Scorched

The Scorched are semi-intelligent ghouls in Appalachia who have been infested with the Scorched Plague, which has erased their individual consciousnesses and linked them to a primitive hive mind. They are described as being halfway between feral and sane, and have the ability to use weapons, but they lack any social structure and exhibit extreme hostility towards any person or creature they encounter that is uninfected.

Background
The Scorched mostly consist of former West Virginian residents and military personnel who banded together into small primitive groups before regressing. Like the marked men of the Divide, and unlike typical feral ghouls, they retain enough fine motor skills and higher brain function to cling to and use the remaining few pieces of clothing and equipment from their past lives as reminders of their former selves, ranging from overalls and pitchforks to uniforms and assault rifles.

In addition to the shriveled, burned skin typical of ghouls, the Scorched possess green crystalline growths throughout their body, piercing through their skin in irregular patterns. According to preliminary field research done by the overseer of Vault 76, the Scorched are former humans that have contracted the Scorched Plague. The Responders tried to help those with the disease by setting up small clinics where the Responders would survey and try to treat the disease.

Some of the Scorched also possess a hive mind, sometimes stating "we are one" when attacking, as detailed in the overseer's Flatwoods log.

At times, the growth caused by the plague will overtake its host and root them where they stand, causing them to slowly decay into human-shaped fungal bioforms before crumbling to dust.

Biology
The Scorched are former humans infected by the Scorched Plague. They are linked via a hive mind born of a fungal infection. This hive mind links them to scorchbeasts and other infected creatures. They have pink shredded skin with sores and small crystalline protrusions poking out. The crystals are made of ultracite, which emits a weak radiation signature that allows scorched creatures to be tracked. The prescence of ultracite in their tissues makes them particularly weak to the depleted form of the mineral. This weakness was leveraged by the Responders' elite unit, the Fire Breathers, by lacing their munitions with depleted ultracite crystals.

Scorched officer
The Scorched officer was once a high ranking officer in the United States Armed Forces, who was responsible for carrying one of the eight launch code keys which are needed to launch a nuke from one of three nuclear I.C.B.M. silos located in Appalachia.

Appearances
The Scorched appear only in Fallout 76.

Bugs
Some limbs of a scorched might turn blue while in combat.