Larsen (Van Buren)

Larsen is the leader of the Baggers in 2253.

Background
With a past career smuggling drugs, Larsen had a disliking for the New California Republic. However, he later joined the military in search of a simple pay check. With no family of his own, he soon became attached to the men in his unit, who served as an escort detail for technicians on repair and salvage ops. Later, he was transferred to guard duty within the NCR capital, before finally being posted to Boulder Dome.

Eight months prior to the Prisoner's arrival at Boulder Dome: Two glowing ghouls show up within a three-day period. The soldiers start getting paranoid, thinking they're in ghoul territory. Larsen, going stir-crazy, wants to take some RadAway, find the ghoul colony, and kill them all. Goddard says no, but Agnes suggests he consider it to let them "let off some steam."

Two months later, another Glowing One showed up. Larsen's team is given RadAway and start doing patrols. Agnes says taking RadAway for too long is dangerous and addictive. Larsen realizes that means they won't be giving it to them any more, so he starts exaggerating how many ghouls they find to justify getting more RadAway to deal with them.

Two months before the Prisoner's arrival at Boulder Dome: Larsen becomes paranoid. When another ghoul wanders in, the scientists accuse the soldiers of not doing enough, or anything at all. Larsen pulls a gun on a scientist and tells them to surrender their med supplies for "one last patrol." Goddard aggress, and secretly decides to close them outside to starve and die. He only tells Agnes about this "exile" ... the others just think they haven't returned.

The following month Larsen and his patrol return to find the dome sealed up. At first the soldiers think it's a mistake, then they realize it's not. They pull out of Boulder to avoid the Jackals, and end up in a guerrilla state in the nearby mountains, looking for tunnels into the Dome. After two weeks the soldiers are starving. One of them freaks out, and Larsen shoots him, then offers the body to the Jackals. The soldiers and the tribes became allies, both wanting to get into the dome. Soon after, the soldiers use the last of their RadAway, and by the time the player shows up they're in their 7th day of withdrawal.

Like all Baggers, Larsen is addicted to RadAway and succumbing to radiation poisoning. He and his men are always on a constant search for food and RadAway and have even even tried eating ghouls after taking RadAway. Larsen is also in a Mexican standoff with Banshee (the leader of the Jackals), as both want to get in to the Dome and neither wants the other to live after that.

Interactions with the player character
Larsen's addicted, and it's not really his fault—he had to take RadAway to keep the Dome safe, and now he's paying for it. He's still an asshole, but not an entirely unsympathetic one. Do you help the addict, despite that he's used the threat of violence against the scientists? Or do you let him suffer, even though he's in his state because he was following honorable orders? Does his alliance with the Jackals affect this in any way?

If someone steals his Geiger counter and RadAway, he freaks out and starts killing his own men, thinking they did it. If the player attacks Larsen or his men, they all attack in retaliation.

Quests

 * Defeat the Baggers/Larsen's Team - Science Boy is needed to get the brewery units working again. The salvagers can salvage the empty bottles on their own time (though there is a stash of them in the brewery).
 * Dope RadAway for Larsen - If you put sedatives in their RadAway, it'll be easier to manage them. Or, if you just leave them alone, the Jackals (if still around) will kill and eat them.

Appearances
Larsen has not appeared nor is he mentioned in any published game. He was to appear only in Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 by Black Isle Studios. It is not certain if he will appear in any future Fallout game.