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Introduction
Before we get started with how the game works, let me give you a brief rundown of what BattleTech is, how 'MechWarrior3 fits in, what is 'House Steiner, and specifically Steiner’s role in the game. First, BattleTech is a game universe developed by FASA, Inc., based in Chicago, IL. BattleTech is set in the Inner Sphere, a large collection of planets that have been colonized by man. There are no "aliens" in BattleTech, only humans. The multi-player version of the game you have been playing is set in approximately the year 3058 time-frame in a collection of planets known as the innersphere. The Inner Sphere is divided up into 5 main parts, commonly referred to as the Successor States, with the planet Terra in the exact center of the Sphere. The Successor States are each controlled by a ruling 'House.
The Successor States and their ruling Houses are:
Lyran Commonwealth: 'House Steiner
Draconis Combine: 'House Kurita
Federated Suns: 'House Davion
Capellan Confederation: 'House Liao
Free Worlds Leaque: 'House Marik
Each State is often referred to by the name of the ruling 'House. For example, you will often hear warriors of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces referring to 'House Steiner as just Steiner rather than the Lyran Commonwealth. To help orient yourself below is a map of the innersphere for 3025. 'House Steiner resides in the upper left corner.
Lyran Commonwealth History
History:
The Lyran Commonwealth came into being when the worlds of the Tamar Pact, Federation of Skye, and Protectorate of Donegal joined together in 2341 for economical and defense reasons. At first there were nine Archons to rule the Commonwealth. However, in 2375 Robert Marsden declared himself Archon Basileus and took control of the Commonwealth. Years passed with varying degrees of success and failure for the Commonwealth, until finally, in 2395, Alistair Marsden took the throne.
In 2407, House Kurita launched an attack which overwhelmed the Lyran defenders of a small border region between the former Tamar and Skye defense pacts. The attackers poured through the rift, heading for the Commonwealth capital on Arcturus. The Kuritan plan was to hit Arcturus, then swing towards Terra in an effort to take an entire section of the Federation of Skye into the dragon's grasp.
The new archon, Alistair Marsden was shocked at the failure of his better equipped military. He dismissed the commanding generals and took over the defense of the Commonwealth himself. He was able to rally the LCAF and stopped the Kuritan invasion on the planet Morningside. Later that year, Marsden submitted a plan to move the capital to Tharkad, his arctic native homeworld. This was to move the capital out of the immediate reach of the Kuritan forces. Tharkad City became the new capital of the Lyran Commonwealth on December 30, 2407.
Early in 2408, Marsden launched an all-out attack on the Kuritan planet of Vega, destroying the huge stockpile of supplies there waiting for the next phase of the Kuritan invasion. This caused the Kuritans to postpone their next attack. Alistair Marsden met Katherine Steiner in 2399 and married her in 2405. When Alistair was killed in January 2408 on Menkent, Katherine changed her own and her son's surname back to Steiner and assumed the Archonship two months later. This was the beginning of the 'House Steiner dynasty.
The current Archon, Katrina Steiner, (although there is a different Archon for this in MechWarrior3) bears an uncanny resemblance to Katherine Marsden Steiner. Her rule to this date has been wise and beneficial to the Commonwealth.
For more information see the 'House Steiner Sourcebook, published by FASA Corporation.
"How the game works..."
- "Well 'House Steiner is a powerful 'House of the Inner Sphere. In the Mechreg we own a group of planets. We fight fir more planets and get resource points. our goal is not one of power or furtune, but to be the best we can!"
"Words from a wise..."