Oasis

Quest giver: Harold, Birch or Laurel
Where: Oasis

Out in the far, far northern Wastelands, there is a curious sight to behold: vegetation and verdant life abound, surrounding a small hidden settlement called Oasis. Oasis can be very difficult to find at first simply because the only way in to the place is heavily shielded by mountainous terrain. There's a slightly obscured path on the west that leads into the mountain, and when you go further in you arrive at a wooden gate accompanied by people outfitted in outlandish, brown garb. These are the Treeminders, a tribal group of hippies-er, people-devoted to the ways of nature.

The first person you meet is Tree Father Birch, who ushers you in to their humble abode and takes you to the Pavilion. He begins to preach about this mysterious "Him," but if you press him with a Speech challenge he gets to the point more quickly. Try to remain civil and courteous within their home so as to avoid failing this quest.

Finally, he wants you to meet Him, but you must first take part in a strange ritual that involves drinking Sap from the Basin of Purification. Things get a little hazy-hey, what's going on-and then you black out. You awake in strange but beautiful green surroundings, in the center of which stands a tree. The gnarled tree in the center holds a grotesque sight-a face somehow fused in the bark of the tree. You don't know what it is, and talking to it doesn't help much in that respect either.

The Talking Tree gives an odd enough request: he needs you to kill him. Before you whip out the Flamethrower and go on a frenzy, know that this must be done not by the conventional means you were about to implement but by destroying his heart. That and the rest of his organs dangle underneath him in an underground cavern. You will first need the Key to Oasis Caves from Branchtender Cypress (an accomplished Lockpicker can also easily open it as well). Although not immediately obvious, an air of dissent hangs over the townsfolks. Many of them are split between how the situation should be handled, siding either with Tree Father Birch or Leaf Mother Laurel. The two leave such a weighty decision upon you-great.

Speak to the townsfolks and see what their opinion on all this is, and let their thoughts and feelings marinade in your mind a bit as you get a grip on your own feelings. You don't need to make the important decision just yet; just head towards the caverns. The caverns are decidedly less fertile and tree-happy, and crawling with all sorts of predatory creatures-Mirelurks and their variants. Hopefully, you also have some spare Rad-X or RadAway collecting dust in your inventory; now's a good time to draw upon their beneficial effects.

You know you are nearing Harold's Heart when you hear the steady heartbeat rhythm; follow it to the Heart and save your game. Still swimming in a sea of choices, you must now make the decision to either destroy his heart as requested by Harold himself, apply Birch's Sap to stymie Harold's growth, or apply Laurel's Liniment to accelerate his growth. Of course, the other unspecified option is to torch the thing, but that tends to eke out the most unprofitable ending to this quest. There are plus and minuses in each plan, and we've outlined them here:

Destroy Harold's Heart:
Rewards: Barkskin Perk (Endurance +1, Damage Resistance +10)

Applying Birch's Sap Rewards:
Missile Launcher and Druid's Outfit

Applying Laurel's Liniment Rewards:
Brotherhood Outcast Power Armor, Villager's Hood

Death by Burning Rewards:
Angry Treeminders

Whichever of the first three routes you decided to take, you will find either Birch or Laurel waiting for your return in Harold's Grove. They inform you that gifts from different townsfolk are available for you to pick up. If you have the Child At Heart Perk or a high Speech skill, you can also obtain a Bear Charm from Sapling Yew. If you regret not sending everything up in hellish flames, you can do so now after completing the quest.