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The Brotherhood of Steel is a techno-religious faction in North America, whose main mission is to recover pre-War technology. They have a long history with roots stemming from the United States Armed Forces.

History[]

The founder of the Brotherhood of Steel was Captain Roger Maxson of the United States Army. Maxson was a member of a military team commanded by Colonel Robert Spindel, originally sent to the West-Tek research facility on January 3, 2076 by the U.S. Army to monitor the experiments being conducted there by West-Tek on behalf of the American government in the interest of national security.[1][2] On January 7, 2077, all West-Tek military research was moved to the newly-constructed Mariposa Military Base, along with Spindel's team, to enhance the research's security.[3]

On October 10, 2077, Captain Maxson and his men discovered, to their horror, that the West-Tek scientists at Mariposa were using military prisoners as involuntary test subjects in their experiments with the genetically-engineered Forced Evolutionary Virus.[4] After interrogating Robert Anderson, the chief scientist on the West-Tek research team, and learning about the extent of their scientific experiments on military prisoners, Maxson executed Anderson in disgust,[5] and the other scientists soon followed their leader to the firing squad.

Morale in the base broke down, and Colonel Spindel suffered a mental breakdown, eventually committing suicide five days later.[6] Captain Maxson's men turned to him for leadership in the midst of the crisis.[7] Maxson, now in control of the entire Mariposa base, declared himself to be in full desertion from the U.S Army via radio on October 20, 2077.[8] He got no response from the Army chain-of-command, as the rest of the Army was too busy fighting the Chinese threat.[9] Three days later, on October 23, 2077, the nuclear arsenals of both sides were launched, and the Great War ended two hours after it started, with most of the Earth reduced to a radioactive wasteland.[10]

The Mariposa Military Base survived the nuclear exchange that devastated the United States, the soldiers within protected from the radiation and FEV flooding into the newly created wasteland by the base's highly-effective nuclear, biological and chemical weapons protection protocols. Two days later at Mariposa, on October 25, 2077, an Army scout in power armor (Platner) was sent out to get specific readings on the atmosphere. He reported no significant amounts of radiation in the area surrounding the facility.[11] After burying the bodies of the executed scientists in the wastes outside of Mariposa,[12] the soldiers sealed the military base, then headed out into the desert, taking supplies and weapon schematics from the base with them. Captain Maxson led his men and their families to the government fallout bunker at Lost Hills in California (this event was later called the Exodus).[13] In November 2077, after a few weeks in the wasteland, the soldiers and their families arrived at the Lost Hills bunker, suffering many casualties along the way from the terrible conditions of the Wasteland, including Maxson's wife (but not his teenage son). The Lost Hills bunker became the headquarters of the newly formed paramilitary organization that Maxson created and named the Brotherhood of Steel,[14] intending to use its resources to eventually rebuild human civilization, no matter the cost.

Early years[]

Little is known about the early years of the Brotherhood of Steel. During the Exodus a faction led by Sergeant Dennis Allen split away from the group that became the Brotherhood of Steel to investigate West Tek research facility for advanced technology to recover and were never heard from again. Despite that, under the leadership of Roger Maxson, the Brotherhood grew in strength, further developing their technology, and the orders of knights, scribes and paladins were formed. In 2135, Roger Maxson died of cancer, and his son took over as the new high elder of the Brotherhood.

In the 2150s, the Brotherhood established its control over the areas surrounding the Lost Hills bunker, becoming one of the major powers in New California. Sometime in the early 2150s, a raider group known as the Vipers began to establish a power base in the badlands to the south of the Lost Hills Bunker. Driven by a religious frenzy (and the need to provide for their much larger numbers of soldiers and disciples), they began raiding more frequently than before, eventually attracting the attention of the Brotherhood of Steel.

Rhombus

Rhombus

In 2155, the Brotherhood sent out a few squads of scouts to track the Vipers down. This was more of a training exercise conducted by the high elder than anything else, as the Brotherhood was convinced that a small detachment of troops in power armor would be sufficient to deal with a group of raiders, no matter how large. One Brotherhood squad, led by High Elder Maxson, found the Vipers. Expecting the raiders to break and run at the sight of soldiers in power armor, Maxson did not take into account the religious zeal and ferocity of the Vipers, or their poisoned weapons. A single arrow nicked him while his helmet was off, causing him to die a few short hours later. John Maxson, the grandson of Roger, took up the role of high elder, and Rhombus became the new head of the paladins and the order of knights.

The paladins, now led by Rhombus, began a full-scale campaign against the Vipers, tracking them down and wiping out almost all of their members within the span of a month. Some of the Vipers were able to flee north and east into the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

During the campaign, the Brotherhood sent a few scouts and emissaries to the Hub to track down the Vipers' members, and from these beginnings, the Hub and the Brotherhood opened full trade relations (caravans had delivered to the Brotherhood before, but not long after the destruction of the Vipers, caravan trains ran directly from the Hub to the Brotherhood's headquarters at Lost Hills on a regular basis).

The super mutants[]

FO01 NPC Vree G

Scribe Vree

Several years later, the Brotherhood faced an enemy far greater than any band of raiders. In October of 2161, a Brotherhood of Steel patrol came across a dead super mutant in the badlands. They took the corpse back to the scribes, and Head Scribe Vree began to study it. After several long examinations, it was shown to be completely sterile.

In 2162, the Vault Dweller arrived at the Brotherhood's base at Lost Hills, wanting to join them. He was not taken seriously and sent on the usual fool's errand to the ruins of the West Tek research facility, renamed "The Glow" after a Chinese nuclear attack during the Great War made the facility a radioactive death trap. He surprised everyone by not only returning alive but also succeeding in his mission (he was tasked with finding a holodisk with the record of an expedition of several Brotherhood paladins to the Glow). As a result, he was the first outsider in a very long time to be accepted as a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, even though some prominent members of the Brotherhood resisted his joining the organization.

It was from the Vault Dweller that the Brotherhood learned about the Master's mutant army and his plans to turn all human survivors into super mutants. With the support of High Elder John Maxson, the Vault Dweller managed to convince the council of elders to send a squad of paladins to the Mariposa Base (which had been, coincidentally, where the Brotherhood originated, although not even Maxson was aware of that), where the Master's FEV vats were located. With the help of the Brotherhood, the Vault Dweller eventually managed to defeat the Master and was never seen again in the Lost Hills bunker. The Brotherhood at this time appeared to be the most technologically advanced faction encountered in New California. Although the super mutant army and the Gun Runners had access to more advanced weaponry, the Brotherhood had a monopoly on power armor, certain medical technologies like cybernetics and advanced supercomputers.

Apex of Power, Stagnation, and Recovery[]

Following the destruction of the Unity, the Brotherhood aided other human settlements to drive the mutants away with minimal loss of life on both sides of the conflict. The Brotherhood remained out of the power structure for a time, becoming a major research and development house by reintroducing advanced technology into New California at a slow pace. The wise guidance of Rhombus arguably brought the Brotherhood to the zenith of its power.[15] The Brotherhood had good relations with the developing New California Republic, to the point that one of the states of the federation was named after the founder of the Brotherhood: Maxson. However, Lost Hills was never incorporated into the NCR.[Non-game 1]

Over the years, the Brotherhood grew confident in its status as the sole source of advanced technology left to mankind, and allowed its prominence and influence to wane, growing stagnant.[16] This stagnancy made them unable to deal with the technologically superior Enclave, when the Brotherhood learned of their existence circa 2240.[17][18] In order to learn more about them, the Brotherhood reactivated a network of outposts in Northern California to observe Enclave activity. Thanks to their low profile, they achieved practical anonymity, even in the populous San Francisco.[19]

The Brotherhood heads East[]

Once the Enclave was apparently destroyed by the Chosen One, the Brotherhood was without a foe to face. In an effort to end the stagnation, the Brotherhood expanded eastward (including the formation of the Mojave chapter under Elder Elijah) and sent out expeditions to recover technology, going as far as the Capital Wasteland in 2255, with the expedition under Senior Paladin Owyn Lyons.[20][21]

War with the NCR[]

Elder McNamara

Elder McNamara in 2281

The Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was still fighting the NCR as late as 2274. After establishing a base at HELIOS One, the Mojave Brotherhood soon found themselves at odds with the NCR and its growing power in the region. Eventually, the NCR sought to control HELIOS One, and the Brotherhood, under the orders of their elder, Elijah, refused to leave. This led to a confrontation between the two, and in the typical chain of events, the Brotherhood's superior technology was no match for the NCR's superior numbers. Defeated, over half of the chapter killed, the Brotherhood retreated to the Hidden Valley bunker, where Nolan McNamara (in light of Elijah's disappearance following the battle) was named elder and placed the bunker under lockdown. Since then, the Brotherhood's presence in the Mojave Wasteland has been confined to only a few scouting missions.

Elijah set up a plan and fortress in the Sierra Madre Resort. His goal was to break into the casino vault by capturing anyone foolish enough to set foot into his traps, collar them and force them to help him break inside. His objective was to use the casino to send the Cloud soaring over Nevada and California, suffocating everybody, so that soon the Brotherhood could truly occupy the areas when the Cloud cleared and everybody had died. However, his plans were vanquished by the Courier.

Brotherhood of Steel in the East[]

The Appalachian Brotherhood[]

The Appalachian chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel originated from Taggerdy's Thunder, a U.S. Army Ranger unit led by Lieutenant Elizabeth Taggerdy. Deployed to war games organized in Appalachia in October 2077, Taggerdy led the Thunder against a unit of U.S. Marines. On the day of the Great War, the unit was camped in the caves at Spruce Knob, planning their attack on the Marines. They never got the chance to do so, as the Thunder was surprised by the Great War. After first dismissing the attacks as part of the simulation, the nuclear warheads that struck Appalachia soon revealed that nuclear war had arrived.[22]

With the chain of command in tatters, the Thunder attempted to raise any kind of ranking officer to figure out what to do next. They did not expect to receive contact from Captain Roger Maxson on the West Coast, who had earlier declared secession from the United States, hailing survivors in Appalachia. Although Taggerdy was hesitant about speaking to a professed traitor, her friendship with Maxson made her decide to give him a chance.[23] Maxson revealed to Taggerdy the crimes the government had committed at Mariposa Military Base which had led to his declaration of secession, and while Taggerdy did not completely accept his explanation, it planted a seed of doubt in her mind regarding their responsibility to the U.S. military. With survival being the top priority, she opted to take her unit southeast to establish a home base before any further thoughts.[24]

Camp Venture from behind

Camp Venture, the Brotherhood's first base of operations

The unit moved to Camp Venture, an old survival training camp, where they spent the dark winter of 2077. It became a base camp for all their subsequent operations.[24] It was around this time that the unit started believing Maxson: at some point, the unit broke into the West Tek research center with the help of Grant McNamara, a refugee who the Thunder had picked up along the way. What they found there proved Maxson's story and led the Thunder to renounce their allegiance to the U.S. government and military. They began to accept Maxson as their commanding officer.[25]

Taggerdy soon ordered the camp reactivated to fill out the ranks of the Thunder.[26] Due to the strict requirements posed by the drill instructor, only four recruits out of nine in the first batch made it through to the end of training and became members of the Thunder. However, they were far from the only ones. Soon, recruits started appearing at the camp in numbers, many being former soldiers looking for a new sense of structure.[27][28]

That structure presented itself when Captain Roger Maxson announced the foundation of the Brotherhood of Steel in the 2080s. Taggerdy was hesitant to accept a completely new system of ranks and ideas, believing that the military training and loyalty to commanding officers were enough to carry the day. However, she did not object, at first treating it as an order like any other.[29] Although Taggerdy was skeptical, Maxson outlined his plan to give her and her men a new identity as members of the Brotherhood, both as a way to return meaning to their lives and combat the overwhelming despair suffered by survivors of the war, and to immunize them to the authority of any politicians that might emerge from the Vaults (or in Appalachia's case, the Whitespring Congressional Bunker) and try to set fire to the world again. Taggerdy accepted the new orders without believing in them at first, but soon grew into her role.[30]

Paladin Taggerdy was known for only recruiting from those who had military experience and found it difficult to coordinate with the "civilian" factions in Appalachia.[31] This became apparent in their dealings with the Responders and Charleston: By October 2082, the Brotherhood appeared on the verge of conflict with the Responders, as they requisitioned munitions while the Responders were trying to contain the Huntersville mutant threat. Although they eventually acquiesced to the demands, it did no favors for their relations.[32] However, the relations eventually normalized, especially since the Brotherhood had other problems (as did the Responders, due to the Christmas Flood which destroyed Charleston in December 2082). The Brotherhood's numbers and new classes graduating from Camp Venture exhausted the available space at the survival camp, necessitating expansion. They decided to expand south into the Cranberry Bog, opting to seize the defunct Allegheny Asylum as their new base of operations, dubbing it Fort Defiance. Although plagued by feral ghouls, the building was structurally sound and had a direct connection to the Thunder Mountain Power Plant via landlines, wrested from the Free States by Taggerdy's troops.[33] While the asylum provided enough space to grow into, they soon encountered problems: scorchbeasts, first as unknown bats flying in from Watoga, easily scared away by miniguns. This was chalked up to bog weirdness at first, which soon proved to be a grave error.[34]

West of the mountains, the Brotherhood forged alliances. The Brotherhood and the Responders united together against the super mutants, fighting a bitter battle known as the Battle of Huntersville to contain the mutants that ultimately ended in a major victory.[35] The campaign ended in May 2086, marking the high point in Responder and Brotherhood relations, although it claimed many lives, including Squire de Silva and Paladin Swafford.[36][37] Congratulating them on their victory, Elder Maxson also announced a new mission for the Brotherhood: To act as preservationists, keeping the embers of civilization burning, so that the Brotherhood may become the catalyst for a new, better civilization in the future.[38] Taggerdy implemented the new orders, and one of her first orders was to pull troops out from Grafton dam, abandoning passes through the Savage Divide that allowed the Responders and Free States to trade openly.[39] Some responded to this new policy with enthusiasm, others with grudging acceptance. In one extreme case, Hank Madigan disagreed with the mission, and left the Brotherhood to join the Responders. This, together with an earlier desertion by E. Fisher, further strained the chapter leadership's opinions of outsiders. By the end, Grant McNamara, who had proven invaluable for his technical expertise, was one of the only civilians Taggerdy trusted; she even refused to recruit additional scribes from the outside.[40]

The new mission quickly took a backseat, however, as the Brotherhood encountered the scorchbeasts and the Scorched in the Cranberry Bog. Conferring with Maxson's ace researcher, Scribe Hailey Takano, the Brotherhood in Appalachia quickly calculated that the scorchbeasts represented a potential extinction event for humanity. Lost Hills supplied several designs and weapon schematics to help stem the tide, including a sonic generator and an automated research program,[41] but by the 2090s, the failing infrastructure of the Old World rapidly rendered satellite communication impossible. Before being cut off, Maxson ordered Taggerdy to hold the tide, but forbade the use of nuclear weapons.[42]

Camp Venture was officially abandoned on July 20, 2093, as the Brotherhood pulled all remaining troops to focus their firepower at Fort Defiance and Thunder Mountain Power Plant. The remaining squires completed their training, though no new candidates were accepted at this point.[43] The Brotherhood focused on fighting the scorchbeasts entirely, tapping all available sources of supplies, taxing their goodwill. By January 2094, that meant routinely requisitioning food, dozens of missiles, fusion cores, and hundreds of rounds of conventional ammunition from all available sources.[44] Another incident did not help either: in the early months of 2095, some Brotherhood members caught wind that Responder Amy Kerry was working on a project, and she theorized the Brotherhood were after her to steal her technology. The Brotherhood demanded supplies and information about Amy's project, even holding Responder leader Maria Chavez at gunpoint. Sensing the Brotherhood were finding her location, Amy fled.[45]

F76 Glassed Caverns BoB

Paladin Taggerdy's remains after Operation Touchdown

Realizing that time was not on their side, the Brotherhood launched Operation Touchdown in the glassed cavern on January 28, 2095, with Paladin Taggerdy taking the most well-trained troops of the Brotherhood to confront the scorchbeasts in their lair and destroy them. The operation claimed the life of Paladin Taggerdy and her men, but for over a week, no scorchbeasts appeared on the surface. This prompted Senior Knight Wilson, who took command in her absence, to declare a preliminary mission accomplished.[46] However, this proved to be optimistic. By June, the sightings continued to increase in number, indicating that Touchdown had failed.[47] By August, the situation was clear: The Brotherhood had failed in its mission and was rapidly approaching extinction. Rather than flee, the soldiers decided to continue manning their posts until the bitter end, trying to buy as much time for Appalachia as possible.[47]

Throughout this period, Scribe Grant alone recognized the importance of continuing research into the scorchbeasts, if not for them then for those who would come after. This relied on the automated research program provided by Lost Hills: it would allow the Appalachian Brotherhood to continue research on their own. However, they were unable to use it without access to Vault-Tec University, which was located deep in Responder territory, and by that point the factions were no longer in friendly relations. Taggerdy had approved a single mission prior to Operation Touchdown, and refused Grant's further pleas after the two soldiers she sent never came back.[48] After Touchdown, Wilson similarly refused, citing the need for all hands on deck with their top members gone.[49] In the final days of the Appalachian chapter, facing constant siege by Scorched and scorchbeasts, Grant was indeed tied down keeping Defiance's systems alive.

By August 18, 2095, the Brotherhood's numbers at Fort Defiance had been reduced to five: Senior Knight Wilson, Scribe Grant, Knight "Tex" Rogers, and Squires Evelyn and Enrique Belmonte, who made their last stand and were ultimately overrun. Before their deaths, they sent a message across the Appalachian airwaves to warn that "Defiance [had] fallen." However, because of the Brotherhood's secrecy and poor communication, few realized what their message actually meant until it was too late.[50][51][52] Scribe Grant, recognizing the importance of the Brotherhood's knowledge on the Scorched, also left instructions for any future visitors of Fort Defiance to seek out the intel secured in their top floor.[53]

By the following day, August 19, 2095, Squires Rosen and Gilden had become the last survivors at Thunder Mountain, and soon, they were also overrun.[54] With their deaths, the Brotherhood in Appalachia was extinguished, leaving behind a bounty of weapons, automated defenses, and research for those who would come after to try and fight the scorchbeasts.[53]

The First Expeditionary Force[]

Following the Great War, Captain Roger Maxson used surviving satellites to communicate with survivors across the United States of America, attempting to recruit them under a common cause, which eventually led to the formation of the Brotherhood of Steel.[55] He succeeded in contacting a former colleague, Elizabeth Taggerdy, who formed a Brotherhood chapter with her Army Ranger unit in Appalachia. Contact was lost with Taggerdy when the satellites failed years later, and the Western Brotherhood was left unaware of the outcome of the Appalachian chapter's war against scorchbeasts and the accompanying Scorched Plague.[56]

The former US National Guardsman and current Paladin Leila Rahmani requested an expedition to Appalachia.[57] After many years, her request was finally approved by High Elder Roger Maxson[58] and the Council of Elders, and she was appointed as its leader.[57] One of the expedition's critical members was to be Scribe Hailey Takano, but due to health issues, she was not able to take part and was replaced by her student Scribe Odessa Valdez, who had volunteered to take her teacher's position.[59] Three knights were given the task to accompany them, including Alan Connors, another National Guardsman and close friend of Rahmani, Matthew Thornberry and Daniel Shin. The expedition's goals were to investigate valued technological sites on their journey across the United States and upon arriving at Appalachia, set up camp at the ATLAS Observatory to investigate the facility's true purpose. In addition, they were to discern the fate of the original Appalachian chapter and to take their mantle if necessary, including the protection of Appalachia's inhabitants. Following that, the group would report their findings back to command.[60][61]

Journey[]

Paladin Rahmani led the First Expeditionary Force east from the Lost Hills bunker. Upon reaching the Sierra Nevada mountains, they encountered a group of raiders armed with fusion cores and advanced weaponry, who had captured a unit of Brotherhood soldiers.[62] Knight Thornberry personally rescued the soldiers and recovered the technology. This earned the respect of Rahmani, who charged him with the task of safely guiding the wounded soldiers back to Lost Hills.[62]

After crossing the Rocky Mountains, radio communications were lost between Lost Hills and the Expeditionary Force.[63] Over the course of the following months, the scribes at Lost Hills tried to reach the group, but to no avail. Command sent various encrypted radio messages, first while estimating their location near Lincoln, and later ordering the expedition to divert from their primary goal.[63] Another attempt was made, estimating their location as east of the Mississippi River, and ordering them to proceed with their original mission in order to establish contact at the target location in Appalachia.[63]

The next radio message was recorded off the record by Elder Roger Maxson via a private channel to Paladin Leila Rahmani. He believed the paladin understood the value and purpose of the Brotherhood of Steel, and despite their disagreements, Maxson hoped the lack of communication was simply due to the inability of answering back. Otherwise, the radio silence would be taken as desertion by the Council of Elders, and Maxson would be overruled in regards to what to do with the expedition and wouldn't be able to defend her anymore.[63]

After more than three months without any contact with the First Expeditionary Force, Elder Maxson sent a last official message to Paladin Rahmani.[63] The scribes estimated they had already entered Appalachia and should be close to their target destination at the ATLAS Observatory. Maxson's orders for the expedition were to immediately reestablish contact with Lost Hills after securing the observatory, providing a full report on their whereabouts during their journey, and to represent the Brotherhood in Appalachia.[63]

At some point during their months-long journey, Rahmani and the rest of the First Expeditionary Force encountered a settlement under threat of raiders.[64] Shin decided to equip them with advanced weaponry they had found in a military facility in the Midwest that they had initially intended to keep for the Brotherhood. However, the weapons proved useless against the raider force, as the settlement was wiped out, with only two young survivors who became Brotherhood refugees: Marcia and Maximo Leone.[64][65][66] Because of the loss of Knight Alan Connors and the raiders actually getting strengthened by the looted weapons, the incident would set off a division between Rahmani and Shin, with Shin wanting himself and Rahmani to stand trial with the Council of Elders.[67]

Arrival[]

Not far from Appalachia, while approaching their destination, Paladin Rahmani broadcasted a message across Appalachia, announcing their arrival and their objective of taking over the ATLAS Observatory, warning any possible occupants to leave the facility.[68][69] She announced they were going to help the people of Appalachia by providing aid and protection, and that any help would be welcome. Her voice could be heard across the region, becoming more audible with each passing week.[68]

Russell Dorsey, an enthusiast of the old Appalachian Brotherhood, had heard the radio message and was already at the observatory with several Protectrons to aid in its fortification.[70] He, alongside the Vault Dwellers, managed to clear the exterior of the facility and prepare it for the arrival of the expedition.[70][69][71]

FO76SD Fort Atlas 01

Fort Atlas, previously the ATLAS Observatory

By the time the First Expeditionary Force reached the ATLAS Observatory, having had crossed over two thousand miles of wasteland over the course of many months, the group itself was made up of only three of the original five Brotherhood personnel.[72][73][74] In addition, they had informally recruited many initiates and hopefuls along the way. After establishing their base of operations, they renamed the observatory to Fort Atlas.[69][75]

The Capitol Expedition[]

In the year 2254, sometime after the destruction of the west coast Enclave, the Brotherhood's ruling council, based in the Lost Hills bunker in Southern California, decided to send a contingent of soldiers all the way to the East Coast, with three important objectives. First, to scour the ruins of Washington, D.C., once the nation's capital, to recover any and all advanced technology. Second, to investigate the reports of super mutant activity in the area, and third, to re-establish contact with the Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel and return them under Lost Hills command.

And so a small but hardened contingent of Brotherhood of Steel soldiers, led by an idealistic paladin named Owyn Lyons (and accompanied by his friend and technological adviser Reginald Rothchild, as well as his three-year-old daughter Sarah) set out from the Lost Hills Bunker in California, and began the long trek east to what was once Washington, D.C.

Scourge[]

Main article: Scourge

On their way to the Capital Wasteland, the Brotherhood's forces came across the ruins of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A truly chaotic city, it was full of gangs, raiders, slavers, and many other kinds of horrors all freely wandered, terrorizing the few innocent survivors.[76] In a single night, the Brotherhood swept through the city from their staging area at Mount Wash, and eliminated any resident who put up a fight.[77] Lyons' contingent left the city with approximately 20 children in tow, who would later be initiated into the Brotherhood.[78] During the Scourge, Lyons' forces suffered only one casualty: Paladin Ishmael Ashur, who was buried in rubble during the fighting and presumed dead.

Arrival[]

When the group finally arrived in the Capital Wasteland, it did not take long before they made some remarkable discoveries.

The Pentagon, as they had feared, was largely destroyed. But its sub-levels remained intact and contained enough pre-War technology and weaponry to keep Lyons’ forces going indefinitely (once the defense robots were destroyed). But there was something else, as well: Liberty Prime, a technological marvel that, if restored, could help the Brotherhood of Steel rebuild strength and reputation that had been declining steadily for years.

The discovery was significant enough to earn Paladin Lyons a battlefield promotion to elder, and a new directive from his superiors in Southern California: to establish a new, permanent Brotherhood base in the Capital Wasteland, and continue the search for any other advanced technology hidden in the former capital city's ruins.

Lyons accepted his new post gladly and founded the Citadel, built into and beneath the ruins of the Pentagon. It was a fortress the Brotherhood of Steel desperately needed, and one they rushed to fortify, thanks to their other great discovery in the Capital Wasteland: Super mutants also existed on the East Coast.

The super mutant threat[]

Art of Fallout 3 Citadel CA1

The Citadel

It did not take long for Elder Lyons and the Brotherhood of Steel to find the super mutants, mostly because they didn't have to look: the Super mutants found them. In the Capital Wasteland, particularly in the urban ruins of downtown D.C., the super mutants were simply too numerous to be avoided.

That is why, for the people of the Capital Wasteland, the arrival of the Brotherhood of Steel became the answer to their prayers. Scattered, hungry and largely disorganized, they had lived with the constant threat of death or capture by the super mutants for as long as they could remember. Elder Lyons and his knights and paladins changed all that. For the first time, the super mutant tide was stemmed and forced back into the ruins of Washington. The D.C. ruins remained under super mutant control and uninhabitable, but the number of incursions against the outlying wasteland settlements dropped significantly. Life was still harsh and unfair, but at least now the people of the Capital Wasteland had a fighting chance, and they had Elder Lyons and the Brotherhood to thank for that.

New objectives[]

Art of Fallout 3 Elder robes CA1

Brotherhood Scribe and Elder

Fighting the super mutants, or simply keeping them at bay, may have been enough for the region's innocent wastelanders, but for the Brotherhood, too many questions remained: how had these local super mutants been created? Were they related to the super mutants of New California? Why were they capturing the people of the Capital Wasteland? Where were they taking them? Finding these answers would ultimately, become Owyn Lyons' obsession.

The years passed, but not in a way anyone had foreseen. Indeed, the Brotherhood of Steel's importance to the people of the Capital Wasteland was not something that Lyons had ever expected. Nor was it something his Brotherhood superiors back in California cared at all about. Their newest elder had a clearly defined mission: to acquire advanced technologies in and around the ruins of Washington, D.C. Finding the source of the super mutant threat and destroying it was important too, of course. But it was assumed that the Brotherhood could easily eliminate the super mutants and their source fairly quickly. For the Brotherhood leadership, Elder Lyons’ prime objective was, first and foremost, the acquisition and preservation of pre-Great War technology. The super mutants were his second priority. This was the subject of every communication from the Brotherhood of Steel leadership in California.

But Elder Owyn Lyons had another priority, one he considered more important than his original directive or any orders received since: the protection of the innocent people of the Capital Wasteland. And so, Lyons sent word to his superiors that he would continue his search for technology when he was damned good and ready, and would not sacrifice the people who had come to rely on the bravery and strength of the Brotherhood of Steel.

The Californian corridors of the Brotherhood's Lost Hills headquarters erupted in rumor and speculation. Had Owyn Lyons “gone native,” putting the needs of the people of D.C. above those of the Brotherhood itself? Or had a Brotherhood elder finally exhibited the selfless behavior that should serve as a model for the entire order? Caught in the middle, the ruling elders made the only decision they could; they would still recognize Elder Lyons as a leader of the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Citadel as their D.C. headquarters. But all material and personnel support from the West Coast was completely cut off. If Lyons wanted to pursue his own agenda on the East Coast, he would do it alone.

So that is what Lyons did. The East Coast division of the Brotherhood of Steel, headquartered in the Citadel, became its own entity like the Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel: keep its laws and customs but no more affiliated with the original Brotherhood of Steel on the West Coast and completely independent.

Outcasts[]

Art of Fallout 3 BoS items CA1

Most of Elder Lyons' soldiers supported his dedication to the welfare of the people of the Capital Wasteland and were proud of their leader's commitment to honor and heroism. But there were those who voiced their opposition; loudly and aggressively. They believed that by abandoning the Brotherhood of Steel's primary mission of acquiring lost technologies, Elder Lyons had abandoned the very values that defined the order itself.

One night, the dissenters (under the leadership of Paladin Casdin) departed from the Citadel, absconding with weapons, power armor and other pieces of advanced technology and equipment. This was, without question, Owyn Lyons' darkest hour. He had become a man of compassion and understanding, and could not help but sympathize with those who had left: he had abandoned the Brotherhood's primary mission. He recognized that and took full responsibility. Some of the knights and paladins who left had been his brothers in arms for years. Together, they had shared victory and loss, pain and elation. But to those soldiers loyal to Elder Lyons, this dereliction of duty and theft of technology was an act of cowardice and treason. Lyons was left with little choice: he branded the dissenters Outcasts, traitors to the Brotherhood of Steel; it was a name they would ultimately wear like a badge of honor, proud of the distance it put between themselves and Lyons' "soldier sycophants."

After arrival[]

BOS Graffiti

Graffiti marking, used to denote outposts or waypoints

In 2277, Elder Lyons' daughter Sarah is one of the Brotherhood's fiercest warriors and commands her own elite squad, Lyons' Pride. Without reinforcements from the West Coast, Lyons has been forced to recruit locally from the wastelander settlements, and the results have been less than stellar: most new recruits are overeager, unskilled or both, and as a result their survival rate is low. The Brotherhood Outcasts rededicated their lives to the Brotherhood of Steel's original mission: the acquisition and preservation of lost technologies, operating out of Fort Independence.

Project Purity, the Enclave, and Broken Steel[]

When the Brotherhood discovered Project Purity, based inside the Jefferson Memorial, they decided to help defend the scientists that worked on the project from the frequent super mutant attacks. The goal was simple and beneficial: huge amounts of pure, non-radioactive water for the Capital Wasteland. The only problem was that large-scale tests of the project were always unsuccessful. As time went on, and super mutant attacks became more frequent, the Brotherhood became disinterested with the project. In 2258, Lead Scientist James's wife, Catherine, died in childbirth, and James abandoned the project to find a safe haven for his new child, and the project collapsed. The Brotherhood focused on fighting the super mutant threat for the next two decades, while also attempting to also learn of their source.

In 2272, a man by the name of Three Dog set up a news/music radio station inside the middle of the D.C. ruins, and the Brotherhood struck a deal with him. As stated by Sentinel Lyons "The Brotherhood needed a roof over their heads, and the guy here needed to not get his head blown off. It's a mutually beneficial relationship." The Brotherhood continues to use the GNR building as a "port in the storm."

Eventually, James' child emerges from Vault 101 to find their father, who wants to restart Project Purity, in 2277. A science team is brought together, and repairs are started. Soon though, the Enclave's forces show up, and storm the purifier. Colonel Autumn demands that the project be handed over to the government, but James adamantly states that Project Purity is private and intended to benefit all the people of the Capital Wasteland. To make a point, Autumn shoots the scientist in the room. James then sacrifices himself by flooding the control room with radiation and killing himself, along with the Enclave soldiers, but Colonel Autumn survives.

The remaining scientists and the Lone Wanderer manage to go through the old Taft Tunnels that link the Jefferson Memorial to the Citadel at the Pentagon, with only the Lone Wanderer to defend them from any Enclave soldiers, or feral ghouls along the way. When they reach the end, a Brotherhood of Steel member will make a final stand with the Wanderer against a final horde of feral ghouls, and get the scientists topside to safety. Once there Dr. Li demands that Elder Lyons opens the gate to the Citadel and let them in, which he does so promptly.

Once inside, Elder Lyons begins to contemplate the threat the Enclave now poses. The Lone Wanderer is sent to Vault 87 to locate a G.E.C.K. that is necessary to start the purifier if nothing else than to keep it away from the Enclave. Meanwhile, the Brotherhood gears up for war, modifying their weapons and armor in preparation for fighting the Enclave. Scribe Rothchild teams up with Madison Li on the Liberty Prime robot, and together manage to solve the massive automaton's power problems.

Meanwhile, the Lone Wanderer battles their way through the dangerous Vault 87 and obtain the GECK, also learning that Vault 87 is the source of the D.C. super mutants. They are captured by agents of the Enclave, and the GECK is installed in the purifier. They are then transported to Raven Rock, an Enclave command base, and then interrogated by Colonel Autumn for the activation code, but is interrupted by President Eden, who requests a meeting with them. Colonel Autumn soon orders the Enclave soldiers to attack the Lone Wanderer regardless of the president's orders, and they must fight their way to the president. Once the two finally meet, Eden asks the player character to install a modified FEV virus dispenser in the purifier, as a way to cleanse the Capital Wasteland of all mutations so that only "pure strain" humans like those in the Enclave and the vaults will survive. The player character is forced to leave with the virus in hand but has a chance to "blow up" Eden and Raven Rock if they so choose.

Once the Lone Wanderer makes it back to the Citadel, Sentinel Lyons asks her father permission for an assault on the purifier, which he denies, until the Lone Wanderer tells Elder Lyons of the current situation. Elder Lyons then asks the player character for any important information before proceeding. At this point, they can hand over the Modified FEV (positive Karma), tell the elder about the super mutants and Vault 87 (positive Karma), and about the current status of the Enclave (no Karma). Then the elder asks Rothchild whether or not Liberty Prime is ready to go into battle. Rothchild is skeptical as he'd only just gotten it operational but ultimately agrees that if it's not yet fully ready then it won't matter in the long run. Sentinel Lyons recruits the Lone Wanderer as an honorary member of the Pride, and together they set out for the Memorial.

Liberty Prime easily clears the way through all Enclave forces, clearing a path for the Pride. Once inside the Jefferson Memorial, the Lone Wanderer and Sentinel Lyons make their way through the last of the Enclave forces and eventually confront Colonel Autumn. The Lone Wanderer's can choose the ultimate outcome, but regardless the two make it to the control room whereupon Dr. Li tells them that something has damaged the purifier, that it must be activated now, and that the current radiation levels would kill whoever enters the room to carry out the activation. The outcome here is also dependent on the choices of the Lone Wanderer, and either someone goes inside to activate the purifier, only surviving if the Broken Steel add-on is already installed, or no one goes in and everyone within the room dies. Likewise, at this point, the Lone Wanderer can secretly use the FEV to poison the water.

With the purifier up and running, the Brotherhood takes control and begins distributing the clean water throughout the wasteland with Scribe Bigsley overseeing operations. Also during this time, the Brotherhood begins systematically destroying all remaining Enclave outposts in the wasteland with Liberty Prime spearheading the assault (even destroying Raven Rock if the Lone Wanderer had not done so already). During this time, the Brotherhood also begin to reverse-engineer the Enclave's plasma weaponry, removing that advantage for their enemies. Two weeks after the assault on Project Purity, the Lone Wanderer awakens in the Citadel's clinic and is greeted by Elder Lyons. Scribe Rothchild updates the Lone Wanderer on the current situation on the war between the Brotherhood and the Enclave, then directing the Lone Wanderer to journey to Rockland to help with a Brotherhood attack on an Enclave communications facility.

The Lone Wanderer makes it to the Rockland car tunnels, and assist Paladin Tristan, and a squad of Brotherhood members, and Liberty Prime in the attack. The Enclave forces are decimated, and Liberty Prime manages to literally punch a hole through the Enclave's defenses, giving the Brotherhood an access point. Then, Liberty Prime detects a signal and orders the Brotherhood forces to retreat. Soon after the area is destroyed, along with Liberty Prime, by an orbital bombardment from a weapons satellite ordered by the Enclave, leaving the Brotherhood shaken. Paladin Tristan orders the Lone Wanderer to lead a squad of Brotherhood members to find out what had happened.

At the Citadel, the Brotherhood members discuss the orbital assault. Moments before the attack they had been crushing any Enclave resistance, and now they have lost their biggest weapon, and are facing a new weapon they know nothing about. In addition, it is certain that the Enclave will counterattack, especially since the Brotherhood was the one to instigate the war. When the Lone Wanderer comes back from the Rockland Satellite Station, they deliver some encrypted data for Scribe Rothchild to decrypt, who is aghast at all the hard work that went into restoring Liberty Prime, only to see it all go to waste. Paladin Tristan then sends the Lone Wanderer to the Old Olney Powerworks for a Tesla coil, so the Brotherhood can recreate Liberty Prime's Liberty laser, the only effective defense the Brotherhood had against the Enclave's vertibirds.

The Lone Wanderer does so, with a prototype device made by the Brotherhood meant to jam the signal the Enclave uses to control deathclaws. The Lone Wanderer makes it to Olney Powerworks, encountering many deathclaws, Enclave forces and robots, but eventually, they make it to the center with a functioning Tesla coil in the middle. With the Tesla coil in hand, the Lone Wanderer makes it back to the Citadel and hands it over to the Brotherhood scientists there, and is then ordered to make it to the Adams Air Force Base via the Presidential Metro. When the Lone Wanderer enters the Air Force Base, they open up a supply crate, containing ammo and a working Tesla cannon. When opening the crate, the Brotherhood receives a signal to commence attacking the Air Force Base, so the Lone Wanderer can make their way through the Enclave forces and open the way to the Mobile Base Crawler. The player character makes it to the top of the Mobile Base Crawler and has a choice to either launch the Enclave's last orbital ballistic payload on either the Mobile Base Crawler, setting back the Enclave in the Capital Wasteland severely, or on the Citadel, thus devastating the Brotherhood of Steel. Once outside, a Brotherhood squad, led by Sarah Lyons if she survived Project Purity, pilots a stolen vertibird to take the Lone Wanderer back to the Citadel.

In canon, the Lone Wanderer destroys the MBC, and the Enclave is permanently removed as a threat from the Capital Wasteland. The East Coast Brotherhood moves on back to normal, taking out the mutants and raiders.

With the Brotherhood in control of Project Purity (providing access to clean, purified water), one vertibird and vast amounts of technology and equipment acquired from the Enclave after the successful war, and access to local recruitment and manpower, the East Coast Brotherhood is effectively in control of the Capital Wasteland. The original Brotherhood however in California, is more weakened than before by 2281.

Current status[]

Following the conflict with the Enclave, the Brotherhood enjoyed a stable, but hardly unrivaled position. Suffering from severely depleted stockpiles and shortage of manpower at the beginning of the conflict,[79][80][81][82] casualties taken during the fight with the Enclave and the loss of their most important military asset, Liberty Prime, made the future uncertain. Occupied by its research into the Enclave technology and the amount of gear and weapons it recovered, the Brotherhood slowly regained strength as it slowly chipped away at the years-long process.[83][84] One of the greatest achievements of the Brotherhood of this time was starting the construction of the Prydwen, an armored airship greatly increasing the Brotherhood's ability to project power.[85]

The biggest setback suffered by the chapter was the death of Elder Owyn Lyons circa 2278 and the loss of his successor, Elder Sarah Lyons, later that same year. With the seat of power emptied, the remaining Brotherhood members elected multiple ineffectual leaders, while the adolescent Squire Arthur Maxson matured into a capable warrior and tactician, eventually securing a victory over Shepherd, the new warboss of the Capital Wasteland super mutants, in 2282. This feat earned him a provisional leadership position. In fact, this position was bestowed by West Coast Elders, who revealed that they still monitored their errant brethren.[86] Maxson's position solidified in 2283, when he negotiated a treaty with the Brotherhood Outcasts, bringing them back into the fold and reforming the entire organization, merging Lyons' Doctrine with salvageable elements of traditional doctrines. Lyons' Brotherhood became a distant memory as Maxson took the united Brotherhood forces into a new direction.[86] While some members found this distasteful and deserted,[87] many more remained, proud to serve a refocused Brotherhood.[88]

References[]

  1. The Vault Dweller: "{207}{}{Base Information}"
    : "{211}{}{West Tech Research Facility: Founded in 2002 as a private contractor for the United States government, the company initially consisted of two divisions--the Advanced Weapons Research and the Biomedical Sciences divisions.}"
    "{241}{}{ In 2069, West Tech was the single largest contractor for the United States government; its largest contract being Powered Infantry Armor Model T-51b. }"
    "{242}{}{In light of significant advances in 2076 by the NBC on the Pan-Immunity Virion Project, the United States Defense Department, in fear of international espionage,}"
    "{243}{}{ moved a team onto the site to secure and oversee the project, now dubbed the FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) project.}"
    (GPWRTERM.MSG)
  2. Fallout Bible 0: "2076 January 3 A military team under the command of Colonel Spindel is sent to the West Tek research facility to monitor the experiments in the interest of national security. Captain Roger Maxson (the grandfather of John Maxson, the High Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel in F1) is among the team personnel."
  3. FEV experiment disk, January 7, 2077 entry
  4. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 10 2077
  5. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 13 2077
  6. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 15 2077
  7. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 18 2077
  8. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 20 2077
  9. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 22 2077
  10. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 23 2077
  11. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 25 2077
  12. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 26 2077
  13. Captain Maxson's diary; Oct. 27 2077
  14. Official Fallout Twitter: "November 2077, a month after the Great War, army Captain Roger Maxson arrived with survivors at the Californian bunker of Lost Hills. There he formed the Brotherhood of Steel, who used a functioning satellite to extend their reach across America… all the way to Appalachia."
  15. Fallout endings: "The Brotherhood of Steel helps the other human outposts drive the mutant armies away with minimal loss of life, on both sides of the conflict. The advanced technology of the Brotherhood is slowly reintroduced into New California, with little disruption or chaos. The Brotherhood wisely remains out of the power structure, and becomes a major research and development house."
    Note: As Rhombus' survival is a prerequisite (otherwise the BoS turns into the Steel Plague), he is its leader in this time.
  16. The Chosen One: "Okay - and what is it that you do?"
    Matthew: "At one time we were the sole bastions of technology left on the planet. We set ourselves up as what could best be called 'technology police.' We hoarded the old knowledge and only doled it out in small parcels. Of course, it was only to those who we felt deserved it and had the wisdom to properly use it."
    (Matthew's dialogue)
  17. The Chosen One: "Before we go any further, why tell me all this now?"
    Matthew: "(sigh) The Enclave has developed vertibird technology, flying machines that allow them to move deeply into surrounding territories. Without similar technology to counter this threat, the Brotherhood would be unable to stop an invasion launched by the Enclave. We need to have vertibird technology, or a viable counter to it, for ourselves."
    "Now, recently the Enclave established a base north of here called Navarro. It's used as a stopover point for the maintenance and refueling of vertibirds. It's my belief that such a base may have complete technical plans of the vertibirds. All I need is for someone to infiltrate the base, steal the plans, and bring them here to me."
    The Chosen One: "Let me guess. You want me to infiltrate this base for you."
    Matthew: "Let me be frank with you, the Brotherhood of Steel is not the power that we once were. We believed ourselves to be the sole source of technology left to mankind. Secure in this belief we have let our order decline over the years. Now we don't have the resources at our disposal to deal with the Enclave. We need your help."
    (Matthew's dialogue)
  18. The Chosen One: "You said 'at one time.' What about now?"
    Matthew: "Several months ago we came across a group known as the Enclave. Much to our surprise their level of technology surpassed even our own. We found this quite disturbing and considered contacting them. However, we decided on a more cautious course of action until we could determine exactly who the Enclave was, and the underlying purpose of their organization."
    "To this end, we have reactivated small outposts near areas of Enclave activity from which we can safely observe them. Currently, we have activated such outposts in the Den, the NCR, and here in San Francisco."
    The Chosen One: "Sounds interesting. What have you learned?"
    Matthew: "We have found that the Enclave deals heavily in drugs, weapons, and slaves. However, these are simply trivial pursuits leading up to some higher purpose, which we have failed to uncover. We are still watching them."
    (Matthew's dialogue)
  19. The Chosen One: "Why is it that nobody around here mentions you?"
    Matthew: "We've had this base for years. By maintaining it at a low level with minimal staffing, never drawing attention to ourselves, we've achieved anonymity. We leave the Shi alone, and they leave us alone."
    (Matthew's dialogue)
  20. The Lone Wanderer: "So what's your long-term plan for dealing with the Brotherhood?"
    Henry Casdin: "The Brotherhood came out here to recover technology from the eastern cities and bases. If Lyons won't do it, then we will. And when we resume contact with the Western Elders, Lyons is going to be put in his place. Even if that place is in front of a firing squad."
    (Henry Casdin's dialogue)
  21. The Lone Wanderer: "What kind of changes?"
    Reginald Rothchild: "We were dispatched with a specific mission. We were sent to locate and secure any technology remaining from before the war. Like our robotic monstrosity. That was our greatest find. Damn thing still doesn't work, but at least it's ours. But those damned Super Mutants... They changed things. Lyons changed. He decided they were a threat. Not just to us, but to everyone. And so he altered the mission. Finding the source of the mutants and putting a stop to them was his goal. Our original mission became an afterthought. We've failed both."
    (Reginald Rothchild's dialogue)
  22. War games
  23. Radio log: Aug 29 2077
  24. 24.0 24.1 Taggerdy's Journal: NOV 04 2077
  25. Camp Venture terminal entries; commander's terminal, Training Starts
  26. Camp Venture terminal entries; commander's terminal, Duty Log THNDR8107A
  27. Camp Venture terminal entries; commander's terminal, Duty Log THNDR8708A
  28. Camp Venture terminal entries; commander's terminal, Duty Log THNDR9114A
  29. Formation of the Brotherhood of Steel
  30. About the Brotherhood
  31. Fallout 76 loading screens: "Paladin Taggerdy was known for only recruiting from those who had military experience and found it difficult to coordinate with the other, more "civilian" factions in Appalachia."
  32. Charleston Capitol Building terminal entries; Holbrook's terminal, Envoy to Taggerdy
  33. De Silva's recon report
  34. Fort Defiance terminal entries; De Silva's terminal, WHAT?
  35. Battle of Huntersville Speech
  36. Huntersville graves
  37. Riverside Manor terminal entries; headmistress' terminal, 6/1/86
  38. Preservation of technology
  39. Final orders for Grafton Dam
  40. Fort Defiance terminal entries; Scribe Grant's terminal, Scribe Takano
  41. BoS archive: ARP background
  42. The nuclear option
  43. Fort Defiance terminal entries; Senior Knight Wilson's terminal, 93-JUL-20
  44. Fort Defiance terminal entries; Senior Knight Wilson's terminal, 94-JAN-03
  45. Tygart water treatment terminal entries
  46. Fort Defiance terminal entries; Senior Knight Wilson's terminal, 95-FEB-02
    Note: Five days before February 2, meaning January 28
  47. 47.0 47.1 Fort Defiance terminal entries; Senior Knight Wilson's terminal, 95-JUN-03
  48. Fort Defiance terminal entries; Scribe Grant's terminal, RE: Mission 099-01
  49. Fort Defiance terminal entries; Scribe Grant's terminal, RE: Mission 099-01 URGENT!
  50. Mission to Abigayle
  51. Message to Sammy
  52. Defiance mission report
  53. 53.0 53.1 Final stand
  54. Thunder Mountain Power Plant terminal entries; communications terminal, 95-Aug-19
  55. Formation of the Brotherhood of Steel
  56. Elder Maxson's final conversation
  57. 57.0 57.1 Fort Atlas terminal entries; Scribe Valdez's terminal, Brotherhood: Chapter Scrolls, PALADIN Rahmani, Leila
  58. Vault 76 dweller: "Who leads the Brotherhood in California?"
    Paladin Rahmani: "High Elder Roger Maxson is our leader back in California and is the person who sent us on our mission to Appalachia."
    (Leila Rahmani's dialogue)
  59. Fort Atlas terminal entries; Scribe Valdez's terminal, Brotherhood: Chapter Scrolls, SCRIBE Valdez, Odessa
  60. Vault 76 dweller: "Why did the Brotherhood come here?"
    Knight Shin: "The First Expeditionary Force was tasked with investigating several valued technological sites across the U.S., concluding at the ATLAS Observatory. From here we would report back on the fate of the preceding Appalachian Chapter, carrying on the Brotherhood's mission in their stead if need be. Or we would have done that report, if we still had a working long-distance transmitter. We have Raiders to thank for that one."
    (Daniel Shin's dialogue)
  61. Vault 76 dweller: "Why did you come to Appalachia?"
    Scribe Valdez: "We're here to help the people of Appalachia, and to catalog any technological discoveries we find. We set up Fort Atlas to that end. This old observatory has a wealth of technology to discover, and is a good staging point for future operations. We also want to learn the fate of the old Appalachian chapter of our order. MIA, presumed KIA."
    (Odessa Valdez's dialogue)
  62. 62.0 62.1 Fort Atlas terminal entries; Scribe Valdez's terminal, Brotherhood: Chapter Scrolls, KNIGHT Thornberry, Matthew
  63. 63.0 63.1 63.2 63.3 63.4 63.5 Encrypted broadcasts
  64. 64.0 64.1 Vault 76 dweller: "What was this incident?"
    Paladin Rahmani: "You must recall the Brotherhood weaponry we tasked you with retrieving these last few missions. We had claimed the entire cache from a military facility in the Midwest. It was meant to stay under Brotherhood protection. Until we came across a town under threat of a massacre by the Raiders. We equipped the townspeople with the weapons, and fought by their sides. It was the only way to give them a chance. But it wasn't enough. The Raiders won. They took possession of the weapons. And they've been running wild ever since. It is my belief that we must learn from our mistakes. But Knight Shin hangs onto them. He cannot move forward until he confronts the past, until he lays our guilt on display for the Elders. I say that we can - that we must - move forward on our own."
    (Leila Rahmani's dialogue)
  65. Vault 76 dweller: "Is what happened really such a big deal?"
    Paladin Rahmani: "You weren't there, Initiate. It was... harrowing. Those civilians trusted us to save them. We... lost one of our own as well. Knight Connors. May he rest in peace. We disobeyed orders, handing out those weapons instead of safeguarding them. Perhaps it would have been forgivable, had we succeeded. But the Elders would take this failure as proof of the danger of unrestrained technology. They would double down on the fearful conservatism I've tried so hard to steer them away from. We cannot let that happen. At this stage, the Brotherhood still has a chance to be something better."
    (Leila Rahmani's dialogue)
  66. Vault 76 dweller: "As Paladin, how could you let this incident happen?"
    Paladin Rahmani: "Yes, I am responsible for the final outcome of all operations performed by this group, regardless of individual choices made. What happened is an irreparable tragedy. I carry the weight of the lives that were lost with every step I take. But I cannot allow it to stop me."
    (Leila Rahmani's dialogue)
  67. Vault 76 dweller: "Tell me about the incident that split Rahmani and Shin."
    Scribe Valdez: "Right... Those weapons you've been chasing? We found them in a government facility on our way to Appalachia. We were supposed to keep them to ourselves - that's how we operate - but then we ran across a settlement being threatened by raiders. We couldn't just leave them to die. We equipped them with the weapons we found, but it didn't help. It was a massacre. The whole place was wiped out. Everyone was killed, including Knight Connors, one of our own. The only survivors were two children we brought back with us, Marcia and Max. Knight Shin believes it's our duty to report this incident to Elder Maxson. Paladin Rahmani feels we'd be punished just for trying to help."
    (Odessa Valdez's dialogue)
  68. 68.0 68.1 Brotherhood broadcast
  69. 69.0 69.1 69.2 Dorsey's diary
  70. 70.0 70.1 Fortifying ATLAS
  71. Fort Atlas terminal entries; Paladin Rahmani's terminal, LEILA RAHMANI'S PERSONAL LOGS, Arrival
  72. Leila Rahmani: "Need to have Valdez take another look at my armor. 2,000 miles of hiking's put some real wear on it."
    (Leila Rahmani's dialogue)
  73. Vault 76 dweller: "Where did your group come from?"
    Scribe Valdez: "California, all the way across the continent. I've read that people used to fly that distance in a few hours, but the trek took us months. Maybe eventually we'll get flying again, but for now it's an arduous journey."
    (Odessa Valdez's dialogue)
  74. Vault 76 dweller: "How many of the Brotherhood are here?"
    Russell Dorsey: "Well, aside from the Initiates and hopefuls they recruited along the way...just three. I was expecting more, honestly, but Paladin Rahmani said three was plenty to start a new chapter. With the recruits they have already, she's right."
    (Russell Dorsey's dialogue)
  75. Fort Atlas terminal entries; Scribe Valdez's terminal, Scribe Valdez - Personal Logs, ATLAS Observatory
  76. Lone Wanderer: "What was the Scourge?"
    Kodiak: "It was a Brotherhood operation. They marched in and swept the place clean. Most of the people there were half-mutated, cancerous, vile things. And these people... r--- gangs, torture squads... it was pure chaos there. The Scourge is the best thing that could have happened to it. This was way back, before the Citadel was fortified. Part of the early recon after the Brotherhood first arrived in this area. One night, a squad of Brothers led by Paladin Lyons swept into the city from over Mount Wash, tearing apart anyone who stood against them. They were completely outnumbered. And still they razed that place to the ground."
    (Kodiak's dialogue)
  77. Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition pp. 43-44:
    "In 2042, Star Paladin Lyons of the Brotherhood of Steel led the Scourge, a large-scale military action that wiped out nearly the entire population of The Pitt. In a single night, the Brotherhood swept through the city, eliminating any resident who put up a fight. Although the intent of the Scourge remains unclear, several unmutated children were taken from The Pitt by the Brotherhood and placed into initiate training. The motivations for the Scourge are unclear to this day, but many in the Brotherhood note that it was a marked change in the way the Brotherhood operates. Additionally, it is known that something was recovered from The Pitt during the Scourge, although to date it would seem that only Elder Lyons knows what it was.
    It is said that a Brotherhood of Steel Paladin from the Scourge stayed on in The Pitt, seeking to bring law and order to the unwashed masses and creating an underclass of Pitt Slaves in the process, guarded by Pitt Raiders under his personal command. However, in the decades following the events of the Scourge, nobody has heard anything from The Pitt. Travelers who have gone to investigate have not returned, and no survivors have emerged."
    (Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles)
  78. The Lone Wanderer: "How did you escape?"
    Kodiak:"As they swept through, the Brotherhood policed up every non-mutie child they could find. Turns out, there weren't that many. Me and maybe twenty others. The younger we were, the less of a chance that we were mutated. It was ugly work, no doubt, but it had to be done. I'll never forget the sight of the Brotherhood of Steel breaching the breast of the mountain at dawn."
    (Kodiak's dialogue)
  79. The Lone Wanderer: "Anything you can tell me about the Super Mutants?"
    Owyn Lyons: "Would you believe... "no"? It's pathetic, really, considering we've been fighting those abominations for nearly twenty years. In all that time, all we've managed to do is contain the threat. Hold them back, so they don't overrun every blasted settlement out here. But we don't really "know" anything. Where they're from, why they've infested the D.C. ruins. And now here we are, holed up in our Citadel. Low on resources, low on troops. It's enough to make an old man so very... tired."
    (Owyn Lyons' dialogue)
  80. The Lone Wanderer: "Those sound like pretty good changes to me."
    Reginald Rothchild: "You're an outsider. I don't expect you to understand. We live and die by our dedication to the Brotherhood. To go against orders... It's not something that's done. I appreciate that Lyons believes he is doing what is right, but he should never have disobeyed orders. And now look where it's gotten us. Forces dwindled, Super Mutants on one side, Enclave on the other. We can barely take care of ourselves."
    (Reginald Rothchild's dialogue)
  81. The Lone Wanderer: "What does the Brotherhood believe?"
    Elizabeth Jameson: "We believe in technology, in the triumph of the creations of the ancients over the horrors and evils of the Wasteland. We believe in trust. Trust in technology. Trust in our fellow Brothers. Trust in our Elders. Ah, and we believe in victory. Our forces have dwindled, but still we fight on. Super Mutant, Enclave, it matters not. Surrender is not an option."
    (Elizabeth Jameson's dialogue)
  82. The Lone Wanderer: "You must see a lot of things. What's been going on?"
    Artemis: "What's been going on? Well, let's see. For years, we've been draining our resources defending the ungrateful residents of this no man's land. Most of my best friends have either been ripped apart by Super Mutants or left to join the Outcasts. And now an enemy we faced more than thirty years ago has resurfaced, and their tech is still better than ours. What's been going on with you?"
    (Artemis' dialogue)
  83. The Lone Wanderer: "So, what happens to the Brotherhood now?"
    Reginald Rothchild: "I've been amazingly busy ever since we began clashing with the Enclave. All their technology is amazing. It's going to take me years to sift through the wreckage of their mobile platform alone. I suppose we have you to thank for that."
    (Reginald Rothchild's dialogue)
  84. The Lone Wanderer: "So, what happens to the Brotherhood now?"
    Vallincourt: "Now? Now the real work begins. I've got just piles and piles of Enclave technology to take apart and put back together. Who do you think got our captured Vertibird flying? Now let me get back to work before Rothchild assigns me trash detail."
    (Vallincourt's dialogue)
  85. See The Prydwen for details.
  86. 86.0 86.1 Prydwen terminals; Proctor Quinlan's terminal, The Rise of Elder Maxson
  87. The Scribe: “I was once a Scribe in the Brotherhood of Steel. Back when that was something to be proud of. Back when we used our knowledge to help people, rather than simply hoarding it for our own power. When Squire Maxson took over... well, I didn't like the changes he made to the Brotherhood. Some said it was a return to our ancient traditions. Maybe so. But things are not necessarily better simply because they are ancient. So, I left. Since then, I've been walking up and down in the world... until I found myself here."
  88. Brotherhood dialogue: "I'm proud to be serving under Elder Maxson. I had enough of Lyons and his foolish ways."

Non-game

  1. Fallout Bible 6: "2. How was the Brotherhood of Steel involved with NCR after the destruction of the Enclave?
    Unknown. Presumably, they'd already established some level of co-existence with NCR even before the events of F1, judging by one of the states of NCR being dubbed 'Maxson' (more on that in a future update except to say that the Lost Hills Bunker was NOT turned into a town in NCR) and considering their pre-existing ties to the Hub, which became a state by the time of F2. I've always imagined that NCR and BOS have maintained an uneasy truce, with barter and (some) technology sharing between the two groups."
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