The Ballad of Trader Red - "The Dead Boone Forest, Part 2"

The dust of the old world settles over the ruins of Ohio, but the ghosts of Appalachia refuse to rest. For Shadow, the road has been long—a path carved through wreckage and regret. He is a man forged in the crucible of Vault 76, haunted by the calculated cruelties of a woman who mistakes her delusions of grandeur for a righteous mission. While the Overseer marches westward, fueled by a dangerous faith that she holds the keys to humanity's salvation, Shadow follows in her wake—a silent hunter closing in on the final name on his list. As their paths converge at the gates of Vault 199, the collision between a self-appointed savior and a monster of the Wasteland’s making is inevitable. The reckoning has arrived, but in a world built on lies, the line between hero and villain is as thin as the edge of a blade.

What happens when you mix Moonshine, Dynamite, a whole heapin’ helping of mutated bears and one pissed off Cryptid named Trader Red? Well, the Baileys are about to find out.The Dead Boone Forest is full of surprises and our intrepid travelers have only begun to scratch the surface. With a long and winding road ahead, they have no idea what dangers lie around the next bend.

No good deed goes unpunished. That’s what Red’s crazy Uncle Remus used to say. It’s a lesson Red never really thought about…until she was staring down the barrels of three rifles, aimed by the folks she had intended to save. Maybe it was inevitable that her extras would get exposed…that the Baileys would find out she wasn’t quite human, not anymore.Now, in the middle of the Dead Boone Forest, Red and the Baileys have a choice to make. Are they still able to trust one another or will the wasteland claim yet another set of victims?Dangers wait around every corner, choices have consequences…and the Ballad of Trader Red continues.

Welcome to the MODUS Files. In the year 2102, twenty five years after the bombs dropped, the residents of Vault 76 venture into an Appalachia ravaged by war, plague and monsters. Our story begins on Reclamation Day with Vault 76 resident Valeria Faustina, whose path will shape the future of the region...and perhaps even humanity itself.

The Great War changed the landscape of America in ways the survivors could barely comprehend. Once bountiful fields were now nothing but barren deserts, while the towering forests - at least those not clear-cut to provide resources for the war effort - were either blasted expanses of burnt matchstick trunks, or in some cases, something far, far worse.The long winding road leads Red and the Baileys towards Tennessee, but the path will prove to be a treacherous one, as both human and beast stand in the way of their destination. And as the old maps used to say, when one steps into the unknown…”Here Be Monsters.”

The Golden Rule of the Wasteland - “Thou shalt get sidetracked by bullshit every goddamn time.” Red finds herself burdened with responsibilities she neither wanted nor needed, but a job is a job…just like her Pa used to say.The Baileys are still coming to terms with their mysterious benefactor, hoping that she’ll be enough to get them to points south and the beginnings of a new life. Tensions remain, however, and trust comes hard on those lonely Kentucky roads.And Red’s past may soon come to haunt them all, because the Reavers don’t forget and they don’t forgive…and an act of mercy might prove to be Red’s worst mistake of them all.

Kentucky…once part of the East Central Commonwealth before the Great War, had been a place of Whiskey and Thoroughbreds, where the elite came to witness the Great Kentucky Derby while the factories of Louisville and Lexington turned out armaments for the conflict with China.The horses are long gone, as are the elites and their factories, leaving a broken and blighted landscape behind for the survivors. Now known more as a place you pass through - casting glances at the remains of the old world on your way to somewhere else - old Kentucky ain’t what it used to be.Trader Red hadn’t meant to get herself caught in the middle of yet another mess…but here she was, watching over a bunch of folks she neither knew nor really cared to, as her eyes were still cast to those hills far to the south in Tennessee.But the Wasteland has a habit of turning any straight line into one damn twisted pretzel…and choices, good or bad, have consequences long down the line.

The story of Appalachia has come to a close, but a new story has just become. The Smoky Mountains of Tennessee are calling and Trader Red is going home...what will follow is an epic tale of revenge and remembrance.The Wasteland is a treacherous place, full of dangers both human and monster. On an old Kentucky road, a waylaid family, a group of Raiders, and Trader Red are on a collision course.In the middle of a suffocating dust storm...the Ballad Begins.

For those who missed it, we were able to participate in an amazing Panel at the Fallout Celebration in Goodsprings. The creators of The MODUS Files and True Vault Escapades discuss their podcasts, stories, characters and history, while also taking questions from fans!Enjoy the discussion!

The story of Appalachia has come to a close, but a new story has just become. The Smoky Mountains of Tennessee are calling and Trader Red is going home...what will follow is an epic tale of revenge and remembrance.Season 4 - Coming Soon!