#and any well-meaning fc5 deputy | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aceghosts · 2 years

Text

Reluctant Allies

Rating: M

Summary: Deputy Rose Dravić finds a wounded Jacob Seed, and the two become reluctant allies.

Warnings: Canon typical violence. Some mention of blood. Please let me know if anything else needs to be tagged.

Words: 4371 words.

Ships: Deputy Rose Dravić/Jacob Seed

Author’s Note: This is a gift for @fantasmagoriam as part of the FC5 gift event hosted by @scungilliwoman. Amanda, thank you for letting me participate in this, and I hope you enjoy this Matry! Rose is such a wonderful character!

AO3 Link

“Where he’d go?”

“How should I know?”

Idiots; Rose thinks as she pulls the arrow back. Having stumbled upon these two in the forest earlier, she decided to follow them for a little bit, curious if they would lead her to anything interesting. At this point, it seems like the two men were going in circles. Rose supposes the recruits of a group, who decided that killing both Eden’s Gate and the Resistance would be the solution, wouldn’t be the sharpest tools in the shed. It’s saying something, considering Rose also has the great misfortune of knowing Joseph Seed. Rose has them in her sights, the corner of her lips tugging upwards. She’ll bring them down quick, one after the other.

“We have to get to Jacob Seed. If we get him, there will be no one to train Eden’s Gate soldiers. Joseph will be defenseless!” Rose snorts, lowering her bow. She doubts it would be that easy; Joseph seems like the kind of man to replace his siblings in cold blood. Perhaps, Rose will watch how this plays out for a few minutes more. Something rises in her chest, something that feels a little bit like guilt which she pushes down. She silently shadows the men, watching them carefully as they loudly trample through the forest. Dead tree branches crack underneath their feet as their loud voices carry through the forest. Rose knows Jacob is smart enough to avoid these two with the amount of noise they make; he’s certainly snuck up on her before.

Eventually, one of the pair crouches down to the forest floor, pointing to something. “You see this?”

“Is that blood?” His partner kneels next to him.

The other man nods. “I told you that I caught him. Jacob can’t be far; we just need to follow this trail of blood straight to him.”

Rose’s chest tightens, a feeling of dread overtaking her. She shouldn’t care that these two are going after Jacob, that they intend to kill him. Jacob Seed is her enemy, someone she occasionally hatefucks to get it out of her system. And yet, Rose knows that whatever is between them is becoming something more. He stays longer after sex, waking up with her in the morning. No, Rose isn’t doing this. As she turns away, a thought occurs to her. Saving Jacob’s life would mean that he owes her a favor. She didn’t think that he would honor his word, but having the chance to hold it over his head that the Deputy saved his life? Well, that was a reason to save Jacob’s ass. Yep, she definitely was doing it for that reason, and only that reason.

She readies her first arrow as she aims for one of the men. The arrow flies silently through the air, piercing the first man through the throat. A short gurgle escapes his mouth as he drops to the forest floor. “Hey, what the-?” The other one doesn’t get to finish his sentence, Rose’s second arrow piercing his chest. He looks down in shock at the arrow in his chest before dropping to the ground. Perfect, now to find Jacob.

Approaching the corpses, Rose looks around, keeping an eye out for any of their friends. They probably weren’t the only ones after Jacob, which means more would be coming soon. Pulling her arrows out of the dead bodies, Rose wipes them clean on the dead man’s jacket, knowing there is a good chance that she’ll need them later. She slides her arrows back into the quiver, noticing the blood trail on the forest floor. Moving quietly as she can, Rose follows the trail, eventually leading her to a large boulder. As she reaches for an arrow in her quiver, Jacob calls to her. “I know you’re there, Sugar.”

Leaving her arrow in the quiver, Rose walks around the large boulder to find Jacob sitting on the ground, his back against the boulder. He has his familiar red sniper rifle in hand, yet it isn’t pointed at her. Jacob looks rather relaxed as he grins up at Rose. Her eyes roam over his body, noticing the cuts on his face and arms, and the bruises on his face. She doesn’t miss the dark red circle on his light blue jeans, which appears to be a nasty bullet wound to the right thigh. “I’m surprised you know it’s me. Figured you were losing touch, old man.” She retorts, a snarky tone to her voice.

“I can always tell when you’re coming,’ He motions with his head to the two dead men behind them, ‘especially when the weak suddenly shut their goddamn mouths. And I’m never in trouble, Sugar.”

Rose raises an eyebrow. “Well, if you’re not in trouble, I’ll be on my way,” She replies with a smirk, turning her back to Jacob.

He sighs, muttering something about how stubborn Rose is under his breath. “Since you’re here, how about helpin’ me get up?”

Tossing a causal look over her shoulder, Rose shoots back, “Why? Afraid you’ll break something?”

As Jacob opens his mouth, the pair is interrupted by the sound of snapping twigs and loud voices. An uneasiness settles over Rose, her anxiety spiking. She feels herself bristle, like an angry dog. Shit, Rose is stuck here with an injured Jacob and more of those assholes are making their way here. Swearing in Serbian under her breath, she rushes over to Jacob. “We need to get the hell out of here. Do you think you’ll be able to make it to my bike? It’s by the main road.”

“We won’t make it that far-,’ He shakes his head as Rose opens her mouth to argue, ‘You and I both know I won’t make it to that road before they catch us. There is a small cave near here, filled with some prepper supplies.” Running through the options in her mind, Rose knows Jacob is right in this case. She could leave Jacob here, but that would mean certain death for him, and as much as she hates to admit, Rose likes having him around. As she pushes away that thought, Rose thinks of them both running for the road. Jacob is right; the men will catch them, and Rose doesn’t like her odds in that battle. Sometimes, she hates it when he is right. “Tick, Tock, Sugar.”

Slipping the red bandanna out of the pocket of her dark brown leather jacket, Rose kneels beside Jacob. She grabs his leg quickly, wrapping the bandanna around his leg as he lets out a groan of pain. “Don’t be a baby. I have to stop the bleeding, or those idiots will track us to the cave.”

“Glad to see your bedside manner is as sunny as your regular disposition,” He grumbles as Rose finishes tying the bandanna. Jacob holds out his right arm, switching his red sniper rifle to his left hand. Rose grabs his arm, helping an unsteady Jacob on his feet. His arm rests over her broad shoulders, only a few inches taller than her 6 ft frame. She feels the firmness and warmness of Jacob against her, how he smells like the pine trees surrounding them.

“Come on,” She urges Jacob, starting to move quickly in the direction he pointed earlier. Her anxiety continues to spike as she hears more snapping twigs and louder voices. Jacob and Rose don’t have much more time before they are found.

Jacob grunts in pain as the pair move at a brisk walking pace. “That way.” He points with his sniper rifle, Rose adjusting their course slightly. This cave better be fucking close.

It takes the pair a little while, but Jacob manages to direct Rose to the cave, teasing her as they walk. Fortunately, when it comes to banter, especially with Jacob, Rose has always been equally as good giving as she gets. The pair step into the entrances of the cave, where Rose stops. “Tell me, any chance you suddenly developed the ability to see in the dark?”

He shakes his head. “No,’ He looks around to search for something, pulling her towards it once he spies it, ‘Grab the lantern. We’re gonna have to head farther in, where there will be more lanterns.”

She grabs the lantern, managing to turn it on. Rose would like to stay closer to the entrance, have an easier chance at escape if need be. But she knows staying there would be suicide. It would be too easy for others to find the pair, especially if they lit any type of fire. Rose and Jacob continue deeper into the cave, the only light shining from the lantern. Jacob’s even breathing, and the pair’s footsteps are the only sounds in the normally silent cave. Rose looks over to him, his scarred face hauntingly illuminated by the lantern, light and shadows dancing across his face. His blue eyes look over to her, locking with her dark brown ones. “See something you like, Sugar?”

Rose shakes her head, a smile barely on her lips. “No, I wanted to make sure that you weren’t going to keel over on me,” She jokes darkly.

Jacob pretends to wince as if her comment stung him. He lets out a rich laugh before responding, “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, Sugar. You’re stuck with me.” Rose rolls her eyes as he lets out another laugh.

Eventually, they reach the deeper part of the cave, stumbling upon some food, medical supplies, crates, lanterns, and two bedrolls. Raising an eyebrow, Rose admits, “I thought there would be more. Normally, the preppers are so…” She motions to the bareness of the cave. All the prepper stashes Rose has found are filled to the brim with useful supplies, usually hoarded behind some sort of locked door.

“Not a real stash. He was using it as a place to hide some extra supplies. Well, until I came across him.” Jacob smiles, reminding her of a wolf with his sharp teeth bared. Unfortunately for Jacob, Rose is not scared by his wolflike qualities.

“Next time, I have something to hide, I’ll pick somewhere you won’t be able to find me.”

Jacob leans close, whispering into her ear. “Sugar, I’ll always find you, and you’ll always find me. The strong are always drawn to each other like that.”

She rolls her eyes. “You keep telling yourself that.” The pair hobble over to a set of crates, Rose easing Jacob down to sit. He groans in pain as she helps him to the ground, his back resting against the crates. Jacob props his sniper rifle up next to him, panting from the exertion. She drops her bow and quiver down, far away enough that he can’t reach them from his sitting position. Rose doesn’t think Jacob would hurt her, but she won’t take any chances. Walking around the cave, Rose turns on the rest of the lanterns, bringing some light to the dark cave. It illuminates the cave, but not by much. On one of the crates, Rose spies a white box with a red cross on it. She grabs the medical supplies, knowing Jacob will want them.

“Give those to me,” Jacob commands as Rose picks up the supplies.

“I think you’re forgetting the magic word.”

“Please, Sugar,” Jacob drawls with a smirk. Rose tosses him the medical kit which Jacob catches in his right hand, shaking his head. Her anxiety is still high, and Rose decides she’ll inspect the cave before she joins Jacob. She won’t be able to settle down until she knows this place is a safe haven. Inspecting the cave, Rose sees why Jacob would see the value in this as a hideout. The cave is dry; the walls appear stable. There are enough supplies for a few days, but Rose doesn’t think they will be there for that long. Hopefully, the pair will be out of the cave by the next morning. She feels a little less on edge, but Rose knows they aren’t out of the woods yet. There is always the chance they could be found.

Looking over to Jacob, Rose finds him to be struggling with tending to his wounds. His hands are slightly shaky, probably weary from the day’s events. “Need help?” Rose asks neutrally, only knowing it would rile Jacob up.

“No.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes.” He is silent for a minute before sighing in defeat. “Would you help me?”

Rose relishes the slight annoyance in his tone, but she finds there is something else too. She knows that Jacob prefers to rely on himself, the same way that Rose does. Jacob letting her tend to his wound is a sign of trust that she knows he doesn’t extend to many others. Rose wonders if he has extended that trust to anyone in a long time. Approaching him slowly, Rose kneels beside Jacob and the open medical kit. Rose cleans her hands first with one of the disinfecting wipes, not wanting Jacob to catch an infection from her carelessness. As she unties the bandanna from his leg, Rose feels Jacob’s piercing blue eyes on her, watching intensely. “You owe me a new bandanna,’ she teases as she pulls the bandanna from his leg, ‘I liked that one. It was the best at keeping that shit your sister keeps trying to drug me with.”

“I’ll do you one better; I’ll get you a gas mask,’ a small grunt of pain, escaping from him, “Besides, I don’t know why Faith insists on plying you with that stuff. We both know the truth, Sugar.”

“And that would be?” Rose meets his eyes for the first time, realizing that Jacob has leaned in close. His face is only a few inches from her face and for a moment, Rose lets her eyes wander, taking in every small scar.

“We both know the Bliss could never hold you for long. You would find some way out of the Bliss; You’re too strong for that.”

Rose raises an eyebrow before looking down at his leg again. “This might hurt,” she says, before pouring antiseptic on the wound.

“What do you mean-ARGH!” Jacob yelps, his face turning slightly red as Rose tries to hold back her laughter. “You tryin’ to torture me on purpose?”

“No, but if it has the added benefit…” She shrugs her shoulders, cleaning the wound.

He grunts in response, watching her hands work. Eventually, she finishes cleaning the wound, placing fresh gauze over it, and taping it down. “You won’t bleed out, but someone should look at that wound sooner rather than later.” As Rose goes to pull her hands away, Jacob takes both her hands in his, warm and large, covered in calluses from years of training and manual labor.

“Thank you, Sugar. I know you didn’t do me a favor out of the goodness of your heart but thank you.”

“It was nothing.” Rose pulls her hands away from his, an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. There is truth to his words. Rose did not help Jacob out of the goodness of her heart; she rarely operated that way. Clearing her throat, she quickly cleans up the supplies, putting them into the medical kit. She gets up, puts the medical kit away, and grabs two water bottles. Returning and sitting down next to Jacob, Rose hands him a water bottle, which Jacob accepts with a quiet thanks. “So, now what?”

“We wait. We can head out in the morning.”

Rose always finds it hard to get along with others, keeping them an arm’s length away for her own peace of mind. Despite their questions, Hudson and Pratt never really got the chance to know her. Even Whitehorse, her superior, didn’t know much about Rose beyond the few things she cared to share. With Jacob though, things felt natural, different. For the first time, she didn’t feel like had to hold him at an arm’s length away. She knew he would understand, both having survived the darker parts of humanity with the physical and emotional scars to show for it. “You and Peaches really are nothing alike.”

“One could say the same about you and your brothers.” Rose deflects, thinking of Joseph with his cryptic words and empty stare.

Jacob laughs. “You’re right; I’m not like my brothers. But you and Peaches really are different. The first time you showed up in the Whitetails, I thought my men might chew you up and spit you out. Instead, you made a show of them, demonstrating how weak they were. How much farther they have to go to be strong.”

“You know me, I’m hard to kill, especially when I’m trying to mess with my favorite Herald.”

He smiles, a teasing tone in his voice. “Oh? So, that’s how you flirt, huh? I’ll remember that the next time you leave the dead bodies of my men on my doorstep; I’ll give you a call.”

“And I’ll respond if I feel like it.”

“You always make things interesting. I appreciate that about you, Sugar.” His hand comes to rest on her right thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Guess that’s how I know you and I are alike.”

She rolls her eyes but knows there is some truth to Jacob’s words. The more time Rose spends around him, the more she sees the similarities between the two of them. “And how else are you and I alike?” She asks, leaning in close. Her right hand comes to cover Jacob’s, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

His right hand tucks a strand of dark black hair, behind her left ear. “Let’s face it, Sugar. You and I are both wolves, surrounded by a flock of sheep.”

“This isn’t going to turn into some Alpha male bullshit, is it?”

“No,’ Jacob shakes his head, growing serious, ‘The others, they don’t understand what it means to be strong, what it means to survive. I get the feelin’ that you do, Sugar. When I watched you run through the gauntlet for the first time, it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life.” Jacob rests his forehead against her forehead, blue eyes meeting dark brown ones. “You should’ve seen yourself, bathed in blood and wild with fury. It was the first time I felt I could see the real you, the parts of yourself that you kept hidden beneath the surface.”

“I wasn’t aware that I was trying to hide anything,’ Rose admits, swallowing nervously, ‘I like to think that I’ve been honest when necessary.”

He laughs. “No, you’ve never purposely hidden what you are. No one else wanted to see it; they wanted to think of you as one of them. But you and I both know better.”

Things are getting too emotional, too close for Rose’s comfort. She wants him to stop talking about them, kissing him hard as her left hand cups the back of his neck. Jacob eagerly kisses back, all teeth and no softness. Rose and Jacob never start soft with each other; they are always sharp, always full of adrenaline. Teeth biting deeply enough to leave marks and draw blood, hands gripping the other person tightly they leave bruises. His hands move, pulling her by her dark brown leather jacket onto his lap. Rose straddles his waist, Jacob letting out a pained grunt as Rose makes herself comfortable. She nips his bottom lip, tasting blood as Jacob lets her into his mouth. His hands grip her hips tightly, fingers digging in sharply. Her hands grab fistfuls of his army jacket and shirt, the kisses growing more impassioned between them. “Need you,” She whines into the kiss, wanting to devour him.

“I know you’re eager, Sugar,’ He replies, a disappointed whine escaping from Rose’s lips in anticipation of his next words, ‘but I like to take my time with you, and my leg makes that difficult.” His teeth find her neck, nipping harshly to earn a sharp whine from her. “I promise I’ll make it up to you; I’ll be calling for you soon.”

Rose smiles at him, something sharp. “You better.”

A yawn escapes her lips as Rose opens her eyes. She and Jacob are still sitting against the crates, blankets pulled over them. As she takes in her surroundings, Rose realizes she’s leaning against something warm, and something warm is leaning on her. A few seconds later, she realizes her head is on Jacob’s shoulder with him leaning against her. Her stomach flutters nervously, a little unnerved by the intimacy of the situation. This isn’t the first time that the pair have woken up together. She finds the last few times that they’ve slept together Jacob stayed, waking up beside her in the bed when the sun started to rise. His eyes blink open, letting out a big yawn. Jacob looks over at her sleepily as Rose teases him. “Have a good night’s sleep, Sleeping Beauty?”

He sits up, stretching out his arms with another yawn. “Would’ve been better without your snoring, Sugar.”

“I don’t snore!”

“Do too!” Jacob imitates her snoring, a little bit of gleeful joy in his eyes. Rose punches him jokingly in the shoulder as he laughs, stopping his imitation of her.

She rolls her eyes, standing up and stretching her limbs. Rose knows she’ll be sore for the rest of the day, but she finds she doesn’t mind, especially since it meant spending time with Jacob. “I suppose, we should head back. Wouldn’t want anyone to think that you’ve gone missing.”

Jacob holds out his hand, Rose helping him up to his feet. He’s still unsteady, grunting in pain as she helps him. Rose doesn’t miss the slight limp in his gait either. “We should. If I know Joseph, he probably already has people looking for me.”

“Oh no, Joseph in emotional distress,” She replies dryly. For all Rose could care, Joseph could spend the rest of his days crying over Jacob if it meant that he would leave her and Hope County alone.

“I know you don’t like him, but if he thinks the Resistance has me, he’ll make things harder on your people.” Rose hates to admit it, but Jacob is right. Whenever Joseph thinks that the Resistance is getting a little too prideful, he makes life harder for them, giving his siblings a longer leash. “Besides, you’re never getting rid of me, Sugar.”

She snorts, smirking at him. “Try as I might, you keep coming back like a lovestruck puppy.”

Jacob shakes his head. “Lovestruck? You sure you didn’t hit your head?”

Rose shrugs her shoulders. “You certainly keep finding your way back to me.”

He looks at her as if realizing something. “That I do.”

A little while later, Rose and Jacob set out from the cave, his right arm around her shoulder as they make the trek back to her bike. Rose doesn’t hear anyone, but her anxiety spikes, the anger making its way to the surface. She sucks in a deep, shaky breath, her eyes darting around. “Deputy,’ Rose looks over at him, noticing Jacob staring at her with a serious look on his face, ‘They’re long gone by now. You can relax.”

“Doubtful,” Rose bites back. Jacob only shakes his head. He doesn’t know that for sure, and even if those assholes were gone, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other threats out there. People who would gladly delight in hurting her and Jacob. The two make the trek back to her bike as quickly as possible, Rose nearly dragging Jacob. She’ll feel better when they’re out of the woods, when she finally returns Jacob to the Veterans Center.

After a while, the pair reach the road, Rose’s motorcycle where she left it. She fishes the keys out of her right jacket pocket. “Think you’ll be able to stay on?” She asks, the keys jangling in her hands.

He smirks at her. “I’ll hold on for dear life, Sugar.”

“I’m not coming back if you fall off. You’re on your own.” Jacob laughs as he pulls his arm away from Rose. She gets on the bike first, the engine roaring to life as she turns it on. He gets on the back, slightly unsteady as his arms around her waist. Jacob presses himself against her, his body warm against her own. Teasing, Rose asks, “Do you think you’re close enough?”

“Never.”

Rose drives them back to the Veterans Center, going slower than she normally would. Despite her teasing, she doesn’t want him to fall off. It would only cause more trouble for the Resistance, and she would, maybe, feel a tiny smidge guilty about it. When they reach the Veteran’s Center, Rose skids to a stop near the gates. The Peggies at the front aim their guns focused on the Deputy. She hears them chattering to each other, clearly preparing for anything she’ll do. “Brother Jacob!” One of them calls as the gates swing open.

Jacob holds up his hand, the Peggies lowering their guns. “The Deputy has brought me back to you. Give me a minute.” He gets off the bike stiffly, his leg giving him trouble. Jacob turns toward her as Rose clears her throat. “I’ll make sure my men give you some breathing room today, Sugar.”

“Good.” Rose looks away awkwardly, unsure of what to say. She looks back to find that Jacob has come closer. “Well, I’m sure you have people to tortu-.” Jacob doesn’t let her finish, roughly grabbing the collar of her jacket. He pulls her in quickly, his kiss still rough as Rose eagerly returns it. He bites at her bottom lip, Rose letting him in. A part of Rose wants Jacob to stay here with her. She quickly squashes the notion; Rose and Jacob both know there will be no happy ending for them.

He pulls away from Rose, smiling at her wolfishly. “Don’t worry, Sugar. I’ll be seeing you around, and I won’t be so soft the next time we see each other.”

Rose watches him walk away. The next time he sees her, Rose won’t be that soft either. She’ll always be willing to put up a fight against Jacob Seed.

#far cry 5 #fc5 #fc5 fanfic #far cry 5 fanfic #jacob seed #the deputy #Deputy Rose Dravić #kate writes #far cry 5 gift exchange #far cry 5 anniversary gift exchange #I really hope you enjoy this and I hope I got Rose in character #I also hope I really captured her relationship with Jacob well #if you want me to change anything let me know

26 notes · View notes

veinereastath · 3 years

Text

FAR CRY 5 | DEPUTY SURVEY RESULTS

Thank you all so much for your interest, participation and sharing the survey on your blogs! We’ve got 124 answers and here are the results - it’s quite interesting to see what choices are most popular, and which are rare. I think that FC5 fandom has some of the most interesting OCs out there. It’s also intriguing to see that all these choices in the end made a new Deputy, based on the most popular answers. In the end of this post this mysterious Dep will be shortly summarized.

If you’re interested in future surveys as well, I can assure you it’s not the last one - I definitely like doing them. If there’s anything you think these two surveys of mine lacked or needed to be improved on, let me know! Feedback and constructive criticism is always heavily appreciated.

Really long post warning.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE QUESTIONS 1. What is your Deputy's gender? 74%: Female 20%: Male 6%: Non-binary

2. How old are they? 59%: 25-29 20%: 30-35 15%: 20-24 6%: 36-40 1%: 41-49 There were no Deputies older than 49 years old. 3. What is their skin tone? 44%: Medium white 28%: Pale white 15%: Moderate brown 9%: Light brown 2%: Dark brown 2%: Very dark brown 4. How tall are they? 23%: 161-165 cm (5'3" - 5'5") 22%: 166-170 cm (5'5" - 5'7") 19%: 171-175 cm (5'7" - 5'9") 11%: 155-160 cm (5'1" - 5'3") 10%: 176-180 cm (5'9" - 5'11") 7%: 181-185 cm (5'11" - 6'1") 5%: <155 cm (less than 5'1") 3%: 186-190 cm (6'1" - 6'3") 2%: >195 cm (more than 6'5") 5. What is their eye color? 36%: Brown 22%: Blue 19%: Green 11%: Hazel 9%: Grey 2%: Amber 2%: Heterochromatic 6. How long are their hair? 30%: Shoulder-length 24%: Medium-back length or longer 19%: Armpit-length 12%: Very short cut 9%: Ear-length 7%: Chin-length 7. What's their hair color? 29%: Black 24%: Dark brown 12%: Blonde 10%: Brown 9%: Dark blonde 7%: Red 6%: Mixed [natural shades] 2%: Mixed [natural + colorful] 1%: White 1%: Other [colorful, ex. green, purple, blue] PERSONALITY AND BACKGROUND QUESTIONS 8. What's your Deputy's moral alignment? 33%: Chaotic Good 22%: Chaotic Neutral 20%: Neutral Good 10%: True Neutral 7%: Lawful Neutral 6%: Lawful Good 1%: Lawful Evil 1%: Chaotic Evil 1%: Neutral Evil

9. What is their sexuality? 52%: Bisexual 19%: Heterosexual 15%: Homosexual 8%: It’s hard to say 4%: Other 2%: Asexual

10. What continent are they from? 86%: North America 10%: Europe 3%: Asia 1%: Oceania 1%: Antarctica There were no Deputies originating from Africa or South America.

11. Related to the previous question - are they from Montana? 49%: From the United States, but not from Montana 34%: Yes 17%: They're not from United States

12. Does your Deputy have some sort of military background? 63%: No 19%: Yes, one (or both) of their parents were military 10%: Yes, they served in the army 9%: Yes [other]

13. Is your Deputy more warm and light-hearted or cold and lacking in empathy? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5 1 = Light-hearted 5 = Cold

1: 19% 2: 35% 3: 28% 4: 14% 5: 4%

14. Did your Deputy personally encounter any of the Seeds before the game events? 62%: No 38%: Yes

15. Did your Deputy do something strictly illegal in their past 37%: No 35%: Yes 28%: It’s more complicated

QUESTIONS RELATED TO CHOICES AND ACTIONS IN HOPE COUNTY

16. How mentally strong your Deputy is at the start of the game? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5. 1 = Very weak 5 = Very resilient

1: 2% 2: 9% 3: 20% 4: 35% 5: 35%

17. During game events, does your Deputy prefer to use physical means to get themselves out of trouble, or do they try to weasel their way out? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5. 1 = They definitely prefer physical means 5 = They definitely prefer to use their cunning

1. 19% 2. 27% 3. 24% 4. 21% 5. 11%

18. Did your OC genuinely want to become a Deputy, or was this one of those life choices that wasn't really that much of a choice? 44%: Yes, they wanted to become a part of Sheriff's Department and enjoy their job (at least pre-game) 35%: No, they chose this line of work for another reason, not because of personal preference 17%: It's more complicated 4%: Yes, they wanted to become a part of Sheriff's Department, but they do not enjoy their job (pre-game)

19. Did the unfolding events in the game make your Deputy change their view on their job? 46%: It's more complicated 19%: Yes, they started to hate it 19%: No, they still don't like it 14%: No, they still like it 2%: Yes, they started to like it

20. Does your Deputy have a one close friend among their coworkers 29%: Staci Pratt 27%: They like all of their coworkers to some extent, but no one is really a special type of friend 22%: Joey Hudson 15%: Earl Whitehorse 3%: They're not on good terms with any of their coworkers above 3%: It’s more complicated 1%: Fuckin’ Nancy [kudos to this man/woman of culture]

21. Does your Deputy have a preference for a certain type of weapons? Pick 1-3 57%: Sniper rifles 43%: Pistols and revolvers 39%: Assault rifles and sub-machine guns 34%: Bows 26%: Knives 24%: Melee weapons 17%: Explosives 11%: Heavy weapons (machine guns, RPGs, etc.) 11%: They breathe shovels. They sleep with shovels. They have a deep, profound relationship with shovels.

22. Does your Deputy like to have someone with them, or do they prefer to work alone 36%: They like to have 2 people with them 34%: One person accompanying them is enough 17%: They prefer to work alone 7%: They like to have a big company with them 6%: It’s more complicated

23. Were they in any close relationship pre-game? 41%: They were never close with anyone 33%: It’s more complicated 19%: Yes, they were in a deep relationship with someone 7%: Yes, they were married

24. Did they find a special, close friend amongst people of Hope County's Resistance? Yes, please pick just one 26%: Sharky Boshaw 13%: Nick Rye 10%: Boomer 7%: Other 6%: Eli Palmer 5%: Adelaide Drubman 5%: Pastor Jerome 5%: Not at all 3%: Mary May 3%: Hurk Drubman Jr. 3%: Peaches 2%: Cheeseburger 2%: Jess Black 2%: Tracey Lader 1%: Wheaty

25. What's your Deputy's hobby? Since these answers were written by you, not picked from few options, I will note the ones appearing most frequently (picked by 4 people or more).

MOST VOTES: Fishing And more: - hiking & climbing, - playing instruments [guitar, cello, banjo, violin], - reading, - weapon training, target practice etc. - gardening and plant care in general, - sports of different kinds [running, baseball], - baking & cooking, - painting and drawing, - woodcarving, - listening to music, - singing, - knitting, - writing.

26. What does your Deputy hate? Since these answers were written by you, not picked from few options, I will note the ones appearing most frequently (picked by 4 people or more).

MOST VOTES: Abuse, sadism and people suffering in general And more: - The Seed Family and The Project at Eden’s Gate as a whole, - lies, hypocrisy, dishonesty, - Joseph Seed specifically, - John Seed specifically, - rude people, - obsessive patriotism and corruption, - religion, - crowded spaces, - solitude.

27. Does your Deputy's personality and views change during the course of the game? 49%: Yes, there is a lot of change in them 27%: Quite a bit, but nothing too serious 17%: Maybe a little 6%: Yes, they become a totally new person 2%: Not at all

28. What's the status of your Deputy's loyalty to The Resistance? 30%: They are deeply commited, but there are some doubts 23%: They are fully commited and have no second thoughts 19%: They aren't that close to The Resistance, but also aren't swayed by Eden's Gate in any way 9%: They aren't that close to The Resistance and have a lot of doubts 9%: It’s more complicated 7%: They are deeply commited to The Resistance but at some point their loyalty changes 3%: They don't care about The Resistance

29. We're officially in a Peggie country now. If your Deputy has doubts, is this related to the possibility of being attracted to one or more of the Seeds? 32%: Yes, but that's not the main reason 21%: They have doubts but it's not the reason at all 20%: Yes, that's the main reason 18%: They don't have any doubts 10%: It's more complicated

30. Is there a region in Hope County they like the most? 38%: Whitetail Mountains 37%: Holland Valley 12%: Henbane River 8%: There is no place in the County where they feel safe and good enough to like it 4%: Dutch’s Island 1%: Joseph’s Compound

31. Does your Deputy fall in love during the course of the game events? 48%: Yes, they do, but it's not their first time 22%: Yes, they do for the first time in their life 20%: They have a crush/are captivated, but it's not actual love 11%: They don’t

32. Amongst the members of the Seed Family, which member leaves the biggest impression on your Deputy (in psychological sense)? Keep in mind, we're not talking about attraction here, but rather if someone from The Seeds manages to get under your OCs skin more than most. 44%: Jacob Seed 27%: Joseph Seed 17%: John Seed 12%: Faith Seed 1%: None, really

33. Is your Deputy attracted to someone from the Seed Family? (attracted, but not in love - and yes, please choose one for now 32%: John Seed 27%: Jacob Seed 19%: No 12%: Joseph Seed 10%: Faith Seed

34. Does your Deputy fall in love with a member of the Seed Family? 44%: No 23%: John Seed 20%: Jacob Seed 10%: Joseph Seed 4%: Faith Seed

35. Did your Deputy kill any members of the Seed Family? (you were allowed to pick any number of them) 45%: No, they didn’t And from the remaining 55%: 42%: Faith Seed 40%: Jacob Seed 38%: John Seed 15%: Joseph Seed

36. If they did kill someone form the family, how did they feel about it? I’m aware of my mistake in this question because I forgot to put the “they didn’t kill anyone” option. Mea culpa; I suppose these people picked, mostly, the “It’s more complicated”. 35%: It’s more complicated 27%: They thought they did the right thing, but became conflicted 21%: They did it because it was the right thing to do 17%: They didn't want to do it but did it anyway

37. Is there a member of the Seed Family they are genuinely afraid of more than of others? 40%: Jacob Seed 27%: Joseph Seed 16%: Faith Seed 11%: No 6%: John Seed

38. If your Deputy fell in love with someone from the Seed Family, how did it end for them 63%: It’s more complicated 19%: They remained in love but stayed with The Resistance 9%: They remained in love and joined Eden's Gate 9%: They broke the relationship in order to stay with The Resistance

39. How badly were they influenced by Jacob's conditioning? The level of conditioning game-wise in this is survey is 4, since there were some slight cracks in it. In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5. 1 = Not at all 5 = They became fully compliant to Jacob 1: 9% 2: 15% 3: 28% 4: 45% 5: 2% 40. How badly do they react to The Bliss? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5. 1 = It barely has any influence on them 5 = They can lose conciousness after just a short while of contact with it 1: 5% 2: 13% 3: 35% 4: 27% 5: 20% 41. What was the main sin they were branded with by John Seed? 57%: Wrath 25%: Pride 9%: Lust 3%: Sloth 2%: Envy 2%: Greed 2%: None 1%: Gluttony 42. What is their relationship with Eden's Gate? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 6. 1 = They hate it with every fiber of their being 6 = They would join, if they could (maybe they even did) 1: 29% 2: 31% 3: 21% 4: 7% 5: 8% 6: 4% 43. How well do they respond to the radio calls from John Seed? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5. 1 = They barely even answer 5 = They tend to make long conversations out of them 1: 23% 2: 15% 3: 15% 4: 29% 5: 19% 44. How well do they respond to the radio calls from Jacob Seed? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5. 1 = They barely even answer 5 = They tend to make long conversations out of them 1: 33% 2: 16% 3: 17% 4: 15% 5: 19% 45. How well do they respond to the radio/bliss calls from Faith Seed? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5. 1 = They barely even answer 5 = They tend to make long conversations out of them 1: 23% 2: 16% 3: 27% 4: 21% 5: 13% 46. Did your Deputy feel bad for Faith at some point? 49%: Yes, a bit 37%: Yes, they totally did 14%: Not at all 47. Is your Deputy good at escaping alone, or do they need help to get away when being held captive? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5. 1 = They can easily escape on their own 5 = They definitely need help from others 1: 26% 2: 41% 3: 22% 4: 11% 5: 0%! 48. Did your Deputy say Yes to John Seed at some point? 44%: They didn't want to but did 25%: They didn't want to and didn't 15%: They wanted to and did 11%: They didn't have to 5%: They wanted to, but didn't 49. Does your Deputy feel better in the wilderness or in more lively places? In this question there was a scale from 1 to 5. 1 = They totally prefer wilderness 5 = They prefer being around people (ex. Fall's End) 1: 27% 2: 26% 3: 24% 4: 16% 5: 7% 50. Did your Deputy destroy Joseph's statue in the Henbane River? 72%: Yes 15%: They damaged it, but didn't destroy it 13%: No 51. Did your Deputy destroy John's YES sign on the hills of the Holland Valley? 72%: Yes 18%: No 11%: They damaged it, but didn't destroy it 52. Did your Deputy at any point try to escape Hope County and inform the authorities of the situation? 62%: No, they didn’t 38%: Yes, they did 53. Did your Deputy survive the events of FC5? 96%: Yes 4%: No 54. Did they accomplish their original mission to get rid of the Seed Family? 36%: No, they didn't (some members survived) 27%: Yes, they did (game-wise, so Joseph survived) 22%: No, they didn't (they totally failed) 12%: No, they didn't (their allegiance changed and they joined the cult) 3%: Yes, they did (whole family died) 55. Did your Deputy become Joseph's Judge in FCND? 36%: They didn't end in a bunker with Joseph in the first place 21%: No, they didn't 20%: Yes, but their loyalty was unstable 11%: Yes [other] 9%: Yes, and they remained loyal to him 3%: They didn't survive at all 56. If your Deputy died, were they killed by the cult? This question was really badly constructed and I’m sorry for it - I suggest not to take it in any official records. 35%: Yes, by Joseph Seed 33%: Yes, by other cult members 21%: Yes, byJacob Seed 7%: Yes, by John Seed 5%: Yes, by Fatih Seed 57. If their life was ever endangered, were they saved by one of the Seeds? 38%: No, it never happened 25%: Yes, by Jacob 18%: Yes, by John 12%: Yes, by Joseph 7%: Yes, by Faith THE QUESTION OF THE CENTURY. THE DEBATE ABOUT LIFE. THE FINAL MEANING OF THE UNIVERSE. 58. Do you like shovels? 30%: Profoundly 25%: Naturally 15%: Yes 15%: Of course 8%: No [you’re sick and twisted person] 8%: Absolutely ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE DEPUTY BASED ON THE MOST POPULAR ANSWERS OF THE SURVEY THIS JUNIOR DEPUTY is a female, aged between 25-29 years old. Her skin is medium white and she’s around 161 to 165 cm tall, with brown eyes and black, shoulder-length hair. Her alignment is chaotic good. This Dep is bisexual. She comes from North America, but not specifically Montana, and has no military background whatsoever. She’s mostly light hearted and warm and did not encounter anyone from the Seed Family before, as well as didn’t do anything strictly illegal in her past. She’s very mentally resilient, and when in trouble prefers to use physical means instead of weasling her way out. She wanted to become the Deputy and enjoyed her job, but her relationship with it after Eden’s Gate started The Reaping became more complicated. Rookie is a close friend of Staci Pratt and has a preference towards sniper rifles, pistols and revolvers. She usually has 2 people with her during her adventures. She was never in a close relationship with anyone before coming to Hope County. During her stay Rook befriended Sharky Boshaw. Her main hobby is fishing, and she has a lot of hatred towards any kind of sadism, abuse and people suffering. She changes a lot during her time in the County, and despite being deeply commited to The Resistance she has some doubts about her loyalty towards them – being attracted to John Seed is a contributing factor, but not the main reason behind it. She likes the Whitetail Mountains most, despite the fact that it’s the Jacob Seed that manages to get under her skin and unnerve her the most – actually, she finds the eldest brother to be the person she’s genuinely afraid of the most. Dep falls in love during her time in the County, but it’s not her first time – and the person she holds the main affection to is not a member of the Seed Family. She also didn’t kill anyone from the family, so essentialy, her mission was a failure. Rook is heavily influenced by Jacob Seed’s conditioning (game-wise level), and while Bliss has an influence on her, it’s definitely not as huge as Faith would probably want it to be. Deputy was branded with Wrath as her main sin by John Seed. She hates Eden’s Gate, but tends to answer calls from John from time to time – she never does it with Jacob, however, and sometimes gets a bit talkative with Faith. Rook felt bad for Faith at some point. She is able to escape on her own, mostly. She also said Yes to John Seed at some point despite having no wish to do so. Rook prefers wilderness and avoids crowded places at all costs. She destroyed both Joseph’s statue as well as John’s YES sign, but didn’t try to escape from Hope County and inform authorities of the situation at any point. She survived the events of Far Cry 5, but didn’t end in a bunker with Joseph. She was also never saved by any of the Seed Family member when her life was endangered.

#*sad evil alignments noises*#Irina is dissapointed #and Jacob clearly being the one most intimidating and terryfying for most is so... satysfying to see #also whoever has a Dep from Antarctica kudos to you #fc5 #far cry 5 #fc #far cry #deputy #hope county

57 notes · View notes

hope-grace-serenity · 3 years

Text

In Defense of the Deputy: Morals and Ethics in Far Cry 5

The narratives of recent Far Cry installments have been framed in a way that make the player question whether or not they’re truly playing as the “good guy.” In Far Cry 3, Jason slowly embraces the violent lifestyle on Rook Island, gradually finding the killing to be a fun power trip instead of the horrifying reality that it is. In Far Cry 4, Ajay topples a ruthless dictator, only to replace him with a revolutionary that is either a religious extremist or a person who has children kidnapped in order to make them into soldiers/slaves. In Far Cry 5, the Deputy goes up against a professed prophet in an attempt to subdue him and his cult, only to find in the end that the prophet was right about the end of the world. It is logical to think that if the Deputy would have just left the cult well enough alone, then that would have been the right choice, as it would have avoided the war between Eden’s Gate and the rest of Hope County, as possibly the Collapse itself. However, there is a different way to view it.

The purpose of this post is to convey that Joseph being accurate regarding the Collapse does not necessarily mean that avoiding confrontation with Eden’s Gate or joining them would have been the “right” thing to do. In fact, it will suggest the opposite: that the Deputy has a moral and ethical obligation to fight *against* Eden’s Gate and that the actions of the cult are firmly wrong despite the Collapse happening. While we as players can certainly feel empathy for the Seeds, their actions within the game make them the clear villains in this scenario, in my opinion. The Deputy deserves no blame for attempting to subdue the cult, and I will explain why by focusing on both in-universe rationale and looking at the narrative from a broader perspective.

The Warrant

First, we need to examine the idea of morality and ethics. Morality refers to a person’s principles of right and wrong--this is something that can be influenced by a person’s culture, religion, family, experiences, etc. Ethics refers to rules of conduct given by some kind of external source. In Far Cry 5, the protagonist is a law enforcement official with an ethical obligation to uphold the law and confront those who break it. Furthermore, from the perspective of a 21st century American--which we can assume the Deputy is, based on the setting of the game--Eden’s Gate commits several acts that cause harm and remove the personal agency of others, which provides the Deputy with a moral motivation for stopping them, as opposed to solely an ethical one.

An arrest warrant is made for Joseph Seed due to suspicion of kidnapping with an intent to harm. The Deputy choosing not to go through with the arrest would be bad from both a moral and ethical perspective. “Kidnapping with an intent to harm” is a serious charge, and can be a matter of life or death for the victim. Imagine if you were the parent or sibling of the kidnapping victim, and you found out that the law enforcement officials chose not to go through with the arrest of the suspect because they were afraid of rocking the boat. If that information was made public, the law enforcement officials would be rightly criticized for not doing their jobs, and for prioritizing their own desire for convenience over bringing justice to the victim. By arresting Joseph Seed, the Deputy made the moral and ethical decision.

As we see from the main game, the “suspicions” listed in the arrest warrant are later proven to be correct. Alex is killed, and his body is mutilated and put on public display as a warning. Hannah is tortured physically and psychologically, and is also killed due to her forced participation in Jacob’s trials. Joseph and several members of Eden’s Gate knew that they kidnapped the film crew. They knew in advance that Law Enforcement was coming. So, how do they decide to handle this? In a way befitting for characters who are meant to be viewed as villains.

Before the Reaping

Before we get into what the Deputy actually sees in-game, one thing needs to be made clear: Eden’s Gate always had an underlying darkness surrounding them. Regardless of what they looked like on the surface, they were never some peaceful hippie commune that was minding its own business before the Deputy came along. They’ve been committing crimes and getting away with them for years. They didn’t suddenly snap once the Deputy arrived--the Deputy’s arrival simply peeled back and revealed what was already there.

We know from the “Grieving Note” that Angels have been with Eden’s Gate for several years, longer than the current Faith has been with the group. Angels are humans who are exposed to an extreme amount of the Bliss drug, which causes them to lose their capacity for human thought and essentially act as a literal mindless follower. Their loss of identity and individuality is furthered by Eden’s Gate shaving the heads of the Angels and surgically removing their ability to speak. They act as slave labor--described as "beasts of burden"--and are fed dog food and garbage. The idea of becoming an angel is used as a threat to fellow cultists in the “Cult Note” in the King’s Hot Springs Hotel. The fact that Eden's Gate creates and condones the existence of these Angels is truly disturbing from a moral perspective, due to the inherent exploitation and dehumanization. When Angels die, their bodies are tossed in a pit of “boiling muck” in Horned Serpent Cave to disintegrate.

Angels aren’t the only ones thrown in the pit to disintegrate: Joseph threw the body of Lana, a previous Faith, in there as well, despite being told by him that she was “special.” There is a reason the writers chose to highlight that the bodies were disposed of in here, as opposed to the cult simply burying them. Bodies are disintegrated if you want to hide evidence, and by tossing the bodies in a location with properties dangerous enough to require a bio-hazard sign, any crimes are easily covered up. We don’t find the bodies of Selena or the other previous Faiths who were "used up and thrown away" by Joseph, but considering there are hints that point to foul play (disintegration of Lana’s body, Megan leaving out of fear of what Joseph could do after seeing that there was a new Faith, the way the position itself is dehumanized, the fact that Joseph has a designated corpse disposal spot in the first place, etc.) and absolutely zero evidence towards any kind of alternate fate for the previous Faiths, it’s easy to put two and two together and conclude that the previous Faiths met a grisly fate that was covered up as well.

Eden’s Gate was also involved in animal abuse through the creation of Judges, which were unleashed after the reaping. These animals were kidnapped and forcibly exposed to an obscene amount of the Bliss drug, which purposely causes them to act like rabid killers in the service of Eden’s Gate. According to NPCs, they were trained to hunt humans.

Let’s also not forget that Joseph personally gorged a guy’s eyes out for being a traitor. If the developers didn’t want us to view Joseph as someone who was capable of doing that, then they would have removed it from the introductory video, but they didn’t. Also, the fact that Eden’s Gate has been planning for the Reaping for a while now shows that this group had the intent to launch a large-scale attack from before the Deputy even arrived at the compound.

And last but certainly not least, YEARS before the events of FC5, Jacob sent the Cook to kidnap Jess’s family. The Cook starved the family for days before torturing the parents and children by playing sick mind games and feeding the parents' flesh to their children. After all their toes were cut off, the parents were set on fire in front of their kids. The fact that this happened years ago, and this Cook is still with the group, is quite telling and reveals a lot about the morality and priorities of Eden’s Gate. If they wanted to get rid of him, they would have.

So as we can see, Eden’s Gate has no moral high ground to stand on at the start of the game. Not only is Joseph guilty of the crime he is accused of, but he and his organization are guilty of so much more, and have been for years. These actions committed by Eden’s Gate violate numerous laws and are morally wrong, as they bring severe harm to others and/or forcibly remove another’s personal agency for the convenience of the cult. The Deputy uncovers all of this throughout the course of the game.

During the Reaping

Knowledge of Eden’s Gate’s past crimes would be reason enough to take down this cult, but the Deputy also sees the current horrors firsthand. During the Reaping, cultists kidnap, torture, mutilate, and murder numerous unwilling participants. They steal supplies and were willing to kidnap a beloved pet dog in order to perform experiments on him and turn the poor dog into a savage killer, after killing his owners. Defaced corpses are decorated and strung up as warnings. Some citizens of Hope County are fed to Judges, while others are turned into Angels or are forced to leap off a giant statue. If someone doesn’t convert to the religion of Eden’s Gate, then they are either tortured or drugged until they give in, or murdered.

The Deputy has zero incentive to walk away from this conflict. Why would they? As a deputy of Hope County, they have a moral and ethical obligation to protect the county’s citizens, and those citizens are under attack by Eden’s Gate. Eden’s Gate are the aggressors in this scenario. *They* are the ones who are kidnapping, murdering, torturing, and brainwashing the Hope County citizens. As far as the Deputy is aware at the beginning of the game, they are the only remaining police officer and only person in a position of authority to fight against the cult. It is their responsibility to fight against the people causing grievous harm to the county.

Throughout the game, the Deputy’s personal encounters with the heralds further reinforce the idea that Eden’s Gate is dangerous and beyond reason. While confessions can and should be voluntary, John does not approach it in that way. John kidnaps, terrorizes, and tortures the hardened Joey Hudson to the point of tears, and brings the Deputy to his torture dungeon where he once pried confessions under duress from prior individuals of the county. He kidnapped the Deputy in order to forcibly baptize them to the point where they might have drowned without Joseph’s interference, and captures them in order to make them confess, using the presence of Hudson as leverage (Hudson’s misery was also used as incentive on the video to draw the Deputy to the Holland region). He lures the Deputy to the church in the same way (by kidnapping their friends) and then permanently modifies their body against their will. Despite his proclaimed desire to have the Deputy atone, John also expresses desire to see the Deputy dead on occasion, such as after they destroy his sign.

While it might be easier for the player to sympathize with John due to his backstory and dynamic with Joseph, from the Deputy’s in-universe perspective, his instability represents a very real, tangible threat not only to them, but to the people of Hope County as a whole. At every turn, John has either imposed his will onto the Deputy by removing opportunities for agency and/or harming others. The Deputy owes John nothing. Any "choice" he gives of saying "Yes" is undermined by the massive amount of strings attached. It is difficult to envision a reason why the Deputy would decide to give into John’s philosophy, aside from faking it in order to protect their allies. This is a failing on John's part, not the Deputy.

Like John, Faith also expresses a desire for the Deputy to give in to Eden's Gate. But unlike John, she initially appears to the Deputy in a more pacifistic, less confrontational way. Despite this, the Deputy is still able to see her darker side due to her views on the Angels and fate of the unfortunate souls who walk the path whipping themselves and take a literal leap off of the statue of Joseph. Furthermore, she overrides the Deputy’s agency through the use of Bliss, which drastically warps one’s perception of reality. The Bliss that she now controls makes the horrific creation of Angels possible, and this Bliss is also used during baptisms, which muddles the issue of personal agency and consent to John’s process in addition to her own conversion process. The dangers of the Bliss and how it affects one’s thought process become highlighted in the Henbane region, and letters, voicemails, and NPC chatter show that Faith is not one to be trifled with. This comes to a head when Faith brainwashes the Sheriff and manipulates the Marshall into killing Virgil before killing himself. While it’s easy to have sympathy for Faith and her experiences, from the Deputy’s perspective, Faith is still a potential danger, which is why they step back when she leaned toward them during her death scene.

Jacob too removes the Deputy’s personal agency by literally brainwashing them and turning them into a tool that he can command, which eventually results in the Deputy being forced to kill a friend. He forced captives into competing against each other in life or death trials. He keeps the Deputy in a cage with a dead body and feeds them “mystery meat” after seven days of starving them while telling them a story about how he cannibalized his friend. The Judges are his brainchild that he sends to attack and kill others. Like John, Jacob also kidnapped and tortured a fellow police officer, to the point where they act like a slave to Jacob’s whims. Jacob has not done anything other than convincing the Deputy that he is a threat.

It is not the Deputy's job to fix the Seeds' personal issues--it's their job to protect Hope County. Throughout their journey, the Deputy sees various atrocities being committed, both to strangers and to themselves and the people they care about. There is zero reason for the Deputy to genuinely give in to the Seeds and join Eden's Gate, considering the horrible way they were treated and how they saw others being treated.

Joseph and the Voice

The Deputy’s presence did not *force* Eden’s Gate to start the Reaping. *Joseph* was the one to initiate it as a reaction to the Deputy’s presence, and all of Eden’s Gate followed him lockstep. When given the opportunity to finally confront and arrest the man responsible or walk away, it almost feels laughable that it’s even a choice at this point.

As leader of Eden’s Gate, Joseph oversees all parts of the Project. The buck stops with him. If he had any issues with Faith’s Angels, or Jacob’s trials, or John’s torture, he could have and would have said something--such as when he intervenes during the baptism--but he doesn’t. Because it furthers the goal of the Project, he doesn’t see any issue with these actions and feels they are justified.

Joseph’s vision of the Collapse coming true doesn’t mean that his actions throughout the game have greater inherent morality than the Deputy. It just means that he’s right about the Collapse. Regarding the Reaping, I do not believe that Joseph was motivated by a sense of cruelty, but that doesn’t change how many of the actions he participated in and oversaw *were* cruel. In real life, we see various examples of some people (not just in religious institutions, but in positions of authority in general) who commit harmful acts for the sake of a perceived “greater good.” And many of those people genuinely believe in what they are doing, believe they are in the right. But that doesn’t mean they actually are.

Which brings us to the elephant in the room: the Voice. If the Voice of God supports Joseph, then surely the deputy is automatically the “bad guy” for opposing him, right?

Wrong.

First, we have to be willing to admit that we know next to nothing about the Voice. The only things we know about it is what is conveyed to us by Joseph. We do not know the exact wording of what the Voice says, the level of detail it gives him regarding expectations (if any), or even what it is. Is it the voice of God? Satan? A real angel? Some kind of eldritch entity from another dimension? How accurate is Joseph's reiteration or interpretation? Sometimes it seems to directly tell Joseph things (hence the title, “the Voice”), other times it shows him visions. Clearly, there is some kind of supernatural component, as it allows Joseph to see the future, but since we don’t know much about it specifically, we can’t automatically assume or attribute inherent benevolence or morality to it.

Second, it’s entirely possible for a genuine prophet of God (assuming the Voice does indeed belong to a benevolent creator), or those who have/had God’s favor, to engage in morally questionable behavior, both in the eyes of God and/or in the eyes of 21st century readers. While the Project at Eden’s Gate is its own distinct religion, it takes most of its cues from Christianity, both in terms of practices and beliefs. In the Bible, King David had a man murdered so he could sleep with that man’s wife. Jonah wanted the entire population of a city to be killed off instead of having them repent. Jacob (the Biblical figure) deceives his father into giving him a birthright that belonged to his brother, and shows blatant favoritism to one son which ends up causing a lot of internal strife within the family. It’s fully within the realm of possibility that Joseph’s actions are not meant to be endorsed, either by the Voice itself or by the narrative in a broader sense.

In New Dawn, Joseph alludes to his own personal failings by saying, “My soul has become a cancer. I am a monster. I only spread suffering and death in the name of God.” The death of his son and the destruction of New Eden act as a moment of awakening for Joseph, as he finally realizes the harsh reality of his actions and how they affect others. He then expresses a desire for death and says, “There is only the justice of God’s hand.” The implication of “justice” being done indicates that the Voice (“God”) would not be happy with some of the actions that Joseph did. So while Joseph’s actions in FC5 were done with the intent of serving the Voice, his execution of these ideas was something that Joseph feels God would not like, as his actions spread death and suffering.

And thirdly, we have to remember that the Deputy and the player are viewing the idea of morality from the perspective of a 21st century human. Let’s say that, hypothetically, the Voice specifically instructed and condoned the erasure of free will/murders/kidnappings/etc. for whatever reason, and by enacting them, Joseph and Eden’s Gate were “just following orders.” Does this absolve Joseph and Eden's Gate of responsibility? No. Willing participation in the crimes committed, even if it wasn’t “their idea,” can still have legal consequences and can still be viewed as “bad” from a moral perspective because of the results of those actions.

The Collapse

It has been discussed elsewhere (on this site and in outside articles/discussions about the game) that the actions of the deputy correspond with the role of the Lamb in Revelations, and by breaking the seals, the Deputy’s actions supernaturally trigger the Collapse. This interpretation is fairly popular, and is one I personally support. However, I do not feel as though this interpretation lessens the morality of the Deputy's actions. Their decision to fight the Seeds is still the right one, regardless of whether or not their actions resulted in some kind of cosmic game of dominos.

First off, when the Deputy is attempting to take down the Seeds and protect the people of Hope County, they are not doing this with the intent of playing a role in a cosmic prophecy that will result in the death of millions. They’re looking at the situation from a human perspective, and acting accordingly and sensibly. The Seeds, on the other hand, were willingly harming innocents both before and during the Reaping.

Second, if there's a need to assign blame to a human for starting the Collapse (and I personally don't think there needs to be), it would be the Seeds, not the Deputy. The Sheriff and the deputies wouldn’t have arrived with the arrest warrant if the Seeds were not kidnapping and doing other illegal actions.

And thirdly, if one does attribute blame of the Collapse to the Deputy, then one also must attribute the birth of the new world to them as well. Following along with the idea that the events of FC5 are a fulfillment of Revelations, then the Collapse is ultimately viewed as a Good Thing within in the context of the Book of Revelations, even if the player might not personally share the sentiment. The Book of Revelations describes how the new world that is supposed to emerge from the ashes of the old is meant to be much better than the one before. And if we look at the world of New Dawn--and I’m going to copy and paste something I wrote previously here---Nature is allowed to flourish, people work together and support each other in a tight community, all the social ills mentioned in the Book of Joseph (and by the characters in-game) no longer exist. The only “snakes in the garden” would be the Highwaymen, and they are abolished by the Captain, who Joseph prophesizes to be some kind of Messiah-like figure. The final scene of New Dawn is one of hope, where the characters talk about building a better future. The way Joseph and Ethan’s storyline ends also connects to the whole idea of breaking away from the past and moving forward. If one believes that the Deputy is responsible for the Collapse, then this new world shown in New Dawn and the context of Revelations complicates the idea of viewing the Deputy's actions as being inherently bad.

Some might also argue that the Deputy has responsibility for not taking Joseph's warnings more seriously. Why though? Why should the Deputy attribute more credibility to Joseph's claims than, say, those of Marshall Applewhite or David Koresh? As players who know the ending, it’s easy for us to say that the Deputy should have listened to Joseph's warning about the Collapse, but there’s no in-universe rationale for the Deputy to do so. Issues of belief aside, Eden’s Gate’s actions alone are enough to paint an extremely negative picture of the group and would be enough to make any regular person not want to associate with them.

Under the framework of the Revelations prophecy being the intended interpretation of the game events though, I personally don't feel that any character "deserves" blame for the Collapse happening, not even the Seeds. I blame the Seeds for what they do to people within the game and before the events of FC5. And my perception of the Deputy is based on what we see in the game as well. But again, the Revelations prophecy idea is simply one way to view the game. Regardless of whether or not this interpretation is the correct one, the deputy still has the moral high ground in their fight against the Seeds.

Conclusion

Joseph being right about the Collapse does not mean that his (and by extension, Eden’s Gate’s) actions during FC5 were justified, and the Deputy should not be blamed for fighting against them. Just as the Deputy made a choice to arrest Joseph, Joseph made the choice to react in the worst way possible with the Reaping. Eden’s Gate were the aggressors who were kidnapping, torturing, and murdering people throughout the county. The Deputy fights against Eden’s Gate as a direct result of *Eden's Gate's* actions. The Deputy deserves no blame or guilt for killing the Seeds and destroying their bases of operations, as they reacted in a logical way based on the quality of information they had at the time.

In New Dawn, the Deputy expresses an extreme amount of guilt, which transforms them into the Judge. This guilt is misplaced and should be attributed to the other resident of the bunker, which is something Joseph himself even alludes to during his final speech in New Dawn when he criticizes his own actions. If Eden’s Gate did not start attacking the people of Hope County, the bunkers would still be standing, and the Seeds and many other cultists would still be alive. But they did, so they’re not.

While I adore all four of the Seeds as characters and have varying degrees of sympathy for them, they are firmly villains within the context of the story due to their actions. The deputy is not a bad guy for trying to stop them. The fact the Seeds sided with a guy who kidnapped and starved a family, then fed the parents' flesh to their children while playing “this little piggy” with the parents’ toes, and then murdered said parents in front of their children should speak for itself.

TL;DR: The deputy’s decision to confront Joseph instead of walking away was the right one.

#far cry 5 #fc5 #joseph seed #jacob seed #faith seed #john seed #the junior deputy #long post #tw: canon typical violence #far cry 5 meta #fc5 meta #far cry #i do love all these characters #just to be perfectly clear lol #far cry meta

101 notes · View notes

frankensteined · 2 years

Note

Top 5 911 moments, and top 5 fc5 characters!!! :D

oh GOSH this is tough lemme think................. top 5 911 moments: 1. "help" from episode 1.04 (worst day ever) - under most circumstances, we'd need to wait for an entire season for the Leader Man Character to finally allow himself to be vulnerable with his team, but on this show it only took four episodes for bobby to break down and cry in front of hen and buck, and they were immediately there for him. it was refreshing to see from a show, and gave me a whole new appreciation for the characters involved (that only grew from there!) 2. "there's nobody in this world i trust with my son more than you" from 3.03 (the searchers) - i mean. the entire scene, from eddie and chris just merrily strolling into buck's loft, to eddie's babysitting rundown talk, about the pizza and the legos, to buck's bewilderment and regret and shame, to that quote. that amount of trust and eye contact. those words literally saving buck (as his voiceover even says)??? top tier moment of any show ever. 3. can i just say...the entire "search for maddie" part of 2.13 (fight or flight)? because watching everyone at the call center and athena and buck pulling out all the stops to locate her, and for maddie to best doug herself? i still just get really emotional about that entire episode, but those parts in particular just. get to me. 4. bobby and david going on their stealth mission while michael watches from his telescope in 4.07 (there goes the neighborhood) - literally the funniest sequence in the show, i was giggling so hard during it i had tears in my eyes. poor david :') 5. the firetruck scene from 2.28 (this life we choose) - i mean. c'mon. all those people running in to help them save buck? cry every time. (with some honorable mentions to "buck saving the little girl from the claw machine" in season 1, and the team responding to the bodybuilder with a charley horse, named charlie, in season 2. i'm so SO fond of those moments too!) top 5 fc5 characters: 1. jacob seed - the way that he literally trains not only the deputy, but the player too, to be his soldier is terrifying and brilliant and, really, he's just fascinating to me. 2. sharky boshaw - best best-friend of all time, really. 3. faith seed - another example of the character messing with the player as well the character they're playing as, i just love her role in the game. the way that you can keep avoiding her for ages, only for her to prey on your desire to help others by making you hallucinate someone that needs to be rescued? brilliant. terrifying. love her. 4. john seed - i hate him but i love him but i hate him but i Love Him. 5. staci pratt - does he have a huge role in the game compared to other characters? no. does he have a huge role in my heart? yes.

#WHEW!!!#court vs 911 #court vs far cry 5 #top 5 ask meme #killerspinal

3 notes · View notes

sunbentsky-archived · 2 years

Text

I have soooo many thoughts about Ecaterina as the dep and I’m internally giddy about how well this works out lmao. A couple of noteworthy things:

I’ve been meaning to elaborate on how the Reeds, the gang Ecaterina is part of in her main verse, is very cult-like in how they operate. Their leader, Roland, is the absolute authority and anyone questioning him is pressured to fall back in line. The members are expected to cut off contact with anyone outside “the family” and not form any meaningful relationships after joining the gang (hell, Ecaterina’s parents were executed in front of her when they attempted to persuade her to come back, although that is an extreme case). There’s an initiation process where they all receive new aliases and the R mark on their cheek-- Ecaterina became Ruth. For a long while, new members aren’t allowed to own much of anything; Roland controls their finances and holds onto whatever objects of value they might have until they’re deemed trustworthy. And finally, leaving the gang takes more than just walking away. Ecaterina left after killing another member and for a few years she thoughts that was the end of it until one day they came back for her. It didn’t stop until she killed Roland himself, after which the remaining members scattered, largely directionless without a leader to control everything they do.

In this verse, her backstory remains largely the same because it feels super relevant to the game’s plot. She still falls in with the Reeds when she’s sixteen, but this time law enforcement intervenes after a few years. The gang is busted and all members end up in prison, Ecaterina included. She still gets married and has a daughter after being released, but instead of walking away from them to hunt down Roland like in her main verse, this time her marriage ends in divorce and her husband takes custody of their daughter. A few years later the events of fc5 take place. (I haven’t figured out how she ends up a junior deputy yet, but I’ll get there.)

The conversation with Nick Rye after getting his plane back hits Ecaterina a little too hard. About how he’s horrified at the thought of leaving his child fatherless and they’ve not even been born yet. She realizes the thought has not even crossed her mind-- that getting involved in this and putting herself in highly dangerous situations means she might leave her daughter motherless.

And my favorite detail so far!! She already has the R on her cheek, which gives John the idea to use it to spell wrath on her face :-)

#ECATERINA ABOUT: i spend a lot of nights on the run and i think i'm lost and can’t be found #ECATERINA VERSE: fc5 #eden's gate need to expand their list of sins because none of the seven is really IT when it comes to ecaterina #cults tw #abuse tw

3 notes · View notes

i-am-the-balancing-point · 3 years

Note

13, 22, 28 for gigi for the fc5 oc asks?

thank youuuu ☺️💘 once again: very fun!

13. From the GFH/FGH which one they get along with the most?

I could never pick just one 🙈 so instead I’ll describe Gigi’s relationship with each a bit more in detail and hope that’s okay with you too. ♡

Boomer: Her good boy!! She is always so grateful to see him whenever she visits the Ryes and he senses that she is usually in need of some good old-fashioned canine comforting. Gigi’s heart breaks every time for his because despite having lost his Rea Rea, the were best friends for sure, and having to go through some brutal peggies shit too, he is still such a friendly loveable loyal companion. So they will cuddle and play and frolick around. Boomer thinks it’s good for his human to get some exercise with him and he‘ll gladly fetch the tennis ball for her any time because throwing it seems to really excite her.

After baby Carmina arrives and Joey is finally free he moves in with her though. Just like Gigi she is in need of a loyal caring partner and he takes great pride in caring for her.

Nick: She’d not only die for him but give him a kidney. He made her godmother to his baby after all! The first time she firmly declines his offer for a flight he is a bit hurt though but understands soon enough that it’s not because she doubts his abilities as a pilot but because she has yet to process the helicopter crash. Gigi also does have a little crush on Kim and him but doesn’t make a move in fear of putting them off. (They do share a bed though from time to time. Whatever that might mean.)

Grace: Gigi is deeply in awe of her and has nothing but respect for the amazing Grace. She can sometimes be a little reserved about Gigi‘s loud side but that’s just her personality. She is all the more down to listen to the softer notes of her mix though and has her back from the first moment they talk. Grace knows gigi is a good person a really respects how much she does for the county.

Cheeseburger: Big. Wonderful. Cuddlebug. Most adventures they go on consist of hiking and napping. Cheeseburger loves how the deputy can scratch all of her itches that develop under that enormous coat soooo well and she will often bring dried fish as a treat for her. The understand each other without words and spending time with Cheeseburger really relaxes the deputy. Who could resist snuggling up against that big plushie after all?

Hurk: Shenanigans galore ensured! They bond over meming and scheming and their shared love for cartoons and tiddies. Gigi loves listening to his stories of his travels but doubts the accuracy of the them at least 70% of the time. He basically treats her like a little sister, showed her how to light farts on fire. They once got drunk and were REALLY committed to giving each other tongue piercings (but luckily did not follow through).

Jess: They bond over cartoons and tiddies too but soon get much closer than that. Jess finds real comfort in spending time with Gigi, something she had secretly been missing for a long time. Gigi always wishes she could “fix” everything that shattered the huntress so many times that she has grown a shell of steel by now so she is happiest when she can just hold her to her chest when she has fallen asleep.

Peaches: magical 👏🏽 hands 👏🏽 the murderous secret cuddle bug can always rely on Gigi finding the right spot to pet on her head and under her chin. She just naturally is a cat person and they get along like littermates. Sometimes Peaches even licks her for a bit and will run off to rip some peggies’ throat out before Gigi has even spotted them. She’s the only FFH allowed in her bed.

Sharky: Another best buddy power couple! Both love to just hang out, sip some beer and share snacks. Sometimes they will play guitar together and Sharky is absolutely enchanted by her singing. He calls her Stinky or Shorty. They also smash a lot. He is in awe of how he can get this bundle of nerves and tension to unwind and let go of herself and he’d be the only person she’d ever potentially allow to knock her up. (Not gonna happen though.)

Adelaide: A bit of her mum and a bit of her bad influence-friend. They often enable each other but generally in positive ways. Addie is one of the only people who at least suspects how much Gigi is sleeping around. She is none to judge though and even helps her through a pregnancy scare once. Our queen has been there, done that and some things you just cannot be alone with. They’ll always be there for each other.

22. From Fall’s End which person they DON’T get along with?

Sorry to have the most boring, people-pleasing OC, that doesn’t make for good answers but once again, it’s pretty much no one 😅 She is on 😏amazing😏 terms with Mary May and of course Joey, my beloved. Of course, she and Jerome are buddies and even though she declined most of Casey’s jobs around the Testy Festy, they are too.

She could do without that weird mysterious rat boy though who keeps showing up for open mic nights.

28. Thoughts on Joseph?

As with everything concerning the cult, complicated.

Gigi knows he is a delusional manipulator, that he is responsible for the torture and death of thousands of people. Despite all that he at some point has her far enough that she will, on occasion, willingly submit to him. It hurts to admit it but she genuinely believes that mixed in with all of the hate, disgust and general resentment towards hin, that twisted thing she feels for him deep down is not only lust but genuine love (girl, we understand but noooo! you’re just traumatised and have been manipulated 🥲). When they’re ~intimate~ she genuinely feels loved and cared for, special. And safe. He seems to be serious about what he is telling her, what he is promising. Still she rationally knows not to trust him…

#adelaidedrubman #meowthvevo #far cry 5 #my dep #answered asks #this is wonderful but it’s almost 4:30 and I’m going to bed now 😅

4 notes · View notes

direwombat · 1 year

Note

HMMM what about 13 but instead of just Syb, what about all your FC5 OCs, please? - fourlittleseedlings

13. What are their views on sex?

adsf;lakjdfs ok gonna divide my answers by cult kiddos and non-cult kiddos because i have so many fc5 ocs (most of whom i don't talk about oops) all under the cut bc sex talk but also i have a lot of ocs so this is gonna be long lmao thank you this was a super interesting one!

CULT KIDDOS

jonah seed:

staunchly anti sex before marriage and anti-masturbation to the point where he gets kind of homoerotic about god. strongly believes in and follows the project's rule of celibacy and looks down on most people who have been marked with the sin of lust (ie, everyone except joseph). lowkey thinks john is going to hell regardless of the cleansing :/ has a lot of sexual energy and anger that's been pent up for all his life and tbh is probably very close to bursting by the time the deputy kills him.

augustine la roux:

ah. heh. well he has some catholic anxiety about it. i think he falls somewhere on the ace spectrum so there's the general inexperience and also the guilt of wanting someone like that and the fear that they won't return the feeling. then there's also the idea he has that lusting after someone and that lust isn't reciprocated then it's a sin, but also somehow asking if those feelings are reciprocated is him being greedy. all of these feelings just intensify when he falls in love with the Father :'(

benjamin shaw:

has no real strong opinions about sex. it's nice sometimes but it's not something he prioritizes in his life. he has no particular preference towards the gender of his partner and he and pratt start fucking on the down low not long after the reaping kicks off.

lizzie sinclaire:

(who for context, is seventeen at the time of the reaping and was younger when joseph started manipulating her) also believes that sex outside of marriage is a sin and is unlearning her belief that her attraction to other girls is a sin. but also she's young and doesn't have any relationship experience to have any views on sex beyond that.

valerie king:

valerie ended up joining the cult during the pre-montana days because joseph preached more love than she heard at home so she ran off when joseph was forced from her town. she's horribly repressed and awkward about sex. she flushes during the sermons preaching chastity and gets absolutely flustered by the young woman she's been tasked by the father to protect. her faith.

NON-CULT KIDDOS

sybille la roux:

she's pro-sex and has had her fair share of it with a handful of partners of multiple genders. she's pretty open minded and is willing to try most things if it's something her partner wants to try. she found BDSM interesting but it wasn't something she'd really experimented with because of her trust issues. she never really thought she'd be comfortable on either end of a dom/sub dynamic but was proven wrong after accidentally stumbling into one with jacob. but she is a little ashamed of it. she never considered herself the kind of person to submit herself to someone like him (dominant. male. a little too much like her father if she starts thinking about it), and it's embarrassing for her that she's he gets her to act like that.

robin sherwood:

has a perfectly healthy relationship and perception of sex. is of the no-shame mindset and thinks it's fun! she prefers to have it with people she's formed some sort of romantic connection with but doesn't judge if other people don't feel the same as her. adventurous but not necessarily kinky.

joshua smith:

sees sex primarily as a means of stress relief. he doesn't do emotional attachment and is perfectly content with the fact that his sexual history is a long string of one-night stands.

kip nicholson:

i mean. he's an old gay rancher in rural montana. he's seen a few crazy nights in missoula and is confident enough in his own experience to firmly believe that he could probably fix john (and john is frustrated because he can't figure out which sin he wants to mark kip with). he's besties with addie and while he's not quite as Like That as she is, but he can keep up with her for sure. (occasionally flirts with xander but doesn't mean anything by it, he and addie just think its funny).

#a;lsdfkjadsf sorry syb's is the longest but i've thought the most about her relationship with sex #anyway jonah sucks and would (in seed fashion) give bad head #anyway rip to robin josh and kip they're all john fuckers #oc: deputy sybille la roux #oc: jonah seed #oc: augustine la roux #oc: benjamin shaw #oc: lizzie sinclaire #oc: valerie king #oc: robin sherwood #oc: joshua smith #oc: kip nicholson

3 notes · View notes

xbaebsae · 4 years

Text

Changes and Deleted Content Part 2 - Far Cry 5: Features and Missions

This is a small passion project series of posts where I share some insight of what’s hidden in the game(s) files, but also some general observations. The main focus will be on character changes or deletions with a few words about functions and deprecated missions.

What will not be touched upon are a lot of the things the Resistance Mod on PC restores, namely deleted store weapons and clothes, weather systems and general gameplay related things like skinning animations. I also won’t go into audio files and their content, as @lulu2992 is already working on an amazing series for FC5 that summarizes them per character.

This part will be significantly shorter Edit from post finishing-Angy: This post turned out really damn long despite only discussing some scrapped or changed features and a couple of deprecated mission strings. I still hope you find this as interesting to read as I found writing and investigating it :)

1. Changed and Scrapped Features

1.1 Guns/Fangs for Hire

Just for reference, the release version of the game has 9 unique GFH/FFH available + 3 slots for random specialists you can hire throughout the world.

Among the game’s UI textures for tutorials is this image, showing an earlier version of the GFH screen.

What this indicates is that the planned amount for active GFHs you can have was originally 4; or the top row could function as some sort of favorites tab. We will probably never know for certain.

Interestingly though, this version has slots for 20 GFHs in total, 18 either filled a character icon or a locked symbol, suggesting the originally planned unique GFH count was 18.

Considering almost every NPC in-game has spawn-able archetypes with battle audio fully in place it is possible that we were supposed to be able to recruit more of them. I will return to the matter of recruitment shortly.

Another thing I’d like to open up for consideration is that there may have been plans for (ex-)cultist GFHs or at least areas where they act friendly towards the deputy. Reason for this assumption is the fact that cultists have recorded lines for when you meet them (spawn them), aim weapons at them (the taunts GFH and friendlies do too), along with idle lines when you use mods to spawn them as friendly followers. The game has no purpose for most of these lines, as you never walk into peaceful cultists outside of the intro. In the intro you have no weapons to aim at anyone, making it impossible to trigger these lines.

You may argue they were recorded for the arcade, but the Seeds are also featured in it and have none of those. However, they may also be a leftover from scrapped missions that would feature cultists that don’t shoot you on sight.

Additionally to that early menu screenshot, I have also found an old reddit thread discussing the game’s Uplay page near release because of the following image:

Unfortunately I was not able to find this particular page myself anymore, and knowing how short lived everything is nowadays, it might be lost in time forever. The commenters discuss that the three additional slots here refer to potential DLC characters, but we don’t get to use any of the DLC companions in the main game (nor do the DLCs share the main game’s art direction). So, this might be another indicator for additionally planned GFH/FFH we never got to see.

One of these was likely the Eagle FFH called ‘’Freedom’’ (Character/Unique/FFH_Eagle_Freedom), which was partially restored through mods on PC as its loaders and everything are still present. It is unknown why this was scrapped.

It also appears that there once were inventory (purchaseable?) items for almost each GFH (Boomer and Jess have none), as these placeholder icons exist inside the game’s ui\icons\inventory folder:

Possible functions: Quest items you needed to obtain to recruit them (implying changed missions); Gift items (for potential level up?)

Now to return to the matter of recruitment: Deprecated mission strings suggest that originally you had to hire unique GFHs similarly to random ones; and that was part of quest lines. These lines appear in ‘oasisstrings’, the game’s main language file(s):

HIRE Jess RECRUIT Adelaide Drubman ADD Adelaide to your squad

In light of the old GFH screen I actually looked up the definition of ‘Squad’, and on wikipedia it is listed that a Squad is a team of 5+ members, further strengthening the theory that originally you could have 4 active GFH (plus the Deputy they’d be 5, therefore a squad).

1.2 In-game Wiki menu

Some of the previous Far Cry titles have a sort of wiki menu that features short bios of characters, explanations of locations, resources and weaponry. New Dawn sort of brought part of this back with the ‘Survival Guide’ (accessible from the pause menu), but 5 does not have this at all. However, in the ui files there are still texture leftovers, implying this feature was planned and it had sections for Animals, Base Jumps, Characters, Destructible Structures, Fish, Locations, Parking Spots (Garages), Plants and Treasure Hunts. The following image shows the ‘undiscovered’ symbols arranged in that order.

Again, no text entries along with a lot of duplicate and unfinished images imply this was scrapped early.

You can view the additional images (minus characters, because they will be handled in the next posts) here.

2. Abandoned Missions

This section will focus on mission strings that still exist in ‘oasisstrings’. For the sake of readability I removed the style code the game uses and the line numbers. You can easily find them by searching part of the text in the files or website listed in References. Please keep in mind that only the mission titles themselves are 100% like that in the files, any assumption as to what they might have been used for is purely speculative, but I attempt to always provide a reasonable explanation with evidence for the theories presented. Also I am not perfect, so it is possible I missed something in-game. In that case please do correct me!

2.1. Investigation Type objectives

There is a set of objectives listed that imply a different setup for Willis Huntley’s mission. It introduces the objectives PHOTOGRAPH, TAG, LISTEN and INTERROGATE:

PHOTOGRAPH potential property PHOTOGRAPH an animal slaughter TAG the target PHOTOGRAPH the target LISTEN to the conversation INTERROGATE the target PHOTOGRAPH cult signs and rituals: BRING the photos back to Willis

The release build mission has you tail someone and steal a VHS tape. None of the above objectives appear. It’s interesting to see that at one point there were mechanics in consideration that included intel gathering.

2.2. Quest centered around Melvin

The only Melvin I could find in relation to Far Cry 5 is Nadine Abercrombie’s grandfather. Melvin Abercrombie joined the cult. It isn’t assured that these objectives refer to him, but if they do it’d mean a potential mission where you speak to a lower ranked cultist.

Please Note that mission strings are not always in correct order.

TALK to Melvin LOOT Melvin's corpse REACH Melvin's house WAIT for Melvin to arrive GO MEET Melvin

2.3. The ‘Redeemer’ Objectives

At some point there was a quest-line revolving around something called the ‘Redeemer’ in Holland Valley. I could not find out what this thing really was supposed to be, but it sounds like it was either a boat or a submarine (???). In this line it appears that the garage in Fall’s End had actual relevance.

FIND a similar engine BRING engine to Mary's garage TALK to Mary's assistant TOW Redeemer Back the Garage (this typo is also in the file) SUBMERGE the Redeemer FLIP the Redeemer upside down GET IN the Tow Truck PUT the Redeemer on the Flat Bed

What this also implies is the inclusion of tow trucks and that there was a ‘Mary’s assistant’ character.

2.4. A few seperate Entries before we focus on plot relevant ones

In light of the afore mentioned wiki menues there is also an objective type that goes very well with its character section:

DISCOVER this character.

This could be attached to unknown entries in the character list.

There also is an unused objective called:

FIND the cow in the field

Which at first glance made me believe it was related to the mission at Cattle co., but it is not used there or anywhere else. I suppose we will never find out what was so special about this mysterious cow.

TAKE Joseph's writings

is also an interesting entry, as it is not related to the mission where you burn his book. This is again an unused string with unknown original purpose.

2.5. Mary May and John Seed

There are two particularly interesting unused mission objectives in relation to these two characters.

For one, it looks like originally we were supposed to rescue Mary May from John’s ranch:

RESCUE Mary May From John Seed's Ranch

This could either be a replacement for saving her in Fall’s End or it is a mission that appeared later on in which John possibly captured her. It gets more possible applications with the next one, though.

FIND John and Mary May's secrets

Now, this one caught my attention immediately, because there are two big things that come to mind in terms of possible application. It could refer back to the novel Absolution in which Mary May gets captured and tattooed by John, heavily implying that part of the plot that made it to the novel was originally intended to be shown in the game (we will get back to this in the character episode when talking about Holly).

Additionally, keeping the previous objective in mind, it could also imply that Mary has been converted during her capture (or her capture was planned) and played a different role in the story overall. Of course, all of this is only speculation as we will probably never know, but the objective specifically says ‘John AND Mary May’s secrets’, refering to shared secrets, not just one of Mary herself (which would fit more into the tattoo theory).

If you have ever even considered the possibility that Ubisoft might have cut a lot of stuff from the Whitetail region of the game, the rest of this Mission section should finally prove this to you. I’d like to make clear here that this is unbiased. I have tried to dig up deleted content equally in all regions but it just turns out that this is the one they really went wild with. There is nothing that stands out in terms of deleted or changed missions in the Henbane area and the Holland Valley content is mostly not that plot relevant minus the last examples just mentioned.

2.6. Eli and the Wolf’s Den

In the final version of the game we are told that Eli is an important character, but he is not very active in any way. Where Mary May assists you on the way to John’s Ranch and Tracey and the others at the prison fight by your side in defense missions, Eli will stay at the Wolf’s Den and have you run his errands for him. Just like the other mentioned characters he has full fight capabilities though. His AI is capable of using that bow, despite him never leaving the bunker.

As it turns out, he used to be a far more active character and there were multiple ways you could encounter him for the first time. For reference: In the game as it is now you will only meet him when he and his people rescue the deputy after Jacob’s first trial. You cannot enter the Wolf’s Den prior to this point.

Inside the game’s animations folders are these three subfolders including the respective files (JJ and Key03 is how Eli is often referred to in the files, I will get back to this in the character post):

This means there were three ways that you would encounter Eli: Inside a cabin, through being captured in a net or by being released by Perkins. This was most likely Doc Perkins, giving her a bit more significance in the game.

The main cutscene files for these are not present anymore, only the animations remain so I could not find out where the exact locations for these were supposed to be at. I however, loaded these animations into a game cutscene so we get to look at them anyway. I have chosen Jacob’s death cutscene for the simple reason that there’s only the player + 1 NPC, it is daytime and there’s no intrusive DOF blurring everything. The video below shows all of them.

Keep in mind that only the player animation matters in the first two! Ignore the rest. The third one features Doc Perkins and has her animation applied to her. As you can see it is very very unfinished, but it shows that she possibly unties the deputy or opens an animal cage, then drives away in a car.

youtube

This unused mission string supports the theory of these different ways further, as it implies that you met him somewhere and he would guide you to the den:

FOLLOW Eli into the Wolf's Den

There are several other objectives that suggest a more active Eli, who might have accompanied you on some missions:

WAIT for Eli to arrive GO with Eli GO inside the Wolf's Den

2.7. Jacob and the Veteran Center

Before swan diving down a very deep rabbit hole, let’s address this unused mission string first:

TALK to Deputy Pratt

Sounds very unspectacular and like something you would do at some point, but this is never an objective in the game. The intended function will forever remain unknown most likely, but possibilities are vast, especially with the upcoming abandoned objectives.

There are hints at an alternate useage of Jacob’s bunker (specifically called bunker here and not armory). Mission strings are:

FIND a way out of Jacob's Bunker LEAVE Jacob's Bunker

Again, on first sight you’d think these are just what’s there in-game. But they aren’t. During the final mission it goes from RESCUE Deputy Pratt straight to ESCAPE Jacob’s Armory. There is no indicator that you’d need to find a way out. The objectives above hint that it was similar to John’s and Faith’s bunker initially, where you had to do a few more things before escaping.

An observation derived from the game’s subtitle file is that at one point there might have been a differentiation between ‘Armory’ and ‘Bunker’ as, most likely, a random NPC says "I don't know where Jacob's bunker is. I'm not sure anybody does, but it's out there somewhere." The armory is (other than John’s and Faith’s bunkers) directly next to a main road, next to McKinley Dam. It is quite impossible to miss. Therefore this statement, along with the inconsistent switch between calling it ‘armory’, ‘bunker’ or ‘gate’, could mean there was originally a different bunker and the armory really functioned as such.

Before moving on to more mission strings, there is one more subtitle entry worth mentioning: "When you tried to arrest Joseph, Jacob got wind of it and things got real crazy here in the Whitetail Mountains." It heavily implies that at some point, Joseph’s family might not have been intended to be present during the opening, and they instead found out about the arrest afterwards. As far fetched as it sounds at first, it does check out with the inactivity and absence of the three heralds after you cuff Joseph (and in case you ever wondered what the three of them are doing while you guide Joseph outside, they de-spawn and are gone as soon as you turn around).

But enough about that and let’s get back to more missions we never got to see.

For instance there is:

GO TO the Veteran's Center

Which, as most of you know, is impossible during the game because you get repositioned everytime you attempt to go close. This string implies a different kind of mission at some point.

HUNT Jacob

No, this also does not appear in the game. The final mission goes from DESTROY Wolf Beacons to KILL Jacob Seed. Possibility in combination with the previous entry is that you were supposed to follow him back to the Veteran Center and that’s where the final fight would be. It could also imply a different kind of trial.

Small observation because we are talking about the final fight: The Prima Games’ guide (based on a pre-release build of the game, it will be featured more prominently in the next post) depicts Jacob at the bottom of the mountain during this encounter. WIth a lot of perseverance I’m sure you can somehow manage to replicate this in-game. But it is interesting regardless that they chose this image. It might imply that at some point he was not positioned on top of the hill, and instead closer to the area he finally dies in.

Before we move on, here are a few other interesting unused strings:

TRAIN TRAIN yourself INTERACT with Jacob for finishing takedown TALK to Jacob

They imply a different way to end the fight along with the possibility to talk to Jacob at some point (unrelated to each other mind you). I have no clue in what kind of scenario you were supposed to talk to him. The only explanation I have is that trials were possibly supposed to be different at some point and maybe they had more intentions to explore the whole brainwashed aspect of it to the point you casually took strolls around St Francis. Now before you say I just made that up, I implore you to wait till after the next part to call me out on it, because there are reasons I offer that possibility up for discussion here.

TRAIN and TRAIN yourself might not be linked to this region at all. But it is interesting to have these sort of objectives as they form the ‘Train, Hunt, Kill, Sacrifice’ part of the region’s theme, when you refer back to other mission strings: TRAIN (yourself), HUNT Jacob, KILL Jacob Seed.

Now to get to the main part. If you ever used mods on PC that let you access the Veteran Center, you will have noticed that the AI acts very strange. Your assigned GFH might wander around, aim at nothing or even attack civillians. Cultists inside the area will not always attack you, while civillians will do. This is most likely why the developers were so quick to patch out the tricks to access the region without mods.

I have seen multiple speculations circling around, but the one that always struck me as the most plausible one is that there was some kind of mission after Pratt rescues you from the cage. It is a very discontinuous cutscene, in which you transition from the cage directly to the top floor of the Veteran Center, implying there were no problems for Pratt and the Deputy to get there, despite having to cross the entire guarded frontyard and going through multiple building floors to get to the office. So, naturally I wasted some time of my life trying to dig up stuff that proves this theory right and I...well I did find something.

Important note so you understand what’s going on here: It is very common in games to load objects underneath the map (outside of sight of the player) to assure they are properly loaded in when they are needed. I have seen posts circulating around which depicted Pratt underneath the building, suggesting they eventually had an area planned there. The more likely case is that Pratt was loaded there for later use in a cutscene.

Why am I saying that? Well, this following screenshot was taken underneath the map during the cutscene where Pratt rescues the deputy and it transitions to the top of the building. I have changed the time to daytime for a bit better visibility.

What you see here is an entirely unused set of either cutscene or gameplay elements. A truck, Jacob (who’s absent in the cutscene we see), Pratt, a random NPC, a bag, a small table (unseen in cutscene), a single door (unseen in cutscene), a double door and 3 small pieces of paper (only two are in cutscene). I have kept watch on these assets for the entirety of the cutscene and none of them were moved into place. Meaning that all of these were here to be used in either a different cutscene or even a gameplay segment.

It brings me back to the mission theory, where there was a potential stealth segment between leaving the cage and entering the office. Maybe there was an alternate cutscene for the case where you’d be caught and the one we see in the game is the one after successfully sneaking up there? We will never know for certain again but it is one possible explanation as to why these assets even still exist. It would also check out with the TALK to Deputy Pratt mission string, as you maybe had to speak to him after reaching a certain area.

Here are also some additional screenshots of the room in front of the office:

It was modelled and filled with a few detail props we never get to see much of.

Another potential mission, which would explain the broken AI behavior better, is the already mentioned theory that they might have planned to do more with the whole brainwashing aspect. Cultists inside the Vet Center area do not shoot and are allied, while civillians act hostile, implying while the player is there they are considered to be allied to cultists. TALK to Deputy Pratt, TALK to Jacob or TRAIN (yourself) could have taken place during this also. Something that could support this theory is also this unused timelapse marking days passing:

youtube

3. The Game’s Title and Closing Words

Internally the game is often called ‘fc zeta’, ‘zeta’ or ‘fcz’. So *sigh* of course I tried to find a deeper meaning behind it all and came to the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet ‘Zeta’. If you count Far Cry: Primal as a real standalone title, Far Cry 5 is the sixth Far Cry release. But because the Greek were special snowflakes or something, the sixth letter actually has the value of 7. So Zeta is actually 7 despite being the sixth. If you count Blood Dragon as a Far Cry release it’d mean FC5 is the 7th release. However, these theories exclude all the expansions and stuff for earlier Far Cry games.

Another indicator that Zeta might have been more than just a number, is this texture used as a decal on some clothing materials:

I have not found someone in-game who has this anywhere, and they might just disable the transparency and use it only for the American flag. But still, why would they make such a decal texture in the first place? Maybe very early name of the cult or resistance group?

Before closing this incredibly long essay, here is an old, unused version of the logo found in the files :)

Phew, we finally reached the end. If you made it all the way down here: CONGRATULATIONS you just read a long af essay! Again, i’d like to remind you that a lot of what you’ve read is pure speculation. I tried to prove my arguments as best as I could with evidence that I provided but only Ubisoft knows what really happened. And they are unlikely to tell us.

The next post will focus on the expansive character list and I may split it into parts because there is a lot to say and show about some characters.

I hope you have a nice day and thank you for reading ♥

_______________________________________________________

References:

text.farcry.info (website where you can look through Oasisstrings yourself!) languages\english\oasisstrings.oasis.bin languages\english\oasisstrings_subtitles.oasis.bin animations\narrative\cin_key03_q01_b00_meet_jj_cabin animations\narrative\cin_key03_q01_b00_meet_jj_net animations\narrative\cin_key03_q01_b00_meet_jj_release domino\user\fcz_proto_ld domino\user\zeta_dlcm ui\resources\textures\04_menu\tooltips ui\resources\textures\06_icons\inventory ui\resources\textures\05_hud\tutorials\_images __Unknown\XBT\AE800D066AB2E84A.xbt __Unknown\XBT\FD080AA2BBABE691.xbt Zeta on Wikipedia (english) Squad on Wikipedia (english) Prima Games guide (2018, collector’s edition, print and digital) reddit.com/r/farcry/comments/89nsf1/so_theres_3_missing_guns_for_hire_here_maybe_3/ __Unknown\BIK\C6AB10EDBC81E933.bik

#far cry 5 #gameinfo #obligatory longessay tag #if you ever wondered how much of a nerd i am #look at these essays #and know that i enjoyed writing and capturing footage of every second of this

182 notes · View notes