Clans (BattleTech)

The Clans of BattleTech were originally part of the Star League army, but after The Ursurper brought about the downfall of the Star League, general Aleksandr Kerensky led his forces beyond the Inner Sphere, where they could not be used to wreck more destruction. From this exodus, the Clans were born.

The Clans
In the beginning there were twenty clans, each with forty warriors. Overtime, three clans were Absorbed (Widowmaker, Mongoose, Burrock), two were Annihilated (Wolverine and Smoke Jaguar), one was Abjured (Nova Cat) and another was split in two (Wolf).

The Clans have adopted one of two philosophies. Some are Warden, believing their duty is to protect the Inner Sphere from outside aggression or from some internal disaster that warrants their intervention. Others are Crusaders and believe their destiny is to reclaim Terra and the Inner Sphere by force, re-establishing the Star League under Clan rule.

Clan Blood Spirit
A small isolationist Crusader clan. Xenophobic and arrogant, the Blood Spirits disdain all the other Clans for "deviating" from the Way of the Clans. They deal with few Clans and revile the rest.

Clan Burrock
No longer in existence. Absorbed by Clan Star Adder after it became known that the Khans of the Burrocks had been secretly dealing with members of the Bandit (Dark) Caste for nearly a century. The Burrock Absorption was interrupted by a Blood Spirit Invasion, afterwards all surviving members of Clan Burrock joined Clan Star Adder. Before the absorption they were considered a Crusader Clan.

Clan Cloud Cobra
A Warden clan known for its spiritual leanings. Members of this clan are members of one of a number of Great Cloisters based on old Terran religions: Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Anasazi, and Zulu beliefs form the basis for the most powerful cloisters.

Clan Coyote
A tradition minded Warden Clan, once among the most powerful and largest of Clans. Inventors of the omnimech, Coyote scientists are renown for their brilliance. Steadfast allies of Clan Wolf, they fought against the Crusaders from the onset.

Clan Diamond Shark
Formerly Clan Sea Fox, they changed their name after it became known that the Sea Fox was becoming extinct due to the introduction of a new predator, the diamond shark. They were a reserve Clan during the invasion and only captured one Inner Sphere world, Nyserta, before being defeated on Tukayyid. Nyserta was then lost to the Ghost Bears, leading to a renewal of Warden sentiments in the Clan leadership. This clan is mercantile in its dealings, an intermediary between many clans and advancer of scientific and mercantile breakthroughs. A Warden clan, the Diamond Sharks are known for their liberal attitudes, toleration of freeborns, caste intermingling, and free-thinking ways that are unparalleled in the Clans.

Clan Fire Mandrill
A fractured Crusader clan. The Fire Mandrills are divided into a number of Kindraa (Kindred Associations) based upon Bloodnames. Unlike the Cloud Cobras, this factionalism has cost the Fire Mandrills much and are often hard-pressed to deal with outsiders due to their internal strife.

Clan Ghost Bear
Powerful clansmen, the Ghost Bears are known for their conservative nature and their sense of family that includes all members of their clan. They joined the original Clan invasion in 3050 and seized some forty worlds from the Free Rasalhague Republic and Draconis Combine. They achieved a draw with the ComGuards at the Battle of Tukayyid and bided their time since. During the Great Refusal on Strana Mechty, the Ghost Bears abandoned their Crusader beliefs and embraced the Warden Faction, leading them out of the trial of refusal being waged by the Inner Sphere. They subsequently relocated to the Inner Sphere, abandoning all their Clan holdings save for their enclave on Arcadia and their posting on Strana Mechty. They are a now a permanent feature of the Inner Sphere and have remained tranquil, save for a brief war with the Draconis Combine following the latter's attack on their capital, Alshain.

Clan Goliath Scorpion
Staunch Wardens, the Goliath Scorpions believe in visions and quests. They take necrosia, based on the venom of the goliath scorpion to aid in these visions. This clan believes in looking to the past in order to rebuild the Star League, piece by piece. They are fiercely devoted to Clan Wolf.

Clan Hell's Horse
A mixed Clan led by Crusaders, but with a large Warden makeup, the Hell's Horses are unusual for their reliance on non-mech weaponry and their beliefs favoring men over machines. Passionate and brave, the Hell's Horses succeeded where others thought they would fail. Their toleration of freeborns is a rarity among the Clans, especially among Crusaders. Though they did not participate in the invasion, they were given three worlds by Clan Wolf along their border with the Ghost Bears, the Hell's Horses sworn enemies. The Hell's Horses attempted to invade the Ghost Bear Dominion while the Bears were busy fighting the Draconis Combine. The retaliation cost the Hell's Horses much, the three worlds given to them were lost and the Hell's Horses had to pull back from the Inner Sphere.

Clan Ice Hellion
A fierce Crusader clan renown for their swift assaults, Clan Ice Hellion often grasps for prizes beyond their reach. Nearly destroyed twice by civil war, the Clan has never been as unified as their brothers. After failing to win a place in the invasion and having been defeated in the Great Refusal on Strana Mechty, some push for a return to the Inner Sphere while others wish to expand their holdings in Clan Space.

Clan Jade Falcon
The traditionalist minded Crusaders of Clan Jade Falcon have long resented and been envious of Clan Wolf for the Wolves strength, holdings, and most of all, their possession of the coveted Kerensky Bloodname. The Jade Falcons participated in the initial invasion and seized many Lyran worlds from the Federated Commonwealth. Achieving a draw with the ComGuards on Tukayyid, they schemed and plotted to undo the Truce. They were nearly destroyed by their Refusal War with the Wolves in an attempt to do just that. They lost many units and both their Khans in subsequent politicking. Their new Khan launched a daring strike at Coventry in the Lyran Alliance and managed to restore the Jade Falcons' strength by winning possession of other Crusader units in the Harvest Trials. They beat the ComGuards during the Great Refusal on Strana Mechty and then pushed the Steel Vipers out of their Occupation Zone. The Jade Falcons attacked and seized several more Lyran worlds during the Civil War. They still eye Terra and have not given up hope on claiming it.

Clan Jade Wolf
A temporary Clan, in existence a short time, when Clan Wolf was nearly absorbed into Clan Jade Falcon.

Clan Mongoose
No longer in existence. Absorbed by Clan Smoke Jaguar for attempting to use their words of Nicholas Kerensky to sidestep a Grand Council ruling that ran against them. Already weakened by a conflict with the Star Adders, Clan Mongoose fell before the Smoke Jaguars and their genetic legacies were acquired by the Cloud Cobras.

Clan Nova Cat
A Warden Clan, the Nova Cats are known for their mystic ways and are governed by visions. They ignored such visions when they joined the attack on the Inner Sphere and shared the Smoke Jaguars invasion corridor. They were defeated on Luthien, then on Tukkayid. This caused the Nova Cats to heed a new vision that encouraged them to join with the Draconis Combine and the Inner Sphere against the Smoke Jaguars. They joined with the new Star League in driving the Jaguars out of the Inner Sphere and joined them again on Strana Mechty during the Great Refusal. For this, they were Abjured by the other Clans and forced to leave Clan Space under fire and resettled in the Irece Prefecture of the Draconis Combine.

Clan Sea Fox
No longer in existence. Changed their name to Clan Diamond Shark.

Clan Smoke Jaguar
No longer in existence. They were a strong, aggressive Crusader Clan before their destruction. They led the first invasion of the Inner Sphere and it's first ilKhan was a Smoke Jaguar. They conquered many Draconis Combine worlds, massacring the inhabitants of the city of Edo on the planet Turtlebay. They were beaten on Wolcott, Luthien, Tukayyid, and were marked for destruction by their weakened status and their shocking brutality, which alienated even their fellow clansmen. Clan Smoke Jaguar was exterminated by a task force sent from the Inner Sphere to halt the Clan Invasion This period of BattleTech history is the background story of the computer game MechWarrior 3. Their invasion corridor liberated, and their homeworld sacked, the last Smoke Jaguars died during the Great Refusal. Whatever was left was seized by the other clans.

Clan Snow Raven
A nominal Warden clan known for their reliance on naval assets. They have a reputation for scavenging due to their limited resources. They do business with other clans, though the Diamond Sharks are considered the better merchants. Their politics are known for their Byzantine nature and are master politicians. However, a rogue Snow Raven Khan caused the extinction of the sea fox by creating the diamond shark, causing the Clan with that name to change it to Diamond Shark.

Clan Star Adder
The most powerful Home Clan (Clan that did not participate in the Inner Sphere Invasion), the Star Adders are among the three most powerful Clans, rivaling the Jade Falcons and Wolves in the Clan hierarchy. While they espouse a Crusader philosophy, the Star Adders stress the need for inter-Clan cooperation and a tolerant attitude for freeborns that is more commonly found among Warden clans. Strategists rather than tacticians, the Star Adders are unusual for their meticulous nature, though their successes speak for themselves. With their Absorption of the Burrocks, they gained an incredible boon as other Clans were falling in size and stature.

Clan Steel Viper
A perplexing Clan that is overall considered Warden, but is home to some of the staunchest Crusaders and anti-freeborn warriors in the Clans. They have a brutal training course and a strange belief that the Star League will be re-established through cooperation with the Great Houses. Regardless of this, they participated in the invasion force, shared the Jade Falcon's invasion corridor, and were defeated on Tukayyid. They were eventually forced out of the Inner Sphere all together by the Jade Falcons.

Clan Widowmaker
No longer in existence. Absorbed by Clan Wolf for a brutal crackdown on dissenting merchants that proved their inability to rule. During their trial of refusal against the Absorption, the Widowmaker Khan slew ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky, which lead to a grueling trial of Absorption that spelled the end of the Widowmakers.

Clan Wolf
The most powerful clan, the heirs of Kerensky, the Wolves were the dominant force in the Clans sense their beginning. They Annihilated the Wolverines, Absorbed the Widowmakers, and proved themselves expert warriors. They also created the Elemental body armor. They led the Wardens in the Grand Council and were the only Clan to oppose the Invasion in 3050. Though they lost the trial of refusal, they participated and soon outdid all other Clans in seizing the most worlds, mostly from the Free Rasalhague Republic and the Lyran half of the Federated Commonwealth. Their capture of Rasalhague cemented their leadership in the Invasion and after the original ilKhan died, a Wolf replaced him. The Wolf ilKhan orchestrated the Trial of Tukayyid and was the only Clan to prevail. Nevertheless, they were the ones who forced the other clans to adhere to the terms when the Trial was lost. They all but destroyed themselves in preventing the Jade Falcons from destroying the truce by launching a Refusal War against them. The Wolves split into two factions, the Crusader Wolves and the Warden Wolves-in-Exile. The latter went to Arc-Royal in the Lyran Alliance and guarded the border against any Clan incursions. The other Wolves remained, despite a Jade Falcon attempt to Absorb them. The Crusader Wolves rebuilt their strength and are the only Crusader clan NOT bound by the Crusader's defeat during the Great Refusal. Once the Fifteen-Year Truce of Tukayyid expires in May of 3067, the Wolves will be on the prowl once more...

Clan Wolverine
No longer in existence. Annihilated by Clans Wolf and Widowmaker for declaring themselves independent of Nicholas Kerensky and his authoritarianism. They were eraced from Clan history and only mentioned as the Not-Named Clan. The few survivors fled to the Inner Sphere as the Minnesota Tribe which raided the Draconis Combine. They have not been seen since.

Culture
All of the Clans see warriors as the perfection of humanity. All goals in the Clans are focused upon making themselves better warriors. Clan warriors are not born, but instead created in-vitero. Such Trueborn as considered superior to the Freeborn of more natural origins.

Language
The Clans disdain the use of contractions. That is, abbreviating "Can not" to "Can't" and similar practices. They consider the use of such an example of how decadent the Inner Sphere has become. They also have their own dialect, consisting primarily of ritual words and phrases:
 * "Aff": "Affirmative"


 * "Neg": "Negative"
 * "Quiaff": ("Query-Affirmative"?) Used to ask a rhetorical question, with the expectation of an "Aff"irmative answer.
 * "Quineg": ("Query-Negative"?) Used to ask a rhetorical question, with the expectation of a "Neg"ative answer.
 * "Trueborn": Someone who was born artificially, with their genes tailored towards being a better warrior. Often with a lineage of past warriors.
 * "Freeborn": Someone born naturally, of random parents.
 * "Freebirth": An epithet or curse. A rude way of saying "Freeborn".
 * "Seyla": A word uttered only in the most sacred and respective of manners. The origin is unknown, but it works like "Amen"