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Aldecaldos!
— Saul's last word during Belly of the Beast, Cyberpunk 2077
Saul Bright is the leader of the Aldecaldos group that roams the Badlands around Night City.[1]
Biography[]
Fellow Aldecaldo Panam Palmer idolized Saul during his more adventurous days, fondly remembering stories about him moving civilians across the border during a bombardment or hijacking a Petrochem tanker, opening the valves, cranking a few eights to set the desert ablaze and give the kids a fun show.[2]
Saul assumed leadership of an Aldecaldos pack[3] when they were in a fragile state, so bad that one mistake could have caused them to lose everything. When one of the clan members, Driss "Scorpion" Meriana, returned from the Unification War in 2070 with new ideas and contacts, he attempted to convince Saul to get the family into joining Snake Nation in order to get strength by numbers. For this insurgence, Saul punished Scorpion by being demoted within the clan ranks and not being given any assignments for a full year.[4][5]
2077[]
Around 2077, Saul led his Aldecaldos clan to the Badlands around Night City in order to find new work for them, a shift from the smuggling traditions which other Aldecaldos around the NUSA were still following. To that end, Saul was negotiating with Biotechnica in 2077 to have his Aldecaldos retrieve some critical cargo that the corporation lost in the Badlands en route to a secret research center. Instead of eurodollars, Saul wanted to be paid in reverse transpiration xerophytes, i.e., equipment to help his clan grow crops in the Badlands and thereby be more self-sufficient.[6]
Saul even sought to enter his clan into a more permanent working relationship with Biotechnica in order to provide his people with a steady income despite the corporation forcing him to accept increasingly unfavorable conditions.[7] While Saul did this as a desperate move to save the clan, others spoke against it, instead preferring to look for other solutions, even repeating Scorpion's old idea to join Snake Nation as they would at least still be nomads and not corporate slaves.[8][9] Panam Palmer was one of the most outspoken opponents of Saul's plan and vehemently protested any corporate partnership as it would make them dependent on a ruthless corporation. The disagreement even escalated to a point where Panam would temporarily leave the clan.[2]
Saul was later captured by Wraiths, a group of Raffen Shiv, who took advantage of him venturing out with only a small patrol. As most of the Aldecaldos seemed reluctant to free Saul immediately and feared they would not have the strength to take on the Wraiths, Panam returned to her clan and devised a plan with Mitch Anderson to covertly infiltrate the camp where the Wraiths kept Saul drugged up in the basement. Although the other Aldecaldos, including interim-leader Carol Emeka, were sceptical, Panam brought in V, a merc who had helped her earlier but at the cost of Scorpion's life.[2]
If V fails to rescue Saul:
- Starting the job to rescue Saul but then leaving the area for too long will result in Panam sending a message saying that Saul is dead, and the job will be failed, precluding all follow-up missions involving Panam.[2]
If V successfully helps to rescue Saul:
- V successfully extracted Saul and Panam drove the group away in one of the Wraith's vans, escaping from pursuers and using a sand storm to cover their tracks. Seeking shelter in an abandoned farmhouse, the group spent the night. A grateful Saul invited Panam to rejoin the Aldecaldos, but insisted she will follow orders in the future. She responded by strongly objecting to Saul's planned cooperation with Biotechnica, but is talked into accepting Saul's offer by V the next day. As Saul turns in early, Panam sarcastically asks whether he needs "help"... to which Saul just responds "Fuck off" and remarks that sandstorms are called "haboobs" in Africa - a word he is very fond of. The next day, Saul is picked up by Cassidy Righter and brought back to the Aldecaldos camp.[2]
- In order to better defend themselves against the Wraiths and others, Panam, V, Mitch, and some other like-minded clan members then devised a plan to attack a Militech convoy in order to steal a tank. Saul objected as he deemed the plan much too risky, possibly even a trap, and jeopardizing the job with Biotechnica the clan originally came to the Badlands for. He even threatened Panam to be kicked out of the clan if she went through with it despite Mitch, who was convinced the Biotechnica deal would further cause the Nomad family to fall apart, being firmly on her side. However, as she brought V along, Saul knew that Panam likely requested outside help for all but one purpose - to move forward with the plan to steal the Basilisk behind his back.[9]
- If V tells Saul about Panam's plan, the mission is aborted and Panam severs all ties with V. Saul will subsequently contact V, saying that both he and Panam are grateful, although Panam might not realize it yet, and gifts V a unique car. The Aldecaldos then break camp and no further contact with any of them will be possible.[9]
If V betrays Panam's plan to steal the Basilisk to Saul:
- Although they successfully captured the Basilisk tank, Saul was furious, fearing Militech could trace its stolen merchandise back to the Aldecaldos. After he and Panam had a shoutout, Saul told her they would have a "family council" to decide Panam's future in the clan as soon as he completed his negotiations with Biotechnica. Cassidy then had the idea to unload and leave the large, stolen convoy trucks in front of the Raffen Shiv camp Saul was held at previously in order to shift the blame for the heist. The group around Mitch and Panam then assembled the tank, which immediately came in handy to fight off a retaliation attack on the Aldecaldos camp by the Raffen Shiv. Although V and Panam successfully defeated all attackers using the tank, Panam subsequently returned to Saul expecting to be banished for defying his orders and endangering the clan. To her surprise, however, he was moved by her devotion to help the family while recognizing his own mistakes, hugged her, and made her co-leader of the Aldecaldos. Their first joint decision was to immediately move the Aldecaldos camp to a new, safer location.[9][10] After this, Saul terminated all dealings with Biotechnica[11] and can be found in the new camp's command truck, where V can engage in some idle talk with him about famed Nomad Santiago. Despite their efforts to cover their tracks, Saul kept being concerned by Militech or the Raffen Shiv Wraiths retaliating against his and Panam's clan, causing them to think about moving south across the border earlier than planned.[12][13]
If V goes along with Panam's plan behind Saul's back:
- "The Star" ending was chosen at the end of Nocturne Op55N1:
- After rescuing him and helping to fight off the Wraiths, Saul, along with Panam, had promised V that the Aldecaldos would help in whatever way needed.[10] V would eventually call Panam up on the offer to help, asking for a way to get into Arasaka Tower in order to reach a cyberspace access point called Mikoshi. Saul agreed to assist V, wanting to also use it as an opportunity to pillage Arasaka for resources. Saul and Panam, who were still bickering with each other, tapped into their Snake Nation sources that provided them with accurate plans of a Maglev Tunnel Construction Site outside Night City and the connected tunnels. Saul and Panam planned to commandeer a SERC inside the tunnel and infiltrate Arasaka Tower through its foundations. Saul then welcomed V as a full member of the Aldecaldos, pointing out that V had been an informal member already. On the eve of the attack, Saul reminds V that for him, the family comes first and that he did not agree to the plan for V's sake, but because he sees a chance for the clan in it. During their attack the following morning, the Aldecaldos encountered more resistance than anticipated, costing the lives of Bob and Teddy, but Saul, Panam, and V saw the plan through and managed to fight their way into Arasaka Tower. However, upon reaching the entrance to Mikoshi, the three were intercepted by Adam Smasher. Saul was knocked to the ground but managed to shoot Smasher with his shotgun, destroying his chestplate. In retaliation, Smasher stomped on Saul's head, killing him instantly. The damage Saul did to Smasher then enabled Panam and V to defeat him. After V successfully reached Mikoshi, Panam assumed full leadership of the Aldecaldos, leading her clan south across the border.[14][15][16][17]
If
- "The Star" ending was chosen at the end of Nocturne Op55N1:
- "The Sun" or "The Devil" ending was chosen at the end of Nocturne Op55N1:
- Saul leaves a video message for V that is played back during the end credits. If V had completed all Aldecaldo-related missions, Saul talks about something big involving V in the city, says V "is an Aldecaldo" and "we always take care of our own". If V rescued Saul from the Wraiths but did not complete any further Aldecaldo missions, the message will be almost identical except for Saul saying that V "saved an Aldecaldo" and "its a debt we are happy to owe".
If
- "The Sun" or "The Devil" ending was chosen at the end of Nocturne Op55N1:
Database Entry[]
SAUL BRIGHT
Head of the Aldecaldo family that also counts Panam among its members. After becoming a leader he broke away from the clan's traditions of smuggling and tried to establish corporate connections, which didn't exactly go down well back at the camp. The truth is, Saul became leader at a very difficult time when any strategic slip could tear the entire family apart. He's always tried to do the right thing and never denied responsibility for his own choices. Uncompromising, stubborn, bold and principled - he commands a kind of reluctant that's usually reserved for the most righteous, and thus - unbearable.[18]
Associated Quests[]
Main Quests[]
Side Quests[]
Gallery[]
Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ BATYLDA, M. The World of Cyberpunk 2077. 1st ed. Milwaukie, OR, Dark Horse Books, 2020. (p.180)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Riders on the Storm
- ↑ J Gray on Discord - "The Aldecaldo Camp in 2045 is essentially an enclave. Large and more or less permanent. What you see in 2077 is not the entire Aldecaldo Nation. It is a Pack, maybe a couple of Packs, in a temporary encampment. They're two different beasts."
- ↑ Saul Bright/Computers#Third option
- ↑ With a Little Help from My Friends
- ↑ Archived Conversation: Saul Bright and Emilia Weiss
- ↑ Saul Bright/Computers#New contract
- ↑ Saul Bright/Computers#Third option
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 With a Little Help from My Friends
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Queen of the Highway
- ↑ Saul Bright/Computers#We are done here
- ↑ Saul Bright/Computers#Militech won't give up
- ↑ Saul Bright/Computers#Looks like we are clear
- ↑ We Gotta Live Together
- ↑ Forward to Death
- ↑ Belly of the Beast
- ↑ All Along the Watchtower
- ↑ CD Projekt RED. Cyberpunk 2077. Video Game, Multi-Platform. Poland, CD Projekt S.A., 2020.