The white seems to stretch away forever. Only the distant mountains rising
majestically into the blue skies interrupt the scenery. Though they seem close enough to
reach in the journey of an hour or two, one could trek for many days without reaching
their mist-shrouded foothills. These plains and mountains give a home to our namesake. The
mighty ghost bear presides over Strana Mechty's southernmost continent. To even catch a
glimpse of the bear, you must travel the open expanse of snow for many days, always moving
toward the mountains. It is when you feel ready to turn back to the comfort of your base
camp, exhausted and defeated, that you will realize that you are not alone. A palpable
presence makes the bile rise in your throat, so thick you nearly choke on it. Yet your
eyes, your window to the real world, see nothing.
Suddenly, you focus on movement: a white-cloaked lynx bounds across the tundra, its
paws digging gaping wounds in the snow as it accelerates. As the cat passes through your
field of vision, the ground directly in front of you erupts in a living cloud of snow that
leaps after the running lynx. You stare, and you realize that the cloud of snow swirls
around your namesake, the legendary ghost bear. Though you do not understand how this huge
beast remained invisible, you cannot deny that only moment ago you saw no living thing. As
the bear gives chase, snow sloughs off its back, revealing massively muscled flanks
covered in pure white fur. The hapless lynx turns and twists in a vain attempt to throw
its pursuer off the chase, but the hunter will not be denied. You stare, transfixed by the
spectacle. The bear lunge through the heavy layers of snow as easily as a fish swimming
through water. Its howl assaults your ears, terrifying and hauntingly sweet all at once.
The bear's deadly claws glint in the morning light as its paw, large as your head, smashes
into the frantic cat at blinding speed. Crimson stains the pristine white carpet, and the
lynx goes down surrounded by a cloud of steam. The giant beast move in for the feast, and
still you stand and stare. The ghost bear remains unaware of your presence, and you watch
it gulp down huge mouthfuls of raw meat.
The battle took only a few, scant seconds, yet every detail burns with a distinct light
in your mind. You pray that you are as efficient when it falls to you to be the hunter...
-- From the ritual words spoken by the Clan Ghost Bear Loremaster on the eve of the
Clawing ritual
Children of the Bear, hearken to my words:
Be always vigilant.
Learn for yourselves that which your forebears imparted
So easily and freely;
Demand of yourselves
The foresight of Jorgensson
And the courage of Tseng;
Through them, we are strong.
To them a debt is owed,
Repaid through loyalty undying and Character unflinching.
-- From the Oath of Acceptance, Clan Ghost Bear
The kinship of spirits is vital;
Without this connection there
Can be no true understanding.
-- From the Oath of Acceptance, Clan Ghost Bear
The ghost bear of Strana Mechty is a truly awesome beast. Though similar in appearance
to the polar bear of Terra's arctic region, the ghost bear is larger and stronger, some
specimens having been recorded a standing more than five meters tall when reared up on
their hind legs. Unlike the polar bear's fur, which shows a yellowish cast, the ghost
bear's coat is pure white. Even the ghost bear's eyes and nose are a pale gray that
appears nearly white, and its coloration makes the bear practically invisible against
snow, even when running at full speed. Its size limits the ghost bear's ability to pursue
its prey for any length of time, and so rather than running down its quarry, the bear lies
in wait on the fringes of its prey's territory, using its keen sense of smell to locate
likely hunting spots. The ghost bear then buries itself in the snow to enhance its
camouflage, remaining completely motionless, often for days at a time. The bear apparently
enters a state of semi-hibernation while awaiting a potential meal, conserving energy but
remaining acutely aware of its surroundings all the while. The ghost bear takes its name
from both its coloration and from its apparent ability to materialize from nothing.
Nicholas Kerensky chose this seemingly brutish animal as the namesake for one of his
Clans for more than its physical prowess. He also admired the loyalty it showed its
family; ghost bears mate for life and maintain a tenuous connection to their offspring, a
trait almost unknown in the animal kingdom. Nicholas also believed that the ghost bear
represented a strong respect for tradition. He characterized ghost bears as clinging
stubbornly to their instincts, only reluctantly changing their habits and behaviors to
adapt to environmental and situational changes. The ghost bear survives its apparent lack
of adaptability with an extremely hardy constitution and high birth rate.
Like its namesake, Clan Ghost Bear has also survived, often in spite of itself, by
virtue of its methodical persistence and the success of the Clan breeding program. The
traditions of strength and stability on which Clan Ghost Bear prides itself can be traced
back to its founders, the only married couple to help establish a Clan. The founders of
Clan Ghost Bear receive equal reverence from it warriors, so much so that most believe
that neither Sandra Tseng or Hans Jorgensson could have forged the Clan alone.
Khan Jorgensson made the official bid of three Galaxies for the Ghost Bears' right to
invade Tukayyid, and won the right to descend in the fifth hour of combat. The Ghost Bear
targets would be the twin cities of Spanac and Luk. Khans Jorgensson and Kabrinski laid
out a simple and direct battle plan designed to crush the ComGuards quickly, confident
that the strength of their forces would carry them to victory.
The Ghost Bears drove straight for their target cities opposed by the ComGuards' First
Army and the reserve Fourth Army. As the senior commander, Precentor Katherine Luarca
deployed her First Army to engage the Bears upon their landing, leaving only her veteran
103rd Division (Truth in Communication) to defend Spanac. Fearing that the green troops of
the Fourth Army would break facing Clan OmniMechs in the field, she assigned the Fourth to
garrison Luk.
The Ghost Bears split their forces, landing Alpha Galaxy in the hills above Spanac and
Beta and Delta near Luk. Both forced landed unopposed, but suffered hit-and-run attacks as
they advanced. The First Army's 308th Division (Clarity of Thought) did little to slow the
veteran forces of Alpha Galaxy, and Beta Galaxy decimated the 121st Division (Gray Backs).
The Ninety-First and Twelfth Divisions of the First Army fared better, trapping Delta
Galaxy's Twentieth Polar Bear Attack Cluster in the outskirts of the Holth Forest and
inflicting heavy losses on the Clan troops. This skirmish turned the tide in the Bear's
push for Luk and forced Beta and Delta Galaxies to withdraw. The Ninety-First Division
then fell back to assist in the defense of Spanac, but just managed to enter the city
before Alpha Galaxy took up positions in the suburbs. The Bears settled in to hold Spanac
under siege until reinforcements from the failed attack at Luk arrived. Unfortunately for
the Clans, the ComGuards' Twelfth waylaid those reinforcements in a brilliant ambush,
setting fire to the Holth forest and attacking Beta Galaxy's Seventh Bear Guards as they
fled from the burning woods. When the exhausted Seventh finally broke free of the inferno,
they ran down wide paths cut through the woods to the hills beyond. By entering these
corridors, the bears fell to devastating short-range fire from the dug-in forces of the
Twelfth. To a man, the overheated Ghost Bear 'Mechs died in the forest.
Meanwhile, the ComGuards had trouble on other fronts. The troops of the Ninety-First
Division failed to achieve a proper defensive position in Spanac, and the arrival of Beta
and Delta Galaxy troops at the siege enabled the Ghost Bears to overrun the Ninety-First
and capture most of its supply caches intact. Predicting the imminent fall of the city,
the Precentor Martial ordered Precentor Luarca to pull her 103rd Division out of Spanac.
The Ghost Bears took the city, but soon faced a counterattack from the two divisions of
the Fourth Army. Garrisoned at Luk, the Fourth Army divisions had seen little combat in
the battle on Tukayyid and so arrived at Spanac fresh and ready for action. With the
Fourth Army raining artillery fire on the city and the remnants of the Ninety-First and
Twelfth Divisions raiding in the suburbs, the Bear Khans chose to leave Beta and Delta
Galaxies to hold Spanac while Alpha Galaxy mustered for an assault on Luk.
At Luk, Alpha Galaxy tore into the remaining divisions of the Fourth Army with all the
ferocity of Clan Ghost Bear's namesake. Despite the ComGuards' superior numbers, the
Fourth came close to breaking until Precentor Luarca redeemed herself by leading her 103rd
Division and the remaining elements of the 308th in an attack against Alpha Galaxy's
supply depot. The assault forced the Bears to pull back to defend their supplies; though
the Fiftieth Striker Cluster managed to enter Luk's suburbs, the Clan troops lacked the
force needed to take the city. Alpha Galaxy fought off a raid by reinforcements from the
First ComGuard Army, but they suffered such high losses in doing so that the Bear Khans
reluctantly ordered a withdrawal back to Spanac.
At this point, the ilKhan declared an end to the Ghost Bear campaign. Knowing that they
lacked the strength to take Luk from the fresh ComGuards troops stationed there, the Bear
Khans raised no objection. The battle of Tukayyid had already ended in defeat for several
of the other Clans, and so if the Bears continued to fight, the ComGuards could easily
shift enough forces from other combat theaters to drive the Clan from Spanac. Rather than
lose all that they had gained, the Ghost Bears withdrew while they could still claim
victory.
The Precentor Martial also welcomed the end of the Bear campaign. Though the ComGuards
had lost to these particular Clan opponents, their forces' departure from Tukayyid left
the First and Fourth Armies free to turn against the hard-fighting Jade Falcons. Because
the Ghost Bears captured Spanac, breached defenses at Luk, and inflicted somewhat greater
losses than they sustained, ilKhan Kerensky and Precentor Martial Focht agreed that the
Ghost Bears had won a marginal victory over the ComGuards.
The Remembrance is an ongoing heroic saga detailing Clan history from the time of the
Exodus from the Inner Sphere to the present day. The Remembrance is continually expanded
to include contemporary events. Each Clan has a slightly different version reflecting
their own opinions and experiences. All Clan warriors can quote whole verses of this
marvelous epic from memory, and it is common to see passages from the book lovingly
painted on the sides of OmniMechs, fighters, and even battle armor.
The General's intent was clearly stated,
To depart and never return.
He forced none but swayed many;
This compassionate, brilliant man
Had led thousands to victory,
And he would again lead the long march.
-- The Remembrance (Clan Ghost Bear), Passage 8, Verse 6, Lines 12-17
Now is the time
To prove
What we know to be true:
That we shall conquer all.
-- The Remembrance (Clan Ghost Bear), Passage 155, Verse 2, Lines 45-48
Alpha and Bravo Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Alpha Fighter Star (10 Fighters)
Alpha Battle Nova (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points, 5 artillery pieces)
WarShip Group: Bears' Den (Black Lion), Dieron's Run (Cameron)
Support Vessels: 6 Clan Monoliths, 6 Clan Merchants, 7 Clan Scouts, 6 Clan Invaders
Trinary Galaxy Command (The Silveroot Keshik)
Alpha and Bravo Nova Command Stars (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
Charlie Command Star (10 Fighters)
Tango Artillery Command Star (5 OmniMechs)
Supernova Command Star (Star Captain Joanna Forrester)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Nova (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
310th Assault Trinary (Star Captain Carl Hambash)
Alpha and Bravo Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Charlie Elemental star (5 Elemental Points)
312th Assault Trinary (Star Captain Edwin Gilmour)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs Each)
23rd Elemental Support Binary (Star Captain Sarah Kabrinski)
Alpha and Bravo Elemental Stars (5 Elemental Points each)
16th Fighter Binary (Star Captain Magara Gilmour)
Alpha and Bravo Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Helen Jorgensson)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
219th Assault Trinary (Star Captain Andre Hannifan)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs Each)
Tango Support Star (25 Elementals)
12th Battle Trinary (Star Captain Paul Homaovi)
Alpha and Bravo Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Charlie Nova (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points)
45th Elemental Support Binary (Star Captain Sarah DelVillar)
Alpha and Bravo Elemental Stars (5 Elemental Points each)
34th Fighter Binary (Star Captain Dale Kabrinski)
Alpha and Bravo Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Derek Jorgensson)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
43rd Striker Trinary (Star Captain Milton Snuka)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
212th Striker Trinary (Star Captain Lents Tseng)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs Each)
32nd Supernova Striker Trinary (Star Captain Donel Carrera)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Novas (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
Alpha Fighter Trinary (Star Captain Victoria Bourjon)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Galaxy Command Trinary (The Shrill Keshik)
Star Captain Bernice Bekker
Alpha and Bravo Nova Command Novas (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
Tango Fighter Star (10 Fighters)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Massir Omid)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
712th Assault Trinary (Star Captain Dorell Mitshan)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
63rd Assault Trinary (Star Captain Layne Vong)
Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
43rd Elemental Support Trinary (Star Captain Jocylyn Kabrinski)
Alpha and Bravo Elemental Stars (5 Elemental Points each)
12th Fighter Binary (Star Captain Levand Jorgensson)
Alpha and Bravo Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Supernova Trinary Command (Star Captain Dillian Vong)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command stars (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
321st Assault Trinary (Star Captain Vegara Ortiz)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
14th Assault Supernova (Star Captain Bernard Bazso)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs, 4 Elemental Points each)
72nd Assault Trinary (Star Captain Edwin Bekker)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
1st Elemental Support Binary (Star Captain Ossin Vong)
Alpha and Bravo Elemental Stars (5 Elemental Points each)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Gosvoda Nuyriev)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
469th Assault Trinary (Star Captain Pinter Hall)
Alpha and Bravo Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Charlie Elemental Star (5 Elemental Points)
2133rd Striker Trinary (Star Captain Jillian Snuka)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
23rd Elemental Support Binary (Star Captain Alan Kabrinski)
Alpha and Bravo Elemental Stars (5 Elemental Points each)
Delta Fighter Trinary (Star Captain Lucien Bourjon)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Kristie Tseng)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
96th Battle Trinary (Star Captain Welland Bazso)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Battle Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Tango Fighter Star (10 Fighters)
23rd Battle Trinary (Star Captain Liam Snuka)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Battle Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
76th Supernova (Star Captain Kenbarg DelVillar)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Novas (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
Delta Fighter Trinary (Star Captain Sheryl Bourjon)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Trinary Galaxy Command (Jorgensson's Keshik)
Star Captain Trung Vong
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Tango Support Star (5 OmniMechs)
Tango Fighter Star (10 Fighters)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Trudy Devon)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
286th Assault Trinary (Star Captain Dimon Bekker)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Assault Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
90th Striker Trinary (Star Captain Della Ortiz)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
56th Elemental Support Trinary (Star Captain Tamm Hakimi)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Elemental Stars (5 Elemental Points each)
47th Fighter Binary (Star Captain Endo Kabrinski)
Alpha and Bravo Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Hoston Bekker)
Alpha and Bravo Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Charlie Command Star (10 Fighters)
314th Battle Trinary (Star Captain Hee Silva)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Battle Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
433rd Supernova Trinary (Star Captain Majorie DelVillar)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Novas (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
Tango Fighter Star (10 Fighters)
72nd Striker Trinary (Star Captain John Bekker)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Echo Fighter Trinary (Star Captain Felicia Jorgensson)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Jill Hawkins)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
413th Striker Trinary (Star Captain Stunner Tseng)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
88th Striker Trinary (Star Captain Monique Memba)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
78th Elemental Support Binary (Star Captain Jocelyn)
Alpha and Bravo Elemental Stars (5 Elemental Points each)
Delta Fighter Binary (Star Captain Farn Jorgensson)
Alpha and Bravo Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Douglas Silva)
Alpha and Bravo Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Charlie Command Nova (10 Fighters, 5 Elemental Points)
Supernova Echo (Star Captain Marialle Hawkins)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Novas (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
465th Striker Trinary (Star Captain Dancry DelVillar)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
Bravo Supernova (Star Captain Edora DelVillar)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
67th Fighter Trinary (Star Captain Harrel Jorgensson)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
Trinary Command (Star Captain Brigit Kabrinski)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Command Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
141st Striker Trinary (Star Captain Grendel Kabrinski)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Striker Stars (5 OmniMechs each)
82nd Striker Nova Binary (Star Captain Lefar Bekker)
Alpha and Bravo Striker Novas (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
12th Striker Nova Binary (Star Captain Killian Silva)
Alpha and Bravo Striker Novas (5 OmniMechs, 5 Elemental Points each)
73rd Elemental Support Trinary (Star Captain Norman DelVillar)
Alpha and Bravo Elemental Stars (5 Elemental Points each)
Forgen Fighter Trinary (Star Captain Gordon Showers)
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Fighter Stars (10 Fighters each)
The waning power of the Wolves and the Jade Falcons has created a power vacuum among
the invading Clans, leading to further instability as other Clans in the invasion force
jockey for power. At present, the Ghost Bears seem the most likely to lead a renewed
invasion. The Bears have bolstered their troops with reinforcements from the Clan
homeworlds, a development that poses a grave threat to the Draconis Combine worlds that
lie above the truce line.
Kurita raiders have staged near-constant raids against Clan Smoke Jaguar in recent
years, which have prevented that Clan from effectively recovering from the heavy
casualties it suffered on Tukayyid. Nova Cat raiders have begun harassing Smoke Jaguar
forces recently as well, further hampering the Clan's attempts to rebuild. As a result,
the Smoke Jaguars seem unlikely to challenge the Ghost Bears for leadership of the Clans.
Clan Smoke Jaguar's weakness has filled its warriors with frustration and a fierce desire
to prove they are still a force to be reckoned with - which makes the Jaguars a
potentially dangerous enemy for their Clan brethren and Inner Sphere powers.
Neither the Steel Vipers nor the Nova Cats have the strength to challenge the Ghost
Bears, but both Clans are far from harmless. The Viper Khan, Perigard Zalman, has shown
remarkable restraint while patiently rebuilding his Clan, which marks him as a canny and
dangerous leader. Meanwhile, the Nova Cats continue to rebuild following their losses on
Luthien and Tukayyid. Their weakened condition, however, has not prevented them from
raiding worlds located above the truce line.
In an attempt to weaken both the Ghost Bears and Smoke Jaguars to give themselves time
to recover from the refusal war with Clan Jade Falcon, the then-Jade Wolves set into
motion a complex plan, with layers of plots and misinformation blaming both Clan Smoke
Jaguar and the forces of Phelan Kell's Clan Wolf in Exile for the theft of genetic
material of the Clan Ghost Bear founders. The Ghost Bears, through a series of raids and
information gathering missions, discovered the true nature of this deceit.
Although discovering that the blame lie with the Jade Wolves and not Clan Smoke Jaguar,
the relative weakness of Clan Smoke Jaguar has left that Clan open to raiding and perhaps
a trial of absorption by Clan Ghost Bear. Whether the Ghost Bears take advantage of this
opportunity or not is left to be seen.
Finally, with their long standing ties with the Wolves and Diamond Sharks, the Ghost
Bear Khans voted against the election of Elias Crichell of Clan Jade Falcon to the post of
ilKhan.
[Back to Clan History]
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