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For other characters named Thomas, see Thomas. |
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Brother Thomas (named Brother Andrew, Brother Simon, Brother James or Brother Matthew before Emogene Takes a Lover) is the leader of the "Pillars of the Community" cult located at the Charles View Amphitheater in Boston in 2287.
Background[]
Thomas is a man that leads a small cult, the Pillars of the Community that seeks to return the Commonwealth to its pre-War glory, one life at a time. While his movement is new, it is spreading fast due to the distribution of fliers and the work of missionaries who promise a "better life" and welcome people looking to find the truth about their troubles. Thomas holds nightly revival meetings for his followers at the Charles View Amphitheater and invites anyone seeking to change their lives for the better.[1] Seeing all new members personally, he entices initiates to give up their "worldly possessions" as a first step toward happiness and tranquility.
In truth, Brother Thomas is a con-man who extorts unsuspecting travelers for their possessions and has been previously been kicked out of the Third Rail in Goodneighbor for bothering customers with his "salvation" racket.[2] He tries to shake down wastelanders interested in joining his cult, threatening to kill them if they don't peacefully hand over everything they own. Thomas and his followers keep all of their ill-gotten gains in the backstage of the hall, and they seem to have amassed a large collection of goods from all the marks they successfully robbed.
His crimes finally catch up to him when the wealthy Cabot family sends their new mercenary the Sole Survivor to rescue their daughter Emogene from the clutches of Thomas and his cohorts. The fate of the Pillars of the Community depends on what actions are taken to save her.
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
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This character is involved in quests. | |
Quests[]
- Emogene Takes a Lover: It is revealed Brother Thomas tried to talk to customers of the Third Rail in Goodneighbor. This eventually caused him to be thrown out by Ham, but not before he could talk Emogene Cabot into coming with him. Upon failing to convince her to join his cult he imprisoned her. When the Sole Survivor confronts him, he tries to misdirect them, stating that "she is busy" and "they are having relationship problems." He can be persuaded or killed, enabling the Sole Survivor to rescue Emogene.
Other interactions[]
Upon speaking to him he will try to convince the Sole Survivor to join the Pillars of the Community, on the condition that they give him everything they own. If the player character goes through with it Thomas will act surprised, subtly revealing that the entire thing is a charade. He will then tell about level one of the cult, asking the player character to repeat the phrase "I deserve a better life. A better life is coming. A better life is almost here." Upon doing so, he will ask to keep repeating the phrase until it is truly believed, stating that only with this true belief will one be ready for level two. Thomas goes on to say that the player character will know they are level two when good things start happening to them.
This will leave the player character without any items except keys or quest items. All the items will be in Thomas's inventory; the only way to get them back is to pickpocket or kill him, but doing so will result in Thomas and his followers becoming hostile. Thomas can also use the player's items in combat, including their weapons and healing aid such as Stimpaks.
If the Survivor asks about changing their mind about joining the cult before entering the office, Thomas will say there is no obligation to join, though they supposedly have yet to have a member leave the organization. When changing one's mind while talking to Thomas in the office, however, Thomas will say the player character is past backing out, and he will demand that they allow him to relieve the player character of their worldly possessions. This brings up the option to threaten him into allowing the Sole Survivor to leave with their inventory intact. If successful, Thomas will allow them to walk out peacefully. Otherwise, Thomas and his followers will turn hostile and attack.
If the former leader and followers are killed prior, Brother Thomas and his followers will respawn upon beginning Emogene Takes a Lover and the questline will continue the same way.
Inventory[]
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items |
|---|---|---|
| Patched suit Crumpled fedora |
Pipe gun Baseball bat |
Bottlecaps |
Notes[]
- If the player character does not currently have the quest Emogene Takes a Lover, then Thomas will not be at the Amphitheater. Instead, an identical NPC named either Andrew, James, Matthew or Simon will be there in his place. They are essentially the same person, but the name Thomas won't appear until the quest is started.
- If the player character bribes him with 500 caps to see Emogene, those caps cannot be retrieved, even if they kill or pickpocket him.
- If one kills the cult leader before taking on Emogene Takes a Lover and threaten Thomas to free Emogene, they will acknowledge this fact by saying "I killed your previous leader and I don't mind doing the same to you," "I killed the last guy who was running this scam" or "I killed the last guy that had your job - just so you know."
- Although they are not inherently hostile or violent, massacring Thomas and all his followers does not garner negative responses from any companion, not even Curie or Piper. This is a trait shared with almost every grifter found in the Commonwealth.
Appearances[]
Brother Thomas appears only in Fallout 4.
Behind the scenes[]
All of Brother Thomas' potential name variations are shared with members of Jesus Christ's apostles in the New Testament, including Thomas, Andrew, Matthew, James (either James the Great or James, son of Alphaeus) and Simon (either Simon the Zealot or Simon, later known as Peter). Although these are common English names, the Pillars of the Community's status as a religious organization further establishes a connection.
Bugs[]
If you do give him your belongings, some of your weapons may have disappeared from his inventory, or have been altered once you return to dispose of him.[verified]
- This appears to affect only unique and legendary weapons that have been renamed.[verification overdue]
References[]
- ↑ Pillars of the Community flier
- ↑ Ham: "Had to throw him out. Wouldn't stop bothering the customers with that "salvation" racket... Kept going on and on about joining him at the Back Bay. Then he'd shove those stupid fliers in your face."
(Ham's dialogue)