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THE UNIVERSE:
It is the 31st century and mankind has spread out among the stars and colonized approximately 2,000 planets. No other intelligent life has been found and mankind travels the stars by means of Jumpships. These ships are able to travel up to 30 lightyears away in 1 'jump' by means of the 'Jump Drive'; established in the 22nd century by a pair of Engineers named Kearny and Fuchida. Collapsible solar panels known as 'sails' are stretched out behind the Jumpship; collecting energy from a Star over a period of about a week and that then gives the 'Jump Drive' enough power to make a Hyperspace Jump up to 30 light years away in an instant. The ship then deploys the 'sail' to recharge and Dropships detach from the Jumpship to travel to and from the planets in the Star System.
From the 22nd century on; mankind began to spread out among the stars in this fashion; using the Jumpships and Dropships; and before long powerful factions began to emerge among groups of planets colonized by Earth. A new form of Feudalism emerged as those that controlled the Jumpships and Dropships and/or the resources on any given Colony World allied and jockied for control. Eventually, 6 major nation-states would come to control some 1,900 or so of the colonized worlds in the so called 'Inner Sphere' of known space; while numeorus minor factions controlled approximately 100 worlds on the far edges of known space; an area called 'The Periphery'.
The 6 nation states were the Terran Hegemony; the Lyran Commonwealth, the Free Worlds League, the Draconis Combine, the Federated Suns and the Capellan Confederation.
The Terran Hegemony was centered on Earth and was led by House Cameron. It was the smallest in size, but the most powerful due to its superior technology; especially Battlemechs (10 meter high robots controlled by a highly-trained pilot) and the Hyper-Pulse Generator (the only known way of sending communications faster than light). The Terran Hegemony, ruled by House Cameron, eventually forced all of the other 5 States to the Negotiating table by force or diplomacy in 2571 to form the Star League; a coalition of all Inner Sphere States which enjoyed a 'Golden Age' of peace, prosperity and technological achievement. House Cameron; the rules of the Terran Hegemony; were also the heads of the Star League; a position known as 'First Lord'. The Star League came to an end in 2784 with the collapse of the Hegemony due to the outbreak of the Succession Wars and the subsequent Dark Age which has befallen mankind.
The remaining 5 States are known as the 'Successor States' as all of them claimed the position of 'First Lord' of the Star League and soon, they had all conquered parts of the now-defunct Terran Hegemony.
The Successor States:
The Lyran Commonwealth is a powerful State of approximately 400 worlds whose capital is the cold, mountanious world of Tharkad and whose ruling family is House Steiner. The Lyran Commonwealth is the richest of the 5 Successor States and its people enjoy the highest quality of life on average in the Inner Sphere and its economy is undoubtedly the strongest of the 5 nations. The Lyran Commonwealth also has many of the largest, still operating Battlemech factories and has a powerful military that can boast approximately 75 Mech Regiments in its arsenal. The Commonwealth is broken down into 3 major regions: the Federation of Skye, the Tamar Pact and the Protectorate of Donnegal. The largest cultural/ethnic groups in the Commonwealth are those of Germanic; Polish, Scottish, Portuguese and West African backgrounds; though of course people of just about every cultural and/or ethnic origin can be found in the Commonwealth.
The Lyran Commonwealth is bordered by Houses Kurita and Marik and it has long been at odds with both. It has enjoyed a large amount of success along the border with Marik and in contrast, has frequently been on the losing end of conflicts along the Kurita border. It has mostly ignroed the other two Houses (Davion and Liao) over the centuries; though recent events are likely to change that.
The head of the Lyran Commonwealth is known as the Archon (and also the Duke of Tharkad); and the current Archon is Katrina Steiner; 49 years old and a former Mechwarrior of note; who took the throne in 3007 after her Uncles Alessandro was forced to abdicate in a bloodless coup due to numerous costly military failures. She was married to Arthur Luvon (Steiner tradition has female children NOT taking thier father's surnames) until his death of cancer in 3010. Thier only child was a daughter, born in 3007; named Melissa. Katrina is known to be a strong, smart and well-liked ruler. She sent out a Peace Proposal in 3020 to the other 4 Successor State Lords in which she renounced any claim on being 'First Lord' of any future Star Leagues and announced her willingness to talk Peace with every other House. Houses Marik and Kurita; long Steiner enemies; dismissed the Proposal as some kind of trick; while House Liao attempted to twist the Proposal to one of alliance whereby Steiner would recogonize Liao's claim to the 'First Lord' title; an offer which Katrian did not bother to respond too. House Davion though took her up on the Proposal and Hanse Davion, Prince of the Federated Suns; met with Katrina on neutral Terra (Earth) in 3020 to discuss things personally.
This led to the unprecedented signing of a Treaty on Terra in 3022; which includes a secret clause that will have Hanse Davion; current leader of the Federated Suns, marry Melissa Steiner; the current heir-to-the-throne of the Lyran Commonwealth in 3028. It also allied the two nations and numerous trade, military and intelligence alliances were soon made and put into working order. This also would lead to the other three Houses signing a Treaty of thier own in 3024.
The Free Worlds League is a State made up of dozens of different regions; some as small as a single world; covering a grand total of approximately 350 planets. Far and away the most diverse of the 5 major Successor States; the League is most noted for its very large number of remaining Jumpships; including the largest mercantile fleet of commerical Jumpships in the entire Inner Sphere. The League is also known for its seemingly never-ending internal feuding and squabbling.
The League has dozens of smaller regions; but the most powerful include the Duchy of Andurien, the Principality of Regulus, the Grand Duchy of Oriente, the Marik Commonwealth, the Regulan Free State, the Theocracy of Gibson and an alliance of numerous planets known as 'The Silver Hawks'. The complex government is run by a Parliament and by a 'Captain-General' who commands the largest military force in the League and is always a member of the Marik family. The Mariks are also the Dukes of Atreus (Capital planet of the League) and frequently marry into many powerful political families throughout the League.
The Free Worlds League has a powerful military comprised of some 60 Battlemech regiments; but it is frequently difficult to summon a lot of units to any one place in the League due to various internal issues which tend to tie up many units on either putting down revolts or making 'shows of force' in various provinces.
The Free Worlds League has people of pretty much every ethnic and cultural background within its territories; but especially noted are those from Central and Eastern Europe; Eastern Africa; Austrailia; India and South West Asia.
The current Captain-General of the Free Worlds League if Janos Marik; 65 years old and a somewhat tired and quick-tempered man who has seen several members of his own family rise up against him; including his own brother Anton and two of his sons in a failed Civil War in 3014-3015. He has been married twice; his first wife Hilda having died in a mountain climbing accident some 28 years ago and his current wife Ana Stewart; whom he married 24 years ago. He has a total of 9 children among the 2 wives (6 from Hilda, 3 from Ana); though 3 of them (2 sons and 1 daughter) have passed away. (2 sons in the Civil war of 3014-3015; and a daughter to a childhood illness). He has not publicly named a Successor; but in secret he has designated his son Thomas (currently a member of Comstar) as his heir.
Traditionally, House Marik has been at war with Houses Steiner and Liao; while largely ignoring Houses Davion and Kurita. Janos Marik personally has grudges against ALL of the other Successor States save for Takashi Kurtia; as he dislikes Katrina Steiner for frequently getting the better of his forces; Maximilian Liao for agreeing to support his brother Anton 10 years ago in his failed Civil War and Hanse Davion for covertly supporting various rebel factions within the League in efforts to keep the Free Worlds League from mustering its full strength. However, seeing the danger an alliance between Steiner and Davion posed to his own relam, he agreed to meet with Takashi Kurita and Max Liao on the world of Kapteyn; within the League; in 3024 to set up an Alliance of thier own. He would end up signing the Concord of Kapteyn along with both of the other Houses and agree to cease fighting with Liao and better work with Liao and Kurita on combatting Steiner and Davion....
The Draconis Combine
more to come....