Fallout's Disappointing Clan of Vipers | Fallout Lore

By 2097, Vault 15’s population could no longer fit inside their shelter. While some stayed behind, others looted the vaults resources and fled into the desert, including Jonathan Faust, who over 200 people decided to follow. For weeks they walked until they discovered a small refuge around a large pit. Shortly after making camp and settling in for the night, Faust was alone observing the pit when someone spoke from the shadows, which startled him, causing him to lose his footing and fall inside. Freefalling for almost forty ft, Faust landed on something soft, although he did break his leg, he lay there surprised to still be alive when the something soft started moving beneath his weight. Pushing himself up as best he could, he soon saw what had broken his fall, a nest of Giant Pit Vipers. And these vipers were hungry and in the time it took Faust to let out a single scream, which the others heard, he was gone.
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[@Synonymous101]

The information on The Vipers comes from The Fallout Bible and The Van Buren Design Documents. Fun Fact: Asp, anglicized form of aspis, name used in classical antiquity for a venomous snake, probably the Egyptian cobra, Naja haje. It was the symbol of royalty in Egypt, and its bite was used for the execution of favoured criminals in Greco-Roman times. Cleopatra is said to have killed herself with an asp. It would seem Jonathan Faust was quite the fan of snakes and couldn't help but name his son after one!

[@venomouscorgi]

i think they should take the basic story of Van Buren and make it into a spin off game, or maybe fallout 5

[@Newvegasfiend]

Wasn’t van buren intended to be set in new Vegas or just in Nevada

[@kaidorade1317]

I guess you could say this snake has been de fanged

[@cmdrclassified]

As always, you never disappoint! Your research, and production are second to none. I hope all is well with you, Sir! And God Bless. o7

[@stevenfrost163]

Dude man, I have listened to the story of the survivalist...I don't know, probably a couple hundred times, usually listening as I go to sleep, as it's a facinating story to begin with. The fact that you turned probably 5 minutes of written journal entries into a great short audio book is something else, nothing short of impressive. I love the DLC for the same reason most others do as well. The change of scenery and the story of the survivalist. So, thank you for writing and producing all of your work. Have you offered your services (as a freelance contract) writer to Bethesda or Obsidian? Also keep up the awesome work and keep on being an awesome human being.

[@DonPandemoniac]

A primal but dedicated cultist faction like this should have been more present along the wastelands. Could have been the origin of some great quests.

[@Eadragonixius]

I mean the Pack in 4 is kinda in that fashion, but they are still very lackluster

[@MisterJohnDoe]

Sounds familiar, but I don't remember. I might be thinking of some other game outside of Fallout. Edit: Might be Mothman cultists.

[@thedreamer6930]

Yep yep. Too bad the devs were rushed. Could be a good mod though!

[@Doom-rp2py]

They have The Cult of the Mothman on Fallout 76. They have Outposts, and Settlements all over Appalachia. But they don’t have a lot of story content asides from The Mothman Equinox event, being side enemies in other quest lines, and the decent amount of lore about them. But I think they are pretty cool, and are honestly my favorite Fallout Cult.

[@joshuadavis5899]

​@@MisterJohnDoe save us o monolith

[@brockschannel3927]

Im actually surprised that one of these XP Potato chips managed to off a high elder of the brotherhood.

[@Synonymous101]

Never underestimate the enemy.

[@justinfarmer7460]

Remember to wear your helmets in the workplace.

[@Zeppathy]

In the end, no matter how important you think you are, everyone is a bag of water that leaks if you poke holes in it. 😂

[@CDTyphol]

Maxson II wasn't an Elder, his dad was.

[@joshualeniger]

Complacency and Arrogance will always catch up eventually

[@Brigand231]

It really is a shame that they didn't do more with them in New Vegas, they were almost treated as an afterthought one step above cut content. Nobody would even notice if they were replaced with generic raiders.

[@Katini_]

it is much better to name the groups of raiders rather than just naming them all “raider” even if that’s the only thing they do tbh

[@redlight3932]

They're generic raiders in combat only I always gave them more weight then I thought they had until my 3rd play through

[@DanielSan1776]

18 months to make the game Makes sense

[@Brigand231]

@@Katini_ I agree completely, it breathes a little more life into the world if each area had its own gang of raiders. My intended point was that there is/was so much more to the Vipers than just ordinary, average wasteland raiders and they were sort of wasted. The fiends, for example, used different weaponry and had different outfits than generic raiders.

[@user-yy3sy5km2z]

​@@DanielSan1776 18 months they agreed to

[@3113mac]

it sucks that so much of this lore had to be left out of the games

[@elic1356]

The amount of cut lore in Fallout is almost as impressive as the existing lore ingame. It'd be really neat if it all got included.

[@Reyma777]

The Brotherhood of Steal’s massacre of the Vipers sounded almost like something out of 40k.

[@shiny1556]

It’s disappointing that not even the Old World Blues mod for HOI4 has cool stuff for the Vipers. Such a incredibly cool tribe

[@Kai.206]

Giving Tunnel Snakes a whole new meaning.

[@NymbusCumulo928]

Congrats, you found the reference.

[@gimmickygames4577]

Tunnel Snakes Rule!!!!

[@zekun4741]

Butch: I can show you a real Tunnel Snake, Amata

[@SergenteHartman2356]

“We’re with the vipers!”

[@Woppertaryan]

“Whats that? Your girl scout troop?”

[@TKsh1]

I find it funny that a cut faction from the first game somehow came back out of nowhere as a deadbeat raider group. Missed opportunity, but at least it makes sense in the setting.

[@The_Obsessed]

Always thought the Vipers were a big lot of wasted potential. As rough as things are currently, your videos are always of some comfort. Your voice has become one I find incredibly comforting. My worsening mental state aside, I'm glad I have your videos to listen to.

[@syedabishosainrizvi7817]

Bro you good?

[@generalmarkmilleyisbenedic8895]

Ay man if youre serious, reach out to people who care. Maybe vent, but let them know you need help perhaps? I cant do it on my own. I need close people to help. Lately ive spent the whole day and night anxious beyond belief, i dont sleep at night and maybe like you videos like these keep me distracted while trying to sleep, and its hard to find motivation for anything. Youre not alone.

[@samueltitone5683]

Maybe I’m alone in this, but I think the various tribal groups are the coolest part of Fallout. It’s a shame we only got generic raiders in 3 and 4.

[@colddaze6680]

Nah not alone, its same for me. Khans to Vipers , Dead Horses and Sorrows. They are the most interesting aspect of the game to me. Post apocalyptic tribals of Fallout, they're unique and primal, there's whole Fallout movies or series you could dedicate to them. So nothing is known of Asp after the last Brotherhood purge on them. Smart writers could write him back into Fallout 5. Create a story where he comes out of hiding. Revives the Vipers, and their tribal culture. Maybe compromise with a balance of practical firearms, along with the poison spears and arrows next time. So they aren't easy prey for BoS etc.

[@MisterJohnDoe]

Fallout 4 had like Forged, Trappers, and those Norwegian speaking Ghouls at the shipwreck, but yeah every raider just looked like duplicates of each other. Edit: Oh, you mean tribal factions. Got it.

[@Jiub_SN]

@@MisterJohnDoeyeah Bethesda neglects most of what made the first 2 and new Vegas so cool. They also don't get that it's a 50s retrofuture postapoc and not just 50s in a postapoc, really sucks

[@VaciliNikoMavich]

Indian Jones: “Snakes…why’d it have to be snakes…?”

[@robbedoes8619]

Please do more Vault lore, it’s amazing.

[@Lavenderlore1043]

It'd be nice if we got a Fallout game set in the future where the Vipers have regrown their strength and we could join them like we can with the Great Khans in NV. We could explore their culture, spiritual beliefs(perhaps they introduce some reforms), and see how a more centralized Viper society interacts with others. Also as a bonus, perhaps you could gain a Viper companion by helping them with a unique quest. That companion could give you a perk that boosts your melee weapons, or perhaps more fittingly.. the damage you do with poisoned weapons.

[@kevalyarathore223]

A high Endurance check should be their to see if the protagonist survives the initiation.

[@Jimbo55151]

It’s interesting that even in Van Burren it appears the vipers were going to be glossed over. Just could never get a break I guess.

[@Waylonpark13]

Hearing these lore videos makes me want to replay fallout 3 and New Vegas again lol

[@ididntmeantoshootthatvietn5012]

"We're with the vipers!!"

[@ehyena]

What is that your girl scout troupe? I'm way late on this but great comment, gave me quite the laugh remembering that

[@ghoul9988]

i think the fiends should've been the vipers. the story could've went like this: after losing their snake gods they went to chems to try and recreate the hallucinations the mutated venom once gave them

[@Dank-gb6jn]

It would be interesting to see Whitebird’s “Ghost of She” ritual covered. As someone who has researched the real world counterpart to Zion’s “Sacred Datura”, and some of the ceremonies associated with it; the Fallout equivalent seems to be rather close to the Luiseño’s toloache ritual. Minus the dancing.

[@user-qi7dv1yg2y]

Fallouts datura trip was deffinetly nothing like it’s real life counterpart, not enough shadow people, bugs and phantom cigarettes

[@aggressiveballsack9609]

Man i love your videos, they are always well done and you can learn so much about fallout from them. Thanks for the work you put in making them!

[@GaryGlass1]

So glad I came across this channel last year, keep up the great work

[@bradyhere2427]

Love your lore videos, really like how you mention lore from non canon sources. Would you ever be open to making a video on the Midwestern Brotherhood or other Tactics lore ?

[@Synonymous101]

All in good time 😁👍

[@trajandavis2]

I played the entire lore playlist every night before bed the last week to help me sleep I just love all these videos, great content

[@Tamtudy]

Brother, just want to thank you and appreciate all the Fallout lore videos. I grew up on F1 and F2. Having a blast watching your videos and going back in time, expanding my already HUMONGOUS Fallout knowledge :D thx

[@Hyperion-5744]

Now the vipers are the weakest raider gang in the mojave. Good video synonymous.

[@mappingshaman5280]

I'd say that title goes to the Jackals.

[@MisterJohnDoe]

Wouldn't that be the Jackals? Literally their lore is just a bunch of pathetic cannibals and scavengers from Vault 15.

[@blinddiodejackson887]

I have already made FNV mod adding some content for Jackals, and I'm currently making a mod flashing out vipers. I want to make it more flashed out than my last mod, so maybe in few weeks vipers won't suck so much anymore.

[@prismanic24]

Looking forward to seeing it!

[@MultiKillerjoe]

I hope we get a sequel to new vegas made by Obsidian Entertainment but have the viper cult as a main bad guy of the story kinda like legion just with giant vipers and snake good end boss

[@bonniehuh]

Wow, I only played 3, NV, and 4. I remember the vipers popping up every now and then in NV. I always wondered why a random group of raiders got their own nickname. I had no idea they had such an in-depth story.

[@okinawa8724]

Keep what youre doing bro been watching your video's forever

[@tannerheekin9605]

Awesome work man! I’m glad to see some new videos about one of the many raider clans. Hope universities going well and good luck with finals!

[@roubinnick]

Great video as always. It's true, the Vipers were done horribly dirty. In FNV they simply replace the casual raiders and nothing else.

[@GLASSMOSCOWANDBEIJING]

OK hear me out here. What if the new vegas map was expanded to the point that you can have 4 goodsprings like settlements, at least 3 Legion controlled cities/towns to see life of the average Lucius under the Legion, multiple raider factions in neutral territories all of which would be joinable, 2 mercenary companies that would compete against each other like the Rangers and the Talon Company in Fallout 3 which you could also join as well as 4 different trading companies like the already exisitng Crimson Caravan and Happy Trails which you could also join? I mean can you imagine the replayibility options in that kind of a fallout game? Having the option to still join the NCR, Legion, Mr House, Yes Man as well as be a raider, mercanary, caravan trader or even giving you the option to become an Overboss of those raider gangs like in the Nuka-World DLC but making this role actually impact full.

[@cloak679]

i think they where planning to do that for the legion side, but they had to cut it out because time constraint they sadly have to cut it out.

[@UnicornstalkRGaming]

Yeah and the game would've took 10 years to make and it wouldn't have been published due to an engine change and bugs occurring even more often due to having to remap everything

[@GLASSMOSCOWANDBEIJING]

@@UnicornstalkRGaming don't care, it can take 15 for all I care. If it's gonna be perfect than I would take it

[@cloak679]

@@GLASSMOSCOWANDBEIJING um, are we gonna forget doom nuke them to hell game? that game was in development hell for 15 years. so it much wiser to try to make a game in like 4 to 5 years.

[@nathanlynch9634]

The intro music is so cool.

[@themaddoctor1741]

This is why Cabot’s Quest is a great mod. from the looks of it, they were pretty lore accurate

[@runfastermanosrs4436]

really love this channel, been binging

[@1197Gamer]

Oooooh my god. I just found this channel and am about to go sooo deep. New Vegas is my #1 favorite game and I am always looking to learn more! You sir have a new sub!

[@Matt-md5yt]

sweet glad you covered this one.

[@uggostinko6914]

If im not mistaken, the vipers are a reference to the Set cult in Conan

[@NymbusCumulo928]

After Outer Worlds, I hope Obsidian NEVER touches a Fallout game again. New Vegas was a one hit wonder.

[@liquidsnail7305]

I do agree, though from what I remember, most of the team that worked on NV had left when OW was being developed.

[@BrainOfStone]

I can imagine them maybe showing up again, but now led by a new "prophet" who brings back their zealos devotion and deadly venom. They could be a much more important and interesting side faction in a future game.

[@dennisyoung4631]

The Great Snake = “Alger?” (Gopher Snake I kept as a pet in my teens.)

[@79sdv10]

"We're with the Vipers!!"

[@cryptodino3roberts712]

Snakes need to be in fallout period. But giant vipers with a human cult is a must

[@joffasaurfinch]

The Zealots of Hecate is such a metal fuckin name lol

[@user-np6so9cn6d]

It’d be cool to see a video about Fawks! I know you can read about him anywhere but it’s a story that isn’t often expanded

[@user-xb7rr2pm1o]

If new vegas had double the development time to 36 months. I wholeheartedly belive it would be one of the top 5 games of all time. As opposed to top 25

[@noodlepotreal]

Heres hoping the Vipers get the recognition they deserve in FO5 or maybe the show

[@mafiaman7813]

I'd love to see a history of the fiends they are my favorite faction and I wish they got more love.

[@ScorpionCar]

Such a great video!

[@comical4609]

John from MATN recently mentioned Vipers too, and how much they've regressed from their original concepts. Weird.

[@blinddiodejackson887]

Jon, +could you send a link or video name, I can't fond it;(

[@kenjyn76]

​@@blinddiodejackson887 he talked about it in his TTW playthrough, iirc

[@blinddiodejackson887]

@@kenjyn76 w8 really? i missed that. in a video when he went to nv for pre war books or some other?

[@comical4609]

@@blinddiodejackson887 it was like one or two videos ago in his Tale of Two Wasteland letsplay. Just a funny coincident I thought.

[@austinchandler5384]

Part of the lore sounds like they saved most of their plot points for Starfield’s House of Var’uun…

[@mrsgaap1]

i like this story once a big trible cult now nothing more then common raider junkys i love these fall from grace storys

[@firehearto0872]

Anyone else start thinking of the Vipers after seeing those snake worshippers in the Starfield Direct?

[@UnholyTerra]

Love all your videos. I too wish the vipers had been given more love in NV.

[@sathancat]

Tunnel Snakes RULE!

[@Daddyshortlegs-kn4ty]

Love your videos and channel! Discovered very recently and have watched most of them. Do you ever do any Skyrim videos?

[@Synonymous101]

Not at the moment, but I am considering it 😁👍

[@devinshipwreck9727]

Always loved this story!

[@TR0PYCANA]

Keep up the great work

[@michaelsaunders8217]

Perfect video to watch while playing New Vegas

[@brothers_of_nod]

They would have been an interesting faction to have seen utilized back in Fallout 1

[@AbdulRahman-bi1nu]

I've always been interested by them and wondered if they're semi cut content as I added a lot more of them using mods for early gameplay

[@dylankontra7392]

If you haven't already, could you do a lore video about Liberty Prime? It's been mentioned in previous videos, but not really delved into the history

[@GelatinCoffee]

For real seems like the kind of place you'd get a unique weapon from, even if it's not a good one. Like "snake's tooth: low damage, decent attack speed. Special effects include, small chance to incapacitate an enemy for a smort amount of time. Hidden effect while in hand, all living wilflife (aside from the baddest of enemies) will not attack unless you get too close (presumably because they smell the venom and know it's nothing to mess with)

[@PecoPecoHD]

Another vid another banger. Thanks for the entertainment!

[@lucasmackay6977]

BOSS GET DOWN!!! The enemy vipers ....

[@annecantgame]

I wish there was a way you could be neutral through the entire game, working with all the factions instead of having to side with one more than the other. Even have something like on Fallout 3 where people hire others to hunt you down if you were bad enough.

[@delskif1425]

Or a way you could just do a genocide run killing most of the population as a whole raiders and all

[@some_shitposting_idiot3023]

Well that last part technically happens But one of the options is the pansy ncr who have to put on a show to act all big and tough And then the legion chads who attack you outright cause they actually understand their objective

[@yazidefirenze]

@@some_shitposting_idiot3023 NCR chooses to give kindness, likely because they think they can take on the Courier. Also probably time for themselves to prepare. The Legion, with just football gear and machetes, don't need preparation time. Or maybe they already had it. Either way, when they strike there's no second chance.

[@ntr5420]

>I wish I was allowed to be a centrist apathetic grey mass just like I am in real life

[@georgejackson4426]

It was obvious that based on the sheer amount of lore that exists about the Vipers that they were meant to be a major faction in Van Buren.

[@Quader417]

Playing viper venom Russian roulette every month is hardcore af

[@HippiePup420]

I would love to see a video on the lore of the music in Fallout

[@redlight3932]

Thank you

[@Seventh_Bean]

Thank you for mentioning Hecate, is there enough info to make a video about her?

[@Synonymous101]

Perhaps, if not I'll make Hecate a part of a larger video

[@Seventh_Bean]

@@Synonymous101 Either way, I look forward go it!

[@BlueLightningHawk]

This begs the question why didn't Fallout: New Vegas have large snakes? My guess is because animating them would look even more janky than usual in the game engine.

[@looneypersoney]

There's a mod in new vegas called cabot's quest that have alternate lore of the vipers, it's quite interesting

[@keithsam4813]

But that’s a story for another time.

[@georgejackson4426]

We need a background on Super Mutant Hounds. Where did they come from? What exactly are they and why do they follow Super Mutants? I get that Commonwealth Mutants don't have access to FEV and can't make Centaurs but the Hounds showed up out of nowhere.

[@hun5242]

you should do a video on oswald the outrageous i bet he has some interesting story and theories to talk about

[@Ethankirkland125]

Could you do a video on roger Maxson if you ever get the chance ?

[@starrr_dust]

My head cannon is that the god the vipers worship is the same snake god(yig/set) from the works of lovecraft and robert howard.

[@headshot531]

another banger posted

[@SalusFuturistics]

They better have James Earl Jones speak his Lines before it's too late.

[@darkskullguy]

If there is a new vegas 2/obsidian fallout, I hope they give the vipers a bigger role

[@firstnamelastname8591]

Please do Hecate and the ouroboros

[@ChibiTheEdgehog]

Yeah, disappointing for sure. I run into them, kill them all, then ask myself "WTF is a viper?"

[@sheeringobject]

the Wipers

[@AnarchyJesus]

The Vipers was wiped out by The Tunnel Snakes

[@trevorbuchanan4736]

The rest of the vipers went to starfield

[@darthkai3621]

What are the hounds of Hecate? Just out of curiosity

[@ShadeMeadows]

We need more cults...

[@LocustaVampa]

I wanted to help these idiots but yeah ...not a faction you can do anything with! I turned the Powder Gangers into a force though! lol

[@starrr_dust]

Imagine being a.brotherhood of steel elder and getting 1 shotted by a yig/set worshipper lol.

[@popaopol]

I think they are mentioned in fallout bunker game for mobile

[@Sksk27547]

1 of them should of been put in fallout 4. That would of been hilarious. Such a peculiar group. Hilarious

[@killzoneisa]

Vipers more like cannon fodder with how many i have killed.

[@christophertryhorn784]

Just another group of mindless raiders that need to be burned out of existence

[@georgejackson4426]

They could have been awesome but because Van Buren got scrapped and Fallout New Vegas was rushed the Vipers became random raider gang #15.

[@smrii2487]

I wonder if the pit vipers were influenced by the cult of Set from Conan

[@WileyCatOFFICIAL]

ambautakam

[@MyDogDoingStuffIG]

I hate the Vipers so much. There is no enemy I hate more in the fallout-franchise more than a group of Vipers.