Warrior House

The Capellan Warrior Houses are semi-religious 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. They are typically abbreviated "WH".

Sworn "to the Chancellor and to the Confederation" and fanatically loyal to House Liao, the Warrior Houses are autonomous monastic organizations operating as combined arms regiments, typically pairing highly trained infantry with one or two battalions of 'Mechs, and occasionally armor elements. They operate under traditional House laws based on the Warrior House guidelines, which were created by Colonel Hiritza Hikaru from a somewhat revised concept of the Lorix Order, modeled along the Korvin Doctrine.

The first Warrior House, House Imarra, was formed by the Chancellor's Decree of Martial Unity in 2864.

The Warrior Houses played an important role in Maximilian Liao's reach for power in 2990, and he authorized an increase of established Warrior House regiments from four to eight the following year.

Owing to their structure, the Warrior Houses are mainly used as special forces rather than frontline troops, and have access to the best equipment that the Capellan Confederation has to offer. For this preferential treatment, they have a strained relationship with the regular Capellan military most of the time.

Membership in a Warrior House is regarded as a great honor. Members wear long Katana blades (at least with their ceremonial uniforms) and are trained experts in a wide variety of martial skills, including piloting a BattleMech, infantry training, infiltration, espionage and specialist training.

Each Warrior House is led by a House Master with subordinate Mentors. Suitable membership candidates are chosen at the age of 12 by the House Master, and then educated and trained by the House for a lifetime of service. It is very rare, although not unheard of, for a House member to leave the order. Warrior House pupils lead a life apart from normal society; each House strives to inculcate basic martial philosophy and discipline, and each member is required to take various House Vows.

There is no formal ranking among the Warrior House Orders, although House Imarra is considered the first among equals. The eight major Houses, in order of seniority, are as follows:

House Imarra

Also see Main Article: Warrior House Imarra

The first of the Warrior Houses.

Since House Imarra is primus inter pares among the Warrior Houses, the Imarra House Master is the accepted spokesman for all the Warrior Houses together.

House Kamata

Also see Main Article: Warrior House Kamata

One of two Warrior Houses that deploy their own Aerospace assets.

House Hiritsu

Also see Main Article: Warrior House Hiritsu

Founded on the Lorix Order reinforced by Confucianism, which demands that the warriors of this House respect all positions in society from the Chancellor to the Citizen.

House LuSann

• Took part in the defense of Spica against a Davion offensive in 2910.
• Contained and later drove off superior forces of the 7th Crucis Lancers together with House Imarra in a defense on Lincoln in 3001.
• Relieved St. Ives from Davion mercenary units Kingston's Commandos and Tristram's Terrorists in 3019 together with House Kamata, utterly destroying the attackers.
• Performed unspecified "special maneuvers" on Liao around 3025
• House LuSann was one of the Warrior Houses whose loyalty to Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao was doubtful; they were thought to favor his sister Kali Liao.

In 3057, Jesse Villar was House Master of House LuSann.

House Daidachi

Emblem of House Daidachi

The philosophy of House Daidachi focuses on combat skills. Eventually, the MechWarriors of House Daidachi are said to be the best among all Warrior Houses.

• Based on Nanking and Drozan as of 3025.
• Attacking the planet Indicass (St. Ives Compact) in 3062, fighting elements of Chorsachows Kosacs.
• Attacking the planet St. Ives with other Capellan units in 3062.

House Fujita

• Based on Styk since shortly before 3025.
• Based on Grand Base since around 3025 and entrusted with guarding the Earthwerks Incorporated 'Mech plant there.

Styk was overrun by Davion forces during the Fourth Succession War. A bomb planted by a Davion spy destroyed the House Fujita Overlord-class DropShip Empress Ting in September 3028 when it tried to lift off from Styk, destroying most of what remained of the regiment at the time. A single Fujita MechWarrior who had not reached the evacuation ship in time survived, and later managed to kill a Davion Wolverine pilot and assume his identity with his skills at infiltration. He went on to free numerous other prisoners from Davion captivity, including Techs and other personnel from House Fujita, and even steal a Mammoth class DropShip loaded with BattleMechs in a daring escape.

House Matsukai

• Based on Bithinia and entrusted with guarding the industrial complexes there, most notably Bithinia Ballistics.
• Spearheaded the successful Liao-Marik offensive of 3057.

House Ijori

Emblem of House Ijori

• Based on Aldebaran.
• Arrived too late to prevent the destruction of the Capellan "Ariana Grenadiers" regiment that was caught unawares and hammered to pieces on Ingersoll by the Free Worlds Guard in 2874, but inflicted heavy damage on the attackers nevertheless.
• Turned the tide against a Marik Militia regiment on Hsien in 2943, relieving the 1st Kearny Highlanders.
• Closed a trap on Davion troops on Cammal in 3002.
• Caught and mauled a Davion mercenary regiment on Tsanna in 3003, capturing a large number of BattleMechs in the process.
• Spearheaded the successful Liao-Marik offensive of 3057
• House Ijori was one of the Warrior Houses whose loyalty to Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao was doubtful; they were thought to favor his sister Kali Liao. They were sent to join the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon in 3057, ostensibly to gain combat experience against the Jade Falcons but possibly also to wear them down and neutralize them as a possible threat to the Chancellor.

Other Houses

There may be minor Warrior Houses in existence in addition to the aforementioned eight Houses which are frequently referred to as the "major" Warrior Houses. The Capellan Chancellor can create or disband Warrior Houses at any time.

Some also consider the Capellan Death Commandos to be a Warrior House in the wider sense, or at least a related institution. However, it should be noted that the Death Commandos are part of the regular Capellan military and have a particularly strained relationship with the Warrior Houses; they are often set against the Warrior Houses in political maneuvering. Yet, they exclusively recruited (or drafted) their personnel from the Warrior Houses until they opened up for qualified personnel from regular line regiments in 3003.