CDS = Glossary

Glossary of Clan & BattleTech Terminology

Abjuration, Trial of

When a problem within a caste or Clan can be resolved by no other process, the troublesome element may be ejected from Clan society through a Trial of Abjuration. The target of the ritual is stripped of rank and caste, which places them outside Clan law, and is usually forcibly ejected from Clan territory. Members of the Clans may no longer speak the name of the abjured member or Clan and, in case of warriors, their genetic material is purged from the gene pool. A Clan may also abjure a warrior for negligence of duty or conduct unbecoming a warrior.
The results of a Trial of Abjuration may be overturned by the Clan Council that enacted it or by the Grand Council.

Abtakha

An abtakha is a captured warrior who is adopted into his new Clan as a warrior.

Adoption

In this ritual, an individual from outside a given Clan's warrior caste is adopted into that caste. The adoptee may be a bondsman taken in battle or a member of a Clan's lower castes rising to warrior status.

AFFC

Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth.

Annihilation, Trial of

The ultimate punishment in Clan society, the Trial of Annihilation calls for the destruction of the accused. Such trials may only be carried out following a unanimous vote by the Clan or Grand Council, and may be invoked only for the most heinous crimes. Such sanctions have declared against individuals, Stars and Clusters, and once was used against an entire Clan. Everything associated with the target - possessions, genetic material and descendants - is destroyed, and no member of any Clan may speak the name of those annihilated.

Batchall

The batchall is the ritual by which Clan warriors issue combat challenges. Though the type of challenge varies with each ritual, most begin by the challenger identifying himself, stating what is being contested, and requesting that the defender identify the forces at his disposal. Following the challenge, bidding for what forces will contest the challenge takes place. Defenders may request that the attacker risk something of worth comparable to what the defender is risking in the contest.

Bidding

Clan bidding practices are designed first and foremost to preserve resources. Bidding satisfies the need for achieving honor in combat by promoting the use of fewer warriors, which allows each warrior to attain greater glory once battle is finally joined.

Blooding

Blooding is the ritual in which a Clan candidate is officially recognized by his Clan, also known as "whelping" in Clan Wolf. Birthing is a complex, ritualistic ceremony. The candidate must first demonstrate physical prowess in personal combat against two Clan warriors. Then the candidate must be verbally defended by Clan warriors when he or she is challenged by representatives from other Clans, or else face those representatives in mortal combat.

Bloodheritage

The history of the Bloodnamed warriors of a particular Bloodright is called the Bloodheritage.

Bloodname

Bloodname refers to the surname of each of the 800 warriors who stood with Nicholas Kerensky during the Exodus Civil War. These 800 are the foundation of the Clans' elaborate breeding program. The right to use on of these surnames has been the ambition of every Clan warrior since the system was established. Only 25 warriors, which corresponds to 25 Bloodrights, are allowed to use any one surname at any one time. When one of the 25 Bloodnamed warriors dies, a trial is held to determine who will assume that Bloodname. A contender must prove his Bloodname lineage, then win a series of duels with other competitors. Only Bloodnamed warriors are allowed to sit on the Clan Councils or are eligible to become Khan or ilKhan. Most Bloodnames have gradually been confined to one or two warrior classes, however, certain prestigious names, such as Kerensky, have shown their genetic value by producing excellent warriors in all three classes (MechWarrior, fighter pilot and Elemental). Bloodnames are determined matrilinealy, at least after the original generation. Because a warrior can only inherit from his or her female parent, he or she have a claim to only one Bloodname.

Bloodname House

The warriors bearing or eligible to bear a particular Bloodname form a Bloodname House. The House acts as a substitute family for the warriors and exerts considerable political influence in the Clans.
After the first generation, Bloodnames are determined matrilinealy and so a warrior may only claim membership of one Bloodname House.

Bloodright

A specific Bloodname lineage is called a Bloodright. Twenty-five Bloodrights are attached to each Bloodname. A Bloodright is not a lineage per se, because the warriors who successively hold a Bloodright might only be related through their original ancestor. As with Bloodnames, certain Bloodrights are considered more prestigious than others, depending largely on the Bloodheritage.

Bloodright, Trial of

A series of one-on-one, single elimination contests is used to determine who wins the right to use a Bloodname. Each current Bloodnamed warrior in that Bloodname's House nominates one candidate. The head of the House nominates additional candidates to fill 31 slots. The 32nd slot is fought by those who qualify for the Bloodname but who were not nominated. The nature of the competition is determined by the "coining." Each combatant places his personal medallion, a dogids, into the "Well of Decision." An Oathmaster or Loremaster releases the coins simultaneously, so that only chance determines which coin falls first to the bottom of the well. The warrior whose coin lands on top chooses the manner of combat ('Mech versus 'Mech, barehanded, 'Mech versus Elemental, and so forth). The other warrior chooses the venue of the contest. Though these Bloodname duels need not be to the death, the fierce combat and the intensity of the combatants often leave the losing candidate mortally wounded or dead.

Bondcord

The woven bracelet worn by bondsmen is known as a bondcord. Warrior-caste bondsmen wear a three-strand bondcord on their right wrist, with the color and patterning of the cords signifying the Clan and unit responsible for the warrior's capture. The cords represent integrity, fidelity and prowess. The bondholder may cut each strand as he or she feels the bondsman demonstrates the associated quality. According to tradition, when the final cord is severed, the bondman is considered a free member of his or her new Clan and adopted into the warrior caste. Each Clan follows this tradition to varying degrees: Clan Wolf accepts nearly all worthy individuals regardless of their past, while Clan Smoke Jaguar generally chose to adopt only trueborn warriors.

Bondholder

A bondholder is the individual, traditionally the member of the warrior caste responsible for the bondsman's capture, to whom he or she belongs. The Clan considers the bondholder responsible for the actions, education and punishment for the bondsman.

Bondsman

A captured warrior, called a bondsman, is considered a member of the laborer caste until the capturing Clan releases him or promotes him back to warrior status. A bondsman is bound by honor, not by shackles. Custom dictates that even Bloodnamed warriors captured in combat be held for a time as bondsmen. All bondsmen wear a cord, a woven bracelet. The base color of the bondcord indicates to which the Clan the individual belongs, and the striping indicates which unit captured him.

Bonsref

Clan custom which allows a bondsman's master to slay him in one-on-one combat. Tradition requires that the bondsman does not fight but accepts death at the hands of his master.

Brian Cache

A Clan equipment store, usually one established during the demobilization process, Kerensky created upon arriving in the Pentagon. The name is derived from the Star League Castle Brian fortresses.

Canister

Clan slang for the eugenics program of the warrior caste. It can also refer specifically to the artificial wombs.

Canister Born

Clan slang for the artificial breeding element of the eugenics program or the trueborn warriors that result from that process.

Caste

The Clans are divided into five castes: warrior, scientist, merchant, technician and labor, in descending order of influence. Each has many subcastes based on specialized skills. The warrior caste is largely the product of the artificial breeding program; those candidates who fail their Trial of Position are assigned to the scientist or technician caste, giving those castes a significant concentration of trueborn members. Most of the civilian castes are made up of the results of scientist-decreed arranged marriages within the castes.
The children of all castes undergo intensive scrutiny during their schooling to determine the caste for which they are best suited, though most end up in the same caste as their parents. This process allows children born to members of civilian castes to enter training to become warriors, though they belong to the less-prestigious ranks of the freeborn.

CCAF

Capellan Confederation Armed Forces.

Chalcas

Anything or anyone who challenges the Clan caste system is considered a chalcas.

Circle of Equals

The area in which a trial takes place is known as a Circle of Equals. It ranges in size from a few dozen feet for personal combat to tens of miles for large-scale trials. Though traditionally a circle, the area can be any shape.

Cloisters

The political-military factions of Clan Cloud Cobra, organized around religious beliefs.

Codex

Each warrior's codex is his or her individual identification. It includes the names of the original Bloodnamed warriors from which a warrior is descended. It also includes his generation number, Blood House, and codex ID, an alphanumeric code noting the unique aspects of that person's DNA. See also Master Codex.

Contract

An agreement can be made between the commanders of two units by which the commander of one may include the units of the other in his bidding for rights to a battle or trial. During the invasion of the Inner Sphere, Cluster commanders within Galaxies frequently made contracts to allow greater, and often more extravagant, bidding, yet still maintain a good mix of BattleMech, Elemental, and fighter combat units.

Coregn

A personal aide to a Star Colonel or garrison commander.

Cutdown

The minimum force necessary to win any trial for which there has been bidding. Bidders who can push their opponent into making a bid below the cutdown are considered clever. Commanders who win with a force smaller than the cutdown are greatly honored.

DCMS

Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery.

Death Commandos

Created in 2988 by the Capellan Confederation Chancellor Tormax Liao. The Death Commandos exist to eliminate all enemies of the Capellan state, wherever they might be found and by any means necessary. More than elite and ruthless MechWarriors, the Death Commandoes are assissins, saboteurs and terrorists. Commando warriors may execute any Capellan soldier on their own authority, and under certain circumstances, any member of the nobility as well.

Dezgra

A fighting unit which disgraces itself is known as a dezgra unit. The name also refers to the ritual whereby that unit is marked and punished. Any unit that refuses orders, panics in the face of the enemy, or takes dishonorable action is disgraced. The unit warriors are given a choice: immediate execution or the dezgra: "disgraced expulsion." In pre-invasion days, dezgra warriors who chose to live were sent to one of several marginally habitable worlds and left to survive or die on their own. After five years, the survivors were allowed to return, but without any guarantee of acceptance back into society. Since Tukayyid, some dezgra units have hired themselves as mercenaries. It is unlikely that any Clan will accept a dezgra unit after it has served five years as a mercenary unit, because Clan warriors consider mercenaries below even the lowest caste. Dezgra units must, by Clan law, remove all Clan markings from their weapons and uniforms and wear what historians would immediately immediately recognize as the crest of the hated Amaris family.

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ecKhan

The leader of a Clan Cloud Cobra Cloister.

Elemental

The large, muscular infantry derived from the Clan artificial breeding program are called Elementals. Their battle armor suits are also referred to as Elementals.

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Free Birth

This epithet, used by trueborn members of the warrior caste, is a mortal insult to another trueborn warrior. It generally expresses disgust or frustration.

Freebirth

An individual conceived and born by natural means is called a freebirth. Because the Clans value their eugenics program so highly, a freebirth is automatically assumed to have little potential.

FWLM

Free Worlds League Military.

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Giftake

This is the sample of DNA taken from a dead warrior. The giftake is considered the warrior's best DNA sample, and the one most likely to produce improved warriors.

Grand Council

The Grand Council is the body responsible for governing the Clans as a whole. It consists of the assembly of Khans, two from each Clan, as well as the ilKhan (if one exists). Its authority covers any matters involving more than one Clan, and it also determines general policy for Kerensky's descendants. The Grand Council serves as the highest court of the Clans. A Grand Council may only be convened by the petition of three or more Clans, and must be held at the Hall of Khans on Strana Mechty.

Grand Kuraltai

A Grand Kuraltai is a war council of all Khans of the Clans. Apparently, a Grand Kuraltai may be called only by the ilKhan at any time or place.

Grievance, Trial of

The Trial of Grievance is used to settle any disputes between two parties. The victor in the match is deemed to be in the right. Often such trials are fought over points of honor, and often to the death.

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Hegira

Victorious Clan warriors sometimes extend the courtesy of hegira to defeated opponents. Hegira allows the opponent to withdraw honorably from the field without further combat or cost.

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ilChi

The ambassador-messengers that Clan Blood Spirit assigns to its allies.

ilKhan

The war-leader of the Clans, elected from the members of the Grand Council. He or she also serves as arbiter between Clans in times of crisis, acting with the power of the Grand Council. The ilKhan enjoys wide-ranging powers in military matters, but it is not absolute; the ilKhan answers to the Grand Council and his authority is limited to those matters ordinarily belonging to the Grand Council. The ilKhan normally may not interfere in events deemed internal to a Clan, but when martial code is in effect they operate largely unhindered.

Isorla

The spoils of battle that warriors can claim as their right, including bondsmen, are known as isorla.

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Keshik

The Keshiks compromise a combination of bodyguard and command unit, usually serving a Khan. Traditionally, a Khan commands a Keshik, but in practice a Star Colonel oversees day-to-day matters. Keshiks range from Trinary to Cluster size.

Khan

Each Clan Council elects two of its members as Khans, who serve both as rulers of the Clan and its representatives on the Grand Council. Traditionally, these individuals are the best warriors of the Clan, but in practice many Clans instead elect the best politicians. The most senior Khan acts as the head of the Clan, overseeing relationships between the castes and Clans, while the junior Khan - the saKhan - acts as the Clan's warlord. The senior Khan decides the exact distribution of tasks, however, and may assign the saKhan additional or different duties.

Kindraa

A political-military faction within Clan Fire Mandrill composed of one or more Bloodname houses.

Kuraltai

This is a Clan war council. A Grand Kuraltai is a war council of all Khans of the Clans. Apparently, a Grand Kuraltai may be called only by the ilKhan at any time or place. A normal Grand Council, on the other hand, may be only convened by the petition of three or more Clans, and must be held at the Hall of Khans on Strana Mechty.

Kuraltai, Grand

A Grand Kuraltai is a war council of all Khans of the Clans. Apparently, a Grand Kuraltai may be called only by the ilKhan at any time or place.

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LAAF

Lyran Alliance Armed Forces.

Loremaster

The Loremaster is the keeper of Clan laws and history. The position is honorable and politically powerful. The Loremaster plays a key role in inquiries and trials, where is often assigned the role of Advocate or Interrogator.

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Maskirovka

The Capellan intelligence service.

Master Codex

The master codex is the master file of the Clan's breeding plan. The master codex records the DNA maps and codex name of every warrior born over the centuries.

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Oathmaster

The Oathmaster is the honor guard for any official Clan ceremony. The position is similar to that of an Inner Sphere sergeant-at-arms, but it carries a greater degree of respect. The Oathmaster administers all oaths, and the Loremaster records them. The position of Oathmaster is usually held by the oldest Bloodnamed Warrior in a Clan (if he or she desires the honor), and is one of the few positions not decided by combat.

Ovkhan

A term of respect reserved for someone of higher rank.

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Position, Trial of

The Trial of Position determines whether a candidate will qualify as a warrior in the Clans. To qualify, he must defeat at least one of three successive opponents. If he defeats two, or all three, he is immediately ranked as an officer in his Clan. If he fails to defeat any of his opponents, he is relegated to a lower caste.

Possession, Trial of

This Trial is the most common, used to decide anything from a difference of opinion to claims over a warrior's DNA. It always begins with a batchall and the bidding is often spirited. Combat rarely exceeds Cluster-scale engagements.

Powless

The vulnerability that a warrior, particularly an Elemental, feel when forced to fight without his accustomed weapons. The word is derived from "powerless."

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Quiaff/Quineg

These expressions are placed at the end of rhetorical questions. If an affirmative answer is expected, quiaff is used. If the answer is expected to be negative, quineg is the proper closure.

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Ransom

Clan custom dictates that a warrior who has been successful at his Trial of Bloodright may be rewarded with a gift by the Clan. Depending upon the warrior's success during the Trial, the ransom might range from the right to choose what type of weapon he will use as a warrior to the right to command a special unit. At the time Khan Natasha Kerensky returned from the Inner Sphere and then underwent her second Trial of Position, ilKhan Ulric Kerensky awarded her a ransom of the right to form the Thirteenth Wolf Guards.

Rede

One of the many forms honor takes in the Clans, a rede is an honor-bound promise. Breaking a rede may be punished by death.

Refusal, Trial of

When matters are settled by a political decision abhorrent to one party, or when an order does not sit well with warriors serving under the commander who gave it, the aggrieved party may demand a Trial of Refusal. This Trial forces those in positions of leadership to defend their decisions in combat, thereby preventing abuses of power.

Remembrance, The

The Remembrance is the Clan's epic poem, which records Clan history from the time of the Exodus from the Inner Sphere to the present day. The Remembrance is continually expanded to include contemporary events. Each Clan has a slightly different version reflecting their own opinions and experiences. All Clan warriors can quote whole verses of this marvelous epic from memory, and it is common to see passages from the book lovingly painted on the sides of OmniMechs, fighters, and even battle armor. Formation of The Remembrance is attributed to Karen Nagasawa of Clan Diamond Shark.

Ristar

This term refers to a particularly gifted warrior on his or her way to high position. It is probably derived from the expression "rising star."

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Safcon

A Clan Jade Falcon rite by which the defending force allows the attacker to deploy onto the battlefield without threat of attack. Once safcon is invoked, the defending force commander is not required to detail the forces at his command, as per the rules of batchall.

Satarra

A Clan council may cast a veto, called a satarra, to settle or postpone disputes between the castes within their jurisdiction. Satarra is invoked only when negotiations between the opponents seem at an impasse and/or threaten to disrupt the work order of the Clan. It seems to be more a ritual than an act of legislation.

Savashri

A Clan epithet.

Seyla

This word is the ritual response voiced in unison by those witnessing solemn Clan ceremonies, rituals, and other important gatherings. No one is sure of the origin or exact meaning of the word, but it is uttered only with the greatest reverence and awe.

Sibko

A group of children from the warrior caste eugenics program who have the same male and female geneparents and are raised together is known as a sibko. As they mature, they are constantly tested. Additional members of the sibko fail at each test, and are transferred to lower castes. A sibko consists of approximately 20 members, but usually only four or five remain at the time of the final test to become warriors, the Trial of Position. These tests and other adversities may bind the surviving "sibkin" together.

SLDF

Star League Defense Force

Surkai

The surkai is the Right of Forgiveness. The Clans honor uniformity in thought and belief above all other tenets of their society. When warriors disagree, when a Clan disagrees with the Clan Council, or when a member of one caste offends a member of another caste, surkai is expected. It is a matter of pride that the offending party freely admit his wrongdoing and request punishment. Those who show great surkai are held up as examples to others for their willingness to accept the consequences of their independent thoughts. Those who do not show surkai when it is expected of them are viewed with suspicion.

Surkairede

The Rede of Forgiveness, or surkairede, is the honor bound agreement between the majority and the dissenters. According to the surkairede, once a dissenter accepts punishment for having disagreed with the majority, he should be allowed to resume his role in society without suffering any further disgrace for having spoken out.

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Touman

The term given to the fighting arm of a Clan.

Trothkin

Used formally, this term refers to members of an extended sibko. Less formally, a warrior will use trothkin when referring to someone he considers his peer.

Trueborn

A trueborn is a product of the warrior caste's eugenics program.

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U, V, W, X, & Y

Zellbrigen

This is the Clan word describing the body of rules used to regulate and ritualize duels. Zellbrigen means that combatants engage in one-on-one duels, even both sides have many warriors. Those not immediately challenged are honor bound to stay out of the battle until an opponent is free (meaning he has defeated his enemy.) To attack an enemy already engaged with an opponent is a major breach of Clan conduct, usually resulting in at least loss of rank.

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