Sydney is a mercenary who specializes in relic hunting in the year 2277, and a temporary companion in Fallout 3.
Background[]
Sydney is a self-taught survivor, who braved the wasteland all on her own since the age of fourteen; her mother was raped and killed by raiders,[Non-game 1] while her father, who raised her on his own for years, vanished one day. He called her his "little moonbeam" and the two were very close, and as such, his disappearance left an indelible mark on her.[1] While she believes she was abandoned, in reality, he was killed in a deal gone bad at the Statesman Hotel.[2]
The skills he taught her, especially gunsmithing and reloading, served her well over the years. She learned to always be ready for a fight, to the point of sleeping with a gun under her pillow all the time,[3] and perfected her combat skills, becoming a consummate freelance mercenary who specializes in hunting down pre-War treasures and relics. She enjoys high profile, dangerous jobs in particular, taking calculated risks to reach her goal. She stumbled upon her calling by accident: She found a dead relic hunter with information on how to locate an original copy of the Constitution of the United States. After she recovered it, she sold it to Abraham Washington in 2256, and the paycheck was enough to give her a measure of happiness through drink and sex. She hasn't looked back since.[4][5] Her latest job is another task from Washington, to recover the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives.[6]
Personality[]
Sydney is loyal and professional. She never reneges on a deal and focuses on the task at hand, and typically works alone. When she has to work with someone, she prefers not to discuss her past and other personal topics. She dislikes men approaching her (a difficult thing to avoid, on account of her looks),[Non-game 1][Non-game 2] and just about the only person she's close with is Emaline, her girlfriend.[Non-game 3]
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
Interactions | ||
---|---|---|
This character is a temporary companion. | ||
This character starts quests. | ||
This character is involved in quests. | ||
This character is a merchant. | Sells: weapons, ammunition* | |
This character has other interactions. |
The player can obtain her unique SMG by delivering her a note from her father. See below for details. |
* If she finishes the quest alive and makes it to Underworld.
Quests[]
- Stealing Independence: Sydney is encountered in the Rotunda of the National Archives. She can become a temporary companion until the quest is completed.
- Bragging Rights: If the Lone Wanderer refuses to team up with Sydney or double-crosses her in the National Archives, she and her girlfriend Emaline will attack in a random encounter. Killing them will result in bad Karma.
- If Sydney remains alive at the end of the quest, she will travel from Rivet City to the Ninth Circle in Underworld and set up shop as a vendor, stating that she likes to hang out at Underworld because the ghouls do not constantly hit on her.
- If the player character enters combat with the residents of Underworld while Sydney is a vendor there, she will fight on their side, unless they hit her.
Other interactions[]
- A note from Little Moonbeam's father is a note Sydney's father left her when he was dying in the Statesman Hotel. If given it to her after she tells her story, she will give the Lone Wanderer her 10mm "Ultra" SMG. (This process can be repeated as many times as one likes. Simply reselecting the conversation option about Sydney's father gives the player character access to an infinite supply of Sydney's 10mm "Ultra" SMGs.)
Inventory[]
Apparel | Weapon | Other items |
---|---|---|
Combat armor | Sydney's 10mm "Ultra" SMG 10mm submachine gun Frag grenade |
Notes[]
- She can be very helpful in exploring the ruins of D.C. at lower levels, especially when used in conjunction with other companions such as Dogmeat and Charon due to their lack of a Karma requirement.
- It is possible to pickpocket and reverse-pickpocket Sydney for items, after the super mutant attack, but before speaking to her. Once recruiting her as a companion, pickpocketing or reverse-pickpocketing her is not possible until Stealing Independence is concluded with Sydney surviving. Also, if one decides to give her a different weapon other than Sydney's 10mm "Ultra" SMG, she will use up any ammunition given to her.
- Unlike other companions, Sydney can follow the player to Point Lookout if the player has chosen to ally with her in Stealing Independence and has claimed the Declaration of Independence, but has not yet completed the quest by giving it to Abraham Washington. Once the document is obtained, she insists on following the player character everywhere until completing the quest. She cannot take the ferry but will rejoin whenever fast traveling. This can cause a game-crashing bug blocking progression in the add-on campaign mission Walking with Spirits (see below for more details).
Notable quotes[]
- "Why don't you take a holodisc picture? It'll last longer."
- "Keep your eyes on the mission, and off my ass please."
- "Eyes up here please."
- "After he loaded me up with caps, I got piss drunk, got laid and was happy for the first time in a while. I haven't looked back since."
- "Nice. I'm dying and you're making jokes."
- "Come on, less gawking and more walking."
Appearances[]
Sydney appears only in Fallout 3.
Behind the scenes[]
- Sydney was written by quest designer Alan Nanes, who also worked on the quest Stealing Independence as a whole.[Non-game 4]
- Sydney shares her name and occupation with the character Sydney Fox from the TV show Relic Hunter.
- She is called "my little moonbeam" by her father. However, in the Spanish edition, it became "Mi rayito de sol," which translates from Spanish to "My little sunbeam." The reason for the change is unclear.
Bugs[]
- There is an exploit that makes it possible to receive an unlimited supply of Sydney's 10mm "Ultra" SMG in perfect condition and 10mm ammunition. [verified]
- Sydney can't be pickpocketed after recruiting her. She cannot be pickpocketed during the quest nor after completing it, with only the "talk" option shown when crouching. [verified]
- When she's in the bar in Underworld, she can sometimes die and will be slumped over on the floor. It is unknown what causes this. [verified]
- Sydney will sometimes not appear in Underworld. [verified]
- In case Sydney does not appear in Underworld, she might be found in the entrance of Anacostia Crossing station from Rivet City's side. If the tunnel has not been cleared, she could get killed and never reach Underworld. [verified]
- If Sydney follows the player to Point Lookout, then a game-crashing bug may block completion of Walking with Spirits because she cannot follow through the entrance of the sacred bog. One workaround is to take the ferry back to D.C., then back to Point Lookout, and then avoid fast-travel (to prevent her from rejoining) until the quest is completed. See Walking with Spirits for more details. [verification overdue]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "So, whatever happened to your father?"
Sydney: "I thought he was the best. My mom was long gone, so all we had was each other. He used to call me his "little moonbeam." How sappy is that? But when I was 14, he vanished and left me all alone. Never even said goodbye. I cried for a week. Do I have to tell you what it's like for a young woman alone in the Wasteland at that age? I don't know where he went, and I don't care. I just hope he got what he deserved, the son-of-a-bitch!"
(Sydney's dialogue) - ↑ A note from Little Moonbeam's father
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Nice gun. I've never seen one like that."
Sydney: "Yeah, it is nice. I don't even sleep without it under my pillow. My father made gun ammunition for a living. Taught me everything about how firearms work. So, I've spent my downtime tinkering with guns like my 10mm Ultra SMG here. It's like a hobby I guess."
(Sydney's dialogue) - ↑ Rivet City terminal entries; Constitution of the U.S.A.
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "How did you get into the relic hunting business?"
Sydney: "I dunno. I grew up pretty much like every other girl in this crappy world. Spent most of my life just trying to keep away from Slavers. One day out in the Wastes, I stumbled across some poor bastard's body. On the body I found info leading to some famous document. I had heard that Abraham Washington was looking for these scraps of paper, so I went after the thing. Turned out to be the Constitution. After he loaded me up with caps, I got piss drunk, got laid and was happy for the first time in a while. I haven't looked back since."
(Sydney's dialogue) - ↑ Stealing Independence
Non-game
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.99: "Sydney
Sydney is an independent mercenary who specializes in obtaining relics. She prefers going for the most dangerous scores (like the Declaration of Independence) and takes risks. She is beautiful, but finds men approaching her irritating. She is a loner. She prefers not speaking about her dark past. When she was very young, her mother was raped and killed by Raiders. She spent years perfecting her combat skills and never welshes on a deal."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) - ↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide pp. 230, 430
- ↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.71: "Emaline
A very close friend of Sydney's, Emaline is adept at heavy weapon combat, and extremely faithful to her girlfriend. If anyone (especially men) cross Sydney in any way, she tracks them down and evens the score."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) - ↑ Meet the Devs of Skyrim Q&A:
Alan Nanes: "For example, in "Stealing Independence", Emil told me that he wanted the player to retrieve the Declaration of Independence. That's pretty much it. Then, as writers, we go into our cubes and develop a plot that would make that element come out and provide appropriate gameplay. So, I decided to set it in the National Archives, developed the rival relic hunter "Sydney", the whole "Button" character, etc. Once the storyline is developed, it goes back to the lead for approval. Every quests goes through lots of iterations before it ends up in the shipped game. For our quests, we do all the dialogue, the scripting and the character development. The level design is done by one of our kick-butt level designers."
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