Changes: Harold

Revision as of 12:30, 29 March 2020

Background

Interactions with the player character

Notable quotes

Notes

Appearances

Gallery

References

Early life

No country for old mutants

Traveler of the Wasteland

Leader of Gecko

Back home

Ascension

Nature of Harold

Fallout

Fallout 2

Fallout 3

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

Fallout: New California

Fallout

The Armageddon Rag

Quests

Quests

Tell me about

Quests

Quests

Quests

For other characters named Harold, see Harold (disambiguation).

...

“Come around to where I can see you (coughs and splutters).”

Harold is one of the most unique denizens of the wasteland. Born five years before the Great War, in 2072, Harold survived it in a vault and witnessed many of the pivotal events and met the most influential people of the wasteland. Rising to prominence as a caravan master in the formative years of the Hub, he would later meet the future Master, travel to Mariposa Military Base, undergo a change into a ghoul-like mutant through exposure to FEV, lose everything, then become a wasteland traveler, leading Gecko into a new future, and eventually becoming an unwilling god for the Treeminders in the Capital Wasteland, on the opposite end of the continent.^[1]

While he appears to be a ghoul and is treated as such by everyone he meets (save for the few exceptional individuals who look beyond his horrifying appearance), Harold is technically not a ghoul, but a special kind of mutant created through his limited exposure to FEV. Due to his birth before the War and subsequent growing up in a Vault, shielded from the high amounts of radiation that flooded the world, he was largely untainted and qualified for full transformation into a super mutant, given the right levels of exposure. However, the relatively low amounts of exposure coupled with a number of random, uncontrolled factors, resulted in his transformation into an unique, special kind of mutant. Harold is Harold, just like Talius is Talius. Although hesitant to self-identify as a ghoul at first, Harold eventually embraced his identity and worked to aid his brethren.^[2]

Born in 2072 , Harold was only five years old when the War started and he entered Vault 29. He still remembers the sirens on that day and the terrible days that followed, living in an overcrowded Vault with not enough food and water to go around.^[3] The reason was that his shelter, Vault 29, was populated with young children separated from their parents, and placed under the care of Diana, a human scientist immortalized by merging her human brain with a supercomputer controlling the Vault and the Nursery, a repository of seeds and genetic records preserved in case of a global thermonuclear war. Diana would control the unrest by periodically releasing young dwellers to scout the surface and report whether it was safe to settle. They never returned, as Diana would take them to the Nursery, where they'd either be able to join her or leave, after being conditioned to be unable to speak of the Nursery or the Vault.^[4] Harold was selected by Diana and initially agreed to stay, before escaping. He kept the Nursery a secret, believing it his duty to protect it from those who would exploit it.^[5]

He left in 2090, at eighteen, and began to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit between survivalist communities that emerged throughout New California.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] Over the next twelve years, he made a tidy profit, rising to prominence in the Hub. However, all things come at a cost and Harold's success ran up a hefty bill due to attacks by gangers, scavengers and mutant creatures that made it necessary to employ entire armies of guards just to keep them at bay.^[10] This was all the more apparent to him since he became the head of his own caravan outfit in 2096.^[11]

Eventually, he had enough and on May 22, 2102, financed one of the first adventuring parties in New California together with Richard Grey, a mysterious scientist and doctor from the Hub.^[12] the expedition set out from the Hub and tracked the mutants to the northwest, deep into the Californian Central Valley. After fighting through what seemed like an endless stream of mutants, they finally reached Mariposa Military Base on June 23.^[13] Penetrating the base's defenses proved no small feat and eventually, the entire group was whittled down to just Harold and Richard Grey. Francine was wounded and Mark was sent to the surface, never to be heard from again. The two of them penetrated all the way into the base's central core, where the vats of FEV were located. The expedition was finally routed when the robotic crane crashed into them, sending Grey into a vat of FEV and badly injuring Harold. He passed out, only to wake up in the wasteland days later, in the throes of change due to exposure to FEV, when he handled a contaminated item in the base.^[9]^[14]^[10]^[15] He was found by traders four days later, on June 27, and taken back to the Hub. His horrifying transformation caused him to lose his business, as employees and partners turned away from him. Soon, he was left a beggar, living in a derelict ruin in the Old Town.^[16]

His resolve and hardiness allowed him to survive despite the poverty. By the time he met the Vault Dweller around 2161, he was the oldest person alive in the whole wide Hub, known for his stories and knowledge, not just about days long past, but also contemporary events. For example, he knew how to find the deathclaw suspected of attacking caravans and was aware of the fact that Decker's men captured Brother Jonathan of the Brotherhood of Steel recently, and would happily share that knowledge for a modest amount of bottle caps to keep himself afloat.^[9]

Harold left sometime after 2162, having managed to bring a measure of equality between the impoverished population of Hub's Old Town and the rest of the city. He traveled north, accompanied by a sapling (Bob) that took root in his head. By 2238, he arrived in Gecko and noticing that the careless way the power plant was managed, he decided to stick around and do his best to help the ghouls with the running of the facility, becoming the de facto mayor and leader of the local community.^[17] He would be one of the key players in the struggle between the ghouls and the bigoted inhabitants of Vault City to solve the Gecko powerplant problem. After the conflict was resolved,^[18] he started to travel again. The tree growing out of his head continued to grow larger and bear fruit. Its remarkably tough seeds are able to withstand even the toughest environments and thrive.^[19]

The following is based on information from Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.

FOBOS Harold — Harold in *Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel*

After the destruction of the Master's Army, Harold left the Hub and became a traveler who visited various places around the wasteland. It's known that he traveled in Texas to Carbon where he had a sexual encounter with Carbon's prostitute, Ruby, and the ghoul-city of Los around 2208. He wanted to have a good time in Los after leaving Carbon but the arrival of super mutants and the loss of his hand, his toe and his eye in the city changed the deal. The Initiate helped Harold to recover his parts so he could leave the city before its destruction. Harold's travels ended in Gecko in 2238.^[20]

Find Missing Pieces - Harold has lost three pieces of his body and asks the player character to retrieve them.
Harold's romp with Ruby - the Initiate can remind Harold of his adventures with Ruby, the prostitute from Carbon, for 300 XP.

End of information based on information from Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

Fo2 Gecko Good Ending — Gecko power plant

In 2241, Harold is a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.^[21] The Chosen One runs into Harold in Gecko, the ghoul town not far from Vault City. After the destruction of the Necropolis following Fallout, most of the ghoul population of the town migrated far to the north to form a settlement around an old nuclear power plant built by Poseidon Oil before the Great War. Anyone else would likely be killed by long term exposure to radiation, but the ghouls just find it pleasant. When Harold arrived, the plant was being run dangerously and stupidly. Harold quickly took over from the well-meaning but inept leaders of Gecko and got the reactor into some kind of working order. When the Chosen One arrives in Gecko, Harold asks them to help solve the Gecko powerplant problem.

The Chosen One still heard mention of Harold from time to time. Apparently, the tree growing from his head has gotten larger, and, if rumors are to be believed, fruit is growing from it. The seeds are said to be remarkably tough, and several of them have taken root even in the most barren stretches of the wasteland.

The following is based on Van Buren design documents and is not canon.

By the 2250s, Harold was ill. The tree in his head developed an unknown disease and was dying. Much to his surprise, Harold found himself affected as well. He didn't think he was going to die, but he just didn't feel right in the head.

So, he set out on a quest for a cure. Naturally, he didn't have an easy time of it either. People just didn't seem to want a mutant around any more, but Harold didn't let that stop him. He persisted in his quest until he came upon the Twin Mothers tribe, which originated from his home, Vault 29.

Much to his surprise, the tribe took him in and accepted him as he was. He explained his quest to the tribal leaders and was told that they would consult their goddess. Days later, Harold was approached by the tribal shaman and given a potion to drink. It was a foul concoction, but it worked. Bob, the tree, got better and was happy again.

Harold couldn't let such a good deed go unrewarded, so he offered to help the tribe in any way that he could. They smiled at him, and thanked him, but declined his help. "The goddess will provide," they always said. Harold said that he would like to pay his respects to the goddess, and was taken to the tribal shrine to be granted a private audience. He wasn't really surprised when the projected image of a woman appeared before him, but he was taken aback when she told him where he could find her. His return to the Nursery was a moment of joy for Diana and a "new experience" to him, as much of his early memories faded with age.

Harold traveled to the Nursery and spent considerable time there. He even considered settling down and spending the remainder of his day in the tranquility of the gardens. However, eventually he left and traveled even further east.

If the Prisoner gives Diana the information on the FEV and the New Plague from the Boulder ZAX, Diana will be able to create a cure to the New Plague virus in the form of a small fruit, by genetically engineering it from Harold's tree.

End of information based on Van Buren design documents

Harold's tireless legs eventually carried him all the way to the opposite end of the continent, to the Capital Wasteland. Overwhelmed by Bob, he stopped to rest, only to realize that he was unable to move anymore, rooted to the ground by his companion. He became part of the tree, sustained by its photosynthesis and nutrients taken from the ground. He took root in the northern Capital Wasteland and was found by a wanderer in the late 2250s.^[22]^[23] This wanderer, later taking the name Birch, beheld the glory of Harold and knew other wanderers would seek to do the Great One harm. He founded the Treeminders, a group of pure-hearted individuals that would protect the Great One as his last line of defense.^[24] Once Harold and Bob truly became a part of the environment, a verdant vale of growth spread from the tree, washing the barren hillside over with life and greenery,^[25]^[26] and enticing animal life to inhabit the area.^[27]^[28]

With the Treeminders' care and attention, Bob started to take root further; over time, his root system carried away Harold's internal organs far throughout the cave system below, making it plain that short of a merciful death, Harold would remain forever in one spot.^[29]^[30] Harold used his ability to spread Herbert's seeds to attract wanderers, at first to amuse himself, and then to find a solution to the problem he was in. The key issue was that the purification ceremony necessary for outsiders to gain access to Harold involved drinking hallucinogenic sap derived from Bob, resulting in psychosis and other severe mental problems in most who came to the Oasis.^[31]

He kept trying, hoping to attract someone capable of helping him through his ordeal. Finally, in 2277, he managed to attract the Lone Wanderer. Upon their acceptance into the cult, Harold requested that they kill him, to spare him the agony of being rooted in one spot for all eternity.^[32] Suffering from depression, he pleaded with the Lone Wanderer to end his life, something the Treeminders could not do.^[33]^[34] His requests for them to end his life wound up interpreted as tests of their moral and spiritual aptitude, rather than genuine pleas for mercy.^[35]^[36]

His sole real companion was Yew, the youngest of the group, who listened to him without reservation.^[37] Others, treating him as a god, always looked for hidden meanings or had their own designs for him. Tree Father Birch and Leaf Mother Laurel held two opposing views of what should happen: Birch wished to contain Bob's spread to protect Oasis and Harold, while Laurel desired to share their god's gift with everyone. It was up to the Lone Wanderer to decide whether to fulfill Harold's wish and euthanize him or persuade him to live on and either have Bob spread out or be contained.^[38]

To the untrained eye, Harold appears to be an ordinary ghoul. This is not so, however. Ghouls are the result of massive and/or long-term radiation damage to a human body; Harold is a product of the Forced Evolutionary Virus. Unlike most people who are exposed to FEV, Harold did not become a super mutant, but is the result of a unique combination of radiation damage from constant low-level environmental exposure, indirect exposure to FEV (it is unclear how Harold was infected with FEV as he blacked out for a while during his exploration of Mariposa) and a fair amount of random chance. Thus he's not a ghoul, and certainly not a super mutant, though it could be argued that he is somehow a hybrid of the two. To quote Tim Cain, "Harold is special."

Furthermore, Tim Cain has this to say on the subject: "As for contact [with FEV], any contact at all will infect the subject, but the amount of contact determines the result. For example, I imagine Harold had some contact with the virus, but he was not fully immersed in it, so he became a different mutant than the Master's subjects. Full immersion, of course, is the preferred method of infection, as it provides the virus a large surface area for infection."

Another similar FEV-created, ghoul-like mutant is Talius.

Harold behaves unusually in treating Bob as if the plant were actually sentient. Although at no point does the plant indicate that it can convey feelings, Harold certainly is not stupid, and perhaps only crazy in the humorous sense, yet he still insists on hearing out the plant's opinions on certain matters that he might otherwise take seriously. Given Harold's newfound ability to "see" through the trees that are descended from Bob through the use of extreme concentration, it may not be much of a stretch to suggest that both are deeply linked in some unknown way, almost certainly as a result of FEV exposure. Because of his mutation, it is no surprise that Harold is afraid of fire.

Despite his appearance, Harold is a kind-hearted soul with a comical personality. He has made many friends throughout his travels, potentially including the Vault Dweller, the Chosen One and the Lone Wanderer. He is also good with kids, as evidenced by his friendship with Sapling Yew in Oasis, of whom he is particularly fond.

Interactions
	This character has a talking head.
	This character is involved in quests.	Find the missing caravans

Find the missing caravans: Beth tells the Vault Dweller to go to Harold to obtain more information on the missing caravans.

Harold's Tell me abouts in the original Fallout
Query	Response
Richard, Grey	Brilliant guy. A doctor and philosopher. Long ago he lead the expedition where I got changed into a mutant.
Master	Who? Is he some sort of sex therapist? I could use one, you know.
Ghouls	Mutants. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.
Loxley	Him. He leads the Thieves Circle. Thinks he's Robin Hood. [cough] He's alright, I guess.
Cathedral	I've seen religions come and religions go, and I hope this one goes. Soon.
Vault	Yeah, I came from a Vault. Too many people, not enough food and water. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?
War	Horrible. The world just went insane. Long ago, but I'll never forget it. Never.
Decker	[Cough] Trouble. Nothing but trouble.

Interactions
	This character has a talking head.
	This character starts quests.	Solve the Gecko powerplant problem

Solve the Gecko powerplant problem: Harold is concerned that if the pollution does not cease, Vault City will assault Gecko and kill all of the ghouls.

Interactions
	This character starts quests.	Oasis

Oasis: Birch wants to stop Harold's influence on the wasteland, Laurel wants to spread his influence and Harold just wants to die.

Interactions
	This character starts quests.	Find Missing Pieces

Find Missing Pieces: Harold is having trouble keeping parts of his body on, so he sends the Initiate to look for his missing body parts.

The following is based on information from Fallout: New California.

Harold can be acquired at the shop by any player character that has Endurance. When shopping with him as the active companion, the player character can exhaust him in order to gain an additional two bottle caps for every item they sell.

When the player character performs the camp action, he will become unexhausted. However, if the player character does not have Charisma at this time, he must be discarded.

"Be kind to the Smoothskins. One saved the world once. 'Course, they broke it to start with."

In Fallout, Harold's "Tell-Me-About" on vaults leads to his explaining that the vault he originated from failed, due to an overabundance of vault dwellers, and a lack of food to sustain their numbers. This actually corresponds to the description of Vault 27 in Fallout Bible. This vault was to be deliberately overcrowded by twice the sustainable amount, as opposed to Vault 29 as it's described in Van Buren, not canon either. This means the official fate of Harold's home is the one he tells.

When asked about "Master," Harold related it to "some sort of sex therapist," a reference to an American gynecologist in real-life, William H. Masters.

Harold appears in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel and the Fallout: The Board Game add-on Fallout: New California. A mutant named "Harold" with a tree growing out of his head appears in Fallout Tactics, although it is unclear whether this is actually the Harold.
Additionally, Harold was to appear in both Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 by Black Isle Studios and Interplay's Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2. A cult called the Church of Harold was set to appear in Project V13.
A group called "Harold's Cult" is mentioned in a piece of concept art by Adam Adamowicz, which was released after Adamowicz' death. It portrays three characters in clothing similar to that of the Treeminders.
Harold appears in more of the Fallout games than any other character.

Characters

Player characters

Jaffe · Lilith · Maxus · Scarlet

Friendlies

Cyrus · Fey · Paladin Haig · Harold · Keats · Stella

Antagonists

Banshee · Bulldog · Harpy · Harry the Rattlemaster · Miles Reese · Shale

↑ Sources within the article.
↑
Fallout Bible 5:
- "27. I disagree with making Harold not a ghoul. During Fallout 1 the name "ghoul" was not yet as widely used as in F2. Harold could have disagreed with calling his mutant kind with such a name (which is not very nice). When you ask him about the ghouls he says:
  {1102}{hrold302}{Mutants. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.}
  I think it doesn't necessarily mean that he's not a ghoul. It just means that he doesn't want to be called a 'ghoul'. He says, that the ghouls are mutants, just like him, and it doesn't matter how they call themselves.
  I think the name 'ghouls' was either created for them by the Necropolis ghouls themselves, or by people who considered them monsters. As he looks like a ghoul, i think he would be considered one by both. Ghouls are not like supermutants, they are not all the same. It's only a name for people twisted by radiation or FEV (or both). There may be ghouls created only by radiation, and ghouls created only by FEV.
  I also think, though Harold was mutated in the Vats, that if you say that all the ghouls were created by the FEV, then there isn't much difference between Harold and other ghouls.
  Chris Taylor wrote:
  >>Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants.<<
  If so, then people dipped in the Vats can become ghouls instead of supermutants, if they are radiated. I think that easily matches Harold's case...
  Fallout 2:
  {100}{}{You see a particularly leathery-looking Ghoul.}
  {101}{}{You see Harold.}
  {102}{}{You see a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.}
  {172}{}{Put a sock in it ya smelly old ghoul. Goodbye.}
  Loxley (F1):
  {244}{LOX_69}{Harold? He's a good enough sort, for being a ghoul an all. Lives on the south side.}
  As you can see, Harold is called a ghoul in the game.
  Butch (F1):
  {233}{BUTCH46}{Alright, so it wasn't the Death Claw. But what would the mutants in Old Town want with our caravans? Unless it's some kind of conspiracy.}
  As you can see, there are more muties in the Hub Old town, not only Harold (though we don't see them in the game). And they are all called both 'mutants' and 'ghouls'.
  I think the point is that you call 'ghouls' only the ones that were exposed to 'wild' FEV in the air and radiation, and not the ones that were screwed-up results of dipping (like Harold and Talius). I think both kinds should be called 'ghouls', because, though they were created with different methods, the result is identical, and they were both result of radiation and FEV (ghouls of Necropolis are radiated people that were exposed to mutated FEV in the air, and Harold and Talius are result of dipping people with radiation damage - think this is what Chris Taylor meant)."
  "All good points - Tim Cain and Chris Taylor agree with you, and they say Harold's a ghoul. To quote statements within the past week:
Chris Taylor: Ghouls are a type of mutant.
Harold is a ghoul. He's also a little special. Super Mutants are humans with no or minimal radiation damage who have been exposed to FEV. Ghouls are humans with significant radiation damage exposed to FEV.
Harold is, well, Harold.

Tim Cain: I know we treated him as a ghoul, but not a Necropolis one. He may have been irradiated before or after. All I remember was that he went in there with the guy whose name I forget (the one who fell into the vat and became the Master), and only Harold came out. Harold's memory is totally whacked, btw. ...most people don't know when they get irradiated, so he [Harold] just may not know what happened to him. I do know that radiation and FEV do not mix. Mutants are immune to radiation effects, but an irradiate human is killed by exposure to FEV. So one thing is sure: Harold is not a mix of radiation and FEV. He's got to be one or the other, and I think he's a ghoul.

According to Chris, ghouls are irradiated humans exposed to FEV.
According to Tim, ghouls are due solely to radiation.
Both agree Harold is special. And I don't mean handicapped.
Officially: Ghouls are a mix of FEV and radiation. Harold is a mutant who resembles a ghoul. Harold may have had some radiation damage before he was exposed to FEV, but his mutation (outside of his surface appearance) makes him different than a ghoul. Most ghouls are the result of extreme radiation + FEV exposure, but Harold's change was due primarily to FEV exposure (again, he could have sucked up a few rads in the wastes without him knowing, especially considering how long he ran caravans in the wastes).
He is hideously mutated enough so that he looks like a ghoul, but he's not technically one, and this is the mistake that Loxley makes (Loxley only judges a book by its cover, and he knows nothing about genetics or anything beyond a surface appearance).
You can call him a ghoul if you want, but the official answer is:
"Harold is Harold." Harold's special.
BTW, glowing ghouls are ghouls that suck up too many rads after they have become ghouls. We originally wanted Lenny in F2 to be able to turn into a glowing ghoul when he drinks too much radioactive liquor, but we didn't put it in."
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1005}{}{Vault}"
Harold: "{1105}{hrold305}{Yeah, I came from a Vault. Too many people, not enough food and water. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?}"
(HAROLD.MSG) Note: This actually corresponds to Vault 27, which was to be deliberately overcrowded by twice the sustainable amount, as opposed to Vault 29.
↑ Nursery design document
↑ Information acquired from one of the developers by Paweł "Ausir" Dembowski: ”Yes, we actually remembered about him coming from Vault 29 originally. The story was that he was taken by a robot to the Nursery. There he was given the choice of staying with Diana, or exploring the outside world. However, if he chose to explore, she would have to 'condition' him, so that he could not reveal anything about her, or the nursery to the world. He agreed to stay, but escaped eventually. Afterwards, he kept the nursery a secret because he felt it was his duty to the world to keep such a future gift intact until the world was ready for it. His later return to the nursery was a moment of joy for Diana and a 'new experience' to him, as much of his early memories faded with age.”
↑ Harold: "{101}{HROLD0}{Spare change, old friend, old pal? Can you help a poor mutant down on his luck? [Cough]}"
The Vault Dweller: "{102}{}{Yeah, here's $25. Good luck to you.}"
Harold: "{108}{HROLD2}{Oh, kind of ya, friend. Very kind. You know, if I could clear the gunk out of there, you, just might find a tear in Old Harold's eye.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{109}{}{Why is that?}"
Harold: "{111}{HROLD3}{[Cough] Rest of the Hubbers' been picking on me like a bad booger since I came back to town. I can't leave, though. When the deals are done [wheez] it's still my home.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{112}{}{What happened to you?}"
Harold: "{115}{HROLD4}{Well, after the Great War, my Vault was one of the first to open. [Takes a deep breath] Whew. Long time.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{116}{}{Tell me more about those days.}"
Harold: "{118}{HROLD5}{All started with the sirens. I was young, but ohh, I do remember that. Lotta terrible years followed. And I remember walking outta the Vault late one morning.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{120}{}{Where was your Vault located?}"
Harold: "{122}{HROLD6}{You know, [cough] I'm not real sure anymore. West, I think. Uh wait - east? Ooh I don't know. [Hacking cough]}"
(HAROLD.MSG)
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2090 Vault 29 opens. Harold (now human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."
↑ Fallout Bible 5: "2090 Vault 29 opens. Harold (currently human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 Fallout Official Survival Guide p.97: "Harold: An Old, Old Mutant
Harold is the oldest person alive in the Hub. In fact, he was five years old when the war started. After his vault opened and its inhabitants made their way out into the wasteland, he became a merchant.
At some point many years ago, he handled an artifact contaminated with the FEV virus that caused him to mutate . He is now very old, sick, and he tends to ramble on a lot. Some of his information may be out of date. He can be cranky at times, but he likes to tell stories. He could be a good source of information on people and things within the Hub, and it's worthwhile talking to him to find out what he knows."
"Hints"
"Be patient with Harold and draw him out. He has one critical piece of information that may be of use: He knew the Master when the Master was still human, and he has been to the lost military base."
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 The Vault Dweller: "{119}{}{What did you do then?}"
Harold: "{124}{HROLD7}{Well, I was a trader. Did pretty good making a circuit between survivors. Lost a lotta good people, though. [Coughs]}"
The Vault Dweller: "{125}{}{How?}"
Harold: "{126}{HROLD8}{Gangers got'em. Scavengers attacking the caravans. And mutants, son of a dog, if they weren't springing up like rabbits with a mission. [cough] Had to have an army of guards with, just to do a deal.}"
(HAROLD.MSG)
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2096 Harold rises to the level of a caravan boss in the Hub. His caravans suffer occasional attacks in the wastes, but Harold's caravan outfit survives and prospers... until the mutant attacks begin to pick up a few years later."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 May 22 Increasing mutant attacks on Harold's caravans cause Harold to get so pissed he finances one of the first adventuring parties of Fallout to try and find out where these dagnab mutants are coming from. Consulting with a scientist and doctor at the Hub, a man by the name of Grey, the two of them decide to join forces."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 June 23 Richard Grey's Expedition [including Harold] finds the Mariposa Military Base and the Expedition is scattered and defeated by mutants at the base. Grey is knocked into one of the vats of FEV by a robotic arm, and Harold is knocked unconscious, only to awaken later out in the wasteland."
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{128}{}{Where were the mutants coming from?}"
Harold: "{133}{HROLD10}{Everywhere! Hell, seemed like you couldn't fart without hitting one. But mostly in the northwest.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{134}{}{Did you explore that area?}"
Harold: "{138}{HROLD11}{We mounted an expedition. God, Richard. Richard Grey. Led a small group of us up there.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{139}{}{Richard Grey?}"
Harold: "{146}{HROLD14}{Richard Grey was a doctor. Little older than me, and friend was he smart. He found the source.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{147}{}{And what was that?}"
Harold: "{160}{HROLD18}{Some sort of old military base. We lost a lotta folks getting in there.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{161}{}{How did you know this base was the cause?}"
Harold: "{165}{HROLD20}{Because it was like someone went bargain shopping at mutantland! Geez! Cheaper by the dozens! Can't figure any other reason except that being the factory.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{166}{}{Did you examine the base closely?}"
Harold: "{167}{HROLD21}{We got pretty far inside. Wasn't a lot of us left by then. Grey, me and couple of others.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{168}{}{And then?}"
Harold: "{169}{HROLD22}{One of them robots got Francine. Mark was wounded, sent him back to the surface. Then it was just me and Grey.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{170}{}{What ever happened to Mark?}"
Harold: "{172}{HROLD23}{To this day, I don't know. He never made it back here, and...well I...couldn't face the wasteland again, so I...I never looked.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{173}{}{What about you and Grey?}"
"Harold: {174}{HROLD24}{We made it to some sort of central core, like a plant of some sort. That's when it happened.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{175}{}{What?}"
Harold: "{176}{HROLD25}{A robot crane crashed into us. Last I saw of Grey, he was flying through the air in-into some sort of acid bath. I was in bad shape and...well I passed out.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{177}{}{How did you survive?}"
Harold: "{181}{HROLD26}{Well, I have no idea. Woke up in the wasteland, barely hanging on. Got lucky and some traders I knew found me days later. Good thing, since I was already changing. They brought me here, and here I've been since.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{182}{}{How did you mutate?}"
Harold: "{190}{HROLD28}{All's I know, is it was something inside that base.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{191}{}{Do you think it could have been radiation?}"
Harold: "{193}{HROLD29}{How the hell should I know? Grey would've known if anybody could. [sigh] Anyway, that's how the deal went down.}"
(HAROLD.MSG)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How did a tree end up growing out of your head?"
Harold: "It was a long time ago... I tend to lose track. I was exploring some sort of a military base with some other people... I think it was called Mariposa. We were pretty deep inside and we found some weird vats of this nasty green goo. Right when we were about to leave, I think we were attacked. Last thing I remember before blacking out was something knocking my friend into the stuff."
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 June 27 Harold, already mutating, is found by traders and taken back to the Hub. His former caravan partners and employees, horrified by his condition, abandon him and he is soon left without even two bottlecaps to rub together."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2238 Harold arrives in Gecko, and (with a lot of shaking of his head) he does his best to help the ghouls with the running of the Nuclear Power Plant."
↑ There is no reference as to how the situation was resolved.

↑ Fallout Bible 0:
"5. Why in the final scene in Fallout 1 and 2 nothing is said about players friendly NPCs ? I'd love to know what happened to Marcus, Tycho, Ian, Cassidy or Vic afterwards. - Kreegle"
"Fallout 1: I don't know why. Tim and the Troika crew apparently ended up doing this for the NPCs in Arcanum, though."
[...]"In any event, here you go - note that some are personalized for the actor, others are not:"[...] "Harold"

"You still hear mention of Harold from time to time. Apparently, the tree growing from his head has gotten larger, and if rumors are to be believed, fruit is growing from it. The seeds are said to remarkably tough, and several of them have taken root even in the most barren stretches of the wasteland."

[...]

↑ Fallout Bible
↑ Gcharold.msg, line 102
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"
Harold: "I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Why do you call yourselves Treeminders?"
Birch: "We care for this place and keep it safe from those who would seek to exploit it. He gives to us, so we give back to Him. It's an arrangement that's worked well for almost two decades. We shun technology and embrace nature. That's the life of a Treeminder."
(Birch's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How did the Treeminders begin?"
Birch: "When I first beheld the glory of the Great One, I knew there'd be others who would seek to do Him harm. I also knew He would be calling others that he felt were pure of heart to protect Him. Right then and there I created the Treeminders... the Great One's last line of defense."
(Birch's dialogue)
↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.319-320: "2.01: OASIS (LAT -03/LONG 28)
OASIS
Oasis is a fertile, verdant dot in the center of all the desolation. This odd hidden vale is home to a strange, tribal-like people who call themselves the Treeminders. You are welcomed into Oasis with open arms, and their leader, Tree Father Birch, invites you to meet their god. Oasis is tucked away inside a giant rocky outcrop in the mountains just northeast of the monorail and freeway skeletons, and the entrance is close to a rope bridge."
(Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition Tour of the Capital Wasteland)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How is it you're causing all of these things to grow around you?"
Harold: "It's kind of embarrassing really. Once a year, Bob decides he's going to go ahead and start growing these weird pods filled with tiny seeds. Well, all it takes is a good wind and the seeds just fly everywhere. I call them Herbert's Seeds. He hates that!"
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Amazing, this place seems so abundant with animal life."
Birch: "The innocent creatures are drawn here by His gifts. They come from across the Wasteland to live in this sanctuary. This part of the world is healing, my friend, and it's all thanks to Him."
(Birch's dialogue)
↑ There are sounds of birds, crickets, and squirrels? as backround sounds in Oasis.
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Hey, maybe if you tell me what Harold is scared of I won't be scared either."
The Lone Wanderer: "Tell me, too! Then I won't be scared either."
Yew: "Awww, I never knew an Outsider could be scared of anything! Harold told me that he's scared of fire. If fire ever got on him, it would burn him and Bob until they were all gone. That's why we keep the fires far away from him."
(Yew's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How would I be able to kill you? You're a tree."
Harold: "How to put this? ...I've been feeling rather "spread out" lately. I think Bob's kinda shoved my insides around some. It's hard to tell where everything is, but it's always that way with one's insides, isn't it? Anyway, I believe Bob's carried some of my organs into his root system. I want you to go underground and destroy my heart."
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How do the Treeminders normally handle other Outsiders?"
Harold: "Oh, you wouldn't believe how they handle them. They make them drink this gunk that Poplar makes. Sometimes they just go nuts and start running around, and sometimes when they wake up and see me they run for the hills! I'll tell you, Outsiders are almost as entertaining as the Treeminders!"
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Well, hopefully your troubles will be over. I'm here to help."
Harold: "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. Or, we're glad to hear that... me and Bob. I had you brought in here to ask a very simple favor. Would you please kill me?"
The Lone Wanderer: "You want me to murder you?"
Harold: "Oh no, no, no. It wouldn't be murder. You'd be doing me a favor. You see, I've been stuck here for over two decades now... rooted right into the ground. The only friends I've got are Bob and those weirdos out there who think I'm a god."
The Lone Wanderer: "You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"
Harold: "I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Hey, life is a gift. Even if it lasts a long time, be glad you have it!"
Harold: "I've tried to stay happy, really I have. Bloomseer Poplar thinks I'll live for hundreds of years... maybe even more! Can you imagine THAT? Stuck here for centuries? I can't do it, I just want to be alone. Just me and Bob until the end. When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "If people thought I was a god, I'd exploit it for all it's worth!"
Harold: "Hey, I thought that too... at first. I had them sing me songs, I made them do stupid dances and things like that. Bob even told me to make Maple stand on his head for a whole day! After a while though, it just gets boring. Then it becomes a nuisance and now it's completely driving me nuts! When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Had you ever asked one of them to kill you before?"
Harold: "They wouldn't listen to me at all! If I told them something simple, then it got done. Otherwise, Birch spent a week looking for a hidden meaning. Plus, he used to just pop in whenever he wanted and started chanting this nonsense. Sometimes I used to just sit there silently just to make him mad! That was fun for a while. Hopefully this will all change now that things are different... thanks to you!"
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ Harold: "I can't believe you'd kill those innocent people like that. And I thought I was a monster! If I could move, I would show you a thing or two, but Bob has me stuck here."
Harold: "Those people you killed were some of the most peaceful people in the Wasteland! How could you do that to them?"
Harold: "How dare you come into Oasis and shoot up the place! Even Bob is mad at you, and he never gets mad except when I don't stop calling him Herbert!"
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Which Treeminder do you get along with the best?"
Harold: "Actually, the kid is the nicest one of all. Yew's her name. She sneaks in here sometimes and just lets me talk about stuff I wanna talk about. Bob really likes her too, cause she makes me happy."
(Harold's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "You've become an important part of their life. Without you, they're lost."
Harold: "So, they really need me that badly, huh? I guess I never thought of it that way. Awfully selfish of me. Should we give them another chance, Herbert? Fine, fine. I mean Bob. I still think it's funny when I call him Herbert."
(Harold's dialogue)

Major characters of Fallout

Boneyard		Jon Zimmerman · Nicole · Razor

The Cathedral		Laura · Master · Morpheus

The Hub		Butch Harris · Daren Hightower · Decker · Harold · Jain · Loxley

Junktown		Gizmo · Killian Darkwater

Lost Hills		Cabbot · John Maxson · Rhombus · Vree

Mariposa Military Base		Lieutenant

Necropolis		Harry · Set

Raiders (Khan Base)		Garl

Shady Sands		Aradesh · Tandi

Vault 13		Vault 13 overseer · Vault Dweller

Major characters of Fallout 2

Arroyo		Chosen One · Hakunin · Village Elder

Broken Hills		Marcus

The Den		Metzger · Vic

Gecko		Festus · Gordon · Harold

New California Republic		Roger Westin · Tandi

New Reno		Big Jesus Mordino · John Bishop · Louis Salvatore · Myron · Orville Wright

Poseidon Oil Rig		Dick Richardson · Frank Horrigan

San Francisco		A. Ron Meyers · AHS-9 · Emperor v8.8 Computer Terminal · Matthew

Vault City		John Cassidy · Joanne Lynette · Councilman McClure

Vault 13		Gruthar

Vault 15		Darion

Major characters of Fallout 3

Major factions

Player character		Lone Wanderer

Brotherhood of Steel		Owyn Lyons · Sarah Lyons · Reginald Rothchild · Elizabeth Jameson · Arthur Maxson

Enclave		Augustus Autumn · John Henry Eden

Project Purity scientists		James · Madison Li · Daniel Agincourt · Alex Dargon · Janice Kaplinski · Anna Holt · Garza · Catherine (formerly)

Secondary factions

Companions		Dogmeat · Fawkes · Cross · Sergeant RL-3 · Butch · Jericho · Clover · Charon

Faction leaders		Henry Casdin · Eulogy Jones · Reilly · Tree Father Birch · Dave · Vance · Harkness · Alphonse Almodovar · Hannibal Hamlin · Commander Jabsco · Confessor Cromwell · Sonora Cruz · Daniel Littlehorn

Town leaders		Lucas Simms · Colin Moriarty · Allistair Tenpenny · Roy Phillips · Ernest Roe · Mayor MacCready · Red · Jack Smith · Evan King · Barrows

Other major characters		Harold · Amata Almodovar · Ahzrukhal · Three Dog · Moira Brown · Mister Burke · Stanislaus Braun · Herbert Dashwood · Argyle

Add-ons

Operation: Anchorage		General Constantine Chase · General Jingwei · Benjamin Montgomery · McGraw · Morrill · Olin · Sibley

The Pitt		Ishmael Ashur · Krenshaw · Sandra · Marie · Wernher · Midea

Broken Steel		Tristan · Bigsley · Vallincourt · Lepelletier · Split Jack · Griffon · Mother Curie III

Point Lookout		Desmond Lockheart · Professor Calvert · Jackson · Obadiah Blackhall · Tobar · Catherine · Nadine

Mothership Zeta		Sally · Somah · Paulson · Elliott Tercorien · Toshiro Kago · Alien captain

Characters of Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

Player characters

Cain · Cyrus · Nadia

Carbon

Armpit · Jane · Jesse · Raider lieutenant · Richard · Ruby · The Vault Dweller · Vidya

Los

Blake · Giese · Harold · Hieronymous · Rhombus · Salieri

Corporate Vault

Attis · CALIX · Ching Tsun · Dubois · Mary · Patty

· Technician

Merchants

Ching Tsun · Hieronymous · Jesse · Mr. Buddy console · Salieri · Shop-Tec

Major characters in Fallout: The Board Game

Base Game

Companions		Cait · Codsworth · Curie · Deacon · Dogmeat · Eyebot · Hancock · Loadlifter · MacCready · Nick Valentine · Paladin Danse · Piper · Preston Garvey · Protectron

Characters		Fawkes · Overseer Hayes · Liberty Prime · Doctor Merkins

Fallout: New California

Companions		Goris · Harold · Ian · John Cassidy · Lady Butterheart · Marcus · Tycho

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2

Locations

Austin · Farmhouse · Fort Worth · Lone Star · Lubbock · The Alamo · The Corpse · Vault 39

Weapons

Ancient "Dragon Heart" Tang of Quiet Death · Dual "Squirts" · Heavy machine gun turret · "Fat Boy" Portable Nuclear Bomb · Plasma cannon · Sniper rifle · Tesla cannon

The Armageddon Rag

Characters		Anders · Crazy Ivan · Dannon · Fast Eddie · Francis · Greeble · Homer Smith · J. Hardy Murphy · Jebidiah Smith · Jim Dunkelberger · Lee Jenkins · Les · Michael · Miller · Thomas · Vilars · Willems

Weapons		.25 VOLCANOESQUE multi-chamber handgun · 9mm Burreyetta, Model 86d · AKA-47 · Chemblaster™ 3000™ CDS · Crazy Ivan's New and Used Guns · Garry's Modified Shotgun with Accessories

Factions		Church of Harold · Guardian Brotherhood · Hounds of Hell · Torn Sky

The Hub

Characters

Traders	Crimson Caravan	Crimson Caravan guard · Demetre Romara · Keri Lee

	Far Go Traders	Beth · Butch Harris · Caravan driver · Rutger · Sid

	Water Merchants	Anthony · Clark · Daren Hightower · Dixon · Fowler · George · Harms · Hightower's wife · Ilya · Joshua · Kjolnir · Leon · Malantic · Marco · Martha Rastello · Marzen · Mephisto · Morgan · Orlando · Rick · Tracy · Water merchant guard · Water caravan employee

Other people	Children of the Cathedral	Jain · Thorndyke · Flower child · Patient · Guard

	Unaffiliated	Billy · Jacob · Gunther · Luke · Mitch · Mrs. Stapleton · Mat · Dan · Dan's wife · Iguana Bob Frazier · Kathy · Vance · Chad · Justin · Harold · Slappy · Irwin · Mike · Dying mutant · John Generic: Caravan driver · Farmer · Gambler · Skag · Drunk · Prisoners · Mercenaries · Hightower's guard

Locations and quests

Locations		Entrance · Hub Downtown (Merchant Market, Friendly Lending Company, Maltese Falcon, All-n-One Store, Beth's Weapon Shop, CoC hospital) · Old Town · Water Merchants (location) (Water Tower) · Heights · Irwin's farm · Deathclaw's lair

Quests

Dispose of merchant · Dispose of Jain · Find the missing caravans · Steal necklace from the Merchants · Blackmail Iguana Bob · Help Irwin · Guard the caravans · Clean out the Loan Shark · Take down Decker · Rescue Initiate from the Hub

Gecko

Characters		Harold · Lenny · Wooz · Festus · Hank · Jeremy · Lumpy · Skeeter · Gordon · Percy Crump · Zomak · Brain · Gecko citizens · Renewal cult ghoul · Reactor guard · Trapper

Locations		Gecko settlement (Manager's office · The Harp) · Gecko's nuclear power plant · Gecko junkyard (Survival Gear Locker) · Access tunnels

Quests		Solve the Gecko powerplant problem · Optimize the powerplant · Retrieve the Economy Disk and deliver it to McClure in Vault City · Get super repair kit for Skeeter · Get 3-step plasma transformer for Skeeter · Find Woody the ghoul for Percy. Try the Den

Nursery

Carbon

Locations

Carbon · Carbon Crater · Carbon Mill · Carbon warehouse

Characters

Armpit · Jane · Jesse · Richard · Ruby · Vidya · Wasteland Stranger

Quests	Main	Find Brotherhood Paladins · Kill Drunken Raiders · Kill Warehouse Radscorpions · Kill Giant Radscorpion · Kill Mayor · Escape Crater · Town Under Attack · Defeat Raiders · Kill Raider Matron

	Side	Collect Radscorpion Tails · Find Medical Supplies · Find Ruby's Cat · Rescue Innocents · Find Ruby's Necklace · Vault 13 flask · Harold's romp with Ruby

Oasis

Characters	Treeminders	Tree Father Birch · Leaf Mother Laurel · Bloomseer Poplar · Branchtender Cypress · Branchtender Linden · Branchtender Maple · Sapling Yew · Dead branchtender · Drifter (formerly)

	Harold

Quests

Oasis

[1] Sources within the article.

[2] Fallout Bible 5:
"27. I disagree with making Harold not a ghoul. During Fallout 1 the name "ghoul" was not yet as widely used as in F2. Harold could have disagreed with calling his mutant kind with such a name (which is not very nice). When you ask him about the ghouls he says:
{1102}{hrold302}{Mutants. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.}
I think it doesn't necessarily mean that he's not a ghoul. It just means that he doesn't want to be called a 'ghoul'. He says, that the ghouls are mutants, just like him, and it doesn't matter how they call themselves.
I think the name 'ghouls' was either created for them by the Necropolis ghouls themselves, or by people who considered them monsters. As he looks like a ghoul, i think he would be considered one by both. Ghouls are not like supermutants, they are not all the same. It's only a name for people twisted by radiation or FEV (or both). There may be ghouls created only by radiation, and ghouls created only by FEV.
I also think, though Harold was mutated in the Vats, that if you say that all the ghouls were created by the FEV, then there isn't much difference between Harold and other ghouls.
Chris Taylor wrote:
>>Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants.<<
If so, then people dipped in the Vats can become ghouls instead of supermutants, if they are radiated. I think that easily matches Harold's case...
Fallout 2:
{100}{}{You see a particularly leathery-looking Ghoul.}
{101}{}{You see Harold.}
{102}{}{You see a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.}
{172}{}{Put a sock in it ya smelly old ghoul. Goodbye.}
Loxley (F1):
{244}{LOX_69}{Harold? He's a good enough sort, for being a ghoul an all. Lives on the south side.}
As you can see, Harold is called a ghoul in the game.
Butch (F1):
{233}{BUTCH46}{Alright, so it wasn't the Death Claw. But what would the mutants in Old Town want with our caravans? Unless it's some kind of conspiracy.}
As you can see, there are more muties in the Hub Old town, not only Harold (though we don't see them in the game). And they are all called both 'mutants' and 'ghouls'.
I think the point is that you call 'ghouls' only the ones that were exposed to 'wild' FEV in the air and radiation, and not the ones that were screwed-up results of dipping (like Harold and Talius). I think both kinds should be called 'ghouls', because, though they were created with different methods, the result is identical, and they were both result of radiation and FEV (ghouls of Necropolis are radiated people that were exposed to mutated FEV in the air, and Harold and Talius are result of dipping people with radiation damage - think this is what Chris Taylor meant)."
"All good points - Tim Cain and Chris Taylor agree with you, and they say Harold's a ghoul. To quote statements within the past week:

Chris Taylor: Ghouls are a type of mutant.
Harold is a ghoul. He's also a little special. Super Mutants are humans with no or minimal radiation damage who have been exposed to FEV. Ghouls are humans with significant radiation damage exposed to FEV.
Harold is, well, Harold.

Tim Cain: I know we treated him as a ghoul, but not a Necropolis one. He may have been irradiated before or after. All I remember was that he went in there with the guy whose name I forget (the one who fell into the vat and became the Master), and only Harold came out. Harold's memory is totally whacked, btw. ...most people don't know when they get irradiated, so he [Harold] just may not know what happened to him. I do know that radiation and FEV do not mix. Mutants are immune to radiation effects, but an irradiate human is killed by exposure to FEV. So one thing is sure: Harold is not a mix of radiation and FEV. He's got to be one or the other, and I think he's a ghoul.

According to Chris, ghouls are irradiated humans exposed to FEV.
According to Tim, ghouls are due solely to radiation.
Both agree Harold is special. And I don't mean handicapped.
Officially: Ghouls are a mix of FEV and radiation. Harold is a mutant who resembles a ghoul. Harold may have had some radiation damage before he was exposed to FEV, but his mutation (outside of his surface appearance) makes him different than a ghoul. Most ghouls are the result of extreme radiation + FEV exposure, but Harold's change was due primarily to FEV exposure (again, he could have sucked up a few rads in the wastes without him knowing, especially considering how long he ran caravans in the wastes).
He is hideously mutated enough so that he looks like a ghoul, but he's not technically one, and this is the mistake that Loxley makes (Loxley only judges a book by its cover, and he knows nothing about genetics or anything beyond a surface appearance).
You can call him a ghoul if you want, but the official answer is:
"Harold is Harold." Harold's special.
BTW, glowing ghouls are ghouls that suck up too many rads after they have become ghouls. We originally wanted Lenny in F2 to be able to turn into a glowing ghoul when he drinks too much radioactive liquor, but we didn't put it in."

[3] "27. I disagree with making Harold not a ghoul. During Fallout 1 the name "ghoul" was not yet as widely used as in F2. Harold could have disagreed with calling his mutant kind with such a name (which is not very nice). When you ask him about the ghouls he says:
{1102}{hrold302}{Mutants. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.}
I think it doesn't necessarily mean that he's not a ghoul. It just means that he doesn't want to be called a 'ghoul'. He says, that the ghouls are mutants, just like him, and it doesn't matter how they call themselves.
I think the name 'ghouls' was either created for them by the Necropolis ghouls themselves, or by people who considered them monsters. As he looks like a ghoul, i think he would be considered one by both. Ghouls are not like supermutants, they are not all the same. It's only a name for people twisted by radiation or FEV (or both). There may be ghouls created only by radiation, and ghouls created only by FEV.
I also think, though Harold was mutated in the Vats, that if you say that all the ghouls were created by the FEV, then there isn't much difference between Harold and other ghouls.
Chris Taylor wrote:
>>Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants.<<
If so, then people dipped in the Vats can become ghouls instead of supermutants, if they are radiated. I think that easily matches Harold's case...
Fallout 2:
{100}{}{You see a particularly leathery-looking Ghoul.}
{101}{}{You see Harold.}
{102}{}{You see a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.}
{172}{}{Put a sock in it ya smelly old ghoul. Goodbye.}
Loxley (F1):
{244}{LOX_69}{Harold? He's a good enough sort, for being a ghoul an all. Lives on the south side.}
As you can see, Harold is called a ghoul in the game.
Butch (F1):
{233}{BUTCH46}{Alright, so it wasn't the Death Claw. But what would the mutants in Old Town want with our caravans? Unless it's some kind of conspiracy.}
As you can see, there are more muties in the Hub Old town, not only Harold (though we don't see them in the game). And they are all called both 'mutants' and 'ghouls'.
I think the point is that you call 'ghouls' only the ones that were exposed to 'wild' FEV in the air and radiation, and not the ones that were screwed-up results of dipping (like Harold and Talius). I think both kinds should be called 'ghouls', because, though they were created with different methods, the result is identical, and they were both result of radiation and FEV (ghouls of Necropolis are radiated people that were exposed to mutated FEV in the air, and Harold and Talius are result of dipping people with radiation damage - think this is what Chris Taylor meant)."
"All good points - Tim Cain and Chris Taylor agree with you, and they say Harold's a ghoul. To quote statements within the past week:

[3] The Vault Dweller: "{1005}{}{Vault}"
Harold: "{1105}{hrold305}{Yeah, I came from a Vault. Too many people, not enough food and water. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?}"
(HAROLD.MSG) Note: This actually corresponds to Vault 27, which was to be deliberately overcrowded by twice the sustainable amount, as opposed to Vault 29.

[4] Nursery design document

[Ausir1-5] Information acquired from one of the developers by Paweł "Ausir" Dembowski: ”Yes, we actually remembered about him coming from Vault 29 originally. The story was that he was taken by a robot to the Nursery. There he was given the choice of staying with Diana, or exploring the outside world. However, if he chose to explore, she would have to 'condition' him, so that he could not reveal anything about her, or the nursery to the world. He agreed to stay, but escaped eventually. Afterwards, he kept the nursery a secret because he felt it was his duty to the world to keep such a future gift intact until the world was ready for it. His later return to the nursery was a moment of joy for Diana and a 'new experience' to him, as much of his early memories faded with age.”

[6] Harold: "{101}{HROLD0}{Spare change, old friend, old pal? Can you help a poor mutant down on his luck? [Cough]}"
The Vault Dweller: "{102}{}{Yeah, here's $25. Good luck to you.}"
Harold: "{108}{HROLD2}{Oh, kind of ya, friend. Very kind. You know, if I could clear the gunk out of there, you, just might find a tear in Old Harold's eye.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{109}{}{Why is that?}"
Harold: "{111}{HROLD3}{[Cough] Rest of the Hubbers' been picking on me like a bad booger since I came back to town. I can't leave, though. When the deals are done [wheez] it's still my home.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{112}{}{What happened to you?}"
Harold: "{115}{HROLD4}{Well, after the Great War, my Vault was one of the first to open. [Takes a deep breath] Whew. Long time.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{116}{}{Tell me more about those days.}"
Harold: "{118}{HROLD5}{All started with the sirens. I was young, but ohh, I do remember that. Lotta terrible years followed. And I remember walking outta the Vault late one morning.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{120}{}{Where was your Vault located?}"
Harold: "{122}{HROLD6}{You know, [cough] I'm not real sure anymore. West, I think. Uh wait - east? Ooh I don't know. [Hacking cough]}"
(HAROLD.MSG)

[7] Fallout Bible 0: "2090 Vault 29 opens. Harold (now human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."

[8] Fallout Bible 5: "2090 Vault 29 opens. Harold (currently human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."

[FOGG1-9] 9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 Fallout Official Survival Guide p.97: "Harold: An Old, Old Mutant
Harold is the oldest person alive in the Hub. In fact, he was five years old when the war started. After his vault opened and its inhabitants made their way out into the wasteland, he became a merchant.
At some point many years ago, he handled an artifact contaminated with the FEV virus that caused him to mutate . He is now very old, sick, and he tends to ramble on a lot. Some of his information may be out of date. He can be cranky at times, but he likes to tell stories. He could be a good source of information on people and things within the Hub, and it's worthwhile talking to him to find out what he knows."
"Hints"
"Be patient with Harold and draw him out. He has one critical piece of information that may be of use: He knew the Master when the Master was still human, and he has been to the lost military base."

[Harold_Mariposa-10] 10.0 ^10.1 The Vault Dweller: "{119}{}{What did you do then?}"
Harold: "{124}{HROLD7}{Well, I was a trader. Did pretty good making a circuit between survivors. Lost a lotta good people, though. [Coughs]}"
The Vault Dweller: "{125}{}{How?}"
Harold: "{126}{HROLD8}{Gangers got'em. Scavengers attacking the caravans. And mutants, son of a dog, if they weren't springing up like rabbits with a mission. [cough] Had to have an army of guards with, just to do a deal.}"
(HAROLD.MSG)

[11] Fallout Bible 0: "2096 Harold rises to the level of a caravan boss in the Hub. His caravans suffer occasional attacks in the wastes, but Harold's caravan outfit survives and prospers... until the mutant attacks begin to pick up a few years later."

[12] Fallout Bible 0: "2102 May 22 Increasing mutant attacks on Harold's caravans cause Harold to get so pissed he finances one of the first adventuring parties of Fallout to try and find out where these dagnab mutants are coming from. Consulting with a scientist and doctor at the Hub, a man by the name of Grey, the two of them decide to join forces."

[13] Fallout Bible 0: "2102 June 23 Richard Grey's Expedition [including Harold] finds the Mariposa Military Base and the Expedition is scattered and defeated by mutants at the base. Grey is knocked into one of the vats of FEV by a robotic arm, and Harold is knocked unconscious, only to awaken later out in the wasteland."

[14] The Vault Dweller: "{128}{}{Where were the mutants coming from?}"
Harold: "{133}{HROLD10}{Everywhere! Hell, seemed like you couldn't fart without hitting one. But mostly in the northwest.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{134}{}{Did you explore that area?}"
Harold: "{138}{HROLD11}{We mounted an expedition. God, Richard. Richard Grey. Led a small group of us up there.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{139}{}{Richard Grey?}"
Harold: "{146}{HROLD14}{Richard Grey was a doctor. Little older than me, and friend was he smart. He found the source.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{147}{}{And what was that?}"
Harold: "{160}{HROLD18}{Some sort of old military base. We lost a lotta folks getting in there.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{161}{}{How did you know this base was the cause?}"
Harold: "{165}{HROLD20}{Because it was like someone went bargain shopping at mutantland! Geez! Cheaper by the dozens! Can't figure any other reason except that being the factory.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{166}{}{Did you examine the base closely?}"
Harold: "{167}{HROLD21}{We got pretty far inside. Wasn't a lot of us left by then. Grey, me and couple of others.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{168}{}{And then?}"
Harold: "{169}{HROLD22}{One of them robots got Francine. Mark was wounded, sent him back to the surface. Then it was just me and Grey.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{170}{}{What ever happened to Mark?}"
Harold: "{172}{HROLD23}{To this day, I don't know. He never made it back here, and...well I...couldn't face the wasteland again, so I...I never looked.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{173}{}{What about you and Grey?}"
"Harold: {174}{HROLD24}{We made it to some sort of central core, like a plant of some sort. That's when it happened.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{175}{}{What?}"
Harold: "{176}{HROLD25}{A robot crane crashed into us. Last I saw of Grey, he was flying through the air in-into some sort of acid bath. I was in bad shape and...well I passed out.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{177}{}{How did you survive?}"
Harold: "{181}{HROLD26}{Well, I have no idea. Woke up in the wasteland, barely hanging on. Got lucky and some traders I knew found me days later. Good thing, since I was already changing. They brought me here, and here I've been since.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{182}{}{How did you mutate?}"
Harold: "{190}{HROLD28}{All's I know, is it was something inside that base.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{191}{}{Do you think it could have been radiation?}"
Harold: "{193}{HROLD29}{How the hell should I know? Grey would've known if anybody could. [sigh] Anyway, that's how the deal went down.}"
(HAROLD.MSG)

[15] The Lone Wanderer: "How did a tree end up growing out of your head?"
Harold: "It was a long time ago... I tend to lose track. I was exploring some sort of a military base with some other people... I think it was called Mariposa. We were pretty deep inside and we found some weird vats of this nasty green goo. Right when we were about to leave, I think we were attacked. Last thing I remember before blacking out was something knocking my friend into the stuff."
(Harold's dialogue)

[16] Fallout Bible 0: "2102 June 27 Harold, already mutating, is found by traders and taken back to the Hub. His former caravan partners and employees, horrified by his condition, abandon him and he is soon left without even two bottlecaps to rub together."

[17] Fallout Bible 0: "2238 Harold arrives in Gecko, and (with a lot of shaking of his head) he does his best to help the ghouls with the running of the Nuclear Power Plant."

[18] There is no reference as to how the situation was resolved.

[19] Fallout Bible 0:
"5. Why in the final scene in Fallout 1 and 2 nothing is said about players friendly NPCs ? I'd love to know what happened to Marcus, Tycho, Ian, Cassidy or Vic afterwards. - Kreegle"
"Fallout 1: I don't know why. Tim and the Troika crew apparently ended up doing this for the NPCs in Arcanum, though."
[...]"In any event, here you go - note that some are personalized for the actor, others are not:"[...] "Harold"

"You still hear mention of Harold from time to time. Apparently, the tree growing from his head has gotten larger, and if rumors are to be believed, fruit is growing from it. The seeds are said to remarkably tough, and several of them have taken root even in the most barren stretches of the wasteland."

[...]

[20] Fallout Bible

[21] Gcharold.msg, line 102

[Literally_rooted-22] The Lone Wanderer: "You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"
Harold: "I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."
(Harold's dialogue)

[Whycalltreeminders-23] The Lone Wanderer: "Why do you call yourselves Treeminders?"
Birch: "We care for this place and keep it safe from those who would seek to exploit it. He gives to us, so we give back to Him. It's an arrangement that's worked well for almost two decades. We shun technology and embrace nature. That's the life of a Treeminder."
(Birch's dialogue)

[24] The Lone Wanderer: "How did the Treeminders begin?"
Birch: "When I first beheld the glory of the Great One, I knew there'd be others who would seek to do Him harm. I also knew He would be calling others that he felt were pure of heart to protect Him. Right then and there I created the Treeminders... the Great One's last line of defense."
(Birch's dialogue)

[25] Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.319-320: "2.01: OASIS (LAT -03/LONG 28)
OASIS
Oasis is a fertile, verdant dot in the center of all the desolation. This odd hidden vale is home to a strange, tribal-like people who call themselves the Treeminders. You are welcomed into Oasis with open arms, and their leader, Tree Father Birch, invites you to meet their god. Oasis is tucked away inside a giant rocky outcrop in the mountains just northeast of the monorail and freeway skeletons, and the entrance is close to a rope bridge."
(Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition Tour of the Capital Wasteland)

[26] The Lone Wanderer: "How is it you're causing all of these things to grow around you?"
Harold: "It's kind of embarrassing really. Once a year, Bob decides he's going to go ahead and start growing these weird pods filled with tiny seeds. Well, all it takes is a good wind and the seeds just fly everywhere. I call them Herbert's Seeds. He hates that!"
(Harold's dialogue)

[27] The Lone Wanderer: "Amazing, this place seems so abundant with animal life."
Birch: "The innocent creatures are drawn here by His gifts. They come from across the Wasteland to live in this sanctuary. This part of the world is healing, my friend, and it's all thanks to Him."
(Birch's dialogue)

[28] There are sounds of birds, crickets, and squirrels? as backround sounds in Oasis.

[29] The Lone Wanderer: "Hey, maybe if you tell me what Harold is scared of I won't be scared either."
The Lone Wanderer: "Tell me, too! Then I won't be scared either."
Yew: "Awww, I never knew an Outsider could be scared of anything! Harold told me that he's scared of fire. If fire ever got on him, it would burn him and Bob until they were all gone. That's why we keep the fires far away from him."
(Yew's dialogue)

[30] The Lone Wanderer: "How would I be able to kill you? You're a tree."
Harold: "How to put this? ...I've been feeling rather "spread out" lately. I think Bob's kinda shoved my insides around some. It's hard to tell where everything is, but it's always that way with one's insides, isn't it? Anyway, I believe Bob's carried some of my organs into his root system. I want you to go underground and destroy my heart."
(Harold's dialogue)

[31] The Lone Wanderer: "How do the Treeminders normally handle other Outsiders?"
Harold: "Oh, you wouldn't believe how they handle them. They make them drink this gunk that Poplar makes. Sometimes they just go nuts and start running around, and sometimes when they wake up and see me they run for the hills! I'll tell you, Outsiders are almost as entertaining as the Treeminders!"
(Harold's dialogue)

[32] The Lone Wanderer: "Well, hopefully your troubles will be over. I'm here to help."
Harold: "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. Or, we're glad to hear that... me and Bob. I had you brought in here to ask a very simple favor. Would you please kill me?"
The Lone Wanderer: "You want me to murder you?"
Harold: "Oh no, no, no. It wouldn't be murder. You'd be doing me a favor. You see, I've been stuck here for over two decades now... rooted right into the ground. The only friends I've got are Bob and those weirdos out there who think I'm a god."
The Lone Wanderer: "You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"
Harold: "I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."
(Harold's dialogue)

[33] The Lone Wanderer: "Hey, life is a gift. Even if it lasts a long time, be glad you have it!"
Harold: "I've tried to stay happy, really I have. Bloomseer Poplar thinks I'll live for hundreds of years... maybe even more! Can you imagine THAT? Stuck here for centuries? I can't do it, I just want to be alone. Just me and Bob until the end. When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."
(Harold's dialogue)

[34] The Lone Wanderer: "If people thought I was a god, I'd exploit it for all it's worth!"
Harold: "Hey, I thought that too... at first. I had them sing me songs, I made them do stupid dances and things like that. Bob even told me to make Maple stand on his head for a whole day! After a while though, it just gets boring. Then it becomes a nuisance and now it's completely driving me nuts! When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."
(Harold's dialogue)

[35] The Lone Wanderer: "Had you ever asked one of them to kill you before?"
Harold: "They wouldn't listen to me at all! If I told them something simple, then it got done. Otherwise, Birch spent a week looking for a hidden meaning. Plus, he used to just pop in whenever he wanted and started chanting this nonsense. Sometimes I used to just sit there silently just to make him mad! That was fun for a while. Hopefully this will all change now that things are different... thanks to you!"
(Harold's dialogue)

[36] Harold: "I can't believe you'd kill those innocent people like that. And I thought I was a monster! If I could move, I would show you a thing or two, but Bob has me stuck here."
Harold: "Those people you killed were some of the most peaceful people in the Wasteland! How could you do that to them?"
Harold: "How dare you come into Oasis and shoot up the place! Even Bob is mad at you, and he never gets mad except when I don't stop calling him Herbert!"
(Harold's dialogue)

[37] The Lone Wanderer: "Which Treeminder do you get along with the best?"
Harold: "Actually, the kid is the nicest one of all. Yew's her name. She sneaks in here sometimes and just lets me talk about stuff I wanna talk about. Bob really likes her too, cause she makes me happy."
(Harold's dialogue)

[38] The Lone Wanderer: "You've become an important part of their life. Without you, they're lost."
Harold: "So, they really need me that badly, huh? I guess I never thought of it that way. Awfully selfish of me. Should we give them another chance, Herbert? Fine, fine. I mean Bob. I still think it's funny when I call him Herbert."
(Harold's dialogue)

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Barter:	90
Melee Weap.:	60
Small Guns:	80
Unarmed:	70

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{For|other characters named Harold|Harold (disambiguation)}}
 {{Infobox character
-|games       =FO1, FO2, FO3, FOBOS, VB, FOBOS2
+|games       =FO1, FO2, FO3, FOBOS, FBGNC, VB, FOBOS2
 |mentions    =PV13
 |image       =HubHarold.png
 |image desc  =Harold in [[Timeline#2161|2161]]
-|race        =[[Human]] (formerly)<br />[[Forced Evolutionary Virus|FEV]] [[Mutations and their causes|mutant]]
+|race        =[[Human]] (formerly)<br />[[Forced Evolutionary Virus|FEV]] [[Mutations and their causes|mutant]]<br />([[Psyker]])
 |sex         =Male
-|age         =89 {{icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}<br />137 {{icon|FOBOS|link=Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel}}<br />169 {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />205 {{icon|FO3|link=Fallout 3}}
+|age         =89 {{Icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}<br />137 {{Icon|FOBOS|link=Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel}}<br />169 {{Icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />205 {{Icon|FO3|link=Fallout 3}}
-|special     ={{SPECIAL|6,4,5,8,7,6,7}} {{icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}<br />{{SPECIAL|6,8,5,5,6,6,7}} {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}
+|special     ={{SPECIAL|6,4,5,8,7,6,7|icon=FO1}}<br />{{SPECIAL|6,8,5,5,6,6,7|icon=FO2}}
 |affiliation =[[Treeminders]]
-|role        =Ghoul in [[the Hub]] {{icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}<br />Mutant down on his luck {{icon|FOBOS|link=Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel}}<br />Mayor of [[Gecko (town)|Gecko]] {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />Spirit-god of [[Oasis|Oasis Grove]] {{icon|FO3|link=Fallout 3}}
+|role        =Informant {{icon|FO1}}<br />Mayor of Gecko {{icon|FO2}}<br />Unwilling deity of the [[Treeminders]] {{icon|FO3}}
-|location    =[[The Hub]] (2096-2102), (2161)<br />[[Los]] (2208)<br />[[Gecko (town)|Gecko]] (2238)<br />[[Oasis]] (2277)
+|location    =[[Vault 29]] (2077-2090)<br />[[Hub|The Hub]] (2096-2102), (2161)<br />[[Los]] (2208)<br />[[Gecko (town)|Gecko]] (2238)<br />[[Oasis]] (2277)
-|quests      =[[Find the missing caravans]]<br />[[Oasis (quest)|Oasis]]<br />[[Find Missing Pieces]]
+|quests      =[[Find the missing caravans]] {{icon|FO1}}<br />[[Solve the Gecko powerplant problem]] {{icon|FO2}}<br />[[Oasis (quest)|Oasis]] {{icon|FO3}}<br />[[Find Missing Pieces]] {{icon|FOBOS}}
-|actor       =[[Charlie Adler]] {{icon|FO1|link=Fallout}} {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Alan Oppenheimer]] {{icon|FOBOS|link=Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel}}<br />[[Stephen Russell]] {{icon|FO3|link=Fallout 3}}
+|actor       =[[Charlie Adler]] {{Icon|FO1|link=Fallout}} {{Icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Alan Oppenheimer]] {{Icon|FOBOS|link=Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel}}<br />[[Stephen Russell]] {{Icon|FO3|link=Fallout 3}}
-|tag skills  ={{tag skills|small guns=80|unarmed=70|melee weapons=60|barter=90 {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}}}
+|tag skills  ={{tag skills|small guns=80|unarmed=70|melee weapons=60|barter=90 {{Icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}}}
-|derived     =[[Hit Points]]: 30 {{icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}, 80 {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Experience Points|XP]]: 60 {{icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}, 250 {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Armor Class]]: 6<br />[[Action Points]]: 8<br />[[Carry Weight]]: 175<br />[[Melee Damage]]: 1<br />[[Sequence]]: 8 {{icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}, 16 {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Healing Rate]]: 1
+|derived     =[[Hit Points]]: 30 {{Icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}, 80 {{Icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Experience Points|XP]]: 60 {{Icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}, 250 {{Icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Armor Class]]: 6<br />[[Action Points]]: 8<br />[[Carry Weight]]: 175<br />[[Melee Damage]]: 1<br />[[Sequence]]: 8 {{Icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}, 16 {{Icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Healing Rate]]: 1
-|proto       ={{proto|157}} {{icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}<br />{{proto|109}} {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}
+|proto       ={{proto|157}} {{Icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}<br />{{proto|109}} {{Icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}
-|baseid      ={{ID|03034e}} {{icon|FO3|link=Fallout 3}}
+|baseid      ={{ID|03034e}} {{Icon|FO3|link=Fallout 3}}
 |refid       ={{ID|031497}}
-|dialogue    =[[HAROLD.MSG]] {{icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}<br />[[Harold's dialogue]] {{icon|FOBOS|link=Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel}}<br />[[Gcharold.msg]] {{icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Harold.txt]] {{icon|FO3|link=Fallout 3}}
+|dialogue    =[[HAROLD.MSG]] {{Icon|FO1|link=Fallout}}<br />[[Harold's dialogue]] {{Icon|FOBOS|link=Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel}}<br />[[Gcharold.msg]] {{Icon|FO2|link=Fallout 2}}<br />[[Harold.txt]] {{Icon|FO3|link=Fallout 3}}
 |footer      =[[File:Harold.jpg|240px]]<br />Harold in 2277
-}}{{Games|FO1|FO2|FO3|VB|FOBOS|FOOL|FB|FOBOS2}}
+}}{{Games|FO1|FO2|FO3|FOBOS|FBGNC|FOOL|FB|VB|FOBOS2}}
 {{Rotating content
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 |content5={{Quotation|Sometimes the meat slides right off the bone, if you know what I mean. Heh heh. Whoo. That was a wild time.}}
 }}
-<section begin="CXGamesSummary" /><!--Please don't remove, using in Canceled games portal-->
-'''Harold''' (who goes by many names: '''The Lord''', '''Him''', '''The One Who Grows, Gives, and Guides''', and '''The Talking Tree''')<noinclude><!--Please dont remove, using in canceled games portal-->
-<ref name="FO3 Guide">''[[Fallout 3 Official Game Guide]]''</ref></noinclude><!--Please dont remove, using in canceled games portal--> is an [[Forced Evolutionary Virus|FEV]] mutant - originally a [[human]] from [[Vault 29]]. He was born in [[Timeline#2072|2072]], five years before the [[Great War]]. During an exploration of [[Mariposa Military Base]], he was exposed to FEV. Initially, he mutated into what appears to be an ordinary [[ghoul]], but was later distinguished by [[Bob (tree)|a tree]] growing out of his head some years later.
+'''Harold''' is one of the most unique denizens of the wasteland. Born five years before the [[Great War]], in [[Timeline#2072|2072]], Harold survived it in a [[vault]] and witnessed many of the pivotal events and met the most influential people of the wasteland. Rising to prominence as a caravan master in the formative years of the [[Hub]], he would later meet the future [[Master]], travel to [[Mariposa Military Base]], undergo a change into a [[ghoul]]-like mutant through exposure to [[Forced Evolutionary Virus|FEV]], lose everything, then become a wasteland traveler, leading [[Gecko (town)|Gecko]] into a new future, and eventually becoming an unwilling god for the [[Treeminders]] in the [[Capital Wasteland]], on the opposite end of the continent.<ref>Sources within the article.</ref>
-Harold left [[Vault 29]] in [[Timeline#2090|2090]], and lived in [[the Hub]] around 2096, in its [[Old Town]] around [[Timeline#2161|2161]], in [[Los]] around [[Timeline#2208|2208]], in [[Gecko (town)|Gecko]] in [[Timeline#2238|2238]], and in [[Oasis]] around [[Timeline#2277|2277]].
-<section end="CXGamesSummary" /><!--Please don't remove, using in canceled games portal-->
+While he appears to be a ghoul and is treated as such by everyone he meets (save for the few exceptional individuals who look beyond his horrifying appearance), Harold is technically not a ghoul, but a special kind of mutant created through his limited exposure to [[Forced Evolutionary Virus|FEV]]. Due to his birth before the War and subsequent growing up in a Vault, shielded from the high amounts of radiation that flooded the world, he was largely untainted and qualified for full transformation into a super mutant, given the right levels of exposure. However, the relatively low amounts of exposure coupled with a number of random, uncontrolled factors, resulted in his transformation into an unique, special kind of mutant. Harold is Harold, just like [[Talius]] is Talius. Although hesitant to self-identify as a ghoul at first, Harold eventually embraced his identity and worked to aid his brethren.<ref>''[[Fallout Bible 5#Questions|Fallout Bible 5]]'': {{Expandable content|''"'''27. I disagree with making Harold not a ghoul. During Fallout 1 the name "ghoul" was not yet as widely used as in F2. Harold could have disagreed with calling his mutant kind with such a name (which is not very nice). When you ask him about the ghouls he says:''<br />''{1102}{hrold302}{Mutants. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.}''<br />''I think it doesn't necessarily mean that he's not a ghoul. It just means that he doesn't want to be called a 'ghoul'. He says, that the ghouls are mutants, just like him, and it doesn't matter how they call themselves.''<br />''I think the name 'ghouls' was either created for them by the Necropolis ghouls themselves, or by people who considered them monsters. As he looks like a ghoul, i think he would be considered one by both. Ghouls are not like supermutants, they are not all the same. It's only a name for people twisted by radiation or FEV (or both). There may be ghouls created only by radiation, and ghouls created only by FEV.''<br />''I also think, though Harold was mutated in the Vats, that if you say that all the ghouls were created by the FEV, then there isn't much difference between Harold and other ghouls.''<br />''Chris Taylor wrote:''<br />''>>Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants.<<''<br />''If so, then people dipped in the Vats can become ghouls instead of supermutants, if they are radiated. I think that easily matches Harold's case...''<br />''Fallout 2:''<br />''{100}{}{You see a particularly leathery-looking Ghoul.}''<br />''{101}{}{You see Harold.}''<br />''{102}{}{You see a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.}''<br />''{172}{}{Put a sock in it ya smelly old ghoul. Goodbye.}''<br />''Loxley (F1):''<br />''{244}{LOX_69}{Harold? He's a good enough sort, for being a ghoul an all. Lives on the south side.}''<br />''As you can see, Harold is called a ghoul in the game.''<br />''Butch (F1):''<br />''{233}{BUTCH46}{Alright, so it wasn't the Death Claw. But what would the mutants in Old Town want with our caravans? Unless it's some kind of conspiracy.}''<br />''As you can see, there are more muties in the Hub Old town, not only Harold (though we don't see them in the game). And they are all called both 'mutants' and 'ghouls'.''<br />''I think the point is that you call 'ghouls' only the ones that were exposed to 'wild' FEV in the air and radiation, and not the ones that were screwed-up results of dipping (like Harold and Talius). I think both kinds should be called 'ghouls', because, though they were created with different methods, the result is identical, and they were both result of radiation and FEV (ghouls of Necropolis are radiated people that were exposed to mutated FEV in the air, and Harold and Talius are result of dipping people with radiation damage - think this is what Chris Taylor meant).'''"''<br />''"All good points - Tim Cain and Chris Taylor agree with you, and they say Harold's a ghoul. To quote statements within the past week:''
-By 2277, he is a gnarled face in a tree growing in the [[Oasis|Oasis Grove]]. During his many adventures, he has encountered such influential people as Richard Grey (later the [[Master]]), the [[Vault Dweller]], the [[Initiate (player character)|Initiate]], the [[Chosen One]], and the [[Lone Wanderer]].
+<blockquote>'''''Chris Taylor:''' Ghouls are a type of mutant.
+Harold is a ghoul. He's also a little special.
+Super Mutants are humans with no or minimal radiation damage who have been exposed to FEV.
+Ghouls are humans with significant radiation damage exposed to FEV.
+Harold is, well, Harold.''</blockquote>
+<blockquote>'''''Tim Cain:''' I know we treated him as a ghoul, but not a Necropolis one. He may have been irradiated before or after. All I remember was that he went in there with the guy whose name I forget (the one who fell into the vat and became the Master), and only Harold came out. Harold's memory is totally whacked, btw.
+...most people don't know when they get irradiated, so he [Harold] just may not know what happened to him. I do know that radiation and FEV do not mix. Mutants are immune to radiation effects, but an irradiate human is killed by exposure to FEV. So one thing is sure: Harold is not a mix of radiation and FEV. He's got to be one or the other, and I think he's a ghoul.''</blockquote>
+''According to Chris, ghouls are irradiated humans exposed to FEV.''<br />''According to Tim, ghouls are due solely to radiation.''<br />''Both agree Harold is special. And I don't mean handicapped.''<br />'''''Officially''': Ghouls are a mix of FEV and radiation. Harold is a mutant who resembles a ghoul. Harold may have had some radiation damage before he was exposed to FEV, but his mutation (outside of his surface appearance) makes him different than a ghoul. Most ghouls are the result of extreme radiation + FEV exposure, but Harold's change was due primarily to FEV exposure (again, he could have sucked up a few rads in the wastes without him knowing, especially considering how long he ran caravans in the wastes).''<br />''He is hideously mutated enough so that he looks like a ghoul, but he's not technically one, and this is the mistake that Loxley makes (Loxley only judges a book by its cover, and he knows nothing about genetics or anything beyond a surface appearance).''<br />''You can call him a ghoul if you want, but the official answer is:''<br />''"Harold is Harold." Harold's special.''<br />''BTW, glowing ghouls are ghouls that suck up too many rads after they have become ghouls. We originally wanted Lenny in F2 to be able to turn into a glowing ghoul when he drinks too much radioactive liquor, but we didn't put it in."''
+}}</ref>
 ==Background==
 ===Early life===
+Born in [[Timeline#2072|2072]] , Harold was only five years old when the War started and he entered [[Vault 29]]. He still remembers the sirens on that day and the terrible days that followed, living in an overcrowded Vault with not enough food and water to go around.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1005}{}{Vault}"''<br />Harold: ''"{1105}{hrold305}{Yeah, I came from a Vault. Too many people, not enough food and water. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?}"''<br />([[HAROLD.MSG]]) {{Small|'''Note:''' This actually corresponds to [[Vault 27]], which was to be deliberately overcrowded by twice the sustainable amount, as opposed to [[Vault 29]].}}</ref> [[File:Gametitle-VB.png|20px|Gray paragraphs are based on Van Buren and were not confirmed by primary sources]] <span style="color:dimgray">The reason was that his shelter, [[Vault 29]], was populated with young children separated from their parents, and placed under the care of [[Diana Stone|Diana]], a human scientist immortalized by merging her human brain with a supercomputer controlling the Vault and the [[Nursery]], a repository of seeds and genetic records preserved in case of a global thermonuclear war. Diana would control the unrest by periodically releasing young dwellers to scout the surface and report whether it was safe to settle. They never returned, as Diana would take them to the Nursery, where they'd either be able to join her or leave, after being conditioned to be unable to speak of the Nursery or the Vault.<ref>[[Nursery design document]]</ref> Harold was selected by Diana and initially agreed to stay, before escaping. He kept the Nursery a secret, believing it his duty to protect it from those who would exploit it.</span><ref name="Ausir1">Information acquired from one of the developers by [[User:VaultAusir|Paweł "Ausir" Dembowski]]: ''”Yes, we actually remembered about him coming from Vault 29 originally. The story was that he was taken by a robot to the Nursery. There he was given the choice of staying with Diana, or exploring the outside world. However, if he chose to explore, she would have to 'condition' him, so that he could not reveal anything about her, or the nursery to the world. He agreed to stay, but escaped eventually. Afterwards, he kept the nursery a secret because he felt it was his duty to the world to keep such a future gift intact until the world was ready for it. His later return to the nursery was a moment of joy for Diana and a 'new experience' to him, as much of his early memories faded with age.''”</ref>
-Harold was born in [[Timeline#2072|2072]] and was only five years old when the [[Great War]] began ([[Timeline#2077|2077]]). He was forcibly locked in [[Vault 29]] for protection.<ref>[[Fallout Official Survival Guide]]</ref>
+He left in [[Timeline#2090|2090]], at eighteen, and began to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit between survivalist communities that emerged throughout [[New California]].<ref>Harold: ''"{101}{HROLD0}{Spare change, old friend, old pal? Can you help a poor mutant down on his luck? [Cough]}"''<br />The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{102}{}{Yeah, here's $25. Good luck to you.}"''<br />Harold: ''"{108}{HROLD2}{Oh, kind of ya, friend. Very kind. You know, if I could clear the gunk out of there, you, just might find a tear in Old Harold's eye.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{109}{}{Why is that?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{111}{HROLD3}{[Cough] Rest of the Hubbers' been picking on me like a bad booger since I came back to town. I can't leave, though. When the deals are done [wheez] it's still my home.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{112}{}{What happened to you?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{115}{HROLD4}{Well, after the Great War, my Vault was one of the first to open. [Takes a deep breath] Whew. Long time.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{116}{}{Tell me more about those days.}"''<br />Harold: ''"{118}{HROLD5}{All started with the sirens. I was young, but ohh, I do remember that. Lotta terrible years followed. And I remember walking outta the Vault late one morning.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{120}{}{Where was your Vault located?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{122}{HROLD6}{You know, [cough] I'm not real sure anymore. West, I think. Uh wait - east? Ooh I don't know. [Hacking cough]}"''<br />([[HAROLD.MSG]])</ref><ref>''[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]'': "2090 ''Vault 29 opens. Harold (now human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."''</ref><ref>''[[Fallout Bible 5#Questions|Fallout Bible 5]]'': "2090 ''Vault 29 opens. Harold (currently human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."''</ref><ref name="FOGG1" /> Over the next twelve years, he made a tidy profit, rising to prominence in the Hub. However, all things come at a cost and Harold's success ran up a hefty bill due to attacks by gangers, scavengers and mutant creatures that made it necessary to employ entire armies of guards just to keep them at bay.<ref name="Harold Mariposa" >The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{119}{}{What did you do then?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{124}{HROLD7}{Well, I was a trader. Did pretty good making a circuit between survivors. Lost a lotta good people, though. [Coughs]}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{125}{}{How?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{126}{HROLD8}{Gangers got'em. Scavengers attacking the caravans. And mutants, son of a dog, if they weren't springing up like rabbits with a mission. [cough] Had to have an army of guards with, just to do a deal.}"''<br />([[HAROLD.MSG]])</ref> This was all the more apparent to him since he became the head of his own caravan outfit in 2096.<ref>''[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]'': "2096			 ''Harold rises to the level of a caravan boss in the Hub. His caravans suffer occasional attacks in the wastes, but Harold's caravan outfit survives and prospers... until the mutant attacks begin to pick up a few years later."''</ref>
-{{VB}}
-Harold's home, [[Vault 29]], was initially populated by young children which were brought up by [[Diana Stone|Diana]], a human brain connected to a supercomputer, who posed as a goddess to the vault's inhabitants. In cases of population unrest, a test subject would be chosen to be released from the vault early. The subject would return and tell the vault dwellers the condition of the world outside, and whether or not it was safe to leave the vault. Of course, the test subjects would never return, and this fact would deter everyone from wanting to leave again for a short time.
+Eventually, he had enough and on [[Timeline#2102|May 22, 2102]], financed one of the first adventuring parties in [[New California]] together with [[Richard Grey]], a mysterious scientist and doctor from the [[Hub]].<ref>''[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]'': "2102	May	22	 ''Increasing mutant attacks on Harold's caravans cause Harold to get so pissed he finances one of the first adventuring parties of Fallout to try and find out where these dagnab mutants are coming from. Consulting with a scientist and doctor at the Hub, a man by the name of Grey, the two of them decide to join forces."''</ref> the expedition set out from the Hub and tracked the mutants to the northwest, deep into the Californian Central Valley. After fighting through what seemed like an endless stream of mutants, they finally reached [[Mariposa Military Base]] on June 23.<ref>''[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]'': "2102	June	23	''Richard Grey's Expedition [including Harold] finds the Mariposa Military Base and the Expedition is scattered and defeated by mutants at the base. Grey is knocked into one of the vats of FEV by a robotic arm, and Harold is knocked unconscious, only to awaken later out in the wasteland."''</ref> Penetrating the base's defenses proved no small feat and eventually, the entire group was whittled down to just Harold and Richard Grey. [[Francine]] was wounded and [[Mark (Fallout)|Mark]] was sent to the surface, never to be heard from again. The two of them penetrated all the way into the base's central core, where the vats of [[Forced Evolutionary Virus|FEV]] were located. The expedition was finally routed when the robotic crane crashed into them, sending Grey into a vat of FEV and badly injuring Harold. He passed out, only to wake up in the wasteland days later, in the throes of change due to exposure to FEV, when he handled a contaminated item in the base.<ref name="FOGG1" /><ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{128}{}{Where were the mutants coming from?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{133}{HROLD10}{Everywhere! Hell, seemed like you couldn't fart without hitting one. But mostly in the northwest.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{134}{}{Did you explore that area?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{138}{HROLD11}{We mounted an expedition. God, Richard. Richard Grey. Led a small group of us up there.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{139}{}{Richard Grey?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{146}{HROLD14}{Richard Grey was a doctor. Little older than me, and friend was he smart. He found the source.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{147}{}{And what was that?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{160}{HROLD18}{Some sort of old military base. We lost a lotta folks getting in there.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{161}{}{How did you know this base was the cause?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{165}{HROLD20}{Because it was like someone went bargain shopping at mutantland! Geez! Cheaper by the dozens! Can't figure any other reason except that being the factory.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{166}{}{Did you examine the base closely?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{167}{HROLD21}{We got pretty far inside. Wasn't a lot of us left by then. Grey, me and couple of others.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{168}{}{And then?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{169}{HROLD22}{One of them robots got Francine. Mark was wounded, sent him back to the surface. Then it was just me and Grey.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{170}{}{What ever happened to Mark?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{172}{HROLD23}{To this day, I don't know. He never made it back here, and...well I...couldn't face the wasteland again, so I...I never looked.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{173}{}{What about you and Grey?}"''<br />''"Harold: {174}{HROLD24}{We made it to some sort of central core, like a plant of some sort. That's when it happened.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{175}{}{What?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{176}{HROLD25}{A robot crane crashed into us. Last I saw of Grey, he was flying through the air in-into some sort of acid bath. I was in bad shape and...well I passed out.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{177}{}{How did you survive?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{181}{HROLD26}{Well, I have no idea. Woke up in the wasteland, barely hanging on. Got lucky and some traders I knew found me days later. Good thing, since I was already changing. They brought me here, and here I've been since.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{182}{}{How did you mutate?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{190}{HROLD28}{All's I know, is it was something inside that base.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{191}{}{Do you think it could have been radiation?}"''<br />Harold: ''"{193}{HROLD29}{How the hell should I know? Grey would've known if anybody could. [sigh] Anyway, that's how the deal went down.}"''<br />([[HAROLD.MSG]])</ref><ref name="Harold Mariposa" /><ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"How did a tree end up growing out of your head?"''<br />Harold: ''"It was a long time ago... I tend to lose track. I was exploring some sort of a military base with some other people... I think it was called Mariposa. We were pretty deep inside and we found some weird vats of this nasty green goo. Right when we were about to leave, I think we were attacked. Last thing I remember before blacking out was something knocking my friend into the stuff."''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref> He was found by traders four days later, on June 27, and taken back to the Hub. His horrifying transformation caused him to lose his business, as employees and partners turned away from him. Soon, he was left a beggar, living in a derelict ruin in the Old Town.<ref>''[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]'': "2102	June	27	 ''Harold, already mutating, is found by traders and taken back to the Hub. His former caravan partners and employees, horrified by his condition, abandon him and he is soon left without even two bottlecaps to rub together."''</ref>
-Harold was one such subject, selected in [[Timeline#2090|2090]]. He was released from the vault, stunned by the security system and picked up by a robot to be taken to the [[Nursery]], where Diana resided. At the Nursery he was given the choice of staying with Diana or exploring the outside world. However, if he chose to explore, she would have to 'condition' him, so that he could not reveal anything about her, or the Nursery to the world.
+===No country for old mutants===
-Harold agreed to stay with Diana, but managed to escape. During his travels he kept the Nursery a secret because he felt it was his duty to the world to keep such a future 'gift' intact until the world was ready for it.
-{{VB|end}}
-===Merchant career===
-After leaving his home vault when it opened and its inhabitants made their way out into the [[wasteland]], Harold began a successful career as a [[merchant]], venturing across the wastes. Eventually he became an important player in [[the Hub]]. He began to notice the increasing frequency of [[Mutations and their causes|mutant]] animals attacking his caravans. Frustrated, he decided to deal with this by leading an expedition to Mariposa.
-===Expedition to Mariposa===
-[[File:Fo1 Military Base Townmap.png|thumb|140px|Mariposa Military Base]]
-In the year [[Timeline#2102|2102]] when Harold was 30 years old, he and a group of other adventurers— among them a man named [[Richard Grey]], who was a doctor living in the Hub who was equally perplexed by the strange mutants— tracked the mutant population and eventually found its source: an old [[Mariposa Military Base|military base]] that seemed to be spawning mutant creatures.
-Inside, most of them were killed by the mutants that littered the base as well as by its automated security systems. Harold, Richard and a few others made it fairly deep into the base, where they found immense vats filled with a strange thick, [[FEV|green solution]] (FEV) that seemed to be mutating the animals. A large robotic arm knocked Grey into a [[vat]], where Harold assumed he died (when actually, he became the [[Master]]). Harold himself was knocked unconscious. He awoke some time later out in the desert, already starting to mutate. A caravan eventually found him and brought him back to the Hub, where he settled into a destitute existence.
-{{clear}}
-===A mutant down on his luck===
 [[File:Fo1 Harold.png|thumb|200px|Harold in the Hub.]]
+His resolve and hardiness allowed him to survive despite the poverty. By the time he met the [[Vault Dweller]] around [[Timeline#2161|2161]], he was the oldest person alive in the whole wide [[Hub]], known for his stories and knowledge, not just about days long past, but also contemporary events. For example, he knew how to find the [[deathclaw]] suspected of attacking caravans and was aware of the fact that [[Decker]]'s men captured [[Jonathan (Fallout)|Brother Jonathan]] of the [[Brotherhood of Steel]] recently, and would happily share that knowledge for a modest amount of bottle caps to keep himself afloat.<ref name="FOGG1">[[Fallout Official Survival Guide]] p.97: ''"'''Harold: An Old, Old Mutant'''''<br />''Harold is the oldest person alive in the Hub. In fact, he was five years old when the war started. After his vault opened and its inhabitants made their way out into the wasteland, he became a merchant.''<br />''At some point many years ago, he handled an artifact contaminated with the FEV virus that caused him to mutate . He is now very old, sick, and he tends to ramble on a lot. Some of his information may be out of date. He can be cranky at times, but he likes to tell stories. He could be a good source of information on people and things within the Hub, and it's worthwhile talking to him to find out what he knows."''<br />''"'''Hints'''"''<br />''"Be patient with Harold and draw him out. He has one critical piece of information that may be of use: He knew the Master when the Master was still human, and he has been to the lost military base."''</ref>
-He is now very old, sick, and he tends to ramble on a lot. Some of his information may be out of date. He can be cranky at times, but he likes to tell stories.<ref name="FO Guide">''[[Fallout Official Survival Guide]]''</ref>
+Harold left sometime after [[Timeline#2162|2162]], having managed to bring a measure of equality between the impoverished population of [[Hub]]'s [[Old Town]] and the rest of the city. He traveled north, accompanied by a sapling ([[Bob (tree)|Bob]]) that took root in his head. By 2238, he arrived in [[Gecko (town)|Gecko]] and noticing that the careless way the power plant was managed, he decided to stick around and do his best to help the ghouls with the running of the facility, becoming the de facto mayor and leader of the local community.<ref>''[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]'': "2238			''Harold arrives in Gecko, and (with a lot of shaking of his head) he does his best to help the ghouls with the running of the Nuclear Power Plant."''</ref> He would be one of the key players in the struggle between the ghouls and the bigoted inhabitants of [[Vault City]] to [[solve the Gecko powerplant problem]]. After the conflict was resolved,<ref>There is no reference as to how the situation was resolved.</ref> he started to travel again. The tree growing out of his head continued to grow larger and bear fruit. Its remarkably tough seeds are able to withstand even the toughest environments and thrive.<ref>''[[Fallout Bible 0#Questions, questions|Fallout Bible 0]]'':<br />"'''5. Why in the final scene in Fallout 1 and 2 nothing is said about players friendly NPCs ? I'd love to know what happened to Marcus, Tycho, Ian, Cassidy or Vic afterwards. - Kreegle'''"<br />''"Fallout 1: I don't know why. Tim and the Troika crew apparently ended up doing this for the NPCs in ''Arcanum'', though."''<br />[...]''"In any event, here you go - note that some are personalized for the actor, others are not:"''[...]
-The [[Vault Dweller]] first meets him in the [[Old Town]] section of the Hub, where Harold makes a living begging for spare change. In exchange for some money, Harold provides the Vault Dweller with a great deal of information, mostly dealing with the [[Mariposa Military Base]], and [[Richard Grey]], as well as some tactical information on the deathclaw that lives near the Hub, which [[Butch Harris]], leader of the [[Far Go Traders]], requests the Vault Dweller to deal with, as he is losing his caravans to it.
+<center>"'''Harold'''"</center>
+{| class="wikitable"
-Sometime between [[Timeline#2162|2162]] and [[Timeline#2241|2241]], a small tree (which he calls [[Bob (tree)|Bob]], although he likes to joke that his name is Herbert) began to grow out of the side of Harold's head. It is an entirely new species of tree - unique and special, just like Harold.
+|-
+| "'''You still hear mention of Harold from time to time. Apparently, the tree growing from his head has gotten larger, and if rumors are to be believed, fruit is growing from it. The seeds are said to remarkably tough, and several of them have taken root even in the most barren stretches of the wasteland.'''"
+|}
+[...]
+</ref>
 {{clear}}
 {{FOBOS}}
@@ Line 82: / Line 79: @@
 ===Leader of Gecko===
 [[File:Fo2 Gecko Good Ending.png|thumb|200px|Gecko power plant]]
-In 2241, Harold is a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.<ref>[[Gcharold.msg]], line 102</ref> The [[Chosen One]] runs into Harold in [[Gecko (town)|Gecko]], the [[ghoul]] town not far from [[Vault City]]. After the destruction of the [[Necropolis]] following ''[[Fallout]]'', most of the ghoul population of the town migrated far to the north to form a settlement around an old nuclear power plant built by [[Poseidon Oil]] before the Great War. Anyone else would likely be killed by long term exposure to [[radiation]], but the ghouls just find it pleasant. When Harold arrived, the plant was being run dangerously and stupidly. Harold quickly took over from the well-meaning but inept leaders of Gecko and got the reactor into some kind of working order. When the Chosen One arrives in Gecko, Harold asks him to help [[solve the Gecko powerplant problem|powerplant problem]].
+In 2241, Harold is a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.<ref>[[Gcharold.msg]], line 102</ref> The [[Chosen One]] runs into Harold in [[Gecko (town)|Gecko]], the [[ghoul]] town not far from [[Vault City]]. After the destruction of the [[Necropolis]] following ''[[Fallout]]'', most of the ghoul population of the town migrated far to the north to form a settlement around an old nuclear power plant built by [[Poseidon Oil]] before the Great War. Anyone else would likely be killed by long term exposure to [[radiation]], but the ghouls just find it pleasant. When Harold arrived, the plant was being run dangerously and stupidly. Harold quickly took over from the well-meaning but inept leaders of Gecko and got the reactor into some kind of working order. When the Chosen One arrives in Gecko, Harold asks them to help [[solve the Gecko powerplant problem]].
-The Chosen One still heard mention of Harold from time to time. Apparently, the tree growing from his head has gotten larger, and if rumors are to be believed, fruit is growing from it. The seeds are said to be remarkably tough, and several of them have taken root even in the most barren stretches of the wasteland.<ref>Fallout Bible 0</ref>
+The Chosen One still heard mention of Harold from time to time. Apparently, the tree growing from his head has gotten larger, and, if rumors are to be believed, fruit is growing from it. The seeds are said to be remarkably tough, and several of them have taken root even in the most barren stretches of the wasteland.
 {{VB}}
 ===Back home===
-By the [[Timeline#2250|2250s]], Harold was ill. The tree in his head developed an unknown disease and was dying. Much to his surprise, Harold found himself affected as well. He didn't think he was going to die, but, he just didn't feel right in the head.
+By the [[Timeline#2250|2250s]], Harold was ill. The tree in his head developed an unknown disease and was dying. Much to his surprise, Harold found himself affected as well. He didn't think he was going to die, but he just didn't feel right in the head.
-So, he set out on a quest for a cure. Naturally, he didn't have an easy time of it either. People just didn't seem to want a mutant around any more. But, Harold didn't let that stop him. He persisted in his quest until he came upon the [[Twin Mothers]] tribe, which originated from his home, [[Vault 29]].
+So, he set out on a quest for a cure. Naturally, he didn't have an easy time of it either. People just didn't seem to want a mutant around any more, but Harold didn't let that stop him. He persisted in his quest until he came upon the [[Twin Mothers]] tribe, which originated from his home, [[Vault 29]].
-Much to his surprise the tribe took him in and accepted him as he was. He explained his quest to the [[tribal]] leaders and was told that they would consult their goddess. Days later, Harold was approached by the tribal shaman and given a potion to drink. It was a foul concoction, but it worked. Bob, the tree, got better and was happy again.
+Much to his surprise, the tribe took him in and accepted him as he was. He explained his quest to the [[tribal]] leaders and was told that they would consult their goddess. Days later, Harold was approached by the tribal shaman and given a potion to drink. It was a foul concoction, but it worked. Bob, the tree, got better and was happy again.
-Harold couldn't let such a good deed go unrewarded, so he offered to help the tribe in any way that he could. They smiled at him, and thanked him, but declined his help. "The [[Diana Stone|goddess]] will provide," they always said. Harold said that he would like to pay his respects to the goddess, and was taken to the tribal shrine to be granted a private audience. He wasn't really surprised when the projected image of a woman appeared before him, but he was taken aback when she told him where he could find her. His return to the Nursery was a moment of joy for Diana and a 'new experience' to him, as much of his early memories faded with age.
+Harold couldn't let such a good deed go unrewarded, so he offered to help the tribe in any way that he could. They smiled at him, and thanked him, but declined his help. "The [[Diana Stone|goddess]] will provide," they always said. Harold said that he would like to pay his respects to the goddess, and was taken to the tribal shrine to be granted a private audience. He wasn't really surprised when the projected image of a woman appeared before him, but he was taken aback when she told him where he could find her. His return to the Nursery was a moment of joy for Diana and a "new experience" to him, as much of his early memories faded with age.
-Harold traveled to the [[Nursery]] and spent considerable time there, He even considered settling down and spending the remainder of his day in the tranquility of the gardens. However, eventually he left and traveled even further east.
+Harold traveled to the [[Nursery]] and spent considerable time there. He even considered settling down and spending the remainder of his day in the tranquility of the gardens. However, eventually he left and traveled even further east.
 If the [[Prisoner]] gives Diana the information on the [[Forced Evolutionary Virus|FEV]] and the [[New Plague]] from the [[ZAX (Boulder Dome)|Boulder ZAX]], Diana will be able to create a cure to the New Plague virus in the form of a small fruit, by genetically engineering it from Harold's tree.
 {{VB|end}}
-===Oasis===
+===Ascension===
 [[File:FO3 Harold.jpg|thumb]]
+Harold's tireless legs eventually carried him all the way to the opposite end of the continent, to the [[Capital Wasteland]]. Overwhelmed by Bob, he stopped to rest, only to realize that he was unable to move anymore, rooted to the ground by his companion. He became part of the tree, sustained by its photosynthesis and nutrients taken from the ground. He took root in the northern Capital Wasteland and was found by a wanderer in the late 2250s.<ref name="Literally rooted">The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"''<br />Harold: ''"I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref><ref name="Whycalltreeminders" >The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Why do you call yourselves Treeminders?"''<br />[[Birch]]: ''"We care for this place and keep it safe from those who would seek to exploit it. He gives to us, so we give back to Him. It's an arrangement that's worked well for almost two decades. We shun technology and embrace nature. That's the life of a Treeminder."''<br />([[Birch's dialogue]])</ref> This wanderer, later taking the name Birch, beheld the glory of Harold and knew other wanderers would seek to do the Great One harm. He founded the Treeminders, a group of pure-hearted individuals that would protect the Great One as his last line of defense.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"How did the Treeminders begin?"''<br />[[Birch]]: ''"When I first beheld the glory of the Great One, I knew there'd be others who would seek to do Him harm. I also knew He would be calling others that he felt were pure of heart to protect Him. Right then and there I created the Treeminders... the Great One's last line of defense."''<br />([[Birch's dialogue]])</ref> Once Harold and Bob truly became a part of the environment, a verdant vale of growth spread from the tree, washing the barren hillside over with life and greenery,<ref>[[Fallout 3 Official Game Guide]] Game of the Year Edition p.319-320: ''"'''2.01: OASIS (LAT -03/LONG 28)'''''<br />''OASIS''<br />''Oasis is a fertile, verdant dot in the center of all the desolation. This odd hidden vale is home to a strange, tribal-like people who call themselves the Treeminders. You are welcomed into Oasis with open arms, and their leader, Tree Father Birch, invites you to meet their god. Oasis is tucked away inside a giant rocky outcrop in the mountains just northeast of the monorail and freeway skeletons, and the entrance is close to a rope bridge."''<br />([[Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition Tour of the Capital Wasteland]])</ref><ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"How is it you're causing all of these things to grow around you?"''<br />Harold: ''"It's kind of embarrassing really. Once a year, Bob decides he's going to go ahead and start growing these weird pods filled with tiny seeds. Well, all it takes is a good wind and the seeds just fly everywhere. I call them Herbert's Seeds. He hates that!"''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref> and enticing [[Creature|animal]] life to inhabit the area.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Amazing, this place seems so abundant with animal life."''<br />[[Birch]]: ''"The innocent creatures are drawn here by His gifts. They come from across the Wasteland to live in this sanctuary. This part of the world is healing, my friend, and it's all thanks to Him."''<br />([[Birch's dialogue]])</ref><ref>There are sounds of birds, crickets, and squirrels? as backround sounds in Oasis.</ref>
-Harold eventually found himself overwhelmed by the growth of [[Bob (tree)|Bob]], and he became rooted to the ground during his travels in the northern [[Capital Wasteland]] region. Here, he was discovered by several people who began to worship him as a god, forming a small and exclusive cult, known as the [[Treeminders]]. Bob began to blossom, and many plants grew in this area, which became green with life. During this period, Harold developed a mutation which enabled him to "see" the area around [[Oasis]], through the very trees that came from Bob's seeds.
+With the Treeminders' care and attention, Bob started to take root further; over time, his root system carried away Harold's internal organs far throughout the cave system below, making it plain that short of a merciful death, Harold would remain forever in one spot.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Hey, maybe if you tell me what Harold is scared of I won't be scared either."''<br />The Lone Wanderer: ''"Tell me, too! Then I won't be scared either."''<br />[[Yew]]: ''"Awww, I never knew an Outsider could be scared of anything! Harold told me that he's scared of fire. If fire ever got on him, it would burn him and Bob until they were all gone. That's why we keep the fires far away from him."''<br />([[Yew's dialogue]])</ref><ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"How would I be able to kill you? You're a tree."''<br />Harold: ''"How to put this? ...I've been feeling rather "spread out" lately. I think Bob's kinda shoved my insides around some. It's hard to tell where everything is, but it's always that way with one's insides, isn't it? Anyway, I believe Bob's carried some of my organs into his root system. I want you to go underground and destroy my heart."''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref> Harold used his ability to spread Herbert's seeds to attract wanderers, at first to amuse himself, and then to find a solution to the problem he was in. The key issue was that the purification ceremony necessary for outsiders to gain access to Harold involved drinking hallucinogenic sap derived from Bob, resulting in psychosis and other severe mental problems in most who came to the Oasis.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"How do the Treeminders normally handle other Outsiders?"''<br />Harold: ''"Oh, you wouldn't believe how they handle them. They make them drink this gunk that Poplar makes. Sometimes they just go nuts and start running around, and sometimes when they wake up and see me they run for the hills! I'll tell you, Outsiders are almost as entertaining as the Treeminders!"''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref>
-He would use his new found ability to bring in wanderers, all the while hoping one of them would put an end to his troubles- unfortunately, the Treeminders' strange ways, and insistence on using an intoxicating, potentially poisonous "sap" (as a "purification" ceremony) drove off most of the wanderers, many in worse mental shape than they were prior. His persistence may pay off should the [[Lone Wanderer]] come into view. On Harold's orders, the Treeminders can allow the Wanderer safe passage into Oasis.
+He kept trying, hoping to attract someone capable of helping him through his ordeal. Finally, in [[Timeline#2277|2277]], he managed to attract the [[Lone Wanderer]]. Upon their acceptance into the cult, Harold requested that they kill him, to spare him the agony of being rooted in one spot for all eternity.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Well, hopefully your troubles will be over. I'm here to help."''<br />Harold: ''"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. Or, we're glad to hear that... me and Bob. I had you brought in here to ask a very simple favor. Would you please kill me?"''<br />The Lone Wanderer: ''"You want me to murder you?"''<br />Harold: ''"Oh no, no, no. It wouldn't be murder. You'd be doing me a favor. You see, I've been stuck here for over two decades now... rooted right into the ground. The only friends I've got are Bob and those weirdos out there who think I'm a god."''<br />The Lone Wanderer: ''"You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"''<br />Harold: ''"I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref> Suffering from depression, he pleaded with the Lone Wanderer to end his life, something the Treeminders could not do.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Hey, life is a gift. Even if it lasts a long time, be glad you have it!"''<br />Harold: ''"I've tried to stay happy, really I have. Bloomseer Poplar thinks I'll live for hundreds of years... maybe even more! Can you imagine THAT? Stuck here for centuries? I can't do it, I just want to be alone. Just me and Bob until the end. When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref><ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"If people thought I was a god, I'd exploit it for all it's worth!"''<br />Harold: ''"Hey, I thought that too... at first. I had them sing me songs, I made them do stupid dances and things like that. Bob even told me to make Maple stand on his head for a whole day! After a while though, it just gets boring. Then it becomes a nuisance and now it's completely driving me nuts! When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref> His requests for them to end his life wound up interpreted as tests of their moral and spiritual aptitude, rather than genuine pleas for mercy.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Had you ever asked one of them to kill you before?"''<br />Harold: ''"They wouldn't listen to me at all! If I told them something simple, then it got done. Otherwise, Birch spent a week looking for a hidden meaning. Plus, he used to just pop in whenever he wanted and started chanting this nonsense. Sometimes I used to just sit there silently just to make him mad! That was fun for a while. Hopefully this will all change now that things are different... thanks to you!"''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref><ref>Harold: ''"I can't believe you'd kill those innocent people like that. And I thought I was a monster! If I could move, I would show you a thing or two, but Bob has me stuck here."''<br />Harold: ''"Those people you killed were some of the most peaceful people in the Wasteland! How could you do that to them?"''<br />Harold: ''"How dare you come into Oasis and shoot up the place! Even Bob is mad at you, and he never gets mad except when I don't stop calling him Herbert!"''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref>
-If the Lone Wanderer meets Harold, he reveals his true identity and begs for a merciful death after being stuck in the same position for decades. Although commanding the Treeminders to perform questionable deeds for his own amusement provided some entertainment, it did not last. The other dwellers of Oasis either ignore or misinterpret Harold's wishes as a moral and spiritual test, much to Harold's chagrin. Thus, his only recourse is to ask the Lone Wanderer to take his life. However, two members of the Treeminders (namely, the leader of the cult and his wife) can be found arguing about Harold. The leader of the cult wishes for Harold's gift of plant life to be kept safe and confined to Oasis, while his wife wishes for Harold's gift to be shared and spread throughout the wasteland.
+His sole real companion was [[Yew]], the youngest of the group, who listened to him without reservation.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Which Treeminder do you get along with the best?"''<br />Harold: ''"Actually, the kid is the nicest one of all. Yew's her name. She sneaks in here sometimes and just lets me talk about stuff I wanna talk about. Bob really likes her too, cause she makes me happy."''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref> Others, treating him as a god, always looked for hidden meanings or had their own designs for him. [[Birch|Tree Father Birch]] and [[Laurel|Leaf Mother Laurel]] held two opposing views of what should happen: Birch wished to contain Bob's spread to protect Oasis and Harold, while Laurel desired to share their god's gift with everyone. It was up to the [[Lone Wanderer]] to decide whether to fulfill Harold's wish and euthanize him or persuade him to live on and either have Bob spread out or be contained.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"You've become an important part of their life. Without you, they're lost."''<br />Harold: ''"So, they really need me that badly, huh? I guess I never thought of it that way. Awfully selfish of me. Should we give them another chance, Herbert? Fine, fine. I mean Bob. I still think it's funny when I call him Herbert."''<br />([[Harold's dialogue]])</ref>
-They could ask the Lone Wanderer to accomplish their own wishes, and the Lone Wanderer can decide whether to carry out Harold's wish of death, the cult leader's wish of keeping Harold's spreading growth confined to just the Oasis or the wife's wish to spreading his glory across the wasteland. Through granting Harold's wish, the Lone Wanderer's skin will be as hard as Harold's. If the Wanderer chooses to keep Harold alive, they can tell Harold that he has been given a gift and must stay alive to save the lives of others. Harold, finding a new reason to live, replies that he was selfish to want to kill himself, and then asks Bob if he agrees. Harold finally says that he is at peace with himself and, for the first time in a long time, Harold is finally happy.
 ===Nature of Harold===
 [[File:FO02 NPC Harold N.png|right|240px]]
-To the untrained eye, Harold appears to be an ordinary ghoul. This is not so, however. Ghouls are the result of massive and/or long-term radiation damage to a human body; Harold is a product of the [[Forced Evolutionary Virus]]. Unlike most people who are exposed to FEV, Harold did not become a [[Mariposa super mutant|super mutant]], but is the result of a unique combination of radiation damage from constant low-level environmental exposure, indirect exposure to FEV (it is unclear how Harold was infected with FEV as he blacked out for a while during his exploration of Mariposa) and a fair amount of random chance. Thus he's not a ghoul, and certainly not a super mutant. To quote [[Tim Cain]], "Harold is special."
+To the untrained eye, Harold appears to be an ordinary ghoul. This is not so, however. Ghouls are the result of massive and/or long-term radiation damage to a human body; Harold is a product of the [[Forced Evolutionary Virus]]. Unlike most people who are exposed to FEV, Harold did not become a [[Mariposa super mutant|super mutant]], but is the result of a unique combination of radiation damage from constant low-level environmental exposure, indirect exposure to FEV (it is unclear how Harold was infected with FEV as he blacked out for a while during his exploration of Mariposa) and a fair amount of random chance. Thus he's not a ghoul, and certainly not a super mutant, though it could be argued that he is somehow a hybrid of the two. To quote [[Tim Cain]], "Harold is special."
 Furthermore, Tim Cain has this to say on the subject: ''"As for contact [with FEV], any contact at all will infect the subject, but the amount of contact determines the result. For example, I imagine Harold had some contact with the virus, but he was not fully immersed in it, so he became a different mutant than the Master's subjects. Full immersion, of course, is the preferred method of infection, as it provides the virus a large surface area for infection."''
@@ Line 119: / Line 117: @@
 Another similar [[Forced Evolutionary Virus|FEV]]-created, ghoul-like mutant is [[Talius]].
-Harold's unusual behavior is treating Bob as if the plant were actually sentient. Although at no point does the plant indicate that it can convey feelings, Harold certainly is not stupid, and perhaps only crazy in the humorous sense— yet he still insists on hearing out the plant's opinions on certain matters that he might otherwise take seriously. Given Harold's new found ability to "see" through the trees that are descended from Bob through the use of extreme concentration, it may not be much of a stretch to suggest that both are deeply linked in some unknown way, almost certainly as a result of FEV exposure. Because of his mutation, it is no surprise that Harold is afraid of fire.
+Harold behaves unusually in treating Bob as if the plant were actually sentient. Although at no point does the plant indicate that it can convey feelings, Harold certainly is not stupid, and perhaps only crazy in the humorous sense, yet he still insists on hearing out the plant's opinions on certain matters that he might otherwise take seriously. Given Harold's newfound ability to "see" through the trees that are descended from Bob through the use of extreme concentration, it may not be much of a stretch to suggest that both are deeply linked in some unknown way, almost certainly as a result of FEV exposure. Because of his mutation, it is no surprise that Harold is afraid of fire.
-Despite his appearance, Harold is a kind-hearted soul with a comical personality. He has made many friends throughout his travels, potentially including the Vault Dweller, the Chosen One and the Lone Wanderer. He is also good with kids, as evidenced by his friendship with Sapling [[Yew]] in Oasis, of whom he is particularly fond.
+Despite his appearance, Harold is a kind-hearted soul with a comical personality. He has made many friends throughout his travels, potentially including the Vault Dweller, the Chosen One and the Lone Wanderer. He is also good with kids, as evidenced by his friendship with [[Yew|Sapling Yew]] in Oasis, of whom he is particularly fond.
 ==Interactions with the player character==
 ===''Fallout''===
 {{Interactions FO1
-|perm companion  =no
+|perm companion  =
-|temp companion  =no
+|temp companion  =
 |talking head    =yes
-|faction hostile =no
+|faction hostile =
-|wares           =no
+|wares           =
-|restocks        =no
+|restocks        =
-|items modified  =no
+|items modified  =
-|heal            =no
+|heal            =
-|cure radiation  =no
+|cure radiation  =
-|heal cripple    =no
+|heal cripple    =
-|quests started  =no
+|quests started  =
 |quests involved =*[[Find the missing caravans]]
 }}
@@ Line 187: / Line 185: @@
 ===''Fallout 2''===
 {{Interactions FO1
-|perm companion  =no
+|perm companion  =
-|temp companion  =no
+|temp companion  =
 |talking head    =yes
-|faction hostile =no
+|faction hostile =
-|wares           =no
+|wares           =
-|restocks        =no
+|restocks        =
-|items modified  =no
+|items modified  =
-|heal            =no
+|heal            =
-|cure radiation  =no
+|cure radiation  =
-|heal cripple    =no
+|heal cripple    =
-|quests started  =*[[Solve the Gecko powerplant problem]]
+|quests started  =[[Solve the Gecko powerplant problem]]
-|quests involved =*[[Solve the Gecko powerplant problem]]
+|quests involved =
 }}
@@ Line 206: / Line 204: @@
 ===''Fallout 3''===
 {{Interactions FO3
-|essential       =no
+|essential       =
-|enslave         =no
+|enslave         =
-|ear             =no
+|ear             =
-|finger          =no
+|finger          =
-|temp companion  =no
+|temp companion  =
-|perm companion  =no
+|perm companion  =
-|wares           =-
+|wares           =
-|caps            =-
+|caps            =
-|max condition   =-
+|max condition   =
-|heal            =no
+|heal            =
-|cure addiction  =no
+|cure addiction  =
-|cure radiation  =no
+|cure radiation  =
-|rent            =-
+|rent            =
-|quests started  =*[[Oasis (quest)|Oasis]]
+|quests started  =[[Oasis (quest)|Oasis]]
-|quests involved =no
+|quests involved =
 }}
@@ Line 227: / Line 225: @@
 ===''Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel''===
-{{Interactions FOBOS
+{{Interactions univ
-|perm companion  =no
+|perm companion  =
-|temp companion  =no
+|temp companion  =
-|faction         =-
+|faction         =
-|wares           =-
+|wares           =
-|heal            =no
+|heal            =
 |quests started  =*[[Find Missing Pieces]]
-|quests involved =-
+|quests involved =
 }}
 ====Quests====
 * [[Find Missing Pieces]]: Harold is having trouble keeping parts of his body on, so he sends the Initiate to look for his missing body parts.
+===''Fallout: New California''===
+{{FBGNC}}
+Harold can be acquired at the shop by any [[Fallout: The Board Game player characters|player character]] that has [[Endurance]]. When shopping with him as the active companion, the player character can exhaust him in order to gain an additional two bottle caps for every item they sell.
+When the player character performs the camp action, he will become unexhausted. However, if the player character does not have [[Charisma]] at this time, he must be discarded.
 ==Notable quotes==
@@ Line 270: / Line 274: @@
 ==Notes==
-In ''Fallout'', Harold's "Tell-Me-About" on vaults leads to his explaining that the vault he originated from failed, due to an overabundance of vault dwellers, and a lack of food to sustain their numbers. This actually corresponds to the description of Vault 27 in ''Fallout Bible'', which is not canon material. This vault was to be deliberately overcrowded by twice the sustainable amount, as opposed to Vault 29 as it's described in ''Van Buren'', not canon either. This means the official fate of Harold's home is the one he tells.
+In ''Fallout'', Harold's "Tell-Me-About" on vaults leads to his explaining that the vault he originated from failed, due to an overabundance of vault dwellers, and a lack of food to sustain their numbers. This actually corresponds to the description of Vault 27 in ''Fallout Bible''. This vault was to be deliberately overcrowded by twice the sustainable amount, as opposed to Vault 29 as it's described in ''Van Buren'', not canon either. This means the official fate of Harold's home is the one he tells.
+When asked about "Master," Harold related it to "some sort of sex therapist," a reference to an American gynecologist in real-life, William H. Masters.
 ==Appearances==
-* Harold appears in ''[[Fallout]]'', ''[[Fallout 2]]'', ''[[Fallout 3]]'' and ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]''. A mutant named "[[Harold (Fallout Tactics)|Harold]]" with a tree growing out of his head appears in ''[[Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel|Fallout Tactics]]'', although it is unclear whether this is actually ''the'' Harold.
+* Harold appears in ''[[Fallout]]'', ''[[Fallout 2]]'', ''[[Fallout 3]]'', ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]'' and the ''[[Fallout: The Board Game]]'' add-on ''[[Fallout: New California]]''. A mutant named "[[Harold (Fallout Tactics)|Harold]]" with a tree growing out of his head appears in ''[[Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel|Fallout Tactics]]'', although it is unclear whether this is actually ''the'' Harold.
 * Additionally, Harold was to appear in both ''[[Van Buren]]'', the canceled ''Fallout 3'' by [[Black Isle Studios]] and [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay's]] ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2]]''. A cult called the [[Church of Harold]] was set to appear in ''[[Project V13]]''.
 * A group called "Harold's Cult" is mentioned in a piece of concept art by [[Adam Adamowicz]], which was released after Adamowicz' death. It portrays three characters in clothing similar to that of the [[Treeminders]].
+* Harold appears in more of the ''Fallout'' games than any other character.
 ==Gallery==
@@ Line 284: / Line 291: @@
 Harold corpse.jpg|Harold, burnt
 HaroldTAR.PNG|A picture of Harold from the [[Church of Harold]] brochure
+FBGNC Harold.jpg|Harold as he appears in ''Fallout: New California''
 </gallery>
+{{RTB}}
-==References==
-{{References}}
-{{Navbox The Hub}}
-{{Navbox Gecko}}
-{{Navbox Nursery}}
-{{Navbox Carbon}}
-{{Navbox Oasis}}
 {{Navbox characters FO1}}
 {{Navbox characters FO2}}
 {{Navbox characters FO3}}
 {{Navbox characters FOBOS}}
+{{Navbox characters FBG}}
 {{Navbox FOBOS2}}
 {{Navbox Armageddon Rag}}
+{{Navbox The Hub}}
+{{Navbox Gecko}}
+{{Navbox Nursery}}
+{{Navbox Carbon}}
+{{Navbox Oasis}}
-[[Category:Carbon characters]]
+[[Category:Fallout talking heads]]
-[[Category:Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2 characters]]
-[[Category:Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel characters]]
 [[Category:Fallout 2 talking heads]]
 [[Category:Fallout 3 characters]]
+[[Category:Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel characters]]
+[[Category:Fallout: New California companions]]
+[[Category:Van Buren characters]]
+[[Category:Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2 characters]]
+[[Category:Fallout Bible characters]]
+[[Category:Carbon characters]]
 [[Category:Gecko characters]]
 [[Category:Hub characters]]
@@ Line 311: / Line 323: @@
 [[Category:Nursery characters]]
 [[Category:Oasis characters]]
-[[Category:Fallout Bible characters]]
-[[Category:Fallout talking heads]]
-[[Category:Van Buren characters]]
 [[de:Harold]]
@@ Line 325: / Line 334: @@
 [[pl:Harold]]
 [[pt:Harold]]
-[[ru:Гарольд]]
+[[ru:Гарольд (мутант)]]
+[[sv:Harold]]
 [[uk:Гарольд]]
 [[zh:哈罗德]]