Crater of Atom

The Crater of Atom is a location in the Commonwealth in 2287.
==Background==
The crater was ground zero for the high-yield nuclear explosion southwest of Boston (witnessed by the Sole Survivor seconds before descending into Vault 111 in 2077) which devastated Massachusetts and created the Glowing Sea. 
The crater is now home to a sect of the Church of the Children of Atom who treat the location as a holy site, and seem inexplicably immune to its deadly radiation.Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Collector's Edition p.352: "ZONE 5: NATICK AND THE GLOWING SEAComplete and utter desolation as far as your blistered, irradiated eyes can see. A perpetual cloud of radiation haze. Fierce and toxic storms. If the Deathclaws and Radscorpions don't get you, the radiation sickness might. This is the epicenter of a massive (and highly successful) nuclear strike centered on what is known colloquially as the Crater of Atom. While the northern and riverside fringes of this zone are relatively free of radiation, be sure to stock up on chems and wear proper protective attire once you're south of Natick. Welcome to the Glowing Sea."(Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Map)Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Collector's Edition p.361: "5.24: CRATER OF ATOMWarning! Extreme radiation danger! The impact crater that created the Glowing Sea is now a shrine and place of pilgrimage for a strange cult called the Children of the Atom. Ruled by Mother Isolde, they are hostile unless the specified quest is active."(Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Map) Their leader Isolde claims the Children of Atom constructed the shanty buildings in the Crater, which are constructed from riveted metal.
==Layout==
The crater is centered around a large metal storage shack built over the irradiated pool. Four wood and metal shacks along the south-west edge of the Crater, which house the Children of Atom. A few pre-war bedframes, dressers, chairs, and shelving units have been gathered to furnish the structures. Brother Ogden offers general trading services. 
Viewed from the exterior, a yellow-green radioactive aura glows above the crater at all times. This ambient light is visible from across the Commonwealth, especially at night."The green aura within the crater glows brightly, visible across the Commonwealth, particularly at night." -Winter of Atom, p. 193
==Inhabitants==
==Notable loot==
* Astoundingly Awesome Tales issue #13 - On the second floor of Mother Isolde's shack.
* Note from Brother Hoberman - On Mother Isolde.
==Notes==
* Talking to Mother Isolde or Brother Ogden will slowly remove any radiation from the player character.
* If the player character has joined the Children of the Atom in the Far Harbor add-on, they can mention this to Mother Isolde, who will comment that not many have had the chance to worship in such a holy place. From then on, she will refer to the player character as "our brother/sister from Far Harbor."
* Attacking and killing the crater's inhabitants will neither turn Virgil hostile nor affect one's current companion's affinity. Not even companions who normally disapprove of harming non-hostiles (Piper or Curie, for instance) will show any reaction at all.
* The crater's inhabitants react extremely lethargically when under attack. While stealth-killing a single enemy in most hostile locations will almost immediately alert everyone in the area if witnessed, the crater's cultists will only retaliate if one of their own is murdered in plain sight not more than a few feet away. The other inhabitants will simply continue whatever they are doing after the murder, and will even greet the player character when they approach.
* The crater's inhabitants may occasionally be attacked by wandering hostiles.
* Due to the ambient radiation, the player character cannot use any of the furniture to wait, even if they are equipped with a hazmat suit.
* The in-game boundaries of the crater do not match up exactly with the crater as shown on the map; however, the map markers are still correct.
* There are no generic Children of Atom here. 
** In fact, an ambiguous mention of "the Crater" on the terminal at Crater House is the only direct connection between the generic Children of Atom to the north and Isolde's settlement.
** However, a dead, nameless Child of Atom can be found at the nearby Decayed reactor site. As this is the only unnamed Child in the Glowing Sea, these remains may be the missing Brother Hoberman.
*The radioactive pool at the center of the settlement may freeze over in the wintertime."Residents still spend time outside in Atom’s Glow to meditate and pray. They huddle together around fires or in their shacks at night to keep warm. Since their makeshift homes are often open to the elements, some settlers sleep in the central storage building, which offers more protection. The irradiated pool at the crater’s center has frozen over and navigating the ruins and debris around the settlement becomes difficult when snowdrifts cover the ground." (Winter of Atom, p. 208)
==Appearances==
The Crater of Atom appears only .
==Behind the scenes==
The yield of the device which created the crater can be calculated using Nukemap; the detonation site is located roughly in real world Holliston and the Glowing Sea ends at South Natick. This corresponds to heavy blast damage which correlates to a yield of a 100+ Megaton thermonuclear weapon. 
==Gallery==
FO4 Crater of Atom loc.png|Exterior
FO4 Crater of Atom sunny.png|Exterior in clear weather
FO4 Crater of Atom Children of Atom.png|Central storage shack
FO4 Mother Isolde house.png|Mother Isolde's shack
FO4 Children of Atom.png|Prayers
FO4 Crater of Atom Astoundingly Awesome.png|Astoundingly Awesome Tales issue #13
==References==
Non-game
Fallout: The Roleplaying Game
Category:Crater of Atom
Category:Glowing Sea
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