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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.Įlite 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. 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. Though not as mighty as the vaunted Paladins, Knights are nonetheless powerful enough to deal with mutant and raider assaults. 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. 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. Regardless of their headstrong demeanor and general lack of skill, a lone Squire can be a very dangerous opponent. 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. 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. Initiates may be accepted either into the main fighting force as Squires, or into the ranks of the Scribes as an Attendant. In short, while Initiates may lack in experience, they make up for it in raw skill and dedication to the Brotherhoods cause. 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. 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. Some Conscript commanders are, in fact, more experienced and deadly that Brotherhood initiates, though. Conscripts are often resentful of their position, having most likely been press-ganged into the Conscripts due to a debt or simple bad luck. When it comes to heavy combat, their true advantage is numbers, other than that however, they are rather unimpressive fighters. However, they are competent combatants, and can hold their own against small raider groups and mutant packs. They are the most numerous fighters and are generally lightly trained and armed, lacking in any heavy firepower or armor. Conscripts are not true members of the order, but are instead cannon fodder taken from the various settlements the Brotherhood controls. The lowest members in the Brotherhoods military hierarchy, Conscripts are militia men and women taken pressed into service as cannon fodder for the Brotherhood.
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The New California Chapter follows a similar ranking system to the West Coast Brotherhood, with a few differences of their own: In return for protection from the Brotherhood and his position, the governor provides conscripts in times of war and pays taxes. However, the Brotherhood's empire is run through a feudal setup.Įach 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. The Brotherhood of Steel's military operates as an order, similar to the other Brotherhood chapter. Even with wounded and dead weighing them down, Holloway's expedition team quickly overtook the town, and set themselves up as local dictators. This act was to be the township's last action as an independent settlement. 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. It was only later in the outskirts of New California that the expedition found the settlement of Ashcroft. 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.