Palace of the Winding Path

Palace of the Winding Path is a location in Fallout 76.

Background
Nestled in the mountains is a spiritual retreat center known as the Palace of the Winding Path. Its unique architecture stands in stark contrast to the rest of Appalachia. The Palace was erected by what's best described as a new age cult, seeking to offer the citizens of America an alternative: A path to enlightenment, rather than destruction. Headed by Cyrus, the cult fell prey to a shady con man, Simon Gladwell, who turned the entire operation into one, giant money making scheme, concealing his exploitation of the cultists behind ever more complex layers of newspeak.

After the Great War, the cultists proved to be a remarkably hardy bunch, using their isolated location and cohesion to resist attempts at takeovers. They even struck a deal with one of the raider tribes, the Diehards, though it appears that the cult has disappeared literally overnight, leaving the Diehards without a partner - and with nothing but spooky speculation to explain their sudden disappearance.

Points of interest

 * The Palace is a large and visually stunning location, though fairly easy to navigate once the player gets the hang of it. It has two major areas: The Palace itself to the north and the artificial lake to the south. The lake is covered in gazebos connected by wooden walkways and has some minor loot in them. The pavilion to the southeast contains a tinker's workbench, however. Just beside the lake is the parking lot. Outside the gates is a road leading alongside the mesa the Palace sits on, which leads to a rear entrance used for deliveries. The entrance leads to the basement with the generator room.
 * The main palace consists of the central building and two wings surrounding the central courtyard, where the brazier for the Guided Mediation is lit. The wings themselves contain the kitchens and the green lounge in the western one, and the cultists' showers, bunk beds, and meditation rooms in the eastern branch. Both of the employee areas, so to speak, connect to the basement, which contains the generators, a locked storeroom, and nearly every crafting station in the main area or adjacent chambers. There's also a bobblehead spawn on the left generator, on top, and a fusion generator with a core to take.
 * The main building has multiple floors. On the bottom are the offices, with the main terminal and holotape duplication machine in the western one and the main office in the eastern.
 * The central floor contains the main stairwells on both the western and eastern ends and access to the wings flanking the main courtyard. The floor above contains the grand chamber of enlightenment and two more staircases that lead to the top floors in the spire, which surround the central chamber. These include the raiders' sleeping quarters, bar and bedroom of the cult's leadership, and the upper balcony surrounding the spire on the topmost level. The topmost level also includes a magazine spawn. The body of Margie McClintock can be found on the upper veranda overlooking the enter palace.

Notable loot

 * Holotapes and Notes
 * Child's Note: The note is in the highest wooden gazebo perched above the front artificial lake.
 * About the Noise: The note is on a table near a TV in the upper floor of the palace.
 * Incense Complaint: The note is In the office, near the holotape duplication terminal.
 * Unsent Letter: The note is under a side table in the large bedroom with the bar in the upper floor of the palace.
 * Cyrus's Concern: The holotape is in the basement, on the desk near the fusion generator.
 * Palace Admin Password: The note is inside a dresser in one of the bunk rooms.
 * Pillars of Transcendence: The holotape can be duplicated from the holotape duplication terminal.
 * Diehards Key Fragment: The holotape can be duplicated from the holotape duplication terminal.
 * Potential bobbleheads
 * One bobblehead might spawn at the top of the generator in the generator room.
 * Potential magazines
 * One magazine might spawn inside the topmost level of the spire.
 * Plans and Recipes
 * One plan/recipe spawns on a kitchen counter.
 * Other Loot
 * A fusion core might spawn inside the fusion generator in the basement.
 * Dynamic spawns

Appearances
Palace of the Winding Path appears in Fallout 76.