Ad Victoriam

BDCS #00001: After Princess Celestia’s defeat of High Elder Maxson in the Year 12, Princess Celestia of Equestria purged most mentions of the Brotherhood and Maxson from Equestrian literature and records, as well as suppressing recounts of the battle between Royal Guard and Brotherhood forces.

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One day, a thousand years ago, there was a great and terrible war. Two sisters fought, and their battle tore the lands of Equestria in two.

Not a single Equestrian was prepared for this war, and supplies quickly ran dry. Civilians on both sides starved, soldiers slowly lost morale, and dissent grew throughout the nation.

But one group, made of intellectuals and warriors, managed to weather the storm and prepare for the chaos that was sure to follow, as their leader foretold.

Sure enough, even after one sister was banished by the other, the nation continued infighting, devolving into no less than a dozen warbands and factions fighting between the forces of the sister, and one another.

This group that had survived the storm, this Brotherhood, embarked on a mighty Crusade. They fought back against the darkness, and defeated many of these warbands.

The remaining sister, however, did not know who they were. She believed them to be usurpers, wanting Equestria for themselves.

After the Brotherhood slew the greatest of these warbands, a technologically advanced enclave of unicorn supremacists, the Royal Guard and Royal Army launched an ambush on one of the Brotherhood’s camps.

In a quick campaign, much of the surface strength of the Brotherhood vanished. The remainder of their troops held up on a shoreline in the western reaches of Equestrian land, purposefully staying far away from their still-hidden bastions.

There, they waited and stood. Preparing for this final battle. And lo, it came. The Royal forces smashed into their lines, fighting them all the way to the water.

And the sister emerged from these lines, hitting the leader of this Brotherhood with an arrow of colors. He began to freeze, his armor turning to stone, but in his last actions barked out a few orders.

Their leader fallen into the sea, and their defeat guaranteed, the remains of the Brotherhood fled to the far corners of this world. Their dormant fortresses, extending for miles underground, silently disappeared.

Yet the Brotherhood was not dead.

Legends of their doings were passed down generations of descendents of the Brotherhood.

Ten years before the thousandth anniversary of their defeat, a new Brotherhood was formed by these descendants. One dedicated to the return of their leader.

Their High Elder, the illustrious Joseph Maxson.

But even as the Brotherhood stirs, enemies old and new awaken, threatening to cause Equestria’s thousand year stretch of peace to end.

Despite the harmony they live in, Equestria shall again learn the harshest of lessons: War, war never changes.

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I awake to the all-too-familiar sound of an alarm blaring in my ear. I know deep down that it is time. My stone prison has weakened to the point I can shatter it.

Shifting my body, the cracks in the rock widen and sunlight touches my skin for the first time.

My old armor crumbles away, and I am freed from my slumber.

I am lying on a beach somewhere down the coast from where it all ended. Where we fought our final battle. I do hope they heeded my final commands. I had many procedures in place in case I fell.

Ignoring the cries of protest in my back, I shift upright, pushing myself back onto my feet.

My old suit of Power Armor was just a shattered mess lying around on the sand, baking in the morning sunlight. I turned towards the sun rising over the woods to the east. I turn back to face the ocean again. This is the furthest edge of Equestria. My trip would take me through many dangerous lands, and would end within sight of the heart of Equestria, Canterlot.

Steeling myself for the trek, I turn and begin striding towards the treeline.

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I held my weathered Pip-Boy up to my eyes, examining the menus. None of the notes had been corrupted, thankfully, but the map was mostly gone other than major locations and the communications features were entirely down, for some reason. It would seem the small wireless receiver module on the back had been damaged at some point before I fell in combat.

The Pip-Boy’s digital inventory was still whole as well, minus the Power Armor frame and pieces. I summoned my pistol, Pew-Pew, as well as a finely-sharpened combat knife and my old hunter’s coat in the place of my underarmor. I had redressed myself to look more like a seasoned wanderer than a leader of some military forces, to better disguise myself from curious eyes.

The wilds of the Western Reaches was much of what I remember. Sprawling, hilly forests, the Dragon Hills capping the region, and the promise of danger lurking away from pathways. Beyond the Dragon Hills lay the Badlands south of Central Equestria, a vast desert region that is home to ancient secrets and terrifying monsters alike.

I had a long journey ahead. One in an Equestria a millennium older than the one I left. Taking a sip from my flask, I try and remember where the nearest town is. Vanhoover was supposed to be north along the shoreline aways. It used to be a small fishing village and port, but nowadays has probably developed into a larger city.

If I can earn some bits I could probably afford a train ticket to one of the towns near Canterlot. Cloudsdale is probably my best option if I want to avoid the Guard. Pegasi Guardsponies and other police forces rarely had a reason to come to the ground, and it will likely stay like that so long as there isn’t a sizable ground population down below the city

These thoughts were pushed to the back of my head upon encountering a campsite at the bottom of the hill I stood on. It would seem a caravan of some sort had been traveling through this area and a small cluster of camps surrounded a central campfire. Seeing as it had begun to get late, and travel at night is probably not the smartest idea, I begin to walk towards the flames.

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“Greetings, mind if I take a seat by your fire?” I query, hand held up in greeting. “It’s been a long road and I was looking for a good camp spot.”

One of the ponies sitting across from the fire looked me up and down. The brown-coated pony had a beaten ballcap and a pair of shades, and sat in the center of those talking around the fire.

“Sure, stranger, just keep out of our tents and you’ll be fine,” The pony cracked a grin, nodding towards me. “I’m Weathered Hooves, and these are the fine folks of the Backroads Guild of Vanhoover. We’re working a job as surveyors for one of those big Manehattan companies. They were looking to see if some of the valleys around here had any materials of interest. What’s your story?”

“Call me Joseph. Been on the road for some time. Was heading to Vanhoover to see if there were any jobs in town I could do quick, courier work and the like. Just need enough bits for a train ticket to somewhere out east. Feel the need to see home, but even with a train, it'll be a long walk. Sorta in the middle of nowhere, y’know?” I state with a bit of a half-shrug. Half-truths are easy when ponies are entirely unaware of your past.

“Hmm. Tell you what, you look like you’re capable of handling yourself. I’ll give you a cut of the pay if you scout out the valley ahead of us. Make sure there aren’t any beasts ready to tear us a new behind, you dig? Deal?” He walks over and holds out a hoof.

I take the hoof in my hand and shake it with a nod of my head.

“It’s a deal.”

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I stand on a cliff overlooking the valley they had sent me to recon. The group would be making camp a little further than where I met them and would have most of their stuff ready to move on my go-ahead.

My Pip-Boy played a near-silent jingle as it marked this location on my (now mostly-empty) map. “Whistling Valley” was the name of this place. The name was appropriate, as the wind rolling over the hills almost sounded like someone whistling a tune they had heard.

The trees here were a bit more sparse than the woods I had been in previously, but there were many outcroppings, cliffs, caves, and other obstructions preventing clear line of sight straight down the Valley.

Hearing a growl, I turn to my left and draw my pistol in a swift motion. There, emerging from behind a large boulder, was a Birch Timberwolf. With only a single shot from Pew-Pew, it turned into ash.

Birch Timberwolves were among the weakest variant of Timberwolf, and they tended to stay away from other kinds. Scouting the Valley would likely take only a day, but needing to clear out these luckily weak Timberwolves would add another day or so to that.

Hostering my pistol, I brought out my Laser Rifle, the Wazer Wifle, needing something with a higher magazine capacity in case I run into more than 2. While Pew-Pew actually was more powerful, it drained a Small Energy Cell in only 2 shots, making crowd control difficult.

Hearing howling in the distance, I began to trail my way up the valley, having my head on a swivel to see these Timberwolves before they could pounce on me.

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BDCS #1218: The Equestrian Technological Solutions Corporation is a large manufacturer and research company that operates out of Manhattan. It requires a large number of crystals to manufacture their own variants of the rediscovered AEP and AER lines of weapons.

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After setting up camp for the night, I continued clearing out the Valley, killing dozens of Birch Timberwolves. This seemed to be almost a refuge for them, likely a place where various packs had been pushed by other predators or ponies. It almost seemed a shame to eliminate them, but Timberwolves are a result of bad magics, and need to be put down.

I had made my way all the way to the end of the Valley, and I could find small crystalline growths emerging from the rock in places. These must be the things that piqued the interest of whatever company had hired Weathered Hooves and the others. They were a near-match for the kind of crystal found in my laser weaponry, though they would need refining before use. I pocketed a few, as I was likely to find a use or get a few bits out of them later, if this job wasn’t enough.

Reaching a point where the Valley seemed to narrow before capping off, I stumbled upon a cave lined with large crystals, several times the size of the protrusions I had found earlier. The cave was not too deep, but it took me a while to find the final chamber.

In the center of this chamber was a Timberwolf Alpha that crackled with energy. It seemed to have gems glittering inside it’s chest cavity and replacing its eyes. I had never seen one like this before, and sprung into action.

I leaped into the chamber and fired off two shots with Pew-Pew at it before switching to the rifle. After a few moments of dodging and circling it, I discovered my lasers seemed to bounce before striking the wood making up its body.

The crystals combined with the vile magical energy fueling Timberwolves had created a shield entirely blocking the same wavelengths of energy the crystals produce in laser weapons. I suspected it would also offer great protection against magical spells or enchanted weapons, but had no time to test this and neither on hand.

Grinning, I had realized that this type of shield would provide no protection against ballistics.

I quickly switched to my Anti-Material Rifle, Old Redwood, and lined up a shot on its head. I waited for it to begin another pounce, causing it to slow down and rear up rather than dodge attacks, and launched a .50 BMG right into the Alpha’s head.

The wood shattered and splintered on contact, and at once all life was gone from the Timberwolf. The pieces began to rot away immediately, only leaving behind a pile of these crystals. I put them away, these in their own separate container in case any bad magic lingered.

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“Ah, you’re back. How’d your little expedition go?” Weathered Hooves questioned, a grin on his face. “Is the spot good for us to move in?”

“There were large numbers of Timberwolves, but they were easily defeated. Their Alpha has also been shattered, so they’re unlikely to come back. Place should be good to head to now, and it looked really promising, especially this cave at the end.” I handed Weathered a folded sheet paper I had written some more in-depth information and a hand-drawn map on. He took it in hoof, and scanned it over.

“Wooee that’s a big number of wood-dicks! You know what, here’s some extra damn pay for all that trouble you went through. It’s the least I can do to pay you back,” He handed me a somewhat weighty sack of bits, at least a couple pound’s worth. “If y’ever need work again around Vanhoover, come and see us again. We operate out of a small office just next door to the Vanhoover City College.”

“Thanks for the bits, Weathered. Good luck and happy hunting.” With that, I turn back towards the road leading to Vanhoover. Money, direction, and new friends were all important things.

My Pip-Boy gave another quiet jingle, this time popping up with a pair of messages.

“You are now accepted by the ponies of Vanhoover! Congratulations! Ponies in town still don’t know you well, but you helped out some of their own! Ponies in Vanhoover will be more trusting and likely to accept requests from you!”

“You are now liked by the ponies of the Backroads Guild! You did a big favor for the Vanhoover branch, and the organization as a whole will be open to working with you again in the future!”

I wonder if I’ll meet any of the other branches of the Backroads Guild in the future, or see Weathered Hooves once I leave Vanhoover. Anything’s possible in this new world, I guess.

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BDCS #00100: The Children of Steel are those descended from the original Brotherhood of Steel. These were the ones who brought back the organization in the modern day and follow the old teachings of High Elder Joseph Maxson.

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“My fellow Brothers and Sisters, you may wonder why I gathered you here in our Great Hall today. I am not sure you are aware, but today is the marking of a momentous occasion.”

“I have not told many of our new members from beyond the Children of Steel our true goals, our true aspirations, our true purpose.”

“Please, please calm down. I will explain everything.”

“On this day, a thousand years ago, the ancient Brotherhood, the original organization, was defeated in battle at the end of the Aetatis Suad Belli, the Age of War. The Brotherhood, however, had existed for nearly three decades before then. It was founded by an individual who foresaw the Nightmare Moon Uprising and the events that would follow. He foresaw everything. Our High Elder.”

“We were founded by him and his followers, some of the greatest thinkers and mightiest warriors of the era. We held many underground labyrinths just like this one we reside in now, and we slowly grew in strength. We trained in the ways of a long-lost civilization, using their tactics mixed with our High Elder’s unique ideas. We made advances in technology still not found to this day. We prepared for the crisis he gave warnings of.”

“And then, a decade after the Brotherhood was founded, Equestria fractured into two warring sides. The Brotherhood began to secure towns near their bunkers, protecting them from dangers the ones serving the Moon and Sun were no longer focused on.”

“Yet we did not act in the war. We simply defended those near us, and prepared our next great move.”

“After Nightmare Moon had been banished, her Lunar Legion shattered into a dozen factions. Many other would-be usurpers and warlords also carved out chunks of Equestria, and entire units of the Royal Army went rogue and used their camps and fortresses to lord over towns and regions of Equestria.”

“The Brotherhood spent the next 5 years quelling these uprisings, allowing the ponies ruled over by these cruel masters to await Princess Celestia bringing back order to Equestria. Then, they rose. Our cursed enemy, the Enclave. They were unicorn supremacists who had banded together under the Autumn Dynasty. They found caches of Forefather armor, weapons, and machines, just like our own equipment.”

“Before then, there were only whispers of our metal soldiers on the winds of Equestria. Celestia knew not of what her ponies spoke of in hushed whispers. Pony-like golems of steel emerging from the darkness, driving away bandits, and leaving again? Seemed like something out of fiction.”

“The conflict against the Enclave was an all-out war.The Brotherhood again emerged from the shadows and struck against them. The Princess was caught off-guard by these two technologically-advanced factions becoming a problem overnight.”

“The war lasted another 7 years. It was... horrific and many Brothers and innocent ponies died.”

“My ancestors witnessed bunkers caved in, crushing dozens of ponies beneath tons of rubble. They witnessed villages on the surface blasted away with a single weapon. They witnessed entire forests burnt by the Enclave’s hellish flamethrowers.”

“But at last, we destroyed the Enclave’s primary fortress, and killed their leaders. The organization shattered and we picked off the remains one-by-one.”

“Our conflict ravaged what was left of Equestria. No ponies were willing to fight. That was, other than Celestia.”

“She believed us to be some sort of threat from the past, ghosts inhabiting armor shells. She saw as we burned and fought over her lands, and grew to fear us.”

“She discovered one of our greatest weaknesses: the Vorpal Blades. Magical weapons that could slice through any material. Arming her Royal Guard with these weapons, she destroyed many of our remaining bunkers. She launched a campaign that wiped the floor with us. We had lost too many to match the Equestrians.”

“So the High Elder, wise as he was, decided to rally the strongest remaining combatants and sent out an evacuation order. Every member of the Brotherhood that was not present in this fighting force was instructed to leave behind their lives.”

“And he faced Celestia head-on, for the first and only time.”

“His and his men’s sacrifices allowed the remaining bastions of the Brotherhood to silently escape. They fled to the edges of the world. But before his defeat, he gave one last message.”

“He stated that he would return in but a millennium. He would be freed of the prison that would bind him, and he would return to lead us. He said that the threats to Equestria and the world at large had ended, but they would no doubt reemerge. He commanded us to pass our stories through the generations, and record the Brotherhood’s feats for future generations. His final words before silence were that his return would precede a great period of crisis in Equestria.”

“It has been a millennium since that fateful day that the High Elder was struck down. He is already on his way to us, as he foretold.”

“I, Elder Watcher, brought you all together a decade ago to prepare for this very moment.”

“We await the return of our master, High Elder Joseph Maxson! We await the return of the strength of the Brotherhood! We await our rise to glory, to greatness! Ad Victoriam!”

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BDCS #00032: The Royal Guard are the personal guards of the Twin Sisters and the most potent Equestrian military combatants. They have access to high tech weapons and extremely powerful magic.

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NAME: JOSEPH MAXSON
LEVEL 36
S 8
P 6
E 4
C 9
I 10
A 6
L 6

TRAIT 1: WILD WASTELAND
Increases chances of unusual encounters.
“Hey you, you're finally awake.”

TRAIT 2: INTREPID TRAVELER
20% increased health and nourishment benefits from foodstuffs and drink. Additionally, you can easily make out nearby points of interest from high ground.
”Them’s good eatin’s!”

BACKGROUND PERK: DISPLACED
Additional opportunities for advancement are given, and your aging is dramatically decreased to the point where it is nonexistent. Additionally, you now have a connection to others with this Trait, even those beyond the Veil of your universe.
"We're all really just wayward travellers, lost far from home, us Displaced."

PERK OF THE DAY: EDUCATED
Thanks to your status as a learned, intelligent member of your community, you better retain skills you have learned! Gain +2 skill points upon levelling up!
”Strive for progress, not perfection.”

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BDCS #00133: The modern Griffon Empire was formed 453 years ago when the Griff Concordat, the Griffus State, and the Kingdom of Griffonstone unified under one banner.