The Scourge is the term often used by Pitt inhabitants for the battle and mop-up operations conducted by the Brotherhood of Steel while traveling east to Washington D.C. in 2255.
Background
While the detachment of the Brotherhood of Steel under Owyn Lyons was heading east across the continental United States, bound for the Capital Wasteland to look for lost technology in the nation's former capital of Washington, D.C., they encountered many groups of survivors whom had adapted in various ways to the post-apocalyptic conditions. One such region was The Pitt, formerly known as Pittsburgh. Before the Scourge, The Pitt was lawless and ruled by no one, with rape gangs, raiders, slavers, and many other kinds of horrors all freely wandered, terrorizing the few innocent survivors.
Sweep of The Pitt
Owyn Lyons 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 taking from The Pitt easily by the Brotherhood and placed into initiate training, such as Paladin Kodiak. 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.[1]
Aftermath
It is said that a Brotherhood of Steel Paladin from the 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.[1]