The Cathedral

"Acolytes of the New God"

The Cathedral is the holiest site of the Children of the Cathedral and the seat of power for Morpheus and other leaders of the faith. It doubles as a facade for the Los Angeles Vault, concealing the Master's headquarters.

Location
The Cathedral can be found one square west and nineteen squares south of Vault 13.

Background
The building that would become the Cathedral dates back to the pre-War times. It likely belonged to the Vault-Tec Corporation and was used in conjunction with the technology demonstrator Vault built below its foundations. The Vault was fully functional and when the Great War came, it was used to full effect. The survivors would emerge after 15 years, in 2092, helping found the Los Angeles Boneyard.

In 2152, after Morpheus and his doomsday cultists pledged allegiance to the Master, the Cathedral was turned into the central church of the newly formed public face of the Unity. The Children were formally established in 2156, starting to spread out into the wastelands from their new Cathedral, adapted from its pre-War role.

As the heart of the Children's religion, the Cathedral was frequented by numerous visitors, chanters, enforcers, and even zombies, failed candidates for Servitors, brainwashed and released into the Cathedral to support the cause with what remained of their minds. The massive main chapel, with its ceiling lost in darkness, was used to display holographic images of the Master to the faithful, inspiring awe in the assembled. The holo-projector, hidden beneath the podium, was not common knowledge and most interpreted it as a supernatural apparition. Father Morpheus, the leader of the Children, would occasionally give sermons in the main nave, though most of the time the faithful had to contend with a giant monochrome display reciting dogma at a feverish pace.

Visitors could purchase souvenirs at the Cathedral shop, receive treatment from the infamously foul-mouthed Dr Wu, and even seek spritiual guidance from the many thinkers meditating in side rooms and chapels... Or at the end of Father Lasher's prod. All of this ceased when the Cathedral was destroyed on March 3, 2162, as the Vault Dweller assassinated the Master and the Vault, together with the building above, was engulfed in nuclear fire.

Behind the scenes
The player was supposed to be able to enlist the Brotherhood of Steel's aid for the assault on the Cathedral. Two crack assault Paladins would spawn at the entrance, one with a Minigun and 300 rounds of ammunition (150 of each type), the other with a rocket launcher and 20 rockets (10 of each type). Each would carry 5 super stimpaks. This option was disabled in the released game.