Twin Mothers Village

The Village is a location in Twin Mothers in 2253.

Layout
The Twin Mothers village is built into the side of a cliff much like the pueblo dwellings of old. The buildings are constructed from a combination of stone and adobe. The village is well laid out, spacious, and clean. Access to the village is via a wood ladder built into a shaft. The ladder can be removed in times of emergency. A similar shaft holds a lift that is used to transport grain and such to the storage areas in the village.

The village is laid out in sections. To the far left is the home of the shaman and the infirmary. Anyone who is ill is separated quickly from the rest of the tribe to prevent the spread of disease. In such maters, the shaman has the final word on whether or not someone can be released back into the tribe. To the right and below the infirmary are the warehouses. Here food and grain are prepared and stored. The communal ovens are here as well as a common eating area. Next is the village square. This circular area sports a fire pit where people can gather at night and talk, sing, or eat a meal outdoors. The home of the two chiefs and a shrine to the goddess is here as well. Above and to the right of the village square are the living quarters. At various places throughout the village are inert robot sentries.

This is where the player will initially meet with the Twin Mothers tribe. The city will be on alert from the field guards warning. Both chieftains of the will be waiting to greet the player at the base of the ladder that leads to the city. At any sign of trouble the chieftains will flee up the ladder and bring it up after them. The player will then be ignored.

The Twin Mothers are a very friendly and trusting people. Upon meeting the player they will ask him if he comes in peace. If he agrees that he has, they will accept him and allow him free run of the village. While talking to the chiefs the player can learn the following:
 * 1) Wasteland critters have been raiding the crops. If the raids continue there will be a food shortage.
 * 2) A group of raiders has set up camp in the forbidden lands. The tribe is providing them with food and livestock even though their resources are dwindling.
 * 3) The goddess has stopped speaking with the tribe and her servants (security bots) have stopped defending them. They do not know what they have done to offend her.
 * 4) The forbidden lands are just that: forbidden. None of the tribe is allowed to go there by decree of the goddess.
 * 5) The tribe is run by two chiefs. A woman is chosen to govern the tribe in its daily affairs. She makes all decisions concerning law and its enforcement. A man is chosen to govern providing for the tribe. He makes all decisions concerning growing food, its preparation and storage, and providing clothing and shelter.
 * 6) The tribe is pacifistic. They will not fight back if attacked by another human being. Instead they retreat to their city and wait for any danger to pass. Attacks by critters are dealt with minimal violence.
 * 7) The player can meet Ruth, a Daughter of Hecate here. For full information on the Daughters, see the area overview for the Ouroboros.

I need to take a moment here to discuss Ruth, the Daughter of Hecate. Ruth was originally sent to the Twin Mothers to undermine the tribe according to Hecate's plan. She easily insinuated herself into the tribe because of their friendly nature. She learned as much as she could about them and was amused when she learned of their worship of the goddess Diana. Knowing that Hecate was the only true goddess, she decided to set the tribe straight.

The tribal chieftains listened to Ruth politely and then pointed out to her that she was wrong about Hecate. Naturally this infuriated Ruth and she began to demand to see the 'all powerful' goddess of the tribe. The chieftains discussed it amongst themselves and then agreed to take her before Diana. She was then taken to the shrine and told to stand before the altar. The chieftains then bowed and left her alone.

Needless to say, Ruth was stunned when Diana manifested before her, something that Hecate had never done. She fell to her knees and begged forgiveness for what she had come to the Twin Mothers to do. She swore that she would forsake Hecate's plan and help to spare the tribe from Hecate's wrath. All that she asked was that Diana forgive her for her transgressions.

Ruth lowered her forehead to the ground and awaited judgment. She expected to be struck down by the goddess at any moment. After a while, when nothing had happened, she raised her head to find that the goddess had vanished. She never said a word to Ruth, but apparently she had forgiven her and let her live. Ruth promptly swore to uphold her oath to Diana and fled the shrine.

Ruth now finds herself between a rock and a hard place. She is convinced that Hecate is not the goddess that she claims to be, but she is still a very powerful woman. However, Ruth swore to Diana that she would help thwart Hecate's plans for the Twin Mothers tribe. She has no idea how she can accomplish that. So far, all she has done is send Hecate false reports about the condition of the tribe. If Hecate's warriors were to arrive...

If the player takes the time to talk to Ruth he may discover her dilemma. This will alert him to Hecate's plans for the wasteland and he may decide to stop her. Of course, he may decide to join her. Who knows?

Inhabitants

 * Alaya
 * Eldron
 * Helea
 * Ruth

Appearances
The Village was to appear in Black Isle's cancelled Fallout 3.