Vulpes Inculta

"Pile body upon body."

 is the leader and the most skillful of the Frumentarii in Caesar's Legion, wandering around the Mojave Wasteland in 2281.

Background
A remarkable individual from an unremarkable tribe in Utah, Vulpes was brought into the Legion as a child. Having survived training, he was made a Legionary and fought well enough to be promoted to the rank of Decanus. He was transferred by Caesar to the Frumentarii following a brilliant tactical maneuver, when in a battle against an unimportant tribe he broke ranks and led his squad through a hole in the enemy defenses, capturing the tribe's chieftain. While his centurion wanted him crucified for disobeying orders, Caesar saw potential in the young officer and found other uses for him.

By 2281, Vulpes is the leader of the Frumentarii and the mastermind behind many of the Legion's intrigues, notably the conquests of Nipton and Camp Searchlight, by opening the incredibly hazardous radioactive waste containers kept in the city's fire station. This has the effect of severely weakening NCR's position in the area and allowing the Legion to cross the Colorado and establish an outpost at Cottonwood Cove.

Interactions with the player character
Vulpes Inculta is likely to be the first member of Caesar's Legion encountered by the Courier in the Mojave Wasteland. He's originally found at Nipton after obliterating the town with his Frumentarii henchmen. When speaking to the Courier, he'll explain the reason for destroying the settlement, as well as give an assignment to spread the word of Legion atrocities.

If you choose to follow him after given the Cold, Cold Heart he will wander around the wasteland, and eventually make his way back toward Camp Searchlight, where the NCR troopers, who are stationed there, will kill him and his squad.

Later in the game, if he survives, Vulpes will approach the player disguised as a fancy gambler. He'll tell the Courier that he or she is forgiven of any crimes against the Legion and award him or her the Mark of Caesar, allowing the player to cross the Colorado river and reach the Legion's fort. There, he can be found at Caesar's tent, and he'll offer missions involving espionage, sabotage and assassination.

Quests

 * Cold, Cold Heart: Tell the profligates of the sermon.
 * The Finger of Suspicion: Prevent some Omerta thugs from harming a valuable informant inside Vault 21.
 * I Put a Spell on You: Help an infiltrator at Camp McCarran to sabotage the monorail and draw off suspicion.

Bugs

 * There's a glitch which can prevent you from being able to speak with Vulpes, even when he triggers the conversation. The camera will zoom in on him like it would usually do when initiating conversation, but will then quickly retract, bringing the player back into control. Reloading to a recent save doesn't seem to fix the issue. A possible fix is to reload to a save before confronting Benny, then walking out of the casino before talking to Yes Man, this has been observed to work in several cases.


 * Vulpes Inculta's body will disappear after death if killed in Caesar's tent. This happens outside the tent too, if lured.

Appearances
only appears in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the Scenes

 * The Frumentarii were the Secret Service of the Roman Empire, and an agent of this secret service would be called a Frumentarius.
 * Vulpes Inculta's appearance is modeled on the ancient Roman army's skirmishing troops (veles/velites in Latin, so-called because they were "cloaked" in a wolf's fur); a veles was recognizable by the wolf's head worn over his light helmet.