Hiram Tolliver

“
Hiram Tolliver is someone, a guy, idk who they are, but they exist.
”

— A Wiki User

**Hiram Tolliver** is a supporting character in Beacon Pines. He is the father of Fitz, and runs the "Bag N' Wag" found at Beacon Pines' marketplace.

## Profile

### Appearance

Hiram Tolliver is an adult squirrel with brown fur with tan undersides and possesses a lot of brown hair on areas of his face, including his messy hair, bushy moustache and thick eyebrows. He also has red tuffs of hair in his ears, a red nose, brown eyes.

For attire, he’s dressed in a buttoned-up green sweater vest alongside a brown collared shirt with rolled up sleeves. His trousers are brown and requires a belt to hold them up, and he also has black shoes with brown laces. On his face, he wears a brown pair of square glasses.

### Personality

Hiram is shown to be rather timid, being easily startled, evasive to any sort of risk and cracking under pressure during stressful situations. He is also effortlessly duped (as seen when Rolo and Beck trick him), and proves to be unsubtle (a fact plainly illustrated when he tries to pass obtaining a secret message as a jam delivery). Despite being unprepared to tackle the mysteries of Beacon Pines, the man tries his best to prevent any further harm to the town, and occasionally manages to be capable.

His daughter also finds him embarrassing and, according to Mrs. Fratelli, he makes a habit of being late to meetings.

### Background

At some point before the events of the game, Gran convinced Hiram and Mrs. Fratelli to join her in conspiring against Perennial Harvest, using jars of jam to deliver messages to avoid suspicion. They eventually discovered The Source and learned that it produces the unrefined Tempus Liquamine (which altered Eleanor's appearance to what is seen in Beacon Pines' modern day, a fact Hiram likely knew of). Due to the substance ruining a large amount of Eleanor's life and wishing to stop whatever Perennial Harvest was planning, they decided to destroy The Source, with preparations being nearly complete by the time the game begins.

## Story

### If “Shit” Was Chosen at “Rendezvous with Roxy”

At the start of Chapter 3: Finding a Friend, Gran receives a phone call from Mr. Tolliver. While it is unknown what he says during their conversation, Gran tells him to calm down and that he’s uncertain about his actions, though Gran claims that he did the right thing. After she tells him to start gathering people, she promises to be there soon and hangs up. It is later learned that he told her about Rolo’s disappearance.

### If “Strange” Was Chosen at “Hazardous Hectoring”

After Hiram's phone call to Luka's gran, the two enter the Last Chance Diner together, where they apparently stayed for a while. When they left, Dawn follows them due to finding their behavior suspicious.

Just as Luka leaves his house for Mission Control, Gran, Mrs. Fratelli and Hiram approach, so Luka hides in a nearby bush and listens to the three adults’ discussion. Gran asks if her associates understand each of their roles, and while Fratelli confirms her reliability, Hiram voices his concern about the lack of time this plan has had to be constructed. He follows up by mentioning that this wasn’t a part of the original plan and, after a pause, states they’re all in danger now. In response, Gran refuses to let that danger persist while Fratelli simply tells the man to be alert. After a quiet breath, Hiram pledges to help, though still wishes a deal with Heiress Valentine could’ve been struck. Gran reminds him that, due to his morning phone call, she didn’t have the time to arrange it. Mrs. Fratelli then states that “Plans change”, and soon after the three agree that “Operation Sparkplug” has a new objective, Gran ends the meeting by stating they’ll have another meeting after the festival.

### If “Struggle” Was Chosen at “Warehouse of Horrors”

Mr. Tolliver can be found in the Market Area, shining an apple. When Luka walks up to him to deliver his jam, but his attempt to get the man’s attention causes him to yelp and drop the apple, his arms flailing to stop its descent being fruitless. Luka apologizes, though Hiram claims to not mind too much, and proceeds to lean forward to quietly inquire if the jam Luka has is for him. The boy confirms this, but after Hiram leans even more forward and asks “Jam?”, Luka specifies that his are the ones on the top of the basket, and that they have his name on them. Leaning back, Mr. Tolliver raises his voice and loudly thanks Luka for the jam (putting emphasise on the word “jam”) before collecting his jars. Winking at the boy, he claims that he will put them on his store shelves immediately.

If Luka still has deliveries to make, he says as much to Hiram, prompting the man to say “Of course” three times, with the third delivery of the line being italicized. If he is the last to be delivered to, Luka asks if he can leave the jam basket with him, to which he says “of course” three times (as described in the previously mentioned way).

### If “Break” Was Chosen at “Whether Weather”

During Luka, Rolo and Beck's search around Gran’s secret basement, Hiram enters the house to destroy the evidence of Gran’s intentions to blow up The Source. When he discovers the entrance of the room being open, he’s suspicious of somebody already being in there, and so as he walks down the stairs, he calls out in the hopes somebody would respond, promising whoever’s listening that he’s simply here to help. He reaches the bottom without anyone revealing their presence, and just as Hiram concludes he was alone, Rolo tackles him to the floor, knocking the man unconscious.

Discovering who Rolo assaulted, the children tie Hiram to a chair at the start of the next chapter and decide that one of them should interrogate him. Who ultimately does is dependent on the Charm chosen at the Turning Point “A Beginner's Guide To Hostile Interrogation”, which occurs at the start of this chapter.

### If “Chill” Was Chosen at “A Beginner’s Guide to Hostile Interrogation”

Luka stirs Mr. Tolliver by flashing the table light on and off, trying to play off Rolo’s actions as a mistake, and reveals that Rolo and Beck are still in the room. While initially cautious, he forgives the trio and promises to call it even if they get him out of his restraints. Ignoring his request for freedom, Luka asks why Hiram is here, though the answers the man gives is purposefully vague, with him only disclosing that he’s here to help Juniper and that he’s willing to show them what he and Gran had been up to when he’s free. Luka questions if they can trust him, and Hiram (seemingly disappointed with what the boy said) responds by pointing out how he’d been nothing but helpful and welcoming to the VanHorns ever since Gran moved in. Luka voices his uncertainties on why they would need his father’s old notes and explosives for their plans, but Hiram once again promises an explanation if his bonds are released, swaying him to release the man. When freed, Mr. Tolliver manages to shuffle towards the light switch whilst talking to the kids about their plans, and after darkening the room, manages to rush up the stairs and trap the trio in the basement. Shouting behind the door, he tells them that this is for their own good, and that they should let the adults handle “this”.

### If “Hard” Was Chosen at “A Beginner’s Guide to Hostile Interrogation”

Rolo shouts and slams the table to wake Mr. Tolliver, proceeding to shine the table lamp in his face when he is roused, blinding him. Putting on a gruff voice and threatening him, Rolo demands to know why Mr. Tolliver was here, to which the man (not recognizing his “captor” as Rolo) replies it was to help Juniper. Rolo then claims he and Gran are trying to blow up the festival, but Hiram denies this. Rolo pressures the man into telling him where she is, and despite his voice fading to a whisper, he manages to mention she was travelling to The Source, as well as the fact that it was where Beacon Pines and “it all” began. Ignoring the man’s obvious distress, Rolo ordered an explanation for “Operation Sparkplug”, though the man passes out before he could comply. The children then decide against questioning him further due to feeling guilty for Rolo pushing him as hard as he did.

When Luka returns from the Library, Hiram isn’t in the secret basement, likely being freed by Gran.

### If “Sly” Was Chosen at “A Beginner’s Guide to Hostile Interrogation”

Snapping her fingers to stir Mr. Tolliver, Beck apologizes for what happened and pretends to be in the basement for the same reason as Hiram. He asks if Juniper sent her (a divulgence that surprises Beck due to how quickly she got important information), which she confirms, using her knowledge of Operation Sparkplug to make the claim more convincing. Hiram questions why Gran would send a child, though Beck uses the dubious nature of the declaration to her advantage by stating she did so to avoid suspicion, as nobody would expect a child to be involved.

Mr. Tolliver falls for the ploy and is released from his bonds when Beck notices her discomfort, once again apologizing for the situation and blaming her actions on never knowing who to trust in the town, which Hiram finds relatable. Beck then goes through why “both of them” are here, prompting Mr. Tolliver to finish her sentences whenever she wishes to learn something from the man, causing him to disclose that he’s here to destroy any evidence that could connect them to The Source’s destruction.

He then asks if Beck needs assistance to clear the rest of the room, an offer she declines. Hiram is gladdened to here this and reveals that he heard a radio transmission the other day where the phrase “Underground Secrets” was uttered. Despite suggesting it could be a password, he follows this by mentioning Juniper’s dismissal of the discovery and the fact he doesn’t know where it would be used. Convinced by Beck that she was in on the plan, satisfied with knowing his work was being taken care of for him and urged by the girl to learn more about the password, he jauntily walks out of the room, but not before informing her it makes him uncomfortable.

Beside the “Welcome to Beacon Pines” sign, Mrs. Fratelli can be seen waiting for Mr. Tolliver, who makes her annoyance at the man known by saying “that man would be late to his own funeral”.

### If “Malice” Was Chosen at “Windows to The Soul”

Gran, Hiram and Mrs. Fratelli break into Perennial Harvest’s Headquarters by using explosives on one of the building’s walls at the start of Chapter 8: Comeuppance. After Mrs. Fratelli helps him up (as he fell down during the blast), they enter and find Clipboards guarding The Founder’s office. Gran knocks them out and the three enter the room, only to find Luka, Rolo, Beck and Nelly there. Despite Luka encouraging everyone to leave for the festival and his sprite exiting the room alongside everybody else, Hiram and Mrs. Fratelli aren’t seen for the rest of the chapter.

### If “Change” Was Chosen at “The Vile Vial”

During Epilogue, he makes his daughter stock his store’s shelves for the summer. If the player interacts with her, Fitz airs her grievances with Luka, claiming that when he said the activity “builds character”, he actually meant “builds calluses”, though the man interjects (due to him being very close by) and reinforces what he said.

If Luka interacts with Mr. Tolliver, he offers the boy an apple, but he declines and states he’s only here to say “hello”. After exchanging greetings, Hiram asks Luka if he can tell his mom that his store needs a new crate of jam. Luka acts surprised due to how quickly he went through the prior batch, causing Hiram to reflect on how he used to hide the jars at the back due to worrying others would learn about their secret messages, and how their current status of “spy jam” has caused them to fly off the shelves.

## Trivia

* He is the only character to have their name in a chapter title (said chapter being "Chapter 7: The Interrogation of Hiram Tolliver").

## References

2. ↑ “I had no time to contact her after your call this morning.” - Gran, Chapter 4: Our Harvest Awaits
3. ↑ “Operation Sparkplug has a new objective” - Gran, Chapter 4: Our Harvest Awaits
4. ↑ “And now, her *one* shot at destroying The Source, that damned hole that swallowed so much of her life, was gone. Traded for this jagged hole in a wall and a foolhardy shot at rescuing Rolo” - Storyteller, Chapter 8: Comeuppance
5. ↑ “When my shift at the newsstand was over, they still hadn’t left.” - Dawn, Chapter 4: Our Harvest Awaits