Codex



The Codex is the core dictating constitution of laws and orders of the Brotherhood of Steel.

Background
Created by the Brotherhood's founder, Roger Maxson, the Codex dates to the first decades of the Brotherhood. Members of the Brotherhood who take the required Oath of Fraternity swear to adhere to its commandments and conduct themselves with honor. Should a member break the Oath, the Council of Elders would be the ones to decide their fate as a Brotherhood member.

Contents
The Codex contains text that formulate the Brotherhood's core tenets, doctrines, responsibilities of its members, and other essential elements of the Brotherhood's ideology and organization. Members of the order are expected to abide by its contents, with topics not covered by the Codex considered unimportant, such as idle conversation.

It also serves as a record of the Brotherhood's history, in conjunction with its essential component, the Scrolls, and contains axioms attributed to the Founder, Roger Maxson. One of the duties of the Brotherhood's scribes is to maintain and update it. Theoretically, a scribe could alter any part of the Codex, even the axioms, but there would be consequences were they to be caught doing so.

Scrolls
An integral part of the Codex, Scrolls record the lives, achievements, and other details of the members of the order. They were created in the early years of the Brotherhood and were in common use by 2103, for example, by the Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force.

Each Scroll contains the Brother's current rank, personal details, and a summary of their service. These include the circumstances of their entry into the Brotherhood, a description of their personality and standing, notable deeds (such as battles, tech recoveries, and promotions), and may otherwise end with a description of their death or reassignment. The responsibility for maintaining the Scroll will then pass to the new command. The duty is typically assigned to the Head Librarian of a Brotherhood bunker or a designated scribe if one is not appointed.

Brotherhood chapters and detachments are expected to remain in contact with Lost Hills to synchronize the contents of Scrolls (with Roger Maxson describing it as the deeds enduring forever in them). Tradition also dictates that the Scrolls record each member's death. Recovering the holotags to confirm demise is considered acceptable, if resources do not permit a proper recovery and burial.

Finally, the Elder in command of a chapter may order certain names to be struck from the Codex in the case of desertion or insubordination. Paladin Leila Rahmani faced that risk after losing contact with Lost Hills, which caused some concern in New California that she had gone rogue at the time. The procedure was carried out in respect to Henry Casdin and the Brotherhood Outcasts after their departure from under Owyn Lyons' command in 2276. This resulted in the absolute forbidding of mention of the group, with members in good standing forbidden from even speaking the outcasts' names.