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Things to know about the Word of Blake circa Q1 3068 for Word of Blake players;
NOTE: FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR OWN 5th SUCCESSION WAR CAMPAIGN, NOT NECESSARILY 100% CANON, THOUGH ALL EFFORTS WERE MADE TO SYNC THIS INFO UP WITH CANON SOURCES WHEREVER POSSIBLE. NON-WORD OF BLAKE PLAYERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO AVOID METAGAMING AND PRETEND THEY DON'T KNOW ANY OF THIS.
Note 2: The Word of Blake now versus the Word as originally written is a drastic change. BattleTech has rarely had one faction as an out and out mustache twirling villain, and whilst ComStar/WoB has done a lot of underhanded stuff over the years, they still remained more or less altruistic. Their goals were always in the best interest of the Inner Sphere and peace (in their image, usually). The Word never had the force size, even at their height, to subjugate the entire Sphere. Obviously that's why Waterly's Operation: Scorpion failed miserably. If the Word is "old school ComStar," it stands to reason that they are actually much less likely to attempt an assault on every single faction in one go. Real world, I know a lot of that was due to the MWDA clicky tech game needing a hard reset, and the Word's "Jihad," a term I have always detested, was the result. The Jihad storyline was amazingly well-written by Herb and his team though, not taking anything away from that, it just had to deal with the presuppositions of the MWDA timeline and that outcome. So, if I were to personally play the Word in the 5th Succession War of our group (not saying I am or am not), it would be less "I'M GONNA SECHUALLY ASSAULT THE WHOLE SPHERE!!!" and more "well, our temper tantrum kicked off this thing, so let's establish a solid Blakist Protectorate/Terran Hegemony 2.0, turtle up for a bit, clean up our mess, and move on."
Force Strength
Field Manual: Updates lists the 10 Divisions of the Word of Blake Militia. This is, obviously, a lie. By 3068, at least 52 Divisions exist on paper. The first 10, the original Divisions, are at 100% strength, as are the 11th through 20th, which featured the same TO&Es of the first 10, to confuse foreign intelligence agencies. The 21st through 39th sit between 25% and 50% of a normal divisional strength at this point. The 40th through 52nd, aka the "Shadow Divisions," are also in a various state of readiness, alternating between one and three Level IIIs, with full operational readiness achieved by 3071. The canon 53rd and 54th don't appear anywhere until the mid-3070s. Non-canon 53rd SD "Morrigan's Malleus Maleficarum" is available at the same one to three Level III status.Shadow Divisions are special commands here, as is the Opacus Venatori, and Warrior Houses Rakshasa & White Tiger. The Opacus Venatori is special forces Light of Mankind two level IIs tasked with headhunter missions. Shadow Divisions are led by Manei Domini cyber soldiers (the Manei Domini is known in 3068, as the Master's Hand, but not who they are or what they are for sure until after Shadow Divisions start hammering worlds), but are not completely filled with MDs. Unaugmented "Frails" still dominate the rank and file. The two Warrior Houses are built by Cameron St Jamais for Kali Liao, using Word 'Mechs and Kali's "Manei Thuggee" cultists enhanced with MD tech. They are of questionable (to the Word) loyalty and don't exist at all until after 3070, so may never be built via player decision. The Shadow Divisions don't answer to the Precentor Martial, instead answering to Precentor Domini Apollyon, and thus aren't assigned a specific theatre (see below), instead ranging Sphere-wide as an offensive force.
The Master
Word of Blake, unlike ComStar doesn't have a public Primus, or public central authority figure. All decisions for the organization come from the Ruling Conclave, made up of the heads of the four most powerful factions of the Word (Counter-Reformists, Expatriates, Toyamas, True Believers) and the Precentor Martial (Cameron St Jamais, a Toyama in this case). The reason for this, is that "the power behind the throne" is Thomas Marik. The real Thomas Marik, saved from the bomb blast that killed his father, by ComStar, given a new lease on life through the use of cybernetic technology that is generally shunned by the Free Worlds League. Captain-General Thomas Marik of the FWL is an imposter, put in place by ComStar, a fact lost on most of the universe (Victor Steiner-Davion is aware of this, however). The Master knows more about ComStar and Word of Blake history than any other figure alive, including info about The Blood (we're treating it all as canon, given later revelations), The Five, and the Third Transfer/Stone Initiative.One quick note involving The Master - Arthur Steiner-Davion. The last mention of him in a novel is that he is floating in some kind of a tank, and a voice tells him "soon." In The Blake Documents, there are a series of small entries, presumably in the voice of The Master, commenting on little happenings of the Inner Sphere. The last one is him, over a tank, and it ends with "soon, Arthur." It has been rumored for years that Arthur Steiner-Davion is the unnamed "protege" of Thomas Marik. Not Devlin Stone, probably, since Victor is quick to point out that Stone is not Arthur (unless he's lying, but Stone is a Blakist plant in either case, as a failsafe procedure, so it is possible) but it's one of those plot threads that has been left kind of open-ended. However, if one playing the Word wanted to pull their forces from New Avalon, and have the Federated Suns "owe" them kind of a favor (depending how neutral you want the Word to be in the 5th SW), Arthur could always be "returned" to take rule over the FedSuns....
----2021 update: HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA, fucking Devlin Stone is the fucking Tacitus. The. Fucking. Tacitus. PEACE THROUGH POWER!---
The Blood
An out-of-universe source of rumors for years, and an in-universe idea expressed in The Blake Documents, events in Betrayal of Ideals, lines from The Last Days of Zeta, and basically everything in Interstellar Expeditions have more or less (for our purposes) confirmed the rumor - The Blood is the survivors of Clan Wolverine, also known as the Minnesota Tribe. Facing a Trial of Annihilation at the hands of Clan Wolf, a small band of Wolverine warriors and civilians, led by Trish Ebon, were able to make it back to the Inner Sphere, making it to the Draconis Combine around 2825 (ComStar's report of a fallen MechWarrior piloting a pristine Lancelot in SLDF colors, with a 331st Royal BattleMech Regiment patch, as well as an at the time unknown white Terran wolverine patch, reinforces that point as far back as the Explorer Corps sourcebook).Betrayal of Ideals lays out the events leading up to the Annihilation, as well as a final chapter that places ComStar explorers at the "grave site" of the last Wolverines, and notes that flowers have been routinely placed at that location, not long before the Outbound Light jumps into Clan space, prompting the Clan Invasion. As no Clan leader alive in the 3040s is noted as having an idea that the Annihilation went down differently than Nicholas Kerensky told it (but with retcons, there may have been some privy to that info), it is implied that the survivors maintained all navigational data back to Clan space, coupled with information in Explorer Corps about Primus Adrienne Sims having "visions" of the destruction of the Inner Sphere by "emerald birds of death," "metallic vipers," "demon horses," "six legged bears" etc (all insignia of Clans), credence is lent to the idea that The Blood intentionally forced the Outbound Light into an "uninhabited" system (Strana Metchy) to lead to the invasion and the eventual death of the Clans.
The Blake Documents has diary style entries which, given Betrayal of Ideals, may be from Trish Ebon and not saKhan Franklin Hallis as has been surmised before, detailing the journey from Clan space, making contact with ComStar, and the settlement of Koryo on Mars. Last Days of Zeta mention that Koryo, thought to be Word of Blake ROM, was actually something else, and something the Word was willing to use WarShip orbital bombardment to keep secret, staying in line with this thought. The opening fiction (to say nothing of the cover art) for Interstellar Expeditions has an IE dig team finding a cavernous base, decayed 'Mechs (Wolverine Mercury IIs and Pulverizers, 'Mechs that would not belong to any other faction), and Word of Blake orbital bombardment silencing the discovery.
----2025 update: the Koryo thing could have just been The Master though, with or without The Blood based on the opening to the first Jihad book w/Cameron talking to TM.----
The Five
ComStar declared the neutrality of communication and control of Terra, but were still a tiny little force in a single solar system. in a universe full of potential enemies. Because of this, at some point during the 1st Succession War, they came up with a plan to "disappear" worlds by deeming them dead or uninhabitable and deleting them out of star charts transmitted via HPG. Though there are a host of possible Word of Blake Periphery outposts and former Rim Worlds Republic listening posts, The Five are unique in that they are "hidden in plain sight" within the Inner Sphere. Again, this knowledge is entirely unknown by the Inner Sphere at large, including the vast majority of even the Word, but certain names (like Jardine) have recently come up. In canon, Chandrasekhar Kurita becomes aware of them, and even (somehow) manages to locate one in the mid 3070s. This may or may not happen in the 5th SW. The Five are;- The Ruins of Gabriel (Lyran Alliance) - a shipyard complex hidden (in canon) in the Odessa system. Because it is hard not to metagame and Odessa still shows on star charts, it might be hard to resist the urge for a player to "stumble" over it, and the Word of Blake player may be allowed to move TRoG into a suitable system elsewhere in the Alliance.
- Jardine (Free Worlds League), previously also known as Herakleion in a shell game to cover up its identity, was a center for cybernetics and the apparent homeworld of Precentor Apollyon and the Manei Domini. Thomas Marik (The Master) was brought here in or around 3035 to be treated for the injuries sustained in the bombing that killed his father. Thomas Marik (aka Thomas Halas, the imposter) was trained on Jardine. Intrepid explorer Brooklyn Stevens found Jardine just prior to the Jihad/5th SW while tracing another ill-fated expedition that had found the world shortly before, but her team was hunted down and terminated. Later, an expedition sent by Thomas Halas found that the planet had succumbed to a natural disaster known as a traps volcano, and had become totally uninhabitable. This may or may not come to pass, depending. It's assumed the Word triggered the traps volcano, and lines spoken by Apollyon lend weight to it, so it could possibly be prevented...
- Mayadi (Draconis Combine) was later discovered to be the long-dead world of Tangerz, depopulated by a bioweapon breakout in the 2900s that was speculated to have been caused by bioweapons research conducted there. Which may be the source for later Word of Blake bioweapon deployment.
- Taussen (Federated Suns) is noted as being the source of Word of Blake BattleMech construction and development. The Celestial OmniMechs are known to have been produced on Gibson and Terra for sure, but given the information relayed regarding Taussen, it is VERY likely another line for them is located there, despite the Word's utter silence since the Jihad in canon (Ben Rome had some great ideas regarding this, however, but since the timeline has just stopped, none of them have been put into use as of yet).
- Obeedah (Capellan Confederation?) has the least amount of information available in sourcebooks, but is noted for a high population, "nice" environment with tropical islands, and a fleet base/with large space station of some kind.
Luyten 68-28/Ross 248
Luyten is more of a semi-secret than a full on secret, as ComStar knows the location and other factions have heard of it. Never disclosed in any BattleTech product, it's only known that Luyten is somewhere within one jump of Terra (it's surmised that Gliese 65 is the "real world" analog, a binary red dwarf system about 9 light years away, close to Epsilon Eridani). First used by the Terran Hegemony/Star League, and then ComStar, Luyten is home to a massive naval station and fleet base for the Word of Blake's WarShips. The planet itself is habitable, with plant and animal life, and contains a storehouse of Word of Blake nuclear weaponry.Ross 248 is similar to Luyten, as a fleet base, in this case in a metallic asteroid. Also in system is Terralibre, a "slow boat" colony that has technical experts that help maintain Word of Blake fleet assets in exchange for being left alone.
Factional Strife
Whilst the Word can be seen as a monolithic organization, it isn't. Like any human endeavor, internal cliques based upon shared belief have developed. Militarily, the split between the Word of Blake Militia and the Shadow Divisions is more of a personal thing between Cameron St Jamais and Apollyon than any type of doctrine. Looking at the Ruling Conclave, four main factions exist as of 3068;- Counter-Reformists
- The smallest faction on the conclave, they feel over time that Jerome Blake's word has been corrupted and may need to be revised in some areas, but not to the same extremes that caused the Word of Blake to split from ComStar originally. They approach dangerous ground with regards to their beliefs and how they are viewed by other members of the conclave. Led by Precentor Anuska Brezhnic.
- Expatriates
- When Victor Steiner-Davion became Precentor-Martial of ComStar in 3062 many officers and officials who had remained in the order in the hopes of reversing the reforms carried out by Focht saw that the organization was unable to be redeemed in their eyes. As such many left for the Word of Blake and became Expatriates. The Expatriates often threw their weight behind the True Believers, until 3065 when many of its high-ranking members were unmasked as ComStar agents. In the light of this betrayal, the Expatriates mostly ceased to be when the bulk of the sect switched their allegiances to other factions. Led by Precentor Laura Chang.
- Toyamas
- Named after fanatical Conrad Toyama who triggered the religious transformation of ComStar, the Toyamas are the most radical faction on the conclave and among the most splintered. They believe that Blake’s truth must be spread to the rest of the Inner Sphere by any and all means available, openly launching terrorist attacks against the Inner Sphere and even targeting other factions to enhance their own position on the conclave. The bulk of the most fanatical acts can be laid at the feet of the Sixth of June subsect. Led by Precentor ROM Alexander Kernoff (One Voice subsect) and Precentor-Martial Cameron St Jamais (Sixth of June subsect).
- True Believers
- One of the moderate factions on the conclave, most true believers wish to come to a understanding with the rest of the Inner Sphere and Secular ComStar and are generally non-violent, however they are not pacifists. They feel that the Word of Blake should unify before it leads the Inner Sphere to the truth, often attempting to play middleman in the struggle between Blakist factions. Led by Precentor William Blane.
Divisions
Eventually deployed based upon either protecting Word of Blake holdings (Protectorate) or which foreign power the Division was tasked with fighting. This is just a guideline, however, as the Word isn't enmeshed so bad with foreign conflict that they cannot withdraw from a power (no conflict at all with Liao or Marik, fighting on Luthien with the Black Dragon and loyalists, Tharkad and New Avalon blockaded). Thanks to Sarna for providing a handy list. Protectorate Theater
After the declaration of the Word Protectorate, that region is the heart of the new nation. Defended by some of the finest warriors from the Word of Blake militia they will protect it by any means. The mercenaries have normal contracts such as garrison and cadre duties.- Regular Forces
- 1st Division - Elite
- 4th Division - Elite
- 5th Division - Veteran
- 6th Division - Elite
- 7th Division - Veteran
- 12th Division - Veteran
- 39 Division - Elite
- Mercenary Support
- Blanc's Coyotes
- Broadsword Legion
- Burr's Black Cobras
- Canned Heat
- Carson's Renegades
- Clifton's Rangers
- 51st Dark Panzer Jaegers
- Fist of Mokal
- The Furies
- Hannibal's Hermits
- HeavyHell Raisers
- Hsien Hotheads
- Khasperov’s Knights
- Martian Cuirassiers
- Mobile Fire
- Simonson’s Cutthroats
- Stealthy Tigers
- Tiger Sharks
- Waco Rangers
- Wannamaker's Widowmakers
Lyran Theater
- Regular Forces
- 2nd Division - Elite
- 11th Division - Veteran
- 18th Division - Veteran
- 25th Division - Elite
- 37th Division - Veteran
- 38th Division - Regular
- Mercenary Support
- Bullard's Armored Cavalry
- Gray's Ghosts
FedSuns Theater
- Regular Forces
- 9th Division - Elite
- 10th Division - Veteran
- 22nd Division - Veteran
- 31st Division - Regular
- 33rd Division - Veteran
- 36th Division - Veteran
- Mercenary Support
- Broadstreet Bullies
- Bronson's Horde
- Lafeyette Legion
Capellan Theater
- Regular Forces
- 8th Division - Veteran
- 13th Division - Veteran
- 17th Division - Veteran
- 21st Division - Veteran
- 24th Division - Veteran
- 35th Division - Veteran
- Warrior House White Tiger
- Warrior House Rakshasa
- Mercenary Support
- Black Angus Boys
- Dragon's Breath
- Jacob's Juggernauts
- Olson's Rangers
Free Worlds Theater
- Regular Forces
- 3rd Division - Veteran
- 15th Division - Elite
- 20th Division - Veteran
- 27th Division - Veteran
- 30th Division - Regular
- Mercenary Support
- Swann's Cavaliers
- Raymond’s Armored Cavalry
- Redfield Renegades
Draconis Theater
- Regular Forces
- 14th Division - Elite
- 19th Division - Veteran
- 23rd Division - Regular
- 28th Division - Veteran
- 29th Division - Regular
- 32nd Division - Regular
- Mercenary Support
- Sathen's Snipers
Periphery Theater
- Regular Forces
- 16th Division - Regular
- 26th Division - Regular
- 34th Division - Regular
- Mercenary Support
- Lone Star Regiment
- Prey's Divisionals
- Quint's Olympian Groundpounders
- Vulgar Bulgars
Shadow Division
- 40th Shadow Division - Elite
- 41st Shadow Division - Elite
- 42nd Shadow Division - Elite
- 43rd Shadow Division - Elite
- 44th Shadow Division - Elite
- 45th Shadow Division - Veteran
- 46th Shadow Division - Elite
- 47th Shadow Division - Elite
- 48th Shadow Division - Elite
- 49th Shadow Division - Elite
- 50th Shadow Division - Elite
- 51st Shadow Division - Elite
- 52nd Shadow Division - Elite
- 53rd Shadow Division - Veteran
- 54th Shadow Division - Regular
- Opacus Venatori - Elite
WarShips
Note: Sarna's table is nice, but incomplete to Q1 3068. See addendums after. | Blade of Righteousness | Vincent Mk 39-class | ||
| Blade of Divinity | Vincent Mk 39-class | ||
| Blade of Holiness | Vincent Mk 39-class | ||
| Blake's Redemption | Vincent Mk 39-class | ||
| Light of Hope | Baron-class | ||
| Light of Glory | Baron-class | ||
| Light of Faith | Baron-class | ||
| Sword of Promise | Carson-class | ||
| Sword of Enlightenment | Carson-class | ||
| Righteous Justice | Farragut-class | ||
| Red Angel | Riga-class | ||
| Red Devil | Riga-class | ||
| Divine Forgiveness | Essex-class | ||
| Righteous Honor | Essex-class | ||
| Blake’s Deliverance | Essex-class | ||
| Hidden Meaning | Essex-class | ||
| Enlightened Spark | Essex-class | ||
| Stalwart Defender | Sovetskii Soyuz-class | ||
| Vigilant Guardian | Sovetskii Soyuz-class | ||
| Invincible | Tharkad-class | ||
| Rays of Enlightenment | Black Lion-class | ||
| Blake Ascendant | Black Lion-class | ||
| Immortal Spirit | Aegis-class | ||
| Herald of Justice | Aegis-class | ||
| Herald of Wisdom | Aegis-class | ||
| Herald of Retribution | Aegis-class | ||
| Enlightened Direction | Naga-class | ||
| Divine Command | Naga-class | ||
| Celestial Threads | Naga-class | ||
| Milvano | Pinto-class | ||
| Mayenne | Pinto-class | ||
| Gorgon | Pinto-class | ||
| Syrstart | Pinto-class | ||
| Perdition | Dante-class | ||
| Salvation | Dante-class | ||
| Blake’s Sword | McKenna-class | ||
| Erinyes | Newgrange—class | ||
| Blake’s Mercy | Newgrange—class | ||
| End of Wisdom | Lola III-class | ||
| Faith's End | Lola III-class | ||
| Guarded Knowledge | Lola III-class |
