Raven Clearwater

Raven Clearwater (born 3031 - died 3074) was saKhan of Clan Coyote prior to and during the events of the War of Reaving. She would die on Tamaron at the hands of the vengeful ilKhan, Brett Andrews.

Biography

Said to be driven by a deep wellspring of passion for the Coyotes that would often lead her to put aside her own welfare for that of her Clan, Raven Clearwater was a typical fiery Clan warrior underneath a quietly thoughtful and observant exterior.

Early Career

Promoted to command of the Coyote's Epsilon Galaxy in 3055 after Khan Sullivan Koga's reorganization, she would have to expend much of her time and energy dealing with many of her warrior's resistance to the changes taking place around them. She is noted to have butted heads with one of her Star Colonels in particular - Silas Kufahl, who was a focal point of opposition to Khan Koga's reformation of the Clan Coyote Touman, was said to be a thorn in her side for many years.

Coyote Crossroads

After the death of Khan Koga on Huntress in 3062 in a raid that saw the Coyotes secure ProtoMech technology from Clan Star Adder, Raven Clearwater's political rival, now saKhan Silas Kufahl, would ascend to the office of Khan.

But many Coyote warriors resented his leadership, remembering his criticisms of and resistance to Khan Koga's reforms. After it became clear that divisiveness caused by his ascension - mostly manifested in the form of a long list of Trials of Possession and Grievance against Khan Kufahl - Clan Coyote's enemies would show themselves, smelling the internal strife and hoping to take advantage of it. Clan Jade Falcon descended on Tamaron in force, taking several key manufacturing centers and enclaves. Khan Kufahl would work closely with Galaxy Commander Clearwater in driving off the invaders after rallying the defenses during two main engagements, channeling their warrior's outrage at the audacity of the attack.

After the invaders had fled, Raven Clearwater challenged Khan Kufahl to one last Trial of Refusal with regard to his Khanship. At the suggestion of Loremaster Clarissa Jerricho, this Trial would be a proxy for all future challenges to Khan Kufahl's rule. The duel would be closely fought - Clearwater's 'Mech would go down only seconds before Silas Kufahl's 'Mech shut down. The results would stand; Khan Kufahl was now undisputed as the leader of the Coyotes. The Coyote Clan Council would soon elect Raven Clearwater to be the new saKhan of the Coyotes, uniting the Clan once more.

Clan Homeworld Intrigues

In the years to follow, saKhan Clearwater would work closely together with Khan Kufahl to finish the reforms that had been started by Sullivan Koga. After the reorganization was completed, Khan Kufahl discussed his plans to expand with his saKhan, plans that involved the fractured Kindraas of Clan Fire Mandrill. Seeing the value of his plans and quickly seizing on an opportunity to move them forward, saKhan Clearwater initiated a dialog with Kindraa Mattila-Carrol. These talks would lead to the Mandrill's sharing a secret electrical armor technology research with the Coyotes, as well as granting them a small enclave on the Mandrill world of Shadow in 3069. These gains were exchanged for nearly two Clusters worth of ProtoMechs, greatly increasing the Kindraa's available forces. This would anger many of the other Kindraas - especially Kindraa Sainze - but the Coyotes would hold their ground, no matter the forces that were thrown against them.

After moving against Clan Ice Hellion on the planet Londerholm in 3070, Galaxy Commander Armin Tamzarian would report the utter lack of defenses present to saKhan Clearwater. They would make note and keep watch over the remaining enclaves, attempting to decipher what Ice Hellion Khan Raina Montose was up to with her quick shuffling of the scant defenses. At this time, Clan Snow Raven would quietly approach saKhan Clearwater about liquidating some of their Homeworld assets, allowing the Coyotes to gain several more enclaves and hordes of lower castemen for relatively little in return.

Coyote's Dark Path

Though she would often be closely involved with her Clan's expansion, saKhan Clearwater would not fully realize the ultimate goals of Khan Kufahl until he revealed them to her in 3071. After meeting with their her Clan's scientists in a lengthy Clan Council meeting about the impact of ilKhan Brett Andrews' decree of mass-Reavings, all would be made clear. Though she instantly understood that supporting the Society in their bid for supremacy over the warrior caste was high treason, but she also knew that the continued existence and success of the Clans as a whole was at stake. With her reservations mostly put to rest in the interest of saving the Clans' Bloodlines from the ilKhan's short-sighted decree, she would cast her lot with Khan Kufahl and the scientists.

Energetically putting her Clan's plan into motion, saKhan Clearwater would lead a string a successful attacks across Clan space. Babylon, Grant's Station, Marshall and Paxon would all fall. She would later execute a major assault against the last Clan Diamond Shark planet in Clan space, Vinton. Landing with Delta, Epsilon and Rho Galaxies, saKhan Clearwater would still have a hard fight against civilian-inflated defenses, in spite of the Coyote's firepower.

Deadly Reckoning

After Khan Silas Kufahl's challenge to the ilKhan and subsequent death in the Clan Steel Viper council chamber in 3072, the Coyote's game would soon be over. The Clan Council would elect Elliot McKibben - a trueborn scientist-turned-warrior elected by backers of the Society - to the position of Khan. Suspecting a rigged election, saKhan Clearwater opposed this dezgra turn of events by declaring a Trial of Refusal, one that she would go on to lose after a heartbreaking eight hour fight that ended with her machine's gyro failure. Her only appeal silenced, she would settle for building up the defenses on Tamaron, awaiting the inevitable retaliation.

In two years of unrelenting warfare, the noose would be drawn around the Coyotes. Tamaron was soon their only holdout. After a pitched battle in space above the planet and landing, the Vipers would grind away the outlying defenses. IlKhan Andrews then called out and challenged the Coyote Khans, unwilling to commit the remainder of his troops to a costly urban battle. Joining Khan Elliot McKibben in surrendering the last surviving Coyotes to their conquerors, saKhan Raven Clearwater would face the Steel Viper Khans in a Trial to end the conflict. Offering her own life as surkairede for the misdeeds of her Clan, ilKhan Andrews would allow saKhan Andrews the honor of killing Khan McKibben, which she would do before her own life was ended at the hands of the Bloody ilKhan.

Legacy

Though she would never have anything but her Clan's best possible interests at heart, Raven Clearwater would still die an ignominious death, guilty of treason against the Clans. And though the losses incurred would devastate her Clan beyond any woes it had ever experienced, Clan Coyote would survive. In this, her instinct never failed her.

Bibliography

• Field Manual: Updates
• Field Manual: Warden Clans
• The Wars of Reaving