After the activation of Project Purity, the capital wasteland underwent a transformation. With a source of abundant clean water suitable for drinking and irrigation the remains of the old US soon saw a rise in it's population, more than quadrupling in a generation both by natural means and by immigration. Settlements such as Rivet City and Megaton grew in size and scale, raiders were gradually driven back and gradually greenery returned. All of which would in time be unified under the banner of the Brotherhood of Steel, which had both control over the purification complex, a stockpile of pre-war technology and a simple martial strength. Depending on who'd you'd ask in the the DC area afterwards, the Brotherhood was either a benevolent largely hands off group committed to maintaining peace and justice in exchange for some minor taxation or a bunch of power hungry authoritarian bullies who'd squeeze you dry and spit in your face (an opinion most commonly held by the ghoul population who found themselves a marginalized minority). With this boost in resources the East Coast Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel had grown in size and scale and the capacity to extend its influence (most notably with a disastrous campaign to the Commonwealth). As time went on, the brotherhood came to face an increasingly pressing issue as it became harder and harder to equip it's knights and paladins with power armor.







Between the expansion of their ranks, general wear and tear and casualties, their reserve of T-60, T-51 and T-45 suits gradually diminished and despite well both well organized and wide reaching searches and generous finder's fees the supply of new salvage gradually was diminished. While certain parts could be replaced and the scribes of the Brotherhood became adept at patching, a fair number of key components remained beyond their ability to produce, with more being producible but not practical to do so. Pressed with the prospect of things getting worse in the long term, efforts were redoubled to make replacements. The previous easy going goal of one for one replication at some point in the distant future was abandoned in favor of a more aggressive project to make something basically serviceable. The result of which was eventually designated Squire Armor. While the Mark-1 and 2 saw some limited production and combat tests, the refined Mark-3 Squire suit was the one which eventually entered mass production in 2298.







Powered by a bank of thirty two microfusion cells, Mk-3 Squire Suits both augmented the physical strength of the user and allowed him/her to carry heavier armor (steel with ceramic backing and an internal rubber and ballistic textile lining) than what a basic human could have which was effective against most kinetic and some low end energy weaponry. Both of which lacking when compared with pre-war power armor systems. It did have a basic two way radio system, filtration systems for high rad environments and some basic fan based cooling systems, but it lacked the combat aide user interfaces of older units. Donning these suits was complicated and usually involved someone else to attach components and afix them into place. In general many soldiers of the Brotherhood looked down Squire Suits as being cheap counterfeits, especially as the limited stock of pre-war power armor was gradually set aside for those ranked Paladin or higher. Even so, as the combat ready forces of The Brotherhood expanded the ability to field thousands of soldiers with at least some form of power armor remained a powerful force, especially as the the Union of The Commonwealth emerged to the north.





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