Duchess

Duchess, or Maude, is the owner and operator of the Wayward in Appalachia.

Background
Prior to the Great War, Duchess worked as an ER nurse for three years. After leaving the profession, Duchess found a new calling as a drug kingpin operating out of Welch, dealing chems such as Buffout. She had an enforcer called Butch and a client named Roberta Decland during this time. Her operation was large and successful enough to attract attention from government agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco, Firearms and Lasers, though she managed to evade investigators through bribes and blackmail. She also had a hand in the automation riots by procuring weaponry for the blue-collar miners.

If she is asked about her life before the war, she will mention that she worked in pharmaceuticals and "made some friends and lots of enemies." She wants to put her old life behind her, commenting that the Duchess in Welch disappeared when the bombs dropped, a symbol for erasing her past.

In 2103, Duchess is the owner of the Wayward, a tavern and inn near the overseer's camp in the Forest. Recently, she has been experiencing problems with aggressive patrons questioning her about someone named Crane. She is known to make her own alcohol, which she sells to customers.

Quests

 * Wayward Souls: Duchess is met at the end of this quest, being held hostage by Batter.
 * Hunter for Hire: Duchess requests the Vault Dwellers find a way to get Roper and the Free Radicals to leave the Wayward alone.
 * The Elusive Crane: Duchess reveals the truth about Crane and will help the Vault Dweller find his treasure.

Other interactions

 * Duchess is first found in her tavern, the Wayward, just across the road from the overseer's camp, being held at gunpoint by Batter, demanding information on someone named Crane. Luckily for Duchess, her good friend, the ghoul Mort, ambushes and kills Batter, saving Duchess' life, even if the player character intervenes and tries to talk Batter down, most options in conversation lead to the same result in Mort killing Batter with his 10mm pistol, or through a joint effort with the player characters. After which, she can be spoken to by the Vault Dwellers about the incident, and she asks them to help her out by luring members of Batter's group to their C.A.M.P. to find out who their leader is and deal with him so she won't have to deal with them badgering her regarding Crane anymore. She also serves as one of the new vendors in the game, selling various goods from her tavern, including Duchess's Dram, her own personal brand of liquor.
 * If notes about the Duchess of Welch have been discovered from the quest Find Duchess's Stash, the player character can ask Duchess if they're the same person. Duchess explains that she is not the same person (i.e. she's turned a new leaf) and that the Duchess of Welch from before the Great War is not the same person she is now, and deeply regrets the suffering she's caused as a former drug kingpin.
 * If the player joined the Free Radicals, Duchess and her group will be held hostage by Roper. The player can betray the gang which will result in a bar fight.
 * After completing The Elusive Crane, she gives the Vault Dweller a discount of around 25% off her inventory.

Appearances
Duchess appears Before the update, she was only mentioned in the game.