OBT Forum

Ice Hellion

Quote from: Takiro on June 15, 2009, 12:28:30 PM
In 2785 the Abbey District is made up of six inhabited star systems (Maxwell, Eion, Silver, Manotick, Hammer, and Gibraltar) none of which are named Abbey. Maxwell was profiled in HMSB got to look for details on others. And why 3 regiments for this District? The Templar name implies some sort of extreme devotion I would think. An early version of the Knights of the InnerSphere whose loyalty to the Captain-General is paramount. Thoughts?

If it is not a planet than make it an uninspired guy that took inspiration from the name of the district.
For your idea, why not? But why would these guys be extra loyal? Maybe they have to proof it because they were not loyal (or not supposed to be) when the Captain General asked them for help (something akin to the Dead Men of Dunharrow but with less dramatical effects).

Quote from: Takiro on June 15, 2009, 12:28:30 PM
Six I'm not sure the 1st RCTs deployment has anything to do with the Hoplites but the FWLM has a tradition of innovative military education;

Where did you get that quote?

LordGrayson

that quote to me is more limited to aerospace then to other armed forces like mech and tanks and such

Takiro

Okay guys some more good stuff on the Abbey District;

Maxwell is the only world described in detail (HMSB) and I think it is the capital world for the District. Not only is it the only detailed Abbey world but it is curiously referred to singularly a few times in HMSB. Under Military Dictatorship it not the Abbey District or any of its other worlds appear as an example.

Also very interesting, the Hero Training Institute founded in 2989 is located on Maxwell. Wonder if this could be a sad remnant of our Abbey Templars?

Hammer is really the only other world that gets any canon detail which I will comment on a little bit later. Sadly there is no detailed canon information on Gibraltar, Silver, and Manotick other than their existence through 3025. Interestingly enough only Maxwell and Gibraltar appear on the 2571 post Age of War map. From this we can safely say that Gibraltar, Silver, and Manotick are settled during the Star League era. However we can’t go back to 2271 for cartographic indications because the earliest map of the FWL doesn’t show the future Abbey area. The sixth and final Abbey world of Eion appears on the 1st Succession War map and is gone by the 2nd Succession War.

So lets imply some District strength and weaknesses based on the information at hand. First and perhaps most significant is trade which seemingly a strong trait of the Abbey worlds. Hammer is home to Correlated Traders (again 3025) which generates high profits through dealings with neighboring the Periphery regions. Maxwell is also one of Free Flight Limited’s four dispatch centers in 3025 yet another indication of its commercial tradition. In addition and interestingly enough the Abbey District appears in the new Periphery Handbook as a trading partner of the Rim Collection. This plus the fact it is a FWL Province imbues the District with its own merchant tradition. These traders appear to focus on commerce with the Periphery which could have a big impact especially during this era.

Maxwell is referred to as an agricultural world with ideal soil and is likely the breadbasket of the District. Gibraltar I would make another candidate for agrarian strength because of its colonization age. Other than these worlds little information exists on farming in this region.

The District certainly has some industry located mainly on Hammer and the other Abbey worlds aside from Maxwell. The write up on Maxwell indicates that planet never had much industry and was never attacked because of the lack of it. Of course the other planets get wrecked during the first two canon Succession Wars. The question is how heavy was this industry? I would doubt it included BattleMech production and if it did I would keep it light to medium at best.

On the whole the District doesn’t appear to be a bastion of learning however the information is limited. There are indications of high tech communications gear, personal hovercars, and extensive space travel which means it ain’t completely backwater. Also Maxwell has produced noted Parliamentarians so there must be some level of education. I’d describe it almost as a suburban sector of space.

Be interesting if we did another tie in with the Abbey Templars and the real life Templars. Could they be escorts for Periphery trading missions engaging in commerce themselves?

For the origin of the Abbey District itself I’m thinking of a story based on a Catholic Abbey on Maxwell who urged his folk to back the rightful Captain-General during the Civil War in spite of some injustices. Sort of the core of the Loyalists who became the first Templars.

Hessian

Quote from: Takiro on June 17, 2009, 02:32:55 AM

Be interesting if we did another tie in with the Abbey Templars and the real life Templars. Could they be escorts for Periphery trading missions engaging in commerce themselves?


Hmmm.... this would certainly give this province some unique appeal.

Overall I like your proposals for the Abbey District.

Ciao
Hessian

Takiro

Not necessarily. Transactions especially with the Periphery (less likely to have advanced stations) would likely occur on the ground of some habitable planet. Aerospace fighters would likely be part of their TOE.

Rainbow 6

Maybe each regiment is equiped like the Ducal Guard from Historicals Bush Wars, 1 Battalion each of Mechs/Armour/Infantry with a squadron of aerofighters in support.

We could even have the new recruits starting as Infantry and working there way up to mechwarrior.

Hessian

quote from: Takiro on June 18, 2009, 08:27:50 PM
Oh I really like that. I see the unit capturing the imagination of the entire Free Worlds League at least in its early days. Recruits by the dozen pour in from throughout the realm eventually swelling its ranks to three regiments.

However there is a dark side to these white knights. Support of the Captain-General means support of his policies like the passage and enactment of that free trade act with the Periphery that ends up doing untold harm. Perhaps the Templars have become a symbol of greed or even worse the enforcers of unfair "trade" with the Periphery.

I do see several original Knights and disillusioned ex-recruits speaking out against their formerly noble organization. Other warning signs like people with enough pull or wealth obtaining rapid and possible unwarranted promotions could also be included. However they are extremely "successful" (money wise anyway that is their primary motivation) and still have some of their former aura to those faithful to House Marik.

Good ideas!

Ciao
Hessian