GHOST BEAR

SPECIFICS

Totem Animal
The Strana Mechty ghost bear is a patient predator that waits hours, even days, buried in the snow, for its prey to come into view. When the moment is right, the massive animal strikes with such lightning speed and strength that the naked eye can barely see the ghost bear at all. The surface of the snow settles again with only a faint bloodstain as evidence of the fierce and deadly battle.

Like its namesake, Clan Ghost Bear is a conservative hunter. Never hasty, the prevailing Ghost Bear ethos is "wait and see." When the Bear finally moves, the results are swift and often extreme. Once the Bear has chosen its target, nothing can stand in its way. Such is the Way of our Clan.

Brief History
The Ghost Bears are the only Clan to be founded by a married couple, and it almost did not happen. Hans Jorgensson and Sandra Tseng were valued advisors to Nicholas Kerensky. Although they were married, Nicholas had decided to place each of them in separate Clans to make best use of his most valuable people. Tseng and Jorgensson agreed that they would rather die together than live apart, and so they set out on a journey into the antarctic of Strana Mechty.

Their journey became the stuff of legends when a family of ghost bears reportedly saved them from death by starvation and exposure. Regaining their strength, they returned to the Clans. The solidarity shown by Tseng and Jorgensson so impressed Nicholas that he let them stay together as Khans of the Ghost Bear Clan.

The Ghost Bears thrived in the Golden Century, but their cautious attitudes kept them from standing out. The Clan's main advancements were industrial; the asteriod-mining techniques they developed during this time gave them a distinct edge in production.

When Operation Revival began, the Ghost Bears earned a place in the initial invasion force, attacking the Draconis Combine and Free Rasalhague Republic corridor. Easy victories in the Periphery and early encounters with Rasalhague troops lulled the Bear Kahn into a false sense of security. Together with a lack of sufficient supplies, this resulted in a poor showing for the Bears through the first two waves of the operation.

The turning pint was the death of Khan Theresa DelVillar. The Clan's dynamic Oathmaster, Aletha Kabrinski, succeeded her and immediately called for the removal of the Clan's other Khan, citing poor performance in the invasion to date. Kabrinski nominated Bjorn Jorgensson, who handily defeated the sitting Khan to take over command of the Clan. Jorgensson and Kabrinski immediately initiated sweeping reforms, putting the Clan back on track, and their performance in the later stages of the invasion was impressive. On Tukayyid, they managed to take on of their objectives, while all other Clans but wolf and Jade Falcon failed to achieve any sort of victory.

In the years following Tukayyid, the Bears moved to solidify their position in the Inner Sphere. Known for treating their civilians well, the Bears continued that course, working closely with local governments to keep the population as content as possible under their new leadership. Ambitious industrial expansion projects were wide spread, keeping employment rates up and enhancing the Bear Touman in the process.

The Ghost Bears were so successful in the Occupation Zone that Khan Jorgensson proposed a bold plan: to move the entire Clan permanently into the Inner Sphere, streamlining supply and manufacturing and strengthening the Clan. Putting the matter to a vote of the entire Warrior caste, as are all important matters that concern all Ghost Bear castes, the Clan voted to move. Although relocating from Clan space was not in violation of any Clan laws or traditions, the move was conducted in secrecy to prevent undue predation against Ghost Bear holdings or vessels during the relocation.

The capture and adoption by Clan Ghost Bear of Ragnar Magnusson, Prince of Rasalhague and former warrior of Clan Wolf, put the seal on the Ghost Bears' relocation. Currently a Star Colonel in the Bear Touman, his presence legitimizes the Bears' claim to their Inner Sphere possessions, and it seems likely that Ragnar will eventually be elevated to a high position within the Clan.

Society
Hard work and dedication are cornerstones of Ghost Bear daily life. Though these value are typical of the Clans, family has a unique meaning to this Clan founded by a married couple. In their years as the Ghost Bears' first Khans, Tseng and Jorgensson imparted to their initial forty warriors a sense of camaraderie and fellowship. To them, the Clan was a family, and the father of that family was the Khan.

As the years passed, those first warriors passed this sense of pride and belonging to those under their command. The intensity of the relationship faded as the Clan grew, but the general sense remained. Ghost Bear warriors maintain tight bonds with their trothkin and starmates. True friendship among them is widespread, and some even say love is common among the ranks (although the Bears deny this).

In the civilian castes, where families are common in other Clans, the concept is far closer to the Inner Sphere norm than in other Clans. Children generally stay with their parents rather than being raised in community cr�ches. In most cases, this means the cr�ches are more like day care than permanent homes for the children, and the parents take care of their own children as much as they can while still performing their duties for the Clan.

Military
The Ghost Bear Touman centers on strength and speed, employing 'Mechs with powerful arrays of weapons, often to the point where armor and heat sinks are compromised. The use fast 'Mechs such as Fire Moth to deploy their significant force of Elementals, the largest of any Clan. In fact, the Ghost Bears have deployed an entire Galaxy consisting solely of Elementals. Generally, Ghost Bear clusters consist of two trinaries of 'Mechs, on trinary of Elementals and a mixed Nova or either 'Mechs and Elementals or 'Mechs and AeroSpace fighters.

Ghost Bear training is harsh and especially physical. All warriors undergo personal combat training, and it is interesting to note that Clan Ghost Bear never adopted the aerospace pilot genotype for its pilots, instead using what other Clans would consider MechWarrior stock for that role. Many suspect the Bears made this move not only because of their famous reluctance to adopt nw methods, but also because the pilot genotype makes for poor hand to hand combatants.

Allies and Enemies
The Bears are a powerful but moderate Clan, and as such offend few and have worked alongside almost every Clan over the years. However, the only Clan that could be termed a true ally is Snow Raven, who have worked with the Ghost Bears periodically for the last hundred years. The Ghost Bears' comparatively weak aerospace force is complemented nicely by the Ravens, who benefit from the Bear's exceptional Elemental force in battles where the two work together.

A powerful Clan always attracts rivals, and the Ghost Bears are no exception. Topping the list are the Hell's Horses, who have had a long running border disputes with the Ghost Bears. One such conflict in the Golden Century resulted in the death of Kilbourne Jorgensson, arguably the most popular Ghost Bear Khan in history. The Ghost Bears have held a simmering hatred of the Horses ever since.

Also on less than sterling terms with the Bears are the Steel Vipers, with whom they just never got along, and Clan Wolf. The Wolf Clan enmity dates back to the Annihilation of Clan Wolverine and the fact that the Ghost Bears were denied the right to participate in the trial. The Bears let a Wolverine unit slip past them in spite, and have regretted it ever since. the scar of that incident is borne to this date by all Ghost Bear warriors, who also harbor a long standing grudge against the Wolf Clan for failing in the honor of fully destroying the Wolverines when they had the chance.

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