Gerson Ashcroft

Born in 2041 to a US senator and a brigadier general, Gerson had high expectations placed on him from an early age. He was given a traditional Lancashire name despite his family having lived in America for generations which only helped to make him stand out even more. As an only child he knew only long hours of isolation spent furthering his education under the backdrop of constant media propaganda about the Sino American War.

When he turned seventeen his father pulled some strings to begin a new initiative where teenagers could enlist and complete Basic Combat Training during the summer before their senior year of high school and graduate as soldiers. Upon receiving his diploma, he also received a commission, starting off his military career as an officer. Gerson would go on to college to study further, his parents’ connections keeping him from being shipped off immediately like so many others his age.

Further groomed for leadership, he was stationed under his father’s command and ordered to oversee logistics. A glorified accountant in his opinion, he kept the various foreign detachments fed and armed. This eventually wore thin for Gerson, and he confronted his family about being spared the front lines. Though a ruthlessly tough man, his father loved him, and so he finally broke the truth to his son.

While living in the United Kingdom his family was first approached by the Dunwich Society. Selected for their high intelligence, motivation to overachieve, and aligned principles, they were told a truth about our existence that changed the course of their lives. Ever since this encounter the Ashcroft family has been on a trajectory for greatness, though not without some serious expectations. Whatever it was that was revealed to Gerson, he too fell quickly in line and was given his own liaison into the secret organization for his loyalty.

Things started to change however after his father suffered a fatal heart attack during his usual morning routine of running six miles before dawn. Despite now holding the rank of Major and having connections of his own, the future members of the Enclave had gotten suspicious of his family and wanted them ousted. His mother was suddenly accused of committing several scandals and became tied up in lengthy court proceedings while he was given orders to proceed to the Alaskan front.

He reached the icy shores and was sent right into one of the worst positions to hold against the invading Chinese army even though he lacked any actual combat experience. Although intended to become a casualty within the first few weeks, Gerson quickly discovered that a lifetime of training and studying had made him a competent leader. With the death of his father so fresh in his mind he also managed to remain humble, and many of the men respected him from their first meetings because they mistook him for a veteran.

Surviving until the Red Army was driven back to the seas; he had started to make peace with his situation so he could focus on getting home to help his mother. Delays continued however and while he was sorting it out, he got an early warning through his Dunwich Society contacts that a nuclear strike was imminent. After trying to contact his mother and discovering she had already been ushered away to Vault 200, he finally snapped.

Knowing it would be a tall order to convince enough soldiers to mutiny with the evidence he had on hand, he held a secret meeting with his closest allies. Without firing a shot they managed to capture the Post Commander and the other leadership that Gerson felt was responsible for stranding everyone here. He revealed their treachery in a public military court with several men even cracking in attempts to gain some mercy. Gerson had each of them shot by firing squad the following dawn.

After learning the truth about the Enclave and their plans for post apocalyptia he felt not only betrayed as a US soldier but worried as a member of a secret society of his own. Using a rousing speech Gerson mustered the majority of the defectors to his cause and they began to prepare the best they could for the incoming nuclear strike. Packing away vehicles and resources they took shelter in bunkers, basements and even in the Pulowski death traps.

After the dust began to settle, they emerged to begin the long journey south. A full convoy of military grade transports was in little danger of being harassed so along the way they made a few stops. Gerson turned as many bases as possible into future resource caches by locking away the supplies and activating the automated security systems. By the time he reached Kansas he had quite the armory and militia built up behind him.

Unfortunately he found the region in chaos, and not long after his arrival the first signs of mutation began to appear amongst himself and his followers. With the Vault Tec regional offices utterly annihilated it was impossible to locate his mother, forcing him to focus on finding shelter so that his followers could deal with their exposure to radiation. With advanced knowledge of both political and military contingencies for the aftermath, Gerson was able to secure a large array of strongholds in which to lay low in.

When they re-emerged, they found not only themselves changed but also the surface itself. Layers of sand had already begun to settle over recognizable landmarks and many of the roads had completely disappeared. Gerson adapted, improvised, and when all else failed he overcame the fierce regional conditions that were only getting worse by the day.

Although he was never able to find his mother’s Vault, his efforts were not in vain. While recruiting fresh bodies and assessing the assets readily available he discovered a secret older than America itself. Spending the better part of two centuries trying to unravel this puzzle, Gerson would finally get a break in 2070 when he found the evidence he needed at the bottom of an abandoned gold mine. With everything on the line he ordered a full surface deployment with the hopes to live up to his family legacy and bring about the Dunwich Prophecy.

• Official Title- Major Gerson Ashcroft to his allies, "The Harbinger" to outsiders


• Age- 236 years old


• Birthplace- Dodge City, Pre-War Kansas (United States)

by Gore-Shiring