Barney Rook

Barney Rook is a mirelurk hunter and the commander of a volunteer militia, living in Salem in 2287.

Background
Barney Rook is a native resident of Salem, where his family has been living for centuries. He inherited his family's house from his ancestors. Dedicated to defending his hometown from anything that the Commonwealth could throw at it, particularly the mirelurks and the Children of Atom cultists residing at the nearby crater, Barney founded the Salem Volunteer Militia to aid in his mission of protecting his hometown from potential threats. He installed several automated turrets in strategic positions around town to help combat the local mirelurk infestation, which he has been unable to activate due to the onslaught of the mutated crabs.

He is a seasoned mirelurk hunter, killing the creatures for a living. Barney's personal weapon is a custom hunting rifle called Reba. He has been working on an improved version called Reba II, demonstrating his skills as an expert gunsmith. The weapon is still being perfected by the time the Sole Survivor arrives in Salem.

Appearances
Barney Rook appears only in Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes
Barney Rook may be a reference to Burt Gummer, a character from the Tremors movie series played by Michael Gross. Barney and Burt both suffer from paranoia and have a heavily defended home. Barney's rifle, Reba, may be a reference to actress Reba McEntire, the actress playing Burt's wife in Tremors 1.

Barney may also be a reference to Sergent Shadwell from Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Both are part of a single purposed militia composed of primarily one person filling all the roles. Sergent Shadwell is the leader of the Witchfinder Army, and Barney can be found in Salem, a place associated with witches. Both characters seem relatively hostile to the world at first appearance, but are trying to help people the best they can.

Bugs
Barney Rook Барни Рук Барні Рук