who's been takinadvantage of visitors to Freeside, posingasa hired gun. If you fellows could haveawordwithim, I'd be thankful, anverymuch so."

Gracie and Cass were happy to oblige, but when they went after Orrin, they found themselves falling between dimensions.

"Elvis Christ on a bike, I don't like this... Gracie, hurry up and take the picture so we can go!" --Rose of Sharon Cassidy

Cass and Gracie decided not to bother with Orrin. He was a silly person. Instead, they went on a day trip to the Hoover Dam, where one of the NCR's other important people wanted help talking to a different gang.

Gracie, observing the finest dam ever named after a vacuum cleaner.

Cass stood on the table to take this picture.

Colonel Cassandra Moore was waiting to meet them. She explained that a nomadic biker gang (who, due to technical limitations, had no actual motorbikes) called the Great Khans had set up shop in Red Rock Canyon, and were currently harassing New Californian army emplacements while dealing drugs on the side. To unpick the situation, Cassandra needed two ass-kicking viragoes to drive them out.

"Well, you've got one ass-kicking virago right here," said Cass, "but where am I gonna find--"

"What happened to turn these Great Khans against you, I wonder?" Gracie cut in.

Colonel Moore looked very uncomfortable. "Um, they have a cultural emphasis on violence, and no respect for the rule of law. They've made a hobby of raiding civilians since we started expanding into the Mojave."

Gracie smiled and blinked politely. "Did anything in particular turn the Great Khans against the New California Republic in particular?"

"An incident took place at Bitter Springs," Colonel Moore said carefully. "A large number of Great Khan personnel were sighted moving in a direction in relation to NCR territory, so First Recon made the difficult decision to engage them. According to the Great Khan-aligned health ministry, one or more bullets were discharged and subsequently entered the persons of one or more Great Khan-aligned personnel who weren't actively participating in hostilities at that exact moment."

Gracie looked at Cass, who looked at Gracie.

"I do believe we should meet these Great Khans," declared Gracie, "and see if one of them might lend me a dictionary."

Some typical examples of Great Khan art.

Our heroines made their way to Red Rock Canyon, named for reasons I don't have enough time to explain.

The longhouse, longer than your average house.

They received a friendly enough welcome, and eventually climbed their way to Papa Khan's longhouse. There, they met Papa Khan, who looked exactly like a Papa Khan.

Once again, Rose of Sharon Cassidy's photography is without match.

"So the cub and the caravaneer turned salvage specialist enter wolf's den," Papa Khan observed. "You wouldn't have come all this way for home-brewed Sunset Sarsaparilla. What do you want, sisters?"

"Well," said Gracie, "we were wondering about the history of the Great Khans. How did you end up, er, sequestered here, on such bad terms with the NCR?"

"We left New California fourteen years ago," Papa Khan dropped a bombshell of lore, "and came east as the new rulers of the waste. Sadly, backed by Mr House, the Three Families happened to us. We retreated to Bitter Springs, where sadly, the NCR army happened to us. They opened fire as our elders and children tried to leave." Such anger and pain was in Papa Khan's voice, what came next sounded all the more shocking. "It's because of that we have sworn that someday, we Great Khans will happen to the NCR. With our new allies, Caesar's Legion, we will crush them!"

Gracie blinked a couple of times. "Gonnae no do that, Papa Khan?" she said softly.

Papa Khan regarded her with suspicion. "How?" he growled.

"We'll get back to you," said Gracie.

Melissa, the inexplicably New Zealand accented daughter of Chomps Lewis. Sadly not pictured: the bloke who says "copasheshy".

The five or so deathclaws who stood between our heroines and Melissa. Happily not pictured: Gracie's death counter.

Gracie and Cass set about convincing some of the Great Khans to steer clear of the Legion. For some, this was as simple as explaining how the Legion treated women. For others, it was as complicated as making a drug delivery near a deathclaw-infested quarry. Regardless, our heroines did everything they could to get the word out.

No comment.

Gracie met Julie Farkas, the leader of Freeside's Followers of the Apocalypse, and asked her if there was anywhere the Great Khans could move. As far away from the NCR as possible, say.

"Well, going further east would put them in Legion territory... South is just more New California, and then the Glow... And Papa Khan's ex lives in Goodsprings... So what about Wyoming?" suggested Julie. "Nothing much happens in Wyoming. The Great Khans could settle in Wyoming, give up raiding and try being an actual nation!"

"His ex?" Cass giggled. "I wonder which bighorner she's talking about!"

"Rose of Sharon, please..." Gracie sighed dramatically, then burst out laughing.

"Conquer Wyoming with sustainable agriculture is what you mean, right...?" --Gracie

With most of the Great Khans put off the Legion, and the prospect of a new beginning in the north, Papa Khan hardly had a choice. He set about finding a map of Wyoming, and sent runners to order a crate of deathclaw jerky from Melissa.