Clans

The Clans of BattleTech were originally the self-exiled remnants of the Star League Defense Force army, after Stefan Amaris brought about the downfall of the Star League. General Aleksandr Kerensky led his forces beyond the Inner Sphere because he believed that a terrible war was brewing between the Great Houses; a war that even the once mighty Star League army was powerless to stop. The exiles evolved into a warrior-based civilization that would sweep through the Inner Sphere like a whirlwind 250 years later.

History

After months of deliberation, Aleksandr convened most of the Star League forces still loyal to him (over 80%) and departed the Inner Sphere. After years of traveling, the massive flotilla of Star League refugees came upon five marginally habitable worlds, the so-called Pentagon Worlds (due to their near-pentametric relation to each other). There Kerensky's followers tried to forge life as they knew it once again, and for a time it seemed the Star League would still exist, far away from Terra, although this was not to be. Within a year, cracks were beginning to form along faction lines and soon the Pentagon Worlds were at war: an eerie parallel to the carnage unfolding concurrently in the Inner Sphere, a conflict now known as the First Succession War. At this, Kerensky prepared to gather the precious few troops still loyal to him, when he suffered a massive heart attack and as his dying wish, Kerensky left the reigns of the Exile Star League in the hands of his son, Nicholas. Kerensky's son took 800 of his best warriors and 600 civilian families away to a planet known as Strana Mechty ("land of dreams" in Russian) where he forged a new order. This order was known as the Clans. Those who possessed exceptional military skill became the breeding stock of what would become a hereditary ruling class. They embodied the pinnacle of combat prowess, and were put through a variety of competitive and selective processes with each generation to produce virtual super-soldiers. They were charged to protect the weak and powerless, but primarily to take back the Pentagon Worlds and, some day, the Inner Sphere where they, the Clans, would reinstate the glorious Star League. The second exodus was finished on 11. June 2802. On this day five years later Nicholas announced the foundation of the Clans.

In the beginning there were twenty clans, each with forty warriors. Over time, three clans were Absorbed (Clans Widowmaker, Mongoose, Burrock), two were Annihilated (Clans Wolverine and Smoke Jaguar), one was Abjured (Clan Nova Cat), another was split in two (Clan Wolf), and two eventually merged with Inner Sphere nations (Clans Ghost Bear and Snow Raven, respectively). Today, the Clans are almost wholly unrecognizable, compared to their forebears.

Though Clan history speaks of twenty Clans and the Eight Hundred Bloodnamed, Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht encountered information on board the Wolf Clan flag vessel, Dire Wolf that lead him to suspect the number may have been as low as six hundred or greater than eight hundred. It is possible that the practices of Reaving and the ilKhan's right to primogeniture were later attempts to retcon this information. It is also likely that the Annihilation of Clan Wolverine and Absorption of Clans Widowmaker and Mongoose altered the Bloodcount.

In reality, far more warriors came together with Nicholas Kerensky but only 800 of them passed the preliminary version of the Trial of Position.

List of clans

Clan Blood Spirit

For more details on this topic, see Clan Blood Spirit.

One of the smallest of the Clans; isolationist but with some elite warriors.

Clan Burrock

For more details on this topic, see Clan Burrock.

Principal enemies of Clan Blood Spirit. The Burrocks were absorbed by Clan Star Adder in 3059, when it became known that the Khans of the Burrocks had been secretly dealing with members of the Bandit (Dark) Caste for nearly a century. The Burrock Absorption was interrupted by an unexpected invasion by the enraged Blood Spirits, resulting in severe casualties to all three Clans involved.

Clan Cloud Cobra

For more details on this topic, see Clan Cloud Cobra.

Founded by Windham Khatib, the so-called "Pope-in-Exile", the Cloud Cobras are the center of religious activity in the Clans. Khatib formed the beginnings of the Clan religious movement known simply as 'the Way', which focuses on finding common ground between all religions.

Clan Coyote

For more details on this topic, see Clan Coyote.

A tradition-minded Warden Clan bearing cultural stylings of the ancient Terran Native Americans, the Coyotes were once among the most powerful and largest of Clans, having exclusive control of five worlds and partial control of many others in the Kerensky Cluster. Inventors of the OmniMech (among other things), Coyote scientists are renowned for their brilliance. Today they are a shadow of the once resplendent Clan.

Clan Diamond Shark

For more details on this topic, see Clan Diamond Shark.

Clan Diamond Shark is the only clan to ever change its Kerensky-given name. Originally called Sea Fox after a marine mammal, which was wiped nearly to extinction by a vicious predator purposely introduced to the ecosystem by Clan Snow Raven to disgrace them. This prompted the Clan to alter their name to that of the predator, the Diamond Shark. They were a reserve Clan during the invasion and only captured one Inner Sphere world, Nyserta, before being defeated on Tukayyid. Nyserta was then lost to the Ghost Bears, leading to a renewal of Warden sentiments in the Clan leadership. This Clan is mercantile in its dealings, an intermediary between many Clans and advancer of scientific and mercantile breakthroughs. A predominantly Warden Clan, the Diamond Sharks are known for their liberal attitudes, toleration of freeborns, caste intermingling, and free-thinking ways that are unparalleled in the Clans. Clan Diamond Shark changed its name back to Sea Fox in 3100.

Clan Fire Mandrill

For more details on this topic, see Clan Fire Mandrill.

A fractured Crusader Clan. The Fire Mandrills are divided into a number of Kindraa (Kindred Associations) based upon Bloodnames. Unlike the Cloud Cobras, this factionalism has cost the Fire Mandrills much and are they often hard-pressed to deal with outsiders due to their internal strife. The Kindraas are: Kindraa Sainze, Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga, Kindraa Payne, Kindraa Mattila-Carrol, Kindraa Beyl-Grant, Kindraa Kline, and Kindraa Mick-Kreese (Goulet).

Clan Ghost Bear

For more details on this topic, see Clan Ghost Bear.

Powerful Clansmen, the Ghost Bears are known for their conservative nature and their strong sense of family. They joined the original Clan invasion in 3050 and seized some forty worlds from the Free Rasalhague Republic and Draconis Combine. They won a minor victory against the ComGuards at the Battle of Tukayyid and bode their time since. During the Great Refusal on Strana Mechty, the Ghost Bears abandoned their Crusader beliefs and embraced the Warden faction, leading them out of the Trial of Refusal being waged by the Inner Sphere. They subsequently relocated to the Inner Sphere, abandoning all their Clan holdings save for their enclave on Arcadia and their posting on Strana Mechty. They are a now a permanent feature of the Inner Sphere and have remained tranquil, save for a brief war with the Draconis Combine following the latter's attack on their capital, Alshain. After establishing themselves in the Inner Sphere, they formed the Ghost Bear Dominion. They later merged with the remnants of the minor Inner Sphere power Free Rasalhague Republic to form the Rasalhague Dominion. It was the first true merger between a Clan and an Inner Sphere nation, where the citizens treat the Clan Warrior caste as the rulers but the ruling warriors give free reign to their Rasalhague citizens. The Ghost Bear Khan holds the main power and there is a Prince voted by the people to control all matter concerning the population.

Clan Goliath Scorpion

For more details on this topic, see Clan Goliath Scorpion.

Staunch Wardens, the Goliath Scorpions value precision over brute force, while believing strongly in visions and quests. They take Necrosia, based on the venom of the goliath scorpion, to aid in these visions. This Clan believes in looking to the past in order to rebuild the Star League, piece by piece. They are fiercely devoted to Clan Wolf. Many within the Clans claim that, if not for their visions and quests, they would be an extremely powerful force to be reckoned with. Their unique organizational scheme within their touman (even more detailed than the Jade Falcons) and knowledge of the old Star League Defense Force strategy and tactics would make them a well-oiled engine of destruction. It was their Heartvenom Cluster (Cateran cluster formation with Command Trinary, two Specialist Trinary, Battle Trinary, and Striker Trinary) that trained Wolf's Dragoons before they left for the Inner Sphere and made them an elite unit capable of handling any operation. Goliath Scorpion was also the first clan to begin development of Battle Armor (early designs were based on underwater mining suits). Clan Wolf then perfected these early designs, which led to the production of the Elemental, the prominent Battle Armor of the Clans.

Clan Hell's Horses

For more details on this topic, see Clan Hell's Horses.

A mixed Clan led by Crusaders, but with a large Warden makeup, the Hell's Horses are unusual for their heavy use of conventional (non-'Mech) forces and their beliefs favoring men over machines. Passionate and brave, the Hell's Horses succeeded where others thought they would fail. Their toleration of freeborns is a rarity among the Clans, especially among Crusaders. Though they did not participate in the invasion, they were given three worlds by Clan Wolf along their border with the Ghost Bears, the Hell's Horses sworn enemies. The Hell's Horses attempted to invade the Ghost Bear Dominion while the Bears were busy fighting the Draconis Combine. The retaliation cost the Hell's Horses much: the three worlds given to them were lost and the Hell's Horses had to pull back from the Inner Sphere. After a tentative peace with the Ghost Bears, the Hell's Horses launched a successful invasion of Wolf and Jade Falcon occupation zones. Their plan to transplant their entire population, much like the Ghost Bear's shift, was discovered and eventually led to the Clan Civil War that separated the Inner Sphere Clans from their homeworld brethren.

Clan Ice Hellion

For more details on this topic, see Clan Ice Hellion.

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

Clan Jade Falcon

For more details on this topic, see Clan Jade Falcon.

The strictly traditionalist Crusaders of Clan Jade Falcon have long resented and been envious of Clan Wolf for their strength, holdings, and (most of all) possession of the coveted Kerensky Bloodname. The Jade Falcons participated in the initial invasion and seized many Lyran worlds from the Federated Commonwealth. Achieving a draw with the ComGuards on Tukayyid, they schemed and plotted to undo the Truce. They were nearly destroyed by their Refusal War with the Wolves in an attempt to do just that. They lost many warriors and both of their Khans in subsequent politicking. Their new Khan launched a daring strike at Coventry in the Lyran Alliance and managed to restore the Jade Falcons' strength by winning possession of other Crusader units in the Harvest Trials. The Jade Falcons beat the ComGuards during the Great Refusal on Strana Mechty and then pushed the Steel Vipers out of their occupation zone; after that, they seized (and lost) several more Lyran worlds during the FedCom Civil War. They still eye Terra and have not given up all hope of claiming it. In 3132, seeing an opportunity caused by the collapse of the HPG network, the Falcons have made an incursion into the Republic of the Sphere.

Clan Jade Wolf

For more details on this topic, see Clan Jade Wolf.

A short-lived Clan, the Jade Wolves existed briefly between the Refusal War between the Wolves and Jade Falcons, and when Khan Vlad Ward returned his Clan to full active status as the Wolves.

Clan Mongoose

For more details on this topic, see Clan Mongoose.

The Mongoose home planet of Shadow was also where the clan's name originated. The name was adopted from the animal that killed the dangerous Venom Worms which were a great threat to humans, and as such endeared the mongoose to the clan. The clan is no longer in existence, as it was Absorbed by Clan Smoke Jaguar for attempting to use the words of Nicholas Kerensky to sidestep a Grand Council ruling that ran against them. Being then deemed unfit to rule by the Grand Council, the Trial of Absorption was called. Already weakened by a conflict with the Star Adders, Clan Mongoose fell before the Smoke Jaguars and their genetic legacies were acquired by the Cloud Cobras. Approximately 11 genetic legacies were acquired by Cloud Cobra, but the exact number cannot be confirmed due to the disarray Clan Mongoose was left in after the Trial of Absorption. This also left the Bloodnames of the Mongoose Touman in Cloud Cobra's hands, although insufficient records have left the legacies of Mongoose Touman identities questionable, even to the present day.

Clan Nova Cat

For more details on this topic, see Clan Nova Cat.

A Warden Clan, the Nova Cats are known for their mystic ways and are governed by visions. They ignored such visions when they joined the attack on the Inner Sphere and shared the Smoke Jaguars invasion corridor. They were defeated on Luthien, then on Tukayyid. This caused the Nova Cats to heed a new vision that encouraged them to join with the Draconis Combine and the Inner Sphere against the Smoke Jaguars. They joined with the new Star League in driving the Jaguars out of the Inner Sphere and joined them again on Strana Mechty during the Great Refusal. For this, they were Abjured by the other Clans and forced to leave Clan space under fire and resettled in the Irece Prefecture of the Draconis Combine. The abjuration often shrouds the Nova Cats' previous fame as excellent marksman (they often competed with the Goliath Scorpions to see what Clan had the best sharpshooters), and as the developers of the Extended-Range Laser technology used by all Clans.

Clan Sea Fox

For more details on this topic, see Clan Sea Fox.

Original name of Clan Diamond Shark. Clan Sea Fox and Clan Snow Raven had a falling out, and in response Clan Snow Raven created the diamond shark, a predator designed solely to hunt and kill the sea foxes in Strana Mechty's oceans. After most of the sea foxes had been killed, Clan Sea Fox petitioned the council to change its name to Clan Diamond Shark. Several sea foxes were preserved by the Clan and placed on other worlds, where they flourished. As a result, Clan Diamond Shark had changed its name back to Clan Sea Fox by 3100. Clan Diamond Shark has, since its inception, relied heavily on its Merchant Caste, giving them more power than most clans. Though many believe them to be weak because of their democratic attitudes to their lower castes, the Diamond Sharks maintain one of the largest and most elite militaries among the clans. After the Jihad, the Diamond Sharks were forced to move to the Inner Sphere along with many of its fellow Clans. Having few worlds of their own, Clan Sea Fox is a nomad trader Clan who almost completely reside on giant ArcShips and CargoShips roaming throughout space.

Clan Smoke Jaguar

For more details on this topic, see Clan Smoke Jaguar.

Clan Smoke Jaguar is easily the most violent and aggressive of all the Clans. They are, however, not as brash and headstrong as Clan Jade Falcon; they are quicker to battle, but are also quicker to think before acting. This makes a deadly combination, and Clan Smoke Jaguar was quite a strong Clan, however they didn't have the immensity of the larger Clans or the autonomy of Clan Ghost Bear to support its claim. As such, Clan Smoke Jaguar was dangerous in combat, but never a serious contender for the ilClan (ruling Clan).

Clan Smoke Jaguar joined Clan Jade Falcon in the campaign for the Clan Invasion. They were amongst the first Clans to launch into the Invasion, although they did not rush headlong into the battle like their sister clan. The Jaguars deliberated on the situation for a time, choosing not to invade Lyran Commonwealth territory, closest to the Jaguars', as the Falcons had but rather to cross to the other side of the Outer Rim and launch an offensive against the Draconis Combine. The Jaguars penetrated deep into the Inner Sphere, but as mentioned before, they did not have the autonomy to maintain proper defense. A lot of claimed territory was lost when the Draconis Combine turned on the offensive. Clan Smoke Jaguar was in great peril, however as Clan Ghost Bear soon followed the Jaguars into Draconis Combine territory. With a new threat, the Draconis Combine was forced into a defensive stance once more, and the Smoke Jaguars returned to the offensive with the combined might of Clan Ghost Bear.

Clan Smoke Jaguar and Clan Ghost Bear came very close to Terra, however when the Clans were defeated at the Battle of Tukayyid. Clan Ghost Bear, greatly weakened, turned their attention to driving a straight line to Terra, leaving Clan Smoke Jaguar to handle the Draconis Combine on its own. Without the protection of Clan Ghost Bear, and with little improved autonomy, Clan Smoke Jaguar was forced to take a defensive stance once more. Although they did not concede any territory, they gave the Draconis Combine time to recuperate from the shattering offensive. When the war between Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Wolf was over, Clan Wolf retreated towards the Outer Rim, leaving the remaining Clans to defend the abandoned worlds. The Clans, including the already wounded Clan Smoke Jaguar, spread their forces paper thin in response. When the Inner Sphere reformed the Star League in the face of the Clan threat they launched a united Inner Sphere taskforce to assault the homeworld of Clan Smoke Jaguar. This mission was dubbed Operation Serpent. Led by General Ariana Winston of the elite Eridani Light Horse mercenary brigade, the secretive attack force invaded the Smoke Jaguar homeworld of Huntress. Meanwhile, Operation Bulldog, led by Prince Victor Steiner-Davion, attacked the Inner Sphere frontlines, forcing the Smoke Jaguar to fight a two front war. When Bulldog got to Huntress, they found Operation Serpent a success; however, General Winston had died. After the annihilation of Clan Smoke Jaguar, Victor led the new Star League to the seat of all clan power,Strana Mechty to stop the clan invasion once and for all.

Clan Snow Raven

For more details on this topic, see Clan Snow Raven.

Founded by Stephen McKenna (a distant relative of the famous James McKenna who formed the Terran Hegemony), the Snow Ravens are a complicated Clan that has taken a unique path, due to several catastrophes in their early history. Famed for their heavy use of naval assets as well as their conniving and efficient nature the Snow Raven Clan, despite being mistrusted and misunderstood by other Clans, has nonetheless risen to to become one of the more powerful Clans in the past decade.

Clan Star Adder

For more details on this topic, see Clan Star Adder.

Considered to be one of the most powerful Home Clans (a Clan that did not participate in the Inner Sphere Invasion), the Star Adders can now also be considered to be among the most powerful of all the Clans, rivaling even an Invading Clan like Jade Falcon or Ghost Bear and even surpassing Clan Wolf in terms of raw military power, thanks largely to their relatively easy absorption of Clan Burrock. However, despite essentially having the strength of two Clans at their disposal, the Star Adders are still considered to be somewhat lacking when compared to an Invading Clan in terms of raw materials and industrial potential, since they can only rely on their Clan Homeworlds holdings while the Invading Clans have the vast resources of their conquered Inner Sphere worlds to draw upon. While the Star Adders espouse a Crusader philosophy, they stress the need for inter-Clan cooperation and a tolerant attitude for freeborns that is more commonly found among Warden clans. Strategists, rather than tacticians, the Star Adders are unusual for their meticulous nature, though their successes speak for themselves. With their Absorption of the Burrocks, they gained an incredible boon, as other Clans were falling in size and stature.

Clan Steel Viper

For more details on this topic, see Clan Steel Viper.

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

Clan Widowmaker

For more details on this topic, see Clan Widowmaker.

Absorbed by Clan Wolf for a brutal crackdown on dissenting merchants, that proved their inability to rule in the Clans' eyes. During their Trial of Refusal against the Absorption, the Widowmaker Khan slew ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky, which lead to a grueling trial of Absorption, spelling the end of the Widowmakers.

Clan Wolf

For more details on this topic, see Clan Wolf.

The chosen Clan of Kerensky, the pre-Refusal War Wolves had always been a dominant force in the Clans since their beginning. They Annihilated the Wolverines, Absorbed the Widowmakers, and proved themselves expert warriors. They also perfected the Elemental battle armor. They led the Wardens in the Grand Council and were the only Clan to oppose the Invasion in 3050. Although they lost a Trial of Refusal against the motion to invade the Inner Sphere, they participated in it nonetheless and soon outdid all other Clans in seizing more worlds and at a faster pace than any other Clan. Their holdings were mostly taken from the Free Rasalhague Republic and the Lyran half of the Federated Commonwealth. Their capture of Rasalhague cemented their leadership in the Invasion and after the original ilKhan died, a Wolf Clan Khan replaced him. The Wolf ilKhan orchestrated the Trial of Tukayyid and Clan Wolf was one of only two Clans to prevail (the other being Clan Ghost Bear who were awarded a "marginal" victory). Nevertheless, the Wolves were the ones who helped convince the other clans to adhere to the terms when the Trial was lost.

They all but destroyed themselves in preventing the Jade Falcons from breaking the truce by instigating a Trial of Refusal (of a scale never before seen outside of a Trial of Annnihilation, against an entire Clan ; this particular Trial of Refusal would be forever referred to as the "Refusal War") against the Jade Falcons. As a result of this war, the Wolves were split into two factions, the Crusader Wolves led by Vlad Ward and the Warden Wolves led, into self-imposed exile, by Phelan Kell. The latter left Clan controlled space and went to Arc-Royal in the Lyran Alliance and guarded the border against any Clan incursions. The other Wolves remained, despite an initially successful Jade Falcon attempt to Absorb them that was effectively made moot with the creation of the Jade Wolves (an offshoot of Clan Jade Falcon made up of captured Wolf warriors who were "absorbed" into the Jade Falcons). The Jade Wolves later changed their name by dropping the "Jade" part and simply going by "Wolf", effectively usurping the name of the original or pre-Refusal War Clan Wolf. These Crusader Wolves rebuilt their strength and have declared themselves the only Crusader Clan not bound by the Crusaders' defeat during the Great Refusal. Once the fifteen-year truce of Tukayyid expires in May of 3067, the Wolves will be on the prowl once more. As with the original incarnation of Clan Wolf, the Crusader Wolves consider the planet Tamar as their capital. It was the scouring of Tamar that made the Clans realize that they too would come under attack by the Word of Blake and had to fight back. During the Jihad, the Wolves leapt across Jade Falcon borders to assist worlds under attack.

Clan Wolf-in-Exile

For more details on this topic, see Clan Wolf-in-Exile.

The Warden faction of Clan Wolf was led into the Inner Sphere by then-saKhan Phelan Ward during the Refusal War with Clan Jade Falcon. After this break-away faction of Wolves were Abjured by the Grand Council, Khan Phelan Ward lost his Bloodright to the Ward surname. However thanks to one of his final acts as ilKhan, Ulric Kerensky created a new Bloodname, Kell. Clan Wolf-in-Exile settled on Phelan's original homeworld of Arc-Royal where his father, Morgan Kell, was the Grand Duke. Clan Wolf-in-Exile provided a strong defense for the newly-formed Arc Royal Defense Cordon against future Clan Jade Falcon incursions, most notably fighting alongside Lyran Alliance troops during the FedCom Civil War. During the Jihad, the Wolf-in-Exile forces took in Wolf's Dragoons, whose home planet, Outreach, was devastated by the Blakists.

Clan Wolverine

For more details on this topic, see Clan Wolverine.

The Wolverines were among the most vocal critics of Nicholas Kerensky's authoritarian rule over the Clans. Official Clan histories state that they were Annihilated for espousing anti-Clan sentiments, such as democracy and independence, but the reality is somewhat different. Many Clans were suffering internal strife at the time of the Clan Wolverine incident, and Nicholas saw that the Clans as a whole were on the brink of rebelling against his authority. The Wolverines served as both object lesson and common enemy against whom the other nineteen Clans could unite.

Clan Wolf carried out the Grand Council's sentence against Khan Sarah McEvedy and her Clan. What started out as a Trial of Absorption became a Trial of Annihilation when Clan Wolverine allegedly uses a nuclear weapon on Clan Snow Raven's genetic repository. Later investigation strongly suggested that some Clan Wolverine members - predominantly civilians and second-line troops had been able to flee. Officially put down to bad bookkeeping, the whereabouts and disposition of any survivors remains unknown.

Culture

Clan society has developed entirely separate from the Inner Sphere, and has a number of quirks.

Resources and Lifestyle

The worlds of the Kerensky-cluster and the Pentagon-worlds are barely habitable and lack easily reachable natural ressources. Accordingly, the Clans inhabited a lifestyle in which nothing is wasted. Recycling of garbage is standard and describing another Clan as wasteful is a deep insult. Clan Snow Raven's totem is even famous for not wasting anything.

For example, it is known, that if a member of Clan Jade Falcon dies, the still functioning inner organs are harvested for transplantation.

This viewpoint of preserving resources goes hand in hand with the Clan's style of warfare; civilians, factories, cities and such are not to be entrenched in battles.

Bloodnames

For more details on this topic, see Bloodname.

Bloodnames are one of the more unique institutions of the Clans. When the Clans were founded and their breeding program started, surnames were done away with (after the first generation of warriors), and an ordeal called a Trial of Bloodright was established to allow eligible warriors to win the surnames of the original warriors that founded the Clans.

The surnames were termed Bloodnames, and were traced matrilineally through mitochondrial DNA. Being a descendant of a person with a bloodline gives the person eligibility to enter in the Trial of Bloodright rather than the right to use the surname without winning a trial. Each Bloodname can be held by a maximum of 25 warriors at any one time. Some Bloodnames have fewer than 25 holders, due to a process called a reaving.

The each surname has organization called Bloodname House. This respresents each person who shares qualifies to hold the Bloodname or current hold of Bloodname. They are responsible to elect or sponsor qualify applicant to earn a available bloodname. Each Bloodname house has its own traditions which they keep to themselves to maintain the integrity of the Bloodname founder and their successors.

Each Bloodname has its own Bloodname Chapel which is located on Strana Mechty. The chapels surround the Hall of Khans in capital city. The Chapels remember exploits of each of Bloodname founders and their worthy successors.

The chapel is represented by a Bloodname House and held the DNA of each member of the House either living or dead. Without exception they is nothing more holy or sacred to the Clans than those chapels.

Although any form of surname outside the warrior caste is frowned upon, the scientist caste secretly assigns surnames (referred to as labnames) to people who make great scientific contributions. The surnames are after great historical scientists (Newton, Watson, etc.) and have nothing to do with the persons genealogy.

Genetic Respositories

All Clan Warrior's DNA are stored in the Primary Genetic Respository on Strana Mechty. This warehouse of Bloodnames is maintained for all the clans to produce warriors for each of their respective clans. There are smaller respositiories maintained by each Clan, which they produced their clan's bloodnames which are exclusive to them.

Within each depository there are devices known as Ironwombs. These are used artificially give birth to new infants from DNA of honored Bloodname warriors.

When warrior dies honorably and is posthumously considered worthy enough, their DNA sample is submitted into the Respository with great ceremony.

Clan Honor

The Clans as a whole adhere to a fairly strict honor system, encapsulated in a set of rules known as Zellbrigen. While some Clans are far more strict and conservative than others, all Clans follow this concept of honor to some extent. Among other things, this code exhorts personal ability and efficiency above all. It formalizes most combats and many decision-making processes into a set of Trials, such as Trials of Position to earn rank, Trials of Possession to claim a resource held by another, and Trials of Refusal to legally refute the order of a superior officer or ruling body. It also encourages proxy battles and token fights in the form of a bidding process to minimize the forces involved in combat, and duels to minimize actual fighting while, again, emphasizing individual combat prowess. The Clan honor rules also discourage any type of involvement of non-combatants in combat, and strongly discourage wasting resources (such as urban areas, factories, and starports) in combat.

The Inner Sphere's typical lack of adherence to honor, and willingness to go to almost any lengths to win, are the primary reasons the Clans declared them to be "barbarians". Many Clans now refuse to follow the rules of honor against Inner Sphere foes, or even against the "rebel" Clans (Wolf-in-Exile and Nova Cat) that "betrayed" the Clans as a whole by defecting to the Inner Sphere.

Planets & Territory

Albion

Arcadia

Atreus

Babylon

Barcella

Bearclaw

Brim

Circe

Dagda

Delios

Eden

Foster

Gatekeeper

Glory

Grants Station

Hector - Capital to Clan Steel Viper

Hellgate

Hoard

Homer - Capital to Clan Steel Viper

Huntress

Ironhold - Capital to Clan Jade Falcon

Kirin

Londerholm

Lum - Capital to Clan Steel Viper

Marshall

New Kent - Capital to Clan Steel Viper

Niles - Capital to Clan Hell's Horses

Paxon

Priori

Roche - Capital to Clan Goliath Scorpion

Shadow - Capital to Clan Fire Mandrill

Sheridan - Capital to Clan Star Adder

Strana Mechty - Capital to Clan Wolf + Clan Diamond Shark

Strato Domingo

Tamaron - Capital to Clan Coyote

Tathis

Tiber

Tokasha

Tranquil

Vinton

York - Capital to Clan Steel Viper

Planet	Blood Spirit	Cloud Cobra	Coyote	Diamond Shark	Fire Mandrill	Ghost Bear	Goliath Scorp.	Hell’s Horses	Ice Hellion	Jade Falcon	Snow Raven	Star Adder	Steel Viper	Wolf
Albion												100
Arcadia	(10)					25 (25)						38 (35)	37 (30)
Atreus					65 (58)				35 (42)
Babylon		26 (26)	27 (27)	24 (24)					23 (23)
Barcella				47 (47)					38 (41)	15 (12)
Bearclaw								30 (27)			70 (73)
Brim		54 (54)									19 (19)	27 (27)
Circe											70 (80)			30 (20)
Dagda					26 (27)		29 (33)			9 (8)		22 (22)		14 (10)
Delios			36 (36)	64 (64)
Eden								31 (31)		34 (34)				35 (35)
Foster			40 (40)		30 (30)				30 (30)
Gatekeeper										100 (100)
Glory										45 (48)				55 (52)
Grant's Station													55 (55)	45 (45)
Hector									100(100)
Hellgate											100 (100)
Hoard								10 (10)	40 (32)			39 (49)		11 (9)
Homer		85 (85)											15 (15)
Huntress					13 (13)		18 (21)		8 (8)	42 (35)		16 (23)
Ironhold										100
Kirin								100
Londerholm			32 (44)						68 (56)
Lum				18 (18)							82 (82)
Marshall					15 (15)		36 (36)		9 (12)	6 (4)		13 (15)	21 (18)
New Kent			19	9 (28)					6 (15)				66 (57)
Niles								100
Paxon				62 (68)										38 (32)
Priori				52								48 (100)
Roche							83 (75)							17 (25)
Shadow					100 (100)
Sheridan												100 (100)
Strana Mechty all clans have equal territory
Strato Domingo				65 (65)				35 (35)
Tamaron			100 (100)
Tathis				50 (50)					30 (30)			20 (20)
Tiber								50 (50)						50 (50)
Tokasha							23 (16)	13 (20)		64 (64)
Tranquil														100 (100)
Vinton					100 (100)
York	100 (90)											(10)

!!Unit!!Consists of |- |Warrior||N/A||N/A |- |Squad Commander||Squad||5 Solahma Troopers |- |Point Commander||Point||1 'Mech, 2 Aerospace fighters, 5 elementals, 5 Squads. |- |rowspan=2|Star Commander||Star||5 Points |- |Nova||1 'Mech Star and 1 Elemental Star |- |rowspan=3|Star Captain||Binary||2 Stars and/or Novas (10 Points) |- |Trinary||3 Stars and/or Novas (15 Points) |- |Super Nova||2 'Mech Stars and 2 Elemental Stars |- |Star Colonel||Cluster||4-5 Binaries, Trinaries and/or Super Novas (40 to 75 Points) |- |Galaxy Commander||Galaxy||3-5 Clusters (120 to 375 Points) |}

Clan Navy Ranks

Rank	Role
Point Commander	Commands a section or a work crew on a vessel.
Star Commander	An executive officer or a department head on a vessel.
Star Captain	Commands a DropShip or a JumpShip.
Star Commodore	Equivalent to a Star Colonel, commands a squadron of DropShips or JumpShips, or a single warship.
Star Admiral	Equivalent to a Galaxy Commander, commands either a major warship, or a star of warships.

Clan Council

For more details on this topic, see Clan Council.

Military command higher than Galaxy Commander rests with the Clan Council. Each caste of a Clan is governed by a Caste Council. The warrior caste council is also the Clan Council which rules the entire affairs of the Clan and Clan law. This council is self elected and is almost always made up of Bloodnamed warriors.

Other Ranks

Each clan has one of each of the following:

Loremaster

The Loremaster is the keeper of Clan laws and history. The position is honorable and politically powerful. The Loremaster plays key role in inquiries and trials, where he is often assigned the role of Advocate or Interrogator. To determine who replaces a retired or deceased Loremaster, candidates engage in a one-on-one melee elimination tournament. The winner then sits a 'Forum of Law' where he/she is asked questions about Clan Law and Lore. If he passes he becomes the next Loremaster. If he fails the second place winner sits the Forum of Law and so on until one passes the Forum.

Oathmaster

The Oathmaster is a counterpart to the Loremaster in Clan tradition. That position is similar to that of an Inner Sphere sergeant-at-arms, but it carries a greater degree of respect. The Oathmaster administers all oaths, and the Loremaster records them. The position of Oathmaster is usually held by the oldest Bloodnamed warrior in a Clan (if he or she desired the honor), and is one of the few positions not decided by combat.

Language

The Clans speak Star League Standard English, disdaining and avoiding the use of contractions and similar practices in speech. As part of the SLDF's legacy, the language is seen as very nearly sacred, though some Clansmen are capable of reading and speaking other languages, typically Russian.

Words and phrases from their dialect include:

"Abtakha"

A warrior captured but then accepted into his new Clan as a warrior.

"Aff"

"Affirmative"

"Batchall"

Batchall is a shortened form of "Battle Challenge". The Batchall is the ritual by which Clan warriors issue combat challenges. Though the type of challenge varies, most begin with the challenger identifying himself, stating the prize of the contest, and requesting that the defender identify the forces at his disposal. The defender also has the right to name the location of the Trial. The two sides then bid for what forces will participate in the contest. The sub-commander who bids to fight with the least number of forces wins the right and responsibility to make the attack. The defender may increase the stakes by demanding a prize of equal or lesser value if he wins. All batchalls and bids are closed and final when the phrase "bargained well and done" is spoken by both members of the bid.

"Bloodheritage"

The history of the Bloodnamed warriors of a particular Bloodright is called the Bloodheritage.

"Bloodcount"

The Bloodcount is the number of active Bloodrights associated with a particular Bloodname, and thus is the number of individuals that may hold that name at any given time. Traditionally, this number is twenty-five, but it may be less in the case of inferior Bloodnames or Bloodheritages found useless or unworthy. In some cases, the Bloodcount has been known to drop as low as five. The process for reducing a Bloodcount is known as ‘Reaving’, and the process for increasing it is called ‘Propagation’, both of which demand an associated trial. A Bloodcount may also be reduced by Abjuration, or by decree of the ilKhan.

"Bloodname"

Bloodname refers to the surname of each of the 800 warriors who stood with Nicholas Kerensky during the Exodus Civil War. The right to use one of these surnames has been the ambition of every Clan warrior since the system was established. Only a maximum of 25 warriors, depending on its Bloodcount, are allowed to use any Bloodname at one time. When one of the Bloodnamed warriors dies, a special Trial, called a Trial of Bloodright, is held to determine who will assume that Bloodname. A contender must prove his Bloodname lineage, then win a series of duels against other competitors. Only Bloodnamed warriors may sit on the Clan Councils or are eligible to become a Khan or ilKhan. Bloodnames are determined matrilineally, at least after the original generation. Because a warrior can only inherit from his or her female parent, he or she only has a claim to one Bloodname.

"Bloodright"

A specific Bloodname lineage is called a Bloodright. Up to twenty-five Bloodrights are attached to each Bloodname. A Bloodright is not a lineage as we define the term because the warriors who successfully hold the Bloodright need be related only through their original ancestor. As with Bloodnames, certain Bloodrights are considered more prestigious than others, depending largely on the Bloodright’s history.

"Bondcord"

A woven cord worn on the wrist to indicate the wearer's status as a bondsman. The color and highlighting indicate the Clan to which the wearer is bound and the capturing unit.

"Bondholder"

The person that takes a Bondsman and is the primary determiner of when a Bondsman has fulfilled his Bond obligation.

"Bondsman"

A prisoner taken during combat, of any caste or rank. Considered a member of the Laborer caste until freed or promoted back to active service. Custom indicates that any prisoner remain a bondsman for at least a token amount of time, even high-ranking and Bloodnamed warriors. Some Clans do not free bondsmen to certain castes, especially the Warrior caste.

"Bondsref"

Ritual suicide to prevent becoming a Bondsman. The person performing Bondsref must have the permission of their Bondholder and perform said act before taking a Bondcord, otherwise the performer is considered Dezgra and their genes won't be used in the Clan breeding program.

"Chalcas"

Someone or something that is either outside acceptable Clan culture or that challenges it.

"Circle of Equals"

The area in which a trial takes place. The area can be anywhere from a few meters across for personal combat, or thousands of kilometers across, or even span several worlds for large scale trials. A contestant that voluntarily leaves or is forced to leave the area is considered dishonorable or weak, and is disqualified. The area can be of any shape, though it is traditionally a circle.

"Codex"

The Codex is each warrior's personal record. It includes the names of the original Bloodnamed warriors from which a warrior is descended. It also records background information such as a warrior's generation number, Blood House, and Codex ID, an alphanumeric code noting the unique aspects of that person's DNA. The Codex also contains a record of the warrior's military career.

"Contract"

A Contract is an agreement between the commanders of two units that allows the commander of one to include the units of the other in his bidding for rights to a battle or trial. During the invasion of the Inner Sphere, Cluster commanders within Galaxies frequently made contracts to allow greater, and often more extravagant, bidding, while still maintaining a good mix of BattleMech, Elemental, and fighter combat units.

"Cutdown"

The lowest acceptable level of force that can be bid to take a military objective. To force a rivial to bid below Cutdown is considered to be either a mark of craftiness or just plain underhanded, depending who is asked. To win a battle with a force that is below the accepted Cutdown is considered to be a mark of superior skill.

"Dezgra"

Adjective referring to the disgraced state of the subject, such as a unit that disgraced itself in battle, or a person or unit without honor. Units or persons marked as dezgra are not considered worthy of zellbrigen, so normal clan rules of combat can be suspended when facing such opponents. Also the noun referring to a ritual by which a unit is marked as Dezgra and punished.

"EcKhan"

The leader of a Cloister.

"Founder, The"

The name the Clans use when referring to Nicholas Kerensky.

"Freebirth"

Pejorative version of "Freeborn". Considered an insult and curse.

"Freeborn"

A person born naturally, a person not born into the Clan genetics program.

"Hegira"

Victorious Clan warriors sometimes extend the courtesy of Hegira to defeated opponents. Hegira allows the opponent to withdraw honorably from the field without further combat or cost.

"Giftake"

A DNA sample taken posthumously from a warrior who died honorably in battle. Considered by custom superior to previous samples taken, and more likely to produce superior warriors.

"Great Father, The"

The name the Clans use for Alexander Kerensky.

"Isorla"

The spoils of battle taken by warriors. Includes Bondsmen as well as any military supplies, lands, or equipment taken.

"Keshik"

The unit which provides a Khan's bodyguard.

"Kindraa"

Specific to Clan Fire Mandrill. Denotes a specific set of Bloodnames that have banded together for mutual protection. There are a number of these, each of which is in competition for resources, power, influence, and prestige with the others. This competition, in effect, creates a model of the Clans in miniature.

"Neg"

"Negative"

"Martial Code, The"

The Martial Code is a set of rules governing Clan actions during a time of war. It is designed to minimize the political maneuvering that normally prevails duing Grand Council meeting, and forces the participants to concentrate on the matter at hand. When in effect, this also gives the ilKhan a wide range of powers, such as the right to dismiss any charges brought before the Grand Council he or she deems frivolous.

"OvKhan"

A term of respect for a person of higher rank. It also name for a commanding officer rank in Clan Sea Fox in the 32nd Century whom is in charge of Aimag size fleet.

"Powless"

A shortened term for powerless, denoting the vulnerability that a warrior feels when forced to fight without his accustomed weapons. For example a heavy 'Mech pilot using a light 'Mech or an aerospace pilot fighting an elemental in melee combat. In other words, the feeling of taking a test you haven't studied for.

"Quiaff"

Shortened form of "Query Affirmative." Used to query the subject's agreement, but specifically with an expected affirmative answer ("Aff"). Often used rhetorically.

"Quineg"

Shortened form of "Query Negative." Used to query the subject's agreement, but specifically with an expected negative answer ("Neg"). Often used rhetorically.

"Ristar"

Shortened form of "Rising Star." This term refers to a particularly gifted warrior on his or her way to high position.

"Rede"

A promise or oath that reflects on the swearer's honor is considered a Rede. Breaking a rede is considered extremely serious, and is sometimes punishable by death.

"Remembrance, The"

The Remembrance is an ongoing heroic saga detailing Clan history from the time of the Exodus from the Inner Sphere to the present day. The Remembrance is continually expanded to include contemporary events. Each Clan has a slightly different version reflecting their own opinions and experiences. All Clan warriors can quote whole verses of this marvelous epic from memory, and it is common to see passages from the book lovingly painted on a warrior's vehicle or armor.

"Satarra"

A Clan council may cast a veto, or satarra, to settle or postpone disputes between castes within their jurisdiction. Satarra is invoked only when negotiations seem at an impasse and/or threaten to disrupt the work order of the Clan. It seems to be more a ritual than an act of legislation.

"Savashri"

A Clan epithet.

"Seyla"

A word uttered only in the most sacred and respective of manners. The origin is Hebrew, but it works like "Amen". It is found in Psalms as Selah. It is a way of saying 'so shall it be'.

"Sibko"

A group or "batch" of Trueborn people born from the same genetic makeup; also the smallest element used for early training above a single person. Usually separated only by death until testing decides final placement in Clan society. Bastardized form of "SIBling COmpany".

"Solahma"

An old Clan-warrior (~30 years and older) that has not gained the rank or reputation to stay in a frontline unit. They are dispatched from their old units and concentrated in Solahma-units, where they get combat tasks deemed unworthy for frontline warriors (cannonfodder, hunting bandits...) Mechs are rare in Solahma-units and most end up as infantry, hoping they will find a way to die in honor.

"Stravag"

A Clan epithet.

"Surat"

An epithet referring to a cute, monkey-like mammal native to the Clan Homeworlds that the lower Castes keep as pets.

"Surkai"

Surkai is the Right of Forgiveness. The Clans honor uniformity in thought and belief above all else in their society. When warriors disagree, when a Clan disagrees with the Grand Council, or when a member of one caste offends a member of another caste, surkai is expected. It is a matter of pride that the offending party freely admit his wrongdoing and request punishment. Those who show great surkai are held up as examples to others for their willingness to accept the consequences of their independent thoughts. Those who do not show surkai when it is expected of them are viewed with suspicion.

"Surkairede"

The Rede of Forgiveness, or surkairede is the honour-bound agreement between the majority and any dissenters. According to the surkairede, once a dissenter accepts punishment for having disagreed with the majority, he should be allowed to resume his role in society without suffering any further disgrace for having spoken out.

"Touman"

The term used for the fighting arm of a Clan.

"Trashborn"

Used by freeborns to insult a trueborn in the same way they use the name freebirth.

"Trothkin"

A member of the same sibko or a respectful name.

"Trueborn"

A lab-raised result of the Clan selective breeding program, coming from gene pools modified to accentuate positive attributes and eliminate negative ones.

"Zellbrigen"

The body of rules defining dueling behavior and honor in combat.

Other Items

• List of Bloodnames

Critter-TEK parody

In Critter-TEK (a cartoon-style baseball parody of BattleTech), the Clans are pictured as the Crans, descendants of "Krewzinski, the great slugger who led the Big League lineup out on strike". By "strapping together 2 of a weapon and claiming it is a SUPER weapon" and generally "clever cheating", they badly waxed the Infield Franchises "in exhibition games played in the off-season".

"They are a whole bunch of teams, loosely called the Crans, after their own name for a Franchise. They use Aluminium Bats and Big League equipment. They play by weird rules and customs, like the Designated Hitter. They have a weird concept of "Wa" which unites the team. They throw a lot of breaking balls, and they tend to play for one run at a time. They almost never steal bases. And they hate each other almost as much as they hate the infield. (...)"

---

The text in this article is based on this revision of the Wikipedia article "Clans_(BattleTech)" used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. See the BattleTechWiki's copyright notice.