interesting colloquialism

fo4 sideblog | local danse enthusiast | header @poildecervelle

[metalforhands]

Not on my Fallout blog right now, so I'll send this as an anon. Well, I love your posts about Danse being a synth and your thoughts on the Railroad, regarding him. Now I don't know if you ever made a post about A3-21 from Rivet City, and I'd just love to hear what you think about the whole situation regarding Harkness too. I remember the first time playing Fallout 3 that I was so hyped to get to know more about the Railroad in Fallout 4. It was kind of a letdown finally meeting them at their HQ in the Commonwealth. What about you?

hey!!!! no worries at all, i have anon open just for this reason :) it's super sweet of you to reach out!! thank you so much for your kind words! ;v;

i can't remember what i had for breakfast this morning, but i somehow remember every single drop of synth lore that i obsessively memorized way back in 2018!

and of course! unfortunately my memory of fo3 isn't as clear as my memory of fo4 (fo4 was my first fallout game!) but i played it right after i finished fo4 so it is also dear to my heart!

harkness is my BOYYYY!! i love him being one of the first escaped gen 3 synths, and i love the lore of him being a former courser. i have a similar fondness for the courser lady in far harbor. it's just such a compelling character concept to me, and is why i so badly wish x6-88 went down a similar route. but ALAS!

harkness is also interesting because his memory wipe wasn't a permanent one. which. still isn't great! at all! but at the very least it's better than just obliterating the previous person he was. shame the railroad didn't stick to this idea huh :,,)

the railroad in general is curious bc they don't feel like a Main Faction to me. i think they were nerfed bc their style of fighting and subterfuge doesn't play super nice w the general gameplay loop of your typical bethesda game. they also lack a long term goal for the commonwealth as a whole.

i do think their dubious methods of memory wiping were intentional (esp with curie's personal quest and the botched memory wipe...), which is great because i love a good morally complicated faction. but its very strange how i never see it brought up by anyone on either side of the railroad argument!

i've also never been super huge on them blowing up the prydwen. there were children and non combatants on there. the whole thing getting treated as a quirky spy mission was never my cup of tea, so i basically never end the game with them. i like helping them out a bit and then getting my cover blown by lashing out at father! so the railroad just kinda pouts and stands there after that LOL

the railroad is very good in concept (both in world and out of world), but questionable in execution. imo.

[metalforhands]

random lucille doodles since i wanted to have a reference of her short hair era shortly after her power armor helmet is destroyed and just. makes quick work of her face LOL

[newvegascowboy]

I know Danse's voice lines are that way because he's your companion but from an in universe perspective isn't it crazy he says shit like "You point, I shoot". He's literally your commanding officer. One day in the field and he's giving it up hard. Dude wants to be called good boy so bad.

[metalforhands]

god, danse's whole situation is the #1 reason i dislike the railroad's methods so much. m7-97 is effectively dead and gone. the mind wipe all but guaranteed that. and now you have a guy who believes he's human having a full on crisis over finding out he is a synth! and that his whole life's been a lie, and that not even his fake implanted memories could give him a sense of family or belonging.

i don't really care that it's optional - why offer a mind wipe to traumatized escapees inclined towards more irrational choices in the first place? what's the point if the guy you saved is erased anyways? drives me bonkers.

[metalforhands]

A compilation post of reasons why Danse is most likely an escaped synth and not a replacement. There used to be a few other posts like this years ago, but I'd like to compile everything in one go. You know, for whenever someone on Reddit tries to say otherwise.

So, to begin—

Canonically, we know that in FO3, Rivet City is a notable city of operation for the Railroad and synths who have had their memories erased/suppressed by the Railroad (Harkness) have been relocated there.

The BOS had operations in the Capital Wasteland and recruited in Rivet City. 

According to BOS records, a Danse must have existed at this time and was recruited. Also, in accordance to BOS records, a Cutler had to have existed and corroborated Danse's past as a merchant. These are conclusions made from the BOS having no suspicion or out of place records regarding Danse or Cutler.

As for a general conclusion: Danse isn't a replacement of a human Danse. He is very likely a Railroad escapee who underwent a memory wipe, but not any facial reconstruction surgery. He was then placed into Rivet City with the memories of an orphan (no attachments to out him as a synth) and became a scavenger merchant. We can figure this out from the following:

From the very beginning of FO4, killing Danse yields a synthetic component. This states, at the very least, Danse has been a synth throughout the entire game and wasn't replaced during it.

All replacement synths in FO4 know they are replacement synths. Danse is entirely unaware of his synth nature. This is because synths cannot be sleeper agents; anyone undercover needs to be aware they're undercover. In game, the most that can be done to stop rogue synths is to use a recall code on them to shut them down. A sleeper agent mode, something that would be optimal in undercover spying, has never been used. What use would Danse be to the Institute if he was merely replacing the "real" Danse... and did nothing but believe he's the "real" Danse? How would he report back?

Synth replacements also have a tendency to have a notable change in personality, as the Institute cannot perfectly replicate the personality of those they replaced. There is no evidence of this happening to Danse.

Danse's synth designation, M7-97, is stated in Institute files to be missing. If he were a replacement, the Institute would have that noted in his files. 

What is Danse's first reaction to discovering he’s a synth? He runs to Listening Post Bravo to think things over. If he were really a sleeper agent of some kind, why wouldn’t he attempt to kill Maxson? Kells? Why wouldn’t he make a last resort of some kind? Why wouldn’t he get in contact with the Institute?

If you refuse to confront Danse during Blind Betrayal, he will take his own life. Why wouldn't the Institute come retrieve their undercover asset? Why would they let him take his own life? Likewise, Danse will happily help you destroy the Institute. Like, he will physically join you into the Institute to destroy it.

X6-88 claims to not even know that Danse was a synth. If Danse was an active Institute asset, I’m pretty sure X6-88 would know about it.

And of course. The big one. There is absolutely no evidence a human Paladin Danse ever existed.

[metalforhands]

person on reddit trying to tell me danse wasn't a merchant in rivet city because he's a synth. cute.

i know more than you.

[amazinglyegg]

Visit Original Link

Recon Report, Paladin Danse recording. Current objective: assessment of the USS Constitution, an ancient maritime vessel now grounded in the Financial District of Boston. Historical records confirm it as an early warship, originally launched in the 18th century and later converted into a museum. The hull shows signs of severe damage, unsurprising given its age and long-term exposure to the elements. Alarmingly, the vessel is heavily occupied by a range of robots including civilian-class General Atomics Mr. Handy, RobCo Protectrons of mixed loadout, and potentially a RobCo Sentry Bot, based on limited audible observations coming from above-deck. The 'crew' appears programmed to simulate the original naval personnel, with formal ranks and behavior routines. As for their intent, it remains unclear. The vessel shows heavy modification; with retrofitted propulsion thrusters and electrical cabling connecting to antique artillery placements. A local group of civilian scavengers report conflict with the automatons, likely after attempts to salvage the technology within for themselves. Naturally, these finds require the Brotherhood to safeguard... Recommendation: site marked as of interest to our mission with outstanding potential' Proceed with extreme caution using Power Armor and heavy weapons support. The risk of unpredictable behavior is high, especially with the added human scavenger element complicating the matter.

[amazinglyegg]

Visit Original Link

Recon Report, Paladin Danse recording. Target site confirmed: Old North Church, northern Boston. According to pre-war archives, it was the oldest standing church in the city and was the location of a pivotal moment during the American Revolution: the 1775 lantern signal that initiated Paul Revere's midnight ride. His statue still stands outside the main entrance. This site also sits along what was once known as the 'Freedom Trail' - a pre-war heritage route connecting key landmarks from the revolutionary period as a form of educational tourism. Local rumors indicate this has been repurposed into a coded navigation path, possibly by the Railroad. The church itself shows signs of occasional activity but no energy readings are being recorded, possibly due to the dense stonework and crypts that lie beneath the building, or some deliberate obfuscation. Given the ideological legacy of this site and its modern associations, the likelihood of this being a Railroad outpost is moderate. Recommendation: Classify as a potential insurgent site. Authorize deeper recon with fireteam support. Subsurface entry should be initiated with extreme caution.

[amazinglyegg]

Visit Original Link

Recon Report, Paladin Danse recording. Coordinates place us at the ruins of Fort Independence, located on what locals once called 'Castle Island', situated in Boston Harbor. Pre-war records and visual observation identify this site as a coastal defense fort, constructed in the early 19th century to protect against maritime threats. It's a resilient fortification, though the passage of time has clearly left its scars. The local militia known as the Minutemen established their base of operations here, which included a powerful region-wide radio relay, but now it's infested with Mirelurks, with a particularly large breach in the eastern perimeter wall. I'm curious what equipment caches could have been left behind by the Minutemen in the subterranean levels, given their fondness for makeshift energy weapons. Recommendation: exterminate the hostile wildlife, sweep for valuable salvage, and reinforce. This would be a good forward operating base flanking the airport on the opposite side of the bay.

[amazinglyegg]

Visit Original Link

Recon Report, Paladin Danse recording. We've entered the settlement known as Goodneighbor, situated in the heart of downtown Boston. It's a backwater of drifters, mercenaries, and organized crime elements. The settlement is overseen by an individual calling himself Hancock, a ghoul posturing himself as a populist mayor. Aside from the Memory Den, which houses some curious simulation pods, the most notable landmark in the area is the Old State House. Constructed in the early 1700s, it once served as the local seat of colonial governance and played a central role in the American Revolution. A symbol of law and order in a commune that has rejected both. Structurally, the building is sound, despite clear signs of violence. I'm detecting little interest in terms of technological signals, though my Scribes may find its historical context worth cataloguing. Recommendation: avoid unless deemed a tactical necessity, but maintain surveillance for insurgent activity originating from within the settlement.

[amazinglyegg]

Visit Original Link

Recon Report, Paladin Danse recording. Visual confirmation and map data place us at the settlement known as Diamond City. It was established within the confines of a pre-war entertainment complex focused on a sport known as 'baseball'. I remain skeptical of the locals understanding of this sport, with one individual describing it as a form of gladiatorial combat. Ridiculous. Despite civilian infrastructure and ill-equipped security forces, Diamond City appears highly defensible. Residents credit the strength of the so-called 'Wall' with helping to repel even Super Mutant raiding parties. The local mayor, McDonough, claims a neutral and isolationist policy towards the situation in the Commonwealth, though charges of corruption and Institute synth infiltration are raised by the local press. No major technological signals detected. The city houses a makeshift reactor in the central market, doubling as a concession stand operated by a RobCo Protectron with suspiciously limited functionality and vocabulary. ("Nan-ni shimasho-ka?") Recommendation: monitor political developments closely, particularly any signs or leads of Institute influence. Especially from that robot.

[amazinglyegg]

Visit Original Link

Recon Report, Paladin Danse recording. Sight assessment, Bunker Hill: the location takes its name by the nearby Revolutionary War battle field, though historical records indicate the original engagement occurred primarily on Breed's Hill. A large granite obelisk, similar to the one situated in the DC ruins of the Capital Wasteland, stands in the center of the town, commemorating the event. The settlement is a large trading hub and caravan base, surrounded by makeshift barricades and sentry towers, manned by a loosely formed civilian militia. It's worth noting that this element is independent of the Minutemen militia seen elsewhere in the Commonwealth. Their overall allegiances are unclear, though they seem to enforce a strict neutrality policy from outside factions to work in favor of their profit margins. Rumors of synths passing through here are frequent, likely harbored by sympathizers in the merchant network. No advanced technology is being detected, but the potential for synthetic safe house activity is estimated to be moderate. Recommendation: Classify Bunker Hill as a politically-sensitive neutral zone. Do not overlook actionable intelligence involving synth activity. If neutrality fails, or hostile elements are confirmed, authorized deployment of vertibird strike teams to secure the area and bypass defenses.

[amazinglyegg]

Visit Original Link

Recon Report, Paladin Danse recording. We've arrived at the remains of Concord, a small pre-war township to the north-west of Boston. While the ruins are largely uninhabited outside of the occasional scavenger, their historical significance predates the Great War by over two centuries, recognized as the location of the first engagement of the American Revolutionary War in 1775. Exploring the main promenade of Concord has led to a noteworthy discovery. Multiple raider casualties, along with the remains of a single Deathclaw. Ballistic scarring is extensive - likely 5mm caliber, consistent with minigun fire. A downed vertibird rests atop the Museum of Freedom. Markings indicate pre-war military origin - no Brotherhood affiliation. The airframe is non-operational, and beyond recovery. No other advanced technology of note. Recommendation: low strategic value. Mark for archival interest and proceed to next location.

[amazinglyegg]

Visit Original Link

Recon Report, Paladin Danse recording. Beginning survey series of the region designated as: The Commonwealth, formerly Massachusetts. One of the oldest settled areas in what was the pre-war United States. The metropolitan city of Boston is the area's largest urban center and is surrounded by various townships and rural communities. The region stood in the heart of the American Revolution, serving as a hub for liberty and governance. That heritage remains visible to this day through colonial landmarks, universities, and centuries-old fortifications, now infested with raiders and mutants of all kinds. Many local communities managed to thrive in these ruins however, from independent villages to major settlements, led by charismatic local leaders or dangerous thugs. Environmental scans show pockets of heavy radioactive contamination, likely breeding grounds for the areas hostile wildlife and Feral Ghouls. The coastal waters and rivers are infested with Mirelurks, and Super Mutants remain an active threat in the dense urban areas, originating from a yet-unknown source. Recommendation: Continued reconnaissance of population centers, assessment of existing military and culturally significant sites, and aggressive suppression of hostile lifeforms. Future report entries will document sites of particular note.

[hydroflorix]

Happy 10 years of Fallout 4, time really flies!

To celebrate, I gathered a bunch of amazing and talented artists to show off their Sole Survivors and what they love about the game, and hopefully what you love too!! Thank you to everyone for all your hard work! I'm so proud of y'all and how everything turned out!!! Special thank you to CommonWealthCass for your help with the outro art! The ending image of the outro was a collab by SYCKubota, Kimileechan, RedsaFalloutFan, CommonwealthCass, ZoraHerm, and Angry8ball for Fallout Day that I wanted to feature as well!

[hydroflorix]

Happy 10 years of Fallout 4, time really flies!

To celebrate, I gathered a bunch of amazing and talented artists to show off their Sole Survivors and what they love about the game, and hopefully what you love too!! Thank you to everyone for all your hard work! I'm so proud of y'all and how everything turned out!!! Special thank you to CommonWealthCass for your help with the outro art! The ending image of the outro was a collab by SYCKubota, Kimileechan, RedsaFalloutFan, CommonwealthCass, ZoraHerm, and Angry8ball for Fallout Day that I wanted to feature as well!

[hydroflorix]

Happy 10 years of Fallout 4, time really flies!

To celebrate, I gathered a bunch of amazing and talented artists to show off their Sole Survivors and what they love about the game, and hopefully what you love too!! Thank you to everyone for all your hard work! I'm so proud of y'all and how everything turned out!!! Special thank you to CommonWealthCass for your help with the outro art! The ending image of the outro was a collab by SYCKubota, Kimileechan, RedsaFalloutFan, CommonwealthCass, ZoraHerm, and Angry8ball for Fallout Day that I wanted to feature as well!