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|image =Fo1 Khans Townmap.png |
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| + | |type =Raider tribe {{icon|FO1}}<br />Mercenary raiders {{icon|FO2}} |
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| + | |government =Power centralized in the hand of a single leader, typically advised by a select circle of high ranking Khans. |
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| + | |structure =Highly martial society, with all members expected to be initiated into Khan status.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"How did you end up joining the Great Khans?"''<br />[[Melissa Lewis]]: ''"{{Tooltip|It wasn't easy. There's a lot of initiation rituals to go through, and I've got the scars to prove it.|{slight wincing} }} {{Tooltip|But, in the end, I was tough enough to be made a member. Proudest day of my life.|{pride} }}"''<br />([[Melissa Lewis' dialogue]])</ref> All members are capable of holding their own in combat. |
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|headquarters =[[Khan Base]] (2161)<br />[[Vault 15]] (2241)<br />[[Bitter Springs]] (2278)<br />[[Red Rock Canyon]] (2281) |
|headquarters =[[Khan Base]] (2161)<br />[[Vault 15]] (2241)<br />[[Bitter Springs]] (2278)<br />[[Red Rock Canyon]] (2281) |
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|members =[[Gwen]]<br />[[Karla]]<br />[[Phil (Khans)|Phil]]<br />[[Regis]] |
|members =[[Gwen]]<br />[[Karla]]<br />[[Phil (Khans)|Phil]]<br />[[Regis]] |
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around. You have to be bloodthirsty, violent, extreme.|[[Garl Death-Hand]]}} |
around. You have to be bloodthirsty, violent, extreme.|[[Garl Death-Hand]]}} |
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| + | The '''Khans''' are stateless peoples who are descended from one of the three raider clans that originated from [[Vault 15]]. They have a long and turbulent history and have been nearly wiped out on three separate occasions. |
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| − | The '''Khans''' are a tribe of brutally vicious and semi-organized [[raiders]] with a culture based around the basic tenets of [[Wikipedia: Social Darwinism|Social Darwinism]]. They are one of the more formidable of the four groups (Khans, [[Vipers]], [[Jackals]], and the community of [[Shady Sands (Fallout)|Shady Sands]]) that originated in [[Vault 15]]. Most wastelanders view the Khans as the founders of the chem trade. They are also known to make [[Jet (Fallout 2)|Jet]], [[Psycho (Fallout)|Psycho]] and many other addictive [[chems]]. Their [[Khan Base|main base]] in [[Timeline#2161|2161]] was located southeast of [[Shady Sands]]. At least twice, the Khans have suffered a brutal near-defeat, but, "like a Phoenix", the group has always managed to rise again from its ashes. |
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==Characteristics== |
==Characteristics== |
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The Khans once lived the lifestyles of the Mongol warriors; raiding towns, burning what they cannot take, and capturing survivors for use as slaves. Their main targets were the communities of Shady Sands, with whom they once shared a vault, and Junktown. By 2281, they have been reduced to making and trading chems to the local group of [[Fiends]]. They usually travel in small scouting bands, but sometimes roam the wastes in full war parties. The Khans, above all else, respect strength. They are eager in combat to prove their worthiness to the clan by engaging in hand-to-hand combat with fists or clubs. Though the Khans prefer melee weapons to firearms, some will carry pistols and other varieties of small arms. Some of them are said to have worn [[tire armor]]. |
The Khans once lived the lifestyles of the Mongol warriors; raiding towns, burning what they cannot take, and capturing survivors for use as slaves. Their main targets were the communities of Shady Sands, with whom they once shared a vault, and Junktown. By 2281, they have been reduced to making and trading chems to the local group of [[Fiends]]. They usually travel in small scouting bands, but sometimes roam the wastes in full war parties. The Khans, above all else, respect strength. They are eager in combat to prove their worthiness to the clan by engaging in hand-to-hand combat with fists or clubs. Though the Khans prefer melee weapons to firearms, some will carry pistols and other varieties of small arms. Some of them are said to have worn [[tire armor]]. |
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| − | == |
+ | ==History== |
| − | === |
+ | ===Origins=== |
| + | The Khans are one of three raider tribes to emerge from [[Vault 15]] in spring of 2121, banding together into raider tribes as the winter came.<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2141 Spring ''Vault 15 opened."''<br />{{Small|'''Note''': This date is incorrect and does not follow, as Shady Sands is specifically stated to have been founded by [[Aradesh]]'s ancestor in the game. If it was founded in 2141, then Aradesh would be the founder. There is also no mention of the people of Shady Sands coming out of a Vault, which is inconsistent with the relatively recent founding date. Finally, as the Vipers, Jackals, and Khans emerged out of Vault 15 together, it's impossible for them to raid the Hub in 2125, sixteen years before their emergence. Given that [[Katrina]] specifically states the opening took place during her lifetime and that she spent many years living in the Vault, 2121 is the estimated moment of opening.}}</ref><ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2141 Winter ''Raiders begin to form in the region as food supplies run low. The Khans and the Vipers begin terrorizing local settlements."''<br />{{Small|'''Note''': This date is incorrect and does not follow, as Shady Sands is specifically stated to have been founded by [[Aradesh]]'s ancestor in the game. If it was founded in 2141, then Aradesh would be the founder. There is also no mention of the people of Shady Sands coming out of a Vault, which is inconsistent with the relatively recent founding date. Finally, as the Vipers, Jackals, and Khans emerged out of Vault 15 together, it's impossible for them to raid the Hub in 2125, sixteen years before their emergence. Given that [[Katrina]] specifically states the opening took place during her lifetime and that she spent many years living in the Vault, 2121 is the estimated moment of opening.}}</ref> The Khans adopted the lifestyle of [[Wikipedia:Mongol Empire|Mongol]] warriors, raiding towns for loot, burning what they cannot use, and [[Slavery|capturing survivors as slaves]]. Strength became a key virtue, with worth proven in hand to hand combat. The strong rule, the weak perish. For this reason, the Khans would also fight with other raider tribes, their warbands, and larger war parties clashing in deadly combat. One of the most notable clashes was with the [[Jackals]] just four years after emergence from the Vault. The Khans brutalized the raider clan, forcing it to flee [[New California]] northeast in 2125.<ref name="FOB6Bg">[[Fallout Bible 6#Raiders in general|Fallout Bible 6]]: ''"In some ancient design documentation that I think was written by Scott Campbell, one of the original designers (I'm still checking if it was him, so I may need to print a retraction on the credits), there was actually supposed to be three groups of raiders: The Jackals, the Khans, and the Vipers. Not only did they raid local towns and caravans, but they also preyed on each other - as you'll see from the descriptions below, their behavior and habits in F1 dictated (or were dictated by) their name choice.''<br />''The Khans: The last group, the Khans, is probably the most dangerous. They live the lifestyles of Mongol warriors, raiding towns, burning what they cannot take and capturing the survivors for use as slaves. They usually travel in small scouting bands, but sometimes they roam as full war parties. The Khans above all else respect strength. They are eager in combat to prove their worthiness to the clan by engaging in hand to hand combat with fists or clubs. The Khans carry very few firearms (since they are for cowards). Anyone showing superior strength is worthy of their respect. The leader of the Khans is so because no one has beaten him in combat.''<br />''One interesting thing listed in the original documentation is that all raider bands were supposedly all from Vault 15 after it opened, but they all splintered off into different groups from the overpopulated Vault.''<br />''All of these raider groups officially exist in the Fallout universe, though only the Khans are in southern California at the start of Fallout 1. The handful of Vipers that survived Rhombus' campaign of extermination in 2155 fled North and East, following the same path the Jackals took after they had their asses handed to them by the Khans thirty years before."''</ref> |
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| − | During the spring of 2141, four groups left Vault 15 to brave the Wasteland.<ref name="FALLOUT BIBLE">[[Fallout Bible 3]]</ref> In the winter of the same year, three of these groups became roving gangs of raiders: the Jackals, the Vipers, and the Khans.<ref name="FALLOUT BIBLE" /> The Khans were founded and lead by the father of [[Garl Death-Hand]] (known as "The Death-Hand") who led them on regular pillage raids. Their primary victims were the village of Shady Sands, a community created by the last of the four groups that left Vault 15. Sometime before 2161, Garl Death-Hand killed his father<ref>[[GARL.MSG]], line 102-113</ref> and became the leader of the Khans. After that, they set up [[Khan Base|camp]] in and around an open house to the southeast of Shady Sands, with tents surrounding the main building as basic dwellings and workstations for subordinate and lower ranked members. |
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| + | By 2161, the Khans operated under [[Garl Death-Hand]], a violent man who killed his own father to secure his position.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{118}{}{I should have killed you when you were a child.}"''<br />[[Garl Death-Hand]]: ''"{119}{}{You should have. Now it's too late. I am Garl Death-Hand. I rule the Khans. You should be dead in your grave, and you will be again!}"''<br />([[GARL.MSG]])</ref> His war band became a more or less permanent element of the [[wasteland]], raiding smaller settlements and communities while trading with larger towns like [[Junktown]] and [[Hub]].<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1002}{}{Junktown}"''<br />[[Garl Death-Hand]]: ''"{1102}{}{They are to the southwest. We sometimes go there to relax after a hard day pillaging.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{1003}{}{Shady}"''<br />Garl Death-Hand: ''"{1103}{}{Miserable little piss ant community. I could crush them.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{1007}{}{Sands}"''<br />Garl Death-Hand: ''"{1107}{}{Miserable little piss ant community. I could crush them.}"''<br />([[GARL.MSG]])</ref> Garl's delusions of grandeur led him to believe that he can take over the world, earning him the mockery of the more law-abiding inhabitants of the wastelands.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{116}{}{Can you tell me about the bandits?}"''<br />[[Ian]]: ''"{120}{}{There are several. They come from various groups. They steal our food and occasionally shoot a few people. Seth organized the guards to help fight them off.}"''<br />The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{122}{}{There are different groups? Who are they all?}"''<br />Ian: ''"{128}{}{There are three groups: the Khans, the Vipers, and the Jackals. They pretty much hate each other, but they all raid Shady Sands.}"''<br />([[IAN.MSG]])</ref><ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{133}{}{Tell me about the raiders.}"''<br />[[Ian]]: ''"{128}{}{There are three groups: the Khans, the Vipers, and the Jackals. They pretty much hate each other, but they all raid Shady Sands.}"''<br />([[IAN.MSG]])</ref><ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1044}{}{Khans}"''<br />[[Ian]]: ''"{1144}{}{They're a sorry group of raiders who attack Shady Sands and think that they're gonna take over the world or some such crap.}"''<br />([[IAN.MSG]])</ref> Their raids gradually intensified, to the point that many settlements up north were facing destruction.<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{241}{}{I'd like to hear your story.}"''<br />[[Tandi]]: ''"{242}{tand29}{Figures. (sigh) Well, I was pretty young when we met. There was a gang of raiders - The Khans - Who'd gotten hold of me. Things were looking pretty bad when, all of a sudden, this stranger shows up and rescues me. Your Vaultdweller.}"''<br />([[Shtandi.msg]])</ref> |
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| − | Garl continued the work of his father, preying on the towns of Shady Sands and Junktown, and others they could get themselves upon who they considered easy prey. After a hard day's work thieving, killing, and pillaging the average traders at times, Garl and his fellow Khans would sometimes go to [[Junktown]] to "relax" with its ladies afterward.<ref>[[GARL.MSG]], line 1102-1104</ref> In 2161, Garl was ultimately killed when the [[Vault Dweller]] came to rescue [[Tandi]], who had been kidnapped by the Khans. The Vault Dweller also saves two other slaves owned by Garl, and killed all other Khans in the Khan camp, except for one young man named [[Darion]] who was either away or hiding. |
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| − | === |
+ | ===Fall of Garl=== |
| + | {{Main|New Khans}} |
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| − | Darion became paranoid and obsessed with revenge against the Vault Dweller and Tandi, who later became President of the [[New California Republic]]. He was riddled with [[Wikipedia:survivor guilt|survivor's guilt]] because he alone had lived, while the rest of his gang had been slaughtered. Since the Vault Dweller wiped out the Khans, he formed the second generation of Khans: the New Khans. Since 2161, Darion spent most of his time either gaining as many New Khans as he could or out leading his new band of Khans on a raid. By [[Timeline#2241|2241]], Darion is an old man, and led his tribe to Vault 15, the same vault from which the original Khans came. Darion made a deal with the [[Vault 15 Squatters|squatters]] to provide them with food and water by raiding the caravans, particularly the NCR. In return, the squatters would conceal the fact that the dangerous band's true headquarters was right below them. As a result, the newly organized tribe once again lived the lifestyle of the Mongol warriors. In an ironic twist of fate, Darion was killed in [[Timeline#2241|2241]] by the [[Chosen One]], the grandchild of the Vault Dweller who had killed his companions 80 years earlier. |
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| + | Garl's dreams of domination were cut short in 2161 when the Khans made a grave error: They kidnapped [[Tandi]]. This attracted the attention of the [[Vault Dweller]], who came into the settlement and slaughtered the raiders. With the largest of the raider bands gone, the stability that followed allowed the [[New California Republic]] to emerge.<ref>[[Fallout endings#Shady Sands|Fallout ending]]: ''"In Shady Sands, Tandi helps her father Aradesh bring a new community and new life out of the broken remains of the world. They are responsible for the New California Republic, whose ideals spread across the land."''</ref> However, the extermination was not complete. [[Darion]], son of [[Garl Death-Hand]], escaped the Dweller's wrath. The lone survivor would go on to slowly reform the Khans, suffering from survivors guilt and planning his revenge against [[Tandi]].<ref name="Papa">[[Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets]] p.201-202: ''"'''10. Doc Jones.''' The good doctor here in the medical bay (see Figure 10.9) is a prisoner of the gang. From him, you can find out that this gang of Raiders is none other than the descendants of the Khans, the Raiders who kidnapped Tandi in ''Fallout 1''. Darion, the leader of the reborn Khans, is the son of Garl and would like to destroy Tandi for the havoc she, and your ancestor the Vault Dweller, visited upon his father's band of Raiders. After you learn of that from the doc, he'll heal you if you need it, as long as you haven't hurt any of the squatters (#1)."''</ref> Plans gradually turned into an obsession, then into overwhelming paranoia.<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{132}{}{What can you tell me about Darion?}"''<br />[[Jones (Fallout 2)|Jones]]: ''"{148}{}{Darion is a mental case, plain and simple. He's got more spooks in his head than his dog has fleas. As far as I can figure it, he was a member of another gang called the Khans. They kidnapped this girl, Tandi, and held her for ransom. Her father didn't take kindly to that, and hired some merc to get her back. Darion was the only one to come out alive.}"''<br />''"{168}{}{Now he's paranoid. He believes that Tandi is out to get him. He's obsessed with revenge, and he wants Tandi dead. He's riddled with guilt 'cause he hid and lived, rather than dying with his gang... and the list goes on and on.}"''<br />([[Bcjones.msg]])</ref> The New Khans were not the tribe that came before them; with Darion as the only true Khan remaining, he was forced to supplement his "tribe" with mercenaries.<ref>The Chosen One: ''"{151}{}{Look, a young girl's life is at stake here. The daughter of a worried mother. Can you please help me out?}"''<br />[[Dalia]]: ''"{152}{}{I don't give a radrat's ass... I'm sorry. I'm just a gun who was hired to stand here and guard this trail. Other than that, I don't know what's going on around here. I had a daughter once, though, and...yeah, some guy went by here. I let him through because he knew the proper sign...just like the sign you gave me. Go on. I'm outta here. }"''<br />([[Bcdalia.msg]])</ref> |
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| + | His survivor's guilt did not cripple his strategic acumen, however. By 2241, Darion had established a base in the ruins of [[Vault 15]], using a large band of vagrants to provide a smokescreen. In exchange for his promise of returning the [[Vault]] to full functionality, the [[squatters]] would deter NCR attempts to retake the Vault.<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{149}{}{Tell me about the vault.}"''<br />[[Rebecca (Vault 15)|Rebecca]]: ''"{{209}{}{You know, it's kind of funny that they managed to get something that complex fixed, but not the lights. The damn place is lit by torches. Anyway, Darion doesn't want anyone to know what's going on with the vault. He's afraid that someone will take it all away from us if they find out. So, we're told to drive off anyone who shows up here -- especially the NCR.}"''<br />([[Bcrebecc.msg]])</ref> When Darion's mercenaries weren't kidnapping and raping squatters,<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{110}{}{I'm looking for a missing girl. Seen her?}"''<br />[[Phil (New Khans)|Phil]]: ''"{121}{}{I can't believe that you think you can just waltz in here and get answers to your questions! Oh, what the hell, you're about to die anyway and I feel generous. We've got her kid locked in the back room and have been having some fun with her. That bitch, Rebecca, has been trying to find her, so we've been keeping an eye open to make sure she doesn't get too close.}"''<br />([[Bcphil.msg]])</ref> they were raiding Republic [[caravan]]s in the vicinity for their [[food]] and [[water]] to maintain the appearance of a functioning bunker.<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{117}{}{I'd like to know who you are and what is going on here.}"''<br />[[Chrissy]]: ''"{120}{}{In a nutshell, my name is Chrissy and I'm from the Squat. I was out exploring last week when I found that entrance out there. I thought it might be an abandoned mine or something, so I decided to check it out. Well, it's not a mine; it's a secret entrance into Vault 15. The vault is being used as a base for a band of raiders called the Khans. They caught me snooping around and their leader, Darion, had me locked up in here.}"''<br />''"{135}{}{The people of the Squat are protecting these guys by helping them keep the vault a secret, but they don't know what's really going on here. Darion told us that the vault was being repaired so we could have a safe place to live with lots of food and water, but it's all a lie. I've been in there and looked around. The vault is dead, and the food and water machines don't work. Our food and water's been coming from the spoils of raids against caravans.}"''<br />''"{136}{}{Look, I've got to go home and warn everyone about what's really going on here. We can't help these monsters. Will you take me home?}"''<br />([[Bccrissy.msg]])</ref><ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{124}{}{What do you intend to do about the raiders?}"''<br />[[Zeke (Fallout 2)|Zeke]]: ''"{131}{}{Nothing. They have the guns, they control the water, and they control the food. That means they are in charge. Period. We have no skills and no means of support without the backing of Darion. How can we turn against him? We're at his mercy.}"''<br />([[Bczeke.msg]])</ref> Darion also managed to plant a spy in the NCR Congress, giving him near perfect intel on the NCR.<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{261}{}{I'm afraid you have another problem. If you'll look at this holodisk you'll see that you have a spy in the NCR.}"''<br />[[Tandi]]: ''"{264}{tand35}{Damn, the only person who knew all this was Feargus! I'm not suggesting anything, but maybe Gunther should know about this.}"''<br />([[Shtandi.msg]])</ref> However, nothing lasts forever. The [[Vault Dweller]]'s blood once again broke the Khans: Hired by [[President]] [[Tandi]] to retrieve [[Vault 15 computer parts|computer parts]] from Vault 15, the Chosen One managed to broker a deal between the squatters and the Republic. He would kill Darion and retrieve the parts, while the squatters would grant NCR access to the Vault in return for annexation, education, and supplies necessary to survive.<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{139}{}{Would you consider making a deal with NCR?}"''<br />[[Zeke (Fallout 2)|Zeke]]: ''"{140}{}{That all depends. What did you have in mind?}"''<br />The Chosen One: ''"{142}{}{Join NCR, let them annex your territory, and give them access to the vault. In return, they can teach you all the skills you need to survive on your own and offer you their protection.}"''<br />Zeke: ''"{143}{}{Not bad... I like it. You've got yourself a deal if you can get NCR to agree to it as well. But... Look, someone has to take care of Darion and his cronies. It should be done now before they realize what has happened and have time to prepare for an attack. Why not get this over with and take Darion out now? You'll have the element of surprise on your side.}"''<br />([[Bczeke.msg]])</ref> |
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{{Main|Great Khans}} |
{{Main|Great Khans}} |
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| + | <section begin="Great Khans" /> |
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| − | [[File:GreatKhans.png|left|150px]] |
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| + | The history of the Khans did not end with Darion's death. Though his [[mercenary]] war band was the governing band, it was not the only one. Over the next 25 years, the fragmented Khans gradually coalesced into a single group. No longer were they small raiding bands, this time the Khans became an unified, large tribe united under the leadership of [[Papa Khan]], who led an exodus into the [[Mojave Wasteland]], abandoning [[New California]] in [[Timeline#2267|2267]].<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Tell me about Papa Khan."''<br />[[Regis]]: ''"Papa is one of the best leaders the Khans have ever had. He's kept us together through all of our hardships, ever since we left California. Bitter Springs changed him, though. He started to really hate the NCR after the Massacre, and sometimes I worry that's poisoned his mind."''<br />([[VRRCRegis.txt|Regis' dialogue]])</ref> The Follower vanguard in the Mojave taught the Khans basic science skills: Chemistry, reading, writing, hoping that they would use that knowledge to manufacture medicine. The attempt to civilize them failed, as the Khans turned to [[drug]] running instead.<ref name="Followers teach">The [[Courier]]: ''"I'm looking for something that could inspire the Great Khans. Know of anything like that?"''<br />[[Julie Farkas]]: ''"The Great Khans? Oh, you mean those raiders that used to clash with the Vegas tribes? Yes, some years back we taught them reading, writing, basic science - we hoped they would use it to make medical supplies, but they turned to drugs. I was never much involved in the cultural side of that project, but Ezekiel was."''<br />([[Julie Farkas' dialogue]])</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"How'd you get into this business?"''<br />[[Jack (Great Khans)|Jack]]: ''"Guess I just had a natural talent for it. When I was a kid, these cats called the Followers of the Apocalypse came to our camp. They knew all kinds of kooky scientastical stuff, so I ate up all the chemistry they could teach. Diane had the head for business, so we teamed up."''<br />([[VRRCJack.txt|Jack's dialogue (Great Khans)]])</ref> Drugs were nothing new for the Khans: They already knew how to use plants and herbs to create mind-altering substances. The Followers just made them more efficient – and indirectly contributed to the popularity of substance abuse among the Khans.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"What do you know about the Great Khans?"''<br />[[Bitter-Root]]: ''"{{Tooltip|They're scum. Lazy, trumped-up Raiders. Most of the time, they're drunk or high, and when they're not shooting chems, they're selling them.|bitter - thinks he means it}} Used to have a settlement up at Bitter Springs, 'til they pissed off NCR and got slaughtered for their trouble. {{Tooltip|Lot of us got killed at Bitter Springs. Lot of them, I mean. My parents died, too.|misspeaks - he accidentally includes himself with the Khans, who he despises. Also has convinced himself that he hates his parents.}}"''<br />([[1ESergeantBitterRoot.txt|Bitter-Root's dialogue]])</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"You don't really mean that, do you?"''<br />[[Bitter-Root]]: ''"{{Tooltip|Don't I? Mister, you never met my parents.|Male}}/{{Tooltip|Don't I? Beg pardon, ma'am, but you never met my parents.|Female}} {{Tooltip|My dad, he got himself fucked up, every chance he got. Always started with folk for no reason. Hell, he was the one who taught me to shoot. You know how? By taking potshots at NCR. And not just soldiers. Civilians, too. Even kids. Then he'd get high with his buddies and swap tales about the folk they killed. Bunch of animals. And my mom... couple times she tried to sell me to some waster, just to score some Jet. Even the other Khans said she was useless. Only reason they kept her around was because she was a... how'd my dad say it... "a smokin' piece of ass."|bitter}}"''<br />([[1ESergeantBitterRoot.txt|Bitter-Root's dialogue]])</ref> Still, some of the chems they produce go toward trading with others – namely the [[Fiends]]<ref name="DhatriChems">The [[Courier]]: ''"What can you tell me about the Great Khans?"''<br />[[Dhatri]]: ''"We know they supply the Fiends with illegal chems, but they never stick around in NCR territory for long. They know the land, and move quick. There's talk from time to time about taking out their base at Red Rock Canyon, but nothing ever comes of it. The Great Khans are tough fighters. If we ever did go up against them on their home turf, we'd win, but casualties would be high."''<br />([[Dhatri's dialogue]])</ref> and [[Westside]] addicts<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"What's going on in Westside?"''<br />[[Motor-Runner]]: ''"I try to keep my people out of Westside. Apart from trying to stay on good terms with the Khans, who do business there. There's Mean Son of A Bitch. That fucking mutant is more trouble to kill than to avoid. Having someplace for my people to sleep reduces the chances of drifting into Westside."''<br />([[Motor-Runner's dialogue]])</ref> – for supplies that the tribe needs.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"What is it you do here?"''<br />[[Diane (Fallout: New Vegas)|Diane]]: ''"We keep the Great Khans from falling apart, essentially. Jack manufactures the chems, I organize the runners and the shipments."''<br />The Courier: ''"So you're drug dealers?"''<br />Diane: ''"We're supplying things people want in exchange for things our tribe needs. Don't judge us."''<br />([[VRRCDiane.txt|Diane's dialogue (Fallout: New Vegas)]])</ref> |
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| − | Following their near-extinction in California, [[Papa Khan]] rallied the surviving New Khans and led them out of NCR territory. By 2267, they had made their home in the [[Mojave Wasteland]] and had renamed themselves the Great Khans. They prospered in the ruins of Las Vegas for several years, until they were forcibly driven out by [[Robert House|Mr. House]]'s [[securitron]]s and his [[Three Families|tribal allies]]. The Great Khans resettled at [[Bitter Springs]], where they carried on as before, raiding nearby communities and travelers. |
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| + | With their martial prowess and know-how provided by the Followers, the Great Khans were the single most organized tribe in the wasteland and effectively its rulers.<ref name="GKhansShortV">The [[Courier]]: ''"Maybe you could give me the short version."''<br />[[Papa Khan]]: ''"In a hurry, are you? Very well then: The Great Khans came east out of the NCR 14 years ago. We ruled the Wastes, then, and called no man master. But we underestimated the Families of the Strip, and they drove us back to Bitter Springs, where we remained until the NCR arrived and drove us here."''<br />([[Papa Khan's dialogue]])</ref> However, their hegemony would not last long. When [[Robert House]] detected NCR scouts at the dam, he moved to claim [[New Vegas]], end the tribal conflicts, and establish his rule. He offered the tribes their own [[Casino]]s to operate under his aegis. He gave the tribes that declared loyalty to him (the [[Mojave Boot-Riders]], [[White Glove Society|the Mojave's cannibals]], and the [[Omertas|Slither Kin]]) [[weapon]]s, [[ammunition]], medicine, and other necessities to allow them to push back the Khans.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"How did the Three Families defeat you?"''<br />[[Papa Khan]]: ''"They allied with Mr. House, the self-proclaimed master of New Vegas. He supported them with the resources of New Vegas: weapons, technology, caps. They were better equipped, and we could not stand against them."''<br />([[Papa Khan's dialogue]])</ref> With House's aid, the three tribes drove the Khans out of the northern Mojave, forcing them to settle at [[Bitter Springs]].<ref name="YesManGreatKhans">The [[Courier]]: ''"Tell me what you know about the Great Khans."''<br />[[Yes Man]]: ''"{{Tooltip|They've been kicked around a lot, but no one's finished them off! Not yet, anyway!|They had a lot of trouble when Mr. House recruited the Three Familes, trying to hold on to the north end of Vegas. Then they got kicked out.}}"''<br />The Courier: ''"How have the Khans been kicked around?"''<br />Yes Man: ''"They were one of the tribes the Three Families pushed out of Vegas! A whole bunch got killed! So they settled at Bitter Springs, but they kept being so obnoxious, the NCR had to kill a whole bunch more of them! So then they settle at Red Rock Canyon! There's just no getting rid of them!"''<br />([[Yes Man's dialogue]])</ref><ref name="GKhansShortV"/> |
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| + | Instead, the Great Khans began to attack the [[New California Republic]], raiding their caravans, towns, and camps. They seemed easy pickings... For four years.<ref name="PapasStory">The [[Courier]]: ''"What happened at Bitter Springs?"''<br />[[Papa Khan]]: ''"When the NCR came to the Mojave, we thought they would be easy pickings. We raided their caravans, their towns, their camps - they couldn't stop us. At least, that's what we thought. They tracked us to Bitter Springs and surrounded us. When our children, our sick and old, fled through a nearby pass, the NCR gunned them down."''<br />([[Papa Khan's dialogue]])</ref> Things changed in [[Timeline#2278|2278]]. After the [[First Battle of Hoover Dam]] and the defeat of [[Caesar's Legion|the Legion]] and [[Brotherhood of Steel|the Brotherhood]], the [[New California Republic|NCR]] stood virtually unopposed. Great Khan raids continued on, but it was the abduction and killing of four NCR soldiers that tipped the scale. The NCR decided to cut off the head from the serpent and mounted an assault on [[Bitter Springs]].<ref name="ImportantDates">[[Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide]] Collector's Edition p.458: "2278 ''Following the abduction and killing of four soldiers, NCR troops assault the Great Khans' settlement at Red Rock Canyon and massacre several dozen men, women, and children. This event goes unreported in NCR press."''<br />([[Behind the Bright Lights & Big City]]) {{Small|'''Note:''' the Guide erroneously states that [[Red Rock Canyon]], rather than [[Bitter Springs]], was attacked by the NCR.}}</ref> In what would become known as the [[Bitter Springs Massacre]], [[New California Republic Army|NCR military]] units ended up killing a large number of Great Khan non-combatants, including women, [[child]]ren, and the elderly, breaking the power of the raider clan, but also causing the Khans to become bitterly hostile.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Any idea why a Great Khan would be so far from Red Rock Canyon?"''<br />[[Gilles]]: ''"{{Tooltip|About three years ago, NCR's 1st Recon launched an attack on the Khan encampment here.|{Reluctant} }} There was a communication mix-up that resulted in some noncombatants being killed. I guess he was still bitter about it. It was a tragic mistake, but we've done all we can to make amends."''<br />([[Gilles' dialogue]])</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"It was a Great Khan named Oscar Velasco. His family was killed by the NCR, and he wanted revenge."''<br />[[Gilles]]: ''"{{Tooltip|Ah. I should have expected as much. There's still a lot of bad blood between the Khans and the NCR, ever since the incident here.|{Suddenly reserved} }}"''<br />The Courier: ''"What incident?"''<br />Gilles: ''"{{Tooltip|About three years ago, this canyon was the main encampment for the Great Khans. NCR's 1st Recon tracked them here after a raid and made an attack.|{Reluctant} }} There was a communication mix-up that resulted in some noncombatants being killed. It was a tragic mistake, but we've done all we can to make amends."''<br />([[Gilles' dialogue]])</ref> |
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| + | The surviving Great Khans were permitted by NCR military authorities to resettle at [[Red Rock Canyon]] without interference.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Like what? It looks to me like the NCR ran the Khans out of Bitter Springs altogether."''<br />[[Gilles]]: ''"We provided medical aid to the wounded - {{Tooltip|all the wounded|{emphasis} }} - and permitted the Khans to resettle at Red Rock Canyon."''<br />([[Gilles' dialogue]])</ref> In an effort to create a source of income, the Khans established a drug lab in the desolate gorges. By [[Timeline#2281|2281]], drugs manufactured in this lab formed the basis of their economy, providing much needed basic living necessities unavailable in the inhospitable Canyon, where there's no [[food]], barely any [[water]], and nothing of note.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Tell me a little about the Great Khans."''<br />[[Diane (Fallout: New Vegas)|Diane]]: ''"I'll spare you the history lesson - talk to Papa Khan if you want to hear that story. Things have been rough for a while now, even with Jack working all the time and my runners making deliveries daily we're barely getting by. Maybe this alliance with Caesar will help, but I don't know."''<br />The Courier: ''"Why are things so tough?"''<br />Diane: ''"Red Rock Canyon isn't exactly the most hospitable place - there's no food, barely any water, and nothing anybody wants. We used to send patrols out to acquire supplies, but ever since Bitter Springs there just aren't enough of us left."''<br />([[VRRCDiane.txt|Diane's dialogue (Fallout: New Vegas)]])</ref><ref name="GuideGreatKhans">[[Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide]] Collector's Edition p.43: '''''"Great Khans'''''<br />''The Great Khans are the only truly organised band of raiders in the Mojave, and as befits their warrior culture, men and women both can hold their own in a fight, whether a brawl or a shootout. As a tribe, however, the Great Khans are but a shadow of their former selves, their numbers and morale ravaged by a series of massacres and displacements. From their rocky stronghold at Red Rock Canyon, they eke out a living by drug-trafficking and the occasional raid or salvage find.''<br />''Since the Bitter Springs massacre, the tribe has aspired to little more than survival and isolated, petty acts of vengeance on the occasional NCR citizen or deserter. The arrival of a Legion emissary, Karl, has changed this. Papa Khan, the tribe's leader, wants to believe Karl's assurances that the Great Khans will be absorbed intact by the Legion, assuming an honored place as one of its elite cohorts. To lead the assaults on Hoover Dam and the Vegas Strip would make for fine acts of vengeance. The rest of the Great Khans are not so convinced.''<br />''Much as they want to exact revenge on the NCR and Mr. House's Three Families, they know that they lack the strength to do so. Indeed, they believe it is only a matter of time before their enemies track them down, and that the Great Khans would be unlikely to survive such a confrontation. The looming conflict between Caesar's Legion and the NCR and the message from Karl offers the possibility of a new way forward."''<br />([[Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles]])</ref> Unfortunately, this drug business has destroyed what good will they had among others, as the drugs made their way to dozens of villages west of Vegas,<ref name="Cass"/> thanks to their knowledge of the land, making it easy to make deliveries and escape the NCR's wrath. The Republic was unwilling to deal with the problem directly, as an assault on the Red Rock Canyon would be expensive in terms of both caps and men.<ref name="DhatriChems"/> Remnants of Khan presence who remained outside the Canyon waged a desperate guerrilla war against the Republic, further straining their supplies.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Take revenge on the people actually responsible: Go attack Camp McCarran."''<br />[[Oscar Velasco]]: ''"{{Tooltip|You're right. A Khan's vengeance should be direct and bloody. No more skulking in caves - I'll remind the NCR why they feared us!|{Proud anger} }}"''<br />([[Oscar Velasco's dialogue]])</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"The Khans won't be a problem to anyone ever again."''<br />[[Cassandra Moore]]: ''"Good riddance. We've had reports for years that they're the ones who supply the Fiends with chems, but no one's done anything about it. In any event, no one will miss them. And I've got another mission for you."''<br />([[Cassandra Moore's dialogue]])</ref> |
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| − | Around 2274, the NCR was starting to make its presence felt in the area. The discovery of [[Hoover Dam]] and the remarkably well-preserved city of Las Vegas (now renamed [[New Vegas]]) led to a sudden influx of NCR settlers and tourists in the area and an expansion of NCR influence into Nevada. Seeing them as intruders upon their territory, the Great Khans took to assaulting NCR civilians and outposts. The Khans hoped that Mr. House and his tribes would follow suit and attack the NCR and drive them away from New Vegas. Instead, Mr. House signed the [[New Vegas Treaty]] leaving the Khans as the sole agitators of the NCR. With the treaty signed the NCR now had the time and resources to deal with the Khans. In response to their raids, NCR forces began systematically tracking down Khan raiding parties in an effort to eliminate them, culminating in the attack at Bitter Springs. Unbeknownst to the [[New California Republic Army|NCR Army]] and the [[1st Reconnaissance Battalion|1st Recon]] soldiers participating in the operation, they had stumbled onto the Khans main encampment. While the warriors fought the NCR Army they sent the weaker Khans, namely mothers and their children, as well as the elderly down a nearby pass. The 1st Recon soldiers were ordered to fire on them until the snipers ran out of ammo, and so they did killing the fleeing Khan civilians. Accounts may vary on other details, but the NCR mistakenly believed the settlement to be a raiding camp, with disastrous results: the slaughter of over a dozen innocents have been since known as the [[Bitter Springs Massacre]]. After the incident, many of the NCR troopers and sharpshooters that took part in the massacre were deeply scarred. [[Craig Boone]] recalls radioing to inform their command that they were only seeing civilians and that due to poor radio equipment and the fog of war they were told to fire anyway. |
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| + | ===Present day=== |
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| − | The surviving Great Khans were forced to retreat to [[Red Rock Canyon]], eking out a precarious existence in a barren and inhospitable region. After the massacre at Bitter Springs, the [[Followers of the Apocalypse]] offered their assistance to the beleaguered war band. They also taught the Great Khans how to make their own medicine; however, the Khans used this knowledge to make chems instead, eventually becoming the leading distributor of illegal and highly addictive chems in the Mojave. Disgusted at this perversion of their knowledge, the Followers ceased providing assistance and left. |
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| + | Easy access to narcotics has also led to many Great Khans becoming addicts, trying to cope with the trauma of Bitter Springs through alcohol and hard drugs. Red Rock Canyon, already desolate before their arrival, became little more than a drug den filled with the stench of alcohol and drug fumes, where even the flies buzzing around are hopped up on one drug or another. The steady stream of narcotics turned dozens of villages out west into junkie dens, on top of the aforementioned [[fiends]].<ref name="DianeSells">The [[Courier]]: ''"Who do you sell to?"''<br />[[Diane (Fallout: New Vegas)|Diane]]: ''"We make regular shipments to a lot of settlements around the Mojave - a lot of our business comes from the Fiends lately. Personally, I think they're kind of creepy, but Papa likes the fact that they get hopped up on Psycho and harass NCR patrols."''<br />([[VRRCDiane.txt|Diane's dialogue (Fallout: New Vegas)]])</ref><ref name="Cass">[[Rose of Sharon Cassidy]]: ''"These boys and girls can really down the bottles."''<br />''"Whiskey and liquor don't last long around here, by the sight of it."''<br />''"Wonder if any of these folks would be up for shots of courage - and a wager."''<br />''"Be *really* careful what you say here."''<br />''"Should have heard stories of the Khans years ago - they were one tough bunch, now..."''<br />''"Khans lost their strength after Bitter Springs, came here to lick their wounds."''<br />''"Let's not split up here, all right?"''<br />''"Don't take any chems here - hell knows what they're laced with."''<br />''"Won't trade with Khans - they've poisoned most of the villages west of Vegas with chems."''<br />''"Fiends would suffer withdrawal and die without the Khans."''<br />''"Place would be beautiful... without the chem addicts and dealers."''<br />''"Even the flies here are chemed."''<br />''"God, you can smell the Brahmin shit from the jet all over this place."''<br />([[Rose of Sharon Cassidy's dialogue]]) {{Small|VCassLocationRedRock}}</ref> |
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| + | Such an existence is understandably intolerable to many, most importantly Papa Khan himself, who longs to leave behind a strong legacy. This is why [[Caesar]] sent [[Frumentarii|Frumentarius]] [[Karl (Fallout: New Vegas)|Karl]] to act as ambassador to the Khans under the guise of seeking great warriors<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"What does the Legion want with the Great Khans?"''<br />[[Karl (Fallout: New Vegas)|Karl]]: ''"Though they have been cruelly oppressed by the NCR, the Khans remain great warriors. {{Tooltip|The Legion is honored to have such allies in battle.|{Choking on this a little; he's lying and it galls him} }}"''<br />([[VRRCKarl.txt|Karl's dialogue (Fallout: New Vegas)]])</ref> and in exchange for promises of land, wealth, and revenge against the NCR to secure their allegiance.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"What's your role in Caesar's Legion?"''<br />[[Karl (Fallout: New Vegas)|Karl]]: ''"I am one of the {{Tooltip|frumentarii|{Fru-men-TAR-ee-eye} }}: it is my duty to scout the Wastes in Caesar's name and make contact with any tribes that might serve a useful purpose. You might say I'm somewhere between a scout and an ambassador. I'm assigned here as part of the alliance between the Legion and the Great Khans."''<br />([[VRRCKarl.txt|Karl's dialogue (Fallout: New Vegas)]])</ref> Papa Khan's hatred of the Republic caused him to agree to the alliance almost instantly.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Caesar is only using you, he doesn't actually care about the Great Khans."''<br />[[Papa Khan]]: ''"Doesn't he? Caesar's representative tells a different tale. The glory of the Great Khans will be restored, and once the NCR is pushed back to California, all the land from here to the Colorado will be ours. I won't hear any more talk against Caesar or his alliance. The Great Khans will answer Caesar's call to war, and the NCR will pay for their crimes."''<br />The Courier: ''"Do you really think Caesar is going to restore your tribe to glory? You'll be made slaves."''<br />Papa Khan: ''"Hah! The Great Khans will not be slaves. Caesar himself has promised us the land from here to the Colorado and the freedom to raid as we see fit. I won't hear any more talk against Caesar or his alliance. The Great Khans will answer Caesar's call to war, and the NCR will pay for their crimes."''<br />([[Papa Khan's dialogue]])</ref> The Khans would march to assist Caesar when the time came.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Who are you?"''<br />[[Karl (Fallout: New Vegas)|Karl]]: ''"My name is Karl. Glorious Caesar has sent me as an emissary to the Great Khans as a token of our alliance."''<br />The Courier: ''"What alliance?"''<br />Karl: ''"In exchange for great Caesar's promise of all the lands west of New Vegas, the Khans have agreed to fight alongside the Legion when the time comes."''<br />([[VRRCKarl.txt|Karl's dialogue (Fallout: New Vegas)]])</ref> Karl has appeased Papa Khan's advisers with promises of holding positions of power within the Legion.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"What about Melissa?"''<br />[[Regis]]: ''"Ah, Melissa. She's a bit of a dreamer. Last time she was in camp, Karl filled her head with stories of serving the Legion as a {{Tooltip|speculatore|{SPECK-you-lay-tor-ay} }}. Personally, I've never seen a woman in Legionaire's armor, so I have my doubts."''<br />([[VRRCRegis.txt|Regis' dialogue]])</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Regis says I should talk to you about speaking against the Great Khans' alliance with Caesar."''<br />[[Melissa Lewis]]: ''"You can ask, but why would I do that? Karl's told me all about life in the Legion! He says I've got all the makings of a {{Tooltip|speculatore|{SPECK-you-la-tore-ay; over-enunciate like she's not familiar with the word} }}."''<br />The Courier: ''"Did he also tell you women aren't permitted to serve in the Legion?"''<br />Melissa Lewis: ''"What? No, he... what do you mean, aren't allowed to serve? Why would he lie about that?"''<br />The Courier: ''"If the Great Khans join the Legion, you'll be sold as a slave. An officer's wife, if you're lucky."''<br />Melissa Lewis: ''"That lying little weasel! I almost fell for it, too! All right, you've got a deal. You can tell Papa I won't support an alliance."''<br />([[Melissa Lewis' dialogue]])</ref> However, in reality, the Legion does not intend to keep any of the promises made. Karl secretly despises the Great Khans, considering them to be unworthy of the Legion and sub-par warriors at that.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"What do you think of the Great Khans?"''<br />[[Karl (Fallout: New Vegas)|Karl]]: ''"{{Tooltip|They're a tribe of fine warriors, with many proud traditions and a glorious history. They will be worthy additions to the Legion.|{Shifty, doesn't really believe what he's saying.} }}"''<br />The Courier: ''"I've been wondering why you don't petition the Khans for membership as a show of allegiance."''<br />Karl: ''"[SUCCEEDED] Join? Oh, no, I simply couldn't. That is... I'm {{Tooltip|not worthy of such an honor.|{choking on this, REALLY hates to say it} }}"''<br />The Courier: ''"But surely a warrior in service of glorious Caesar is the equal of any tribe's finest?"''<br />Karl: ''"[SUCCEEDED] {{Tooltip|Of course I am!|{Getting annoyed} }} {{Tooltip|That is to say, Caesar has many fine warriors, and I wouldn't wish to compare them to the Great Khans.|{Smoother, recovering} }}"''<br />The Courier: ''"Because you know they'd come up lacking?"''<br />[[Karl (Fallout: New Vegas)|Karl]]: ''"[SUCCEEDED] {{Tooltip|Enough! How dare you compare Caesar's finest to this tribe of savages? The mightiest Great Khan is scarcely a match for a Legion recruit!|{Furious} }} The Burned Man would leave their mightiest shitting themselves in terror! I would... {Beat, realizing what he's just done}Uhhh, that is...."''<br />([[VRRCKarl.txt|Karl's dialogue (Fallout: New Vegas)]])</ref> He fully expects that the Great Khans will have to be decimated first in order to bring them to heel.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"You should look at this. It's Karl's journal, and it's very revealing of his true opinions."''<br />[[Papa Khan]]: ''"Let me see that... "filthy savages? Probably have to decimate the lot of them?" Are these the words of our "friend," Caesar? Great Khans! Drive Caesar's dog out of our camp! If he's too slow to flee, kill him!"''<br />([[Papa Khan's dialogue]])</ref> The Khans remain oblivious - perhaps they want, as they know of no alternative way to move forward. They're dying out and every day brings their enemies closer to launching a strike against them. The dream of becoming Caesar's elite cohorts is tempting, to the point that the Khans are blind to the reality of absorption by the Legion.<ref name="GuideGreatKhans"/><section end="Great Khans" />b |
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| − | To this day, the Great Khan leader, Papa Khan, blames their situation on the NCR. However, he seems to be the only Great Khan higher-up that keeps an ongoing grudge against the NCR, and won't even consider the possibility that the massacre at Bitter Springs happened due to a communication mishap. Because of this, in [[timeline#2281|2281]] he is deliberating on whether the Great Khans should ally themselves with [[Caesar's Legion]], the NCR's main adversary in the Mojave Wasteland. |
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==Appearances== |
==Appearances== |
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==Behind the scenes== |
==Behind the scenes== |
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| + | {{Quotation|The Khans (the one tribe that did make it into the game), had its inception from a real-life biker gang, the Mongols. I was imagining the kind of tough, lawless, SOBs that could survive in the desolation of the wasteland; raiding and killing for their spoils. I could see these guys surviving. So, after a few generations, they became similar to the barbaric marauders they emulated.|[https://archive.is/Yjh7O No Mutants Allowed, Origins of Fallout, R. Scott Campbell].}} |
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| − | Their name is a reference to Mongol rulers known as Khans, mainly [[Wikipedia:Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan]], an infamous Mongolian warlord. |
+ | * Their name is a reference to Mongol rulers known as Khans, mainly [[Wikipedia:Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan]], an infamous Mongolian warlord. |
==Gallery== |
==Gallery== |
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==References== |
==References== |
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| − | {{ |
+ | {{RTB}} |
{{Navbox Khans}} |
{{Navbox Khans}} |
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Revision as of 13:45, 22 May 2020
“The Raiders only accept the meanest and toughest SOBs
around. You have to be bloodthirsty, violent, extreme.”— Garl Death-Hand
The Khans are stateless peoples who are descended from one of the three raider clans that originated from Vault 15. They have a long and turbulent history and have been nearly wiped out on three separate occasions.
Characteristics
The Khans once lived the lifestyles of the Mongol warriors; raiding towns, burning what they cannot take, and capturing survivors for use as slaves. Their main targets were the communities of Shady Sands, with whom they once shared a vault, and Junktown. By 2281, they have been reduced to making and trading chems to the local group of Fiends. They usually travel in small scouting bands, but sometimes roam the wastes in full war parties. The Khans, above all else, respect strength. They are eager in combat to prove their worthiness to the clan by engaging in hand-to-hand combat with fists or clubs. Though the Khans prefer melee weapons to firearms, some will carry pistols and other varieties of small arms. Some of them are said to have worn tire armor.
History
Origins
The Khans are one of three raider tribes to emerge from Vault 15 in spring of 2121, banding together into raider tribes as the winter came.[2][3] The Khans adopted the lifestyle of Mongol warriors, raiding towns for loot, burning what they cannot use, and capturing survivors as slaves. Strength became a key virtue, with worth proven in hand to hand combat. The strong rule, the weak perish. For this reason, the Khans would also fight with other raider tribes, their warbands, and larger war parties clashing in deadly combat. One of the most notable clashes was with the Jackals just four years after emergence from the Vault. The Khans brutalized the raider clan, forcing it to flee New California northeast in 2125.[4]
By 2161, the Khans operated under Garl Death-Hand, a violent man who killed his own father to secure his position.[5] His war band became a more or less permanent element of the wasteland, raiding smaller settlements and communities while trading with larger towns like Junktown and Hub.[6] Garl's delusions of grandeur led him to believe that he can take over the world, earning him the mockery of the more law-abiding inhabitants of the wastelands.[7][8][9] Their raids gradually intensified, to the point that many settlements up north were facing destruction.[10]
Fall of Garl
Main article: New Khans
Garl's dreams of domination were cut short in 2161 when the Khans made a grave error: They kidnapped Tandi. This attracted the attention of the Vault Dweller, who came into the settlement and slaughtered the raiders. With the largest of the raider bands gone, the stability that followed allowed the New California Republic to emerge.[11] However, the extermination was not complete. Darion, son of Garl Death-Hand, escaped the Dweller's wrath. The lone survivor would go on to slowly reform the Khans, suffering from survivors guilt and planning his revenge against Tandi.[12] Plans gradually turned into an obsession, then into overwhelming paranoia.[13] The New Khans were not the tribe that came before them; with Darion as the only true Khan remaining, he was forced to supplement his "tribe" with mercenaries.[14]
His survivor's guilt did not cripple his strategic acumen, however. By 2241, Darion had established a base in the ruins of Vault 15, using a large band of vagrants to provide a smokescreen. In exchange for his promise of returning the Vault to full functionality, the squatters would deter NCR attempts to retake the Vault.[15] When Darion's mercenaries weren't kidnapping and raping squatters,[16] they were raiding Republic caravans in the vicinity for their food and water to maintain the appearance of a functioning bunker.[17][18] Darion also managed to plant a spy in the NCR Congress, giving him near perfect intel on the NCR.[19] However, nothing lasts forever. The Vault Dweller's blood once again broke the Khans: Hired by President Tandi to retrieve computer parts from Vault 15, the Chosen One managed to broker a deal between the squatters and the Republic. He would kill Darion and retrieve the parts, while the squatters would grant NCR access to the Vault in return for annexation, education, and supplies necessary to survive.[20]
The Great Khans
Main article: Great Khans
The history of the Khans did not end with Darion's death. Though his mercenary war band was the governing band, it was not the only one. Over the next 25 years, the fragmented Khans gradually coalesced into a single group. No longer were they small raiding bands, this time the Khans became an unified, large tribe united under the leadership of Papa Khan, who led an exodus into the Mojave Wasteland, abandoning New California in 2267.[21] The Follower vanguard in the Mojave taught the Khans basic science skills: Chemistry, reading, writing, hoping that they would use that knowledge to manufacture medicine. The attempt to civilize them failed, as the Khans turned to drug running instead.[22][23] Drugs were nothing new for the Khans: They already knew how to use plants and herbs to create mind-altering substances. The Followers just made them more efficient – and indirectly contributed to the popularity of substance abuse among the Khans.[24][25] Still, some of the chems they produce go toward trading with others – namely the Fiends[26] and Westside addicts[27] – for supplies that the tribe needs.[28]
With their martial prowess and know-how provided by the Followers, the Great Khans were the single most organized tribe in the wasteland and effectively its rulers.[29] However, their hegemony would not last long. When Robert House detected NCR scouts at the dam, he moved to claim New Vegas, end the tribal conflicts, and establish his rule. He offered the tribes their own Casinos to operate under his aegis. He gave the tribes that declared loyalty to him (the Mojave Boot-Riders, the Mojave's cannibals, and the Slither Kin) weapons, ammunition, medicine, and other necessities to allow them to push back the Khans.[30] With House's aid, the three tribes drove the Khans out of the northern Mojave, forcing them to settle at Bitter Springs.[31][29]
Instead, the Great Khans began to attack the New California Republic, raiding their caravans, towns, and camps. They seemed easy pickings... For four years.[32] Things changed in 2278. After the First Battle of Hoover Dam and the defeat of the Legion and the Brotherhood, the NCR stood virtually unopposed. Great Khan raids continued on, but it was the abduction and killing of four NCR soldiers that tipped the scale. The NCR decided to cut off the head from the serpent and mounted an assault on Bitter Springs.[33] In what would become known as the Bitter Springs Massacre, NCR military units ended up killing a large number of Great Khan non-combatants, including women, children, and the elderly, breaking the power of the raider clan, but also causing the Khans to become bitterly hostile.[34][35]
The surviving Great Khans were permitted by NCR military authorities to resettle at Red Rock Canyon without interference.[36] In an effort to create a source of income, the Khans established a drug lab in the desolate gorges. By 2281, drugs manufactured in this lab formed the basis of their economy, providing much needed basic living necessities unavailable in the inhospitable Canyon, where there's no food, barely any water, and nothing of note.[37][38] Unfortunately, this drug business has destroyed what good will they had among others, as the drugs made their way to dozens of villages west of Vegas,[39] thanks to their knowledge of the land, making it easy to make deliveries and escape the NCR's wrath. The Republic was unwilling to deal with the problem directly, as an assault on the Red Rock Canyon would be expensive in terms of both caps and men.[26] Remnants of Khan presence who remained outside the Canyon waged a desperate guerrilla war against the Republic, further straining their supplies.[40][41]
Present day
Easy access to narcotics has also led to many Great Khans becoming addicts, trying to cope with the trauma of Bitter Springs through alcohol and hard drugs. Red Rock Canyon, already desolate before their arrival, became little more than a drug den filled with the stench of alcohol and drug fumes, where even the flies buzzing around are hopped up on one drug or another. The steady stream of narcotics turned dozens of villages out west into junkie dens, on top of the aforementioned fiends.[42][39]
Such an existence is understandably intolerable to many, most importantly Papa Khan himself, who longs to leave behind a strong legacy. This is why Caesar sent Frumentarius Karl to act as ambassador to the Khans under the guise of seeking great warriors[43] and in exchange for promises of land, wealth, and revenge against the NCR to secure their allegiance.[44] Papa Khan's hatred of the Republic caused him to agree to the alliance almost instantly.[45] The Khans would march to assist Caesar when the time came.[46] Karl has appeased Papa Khan's advisers with promises of holding positions of power within the Legion.[47][48] However, in reality, the Legion does not intend to keep any of the promises made. Karl secretly despises the Great Khans, considering them to be unworthy of the Legion and sub-par warriors at that.[49] He fully expects that the Great Khans will have to be decimated first in order to bring them to heel.[50] The Khans remain oblivious - perhaps they want, as they know of no alternative way to move forward. They're dying out and every day brings their enemies closer to launching a strike against them. The dream of becoming Caesar's elite cohorts is tempting, to the point that the Khans are blind to the reality of absorption by the Legion.[38]b
Appearances
The Khans are the only one of the three raider groups planned for Fallout (Vipers and Jackals being the others) to appear in the game as a faction. They also appear in Fallout 2 and Fallout: New Vegas under a new name.
Behind the scenes
“The Khans (the one tribe that did make it into the game), had its inception from a real-life biker gang, the Mongols. I was imagining the kind of tough, lawless, SOBs that could survive in the desolation of the wasteland; raiding and killing for their spoils. I could see these guys surviving. So, after a few generations, they became similar to the barbaric marauders they emulated.”— No Mutants Allowed, Origins of Fallout, R. Scott Campbell.
- Their name is a reference to Mongol rulers known as Khans, mainly Genghis Khan, an infamous Mongolian warlord.
Gallery
Fallout
Fallout: New Vegas
Great Khans tent
Great Khans sign
Great Khans totem
Great Khan logo
One of the Great Khan endings
Great Khan members standing in front of the Great Khan logo
References
References
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