jan 1, 2283 - Arthur Maxson reunited Brotherhood with Outcasts

Description:

The Eastern division of the Brotherhood evolved from Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel, a chapter that formed in the Capital Wasteland as a result of Owyn Lyons' tech recovery expedition sent out in 2253. Following the Scourge of the Pitt, Lyons' contingent arrived in Washington, D.C. in 2255, and discovered Liberty Prime. As a result, he was instructed to establish a permanent presence, the new chapter occupied the Pentagon, founding the Citadel under the newly-promoted Elder Lyons. Rather than following his orders directly, Lyons attempted to shift his chapter from tech reclamation to charity and protecting the wasteland. He largely failed: Instead of building infrastructure and close relations with the locals, he ordered his troops to engage the numerous super mutants infesting the region, fighting a war of attrition he could not afford. When he defied the Western Elders in the 2270s, they cut off all support, but stopped short of declaring him outright rogue. The chapter suffered a further setback when the Outcasts left the Citadel in 2276, after Lyons refused to allow the excavation of Fort Independence, a token effort to uphold their original mission.[3]

It was in this weakened and isolated state in 2277 that the Brotherhood encountered the Enclave remnants that retreated to the Capital Wasteland, establishing a base at Raven Rock and Adams Air Force Base outside D.C. Assisted by Madison Li and the Lone Wanderer, the seemingly broken chapter managed to reactivate Liberty Prime and use it as a trump card in the conflict, breaking their military during the Battle of Project Purity. The subsequent loss of the robot at the Rockland satellite relay station was a major setback, compounded by the severely depleted stockpiles and shortage of manpower at the beginning of the conflict. However, the Brotherhood prevailed, using the Lone Wanderer to infiltrate Adams and destroy the Enclave's last remaining command center, the mobile base crawler.[3] With the threat removed, the Brotherhood solidified its position, leveraging the newly activated Project Purity and its ample supply of water to establish relations with the wasteland settlements, all the while researching Enclave technology. The great amount of gear and weapons recovered in the wake of the Purifier Conflict was already worked on during the conflict, providing the Brotherhood with years of research material.[4][5] Of course, due to the sheer amount of confiscated Enclave equipment, the effort of itemizing them was handed down to the Initiates; handled by Scribes.[6]

Despite the Brotherhood's success, the organization continued to struggle. Elder Lyons passed away in 2278, with leadership passing to his daughter, Sentinel Sarah Lyons. Not long after her ascension, she was killed in combat with no clear successor in line. In the leadership crisis that followed, the Brotherhood repeatedly appointed one ineffectual leader after another. It was saved by the lack of external threats, allowing the chapter to fortify its position and begin expanding. A chapter that seemed on the verge of collapse a few years earlier was now on the rise, culminating in the 2282[7] launch of the Prydwen.[8][1]

The launch accompanied the rise of Arthur Maxson to Elder. A lifetime of training and education turned him into a capable warrior and strategist. After displaying his exceptional skill by defeating the super mutant leader Shepherd and brokering peace with the Brotherhood Outcasts, reuniting them with the chapter they abandoned, he was appointed Elder in 2283 at age 16. He was the youngest Elder in Brotherhood's long history. In fact, this position was bestowed by West Coast Elders, who revealed that they still monitored their errant brethren.[1]

Maxson reformed the Brotherhood, incorporating the best of both Lyons' Doctrine and the original mission of the Brotherhood of Steel. He did away with the tech hoarding. As well as Lyon’s sacrificial charity which had all but crippled the Brotherhood. Instead focusing the Brotherhood on protecting humanity and engineering its rebirth by the acquisition of dangerous advanced technologies that could bring a repeat of the Great War and correcting the mistakes of man by exterminating abominations such as super mutants or feral ghouls, much like Elder Lyons originally did.[1] While some members found this distasteful and deserted,[9] many more remained, proud to serve a refocused Brotherhood.[10]

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