Sorrows

The Sorrows are a tribe living in the Zion Canyon area in 2281.

Overview
The Sorrows are a friendly tribe, and are particularly unique as they do not have a warrior-based culture, but rather a hunting-based culture. Their rite of passage reflects this; it involves a young Sorrow hunting and killing a yao guai and fashioning a Yao guai gauntlet from its paw. It seems they also raise normal geckos, since many can be seen in their camp and are friendly.

The Sorrows have until recently exclusively worshiped a spirit known as "The Father in the Cave", but Daniel has been trying to convert them to Mormonism as of late, and has experienced some success due to the parallels between the two religions. For example, the Sorrows now believe that the Father's holy bride (Mary) and holy son (Jesus) were given unto the world to save it. They dwelt in the caverns of the mountains, caverns which can still be seen today. The people sinned against Him God and were punished with the End That Came in Fire (or the "Last Judgment") and the loss of the holy tongue (English), and that only the New Canaanites were spared. Daniel is apparently unaware of his failure to get his message across clearly.

The language spoken by the Sorrows, like that of the Dead Horses, is a combination of Res and a language spoken by tourists who were visiting Res when the bombs dropped. It seems to be a combination of broken English, Spanish, and hints of Japanese.

History
The Sorrows' history is closely tied to their religion. The original Sorrows were a group of children, the eldest born no earlier than 2109. They spoke English and were literate, and had escaped a place known only as "The School". Nothing is known about this place, save that the children would scare each other with tales of "The Principal". Less than a year after the children arrived in Zion, notes and gifts began to appear from seemingly nowhere. At first, story books, later, medical books and weapon manuals replaced them - the sort of thing that would help the children survive the post-apocalyptic world.

All the notes were signed "the Father". Some contained practical advice, others provided spiritual guidance, advising them to read and learn, be kind and modest, to protect one another and fight only those who posed threats to them, and telling them that Zion was the Father's gift to them, as an apology for the sorrows of their lives and the sorrows of the Great War.

Eventually, the gifts became fewer and far between, and one day one final note was discovered. It contained a personal message for each individual member of the group, an assurance that their kind natures had pleased the Father, and a message that the Father would step back from their lives, but keep a silent vigil. Most of the group's later history is unknown, but it is known that at some point they began calling themselves the Sorrows, and attempted to search the caves in the region for traces of the Father. After their scouts disappeared, it seemed clear to them that individuals seeking out the Father would be taken from them, and so they began marking any pre-War buildings or tech with a white hand mark, declaring them taboo (off-limits). This practice has also been adopted by other local tribes, meaning that much of Zion has remained more or less the same as it was the day the bombs dropped, until the arrival of the New Canaanites and the White Legs.

Endings

 * If the Courier protects the Sorrows during the evacuation, ensuring that most reach their destination unharmed, Daniel succeeds in leading the Sorrows out of Zion, as he had wanted to do from the start. Over the weeks and months to come, Daniel sees to the Sorrows' resettlement in Grand Staircase. Their adjustment to their new home is not without difficulty, but eventually the Sorrows come to accept the loss of Zion.
 * If Daniel evacuates the Sorrows from Zion, but due to the Courier's neglect the White Legs butcher many along the way, those who survive barely reach Grand Staircase, but once there, the Dead Horses and New Canaanites help them settle. The unfamiliarity of their new surroundings, and the loss of loved ones, evoke a terrible and lasting grief among the Sorrows. For two generations, many die still lamenting the loss of Zion.
 * If the Sorrows fight beside Joshua Graham and the Dead Horses, eradicating the threat the White Legs posed to Zion, and see the Courier convince Joshua Graham to spare Salt-Upon-Wounds, the Sorrows learn that retribution can be tempered by mercy. Though he despairs at the Sorrows' loss of innocence, Daniel takes some small consolation in the Courier's lesson, and prays it will take root.
 * If the Sorrows fight beside Joshua Graham and the Dead Horses, eradicating the threat the White Legs posed to Zion, and watch as the Courier encourages Joshua Graham to execute Salt-Upon-Wounds, the Sorrows learn that New Canaan offers no mercy to the wicked. The Sorrows' transformation from a peaceful, timid tribe into a merciless, warlike people breaks Daniel's heart. Over time, the Sorrows become ever more ruthless in their dealings - even with each other. Daniel travels to and fro between the New Canaanites and Zion, continuing to plead for a return to the old ways whenever he visits. Eventually, the Sorrows grow tired of his blather, and turn their backs on him.
 * If the Sorrows fight beside Joshua Graham and the Dead Horses, eradicating the threat the White Legs posed to Zion, when the Courier and Joshua Graham fell Salt-Upon-Wounds their victory is celebrated with a great feast. The Sorrows' transformation from a peaceful, timid tribe into a proud and warlike people breaks Daniel's heart. He tries to take solace in the knowledge that they will remain in Zion, but it is a small comfort. The Sorrows' innocence is lost.

Appearances
The Sorrows appear in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on, Honest Hearts.

Sorrows