House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)

HouseLiao-1624.jpg
House Liao
The Capellan Confederation
Product information
Type Sourcebook
Development Jordan K. Weisman (Production Manager)
L. Ross Babcock (Editor-In-Chief)
Donna Ippolito (Senior Editor)
Todd Huettel, Robt. Wells (Editors)
C. R. Green (Assistant Editor)
Primary writing Rick David Stuart
Pages 160
Cover Artwork Dana Knutson
Interior Artwork David R. Deitrick
Illustrations Jeff Laubenstein
Dana Knutson
Todd F. Marsh
Tim Bradstreet
Jonathan Marcus
Jim Nelson
Publication information
Publisher FASA
Product code 1624
First published 1987
ISBN-10 1555600360
ISBN-13 978-1555600365
MSRP $15.00
Content
Era Succession Wars era
Agency ComStar
Universe Date 3025
Preceded by House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)
Followed by House Marik (The Free Worlds League)

Description[edit]

House Liao (The Capellan Confederation) provides an overview of the history of the Liao family and of the Capellan Confederation through 3025.

From the back cover[edit]

Maximilian Liao offered Anton Marik two things: his daughter in marriage and the assassination of Anton's brother, Captain-General Janos Marik. To win the throne, Anton agreed, and the Free Worlds League plunged into a devastating civil war...

His work done, Maximilian Liao just sat back and smiled.

Although perceived as the weakest Successor State, House Liao's Capellan Confederation is still a wily, treacherous, and formidable foe. Ruthlessly dominated by the cunning Maximilian Liao, the Confederation schemes to pick up the pieces of the shattered Inner Sphere and declare itself leader of a new Star League.

From their tremendous library containing the knowledge of the universe, ComStar has compiled this dossier on House Liao and the Capellan Confederation. Included are dozens of full-color illustrations depicting Confederation personalities, daily life, and military regalia. Classified documents on Confederation armed forces, the Warrior Houses, military structure, and political intrigues are also provided. In addition, the large history chapter stretches from Franco Liao's unification of the Confederation to Maximilian Liao's devious plotting to control the Inner Sphere.

The rulers of the other Successor States do not consider Liao a threat—Maximilian Liao just sits back and smiles.

Contents[edit]

  • INTRODUCTION
Overview
The Current Situation
  • HISTORY
Introduction
Out of Chaos on Terra
The First Liao: Elias
New Beginnings
Changing Times
War of Independence
The Other Shoe
Queen of Hearts
Off-the-Shelf War
Governmental Turmoil
Shades of Things to Come
No Regrets, No Surrender
A Precious Commodity
Capturing the Markets
The Capellan Renaissance
Seeds of Destruction
Blood and Gold
A Condescending Ultimatum
The Capellan-Supremacy War
Enter Marik
Arboris Secedes
Loosening Up
The Capellan Confederation
Terra Resurgent
The Tikonov Connection
Friends and Other Enemies
Tucas Takes Over
The Aris Crisis
Tucas is Removed
Caroline Calls the Question
A Tiger by the Tail
Hell on Capella Prime
Liao against Marik
A Challenge from the Sheng
Franco Liao: An Appreciation
The Capellan Order
Making the Best of a Good Situation
The Ares Conventions
One Step Back
Sir Stephen's Army
Tribulations
'Mechs and Rumors of 'Mechs
The Good, The Bad, The Beautiful
Edmund Salindar, Regent
Hendrick Liao and the Lorixes
Kalvin the Devourer
The Fair Mesillia
The Magistracy
Mother and Daughter
Detente with Davion
Winning Hearts and Minds
Mister and Missus
A Time of Learning
The Freebooters' War
The Aris Chancellor
Calm Before the Storm
The Sundermanns
Capellan Reforms
Red Storm Rising
Incident on Demeter
Stefan the Usurper
The Succession Wars
First Succession War
Blow and Counterblow
Sandol Quinn Recoups
A Proffered Hand
Second Succession War
Third Succession War
Limits of Success
Shift to AeroSpace
Near Collapse
Finally, A Turnaround
Recent History
Maximilian
Warriors vs. Regulars
Maximilian's Diplomacy
Dealing with Marik
The Davion Question
McCarron's War
Concord of Kapteyn
The Family Liao
  • SOCIOPOLITICAL STRUCTURE
The Capellan Government
The Prefectorate
The Chancellor
The House of Scions
The Capellan Ministerial
Internal Organization
Commonalities
Duchies, Warrens, and Demesnes
Capellan Nobility
Diems and Refrectors
The Legal System
Edicts of St. Ives
Capellan Concordat
Courts and Judges
Family Veneration
  • RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
A Liberal Intolerance
State Philosophies
The Korvin Doctrine
The Sarna Mandate
The Lorix Order
Thought Control
The Philosophical Examinars
Courts of Philosophical Inquiry
The Ranks of the Dedicated
Strengths and Weaknesses
  • THE CAPELLAN MILITARY
Military Structure
Capellan Ranks
Uniforms of the Capellan Armed Forces
BattleMech Regiments
Capellan Hussars
Northwind Highlanders
Chesterton Reserves
Liao Reserves
Tikonov Reserves
St. Ives Armored Cavalry
Blackwind Lancers
Capellan Reserves
Sian Reserves
Sarn Reserves
McCrimmon's Light Cavalry
MacGregor's Armored Scouts
Mercenary Units
Martial Training Academies
Military Decorations
Civilian Decorations
House Liao BattleMechs
The Vindicator
Experimental BattleMechs
Regimental Deployment
Battlement Production
  • CULTURE AND ARTS
Capellan Society
Capellan Citizenship
Native–Born Capellans
Non-Native–Born Capellans
A Citizen's Obligations
Loss of Citizenship
Capellan Castes
The Directorship
The Intelligentsia
The Supporters
The Artists
The Entitled
The Commonality
The Servitors
Rewards of Capellan Life
Owning Property
Social Security
Family Life
Free Education
Free Medical Care
The Education System
Elementary and Secondary Indoctrination
Special Schools
Philotechnique Institutes
Sian University
Capellan Science Foundation
The Arts
The Fine Art of Conformity
Cultural Exchanges
Quarterly 'Mech Games
Tikonov Universal Exhibition
Native Capellan Art Fair
Confederation Life
  • SOCIOECONOMICS
The Closed Circle
The Liaoist Doctrine
Distribution of Wealth
Funding the Confederation
Taxation
Import Duties
Corporate Contributions
Emergency Funding
Corporate Relations
Corporate Profiles
Strengths and Weaknesses
  • PERSONALITIES
  • A BRIEF ATLAS
Sian Commonality
Tikonov Commonality
Capella Commonality
Sarna Commonality
St. Ives Commonality
Chesterton Commonality
  • MAP OF THE CAPELLAN CONFEDERATION
  • LIAO FAMILY TREE


Notes[edit]

  • Much of the information was intended as background material for MechWarrior role-playing game campaigns.[citation needed]
  • For several years, a downloadable version (sans pictures and page numbers) was made available on the official BattleTech website. It was taken down in 2011, with the launch of bg.battletech.com.
  • The copyright date is 1987 on the back cover, 1988 on the credits page.