Clan Jade Falcon Totem

The jade falcon is a large bird that was genetically altered from the Terran peregrine falcon to live in the jungles of Eden. It has a distinctive, shimmering, emerald-green plumage and an ear-piercing cry. Clan Jade Falcon has historically ranked among the most powerful and active Clans. Aggressive and tenacious, this Clan constantly strives to advance its own agenda without losing sight of Nicholas Kerensky's teachings (as the Falcons interpret them). Staunch traditionalists, the Falcons were the driving force behind the development of the Crusader philosophy.

Possessions

Worlds: 62 (Clan space: 9 worlds, 2 exclusive, 7 shared. Inner Sphere: 53)

Despite their losses in the Refusal War, the Jade Falcons remain one of the most powerful Clans. In addition to the fifty-three worlds they hold in the Inner Sphere, fourteen recently taken from Clan Steel Viper, they have enclaves on nine Clan worlds. Ironhold, which the Falcons hold outright, is the Clan's capital and the location of its primary training facility. The planet serves as the Clan's administrative capital, though the Khans usually work from either Strana Mechty or the new Inner Sphere "provincial capital" on Sudeten.

The Falcon Clan increased its holdings in the shakeup that followed the elimination of Clans Smoke Jaguar and Nova Cat, and the Ghost Bears' virtual departure from the homeworlds. The Falcon's most significant and infamous gain is Huntress, formerly the Smoke Jaguar capital, where Falcon forces occupy almost half of the Jaguar Prime continent. Less well known is the Jade Falcons' loss of their possessions on York when the Blood Spirits went into isolation. The Clan has similarly downplayed the losses sustained at the hands of the Diamond Sharks on Tokasha.

Allies and Enemies

As Staunch Crusaders and often-boastful advocates of their own strength, the Falcons frequently enrage the other Clans. However, they have collected a surprisingly small number of long-term enemies. For many years, Clan Wolf was the Falcons' primary foe, though the ascension of Marthe Pryde and Vlad Ward to the Clans' respective Khanships has led to a degree of rapprochement. However, the odds of a lasting alliance seem slim. The Falcons also nurse a long-running feud with the Steel Vipers. After suffering multiple humiliations at Viper hands in the years following the Battle of Tukayyid, Khan Pryde finally solved "the Viper problem" by handing them a stunning defeat in the summer of 3061. The Falcons' troubles with Clan Snow Raven are of more recent vintage, resulting from the latter’s political and territorial machinations. Since they trounced the Vipers, however, the Ravens have attempted to resume friendly contact with the Falcons.

The Falcons have no firm allies, save their fellow Crusaders-and even those ties are not strong. The relationship between the Falcons and the equally Crusader-minded Smoke Jaguars soon soured, and the Falcons do not mourn the Jaguars' passing. Similarly, the adversarial relationship between the Home and Invading Clans has prompted the Falcons to distance themselves from the Home Clan Crusaders.

Military

Despite being badly bloodied during the Refusal War, the Falcon military remains strong. Upon taking office, Khan Pryde took a number of actions to rebuild her forces, including an invasion of the Lyran Alliance to blood new recruits. Though under strength on paper, the Falcons remain more than a match for most of the home Clans, and demonstrated their potency against Clan Steel Viper.

Historically, the Falcon Touman contained a broad mix of troops, with no one branch dominant. Since the Refusal War, the Touman has been forced to rely more on second-line equipment, though this will likely change as the Clan continues to rebuild. Falcon front-line Clusters comprise five Trinaries, usually three of OmniMechs, one of Elementals and one of aerospace fighters. Second-line Clusters contain between two and four Trinaries.

Society

The Falcons believe wholeheartedly in the right of the warrior caste to rule. Trueborn warriors look down on freeborns, and all warriors look down on the other castes. Unlike the extremist Smoke Jaguars, however, the Falcons recognize the importance of the civilian castes to the war effort. While often brusque in their dealings with civilians, Falcons warriors recognize that the Touman would suffer without their efforts. Falcon civilians therefore enjoy a standard of living above average for the Clan worlds, in recognition of their contribution to society.

Given their martial bent, the Falcons have an unusually large mercantile network, second only to that of the business-minded Diamond Sharks. Without the materials to fight, warriors are nothing; because the merchant caste provides those materials, its members receive considerable support. Similarly, members of the scientist caste command considerable respect for their wide-ranging work on behalf of the Clan. However, this respect does not translate into much personal freedom; the Falcons have always crushed rebellion without mercy. Such a hard-line approach works well with Clansmen, who know what to expect, but has cause problems with the Falcons' Inner Sphere populations. Clan Wolf exploited Falcon heavy-handedness during the Refusal War, as did Archon-Princess Katherine Steiner-Davion more recently when she sent agents to incite unrest on Falcon-held words.

The Falcons frequently take bondsmen. Though a bondsman is often harshly treated while wearing the bondcord, little stigma is attached to those accepted into the Clan. The sole exceptions are Fire Mandrill warriors taken as isorla during the recent Harvest Trials, largely because they have refused to integrate with the Falcons-a situation the leaves the proud Falcons completely mystified.

Historically, the Jade Falcons preferred deeds to words, but recent years have seen a number of politically astute Khans. After the political power games of Khan Elias Crichell brought the Falcons to the brink of destruction, his successor, Marthe Pryde, immediately returned to the Clan's more action-oriented tradition and launched an invasion of the Lyran Alliance to prove her Clan’s strength. The events of the past few years, however, have convinced Khan Pryde not to neglect politics completely. In recent months, she shook the foundations of Clan society when she allowed a freeborn-albeit one born of two trueborns-to compete in Trials for the Pryde Bloodname.

Brief History

The Falcons performed admirably in the liberation of the Pentagon worlds, but fell short of Nicholas Kerensky's expectations. His decision to join the Wolf Clan gave rise to a bitter feud between the two Clans that continues to this day. After shaking off the near-fatal malaise that had gripped them in the wake of Kerensky's choice, the Falcons transformed their Clan into one of the foremost advocates of the Founder’s ideals.

Viewed as hidebound by some other Clans, the Falcons developed mercantile and military interests simultaneously. Taking a slower approach than other Clans brought them sustainable growth with appropriate support from the civilian castes, and the Falcons ended the Golden Century as one of the most powerful Clans.

The Falcons led the Crusader movement to invade the Inner Sphere, and continued to push for invasion despite the Wolf Clan's blocking tactics. Their efforts ultimately won them a place in Operation Revival, and Falcon Khan Elias Crichell became one of ilKhan Leo Sowers' most trusted advisors. The Falcons did not perform as well as expected, however, and so ilKhan Ulric Kerensky paired them with the Steel Vipers-one of their bitterest rivals-after ilKhan Showers' death. Achieving a draw against the Com Guards on Tukayyid restored some of the Falcons' prestige, but they chafed under the truce signed by ilKhan Kerensky. They undertook several schemes to abrogate it, the last of which resulted in the removal of the Warden ilKhan and the shattering of the Wolf Clan. Their own Clan suffered as greatly, however, leaving the Falcons too weak to exploit their victory politically. Lincoln Osis of the Smoke Jaguars, rather than a Falcon Khan, became the new ilKhan.

With the Smoke Jaguars gone, the Falcons are once more on the ascendant. They repulsed a recent attack by Clan Steel Viper, in the process strengthening their Inner Sphere holdings. In addition, backed by the volume of resources only available to the invading Clans, the Falcons have rebuilt their military in record time.

Beginnings

The Jade Falcons, one of the mightiest of the Crusader Clans, draw much of their philosophy and prowess from the teaching of four of its founding members. Elizabeth Hazen, Daniel Mattlov, Carl Icaza and Lisa Buhallin each contributed in their respective branch of service. This combined attitude towards life and combat has created, over the centuries, a fearsome assemblage of warriors dedicated to preserving their way of life.

During the Second Exodus War, the Jade Falcons established one of the best combat records of all the Clans. Only the Wolves were as successful. The Falcon Khans were optimistic that ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky would choose their Clan to host his BloodHeritage. ilKhan Kerensky's decision to join his future with the Wolves shocked the entire Falcon community. Many warriors bitterly complained to the Khans about this turn of events. The Falcons had proved themselves to be at least the equals of the Wolves during the war - was the sentiment commonly expressed. The situation bordered on outright mutiny until word came that the ilKhan was preparing to make an inspection tour of the Falcons' holdings. The Falcon Khans response was characteristically brutal and abrupt. In what is now referred to as "the Culling," the leaders of the rebellious movement were rounded up and executed.

During the Golden Century following the death of ilKhan Kerensky, the Falcon leaders withdrew from interacting from the other Clans, a result of intercaste conflict. The Khans sold much of their civilian fleet to other Clans, an act which would come back to haunt them in the future. Only the quick thinking of a few merchants prevented the collapse of Jade Falcon commerce. By establishing themselves as middlemen and bankers, the Falcon merchants were able to enrich the Clan despite their many restrictions.

The Falcons became one of the most conservative Clans, banning the lower castes from having any voice in Clan affairs. Their strict adherance to conformity and strength through unity is one of their greatest assets.

Call to Crusaders

When the call went out to reclaim the Inner Sphere, the Jade Falcons were amongst the strongest proponents for invasion. Many warriors travelled throughout the Pentagon worlds preaching the Crusader cause. Only the dominance of Clans Wolf and Coyote in the Grand Council forestalled any invasion votes. The tide turned in the year 3000 when Khan Nadia Winson of Clan Ghost Bear proposed invasion once more. The Crusader Clans had the advantage votewise, but only the clever plan proposed by Khan Kherlin Ward of Clan Wolf prevented invasion.

Ward's plan to send an expeditionary force to learn the status of the Successor States proved resourceful enough that enough Clans agreed to the proposal. Many contended, however, that the force should be led and manned by trueborn warriors claiming that freeborns would be unsuitable and untrustworthy of such a mission, but that motion was swiftly defeated. In 3005, Wolf's Dragoons entered the service of House Davion.

Over the next thirty years, the reports from the Dragoons were received further and further apart until they finally stopped in the early 3030's. The Crusaders used this to prove their point that the freeborn force was as untrustworthy as predicted. The Crusaders, particularly Falcon ristar Elias Crichell, argued eloquently that the time had come for invasion. It took another fifteen years and the accidental arrival of the Comstar vessel Outbound Light to bring matters to a head.

In 3047, Smoke Jaguar Khan Leo Showers presented evidence, gained from the interrogation of the Outbound Light's crew, to the Grand Council that showed that their worst fears were coming true. Far from what they had believed, the Successor States were on the road to recovery and rapidly gaining back their technological edge. Technology which had long been denied the Inner Sphere was being rediscovered and rebuilt at a tremendous rates. Scientific advances in all areas, especially military, were given highest priorities and the Federated Commonwealth appeared as though it would emerge victorious over its rivals.

Invasion

The invasion of the Inner Sphere brought both great honor and shame to the Jade Falcons. The incursion into the Periphery showed just how bad and, in several notable cases, how good the Inner Sphere militaries were. since many outlying worlds were too poor to defend themselves properly, many of the Jade Falcon conquests in the Periphery revolved around Falcon MechWarriors battle lone errant Inner Sphere warriors. To the surprise of some within the Falcon community, a number of these battles were not as one-sided as they expected.

The battle for the planet Strang, however, nearly proved a disaster for the Falcons. The planet Strang is long-reviled in Clan history as the homeworld of one of Stepan Amaris' most sadistic commanders, Baron Gunthar Von Strang. Khan Crichell personally led the Turkina Keshik in an assault on the planet, confident that his forces would quickly destroy the defenders. Fortune favored the defenders and Strang's forces managed to slow the approaching Falcon forces. The Falcons continued their approach, this time sending a flight of recon fighters ahead to scout the terrain. The Falcons advanced, fighting into the rain-filled night, and smashed their way into Von Strang's citadel. The tide nearly turned when a Falcon fighter, returning to refuel, spotted the remainder of Strang's military positioned to ambush the Keshik from behind. This warning save the Turkina Keshik. The Falcons wheeled around and fought Von Strang's forces at pointblank ranges. The battle raged on until finally Von Strang's forces crumbled under the assault. Victorious, the Falcons renamed the capital city and then moved on to the next phase of the invasion.

The first wave of attacks on the unsuspecting Federated Commonwealth highlighted the differences between the two societies. The hardhitting Falcon Clusters, led by the Turkina Keshik and the Falcon Guards, mercilessly crushed every FedCom unit it opposed. The Falcon's frontal assault strategy was effective in a number of instances, primarily because FedCom troops were trained in every strategy except that. The concept of mounting a full frontal assault was unheard of by most Inner Sphere strategists, because of the logistics and high attrition rates assigned to that method of battle. The Falcons strings of success's shattered that concept entirely and planetary defenders found themselves resorting to small scale hit and run tactics to survive. These efforts rarely worked, but did allow the defenders to evacuate many elements to safety.

The Falcons suffered their first defeat on Twycross in 3051, when Prince Victor Steiner-Davion led an elite force to retake the world. The plan nearly collapsed entirely when it was discovered that the elite Falcon Guards Cluster was still on Twycross. Caught between a Falcon PGC and the Falcon Guards, the FedCom forces attempted to blast their way through the PGC. Only the efforts of Kai Allard-Liao prevented the Falcon Guards from smashing through the FedCom rear.

The death of ilKhan Leo Showers sent the invading Clans home for a years conferring and to elect a new ilKhan. Khans Crichell and Chistu conspired with other Crusader Clans to elect a new ilKhan who would have to do their bidding. Together, they nominated Clan Wolf Khan Ulric Kerensky to the post of ilKhan. Their plan was to force the Wolf Khan to bend to their desires, thus slowing the Wolves while their own Clans caught up. To the surprise of many, ilKhan Ulric refused to play their game. Instead, he brought forth the Steel Vipers and Nova Cats into the invasion force. The Nova Cats were teamed with their longtime rival the Smoke Jaguars. Being teamed with the hated Steel Vipers galled the Falcon Khans, but ilKhan Ulric's requirement that the Jaguars and Falcons cede worlds for their new "partners" made things even worse. Although the Smoke Jaguars and Nova Cats quickly reached an accomodation regarding the exchange of worlds, the Jade Falcons made the Vipers fight Trials of Possession for every world. Even so, in 3052, the invasion resumed as the trueborn of six Clans returned to begin the conflict anew.

The resumption of hostilities brought many more new battles for the Jade Falcons. However, the Falcons felt the sting of defeat again in November 3051 on Alyina when Prince Victor Steiner-Davion barely escaped a trap laid by the Second Falcon Jaegers. This minor setback was more than compensated by an impressive string of victories over Federated Commonwealth forces.

When ilKhan Ulric Kerensky announced that there would be a proxy battle for Terra on the planet Tukayyid, the Falcon Khans were as enthusiastic about the battle as any others. The battle for Tukayyid was perhaps one of the most intense battles fought by the Clans. Although the Jade Falcons fought with valor and skill, in the end, the superior numbers and sheer guile of the Com Guards prevailed and the Falcons were awarded a draw.

Refusal War & Coventry

After the Truce of Tukayyid was signed, Khan Elias Crichell and saKhan Vandervahn Chistu initiated a number of plans aimed at repudiating the peace. The first of these was the so-called "Red Corsair Incident." The Red Corsair, a pirate with access to advanced weapons, launched a series of raids against both Inner Sphere and Clan targets. Although the Khans involvement was never proved, Wolf Watch leaders believe that the Jade Falcons contributed heavily to the formation of the Red Corsair's pirate band and kept the unit supplied. It is also alleged that the Falcon Khans conspired with Conal Ward, a disgraced Wolf Crusader, to rekindle the war with the Inner Sphere. Only the efforts of Khan Phelan Kell and the mercenary Kell Hounds prevented the war from renewing. Unfortunately, the Khans' role in this matter will never be known.

The next and most devastating ploy the Khans involved themselves in resulted in the bloody Refusal War. When Wolf Supremists put Ulric Kerensky on trial for genocide, the Grand Kurultai forced him out of office. The Crusader element in the Kurultai attempted to repudiate the peace treaty, but Ulric declared a Trial of Refusal. The Jade Falcons won the right to battle the Wolves, but, in a surprise move, Ulric declared his intent on striking at every Jade Falcon world in the Inner Sphere. The ensuing battles resulted in the deaths of Ulric Kerensky and Wolf Khan Natasha Kerensky. Khan Phelan Kell led the best of the Wolf Clan Wardens to the world of Morges where his forces, along with the Kell Hounds, defeated two Jade Falcon Galaxies. The Wolf forces then retreated to Arc-Royal, Phelan Kell's homeworld, to rest and rebuild their forces.

In a blatent power play, saKhan Chistu declared that the Wolves had been absorbed by the victorious Jade Falcons. This plan fell apart when Wolf warrior Vlad denied Chistu's version of Ulric Kerensky's death. The two warriors battled and Chistu fell to Vlad. Vlad, in a deal he made with Khan Crichell, then arranged for all the surviving Wolf Supremist and Crusader warriors to form the core of a new Clan, the Jade Wolves. Shortly afterward, Khan Elias Crichell was elected ilKhan. Crichell's tenure as ilKhan was probably the shortest in Clan history. Khan Vlad Ward challenged Crichell's fitness and slew the elderly ilKhan in a lopsided battle. Vlad then disbanded the Jade Wolves and reestablished the Wolf Clan.

In an effort to reaffirm their Clan's strength, Jade Falcon Khan Marthe Pryde and saKhan Samantha Clees initiated a short-lived invasion of the Inner Sphere that culminated in one of the most violent battles in Inner Sphere history. The Khans formulated a plan that sent Cluster-sized forces against Lyran Alliance forces. The invasion ended on the planet Coventry, a vital planet only one jump above the treaty line. The Falcon forces initially overwhelmed the defending Lyran forces, but the battle turned into a stalemate as two regiments of the elite Wolf Dragoons, the entire Eridani Light Horse and the Waco Rangers arrived to relieve the besieged defenders. A cunning flanking manuever by the Jade Falcons destroyed the Waco Rangers not long into the campaign. The remaining Inner Sphere forces settled into a long, grinding campaign of attrition

Meanwhile, Prince Victor Davion brought together a coalition force of elite forces from across the Inner Sphere to stop the Jade Falcon advance. Prince Victor consulted with Wolf Khan Phelan to enlist the Clansman's aid, but was rebuffed. Instead, Khan Phelan sent Wolf warrior, Ragnar, to provide strategic and tactical advise to the Inner Sphere forces.

Ten of the most elite regiments from the Successor States, led by Precentor Martial Focht and Prince Davion, landed on Coventry. Working on the advise of Ragnar, the Precentor Martial and Prince Davion arranged a meeting with Falcon Khan Marthe Pryde at the small town of Whitting. There, the leaders of both forces met to conclude the batchall. In a surprise move, the Inner Sphere coalition offered Khan Pryde the custom of hegira. Such a move would allow the Jade Falcons to withdraw from battle with their honor intact. To the relief of the coalition leaders, she accepted and the Jade Falcons withdrew from Coventry.

Unknown to the Inner Sphere leaders, Khan Pryde's position was badly compromised. She had received earlier in the day a message from Khan Vlad Ward of the Wolves a message stating that he was preparing to conquer a number of worlds in the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. Trapped between losing worlds to the Wolves and a evenly matched battle with an elite Inner Sphere force, Khan Pryde took the only option which would allow her to maintain her grip on the Falcon worlds and quit the battlefield with much of her force intact.

Operation Bulldog

Khan Marthe Pryde sided with Wolf Khan Vladimir Ward to prevent the other non-invading Clans from electing one of their own as ilKhan. Instead, the duo successfully managed to elect Smoke Jaguar Khan Lincoln Osis as the new ilKhan. In the process, they blocked Osis's plan to repudiate the Treaty of Tukayyid by mandating that all Clans wishing to participate would have nine months to engage in Trials of Position and then prepare for the next invasion.

In May 3059, the resurrected Star League Defense launched a major campaign into Smoke Jaguar/Nova Cat space. Noone could imagine that the Successor States could muster the unity and manpower to launch a full-scale counter invasion. Even as the SLDF regiments ripped through the Smoke Jaguar/Nova Cat occupation zones, Khan Marthe Pryde increased surveillance along her borders with the Lyran Alliance. Though no activity was detected, Khan Marthe ordered her forces to maintain an higher state of preparedness in case of a Lyran sneak attack on her flank.

Death of a Clan

With the defeat of the Smoke Jaguars in the Inner Sphere and on Huntress, the Clans found themselves with the unprecedented prospect of an Inner Sphere invasion of Strana Mechty. The Star League Defense Force soon challenged the Clans to a Trial of Refusal over the invasion. If the Inner Sphere won, the invasion was over and the invading Clans would retain the worlds they had conquered. If the Clans won, the invasion would resume. The Warden Clans refused to participate in the Trial, leaving the eight Crusader Clans to face the SLDF. As the Smoke Jaguars had only two Binaries of troops left, it was decided that each Crusader Clan would only commit two Binaries to the battle.

The Jade Falcons were pitted against the ComGuards in the mountains of Strana Mechty. Khan Marthe Pryde planned a masterful battle. She committed one Star of assault 'Mechs against the ComGuards. The heavy ComGuard force reeled under the Falcon's furious attack. The ComGuards managed to inflict significant damage upon the Clan force but failed to dislodge it. The Falcons crippled several ComGuard mechs before the second Falcon Star led by Khans Marthe Pryde and Samantha Clees swooped in. Within minutes, the remaining ComGuards surrendered to Khan Pryde.

However elated she was over avenging the Falcon's performance against the ComGuards, Khan Marthe was soon notified of the results of the other battles. The SLDF companies had won five of the eight battles. The SLDF had won the Trial of Refusal. The invasion was over.

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