Foster


This article is about the Clan star system. For other uses, see Foster (disambiguation).
Foster
Foster 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates44.164 : 1733.181[e]
Spectral classM7V[1]
Recharge time208 hours[1][2][3]
Planet(s)2[1]

System Description[edit]

Foster is located near the Ironhold and Huntress systems.

Political Affiliation[edit]


Foster I[edit]

Foster I
Foster Flag.jpg
Astrophysical
System positionFirst
Jump Point distance2.22 days[1]
Moons1 (Loic)[1]
Geophysical
Surface gravity1.0[1]
Atmospheric pressureStandard (Breathable)[1]
Equatorial temperature25°C (Temperate)[1]
Surface water50%[1]
Highest native lifeAmphibians[1]
Landmasses3 (Clavet, Gregoire, Wendat)[1]
History and Culture
Colonized2860[1]
Population105,000 (2872),[1]
11,700,000[citation needed]
Government and Infrastructure
HPG ClassA[1]

Planetary History[edit]

Foster I was initially discovered and colonized by Clan Blood Spirit in 2860.[1] Unfortunately for the Spirits, Clan Burrock raids against the colony and its JumpShip routes to York eventually made the colony a liability. In order to reduce their vulnerability, Clan Blood Spirit gifted their Foster colonies to one of their few friends, Kindraa Smythe-Jewel of Clan Fire Mandrill. While their gift of Foster also repaid Kindraa Smythe-Jewel for OmniMech technology, the Smythe-Jewels paid Clan Blood Spirit for their Foster holdings with Elemental battle armor technology.[6]

The Kindraa moved its entire enclave to Foster, though it would not last long in its new home. In 2872, the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel was destroyed by a joint force from Clan Hell's Horses and Clan Coyote. Kindraa Smythe-Jewel had used bidding tactics that the Coyotes considered to be dubious when obtaining the information needed to produce OmniMechs,[18] and used similar tactics when Trialing alongside Kindraa Payne to obtain Elemental breeding rights from the Hell's Horses, while also leaving Kindraa Payne to take the brunt of the casualties.[19]

In response, the Horses arranged for a combined bid with the Coyotes for a Trial against the Smythe-Jewels in 2872. The Smythe-Jewels were crushed, with the last few falling after being trapped by Kindraa Payne troops while attempting to flee. The Hell's Horses took half of the genetic legacies and the bulk of the salvage; the Coyotes took the other half of the legacies, the enclave and the remaining salvage, while Kindraa Payne received a small share of each.[20][21][18][22] The Trial also served as the debut for the Hell's Horses new Black Hawk OmniMech.[23]

During the Hellion's Fury campaign, Foster was hit by Clan Ice Hellion. They challenged a Kindraa Kline unit for control of their enclave, and the Hellions won that Trial. The Trial of Possession took place in a vast swamp known as the Cauldron.[24]

In 3062, three Clans controlled Foster: Coyote, Ice Hellion, and Fire Mandrill, each having enclaves of roughly the same size.[citation needed]

The Wars of Reaving[edit]

[[Category:Articles needing clarification]]

With growing hostilities between traditional rivals escalating towards the end of the Wars of Possession, as well as migrations and preparations to leave the Clan Homeworlds by Clans Diamond Shark, Ghost Bear, Hell's Horses, Ice Hellion, Jade Falcon, Nova Cat, Snow Raven, and Wolf,[25] Clan Fire Mandrill's disjointed Kindraa hierarchy began to independently sense opportunities to expand their influence and territories. Becoming more adventurous in their intra- and inter-Clan dealings, the Kindraa of Clan Fire Mandrill began to engage several Clans on a variety of fronts, including the joint operations between Clan Blood Spirit and Kindraa Mick-Kreese (and the ill-fated interference of Kindraa Kline) on Tathis against Clan Star Adder,[26] Kindraa Mick-Kreese-Kline campaign against Clan Hell's Horses on Kirin in 3068, as well as Kindraa Mattila-Carrol's technology dealings with Clan Coyote.[27] It was not long before Fire Mandrill enclaves on Foster would become involved in the growing hostilities in Clanspace.

It was the aforementioned technology agreement between Clan Coyote and Kindraa Mattila-Carrol which finally brought Foster into the ever-worsening conflicts. Eager to increase the their territory and technologies, Clan Coyote had made few moves since their attempted intervention in the Babylon Diets. In 3069, when the Coyote Watch began to gather rumors Clan Fire Mandrill was working on a prototype armor for their ProtoMechs capable of delivering a powerful electric discharge able to damage a BattleMech, Khan Silas Kufahl attempted to trade for the technology with several of the disparate Kindraa. Though Kufahl was rebuffed in his first attempt by Kindraa Sainze, saKhan Raven Clearwater discovered Kindraa Mattila-Carrol was also eager to deal the technology, in order to improve their standing within the Mandrills. Clearwater negotiated joint military exercises between the Mattila-Carrols and the Coyotes on Tamaron, culminating in an exchange of one "electric armor" prototype, five generations of the Carrol legacy (without Bloodname rights), and a scientist enclave on Shadow, while giving the Mattila-Carrols nearly two Clusters of ProtoMech Warriors and machines.[27]

The technology transfer was met with immediate hostility by Kindraa Farraday-Tanaga, Mick-Kreese-Kline, and Sainze, who assaulted Coyote holdings on Shadow, but by late 3069, the Coyote forces had mauled all three Kindraa and still held the scientist enclave on Shadow. The cessation of the first round of Trials was followed immediately by Kindraa Payne-Beyl-Grant's own attempt to claim the scientist enclave on Shadow, but the Payne-Beyl-Grants also besieged the Zuni 'Mech Production Complex[28] on Foster. Despite the Payne-Beyl-Grant numerical advantages of nearly two-to-one on Shadow, the Mandrills were unable to dislodge the Coyotes. To make matters worse, the CFM Reaver broke zellbrigen and engaged the CCS Windrunner, allowing the Coyote vessel to destroy the 17th Auxiliary and 1st Striker Payne from orbit.[27]

With Clan Coyote having expanded more than 50% in territory around 3070, but without a concomitant increase in the size of its touman, Clan Goliath Scorpion surmised Coyote territories might be poorly defended, and mobilized to take some of the Coyotes' new territories on Delios and Foster. While their operations on Foster were achieved with moderate difficulty, the Scorpions found the planet largely ungarrisoned or abandoned, and were able to take the Ashton 'Mech Production Complex and a newly constructed Minotaur production complex from the Coyotes.[12]

By early 3072, the majority of Clan Homeworlds would lose access to HPG-communications, including Foster. The problem became a desperate one for most Clans.[29] In August, Khan Kufahl traveled to New Kent, and accused ilKhan Brett Andrews of failing to rally the Clans to internal threats posed by The Society uprising. He then used this guise to challenge the ilKhan to a Trial of Reaving for his legacy. However, the threat brought to ilKhan Andrews' attention the lack of communication between Clan Steel Viper and its colonies throughout the Clan Homeworlds. Andrews then ordered the Steel Viper Watch to investigate. The Watch also determined Clan Ice Hellion was largely missing from the Homeworlds. In response, Andrews mobilized the Vipers and their snake allies, Clans Cloud Cobra and Star Adder, with each declaring their intent to Absorb the Ice Hellions.[13][29]

Alpha Galaxy, under the command of ilKhan Andrews himself, split its elements and liberated three Ice Hellion enclaves, their Possessions on Hoard, Atreus, and Foster. All three colonies were largely defended by genetically flawed pilots armed with cached 'Mechs or the occassional, advanced OmniMech or even the occasional Basilisk Quad ProtoMech[30]; any survivors displaying signs of genetic abnormalities were quietly Annihilated. Though Alpha Galaxy was largely unopposed, they faced attack shortly after their Trial of Possession by elements of Clan Coyote on Foster, in much the same manner Clan Coyote intervened against the Viper forces on Londerholm. The remains of Gamma Galaxy, specifically the Seventh and Eighth Reserve Battle Clusters, ambushed and destroyed the Alpha Newt Cluster outside Tolson. In response, Alpha Galaxy destroyed both Coyote Clusters, at which time all but one Coyote enclave on Foster were destroyed by self-destruction. The Coyote interventions, the widespread use of Basilisk ProtoMechs among the Coyote, Ice Hellion, Dark Caste, and Society units, the explosions that destroyed Coyote enclaves on Foster, and the presence of genetic deformities among their Warriors, were later used as circumstantial evidence of collusion between the Coyotes and the Society, although Clan Steel Viper lacked direct evidence and were unable to implicate the Coyotes for a Trial of Annihilation.[13]

In December 3072, Steel Viper forces began to die of a mysterious new viral disease. The virus appeared in the Viper enclaves on three worlds. Three of the worlds had been taken in Trials of Possession months before the outbreak, Londerholm, Foster and Atreus, while the fourth, New Kent, was the capital of Clan Steel Viper. The weaponized virus was tailored to cause victims' insides to "boil."[31] The fever killed about 90,000 Warrior and lower-caste civilians who were genetically related to the Mercer, Tamm, and Hoskins Blood Houses. The first victim of the outbreak was saKhan Nicole Hoskins.[13]

Clan Goliath Scorpion was also similarly paralyzed by lack of communication in the wake of the Society rebellion, withdrawing after losing their newly won enclaves on Albion, Brim, Huntress, and Marshall. After over one year without contact with three more of their colonies, Dagda, Delios, and Foster, the Scorpions emerged from their isolation on Roche in March 3073 to relieve the Foster enclave, who had sent a distress call requesting aid in response to a Clan Coyote attack. Khan Ariel Suvorov dispatched Loremaster Kyrie Ben-Shimon and Gamma Galaxy, along with the CGS Lei Kung and the Collerane, to relieve the colony. The task force arrived in system in the middle of the month, and Gamma Galaxy arrived at the planet in time to land in defense of the Scorpions last enclave, Pillar Prime, where Clan Coyote's Delta Galaxy had established elements under Star Colonel Neal Hill in high-elevation artillery positions, and was systematically destroying the local 'Mech factory, as well as the infrastructure required to transport food and supplies to the inhabitants of the enclave.[14]

When Gamma Galaxy arrived in the vicinity of Pillar Prime, Ben-Shimon instructed her Warriors to take excessive amounts of Necrosia, then led Gamma in a wild charge, which quickly overwhelmed the Coyote firing positions. With the Coyotes withdrawing, Gamma paused on the exposed high-ground long enough for aerospace elements of the Coyote's elite 67th Assault Cluster to destroy most of the 16th Scorpion Dragoons. Gamma then proceeded to pursue the artillery elements, but the rest of the command was destroyed by the arrival of the Ninth and Thirty-fourth Strike Clusters.[14]

As the battle began on the surface, Foster's SDS system and the Coyote aerospace elements engaged the Scorpion WarShips and escorts in orbit. Though the Scorpion task force destoyed about 75% of the defending Coyote forces, the CGS Collerane lost all power then a shot hit its magazine batteries, and the CGS Lei Kung lost its main targeting system. The Lei Kung withdrew from the fight with the remnants of the Third Cuirassiers (without Loremaster Ben-Shimon, who had died in her Kirghiz, and returned to Roche.[14]

With the departure of Clan Goliath Scorpion, and Clan Coyote's Delta Galaxy bloodied, Clan Steel Viper emerged from their enclave and sacked the Coyotes. By the time new Scorpion Loremaster Colin Yeh and Khan Suvorov returned to the Foster system two months later in June with the hastily created Alpha Naval Reserve Star (the CGS Atropos, the CGS Auriga, the CGS Bernlad, the CGS Corona Borealis, and the CGS Serket) Beta Galaxy, and the survivors of Gamma Galaxy, Clan Steel Viper was in complete Possession of the system.[14]

Not content with losing their entire enclave and their steep combat losses, Yeh challenged Viper forces, commanded by Star Colonel Ollos, for Possession of the two largest remaining enclaves, Adele and Firebase Nu. Ollos granted the Scorpions safcon to land in the plains outside Adele, where the 144th Phalanx defended against the Twenty-second Scorpion Uhlans.[14] The Uhlans quickly lost control of the battle and were destroyed after one of their Warriors, an abtahka Warrior named Linda, piloting a Timber Wolf and taken from the Eridani Light Horse, killed Star Colonel Ollos by aimed shot against the Viper's prone Crimson Langur's cockpit. When the Vipers began discarding zellbrigen against the Scorpions, Khan Suvorov was unaware of the circumstances, and mobilized the CGS Atropos and CGS Bernlad to take firing positions, while the First Cateran Cluster and the remnants of the 3rd Scorpion Cuirassiers took Firebase Nu, and forced the 144th Phalanx regroup with the 167th Fang Cluster in defensive fortifications in the approach to Adele. Believing themselves protected, to their surprise the Bernlad commenced orbital bombardment and destroyed both units. The incident would be used to call into question whether Clan Goliath Scorpion should be Annihilated or Reaved, and led to increasing hostilities between the Scorpions and Vipers.[32][14]

During the Viper Annihilation, Foster would be liberated by Clan Goliath Scorpion, who maintained the colony as an exclusive Possession through 3078.[15] The status quo would be disrupted when, in December 3078, a routine Trial of Possession for Bridge Ledge Genetic Research Station on Hector between Clans Goliath Scorpion and Clan Cloud Cobra would unveil corruption within the Scorpions. Defending their Possession, a Scorpion Matador of the 1st Cateran accidentally destroyed the bridge in the vicinity of the station, dropping half of the Seventy-third Cobra Guards into the ravine below. The act was declared dezgra, allowing the Cobras to overwhelm the Caterans and take the station.[16]

The Cobras discovered the station was harboring secret, genetic research in an attempt to combine Clan Goliath Scorpion legacies with pieces of genetic material from Eridani Light Horse Warriors. In response, Khan Hollyann Kardaan called for a Trial of Abjuration for the Goliath Scorpions. The motion passed, and Khan Suvorov died attempting to reverse the decision in a Trial of Refusal. However in the wake of the Wars of Reaving, the only Clan powerful enough to enforce the Abjuration on their own was Clan Star Adder. This led to a hesitant Trial of Abjuration, with most Clans allowing the Scorpions time to evacuate research, people, supplies, and artifacts, while methodically naming their targets and proceeding slowly. Only the Adder most more decisively, but in their weakened state after the Reavings, the Adders could not take everything. Instead, on colonies including Foster, Glory, and Hector, the Adders issues Trials of Possession for the enclaves themselves; if the isorla was one they needed, they would press it into service, but if it was not, the Adders would demolish the enclave or infrastructure. Other enclaves dependent upon the destroyed facilities or infrastructure would then suffer as collateral damage. In this manner, the Adders could force the Scorpions into spirited defenses for infrastructure and enclaves of their choosing, the Clan overspending on the defense of Possessions the Adders deemed expendable in order to buy more time for lower caste evacuations. Because of this new strategy, Foster's enclaves continued to be lost even after the Annihilation of Clan Steel Viper.[16]

Some time after the end of the Scorpion ejection in late 3079, Clan Star Adder allowed the Cloud Cobras to take complete Possession of Foster.[17]

Military Deployment[edit]

Geography[edit]

Planetary Map of Foster

Foster has three continents named Clavet, Gregoire, and Wendat.[1]

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Adele[14]
  • Firebase Nu[14]
  • Pillar Prime: site of the large Ashton 'Mech Production Complex[39][12][14]
  • Tolson: a city[13]

Industrial Centers[edit]

Notes[edit]

According to a blog posting by author Blaine Lee Pardoe, he named the Foster system after comedian Foster Brooks back when he created the first map of Clan space (for the 1991 Wolf Clan Sourcebook).

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 20 systems (6 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Ironhold 12.0 Huntress 25.2 Atreus 27.7 Strana Mechty 36.6
Lum 45.6 Shadow 49.1 Marshall 61.0 Tokasha 64.1
Brim 77.3 Niles 79.3 Gatekeeper 81.2 Tranquil 84.3
Priori 84.9 Tathis 89.0 New Kent 92.2 Delios 94.1
Sheridan 102.1 Bearclaw 105.7 Hellgate 110.2 Albion 111.2

References[edit]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 Touring the Stars: Foster, p. 3
  2. The Wars of Reaving, p. 233: "The Wars of Reaving Campaign"
  3. Operational Turning Points: REVIVAL Trials, p. 5
  4. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 23: "Clan Blood Spirit: Fool's Gold (2835-2865)"
  5. According to Field Manual: Crusader Clans, pp. 54–55: "Clan Hell's Horses: Hell's Fury" - Kindraa Smythe-Jewel took battle armor technology using questionable bidding practices from Clan Hell's Horses on Eden in 2870. The Smythe-Jewels must have traded battle armor to the Blood Spirits in exchange for Foster after the Eden Trial
  6. 6.0 6.1 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 24: "Clan Blood Spirit: Fire from Heaven (2865–2974)"
  7. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 42: "Clan Coyote: Righteous Vengeance"
  8. Clan Homeworlds 3052 Poster (Kickstarter)
  9. The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky, p. 114
  10. Field Manual: Updates, p. 39
  11. The Wars of Reaving, p. 228: "Political Balance Table, 3067"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 The Wars of Reaving, p. 70: "Vanishing Point"
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 The Wars of Reaving, pp. 106–107: "The Viper Uncoils"
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 14.9 The War of Reaving, pp. 124–129: "Scorpion Gambit"
  15. 15.0 15.1 The Wars of Reaving, p. 248: "Political Balance Table, 3075"
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 The Wars of Reaving, pp. 157–161: "Escorpión Imperio"
  17. 17.0 17.1 The Wars of Reaving, p. 249: "Political Balance Table, 3085"
  18. 18.0 18.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, pp. 41–42: "Righteous Vengeance"
  19. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 39: "Striking from Solitude"
  20. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, pp. 54–55: "Hell's Fury"
  21. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 39: "Death of a Kindraa"
  22. Era Digest: Golden Century, pp. 9–10: "Bad Blood"
  23. Technical Readout: Clan Invasion, p. 36: "Black Hawk"
  24. Operational Turning Points: REVIVAL Trials, p. 35
  25. The Wars of Reaving, pp. 22–37
  26. The Wars of Reaving, p. 17: "Monkey in the Middle"
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 The Wars of Reaving, pp. 37–39: "Stalking the Desert"
  28. Note: the text from The Wars of Reaving specifies Kindraa Payne-Beyl-Grant attempted to take the Savage Coyote manufacturing center on Foster. According to Zuni 'Mech Production Complex, this is where Savage Coyotes are manufactured on Foster.
  29. 29.0 29.1 The Wars of Reaving, p. 109: "Communication Breakdown"
  30. The Wars of Reaving, pp. 209–210: "Basilisk (Quad)"
  31. The Wars of Reaving, p. 107
  32. The Wars of Reaving, p. 125: "Spreading of the Taint"
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 Field Manual: Crusader Clans, pp. 149–150
  34. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, pp. 152–153
  35. Field Manual: Warden Clans, pp. 161–162
  36. Field Manual: Updates, p. 76
  37. 37.0 37.1 Field Manual: Updates, pp. 70–71
  38. Field Manual: Updates, pp. 71–72
  39. Note: Two references were used to infer the identity of the BattleMech factory, both from The Wars of Reaving. "Vanishing Point", p. 70, describes Clan Goliath Scorpion gains on Foster in the absence of a significant Clan Coyote presence; the Trials of Possession for parts of the Coyote enclave won the Scorpions the Ashton 'Mech Production Complex, and a new Minotaur complex (but did not provide a name). "Scorpion Gambit", pp. 124–129, describes how the Goliath Scorpions held one last colony centered on a large BattleMech factory. Since the Scorpions only had two factories, one BattleMech and one ProtoMech, it is inferred the identity of the BattleMech facility must be Ashton 'Mech Production Complex.
  40. Technical Readout: Golden Century, p. 26
  41. BT Forums Question RE: Ashton 'Mech Production Complex
  42. Technical Readout: 3060, p. 178: "Mech Components"
  43. Technical Readout: 3067, p. 118: "Mech Components"

Bibliography[edit]