Inside this database you will find most of the words used by the clans and their meanings. Along with the description of some of the weapons used by the clans.

You will also do well to note that the clans do not use contractions. They view them as a sign of laziness.

ABTAKHA
An Abtakha is a captured warrior who is adopted into his new clan as a warrior.

AUTOCANNON
This is a rapid firing, auto-loading weapon. Ligh ACs range from 30 to 90mm caliber, and heavy ACs may be 80 to 120mm or more. The weapon fires high-speed streams of high explosive, armour piercing shells.

BATCHALL
The batchall is the ritual by which clan warriors issue combat challenges. Though the type of challenge varies, most begin with the challenger identifying himself, stating the prize of the contest, and requesting that the defender identify all the forces at his disposal. The defender also has the right to name the location of the trial. The two sides then bid for what forces will participate in the contest. The sub-commander who bids to fight with the least number of forces wins the right and responsibilty to make the attack. The defender may increase the stkes by demanding a prize of equal or lesser value if he wins.

BATTLEMECHS
Battlemechs are the most powerful war machines ever built. First developed by Terran scientists and engineers, These huge, man-shaped vehicles are faster, more mobile, better-armoured, and more heavily armed than any 20th-century tank. Ten to twelve metres tall and equipped with particle projection cannons, lasers, rapid-fire autocannons, and missiles, they pack enough firepower to flatten anything but another BattleMech. A small fusion reactor provides virtually unlimited power, and BattleMechs can be adapted to fight in environments ranging from sun-baked deserts to subzero artic icefields.

BLOODING
This is another name for the Trial of Position that determines if a candidate will qualify as a Clan warrior.

BLOODHERITAGE
The history of the Bloodnamed warriors of a particular bloodright is called the Bloodheritage.

BLOODNAME
Bloodname refers to the surname of each of the 800 warriors who stood with Nicholas Kerensky during the Exodus Civil War. Theses 800 are the foundation of the Clans elaborate breeding program. The right to use one of these surnames has been the ambition of every clan warrior since the system was established. Only 25 warriors, which corresponds to 25 Bloodrights, are allowed to use any one surname at one time. When one of the 25 Bloodnamed warriors dies, a trial is held to determine who will assume that Bloodname. Only Bloodnamed warriors may sit on the Clan Councils or are eligible to become a Kahn or ilKahn.

BLOODRIGHT
A specific Bloodname lineage is called a Bloodright. Twenty-five Bloodrights are attached to each Bloodname. As with Bloodnames, certain Bloodrights are considered more prstigious than others, depending largely on the Bloodright's history.

BONDSMAN
Clans often keep prisoners taken during combat. These are called Bondsman, and are considered part of the labourer caste unless and until the capturing clan releases them or promotes them back to warrior status. A bondsman is bound by honour, not by shackles. Custom dictates that ecen Bloodnamed warriors captured in combat be held for a time as Bondsmen. All Bondsmen wear a woven bracelet known as a Bondcord. The base colour of the bondcord indictes to which Clan the individual is now bound, and the striping indicates which unit captured him.

CASTE
Clan society is rigidly divided into five castes: warrior, scientist, merchant, technician, and labourer. Each caste has many subcastes, which are based on specialties within a professional field. The warrior caste is based on a systematic eugenics program that uses the genes of prestigious, successful current and past warriors to produce new warriors of the caste (see sibko). These products of genetic engineering are known as Trueborns. Other castes maintain a quality gene pool by strategic marriages within each caste.

CHALCAS
Anything or anyone who challenges the Clan caste system is considered a chalcas.

CLANS
During the fall of the Star League, General Nicholas Kerensky, commander of the Regular Star League army, led his forces out of the Inner Sphere in what is known as the Exodus. After settling beyond the Periphery, the Star League Army itself collapsed. Out of the ashes of the civilisation Kerensky's forces tried to create rose the Clans.

CODEX
The Codex is each warrior's personal record. It includes the names of the original Bloodnamed warriors from which a warrior is descended. It also records background information such as the warriors generation number, Blood House, and codex ID, an alpha-numeric noting the unique aspects of that person's DNA. The Codex also contains a record of the warrior's military career.

DEZGRA
A fighting unit that desgraces itself is known as a Dezgra unit. The name also refers to the ritual whereby that unit is marked and punished. Any unit that refuses orders, panics in the face of an enemy, or takes dishonourable action is disgraced.

DROPSHIPS
Because Jumpships must generally avoid entering the heart of a solar system, they lie at a considerable distance from the system's inhabited worlds. Dropships were developed for interplanetary travel. as the name implies, a dropship is attached to hardpoints on the Jumpship's drive core, later to be dropped from the parent vessel after in-system entry. Though incapable of FLT (faster-than-light) travel, Dropships are highly maneuverable, well-armed, and sufficiently aerodynamic to take off from and land on a planetary surface. The journey from the jump point to the inhabited worlds of a system usually requires a normal-space journey of several days or week, depending on the type of star.

ELEMENTALS
Elementals are the elite, battle-suited infantry of the clans. These men and women are giants, bred specifically to handle Clan-developed armour.

FREEBIRTH
Freebirth is a Clan epithet used by Trueborn members of the Warrior Caste, generally expressing disgust or frustration. If a Trueborn warrior calls another Trueborn warrior a Freebirth, it is a mortal insult.

FREEBORN
An individual conceived by natural means is Freeborn. Because the Clans value their eugenics program so highly, a freebirth is automatically assumed to have little potential.

JUMPSHIPS
Interstellar travel is accomplished via JumpShips, first developed in the 22nd century. These somewhat ungainly vessels are made up of a long, thin drive core and sail resembling an enormous parasol, which can be up to a kilometre wide. The ship is named for its ability to "jump" instantaneously from one point to another. After making its jump, the ship cannot travel until it has recharged by gathering up more solar energy.

The JumpShips's enormous sail is constructed from a special metal that absorbs vast quantities of electromagnetic energy from the nearest star. When it has soaked up enough energy, the sails transfers it tto the drice core, which converts its into a space-twisting field. An instant later, the ship arrives at the next jump point, a distance of up to 30 light years. This field is known as hyperspace, and its discovery opened to mankind the gateway to the stars.

JumpShips never land on planets, and only rarely travel into the inner areas of a star system. Interplanetary travel is carried out by DropShips, vessels that attach themselves to the JumpShips until arrival at the jump point.

HEGIRA
Victorius Clan warriors sometimes extend the courtesy of Hegira to defeated opponents. Hegira allows the opponent to withdraw honourably from the field without further combat or cost.

ISORLA
The spoils of war that warriors can claim as their right, including bondsmen, are known as Isola.

KESHIK
The keshik unit, usually a cluster in size, provides the Senior Khans honour guard. All warriors consider service in the Keshik to be the highest honour they can render their clan.

KHAN
Each Clan elects 2 leaders, or Khans. One serves as the Clan's senior military commander and bureaucratic administrator. The second Khan's position is less well defined. He or she is second-in-command, carrying out duties assigned by the first Khan. In times of great internal or external threat, or when a co-ordinated effort is required of all clans, and ilKhan is chosen to serve as the supreme ruler of the Clans.

KURULTAI
A Kurultai is a Clan war council. A Grand Kurultai is a war council of all Khans of the Clans. Only the ilKhan can convene a Grand Kurultai at any time or place. A normal Grand Council on the other hand, may only be convened by petition of three or more Clans, and must be held in the Hall of Khans on Strana Mechty.

LOREMASTER
The Loremaster is the keeper of Clan Laws and history. The position is honourable and politically powerful. The Loremaster plays a key role in inquiries and trials, where he is often assigned the role of Advocate or Interrogator.

OATHMASTER
The Oathmaster is the honor guard for any official Clan ceremony. The position is similar to an Inner Sphere sergeant-at-arms, but it carries a greater degree of respect. The oathmaster administers all oaths, and the Loremaster records them. The position of Oathmaster is usually held by the oldest bloodnamed warrior in a Clan (if he or she desires the honour), and is one of the few positions not decided by combat.

OVKHAN
This is a term of respect reserved to someone of higher rank.

POWLESS
Powless is the vulnerability that a warrior, particularly an Elemental, feels when forced to fight without his accustomed weapons. The word is probably derived from "powerless".

QUIAFF / QUINEG
This Clan expression is placed at the end of rhetorical questions. If an affirmative answer is expected, quiaff is used. If the answer is expected to be negative, quineg is the proper closure.

RANSOM
Clan custom dictates that a warrior who has been succesful at his Trial of Bloodright may be rewarded by a gift from the Clan. Depending upon the warrior's succes during the Trial, the ransom might range form the right to choose what type of weapon he will use as a warrior to the right to command a special unit.

REDE
One of the many forms honour takes in the Clans, a rede is an honour-bound promise. Breaking a rede may be punishable by death.

REMEMBERANCE, THE
The Rememberance is an ongoing heroic saga detailing Clan history from the time of the Exodus of the Inner Sphere to the present day. The Rememberance 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 marvellous epic from memory, and it is common to see passages from the book lovingly painted on the sides of OmniMechs, fighters, and even battle armour.

RISTAR
This term refers to a particularly gifted warrior on his or her way to high position. It is probably derived from the expression "rising star".

SATARRA
A Clan council may cast a veto, or satarra, to settle or postpone disputes between castes within their jursidiction. Satarra is invoked only when negotiations seem at an impasse and/or threaten to disrupt the work order of the Clan. It seems to be more a ritual than an act of legislation.

SAVASHRI
A Clan epithet

SEYLA
This word is the ritual response voiced in unison by those witnessing soloemn Clan ceremonies, rituals, and other important gatherings. No one is sure of the origin or the exact meaning of the word, but it is uttered only with the greatest reverence and awe.

SIBKO
A sibko consists of a group of children produced from the same male and female geneparents in the warrior caste eugenics program. The members of the sibko are raised together, then begin to undergo constant testing. As various members of the sibko fail at each test, they are transferred to the lower castes. A sibko consists of about 20 members, but usually only 4 or 5 remain at the time of the final test to become warriors, the Trial of Position. These tests and other adversities may bind the surviving "sibkin" together.

SOLAHMA
Solahma is the Clan designation for a unit made up of warriors who have continued to live and fight past what their society consider's a warriors prime. These units seek assignment to suicidal and otherwise doomed missions in order to win the opportunity to die an honourable death in battle. Most of these units, however, draw only garrison duty.

STRAVAG
A Clan epithet, probaly a combination of the Clan words stran, meaning independant, and vagon, meaning birthing.

SURKAI
The surkai is the right of forgiveness. The Clans honour uniformity in thought and belief above all else in their society. When warriors disagree, when a Clan disagrees with the Clan Council, or when a member of one caste offends a member of another caste, surkai is expected. It is a matter of pride that the offending party freely admit his wrongdoing and request punishment. Those who show great surkai are held up as examples to others for their willingness to accept the consequences of their independant thoughts. Those who do not show surkai when it is expected of them are viewed with suspicion.

SURKAIREDE
The Rede of Forgiveness, or surkairede is the honour-bound agreement between the majority and any dissenters. According to the surkairede, once a dissenter accepts punishment for having disagreed with the majority, he should be allowed to resume his role in society without suffering any furhter disgrace for having spoken out.

TOUMAN
The term given to the fighting arm of a Clan.

TRIAL OF ABJURATION
A Trial of Abjuration is a trial by combat between Clans, in which the losing Clan's Bloodnames are stricken from the rolls as if those Bloodnames had never existed him. Clans only engage in this trial when another Clan has committed an error so grievous that the stain on that Clan's honour cannot be wiped clean.

TRIAL OF BLOODRIGHT
A series of one-on-one, single-elimination contests determines who wins the right to use a Bloodname. Each current Bloodnamed warrior in that Bloodname's house nominates one candidate. The head of the house nominates additional candidates to fill 31 slots. The 32nd slot is fought for by those who qualify for the bloodname but who were not nominated. The nature of the combat is determined by "coining". Each combatant places his personal medallion a dogids, into the "well of decision." An Oathmaster or Loremaster releases the coins simultaneously, so that only chance determines which coin falls first to the bottom of the well. The warrior whose coin lands on top chooses the manner of the combat ('Mech versus 'Mech, barehanded, 'Mech versus Elemental, and so forth). The other warrior chooses the venue of the contest. Though these Bloodname duels need not be to the death, the fierce combat and the intensity of the combatants often leave the losing candidate mortally wounded, or dead.

TRIAL OF POSITION
The Trial of Position determines whether a candidate will qualify as a warrior within the Clans. To qualify, he must defeat at least one of three successive opponents. If he defeats two, or all three he is immediately ranked as an officer in his Clan. If he fails to defeat any of his opponents, he is relegated to a lower caste.

TRIAL OF POSSESSION
This trial resolves conflicts in which two or more clans claim the right to the same thing, be it territory, a warrior's genes, or even supremacy in a difference of opinion. This trial uses the formal challenge of the attacker and the response of the defending forces, and favours those commanders friom the attacking Clan skillful enough to bid minimal forces.

TRIAL OF REFUSAL
The Clan councils and the Grand Council vote on issues and laws that affect the community. Unlike Inner Sphere legislation, however, any decision can be challenged and reversed by a Trial of Refusal. This trial allows the losing side to demand the issue be seteled by combat.

The forces used in a Trial of Refusal are determined on a pro-rated basis. The faction rejecting the decision declares what forces they will use. The side defending the decision (the attacker) can field a force equal of winning to losing votes. For example, if the contested vote carried by a three-to-one margin, the attacking forces can field a force three times the size of the force challenging the decision.

TROTHKIN
Used formally, this term refers to members of an extended Sibko. Less formally, a warrior will use the term trothkin when referring to someone he considers his peer.

TRUEBORN / TRUEBIRTH
A trueborn or truebirth is a product of the warrior caste's eugenics program.

ZELLBRIGEN
This is the Clan word describing the body of rules used to regulate and ritualize duels. Zellbrigen means that combatants engage in one-on-one duels, even if both sides have many warriors. Those not immediately challenged are honour-bound to stay out of the battle until an opponent is free (meaning he has defeated his enemy). To attack an enemy already engaged with an opponent is a major breach of Clan honour, usually resulting in at least loss of rank.