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Let me tell you a story. When I was a boy, a man came through the valley with one of the caravans. The man explained that he went from place to place and sang for people, who gave him food and shelter and care in return. I couldn't believe there was a place where on this world where a man could do that. I promised myself then that one day I'd explore that world myself.Follows-Chalk

Civilized Man's Burden is a side quest in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Honest Hearts.

Quick walkthrough[]

Honest Hearts side quest: Civilized Man's Burden 
Talk to Follows-Chalk about his desire to see civilization. 
Tell Follows-Chalk to explore civilization. 
Tell Follows-Chalk to stay with his tribe. 
Reward: Variable XP 

Detailed walkthrough[]

After completing the quest Tourist Trap, a new dialogue option opens up with Follows-Chalk regarding his interest in seeing civilization. If asked, Follows-Chalk says that one day a "man with a big mustache and guitar" came to the Dead Horses camp. Follows-Chalk goes on to say that he was intrigued by the man's professed occupation; traveling the wasteland as a wandering entertainer, being paid simply to make music. If the Courier has met the Lonesome Drifter, they can comment that they know who Follows-Chalk is talking about, and depending on if the quest Talent Pool has been completed, the Courier can remark that they got him a job[1], or if Talent Pool hasn't been completed simply that it's a small world.[2]

Follows-Chalk then confesses that he is afraid to ask Joshua Graham for advice about whether or not he should see civilization for himself, and asks the Courier to speak with Joshua on his behalf. When asked, Joshua states that he does not wish to interfere further in Follows-Chalk's decisions, leaving it to the Courier to provide guidance one way or the other. The Courier can then either lie to Follows-Chalk about what Joshua said, or tell the truth and provide their own opinion of whether Follows-Chalk should stay in Zion for his family's sake, or see more of the world. Regardless of using the lie or truth Speech options, the outcomes are the same for Follows-Chalk based on the implied "go" or "stay" option given.

If Follows-Chalk is advised to explore civilization, his ending involves returning to Dead Horse Point, then quarreling with his family and other tribe members about his ambitions. "One morning, they awoke to discover that Follows-Chalk had set off alone, westward, into the wilderness. He was never seen again."

If Follows-Chalk stays with his tribe, his ending involves his life after remaining in Zion. "Though he sometimes dreamed of distant lands, he continued to support his family at Dead Horse Point, and eventually his wanderlust faded."

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
10 Talk to Joshua Graham about Follows-Chalk's desire to see civilization.
20Quest finishedTell Follows-Chalk your opinion of civilization.

Notes[]

  • The quest can be completed any time before the Gathering Storms quest is completed, whether or not Follows-Chalk is in the party. If he is not, simply speak to him at Dead Horses camp to initiate the quest.
  • If this quest is not completed, Follows-Chalk will not be mentioned in the end scenes.
  • No matter which choice is made, Chalk's headdress is always rewarded upon completion of the add-on.

Behind the scenes[]

The name of this quest references Rudyard Kipling's poem "The White Man's Burden," which was written by him to encourage the American people to assume colonial control of the Filipino people and their country.

References[]

  1. The Courier:"I know that guy! I got him a job!"
    Follows-Chalk:"A job as a singer? {Full of wonder; just got told Santa Claus is real} Then it really is true...."
    Follows-Chalk's dialogue
  2. The Courier:"Huh, I think I know that guy. Small world."
    Follows-Chalk:"Is it? I always heard it was rather large outside the valley. Well, wherever he is, I hope he's well."
    Follows-Chalk's dialogue
Main quests
Act 1Ain't That a Kick in the Head · Back in the Saddle · By a Campfire on the Trail · They Went That-a-Way · Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Act 2Wild Card (Wild Card: Ace in the Hole, Change in Management, You and What Army?, Side Bets, Finishing Touches) · The House Always Wins (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII) · Render Unto Caesar · Et Tumor, Brute? · Things That Go Boom · Kings' Gambit · For the Republic, Part 2 · You'll Know It When It Happens/Arizona Killer
Act 3No Gods, No Masters · All or Nothing · Veni, Vidi, Vici · Eureka!
Side quests
New California RepublicAnywhere I Wander · Back in Your Own Backyard · Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues · Boulder City Showdown · Can You Find it in Your Heart? · Climb Ev'ry Mountain · Don't Tread on the Bear! · Emergency Radio · Eye for an Eye · Flags of Our Foul-Ups · Hard Luck Blues · I Don't Hurt Anymore · I Put a Spell on You · Keep Your Eyes on the Prize · Medical Mystery · No, Not Much · Pressing Matters · Restoring Hope · Return to Sender · That Lucky Old Sun · The White Wash · There Stands the Grass · Three-Card Bounty · We Will All Go Together · You Can Depend on Me
Caesar's LegionBeware the Wrath of Caesar! · Caesar's Favor · Caesar's Foe · Caesar's Hire · Cold, Cold Heart · I Hear You Knocking · The Finger of Suspicion · We Are Legion
The StripBeyond the Beef · Bye Bye Love · Classic Inspiration · How Little We Know · Pheeble Will · Talent Pool · The House Has Gone Bust! · The Moon Comes Over the Tower
Freeside & Outer VegasBirds of a Feather · Bleed Me Dry · Debt Collector · G.I. Blues · High Times · Someone to Watch Over Me · The Coyotes · Wang Dang Atomic Tango
BoomersAnt Misbehavin' · Sunshine Boogie · Volare! · Young Hearts
Great KhansAba Daba Honeymoon · Cry Me a River · Don't Make a Beggar of Me · Oh My Papa
Powder GangBooted · I Fought the Law · Run Goodsprings Run · Why Can't We Be Friends?
Brotherhood of SteelEyesight to the Blind · Still in the Dark · Tend to Your Business
OtherCome Fly With Me · Crazy, Crazy, Crazy · Ghost Town Gunfight · Guess Who I Saw Today · Left My Heart · My Kind of Town · The Legend of the Star and A Valuable Lesson · Unfriendly Persuasion · Wheel of Fortune
Companion questsED-E My Love · For Auld Lang Syne · Heartache by the Number · I Could Make You Care · I Forgot to Remember to Forget · Nothin' But a Hound Dog · One for My Baby
Unmarked questsA Bit of Slap and Tickle · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · Andy and Charlie · Arachnophobia · Arizona Scavenger · Barton the Fink · Bear Necessities · Big Winner (Atomic Wrangler, The Gomorrah, The Tops, Ultra-Luxe, Vikki & Vance) · Bounty Killer (I, II) · Brotherhood Bond (I, II) · Caching in at the Cove · Cajoling a Cudgel · Claws Mended · Claws Out · Dealing with Contreras · Defacing the Humble Stone · Democracy Inaction · Don't Poke at the Bear! · Eddie's Emissary · Exhumin' Nature · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Gland for Some Home Cooking · Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Hat's Entertainment · Help for Halford · Hidden Valley computer virus · Highway to the Danger Zone (I, II) · Honorary Rocketeer · I Love Bananas · Iron and Stealing · Keith's Caravan Charade · Laurifer Gladiator · Lenk's Bad Debts · Lily and Leo · Long-Term Care · Malleable Mini Boomer Minds · Maud's Muggers · Meeting an Equal · Missing a Few Missiles · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Thought for the Day · Tourist Traipse · Trudy's Radio Repair · A Trusted Aide · Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets? · We Must Stop Beating Like This · We Must Stop Meeting Like This · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Add-on quests
Dead MoneySierra Madre Grand Opening! · Find Collars (8: "Dog", 12: Christine, 14: Dean Domino) · Fires in the Sky · Strike Up the Band · Mixed Signals · Trigger the Gala Event · Put the Beast Down · Last Luxuries · Curtain Call at the Tampico · Heist of the Centuries · Big Winner, Sierra Madre
Honest HeartsA Family Affair · Arrival at Zion · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Crush the White Legs · Deliverer of Sorrows  · Departing Paradise · Flight from Zion · Gathering Storms · Gone Fishin' · Happy Trails Expedition · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Roadside Attraction · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts  · The Treacherous Road · The Grand Staircase · Tourist Trap
Old World BluesAll My Friends Have Off Switches · A Brain's Best Friend · Coming Out of Her Shell · Field Research · He Came... And Went · Influencing People · Midnight Science Fiction Feature! · Old World Blues · On the Same Wavelength · Picking Your Brains · Project X-13 · Sonic Emitter Upgrade · Welcome to the Big Empty · What's in a Name? · When Visitors Attack! · X-2: Strange Transmissions! · X-8 Data Retrieval Test · X-8: High School Horror! · X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Lonesome RoadThe Reunion · The Silo · The Job · The Launch · The Tunnelers · The Divide · The Courier · The End · The Apocalypse
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