Editing Clan Goliath Scorpion

{{Update Needed|[[Era Digest: Golden Century]]|[[The Wars of Reaving]]}}
{{InfoBoxFactions
| crest = [[Image:Clan Goliath Scorpion.jpg|200px|center|Clan Goliath Scorpion Logo]]
| factionname = Clan Goliath Scorpion
| timeperiod = [[2807]] &ndash; [[3078]]
| classification = [[Clan]]
| systems = 2{{cn}}
| capital = [[Roche]] (formerly)
| rulertitle = [[Khan]]
| military = [[Clan Goliath Scorpion Touman|Clan Goliath Scorpion ''touman'']]
| secretservice = [[Clan Watch#Clan Goliath Scorpion|Clan Goliath Scorpion Watch]]
}}

'''Clan Goliath Scorpion''' was one of the original twenty [[Clans]] founded by [[Nicholas Kerensky]], named after the [[Goliath Scorpion (species)|Goliath Scorpions]] found on [[Babylon]].  Staunch [[Warden Clans|Wardens]], the Goliath Scorpions value precision over brute force, while believing strongly in visions and quests. They take [[necrosia]], a drug based on the venom of the goliath scorpion, to aid in these visions.  This Clan believed in looking to the past in order to rebuild the [[Star League]], piece by piece, though their obsession with this goal blinded them to outside events on occasion. They were known for their wider acceptance of freeborn troops in their warrior caste.<ref>''Fields Manual Updates'', p. 62: "Goliath Scorpion Touman"</ref> The Goliath Scorpions famously provided [[Clan Wolf]] the deep-sea diving [[Exoskeleton]]s which would serve as the progenitors for modern [[battle armor]].  After the [[Wars of Reaving]] they were Abjured and expelled from Clan Space. They then conquered [[Nueva Castile]] in the [[Deep Periphery]] and renamed it [[Escorpión Imperio]]. With the conquest of the [[Hanseatic League]], it would evolve into the [[Scorpion Empire]] amidst the Dark Age and the ilClan Era.

==History==
{{main|History of Clan Goliath Scorpion}}

===Founding===
The Scorpions' first [[Khan]] was [[Cyrus Elam]], a former member of the [[SLDF]] Corps of Engineers, chosen to lead his Clan because of innovative tactics he demonstrated in training on [[Strana Mechty]].  His [[saKhan]] was [[Jenna Scott]], a young infantry commander known for predicting her enemies' movements. Under their Khan's instruction, the fledgling Clan developed flexible combat tactics and fielded combined-arms forces.  They would soon come to embody their totem animal and earn a fearsome reputation for swift and deadly strikes.<ref>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', p. 80: "Clan Goliath Scorpion Cluster"</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 101</ref>

The Scorpions were assigned to retake the world of [[Dagda (Clan System)|Dagda]] in [[Operation KLONDIKE]].  The Cluster made the first landing on Dagda, and faced off against the McMillan Collective, the best-equipped and best-led faction on the planet. They then faced The Chosen, a doomsday cult who thought to ride out the war in an upland mining facility-turned-monastery. They also cleared seaborne atolls and faced the Drakkars on the Tenno continent. The Scorpions' heavy losses ruled them out from participating in the final battles of the Dagda campaign.<ref name=HOKp80-86>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', pp. 80–86</ref>

The Goliath Scorpions would be awarded a portion of Dagda to settle, setting up along the rocky coasts and on the ocean floors to create their first enclave.  Khan Elam utilized his skills as an engineer to construct extensive deep-sea mining facilities on Dagda. Similar resource-gathering efforts were started on [[Roche]] and [[Tokasha]] as territory was ceded to their control.<ref name=FMWC103>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 103</ref>

The Clan would play a role in the [[Trial of Annihilation|Annihilation]] of [[Clan Wolverine]] in [[2823]] and again a decade later in the [[Trial of Absorption|Absorption]] of [[Clan Widowmaker]].  Although [[Clan Wolf]] had been given the right to Absorb the rebel Clan by themselves, both Khan Elam and Loremaster Moreau would take part in the last battle against the Widowmakers on Roche, where the Widowmakers had been pursued to their final stronghold of Porthos.<ref name=FMWC103/>

===Golden Century===
During the [[Golden Century]] the Goliath Scorpions would help revolutionize Clan society with the creation of underwater industrial exoskeletons in [[2842]].  Known as "water elementals" to their laborer-caste operators, these suits allowed the Clan to harvest the mineral wealth buried beneath the planet's watery depths.<ref name=FMWC104>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 104</ref>

The Scorpions were just as surprised as everyone else when the Wolves unveiled their [[Elemental (Battle Armor)|Elemental battle armor]] in [[2868]], though they quickly recognized where the technology had originated, and were equally impressed by their performance in battle.  Petitioning the Wolves for a reciprocal trade, the Scorpions acquired the design plans and twenty of the new suits in exchange for breeding rights to the Collesano, Baba and Shaffer Bloodlines.<ref name=FMWC105>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 105</ref>

The Clan had much more trouble acquiring the technology behind [[OmniMechs]], however, which [[Clan Coyote]] debuted in [[2854]].  Three separate operations to seize the technology were frustrated as Coyote warriors would invoke ''[[zellbrigen]]'' to reduce the conflicts to a series of duels between warriors.  Though easily winning each full-scale battle, the result would be nullified as the Coyotes' superior machines allowed them to handily defeat the Scorpions in single combat.  It would take years before the Goliath Scorpions finally began fielding their own OmniMechs.<ref name=FMWC104/>

===Seeker Movement===
The Golden Century also saw the beginning of many other Goliath Scorpion traditions.  Loremaster [[Ethan Moreau]], having survived the effects of the goliath scorpion venom himself, petitioned Khan Dinour to institute a rite of initiation for young Scorpion warriors.  Each recruit would allow a goliath scorpion to sting them, thereby proving their fortitude.  The fatality rate from this rite, however, quickly became too much for the Clan to bear. In response, the scientist caste devised a drink called [[necrosia]], based upon the scorpion venom which, while safe to ingest in controlled quantities, kept the hallucinogenic side effects and allowed for "prophetic visions."<ref name=FMWC103/>

The new Loremaster, [[Lan Kirov]], was inspired by Moreau to continue his brand of mysticism and quest for knowledge.  Within the next two decades, Kirov created a special cadre of warriors called Seekers, charged with finding artifacts of the lost Star League scattered throughout the Pentagon and [[Kerensky Cluster]]s and bringing them back to the Clan to serve as a basis for rebuilding the Star League.  The Seekers quickly became a force throughout Clan space, discovering many forgotten caches of and winning many duels for Star League technology and cultural items, which the Clan dutifully collected in order to study and understand the League and its highest ideals.<ref name=FMWC105/>

===Dragoon Compromise===
When the vote to invade the Inner Sphere was brought before the Great Council in [[3000]], it came as a puzzling surprise, though the Clan's leadership quickly rejected the idea.  Siding with their close ally Clan Wolf and the [[Warden]] ideology, they believed the Inner Sphere was meant to be protected, not conquered and dominated.  As an alternative, they backed Wolf Khan [[Kerlin Ward]]'s [[Dragoon Compromise]], sending a force of volunteer [[trueborn]] and [[freeborn]] warriors to scout the Inner Sphere and determine its military readiness.  In an unforeseen move, Scorpion saKhan [[Ren Posavatz]] issued a ''batchall'' to train [[Wolf's Dragoons]] and won the bid unopposed.<ref name=FMWC106>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 106</ref>

The elite [[1st Cateran (Clan Goliath Scorpion)|Heartvenom Cluster]], the Clan's special forces unit, trained the Dragoons for two years in unconventional tactics.  Drawing upon the Star League military doctrines and holovids stored within the Scorpion archives, they transformed the unit into an elite fighting force the equal of any front-line [[Cluster]].  Protestations against this methodology as being in opposition to Clan ideals fell on deaf ears, with Wolf Khan [[Kerlin Ward]] giving them his support and permission to depart in [[3004]].<ref name=FMWC106/>

===Operation REVIVAL===
In the Trials to determine who would participate in the invasion, Clan Goliath Scorpion was left out of the initial wave, although they were able to take advantage of the situation.  With so many units away from the Homeworlds on their Crusade, many Seekers began searching through areas previously considered too heavily-defended.<ref name=FMWC107>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 107</ref>

The years following the [[Truce of Tukayyid]] saw great fluctuation within Clan society. For their part, Goliath Scorpion strengthening their bond with Clan Wolf as, in the wake of the [[Refusal War]] of [[3057]], the Scorpions gladly bid away an entire [[Trinary]] of [[Crusader Clans|Crusader]]-minded warriors to the Wolves. Their part in the [[Harvest Trials]] was rewarded with the gift of an ancient ''[[Mackie]]'' from [[Galaxy Commander]] [[Katya Kerensky (31st c.)|Katya Kerensky]]. The Scorpions stood by as [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] was destroyed in the [[Great Refusal]], and in the period afterwards that become known as the [[Wars of Possession]] - the Absorption of [[Clan Burrock]], the defection of [[Clan Nova Cat]] and mass relocation of [[Clan Ghost Bear]] - the Scorpions played only a minor role and made few gains.<ref name=FMWC107/>

===Great Refusal and Aftermath===
Following the [[Great Refusal]] on 23 April 3060, Goliath Scorpion Khan [[Ariel Suvorov]] was both angry and disgusted at the Crusader Clans' failure to defeat the SLDF under Prince [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] on [[Strana Mechty]].<ref>''Forever Faithful'', pp. 56–61</ref> "The Crusaders have doomed us all by underestimating these Inner Spherers," she told her equally outraged senior commanders. Bound by the results of the Great Refusal like the other Clans, the Goliath Scorpions therefore had to "find a path in a universe now forced into peace."

[[Alpha Galaxy (Escorpión Imperio)]] Commander [[Rik Myers]], one of the Clan's most ambitious and aggressive leaders, viewed the new SLDF enclave on [[Huntress]] as a clear threat to the Clans and urged a preemptive strike against it.  He also wanted to act before the other Clans in reaping the spoils on Huntress, particularly surviving Smoke Jaguar warriors and their genes.  Khan Suvorov was more cautious though. Not wishing to trigger a massive SLDF retaliation in which the Goliath Scorpions would share the Smoke Jaguars' fate, she ordered Myers to come up with a more limited "middle ground" course of action that would demonstrate the Goliath Scorpions' strength to the other Clans without provoking a critical response from the Star League. She insisted that they had time and patience on their side.

Myers returned to Suvorov with a plan ostensibly to capture [[Abysmal]] and its countless Smoke Jaguar artifacts still there for the taking.<ref>''Forever Faithful'', pp. 81–86</ref>  Priority targets were an enlarged spaceport and warehouses built since the Clan invasion to hold Inner Sphere ''[[isorla]]''. Myers also suggested that the Goliath Scorpions might capture relics held by the [[Eridani Light Horse]], a storied SLDF unit that would undoubtedly be sent to defend the continent, and even take some of its MechWarriors as bondsmen, who would become living history among Goliath Scorpions."

Myers' real aim though was to harvest the remainder of the Smoke Jaguar warrior caste and their Bloodlines. Capturing the Jaguars' heritage would, in his opinion, ensure that the Clan was never fully erased from history. And more secretly, Myers believed that taking possession of these warriors would enable him to challenge Khan Suvorov to a Trial of Position and become Khan.<ref>''Forever Faithful'', p. 165</ref> In order to to obscure the Clan's true interest the [[Abysmal Manufacturing Complex]] at Rakt-Jabada on Abysmal which produced ''[[Warhawk]]'' OmniMechs would be emphasized in the Goliath Scorpion ''[[batchall]]'' but it was only a secondary prize.

Even though Suvorov saw through Myers' manipulation she authorized the strike anyway and further ordered that the strike would not take place until after the bulk of the SLDF departed Clan space and returned to the Inner Sphere. Later, she scaled back the scope of Myers' plan, from taking the entire continent to establishing a 200 km circular enclave centered on the ''Warhawk'' factory and its attached spaceport.<ref name=FFp136ff>''Forever Faithful'', pp. 136–138</ref>  out of concern that they might attract unwanted attention from other Clans and doubts about Myers' ability to administer such a large territory.

On August 7, 3060 Myers' strike force jumped into the Huntress system, spearheaded by his flagship, the destroyer CGS ''Sagitta''.<ref name=FFp136ff />  Sir [[Paul Masters]], commanding officer of the [[Knights of the Inner Sphere]] and the remaining SLDF units on Huntress, accepted Myers' ''batchall'' and bid one battalion of combined ComStar and [[Eridani Light Horse]] units. The Goliath Scorpions bested the Star League in the ensuing fight, inflicting heavy losses on the combined ComStar/Eridani Light Horse forces.

Myers won for the Goliath Scorpions the Abysmal enclave, its ''Warhawk'' factory, spaceport, warehouses and the artifacts they held including all SLDF BattleMechs and vehicles dating back to the original Star League.  It was also the first time a Clan other than Smoke Jaguar had carved out a piece of its own on Huntress since the Jade Falcons ages before. However, some 3,000 former Smoke Jaguars of all castes whom Myers was really after, led by [[Paul Moon]], dramatically fled Huntress on August 24, 3060.<ref>''Forever Faithful'', pp. 165–167</ref> With the aid of Goliath Scorpion Watch, Myers learned that the refugees sought to save their annihilated Clan's essence and to start new lives for themselves on [[Wayside V]], the location of a former Smoke Jaguar resupply depot far down the Exodus Road.<ref>''Forever Faithful'', pp. 234–238</ref>

Without Suvorov's authorisation or regard for provisions for the year-long trip, Myers took his elite [[35th Scorpion Cuirassiers (Escorpión Imperio)]] [[Cluster]] from Alpha Galaxy and foolishly pursued the prospective colonists. He and his fleet finally arrived at the Wayside V system on May 25, 3062.  When contacted by Moon, Myers issued his ''batchall'' in which he stated his intent to take the planet and refugees as isorla.<ref>''Forever Faithful'', p. 246</ref> Moon had no choice but to accept Myers' ''batchall'' but was able turn the tables on him. The former Smoke Jaguars, aided by [[Baldur]] and [[Inanna]] of the Nova Cats, decisively defeated Myers on June 2, 3062, in a narrow, steep-walled canyon called the "Straits."<ref>''Forever Faithful'', pp. 248–263</ref>

In the aftermath, Moon took as spoils all the BattleMechs, weapons, equipment, and vehicles Myers and the captured Goliath Scorpions brought with them to Wayside V and forced Myers and his personnel, including the JumpShip crews, to farm and tend livestock in order to raise enough food for their journey home.<ref>''Forever Faithful'', pp. 268–269</ref> Those who wanted to stay were allowed to, but those who returned had to purge their ships' maps of the location of Wayside V and never reveal its location.

Myers and most of the survivors from his Cluster returned to Huntress in March 3064 after doing their duty as prisoners of war on Wayside V, which they had begun calling "Myers' Folly".<ref>''Forever Faithful'', pp. 272–274</ref>  A week after the return, Khan Suvorov dressed down the ragged Myers, angrily reminding him that he risked and lost entire Cluster not for their Clan but for his ego with nothing to show for it in the end and that rarely has a warrior in any Clan ever failed as completely as him and still lived. 

While Suvorov was considering his fate Myers managed to convince her that he learned from his mistakes and asked for a chance at redemption. Khan Suvorov took pity on Myers and agreed to give him that chance although future events will find him wanting once more.

===Absorption of the 71st Light Horse Regiment===
In December 3067 Goliath Scorpions established contact with [[71st Light Horse Regiment]] of the [[Eridani Light Horse]] Brigade stationed in Lootera on [[Huntress]].<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 211</ref> With rapidly deteriorating situation in the Inner Sphere and dissolution of the [[Second Star League]] these mercenaries have found themselves in increasingly dire straits. [[Clan Diamond Shark]] was no longer able to provide them with provisions and communication with the Inner Sphere, they were running low on supplies and have been slowly picked apart by constant trials with neighbouring Clans.<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 210</ref>

As living relics of the original [[Star League]], the Light Horse had been the source of intense fascination to the Scorpions who wanted to learn about the Inner Sphere, it's people, worlds and history since their SLDF ancestors departed on their [[Operation EXODUS|exodus]].<ref>''Field Manual Updates'', p. 95</ref><ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 212</ref> Khan Suvorov correctly recognized regiment's increasingly desperate situation brought on by isolation and upheaval in the Inner Sphere and authorized her merchants to provide these mercenaries with all needed supplies thus greatly alleviating their situation and helping foster friendly relations between ELH and Goliath Scorpions.<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 212</ref> Her ultimate goal was to absorb the the entire regiment into the Clan Goliath Scorpion but unlike other Clans on Huntress she intended to do it by offering them home among friends.<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 225</ref> During this time Suvorov also struck up close friendship with commander of 71st Light Horse Regiment Colonel [[Sandra Barclay]].

This progress will soon be jeopardized by problematic Galaxy Commander Rik Myers who went over his Khan's head and issued a challenge to 71st Light Horse Regiment for possession of Star League embassy on [[Strana Mechty]], enclave on Huntress, entire regiment and all their personnel and equipment in the hope of earning enough glory to be able to challenge Ariel Suvorov for the rank of Khan.<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 224</ref><ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 230</ref>

Suvorov could not overturn this challenge but she offered advice to Barclay on how to select strategy and location in order to win and vowed to kill Meyers herself.<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 225</ref> She would be beaten to the punch by Barclay who would kill Meyers during subsequent trial in Shikari Jungle in late January 3068. Immediately upon Meyers' death his second-in-command would accept ''heigira'' from 71st Light Horse Regiment thus settling the matter.<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 232</ref>

In the following days Suvorov and Barclay came to an agreement on trial of absorption which would be carried out in four stages: non-lethal competitions between infantry and vehicle crews and live fire contests between aerospace and BattleMech pilots limited to direct-fire weapons and without physical attacks or aimed headshots. Trial would take place five months later in July 3068.<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 235</ref>

In February Barclay offered those among her ranks who wished to return to the Inner Sphere to evacuate alongside Star League embassy staff with handful of them accepting, mostly those who hoped to reunite with their dependants on [[Dieron]]. Later that spring they have received bleak news of orbital bombardments and nuclear attacks on Dieron by [[Word of Blake]] further solidifying understanding that they will never be able to go back.<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', p. 236</ref>

During this period Scorpions and mercenaries grew closer and began learning much about each other with Scorpions spending more and more time in streets and shops of Lootera and many of the Light Horse no longer using contractions in their speech.  As both sides were preparing for the trial the 71st started accepting any former Smoke Jaguar who wanted to stay with the unit while Scorpions began pulling vintage and legacy BattleMechs out of storage for use in the trial as a sign of respect.<ref>''No Dust, No Wear'', pp. 236–237</ref>

Trial of Absorption took place as scheduled on 10 July 3068 with Scorpions achieving overall victory. In celebratory atmosphere and with great fanfare the 71st Light Horse Regiment of [[Eridani Light Horse]] was accepted into the Clan Goliath Scorpion.<ref>''Wars Of Reaving '', p. 38</ref>

===Jihad===

The Scorpions' participation in the struggle against [[Word of Blake]] during [[Jihad]] was limited due to their location at the time but still significant. In late 3059 one of their Seeker parties prevented Blakists from claiming the large cache of biological and nuclear weapons from a long-forgotten [[Rim Worlds Republic]] depot on a moon in the [[Heidelburg]] system at great personal sacrifice.<ref>''Spotlight On: Crimson Seeker Star'', p. 9</ref>    

Following the destruction of [[Ruins of Gabriel]] in [[Odessa]] system an unidentified Seeker party managed to land on the planet Odessa III and after scouring several locations around the capital including planet's HPG compound and the estates of the local ruling family they were able to collect the evidence that showed how ComStar and Word of Blake have undermined the planetary government for centuries.<ref>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 6'', p. 10</ref>

===The Wars of Reaving and Abjuration===

The Scorpions emerged from the [[Wars of Reaving]] as the second most powerful Clan, having avoided much of the bloodshed and having Absorbed the last remains of [[Clan Ice Hellion]]. They had established forward outposts at [[Waypoint 531]] and resumed the Seekers' operations.

In December 3078, the Scorpions defended [[Hector (planet)|Hector]] against a [[Clan Cloud Cobra]] assault. During the fighting at the Bright Ledge genetic research station, one salvo from a Scorpion 'Mech blew the main bridge dropping half of the 73rd Cobra Guards into the ravine; the Cobras declared the remaining Scorpions ''[[dezgra]]'' and crushed them. Upon claiming their ''[[isorla]]'', they discovered that the Scorpion scientists, without authorization from the Khans or the Clan Council, had been experimenting with integrating [[Eridani Light Horse]] genes in the Clan legacies. The matter was brought to the [[Grand Council]], and a [[Trial of Abjuration]] was immediately approved. Despite this, the Clans moved slowly to carry it out, and this allowed the Scorpions to evacuate much of their assets to Waypoint 531. The forces left behind fought valiantly, but were ultimately defeated. The survivors gathered at Waypoint 531, then moved on to conquer the Umayyad Caliphate and Nueva Castile, forming the [[Escorpión Imperio]] in 3080. On the twilight of the Dark Age and the dawn of the IlClan Era, after the [[Hanseatic Crusade]], it would merge with the newly conquered Hanseatic League to form the Scorpion Empire

==Culture==
Clan Goliath Scorpion culture is devoted almost entirely to rebuilding the shattered Star League.  This obsession with searching the past to unlock the future is fulfilled through the use of [[necrosia]] and the Seeker tradition.

This Clan has more egalitarian attitudes towards its members than other ones do, stemming in part from the Scorpions' "living heraldry" tradition. Trueborn and bloodnamed warriors maintain their status at the top of the social hierarchy but are not put on the pedestal or viewed as pinnacle of evolution. Freeborn warriors are trained in freeborn sibkos and are routinely accepted into the warrior caste although majority of them serve as garrison troops and pirate hunters.<ref>''The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky'', p 82.</ref><ref>''Fields Manual Updates'', p. 62: "Goliath Scorpion Touman"</ref>  

Relations between warriors and civilians are generally respectful. While civilians are still subject to warrior whims they are treated better than in most of the other Clans.<ref>''MechWarrior's Guide to the Clans'', p. 21. p. 58.</ref>  

===Seekers===
[[Image:SeekerCGS.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A Goliath Scorpion Seeker]]
The Seeker movement was created by Loremaster [[Lan Kirov]] as a means for the Clan to fulfill its self-appointed goal of looking into the past to rebuild the future.  Seekers were independent nomadic warriors, operating outside the bounds of normal military hierarchy and charged with finding lost artifacts of the destroyed Star League.  It is by this method that Clan Goliath Scorpion has one of the largest collections of Star League knowledge, safely stored within the Temple of the Nine Muses beneath the fortress Spiderholm on Roche.  Permission must be granted for a warrior to embark on one of these quests, often the result of a necrosia-induced vision granting them the supposed location of an item, and prior to leaving they must take an oath known as the Rede of the Seeker.  If they failed to return to the Clan, the Seeker would be branded a [[Dark Caste|bandit]].  If they succeeded, particularly if their quest was of a novel or lengthy nature, a Seeker's return would win them immense recognition, potentially proving their suitability for a particular Bloodname or nomination to a command position.<ref name=FMWC105/>

Each Seeker, much like the knights errant of medieval Europe, was allowed their own personal retainers, known as charges.  These personal [[bondsmen]] could be drawn from any of the Clan's castes through the use of standard Clan [[Trials]], which themselves became something of a spectator sport within the Clan.  Potential charges for their part were motivated to excel in their duties and so possibly catch the eye of a Seeker.  In keeping with Clan cultural norms, it was considered highly dishonorable for a Seeker to acquire more charges than necessary, forcing them to strike a balance between quality and quantity.  In addition to charges, a Seeker could also fight Trials for supplies they might need, such as food or vehicles, taking these items as ''[[isorla]]''.<ref name=FMWC105/>

Within a Seeker's retinue each charge had a specific role.  Warrior-caste bondsmen, given the title of Yeomen, performed the same tasks as normal bondsmen.  The title of Tinkers were given to technicians charged with vehicle maintenance and battlefield salvage.  Laborer bondsmen, or Footmen, were charged with taking care of the Seeker's pets, known as familiars.  The less-common Sutlers and Sages were merchant and scientist caste bondsmen who acted as advisers for Seekers on particularly lengthy quests.  Most significant of all though were the Harbingers, artists who acted as each Seeker's chief chronicler and artisan.  These artists, rarely praised within normal Clan society, could gain nearly the same respect as that of the warrior to whom they were bonded.  These charges and familiars created a "living heraldry" that was used to recognize the warrior, even when they are veiled behind the standard Scorpion uniform, and became almost like an external [[Codex]].<ref name=FMWC105/>

====Familiars====
Familiars were pets originally associated with the Seeker movement.  Essentially living trophies, a familiar could represent a characteristic which was admired by the warrior or represent a far-flung world she had visited in her travels.  Eventually certain familiars also became associated with specific Bloodlines, such as the graceful swans with the Dinours.  By the time of the Clan invasion the practice of keeping familiars had spread to other members of the warrior caste, and even among some members of the scientist and merchant castes.<ref name=FMWC105/>

===''Zulkari''===
When saKhan [[Jenna Scott]] fought Loremaster Kirov for control of the Seeker movement to prevent the risk of the movement dividing the Clan, she wielded a pair of sharp knives similar in form to the ''[[w:Zulfiqar|zulfiqar]]'' carried by the ancient [[Terra]]n prophet Muhammad.  In honor of her Pyrrhic victory and death, the Clan's leadership instituted the custom of carrying paired daggers modeled on Scott's weapons called ''zulkari''.  One ''zulkari'' is traditionally black-hilted with a golden tassel, while the other reverses this color scheme.<ref name=FMWC106/>

===Dance of the Scars===
This ritualized form of combat traces its lineage directly back to the infamous knife fight between saKhan Scott and Loremaster Kirov for control of the Seekers.  A modified [[Circle of Equals]], the dance of the scars requires the combatants to strike each other in a precisely-defined series of cuts.  The first two cuts must be made across each shoulder, followed by cuts across each wrist, and a final cut across the center of the chest.  The warrior to make the fifth and final cut on his opponent is declared the winner.  While normally conducted unarmored, a number of Scorpion warriors began challenging others to "dance the scars" while piloting 'Mechs in the years following the Clan invasion, considering these fights to be the ultimate show of honor.<ref name=FMWC106/>

''On the Black Seam they dance,''<br />
''moonlit steel gleaming in the twilight.''<br />
''Black and gold, red and silver,''<br />
''their clothes stir the still night air.''<br />
''Five steps taken, five cuts drawn,''<br />
''the Scars of Moreau's tribulation.''<br />
''These pay heed to our debt, to our past,''<br />
''reborn with the death of our Mother.''<br />
:-''The Remembrance (Clan Goliath Scorpion), Passage 316, Verse 12, Lines 1-8.''{{cn}}

==Military==
{{main|Clan Goliath Scorpion Touman}}
The [[Clan Goliath Scorpion Touman|Goliath Scorpion ''touman'']] was surprisingly regimented, especially given the solitary nature of their Seeker tradition.  Each [[Cluster]] and [[Trinary]] was a mixed force composed of varying levels of [[BattleMech]]s, [[aerospace fighter]]s, and [[Elemental]]s.  'Mech [[Star]]s were typically light to heavy-weight machines fast enough to envelop the enemy's flanks while providing the main knockout punch during ground assaults.  Aerospace Stars were dominated by heavy fighters for ground-support missions, while Elementals were trained to act in concert with 'Mechs and fighters, as well as perform paradrops into contested combat zones.  The newly-developed [[Undine]] battle armor also allowed the Clan to combat enemies in underwater environments.<ref name=FMWC109>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 109</ref>

Laser weapons were prized by the Clan, both for their precision and lack of ammunition requirements (qualities also useful for the nomadic Seekers), while missile weapons were seen as the tools of the unskilled. [[Targeting Computer]]s were used extensively as well, though warriors would often disable parts of these systems in order to showcase their true skill.  This display of a warrior's skill was highly prized within the Clan, especially in the honor duels governed by ''[[zellbrigen]]''. Clan Goliath Scorpion was stricter in upholding ''zellbrigen'' than even [[Clan Jade Falcon]] or [[Clan Blood Spirit]], in spite of the lessons learned during the Clan Invasion.<ref name=FMWC109/> In an example of how much they value individual dueling, the Clan instituted a series of gladiatorial tournaments based upon the [[Martial Olympiad]]s in what became known as the Circus Honorae, or Circle of Honor, since the Golden Century. Initiated by Khan Sandra Dinour and saKhan Lan Kirov in response to their Clan’s lackluster performance in securing OmniMech technology, these tournaments would be continued into the modern day as a means of sharpening warriors' dueling skills.<ref name=FMWC104>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 104</ref>

For all its strengths, Goliath Scorpion military doctrines were predictable and focused entirely on ground operations.  While enjoying a respectable number of [[WarShip]]s and similar craft, they lacked the experience or assets to combat against an experienced and determined opponent willing to challenge their control of the aerospace realm.  Perhaps the biggest flaw in their doctrine, contrary to the individualistic nature of their Seekers, was the tendency of [[Galaxy Commander]]s to micromanage their forces, resulting in a lack of initiative among the lower ranks.<ref name=FMU62>''Field Manual: Updates'', pp. 62–63</ref>

== Bloodnames ==
{{main|List of Bloodnames#Scorpion Empire (Clan Goliath Scorpion)}}
{{Category|Clan Goliath Scorpion Bloodnames}}

==Inter-Clan Relations==
Clan Goliath Scorpion had relatively few friends or enemies for most of their history.  In part this was due to the fact their nomadic nature left their territory relatively underdeveloped by Clan standards.  While this caused them to be seen as backwards economically and militarily by the other Clans, it also meant there were much fewer targets to fight over and so less inclination to raid their space.

{| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center;
|-
!Clan Name
!Symbol
!Relationship
!Reason
|-
|'''[[Clan Wolf]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Wolf logo.png|100px]]
|Ally
|Prior to the schism, the Goliath Scorpions were loyal allies of [[Clan Wolf]], although this was very much a one-sided relationship.  The sundering of the Wolves and creation of [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]] did cause the Goliath Scorpions to start second-guessing this state of affairs.
|-
|'''[[Clan Sea Fox]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Sea Fox Logo.png|100px]]
|Ally
|After the formation of the Scorpion Empire and the arrival of Tiburon Khanate in former Hansa space in search of BattleMech schematics and resources to obtain, Hellion Galaxy was able to challenge them to an honorable Clan Trial before tracking them back to the Chaine Cluster. The formation of a trade enclave in the Chainelane Isles and establishment of joint anti-piracy patrols served to benefit both sides while pacifying the region. The Clan would also exchange public news to the Empire on the political developments in the Inner Sphere. Interactions between the two Clans are characterized by healthy competition alongside mutual respect.
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center;
|-
!Clan Name
!Symbol
!Relationship
!Reason
|-
|'''[[Clan Fire Mandrill]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Fire Mandrill.jpg|100px]]
|Enemy
|[[Clan Fire Mandrill]] was hated for the brutal murder of their first Loremaster, [[Ethan Moreau]] by [[Kindraa Mattila-Carrol]].
|-
|'''[[Clan Ice Hellion]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Ice Hellion.jpg|100px]]
|Enemy
| [[Clan Ice Hellion]] was considered one of the few mortal enemies of the Goliath Scorpions, although this would end when they absorbed the remnants of that Clan.
|-
|}
Following their Abjuration from Clan Space after the [[Wars of Reaving]] in 3078 and creation of the Escorpion Imperio (and later the Scorpion Empire), the remaining Home Clans are their only enemies due to the growing [[Bastions|Bastion]] philosophy. As such, the Scorpions would spend most of their time dispelling Umayyad rumors and killing and/or expelling [[Home Clan]] Watch agents from their realm during the following years.

Ironically, they dismissed [[Clan Nova Cat]]'s version of mysticism as nonsense.<ref name=CWoK83>''The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky'', pp. 82–83</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', pp. 109–110</ref>

==Rulers==

===Khans===

See: [[Khan of Clan Goliath Scorpion]]

===saKhans===

See: [[SaKhan of Clan Goliath Scorpion]]

===Loremasters===

See: [[Loremaster of Clan Goliath Scorpion]]

===Chiefs of the Watch===
* [[Rife Nagy]], ca. [[3060]]-[[3064]] era

==Era Specific Data==
===3061===
Affiliation: Warden<br />
Capital: [[Roche]]<br />
Population (Clan space): 67,238,000 (3060)<br />
Population growth rate: 2.4 percent (84/60)<br />
Self-Sufficiency Index: 91 percent<br />

'''Leaders'''<br />
Khan: [[Ariel Suvorov]]<br />
saKhan: [[Nelson Elam]]<br />
Loremaster: [[Kyrie Ben-Shimon]]<br />
Scientist-General: Germon (Wilkinson)<br />
Merchant Factor: [[Palos (Character)]]<br />
Master Technician: [[Noam]]<br />
Senior Laborer: [[Suu]]<br />
Chief of the Watch: [[Rife Nagy]]<br />

'''Military'''<br />
Clusters: 24<ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 164</ref><br />
WarShips: 17<br />

'''Clan Space Worlds'''<br />
[[Dagda (Clan System)|Dagda]] (29 percent)<br />
[[Huntress]] (18 percent)<br />
[[Marshall]] (36 percent)<br />
[[Roche]] (83 percent)<br />
[[Strana Mechty]] (7 percent)<br />
[[Tokasha]] (23 percent)<br />

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Blake Ascending]]''
* ''[[The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Warden Clans]]''
* ''[[Forever Faithful]]''
* ''[[Historical: Operation Klondike]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3070]]''
* ''[[MechWarrior's Guide to the Clans]]''
* ''[[Operational Turning Points: Hanseatic Crusade]]''
* ''[[Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 6]]''
* ''[[Spotlight On: Crimson Seeker Star]]''

[[Category: Clans]]
[[Category: Factions|Clans, Clan Goliath Scorpion]]

{{wikipedia|79600118|Clans_(BattleTech)}}