Changes: Brotherhood of Steel

Revision as of 15:51, 9 December 2019

Background

Society

Divisions and locations

Foreign relations

Technology

Members

Notes

Appearances

Behind the scenes

Gallery

References

The Mariposa Rebellion

The Exodus

Foundation of the Brotherhood

Conflict with the Vipers

The Emergence of the Unity

Apex of Power, Stagnation, and Recovery

The Brotherhood War

The Brotherhood in the Capital

Property and trade

Social structure

Eastern Brotherhood

Belief system

Insignia

Founding chapter

Appalachia

Mojave Chapter

East Coast Brotherhood

Montana bunker

Eastern Brotherhood of Steel

Texas Expedition

Maxson bunker

Outside recruitment

Attitude towards mutants

Weapons

Vehicles

Research and manufacturing

Variations

West Coast

Eastern division

Preservationists

Reactionaries

Restorers

For the location titled "Brotherhood" in Fallout, see Lost Hills.
For the game, see Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.

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“The only salvation this tortured planet and its people have. Without us, humanity is sure to perish.”— Vree

Brotherhood of Steel (commonly abbreviated to BoS) is a techno-religious^[3] military order located in the West and operating across the ruins of post-War North America with its roots stemming from the United States Armed Forces and the government-sponsored scientific community from former Mariposa Military Base before the Great War, dedicated to controlling and regulating technology in the wasteland.^[4]^[5] Though small, the Brotherhood has been an influential group in the history of the wasteland, first as a survivalist group, then a major research and development house, then finally as the enemy of the New California Republic, fighting a bitter war for control of technology in New California. Having suffered defeats in the West, the Brotherhood would be strengthened on the Eastern reaches of the continent, under Elder Arthur Maxson.^[6]

The faction has featured in one form or another in every Fallout game.

In 2076, the NBC division of West-Tek achieved breakthrough results in the Pan-Immunity Virion Project. The United States Defense Department, in fear of international espionage, moved a military team under the command of Colonel Robert Spindel and Captain Roger Maxson onto the site to secure and oversee the project, now dubbed the FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) project.^[7] On January 7, 2077, all FEV research was moved to the newly constructed Mariposa Military Base to commence testing of the virus on human subjects.^[8]^[9] The security team was transferred to the newly constructed base as well, to provide protection for the research going on within the facility. They were not informed of the nature of the research.^[10]

The situation unraveled shortly before October 10, 2077. Through unknown means, the soldiers stationed at Mariposa discovered the fact that the scientists under their care were performing experiments with the Forced Evolutionary Virus on military prisoners. The revelation prompted a nervous breakdown in Colonel Spindel, who locked himself in his office. Captain Maxson was the only officer left to handle the deteriorating situation. Soldiers were screaming for blood and the whole situation was at risk of devolving into an anarchistic bloodbath. On October 12, when Maxson had to step in to prevent one of his subordinates from killing a member of the science team, he ordered interrogations of the science team under his authority as acting commander. He hoped to prevent a full mutiny by offering his troops a semblance of justice.^[10]

The first scientist was brought before Maxson a day later, on October 13. Chief Researcher Robert Anderson explained that human experiments at the facility were sanctioned by the government. He outlined the program to the Captain, emphasizing the fact that it was the government that ordered. When Maxson refused to believe him, the scientist lost his nerve and started screaming how he was just following orders and that he was a military man just like Maxson. The Captain shot him in response. He rationalized it as trying to prevent a full-scale mutiny, but even he didn't believe it.^[10]

The killing of Robert Anderson effectively established Maxson as the leader of the rebellion. His position was further reinforced just two days later on October 15, when he attempted to speak to Colonel Spindel through the door of his office. It soon became clear that the Colonel had lost touch with reality, so Maxson and several of his men broke down the door just in time to hear the Colonel apologize and shoot himself. Subsequent scientist interrogations invariably ended in executions. Erin Shellman held out the longest by October 18, finally convincing the Captain that the experiments were really ordered by the government with her detailed account.^[10] On October 20, 2077, Captain Maxson declared his unit in full secession from the United States over the radio, attempting to force the government to respond to the situation at Mariposa. No response came. A day later, he ordered the families of soldiers under his command to take shelter within the facility.^[10]

On October 23, 2077, the Great War struck. As Maxson was halfway through prying the story from Head Researcher Leon Von Felden, the facility lost contact with the outside world as nuclear weapons started to drop. Spared the nuclear devastation, Mariposa protected the inhabitants from nuclear fallout flooding the wasteland. Fearing that China would soon make up for the oversight, on October 24, Maxson ordered his soldiers and their families to prepare to vacate the base the next day.^[11]

On October 25, Sergeant Platner volunteered to take atmospheric readings outside the base. Reporting no significant amounts of radiation in the atmosphere, final preparations for the exodus were undertaken. On October 26, Maxson ordered the remains of the scientists to be buried in the wastes outside the base. A day later, on October 27, former US servicemen and their families left the base under the lead of Captain Roger Maxson, heading for the Lost Hills government bunker in the south.^[10]

File:Fo1 Losthills Entrance .png

Lost Hills government bunker.

In November, a few weeks later, war refugees arrived at the bunker. The people suffered casualties along the way, as while the soldiers were protected by T-51 power armor, their families had no armor to speak of. Marauders that attacked the caravan quickly learned to target the unprotected civilians. Though the attackers paid with two lives for every one they took, many were lost, including Roger Maxson's wife (but not his teenage son).^[12]^[13]

Several soldiers broke off during the Exodus as well, led by Sergeant Dennis Allen.^[14] Ignoring warnings from Captain Maxson and defying the group's will, Allen's faction separated from the convoy in order to excavate the remains of the West Tek Research Facility using their power armor. They were never heard from again.^[13] Around 2151, the Brotherhood sent out Knights to seek out Allen's group or its remains. All they found were desolate ruins.^[15]^[16]^[17]

The Exodus survivors claimed the Lost bunker as their own. The refugees expanded and adapted it to fit their own needs, becoming a bastion of technology in a world that has lost centuries of technological development overnight.^[13] Maxson also needed to find someone in Appalachia, to gain badly needed answers. Using surviving satellite connections, he reached out across the continent, broadcasting a request for contact.^[18] By chance, Maxson found an old friend there, Lieutenant Lizzy Taggerdy of the US Army Rangers. Although initially hesitant to trust him, due to the public declaration of secession, she gambled and left the channel open.^[19] As Maxson revealed the depth of atrocities perpetrated by the United States government, Taggerdy's faith in the system was shaken, then dismantled. Following the winter spent at Camp Venture, she joined Maxson's banner.^[20]

“Words have power, Lizzy. They build identity. They take on a meaning if you keep using them, even if it didn't exist to begin with. It was the Knights and Scribes after the fall of Rome that protected what was left of Western civilization. So we are the new Knights and our role is similar. But we'll need more than names. We'll need new traditions, our own, well, mythology. Something people can believe to their core.”— Roger Maxson to Lizzy Taggerdy

Witnessing how people around him slowly succumbed to depression, Captain Maxson formulated a new ideology for the survivors. It took him years to create it, replacing the tarnished Stars and Stripes with new symbols, new ranks, and new ideas to replace the ones scorched in nuclear fire. They would provide meaning for people before they became lost in the depths of despair after losing their friends, family, their entire world. Although some under his command, particularly Lieutenant Taggerdy, were skeptical of his plans, Maxson believed that the way forward lay in new traditions and a new mythology, free of the burden of the past. He also believed that it would prevent any surviving politicians from exercising their authority over former American soldiers, especially those with an agenda that involved burning Americans on the funeral pyre of the regime.^[21]^[22]^[23] By June 20, 2082, all members under his command switched over to using Brotherhood ranks and practices.^[24]^[25]

As the Brotherhood in New California developed, so did the sister organization in Appalachia, under Paladin Lizzy Taggerdy. Although she showed a bias towards candidates with a military background while building up the ranks, she eventually understood Roger Maxson's vision. And continued to expand and develop the organization using Camp Venture as a training outpost. Despite initial resistance to the new rank system by the rest in her outfit, the new ideas offered by Maxson eventually took root and were accepted. Although the Brotherhood's insistence on acquiring munitions for their fighting against mutants has led to ruffled feathers - especially with the Responders prior to the Charleston flood in December 2082 - they eventually found a common tongue, standing together during the Battle of Huntersville in May 2086. Although the Brotherhood sustained losses, it prevailed. This coincided with the announcement of a new mandate by Roger Maxson: The preservation of technology, to gather, record, and save the collective knowledge of mankind for future generation, to act as a catalyst for the rebirth of civilization in time.^[26]

Some responded to this new policy with enthusiasm, others with grudging acceptance, and yet others, like Sergeant Hank Madigan, left the Brotherhood to join the Responders. 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 a number of designs and weapon schematics to help stem the tide, including a sonic generator and an automated research program, but by the 2090s, the failing infrastructure of the Old World rapidly rendered communication impossible. Before being cut-off, Maxson ordered Taggerdy to hold the tide - and proscribed the use of nuclear weapons.^[27]^[23]

Eventually, the communications failed entirely, separating Lost Hills from Appalachia. The chapter in Appalachia fought on, trying to destroy the scorchbeasts through attrition, but by 2093, their numbers dwindled to the point where they were forced to close down Camp Venture, their first base, and focus their remaining forces at Fort Defiance and Thunder Mountain power plant. Declining support from the Responders and the constant fighting just to stem the tide of the scorched and their masters took their toll, preventing the Brotherhood from completing the automated research program at Vault-Tec University, supplied to them by Takano. Eventually, the Brotherhood launched Operation Touchdown. This last ditch effort was launched in January 2095 and briefly stemmed the tide at the cost of the entire strike force, which included Knight Moreno and Paladin Taggerdy. Ultimately however, the Brotherhood in Appalachia was wiped out in their last stand at Fort Defiance and Thunder Mountain on August 18-19, 2095, marking the end of the Brotherhood in Appalachia.^[23]

In 2135, Roger Maxson died of cancer. Already a legendary figure to the Brotherhood, he was essentially deified as the Founder and Deliverer. His son, Maxson II, replaced him as the High Elder, while his grandson, John Maxson, joined the Paladin caste, showing great promise.^[28]^[13] Around 2141, the Brotherhood ceased admitting new members from the outside, relying solely on their natural growth for increasing their numbers.^[29]

The Brotherhood was a major power in the region at this point, firmly exercising their control on the lands surrounding their bunker and forming trade relations with the neighboring towns, especially the Hub. However, the focus on hard sciences gave in to the detriment of humanities, history in particular. This decline in soft sciences eventually lead to some Initiates of the youngest generations having no idea who Roger Maxson was.^[30] In 2150, they clashed with the newly reformed Vipers.^[31] The battles intensified in subsequent years, culminating in the death of High Elder Maxson II in 2155. John Maxson's father expected the raiders to break formation and flee when faced with Brotherhood warriors clad in powered armor, but did not account for their religious ferocity. A poisoned arrow nicked him when his helmet was off, and he died within hours.^[32] John Maxson was promoted to the Elder council, while Rhombus was tasked with conducting a campaign of extermination against the Vipers. The Paladins tracked down and wiped out almost all of their members within the span of a month. A handful of Vipers were able to flee north and east into the mountain range; While small groups continued to exist and raid in New California, they never regained their full power. Both Rhombus and John Maxson would eventually ascend to leadership roles, with John Maxson becoming the High Elder in 2159 and promoting Rhombus to the role of Head Paladin.^[31]

During the campaign, the Brotherhood sent a few scouts and emissaries to the Hub to track down Vipers members, and from these beginnings, the Hub and the Brotherhood began 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 on a regular basis.^[31] While the situation remained peaceful and prosperous, issues would develop between the Hub and the Brotherhood from time to time. In the late 2150s, the Water Merchants of the Hub attempted to barter a large quantity of water for a weapons stockpile. Although the Brotherhood turned down the offer, the merchants attempted to take the weapons regardless. The thieves were caught, but the Brotherhood Elders voted down a retaliatory expedition.^[33]

In 2161, the Brotherhood discovered the presence of a new enemy. In October, a group of Knights on a patrol in the badlands discovered a dead super mutant. After examining the creature, Master Scribe Vree determined that it was sterile, but also notes that there must have been a central location that created these mutants.^[34]^[35] The Elder Council, fearing a potential invasion, enacted several security decrees, including a moratorium on training new recruits until the threat passed.^[36]

The Elders also sent out several scouts north and east into the badlands. Only one returned from the east, reporting an encounter with twenty super mutants,^[37] and none at all returned from the north. The Council could not reach an agreement on how to act. Even as Hub merchant caravans started disappearing in the northern wastes, the Elders refused to act until they were fully certain that there was an army massing in the northern mountains.^[38]

The impasse was broken by the arrival of the Vault Dweller. Having rescued a Brotherhood Initiate from bandits in the Hub,^[39] the Dweller visited the Brotherhood and accepted the mission to the Glow, to recover the disk belonging to Sergeant Dennis Allen to learn the fate of the splinter faction from the Mariposa Rebellion. The Dweller surprised everyone by surviving and returning with the artifact. He became the first outsider to join the Brotherhood in nearly twenty years.^[29]^[40]

The Brotherhood shared what knowledge they had and some of their advanced technology with the Dweller, allowing him to seek out the Master and destroy him in the Boneyard.^[40] Following the death of the super mutant leader, the Brotherhood further aided the Vault Dweller's quest, sending a team of crack assault Paladins to storm Mariposa.^[41]

Rhombus, architect of Brotherhood's peaceful expansion.

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 and 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.^[42] 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.^[43]

Over the years the Brotherhood grew confident in its status as the sole source of advanced technology left to mankind, and allowed it's prominence and influence to wane, growing stagnant.^[44] This stagnancy made them unable to deal with the technologically superior Enclave, when the Brotherhood learned of its existence circa 2240.^[45]^[46] 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.^[47]

Once the Enclave was destroyed by the Chosen One, the Brotherhood was without a foe to face. In an effort to end the stagnation the Brotherhood expanded eastward (most notably 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.^[48]^[49]

Main article: NCR-Brotherhood War

The rampant expansionism of the NCR would eventually lead to a collision course with the Brotherhood. As the NCR's power grew, the Brotherhood adopted a policy of reclaiming technology from people outside the order, energy weapons most of all.^[50] The disagreements over the way technology should be handled eventually resulted in full out war with the New California Republic. The Brotherhood was eventually forced into a retreat.^[51] At least six Brotherhood bunkers were lost to the Republic, four of them destroyed by the Brotherhood themselves in a last ditch attempt to deny them to the enemy.^[52]

The most spectacular known confrontation occurred during the Brotherhood's Operation: Sunburst in 2276. Under Elder Elijah's leadership, the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was operating out of the solar power plant of Helios One when the NCR launched an attack. The NCR's numerical superiority over the Brotherhood, coupled with Elder Elijah's immense reluctance to leave Helios, allowed the NCR to overwhelm the defenders, leading to the loss of over half the chapter.^[53] The Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood was considered effectively neutralized.^[54] The Mojave chapter went under lockdown following their defeat at Helios One and the retreat to Hidden Valley.^[55]

Despite their crushing victory over the Brotherhood, the war would serve to cost the NCR dearly. Apart from losses in manpower and materiel, the greatest victim of the war was the Republic's economy. The Republic's gold reserves were completely destroyed by Brotherhood raids: new gold coins could not be minted and paper money could not be properly backed with gold. NCR citizens panicked and rushed to reclaim the listed face value of currency from NCR's remaining gold reserves. Since the NCR was unable to realize these withdrawals, particularly towards the frontier, faith in their currency considerably dropped. To protect against actual economic collapse, the NCR government abandoned the gold standard and established fiat currency, not payable in specie. Since then many wastelanders lost faith in it as a medium of worth, both as a result of it not being backed by anything but the government's word and the inevitable inflation. In response to the loss of faith, merchant consortiums of the Hub established their own currency, the veritable bottle cap, backing it with a standardized measure of water.^[56]^[57]^[58]^[59]

Fo4 Elder Maxson — Arthur Maxson, Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel (2287)

The Brotherhood's presence in the east suffered a further setback, when Elder Lyons, head of the Capital Wasteland division, refused a direct order from the Lost Hills Elder Council, confirming their suspicions that he has gone rogue and was no longer pursuing the original mission. In response, the Brotherhood completely shut off communications to Lyon's division and denied them any reinforcements.^[60]^[61] Alone, Lyons' organization attempted to implement a charitable program of aiding the wasteland, but their insistence on charity, rather than equitable exchange, led to their steady decline and loss of territory. While the tides seemed to turn during the Battle of Project Purity with the remnants of the Enclave, thanks to the influx of new technology and resources, the organization was effectively crumbling.^[62]

The key blow to the organization came with the death of Owyn Lyons circa 2278 and the loss of now-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.^[2]

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, abandoning Lyons' Doctrine. Lyons' Brotherhood became a distant memory as Maxson restored the original mission of the Brotherhood of Steel.^[2] While some members found this distasteful and left,^[63] the overwhelming majority remained, proud to serve a refocused Brotherhood. Maxson became leader of the Brotherhood Eastern branch, effectively leading to its rebirth.^[64]

“let us forge together something new. Something strong. Something we can be proud of. Something we can build upon. We'll preserve what's best of what's come before and use it. And one day, we will reclaim what was lost. Let us forge a Brotherhood of Steel.”— Roger Maxson

Main article: Brotherhood of Steel hierarchy

The Brotherhood is a military order with a strictly enforced hierarchy and chain of command. At the foundation of the hierarchy lies the Chain That Binds doctrine. It mandates obedience to one's superiors and forbids skipping of the ranks when orders are given. Superiors may only give orders to their direct subordinates, but not their subordinate's subordinates. Although intended to ensure the cohesion of command, the doctrine has been generally interpreted as a simple mandate of obedience within the order, with the order flow requirements ignored, abandoned or altered in practice. However, it does provide a technicality that can be invoked to relieve members of their rank - up to and including Elders.^[65]^[66]

Maxson's goals in inventing a new tradition and mythology for the Brotherhood were two-fold: First, they would ensure that members of the Brotherhood would be stripped of their ties to the pre-War military and government, ensuring that any surviving general or politician would not be able to invoke their oaths and use them to eg. unleash nuclear devastation on the world again (as was the case with Col. Ellen Santiago and Sec. Thomas Eckhart in Appalachia). Second, it would give the survivors an idea to believe in, something they could dedicate themselves to and fining meaning in their lives after nuclear fires burned away their families, friends, everything. Inspiration came from the fall of the Western Roman Empire, when knights and scribes kept the fire of civilization going after the empire imploded.^[67]

As a military order, the Brotherhood seems to have no internal market. Necessary operations, supplies, and other amenities are provided free of charge to working members of the Brotherhood at Lost Hills (though in case of new initiates coming from the outside, they must serve for ten years before the Brotherhood will provide its most advanced services without charge).^[68]

Every member receives an allotment of rations to maintain their health and they may be traded between members.^[69] All equipment beyond personal items is issued by the Brotherhood and everything, especially weapons, are carefully tracked by serial number. Although it minimizes the risk of foul play, records can still be altered by talented members and lead to unforeseen consequences.^[70]

Outside of Lost Hills, though, the rules may change from chapter to chapter: the Mojave chapter will not sell any equipment to any outsider unless the Elder gives permission to.^[71] Under Elder Lyons' rule, the D.C. Bunker was known to trade with outsiders, but as of 2277, there were many incidents which dissuaded the Brotherhood from such activities. As of 2287 the Eastern division has resumed trade relations in the Capital Wasteland and established new ones in the Commonwealth.^[72] While standard issue gear and weapons are available for free to members, more specialized weapons and equipment must be purchased from the quartermasters.^[73]

FO01 NPC Maxson G — General John Maxson, High Elder of the Brotherhood from 2159 onwards.

The Brotherhood has several distinct classes that define a member's standing in the Brotherhood social structure, with a strict hierarchy distinguishing each member's position.

The original hierarchy implemented by the Lost Hills chapter and followed by Western chapters. Members of the west coast Brotherhood are primarily descendants of soldiers and scientists that broke away from the United States during the Mariposa Rebellion, apart from a small number of outsiders in their ranks.^[3]

This means that the western Brotherhood is very small compared to other organizations in the region, most notably the New California Republic. While not an official policy, some members believe that in order for the Brotherhood to survive, all fertile members of the order are obligated to procreate. As a result, these persons display a lack of tolerance for same-sex relationships.^[74] Those born in the Brotherhood that want to be neither Scribes, Knights nor Paladins are free to leave – the Brotherhood does not believe in forcing anyone to serve them against their will.^[75]^[76]

The castes are as follows:

Initiates are the youngest and/or least experienced members of the Brotherhood, whose sole purpose is training and learning to become a valued member of either the Knights or the Scribes.^[77]
Scribes are scientists, responsible for researching and reverse engineering recovered technologies, maintaining the Brotherhood's scientific knowledge, and even experimenting with new ones (though the Brotherhood's focus on preservation means this is rather rare).^[3]^[78]^[79] There are three Scribe orders within the Brotherhood, focusing on different types of technology: the Order of the Sword (offensive), the Shield (defensive), and the Quill (civilian).^[80]^[81] In eastern chapters, Scribes have taken over the duties of Knights, becoming responsible for research and engineering activities of the Brotherhood.^[82]
Knights are the craftsmen and foot soldiers of the Brotherhood. They maintain the Brotherhood's stockpile of technology, repair and providing technical services where they are needed, as well as producing new weapons to replenish stocks and provide trading goods. Knights also perform patrols, scouting assignments, and support the Paladins in offensive operations. Those that focus on combat training, may be eligible to become Paladins, the protectors of the Brotherhood.^[3]^[83]^[84]^[85]^[86]^[87] Eastern chapters have offloaded engineering duties to Scribes, focusing Knights on logistics and combat operations, reflecting their proactive focus.^[88]
Paladins are the primary combat force of the Brotherhood, in charge of all security and outside activities. Equipped with the best military technology the Brotherhood has to offer, they are some of the most fearsome foes in the wasteland.^[3]^[89] The ranks of the Paladins are reinforced by promoting exceptional Knights and^[85] it's generally impossible to become a Paladin any other way.^[90] Notably, while power armor was reserved for Paladin use in the first century of the Brotherhood's existence,^[91] the restrictions were relaxed over the decades, allowing Knights and in extreme cases even Initiates to use power armor (usually older models, such as the T-45).^[92]
Elders are the highest ranking members of the Brotherhood, its leaders and decision makers, determining everything from meals to the course of campaigns.^[93] Typically, only Paladins are eligible to become Elders, but exceptions can be made for extraordinary members of other branches.^[94] Regardless of their branch of service, Elders are elected into the council by other council members,^[90]with the High Elder chosen by the council. The candidate can turn down the offer.^[95] Out of the first four High Elders, three belonged to the Maxson lineage, but there is no requirement for the council to propose the position to a member of the bloodline.^[96] Elders may be dismissed for violating the Brotherhood's charter or laws, such as destroying technological devices without due cause, violating the Chain that Binds, or murdering a fellow member. Due to the requirement for Elders to set an examples, Elders may also be stripped of their position if allowing them to retain it would compromise the morale or integrity of a given chapter.^[97]

The Eastern division implemented a heavily modified hierarchy derived from Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel altered ranking system, adapting it to the challenges of the wasteland.

Squires are children who are too young to train as Initiates but are allowed to serve the various needs of full fledged members of the Brotherhood. In exchange they are taught basic concepts such as military structure, combat readiness and loyalty that will help them when they are old enough to become Initiates. Squires sometimes accompany exemplary Knights on missions, at the behest of Lancer Captain Kells, to experience combat firsthand but only as an observer.^[98]
Initiates are Brotherhood-born members and sponsored outsiders who are training to become Knights, Scribes or Lancers.^[99]
Aspirants is a rank used to denote someone training under a superior officer such as a Paladin or Knight-Commander in order to be promoted to a full-fledged knight. They are a step above Initiates.^[99]
Lancers are the backbone of the Brotherhoods newly formed airforce. Without them the Brotherhood would be unable to operate their vast fleets of VB-01 and VB-02 Vertibirds.^[100]
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.^[99]
Paladins are the Brotherhood's elite, seasoned veterans that are often high ranking field commanders or used in elite strike teams.^[99]
Scribes are the brains to the Brotherhood's brawn. They are responsible for the development and research of all Brotherhood technology, as well as the maintenance of advanced systems, weapons and armor and any other technical requirements.^[101]
Sentinel is a rare rank, only given 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. The Sole Survivor can achieve this rank through completion of A New Dawn.^[99]

The Eastern Brotherhood operating in the Midwest has a rank system that differs from the original Brotherhood ranks. In the Midwest, the Scribes act as both scientists and engineers, taking the place of both western Scribes and Knights. Knights are just a military rank lower in the hierarchy than paladins and are not allowed to use power armor. The Inquisitors are the Brotherhood's law enforcement and intelligence. The rank of General is not a honorific, but the equivalent of the army general rank, and the "commanding officer" is the military leader of the Brotherhood of Steel in the Midwest and also the only one who outranks the Generals, responsible for giving mission orders to everyone, and also the only one that can give their opinion on the Elders' politics.^[102] Also, the assignment into commanding officer is done by the elders and only a General can become commanding officer. Like all Brotherhood of Steel, the Midwestern elders are the leaders and the thinkers of all decision.^[103]

The beliefs of the Brotherhood were shaped by the experiences of Roger Maxson at Mariposa Military Base and in the aftermath of the Great War. At first, the Brotherhood focused on aiding survivors to the best of its ability, acting as an armed fighting force, rather than a military order it would become. The change came with the realization that the collective knowledge of humanity was in danger of being lost for generations to come. To keep the secrets of the past alive, Maxson decided to dedicate the Brotherhood to the preservation of technology and human knowledge, collecting it in order that the Brotherhood might become the catalyst of humanity's rebirth. As the guardian's of civilization, the Brotherhood would focus on the big picture, with direct aid considered a secondary concern.^[104]

Notably, while Scribes were originally considered second-rate members, tools to protect Knights and maintain the Brotherhood's bases, this change in priorities placed them on equal footing with soldiers of the Brotherhood, tasked with preserving and developing technologies recovered from the field by the Knights.^[104]

Finally, Maxson's intention was to maintain the Brotherhood as an organization that works closely with people outside of the Brotherhood, as guardians of civilizations, not its gatekeepers. His idea of an open Brotherhood put him at odds with isolationist members of the Brotherhood, including his own son and Paladin Lizzy Taggerdy, head of the Appalachian chapter. Although nobody confronted him openly on the issue, out of respect for his role as founder, Roger Maxson was in the minority.^[105]

“[The Brotherhood is] the only salvation this tortured planet and its people have. Without us, humanity is sure to perish.”— Master Scribe Vree, 2161

In 2135, Roger Maxson died of cancer. Although referred to as the Founder and Deliverer, the Brotherhood changed under his son, Maxson II.^[28]^[13] The most noticeable effect of the change in leadership was the cessation of outside recruitment by 2141, relying solely on natural growth.^[29]

However, the Brotherhood was still focused on its stewardship role, aiming for the salvation of humanity. Their power armor was a symbol of hope, the harbinger of restoration as the Brotherhood waited for the right moment to restore the battered Earth to humanity.^[106] Until then, it would preserve knowledge and control it, so that it could not destroy humanity again^[107] by preserving knowledge and its practical applications for future generations, as Maxson intended. While the mandate was to recover, restore, and record whatever the Brotherhood could lay its hands on, the Brotherhood emphasized hard sciences and the tangible, resulting in a tacit disregard for non-technical, softer fields of knowledge such as history or sociology. This benign neglect steadily developed into a major problem as the Brotherhood started to forget its own history and origins: As early as 2160, many Brotherhood of Steel Initiates did not know who Roger Maxson was,^[30] with even Scribes showing the same ignorance not even a century after the Brotherhood's foundation.^[108]

The Brotherhood continued to research theoretical and practical aspects of science, including biology, physics, and chemistry. Practical applications were particularly emphasized, as weapons, ammunition, medical supplies, and so on were exported in exchange for food, water, and other necessities.^[109] Exports were limited to conventional technologies, with restricted, advanced items strictly controlled and only provided to those deemed responsible enough to use it.^[44]

Regardless of its disregard for soft sciences, the Brotherhood's policies allowed it to reach a position of influence. Its stockpiles of technology and combined knowledge allowed it to emerge as a major research and development house in New California, slowly reintroducing advanced technologies while wisely remaining outside the power structure.^[42] Its advantageous position would ultimately lead it to its downfall, as the Brotherhood grew confident in its unchallenged role as a quasi technology police, stagnating.^[44]

Fallout New Vegas T-51b — A patrol in Hidden Valley.

See: Brotherhood of Steel (Mojave chapter)

“They're a terrorist group, basically. Militant, quasi-religious fanatics obsessed with hoarding Pre-War technology. Not all technology, mind you. You don't see them raiding hospitals to cart away Auto-Docs or armfuls of prosthetic organs. No, they greatly prefer the sort of technology that Or graves, rather, since hospitals went the way of the Dodo.”— Robert House, 2281

The refusal to adapt and evolve led to a decline in the Brotherhood's standing and influence, as the New California Republic emerged as a major power player in the wasteland.^[45] Facing a changed wasteland with no plan in place, corruption of the Brotherhood's lofty ideals was a matter of time.^[110] The increasingly strict adherence to the organization's principles evolved into religious dogmatism. This mindset eventually dominated its leadership. The Codex became sacred,^[111]^[112] with Roger Maxson effectively deified.^[113]

The definition of technology became very selective. The Brotherhood started to focus almost exclusively on combat technologies such as energy weapons or power armor, zealously restricting its use to its own ranks. Basic, useful technologies like genetic modification of crops or civil engineering were largely ignored, as irrelevant to the pursuit of narrowly-understood power.^[55] Sharing of Brotherhood secrets, even for a greater purpose, is seen as treason warranting summary execution.^[114]

The drive to protect the people from the ravages of technology was replaced by hoarding. The Brotherhood became aggressive in their efforts to control technology, wrestling it away from people viewed as lesser. No outsiders were permitted to join their ranks. Rather than restoring the Earth, the Brotherhood wanted to outlive and inherit the Earth after other rivals have died out.^[115] The Codex itself was either rewritten or reinterpreted to emphasize the world view.^[116]^[117]

Not all Brotherhood chapters were dedicated to this reactionary policy. Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel diverged when Elder Owyn Lyons turned his chapter into a purely charitable organization, aiding the wasteland without compensation and opening its ranks to outside recruitment. His insistence on charity, rather than equitable exchange, led to a steady decline and loss of territory over a period of twenty years of their presence in the Capital Wasteland. While the Purifier Conflict with the remnants of the Enclave provided an influx of new technologies and resources, the chapter was crumbling under Lyons' leadership, devoted to his failed policies of containment and attrition of threats in the Wasteland.^[62] Particularly severe was the fact that Lost Hills completely shut off communications with Lyons' chapter and denied them any reinforcements.^[60]^[61]

See: Brotherhood of Steel (Eastern division)

“Before the Great War, science and technology became more of a burden than a benefit. The atom bomb, bio-engineered plagues and FEV are clear examples of the horrors that technological advancement had wrought. We're here to make sure that never happens again.”— Paladin Danse, 2287

Major changes were introduced under Elder Arthur Maxson in the 2280s. Like the Brotherhood of the 22nd century, the Eastern division (re)dedicated itself to the advancement of humanity. Beyond taking an active role in wasteland politics, the Brotherhood embraced Elder Lyons' policies of eradicating abominations, combining them with a new approach to controlling technology. Abominations of nature brought about by mankind's meddling are viewed as a scourge that needs to be destroyed in order for humanity to prosper. The list typically involves super mutants and hostile ghouls, although the Brotherhood also eliminates raiders and other threats as a matter of course.^[118]^[119]

Control of technology is seen as a means to an end. While the crumbling western Brotherhood attempted to control technology in a desperate attempt to stave off its destruction, Maxson's Brotherhood returned to the original mission of containment: Protecting mankind from technologies that cannot be fully controlled and thus represent a threat to its long-term welfare and even survival. As a result, the Brotherhood seeks to understand the nature of technology, its power and meaning to humans, and fights those who would abuse said power for their own ends, endangering mankind in the process.^[120] The most noticeable way in which this policy is implemented is the collection of technology from pre-War sites, to prevent its abuse.^[121]

The Brotherhood rejects technological development for the sake of technological development, drawing on the lessons of the Great War. The Brotherhood holds that it was a result of technological progress outpacing man's restraint and moral progress. Consumerism and greed became the driving forces of progress, new technologies exploited by megacorporations for their own gain, pocketing the cash and ignoring the collateral damage to society and environment.^[122] Though miracle advancements in medicine and welfare were made, the unchecked development spurred by the war with China led to widespread abuse of technology's potential. Bio-engineered plagues, FEV, and ever more destructive nuclear weapons were but a handful of horrors created by pre-War mankind.^[123] The Great War was a natural result of putting the implements of Apocalypse in the hands of mad men.^[124]

Gen 3 synths, which are indistinguishable from humans, are a perfect example of science run amok - a technology that cannot be fully controlled by humans.^[125] The combination of their superior physique and the capacity to think for themselves renders them a threat to mankind,^[126] while the way in which they are created - assembled in a laboratory and programmed like a robot - is anathema to the Brotherhood, which holds human life to be sacred.^[124]^[127]^[128]

Notably, while the Brotherhood's new rhetoric has religious overtones, Elder Maxson rejects the notion of being worshiped as divine. The eradication of Maxson cults in the Western Brotherhood is consistent with his desire to be nothing more and nothing less than human: Aided and perfected by technology, but not controlled or enslaved by it.^[2]

In the Brotherhood symbol, the gears represent their engineering knowledge, the sword is their will to defend themselves, the wings represent the uplifting hope that the acquisition of lost technology represents for mankind's salvation following the devastation of the Great War, and the circle represents the fraternal unity that makes the organization a true brotherhood.^[129]

Another interpretation is that the Brotherhood's symbol represents each of the organization's different orders. The sword represents the Paladins, the wings represent the Elders (the "wings" control the movement of the sword), the large gear represents the Knights, and the two smaller gears represent the Scribes and the Initiates, whose services keep the Knights supplied with the information and the manpower required to get their jobs done.^[3]

Notably, the Brotherhood insignia evolved throughout the years and while it retained its general appearance, the number of cogs on the gears, their facing, and even basic color scheme have varied between iterations. The standard seems to be nine cogs on each wheel.

The Brotherhood has also used a variety of flags. The first one was a combination of the Stripes of the United States with the Brotherhood's insignia. Subsequent flags usually superimposed the insignia on a field of solid color.

Main article: List of Brotherhood of Steel chapters

FB3 Appendix — Concept art of the Lost Hills bunker.

The headquarters of the Brotherhood and its first chapter is the Lost Hills bunker in California, the seat of the Brotherhood's High Elder and its ruling council, and the place where the organization was founded. It is also the center of their research and military activities. However, by 2242, the Brotherhood was spread across the wastes of California in small bunkers and installations hidden from the eyes of common folk, and finding them all and wiping them out would be a difficult and dangerous task.

Their installations include small observation bunkers (for example, in the Den, San Francisco, and Shady Sands), as well as major outposts and subterranean facilities, like Hidden Valley. Apart from Hidden Valley, at least six other larger bunkers are confirmed to exist, though four of them were destroyed by the Brotherhood and two fell to the NCR. All Brotherhood outposts are formally subject to the Lost Hills' ruling council's authority, even if they sometimes tend to act independently, especially if they are located far from California and contact with the headquarters is rare. The Lost Hills bunker is surrounded by the state of Maxson, which, while named after the founder of the Brotherhood, is officially outside Brotherhood rule and is a state of the New California Republic. The later conflict between the Republic and the Brotherhood most likely resulted in the destruction of many of the Brotherhood's bunkers in New California.^[52]

Main article: Brotherhood of Steel (Appalachia)

The Appalachian branch of the Brotherhood of Steel was founded when Roger Maxson contacted Lt. Lizzy Taggerdy via satellite. The chance meeting led to the earliest branch of the Brotherhood being established in the remote region. Based out of Camp Venture and later Fort Defiance, the chapter focused on recovery and aiding the local population in its early years, before focusing entirely on the destruction of the scorchbeasts and the Scorched as an existential threat to humanity. The chapter failed in its attempt to contain the threat, becoming extinct in August 2095, less than twenty years after their foundation.^[23]

Main article: Brotherhood of Steel (Mojave chapter)

Mojave BOS banner — Mojave Chapter insignia

“Though their power in the west has diminished greatly over the years, the Brotherhood of Steel still maintains hidden, heavily fortified bunkers throughout the Mojave.”— Loading screen

The Brotherhood's bunker is located in Hidden Valley, directly east of the settlement of Goodsprings in the Mojave Wasteland. It is surrounded by powerful underground fans that serve as a high-tech defense system, creating artificial sandstorms which allow the inhabitants to travel to and from the bunker under cover. It also serves as a kind of electronic disturbance to any and all outside factions' targeting sensors, therefore rendering the bunker safe from detection.^[130]

Prior to 2276 the Mojave Brotherhood had been very active in the region before their crippling defeat at HELIOS One by NCR Forces and were forced underground on the orders of their new leader Elder McNamara. Due to a complete lockdown ordered to preserve what remaining soldiers he had, McNamara relies solely on teams that were trapped outside of the bunker for intel and trusted undercover operatives to bring food and supplies back to those trapped inside.^[130]

Despite their seclusion from the outside world they still are regarded as a powerful faction in the region, this is shown in Mr. House's calculations as they painted the Brotherhood insurgency to be the greatest threat to his reign in the Mojave Wasteland in the long-term.^[130]

Main article: Brotherhood of Steel (East Coast)

File:Concept09B.jpg

The Citadel

On the East Coast, the East Coast division of the Brotherhood established the Citadel, built into and beneath the ruins of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. This faction was led by the idealistic Elder Owyn Lyons who decided to make the protection of the human inhabitants of the Capital Wasteland from super mutants and other threats his top priority, instead of the acquisition and preservation of technology. While Lyons was officially recognized by the ruling council at Lost Hills as the leader of a Brotherhood faction, because of his changed priorities he received no support from California and his faction, for all intents and purposes, was independent. Without reinforcements from the West Coast, Lyons was forced to recruit locally, but, as most new wastelander conscripts are overeager, unskilled, or both, the survival rate of these local members was atrocious. Elder Lyons’ daughter Sarah commanded her own elite squad, Lyons' Pride. These soldiers help preserve the Capital Wasteland by holding back the super mutants, who tend to remain in the urban ruins of Washington, D.C.^[62]

Members of Lyons' expeditionary force who preferred to stay faithful to the Brotherhood's original goals of locating and preserving technology and knowledge eventually abandoned him in 2276, after Lyons outright refused to permit them to excavate Fort Independence. Under the lead of Paladin Henry Casdin, they left the Citadel to take up residence in the fort, and styled themselves as the Brotherhood Outcasts. In addition to carrying out Lyons' original orders, the Outcasts attempted to re-establish contact with the western Elders... And have Lyons placed in front of a firing squad.^[131]

As the war with the super mutants intensified, the Enclave returned in the flesh after fleeing New California several years prior. Their radio broadcasts had been heard for years on Wasteland radios. In a bold first move they seized the Jefferson Memorial's "Project Purity" (a project intended to provide clean water to the wasteland), and subsequently consolidated their power throughout the Capital Wasteland. At first favoring caution, Elder Lyons soon changed his mind, engaging the Enclave in a full-scale battle after the Enclave acquires possession of Vault 87's G.E.C.K. and nearly activating Project Purity. With the aid of Liberty Prime, the Enclave was ousted from the Jefferson Memorial and into uncertain disarray. Despite the subsequent loss of Liberty Prime, Lyons' chapter started its recovery to dwarf their fellow chapters back west in power, especially after the devastation of the Brotherhood War.^[62]

Following both Lyons' deaths circa 2278, the chapter was managed by a string of largely ineffectual Elders, only to come under the leadership of Elder Arthur Maxson in 2283, who reunited the chapter with the Brotherhood Outcasts. Together with the Prydwen, a large airship whose creation started in the twilight years of Lyons' reign, and their victory against the Enclave in 2277, the chapter achieved its goal. As of 2287, the chapter is able to field large quantities of Vertibirds and T-60 power armor, manufacture replacement parts, and use standardized energy weapons. Their newly acquired power allowed them to send long range recon teams to scout regions and recover technologies. One of these, Recon Squad Gladius, was sent to the Commonwealth to investigate the region after the disappearance of Recon Squad Artemis. Their findings prompted the Brotherhood to deploy in the Commonwealth aboard the Prydwen and strike against the Institute. Once they arrived, the Brotherhood conducted an air assault on the feral ghouls occupying Boston Airport, and established their main base of operations there. They are capable of and frequently conduct air assault operations, especially when inserting patrol teams and assaulting objectives such as Bunker Hill.^[132]

A bunker exists in Montana and is at some point the home of Elder Patrocolus.^[133]

The splinter faction which lost contact with the Brotherhood leadership at Lost Hills has been an independent organization since 2197, when the airship of its founders crashed near Chicago. Unlike the original, isolationist Brotherhood, the Eastern Brotherhood expanded aggressively and eventually established a network of bunkers and vassalized towns from Illinois to Kansas, drafting folk from tribes and cities under Brotherhood protection into its ranks. While more open to the outside world, this faction of the Brotherhood is by no means altruistic - the villagers under Brotherhood rule, while protected from raiders and mutants, live in fear of the infamous Brotherhood Inquisitors. The Brotherhood main bases were bunkers that were probably pre-Great War military bunkers that were found, taken, and rebuilt. In accordance with the Brotherhood's military roots, they were renamed Bunkers Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon.^[134]

After the death of John Maxson, Rhombus, the head of the Brotherhood's Paladins, became the new High Elder. After the death of the Master, the Brotherhood of Steel helped the other human outposts of New California drive the mutant armies away with minimal loss of life on both sides of the conflict. However, a super mutant faction under the leadership of Attis moved east and attempted to recreate the mutant army in Texas using the Secret Vault. Rhombus, despite some criticism from the ruling council of the West Coast Brotherhood of Steel, started a crusade against the still existent threat of the super mutant army, now led by Attis. They traveled eastward to Texas. There, he discovered a prototype Vault which was abandoned and installed the Brotherhood's main base of operation in this area. Their principal mission was to eradicate the menace of all super mutants. For this reason, they created a new Texas Brotherhood icon, which featured a pair of wings, topped by dual pistols, all of a red color.^[135]

While not necessarily a separate chapter, a fairly large group of Brotherhood soldiers and staff were sent to the Maxson Bunker in Colorado, southeast of the Grand Canyon. In the year 2231, High Elder Jeremy Maxson decided that it was time to expand Brotherhood operations into the east, and he sent an expeditionary force composed of five Paladins to confirm the location of pre-war Senator Todd Peterson's bunker. The expedition leader, Andrea Brixley, discovered the bunker, disabled its security, and opened it for habitation. For over a decade, she and her fellow Paladins explored the east, and forged relationships with many of the local tribes that inhabited the area.^[136]

In the year 2242, Jeremy Maxson renamed the bunker after his famous ancestor, Roger Maxson, and later sent a full complement of troops for occupation there. Andrea Brixley was promoted to Elder, given the rank of General, and was placed in charge of the bunker. The remainder of her exploratory team were given the title of Elder as well. It was not long afterward that the war with the New California Republic was announced, and the bunker was re-suited for war.^[136]

“We're talking about a of bulging-eyed fanatics who think all Pre-War technology belongs to them. They'll never accept my using an army of robots to defend New Vegas. While it's a fight I can win, I'd rather sidestep it altogether.”— Robert House

FOT Intro War 10 — Brotherhood Paladins fighting super mutants and raiders.

While they are generally not hostile to others without a good reason, members of the Brotherhood are not interested in justice for the obviously weaker and less fortunate wastelanders (or mutants) around them. They largely focus on keeping their secrecy and preserving and developing technology, which they often put above human life since technology is irreplaceable in the post-nuclear wastelands—lives are not. Their motives are often unclear, and Brotherhood members are not people to be trifled with. It is safe to say, however, that if a group of Brotherhood Paladins appears to be helping outsiders, their motives are not altruistic.^[3]

The Brotherhood does not like to share their choicest technological bits with others, despite the obvious benefits their technology could bring to the Wasteland. It is a commonly accepted truth within the Brotherhood that the people of the Wasteland are not responsible enough to use (and maintain) all of the technology the Brotherhood has at their disposal. They are known for trading some of their technologies with frontier communities and the states of the New California Republic in exchange for food and other resources, but they keep the more sensitive and advanced technologies to themselves.^[3]

By 2281, the Brotherhood reversed its earlier policies, in response to their waning power, and became much more insular and aggressive, opting to wrestle technologies from the hands of lesser people, whether they be willing to give them up or not. This led to the devastating Brotherhood War. One of the most devastating campaigns of the war played out in the Mojave wasteland: in the course of Operation: Sunburst more than half the chapter perished, forcing Elder McNamara to declare lockdown: sealing the chapter underground, with only high security patrols and supply runners allowed outside. All brothers left outside the bunker are cut loose if this protocol is enacted.^[137] The Brotherhood has also enacted a scorched earth policy: if a bunker is invaded, the crew is obligated to initiate self-destruct. In four out of six instances of successful invasion by NCR forces, this was carried out.^[52]^[138]

For most of its existence the Brotherhood did not recruit outsiders as a general rule. When it did, they require the recruits to be very young, so that the proper relationship with technology can be cultivated. Adults have an approach that the Brotherhood considers perverted.^[139] However, exceptional individuals may conditionally join the Brotherhood.^[140]^[141]

Circa 2287, the policy changed radically. As Elder Arthur Maxson became leader of the Brotherhood's Eastern branch, he retained Elder Owyn Lyons' practice of recruiting wastelanders^[142] sponsored by existing Brotherhood members^[143] and expanded it. As it was under Lyons, sponsor would travel with their charges and teach them the ideals of the Brotherhood and train them in combat.^[144] To this end, active members can field promote recruits to Initiate rank, but the rank and subsequent promotions have to be confirmed by the Elder at the earliest possible opportunity.^[145]^[146] However, while the member can retract their sponsorship,^[147] once the rank is confirmed by the Elder, only the Elder can dismiss the sponsored party from the organization.^[148]

The Brotherhood's attitude towards mutants ranges from dislike to outright hostility. When it comes to the ghouls, the Brotherhood dislikes them due to their ideology. As the Brotherhood hoards and preserves technology, tinkering ghouls that dismantle or sometimes damage old technology are abhorrent. Their dislike was amplified by salvaging operation in the Glow, a location regarded by the Brotherhood as close to holy ground due to the deaths of their comrades there and high technology within. Most Brotherhood members came to see ghouls as filthy scavengers. Thankfully, contact between them is limited.^[90]

Their hostility towards super mutants was derived from the location of Lost Hills. The proximity of their bunker to Mariposa and the desolate Central Valley put them in the paths of many bloodthirsty mutants. That made them an easy choice for an external enemy to focus members of the chapter on.^[90] However, the Brotherhood drove away super mutants with minimal loss of life on both sides of the conflict after the fall of the Master and wasn't hostile towards super mutants that settled down peacefully.^[42]^[149]

By 2287, the Brotherhood has radicalized its policy towards mutants, with standing orders to exterminate any post-War abominations.^[150] In practice, the Brotherhood usually doesn't shoot on sight unless targets are confirmed as hostile - even if they are a synth in a critical location.^[151]

“The worst impulses of mankind, concentrated in one insane, backward tribe. The Brotherhood seems to have formed not long after the great atomic war. It's hard to know - they care little for history. Some of the Brotherhood scribes we captured further East didn't even know the name of their founder, Roger Maxson. They like to pretty up their mission with trappings of chivalry, but the truth is they're horders. They horde technology. It's been 200 years, and they still have the mentality of scavengers. They say they're preserving these technologies, but for what? They have no vision. They offer no future. They're a dead end.”— Caesar, 2281

Fallout Lost Hills Level 3 — The Lost Hills bunker and the heart of the Brotherhood: The main library and workshops.

Military technology is the Brotherhood's main priority, and their efforts over the centuries have equipped them with a powerful array of power armor, energy weapons, defense turrets, combat implants, and computers. Their focus allowed them to amass sizable stockpiles of power armor (T-60, T-51 and T-45 variants, though the western chapters lack the ability to manufacture new units) and energy weapons. Apart from applied combat technologies, the Brotherhood also has access to advanced medical technologies such as cybernetics, combat implants^[152] and virtual reality training systems, which allow personnel to maintain their combat prowess even under lockdown.^[153]

Some chapters have also supplemented their combat force with recovered robots, like robobrains, sentry bots, and even a prototypical bleeding edge combat robot.^[154]

Somewhat ironically, the Brotherhood does not have access to working automobiles, at least not in the mid-2100s.^[155] The Brotherhood did have access to an entire fleet of pre-War air ships in the mid-22nd century, used for exploration and recon. However, over the years the fleet was either destroyed or dismantled for spare parts. By the 23rd century, none of the airships remained, with one notable vessel crashing in the Midwest on a long-range exploration mission. It wasn't until the creation of Prydwen at Adams Air Force Base that the Brotherhood returned to the skies, becoming the first post-War faction to create a flying vehicle from scratch.^[156]^[157]

While the overall devotion to research has decayed over the course of centuries, the Brotherhood was once at the forefront of research in the wasteland. In the 22nd century, for example, research topics ranged from redeveloping laser weapons,^[158] through physics^[159]^[160]^[161]^[162], to astronomy^[163]^[164] and theories on time travel.^[165]

In terms of manufacturing capacity, the west coast Brotherhood relies on items hand-made by the Knights. Although limited supplies pose a challenge,^[166] the real problems come from the actual manufacturing and prototyping process,^[167] especially when the reality doesn't seem to match the Knights' expectations.^[168] Regardless, the Brotherhood was able to maintain a high enough output of technology (primarily weapons and ammunition) to support themselves and trade the surplus for water, food, and other necessary supplies.^[3] However, hand manufacturing and the high degree of sophistication of their primary weapons mean that the Brotherhood has limited strategic flexibility: It cannot compete with nation states like the New California Republic, with their reserves of manpower, industrial output and the mass use of inexpensive weapons.^[169]

Elder

Elder Nolan McNamara (Mojave chapter)
Elder/Father Elijah (Mojave chapter) (Formerly)
Elder Owyn Lyons (East Coast chapter/Capital Wasteland)
Elder Arthur Maxson (East Coast chapter/Commonwealth)

Sentinel

Sentinel Sarah Lyons (Lyons' Pride)

Paladin

Head Paladin Edgar Hardin
Paladin Ramos
Paladin Fairbanks (Deceased)
Paladin Hughes (Deceased)
Paladin Lander (Deceased)
Paladin Matiz (Deceased)
Paladin Raseleanne (Deceased)
Paladin Sato
Paladin Todd
Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy (Deceased)
Paladin Bael
Unnamed GNR commander
Star-Paladin Cross
Operations Officer Edwards
Paladin Glade (Lyons' Pride)
Paladin Gunny
Paladin Hoss
Paladin Jensen
Paladin Greg "Kodiak" Bear (Lyons' Pride)
Paladin Tristan
Paladin Vargas (Lyons' Pride)
Paladin Brandis (Recon squad Artemis)
Paladin Danse (Recon squad Gladius)

Knight

Senior-Knight Lorenzo
Knight Torres (Quartermaster)
Knight Artemis
Knight-Captain Colvin (Lyons' Pride)
Knight Dillon
Knight-Captain Durga (Quartermaster)
Knight-Captain Dusk (Lyons' Pride)
Knight Finley
Knight-Captain Irving Gallows (Lyons' Pride)
Knight-Sergeant Wilks
Knight-Captain Cade (Medic)
Knight-Sergeant Gavil (Logistics)
Knight Keane (Recon squad Gladius) (Deceased)
Knight-Captain Larsen
Knight Lucia (Logistics)
Knight Rhys (Recon squad Gladius)
Rogue knight (Formerly)
Knight Rylan (Deceased)
Knight Tara Astlin (Recon squad Artemis) (Deceased)
Knight Varham (Recon squad Artemis) (Deceased)
Knight Maria Harper (Formerly an Outcast) (Deceased)
Knight Christine Royce (Circle of Steel)

Initiate

Apprentice Melissa Watkins
Initiate Stanton
Initiate Ishmael Ashur (formerly)
Initiate Jennings (Lyons' Pride) (Deceased)
Initiate Pek
Initiate Reddin (Lyons' Pride)
Initiate Clarke (Logistics)

Scribe

Scribe Ibsen
Head Scribe Lars Taggart
Senior Scribe Linda Schuler
Journeyman Scribe Veronica Santangelo
Scribe Bigsley
Scribe Bowditch
Scribe Elizabeth Jameson
Scribe Peabody
Head Scribe Reginald Rothchild
Scribe Vallincourt
Scribe Yearling
Scribe Faris (Recon squad Artemis) (Deceased)
Scribe Haylen (Recon squad Gladius)
Senior Scribe Neriah
The Scribe (formerly)
Scribe Gael Vasquez (Formerly an Outcast) (Deceased)
Scribe Dawson Wakefield (Formerly an Outcast) (Turncoat)

Other

Outcasts

Robots

Despite being relatively small in numbers (compared to groups such as the NCR), the Brotherhood is probably the most widely spread faction in post-war America.
They are among a select group of factions that use power armor (and that can train others to use it) en masse. Besides the Brotherhood, the Enclave and the NCR both have stockpiles of power armor, as well as the elite soldiers to man them. Due to the difficulty with maintaining power armor far from specialized bases and their overstretched supply lines, the NCR in the Mojave Wasteland wear non-functioning power armor rather than fully functional suits. Raiders in the Commonwealth also operate power armor frames with makeshift armor plating, occassionally having access to actual power armor plating.
Most members of the Brotherhood are usually gruff in dealing with outsiders and usually extremely rude towards mutated creatures such as ghouls or super mutants.
The Brotherhood is extremely territorial when it comes to technology and will defend any technological relic to the death. In Fallout: New Vegas it is mentioned that an elder was severely punished for destroying a piece of unknown technology.
According to the Citadel terminal entries, the Brotherhood in Lost Hill began protecting Maxson in the NCR before or by 2277. It also mentions an internal conflict, possibly a civil war, in the Brotherhood of Steel on the West Coast. This conflict forced Arthur Maxson to live in the Citadel.

The Brotherhood of Steel appears in all Fallout games to date except for Fallout 76, in which they are mentioned only.

“I do love how these guys eventually turned out, but their origins were not very original. I simply wanted a group exactly like the monks from the Guardian Citadel in Wasteland. This was one of my favorite parts in the original game – an old, isolated stone fortress whose robed monks wielded insane energy weapons and would blast any trespassers. Fantastic. The Brotherhood was intentionally the same post-apocalyptic religious order that existed to keep the technologies of the old world alive. However, unlike the nihilistic Guardians of Wasteland, I really wanted the player to be able to befriend and join up with this group (and grab all of their awesome gear, of course). In keeping with the medieval monk themes, the Brotherhood became more of a knightly order with a distrust of outsiders rather than a coven of crazy zealots. Although this did make them similar to concepts in Gamma World (the Knights of Genetic Purity) and Warhammer 40K (the Imperial Tech Cults), I just loved the idea of high-tech knights in power-armor wielding virbo-swords and Gatling Lasers. Total fan service to me.”— Scott Campbell, The Origins of Fallout

The Brotherhood of Steel were based on a completely hostile faction known as the Guardians in the 1987 game Wasteland, the predecessor to Fallout.
The Brotherhood's technology-centric religious ideology was directly influenced by A Canticle for Leibowiz, which dealt with how a group of Christian monks who task themselves with preserving all scientific and technological knowledge of mankind until the human race is ready for it again.^[170]
Valve Software's multiplayer FPS Team Fortress 2 pays homage to the Brotherhood with an achievement in the game's 'Mann vs. Machine' game mode.

Add-on factions

Automatron

Rust Devils

Far Harbor

Harbormen · Trappers · Children of Atom · Acadia

Nuka-World

Hubologists · Nuka-World raiders (The Pack · Disciples · Operators)

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Bethesda Store Faction Flag: "Vexillologist speculate that this very flag raised over the Lost Hills Bunker at the founding of the Brotherhood of Steel; handled by Captain Maxson himself. A rare relic indeed for any Wasteland collector."
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 The Prydwen terminal entries; Proctor Quinlan's Terminal, The Rise of Elder Maxson: "Opening Notes
These entries are my attempt at writing a timeline documenting Elder Maxson's rise within the ranks of the Brotherhood. It's my sincerest wish that these entries will one day be compiled in a classic printed book format and distributed throughout the Wasteland. Long live Elder Maxson and long live the Brotherhood!
Background
Despite the defeat of the Enclave in the Capital Wasteland, the Brotherhood of Steel was still an organization divided. The Outcasts, a splinter faction that left the safety of the Citadel, still struggled to survive in the Capital Wasteland, separated from their parent organization. And while some of the Brotherhood members within the Citadel had no desire to reunite with their "disgraced" brothers, many saw the advantage in bolstering their own forces with warriors already trained and indoctrinated by the Brotherhood of Steel. Surely they could work out any... philosophical issues?
Enter Maxson
Enter Arthur Maxson, young squire to both Owyn and Sarah Lyons, and descendant of the very founder of the Brotherhood of Steel, Roger Maxson. When Elder Owyn Lyons died, care of young Arthur Maxson passed to Sarah Lyons, Owyn's daughter, who was then named Elder in his place. But when Sarah fell in battle shortly thereafter, things became complicated. The Brotherhood of Steel based in the Citadel found itself in need of leadership, and began appointing one ineffective Elder after another.
Accomplishments
As the years passed, and Arthur Maxson grew, so too did his accomplishments. At age 12, while on a training patrol, he killed two Raiders and saved the squad that was supposed to be escorting him. At age age 13, he single-handedly killed a Deathclaw (and gained the large facial scar he still has to this day). But it was his victory at age 15, over the Super Mutant "Shepherd" who was attempting to re-organize the Capital Wasteland's Super Mutants, that elevated him to hero-like status. When word of this feat reached the Elders back on the West Coast, they knew the time had come... Maxson was ready. Ready to lead and, more importantly, to reunite the fragmented Brotherhood of Steel forces on the East Coast.
Our New Leader
So it was that a year later, when he was only 16 years old, Arthur Maxson brokered a peace with the Outcasts, re-integrating them into the Brotherhood of Steel, and proving he was as effective a diplomat as he was a warrior. Now re-united, the full force of the Brotherhood of Steel appointed Arthur Maxson as Elder... the youngest in Brotherhood of Steel history.
Aftermath
Elder Maxson reigns supreme in the Capital Wasteland, and his authority and influence have been spreading across the Eastern Seaboard, thanks in no small part by the mobility afforded by the Prydwen. He has the full support of the Elders back on the West Coast, who have proudly reported that they've begun eradicating cults that have popped up, worshipping Maxson as though he's some kind of god. Maxson himself is almost offended by the idea of being referred to as a deity, as it goes against everything he believes in. Arthur Maxson is happy to be one thing... the perfect human specimen, an example of everything a human being can achieve. Assisted, even enhanced, by advanced technology, but still very much human."
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 ^3.6 ^3.7 ^3.8 Fallout Bible 6:
"The Brotherhood of Steel: The Brotherhood of Steel (BOS) is a techno-religious organization, with roots in the US military and government-sponsored scientific community from before the war. The BOS is mostly composed of the descendents of those military officers, soldiers, and scientists, but aside from some outlanders among their ranks, the BOS is as close to pure strain humanity (prime normals) as you're going to find outside of a Vault."
"The ranks of the BOS is generally recognized as being composed of the best and the brightest... which means the BOS is a really small organization, at least compared to NCR. They make up for this with their frightening arsenal of pre-war and post-war technology: They have laser weapons, power armor, surgical enhancements, combat implants, and a squad of Brotherhood Knights have the ability to erase an entire town from a map without a scratch."
"The Brotherhood are generally good guys, but they have their faults - (1) they don't care for mutants, (2) they worship technology, and in many cases, put it above human life, and (3) they don't like to share their choicest technological bits, despite the obvious benefits their technology could bring to the wasteland. It's commonly accepted within the Brotherhood that the people of the wasteland are not responsible enough to use (and maintain) all of the technology the BOS has at their disposal. They are known trade some of their technologies with frontier communities and NCR states, but they keep the more sensitive technologies to themselves."
"It is believed that the current HQ of the BOS is the Lost Hills bunker in Fallout 1, but at the time of Fallout 2, the BOS is spread across the wastes in small bunkers and installations hidden from the eyes of common folk – finding them all and wiping them out would be a difficult and dangerous task."
"The BOS is divided into different ranks: Initiates are trainees who are expected to perform well enough in the training process to be promoted to Squires. After proving themselves, Squires are promoted to Knights. After many years of service and experience, the best Knights are promoted to Paladins - the pinnacle of the Brotherhood military. Paladins who survive to their later years become Elders, and they number among the Brotherhood ruling council."
"It is also possible to serve the Brotherhood as a Scribe. Scribes are responsible for copying the ancient technologies, maintaining the current technology and even experimenting with new weapons and other useful devices. Scribes rarely leave the safety of the BOS bunkers, but they are sometimes called into the field to examine a piece of technology or perform a task beyond the skills of the Brotherhood soldiers."
"It is said that the BOS symbol, broken down, represents each of these orders. The sword represents the Paladins, the wings represent the Elders (the "wings" control the movement of the sword), the large gear represents the Knights, and the two smaller gears represent the Scribes and the Squires, whose services keep the Knights supplied with the information and the manpower to get their jobs done. No one is sure what the circle means, however."
↑ The Chosen One: "{115}{}{Who are you guys?}"
Matthew: "{119}{}{We are a paramilitary organization known as the Brotherhood of Steel.}"
(FCFMATT.MSG)
↑ The Chosen One: "{201}{}{What do you know about the Brotherhood?}"
ACE: "{221}{}{The Brotherhood of Steel is a paramilitary organization dedicated to the salvation of mankind through the proper use of technology. All other information is classified.}"
(Fsface.msg)
↑ References within the body of the article.
↑ Power management and mainframe terminal: "{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)
↑ Power management and mainframe terminal: "{219}{}{FEV (Force Evolutionary Virus). Status: Pending }"
"{232}{}{FEV Summary Digest: 2073. As China became increasingly aggressive with their use of biological weapons, the United States government felt that a countermeasure was needed. The Pan-Immunity Virion Project (PVP) was officially formed September 15, 2073. }"
"{233}{}{2075. It became clear that the best way to combat the newly created biological weapons was to alter uninfected DNA so that it was no longer susceptible to standard viral infection.}"
"{234}{}{2076. Unforseen side effects began surfacing in early 2076 with the PVP. Animal test subjects began showing an abnormal growth rate accompanied by increased brain activity. }"
"{235}{}{The U.S. government took notice of these discoveries, and in the interests of national security, moved a team on-site to secure and oversee the project, which was now dubbed the FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) project.}"
"{236}{}{2077. FEV nears completion. Test on lab animals are at a near 100% success rate. Size and muscle density increase approximately 60%, and the protential intelligence increase by 200%. }"
"{237}{}{Effects upon human subjects remain unknown; although they are theoretically promising. }"
"{238}{}{The military, wishing to continue further testing, builds a large facility at the Mariposa military installation in central California. At this new facility, testing of the FEV virus continues on volunteer subjects from the military.}"
(GPWRTERM.MSG)
↑ FEV experiment disk: "Log Date January 7, 2077
Major Barnett has ordered transfer of all FEV research to the Mariposa Military Base. He plans to continue the project experiments on volunteer subjects. I am against this, and would like it noted here that research on human subjects is not recommended by myself or my staff."
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 ^10.2 ^10.3 ^10.4 ^10.5 Captain Maxson's diary: Oct 10, 2077: I, Roger Maxson, Captain, serial number 072389 have started this log because it doesn't look good for any of us, and I'd like for people to know what really happened here.
All hell broke loose when we finally discovered what those scientist bastards were up to. The Colonel has locked himself in his office and seems to be having some sort of breakdown. The men are screaming for blood. They're looking to me for answers, and I'm not sure what to do. Someone has to do something, though, before this place sinks into an anarchistic bloodbath.
Oct. 12 2077: Every time we get a report from higher up things get worse here. The war is going in a very bad direction and this place is about to go into full mutiny, with all the chaos that entails. I stopped one of the men from executing a scientist today, and demanded that we interrogate them to find out what their orders were. Oct.13 2077: I killed a man today. I was interrogating Chief Scientist Anderson and he was giving me the full details of their inhuman experiments. He said his orders came from the Gov't., but I didn't buy it. He started screaming about how he was following orders, how he was a military man, and I just shot him. I tell myself it was to keep him from causing a full mutiny among the men, but I'm not so sure.
Oct.15 2077: I tried again to speak to the colonel through the door, but he seems to have completely lost touch with reality. I broke down the door with several of the men just in time to watch him blow his head off. Right before he pulled the trigger he said he was sorry.
Oct. 18 2077: By killing the egghead, I seem to have confirmed my position as leader of the men. They follow me without question now. The interrogations invariably end up being executions. Shellman held out the longest, but the end result was the same. Her arguments about her orders were a bit too specific to be completely made up. I'm getting a real bad feeling in my gut about how this is all going to end up. I don't even lie to myself anymore about my reasons for executing the scientists.
Oct.20 2077: I finally replied to the outside world over our radio. I don't know why they never sent anyone here to see what was happening when we stopped responding to their transmissions. It doesn't make any sense. Well, they'll come now. I declared ourselves seceded from the union. They remember Jefferson Davis. What will history say about me?
Oct.22 2077: What the hell is going on? We declare ourselves to be in full desertion from the army and no longer under the Government's command and what happens? Nothing. Something bad is coming down.
Oct. 23 2077: I can't believe those bastards finally did it. Damn them all to Hell. They finally let the A-Bombs fly. We were right in the middle of trying to pry the real story out of von Felden when we completely lost contact. I have a feeling the research center was hit hard. I don't know why, just call it a gut feeling. It seems inconceivable that we were not targeted. I'm sure China will make up for that oversight real soon. Luckily, we had moved our families from outside into the facility the day before yesterday. We do not yet know if the fallout has reached this area.
Oct. 25 2077: Sgt. Platner volunteered to go outside today to take specific readings on the atmosphere. It seems the radiation has not spread this far. Since he was wearing his power armor, there was no threat to him from radiation, but if he had been exposed he would have had to be exiled. We don't have adequate decontamination facilities here.
Oct. 26 2077: I convinced the men that we should bury the scientists. I don't know why...perhaps it was to ease my conscience. I finally started to believe their stories when the last one was dying. My God, what have I become?
Oct. 27 2077: We're leaving this godforsaken place today. I'm leading the exodus to the old government bunker at Lost Hills. I'm leaving this log behind to be buried when this place goes in the next exchange. Who knows, maybe someone will find it someday....."
↑ Maxson log
↑ Fallout bible 0: "2077 Nov Captain Maxson, his men, and their families, arrive at the Lost Hills bunker a few weeks later, suffering many casualties along the way, including Maxson's wife (but not his teenage son). The Lost Hills bunker becomes the HQ of the Brotherhood of Steel the Vault Dweller finds in Fallout 1."
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 ^13.2 ^13.3 ^13.4 Sophia's tape
↑ Chris Avellone placed Allen's rebellion in 2134 for Fallout Bible, which would have made him at least an octogenarian when he split off. He appears to have missed two elements: Cabbot's explanation that the group split off during the Exodus and the fact that the disk references United States Army ranks and the United States Armed Forces, instead of the Brotherhood of Steel. Furthermore, Avellone mentioned Elders in the timeline, who did not exist in any capacity in 2077. Sophia's tape makes it clear that Allen defied Captain Maxson, not the Elders.
↑ Fallout Bible 0 Timeline repair: Second strike: "2134 A faction within the Brotherhood of Steel led by Sergeant Dennis Allen gains strength, and they urge the Elders to let them explore the southeast Glow for artifacts. The Elders refuse, so Allen and his divisionist group splits away from the Brotherhood of Steel, taking some technology and weapons with them." "2134 Led by Sergeant Dennis Allen, a small team of the Brotherhood of Steel head to the West Tek research facility in search of technological artifacts. They arrive there twenty days later, and are promptly chewed apart by the West Tek's unforgiving automated defense systems. Wounded, Allen begins to suffer radiation poisoning from a leak in his suit. Before he dies, he logs what happened to the expedition into a holodisk then goes to join the Brotherhood in the sky." Note: While the date 2134 is given in the timeline, Cabbot explicitly names the date as 2077.
Note: The first name is given only in the Fallout Bible 0 timeline. In the game itself he is only referred to as "D. Allen".
↑ Cabbot: "{226}{Cab_64}{Oh, well, in the Exodus, the Brotherhood split into two groups. The group that broke away robbed the others of some of the weapons an-and they went south. Then about ten years ago we sent out knights to look for them and all they found was ruins. No one knows what happened.}"
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1011}{}{Ancient}" Cabbot: "{1111}{Cab_64}{Oh, well, in the Exodus, the Brotherhood split into two groups. The group that broke away robbed the others of some of the weapons an-and went southwest. About ten years ago, we sent out knights to look for them, but all they found was ruins. No one knows what happened.}" The Vault Dweller: "{1012}{}{Exodus}" Cabbot: "{1112}{Cab_65}{The ancient Brotherhood came from some place far up north a long, long time ago. We call this the great Exodus. You can read about it more if you ask Vree in the library. }" The Vault Dweller: "{1014}{}{Order}" Cabbot: "{1114}{Cab_64}{Oh, well, in the Exodus, the Brotherhood split into two groups. The group that broke away robbed the others of some of the weapons an-and went southwest. About ten years ago, we sent out knights to look for them, but all they found was ruins. No one knows what happened.}" (CABBOT.MSG)
↑ 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.'"
↑ Radio Log: Aug 29 2077
↑ Taggerdy's Journal: NOV 04 2077
↑ Formation of the Brotherhood of Steel
↑ About the Brotherhood
↑ ^23.0 ^23.1 ^23.2 ^23.3 See Brotherhood of Steel (Appalachia) for references.
↑ Camp Venture terminal entries: "JAN-03-81: E Fisher" Note: This entry establishes that Taggerdy is still referred to as Lieutenant, indicating the switchover did not yet take place.
↑ Squire Asher's journal
↑ Preservation of Technology
↑ The Nuclear Option (holotape)
↑ ^28.0 ^28.1 Fallout Bible 0: "2135 Elder Roger Maxson dies of cancer, and his son, already an accomplished soldier, takes up the role of "General" (Elder) within the Brotherhood of Steel. John Maxson becomes a member of the Paladins, showing tremendous promise as a soldier."
↑ ^29.0 ^29.1 ^29.2 John Maxson: "{106}{Gen_1}{Hello, youngster. Cabbot said you wanted to talk. Look I'm uh . . . I'm pretty stacked up right now, so I'll uh . . . I'll help you out as long as you don't start flappin' your gums too much. You know, outsiders are like that, always jawin' . . . Hehehe. Kinda like me, huh?}"
The Vault Dweller: "{107}{}{Outsiders? What do you mean by that?}"
John Maxson: "{113}{Gen_3}{An Initiate not born here. You're the first Outsider we've let join in a long, long time. Well, near on twenty years now. }"
(MAXSON.MSG)"
↑ ^30.0 ^30.1 The Vault Dweller: "{325}{}{You don't consider the Brotherhood's weaponry to be important?}"
Sophia: "{337}{}{Vree seems to think that the research of new weaponry and the information gathered from Mutant autopsies is more important than our history. She has forgotten that our history is a vital part of our lives. It has gotten so bad that many of the new initiates don't even know who Roger Maxson is or what exactly he did for us.}"
(SOPHIA.MSG)
↑ ^31.0 ^31.1 ^31.2 Fallout bible 6: "Defeat at the Hub in 2125: Their failed attempt to raid the Hub during the Hub's formative years, stopped almost solely by Angus, the founder of the Hub. Angus' defense caused the Vipers to retreat north, and they roamed the wastes for many, many years, occasionally attacking caravans and small settlements. Around the early 2150s, however, the Vipers had grown to their former strength from captured slaves and caravan drivers and had begun to establish a power base in the badlands to the North of the Hub (and 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, attracting the attention of the Brotherhood of Steel. The Brotherhood sent out a few squads of scouts to track the raiders down - it was more of a training exercise conducted by John Maxson's father, as the Brotherhood was convinced that small detachment of troops in Power Armor would be sufficient to deal with a group of raiders, no matter how large.
Near Extermination by the Brotherhood of Steel in 2155: One Brotherhood squad found the Vipers, and during the firefight, John Maxson's father (who was leading the squad) was killed with a poisoned arrow. The response from the Brotherhood was immediate. 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. A handful of Vipers were able to flee north and east into the mountain range, but they were never heard from again.
During the campaign, the Brotherhood sent a few scouts and emissaries to the Hub to track down Vipers members, and from these beginnings, the Hub and the Brotherhood began 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 on a regular basis). So some good did come out of the Vipers' presence in the wastes, for what it's worth."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2155 John Maxson's father dies in a raid by the Vipers. Expecting the raiders to break and run, Maxson doesn't take into account the religious ferocity of the Vipers (or their poisoned weapons), and when a single arrow nicks him with his helmet off, he dies within hours. John Maxson takes up the role of Elder, and Rhombus becomes the new head of the Paladins."
↑ The Vault Dweller: ""
John Maxson: "{252}{Gen_67}{You can't trust them. A few years ago, they offered us Water for a huge stockpile of weapons. We told them no, and you know what they did? Sent in thieves to steal the weapons! We caught 'em, but the Elders voted down going to the Hub to teach the merchants a lesson.}"
"{1115}{Gen_67}{You want to hear about the Water Merchants. Hehehe, well you can't trust them. A few years ago, they offered us Water for a huge stockpile of weapons. We told them no, and you know what they did? Sent in thieves to steal the weapons! We caught 'em, but the Elders voted down going to the Hub to teach the merchants a lesson.}"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2161 October A Brotherhood of Steel patrol comes across a dead super mutant in the badlands. They take the corpse back to the Scribes, and Head Scribe Vree begins her examinations of the super mutant."
↑ Vree's autopsy report: "This is truly amazing. Some of the Knights on a patrolling expedition came across an unusual creature."
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{119}{}{Okay, can you teach me some stuff?}"
Rhombus: "{122}{Rhom8}{Stuff? I could teach you how to fight...if you had any ability. But the High Elder decreed no training of new recruits until the threat of invasion passes.}"
(RHOMBUS.MSG)}}
↑ The Vault Dweller: ""
John Maxson: "{122}{Gen_5}{When we heard about the missing caravans, we sent out a few scouts east and the north. The ones who went north never returned. One came back from the east. He talked about a score of strange beings, all muscle with burnin' eyes. The Elder's aren't doin' squat, but I'm getting ready just the same.}"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ The Vault Dweller: ""
John Maxson: "{141}{Gen_12}{I got a gut feeling there's a small force in the east and a much bigger one in the north. The Elders are collecting dust because none of the scouts returned from the north. I can't do anything but watch.}"
"{146}{Gen_13}{Well the Merchants from the Hub told us a bunch of caravans disappeared on their way up north. I think there's an army in the mountains, but the Elders, well, they don't want to act until they're sure. }"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ Vault Dweller's memoirs: "I returned to the Hub, looking for clues. Some time was spent there, and I discovered a shady underworld amongst the hustle and bustle of that large city. They thought they could manipulate me, but I proved them wrong and used the crooks instead. I did rescue a young man who belonged to the Brotherhood of Steel. A few trouble-makers tried to stop me, but I learned much about survival since leaving the Vault."
↑ ^40.0 ^40.1 Vault Dweller's memoirs: "It was in my best interest to leave town for a while. I journeyed to this Brotherhood. Thinking they would have the knowledge I sought, I tried to join them. They required me to go on a quest before they would let me in. Thinking it would be a short and easy quest, I agreed and set off for the place they called the Glow. The horror of atomic war was never so obvious to me until then. The Brotherhood was surprised to see me, and even more surprised to see that I had not only survived their quest, but succeeded. They gave me the information I required and some of their technology, and I set off in search of the Boneyard."
↑ Vault Dweller's memoirs: "I had to find these Vats, and put them out of action as well, lest another take the Master's place and continue to build the mutant army. Fortunately, my friends at the Brotherhood had a few clues, and helped me reach my goal. Invading the Vats, I came across more mutants and robots. None could stand in my way. I had a mission. I had a goal. I had a really large gun. It was here that Dogmeat fell, a victim of a powerful energy forcefield. I miss that dog. I destroyed the Vats that day, and with it, the mutant army. The last I heard, they splintered and disappeared into the desert."
↑ ^42.0 ^42.1 ^42.2 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.
↑ 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."
↑ ^44.0 ^44.1 ^44.2 The Chosen One: "{121}{}{Okay - and what is it that you do?}"
Matthew: "{122}{}{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.}"
(FCFMATT.MSG)
↑ ^45.0 ^45.1 The Chosen One: "{131}{}{Before we go any further, why tell me all this now?}"
Matthew: "{132}{}{(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.}"
"{133}{}{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: "{135}{}{Let me guess. You want me to infiltrate this base for you.}"
Matthew: "{136}{}{Let me be frank with you,}"
"{137}{}{. 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.}"
(FCFMATT.MSG)
↑ The Chosen One: "{124}{}{You said 'at one time.' What about now?}"
Matthew: "{125}{}{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.}"
"{126}{}{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: "{128}{}{Sounds interesting. What have you learned?}"
Matthew: "{129}{}{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.}"
(FCFMATT.MSG)
↑ The Chosen One: "{116}{}{Why is it that nobody around here mentions you?}"
Matthew: "{166}{}{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.}"
(FCFMATT.MSG)
↑ 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)
↑ 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)
↑ GTtv interview with Josh Sawyer: "In the Fallout: New Vegas, the Brotherhood is not quite as prominent as they were in, say, Fallout 3. Part of that is because over time, the Brotherhood has been at war with New California Republic. So after the end of Fallout 2, they basically got into conflict with NCR over control of technology, mostly energy weapons because that's one of the main purposes of the Brotherhood is to control that technology. NCR didn't want to hand it over, so they went to war."
↑ Fallout: New Vegas loading screen hints: "Due to disagreements over how technology should be controlled in the wasteland, the Brotherhood of Steel waged a long and bloody war against the NCR. Despite superior equipment and training, the Brotherhood eventually went into retreat."
↑ ^52.0 ^52.1 ^52.2 The Courier: "Any recommendations on how to complete the mission?"
Robert House: "From time to time, the NCR has assaulted Brotherhood bunkers. In four of the six incidents I know of, the bunkers self-destructed. I surmise it's standard practice for the Brotherhood to install a self-destruct system. It's consistent with their uncompromising nature. You might use that against them. Or kill them another way, it's up to you. Return when it's done."
(Robert House's dialogue)
↑ The Courier: "Tell me about what happened at HELIOS."
Ramos: "I'm sure someone's told you all this before. Several years back, we were running our chapter out the HELIOS One solar power station. Our Elder at the time, Elijah, had some kind of obsession with the place. Which is the only reason we stayed as long as we did. That place was hardly defensible, and we knew the NCR was moving in on us, but the Elder refused to budge, insisting that he just needed "more time". We never found out what he needed the time for. Wave upon wave of NCR troopers hit us from all directions. We held out for a time, but we were grossly outnumbered, and they had more men than we had ammo. Eventually our positions collapsed. Elder Elijah was nowhere to be found, so McNamara took charge and led what remained of us on a counter-offensive west. We lost a lot of men and women, but we broke through and made it here. Make no mistake, McNamara saved this chapter that day."
(Ramos' dialogue)
↑ Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.458: "Important Dates:
2276 "Conflict with the Brotherhood of Steel escalates, culminating in decisive victory at HELIOS One. The Mojave Brotherhood is considered "neutralized.""
(Behind the Bright Lights & Big City)
↑ ^55.0 ^55.1 Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.43: "Brotherhood of Steel
The Brotherhood of Steel is a militant organization devoted to the preservation of pre-war technology and human knowledge. Their professed mission is to preserve pre-war technology and human knowledge for the benefit of future generations. In practice, its definition of technology is strangely selective, ignoring basic but potentially useful technologies (genetic modification of crops and civil engineering, for example) in favor of combat technology such as energy weapons and power armor: and even now, nearly two centuries after the Great War, the Brotherhood zealously restricts the use and knowledge of such technologies to its own membership.
The Mojave Brotherhood operated freely amid the Vegas wastes for several years, carrying out many reclamation missions without serious opposition. The balance of power shifted in 2251, when a large contingent of NCR troops entered the region and occupied Hoover Dam. Conflict was inevitable. Nearly two years of guerilla skirmishes culminated in a pitched battle at HELIOS One, a solar energy plant the Brotherhood had been refurbishing for several months with the goals of bringing it back online and activating its hidden offensive capabilities (the ARCHIMEDES II death ray). The battle for HELIOS One (Operation: Sunburst) proved a disaster for the Mojave Brotherhood. More than half its Paladins and Knights were killed. The chapter's leader, Elder Elijah, disappeared without a trace. The Brotherhood was driven from the facility, which suffered extensive damage. Survivors retreated to Hidden Valley.
Since that defeat, the chapter's leader, Elder McNamara, has restricted activity outside the bunker to occasional reconnaissance missions and high-value raids. All operations take place at night, and engagement of NCR forces is strictly forbidden. Though the Brotherhood's ascetic lifestyle has prepared its members for a sequestered existence better than most, the passivity of their current situation has proved highly stressful."
(Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles)
↑ "And this is discussed in-game: BoS raided NCR's gold reserves until NCR could no longer generate gold coinage nor back their paper money. They abandoned the gold standard and established fiat currency, which is why its value is inflated over both caps and (especially) Legion coinage. (...) People in eastern NCR and the Mojave Wasteland lost faith in the NCR government's a) ability to back the listed value of paper money and b) stability overall. If you're living in Bakersfield, staring at a piece of paper that says "redeemable for value in gold" and you have no faith in the government's ability or willingness to do that -- or if you see that the government has changed the currency to say that it is not able to be exchanged for a backed good -- you may very well listen to the strong consortium of local merchants offering to exchange that paper note for currency backed by water." --Joshua Sawyer src
↑ "Traders from the Mojave travel the Short Loop into NCR, which means that they have to go through a few hundred miles of solid desert. Carrying enough water to travel from New Vegas to the Boneyard (or vice versa) would undercut cargo capacity significantly. Even the communities around the Mojave Wasteland (other than New Vegas itself) have water brought in and stored in local towers. Of course, the Colorado River is nearby as long as you don't mind walking through an active war zone." --Joshua Sawyer, src
↑ "How does the Hub 'back' caps? Can you exchange a certain number of caps for a standard measure of water? Yes." J.E. Sawyer src
↑ "It happened during the BoS-NCR war. I believe Alice McLafferty mentions it, but I'm not positive. She doesn't detail the events in this much detail, but here they are: The attacks caused NCR citizens (and others who held NCR currency) to panic, resulting in a rush to reclaim the listed face value of currency from NCR's gold reserves. Inability to do this at several locations (especially near the periphery of NCR territory where reserves were normally low) caused a loss of faith in NCR's ability to back their currency. Though NCR eventually stopped the BoS attacks, they decided to protect against future problems by switching to fiat currency. While this meant that BoS could no longer attack a) reserves or b) the source of production (all NCR bills are made in the Boneyard), some people felt more uneasy about their money not having any "real" (backed) value. This loss of confidence increased with NCR inflation, an ever-looming specter of fiat currency. Because the Hub links NCR with the Mojave Wasteland and beyond, the merchants there grew frustrated with NCR's handling of the currency crisis. They conspired to re-introduce the bottle cap as a water-backed currency that could "bridge the gap" between NCR and Legion territory. In the time leading up to the re-introduction, they did the footwork to position themselves properly. If some old-timer had a chest full of caps, they didn't care (in fact, they thought that was great, since the old-timers would enthusiastically embrace the return of the cap), but they did seek to control or destroy production facilities and truly large volumes of caps (e.g. Typhon's treasure) whenever possible." --Joshua Sawyer src
↑ ^60.0 ^60.1 The Lone Wanderer: "You make saving people sound like a bad thing."
Reginald Rothchild: "It wasn't why we were sent here. Good or bad has nothing to do with it. Lyons knew that, but ignored it. He decided it was more important to save the people here than to obey orders from his superiors. For years he'd try and persuade them to send reinforcements and supplies, all the while stringing them along, saying he was sticking to the mission. Finally, things came to a head. Lyons directly refused orders, and so the West Coast cut us off. No communications, no reinforcements."
(Reginald Rothchild's dialogue)
↑ ^61.0 ^61.1 The Lone Wanderer: "Why, what happened?"
Reginald Rothchild: "Lines of communication were severed years ago. The Western Elders have washed their hands of us."
(Reginald Rothchild's dialogue)
↑ ^62.0 ^62.1 ^62.2 ^62.3 See Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel for references.
↑ The Sole Survivor: ""
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."
(The Scribe's dialogue)
↑ Brotherhood passive dialogue: "I'm proud to be serving under Elder Maxson. I had enough of Lyons and his foolish ways."
↑ Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; Terminal, Chain That Binds
↑ The Courier: "One of the datastore entries mentioned the Chain That Binds. What is that, exactly?"
Ramos: "That's an old, old principle that's been around since the Brotherhood was founded. It basically means that you have to obey a superior officer. It's pretty much common sense, but it gets invoked a lot when people get pissy about following orders. If you're curious, I'll give you access to the datastore entry on it. You'd probably be the first to read it in years, if not decades."
(Ramos' dialogue)
↑ About the Brotherhood
↑ The Vault Dweller: ""
Lorri: "{148}{}{I'm sorry, but you are an outsider. After you're in the Brotherhood for ten years or so I'll be able to do the operation for free, but we have expenses and you're not a regular working member of the Brotherhood, yet.}"
(BOSLORI.MSG)
↑ Courier: "Initiate Stanton told me about your little adventure the other day." Melissa Watkins: "That was so much fun! The wind whipping through our hair, not knowing what was going to jump out at us at any moment. And when those scorpions came out! It was just like the sims! All I had to do was line then up and squeeze the trigger. I doubt I'll be able to get Stanton to go with me again, though. I thought he'd enjoy it as much as I did, but he was just scared the whole time. Don't tell him I told you this, but when those scorpions surrounded us, I'd bet a week's rations he pissed himself!"
↑ Courier: "Can I just get you another laser pistol?" Initiate Stanton: "No, weapon check-in protocol includes verifying the serial number of the weapon, so a different gun would be noticed. Plus, having a new gun suddenly show up would immediately point to you, being the only outsider around here and all. No, the only way I have out of this is if you help me find that gun. You'll help me, right?"
↑ Torres: "Sorry, outsider, but I'm not allowed to sell you anything without the Elder's say so."
"You must be the stranger I've been hearing about. Sorry, but I'm strictly forbidden from offering our tech to outsiders like yourself."
(Torres' dialogue)
↑ Events of Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.
↑ Interaction with Teagan quartermaster of the Prydwen in Fallout 4
↑ The Courier: "What happened?"
Veronica Santangelo: "She left the Brotherhood. Wanted to put some distance between herself and her parents. Since our membership isn't open to outsiders, some members think that obligates all of us to procreate. You can guess which camp her parents belonged to."
(Veronica Santangelo's dialogue)
↑ The Courier: "Leaving now is your only shot at a future."
Veronica Santangelo: "There's no getting around that, is there? What would my life be like here, knowing what's to come? They're not going to like this. We're given a chance when we're young to choose whether to stay. If we do, it's supposed to be for life. But they haven't left me any choice. It's this or a lifetime of scavenging and watching my friends die in losing battles. I guess it's settled, then."
(Veronica Santangelo's dialogue)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{195}{}{Why don't you just grow food yourselves?}"
Cabbot: "{198}{Cab_41}{Uh, well, the purpose of this place is to make Scribes and Knights. Anyone who wants to be something else just leaves.}"
(CABBOT.MSG)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1008}{}{Initiates}"
John Maxson: "{1108}{Gen_60}{Well that's what you are. Initiates train and learn to become knights or scribes.}"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1009}{}{Scribes}"
John Maxson: "{1109}{Gen_61}{Well, Scribes copy down the weapon specs. We've got information all the way back to my granddad. Sometimes a scribe comes up with a new idea for a weapon. Hehehe. Doesn't happen too often. They all answer to Vree.}"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1005}{}{Scribes}"
Cabbot: "{1105}{Cab_58}{OK, well, scribes are the keepers of all the histories and the blueprints for the weapons we make. I just love books; that's why I want to be one . . . a Scribe, that is.}"
(CABBOT.MSG)
↑ Fallout 3 scribes
↑ The Courier: "Tell me about the Scribes."
Melissa Watkins: "The Scribes are responsible for discovering how all the old tech we recover actually works and sometimes even work on inventing new things. Without them, the Brotherhood could never fulfill its mission. Or at least, that's what my dad always used to say."
(Melissa Watkins' dialogue)
↑ Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 Scribes.
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{345}{}{What is the Brotherhood's main purpose?}"
John Maxson: "{172}{Gen_21}{Our main goal is to survive. The Scribes copy old plans for weapons or design new ones, and the Knights make the guns from 'em. Most guns come from us.}"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{173}{}{You trade the weapons to the Hub?}"
John Maxson: "{176}{Gen_22}{That's the way we get our supplies.}"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ ^85.0 ^85.1 The Vault Dweller: "{1010}{}{Knights}"
John Maxson: "{1110}{Gen_62}{The Knights make the weapons. And when he's good enough, a Knight can advance to become a Paladin and then an Elder and so forth. Right now Rhombus is the head of the Knights.}"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1006}{}{Knights}"
Cabbot: "{1106}{Cab_59}{Well, you see, they're the ones who want to become protectors of the Brotherhood. There's not many of them, but they train their whole lives to become Paladins.}"
(CABBOT.MSG)
↑ The Courier: "Tell me about the Knights."
Melissa Watkins: "Knights are in charge of all of our equipment. Power armor, gatling lasers, you name it. All of it built and maintained by Knights. Knights also get to go out on patrols, scouting assignments, and support the Paladins in offensive operations. Being a Knight would mean getting to see more of the world, fight the Brotherhood's enemies, and possibly someday become a Paladin like my mother."
(Melissa Watkins' dialogue)
↑ Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 Knights.
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1011}{}{Paladins}"
John Maxson: "{1111}{Gen_63}{Paladins are in charge of all security and outside activities. I remember tradin' with the Hub, goin' on scouting missions for the Elders. Ah man, those ware a good times.}"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ ^90.0 ^90.1 ^90.2 ^90.3 Fallout Bible 8
↑ The Vault Dweller: ""
Talus: "{196}{}{Only Paladins wear Power Armor, someday you may earn the right to wear it.}"
(TALUS.MSG)
↑ Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 allow for both classes to employ them.
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1004}{}{Elders}"
Cabbot: "{1104}{Cab_57}{They make all the decisions around here, from what we eat to what our duties are. And uh, they argue a lot, too. The High Elder seems to have to step in a lot.}"
(CABBOT.MSG)
↑ The Courier: "Tell me about your last Elder."
Edgar Hardin: "Elijah was a strange one. His even becoming Elder was highly questionable, seeing as how he was a Scribe. Typically, only Paladins are eligible. But an exception was made in his case, on account of him being a genius. Unfortunately, whatever scientific acumen he had didn't extend to tactics. Trying to defend HELIOS was a blunder of the worst kind, and many brothers lost their lives because of it. Many of the senior paladins, myself included, advised him to fight a retreating action, but he refused to budge. Said he almost "had it working". We never did find out exactly what he was talking about. When the perimeter was finally overrun, the Elder had simply vanished."
(Edgar Hardin's dialogue)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1006}{}{Elder}"
John Maxson: "{1106}{Gen_58}{Hehehe. A fine, handsome, upstanding man. The High Elder position is to mediate the meetings between the Elders. You see, two years ago I got talked into it. If I'd of known then...}"
(MAXSON.MSG)
↑ Maxson II was killed in 2155, but John Maxson only replaced him on the Elder council at that date. He only became High Elder in 2155. See Maxson II for details.
↑ Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; Terminal, Elder Dismissal Incidents
↑ Leading by Example
↑ ^99.0 ^99.1 ^99.2 ^99.3 ^99.4 Brotherhood ranks in Fallout 4.
↑ Lancers in Fallout 4.
↑ Scribes in Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.
↑ Dekker continues to be the player's commanding officer even if they achieve an equivalent rank.
↑ Rank structure in the game.
↑ ^104.0 ^104.1 Preservation of Technology
↑ Elder Maxson's final conversation
↑ Talus: "{217}{}{, it is time you wore your own suit of Power Armor. This is a very special privilege for one so new to our order. Wear our Power Armor as a symbol of hope as you walk the wasteland, for someday when the world is ready we will surface and restore our battered Earth. Congratulations, you have made us all very proud. I'll send Michael the authorization.}"
(TALUS.MSG)
↑ The Courier: "What's their purpose?"
Veronica Santangelo: "Ha! Good question. These days it's hard to say. Once upon a time it was about technology. Controlling it so it couldn't destroy us again. Energy weapons and power armor are usually tops on our list, although I appreciate anything that's vintage. But that all seems so limited now. We haven't grown or adapted. And now we're stuck in a hole, not carrying out our mission."
(Veronica Santangelo's dialogue)
↑ The Courier: "What do you think of the Brotherhood of Steel?"
Caesar: "The worst impulses of mankind, concentrated in one insane, backward tribe. The Brotherhood seems to have formed not long after the great atomic war. It's hard to know - they care little for history. Some of the Brotherhood scribes we captured further East didn't even know the name of their founder, Roger Maxson. They like to pretty up their mission with trappings of chivalry, but the truth is they're horders. They horde technology. It's been 200 years, and they still have the mentality of scavengers. They say they're preserving these technologies, but for what? They have no vision. They offer no future. They're a dead end."
(Caesar's dialogue)
↑ Brotherhood services and research as seen at Lost Hills in Fallout. They are also mentioned as a key trading good with the Hub merchants.
↑ The corruption affected the entire Brotherhood and wasn't a localized development unique to the Mojave chapter, as indicated by the references in the Brotherhood War article. Furthermore, as the Mojave chapter was established in Veronica's lifetime (she explicitly states Elijah took her with his force, after New Californian Elders decided to get rid of the problem by promoting him out of the way), it is an example of the West's ideology, not an outlier.
↑ The Courier: "What's the Codex?"
Veronica Santangelo: "Ah, the Codex. If it's in there, we have to abide it, if it's not, it's not important. It documents our history, too. Part of what Scribes like me do is update it. Hmm... I wonder... Nah, they'd probably catch it if I rewrote the Founder's axioms."
(Veronica Santangelo's dialogue)
↑ Paladin group leader, after Veronica's talk with the Elder during I Could Make You Care: "Respect, nothing. She plans to whisper in his ear. Poison him against the Codex. A paladin always has a say where the Codex is concerned. Veronica's aspirations are seditious. All of us here are sworn to obey and protect the Codex, even against one of our own. She's gone too far this time."
↑ Aforementioned Paladin group leader: "High Elder Maxson didn't just found the Brotherhood. He defined it. To serve in the Brotherhood is to serve his ideals. Our way of life is based on them. We know no other path. There {emph}is no other path. With her... leanings... Veronica spits in the face of every Knight, Paladin, and Scribe to serve in our ranks."
↑ Paladin leader: "Passing Brotherhood secrets to outsiders is the lowest form of treason. What have you got to say for yourself?"
↑ The Courier: "Does the Brotherhood protect people from raiders or other threats?"
Veronica Santangelo: "No, no. We only protect people from themselves, and only in the sense that we don't let them have the really good Pre-War toys. And sometimes it's more like we protect ourselves from them and hope to outlive them and become humanity's sole heirs. We've had people go rogue, though, and start helping people. One chapter had a small civil war over it. We take our isolationism seriously."
(Veronica Santangelo's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Relax, Squire. I don't bite."
Arthur Maxson: "I plead for your pardon if my behavior offends you, sir/ma'am. We don't get many visitors in the Citadel. The Brothers and Elder Lyons are excellent teachers, but I get nervous about the protocols. The codex says that outsiders are not to be trusted. Shield yourself from those not bound to you by steel, for they are the blind. Aid them when you can, but lose not sight of yourself, it says."
(Arthur Maxson's dialogue (Fallout 3))
↑ Nolan McNamara: "What does the Codex say?"
Veronica Santangelo: "A bunch of closed-minded bullshit."
Nolan McNamara: "We do not help them, or let them in."
Veronica Santangelo: "But-"
Nolan McNamara: "We keep knowledge they must never have."
Veronica Santangelo: "Give it a chance. For me. I can't stay here and watch us waste away."
Nolan McNamara: "I'm sorry."
Veronica Santangelo: "We'll die out."
Nolan McNamara: "<Sighs> I know."
Veronica Santangelo: "Come on. I can't listen to this anymore."
(Veronica Santangelo's and Nolan McNamara's dialogue) Note: This conversation is spoken at the end of the quest I Could Make You Care.
↑ Fallout 4 loading screen hints: "The Brotherhood of Steel is dedicated to the advancement of humanity, and views mutation as a scourge. Super Mutants, Ghouls and any other "abominations" have been deemed impure, and must be eradicated."
↑ The Sole Survivor: "What are my responsibilities as a Sentinel?"
Arthur Maxson: "I need you to set an example for the troops. Collect technology, exterminate abominations of nature and bring a message of stability to the people of Commonwealth. Our ideals are what define us, Sentinel. If we can hold onto that, then we will always be victorious. Was there anything else you need to ask?"
(Arthur Maxson's dialogue (Fallout 4))
↑ The Sole Survivor: "Who are the Brotherhood of Steel?"
Danse: "Our order seeks to understand the nature of technology. It's power. It's meaning to us as humans. And we fight to secure that power from those who would abuse it."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ Danse: "Over two hundred years ago, the abuse of technology drove our race to the brink of extinction. The Brotherhood refuses to allow that to happen again. By collecting all forms of technology, and keeping it out of reach of those who seek to exploit it, we're ensuring the survival of the human race."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ Danse: "It was corporations like this that put the last nail in the coffin for mankind. They exploited technology for their own gains, pocketing the cash and ignoring the damage they'd done."
(Danse's dialogue) Note: This is spoken in the lobby of ArcJet Systems, during Call to Arms.
↑ The Sole Survivor: "How did mankind abuse technology?"
Danse: "Before the Great War, science and technology became more of a burden than a benefit. The atom bomb, bio-engineered plagues and FEV are clear examples of the horrors that technological advancement had wrought. We're here to make sure that never happens again."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ ^124.0 ^124.1 Arthur Maxson: "How dare you betray the Brotherhood!"
Danse: "It's not his fault. It's mine."
Arthur Maxson: "I'll deal with you in a moment. Knight! Why has this... this thing not been destroyed?"
The Sole Survivor: "He's still alive because you're wrong about him."
Arthur Maxson: "Him?! Danse isn't a man, it's a machine... an automaton created by the Institute. It wasn't born from the womb of a loving mother, it was grown within the cold confines of a laboratory. Flesh is flesh. Machine is machine. The two were never meant to intertwine. By attempting to play God, the Institute has taken the sanctity of human life and corrupted it beyond measure."
Danse: "After all I've done for the Brotherhood... all the blood I've spilled in our name, how can you can say that about me?"
Arthur Maxson: "You're the physical embodiment of what we hate most. Technology that's gone too far. Look around you, Danse. Look at the scorched earth and the bones that litter the wasteland. Millions... perhaps even billions, died because science outpaced man's restraint. They called it a "new frontier" and "pushing the envelope," completely disregarding the repercussions. Can't you see that the same thing is happening again?! You're a single bomb in an arsenal of thousands preparing to lay waste to what's left of mankind."
(Arthur Maxson's and Danse's dialogue)
↑ Fallout 4 loading screen hints: "To the Brotherhood of Steel, the Gen 3 synths, which are indistinguishable from humans, are a perfect example of science run amok - a technology that cannot be fully controlled by humans."
↑ The Sole Survivor: "No, but I'm hoping there's a way out."
Danse: "Don't be ridiculous. Look, I'm not blind to the fact that this must be difficult for you. I wish Maxson had sent someone else. But that doesn't change a thing. I'm a synth, which means I need to be destroyed. If you disobey your orders, you're not only betraying Maxson, you're betraying the Brotherhood of Steel and everything it stands for. Synths can't be trusted. Machines were never meant to make their own decisions, they need to be controlled. Technology that's run amok is what brought the entire world to its knees and humanity to the brink of extinction. I need to be the example, not the exception."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ The Sole Survivor: "Danse shares the same beliefs as the Brotherhood."
[Arthur Maxson]]: "Don't be so naive. How can you trust the word of a machine that thinks it's alive? A machine that's had its mind erased, its thoughts programmed... its very soul manufactured. Those ethics that it's striving to champion aren't even its own. They were artificially inserted in an attempt to have it blend in to society."
(Arthur Maxson's dialogue (Fallout 4))
↑ The Sole Survivor: "Synth? Isn't that the same as "robot?""
Danse: "They're an abuse of technology created by the Institute. Abominations meant to "improve" upon humanity. It's unacceptable. They simply can't be allowed to exist."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ Fallout scenery description: "{18400}{}{Emblem}"
"{18401}{}{The symbol of the Brotherhood. The gears represent their engineering knowledge, the sword is their will to defend themselves and the wings are the uplifting hope.}"
(PRO SCEN.MSG (Fallout))
↑ ^130.0 ^130.1 ^130.2 See Mojave chapter for references.
↑ See Brotherhood Outcasts for references.
↑ See Brotherhood of Steel (Eastern division) for references.
↑ Owyn Lyons: "Brothers, as we take our meal this day, let us reflect upon the words of Elder Patrocolus of the Montana Bunker. "It is in service of Steel and guardianship of one's Brothers that each man finds his purpose. My friends, stand with your Brothers. Guard them... ...guide them. And in each of them find purpose. Look around this table, my Brothers. Look into the eyes of each man and woman seated here today. Pledge in your hearts and minds, pledge by your guns that you will stand with them in battle until the end. Trust each of them with your life." And earn the trust of each in turn. Eat well, my friends."
(Owyn Lyons' dialogue) Note: CitElderLyonsMealBlessing1
↑ See Eastern Brotherhood of Steel for references. Note that the game was disregarded by Bethesda Game Studios in the development of Fallout 3, placing it outside the main continuity.
↑ See Texas Expedition for references. Note that the game was disregarded by Bethesda Game Studios in the development of Fallout 3, placing it outside the main continuity.
↑ ^136.0 ^136.1 See Maxson bunker for details. Note that as the game was not released, all information within is considered as being outside the main continuity.
↑ The Courier: "What exactly are the rules regarding entering and leaving?"
Ramos: "Under the lockdown, only essential personnel are permitted to enter or leave. That includes supply runners and high security patrols. All other personnel are forbidden to leave, and any personnel that were out there when the lockdown was enacted are forbidden from returning."
(Ramos' dialogue)
↑ The Courier: "Any possibility of a diplomatic solution?"
Robert House: "We're talking about a coterie of bulging-eyed fanatics who think all Pre-War technology belongs to them. They'll never accept my using an army of robots to defend New Vegas. While it's a fight I can win, I'd rather sidestep it altogether."
The Courier: "I don't want to kill off the entire Brotherhood."
Robert House: "Don't tell me that you've fallen for the stories of noble paladins on crusade, preserving mankind's technology in a benighted age? Dross! In any case... this is an employer - employee relationship. I've given you an assignment, and the directions are clear."
(Robert House's dialogue)
↑ The Courier: "How do I join the Brotherhood of Steel?"
Ramos: "You don't. Ever. You don't even think about it. Even if we did recruit trespassers, you're far too old for us. Your relationship to technology has already been perverted."
(Ramos' dialogue)
↑ The Courier: "I want to join the Brotherhood."
Edgar Hardin: "Yes, I thought you might, given how much time you've spent here. That's not usually a request we agree to. Typically, we take in the young, so that they might be trained through adolescence. In special cases, we allow exceptional individuals to conditionally join. Luckily for you, you happen to be exceptional. The condition is that you must complete a task. This task must prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have what it takes to join the Brotherhood. I happen to have something perfectly suitable in mind, though I warn you - it won't be easy. Still interested?"
(Edgar Hardin's dialogue)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{104}{}{What is the Brotherhood of Steel.}"
Darrel: "{110}{}{The Brotherhood is a collective of men and women who have dedicated their lives to the preservation of technology.}"
(DARL.MSG)
↑ Danse: "Would it be possible to speak... off the record for a moment?"
The Sole Survivor: ""Off the record?" That's not like you, Danse."
Danse: "Which is why this is going to be difficult to say, so I'd appreciate it if you bear with me. When you were first placed under my sponsorship, I had some serious reservations about it. Despite all that, this has turned out to be a rewarding experience... for both of us. At this point, honestly, I don't feel like there's anything else I could teach you about being a Brotherhood soldier that you don't already know. It's apparent from your attitude and your actions that you intend to keep those ideals close to your heart."
The Sole Survivor: "You're beating around the bush. Is there something you're trying to tell me?"
Danse: "Is it that obvious? I've... never been very good at these things. Let me start at the beginning. I grew up alone in the Capital Wasteland. Spent most of my childhood picking through the ruins and selling scrap. When I was a bit older, and had a few caps to my name, I moved into Rivet City and opened a junk stand. While I was there, I met a guy named Cutler. We got along pretty well, watched each other's backs and kept each other out of trouble. When the Brotherhood came through on a recruiting run, we felt like it was the best way out of our nowhere lives, so we joined up."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ The Sole Survivor: "Does it have anything to do with the Brotherhood?"
Danse: "I wouldn't necessarily say that. This isn't a formal meeting. I... simply want to clear the air. I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot when we first met and I feel like I owe you an apology. Expecting you to embrace the standards of the Brotherhood without having a history with us was unfair. And given that you've adjusted so well to our beliefs, I don't think I needed to push so hard."
The Sole Survivor: "That's very kind. Thank you."
Danse: "Well, you deserve it. When I was an Initiate, my sponsor was Paladin Krieg. Toughest squad leader I ever served with. He was a model soldier, embodying the values every trainee was striving to achieve. Fiercely loyal, secure in his beliefs and brave to a fault. From the moment I was assigned to his squad I was singled out... it felt like he was pushing me harder than the rest of the team. I fought by his side for years and we had some seriously close calls, but he never explained to me why I was treated that way."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ The Sole Survivor: "So what's all this about you being my sponsor?"
Danse: "Elder Maxson is understandably particular when it comes to new recruits. He believes in order to keep the Brotherhood strong, we have to bond as brothers. As your sponsor, it's my duty to travel with you throughout the Commonwealth to ensure that our ideals are being observed. That's why I'm so concerned about your performance in the field."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ Semper Invicta and Shadow of Steel
↑ The Sole Survivor: "Don't worry, I've spent time in the military."
Danse: "Perfect. Then there's no need to give you a long lecture, so I'll get right to the point. I only ask for two things from anyone under my command. Honesty and respect. You fall in line, you stay in line. I give you an order, and you follow it. It's as simple as that. Now, before I release you to Haylen and Rhys for your assignments, there's one last order of business. From this moment forward, I'm granting you the rank of Initiate. This is only a training rank... I'm not premitted to grant ranks any higher than that."
The Sole Survivor: "Why can't you promote me beyond Initiate?"
Danse: "Only an Elder can promote you beyond Initiate. After we get the transmitter up and running, I'll call in and see what I can do."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ Danse: "I've already told you, I'm retracting my sponsorship. You're on your own."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ Danse: "I don't know why you even bother staying with the Brotherhood."
(Danse's dialogue)
↑ Fallout 2 events.
↑ The Sole Survivor: "What exactly do I have to do?"
Kells: "You'll be escorting a squire to a location where you'll be purging it of all the post-war aberrations: mutants, ghouls, synths, you name it. Meanwhile, the squire will observe and assist under your protection. It's simple and extremely beneficial. What do you say?"
(Kells' dialogue)
↑ The Survivor can bring Strong, Hancock, or Nick Valentine into Brotherhood locations without them opening fire.
↑ The implants acquired from Lorri at Lost Hills in Fallout.
↑ Fallout: New Vegas Hidden Valley VR pods
↑ Fallout 3 Citadel
↑ Knight: "{102}{}{Boy, I wish we had an automobile.}"
(KNIGHTB.MSG)
↑ The Sole Survivor: "Did the Brotherhood ever build other airships?"
Kells: "There were less advanced versions of this ship built on the West Coast a long time ago. Historical records about their current status are in dispute, but we're fairly certain that they were destroyed. In any event, I hope your tour of the Prydwen helped acclimate you to our way of life up here. I think you'll find that the more familiar you become with both her capabilities and her crew, the longer you'll survive as a member of the Brotherhood. You're dismissed, Knight/Paladin/Sentinel."
(Kells' dialogue)
↑ Art of Fallout 4 p.256: "Chapter 6 VEHICLES
AUTOMOBILES REPRESENT one of our best opportunities to convey a sense of the design style of the world before the war. So much of American culture is expressed through the colorful care and trucks people once drove, and although none of them actually work anymore (and also have a tendency to explode), they're one of the most common elements you'll see as you explore the Wasteland. We spent a fair amount of time designing and creating different vehicles. We needed plenty of variety and wanted to use them frequently as set dressing. Each model had a range of colors and conditions, from rusted-out hulks to fairly intact vehicles with the paint still in good condition. We really liked to add a little style with the use of bright accent colors on the cars and other background pieces. Luckily the space-age ceramic-based paint formulations used in the 2070s were extremely resistant to fading and rust.
The large sedan seen here returns from Fallout 3, along with the classic Fusion Flea, but we also have a host of new vehicles that were late-model designs at the time of the war. The coupe and the sports car have sleek, streamlined styling with rounded cabins and bubble-shaped cockpits. But due to the engineering limitations of the bulky mini reactor engines, the packaging efficiency for most of the vehicles is poor.
Our aircraft designs were revisited for this project as well. Not having a massive crashed airliner in Fallout 3 always felt like a missed opportunity, given the precariousness of being in the air at the moment of nuclear devastation. This time, since an airport is a major location in our world, we envisioned majestic flying-wing jumbo jets as the preferred method of long-distance travel. These started out much, much bigger than what we ended up with in the game, and even still, the plane wreckage is a bit oversized in comparison to the footprint of our airport.
However, one vehicle whose size is both impressive and appropriate is the Prydwen, the only postwar-built airship. We went with a full-on diesel-punk design, combining elements of Zepplins and naval vessels and using mysterious technologies (beyond simple hydrogen) to keep it afloat. Its complement of Vertibirds are of a different variety than the gunships used by the Enclave—better suited to troop transport but modified for deployment from the airship."
↑ The Vault Dweller: ""
Vree: "{124}{Vree18}{Speak to the knights. Ask them to show you one of the latest laser pistols I designed.}"
(VREE.MSG)
↑ Scribe: "{105}{}{Will the universe continue to expand or will it eventually collapse back in on itself?}"
(GENSCRIB.MSG, SCRIBEB.MSG)
↑ Scribe: "{112}{}{Did you know the sun is actually a big nuclear reaction?}"
(GENSCRIB.MSG)
↑ Scribe: "{112}{}{Did you know that the sun is actually a big nuclear reaction? Similar to what ended the old world, except it's fission, no fusion.}"
(SCRIBEB.MSG)
↑ Scribe: "{114}{}{Did you know that the hydrogen atom is 99.9843425% empty space?}"
(GENSCRIB.MSG, SCRIBEB.MSG)
↑ Scribe: "{113}{}{Did you know a black hole is actually an opening to another universe?}"
(GENSCRIB.MSG)
↑ Scribe: "{113}{}{Did you know that a black hole is actually an opening to another universe? I have it all worked out on paper. Too bad there won't be any more space travel until long after I'm dead.}"
(SCRIBEB.MSG)
↑ Scribe: "{115}{}{Time travel will one day be possible and we might be able to prevent the disaster that ruined our world in the past. But wouldn't that . . . stop us from going back if it was fixed . . . oh, my head hurts.}"
(SCRIBEB.MSG)
↑ Knight: "{102}{}{When our supplies are limited it can really be a challenge to find a way to use what we've got.}"
(KNIGHTA.MSG)
↑ Knight: "{103}{}{I can't figure out why my last prototype didn't work.}"
(KNIGHTA.MSG)
↑ Knight: "{108}{}{Well, the computer says it should work. Now what did I do wrong?}"
(KNIGHTA.MSG)
↑ See Brotherhood War for details.
↑ Tim Cain GDC talk

Factions in Fallout

Major factions

Brotherhood of Steel · Followers of the Apocalypse · United States Armed Forces · Unity

Secondary factions

Blades · Caravan merchants · Crimson Caravan · Desert Rangers · Far Go Traders · Friendly Lending Company · Gun Runners · Hub police · Hub's central council · Jackals · Khan · Nightkin · Raiders · Regulators · Rippers · Skulz · Circle of Thieves · Underground · Underground ghouls · Vat Team 9 · Vault 13 rebels · Vipers · Water Merchants

Religions

Children of the Cathedral · Christianity · Dharma

Factions in Fallout 2

Major factions

Brotherhood of Steel · Bishops · Enclave · Mordinos · New California Republic · Salvatores · Wrights

Secondary factions

Anti-mutant conspiracy · Atomic Energy Commission · Cannibals · Caravan merchants · Council of Citizens · Enclave Department of the Army · Mobsters · New California Republic Army · New California Republic Rangers · Nightkin · Raiders · Renewal · Secret Service · Shi · Slags · Slaver's Guild · Squatters · Stockmen's Association · Tanker vagrants · Temperance Union · Trappers · Tribals · United States Armed Forces · Unity · Unwashed Villagers · Vault City guard · Yakuza

Religions

Christianity · Hubologists · Renewal

Factions in Fallout 3

Major factions

Brotherhood of Steel · Enclave

Secondary factions

2nd Monument Defense Detachment · Abolitionists · Brotherhood Outcasts · Chinese remnants · Church of the Children of Atom · Enclave Department of the Army · Enclave Research and Development Division · The Family · The Institute · Littlehorn & Associates · Lyons' Pride · Nuka-Cola fan club · Project Purity · Raiders · The Railroad · Regulators · Reilly's Rangers · Rivet City Council · Rivet City Security Force · Slavers · Sudden-Death Overtime · Talon Company · Treeminders · Tunnel Snakes · Vault 101 security

Add-on factions	Mothership Zeta	Alien (Fallout 3)

	Broken Steel	Apostles of the Eternal Light

	Operation: Anchorage	People's Liberation Army · United States Army · United States Army Corps of Engineers

	The Pitt	Pitt slaves · Pitt raiders

	Point Lookout	Tribals

Factions in Fallout: New Vegas

Major factions		Caesar's Legion · New California Republic (New California Republic Army (Bravo Company · First Recon · Military Police · The Misfits) · New California Republic Rangers (Alpha Squad) · Office of Science and Industry) · Free Economic Zone of New Vegas (Mr. House · Yes Man)

Prospective factions		Boomers · Enclave remnants · Followers of the Apocalypse · Great Khans · Mojave Brotherhood of Steel · Three Families (Chairmen · Omertas · White Glove Society)

Secondary factions		Aliens · Bright Brotherhood · Cassidy Caravans · Crimson Caravan · Davison's nightkin · Fiends · Greasers · Gun Runners · Jackals · The Kings · Maud's Muggers · Mojave Express · Powder Gangers · Rad Pack Revue · Scorpions · State of Utobitha · Van Graffs · Vipers · Westside Cooperative (Westside Militia)

Add-on factions		Dead Horses · Happy Trails Caravan Company · Mormons · Sorrows · White Legs · Think Tank

Factions in Fallout 4

Major factions

Brotherhood of Steel · Commonwealth Minutemen · The Railroad · The Institute

Secondary factions

Atom Cats · Cabot family · Church of the Children of Atom · Covenant · Diamond City security · Forged · Gunners · L&L Gang · Neighborhood Watch · Pillars of the Community · Publick Occurrences · Raiders · Recon Squad Gladius · Triggermen · Salem Volunteer Militia · Synth Retention Bureau · Alien (Fallout 4)

Factions in Fallout 76

Active factions

Major factions		Blood Eagles (Rust Eagles) · Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force · Crater Raiders (Blackwater Bad Boys · Diehards · Lev's crew · War Party) · Cult of the Mothman · Enclave · Responders (Fire Breathers) · Settlers

Minor factions		Atlantic City Municipal Government · Blue Ridge Caravan Company · Brotherhood of Zeal · Cutthroats · Edwin's gang · The Enlightened · Fanatics · Free Radicals · Hellcat Company · Lombardi Family · Pioneer Scouts · Sargento's gang · Secret Service · The Showmen · Pittsburgh Union · Zetan aliens

Defunct factions

Major factions		Appalachian Brotherhood of Steel/Taggerdy's Thunder · Free States · original Responders (original Fire Breathers) · Raiders (Blackwater Bandits · original Cutthroats · original Diehards · Gourmands · Trappers)

Minor factions		Burrow Boys · Charleston Emergency Government · Free Watoga People's Party · Order of Mysteries · Sons of Dane

Factions in Van Buren

3-Some Caravan · Blackfoot and Hangdogs · Brotherhood of Steel · Caesar's Legion · Ciphers · Circle of Steel · Crimson Caravan · Daughters of Hecate · Enclave · Hounds of Hecate · Jackals · Mormons · NCR · Powder Gangers · Rusty Hooks · Salvagers · Scaven Pickers · Scorpion's Bite · Trogs · Twin Mothers · Van Graffs · Wrights

Lost Hills

Characters

Anthony · Brenden

· Cabbot · Darrel · John Maxson · Mathia · Michael · Rhombus · Sophia · Talus · Thomas · Vree · Dr. Lorri · Lorri's assistant · Kyle · Paul · Jennifer · Jerry · Farli

· Kedrick

· Thomas · Caravan leader · Brotherhood guard · Brotherhood supply guard · Brotherhood student · Derek

Initiate · Knight · Scribe · Paladin · Elder · Jacob · Jonathan · Mary · Rachael

Quests

Become an initiate · Convince the Elders to send help · Guard the caravans · Fix the broken T-51b power armor · Rescue Initiate from the Hub · Scout the northern wastes

Holodisks

Captain Maxson's diary · Vree's autopsy report

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 |image2 desc  =Insignia and first flag of the Brotherhood of Steel<ref name="1flag">[https://gear.bethesda.net/products/brotherhood-of-steel-faction-flag?sf104358925=1 Bethesda Store Faction Flag]: "''Vexillologist speculate that this very flag raised over the Lost Hills Bunker at the founding of the Brotherhood of Steel; handled by Captain Maxson himself.   A rare relic indeed for any Wasteland collector.''"</ref>
 |founded by   =[[Roger Maxson]]
-|founded by   =[[Fallout timeline#2077|2077]], by deserters under the command of [[Roger Maxson]]
+|founded by   =[[Timeline#2077|2077]], by deserters under the command of [[Roger Maxson]]
 |type         military order
 |government   =Absolute authority vested in the Elder council and Elders of chapters
 |structure    =Strict hierarchy and caste division enforced under the [[Codex]]. Obedience and conformity mandated by the [[Chain That Binds]] doctrine.
 |leader       =
-'''Elder council''':<hr>Elder [[Jacob (Fallout)|Jacob]], Elder [[Rachael (Fallout)|Rachael]], Elder [[Jonathan (Elder)|Jonathan]], Elder [[Mary (Lost Hills)|Mary]] (2161)<hr>'''High Elder''':<br/>[[Roger Maxson]] ([[Fallout timeline#2077|2077]]—[[Fallout timeline#2135|2135]])<br />[[Maxson II]] (2135—[[Fallout timeline#2155|2155]])<br/>Interim High Elder (2155-2159)<br />[[John Maxson]] ([[Fallout timeline#2159|2159]]—onwards)<br />[[Rhombus]]<br />{{icon|VB|12px}} [[Jeremy Maxson]] (2231-)<Br/>Elder [[Arthur Maxson]] (2283 onwards)<ref name="MaxsonBackstory">[[Prydwen terminals#The Rise of Elder Maxson|''Prydwen'' terminals; Proctor Quinlan's Terminal, The Rise of Elder Maxson]]: ''"Opening Notes''<br/>''These entries are my attempt at writing a timeline documenting Elder Maxson's rise within the ranks of the Brotherhood. It's my sincerest wish that these entries will one day be compiled in a classic printed book format and distributed throughout the Wasteland. Long live Elder Maxson and long live the Brotherhood!''<br/>''Background''<br/>''Despite the defeat of the Enclave in the Capital Wasteland, the Brotherhood of Steel was still an organization divided. The Outcasts, a splinter faction that left the safety of the Citadel, still struggled to survive in the Capital Wasteland, separated from their parent organization. And while some of the Brotherhood members within the Citadel had no desire to reunite with their "disgraced" brothers, many saw the advantage in bolstering their own forces with warriors already trained and indoctrinated by the Brotherhood of Steel. Surely they could work out any... philosophical issues?''<br/>''Enter Maxson''<br/>''Enter Arthur Maxson, young squire to both Owyn and Sarah Lyons, and descendant of the very founder of the Brotherhood of Steel, Roger Maxson. When Elder Owyn Lyons died, care of young Arthur Maxson passed to Sarah Lyons, Owyn's daughter, who was then named Elder in his place. But when Sarah fell in battle shortly thereafter, things became complicated. The Brotherhood of Steel based in the Citadel found itself in need of leadership, and began appointing one ineffective Elder after another.''<br/>''Accomplishments''<br/>''As the years passed, and Arthur Maxson grew, so too did his accomplishments. At age 12, while on a training patrol, he killed two Raiders and saved the squad that was supposed to be escorting him. At age age 13, he single-handedly killed a Deathclaw (and gained the large facial scar he still has to this day). But it was his victory at age 15, over the Super Mutant "Shepherd" who was attempting to re-organize the Capital Wasteland's Super Mutants, that elevated him to hero-like status. When word of this feat reached the Elders back on the West Coast, they knew the time had come... Maxson was ready. Ready to lead and, more importantly, to reunite the fragmented Brotherhood of Steel forces on the East Coast.''<br/>''Our New Leader''<br/>''So it was that a year later, when he was only 16 years old, Arthur Maxson brokered a peace with the Outcasts, re-integrating them into the Brotherhood of Steel, and proving he was as effective a diplomat as he was a warrior. Now re-united, the full force of the Brotherhood of Steel appointed Arthur Maxson as Elder... the youngest in Brotherhood of Steel history.''<br/>''Aftermath''<br/>''Elder Maxson reigns supreme in the Capital Wasteland, and his authority and influence have been spreading across the Eastern Seaboard, thanks in no small part by the mobility afforded by the Prydwen. He has the full support of the Elders back on the West Coast, who have proudly reported that they've begun eradicating cults that have popped up, worshipping Maxson as though he's some kind of god. Maxson himself is almost offended by the idea of being referred to as a deity, as it goes against everything he believes in. Arthur Maxson is happy to be one thing... the perfect human specimen, an example of everything a human being can achieve. Assisted, even enhanced, by advanced technology, but still very much human."''</ref>
+'''Elder council''':<hr>Elder [[Jacob (Fallout)|Jacob]], Elder [[Rachael (Fallout)|Rachael]], Elder [[Jonathan (Fallout)|Jonathan]], Elder [[Mary (Lost Hills)|Mary]] (2161)<hr>'''High Elder''':<br/>[[Roger Maxson]] ([[Timeline#2077|2077]]—[[Timeline#2135|2135]])<br />[[Maxson II]] (2135—[[Timeline#2155|2155]])<br/>Interim High Elder (2155-2159)<br />[[John Maxson]] ([[Timeline#2159|2159]]—onwards)<br />[[Rhombus]]<br />{{icon|VB|12px}} [[Jeremy Maxson]] (2231-)<Br/>Elder [[Arthur Maxson]] (2283 onwards)<ref name="MaxsonBackstory">[[The Prydwen terminal entries#The Rise of Elder Maxson|''The Prydwen'' terminal entries; Proctor Quinlan's Terminal, The Rise of Elder Maxson]]: ''"Opening Notes''<br/>''These entries are my attempt at writing a timeline documenting Elder Maxson's rise within the ranks of the Brotherhood. It's my sincerest wish that these entries will one day be compiled in a classic printed book format and distributed throughout the Wasteland. Long live Elder Maxson and long live the Brotherhood!''<br/>''Background''<br/>''Despite the defeat of the Enclave in the Capital Wasteland, the Brotherhood of Steel was still an organization divided. The Outcasts, a splinter faction that left the safety of the Citadel, still struggled to survive in the Capital Wasteland, separated from their parent organization. And while some of the Brotherhood members within the Citadel had no desire to reunite with their "disgraced" brothers, many saw the advantage in bolstering their own forces with warriors already trained and indoctrinated by the Brotherhood of Steel. Surely they could work out any... philosophical issues?''<br/>''Enter Maxson''<br/>''Enter Arthur Maxson, young squire to both Owyn and Sarah Lyons, and descendant of the very founder of the Brotherhood of Steel, Roger Maxson. When Elder Owyn Lyons died, care of young Arthur Maxson passed to Sarah Lyons, Owyn's daughter, who was then named Elder in his place. But when Sarah fell in battle shortly thereafter, things became complicated. The Brotherhood of Steel based in the Citadel found itself in need of leadership, and began appointing one ineffective Elder after another.''<br/>''Accomplishments''<br/>''As the years passed, and Arthur Maxson grew, so too did his accomplishments. At age 12, while on a training patrol, he killed two Raiders and saved the squad that was supposed to be escorting him. At age age 13, he single-handedly killed a Deathclaw (and gained the large facial scar he still has to this day). But it was his victory at age 15, over the Super Mutant "Shepherd" who was attempting to re-organize the Capital Wasteland's Super Mutants, that elevated him to hero-like status. When word of this feat reached the Elders back on the West Coast, they knew the time had come... Maxson was ready. Ready to lead and, more importantly, to reunite the fragmented Brotherhood of Steel forces on the East Coast.''<br/>''Our New Leader''<br/>''So it was that a year later, when he was only 16 years old, Arthur Maxson brokered a peace with the Outcasts, re-integrating them into the Brotherhood of Steel, and proving he was as effective a diplomat as he was a warrior. Now re-united, the full force of the Brotherhood of Steel appointed Arthur Maxson as Elder... the youngest in Brotherhood of Steel history.''<br/>''Aftermath''<br/>''Elder Maxson reigns supreme in the Capital Wasteland, and his authority and influence have been spreading across the Eastern Seaboard, thanks in no small part by the mobility afforded by the Prydwen. He has the full support of the Elders back on the West Coast, who have proudly reported that they've begun eradicating cults that have popped up, worshipping Maxson as though he's some kind of god. Maxson himself is almost offended by the idea of being referred to as a deity, as it goes against everything he believes in. Arthur Maxson is happy to be one thing... the perfect human specimen, an example of everything a human being can achieve. Assisted, even enhanced, by advanced technology, but still very much human."''</ref>
 |headquarters =[[Lost Hills]] (West )<br/>[[Citadel]] (East)
 |locations    =[[New California]]<br />[[Midwest]]<br />[[Gulf Commonwealth|Florida]] {{Icon|FOT2|12px}}<br />[[Capital Wasteland]]<br />[[Mojave Wasteland]]<br />[[The Commonwealth]]<br />[[Northwest Commonwealth|Alaska]] {{Icon|FOX|12px}}<br />[[Great Midwest Commonwealth|Illinois]]<br />[[Northern Commonwealth|Montana]]<br />[[Texas Commonwealth|Texas]]{{Icon|FOBOS|12px}}<br />[[New England Commonwealth|Commonwealth]]<br />[[Appalachia]]<br />[[The Island|Mount Desert Island]] (optional)
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 The killing of Robert Anderson effectively established Maxson as the leader of the rebellion. His position was further reinforced just two days later on October 15, when he attempted to speak to Colonel Spindel through the door of his office. It soon became clear that the Colonel had lost touch with reality, so Maxson and several of his men broke down the door just in time to hear the Colonel apologize and shoot himself. Subsequent scientist interrogations invariably ended in executions. [[Erin Shellman]] held out the longest by October 18, finally convincing the Captain that the experiments were really ordered by the government with her detailed account.<ref name="MaxDiary" /> On October 20, 2077, Captain Maxson declared his unit in full secession from the United States over the radio, attempting to force the government to respond to the situation at Mariposa. No response came. A day later, he ordered the families of soldiers under his command to take shelter within the facility.<ref name="MaxDiary" />
-On October 23, 2077, the [[Great War]] struck. As Maxson was halfway through prying the story from Head Researcher [[Leon Von Felden]], the facility lost contact with the outside world as nuclear weapons started to drop. Spared the nuclear devastation, Mariposa protected the inhabitants from nuclear fallout flooding the wasteland. Fearing that [[People's Republic of China|China]] would soon make up for the oversight, on October 24, Maxson ordered his soldiers and their families to prepare to vacate the base the next day.<ref>[[Maxson log]]</ref>
+On October 23, 2077, the [[Great War]] struck. As Maxson was halfway through prying the story from Head Researcher [[Leon Von Felden]], the facility lost contact with the outside world as nuclear weapons started to drop. Spared the nuclear devastation, Mariposa protected the inhabitants from nuclear fallout flooding the wasteland. Fearing that [[China]] would soon make up for the oversight, on October 24, Maxson ordered his soldiers and their families to prepare to vacate the base the next day.<ref>[[Maxson log]]</ref>
 On October 25, Sergeant [[Platner]] volunteered to take atmospheric readings outside the base. Reporting no significant amounts of [[radiation]] in the atmosphere, final preparations for the exodus were undertaken. On October 26, Maxson ordered the remains of the scientists to be buried in the wastes outside the base. A day later, on October 27, former US servicemen and their families left the base under the lead of Captain Roger Maxson, heading for the [[Lost Hills]] government bunker in the south.<ref name="MaxDiary" />
@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 ===Foundation of the Brotherhood===
-{{quote|Words have power, Lizzy. They build identity. They take on a meaning if you keep using them, even if it didn't exist to begin with. It was the Knights and Scribes after the fall of Rome that protected what was left of Western civilization. So we are the new Knights and our role is similar. But we'll need more than names. We'll need new traditions, our own, well, mythology. Something people can believe to their core.|[[Roger Maxson]] to [[Lizzy Taggerdy]]}}
+{{quotation|Words have power, Lizzy. They build identity. They take on a meaning if you keep using them, even if it didn't exist to begin with. It was the Knights and Scribes after the fall of Rome that protected what was left of Western civilization. So we are the new Knights and our role is similar. But we'll need more than names. We'll need new traditions, our own, well, mythology. Something people can believe to their core.|[[Roger Maxson]] to [[Lizzy Taggerdy]]}}
-Witnessing how people around him slowly succumbed to depression, Captain Maxson formulated a new ideology for the survivors. It took him years to create it, replacing the tarnished Stars and Stripes with new symbols, new ranks, and new ideas to replace the ones scorched in nuclear fire. They would provide meaning for people before they became lost in the depths of despair after losing their friends, family, their entire world. Although some under his command, particularly Lieutenant Taggerdy, were skeptical of his plans, Maxson believed that the way forward lay in new traditions and a new mythology, free of the burden of the past. He also believed that it would prevent any surviving politicians from exercising their authority over former American soldiers, especially [[Thomas Eckhart|those with an agenda that involved burning Americans on the funeral pyre of the regime]].<ref name="Formation">[[Formation of the Brotherhood of Steel]]</ref><ref name="AboutTheBrotherhood">[[About the Brotherhood]]</ref><ref name="AppRedir">See [[Brotherhood of Steel (Appalachia)]] for references.</ref> By June 20, 2082, all members under his command switched over to using Brotherhood ranks and practices.<ref>[[Camp Venture terminals]]: "''JAN-03-81: E Fisher''"
+Witnessing how people around him slowly succumbed to depression, Captain Maxson formulated a new ideology for the survivors. It took him years to create it, replacing the tarnished Stars and Stripes with new symbols, new ranks, and new ideas to replace the ones scorched in nuclear fire. They would provide meaning for people before they became lost in the depths of despair after losing their friends, family, their entire world. Although some under his command, particularly Lieutenant Taggerdy, were skeptical of his plans, Maxson believed that the way forward lay in new traditions and a new mythology, free of the burden of the past. He also believed that it would prevent any surviving politicians from exercising their authority over former American soldiers, especially [[Thomas Eckhart|those with an agenda that involved burning Americans on the funeral pyre of the regime]].<ref name="Formation">[[Formation of the Brotherhood of Steel]]</ref><ref name="AboutTheBrotherhood">[[About the Brotherhood]]</ref><ref name="AppRedir">See [[Brotherhood of Steel (Appalachia)]] for references.</ref> By June 20, 2082, all members under his command switched over to using Brotherhood ranks and practices.<ref>[[Camp Venture terminal entries]]: "''JAN-03-81: E Fisher''"
 '''Note''': This entry establishes that Taggerdy is still referred to as Lieutenant, indicating the switchover did not yet take place.</ref><ref>[[Squire Asher's journal]]</ref>
@@ Line 94: / Line 94: @@
 Some responded to this new policy with enthusiasm, others with grudging acceptance, and yet others, like Sergeant [[Hank Madigan]], left the Brotherhood to join the [[Responders]]. The new mission quickly took a backseat, however, as the Brotherhood encountered the [[scorchbeast]]s 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 a number of designs and weapon schematics to help stem the tide, including a sonic generator and an automated research program, but by the 2090s, the failing infrastructure of the Old World rapidly rendered communication impossible. Before being cut-off, Maxson ordered Taggerdy to hold the tide - and proscribed the use of nuclear weapons.<ref>[[The Nuclear Option (holotape)]]</ref><ref name="AppRedir" />
-Eventually, the communications failed entirely, separating Lost Hills from Appalachia. The chapter in Appalachia fought on, trying to destroy the scorchbeasts through attrition, but by 2093, their numbers dwindled to the point where they were forced to close down [[Camp Venture]], their first base, and focus their remaining forces at [[Fort Defiance]] and [[Thunder Mountain Power Plant]]. Declining support from the [[Responders]] and the constant fighting just to stem the tide of the scorched and their masters took their toll, preventing the Brotherhood from completing the automated research program at [[Vault-Tec University]], supplied to them by Takano. Eventually, the Brotherhood launched Operation Touchdown. This last ditch effort was launched in January 2095 and briefly stemmed the tide at the cost of the entire strike force, which included Knight Moreno and Paladin Taggerdy. Ultimately however, the Brotherhood in Appalachia was wiped out in their last stand at [[Fort Defiance]] and Thunder Mountain on August 18-19, 2095, marking the end of the Brotherhood in Appalachia.<ref name="AppRedir" />
+Eventually, the communications failed entirely, separating Lost Hills from Appalachia. The chapter in Appalachia fought on, trying to destroy the scorchbeasts through attrition, but by 2093, their numbers dwindled to the point where they were forced to close down [[Camp Venture]], their first base, and focus their remaining forces at [[Fort Defiance]] and [[Thunder Mountain power plant]]. Declining support from the [[Responders]] and the constant fighting just to stem the tide of the scorched and their masters took their toll, preventing the Brotherhood from completing the automated research program at [[Vault-Tec University]], supplied to them by Takano. Eventually, the Brotherhood launched Operation Touchdown. This last ditch effort was launched in January 2095 and briefly stemmed the tide at the cost of the entire strike force, which included Knight Moreno and Paladin Taggerdy. Ultimately however, the Brotherhood in Appalachia was wiped out in their last stand at [[Fort Defiance]] and Thunder Mountain on August 18-19, 2095, marking the end of the Brotherhood in Appalachia.<ref name="AppRedir" />
 ===Conflict with the Vipers===
@@ Line 149: / Line 149: @@
 Let us forge a Brotherhood of Steel.|[[Roger Maxson]]}}{{main|Brotherhood of Steel hierarchy}}
-The Brotherhood is  a military order with a strictly enforced hierarchy and chain of command. At the foundation of the hierarchy lies the [[Chain That Binds]] doctrine. It mandates obedience to one's superiors and forbids skipping of the ranks when orders are given. Superiors may only give orders to their direct subordinates, but not their subordinate's subordinates. Although intended to ensure the cohesion of command, the doctrine has been generally interpreted as a simple mandate of obedience within the order, with the order flow requirements ignored, abandoned or altered in practice. However, it does provide a technicality that can be invoked to relieve members of their rank - up to and including Elders.<ref>[[Hidden Valley bunker terminals#Chain That Binds|Hidden Valley bunker terminals; Terminal, Chain That Binds]]</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"One of the datastore entries mentioned the Chain That Binds. What is that, exactly?"''<br/>[[Ramos]]: ''"That's an old, old principle that's been around since the Brotherhood was founded. It basically means that you have to obey a superior officer. It's pretty much common sense, but it gets invoked a lot when people get pissy about following orders. If you're curious, I'll give you access to the datastore entry on it. You'd probably be the first to read it in years, if not decades."''<br/>([[Ramos' dialogue]])</ref>
+The Brotherhood is  a military order with a strictly enforced hierarchy and chain of command. At the foundation of the hierarchy lies the [[Chain That Binds]] doctrine. It mandates obedience to one's superiors and forbids skipping of the ranks when orders are given. Superiors may only give orders to their direct subordinates, but not their subordinate's subordinates. Although intended to ensure the cohesion of command, the doctrine has been generally interpreted as a simple mandate of obedience within the order, with the order flow requirements ignored, abandoned or altered in practice. However, it does provide a technicality that can be invoked to relieve members of their rank - up to and including Elders.<ref>[[Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries#Chain That Binds|Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; Terminal, Chain That Binds]]</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"One of the datastore entries mentioned the Chain That Binds. What is that, exactly?"''<br/>[[Ramos]]: ''"That's an old, old principle that's been around since the Brotherhood was founded. It basically means that you have to obey a superior officer. It's pretty much common sense, but it gets invoked a lot when people get pissy about following orders. If you're curious, I'll give you access to the datastore entry on it. You'd probably be the first to read it in years, if not decades."''<br/>([[Ramos' dialogue]])</ref>
 Maxson's goals in inventing a new tradition and mythology for the Brotherhood were two-fold: First, they would ensure that members of the Brotherhood would be stripped of their ties to the pre-War military and government, ensuring that any surviving general or politician would not be able to invoke their oaths and use them to eg. unleash nuclear devastation on the world again (as was the case with Col. [[Ellen Santiago]] and Sec. [[Thomas Eckhart]] in [[Appalachia]]). Second, it would give the survivors an idea to believe in, something they could dedicate themselves to and fining meaning in their lives after nuclear fires burned away their families, friends, everything. Inspiration came from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Western_Roman_Empire fall of the Western Roman Empire], when knights and scribes kept the fire of civilization going after the empire imploded.<ref>[[About the Brotherhood]]</ref>
@@ Line 160: / Line 160: @@
 [[Melissa Watkins]]: "''That was so much fun! The wind whipping through our hair, not knowing what was going to jump out at us at any moment. And when those scorpions came out! It was just like the sims! All I had to do was line then up and squeeze the trigger.  I doubt I'll be able to get Stanton to go with me again, though. I thought he'd enjoy it as much as I did, but he was just scared the whole time.  Don't tell him I told you this, but when those scorpions surrounded us, I'd bet a week's rations he pissed himself!''"</ref> All equipment beyond personal items is issued by the Brotherhood and everything, especially weapons, are carefully tracked by serial number. Although it minimizes the risk of foul play, records can still be altered by talented members and lead to unforeseen consequences.<ref>[[Courier]]: "''Can I just get you another laser pistol?''"
-[[Initiate Stanton]]: "''No, weapon check-in protocol includes verifying the serial number of the weapon, so a different gun would be noticed. Plus, having a new gun suddenly show up would immediately point to you, being the only outsider around here and all. No, the only way I have out of this is if you help me find that gun. You'll help me, right?''"</ref>
+[[Stanton|Initiate Stanton]]: "''No, weapon check-in protocol includes verifying the serial number of the weapon, so a different gun would be noticed. Plus, having a new gun suddenly show up would immediately point to you, being the only outsider around here and all. No, the only way I have out of this is if you help me find that gun. You'll help me, right?''"</ref>
 ====Variations====
@@ Line 166: / Line 166: @@
 ===Social structure===
-[[File:FO01 NPC Maxson G.png|right|thumb|General [[John Maxson]], High Elder of the Brotherhood from [[Fallout timeline#2159|2159]] onwards.]]
+[[File:FO01 NPC Maxson G.png|right|thumb|General [[John Maxson]], High Elder of the Brotherhood from [[Timeline#2159|2159]] onwards.]]
 The Brotherhood has several distinct classes that define a member's standing in the Brotherhood social structure, with a strict hierarchy distinguishing each member's position.
@@ Line 179: / Line 179: @@
 # [[Knights]] are the craftsmen and foot soldiers of the Brotherhood. They maintain the Brotherhood's stockpile  of technology, repair and providing technical services where they are needed, as well as producing new weapons to replenish stocks and provide trading goods. Knights also perform patrols, scouting assignments, and support the Paladins in offensive operations. Those that focus on combat training, may be eligible to become Paladins, the protectors of the Brotherhood.<ref name="FOB6BOSBg" /><ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{345}{}{What is the Brotherhood's main purpose?}"''<br />[[John Maxson]]: ''"{172}{Gen_21}{Our main goal is to survive. The Scribes copy old plans for weapons or design new ones, and the Knights make the guns from 'em. Most guns come from us.}"''<br />([[MAXSON.MSG]])</ref><ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{173}{}{You trade the weapons to the Hub?}"''<br />John Maxson: ''"{176}{Gen_22}{That's the way we get our supplies.}"''<br />([[MAXSON.MSG]])</ref><ref name="JohnMaxson247">The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1010}{}{Knights}"''<br />[[John Maxson]]: ''"{1110}{Gen_62}{The Knights make the weapons. And when he's good enough, a Knight can advance to become a Paladin and then an Elder and so forth. Right now Rhombus is the head of the Knights.}"''<br />([[MAXSON.MSG]])</ref><ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1006}{}{Knights}"''<br />Cabbot: ''"{1106}{Cab_59}{Well, you see, they're the ones who want to become protectors of the Brotherhood. There's not many of them, but they train their whole lives to become Paladins.}"''<br />([[CABBOT.MSG]])</ref><ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Tell me about the Knights."''<br />[[Melissa Watkins]]: ''"Knights are in charge of all of our equipment. Power armor, gatling lasers, you name it. All of it built and maintained by Knights. Knights also get to go out on patrols, scouting assignments, and support the Paladins in offensive operations. Being a Knight would mean getting to see more of the world, fight the Brotherhood's enemies, and possibly someday become a Paladin like my mother."''<br />([[Melissa Watkins' dialogue]])</ref> Eastern chapters have offloaded engineering duties to Scribes, focusing Knights on logistics and combat operations, reflecting their proactive focus.<ref>''Fallout 3'' and ''Fallout 4'' Knights.</ref>
 # [[Paladins]] are the primary combat force of the Brotherhood, in charge of all security and outside activities. Equipped with the best military technology the Brotherhood has to offer, they are some of the most fearsome foes in the wasteland.<ref name="FOB6BOSBg" /><ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1011}{}{Paladins}"''<br />[[John Maxson]]: ''"{1111}{Gen_63}{Paladins are in charge of all security and outside activities. I remember tradin' with the Hub, goin' on scouting missions for the Elders. Ah man, those ware a good times.}"''<br />([[MAXSON.MSG]])</ref> The ranks of the Paladins are reinforced by promoting exceptional Knights and<ref name="JohnMaxson247" /> it's generally impossible to become a Paladin any other way.<ref name="DaeHandeeBible8">[[Fallout Bible 8#BOS corrections|Fallout Bible 8]]</ref> Notably, while power armor was reserved for Paladin use in the first century of the Brotherhood's existence,<ref>{{Color|Gray|The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''""''<br />[[Talus]]: "''{196}{}{Only Paladins wear Power Armor, someday you may earn the right to wear it.}''"<br />([[TALUS.MSG]])}}</ref> the restrictions were relaxed over the decades, allowing Knights and in extreme cases even Initiates to use power armor (usually older models, such as the T-45).<ref>''[[Fallout 3]]'' and ''[[Fallout 4]]'' allow for both classes to employ them.</ref>
-# [[Elders]] are the highest ranking members of the Brotherhood, its leaders and decision makers, determining everything from meals to the course of campaigns.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1004}{}{Elders}"''<br />Cabbot: ''"{1104}{Cab_57}{They make all the decisions around here, from what we eat to what our duties are. And uh, they argue a lot, too. The High Elder seems to have to step in a lot.}"''<br />([[CABBOT.MSG]])</ref> Typically, only Paladins are eligible to become Elders, but exceptions can be made for extraordinary members of other branches.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Tell me about your last Elder."''<br />[[Edgar Hardin]]: ''"Elijah was a strange one. His even becoming Elder was highly questionable, seeing as how he was a Scribe. Typically, only Paladins are eligible. But an exception was made in his case, on account of him being a genius. Unfortunately, whatever scientific acumen he had didn't extend to tactics. Trying to defend HELIOS was a blunder of the worst kind, and many brothers lost their lives because of it. Many of the senior paladins, myself included, advised him to fight a retreating action, but he refused to budge. Said he almost "had it working". We never did find out exactly what he was talking about. When the perimeter was finally overrun, the Elder had simply vanished."''<br />([[Edgar Hardin's dialogue]])</ref> Regardless of their branch of service, Elders are elected into the council by other council members,<ref name="DaeHandeeBible8" />with the High Elder chosen by the council. The candidate can turn down the offer.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1006}{}{Elder}"''<br />[[John Maxson]]: ''"{1106}{Gen_58}{Hehehe. A fine, handsome, upstanding man. The High Elder position is to mediate the meetings between the Elders. You see, two years ago I got talked into it. If I'd of known then...}"''<br />([[MAXSON.MSG]])</ref> Out of the first four High Elders, three belonged to the Maxson lineage, but there is no requirement for the council to propose the position to a member of the bloodline.<ref>Maxson II was killed in 2155, but John Maxson only replaced him on the Elder council at that date. He only became High Elder in 2155. See [[Maxson II]] for details.</ref> Elders may be dismissed for violating the Brotherhood's charter or laws, such as destroying technological devices without due cause, violating the [[Chain that Binds]], or murdering a fellow member. Due to the requirement for Elders to set an examples, Elders may also be stripped of their position if allowing them to retain it would compromise the morale or integrity of a given chapter.<ref>[[Hidden Valley bunker terminals#Elder Dismissal Incidents|Hidden Valley bunker terminals; Terminal, Elder Dismissal Incidents]]</ref>
+# [[Elders]] are the highest ranking members of the Brotherhood, its leaders and decision makers, determining everything from meals to the course of campaigns.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1004}{}{Elders}"''<br />Cabbot: ''"{1104}{Cab_57}{They make all the decisions around here, from what we eat to what our duties are. And uh, they argue a lot, too. The High Elder seems to have to step in a lot.}"''<br />([[CABBOT.MSG]])</ref> Typically, only Paladins are eligible to become Elders, but exceptions can be made for extraordinary members of other branches.<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Tell me about your last Elder."''<br />[[Edgar Hardin]]: ''"Elijah was a strange one. His even becoming Elder was highly questionable, seeing as how he was a Scribe. Typically, only Paladins are eligible. But an exception was made in his case, on account of him being a genius. Unfortunately, whatever scientific acumen he had didn't extend to tactics. Trying to defend HELIOS was a blunder of the worst kind, and many brothers lost their lives because of it. Many of the senior paladins, myself included, advised him to fight a retreating action, but he refused to budge. Said he almost "had it working". We never did find out exactly what he was talking about. When the perimeter was finally overrun, the Elder had simply vanished."''<br />([[Edgar Hardin's dialogue]])</ref> Regardless of their branch of service, Elders are elected into the council by other council members,<ref name="DaeHandeeBible8" />with the High Elder chosen by the council. The candidate can turn down the offer.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1006}{}{Elder}"''<br />[[John Maxson]]: ''"{1106}{Gen_58}{Hehehe. A fine, handsome, upstanding man. The High Elder position is to mediate the meetings between the Elders. You see, two years ago I got talked into it. If I'd of known then...}"''<br />([[MAXSON.MSG]])</ref> Out of the first four High Elders, three belonged to the Maxson lineage, but there is no requirement for the council to propose the position to a member of the bloodline.<ref>Maxson II was killed in 2155, but John Maxson only replaced him on the Elder council at that date. He only became High Elder in 2155. See [[Maxson II]] for details.</ref> Elders may be dismissed for violating the Brotherhood's charter or laws, such as destroying technological devices without due cause, violating the [[Chain that Binds]], or murdering a fellow member. Due to the requirement for Elders to set an examples, Elders may also be stripped of their position if allowing them to retain it would compromise the morale or integrity of a given chapter.<ref>[[Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries#Elder Dismissal Incidents|Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; Terminal, Elder Dismissal Incidents]]</ref>
 ====Eastern division====
@@ Line 193: / Line 193: @@
 * Sentinel is a rare rank, only given 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. The Sole Survivor can achieve this rank through completion of A New Dawn.<ref name="Fo4App"/>
-=== [[Brotherhood of Steel (Midwest)|Eastern Brotherhood]] ===
+===[[Brotherhood of Steel (Midwest)|Eastern Brotherhood]] ===
 [[File:Gametitle-FOT.png|20px|Gray paragraphs are based on Fallout Tactics and were not confirmed by primary sources]] <span style="color:dimgray">The Eastern Brotherhood operating in the Midwest has a rank system that differs from the original Brotherhood ranks. In the Midwest, the Scribes act as both scientists and engineers, taking the place of both western Scribes and Knights. Knights are just a military rank lower in the hierarchy than paladins and are not allowed to use power armor. The Inquisitors are the Brotherhood's law enforcement and intelligence. The rank of General is not a honorific, but the equivalent of the army general rank, and the "commanding officer" is the military leader of the Brotherhood of Steel in the Midwest and also the only one who outranks the Generals, responsible for giving mission orders to everyone, and also the only one that can give their opinion on the Elders' politics.<Ref>[[Dekker]] continues to be the player's commanding officer even if they achieve an equivalent rank.</ref> Also, the assignment into commanding officer is done by the elders and only a General can become commanding officer. Like all Brotherhood of Steel, the Midwestern elders are the leaders and the thinkers of all decision.<ref>Rank structure in the game.</ref></span>
@@ Line 292: / Line 292: @@
 As the war with the super mutants intensified, the Enclave returned in the flesh after fleeing [[New California]] several years prior. Their radio broadcasts had been heard for years on Wasteland radios. In a bold first move they seized the [[Jefferson Memorial]]'s "[[Project Purity]]" (a project intended to provide clean water to the wasteland), and subsequently consolidated their power throughout the Capital Wasteland. At first favoring caution, Elder Lyons soon changed his mind, engaging the Enclave in a full-scale battle after the Enclave acquires possession of Vault 87's G.E.C.K. and nearly activating Project Purity. With the aid of [[Liberty Prime]], the Enclave was ousted from the Jefferson Memorial and into uncertain disarray. Despite the subsequent loss of Liberty Prime, Lyons' chapter started its recovery to dwarf their fellow chapters back west in power, especially after the devastation of the [[Brotherhood War]].<ref name=":2"/>
-Following both Lyons' deaths circa 2278, the chapter was managed by a string of largely ineffectual Elders, only to come under the leadership of Elder Arthur Maxson in 2283, who reunited the chapter with the Brotherhood Outcasts. Together with the ''[[Prydwen]]'', a large [[airship]] whose creation started in the twilight years of Lyons' reign, and their victory against the Enclave in 2277, the chapter achieved its goal. As of 2287, the chapter is able to field large quantities of Vertibirds and [[T-60 power armor]], manufacture replacement parts, and use standardized energy weapons. Their newly acquired power allowed them to send long range recon teams to scout regions and recover technologies. One of these, [[Recon Squad Gladius]], was sent to the [[Commonwealth]] to investigate the region after the disappearance of [[Recon Squad Artemis]]. Their findings prompted the  Brotherhood to deploy in the Commonwealth aboard the ''Prydwen'' and strike against [[the Institute]]. Once they arrived, the Brotherhood conducted an air assault on the feral ghouls occupying Boston Airport, and established their main base of operations there. They are capable of and frequently conduct air assault operations, especially when inserting patrol teams and assaulting objectives such as [[Bunker Hill]].<ref>See [[Brotherhood of Steel (Eastern division)]] for references.</ref>
+Following both Lyons' deaths circa 2278, the chapter was managed by a string of largely ineffectual Elders, only to come under the leadership of Elder Arthur Maxson in 2283, who reunited the chapter with the Brotherhood Outcasts. Together with the ''[[Prydwen]]'', a large [[airship]] whose creation started in the twilight years of Lyons' reign, and their victory against the Enclave in 2277, the chapter achieved its goal. As of 2287, the chapter is able to field large quantities of Vertibirds and [[T-60 power armor]], manufacture replacement parts, and use standardized energy weapons. Their newly acquired power allowed them to send long range recon teams to scout regions and recover technologies. One of these, [[Recon Squad Gladius]], was sent to [[the Commonwealth]] to investigate the region after the disappearance of [[Recon Squad Artemis]]. Their findings prompted the  Brotherhood to deploy in the Commonwealth aboard the ''Prydwen'' and strike against [[the Institute]]. Once they arrived, the Brotherhood conducted an air assault on the feral ghouls occupying Boston Airport, and established their main base of operations there. They are capable of and frequently conduct air assault operations, especially when inserting patrol teams and assaulting objectives such as [[Bunker Hill]].<ref>See [[Brotherhood of Steel (Eastern division)]] for references.</ref>
 ===[[Montana bunker]]===
 A bunker exists in Montana and is at some point the home of Elder Patrocolus.<ref>[[Owyn Lyons]]: ''"Brothers, as we take our meal this day, let us reflect upon the words of Elder Patrocolus of the Montana Bunker. "It is in service of Steel and guardianship of one's Brothers that each man finds his purpose. My friends, stand with your Brothers. Guard them... ...guide them. And in each of them find purpose. Look around this table, my Brothers. Look into the eyes of each man and woman seated here today. Pledge in your hearts and minds, pledge by your guns that you will stand with them in battle until the end. Trust each of them with your life." And earn the trust of each in turn. Eat well, my friends."''<br/>([[Owyn Lyons' dialogue]]) {{Small|'''Note:''' CitElderLyonsMealBlessing1}}</ref>
-===[[Eastern Brotherhood of Steel]]===
+===[[Brotherhood of Steel (Midwest)|Eastern Brotherhood of Steel]]===
-[[File:Gametitle-FOT.png|20px|Gray paragraphs are based on Fallout Tactics and are not part of the main continuity.]] <span style="color:dimgray">The splinter faction which lost contact with the Brotherhood leadership at Lost Hills has been an independent organization since 2197, when the airship of its founders crashed near [[Chicago]]. Unlike the original, isolationist Brotherhood, the Eastern Brotherhood expanded aggressively and eventually established a network of bunkers and vassalized towns from Illinois to Kansas, drafting folk from tribes and cities under Brotherhood protection into its ranks. While more open to the outside world, this faction of the Brotherhood is by no means altruistic - the villagers under Brotherhood rule, while protected from raiders and mutants, live in fear of the infamous Brotherhood Inquisitors. The Brotherhood main bases were bunkers that were probably pre-Great War military bunkers that were found, taken, and rebuilt. In accordance with the Brotherhood's military roots, they were renamed Bunkers Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon.<ref>See [[Eastern Brotherhood of Steel]] for references. Note that the game was disregarded by [[Bethesda Game Studios]] in the development of ''[[Fallout 3]]'', placing it outside [[Fallout canon|the main continuity]].</ref></span>
+[[File:Gametitle-FOT.png|20px|Gray paragraphs are based on Fallout Tactics and are not part of the main continuity.]] <span style="color:dimgray">The splinter faction which lost contact with the Brotherhood leadership at Lost Hills has been an independent organization since 2197, when the airship of its founders crashed near [[Chicago]]. Unlike the original, isolationist Brotherhood, the Eastern Brotherhood expanded aggressively and eventually established a network of bunkers and vassalized towns from Illinois to Kansas, drafting folk from tribes and cities under Brotherhood protection into its ranks. While more open to the outside world, this faction of the Brotherhood is by no means altruistic - the villagers under Brotherhood rule, while protected from raiders and mutants, live in fear of the infamous Brotherhood Inquisitors. The Brotherhood main bases were bunkers that were probably pre-Great War military bunkers that were found, taken, and rebuilt. In accordance with the Brotherhood's military roots, they were renamed Bunkers Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon.<ref>See [[Brotherhood of Steel (Midwest)|Eastern Brotherhood of Steel]] for references. Note that the game was disregarded by [[Bethesda Game Studios]] in the development of ''[[Fallout 3]]'', placing it outside [[Fallout canon|the main continuity]].</ref></span>
 ===[[Texas Expedition]]===
@@ Line 328: / Line 328: @@
 Their hostility towards super mutants was derived from the location of Lost Hills. The proximity of their bunker to Mariposa and the desolate Central Valley put them in the paths of many bloodthirsty mutants. That made them an easy choice for an external enemy to focus members of the chapter on.<ref name="DaeHandeeBible8"/> However, the Brotherhood drove away super mutants with minimal loss of life on both sides of the conflict after the fall of the Master and wasn't hostile towards super mutants that settled down peacefully.<ref name="FalloutBoSEnding"/><ref>[[Fallout 2]] events.</ref>
-By 2287, the Brotherhood has radicalized its policy towards mutants, with standing orders to exterminate any post-War abominations.<ref>The [[Sole Survivor]]: ''"What exactly do I have to do?"''<br/>[[Kells]]: ''"{{Tooltip|You'll be escorting a squire to a location where you'll be purging it of all the post-war aberrations: mutants, ghouls, synths, you name it. Meanwhile, the squire will observe and assist under your protection. It's simple and extremely beneficial. What do you say?|Confident}}"''<br/>([[Kells' dialogue]])</ref> In practice, the Brotherhood usually doesn't shoot on sight unless targets are confirmed as hostile - even if they are a [[Nick Valentine|synth]] in [[Prydwen|a critical location]].<ref>The [[Survivor]] can bring [[Strong]], [[Hancock]], or [[Nick Valentine]] into Brotherhood locations without them opening fire.</ref>
+By 2287, the Brotherhood has radicalized its policy towards mutants, with standing orders to exterminate any post-War abominations.<ref>The [[Sole Survivor]]: ''"What exactly do I have to do?"''<br/>[[Kells]]: ''"{{Tooltip|You'll be escorting a squire to a location where you'll be purging it of all the post-war aberrations: mutants, ghouls, synths, you name it. Meanwhile, the squire will observe and assist under your protection. It's simple and extremely beneficial. What do you say?|Confident}}"''<br/>([[Kells' dialogue]])</ref> In practice, the Brotherhood usually doesn't shoot on sight unless targets are confirmed as hostile - even if they are a [[Nick Valentine|synth]] in [[Prydwen|a critical location]].<ref>The [[Survivor]] can bring [[Strong]], [[John Hancock|Hancock]], or [[Nick Valentine]] into Brotherhood locations without them opening fire.</ref>
 ==Technology==
 {{Quotation|The worst impulses of mankind, concentrated in one insane, backward tribe. The Brotherhood seems to have formed not long after the great atomic war. It's hard to know - they care little for history. Some of the Brotherhood scribes we captured further East didn't even know the name of their founder, Roger Maxson. They like to pretty up their mission with trappings of chivalry, but the truth is they're horders. They horde technology. It's been 200 years, and they still have the mentality of scavengers. They say they're preserving these technologies, but for what? They have no vision. They offer no future. They're a dead end.|[[Caesar]], 2281}}
-[[File:Fallout_Lost_Hills_Level_3.png|right|thumb|The [[Lost Hills]] bunker and the heart of the Brotherhood: The main library and workshops.]]
+[[File:Fallout_Lost_Hills_Level_3.png|right|240px|thumb|The [[Lost Hills]] bunker and the heart of the Brotherhood: The main library and workshops.]]
 ===Weapons===
@@ Line 346: / Line 346: @@
 In terms of manufacturing capacity, the west coast Brotherhood relies on items hand-made by the Knights. Although limited supplies pose a challenge,<ref>[[Knight (Fallout)|Knight]]: ''"{102}{}{When our supplies are limited it can really be a challenge to find a way to use what we've got.}"''<br />([[KNIGHTA.MSG]])</ref> the real problems come from the actual manufacturing and prototyping process,<ref>[[Knight (Fallout)|Knight]]: ''"{103}{}{I can't figure out why my last prototype didn't work.}"''<br />([[KNIGHTA.MSG]])</ref> especially when the reality doesn't seem to match the Knights' expectations.<ref>[[Knight (Fallout)|Knight]]: ''"{108}{}{Well, the computer says it should work. Now what did I do wrong?}"''<br />([[KNIGHTA.MSG]])</ref> Regardless, the Brotherhood was able to maintain a high enough output of [[technology]] (primarily weapons and ammunition) to support themselves and trade the surplus for [[water]], [[food]], and other necessary supplies.<ref name="FOB6BOSBg" /> However, hand manufacturing and the high degree of sophistication of their primary weapons mean that the Brotherhood has limited strategic flexibility: It cannot compete with nation states like the [[New California Republic]], with their reserves of manpower, industrial output and the mass use of inexpensive weapons.<ref>See [[Brotherhood War]] for details.</ref>
+==Members==
+{{Columns|3|
+;Elder
+* [[Nolan McNamara|Elder Nolan McNamara]] (Mojave chapter)
+* [[Elijah|Elder/Father Elijah]] (Mojave chapter) (Formerly)
+* [[Owyn Lyons|Elder Owyn Lyons]] (East Coast chapter/Capital Wasteland)
+* [[Arthur Maxson|Elder Arthur Maxson]] (East Coast chapter/Commonwealth)
+;Sentinel
+* [[Sarah Lyons|Sentinel Sarah Lyons]] (Lyons' Pride)
+;Paladin
+* [[Edgar Hardin|Head Paladin Edgar Hardin]]
+* [[Ramos|Paladin Ramos]]
+* [[Fairbanks|Paladin Fairbanks]] (Deceased)
+* [[Hughes|Paladin Hughes]] (Deceased)
+* [[Lander|Paladin Lander]] (Deceased)
+* [[Matiz|Paladin Matiz]] (Deceased)
+* [[Raseleanne|Paladin Raseleanne]] (Deceased)
+* [[Sato|Paladin Sato]]
+* [[Todd (Fallout: New Vegas)|Paladin Todd]]
+* [[Elizabeth Taggerdy|Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy]] (Deceased)
+* [[Bael|Paladin Bael]]
+* [[Brotherhood of Steel GNR commander|Unnamed GNR commander]]
+* [[Cross|Star-Paladin Cross]]
+* [[Edwards (Fallout 3)|Operations Officer Edwards]]
+* [[Glade|Paladin Glade]] (Lyons' Pride)
+* [[Gunny|Paladin Gunny]]
+* [[Hoss (Fallout 3)|Paladin Hoss]]
+* [[Jensen (Fallout 3)|Paladin Jensen]]
+* [[Kodiak|Paladin Greg "Kodiak" Bear]] (Lyons' Pride)
+* [[Tristan|Paladin Tristan]]
+* [[Vargas (Brotherhood of Steel)|Paladin Vargas]] (Lyons' Pride)
+* [[Brandis|Paladin Brandis]] (Recon squad Artemis)
+* [[Danse|Paladin Danse]] (Recon squad Gladius)
+;Knight
+* [[Lorenzo|Senior-Knight Lorenzo]]
+* [[Torres|Knight Torres]] (Quartermaster)
+* [[Artemis (character)|Knight Artemis]]
+* [[Colvin|Knight-Captain Colvin]] (Lyons' Pride)
+* [[Dillon (Fallout 3)|Knight Dillon]]
+* [[Durga|Knight-Captain Durga]] (Quartermaster)
+* [[Dusk|Knight-Captain Dusk]] (Lyons' Pride)
+* [[Finley|Knight Finley]]
+* [[Irving Gallows|Knight-Captain Irving Gallows]] (Lyons' Pride)
+* [[Wilks (Brotherhood of Steel)|Knight-Sergeant Wilks]]
+* [[Cade|Knight-Captain Cade]] (Medic)
+* [[Gavil|Knight-Sergeant Gavil]] (Logistics)
+* [[Keane|Knight Keane]] (Recon squad Gladius) (Deceased)
+* [[Larsen (Far Harbor)|Knight-Captain Larsen]]
+* [[Lucia|Knight Lucia]] (Logistics)
+* [[Rhys|Knight Rhys]] (Recon squad Gladius)
+* [[Rogue knight]] (Formerly)
+* [[Rylan|Knight Rylan]] (Deceased)
+* [[Tara Astlin|Knight Tara Astlin]] (Recon squad Artemis) (Deceased)
+* [[Varham|Knight Varham]] (Recon squad Artemis) (Deceased)
+* [[Maria Harper|Knight Maria Harper]] (Formerly an Outcast) (Deceased)
+* [[Christine Royce|Knight Christine Royce]] (Circle of Steel)
+;Initiate
+* [[Melissa Watkins|Apprentice Melissa Watkins]]
+* [[Stanton|Initiate Stanton]]
+* [[Ishmael Ashur|Initiate Ishmael Ashur]] (formerly)
+* [[Jennings|Initiate Jennings]] (Lyons' Pride) (Deceased)
+* [[Pek|Initiate Pek]]
+* [[Reddin|Initiate Reddin]] (Lyons' Pride)
+* [[D. Clarke|Initiate Clarke]] (Logistics)
+;Scribe
+* [[Ibsen|Scribe Ibsen]]
+* [[Lars Taggart|Head Scribe Lars Taggart]]
+* [[Linda Schuler|Senior Scribe Linda Schuler]]
+* [[Veronica Santangelo|Journeyman Scribe Veronica Santangelo]]
+* [[Bigsley|Scribe Bigsley]]
+* [[Bowditch|Scribe Bowditch]]
+* [[Elizabeth Jameson|Scribe Elizabeth Jameson]]
+* [[Peabody|Scribe Peabody]]
+* [[Reginald Rothchild|Head Scribe Reginald Rothchild]]
+* [[Vallincourt|Scribe Vallincourt]]
+* [[Yearling|Scribe Yearling]]
+* [[Faris|Scribe Faris]] (Recon squad Artemis) (Deceased)
+* [[Haylen|Scribe Haylen]] (Recon squad Gladius)
+* [[Neriah|Senior Scribe Neriah]]
+* [[The Scribe]] (formerly)
+* [[Gael Vasquez|Scribe Gael Vasquez]] (Formerly an Outcast) (Deceased)
+* [[Dawson Wakefield|Scribe Dawson Wakefield]] (Formerly an Outcast) (Turncoat)
+;Other
+* [[Brotherhood mess officer]]
+* [[Ingram|Proctor Ingram]]
+* [[Kells|Lancer-Captain Kells]] (Lancers)
+* [[Quinlan|Proctor Quinlan]]
+* [[Teagan|Proctor Teagan]] (Quartermaster)
+;Outcasts
+* [[Henry Casdin|Protector Henry Casdin]]
+* [[Anne Marie Morgan|Defender Anne Marie Morgan]]
+* [[McGraw|Protector McGraw]]
+* [[Morrill|Defender Morrill]]
+* [[Olin|Specialist Olin]]
+* [[Rococo Rockfowl|Defender Rococo Rockfowl]]
+* [[Sibley|Defender Sibley]]
+;Robots
+* [[Sawbones (Fallout 3)|Sawbones]]
+* [[Brotherhood vendor]]
+* [[Vendor bot Phoenix]]
+}}
 ==Notes==