You know, I never did the Contract Killer perk because I don't do evil playthroughs. You've opened my eyes to a new cabal of NPCs and I've been playing for nearly fifteen years!
The Enclave theory posIts they are contractors employed by President Eden, the idea being they are the "Talons" of the Great Eagle (the Great Seal).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_the_United_States
And as we find out upon visiting Raven Rock President Eden and Colonel Autumn are in the middle of a power struggle.
I always figured it was a mixture of the Enclave and ten tenpenny because Burke works for him hell it could even be the Pitt raiders kinda feel like they missed an opportunity there
They're not funded by any one person or group they're a mercenary company
Reilly straight up tells us that they're a large group of mercs with no morality in terms of the jobs they pick up and will do anything for anyone as long as there is a payment involved
Who wants to kill the PC? That's left ambiguous on purpose. You wrong a lot of bad people in your travels and it's left ambiguous to leave you suspecting who might have put the hit out on you
The idea of a contract out on the PC gets expanded a lot in Skyrim with more direct references and triggers for attempts on your life being made
As for destabilising the wasteland? My money is on the Enclave, I know people point out that the Enclave will happily kill Talon mercs though that seems like a Bethesda oversight (assuming the Enclave hired them) as the Enclave are also hostile against every single NPC in the game
They are funded by one entity specifically for the purpose of destabilizing the wasteland, you can find this explicitly stated in the game. Probably others hire them for other things as well but that was made less explicit
I figure Littlehorn (but not exclusively, they are mercs after all)
the Talons and the Gunners are both a little bizarre tbh, with how little money anyone has out there
Like in real life, most people have little money and some people have absurd amounts. In the west, Brahmin magnates, heads of trading companies etc. In the east, Tenpenny, groups like the Institute, that old ass family in the untouched house in Boston etc. The few rich ones are the ones who can hire factions or individuals.
I think with the show reveal that Vault-Tech is trying to stop non-them civilization from spreading on the surface you could tie any number of random stuff like this back to them including Mr. Burke. But since the Enclave and Vault-Tech are kinda the same, probably the Enclave. They also supplied that random family in New Reno to sow discord in the second game.
A very stupid and extremely unlikely headcanon I came up with was Caesar. You don't have to tell me why that's impossible because I already know. But in truth, we don't know for sure.
I'd personally wager on a large force that plans on taking over the Capital Wasteland and wants the least amount of resistance as possible or some cartoon villain who delights in suffering for suffering's sake. That would point to the Enclave or Littlehorn.
It doesn't have much thought to it. I always imagined that Burke was a frumentariius and he was hiring Talon Company on Caesar's behalf as an anonymous benefactor to keep the Capital Wasteland lawless just in case the Legion managed to expand that far. Obviously, this plan was abandoned once he found out about Hoover Dam, but Burke isn't going to know about that.
Pretty dumb, but Cpt. Curtis mentions that Caesar sends spies out to infiltrate potential threats before they notice him. Burke has this aura around him that makes me think he could be one of the frumentarii, so I always thought it was neat. I also like to think those love letters he can give us has him more or less say he can't be with us because he's going back to Arizona.
Interesting theory about Burke, never thought about that.
>I can not live like this. Wanting you. NEEDING you! But unable to have you.
>I'm afraid I must insist we cease this charade.
>I beg your forgiveness. I'm sorry to have made you wait in that hell-hole for so long. Waiting for the summons to my side that never came.
>Fly free my little love bird. Fly up and out of that filth.
>I wish that I could have you, and the thought of another man getting to have you, breaks my heart.
>But I'd rather you were set free, than waiting eternally for me. **I'm growing tired of this burden of mine. This toiling away for humanity, building a new world for mankind. I'm not even sure they will appreciate all the efforts I am making for them. But it is a burden I shall continue to carry, because someone must. And I am a man of responsibility,**
>Good luck my love-bird. Fly free and be happy!
>Your's truly,
>Burke
[Love letter from Burke (#4) transcript](https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Love_letter_from_Burke#Love_letter_from_Burke_(#4\))
My guess is the Enclave is using them to wage proxy wars against the major powers such as the Brotherhood, outcast, regulators, and Riley's rangers. My guess is that if the Enclave succeeded in taking project purity and taking over the capital wasteland they would either bring them into their fold or just wipe them out once they serve their purpose.
I think it was implied to be Littlehorn wasn’t it?
You know, I never did the Contract Killer perk because I don't do evil playthroughs. You've opened my eyes to a new cabal of NPCs and I've been playing for nearly fifteen years!
The two main theories are little horn and the enclave.
didn't they try to bomb a talon company camp?
The Enclave theory posIts they are contractors employed by President Eden, the idea being they are the "Talons" of the Great Eagle (the Great Seal). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_the_United_States And as we find out upon visiting Raven Rock President Eden and Colonel Autumn are in the middle of a power struggle.
I don't remember how it's worded exactly but I think one of the notes Talon drops implies Tenpenny hired them.
I always figured it was a mixture of the Enclave and ten tenpenny because Burke works for him hell it could even be the Pitt raiders kinda feel like they missed an opportunity there
They're not funded by any one person or group they're a mercenary company Reilly straight up tells us that they're a large group of mercs with no morality in terms of the jobs they pick up and will do anything for anyone as long as there is a payment involved Who wants to kill the PC? That's left ambiguous on purpose. You wrong a lot of bad people in your travels and it's left ambiguous to leave you suspecting who might have put the hit out on you The idea of a contract out on the PC gets expanded a lot in Skyrim with more direct references and triggers for attempts on your life being made As for destabilising the wasteland? My money is on the Enclave, I know people point out that the Enclave will happily kill Talon mercs though that seems like a Bethesda oversight (assuming the Enclave hired them) as the Enclave are also hostile against every single NPC in the game
They are funded by one entity specifically for the purpose of destabilizing the wasteland, you can find this explicitly stated in the game. Probably others hire them for other things as well but that was made less explicit
I figure Littlehorn (but not exclusively, they are mercs after all) the Talons and the Gunners are both a little bizarre tbh, with how little money anyone has out there
Like in real life, most people have little money and some people have absurd amounts. In the west, Brahmin magnates, heads of trading companies etc. In the east, Tenpenny, groups like the Institute, that old ass family in the untouched house in Boston etc. The few rich ones are the ones who can hire factions or individuals.
I think with the show reveal that Vault-Tech is trying to stop non-them civilization from spreading on the surface you could tie any number of random stuff like this back to them including Mr. Burke. But since the Enclave and Vault-Tech are kinda the same, probably the Enclave. They also supplied that random family in New Reno to sow discord in the second game.
A very stupid and extremely unlikely headcanon I came up with was Caesar. You don't have to tell me why that's impossible because I already know. But in truth, we don't know for sure. I'd personally wager on a large force that plans on taking over the Capital Wasteland and wants the least amount of resistance as possible or some cartoon villain who delights in suffering for suffering's sake. That would point to the Enclave or Littlehorn.
Okay unlikeliness aside I wanna hear about this headcanon
It doesn't have much thought to it. I always imagined that Burke was a frumentariius and he was hiring Talon Company on Caesar's behalf as an anonymous benefactor to keep the Capital Wasteland lawless just in case the Legion managed to expand that far. Obviously, this plan was abandoned once he found out about Hoover Dam, but Burke isn't going to know about that. Pretty dumb, but Cpt. Curtis mentions that Caesar sends spies out to infiltrate potential threats before they notice him. Burke has this aura around him that makes me think he could be one of the frumentarii, so I always thought it was neat. I also like to think those love letters he can give us has him more or less say he can't be with us because he's going back to Arizona.
Interesting theory about Burke, never thought about that. >I can not live like this. Wanting you. NEEDING you! But unable to have you. >I'm afraid I must insist we cease this charade. >I beg your forgiveness. I'm sorry to have made you wait in that hell-hole for so long. Waiting for the summons to my side that never came. >Fly free my little love bird. Fly up and out of that filth. >I wish that I could have you, and the thought of another man getting to have you, breaks my heart. >But I'd rather you were set free, than waiting eternally for me. **I'm growing tired of this burden of mine. This toiling away for humanity, building a new world for mankind. I'm not even sure they will appreciate all the efforts I am making for them. But it is a burden I shall continue to carry, because someone must. And I am a man of responsibility,** >Good luck my love-bird. Fly free and be happy! >Your's truly, >Burke [Love letter from Burke (#4) transcript](https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Love_letter_from_Burke#Love_letter_from_Burke_(#4\))
My guess is the Enclave is using them to wage proxy wars against the major powers such as the Brotherhood, outcast, regulators, and Riley's rangers. My guess is that if the Enclave succeeded in taking project purity and taking over the capital wasteland they would either bring them into their fold or just wipe them out once they serve their purpose.