BattleTech

[Unicron]

The FedCom crest was a combination of the traditional Davion and Steiner crests for the duration of the alliance.

[RJDiogenes]

That explains it.

[Unicron]

Minor IS Powers and the Periphery



Free Rasalhague Republic

Originally a small independent realm, Rasalhague space was conquered by the Draconis Combine in 2330. It took several decades of small scale war for House Kurita to attain victory, and the Rasalhagians - of primarily Scandinavian descent - strongly disliked forced assimilation into the Japanese-dominant Combine. When Steiner forces invaded during the Fourth Succession War, the citizens of Rasalhague initially welcomed them as liberators but soon came to resent the heavy handed Lyran tactics. With some covert assistance from ComStar, Coordinator Theodore Kurita decided to frustrate the Lyran plans by supporting full independence for Rasalhague, thereby relieving the Combine of its most rebellious segment and ensuring a useful buffer state with the Federated Commonwealth, rather than allowing House Steiner to retain control of the region.

Thus the Free Rasalhague Republic was born officially in 3034, but its sovereignty would be limited. The Clan invasion swallowed up much of the new nation's space, occupied by Clans Wolf and Ghost Bear. After the Clan defeat on Tukayyid, what was left of the Republic was largely under the protection of ComStar's forces. Following the Ghost Bear relocation to the Inner Sphere, the two groups merged into a new joint state, the Rasalhague Dominion.



Ghost Bear Dominion crest



Former St. Ives Compact

The St. Ives Compact maintained a brief independence from 3029 to 3063, and was originally the St. Ives Commonality - one of the original founders of the Capellan Confederation. When the Liao forces were smashed by House Davion in the Fourth Sucession War, St. Ives formally withdrew and declared independence.

When he was elected First Lord of the second Star League, Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao decided the time had come to reclaim the region for his house. He employed a double agent to feint an attack by the Compact on the Confederation, thereby making St. Ives out to be the aggressor. He then called in SLDF peacekeeping forces, which were attacked by some elements of the St. Ives military who suspected his plan. This only served to help the Chancellor, though, as it continued to make the Compact look aggressive. The other states recalled the SLDF in 3061, when it was clear that House Liao wanted to reconquer the region, but by then the damage had largely been done. The Compact and the Confederation soon went to the negotiating table where, all things considered, the options were not that bad for St. Ives. In return for a greater say in Capellan politics than the other Commonalities and the retaining of St. Ives under the existing leadership, it was formally reintegrated into the Confederation.



Word of Blake insignia

The Word of Blake movement broke off from ComStar after the Clan defeat on Tukkayid and the failure of then-Primus Waterly's Operation Scorpion against the Inner Sphere. When Precentor Martial Focht assassinated Waterly, as a means to prevent the corruption of the organization, his action caused a schism among some who felt he secretly desired the leadership and that his actions (Waterly's official cause of death was given as a cerebral hemorrhage, but ROM officials who defected gained information about the assassination) were effectively a coup. ROM is ComStar's intelligence branch, and the term is also used for the WOB splinter version.

The WOB forces sought sanctuary in the Free Worlds League, which was granted, and took a considerable number of personnel and equipment with them. They were able to take control of many of the HPG communications systems within both the League and the Capellan Confederation, and this gave them the resources used to capture Terra in 3058. Focht declined to attempt to retake the cradle of humanity at that time, because he viewed the Clans as a greater threat. Later ComStar attempted to retake Terra during the Jihad in the disastrous Case White assault, which failed miserably.

Following the capture of Terra, the WOB expanded its operations in the surrounding space (the Chaos March), which it called the Protectorate. When the Second Whitting Conference led to the dissolution of the second Star League in 3067, the Word responded by ultimately starting its jihad against the Inner Sphere.

The Periphery



The former Rim Worlds Republic

The RWR once stretched along the borders of space now controlled by the Lyran Alliance, and may have extended close to its borders with the Free Worlds League and even the Draconis Combine. The Republic was founded in 2250, and had the planet Apollo (now in the Jade Falcon occupation zone) as its capital. The Amaris family made it a fairly powerful Periphery state, but it was ultimately crushed by Kerensky's SLDF after the Amaris Coup on Terra. The remnants were subsequently absorbed by the Successor States during the wars.



The Outworlds Alliance

The Alliance has proven to be a moderately strong state even though, ironically, it was never intended to be and was founded by a man who did not wish to lead. In 2413 Julius Santiago Avellar, a former admiral in the Terran military, grew disgusted with how the developing states preferred to use war to settle their differences. Fleeing to the planet Alpheratz, the modern capital, Avellar vowed to avoid all technology which was not designed for the purpose of improving man and largely lived as a hermit. Though he had not intended to start a political movement, his message resonated with many others living on the borders of the Sphere. As more and more followers came to Alpheratz, Avellar reluctantly helped to create the government that became the Alliance.

The Alliance Military Corps has relatively few mech forces, but a very strong air force. While the destruction of the Succession Wars did not impact the Periphery directly, the Alliance has been suffering from dwindling resources. Many of the original worlds are finding it harder to feed their populations, and this has led to dissent against the Avellar family.

The Outworlds Alliance is headed by a parliament which must vote unanimously on all issues for them to become effective. It might be described as a true democracy, though not necessarily the most responsible one possible. In recent years Clan Snow Raven has moved a significant number of its resources into the Alliance, and is has been rumored that it has in fact done a relocation similar to that of Clan Ghost Bear in cooperation with the Alliance government, though the true extent of the move is not clear at this time.



The Magistracy of Canopus

The Magistracy was founded in 2530 by Kossandra Centrella, a distinguished mechwarrior who held the rank of captain in House Marik's Defenders of Andurien. Becoming disenchanted with the Inner Sphere during the Age of War, and personally bitter after she and her troops were accidentally abandoned during a raid on the Capellan planet Highspire, Centrella used her influence to attract followers in the League and left for the Periphery. The new Magistracy became known as being the place to go for entertainment (of all sorts). The Canopians were one of the few states to fight well against the SLDF during the Reunification War, and swiftly recovered as a territory of the League.

During the Succession Wars, however, the loss of technology harshly affected the Magistracy as it had the Outworlds Alliance. With limited capacity for self-sufficiency, the government has been slowly working on recovery. There are still strong disagreements between the Free Worlds League and Canopus, as the Magistracy never recognized the "awarding" of certain industrial worlds to House Marik after the Reunification War ended. The Magestrix has formally refused diplomatic services until House Marik is willing to discuss the possibility of returning these "captured" planets. There is little love for the Capellan Confederation either, although the two states are both members of the Liao-sponsored Trinity Alliance.

The Magistracy Armed Forces are small and inconsequential, consisting mainly of local and government troops, but are capable of great loyalty and valor.



The Taurian Concordat

The closest thing in terms of political structure to the Successor States, the Concordat is the other reluctant member of the Trinity Alliance. It was founded in 2253 by refugees fleeing the Age of War and seeking a better life. Unlike the other Periphery states, the Concordat as it existed before the Reunification War actually had the resources to be a potential threat. There is considerable bitterness towards the Federated Suns to this day, due to political tensions between the two realms which helped trigger that war. The Taurians were left shattered afterwards.

The Concordat is structured not too unlike the Federated Suns, with a combination of democratic principles and a constitutional monarchy. The Taurian Defense Force is the largest and most capable military in the Periphery.

[RJDiogenes]

As a Taurus, I have to say that the Taurean emblem appeals to me.

[Unicron]

Good news everyone. I got the new technical readout, 3085, for Christmas and I have another book coming in the mail. TR3085 covers the era after the end of the Jihad (the Inner Sphere and allied forces finally rallied and began to reverse things by 3076), and includes a number of new designs and improved versions of some historic units. Maybe I can finally finish up the Clan info I've been working on.

[RJDiogenes]

Well, that was a nice present to get.

[Unicron]

Yeah, a lot of the newer designs make use of what's considered advanced components whose statistics are in the Tactical Operations core book. TO includes the more exotic equipment (such as sub-capital weapons, heavier than traditional weapons but smaller than those mounted on warships) and also a number of supplementary items that originally appeared in the Tactical Handbook.

[Unicron]

Whew! I've finally gotten Clan descriptions ready, and it's a very time consuming process. However, due to length, I'm going to break it up over several posts.


The Clans

As mentioned above, although most of the Clans fall onto one side of the Great Debate, very few of them tend to associate the question of dealing with the Inner Sphere with their historical relationships with fellow Clans or their own self-image. Several have switched positions at times in response to the changing political winds.

During Operation Klondike, each of the five Pentagon worlds was invaded and liberated by four of the twenty Clans. They were as follows:

Arcadia - Blood Spirit, Ghost Bear, Star Adder, Steel Viper
Babylon - Cloud Cobra, Coyote, Diamond Shark (Sea Fox), Ice Hellion
Circe - Mongoose, Nova Cat, Snow Raven, Wolverine
Dagda - Burrock, Fire Mandrill, Goliath Scorpion, Widowmaker
Eden - Hell's Horses, Jade Falcon, Smoke Jaguar, Wolf

Crusader Clans



Clan Blood Spirit

Named for the esprit de corps of those who stood by Nicholas Kerensky, the Blood Spirits have instead proven to be the most isolated and embittered Clan. They believe that most of the other Clans have, in some way, rejected the Kerensky vision and gone astray. They have a particularly bitter rivalry with Clan Star Adder and the former Clan Burrock.

Blood Spirit society is more open and less rigid and structured compared to other Clans. They consider everyone valuable, although they have the usual bias against freeborns. They fought for many years against the Burrocks and the Mongooses, losing territory to both, and their hatred of the Star Adders occurred when that Clan was given the right to absorb Clan Burrock. When the Not-Named Clan challenged Nicholas' authority, the fact that some Blood Spirits warriors might have inwardly agreed with the criticisms led to calls from the Burrocks for their annihilation, and this insult was not forgotten.

When the decision was made to invade the Inner Sphere, the Blood Spirits only made a halfhearted attempt to win a place on the invasion force, feeling the time was not right despite loyalty to the Crusader view. Their military forces are limited, in part because they tend to view technology as a crutch that too many Clans favor over personal skill.

Clan Blood Spirit does maintain good relations with a few other Clans - chiefly the Fire Mandrill kindraa and Clan Snow Raven, with whom they have traded technologies, and also Clan Diamond Shark who act as a go-between. Their hatred for the Star Adders knows no bounds, and they also have vendettas against Clans Coyote and Hell's Horses for the assault on Kindraa Smythe-Jewel.



Clan Fire Mandrill

Clan Fire Mandrill is unusual in that it has been largely fractured over much of its history, dating back to Operation Klondike. The desire of individual soldiers to prove themselves superior made cooperation difficult, and the Clan has been divided into a number of kindred associations (kindraa). It has only been in more recent years of struggling against other Clans that the Fire Mandrills have shown a stronger sense of unity. Historically the Clan has been largely neutral, with different kindraa leaning towards the Crusader and Warden camps.

The exact nature of the Clan Touman varies by kindraa. The only major allies of the Fire Mandrills are the Blood Spirits and the Diamond Sharks. The constant feuding which has kept the Clan divided has prevented it from making too many enemies; however, there was enmity with both the Burrocks and Smoke Jaguars (due to constant raids by those Clans). There is also enmity against the Star Adders, whose absorption of Clan Burrock is considered to have transferred the feud to them, and the Steel Vipers. This conflict evolved from complaints by the Vipers over the Mandrill performance in the pre-invasion trials, when the Clan's disunity worked against its efforts. Clan Coyote is also under a wary eye, as it is seen as opportunistic.



Clan Hell's Horses

The Hell's Horses occupy a unique place among the Clans, in that their founder - a commander of the SLDF's 35th Infantry Division - gave them a profound favor for infantry and conventional vehicles over more expensive mechs, an attitude that many in other Clans would dismiss. When Clan Wolf developed the modern powered infantry armor, Clan Hell's Horses helped to develop the genetic breeding program to utilize it: the giant Elemental soldiers. Though the Clan military is respectably capable, its emphasis on conventional units has led to a small size compared to the more powerful Clans. Nonetheless, even the Ghost Bears respect the Horses as a worthy enemy.

The two chief allies of Clan Hell's Horses are the Coyotes and the Wolves. Their main enemies are Clans Ghost Bear and Fire Mandrill. The Ghost Bears fought and won several fierce battles for the few mech factories the Horses had acquired, and also captured several worlds which the Wolves had ceded by agreement from their occupation zone. This defeat temporarily forced the Horses to withdraw from the Inner Sphere to Clan space, but they later returned and launched assaults on both the Wolf and Jade Falcon occupation zones. They now occupy a cluster of forty worlds on the border between the two zones and have moved permanently into the Inner Sphere.

The rivalry with Clan Fire Mandrill dates back to 2872, when elements of the Hell's Horses joined up with Clan Coyote and destroyed Kindraa Smythe-Jewel for using deceptive bidding tactics in Trials of Possession for technology.



Clan Ice Hellion

A stalwart and enthusiastic supporter of the Crusader philosophy, Clan Ice Hellion's impetuous nature has more often proven to be a bane than the potential benefit it could be. Ice Hellion tactics have long favored the use of swift, light units that can make rapid strikes and potentially defeat an enemy before they can mount sufficient resistance. This served the Clan well in its early days but failed when the others adapted, and it has not helped that several times the Clan's leadership has become divided, with Khan and saKhan fighting each other. When the Grand Council approved the Dragoon Compromise in 3000, Khan Jena Norizuchi was willing to ignore the council's edict and launch her own personal invasion of the Inner Sphere, but these plans were thwarted by her saKhan.

Clan Ice Hellion is generally viewed as always grasping for more than they can safely hold. A 3071 attempt to conquer worlds in the Jade Falcon occupation zone and thus establish a Hellion presence in the Inner Sphere was crushed, and the Clan has since restricted its activities to launching raids from the Deep Periphery against the Ghost Bears. Though the Hellions have few dedicated enemies, they have had some historical conflicts with Clan Wolf.



Clan Jade Falcon

One of the most powerful of the Crusader Clans, and of the Clans in general, the Jade Falcons are named for a predatory bird genetically engineered to help rid their planets of native pests. The jade falcon is a mixture of the Terran peregrine and gyrfalcon, and is a symbol of tenacity and spirit. Clan Jade Falcon helped to develop the Crusader philosophy and has a long-standing grudge with Clan Wolf, one that began when Nicholas Kerensky made the choice to join them and make the coveted Kerensky Bloodname part of the Wolves' genetic legacy. Throughout their history there has been much enmity between the two factions, with the Falcons showing envy for what the Wolves have accomplished.

The Jade Falcons have always placed a high emphasis on their military, with a strong condescension for freeborn soldiers and other lower castes of the Clan. However, they also recognize the value that their civilians offer and that the Clan would not function without them, and so it is interesting that the merchant caste is quite powerful as well - second only to that of Clan Diamond Shark. After the invasion of the Inner Sphere the Jade Falcons had to share their occupation zone with the Steel Vipers, but a Viper attempt to wrest control from them led to the Vipers' defeat and exile from the Inner Sphere. The Falcon occupation zone has been a target of other raids in recent years, but their rebuilt touman has easily crushed most of these threats.

Since Khan Vladmir Wolf took power over Clan Wolf and brought it into the Crusader fold, there has been some minor rapprochement between the two but old hatreds die hard. There is also considerable hatred for the Steel Vipers, whose pressure on the Falcons in the wake of Tukayyid helped fuel the energy which led to the crushing Viper defeat in 3061. Clan Snow Raven has caused some territorial problems in its move into the Inner Sphere, but since the expulsion of Clan Steel Viper has made attempts to maintain cordial relations with the Jade Falcons. Clan Jade Falcon's boastful tendencies and saber-rattling over the years has prevented it from making many permanent allies, and even among the other Crusaders such relationships are tenuous at best. Though the majority of the Clans are not direct targets of the jihad, the battles against both WOB forces and rival Clans have caused significant problems for the Falcons.



Clan Star Adder

Named for one of the fiercest native predators in the Clan systems, the Star Adders have risen to be the strongest of those who did not participate in the invasion of the Inner Sphere. They helped to plan Operation Klondike and to liberate Arcadia, to which their namesake animal is native. Afterwards they participated in the exploration of the Kerensky Cluster.

Clan Star Adder's early successes, however, soon provoked envy and frequent attacks by Clan Mongoose (with some support from Clan Coyote). The Adders took serious losses until they were able to acquire omnimech technology and equalize the battle. When the annihilation of Clan Mongoose was ordered (as punishment for attacking Clan Smoke Jaguar as well, and then calling for a censure on the grounds that the Mongooses were outnumbered against two enemy Clans) and the Jaguars were given the honor, the angry Star Adders took advantage of the opportunity to recapture a few areas of territory. Though a larger conflict between Clans Star Adder and Smoke Jaguar did not develop, it did leave a lasting grudge between the two.

When the Great Debate arose from the capture of the Outbound Light, the Star Adders were firmly in the Crusader camp but stressed the need for caution. Unlike the other Clans, they considered the possibility that the Inner Sphere states might not be an easy conquest, and that the Clans should act as a united front rather than the traditional method of each Clan seeking its own glory. Their conservative methods prevented them from winning a place in the invasion, but they were content with the knowledge that the invading Clans would eventually need support to maintain whatever victories they won.

A new struggle began in 3058 when it was discovered that the Khan of Clan Burrock, which had been allied with the Adders for many years, had been assisting the Dark Caste - citizens of the Clans who had failed to find a place in their individual societies. Though the Clans had never openly admitted the existence of the Dark Caste, its existence was nonetheless felt. This dishonorable action led to the Burrocks being targeted for absorption by Clan Star Adder, and many Burrock members offered little resistance in response to the shame brought on by their leadership. Clan Blood Spirit, however, attempted to claim the right of absorption due to its long enmity with Clan Burrock, and was soundly defeated by Star Adder and Burrock elements working together to repel the assault.

Throughout their history, perhaps the greatest weapon of Clan Star Adder has been their tireless pragmatism. While they favor the warrior caste as all Clans do, all understand the importance of the contributions of each caste. The Star Adders are also unique in that they do not venerate the Kerenskys as much as other Clans, seeing them mainly as superior leaders. Clan Star Adder's main allies are Clans Cloud Cobra and Snow Raven, though the fact that the Star Adder fleet is now second to that of the Ravens has caused some nervousness. There is also a friendly rivalry with the Diamond Sharks, whom the Adders respect. Their main enemies are the Blood Spirits and the Fire Mandrills, and the Coyotes still hold some ire from the days of their alliance with Clan Mongoose.



Clan Wolf

The first of all the Clans to be forged by Nicholas Kerensky, Clan Wolf has long been one of the most powerful. When the Clans retook the Pentagon worlds via Operation Klondike, Nicholas judged that the Wolves had ultimately performed best, and joined their leadership to cement his Bloodname and genetic heritage as part of the Clan. This move inspired no small amount of jealousy from the other Clans, particularly the Jade Falcons. Throughout much of its history, the Wolf Clan has favored conservative views which ultimately became the basis for the Warden philosophy. They proposed the Dragoon Compromise and made many attempts to rein in the Jade Falcons and other Crusaders, though they failed to prevent the invasion from being launched in 3049.

Ulric Kerensky succeeded Leo Showers as ilKhan after the latter's death at Radstadt and agreed to the conditions which became the Truce of Tukayyid, for which he earned considerable ire from the other Clans. The Jade Falcons saw it as an opportunity against their old enemy, and tried to resume the invasion in 3057. In an ironic twist, Ulric's desire for some measure of peace with the Inner Sphere was doomed by his own successes, as there were many Wolf soldiers who were eager to prove themselves in battle - something that would not be possible if the truce lasted the full 15-year term (3052-3067). They would be too old by Clan standards then, and so many were drawn into the Crusader camp.

The Grand Council charged Ulric with treason for agreeing to the truce and removed him from office, with the Falcons leading the way. It was thought that, despite the considerable rivalry between the two philosophies, Ulric and the Warden Wolves did not have that much to lose; his removal from power would simply allow the Clans to resume the invasion legally by their own standards, and Ulric would return to being a lower officer in his respective Clan. But knowing that the Jade Falcons were the strongest Crusaders in the aftermath of the truce, and therefore the greatest threat to the Inner Sphere, Ulric shocked everyone by declaring a grand Trial of Refusal - with the bulk of Clan Wolf as his defense, against the whole of Clan Jade Falcon.

This led to the Refusal War, in which Ulric Kerensky managed to severely weaken the Jade Falcons but ultimately perished. Knowing that this was a good possibility, and that his death would pave the way for the Crusaders to gain control of the Clan if it survived, Ulric sent the bulk of the Warden officers into the Sphere under the command of Phelan Kell, along with resources and troops. They are now Clan Wolf-in-Exile and reside in Lyran space.

Though Ulric and his consort Natasha Kerensky died in the Refusal War, they succeeded in their goal of wearing down the Falcons to the point where they were in no shape to resume the offensive against the houses. Falcon Khan Elias Crichell called for a Trial of Absorption against the surviving Wolves, arguing that it would be best for the survivors to band together with the Jade Falcons so that they could survive the depredations of other Clans. However, this was challenged by Star Captain Vlad Ward, who had opposed Ulric's decision to abide by the truce and was a firm Crusader. He nonetheless came to respect Ulric as a fellow Wolf even though he disliked the Warden view, and issued a Trial of Grievance to allow the Wolves the right to survive independently. Vlad succeeded in his challenge and is now the Khan of Clan Wolf, but has made it clear that this Clan is essentially a new creation - one firmly in the Crusader camp. The six stars in the Clan Wolf insignia are a representation of their collective history: the first five stars symbolize the Clans as a whole, while the last star symbolizes the Kerensky line.

[Unicron]

Warden Clans



Clan Cloud Cobra

Founded by a Star League chaplain, Windham Katib, religious faith and mysticism have always been a hallmark of Clan Cloud Cobra. Though the modern descendants belong to a number of diverse faiths, Kattib helped found what he called "The Way" as a means of common ground from elements of the different religions, thereby providing the Clan with a source of unity from these disparate philosophies.

The Cloud Cobras suffered harshly during Operation Klondike, when heavy losses caused a greater emphasis on their technical expertise and aerospace assets than on ground forces. They possess one of the smallest toumans, but their lack of numbers is easily balanced by their technical skill. The Great Debate on how to deal with the Inner Sphere caused a number of fracture lines, as different groups supported opposing sides. However, the presence of "The Way" as an integral part of the Clan identity helped at least to prevent it from splintering entirely as Clan Fire Mandrill did.

Cloud Cobra society is centered around religious groupings called Cloisters, representing several historical faiths such as Christianity and Islam. Their principal ally in the early years was Clan Burrock, who assisted the Cobras in colonizing several worlds, until the discovery of the Burrock ties to the Dark Caste more than a decade ago. Since the Star Adder absorption of the Burrocks, they have honored the traditional agreement on the Cloud Cobra worlds and have assumed the allied position. Clans Diamond Shark and Snow Raven are also allies, and loose friendships exist with Clan Nova Cat and the exiled Wolves. One of the most important contributions to Clan society was the joint development of the iron womb technology used for eugenics.

The only major enemy of the Cloud Cobras is Clan Coyote, due to an incident that occurred in 2947. Tobias Khatib, a descendent of Windham, was elected ilKhan of all the Clans in 2935; the Snow Ravens however uncovered evidence that he had murdered his predecessor, ilKhan Corian Tchernovkov. ilKhan Tchernovkov was a member of Clan Coyote, and for his crime the Grand Council stripped Khatib of his rank and had him executed. The Coyotes attacked the Cobras in retaliation and were eventually driven off, but the feud continues to this day.



Clan Coyote

The greatest historical ally of Clan Wolf, the Coyotes and Wolves dominated the Grand Council for decades. Clan Coyote fared well during Operation Klondike, and prospered during the Golden Century, creating the omnimech technology which revolutionized Clan warfare in 2854.

As history progressed, however, new problems arose for the Clan. When the question of the Inner Sphere prompted the Great Debate, the Coyotes were primarily in the Warden camp. But a schism known as the Blood Scandal occurred in which eight pro-Crusader bloodnamed houses of Clan Coyote, in conjunction with saKhan Carson Graves of Clan Star Adder, conspired to take control of the Clan from the Warden faction. When this treachery was discovered, the eight houses were destroyed and the Star Adders agreed to hand Graves over to the Coyotes for punishment, but did not destroy the Graves bloodline. The Coyotes therefore hold a grudge against the Star Adders for this "incompleteness." Coyote holdings also suffered continuous raids by the Crusader Clans during the years of the Debate, so that by the time of the Outbound Light incident they held only a quarter of their original territory.

In more recent years, many warriors have been unhappy with the gradual loss of prominence the Clan has suffered. The development of the omnimech placed the Coyotes at the forefront of technology for a time, but the Clan has never been able to duplicate that success. Clan Coyote's major ally was Clan Wolf, until the Refusal War diminished the Warden leadership. Nearly all ties to the current Crusader incarnation have been sundered, and the Coyotes have also given the cold shoulder to Clan Wolf-in-Exile, though this seems more a reflection of their abjured status. Clans Diamond Shark, Ghost Bear and Hell's Horses are their remaining allies, while the Star Adders, Cloud Cobras and Fire Mandrills are their main enemies. Bad blood also exists, in a lesser capacity, with the Jade Falcons and with the fallen Smoke Jaguars.



Clan Diamond Shark

Of all the Clans, the Diamond Sharks are the most unusual. Their original name was Clan Sea Fox, until a spiteful Snow Raven khan sought revenge against the Clan for a defeat. Khan Liam Howell of the Ravens introduced the diamond shark, a genetically engineered predator, to the seas of Strana Mechty specifically to destroy the sea foxes. As their totem animal was eradicated, Sea Fox Khan Clarke petitioned the Grand Council for a formal name change, to acknowledge the diamond shark as the superior predator. Some Sea Foxes opposed the idea, but Clarke ultimately won out and the Clan's name was changed.

Historically, the Diamond Sharks have had a largely Warden majority although the Crusader elements gained power shortly before Operation Revival. They failed to win a place in the invading forces and only fought on Tukayyid, withdrawing to Clan space shortly afterward. This brief appearance, coupled with information on the strong merchant framework, made the Sharks something of an enigma to the Inner Sphere for some time.

What sets the Diamond Sharks apart from their fellows is their penchant for technological genius and the freedom and respect the merchant caste enjoys. Most Clans look down on their merchants, while grudgingly acknowledging their value and necessity, because the merchants are responsible for handling money and resources. Money is associated with greed, among other things, and it was the unbridled greed of the great houses that led Aleksander Kerensky to embark on his exodus.

The Sharks, however, are known as the Clan that serves as the broker to the other Clans. They helped in the development of some of the core Clan technologies, like the iron womb used for eugenics and the omnimech. They also control the only raw materials for the production of harjel, a substance used to seal hull breaches on Clan warships and some ground units. The only major rivalry they have is with the Snow Ravens for the destruction of their original namesake, but in modern times this is handled in a more friendly manner - mainly by ensuring the Sharks get the best deal in any negotiations with the Ravens, and outbidding them in other deals.



Sea Fox insignia



Clan Ghost Bear

Like their totem predator, the Ghost Bears are known for having great power and fierce rage if provoked. Founded by a married couple, Hans Ole Jorgensson and Sandra Tseng, Clan Ghost Bear has been a major power for many decades.

When Nicholas formed the Clans, he felt it necessary to separate Hans and Sandra into different Clans, believing their value as officers was too great to place within a single Clan. But they were willing neither to be separated or to directly oppose Nicholas, whom they respected, so they wandered into the wilderness of Strana Mechty to survive as long as possible... and die together.

Holed up in a cave awaiting their eventual deaths, the pair were approached by a ghost bear. For reasons unexplained it did not seem to see them as a threat, but instead helped keep them warm and provided them with food for several days. After regaining their strength and leaving the cave, Hans and Sandra found they had actually been "adopted" by a pack, not a lone bear.

Inspired by this miracle, they returned to Nicholas and argued the value of family and communal friendship in addition to the strength of the individual. Nicholas accepted their proposal and allowed them to remain together, honoring their ordeal with the naming of the Clan.

The Ghost Bears, though never as militarily strong as the Jade Falcons or Smoke Jaguars, are nonetheless formidable opponents. They were largely aligned with the Crusader faction prior to the invasion and took part in the assault on the Draconis Combine and Free Rasalhague Republic. When the second Star League fought against Clan Smoke Jaguar, however, the Warden segments gained power and led the Clan away from home space, eventually settling entirely within the Inner Sphere itself. They eventually merged peacefully with the government of Rasalhague, forming the Ghost Bear Dominion. The merger is still plagued by some minority groups on both sides, but the government is stable. In 3062 a rather eccentric plot by a DCMS officer led to Kurita units attempting to recapture Alshain, which had fallen to the Bears during the Clan War and had (unknown to House Kurita) become the new capital of the Dominion. Clan Nova Cat, inspired by a vision, tried to intercept the assault force before it entered Dominion space but failed, and the Draconis troops were largely killed or defeated by superior numbers. The Ghost Bear touman then launched retaliatory strikes along their border with the Combine, and had initial successes, but the DCMS was able to put together a desperate defense while the Hell's Horses took advantage to strike at the exposed Bear flank and gain territory for their occupation zone. By early 3063, when it was clear that the action against the Dominion was not formally sanctioned by the Kuritan government and that none of the involved parties were in the best position to fight each other, an honorable truce was arranged. The Combine and the Ghost Bear Dominion agreed to restore the worlds captured from each other and held a Trial of Possession for the world of Courchevel which the Bears won.

While the Clans have not been a primary target of the Word of Blake, Clan Ghost Bear has fought alongside the Inner Sphere nations against the WOB and has been particularly vicious in its attacks. The exact nature of their grudge against the Blakists is not clear as yet, but it is quite powerful.



Clan Goliath Scorpion

Founded by an SLDF engineer, with a former intelligence officer as saKhan, the Scorpions specialize in both areas. Like the Nova Cats, the Scorpions believing in rituals and vision quests, although they gain theirs from the venom of the namesake. Modern warriors use a synthetic directive of the venom, as the original was found to be dangerous enough that the widespread act of using it threatened the Clan's genetic legacy at one point in time.

Though never a major power in terms of military might, Clan Goliath Scorpion has long been Warden and helped developed the first practical battle armor from suits originally designed for engineering purposes. Clan Wolf later modified these into the Elemental armor. It was also the Scorpions who gave Wolf's Dragoons their advanced training in preparation for their mission to the Inner Sphere. Though following Nicholas' vision, many Scorpions believe there is still some good in the legacy of the old Star League that the others have too quickly ignored. The other Clans tend to regard the Goliath Scorpions as being self-absorbed and backward; and while their unusual preference for individuality over Clan way protected them from the bitter rivalry that has grown up between certain Clans, it also hampered their development and the small Clan touman's ability to gain newer technologies. Scorpion forces have a bias towards ground forces over aerospace assets and tend to favor strategic assaults over brute force. The Clan leadership has taken steps to improve the military and general society, and have been negotiating with Clan Snow Raven for aerospace resources. Although they collaborated with the Wolves on the armor design and have tended to follow a similar plan of political conservatism, the proud Wolves rarely seemed to acknowledge the Scorpions prior to the Crusader leadership. Clan Ice Hellion is the only major enemy of Clan Goliath Scorpion, due to frequent clashes.



Clan Nova Cat

The Nova Cats, named for a fierce predator of Dagda with poisonous quills (which resemble the spires of a nova when the animal is on guard), have perhaps one of the most unusual and distinctive histories of all the Clans. Abjured (exiled) as traitors for their choice to support the second Star League and the Inner Sphere powers as an ally rather than an enemy, Clan Nova Cat was granted space within the Draconis Combine that was once part of the occupation zone they shared with the Smoke Jaguars.

When Stefan Amaris perpetrated his coup against the first Star League, there were many citizens of the Rim Worlds Republic who had come to have genuine loyalty to the League and the ruling Cameron family. Stefan's actions and the subsequent violence they spawned were considered a bitter betrayal by these individuals, and one of them was Brian Drummond. He joined General Kerensky's command and became an intelligence officer, using his knowledge of Republic defenses and tactics to aid in the liberation war. Many of Kerensky's other soldiers regarded Drummon with contempt and suspicion for his nationality, but his steadfast loyalty eventually won their respect. Drummond heeded Aleksander's call for exile and would eventually meet his future wife, Anna Rosse, after the settlement of the Pentagon worlds. Anna had been rescued from an Amaris internment camp by one of the resistance cells and soon became adept at improving their supply and management systems. When the war was over she married an officer, Captain Peter Karpov, who would later take part in the infamously unsuccessful mutiny during the Exodus aboard the battleship Prinz Eugen. Karpov was among the officers executed by Kerensky, and Anna was left again in emotional turmoil. As the new society began to form in the Pentagon, Anna's faith in spirituality (something she had learned in her resistance cell to help ease the trauma she'd suffered) helped her both to heal and to gain a special appreciation for the power of visions. She met Brian during this time and remarried, and the two had a daughter named Sandra. Unfortunately it was not long after that the Exodus planets descended into war and Nicholas staged his own retreat to Strana Mechty. The other two children of the marriage were killed during the evacuation.

Brian and Anna became Khan and saKhan respectively of the new Clan Nova Cat, and during Operation Klondike their warriors showed a talent for superior marksmanship. Drummond had initially become a scientist after the Pentagon landings but quickly proved his skill as a warrior under Nicholas, and it is thought by many modern Nova Cats that his ascension to Khan was proof that under the Clan way, no prior allegiances mattered if the man was worthy. Despite the victory in Operation Klondike, Brian was saddened to learn that he had developed a degenerative disease and would soon lose his command. As Sandra had become a skilled warrior by this time and had earned the right to the Rosse Bloodname, he was comforted by the knowledge of a good successor. Sandra soon brought a Trial of Grievance to assume command, but broke with Clan tradition by offering her father a chance to voluntarily step down, which he accepted. Some warriors disagreed and issued their own Trials of Grievance, but none was able to defeat Khan Rosse. In this way the Nova Cats gained a sense of family that is only shared on the same level by the Ghost Bears. Brian later resumed leadership of Clan Nova Cat after Sandra was killed during the annihilation of the Not-Named Clan, having been cured of his condition by improved medical science.

As time progressed, the philosophy of the founders helped shape the modern Nova Cat view. They believe in taking the long view, in seeing the value of all possible choices and not merely dwelling on the shortsightedness that preoccupies the other Clans. They do not believe in limiting themselves only to the short term, but in using this clarity of vision to gain insight into how the Clan's actions now may benefit (or harm) it in the future. Sandra also created the modern position of Oathmaster now used in all Clans, and gave the merchant caste an unusually broad discretion. This proved to be extremely valuable during the Golden Century, when the Nova Cats partnered with the Diamond Sharks to provide surplus materials to their exploration missions in return for a percentage of the developments. When the political division between Warden and Crusader developed, the benefits of expansion put Clan Nova Cat firmly in the Crusader camp. However, like the Star Adders, they did not become zealously eager to invade the Inner Sphere and reclaim the ideals of the Star League by force. The Cats supported the Dragoon Compromise and only gave major support to the invasion plan after the capture of the Outbound Light. The ultimate reason for this was the somewhat egotistical view that only a Nova Cat ilKhan would be a suitable choice to command such a mission.

As a reserve Clan, Nova Cat forces played only a small role in the Clan War of the 3050s. They did however serve as the liaisons with ComStar after contact was established, and were quick to learn the lessons that cost the Smoke Jaguars and other invading Clans dearly in the later stages of the invasion. The Jaguars in particular often failed to maintain adequate supply lines, believing they would easily crush their opponents. It was not until Ulric Kerensky's ascension to ilKhan following Radstadt (which the Cats supported, to the chagrin of their fellow Crusaders) that the touman played a more active role in the war. Following the loss on Tukayyid and the rise of the new Star League, Clan Nova Cat shifted its philosophy to the Warden side as it felt these events were not mere coincidence, but the result of ignoring visions that had occurred during the Clan War. When the new League attacked Clan Smoke Jaguar, only the Nova Cat leaders fought directly side by side with their Sphere counterparts against the Crusaders. Both the Khan and saKhan fell, but the Star League triumphed. The invasion was formally over, but in the eyes of the other Clans, the Nova Cats had betrayed. Clan Star Adder called for their annihilation and the motion failed, but the motion of abjuration passed. Clan Nova Cat relocated to the Draconis Combine, whose feats as opponents during the Clan War had impressed them greatly, and has since been an ally of the Sphere. The Nova Cats helped the Combine during their brief war with the Ghost Bears in 3062, and during the Jihad against the Blakists.

Though their loyalty to their former enemies in the Inner Sphere and desire to build a new more peaceful era has earned the ire of most Clans, there is still strong friendship with the Diamond Sharks and to a lesser extent, the Snow Ravens. The only constant enemy was Clan Smoke Jaguar, and this is due to an incident which occurred during Sandra's reign as Khan. She was attracted to saKhan Liam Ismiril of the Smoke Jaguars, and the affection was mutual. But shortly after gaining leadership Sandra had a vision which convinced her that pursuing this relationship would have dire consequences for Clan Nova Cat. Ismiril's feelings on this are not clear except that he felt clearly betrayed by her choice to end the affair, and he showed it by leaving a dead nova cat as a warning. Since that time there was a strong rivalry between the two up until the Jaguars fell during the Great Refusal.



Clan Snow Raven

Named for the small bird which occupies the snowy wastes of Strana Mechty's tundras, the Snow Ravens were the last of the original Clans to be deemed combat ready. The snow raven is well known for never wasting anything; it will easily strip a kill to the bones and then eat the bones themselves, and it will also sometimes work alongside other predators native to Clan space such as the ghost bear. To this day the Snow Ravens have a reputation as one of the most politically astute Clans, as well as a major naval power.

Like the Cloud Cobras, the Snow Raven military suffered grievous losses of their ground forces during the campaign to retake Circe as part of Operation Klondike, and the Clan almost didn't survive at all. Khan Stephen McKenna, a distant relative of the famed James McKenna who had led the Terran Hegemony, recognized that it would be impossible for the Ravens to compete for more common technology in the scramble to rebuild toumans after Nicholas Kerensky reclaimed the Pentagon worlds. He therefore made an effort to acquire aerospace resources, which were in less demand, and so the modern Snow Raven fleet is easily a match for that fielded by the other Clans or Inner Sphere nations. Stephen had been an SLDF naval commander during the Amaris Civil War. Most of the Clan naval facilities are also under control or administration by the Ravens, and the other Clans rely on trade for access to them. The ground forces of the Raven touman are still the smallest proportionally, and therefore make heavy use of combined arms tactics.

When the Warden/Crusader debate became prominent, Clan Snow Raven preferred to stay largely neutral as it felt the Clans joining both bandwagons (and in particular, those who were more zealous in their favored cause) were projecting what they wished to see and not evaluating what the reality might reflect in the Inner Sphere. After the capture of the Outbound Light, the Ravens were attacked by Clan Coyote, which was hoping to regain some of the territory it had lost to Crusader raids. The assault ultimately failed, as Clan Snow Raven held the line and even received a "loan" of warships from Clan Jade Falcon as part of a deal, but the Ravens took enough losses that they were unable to win a place in the invasion force. Nonetheless, they supplied naval transportation and logistics to the invading Clans. Nominally the Clan is Warden, but is always willing to play sides against each other to its own advantage.

If Clan Snow Raven has a weakness, it is a sense of highly developed conservatism and perhaps outright paranoia. The massive losses suffered during Operation Klondike and the destruction of the original Raven capital by the Not-Named Clan, which left the Ravens shattered and barely hanging on, have led its leaders to be extremely cautious about their dealings with other factions. There is also a strong bias within the Clan against freeborns, and the few that are taken as bondsmen are barred from rising higher in rank than star colonel.

Only three clans - Cloud Cobra, Fire Mandrill, and Ghost Bear - are considered legitimate allies. While the Ravens do not have any dedicated enemies, they have more than a share of bad blood. Relations with Clans Jade Falcon and Diamond Shark are cooled, with the disagreements over the diamond shark incident having evolved into a cordial and friendly economic rivalry. Clan Blood Spirit also has a loose trade alliance with Clan Snow Raven.

The most infamous incident is probably the annihilation of the Not-Named Clan, over equipment disputed between the two Clans and the spurned affections of Wolverine saKhan Franklin Hallis toward his Raven counterpart, Joyce Merrill. When Clan Wolverine rebelled against Nicholas, Clan Snow Raven deployed forces along their shared border but were ultimately repulsed, with the Wolverines destroying the Raven capital at Dehra Dun and destroying the primary genetic repository. This act led to the Wolverines' annihilation and the Ravens rebuilt on Lum, their current capital.

In the 2850s Raven forces came across the planet Hellsgate, with abundant resources but an inhospitable environment. Attempts at colonization were disrupted by Clan Steel Viper, who wanted the cache of resources as well, and the Vipers' superior forces ultimately forced the Snow Ravens to withdraw. The feud has continued to this day, and the Vipers launched an assault on the Raven holdings in the Inner Sphere after being defeated by the Jade Falcons in their former joint occupation zone. The assault failed and the Steel Vipers returned to Clan space to lick their wounds. Since following Clan Ghost Bear into the Inner Sphere, the Snow Ravens have formed a political merger with the Outworlds Alliance. The Ravens also fought some small scale actions against the Draconis Combine, although it seems this has been in part due to manipulation by Blakist forces prior to the Jihad.



Clan Steel Viper

Named for a predator from Arcadia, Clan Steel Viper's early history was marred by an unfortunate incident which still lingers in the eyes of its fellow Clans. Its first Khan, Ellie Kinnison, had been a commander in the 131st Royal Battlemech Division during the Amaris Civil War. She served under Antonius Zalman, who became a hero after rescuing hostages on York and helping to force the surrender of their captors. Zalman was personally decorated by Aleksander Kerensky for his actions and was Nicholas' first choice to lead Clan Steel Viper, but he politely declined and recommended Kinnison instead. She agreed, on the condition that Zalman remain at her side as saKhan. He helped train the early Viper touman but died in a training accident only two years after his promotion, and was succeeded by Star Colonel Steven Breen.

Shortly after the Clan victory on Arcadia, some Vipers noticed that Khan Kinnison was acting a bit strangely. She had become a rather zealous supporter of Nicholas Kerensky's new vision, and her enthusiasm did have the effect of helping the population assimilate the Clan way in the most efficient manner. What no one else realized at the time was that Ellie harbored secret affections for IlKhan Kerensky and was soon in love with him. Kinnison's love grew into an obsession that ultimately led to her planning to kill Nicholas' wife, Jennifer Winson, with the seeming belief that she could then offer comfort and support to the grieving Nicholas. SaKhan Breen was targeted as well, but he survived the attempted assassination attempt and managed to kill Ellie before she could succeed in her goal. Nicholas subsequently promoted him as the new Khan. To this day Khan Kinnison is remembered with some measure of respect by the Steel Vipers, while in all other Clans she is considered a traitor not worthy of mention. The Kinnison genetic legacy and name were destroyed.

Throughout their history, the Vipers have been largely aloof and convinced that they alone are the true followers of Kerensky's vision. The other Clans have been regarded as a "divisive influence" and there is a particularly strong rivalry with Clan Jade Falcon, which views the Steel Vipers as arrogant and unreliable. The training program used by the Steel Viper touman is the most difficult and rigorous, and freeborns are forbidden to hold any place within it. This attitude has weakened somewhat in recent years, but is still prevalent. Viper society is rigid and inflexibile, with the leadership believing that a stern hand is the best method of maintaining control. The brutal training program, while capable of turning out genuinely formidable soldiers, has such a low success rate that the Clan has often had difficulty in engagements against other opponents. The touman is balanced in terms of composition but makes heavier use of ground forces and infantry than aerospace resources, a significant disadvantage against the Falcons and Snow Ravens.

Clan Steel Viper's individualistic and insular attitudes have most often worked against it, and its primary rivals are Clans Jade Falcon and Snow Raven. The Jade Falcons have long distrusted the Vipers and their apparently selfish ways, while the Ravens have never forgiven the insult over the capture of Hellsgate. Clan Fire Mandrill has also come into conflict with the Vipers on Marshall, which they share with several other Clans. The Mandrills dislike the continued saber-rattling the Vipers employ, despite their recent defeat and ejection from the Inner Sphere occupation zone.



Clan Wolf-in-Exile

Aside from smaller numbers and a preference for the Warden viewpoint, the two Wolf Clans are still quite similar. Clan Wolf-in-Exile currently resides in the Lyran Alliance and has worked alongside the Kell Hounds mercenary regiment. WiE forces took part in Operation Bulldog alongside those of the second Star League. Their knowledge of Clan society was key to the victory over Clan Smoke Jaguar.

[Unicron]

Fallen Clans



Clan Burrock

Named for an invertebrate native to Dagda that burrowed through solid rock, Clan Burrock took heavy losses liberating their world during Operation Klondike. This left a negative impression of the new Clan way on many Burrocks and led to more than a thousand of them joining the Dark Caste. When the Grand Council ordered them to hunt down these members alongside the Cloud Cobras, the Burrocks lied about their success and maintained hidden ties with the Dark Caste for a century. Clan Burrock supported the Crusader faction and tended to use a mix of light and medium ground units along with aerospace support. When Clan Star Adder revealed the ties to the Bandit Caste in 3059, Clan Burrock was absorbed by the Adders despite interference from Clan Blood Spirit. For decades the Spirits had been the target of Burrock aggression, with the later sometimes ignoring or breaking Clan rules of combat. They also feuded with the Fire Mandrills.



Clan Mongoose

The mongoose was prized by the colonists on Shadow for its ability to kill the deadly venom worms native to that planet. However, the fairly brief existence of the Clan would prove less noble. The Mongoose forces took part in the liberation of Circe but failed to perform with distinction. After the destruction of the Not-Named Clan, Clan Mongoose made attempts to absorb the weakened forces of Clan Snow Raven, but were rebuffed with the threat of exposing a connection between Khan Loris of Mongoose and Khan McEvedy. The Mongooses then began launching raids on other Clans, including the Blood Spirits and the Star Adders, and hostilities between Mongoose and Adder were bitter. As the raids finally seemed to be quieting down, Clan Mongoose foolishly decided to strike at the Smoke Jaguars also and were ultimately censured by the Grand Council, resulting in their absorption by the Jaguars.



Clan Smoke Jaguar

Of all the Clans, Smoke Jaguar was known as the most violent and ruthless. Its namesake, a genetically modified jaguar engineered to survive in the harsher environments of the Clan homeworlds, was noted by Nicholas Kerensky as an incredibly efficient and straightforward predator - one that would stalk its prey and then dispatch with one or two bold strikes. The first Khan, Franklin Osis, set the pattern during the Clan's early days and members often claimed that Nicholas modeled all of Clan society on the Smoke Jaguar. Driven to become the perfect warriors, Clan Smoke Jaguar established footholds early on but often suffered from clashes between warriors and lower castes. Indeed, the contempt held by Jaguar warriors for practically everyone else made cooperation with other castes quite difficult, and the Clan was often forced to stage Trials of Possession to acquire new technology and resources rather than being self sufficient.

Having captured the Outbound Light after its misjump into Clan space in 3048, Khan Leo Showers was in the fore calling for a return to the Inner Sphere. Clan Smoke Jaguar focused its offensives against the Draconis Combine, and became infamous for the attack by one of its warships on the city of Edo Bay in retaliation for rioting by Kuritan partisans and civilians. The city was completely destroyed. The Smoke Jaguars suffered significant setbacks when Combine forces rallied for a counter-offensive, and only the activation of Clan Ghost Bear as a reserve invader allowed them to restore a balance. The two Clans came close to the prize of Terra itself, which prompted the Bears to make their own push and leaving the Jaguars dangling. Some of the first major Sphere victories of the Clan War, on Wolcott and Luthien, helped the houses gain access to salvaged technology. On Tukayyid, Smoke Jaguar forces were the first to land and were - to their ultimate regret - woefully unprepared to fight an enemy like the Com Guards. Despite warnings about ensuring good supply lines and resources, and having already experienced such issues on a few occasions during the invasion, Clan Smoke Jaguar believed the Com Guards were as weak as other Sphere forces and would be defeated easily. Their overconfidence cost them heavily during the battle, with all of the clan's leadership killed.

After the true was declared, the Clans pulled back to lick their wounds and the Jaguars suffered a number of raids from House Kurita and Clans Wolf and Nova Cat. The resurrection of the Star League in 3059 led to the ultimate destruction of the Smoke Jaguars and the formal end to the war between the Inner Sphere and the Clans. Its resources and enclaves on the homeworlds have since been absorbed by several Clans.



Clan Widowmaker

A longtime adversary of Clan Wolf, the Widowmakers and Wolves cooperated to annihilate Clan Wolverine as Nicholas Kerensky ordered. Clan Widowmaker won the right to use larger forces than the Wolves, and a later incident in which the Widowmakers mistreated and killed members of their merchant caste (incidents which they argued were ultimately due to Wolf interference) led to their right to remain an independent Clan came into question. There may have been some truth to the claims of Clan Widowmaker, as the dispute had arisen because the Wolf merchants enjoyed better relations to their warrior caste and their counterparts wanted the same level of respect. Khan Cal Jorgensson, whose abrasive personality caused clashes both inside and out of his Clan, claimed that he was only acting for the ultimate good of Clan Widowmaker and that it was an internal affair.

The Grand Council disagreed and approved Clan Wolf's vote to absorb the Widowmakers, but during a battle between the respective Khans, ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky (who was serving as referee) was killed when he stepped in to moderate a problem. Khan Jorgensson appeared to be losing at the time and some of his warriors violated the circle of equals to ensure he was not slain Whether his death was accidental or intentional at the hands of the Widowmaker Khan, his death threw the Wolves into a frenzy of vengeance and the Widowmakers were largely annihilated.



Clan Wolverine (the Not-Named Clan)

Never spoken of by modern Clans, and with the majority of records and data purged, details of this fallen Clan have nonetheless emerged. Led by Khan Sarah McEvedy, the Wolverines were destroyed for daring to openly challenge the authority of Nicholas Kerensky, and for rejecting that authority. Sarah was an officer in the distinguished 331st Royal Battlemech Divison, of the SLDF's 11th Army (5th Corps), and her father was the last commander of the unit. She was a strong believer in the League's goals and was very loyal to the Kerensky family. When Aleksander Kerensky issued his call for the Exodus, the 331st was one of the many units that responded and Sarah had a friendship with his sons, Nicholas and Andery. The McEvedys took up residence on Circe, and when troubles began in the Pentagon worlds, Sarah was one of those who joined Nicholas on his own exodus to Strana Mechty. Her longtime support made her a seemingly ideal candidate to become the first leader of Clan Wolverine.

Circe was liberated by Wolverine forces along with several other Clans during Operation Klondike, but due to somewhat suspicious circumstances revolving around Andery's death with Wolf forces on Eden, Sarah blamed Nicholas and felt he made no effort to come to his brother's aid. This disagreement was the first in a long line that would ultimately sunder the close bond that once existed between the two families. As the Clans prospered after reclaiming the Pentagon, Khan McEvedy encouraged all of the members of her Clan to work as a single whole, rather than treating the castes as virtually segregated as was common in the other Clans. Boundaries between castes were still respected, but the lower castes were not made to feel inferior or weak. The result of this was that the Wolverines got a very fast and firm hold on resources and prosperity, a situation that didn't sit well with their rivals.

Sarah's headstrong nature probably didn't help matters, as she became known for routinely ignoring or flouting orders or decisions passed down by ilKhan Kerensky and the Grand Council. As time went by, she began to believe more and more that Nicholas' system was flawed, authoritarian and inherently undemocratic, and that he was relying on the legacy of his family name to keep the Clans in line. Nicholas was not naive to these displays himself, and began to have his own suspicions about Khan McEvedy. He created an intelligence arm for the Clans, the Watch, originally answerable only to him but which has since gained divisions within each Clan. Since the Clans do not consider such spying to be honorable, more a necessary evil, the Watch is not as strong as other intelligence units.

Matters finally came to a head in 2823, when a dispute over a Brian Cache (an SLDF storage unit for parts and other resources) arose between the Snow Ravens and the Wolverines. Khan McEvedy claimed that the Wolverines were entitled to equipment from the cache because it had originally belonged to the 331st RBD, which had since become part of the touman, and refused to share it with Clan Snow Raven under council orders. The Ravens had suffered heavy losses during Klondike and were one of the main rivals to Clan Wolverine. After staging a Trial of Refusal and losing, Sarah McEvedy openly challenged Nicholas in front of the Council and everyone else present. She declared that Clan Wolverine was independent and would no longer recognize any authority by the council or the ilKhan. Storming out after a heated confrontation, it seems likely that her ultimately goal was to make her own exodus and take the Clan back to the Inner Sphere.

Three days later, the Council received word that the Wolverines had destroyed a Snow Raven genetic repository at the latter's capital, in retaliation for armed probes into Wolverine holdings by Raven units. Other sources have suggested that the nuclear device used was actually planted by elements of Clan Widowmaker, another longtime enemy of Clan Wolverine, with evidence to implicate them. This news caused the Council to declare a Trial of Annihilation against the Wolverines, and Clans Wolf and Widowmaker ultimately won the right to carry out the order. Over the next few months, Clan Wolverine's personnel and holdings were systematically destroyed and references to it were soon purged. Yet Sarah was never found or confirmed dead, and a census of the destroyed Clan in January of 2824 showed a number of discrepancies in personnel and equipment. This was officially put down to clerical error, but leaves lingering doubts as to whether she ultimately managed to flee with survivors or not.

But in 2825, a series of strange attacks plagued several Kurita worlds. An unknown unit later dubbed the Minnesota Tribe made several raids, refusing all attempts at identification or communication and using advanced technology similar to that of the old Star League. In all cases their superior equipment and tactics was easily a match for Combine forces of the Succession War era, and they disappeared as mysteriously as they came. A few soldiers were captured by Kurita forces during the raids but committed suicide without revealing anything. One warrior killed in battle on Richmond wore an SLDF type coolant suit on which were sewn two distinctive patches: a stylized patch depicting the former state of Minnesota and the numbers "331" and the snarling visage of a wolverine. It has since been speculated, though never conclusively proven, that the Tribe was in fact remnants of Clan Wolverine who made it back to the Inner Sphere briefly. Where they retreated to after the raids will likely remain a mystery.



Minnesota Tribe insignia

[RJDiogenes]

Yikes-- lots of info. I'll try to read them tomorrow.

[RJDiogenes]

Er, maybe tomorrow. Running very late tonight.....

[RJDiogenes]

I read the first batch. It's interesting how a lot of of the clans have American Indian-like names. Also, some of the shield insignias are really nice. I especially like Hell's Horses and Fire Mandrills.

[Unicron]

Clan Coyote does have some Native American cultural influence within their clan, though AFAIK they're the only ones.

[RJDiogenes]

That's odd. A lot of the names, such as Blood Spirit and Ghost Bear, sound very American Indian-ish to me.

I read the second batch. There's quite a diversity there, and some interesting background to the conflicts. "The Way" of the Cobras reminds me of Dr Franklin's "Foundationism" from B5. I got a kick out of how the Diamond Sharks took the name of the animal that destroyed their original mascot.