Highly intelligent and methodical, Proctor Quinlan is one of the oldest members of the Commonwealth expedition.[1] A Capital Wasteland native, he is deeply interested in what bounty of knowledge the Commonwealth has to offer.[2] His primary duty on board the Prydwen is sifting through the immense amount of material recovered from the region, trying to identify useful information among the sea of what he considers useless noise, such as fiction and poetry:[3] Technical volumes, repair manuals, design philosophies and assorted medical research, anything to enhance the Brotherhood's technical knowledge.[4] Anything that doesn't carry such knowledge is just a waste of paper, as far as Quinlan is concerned.[5] Other scribes don't agree with his stance, but Quinlan has the benefit of his position and has pulled rank to ensure that fictional material is kept off the Prydwen.[6][7]
Quinlan immediately set up a two-pronged system of recovery to maximize recovery rates: First, he secured an authorization to pay a bounty for recovering documents, anything that might contain technical data, down to memos, charts and blueprints, in addition to the aforementioned books. Second, he organized a research patrol system,[8] with scribe-soldier pairs recovering any and all documents and artifacts they can find.[9] The two-man teams help maximize efficiency, by having them do a quick pass to evaluate a location's technical and historical relevance, instead of sending in an entire retrieval team to a potentially useless location.[10] Brotherhood members also have standing orders to turn in any technical documents to Quinlan for analysis,[11] as well as recovered historical, social documentation, and other artifacts.[12][13]Lancer-Captain Kells also has any soldiers who haven't participated in one of Quinlan's patrols sign up for them.[14][15] While the patrols are widely known to be dangerous, some scribes volunteer for the assignments so as to escape from soldiers who they consider to be disgusting and/or unintelligent.[16]
Additionally, Quinlan is Maxson's most trusted analyst, responsible for identifying strategic targets,[17] aiding the reconstruction of Liberty Prime,[18] evaluating key intelligence recovered in the war against the Institute.[19][20] The elder has not known Quinlan to make mistakes.[21] Quinlan is a staunch supporter of Maxson's policies and considers the Institute's research to be ill-conceived, to be stamped out with extreme prejudice for the risk that they pose to humanity at large.[22] He has patrols follow up on every lead, no matter how far-fetched it might seem,[23] coordinates duty rosters with Lancer-Captain Kells to track down the location of the Institute,[24] and collaborates with other scribes to better understand the enemy.[25]Scribe Neriah is one of his most trusted aides, especially when it comes to sensitive intelligence.[26] He does dislike her tendency to be distracted by her special projects, though.[27]
Personality[]
Quinlan executes his duty with a single-minded devotion to duty and the Brotherhood, and particularly dislikes anyone badmouthing his fellow scribes (after all, the Brotherhood would have no intel or support capacity without them),[28] or disrespecting superiors (which can quickly result in disciplinary measures).[29] In fact, he dislikes showing any disrespect, regardless of rank, especially since any members might have to give their lives in the line of duty, and the Brotherhood honors them all.[28] As far as he knows, Brotherhood scribes are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to further the Brotherhood's knowledge,[30] and he personally believes that death in pursuit of duty is honorable.[31] He doesn't think that everyone should pursuit such a goal, and the best way is to accomplish the Brotherhood's goals without sacrificing Brotherhood lives. He is an outlier among his peers, believing that if it can be helped, the Brotherhood should use alternative forces as cannon fodder, if necessary, to minimize Brotherhood casualties.[32] However, his "empathy" has limits. If anyone in the Brotherhood were to be revealed as a synth, even its most loyal members, Quinlan's only regret would be that the Brotherhood was completely unaware,[33] due to a lack of preparedness.[34]
Quinlan does have a softer side, all things considered. He has a pet catEmmett who accompanies him at work, and though he keeps his temper in control most of the time, he lets himself go when dealing with obstinate technology, down to cursing and kicking unruly objects or robots.[35][36] Despite his refusal to acknowledge fiction, he hypocritically has a soft spot for Grognak the Barbarian, being an avid collector of comic books and other series paraphernalia, as per the 2076 Underlane Price Guide. Field scribes know to be on the lookout for any Grognak books and items, especially the rarest limited annual issues. Quinlan does hate if such priceless items are returned damaged, though.[37] Unbeknownst to him, his stash is often preyed upon by other Brotherhood members to read comic books.[38]
Rockets' Red Glare: Once the player arrives masquerading as Claymore, talking to Quinlan is one of the ways to blow the Railroad's cover, as he's expecting a vital package from Scribe Haylen.
Other interactions[]
Unlike most of the Brotherhood, Quinlan will approve of the Minutemen taking down the Institute, praising the Sole Survivor's ingenuity in using non-Brotherhood "cannon fodder" to minimize their own casualties.
PC If the main quest is completed with the Minutemen, Proctor Quinlan may reference the events of Tactical Thinking, even if the quest was never completed.[verified]
Gallery[]
Proctor Quinlan at work
References[]
↑The Sole Survivor: "Clean your glasses, pops." Proctor Quinlan: "Pops? What does that mean?Oh wait, I see. That's in reference to my age. Clever. I'll make a note of that.Since it's obvious that you aren't who I was expecting, would you mind telling me why you're here?" (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑Proctor Quinlan: "I'm very interested in seeing what sort of data our scribes will discover on these patrols. The Commonwealth is a very different place from home." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑Proctor Quinlan: "My responsibility aboard the Prydwen is to sort through the books discovered by our recovery teams and extract pertinent information from them.It's tedious work, since most of the volumes are a waste of paper... works of fiction, poetry... you understand." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "Which books contain 'pertinent information?'" Proctor Quinlan: "Technical volumes, repair manuals, design philosophies, medical research... anything that enhances the Brotherhood's knowledge.That's why I consider everything else a waste of paper." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "Those books aren't a waste of paper!" Proctor Quinlan: "If they don't expand the Brotherhood's technological knowledge, they're useless.Since it's obvious that you aren't who I was expecting, would you mind telling me why you're here?" (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "Makes sense to get rid of the trash." Proctor Quinlan: "Well, I'm pleased you agree.There are other scribes within the Brotherhood that consider fictional material essential, but I refuse to allow them aboard this vessel.Since it's obvious that you aren't who I was expecting, would you mind telling me why you're here?" (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "Whatever suits you." Quinlan: "Expanding the technological knowledge of the Brotherhood is what suits me. If I can help by weeding out the undesirable works, then so be it.Since it's obvious that you aren't who I was expecting, would you mind telling me why you're here?" (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "Maybe I could lend you a hand." Proctor Quinlan: "That would be splendid.As you patrol the Commonwealth, keep your eyes open for blueprints, memos, manuals, books, charts... anything containing useful technical data. I'm authorized to pay you for each bundle of documents that your recover. And if you wish to be assigned to a research patrol, I have plenty of them waiting to be filled. In any event, It was a pleasure to meet you, Knight." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑Paladin Danse: "Any discoveries worth mentioning, Proctor Quinlan?" Proctor Quinlan: "Oh my, yes. Our recon teams have been bringing in all sorts of artifacts and documents. It'll take me years to study all of them." (Paladin Danse's and Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "What exactly is a 'research patrol?'" Proctor Quinlan: "Simply put, we send a small two-man team to scout a location and evaluate its technical and historical relevance.Saves us from sending an entire retrieval team to a worthless location." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑Generic Brotherhood hello: "If you find any technical documents, you should bring them to Proctor Quinlan for analysis."
↑Lancer-Captain Kells: "Attention. This is a reminder. Any recovered historical, technological, or social documentation should be delivered directly to Proctor Quinlan. That is all." (Lancer-Captain Kells' dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "[clarification needed]" Proctor Ingram: "Well, well, well. Things might actually be going our way for once. I was having Proctor Quinlan research a way to start Liberty Prime's reactor... and then this falls into our lap.I wonder if the Institute needs it, or they're just trying to keep it away from us.Either way, we should both head over to Mass Fusion to get our hands on the Beryllium Agitator first." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "What do you know about this situation?" Proctor Quinlan: "While I was decrypting all of the data you acquired from within the Institute, I came across a list. It appears that the Institute keeps exemplary records where their synths are concerned, including logging those that were reported missing. As I was perusing this list, I came across an image of Danse under the heading 'M7-97.' A quick DNA comparison with our own records told the rest of the tale.|Confident}} I'm certain this comes as quite a shock to you, Knight. I'm sorry." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "I find that very hard to believe." Elder Arthur Maxson: "Proctor Quinlan completed the decryption of the data you retrieved from the Institute. A portion of his findings included a list of synths that went missing or escaped from their underground facility. After careful analysis of the information, we've discovered something... unprecedented.Paladin Danse is a perfect match for one of the synths on that list." (Elder Maxson's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "There has to be some kind of mistake." Elder Arthur Maxson: "In my experience, Proctor Quinlan doesn't make mistakes. The data you brought back included a record of each subject's DNA. We keep the same information on file for all of our soldiers.No controls, no supervision. Technology run amok." (Elder Maxson's dialogue)
↑Proctor Quinlan: "That's quite the crater you've manifested in the center of Boston. Marvelous work... simply marvelous." The Sole Survivor: "You aren't disappointed that all the Institute's technical research just went up in smoke?" Proctor Quinlan: "On the contrary.It's always been my sincerest hope that the Institute's ill-conceived research would never see the light of day.And, thanks to your efforts, it appears that my hopes have become reality." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑ 28.028.1The Sole Survivor: "Moron got himself killed. Got another?" Proctor Quinlan: "A scribe is no 'moron' as you put it. We owe all our intel and support to them.While the loss is disheartening, I cannot deny that these patrols must go on. We've lined up another scribe for you, be more vigilant this time." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "Orders are orders." Scribe Haylen: "Orders are orders?" That's all you have to say?I can't believe that after everything Paladin Danse did for you, you're just going to turn your back on him like this.There's obviously been a mistake and we need to get to the bottom of it." Proctor Quinlan: "Scribe Haylen! You're addressing a senior officer and you will show him/her the respect that he's/she's due or so help me I'll have you brought up on charges!Now, unless you're here with information that can assist us, I suggest you return to the police station immediately." Scribe Haylen: "Of course. My apologies, Proctor.I believe I have some information that's relevant to the search." Proctor Quinlan: "Very well then, would you care to enlighten us, or do we have to wait until you decide to grace us with your knowledge?" Scribe Haylen: "Knight, if you'd accompany me to the Flight Deck, I'd like to show you the information I've compiled first hand. I've stored the data on my vertibird gunship's computer." (Scribe Haylen's and Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑Proctor Quinlan: "Our scribes are prepared to make the sacrifice in pursuit of furthering the Brotherhood's knowledge." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "What I'm hearing is the mission failed." Proctor Quinlan: "On the bright side, giving one's life for duty is an honorable and brave way to go. We should all be so lucky. We've lined up another scribe for you, be more vigilant this time." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "I was simply doing my duty, Proctor." Proctor Quinlan: "Nonsense... there's no need to be modest. You deserve all the accolades you've been receiving and more. And despite popular opinion on this vessel, I feel that using the Minutemen to accomplish this feat was an inspired concept.You've minimized the Brotherhood's potential casualties by coercing another force... using them as virtual cannon fodder. Inspired.*Sigh* Sometimes I feel the Brotherhood has such a narrow view when executing its operations.Your actions have proven to the people of the Commonwealth that the Brotherhood of Steel has their best interests in mind. That's quite an accomplishment for someone who was merely a new recruit only a short time ago.Well... I've already taken up more than enough of your valuable time. If you still wish to procure technical documents or escort one of my scribes, please let me know." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑The Sole Survivor: "He'll be missed." Proctor Quinlan: "Doubtful. I wouldn't 'miss' a synth any sooner than I'd miss a transistor radio.I was merely sorry that you'd been duped. No matter.I've been pouring over Danse's duty reports and unfortunately, I haven't found any concrete information.As you're well aware, Danse had intimate knowledge of the Commonwealth and I'm afraid he could be seeking refuge anywhere.I think our best approach would be to identify every location he's ever visited and eliminate them as possibilities one by one. You may want to get comfortable, this could take quite a bit of..." Scribe Haylen: "What the hell is this crap about Danse being a synth!?" Proctor Quinlan: "I assume your outburst was a reference to some doubt regarding Danse's identity. I can assure you that my findings are quite accurate, Scribe." Scribe Haylen: "So he sets Danse up, and then you knock him down. Is that it?" (Scribe Haylen's and Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑Proctor Quinlan: "Well, I consider this whole sordid affair with Danse a lesson in our lack of preparedness. I'm glad it's finally over." (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
↑P.A.M.: "Quinlan parse error. Unfamiliar syntax 'useless pile of rusty scrap' logged for future translation." (P.A.M.'s dialogue)
↑P.A.M.: "Warning: kicking this unit in the leg will not increase computational speed. Conclusion: suggest Proctor Quinlan use alternate method." (P.A.M.'s dialogue)
↑Brotherhood banter: "I borrowed a few comic books from Quinlan's stash. I'll probably settle down in my bunk and give them a read. You?"
↑Proctor Quinlan: "Ah good, you're finally here. Just set the books down anywhere. I'll get to them as soon as I can." The Sole Survivor: "I think you're confusing me with someone else." Proctor Quinlan: "Hmm. Perhaps I need to rummage through the supply bins for a new pair of glasses.Since it's obvious that you aren't who I was expecting, would you mind telling me why you're here?" (Proctor Quinlan's dialogue)
If the main quest is completed with the Minutemen, Proctor Quinlan may reference the events of Tactical Thinking, even if the quest was never completed.[verified]
