Abbey

The Abbey was a location for Fallout 2 that was eventually cut from the game. It was a monastery located north of Gecko, in which monks preserved technical knowledge in the form of books, blueprints and items. Interestingly, the monks did not actually understand the technical knowledge in the books they preserved in any practical sense. Instead, they treated them like holy materials; they were read, copied and cared for, but none of the knowledge was used as originally intended.

Although not a single preserved item at the Abbey functioned, it was open to anyone as long as they did not damage anything. This is very unlike the Brotherhood of Steel, for instance, who hoard knowledge and technology so that they remain superior to other factions.

Appearances
The Abbey was to appear in Fallout 2 but was eventually cut from the final game.

Behind the scenes
The book A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller was the inspiration for the abbey. Much like the medieval monks of old, the monks in the abbey preserve the knowledge of a lost civilization (in the case of their forbears, Ancient Greece and Rome) in the form of books, by taking care of them as best as possible and recopying if necessary. Neither of them would truly comprehend the contents of the books, but simply copied them word for word.