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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to theThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to theInner SphereInner Sphere

An Introduction to the Battletech Universe

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Inner SphereCREDITS

Original WritingThe Battletech 3056 MUSE

Michael Flynn's The Company Store The Battletech3025 game

EditorYan Périard

IllustrationPatrick’s Battletech Archive

Battletech Central

MapsInner Sphere Cartography Society

Øystein Tvedten

BattleTech and Mechwarrior are Registered Trademarks of FASACorporation. Original BattleTech and Mechwarrior materialCopyright by FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used withoutpermission. Any use of FASA Corporation's copyrighted material ortrademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenge to thosecopyrights or trademarks. The sole purpose of this sourcebook is toraise the level of popularity, and awareness of Battletech andMechwarrior. I urge everyone to go and buy the Battletech andMechwarrior sourcebooks. They are well worth the money.

CONTENTSINTRODUCTION......................................................4THE STAR LEAGUE..................................................5MAJOR FACTIONS.................................................12MERCENARY FORCES........................................... 23PLAYER’S HANDOUT.............................................26

Chaos Hardware Productions2

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Inner Sphere

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Introductionintroduction

Most of this information was taking from the newbienewson the BTech:3056 MUSE. I am willing to take anysuggestions for descriptions for any of the factions listedhere.

These files are intended to help give backgroundinformation on the various faction in the Btech Universefor RP value. They are not meant to replace BTechsourcebooks and do not contain any rules to play BTech.Most files contain information up to and around 3052. Forparanoid and legal reasons, I do not plan to updatetheses files to contain the latest and greatest informationfrom FA$A.

By the 31st century, humanity has spread to thousandsof worlds, while a handful of powerful empires wagecontinual war for the right to rule the stars. Foremostamong the weapons used in that struggle areBattleMechs. Loaded with autocannons, missilelaunchers, lasers, and charged-particle beam weapons,these fusion-powered war machines of articulated armorstand upward of ten meters high. Piloting them areMechWarriors, the best, most intensively trained men andwomen available. Like the armored knights of an earlierage, MechWarriors are popular heroes, and their exploitsare the stuff of legends.

- Michael Flynn

Editor’s Note: The files have been edited to containinformation up to and around 3025, just prior to the 4th

Succession War.

Standard Military Unit Structure

BattleMech OrganizationLance: 4 BattleMechsCompany: 3 Lances (12 BattleMechs)Battalion: 3 Companies (36 BattleMechs)Regiment: 3 Battalions (108 BattleMechs)

Aerospace OrganizationLance: 2 Aerospace FightersFlight: 3 Lances (6 Aerospace Fighters)Company: 2 Flights (12 Aerospace Fighters)Wing: 3 Companies (36 Aerospace Fighters)Regiment: 3 Wings (108 Aerospace Fighters)

Armor OrganizationLance: 4 VehiclesCompany: 3 Lances (12 Vehicles)

Battalion: 3 Companies (36 Vehicles)Regiment: 3 Battalions (108 Vehicles)

Infantry OrganizationSquad: 7 troopsPlatoon: 4 Squads (28 troops)Company: 3 Platoons (84 troops)Battalion: 3 Companies (252 troops)Regiment: 3 Battalions (756 troops)

Currency Conversion Chart

Currency C-Bills Kurita Davion Steiner Marik LiaoC-Bills 1.00 1.25 1.11 0.91 1.43 2.00Kurita 0.80 1.00 0.89 0.73 1.14 1.60Davion 0.90 1.13 1.00 0.82 1.29 1.80Steiner 1.10 1.38 1.22 1.00 1.57 2.20Marik 0.70 0.88 0.78 0.64 1.00 1.40Liao 0.50 0.63 0.56 0.45 0.71 1.00


The Star LeagueThe Star League

Breakthrough (2001-2100)At the beginning of the 21st century, life on Terra hadnot changed much from what it had been at the close ofthe 20th century. Despite attempts at reconciliation in the1990s, the planet's two giant superpowers still opposedone another, but now their tangled web of weaponrystretched outward into space. Over the next 100 years,however, the situation changed dramatically. By the endof the 21st century, the people of Terra stood poised inapparent unity on the brink of their first expansion intothe stars.

Politically, humanity's new age began in 2011 when thebloody Second Soviet Civil War tore that nationpermanantly asunder. As the Soviet strife threatened tobring the rest of the planet to the brink of nuclear war, ajoint force of North American and Western Europeantroops intervened to end hostilities in 2014. This outcomegreatly strengthened political ties between nations of theWestern Alliance, resulting in a formal unification ofWestern military forces. By 2024, the Western Allianceincluded Japan, the newly liberated Eastern Europeannations, and the now-separate seven Russian states.Replacing the defunct United Nations as a world forumwas the Alliance Parliament. As a vigorous sponsor ofscientific research and space-exploration activities, theAlliance handsomely rewarded similar efforts by itsmember states.

As the economic benefits of Alliance membership becameobvious, nation after nation petitioned the Alliance formembership status. By 2086, the Western Alliance hadbecome the Terran Alliance, embracing more than 120member-states. A complex formula based on date ofentry, wealth, population, and military power determinedeach member's voting strength in Parliament.

The 21st century was an age of unsurpassed scientificinnovation, most notably the development of fusionpower as a major source of power. Alliance scientistsbuilt the first full-scale fusion reactor in 2020, and sentthe first fusion-powered spacecraft from Terra to Mars in2027. The voyage took only 14 days, a fraction of the five

months the trip had previously required. Because of thefusion-power plant's efficiency, space vessels could nowmaintain higher-acceleration burns for much longerperiods.

The development of efficient fusion drives made possiblethe first widespread exploration of Terra's star system. By2050, the Alliance had scientific outposts throughout theSol system, had dispatched unmanned interstellar probesto Tau Ceti, Epsilon Eridani, and Epsilon Indi. By thistime, private multinational corporations also began toparticipate in spacefaring activity, establishing miningcolonies in the asteroid belt, and ven transporting entireasteroids from the belt to the Terra-Moon system. Thesecorporations also engaged in technological research thatresulted in breakthroughs such as the development ofdense-but-lightweight materials for spacecraft and space-station construction and a variety of small, portablefusion reactors for equipment use.

Not all the breakthrough research of the 21st centurytook immediate effect, however. Working together atStanford University, America's Thomas Kearny andJapan's Takayoshi Fuchida published a series of papersfrom 2018-2021 that attacked the theoreticalundepinnings of modern physics. The scientificcommunity ridiculed their work, and both men died inobscurity before the century was half over. As had beenthe case with so many innovators, only futuregenerations would respect and honor the value of thesetwo men's daring research. It would be another 80 yearsbefore their theories would come to fruition.

Meanwhile, medical prosthetics research had led to thedevelopment of polyacetene fibers called "myomers."Under the influence of electricity, bundles of these fiberswould contract strongly, like muscles. Unfortunately, theminimum bundle length required for the process was farlonger than any human limb. This line of research wouldlie fallow for the next three centuries.

Exodus (2102-2313)In 2102, scientists announced the greatest scientificbreakthrough of the last two centuries, the theoreticalprototype for a faster-than-light starship. Ironically, theirwork was based on the once-scorned theories of Kearnyand Fuchida. The Terran Parliament authorized theDeimos Project, a crash program to develop an FTL drive.Although the Deimos project culminated in the maidenvoyage of the first FTL ship to Tau Ceti in 2108, thebillions spent on it created resentment and even rioting insome of the poorer Alliance member-states. This rift inthe apparent unity of Terra was never completely


The Star Leaguerepaired and the struggle between the "haves" and"have-nots" would continue to plague the Alliance.

Shortly afterward, Alliance shipyards began producingFTL-drive ships. By 2116, the first permanent spacecolony was established on Tau Ceti IV (New Earth). Asengineering improvements reduced the cost of buildingFTL ships, corporations and even dissident private groupsbegan to acquire their own vessels to exploit theseemingly limitless potential of the stars. The TerranParliament soon acted to place colonization under its soleauthority, passing laws requiring that all ships have aTerran naval escort, and placing all colonies under Terranjurisdiction in the form of an Alliance-appointed governor.In 2172, the first Alliance Grand Survey reported theexistence of more than 100 settled human coloniesspread across a sphere 80 light years in diameter. Thefourth survey, conducted in 2235, recorded thesettlement of more than 600 worlds.

As more and more planets were settled, the colonistsbegan to encounter the problem of impure water suppliessuitable neither for human consumption nor for irrigation.As the costs of water purification equipment wereprohibitive for most colony worlds, the lack of potablewater tended to discourage new exploration. In 2177,however, entrepreneur Rudolph Ryan patented a processfor transforming interplanetary tankers into FTL-driven"iceships" able to quickly transport huge icebergs acrossinterstellar space. Within a few short years, the RyanCartel became the single most profitable enterprisewithin the Alliance, and its iceships stimulated thecolonization of many worlds previously believed onlymarginally habitable.

With each expansion of human-occupied space, the timeneeded to transmit messages to and from Terra alsoincreased, making it difficult for Parliament to administercolony worlds directly. This forced the Alliance todelegate more authority to its appointed governors, who,in turn, had to grant extensive home-rule authority tocolonists. When a coalition of colonies along the outerreaches of known space declared its independence in2355, there began a bitter, 18-month battle with Terra,which became known as the Outer Reaches Rebellion.Much to its surprise, the Terran government lacked boththe military resources and the political support needed tocrush the rebellion.

The loss of these rebel worlds set off a political crisiswithin the Alliance that ultimately resulted in a vote ofno-confidence against the ruling Expansionist Party. Upontaking power, the new Liberal government withdrewTerran troops and administrators from all frontier worlds,

granting the colonies independence, whether theywanted it or not. This isolationist policy soon proved justas unpopular as expansionism because of the resultingpolitical turmoil and economic upheaval. By 2242, theboundary of Alliance holdings was no more than 30 lightyears from Sol, a single jump by an FTL-ship. For thenext 70 years, neither major political party was able toestablish parliamentary control on Terra, and theirrespective regimes alternated, falling as quickly as theyrose.

To escape the constant political unrest and economichard times, many of Terra's best and brightest becan tomigrate to the now-independent colonies during thelatter half of the 23rd century. Later historians dubbedthis period "the Exodus." Terrans colonized more than1500 new planets during the Exodus, extending theborders of human-occupied space to more than 150 lightyears from Sol. With more and more of Terra's resourcesdevoted to colonization, scientific research lagged. On thestruggling colony worlds, too, the colonists were toopressed with the problems of survival to think muchabout developing new technology. Meanwhile, some ofthe ex-colonies were attempting to consolidate theirindependence by banding together for mutual support. In2271, the Treaty of Marik was signed by three minorheads of state. Thus was born the Free Worlds League,the first of the great federations that would one day viefor power and dominion over all the rest.

Consolidation (2314-2398)The Terran Alliance ultimately collapsed beneath theweight of its own discontent in September 2314. When ashort, vicious war vroke out between rival Expansionistand Liberal factions, Fleet Admiral James McKennaintervened with Alliance military forces to halt theconflict.

McKenna was a proud, charismatic career officer with aspotless military record and a long family heritage ofservice to the Terran Alliance (and the Western Alliancebefore it). He was the archetypal hero, appearing at acritical juncture and turning the tide of history in a newdirection. McKenna was determined to restore his nativeTerra to its former proud position as leader andprogenitor of "Homo stellaris." After dissolving theAlliance, he declared himself ruler of a new state, theTerran Hegemony. Under his leadership, the Hegemonyembarked on an active and campaign to restore Terra'spolitical control over its former colonies. By the time ofMcKenna's death in 2339, the Hegemony had usedmilitary, political, and economic means to reassert itsauthority over more than 100 worlds.


The Star League

In 2340, Michael Cameron, McKenna's nephew, waselected to succeed his uncle as Director-General. DuringCameron's term of office, the Hegemony engaged in anambitious government-sponsored research effort. Thefirst significant product of these efforts was thedevelopment of a prototype WorkMech, a fusion-poweredmining vehicle that reproduced body movements throughartificial muscle structure based on the myomertechnology developed back in the 21st century.

The reemergence of Terra as both a political andscientific force created a new era of detente andrelatively peaceful development for the whole humansphere. Starting with the Crucis Pact of 2317, a numberof mutual-defense leagues and trade agreements similarto the Treaty of Marik were signed among worlds.Although most of these agreements granted member-worlds total sovereignty over internal matters, they alsoallowed more developed colonies to control poorer,younger neighbors. By the time the Hegemony and otherstates of the Inner Sphere undertook the Grand Survey of2389, ten separate states with strong centralgovernments had emerged, each controlling worldswithin communications range of their capitals. Six strongstates had emerged in the "Inner Sphere," and other,smaller governments had sprung up at the fringes ofcolonized space, now known as "the Periphery." Therewere, however, frequent disputes over border worlds,especially those with ample water or mineral resources.This tended to make the boundaries of the various statesa matter of tension or even war. As confrontations overthese planets grew more frequent, an arms racefollowed, further exacerbating tensions throughouthuman space.

Though the other federations and states tried to followthe lead of the Hegemony in supporting new researchfacilities, most lagged behind. In one respect, however,the other governments mirrored the Hegemonyabsolutely: the creation of a hereditary leadership,embodied in a single ruling family. Commenting on this,social historians have argued that the dynastic form ofrule probably offered a comforting reassurance after thechaos of the Exodus years.

Age of War (2398-2550)In 2398, a territorial dispute between the CapellanConfederation and the Free Worlds League erupted into ashooting war, as both ground and naval forces clashed inthe Andurien system. This conflict was only the first of adozen bloody but limited wars fought between 2398 and2412 over ownership of key frontier worlds, the first such

wars in more than a century. A new era of bloody conflicthad begun.

In 2412, after a fierce battle in the Tintavel systemresulted in thousands of civilian casualties,reppresentatives of the ten states of the Inner Sphereand the Periphery met in the city of New Olympia on theplanet Ares to discuss a remarkable set of chivalricinterstellar laws governing the conduct of war. Instead ofattempting to prevent war, the Ares Conventions soughtto legitimize its conduct, banning it in heavily populatedareas and prohibiting military disruption of civlianeconomies. All six states of the Inner Sphere signed theagreement, but only two of the Periphery States did so.

As a result of the Ares Conventions, war became almosta continuous fact of life in the 25th century. It wastransformed, however. From being an awesomelydestructive event, war was now a curious, stylized feintand counterfeint in which outmaneuvered forces oftensurrendered rather than fight unfavorable odds.Compliance with the Conventions was almost universal,drastically reducing the human and economic costs ofwar. Unfortunately, it also promoted war as a means ofresolving even the most minor dispute.

Throughout the next century and a half, the variousinterstellar states fought hundreds of little wars amongthemselves, all of them inconclusive. None of thegovernments was able to form either permanant, lastingalliances with one anotheror to establish long-termsupremacy over its neighbors. Nevertheless, thehereditary governments of these states survived theyears of violence surprisingly intact.

The one exception came in 2459, when the childless,unmarried Lady Durant, leader of the Rim WorldsRepublic, named Terens Amaris as her heir-apparent. In2463, Lady Amaris succeeded Durant, and members ofher line would rule in unbroken succession for almostthree hundred years.

The Terran Hegemony had its fair share of battles duringthe Age of War. In 2431, Director-General RichardCameron ordered his army to seize the Kentares systemfrom the Federated Suns, and in 2475, it crushed a FreeWorlds League invasion force at Oriente. In gerneral,however, the leaders of the Hegemony hoped to avoidconflict, attempting to consolidate their powereconomically and technologically. Whatever theHegemony's intentions, the state also became militarilysuperior with the invention of the BattleMech in 2439.Derived from the mining 'Mechs of the previous centuryand using the same myomer technoloy to power their


The Star Leaguemovement, Terra's BattleMechs soon demonstratedgreater mobility and adaptability to environments thanconventional armored vehicles. They were also moreheavily armed, with a full inventory of conventional andenergy weaponry. The other states of the Inner Spherealso coveted 'Mech technology, but it only began tospread after a Lyran Commonwealth commando raid onthe Hegemony 'Mech-production facility on Hesperus II in2455. The Hegemony maintained superiority in the field,evolving new and better designs with more mobility andweaponry at lower cost and higher efficiency. Perhapsbecause of its military might, the Hegemony began toassume the role of mediator as the 25th century drew toa close.

Imperium and Reunification(2551-2600)

A century and a half after the Age of War began, theHegemony's role as mediator eventually brought an endto the wars through arbitration of a dispute betweenHouses Liao and Marik over the planet Andurien. In anirony of history, these same two combatants had foughtover this world 150 years earlier, initiating the Age ofWar. Not only did Ian Cameron, 13th Director- General ofthe Hegemony. persuade the Capellan Confederation andFree Worlds League to sign peace agreements, but heearned the friendship of their leaders, Terrence Liao andAlbert Marik. In 2556, the three states signed theClasped Hands Agreement, a secret subtreaty to theAndurien peace accords. The secret pact establishedspecial trade relations and promises of non-agression.This led almost immediately to the Treaty of Geneva,which established these three as the founders of the StarLeague.

Between 2556 and 2569, Cameron used his mediator'sskill to hammer out similar agreements with theFederated Suns, Lyran Commonwealth, and the DraconisCombine, the other three states within the borders of theInner Sphere. In 2571, Cameron and the rulers of theother five states had established a new, unifiedhegemony called the Star League. In exchange for theirrecognition of Ian Cameron as First Lord of the StarLeague and arbiter of League foreign policy, the LeagueArticles granted each of the other five leaders a seat onthe High Council, autonomy over all domestic policymatters, and official sanction of the existing line ofsuccession. Most important, all now had free access tothe Terran military research apparatus.

The Periphery governments, on the other hand, wishedto maintain their independence and resisted all diplomatic

efforts to persuade them to join the League. These werethe Outworlds Alliance, the Taurian Concordat, theMagistracy of Canopus, and the Rim Worlds Republic.Their traditions of autonomy were now centuries old, andthey would fight to remain beyond the jurisdiction of thepowerful Star League. The Periphery leaders beganstrengthening their militaries, knowing that confrontationwas inevitable. In 2575, the Star League issued thePollux Proclamation, ordering the Periphery states to jointhe League either voluntarily or or by dint of force. Twomonths later, the Periphery states rejected the demandoutright. In the next several years, the two sides fought anumber of skirmishes and battles, but all-out war againstthe Periphery was not declared until 2578.

The Reunification War was a series of desperatecampaigns that lasted 20 long years and claimed moresoldier and civilian lives than the entire Age of War. Itfinally ended in 2596, following the final bloody campaignthat led to the surrender of the Taurian Concordat. In2597, the four conquered Periphery states becameTerritorial States of the Star League. The Leagueimmediately launched a vast public-relations campaignaimed at building popular support for membership amongthe people of the conquered territories. The effort wasultimately successful, with the League able to withdrawmost of its garrison troops within ten years.

The Good Years (2601-2750)During the 150 years following the Reunification War, thefar-flung territories of the Star League experienced a newwave of scientific innovation and colonial expansion. Toreduce the administrative problems caused by lengthyinterstellar-communicatin lags, the Star Leaguedeveloped a vast and intricate network ofcommunications relay stations employing FTLtransmitters. Known as hyperpulse generators (HPGs),these transmitters were developed from technologybased on Kearny-Fuchida hyperdrive principles. Researchbegun in 2615 came to fruition 15 years later when thefirst HPG message was successfully transmitted fromTerra to the Lyran Commonwealth. The HPG wasessentially a large "gun" that fired a high-frequencycompressed pulse through K-F space at a target world.The pulse traveled the immense distanceinstantaneously, just like a faster-than-light spacecraft.Though the energy cost fo a single transmission was ofthe same magnitude as for a jump by an FTL ship, anHPG pulse could travel up to 50 light years, while a shipcould jump a maximum of 30 light years. Whencompleted, the system effectively cut the averagecommunication time between Terra and the Peripheryfrom more than a year to about six months.


The Star LeagueCommunications time could be cut to days, but only atgreat cost.

At the same time, League engineers developed a new,low-cost water- purification system. It was significantlycheaper to operate this system than to import water,making it economically feasible to settle Inner Sphereworlds previously ignored during the Exodus. The systemalso provided many settled worlds with an unexpectedeconomic boom. The Ryan Cartel, the great iceshipmanufacturer and operator, was nearly driven bankruptas fewer and worlds relied on its service. By 2700, morethan a thousand new worlds had been settled, and theStar League had expanded to control a sphere roughly540 light years in diameter.

In a final important development, engineers working toimprove BattleMech mobility were able to develop animproved, more efficient myomer. This improvementfinally made it possible to construct artifical "bionic" limbsof human size, as well as full-scale, super-string humanexoskeletons for use in industry.

Spurred by the adoption of a universal currency and theremoval of the artifical trade barriers imposed by the Ageof War, trade and commerce also boomed. As prosperitygrew, Star League worlds became increasinglyindependent. With development and transportation costslow, many planets developed highly specializedeconomies that made them dependent on other worldsfor basic commodities such as food, water-purificationequipment, and replacement parts.

Only one major political crisis occured during this goldenage, and it was resolved fairly easily. In 2650, reportsreached Terra that Tadeo Amaris, leader of the RimWorlds Territorial-State, was expanding his personalarmy at an alarming rate. Michael Cameron, havingrecently succeeded to the title of First Lord of the StarLeague, convened a special meeting of the Star LeagueHigh Council, whom he persuaded to issue an edictrestricting te size of personal military forces that anyLeague member could raise. To back up thisadministrative action, Cameron gave Amaris a warning bysending several Star League Defense Force BattleMechregiments to conduct extended maneuvers just beyondthe boundary of the Rim Worlds. Shortly after, Leagueintelligence confirmed that Amaris had apparentlydisbanded his extra regiments. In truth, Amaris and otherstate leaders continued in secret to strengthen theirmilitia and reserves. Though the Star League representedapparent unity among the stars, member-statescontinued to fight "Hidden Wars" during this "golden age"of peace and prosperity.

Crisis and Civil War (2751-2784)In February 2751, Simon Cameron, the fifth First Lord ofthe Star League, was accidentally killed during a mining-colony inspection on New Silesia, leaving his eight-year-old son Richard as sole heir. After deliberating for morethan a month, the Star League High Council namedyoung Richard as First Lord, but appointed AleksandrKerensky, commander of the Star League DefenseForces, as Regent and Protector. It soon becameapparent, however, that the Council Lords perceivedthemselves as the Star League's true authority.

During the ten years of the Regency, the Council passedtwo edicts that would have far-reaching consequences forthe League's future. The first was a reversal of MichaelCameron's Edict of 2650. This new edict allowed eachLeague member-state to double the strength of itsprivate forces, thus initiating a period of general militarybuildup. The second granted each of the six member-States ruled by the Council Lords a greater share ofLeague revenues, while boosting the tax assessments onthe four Territorial States. Not surprisingly, this secondaction provoked immediate unrest and rebellion in thePeriphery, forcing Kerensky to strongly reinforce theRegular Army BattleMechs garrisoned there.

On February 9, 2762, First Lord Cameron reached hismajority at age 18 and took his place on the Star Leaguethrone. A few days later, he issued Executive Order 156,ordering the complete disbandment of all private Housearmies. Enraged, the Council Lords wasted no timestriking down the Order 156 as unconstitutional,eventually forcing young Cameron to rescind it. OnlyStefan Amaris, ruler of the Rim Worlds State, supportedRichard's initiative.

Relations between the High Council and the First Lordfurther deteriorated when Richard dissolved the HighCouncil in 2762, vowing to rule by decree. The next yearRichard's Taxation Edict of 2763 further burdened thePeriphery's finances, escalating civil unrest. When thepeople of the Periphery rejected the Edict, Richardordered General Kerensky to the frontier to cow theTerritories into submission. In 2764, Stefan Amarissigned a secret agreement with Richard, pledging todefend Terra in the event of trouble. When even moretroops, including Cameron household units, were sent tothe frontier following the secession of New Vandenbergand 17 other Periphery worlds in April 2765, the secretagreement seemed almost prophetic.


The Star LeagueBy 2766, three-quarters of the Regular Army wasengaged along the Periphery. On Terra, troops borrowedfrom Stefan's household guard replaced the Regular unitssent to New Vandenberg, eventually outnumberingRegular forces remaining on Terra. In late December ofthat year, Amaris seized his chance, assassinating LordRichard Cameron as well as every other man, woman,and child with a drop of Cameron blood, simultaneouslymoving his troops against Terra and the other worlds ofthe Terran Hegemony. On the first day, 95 of the 103planets fell to the surprise attack. In January 2767,Amaris declared himself First Lord of the Star League.News of this coup did not reach Kerensky until May of2767 when Stefan's forces completed their takeover ofthe Terran Member-State, and Amaris reopenedcommunications contact. Kerensky immediately imposeda cease-fire with all Periphery realms except the RimWorlds Republic, while declaring war against the usurper.Both Amaris and Kerensky called on the Council Lords toaid their cause, but none would commit to either side.

In August 2767, Kerensky took the Rim Worlds Republic,then advanced on the Terran Hegemony worlds Amarishad captured. The ensuing struggle lasted twelvegrueling years, but Kerensky's forces inexorablyadvanced from world to world, finally liberating Terraitself on September 3, 2779. On the last day of thatmonth, Kerensky captured Amaris, who ordered all histroops to surrender. In retaliation for Stefan Amaris'murder of the Camerons, Kerensky executed the usurperand his entire family in November 2779. The civil warwas over, but the Star League Army had taken horrifyinglosses, dropping from 486 divisions to 113. 0ne hundredmillion had died, four times that number were wounded,and ten times more left homeless. Equally disastrous wasthe severe damage to the interstellar communicationsnetwork, the life blood of the Star League.

Kerensky proclaimed himself Protector of the Realm oncemore, and invited the High Council to reconvene onTerra. Fearing Kerensky's popularity, the High Councilimmediately removed the general from his post asProtector, ordering him to disperse his Regular Armytroops to create garrisons for the Terran Member-Stateworlds. The Council also appointed Jerome Blake asMinister of Communications, charging him with therestoration of the League's communications network, aneffort that would succeed beyond the Lords' wildestintentions. Kerensky, meanwhile, returned to New Earth,temporary headquarters of the Star League army.Though his troops were ready to help him overthrow theHigh Council, Kerensky refused to betray the StarLeague, the only government that ever united humanityunder one banner.

The High Council, however, could make no boasts aboutunity. Each Council Lord asserted his own claim to theStar League throne, until all were exhausted by thefutility of the struggle. On August 12, 2781, they officiallydissolved the High Council, each Lord returning homedetermined to build his own army in order to seize powerfor himself. As the former Council Lords of the StarLeague built up their militaries, many remnants of StefanAmaris' former regiments found new employment asmercenaries. Soon the Lords were attempting to buy theservices of Regular Army regiments as well.

When Kerensky attempted to prevent the leaders of theGreat Houses from their recruitment efforts among theSLDF, they called for his resignation. Instead, hesummoned more than 100 division commanders and anequal number of lesser officers to a secret meeting onNew Earth, on February 14, 2784. After this meeting,quartermasters spent the next six months quietlyacquiring more than 200 transports as well as suppliesand parts. The precoccupied Council Lords took no heeduntil mid-summer when they began to notice troopmovements in the Periphery. On July 8, Kerensky flasheda one-word order to the ships assembled at the NewEarth jump point and to those assembled above 50 otherstars throughout the Inner Sphere. The one word was,"Exodus." More than a thousand ships made jumps thatday. On November 5, this massive fleet had made its wayto the New Samarkand system in the Draconis Combine.Eighty percent of the Star League army had chosen tojoin their fates to that of Kerensky. It took a whole dayfor the enormous armada to make its combined jumpsout of the system. From that day on, Kerensky and hisfleet disappeared into the dark embrace of the Periphery,apparently abandoning the Inner Sphere forever.

Succession Wars (2785-30..)Kerensky's dramatic exodus removed the last realobstacle to civil war. In December 2786, Minoru Kuritadeclared himself First Lord of the Star League, and theother four Council Lords quickly followed suit. Withinmonths, war had engulfed the entire Inner Sphere.

The First Succession War lasted from 2787 to 2821, aconflagration of unparalleled brutality. The warring Lordsof the five Great Houses cast aside the Ares Conventions,smashing cities, destroying vital industrial facilities, andbutchering hundreds of millions of civilians. Few worldsescaped unscathed, and all were affected by thecomplete disruption of trade, commerce, andcommunications. By 2815, the warring states had lostmost of their FTL shipbuilding capacity. The intense


The Star Leagueconcentration of economic resources into militaryproduction had also forced a major drop in consumergoods production, creating a severe decline in trade. Thisloss of trade proved particularly disastrous for thoseworlds relying on high-tech water purification equipment.Without proper maintenance or spare parts, many ofthese facilities began to fail, forcing abandonment of theworlds or a return to iceship technologies. By the war'send in 2821, water-rich planets had become asstrategically valuable as they had been 400 years before.

The peace of 2821 was uneasy, resulting more fromexhaustion than any true reconciliation. Though no HouseLord could claim to have made much progress toward hisgoal of dominion, too many atrocities had occurred toallow any sort of lasting settlement. From 2821 through2827, the five surviving ruling Houses rebuilt as much oftheir military might as possible, concentrating theirsurviving scientists and engineers on those few worldswhose industrial capacity remained intact. Between 2828and 2830, tensions along the borders of each rival stateerupted, leading once more to all-out war.

The Second Succession War lasted from approximately2830 to 2864, and was just as deadly, destructive, andindecisive as its predecessor. Hundreds of millions moredied in countless battles across the Inner Sphere, thoughonly a few dozen worlds ultimately changed hands. Asthe war destroyed more industrial facilities and killed offmore scientists and engineers, some types of specializedknowledge and technology began to disappear entirely.By the end of the Second Succession War, what hadbecome known as the Successor States' overall level oftechnological knowledge sunk to a level barely above thatof Terra in the early 21st century. It was no longer easyto build advanced computers, large fusion power plants,or starships. Instead, the leaders of the SuccessorHouses began to cannibalize existing equipment for thespare parts necessary to keep their current war machinesin working order.

After a second brief respite, the Third Succession Warerupted in 2866. It began when advance forces of theDraconis Combine invaded the coreward portion of theLyran Commonwealth; war soon spread across the InnerSphere. In the years that followed, combat became sucha fact of everyday life that the period become knownsimply as "the Succession Wars." Nonetheless, campaignsduring this period never matched the violence of previoustwo wars.

At first, the decrease in destruction and bloodshedappeared to be more a function of each army's reducedresources than philosophical change in tactics. As time

passed, however, and the exigencies of a scavengereconomy took hold, each of the Houses realized it couldill afford further losses of vital resources. Gradually, aninformal set of rules of war evolved, similar to the AresConventions. 'Mech units and armies still fought overpossession of operational factories, but neither sideattempted to harm the facility itself. (The losers simplyconsoled themselves with the idea that they would winthe planet in the next war). Major 'Mech battles,especially between mercenary units, were often fought instages, with both sides allowing enemy Techs to enterthe battlefield during periods of truce to attend todamaged 'Mechs. Other 'Mech units, again especiallymercenaries, revived the old tradition of surrendering toa superior force and paying a ransom to obtain their off-world release. Most important, everyone recognized thesanctity of any side's JumpShips, and strictly obeyed theprohibition against attacking such craft. After all, withoutJumpShips, the war for supremacy could not be waged atall.

A second outgrowth of the destructiveness of theSuccession Wars was the rise of feudalism throughoutthe Inner Sphere. The central governments of the rulingHouses no longer possessed either the administrativemachinery or absolute military resources to maintaincentralized control over their territories. Instead, eachHouse Lord ruled a hierarchy of planetary nobles. Thesenobles were often drawn from the leadership of his mostelite 'Mech units, having won full authority over worlds inexchange for the pledged service of their BattleMechs.

Indeed, the years of conflict wreaked havoc beyond theborders of the Successor States, creating thephenomenon known as the Bandit Kings of the Periphery.As the wars raged back and forth along the frontier,dozens of 'Mech units - most often composed either thefragments of defeated units or mutinous mercenaries -fled into the vastness of the Periphery. Several of theunits emerged again, often after a number of years, as"kings" of one or more small worlds seized by force ofarms. By the end of the 30th century, more than 60known small kingdoms and principalities ringed the InnerSphere, creating the ever-present threat of raids andpiracy to the frontier worlds of each Successor State.


Major FactionsMajor Factions

ComStar

Blake recognized two great responsibilities in the wake ofthe collapse of the Star League: preserving as much ofthe currently available technological knowledge aspossible, and preventing the Successor States fromseizing the interstellar communications network andmisusing it to destroy each other. In 2788, Blake tookcontrol of Terra and declared it a neutral world. Heoffered secure interstellar communcation to all SuccessorStates that would pledge to respect the neutrality of thehyperpulse generator stations and personnel. The InnerSphere leaders recognized that open communicationswere crucial to their survival, agreed to Blake's demands,and the blessed order of ComStar was born. Blakecreated the First Circuit to administer ComStar's affairsand fostered a "secret brotherhood" mentality amongComStar's members in order to keep the secrets of theStar League safe.

After Blake's death in 2819, Conrad Toyama of Dierontook control of ComStar. He replaced its corporatestructure with a rigid, religious hierarchy, and shroudedits activities in mystic rituals. Toyama declared himselfPrimus, the highest authority in ComStar, bequeathingthat august title and its responsibilities to every leader ofComStar who followed him.

Initially, Primus Toyama's carefully crafted religiousmystery served Blake's vision by fostering the belief thatthe sacred magic of HPG transmissions could only bewielded by ComStar adepts, ensuring that no SuccessorState would attempt to take control the Star League'stechnological legacy. One faction of ComStar graduallyforgot the true meaning of Blake's vision, however,

convinced that its mission lay in conquering humanityrather than protecting it. These apostates reached thezenith of their power under Primus Myundo Waterly.

The Capellan Confederation

The smallest and youngest of the Successor States is theCapellan Confederation, a narrow band of relatively richworlds separating the Free Worlds league from theFederated Suns. Embattled from its beginnings in 2367,Franco Liao formed the Confederation out of severalalliances of worlds breaking apart in a tug-of-warbetween the Free Worlds League, The Federated Suns,and the Terran Hegemony. The ruthless determinationthat was to mark this nation was first evidenced whenLiao forces destroyed their own capital to defeat theoccupying Davion forces within. Since that time, theenmity between the Liao and Davion Houses has beenthe stuff of legend.

The Capellan Confederation is commonly perceived as amonolithic police state, standing upon the backs of itspeople to elevate itself to the level of a Great House. Infact, this is a view born more of prejudice andmisunderstanding than fact. While it is true that thehighly centralized government of the Liao dynastymaintains a firm hold on the means of production andsupport in the state, the peoples of the Confederationactually enjoy a remarkable personal freedom withincertain boundaries. The nobility often feels strong bondsto the people under its care, and works hard to shelterthem from the excesses of an occasionally erraticChancellor.

This strange alchemy, combined with a good supply ofverdant and resource-rich worlds, has provided a synergythat has kept the Confederation intact against the stormsof war that have continually raged throughout the InnerSphere. Indeed, what the Capellans lack in might orflexibility, they more than make up for in focus. No statecomes close to moving as of a single mind as does theCapellan Confederation, and this serves them well in themilitary as well as the political arena.

Chaos Hardware Productions

Capital: TerraRuler: Myundo WaterlyTitle: PrimusHeir: N/A

Founded in 2788 by the BlessedJerome Blake, ComStar guards andmaintains the hyperpulse generatorcommunications network and othervaluable technologies developedduring humanity's golden age,guarding knowledge that might havebeen lost forever were it not for theforesight of our Blessed Founder.

Capital: SianRuler: Maximillian LiaoTitle: ChancellorHeir: Romano Liao

12

Major FactionsThe near-fanatical loyalty of the Capellan troops andspecial operatives makes the Liao intelligence networkthe finest in the Inner Sphere, and the few elite troopsavailable to operations of war are worth five times theirnumber in regulars. It is fortunate, perhaps, that Liao isso centralized and small, or they would quickly move to adominant role amongst the Great Houses. As it is, therulers of the Confederation never cease their drive forprimacy, and their embattled history has usually servedto help them eventually emerge stronger from eachdevastating setback. The Capellan Confederation is easyto dismiss, but perilous to ignore.

The Draconis Combine

The ancient "Way of the Warrior" ostensibly binds all ofthe Draconis Combine to its hereditary rulers, the Kuritas.The all-powerful Coordinator of this vast empire descendsdirectly from Shiro Kurita, a cunning and charismaticwarrior-statesman steeped in the ancient samuraitraditions of 17th century Japan. This unusual upbringingon New Samarkand, one of the largest colonyworlds of the 24th century, prepared him for the fiercemilitary and political battles that would be required ofhim as he secured and cemented the worlds of theemerging Draconis Combine. Shiro holds the dubiousdistinction of being the first to bring full-scale interstellarmilitary operations into existence, as he expanded hisAlliance of Galedon (originally a mercantile pact) into anempire with the speed and skill of none since Alexanderthe Great.

The Kuritas have always ruled with an iron fist, and theirfollowers would have it no other way. In a famous letter,Shiro Kurita set the tone for the Draconis Combine (andindeed even the name) when he advised his 14-year oldson to adhere to the "virtues of the dragon"; namely,"strength, cunning, and a willingness to destroy for thesake of its own power." This ruthless expansionism hasmarked the House indelibly, and to this day the Combinedreams of ruling the entire Inner Sphere.

Although the state-wide adherence to the ancient historyand traditions of feudal Japan did not become officiallysanctioned (and required) until the 27th century, theCombine has always cherished those values, often to thebewilderment of allies and enemies alike. What some seeas xenophobia, Kuritans see as fierce self-reliance. Whatothers see as ruthlessness, the Dracs see as self-mastery.And not all of the closely-held virtues of the DraconisCombine are military in nature. The ancient arts ofpoetry, calligraphy, and the peaceful rituals of an ancientculture all take their place, in what is to some the mostalien of the major cultures of the Inner Sphere. It isfortunate, perhaps, that the powerful Federated Sunsborders one side of the Combine, while the mercantileLyran Commonwealth abuts the other. Relatively pooreconomic skills have prevented effective competition withthe Commonwealth, while the military might of theDavions has managed to blunt the further imperialisticambitions of House Kurita for some time now. Of course,for the innocents caught between giants, it is notfortunate at all.

Rasalhague Military District

The origins of the Rasalhague Military District date to themythic age when interstellar travel was so new that onlythe adventurous or desperate dared try it. After theSecond Soviet Civil War, Scandinavia was left with thedouble burden of paying assessments to rebuild theSoviet States while dealing with the influx of more than amillion Soviet refugees. The Federal Democratic Republicsof Sweden, Finland, and Norway coped stoically, thoughthe war-damage taxes continued until the mid-23rdcentury. When the levy finally ended, many citizensdecided to emigrate, selecting a planet far from theoppression and bureaucracy of Terra. Within 60 years,these Scandinavians had colonized and heavily populatedRasalhague and its eight nearest neighbors.

In the late 23rd century, the people of the region createdthe Rasalhague Consortium, a joint government tooversee the further development of their worlds. TheConsortium included all the varldherren or world lords,and members of powerful families. The highestgovernment official was an elected Prime Minister. As theConsortium came into contact with neighboring statesand associations, it evolved into the Principality ofRasalhague, headed by the Elected Prince.

The people of Rasalhague became known for theirisolationism, being more concerned with expanding anddeveloping their own worlds in a way least damaging tothe environment. Despite Rasalhague's political


Capital: LuthienRuler: Takashi KuritaTitle: CoordinatorHeir: Theodore Kurita

13

Major Factionsneutrality, the Draconis Combine harassed it, attacked it,and eventually conquered the Principality in 2330.

After being incorporated into the Combine as theRasalhague Military District, the region changed little.Though Combine leaders encouraged Asians to emigrateto the newly created district, these colonists neveroutnumbered the Scandinavian majority, nor were theyable to dilute the native customs. Before the FourthSuccession War, the official language of the region wasKuritan Japanese, but the vast majority continued tospeak Swedish. Even from the earliest days of Kurita rule,secret societies attempted to foment rebellions, but allfailed because of the lack of coordination among rebelgroups.

The Federated Suns

The Federated Suns is the largest alliance of worlds inthe Inner Sphere, comprising over 500 inhabited worlds.Bound in a careful balance of local freedoms andcentralized government, the neo-feudal system of theFederated Suns serves to protect the citizenry whiletaking leadership from the nobility, and ultimately thePrince. Despite the best efforts of House Davion to raisethe standard of living for its subjects, there is a markeddichotomy of wealth, due to the uneven distribution ofresources. Some worlds are incredibly rich, while mostare relatively undeveloped in comparison.

Although it claims to hold tight to the principles ofdemocratic government and personal freedom, theexigencies of centuries of war have made no lessdemands upon this state than any other. The Davionsrule their sprawling empire from New Avalon through awarrior aristocracy, and at times the idealistic claims ofthe state propaganda machine ring hollow, when militarynecessity rein in the luxuries of the common man.Nonetheless, the rulers of the Federated Suns have asoften sought to rule through protection and the nurturingof individual concerns as through suppression. The resultis a fiercely dedicated citizenry that has for centurieswithstood the predications of the more totalitarian

regimes of the nearby Capellan Confederation andDraconis Combine.

New Avalon, the capital and trend-setter of the FederatedSuns, was settled originally by colonists of WesternEuropean descent (primarily from Scotland, Ireland,England, Germany and the Scandinavian countries),lending a strong monarchial tendency to House Davion.After the upheavals of the collapse of the Terran Allianceand the rise of the expansionist Terran Hegemony, theCrucis Pact that formed the Federated Suns in 2317 drewtogether scores of worlds discontented with Terran rule.Lucien Davion, Prime Minister of New Avalon at theforming of the FS, was succeeded by his youngerbrother, and the Davion dynasty began. The Age of Wartested House Davion sorely, and sowed the grudges thatlive on today in the near-ceaseless tensions with itsclosest neighbors. Although relations with the FreeWorlds League and especially the Lyran Commonwealthare quite good, there seems little chance that anythingwill come of this, given the lack of a common border formutual defense. The bitter and ongoing feud betweenDavion and House Kurita tends to overshadow mostpeace overtures, and seldom are the borders betweenthese two giants quiet.

The Lyran Commonwealth

Third in size, the Lyran Commonwealth is first in terms ofeconomic might within the Inner Sphere. No other realmcomes close to the standard of living or material wealthwithin the Commonwealth. Blessed with a surplus ofresource-rich planets and a business acumen second tonone, the ruling Steiner family continues to prosperdespite the occasional military setback. Indeed, Lyrancurrency is stronger than that of ComStar, the mysticalkeepers of the galaxy's communications net. Foundedoriginally as a trade alliance sworn to mutual defenseagainst the depredations of bandits and the increasingfrequency of incursions from the new Draconis Combine,the Lyran Commonwealth was built around the ancientGreek system of a co-rulership of Archons, each thehead of an independent city-state. However, as thedifficulties of leading such a vast and vigorous alliancerevealed themselves, self-interest began to drive the


Capital: New AvalonRuler: Hanse DavionTitle: PrinceHeir: N/A

Capital: TharkadRuler: Katrina SteinerTitle: ArchonHeir: Melissa Steiner

14

Major Factionsdecisions of the nine Archons, until in 2375 RobertMarsden staged a successful and bloody coup andgathered the rich worlds of the Commonwealth into hishand. It was Katherine Steiner, however, who in 2408founded the current dynasty of Lyran rulers, when shesucceeded her dead husband, Alistair Marsden, to thethrone. Embodying the ideals the Commonwealth stillreveres today, she was courageous, determined, shrewd,and perhaps most importantly, a woman of deep passion.That passion has more than once been deemed themark of a ruthless leader, but it is an indivisible part ofthe Lyran psyche now. The first of the Great Houses to employ BattleMechs, theLyrans still enjoy better technology and slightly morepowerful 'Mechs than the other Houses, although theirunfortunate lack of strong generalship has always costthem their share of battles as well. A long-standing feudwith the Free Worlds League has caused the worldsbordering the two states to change hands repeatedlyover the years, but this economic juggernaut has alwayssuffered far less from the disruption, resulting in arelatively even playing field with its more militarilycompetent rival.

The Free Worlds League

Founded in 2271, the Free Worlds League is the oldest ofthe Successor States, and the only one to predate theTerran Hegemony. Originating as an alliance of threehighly independent states (Marik, Oriente and Regulus),the League has always maintained the closest thing to arepresentative government to be found in the InnerSphere. Each region, and indeed each world, maintainsits own government, culture and socioeconomicstructure, and seeks always to preserve suchindependence as best they can. While this does tend toserve the individual interests of the member statesbetter, it rarely serves the League as a whole. No statehas been more rife with internecine struggle, uprisings,secessions or political maneuvering than the Free WorldsLeague. Leaguers are consummate politicians, and nosignificant political movement in the Inner Sphere hasfailed to see the Free Worlds League secure themselves a

place in the vanguard. The internal strife this produceshas been the both the succor and bane of the peoples ofthe League, for as the individual liberties wax, thenational identity and security tend to wane. In anattempt to bring the military forces of the League intocloser accord, the Free Worlds League took a page fromhistory, and the tale of Cincinnatus. The Captain-Generalcy placed temporary command of all militaryforces into the hands of one person during times of strife,and gave extraordinarily sweeping political and economicpowers at the same time. Although the appointment wasoriginally intended to be for the duration of the crisis athand, the near-constant conflicts of the Age of Warserved to institutionalize and consolidate the powers ofleadership into a permanent position. As the LeagueParliament tended always to elect members of the Marikfamily, the position eventually became hereditary, but itis not as authoritarian a roe as that of the other fourGreat Houses. The Free Worlds League continues tohamstring its powerful military and free economy withinternal bickering and lobbying.


Capital: AtreusRuler: Janos MarikTitle: Captain-GeneralHeir: N/A

15

The Periphery

The Magistracy of Canopus

Lying outward of the Free Worlds League, the Magistracyof Canopus is the third largest of the Periphery States.Founded in 2530 by Kossandra Centrella, an ex-MarikMechWarrior, the Canopian Magistracy is an autocraticstate where women traditionally manage the governmentand the military. In the early years of the Magistracy,population pressure and social prejudice within the InnerSphere produced widespread emigration to manyCanopian worlds. Taking advantage of the abundantmineral resources found there, Floral Centrella, thirdMagestrix of the Canopian Free States, transformed thisbackwater collection of misfits and malcontents into aprosperous financial and political entity.

For nearly a century, the Canopian Magistracy wassynonymous with decadent sensuality and freedom ofexpression (in every sense of the term). The riches thatthe Canopians collected eventually proved their undoingwhen they became a prime target in the ReunificationWar. The Canopians' unique social contributions andsizable cash reserves, however, did much to mitigate theconsequences of military occupation by the Star League.As a Territorial State under Star League control, theCanopian Magistracy returned to its old ways,encouraged by an influx of immigrants who embraced thephilosophy of "Happy Days and Hectic Nights."

Following the breakup of the Star League, the Magistracybegan a massive rearmament program and hired manymercenaries, which once more drew to them theunwanted attention of their ambitious neighbors.

Beginning in the early 2800s, the Magistracy lost manyholdings in a series of border disputes with the FreeWorlds League, the Taurian Concordat, and the CapellanConfederation. Seeing the pleasure planets andremaining industrial centers being repeatedly sacked andlooted, the hereditary leaders of the Canopian matriarchy(House Centrella) ordered its few remaining industrialplants to be moved deep within the Canopian holdfast.

The miniature Magistracy emerged alive and surprisinglyhealthy after two and a half centuries of warfare, thougha mere shadow of its once-illustrious past. Thedestruction of galactic trade and tourism during theSuccession Wars has left the great majority of Canopianworlds lacking the barest of technological necessities.Never self-sufficient even in the best of times, theMagistracy has seen numerous famines and agriculturalfailures, leading to significant depopulation and socialunrest.

With the difficulty of civilian space travel during theSuccession Wars era--and thus few customers able tobuy their pleasures--the Magistracy has turned to moremundane industries. Once noted for their famouscourtesans and dancers, the Canopians of today arehighly regarded as healers, many of whom travel farafield in service of their state. Weary of their pastadventures, poorer in body and spirit, but nonethelesswiser for their suffering, the Magistracy's intelligentsia isbeginning a slow resurgence that may yet have aprofound impact on the rest of the Periphery.

The Outworlds Alliance

Of all the government systems to emerge in thePeriphery, the Outworlds Alliance claims the strangestcollection of separatists and anti-social types. Indeed,many political commentators have referred to theOutworlds Alliance as a geographic expression ofcollective political chaos. Unlike the Taurian Concordat orthe Magistracy of Canopus, the Outworlds Alliance wasnever intended to be a lasting political entity. Indeed, itsexistence was due to accident as much as to design.

The founding father of the Outworlds Alliance wasAdmiral Julius Santiago Avellar. As a junior naval officerin the closing years of the 2300s, Avellar was appalled bythe ease with which the states of the Inner Spheresought to settle their differences through increasinglydestructive wars. Withdrawing to the world of Alpheratzin 2413, Avellar devoted the rest of his life to literarydenunciations of the warmongers of the major Houses.


Capital : Canopus IVRuler : Kyalla CentrellaTitle : MagestrixHeir : Emma Centrella

Capital : AlpheratzRuler : Neil Avelar IITitle : Lord AvelarHeir : N/A

16

The PeripheryThough he may have planned to live out his life inobscurity, Avellar became the leader of a virtual cult. Hiscompassionate pleas for an end to war created theOmniss, a new philosophical sect. Advocating therejection of any technology that did not contribute to thepreservation of life, followers of Omniss flocked toAvellar's agrarian haven in the Periphery, much to thechagrin of the hermit-like Avellar.

Before long, people from every social order began todescend on his home on Alpheratz. As the hundredsquickly became thousands and the thousands becametens of thousands, Avellar's homestead was quicklyoverrun with political and social dissidents. Expandingoutward from Alpheratz in all directions, Omniss farmersand their supporters began to colonize neighboring starsystems in a frenzy, persuaded by Avellar's writings thatgalactic doomsday was just around the corner. Facedwith the growing problems of managing and caring forthe well-meaning but technologically inept multitudes onhis doorstep, Avellar was forced to do the one thing thathe hated most: to create a government able to providefor the needs of his newfound followers. The result wasthe Outworlds Alliance, a union born more of necessitythan actual desire.

Since the beginning of the 31st century, the situation inthe Outworlds Alliance has become particularly grim.With the general loss of technology, Alliance worlds havesuffered from declining population and literacy levels.Though protected by a strong military, many of theseplanets are unable to feed their own people. The peoplefeel that their government has betrayed them, and therehave been many riots and demonstrations against thehereditary Avellar regime in recent years. Although noone has yet seriously challenged the right of HouseAvellar to rule the Outworlds, armed rebellion is likely ifthe deteriorating situation does not reverse itself.

The Taurian Concordat

Of the many states in the Periphery, the TaurianConcordat maintains the closest resemblance to aSuccessor State. Under the direction of House Calderon,the highly independent Taurians have a strong central

government, a high literacy rate, and a strong military.They appear to be the Periphery community most likelyto survive the next century, as well as to become aleader in Periphery affairs and even an influence on theInner Sphere.

The Taurian Concordat began as a desperate ventureinto the unexplored space of the Hyades Cluster. Beyondthe reach of Inner Sphere governments, the Calderonexpedition colonized mineral-rich worlds and quicklytransformed them into centers of political and socialequality. In turn, these worlds attracted thousands ofrefugees uprooted by wars in the Inner Sphere.

As early as the mid-24th century, the Taurians wereforced to fight aggressors from the Inner Sphere. TheConcordat maintained a tense state of armed neutrality inthe Age of War but, unlike its Inner Sphere counterparts,it also devoted a major portion of its resources towardimproving life for its citizens. On occasion, the success ofthe Taurian way of life benefited the Inner Sphere aswell, as when the Federated Suns revamped itseducational system along Taurian lines in the first decadeof the new millennium.

In the late 26th century, the Taurians were forced tofight for two decades against Star League forces duringthe Reunification War. Though eventually battered intosubmission, the Taurians never renounced their dream ofa free and independent state. After two centuries ofincreasingly harsh rule under the Star League, theTaurians revolted in the latter half of the 28th century.With the fall of the League and the start of theSuccession Wars, the Taurians became free ofinterference from the House Lords of the Inner Sphere,and their independence has grown stronger.

In the last two centuries, however, the Taurians havehad to defend themselves against foreign invasion fromanother part of space. Because of clashes with theMagistracy of Canopus over disputed border worlds, aswell as incursions by renegade mercenary units andpirates, the Concordat is obliged to maintain a large andefficient military.

With the rise of the Far Lookers, a philosophical sectadvocating the exploration of space beyond its chartedlimits, the Concordat has expanded its borders, settlingworlds beyond the notice of the rapacious Inner Sphere.ComStar is unsure of how many worlds have been settledso far, although we can be sure that none of them issufficiently developed to be incorporated into theConcordat itself. No significant benefits have come to theConcordat from these new colonies as yet, but the


Capital : Taurus Ruler : Thomas CalderonTitle : Protector Heir : N/A

17

The Peripherypotential of unexplored space is, as we all know fromexperience, unlimited. Some estimates have indicatedthat when the new map of the Concordat is drawn, itmay be comparable in size to the Capellan Confederation,though nowhere near as densely populated.

The Bandit Kingdoms

When people think of the Periphery, the thought thatimmediately comes to mind is that of bandits, modern-day pirates preying on the vital trade that is the life-bloodof the Inner Sphere. Though most information on thesespace faring brigands is based largely on hearsay andrumor, the various Bandit Kingdoms have a well-deservedreputation for slaughter and rapine. Born of the conflictsof the Amaris Civil War and the Succession Wars, theBandit Kingdoms consist of desperate men and womenwho, in their own rapacious manner, attempt to surviveas best they can.

Following is a summary of verifiable informationconcerning these desperate peoples. With the exceptionof the Circinus Federation and the Oberon Confederation,little formal contact between ComStar and the BanditKingdoms has been possible for several centuries. Whatfollows, therefore, is the result of numerous independentinvestigations, many of which have ended in tragedy.Information on specific worlds, individual leaders, andselected military units is provided, though the dangerousnature of these investigations has left some areas ofinquiry incomplete.

Belt Pirates

Location: Outward of the Draconis Combine, nearSantander's World Number of Worlds: One Current Ruler: Morgan Fletcher Military Strength: 1 Battalion Technology Level: Good Literacy Level: Fair

After the end of the Reunification War, refugees from theRim Worlds Republic refused to lay down their armsagainst the Star League and decided to settle the Star'sEnd system. Since then, the Pirates of Star's End havemaintained a steady stream of scavenger raids againstboth the Lyran Commonwealth and the DraconisCombine. Eventually, piracy became a way of life thathas been passed down through the generations. Theinhabitants of Star's End are a prime example of a

predatory culture restrained only by the availability ofspace-going vessels.

The Pirates of Star's End have not been above lending ahand to either the Lyran Commonwealth or the DraconisCombine in their frequent clashes in the SuccessionWars. In each instance, however, pirate involvement wasnominal and purchased at a high price in hard cash andequipment. This notwithstanding, the pirate bandslodging in the asteroid fields of the Star's End systemhave been known to break their contracts withoutwarning when an employer presents the least sign ofweakness.

These pirates have confined their activities to neighboringJump Points with an eye toward capturing valuablemachinery and spare parts for their vessels. The Star'sEnd system contains several starship constructionfacilities fully capable of repairing and building newvessels at a modest annual rate. The present leader ofthe pirate coalition is Morgan Fletcher, a swarthy,swaggering woman whose actions are motivated as muchby her hatred of men (especially those of the InnerSphere) as from a genuine love of wealth.

Circinus Federation

Location: Outside of the Periphery juncture of the LyranCommonwealth and the Free Worlds League Number of Worlds: NineMilitary Strength: 1 Regiment Technology Level: Poor Literacy Level: Fair

After being accused of contract violation against the FreeWorlds League in 2770, the Black Warriors mercenaryunit abandoned Marik space, narrowly escaping captureby the Free Worlds navy. Vowing eternal vengeance onHouse Marik for their outlawed status, the Black Warriorssettled on the planet Circinus and joined the piratesalready operating there. Colonel Zachariah Cirion, leaderof the Black Warriors, began to support his peoplethrough a series of sneak attacks against outlying Marikagricultural worlds. Both the Star League and the MarikHouse forces had their hands full with the Amaris Crisis,


Capital : CircinusRuler : C. J. "Bob" MclntyreTitle : PresidentHeir : N/A

18

The Peripheryand so the Circinus pirates flourished in the absence ofreprisals. In 2785, a small convoy of settlers fleeing thedestruction in the Lyran Commonwealth landed on theplanet to make a new start. Warrior and farmercombined their forces to establish a viable economy andculture.

The Lyran farmers apparently were never fully aware ofthe nature of their new allies. The pirates were involvedin what remained "covert operations," but the farmersasked no questions as long as their allies provided thetools and consumer goods the farmers needed. Thepirates, for their part, welcomed the farmers for tworeasons. First, they provided stability and the possibilityof internal law and order (without the brutal punishmentsand intimidation that mark pirate societies elsewhere),that would keep the band of cutthroats from turning onone another. Second, they helped the pirates present theillusion of a respectable, agrarian society to theneighboring worlds who were their victims.

Despite the fact that the Free Worlds military occupiedCircinus during a lull in the Second Succession War, it isstill the most successful of the Bandit Kingdoms, havinglong since adopted a presidential system of government.Piracy is a major governmental function, with covert"agencies" responsible both for the raids themselves andfor covering them up. Lyran pundits often note that theCircinian president's chief duty is to look the other way sothat he will not have to acknowledge the crimes hisgovernment is constantly committing.

In recent decades, the inhabitants of Circinus have beencautiously settling neighboring star systems, claimingeight planets between 2990 and 3020. From this newempire, President C. J. "Bob" Mclntyre has entered into aseries of joint reconciliation talks with leaders of BothInner Sphere governments. Through skillful diplomacyand judicious return of prisoners, and without onceadmitting to any wrongdoing on the part of his people,Mclntyre has managed to avert a wholesale counterattackagainst his Federation while playing on the mutualsuspicions of his Marik and Steiner counterparts.

Mclntyre's position has lately improved with the arrival ofnumerous mercenary recruits who see him as a Napoleonof the Periphery. Moreover, by convincing both HouseMarik and House Steiner that his support could beinvaluable, he has managed to acquire shipments ofbadly needed BattleMech spare parts and a smallcontingent of AeroSpace Fighters.

Nevertheless, several of Mclntyre's lieutenants, yearningfor more wealth and power, have challenged his position.

Because of the continued infighting between Mclntyreand his subordinates, it is uncertain whether theFederation will commit itself to either House. The chief ofthe officially nonexistent pirates is Adam Cirion, adescendant of Zachariah Cirion, founder of theFederation.

Marian Hegemony

Location: Outside of Free Worlds League, betweenMagistracy of Canopus and Circinus Federation Number of Worlds: Eight Military Strength: 1 Regiment Technology Level: Average Literacy Level: Fair

The Marian Hegemony is a recent addition to thePeriphery. Centered on the trade world of Alphard, theHegemony consist s of the remains of the AlphardTrading Corporation (ATC). In 2920, Johann SebastianO'Reilly arrived on the desolate and uninhabited planetAlphard. Though the world seemed like a wasteland, hechanced upon a hidden storehouse of germanium worthat least 50,000,000,000 C-Bills. With this newfoundwealth, O'Reilly hired 'Mech units and established acolony on Alphard. Johann formed his new MarianHegemony along the disciplined lines of the ancientTerran Roman Empire during its republican days. Thearrival of war refugees helped to expand the Hegemony,whose people began to settle other star systems in thevicinity.

Under the leadership of Johann's grandson, MariusO'Reilly, the Marian Hegemony views expansion as thekey to survival. In the last decade, the Marian navy andground forces (estimated at roughly three smallbattalions of assorted BattleMechs) have clashedrepeatedly with their neighbors over possession of borderworlds. The Hegemony welcomes the presence ofComStar, but only at the price of an annual tribute to theImperial Treasury.


Capital : AlphardRuler: Marius O'ReillyTitle : Hegemony ImperatorHeir : N/A

19

The Periphery

Morgraine's Valkyrate

Location: Outside of Lyran Commonwealth, near OberonVl Number of Worlds: Five Current Ruler: Dominatrix Maria Morgraine Military Strength: 1 Battalion Technology Level: Poor Literacy Level: Poor

The newest of the pirate clans to populate the Periphery,Morgraine's Valkyrate is a collection of five ice worldsbeyond the border of the Lyran Commonwealth.Originally a lieutenant of Hendrik Grimm, Morgrainebroke with her master after her lover, Redjack Ryan, wasexpelled from the Oberon Confederation. Denouncing the"male-dominated" rule of the Grimm pirate dynasty,Morgraine and her female followers established their ownpirate outposts, from which they have begun to raidLyran space. Within this female pirate haven, males areaccorded rights and privileges according to their abilities,but all command decisions are reserved to Morgraine andher valkyries.

Much of the Valkyrate's social order mirrors that ofancient Terran Norse mythology. Given time, this veneerof Nordic tradition will continue to evolve. Morgrainecurrently holds forth in her court on Gotterdammerung,ruling with an iron hand over an estimated five to sixthousand inhabitants scattered over her various holds.Due to Morgraine's xenophobia, attempts to place ROMagents in this region have all failed.

Oberon Confederation

Location: Outside of the Lyran Commonwealth; formerlypart of Rim Worlds Republic Number of Worlds: Ten Military Strength: 2 Regiments Technology Level: Good Literacy Level: Poor

Of the many pirate holdings in the Periphery, the OberonConfederation comes the closest to being a miniature

Successor State. The first Colonel Hendrik Grimm was anofficer in the Lyran Commonwealth military, whoseregiment was battered by Marik troops on Graham IV.Believing that the Lyran high command had left them todie, the surviving members of the 65th Lyran Regularsmade for the Periphery, eventually settling on the warmtemperate world of Oberon Vl. Soon after, many InnerSphere soldiers who were weary with the endless warfaretraveled to Oberon in search of an alternative.

During its early years, the people of the Oberon stateconducted pirate raids against both the LyranCommonwealth and the Draconis Combine, usually insearch of spare 'Mech parts and electronics. For the mostpart, however, the descendants of Hendrik Grimm I havebeen concerned primarily with the welfare of theirsubjects rather than with plunder for its own sake.Expanding outward from Oberon, the citizens of theConfederation have managed to colonize theirneighboring star systems. Of all the Bandit Kingdoms inthe Periphery, the Oberon Confederation alone is self-sufficient. On a social level, a limited form of democracyhas brought about educational systems for the young,training facilities for MechWarriors and technicians, andeven a modest pension plan for officers and enlistedpersonnel who have served the Confederation.

The recent development of Oberon into an increasinglystable, diversified state is due mainly to the vision ofHendrik Grimm III. Where Grimm's grandfather foundedthe state as a mockery of a government, and his fathersimply continued the family business of brutality, KingHendrik III takes the duties of his office seriously.

Another sign of Oberon's growing political maturity isGrimm's attitude to the nearby Elysian Fields. ThoughOberon seems to be approaching the stage that Circinusreached two centuries ago--that of a viable nation-statesupported in part by piracy--Grimm appears to beseeking the respectability that standard interstellar tradewill bring. Thus, Grimm's pirates are not allowed to raidthe Elysian worlds. Indeed, Hendrik has entered intotrade and territorial agreements with them, the mostimportant of which offers Grimm's navy docking rights inreturn for military protection against the many otherBandit Kingdoms in the area. As the Elysian Fieldscontinue to develop, and thus become more temptingtargets, ties between the two realms can be expected togrow closer. The potential for provincial unification--similar to that which led to the foundation of the FreeWorlds League and Capellan Confederation sevencenturies ago--may become irresistible to the leaders ofboth realms.


Capital : Oberon VIRuler: Hendrik Grimm IIITitle : GeneralHeir : N/A

20

The PeripheryRecognizing the utility of social stability on their borders,representatives from both House Steiner and HouseKurita have approached Hendrik III with offers of formalalliance. To date, Grimm has been reluctant to commithis peoples one way or the other, remaining cautiouslyneutral.

Pirates of Butte Hold

Location: Outside of the Lyran Commonwealth, nearOberon Vl Number of Worlds: One Military Strength: 2 Battalions Technology Level: Poor Literacy Level: Poor

Founded in 3018, Butte Hold is one of the more recentadditions to the many Bandit Kingdoms. The inhabitantsare a motley collection of cutthroats nominally under thecommand of Redjack Ryan, an arrogant, struttingMechWarrior with delusions of grandeur. The Pirates ofButte Hold epitomize the worst characteristics ofPeriphery bandits.

Redjack Ryan was once a battalion commander underHendrik Grimm. In 3017, while "on loan" to the LyranCommonwealth, Ryan's unit was ordered to occupy aMarik border world. During the course of his occupationof Lysidas, Ryan's troops sacked the cities, enslaved thepopulace, and destroyed many industries, including afusion power plant. The destruction of the fusion plantpoisoned half the planet's atmosphere, bringing animmediate halt to Ryan's carousing.

Following this blunder, troops from both the OberonConfederation and the Free Worlds League pursued Ryanand his mob out of the Inner Sphere. Ryan took his mento Butte Hold, where he set up shop. Since then, thebandit has launched a series of indiscriminate raidsagainst the Lyran Commonwealth, the Draconis Combine,and even an occasional snipe at a Confederation world.To date, none of these governments have retaliatedbecause of the many prisoners Ryan holds hostage. Fewlike to contemplate what an angry Ryan might do tothem.

Another version of the story of how Ryan broke awayfrom Oberon states that Ryan apparently has no otherinterests in life than rapine, and so he could not face theprospect of handling actual responsibilities, as Grimmwanted him to do. Whether Ryan's own most viciouslieutenant, Agnar Satanson, will turn on Redjack the wayhe turned on Grimm remains to be seen.

Attracted by the lure of booty, Ryan has won numerousrecruits since his break with Grimm, enough to maintaintwo battalions of BattleMechs. Ryan's hold on hissubordinates is tenuous at best, however. He spends asmuch time guarding against a knife in the back as hedoes planning his next raid. Left to their own devices, thepirates of Butte Hold may well destroy themselves. Inaddition, one raid too many against an irritated Lyran orDraconis government may bring a full-scale assaultagainst the pirate holdfast.

Santander's World (Santander V)

Location: Outward from the Draconis Combine Number of Worlds: One Military Strength: 1 Battalion Technology Level: Poor Literacy Level: Poor

What little is known about the pirates of Santander'sWorld is not very pleasant. Founded in 3019 by ex-Davion officer Helmar Valasek, Santander's World boas sone of the most vicious pirate bands operating in thePeriphery. Whereas most of the Periphery's pirate groupsengage in raiding, Santander's World has become aMurder Incorporated. Much of Valasek's treasury consists of payments made for covert assassination attempts.Operating singly or in small groups, Santander assassinsare known to have penetrated Davion and Kurita space toslaughter government officials and financiers. Wherepractical, Santander raiders engage in kidnapping, oftenstopping merchant vessels along established trade routesto remove wealthy passengers for later ransom. Inaddition, Valasek contracts for terrorist activities and maywell have affiliations with various dissident groupswithin the Inner Sphere.


Capital : Butte HoldRuler: Redjack RyanTitle : King of Butte HoldHeir : N/A

Capital : Santander VRuler: Helmar ValasekTitle : CommanderHeir : N/A

21

The Periphery

All members of Valasek's band take a blood oath to theirmurderous leader, vowing to die most horribly shouldthey "squeal" on their fellows. More than once have thesepirates killed their own members suspected of renouncingtheir pledge.

The Santander pirates are an irritant that the SuccessorStates will probably destroy at the first opportunity. It isbelieved, however, that Valasek maintains an intricateweb of spies and informants that might tip off Valasek toany impending strike. Therefore, any such attack wouldhave to be made with the utmost secrecy.

Tortuga Dominions

Location: Near the border of the Taurian Concordat andthe Federated Suns Number of Worlds: Six Current Ruler: Dame Paula Trevaline Military Strength: Two Companies Technology Level: Poor Literacy Level: Poor

The Tortuga Dominions are a result of the ReunificationWar against the Taurian Concordat. During the latterstages of that conflict, the Federated Suns 237th LightCavalry Regiment was all but destroyed in a wastefulpenetration raid against the Taurian outpost of Sterope.Unable to hold their positions and unwilling to be throwninto the vicious fray somewhere else, the 237th opted tojump outward into the unknown. A generation aftersettling a small, pleasant world beyond the fringes of theFederated Suns, the newly formed Pirates of Tortugabegan operations against their callous former comradesin the Federated Suns.

With equipment and machinery won at gun point fromhalf a dozen Davion worlds, the Tortugans began toexpand their foothold in their new world. Within acentury, they were stable and self-sufficient enough tobegin colonization efforts of their own. By the early2700s, the Tortugans had settled five neighboring starsystems. Abundant radioactives and raw materials onthese newly claimed worlds helped the rise of what hassince become known as the Tortuga Dominions.

Of all the Bandit Kingdoms in the Periphery, the TortugaDominions maintain the largest space faring navy.Estimates place the size of the Tortuga jolly rogers atabout 15, though a lack of spare parts and machineryhas forced the Tortugans to cannibalize several of these.

In the last two centuries, the Tortuga raiders have struckdeep into the Federated Suns and the Taurian Concordat.Already known for utter depravity and ruthlessness, itappears that the Tortugans are becoming moredesperate as their planets are now finally beginning torun out of resources.


Mercenary ForcesMercenary Forces

21st Centauri Lancers

Originally a battalion from House Liao’s St. Ives ArmoredCavalry, the Lancers mutinied against their regimentalcommander over wages nine months overdue. TheLancers ransacked the Regimental BattleGroup andcaptured some of the Cavalry’s Dropships and aJumpship as payment. Becoming mercenary, the 21st

served each Successor State except for House Liao,against which it still harbors a grudge.

Colonel Thaddeus Kusaka, leader of the Lancers, is oneof the very few well-respected and trusted mercenaryleaders in the Inner Sphere. Honest to a fault, Kusakademands integrity from everyone from the lowliest astechto the Captain-General himself.

Cranston Snord’s Irregular

Cranston Snord’s Irregular have widely differentreputations, depending on who you ask. Katrina Steinerthinks of the unit as one of the more effective, ifunorthodox, units in her employ. House Marik would liketo rid the Inner Sphere of the unit and has been tryingfor many years. Jaime Wolf sees the unit as a band oflooters who have made good. One way or the other, theIrregulars are probably best known for their ability to getinto and out of tight spots created by their never-endingquest for the lost artifacts and/or treasures of Mankind’spast.

Eridani Light Horses

The most tradition-bound mercenary unit in the InnerSphere, the Eridani Light Horse has many memorials andrituals that serve as a constant reminder of its illustrioushistory and rigid honor. Some outsiders have commentedthat Eridani observances seem almost religious.

For example, the 50th Heavy Cavalry and 8th ReconBattalion are sworn to protect all the civilian members ofthe Eridani Light Horse in memory of their families'executions on Sendai. Whether escorting civiliantransports or garrisoning their settlement, only the 50thand 8th Battalion members are involved in the safety ofEridani dependents.

Wherever they are encamped, all military units in theSuccessor States set up two flagpoles: one for their unitbanner and one for their employer or House leader.Unlike other units, however, the Light Horse has neverflown the flag of its employer. One flagpole remains bare,while the banner of the Light Horse flies at perpetualhalf-mast. Originally, the Eridani standard was just aprancing horse upon a sun-yellow disc. The black borderwas added as a symbol of mourning for the exodus ofGeneral Kerensky.

The Light Horse remembers the loss of the 19th StrikerRegiment on Amity through some curious traditions.Whenever the three regimental commanders meet withthe Eridani commander, a place is set at the conferencetable for the commander of the 19th. In addition, duringsocial functions, the host always says a prayer for themembers of the lost regiment. Retiring soldiers whoserve the Light Horse with distinction become officialmembers of the 19th Striker. They receive lapel pins withthe 19th's symbol, a rearing bronco, in honor of theirservices and devotion to the Eridani Light Horse.

Every Light Horse member celebrates the anniversariesof great victories and special birthdays, and mourns theanniversary of lost battles and tragic deaths. Of all thedays of mourning, the most solemn occurs on the date ofGeneral Kerensky's Exodus. All nonessential functions areshut down as everyone gathers in the central park. There

CO : Cranston SnordRank : HauptmannSize : 1 CompanyStatus : VeteranCurrent Employer : SteinerHomeworld : Clinton

CO : Nathan ArmstrongRank : Brevet GeneralSize : 3 regimentStatus : EliteCurrent Employer : DavionHomeworld : Colchester

CO : Thaddeus KusakaRank : ColonelSize : 1 RegimentStatus : EliteCurrent Employer : MarikHomeworld : Nestor

Mercenary Forcesan honor guard unfurls an ancient Star League standardand runs it up the usually bare flag pole. The basecommander then reads Colonel Bradley's communiquéinforming General Kerensky of the 3rd RegimentalCombat Team's decision to stay. As the honor guardlowers the Star League standard, the military band playsthe Star League anthem softly and slowly.

Fuchida’s Fusillier

The men of Fuchida’s Fusilliers trace their origin back tothe former Rim Republic’s Tartan Brigade, one of thehousehold unit that fought valiantly –albeit on the losingside- during the brutal civil war between the usurperStephan Amaris and the Star League forces underAleksandr Kerensky. After the end of that war, theemployment as mercenaries pledged to coordinatorMinoru Kurita. In the intervening years, the renamedFusilliers have led a nomadic existence, moving fromcontract to contract and never remaining in the service ofany employer for more than a few years at a time. Afterthree previous stretches under the House Marik banner(2834-2845, 2882-2898, 2931-2935), they rejoined HouseMarik in 3021 following a campaign with House Davion.Thus far, they have been deployed along the LyranCommonwealth, where they have conducted a variety ofraiding and sabotage missions.

Gray Death Legion

What was perhaps most unusual about the Legion wasthe moral quality of their fight. What began as a desirefor revenge against House Kurita became a virtualcrusade against the technological barbarism andinhumanity that Kurita’s campaigns and the SuccessionWars themselves had come to represent. Mech Warrior

Grayson Death Carlyle became known as one of ahandful of men and women who fought to hold the darktides of savagery at bay for yet a little while longer.

That is a distinction won by very few warriors in man’sbloody history.

Hansen’s Roughriders

Colonel Gerhardt Hansen assembled the unit from theremnants of the 12th Atrean Dragoons and Elements ofthe 1st Atrean Dragoons, a unit that he lead inunsuccessful rebellion against Janos Marik during theMarik civil war. The RoughRiders prefer close combat,and considering the rather rough-house nature, it is easyto see why, most of the Mech Regiment Companies arecomposed entirely of heavy Mechs. The unit was alsochosen to receive the first new Rommel/Patton tanks,due to the fact that it was the most active and aggressiveof all the Tank corps in the Lyran Commonwealth. TheRoughRiders are famed for their deep raids, into bothKurita and Marik space and heavy urban combat.

Kell Hounds

In 3010, Morgan and Patrick Kell, aged 24 and 22,decided to form the Kell Hounds. Arthur Luvon, the latehusband of then Archon Katrina Steiner, had been theKell's cousin. Upon his death from cancer in August of3010, the Kells inherited a great deal of money, whichthey used to form the Kell Hounds.


CO : Michael « Mad Mac » IversonRank : MajorSize : 1 BatallionStatus : RegularCurrent Employer : MarikHomeworld : Cascade

CO : Grayson CarlyleRank : CaptainSize : Reinforced LanceStatus : RegularCurrent Employer : MarikHomeworld : Helm

CO : Gerhardt HansenRank : ColonelSize : 1 RegimentStatus : VeteranCurrent Employer : SteinerHomeworld : Suk II

CO : Morgan KellRank : ColonelSize : 1 RegimentStatus : VeteranCurrent Employer : SteinerHomeworld : Pacifica

24

Mercenary Forces

Marshigama’s Legionnaires

This battle-hardened unit is made up of highly skilledMechwarriors. Marshigama’s troops are well-versed invaried types of combatand know many personnel ofmercenary and House units. The last offensive operationthis unit has seen was in 3024, when it raided NewAragon and it’s garrison, the Aragon Borderers. Clearlyoutclassed, the Legionnaires gallantly held their ground inthe closing stages of this campaign, though scoring onlyminor casualities on their opponents. Distressed with thisdefeat, which interrupted an unbroken string ofsuccesses, these seasoned veterans are eager to geteven with the Borderers.

Waco Rangers

In 3007, Captain Wayne Waco of the soon-to-bedisbanded 1st Tau Ceti Rangers resigned his commissionfrom House Liao and recruited 15 down-and-outMechWarriors to form a mercenary company called theWaco Rangers. Oddly enough Liao was their firstemployer, and the Rangers were soon on the front line,attempting to stem a Davion advance.

While on New Aragon in 3008, there, Waco Rangers werestrung out on picket duty for McCormack's Fusiliers,awaiting the assault of Wolf's Dragoons. However, Wolf'sattack was unexpectedly quick, and the Dragoonstrapped Captain Waco's only son, Lieutenant John Waco,in the El Diablo Pass. No one is sure what happenednext, but some observers later reported that no fewerthan four BattleMechs surrounded John Waco's Stingerand systematically tore it apart. Young Waco ejected, but

the Dragoon 'Mechs pursued him, and one crushed theMechWarrior under its foot.

Wilson’s Hussars

Often derisively labeled "Wilson's Wimps", thesedesperate Mechwarriors are completely out of luck. Underthe leadership of Captain David Wilson, the Hussars willaccept any assignment, from any employer, to help themescape their current situation.

As of 3025, the Hussars are still located in the OutworldsAlliance, barely tolerated by the local authorities anddesperate for work. Captain Wilson still leads theHussars, but the constant strain of the unit's diresituation has drained him. Of the Hussars who survive,only a handful served during the Michael Langstromperiod. The remainders are various unlucky andunreliable hangers on, MechWarriors down to their lastcredit, desperate for any chance to save themselves.Because of the Hussars' reputation as bandits, Wilson hasfailed to gain employment with the Alliance. LordCorrigan, the local governor, distrusts them and maysoon force them to leave.

Wolf’s Dragoons

No mercenary regiment is more well known, nor asuniversally respected. Indeed other units of the InnerSphere validate their prowess by surviving an encounterwith the Dragoons. Since appearing in the Inner Spherein 3005 at New Delos, the Dragoons have been employedin turn by every House of the Successor States. The heartand soul of the Dragoons is Jaime Wolf and NatashaKerensky, known as the Black Widow.

CO : Wayne WacoRank : ColonelSize : 1 RegimentStatus : RegularCurrent Employer : SteinerHomeworld : Bessarabia

CO : David WilsonRank : CaptainSize : 1 CompanyStatus : RegularCurrent Employer : NoneHomeworld : None

CO : Jaime WolfRank : ColonelSize : 5 RegimentStatus : EliteCurrent Employer : Kurita

CO :Ju-Lei MarshigamaRank : ColonelSize : 1 CompanyStatus : VeteranCurrent Employer : LiaoHomeworld : Holloway

Player’s Handout

Player’s Handout

Political Inner Sphere Map 3025 (pdf)Jump Path Inner Sphere Map 3025 (pdf)

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