A BattleTech Continuum Game

The Gothic BattleTech Universe Thus began the Age of War.

For centuries, continuous strife plagued
eventually united all six Great Realms and the
lesser Periphery States beyond them, beneath
humanity from the heart of Terra itself to the a single banner. For the first time in centuries,
A Universe in Shadow resources, we unlocked the miracle of fusion frontiers of its most distant progeny. It was all of mankind was at peace.
It is an age of endless war. On the blackened power, only to immediately turn its potential in this crucible that the Great Realms of the Thus began the Great Enlightenment.
worlds of dwindling stars, lumbering BattleMechs toward a glorious new age of fighting for the Cameron, Davion, Kurita, Liao, Selaj, and Steiner Backed by the power of Terra’s royal blood-
and horrific creations of rampant biotechnology stars and worlds beyond. dynasties were founded. Their territories, barely line, the Cameron Dynasty, the elite Star League
tear at one another in a desperate struggle for For humanity, our history shall always be hemmed in between each other and the minor Knights and their Peacekeeper armies main-
survival and dominance. Where once the Human written in blood. Periphery States that encircled them, clashed tained order throughout the Human Sphere.
Sphere lived in a golden age under the banner of again and again. Fleets of powerful WarShips Conflict between noble houses were settled over
a glorious Star League, today only the unravel- The Age of War delivered fighters and troops by the tens of thou- the bargaining table rather than the battlefield.
sands to worlds on every front, and many fell New technologies were developed, new worlds
ling empires of the six Great Realms remain to (2100–2569)
squabble over horror-scarred wasteworlds. In the prey to nuclear and chemical weapons deployed were discovered and brought to life, and fleets
Between the development of
on planetary scales. of mighty WarShips secured the interstellar
spaces between, marauders and privateers eke practical fusion technology and the
These were the years in which the tech- trade routes. Weapons of mass destruction were
out a cutthroat existence of their own, relying subsequent discovery of effective faster-than-
nologies of warfare, driven by desperation outlawed. So, too, was the use of Abominations
on salvage and thievery to bolster their forces. It light travel, it was inevitable that humans would
and depravity, grew wild. In the Free Worlds as instruments of warfare. Grafting biotech was
is a universe where right and wrong have lost all reach out to colonize the stars. Indeed, for many,
League, where House Selaj held sway, the first tightly restricted, permitted only for the purposes
value, where victory belongs only to the stron- leaving Terra couldn’t happen fast enough. Be
Abominations were born through the newly of human survival and biological research.
gest, and where the end of civilization is always it for the sake of self-enrichment and power or
discovered genome-splicing technology of Thus thrived humankind, and justice reigned.
just a heartbeat away. to escape the oppression of the Terran Alliance,
Grafting, producing great fighting monsters of But no amount of justice can truly tame
–From The Litany of Time, the first world-spanning government in history,
flesh and metal. Not to be outdone, the Cameron- the passions of the human heart, nor can any
Karpov Press, Terra, 3015 new worlds were sought out for exploitation and
ruled Terran Hegemony—successor to the fallen miracle of science truly sate the human lust for
settlement. The exodus that followed empowered
Alliance—eventually countered with the develop- ever greater wealth and power. Since time im-
Hearken, One and All, the wealthy and the downtrodden alike.
ment of the first BattleMechs. memorial has the lesson been taught: no Golden
Thus began the Great Migrations.
to the Echoes of History! At first, the Migrations represented the As the wars raged on, countless worlds fell Age may last forever. And so it was within the
Ever since humankind pulled itself out from into darkness and chaos, blackened by ash and paradise of the Star League that the seeds of
Alliance at its apex, an interstellar unity across avarice, pride, and wrath were sown. As the
the primordial sludge of prehistoric Terra, it has pounded into blood-soaked mud by giants of
the Human Sphere. But the Terran government decades of prosperity wore on, the Realm Lords
known little beyond savagery and war. From the flesh and bone, or titans of metal and myomer. It
would not long survive its own success. Grown grew restless. Unable to confront one another
earliest days of the Neanderthal and the Cro- was only when the horrors of planetary extinc-
corrupt and greedy, Terra enacted policies and directly, they began to spar, through proxies, in
Magnon to the rise of the tribes of Homo sapiens tions came too close to their own homes that the
taxes that quickly wore on the distant systems. the outlying realms of the Periphery. But while
who would one day found the first city-states, Realm Lords turned increasingly toward their
When the inevitable rebellions began, Terra’s the myopic lords focused on their more powerful
our existence has been one of conflict-driven beasts and ’Mechs as their “civilized” alternative
might proved an illusion. Embittered by what it neighbors, they ignored the rising fury of those
evolution. To survive and thrive, we needed to nuclear annihilation.
saw as ungrateful insolence, the Alliance quickly whose worlds suffered most. In the industrial-
to be not just stronger and faster but smarter Ironically, it would be the lords of the Free
turned its back on the colonies, abandoning even ized systems of the Taurian Republic, they failed
and more inventive. More than any other apex Worlds League and Terran Hegemony who led
loyal systems whose very survival depended on to notice the growing resistance to Star League
predator, humanity honed its lethality in battle the Human Sphere out of this chaotic darkness.
Terran support. taxation. Amid the luxurious vacation havens
not only against nature and its myriad creations Thus dawned the Age of the Star League.
Thus ended humanity’s first great empire of stars. of the Canopian Magistracy, they missed the
but against its own kind. As Terra turned inward and the Alliance sheer scale of criminal intrigue. The ominous
As we overcame the immediate impulses of collapsed, new governments emerged from the The Star League silence among the hardscrabble systems of the
instinct, we learned to think ahead to our next power vacuum. Drawn together for trade and (2570–2780) Outworlds fazed none among the Realm Lords.
fights, our next conquests, and soon the cre- mutual defense against an unstable cosmos, the The creation of the Star And not one of them paid any heed to the placid
ation of ever-more effective tools for bloodshed strongest and most resourceful colony systems, League heralded an age of great expanse that was the Rim Worlds Confederacy,
became as natural to us as breathing. From the some as far as 400 light-years from Terra, forged enlightenment that would last for whose sheer size, industry, and influence nearly
earliest spears to the latest in anti-’Mech lasers, the basis of new interstellar states, the seeds of nearly two centuries before betrayal from within rivaled that of any Great Realm.
we have become masters of weaponry. After empires yet to come. As these emerging pow- shattered it. A grand experiment conceived by Thus arose the Usurper.
millennia of creating fumbling civilizations that ers grew, their clashing borders erupted with the war-weary leaders of the Free Worlds League By the 2700s, the growing recalcitrance of the
rose and fell in war after war over Terra’s global conflict. and the Terran Hegemony, the Star League Great Realms weighed heavily on the Cameron

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Dynasty’s efforts to maintain Star League stabil- It began with a Periphery-wide uprising every time. Without exception, the Realm Lords a super volcano, spewing fire, ash, and molten
ity. But while the lords of the Terran Hegemony far more organized and effective than the Star chose their fateful course to ruin. rock accumulated over centuries of rising pres-
sought to head off crises through diplomatic League could ever have imagined, and open war- Thus ended the Age of the Star League. sure, the Realm Lords indulged the hate they’d
means, tragedy struck with the death of First fare swept around most of the Human Sphere struggled to suppress for nearly twenty genera-
Lord Simon Cameron in 2751. Although no clear like a ring of fire. With most of the Great Realms The Endless War tions, inciting an orgy of blood and death. Worlds
signs of sabotage were ever found, many believed caught off-guard, responsibility for restoring were burned and blackened, bombs obliterated
(2781–Present)
the industrial accident which claimed his life was order fell to the Star League Knights and their factories and schools alike, and innocents died
Broken-hearted, Aleksandr
anything but accidental. In the meantime, the Peacekeepers. In their stead, “loyalist” forces by the billions. Before long, Abominations and
Kerensky returned to the ravaged
mantle of Star League leadership fell to Simon’s from the still-quiescent Rim Worlds Confederacy Grafting returned to the battlefield, sparking a
worlds of the Terran Hegemony for
eight-year-old heir, Richard II, and Peacekeeper- moved into Hegemony space to assist the Terran horrendous new arms race in biowarfare with
what would be his last time. There, the defrocked
General Aleksandr Kerensky was appointed to Home Guards. In 2766, amid the year-end holi- many unsuspecting planets falling prey to whole
Peacekeeper-General summoned his most loyal
serve as his protector and regent. days on Terra, Consul Amaris struck the final new breeds of specially crafted apex predators.
Knights and Peacekeepers to Terra. Citing the
Sensing weakness in their First Lord’s youth, blow by assassinating the First Lord and seiz- Thus erupted the Endless War.
certainty that a new Age of War now loomed
the other Realm Lords grew bolder. Their clan- ing the Cameron Throne for himself. Across the Nearly 250 years have passed since the Star
over the Human Sphere, he proposed a great
destine attacks against each other intensified, Hegemony, Confederacy troops swiftly destroyed League fell, and the Endless War continues. The
exodus into the unknown, hoping to establish a
while their votes in the Star League Council their Home Guard counterparts with lightning glory days of humanity’s golden age now exist
new life far from the corruption and bloodlust
increased economic hardship in the Periphery. speed. Within days, the Cameron Dynasty was only in the ever-fewer history texts that have
of the disintegrating League.
Worse still was the discovery of a terrifying massacred, and the Terran Realm was firmly survived the ongoing carnage. The Periphery
A third of the gathered warriors agreed to
new generation of Abominations, unleashed on under the control of the self-proclaimed Emperor realms are extinct. Whole swaths of interstel-
accompany Kerensky into self-imposed exile. In
unsuspecting worlds across the Sphere. For the Stefan Amaris. lar space have been lost to the various realms,
the year to come, Kerensky’s followers coalesced
creation of these new monsters, the Realm Lords Stunned, the other Realm Lords did little to their populations killed off by disease, poison,
into a grand fleet of vessels, destined for the
blamed one another, and proclaimed their right oppose the Usurper as he ordered Kerensky and starvation, and monsters of all forms and sizes.
Uncharted Void.
to respond in kind. It was on this stage of rising his forces to stand down and swear allegiance to Knowledge and technology have been forgotten,
Thus retired the Peacekeepers.
hostilities and flagrant disregard for the rule of him. Instead, the Peacekeeper-General turned erased on a scale few can even imagine. And still,
But many Knights refused to abandon their
law that First Lord Cameron found a new ally in his Knights and armies against the Confederacy, the Realm Lords continue to make war over all
homelands. Swearing instead to protect those
Stefan Amaris, High Consul of the Rim Worlds smashing the Traitor’s home realm without that remains.
who’d suffered the worst of the Usurper’s mad-
Confederacy. mercy. As the Star League fell into civil war be- Thus have we been damned.
ness, they embraced the struggling remnants
Under Star League rule, the Rim Worlds pro- tween Amaris and Kerensky, the Great Realms
of the Hegemony government, and accepted the
fessed ironclad loyalty to the Terran Hegemony, remained bystanders to the carnage, neither
authority of its highest-ranking official, Prime The Future?
and its Cameron Dynasty. From the earliest days, helping nor hindering either side. Horrors not
Director Jerome Blake. As Kerensky and his fol- At the rate things are going, fewer and fewer
their Confederacy’s ruling House of Amaris swore seen since the Age of War were unleashed anew
lowers fled the Human Sphere, Blake and his people believe there will ever be anything beyond
fealty to the Camerons with an earnestness that as the fighting raged on for nearly fifteen years.
Minister of Communications, Conrad Toyama, the Endless War, that any of the Realm Lords
put the other Realm Lords to shame. Few, there- By the time the conflict was over, hundreds of
reorganized the broken Terran Hegemony into will ever muster the compassion and strength
fore, knew that beneath this veneer of patriotism worlds across the Human Sphere lay in ruin, and
a new realm: the United Assembly of Stars (later to finally win a lasting peace. But there remain
seethed a burning hatred for Terra and the other an exhausted but victorious Kerensky stood over
to become the UniStar Ascendancy). those who believe that somewhere, beyond the
Great Realms. In secret, the Amarises marshalled the smoldering corpses of the Amaris Dynasty.
Thus began the Great Reformation. Human Sphere, the exiled survivors of the once-
their forces and forged hidden alliances while Terra was freed, but its Hegemony lay on its
Among the other realms, the fighting had mighty Star League Knights and the Peacekeeper
raising whole armies of BattleMechs, legions of deathbed, held together only by the surviving
already begun. Fleets of WarShips, armies of Armies of Aleksandr Kerensky still survive. For
monsters, and fleets of WarShips far beyond the Knights and Peacekeepers of the Star League.
BattleMechs, and waves of nuclear and chemi- these true believers, the memory of humanity’s
boundaries of the Human Sphere. And now, as It was not to last. When the other Realm Lords
cal weapons bombarded the border worlds of last Peacekeeper-General is the brightest beacon
the young Richard Cameron grew into maturity, gathered to decide the League’s fate, they agreed
nearly every Great Realm. Like the explosion of of hope in a universe now plunged into shadow.
he did so under the increasing influence of his only to strip the Peacekeeper-General of his rank
false friend, Stefan Amaris. and position; then each in turn proclaimed their
By 2765, nearly two centuries of pretense own dynasty’s right to assume the First Lordship.
and placid tolerance was ready to end for every In the four years that followed, Kerensky desper-
wrong—real and imagined—the arrogant Realm ately tried to convince the Lords to unite once
Lords had visited on the Periphery states. more in the name of peace, only to be rebuffed
Thus began the Fall.

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 The Human Sphere (3015)
The Human Sphere of the thirty-first century is, in
many ways, a shadow of its former self. In the golden age
of the Star League, it was once a vibrant expanse of more
than 3,000 inhabited star systems within a radius of more
than 500 light-years in all directions from humanity’s
homeworld of Terra. But the fall of the Star League and
the centuries-long Endless War has seen whole regions Terre Noire
of civilization fall into darkness and chaos. The six Great (UniStar Ascendancy)
Realms now wage war for dominance over what remains, Often promoted as the last, lingering
their empires shrinking and crumbling in the process. fragment of the Star League, the UniStar
Ascendency is, in truth, merely another of the
Realm of Blood and Steel League’s successor states—albeit one with no Realm of the Blood Dragon
(Ironclad Alliance) noble dynasties to speak of. Raised from the (Draconic Imperium)
Born from a collection of mercantile states, the ashes of the ruined Terran Hegemony by pow- Forged by the brutal strength and indomi-
Ironclad Alliance is an industrial powerhouse rivaled erful industrialists, the Ascendency started out table will of the Kurita Dynasty, the Draconic
only by the Violet Crux and Terre Noire. Centuries of as a megacorporate state, but as the Endless Imperium is a realm dedicated to conquest to
political corruption between corporate interests and the War dragged on, its leadership became over- this day. Embracing a state-imposed culture
aristocracy have weakened this realm’s military prowess, run by the dark, technocratic neo-religion of based on the ideals of Terra’s ancient feudal
especially during the time of the Star League, but the Terre Noire. Japan, most warriors under the Imperium
Endless War forced the dynasties of Steiner, Marsden, Ruler: Primus Omnium Milcentas Kelsey are thoroughly indoctrinated in the tenets of
Kelswa, and Bradford to clamp down on such excesses Illustratum bushido and value honor and duty to the Blood
in the name of survival. Government: Corporate theocracy Dragon before all else. However, Imperium
Ruler: Grand Archon Lise Bradford-Steiner Capital: Unity Prima, Terra “honor” is a courtesy not often extended to the
Government: Feudal monarchy Dominant Languages: English, Latin, Greek, Dragon’s foes.
Capital: Arctophylax, Arcturus Spanish Ruler: Emperor Takashi Kurita
Dominant Languages: German, English Dominant Religions: Word of Toyama Government: Feudal monarchy
Dominant Religions: Aesirian, Christianity, Judaism, Inhabited Systems: 111 Capital: Imperial City, Luthien
Islam Founding Year: 2785 Dominant Languages: Japanese, English
Inhabited Systems: 254 Currency: UniStar Dollar Dominant Religions: Shinto, Buddhism
Founding Year: 2341 Inhabited Systems: 212
Currency: Mark Founding Year: 2319
Realm of the Celestial Throne
Currency: Ryu
(Golden Unity)
Realm of the Endless Dynasty Ever since its founding, the Golden Unity
(Collective of the Violet Crux) has struggled merely to exist. The Unity was Realm of the Blazing Light
Since its founding, the Collective of the Violet Crux always the smallest of the five outer realms, (Shining Kingdoms of Avalon)
has evolved from a decentralized confederation of inde- its growth hampered as much by its weak The amalgamated realms of the Davion,
pendent states into a true union. Under the reign of the economics as by the constant press of the Hasek, and Allard Dynasties dominate the
Endless Dynasty led by House Selaj, the realm has focused neighboring Kingdoms of Avalon and the Violet hierarchy of interwoven states known as the
its interstellar parliament and the worlds it represents Crux Collective. Desperation has led its rulers Shining Kingdoms. United in mutual defense
to forge an economic and industrial powerhouse with a to embrace Grafting on levels few others would against the combined might of the Draconic
military to match. As pioneers of Grafting, the Collective dare, and Abominable corruption is now said Imperium, Golden Unity, and Terre Noire, the
fields some of the most fearsome Abominations ever seen. to run all the way up to the Celestial Throne. Kingdoms sees its fight for survival as a holy
Ruler: High Prince Kadar Selaj Ruler: Chancellor Maximillian Liao crusade to protect the light of human civiliza-
Government: Constitutional monarchy Government: Dictatorship tion from savage barbarians and techno-zealots.
Capitals: Luxor, Regulus (Nobility); Unity, Atreus Capital: Forbidden City, Capella Ruler: High King Ian Davion
(Parliament) Dominant Languages: Chinese, English, Government: Feudal monarchy
Dominant Languages: English, Arabic, Greek, Albanian Russian Capital: Camelot, Avalon
Dominant Religions: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Dominant Religions: Liaoism, Buddhism, Dominant Languages: English
Judaism, Kemetism Taoism Dominant Religions: Christianity, Judaism
Inhabited Systems: 136 Inhabited Systems: 141 Inhabited Systems: 269
Founding Year: 2271 Founding Year: 2386 Founding Year: 2317
Currency: Ankh Currency: Yuan Currency: Pound

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 Realm of
the Blood Dragon
(Draconic Imperium)
empire, rechristening it as the Draconis Combine
and styling himself the Coordinator of Worlds.
The Combine, snaking its way from Altair and
Dieron to Pesht and New Samarkand, contin-
ued to grow over the decades to come but soon
found its expansions limited by the borders of
several emergent states and the vast tract of in-
terstellar dead space known as the Draconis Rift.
Nevertheless, Shiro’s Combine conquered and
absorbed what it could, culminating in its 2330
The Realm of the Blood Dragon is the amal- invasion of the loosely governed but significantly
gamation of several noble families dominated by populous Rasalhague Republic. Although the first
the sheer power and will of the Kurita Dynasty, Coordinator of Worlds did not live to see it done,
founders of the Great Realm known today as the the Rasalhague state ultimately fell to his empire
Draconic Imperium. In the seven centuries since after close to forty years of warfare.
the birth of this interstellar empire, the Imperium Over the next two centuries spanning the
has leveraged its might to create a state and cul- Age of War, the descendants of Shiro and Urizen
ture forged in the image of ancient feudal Japan. Kurita forged the Draconis Combine into a
Brutal conquest, generational indoctrination, military powerhouse steeped in the social and
and the routine purging of undesirable elements cultural norms of Terra’s shogunate-era Japan.
have enforced a monoculture that exalts its While some Coordinators relaxed or refrained
warrior class, values duty to its liege lords, and from harshly enforcing policies, such as during
holds itself to the ideals of bushido and its civilian the reign of Nihongi Kurita II in the 2430s, other
counterpart, chōnindō. agencies like the Order of the Five Pillars (O5P)
served to uphold and support the tenets of bushido
History and cultural conformity by other, more subtle
The Draconic Imperium originated with means. But when subjugated worlds openly re-
the Alliance of Galedon, a mutual-defense pact sisted, the Combine—embodied by the image of
negotiated by Shiro Kurita in 2302. Raised in the Kurita Dragon—sent in its troops and secret
the centuries-old military and social traditions police to enforce the Coordinator’s will. Such was
of Terra’s ancient Japan, Shiro and his brother, the fate of the Azami Caliphate worlds, whose
Urizen, saw themselves destined to forge a star- defiant leaders were crushed during the reign
spanning empire. Together they had tamed their of Yama Kurita.
fractious homeworld of New Samarkand, and The Age of War ended when—with great
through its alliance with Galedon V, they procured reluctance—the Draconis Combine became the
the wealth needed to raise the planet-spanning last major realm to join the Star League. By this
militias that would become the backbone of a time, the Combine found its empire hemmed
new army. in by other realms that equaled or exceeded its
Through a mix of diplomacy, deceit, and own might, each ruled by a dynasty that matched
brute force, the Alliance seized nearly fifty the Kuritas in ambition and will. The Steiners’
worlds by 2319, crushing all who resisted the Lyran Commonwealth, though the weakest of
Kuritas. Director Shiro then reorganized his the military threats, boasted an unassailable

10 11
economy and industry that kept its defenders deference to the Dragon’s authority. And for The four-year War of Davion Succession, as it the core of the Terran Hegemony (and with it,
well stocked and supplied. In contrast stood the warriors and nobility, who stood at the top came to be known, was born of the brief union the Star League) was gutted.
The Davions’ Federated Suns, with a military of Combine culture, the ways of bushido and the between Davion and Kurita royalty, which begat In the aftermath, each of the Realm Lords
prowess stubbornly on par with the Dragon’s code of the samurai were paramount. Those who Vincent Kurita, a child of both dynasties. Despite proclaimed their right to rule in place of the ex-
own soldiery. And between the two loomed the broke with these tenets could expect little mercy legal measures taken to prevent a Kurita-raised tinguished legacy of Terra’s Cameron Dynasty,
technologically advanced Terran Hegemony, from their peers or superiors. Death became the scion from claiming its Princedom, the Combine but the Dragon ultimately became the first to
whose BattleMechs changed the face of warfare most common solution to dishonor. In this way and the Suns came to blows when the Star League declare war over it. Having spent the previ-
even more dramatically than the monstrous would the Combine maintain its strength in the Council proved too slow and reluctant to inter- ous decade marshalling the Combine’s forces,
Abominations of the distant Free Worlds League. face of corruption and decadence of foreign gaijin. vene. The conflict was settled by Peacekeeper Coordinator Minoru Kurita had arrayed more
Outward of these rivals was a lifeless expanse of The Dragon would never weaken. intervention in the end, but not before the cracks than 100 BattleMech regiments and an equal
cold stars and resource-poor worlds, where only House Kurita chafed under the prolonged in the Star League’s imposed age of unity and number of monster legions along his realm’s
the most desperate could eke out an existence. peace of the Star League. Periodically, several peace became clear to all. inner borders. Thus prepared, Kurita waited
In the age of the League, the Combine’s efforts of their MechWarriors would spar with the When Stefan Amaris usurped the First Lord’s only until the departure of Kerensky’s Knights
once again turned inward. To combat the threat Knights and Peacekeepers of the Star League, throne and overthrew the Terran Hegemony— to launch his first interstellar assaults.
of cosmopolitan influences, Coordinator Urizen II pitting their skills and honor as samurai against less than forty years after the Davion succession The Endless War had begun.
launched a determined campaign that hardened those of the League’s ace “gunslingers.” In the crisis—the Kurita Dynasty braced for the League’s The Combine’s preparedness paid off as its
his realm’s culture. The principles of ancient League’s final century, the Dragon would even inevitable collapse. Like the other five Great troops surged into the Lyran Commonwealth,
samurai culture were reinforced at every level of take to covertly raiding its neighbors in the guise Realms, the Combine stood by as the civil war the Federated Suns, and the war-torn remnants
society. Shinto became the state-mandated faith, of unmarked “pirates.” erupted, with the self-styled Emperor Amaris of the Terran Hegemony—but not for long. On
Japanese the only recognized language for all but But the greatest inter-Realm conflict of the and his loyalists on one side and Peacekeeper- the Hegemony front, an unexpectedly deter-
inter-realm trade and diplomacy. “Giri before age came when the Combine launched a brief General Aleksandr Kerensky and his Knights mined resistance emerged under the command
ninjo”—duty before heart—became the corner- invasion of the Federated Suns in the name of on the other. By the time the dust settled on a of Aaron DeChavilier, the former right hand of
stone of Combine life, as was the unquestioning defending a tenuous claim to that Realm’s Throne. blackened Terra, Kerensky stood victorious, but the departed Kerensky, who now held the title

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of Terra’s Protector-General. Far from the edge regiments of troops. In the wake of widespread who fail to meet these basic requirements, fail in who protect the realm and project its strength.
of collapse, the Terran state had miraculously industrial devastation and technological decay, their duties, or otherwise dishonor themselves, The Pillar of Teak represents the Imperium’s
reorganized and rallied its citizens under a new the Imperium and its enemies have been reduced may be replaced at the Emperor’s will, and typi- culture and people, whose work and inspiration
order: the United Assembly of Stars, led by First to salvaging whatever ’Mechs and ships they can cally face execution as well. is the lifeblood of the realm. The Pillar of Ivory
Director Jerome Blake. Although still recover- from the remains of war-ravaged planets, all to Imperium Shoguns are assisted by daimyo, represents the Imperium’s religious and philo-
ing from the hellish fighting of the Star League keep their armies ready for the next battle. Like lesser administrators who may not necessarily sophical heart, the spirit and soul of its people.
Civil War, Blake’s UAS managed to repel several the other Great Realms of the Human Sphere, be warriors but are treated as though they are The Pillar of Jade represents the realm’s wealth
Combine incursions and forced the invaders to the Draconic Imperium has seen whole worlds of the warrior class regardless. Although their and economic might.
fall back. fall to the darkness and decay of savage weapons power typically extends no further than a single Under the terms of the Dictum Honorium,
An even greater disaster struck the Kurita and the rampant destruction of infrastructure. world, daimyo are held to the same standards the body of social rules and treatises main-
Dynasty on the FedSuns front just two years The scars of this ceaseless conflict can now be of duty and honor as the Shoguns they serve, tained by the O5P, should even one of the five
later, when Minoru himself was assassinated seen across generations of mutated DNA and the and can be disciplined just as harshly for fail- conceptual pillars fall to corruption or weak-
on the recently captured world of Kentares IV. hordes of the Frayed. ure and dishonor. Samurai, the honored elite ness, the realm itself would be endangered.
Thrust suddenly onto the throne, Minoru’s heir, A new millennium has dawned on a Human of the Imperium’s warrior class, are likewise The Dictum thus serves to ensure that those
Jinjiro Kurita, responded with the bloodiest con- Sphere that continues to decline, but the Blood beholden to their Shoguns, and stand roughly who serve the realm in some way understand
ventional mass-genocide to date, ordering the Dragon remains unbowed. equal to daimyo in many respects, though they how important their role is as part of this
entire planet blackened and razed by legions of rarely act as administrators outside of their united society. It also serves as a formal, foun-
Abominations and waves of BattleMechs. The military duties.
Kentares Massacre lasted for six months, at the
Philosophy and Culture Salaried soldiers in the Imperium, who
dational guide for the traditions and societal
The Draconic Imperium is a highly structured expectations observed throughout the Draconic
end of which, the only living humans on the typically take the form of conscripts and noncom- Imperium, defining good citizenship for all,
realm that establishes roles and rules for every
planet were those who wore the bloodied insig- missioned officers, are kin to the samurai and regardless of their role.
layer of its society, from the lowliest unproduc-
nia of the Dragon. Hardened by this vengeance, often seen as equal in all the ways that matter
tive to the Emperor himself. Honor in all things is
Minoru rechristened his House and his Realm within the Imperium’s social order. These rank-
to commemorate it. Henceforth, the domain of
the ideal to which all Imperium citizens—civilian
and-file troops, however, are more beholden to
Military Might
and military alike—aspire. What determines this The Soldiers of the Blood Dragon (SBD), also
the Kuritas would be known as the Realm of the the realm at large than to any given Shogun or
Blood Dragon, and the Draconis Combine would honor is strictly codified, and those who sully daimyo, and thus are considered lesser warriors known as the Dragon’s Teeth or the Emperor’s
be known as the Draconic Imperium. their honor face severe costs to redeem it. Even within the feudal hierarchy, making them the Might, is among the most brutal standing armies
The enemy reaction to the Kentares Massacre the criminal elements of the Imperium, from lowest tier of the warrior class, except for the in the realms of the Human Sphere. Once known
was no less dramatic. Almost overnight, the yakuza syndicates to wayward ronin warriors, wayward, leaderless ronin. as the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery
armies of the Suns, and the resistance cells on strive to lead honorable lives in the eyes of their Below the warrior class sit the Imperium’s (DCMS), the SBD includes warriors raised from
captured worlds began to fight with inhuman superiors. civilians: the laborers, craftsmen, and merchants. all strata of Imperium society, trained under
determination, eventually battering back the Imperium society is rigidly stratified and Those who work to produce goods and expand some of the harshest conditions to fight to the
Imperium along the realm’s borders. Where the warrior dominant. At the top sits the Emperor the wealth of the realm are valued for their last breath for their Emperor, without question.
Draconic forces stood their ground, they faced (formerly the Coordinator of Worlds), who has service and largely considered the backbone of Recruitment into the SBD, or the minor
hordes of crazed Abominations and the blind- always been a male member of the Kurita blood- Imperium society. While even this level of society planetary militias that back it up, is open to all,
ing fire of nuclear bombardment. Reborn as the line with military training. Because Imperium is often stratified in terms of wealth, skill, and regardless of class and gender, and military ser-
Realm of the Blazing Light, the Federated Suns society is strongly patriarchal, women can’t for- specialization, civilians collectively represent the vice may even be required by periodic regional
embraced a new identity, the Shining Kingdoms mally claim the title, but that hasn’t prevented realm’s productive class. or realm-wide conscriptions. Despite rigorous
of Avalon, their newfound spirit matching the the ascent of some Kuritan matriarchs, who An important facet of Imperium culture is standards, however, social stratification remains
Imperium’s brutality wherever they met in battle. assumed the role of Regent. known as the Five Pillars. This concept reflects evident throughout all branches of service. While
In the decades to come, the Blood Dragon’s Directly below the Emperor sit the various on the tiers of society in a way that demonstrates truly exceptional warriors can break through
initial gains of the Endless War would largely be Shoguns, warlords who act as the military leaders how they serve the greater whole of the realm these barriers, most of the SBD’s upper ranks are
lost amid a series of relentless offenses and coun- of vast interstellar districts known as shogunates, itself, and is in turn interpreted by a special men, and hail from wealthy or well-connected
teroffensives, until exhaustion and devastation and who are held responsible for their collective para-governmental agency within the Imperium families. Access to superior training schools such
led to stalemates on every front. In the centuries defense and the maintenance of law and order. known as the Order of the Five Pillars (O5P). The as An Ting University, Galedon Military Academy,
that have followed since, the fighting continued, Although many shogunates have become heredi- Pillar of Gold represents the government, from and the Sun Zhang MechWarrior Academy can
pausing only for a few years here and there, in tary fiefdoms of a single bloodline, all Shoguns the lesser functionaries and administrators of the likewise be restrictive to those less fortunate,
one region or another—all just long enough for must be trained imperial-military officers who bureaucracy to the Emperor himself. The Pillar unless they prove themselves worthy in some
either side to raise new legions of monsters and have sworn allegiance to the Emperor. Shoguns of Steel represents the military, the warriors other way.

14 15
 Realm of the Blazing Light
Even after recruitment and training, Abominations as the primary combat units for
Imperium stratification can be seen among its all ground warfare. Aerospace fighters, artillery,
standing forces, as the SBD’s best equipped and combat vehicles, and infantry are employed
maintained regiments tend to be those tied to,
led by, or even wholly staffed by those of the
as supporting forces, providing less-costly op-
tions for additional firepower and defensive
(Shining Kingdoms of Avalon)
more privileged classes in the Imperium’s hier- operations.
archy. But this can be as much a blessing as it is The Imperium collectively refers to its Federated Suns would be ruled by a High Council
a curse: such high-prestige units are more likely Abominations as yokai (spirits), with their of planetary leaders, headed by a President cho-
to find themselves on the front lines for every Frayed human counterparts known as yurei sen from among this same body. While many of
major campaign. This speaks strongly to a simple, (ghosts). Most battlefield yokai are named and the Suns’ member worlds were themselves led
egalitarian truth in the Imperium mindset: all styled after creatures and demons from ancient or ruled by local monarchs and other autocrats,
leaders lead from the front. Japanese folklore, to add to their terrifying mys- the democratic selection of the nation’s leader
But where those of more modest means and tique. The harsh training and treatment these would continue for a century.
connections might be relegated to less prestigious creatures endure at the hands of their masters As the Federated Suns grew, its borders came
commands with older, less effective gear and few- often makes them nigh uncontrollable once into contact with those of other rising states,
er opportunities for honor and glory, even these unleashed, an aspect the SBD considers more including the Chesterton Trade League and
troops are more respected than the penal forces. of an advantage than a flaw. Because most yurei Tikonov Grand Union—progenitors of the Great
These “chain gangs,” staffed by the Imperium’s are the result of experiments on criminals and Realm known today as the Golden Unity—and
the Terran Hegemony. But while initial conflicts
criminal element (and often conscripted at gun- other undesirables in Imperium society, these
of the Age of War, such as the first clashes with
point) are the ones most likely to be sent on suicide Frayed are considered nearly as subhuman as
Chesterton from 2318 to 2321, ended in defeat,
missions, armed only with defective equipment the more monstrous yokai, and so are often
Under the guiding hands the Suns’ influence expanded to where the sheer
and a complete lack of combat support. tasked with missions where complete success
o f t h e p owe r f u l D av i o n , size of its territory and bureaucracy could not
Like all other Great Realm militaries, the and survival are not expected, such as suicide
Hasek, and Sandoval clans (originally), the be adequately served under its current govern-
modern SBD relies heavily on BattleMechs and charges and diversionary strikes.
Shining Kingdoms of Avalon grew from a vast ment. In 2417, following an escalating crisis in the
pseudo-democracy known as the Federated Suns nation’s leadership brought on by the unstable
into a militarized collection of interwoven mon- President Edward Davion, Simon Davion reor-
Soldiers of the Blood Dragon (SBD) ganized the realm into five Marches, each led by
archies that often seems blessed by perennial
Military Ranks fortune. Opposed on its borders by the Draconic a semi-autonomous Prince, with a First Prince
Generic SBD Title Imperium, the Golden Unity, and Terre Noire— established to rule as “first among equals.” The
Officers each demonized by the Avalonians as tyrannical theoretical democracy of the realm’s presidency,
Commander-in-Chief Emperor
oppressors—the Kingdoms view themselves as having already been dominated by the Davion
General of the Army Gunji-no-Kanrei Dynasty for its entire existence, finally gave way
the Human Sphere’s last bastion for freedom and
Corps Commander Tai-shu
hope in an ever-darkening universe. Ironically, to the inherited reign of Simon Davion, the initial
Brigade Commander Tai-sho
overzealous propaganda and centuries of this First Prince of the Federated Suns.
Brigade XO Sho-sho
self-righteous mindset has created a Great Realm Under the rule of its March Lords and their
Regimental Commander Tai-sa
whose populace has embraced a culture where First Prince, the Federated Suns weathered the
Battalion Commander Chu-sa
Company Commander Sho-sa chivalry and eternal crusades are the highest of rest of the Age of War with relative stability,
Company XO Tai-i callings, and all those who disagree might as well surviving the ascent of the Draconis Combine,
Lance Commander Chu-i be heretics by default. the Capellan Confederation, and the Terran
MechWarrior/Pilot Busosenshi Hegemony, as well as the emergence of Periphery
Enlisted History states such as the Outworlds and the Taurian
Platoon Commander Sho-ko Like most of the Great Realms, the founding Concord. Ironically, the Suns’ greatest challenge
Platoon XO Kashira of the Shining Kingdoms of Avalon owes itself would once again come from within, rather than
Staff NCO Shujin to the chaos of the crumbling Terran Alliance. without, as a succession crisis began with the
Squad Commander Gunsho Under the guidance of the Davion family, the passing of First Prince William Davion in 2512.
Squad XO Go-cho prosperous breadbasket world of Avalon (then Due to ongoing conflicts on the Capellan and
Trooper Gunjin
called New Avalon) forged the Crucis Pact, mu- Hegemony fronts, the heir apparent was William’s
Recruit Heishi
tual trade-and-defense alliance with nineteen grandson, Alexander Davion, then only five years
other nearby systems, in 2317. The newly created old. A council of five regents, each representing

16 17
the Realm’s five Marches, was elected to rule science, new worlds were settled, new tech- its founding members and shook the faith of As each of the Realm Lords proclaimed their
in the child’s stead, but by the time the young nologies explored. The Davions and their fellow many across the Human Sphere. By the time right to the Cameron throne, John Davion’s own
Alexander came of age to take the throne, relent- March Lords embraced the chivalric ideals Peacekeepers arrived and settled things, many declaration was practically a formality. While
less politicking and the predations of war had of the Terran Hegemony’s ruling Cameron across the Suns were forced to accept that hu- rumors persist to this day that the late Richard
broken down this council and left much of its Dynasty, and soon adapted their own version manity’s golden age was perhaps nearing its end. Cameron would have personally favored Davion
power in the hands of the Varnay family of the of the same neo-Arthurian culture. In 2712, this In the years that followed, relations between the as his successor, in truth, the First Prince saw
Capellan March. A fifteen-year civil war erupted, modern-chivalry movement culminated in the Davion and Cameron Dynasties cooled as the no hope at all in rebuilding the Star League. His
ending in 2540 with House Varnay’s defeat and renaming of New Avalon itself, establishing the Suns built up its armed forces in anticipation of Federated Suns was on its own, with fighting al-
the solidification of Alexander Davion as the Suns’ capital world of the Federated Suns henceforth future crises. ready breaking out as the various realms moved
true First Prince. as the Isle of Avalon, or just Avalon for short. The Amaris Betrayal came as little surprise to
to annex the ruined Hegemony systems.
This so-called Davion Civil War was followed As part of the rechristening, many among the First Prince John Davion. Despite earning quiet
For the Federated Suns, the Endless War be-
by several government and military reforms realm’s nobility also referred to the Suns as the respect from the assassinated First Lord and
gan in May of 2787, when the Draconis Combine
that would stand for centuries to come, but the “Shining Kingdom,” but not until after the Star Peacekeeper-General Aleksandr Kerensky, and de-
launched a massive, border-spanning surprise
conflict itself was already receding into memory League’s collapse would that the term come spite having himself espoused great hope for the
assault. Despite decades of preparations, the
when the realm opted to join the still-forming into formal use. Star League’s future, John, like the other Realm
Star League in 2567, becoming the League’s Shortly before the Star League’s collapse, the Lords, offered little support to either side in the Suns had emphasized much of its BattleMech
fourth member-state. The eventual creation Draconis Combine attempted to usurp the Suns’ fighting that followed. To Davion and his March defense around a potential Capellan invasion
of the Star League Peacekeeper armies further throne by capitalizing on an ill-fated marriage Lords, it was clear this event was the beginning of they believed was more imminent. This was
enabled First Prince Alexander to do away with between a member of the Kurita Dynasty and a the Star League’s end, and recent fighting on the because they had most recently sparred with
lingering troublemakers in his own military by Davion scion. Despite legal measures taken spe- Suns’ borders with the Capellan Confederation Capellan forces in the early 2760s, prior to
“promoting them off” to the international force. cifically to head this matter off in advance, the and Draconis Combine demonstrated that both their Hegemony land grab. With word that the
In the age of the Star League, the Federated Combine and the Suns went to war in 2725. The states were just waiting for the Suns to drop its Combine was occupied on its distant Lyran front,
Suns experienced its greatest growth since Star League’s reluctance to intervene resulted guard. As the Terran Hegemony burned, Avalon it seemed impossible that House Kurita would
its formation. With the help of Star League in four years of open conflict between two of massed BattleMechs for wars yet to come. surge into the Suns in such numbers. Almost

18 19
immediately, the Davion realm was on its back Humanity’s golden age may be lost forever, gradual losses of the Endless War have reduced more lasting levels of noble peerage. For many
foot, and its losses were staggering. but the Shining Kingdoms of Avalon endures! this number to three. The Gold March faces the of these reasons, there is a genuine, realm-wide
Nine bloody years later, fate dealt the Golden Unity, the Blood March faces the Draconis admiration for the Kingdoms’ warrior class, one
FedSuns its cruelest hand on Kentares IV. Philosophy and Culture Imperium, and the Avalon March covers the rest that often borders on hero worship among those
Coordinator Jinjiro Kurita, in response to the Since its founding, the Shining Kingdoms has of the realm. Assisting the March Lords in their who, for whatever reason, never find themselves
assassination of his father Minoru Kurita on the rooted its culture and philosophies in a roman- task are several layers of nobility, from dukes in their ranks.
recently captured planet, ordered the death of ticized version of old Terra’s Western European and earls to viscounts and barons. Many of these
the entire population via the bloodiest conven- nation-states, particularly those of the ancient inherited titles are appointed (or revoked) by Military Might
tional mass-genocide to date. Over the course British Empire. While the Kingdoms styles it- the March Lords as they see fit, but some of the The Glorious Defenders of Avalon (GDA), also
of six months, Kentares was blackened and self a free and open society where citizens are lesser titles are open to public elections, to as- known as Our Majesty’s Glorious Defenders, rep-
razed by legions of Abominations and waves allowed their choice of religion, employment, sure the citizenry they have at least some say in resent the Shining Kingdoms’ primary military
of BattleMechs. To commemorate this wanton speech, commerce, and movement, most of the local politics. force in the modern age. Many throughout the
bloodshed, Kurita recast his birthright the nation’s true sociopolitical power resides in an Below the nobility, various freedoms are guar- Human Sphere recognize the GDA as perhaps the
Realm of the Blood Dragon, and declared that the aristocracy and monarchs bound by constitu- anteed to the common folk under the Kingdoms’ most efficient and professional standing army
Draconis Combine would henceforth be known tional laws. These wealthy elite have collectively laws, including broad freedoms of expression, among the Great Realms, known for its strategic
as the Draconic Imperium. kept the peace over the centuries by assuring religious faith, cultural practices, and the like. innovations and effective use of combined-arms
Instead of breaking the Suns’ morale, the their citizenry that they alone represent the best These liberties provide a sense of egalitarianism warfare. Valuing flexibility over dogma, the
Kentares Massacre inflamed its people. Practically of humanity, and stand now as moral paragons among the realm’s populace, as they technically Defenders utilize training regimens that may not
overnight, resistance cells on captured worlds against a universe filled with barbarian tyrants. make it possible for anyone to achieve the educa- be as brutal as those of their opponents, but their
fought with inhuman determination, and the At the top of the Kingdoms’ society sits the tion and opportunities available to their society’s methods have produced some of the most creative
armies of Federated Suns struck back hard with High King. A term used irrespective of gender, upper classes, regardless of race, gender, or faith. tacticians seen since the fall of the Star League.
hordes of BattleMechs, Abominations, WarShips, the High King has always been a member of the Socioeconomic barriers do exist among the com- Recruitment into the GDA is open to all citi-
and nuclear blasts. The March Lords of Davion, Davion family, the leading dynasty in the Realm moners, but the vast majority tend to believe zens of the Shining Kingdoms, regardless of race,
Sandoval, and Hasek reaffirmed their noble of the Blazing Light. After several internal crises these barriers to be more a factor of luck than gender, and social status. While military service
partnership and proclaimed their holdings the over the centuries, the Kingdoms meticulously a system rigged in favor of the wealthy and the is mainly voluntary, many worlds throughout
Realm of the Blazing Light, their new identity established the legal lines of succession that well-connected. Unsurprisingly, the state gov- the Kingdoms have or periodically enact policies
serving as both an inspiration to their peoples effectively enshrines this power while also estab- ernment and its ruling aristocracy have their that make service mandatory for all able-bodied
and a warning to their enemies. Under their lishing the High King’s responsibilities to their hands in most of the realm’s largest media con- persons, and accept membership in the GDA or a
combined righteousness fury and determina- people. In addition to being from the Blazing glomerates, educational systems, and spiritual recognized Warrior House Order as fulfillment of
tion, the Federated Suns itself was rechristened Light, the kings must also meet educational, organizations, through which they encourage such obligations. Most of the Kingdoms’ nobility
as the Shining Kingdoms of Avalon, a beacon of military, and public-service criteria, while also such beliefs to maintain the status quo. also bear a duty to serve in the Defenders for at
hope and defiance for all its citizenry. In time, honoring the pacts that bind them to the various However, one social advancement option least five years to benefit fully from their titled
the Kingdoms forced their enemies back, until lesser nobles of the realm and vice versa. These is truly open to all, even to the lowliest dregs status, and it is no small matter of pride to exceed
the devastating toll of the war left them in an rules ensure that not only will the High King be and outcasts of Kingdoms society: the military. this tenure for the sake of the country and Crown.
exhausted stalemate. competent to reign, but they also reaffirm the Whether in the form of planetary militias and Most worlds in the Shining Kingdoms main-
The Endless War has raged on the Kingdoms’ interlocking loyalties that hold the Kingdoms’ paramilitary services, the Warrior House Orders tain their own combat-training facilities and
borders ever since, its intensity waxing and waning varied fiefdoms together as a cohesive whole. maintained by various duchies, or among the local academies, but some of the best military
as each generation of warriors and monsters arrive Below the High King sit the March Lords, each Glorious Defenders of Avalon, all branches of schools can only be found among the wealthi-
on the front, only to be exhausted decades later. one a King in their own right (although most use military service are open to any able body who est and most-developed systems. The Albion
Whole worlds have fallen to darkness and decay. the term March Lord to forestall any confusion). seeks to join. Recognized and romanticized by and Avalon Martial Academies, for instance, are
Rampant destruction has shattered supply lines Granted power over a vast swath of space in the all levels of the Kingdoms’ ruling class as the based on Avalon itself, with annexes found only
and ruined critical infrastructure. With fewer and High King’s name, these partner dynasties direct stalwart protectors of all that is righteous and on Kathil in the Gold March and Robinson in the
fewer resources available every year, the Shining the military defense of their appointed regions, honorable, the military not only provides for the Blood March. The Robinson Battle Academy and
Kingdoms has bled planets just like its neighbors harness their industrial and infrastructural re- common defense but also offers many a solid the Kathil War College are close contenders for
have. Systems and industries lost to weapons of sources, and act as the ultimate arbiters for all chance to join the nobility, or at least a place both of these primary institutions, as was the
mass destruction have led to ever-thinning fleets legal matters that fall below the realm-wide level. among the realm’s vast gentry. Indeed, reaching Warriors’ Hall on New Syrtis (prior to its loss in
of JumpShips and DropShips to maintain trade Once there were five such Marches, correspond- certain levels of command rank in the GDA or a 2982). Enrollment in these prestigious academies
networks, move troops, and shore up supplies. ing to the four outer border zones—Capellan, Warrior House Order not only equates to attain- can be prohibitively expensive, but even the less
And yet the battle for survival has continued into Draconis, Terran, and Periphery—and the cen- ing knighthood in the Realm, but can potentially affluent may find themselves in their halls with
a new millennium. tral region around Avalon itself. But today, the offer a shot at even higher, more prestigious, and the right sponsorship.

20 21
 Backing up the primary military forces and training programs are those of the Warrior House
Orders. A concept derived from those of the neighboring Golden Unity, the Kingdoms’ Orders are
supplemental, semi-autonomous military commands raised by the most loyal dukes and duchesses Realm of the Celestial Throne
of the realm. Tasked with aiding the March Lords in their regional defense, the Orders may only
operate outside of these districts on the direct (Golden Unity)
authority of the High King, and are limited in total
formation size to a maximum of one regiment each A glance at most star maps underscores just how dire is
of ’Mechs, Abominations, and aerospace fighters, Glorious Defenders the state in which the Golden Unity finds itself after
backed up by up to three regiments of non-’Mech of Avalon (GDA) centuries of warfare. Only Terra’s UniStar Ascendancy,
armor and infantry. Unsurprisingly, the Allard, beset by five Great Realms at once, is smaller in terms
Hasek, and Davion Warrior Houses are the best
Military Ranks
of territory. Embracing the corrupting influence of
trained and equipped of these Orders, but other no- Generic GDA Title Grafting biotech even more deeply than the lords of
tables include the Cunningham, DeVries, and Varnay Officers the Endless Dynasty, the bloodlines of the Celestial
Warrior Houses. In many cases, the Warrior House Commander-in-Chief High King/Queen of Avalon
Throne who rule these worlds have become monsters
Orders act as secondary training forces within and General of the Army Marshal of the Armies
of their own making in the name of survival. Many
against which the most promising warrior cadets Corps Commander Field Marshal
believe the fact this realm persists at all is nothing
can receive some real field experience before their Division Commander Major General
Brigade Commander Brigadier General
short of miraculous, but those who have met the Unity’s
final posting to a front-line command.
Regimental Commander Colonel BattleMechs and Abominations in battle know full well the
While the modern GDA is well known for its
Regimental XO Senior Major sheer ferocity, tenacity, and desperation that can come
combined-arms approach to warfare, BattleMechs
Battalion Commander Major from a people who’ve spent entire generations with noth-
and Abominations remain the backbone for most
of its line regiments. Aerospace fighters, artillery, Company Commander Captain ing left to lose.
Company XO Senior Leftenant
combat vehicles, and infantry are commonly at-
tached to these regiments on a semi-permanent
Lance Commander Leftenant
History in establishing the Confederation’s military as
MechWarrior/Pilot Knight a force to be reckoned with, the horrors of the
basis, resulting in a strategic formation the GDA During the early Age of War, six smaller em-
Enlisted
refers to as a Regimental Combat Team (RCT). pires and trading pacts united to form a loose Age of War were only just beginning. In 2401, the
Regimental NCO Command Sergeant Major
The Kingdoms’ approach to Abominations is confederation after a conflict between two of Confederation was the first Great Realm to face
Company NCO Sergeant Major
one of ever-growing reluctance. While the use them—the Capellan Hegemony and the Sarna the Free Worlds League’s new Abominations in
Platoon Commander Color Sergeant
of Monstrosities (as they tend to call them) has Supremacy—nearly spiraled out of control. The combat, and the Tintavel Massacre just over a
Platoon XO Sergeant
been a proven element of modern warfare since result was the Capellan Commonality, formed decade later drove home the utter carnage pos-
Squad Commander Corporal
the twenty-fifth century, the use of such biotech Squad XO Lance Corporal in 2310 as a democratic alliance, led by a Prime sible when such rampant biotech runs amok.
clashes harshly with the carefully cultivated Trooper Kingsman Minister, aimed at mediating any future disputes Hoping to stem the tides of chaos, Chancellor
image of the Kingdoms as a haven for all that is Recruit Private between member states and other affiliated Aleisha Liao proposed the Ares Conventions,
just and righteous. Great pains are taken to treat Trainee Acolyte worlds. Decades of internal corruption and the interstellar accords meant to outlaw the use
Abominations as humanely as possible, likening Warrior House Orders meddling of foreign powers, however, weak- of Abominations and other weapons of mass
them in many ways to any other trained beasts Commander ened the Commonality’s authority and left the destruction in warfare, especially against the
March Lord
used in policing and battlefield support, but the of the Orders civilian populations of the Human Sphere. But
emergent power open to invasion by the nearby
fact remains that Abominations are unnatural Brigade Commander Duke/Duchess while many of the other realms signed on with
Federated Suns. Soon, even the capital world
beings, too savage, grotesque, and powerful for Regimental Commander Earl (House Colonel)*
these rules of war, virtually none were states
of Capella was occupied by foreign “peacekeep-
the populace to recognize as anything other than Regimental XO Leftenant Colonel
bordering Capellan space.
ers,” sending the realm into crisis. To combat
shameless horrors. Efforts to offset such opin- Battalion Commander House Major
Forced to fight enemies willing to unleash
ions by cosmetic means, or by selecting creature Company Commander House Captain
this threat, the Commonality was dissolved in
2367, its government replaced with a stronger, nuclear and chemical weapons against them from
designations based on classical lore and playing Lance Commander House Leftenant**
more centralized authority dubbed the Capellan all sides while flooding their borders with un-
up their “heroic” traits on the Kingdoms’ behalf, MechWarrior/Pilot Armsman
Confederation. natural, hybridized monsters, the Confederation
have met with little success. Some in the realm Company NCO Warrant Officer
Under its first Chancellor, Duke Franco struggled to survive the Age of War through in-
have even proposed phasing out Monstrosities en- Platoon Commander Platoon Commander
tirely. Frayed humans are treated with a bit more Squad Commander Squad Commander Liao, the Confederation established not only its creasingly desperate attempts at alliance with its
compassion, on the other hand, as most within Trooper Trooper strength but also its near-suicidal resolve by least hostile neighbors. But the Thousand-World
the Kingdoms are volunteers whose battlefield bombarding its own once-capital world of Capella Coalition with the Taurian Concord collapsed as
*This rank also confers the “Paladin of the Order” title.
injuries left them unable to function or contribute **This rank also confers the “Knight of the Order” title Prime to drive out the Davion Dynasty’s invaders. that ill-fated Periphery state found new ways to
to society without their biotech grafts. While such extreme tactics ultimately succeeded commit genocide, and every pact with Andurien

22 23
seemed to fall apart before the ink was even dry and zero-tolerance policies toward all Grafting integrating BattleMechs into the Capellan armed of modified life forms and hybridized humanity
on the Chancellors’ signatures. Even a bold open- biotech. Duncan Liao, reviled by many as the forces, Duncan prepared his young nephew for came to the fore, many Capellans proved far more
borders trade deal with the Terran Hegemony “Hunchback of Sian,” was pushed into the shad- his own turn at the Chancellorship. This led to open-minded on the subject than those who saw
in 2515 backfired as it became little more than ows as biotech scientists were rounded up and Hendrik Liao creating the Order of Duncan within wartime Abominations as the inevitable result
a means by which Terran spies and criminals imprisoned or executed, but years after Jasmine’s three years after his uncle’s passing, which stated of such research. In the enlightened age of the
would flood Capellan black markets with illicit, death, he reemerged to serve as the Chancellor that the Confederation formally recognized those Star League, it seemed the Great Realm that once
corruptive biotech. once more. of Frayed blood as fully human, deserving of all fought hardest against Grafting science was now
Worse yet, however, was the corruption Jasmine’s reign, which also included sharp human rights and dignities. its greatest proponent.
that came from within. In 2451, a rebel general clampdowns on the military to avert further In the decades and centuries that followed, But no peace or age of enlightenment lasts
abducted Chancellor Duncan Liao and attempt- coup attempts, set back Capellan defense even this recognition normalized Grafting within the forever. By the 2700s, complacency and cor-
ed to stage a coup. During his captivity, the further than ever as both Grafting technologies Confederation (give or take a few dramatic excep- ruption weakened the bonds holding the Star
Chancellor was forcibly infused with top-secret, and the emergence of the BattleMechs made tions). Indeed, by the time Chancellor Terrence League together so much that conflict between
strength-augmenting grafts as an attempt to warfare deadlier on all fronts. But it also set the Liao finally joined the nascent Star League in the Great Realms erupted anew. Raiding parties
expose the Confederation’s own research into stage for the dramatic reversal on public atti- 2556, the Capellan Confederation was fielding its struck border systems while their sponsors, ar-
the very Abomination-creating biotech banned tudes toward Abominations and the Frayed when own battlefield Abominations, and many citizens guing in councils and courts, dismissed them as
by its vaunted Ares Conventions. In the process, her heirs surprisingly yielded power to Duncan were making use of Grafting biotech for medical bandits and rogues. When open warfare broke
Duncan Liao became the first known Realm Lord Liao upon coming of age. Ruling from the shad- and lifestyle-assistive purposes. out between the Federated Suns and the Draconis
to be Frayed, his genetics irrevocably corrupted ows, Duncan communicated his policies mainly Like the other Great Realms, the Capellan Combine in 2725, the Star League’s Peacekeeper
by alien DNA. Transformed into a hideous mon- through Jasmine’s son, Hendrik Liao to avoid Confederation thrived during the peace of the army was slow to react. When civil war gripped
ster, the Chancellor was declared unfit to rule shocking the sensibilities of a wary populace; Star League, but its fledgling acceptance of the the Free Worlds League and transformed it into
by his own sister, Jasmine Liao, who assumed this proved effective in stabilizing the realm’s Frayed and the benefits of Grafting was sup- a new Collective in the 2730s, both Lyran and
the throne, punished the rebels, and began economy and relaxing many of Jasmine’s restric- pressed, as Star League laws restricted such Capellan appeals for Star League intervention
a decades-long campaign of internal purges tive commandments. While also successfully biotech. Nevertheless, whenever the question went ignored. Even greater apathy met the

24 25
Capellan-FedSuns Border War of 2760, which the then offered peace proposals to the Terrans, the shortly after announcing this event to her people, tasked with directing their collective resources
League simply allowed to burn itself out after a Collective, and the newly rechristened Shining Liao declared: “Whether human or Frayed, from and common defense. Today, the Prefectorate
couple years. And so, when overtaxation finally Kingdoms of Avalon, all three states took them our most common wards to our noblest upon may be gone, but the Scions themselves live on
triggered the Periphery rebellions of 2765, hardly as signs of weakness and struck. The conglom- the Celestial Throne, we are all one people in as the House of the Celestial Throne and remain
anyone batted an eye. erates of Terra used the overtures to infiltrate the Capellan Confederation! Let all who would subservient to the great Liao Dynasty.
Only in hindsight would the New Vandenburg Capellan industries and preyed on the realm’s break faith with our Golden Unity be cast into In theory, this political system might have
Rebellions become the straw that finally broke economy to supply its own war machine, while the darkness for eternity!” been more open to a rotating succession of lead-
the Star League’s back. the Collective used them to finally claim owner- In 2830, just one year after Ilsa’s proclama- ers from different powerful families had it not
Painfully aware that the League was dying, ship over Andurien and its surrounding systems tion, the Capellan Confederation was formally been for the near-continuous state of conflict
the Capellan Confederation spent the years of the in exchange for a tenuous ceasefire. And the reborn as the Golden Unity. Furthermore, the the Confederation faced from its inception.
Amaris Crisis building up for the inevitable fight- Shining Kingdoms, emboldened to the extreme, House of Scions, the political body of upper no- Where the larger realms of the Free Worlds
ing on its own borders. No matter who came out simply launched more invasions at every critical bility that comprised its legislative arm since League and Federated Suns both evolved to
on top between the Rim Worlds Usurper and the world along their border. the Prefectorate’s dissolution, was restructured neo-feudalism from pseudo-democratic roots,
Star League’s Peacekeeper-General, Chancellor Each of these responses infuriated the as the House of the Celestial Throne, and placed the Confederation, with its limited territories,
Barbara Liao realized the Confederation would Chancellor, and although her people suffered, under the direct rule of the Liao Dynasty. found itself almost constantly operating under
be easy prey for the Federated Suns and the they managed to persevere. With only one front The centuries since have seen no ebb in the a general state of emergency. In such a political
Collective of the Violet Crux. Crash restarts of to focus on for a brief time, the Capellan military Unity’s determination to survive at any cost environment, it was thus only natural for the
long-dormant Abomination programs com- deflected the most lethal Kingdom assaults, but against their enemies. While the other Great leadership and citizenry to adopt a more cautious
menced in secret, while ’Mech forces mobilized was forced to resort to nuclear and biochemical Realms of the Human Sphere condemn and and restrictive approach to governing, ever on
to all border regions, especially along the core- weapons as often as it did WarShips, BattleMechs, denigrate the Celestial Throne for embracing the the watch for signs of internal corruption and
ward zones, nearest to the crumbling Terran and Abominations. In the meantime, spies and monstrous, the Golden Unity’s survival speaks imminent invasion by hostile neighbors.
Hegemony. saboteurs were planted on every world lost to for itself. Thus it was that the Confederation of old
The Confederation entered the Endless War foreign powers, their activities aimed at sowing gave way to the virtual police state that is today’s
as an aggressor, determined to keep its enemies the maximum amount of chaos and rebellion Golden Unity, a realm in which the government
at bay before they could land the first blows. To possible, if only to tie up enemy resources.
Philosophy and Culture and citizens keep a wary eye on one another
maximize this strategy, the Chancellor suspended On the home front, the Chancellor focused The old Terran populations who settled the for signs of treachery, and where deception and
the Ares Conventions and their counterpart laws on her most desperate strategy of all: a Grafting worlds of the Golden Unity hailed largely from secrecy are precious tools in the hands of the
from the Star League Accords, authorizing the program of unprecedented scale—aimed at her a mix of Asian nation-states, particularly China meek and powerful alike. The curious aspect of
full-scale usage of Abominations and weapons own citizenry. At first applied only within the and Russia. While other cultural influences are this is the strange juxtaposition between the
of mass destruction to ensure overwhelming realm’s military training programs but later also visible across the Realm, the dominant motifs Unity’s rampant government paranoia and the
victories. Only through such savagery would the emerging on key worlds in danger of falling to in modern Unity architecture and customs trace seemingly bottomless faith its people have in
realm’s enemies be made to think twice before invaders, new strains of highly corruptive, in- their roots to these so-called Eastern origins. that government’s rightness. The powers that be
invading what many saw as the weakest of their fectious Grafts were secretly introduced to the Like most Human Sphere realms, the Golden within the Realm of the Celestial Throne might
number. Thus was the tone set for the first few local livestock, crops, and water supplies. As the Unity’s power revolves around the rule of gen- be brutal and capricious, but in the egalitar-
decades of the Endless War. mutations began, millions died while many more erational nobility, many of whom descend from ian society of the Golden Unity, where natural
While the Confederation’s initiative won it transformed into fearless, nearly feral beasts. the earliest masters of the settled worlds in their humans and corrupted Frayed are considered
many early victories in the Endless War, particu- Humans and creatures alike became fearsome space. In the centuries before the Star League, equals, even they are comrades in what has been
larly against the Federated Suns, the resurgent horrors, fed and focused by sociopolitical in- when interstellar communication was only as fast a generations-long fight for survival.
Terrans and their United Assembly of Stars doctrination that vilified and dehumanized all as the nearest available JumpShips, neo-feudal The normalized inclusiveness toward Frayed
(later known as the UniStar Ascendancy) proved non-Capellans across local media. rule proved by far the most stable means of humans—known in the Unity as Augments—is
surprisingly resilient. The same proved true of Within less than a decade, the Confederation government and military coordination. Like just perhaps the most unique aspect of Unity society,
the Collective of the Violet Crux, which launched was overflowing with barely contained super- about everywhere else, the nobility who arose especially given its population’s near-constant
its own drive against Andurien. By the time of human fanatics driven by the belief that the in the post-Terran Alliance power vacuum were state of paranoia. While much of this undoubt-
Barbara Liao’s passing in 2804, exhaustion was entire Human Sphere stood against their right the industrialists and politicians willing to tame edly stems from the fact that the Chancellor’s
already setting in across the realm. Desperate for to survive. When the Capellan Prefectorate the chaos around them. In the Confederation’s own bloodline has been Frayed since the reign of
breathing room, Chancellor Ilsa Liao renounced challenged what they saw as the Chancellor’s days, these people formed what became known Barbara Liao (who secretly resorted to Grafting
her family’s claim to the lost Cameron throne “inhuman overreach,” Ilsa Liao disbanded the as the House of Scions, and from them arose to treat a rare blood disease she developed in
and with it, the pretext for which the other Great council, rounded up its members, and forcibly an advisory council known as the Prefectorate, childhood), it’s also widely known that nearly 30
Realms had joined the Endless War. But when she Grafted the whole lot. In a realm-wide address created to both select and advise the Chancellors percent of the citizenry possesses at least some

26 27
Augment DNA, compared to about half as much and as the main body of any military expeditions of War rank among the best military schools
in most other realms. For most, generations of against its enemies. Since the days of the original the Unity has to offer, but merit matters more
interbreeding have diluted the more apparent Capellan Confederation, the UAF has practiced than wealth when it comes to who can enroll United Armed Forces (UAF)
mutations caused by past Grafting, resulting in a style of warfare that looks as much toward its in their classes. Military Ranks
people who blend in perfectly with those of un- own defeat as it does victory. Painfully aware Alongside the UAF proper stand the Warrior
Generic UAF Title
modified blood. Even so, strangers to the Unity that the empires at their borders are typically House Auxiliaries, special, quasi-religious, Officers
would likely be shocked by how often one can larger and more well-equipped, the Golden Unity semi-autonomous military forces raised by Commander-in-Chief Chancellor
encounter and converse with a family of people prepares for the eventuality that their defenses the regional nobility for additional defense. General of the Army Marshal General
may fall at any time in the face of sheer num- First conceived and introduced in the 2860s Division Commander Major General
who possess exotic, almost alien features or
bers and brute force, so their troops are trained by a group of Celestial Throne nobles under Brigade Commander Lieutenant General
witness a public address featuring the reptilian
in insurgent operations. Invaders who think Chancellor Dainmar Liao, the Auxiliaries were Regimental Commander Colonel
visage of Chancellor Maximilian Liao.
they have broken a Unity regiment may thus be originally developed as defense-only gar- Regimental XO Senior Major
shocked to find their efforts to ravage or occupy risons centered around a single BattleMech Battalion Commander Major
Military Might a target world under constant harassment by regiment and supporting infantry, armor, and Company Commander Captain
The United Armed Forces (UAF) is the Golden smaller, highly mobile combat cells. Deeming aircraft. Although the Auxiliaries were initially Company XO Commander
Unity’s primary warfighting organization, serving nearly any tactic necessary in the name of sur- forbidden access to interstellar transport as- Lance Commander Subcommander
as both the first line of defense against invaders vival, UAF cells operating in this manner are sets and Abominations as a check against MechWarrior/Pilot Champion
known to employ even the most horrific means potential treason, reforms over the following Enlisted
to shatter their enemies’ resolve, and with the decades resulted in greater reliability, larger Platoon Commander Force Commander
aid of local populations, this can quickly make force sizes, and the ability to support mobile Squad Commander Sergeant
any new conquest a meat grinder for monsters campaigns under the direct authority of the Squad XO Corporal
and MechWarriors alike. Chancellors themselves. Today, the Golden Trooper Soldier
The UAF maintains stringent staffing quo- Unity boasts ten Auxiliaries, each comprising Recruit Probate
tas to keep their forces at full capacity, and an average strength of one ’Mech regiment, Warrior House Auxiliary

conscription drives are common before and one Abomination regiment, and two regiments Grand Master of the
Brigade Commander
Houses
after any major military operation to cover of armor, infantry, or aerospace forces. After
Regimental Commander House Master
recruitment shortfalls. Any able-bodied ward, several encounters over the decades since their
Regimental XO House Vice-Master
citizen, or resident within the realm may be creation, the Unity’s Warrior House Auxiliaries
Battalion Commander Battalion Master
called up to serve, regardless of race, demonstrated such effectiveness and dedication
Company Commander Company Leader
gender, or social class. Membership in that the Shining Kingdoms of Avalon introduced
Lance Commander Lance Leader
a planetary militia, global police force, its own Warrior House analog in the 2930s.
MechWarrior/Pilot Warrior/Pilot
or a Warrior House Auxiliary all count The Unity’s embrace of Abominations as a
Platoon Commander Master Flagman
as military service, especially during key military element has remained strong since
Squad Commander Flagman
times of crisis, when such assets might the later years of the Age of War. Although Star
Trooper Infantryman
be attached to UAF troops for support. League laws forbade the use of Grafting in com-
Trainee Aspirant
Indeed, during any insurgency operations, all bat forces and limited Grafting-based research
local paramilitary groups are expected to join to medicinal use and theoretical-only human
with the Unity’s regular defenders, and follow augmentation, the old Capellan Confederation
the UAF’s direct commands without question. continued to study and develop the technology in secret. This work was finally exposed in the
To sustain its readiness, every world within swiftness with which the realm fielded its first fighting Abominations in the Endless War soon
the Golden Unity that has a human or Frayed pop- after the Star League’s collapse. The subsequent Fraying of the Liao bloodline and the increasing
ulation of 100,000 or more operates, at minimum, use of bio-augmented troops also demonstrate how deeply Grafting has been wedded to the Unity’s
its own military-training facilities for infantry, modern defense. Even the UAF’s hyper-elite Death Commandos include Augment warriors in their
basic ground armor, and atmospheric aircraft. number. Because the most heavily Frayed tend to look more animalistic than human, many of the
Training for more sophisticated aerospace forces, Golden Unity’s enemies tend to underestimate their effectiveness on the field of battle or dismiss
BattleMechs, and Abominations are fewer in their society and military as a manifestation of some insanity on the part of the Chancellor and the
number but available to entrants from nearly Celestial Throne.
every Unity system. The Capella War College,
Sarna Martial Academy, and the Sian University

28 29
 battlefield for centuries to come. While studying through a battalion of remote-operated drones

Realm of the Endless Dynasty curious new types of highly adaptive xenofauna,
an eccentric (some would say mad) exobiologist
named Josiah Medlesson discovered a means
and automated sentries.
Despite objections to their use on a variety of
social and ethical grounds, many of the League’s
(Collective of the Violet Crux) to rapidly and coherently splice features from provincial militaries welcomed their own detach-
multiple distinct animals together into a new chi- ments of combat Abominations over the decades
Although it is the in the form of the Captain- meric whole, a methodology he called “Grafting.” that followed. However, not until the dawn of the
oldest of the six General, whose task was Through cloning and conventional husbandry, twenty-fifth century did the first large-scale use
Great Realms in the to lead the realm and these new hybrid creatures were developed and of these monstrosities prove their true potential
Human Sphere, its disparate military bred rapidly, and on grander scales than possible to the realm. By then, the Free Worlds League
the Collective of forces through times via existing gene-editing techniques. Regardless was locked in a series of back-and-forth battles
the Violet Crux is of crisis only. The rest with the Capellan Confederation over Andurien
of their evolutionary origins, even creatures from
often the hardest of the time, in theory, and its surrounding systems. After having lost
wholly different ecosystems and morphology
of all to describe the League’s member the region to the League in the late 2360s, the
could potentially be hybridized via the Grafting
in just a few words. provinces and the vari- Confederation made a determined push to re-
process. Even more dramatically, Grafting en-
Ever since its found- ous affiliated independent claim it thirty years later, and had advanced as
abled a smoother integration of mechanical
ing as the Free Worlds worlds were expected to deep as Mosiro by 2400. When the League’s de-
implants and prosthetics, so such creatures could
League, the Collective maintain their own affairs in fenders suffered a grievous defeat on the nearby
easily be made even stronger and more durable
has vacillated between the relative peace. world of Kwamashu, an enraged Parliament re-
than their enhanced biology allowed.
ideals of egalitarian democracy Unsurprisingly, this arrangement called Captain-General Peter Marik and replaced
Medlesson championed the advantages of
and the iron-fisted reign of mili- did not function as planned during the him with Prince Herad Selaj of Regulus. Selaj
tary fascism. Despite boasting Grafting biotechnology and its products as a
turbulent times called the Age of War. cancelled Marik’s desperate plans for a counter-
a robust economy and a proven boon for taming newer, more exotic worlds,
The wealthiest and most power- invasion aimed at the Confederation’s capital of
track record for innovation as the and for all the ways it would revolutionize
ful families of its founding states Sian, and instead rotated several Abomination-
creators of Grafting biotech, the medicine and industry alike. However, despite
quickly dominated League politics. heavy formations to the Andurien front. These
Collective comes across as the proven advantages, controversy and cyni-
In the Principality of Regulus, units retook the key industrial worlds of Mosiro
average and mundane when House Selaj ruled, while House cism followed his every proclamation. Many
and Lopez by the end of 2401. The shock of so
compared to its neighbors. Marik held sway in the Marik condemned the Mad Scientist of Regulus, as he
many weaponized monsters unleashed against
Even its famously diverse Commonwealth, and the Allisons was dubbed in the media, for recklessly “playing
the Capellan Confederation dramatically turned
and open-minded society, in which no claimed the Oriente Federation as their god,” and his hybrid creations quickly became
the tide of the conflict itself. Within two years,
single culture truly dominates the sociopolitical birthright. As the Free Worlds expanded its influ- known as Abominations. But while the public Chancellor Aleisha Liao sued for peace, end-
landscape, demonstrates peculiar and systemic ence through diplomacy and force, the heads of was repulsed and outraged over Medlesson’s ing the First Andurien War with a Free Worlds
bigotries. To say the Collective is “complex” is to these three dynasties would engage in endless work, the military arms of several Free Worlds League victory.
understate the obvious. political intrigue to attain ultimate control over League states proved far more receptive to the As super-powered monsters now augmented
the League and its destiny. Only external threats potential benefits. In 2359, the Third Principality its regular armed forces, the Free Worlds League
History from the nascent Terran Hegemony and emer- Guards regiment received its first company of held a distinct edge that served them well in the
In 2271, the interstellar nation known to- gent powers like the proto-Capellan states would combat Abominations for field testing, a group endless campaigns to come. Only the rise of the
day as the Collective of the Violet Crux was force the League’s ruling families to set aside that included over twenty flying, simian-like BattleMech roughly a half century later had as
the first of the Great Realms to form in the their differences for the common good. creatures standing an average of three meters in much impact on the future of modern warfare as
wake of the Terran Alliance’s collapse. Three By the end of its first century, the Free Worlds height, and eighteen four-meter-tall, eight-legged the bioengineered horrors the League unleashed.
smaller star groups—the Principality of Regulus, found itself hemmed in by the Terran Hegemony, quasi-reptilians. Each beast wore a specially Even so, not all victories came easy, and the perils
the Federation of Oriente, and the Marik the Lyran Commonwealth, and the Capellan fitted tactical harness that supported armor of mishandling Abominations became abundantly
Commonwealth—united to form the Free Worlds Confederation. Although early diplomacy man- plates thick enough to stop artillery shells, and clear on several occasions, where frenzied hy-
League. While the League was organized as a aged to minimize conflict with the Terrans in weapons heavy enough to shred entire infantry brids turned on their masters to indiscriminately
parliamentary democracy in which every world these early years, fighting characterized most of platoons or blast a main battle tank to pieces in slay friend, foe, and innocents alike.
had representation and a vote in League-wide the League’s interactions with the Lyrans and the seconds. Leaked footage of the first classified war In one of the most dramatic cases, rampag-
affairs, the state of near-constant fighting with Capellans. It was during this time, in 2352, that games that used Abominations both fascinated ing Abominations worsened a situation that was
neighboring powers and rogue internal elements scientists in the Principality of Regulus made a and horrified audiences in the civil and military already spiraling out of control. On the planet
required the creation of a military head of state scientific breakthrough that would transform the sectors alike, as these monsters easily ripped Tintavel, League forces intent on recapturing the

30 31
world from the Capellans found themselves mired Conventions, the League declined, refusing to contest for control of the Andurien worlds, the of new worlds in a fraction of the times once
in brutal house-to-house fighting on several surrender its greatest military advantage. Free Worlds League became the first state willing dismissed as “barely feasible.” Bold new solutions
fronts. When poorly calibrated nerve agents em- On the home front, League politics continued to sign on with a multinational alliance to end to xenoplanetary afflictions were developed for
ployed by both sides sent the bulk of the League’s to roil and shift throughout the Age of War. A the Age of War. In exchange for willingly ceding transplanted flora and fauna of nearly every
Abominations into a bloodthirsty rage without deadlocked effort to recall Herad Selaj as Captain- Andurien to the Confederation, the League guar- kind. Minimally invasive therapies for human
any sense of direction, thousands of casualties General in 2423 resulted in a compromise in anteed an end to centuries of fighting by aligning subjects, devised and used only under the tightest
resulted until increasingly desperate command- which Prince Selaj was named Prime Minister of themselves with the Terran Hegemony alongside of scrutiny, helped save and extend lives. Many
ers on both sides resorted to a nuclear exchange the Parliament (and de facto head of the politi- their Capellan rivals. The three-way partnership also suspected that the League expanded its
to end the chaos. Over a million people died in cal state), while Peter Marik was named Grand would ensure stability and mutually beneficial Grafting endeavors into outlawed black opera-
the Tintavel Massacre, and the horrific visual Marshal of the League Armies. Thirteen years trade that none of the war-weary powers could tions and underworld markets, especially among
records from the event shocked leaders across later, Prime Minister Joseph Stewart threatened afford to pass up. As additional alliances over the annexed worlds of the Canopian Magistracy,
the Human Sphere to the core. Within months, to recall Grand Marshal Terrence Marik, which the coming years brought the other three Great where legal authorities were infamously lax. Few
Capellan Chancellor Aleisha Liao convinced the resulted in a military coup that only ended when Realms into the fold, the Age of War gave way to cases of this were ever proven during the days of
heads of nearly every major power to send del- forces commanded by Prince Zaafir Selaj broke the golden age of the Star League. the Star League, however, and fewer still could
egates to the world of Ares, where she presented through Marik’s blockade over Atreus and sent While the creation of the Star League finally be linked to the Free Worlds’ government in any
them with the Ares Conventions, an international the disgraced Grand Marshal running into exile. forced the Free Worlds League to suspend its way. After all, by the time of the Star League,
pact establishing the rules for “civilized” warfare. To forestall further crises, the Grand Marshal’s militarization of Grafting biotech, allowances for virtually every member state had already gained
While some saw this agreement as more of an position was eliminated once more, and Zaafir theoretical research and medical applications access to the science of Grafting.
affirmation of fighting and conquest for political Selaj was installed as Prime Minister and granted enabled scientists and entrepreneurs across the And yet, political tensions within the Free
gain, the League’s delegates noted that a specific sweeping emergency powers nearly identical to realm to expand into new avenues within the Worlds League continued beneath the placid
ban on the use of “bioengineered combat assets” those of the old Captain-Generalcy. commercial and experimental sectors. Combined surface of Star League prosperity. With the Age
singled out their nation. Even after all three of During an arbitrated settlement with the with Terra’s experts in mega-engineering, of War ended, the emergency powers granted
the League’s chief rivals agreed to ratify the Ares Capellan Confederation, after their fourth major Grafting made it possible to terraform hundreds to the Prime Minister were formally rescinded,

32 33
providing other families the opportunity to pre- and executive authority was henceforth centered easily classified by such old Terran references. industrialists, while also seeing to it that the
side over the realm-wide government. Although on Regulus. For example, even though the Selaj family of realm’s wealthier citizens enjoy a comfortable
the well-entrenched Selaj family had earned wide When the Star League finally broke down af- Regulus has long maintained an affinity for its existence in today’s age of Endless War, also make
respect at home and support from the Terrans’ ter the Amaris Treason, many of the Collective’s Hindu roots on Terra’s Indian subcontinent, it possible to keep pace with the realm’s battle-
Cameron Dynasty, the Mariks, Allisons, and citizenry mourned the loss but laid much of the many of the royal line have instead favored faiths field losses, so long as nothing severely disrupts
Stewarts all sought to depose them in one man- blame on the Cameron Dynasty’s apathy and and traditions from across many ancient Middle their supply lines. Because of this, the Collective
ner or another. By the 2660s, extremists among incompetence in the final decades. In anticipa- Eastern and Arabic societies. Indeed, through- tends to see many among the untitled upper class
these factions turned to terrorism, bombing, poi- tion of the wars to come, the newly crowned out many worlds of the Principality of Regulus, as the economic heroes of the realm, tirelessly
soning, or gunning down their enemies in broad Hypatia Selaj, daughter of Rajneesh, immediately Kemetism—a neo-Egyptian style of worship and striving to keep people employed and working
daylight, regardless of how many innocents fell ordered the reactivation of the realm’s military architecture—has become popular throughout for the good of all, without the gaudy trappings
as collateral damage. These terror campaigns Abominations. A whole generation of beastly the centuries, to the point where its influences of nobility. (Whether these CEOs, bankers, and
reached their peak when, in 2678, a bombing creations, born in secret labs and kept in stasis can be felt realm-wide. Although some of these wealth managers see themselves the same way
on Regulus killed many of the Selaj royal fam- throughout the Star League era for just such an cultural stylings may have become more wide- is anyone’s guess.)
ily, including then-Prime Minister D’mir Selaj. emergency, were decanted, raised, and trained spread, none has achieved a true dominance The Collective’s cosmopolitan social, political,
The Principality of Regulus’ crown fell then to a for battle before most other realms could even over the others. and cultural makeup has fostered a realm that
critically injured Rajneesh Selaj, who required organize their own programs. The Crux moved Politically, the Collective is arranged as a sees itself as quite enlightened and open-minded
extensive use of medical Grafting to survive. first on the Terrans, only to find their offensive constitutional monarchy, with most of the on matters of faith, equality, and social obliga-
After becoming Prime Minister in the follow- blunted by the lingering Star League Knights and power vested in the hands of the High Prince, tions, but its detractors disagree. Despite being
ing year, the determined and vengeful Rajneesh Peacekeepers who had refused to depart with who hails from the Selaj Dynasty. (In the years the creators and most advanced users of Grafting
initiated a harsh series of purges, manhunts, and the rest of Protector-General Kerensky’s “Great since the Star League, specifically the reign of biotech, for example, the Collective espouses
government reforms all aimed at rooting out the Retirement” and now fought under the banner Rajneesh, it has become an open secret that laws and social mores that border on callous and
terrorists and the systemic corruption he blamed of Jerome Blake’s United Assembly of Stars. With the Selajes make extensive medicinal use of indifferent in its treatment of Abominations,
for enabling it. Over nearly sixty years, the Free the Lyrans and Capellans launching their own Grafting to extend their lives, resulting in High be they beastly or humanoid in nature. With
Worlds League was transformed forever. By the offensives, the Crux entered the Endless War on Princes who commonly live to be 120 to 150 exceptions for those in the upper classes who
time it was over, the Marik family, convicted as years old.) While the High Princes reign and have willingly taken advantage of medicinal or
the defensive.
the masterminds behind the most heinous acts command the realm’s military from Regulus, augmentative Grafting, a distinct belief perme-
While there have since been many great victo-
of treason and terror, were all jailed or exiled. however, the Collective Parliament on Atreus ates the whole realm that any creature or person
ries and many shattering defeats, the Collective
A portion of the nearby Canopian Magistracy, handles much of the realm’s legislative and who has been modified through such biotech has
of the Violet Crux has found itself locked in a
dubbed the Canopian Covenant, was annexed for judicial business, responding as needed to the “cheated on” it natural origins. Specific social
centuries-long stalemate against its ever-hostile
alleged meddling in Free Worlds League affairs. High Prince’s directives while providing all perceptions surrounding Frayed humans are
neighbors, trading ’Mechs and monsters for
The Allisons, Stewarts, and several other minor member worlds a voice in the realm-wide gov- particularly prejudicial, especially in cases where
worlds reduced to ash as often as not. As with
noble houses all saw their titles and property ernment. Because a neo-feudal hierarchy also the superficial manifestations of Grafting-based
the other Great Realms of the Human Sphere,
stripped away and awarded to Selaj loyalists runs throughout the Collective’s worlds, many corruption are broadly apparent. A similar form
the Endless War has seen the Crux lose many
and other patriots who’d put the welfare of the who serve in Parliament belong to the noble of realm-wide bigotry also exists for those who
systems as much to neglect and corruption as to
League ahead of their own ambitions. Finally, a class, even if they were chosen to represent have resorted to the use of cybernetics and bion-
the predations of sworn enemies. But the Endless
strict new constitution revised the realm-wide their homeworld by some other method, such ics to replace or supplement their own physical
Dynasty remains, resolute, determined to survive
government into a more centralized authority, as public elections. The days when an absolute abilities, once again based on the perception that
all challenges, no matter the cost!
reducing provincial control over military and military commander ruled the state are long such extensive modifications circumvent nature
commercial affairs and vesting greater power gone, but the titles of Captain-General, Grand and humanity itself. Many trace these attitudes
in the hands of the newly defined office of the Philosophy and Culture Marshal, and Prime Minister remain in forms to infamous historic occasions in which those
High Prince. Under a new banner based loosely The Collective of the Violet Crux is one of decidedly subservient to the High Prince. In with Grafts or bionic modifications went berserk
on the personal livery of High Prince Rajneesh, the most culturally diverse of the Great Realms this subtle way, the people are reminded of and caused untold horror and bloodshed. For oth-
the Free Worlds League of old transformed into in the Human Sphere. Where other states have the realm’s past crises and the downfall of ers, all it takes is a glance across the Collective’s
the Collective of the Violet Crux, and with their deferred to (if not fervently embraced) select those who once used such titles to take power borders with today’s UniStar Ascendancy and
bloodline legally bound to the leadership in vir- elements of their originating societies—such as unlawfully. the Golden Unity to see how their enemies abuse
tual perpetuity, the Selajes became known as the neo-Japanese shogunates of the Draconic A free-market economy and several still- such technologies. That similar atrocities can
the Endless Dynasty. While the Parliament on Imperium or the Shining Kingdoms’ obsession thriving industrial worlds have given rise to and have been committed by “perfectly normal
Atreus remained the primary legislative and with all things Arthurian—the people who live an entrepreneurial spirit in the Collective that people,” regardless of factional ties, typically goes
judicial body for the realm, the Crux’s military under the rule of the Endless Dynasty are not so rivals even the Ironclad Alliance. The Crux’s without comment.

34 35
Military Might however, they can be suspended on the authority most advanced and expansive programs in the together form a highly competent front-line force
The Collective Military Defense Command of Parliament, the Grand Marshal, or the High creation, development, training, and deploy- of technological and biological war machinery.
(CMDC) has come a long way from its origins. Prince himself. One example of this is in the case ment of battlefield Abominations. Likened in its Despite their technical advantage in Grafting
What began as a loose collection of provincial of deeply interior worlds attempting to “pad” technical sophistication to the BattleMech and science, the Collective doesn’t boast the sheer
their military service requirements by counting aerospace programs of the UniStar Ascendancy, number of combat Abominations and Frayed
forces raised by the member states and inde-
service to the planet’s own paramilitary guards as the Collective spares little expense in crafting and human warriors as do their neighbors in the
pendent systems of the old Free Worlds League
a contribution, especially when an active border honing the capabilities of its monstrous hybrids Golden Unity, but this is only another sign of
is now a streamlined and well-equipped army
campaign is underway. Such cases may warrant to maximum effect. Having long since settled—in their expertise in the matter. Strict controls
built around a unified chain of command. And
parliamentary orders to redeploy some or all of their minds, at least—the ethical and legal ques- on breeding populations and genetic deviation
yet, compared to the rest of the other Great Realm
these paramilitary assets to serve on the active tions raised by their greatest contribution to are rigidly applied, and multiple safeguards are
armies in the Human Sphere, the CMDC is often
front for an indefinite period. modern war, their bio-engineers and trainers maintained to prevent the “undue corruption” of
seen as the model of mediocrity. It is not as pol-
Like the other Great Realms, the Collective provide the CMDC with the healthiest, most re- human bloodlines. Indeed, Grafts applied to hu-
ished and flexible as the Shining Kingdoms’ GDA,
generally maintains basic training facilities on liable, and most adaptable Abominations in the man subjects are heavily regulated throughout
nor is it as ruthless as the Draconic Imperium’s
all worlds of significant population to raise and Human Sphere, fit to well-proven standards for the Collective specifically to prevent the kind of
SBD. While well maintained, its equipment is not
prepare its infantry, ground vehicle crews, and utility work and combat alike. The Collective’s deviations seen throughout the Liao family and
as sophisticated as that of Terre Noire’s USAG, nor
other military support-service branches. These Abominations and robust BattleMech assets their Realm of the Celestial Throne.
as heavy and hard-hitting as Ironclad Alliance’s
facilities supplement the graduates from more so-
IDC. And although its soldiers are dedicated and
phisticated academies and universities, and other
its Abominations top-notch, they cannot match
facilities used to raise and train MechWarriors,
the fanaticism and monstrosity of the Golden
Abominations, aerospace personnel, and officers.
Unity’s UAF. But while some may dismiss the
Technically, all CMDC-run military academies are
Collective’s military as “average,” it has withstood Collective Military Defense Command
open to all citizens, regardless of social standing
the test of time and won more than its fair share and provincial origin, but many may still en- (CMDC) Military Ranks
of campaigns over the long centuries of relent- counter various unofficial social, financial, and Generic CMDC Title
less warfare. political barriers to entry here and there. Among Officers
Recruitment into the CMDC varies with the the Collective’s most prestigious military colleges
Commander-in-Chief High Prince
practices of the provincial powers comprising the are the Aitutaki Academy on Regulus, the Atrean
General of the Army Grand Marshal

Collective. Although each member state is legally Corps Commander Marshal

University of War on Atreus, the Princefield Division Commander Major-General
held to recruitment quotas based mostly on its Academy of Oriente, and the Duchy of Gibson’s Division XO Captain-General
economic, industrial, and political standings, the Cruciform Martial Academy. Brigade Commander General
process by which they meet these quotas, and Although the modern CMDC is an amalgam- Regimental Commander Colonel
with what force types, are open to negotiation. ated force composed of the original defense Regimental XO Lieutenant Colonel
For example, a relatively poor, remote, and un- commands of the old Free Worlds League’s Battalion Commander Force Commander
incorporated system like Wolof might manage to member states, the nationalized status of these Company Commander Captain
meet its defense obligations with volunteer drives once-local commands freed the member states’ Company XO Senior Lieutenant
for a few thousand able bodies a year to staff budgets to raise and maintain provincial armies Lance Commander Lieutenant
some support services. Meanwhile, the wealthy, of their own. Thus, much like the planetary MechWarrior/Pilot MechWarrior/Ensign
Enlisted
heavily industrialized worlds of the Atrean militias of the other Great Realms, there exists
Regimental NCO Flag Sergeant Major
Commonwealth would not only be on the hook a broad range of localized defense forces who Battalion NCO Flag Sergeant
for several regiments’ worth of MechWarriors, back up the CMDC on a semiautonomous ba- Company NCO Grand Master Sergeant
Abominations, infantry, and aerospace fighter sis. In times of emergency, these “lower house” Platoon Commander Master Sergeant
pilots, but also the technical and medical support forces can be suborned by the regular army, but Platoon XO Senior Sergeant
necessary to keep them all in fighting trim. Very due to legal restrictions on their size and equip- Squad Commander Sergeant
few restrictions or exemptions to military service ment allowances, they generally fill the role of Squad XO Corporal
based on social class, gender, faith, and ethnicity rearguard defense, low-risk garrison duty, or Trooper Private
exist realm-wide, but a few outlying examples humanitarian relief. Recruit Soldier

can be found on the provincial or planetary level, As the originators of Grafting biotech, it
as local leadership sees fit. If such limitations should come as no surprise that the Violet
impair the CMDC’s ability to maintain readiness, Collective maintains one of the Human Sphere’s

36 37
 In August of 2375, Robert Marsden, leader of Alistair Marsden’s reign was brief, just thir-

Realm of the Donegal Protectorate and its military forces,

seized power on Arcturus in a remarkably blood-
teen years, but it proved transformative. Favoring
competency over blind loyalty, he reformed

Blood and Steel less coup and declared himself Archon Basileus.
Forming a new parliament with representatives
the High Command to avoid the kind of adven-
turism that had proven so costly on Promised

(Ironclad Alliance)
from every Commonwealth world, and expos- Land. With conflicts elsewhere occupying the
ing the corruption of the other archons for all Commonwealth’s neighbors and a trade agree-
to see, he quickly gained the people’s support ment ensuring stability on the Terran border, the
Born from the union of three mercantile states known and set about cleaning up the Lyran bureau- Lyrans knew nearly a decade of peace before the
as the Lyran Commonwealth during the Age of War, the cracy while strengthening its military defenses. Draconis Combine launched a massive surprise
Ironclad Alliance of today is only a shadow of what it was Marsden’s Articles of Acceptance, which outlined invasion against them in 2407. The sheer ferocity
during the glory days of the Star League, but it remains one the new responsibilities and obligations of the of the Combine attacks put the Commonwealth
of the greatest industrial powers in the Human Sphere. While its Commonwealth’s member worlds, offered broad defenders on the back foot almost immediately,
military is powerful and well equipped, its people’s obsession freedoms in exchange for the realm’s economic as swaths of the Tamar Pact worlds fell before the
with wealth, status, and titles has led to a command structure and defensive benefits, so it passed with sup- onslaught. A panicked Estates General proposed
riddled with social climbers and sycophants. At the same time, port from the majority of the newborn Estates relocating the realm’s capital from Arcturus to
a new spiritual revival championed by the Grand Archon her- General. Over twenty worlds balked at the new Tharkad, in the Donegal Protectorate, but Archon
self may herald a new age of ill-advised crusades aimed at deal, however. Marsden ordered trade block- Alistair vowed not to abandon what he called the
not only the realm’s classic enemies, but also the fallen and ades to bring most of them in line, but eight Commonwealth’s heart. The planetary represen-
forgotten worlds within its own borders. self-sufficient systems, including Tamar and tatives of the Estates General were allowed to
Skye, continued to resist. His hand forced, the move to provisional facilities on Tharkad by year’s
Archon Basileus ordered these worlds invaded, end, but the High Command and other govern-
History loose but mutually beneficial trade and defense
alliance where no one state was favored over their rebellions crushed “for the good of the ment agencies remained in place on Arcturus, and
In 2341, three mercantile states—the Alliance
the others. Commonwealth.” While this act, and the lifetime it was from there Alistair planned the counterat-
of Donegal, the Federation of Skye, and the
Unfortunately, while the three founders imprisonment of the other archons would make tacks against the Combine. In 2408, soon after
Tamar Pact—formally united to create the Lyran
were excellent businessmen controlling pow- Marsden infamous among the Lyran people for pulling off a devastatingly successful raid against
Commonwealth. Although the Commonwealth’s
erful mercantile empires, they were woefully generations to come, the aftermath ensured the Draconis staging areas on Vega, Alistair Marsden
three greatest rival realms had already formed
unprepared for the challenges of merging their realm’s survival as a legitimate major power in perished in battle on the world of Alrakis.
by then, a fourth realm, the Rim Worlds Republic,
three different economic and bureaucratic the Human Sphere. Marsden’s death left the Commonwealth
raised the most alarm in those days. Spanning
systems into a cogent whole. It took five years To stabilize and strengthen the realm, shocked but resolute. His widow, Katherine
a cluster of systems just a few jumps coreward
just to finalize selections for the nine archons, Robert Marsden packed the Estates General Steiner, a highly educated beauty who had cap-
of Tamar, the Republic was forged as a bandit
and choosing one among them to be Archon and his High Command with loyalists. While tured the hearts of most Lyrans even before
kingdom by a pirate who fled the aftermath
Basileus proved nearly impossible. With no voice effective in helping him rebuild the economy her marriage to Alistair just a few years before,
of the first rebellion against Terran rule. The
to temper and prioritize the ruling council’s and expand the military to effectively oppose became Archon with support from the Estates
Tamar Pact and the Rim Worlds Republic had just
directives, clashing policies flooded out from foreign aggressors like the Draconis Combine General. While well-versed in military and politi-
barely averted war a few years before, but when
the capital on Arcturus, throwing interstellar and the Free Worlds League, Robert’s nepotism cal history, Katherine was no warrior and made
a coup toppled the Rim Worlds government mere
markets into chaos and confusion. Public con- also bred blind spots and arrogance. This culmi- clear her desire that the Commonwealth be a
weeks after signing a neutrality agreement with
fidence in the newborn realm cratered as local nated in an impulsive and disastrous attempt peace-loving nation in which the children only
the Pact, the need for mutual defense became
economies fell to disarray, leading to widespread to invade the Free Worlds League and capture played at wars and did not actually need to fight
clear to Tamar and its other trading partners
shortages, inflation, and protests. Meanwhile, the world of Promised Land in 2395, an assault them. But with her realm already under Combine
on Donegal and Skye.
whispers circulated of possible invasion from the in which ten Commonwealth regiments were attack, and threats still looming on every other
Representing their respective realms, Simon
growing reach of the Draconis Combine, while completely wiped out. Although the Archon border, she wisely appointed the best military
Marsden of Donegal, Thomas McQuiston of Skye,
others feared the threat of similar attack from never formally authorized the attack, he bore advisors and commanders to oversee the nation’s
and Kevin Tamar of Tamar ultimately agreed on
the brunt of the blame. Between the horrific defense. With a leadership often described as “a
a government inspired by the Greek city-states the Terran Hegemony. By the late 2360s, on the
casualties and the scandal that followed, the firm hand in a velvet glove,” Steiner led further
of ancient Terra. Ruled by nine archons—three heels of a Combine border dispute earlier that
future of Robert’s leadership was cast into reforms of the Commonwealth’s economic, po-
from each founding state—with one among them decade, prominent voices in all three founding
doubt, but as fate would have it, he died in bed litical, and military systems, transforming all in
chosen to lead and speak for the whole as Archon states were openly discussing secession from
soon afterward, leaving leadership of the realm ways still felt in the present day. Under Katherine
Basileus, the Lyran Commonwealth established a the Commonwealth.
to his brother, Alistair. Steiner’s reign, the Commonwealth finally

38 39
adopted German as its official language, estab- strength through the rest of the Age of War and Peacekeepers were through with it. The League In the middle of the twenty-ninth century,
lished the kroner as its unifying currency, refined to the birth of the Star League. was on death’s door, and Robert prepared a succession crisis gripped the Commonwealth
its emergent system of nobility, and reformed For the Lyran Commonwealth, the centuries the Commonwealth for the conflicts to come. when then-Archon Marcus Steiner was killed
its military rank structure. After the horrors of of the Star League era were a time of peace and Ironically, he himself would not live to see the on the Collective front. His widow, Melissa
the distant Tintavel Massacre, Katherine signed technological prosperity. Indeed, aside from the fruits of his labors. Mere weeks after the Star Nin-Steiner, attempted to claim the throne, but
Aleisha Liao’s Ares Conventions, though she ulti- occasional market slump or tax spike, the realm League’s dissolution, Robert died, leaving his faced a challenge from Marcus’ brother, Claudius
mately maintained the Commonwealth’s right to faced few real challenges in these golden years. sister Jennifer Steiner to lead the realm into the Steiner. With Speaker Harlan Dinesen behind
study and use Grafting biotech and Abominations If anything, this era might have been too good Endless War. her, Melissa claimed the backing of the Estates
specifically outlawed by that agreement. By the for the Lyrans, as many foolish voices began For the Commonwealth, the Endless War General over Claudius’ fierce objections, but
time she finally ceded her throne to her son, to see their government as redundant. What began with a preemptive offensive against
that did not spare her his wrath. Dinesen, after
Alistair Marsden-Steiner, the Age of War she need was there for the mutual defense pact of the Collective of the Violet Crux. Well aware
all, belonged to a family that once claimed its
wished to avoid was well underway, but her the Commonwealth when there was now a far that Collective ’Mechs and Abominations were
own right to rule during the early days of the
Commonwealth was strong enough to survive it. more powerful Star League keeping the peace? gathering in the Bolan Peninsula, the Lyrans
Star League, and harbored a well-known grudge
After the Terran Hegemony developed the Fortunately, reason prevailed, and when the aimed to cut off the anticipated invasion and
BattleMech, the Lyran Commonwealth was the end of the good times came, as they always do, reclaim those systems seized by Free Worlds against those of Steiner blood. Nin, meanwhile,
first to obtain the technology with a daring a strong Commonwealth was ready for it. League troops centuries ago. But while the lacked any practical political or military expe-
false-flag raid against the Hegemony’s top- The Lyran Commonwealth, like the other Commonwealth’s assaults were ultimately rience to speak of, and her advisory cabinet
secret facilities on New Dallas. Together with Great Realms, stood by when the Traitor Amaris successful on the Collective front, initial fight- was stacked with unquestioning sycophants.
the Abominations derived from the study of overthrew the Terran Hegemony and plunged ing against the Draconis Combine and the Enraged, Claudius Steiner led a coup against
captured Free Worlds League samples, the de- the Star League into civil war. But Archon resurgent Terrans faltered. Fortunately, the Arcturus and Tharkad, seizing both the throne
velopment and use of BattleMechs in a series of Robert Steiner II wasted little time seizing on collapse of the Rim Worlds remnants meant and the Estates General, respectively. After
deep raids against all four of the realm’s hos- the pretext to “secure” the war-ravaged Rim the Commonwealth now had only three major having Nin and Dinesen arrested and executed
tile neighbors bolstered the Commonwealth’s Worlds Confederacy once Aleksandr Kerensky’s enemies to contend with. for treason in 2845, he disbanded the Estates

40 41
General and directed a realm-wide purge against Kelvin Bradford. With Claudius out of the way, Unfortunately for the legacy of Elizabeth culture. In truth, aside from the established
his political enemies. Elizabeth inherited a realm in economic and Steiner, her Realm needed far more than words language laws, titles, and rank structures, there
Claudius’ reign was brutal beyond measure. military disarray, which she sought to stabilize and renewed determination to undo the dam- exists no overtly mandated “state culture” in the
In addition to his paranoid crusade against all through a coalition of noble families, includ- age of the Endless War. Like most of the other Alliance, nor are any specific religions or social
who threatened his rule, he harbored a deep, ing the McQuistons of Skye, the Marsdens Great Realms, the Alliance has lost much of its groups openly singled out for official persecution.
insatiable hatred for the Draconic Imperium. of Donegal, the Dinesens of Tharkad, and territory to the collapse of transport infrastruc- Even when speaking of the Frayed (“Fraykin,” in
Thus, when the Imperium took advantage of the Kelswas of Tamar. (She also granted the ture, the devastation of constant fighting, and Ironclad parlance), only individuals who reject
the Commonwealth’s internal chaos to drive Bradford family a duchy on Coventry in return the deep-seated corruption among the realm’s or oppose the Alliance itself are worthy of its ire.
toward Tamar and Arcturus in a massive, for Kelvin’s support.) Upon reconvening the nobility. The restored coreward worlds of the Dissenters across the realm can find themselves
two-pronged assault, the Archon responded Estates General on Arcturus, Elizabeth issued original Tamar Pact now lie surrounded by the regularly accused of blasphemy for questioning
with the largest deployment of nuclear and several proclamations aimed at disaster relief, borders of the Draconic Imperium, while the the will of the state and its beloved Grand Archon.
biological weapons since the first decades of including the controversial Military Disaster UniStar Ascendancy’s flag flies over the cities Religions and cultures aside, what the peo-
the Endless War. When choosing their targets, Decree of 2863, which instituted a realm-wide of Skye. Meanwhile, a new religious movement ples of the Ironclad Alliance revere above all
Claudius did not distinguish between recently military draft and nationalized most of the has wormed its way through the Alliance’s halls else are wealth and industry. Deeply rooted in
captured Lyran worlds and those the Imperium planetary militias. of power, the EisenKirche (the Iron Church), the Alliance’s origins as the largely mercantile
held for generations before. Determined to In her first nationally broadcast speech be- whose adherents now include the latest head partnership of the old Lyran Commonwealth,
cripple the enemy’s advance, he ordered the fore the reconstituted Estates General, Archon of the Steiner Dynasty, Grand Archon Lise the prosperity of the realm’s core worlds and
bombing of every active battle zone, the major- Elizabeth Steiner pledged to rebuild the Lyran Bradford-Steiner. the industrious, entrepreneurial nature of their
ity of which lay within the worlds of the Tamar worlds devastated by her father’s rule and restore citizenry have seen them through most crises.
Pact. For good measure, he even dispatched the realm to prosperity, declaring her devotion While strength and military pursuits are lauded
the Commonwealth’s remaining WarShips
Philosophy and Culture as well, most Alliance citizens attribute their
to the realm was “ironclad, forever.” The people
Since the days of the first Steiner Archons
on a deep raid to the key Imperium world of rejoiced, desperate to turn the page on a new military’s success in protecting the realm to the
of the Lyran Commonwealth, the Ironclad
Rasalhague, where they struck with a combi- chapter of history. Over the next few years, as sheer amount of money and resources they’ve
Alliance has been a society dominated by a mix
nation of orbital fire and a massed invasion of the Commonwealth regained its strength and re- worked to provide for it.
of ancient Terra’s Germanic and Scandinavian
feral, plague-infested Abominations. The sheer lief ships even ventured to the irradiated worlds Like most of the other Great Realms, the
death and devastation that followed forced the cultures. German is the official language of the Ironclad Alliance is ruled and administered large-
of Tamar, Tukayyid, and Antares, Elizabeth’s
Imperium back but at horrific costs for both realm, and the religious landscape is awash with ly through a modern feudal political structure,
“Coalition of Blood and Steel” spread the word of
sides. In addition to more than thirty Lyran and as many variations of Norse polytheism as it is with the Grand Archon at the top. A legislative
a new dawn for the nation. By the end of 2870,
Draconic ’Mech and Abomination regiments lost the Abrahamic faiths of Terra’s post-classical and advisory body known as the Estates General
the Commonwealth was known by a new name:
in the exchange, tens of millions of civilians Europe. Indeed, the current Grand Archon, Lise provides representation for the Alliance’s mem-
the Ironclad Alliance.
were killed. With their communications and Bradford-Steiner, has recently become one of ber systems, and the Supreme Court provides
infrastructure shattered, the coreward Tamar the loudest voices of the EisenKirche, a hybrid- for the ultimate arbitration of realm-wide legal
worlds were written off as destroyed and ization of Aesirian and Christian scriptures questions, but their ability to rein in an Archon’s
only one Lyran WarShip—the LCS Invincible— into a belief system that recognizes the souls excesses are limited. Simply put, whatever the
returned to Arcturus. Worse yet, during this of human and monster alike. This has led to a Archon says goes, and the objections of those
campaign, the Violet Crux managed to seize sweeping movement advocating for “redeem- who oppose can only be logged for posterity
several border worlds, and Terra’s UniStar ing” lost Alliance worlds overrun by rampant unless they have a last-minute change of heart.
Ascendancy pulled off a devastating raid on Abomination populations. Throughout the realm and beneath the Grand
the vital factory system of Hesperus II. Terran A closer look at this realm, however, reveals Archon is a vast, interwoven system of aristoc-
forces also captured Skye for a few months in a far more diverse range of ethnic and social racy that includes entitled nobility, the corporate
this period, but as news of Claudius’ genocidal groups, from the mix of Scottish, Irish, Italian, elite, and other wealthy power brokers who often
response to the Imperium reached them, the and Japanese influences of the Hesperan Baronies exist in a state of shifting alliances and financial
Ascendancy quickly pulled back before it could to the English, Dutch, and Spanish communi- competition.
face a similar fate. ties found in the Coventry Holdfast and the That said, the Alliance’s title system and the
The mad reign of Claudius Steiner finally Tamar Islets. This variety is hardly unique to sociopolitical powers that come with it is more
came to an end when his daughter, Elizabeth the Ironclad worlds, but it can come as a shock fluid in nature than in the other Great Realms of
Steiner, deposed him in a relatively bloodless to those who presume the realm’s Germanic the Human Sphere. The Alliance has more tiers
coup, backed up by Duchess Ilysa McQuiston influence to be as deeply and harshly imposed to ascend (or descend) on the social ladder than
of Skye and Claudius’ own Realm’s Marshal, as the Draconic Imperium’s Japanese-steeped anywhere else, and the relative power within

42 43
each one can fluctuate with the simple matter lingering remains of Star League-era technolo- of its populated systems, allowing for the
of how a given title holder came by their claim. gies, the IDC claims the greatest defense budget ready preparation of foot, mechanized, and Ironclad Defense Corps (IDC)
For example, a baron who earned their posi- in the Human Sphere. The average tonnage of a mounted infantry; ground vehicle crews; Military Ranks
tion and title directly from the Grand Archon typical Alliance BattleMech regiment runs 20–50 atmospheric transport and support; and
Generic IDC Title
for battlefield glories is far more important percent higher than those of any neighboring technical maintenance. Graduates of these Officers
and influential than the trillionaire who simply powers, and the IDC in general enjoys a greater facilities typically serve in planetary militias, Commander-in-Chief Grand Archon
cashed in their family’s generational wealth level of overall technical maintenance than any paramilitary services such as the local police, General of the Army Realm’s Marshal
for controlling shares in a WorkMech factory. realm besides the UniStar Ascendancy. and conventional support regiments for the Corps Commander Field Marshal

Savvy Alliance citizens are keen to keep track of Unfortunately for the Alliance, wealth and IDC’s front-line ’Mech divisions. Although the Division Commander High General

such things, as favors among the rich, famous, weaponry alone do not win battles. Although the Alliance’s wealthy elite are not legally allowed Division XO Obergeneral

IDC’s rank-and-file soldiers are competent and to raise the kind of secondary armies seen in Brigade Commander General
and the titled can fluctuate almost as wildly in
Brigade XO Untergeneral
value as any commercial stock. Thus it is that, in fierce, the officer corps is riddled with those who the Golden Unity and the Shining Kingdoms,
Regimental Commander Oberst
the Alliance’s market-driven economy, even the see military service as a mere stepping-stone to many of the realm’s entitled nobility and
Regimental XO Oberstleutnant
power and loyalty of the leadership can become greater wealth and social status. Whether they über-rich commission “security forces” that
Battalion Commander Kommandant
mere commodities to buy, sell, and trade. are glory hounds eager to earn title and standing use military equipment and are staffed by
Company Commander Hauptmann
On the matters of Grafting biotech, Abom- in the realm’s many royal courts at the cost of soldiers trained in-house or at IDC-affiliated Company XO Oberleutnant
inations, and the Frayed, attitudes in the Ironclad their underlings’ lives, or ruthless opportunists boot camps. Lance Commander Leutnant
Alliance are fraught with controversy. From hoping to exploit loopholes and oversights for a Unsurprisingly, higher-level military MechWarrior/Pilot MechKrieger/Pilot

a purely scientific point of view, there is an shot at lining their own pockets, many through- education often comes with price tags and Enlisted

acknowledged distinction between the hybrid- out the Alliance military maintain agendas that sponsorship requirements that limit their NCO of the Army Stabsfeldmeister

ization of sub-sapient life forms and the use of weaken the realm’s effectiveness in combat. Many access to applicants of means and connec- Regimental NCO Oberfeldmeister

efforts to stamp out such corruption and weak- tions, lest too many of the unwashed masses Battalion NCO Unterfeldmeister
transformative Grafting on humans. For this Company NCO Hauptfeldwebel
ness have been made over the centuries, but the get it in their heads that they can compete
reason, all debates on the subject draw a sharp Platoon Commander Oberfeldwebel
nature of Ironclad society all but ensures that it with their social betters. As a result, the kind
dividing line between what the Ironclad call mon- Platoon XO Feldwebel
returns within a generation. of officers who emerge from so-called elite
sterkin, and those they call Fraykin, but there Staff NCO Unterfeldwebel
Voluntary recruitment into the IDC is open schools like the Nagelring on Arcturus, the
is also a recognition that a growing number of Squad Commander Oberjäger
to all citizens of the Alliance, regardless of Coventry Martial Academy, the Pandora War
monsterkin have demonstrated a capacity for Squad XO Obergefreiter
race, gender, faith, or economic status. While College, and Hesperus University tend to be Trooper Gefreiter
learning and awareness that borders on what
this generally maintains the realm-wide need aristocrats of variable combat quality. For Senior Recruit Obersoldat
Fraykin already possess. This has resulted in
for conventional forces, support troops, and those of more limited means, however, some Recruit Soldat
fierce discussion over whether certain monsters
vehicle crews, however, periodic and regional of the Alliance’s more patriotic (or eccentric)
may possess souls the way humans and Frays
conscription drives or special incentives are often movers and shakers have developed their
do, and what to do about them if this is the case.
necessary to fill the ranks during times of eco- own avenues to produce well-trained soldiers
Religious fervor in the Alliance has been on the while also cashing in on the entertainment value of competition and blood sports. Examples of
nomic or military hardship. Complicating matters
rise since the Grand Archon became a devoted these “commonfolk-friendly” programs include the gladiator stables of Solaris VII, Noisiel’s School
are the currents of social stratification that con-
champion of the EisenKirche, which has led to a for Aspiring MechWarriors, and the Tharkad Technical Institute.
spire to keep those of lesser means from climbing
genuine call to “purify” these potential souls. This The high quality of the IDC’s BattleMechs, aerospace craft, and other materiel might be dulled by
the chain of command, where the wealthier and
spiritual mission has also prompted a renewed the limited capacity of its soldiers and officers, but the same cannot be said of its Abominations. The
better-connected hold sway. Without the support
interest in the affairs of the Marauder States and of generous sponsors or enough money to grease monsterkin that support the IDC’s BattleMech forces are frighteningly effective on the battlefield.
other destabilized regions within the Alliance the wheels, otherwise promising soldiers often While the debates rage over where the line lies for sentience and souls among the realm’s Grafted
borders where wayward and feral Abominations spend their entire careers locked in place or as- creations, the laboratories, ranches, and handling schools responsible for creating, raising, and
hold sway. signed to one ignominious post after another, maintaining the Alliance’s fighting beasts are accomplished masters of their trade. Without compro-
until they muster out early or die as cannon mising in the art of producing the best biotech killing machines possible, the Ironclad are perhaps
Military Might fodder. Of course, truly exceptional individuals more concerned than many with their monsters’ overall health and longevity. Alliance monsterkin
Once known as the Lyran Commonwealth can and do power through all this entrenched handlers often demonstrate more empathy for their charges than seen outside of the Golden Unity,
Armed Forces (LCAF), the Ironclad Defense Corps elitism from time to time, but this often requires and many will risk life, limb, and even their military careers to save the creatures they’ve formed
(IDC) is one of the largest and best-equipped as much luck as it does skill. a rapport with. While critics deride this kind of behavior as a bleeding-heart coddling of military
military commands. Indeed, shy of the UniStar Like other Great Realms, the Ironclad Alliance war beasts, others have noted that the Alliance monsterkins’ unmatched fearlessness, reliability,
Ascendancy’s USAG, with its exclusive access to maintains basic training facilities on most and devotion tell a different story.

44 45
 more than 125 systems. The Camerons made Richard Cameron and the rest of the Cameron

Terre Noire this possible through a mix of sophisticated

technologies, access to some of humanity’s most
industrialized systems, and unparalleled skills
Dynasty. In the fifteen-year war that followed,
both Amaris’ Rim Worlds Confederacy and the
Camerons’ Terran Hegemony perished, and with
(UniStar Ascendancy) in diplomacy, which often kept the neighboring them fell the Star League.
realms more focused on each other than they In the wake of the devastation, the remaining
It is easy to mistake the UniStar Ascendancy as a mere did on Hegemony affairs. Realm Lords paid only lip service to the notion of
continuation of the fallen Terran Hegemony (and the Terran This same preternatural talent enabled the restoring the Hegemony and the League. In 2780,
Alliance that preceded it), but in all the ways that matter, they Hegemony’s most visionary leader, Director- soon after agreeing to install Jerome Blake as the
are very different entities that happen to share similar roots General Ian Cameron, to forge the complex web League’s new Minister of Communications and
in history. In fact, the Ascendancy as we know it could not have of alliances that collectively gave birth to hu- effectively granting him full authority to restore
existed without the utter destruction of the Hegemony, and its manity’s greatest empire ever: the Star League. the interstellar networks destroyed Amaris’
Under the League’s banner, every world of the Hegemony reign, the Realm Lords stripped
evolution since has only proven that the ideals and power which once
Human Sphere would be united as never before, Peacekeeper-General Kerensky of his title, citing
forged the great Star League died in the fires of the Amaris Betrayal.
including the six Great Realms of the so-called his failure to stop the Traitor sooner. (That the
The Hegemony did not survive its fall and rise, like a phoenix, from the
Inner Sphere and the four minor states of the Realm Lords themselves also failed to hinder the
ashes; it perished, and in its place grew the dark, new order known today
Periphery. Though it required one more round Betrayer throughout the entire crisis evidently
as Terre Noire.
of fighting to achieve in the form of the so-called never occurred to them at the time.) Unable to
Reunification War, this grand experiment led
History directly to humanity’s greatest Golden Age of
agree on who should become the next First Lord
“Terra, home of the human race, sits naturally r a d i u s f r o m Te r r a , of the Star League, the Realm Lords returned to
technology and prosperity. And, naturally, with
at the heart of the Human Sphere. No matter whether those systems their homeworlds, leaving behind a ruined Terran
Terra at its heart, the Hegemony reaped the
how far and wide humankind spreads into the wanted such “freedom” Hegemony while their armies readied for war.
greatest rewards and used them to fuel the settle-
galaxy, this is the world of our birth, the source or not. The Demarcation It thus fell to Minister Jerome Blake and his
ment of hundreds more worlds and establish a
of all we have built, all of our good, and all of our Declaration, in addition to colleagues to pick up the pieces.
Sphere-spanning military designed to keep it
evil.” Thus begins the Word of Toyama, as writ- sending a great many fledg- Together with his closest aide, Conrad
all under control: the Star League Knights and
ten in the First Book of the Word, a foundational ling colonies into immediate Toyama, Blake met with the surviving indus-
Peacekeeper Army.
text to acolytes of the Ministry of Terre Noire. crisis, also sparked a second trialists and corporate elite of the Hegemony,
Unfortunately, much like the Terran Alliance
Like all things Terran, it carries a core of truth great exodus from Terra. In many of whom were already trying to restore
that preceded it, the Terran Hegemony’s compla-
but claims far too much credit for humanity’s the meantime, many proto- services and infrastructure on and around their
cency, greed, and overreach caused its downfall.
accomplishments: although Terra is the world states began to form; these After centuries of trying to squeeze the Periphery homeworlds. Through backroom deals and coor-
of humanity’s birth, it is certainly not the source would become the building states and the Great Realms for more of their dination with other agencies left operating after
of all evil and good in the universe. blocks of the future Human Sphere. wealth and autonomy while hoarding the lion’s Amaris’ downfall, Blake and Toyama formed a
Terra was the heart of the Terran Alliance, Corruption and decay finally sent the Terran share of the resources and technological gains semblance of civilization amid the wreckage
humanity’s first successful global government, Alliance into economic and social collapse by for the Hegemony, tensions across the League of history. As interstellar communications on
the original creators of portable nuclear fusion the 2310s. Within less than a decade, the Terran hit their breaking point. In the Periphery, a con- worlds throughout the Hegemony came back
power and the Kearny-Fuchida hyperspace drive. Alliance was no more, but the actions of an am- spiracy led by Consul Stefan Amaris of the Rim online, Blake and Toyama also prevailed on the
These inventions made possible the first true bitious Terran admiral, James McKenna, forced Worlds Confederacy built a military force large majority of Kerensky’s Peacekeeper troops to
human exodus to the stars. Within a century of its re-formation into the more stable Terran enough to smash the Hegemony itself, while the remain and guard the crippled realm they’d
the first hyperspace jump in 2107, close to 400 Hegemony. With peace forcibly returned to Realm Lords of the Inner Sphere moved against fought so hard to free from the Traitor’s grasp.
extrasolar colonies existed within ninety light- Terra itself, McKenna turned his focus toward each another in battles that grew increasingly Although Kerensky and many of his followers
years of Terra, with more developing in deeper the worlds beyond, ultimately persuading many more open. When a Periphery-wide rebellion fi- saw merit in their own plan to flee the Inner
space. The Alliance was determined to maintain neglected colonies to return to the fold. By 2320, nally erupted in 2765, sparked by yet another Star Sphere, Toyama convinced Kerensky’s deputy,
control over all these new worlds but soon dis- this gunboat diplomacy had grown the Hegemony League tax hike and fueled by decades of growing General Aaron DeChavilier, to stay behind, who
covered its reach far exceeded its grasp when into a forty-world state. As the Age of War pro- resentment, few beyond Terra were surprised. in turn persuaded more than half of the Star
widespread rebellions broke out in the 2230s. gressed, the Hegemony found itself surrounded As the Star League Knights and Peacekeepers League’s best and brightest warriors to also
Unable to defeat these insurgencies abroad while by the other Great Realms of the Human Sphere, under the command of Peacekeeper-General remain in the Human Sphere. Within less than
maintaining order at home, in 2242 the Alliance but under the leadership of the Cameron Dynasty, Aleksandr Kerensky deployed to quell the upris- three years, Blake, Toyama, and DeChavilier
cut off all colonies beyond a thirty-light-year the Hegemony’s empire eventually encompassed ings, the Traitor Amaris struck, killing First Lord managed to pull the worlds of the broken Terran

46 47
 Hegemony together under a new identity: the political, and human-interest essays allegedly
United Assembly of Stars. written by his predecessor in the years before
The alliance of conglomerates, power bro- his death. Although his public speeches largely
kers, and minor agencies that ran the Assembly focused on the business of the day, Toyama of-
was awkward and ungainly at first, lacking any ten interjected “Blake’s wisdom” to support his
coherent direction beyond their own immediate positions and soon cultivated many self-styled
survival. Even with Blake and Toyama in nomi- acolytes willing to do the same.
nal command of the newborn realm, its people By the time of Toyama’s death, the USA was
were shellshocked by the events of the last few enjoying an economic boon its worlds had not
decades, and news of the Great Realms’ march seen since before the fall of the Star League,
to war sparked frequent panic. But DeChavilier’s even as its Ascendant Guard found its hands
forces frequently carried the day against those full protecting the borders against incursions.
who dared to venture into Assembly space, and Although plans from Blake’s time proposed
as news of their victories spread, so too did a reconnecting its hyperpulse communications
sense of hope for the future. network to its neighbors in a spirit of peace and
The Endless War had barely started when diplomatic cooperation, the Realm Lords’ insis-
Jerome Blake died in 2819, but by then the tence on testing the Ascendancy’s sovereignty
United Assembly of Stars he had struggled so led to those plans being scrapped. Toyama’s
hard to build had already transformed itself time as Director (later Primus Omnium) of
into the UniStar Ascendancy. Led by neither the Ascendancy was thus spent on internal
hereditary rulers nor aimless attempts at open policy improvements, which included the ref-
democracy, the Ascendancy was an alliance of ormation of the military, the reintroduction of
carefully interwoven conglomerates tasked Grafting biotechnology, and the creation of the
with ensuring the safety, well-being, strength, realm-wide Department of Integrity as a uni-
and productivity of the worlds once claimed fied policing agency. His creation of the Blake
by the Terran Hegemony. Its military arm, ini- Institute of Terra as a site of what he termed
tially known as the Paladins of Terra and the “educational inspiration” also formed the foun-
Ascendant Guard, boasted the Human Sphere’s dation of the modern Ministry of Terre Noire.
most advanced BattleMechs, aerospace fight- Not until nearly fifty years after Toyama’s
ers, DropShips, and WarShips—all crewed by passing was it discovered that Toyama himself
soldiers hardened by the fighting against the was the primary author of the Word of Blake.
Traitor Amaris. Under DeChavilier’s successor, Despite this scandal, the spiritual movement
Paladin-General Elizabeth Hazen, the Ascendant behind the Word itself was entirely too strong
Guard had also grown more fanatical toward the to ignore. Adherents of “Blakism,” many hav-
duty of protecting their new home, driven by a ing come through the Blake Institute and its
hatred toward the Great Realms that she saw as satellite facilities throughout the Ascendancy,
complicit in the Hegemony’s demise. analyzed the documents and deconstructed
During the administration of Conrad the arguments against them to defend the
Toyama, soon after Blake’s death, the UniStar beliefs they had devoted their lives to. Their
Ascendancy developed the spiritual core it has to conclusions were sublime: if living their lives
this day. Long seen by many as a deeply religious by the Word of Blake still achieved the spiritual
man despite never endorsing any distinct faith strength to persevere in these dark days of
or church, Toyama deemed Blake a prophet and Endless War, it did not matter who wrote the
a saint for all his work on behalf of Terra and Word. And so it was that the Word of Blake
its people. In Blake’s name, he dedicated many gradually yielded before a subtle reformation
memorials, aid centers, and other great projects to become the Word of Toyama. Over the years,
throughout the Ascendancy. He also oversaw the this led to the creation of the Ministry of Terre
mass release and marketing of what he called Noire, which in turn eclipsed and absorbed
the Word of Blake, a collection of philosophical, the Blake Institute itself. As the Ascendancy’s

48 49
founder, Jerome Blake would never be forgot- today, the sheer history and diversity of culture which oversees adherence and violations of scrip- of BattleMechs, Abominations, combat vehicles,
ten, but the Word of Toyama now inspires the and tradition has been scoured away by multiple ture and the adjudication of edicts from the Word artillery, and infantry. Although the Terrans’
people of this realm. layers of technocracy and religious repression. of Toyama, is empowered to investigate possible military industrial complex has suffered almost
Individualism and initiative are encouraged signs of subversion and home-grown insurrec- as badly as their rivals’ throughout the Endless
Philosophy and Culture only as far as they may benefit the wealth and tion, with the authority to refer suspects to the War, the Ascendancy still benefits from the re-
Among the six Great Realms, the UniStar well-being of the USA and the Ministry’s Word. DOI on charges of “cultural treason” and similar mains of the old Terran Hegemony’s superior
Ascendancy is unique in that it is not ruled by Any form of thought or expression that exceeds offenses. As the latter agency is known to employ technology base. This has given the USAG the
generational nobility. Instead, its political system the realm’s stated policies risks the condemna- an army of deep-cover agents and whistleblowers, ability to field and maintain the most advanced
is built around a tightly interconnected network tion of heresy, for which the punishments can the mere hint of a nearby BPOE presence is often ’Mechs left in the Human Sphere, though their
of corporate agencies and bureaucratic depart- range from mind-numbingly banal to soul- enough to quash rebellious impulses throughout capacity to manufacture more declines with
ments all wedded to the Word of Toyama faith shatteringly evil. Ascendancy space. every passing decade.
Despite the cultural suppression, the rule of The use of medical Grafting on humans is Filling the ranks of the USAG is a trivial
and its Ministry of Terre Noire. The result is a
faceless committees, and the monolithic domi- widespread and broadly accepted within the matter for a realm that treats its subjects like
government best described as a corporate the-
nance of Terre Noire, standards of living across Ascendancy, but enhancement Grafting is far employees from the cradle to the grave. When
ocracy, where decisions are made by shadowy
the Ascendancy are the highest in the Human more tightly controlled, as is the creation, de- aptitude tests during youth training indicate
committees whose policies and practices border
Sphere. For instance, realm-wide unemployment velopment, and breeding of animal-based hybrid talents for fighting, tactics, and leadership, mili-
on the dogmatic and ritualistic. Those whose ef-
is effectively zero, as the laws and policies define biotech. Where other realms sometimes see tary service becomes an encouraged career path
forts most benefit the Ascendancy government
all those born within its borders as “citizen-em- Abominations used in the civilian sector, both for many, complete with added perks such as
and who stay truest to Terre Noire’s goals and
ployees.” An immensely well-funded educational UniStar and the Ministry of Terre Noire forbid interstellar travel, post-tour financial benefits,
ideals can rise through the ranks, regardless of
system ensures all children receive top-tier learn- all use of monstrous creatures outside of secu- and so forth. At the other end of the spectrum,
their socioeconomic origins, gender, or home-
ing that includes language arts, mathematical and rity, law enforcement, rescue services, and the troublesome or underperforming students are
world. Even the ultimate positions of leadership
scientific literacy, basic sociopolitical indoctrina- military. For humans who undergo Grafting, often steered toward remedial service in the
in the Ascendancy, the Primus Omnium and the
tion, and vocational training. Regular testing of the Ascendancy requires all citizen-employees Guard, if only to improve their discipline and
members of the Tabula Directoria, are chosen
all students, from the elementary level to the to submit to regular genetic testing to head off keep them from potentially disrupting their more
by internal committees based on performance
collegiate, establishes and refines their prepara- productive peers. Should these avenues prove
ratings and other factors, rather than by public potential corruption. Those whose genomes
tion for mutually gainful career opportunities in unable to keep up with the Ascendancy’s needs,
vote or familial lineage. diverge far enough from accepted human stan-
the Ascendancy, be it as part of the government, the realm’s government can simply reassign
Because their worlds include Terra and hu- dards to be considered Frayed are “reassigned” to
the Ministry, or any of the myriad commercial able-bodied citizen-employees of fighting age,
manity’s oldest colonies, the Ascendancy is the a different role in society. Most of the time, such
and industrial enterprises which bolster the an act that differs from the conscription drives
Human Sphere’s most industrialized and eco- reassignments come with severe restrictions on
realm’s common prosperity. For all those so em- of other states only in how swiftly and dramati-
nomically stable realm. Compared to all other lifestyle, such as isolation and sterilization, to
ployed—and, again, that’s essentially everyone cally it can be pulled off.
major powers, the Ascendancy has lost the fewest prevent the spread of errant genes. But less com-
born here—decent housing, food, and healthcare Basic military training in the USAG can begin
number of rogue systems to either lawlessness monly, a Frayed human might be reclassified as
are all enshrined rights, though the quality can anywhere in the realm, as both the Guard and
or Abominable corruption. This is particularly an Exalt—those whose modifications make them
certainly vary based on each citizen-employee’s the paramilitary DOI are taught using the same
fortunate for the Terrans, as they alone face ideal super-soldiers for special military and police
role in society. Hunger, homelessness, and sick- combat, first aid, and survival programs at fa-
threats from all sides. The near-continuous re- operations. Exalts tend to vanish entirely from
ness are thus kept to a minimum, realm-wide. cilities found in every district of nearly every
minders of this fact burn bright in the minds of regular society, and are never known to retire
Even those who break Ascendancy laws and find Ascendancy planet. For advanced training in
the Ascendancy’s people, and the resulting stark from their reassignments.
themselves imprisoned are cared for, as most the operation of battlefield vehicles, aerospace
sense of “us against the universe” keeps everyone criminal behaviors are punished through intense, craft, and even ’Mechs, most Ascendancy worlds
paranoid and clinging to their faith for salvation. labor-driven rehabilitation programs. Military Might offer a starter program sufficient to familiarize
Before the Endless War began, the worlds Two distinct policing agencies enforce the The UniStar Ascendant Guard (USAG) is often their trainees with the basics of such combat
of the UniStar Ascendancy were arguably the laws of the realm and the Ministry, both of which billed as the Ascendancy’s realm-wide “security units. However, since most of these programs
most cosmopolitan in all of the Human Sphere. double as combined paramilitary/intelligence ser- force” in their domestic media, but no matter are more geared to civil-service usage of similar
The Amaris Treason, the fall of the Star League, vices. For basic crime prevention, investigation, how much Terra Noire’s military tries to cling equipment (e.g., industrial transports, shuttlec-
and the subsequent rise of the Word of Toyama and judicial review, the Department of Integrity to the banal facade of a corporate apparatus, it raft, and WorkMechs), military students are run
have changed all that in the centuries since. (DOI) broadly covers capital offenses, matters of is no different than the standing armies of the through a condensed version of these courses
While a sense of the same generational pride civil law, and compliance with the Ascendancy’s other Great Realms. Supported by an armed before special evaluators then recommend ca-
and hubris from being inheritors to humanity’s endless bureaucratic rules and regulations. The transport fleet, aerospace fighters, and assault dets to a suitable specialty academy. In theory,
cradle remains evident among the Terrans even Blessed Protectors of Enlightenment (BPOE), ships, the USAG is a well-organized combat force this careful, test-driven approach to training,

50 51
evaluation, and referral ensures the soldiers
of the USAG are assigned to a military spe-
cialty that best fits their skill set, but even in
UniStar Ascendant Guard The Marauder States
the Ascendancy, such egalitarianism can run
(USAG) Military Ranks Their names and Outworlds, and the Canopian
headlong into the corrupting effects of bribery, Generic USAG Title numbers are legion. Magistracy, might have
Officers
blackmail, and other subtle forms of career- Their threat to civi- been counted among the
Commander-in-Chief Primus Omnium
path manipulation by those who refuse to let lization is palpable. Marauder ranks. But it was
General of the Army Primus Militaris
mere test results tell them where to go. All Corps Commander Legatus Ascendus
They are rebels, pirates, not until about half a century
the same, as inheritors of most of the Terran Division Commander Legatus Divisio and mutants—corruption into the Endless War that
Hegemony’s legacy, the Ascendency boasts Division XO Vicarius Divisio incarnate in a deterio- this name was applied to
the best war colleges and universities in the Brigade Commander Legatus Prefectus rating universe. And the swaths of worlds that
Human Sphere. These include not only the many Brigade XO Vicarius Prefectus sometimes, they’re al- vanished from interstel-
schools of the Terra-Sol system, like Sandhurst Regimental Commander Legatus Tribunus lies. When it comes to lar maps due to the sheer
Military College, North American War College Regimental XO Vicarius Tribunus the so-called Marauder neglect of their parent
of Terra, the Martian MechWarrior Academy, Battalion Commander Precentus Cohors States, it all depends on realms. By then, all contact
and Jupiter Naval Academy, but also Outreach Battalion XO Vicarius Cohors
who you’re talking to and between the Periphery and
Company Commander Adeptus Ascendus
Collegium Belli, Northwind University of War, which one of these unaffili- the Great Realms had com-
Company XO Adeptus Prima
the Dieron Military Institute, Thorin Aerospace ated worlds or groups you pletely broken down.
Lance Commander Adeptus Secunda
Warfare Academy, and the recently reopened happen to be talking about. One of the earliest recog-
MechWarrior/Pilot Mechanatus/Aeronautus
Sanglamore Academy on the former Ironclad Enlisted Marauder States can be nized Marauder States was
Alliance world of Skye. Regimental NCO Grandmaster Sergeant classified in any number of ways, the Canopian Covenant—a ten-
Outside of security, law enforcement, and Battalion NCO Master Sergeant but the two broadest recognized world slice of the Canopian Magistracy
rescue services, the USAG has exclusive au- Company NCO Senior Sergeant categories are autonomous minor that had been annexed by the Free Worlds
thority in the use of Abominations and other Platoon Commander Sergeant realms and exclusion zones. Autonomous League near the end of the Star League’s Golden
Grafting-based military biotech. While the Platoon XO Banner Corporal minor realms have some kind of unifying social Age. After abruptly severing all ties with the
beastly hybrids themselves are seen as little Staff NCO Senior Corporal
identity and civilization and are run by some Collective of the Violet Crux in 2837 due to de-
more than military equipment, they receive Squad Commander Corporal
form of government, though how unified or ef- cades of economic abuse, the Covenant became
Trooper Senior Associate
top-notch medical and cybernetics mainte- fective it all is can vary wildly from loose, tribal a sitting duck for pirates and soon collapsed into
Senior Recruit Associate
nance to ensure their effectiveness in battle. confederations to full-blown, dictatorial mini- anarchy. When the brigands picked a fight with
Recruit Probate
The Ascendancy even maintains several spe- kingdoms. Exclusion zones, on the other hand, the Crux soon after, the Collective’s response
cialized academies for training Abominations are completely lawless and wild, their social was swift and brutal, with ships and fighters
and their handlers, with one of the finest—and structures collapsed either because of a complete raining nukes and chemical weapons on most of
most brutal—being the Creature Collegium on Caph, where the best monstrosities regularly do failure of government or a cataclysmic chain of the Covenant worlds the pirates had claimed. By
battle with Grafting-augmented versions of Caph’s fiercest and most clever xenosaurs. Meanwhile, events that leave their populations teetering 2850, both the Covenant and its bandit overlords
Grafting-enhanced humans approved for military and special services (dubbed “Exalts” to separate on the edge of extinction. Regardless, minor were extinct.
them from “less useful” Frays) are trained to optimize their gifts for specific assignments. This can realms and exclusion zones can become havens The rise of the Marauder States is a solemn
include anything from augmented-pilot roles and special operations to exotic-environment war- for pirates and between-job privateers, and the testament to the rampant decay of the Human
fare and counterterrorism. The USAG is even known to share Abominations and Exalts with the open interstellar dominance of such ne’er-do- Sphere. For all the Great Realms’ political and
Ministry of Terre Noire, which maintains a special BPOE branch authorized to operate both inside wells and other rogue operators among these military power, the Endless War has shattered
and beyond the Ascendancy’s borders. Although publicly unacknowledged, this branch of Ministry systems and micro-regions earns them the title much of their interstellar infrastructure over the
enforcement is known as the Monstra Domini, and the true scope of its activities is largely unknown, of Marauder States. centuries. After the Star League dissolved and
even to many in the USAG’s High Command. the remnants of the Terran Hegemony fell under
the sway of a massive corporate state, each of
History
the League’s would-be successor states was left
No unifying history covers all of the Human
to maintain its own interstellar communications
Sphere’s various Marauder States. In times
and trade networks under the constant threat
past, perhaps even the fallen realms of the
of invasion and sabotage.
Periphery, such as the Rim Worlds Confederacy,
With JumpShips and HPGs among the weak-
the Taurian Republic (née Taurian Concord), the
est links holding most empires together, only

52 53
 a few well-placed deep raids were needed to a containment protocol and offered a ceasefire
isolate whole systems. As WarShips, factories, that allowed the Palatinate to exist as a buffer
and military bases vanished in nuclear fireballs state on the condition it did not strike other
during the early decades of Sphere-spanning Imperium systems or assist Alliance forces in
conflicts, national priorities were redirected doing so. Despite the Palatinate agreeing to the
toward holding whatever important resources Imperium’s terms in the name of survival, this
remained rather than repairing broken links to Marauder State’s politics and society remain
the many fringe worlds hit as part of one diver- heavily influenced by the ideals of the Ironclad
sionary strategy or another. Left to their own and its Realm of Blood and Steel. Many suspect
devices, systems that did not die out entirely it’s only a matter of time before the Palatinate
from lack of vital supplies turned to any means either attempts to voluntarily rejoin the Alliance
necessary for survival. For some, this meant on its own or is “forced” to do so by a decisive
forming new alliances with neighboring worlds. Alliance offensive. The Palatinate is also likely
For others, it meant scrounging or engaging in riddled with Imperium spies in anticipation of
piracy. And for those that could do neither, it just such an event.
meant turning completely inward and hoping Near the heart of the Violet Crux, the New
the wars would just pass them by. Olympian Conclave is another autonomous
To the realms they once belonged, most of power that emerged during a brutal enemy
these broken-link systems were nearly forgotten invasion. But where the Palatinate suffered
or were dismissed as minor losses that could under years of conquest before rising in re-
be recouped and restored once the major fight- bellion, the Conclave emerged in the chaotic
ing ended. But the fighting never truly ended, aftermath of a terror campaign exacerbated by
and so the Marauder States linger on. At the a seemingly indifferent Collective government
dawn of the thirty-first century, roughly eighty and a complete breakdown in local interstellar
contact. Even today, despite its roots as part
such wayward worlds and world-groups now
of the Collective’s Atrean Commonwealth, the
exist within the Human Sphere, in addition to
Conclave holds a deep-seated hatred toward
hundreds of worlds so devastated by war and
the High Princes of Regulus and has vowed to
collapse that they no longer appear on maps.
remain apart from the realm until new leader-
ship is crowned. In the meantime, trade and
Philosophies and Cultures travel through this mini-state is fraught with
Although some of these breakaway realms danger for all foreigners.
have respectable governments, most Marauder For a textbook example of what a modern
States are a chaotic and crumbling mix of pi- pirate haven looks like, one needs to look no
rates, outlaws, and would-be warlords. For every further than the Isles of Westerhand, near the
functional independent power like the League rimward edge of the Golden Unity. This three-
of Altais and the Tamar Palatinate, dozens of world Marauder State—if it can be considered a
devastated worlds wallow in anarchy and hor- “state” at all—is a region controlled exclusively
ror like Helheim and the Atlas Void. through fear and violence perpetrated by at
The Tamar Palatinate, for example, began as least five known bandit groups. The largest
part of the Ironclad Alliance that the Draconic band, the Byzantium Aquilae, commands a
Imperium severed from the rest of its realm in fleet of four armed JumpShips, almost fifty
a devastatingly successful invasion. But while DropShips, and nearly two regiments of aero-
the Imperium managed to hold the region for space fighters. The Aquilae also possess at least
a time, heavy resistance broke out as the SBD four battalions of BattleMechs and three bat-
pushed even farther into Alliance space. Rebels talions of Abominations “liberated” from both
managed to push the Imperium entirely off the Violet Collective and the Golden Unity. The
several worlds before the SBD, desperate to strength of the Isles’ pirates has prompted
avert an Alliance counteroffensive, switched to both the Collective and the Unity to approach

54 55
them with offers of legitimacy through letters of
marque, but the Aquilae hate both realms with
equal ferocity, publicly murdering any among
type can even raise and maintain such forces,
which tend to be pulled together from whatever
assets the local industries can provide or what
Privateers
their ranks who accept such an offer. In the their own people can trade for and capture from In times past, the concept of fight- who didn’t trade in their weapons
meantime, Westerhand’s bandits have struck enemies. ing for money alone was derided for a life in more legitimate lines
worlds as far away as Oriente, Spica, and Hexare. Because even the largest Marauder States as uncivilized, suicidal, or a little of work either broke up and be-
Even more lawless, of course, are those lack the infrastructure and industry necessary bit of both. This type of profes- came smaller bounty-hunting
Marauder States that aren’t really states at all, to support the construction of JumpShips, large sional soldiery, also known as affairs or turned to piracy and
but worlds that have utterly devolved into com- aerospace craft, or BattleMechs, most of their the mercenary trade, was a organized crime. What little
plete collapse. In bygone days, many of these military and paramilitary forces tend to con- way to make a living, sure, remained of the mercenary
systems would simply vanish from the maps sist of basic ground armor and infantry with but no legitimate government industry by the waning de-
altogether, but today’s cartographers are a bit air power limited to atmospheric and subor- or respectable business con- cades of the Star League’s
more lenient; after all, even an ash-choked failure bital craft only. For similar reasons, advanced glomerate was likely to see a existence was forever sullied
of human settlement can still be worth fighting combat-training facilities beyond boot camps mercenary as more than an and vilified as they became
for if someone is still living there. A lot of these are all but unheard of, resulting in troops that unreliable, deniable asset in tools of the Traitor Amaris
are cheap sources of slave labor for the desper- lack formal training for any advanced technolo- some underhanded campaign or and his violent destruction of
ate and the unscrupulous living outside the laws gies, let alone the tactics that can maximize or covert strike. Soldiers who lack mankind’s Golden Age.
of the surrounding Great Realms. Others may be neutralize their advantages. patriotism can always turn traitor Regardless, in the wake of
“seasonal” bases of operations for covert forces, When it comes to Abominations and the for a bigger payout, taking with the Star League’s destruction,
privateers, and pirates. biotech behind them, most Marauder States are them all the equipment and intel the six Great Realms saw a new
But the scariest of all the collapsed and forgot- equally ill-equipped to field much in the way of their former employers provided age of war on the horizon, and all
ten worlds are the exclusion zones, the systems either, but many Marauder States, ironically, for the mission at hand. Moreover, scrambled to ready for it. In addition
overrun by the worst of humanity’s castoffs: have access to monsters anyway. Whether they most mercenaries tend to start out as to crash programs aimed at rearmament
wild Abominations and Frays, gone feral and left are trained beasts native to their worlds’ own renegades who renounced their leaders and the resumption of the long-shuttered
to breed. Whoever lives in exclusion zones are ecosystems or the result of Grafting-corrupted and homelands, which does little to counter production of combat Abominations, the Realm
lost souls, eking out a harsh, bitter existence in species dropped among them generations ago, this perception of untrustworthiness. Lords turned greedy eyes toward the remnants of
a place completely abandoned by the universe a surprising number of Marauder States have the Star League Knights and Peacekeeper Armies.
around it. These worlds have regressed to the harnessed such creatures to augment their History Even after the war against Amaris, the Knights
most primitive means of survival, their civiliza- defenses. The mercenary trade boomed during the Age and Peacekeepers were not only the largest
tions destroyed by invaders and left to the mercy A Marauder State’s military forces can often of War, when the rebellion of colony worlds and and best-equipped military force in the Human
of corrupted biotech and the fallout from nuclear be supplemented by privateers, pirates, and po- the breakdown of the Terran Alliance left many Sphere, but they were also the most experienced.
and chemical weaponry. What lingering remnants tential agencies of Great Realms who have taken far-flung outposts abandoned in a universe of Within months of stripping Peacekeeper-General
of humanity remain here struggle daily against an interest in them for one cause or another. rapidly evolving interstellar politics and power Aleksandr Kerensky of his titles and command, the
horrors beyond number. Naturally, when it comes to such unpredictable plays. While some leaders raised nations and various Realm Lords courted him and his loyal sol-
elements, the strength and reliability of these armies, the rise and fall of warlords left even diers to join their own militaries. Through naked
Military Might “assets” can vary greatly. And matters only grow more orphaned military commands to eke out bribery and blackmail, the royal Houses absorbed
Marauder State militaries worthy of the ti- thornier and more volatile if feral Abominations their own existence, forcing them to rely on several decimated Star League regiments, while
tle run the gamut from local militias and and Frays enter the mix, as has been evident in the only thing they were ever trained to do. To others were won over as “independent contrac-
heavily armed constabularies to barely extreme outliers like Helheim and the Atlas build their militaries, many of the polities that tors”—mercenaries. It was during all this that
organized street gangs and roving Void, where such monstrosities have eventually became part of the Great Realms and Kerensky decided to leave the Human Sphere
packs of bandit raiders. organized enough to seize power the far-flung states of the Periphery managed behind, taking with him into what he called his
By and large, only inde- over whatever humanity remains. to absorb a lot of these wandering troops, but “Great Retirement” all the Star League troops,
pendent powers stable never all of them. officers, and dependents as would go with him.
enough to maintain a With the birth of the Star League, the mer- Their departure heralded the outbreak of the
government of some cenary trade became obsolete—at least on the Endless War.
surface. Peace between the various realms and The Star League Knights and Peacekeeper
the creation of the Star League Knights and Armies who remained in the Human Sphere
Peacekeeper Armies made it difficult to earn but did not pledge themselves to Jerome Blake’s
a profit fighting someone else’s wars. Mercs newborn United Assembly of Stars were left

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 to their own devices. Some simply disbanded may be prosecuted as unaffiliated terrorists
and went home to their families. Many others and criminals for actions that exceed the more
joined the various other realms for reasons “civilized” rules of war.
of their own. The rest became free agents, Privateer services are bought and sold under
selling their services to whoever could match letters of marque, which serve as mercenary
their price without submitting wholly to any contracts that define the privateers’ approved
one nation’s command. But they didn’t enter targets and theaters of operation. These letters
the market alone: leftovers of Amaris’ fallen also define the employer’s terms for compensa-
Rim Worlds Confederacy and fragments of the tion and their share of plunder the privateers
other crumbling Periphery state militaries, claim during their operations while under con-
shattered during the Star League Civil War, tract. Noncompete and nondisclosure clauses
soon joined them. are also a common feature of modern letters
In the chaotic first century of the Endless of marque, to discourage double-dealing and
War, when great WarShips still lurked among remind independent operators that there are
the stars and weapons of mass destruction were punishments attached to acts of treachery.
thrown about more freely than today, many For all the legal terms, however, the fact
of these newly formed mercenary commands remains that very little differentiates a pri-
operated more like pirates and terrorists than vateer from a pirate in the eyes of the Great
professional soldiers. Although they fought Realms these days. Indeed, without a current
ostensibly for money, many carried a burning and active letter of marque binding them to a
hatred for one or more of the interstellar states, legitimate power or organization, privateers
be it for their political indifference during the can face summary execution if they run afoul
Amaris years or for some other perceived, un- of police and security forces. For this reason,
forgivable affront. Many mercenary groups even most privateers travel in tight-knight groups
and try to stay mobile, resulting in a nomadic
hated one another and went out of their way to
existence where “home” is little more than the
pick contracts that could give them a chance to
cramped cabin of an aging DropShip.
hash out their vitriol on the battlefield. Many
There are no standards by which all pri-
of the former Peacekeepers and Rim Worlders
vateers can be readily classified, save perhaps
even possessed their own WarShips and spent
their ready access to some form of interstellar
much of their time plundering commercial traf-
travel. Privateers who lack personal JumpShips
fic in their free time, either to enrich themselves
are simply too easy to track down and destroy,
or to further their employers’ strategic goals.
and it’s not uncommon for those that have
Although on paper, these “legitimate” warriors
been marooned or otherwise run to ground to
and their crews were called independent con-
surrender themselves in the hope of clemency.
tractors, bounty hunters, and mercenaries, the
Outfits that survive such an eventuality, perhaps
catchall term that stuck, borne of their more
because they impressed those who caught up to
egregious outlaw behavior, was one coined in
them, may find new benefactors who provide
popular media: privateers. transport assets, or they may find themselves
absorbed wholesale into a new military com-
Philosophies and Cultures mand. Of course, they are far more likely to find
Since the mid-2800s, those who fight on the themselves dangling from the end of a rope for
payroll of a government or corporate entity all their troubles, so most trapped privateers
without being citizens of that entity are known tend to die fighting, taking down as many of
as privateers. Although no one international their would-be executioners as they can.
law exists to cover them, most of the Great Despite legends to the contrary, there is no
Realms treat privateers as independent opera- such thing as a Privateers’ Code that all roam-
tors whose actions may be associated with the ing warriors live by. Most privateers are little
intentions of their current employer, but who more than bandits who picked a side and now

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get paid for what they were likely going to do
anyway. But others take pride in their lineage
grab bag of scoundrels from across the ethnic,
cultural, and social strata of the entire Human BattleMechs
and MechWarriors
and make a show of being professional soldiers, Sphere. Disgraced nobles gone rogue, backwater
complete with clearly defined doctrines and rules farmhands with severe wanderlust, cashiered
of engagement. And then there are those who soldiers fresh from prison, crime lords looking
look and behave more like ragtag adventurers for a new racket, bona fide pirates trying to “go The technologies that gave rise to today’s cockpit sits, are mounted heavy, armor-piercing
on some personal quest all their own, accepting straight” the only way they know how—the list BattleMechs were already under development weapons, from lasers and particle beams to au-
whatever letters of marque might allow them can go on forever. There are even many privateers when the first Abominations appeared on the tocannons and missile launchers.
to pursue their goals. Whatever their cause, who didn’t seek this way of life to begin with but interstellar stage. Since BattleMechs debuted in I n t h e g l o r y d ays o f t h e S t a r L e a g u e ,
history, and methods, privateers are armed and were forced into it at gunpoint, kidnapped from the 2400s, many have come to see these walking, BattleMech technologies reached their peak,
dangerous individuals whose loyalties lie with no their old lives as hostages or “free labor,” only to fusion-powered titans of war as humanity’s most with extralight engines and improved armor
legitimate realm in the Human Sphere. No mat- become acclimated to privateering after years effective weapons. Larger and heavier than most and internal structure systems clearing the way
ter how storied or honorable a privateer might of adventure and brutal conditioning. Abominations, BattleMechs can carry more ar- for superior weaponry and hyperefficient heat-
be, theirs is a life that revolves around endless Because privateers tend to lack the resources maments and armor while navigating the same exchange systems. Vast armies of ’Mechs, in a
death and devastation, all for the sake of very of even the smallest political power, there are harsh battlefields at greater speeds. With their dizzying range of shapes, sizes, and specialties,
little beyond wealth and infamy. no dedicated training facilities, academies, fac- human pilots, the MechWarriors, their awesome kept the Star League’s peace on every frontier.
tories, or breeding grounds available to them to power remains under tighter control, eliminating But the Amaris Betrayal and the Endless War
raise new troops, equipment, and monsters. As a the danger of blind rampancy and the corrup- brought with it a new age of unrestricted war-
Military Might result, privateer groups that suffer heavy losses
Beyond access to interstellar travel, privateers tion of biotech. fare that saw the advanced industries behind
are often forced to dissolve or merge into other Tanks, infantry, and Abominations alike all these wonders obliterated, mostly in the flash
are incredibly variable in terms of strength, outfits to survive. To recoup losses sustained fall before the supremacy of the BattleMech. No of fusion bombs. Today, all that remains of these
training, and numbers. While all privateers are while trying to make a living, privateers must other triumph of human military technology Golden Age titans are mere shadows of the Star
presumed to be of military or paramilitary origins rely on salvage and plunder, hired (or abducted) today is as effective as these metal giants. Short League’s ingenuity, downgraded to make use of
and can be expected to have some competency replacement personnel, and whatever gear and of nuclear weapons and the orbital bombard- whatever equipment the Great Realms can still
in the use of modern weaponry, this is not a munitions are purchasable through the com-
ment of long-extinct WarShips, the only thing repair, replace, and maintain.
guarantee. Solo privateers can readily ply their mercial and black markets.
that can match a BattleMech’s sheer might is However, modern BattleMechs are more than
trade as little more than freelance scouts, bounty Abominations and Frays are not unheard of
another ’Mech. enough to carry on the fight.
hunters, or even consultants who spend more among privateer groups, but the biotech and
time talking about facts, figures, and tactical op- lifelong training necessary to create, maintain,
tions than doing any real fighting. Scamming in and raise them properly—to say nothing for the BattleMechs Light BattleMechs
this line of work isn’t uncommon, but treachery, Derived from the clunkier, hydraulic-driven Light ’Mechs typically top the scales at 35 tons
food costs—can be extremely prohibitive. For an
when found out, can quickly lead a dishonest independent operation always on the go, a lance IndustrialMechs that preceded them, BattleMechs in total mass and are best known for speed over
privateer to a grisly end. of battlefield Abominations can easily cost more are bipedal or quadrupedal constructions that firepower. These units are noticeably smaller
The lawless nature of the privateer life means than an equal number of BattleMechs while of- stand anywhere from seven to sixteen meters in than their heavier kin, with few standing more
just about anyone with the will and the resources fering far less return on the investment. Thus, height. Powered by internal fusion reactors and than nine meters in height, and their armor is
to fight for pay may do so. Even the most destitute the most cost-effective privateer forces tend to massing up to 100 tons (or more, in theory), they correspondingly thin. While some speedsters
can take a crack at the privateer life, if they’re focus their strength mainly around ’Mechs and are built around skeletons made from layered in this category, like the Locust and the Jenner,
lucky enough to find an outfit willing to take them rely on aerospace craft and ground vehicles for alloys optimized for the stress of high-impact make excellent scouts, others are optimized for
in. As a result, many privateer groups look like a extra fire support. combat. Using an advanced system of synthetic the close-quarters fighting of urban and wooded
musculature known as myomers, a sophisticated environments. Prime examples of the latter in-
series of actuators, and the balance of well-pro- clude the plodding, 30-ton UrbanMech, and the
tected gyroscopic stabilizers, BattleMechs can incendiary, anti-infantry Firestarter.
move with a lumbering grace that mimics the
strides, posture, and gestures of humanoids and Medium BattleMechs
animals. Protecting these bones, muscles, and BattleMechs of the medium weight class
joints are plates of multi-alloyed armor woven mass 40–55 tons. Typically known for their bal-
through with sensors that keep the pilot apprised ance between mobility, armor, and firepower,
of their integrity. On this armored chassis, be it these ’Mechs are the most common seen across
on the limbs, the body, or even the head where the Human Sphere, and they represent the real

60 61
workhorses of any fighting force. True exem- King Crab. At 100 tons each and bristling with
plars of these machines are the Wolverine and weaponry and armor, both machines can drop
the Shadow Hawk, which both offer a good com- many of their lighter kin within a volley or two.
promise in speed, resilience, and punch without
excelling in any one area. More remarkable MechWarriors
specimens include the surprisingly agile Phoenix
Those who pilot BattleMechs are seen as
Hawk and the low-slung, quadrupedal Scorpion.
the noble face of their realm’s military, the elite
warriors who do battle like brave knights in
Heavy BattleMechs giant suits of weaponized armor. But in truth,
Heavy ’Mechs are built for sustained fighting these MechWarriors are mere specialist soldiers
at the front lines. Weighing from 60–75 tons, entrusted with their walking war machines to
these units are hard pressed to keep up with
defend the causes of their nation. Given the
any of their lighter brethren, but they rarely
technology at their disposal and the complex
need to. After all, machines of such tonnage can
training required to effectively use it in battle,
afford to pack some of the largest battlefield
nearly all MechWarriors are officers by default,
weaponry available, from particle projector
so a certain degree of authority comes with the
cannons and large lasers to racks of long-range
job, but not until the days of the Star League
missiles that few opponents can outrun. With
were many among them glorified with titles,
armor to match this kind of firepower, heav-
ies like the popular Marauder can weather the trappings, and sometimes even the power of
brunt of an enemy’s fire and dish it back out in nobility.
greater measure, while sniper specialists like Over the centuries of war, the combination
the Rifleman back them up from farther afield. of MechWarriors’ elevated status, their high de-
mand, and the growing shortage of BattleMechs
has resulted in a great many pilots who person-
Assault BattleMechs
At the top of the weight classes loom the ally own their machines. Whether claimed as
mighty assault ’Mechs. Built as much for in- gifts from grateful lords or as prizes taken in
timidation as for sheer power, these behemoths battle, these ’Mechs have been handed down as
weigh 80 tons or more, and few stand shorter heirlooms over multiple generations. Thus arose
than ten meters high. At such masses, their the MechWarrior families, whose identities have
battlefield reactors can barely manage a gait become as linked to their BattleMechs as they
faster than fifty kilometers per hour, but when are to names and blood. Competition within
one is the king of the battlefield, one never and between MechWarrior families can become
needs to run. While few assault ’Mechs are as fierce and brutal as siblings vie for their right
iconic as the skull-faced Atlas, other terrors in to pilot the family’s ’Mech, while jealous rivals
this category include the hulking and exotic seek to capture or destroy these machines.

62 63
 Abominations, Great and Small
The monstrosities known as Abominations or living tree bark for an extra-tough hide while
are creatures or people specially modified for also receiving gills or an amphibian respiratory
combat or other extreme labors. Seen almost system for extended underwater operations.
universally as monstrous products of mad bio- If the host creature is hardy enough to sur-
science and cybernetics, Abominations possess vive the process, and its Grafting is successfully
an undeniable strength and resiliency. applied, another round of AOP infusions com-
monly stabilizes the resulting hybrid down to
Grafting its genetic level. To reinforce such creatures for
At the core of all Abominations are the modi- hard labor or combat, mechanical prosthetics,
fied xenogenetic infusions commonly referred to myomer implants, and other cybernetics may
as Grafting. A twisted masterpiece of bioscience, then be required, and the beasts are trained to
Grafting employs a series of adaptive, omnimor- use their customized equipment. In this way,
phic parasites (AOPs) to fuse traits and features some of these monstrosities can attain sufficient
from multiple life-forms into a single organ- size and mass to potentially match BattleMechs
ism, regardless of biological incompatibilities. under normal gravity.
Instead of scientists tailor-editing the genes of a As the final product of this bioscience is an
single creature in a lab to create a viable hybrid, inherently unnatural and frequently horrific
the AOPs used in Grafting shortcut the process monstrosity, beasts that have undergone Grafting
thanks to their abilities to absorb and replicate are commonly called Abominations.
neighboring bio-structures while retaining their Although most Abominations created over
own distinctiveness as they grow. The results the past six and a half centuries have focused
work as a kind of “cellular cement” that facilitates on nonhuman hosts, humans have undergone
a near-seamless surgical bonding of biological fea- Grafting from time to time. In some cases, this is
tures from other life-forms—even if such forms for medical emergencies, such as when repairing
come from radically different species or ecosys- extensive organ damage in an absence of viable
tems. An otherwise land-dwelling, mammalian human donors, but in other cases, Abominable
host creature can thus be granted reptilian scales humans—some hailing from their societies’ more

64 65
undesirable elements, but many more volunteer- or chimpanzee. After an Abomination’s final AOP with enough cockpit space to accommodate a To control their breeding in the past, many
ing on patriotic grounds—were developed for infusions stabilize its physicality, lengthy training monster-handler passenger. Frayed were sterilized as part of their trans-
augmented labor or battlefield use. In the worst regimens teach the beast how to follow com- An additional weakness, common to an over- formation. Even in the days when Grafting
cases, such altered humans were the result of an mands and interpret data through its implants whelming majority of all Abominations, has also was least restricted, the existential threat of
AOP-laced biochemical attack, indiscriminately while surviving and fighting on the modern proven useful to their training and control: ultra- nonhuman contamination mixing into the
launched against a hapless population. Regardless battlefield. Typical regimens instill Abominations violet hypersensitivity. This flaw is a common, human gene pool was broadly recognized.
of how they were created, Abominable humans with the ability to perform silent and graceful unavoidable side effect of the Grafting process, It was one thing to breed and release scores
tended to become outcasts, even among their movements and the means to quickly recognize intrinsic to the AOPs that bind each monstrous of quasi-demonic monster hybrids against
own compatriots. Because their final forms how and where to hit a moving BattleMech, be it hybrid together. By the time most combat an enemy world, but few wanted to risk ac-
reincorporated all their Grafting down to the with steel-reinforced claws or any ranged weap- Abominations hit the field, the rigors of train- cidentally replacing humankind itself in the
generic level, they were no longer seen as purely ons they’re equipped with. Particularly smart ing have already acclimated the creatures to the bargain. Despite these efforts, many shattered
human anymore. These unfortunates are known worst of this condition, but the sensitivity never and poisoned planets throughout the Human
creatures can even be trained to communicate
as the Frayed. goes away completely. This gives trainers and Sphere are now riddled—if not dominated—by
directly with humans, be it through gestures
Grafting and Abominations of all types have handlers a means to subtly guide their charges whole populations of Frayed who’ve somehow
and body language or whatever vocalizations
been controversial ever since they were first without resorting to the more extreme options. managed to breed and survive. Moreover, cen-
they can manage.
developed in 2352 by the infamous Free Worlds turies of debate over the rights and place of the
Combat Abominations that pass muster after
League xenobiologist Josiah Medlesson. But while all the Grafting and training are typically cloned The Frayed Frayed alongside humankind have undermined
several attempts were made to legislate the use Unlike creature-based Abominations, human- even the most earnest attempts to keep Frays
in batches or allowed to procreate directly with from procreating.
and limits of such extreme biotech, none of these based monsters are far less beastly than their
others of similar type. These methods not only The Star League era saw extra concerted
efforts coalesced into a Sphere-wide ban until the larger kin, and are completely self-aware, which
produce scores of near-identical creatures with- efforts to forbid or sharply curtail the creation
Star League’s peak in the mid-2600s. Even then, allows them to function without the constant
out starting from square one, but also provide the and reproduction of Frayed, for any reason.
loopholes for medical and research purposes al- presence of a handler. Their human-level intel-
beasts’ masters with opportunities to observe, The laws and customs adopted during those
lowed the technology to persist in some sectors, ligence and physicality generally enable them
improve, and enhance them over subsequent centuries sought to head off the legal and moral
albeit in a heavily restricted capacity. to operate weapons and machines just as well
generations. as any unmodified warrior, while possessing questions certain to follow any emergence of
It thus came as no surprise when Abom-
some superhuman advantages in extreme condi- a new, sentient parahuman species. In most
inations returned to the battlefield en masse
soon after the Star League’s collapse. Abomination tions. Nonetheless, their existence poses serious states, many of these policies remain in effect,
Control and Handling existential and ethical questions, with many but some realms—such as the Golden Unity and
considering their mere existence an affront to its Celestial Throne—have allowed these practices
Combat Abominations As a safety measure against potential ber-
nature and gods alike, while others debate the to fade away in favor of what they see as a more
The larger monsters made for combat run serker rampages or other dangerous acts of
best way to normalize them. enlightened and inclusive mindset.
anywhere from human-sized insectoids and semi- overt disobedience, all Abominations, even those
humanoid mammalians to hybridized megafauna made for noncombat duties, are implanted with
big enough to square off against BattleMechs. fail-safe devices that can be activated remotely
Abominations like these, built and enlarged as by authorized personnel. While most fail-safes
needed through extensive Grafting, are among either incapacitate or inflict varied levels of pain
the deadliest creatures in the Human Sphere. for training and warning purposes, deadlier con-
They are also the most heavily augmented by trols are often used for many of the bigger, more
implants and prosthetics, which provide the extra dangerous, and less reliable monsters.
structural support and sensory aids necessary The secured communications implants used
for effectiveness on the battlefield. And while mainly by the Abominations’ trainers and han-
many feature armaments fused to their very flesh dlers to relay commands to them also ensure
and bones, harness-mounted weaponry provides access to these fail-safe devices. Even so, most
larger Abominations with even more firepower. handlers must remain relatively close to their
Like most Abominations, those made for charges so they can observe and react to chang-
battle use clever, tamable creatures as the host ing conditions or abrupt signs of deviation in real
on which all other Grafting is fused. As such, even time. This is especially true for Abominations
the most hulking and ponderous among them is meant to work alongside BattleMechs, and it is
at least as smart and responsive as a Terran dog one of the main reasons most ’Mechs are built

66 67
Realm of Realm of the Blazing Light
the Blood Dragon (Shining Kingdoms of Avalon)
(Draconic Imperium)

68 69
Realm of the Realm of the Endless Dynasty
Celestial Throne (Collective of the Violet Crux)
(Golden Unity)

70 71
 Realm of
Blood and Steel
(Ironclad Alliance)

72