Brotherhood of Steel

" 'We've fought and we've endured and finally we have a small patch of safety. But having a home isn't enough. We need something more. What we need is... purpose. But we cannot look to the America of old for that purpose. We have to build our own.'"  - Roger Maxson (Aug 29, 2077) The Southern Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel is an autonomous chapter of the Brotherhood, originally founded by the progressionist Elder Maximillian Hohenfel. Their headquarters is the former National Guard Bureau in Yuma, Arizona. It is a multi-floored government complex that was once the headquarters for the U.S National Guard prior to the Great War. It was located and occupied by Lost Hills forces in 2249 when old archives revealed the pass-codes to the mysterious entrance algorithm that once kept the base so impressively secret. This detachment was led by a recently promoted Elder Hohenfel, Head Paladin Julian Arkos and Knight Captain Antheia Soranis, of whom utilised the two years worth of military rations and supplies kept within to form a star of hope and progress for the organization.

As of 2281, the Southern division is under the independent command of Elder Maximillian Hohenfel "The Bold", once a respected authority and war hero of Lost Hills, now he is the supreme commander of the Southern Brotherhood of Steel. He rules among a council of five Elders, primarily comprised of Lost Hills veterans. As the Brotherhood's position in the West declined, the Sonoran chapter grew and changed, their policies of acceptance and altruism questioned and punished by their progenitors. They chose to cease direct servitude in 2281 and adopt autonomy with the agenda of growth and a renewal of High Elder Roger Maxson's vision for the future, without being held down by the crushing trading restraints set by their parent chapter.

Due to strong relations between the seceded Elder Council of the Southern Brotherhood and Lost Hills, they were spared the wrath and formal declaration of betrayal from the High Elder. Instead, the subject of their disregard towards the High Elder's whims has earned them a place in the minds of the Western Brotherhood as a derelict, outcast Chapter where the strange and unseemly are sent. Their numbers swelled, enabling them to project their power and influence from Arizona to New Mexico and even towards Nevada, where they communicate with the Hidden Valley Brotherhood and work in a mutually beneficial alliance.

Though the Southern Chapter no longer receives military aid from Lost Hills, they have managed to maintain friendly relations with most every sect of the Brotherhood save for the far-away Eastern sect, of which remains out of communications range due to distance and hostile faction presence between the two locales.

Stagnation, Fall of the West
By the year 2240, the Brotherhood of Steel had grown complacent in its status as the sole source of advanced technology left to mankind, and allowed its prominence and influence to wane, growing stagnant. As a result, when the threat of the Enclave, arose and Lost Hills was unable to respond accurately, they looked to their best and brightest for answers. When a network of outposts was placed in Northern California, a bunker was opened and activated by Brotherhood Scouts in southern Oregon meant to act as a secret hub for the outposts. It was equipped with powerful radio boosters meant to send messages back to Lost Hills meant only for their organization.

This small northern chapter was led by Elder Jonathan Maxson, the son of the High Elder at the time, Jeremy Maxson. It operated successfully and without interruption for quite some time, however its location was given away by an exiled Paladin by the name of Josef Hohenfel, of whom served for a number of years under Jonathan. Believing his leadership weak and ineffective, he assisted the Enclave in launching an offensive against this chapter to maintain their secrecy in the region. Dozens of Brotherhood lives were lost, and the bunker was placed under lock-down.

When making their last stand, two figures stood out in the eventual defeat of the attacking forces. Firstly, Senior Paladin Julian Arkos, of whom led the Elder and a contingency of forces around a secret exit that allowed them a flank on the Enclave. Though they were outgunned, they had the element of surprise, and they eventually drove their forces back to a high ridged region in the interior of Oregon.

The Brotherhood fought valiantly and their attack on the Enclave's forward outpost ended conclusively with the destruction of the base and the repulsion of the Enclave; at a heavy cost. In the assault on the bunker, the Elder was badly wounded, and would have been executed if not for the heroic actions of Arkos and his field medic, Head Scribe Hohenfel, the second of the two notable figures of this conflict. The Head Scribe's Brother had betrayed his order, and it was through service he redeemed his family name. The Paladin was immediately promoted for his valiant acts, and the Scribe was dubbed "Hohenfel The Great" by Jonathan, for his impressive field surgery that saved the Elder's life. The praise given to the two figures was met with a humble desire to better the defences of the Brotherhood, updating their operations, and laws, to be more progressive and capable of handling evolving times. These statements were met receptively, and due to the conservative nature of their proposals, the Brotherhood began to make plans for the recovery of their order with this in mind.

Era of Expansion
In 2245, the Brotherhood began work on plans to expand, understanding the encroaching border of the New California Republic as a potential threat, High Elder Jeremy Maxson and Elder Jonathan Maxson led an initiative. Their best Scribes delved deep into the archives to locate and decrypt the entry codes on a great deal of bunkers across North America. With this in mind, they planned four major expeditions. Firstly, they would send Paladin Owyn Lyons to lead an expedition to the East Coast of America to Washington, DC. Otherwise known as the Capital Wasteland. Secondly, Elder Elijah was sent to the Mojave Wasteland to Secure Hoover Dam. Thirdly, they would retreat entirely out of Oregon and Elder Jonathan would return to Lost Hills and bolster remaining forces to prepare for aggressive expansion. Finally, a large expedition was sent east to the prospective Yuma bunker, said to contain a great deal of supplies capable of keeping their people fed and comfortable for many years. Instead of relocating, he decided to stay and assist the Elder Council's central operations in Lost Hills for a time, sending his confidants to this bunker to set up a shell chapter in preparation for his eventual arrival.

As a preliminary leader, Head Scribe Hohenfel was added to the Elder Council in his early fifties with the assumption that his time in this job would prepare him for executive power on the Lost Hills council. He appointed his best Paladin to assist Hohenfel in founding a new chapter, and Antheia Soranis as a surveyor and law-keeper. Together, with Head Scribe Rain Valiere, they founded the Southern Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. With a contingency of ninety five, they ventured east and unlocked the National Guard Bureau's headquarters, finding decades worth of rations and a massive mineral deposit below. They set up as a resource gathering chapter, secretive for the majority of their existence as Elder Hohenfel made sure he succeeded in his duty to supply Lost Hills. When the NCR-Brotherhood Wars broke out, the Chapter participated by sending the majority of their combat forces west to join the fight.

The Yuma Brotherhood was integral in the survival of Lost Hills, Head Paladin Arkos and Head Scribe Valiere conducting a plan to stop the destruction of Lost Hills by splitting enemy forces and keeping them occupied long enough to whittle them down and make a tactical retreat. Leaving the NCR hemorrhaging, they joined the main branch of the Brotherhood's forces and participated, win or lose, until 2268 where they withdrew remaining forces and returned to protect the Yuma bunker. Convinced he was needed in Lost Hills indefinitely, Jonathan Maxson sent his remaining son, Arthur, East to the safety of Lyons' Citadel, convinced Lost Hills would be wracked by war for too long for his beloved son to grow up as he wanted him to; in peace. To achieve this as soon as possible, he named Elder Hohenfel the leader of the Southern Brotherhood and handed over executive power to him, the two of them vowing to work to minimize conflict over the next decade. They failed.

The Rogue and The Justiciar
After the failures of Operation Sunburst and HELIOS One, and the death of Jeremy Maxson, High Elder Jonathan Maxson had few options. Even less so when they had found out Elder Lyons had betrayed his goals and their orders, forced to name the Eastern Brotherhood of Steel a 'rogue chapter' and later simply watched closely, they knew they had few options. One contingent had remained quiet, loyal albeit somewhat ineffective, and that was the Yuma Chapter. Maintaining supply lines to Lost Hills, the High Elder decided it best to invest in something more stable. For some time the unwanted and unseemly initiates that joined Lost Hills and the other minor bunkers surrounding it were sent East to Lyons to bolster his forces and assist in his mission, but they refused to continue to supply a rogue chapter. Instead, the forces were transferred to Yuma, and in 2277 the Chapter began to operate openly on the surface, initiating the occasional skilled waster and maintaining peace in the region. They met little resistance until the war between the NCR and Legion encroached in the coming years. After 4 years of growth, Elder Hohenfel insisted that they be allowed to cease supply transfers now that they had become a full chapter.

The Elder Council was not in agreement about how to handle the growing chapter, and as a result, Elder Hohenfel claimed autonomy and established a small council of Elders in Yuma. Usually this could be seen as treason, but due to his long service and the Yuma chapter's amicable offers to trade and work with one another, the two ideologies created a schism, pulling the Elders on the council most likely to behave progressively; Rain Valiere, Harrier Blackwood-Delacrux, and Medea Actium. Already working closely with his former Head Knight, he named the loyal Antheia Soranis the fifth Elder on their council. Though he retained the power a Maxson held in this council, Elder Hohenfel did not accept the title of High Elder, citing the Brotherhood's shared beliefs but different paths. He continues to honour Maxson despite being unable to work as a direct subordinate of his, but should Hohenfel pass, his replacement may not be so honourable.