“I somehow knew you'd be the one to make the changes that Leaf Mother Laurel desired.”
Bloomseer Poplar is the soothsayer of the Oasis Treeminders in Fallout 3.
Background[]
Born around 2217, Bloomseer Poplar is the daughter of a healer. She took up her father's trade after studying his many books on trees, plants, and their medicinal properties. When she was 35, she heard rumors about Oasis and spent the next decade looking for it. When she finally discovered the site in 2262, she decided to join Tree Father Birch and Leaf Mother Laurel, taking the name "Poplar" and becoming the third member of the nascent Treeminders.[1][2]
While Birch was wary of letting her stay, Laurel convinced her husband otherwise, and Poplar began studying the ways of the Treeminders. Combining her medical expertise with the unique properties of the Oasis allowed her to develop many curatives together with the other founders, with the Ceremony of Purification being one of her most notable achievements[2] (and a source of much needed amusement for Harold).[3] In addition, she demonstrated a gift of foresight, becoming not just a healer, but also an oracle: the Bloomseer.[Non-game 1][4][5] However, using this talent is taxing and she needs to rest for a full day between each attempt.[6]
Her main role is that of a healer and scholar. Over the course of fifteen years, Poplar refined her knowledge of Harold and Bob, harnessing the powers of Oasis for the benefit of its denizens and prospective recruits. Her knowledge of botany and medicine was instrumental in understanding the flora of Oasis and unlocking its potential, complete with the ability to formulate substances that can control the growth and spread of Bob.[7][8] She also helped create the hoods that the Treeminders wear.[9] She is a keen observer, keeping stock of Oasis' condition, including irradiation of the waters below,[10] and Bob's seed production during the annual[11] Harvest Month.[12]
Her talents also have other benefits: She was able to bring a wounded Brotherhood Outcast from the brink of death using her talents and the plants of Oasis, with him abandoning his old flag and joining the Treeminders as Branchtender Linden.[13]
In terms of philosophy, she is closer to the Leaf Mother than the Tree Father. She believes that Harold and the Oasis are a gift not just for the Treeminders, but the entire mankind, and as such should be allowed to grow freely.[14] She doesn't ground her views in religion, but the simple realization that Oasis cannot remain a secret forever: caravans have already spread rumors, and containing their spread would only allow ambitious groups to seize it by force and leverage its fertile environment for their own benefit. Accelerating Harold's spread, as Laurel proposes, would render the issue moot by making it both impossible to control and freely available to all.[15][16] The disagreement and resulting tension between the leaders saddens Poplar greatly,[17] though she appreciates the fact that her position means she isn't obligated to pick between them.[18]
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
  |
This character is involved in quests. | |
  |
This character drops an ear upon death (Contract Killer). | |
Quests[]
- Oasis: Bloomseer Poplar provides context for the situation at the Oasis, and explicitly supports Leaf Mother Laurel's approach. If the player completes the quest as suggested by Leaf Mother Laurel, Poplar rewards them with Poplar's hood.
Other interactions[]
- The player can ask Bloomseer Poplar to tell their future, and she will give them information about any of the game's named quests that they haven't found yet.[5] The player character has to wait a couple of days after asking her to see the future before this option is available again. When there are no more quests left, this dialogue option will not exist.
- "I see four-leaf clovers in the sky with time as their deadliest adversary." – Reilly's Rangers
- "I see a woman searching in vain for a relative long lost." – Agatha's Song
- "I feel the torment of a man who returns home and discovers the changes his absence has wrought." – Trouble on the Homefront
- "I divine a great document and the passages that changed the face of the world." – Stealing Independence
- "I see four headless men and a being robbed of its dignity." – You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head
- "I picture a place of great sorrow where men are traded for money and treated like Brahmin." – Strictly Business
- "I see a selfish man who lives among the clouds playing a dangerous game with the lives of those below him." – Tenpenny Tower
- "I see a mysterious man and a town on the brink of destruction." – The Power of the Atom
- "I divine a group of individuals who society views as monsters and a town suspended above the ground." – Blood Ties
- "I feel people's hatred and love for a man who hunts men that aren't men." – The Replicated Man
- "I see a great leader whose message carries through time as a rallying cry to the oppressed and a warning to the oppressors." – Head of State
- "I hear the cry of a woman obsessed and the man who desires her." – The Nuka-Cola Challenge
- "I discern a lonely child trapped in a city on fire." – Those!
- "I divine an endless search for knowledge to help others survive the desolation." – Wasteland Survival Guide
- "I see a clash between insects and industry and the men that control them." – The Superhuman Gambit
- "I see a town in need of a savior and a woman in red." – Big Trouble in Big Town
Inventory[]
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items | On death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oasis villager robe Oasis druid hood |
Brass knuckles or Combat knife or Knife or Lead pipe |
Notable quotes[]
- "I somehow knew you'd be the one to make the changes that Leaf Mother Laurel desired."
- "Heresy? Not at all. Leaf Mother Laurel's word is just as binding as Tree Father Birch's. I have no obligation to follow one or the other. How dare you speak to a Bloomseer like that! I know our laws better than any Outsider would! Now begone!"
- "I see four-leaf clovers in the sky with time as their deadliest adversary."
- "I see a woman searching in vain for a relative long lost."
- "I feel the torment of a man who returns home and discovers the changes his absence has wrought."
- "I divine a great document and the passages that changed the face of the world."
- "I see four headless men and a being robbed of its dignity."
- "I picture a place of great sorrow where men are traded for money and treated like Brahmin."
- "I see a selfish man who lives among the clouds playing a dangerous game with the lives of those below him."
- "I see a mysterious man and a town on the brink of destruction."
- "I divine a group of individuals who society views as monsters and a town suspended above the ground."
- "I feel people's hatred and love for a man who hunts men that aren't men."
- "I see a great leader whose message carries through time as a rallying cry to the oppressed and a warning to the oppressors."
- "I hear the cry of a woman obsessed and the man who desires her."
- "I discern a lonely child trapped in a city on fire."
- "I divine an endless search for knowledge to help others survive the desolation."
- "I see a clash between insects and industry and the men that control them."
- "I see a town in need of a savior and a woman in red."
Appearances[]
Bloomseer Poplar appears only in Fallout 3.
Behind the scenes[]
- Poplar is the common name for genus Populus, a type of tree. All of the human residents in Oasis have horticultural names.
- Poplar mentions hearing rumors about the Oasis causing her to seek it out. However, the Official Game Guide states that it was a "premonition," suggesting the original idea was to make her psychic powers more explicit.[Non-game 1]
Bugs[]
Sometimes after helping Leaf Mother Laurel, Poplar does not reward Poplar's hood. [verified]
References[]
|
Non-game
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.63: "Bloomseer Poplar
She is the Oasis oracle. Although a few of the occasional visitors may scoff at her "fortunetelling," this 60-year-old soothsayer has often amazed the other villagers with her powers of premonition. She tells you her history of seeking out Oasis due to a premonition. She is usually found in her cave tending her alchemical duties. She is loyal to Leaf Mother Laurel."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)
| |||||||||||||||||||