Clan Snow Raven Totem

The huge snow-white ravens of Strana Mechty's southern tundra are respected for their unwillingness to waste anything. The Clan named for these birds shows a similar reluctance to waste any resources or any opportunity, the sign of a true warrior. They are scavengers and politicians without peer.

Possession

Worlds: 5 (4 shared, 1 exclusive)

The Snow Ravens have historically had few assets, but their holdings have almost doubled within the last year. The Ghost Bears granted the Ravens their asteroid-mining sites and their enclave on Bearclaw, and the Ravens negotiated control of the rest of Bearclaw with the Nova Cats when the Cats withdrew from Clan space. The intervention of Clan Hell's Horses reduced Raven control of the world to two-thirds.

The Ravens also consolidated their hold on Circe, staging a blitzkrieg that secured them much of the Jaguar and Nova Cat enclaves (the latter with the Cats' permission). These successes brought them into conflict with Clan Wolf, and the fighting has yet to be resolved. The Ravens maintained a foothold on Homer throughout 3061, but were recently ejected from that planet by the returning Steel Vipers.

Allies and Enemies

Despite the paranoia that leads many Snow Ravens to distrust anyone outside their Clan, they have managed to avoid making any real enemies. The Clan’s most prominent foes are the Steel Vipers, with whom the Ravens have feuded since 2897.

The severing of ties over the recent House McKenna incident led to conflict with Clan Jade Falcon, prompting mutual recriminations and several military engagements. However, the Ravens have recently contacted the Falcons with a view to normalizing relations. The Falcons have yet to respond to this attempt at rapprochement.

Clan Diamond Shark and the Snow Ravens have been adversaries since the diamond shark incident. However, rather than taking up arms against the Ravens, the Sharks have waged a war of words and assets. Unusually, the Ravens have launched no reprisals, and still allow the Diamond Sharks access to their shipyards.

Only three clans can claim to be anything like Raven allies. The Snow Ravens had a formal alliance half a century ago with Clan Blood Spirit, through which the two Clans exchanged war materiel; the Ravens retain limited contact with the Spirits. The Cloud Cobras share the Ravens' military disposition and taste for Machiavellian politics. The Ravens have also often traded technology and expertise with Clan Ghost Bear; the massive ark-ships used by the Bears in their exodus to the Inner Sphere were likely designed and built with Snow Raven help, or at least tacit support. The Ravens' acquisition of Bear assets in recent months suggests some type of deal.

Military

The Major losses on Circe and to the Wolverines almost destroyed the Ravens early on in their development. Needing to strengthen his Clan quickly, Khan McKenna -himself a pilot- chose to strengthen the Raven aerospace arm with fighters and ships from orbiting Brian caches. No other Clan objected to McKenna's action; by the time the other Clans reconsidered, the Ravens dominated the field and jealously guarded their advantage.

However, this aerospace bias has given Clan Snow Raven the smallest BattleMech contingent of any Clan. To offset this disadvantage, Raven ground forces form combined-arms Trinaries known as Triads, comprising a Star of 'Mechs, a Star of Elementals and a Star of Fighters. Though ideally suited to defensive operations, Triads have limited offensive Capabilities.

Society

Snow Raven Society is extremely tight-knit and distrusting of strangers, a trait stemming from the tribulations of the Clans' formative years. Snow Raven warriors let no outsiders past their guard, fearing that any associates will turn on them. In addition, no member of this Clan does anything without a reason. However, the Ravens' Byzantine politics and complex relationships mean that the readily apparent reason is unlikely to be the real one.

Much of the Clan's internal politics centers on its Bloodname Houses, frequently referred to as the Families, and any interference in their business is viewed as a mortal insult. The authority of House leaders is absolute, and the leader's will determines how the Bloodnamed vote. Cutthroat internal politics determine who becomes House Leader, and only the most politically astute remain in power for more than a few years.

The Snow Ravens take bondsmen from other Clans, but most wear the bondcord for many years before being accepted into the Clan. Few "outsider" warriors are adopted into Clan Snow Raven, and those few are barred from rising above the rank of Star colonel. The Snow Ravens' distrust of outsiders means that bondsmen often have difficulty integrating with their new Clan.

Caste divisions are readily apparent in Snow Raven society, as are the sub-groups within each cast. Individuals rarely mingle outside their immediate circles, enhancing the "us against them" attitude that pervades this Clan. Competition for promotion is fierce, and friends often find themselves battling for command slots or military objectives.

Snow Raven technology is tightly focused on aerospace and naval systems. The Ravens have the largest fleet in Clan space and control most of the shipyards and repair stations. Other Clans are obliged to seek them out for maintenance, either trading for use of the facilities or staging Trials of Position (for which the Ravens demand collateral, and win often enough to remain profitable).

The well-developed Raven merchant marine supports the Clan by trading and contracting its ships and personnel out to the other Clans. The Ravens made considerable profit by supplying invading Clans with transport assets and escorts, enhancing their status among Home Clans.

Brief History

Clan Snow Raven faced considerable hardship in the early years. The last Clan certified combat-ready, the Ravens were ill-prepared for the challenges of the campaign to liberate Circe during the Pentagon civil war. They took massive losses storming rebel compounds and barely survived the campaign. Worse was to come not many years later, when Clan Wolverine rebelled against the Grand Council. The Wolverines beat back the small Raven force, and the Raven Capital of Dehra Dun, together with its genetic repository, was destroyed with a nuclear device. The repository was later rebuilt and the samples it contained replaced from the master site on Strana Mechty, but deep emotional scars remained.

Vowing never to allow such a catastrophe to strike them again, the Ravens set about becoming masters of their own destiny. They developed their navy and expanded their holding, making themselves indispensable as explorers, escorts and manufacturers of components for DropShips, JumpShips and WarShips. Behind the scenes, they sought to become master manipulators and purveyors of information.

In 2947, the Ravens brought before the Grand Council details of ilKhan Tobias Katib's complicity in the death of his predecessor, Corian Tchernovkov. Katib was impeached, found guilty and excited for his crimes. Suggestions that the Ravens had also been involved in the Tchernovkov affair were never proven, but their sudden betrayal of a former ally is a hallmark of Snow Raven political maneuvers. More often, however, they prefer subtler manipulations. Raven Khan Ian Howell, who destroyed the totem animal of Clan Sea Fox by releasing the genetically engineered diamond shark into the waters of Strana Mechty, fell victim to his own inability to play such subtle games. After Howell admitted his guilt, his own saKhan challenged him to a Trial of Grievance and slew him-officially because he had disgraced his Clan, but more likely because he was stupid enough to get caught.

The Snow Ravens fought hard to join the Inner Sphere invasion force, but took too many losses before the Trials and were denied a place. However, the Ravens did gain from the operation; they contracted out almost a third of their fleet to Clan Jade Falcon to serve as escorts, an arrangement recognized by a formal alliance during the Year of Peace.

This alliance was doomed from the start, as the two Clans' philosophical differences over shadowed their mutual interests. Relations between the two Clans became strained in 3055 over issues relating to the Ravens' McKenna Bloodname House. The matter briefly escalated into skirmishes, but the Falcons were too engrossed elsewhere to prosecute a campaign in the Clan homeworlds, and so the trouble soon died down.

In recent weeks, since their defeat by the Steel Vipers on Homer, the Ravens have sought rapprochement with the Falcons, while consolidating their considerable gains in the recent Trials for Smoke Jaguar, Nova Cat and Ghost Bear Possessions.

Beginnings

Though not the strongest of the Clans, the Snow Ravens are acknowledged as having the best aerospace corps and the largest fleet facilities in known space. Twice in the early history of this Clan, they were nearly destroyed. Once during Operation Klondike and again when the Not-Named Clan destroyed the Snow Ravens capital city. From this came a Clan whose mastery of aerospace is unparalleled in Clan history.

Founding

The Snow Ravens were founded by Stephen McKenna, a former air wing commander, and Joyce Merrell, formerly of the 183rd Royal Mechanized Infantry Division. Though the two were able commanders who respected each others abilities, they could not decide on the necessary training and organizational procedures their Clan would need. As a result, the Snow Ravens were the last Clan to be deemed combat-ready prior to Operation Klondike.

The Snow Ravens were assigned to assault the planet Circe, along with the Not-Named Clan. Their assignment to neutralize several fortresses went as planned, but casualties were extremely high. The only bright spot in the campaign was the performance of the Clan's aerospace Stars. The Snow Ravens blamed the Not-Named Clan for their high losses during the campaign, including the death of saKhan Merrell, ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky absolved the Not-Named Clan of any misconduct.

The only advantage the Snow Ravens had was in the strength of its aerospace pilots. While the other Clans built up their ground forces, the Snow Ravens concentrated on Trials of Possession for aerospace facilities and related industries. They won possession of the largest aerospace and starcraft production sites. The other Clans belatedly realized that the Snow Ravens were intent on monopolizing space travel. Their realization came too late as the Raven had already won control of the primary construction and repair docks. The Snow Ravens' stranglehold on space facilities prevented other Clans from building up their naval fleets. This would serve the Snow Ravens greatly in the centuries to come.

Dehra Dun

In 2853, the Not-Named Clan disputed a Snow Raven Trial of Possession for a Brian Cache located in their territory. The Grand Council upheld the Snow Raven's victory, but the Not-Named Clan's Khans abruptly declared their Clan independent of the others. The Raven forces on Circe moved to protect their people but were repelled by the Not-Named Clan's forces. The Not-Named Clan then launched a massive attack on the Snow Raven's cities on Circe, destroying everything in their path. The Not-Named Clan then drove towards the Snow Raven capital city of Dehra Dun. For reasons still unknown, the Not-Named Clan detonated a nuclear device which not only destroyed the city and its inhabitants, but it also incinerated the Ravens' genetic repository.

ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky then declared a Trial of Annihilation against the Not-Named Clan. Clan Wolf won the honor of destroying the Not-Named Clan. The following battles were remarkably savage on both sides. Eventually, the Not-Named Clan's warriors were killed and their lower castes absorbed into the Wolves.

The Golden Century

The devastation wrought by the Not-Named Clan took the Snow Ravens many years to recover from. Their Khans became masters of political compromise, trading manufacturing capacity for materiels needed to ensure the Clan's survival. All the while, the Snow Ravens built up their naval forces, amassing a fleet of nearly forty warships along with dozens of JumpShips and DropShips. The Snow Ravens quickly realized their excess fleet capacity could be rented out to the other Clans for substantial profit.

It was during this time that several momentous events that helped shape the Snow Ravens and several other Clans. First, the Snow Raven enclaves on Hellgate, one of the Clan's primary food suppliers and sources of germanium, came under intense attacks by Clan Steel Viper. The Ravens fought well, but were eventually forced to completely abandon the colony and all its resources to the Vipers. This began a fierce hatred for the Steel Vipers.

Next, Clan Blood Spirit, long known for its isolationism, approached the Snow Ravens with a unique opportunity. The Blood Spirits agreed to secretly transfer three of the remaining warships in exchange for a Galaxy's worth of second-line 'Mechs. The deal allowed the battered Spirit Touman to rebuild at relatively little cost, while the Raven fleet increased the size of its warfleet. Although the transfer was successfully completed forty years ago, the two Clans have kept open friendly lines of communication.

The Snow Ravens were also responsible for one of the more dynamic changes any Clan has undergone. In the 2980s, the Snow Ravens suffered a number of setbacks at the hands of Clan Sea Fox. Khan Liam Howe, furious at the losses, took it upon himself to have his scientist caste create a genetically altered shark that would be the deadliest creature in the ocean.

When newly elected Sea Fox Damon Clarke went to offer tribute to the sea foxes, he and his entourage were surprised to see a sea fox killed by a previously unknown aquatic predator. Khan Clarke dispatched a Point of Elementals to capture one of the creatures. The Sea Fox scientists dubbed the creature the diamond shark for the rigid spines on its flanks. Further investigation showed that the growing diamond shark population would render the sea fox extinct. Faced with the losses of his Clan's totem, Khan Clarke made the unheard of decision to rename his Clan. He also decided, due to the scope of the decision, to allow members of the Clan to vote on the proposed name change. Several within his Clan protested the decision, but Khan Clarke swept aside all dissenters. In 2985, Clan Sea Fox was no more. There was only Clan Diamond Shark.

Khan Howe, enraged at how his plan had been foiled, inadvertantly revealed his part in the destruction of the sea fox. He was quickly challenged by saKhan Niamh Sukhanov and killed in a Circle of Equals. The Snow Ravens demanded a Trial of Refusal over the name change, but was badly beaten by the Sea Fox forces. The Snow Ravens have sought rappochment with the Diamond Sharks, but they have refused the offers, instead consistently besting the Ravens in numerous commercial ventures.

Revival

During the debate which became known as the Dragoon Compromise, the Snow Ravens voted along with the Wardens although many within the Clan were devout Crusaders. When the Outbound Light arrived in Clan space in 3048, the Snow Ravens were in no condition to participate in the Trials that followed. Clan Coyote had sought to regain a measure of its depleted strength by staging a number of Trials against the Snow Ravens. The fighting left both Clans too weak to battle for a slot in the invasion force.

The Snow Ravens, however, were able to contract portions of their fleet to the invading Clans in exchange for resources from captured Inner Sphere worlds. This agreement greatly enriched the Clan while expending minimal resources. Falcon Khan Elias Crichell attempted to win over Raven Khan Lynn McKenna by offering her prime Falcon genetic legacies as well as the world Hellgate, which the Falcons had recently won from the Steel Vipers in exchange for extending the Jade Falcon's warship contract to ten years. Though many within the Clan Council protested the agreement, the Raven Khans convinced them of the need for honoring the contract. The contract became a moot point when the Falcons later abrogated it when they interfered in House McKenna politics.

Death of a Clan

The Snow Ravens stood apart from the other home Clans when Ice Hellion Khan Asa Taney tried to bring about the "Home Clan" coalition. Fortunately, the Khans of Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf turned Khan Taney's ploy against him. By hinting that only warriors fighting with the invading Clans would ever see the Inner Sphere, Khan Vladimir Ward initiated the "Harvest Wars." These batchalls resulted in large numbers of warriors from various Clans pitting themselves against the Jade Falcons and Wolves. Both Clans gained numerous experienced warriors to flesh out their weakened Toumans. The Snow Ravens quickly ended all Trials with the two Clans after losing two full Clusters. At the conclusion of the Trials, the invading Clans began planning to renew offensive operations against the Inner Sphere.

The Inner Sphere invasion of the Smoke Jaguar Occupation Zone stunned the Clans. The subsequent routing of all Clan Smoke Jaguar forces forced the Clans to put a halt to all invasion planning as they waited to see the outcome of the fighting. The assault on Huntress by Task Force Serpent further shocked the Clans. Never had anyone ever wage this type of total warfare against the Clans. The destruction of the Smoke Jaguar warrior caste repulsed many Khans, who viewed this level of warfare as being beyond the pale even for the "barbaric" Inner Sphere.

The arrival of the Star League Defense Force, led by Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht and Prince Victor Ian Steiner-Davion, on Strana Mechty set the ground for the Great Refusal. Prince Victor declared a Trial of Refusal over the invasion. The Warden Clans, led by Clan Ghost Bear who switched allegiance to the Warden cause, refused to participate in the battle. The eight remaining Crusader Clans each sent two Stars to battle against a company of Inner Sphere forces from each of the participating realms. The Trial went well for the Star League forces. Only Clans Star Adder and Jade Falcon won a victory, while Clan Wolf accepted a draw. The Star League won the other five battles. The invasion was now over.

Recent Events

The Snow Raven's losses during the Harvest War were quickly compensated when the Raven Khans learned that Clan Ghost Bear was moving its entire population to its holdings in the Inner Sphere. In return for the Snow Raven's assisting in converting two Leviathan-class warships into heavy transports, the Ghost Bears gifted the Ravens with their resource rich asteroid field holdings and much of the world Bearclaw. Although Clan Hell's Horses also laid claim to portions of that world, the Snow Raven forces were able to hold on to the world. Snow Raven warships also assisted Clan Nova Cat in evacuating its remaining civilian population to the Inner Sphere after the Grand Council Abjured it for its defection to the Star League. Again, the Snow Ravens claimed much of the Nova Cats enclaves as well as the former Smoke Jaguar holdings on Homer.