The leadup to the war for Zion began at the end of the First Battle of Hoover Dam in 2277, when Joshua Graham, then known as the Malpais Legate in his capacity as military commander for Caesar, led the armies of the Legion to fight against the New California Republic. Both sides vied for control of the Hoover Dam spanning the Colorado River, but a strategic blunder by Graham resulted in severe casualties and a decisive loss for the Legion, forcing them to retreat entirely from the Mojave Wasteland. Caesar, in showing that failure would not be tolerated from even high-ranking legionnaires, had Graham brought to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, where he was covered in pitch, set on fire, and thrown over the cliff's edge.[1]
The birth of the Burned Man
Despite the clear lethality that such a punishment carried, Graham survived the descent. He crawled out of the northern edge of the Grand Canyon the next day and began the long trek back home to New Canaan. He suffered through a journey taking over three months and 400 miles until he eventually reunited with his people at the settlement where he was born. To Graham's surprise, despite the horrors and atrocities he committed for Caesar, the New Canaanites welcomed him back as if he had never left.[2]
Meanwhile, the terror of the Malpais Legate and the story of his blazing fall into the Grand Canyon coalesced into legends of the fearsome "Burned Man" stalking the wastelands, spreading among the remaining tribes until eventually reaching the ears of Caesar. Realizing that his attempt to punish Graham had failed, Caesar forbade his legionaries from speaking Graham's true name under threat of death (the practice of Damnatio memoriae), but this only served to enhance the menace of the Burned Man.[3] To fully complete Graham's demise, Caesar issued a kill order to his frumentarii: were they to find Graham, Caesar demanded they attempt to seek and destroy him.[4]
Not content with simply killing Graham, Caesar desired to see his former comrade suffer for not only Hoover Dam, but for defying the will of Caesar by living through his punishment. In 2281, he dispatched Ulysses, one of his frumentarii, to make contact with the White Legs raider tribe that inhabited the Great Salt Lake in the state of Utah. The White Legs had frequently come up against the marksmen of New Canaan in their territorial squabbles and Caesar wanted to exploit that. Under Ulysses' guidance, the White Legs were taught how to fight and hone their inherent ferocity. He armed them with powerful weapons and drilled in the knowledge of how to properly use and maintain them.[5] To achieve the total destruction of New Canaan that Caesar wanted, the White Legs were given a guiding principle: whether young or old, armed or unarmed, able or weak, none among the New Canaanites were to be spared in the coming raid. The New Canaanites valued family ties and the knowledge of generations, and so the White Legs would ensure every generation is killed to truly eradicate them.[6]
In the days prior, the White Legs scouted New Canaan from afar, taking note of guards on duty and waiting for an opportunity when most of the main force was away to strike.[7] The New Canaanites never truly considered the White Legs as a legitimate threat and as such, failed to anticipate them moving to mount an attack.
Sometime around October 2281, the time came. The White Legs fell on New Canaan while Graham and many other New Canaanites were away, leaving the rest unprotected. The raiders indiscriminately killed anyone they could, regardless of age or ability to fight or defend.[7][8] The White Legs followed their teacher's guidance exactly. As a gesture of shock and awe, they in particular burned down the Canaanite bishop's home while the elderly man was trapped within.[9]
War comes to Zion[]
Though the sacking of New Canaan was swift and brutal, ending in its once-significant population cut down to a mere thirty, the eradication demanded by Caesar was not complete so long as even one still lived. Pursued by the raiders, the surviving New Canaanites, including Joshua, fled along the shores of the Colorado and eventually went to ground at Zion Canyon. There, they reconnected with one of their own, Daniel, who had spent the last six years in contact with a native tribe named the Sorrows performing missionary work and trying to convert them to the Mormon faith.[10] Along with evacuating the civilian members of the Sorrows and New Canaanites,[11] Joshua also returned to the Dead Horses tribe at Dead Horse Point, whom he had once met during his time as the Malpais Legate and tried to recruit for Caesar; the war with the NCR and his fiery fall from grace prevented that. As their war chief, Joshua rallied the Dead Horses as warriors for the tribal coalition and brought them to Zion to oppose the White Legs.[12][13]
However, while they were united against the White Legs invading Zion, Daniel and Graham discovered conflict with each other. While Daniel would rather use peaceful delaying action to allow the Sorrows and Dead Horses to safely evacuate Zion and lose the White Legs in the wilderness, Joshua sought to directly oppose the raiders, either wiping them out or driving them entirely from Zion, both out of a religious sense of duty and a desire to atone in any way for his bloodstained past.[14]
The assembled expedition, waiting to depart for Zion
Around October 2281, the Happy Trails Caravan Company, an established trading partner of New Canaan operating in Utah,[15] had begun to see its financial prospects take a turn for the worse due to increased raider activity from groups like the White Legs and the 80s after the New California Republic Rangers pulled out en masse to fight the Legion in the Mojave.[16][17] By mid-month, Happy Trails managed to fund a single expedition to reach New Canaan's mission in Zion, headed by Jed Masterson with security provided by Stella and a pair of caravan guards. Hoping to safely navigate the difficult geography surrounding Zion, Jed instituted a weight limit on equipment and put out a broadcast to attract potential recruits with the skill or tech to accomplish that;[18][19] they only received a single applicant since: a self-promoting Psycho addict named Ricky who managed to bluff his way into a position as the cartographer while disguising the fact that the Pip-Boy that got him the job (which he actually looted from a dead body along with his Vault 22 jumpsuit) was actually broken.[20][21]
Order of events[]
Because there is no officially confirmed canon outcome to Honest Hearts to date, all scenarios available to the player character will have separate sections detailing their outcome.
Joshua Graham, son of New Canaan and war chief of the Dead Horses
If the Courier meets with Jed and agrees to join the expedition, Happy Trails carries out the days-long trek through the cliffs and valleys of Utah making up the northern passage, until finally reaching the remote paradise of Zion.[22] However, shortly after arrival, the expedition is ambushed by a White Legs warband and all of them save for the Courier are wiped out by attacks from multiple angles. After counter-killing the tribals, the Courier is met by Follows-Chalk, a scout for the Dead Horses sent by war chief Joshua Graham to escort the new arrivals to their camp.[23] He accompanies the Courier to the Dead Horses camp near an eastern estuary of the Virgin River where they meet with Joshua. The Burned Man reveals that the way back to the Mojave is a difficult journey without the proper guidance by maps, which his fellow tribesman Daniel will provide only if the Courier agrees to help them first.[24] He asks them to gather supplies from pre-War buildings around Zion to take to Daniel at the Sorrows' camp in the Narrows; the task could not be completed beforehand due to a taboo among the tribes against entering places from the Old World.[25]
Once all the supplies are acquired, the Courier travels to the Sorrows camp within the Narrows to meet with Daniel and give them to him. Instead of handing over the maps the Courier needs to return to the Mojave, Daniel makes an extension to the request for their help by asking them to return to the canyon and complete additional arrangements for the coalition's final plan.[29] He requests they retrieve a holotape with a map to Grand Staircase, wipe out a pair of troublesome White Legs encampments to thin their numbers, and deal with both White Legs traps and a den of yao guai along the escape route.
In the process of performing these finishing touches, the Courier is pulled into the ideological friction between Daniel and Joshua over the direction both want to take regarding the White Legs and the fate of Zion, with the choice ultimately falling to the visitor from the Mojave.[30][31]
Joshua holding the White Legs war chief at his mercy
If the Courier agrees with Joshua that the Dead Horses and Sorrows must fight back against the White Legs and protect Zion, they team up with the Burned Man to assault the White Legs' main camp within the gorges of the Three Marys. After fighting through waves of White Legs defenders, with help from the Dead Horses, the raiders use explosives to block the path forward. Joshua splits from the Courier to try and cut off the White Legs' escape while the Courier navigates through a nearby cave system to circumvent the roadblock.
After fighting alone through the last of the White Legs' ranks, the Courier reaches the grotto where Joshua has cornered the raider war chief Salt-Upon-Wounds. Upon their arrival, Joshua executes two of Salt-Upon-Wounds' remaining warriors, then threatens the war chief that he will regret bringing conflict to Zion and prepares to execute him. Salt-Upon-Wounds attempts to beg the Courier to spare him, thinking an outsider will be more merciful. The Courier can either convince Joshua to let Salt-Upon-Wounds flee with his life, persuade him to let the raider war chief fight for his life in combat, or allow him to go through with killing him on the spot.
In this scenario, the outcomes for all participants are as follows:
The White Legs are completely defeated and ultimately dissolve as a tribe post-war, though the cause varies depending on whether Salt-Upon-Wounds was spared,[32] killed by Joshua Graham,[33] or killed by the Courier.[34]
The Sorrows remain in Zion, though their status post-war varies depending on whether Salt-Upon-Wounds was spared,[35] killed by Joshua Graham,[36] or killed by the Courier.[37]
The Dead Horses continue to serve as allies to the Sorrows and New Canaanites, but their triumph eventually sparks friction and rivalry between the tribes.[38]
The Happy Trails Caravan Company is able to reestablish trading ties and returns to prosperity.[39]
Joshua Graham's post-war status varies depending on whether Salt-Upon-Wounds was spared,[40] killed by himself,[41] or killed by the Courier.[42]
Daniel reunites with his brethren while lamenting the Sorrows' loss of innocence and transformation into a warrior tribe.[43]
If the Courier agrees with Daniel that the Sorrows must evacuate Zion to ensure their survival, they go with Joshua to shepherd the tribe's exit through the Pine Creek Tunnel. Along the way, the Burned Man warns that several members of the Sorrows got separated during the escape and spread out around the valley, needing to be rescued to ensure everyone makes it out safely. The Courier is then given the optional choices to free Sorrows POWs, preserve the tribe's burial grounds, and clear out a major White Legs roadblock along the East Fork Bridge.
Fighting past raider ambushes along the road leading to the tunnel, the Courier encounters the White Legs' war chief, Salt-Upon-Wounds, who confronts them while his raiders are attacking Daniel's group at the tunnel entrance. Salt-Upon-Wounds states his intention to eradicate the New Canaanites and their comrades to gain the favor of Caesar, and the Courier can respond by inciting him to violence or persuading him to leave the Sorrows alone and go from Zion. Once the White Legs are dealt with, Daniel pleads with the Courier to make sure all the Sorrows were helped to escape. Once he has his answer, positive or negative, he imparts the maps needed to return to the Mojave and leaves with the tribals while giving the outsider a detonator used to destroy the rocky cliffs so they collapse and permanently seal off the tunnel to and from Zion.
In this scenario, the outcomes for all participants are as follows:
The White Legs succeed in driving the Sorrows away, but fail to impress Caesar and eventually dissolve as a tribe.[44]
The Sorrows leave Zion for good, though their status post-war varies depending on the success[45] or failure[46] of completing the optional quests.
The Dead Horses develop closer ties to New Canaan and their worship for Joshua Graham grows.[47]
The Happy Trails Caravan Company reopens their trading route in Utah, but it is not projected to improve their prospects.[48]
Joshua Graham's post-war status is unstated.
Daniel reunites with his brethren buts grows to regret the loss of Zion.[49]
The White Legs given free reign of Zion after the Courier's massacre
If the Courier does not help Joshua or Daniel and instead chooses to attack any named or generic member of the three tribes, they will all become hostile on sight. Instead of an exchange to get their help fighting the White Legs, the Courier can only attack and kill Joshua and Daniel to recover the latter's maps and depart through the southern passage back to the Mojave.
In this scenario, the outcomes for all participants are as follows:
The White Legs overrun the tribal coalition, conquering Zion and leaving it in ruin.[50]
The Sorrows are driven entirely out of Zion, their history erased by the White Legs.[50]
The Dead Horses mourn the death of Joshua Graham and close off communication with other tribes, including New Canaan.[51]
The Happy Trails Caravan Company exhausts all their options and goes bankrupt.[52]
While the exact outcome remains ambiguous, it is known that a northern trade route linking the NCR and Mojave mercantile circles to Zion would eventually reopen not long after the war. By a later date in 2281, NCR merchants such as the Gun Runners included articles of equipment and supplies obtained via trade with the northern tribes to be resold in their commercial operations including their New Vegas branch.[Non-game 1]
Behind the scenes[]
Early in development for Honest Hearts, a pro-White Legs ending with the Courier aiding their conquest of Zion Canyon was discussed. Joshua Sawyer stated that the short development cycle for the add-on prevented this from being feasible; the closest element in the final game is the main quest Chaos in Zion, where the player decides for themselves to attack the Zion tribes, a process that mechanically would be no different if done to side with the White Legs.[Non-game 2][Non-game 3]
References[]
↑The Courier: "What happened to Graham after Hoover Dam?" Hanlon: "Losing the dam was the worst defeat the Legion ever suffered. Graham had been with Caesar since the beginning, but he had to set an example. The praetorians covered Graham in pitch, lit him on fire, and down into the Grand Canyon he went." (Hanlon's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "How did you survive?" Joshua Graham: "I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me. I fell down into that dark chasm, but the flame burned on and on. The next morning, I woke up and crawled out of the northern edge of the Grand Canyon, that cursed place. It took me three months to reach New Canaan. It was as though the prodigal son had returned. They welcomed me like I had never left, never done anything to shame them. The fire that had kept me alive was love. Their love. God's love. I will never be able to repay the debt I owe to them, but I must try." (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Tell me about the Burned Man." Vulpes Inculta: "Ah, yes - we are forbidden from speaking his true name. He was a shaman of some kind before he met Caesar, a holy man from out of the Utah. The Burned Man proved dangerous, unpredictable, and impossible to kill. He helped Caesar form the Legion but almost led it to destruction." (Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)
↑Ulysses: "Caesar had him burned and cast into the earth, into the largest canyon you've ever seen. Watched the flames trail all the way to the bottom. Somehow Joshua walked away from that, went beyond Caesar's gaze. His footsteps trailing fire, walking from one hell - maybe to another. When one is ruined like Graham was... sometimes home is the only place left. If so, he went to New Canaan, Caesar's anger written on him like a book. Caesar's orders to the Frumentarii were to watch for him, find Graham. Kill him. Didn't try. Could've, no good would have come of it. Graham earned his life, and his nature... it'll kill him more surely than any blade of the Legion.So if you've heard word of it or seen sign of him, let it keep.Let his history keep." (Ulysses' dialogue)
↑ 7.07.1The Courier: "If you don't acknowledge your past now, it'll come back to you later." Daniel: "[SUCCEEDED] True enough. We can't escape it no matter how hard we try. Best we can do is own up, trust in the Lord to forgive. Joshua was gone, so were a lot of the other New Canaanites. White Legs must have been watching for a long while, counting who remained. We didn't think the White Legs were a real threat. Maybe it was overconfidence. Maybe sloth. Either way, we didn't see them coming. They attacked at night. They killed without regard to age or infirmity. Armed or unarmed. They beat children to-Beat them to death in their beds while they were sleeping.And now we're all that's left. Maybe thirty of us. Pride goeth before destruction." (Daniel's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Well, I'm guessing you're pretty mad about something." Joshua Graham: "The White Legs didn't just force my people out of New Canaan. They butchered everyone who wasn't fast enough to get away. The elderly, the ill, children. Those who stopped to help the wounded. It made no difference to them. They can't be reasoned with, the White Legs. Daniel believes that if we leave, if the Sorrows leave, the White Legs will stop. He doesn't understand what this kind of tribe is like." (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "You're the man in charge. If something's troubling you, it could affect all of us." Daniel: "[SUCCEEDED] I never thought I'd be in charge of anything. Don't know why. Bishop Mordecai was old. He had been sick for years. He couldn't walk anymore. It wasn't a problem for the rest of us. He made it out to be more trouble than it really was. Just his way, I guess. When the White Legs came... he was upstairs. We couldn't get him out in time. The house caught fire at the base and worked its way up. Fast. He didn't die of smoke. I wish he had. Sometimes I wake up and for a minute or two, I think all of it was a dream. But it's not. It wasn't. I wish all of this were some fevered vision of what could have been. Instead of what is, what we let happen." (Daniel's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "What do you do here?" Daniel: "I used to help the Sorrows with various medical problems and general issues they were having, but my bishop sent me here as a missionary. We New Canaanites believe that there is a path to salvation for everyone and it's important that we set people on that path if they are willing." (Daniel's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "What's your deal?" Waking Cloud: "Waking Cloud is my name. I am midwife to the Sorrows. It sounds ill-omened, no? "Midwife to sorrows."" The Courier: "Midwife? I haven't seen any children around." Waking Cloud: "The children and the old have already been evacuated from the camp. They are safe enough, unless the White Legs come for us in force." The Courier: "What do you do when you're not delivering babies?" Waking Cloud: "I tend to other hurts and sicknesses that afflict our tribe. I also scout the valley for the herbs I use in my medicines." (Waking Cloud's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "I came here with the Happy Trails Caravan Company to make contact with the New Canaanites." Joshua Graham: "Happy Trails. I remember.They were good friends.I have bad news for your employers. New Canaan was destroyed, its citizens scattered. All because of the White Legs. And Caesar, of course. The White Legs want to join the Legion. Caesar's rite of passage is the destruction of the New Canaanites, almost assuredly because of me. The good news is that we can help you find your way back. Daniel, one of the other New Canaanites, has made many maps of the region. The bad news is that we can't help you right now. Not with everything that's going on." (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Do you run the show around here?" Joshua Graham: "I wouldn't say that. I am the acting war chief for the Dead Horses. They look up to me for such matters, but I only have the authority they give me. Daniel is the spiritual leader and main link of the New Canaanites to the Sorrows. He's up in the Narrows right now." (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "This conversation just got pretty dark. What was that about happy... dashing the little ones?" Joshua Graham: "Happy are those who do the work of the Lord. Zion belongs to God and the people of God. It is a natural temple and monument to his glory. When our Lord entered the temple and found it polluted by money-changers and beasts, did he ask them to leave? Did he cry? Did he simply walk away? No. He drove them out. It is one thing to forgive a slap across my cheek, but an insult to the Lord requires... no, it demands correction." (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "I haven't been through Utah recently - what's the situation like?" Jed Masterson: "Well, it ain't good, I'll tell you that. It's not like the Mojave or the NCR - hell, even Arizona under Caesar is safer. You got raiders all over the damn place, tribes of degenerates that'll eat you as soon as look at you, regional warlords... the works. Not too many decent places to stop and trade. New Canaan's one of the only ones left I know about." (Jed Masterson's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Why can't you get to Salt Lake City?" Jed Masterson: "Without New Canaan's mission in Zion, the only ways to Salt Lake City are down the old I-80 or up through Ogden. The highway's too risky - NCR's rangers are so busy here in the Mojave they don't have the manpower to keep the raiders off. Ogden's just too far - we'd lose more in travel expenses than we'd ever earn." (Jed Masterson's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "It sounds like Happy Trails isn't in the best financial shape." Jed Masterson: "[SUCCEEDED] You ain't wrong. Losing the Salt Lake City run really stung us. If we can't re-establish contact with this run, we'll be in real trouble." (Jed Masterson's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Why the weight limit?" Jed Masterson: "You ain't never been to Zion, have you? We'll be passing through a whole mess of narrow slot canyons and high, rough passes. A big pack'll get you wedged in like a Super Mutant crawling through a storm drain, and too much weight will kill you in the thin air." (Jed Masterson's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Your Pip-Boy isn't working. The screen's locked up, and the reboot button is missing." Ricky: "[SUCCEEDED] Bullshit! Ain't nothing wrong with my Pit-Boy! I mean Pip-Boy!" (Ricky's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Unwarranted hostility and general agitation. How long have you been a Psycho addict?" Ricky: "[SUCCEEDED] Hey hey hey! Fuck you! I didn't say nothing about using Psycho!" (Ricky's dialogue)
↑Jed Masterson: "All right, people. Been a long couple weeks, but here we are. Zion. I know your feet hurt, I know you're tired. But I need everyone's mind on the trail ahead." (Jed Masterson's dialogue)
↑Follows-Chalk: "Hoi! White Legs don't leave survivors often. You're some kind of lucky, let me tell you. You came from outside, didn't you? From the civilized lands? Wow... Joshua will want to hear about this." (Follows-Chalk's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "I came here with the Happy Trails Caravan Company to make contact with the New Canaanites." Joshua Graham: "Happy Trails. I remember. They were good friends. I have bad news for your employers. New Canaan was destroyed, its citizens scattered. All because of the White Legs. And Caesar, of course. The White Legs want to join the Legion. Caesar's rite of passage is the destruction of the New Canaanites, almost assuredly because of me. The good news is that we can help you find your way back. Daniel, one of the other New Canaanites, has made many maps of the region. The bad news is that we can't help you right now. Not with everything that's going on." (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "I'm not going to leave without offering to help. What can I do?" Joshua Graham: "You're a good neighbor to us. We all go through periods of darkness. In such times, we can turn to the Lord, but it's good to have friends. Daniel and I need Pre-War tools to help us navigate beyond Zion. Should we need to evacuate, these instruments will be vital to us. Normally, we would have some of the Dead Horses or Sorrows look for them, but many Pre-War buildings in the valley are taboo. They won't go inside." (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑Waking Cloud: "I have seen many strange plants in the valley - plants that seem to hunger for human flesh. Where they come from, I do not know." (Waking Cloud's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Joshua told me you needed a few things. I think this is everything." Daniel: "Well I'll be. I was starting to lose hope we'd be able to get any of this, much less all of it. Tribals are smart but... well, they're ignorant. Letting go of a taboo is difficult for them, so I knew it would have to be one of us. Turns out all it took was a Gentile. Or, uh... no offense. These supplies are a godsend, but if we're going to evacuate Zion without drawing more White Leg attention, I need you to go back into the valley. Specifically, I need you to scout out some locations for White Legs and try to recover a map of Grand Staircase, a wilderness area to the east. There's also the matter of the roads. We're going to be heading out of the east side of the park, but I'm not sure the way is clear." (Daniel's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "You don't want to leave Zion. You'd rather kill every last one of the White Legs." Joshua Graham: "Given those two choices, yes. In the best of all possible worlds, they would just leave us in peace. But they won't. I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other. Practiced hands make for short work. And the good Lord knows there's much to be done here." The Courier: "Why are you talking to me about it?" Joshua Graham: "Daniel and I don't agree on everything, but in our hearts, we both want what's best for the Sorrows and Dead Horses. You've seen what the White Legs do, and I think you know what has to be done. If Daniel hears it from someone other than me, well... Zion may not be lost to us after all." (Joshua Graham's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Why are you so eager to evacuate Zion? You don't seem to be a pacifist." Daniel: "There's an old saying that goes, "If you want peace, get ready for war." You've got me figured half-right. I'll shoot dead any White Leg that tries to creep into this camp, but it's only to protect the Sorrows. The Lord helps those who help themselves, but the Sorrows don't know how. Joshua and I do. Since I got them into this mess, I need to get them out." The Courier: "Joshua's come up with a reasonable alternative. Why not help them fight?" Daniel: "Joshua doesn't just want to fight the White Legs. He wants to annihilate them. The stakes are too high for their tribe. Hurting them won't dissuade them. If they can't join Caesar's Legion, they'll die out in a generation. They've never learned how to survive. Food preservation, tanning, even basic hunting and cooking seem beyond them. They only survive by scavenging and raiding, but that can't last. They'll only stop if Joshua and the Dead Horses can kill their war chief and their entire war band. That's exactly what he intends to do." (Daniel's dialogue)
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Salt-Upon-Wounds): "Demoralized by the Dead Horse and Sorrows attack the Courier and Joshua Graham led against them, the White Legs retreated to Great Salt Lake. Their days were numbered. Word soon reached the 80s tribe that the White Legs' spirit was broken, their war chief a dim shadow of his former self. By year's end, the 80s would overrun the White Legs' camps, scattering the tribe to the winds and claiming the Great Salt Lake for its own."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Salt-Upon-Wounds): "Joshua Graham's chilling execution of Salt-Upon-Wounds seared into their minds, the surviving White Legs retreated to the Great Salt Lake. Unable to shake the memory of their brutal defeat and the Dead Horses' savagery in battle, the White Legs feared further reprisals. They fled north, out of Utah, into Wyoming. The wilderness was harsh, and the first winter claimed over half the tribe. When spring came, the survivors parted ways in small bands. And so the White Legs died a quiet, ignominious death"
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Salt-Upon-Wounds): "Despite their defeat at Three Marys, and the death of their war chief, the White Legs were determined to pursue the other New Canaanites. But when they finally tracked down their prey in Colorado, they discovered the tables had been turned. The White Legs who survived the New Canaanites' ambushes were hunted down by Dead Horses before they could reach the safety of the Great Salt Lake. When word of the White Legs' diminished numbers reached the 80s tribe, war was declared, and by year's end, the White Legs had been wiped out."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Waking Cloud): "The Sorrows fought beside Joshua Graham and the Dead Horses, eradicating the threat the White Legs posed to Zion. Seeing the Courier convince Joshua Graham to spare Salt-Upon-Wounds, the Sorrows learned that retribution could be tempered by mercy. Though he despaired at the Sorrows' loss of innocence, Daniel took some small consolation in the Courier's lesson, and prayed it would take root."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Waking Cloud): "The Sorrows fought beside Joshua Graham and the Dead Horses, eradicating the threat the White Legs posed to Zion. Watching as the Courier encouraged Joshua Graham to execute Salt-Upon-Wounds, the Sorrows learned that New Canaan offered no mercy to the wicked. The Sorrows' transformation from a peaceful, timid tribe into a merciless, warlike people broke Daniel's heart. Over time, the Sorrows became ever more ruthless in their dealings - even with each other. Daniel traveled to and from between the New Canaanites and Zion, continuing to plead for a return to the old ways whenever he visited. Eventually, the Sorrows grew tired of his blather, and turned their backs on him."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Waking Cloud): "The Sorrows fought beside Joshua Graham and the Dead Horses, eradicating the threat the White Legs posed to Zion. When the Courier and Joshua Graham felled Salt-Upon-Wounds, their victory was celebrated with a great feast. The Sorrows' transformation from a peaceful, timid tribe into a proud and warlike people broke Daniel's heart. He tried to take solace in the knowledge that they would remain in Zion, but it was a small comfort. The Sorrows' innocence was lost."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Follows-Chalk): "Having helped eradicate the White Legs from Zion, the Dead Horses returned to Dead Horse Point in triumph. They remained neutral toward the Sorrows, but as years went on, there were periods of competitive friction, even violence, between the tribes. The New Canaanites - Daniel especially - intervened regularly as mediators, but found it difficult to reconcile the tribes' conflicts."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Jed Masterson): "The defeat of the White Legs in Zion marked a turning point in the fortunes of the Happy Trails Caravan Company. Every two months, the caravan met with the New Canaanites in Zion Valley to trade. Happy Trails soon returned to prosperity. The vigilance of the Sorrows and Dead Horses in defending southwestern Utah, initially startling to Happy Trails caravans, soon proved a blessing. The tribes united against the 80s, driving them back from Highway 50, and thus opening yet another trading route for Happy Trails caravans."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Joshua Graham): "The threat of the White Legs ended, Joshua Graham helped the Sorrows and Dead Horses tend to their fallen comrades and secure Zion. The Courier's words had stayed Joshua's wrath in his darkest hour, and in sparing Salt-Upon-Wounds, he was changed. While he continued to advocate militant opposition to the enemies of New Canaan, he sometimes showed quarter to those who crossed his family. Eventually this new spirit would diminish the myth of the Burned Man in distant lands - a small price for the peace it brought to Joshua Graham."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Joshua Graham): "With the White Legs crushed, Joshua Graham led the Sorrows and Dead Horses in tearing apart and burning the corpses of their enemies. He set about training his army in the "Way of the Canaanite," and soon the New Canaanites and tribes of Zion were feared well into the Mojave. Legends of the Burned Man grew even more depraved, and terrifying."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Joshua Graham): "Though the Courier had stopped Joshua Graham from executing Salt-Upon-Wounds, the war chief still fell in battle. The White Legs defeated at Three Marys, Joshua led the Sorrows and Dead Horses in tending to their comrades and burning the corpses of their foes. He continued to advocate militant opposition to the enemies of New Canaan and showed little quarter to those he fought. And yet he was changed. He no longer reveled in the brutality and cruelty for which he had been known in his former life. His inner demons, if not extinguished, were at the least... appeased."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Daniel): "For years after the defeat of the White Legs, Daniel did his best to minister to the Sorrows' spiritual needs. Try as he might, he could not hold back the tribe's increasing militancy and reverence of Joshua Graham. Demoralized, he returned to his family at Dead Horse Point. His failures haunted him for the rest of his days."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Salt-Upon-Wounds): "After the White Legs drove the Sorrows from Zion, they celebrated by destroying all traces of the valley's former inhabitants. They appealed to the Legion for assimilation, but were denied. Their failure to eradicate the New Canaanites in Grand Staircase and farther up the Colorado had not gone unnoticed. The White Legs made a half-hearted effort to find the New Canaanites, but were driven off by Dead Horses trained in the ways of Joshua Graham. The White Legs lost all hope of joining the Legion and disintegrated into a number of petty raiding bands, leaving Zion Valley a polluted cistern."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Waking Cloud): "Daniel succeeded in leading the Sorrows out of Zion, as he had wanted to do from the start. The Courier protected the Sorrows during the evacuation, ensuring that most reached their destination unharmed. Over the weeks and months to come, Daniel would see to the Sorrows' resettlement in Grand Staircase. Their adjustment to their new home was not without difficulty, but eventually the Sorrows came to accept the loss of Zion."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Waking Cloud): "Daniel evacuated the Sorrows from Zion, but due to the Courier's neglect, the White Legs butchered many along the way. Those who survived barely reached Grand Staircase, but once there, the Dead Horses and New Canaanites helped them settle. The unfamiliarity of their new surroundings, and the loss of loved ones, evoked a terrible and lasting grief among the Sorrows. For two generations, many would die still lamenting the loss of Zion."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Follows-Chalk): "Having helped Daniel and the Sorrows escape from Zion, the Dead Horses returned to their home at Dead Horse Point. The tribe continued to learn from the New Canaanites, and over many years built a flourishing community along the banks of the Colorado. Though the tribes' bond would endure, it was Joshua Graham's legend the Dead Horses would revere, not the tenets of New Canaan's faith."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Jed Masterson): "Already weakened by several seasons of bad trading, the Happy Trails Caravan Company was initially discouraged by the results of its expedition. The fate of New Canaan, and the evacuation of the Sorrows from Zion, made the prospect of trading seem fruitless. When Daniel told his family about the exploits of Happy Trails' employee, the Courier, however, New Canaan decided to repay the company's kindness. Twice per year, New Canaanites made the dangerous journey west to trade with the company in the city of New Reno. The Happy Trails Caravan Company could not survive on such trading alone, but the New Canaanite's generosity made tough times go easier."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Daniel): "After leading the Sorrows from their home in Zion to safety in Grand Staircase, Daniel continued to wonder if he'd made the right choice. He spent his life evangelizing the beliefs of his people to a new generation of young men and women, as his ancestors had for centuries before him. He was happy with his family, but for the rest of his life there were nights when he awoke with sadness to find he had been dreaming of Zion."
↑ 50.050.1Honest Hearts endings (narration by Salt-Upon-Wounds): "With Daniel dead, the White Legs soon overran Zion and drove the Sorrows and Dead Horses from the Valley. The White Legs plundered all of the pre-War buildings the Sorrows had marked off-limits, their squalor an affront to Zion's natural beauty. By year's end, little trace remained that the Sorrows had ever made the valley their home."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Follows-Chalk): "Having revered Joshua Graham as a living legend for so many years, the Dead Horses found it difficult to accept his death. New Canaanite missionaries sought to remain in contact with the tribe, but lacking Joshua's authority, their influence dwindled. Still, as an expression of enduring respect for their lost spiritual leader, the Dead Horses helped protect the lands where New Canaanites settled. As generations passed, the Dead Horses came to worship a spirit of the land, a harsh spirit of divine justice. They called it Joshua."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Jed Masterson): "Already weakened by several seasons of bad trading, the Happy Trails Caravan Company was devastated by the failure of its expedition. The New Canaanites never reestablished ties with the caravan. Their experiences with outsiders near the Great Salt Lake and in Zion had been far too negative. Within six months, the Happy Trails Caravan Company was bankrupted and dissolved."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Joshua Graham): "After a long and troubled life, Joshua Graham finally found rest in Zion. In the end, his unswerving militancy had accomplished what the NCR's finest sharpshooters and Caesar's wrath could not. The New Canaanites took comfort in the belief that their brother's soul would again dwell in Zion at the end of days."
↑Honest Hearts endings (narration by Daniel): "In the shadow of Daniel's death, those Sorrows who survived the assault on Zion Valley mourned his loss, as was their custom. Word of Daniel's passing reached the New Canaanites several weeks later. They prayed that their brother would be well-received by their Lord."
Non-game
↑Question: "Care to provide story driven, consistent explanations as to: Why do the Gun Runners sell Fire Bombs, War Clubs, and Tomahawks? Why does a "magic" unique gear footlocker suddenly appear? Why the color difference between NCR Vet. and Desert ranger armor?" Joshua Sawyer: "1) A northern route was opened to Zion. Regardless of how the Courier resolves the situation there, the weapons that are available there become available in the Mojave. The Gun Runners don't manufacture the items, but re-sell them. 2) It's not "magic", but gifts from Joshua and Daniel for helping them resolve a pretty important issue in Zion. If you do Chaos in Zion, there is no such box. 3) NCR Veteran Ranger Armor is Desert Ranger Armor adapted for their use. The more important game design reasons are: 1) It's not beneficial to allow access to one category of new weapons and not others. 2) Forcing people to kill the owners of unique items that are part of the core story to get those unique items is not great. Similarly, not giving those characters unique items in the first place is bad. Over and over and over again, we have seen players bend over backwards to get those items. They want those items because they look cool and are valuable, stat-wise. We (the developers) put time into making the assets, so we should make them available to the player. This is why the safehouses were filled with low-CND faction-relevant items in a patch. 3) A re-textured outfit is more interesting and distinct to a player than one that simply has a few logos removed." (Excerpt from Formspring reply on May 18, 2011)
↑Question: Hi Josh, I was wondering when developing the Honest Hearts DLC, was a fleshed out pro-White Legs option ever talked about? I always felt that it was a little weird that I couldn't support the Legion in the area that was supposed to give us a little hint as to what tribal warfare is like in the East. Joshua Sawyer: "We talked about it briefly, but the time schedule for Honest Hearts was very short, so it never seemed like something we could feasibly support." (Joshua Sawyer on Tumblr)
↑Joshua Sawyer: "Helping the White Legs wouldn't really help the Legion in any substantive way unless you consider helping Caesar clean up an embarrassing mistake to be inherently pro-Legion. It's worth noting that if you do Chaos In Zion and actually kill Joshua Graham yourself, the White Legs still aren't accepted into the Legion. Caesar just wants Graham dead and the White Legs are the scumbags to do it. We discussed doing a White Legs-oriented path through Honest Hearts but a) it would have been out of scope and b ) it still would likely have ended with you doing essentially Chaos in Zion: killing Daniel and/or Joshua Graham. In retrospect, associating the White Legs with the Legion was probably my key mistake. Take the exact same tribe doing the exact same thing and remove their association with the Legion and people would not conclude that opposing them = opposing the Legion or that helping the New Canaanites = helping the Legion's enemies. The New Canaanites, though fundamentally opposed to the Legion, aren't really the parties in conflict. Caesar hates Joshua Graham, regardless of the lack of threat posed by New Canaan, the Sorrows, and the Dead Horses." (Joshua Sawyer on the Bethesda forums)
