And Nicholas Kerensky did charge us, the Fire Mandrills;
As we have left behind the differences between nations,
So now we observe the Way of the Clans, of the family.
Carry your name, and your Names, proudly.
--The Rememberence - Passage 49, Verse 75, Lines 12-15
(Clan Fire Mandrill)

Clan Fire Mandrill Totem

The Kerensky Exiles introduced the fire mandrill, a member of the genus madrillus sphinx, to Eden where it thrived. Name for its fire-red coat, the fire mandrill earned respect for its aggressiveness and loyalty to the pack, making it an ideal totem animal for one of the new Clans. It seems appropriate, therefore, that the rivalry and aggression between fire mandrill packs should also be reflected in their namesake Clan. The Fire Mandrills are a microcosm of the Clans, broken into a number of factions that each maintains their own traditions, philosophies and methods.

Possessions

Worlds: 6 (5 shared, 1 exclusive)

The holdings of Clan fire mandrill are surprisingly compact; all but Dagda are located within two jumps of Strana Mechty. The Mandrills' failure to expand beyond these, the oldest of the colony worlds is symptomatic of the Clan’s internal divisions, but that they held onto the territory is also a testament to their prowess.

In the last few years the Clan has retaken much of the territory it lost to Clan Burrock on Dagda, and has solidifies its hold on Atreus. After their defeat on Strana Mechty, the Mandrills failed to exploit the ongoing land grab. Since the SLDF withdrawal, the Mandrill Kindraa Mattila-Carrol has occupied Pahn City on Huntress but is locked in clashes with Clan Star Adder.

Allies and Enemies

The Mandrill's nature means that they have great difficulty accepting outsiders as allies, and over the years only two Clans, the Blood Spirits and Diamond Sharks, have had anything like good relationships. Most other Clans are simply regarded as outsiders, and are held in contempt. However, the constant raiding by Clan Burrock and Smoke Jaguar earned them the status of traditional enemies and the Star Adders have inherited the Mandrill-Burrock feud.

Since invasion of the Inner Sphere, the Mandrill's relationship with Clan Steel Viper, hitherto regarded as little more than an annoyance on the shared world of Marsha, has deteriorated. Following their activation, the Vipers denigrated the Mandrill's performance in the pre-Invasion trials, prompting a number of Trials of Grievance that have spilled over into general Mandrill-Viper feud.

The Mandrills have long viewed Clan Coyote with disdain, In the Mandrills' view, the Hell’s Horses had just cause for attacking the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel, but the Coyotes were just opportunists.

Military

Overall, the Mandrill Touman is well rounded, but the composition of units varies by Kindraa. For example, Kindraa Payne is staunchly pro-MechWarrior to the exclusion of the other branches, while Kindraa Beyl-Grant and Kindraa Mick-Kreese have a pro-aerospace bias. Vehicles and conventional infantry are represented in the Clan, but only in Kindraas Payne and Line. Each Kindraa fields the equivalent of a Galaxy of Troops, each comprising between three and five Clusters with associated support troops.

Society

To the Fire Mandrills, the Kindraa and the Bloodname House is the center of their existence. Each Kindraa contains elements of every cast (but not always a full range of sub-castes) and is largely self-sufficient. Kindraa rulers have powers akin to a Khan over their people. However, each Kindraa believes in its own superiority and rarely takes genetic material from others. Although genetic engineering prevents the usual perils of interbreeding, this lack of diversity and resulted in the stagnation of the lines. It is rumored that to inject new blood into these Kindraa, a few have incorporated freeborn DNA into the breeding program.

The Fire Mandrill attitude to bondsmen is mixed. They are leery of outsiders and regard those they take with suspicion. However, they do not wish to waste resources and although few warriors can expect adoption into the warrior caste, use of bondsman in civilian castes is as prevalent as in other Clans. Furthermore, the Mandrill's insular and fractious nature makes them bad bondsmen, as the Jade Falcons, among others, recently discovered, and any taken in by other Clans, regardless of caste, will be disruptive. Members of the Kindraa Sainze routinely enact bondsref.

The Clan's civilian castes are well rounded, but while capable of supporting their Kindraa, the Clan's lake of overall cohesion limits their potential. For example, the scientist caste lacks the pooling of resources that has allowed the other Clans to make technological leaps, forcing the Mandrills to acquire technology from outside the Clan. To this end, the Clan's merchants, the least fractious of the castes, have achieved some prominence, frequently working with Clan Diamond Shark. The Shark merchants act as middlemen and mediators, minimizing the Mandrill’s contact with other Clans. However, there is no doubt that the warriors rule the Mandrills.

In most cases the honor of the Kindraa is placed above that of the individual, and this leads to surprisingly good relations between the castes. Most warriors are willing to help out with any work that needs to be done, strengthening the bonds between them and the civilians. The notable exception is Kindraa Sainze, who value individual honor and consequently have a poorer relationship with non-warrior members.

While the Mandrills are a Crusader Can, many of the Kindraa hold to Warden principals. The current Khans are from the Crusader Kindraa Mattila-Carol and Sainze and have worked for the Crusader cause. Historically, the Clan has been more neutral in its politics, dominated by the pro-Warden Kindraa Payne and the Pro-Crusader Sainze. With the Clan's defeat on Strana Mechty, their politics are liable to return to the middle ground.

Brief History

Since their earliest days the Fire Mandrills have fought among themselves. This factiousness began during Operations Klondike, when each warrior sought to demonstrate his prowess and the strength of his bloodline. The relationship between Bloodname houses was difficult but several banded together to share resources and to advance their own cause on the Clan council. These groupings were known as "Kindred Associations" or Kindrasc, although later this would be shortened to Kindraa. Political Tensions between the associations had reached the boiling point when the Kindraa Sainze claimed sections of the Widowmaker enclave on Dagda for their own. Recognizing the benefits this would give the Sainze, the rest of Clan Fire Mandrill sought to join one of another faction, leading to a virtual collapse of the Clan's organization.

The system remained stable for many years until the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel sought to strengthen their position. The Fire Mandrills had obtained OmniMechs from Clan Coyote through what the Coyotes described as dubious practices, and the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel gained immeasurably when they traded the system to the Blood Spirits in exchange for territory on Foster. Furthermore, Smythe-Jewel sought to enhance their power by using the Kindraa Payne as pawns in a raid on the Hell's Horses. This would prove Smythe-Jewel's undoing, as the Horses, together with Clan Coyote and allegedly aided by the Kindraa Payne, shattered the Smythe-Jewel association. This provided ample demonstration that while each Kindraa could be likened to a Clan in miniature, they lacked the resources to face another Clan alone. As a result, the Fire Mandrills returned more authority to the Khan and saKhan, which posts are decided by Trials of Possession rather than election, giving the Fire Mandrill leaders power closer to the levels possessed by the Khans of other Clans.

Having fought among themselves for years, the Fire Mandrill warriors were honed to a fine edge and should have won a place in the Operations Revival. However, their factional politics lead to a series of internal trials over who should represent the Clan in the inter-trials for the open slots in the invasion force. These battles shattered the Mandrill Touman, leaving them in poor position and resulting in their exclusion from the Invasion.

Further losses to the Ice Hellions in the "Fury" campaign and to Clan Burrock on Dagda persuaded the Clan that it was time to rebuild. Although Kindraa rivalry remains a focus of Mandrill life, the Clan sees the need for a unified front. Over the last decade the Kindraa have put aside some of their rivalries and have begun to work together. This has allowed them to retake much of their Dagda enclave from Clan Burrock, as well as to capture large swaths of former Jaguar enclave on Atreus. However, the internal divisions re-emerged in the force selected to represent the Clan in the Trial of Refusal on Strana Mechty, resulting in their defeat by the Capellan Red Lancers.

Beginnings

The Fire Mandrills trace their history to their three founding Bloodlines: House Sainze, House Payne and House Faraday. From the divisiveness of these three Bloodnames came a society unique even to the Clans.

The Fire Mandrills were originally led by Khan Norman Sainze and saKhan Laura Payne. During Operation Klondike, Khan Sainze challenged saKhan Payne for the right to land first. Khan Sainze's troops fought with reckless abandon during the fighting, though saKhan Payne's forces fought equally impressively. The two Khans led their troops to numerous victories over the rebels, but the fighting also created a deep rift between them.

Kindraa

In the years to follow, the differences between the Khans spread to the rest of the Clan. Each Bloodname house fought to keep "lesser" legacies out of their genetic pools. Trials of Possession for Bloodheritages, while fought strictly under the rules of zellbrigen, were often brutal affairs. In some instances, members of the same Trinary or Cluster would battle over rights to certain Bloodheritages.

These rivalries between Bloodhouses eventually arose to what became known as "kindred associations." These associations, soon known as kindrasc, began pooling their resources for mutual advancement and survival. Even though a Bloodnamed warrior might be captured and accepted into another Clan, his first loyalty is to his kindrasc. Many Clans, especially those who tried to assimilate Mandrill bondsmen, complained that the Fire Mandrills had strayed from the Way of the Clan. Several Khans tried to put an end to this factional system, but were unable to generate enough support given the politics surrounding Bloodnames.

Soon after, the next turning point in Fire Mandrill history occurred after Clan Wolf Absorbed Clan WidowMaker. The Sainze Kindrasc sent two Clusters it controlled on a raid on territory newly won by the Wolves. They seized a small portion of the holding after a spirited battle. Rather than turn it over to Clan Fire Mandrill, the kindrasc claimed it for their own.

Kindraa Sainze, as it now called itself, began expelling all warriors from rival kindrasc and began forming its own Clusters. The balance of power within the Clan was rocked as many Sainze offspring flocked to the kindraa. In an attempt to even things, Kindraa Payne soon announced its formation. While Payne warriors fought numerous Trials of Possession for key genetic legacies, the Faraday Bloodname house allied themselves with four other kindrasc to form the Kindraa Faraday.

The Fire Mandrill's turmoil went relatively unnoticed for many months. The other Clans, more concerned with Clan Wolf's sudden rise in power, virtually ignored the sweeping changes the Fire Mandrill's were undergoing. Clan Burrock was the first to notice and brought it to the Grand Council's attention. The Burrocks attempted to prove the Mandrill's weakness by striking at the Kindraa Faraday. The Burrocks not only lost the battle, but Kindraa Mattila-Carrol struck and won a large part of the Burrock's Dagda enclave. Other Kindraa made similar raids and the Burrocks were forced to fall back and safeguard their own territory.

In the end, the Fire Mandrills split into fourteen different Kindraa of different size and quality. Within a year, though, two of the smaller Kindraa were absorbed in internal Trials of Absorption.

Golden Century

During the Golden Century, the Fire Mandrills maintained a semi-isolationist policy. They kept mainly to themselves and interacted primarily with the mercantile Clan Sea Fox (later Diamond Shark) and the only other Clan more removed than them: Clan Blood Spirit.

The Clan's isolationist views did not stop them from keeping up with the other Clans. The Wolves, who also had enclaves on Dagda, discouraged the Kindraa from raiding them for genetic legacies, although the Burrocks did lose a few legacies.

When the OmniMech was invented, several Kindraa quickly raided Clan Coyote and obtained the technical specifications for three 'mech designs. Soon, the Clan was producing its own OmniMechs.

The Fire Mandrills, though somewhat callous in their dealings with other Clans, created a strong bond with Clan Blood Spirit. The Mandrill Khans convinced the Spirit Khans that in exchange for partial rights to the planet Foster and some minor genetic legacies, the Mandrills would give the Blood Spirits OmniMech technology. Preemptive batchalls were issued, with Clan Blood Spirit sending its best warriors against lesser Mandrill warriors. In the end, both Clans honorably received a much needed boost.

The Kindraa Smythe-Jewel, who owned much of the Fire Mandrill's OmniMech production capability, used their relations with the Blood Spirits and the superior 'mech forces to expand their influence. In 2870, Kindraa Payne teamed with Smythe-Jewel to raid Clan Hell's Horses for genetic legacies to their newly bred Elemental warriors and suits of the new battle armor. However, the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel convinced the Hell's Horses Khans that Kindraa Payne would be sending a much larger force that they would. In the subsequent battle, the Kindraa Payne forces were badly mauled and retreated without its objective. Kindraa Smythe-Jewel easily overran their opponents and gained the genetic material plus the Elemental battle armor.

Loss of a Kindraa

The Hell's Horses called for a Trial of Annihilation against the Fire Mandrill's, which the Grand Council defeated. The Horses's revenge would come two years later. In 2872, the Hell's Horses teamed with Clan Coyote to destroy the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel. The Horse/Coyote force upon arriving in Foster space declared a Trial of Possession for the key Smythe-Jewel legacies. The combined Clans sent three frontline Clusters against Smythe-Jewels two frontline and one garrison Cluster.

The battle for Foster lasted twenty-six hours. Star Colonel William Smythe led a impressive defense which killed the Horse's second-in-command and nearly broke the 666th Assault Cluster. However, a combined Horses/Coyote force flanked Smythe's unit and utterly destroyed it. Star Captain Tomas Jewel, the senior Mandrill officer, rallied the shattered forces and attempted a retreat. The retreat was stopped when Kindraa Payne forces blocked their movement. The Smythe-Jewel force was subsequently crushed by a Coyote flanking unit.

When the battle was done, Kindraa Smythe-Jewel was no more. The Hell's Horses and Coyotes took the best genetic legacies, but left the remainders to be absorbed by other Kindraa. The Horses left with considerable salvage while the Coyotes took over the Smythe-Jewel enclave. To add insult to injury, the Horses released all Smythe-Jewel warriors captured during the battle, refusing to take them as bondsmen.

Factions

The destruction of Kindraa Smythe-Jewel demonstrated the main weakness of the Kindraa system. As a whole, the Fire Mandrill's were a powerful force, but individual Kindraa were susceptible to the kind of concerted attacks as the one that destroyed Kindraa Smythe-Jewel. The Clan responded by investing more power to the Khans and subsequent Trials of Refusals against their actions were more for appearances than animosity.

Over the next century, the Fire Mandrills rebuilt themselves and remained mostly isolated from the other Clans. A few Trials of Possession were fought for genetic material, but no major assaults were undertaken. It was during this time that Kindraa Sainze, now the most powerful of the Kindraa, began leaning toward the Crusader cause. Kindraa Payne staunchly supported the Warden. Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga remained uncertain about the future and stayed neutral during the conflicts between the Sainze and Payne Kindraa's. The Kindraa even gained in stature when the Payne's losses crippled their position.

Kindraa Sainze seized on the chance of gaining great glory by conquering the Inner Sphere. Their boasting forced Kindraa Payne to launch a new assault on Kindraa Sainze. The two Kindraa beat each other bloody, but neither side was able to gain an advantage. Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga finally entered the bidding for the invasion force. Units from five different Kindraa entered the second round of competition eager to prove themselves.

The Fire Mandrills attempts to win a place in the invasion force ultimately failed. The various Clusters were unused to working together and the years of internal fighting had weakened them. Their only consolation was that their opponents limped home with shattered units.

Invasion

While the invading Clans seized large portions of the Inner Sphere, the Fire Mandrills suffered more setbacks. The Hellion's Fury cost the Mandrills several enclaves and valuable resources. Khan Victoria Tanaga suggested a joint-Kindraa response, but the Kindraa could not decide on what forces to send and who would lead them. Ultimately, the plan fell apart and Khan Tanaga resigned her post. Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga closed its borders and elected to wait out the internal bickering.

Clan Burrock compounded the Fire Mandrill's misfortunes by striking at various Kindraa on Dagda and seizing back much of the territory it had lost the previous century. After this debacle, the Kindraa closed all their borders and elected a new Khan and saKhan from Kindraa Sainze and Payne, respectively.

The remainder of the 3050's saw the Mandrills slowly rebuilding their forces. The old rivalries remained, but all agreed that they needed to present a united front if they were to survive and possibly participate in the renewed invasion.

The fall of the Smoke Jaguars in 3059 gave the Mandrill's the opportunity to make significant gains. In addition to raiding the Jaguars, the Mandrill Kindraa were able to secure several holdings from Clan Burrock before the Star Adders absorbed them. The Harvest Trials initiated by the Wolves and Jade Falcons cost the Clan several Stars of warriors. These bondsmen are already reputed to be causing some degree of concern with the Falcon hierarchy. A sign that the Fire Mandrill's are regaining their power.

Death of a Clan

With the defeat of the Smoke Jaguars in the Inner Sphere and on Huntress, the Clans found themselves with the unprecedented prospect of an Inner Sphere invasion of Strana Mechty. The Star League Defense Force soon challenged the Clans to a Trial of Refusal over the invasion. If the Inner Sphere won, the invasion was over and the invading Clans would retain the worlds they had conquered. If the Clans won, the invasion would resume. The Warden Clans refused to participate in the Trial, leaving the eight Crusader Clans to face the SLDF. As the Smoke Jaguars had only two Binaries of troops left, it was decided that each Crusader Clan would only commit two Binaries to the battle.

The Fire Mandrill Khans pulled troops from Kindraa Sainze, Faraday-Tanaga and Payne to battle the Capellan Confederations Red Lancers. The innate bickering between the Kindraa caused a near total collapse of unit cohesion and the Red Lancers ruthlessly exploited it. The Red Lancers destroyed most of the Mandrill 'Mechs and claimed all the salvage afterwards. The Mandrill's defeat helped seal the fate of the invasion.

Kindraa Sainze

The most exclusive and the strongest of the Kindraa, the Kindraa Sainze includes many Bloodheritages devoted to MechWarriors. The rest are split evenly between aerospace pilots and Elemental warriors. The Kindraa Sainze also owns some genetic legacies from minor Fire Mandrill Bloodnames, taken during the first few years after the Kindraa's formation. For decades, however, they have mounted more Trials of Possession for outside genetic material than for legacies from any other Kindraa.

The warriors of Kindraa Sainze have a strong tradition of seppuku, or ritual suicide-one of the few Inner Sphere traditions to survive the Exodus. A Sainze taken as bondsman by another Clan is never accepted back, and so must exist with the know that his or her genetic legacy will die. Seppuku is considered an honorable death, and so does not necessarily preclude the warrior's DNA from use in future sibkos.

Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga

This Kindraa originally contained five exclusive Bloodnames, though the Faraday - and later, also the Tanaga - Bloodname Houses ruled it. Faraday is a strong general Bloodname, though its pilots do not fare so well when compared to others. Tanaga is a MechWarrior Bloodname still exclusive to this Kindraa. Two of the minor Bloodnames are partly shared with the Kindraa and other Clans. The third minor name, shared only with Clan Smoke Jaguar, may soon be considered exclusive in light of recent events.

Though Clan Fire Mandrill prefers military achievement over politics, the Faraday and Tanaga Bloodname houses have proven the use of politics many times. Always amongst the more successful Khans, they have a knack for analyzing and dealing with events that occur outside Clan Fire Mandrill. The Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga also has the best developed scientist caste of any Kindraa. They indulge in selective breeding, using prime specimens taken from other Clans in Trials of Possession. However, the scientists are not trueborn from iron wombs as warriors are.

Kindraa Payne

This Kindraa, MechWarriors all, is formed around the Payne Bloodname but also owns several strong Bloodheritages of other lines, including Jewel and Grant. The only genetic legacies this Kindraa has sought inside Clan Fire Mandrill - unsuccessfully - belong to the Faraday Bloodname.

Though devoutly Warden, Kindraa Payne has maintained its position as one of the Clan's leading Kindraa since its formation. This may change soon, however, as the Kindraa is suffering from the depletion of its gene pool. The Payne Bloodname, while still highly respected, is showing inbreeding effects that may eventually impinge upon warrior ability. For now, the Payne Bloodname is still among the best in Clan Fire Mandrill.

Kindraa Mattila-Carrol

One of the stronger Kindraa, the Kindraa Mattila-Carrol is currently looking to supplant Kindraa Payne among the top three. The Mattila Bloodheritages concentrate on MechWarriors and Elementals, while the Carrol Bloodheritages focus on MechWarriors and aerospace pilots. The two together always produce MechWarriors, with battlefield skill primarily from the Mattila side and a combination of instincts and tactical genius from the Carrol blood. The Carrol Bloodline carries Kerensky DNA mixed in from the Clan's early day - the only Clan aside from Clan Wolf with such a claim - though the genetic material carries no right to the Kerensky Bloodname.

Kindraa Mattila-Carrol has shifting loyalties when it comes to the debate between the Crusaders and the Wardens. They have switched allegiances before, though they have remained staunchly Crusader since the Tukayyid Truce.

Kindraa Beyl-Grant

Though Grant has not been an exclusive Bloodname since Clan's Hell's Horses and Coyote smashed the Kindraa Smythe-Jewel more than a century ago, it remains one of this Kindraa's dominant MechWarrior Bloodnames. The Beyl Bloodname is exclusive to the Fire Mandrill's and this Kindraa. Like many of this Kindraa's Bloodheritages, Beyl is an aerospace pilot bloodline.

Because of its predisposition towards aerospace assets, the Kindraa Beyl-Grant was granted command over two Fire Mandrill WarShips. The Kindraa's leaning toward Warden views is acceptable, as the Crusader-minded Kindraa Mick-Kreese acts as a counterweight.

Kindraa Kline

This Kindraa is a composite of a dozen Bloodnames. The Kline Bloodname, though exclusive to the Fire Mandrills, is shared with other Kindraa. Only in Kindraa Kline, however, is the line strong enough to control the entire Kindraa.

Despite its size, Kindraa Kline would be considered second-line quality by most other Clans. Warden by nature, Kindraa Kline has shown enthusiasm for working with other Kindraa. Detractor claim that the Kindraa needs allies to prevent eventual Absorption by a stronger Kindraa.

Kindraa Mick-Kreese (Goulet)

This Kindraa relies heavily on aerospace assets. The Mick Bloodname also breeds some of the Clans best Elementals, and has the most Bloodheritages concentrated within this Kindraa. The Kreese Bloodname gives the Kindraa most of its aerospace pilots and turns out the best capital ship commanders. On occasion, the Goulet Elemental line has risen in power within this Kindraa, though with the recent capture of Goulet Bloodnamed warriors and genetic material by Kindraa Mattila-Carrol, the resurgence of this Bloodname may be a while in coming. Kindraa Mick-Kreese warriors are staunch Crusaders. They control two Fire Mandrill WarShips.