Argyle

Argyle is the deceased "stalwart ghoul manservant" of adventurer Herbert "Daring" Dashwood. His remains can be found inside Rockopolis in 2277.

Background
Argyle first met Herbert Dashwood in 2241, when the adventurer stole his girlfriend. However, despite the misunderstanding, they became good friends. Somewhere in their adventures together he became Dashwood's manservant.

The two visited many places during their exploration of the wasteland. In the summer of 2248, Dashwood and Argyle were given permission to take shelter inside Rockopolis by King Crag. But when Dashwood had an "incident" with Crag's daughter, the two were exiled. They often went to the Blue Destiny Brothel, which Dashwood renowned as the "best whorehouse in the Capital Wasteland;" although as Dashwood notes, the place was shut down in 2249, when most of its occupants died of a cholera outbreak. The two also made frequent visits to Megaton and Underworld.

According to the Galaxy News Radio drama, Argyle and Dashwood's final adventure together started when he and Dashwood were captured by the Paradise Falls slavers. Managing to escape their slave collars, Dashwood insisted on trying to rescue the mysterious woman who was locked in "The Box." They subdued the guard and unlocked the Pulowski Preservation shelter to find that it was empty. Another guard found them and at gunpoint demanded they surrender, only for the mystery woman to appear behind him with a metal object. She hit the guard from behind and introduced herself as Penelope Chase, fortune hunter, claiming that she freed herself when she noticed their predicament. Argyle was hesitant to trust her, but Dashwood was enthralled and, after a brief introduction, the trio made their escape.

After dispatching the last of the slavers chasing them, they continued forward while conversing further. In the process of questioning Miss Chase, they were again held up - this time by super mutants. While the other two were being defiant, Argyle snuck around the mutants and placed live grenades on their persons. After the trio took cover, when the literal smoke cleared, Argyle fondly reminisced on his times with the "Shady Sands Shuffle" and asked about the other two's well-being. Miss Chase was impressed with Argyle's skills and Dashwood commented on how he did not know how he got by without Argyle. Argyle reminded him that he did not get by, with Dashwood immediately trying to change the subject. They then heard the sound of a child screaming in the nearby ruins, rushing off to investigate the commotion.

Some time later, while the trio were being chased by super mutants, Miss Chase noticed that they were near the hills where the hidden village of Rockopolis was located. When she lamented not knowing where it was, Dashwood immediately cut her off, and in an attempt to impress her, started bragging about how he and Argyle were old friends of the settlement, further revealing that they knew the secret knock and more. Argyle showed his displeasure in so readily trusting the woman with such privileged information. Dashwood cut off Argyle, assuring him that Miss Chase would not violate the secrets of Rockopolis, and furthermore, they needed a place to hide from the mutants.

Moving through the boulder entrance with the secret knock, they entered Rockopolis, after which Argyle interrupted a flirtatious Dashwood and Miss Chase. Argyle again pointed out that they were in Rockopolis, one of the safest places in the wasteland, and they had just given its secrets to a stranger. Dashwood attempted to dissuade his companion's outburst to Miss Chase, only for her to reveal herself. Pulling a gun on the pair, she claimed that her slaver associates would be right behind them. They then realized who she really was - not Penelope Chase, "fortune hunter," but instead the "Black Widow," leader of the slavers. She boasted about how the slavers could never have found the denizens of Rockopolis without Argyle and Dashwood. As she was demanding no trouble from Argyle, he used his kung fu skills, using a move he called the "Eagle Claw" to rip out her heart, killing her instantly.

While Argyle made a pun and Dashwood congratulated him, King Crag arrived at the scene. Crag was both despondent at seeing Dashwood and shocked at the dead woman in front of them. When Dashwood informed him of the impending slaver attack, Crag became so furious that he ordered his people to kill the duo. They immediately took off running into the cave system and came to a cliff. Dashwood went first and almost fell, barely clinging on as Argyle rushed to help. Argyle's corpse lies near the entrance to Rockopolis in 2277. The village was taken by the slavers, who captured as many as they could and sold them north to the Pitt.

Dashwood last saw Argyle in Rockopolis, decades prior to 2277, and never lost hope of seeing him again, believing that Argyle would outlive him by at least one hundred years. This, however, was not to be, as he died there on their last adventure together. His memory was preserved by Dashwood in the Galaxy News Radio play The Adventures of Herbert 'Daring' Dashwood and his Ghoul Manservant Argyle. Produced by Three Dog a few years prior to 2277, it was created in the style of the radio plays from before the Great War. Unlike the pre-War plays, these stories are all true, according to Dashwood.

Personality
Argyle was a very irritable individual constantly exasperated by his master's recklessness and how easily he fell for women. Nevertheless, he was very loyal, refusing to abandon him and always saving him from any dire situations, no matter how much effort, time and skill was required. Herbert Dashwood: "Well, those Super Mutants are persistent if nothing else! A word of advice - keep running!" Penelope Chase: "In those hills up there! Isn't that where the hidden village of Rockopolis is located? If only we knew where it was..." Herbert Dashwood: "Turns out you're in good company, Miss Chase. Argyle and I are old friends of Rockopolis. Know the secret knock and everything!" Argyle: "Boss! That's privileged information! You can't just..." Herbert Dashwood: "Now now, old chum! Miss Chase is hardly going to violate the secrets of Rockopolis. Isn't that right, Miss Chase? Besides, necessity calls!" Penelope Chase: "So you do know where it is! Well come on then, those Super Mutants can't be far behind!" Herbert Dashwood: "Just over here! This large boulder! And now... the secret knock. And... voila!" Penelope Chase: "Now that's what I call a getaway, Daring! So tell me, do you take all your girlfriends here?" Herbert Dashwood: "Oh, no, Miss Chase! I can assure you, this will be our special place." Argyle: "Listen to yourself, boss! This is Rockopolis! One of the safest places in the Wasteland, and you just showed a stranger where it is!" Herbert Dashwood: "Ignore my manservant's mutterings, Penelope. He has a penchant for the dramatic you see. Why one time..." Penelope Chase: "Oh, I don't know, Daring darling. I find the ghoul's instincts to be... frighteningly accurate." Herbert Dashwood: "Here I thought we were friends. And now you have a gun in my face. Bad form, Miss Chase. Bad form." Penelope Chase: "Jabber all you want. In about 30 seconds, my associates from Paradise Falls will join us." Argyle: "I knew it! I knew this dame was no good! But it's worse than I thought. She's the Penelope Chase! The leader of the Slavers!" Penelope Chase: "Quite right. We've been trying to capture these Rockopolis rodents for years. Never could have done it without you, Daring." Herbert Dashwood: "Looks like I've gotten us into one heck of a pickle, Argyle old chum. One heck of a pickle indeed..." (The Adventures of Herbert "Daring" Dashwood transcript) Argyle was a master of martial arts, specifically kung fu, and used a move known as the "Eagle Claw." It was a right jab capable of ripping out a person's heart (which he later became famous for) and being able to kill a mirelurk literally single-handed. Argyle also kicked open doors with a move titled "Lotus kick." He also had the ability to disarm slave collars, in his words, "with [his] eyes closed," indicating that he was also skilled in mechanical tinkering and explosives. He had developed pick-pocketing abilities, so much so that he named the maneuver the "Shady Sands Shuffle," though this term appears to be specifically used when planting a live grenade on the victim. When he and Dashwood would routinely encounter feral ghouls, he enjoyed killing them, seeing it as some sort of revenge against God for his own mutation, at least according to Dashwood's beliefs.

Quests

 * A Manhandled Manservant: Argyle's corpse can be found in Rockopolis. This information can then be given to Dashwood for a reward, much to the ex-adventurer's sorrow.

Appearances
Argyle appears only in Fallout 3.

Bugs
Argyle's body might disappear after installing the Xbox 360 patch.