Frank (Wild Appalachia)

Dr. Frank was a biologist and animal researcher employed by Nova Biogistics before the Great War.

Background
Frank conducted experiments where he attempted to surgically combine different animals: Grafting brain matter and glands from a gecko into a fish, from a cat into a mouse, and eventually from a cow into an injured black bear. None of his creations were successful (the mouse with a cat brain tried gnawing its leg off, for example), and he was, in fact, barred from "adopting" animals from the local shelter. At some point, he developed a new technique for brain grafts, which he planned to use on a rescued bear to combine it with a bovine brain and glands.

This experiment was a success, and Frank named the bear-bovine combination "Fluffy." At first, Fluffy was docile and even allowed Frank to climb into its cage and pet it. However, Fluffy soon began to exhibit fits of rage, forcing Frank to reluctantly put a shock collar on the bear. Not long afterward, Fluffy escape after the shock collar was ripped off. Fluffy became the prime suspect in the deaths of two hikers. He reportedly acquired a "sneak peek" at a forensics report, confirming Frank's fears that Fluffy had become irreparably violent. Frank began to search for Fluffy, and his investigation led him to Site Alpha. James Kord, a U.S. Army soldier posing as a hillbilly to ward off unauthorized personnel, accosted Frank and warned him to leave, though he was unphased and continued his search. Frank eventually found Fluffy's den, where the bear had made its home after escaping, and planned to sedate Fluffy for capture.

Fluffy's corpse still lies in the den, filled with crossbow bolts, though the skeleton of Dr. Frank is also nearby, showing that both of them met their end as a result of this encounter. The son of Fluffy, however, still lives, now known as a yao guai.

Appearances
Frank appears only in Fallout 76, introduced in the Wild Appalachia update.