The 80s are a mentioned-only faction in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Honest Hearts. A tribe of raiders said to live in the northern areas of the former state of Utah, near the shores of the Great Salt Lake, they are a frequent and long-time enemy of the White Legs.
Background[]
The 80s are known for their habit of raiding frontier towns for supplies and kidnapping people. They are rightly feared for their ability to cover large areas of land with very few men.[2] Stella mentions that in the past, a group of the raiders abducted and killed two working girls from Caliente. After they were forced to give up their search, she says that if the 80s wanted her and her town members dead, they would have killed them, guessing that the raiders didn't think they were worth the trouble.[2]
Despite not being involved in the War for Zion, the 80s' fate is indirectly tied to its outcome. If the White Legs are defeated by the Courier and Joshua Graham, but Salt-Upon-Wounds is left alive, the tribe's oldest enemy capitalizes on their fall from grace, scattering the tribe and eventually conquering the Great Salt Lake for themselves.[3] Likewise, if Salt-Upon-Wounds is killed by the Courier in the Three Marys, the 80s go further and completely annihilate the White Legs to a man.[4] In either case, their territorial expansion does not come without a price, as the remaining tribes of Zion eventually unite against the 80s and drive them away from Highway 50.[5]
Appearances[]
The 80s are mentioned only in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Honest Hearts.
Behind the scenes[]
The 80s tribe first appeared in Joshua Sawyer's unofficial, personal Fallout role-playing game made in 2004. In it, they were described as "a gang of bandits that operate along the Northern California 80 Freeway, mostly in the region northeast of the lawless, uncontrolled city of Sacramento." Their insignia and typical outfits were also outlined, as well as their usage of motorcycles.[Non-canon 1] The 80s were eventually incorporated into the series canon with Honest Hearts, albeit merely mentioned in the background.
References[]
- ↑ The Courier: "I haven't been through Utah recently - what's the situation like?"
Jed Masterson: "You got raiders all over the damn place, tribes of degenerates that'll eat you as soon as look at you, regional warlords... the works. Not too many decent places to stop and trade. New Canaan's one of the only ones left I know about."
The Courier: "Tell me about the raiders."
Jed Masterson: "They're about what you'd expect - crazy, jacked up on chems, violent as hell, and not too bright. The worst are the 80s, but we won't be passing through their turf on this run."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Courier: "Were the 80s a gang, or a tribe?"
Stella: "What's the difference? Raiders is raiders. Bunch of them swept in to town and dragged off two working girls. Deputies and me gave pursuit, straight into 80s territory. By the time we caught up with the girls, there wasn't much left of them. So we turned for home. Made it back to Caliente without further losses, but we was watched the whole way. Never seen so few people cover so much land. Goddamn creepy. If the 80s had wanted to kill us, we would've been dead. Guess they figured we weren't worth the trouble."
(Stella's dialogue) - ↑ Honest Hearts endings, White Legs: "Demoralized by the Dead Horse and Sorrows attack the Courier and Joshua Graham led against them, the White Legs retreated to Great Salt Lake. Their days were numbered. Word soon reached the 80s tribe that the White Legs' spirit was broken, their war chief a dim shadow of his former self. By year's end, the 80s would overrun the White Legs' camps, scattering the tribe to the winds and claiming the Great Salt Lake for its own."
- ↑ Honest Hearts endings, White Legs: "Despite their defeat at Three Marys, and the death of their war chief, the White Legs were determined to pursue the other New Canaanites. But when they finally tracked down their prey in Colorado, they discovered the tables had been turned. The White Legs who survived the New Canaanites' ambushes were hunted down by Dead Horses before they could reach the safety of the Great Salt Lake. When word of the White Legs' diminished numbers reached the 80s tribe, war was declared, and by year's end, the White Legs had been wiped out."
- ↑ Honest Hearts endings, Happy Trails Caravan Company: "The defeat of the White Legs in Zion marked a turning point in the fortunes of the Happy Trails Caravan Company. Every two months, the caravan met with the New Canaanites in Zion Valley to trade. Happy Trails soon returned to prosperity. The vigilance of the Sorrows and Dead Horses in defending southwestern Utah, initially startling to Happy Trails caravans, soon proved a blessing. The tribes united against the 80s, driving them back from Highway 50, and thus opening yet another trading route for Happy Trails caravans."
Non-canon
