Marked Men

Marked men are the ghoul inhabitants found in the Divide in 2281.

Background
Marked men are the remnants of the NCR and Caesar's Legion soldiers stationed at the Divide. The Courier unintentionally brought a package to the Divide from Navarro containing a mysterious ICBM detonator, causing the nuclear warheads that were still underground in their silos since the Great War to detonate. As a result of the warheads exploding, natural disasters such as earthquakes and violent storms soon tore apart the whole area. The storm in particular had a profound effect on the NCR and Legion remnants; their skins were flayed off, leaving only their skeletal tissue exposed. At the same time, the radiation had caused a unique ghoulification process that had kept them alive, making them suffer from their heavy wounds. In dialogue between the Courier and Ulysses, it can be confirmed that such injuries and radiation would have killed ordinary ghouls. This makes the marked men unique in that, it is that level of radiation that is keeping them alive.

Despite belonging to completely different factions with opposing ideologies when they were humans, the pain united them both into a single group. Their hate for the NCR and the Legion was turned against the Divide and its intruders. Some former legionaries of Caesar crafted crude versions of Legate equipment closely resembling Lanius's gear, using the metal from the Divide and the hatred they had developed from their suffering. Others shaped crude blades as weapons, in hopes of holding on to their identity that the Divide had snatched from them. Former NCR soldiers held on to their guns, raining fire on their victims from a distance.

Biology
Marked men are hardened ghouls with a fiery red tone, their skins peeled off by the violent storms of the Divide. Because of this, their skeletal muscles are exposed, making up their red appearance. They are considered ghouls in that the intense radiation of their surroundings are keeping them alive. To protect their new skin (or more likely, themselves), they continue to wear tattered clothing from their respective factions. They maintain their clothing from scavenged pieces of scrap, such as fallen road signs, license plates, and other bits of metal. In order to feed themselves, marked men have resorted to cannibalism, evident in the hunks of human meat and flesh found nearby their encampments.

Gameplay attributes
Marked men level with the player and have a high amount of health for humanoid opponents, and are moderately protected by the tattered armor they wear (albeit far less than properly maintained regular versions of their armor). They are over all on par with the White Legs tribals of Zion Canyon and the lobotomites of the Big MT in terms of health and armor.

They carry a variety of powerful melee and ranged weapons, and at higher levels (above level 40) have the unique attribute of being the only faction that almost universally uses non-standard ammunition for their weapons (i.e. slugs and armor-piercing rounds), increasing their combat proficiency against well-protected targets. Additionally, many marked men make simultaneous use of both firearms and grenades. At times, they can be found using Stealth Boys, making them harder to detect.

When near sources of radiation, they regenerate health rapidly, even more so than ordinary ghouls. However, they tend to be few in numbers, and it is rare to find more than a dozen in any particular location.

Marked men hunter
Marked men hunters appear to be former NCR troopers, equipped with powerful ranged weapons. They may carry guns like trail carbines, assault carbines, or sniper rifles at lower levels (level 1 to level 30), and anti-materiel rifles, brush guns, or Marksman carbines at higher levels (level 30 or above). For energy weapons, they may be seen carrying arc welders or tri-beam laser rifles.

Most of them are found wearing ruined NCR trooper armor (now known as the marked trooper armor), while some of them may be wearing Legion armor (called the marked scout armor).

Marked men marauder
Marked men maurauders are higher-ranking marked men that specialize in heavy weapons. They carry missile launchers and light machine guns at lower levels (below level 30), miniguns, heavy incinerators, Gatling lasers, and plasma casters at higher levels (above level 30), and shoulder mounted machine guns at all levels.

They wear either marked tribal armor or marked patrol armor, suggesting that they are a mix of former NCR rangers and former high-ranking legionaries. As such, they are slightly better protected than lower-ranking marked men.

Marked men ravager
Marked men ravagers appear to be former Legionaries, and specialize in melee weapons. They often carry the Blade of the West, as well as fire axes and Shishkebabs at lower levels (below level 30). At higher levels (above level 30), they carry sledgehammers, super sledges, and thermic lances. They also carry and use incendiary grenades.

Most ravagers wear marked scout armor, and at times, marked trooper armor.

Marked men scout
Marked men scouts appear to be former Legionaries equipped with both firearms and frag grenades. They generally carry either pistols, one-handed submachine guns, or shotguns. They are equipped with flare guns and plasma defenders at all levels, and 12.7mm pistols, hunting shotguns, and hunting revolvers at lower levels (below level 30), as well as 12.7mm submachine guns and riot shotguns at higher levels (above level 30).

As their former ranks suggest, they usually wear marked scout armor. Some of them can be found wearing marked trooper armor.

Irradiated marked men hunter
Irradiated marked men hunters are marked men that have been irradiated from the missile launched by the Courier. They are found scattered around the Courier's Mile.

Irradiated marked men marauder
Irradiated marked men marauders are marked men that have been irradiated from the missile launched by the Courier. They are found scattered around the Courier's Mile.

Irradiated marked men ravager
Irradiated marked men ravangers are marked men that have been irradiated from the missile launched by the Courier. They are found scattered around the Courier's Mile.

Irradiated marked men scout
Irradiated marked men scouts are marked men that have been irradiated from the missile launched by the Courier. They are found scattered around the Courier's Mile.

Notable marked men

 * Blister - a hardened former NCR ranger residing near the marked men base, carrying a flamer.
 * Beast - a marauder boasting crude pieces of Legate armor, found in a camp near the High Road entrance. He carries a shoulder mounted machine gun.
 * Bonesaw - a former legionary wearing a nearly intact Legate helmet, wielding a chainsaw. He can be found in a makeshift camp slightly southeast of the Ashton silo control station.
 * Blade - a former legionary who guards the entrance to Ulysses' Temple. He wields a Blade of the West, and is hidden by a Stealth boy.

Appearances
Marked men appear only in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Lonesome Road.

Behind the scenes

 * Marked men seem to have been inspired by Fallout's original concept for ghouls, which at the time were called "blood men".

Gallery
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