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Alden Carruthers is a minor character in Red Dead Redemption 2 and a stranger in Red Dead Online.

History[]

Background[]

At some point prior to 1898, Alden became a clerk at Rhodes Train Station. He is affiliated with his counterpart in Strawberry, Hector Barlow, as well as Josiah Trelawny. Alden is extremely well-informed of events in Rhodes and the surrounding area and is always friendly towards the player.

Events of Red Dead Online[]

Alden becomes an associate of the protagonist shortly after they are broken out of prison. Upon instruction of Horley, they meet with him to receive a tip on a stagecoach robbery that had recently occurred. Before they depart to claim the stolen goods for themselves, he also gifts them with a Wheeler Rawson catalog they can use to purchase items.

Following this, Alden can be found at either the Valentine Station, the Van Horn Depot, or the Annesburg Station, and will offer delivery, recovery, escort, and hunting missions to the player. Accepting his missions increases the player's honor.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2[]

For the most part, Alden performs the same tasks as a regular clerk; train ticket sales, repaying bounties and sending or receiving mail.

During "Further Questions of Female Suffrage", Arthur gives two letters to Alden; one from Simon Pearson to his aunt, the other from Tacitus Kilgore, a pseudonym made up by Dutch.

In the mission "Friends in Very Low Places", Josiah Trelawny introduces Alden to Arthur. After a brief conversation, Alden gives Trelawny a piece of paper with a stagecoach robbery tip on it, while wishing the pair good luck and telling Arthur to visit him again sometime for more stagecoach robbery tips. With their information, Arthur and Trelawny rob the coach of Chester Damsen.

At any time after this, the player can visit Alden for more stagecoach robbery tips. In exchange for $2, Alden gives the protagonist a slip of paper with the information on it and tells the player where to find the targeted stagecoach. After a number of these robberies have been completed, Alden tells the player that, due to the risk of him being caught becoming too great, he must disband his union of "discouraged men", and the player will no longer be able to get stagecoach tips from him, although Alden continues to work at the train station.

Alden also appears in various side missions. In the stranger mission "The Mercies of Knowledge", Alden aids the player by giving them the location of an incoming wagon of Moonshine. In "The Ties That Bind Us", the player can ask him about Sampson Black and Wendell White. In addition, he also appears in "The Course of True Love V", Arthur greets him as he is getting train tickets for Beau and Penelope. In "The Noblest of Men, and a Woman", the player asks Alden about the whereabouts of the gunslinger Billy Midnight. Alden tells him that he is usually drinking in the bar carriage, and suggests that the player could check the next train to arrive in the station.

Also, due to the fact that bounty posters in Rhodes are located inside the train station, the player can ask Alden for information about the bounty targets Mark Johnson, Robbie Laidlaw and Camille de Millemont.

Character[]

Personality[]

Alden's accent is a stereotypical "gay lisp" sounding similar to that of a Valley girl accent. It's never confirmed if he is homo-sexual, but due to his inner circle of railroad clerks turned crooked being named "discouraged men", a term used that implied those who were homosexual only liked men because they had low luck/courage with women. Alden is quite bright and talkative, but this doesn't stop him from partaking in stagecoach tips for criminal associates to bushwack. Though, Alden does seem to like his job as a clerk, as years later in 1907 he still holds onto it. Though, this could be just to avoid suspicion of leaving when the railroad company gets suspicious of the frequent stagecoach robberies or if those missions aren't fully completed, to keep in cahoots with his "discouraged men".

Appearance[]

Alden's appearance in 1899 is shortly trimmed black facial hair and a much thinner version of the Scotsman, specifically with the lip hair being more of a handlebar and he lacks chin hair with only a stubble. He wears a typical railroad clerk uniform through to 1907, however his facial hair is changed to be much bushier with his handlebar turning into a walrus while retaining his lack of facial hair on his chin. The wrinkles on his face indicate he may be in his mid 40s in 1899 to early 50s by 1907.

Mission appearances[]

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Online

Intro

  1. Annesburg
    • Caravan Escort
    • Delivery
    • Recovery
    • Stolen Wagon
    • Supply
  2. Van Horn
    • Caravan Escort
    • Delivery
    • Recovery
    • Stolen Wagon
    • Supply
  3. Rhodes
    • Caravan Escort
    • Delivery
    • Stolen Wagon
    • Supply
  4. Valentine
    • Delivery
    • Caravan Escort
    • Recovery
    • Stolen Wagon

Trivia[]

  • Alden also appears to be affiliated with Seamus, the Fence at Emerald Ranch. In the second stagecoach robbery tip, Alden asks the player to commandeer the targeted stagecoach and deliver to his "contact", Seamus, suggesting that the two know each other.
  • The bartender of the Rhodes Parlour House can be heard making a comment about Alden's sexuality. "That dandy who works at the train station sure enjoys the company of other gentlemen." As Alden talks in a stereotypically effeminate manner, it's possible he's implied as gay just because of his accent.
  • During "Friends in Very Low Places," Alden tells Trelawny "my Mrs. is a bad woman. A terrible woman." implying that he is married. He also mentions that he is a married man if you question him about the Mark Johnson bounty poster. Though, this does not completely invalidate the theory that Alden is homosexual, as many secretly gay men in those times to avoid being found out would marry women as a cover to avoid suspicion.
  • Another trait about Alden which suggests he's gay is that he leaves the letter "x" on each coach tip he gives to the player. The more coach robbery tips you buy from Alden in Story Mode, the more x's he leaves on the notes.
  • In Red Dead Online, if your character is a woman and you speak to Alden, he will get visibly uncomfortable and say he doesn't know how to talk to women. This could either be because of his homosexuality, the fact his wife is abusive or both.

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