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Haven't you been paying attention? You don't find the Institute. The Institute finds you.

Conrad "Connie" Kellogg is a mercenary employed by the Institute in Fallout 4. He also appears in Fallout Shelter Online and Fallout: Wasteland Warfare.

Background[edit]

Kellogg was a child during the foundation of the New California Republic.[1] He grew up with an abusive and alcoholic father and a protective mother, and blamed himself for not being able to protect his mother from his father's attacks.[2] His mother taught Kellogg at an early age, that the only protection in this world was the gun she gave him, and that he needed to learn how to use it in order to survive.[3]

As an adult, Kellogg had a relationship with Sarah, a woman he met during his time as a gunslinger and contract killer at the Hub.[4][5] Seeking a fresh start after he shot someone named "Valdez" Kellogg moved to San Francisco with Sarah,[4] where they had a daughter, Mary.[6][7] Kellogg started working as security for the Shi,[8] and while he was in a good albeit inexperienced outfit, he made longterm plans to run his own crew.[9] However, both Sarah and Mary were later killed by unknown assailants.[10] Kellogg received his face scar after this point.

Pondering the loss of happiness in his life,[11] Kellogg left San Francisco and traveled eastward,[12] drinking at bars and working as a hired killer.[13][14]

Kellogg eventually reached the Commonwealth, adjusted to his new life.[15] The Institute reached out to him, and while their Synths creeped him out,[16] he joined them permanently as one of their surface agents.[17] Over time, he became the Institute's main operator, serving as the contact between the Directorate and University Point[18] and was assigned to steal Shaun from Vault 111.[19]

After kidnapping Shaun, Kellogg was sent, against his better judgment, to Diamond City with a Synth sharing the appearance of a ten-year-old Shaun.[20] Kellogg described it as a "pet project" of Shaun's,[21] although he realized later that he served as bait for the Sole Survivor.[22] Once in the Commonwealth, The Railroad described Kellogg as "public enemy number one."[23]

He eventually abandoned the house after X6-88 came to collect synthetic Shaun on behalf of the Institute. He was then tasked with tracking down the rogue Institute Scientist Dr. Brian Virgil, who had recently fled from the Institute. In preparation for tracking down Dr. Virgil, Kellogg set up a base of operations in Fort Hagen, though he became injured in several battles on his way from Diamond City, forcing him to take time to recuperate in Hagen.

Publications[edit]

Kellogg was born in 2179 on the west coast of the New California Republic. He once served as a bodyguard for the Shis and had a family... for short a time. After his family was killed as payback, he traveled East, and became a mercenary for the Institute.Fallout Shelter Online Character Descriptions
On occasion the Institute has resorted to more down to earth methods to achieve its goals, employing mercenaries and other ‘dirty surface degenerates’. One such mercenary is Conrad Kellogg, and he has proven his worth to the cause time and again. His familiarity with the denizens of the wasteland and his ruthless combat prowess brought him to the attention of the Institute, and he has only become deadlier in their employ. Augmented and all but ageless under their patronage, Kellogg now stalks the wasteland ready to do any job, no matter how underhanded or shady, all in the service of his shadowy masters.Fallout: Wasteland Warfare Product Descriptions

Gameplay[edit]

With the help of Dogmeat, the Sole Survivor can track Kellogg to his base of operations. They fight through Fort Hagen's Synth detail, as Kellogg taunts them, offering the Sole Survivor a chance to turn back. As the player character approaches, Kellogg takes note of their determination and allows them a chance to talk to him, by revealing himself and ordering his Synths to stand down. Kellogg informs the Sole Survivor that Shaun is no longer with him, but with the Institute. The conversation inevitably leads to a fight which results in Kellogg's demise. Kellogg's conscience goes on to wonder if Shaun had deliberately placed him in the Sole Survivor's path as a way of eliminating him as a loose end.[24]

The Sole Survivor can access Kellogg's memories with the use of his Cybernetic Brain Augmenter, and the aid of Nick Valentine and Doctor Amari. After leaving Kellogg's memories, the last echoes of the mercenary's consciousness speak to the Sole Survivor through Nick's body, taunting them one last time.[25]

Interactions Overview[edit]

Interactions
FO76 ui icon quest.png
This character is involved in quests.

Inventory[edit]

Notes[edit]

  • He utilizes Stealth Boys, Stimpaks, and grenades during combat.
  • Script notes for his first memory sequence narration state "memory of yourself at 10."[26]

Quotes[edit]

  • "At least we still have the backup..."
  • "Haven't you been paying attention? You don't find the Institute. The Institute finds you."
  • "The thing about happiness is that you only know you had it when it's gone. I mean, you may think to yourself that you're happy. But you don't really believe it. You focus on the petty bullshit, or the next job, or whatever. It's only looking back, by comparison to what comes after, that you really understand that's what happiness felt like."
  • "Hope you got what you were looking for inside my head. Heh. I was right. Should've killed you when you were on ice."

Appearances[edit]

Kellogg appears in Fallout 4, Fallout Shelter Online, and Fallout: Wasteland Warfare. He also appears in the Minecraft: Fallout Edition crossover.

Behind the Scenes[edit]

Emil Pagliarulo stated that Kellogg was inspired by the character Setton Kellogg from the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV series.[Dev 1]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Kellogg's Memory Radio Broadcast
  2. Conrad Kellogg: "Dad was either drunk or not around. I guess he must have run with one of the raider gangs, but I never really knew what he did. I don't know why Mom was with him. Maybe at some point in his life he wasn't a complete asshole. I was such a dummy back then. What did I know about how the world worked? I think now she wanted me to kill him. I should have. Instead I ended up running away. I told myself I wanted to find somewhere out from under the thumb of the NCR and all their rules. But really, I was running from the guilt of not protecting her from Dad. Doesn't matter now, though. Mom knew how it was. She wasn't soft but she loved me in her way. And she protected me from Dad. That cost her more than a few beatings. I never knew what happened to her after I left. I didn't want to know. Not then."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  3. Kellogg's mother: "Listen to me, Connie. You take this. You're old enough. You're the man of the family now. It's your job to protect us. Your father's useless. But you won't turn out like him. You're a good boy. And all that on the radio - all useless talk. The only thing that will protect you in this world is that gun in your hands. You need to learn to use it if you're going to survive."
    (Kellogg's mother's dialogue)
  4. 4.0 4.1 Conrad Kellogg: "I thought San Francisco was my chance to start fresh. I was the hot shit, the gunslinger from the Hub, rolling into town with the world at my feet. Everybody knew I was the one who'd shot Valdez, and I could write my own ticket to any outfit in town. It all worked out pretty damn well for a while."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  5. Conrad Kellogg: "I was the worst thing that ever happened to her. If she'd never met me, she'd have stayed in the Hub, maybe hooked up with someone who didn't kill people for a living. Probably been happier than she was with me. Almost certainly lived longer."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  6. Conrad Kellogg: "It's going to be fine, you'll see."
    Sarah: "But we don't know anybody here, and now with the baby..."
    (Conrad Kellogg and Sarah's dialogue)
  7. Conrad Kellogg: "Listen. It's going to be great here. See this? This is what's going to keep you and Mary safe. I promise."
    (Conrad Kellogg's dialogue)
  8. Conrad Kellogg: "Come on. You're great with her. And you don't need to worry about me. Most of it's just running security for the Shi. A lot of standing around looking tough."
    (Conrad Kellogg's dialogue)
  9. Conrad Kellogg: "Come on, Sarah, you've got to give it a chance. I've finally got steady work with a good outfit. Nothing like that in the NCR these days."
    Sarah: "I'm not saying this was a mistake. I'm just... Are you sure these guys know what they're doing? They seem kind of... green."
    Conrad Kellogg: "I know. But that's where I come in. Just wait. In a few years I'll be running my own crew, as soon as I make the connections I need. Then I can give you anything you want. And little Mary, too."
    (Conrad Kellogg and Sarah's dialogue)
  10. Voice: "How did you think this was going to end, Kellogg? You thought you could just fuck with us, and we wouldn't fuck with you? Just so you know - they died like dogs. And you weren't there to help them."
  11. Conrad Kellogg: "The thing about happiness is that you only know you had it when it's gone. I mean, you may think to yourself that you're happy. But you don't really believe it. You focus on the petty bullshit, or the next job, or whatever. It's only looking back, by comparison with what comes after, that you really understand that's what happiness felt like."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  12. Conrad Kellogg: "I didn't care where I was going. Ended up mostly wandering east. Getting as far away from San Francisco as I could, maybe."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  13. Conrad Kellogg: "I don't remember much from that time. It all kind of blends together. There was almost always a bar, though. That's universal."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  14. Conrad Kellogg: "There was always a job for someone like me. It didn't matter what it was. It didn't matter who I was supposed to kill. I got pretty good at it."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  15. Conrad Kellogg: "I finally ended up in the Commonwealth. I kind of ran out of road, plus I'd come to terms with life. I wasn't going to be stupid enough to get mixed up with caring about other people again. It was just me against the world. And the world had it coming."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  16. Conrad Kellogg: "The first synths weren't all that impressive. I'm good, but I'm not that good. But the Institute could always make more, and kept making them better each time. They still give me the creeps, but you have to get used to them if you want to work with the Institute."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  17. Conrad Kellogg: "You heard all sorts of rumors about the Institute, but I figured they were just a convenient bogeyman for anything bad that ever happened. They were real, all right, but they didn't know anything about operating on the surface. Relied on their synths for everything. They had the resources I needed, and I had the expertise they needed. Turned into a permanent arrangement, which suited me just fine."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  18. University Point Council Meeting
  19. Conrad Kellogg: "I was now the Institute's main operator in the Commonwealth. If they needed something done, they came to me. It wasn't usual for anybody from the Institute to come along on a mission. So this one stood out. I didn't know then who it was we were grabbing from the Vault. Of course, neither did they. Not really."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  20. Conrad Kellogg: "It wasn't my idea to settle down with the kid in the middle of Diamond City. I thought it was a terrible idea."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  21. Conrad Kellogg: "But it was one of the old man's pet projects, so here we were. Me and the kid like a happy little family."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  22. Conrad Kellogg: "This whole setup in Diamond City was part of some elaborate plan of the old man's. Seems obvious now that we were bait for our friend from the Vault. The timing couldn't have been an accident. That's not how the old man works. I wonder if he outsmarted me in the end. Another loose end tied up."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  23. Deacon: "And as if that wasn't enough... The Railroad owes you a crate, hell a truckload, of Nuka-Cola for what you did to Kellogg. He was our public enemy number one."
    (Deacon's dialogue)
  24. Sole Survivor: "After what I've seen, I pity the man. He was as much a victim as anything."
    Shaun: "After what he did to you? I'm shocked you would be so generous. But yes, I understand you've... experienced things. Perhaps you ended up knowing him better. I, for one, will never truly forgive him."
    (Shaun's dialogue)
  25. Conrad Kellogg: "Hope you got what you were looking for inside my head. Heh. I was right. Should've killed you when you were on ice."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
  26. Conrad Kellogg: "I was such a dummy back then. What did I know about how the world worked? I think now she wanted me to kill him. I should have. Instead I ended up running away. I told myself I wanted to find somewhere out from under the thumb of the NCR and all their rules. But really, I was running from the guilt of not protecting her from Dad. Doesn't matter now, though."
    (Kellogg's dialogue)
Developer Statements
  1. Emil Pagliarulo: "(5/7) After that, there was this sort of post-Star Wars TV gold rush, and I couldn't get enough of (the original) Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers. In fact, in Buck Rogers, there was a bad guy character named Kellogg, and yes, he was the inspiration for Kellogg in Fallout 4."
    (Fallout 4 developer statements/Characters; Emil Pagliarulo: Kellogg, 2023 June 13)