Caesar's Legion (Van Buren)

Caesar's Legion is a military dictatorship that controls the American Midwest. They depend heavily on the practice of slavery.
==Background==
The Legion arose from the Grand Canyon area in 2238, when a man named Joshua Graham encountered two Followers of the Apocalypse and began to lead them around the outer north and east rim. One of the Followers would go on to become the original Caesar, with Joshua becoming his right-hand man. 
The Legion arose during the reign of the Twisted Hairs, a tribe of raiders so fierce that the mere mention of their name invoked fear. The tribe dominated the region, taking what they wanted from any tribe they pleased. Caesar and the other members of the early Legion taught the other tribes how to fight back, and the combined might of the tribal forces proved too much for the raiders to deal with. They were driven from the land, and the Legion gave chase. The Twisted Hairs would be destroyed, with most of their members being slain. The Legion ordered that no tribe give refuge to any members of the Twisted Hairs under threat of invasion.
The Legion grew in strength until it became a major force in the Southwest, threatening the dominance of the New California Republic. After numerous clashes with the NCR Rangers and armed forces, the Republic decided to eradicate the Legion now rather than let it continue growing and potentially come to rival the NCR military.Chris Avellone at "Rolling the Dice on Fallout: Van Buren" at Nordic Game Conference 2015, 0:52: "Caesar’s WarsCaesar’s Legion had many clashes with the NCR rangers and the NCR armed forces in 2218-2223, and it was the growing strength of the Legion that eventually led the NCR to focus their efforts on facing their efforts on breaking Caesar’s band before his military strength grew to such a point that it would rival the NCR eastern forces." However, before they could invade, the Legion launched a surprise invasion of their own against the NCR position at Hoover Dam. The troops stationed there held, a crippling defeat for the Legion.Hoover Dam design documents, page 2: "The only real trouble came when a group known as Caesar's Legion tried to invade Hoover Dam. The fighting was fierce, and Governor Dodge still to this day does not understand the motive for the attack, but suffice it to say that Dodge, the NCR troops, and the formidable wall with high powered gun turrets thwarted Caesar's invasion plans. However, the battles did take their toll and made the east side of the Rim wrecked and uninhabitable. In fact, there is so much debris at the center of the rim; it actually blocks passage to the east side. However, thanks to the big victory over Caesar's Legions, it was obvious that both the Rim and Downtown were well taken care of and protected, that is until the war between NCR and BOS began." Caesar had the commander for the attack, his right hand man Joshua Graham, set ablaze and thrown into the Grand Canyon, and led the remains of his Legion north to the Midwest.Denver design documents, page 40: "EVIL/ANTONLeader of the 'evil' salvagers. Big German-looking guy. Foul-mouthed, domineering, intolerant of strangers and nonhumans. He's from the Midwest, home of the radioactive cyclones, and fled to this area to escape Caesar's Legion and to try and make a life for himself."
After many years of regrowth and rebuilding, the Legion began reestablishing their presence in the Southwest. They trade slaves with people across the region, and even make a few military forays, though they are hindered by the seasonal radioactive dust storms that block travel between there and the Midwest.Denver design documents, page 6: "Recently a bunch of work-release NCR prisoners have come here to salvage stuff as a way to buy off their sentences, and some slavers from Caesar's Legion are waiting out the midwest's seasonal huge radioactive duststorms keeping them from getting home. And there's another gang of salvagers that have moved in and have been raiding claims from the NCR salvagers." A small group of legionaires travels to the Reservation once a month,Reservation design documents, page 8: "Caesar’s slave traders come once every month (choose a date) to trade slave with Horatio. They show up at 8 am and leave at 6 pm. Should the player waste the Slaver Caravan in the Salver Caravan random encounter, Caius and friends will never show up again to sell slaves. This will concern Horatio, but he will not lose sleep over it since there are other slavers in the wasteland." and another band is camped in Denver waiting to head back home.Denver design documents, page 29: "These guys are camped out in a hotel in south Denver with some slaves they've rounded up. Every couple of weeks they send a pair of fast guys out east to see if the radioactive dust storms have subsided for the season. Once they do, they'll head out. They have the lower floors secured with chain link fence and barriers made of junk. They keep the dogs away with chemical repellant sprayed in the area (resprayed every year when they return here). They're well-armed (as far as wastelanders go) and alert. They stay on the 2nd level, though they are watching their surroundings (they'll be alert to your arrival unless you manage to sneak your way in) and might have a sniper hiding out on the ground floor. They keep the slaves locked in rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floor."Denver design documents, page 75: "Once the Legion guys are discovered in Denver, every month that passes has a 25% chance that they've left to go back to Caesar, including taking all their slaves with them. This means the PC might not be able to grab Daniel." They are always searching for new sources of slaves, paying particularly high for super mutants.Mesa Verde design documents, page 13: "AlexandraST 5 PE 6 EN 6 CH 4 IN 6 AG 6 LU 5Female human. Potential CNPC. Not a Cipher, just a visitor to Mesa Verde. She's a bounty hunter and she's trying to take Blackjack alive. Caesar's Legion is paying well for live super mutants, and she means to score big with this particular bounty. However, Blackjack is barricaded in a cave with a minigun (or so he claims), so Alexandra is trying to starve him out. If the player manages to get Blackjack to go back to the Big Empty, he'll still have to deal with Alexandra. He can compensate her with money, or promise bigger money if she tags along as a CNPC."Mesa Verde design documents, page 21: "Blackjack is barricaded, hiding out from Alexandra. He doesn't want to have to kill her, but he doesn't want to shot, either (he's unaware that Alexandra needs him alive). If the player gets Alexandra off Blackjack's back, he'll head over to Hoover Dam to go find some card games, and Alexandra, if still alive, will head over to Fort Abandon to hang out. If the PC helps Alexandra capture Blackjack, she'll take him to Denver and give him to the Caesar's Legion slavers before returning to Fort Abandon."
==Structure==
The Legion is led by an authoritarian ruler, who takes on the title of "Caesar." Leadership is passed down to whoever kills the current Caesar, with their level of respect dictated by the inventiveness of the kill. Whenever the leader is killed, they are erased from history.Chris Avellone at "Rolling the Dice on Fallout: Van Buren" at Nordic Game Conference 2015, 0:52: "The head of Caesar’s Legion [obscured] there have been before him, [obscured] records (and due to the fact that when a new Caesar [obscured] he never existed). The typical right of succession is assassination. [obscured] deaths. The more inventive the killing, the more respect the new Caesar gains." The Caesar is assisted by a right-hand man, who leads the Legion's armies. The faction is divided into different ranks, including vexillariousDenver design documents, page 44: "CAESAR/TERRENCELeader of the squad from Caesar's Legion. Short, Napoleon complex, real hardass. Likes to beat women to show people he's tough. He's a vexillarious. You can talk to him about Caesar's Legion and the various ranks with it." and centurion. Even standard legionnaires are better equipped than the average wastelander.
==Relations with the outside==
The Legion considers most outsiders to be either primitives or assholes,Denver design documents, page 9: "The guys from Caesar's legion are a mystery. What are they up to? If you're allied with the Blackfoots you have an in with them, but they mainly want to keep away from the "primitives and assholes" who live in this part of the continent. You can find out a little bit about them and get some hints about the direction of the next game in the series." though they are willing to trade slaves with them for moneyDenver design documents, page 62: "RESCUE THE LEGION'S SLAVES Check with Ciphers doc on whether or not the Ciphers slaves are here or not. Initiator: PC Normal Journal: I purchased the slaves from the Caesar's Legion slavers in Denver. I helped the slaves of the Caesar's Legion escape captivity. Dumb Journal: Me buy slaves from Terrence in Denver. Me help slaves escape from Terrence in Denver. • DiploBoy can negotiate freeing them or purchasing them. • Stealth Boy can sneak them out or sneak in to kill the slavers. • Combat Boy is better off killing the slavers then freeing the masterless slaves." or supplies.Reservation design documents, page 8: "Outside traffic varies from different types of slave traders, but most, it would seem, come from Caesar’s Legions. Evidently, Caesar’s Legions enjoy trading human slaves for firearms, armor, and ammo. The player can learn that the ghouls only buy humans; ghoul and super mutant slaves are not wanted." They are hated by most of the inhabitants of the Wasteland, even by other slavers who don't like the competition. However, some welcome their rise, hoping to gain favor with the Legion to benefit themselves.Twin Mothers design documents, pages 15-16: "Trisha is a pretty young woman who has no qualms about using sex as a means to get what she wants. She has been in several raider clans, has worked her way to the top, and then been instrumental in the clan's destruction. In each case she has come out on top with a position of power in the new clan. Trisha is now Burk's girlfriend. Currently she is trying to find a way to deliver a holo-disk to a member of Caesar's Legion. The disk completely details the Twin Mothers area and provides all the information necessary for a take over."Twin Mothers design documents, page 25: "Trisha is trying to convince Burk to hand the Twin Mothers over to Caesar's Legion. She believes that this would elevate the status of the Scorpion's Bite in their eyes and score some serious rewards in the process. However, Burk has steadfastly refused to do so. This, of course, has not discouraged Trisha. It has simply convinced her that it may be time for her to take matters into her own hands and move on."Twin Mothers design documents, page 31: "Trisha has compiled a holodisk of information for Caesar's Legion. It details everything needed for a complete takeover of the region. If the player tells Burk, the raider leader, about this he will kill Trisha."
The Blackfoot tribe have been made a vassal of the Legion, being forced to provide them with slaves as a form of tribute starting between 2238 and 2241.Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 9: "2124 Last of the military squadron's original weapons becomes inoperative??? First tribute (in slaves) given to Caesar's Legion??? Establishment of Hangdog subgroup2241 Sulik's sister Kurisu taken by slavers"Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 2: "The Blackfoot tribe is a community of primitives who make slave raids on other tribals and pay tribute in slaves to Caesar's Legion. Within the tribe is a smaller group, the Hangdogs, who revere dogs and train them to help in hunting and guarding." They are allowed to keep some for themselves,Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 2: "Some of the slaves the tribe keeps for themselves, some are given to Caesar's Legion in tribute, the others are sold. Tribe slaves are treated fairly well, and skilled slaves can earn some status in the tribe and even their freedom."Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 8: "The Blackfoots are mostly parasitic, taking things from other tribes and settlements. However, they export slaves to Caesar's Legion and other tribes and when their herds are doing well they sell Brahmin products to nearby communities (including places they don't sell slaves to, or to caravans)." even trading independently in competition with Legion slavers.Reservation design documents, page 28: "Granted, much of the ghouls’ hatred towards humanity has been fueled and exaggerated by Willem Clark, but that does not make it less real for the Reservation ghouls. Besides, the ghouls figure humans are easy to replace at this time thanks to Caesar’s Legions and the Blackfoot slave trade." The Legion has installed a spy within their ranks, Sharptooth, who reports on the tribe's activities to the Legionnaires stationed in Denver. If the other members discover this, they will force Sharptooth and his family out of the tribe and into the wastes. Blackfoot Tribe design documents, pages 10-11: "Spy to Save My Sister: Sharptooth is a spy for Caesar's Legion (only because Caesar holds Sharptooth's sister as a slave), reporting to their agents in Denver. If this becomes known, the other Hangdogs will demand that he and his family be banished to the wasteland. Bares-His-Teeth will have no qualms about doing this. If the PC leads the tribe, he'll face a rebellion if he refuses to banish Sharptooth and family. If he agrees, Sharptooth and family will almost certainly perish. What to do? (Not sure to what extent we'll keep this in, as Caesar's legion is being moved off the map.)" The Blackfoot leader, Bares His Teeth, considers himself the right-hand man to Caesar,Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 22: "BARES HIS TEETH (INTERM) (CNICHOLAS)Current Packleader of the Hangdogs. He's an arrogant leader full of self-importance. Think of him as the scrawny little bully who hides behind the muscles of his big bully friend. He thinks himself a right-hand man of Caesar, and therefore very important in the wasteland." but most members of the tribe hate the Legion and their tributes and very much want to free themselves from their yoke.Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 8: "Encounter Blackfoot and/or Hangdog raiders (you might have the opportunity to speak before they attack if you have an appropriate rep, they know you, they're low on ammo, they're already traveling with as many slaves/animals as they can handle, or you look really dangerous). Eventually figure out where the raiders are coming from, head to their village. You can attack them, barter with them, or try to earn a place for yourself in the tribe. Help them win over some of their enemies, possibly help them free themselves from the yoke of Caesar's tribute. Possibly acquire Sulik's sister Kurisu as a CNPC. Possibly acquire Chagas as a prisoner."Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 43: "FREE THE BLACKFOOTS FROM THE DAUGHTER OF HECATE/1978Most of the Blackfoots fear the power of Hecate and her Daughters, but unlike Caesar, they see being under the influence of Hecate as a necessary evil, since she's "proven" time and again that she controls the tribe's fertility." If they stop enslaving people the tribute will be the death of the tribe,Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 87: "Deprived of their trade in human flesh, the Blackfoots began to dwindle away as the tribute to Caesar's Legion took its toll. Eventually the Blackfoots scattered to the wasteland, and the hounds of the hangdogs ran wild in the hills once again." but if they stop the Legion will invade.Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 24: "Teacher is intended to be a likable figure, which generates emotional porn if Caesar's Legion comes to deal with the Hangdogs for not delivering Blackjack as promised, because all the dogs in the village will be slaughtered, and Teacher will lie dead among them after trying to stop Caesar's men." Despite this, the Prisoner can further strengthen ties between the two groups.Blackfoot Tribe design documents, page 88: "Get the Blackfoot to break ties with Caesar, or strengthen them"
The Reservation began working regularly with the Legion in 2249,Reservation design documents, page 29: "2249 A lucrative slave trade is established with Caesar’s Legions and the Blackfoot tribe." using them as a source for the slaves they use in their born ghoul experiments.Reservation design documents, page 40: "Pockets of Caesar’s Legions are strewn throughout the FO3 region, and one in particular has developed a fairly lucrative slave trade with the Reservation. The leader, or Centurion Drusus as he calls himself, carries himself with the pomp and dignity one would expect from someone who fancies himself a centurion. Caius also has the air of a seasoned warrior, even from under his heavy environmental suit. He is a commanding presence and is not afraid of being confrontational. He does not wield a shotgun like his soldiers, but he does carry a BIG .45 handgun which he is very capable of using. Caius will not have much to say to the player except if the player has been to the Twin Mothers and dealt with the raiders there who have an interest in Caesar’s Legion. To be blunt, Caius will be blunt and pretty much tell the player to mind his own business unless the player knows of a viable supply of fresh slaves which he and his men can retrieve. Otherwise, piss off!" Horatio is the main member of the Reservation that deals with the slavers, and bargains for them every time the slavers arrive.Reservation design documents, page 39: "On the east side of the Trading Post is a large Army tent. This tent is used specifically for slave trading and is run by a very intimidating ghoul named Horatio. Before becoming a ghoul, it looks like Horatio must have been a very large athlete of some sort, something akin to a football middle lineman or professional wrestler. In either case, it looks like a lot of the size carried over to his present ghoul form. Horatio mainly stays inside the Army tent where he can watch over his newest slave acquisitions and bargain with the members of Caesar’s Legions, the main suppliers of the slaves." Reservation design documents, page 12: "Based on either the negotiations or the player’s actions within the Trading Post, there are several ways the player can get authorized access to the sub-levels - which will be explored in more detail in the Quests section. But as a primer, a couple of ways is to foil a scam being placed on Horatio by a Caesar’s Legion slave trader." When the Prisoner arrives, the head of the slave traders is trying to scam Horatio, which can be foiled.Reservation design documents, page 12: "Based on either the negotiations or the player’s actions within the Trading Post, there are several ways the player can get authorized access to the sub-levels - which will be explored in more detail in the Quests section. But as a primer, a couple of ways is to foil a scam being placed on Horatio by a Caesar’s Legion slave trader."
When the Twisted Hairs were destroyed, a lone woman survived. She wandered to various tribes seeking refuge, but all turned her away under threat from the Legion. After wandering the desert, she collapsed, close to death, near the Nursery. She was nursed back to health by Diana Stone, and taught a lot regarding genetics. Eventually she left to form the Daughters of Hecate, dedicated to the sole purpose of wiping out Caesar's Legion.Ouroboros design documents, page 4: "The Twisted Hair tribe was one of the most domineering tribes in the wasteland. They regularly raided their neighbors for food, supplies, and slaves. They were merciless in their efforts and the other tribes began to fear even the mention of their name. It was during the reign of the Twisted Hairs that Caesar's Legion rose up. The Legion taught the tribes to fight back and the Twisted Hairs were soon driven from their lands. Weakened and on the retreat, the Twisted Hairs were then set upon by the Legion and destroyed. No one was spared, but one woman did manage to escape. She wandered the desert passing from tribe to tribe trying to find someone who would take her in and give her a home. The tribes spurned her and turned her away. They told her that she was cursed, that the Legion had marked her, and that she would bring death to any who gave her succor. Consumed with anger and hatred she fled back into the desert from which she came. None of the tribes ever saw her again. The wasteland consumed her. All that she was was lost to the unforgiving sun and the burning sands. Her mind left her and she forgot who she was. She felt parts of herself drifting away day by day until nothing remained. She fought to hold on to herself but to no avail... until she remembered the anger and the hatred. The Legion had taken all that was dear to her. The tribes had called her cursed, death maiden, dark mother... she would show them all... someday... Finally she paused in her wanderings, collapsed, and let the desert take her."Ouroboros design documents, page 5: "Hecate braided her hair in the fashion of her lost tribe, and then painted her face so that none could recognize her. She traveled to the very same tribes that had rejected her and aided them with her new found knowledge of midwifery and herbal medicine. Once she gained the trust of a tribe, she began to preach her life/death/rebirth religion. She asked that young women of the tribe join her and aid her in helping all the tribes of the wasteland. Thus the Daughters of Hecate were born. Eventually the Daughters began to decide who could marry and who could not, who could have children and who could not. Only a Daughter was allowed to deliver a child into the world and it was done in a birthing tent set apart from the rest of the tribe. No males were allowed in or near the tent. Anyone who disobeyed their edict was either stricken with impotence or their wives bore sickly children. If a Daughter was ever harmed or killed the, men of the tribe were rendered impotent until a new Daughter was assigned to them. And so the Daughters grew in power and infamy. Unbeknown to the tribes, the Daughters were taking the best of their children and replacing them with the weak or infirm. The best of the males were taken to the Ouroboros to become warriors in the Hounds of Hecate. The best of the females were taken to become Daughters. Over the years Hecate watched as the tribes grew subtly weaker and her followers grew stronger and stronger. Soon, vengeance would be hers. Her plan was simple. When the tribes were weak enough, her Hounds would sweep down upon them and annihilate them from the face of the earth. The same would come to pass with Caesar and his legion. When all who had wronged her were gone, she and her people would march upon paradise and reclaim it as their just reward."Ouroboros design documents, page 14: "Hecate is quite insane. She truly believes herself to be the goddess Hecate, the Dark Mother, the goddess of death and rebirth. She believes that she died in the desert of the wasteland, was reborn, and elevated to the status of a god. She has no memory of her past or who she was. However, she harbors a burning hatred for all wasteland tribes and Caesar's Legion. When she was a young woman Caesar's Legion attacked and destroyed her tribe, the Twisted Hairs. Hecate, as she is now known, was the only survivor. She wandered the desert, traveling from tribe to tribe, to try and find someone who would take her in. Every tribe turned her away. No one wanted her among them in case Caesar came looking for her and found her. After days of travel in the desert with no food or water, Hecate collapsed and gave herself to death." If the Prisoner obtains an audience with her at her city of Ouroboros, she will request they wipe out groups of Legionnaires,Ouroboros design documents, page 9: "Request an audience with HecateHecate will grant the player an audience out of sheer curiosity. If he behaves himself he can learn all her history and her plans for conquest. The player can also receive a quest to remove Caesar's Legion agents from various areas in the game." believing them to be spying on her and her Daughters.Ouroboros design documents, page 17: "Caesar's Legion agents:Hecate will ask the player to remove agents of the Legion from specific areas. She is worried that they are collecting information on her and her Daughters."
Two days before the Prisoner escaped Tibbets Prison, a force of roughly 50 to 60 legionnaires attacked the Iron Rivers tribe at Circle Junction to gather slaves.Circle Junction design documents: "They were intended to inhabit one of the first locations you’d leave once you came from Leavenworth (Circle Juncton) – however, the railroad junction station they inhabited would have recently been attacked by Caesar’s Legion, gathering them for slaves back West. I’ve gathered some of the reference images used in the creation of "Circle Junction," and the location map. A huge switching/loading station was in the middle of this camp, and at the start of the campaign, two of the trains from the prison had smashed right through the middle of the camp, scattering tribals and Legion slavers alike (the players would quickly discover that a huge bunch of slavers had headed off in search of the train’s path, so they’re not all there when the player arrives, but they’re in danger of coming back soon)."Circle Junction design documents: "Status of Circle Junction: Two days ago (before the player’s escape?), Caesar's Legion surrounded Circle Junction, on foot, in a force of about 50-60 men, and attacked the Iron Rivers Tribe. Some of the tribe managed to escape on foot through the trough, but many more were killed, and many more were captured." This has happened several times in the past, though the tribe's leaders have no desire to fight back against them.Circle Junction design documents: "Establishing a camp, they posted guards and talked worriedly amongst themselves. Many tears were shed for the fallen, and praise and wonder for the tribe of the 13 that had delivered them from slavery. Some talked of attacking the slavers and driving them from Circle Junction, but the two chiefs, Big Circle and his son, calmed the warriors. The men of the Caesar tribe would leave for the west soon enough, as they had in the past. They merely had to wait them out. The talk of fighting drifted back to more mundane matters, such as getting food and water, and reclaiming the brahmin that had been driven out of the Junction when the slavers were sighted."
==Appearances==
Caesar's Legion was to appear in Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 project by Black Isle Studios, and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2. They also would have played a much more prominent role in the proposed sequel to Van Buren, Black Isle's Fallout 4. 
==Behind the scenes==
* Van Buren developers intended to focus on Caesar's Legion in the game, and the presence of Legion slavers in Denver was meant to hint at their inclusion in the sequel. Much of the Legion content had actually been planned for Van Buren itself, but the team realized the project was too ambitious and pushed it to the sequel.Interview with Sean K Reynolds on Duck and Cover (Archived): "6. What parts of the country does the player get to explore first hand in Van Buren? Also, would there be any references to other part's of the country, both those seen in FO/FO2 and other unseen parts?It takes place in the American southwest (Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah) ... the westernmost sites on the game map are the easternmost borders of NCR, and problems with NCR have a lot to do with what's going on in the game. There are references to the midwest (for a while there was a significant faction from the midwest in the game, but when we realized the size and story had gotten too big we cut them out but left some links in to make an easier transition to FO4). In fact, one of the links is there because of the radioactive twisters Cassidy mentions in FO2."
* The Battle of Hoover Dam as it would have been described in Van Buren was very different in earlier drafts of the event. Rather than a failed Legion invasion, the battle was an NCR offensive, a surprise attack taking advantage of a "Saturnalia-style orgy" at the Legion camp. Members of the 4th Cavalry Division surrounded the camp, then moved in, killing dozens of the drunken slavers.Chris Avellone at "Rolling the Dice on Fallout: Van Buren" at Nordic Game Conference 2015, 0:52: "Battle of Hoover DamThis is the name given to the decisive battle against Caesar’s Legion at Hoover Dam by the NCR 4th Cavalry Division. Taking advantage of a Saturnalia-style orgy in the slaver camp, the NCR forces, guided by intelligence obtained by the NCR rangers, surrounded the camp, then moved in, killing dozens of drunken slavers as they attempted to defend themselves. This military action was welcomed by almost every settlement east of the Divide, and even other slaver bands, who were now able to move in on Caesar’s territory."
==References==
Non-game
Non-canon
 
Category:Van Buren factions
Category:Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2 factions
de:Caesars Legion
es:Legión de César
fi:Caesar's Legion
fr:Légion de Caesar
it:Legione di Caesar
ko:카이사르의 군단
nl:Caesar's Legion
pl:Legion Cezara
pt:Caesar's Legion
ru:Легион Цезаря
uk:Легіон Цезаря
zh:恺撒军团