Gerard (Broken Steel)

Brother Gerard is the first officer and gatekeeper for the Holy Light Monastery in 2277.
==Background==
When Mother Curie III had her encounter with the four Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel water caravan guards, her religious "epiphany" led her to the establish the Apostles of the Holy Light, an evangelical off-shoot of the Church of the Children of Atom. Both she and Brother Gerard would leave Confessor Cromwell's flock, no longer believing in the "Great Division." Seeing this belief as misguided, and the C-23 Megaton nucler weapon as only a "great symbol" of Atom.The Lone Wanderer: "You'll see the true power of Atom when I detonate that bomb in Megaton."Curie III: " "(Curie III's dialogue) She would act as its leader while Gerard would be its official first officer. In less than two weeks after the activation of Project Purity, they constructed a monastery for their new order in the ruins of a Springvale home, adding exterior walls in front and installing a tabernacle. From the podium, the radiation devices are activated on the pulpit, between which a bathtub rests. The actual order resides in the basement.
Acting as guard and gatekeeper to the monastery, Gerard will bar anyone who isn't radioactive from entrance to holy ground.The Lone Wanderer: "I need to enter the monastery."Gerard: "I'm afraid it is not open to the unenlightened. Your presence would contaminate our great works. However, if you are willing to be baptized in Atom's holy Light, then perhaps I could allow you to enter and meet our leader."(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "You mean I have to be irradiated to be allowed inside?"Gerard: "Yes, call it what you will. We simply will not allow any who do not bear the Light. Make your way to our Tabernacle, pilgrim. Pray to Atom to fill you with Holy Radiance. Bask in the Glow of Atom's Eternal Light."(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "Look, I'm not going to irradiate myself to get into your church."Gerard: "I'm sorry, but I must insist. You simply cannot be allowed on holy ground without knowing Atom's Light. Where you see radiation, we see humanity's salvation. And we can hardly allow the unsaved into our holy monastery, now can we? You may supplicate to Atom your desire for enlightenment at our Tabernacle. All may bask in the Eternal Light. All may be filled with the Glow."(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: ""Gerard: "Ah, I can feel the Light within you. By all means, you are welcome in our sanctuary. Please, speak with our leader, our Luminescent Mother, Curie the Third."(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: ""Gerard: "Your Light is strong, but only the truly Luminescent may enter our monastery. Please return when you are closer to Atom."(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "I need to enter the monastery."Gerard: "Ah, but of course! You have been blessed by Atom with Eternal Light, and are most welcome to our monastery. You will find many kindred spirits within. Please, introduce yourself to our leader, our Luminescent Mother, Curie the Third."(Gerard's dialogue) The Lone Wanderer: "Come on, I'm irradiated. Let me in now."Gerard: "You have been marked, but I feel your dedication is still too weak. Our holy site is only open to the truly blessed. Perhaps after you have spent more time praying to Atom in warmth, you will be deemed worthy."(Gerard's dialogue) The Lone Wanderer: "I am consumed with Atom's Light. Let me into your monastery."Gerard: "Oh, truly your Light is second only to the Suns of Atom themselves! You are more than welcome. Please, speak with our leader, our Luminescent Mother, Curie the Third."(Gerard's dialogue) His barring the entrance of travelers is also because he believes that their leader is too busy to speak to anyone;The Lone Wanderer: "I'm sure you mean well, but this has to stop."Gerard: "Stop helping the needy? I don't think so. And even if I did, it's not my decision to make. Blessing of the holy water is overseen by Mother Curie the Third, our Luminescent Mother. And she's far too busy to speak with outsiders."(Gerard's dialogue) she, however, is only unprepared for casual visitors.Curie III: "Oh, my! I wasn't expecting a pilgrim to our shrine! We're hardly prepared for casual visitors, I'm afraid. You must have made quite an impression on Brother Gerard. He's a lovely boy, but rather strident. I hope he wasn't a bother. But where are my manners? I'm Mother Curie the Third, and I lead the Apostles of the Eternal Light. What can I do for you, my dear?"(Curie III's dialogue)Curie III: "Oh, my! I wasn't expecting a pilgrim to our shrine! We're hardly prepared for visitors, I'm afraid. And you didn't come here with peaceful intentions, did you? Oh, poor Brother Gerard. He was rather too strident, but he deserved better than that. But that's no excuse for rudeness, now is it? I'm Mother Curie the Third, and I lead the Apostles of the Eternal Light. Why have you come to us?"(Curie III's dialogue) Furthermore, he won't speak to anyone without them first drinking their "holy water." In their words, to "drink deep of the Water of Light." (a corruption of Revelation 21:6) So that it may "sanctify our tongues, and render us purified for discourse."Gerard: "Weary traveler, welcome to the monastery of the Apostles of the Eternal Light. Oh, but you must be parched from your travels! Please, accept this gift: holy water, blessed by our order. We must drink deep of the Water of Light, so that it may sanctify our tongues, and render us purified for discourse!"(Gerard's dialogue)Gerard: "You must cleanse your tongue of unseemly speech by drinking deep of the holy water. Then we may speak."(Gerard's dialogue)Gerard: "Cleanse your tongue with the holy water. For we must speak with seemly tongues when we make mention of Atom's Light."(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "Oh... I've made a huge mistake..."Gerard: "Nonsense! The Eternal Light is faultless and blameless. It cleanses our bodies as it cleanses our transgressions. Walk in Atom's Glow, and you have nothing to worry about."(Gerard's dialogue)Gerard: "Ah, I can see the glint of Atom's Light in your eyes! You have purified your tongue with the holy water, so now we may speak. How may this servant of the Eternal Light serve you?"(Gerard's dialogue) As part of his cult's "good works," he will freely give out the cult's "holy water" to travelers passing by. A fevered believer in his cult he is willing to do anything to furthe its causes. However, with few interested in their cult, and most seeing the power of the atom as destructive, this "good work" is secretly irradiating them; in his opinion "converting" them.The Lone Wanderer: "You need to stop contaminating the Aqua Pura for your holy water."Curie III: "Don't be silly! How else will we spread the word to the unenlightened? So many misunderstand Atom, and fear the Glow of his Light as a thing of destruction, rather than humanity's next step towards perfection. With this marvelous holy water, they drink without fear, and by the time the Glow consumes them, they have no need to fear ever again."(Curie III's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "I'm sure you mean well, but this has to stop."Gerard: "Stop helping the needy? I don't think so. And even if I did, it's not my decision to make. Blessing of the holy water is overseen by Mother Curie the Third, our Luminescent Mother. And she's far too busy to speak with outsiders."(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "Thanks, but I'll pass. I've had bad luck with cults."Gerard: "As you wish, of course. In this cruel world, simple prudence says he who offers help in one hand, conceals a knife in the other. But I assure you, we wish only to help the unfortunate, and expose them to the eternal light that can guide us all to salvation. That is why we offer our blessed water to any and all who are athirst."(Gerard's dialogue) Curie III: ""(Curie III's dialogue) When consumed by hapless and unknowing wastelanders,The Lone Wanderer: "The Apostles of Eternal Light? Is that just you?"Gerard: "No, no. Ours is a modest order, but our ranks are growing slowly, as others hear our words and are Enlightened. As our Luminescent Mother says, 'Where others walk only in the dying waste, we offer the path of eternal light.' And to spread goodwill, we offer this holy water to any and all supplicants."(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "Your 'holy water' is poisoned with radiation."Gerard: " "(Gerard's dialogue) "holy water" harms them and even kills those frail enough. Which he blames on them.Micky: ""Rosa Meitner: ""Micky: ""Rosa Meitner: ""Micky: ""Rosa Meitner: "No! That's not supposed to happen! No, get up! Get up! You can't pass out, you're supposed to get better! I gave you holy water, and everything!"Rosa Meitner: "No... What do I do?""He can't be dead. He just can't be! It was just water!""Oh god, somebody help!"(Mickey's and Rosa Meitner's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "Spreading tainted water under the guise of helping humanity? I can relate."Gerard: "What you see as the 'taint' of radiation, we see as Atom's Eternal Light."(Gerard's dialogue) 
Gerard, a strident man, is used to religious persecution and refuses to answer violence with violence,The Lone Wanderer: "Please, you're endangering innocent people who think your water is safe."Curie III: "Is that truly what it looks like to others? We only mean to tend to the ill and offer them salvation before they pass - we're saviors, not murderers! We offer salvation, not death! We must not give the world another reason to fear Atom's Light. If that means no more holy water, then so be it. We will leave the clean Aqua Pura for the residents of Megaton. We will save our ministrations for those who seek us out."(Curie III's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "I have to go now."Curie III: "Thank you for choosing wisdom over violence."(Curie III's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "I'm putting an end to your twisted cult, right now."Curie III: ""(Curie III's dialogue) to a point.Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.64: "Brother GerardFirst officer of the Apostles of the Eternal Glow, this evangelical off-shoot of the Church of the Atom has plans to sweep the Wasteland by beckoning their followers to bathe in 'light.' Gerard is direct and friendly to a point, but keen to further the Church's causes no matter what the cost. If you run into Brother Gerard after a nearby nuclear explosion, he greets his new and terminally singed appearance as the ultimate sign on his path to radioactive righteousness."(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)The Lone Wanderer: "Okay, I tried asking nice. Let's do this the hard way!"Gerard: "Must it really come to this? So be it."(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "I can't believe you made me drink that crap. I had no idea. You're so dead."Gerard: "I 'made' you do nothing. You chose to imbibe the Waters of Light of your own volition. A choice most wise, indeed. As for your threats to my person, I fear not. I am aglow with Atom's Holy Light. You may do violence to this vessel, but my spirit is inviolable. "(Gerard's dialogue) Should the Lone Wanderer threaten to activate the C-23 Megaton nuclear weapon at the heart of Megaton, he will be both shocked and intrigued. Furthermore, he will pray that the Lone Wanderer do so was he believes it would "purge all of Megaton in Atom's Holy Fire."The Lone Wanderer: "You'll see the true power of Atom when I detonate that bomb in Megaton."Gerard: ""(Gerard's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "If you don't stop, I'll have to make you stop. Forcibly if I have to."Curie III: "If you feel you must resort to violence, then you will do so. I will not fight you. "(Curie III's dialogue)
Should the C-23 Megaton nuclear weapon be detonated by the Lone Wanderer, Gerard and Curie III would've been there to preach their order to its populace. He will emerge from the ruins as a ghoul, his faith seemingly confirmed by Atom himself. Curie III, however, will emerge as a feral. Delirious from his traumatic experience, he will decide to stay in the ruins of Megaton to think, pray and wait until Atom reveals his plans to him.Gerard: "We came to Megaton to preach of the Eternal Glow... "(Gerard's dialogue)Gerard: """"""(Gerard's dialogue) Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.86: "Mother Curie IIIOverseeing the operation is Mother Curie, who believes firmly that she is doing Atom's will and helping the world grow, and they find that consecrated Aqua Pura is actually much more potent than any other 'dirty water.' She has prepared a rich and varied history to read to her 'flock.' Should you find her in her second state; she has received her greatest wish, as she bathed in the light of infinite candles, and reached a higher realm of consciousness. In fact, this worked so well, her mortal corpse has become a frothing, savage Ghoul with no knowledge of your previous interactions."(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
* Holy Water: Brother Gerard holds the monastery key, which opens the trapdoor leading into the Holy Light Monastery, and must be dealt with via diplomacy or force in order to enter. 
===Effects of player's actions===
* If Megaton is blown up after the events of Take it Back!, Gerard appears in front of Megaton ruins with Mother Curie III, both of who have been transformed into ghouls by the massive radiation spike. While Curie is now a hostile feral ghoul reaver, Gerard is seen to currently be a ghoul with normal cognitive functions, and will remain near the ruins to pray to Atom.
* If the Lone Wanderer has sabotaged Project Purity with President Eden's modified FEV, there will be a couple new dialogue options available when speaking with Brother Gerard. Gerard can be told that one can relate to "Tainting water under the guise of helping humanity," or express panic at the realization that they have just drunk FEV-infected Aqua Pura.
==Inventory==
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
Brother Gerard appears only in the Fallout 3 add-on Broken Steel.
==Behind the scenes==
* His name may be a reference to Brother Francis Gerard, the first protagonist of A Canticle for Leibowitz, a book which has been listed by Tim Cain and Fred Zeleny as an inspiration for various elements of the Fallout series.Tim Cain GDC talk (Youtube)Fallout Bible 4Fred Zeleny/Meet the Fallout 3 devs This comports with the Apostles' distinctly Catholic affectations. Incidentally, Sister Francis from Fallout also seems to share this namesake.
** The Abbey of the Road faction introduced in Point Lookout shares its premise with A Canticle for Leibowitz, further suggesting the developers' awareness of the book.
==References==
Non-game
Category:Broken Steel human characters
Category:Holy Light Monastery characters
Category:Broken Steel ghoul characters
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