As part of DualShockers’ week-long celebration of the 25th anniversary of Fallout, every day our writers recall a moment from across the series that stuck with them over the years.
“You ever listen to the Silver Shroud? That’s who we need. No matter how bleak things got he’d save the day” says Kent Connolly – repairman, ghoul, and certified Silver Shroud superfan. Hubris Comics and its original band of superheroes has had a presence in the Fallout universe ever since Bethesda took the reins with Fallout 3.
You may remember the delightful quest involving the AntAgonizer and the Mechanist tearing apart Canterbury Commons with their feud in Fallout 3, or the issues of Grognak the Barbarian that act as skill books in New Vegas. Well, Fallout 4 was no different, introducing an entire radio drama and associated quest based on the mysterious vigilante who shields Boston at night — the Silver Shroud.
Once the Sole Survivor comes within range of the outcast haven of Goodneighbor, they will be able to tune into the Silver Shroud radio. Connolly can be heard seeking help from listeners of the show, asking them to come to the Memory Den if they’re a “true fan.” The quest will commence if the player takes the ghoul up on his offer.
Quest aside, the radio show is a great listen (or read). I was chuckling as I listened to Bethesda’s recreation of 1960s superhero schlock. “Holy cannoli! It’s the nightmare of night! The deceptive detective! The dark dick! Paulie, you idiot, you were duped! That’s no normal dame!” perfectly encapsulates the alliteration-heavy dialogue of that era, even including a reference to the ‘60s Batman cartoon, a clear inspiration for the Silver Shroud.
After meeting with Connolly, the player will learn that he’s a diehard fan of the Silver Shroud – ‘better than Grognak and Manta Man combined,’ apparently. As evidenced by his ghoulish status, Connolly has been around since pre-war times. Thinking about the horrors of the wasteland is painful for him, so instead he keeps to himself, working on restoring his hero to the airwaves and using the memory loungers to relive better times. Irma is Kent’s only friend, allowing him extra time in the Memory Den in exchange for his repairing the machinery when it breaks.
With Kent Connolly, Bethesda created one of the most sympathetic characters in the series. His soft-spoken Boston accent – complete with a slight stutter – immediately has you believing this individual has a good heart. His dialogue confirms this, painting him as a kindly soul who just wants to make a difference in his community, albeit with a slightly ruthless streak that’s shown in how willingly he condemns criminals to death at the hands of the Silver Shroud.
Connolly tasks you with travelling to the Boston branch of Hubris Comics to obtain the Silver Shroud’s costume; you can also find the raiment and axe of Grognak the Barbarian inside, though they aren’t as cool as the Silver Shroud’s gear (obviously). After fighting through the ghouls and returning to Kent, Connolly asks you to take up the mantle of the Shroud.
The confrontations between the Shroud and unwitting criminals are where this quest shines. During each standoff, the dialogue wheel lets you speak as the Shroud, resulting in confusion for the criminals and mirth for someone like me who revels in corny retro-comic catchphrases. The protagonist takes on an exaggerated voice and audibly struggles to speak with the cadence of a masked crime fighter, blurting out lines like “This neighbourhood is ill. I am the cure” to excellent effect.
After dispatching your first target, you’ll then be sent by Connolly to take down a local chem dealer who’s been selling to children. The player can either accept a bribe to leave the dealer alone or perform some vigilante justice and slaughter an entire gang. The next target is Kendra, a raider leader operating near Goodneighbor. After shaking down a Cockney-sounding Mr Handy, the Shroud leaves the confines of Goodneighbor to bring justice to the Commonwealth at large.
Kendra and her raiders are easily dispatched by the vigilante, leading to a meeting with town mayor Hancock. The ghoul warns the Shroud of a plot on their life orchestrated by a raider named Sinjin and informs them of the location of two would-be assassins who are working for the thug. Naturally, both feel the wrath of crossing the Shroud. However, Sinjin takes this opportunity to infiltrate Goodneighbor and kidnap Kent Connolly, hoping to bait the Shroud into a trap.
The quest culminates in a showdown between Sinjin and the Shroud at Milton General Hospital. If the player persists in keeping up the Shroud persona throughout the dialogue, Sinjin will become frustrated and his raiders will crack under the pressure, saying “It is the Shroud. It really is. Screw this!” before fleeing – a nice payoff for those committed to staying in character. Sinjin is then defeated and Connolly may still be intact depending on the Shroud’s actions. If he lives, he’ll realise that he’s probably in over his head with crime fighting. However, he’ll still occasionally contact the Shroud to upgrade the costume depending on character level.
At its core, the Silver Shroud is no different to a modern Fallout quest – travel to various quest markers and kill people until the situation is resolved. Despite this, it’s still my favourite side-quest in Fallout 4. The plot, while absurd, is grounded in the emotional realities of the Fallout universe. The pre-war way of life was wiped out and one man has repurposed his old hobby as a coping mechanism.
After all, why face the horrors of reality when you can instead pour your time into the one thing that still makes you happy? In the Sole Survivor, Connolly found an outlet for his obsession, hoping that he could make a small difference in the brutal world of the Commonwealth. It’s a surprisingly endearing story despite the over-the-top nature of the quest.
Furthermore, it’s clear the writers had fun with it. Emil Pagliarulo, a lead designer at Bethesda, is credited as the writer for the Silver Shroud character. The dialogue and scenarios are a perfect homage to a light-hearted (and bygone) era of superhero content. The Silver Shroud fearlessly proclaiming themselves the invincible arbiter of wasteland justice is a welcome reprieve from liberating yet another settlement.
