Graham Bryant

The founder and leader of the Iconoclasts.

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> He is so obsessed with preaching that he's become blind to our actual problems!
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> —Zora Blackwood
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**Graham Bryant** is the leader of the Iconoclasts on Monarch.

## Background

Prior to the evacuation of Terra One, Graham was a low-level editor for Monarch Stellar Industries, writing for their product catalog, his job's purpose being to "spread awareness of saltuna in its various forms." His supervisors observed that, even though he was a gifted writer, he had a tendency to flout the rules and his writing contained some subversive undertones. Although he originally bought into the corporate way of life as a manner of finding motivation and meaning, Graham eventually became cynical as he realised that the corporations treated their employees as no better than pets, and longed for a more human connection than his current life could provide him. He discovered Philosophism and began to believe that his purpose was to spread the word of "the Eternal Truth" to the rest of the world.

When the Hazard Clause was invoked and the evacuation of Monarch began, he and fellow MSI executive, Sanjar Nandi were informed by Hiram Blythe about a loophole which would allow for MSI to take full control of the planet. Graham and Sanjar believed that this provided them with an opportunity to dismantle the corporate system, even if they had different interpretations of this intention. However, they were unable to convince the other MSI executives of their plan, so Graham made an arrangement to remove this hurdle.

Graham's frustration with the inaction made him desperate. He informed a crew of pirates about the wealth that could be found in Amber Heights and provided them with the gate access codes to break into the settlement. On the night of the pirate attack, Graham slept safe in Stellar Bay, while the rest of his colleagues were being massacred.

After the Amber Heights massacre, Sanjar took over ownership of MSI, something which Graham viewed as a betrayal of the ideals which he believed motivated them both. This caused a fracture in their friendship and Graham became ever more zealous about spreading Philosophism to those left behind on the planet, founding a group known as the Iconoclasts. Even as the Iconoclasts settled in Amber Heights, Graham was reluctant to speak of the events that happened there and this was interpreted by his followers as grief over the loss of his former colleagues. His true reaction to the events that happened ranged from guilt to denial to belief that his actions were ultimately justified.

As leader of the Iconoclasts, Graham prioritised the spreading of Philosophism to the rest of Halcyon, using the Devil's Peak Station broadcast channel to hijack Halcyon News Network's programming on locations including Groundbreaker and spending Iconoclast resources on securing a printing press which would allow them to better disseminate their message. This has led to disagreements between Graham and his second-in-charge, Zora Blackwood, who disapproved of prioritising evangelism over the welfare of their people.

## Player interactions

If the Stranger investigates the pasts of both Graham Bryant and Zora Blackwood, Blackwood can be led to believe that she must supplant Graham as Iconoclast leader, based on his actions amid the infamous Amber Heights massacre. Graham can't be persuaded to accept this move, and must be killed to make room for Blackwood. These events can enable the establishment of an Iconoclast-MSI alliance.

### Related quests

* The Commuter: Graham asks the Stranger to meet with Carlotta at the Bayside Terrace Warehouse and collect a shipment of vital supplies.
* Pay for the Printer: Graham asks the Stranger to travel to Terra One Publications and secure the printing press there.
* Canid's Cradle: Graham asks the Stranger to retrieve the targeting module from a crashed gunship so the Iconoclasts can storm Stellar Bay.

## Companion reactions

* Ellie: (after hearing that Graham sent the Van Noys to Terra One Publications) *"You're lucky they don't have airlocks on Monarch, or someone would've helped you into one by now."*
* Maximillian DeSoto: Very vehemently comments on the statements and "philosophy" of Philosophism. Arguing with **Graham** during the questioning of the Stranger. Also, after meeting and talking with the heads of the iconoclasts, he expresses a little more approval of Zora Blackwood.

## References

1. ↑ Graham Bryant: *"Before all this? I was a writer for MSI's product catalog. It was my purpose to spread awareness of saltuna in its various forms."*
2. ↑ Terminal, Executive Review - BRYANT, GRAHAM, Archives, Records and Miscellaneous Storage (Monarch Wilderness)
3. ↑ Graham's Terminal, The dangers of a corporate society, Amber Heights (Monarch Wilderness)
4. ↑ Hiram Blythe: *"Back when the colony was still Terra 1 and corporations were abandoning us left and right - I'm the one who approached Sanjar and Graham with the means to our salvation. I offered them a legal way to take control of the planet. If MSI were the only corporation here, they could claim sole ownership."*
5. ↑ Sanjar Nandi: *"Graham seemed like a reasonable man years ago. We both agreed that MSI's treatment of its workers was untenable. I thought reforms would be enough. I didn't realize he wanted to abolish the corporate system entirely."*
6. ↑ Hiram Blythe: *""I gave Sanjar and Graham legal information that would allow MSI to own Terra 1 once the other corporations had abandoned the planet. The execs had their concerns, but before the matter could be resolved, pirates raided their homes in the night."*
7. ↑ Graham Bryant: *"If I were the type of man to make that decision - and I assure you, I am not - I'd have to be so obsessed with dismantling their regime that I'd turn to desperate measures. I have since learned that their mistakes will end them in time, and that we will persevere where they do not. But back then... suffocating under that oppressive culture... I can understand a lesser man than myself making a terrible, ghastly mistake."*
8. ↑ Interior Terminal, Manual Log Entry, Abandoned Relay Station (Monarch Wilderness)
9. ↑ Zora Blackwood: *"Let's see. These are old. Looks like correspondences between the pirates. Some bits here, some there, some... wait. This... this one's got the Amber Heights gate code on it. Just like the one I found earlier. And here's... a letter? Wait, this is from Graham. Oh, of all the... Captain, he gave them the gate codes.*"
10. ↑ Sucker Bait
11. ↑ The Stranger: *"You're avoiding the issue. You set pirates on innocent lives."*
Graham Bryant: *"I did no such thing. Their deaths came in the night, while I slept in Stellar Bay."*
12. ↑ Graham's Terminal, Sanjar and the betrayal of his truth, Amber Heights (Monarch Wilderness)
13. ↑ Sanjar Nandi: *"Once upon a time, Graham and I saw the same problems with MSI - a rigid corporate structure with no regard for its people. But where I wanted to reform MSI, he only wanted to take it apart. As if starving in the wilderness is somehow better than starving under corporate mismanagement. He wouldn't hear reason. And I doubt any of his successors will either."*
14. ↑ Zora Blackwood: *"Graham isn't fond of talking about the history here. He had friends who worked here. The massacre hit him pretty hard."*
15. ↑ Hiram Blythe: *"Some say Graham suffers from nightmares that leave him sweat-drenched and screaming. I would assume it stems from the friends and family he lost in Amber Heights all those years ago."*
16. ↑ Graham Bryant: *"Free will is a double-edged sword, Captain. The universe judges us all. Whether your choices are helpful or harmful to the cosmos is not up to you. Those executives were found to be poisonous to the spirit of humanity. They were doomed - whether by the hands of man or beast, their time was coming to an end. And here I am, a paragon of the Eternal truth, leading a society of like-minded people. The universe has found me worthy, despite whatever sins you believe I've committed. Let us speak no more of this, Captain. We have a message to spread and a colony to save."*
17. ↑ Gladys Culkelly: *"Every once in a while, we get these snippets of radio chatter - Edna shows them to me. Some man hootin' and hollerin' 'bout \*the light in us all\*. Claims he's transmitting from Monarch, but who knows if that's true?"*
18. ↑ Hiram Blythe: *"I was delayed by MSI and the Iconoclasts. The idiots were scrambling all transmissions to override each other's broadcasts. But as you've shut them down - I'm back in business."*
19. ↑ Pay for the Printer