Scorched

The Scorched are humans who have been infected with the Scorched Plague, which has erased their self-consciousnesses and linked them to a primitive hive mind. They are described as being halfway between feral and sane, able to speak and use weapons, but lacking in any social structure and exhibiting extreme hostility towards anything uninfected. They are found in Appalachia.

Background
Though mutant creatures, animals, and humans alike can all become 'Scorched', it is humans that make up the majority of the Scorched victims within Appalachia. They consist mainly of former West Virginian residents from all walks of life who, after succumbing to the Scorched Plague and assimilated into its hive mind, regressed physically and intellectually, leading to the complete collapse of the region despite the desperate efforts to fight back. Regardless of who they were prior to infection, be it soldiers, police officers, firemen, Vault-Tec employees, civilians, survivors, Responders, or raiders, all are now thralls to the Scorchbeast hive mind, and by the year 2102, every human being or organization that remained within the Appalachian region (with one known exception) was either dead or Scorched.

Like the marked men of the Divide, Scorched retain enough fine motor skills and higher brain function to make use of melee weapons and firearms, similar to mindless and crazy feral ghouls of New California. Scorched have been observed to retain vague memories of their life before infection, clinging to remnants of their past, such as the hand tools they used, the uniforms they wore, or staying near places that held significance to them, such as workplaces. Also, some may participate in events they organized as a human, such as the Scorched in the Protest March event, who are seen carrying protest signs. Certain Scorched even have the capacity to restrain themselves, fixating on singular details of past aspirations.

The ravaged, pinkish-red skin of Scorched appears burned, lending to their name. They also possess green crystalline growths throughout their body, breaking through the surface of their skin in irregular patterns; these are hardened ultracite shards, formed as a byproduct of the plague growing inside of them. Outwardly, the effects of the plague have made them significantly emaciated and decrepit, and removed all of their hair and most other identifying traits; however, some are still able to be identified despite this. The Scorched wear whatever they wore prior to their infection, such as tattered civilian wear, military uniforms, and factional outfits such as the varied dress of the Responders or armor of the Raiders.

Their control over their bodies appears to be diminishing, as they walk and run with a hunched, uneven gait, and those that operate firearms do so imperfectly and one-handed. They still possess the ability to speak, though their lungs are charred and their social awareness is compounded by their connection to the hive mind; their vocalizations refer to themselves in the plural, with typical phrases being "we are one" or "never alone". There can even be enough of an individual personality within them to be aware of agonizing state and constant pain their bodies are in, and can even briefly gain enough self-control to urge their prey to flee as they attack.

Inevitably, the Scorched Plague will overtake its host enough to root them where they stand or lay, where they will slowly solidify over an indeterminate amount of time into human-shaped stone-like bioforms before crumbling to dust. Victims of the plague in its advanced stages can be found frozen in desperate poses, progressing into their eventual petrification though early enough to break free, such as when disturbed by the presence of uninfected life.

In 2103, following the elimination of the Scorchbeast Queen and subsequent vaccination of most humans who have returned to Appalachia, the Scorched influence on the region appears to be in decline. Fixtures comprised of the dismembered corpses of Scorched are not uncommonly found mounted onto the walls of outposts and strongholds claimed by regional factions such as the Blood Eagles or the Cult of the Mothman. This is evidence that such groups, who were not contacted directly for vaccination, were still able to hold their own despite their apparent lack of inoculation. However, the long-term effects of the vaccine are yet to be seen, and conventional Scorchbeasts and other vectors of infection are still extant within the region - giving the possibility that another outbreak of the Scorched Plague may reemerge as a critical threat once again.

Biology
The Scorched are former humans infected by the Scorched Plague. They are linked via a hive mind to Scorchbeasts and other infected creatures. They have pink shredded skin with sores and small crystalline protrusions poking out. Their lungs are charred, forcing them to breathe heavily. The crystals are made of ultracite, which emits a weak radiation signature that allows scorched creatures to be tracked. The presence 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.

Gameplay attributes
Scorched use both guns and melee weapons, making it hard to get away if they spot the player character. They may be hidden among petrified corpses, as one, mid-petrification. In this state, they can be identified by targeting, clothing (petrified corpses don't have clothing), and the pink color of their skin (vs. the corpse's black/gray color). Getting too close to one of these scorched will cause them to violently shake off their stasis and become alert.

Scorched
Note that variants are not distinguished visually and will instead wear tattered versions of outfits determined by the location's theme, eg. asylum outfits near Fort Defiance, skiing gear around Top of the World, or Responder gear around Morgantown Airport.

Scorched officer
Scorched officers were once high-ranking officers in the United States Armed Forces, responsible for carrying one of eight launch code keys needed to launch a nuke from Appalachia's nuclear I.C.B.M. silos. They can be identified by unique radio packs on their back, emitting both red light and a high-pitched tone that sound off in a regular sequence. All regular Scorched variants may be an officer variant with the same stats, abilities, and items.

Holiday Scorched
A unique variant of Scorched encountered during the seasonal Holiday Scorched community event. They emit a jingling sound when nearby and wear a variety of Christmas-themed apparel, including Mr. Claus' suit, Mrs. Claus' dress, and the festive winter pant suit. They only use melee weapons and will always be legendary, with a 40% chance to be a 2-star and a 5% chance to be a 3-star. All regular Scorched variants may spawn as a holiday variant with the same stats and abilities, though the variant name may remain unchanged.

Locations

 * The Scorched are found all throughout Appalachia.
 * Many can be found at Morgantown Airport, within the main building and around the camp on the airfield.
 * 15+ Scorched can be found outside Poseidon Energy Plant WV-06.
 * At least 8 at Pleasant Valley Ski Resort.

Challenges

 * Kill Scorched (daily)

Named Scorched

 * David Thorpe - Former leader of the now defunct Cutthroats raider gang.
 * Evan - The Vault 76 overseer's pre-War fiancé.
 * Enola Walker - A woman who was infected while trying to avenge her pets.
 * Crane - Found on the second floor of the Wayward.
 * Aldridge (optional)

Appearances
The Scorched appear only in Fallout 76.

Bugs

 * When a Scorched is posing as a petrified corpse, a headshot kill with a ranged weapon may send them ragdolling into the air.
 * Scorched appear to lack unique animations for turning around when they have yet to pull out their weapon, and casually turn to face behind them like a non-Scorched human character when becoming hostile before assuming their Scorched-specific active weapon animation.