The Citadel

The Citadel is the headquarters of the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel, built into and beneath the ruins of the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

History
The ruling council of the Brotherhood of Steel, based in the Lost Hills bunker in South California, decided to send a contingent of soldiers to the East Coast, to recover any and all advanced technology from Washington, DC and to investigate the reports of super mutant activity in the area.

The Pentagon, as they had feared, was largely destroyed. But its sub-levels remained intact, and contained enough pre-war technology and weaponry to keep Brotherhood forces going indefinitely (once the defense robots were destroyed). But there was something else, as well… a technological marvel that, if restored, could help the Brotherhood rebuild a strength and reputation that had been declining steadily for years.

The discovery was significant enough to earn Paladin Owyn Lyons a battlefield promotion to Elder, and a new directive from his superiors – to establish a new, permanent Brotherhood base in the Capital Wasteland, and continue the search for any other advanced technology hidden in the capital’s ruins.

Lyons accepted his new post gladly, and founded the Citadel, built into and beneath the ruins of the Pentagon. It was a fortress the Brotherhood of Steel desperately needed, and one they rushed to fortify, thanks to their other great discovery – Super Mutants.

Location
The Citadel is located east of Rivet City, past the Jefferson Memorial across the river.

Entry
The Citadel can only be entered as part of a mission of the main quest.

Appearances
The Citadel appears in Fallout 3.

Behind the scenes
The Citadel was the original name of the Cathedral in early design documents (like the Vault 13: A GURPS Post-Nuclear Adventure timeline).