The East Coast Brotherhood of Steel is a division of the Brotherhood of Steel and was founded by Elder Owyn Lyons. Their headquarters is the Citadel, an imposing fortress built into and beneath the ruins of the Pentagon on the edge of what used to be Washington, D.C. As of 2287 they are led by Arthur Maxson, the last descendent of the venerated Maxson family line. Under his leadership the Brotherhood has grown into a major military power in the region, able to project their power and influence all along the Eastern seaboard.
History
Following the destruction of the Enclave on the West Coast, the Brotherhood dispatched an expedition to Washington D.C. on a mission to reconnect with the Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel, investigate reports of super mutants in the Capital Wasteland, and recover any advanced technology. Led by Paladin Owyn Lyons, the group included Henry Casdin, Ishmael Ashur, Reginald Rothchild and Lyons' 3 year old daughter, Sarah.
Contact with the Midwest chapter was unsuccessful, so the group traveled to Pittsburgh. The city was being terrorized by wildmen, trogs, slavers and raiders. Lyons' force swept through the city, destroying many hostiles and suffering only one casualty: Ishmael Ashur. Believing him to be dead, the Brotherhood gathered the surviving children into their ranks and continued toward Washington D.C.
On their arrival, the wilderness outside the city was overrun by super mutants. Attacking head on, they drove the mutants into the ruins of Washington D.C. and earned the favor of the local population. Their investigation of the Pentagon uncovered a remarkable cache of technology, including the two-story tall Liberty Prime. The discovery earned Owyn Lyons a promotion to Elder and a change in his orders: Instead of returning to the West Coast, they would establish a permanent presence in the area. They founded their base, the Citadel, in the remnants of the old Pentagon.
In the mid 2250s following their establishment at the Citadel, a group of scientists led by James founded Project Purity; a research project aimed at creating free clean water for the people of the Capital Wasteland based at the Jefferson Memorial. Their site location being in close proximity to the Citadel allowed for an convenient alliance with Elder Lyons resulting in for protection and supplies. Knowing what such an endeavor could mean to Brotherhood and the people of the wasteland, Lyons supported the science team with whatever they needed and kept raiders and super mutants at bay until the project was eventually abandoned by the scientists and remained that way for nearly two decades.
The Brotherhood's treatment of people in Pittsburgh and in Washington marked a characteristic trait of Elder Lyons' leadership. The Brotherhood's primary directive was to recover and preserve advanced technology. In many instances this directive was observed, even in the face of human suffering, however Elder Lyon's detachment prioritized people's lives and well-being over machines, which is a far cry from the Brotherhood's traditional attitude. When the Elders in Lost Hills learned of these new priorities, they cut off all support to the chapter, though they still considered it as part of the Brotherhood. The chapter suffered a further setback when a number from within their ranks left in protest to form the Brotherhood Outcasts.
It was in this weakened and isolated state that it was possible for the Enclave, having relocated from New California as well, to re-establish a base of continual operations at Raven Rock, to make its move. They seized Project Purity, then set up outposts in Washington D.C. and its surrounding wilderness. However, with the assistance of the Lone Wanderer, the Brotherhood ended the Enclave's presence in the known region; driving them first from Project Purity and then from their final holdout at Adams Air Force Base. The fate of the Enclave as a whole after these events remain a mystery.
Despite the Brotherhood's success with Project Purity and the war against the Enclave, the organization continued to struggle. Lyons would eventually pass away in 2278, leaving behind leadership to his daughter Sarah Lyons who was then named Elder in his place, but she was killed in combat shortly afterwards following her father's death. In the leadership crisis that followed the Brotherhood repeatedly appointed and deposed one ineffectual leader after another until Arthur Maxson assumed leadership. In 2283 Arthur Maxson was appointed Elder at age 16, the youngest in Brotherhood history, after displaying exceptional skill as a capable warrior and diplomat by defeating the supermutant leader Shepherd and brokering peace with the Brotherhood Outcasts, bringing them back into the fold.
By 2287 the East Coast division of the Brotherhood was reunited with its parent Chapters on the West Coast, and has mostly—though not entirely—abandoned the progressive altruistic vision of the former Elder Lyons. Elder Maxson personally reprioritized the Brotherhood from the ground up, refocusing them on their original mission: the acquisition, appropriation, preservation, and development of technology. The dramatic shift in leadership and ideology drove a minority of members to desert from the Brotherhood in protest to Maxson's reforms, while the majority of members welcomed the transition, and the opportunity to serve a refocused Brotherhood of Steel. Since Maxson's ascension to leadership the East Coast division of the Brotherhood has expanded to become a major military power in the region, able to project their power and influence all along the East Coast.
Upon hearing of super mutant activity in the Commonwealth, the Brotherhood began reconnaissance operations in the area, such as those carried out by Recon Squad Artemis and Paladin Danse. When Danse's team reported the high energy readings originating from the Institute, Elder Maxson mobilized the Prydwen for a lengthy campaign in the Commonwealth. The Brotherhood has consolidated its forces in the Commonwealth at the Boston Airport, setting it up as their main base of operations and docking the Prydwen to the control tower, as well as a forward operating base (FOB) at the Cambridge Police Station.
Society
The Brotherhood of Steel is a neo-knightly military order that rose from the ashes of the American military on the West Coast in the years following the devastation of 2077. The organization's tenets include the eradication of mutants, synths, and the veneration of technology. The Brotherhood has never been very keen on sharing their resources with their fellow wastelanders (whom they consider too ignorant and irresponsible to possess advanced technology). Despite their obsession with technology they will destroy technologies they deem too dangerous or uncontrollable, such as Institute synths.
The Brotherhood is generally beneficial to humanity, but in a more indirect way. They hunt down hostile mutants and synths, and they keep dangerous technologies out of careless or malevolent hands. Despite the obvious benefits their technology could bring to the Wasteland they don't like to share their resources with outsiders, and in many cases will put technology above human life. It is an established belief within the Brotherhood that the people of the Wasteland are not responsible enough to possess or use advanced weapons technology. However the Brotherhood has been known to trade some of their technologies with wasteland communities in return for supplies or even manpower, such as the arrangement with Rivet City security, but they always keep the more sensitive technologies to themselves.
The Brotherhood's disdain for mutants and synths stems from their belief that such "abominations" are the direct result of reckless scientific experimentation, i.e, "technology run amok". They hold the irresponsible use of technology by pre-war civilizations responsible for the planet's destruction, and actively seek to prevent a second apocalypse from occurring by maintaining a monopoly on advanced weapons technology.
Unlike the chivalrous knights of old, members of the Brotherhood are not interested in justice for the obviously weaker and less fortunate around them, but instead in keeping their secrecy, preserving and developing technology. Their motives are often unclear, and Brotherhood members are not people to be trifled with. The East Coast contingent of the Brotherhood when it was first founded it had effectively "gone native" under the leadership of Elder Owyn Lyons. Lyons felt the Brotherhood had a responsibility to protect the people of the Capital Wasteland from the super mutant threat; a notion not entirely lost on Elder Maxson.
There is relatively little information on how the Capital Wasteland has changed as of 2287. It is clear, however, that the Brotherhood is an unrivaled power in the region, and draws most of its new recruits from the area. Based off of information from dialogue, terminals, and holotapes the Brotherhood appears to have evolved politically into an Ordensstaat (Order-State) akin to the old "Teutonic Order", and governs the Capital Wasteland directly as its own "country".
Military
The East Coast Brotherhood chain of command is divided into three clear levels.
- Initiates are Brotherhood-born members and sponsored outsiders who are training to become Knights, Scribes or Lancers.
- Knights are fully fledged members who have served time in the Brotherhood. They are professional soldiers, and the main backbone of the Brotherhood's ground forces.
- Paladins are the Brotherhood's elite, seasoned veterans that are often high ranking field commanders or used in elite strike teams.
- Sentinel is a rare rank, given only to the Brotherhood's best and most distinguished soldiers. The last known Sentinel was Sarah Lyons, daughter of Elder Owyn Lyons; she was the highest ranking field commander under Elder Lyons, and commanded the Lyon's Pride, a single squad of the chapter's best soldiers. It is unknown if the Pride still operates as of 2287, but it is assumed to have been disbanded following the deaths of Owyn and Sarah Lyons. The Sole Survivor can achieve this rank through completion of A New Dawn.
Sometime after 2277 the Brotherhood formed an air force for the operation and training of pilots for their captured Vertibirds. These pilots are known as Lancers.
With all the Brotherhood's recent success including the defeat of the Enclave and the reintegration of the Brotherhood Outcasts, the East Coast division of the Brotherhood is at the height of its power. They have access to Vertibirds, power armor, and energy weapons; along with the wreckage of Liberty Prime, which they hope to one day rebuild. Best of all they have the Prydwen, a colossal airship developed by the Brotherhood, which Paladin Danse claims houses enough troops and resources to "push a full scale offensive".
In light of their recently acquired fleet of Vertibirds, the Brotherhood division under Elder Maxson now frequently conducts air assault operations within the Commonwealth, the foremost examples of which can be experienced in the missions Spoils of War and The Battle of Bunker Hill. Patrol and shock teams are frequently dropped into the Commonwealth to secure objectives deemed valuable to the Brotherhood or to eliminate hostile threats from an area.
Members
Rank system
Relations with the outside
Originally under Elder Lyons rule, the East Coast Brotherhood was known to trade with outsiders, but as of 2277, there were many incidents which dissuaded the Brotherhood from such activities. The Brotherhood was also known to help patrol and defend settlements such as Megaton, until the super mutant threat escalated to the point that they were forced to withdraw from many key locations. In line with Elder Lyons' philosophy, Lyons' Knights and Paladins tried to protect any and all innocent wastelanders they encountered while out in the wasteland, and recruit them if possible. They were also known to hire mercenaries when needed, such as Reilly's Rangers. After the Battle of Project Purity, the Brotherhood began freely delivering Aqua Pura to settlements across the Capital Wasteland, working with Rivet City security and wasteland scavengers to organize the water caravans.
By 2287 the East Coast division of the Brotherhood has mostly abandoned the former Elder Lyons' altruistic vision, and has returned to their traditional goals. They are usually indifferent towards human wastelanders, but have a generally hostile attitude towards all non-humans alike. The Brotherhood believes outsiders are too irresponsible and unrestrained to possess access to advanced technologies. It is central to their beliefs that they must appropriate any dangerous technologies that they can control, and destroy the ones they cannot, such as the synths. By maintaining a monopoly on advanced technology, the Brotherhood hopes to prevent a second apocalypse from occurring due to the irresponsible use of advanced technology.
Unlike the old West Coast Brotherhood the East Coast division, even under Maxson, has continued the practice of recruiting outsiders into the Brotherhood. While Lyons hastily welcomed outsiders into the ranks to bolster their forces, the Brotherhood under Maxson is more cautious, and recruits outsiders through a system of Sponsorship. Under this system existing members of the Brotherhood can "sponsor" an outsider's entry into the ranks, making him/her an initiate. In this way the Brotherhood is able to balance its need for new recruits with their desire to ensure the loyalty of new members.
Technology
In 2277, the East Coast Brotherhood primarily used T-45d power armor, this armor was much more widely issued, being given to most front-line personnel, and not just select Paladins. They still used energy weapons, mostly the laser rifle and the laser pistol. However, due to the difficulty of finding, producing new parts, and maintaining the laser based weapons, and due to the fact that the Brotherhood no longer received supplies from the west coast, many paladins were forced to use traditional guns, notably the standard assault rifle and the Chinese assault rifle.
The Brotherhood formerly had access to Liberty Prime, a 40 ft tall communist-hating robot that packs enough firepower to decimate anything in its way. It was destroyed by an Enclave orbital missile strike, but members of the Brotherhood hold high hopes for its reconstruction. The Brotherhood has transported the disassembled parts of Liberty Prime to the Commonwealth, where they intend to rebuild it to use in the fight against the Institute.
After the war against the Enclave, the Brotherhood gained access to fleets of Vertibird gunships and stockpiles of laser weapons, plasma weapons, and power armor.
As of 2287, Brotherhood of Steel forces are equipped almost exclusively with laser weapons, combat armor, and the T-60 power armor. It is unknown at this time how the Brotherhood came into possession of such a large number of T-60 power armor suits. What became of the numerous advanced suits of Enclave power armor the Brotherhood captured after defeating the Enclave is unknown as well.
Notes
- A Knight's eulogy found on a terminal on the Prydwen refers to the Brotherhood as a "country", more or less implying that the Brotherhood has evolved into an Ordensstaat, a little known political concept denoting a military order that has become a sovereign state in its own right. The best, and possibly only examples of an Ordensstaat found in history are the Teutonic Order after the invasion of Prussia, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (formerly the Knights Hospitaller).
Appearances
The East Coast Brotherhood of Steel appears in Fallout 3, its add-on, Broken Steel, and Fallout 4. They are also mentioned in the other Fallout 3 add-ons, Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt and Mothership Zeta, and they are again mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas.
Behind the scenes
The East Coast Brotherhood of Steel have some similarities and differences with other Fallout games:
- External recruitment is also present in Fallout Tactics, and for the "Texas Expedition" in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.
- The Brotherhood Outcasts, renegades deserted from the newly established Brotherhood of Steel division are similar to the Circle of Steel in Van Buren.
Gallery
Fallout 3
Fallout 4
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