Editing Word of Blake

{{Update Needed|[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]|[[Handbook: Major Periphery States]]}}
{{InfoBoxOrganization
| image = Wob.gif
| Type = Religious Organizations
| Founded = [[3052]]
| Dissolved = [[3081]]
| Parent Organization = [[Word of Blake Protectorate]]
| Headquarters = [[Gibson]]<br/>[[Terra]]
}}
The '''Word of Blake''' was a splinter faction of [[ComStar]] that was created in [[3052]] from a religious backlash against the removal of ComStar's mystical and religious aspects. The Blakists initially took refuge in the [[Free Worlds League]], but were able to move most of their operations to [[Terra]] after they conquered it in [[3058]].

The Word of Blake was initially accepted as a "competitor" to the secularized ComStar and established itself as a legitimate organization in the Inner Sphere. However the dissolution of the [[Second Star League]] in October [[3067]] resulted in the Word's extremist elements instigating the [[Jihad]], which ended with the defeat of the Blakists in [[3081]] and the reintegration of the remaining Blakists back into ComStar. While officially destroyed, adherents to the Word of Blake's ideals existed within ComStar and terrorist groups well into the [[thirty-second century]].

==History==
===Origin===
Upon the defeat of the [[Clans]] at [[Tukayyid]] at the hands of [[ComStar]], Precentor Martial [[Anastasius Focht]] returned to [[Terra]] to confront Primus [[Myndo Waterly]] about her [[Operation Scorpion]], an attempt to put the entire [[Inner Sphere]] under Comstar rule. Focht shot Waterly in the back due to her perceived insanity.{{cn}} Focht later had ComStar archives say it was a cerebral hemorrhage. Word of Blake intercepts, however, truthfully state that Focht had her killed giving the reason he wanted to secure the power of her position. One week later, the [[First Circuit]] elected [[Sharilar Mori]], Precentor Dieron, as Primus with Focht's backing.<ref name=CS-74>''ComStar'', p. 74</ref> Mori strongly favored making ComStar a more open, secular organization rather than the quasi-religious order that it had been in the past.

In protest, [[Demona Aziz]], Precentor [[Atreus (FWL)|Atreus]] and a member of the [[First Circuit]] during [[Operation SCORPION]], with the perspective that Focht had staged an illegal coup d'état, left Terra with her staff and a cadre of followers that agreed with her traditional interpretation of [[Jerome Blake]]'s works. Meeting with [[Thomas Marik]] on Atreus, she convinced the [[Captain-General of the Free Worlds League|Captain-General]] to grant her followers sanctuary in the [[Free Worlds League]].

Using [[ROM]] agents loyal to her, Precentor Aziz sent messages to every [[HPG]] station across the [[Inner Sphere]], inviting all ComStar members who rejected the new ways in favor of the old to join her in exile. As ComStar refugees flooded into the Free Worlds League, Marik granted the Word of Blake splinter group a landhold on the world of [[Gibson]].

===To Terra===
[[File:wordofblakemechwarrior.jpg|right|150px|Word of Blake MechWarrior]]
The Blakists took over the administration of the HPGs in the League, as well as the [[Capellan Confederation]] a few years later. They used this considerable income from the stations, and the time, to train their forces.

Planning for the recapture of Terra began in 3057; the Blakists sensed their opportunity due to the instability stemming from the [[Operation Guerrero|Capellan-Free Worlds League assault]] into the former [[Sarna March]]. They were able to move their forces well within striking distance of Terra.

This preparation all paid off for them in [[3058]] when the Blakists conquered [[Terra]] in what they called "[[Operation ODYSSEUS]]". This was achieved partially through trickery and partly through outright military force, as the Blakists had many sympathizers on [[Terra]] who covered up the Word's assault fleet until it was too late. In addition, the Blakists had managed to smuggle a sizable force onto the planet in disguise as the [[Twenty-first Centauri Lancers]], a mercenary regiment whom [[ComStar]] had just contracted. At the same time, the Word also dispatched forces to Venus and Mars. The conquest was complete months later when Precentor [[Klaus Hettig]] switched sides and brought the [[Titan Yards|Titan Naval Yards]] into Blakist control. ComStar's Precentor Martial, [[Anastasius Focht]], declined to attempt a liberation of Terra because he believed the [[Clans]] to be a greater threat.

After the conquest, the Word set about securing HPGs in the [[Chaos March]], often engaging ComStar in running battles for the stations that resulted in the disruption of interplanetary communications. The Blakists generally took a propaganda approach that made sure of appearing to help the local communities, which in turn made the locals more receptive to the Word than to ComStar.

===Blake Protectorate===
The Word of Blake took a real step toward legitimizing itself in the eyes of its detractors in [[3064]] when [[Thomas Marik]] nominated the Word for full [[Star League]] membership. They took this a step further in early [[3066]] with the creation of the [[Word of Blake Protectorate]], a half-dozen [[Chaos March]] worlds that all banded together under the Word's aegis. They were contested, however, by the formation of the [[Allied Mercenary Command]] on 7 March, [[3066]] by [[Jaime Wolf]], whose implicit goal was stopping Blakist expansion in the [[Chaos March]].<ref name=JHS70-10>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3070'', p. 10: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name=BA-170>''Blake Ascending'', p. 170: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref>

This situation came to a head in [[3067]] when the Word sponsored an insurrection of disaffected [[mercenaries]] on [[Outreach]], led by [[Jaime Wolf]]'s sworn enemy, Wayne Waco of the [[Waco Rangers]]. The early morning attack, which included the detonation of fuel-air explosives over the barracks of the Home Guard, took [[Wolf's Dragoons]] by surprise. Though they took a heavy toll, the Dragoons were able to rally and crush Waco's mercenaries. The Word also blockaded the [[Northwind Highlanders]], another key member of the AMC, on their homeworld, [[Northwind]].

===Jihad===
At the [[Fourth Whitting Conference]] of [[3067]], the [[Capellan Confederation]], [[Federated Suns]], and [[Lyran Alliance]] all announced their intentions to withdraw from the [[Star League]]. First Lord [[Christian Månsdottir]] called for a vote of no-confidence, with the hopes that the measure would fail and they could force the dissenting member states to stay. The vote succeeded however, even with the hasty admission of the Word of Blake and the [[Taurian Concordat]], both of whom opposed the vote. With the vote of no-confidence, the [[Star League]] disbanded. However, many Blakists believed in the interpretation of a prophecy that foretold they would come to power through the Star League, so they were understandably upset when it ceased to exist just as they were to have joined.

The Blakists resorted to threats to cajole the former [[Federated Commonwealth]] states to rejoin the League. Blakist [[WarShip]]s appeared in the [[Tharkad]] and [[New Avalon]] systems simultaneously on December 5th, 3067,<ref name=JFS70-11>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3070'', p. 11: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name=BA-171>''Blake Ascending'', p. 171: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref> bearing threats if the nations should not rejoin the [[Star League]]. When they refused, the WarShips opened fire and dispatched ground troops. The Blakists expanded their assault to include almost every power in the [[Inner Sphere]]. They attacked, and were responsible for some factions assaulting others, in an orgy of destruction that was their [[Jihad]] until [[3081]], when [[Devlin Stone|Devlin Stone's]] coalition was able to defeat the Word of Blake on [[Terra]].

===Dark Age===
By [[3132]] the Word of Blake had long been eradicated as a major power in the Inner Sphere, but Blakist cells still remained active in ComStar, especially in ComStar's ROM espionage and clandestine operations wing. The most notable of these groups was a Neo-Blakist faction inside ComStar, who even built their own [[Com Guards]], under the name of Buhl’s [[Blessed Order]]. These soldier-fanatics first revealed themselves on [[Wyatt]] in [[3135]] when they took HPG technician [[Tucker Harwell]] into custody during a four-way struggle for the planet.<ref name=ER3145-13>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 13: "History and Review - The Fall of Darkness"</ref>

After the establishment of [[Fortress Republic]], the now-enclosed state hunted and destroyed every dissident group inside the walls. Among the first and most notable of these would be the renegade ComStar elements. Elements of the Republic forces would end up pursuing ComStar forces to their hidden outpost on [[Epsilon Eridani]] and destroying them in their last stronghold in [[3141]].<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', pp. 135–138: Republic's forces history in Fortress Walls, Origin of the technology of the Fortress, hunt for the renegade ComStar Forces</ref>

Other "neo-Blakist" groups active during the 3130s included the [[Kittery Resistance]], a terrorist group seeking vengeance for the Word's defeat in the Jihad, and the [[White Hand]], a more organized group seeking society's collapse to bring about neo-Blakist rule.<ref>''Era Digest: Dark Age'', p. 22</ref>

==Politics==
The many opposing factions and subsects of the Word of Blake were far too factional to be able to unite behind the First Circuit system that ComStar used. Instead, the Ruling Conclave was composed of the heads of the four largest factions and the Precentor-Martial.<ref name=CS-93>''ComStar'', p. 93: "New Orders - Word of Blake - Organization - Splinter Groups"</ref>

All Word of Blake factions agreed on a few points. They decried ComStar and its members as heretics for defying the ancient doctrines claimed to be in the writings of [[Jerome Blake]]. They denounced as forgeries the recently discovered writings of Blake and mourned ComStar as being destroyed from within, claiming that salvation was only possible by fleeing from ComStar's "corrupted vision" and joining the Word of Blake.

As most of [[ROM]] defected with Aziz, the Word of Blake was observed at every level by [[ROM]]. They sought out ComStar infiltrators and "disloyal" members, dealing with them as they saw fit.

In [[3064]], during the [[Third Whitting Conference]], [[Thomas Marik]] and [[Precentor]] [[William Blane]] spoke openly about the relationship between the [[Free Worlds League]] and Word of Blake. Thomas Marik suggested an unofficial 3% tip on all payments to the Word of Blake. William Blane used their friendship and allowed Word of Blake to charge an extra 5%. Unbeknownst to both, a third faction inside the Word of Blake regularly overcharged by 15% - and nobody knew where the money went. They concluded that the "real" Thomas Marik must have been responsible.<ref>''Storms of Fate'', p. ??{{cn}}</ref>

As of September 12, 3067, the Ruling Conclave of the Word of Blake consisted of the following members:<ref>''Dawn of the Jihad'', pp. 6–10: "Shadows of Faith"</ref>

* [[Cameron St. Jamais]], [[Precentor Martial of the Word of Blake|Precentor Martial]], leader of the ''[[Sixth of June]]'' faction.
* [[Alexander Kernoff]], Precentor ROM, leader of the ''One Voice'' movement of the ''Toyama'' faction.
* [[William Blane]], Precentor, leader of the ''True Believers''.
* [[Laura Chang]], Precentor, leader of the ''Expatriates''.
* [[Anuska Brezhnic]], Precentor, leader of the ''Counter-Reformists''.

The five factions significant enough to have earned a place on the conclave are as follows:

===Counter-Reformists===
The smallest faction on the conclave, they felt that over time [[Jerome Blake]]'s word had been corrupted and might need revision in some areas, though not to the same extremes that caused the Word of Blake to split from [[ComStar]] originally. They approached dangerous, even heretical ground, with their beliefs in the view of the other members of the conclave.<ref name=CS-93/>

===Expatriates===
When [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] became Precentor-Martial of ComStar in [[3062]] many officers and officials who had remained in the order in the hopes of reversing the reforms carried out by Focht saw that the organization was unable to be redeemed. They left for the Word of Blake and became the Expatriates. The Expatriates often threw their weight behind the True Believers, until [[3065]] when many of its high-ranking members were unmasked as ComStar agents. In the light of this betrayal, the Expatriates effectively ceased to exist as the rank-and-file members of the sect switched their allegiance to other factions.

===Toyamas===
Named after the fanatical [[Conrad Toyama]] who triggered the religious transformation of ComStar, the Toyamas are the most radical faction on the conclave and among the most splintered. They believed that Blake’s truth must be spread to the rest of the Inner Sphere by any and all means available, openly launching terrorist attacks against the Inner Sphere and even targeting other factions to enhance their own position on the conclave. The bulk of the most fanatical and terrible acts of the Jihad were committed by the Toyamas.<ref name=CS-93/>

===True Believers===
One of the moderate factions on the conclave, most of the True Believers wished to come to an understanding with the rest of the Inner Sphere and Secular ComStar. Though generally non-violent, they were not pacifists. They felt that the Word of Blake should unify before it led the Inner Sphere to the truth, often attempting to play middleman in the struggle between Blakist factions.<ref name=CS-93/>

===Shunners===
The least vocal but most-unified faction, the Shunners interpreted the Schism and works of Jerome Blake to indicate the destruction of the Inner Sphere was imminent. They believed the Blakists had to isolate themselves and ride out the destruction. Already openly critical of the Word's relationship with the Free Worlds League, the faction's members moved ''en masse'' to a refuge dome on [[Venus]] in [[3059]] (after the seizure of Terra). The bulk of the Shunners were killed after another faction sabotaged the machinery maintaining the dome's atmosphere. While a few survived, the faction no longer had the numbers to remain on the Conclave and its position was taken by the Expatriates.<ref name=CS-93/><ref name=FM:Cp46>''Field Manual: ComStar'', p. 46: "Recent Events"</ref><ref name=IPp16>''Interstellar Players'', p. 16: "Power and Fanaticism"</ref>

==Military==
The '''[[Word of Blake Militia]]''' began its life at slightly more than four divisions of troops, the Blake Guards, which retained the standard Com Guard numbering and were primarily tasked with defending [[Gibson]]. The Militia was twice that size in [[3058]], when the Word took [[Terra]] from [[ComStar]] and added another two divisions shortly thereafter. By the beginning of the [[Jihad]] in [[3067]], the Militia is rumored to contain over forty divisions.<ref>''Field Manual: ComStar'', p. ??{{cn}}</ref>

With the formation of the [[Word of Blake Protectorate]], Cameron St. Jamais established an additional series of units to garrison the worlds. The '''Protectorate Militia''' members were drawn from local worlds to free up the Word of Blake Militia divisions for offensive operations.<ref>''Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers'', p. 223</ref> These troops were later part of an uprising against Terra, apparently at the instruction of the Master.

The third armed force available to the Word of Blake consisted of the [[Manei Domini]]-led '''[[Shadow Divisions]]'''. These thirteen divisions were led by Precentor Apollyon and answered directly to The Master. Their appearance was totally unexpected and their tactics threw the armies of the Inner Sphere into serious confusion.

* See for further Information: [[Word of Blake Protectorate Militia]]

==Word of Blake ROM Command==
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! width="30%" |Division
! width="70%" |Information
|-
|[[Image:Wordofblakerom.png|100px|center]]<br />ROM Director:<br />Precentor ROM [[Alexander Kernoff]]
|The ROM stands under the authority of the [[Precentor Martial of the Word of Blake|Precentor Martial]]. Each of the nine departments answers to their own Precentor who in turn reports to the ROM Director. It is believed that the [[Sixth of June]] movement has great influence on them.
|-
|[[Image:Wordofblakerom-counterintelligence.png|50px|center]]<br />Counterintelligence<br />(Mu/Delta):<br />Precentor Mu/Delta III Lydia Julia Halloway
|Charged with the elimination of all non-Blakist agents within the Order. They are known for their brutal and inquisitional work. It is assumed that CI agents have infiltrated the governments of the [[Free Worlds League]], [[Capellan Confederation]] and neighboring [[Periphery]] realms such as the [[Circinus Federation]].
|-
|[[Image:Wordofblakerom-diplomaticoperations.png|50px|center]]<br />Diplomatic Operations<br />(Rho/Gamma):<br />Precentor Rho/Gamma VII Melva Kingman
|Their main goal is to improve the relations between Word of Blake and other states. Operatives work to placate the population of the near Chaos March and Terra itself. On the other side, agents are also adept at in-depth intelligence through blackmail and coercion.
|-
|[[Image:Wordofblakerom-covertops.png |50px|center]]<br />Covert Operations (Rho/Rho):<br />Precentor Rho/Rho III Richard Mullaney
|The agents perform "dirty" work like assassination, espionage and misinformation directed against [[ComStar]], House [[Kurita]] and the former [[FedCom]] states. It is double - or even triple - the size of its ComStar counterpart.
|-
|[[Image:Wordofblakerom-informationandanalysis.png|50px|center]]<br />Information Analysis (Mu/Mu):<br />Precentor Mu/Mu V Clive Reordan
| This branch of ROM is dedicated to analyzing the information gathered through various means available to the Work of Blake. These methods include taping HPG communications and espionage conducted by the other branches of ROM. Through upgrades with Clan technology at the facilities on Terra, this branch can now operate at 100% efficiency.
|-
|[[Image:Light of Mankind (Word of Blake) logo.png|50px|center]]<br />Light of Mankind (Delta/Epsilon):<br />Precentor Delta/Epsilon VII John Christopher
|The Light of Mankind represent some of the best that the Word of Blake have to offer. These troops are on par with other elite commandos like the [[DEST]]. They are the mailed fist of ROM, to be used when needed to crush the enemies of Blake. Members of this branch receive some of the best BattleMech training available in the [[Inner Sphere]]. At the moment many units are active in the Chaos March. Their goal remain a mystery.
|-
|[[Image:Wordofblakerom-purifyinglight.png ‎|50px|center]]<br />Purifying Light (Delta/Xl):<br />Precentor Delta/Xi IV Tatyana Corsairre
|The Blakists' special aerospace division. They consist of the best aerospace pilots that the Word of Blake can call upon. Their missions include anti-WarShip combat and WarShip defense. Several units of this branch are deployed at an unknown location in the IS at the moment.
|-
|[[Image:Wordofblakerom-security.png|50px|center]]<br />Word of Blake Security (Mu/Iota):<br />Precentor Mu/Iota VII Takaeo Yamashi
|This division is a combination of Internal Obedience and Counterintelligence branches. Operatives maintain an "active defense" to thwart internal threats. They act independently or in conjunction with other ROM branches. Their traditional role was to protect HPG installations and the personnel assigned to them.
|-
|[[Image:Wordofblakerom-internalobedience.png|50px|center]]<br />Internal Obedience (Rho/Omicron):<br />Precentor Rho/Omicron XI Carmaine Juliana
|This department is charged with maintaining fanaticism and devotion in the order at all levels. If one member is too critical with their opinion, they may draw the attention of the Internal Obedience and Counterintelligence.
|-
|[[Image:Wordofblakerom-internalenlgihtment.png |50px|center]]<br />Spiritual Enlightenment (Mu/Psi):<br />Precentor Mu/Psi IX Garin Klien
|Responsible for organization-wide indoctrination and training. Each subdivision has its own SE branch. It ensures that all members work towards the same goal.
|}

==Manufacturing Center==
A detailed list of some WoB manufacturers and company centers.

===Heavy Aerospace Industry===
====3067====
* [[O'Neil Yards]]<ref name=SOp17>''Strategic Operations'', p. 17</ref>
* [[Titan Yards]]<ref name=SOp17 />

===Major Defense Industries===
====3067====
* [[Aldis Industries]]
* [[Blankenburg Technologies]]
* [[Krupp Armaments Works]]
* [[Leopard Armor]]
* [[Martinson Armaments]]
* [[Mitchell Vehicles]]
* [[Skobel MechWorks]]
* [[Yankee Weapons Systems]]
<ref>''Tactical Operations'', p. 17</ref>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[Blake Ascending]]''
* ''[[ComStar (sourcebook)|ComStar]]''
* ''[[Dawn of the Jihad]]''
* ''[[Era Digest: Dark Age]]''
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: ComStar]]''
* ''[[Interstellar Players]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3070]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3072]]''
* ''[[Storms of Fate]]''
* ''[[Strategic Operations]]''
* ''[[Tactical Operations]]''
{{div col end}}

[[Category:Religious Organizations|Word of Blake]]
[[Category:Word of Blake Related Categories]]