Lost Hills

"Metallic Monks"

The Lost Hills is a pre-War government bunker in Southern California and the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Steel, located in the deserts west of Junktown and the Hub, directly southeast of the Mariposa Military Base. Mysterious and impenetrable, it is the subject of myths and legends among many wastelanders.

Location
The Lost Hills base can be found four squares west and eight squares south of Vault 13.

Background
The Lost Hills bunker had been originally constructed to house members of the government of the United States. Although this facility was completed before the Great War (2077), none of its intended inhabitants had actually managed to reach it.

Eventually, the bunker was re-settled by the soldiers from the Mariposa Military Base commanded by Captain Roger Maxson in an event called the Exodus. Maxson and his men were originally serving as a security detail for scientists working on FEV. Having discovered the atrocities performed in the name of science during FEV research, they executed all the scientists and declared themselves to be in full desertion from the US Army. Three days later, the Great War ended two hours after it started.

After burying the scientists in the wastes outside of Mariposa, the soldiers sealed the military base, then headed out into the desert, taking supplies and weapon schematics with them. In November 2077, the captain and his men, together with their families, had arrived at the Lost Hills, suffering many casualties along the way, including Maxson's wife (but not his teenage son). The Lost Hills bunker became the headquarters of the newly formed Brotherhood of Steel.

The installation was renovated and maintained by the Brotherhood for years, as they steadily gathered technology to preserve and research. After the events of Fallout (2161–2162), the installation became a major research and development house, staying out of the politics of New California and aiding the newly formed NCR, eventually becoming the heart of an autonomous state, Maxson.

Layout
Lost Hills was a pre-War government security bunker. Located almost entirely underground, the only indication of the presence of this installation was a small, reinforced structure containing the primary access elevator. After the Brotherhood seized the location, two sentries in power armor stood guard at the entrance at all times. One, a man named Cabbot, begins the become an initiate quest.

Guard patrols in power armor routinely patrol the area around the bunker and the surrounding wastes. An encounter with them will usually result in thorough questioning and likely temporary arrest for trespassing on their land.

Level 1
The first underground level contains the main supply room (filled to the brim with pre-War technology). The stockpile, while full of technology, is rather limited - every brother can withdraw only a single set of armor, while higher tier weapons are given only to those with special clearances from Senior Paladin Talus (or another high ranking officer).

Opposite the storeroom is the training chamber, where initiates exercise and learn combat skills under the careful guidance of the best fighters of the Brotherhood. The head instructor has his quarters located near the training room. Two other facilities are also present on the level - Head Paladin Rhombus's office and quarters and the guardroom, where surface guards spend their time when off-duty.

Level 2
Level 2 houses the living quarters for initiates, their classroom and the facility's medical lab. The youngest members of the organization spend their time here, studying to become either a Knight or Scribe, under the watchful eyes of higher ranking members. Their quarters are quite cramped - up to twelve initiates share a room (or even more, if hot bunking is used), but fitted with all the necessary amenities.

The infirmary is well stocked with medical supplies and in 2161 it offered the best medical treatment across the entirety of New California. Apart from healing injuries and removing radiation and addictions for free, the Brotherhood's medical staff can perform human augmentation surgeries:
 * ST: $2000, 3 weeks
 * PE: $4000, 1 week
 * EN: $3000, 1 week
 * IN: $6000, 3 weeks
 * AG: $5000, 3 weeks

Level 3
Arguably the heart of the Brotherhood, level 3 houses the most important facilities - workshops, where technology is maintained and recreated by Knights and the libraries, where Scribes patiently study old blueprints and knowledge, preserving it for future generations. Their living quarters are also located on this level, design as spartan as the ones of the Initiates, although less cramped - only three persons are quartered per room.

In 2161, Master Scribe Vree spends a lot of her time in the libraries, researching vital subjects for the Brotherhood. Even her quarters are located in the library itself.

Level 4
Housing the command center, mainframe and the Elders' quarters, if level 3 is to be considered the heart, level 4 is the brain of the Brotherhood. Unlike other members, the leaders of the Brotherhood each have their own quarters, sparsely furnished, ascetic even. Their conference room is located at the back of the auditorium, used often, despite their apparent inability to agree on anything (except that there's four of them, although even that was questioned).

The mainframe, processing and storage containing the collective knowledge of the Brotherhood, is located out of the way, behind the quarters, accessed through an airlock. Interestingly, it isn't guarded by anyone, unlike the Elders' quarters and meeting room.

Inhabitants
The denizens of Lost Hills are exclusively Brotherhood of Steel members, with only merchants and other essential contractors allowed inside for their services. Discipline is strictly maintained, and everyone is expected to fulfill their duties. While strict, it's also a fair society - brothers are treated equally, expected to respect other castes and, while highly disciplined, allowed room for friendship, camaraderie and romance.

Equipment-wise, castes can be easily identified:
 * Knights and Knight Initiates wear Brotherhood armor and carry AK-112 assault rifles.
 * Scribes and Scribe Initiates wear characteristic brown robes and use Wattz 1000 laser pistols.
 * Paladins use T-51b power armor and employ heavy weapons.
 * Elders wear easily identifiable blue robes with yellow lining and fight with hurtful words.

Things to do
As with all the other locations, there are quite a few things to do in the bunker:

Level 1

 * Watch the initiate hand-to-hand training session with brother Thomas for a 5% increase in your Unarmed and Melee Weapons skills and 500 XP.
 * Receive your reward from Talus for rescuing the initiate; T-51b power armor is only available if your Reputation is 16 or more.
 * Get a set of Brotherhood armor and three ammunition units of your choice from Michael (supposedly, it's your weekly issue, but you can only do it once).
 * Get the systolic motivator from Rhombus' office to fix the broken T-51b power armor unit on level 3.
 * Raid the Brotherhood storeroom by lockpicking the door to it and slaughtering the Brotherhood (loot includes two sets of power armor).

Level 2

 * Get healed and de-radiated for free at the doctor.
 * Receive augmentations from the good doctor (see above for pricing and recovery times).

Level 3

 * Receive the autopsy report from Vree to gain an edge against the Master.
 * Receive computer science training from Vree.
 * Receive Rad-X from Vree.
 * Receive the Brotherhood History holodisk from Sophia.

Level 4

 * Receive the assignment to scout the Mariposa Military Base from John Maxson.
 * Receive gear for the assignment from Mathia (sniper rifle, rocket launcher, laser pistol, power fist, or Ripper).
 * Present the Mariposa report to the Elders and receive Brotherhood support for the attack on the base (or to Cathedral if link between Mariposa and Cathedral is found).

Related quests

 * Become an initiate
 * Rescue Initiate from the Hub
 * Convince the Elders to send help (to Mariposa or to Cathedral)
 * Guard the caravans
 * Scout the northern wastes
 * Fix the broken T-51b power armor
 * Receive training from Thomas
 * Get Sophia some pulse grenades for Michael

Behind the scenes

 * In Fallout 3 during the Galaxy News Radio quest, after you defeat the super mutant behemoth, one of the Paladins will mention Lost Hills by saying, "That should give the boys at Lost Hills something to think about."
 * Lost Hills seems to be based off of the real life town of Lost Hills, California north of Bakersfield, where Vault 12 is located.

Originally, Lost Hills was not a bunker - it was a small concrete building, found by soldiers from Mariposa that employed it as a base, and slowly, but steadily changed it into a true fortress. More information is in the original Vault 13 timeline.

The Brotherhood also had an invasion ending planned, where the super mutants march against the Brotherhood and lay siege to Lost Hills. While defending their fortress valiantly, a traitor, Kedrick, would assassinate the Elders and sell the Brothers to the super mutants. Lost Hills would be subsequently destroyed. An unused "Dead Brotherhood" map is still included in the game files and can be accessed via the main menu.

Other cut elements include a few non-player characters (notably a scribe mourning the Brotherhood's reluctance to explore "soft" sciences such as sociology or psychology), a romance subplot including Jennifer, the Paladin, another Michael-related subquest about pulse grenades and girls from lower levels and a day/night cycle in the bunker.