Cryptid

Cryptids (from the Greek κρύπτω, krypto, meaning "hide" or "hidden") are a subset of animals and other creatures that are mentioned in local folklore and other accounts, but whose actual existence is questionable. This does not apply to anything that is widely acknowledged as existing. For example, the deathclaw was presumed to be a rumor or hoax in New California around 2161, but other regions of post-war America had many confirmed sightings beforehand.

Background
Cryptids were largely assumed to be superstition by the majority of the populace, with cryptozoologists, like Shelby O'Rourke, being taken as seriously as a child in a lab coat. But many cryptids actually existed before the Great War, and both the United States Armed Forces and United States Intelligence (like the Sugar Grove Sigint) kept records on any cryptid encounters up until the Great War. While considered to be hoaxes and superstition, cryptids still played a large part of the culture before the war as well, with examples of this cryptid craze coming from Point Pleasant erecting a Mothman statue, Vault-Tec University's football team called the Fighting Wendigos, Tales from the West Virginia Hills focusing on a different cryptid for each of its stories and Grafton holding a local holiday where the "Grafton Monster" would appear in the parade (and the real Grafton Monster appearing in it after the Great War).

After the Great War, cryptids began to appear far more often than they ever had before. This was noted by Shelby O'Rourke from her shack in The Mire where she theorized that the near extinction of the human race made room for cryptids to come out of hiding.

Aliens


Multiple species of aliens appear throughout the Fallout series. One race being the zetans from Fallout 3 that have appeared in each subsequent game.

The Beast of Beckley


A dangerous albino wolf known to roam Appalachia since before the Great War. Intrigued by reports of a shredded bear and sightings a "pale monster" near Beckley, Janelle Priblo set off to find and trap the Beast. Raymond Priblo showed up later to assist Janelle, but disregarded her warnings and was killed by the Beast. Soon after, desiring revenge for Raymond's death, Janelle attempted to leave the area to assemble a hunting party but was caught unaware when the Beast attacked and killed her too.

Chupacabra
The chupacabra (Spanish for "goat-sucker") is a legendary creature of Puerto Rican origin. In Fallout: New Vegas, No-bark Noonan calls an invisible nightkin a chupacabra, after it has killed several brahmin around the town of Novac.

Ghost
The spirits of the dead that have been trapped in our earthly plane that had unfinished business or failed to attain something valuable to them. Not much is known about the function of ghosts, as the only examples of ghosts are Anna Winslow whose spirit became trapped in the Den after dying, kept on the mortal plane in agony due to the theft of her locket by a petty thief, and Lucy Grandchester who haunts the Grandchester Mystery Mansion for unknown reasons. Based on Anna Winslow's actions in her quest, after attaining the item they need most, the ghost will disappear with the item, leaving only a pile of bones.

Jackalope


The jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore (a fearsome critter) described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns. The word jackalope is a portmanteau of jackrabbit and antelope. All jackalope taxidermy mounts are simply novelty items or hoaxes, as they are mounted made with deer antlers. Taxidermied jackalopes have been a part of American culture since the 1930s and continued to be popular up until the Great War.

Mothman


Prior to the Great War, the "Mothman" was a mythical creature in local Appalachian folklore that was described as a terrifying half-man, half-moth hybrid that stalked the area around the town of Point Pleasant. The story of the Mothman was sensational enough to create a wide following, ranging from cryptid hobbyists to aggressive conspiracy theorists hellbent on uncovering the deeper mystery of the creature. The Mothman's legend lead to a number of tourist attractions, such as the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant. Stories and other popular fiction were sold as novelty holotape recordings.

Ultimately, the interest in the Mothman was generally unserious and not seen as worthy of genuine scientific inquiry by the scientific community. While the legend of the Mothman was seen as a simple folktale, a clandestine following of the creature emerged in secret. The mysterious Cult of the Mothman, its followers fervent in their worship of the Mothman as a divine being, practiced numerous rituals and established numerous hidden shrines that can still be found all over post-War Appalachia.

As the nuclear holocaust loomed on the horizon, the cult attempted to summon the creature to benefit from its cosmic wisdom and earn protection from the nuclear fire soon to rain from the skies. The summoning was complete on October 22, 2077, and visible to just one of their number, Brother Charles, who immediately shared the wisdom he received, speaking of floods to come on the following day. The faithful took it as a signal to gather on the rooftops to avoid the destruction and give praise to the Mothman.

Sasquatch


The sasquatch, though more commonly referred to as "bigfoot," is said to be a hairy, upright-walking, ape-like creature that dwells in the wilderness and leaves footprints. Depictions often portray them as a missing link between humans and human ancestors or other great apes. They are strongly associated with the Pacific Northwest (particularly Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia), and individuals claim to see the creatures across North America. The sasquatch would continue to be a prevalent cryptid in popular culture until the start of the Great War, with some magazines even proclaiming titles such as Hardy as a Sasquatch.