In 2135, Roger Maxson, the legendary hero and founder of the Brotherhood passed away but was
succeeded by his son Maxson II, a great leader in his own right who did not agree
with his father’s openness and willingness to work with other factions, instead adopting
more isolationist policies while keeping advanced tech hidden from the outside world until a future
time when they could be trusted with such power. Raising their children to join the brotherhood,
stopped accepting outsiders around 2141, though exceptions could be made.
By 2150, the Western Brotherhood was at war with the Vipers cult and raider gang cult originally
formed by former residence of vault 15. Unprepared for their religious, snake worshipping fever, the
High elder Maxson II was killed leading his forces into battle. In response the Brotherhood embarked
on a campaign of extermination, wiping out nearly the entire gang save for a forgotten few who fled
north and east. In 2159 the deceased leader’s son John Maxson succeeded as High Elder and a
few years later in 2161 established an alliance with the legendary Vault Dweller from Vault 13,
helping their his heroic quest to destroy the master and his super mutant army,
attacking his base at the LA vault and forces at the mariposa military base.
Expanding their influence further across the west, the Brotherhood made contact with the
New California Republic, refusing to join the growing state, but establishing such friendly
relations the government named one of their states after the organization’s founder Roger Maxson.
By the 2240s, the Brotherhood grew so comfortable and complacent they were shocked to learn of
the Enclave faction which possessed superior technology like Vertibirds. Reactivating old
outposts to watch for Enclave activity, their enemy was soon defeated by the Chosen One,
the heroic grandchild of the famous vault Dweller who destroyed the Enclave base,
stopped their plans for genocide, killed the president and stole their vertibird plans,
eventually allowing other factions to build their own.
Ready for further expansion, the Brotherhood sent another expedition into the east,
which started by establishing the Mojave Chapter under Elder Elijah and ending with Capital Waste
Chapter under Senior Paladin Owyn Lyons. Other possible Brotherhood chapters established
throughout the years included the Montana branch under Elder Patrocolus, the Chicago branch which
lost contact and formed the midwestern chapter with more open recruitment policies, and the
texas branch where a detachment was sent from California to battle a growing super mutant army.
Over in the Capital Wasteland, Owyn Lyons followed in the footsteps of
Leila Rahmani by formulating his own personal quest to help and protect
the people of the region, forgoing their declared mission to acquire technology.
Disobeying direct orders from the west, the Brotherhood in california cut off communication,
stopped reinforcements and exiled them from the organization. Disagreeing with their leader’s
decision, some of the Brothers rebelled in 2276, starting the Schism or Brotherhood Civil War in
the east. Known as the Outcasts, these rebels took Fort Independence and reorganized themselves to
more effectively scavenge the wasteland for tech, confident that when they eventually rejoined the
west coast Brotherhood, their rebellion would be vindicated and Lyons exposed as the true traitor.
By 2277 the brotherhood under Owyn Lyons, operated out of the Citadel and went to war
with the east coast Enclave, fighting the Battle of Project Purity to secure a vital source of
clean water. Allying with the hero Lone Wanderer from vault 101, they used a giant robot called
liberty prime to win the battle. Yet instead of selling the water to fund their operations,
the Lyons Doctrine demanded they provide clean water to the wasteland free of charge.
A year later Owyn Lyons passed away, with leadership falling to his highly capable
and well respected daughter Sarah Lyons. But after her death in battle later that year, the
Brotherhood suffered under ineffectual leaders, diminishing their influence in the region.
Meanwhile, hostilities grew on the west coast, as both the brotherhood and NCR
continued to expand until coming into conflict over the control of advanced
technologies. By the 2150s the NCR-Brotherhood war began with small skirmishes but eventually
grew into a major conflict in the region. Although the brotherhood had better weapons,
armor and training, the NCR was far larger with a stronger industrial base,
allowing them to emerge victorious destroying at least six enemy bunkers. Though 4 of those
6 were destroyed by the Brotherhood themselves, preventing their capture by the NCR. Although the
Lost Hills remained a highly fortified Brotherhood position, in 2276 the NCR
performed operation Sunburst, attacking the Mojave branch operating out of the Helios one factory,
eliminating over half of the chapter before they retreated to the hidden valley.
Though the NCR won the war, it nonetheless took a massive toll on their economy, losing men,
materials and gold reserves to brotherhood raids. This destroyed the value of gold-back NCR
dollars forcing the government to create a fiat currency, backed only by their guarantee. Unable
to trust this currency, many switched back to the bottle cap system prevalent across the wasteland.
Struggling to survive their war against the NCR, the Brotherhood started to groom young Arthur
Maxson for a possible position of leadership as the last living descendant of their founder. In
order to protect the boy from the growing dangers in California, he was sent to train in capital
wasteland as a Squire for Owyn Lyons and later his daughter Sarah. After relations between East
and West worsened and communication was cut off, Maxson remained loyal to the Lyons Brotherhood for
the remainder of his youth, earning a powerful reputation by the age of 12 when he killed 2
raiders and saved a squad of soldiers. At 13, he earned the scar on his face by killing a
Deathclaw and at 15 defeated the Shepherd who was raising an army of super mutants in the region.
When word reached the West Coast of Arthur’s exploits, they were very proud
and made contact to encourage his ascent as leader of the East Coast brotherhood.
Young Maxson finally cemented his status at the age of 16 when he brokered a peace agreement
between the Brotherhood and Outcasts, ending the civil war and uniting their
forces. Refocusing their efforts toward the original goal of acquiring technology,
while also keeping it away from the abuse of outsiders. He even incorporated some of the
teachings imparted by the Lyons family, including a strong belief in the sanctity of human life,
instructing his men to defend innocent caravans and travellers whenever possible.
As the west coast Brotherhood failed to find a strong leader
and were greatly weakened by years of war, many revered Maxson as a god-like figure,
likely considering him the true High Elder of their entire organization.
In 2282, the Brotherhood built the Prydwen, a massive air ship allowing them to move quickly
across the East coast, so that by 2287 they expanded their influence into the
commonwealth seeking to monitor and ultimately destroy the highly feared Institute. A shadowy,
science based faction creating human-like 3rd generation synths, which the Brotherhood
considered an abomination and threat to the survival of their species. Engaging in the
War of the Commonwealth, the Brotherhood competed with the Institute, Railroad,
and Minutemen Militia to control the region, even reaching out to the legendary Sole Survivor of
vault 111, a hero with great influence who helped determined the victors of this war.
Throughout the years that followed, the Brotherhood gradually took on more religious
overtones, revering their mission, technology and the sanctity of steel, treating leaders
like priests or clerics while soldiers grew more zealous in the defence of their beliefs.
By 2296 The West Coast brotherhood was once again on the rise, able to expand more freely after
the destruction of Shady Sands and decline of the NCR. The west coast brotherhood
organized their forces to engage in missions across
New California, including the search to secure a scientist fleeing the enclave
with the secret to cold fusion, a technology able to provide an infinite source of energy.
Eventually they track their target to the new NCR headquarters at the Griffith Observatory,
defeating their forces to capture the desired tech.