Pillars of the Community

The Pillars of the Community is a small cult based in the Charles View Amphitheater, operating in The Commonwealth in 2287.

Background
The Pillars of the Community are a new religious movement gathering up steam in the Commonwealth. Led by Brother Thomas, the members of this small-time cult are mostly local residents and drifters who were unsuccessful in making an income, and have been rejected from society, thus have turned to the cult to find salvation within the horrors of the treacherous wasteland. All new members are required to give up their "worldly possessions" in order to join the organization.

Unbeknownst to the cult's many missionaries and initiates, the religious movement is a large scam operation, which many denizens of the Commonwealth unfortunately have fallen for. Behind closed doors, the leader of the cult, Brother Thomas, is actually a cold-hearted conman and thief who steals belongings from people who join his cult, holding them hostage until they agree to be relieved of their possessions. In private, Brother Thomas will openly admit this fact.

Interactions with the player character
Upon approach, Brother Thomas will initiate the Sole Survivor in dialogue. Whether you accept to join or not, at the end of his dialogue he will ask you to follow him to his office. In his office, Brother James will tell you to give him all of your belongings, to which you can either give them to him, or opt not to.

On non-compliance, Brother Thomas will drop the act and inform the player that their belongings can either be given voluntarily or be taken by force. Choosing not to will result in being attacked by the group, or threatening James through a hard difficulty speech check will allow the Sole Survivor to leave peacefully.

If you agree to hand over all your possessions, Brother Thomas will take every item from your inventory (excluding companions) and store them indefinitely in his. At this point, you are free to go, but the only way to retrieve your items is to pickpocket or kill him.

Emogene Takes a Lover
The Pillars of the Community are part of the quest Emogene Takes a Lover. You are told by Magnolia at The Third Rail that Emogene Cabot has gone to join the Pillars. If you have killed Brother James, you will have a chance to threaten Brother Thomas by mentioning that you killed the last leader. You can completely avoid this confrontation by picking the lock to Emogene's room.

You can also complete this quest simply by having a high Charisma and convincing Brother Thomas to avoid any violence.

Appearances
The Pillars of the Community appear only in Fallout 4.