Elders

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The elders are the supreme leaders of the Brotherhood of Steel. They wield complete authority and run the entire organization.

The Council of Elders at Lost Hills is comprised of five persons: four elders^[1]^{[Non-game 1]} and one high elder to moderate meetings and cast votes to break ties.^[2]

Ranks

High elder

The high elder is part of the council. While referred to sometimes as the leader^[3] or person in charge,^[4] they have the same rights and privileges as other elders, with one exception: mediating meetings at the council and breaking vote ties.^[5]

The high elder may hire external contractors to complete smaller objectives they deem necessary, even if they have been freshly accepted into the Brotherhood and such an action would technically violate the Chain That Binds policy.^[6]

Notable members

Elder

The highest rank in the Brotherhood of Steel, typically a paladin,^[7]^{[Non-game 1]} though exceptions can be made in specific circumstances.^[8] Becoming an elder may take up to twenty years, making each a veteran combatant.^[9]

Elders, ruling either on their own as individual chapter leaders, or as part of the Council of Elders at Lost Hills, make all the decisions for the Brotherhood, defining everything from meals other members eat, to duties, to the overall strategic objectives of the organization.^[10]

Notable members

Elder Mary, New California 2161
Elder Jacob, New California 2161
Elder Rachael, New California 2161
Elder Jonathan, New California 2161
Elder Owyn Lyons, Capital Wasteland, 2277
Elder Sarah Lyons, Capital Wasteland, 2278
Elder Theis, referred to in the Capital Wasteland, unknown^[11]
Elder David James, referred to in Mojave, unknown^[12]
Elder Kenneth Jones, referred to in Mojave, unknown^[13]
Elder Lindquist, referred to in Mojave, unknown^[13]
Elder Raymond Lorn, referred to in Mojave, unknown^[14]
Elder Elijah, Mojave, 2276
Elder Nolan McNamara, Mojave, 2281
Elder Arthur Maxson, Commonwealth, 2283
Elder Cleric Quintus, New California, 2296

Notes

The following is based on Atomic Shop content.

The description of the elder's battlecoat item in Fallout 76 reveals it is not exclusive to Arthur Maxson, but rather, common attire among the elders.

End of information based on Atomic Shop content

References

↑ The Vault Dweller: "{346}{}{Who are the Elders?}"
John Maxson: "{244}{Gen_59}{Well you see there's four of them and that's about all they can ever agree on. They can't even agree if they want to piss, much less pick a pot to piss in.}"
(John Maxson's dialogue)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{148}{}{Aren't you the High Elder? Why don't you do something?}"
John Maxson: "{109}{Gen_2}{I can't. I just moderate these endless damn meetings. There's four Elders, and me, you see? I break up fights and tie votes. Now, if all four vote to pick our noses while an army rolls in here and kicks our collective butt, there's not a helluva lot I can do about it.}"
(John Maxson's dialogue)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{102}{}{Who is the leader of your organization?}"
Talus: "{106}{}{That would be the council of elders. More specifically, the High Elder, Maxson. The elders make all the major decisions around here. If you need to speak with them, you'll find them on the fourth floor.}"
(Talus' dialogue)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{103}{}{So, are you in charge around here?}"
Talus: "{108}{}{No, we are directed by the council of elders. Maxson, the High Elder, would be the person in charge. If you need to speak with him, you'll find him on the fourth floor.}"
(Talus' dialogue)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1005}{}{Rhombus}"
John Maxson: "{1106}{Gen_58}{Hehehe. A fine, handsome, upstanding man. The High Elder position is to mediate the meetings between the Elders. You see, two years ago I got talked into it. If I'd of known then...}"
(John Maxson's dialogue)
↑ Scout the northern wastes
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1010}{}{Knights}"
John Maxson: "{1110}{Gen_62}{The Knights make the weapons. And when he's good enough, a Knight can advance to become a Paladin and then an Elder and so forth. Right now Rhombus is the head of the Knights.}"
(John Maxson's dialogue)
↑ The Courier: "Tell me about your last Elder."
Edgar Hardin: "Elijah was a strange one. His even becoming Elder was highly questionable, seeing as how he was a Scribe. Typically, only Paladins are eligible. But an exception was made in his case, on account of him being a genius. Unfortunately, whatever scientific acumen he had didn't extend to tactics. Trying to defend HELIOS was a blunder of the worst kind, and many brothers lost their lives because of it. Many of the senior paladins, myself included, advised him to fight a retreating action, but he refused to budge. Said he almost "had it working". We never did find out exactly what he was talking about. When the perimeter was finally overrun, the Elder had simply vanished."
(Edgar Hardin's dialogue)
↑ Elder: "{7123}{}{It took me twenty years to learn how to dodge like that}"
(Elder's dialogue)
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1004}{}{Elders}"
Cabbot: "{1104}{Cab_57}{They make all the decisions around here, from what we eat to what our duties are. And uh, they argue a lot, too. The High Elder seems to have to step in a lot.}"
(Cabbot's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Let's trade equipment."
Cross: "In the words of Elder Theis: "A Brother well equipped is a Brother keeping to his duty."
(Cross' dialogue)
↑ Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; terminal, Incident #3
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; terminal, Incident #2
↑ Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; terminal, Incident #1

Non-game

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Fallout: The Roleplaying Game Rulebook p.382: "Elders make up the Brotherhood of Steel's leadership council. To reach the lofty position of Elder, an individual must progress through the Brotherhood's ranks and must reach at least Paladin to be considered. While a council of Elders are responsible for the entire organization, one or more Elders may also lead their own chapters in various parts of the wasteland."

Brotherhood of Steel

Membership and hierarchy

Elders		High Elders: Roger Maxson (2077 – 2135) · High Elder Maxson II (2135 – 2155) · High Elder John Maxson (2159) · High Elder Rhombus (2208) · High Elder Jeremy Maxson (2231) · Arthur Maxson (2278) Elders Elder Jacob · Elder Rachael · Elder Jonathan · Elder Mary · Elder Owyn Lyons (2278) · Elder Theis · Elder David James · Elder Kenneth Jones · Elder Lindquist · Elder Patrocolus · Elder Raymond Lorn · Elder Elijah · Elder Nolan McNamara (2281)

Paladins		Head Paladins: John Maxson (2159) · Rhombus · Lindquist · Edgar Hardin · Sarah Lyons

Knights		Head Knights: John Maxson · Rhombus

Scribes		Head Scribes: Vree · Reginald Rothchild · Lars Taggart · Talwin · Morgan · Bucek

Lancers		Lancer-Captain Kells

Chapters

Chapters		New California chapter · Mojave chapter · Montana chapter · Brotherhood Outcasts † · Maxson's Eastern chapter · Original Appalachia chapter † · Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force

Splinter		Midwest detachment · Lyons' Eastern chapter †

Divisions		Western:Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force · Circle of Steel

Lyons'

2nd Monument Defense Detachment · Lyons' Pride

Locations

Brotherhood of Steel		Lost Hills bunker · Den outpost · San Francisco outpost · Shady Sands outpost · Montana bunker

Mojave chapter		Brotherhood of Steel safehouse · Bunker 13 (formerly) · Hidden Valley bunker · HELIOS One (formerly)

Appalachian chapter		Big Bend Tunnel East (formerly) · Camp Venture (formerly) · Firebase LT (formerly) · Firebase Major (formerly) · Fort Defiance (formerly) · Forward Station Alpha (formerly) · Forward Station Delta (formerly) · Grafton Dam (formerly) · Survey camp Alpha (formerly) · The Thorn (formerly) · Thunder Mountain Power Plant (formerly) · Watoga (formerly)

Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel		Adams Air Force Base · Arlington Library · The Citadel · Falls Church · GNR building plaza · Jefferson Memorial · MDPL mass relay station (formerly) · Washington Monument · White House Plaza

Brotherhood Outcasts		Brotherhood Outcast shack · Fort Independence · Outcast outpost

Maxson's Eastern division		Adams Air Force Base · Boston Airport · Cambridge Police Station · The Citadel · The Prydwen · Waypoint Echo (potentially)

Equipment

Uniforms		Brotherhood of Steel holotags · BOS uniform · Recon armor · Scribe robe · Fatigues

Power armor		T-45 power armor · T-51 power armor · T-60 power armor

Robots		Automated turrets · Liberty Prime · Mister Gutsies (Sawbones) · Robobrains

Vehicles		Airships (Prydwen) · Vertibirds · Zepplins

Miscellaneous

Texts		Captain Maxson's diary · Chain That Binds · Codex · Maxson log

Wars and Battles		Appalachian super mutant conflict (Battle of Huntersville) · Battle of Fort Bannister · Brotherhood-Enclave War on the West Coast · Brotherhood-Enclave War on the East Coast (Destruction of Raven Rock, Battle of Project Purity, Battle of Rockland, Battle of Adams Air Force Base) · Capital Wasteland super mutant conflict (Battle of GNR Plaza, Battle of the Mall, Battle of White House Plaza) Mojave Wasteland super mutant conflict · NCR-Brotherhood War (Operation: Sunburst, Battle of Griffith Observatory) · War of the Commonwealth (Battle for Boston Airport) · Unity crisis · Brotherhood-Gammorin War · Brotherhood-Calculator War · Brotherhood-Attis War

Events		Schism · The Scourge

Related articles		Hierarchy · Maxson (state) · Steel Plague · The Glow · United States Armed Forces

See also Midwest Brotherhood and Texas chapter.

[1] The Vault Dweller: "{346}{}{Who are the Elders?}"
John Maxson: "{244}{Gen_59}{Well you see there's four of them and that's about all they can ever agree on. They can't even agree if they want to piss, much less pick a pot to piss in.}"
(John Maxson's dialogue)

[3] The Vault Dweller: "{148}{}{Aren't you the High Elder? Why don't you do something?}"
John Maxson: "{109}{Gen_2}{I can't. I just moderate these endless damn meetings. There's four Elders, and me, you see? I break up fights and tie votes. Now, if all four vote to pick our noses while an army rolls in here and kicks our collective butt, there's not a helluva lot I can do about it.}"
(John Maxson's dialogue)

[4] The Vault Dweller: "{102}{}{Who is the leader of your organization?}"
Talus: "{106}{}{That would be the council of elders. More specifically, the High Elder, Maxson. The elders make all the major decisions around here. If you need to speak with them, you'll find them on the fourth floor.}"
(Talus' dialogue)

[5] The Vault Dweller: "{103}{}{So, are you in charge around here?}"
Talus: "{108}{}{No, we are directed by the council of elders. Maxson, the High Elder, would be the person in charge. If you need to speak with him, you'll find him on the fourth floor.}"
(Talus' dialogue)

[6] The Vault Dweller: "{1005}{}{Rhombus}"
John Maxson: "{1106}{Gen_58}{Hehehe. A fine, handsome, upstanding man. The High Elder position is to mediate the meetings between the Elders. You see, two years ago I got talked into it. If I'd of known then...}"
(John Maxson's dialogue)

[7] Scout the northern wastes

[8] The Vault Dweller: "{1010}{}{Knights}"
John Maxson: "{1110}{Gen_62}{The Knights make the weapons. And when he's good enough, a Knight can advance to become a Paladin and then an Elder and so forth. Right now Rhombus is the head of the Knights.}"
(John Maxson's dialogue)

[9] The Courier: "Tell me about your last Elder."
Edgar Hardin: "Elijah was a strange one. His even becoming Elder was highly questionable, seeing as how he was a Scribe. Typically, only Paladins are eligible. But an exception was made in his case, on account of him being a genius. Unfortunately, whatever scientific acumen he had didn't extend to tactics. Trying to defend HELIOS was a blunder of the worst kind, and many brothers lost their lives because of it. Many of the senior paladins, myself included, advised him to fight a retreating action, but he refused to budge. Said he almost "had it working". We never did find out exactly what he was talking about. When the perimeter was finally overrun, the Elder had simply vanished."
(Edgar Hardin's dialogue)

[10] Elder: "{7123}{}{It took me twenty years to learn how to dodge like that}"
(Elder's dialogue)

[11] The Vault Dweller: "{1004}{}{Elders}"
Cabbot: "{1104}{Cab_57}{They make all the decisions around here, from what we eat to what our duties are. And uh, they argue a lot, too. The High Elder seems to have to step in a lot.}"
(Cabbot's dialogue)

[12] The Lone Wanderer: "Let's trade equipment."
Cross: "In the words of Elder Theis: "A Brother well equipped is a Brother keeping to his duty."
(Cross' dialogue)

[13] Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; terminal, Incident #3

[Incident_#2-14] 13.0 ^13.1 Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; terminal, Incident #2

[15] Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; terminal, Incident #1

[FORolePlayBookElders-2] 1.0 ^1.1 Fallout: The Roleplaying Game Rulebook p.382: "Elders make up the Brotherhood of Steel's leadership council. To reach the lofty position of Elder, an individual must progress through the Brotherhood's ranks and must reach at least Paladin to be considered. While a council of Elders are responsible for the entire organization, one or more Elders may also lead their own chapters in various parts of the wasteland."

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[Non-game 1]

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