Topic: Consequences of Handbook House Liao (SPOILERS) (Read 8911 times)

Takiro · « **on:** April 05, 2011, 01:47:24 PM »

The next in the long awaited Handbook series is finally here and let me say House Liao is well worth it. Far better then the utterly disappointing Periphery edition it contains interesting information throughout the history of the Capellan Zone. While the time period goes right up to 3067 we at BTSD are looking for stuff that naturally impacts 2785. So far Iâ€™ve found three pretty fascinating topics while reading but Iâ€™m still going over this tome. So without further ado let me say SPOILERS!!!

I said SPOILERS didn't I?!

Takiro · « **Reply #1 on:** April 05, 2011, 02:26:15 PM »

1. Early Jumpships. On page 15 under the sidebar entitled the Liao Fleet a description of Franco's armada is given in comparison to modern craft - warships, jumpships, and dropships. His 2367 (24th century) interstellar flotilla is described as "smaller vessels that interacted with planetary surfaces using shuttles or intrasystem freighters" (Precursors of the dropship - presumably I think they would travel in system from planet to jumpship loading and unloading cargo but never dreaming of traveling through hyperspace).
"Most JumpShips of the time were similar in design to modern WarShips; they had maneuvering drives that let them move in-system, as well as massive cargo bays and small craft bays, but the DropShip as we know it wasnâ€™t developed and accepted until well into the 25th century." (Very interesting build on stuff we already know but it got me thinking about retrotech of sorts for Jumpships. The KF Core on modern ships is massive but it enables jumps of up to 30 light years in distance while the 1st Core on the TAS Pathfinder went only to 18 light years in distance. Now I know that normally equipment is refined into smaller more efficient models but with KF mechanics being so complex could modern 30 LY cores be larger than their 18 LY forerunners? If so how much? Apparently enough to have massive cargo bays and interplanetary engines included on earlier models. The drives like would be all that powerful like 1,2 or 2,3 at best manuvering but structural reinforcement may have been necessary adding even more weight. And remember these ships are smaller than your Merchant, Invader, and Star Lord not to mention the Monolith.)
So here is what I was thinking of purposing for Jumpship RetroTech - what about smaller 20 LY KF Drives? Clearly they would open up weight on Jumpships for other uses such as cargo, small craft, fighters, or weapons. Engines don't work as they would change it from a Jumpship into something else. Station keeping drives and minimal structural integrity go together so if you up the speed you need to up your structure. Still might make for a better Jolly Roger. Would they be able to transit as many Dropships - the KF field generated might not be as efficient as the 30 LY Core. 20 LY models would likely be cheaper, easier to maintain, and possibly faster to build.

Takiro · « **Reply #2 on:** April 05, 2011, 02:52:00 PM »

2. Andurien Commonalty. Well I hate to say I thought this might be in here but guess what folks it is in here. The Andurien Commonalty is or was a reality of 2785 really throwing a monkey wrench in our current plans for the CCAF for Threat Assessments. The first map that shows the founding of the Capellan Confederation circa 2366 has Andurien as a settled world that is part of the Sian Commonwealth. Now I could have lived with a story about how a Andurien proto-state originally joined the Liaos then defected as part of a Commonalty back story but no. Narry a word on Andurien's significance other then what we already know. I can only say it began its political alignments with the Sian Commonwealth.
- The next map we have is the post Age of War standard which is circa 2571. Here is where the Commonalty first appears. Kind of makes sense I guess. After all the Sian Commonalty is pretty huge and it is only natural to break it down somewhat. You'll remember from our Threat Assessments discussions this that was my original thought but quite correctly as you guys pointed out there was no evidence. That is what bothers me still about this development. I really can't find red meat fluff on it. I have to extrapolate from the maps. I would assume that the Commonalty was proclaimed after the Age of War but not even that is certain. I mean the CC and the FWL were in conflict about the region for awhile and why couldn't both sides make a political declaration at any time from 2398 when the war began that gave them this Andurien region.
- This is followed by the post 1st Succession War standard which is circa 2822. Now Andurien has fallen to House Marik at this time and Calseraigne is now the capital of the rump "Andurien" Commonalty. We know Liao still considers it the Andurien Commonalty cause it says so on the map. But again there is little or no written history I can find on the subject which is particularly frustrating.
- From there we journey to the conclusion of the 2nd Succession War in 2864 where the situation apparently remains unchanged. Calseraigne is still the capital of a rump "Andurien" Commonalty which continues to lose worlds. On the very next page the Andurien Commonalty has apparently vanished into dust as the 3rd Succession War map of 3025 shows no such region and Calseraigne is now a Marik possession. When or which Chancellor decided to give up on this Commonalty I again can't tell you but apparently it occurred during the 3rd Succession War. The only part of the Commonalty that the Confederation continues to hold is the Duchy in the Sian Commonalty which is composed of Shiba, Niomede, Principia, Sax, and Andarmax.
- Couple of things from all of this interesting mapping. One I'm disappointed that more wasn't made of the Andurien Commonalty. If your going to map it, tell us something about it. Two a lot of the planets I've mapped out for BTSD Fanmap don't seem to match information in this book circa 2785. Now I know we went with some different borders and such but whole worlds in Capellan space that I gathered from HDHB, HMHB, and Periphery HB aren't there. Very weird!

Takiro · « **Reply #3 on:** April 05, 2011, 03:19:57 PM »

3. Mini Terran Succession War. Last but certainly not least are a couple of passages involving the partitioning of the Hegemony. First is this big tidbit; "The Hegemony, like the Star League, had long been ruled by the Cameron family; with all claimants to that line slaughtered by Amaris, a mini-Succession War erupted among the surviving lesser nobles." Now let me say this surprised me. I don't think it has much to do with Shattered Dawn as the story of the Last Cameron and the birth of the New Republic does much to crush any such actions. I don't believe that I've ever seen any reference to a Hegemony Civil War in the wake of the Exodus but apparently this is what happened according to HBHL. Yeah I guess such fighting is possible with the Hegemony Militias and the lack of national authority.
Liao did take over the most Hegemony territory following the Exodus so it is possible that they had incidents in this sector of space which would one day become the Chaos March. An interesting forerunner here if you had 3 or 4 Dukes going around saying "I'm the Director-General!" Although I'll be interested to see if there is any further talk of this in the Kurita HB. Also it is interesting to me to see how much the Tikonov Commonalty expanded coreward thanks to the Hegemony partition. It is very telling to me that these worlds became pretty loyal to Tikonov afterwards.
Finally we have a sidebar on page 27 from a Captain Arnold Vine entitled "Better the Devil you Know". It details the fall of Fletcher to the Capellans who unopposed by a Navy simply forced their way on world. They didn't even fire a shot but simply requested a parley with planetary authorities. The Liao Colonel in charge gave it straight - the Confederation claimed the planet and didn't care if the natives wanted them or not. The Hegemony was dead and Fletcher couldn't stand alone. While the truth hurt in this very accurate sidebar it was right and how this world rolled over.
Now that effects the Republic very much. In the sidebar you clearly see how much the Captain cares about the Hegemony and is ready to die to protect. This is something the Last Cameron will only build on and diplomatic arrangements made via the Centuran Accords likely prevent Liao, Steiner, and Davion from trying such displays of force. It does tell me that the Republic is still in a dire situation if it fails to halt Kurita and Marik aggression quickly.

Ice Hellion · « **Reply #4 on:** April 06, 2011, 02:36:38 PM »

Interesting.

Hessian · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2011, 03:26:56 AM »

Quote from: Takiro on April 05, 2011, 03:19:57 PM

3.
Finally we have a sidebar on page 27 from a Captain Arnold Vine entitled "Better the Devil you Know". It details the fall of Fletcher to the Capellans who unopposed by a Navy simply forced their way on world. They didn't even fire a shot but simply requested a parley with planetary authorities. The Liao Colonel in charge gave it straight - the Confederation claimed the planet and didn't care if the natives wanted them or not. The Hegemony was dead and Fletcher couldn't stand alone. While the truth hurt in this very accurate sidebar it was right and how this world rolled over.
Now that effects the Republic very much. In the sidebar you clearly see how much the Captain cares about the Hegemony and is ready to die to protect. This is something the Last Cameron will only build on and diplomatic arrangements made via the Centuran Accords likely prevent Liao, Steiner, and Davion from trying such displays of force. It does tell me that the Republic is still in a dire situation if it fails to halt Kurita and Marik aggression quickly.

Totally agreed.

Hessian · « **Reply #6 on:** June 04, 2011, 03:49:18 AM »

Quote from: Takiro on April 05, 2011, 02:52:00 PM

2. Andurien Commonalty. Well I hate to say I thought this might be in here but guess what folks it is in here. The Andurien Commonalty is or was a reality of 2785 really throwing a monkey wrench in our current plans for the CCAF for Threat Assessments. The first map that shows the founding of the Capellan Confederation circa 2366 has Andurien as a settled world that is part of the Sian Commonwealth. Now I could have lived with a story about how a Andurien proto-state originally joined the Liaos then defected as part of a Commonalty back story but no. Narry a word on Andurien's significance other then what we already know. I can only say it began its political alignments with the Sian Commonwealth.
- The next map we have is the post Age of War standard which is circa 2571. Here is where the Commonalty first appears. Kind of makes sense I guess. After all the Sian Commonalty is pretty huge and it is only natural to break it down somewhat. You'll remember from our Threat Assessments discussions this that was my original thought but quite correctly as you guys pointed out there was no evidence. That is what bothers me still about this development. I really can't find red meat fluff on it. I have to extrapolate from the maps. I would assume that the Commonalty was proclaimed after the Age of War but not even that is certain. I mean the CC and the FWL were in conflict about the region for awhile and why couldn't both sides make a political declaration at any time from 2398 when the war began that gave them this Andurien region.
- This is followed by the post 1st Succession War standard which is circa 2822. Now Andurien has fallen to House Marik at this time and Calseraigne is now the capital of the rump "Andurien" Commonalty. We know Liao still considers it the Andurien Commonalty cause it says so on the map. But again there is little or no written history I can find on the subject which is particularly frustrating.
- From there we journey to the conclusion of the 2nd Succession War in 2864 where the situation apparently remains unchanged. Calseraigne is still the capital of a rump "Andurien" Commonalty which continues to lose worlds. On the very next page the Andurien Commonalty has apparently vanished into dust as the 3rd Succession War map of 3025 shows no such region and Calseraigne is now a Marik possession. When or which Chancellor decided to give up on this Commonalty I again can't tell you but apparently it occurred during the 3rd Succession War. The only part of the Commonalty that the Confederation continues to hold is the Duchy in the Sian Commonalty which is composed of Shiba, Niomede, Principia, Sax, and Andarmax.
- Couple of things from all of this interesting mapping. One I'm disappointed that more wasn't made of the Andurien Commonalty. If your going to map it, tell us something about it. Two a lot of the planets I've mapped out for BTSD Fanmap don't seem to match information in this book circa 2785. Now I know we went with some different borders and such but whole worlds in Capellan space that I gathered from HDHB, HMHB, and Periphery HB aren't there. Very weird!

What surprised me the most was the fact that Andurien itself was part of the Capellan Confederation when that state was founded(as Andurien was a member of the Sian Commonwealth).
I had always figured the Andurien Worlds(especially Andurien itself) to have been independent worlds in between the Capellan Confederation and the Free Worlds League.

Regarding the Andurien Commonality: Don't forget that Director-General Ian Cameron was instrumental in negotiating an end to the Third Andurien War between the Confederation and the League that netted the Confederation the Andurien Worlds. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the stipulations of this arrangement was that the formerly contested worlds formed their own commonality(or duchy in the case of the Free Worlds League).

Just my two â‚¬ cents though.

Ciao
Hessian

Takiro · « **Reply #7 on:** June 04, 2011, 09:02:45 AM »

I would have liked to have seen Andurien "join" the Confederation as one of the original 10 Capellan States. Perhaps in some sort of disputed fashion where the Free Worlds League had a claim as did Liao. It is very frustrating that there is nothing on the subject. We are left to assume that Andurien was settled by "Capellans" but perhaps they didn't want to join the Confederation.

Hessian · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2011, 03:12:59 AM »

Hmmm...thinking about it, information about the Andurien Wars is rather scarce.
Perhaps the new Era Digest: Age of War will shed some light on the topic.

Ciao
Hessian

Rainbow 6 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 05, 2011, 05:47:38 AM »

There is information in there on the Andurien Wars, not had chance to read it properly yet though.

Takiro · « **Reply #10 on:** June 05, 2011, 08:38:50 PM »

Yeah I'm looking at it now guys. Seems as though Andurien and possibly some neighboring worlds fell to the FWL in the late 2360s. Why this or the series of skirmishes is not referred to as the 1st War is beyond me. In 2398 the Andurien Wars officially kicked off (the Age of War as well) with the Capellans trying each time to reclaim their lost systems.

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Author Topic: Consequences of Handbook House Liao (SPOILERS) (Read 8911 times)

Takiro

Consequences of Handbook House Liao (SPOILERS)

Takiro

Re: Consequences of Handbook House Liao (SPOILERS)

Takiro

Re: Consequences of Handbook House Liao (SPOILERS)

Takiro

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Ice Hellion

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Hessian

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Hessian

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Takiro

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Hessian

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Rainbow 6

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Takiro

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