John Maxson

General John Maxson is the grandson of Roger Maxson, and the high elder of the Brotherhood of Steel in the year 2161.

Background
Tough, old, and confident, John Maxson was born into the Brotherhood around 2097 and is as good as the Maxson line of Brotherhood generals come. He showed tremendous promise as an Initiate and a Knight, travelling the wastes far and wide and forming lasting relations with various people in the wasteland, including Butch Harris. By the time he was inducted into the Paladin caste in 2135, at 38, he was a formidable warrior and a force to be reckoned with. His reputation and talents were further confirmed when he rose to the rank of Head Paladin, the absolute best warrior and tactical commander within the Brotherhood of Steel.

His last promotion came at the cost of a personal tragedy. In 2155, his father was killed in a skirmish with the Vipers. Four years later, in 2159, the Council convinced him to accept the position of High Elder, becoming the third Maxson to hold the rank. However, he was not quite aware of the sheer volume of politics associated with the office. By the time the Vault Dweller meets him in 2161, he is 64. His body ages, but his mind remains as sharp as ever, yearning to fight the enemies of the Brotherhood, rather than remain underground.

Maxson is not too popular among the Elders, as he is considered a bit crazy. His claims about an army massing in the north are met with incredulity and all motions to send an expedition there are voted down as risky. After all, sending tens of troops into the irradiated wastes can be dangerous and risk the Brotherhood's very existence.

Quests

 * Scout the northern wastes: From scout reports, it is rumored that there is a super mutant nest somewhere to the north. Maxson wants you to confirm these rumors.

Appearances
John Maxson appears only in Fallout as a talking head. He is voiced by Frank Welker. In the game, he is referred to only as General Maxson, only being given a first name in Chris Avellone's Fallout Bible, where all the dates mentioned in this article also come from, although some of it might have appeared already in the original Fallout timeline by Brian Freyermuth. He is mentioned in the Citadel terminal entries - along with his ally, the Vault Dweller - in Fallout 3.