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 TABLE OF CONTENTS i 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