Wayward Souls

Wayward Souls is a main quest

Background
A full year has elapsed since Reclamation Day. The Vault Dwellers succeeded in containing the Scorched threat. Although not fully eliminated, they are no longer an extinction-level threat to humanity, and humans are starting to return to Appalachia, establishing new settlements and outposts, including a bar.

Walkthrough
Returning to Vault 76, or upon exiting it after completing "Reclamation Day," speak with Pennington by the "Vault-Tec Celebrates 300 Years Of America" arch and Vault-Tec colored balloons where he is normally found, and he mentions noticing a pair of, what he calls "non-Vault types," standing in the courtyard below. He asks the player characters to see what they want. Upon speaking with the two women, Lacey Drummond and Isela Mejia, they mention a new tavern that recently opened just down the hill named "The Wayward" sent them up to the vault as they heard rumors of treasure inside, only to learn that Vault 76 is sealed and inaccessible due to its programming to shut down once all Vault Dwellers have left. With little other options left to them, the women suggest the player characters head down to the bar and speak with the owner regarding the treasure rumors they heard about.

Alternatively, the player character can visit Roper at the WV Lumber Co.. The leader of the Free Radicals will send the player character to the Wayward to track down a treasure for him. The result is the same as following the Lacey and Isela path.

Once there, head inside to find the owner, Duchess, being held at gunpoint by Batter, demanding information on someone named Crane. The player characters can either try to intervene of their own accord, but if not, Batter is shot and killed by Duchess' local regular, a ghoul named Mort. If the player characters intervene, Batter will still meet his end by Mort's hands and his 10mm pistol, or by both Mort and the player characters if he turns hostile.

The conversation and actions of those involved depend on the conversation option chosen, especially if it was a SPECIAL-related option, based on the choice made before leaving Vault 76 during "Reclamation Day." The possible outcomes are as followed:


 * Perception +2: Batter is confused by what the Vault Dwellers mean, giving Mort an easy kill while Batter is distracted.
 * Charisma +2: Batter agrees to stand down and holster his weapon, but Duchess is still not tolerating his presence and for pulling a gun on her and calls out Mort. When Batter sees him, he's shocked to see Mort is a ghoul. When Duchess demands to know where the rest of Batter's gang is, Mort shoots Batter dead for calling him a "monster" because of his physiology, excusing himself saying Batter was still going to kill them anyway. Duchess argues that they could have asked Batter some questions, but Mort says it is safer this way with him dead, and Duchess reluctantly agrees.
 * Luck +2: Batter realizes his gun is jammed and is forced to holster it, but as he tells everyone there that no one is leaving or doing anything else until he gets what he came for, he's cut off mid-sentence as Mort guns him down.
 * First stall option: Asking about what's happening will lead to several follow-up options that lead to Batter actually holstering his weapon out of being impressed with the Vault Dwellers wanting to join his gang, but when trying to get them to help him interrogate Duchess, he's cut off mid-sentence as Mort kills him.
 * Second stall option: Attempt to convince Batter to leave as Duchess knows nothing results in him turning hostile, forcing player characters to kill him while Duchess warns to avoid shooting Mort as he's an ally. Doing this allows Batter's corpse to be looted once dead compared to having Mort kill him.
 * Attack: Batter taunts the Vault Dwellers before turning hostile, forcing player characters to kill him while Duchess warns to avoid shooting Mort in the crossfire. Once Batter is dead, his body can be looted compared to having Mort kill him.

After this interaction, Duchess can be interacted with, both as a vendor and with inquiring as to the altercation the player characters just witnessed. If having just completed "Reclamation Day," Duchess can be asked about the next holotape that the Overseer originally leaves in her cache at her camp across the street from the Wayward. If certain conversation options are chosen, Duchess asks the player character to set up a ruse in their C.A.M.P. to lure more of Batter's kind to them to get information on their leader in the hopes of getting them to leave her alone. She also suggests to the player characters that, if they need help with their C.A.M.P., just ask Mort since he knows a thing or two about them. This completes the quest and begins the next one, Hunter for Hire. If fresh out of Vault 76 as well following "Reclamation Day," this also starts "First Contact."