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Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt. It served all comers, so long as they paid. Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as myself - the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores. For a pittance, the town agreed to lead those it had sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang it did they realize they were caught inside it, too.

Vulpes Inculta is the leader of the frumentarii in Caesar's Legion and one of the trusted men of Caesar, traveling in the Mojave Wasteland with a group of legionaries who attacked Nipton in 2281.

Background[]

An individual from an tribe south of Utah, Vulpes was brought into Caesar's Legion as a child.[2] Having survived training, he was made a legionary and fought well enough to be promoted to the rank of Decanus.[2] He became a Frumentarius following a brilliant tactical maneuver when in a battle against a tribe, he broke ranks, leading his squad through a hole in the enemy defenses and capturing the tribe's chieftain. While his centurion wanted him crucified for disobeying orders, Caesar saw potential in the young Decanus and found a more interesting use of him.[2] Since then, Vulpes' tactics have been a point of contention among the Legion, and while Caesar knows of the use of spying and deceit in war, not everyone agrees with the methods employed by Vulpes. Especially the most likely candidate for next Caesar of the Legion: Lanius.[3][4]

According to Ulysses, Vulpes Inculta was responsible for the destruction of the Twisted Hairs at Dry Wells[5][6] once the Legion's campaign ended in Arizona. Those of the Twisted Hairs who resisted were crucified alongside Interstate 40.[7] By 2281, Vulpes is the leader of the Frumentarii and the mastermind behind many of the Legion's intrigues, such as outreaches into NCR-controlled territory including Racket,[3] the Battle of Nelson,[8] the slaughter at Nipton,[9] as well as the destruction of Camp Searchlight,[10] which was destroyed after legionaries released the contents of several radioactive waste containers kept in the city's fire station. This severely weakened the NCR's position in the area and allowed the Legion to cross the Colorado River and establish an outpost at Cottonwood Cove.[11] These actions have made Vulpes infamous among the NCR Army, enough to be prominently featured in military propaganda.[12] Along with orchestrating most (if not all) sabotages west of the Colorado, Vulpes is very capable on his own and a master of disguise, having visited the Strip several times before giving the Courier the Mark of Caesar.[13]

Personality[]

Vulpes is a devout believer of the dogma of Caesar perpetuating all his acts for the Legion, and firmly holds loyalty up as one the Legion's core tenets along with martial excellence and justice.[14] Following Caesar's ideals, Vulpes took to massacring Nipton to send a message that none are safe from Caesar's reach and prove the moral debauchery of those living under the NCR.[15] Vulpes is particularly disgusted by disloyalty and makes a point of punishing those caught in Nipton in a similar way that disloyalty is punished in the Legion.[16] A special punishment was given to the mayor, Joseph Steyn, burning him alive on a tire fire for trying to deceive those he put under his care.[17] Vulpes is also disgusted by inaction and selfishness, making note of how, even though his men were outnumbered by those caught in Nipton, none tried to revolt during the lottery.[18]

Interactions with the player character[]

Interactions overview[]

Interactions
Icon quest starter
This character starts quests.
FO76 ui icon quest
This character is involved in quests.
2d20 Terrifying Presence
This character has Terrifying Presence interactions.

Quests[]

Effects of player's actions[]

  • If Vulpes is killed by the Courier, Caesar will mention them killing him as part of his greeting.[19]
    • If Vulpes is killed by the Courier, or otherwise dies after meeting them, a man named Alerio will give Caesar's Mark instead of Vulpes. Alerio will mention the death of "the fearless Vulpes Inculta" as an example of a crime the Courier is being forgiven for.[20]
  • If the Courier passes Nipton and first encounters Vulpes in New Vegas, Vulpes will start the Nipton conversation with a mention of that encounter on The Strip, wondering if the Courier recognizes him, after which his normal Nipton dialogue commences;[21] however if Vulpes has died by the time the Courier approaches the Nipton Town Hall, Gabban will be coordinating the lottery in his place.
  • Vulpes appears to share a rivalry with Legate Lanius, the two occasionally criticizing each other at various points.[3] The two are quite ideologically opposed, and Vulpes will show somber disappointment if Caesar is allowed to die during Et Tumor, Brute?,[22][23] as well as visible relief if Caesar lives.[24]
  • Killing Vulpes after receiving the Mark of Caesar may cause the legionaries at Cottonwood Cove and The Fort to turn hostile for a few in-game days.

Other interactions[]

  • Vulpes Inculta is potentially one of the first members of Caesar's Legion encountered by the Courier in the Mojave Wasteland. He is originally found at Nipton after massacring the town with his fellow legionaries. When speaking to the Courier, he will explain the reason for destroying the settlement, as well as give the assignment to spread the word of Legion atrocities. If the Courier tells Vulpes that they appreciate the Legion's form of justice, they will gain fame with the Legion. Choosing the second option, "I guess they got what was coming to them" also gains Legion fame.
  • The Courier can use the Terrifying Presence perk on Vulpes when they first meet him in Nipton; this will turn him and his legionaries hostile.[25]

Inventory[]

Apparel Weapon Other items On death
Vexillarius helmet* and Legion explorer armor or Legion prime armor
Dapper gambler hat** and Dapper gambler suit**
Ripper Legion ear
* Only in Nipton
** Only on the Strip

Notes[]

  • Killing Vulpes on the Strip when he comes to offer one the Mark of Caesar does not result in the securitrons attacking them or anyone else on the Strip becoming hostile. The same is true for Alerio. However, killing either of them grants Legion infamy, and The Finger of Suspicion quest will fail by killing Vulpes. If either character gets too far away from the Tops before one kills them, the securitrons will become hostile. However, sometimes Vulpes can be killed outside of the Tops without failing Render Unto Caesar or gaining Legion Infamy.
  • If one reverse-pickpockets an explosive onto him after he gives the Mark of Caesar, the Render Unto Caesar quest can still continue.
  • After leaving Nipton, he will vanish as soon as he is out of the player character's sights. However, if he is followed the entire way, he will head to Cottonwood Cove with his men. They will pass through Camp Searchlight and may be killed along the way, causing any associated quests to fail. If they survive, they will head towards the raft, at which point his men will disappear from the game, though Vulpes will stick around until the player character leaves.
  • Vulpes has a special factional setting that causes most wasteland creatures, including deathclaws and super mutants, as well as raiders, to ignore him instead of attacking him. He will still be attacked by robots and NCR forces, however. His entourage does not have this factional setting and will be attacked as normal by any wasteland inhabitants.
  • Although Vulpes is depicted with light hair on the Collector's Edition playing card and an ending slide, he has a dark buzz cut in-game.
  • He is one of only five named characters in the base game to have "Very Evil" Karma, the others being Cook-Cook, Duke, Mortimer, and Philippe.
  • In Mayor Steyn's journal, he refers to Vulpes as "a rather intense young man." Furthermore, if Arcade is a companion when exiting the Tops for the first time, Arcade will comment on Vulpes, stating that he is one of the Legion's "most notorious" spy.[26]
  • Boxcars, the only other survivor of Nipton, refers to Vulpes as "that asshole with a dog on his head" referring to his Vexillarius helmet.[27]

Notable quotes[]

Appearances[]

Vulpes Inculta appears in Fallout: New Vegas and is mentioned in its add-on Lonesome Road.[5]

Behind the scenes[]

In Latin, vulpes translates as "fox," while inculta can translate as "uncultivated" or "rough."

Bugs[]

  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 There's a glitch which can prevent you from being able to speak with Vulpes, even when he triggers the conversation. The camera will zoom in on him as it would usually do when initiating conversation, but will then quickly retract, bringing the player back into control. Reloading to a recent save doesn't seem to fix the issue. A possible fix is to reload to a save before confronting Benny, then walking out of the casino before talking to Yes Man, this has been observed to work in several cases. This may be caused by obtaining a large amount of legion infamy. [verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 If you meet Vulpes Inculta at The Strip before meeting him at Nipton and then meet him at the Fort and THEN travel to Nipton you will spot him there but if you try to talk to him the camera will zoom in and zoom out. This appears to be caused by failing 'Booted' before visiting Nipton. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 There is a bug involving Vulpes' death. If the player kills him near the entrance to Caesar's Tent in the Fort, his body will vanish before it can be looted. It is unknown why this happens, but Vulpes' body simply vanishes from the game shortly after death. [verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 If one exits the Tops after dealing with Benny and quickly uses the Wait function, Inculta will teleport extremely close to the player's face, forcing the camera to pan downwards in order to see his face.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Nipton terminal entries; Mayor Steyn's terminal, Testing...
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Courier: "Tell me about Vulpes Inculta."
    Caesar: "Vulpes is the best of my Frumentarii. A remarkable individual from an unremarkable tribe south of the Utah. He was brought into the Legion as a boy, survived training, fought well enough as Legionary to be promoted to the rank of Decanus. Then, in battle against an unimportant tribe, he broke ranks and led his contubernium through a hole in their defenses to capture its chieftain. Well, his Centurion wanted him crucified for disobedience. So I made him a Frumentari."
    (Caesar's dialogue)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Courier: "Good, because the Omertas' plan was stopped, Vegas is as strong as ever."
    Lanius: "A plan by Vulpes... treachery is a weapon that one should never rely on. I can only hope that the Omertas died when their treachery was exposed, to have the plan succeed only would have sullied the Legion. It does not matter, victory shall be ours, it shall be swift, and it will be honest, purchased with blood."
    (Lanius' dialogue)
  4. The Courier: "What can you tell me about the Legate?"
    Vulpes Inculta: "Lanius served Caesar well, as his greatest battlefield commander. With Lanius at the head of the Legion, however, I doubt he'll have much use for my services. He prefers... direct methods."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Courier: "Dry Wells is destroyed - that was your birthplace?"
    Ulysses: "No, opposite of that. It's where my tribe was taken. Where another history was put to the blade, lesson taught. It is where we realized Vulpes did not approach us as equals. Where we realized the wolf had come, and we watched our history die. Now it belongs to Legion... and all the death there now belongs to them as well. Not revenge... just the way of things when you own them."
    (Ulysses' dialogue)
  6. Lonesome Road endings, missile launch: "The Divide erupted in fire as the flame trail of the two Couriers' last message arced into the sky... ...missiles fell on the East and the Legion encampment at Dry Wells... where the Twisted Hairs had allied, then been betrayed by Vulpes and Caesar. Legion soldiers died, their silhouettes blasted into the ground and earth, the last word of the last of the Twisted Hairs. It was an ending to things - a way of erasing the road that had led to this point and the history that had walked with it."
  7. Legion slave ledger
  8. The Courier: "Towns? The Legion destroyed Nipton, poisoned Searchlight, butchered Nelson."
    Lanius: "Vulpes... brought the touch of Caesar to such places. It was necessary to weaken the West, show that the Legion could strike deep into the places where NCR thought it safe. But we do not need *those* towns. Like Hoover Dam, there is the power within Vegas... we can harness it for our needs."
    (Lanius' dialogue)
  9. The Courier: "What exactly happened here?"
    Vulpes Inculta: "Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt. It served all comers, so long as they paid. Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as myself - the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores. For a pittance, the town agreed to lead those it had sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang it did they realize they were caught inside it, too."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  10. Legion orders
  11. The Courier: "You must be the one in charge here."
    Aurelius of Phoenix: "Of course I am, you fool. I am a Centurion! When Vulpes Inculta drove the NCR from Searchlight by clever means, Caesar himself ordered me to set up this camp and harass the Profligates! It's a modest presence, a single finger of the Legion reaching across the river's narrows. But with me here, it has an iron knuckle."
    (Aurelius of Phoenix's dialogue)
  12. NCR propaganda poster
  13. The Courier: "You again? How'd you find me here?"
    Vulpes Inculta: "I am the greatest of his Caesar's Frumentarii. It was not a challenge to find you. Nor is this my first visit to the Strip."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  14. The Courier: "Tell me about Caesar's Legion"
    Vulpes Inculta: "The Legion is civilization reborn. Our culture is based on virtues such as martial excellence, loyalty, and justice. But you'll learn all there is to know in due time. Legatus Lanius, Monster of the East, will soon arrive to command Caesar's troops in battle. The Dam will fall, and the rest of the Profligate west will soon follow."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  15. The Courier: "What "lessons" did you teach here?"
    Vulpes Inculta: "Where to begin? That you are weak, and we are strong? This much was known already. But the depths of your moral sickness, your dissolution? Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  16. The Courier: "You captured everyone?"
    Vulpes Inculta: "Yes, and herded them to the center of town. I told them their sins, the foremost being disloyalty. I told them that when Legionaries are disloyal, some are punished, the others made to watch. And I announced the lottery. Each clutched his ticket, hoping it would set him free. Each did nothing, even when "loved ones" were dragged away to be killed."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  17. The Courier: "What happened to the mayor?"
    Boxcars: "Him? When his ticket came up, they burned him alive on a pile of tires."
    (Boxcars' dialogue)
  18. The Courier: "You slaughtered innocent civilians?"
    Vulpes Inculta: "Innocent? Hardly. Cowardly, though. They outnumbered us, yet not once did they try to resist. They stood and hoped their turn would not come. Each cared only for himself."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  19. Caesar: "Vulpes Inculta, the best of my frumentarii, is dead."
    (Caesar's dialogue)
  20. Alerio: "The eyes of the mighty Caesar are upon you. He admires your accomplishments, and bestows upon you the exceptional gift of his Mark. Your crimes against the Legion, including the death of the fearless Vulpes Inculta{WUHL-pace In-CUHL-tah} , are hereby forgiven. Caesar will not extend this mercy again. My Lord requires your presence at his camp, at Fortification Hill. His Mark will guarantee your safe-conduct through our lands."
    (Alerio's dialogue)
  21. Vulpes Inculta: "Oh. I don't know if you recognize me from the Strip, when I handed you the Mark of Caesar? I wasn't wearing a dog's head at the time."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  22. The Courier: "What can you tell me about the Legate?"
    Vulpes Inculta: "Lanius served Caesar well, as his greatest battlefield commander. With Lanius at the head of the Legion, however, I doubt he'll have much use for my services. He prefers... direct methods."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  23. Vulpes Inculta: "This is a moment I'd hoped would not come for many years. Caesar's death puts the Legate Lanius in command now."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  24. Vulpes Inculta: "I'm pleased that you were able to cure Caesar's malady. Though the Legate is a fine leader, we yet need the wisdom of Caesar to guide the Legion."
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  25. The Courier: "I'm going to wear your head like you wear that dog's."
    Vulpes Inculta: "Legionaries?! We have a problem!"
    (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
  26. Arcade Gannon: "So Mr. House doesn't care that one of Caesar's most notorious Legion spies is walking around on the Strip. Either that or his Securitrons' AI is too primitive to recognize the threat. Neither answer is particularly comforting."
    (Arcade Gannon's dialogue)
  27. The Courier: "How'd your plan go wrong?"
    Boxcars: "We get in position and next thing we know, we're surrounded by those fucking Legion freaks. They dragged us and everybody else into the center of town. And that asshole with a dog on his head, he starts talking about how we're bad people! He said we needed to be punished for what we did, not all of us, but some of us. And then he gives everyone a fucking lottery ticket..."
    (Boxcars' dialogue)
CaesarLegionSymbol
Caesar'sLegionVexillum
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