The Brotherhood of Steel is a militant organization devoted to the preservation of pre-War technology and human knowledge. Their professed mission is to preserve pre-War technology and human knowledge for the benefit of future generations. In practice, its definition of technology is strangely selective, ignoring basic but potentially useful technologies (genetic modification of crops and civil engineering, for example) in favor of combat technology such as energy weapons and power armor; and even now, nearly two centuries after the Great War, the Brotherhood zealously restrict the use and knowledge of such technologies to its own membership.^[8]

The West Coast chapter operates a policy of strict isolationism: no outsiders are allowed anywhere near the bunker, and anyone found near it is killed. The only people cleared for surface access are nightly Hidden Valley patrols, scouts, and procurement specialists securing foodstuffs, water, and other necessities. All members of the chapter are direct descendants of the original Brotherhood, with no outside recruitment.^[11] Combined with the fact that the chapter has lost half its number at HELIOS One and failed to recover its strength while the Republic's hold on the Mojave has only increased (with the number of troops alone increasing five times),^[12] and that extended isolation is taking its toll on the chapter, its situation is precarious. While virtual reality simulators and firing range exercises keep the Knights and Paladins (many of whom have only virtual combat experience) sharp, the chapter is incommunicado to the rest of the Brotherhood.^[13]

Without reinforcements or some kind of long term solution that doesn't involve hiding underground, it is sure to perish. This questionable policy has led Head Paladin Edgar Hardin to take steps to ousting the current Elder and implement his policy. While he has sympathizers who support his goal of replacing Nolan McNamara, he has not made any overt moves against the Elder out of respect. The Courier is the only known outsider to have visited the bunker, and thus can determine the fate of the ill-fated chapter. While Mr. House and Caesar want the Brotherhood dead, the NCR is a bit more flexible, and the Courier can instead negotiate a truce with the Brotherhood, which will ensure the Brotherhood's survival in the Mojave for some time. The Courier can only make a truce between the NCR and the Brotherhood if McNamara remains the elder.^[14][15]

San Francisco was hit hard by nukes, but it didn't kill the city. Instead it just mutated it into something a bit weirder. You'll have to make your way past an oddly revived Chinatown, post-apocalyptic punks, and wander the wharf with bizarre groups of cultists. Hmm, maybe San Francisco hasn't changed that much after all...

San Francisco is a city in California. After the Great War, its population consists mostly of the Shi, who are descendants of the crew of a Chinese submarine that crashed there. It is considered part of the NCR, but because of their vast wealth and contributions to the Republic, (without which the NCR would have died long ago) they remain an autonomously operating city-state complete with their own military who they call "Militia". The Shi are well known throughout the Republic for their synthetic fuel alternative which is used throughout the Wasteland. They are also well known for maintaining ownership over the banks throughout the NCR.

~Background~

Even pre-War, San Francisco was considered a "weird" city. It was also evidently hit hard during the Great War, as much of the city is a ruin. The city was re-founded after the war by Chinese submariners that drifted into the San Francisco harbor after their submarine, the Shi-Huang-Ti, suffered system failure from the atomic war. The Shi climbed out and began rebuilding the city with what few survivors they had, scrapping their beached submarine to create their Steel Palace.

The PMV Valdez can also be found here, an aged oil tanker left sitting at the docks. Tanker vagrants have since come to call it home, but the tanker has a darker past. Some say the creatures within it, were placed there by the Enclave to prevent the tanker from being used to get to their oil rig headquarters. This is supported by the fact that essential components needed to make use of the ship have been relocated to Navarro and Vault 13. However, it is apparent that these steps were not enough, as the Chosen One later collected the parts and used the tanker to get to Control Station Enclave.

Over the next 150 years, San Francisco rose into a hub of technology. The Shi eventually went into an uneasy trading relationship with the tanker vagrants after the destruction of the Hubologists, and the two groups went on to make San Francisco a major trading center.

The beaker is a simple glass container for stirring, mixing and heating liquids commonly used in many laboratories. Beakers are generally cylindrical in shape, with a flat bottom. Most also have a small spout (or "beak") to aid pouring.