Oasis (Fallout 3)
Ah, moral quandaries. Sometimes there are instances in gaming that allow you to show your true colors – weighing up personal gain against the good of society – and depending on the decisions you make, you can be left with dire consequences that will plague you for the rest of the game. On the plus side, it can also lead to the acquisition of some sweet loot, so it’s not all bad, now is it?
In this particular side quest, you are introduced to Harold, an unfortunate fellow who has a peculiar ailment that has morphed him into a tree. Such a sight can certainly make an impression, so he is surrounded by a cult known as the Treeminders, who worship him as a god and cannot agree on what should be done with him. One of them wants you to apply a sap that will stop Harold from growing bigger, in order to keep him safe. Another wants to spread his influence on the world, giving you a liniment that will cause him to flourish. As for Harold himself? Well, he just wants to die, quite frankly, and you can choose to side with him by destroying his heart and putting him out of his misery.
If none of these concepts strike your fancy, you can just burn Harold to the ground with fire, violently killing him and making everyone in the Oasis unhappy with you, Harold most of all. No matter what you choose, you’re bound to feel some kind of twinge of guilt, second-guessing yourself and wondering whether you really did the right thing. Unless you chose to light the poor guy up like the 4th of July, of course. Not really a lot of moral wiggle room there.
