Butch Harris

“What's the . . . you agreed to a job without knowing what it is? Hot damn, you must be desperate. I like that!”

Butch Harris is the owner of the Far Go Traders in the Hub in 2161.

Background

Butch Harris may be the leader of one of the Hub's big three caravans in name, but in fact, he's a figurehead. Butch has big dreams, but he's bitter and frustrated and also something of a coward. When Butch thinks he's on top of things, he swaggers a bit, and exhibits cocky and boisterous self confidence. When things go wrong, though, he tends to lose control, talking loud and fast and not getting much done. All the real organizational and administrative work for the caravans is done by Rutger, his assistant. Butch is not that intelligent, and recent events have left him a bit paranoid. The Far Go traders have been having more than their fair share of hits from the mysterious force attacking the Hub's caravans.^[1]

Before run the Far Go Traders in the Hub, Butch has lived in San Diego (some times before the sickness start and the exodus of all inhabitants) and after, he comes in the Adytum of the Boneyard. In 2156, Butch made his way to the Hub and acquired the Far Go Traders, one of the three most important caravan companies of the Hub.^[2]

He is a rather grumpy sort, probably due to many years of stress in his years of management. Butch thinks that he is the sheriff around the Hub, and will ask you to give information to him, rather than Sheriff Greene. He is an old acquaintance of Elder John Maxson, though the two haven't seen each other in a while.

Starting a while before 2161, strange disappearances involving many of Butch's caravans left him on edge, and eager to discover the possible killer. Out of irrational fear, he turned to blame the fabled deathclaw as the source of the disappearances.

Interactions with the player character

Interactions overview

Interactions
	This character is a permanent companion.
	This character is a temporary companion.
	This character has a talking head.
	This character starts quests.	Find the missing caravans
	This character is involved in quests.	no
	This character is a doctor.	Restores health. Removes radiation.
	This character is a merchant.	Sells: no
	This character can modify weapons.	no

Quests

Find the missing caravans: Butch asks the player to talk to a few different characters around town for more information on the matter. He doesn't particularly care who does the job, as long as it gets done.

Tell me about

Butch's Tell-me-abouts
Query	Response
Adytum	"Why? What've you heard? I heard it'd been ransacked, but no one knows who did it. But uh, I'm not worried. No one can take the Hub." "Well, it's the place where everyone goes to trade in the Boneyard. It's the only place civilized enough to do it."
All, All-In-One	"Well, you . . . uh . . . you don't want to go there. The prices are really high and the quality's bad."
Angel's, Angels, Boneyard	"Well, it's a big ruined city to the south. The Children, the Followers and Adytum are there, along with all the gangs and stuff."
Apocalypse, Followers	"What do you want with them wackos? Jeez, all that peace preaching and tree hugging. Makes me sick."
Beth	"Uh, Beth's the manager of the Weapon Store. She hears lots of rumors, if you're into that kind of stuff."
Bob's, Bobs, Iguana	"Now there's some good eating. Bob's has got the best charred iguana this side of the desert."
Brotherhood, Steel	"I heard he's dead. What more do you need to know?" "Oh, they're a bunch of gun freaks up to the northwest. Really weird. They do make a damn fine weapon, though."
Butch, Harris	"That's me. You blind or something?"
Caravans, Missing	"Three of my caravans have disappeared in the past month. At first I thought it was either the Water Merchants or the Crimson Caravan, but they've had disappearances too."
Cathedral	"Well, they run a big, ol' hospital on the southwest side of Downtown. Bunch of religious nuts, if you ask me."
Claw, Death, Deathclaw	"Uh, no I-I don't . . . Go talk to Beth, she knows more about that crap."
Caravans, Crimson	"You can find them over on the northwest edge of Downtown. They controlled the hospital before the Children moved in. Talk about trading the strange for the weird."
Daren, Hightower	"He heads the Water Merchants. Nasty, greedy bastard is what he is."
Darkwater, Killian	"Junktown? It's up north. Heard they're having some trouble, what with their mayor Killian getting killed and all." "He's the mayor of Junktown, that's all I know."
Decker	"He's the owner of the Maltese Falcon over on the west side. I'd stay clear of him; he's not honest, like me."
Demetre, Romara	"He's the boss of the Crimson Caravan. If you ask me he's nuts."
Elder, Maxson	"He leads the Brotherhood. It's about all I know."
Falcon, Maltese, Nightclub	"The Maltese Falcon is a nightclub on the west side. Hope sings there. What a doll."
Glow, Hot	"The Glow is a radioactive pit way, way down south. Too much radiation for anyone to live there."
Greene, Justin	"Oh, he's the sheriff. But if you see a crime, report to me. Justin doesn't rule the roost around here."
Guns, Store, Weapon, Weapons	"Best prices on the best guns in town. Everyone says so, it's not just that I own it! Just trot out this door and make a right. You can't miss it."
Harold	"Old Harold? What do you want with that old mutant? He's in Old Town. Just ask there."
Heights	"It's over on the west side."
Jain	"Jain's the High Priestess of the Children of the Cathedral and sets up the hospital here in the Hub."
Jon, Zimmerman	"Last I heard, he's the mayor of Adytum."
Junk, Junktown	"Junktown? Yeah, I've been up north to that place a few times. Got some great booze."
Market	"It's where everybody trades. Smack dab middle of town."
Master	"I uh . . . heard stories, that's all. No truth to them."
Merchant, Merchants	"Those bastards. Daren Hightower thinks he owns the damn Hub, just because of the Water Tower."
Morpheus	"He heads up the Children of the Cathedral down in the Boneyard."
Old, Oldtown, Town	"Old Town's over on the east side. The skags hang out there."
Rutger	"Rutger's my assistant."
Thieves	"What a pain they are. We think their hideout's in Old Town, but we can't prove it."
Tower, Water	"It's south of the Merchant Market. The only source of water here and for a lot of the surrounding area. The Water Merchants own the damn thing."
Trader, Traders	"Don't you know where your own feet are?"
Underground	"Uh, no. Uh no, we don't talk about that."