Melody Larkin

Melody K. Larkin was a senior member of the Responders assigned to combat training and the leader of the Fire Breathers.

Background
One of the founding members of the Responders, Melody Larkin was the captain of the Charleston Fire Department, leading the firefighters in the relief efforts after the nuclear war. The constant stress and fatigue associated with the responsibilities of the job led to sleep problems. After visiting a psychiatrist at Kanawha Psychiatric in Charleston, she was recommended to visit a pharmacist still operating in the south of town to procure some medication which would help her sleep.

In 2078, Melody was sent to Charleston by the Responders to act as their liaison with the Charleston Emergency Government. However, she disagreed with the harsh anti-looting policies imposed by Police Chief Mayfield in Morgantown and this threatened to drive a wedge between the alliance. She wrote to Speaker Abigale Poole, asking her to quell the situation, even if it meant it meant that it would put Poole at odds with Tanner Holbrook again.

In 2082, she was put in charge of arranging delivery of donations for a Christmas charity drive by Abigale Poole of the Charleston Emergency Government. She was also responsible for interrogating Rosalynn Jeffries when she was captured during a failed raid on Charleston on December 24, 2082. She made the decision to not be cowed by Rosalynn's threats and refused to release her despite her demands, ultimately leading to David Thorpe's destruction of the Summersville Dam and the Christmas Flood. Although Melody would survive the disaster, her husband would not.

In the wake of the flood, Melody was placed in charge of starting and training the Fire Breathers division of the Responders by Maria Chavez. She named the Fire Breathers after a nickname given to her grandfather and his fellow moonshiners before the War. Melody implemented stringent selection criteria for prospective recruits, ensuring that those recruited could both fight and survive in the polluted expanse of the burning Ash Heap. She also coordinated the setup of a training course for the Fire Breathers, contacting the owner of a home in the ruins of a tattoo parlor to check if they were alright with the course being established on Washington Street, where the house was located. Even after the Responders were wiped out, the automated training course still remained active.

Years later, as the threat of a Scorched horde breaching the Savage Divide became too much to ignore, Melody led a team of Fire Breathers on a last-ditch mission to seal the Big Bend Tunnel and prevent their progress. The mission ultimately failed.

Related holotapes

 * Out of time
 * Madigan scouting report - Garrahan
 * Live-fire training exercise
 * Interrogation: Doe, Jane
 * Everyone is gone
 * Course instructions
 * The Fire Breathers
 * Melody Larkin: Dispatch

Appearances
Melody Larkin is mentioned only in Fallout 76.