Warrior House Orders

The Capellan Warrior House Orders are semireligious military orders within the Capellan Confederation, independent from the regular Capellan Confederation Armed Forces. They are a unique feature of the Capellan military, and well known and feared throughout the Inner Sphere. Led by the Grand Master of the Order, the Warrior Houses report directly to the Chancellor and are placed under the command of the Strategios only at the Chancellor's direction. Many members of the Death Commandos are drawn from the ranks of the Warrior Houses.

Twelve-year-old aspirant to Warrior House Hiritsu, training in swordsmanship with his sifu.

History

In the lull between the Second and Third Succession Wars, Colonel Hiritza Kikaru proposed the idea of creating small groups of elite warriors, dedicated to the art of warfare and to House Liao, as an answer to the overwhelming number of Capellan soldiers being lost in the field. The Colonel based his theories partially on the disbanded Lorix Order and aligned himself with House Liao so that his ideas would find more purchase within the government. Chancellor Dainmar Liao was won over by the colonel's efforts, and issued the Decree of Military Unity in 2864, granting him authority to create his new units. Although Colonel Kikakru died before he could implement his plans, an admirer of his, Colonel Kamachi Imarra of the Prefectorate Guard, took up the idea. Using handpicked troops and special training, Kamachi created the first of what would be known as the Warrior Houses, Warrior House Imarra.

The regular military protested the creation of this special corps of troops, especially as it was siphoning off a disproportionate number of personnel and equipment which would have gone to them. Kamachi Imarra offered a test; his warriors against the Prefectorate Guard in a series of simulated battles. Imarra's warriors proved to be superior in the end and the Warrior House ideal preserved. By 2928 three more Warrior Houses had been formed - Kamata, Hiritsu and Lu Sann - and proved themselves in victory against the enemy. These victories only furthered the friction that existed between the Warrior Houses and the regular forces, especially as the former grew in power and the latter continued to suffer defeat after defeat.

Though swearing loyalty to the State and the Chancellor, the Warrior Houses were persuaded by and played a major role in Maximilian Liao's coup to seize power from his father in 2990. Maximilian would play off the rivalry of the Warrior Houses and the military throughout his reign: increasing the number of Houses to eight in 2991, opening up the Death Commandos to regular military recruits in 3003, and finally removing the Warrior Houses from CCAF control in 3004 and putting them under the personal command of the Chancellor.

There was little the Warrior Houses could do to stop the Steiner-Davion juggernaut during the Fourth Succession War though; in several cases Warrior Houses were specifically targeted for destruction by elite forces. Particular embarrassment came during one of the last operations of the war, the rescue of the traitor Justin Xiang Allard. Warrior House Imarra's 'Mechs had been the only ones equipped with Triple Strength Myomer stolen from the Davions, but the technology was sabotaged. When the 1st Kathil Uhlans arrived on Sian to retrieve Allard, the gas they unleashed caused the myomer to burst into flames, leaving the Imarra 'Mechs helpless as the traitor was spirited away.

It would not be until 3051 that the eight Warrior Houses had regained their pre–Fourth Succession War strength. A measure of revenge was achieved in 3057 during Operation GUERRERO, when all eight Houses liberated the planet Liao from Davion control and returned House Liao's ancestral home to their control.

Due to the philosophical and spiritual demands of induction and training into a Warrior House, the various Houses were slow to rebuild after the Jihad. Three Houses - Fujita, Lu Sann, and Ma-Tsu Kai - had effectively been destroyed during the Jihad, and Ijori soon after, fighting the Republic. Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao chose to keep the monasteries of each order open, even though each was little more than a home for elderly veterans, new acolytes, and washouts from other training programs. In doing so, the Chancellor allowed the possibility of raising fresh battalions in the future to be kept open. However, to the year 3145, only House Ijori was reborn (in 3134) after the recovery of Liao for the Confederation. The reborn house established its headquarters on that planet.

Structure

Fanatically loyal to House Liao, the Warrior Houses are autonomous monastic organizations operating as combined arms regiments. Each is led by a House Master, who is answerable only to the Chancellor or the Master of House Imarra in their capacity as Grand Master of the Blessed Discipline. Only with the Chancellor's blessing may a Warrior House be placed under the command of the Strategios; more typically the Strategic Military Director will coordinate their efforts with the Grand Master. When operating alongside regular units in the field, the Warrior House will be considered senior and issue joint commands as necessary. The only exceptions are for the Capellan Hussars and the Death Commandos, although they rarely work alongside each other for just such a reason. During the Andurien Crisis and Operation GUERRERO, McCarron's Armored Cavalry had seniority over the warrior houses as well. With rare singularity, each Warrior House is composed of two battalions: one BattleMech and one infantry. The 'Mech battalion will have the latest in martial technology, although the Warrior Houses take pride in piloting at least one of every 'Mech design ever built within the Confederation. The infantry battalion will be trained to fulfill a variety of roles: scouts, infiltrators, demolition experts, armored vehicle crews, even assassins. Most will also be adept at anti-'Mech tactics. After the advent of battle armor, each battalion also received at least a platoon's worth of Fa Shih suits. The Warrior Houses (for the most part) do not maintain their own aerospace forces but will second them from the military as needed.

The Warrior Houses also take care of all administrative duties themselves, not least given the notable corruption of the CCAF's Administration and Finance bureau. Each House also maintains their own logistics network separate from the military's as a backup, staffed by personnel such as technicians and medics seconded from the CCAF. Although not actual members of the Warrior House, service to them in this capacity is considered a great honor.

Training

Applicants for Warrior House training are selected between the ages of ten to twelve. Warrior House recruiters are always on the lookout for potential applicants, while a local noble, the child's family or the child themselves may request consideration. The applicant will only be accepted however if they pass the interview and meet the House Master's approval, and only if they willingly volunteer for the position; no conscription is allowed among the Warrior Houses.

Once an aspirant, the trainee will be assigned a mentor, or sifu, for the next two years. During this time the aspirant will be completely cut-off from the outside world, and when not busy training they will be in meditation. The basic curriculum includes heavy indoctrination into Warrior House traditions and philosophies, infantry training and self-defense. By age fourteen, more specialized training will begin, depending on the aspirant's intended role, such as special forces or MechWarrior. By sixteen the aspirant will graduate to the rank of warrior and join the House's infantry force, with secondary education continuing as needed. Of all the training regimens in the Inner Sphere, the Warrior Houses' come closest to replicating the Clans' sibko system, although with notably less brutality.

Composition History

3050: 8 commands - each 2 Battalions

Known Warrior Houses

Warrior House Imarra

Entrusted with the defense of Sian, the Capellan capital world, and permanently stationed there. The other Warrior House battalions rotate to Sian periodically for special training. The Imarra House Master is the accepted spokesman for all the Warrior Houses together.

Warrior House Kamata

Based on Betelgeuse and tasked with defending the factories there. Buddhistic outlook and strong belief in Karma. One of only two Warrior Houses that deploy their own Aerospace assets.

Warrior House Hiritsu

Moved their stronghold to Randar. House Hiritsu is notable for strongly following the philosophy of K'ung-fu-tzu (Confucius), having incorporated his teachings into their House Vows, with courtesy a major element.

Warrior House Lu Sann

Also spelled LuSann. Based on Grand Base, but often sent to fight elsewhere. Believes in applying the Lorix Order at all levels of Capellan society. This has led them to criticize Chancellors in the past. Their loyalty to House Liao is therefore not rated as high as other Warrior Houses. Destroyed on Herotitus in 3074 by the Word of Blake during the Jihad.

Warrior House Dai Da Chi

Also spelled Daidachi. The most bellicose of all Warrior Houses, they strive towards martial excellence and are noted for hard training and high attrition rates. They are the only Warrior House to field two 'Mech battalions, and one of only two maintaining their own aerospace assets.

Warrior House Fujita

Moved their stronghold to Hunan. Founded on principles borrowed from bushido. Destroyed during the Jihad.

Warrior House Ma-Tsu Kai

Also spelled Matsukai. The only Warrior House founded by a nonmilitary scholar. Destroyed during the Jihad.

Warrior House Ijori

Based on Han philosophies including Confucianism, Taoism and the Lorix Order. The only Warrior House to field two infantry battalions.

Warrior House Tsang Xiao 

After the first Word of Blake attack on Sian, Aiguo Yang privately raised a regiment of forces to defend the Capellan homeworld and nearby systems. Once the situation had calmed down Mandrinn Yang assembled the best survivors of the regiment into a formation based on that used by the classic Warrior Houses. He then gave the battalion of troops to Sun-Tzu Liao as a gift. The Chancellor incorporated them into Sian's defenses after officially granting them Warrior House status.

Thuggee Warrior Houses

Kali Liao created two additional "Warrior Houses" in the late 3060s from her Thuggee cult members who were cybernetically enhanced using Word of Blake technology obtained through her affair with Cameron St. Jamais. The existence of these two units came as a surprise to the Capellan Confederation as much as to other factions.

During the Word of Blake assault on Sian in 3074 the White Tigers turned on their fellow House Rakshasa and they destroyed each other.

Warrior House Rakshasa

Wiped out to the last man on Sian by House White Tiger.

Warrior House White Tiger

Marched with the Word of Blake on Sian but turned against them on Kali Liao's command, wiping out House Rakshasa and sowing chaos among the Word of Blake forces. Only a handful of members are said to have survived.

Although they are colloquially referred to as such, it remains arguable whether or not Houses White Tiger and Rakshasa could be regarded as Warrior Houses in the strictest sense, because Kali Liao technically was in no legal position to raise additional Warrior Houses. It is doubtful if Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao approved or even knew of the creation of these Warrior Houses.

Warrior House Ranking Conventions

Much like they are a rank apart from the CCAF as a whole, the Warrior Houses employ their own unique ranking convention. However, like the CCAF under the tenets of Xin Sheng, the ranks and their names have been altered:

Old Rank	New Rank	CCAF Equivalent
House Master	Shiao-zhang (Lord Colonel)	Colonel
Battalion Leader (Infantry)	Ying-zhang	Lieutenant Colonel
Company Leader	Lien-zhang	Major
Lance/Platoon Leader	Pai-zhang	Captain
Squad Leader/MechWarrior	Ban-zhang	Lieutenant
Infantryman	Zhang-si	Sergeant

Bibliography

• 20 Year Update
• Field Manual: Capellan Confederation
• From the Highest Spire
• House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)
• Jihad: Final Reckoning
• Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents