Swampfolk

Swampfolk are a mutated type of human found in Point Lookout in 2277. They are hostile to the Lone Wanderer whenever encountered.
==Background==
Descending from the destitute locals inhabiting the swamps of Point Lookout,Disaster relief outpost terminal entries; terminal, Log Entry 003 the Swampfolk suffer from major mutations due to radiation and shallow gene pools.Point Lookout loading screen: "The Swampfolk denizens of Point Lookout are the product of exposure to heavy radiation and generations of poor breeding." They have earned a reputation for their territorial, xenophobic customs.
Swampfolk will address anyone from outside their territory as "Outsider" and attack them on sight. The only people known to peacefully trade with them are the "marsh folk," those who live within Swampfolk territory but outside their secretive, insular group. These local marsh folk have their own distinct culture.The Lone Wanderer: "How bad is Orange Fever?"Marguerite: "Nothing you can catch, if that's what you were wondering. Marsh folk catch it all the time. Lucky my family has a special still pot for tonic-makin'."(Marguerite's dialogue)
===Pre-war history===
The people of Point Lookout were known to be distrustful of outsiders even before the Great War. Their ancestors proved extremely isolationist and hostile to the outside world, particularly the U.S. government; a volunteer relief worker and two military personnel were attacked by Point Lookout locals before the War.Disaster relief outpost terminal entries; terminal, Log Entry 004Jet crash site The only other government presence in the area was a concentration camp and a Naval recruiting center.
The modern Swampfolk culture stems directly from a cult led by Constance Blackhall. She instructed them in ritual using the Krivbeknih, a tome related to Ug-Qualtoth. Her brother, Richard Dunwich, was obsessed with understanding this mysterious entity, though he may not have known it by name.There is no pre-War deployment of the term "Ug-Qualtoth," even in Fallout: The Roleplaying Game, but it is known that Richard Dunwich obsessively pursued related rumors. He ultimately located the Dunwich Obelisk and arranged the excavation of a strange sculpture at Dunwich Borers immediately before the War. With the Krivbeknih's power, Constance was able to wield influence over the Swampfolk, both before and after the War. 
===Post-War===
Constance was able to extend her life with the power of the book. Her grasp on the Point Lookout region remained strong well after the bombs dropped. According to local legend, the Krivbeknih was eventually stolen from her, at which point she succumbed to an unnaturally late death.Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition pp.661-662: "[1.02] Blackhall Manor Constance Blackhall was obsessed with the occult. She turned her newfound wealth into a means of acquiring archaic texts and artifacts. The most notorious of these was the Krvibeknih. Constance drew a small circle of devotees to herself, styling herself a priestess of an obscure sect based around the book. Constance lived an unnaturally long life, even in the radiation soaked marshes of Point Lookout. Local legend states that the Krvibeknih was stolen from her, and without it the woman succumbed to a death that should have found her generations before. Her legacy, having permeated the provincial culture of Point Lookout, persisted, but what little structure existed within that group deteriorated with no form of leadership. Theirs is not so much a faith as a collection of incoherent chants and rituals, their meanings long forgotten.The Blackhalls have stubbornly clung to existence, but Obadiah appears to the last of their line. He knows that the Krivbeknih has found its way back to Point Lookout, and intends to reclaim it, with the hopes of restoring power over the swampfolk to his family."(Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition Tour of Point Lookout)The Lone Wanderer: "Not really, I usually bludgeon first and ask questions never."Obadiah Blackhall: "Ha! Spoken like a true roughneck. That's good. I could use a person of mettle like yourself. You see, a family heirloom of mine has been stolen. This heirloom - a book - has been stolen by those swampfolk cretins. Smash some heads, bring it back, get paid. What do you say?"(Obadiah Blackhall's dialogue)
At some point during or after the 2250s, a mysterious Ranger acquired the Krivbeknih in the mid-wastelands,Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition pp. 77-78: "Jaime PalabrasJaime was born in the mid-Wastelands to a Ranger. His father returned to camp from an expedition with a thick book, bound in odd black leather and stamped with strange glyphs. Convinced the book would fetch a high price, his father traveled to the Capital Wastes to offer it to the Brotherhood of Steel Scribes. Despondent, Jaime's father vowed to return the book "to its source."(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) and brought it to the Capital Wasteland in hopes of selling the book to the Brotherhood of Steel. They appraised the book and refused to purchase it. He subsequently abandoned his sonJaime's personal journal: entry 01 and vowed to return the book to its source. After this, the book ultimately found its way into the possession of the Swampfolk.
In 2277, these folk perform the same bloody rituals and chants instilled in their ancestors by the Blackhall family, centuries ago. They torture people to deathThe human remains on the altar at the ritual site are surrounded with stimpaks. at the sacred ritual site where they keep the eldritch tome. Here, they chant incoherently while they sacrifice in misguided accordance with pre-War traditions warped beyond recognition, their original meanings long forgotten.
==Characteristics==
===Practices===
The Swampfolk adhere to a secretive spiritual belief system based on the occult practices instilled in them by Constance Blackhall. Contemporary anthropologists have speculated the Swampfolk are still true believers in the occult, and some postulate they still pray to Ug-Qualtoth,Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition pp.44-45: "SwampfolkAlthough Point Lookout did not suffer a direct hit during the Great War, the radioactive fallout can be seen in the indigenous population that have slowly devolved over the decades, and now sport the "Point Lookout look." Sporting sinewy, pockmarked bodies oozing with strength and pus, the Swampfolk are a violent and stupid bunch, and they don't take well to strangers. They have a rudimentary belief system, and mark their territory (which is everywhere north and west of Point Lookout Township) with fetishes: straw dolls hanging from trees and bone totems. Anthropologists have speculated the Swampfolk have a belief in the occult, and some postulate they pray to a hitherto unknown entity named Ug-Qualtoth. Frighteningly strong, and ferociously territorial, they are among the most dangerous adversaries you may face."(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles) as their ancestors had under the Blackhalls.
The areas in which they live are all decorated with specific icons and effigies. The Christian missionary Marcella compares their iconography to the Vodou, Santería and Obeah belief systems,The Lone Wanderer: "What do you make of all the bones and dolls on sticks around here?"Marcella: "Swampfolk fetishes or totems. They probably mark territorial lines, or maybe are involved with rituals of some kind. I've read about a lot of primitive beliefs that use similar symbols. Vodou magic, Santería, Obeah. Fascinating, if somewhat disturbing. Though the underlying beliefs seem quite dark, I'm not sure they're anything more than an empty set of traditions to the swampfolk."(Marcella's dialogue) all of which originate in the Caribbean. It seems she studied these traditions (as documented by Christians) at the Abbey of the Road. She cannot say if the Swampfolk understand the meaning of the religious symbols they perpetuate, or if their echoes of such traditions are hollow and performative.
Their totems are wrought from roots,Not only are the totems visibly formed from roots, but a "potted totem" can be found at the Trapper's shack. woven through branches, teddy bears, impaled mannequin heads, and the skeletal remains of humans and brahmin. These decorations serve both as a warning to outsiders and as ritual objects relating to their private religion. They are overall comparable to the totems once fashioned by the Cult of the Mothman. Additionally, many cloth dolls representing little girls can be found dangling from trees in Swampfolk territory, not hanging by their necks, but bunched together by the center of their bodies. Dolls are also commonly hung from or impaled upon the totems themselves.
At the deepest chamber of the ritual site, mutilated gore is piled with some punga fruit upon an altar. Past this, the Krivbeknih is found in a small holy font, cradled alongside a skull covered with a thin layer of meat. Upon closer inspection, the gore on the altar was once a human laying on their back. The head was replaced with a cloth doll, and another doll was placed sitting on the chest. Both face forwards, towards the lower area of the remains, maintaining symmetry. The ritual knife is found among this display. The remains are surrounded by stimpaks.
===Physiology===
Although Point Lookout did not suffer a direct hit during the Great War, the effects of the fallout can be seen in the distinct features they have developed over the decades, the signature "Point Lookout look." Furthermore, the New Plague epidemic affected their lives severely, as the local pre-War population saw a major outbreak, leading to a decline in public health which the area never recovered from.Disaster relief outpost terminal entries; terminal, Log Entry 001
The Swampfolk are described as having sinewy, pockmarked bodies oozing with strength and pus, as well as being violent, superstitious, isolated, and uneducated. Obadiah Blackhall, descendant of Constance Blackhall, alleges that inbreeding has compounded these problems.The Lone Wanderer: "Marcella's dead, you callous prick."Obadiah Blackhall: "Forgive my indiscretion. Still, with her death I see no reason for you to keep hold of that book. For all you know, the same fate may befall you. Ah, Marcella. A religious fanatic in her own right. Don't believe anything the woman says; her mind is as addled as those inbred swampfolk."(Obadiah Blackhall's dialogue) All of them have misshapen heads and various other deformities. Some have visibly stitched skin.
===Gameplay attributes===
Swampfolk usually attack in groups of two to five. They are territorial, and even though they are marked as enemies in the HUD, they do not actually become hostile until the player character gets too close or shoots at them. However, the range at which they become hostile is quite far, more than one hundred feet. Usually, the groups will consist of at least one melee attacker, which is often the strongest of the group, who charges while the others behind them attack with firearms. 
Swampfolk, like tribals, do an additional 35 damage to the player character with all of the weapons they normally use, due to a scripted object enhancement. Should these weapons be destroyed, they will immediately seek out a replacement. However, they will immediately engage in unarmed combat should there be no viable backup weapon. 
Swampfolk are also extremely resistant to damage. Bruisers and trackers shield their faces with their mutated arms when charging, making a clean headshot difficult. Despite this, V.A.T.S. may still display 95% as the calculated success chance.
They set a trap for player characters looting the basement of the trapper's shack. Upon exiting the location, several frag mines have been set, surrounding the entrance to the basement. A small party of hidden Swampfolk will then converge on the player.
==Variants==
===Brawler===
Brawlers are large, but not as large as trackers and bruisers. They wear clothes that actually fit them, which consist of overalls with an orange shirt underneath. They are tougher than scrappers, but somewhat weaker than creepers, and are roughly on par with a super mutant brute in terms of durability and skill.
===Bruiser===
Bruisers are stronger and have substantially more health than trackers and, like creepers, are covered in blood. They wear a very bloody "Bill's" mechanic outfit, with the "Bill's" tag still readable. Like trackers, they only engage in melee combat and use axes. Like the tracker, even when unequipped, they can still inflict large amounts of damage with only their fists. In fact, bruisers have an even higher unarmed damage rating than deathclaws. They also punch very fast, making blocking very difficult. Like their tracker cousins, they are slower than deathclaws or feral ghoul reavers, and lack ranged attacks. 
===Creeper===
Creepers share the same body structure as scrappers, but have blond hair and blood on their hands, chest, mouth, pants and boots. They are stronger and have almost three times as much health as scrappers, and are slightly more durable than a super mutant master.
===Scrapper===
Scrappers are the smallest and weakest of the Swampfolk. They are skinny with distended bellies and only wear pants and boots. They have somewhat more health than regular super mutants. They also appear to have the least amount of mutation/disfiguration on their skin and body (excluding their body structure) compared to the other Swampfolk of Point Lookout.
===Tracker===
Trackers are very large Swampfolk (standing roughly seven feet tall) who will either attack the Lone Wanderer in hand-to-hand combat, or use melee weapons like axes, due to the fact that trackers have extremely swollen or clubbed fingers. This means it would be nearly impossible to fit their fingers into a firearm. They run with a hop to their step and are very strong and durable. Like the bruiser, even when unequipped, they can still inflict large amounts of damage with only their fists. Trackers are not strongly affected by the dart gun, as even after having their legs crippled they can still run at close to their normal speed. While running, they put one of their swollen arms in front of their face, making it harder to score a headshot in V.A.T.S. They can survive somewhat more damage than a deathclaw or sentry bot, but are slower than deathclaws and also lack ranged attacks. They also have stitches on their stomachs like the bruisers. 
==Associated characters (marsh folk)==
There are a few characters who, while not regular Swampfolk, have some ties to them. Marguerite calls these people with unmutated appearances "marsh folk."
* Kenny was born to Swampfolk parents, but lacked their deformities and thus became an outcast.
* Jackson is another who was not born with the Swampfolk look, but it is unknown how the Swampfolk view his cult and his activities.
* Marguerite lives in the bog with the Swampfolk. While she lacks severe deformities, she is still considered to be a local by others because she ferments alcohol.
* Haley has lost his memory, but he believes himself to be a local, as they are willing to trade with him.
* Obadiah Blackhall's family historically shares spiritual beliefs with the Swampfolk, but in modern times, Obadiah keeps his distance from them. He despises them for taking The Krivbeknih, the key to his family's influence over them in previous generations. Though the Swampfolk seem to leave him be, Obadiah still abducts them for sacrifices to Ug-Qualtoth, judging by the beheaded creeper found at the altar beneath Blackhall Manor.Obadiah Blackhall: ""(Obadiah Blackhall's dialogue)
==Notes==
* The player character can wait and fast travel while close to Swampfolk that have not noticed them.
* Swampfolk territory can often be spotted from a distance by their distinctive totems and hanging icons.
* Bruisers have blackened nails that appear to be sharpened.
* Swampfolk produce slightly brown-green gore upon being gibbed, rather than the standard human red.
* The models for the Swampfolk totems are located in a folder called "bonetrees."
* Some Swampfolk may carry human flesh. A strange meat pie found at the trapper's shack serves as further evidence of their cannibalistic habits.
* Swampfolk can be observed dancing around the beachview campsite, but nowhere else on Point Lookout, and only after the conclusion of the main Point Lookout questline.
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
Swampfolk appear only .
==Behind the scenes==
* During development of Point Lookout, the original plan was for the Swampfolk to be a single model and the production and animation of that model would be outsourced to another studio. These were to be the only pieces of concept art made for the add-on.Fallout 4 Point Lookout Mod with Joel Burgess and Nate Purkeypile (17:29)Kenneth Vigue: "Did you have concept art or did you just really start diving and start building? Or is it just y'know, you two on napkins at Denny's at 2 a.m.?"Nathan Purkeypile: "Yeah, the only concept art that we had was for the swampfolk 'cause that one was getting outsourced. And the concepts even were from an outsourcing firm. All that bandwidth was on Skyrim. For the world itself though, like the look of the trees, I just found a cool picture of trees and most of the other things are like that, we found cool-looking things online as sort of reference touch points and extrapolated from there." Three concepts (a comparison of potential small-medium-large sizes to choose from) were drafted for what was supposed to be the only new character type in Point Lookout, but due to a communication mishap, all three designs were shared with the outsourced studio and created. This was not caught until all the work was completed on the models and animations. Lead designer Joel Burgess compared the incident to receiving extra pizza from a store, that could not be returned.Fallout 4 Point Lookout Mod with Joel Burgess and Nate Purkeypile (48:17)Joel Burgess: "We knew we were probably only going to get one swampfolk and... so we basically said, so 'let's have...' We did very little outsourcing, right? So this was sort of like an experiment for us almost, to do the outsourcing support? So since we're not really sure which size we want, let's kind of have them do a small-medium-large and then we'll pick one. And that baton got handed off and never got handed back until all three of them - so we had received the paintings or whatever, we're like 'uh, I dunno, maybe we should do the big guy, maybe we should do the little guy.' And later all three of them showed up, and... It's like getting extra pizza, you can't return it to the store, right? So we just had three guys and I assume we paid for three guys, but hey, I dunno, it's not my problem, so..."
** In the Point Lookout sound files, there are some voice lines for female Swampfolk (voice type DLC04femaleyokel) that never made it into the game. The text for the quotes are almost the same as the male ones, except the voice lines are placeholder recordings, performed by a man in the place of future recording by a woman, which never actually happened. Female Swampfolk were not included because the enemies were originally only supposed to be one model anyway and development never got that far (see the above bullet point).Fallout 4 Point Lookout Mod with Joel Burgess and Nate Purkeypile (49:48)Nathan Purkeypile: "People ask 'oh, why was there not women hillfolk?' It's like, well, 'cause we weren't even supposed to have more than one, that's why. Wasn't even... [laughter] if we were gonna do more, sure, we would have done that."
* In the G.E.C.K., Swampfolk are considered creatures, and part of the super mutant faction. They fill the gameplay niche of super mutants in Point Lookout. They also share the super mutants' heavy footsteps, even among the smaller variants.
* Regarding the dancing animation for the Swampfolk at the beachview campsite, Burgess remarked that Bethesda had a "ratchet" motion capture setup in the studio at the time, and the team convinced level designer Jeff Browne to do a "hoe-down" in the mocap equipment. As a rather tall person, Browne had the right proportions for the animation. Browne ended up dancing for "about 45 minutes" and the animation was almost cut because they kept Browne in the mocap for too long.Fallout 4 Point Lookout Mod with Joel Burgess and Nate Purkeypile (1:03:39)Kenneth Vigue: "The dance animation... where did that come from?"Joel Burgess: "In a word? Jeff. We had the most ratchet MOCAP situation during Point Lookout, right? We had a very weird architectural corner, like an ugly bump in the hallway. And we had some very outdated MOCAP tech there that we sort of rigged together. And we convinced Jeff Browne, who's a level designer, lead LD on Skyrim. We convinced him because he's this tall guy, so he's sort of like, had the right proportions. We said like, 'alright, we're gonna strap some MOCAP ping-pongs on you and we just want you to do a hoedown.' And we just had him dancing for like 45 minutes in the corner of the studio. And that kneeslapper, that was gold, so that went straight in with some cleanup."Nathan Purkeypile: "'Trust us Jeff, this is important.'"Zanthir: "How many takes did you force him to do?"Joel Burgess: "He was there for a while. Yeah, in fact, that's probably why it almost got cut, because we kept Jeff too long on the MOCAP stage." Years later, Browne became a mocap artist for Bethesda on Starfield.Into the Starfield - Ep1: The Endless Pursuit
* During development, Swampfolk would spawn infinitely and sometimes be found waiting in masses outside of interior exits, which lead artist Nathan Purkeypile described as his favorite bug that was fixed pre-release for Point Lookout.Fallout 4 Point Lookout Mod with Joel Burgess and Nate Purkeypile (46:34)Nathan Purkeypile: "My favorite is when they would spawn forever, like hundreds of them."Zanthir: "We actually ran into that exact issue, is when after you loaded an area that had one, that spawned, when you entered an interior, then they would just spawn infinitely while you were in the interior. So when you came out, there were just thousands of them and your FPS just tanked down to nothing."
** This may have inspired the Swampfolk ambush which occurs when the player exits the cellar of the Trapper's shack.
* According to lead producer Jeff Gardiner, the Swampfolk take inspiration from the films The Hills Have Eyes and an "ironic take" on the movie Deliverance.Exclusive Fallout 3 Point Lookout Interview: The new enemies share, in my opinion, a strong resemblance to the Boomers from Left 4 Dead. Am I imagining things or…?Jeff Gardiner: "Lot of folks here play Left 4 Dead – but the inspiration for the new 'Hillfolk' found in Point Lookout is more 'The Hills Have Eyes,' or some ironic take on 'Deliverance.' "
** The Swampfolk were referred to as "Hillfolk" in several pre-release media articles.E3 2009: Fallout 3: Point Lookout Hands-onBethesda geeft meer details over Fallout 3: Point Lookout (Dutch source)
* The "Point Lookout Look" is a reference to the concept of the "Innsmouth Look" from H. P. Lovecraft's novella The Shadow over Innsmouth, which is the result of a local, contained population engaging in inbreeding as well as breeding with amphibious monsters they worship.
==Bugs==
* One specific scrapper, creeper or bruiser near the ritual site will spawn one frag grenade every 30 seconds as long as you stay in the same cell as the dead Swampfolk. 
* Swampfolk may be targeted in V.A.T.S. and after exiting, said Swampfolk may spawn several feet in front of you. 
==Gallery==
Brawler-Swampfolk-HD.png|An alternate render of a brawler
In Combat.jpg|A scrapper in combat with the player
Uyckuy.png|Player combat with a tracker
Swampfolk concept.jpg|Concept art by Wesley Burt
PL Ritual site sacrifice totem.jpg
FO3 PL Swampfolk in tunnel.png
==References==
Non-game
Category:Point Lookout creatures
de:Sumpfbewohner
es:Gente del pantano
pl:Ludzie z bagien
pt:Swampfolk
ru:Болотный народец
uk:Болотний народець
zh:泥沼族