Loric

Loric
Loric 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates-230.35 : -38.822[e]
Spectral classK8IV[1]
Recharge time199 hours[1][2]
Recharge station(s)Nadir[1]

The Loric system was home to at least one habitable world, Loric II, and as of June 3152 was located in the Wolf Empire.[3]

Political Affiliation[edit]


Loric II[edit]

Loric II
Loric Flag.jpg
Astrophysical
System positionSecond[1]
Jump Point distance3.47 days[1]
Moons1 (Udo)[1]
Geophysical
Surface gravity0.98[1]
Atmospheric pressureStandard (Breathable)[1]
Equatorial temperature47°C (Tropical)[1]
Surface water88%[1]
Highest native lifeBirds[1]
History and Culture
Population1,609,000,000 (3067)[1]
Government and Infrastructure
Noble RulerDuke of Loric
HPG ClassB[1]

Loric is a pleasant agricultural world. Covered in forests with deep rivers flowing through them, picturesque mountain ranges, and pleasant shorelines, Loric would be a paradise if it wasn't located in the center of the Lyran/Free Worlds League border. Unfortunately its location makes it a strategic point for attacks, whether launched by the Commonwealth or the League. Since the Age of War, Loric has been used as either a springboard for Lyran raids or an entry point into the Commonwealth by League forces. The world's only respite came during the time of the Star League.[1]

Age of War[edit]

In 2459, Free Worlds League Captain-General Geralk Marik invaded the Loric system, held by the Lyran Commonwealth. His invasion had already conquered Bella I and Alula Australis, and there was little reason to suspect that Loric would put up much resistance. Geralk, referred to as "the Bloodthirsty" for his flouting of the Ares Conventions, led the assault personally. He did not account for something he had never before seen: Lyran BattleMechs. A company of 'Mechs destroyed Geralk's conventional regiment and overran his command post. Geralk was killed when a Lyran 'Mech stepped on him. League troops quit Loric three days later.[42][43]

Star League Era[edit]

The presence of the Thirty-sixth Lyran Guards on Loric in 2765 was considered to be a subject of some interest by the SLIC as the majority of the other units in the Fourth Lyran Guards Division were guarding worlds home to significant defense manufacturing companies or complexes, whereas Loric was a system that possessed no heavy industry.[44]

First Succession War[edit]

Loric was one of a number of Lyran Commonwealth border worlds to be struck by a devastating cross-border raids by the Free Worlds League between 2786 and 2790, as the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces began to crack under the pressure of continuing efforts to annex the Bolan Thumb while also attempting to maintain a defensive posture against both the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery and the Free Worlds League Military.[45]

Third Succession War[edit]

In 2901, the Sixth Marik Militia led an assault on Loric, supported by a large contingent of DropShips and aerospace fighters, and succeeded in crippling the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces units stationed on the world in what would become known as one of the most successful actions to be conducted by a Marik Militia regiment.[46] Loric was struck again by the Free Worlds League in 2913, when three regiments of the Marik Militia landed on the planet; the Militia was supported by a large contingent of aerospace fighters and DropShips and inflicted heavy damage on the defending LCAF forces, only retreating when reinforcements from the Donegal Guards arrived. The attack was perhaps the most successful strike made against the Lyran Commonwealth during the reign of Captain-General Elisabeth Marik.[47]

In 2978, Loric was the subject of another significant battle between Lyran and Free Worlds League forces; two mercenary units in Lyran employ, the Twelfth Star Guards and the Eridani Light Horse, found themselves in the middle of the battle, with the Eridani Light Horse in urgent need of relief.[48] [49]

The Twelfth Star Guards had managed to break through the main Marik lines at Digger Pass with the assistance of the Third Battalion of the Thirty-fourth Provisional Dixie Armored Regiment after four months of combat,[50] but stalled at an ad hoc defensive formation of assorted League units along the Duren River, with the Marik forces keeping the Eridani Light Horse cut off from reinforcements. The Twelfth Star Guards tried using the Condor tanks of the Thirty-fourth to breach the defensive line, the Thirty-fourth having been at the forefront of the breakthrough, without success.[48][50]

The forces from the Thirty-fourth managed to destroy some of the disorganized Marik forces despite being unable to reach the Eridani Light Horse, and the commander of the Third Battalion decided to hold the bridgehead his tanks had established[50] to give the 12th Star Guards a chance to try and break through using their engineering company and their Engineering Vehicles to cut through the river banks and prepare the river bed for 'Mech movement, after attempts to build pontoon bridges failed due to heavy artillery bombardment and attacks from Marik aerospace fighters.[48] While the Twelfth Star Guards did manage to ford the river and relieve the Light Horse, the action cost them most of their engineering cadre and three out of their four engineering vehicles.[48] The Third Battalion had managed to buy the Twelfth Star Guards valuable time by using the mobility of their Condors to concentrate highly mobile attacks on the Marik ground forces that attempted to attack the Star Guards' engineer forces directly.[50]

In March of 3002, Loric was the first target for attack by Janos Marik as part of a two-pronged offensive aimed at extending the borders of the Free Worlds League. Two regiments of the Marik Militia along with the recently hired mercenary unit, Cady's Regiment, were committed to taking the world. However, word of the attack somehow had reached the Lyran High Command. By the time the Marik DropShips made planetfall, they found the industrial targets reinforced, especially near the costal cities of Garth and Tromoth. The Steiner defenders had improved the cities' artillery defenses, making the landward approaches a fiery nightmare. This bogged the attack down significantly with the retreat eventually being sounded in November. [51]

In 3014, Loric was raided by forces from Wolf's Dragoons. The Dragoons were intent on a supply raid, and found themselves facing the mercenary unit Snord's Irregulars. The Irregulars not only successfully defeated the Dragoons, but also captured several Dragoon 'Mechs and three Dragoon MechWarriors. The Irregulars generously returned the three captive MechWarriors to the Dragoons, and earned a considerable degree of respect for victory over such a famed mercenary command, earning the Irregulars a reputation for being more than a collection of oddball treasure hunters.[52] What didn't become public knowledge was that the battle had actually been staged, with the encounter conducted in a Clanlike fashion involving ritualized fights that caused light damage to opponents.[53]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

In October 3028, the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces repositioned a number of frontline units as the Free Worlds League Military launched Operation DAGGER. One of the units repositioned was the Stealthy Tigers mercenary unit, who were relocated from Loric to Giausar; the LCAF strategic intent wasn't to prevent a League invasion, but rather to make invading forces pay more dearly for any gains and slow the progress of any breakthrough.[54]

The Jihad[edit]

Following the invasion of the Free Worlds League by the Skye and Bolan Provinces of the Lyran Alliance in what was termed Operation ÜBERSCHATTEN, Marshall Jeremy Brett took command of the local FWLM and launched a counteroffensive, under the name Operation BROKEN FIST. BROKEN FIST went beyond simply attempting to recapture worlds that the Lyrans had seized, striking into Lyran space at numerous worlds. Loric was one of the worlds hit and was attacked by the League forces on 2 September 3068.[31]

The Second Free Worlds Guards emerged triumphant over the Seventh Donegal Guards after eight days of savage fighting that saw the massive Ghanadi Nature Preserve almost completely destroyed. After the FWL victory, the remnants of the Seventh Donegal surrendered and were incarcerated in a makeshift POW camp until Tharkad and the LAAF High Command could be contacted.[55]

Dark Age[edit]

Loric was among the Lyran worlds conquered by Clan Wolf between 31403141 and was part of the newly proclaimed Wolf Empire by January 3142.[56][37][38] One of its natives, Pravina, was forced to forfeit the Loric duchy that had been the Albern family's for generations and established a new life for herself as head of the Yellow Sun Free Guild, possibly as a means towards liberating Loric.[56]

Military Deployment[edit]

3028[edit]

  • Seventh Lyran Regulars[59]
  • Stealthy Tigers[60] (until October)[54]

3038[edit]

  • Seventh Lyran Regulars[62]

3050[edit]

3054[edit]

  • Seventh Lyran Regulars[65]

3055[edit]

3061[edit]

  • Seventh Lyran Regulars[67]

3062[edit]

3068[edit]

3079[edit]

- At this point in time, the Eighth was operating at 80% of full strength, with 80% of their equipment featuring upgraded technology.

3085[edit]

3145[edit]

Geography[edit]

Loric was famed for its natural beauty during the Succession Wars, due to its gentle shorelines, rugged mountains and dark forests, and was a tourist destination for wealthy visitors.[49]

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Ghanadi Nature Preserve: destroyed during Operation BROKEN FIST. The reserve comprised over 1,000,000 km2 of exotic woodlands and home to a host of endangered native species, was reportedly heavily damaged - possibly beyond reclamation in some areas.[55]

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 36 systems (35 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Colfax 10.7 Cascade 11.4 Megrez 19.4 Aigle 20.2
Szepes 24.3 Thermopolis 24.5 Giausar 25.7 Trellisane 26.5
Pressby 28.3 Hornir's Keep 28.5 Dixie 29.3 Bella 29.4
Alula Borealis 32.5 Preston 32.9 Togwotee 35.4 Pingree 38.8
Ford 40.1 Niihau 41.7 Altoona 41.8 Zortman 42.4
Labouchere 42.4 Rexburg 43.7 Zwenkau 48.7 McAffe 49.6
Sterling 50.4 Senftenberg 51.5 Malazan 52.6 Rochers 53.3
Arcadia 53.7 Gienah 53.9 Sheridan 54.5 Ilion 55.9
Esztergom 58.5 Tamarind 58.9 Eilenburg 59.0 Jardine 60.1

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 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 79: "Loric Planet Profile"
  2. Empire Alone, poster map
  3. 3.0 3.1 Empire Alone, p. 78
  4. Handbook: House Marik, p. 16
  5. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 13
  6. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 25
  7. Historical: Reunification War, p. 158
  8. Era Report: 2750, p. 36
  9. Field Manual: SLDF, p. vii: "Inner Sphere - [2764] Map"
  10. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 10
  11. First Succession War, pp. 24–25
  12. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 36
  13. Handbook: House Marik, p. 34
  14. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, pp. 122–123
  15. First Succession War, pp. 112–113
  16. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 40
  17. Handbook: House Marik, p. 38
  18. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 47
  19. Handbook: House Marik, p. 42
  20. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 56
  21. Handbook: House Marik, p. 51
  22. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 59
  23. Historical: War of 3039, p. 132
  24. Era Report: 3052, p. 10
  25. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 61
  26. Era Report: 3052, p. 23
  27. Era Report: 3062, p. 10
  28. Era Report: 3062, p. 28
  29. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 70
  30. Jihad: Final Reckoning, pp. 42–43
  31. 31.0 31.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 45: "The Jihad in Review"
  32. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 64
  33. Field Report: LAAF, p. 19
  34. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 63
  35. Field Manual: 3085, p. vii: "Inner Sphere Map - [October 3085]"
  36. Era Report: 3145, p. 9
  37. 37.0 37.1 To Ride the Chimera, Map of the Free Worlds League in 3139
  38. 38.0 38.1 Era Report: 3145, p. 69
  39. Era Report: 3145, p. 38
  40. Field Manual: 3145, p. VI: "Inner Sphere - 3145"
  41. Shattered Fortress, p. 102
  42. Handbook: House Marik, pp. 19 & 21: "Paradigm Shift"
  43. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 20
  44. 44.0 44.1 Field Report 2765: LCAF, p. 13: "Lyran Guards"
  45. First Succession War, p. 62: "The War of Raids: House Steiner's Succession War"
  46. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 90: "Marik Militia"
  47. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 39: "The Great Compromiser"
  48. 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4 48.5 48.6 Technical Readout: 3026, Revised Edition, p. 44: "Engineering Vehicle"
  49. 49.0 49.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 74, "The Battle for Loric"
  50. 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 Technical Readout: 3026, Revised Edition, p. 52: "Condor Heavy Hover Tank"
  51. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 51: "Seizing The Offensive"
  52. Cranston Snord's Irregulars, p. 4
  53. Rhonda's Irregulars, p. 7
  54. 54.0 54.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 63: "Overview"
  55. 55.0 55.1 55.2 Steiner Lines "Broken" Says Brett Aide
  56. 56.0 56.1 Empire Alone, p. 97: "Pravina"
  57. 57.0 57.1 First Succession War, p. 139: "First Succession War Deployment Table - LCAF"
  58. 58.0 58.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 117: "Unit Deployment Table"
  59. 59.0 59.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 44: "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"
  60. 60.0 60.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 45: "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"
  61. Rolling Thunder, p. 42: "Alas, Poor Loric"
  62. Historical: War of 3039, p. 137: "Deployment Table"
  63. 20 Year Update, p. 27: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  64. 20 Year Update, p. 71: "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  65. Objective Raids, p. 20: "FedCom Deployment Table"
  66. ComStar, p. 85: "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  67. Shattered Sphere, p. 51: "Lyran Alliance Deployment Table"
  68. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 126: "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  69. Field Report: LAAF, p. 13: "Lyran Regulars Regimental Status"
  70. Field Manual: 3085, p. 107: "Deployment Table - 3085"
  71. Field Manual: 3145, p. 171: "Clan Force Deployments - Wolf Empire"

Bibliography[edit]