THE EARLY YEARS OF THE JIHAD
November 3067 saw the culmination of work two cen- KNIGHTS OF THE INNER SPHERE FIGHT EXTINCTION turies in the making, work begun by Primus Conrad Toyama of ComStar, successor to Jerome Blake and the man responsible for single-handedly turning ComStar into a pseudo-religious organization with a vision: to lead mankind to the light…by any means necessary.
When the Star League self-destructs, a shadowy power behind the fanatical Word of Blake pulls the strings taut in righteous anger, launching a war to bring hu- manity to its knees. Confusion reigns, and each faction nds itself isolated amid its own turmoil. Yet as a new decade dawns, glimpses of the greater whole begin to appear through the dark clouds. The true battle has only just begun.
Blake Ascending: A Jihad Compilation is an omnibus reprint of Dawn of the Jihad and Jihad Hot Spots: 3070; the rst two sourcebooks in the seminal Jihad plot line. The Blake Ascending sourcebook shakes the Classic BattleTech universe to its foundation, documenting the opening years from 3067 to 3070. The series of events presented in this book unfold in a rolling format, allowing readers to immerse themselves more directly into the action than ever before. Players of both Classic BattleTech and Classic BattleTech RPG will nd framework rules to run Sampleany type file of campaign in regions through out the Inner Sphere during this chaotic time.
Under License From STAR LEAGUE ERA CLAN INVASION ERA JIHAD ERA
SUCCESSION WARS ERA CIVIL WAR ERA ©2008-2009 WizKids, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Blake Ascending: A Jihad Compilation, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech, ’Mech, and WK Games are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. WEBSITE: CATALYSTGAMELABS.COM Catalyst Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Productions, LLC. Sample file connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section00: TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS i
THE DEVELOPER’S SAY “Cowardice!” SHADOWS OF FAITH Doctors: Coordinator Ill, Recovering INTRODUCTION “Who Among Us Shall Rule?” How to Use This Book The Widening Con icts AND IT CAME TO PASS Dieron Under Quarantine War Engulfs Inner Sphere Death to Mercenaries! Decade of Tumult Borders on Alert Opening Shots THE EAGLE SCREAMS FILTHY MONEY Winds of Change War Strikes Mercenaries! The Star League Failure: What Happened? The Gathering Storm Mercenary Assault on Mars Fails! Where the Money Trail Ends Tharkad: Was It or Wasn’t It? Northwind Highlanders Returning Home Assassins Gun Down Head of Sirian Concordance Death of a Legend Outreach Nuked! Harlech City Under Siege! Day of the Hawk Counterstrike War! Dragoons Break Contract Bolan Declares War Northwind Blockade Captain-General Condemns “Lyran Aggression” Mars: What Happened? Steiners Launch Second Wave Fall of Outreach The Quagmire of the Alliance Mercenary Treachery At Last! Outreach Bombarded! Jeremy Brett: Usurper in a Hero’s Clothing? Outreach: A Survivor’s Account Knights Recalled Legacy of Distrust ENEMY BROTHERS “Divine Retribution!” Tumbling Downward Mercenaries Under Fire Word of Blake Declares War as Star League Dies Running the Blockade Heretics and Traitors! BURNING FIST Slaughter! Tharkad Burns Com Guards Shattered Star League Disbanded! Tide of Fire Horror Unleashed Sample fileTukayyid Hit, Heavy Casualties Reported Chaos and Confusion Dow Vows “Swift Retribution” The Archon Dead? Case White The Greater War Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-Davion Speaks Skye Assaulted! Case White Underway! Long Odds for Duke Robert “Devastation” Wave Two? Mopping Up An Appeal for Unity “The Bringers of Truth” Skye-League War Forces Archon’s Hand The Holy Light of Blake Comes to Demeter Alliance Under Siege—Day TRIALS OF VICTORY BROKEN SWORDS Silent Runnings Sunset Over the Sword Whispers and Rumors I Who Is In Charge? Whispers and Rumors II Marshal of the Armies Speaks Awaiting Orders The Forgotten Fronts Borrowed Time The Pleiades Question On the Precipice Lest We Forget Whispers and Rumors III The Taurian Problem Time of Deliberation Marches at War Whispers and Rumors IV Operation Sovereign Justice Underway Outreach Survivors? Sovereign Justice Strikes Deep Guarding the Flank TEARS OF THE DRAGON Righteous Rage Dreams Torn Asunder Showing Restraint Leaders Gather for Whitting Watching and Waiting Star League Disbands Cry Havoc The Dragon Speaks CELESTIAL CRISES Black Dragon Rising Gathering Shadows Uprising on Luthien! Celestial Wisdom Dedicates Memorial Betrayal at the Dragon’s Heart Blake’s Wrath Targets Capellan People connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/00: TABLE OF CONTENTS 002 / 003
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St. Ives Struck Warchest Point System Royal Family Kidnapping! Getting Started Flashing Swords Warchest Points Between Tracks Capellans, Unite! Skill Advancement Luck or Foresight? Ending the Campaign Reclaim Your Destiny Chaos Unbound: The Setup Victorious They Vanquish! Look Who’s Coming to Dinner Fortress of Determination Another Day, Another C-bill Davions Sue for Peace FUBAR! Falling Skies Payback Sian Struck! Vacationing in the Wasteland Not Again! The Skye Is Falling! Union of Sword and Spirit Running From the Devil Too Far! Game On! AFTERSHOCKS Golden Goose CHAOS UNBOUND Full Metal Press Chaos Unbound: Dawn of the Jihad Falcon Ptomaine How to Use This Section Final Curtain? Tracks Campaign Special Rules
CREDITS ii
Writing Cover Art Proofcheckers Herbert A. Beas II Klaus Scherwinski Mike Miller and Peter LaCasse Randall N. Bills Cover Design Loren L. Coleman Jason VargasSample file ©2008 WizKids, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Blake Ascending, Dawn Warner Doles Header Design of the Jihad, Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, Chris Hartford Jim Nelson ’Mech, BattleMech, MechWarrior, Classic BattleTech RPG, AeroTech 2, Ken Horner Layout and WK Games are registered trademarks and/or trademarks Kevin Killiany David M. Stansel-Garner of WizKids, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. No Nick “Gunslinger” Marsala Illustrations part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, David L. McCulloch Gerhard Mozsi or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior Ben Rome Additional Graphic Elements permission in writing of the Copyright Owner, nor be otherwise Paul Sjardijn Chris Lewis circulated in any form other than that in which it is published. Christo er “Bones” Trossen Blake Ascending Layout & Cover Updates Printed in Canada. Øystein Tvedten Adam Jury Phaedra Weldon Published by Catalyst Game Labs Shadows of Faith Special Thanks 1608 N. Milwaukee • Suite 1005 • Chicago, IL 60647 Loren L. Coleman To…Everyone! Chaos Unbound Playtesters and Fact-Checkers Find us online: Ben Rome Raymond Arrastia, Daniel M. Ball, Ron “Steel Hawke” [email protected] Paul Sjardijn Barter, Charles Borner, Paul “Blackhorse” Bowman, Rich (e-mail address for any Classic BattleTech questions) http://www.classicbattletech.com Product Development Cencarik, John Danovich, Brent Dill, Tim DuPertuis, John “Quentil” Dzieniszewski, David Fanjoy, Bruce Ford, Jon Frideres, Aaron (o cial Classic BattleTech web pages) Herbert A. Beas II http://www.CatalystGameLabs.com Randall N. Bills Gregory, Anthony “Shadhawk” Hardenburgh, Ross Hines, Glenn Hopkins, Peter La Casse, Rodney Klatt, Camille Klien, Edward (Catalyst Game Labs web pages) Product Editing “TenakaFurey” La erty, Edward Lott, Mike Miller, Je “Highlander” http://www.wizkidsgames.com/mechwarrior/ Diane Piron-Gelman Morgan, Darrell “Flailing Death” Myers, Louis “Nukeloader” Myers, (o cial MechWarrior web pages) Michael Nelson, Andrew T. Norris, Keith “Vang” Oberschulte, http://www.wizkidsgames.com BattleTech Line Developer Nathaniel Olsen, Aaron Pollyea, “Medron Pryde”, Rick Raisley, (WizKids web pages) Randall N. Bills Rick Remer, Christopher K. Searls, Chris “Chunga(lomeningitis!)” http://www.battlecorps.com Production Sta Smith, Joel Steverson, Rob Strathmann, Geo Swift, Scott “Clutch” (online ordering) Art Direction Taylor, Roland “Ruger” Thigpen, Todd Thrash, Jason “Panzerfaust Randall N. Bills 150” Weiser, Chris “Chinless” Wheeler, Aaron Williams, Charles Wilson, Andreas Zuber. connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section02: THE DEVELOPER'S SAY
THE DEVELOPER'S SAY i
The Word of Blake fi rst appeared in 1992 with the publication The hiatus took place for numerous reasons. It allowed FanPro of the ComStar sourcebook, a direct result of events from the novel to fi rmly establish its ability to produce quality products (includ- Lost Destiny by Michael Stackpole. As with any major schism within ing the creation of a fact-checking group of fans to help maintain a fi ctional setting—especially one revolving around a pseudo-re- continuity/quality), and enabled WizKids to fi rmly cement its own ligious order—the plan from inception was to ultimately stage an timeline and game before starting to close the gap. The decision to apocalyptic future battle between the sundered halves of ComStar. “pause” the BattleTech universe was not made lightly. In 2003, I pro- However, as with so many plot threads weaving through the posed that by 2005, all other criteria should be met and we could BattleTech universe, at that point in time the unfolding of events fi nally delve into the Jihad. was nebulous at best. We soon realized that the framework for how the Jihad would In 1994, FASA held its fi rst fi ction summit concerning the take place and develop had changed almost beyond recognition BattleTech universe. At each of these large-scale summits—which since 2000. Instead of presenting to the community a largely un- have occurred every two or three years for the past decade—the expected event (beyond foreshadowing laid down across the past BattleTech developers and editors, the president of the com- decade), as FASA had done with the Fourth Succession War and pany, game creator Jordan Weisman and the primary authors of the Clan invasion, the history of the MechWarrior: Dark Age time- BattleTech sourcebooks and novels met to develop the next sev- line spelled out in some detail the events of the Jihad, including eral years’ worth of plot threads, which they could then weave into its ending. We also did not have the primary venue for conveying novels and sourcebooks. At the 1996 meeting, participants began such a mammoth storyline; no novels about it had been written. to fi rm up the nebulous plan, using the word “Jihad” for the fi rst (WizKids did launch a new and successful line of MechWarrior: Dark time to describe the coming battle. However, the major events of Age novels, continuing to fl esh out a new and exciting universe the Twilight of the Clans and the FedCom Civil War still needed to and characters, but these books don’t provide the support needed be developed and published, making any jihad many years distant. for Classic BattleTech fi ction.) At the next fi ction summit in 1998, the Jihad received a little more So when we convened another summit at the end of 2002, we meat on its bones, though the meeting participants spent most of quickly realized we had to think outside the box across the board. that time spelling out the details of the huge FedCom Civil War. The standard, all-inclusive, mostly straightforward style of source- The summit in late saw serious eff ort to develop the Jihad books published for BattleTech over the past twenty years simply event. Authors and developers fi nally put on paper a series of novel would not cut it. Instead, writers needed to generate a completely ideas and concepts (along with rough sketches for accompanyingSample new file style that would put the players directly into the events of the sourcebooks) to begin what would become the Word of Blake’s cru- Jihad, unfolding them as time and sourcebooks progressed. sade… and then everything came crashing down. FASA closed its We also had to deal with continuity as never before—not only doors in January , and it appeared BattleTech might die. to tie in and develop the past ten years and more of plot threads Fortunately, the BattleTech community refused to let that happen. across dozens of FASA/FanPro published products and nov- WizKids, Inc. purchased the BattleTech Intellectual property and els, but also to work in the numerous threads leading back from went on to publish MechWarrior: Dark Age (the collectible miniatures MechWarrior: Dark Age. We needed to develop these plot threads game set 65 years in BattleTech’s future). Meanwhile, FanPro licensed through the Jihad to create the “next era” for Classic BattleTech sto- the rights to continue publishing BattleTech sourcebooks and rule- ries and sourcebooks in the Jihad’s aftermath, and also to lay the books. Since that day, FanPro has published a new base box set and foundation for events planned for the future of MechWarrior: Dark more than twenty new sourcebooks and rulebooks, while getting Age (game and novels). All this while attempting to provide action- additional products back into print as well. packed storytelling rife with suspense and surprises to shock and However, a key element temporarily went missing. From the entertain; not just to keep the community coming back for more, beginning, BattleTech has been a living universe, growing and mov- but to generate new excitement for the BattleTech universe. ing forward, its characters, nations and people constantly evolving. To achieve that goal, more front-end work has gone into this After the FedCom Civil War plot line ended in 2001 and 2002, the product than any of the roughly fi fty others I’ve worked on. We BattleTech universe went into hibernation of sorts—stuck in 3067. spent half a year alone kicking ideas around and fl eshing out a This hiatus allowed us to explore numerous facets of the universe proposed style of presentation that all Jihad sourcebooks will fol- never before fully developed (such as publishing construction rules low, its outline and the accompanying timeline: a ten-thousand for battle armor and support vehicles, generating badly needed word proposal. Because this project would start to move into revisions of such books as AeroTech 2 and Technical Readouts: 3026 MechWarrior: Dark Age territory, more so than any other BattleTech and 3057, delving into some of the “supposed” powers behind the product published by FanPro to date, it would require WizKids’ ap- Clans and Houses in Interstellar Players, launching the Historical proval to move forward. I consider it a testament to the work all the and Handbook series, and so on), but the lack of forward progress various authors put forth that WizKids approved it without a single in the timeline made itself felt. requested revision. connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/02: THE DEVELOPER'S SAY 004 / 005
THE DEVELOPER'S SAY i
Based on the proposal, detailed writing assignments were excitement, “Shadows of Faith”—the fi rst of many stories support- generated. Once written sections came in, they were handed off ing, fl eshing out and weaving through the various future FanPro to the fact-checking team, which—combined with the playtesters Jihad sourcebooks—appears at the front of this product. and authors—generated more than two-thousand e-mails in the I have always contended that every license, from the million- weeks (and months) of review and counter-review. Outside of the selling computer games and novels, to decals and miniatures, to fantastic work they’ve done in making the Handbooks a quality the Heavy Metal software line, all provide essential support for the line, they earned their keep and then some with the mammoth BattleTech universe. BattleCorps is no diff erent. Even though so eff ort they’ve poured into helping make this product and the Jihad many people have poured so much time and eff ort into the Dawn as a whole all it can be. of the Jihad sourcebook to make it as exciting and dynamic as pos- Overall, we’ve done more front-end and back-end work than sible, BattleTech fans will miss the full experience of the Jihad with- for any previous product I can think of…and all for a product that out the fi ction BattleCorps provides. covers only the fi rst year of the Jihad! So now comes the test. As you dive into Dawn of the Jihad, you will notice that the You hold in your hands the culmination of nine years and short fi ction piece at the front not only ends in a cliff -hanger, but thousands—if not millions—of man-hours, the beginning of that the continuing story will not be published in future source- what I hope will be a fantastic and enjoyable ride for several years books. Instead, it will continue at www.battlecorps.com (the offi - (and numerous sourcebooks) to come. cial online source for canon Classic BattleTech fi ction). In the end, none of this would be possible without the I made this decision for several reasons. BattleTech community. Though it is my sincerest hope that this First, the cliff -hanger aspect of the fi ction piece fi ts Dawn of product will generate the excitement needed to spark interest the Jihad as a whole; this is only the fi rst year of the Jihad and the among a new generation of players, while bringing back those whole product ends on a cliff -hanger, waiting for the story to con- who have parted ways, this book is dedicated to those fans who tinue in Jihad Hot Spots: 3070. have stayed the course with BattleTech through thick and thin. It is Second, while the BattleTech sourcebooks have always been because of you that BattleTech still exists and because of you that entertaining in their own right, players would have missed the we’ve dedicated so much eff ort to making the Jihad the most en- full experience of any major BattleTech event (from the Fourth joyable event yet in BattleTech’s long, illustrious history. Succession War to the Clan Invasion, Twilight of the Clans, the Only you can judge whether or not we succeeded. FedCom Civil War and so on) without the accompanyingSample novels. I Thankfile you. believe BattleTech has survived for more than twenty years because of those novels and the dynamic storytelling format that began in Randall N. Bills 1986 with the publication of the fi rst BattleTech novel, Decision at Classic BattleTech Line Developer Thunder Rift. As FanPro has grown over the past three years and increased [Assistant Developer’s Addendum: There’s really nothing I can add to the quality, size and scope of its products in preparation for fully the above except a heartfelt dedication of this product to the fans at accepting the BattleTech mantle and moving the timeline forward large. Thank you all for your stalwart support and love of the game, once more, BattleCorps has grown as well. While able to explore even in our lean years. Starting now, I hope, we can repay your pa- numerous aspects of the BattleTech universe—including historical tience and devotion in full. fi ction—I believe BattleCorps’ true contribution to the BattleTech property and more importantly to the community will be felt dur- Herbert A. Beas II ing the Jihad. In what has already generated a huge buzz of online Classic BattleTech Assistant Line Developer]