Ug-Qualtoth

Ug-Qualtoth is a mythical characterFallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition, p. 635: "Miscellaneous Quest: The Dark Heart of BlackhallMain Characters:MAIN PATH 1: Obadiah Blackhall, MarcellaMAIN PATH 2: Obadiah Blackhall, Marcella, Jaime Palabras, Ug-Qualtoth" revered as a supernatural entity by some in the wasteland, variously described as an eldritch being and a forgotten god.Fallout: The Roleplaying Game: "Ug-QualtothMuch of what is known about this entity comes from the mad ravings of captured swamp folk. Many say it’s a forgotten god, while those who worship it suggest it may not be so forgotten after all. It is known that the Dunwich Brothers believed in it enough to purchase and excavate land to unearth a great monolith supposedly dedicated to the alien entity. Of course, most knowledgeable and civilized people dismiss the rumors as the product of fevered imaginations. Signs of deities of any kind are few and far between in the wasteland. Why spend time and resources on this one?On the other hand, if there is a god of the post-War era, it would almost have to be an eldritch horror from beyond human imagining..."
An altar dedicated to the worship of this being, called the Dunwich Obelisk,Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition, p. 641: "Interior Notes: Virulent UnderchambersOr, you can quickly and directly head for the carved obelisk itself. The power emanating from it is making you tremble. Without delay, produce the Krivbeknih, and jam it into the obelisk, burning it beyond recognition, and setting the Ghouls ablaze. Quickly rid yourself of the final foes.The Dunwich Obelisk shares its origins with the Krivbeknih, but only the Screaming Sound of Ug-Qualtoth can wield this power." resides in the virulent underchambers of the Dunwich Building . Ug-Qualtoth is also the subject of worship by Obadiah Blackhall .
==Background==
=== Pre-War history ===
Little is known about who or what Ug-Qualtoth actually is. Most information regarding the figure is shrouded in layers of religious zeal, insanity, and mutation. It is known that the figure is worshipped as a deity in the region of Point Lookout, Maryland.Disaster relief outpost terminal entries; Marcella's terminal, Obadiah Blackhall Rumors pertaining to Ug-Qualtoth pre-date the War, though not necessarily by name. 
Constance Blackhall was an unnaturally long-lived woman who led a cult at Point Lookout, both before and after the war. She acted as a priestess to the swampfolk and led them in rituals she divined from the Krivbeknih, an ancient book tied to Ug-Qualtoth.Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition, p.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 the Capital Wasteland) Her brother, Richard Dunwich, was an industrialist, and a noteworthy occult figure in his own right. His company, Dunwich Borers LLC, functioned as a front for his occult affairs, and also served as a means to conduct private archaeological digs. While his company raked in money by providing mining drills to megacorporations like Poseidon Energy, the funds were used to advance the cult's agenda. Their mining operations served as a cover for occult archaeological digs. The company's poor safety record also served to obscure what was de facto human sacrifice at Dunwich sites.Fallout: The Roleplaying Game: "Richard Dunwich's Washington, D.C.-based company made rock-tunneling drills. These mammoth engines of industry made possible the mining and resource extraction necessary for companies like Poseidon to thrive, for societies like pre-War America to be built, and for weapons like those used in the Great War to be produced. Although a favorite of its industrial clients, Dunwich had a more sinister reputation among its workforce. They had an abysmal record of safety, keeping employees on through a combination of high paychecks and 'morale-building' events that sought to sweep their accident rate out of the public spotlight. This neglect frequently claimed lives of employees and family members.A persistent, but likely ridiculous rumor, holds these deaths were not as accidental as Dunwich claimed. Richard Dunwich, and his brother Constance Blackhall, were known for an obsession with the occult. A marble quarry where they tested their drills was known to cover the site of an ancient temple to dark gods, whose adherents routinely practiced human sacrifice. Some say the poor safety protocols at Dunwich facilities, and especially at the quarry, were a modern form of sacrifice intended to bring eldritch attention and supernatural powers to corporate leadership. None can say for certain, as Dunwich Borers, LLC and nearly all their records were destroyed in the Great War." The Lone Wanderer: "That can't be the only way to destroy it."Marcella: " Constance had a brother, Richard Dunwich. He was a wealthy businessman outside of the city to the north, had a company building there. His obsession with the occult was as great as her own, and there's an object of great evil in that building. The book has been drawn to it before. To take the book there would destroy it. You would have to take that journey, though, and you must not fail if you attempt it."(Marcella's dialogue) 
The Dunwich Building was erected in a remote location near Washington, D.C., and Richard was able to use his company's resources to excavate a cavern below the building. He ordered his his managers to grant unaffiliated staff early leave for the holidays, starting October 18, 2077.Dunwich Building terminal entries; Herman Granger's terminal, 10/18/2077: "[10/18/2077]//coughing// Memo to Sales staff. In recognition of an exemplary quarter, Mr. Statham has authorized me to release sales staff early for the holidays. //unintelligible// It was no easy task to release a new acoustic borer to a market used to conventional bit-bore drilling systems, but thanks your hard work and //unintelligible//, acoustic bore drills are setting a new standard in the excavation industry. //coughing// Thanks to your many private sales and procurement of government contracts, we'll all be in the black for the foreseeable future. Happy Holidays from Mr. Statham and Dunwich Borers! Now get home to your families! //applause//" For the next week, he used new acoustic bore drills to search for something below the building. He broke through into a subterranean chamber on Saturday, October 23: The Great War.Dunwich Building terminal entries; Herman Granger's terminal, 10/23/2077: "[10/23/2077]//unintelligible// Thmmmmmmmmmmkkkkkkkaaaakkkkkkkkaaaaaaaakkkkkkmmmmm //unintelligible// NOTICE TO USER: PagSoft LLC recommends against sustained recordings in a low-frequency environment. Continued use in this manner voids all hardware warranties. Auto-dictator v223 powering off automatically."'' 
What became of Richard Dunwich after he gained access to the obelisk is unknown. While he was breaking into the chamber, another similar discovery was made in Massachusetts: immediately before the Great War, a ritual was performed at the Dunwich Borers quarry, wherein several employees were apparently bound against their will and turned into feral ghouls.The Bob Stanson, Bradley Ramone, John Hatfield, and Tim Shoots feral ghoul NPCs at Dunwich Borers.Dunwich - Tim ShootsVisions experienced by the Sole Survivor during gameplay. The employee Tim Shoots helped orchestrate the ritual by monitoring his co-workers.Dunwich - Tim Shoots A blade called Kremvh's Tooth was left on an altar at this site, placed between two mini nukes at the bottom of a flooded shaft. 
But, Dunwich and his corporate associates were far from the last to seek out the power of Ug-Qualtoth. 
===Post-War history===
Nearly half a century later, the building continued to be visited by cultists of Ug-Qualtoth, or those who succumbed to its influence. As early as 2134 and as late as 2277, people lost their minds at the Dunwich Building, and raved that Ug-Qualtoth had "returned" to the "deep temple" where it was both born and died.Dunwich Building terminal entries; Herman Granger's terminal, 3/27/2134Dunwich Building terminal entries; Herman Granger's terminal, 4/27/2134Dunwich Building terminal entries; Herman Granger's terminal, 5/1/2134
The reality of Ug-Qualtoth's boons appears to be self-evident: due to her possession of the Krivbeknih, Constance Blackhall lived an unnaturally long life in the irradiated swamplands of Maryland, and ruled the cult for generations. She only died when the book was stolen from her. By this time, the cult had permeated the culture of the locals in general, and the swampfolk in particular. Without the guidance of the Blackhalls, these beliefs lost coherence, and devolved into a set of performative chants and rituals, alienated from their original meanings.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) 
Generations later, Obadiah, the last surviving Blackhall, was determined to recover the book.The Lone Wanderer: "Krivbeknih? What are you on about?"Marcella: "Yes, the Krivbeknih. The Blackhall family has a long, evil history with the book. It was lost to them long ago, but it's found a way back to Point Lookout, and Obadiah seeks to reclaim it."(Marcella's dialogue) His ancestors' cult has faded into obscurity, but sites bearing the name Dunwich are still feared as places of corruption and death.The Lone Wanderer: "Is there anything else interesting to see near Girdershade?"Ronald Laren: "My friend, you are at the ass end of the Capital Wasteland. If it weren't for Sierra I'd be out of here. One thing I can tell you is stay the hell away from the Dunwich Building to the south. That place is bad mojo. I dunno what that place is about, but I hear about weird shit going on."(Ronald Laren's dialogue) He festers in isolation as the lord of Blackhall Manor,Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition, p. 636: "ORATORY WITH OBADIAH BLACKHALL, AND A MEETING WITH MARCELLABehold the lord of the manor, and last of the Blackhall line." which houses a secret altar to Ug-Qualtoth behind the bookshelf in the billiards room.Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition, p. 637: "ORATORY WITH OBADIAH BLACKHALL, AND A MEETING WITH MARCELLAThe Billiards Room has a table with balls and other debris, and a sturdy-looking bookcase. It can’t be moved...at least, not by you."
The book re-emerged in the late 23rd century, recovered by Jaime Palabras' father, a Ranger from 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) They traveled to the Capital Wasteland, hoping to sell it to the scribes of the Brotherhood of Steel. He later abandoned his son in a derelict hospital one night.Jaime's personal journal: entry 01 The scribes refused to buy the book, and the Ranger vowed to return the book to its source. Jaime picked up the trail, eventually tracking down his father and the Krivbeknih to the Dunwich Building.Jaime's personal journal: entry 04 His father died with the book in his possession, and Jaime soon followed, becoming a ghoul and a guardian of Ug-Qualtoth's deep temple, awaiting a "feast" that would result in Ug-Qualtoth being "born again."Jaime's personal journal: entry 09
However, the Krivbeknih did not remain at the Dunwich Building, but found its way south, to Point Lookout, into the hands of the swampfolk, who promptly used it for ritual purposes.Ritual site Obadiah Blackhall would shortly attempt to recover it, to reunite it with the Blackhalls and regain its boons, returning Ug-Qualtoth to the world through a ritual conducted at his manor.Obadiah Blackhall: "'"(Obadiah Blackhall's dialogue) Marcella, a Christian missionary from the Abbey of the Road, would attempt to interfere with his plans.The Dark Heart of Blackhall She believed that the only way to permanently destroy it was to bring it to the virulent underchambers beneath the Dunwich Building and press it against the obelisk.The Lone Wanderer: "He has, as a matter of fact."Marcella: "I thought as much. Listen to me very carefully, child. You mustn't bring it to him. That book is known as the Krivbeknih, and it's a thing of evil purpose."(Marcella's dialogue)Marcella's last wordsDunwich Building interactions: "Dunwich Obelisk: This Obelisk shares its origins with the Krivbeknih. Just being near it makes you uneasy."Action: "Press the Krivbeknih to the Obelisk's surface."The Krivbeknih is destroyed, bringing The Dark Heart of Blackhall to an end. Doing so will cause the nearby ghouls to burst into flames.
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
* The Dark Heart of Blackhall: The Lone Wanderer can destroy the Krivbeknih on Ug-Qualtoth's altar, instead of giving it to Obadiah.
==Notes==
According to the Fallout 3 Official Game Guide, the Dunwich Obelisk shares its origins with the Krivbeknih, but only the screaming sound of Ug-Qualtoth can wield this power.
==Appearances==
Ug-Qualtoth is mentioned , its add-on Point Lookout and . Confirmed altars to Ug-Qualtoth appear in Fallout 3 and its add-on Point Lookout.
==Behind the scenes==
The portrayal and context of Ug-Qualtoth parallels several elements of the Lovecraft Mythos by H. P. Lovecraft:
* The Dunwich Building was named as a direct reference to Lovecraft's short story The Dunwich Horror. The name Ug-Qualtoth evokes Yog-Sothoth, one of the eldritch beings whose offspring wreak havoc on the eponymous village of Dunwich. Similarly, the role Ug-Qualtoth plays among the swampfolk is similar to that of the Whateley family, who were responsible for the eldritch offspring. This parallels a common motif in Lovecraft's works: Ancient, shunned, and frequently deformed families with dark ties inhabiting the dark corners of the world.
** The Fallout 3 Official Game Guide includes an image captioned, "Ug-Qualtoth knows the gate. Ug-Qualtoth is the gate. Ug-Qualtoth is the key and guardian of the gate!"Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition, p. 640: "Violating the Forsaken Dunwich RuinsUg-Qualtoth knows the gate. Ug-Qualtoth is the gate. Ug-Qualtoth is the key and guardian of the gate!" This is a quote from The Dunwich Horror which originally pertained to Yog-Sothoth.
** Dunwich Borers is a pun on The Dunwich Horror.
** A character named Adam Whateley would later find another buried obelisk in Winter of Atom.
* The descent into the depths of the Dunwich Building, along with the discovery of Jaime Palabras at the altar of Ug-Qualtoth, also resembles the plot of The Rats in the Walls. In it, the last member of the Delapore family restores the family's former manor in England, Exham Priory, and takes up residence there, only to discover a horrifying secret within its depths that drives him to madness. 
** This also bears some resemblance to aspects of Obadiah Blackhall's premise, namely Blackhall Manor.
* In the original version of Point Lookout, the tribe (known in cut content as the "Krvibi") worshipped Ug-Qualtoth, an apparent homage to similar themes in Lovecraftian works. Many if not all of these lines are still voiced in the game files. At some point, the story was revised so that the swampfolk were the group directly worshipping Ug-Qualtoth.
** In the final version, the tribe worship the Mother Punga. Their religion is concerned with dream worlds, another famous Lovecraftian motif.
*Jaime utters the name "Alhazred" while raving, a name which can also be heard by the player in the ambience at the Dunwich Building, the Red Racer factory, the ritual site, and the sacred bog. In the fiction of the Lovecraft mythos, Alhazred is the author of the Necronomicon, a mythical book of morbid rituals. The Krivbeknih is a direct stand-in for the Necronomicon.
**Winter of Atom would later introduce a pre-War occultist's revolver called the Magnum-nomicon.
==Gallery==
Bloody sketch.png| Sketch of the obelisk found in the Dunwich Building cut from Fallout 3 (also present in the files of Fallout: New Vegas)
Ug Qualtoth close up.png|Close up of the figure on the obelisk
FO3 Dunwich qualtoth profile.png|Profile view
==See also==
* Ritual site, where Ug-Qualtoth is worshiped through sacrifice.
* Blackhall Manor, which also hides a bloody altar to Ug-Qualtoth.
* Dunwich Borers, another subterranean ritual space once owned by Richard Dunwich, where a strange art deco sculpture was found.
* The Interloper, whose lair hides a mysterious obelisk, as well as several unearthed art deco sculptures.
* The Buried City, where a similar obelisk is hidden.
==References==
Non-game
Fallout: The Roleplaying Game
Cut content
Category:Fallout 3 mentioned-only characters
Category:Point Lookout mentioned-only characters
Category:Fallout: The Roleplaying Game characters
Category:Mythical figures
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