G'day everyone. This series has been bobbling around my head for awhile now and I've finally gotten around to writing out the first segment. "Exposition Cannon" serves to share information on various topics throughout the Fallout universe and incite discussion on these topics. For reading ease, the post is split into named sections dealing with a specific facet of the larger topic. All sources used in the post are listed at the end. I figured that the best place one can start a series like this is with one of the most debated topics in Fallout lore, the goals of the Brotherhood of Steel.
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The Brotherhood of Steel are a group of warriors and scientists founded in the ruins of former California. Their founder, Roger Maxson, was a captain of the US Army who discovered unethical human experimentation from the government shortly before the Great War. All the scientists involved in the atrocity were executed, and he and the soldiers who came under his command after the suicide of Colonel Spindel went rogue. Believing that war would soon erupt, Maxson moved the soldiers' families and nearby civilians inside the Mariposa facility they were stationed at. When the bombs fell, the group made their way to a government bunker, Lost Hills. It was here that Maxson came to a conclusion: Civilization was dying, its leaders had failed, and a new America was needed. And so the Brotherhood of Steel was formed. Its goal? Ensure that one day a new civilization might rise in the Wasteland.
Elimination of Threats
One of the Brotherhood's components to rebuilding civilization is the elimination of threats to humanity. These range from hostile mutants to even other humans making life more difficult for the rest. The Brotherhood believes in the protection of human life, generally avoiding issues that put innocents in danger. While non-humans are largely seen as inferior to humans by most of the Brotherhood, there is only one known case of a Brotherhood chapter targeting non-humans for extermination as a threat to humanity. The targets were the artificial humans (officially termed "Generation 3 synths") created by the Institute in the Commonwealth, a region covering most of what was once Massachusetts.
Saving Knowledge
A key belief of the Brotherhood is that humanity can be saved through the proper use of technology. Roger Maxson himself gave the order for his followers to gather every bit of technology and information they could find and protect it, improve upon it if they could. These would be kept safe by the Brotherhood until the time was right for it to be returned to humanity's hands. Over time, however, this belief took on an additional meaning: Ensuring that no group might threaten the Brotherhood. By taking advanced technology, the Brotherhood could not only ensure that it would not fall into irresponsible hands that could threaten civilization's rebuilding but also not fall into hands that would threaten the Brotherhood's power. The Brotherhood does recognize some technology as too dangerous for anyone to use. The first technology banned by the Brotherhood was nuclear weapons by Roger, and more recently his descendent Arthur banned technology used to create artificial humans. By the late 23rd century the organization had begun to collect and confiscate military technology more than technology explicitly useful for rebuilding.
Divergent Beliefs
The Brotherhood of Steel is by no means a unified force. Its members are spread across the former United States into various chapters and lesser organizations, each with its own version of the Brotherhood's goal to guard humanity. The known chapters are:
•Appalachian Chapter- The Appalachian chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was founded alongside the West Coast chapter by Roger Maxson. As this was the case, the chapter held intensely to Roger's stated goals for the Brotherhood. This chapter did, however, criticize openness to human outsiders due to trust concerns and the banning of technology deemed too dangerous to use.
•East Coast Chapter- The East Coast chapter of the Brotherhood holds true to Roger Maxson's belief that the Brotherhood should welcome all of humanity into its ranks, but detach themselves from normal affairs, instead helping civilization indirectly by confiscating dangerous technology and wiping out nests of hostile entities. The East Coast chapter originally involved itself greatly with wastelanders, offering protection and delivering resources to people. These jobs are now stripped to rare guard postings to major settlements. The elimination of threats to humanity is the part of the Brotherhood's goal that this chapter takes to be highly important. As this chapter has gone through extreme change and development in its short existence, members have greatly differing opinions on how the Brotherhood should help rebuild America.
•Midwestern Chapter- The Midwestern chapter of the Brotherhood is a radical organization. Unlike the other chapters, the Brotherhood in the Midwest believe that they must control the Wasteland to rebuild civilization. The Midwestern Brotherhood attempted to fully dominate the Midwest to more easily bring civilization and law back into the Wasteland, by negotiations when possible and force if necessary. They also believe that the rebuilding of civilization is not exclusive to humans, but any mutants as well, uneasily welcoming mutants into the ranks of the Brotherhood. Advancements are freely given in Midwestern chapter territory so long as the recipient settlements provide aid and resources to the cause.
•Mojave Chapter- The Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel is not very different from the West Coast chapter it sprouted from. Like its cousin in the West, the goal of the Brotherhood is interpreted to mean that they do not need to take a direct interest in humanity's affairs. As they had been weakened almost to the point of collapse by the New California Republic, this chapter's actions were greatly restricted to essential missions only. The Mojave chapter takes the Brotherhood's goals very seriously, and will stick to them even knowing that the traditional Brotherhood views might kill the organization.
•West Coast Chapter- The West Coast chapter of the Brotherhood is greatly closed off compared to its siblings. Despite being directly descended from Roger Maxson's original group, they follow little of his teachings how he meant them to be taken. Their "traditional" views of the Brotherhood's goal of rebuilding civilization are ones highly detached from the rest of the world. This chapter only welcomes outsiders under special circumstances and agree to give technology and information to humanity but are willing to go to war to get it back if need be. However, the West Coast chapter is not entirely callous in its operations, as they extended some protection to even mutantkind at the end of conflict with the Unity mutant threat. This chapter is also uncompromising in seeing the Brotherhood's mission complete, willing to defend their goal even when defeat is assured.
Sources:
•Fallout, Brotherhood canon ending slide
•Fallout, "Captain Maxson's Diary"
•Fallout 2, ACE dialogue
•Fallout 3 Official Game Guide, Wasteland Census
•Fallout 3, Henry Casdin dialogue
•Fallout 3, Owyn Lyons dialogue
•Fallout 3, Reginald Rothchild dialogue
•Fallout 4, Arthur Maxson dialogue
•Fallout 4, Danse dialogue
•Fallout 4, Brotherhood of Steel ending
•Fallout 4, Haylen dialogue
•Fallout 4, Teagan dialogue
•Fallout 76, "About the Brotherhood"
•Fallout 76, "Elder Maxson's Final Conversation"
•Fallout 76, "Formation of the Brotherhood of Steel"
•Fallout 76, "Preservation of Technology" •Fallout 76, "Radio Log: Aug 29 2077"
•Fallout 76, "The Nuclear Option"
•Fallout: New Vegas, loading screens
•Fallout: New Vegas, Veronica dialogue
•Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide, Faction Profiles
•Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, intro
•Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, Simon Barnaky dialogue.
•Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, "Section 2.1"
•Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, "Section 2.3"
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And so, what do you think about the Brotherhood's goal of facilitating the rebuilding of a new America? Have they succeeded or failed in fulfilling Roger Maxson's vision? And if you have any ideas on what lore to shoot out of the Exposition Cannon next, be it something you think more people should know about or just a cool topic, feel free to suggest it. Already been given a few good ones like true strength of the NCR and purpose of the Enclave.