The Republic of the Sphere: My Heart Will Go On (With Another Faction)

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Every sourcebook has gotten both a hardcover and PDF release.  I doubt that Catalyst is going to change that now.

[JAMES_PRYDE]

Every sourcebook has gotten both a hardcover and PDF release.  I doubt that Catalyst is going to change that now.

Many thanks, will get the PDF on release

Is the Hard Cover available to pre order yet, quiaff ?

[Nerroth]

I'm looking forward to seeing if any of the Terran militia forces named in IlClan, from places like Nepal or Mongolia - or, indeed, from Japan - are going to be followed up on in IlKhan's Eyes Only. Something which provides more variety to the new SLDF, in terms of the portion of its ranks being drawn from the local population across Terra.

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Also, in the longer term, I might wonder if those Clans aligned with the new Star League might phase out the concept of second-line, solahma, and/or PGC forces entirely - with all of those duties being folded into the new SLDF?

Or, to put it another way: I could see the Terran Falcons and Smoke Jaguars not bothering to set up such forces in the first instance. And, in a sense, the Snow Ravens are half-way there, given that they continue to defer much of the protection of the Raven Alliance to the AMC regiments. But, might the Wolves themselves find themselves going in that direction, whether they intend to or not?

And might this mark a break between those Clans which adopt this kind of split on the one hand, and those (such as the Hell's Horses, perhaps) who might retain their current force organization structure?

That said, I could see the Sea Foxes not being in a hurry to invite new SLDF forces to places like the Chaine Cluster, even if they find themselves supporting new SLDF deployments elsewhere in the Inner Sphere and near Periphery...

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

The Clans might initially start pitching their solahma and second-line troops to the SLDF, but I suspect that process will stop rapidly once they realize that it's making the SLDF larger and more powerful than they are.

[Scotty]

It seems to be a volunteer-and-approval thing, since several of Darren's Bloodright opponents - Trueborn Wolf warriors sponsored for a Kerensky bloodname end up making the move.

[Church14]

I think Hardware wise the wolves would be in a good position considering 'Terra is literally loaded with Mech debris from which a good chunk must be salvagable. Though we also know that Alaric seems to be trading a good portion of it to the Foxes

To expand on what I was saying: I think wolf hardware the day after the ilClan trial was probably in complete shambles. Like possibly less than a galaxy of functioning mechs. 42% to me has to be survivors, otherwise one can't reconcile HotW's numbers with any form of logic.

But I also think that most wolf warriors that survived will have access to a surviving or rebuilt mech from the Wolf and Falcon Toumans, and that the repairs aren't going to take that long. The few that don't get the clan salvage will be getting the best of RAF salvage or new production. Wolves shouldn't want for mechs, just warriors.

In a normal army, the biggest hurdle would be that the command structures would be gutted, and unit cohesion needing rebuilt.

[JAMES_PRYDE]

It seems to be a volunteer-and-approval thing, since several of Darren's Bloodright opponents - Trueborn Wolf warriors sponsored for a Kerensky bloodname end up making the move.

Speaking of that, can Darren use both of his Bloodnames ? And or on his uniform too

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

It sounded an awful lot like he was "gifted" the Ward bloodname instead of the Kerensky bloodname.

[Church14]

It sounded an awful lot like he was "gifted" the Ward bloodname instead of the Kerensky bloodname.

This was my understanding. He earned a himself one bloodname, but Alaric changed it for political benefit to Alaric.

I’m not verse in all setting lore, but I don’t think this had happened until that moment.

[Metallgewitter]

To expand on what I was saying: I think wolf hardware the day after the ilClan trial was probably in complete shambles. Like possibly less than a galaxy of functioning mechs. 42% to me has to be survivors, otherwise one can't reconcile HotW's numbers with any form of logic.

But I also think that most wolf warriors that survived will have access to a surviving or rebuilt mech from the Wolf and Falcon Toumans, and that the repairs aren't going to take that long. The few that don't get the clan salvage will be getting the best of RAF salvage or new production. Wolves shouldn't want for mechs, just warriors.

To put in another tidbit: in empire alone the Garrison commander of solaris VII notices that the Foxes are selling them Wolf hardware with Terran manufacturing stamps at a premium. So if that is true it seems the Ilclan is blessed with enough material but sorely lacking in manpower. Of course as you said the weeks after the IlClan trial the entire military on Terra must have been in shambles. Just imagine if there would be no Wall and somehow word would have gotten out just how weak Terra's defense is now (except for the handful of Warships left in orbit). Just like when Amaris had conquered Terra as during Apotheosis the entire Terran defense grid was destroyed or out of action leaving Terra for the first time completly defenseless (in space)

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

This was my understanding. He earned a himself one bloodname, but Alaric changed it for political benefit to Alaric.

I’m not verse in all setting lore, but I don’t think this had happened until that moment.

I believe it's an entirely unprecedented situation.

[Nerroth]

And an ironic one, given that Alaric himself has a somewhat tenuous connection at best to the "Ward" Bloodname...

[Church14]

To put in another tidbit: in empire alone the Garrison commander of solaris VII notices that the Foxes are selling them Wolf hardware with Terran manufacturing stamps at a premium. So if that is true it seems the Ilclan is blessed with enough material but sorely lacking in manpower. Of course as you said the weeks after the IlClan trial the entire military on Terra must have been in shambles. Just imagine if there would be no Wall and somehow word would have gotten out just how weak Terra's defense is now (except for the handful of Warships left in orbit). Just like when Amaris had conquered Terra as during Apotheosis the entire Terran defense grid was destroyed or out of action leaving Terra for the first time completly defenseless (in space)

To be fair, this is me looking at what's available. Unless iKEO happens to agree with me, my theory about the state of wolves is just theorycrafting. I'm curious if I'm close at all

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

And an ironic one, given that Alaric himself has a somewhat tenuous connection at best to the "Ward" Bloodname...

The fact that Alaric was actually made from the genetic material of Kathrine and Victor rather than Kathrine and Vlad hasn't been an out-of-universe secret in a long time.

[Nerroth]

I used the spoiler tag not for Alaric in and of himself, but rather how the irony applies to his "granting" the Ward Bloodname to another person who would not otherwise qualify for it.

Although, perhaps that was a further reason why he did so? As in, by making the Ward Bloodname something that a person can be "adopted" into, this might lessen the impact against his own standing, if/when the truth is revealed in-universe about his own genetic lineage.

[Spirit Cat Refugee]

The fact that Alaric was actually made from the genetic material of Kathrine and Victor rather than Kathrine and Vlad hasn't been an out-of-universe secret in a long time.

There is some confusion among a lot of fans on that point actually, because Children of Kerensky seemed to soft-contradict what was pretty explicit in Masters of War and Bonfire of Worlds.

I'm still convinced Alaric is 100% Inner Sphere stock, because it makes his whole achieving the Clan's entire reason for existing all the more ironic. And gives him a huge weakness if people were to find out.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Forget the novels, it was explicitly stated in Era Report 3145 from a third-person omniscient perspective.

[mikecj]

Well, he definitely ended up that Steiner sanity problem, even if it's not the semi-hereditary Dobrowski Syndrome. (https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Dobrowski_Depression-A_Syndrome)

[Metallgewitter]

There is some confusion among a lot of fans on that point actually, because Children of Kerensky seemed to soft-contradict what was pretty explicit in Masters of War and Bonfire of Worlds.

I'm still convinced Alaric is 100% Inner Sphere stock, because it makes his whole achieving the Clan's entire reason for existing all the more ironic. And gives him a huge weakness if people were to find out.

So would other Clans find out should they ever recieve any of his children the Dragoons abducted from Gienah? Or would that already be diluted enough to see if their genes are really "proper" Clan stock or "tainted" Inner Sphere genes. Though I doubt the IS Clans would care at this point, they have given up so many of Kerensky's ways what's one more? Heck it might open a new way to integrate IS soldiers into breeding programs (if those will be a thing in the coming Star League) and maybe the clans will finally< give up on this ridiculous idea of "no family names for non warriors"

[Kojak]

Darren is from the geneheritages of Phelan Ward and Ranna Kerensky. So Alaric isn't making some sort of crazy out-of-left-field switch, he's just declaring his Bloodname to be from one geneparent instead of the other, which is wholly within his right to do as ilKhan.

[BrianDavion]

Darren is from the geneheritages of Phelan Ward and Ranna Kerensky. So Alaric isn't making some sort of crazy out-of-left-field switch, he's just declaring his Bloodname to be from one geneparent instead of the other, which is wholly within his right to do as ilKhan.

It actually suprises me it never got mentioned that Darren and Lana where technicly siblings.

[tassa_kay]

It actually suprises me it never got mentioned that Darren and Lana where technicly siblings.

It does make sense because the Clans don't tend to see sibmates as siblings per se. I remember that it was somewhat scandalous that Malvina and Aleksandr considered themselves brother and sister: not because they were also lovers, but because the Clans just don't tend to recognize those kind of relationships.

[Spirit Cat Refugee]

It actually suprises me it never got mentioned that Darren and Lana where technicly siblings.

If they were from different sibkos, decanted at different times, it wouldn't matter much to them.

[Lyran Wolf]

Based on what Ray mentioned on the Official discord, Darren was born in a Republic Enclave.  So Lana and Darren are not Sibkin in the traditional sense as she was born on Arc-Royal.  So the first time they ever meet would have been on Terra.

I have my thoughts on Lana's exact age, but only a line as it relates to the Fall of Arc-Royal locks it down any in canon.  It also leaves plenty of wiggle room or the possibility for exceptions.
Darren feels like he is older, from an experience and personality standpoint.  But again, isn't stated in canon anywhere that I know of.  But it could also be because we spend more time with him in areas he seems to have expertise in.

[Wrangler]

I know this is a side comment, but what exactly was a Republic Enclave like?  Self Contained? Walled off fort?  Just town?

[Colt Ward]

Enclave = Reservation but w/ better PR.

Between the Crusader Wolves, Hell's Horses, Ghost Bears, and Nova Cats there were just short of a dozen enclaves with implications of more.  They apparently used the Bloodnames they had active when they joined the Republic as a nation- not just coalition force.  We have no answers if they used any of the new shared names, if they shared genetic legacies, or participated in their parent Clan's Trials of Bloodright- just that when Gray Monday hit there were Clan warriors with the bloodnames of Bekker, Fletcher, Kerensky, Radick, Sender, Rosse, Drummond, and most that went from being in enclave militias to forming the Steel Wolves & Spirit Cats.  The Horses might have had one, see Kara's Scorchers but the Bears did not which is why Geoff Bekker approached Kal Radick with his Kodiak.

[tassa_kay]

The Horses might have had one

Per ER3145, the Horses only had one enclave in the Republic, on Ruchbah, which was the source of some of the Republic's best infantry.

[Colt Ward]

Yeah, forgot we had that discussion . . . guess that single cluster became the enclave.

[Wrangler]

I guess enclaves are open to interpretation, i was wondering if they were self-contain communities vs blocked up city with maybe manufacturing complex.

[Metallgewitter]

I think they were more the kind of open cities though with a distinct Clan flavor. Remember the Republic was trying it's best to mix the different ethnicities they had taken over / conquered / accepted via immigration. Though from what I read it seems the Republic goverment touched the clan communities with a lighter hand then their Is population