Theravis
A Knight for those Suffering
- Location
- West Michigan
View: https://youtu.be/PAGY4UMScyU
During the 22nd and early 23rd centuries humankind colonized planets in a roughly 500 light year arc radiating from Earth, an area known as the Inner Sphere. After 2242, when Mother Terra cut her ties to all colonies over thirty light years away, the newly independent worlds began merging by force or diplomacy into interstellar states. By 2366 five such nations, each ruled by a Great House that became synonymous with its realm's name, had arisen to control most of the Inner Sphere, with the powerful Terran Hegemony at its core.
Intermittent warfare between these states became chronic from 2398 until the 2550s. Early in this Age of War, the Terran Hegemony created Battlemechs, giant mechanical bipedal titans that would soon became the dominating force on the battlefields of the Inner Sphere.
During the mid-26th century, the Terran Hegemony formed the Star League, uniting all of the Inner Sphere in a single alliance, and humanity entered a Golden Age for two centuries. Then Stephan Amaris, the Usurper, killed the First Lord and took power for himself. The Star League Defense Force (SLDF) turned on the usurper and defeated him, only for the other national leaders of the Star League to start fighting each other over the right to succeed to the throne. Disgusted and hoping to limit the coming war's devastation, General Aleksandr Kerensky of the SLDF took most of his army with humanity's best weaponry into unknown space, leaving the nobles to fight out their differences in devastating wars.
For three centuries, the five self-proclaimed Successor States fought for dominance, while the Earth-based semi-religious organization known as ComStar, formed by the remains of Star League's Department of Communications, publicly remained neutral. During these three centuries of total war, humankind lost a considerable amount of knowledge, now called Lostech, in some ways blowing itself back into the Industrial Age.
In this time of future feudalism, you were born into a noble family, sworn to one of the Great Houses of the successor states. Living in the hostile days of the Third Succession War, close to Terra, it is your goal merely to survive these dangerous times with your house intact, and if you can, prosper.
GMs:
The Disembodied Spirit of Stephen Amaris: @Theravis
Comstar First Primus: @IcePickLobotomy
The Discord is HERE: Join the The Bleping Kobold Tavern Discord Server!
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING. IF YOU ASK A QUESTION COVERED HERE, I WILL TELL YOU TO READ THE OP AGAIN.
Welcome to Fear and Loathing in the Inner Sphere, my return to GSRP GMing and hopefully an entertaining game of space feudal politics set in Battletech's Introtech period, the late 3rd Succession War. The starting year is 3004, the war has raged on and off for 138 years, and society is more fractured, regressed and unstable than ever before.
Rules:- Please request review of reports in private and calmly. If you cannot do so, I will ignore it. Repeated whining makes the GM write shittier war reports.
- Please read all the systems. If you have a question or contribution not covered in the rules, feel free to ask or suggest it politely.
- Orders will be expected 1 week from the announcement of a new turn. Offensive military orders are expected 3 days before that, or 4 days after the new turn.
- Include me in all game - related PMs. If I'm not in them, they didn't happen IC.
- Sarna is your friend.
- Be excellent to each other.
- Federated Suns
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The Federated Suns presents an interesting contrast between what it stands for and its actions. On the one hand, citizens of the Federation enjoy many freedoms denied to people elsewhere in the Inner Sphere and beyond: the freedom to express themselves, to worship how they please, to participate in government and join political parties. Even the less well-off will take pride in their constitutional rights and contrast it with what they see as virtual slavery suffered by those in similar circumstances in neighboring realms. However, a deeper look at the actions and history of the Suns casts doubts on their claim of democratic ethics. Idealism has often had to give way to practicality, with the stratification of society (especially with regards to the influence of the warrior-elite) making the Suns less open to pure democracy than claimed. Economic disparity between the rich and poor is greatly pronounced within the Suns, with the wealthy taking little heed of those in need (whether because they believe everyone lives prosperously or have only themselves to blame for their condition).
The Federated Suns has traditionally been the most powerful and largest of the Successor States to occupy the Inner Sphere. From their ancestral home of New Avalon, the scions of House Davion have ruled the Federated Suns since its founding by Lucien Davion in 2317. While tracing their family line to French and English nobility of ancient Terra and ruling as constitutional monarchs, the Davions have always positioned themselves and the Federated Suns as champions of liberty and personal freedoms in the Inner Sphere. This view has bred a sense of righteousness in the Davion cause, serving as both a source of strength and weakness during their history.
Part of the blame rests in the sheer size of the Federation: the realm includes over 500 inhabited star systems spread over hundreds of light-years of space, presenting a task which would strain most social services. This is not helped though by the fact that military expenditures make up a significant portion of the national budget, leaving relatively little left over for other services. A promilitary attitude reinforced by public education means few are willing to criticize this state of affairs or acknowledge it as a problem. Indeed, pride in both their freedoms and the military which defends it lends many Federation citizens towards arrogance, believing their way of life morally superior and looking down on those who have yet to adopt their enlightened ways.
This dichotomy can also be seen in the Federation's educational system. Despite the ravages of the Succession Wars, in 3025 the Federated Suns boasted 50 universities and other institutes of higher education, all regarded as the best learning centers in the Inner Sphere. At the same time, the Federated Suns have historically had the lowest education attainment rate of any of the Successor States. With public education largely in the hands of local governments, this has naturally lead to different opportunities and outcomes available. As such, while someone living on one of the 'Golden Worlds' might have access to the best academies money can buy, a person living in the undeveloped Outback might be lucky to have access to even primary education. Efforts like the Vagabond Schools to combat this issue have met with mixed results.
The Federated Suns is committed to allowing freedom of religion to its citizenry, and while a variety of old and new faiths are practiced, six of them are regarded as more prominent than the others. The largest is Christianity, with many different sects largely split between Protestantism and Catholicism (the later further split between Roman Catholicism and the New Avalon Catholic Church). Practitioners of Islam are largely concentrated along the border with the Draconis Combine; while Sunni and Shi'a sects face little discrimination, those of the Azami tend to face greater persecution for their attributed allegiance to the Combine. For the same reason Buddhists have been the subject of discrimination during times when the Federation has been threatened by the Combine or the Capellan Confederation, though the Davions have made pains to combat such attitudes. Judaism maintains a small but active presence in the Federated Suns and is centered in and around the world of Robinson. Likewise Hinduism is most active in the area of Davion space once encompassed by the United Hindu Collective. Lastly is the Unfinished Book Movement, which seeks to incorporate the wisdom of multiple faiths into one overarching work, the eponymous Unfinished Book.
The current first lord is Ian Davion, a dour, straightforward man who eschews politics in favor of the command couch of his Battlemech, an Atlas. He is still unmarried and seemingly disinterested in romance or sex, and this has led to a brewing schism between his possible successors: His younger brother Hanse "The Fox" Davion, a noted commander of the 3rd Davion Guards and master of unusual tactics, and Michael Hasek-Davion, a more politically minded older man whose recent marriage to Ian and Hanse's older half-sister Marie Davion-St. Claire has placed him into the succession.
- Draconis Combine
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The roots of the Draconis Combine lie with the Alliance of Galedon between the worlds Galedon V and New Samarkand. Under the leadership of Shiro Kurita, the Alliance, rechristened the Draconis Combine in 2319, used threats, intimidation, deceit, and outright military conquest to expand. Shiro established House Kurita as the ruling dynasty of the Combine, whose reign was interrupted only by the rule of the Von Rohrs family from 2421 until they were wiped out in 2510. The First Coordinator was responsible for integrating many neighboring realms into the Combine, with two exceptions: an assault on the Principality of Rasalhague in 2330 was largely successful, though the integration of the Rasalhagians into Draconian culture was heavily resisted and it remained a vassal state for some time. The Combine also attempted to conquer the Azami worlds in 2497 with limited success.
From its inception the Draconis Combine has been a state oriented towards war as its primary means of expansion and acquiring power. The nation was formed after the campaigns of Shiro Kurita resulted in an empire forged by conquest, and his successors maintained this militaristic outlook through the Age of War and even into the relatively peaceful Star League years. Throughout the Succession Wars the Combine proved itself a military powerhouse of the Inner Sphere, posing formidable challenges to the neighboring Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns. The Combine was the last Inner Sphere nation to join the Star League. Following the League's collapse, Coordinator Minoru Kurita was the first Council Lord to declare himself First Lord, leading to the First Succession War.
The Draconis Combine is said to be supported by five pillars, each symbolizing an aspect of Draconian society: the Pillar of Gold, representing the government; the Pillar of Steel, representing the military; the Pillar of Teak, representing the people and culture; the Pillar of Ivory, representing philosophy and religion; and the Pillar of Jade, representing the economy. All five pillars work together to support the manifest destiny of House Kurita to conquer all of known space.
At the center of the government is the Coordinator, embodying all that is the Combine; when a person references "the Dragon", it is often with little distinction being made between the Coordinator as a person or of the Combine as a whole, and while not technically worshiped as divine their commands are acted upon as such. Some Coordinators have taken an active approach in governing the Combine, but the most successful have tended to act less and observe more, enforcing their will indirectly. When the Coordinator speaks, it might come in the form of suggestions to others, or delivered in the manner of a parable or haiku. Thus, if a problem occurs, blame does not fall on the Coordinator directly but on the one who failed to carry out their wishes correctly.
Carrying out the will of the Coordinator are the Kuritan nobility, the most important of whom after the Coordinator are the Warlords. These are followed by the heads of the five Ministries, the District and Prefecture civilian leaders, and those with noble titles by dint of their landholdings or corporate ownership. The least regarded yet most highly placed nobles are those who work only at the Royal Court; since mere mortals cannot come into contact with the Coordinator, even the sanitation workers must have titles of nobility. Such kuri or leeches may sometimes be useful as a means of getting the attention of a person of higher position or even the Coordinator themselves.
The day-to-day working of the Combine is carried out by five Ministries each lead by a minister head, with the ministers of individual bureaus or subministers reporting to them, who in turn are reported to by the heads of bureau subdivisions or committeemen. Head ministers and subministers are all members of the nobility, as are most committeemen. Ostensibly, each ministry has clear-cut responsibilities, but the Byzantine-like nature of the Draconian bureaucracy often means even a simple request might require the fingerprints of multiple agencies, and even lifetime civil servants might not be completely sure of whose authorizations or which forms may be required. Since many bureaucrats are notorious for erring on the side of caution, the best local administrators (besides having the right connections) are adept at Rensikuro-bu (the Dance of Waiting and Smiling) and Rurdu-Koba-tsö (Finding the Cheese in the Maze).
The military of the Combine, the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery (DCMS), has traditionally been one of the strongest in the Inner Sphere. The Combine was founded upon the principles of bushido, the way of the warrior. Thanks to this, the military has a large pool of skilled individuals from which to draw. Enlistment in the DCMS is seen as the fastest way to get ahead in the world, as every person in the military, even a lowly rifleman, is respected. The DCMS is also referred to as the Arm of the Dragon. As the principle agent in realizing House Kurita's mandate to conquer all, the fortunes of the military are closely tied to that of the state; as the military goes, so goes the Combine.
Japanese cultural traditions - such as tea ceremonies, geisha and Nohkabu theater troupes - dominate the Draconis Combine despite the fact that a majority of Draconians are of non-Japanese ancestry. This cultural hegemony was informal at first, receiving a boost in popularity after the construction of the Imperial City along traditional lines, but quickly became official government policy when Urizen Kurita instituted the Kokugaku or National Learning program, stressing Japan's history and its language. Criticisms that such a narrow cultural focus serves as a means to discriminate against non-Japanese have been met by reassurances from various Coordinators that all who show loyalty to the Dragon will always be respected. For example, Takiro Kurita softened Kokugaku by mandating Japanese language only for those entering government and military occupations, and the School of Cultural Investigation on Al Na'ir is dedicated to exploring the diverse traditions which make up the Combine and how aspects of each are incorporated to create a greater Draconian culture. The nobility are theoretically free to follow any tradition, although Confucianism and Taoism have traditionally been encouraged by the Coordinator to instill a sense of obligation to one's superiors and the capability to react to fluid situations. For the military, Confucianism, Zen Buddhism and bushido were assigned to focus the warrior's mind and leave them free to make the necessary decisions during combat. A more intensified version of Confucianism was indoctrinated in the vast middle class, ensuring loyalty in a stratum of society which is most vulnerable to inappropriate philosophies. For the working classes, and the Unproductives below them, Shintoism help occupy their minds during grueling work days or a rootless existence. Control of the Shinto temples and priesthood, however, rest firmly with the nobility, who ironically are themselves dissuaded from believing in the religion they administer.
Inevitably, alternative religions and philosophies will appear along the margins of a society as tightly control as Draconian, but with great effort such threats to the social harmony and stability of society are just as inevitably rooted out and destroyed. A few notable exceptions have been made in the history of the Combine. When Rasalhague formally joined the Combine after the McAllister Rebellion, its people practiced a form of Christianity based on Eastern Orthodox Catholicism. As part of a political compromise, the people were allowed to retain their religion, so long as all mentions of "the Lord" in public ceremonies were in reference to the Coordinator. A secular form of Judaism is also tolerated, with those maintaining its religious trappings forced to join secretive minyans to avoid persecution. Among the Azami, who practice a form of Shia Islam, the Dragon turns a blind eye to their practice. Under the precept of taqiya the Azami outwardly adopt the rules of the Dictum Honorium, and so long as they keep their religious practices to Azami-controlled worlds the security services do not inquire deeply into the Azami's faithfulness to the Honorium.
This adherence to traditional norms explains the position of women in Combine society, which is often that of housewife and mother. There are no formal barriers against women entering into higher education or joining the military, and some (especially high-born) have attained important positions in the political, corporate and military spheres, but few achieve the same level of equality as their male counterparts. When Siriwan McAllister-Kurita became the first female Coordinator, the idea of a woman sitting on the Chrysanthemum Throne did not sit easily among the patriarchal nobility, though her successes opened the door for future female rulers.
The current Coordinator is Hohiro Kurita. A tall man with an imposing body and manner, even Hohiro's very smile seems more like an open threat than a positive emotion. As a regimental commander in the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery, Hohiro rules by fear, inflicting the lash upon almost every unit member. In battle, he is a Kurita to the core, carrying out attacks with abandon rather than wait for better options.
Believing his father and other recent predecessors had failed to live up the full duty of fulfilling the destiny of House Kurita, Hohiro devoted himself body and soul to redressing this. Among the first moves of his reign was an immediate increase in funds for both the army and navy in order to revive the military forces of the Dragon from the neglect of his father's decade-long hands-off approach. Giving a clear example of how he would treat anybody not directly connected with the Kurita military, Hohiro appropriated the increase by stripping it from the already meager budget of the People's Medical Services, intended health care for the lower classes, eventually resulting in a outbreak of plagues that resulted in the death of millions.
Among the first steps of his "Dragon Renewals", Hohiro would proceed to strip away yet more the services existing to provide aid and relief to the lower classes, citing that the so-called "coddling of the common citizenry" was one of the many subversive anti-Kurita ideas that he would strive to stamp out. Hohiro would even go as far to attempt to close down ComStar Hospices set up to aid the Unproductives, the Blessed Order openly defying the Coordinator, this act and the harshness of his reign leading to an upswing in ComStar recruitment. One of the "Dragon Renewals" more contentious points was Hohiro's efforts to make Japanese the sole and only accepted language in the Combine, with violations punishable by public whippings. While the Combine has long had a heavy focus on the Japanese culture, given the state's ethnic diversity and the tyranny of the time, the edict was met with such a massive wave of public protest that Hohiro was forced to sullenly cancel the edict in 2978. Not even the dread Internal Security Force was above the interference of Hohiro's "Dragon Renewals". Alarmed when the Coordinator announced his intention to review and repeal the Davarapala Accords, the ISF responded by burning a symbol of their power in his favorite garden. Instead of reacting with anger however, this amused him that they had the gall to do so and responded by letting the Accords continue.
Hohiro was less amused when the Combine's merchants, banks and industrialists also resisted the "Dragon Renewals" efforts to tighten his control of the economy. When some dared voice their opposition in person, Hohiro seized their holdings and had them beheaded. This resulted in large scale protests known as the Strike of 2989. Unable to break the strike with repeated police actions, further executions and acts of nationalization, with the army and navy placed in increasing jeopardy, Hohiro finally caved and relented after four months, easing many economic restrictions of the Dragon Renewals.
Even with all the attention and efforts to preserve and enhance the military, Hohiro's method of centralizing all power crippled the response times of the military, with the district warlords lacking almost any authority to act even defensively without the direction of the High Command. In addition, Hohiro's previous ultra-harsh treatment of his troops extended to the entire Combine military. Though he believed that such a firm hard was beneficial to getting the most from his warriors, the constant terror that represented the lives of the average soldier sapped almost all the fire that formerly characterized the Kurita military. The Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns would both benefit greatly from Hohiro's egomania, both realms recapturing a number of their worlds from the increasingly sluggish and lackluster Arm of the Dragon.
- Lyran Commonwealth
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The Lyran Commonwealth was formed in 2341 as a merger between three mercantile alliances, the Protectorate of Donegal, Federation of Skye, and Tamar Pact. The founding charter called for nine "Archons" to rule the nation, but the impracticality of this system led to a coup by the leader of Donegal, Robert Marsden, who declared himself Archon Basileus in August 2375. The Lyran state has enjoyed remarkable stability throughout most of its history, thanks to a combination of a strong feudal monarchy and democratic representation which has given the government the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. When it was originally founded, inspired in part by ancient Athens, the Lyran Commonwealth was heading by nine Archons — the rulers and their deputies of the three founding members, as well as the military commander, treasurer and transportation minister of the Commonwealth. Beset by corruption and threated by the Draconis Combine, Robert Marsden deposed the other eight Archons in 2375. He then introduced the Estates General and the Articles of Acceptance, guaranteeing the rights of the planets and people of the Commonwealth, and winning enough popular support to become the sole Archon in 2376. Thus while the Archon theoretically has absolute power, basic rights are protected and the will of the people can and has forced many Archons to reverse unpopular decisions. An invasion by the Draconis Combine in 2407 resulted in the death of then Archon Alistair Marsden, brother of Robert, in 2408. Rule fell to his wife, Katherine Steiner, safely ensconced on the new capital of Tharkad. The reign of House Steiner had begun.
The Lyrans lost territory to their neighbors, but in 2455 the tide turned when Operation Prometheus gave House Steiner plans for powerful new war machines, BattleMechs. The Age of War gave way to the golden era of mankind, watched over by the Star League, which the Steiners pledged to join in 2558. The Commonwealth economy prospered during this era, but it did not last. The Amaris Civil War laid waste to many worlds in the Terran Hegemony, though the Commonwealth was enlarged when it absorbed many Rim Worlds Republic systems.
The Lyran Commonwealth is renowned for its strong economy, powerful nobility, and its military policy of promotion based on pedigree as well as talent. Since the fall of the Star League, the Lyran Commonwealth's High Command had a reputation for being bloated, inept, and ineffective. Early in its existence, the Commonwealth created the title of "Social General" for those important individuals who lacked other titles. Social generals are not unique to the Lyrans, but there is a preponderance of them compared to other nations. These individuals are officers (not necessarily high-ranking, despite the term) who received their position through networking as opposed to martial talent. These social generals decided in time that they possessed military authority and began overseeing actual military operations. Rank and awards were handed out like so many party favors and the structure soon became top-heavy. The incompetent leadership of the Lyran military has been responsible for many a bad decision, and poor leadership has reflected in the performance of their troops. To compensate for the shortcomings or their High Command, the Lyrans are known for their use of large 'Mechs. Using their well-established industrial base, the LAAF fields a higher ratio of Assault 'Mechs than any other nation in the Inner Sphere. This has not always been a boon, however, as their enemies have been able to use more balanced forces to outmaneuver and defeat the Lyrans on many occasions.
The Lyran capital was originally on Arcturus until 2407, when Alistair Marsden moved it to Tharkad in response to the threat posed by the Combine. Tharkad City is the heart of the state and home to the Triad, the triangular compound which houses the three buildings that make up the government: the Royal Palace, the Royal Court, and Government House. Below that are the provincial and planetary governments, a system of various feudal allegiances and political agreements made under the aegis of the Articles of Acceptance. Each planet is free to choose its own system of government, so long as they pay their taxes, provide military aid as needed, and adhere to the laws passed by the Archon and Estates General (with the right to ask for exemptions and alterations per local needs). The government also reserves the right to inflict punitive actions on any planet which fails to adheres to these rules or abuses the rights of its citizens.
The Archon is the head of state of the Lyran state. They are also the commander in chief of all Lyran military forces, including local militias and private armies, and has the authority to make any and all decisions relating to domestic and foreign policy. The Archon also has ultimate authority over the nobility, being the only person who can grant or take away any titles. While an Archon's decisions are not bound by it, unless time is of the essence most will submit their proposals to the Council and the Estates General for consultation and debate, if only so that the final product can be issued in a form more palatable to the general public.
The Archonship was not originally intended to be a hereditary title, but after Robert Marsden's death House Steiner quickly came to dominate the position and make it the birthright of their family. This was particularly thanks to the efforts Katherine Steiner, who created the Commonwealth Council as a check on other pretenders to the throne and used the Commonwealth Scout Corps to claim dozens of newly discovered worlds and dole them out to create a base of loyal noble supporters. Their power is also helped in no small part due to their vast wealth: in 3025 House Steiner directly controlled the four worlds nearest Tharkad (Gallery, Furillo, Porrima, and Duran), had major landholdings on 200 other worlds, and controlling shares in fifty Lyran corporations.
Katherine Steiner created the Commonwealth Council in order to secure support from the leaders of the Tamar Pact and Federation of Skye in establishing the Steiner dynasty. While its power has waxed and waned over the centuries, the Council has served as an advisory body to the Archon and a "middleman" between it and the Estates General. Legislation passed by the Estates General must first go to the Council to be debated and critiqued and, if it survives, is passed on to the Archon for final approval. Likewise the Archon can (as a courtesy) submit proposals to the Council to receive their advice before bringing them before the Estates General. The Council can also propose its own legislation for approval by the Archon and Estates General, though normally it refrains from doing so out of political safety. The Commonwealth Council numbers eight: the dukes of the Tamar Pact and Federation of Skye, the Chancellors of the Departments of Finance, Internal Policies, Foreign Affairs, and the Lyran Intelligence Corps, and the Chancellor of the Peoples who is chosen by the Estates General.
The Estates General was originally a representative body with little actual authority, essentially a forum where three hundred Representatives could air their grievances, but it has since grown into a true parliament. Each planet (or group of planets as the case may be) can choose in their own way who will be their Representative, with delegates serving for six-year terms with no term limits. Strict rules govern who can serve as a delegate: no member of the nobility higher than a Baron or person convicted of a major crime in the last fifteen years may serve, and during their time as a Representative all of their personal property must be placed into a blind trust. The Estates General also recognizes delegates from planets which are occupied by a foreign power. The "Homeless" as they are known are housed in Tharkad City at the Archon's expense and are hereditary positions based on the last elected Representative before the territory's hostile occupation.
The Estates General meets every spring in the Great Assembly at Government House on Tharkad for four-month sessions, though they may go longer as necessity requires. In the weeks leading up to the legislative session, the Steering Committee determines the itinerary of the session with its head, the Speaker of the Assembly, also controlling the debate in the Great Assembly. While intended as little more than a rubberstamp to approve the Archon's policies, the Estates General has taken on more authority and responsibilities, including tax reform and creating the annual budget.
The Royal Court refers to one of the three buildings of the Triad, a massive complex of recreational facilities, museums, ballrooms, and the Throne Room where the Archon sits under the protective gaze of a pair of Griffin BattleMechs. It also refers to the social sessions sponsored by the Archon to entertain important visitors from across the Lyran state; everyone from nobles and generals to scientists and artists are invited (or expected) to attend these festivities. Typically there will be three such sessions in a year, each lasting two months with at least a month in between to allow the Archon's Entourage to plan and execute the events. To be one of the young people appointed to the Archon's Entourage is considered an honor and a path towards greater service in the Lyran state. Less opulent that similar gatherings elsewhere in the Inner Sphere, the Royal Court is nevertheless an important event for the Lyran elite to meet and make decisions which might affect the entire state.
The Lyran economy is helped in no small part by the fact that some of the most resource-rich planets ever discovered are located within its borders. Beyond that though is the fact that the government is a partner in helping both new businesses to start up and existing businesses to expand, doing so by investing in diverse industries and encouraging trade between member planets and with other realms. For the most part the state allows the free market to work, but can exert its influence in several ways. The Commonwealth Mint is responsible for minting the Kroner, with sprawling facilities on six worlds — Tharkad, Donegal, Skye, Bolan, Australia and Alarion — each as well defended as any fortress. The Commonwealth Reserve Bank, also on Tharkad, regulates the money supply and works to maintain the strength of the kroner, including buying and selling off its supply of commodities (particularly germanium) which back the currency. Lastly are the five Stock Exchanges, located on the same worlds as the nation's mints barring Tharkad, which are run as partnerships between the national and planetary governments. Investors buy and sell stocks, bonds and commodities at the exchanges, which are funded by the government and monitored by the Ministry of Finance. Beyond regulating the markets to ensure insider trading and other unfair practices don't take place, the Ministry can follow trends and, if something should threaten the Lyran economy, take actions such as halting trading and closing down markets.
The Lyran state is often defined by its Germanic cultural heritage, and in one sense this is true. Katherine Steiner is mostly responsible for this state of affairs, indirectly as a highly popular and inspirational cultural icon and purposefully with actions such as championing German as the state language and assigning German nobiliary particles for the Lyran nobility. However, actual Lyrans come from a diversity of backgrounds and trace their lineage to a variety of ethnic heritages, including Eastern European, Australian and New Zealander, East Asian, African and Black American. Rather than try to replace these local identities, this Lyran identity instead seeks to supplement them, giving people of various backgrounds a common ground to communicate and understand one another. As it is, discrimination based on categories such as race, gender or sexual orientation are largely a thing of the past among Lyrans, though in their place there remains significant prejudices based on class. At the same time, given the central government's loose hold over how member worlds govern themselves, many Lyrans have an independent streak which sees them identifying themselves by their particular world first and the Lyran state second, which has led to frequent flareups of unrest and rebellion.
Even in the midst of the devastating Succession Wars the Lyran state, as the wealthiest and most economically stable nation in the Inner Sphere, can boast the highest average standard of living for its citizens. Lyran citizens are among the most educated of any within the Inner Sphere thanks to generous government investment, national education standards and initiatives such as corporate-public partnerships and the Pilgrim Professor Program. While most institutions and teachers had been swallowed up in the conflagration of the Succession Wars, the Lyran Commonwealth still has five major research universities. Significant government investment and few censorship rules also ensure a thriving arts scene and media footprint, with even the most sparsely populated world boasting Holovid broadcasting. Lyrans also enjoy a basic right to food and housing, but such public options tend to be of sufficient quality as to encourage citizens to work harder to improve their situation.
While the Steiners themselves tend towards Protestantism or Buddhism, there is no official state religion, and indeed a strict separation of church and state combined with guaranteed freedom to worship has led to a history of religious tolerance. Traditional religions from Terra remain the most prominent, while the variety of new faiths that had sprung up in since humanity colonized the stars are not as popular. Christianity is the largest single religion in Lyran space, spread across many different sects, followed by Judaism. Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism are also prevalent though tend to be clustered around specific areas. Dozens of worlds are majority Hindu, with Chahar and New India, the two with the two largest populations, seen as centers of the faith. Likewise for Buddhism, New Kyoto and Kwangchowwang are regarded as centers of the religion's traditions. Dar-es-Salaam serves as the focal point for most Islamic sects, with the Black Muslim tradition strongest within the Coventry and Trellshire provinces.
The current Archon is Alessandro Steiner. A military man by nature, his first priority was to build up the military in an effort to blunt the Draconis Combine offensives near Skye and Tamar and to rebuild the strength of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces on the Free Worlds League border. In 2987 he ordered the "Deep Raid", which began with an attack on the Marik 'Mech factory on Ling. Though this mission was successful, the high command was furious because after the raid, the exhausted attacking force was sent to attack five more worlds before returning. Despite this they did nothing as the public considered the attack a success. The Deep Raid struck at worlds along the Capellan border of the League, with Ryerson being the farthest world from the Commonwealth border to be struck by the LCAF.
Between 2990 and 2997 Alessandro continued to push new troops into Operation FREEDOM, the offensive against the Free Worlds League, with four more former Commonwealth worlds being recaptured by LCAF units by 2997 as a result of the increased resources. The LCAF was being stretched increasingly thinly, however; despite the additional resources, the Combine retained control of some sixteen worlds captured since the beginning of the Third Succession War and had heavily fortified all of them in anticipation of Lyran attacks and Lyran raids across the League border since the Deep Raid had failed to produce any tangible results. Ignoring or dismissing requests from the Estates General to stop the grinding counterattack against the Combine, Alessandro kept pushing forces forward even as Lyran worlds close to the border were desperately calling for relief ships.
In 2997 the Free Worlds League initiated the doomed Tenth Battle of Hesperus II. The attack wasn't intended to capture the planet, but to instead raid the bunkers and warehouses furthest away from the main factories for supplies and matériel; what doomed the attack was the inbound force being detected by the early warning systems in the Hesperus system, giving the defending forces time to respond. The Tenth Lyran Guards, commanded by Katrina Steiner, Alessandro's niece, were able to make a suborbital hop to the League's landing zone and deploy via a low-altitude combat drop that brought the Tenth down on top of the League forces. The Free Worlds forces were weaker than the Tenth even before the combat drop, and in less than an hour Katrina's command had broken the League forces. The attack on Hesperus represented the largest League offensive action against the Commonwealth in a decade and its failure imbued Alessandro with a false sense of confidence.
Confident that the League's failed attack on Hesperus ensured that there wouldn't be another attack in the near future, Alessandro stripped away three of the five defending regiments so that he could launch an attack on the important industrial world of Kalidasa. Alessandro backfilled the Hesperus garrison by assigning forces from the Eridani Light Horse mercenary unit, but the mercenaries mustered less than two regiments in strength. Alessandro launched his offensive to try and capture Kalidasa in mid-2998, only to find his forces bogged down almost immediately. The attack on Kalidasa failed, but tied up the Lyran forces for two years - and during those two years, Hesperus was attacked twice. The first attack was launched by the Free Worlds League within months of the invasion of Kalidasa, and the second attack was launched by the Draconis Combine. Both attacks were eventually beaten off by the defending forces, but in each case the incompetence of the Hesperus garrison commander, Leutnant-General Wilhelm Mouttheim, compounded the losses taken by the Lyran forces and antagonized the Eridani Light Horse, who he kept misdeploying or misdirecting. With three regiments of forces stuck in a losing battle on foreign soil, attacks on the prized world of Hesperus II and the departure of the Eridani Light Horse from Lyran employ in 3000 out of disgust at the manner in which they had been commanded, Alessandro's standing in the LCAF dropped quickly.
This period of weakness has led many to consider successors to Alessandro, with the forerunners being the comparatively brilliant military minds and bearers classical blond hair and steel-gray eyes for which House Steiner was renowned, his niece Katrina Steiner, and his nephew Frederick Steiner.
Graduating from the Nagelring in 2994 at just eighteen, Katrina Steiner was posted to the 3rd Arcturan Lancers Regiment as an infantry officer. A year later Katrina would receive a posting with the 28th Tharkad Armored Cavalry Regiment and then the 2nd Skye Artillery Regiment by 2996. Her stated reason for this was to become well acquainted with all of them. Despite her meandering career path, in 2996 she would finally be posted to the 10th Lyran Guards (which is traditionally led by the Archon's heir, or at least a member of House Steiner) rising from lance commander to lead the entire regiment in just two years. Finally, last year she was promoted to the Strategy and Tactics Division.
Entering military service, studying first at the Nagelring for three years before transferring to and graduating with honors from the Sanglamore on Skye, it was on Skye that the young Fredrick would first come to the attention of the Lestrade family, forming a firm friendship with Aldo Lestrade IV, Duke of Skye. Performing with distinction as the CO of first the 7th Lyran Regulars and later the famed 10th Lyran Guards, Frederick was a well respected commander, known by his men as "the Hammer" for his preference for concentrating firepower on specific targets yet equally able to adapt his tactics to deal with either the differing doctrines of the DCMS or FWLM. While not as tactically brilliant as his cousin Katrina, Frederick is a solid and effective officer with a strongly cultivated social network, many believing him most likely to overthrow and replace Archon Alessandro Steiner.
- Free Worlds League
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The Free Worlds League was founded in 2271 with the signing of the Treaty of Marik between the Marik Republic, Federation of Oriente, and Regulan Principality. The new nation came together when it conquered the Stewart Commonality in 2293. Founded in 2271 it is the oldest of the Successor States, and unlike the others is technically a federation of smaller states ruled by a democratic Parliament rather than a single nation under one Great House. In practice, the League has usually been a de facto military dictatorship under the Captains-General of House Marik, although their authority has been more contested than that of other House Lords. This internal strife and the League's strength as a mercantile and industrial power have arisen from the same source: the sheer diversity of the League's member provinces.
The League found tougher opponents in the Capellan Confederation and Lyran Commonwealth. The League warred with the Capellans over Andurien and the worlds near it time and time again. The Age of War began as a conflict over Andurien, and the peace that ended the Third Andurien War paved the way for the creation of the Star League.
Throughout its history the military of the Free Worlds League mirrored that of its government. Superficially under the control of Parliament, the FWLM answered to the Captain-General, with the League Central Coordination and Command group issuing orders on their behalf. Along the border with the Lyran and Capellan states were military districts, each commanded by a Marshal, who carried out the LCCC's directives and exercised broad authority to respond to enemy incursions.
However, only a fraction of the FWLM were federal troops, or League forces, answerable (and loyal) only to the Captain-General and the LCCC and funded by the federal government. The rest were provincial troops, raised, equipped and organized by each province for their own self-defense. In times of need the provincial armies could be mustered and placed under the command of the Captain-General. The Free Worlds League Military placed a strong emphasis on combined-arms tactics, with almost all of their regiments featuring a large number of infantry, armor, and aerospace assets, as well as one of the largest navies in the Inner Sphere. The focus on BattleMechs, however, did exist within their elite regiments, including the Knights of the Inner Sphere.
The government of the Free Worlds League is ostensibly a federal republic, with each province accorded a measure of self-rule while the representative Parliament serves as the supreme federal authority, though for much of its history it operated under the martial law of a Captain-General. Membership within Parliament is determined by the amount of taxes paid into the Treasury, although every province was guaranteed at least one Member of Parliament (MP). Parliamentary districts or 'wards' were based on wealth, population and other factors, with the Supreme Court overseeing redistricting every ten years. Most MPs were determined through democratic principles, though given the wide variety of planetary governments and traditions within the League - from military dictatorships to theocracies - that did not hold true for all. This mixture of regional and federal authorities, with some individuals holding multiple positions within the overlapping layers of bureaucracy, lead to a continual struggle for prominence. At the federal level, a struggle for power between the legislative (Parliament) and executive (the Captain-General) existed almost as soon as the nation was formed. The relative dominance of either side waxed and waned over the centuries, though, in general, the Captain-General gained more and more authority.
According to the Treaty of Marik, Parliament was the supreme governing body of the Free Worlds League. Parliament had the power to pass laws, create taxes, and decide on appropriations. In each two-year session, Parliament elected a Speaker, who then appointed Ministers to oversee the nine federal agencies: Communications, Defense, Energy, Foreign Affairs, Human Services, Intelligence, Justice, Taxation and Trade. These appointments also had to be ratified by Parliament, though compared to the fights over the Speakership many of these votes were perfunctory. The Speaker and nine Ministers form the League Council, which enjoys broad customary powers. Although any MP can introduce any bill, tradition dictates that only the League Council introduce treaties, budget proposals, and tariff bills. Additionally, League Council members are guaranteed a hearing by Parliament and so their proposals are more likely to be voted on. Per the Act of Incorporation, at least one of the nine Ministers had to come from each of the three founding League provinces, which itself often serves as a source of conflict. In addition to the main Parliamentary body, the League also had the Lords of the Realm, a body composed of nobles who were at least planetary rulers. This body functioned in an advisory role to Parliament and could not vote. The Lords were not paid for their service, so few choose to actually attend any given session. Nonetheless, the prominence of the members and their presence at court ensured the Lords were given more media attention than the importance that the body merited.
Constitutionally, the Captain-General had only the power to oversee military matters when so appointed by Parliament. The Captain-General originally held a one-year term that could be renewed indefinitely. However, eight centuries of Parliamentary acts resulted in much greater power for the Captain-General. House Marik has a virtual stranglehold on the Captain-Generalcy, though there was no constitutional authority behind that, only historical precedent. Only two non-Marik Captains-General were ever appointed, and both were disastrous. The Succession Act of 2310 essentially allowed House Marik the ability to select a member of their family to be Captain-General. The formation of the Star League made the Captain-General a permanent position. Because of an agreement with House Cameron, the Marik Captain-General was recognized as the Council Lord from the Free Worlds League on the Star League High Council. Following the fall of the Star League, Parliament passed Resolution 288, which gave the Captain-General broad powers "for the duration of the crisis". These powers included the ability to convene and dismiss Parliament, supreme authority over the Free Worlds League Military, the right to choose one's successor, and the authority to nationalize industries associated with military production.
The economy of the Free Worlds League, historically lacking in heavy industry, was long defined by its dedication to technological innovation and free trade, built on the strength of the M-Bill. This latter philosophy was in direct opposition to the stifling tariffs and customs laws of the Terran Alliance and inspired by the works of Arthur J. Bodhran, whose book Conflict in the Marketplace advocated that a Laissez-faire approach could more effectively wage "economic warfare" than the traditional military approach to defeating enemies. The unrestricted and unregulated commerce of the early Free Worlds League lead to a booming economy and a drastic shrinkage in the number of trading companies as competitors forcibly acquired or drove each other out of business. Concerns about this state of affairs lead to numerous debates in Parliament, although every attempt to introduce regulation was defeated.
After the Free Worlds League conquered the Magistracy of Canopus during the Reunification War, it invested heavily in rebuilding the Periphery state's shattered economy. The Magistracy returned the favor by using its cheaper labor and rebuilt infrastructure to out-compete Free World businesses which, combined with a stronger Lyran economy, plunged the League into a ten-year depression. Protectionism began to take hold within Parliament, although it remained a minority to compared to the Free Trade advocates. That all changed in 2622 when Edmund McVey Hassan's book Chains of History was published, eloquently arguing that the current unregulated economy had only benefited the wealthy elite at the expense of the masses. It also argued that membership in the Star League had eroded the Free Worlds' technological edge and was a future threat to its' political and cultural identity. Overnight the Protectionists came to power in Parliament, and while Star League law prevented tariffs between member states, the Protectionists succeeded in creating subsidies, low-interest loans, and other government regulations to support Free Worlds businesses. Protectionist control in Parliament lasted a generation before fracturing over arguments about long-range financial planning.
The Succession Wars were something which baffled Free Worlds traders, whose entrepreneurial and business mindset simply couldn't comprehend warfare lasting as long. The Proscription Act, forbidding the sale or import of many goods from the other Successor States, marked a sharp and drastic return of previous Protectionist economic policy. Many trading firms were forced to end all foreign trade, try to circumvent it illegally, or simply go out of business. A measure of relief has come during the Third Succession War as tentative mercantile relations resumed with the League's neighbors, bringing in much-needed foreign currency.
Unlike the other Successor States, there is no overarching Terran-based culture that defines the Free Worlds League. Instead the League is composed of a diverse array of peoples and traditions, from Eastern European to Indian, with the expectation of tolerance for different points of view. Though English is the official language and lingua franca of the League, many others are spoken widely throughout the realm, including Czech, Arabic, and Urdu. This mixing of cultures has allowed for greater expressions of individuality and consideration of different ways of thinking among the population, while simultaneously leading to greater disunity and hindering the ability to swiftly rally towards a common purpose. If there is said to be an underlying culture to the state it is its entrepreneurial spirit; a popular stereotype has it that the people of the Free Worlds League have trouble embracing philosophies which can't be expressed in terms of revenue and cost. A belief in the free market and that any person could "make it" formed the foundation of the League, which was seemingly justified given the prosperity of the Star League era. The onset of the Succession Wars was a rude shock for the more utopian beliefs in the free market's ability to solve any problem, though it did not wholly extinguish the spirit.
A more surprising undercurrent in League society is a discrimination against bionic enhancements. While replacement organs and limbs on account of injury are largely accepted by all except fringe fanatics, those who attempt to enhance the human body are met with bigotry and even violence. Part of this discrimination comes from the moral question of how much a person can replace of themselves before the human condition no longer applies to them. Part has to do with the fact that bionic replacement surgery is largely limited to the wealthy, creating further separation between the "haves" and "have-nots." Attitudes towards bionics varies between worlds: from tolerance towards all but the most visually apparent enhancements, to outright hostility at even the suspicion of improvement.
The current Captain-General is Janos Marik, the eldest son of Captain-General Stephan Marik. He succeeded his father to the Captain-Generalcy of the Free Worlds League upon Stephan's death in 2991. Against his father's wishes, Janos attended Princefield Academy in Oriente, the first time in decades that a Marik did not receive his or her training at one of the League's military training centers on New Olympia. During his time there, his outspoken and easily offended nature showed, which led to six separate honor duels. He graduated in 2979, shortly after his twenty-first birthday. He received both his commission as a lieutenant in the Free Worlds Guards and a Rifleman from his father. Janos later left the Guards to take over command of the 1st Atrean Hussars. His time as commander of this unit did nothing to improve the pedigree of the unit.
In 2988, an officer in the Orloff Grenadiers attempted to entangle Janos in a plot against his father. The military coup was crushed in its infancy, resulting in the death of Duchess Morgaine Humphreys in 2989. Besides this, the death of his beloved wife Hilda Lauber Marik in 2994, and his orginization of the year-long Millenial Celebrations of 3000, his rule has been largely quiet and unassuming for a Great House lord, though rumors abound of plots against his throne by his ambitious brother
Anton.
- Capellan Confederation
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The Capellan Confederation is the smallest and youngest of the Successor States. A socialistic police state with strong Chinese and Russian influences, the Confederation is ruled by the authoritarian Chancellor, who has almost always been a member of House Liao. During the years of the Succession Wars the Capellan Confederation was the perpetual underdog, losing territory to its aggressive neighbors. Many Capellans take pride in their citizenship — not least because it must be earned — and view service to the State as a worthy sacrifice for the good of humanity. Originally founded on Capella, its current capital world is Sian after major bombardments ravaged the surface of Cappella.
After the end of the Hegemony-Supremacy War, the Capellan Commonality was formed in 2310 as a loose federation of all the major powers occupying the Capellan Zone. In the midst of a House Davion "peacekeeping" operation, the heads of the major Capellan powers met on St. Andre in July 2367. There, Duke Franco Liao of the Duchy of Liao made a radical proposal: dissolve the Commonality and unify the entire Capellan Zone under a centralized authority strong enough to resist foreign intervention. After much debate, the motion was adopted, and the Capellan Confederation was born. The Capellan Confederation enjoyed great prosperity with the peace brought about by the Star League, but it was not to last. At the outbreak of the Star League Civil War, Chancellor Barbara Liao adopted a position of armed neutrality, allowing neither Aleksandr Kerensky's nor Stefan Amaris' forces to enter Capellan territory. With the dissolution of the Council, and the self-imposed exile of Kerensky and the Star League Defense Force, the Succession Wars became inevitable.
The First Succession War began in December 2786, and the Confederation made large gains by occupying worlds of the former Terran Hegemony, most of which fell peacefully, and launching attacks against the Free Worlds League and Federated Suns. The First Succession War finally came to an end in 2821 with a ceasefire between the Liao and Davion realms. The start of the Second Succession War in 2828 was inauspicious as Ilsa Liao became the first Chancellor killed in combat, personally commanding the rearguard after the failed invasion of Orbisonia. A ceasefire was achieved in 2862 when Dainmar Liao agreed to humiliating concessions to the Federated Suns, but peace only lasted a few more years before the Third Succession War began.
The Capellan Confederation started out as a collection of states united for common defense and well-being, but over hundreds of years, through the influences of certain schools of philosophy and the leadership of House Liao, it has evolved to become an autocratic state with a controlled economy. While appearing to be nothing more than an absolute dictatorship to outsiders, the Confederation's government is closer to that of a troika, composed of three legislative bodies: the Chancellor, the Prefectorate, and the House of Scions. Each competes with the other for power, and even the strongest Chancellors have had to cooperate with the other two in order to pursue their policies.
The Chancellor is the face of the Capellan Confederation, invested with immense executive and legislative authority. The "Celestial Wisdom" is responsible for all domestic and foreign policy for the Confederation, and with the power to issue decrees can make legislative changes at will. The Chancellor serves as the commander-in-chief of the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces, and has personal control over the Warrior Houses and the Death Commandos. Although originally serving a ten-year term, the position was turned into a lifetime appointment by decree in 2480, and while not mandated by law the Chancellorship is essentially reserved for members of House Liao.
The Prefectorate is the oldest and highest governing body in the Capellan state. Begun by Franco Liao as an advisory council, its members are elected from the House of Scions for ten-year terms. Originally numbering six individuals, each a representative from one of the six original commonalities, it was enlarged to twelve by Kurnath Liao to include other powerful men and women. Kurnath Liao also gave the Prefectorate certain legislative powers, although its most important function only came after the death of Duncan Liao, when the Prefectorate gained the right to designate one of its members as Chancellor.
This right was diminished when the Chancellorship became a lifetime appointment, and severely curtailed when the Star League agreed to grant only members of House Liao a seat on the High Council, effectively limiting the Prefecture's choices. Additional restrictions came in 2598 when Chancellor Quinn issued the Decree of Succession stating that, in the event of failure to elect a new Chancellor after three formal votes, the Chancellorship would automatically be ceded to the most senior member of House Liao. Only if a member of House Liao was unavailable or not of age could the Prefectorate choose another in their place.
Despite its diminished purpose the Prefectorate still maintains significant powers. It is responsible for passing national tax legislation, appropriations for the armed forces, and officer appointments for those military units outside the Chancellor's direct control. The Prefectorate arbitrates disputes between commonalities and, at the Chancellor's discretion, may issue decrees and rule on court decisions. It also has the power to pass "acts of ennoblement", granting certain privileges and responsibilities to individuals within the Confederation, a power it has used as a way of counteracting decrees passed by the Chancellor. Finally, all legislation passed by the Prefectorate is inviolable (except by the House of Scions) and the body cannot be removed or disbanded by the Chancellor.
The House of Scions is a governing body composed of Capellan nobility, originally formed as a check on the power of the Chancellor and Prefectorate. Membership is open to both types of nobility, although the twelve-year terms are staggered to ensure constant turnover. The power of the House of Scions has ebbed and flowed through the centuries, from superficial rubberstamp to serious political force. At first the House had the power to veto legislation passed by both the Chancellor or the Prefectorate, but the right to review the Chancellor's decrees was removed by Mica Liao. During the Star League era the House gained the right to appoint new members to the Prefectorate, and after negotiations with Ilsa Liao it gained the right to determine taxes for individual commonalities, separate from the national taxes determined by the Prefecture. Like the Prefecture, any legislation passed by the House of Scions is also inviolable.
Unlike the other Successor States where individuals are born with citizenship, in the Confederation citizenship is a benefit to be earned. All minors in the Capellan Confederation are technically wards of the state under the provisional supervision of their parents or guardians. During this time, they receive a state sponsored education and are encouraged to participate in the betterment of their communities. By age 15, each Capellan child is evaluated to determine if they have proven their commitment to the state by participating in their community, whether through outreach work or civic participation. Those who are found to have provided service to the state are granted citizenship. Those who have not are given additional education and a grace period of two years after which they will have a second evaluation. Failure to earn citizenship after one's second evaluation relegates an individual to the class of noncitizens referred to as Servitors.
Immigrants to the Confederation must also earn their citizenship, though it may occur a number of different ways. The simplest are for foreign nobles who can pay a "relocation fee" and immediately be inducted into the ranks of the Sheng nobility, albeit at one level lower than their previous rank. Other immigrants must undergo a full educational cycle on the meaning of Capellan citizenship and perform a service to the state, typically several months of unpaid labor within their chosen profession, before being accepted. For the populations of recently liberated worlds, all individuals are immediately made servitors and required to spend no less than five years in this condition until given the opportunity to earn their citizenship.
Capellan citizens' rights are defined by the Capellan Concordat and their privileges many: membership in the caste system, free health care and education, retirement pensions, and more. While for the most part left to their own devices, citizens also have a number of obligations: they must take an oath of loyalty to the Confederation, to House Liao and the Chancellor; when so ordered they may be relocated to another world or retrained to serve in another industry (all at the state's expense); if not a member of the armed forces or Home Guard they must register with their local militia and serve during invasions or natural disasters. Above and beyond any legal obligations, citizens are expected to continue providing services to their community throughout their lifetime, and the state makes a point of continuing to promote and reward those who provide selfless service to the state. In contrast, the punishment for some of the most serious crimes (treason, cowardice, etc.) results in a loss of citizenship and automatic demotion to servitor status.
The military of the Capellan Confederation is known as the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces (CCAF). Historically the CCAF has been a competent and professional military, equal to its enemies, but often hamstrung both by meddling Chancellors and trying to do too much with too little. The Chancellor serves as the commander in chief of the CCAF and has a seat on the Strategios, or Capellan Command Council, which in theory runs day-to-day operations of the military (though in practice this depends on the whims of the Chancellor). In a testament to House Liao's distrust of the military, the rank of General was abolished by Jasmine Liao, leaving their function in the hands of Senior Colonels. The CCAF is composed of both front-line and reserve units, as well as Home Guard and planetary militia units. Mercenary forces also play a major role in defending the Confederation, with McCarron's Armored Cavalry winning itself equal standing with the likes of other famous mercenary units. Outside the military chain of command and answerable only to the Chancellor are the elite Warrior Houses and Death Commandos.
The Capellan economy is a centralized system based on the idea that sufficient planning can overcome any obstacle. Every four years, the Chancellor and the Ministry Planning Committee set economic goals and determine the level of productivity for each industry to meet these goals. Surprisingly, the economy has managed to flourish at times under this centralized direction, thanks in part to the density of the Capellan state, and the ability for Chancellors to quickly and unequivocally redirect economic production has helped it weather the many existential threats to the Confederation.
Chancellor Normann Aris is most responsible for the socialistic nature of the Capellan economy. With the end of the Reunification War, revenues had dried up and the economy entered a deep recession. To combat the widespread hunger gripping his realm, Chancellor Aris enacted "compulsory organization" for all Capellan citizens. In exchange for the many rights and privileges given to them, Capellan citizens owed the state their service, and the state would be responsible for determining what that service entailed. This drastic change helped prevent the total collapse of the Capellan economy, though the citizens who engaged in strikes and shutdowns on hundreds of worlds across the Confederation didn't quite see it that way. Any hope that compulsory organization would be overturned after Aris' death were dashed when Sundermann Liao instead expanded upon the system. Sundermann made official the policy of relocating citizens to where they were most needed: if one planet had a shortage of teachers and another had too many, a sufficient number would be moved from one to the other until balanced was achieved. His son, Androsar Liao, helped patch up the societal riffs created by this policy by making it illegal to relocate a worker without also relocating their spouses and dependent children. This helped to keep families together and made the nobility more wary of abusing the system due to the added costs. Androsar was also responsible for guaranteeing free education for all citizens which, among other benefits, allowed for training in a primary and secondary occupation, making the transition to a new job easier. During the golden years of the Star League Era, the Capellan economy enjoyed tremendous growth and a standard of living which would not be matched until centuries later.
Centralized planning inherent in the Capellan economy proved fortuitous on occasion during the Succession Wars. The ability for the Chancellor to shift economic resources at will, for example, allowed for the creation and widespread distribution of new Vindicator 'Mechs by Chancellor Lisa Liao. The drive towards centralization reached its apex under current Chancellor Maximilian Liao who formally reorganized the economy under the Liaoist Doctrine in 3005, tightening the Chancellor's grip on the economy at its expense. Born on Capella as the son of Tormax Liao, Maximilian was the nephew to Chancellor Ingrid Liao. In 2980, Ingrid died without issue, and Tormax became Chancellor with Maximilian as his heir. These were dark times for the Confederation, with House Liao surrendering territory on nearly every front. This was the setting in 2990, when Maximilian orchestrated a coup of his father's throne, luring his father off of Sian by staging minor religious rebellions on various key worlds and winning the support of the Red Lancers and the Warrior Houses. Maximilian had his father assassinated by poison in 2992. Early on, Maximilian imposed a number of successful military policies early in his reign, placing greater authority in the hands of regimental commanders. This gave the CCAF the tactical flexibility it needed to properly defend a domain the size of the Confederation. He also expanded the number of Warrior Houses from four to eight. These elite units would be loyal solely to him. Finally, he increased recruitment to the Death Commandos, an even more fanatically loyal unit.
As early as 2997, he began allocating tremendous resources towards the Maskirovka, with the goal of undermining the Federated Suns with special projects ranging from minor global rebellions to sabotage to damaging their scientific community through kidnappings and assassination. Maximilian is an extraordinarily clever planner and manipulator. He reversed what had been a collapsing military, ultimately achieving a position of surprising strength. He secured his throne by playing various sides against each other, and thus far has secured his borders by playing the same game on an Sphere-wide level. He was even willing to play such games between his children, demonstrating a cold ruthlessness. He has been quite successful despite possessing considerably less resources than his rivals.
Notes to players
- Starting year 3004
- This is introtech and older scale, where a single company of mechs is massively influential. Think medieval knights. Your mechwarriors are trained from a young age and disproportionately influential on a battle. They are the only forces you consistently, directly command. You may not have more than 12
- Yes, I know ASF pilots are valid but I didn't want to build the system for it.
- DO NOT FUCK WITH JUMPSHIPS.
- Comstar knows what you did. Pay your phone bills.
- added FASCAM/Thunder rounds early. If we could build it in the 80s, we probably can still build it in the 3000s
- Mechwarrior SPAs can be used as roll modifiers if you're clever
- CASE doesn't exist yet. Ammo detonations are deadly. You can still manually dump ammo as a free action.
- This is AU. Don't go expecting to find the Helm Memory Core because you "know" it's on Helm.
- Important events may not go as in canon
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