Lanius

Legate Lanius is the military commander and second in command of Caesar's Legion. He earned the title of the Monster of the East through the bloody and brutal conquests of 19 tribes, with California soon to be his 20th as Lanius arrives at the shores of the Colorado, ready to assault the Hoover Dam.
He is one of the principal characters of Fallout: New Vegas and serves as the final challenge if the Courier sides with the New California Republic and the penultimate challenge if they support Mr. House or an independent New Vegas. If they side with the Legion, then Lanius acts as their military commander and issues order for the conquest of the Dam. 
==Background==
===Origins and myths===
Little is known of who Lanius was before his rise to the rank of Legate, and what is known is inconsistent and frequently contradictory. Caesar presents him as the greatest warrior of the Hidebarks, a tribe of Arizona, whose terrifying battlefield prowess allowed him to wipe out Legion patrols single handed, while his leadership delayed the annexation of the Hidebarks by several months past schedule. When the Legion surrounded the Hidebarks' main camp, their chief decided to surrender, rather than be exterminated. The Lanius-to-be went insane with rage and attacked his own tribe in fury, finally subdued after killing fifteen of his own warriors. Caesar had him rescued and tended to, saving the maimed warlord with most of his face torn off. When the warrior finally regained consciousness, Caesar offered him a helmet forged out of iron, a new face to replace the one he's lost, if he decided to fight for him. Lanius accepted the deal, on condition that he could slaughter all the surviving males of his tribe. Caesar permitted him to kill all the men, retaining the malleable boys for training and indoctrination.The Courier: "I've heard rumors of your Legate, Lanius. What's his story?"Caesar: " is the greatest of my battlefield commanders. Some might call him a great man, but I'm not sure he qualifies. Once, he was the greatest warrior of the Hidebarks, a tribe of the Arizona. Maniacal in battle. Sometimes he'd ambush Legion patrols When, after several we found and surrounded the Hidebarks' camp, their Chieftain raised a banner of surrender. The warrior who was not yet went insane with rage. "The Courier: "What happened when Lanius attacked his own tribe?"Caesar: "He killed fifteen before they brought him down. He didn't die, obviously. I had him tended to. He was , most of face torn off. It was days before he regained consciousness. When he did, I went to his bedside and showed him the helmet I'd had forged to cover his face. I said he could have it if he'd fight for me. He accepted... on condition that he be allowed to kill the surviving males of his tribe. , make it "(Caesar's dialogue)
Other legionaries offer a differing account. Lucius states that the Legate was actually born into slavery, but his natural talents allowed him to reach the status of a full legionary at the low age of 12, just as he was entering puberty and has never lost a battle in his life.Courier: "Is there anything you can tell me about the Legate?"Lucius: "He's the best warrior in the Legion. A full Legionary by the time he was 12, he's never lost a battle. Had the Legate been in command during the Battle of Hoover Dam, the Legion would've won. I have no doubt about that."(Lucius' dialogue) Antony states that it took years to conquer Lanius' tribe, with the survivors being given the mercy of joining the Legion, rather than wiped out to sate Lanius' bloodlust.The Courier: "What can you tell me about Legate Lanius?"
Antony: "It took years for to conquer Lanius' tribe, and showed mercy to the survivors, allowing them to join the Legion. Had the positions been reversed, would be dead. Lanius is called the Monster of the East because he never, ever shows mercy."(Antony's dialogue) Outside of Legion tales, Joshua Graham, the first Legate and confidant of Caesar, has no recollection of Lanius during his years in Caesar's service.The Courier: "You don't think Lanius can lead the Legion?"Joshua Graham: "I think only Caesar can lead the Legion. I've never met anyone who could take his place. I couldn't. I never had a mind for logistics. I don't know Lanius, but from what I've heard, he has no interest in leading anyone unless it's in battle. No. The Legion dies with Caesar. What follows now are just the last steps of a man who does not yet realize that he's walking dead."(Joshua Graham's dialogue) However, all of Arizona was under the Legion's control by the time of Graham's fall, and there is no explanation as to how Lanius would have escaped Graham's notice.The Courier: "And since forming the Legion, all you've done is conquer other tribes?"Caesar: "That's right. Decades of warfare, absorbing lesser tribes, gathering power. Forging the dross into a vast, razor-sharp scythe. My Legion's expansion has never ceased. Much of the Utah and Colorado, and all of Arizona and New Mexico, are mine. We have cities of our own, but nothing compared to Vegas. Finally, my Legion will have its Rome."(Caesar's dialogue)
It is not a stretch to surmise that Lanius is not so much a specific person, but a myth, a weapon in his own right, capable of bolstering the morale of his own men through his ruthlessness, and ruining that of his opponents.The Courier: "He's just one general. I can handle him."
Ulysses: "Lanius carries all the terrors of the East with him. He's the myth, the weapon the Legion needs. When he arrives, he'll fall on Hoover Dam like a hammer, the Bear in two."(Ulysses' dialogue) Lanius is keenly aware of his mythical status and is careful to cultivate it so that he might serve the Legion as a symbol.The Courier: "He must have a weakness."
Ulysses: "His strength lies in his title - and it is his weakness. He will not fight a losing battle and destroy what he represents. Put the idea of loss in him. Convince him the Bear will not be the twentieth tribe beneath his heel, it will make him pause like nothing on earth. You do not need to convince him alone. Draw upon history. The past of other Legates are not filled with victories. Remind Lanius of this."(Ulysses' dialogue) He even had his own slaves struck blind so that he might never be looked upon without his mask, or to hide certain facts that don't correspond with the myth, like his face being intact.The Courier: "Who is Legate Lanius?"Ulysses: "Lanius... the "Butcher." Not even his slaves have seen his face - struck them blind so they can't. Wears a mask, don't even know if it's the same man. He put Colorado to the sword, broke the Hangdogs by throwing their hounds upon the flames, so they might burn forever in the afterlife."(Ulysses' dialogue) Many other slaves, especially women, feared him greatly.The Courier: "What do you know about Legate Lanius?"Siri: "The Legate is not a man to be crossed, especially if you're a woman. That's all I will say about it."(Siri's dialogue)
===Campaign in the East===
Before arriving at Hoover Dam, Lanius was responsible for a campaign of expansion to replenish the Legion's numbers and rebuild the army into an even more powerful instrument of war after the failure at the dam in 2277. He led the conquest of Colorado, putting its tribal populations to the sword or annexing outright. In Denver, he broke the Hangdogs by throwing their revered hounds onto burning pyres, so that they might burn in the afterlife. The campaign lasted for years, stretching Legion supplies to the breaking point. The lack of food, water and especially replacements took a heavy toll on his forces and taught him the value of logistics... While the near-defeat seared itself in his mind, making him wary of over-ambitious plans.The Courier: "As Legate, do you really believe that, or are you taking a chance?"
Lanius: "Hnh. when taking Denver, I had to face such a challenge. Many died, over many years to claim the city as ours. What I felt in that struggle, I felt as I saw the map of the West. The West is a trap. The bear has already been caught in it, and it is dying."(Lanius' dialogue)
His last campaign before he was ordered to take the Hoover Dam by Caesar took place in the wilds of Utah. At the conclusion of the campaign, Lanius' forces assimilated 14 tribes and exterminated 5 more, for a total of 19 tribes.The Courier: "Who is this Legatus you mention?"
Gabban: " prides himself on selecting the right tool to overcome each new obstacle. In Lanius, he found his hammer. He's never been defeated in battle. 14 tribes have laid down arms at his boots. Another five, rendered extinct. His latest campaign in the wilds of the Utah has concluded, and he is en route. When he arrives, your doom arrives with him."(Gabban's dialogue) The victory by Gaius Magnus achieved after his arrival has apparently added a twentieth, judging by the distinct armor the centurion was granted.Armor of the 87th Tribe All these tribes could not stop him and the NCR was to be the next great conquest.The Courier: "Any idea on how to beat him?"Ulysses: ""(Ulysses' dialogue) To the legionaries, his mere arrival was a harbinger of doom for the Republic.
===Fact or myth?===
As a symbol, Lanius was the perfect legionary. His very name, Latin for "butcher," was granted to him after victory in several battles.The Courier: "You're the Legate, I'm guessing?"Lanius: "I am the commander of this army. The Son of Mars has granted me the name Lanius. And the time to serve him has come once more."The Courier: "What does Lanius mean?"Lanius: "The word means 'butcher' in Latin. I was granted the name after proving myself in several battles. Perhaps after today's battle, you too will earn yourself a new name."(Lanius' dialogue) His legendary brutality led to him being considered a savage beast, and Caesar made a point of noting that he was supposedly only loyal to Caesar himself, with no love for the Legion. His apparent lack of loyalty to the greater organization was considered an asset, as he cared little for battlefield losses or legionary deaths in general. All that mattered to him was victory over the enemy, at any cost. To reinforce his reputation, Caesar relied on Lanius to implement punitive measures against under performing Legates and centurions: Executing the officer in front of his troops, then having every tenth legionary in the disgraced unit beaten to death by his peers.The Courier: "He sounds more like a savage than a general."Caesar: " is savage. Savagely loyal, too, but only to me - he has no love for my Legion. But this has its uses. He has no attachment to his men, no compunction about battlefield losses. All he cares about is destroying the enemy. When another legatus or a fails to achieve results, I send to make things right. His first step is to beat the failed commander to death in front of his assembled troops. Then he orders the ritual of ."(Caesar's dialogue) The decimatio (decimation) was a terrifying ritual and has caught the attention of Radio New Vegas, which promptly disseminated the news across the Mojave, bolstering Lanius' mythical status in the Mojave.Radio New Vegas news report from Bitter Springs.
This carefully cultivated myth made out Lanius to be a brutally effective commander, legendary for his devotion to Caesar and to sense weakness in any army.Fallout: New Vegas loading screens: "Legate Lanius, the Monster of the East, is the military commander of all Caesar's forces in the field. He is legendary for his devotion to Caesar and for his ability to sense weakness in any army." To his foes, he was a brute not known for subtle tactics, capable only of mounting ferocious, but ultimately simple tactics like frontal assaults and wave attacks, seeking to overcome the NCR through sheer brute strength.Courier: "Any speculation on Legion tactics?"Robert House: "With Caesar dead, it's hard to know what to expect. The Legate, Lanius, is renowned as a brutal man, not a subtle tactician. Frontal assaults, wave attacks - these are the sort of tactics one would expect from such a man. The Legion will mount a ferocious and determined frontal assault from the east, that much is certain. Still, Caesar is a capable strategist. I'd be surprised if he hasn't found some way to infiltrate the dam, or the NCR's rear areas."(Robert House's dialogue) His allies also saw little more than a tenacious beast, which would drive its fangs into its prey and pay no attention to losses as long as the enemy hurt more. Capable, of course, of detecting traps and laying its own, but a beast nonetheless.The Courier: "What can you tell me about the Legate?"Vulpes Inculta: " He thinks nothing of suffering losses, so long as the enemy suffers more. Though unsubtle, he is not dim. He detects traps, and sets his own. Be glad you will not have to face his judgment... if you are true to ."(Vulpes Inculta's dialogue) 
Though not the only legate, he is the foremost of his rank, serving as both the highest marshal of Caesar's forces and his heir apparent. Most feared what would happen to the Legion should Caesar die, leaving Lanius to seize his mantle and claim control over the vast army.Vulpes Inculta: ""(Vulpes Inculta's dialogue)Vulpes Inculta: ""(Vulpes Inculta's dialogue) Many of them rightfully so.Fallout: New Vegas endings
===The man behind the mask===
But Lanius was no beast. He was worse: A man, with a strong ideological foundation driving his beliefs. To Lanius, war was the crucible of civilization, where the weak were consumed as fuel, allowing the strong to be forged and rise to greatness.The Courier: "Where you see death, I see change - and I see it as a strength."Lanius: "[SUCCEEDED] Hnh. My coming would have saved you, set your people free in ways they cannot see. War would have tested them. Broken the weak with its violence, yet allowing the strong to arise. Violence gave you that strength, awakened you - I can see it upon your face, where two bullets left their mark."(Lanius' dialogue) A beast would have no respect for diplomacy. While he prized martial aptitude above diplomacy, he did not disparage those who fought with words.The Courier: "Maybe you're willing to listen to reason."Lanius: ""(Lanius' dialogue) What he disdained was treachery, especially Vulpes' methods:The Courier: "What can you tell me about the Legate?"Vulpes Inculta: " With at the head of the Legion, however, I doubt he'll have much use for my services. He prefers... direct methods."(Vulpes Inculta's dialogue) Although he accepted it as a ruse in Caesar's service, he disliked the notion of the Omertas' uprising playing a role in the Legion's victory, believing that it would sully the honesty of a victory through strength of arms.The Courier: "Good, because the Omertas' plan was stopped, Vegas is as strong as ever."Lanius: " I can only hope that the Omertas died when their treachery was exposed, to have the plan succeed only would have sullied the Legion. It does not matter, victory shall be ours, it shall be swift, and it will be honest, purchased with blood."(Lanius' dialogue)
In the NCR, Lanius saw passable foes. Excellent in combat at range, with leaders that exhibit occasional brilliance and with respectable fighters in the form of the Rangers. However, politics resulted in Lanius being faced by the less capable General Lee Oliver instead of the cunning Chief Hanlon, a fact that Lanius considered regrettable.The Courier: "What do you think of the NCR?"
Lanius: "They are passable foes. But their rangers are few, and this General Oliver we face is not their best. I regret not being able to face Hanlon, the one who led them last time."(Lanius' dialogue) However, he also recognized the boon the NCR bestowed upon him: Hanlon was keenly aware that the new Legate would not repeat the mistakes of the old, wasting men in futile assaults on entrenched army unit. Oliver was not, believing him to be the savage he was made out to be.Courier: "Why do they call Lanius the Monster of the East?"Hanlon: "Oh, the usual reasons. People say he's enormous, carries a big sword, chops peoples' heads off. That's not what makes him a good commander, though. Folks say he came from a heck of a tough tribe, took Caesar a long time to conquer. It was thanks to Lanius. But once Caesar broke him, he was born again. He'll go anywhere and do anything to win. Legion says he can smell weakness. Once he finds out where an army's vulnerable, he'll go to it like a dog for the throat."(Hanlon's dialogue) This weakness was what Lanius would use to secure victory for Caesar: Using intake pipes and maintenance tunnels, legionaries would infiltrate the dam and strike simultaneously with the surface forces, enveloping the NCR forces and destroying them without risking defeat due to attrition.The Courier: "I'm ready. What is the plan?"Lanius: "In the past, the NCR has relied upon attrition, withering our numbers with ranged fire and falling back as necessary. Not this time. The dam contains tunnels to its heart, overlooked by the NCR... now occupied by the Legion. When the battle begins, the NCR will find our teeth at their throats in a dozen places. There will be no attrition, no falling back, only carnage."(Lanius' dialogue) The strategy was risky and required speedy execution: Delays could allow the NCR time to regroup and form a counteroffensive.The Courier: "Any idea what our chances are?"Lanius: "Their men take comfort in - and rely on - killing at a distance. They will not have the luxury of such comforts this time. Our warriors will wash over them in a tide of blood, severing arms before they can attack, legs before they can run, and heads before they can pray. So yes, fortune favors our chances, messenger. Provided *you* move quickly."(Lanius' dialogue)
However, although Lanius revered Caesar and the Legion, his master's contrarian words notwithstanding, Lanius had his reservations about the entire campaign.The Courier: "Are you looking forward to the battle?"Lanius: "I live to serve Caesar's will - and the will of the Legion. If my victory serves them both, then I am pleased."(Lanius' dialogue)The Courier: ""Lanius: "Caesar's will is the will of the Legion. And the West... all beneath the flag of the Great Bear exist to test the strength of the Legion. The West shall fall as the East fell, and all the tribes that stretch to the setting sun shall bear the mark of the Legion."(Lanius' dialogue) With the lessons of the conquest of Colorado and especially Denver, the cursed city, fresh in his memory, Lanius considered the West a trap, rather than a treasure. The Republic's troubles in maintaining effective control over its territories and providing for its people only confirmed that perception. Though he was ready to march on it for Caesar, he was also ready to return East and continue refining the Legion, if defeat (whether immediate or distant) was possible.The Courier: "There is victory in wisdom, Legate."Lanius: "As for wisdom... there is wisdom in your words, / of the West. Know that I shall return East. I shall not remain there forever. On that day, the strength of the bear shall be tested. If the West is one day filled with ones such as you, perhaps it shall be a worthy fight, indeed."(Lanius' dialogue)
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
* Veni, Vidi, Vici: Legate Lanius will be the one who gives the final order to the Courier, and also the one who congratulates them after the battle.
* No Gods, No Masters, All or Nothing, Eureka!: At the battle of Hoover Dam, Lanius can be convinced into retreating with numerous Barter and Speech checks, respectively 55, 65, 75, 85 and 100. One Speech route will convince him that the vast territory of the NCR is its weakness and that the Legion will not be able to claim and hold it without highly weakening their presence in the East. Another Speech route will convince him that factions within Legion want him removed from power and he should take care of said matter first. The Barter route will convince him that the West is not self-sufficient and too dependent on the NCR and its supply caravans, so it would be extremely difficult to maintain. If a Speech or Barter check is failed during the conversation, it is also possible to take a different Speech angle to bluff and convince him to flee, suggesting that this fight was too easy because a trap lies in wait for him, and that the player character is only telling him this because it would be dishonorable to defeat a foe in such a way.
* If the Speech or Barter checks cannot be passed, or the wrong dialogue is selected at the near-end or the beginning, he will prepare to engage combat, and the Courier will have a unique good or evil Karma dialogue option that will, respectively, convince him to fight the player character alone honorably (good), or through taunting the Legate (evil) by calling him a "shithead" and telling him to fight the Courier alone "if [he has] the spine for it," regardless of whether or not they have followers with them (requires 80 Speech).The Courier: "[Karma] Any man can claim bravery when he outnumbers his opponent."Lanius: " I have seen little of true battle this day. And you were brave to come here to face me when all of NCR would not. No man will say I refused your challenge."(Lanius' dialogue)The Courier: "[Karma] Why don't you fight me yourself if you've got the spine for it, shithead."Lanius: "{Takes a ragged, angry breath} "(Lanius' dialogue)
===Final Battle===
* The final battle with Legate Lanius is more heavily scripted than almost any other encounter in the game. Lanius takes a number of scripted actions during the battle intended to make him a more challenging fight:
** When Lanius' health drops below 60%, he will use his healing powder, causing him to regenerate 8 hit points every second for 27 seconds. He has 5 doses of healing powder and will constantly use them as their effects wear off.
** When Lanius' health drops below 40%, he will run off and hide to regenerate health. While doing this, he temporarily ceases hostility, causing allies to stop targeting him. This also causes all his limbs to be restored to 100% condition. After several seconds, he will run to his original starting position and then resume attacking the Courier.
* Lanius has several special attributes; limiting some options when engaging him.
** Lanius is 80% faster than a normal non-player character and is able to outrun the player character even with both of his legs crippled.
** Lanius has significantly more fatigue points than a normal non-player character, making him extremely difficult to knockout.
** Lanius cannot be disarmed of his weapon.
** Lanius cannot be reverse pickpocketed.
** Lanius' Blade of the East has a 15% knockdown chance, causing him to frequently knock opponents to the ground.
** Lanius will equip a 9mm pistol if the player perches themselves in a place he cannot reach either through traversal or with melee attacks. 
===Effects of player's actions===
* If the Courier sides with the Legion and allows Caesar to die because of his brain tumor, Lanius will become the new leader of the Legion. He is far more ruthless than Caesar, and handles several things differently than Caesar would have if victorious. For example, he would have Arcade Gannon crucified rather than keeping him on-hand as a doctor, slaughter the people of the Strip upon arrival at the gates of Vegas, have Chief Hanlon crucified with the other NCR Rangers rather than grant him a swift death out of respect, exterminate the Followers of the Apocalypse rather than give them safe passage out of the Mojave Wasteland, and pursue the Enclave remnants rather than recognize it as a lost cause.
==Inventory==
==Notes==
* "Lanius" is Latin for "butcher."
* He is also the only member of the Legion to call Joshua Graham by his true name.
* Lanius performs human sacrifices to Mars, the Roman god of war.
* Trying to use any exploits to reach his camp earlier in the game will not make him appear. He only appears at the end of the game. However, he can be found in the normally inaccessible Legate's war tent.
* In the add-on Lonesome Road, after completing the quest The End or The Apocalypse with Ulysses alive, when spoken to, he will mention Legate Lanius.
* A height modifier of 1.15 makes Lanius 6'11" (2.10 m) tall, the tallest human non-player character in Fallout: New Vegas.
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
Lanius appears and in Fallout: Wasteland Warfare. He is mentioned by Joshua Graham in Honest Hearts and Ulysses in Lonesome Road.
==Behind the scenes==
* Lanius was designed by John Gonzalez and Chris Avellone."Who created and designed Legate Lanius, and why there are so many inconsistencies in his background(s) and his actual appearance? Like him being a legionnaire since 12 in one story, having his face destroyed (in-game he's OK) in another, and so on."Joshua Sawyer: "John Gonzalez and Chris Avellone."Josh Sawyer Formspring March 18, 2011 answers"Who came up with Lanius and was he inspired by anything in particular? Lanius is an amazing character by the way."Joshua Sawyer: "I think Lanius was developed by John Gonzalez, but Chris Avellone wrote the dialogue."Josh Sawyer Formspring April 12, 2012 answers Chris Avellone wrote all of Lanius' dialogue.Joshua Sawyer on Twitter: "Chris Avellone directed and did much of the character writing for Dead Money, Old World Blues, and Lonesome Road (and also wrote Lanius in base F:NV). Travis Stout also did character writing for Honest Hearts, OWB, and Lonesome Road. 6/8"
* The voice actor for Lanius, Mitch Lewis, would later reprise his role as Lanius in the Fallout fan film Fallout: Lanius.
* According to Joshua Sawyer, Lanius (and also Joshua Graham) being unscarred is not indicative of a lie but engine related limitations.Joshua Sawyer Twitch stream clip
==Gallery==
NCRPropaganda6.png|NCR propaganda poster featuring Lanius
Lanius.png|"For the Legion!"
Lanius in wartent.jpg|The Legate in the war tent
Vbandlanius.jpg|Lanius as he appears on the Achievement/Trophy for completing "Veni, Vidi, Vici"
FWW Legate Lanius.png|As seen in Fallout: Wasteland Warfare
FOWW Legate Lanius UnitCard.png|Unit Card
Fallout wasteland warfare Caesar's legion military command.png|Fallout: Wasteland Warfare
Legate Lanius Front.png|Legate Lanius Collector's Edition playing card
===Magic: The Gathering===
Fallout Magic Legate Lanius, Caesar's Ace.png|Legate Lanius, Caesar's Ace
Fallout Magic Battle of Hoover Dam.png|Battle of Hoover Dam
Fallout Magic Battle of Hoover Dam Extended Art.png|Battle of Hoover Dam (Extended Art)
==References==
Non-game
Category:Caesar's Legion characters
Category:Fallout: New Vegas human characters
Category:Honest Hearts human characters
Category:Honest Hearts mentioned-only characters
Category:Lonesome Road human characters
Category:Antagonists
Category:Collector's Edition playing card characters
de:Legat Lanius
es:Lanius
fr:Légat Lanius
it:Legato Lanius
pl:Lanius
ru:Легат Ланий
uk:Легат Ланій
zh:拉尼厄斯