Ghoul

Ghouls or necrotic post-humans are decrepit, rotting, zombie-like mutants, victims of heavy radiation poisoning.

Origins
Liberal exposure to radiation for an extended period of time sometimes causes humans with an unknown genetic characteristic to transform into ghouls, although rare cases of faster transformations into ghouls are also not unheard of. Exposure to radiation typically results in sickness followed by death for the average human being, however, the genetic x-factor that will lead to mutation into a ghoul upon exposure instead of the typical deadly outcome remains unknown.

Most known ghouls in the Core Region were created from Vault dwellers living in Vault 12 under the city of Bakersfield, California (better known as Necropolis after the Great War). As part of the vast Vault Experiment Program, the Vault 12 door was designed not to close properly. Radiation from the fallout and nuclear detonation contaminated the Vault, resulting in many deaths and mutations.

Ghouls from other regions most likely originate from other, similarly ill-fated shelters that shielded their residents from radiation enough for it not to kill them, but not enough for them to remain unscathed. There are ghouls in the Midwest, most notably a nuclear weapon-worshiping cult in Kansas City (other towns with some ghoul population are Quincy and Springfield).

In the Capital Wasteland, many ghouls currently alive were born long after the Great War in 2077 and succumbed to radiation poisoning much later, due to the high levels of radiation in Washington, DC and its surroundings for decades following the fall of the bombs. The majority of intelligent ghouls in the Capital Wasteland have chosen to settle in Underworld, a settlement of ghouls established in the Museum of History in the DC ruins on the National Mall. The settlement got its name from the fact that the ghouls established their town in a part of the museum that was hosting an exhibition on mythological representations of the afterlife on the day the Great War began and the bombs hit Washington.

Confusion over origins
There is some controversy even among the makers of Fallout games about the origins of ghouls. While Tim Cain said explicitly that ghouls are only a result of radiation, consistent with an understanding of the science of radiation as it stood during the 1950s, Chris Taylor said that a mix of both radiation and FEV was in play. While Chris Avellone initially supported the latter view in his Fallout Bible, he was later convinced to support the radiation-only version.

Biology
Ghouls created in the Great War of 2077 were still alive during Fallout (2161), Fallout 2 (2241), and there were even a few remaining in Fallout 3 (2277) and Fallout: New Vegas (2281). All ghouls live longer than normal humans; however, they are sterile. The reason for this longevity has to do with differences on the cellular level, and the ability of ghoul DNA to regenerate at a rate unmatched by normal human nucleic acids. Occasionally, in a ghoul, additional genetic material is added as a result of the mutation. The unnaturally long lifespan of a ghoul is also due to a mutation within the autonomic nervous system of certain individuals following exposure to specific combinations of ionizing radiation with wavelengths below 10 picometers. Radiation that has such a short wavelength, less than 10 picometers, is known as gamma radiation and is normally lethal to healthy humans in even moderate doses. The mutation in response to gamma radiation that produces ghouls disrupts the normal process of decay in the neurotransmitters along the spinal cord.

Ghouls were not created immediately after the Great War in 2077; the process took months or years for some. After a few weeks their skin slowly started to flake off and crack. In Fallout 3, Carol in the ghoul settlement of Underworld explains that even after the War it took a while for the ghouls to start to look as they do now. However, there have been occasions when Ghouls are made instantly by large doses of radiation, such as Camp Searchlight, where an entire base of NCR soldiers were transformed into Feral Ghouls by a radioactive device used by Caesar's Legion.

Although lacking strength due to decayed tissue, Ghouls have heightened senses making them more perceptive and lucky than other wasteland humanoids. As a result, Chems like Jet barely effect them.

Specifically, the neurotransmitters affected in a ghoul's mutation are those responsible for cardiac and respiratory function in a healthy human being. These transmitters are continually regenerated at a greatly accelerated rate after the mutation sets in, carrying sufficient oxygen to sustain the life of the subject while being insufficient to retain dermal elasticity and avoid the resulting necrosis (much like what happens during the course of the disease once called leprosy), the result of which is the decaying, corpse-like appearance of post-mutation humans.

In physical appearance, a ghoul's flesh is constantly rotting off, appearing very raw and discolored from necrosis. Lips and eyelids are sometimes absent, and none have any noses to speak of. Feral ghouls are typically heavily emaciated and hunched over (possibly due to malnutrition and lack of sunlight), while non-ferals typically have a heavier, more human-like build and posture. Another major difference between ferals and non-ferals is dress: while non-ferals dress like normal humans, feral ghouls wear little clothing other than tattered pants or sections of old armor, having lost the mental capacity to mend or replace their clothes long ago.

Ghouls, at least the non-feral ones, are generally as intelligent as normal humans. However, their physical repulsiveness makes the life of a ghoul difficult at best - only the most tolerant human communities accept them as anything more than monsters. Some ghouls eventually go mad after the continuing decay caused by further radiation exposure has effectively destroyed their cerebral tissue and are called "feral ghouls"; these mindlessly aggressive--and hungry--creatures give all ghouls a bad reputation. These feral ghouls create the misconception amongst regular people that they are zombies like those depicted in old horror films, only alienating intelligent ghouls further from "smoothskin" humans. Furthermore, the term "zombie" has become an offensive racial slur to ghouls.

Ghouls are immune to most forms of radiation still remaining in the Wasteland. Radiation poisoning cannot really get worse for the ghouls, though it can hasten the process of decay and lead to their decline into the feral state as described above. However, many ghouls report feeling healthier when exposed to low-level radiation, and thus make their homes near locations with acute background radiation. The ghouls known as "Glowing Ones" actually enjoy large amounts of radiation, which they describe as being "comfortably warm".

Feral ghouls
Feral ghouls are among the more unfortunate mutants whose minds have deteriorated from prolonged radiation poisoning, becoming wild and insane, attacking anyone and anything relentlessly. They are, however, not aggressive towards other ghouls. Wearing the ghoul mask (In Fallout 3) will make all feral ghouls ignore the player unless you directly assault them. Despite what Roy Philips says, no matter how close you get to a feral ghoul when wearing the ghoul mask, they will not "Sniff you out," and become hostile. In New Vegas, ghouls (friend or foe) now have the ability to talk.

Feral Ghoul Roamer
Roamers are less common feral ghouls dressed in worn-out sections of old combat armor, giving them greater damage resistance. The armor does not, however, slow them down; in fact, they are slightly faster than regular ferals. They typically can be found alongside two or three ferals, and attack in groups. Alone they are still weak and easily brought down with most weaponry, but they can easily flank the player during a group attack.

Glowing ones
These ghouls have absorbed so much radiation they glow a ghastly green color in the dark. They are known as "Glowing Ones", and are often considered outsiders even by other ghouls. The Glowing Ones can sustain a lot more damage than other ghouls, second only to Reavers (see below). They also emit radiation from their whole body, and can even release a devastating blast of energy from their bodies at will, healing nearby ghouls and harming unlucky attackers caught in the blast radius.

People have seen on more than one occasion a feral Glowing One fighting or being chased by "normal" Feral Ghouls. Although rare, it is possible for a Glowing One to retain their intelligence and cognitive functions, such as Jason Bright.

Feral Ghoul Reaver
This rare flavor of ghoul, dressed in the rusty remnants of metal armor, only appears with New Vegas (though notably weaker) and the Add-ons Broken Steel and Point Lookout. A greenish smoke issues from their scars, and their flesh appears to be melted and even bubbling in some areas, as if being "cooked" by the radiation they have absorbed. They are among the toughest enemies in the game, able to take a direct hit from a Fat Man and survive. Besides being incredibly fast and having a deadly swipe, they can pull chunks of radioactive gore from their guts and hurl it at the player with deadly accuracy.

Non-Feral Ghouls
This type of ghoul is fairly common, and may be involved in quests, such as You Gotta Shoot 'Em In The Head. Non-feral ghouls posses the ability to talk, and they normally wear clothing. Some carry and use weapons. They may have some hair on their head, but not a lot. Some male ghouls may even be lucky enough to retain some semblance of facial hair. They normally have a low, gravely voice, most likely due to damage to their vocal cords from a combination of radiation and necrosis. Jason Bright from Fallout: New Vegas has a normal voice, although it has an odd echoing quality to it. If you choose to blow up Megaton in Fallout 3, Moira Brown will have a similar, but notably different voice effect. Non-feral ghouls walk normally, unlike ferals, which hunch over. The majority of them are not hostile and will not attack without provocation. Non-Ferals will refer to humans as "smoothskins" and call people who hate ghouls "bigots". Ghouls find terms such as shuffler, zombie, etc. to be offensive.

Born ghouls
Through cruel experimentation on humans by Dr. Sebastian at the Reservation, Born Ghouls were created. They are ghouls who were not mutated humans, but who were actually born into ghoul-dom.

Discrimination
Over the time after the war, more people have had run-ins with ghouls both civil and feral. Because of the animalistic behavior and savage threat feral ghouls pose, many people have viewed humane ghouls as negatives and stains of the war. A significant example: residents of Tenpenny Tower refuse to let ghouls co exist in their luxurious tower, despite pleas of caps and politeness. Chief Gustavo in particular is a bigot and ghoul-hater who feels that "They'll all go feral one day." Negative stereotypes about ghouls, saying they smell or are messy have stemmed from wastelanders who couldn't care less if they are humane or feral. Terms like "zombie", "shuffler" or "brain eater" are common insults to them, and result in some ghouls (such as Roy Phillips) developing a bitter hatred of humans.

Notable quotes

 * There ain't any ghouls but old ghouls. We're all sterile, see, but we're incredibly long-lived. We're the first and last generation of ghouls. - Typhon
 * Without medical technology, all of us Ghouls are going to die off in the next 20 years, anyway. - Gordon (Gordon dialogue file)
 * [Say, how do you make a ghoul?] With silver-bells and cockleshells and… Boy, you are dumb, aren’t you? Severe radiation. That’s how. How do you think? You know, many bombs go boom, flash of light and heat, flesh burns off, but you don’t-quite-die-type severe radiation? - Wooz (Wooz dialogue file)
 * [How's it going?] Not bad, still in one piece... well except for that one that got away, but I'll find it, no worries. -Patchwork

Appearances
Ghouls have appeared in every Fallout game.

Behind the scenes

 * A ghoul is described as "Bloodman" in an old Fallout concept art.