Fallout Wiki
Fallout Wiki
Advertisement
Fallout Wiki

 
Gametitle-FNV
Gametitle-FNV

While I respect their business acumen, I'm obligated to try to destroy them however I can. That's business, after all.

Gloria Van Graff

Os Van Graffs são uma das maiores casas mercantes e famílias criminosas no antigo sudoeste estadunidense, com operações até Mojave Wasteland no leste.

Enredo[]

Fundada em Redding pela matriarca da família, a família Van Graff rapidamente ganhou destaque ao longo das décadas após a destruição da Enclave, negociando armas e commodities de alto valor, como ouro. Seu poder tem suas fundações na lealdade e crueldade, pois a líder da família e mãe de todos os dez filhos confia neles para gerenciar as filiais mais importantes de seu império mercantil e lidar com as tarefas mais delicadas.[1]

Os Van Graffs entraram em confronto com a República em várias ocasiões, recusando-se a ficar sob seu controle. Embora muitas vezes tenha entrado em alguma forma de combate, geralmente os Van Graffs usavam sua riqueza para pagar a NCR quando a derrota se tornava inevitável e agiam discretamente por um tempo, permitindo que as hostilidades diminuíssem.[2] Eventualmente, no entanto, os Van Graffs não podiam mais enfrentar a NCR em pé de igualdade. A República tornou-se grande e poderosa o suficiente para colocar em campo um exército enorme, superando qualquer força que os Van Graffs pudessem reunir, não importando quão grande fosse.[3] A solução foi expandir sua influência por outros meios, como entrar no mercado de New Reno, contestando o controle dos Wrights sobre a cidade[4] e garantir novos mercados no leste, como em Mojave Wasteland.

Os Van Graffs estabeleceram sua filial em Freeside em 2276, sob a liderança de Frieda e Gloria Van Graff. Eles tomaram o dilapidado cassino Silver Rush. Quando os Kings protestaram, armas de plasma fizeram com que eles retirassem as objeções, deixando a família livre para exercer seu ofício.[5] Isso naturalmente atraiu a atenção da da Irmandade, mas a preocupação de Elder Elijah com HELIOS One impediu o capítulo de agir.[6]

A estratégia geral no Mojave é maximizar os lucros por meio de acordos oficiais e não oficiais, além de diminuir a competição.[Non-canon 1] Para este fim, Gloria formou uma aliança secreta com Alice McLafferty. Em troca de atacar as caravanas concorrentes, como Durable Dunn's ou Cassidy Caravans, encenando ataques da Irmandade, a Crimson Caravan Company prejudicaria os Gun Runners, do mesmo ramo comercial, motivando os clientes a negociarem com os Van Graffs.[7]

E claro, Gloria tem ambições maiores. Como a a Legion estava tentando pedidos para os comerciantes em Mojave, ela contatou um de seus representantes e concordou em fornecer-lhes armas de energia.[8] Sem o conhecimento da Legião, o acordo era na verdade uma armação: Gloria negociou um acordo com a NCR. Ela atrairia os representantes da Legião para uma armadilha armada pelo Exército, e este começaria a comprar armas dela em troca.[9] Isso permitiu que ela superasse a hostilidade da República contra sua família, ganhando não apenas um grande contrato de defesa, mas também conexões na NCR que poderiam ser aproveitadas em benefício da família.[10] De qualquer forma, os lucros obtido com o negócios devem ser suficientes para convencer a matriarca de que cooperação com a República é uma boa ideia.[11]

Organização[]

A casa mercantil Van Graff é uma empresa familiar, com todas as principais decisões tomadas pela matriarca de Redding. Popular com homens por sua aparência e dinheiro, suas políticas de crescimento de longo prazo transformaram os Van Graffs em uma verdadeira potência.[1] Os dez filhos da matriarca são administradores e executores das filiais cruciais do império mercantil, como o Silver Rush em Freeside.[12] However, the mother usually has the final say when it comes to large scale deals, such as dealing energy weapons in bulk.[13] Acordos não autorizados são raros, mas se forem bem-sucedidos, é improvável que a matriarca tome medidas contra seus filhos. Em vez disso, ela os usará para expandir sua influência e operações.[10]

A família depende de mercenários para proteger suas operações e garantir negócios tranquilos com seus clientes. Em grande parte considerados bandidos, os homens bem armados e bem defendidos estão lá para deter os ladrões e pegar aqueles que são tolos o suficiente para tentar a sorte. Estes geralmente acabam sendo usados como alvos para práticar com armas de energia.[14]

Relações com o exterior[]

Como uma poderosa casa mercantil, não é surpresa que os Van Graffs são hostis à seus competidores. Não importa o quanto eles respeitem a perspicácia empresarial de, como os Gun Runners, gerentes como Gloria Van Graff são obrigados a tentar destruí-los como puderem.[15] Claro, há exceções: casas de caravanas que não ameaçam diretamente os negócios da Van Graffs, devido à não sobreposição de mercados, podem ser parceiros de negócios lucrativos para os comerciantes de Redding. A Crimson Caravan é uma dessas empresas, cooperando secretamente com os Van Graffs para monopolizar o comércio em Mojave.[16] Comerciantes poderosos também são parceiros em potencial para os Van Graff, embora alguns, como Robert House, acabem fora do alcance dos Van Graff.[17]

No entanto, o maior oponente dos Van Graffs é a New California Republic. A família se opõe às políticas fiscais e comerciais da República, bem como à forma como a República se expande. Havia um tempo em que os Van Graffs eram capazes de se defender contra os militares da República, com seu pequeno exército de mercenários bem equipados, embora, todos os confrontos entre eles e o NCRA sempre terminassem com os Van Graffs pagando às autoridades da República com suas riquezas quando a derrota se tornava inevitável.[2] No entanto, o crescimento da República em um estado-nação de pleno direito tornou essa oposição imprudente e os Van Graffs são forçados a procurar meios alternativos de se opor à República.[3] A situação é ainda mais complicada pelo fato de que os Van Graffs estão operando em territórios da NCR em 2281.

Como resultado, alguns dos gerentes das filiais, como Gloria Van Graff, tentaram fechar acordos com a NCR, agindo como parceiros de negócios, em vez de inimigos da República.[18] A única entidade com a qual os Van Graffs não cooperarão é a Caesar's Legion. Embora seu poder e a lealdade de seus soldados sejam impressionantes, o fato de a Legião ter apenas servos e não aliados, impossibilita qualquer forma de cooperação. Os Van Graffs servem apenas a si mesmos.[2][19]

Tecnologia[]

Os Van Graffs têm acesso a vastas reservas, tanto monetárias quanto material. Além do acesso a armas de energia de ponta do pré-Guerra, eles equipam todos os seus guardas em armaduras de combate de primeira geração, pintadas de preto para fins de reconhecimento de marca e intimidação.[20]

Anotações[]

  • Se o Courier ajudar Cass a encontrar evidências dos Van Graffs tentando matá-la na missão Heartache by the Number, eles se tornarão hostis quando Cass estiver por perto. Se desejar evitar as hostilidades, aproxime-se do Silver Rush sem Cass ou mate furtivamente o guarda da porta Simon. Completar a missão Heartache by the Number a favor de Cass também tornará os membros da Van Graffs hostis.
  • Depois de completar Birds of a Feather (se estiver do lado dos Van Graffs), Gloria Van Graff dirá ao Courier que ela terá alguns trabalhos de entrega para eles em alguns dias, mas ela nunca os tem.

Aparições[]

Os Van Graffs aparecem em Fallout: New Vegas.

Bastidores[]

  • De acordo com Joshua Sawyer, os Van Graffs trazer seus carregamentos de armas do norte da Califórnia, fora do alcance das patrulhas da Irmandade do Aço.[Non-canon 2]
  • A família é mencionada nos documentos de design do Van Buren, o Fallout 3 cancelado da Black Isle Studios.

Galeria[]

Referências[]

  1. 1,0 1,1 Courier: "Tell me about the Van Graffs."
    Jean-Baptiste Cutting: "Our family comes from Redding, to the west. We deal weapons mostly, but trade other commodities, like gold, if there's cash in it. Our mother's been running the show for longer than most of us have been alive, but she stays at the home office. We've got branches all over the place, which are run by my brothers and sisters. Momma's real popular with the menfolk, both for her money and her looks, which is why there's ten of us kids in total, all by different fathers."
    (Diálogo de Jean-Baptiste Cutting)
  2. 2,0 2,1 2,2 Courier: "I thought you hated the NCR?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "Oh, I do. They're a bunch of corrupt, bullying fools who think they can tell everyone how to live their lives, and my family's fought them for years. But that's just it. Do you know how large the NCR army is? If they wanted to, they could have beaten us a dozen times over. Do you know why they haven't? Money. Every time things have gotten too tense, we've paid them off and laid low for a while. They're an enemy we can live with. This Caesar, on the other hand, is a different animal. We've heard reports for years from our agents to the east. He doesn't tolerate his enemies, he makes examples of them. And he doesn't have friends. Only servants. And the Van Graffs serve no one but themselves. Given that, the choice was rather simple."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  3. 3,0 3,1 Courier: "What do you think of the NCR?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "You must not know a lot about my family or you wouldn't have asked that. The Van Graffs and the NCR have been enemies for decades. They've tried to block our expansion for years, but we've managed to grow regardless. The problem is they have, too. The NCR is huge, now. We're talking on a scale that's difficult to imagine. Time was, we could fight them and hold our own. Not so anymore. My family has enough men and guns to field a small army, but the NCR can field a really, really big army. Fighting them is out of the question now."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  4. Courier: "What's your story?"
    Clayton Ettienne: "Well, I've lived in Nevada all my life. Started out in New Reno, but headed down here as soon as I got the chance. If you can believe it, things are even worse back home. The whole city's still run by crime families. Used to be the Mordinos and Wrights. Now it's the Wrights and Van Graffs. Seems like things never get better. Anyway, that's all behind me now."
    (Diálogo de Clayton Ettienne)
  5. Courier: "Tell me about the Kings."
    Gloria Van Graff: "Ah, the "rulers" of Freeside. The Kings are a bunch of boys who refuse to grow up, and this is their playground. Their leader seems different, though. The few times I've dealt with him I've been impressed despite myself. Unfortunately, he rarely acts. The Kings believe that everyone in Freeside can do whatever they want, provided they can back it up with force. Which suits us just fine. When we first arrived in Freeside, the Kings protested when we kicked out the original occupant of this establishment. When we reduced several of their members to glowing puddles of goo, their objections vanished. Since then, we've left each other alone."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  6. Courier: "Yes, what is the task?"
    Edgar Hardin: "Back when we were stationed at HELIOS, our scouts reported that a group was establishing itself in the area as a distributor of Pre-War weapons. Our Elder at the time, Elijah, was too concerned with getting HELIOS running and fending off the NCR, so he ordered us to leave them alone. It's time that we correct that oversight, and show this region that the Brotherhood is still a force to be reckoned with. I want you to visit these weapons dealers, this Van Graff family, and make an example of them. Leave no one alive. When the job is done, report back and I'll arrange for a team to clean up the site and retrieve the weapons."
    (Diálogo de Edgar Hardin)
  7. Letter to Gloria
  8. Courier: "For starters, what in the hell just happened?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "We made a lot of money, that's what. The Legion paid us to deliver weapons, and the NCR paid us to deliver the Legion. Or some of them, anyway."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  9. Courier: "Just start at the beginning."
    Gloria Van Graff: "Caesar has been making overtures to prominent suppliers for some time now. Usually, they're too scared of him to cross him and just pay or flee. I saw an opportunity and negotiated a deal with the NCR - I help draw some of their enemy's troops into a trap and they agree to buy from me. Normally, those stuck-up bastards wouldn't have anything to do with us, but their situation is precarious, and this chance was too tempting."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  10. 10,0 10,1 The Courier: "So now the Van Graffs are allied with the NCR?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "Well... not exactly. The deal wasn't exactly sanctioned by my mother, but she'll come around when she hears about the profit I made. If she's smart, and she is, believe me, she'll turn this to her own advantage and make a bundle off our new "connections" in the NCR."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  11. Courier: "Wouldn't you have made just as much money dealing with the Legion?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "Hardly. They've got a lot of soldiers, and slaves. But they don't come close to having the amount of wealth the NCR has. When I said we were going to be rich, I meant it. The deal I brokered with the NCR netted me fives times what Caesar paid. Keeping Caesar's money was just a bonus."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  12. Courier: "So is this a family business?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "Yes it is. My brother and I run this particular branch, but our family has operations all over, particularly in California."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  13. Gloria Van Graff: "Good, you're here. Do you remember that package I had you deliver? Well, the client liked the sample and put in a massive order. It's possibly the biggest order we've ever supplied. I've had to repeatedly assure my mother that everything will go smoothly. And that's where I'm hoping you'll come in. We'll be bringing an escort, and I want you on it. What do you say?"
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  14. Courier: "This seems like a bad neighborhood to open a store."
    Gloria Van Graff: "Look around, and you'll notice two things. First, we don't lack for security. I'm not worried about anyone breaking in here or stealing our goods. Not that we don't occasionally have attempts, but even those prove useful. Do you know how much target dummies cost? Back to my point, the second thing you'll notice is that we do not sell cheap merchandise. Everything here is second-to-none. People who buy Van Graff goods typically don't care where they have to go to get them."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  15. Courier: "What do you think of the Gun Runners?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "They're our chief competitors in this region, and many others. That makes them our enemies. While I respect their business acumen, I'm obligated to try to destroy them however I can. That's business, after all."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  16. Crimson Caravan - Van Graff agreement
  17. Courier: "What do you know of Mr. House?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "Very little, same as everyone else. We attempted to deal with him when we first moved into the area, but had no luck. He must have his own weapons supplies to keep as many laser-armed robots operational as he does. Makes me wonder where they are..."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  18. Courier: "What will you do now?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "It'll be all I can do to supply the NCR with the amount of weapons they want, so I'll be pretty busy for the foreseeable future. Oh, you're probably wondering if you still have a job! I don't have anything open at the moment, sadly. But we're going to need all the help we can get transporting guns to the NCR, so stop by every now and then and I might have a delivery job for you. And before I forget, here's your share of the take from the warehouse job. You can keep the armor. Thanks again for all your help."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  19. Courier: "What do you think of the Legion?"
    Gloria Van Graff: "I've only heard rumors, since this is the furthest east our operations go. But the rumors are pretty scary. They're said to be a huge slaver nation, with all the soldiers obeying their lord with unquestioning obedience. Sounds like a man I'd like to meet."
    (Diálogo de Gloria Van Graff)
  20. Simon: "Okay, now let's get you geared up. First, your armor. Standard issue is your run-of-the-mill combat armor, with a nice dark coat of paint for both brand recognition and sheer intimidation value. Next, your weapon. Guards are required to use rifles. Anything lighter compromises your combat effectiveness. Anything heavier and people are too scared to come in the door. What's your preference, laser or plasma?"
    (Diálogo de Simon)

Não-canônicos

  1. Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 42: "The Van Graffs: The Van Graff family has a history of ruthless behavior when it comes to rivals muscling in on their territory, and it seems old habits die hard; two of the Van Graffs have set up shop in a bedraggled old casino called the Silver Rush, where they specialize in Energy Weapons, and the maximizing of profits. Run by Gloria Van Graff and her elder half-brother Jean-Baptiste Cutting, their stronghold is heavily-defended with their Thugs armed with the latest in weapons technology. Gloria is in charge of general operations at the Silver Rush. She is the person responsible for the New Vegas Van Graffs' general strategy, including possible under-the-counter deals to wipe out the competition. The muscle of the vanOrtografia; pontuação e/ou gramática em jogo Graff operation, Jean-Baptiste personally handles all of Gloria's dirty work. He is a nasty, mean-spirited son-of-a-bitch. Despite the family's tendency to deal in energy weapons, Jean-Baptiste is a connoisseur of big guns and explosives. He threatens people for looking at him the wrong way and is far from all talk; he will go from zero-to-murder in the twitch of an eye."
  2. Pergunta: "(In regards to your BoS attacks questions) So by your answers, do you mean the Van Graffs quintessentially smuggle their weapons in, or they're just brought in from the north foe another reason?"
    Joshua Sawyer: "They're brought in from the north because the Van Graffs are based in NorCal. BoS patrols don't get far north enough to interfere with Van Graff shipments. Most GR shipments come from SoCal/Boneyard."
    (Formspring - Archived)
Advertisement