Brotherhood of Steel History

[SimpleSapien]

I'm hoping someone here can help me out out. I'm doing a project on Medievalism, which is the concept of applying medieval-era ideas to the setting of another era, traditionally modern or advanced.

The issue I'm having (and maybe I'm going insane -- I certainly feel this way right now) is that the Brotherhood of Steel history I'm familiar has been retconned by the John Maxon storyline. Originally, and I wish I could find the source, was that the Brotherhood of Steel was locked in their respective bunker and provided medieval literature of some kind (as part of their bunker-related experiment,) and that's how they began to refer to themselves as knights and scribes.

Does anyone recall this history, if at all? Am I going insane? If I'm not, can you help me find the source?

 

[Atomkilla]

I don't recall any sort of medieval scripture nor Vault-like experiment being mentioned anywhere as far as BoS is concerned, nor do I recall Maxon storyline being "retcon" - John Maxon, who appears in the first game, is the grandson of Roger Maxon, the BoS founder. Basically, all of that was there from the start, in the very first game.

BoS are remains of US military who were supposed to protect Mariposa Base - but after finding the truth about the base and hideous experiments done there - they revolted, killed the scientist and deserted the base in the days following the nuclear exchange. A month or so after the Great War, remaining soldiers, their families and refugees they picked up on the road found shelter at Lost Hills bunker...and that's basically it.
Sheltered in the bunker, with high-grade military tech at their side, BoS slowly evolved into a quasi-religious order of tech-worshipers.

For in-depth and highly detailed presentation of the story, click here.



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The whole Knights, Scribes, Paladins etc. ranking system was probably introduced as a sort of direct counter-statement against US military. Some of Maxon's man were tortured in the experiments, and these people felt betrayed by their country and people whom they sworn they would protect, so they wished to cut all ties with US and prevent another cataclysm from happening again. So they set aside US military ranking system and picked what is basically a direct opposite - a medieval-esque caste system - and chose to preserve technology in order the protect the ignorant from its dangers.
Naturally, over time their original vision changed and their over-protective paternal approach to wastelanders soon led them to become fanatic xenophobic tech-elitist who firmly believed that technology should be their own and nobody else's.

As far as the whole ranking system goes, if you ask me, devs threw it in there more for the flavor than for logic - and as a reference to a similar order in original Wasteland game, and several other things. It is not impossible, of course, to have people in the post-apocalyptic world to accept some of the norms from the times of the feudal lords - I find that highly likely - but the casting system always felt somewhat over-the-top for me.