Background


Early Life (0-15)
Phoenix was born near the tristate area of Washington DC, around the year of 2245, inside of Vault 37. He lived among a community of survivors who kept the vault shut and discouraged outsiders from entering the vault. He was raised by his parents and lived a normal life, however he’d always wanted something more. In his spare time after classes, he’d always tinker with his father’s pistol, and the equipment in the mechanic’s maintenance room. He was always interested in fixing things, and shooting. With a BB gun his mother got for him to satisfy his talk of adventure, he would shoot at targets in the lower levels of the vault. Like cans, bottles, hats and the like. Being trapped in a vault however, was the last way this child wanted to spend his future. His parents and the other dwellers tried to tell him of the dangers of the wastes, based on the information their robot scouts had reported. However, there was no changing his ambitious mind.

Leaving the Vault (16)
Sure enough, Phoenix got his wish when he was around 16. When one day he snuck into the vault entrance corridor, watching patiently as some of the security made trades with a caravan. Being a naive teenager, he used this opportunity to slip by the guards and out of the vault. Amazed by the site of the vast wasteland in comparison to the cold, cramped metal walls of the vault, Phoenix was taken back by the raw excitement of possible adventure. Enthralled by the possibilities, the boy set out in the wastes, with only his father’s pistol to protect him.

Miscalculation (16-17)
Phoenix lived for a while in a small protected town in the wastes, staying in the common house and doing what he could to get by. A rude awakening slapped the young Phoenix in the face when he got his first real taste of the wasteland on his own. A close encounter with a pack of wild dogs in a scrapyard gave him quite the scare whilst he searched for something to sell for food. Ending up getting more than he bargained for. When that didn’t pan out, despite warnings from the town he was staying in, he set off scavenging for food in a Super Duper Mart. The boy found himself trapped in the building which doubled as a raider base. With his wits and stealth, he managed to survive the encounter and escape before being spotted--Until the ring leader caught him leaving the backdoor.

Knights in Shining Armor (17)
When he was caught trying to make haste with the raider gang’s goods, the teen was tied up and beaten to a pulp outside of the store. Again relying on his mind to get him out of the bad situation, he flicked his pip-boy 3000’s radio to record what was happening and place it open an open channel, in the desperate hopes someone, anyone, would save his foolish life. Good thing he had, because when all seemed grim, the raider began to hold him down, drawing a Ripper to cut off his arm. Before he could dig in, the man’s arm was turned to bright red light, falling to ash. The gang was quickly overwhelmed, as some armored individuals came running over the hill to make quick work of them. The last thing he remembered of that day was a female’s voice calling to him from a filtered helmet, a hand outstretched. “You’re going to be alright, I’ve got you.”

With Open Arms (17-18)
After Phoenix was saved by young Knight Flynn and her men, he learned they were a part of a faction known as the Brotherhood. More specifically, “The Brotherhood of Steel”. A strong, militaristic group who possess advanced pre-war tech and armor. Their origin apparently tied to pre-war military families by blood. This Knight would introduce herself to Phoenix as Emily Flynn, a four year veteran within the Brotherhood, given her own small fire team. She was also around four years older than Phoenix, and had dark brown hair tied into a short ponytail/bun, she had freckles over her nose and cheeks and sharp hazel eyes. With nowhere to go, the Brotherhood would bring the young man back to their base for shelter. This chapter was run by Lyons, who was more lenient than the traditional Brotherhood liked to be. After about a year of doing favors for them, and becoming quite close to Flynn, Phoenix was allowed to become an Initiate within the BoS.

Earning His Stay (18-19)
In his time as a Brotherhood Initiate, Phoenix proved himself a tenacious, capable trainee. Thanks heavily to Flynn’s tutelage, he even became a good shot with a rifle, and knew his away around the workbench. His first official mission was a rough one however, resulting in a failure on his part, botching a stealth situation and jeopardizing the team. Luckily, no one was killed, however his pride took a big hit. Flynn was quick to comfort him, as always. The time they spent together was starting to become more… personal. He immediately began to train harder, smarter. Working hard and grinding his way through his regiment, he slowly began to attract the eyes of the Knights, and by the time he was eighteen they finally gave him another shot. This time he would not mess it up, he had come too far and wouldn’t allow it. On a recon assignment, he discovered a fellow BoS member captured by raiders. Phoenix, with the help of a small fireteam was able to rescue the soldier and bring them home safely. During the firefight his squad leader was injured, and he took up the lead, which resulted in the mission’s success.

Knighted and Courted (19-21)
As a result of his success in rescuing a Brother and not cracking under pressure, Phoenix was awarded the rank of Knight for his valiant leadership in such a stressful situation. This is where the young man would undergo intense training, more so than ever and even be taught to operate power armor. It would take him years, however he would gradually improve his skills through trial and error, through many failures and victories, he began to develop as a soldier and become a notable knight within the faction. During these times, he and Emily had finally acted on their feelings and gotten together. There were mixed feelings about a relationship within the faction, although those close to the pair knew they wouldn’t let it steal focus, and trusted the two.

Lessons (22)
As a young Knight, Phoenix would get to experience more intense battles than he was used to for the first time. During a mission patrolling the outskirts of Brotherhood controlled territory, there was a brutal firefight that broke out with a large group of Talon Merc Company men and their robots. Outnumbered 3-1, Phoenix and his team were surrounded and forced to make a stand. Getting overconfident and seeking to impress again with a valiant act of courage, he attempted to stand from the fochole and open fire on the enemy. He did manage to take down two combatants, however overstayed his welcome on that bank. Catching a mini rocket from a Sentry bot to the shoulder. Thanks to his heavy power armor, he was only knocked unconscious, however his helmet was nearly shattered, sending shrapnel into his face, scarring him over his left eye. Luckily the eye was spared, however the lesson he learned that day was a valuable one. War was not a game, there were no medals, no scoreboards, only survivors.

Life of Steel (22-26)
For years he would go on to serve the Brotherhood, learning discipline, duty, honor, and loyalty. Eventually he would climb to the rank of Knight Captain after his noble actions in a crucial defense of a hospital, under attack from Super Mutants who were after a civilian population within. After the promotion, Paladins above him noted his skill with a rifle, and decided to assign him the sniper role in his newly formed squad he was appointed to lead. Consisting of a small handful of Knights, including his significant other, Emily Flynn. He prefered ranged combat anyway, so he was satisfied with the position. Phoenix would go on to earn the nickname ‘Sly’ for his skill in solo recon assignments, and then ‘Ace’ for his nearly unrivaled accuracy with the sniper rifle when working with his squad.

Bonded by Duty (26)
With some convincing, Phoenix and Emily were able to persuade the Elder to allow them to be wed, and finally the once lost vault boy had found the life he was searching for, even if he did miss his parents; he was his own man now.




Exiled (27)
Unfortunately, as all good things come to an end, so did his time in the Brotherhood. Not everyone agreed with the way Lyons ran things, even some of the Brotherhood members themselves. They had different ways of showing it, some silently holding resentment, others outright defecting. Becoming known as Brotherhood Outcasts. Grimly, when Elder Lyons passed away, the new leadership was passed to Author Maxon. Who immediately went on to ‘correct’ the previous leader’s ‘mistakes’, starting by disowning those who were not of true blood heritage. As he did not condone letting ‘outsiders’ into the Brotherhood. As a result, Phoenix was exiled from the Brotherhood of Steel, and relieved of duty. Ordered to stand down and hand over ALL of his gear, Phoenix was not going to go back to the wastes empty handed after all of the dedication and years of his life he put into the Brotherhood. This was madness. He along with his partner Emily, and their squad, fought back. During the firefight, two of his team was killed by Brotherhood Paladins loyal to Maxson, forcing Emily, Phoenix and another Knight to try and escape through the sewers. When they entered the tunnel, Maxson ordered his men to drop landmines in the manhole. Being the last one out to make sure his companions escaped safely, Phoenix took the full blast of them all. The explosions wrecked his armor and knocked him unconscious, to be dragged away by Emily and his friend, retreating from the faction who they put their lives on the line for for so many years. When he came to, Phoenix awoke in a Red Rocket Gas Station, Knight Johnson placing a wet rag on his face and wiping some soot and blood from him. Apparently, when they exited the sewers, a group of Super Mutants found them and attacked. Knight Flynn insisted Johnson get her beloved to safety, and stayed back to fight them off. Phoenix couldn’t accept this, and tried to get up to no avail. After a week or two of nursing him back to health, Johnson, having been distraught by the whole ordeal, decided to head West on his own after the exile. Phoenix was alone again, and everything he’d fought for, was gone.


A New Life (27)
When he was able to walk again, the weakened Madden attempted to find his wife, going back to the sewers where they were separated. However, he found no trace of her… Aside from her Holotags, and her laser rifle. Now, he spends his days in that Red Rocket Station trying to get his suit in working order some days, others wishing he’d never touched it in the first place. His regret of fighting back hung heavily on his shoulders, and he blamed himself for the deaths of his squad, and the loss of his love.

His goal now is to find Emily one day, or at least learn of her true fate.

Would you like to comment? Sign up for new account, or sign in if you are already a member.