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Old Dog
Capellan Confederation
Sang-wei
Joined: 24-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 299
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 Posted: 12-Jun-2002 22:26 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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I'm gonna regret this.
I'm not a novel reader. Or, well, not a Btech novel reader. Stackpoole, IMHO, has done many bad things, and made the universe dance to strings that I don't agree with. But that's just me.
As such, I understand that the Kell Hounds are his pet creation. Even more than Victor the INvincible and Perfect Kai, the Kells were his thing.
I have *no* knowledge of the history of this group, which is a real shame, as it seems like one of teh Kells is going to be the Archon-maker, if not the Archon himself.
Can anybody catch me up to speed, here? Who are the Kells, where did they come from, and what's this 'Phantom Mech' power of theirs?
I'm terrified to see what the answer'll be.
-- Old Dog, barking up the wrooooooong tree
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2104
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 00:05 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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Quote:
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On 2002-06-12 22:26, Old Dog wrote:
Can anybody catch me up to speed, here? Who are the Kells, where did they come from, and what's this 'Phantom Mech' power of theirs?
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Ok, so you want to know the Kells, eh?
Well...the best way to do this is to search the material at the best source...the Kell Hound sourcebook...brb...
Ok...now that I have the book sitting in front of me...the Kell Hounds origins are set back in 3010, when two brothers, Morgan and Patrick Kell (24 and 22 respectively), pooled their money and started their own mercenary regiment...where did they get the money you ask? Well...that's simple...Arthur Luvon, late husband of Archon Katrina Steiner willed them a fortune when he died from cancer in August 3010...
They arrived on Galatea and immediately hired Techs and astechs before any MechWarriors...they were able to seduce the techs by offering larger than normal salaries, as well as access to the Eire BattleMech Company on Arc-Royal which their family owned...they started this in early October and by the third week of that month had enough to service a regiment...then they began to hire MechWarriors, but not just any...they looked for the best...there is a story of how one Addison Garlett falsified his resume, saying that he had served in the 15th Lyran Guards with Katrina sTeiner during the defense of Hesperus II...Morgan found him at a tavern called the Powder Keg, walke dup to him, confirmed that it was indeed the same man, and then:
"Morgan pulled a sheet of paper from his hip pocket. "It says here that you served with the Fifteenth Lyran Guards on Hesperus II. It says you served with Katrina Steiner."
Garlett, whose clothes were patched together from uniforms of half a dozen mercenary units, stuck out his jaw. Hooking his thumbs beneath the lapel of his Hsien Hotheads jacket, he smiled crookedly. "That's right, boy."
Morgan shrugged sheepishly. "She says you're a liar."
Garlett swung to his feet and cocked his fists, but never got a chance to throw a punch. Morgan's roundhouse right flew faster than anyone int he room could follow, smacking Garlett on the chin. The mercenary's jaw broke with a sharp crack, echoed a second later by the collapse of the table where he landed.
Morgan crumpled the paper and tossed it onto Garlett's unconscious form. "Listen up, you 'Mech lice. My brother and I are hiring warriors, not chiseling bagrants who figure the Kell Hounds to be a paid vacation and a pit stop. You can join up and be part of something great, or you can sit here and tell others you could have been a Kell Hound." Morgan glanced down at Garlett. "I'm sure he'd enjoy the company."
After this, they finished their hiring process, taking on warriors with experience, but not so much time with one unit that they would only consider that unit's tactics...finally, they finished forming the unit in November, 3010...they had 72 'Mech and 18 aerospace fighters, with jump infantry making up the third battalion, as well as the Lugh, an Overlord-class DropShip...their asking price for their first assignment was very high for a new unit, but Katrina Steiner hired them at that price, without question and assigned them garrison duty on Tharkad...eventually, they began to conduct raids for Steiner, after the duty got too boring, crushing the 13th Marik Militia (with help from the Snord's Irregulars) on the world of Castor...although the raid turned out well, many in the Estates General did not want to renew their contract, and they ended up hiring on with the Federated Suns on a contract that ran through December 3016, with a 15% pay increase...in their employ, they ended up crushing the Sun Zhang MechWarrior Cadre that attempted to probe the defenses of the planet Mara, and then later went on to Mallory's World, where they helped to recover the body of Prince Ian Davion fro the Second Sword of Light with the help of the Fourth Davion Guards...it was here that they first faced Yorinaga Kurita...they fought against other Kurita units during the Battle of Halstead Station...this got the Snakes really riled up against them, and Yorinaga Kurita, now leader of the Second Sword of Light, made plans to destroy them...on Mallory's World, he nearly did so...
Yorinaga and Morgan soon faced each other alone on the battlefield, with each reciting their lineage and their accomplishments, Morgan in Japanese, Yorinaga in English...Morgan's Archer seemed destined to fall to Yorinaga's Warhammer, especially considering that Morgan refused to use his LRMs...it seemed almost as if he wanted to die to save his people...he continually tried to close with the 'Hammer to get physical, while using only his medium lasers...Yorinaga's firepower devasted the armor the Archer, but could not disable the 'Mech...
"After two of Kell's shots hit the Warhammer's right PPC, Kurita did no use it in the next two exchanges. Sensing the weakness, Kell circled to the left and charged. Kurita, having lured Kell in by feigning damage, brought the PPC up and triggered a blast that ripped off the Archer's right arm. Staggered by the assault, the Archer crashed to its knees and hunched forward.
The Warhammer, towering over the kneeling Archer, fired every weapon on board to give his foe a warrior's death. Inexplicably, the PPC blasts flew wide of their target. The SRM flight also scattered without hitting Kell, just as the Warhammer's lasers and machine guns missed their target. It seemed as though Kurita had used up all his skill and could now do nothing.
Before he could launch another attack, the Archer's LRM pods snapped open and fired twin flights across the short distance seperating the combatants. The warheads had no time to arm themselves, but the missile's impact battered the Warhammer, crushing armor and twisting limbs. The Warhammer whirled about, but Kurita kept his 'Mech upright.
Kell's Archer climbed to its feet just as Kurita regained control of his Warhammer and loosed another barrage at the mercenary. Again the Warhammer's assault missed its target, but Morgan Kell did not return fire. Instead, he closed the Archer's missile pods, then forced his one-armed war machine into its best attempt at a bow to his foe.
That simple gesture did more damage than another missile barrage could have. With it, Kell acknowledged Kurita as his superior in skill, but also declared that Kurita would never best him. To a warrior in service to House Kurita, it might as well have been a mortal blow. Any action against Morgan Kell after that would have dishonored Yorinaga Kurita and the Draconis Combine.
In defeat, Tai-sa Kurita ordered his troops to withdraw. When one Chu-i protested, Kurita destroyed his Panther with a withering assault. As his warriors withdrew, Kurita cracked open the canopy on his Warhammer and reportedly threw out the katana and wakizashi the Coordinator had given him. Takashi Kurita later stripped Tai-sa Kurita of his command and exiled him to a Zen monstery on Echo V."
However, after this time which should have made the Hounds shine, Morgan disbanded most of the unit, leaving his brother and lover (Salome Ward) in charge of a mere battalion (a 'Mech company, a jump infantry company and an aerospace fighter company), sending the rest to Galatea to find other work...this time was called the Defection...Morgan himself left the unit, retiring to a religious community on Zaniah, where he entered St. Marinus House, a monastery noted for taking MechWarriors...Patrick was left in command of a broken unit, and was himself nearly broken, thinking his brother had no faith in him...Salome was barely better, heart broken over the departure of her lover...the Kell Hounds would have disbanded completely, had it not been for Majors Richard O'Cieran and Seamus Fitzpatrick and Captain Daniel Allard....
The restructered Hounds took other contracts with the FWL in 3017 and later House Steiner in 3019 (where they captured the Leopard-class DropShip Karasu from the Combine and took it for their own use, naming it the Manannan MacLir), then they took a posting witht he FedSun in late 3023, returning to House Steiner in 3026...
Takashi Kurita had recalled Yorinaga from exile in early 3027, giving him command of the new Genyosha...they sent forces against the Hounds, costing the Snakes two companies of Panthers and serious damage to a heavy company, including the loss of an Awesome...the Hounds received only an injury to Patrick in return...
The Hounds soon found out that Melissa Steiner, the Archon-Designate had been kidnapped and was being held in the Styx system, with the Genyosha about to arrive to take her..they set off to rescue her, succeeding in the mission, but at the cost of Patrick Kell, whose Victor was destroyed by Yorinaga's Warhammer (which was also destroyed when Dan Allard sacrificed his Valkyrie to take it out, although Kurita survived)...both commanders exhibited the same targeting problems to observers of their battle that Kurita had first experienced against Morgan more than a decade before...
His brother's death returned Morgan from exile, and before coming back, he sent out messages to all those former Hounds that had went out to join or form other units...these individuals, or their children and even portions of their new units returned to the fold (those that had survived or weren't retired)...this allowed the Hounds to form three full 'Mech battalions...
They went on to fight for the united FedCom on many fronts, losing one battalion in the Periphery to the initial Clan invasion (Morgan "losing" his son (by Salome Ward), Phelan, who would eventually become Khan of the Clan Wolf in Exile), but eventually raising the unit to two regiments...he also would eventually remove several worlds (forming the ARDC...Arc-Royal Defense Cordon) from Katherine's control after she split the Lyran worlds from the FedCom, and even becoming "engaged" to Candace Allard-Liao and Duke of Warlock (IIRC)...
Hope this is enough background...
As for the Phantom 'Mech skill, it is a special combination of genetics, training and philosophy...activated only when the character is holding off an overwhelming force and/or has reached a state where he KNOWS he will die, and thus can act as if dead already...This "nihilistic sense of self" allowed him to adversely affect the targeting computers of his opponents' 'Mechs, while aiding himself...
In game terms, a pilot with the skill is treated as if he were at double his actual range and had moved ten or more hexes that round (for his opponent's fire)...this does not affect his own to hit rolls, which actually receive a two place bonus, which can only be used in targeting or as a modifier to the Hit Location table, but only to move the result to an arm or a leg instead of the head or torso...
The skill is VERY difficult to gain...in MW1st edition terms, you total the starting attributes, divide by 5, rounding down...this gives you a number of dice to roll. If the result of this roll is higher than the combined value of your attributes, you have the genetics to have the skill...this roll can only be made once, and at the time of character creation...to have the power kick in, add the following:
Pts. damage or HTK taken divided by 10
'Mech piloting skill
Leadership skill
Cha
LRN
a roll of 2d6...
If the total is more than 38, the power kicks in...if it fails, you can never have the power...if one does receive it, the psychological effects are staggering, and a PC should be retired for an extended period or permanently...
Hope this helps...all quotes are from the Kell Hounds sourcebook...
Ruger
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2104
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 00:10 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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BTW...Morgan and Patrick were also members of Heimdall, along with Arthur Luvon...as you know, Heimdall is a "Loyal Opposition" group, set up to counter abuses by Loki and the Archon...
Oh, and somewhen, Morgan got a letter from either Katrina or Melissa that he can use to get supplies and what not...the letter reads, "Deny this man, Morgan Kell, nothing." and is signed by the Archon...
Ruger
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Old Dog
Capellan Confederation
Sang-wei
Joined: 24-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 299
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 09:07 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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Good lord.
Knew it was a mistake to ask. :/
Now, I'm curious why on Earth some old Lyran fellow left them enough money in his will for them to start a Regiment, *Regiment*, with techs better than an elite House regiment. Mind you, I know that now, he has full CLan Tech on all his machines, and a factory or three, multiple planets due to the ARDC, many Regiments, jump ships, possibly warships, and who knows what else.
As for the Phantom thing ... can I nonconsent?
-- Old Dog, retching in teh grass.
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Nightmare
Lyran Alliance
Kommandant-General
Joined: 03-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 2214
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 09:34 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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AFAIK, they were related - distantly. Few other relatives alive, perhaps.
BTW, any truth to the story that the Kell brothers got a special permission to leave early from the Lyran military? Nagelring graduates are required to enlist in a house unit, but the Kells managed to avoid it.
The Archon herself supposedly passed a special case law for them.
No big surprise, of course.
_________________
A tree fall in the forest, and no one is around, and it hits a mime. Does anyone care?
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2104
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 09:49 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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Quote:
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On 2002-06-13 09:34, Nightmare wrote:
AFAIK, they were related - distantly. Few other relatives alive, perhaps.
BTW, any truth to the story that the Kell brothers got a special permission to leave early from the Lyran military? Nagelring graduates are required to enlist in a house unit, but the Kells managed to avoid it.
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Yes and yes...the rewards of being a cousin to the Archon's dead husband or some such, IIRC...
Ruger
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2104
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 09:56 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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Quote:
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On 2002-06-13 09:07, Old Dog wrote:
Now, I'm curious why on Earth some old Lyran fellow left them enough money in his will for them to start a Regiment, *Regiment*, with techs better than an elite House regiment. Mind you, I know that now, he has full CLan Tech on all his machines, and a factory or three, multiple planets due to the ARDC, many Regiments, jump ships, possibly warships, and who knows what else.
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A regiment of 2 battalions of 'Mechs (72 total) and a battalion of infantry, yes and a single DropShip...could have been worse...and like I said elsewhere, they were relatives to either Arthur or Katrina (I believe it was Arthur, but don't feel like looking it up)...
As for the rest you have here...no, the Hounds don't have full Clan Tech on all their stuff (except for their command units, which do)...the Hounds still have only the single factory (the WiE captured one doesn't count as it's only theirs), only 2 regiments in the Hounds (yes, Morgan does have other regiments in the ARDC under his nominal control, but they are not HIS units, per se) and the only WarShips in the ARDC are under WiE control...
Ruger
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Karagin
Imperial Karagin Army
Imperial General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 4120
Location: United States
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 10:02 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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Wait a mintue...IIRC it was publish some where that after Luithen and the Hounds battle against the Red Cosair they had enough Clan tech to build another regiment...or did that change?
_________________
Karagin
Only the dead have seen the end of war. - Plato
"Wasted trip Man. Nobody said nuthin' about lockin' horns with no tigers." Oddball
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Ruger
Lyran Alliance
Hauptmann General
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2104
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 10:46 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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Quote:
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On 2002-06-13 10:02, Karagin wrote:
Wait a mintue...IIRC it was publish some where that after Luithen and the Hounds battle against the Red Cosair they had enough Clan tech to build another regiment...or did that change?
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As of FM: Mercs, they have 2 regiments...they are 60% upgraded to Clan standards and 40% to advanced Inner Sphere ones...they have nearly 2 full companies of working Clan Omnis and a company of Inner Sphere Omnis (expect the latter to rise with the intro of the Arctic Fox)...
Ruger
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Old Dog
Capellan Confederation
Sang-wei
Joined: 24-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 299
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 17:13 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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Joy.
So, opinions?
Does Kell sit as teh new Archon at the end of Endgame, or is he the right hand enforcer of someone else? (Adam, maybe?)
I'm guessing that he's not gonna die, nor his unit take much damage, if any.
-- Old Dog, depressed doggie
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Kraken
Federated Suns
Marshal
Joined: 04-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 2755
Location: United States
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2002 19:54 Post subject: Kell Ghost Mech ... whafu? |
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Don't forget Tancred Sandoval and George Hasek, both of whom have gotten a rather large piece of the spotlight recently. If the authors are doing this like Stackpole, the reason that the two are getting the spotlight is that they are to become wildly important (like how Stackpole focused a great deal on Victor and Theodore in addition ot Kai and Hohiro).
_________________
"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." -Edgar Allen Poe"I knew there was something special about you, but I never realized you were really a cat." Wolfwood to a random cat (Trigun)
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