Brotherhood of Steel

"'Stand firm brothers, Steel within! Steel without!'"The Brotherhood of Steel, also known as the New California Chapter, are a branch of the East Coast Brotherhood of Steel lead by Elder Holloway who were originally sent to sweep & retrieve pre-war technology. Following the discovery of a large and united super-mutant faction, their new priority was to destroy this mutant faction before it grew out of control. They are proud warriors who fight doggedly for control of New Columbia. Having become even more feudal due to a highly twisted fundamentalist doctrine and a harsh environment, the New Columbia Chapter are extremely active in the purging of mutant abominations and those who would pervert the knowledge of the ancients. They stand to defend knowledge, strength, and honor, to hold high all that is pure in humanity, and to burn all else. To this end, they have granted their "protection" to large settlements and have a presence in several smaller ones.

Arrival in New California
The first foray into New California was a total disaster, over half of the expedition team died in the chaotic crossfire of raider gangs, Veteran Police resistance descendants, and mutant hordes. It was only later in the outskirts of New California that the expedition found the settlement of Ashcroft. Built in a few short years after the bombs fell by the remains of California troops and survivors who fled the mutants and the early beginnings of the California raider gangs, the settlement of Ashcroft was reluctant to aid the Brotherhood, but in the end decided that they would save the first sane humans to come out of America since the bombs fell. This act was to be the township's last action as an independent settlement. Even with wounded and dead weighing them down, Holloway's expedition team quickly overtook the town, and set themselves up as local dictators.

Government
The Brotherhood of Steel's military operates as an order, similar to the other Brotherhood chapter. However, the Brotherhood's empire is run through a feudal setup.

Each Brotherhood controlled town has an Elder-appointed governor who oversees the affairs of the settlement, holding sway over any locally elected officials (mayors/conscripts) overseeing the town's affairs. In return for protection from the Brotherhood and his position, the governor provides conscripts in times of war and pays taxes.

Ranking
The New California Chapter follows a similar ranking system to the West Coast Brotherhood, with a few differences of their own:

Conscript
The lowest members in the Brotherhoods military hierarchy, Conscripts are militia men and women taken pressed into service as cannon fodder for the Brotherhood. Conscripts are not true members of the order, but are instead cannon fodder taken from the various settlements the Brotherhood controls. They are the most numerous fighters and are generally lightly trained and armed, lacking in any heavy firepower or armor. However, they are competent combatants, and can hold their own against small raider groups and mutant packs. When it comes to heavy combat, their true advantage is numbers, other than that however, they are rather unimpressive fighters. Conscripts are often resentful of their position, having most likely been press-ganged into the Conscripts due to a debt or simple bad luck. Some Conscript commanders are, in fact, more experienced and deadly that Brotherhood initiates, though.

Initiate
Initiates are the raw recruits of the Brotherhood, and though they are only prospective members, they far outrank any conscript or militia fighter in official rank if not actual experience. Though generally unskilled by the standards of the Brotherhood of Steel, they are only accepted by the merit of their abilities when compared to other recruits, and are only made into official initiates following a harsh selection program which weeds out any potential weak links. In short, while Initiates may lack in experience, they make up for it in raw skill and dedication to the Brotherhoods cause. Initiates may be accepted either into the main fighting force as Squires, or into the ranks of the Scribes as an Attendant.

Squire
The lowest rank of the Brotherhoods armed forces, Squires are one rank below the Knights, somewhat equivalent to a Private in the now defunct U.S. Army. They have proven themselves worthy of donning Power Armor and being armed with powerful conventional weapons, but lack the experience and skill of a more veteran Knight or Paladin. Regardless of their headstrong demeanor and general lack of skill, a lone Squire can be a very dangerous opponent. The fact that Squires are often grouped in squads of four and usually support the more skilled Knights make them an all the more fearsome foe.

Knight
The backbone of the New Columbia Chapters armed forces, the Knights are skilled and exceptionally brave warriors, whose weapons and armor make them quite possibly one of the most deadly fighters of the New Columbia Wasteland. Though not as mighty as the vaunted Paladins, Knights are nonetheless powerful enough to deal with mutant and raider assaults.

Star Knight
The leader of any given squad of Knights and responsible for the group of Squires attached to his squad, the Star Knight is a paragon of the Brotherhoods soldiery. Tenacious, loyal, and skilled in combat, Star Knights lead their Brothers from the front-lines, and see that the Elder's will is done with ruthless efficiency.

Paladin
Elite warriors and field commanders, the Paladins of the New Columbia Chapter, are some of the finest fighters and wielders of advanced weaponry New Columbia has ever seen. Paladins only reach their vaunted rank through valor and merit alone, and have usually survived countless battles beforehand to get to where they are now. Though usually seen alone or leading a large force of Knights, Paladins will sometimes form into elite kill-teams under a Star Paladin.

Star Paladin
Emissaries of the Elder and his chosen lieutenants, the Star Paladins are usually found behind the front lines, directing the battles of the Brotherhood on a larger scale than the Star Knights and their Paladin superiors. They are able tacticians and deadly warriors, though they themselves rarely see action due to their lofty position. Generally, a Star Paladin is only seen on the field when the Brotherhoods hold on an entire theater of war is threatened, and their direct action is needed to secure victory in battle.

Attendant
Attendants are the novices of the Scribe Orders, freshly promoted from the rank of initiate and enrolled into the Scribes for their exceptional skill or intelligence. Unlike the much more common Squires, Attendants are a rare breed in these dark times, intellectuals and scholars who possess a considerable amount of potential and care. Attendants usually act as their namesake would infer, often providing Scribes with the raw materials and services they need to carry out their work.

Scribe
The brains behind the Knights brawn, the Scribes are essential to the Brotherhoods mission of recovering, preserving, and innovating Pre-War technology. Each Scribe is a person of considerable intellect and skill, and they must hold a great reverence for all advanced technology. They are responsible for not only the maintenance and creation of the Brotherhoods arms, but are also key research and development personnel, enhancing and improving on ancient weapons and armors to give the Brotherhood its edge over all other factions in the Wasteland.

Procurator (Proctor)
The head of any of the three orders of the Scribes (Shield, Sword, and Quill respectively) the Proctor is responsible for all the developments made by their assigned order. The Proctors have a great hand in deciding the approval of various expedition and research projects, and therefore greatly affect both deployments of personnel and the technological advancements made by the Brotherhood. Each of the three Proctors confer with the Elder on a regular basis to give status reports on the developments of the various projects and quotas of their orders.

Elder
The leader of the New Columbia Chapter and figurehead of their organization, the Elder must be both a tactician of great skill and a mind of astounding scientific intellect. The Elder must lead the Brotherhood not only in the deployment of armed forces and the preservation/development of Pre-War technology, but also concern himself with the day to day matters of keeping the Brotherhood from falling apart at the hands of savages and usurpers. The current Elder, Elder Holloway, was a very controversial choice to lead the Expedition Team. However, he has shown the tenacity and intelligence to lead the Brotherhood, though his brashness and hunger for glory can sometimes cloud his judgement.

By
"Steel within, Steel without!"

- A Brotherhood Knight uttering the groups typical battle cry

"The Elder has ordered me to mold you flabby, hip-slappin', berry-pickin', rat-rubbin' brahmin kissers into capable warriors, and I am going to do it even if it kills you!"

- A Paladin in the midst of training Conscripts turned Initiates

"I don't wanna die like this!"

- A Conscript as he is overrun by Mutants

About
"Just a bunch of fucking tinpot soldiers. Less of a hassle without their armor, though, like a turtle out its shell."

- A lone wanderer

"I thought they were just in California!"

- Confused and indignant merchant