Clan Snow Raven

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Clan Snow Raven Logo
Clan Snow Raven
Faction Profile
Time period: 2807 – 3083
Classification: Clan
Controlled systems: ?
Capital world: was Lum
Ruler title: Khan
Military: Clan Snow Raven Touman
Secret Service: Clan Snow Raven Watch

Clan Snow Raven was founded by Stephen McKenna (a distant relative of the famous James McKenna who hailed from the Terran Hegemony).[1] The Snow Ravens are a complicated Clan that have taken a unique path, due to several catastrophes in their early history. Famed for their heavy use of naval assets, as well as their conniving and efficient nature, the Snow Raven Clan, despite being mistrusted and misunderstood by other Clans, has risen to power as one of the more powerful Clans in the past decade.[2]

History

Snow Raven Totem

Nicholas Kerensky decreed that the remaining 800 warriors loyal to him be divided into twenty 'clans.' Each clan, consisting of forty warriors would emulate a beast endemic to the Kerensky Cluster. In his wisdom, the warriors under Stephen McKenna were designated to embody the attributes of the snow raven, a snow-white bird common to the harsh tundra flats of Strana Mechty. Snow ravens are known to never waste anything, picking the bones of a carcass clean and then eating the bones as well. Snow ravens were also documented to co-operate with other animals, such as the introduced Terran wolf or the ghost bear, often sharing a kill. Like many other Clans, the Snow Ravens have followed their totem to a fault, often to the extent of ridicule. Indeed, Snow Ravens of all castes are often known to be conniving, cold, and more humorously, extremely garrulous to the point of being more verbose than even those of the Ice Hellion Clan; moreover, Snow Ravens are unable to keep secrets of great purport. Members are colloquially referred to as 'the Unkindness,' the word used for a gathering of greater corvids.[2][3][4]

The Birth of Clan Snow Raven

For the past several centuries, it has been more famine than feast for the Snow Ravens. Very early in their history the Snow Ravens were struck down by fate. During Operation Klondike, the struggle to reclaim the Pentagon Worlds, the Snow Ravens lost almost half their ground units to enemy forces, and, although in the end the Ravens were victorious, the Raven touman, particularly its 'Mech forces, were severely diminished. Khan McKenna sought ways to increase the strength of his touman, and found his answer in the many caches of Star League equipment stored in various places in the Pentagon Worlds. At the time, other Clans were scrambling madly for equipment out of caches as well, thus it was impractical for an already weak Clan face other, stronger Clans in this matter. Khan Stephen McKenna, a naval commander during the Amaris Crisis and during the Exodus, suggested the Clan's warriors stage trials of possession for WarShips, which were less sought after--- other Clans sought after 'Mechs and the WarShips ran against the warrior ethos of the nascent Clans. Before the other Clans could react, the Snow Ravens fielded a considerable naval force as well as gaining a stranglehold on almost all naval shipyards in Clan space.[2][4]

Aftermath of Operation Klondike

This did not prevent the Ravens from still requiring an adequate ground force and they soon found themselves in conflict over the possession of a cache with the Wolverine Clan on the planet Circe.[5] The Wolverines and the Snow Ravens bore much enmity towards each other since Operation Klondike: the Wolverine saKhan, Franklin Hallis was attracted to Raven saKhan, Joyce Merrell, however Merrill did not requite Hallis' affections and the Wolverines had moved to destroy Raven interests ever since. This cache of 'Mechs once belonged to the unit with which the Wolverine Khan, Sarah McEvedy, had served; however the actual cache resided in Raven territory. Thus, the matter was brought before the Clan Council to be resolved. However, when the Ravens were awarded the rights to the cache, the Wolverine Clan, (who recently become very discontented with Clan society) declared their independence from the Clans. The Snow Ravens, already aware the Wolverines were massing on their borders, moved to attack. The Wolverines fought intensely and the Snow Ravens were beaten back to their capital, Dehra Dun, and finally repulsed from there as well. The Wolverines emptied the city of all civilians and detonated a low-level nuclear warhead, destroying the primary genetic repository. This resulted in a Trial of Annihilation declared against Clan Wolverine, by Clans Wolf and Widowmaker. Following the destruction of the majority of Wolverine Clan (now known as the Not-Named Clan), the Ravens were again heavily decimated, and Clan Mongoose began to quietly ask for a Raven absorption. The Ravens were not deterred by this; they moved their capital to the planet of Lum and tried to rebuild their shattered Clan once again.[2][4][6]

The Golden Century

On Lum, the Ravens gained many of the attributes they are renowned for today. Superb political manipulators, the clan banded together their bloodlines to form 'families.' Conflicts between families, unlike that constant infighting that plagues the Fire Mandrill Clan, has only made the Snow Ravens stronger. In addition to this, the Ravens were also efficient users of raw materials, breeding a naval phenotype, unique among the Clans, to staff Raven WarShip fleets. The Raven Clan moved silently through Clan society, quietly rebuilding themselves.[2][4]

In the 2850's, the Ravens came across an inhospitable world, aptly named Hellgate, that was rich with natural resources. When the Ravens moved to colonize this world, the Steel Vipers staged a trial of possession for the planet's agrodomes, and, although the Ravens fought hard, without food the Clan was forced to relinquish control to the Vipers within several years. The Vipers continued to prey upon the Ravens and they perpetuate a feud to this day.[7]

Raven activities were fairly quiet for more than a century, until a Raven khan revealed Clan Cloud Cobra ilKhan Tobias Khatib's complicity in the murder of the previous ilKhan. The Ravens found themselves in the forefront of Clan society again, when Khan Liam Howell revealed that it was he who had instructed Snow Raven scientists to introduce a genetically-recumbent great white shark into the oceans of Strana Mechty. Khan Howell despised the Clan Sea Fox for thwarting his attempts to gain territory on the world of Priori, and subsequently unleashed these 'diamond sharks' for the expressed purpose of wiping out the Sea Fox totem animal. The Raven saKhan, Niamh Sukhanov, furious at his superior's machinations, declared a trial of grievance, killing Khan Howells and then assuming the seat of Khanship. Nonetheless, the Sea Foxes were furious, and their anger only abated when the Snow Raven Khan envoked the rite of surkireide.[7][8][6]

The Political Century and Operation Revival

In stark contrast to the peace that the so-called 'Golden Century' granted, the following era, the Political Century would be racked with turmoil. The requisite three generations that Kerensky had mandated for the Clans to finally return to the Inner Sphere had long since past and many in Clan society called for change. Nascent ideological rifts began to grow, eventually coalescing into the Crusader philosophy, which wanted to return to the Inner Sphere and reinstate the Star League, and the Warden philosophy, whose adherents felt the Clans were still not ready to return. Interpreting both these ideologies as false, Clan Snow Raven chose to follow neither path. They chose the best of both worlds: the Crusaders' drive, and the Wardens' patience, and have done so to great effect. Moreover, the Snow Ravens - as a politically 'neutral' Clan - could contract their services to either a Crusader or Warden Clan with minimal difficulty. Near the middle of the Political Century in 2979, Snow Raven Khan Ewan McCorkell would would strike a bargain with Clan Blood Spirit, trading a Galaxy of second line BattleMechs for three of the Blood Spirits WarShips. He would execute this deal after pondering the future and realizing Snow Ravens would destroy themselves attempting to unseat one of the dominant Clans. He opted for the long road, setting his Clan up to be a primary provider transport and cargo escort services to the distant edge of the Inner Sphere, while also cultivating an alliance for his Clan with a highly reclusive Clan that shared a mutual respect. All of these decisions would prove to be very prudent choices when, fifty years later, the calls for invasion were answered.[6][8]

For half a century the Ravens were quiet, until the Outbound Light brought about the call for invasion of the Inner Sphere. Clan Coyote, who had lost much territory in the last few decades, sought to bring glory and prestige to their Clan by attacking the Snow Ravens. While the Coyotes wielded considerable forces, the Ravens fought with equal force and both sides were bloodied bad enough that neither Clan was strong enough to participate in the trials determining a slot in the invasion force. This worked out in the Raven's favor anyway, for Khan Lynn McKenna was able to negotiate a contract with the Jade Falcons that loaned out two stars of WarShips, in exchange for resources from the Inner Sphere, and most importantly, the world of Hellgate (which the Falcons had recently taken from the Vipers). This arrangement allowed the Ravens to regain their strength lost through the failed Coyote attack, as well as thumb their nose at the Vipers. This arrangement with the Falcons did not last for long, for they and the Crusader Wolves initiated the Harvest Trials in 3058, wherein two entire clusters were taken by the Jade Falcons. Relations with that Clan cooled, although are normalizing again (even after the 'McKenna Bloodhouse Incident' when the Jade Falcon Clan meddled with Snow Raven bloodhouse affairs).

The Great Refusal

One of the greatest feats of the Snow Ravens in recent years has been the completion of the largest WarShip ever constructed, the Leviathan. The Ghost Bears, the Snow Ravens' longtime ally, requested the assistance in building a WarShip so powerful that it could handle an entire naval star by itself. The Ravens managed to deliver, but the project failed to be completed in time for the Bear's move to the Inner Sphere. The Leviathan served as valuable cargo vessel, ferrying millions of Clan civilians to their new home. When the Ghost Bears finally left, they gifted the world of Bearclaw to the Ravens in thanks, although the Hell's Horses Clan landed just as the Bears were leaving and the Ravens have failed to oust them fully, so far. The Snow Ravens have gained territory elsewhere as well, in the wake of Smoke Jaguar Annihilation the Ravens gained much of the planet of Circe, as well as a portion of Homer (although they were eventually forced off that world by superior numbers of Steel Vipers). The Snow Ravens also assisted in the withdrawal of Clan Nova Cat forces, which allowed the Ravens to obtain the Abjured Clan's territory with minimal conflict.

Territory Wars

Post-3060, the Ravens began to see the limitations of their recent gains, and decided to send an expeditiary force to the Inner Sphere. While scouting the near-Periphery, the Snow Raven force stumbled upon an Outworlds Alliance JumpShip and staged a trial of possession for it, offering a Titan class DropShip as collateral. Surprisingly, the Snow Ravens were beaten by the Alliance pilots. Greatly impressed, they offering their hand in friendship and eventually formalized a make-shift alliance that has allowed Snow Raven vessels to use Outworlds recharge stations, in exchange for refurbishing an old Star League-era naval base at Quatre Belle. The Snow Ravens also helped the Alliance develop its own OmniFighter, the Corax (named in honor of the Ravens).

Treachery at Kanzaka

The Inner Sphere seemed like a very hospitable place for the Snow Ravens until the Draconis Combine blew up a Snow Raven vessel attempting to recharge at one of their stations (which the Ravens won the right to by trial). The lost vessel was none other than the White Cloud, which once won the 2736 Martial Olympiad. The Ravens took several pirate worlds, Rezak's Hole and Farstar, which they used for harassing Kuritan interests to the best of their ability.

The Assault on Lum

However, true revenge had to wait, for the Raven's homeworld of Lum was being assaulted. The Steel Viper Clan, ejected from the Inner Sphere by the Jade Falcons, sought to take revenge on their most hated foe, the Snow Ravens. Several frontline galaxies were deployed on Lum, and, for a time, it seemed the Vipers would be victorious. Eventually the Snow Ravens turned the tide of battle and drove the Vipers off-planet. The final battle involved naval elements and resulted in the destruction of the Viper vessel Pit Viper. Several Raven vessels were damaged, but none destroyed.

The Jihad and Beyond

With the Viper threat diminshed, the Ravens could now concentrate on the Draconis Combine. The Jihad waged by the Word of Blake was savaging the Inner Sphere, and it was the perfect time to exact revenge upon the weakened Kuritan forces. The Ravens used the depleted Swift Wing Naval Assault Star to raid the worlds of Enif, Tabayama, and Galedon V,[9] destroying a Kuritan Kyushu class vessel in the latter engagement.

The depleted Swift Wing Naval Assault Star was destroyed on the 5th of January 3069; the Star was resupplying in the Ramora system when terrorists, either funded by the Word of Blake or Blakist operatives in disguise, used Draconis Combine vessels and tactics to destroy the Raven WarShips.[10] The Snow Ravens responded to the destruction of the Star by going on the offensive against the Combine in May 3069, seizing the border worlds of Budingen, Goubellat, Schirmeck, Valentina and Weisau from the Combine. This was followed by the arrival of a naval Star in the Galedon system on the 1st of June and the orbital bombardment of a number of military installations on the surface of Galedon V. The Snow Ravens gave the Galedon civilian castes one week to leave the planet; on the 16th of June the Snow Ravens followed their initial bombardment with a much longer bombardment of the planet's surface, targetting every city on the world in turn. The damage wrought on Galedon's population quickly outgrew that of the infamous Kentares Massacre and saw the planetary administration on Galedron collapse, along with the bulk of the planet's centralised transport and planetary controls. Even as the Snow Ravens captured 30,000 escaping Galedonians and declared them to be isorla, a plague on the planet which had broken out during battles between AFFS and DCMS forces earlier in the year reached epidemic proportions, spreading among the survivors of the bombardment.[11]

As the Snow Raven forces travelled back to Outworlds Alliance space cases of the plague from Galedon broke out on three of the five WarShips, prompting the forced scuttling of several vessels after a battle in an unnamed Combine system as the Snow Ravens tried to control the plague, which had presumably arrived on their ships via some of the civilians taken prisoner.[11]

When reports linking terrorist cells apparently operating from the Alliance world of Dante with the Word of Blake were confirmed in September 3069 the Snow Ravens lay siege to Dante for a week, alongside units from the Alliance Military Corps. The approach taken on Dante was considered heavy-handed by a number of Alliance worlds and provoked a political crisis for Mitchell Avellar when secessionist sentiments rose sharply on a number of Alliance worlds in response.[11]

In late February 3075, diplomats from the Federated Suns travelled to Outworlds Alliance space to negotiate with the Snow Ravens. As well as a peace settlement, the negotiators hoped to arrange for the release of captured personnel from the 3rd Crucis Lancers and for the Snow Ravens to contribute aid to the coalition assembled by Devlin Stone. While the negotiations did result in assurances from the Snow Ravens that they wouldn't strike at the Federated Suns again unless provoked, the Clan refused to contribute to the allied coalition and claimed all of the captured AFFS personnel as isorla.[12][13]

In early November 3075 Clan Ghost Bear sent a delegation led by Aletha Kabrinski to meet with the Snow Ravens in a bid to negotiate for the Snow Ravens to commit to supporting the coalition, the Ghost Bears having recently agreed to support the coalition themselves. By mid-December these negotiations had been successful and the Ghost Bears were able to launch a second assault on the contested world of Ascella with the assistance of supporting forces from the Snow Ravens.[14][15] The Snow Ravens dispatched two naval stars to join the coalition on the 16th of February, with the Snow Raven ships escorting the returning Ghost Bears delegation.[15][16]

The combined Ghost Bear and Snow Raven forces launched a number of major assaults in July and September 3076, with the first wave in July striking at the Protectorate worlds of Dyev, Kervil, Ko, Lambrecht, Moore and Sabik, followed by a second wave in September that expanded the the combined Clan front against the Protectorate by striking at Lyons, Pike IV and Skandia.[17][18]

Post-Jihad, the Snow Ravens are known to merge with the Outworlds Alliance government, forming the Raven Alliance, although exact information surrounding this remains unknown.

Touman

See Clan Snow Raven Touman.

Rulers

Khans

saKhans

Old obsolete info

Snow Raven Demographics
Affiliation: Warden (nominal)

Clan Space Worlds:
Bearclaw (70 percent)
Brim (19 percent)
Circe (70 percent)
Hellgate (100 percent)
Lum (82 percent)
Capital: Lum
Population (Clan Space): 94,199,000 (3060)
Population growth rate: 2.2 percent (49/27)
Self-Sufficiency Index: 96 percent

Leaders:
Khan: Lynn Mckenna
saKhan: Bryn Cooper
Loremaster: Klaus Harper
Scientist-Gneral: Charlotte (von Braun)
Merchant Factor: Louis
Master Technician: Mattias
Senior Laborer: Emili

Military:
Clusters: 26
WarShips: 40


Manufacturing Center

A detailed list of some Snow Raven manufacturer and companie centers.

Heavy Aerospace Industry[37]

3067

References

  1. ↑ The Star League, p. 12, "James McKenna"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 115, 116 - "Stephen McKenna Profile"
  3. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 118 - "Clan Snow Raven"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 118, 119 - "Looking Into the Abyss"(2784 - 2785)
  5. ↑ Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 71 - Primary Forces Committed to Circe
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 120 - Legacy of War, personal journals of Khan Stephen McKenna Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "FM:WCp120" defined multiple times with different content
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 119, 120 - "Clan Snow Raven, Absolute Power (2825 - 2976)"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Era Digest: Golden Century, p. 10 - Early Clan History: A Comparative Timeline, Cont.
  9. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 45, "The Jihad In Review"
  10. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 46, "The Jihad In Review"
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 47, "The Jihad In Review"
  12. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 14-15, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  13. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 53, "The Jihad In Review"
  14. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 19, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 55, "The Jihad In Review"
  16. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 20, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  17. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22, "Timeline of the Jihad"
  18. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56, "The Jihad In Review"
  19. ↑ Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 71
  20. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 120
  21. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 120
  22. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 120
  23. ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p. 179
  24. ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p. 178, 179
  25. ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 128
  26. ↑ Historical: Operation Klondike, p. 71
  27. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 120
  28. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 121
  29. ↑ Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 127
  30. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p.65
  31. ↑ Masters and Minions: The Starcorps Dossiers, p.160
  32. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p.21-22, 51
  33. ↑ Masters and Minions: The Starcorps Dossiers, p.159-160
  34. ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p. 178, 179
  35. ↑ The Wars of Reaving, p. 178
  36. ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 128
  37. ↑ Strategic Operations, p. 17

Bibliography

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The text in this article is based on this revision of the Wikipedia article "Clan Snow Raven" used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. See the BattleTechWiki's copyright notice.

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