Aurelius of Phoenix

Aurelius of Phoenix is a high-ranking member of Caesar's Legion assigned as the commanding officer of the camp at Cottonwood Cove in 2281.

Background
A tall man, standing at 6'5" (1.96 m), Aurelius was selected by Caesar to establish a bridgehead on the west bank of the Colorado River after Vulpes Inculta engineered the destruction of Camp Searchlight. Aurelius selected Cottonwood Cove as his base of operations, right across the Colorado's narrows. Although he was assigned only two contubernia (two squads of eight men), his aggressive tactics and ruthless preying on NCR Army patrols allowed him to kill and capture four times as many enemy soldiers (around 64 casualties for the NCR, in other words). His second in command, Decanus Severus, is instrumental in Aurelius' efforts as quartermaster.

Aurelius has every reason to be proud of his standing as a centurion, but doesn't take kindly to people who eclipse him or test his patience (he has a habit of crucifying the latter). With his pride comes the show of his centurion armor which he earned through his prolific killing of profligate NCR troopers and his utter devotion to Caesar making him worthy to bear such armor. Adding to his aggressive demeanor is his abject hatred of profligates. He considers them cowards, particularly when they refuse to face his forces openly and try to fight through clever means. He takes an abject delight in the mere thought of killing NCR troopers. He even offers a bounty to any who turn in NCR dogtags to him, and it's possible to earn his respect for killings assumed with acquiring the dogtags. In fact, he might even admit that he misjudged someone if they prove to be a warrior on par with Legion veterans.

However, Aurelius does seem to have a softer side, with a toy car, teddy bear and a Grognak the Barbarian comic in his office. There is also beer and cigarettes there, and the question of whether it's his personal stash or confiscated contraband remains open.

Quests

 * Eye for an Eye: If siding with the NCR, Aurelius and the rest of Cottonwood Cove's legionnaires must be killed to complete the final part of the quest. If siding with the Legion, he may be questioned for bad intel during the quest for Legion Fame and 500XP.
 * Arizona Scavenger: NCR troopers and Rangers carry NCR dogtags which can be picked up when they die. Aurelius is willing to take any dogtags the Courier may be carrying, paying 10 caps and Legion Fame per dogtag.

Appearances
Aurelius of Phoenix appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Bugs

 * When Aurelius is writing on his desk in his office, his fingers may become unusually long as if they were deathclaw hands.
 * Sometimes, when the 35 Barter option shows up for trading NCR dog tags for supplies, the option will not go away regardless of how often it is selected. It will continue to give XP every time it is selected.