Original Clans
Nicholas Kerensky named the original
Clans after beasts, entities, or attributes he felt would inspire his warriors. Each
exemplifies some worthy feature that he wished his warriors to reflect. Wolves, for
example, were admired for their cunning and stealth.
Seventeen Clans remain of the original 20. Two of the missing Clans were absorbed by other Clans through trials and Grand Council rulings. The third Clan is spoken of only as the "Not-Named Clan," the reasons for which are discussed in the main body of this text. Suffice it to say that the crime committed was considered so heinous that all mention of the Clan was purged from the official history of the Clans. Following is a list of the original 20 Clans and the origin of their names.
Blood Spirit
This name honors the esprit de corps that held together the 800 Bloodnamed warriors during
the horrors of the Exodus Civil War.
Burrock
This Clan is named for the burrock, a large invertebrate indigenous to Eden. The
burrock is capable of burrowing through solid rock. It excretes a powerful, acidic mucous
which allows it to move through rock.
Cloud Cobra
The cloud cobra was introduced to Arcadia and adapted quickly to its new environment.
It evolved to prey on fauna in the planet's misty jungles.
Coyote
This Strana Mechty carnivore descended from coyotes found on the North American
continent on Terra. This coyote is larger and apparently much more intelligent than the
Terran species, perhaps because of genetic engineering.
Fire Mandrill
This name is taken from a primate introduced to Eden whose aggressiveness and fire-red
fur were admired by warriors.
Ghost Bear
The Clan is named for the arctic bear that inhabits Strana Mechty's southern
hemisphere. It is admired for its strength and cunning.
Goliath Scorpion
The large Babylon arthropod for which this Clan is named uses lethal poison to kill
its prey. Many of the early settlers lost their lives to this creature. It is admired for
its suicidal defense of its nest.
Hell's Horses
In an attempt to genetically adapt horses to life in the deserts of Circe, Clan
scientists bred carnivorous horses of uncontrollable aggressiveness. The prototypes of
these horses were intended to be terminated, but a tender-hearted warrior set them free to
live and breed in the deserts. These horses have a peculiar fascination for Circe's many
caves. The Clan has embraced the aggressiveness and hardy stock of its namesake.
Ice Hellion
Even though this cunning pack predator of Hector's snowy mountains preyed on the first
Clan explorers, it was admired for its lithe shape and blindingly white fur.
Jade Falcon
The jade falcon is a large bird that was genetically altered from a Terran peregrine
to live in the jungles of Eden. It has a distinctive, shimmering, emerald-green plumage
and an ear-piercing cry.
Mongoose
One of the absorbed Clans, the Mongoose was named after the sinuous predator found on
the planet Shadow. It stalked and killed that world's large, dangerous venom worms, which
endeared it to the Clan.
Nova Cat
The Dagda feline whose mane stands on end (like a sudden nova) whenever it is alarmed
was the inspiration for this Clan name. Its mane is tipped with barbs containing a
substance poisonous to most creatures. The nova cat is admired for its alert response to
danger.
Sea Fox
This Clan takes its name from the seal-like reptilian predator of Strana Mechty's
freshwater oceans. The sea fox appears to honor its prey by bellowing and then bowing, as
though in respect for its kill.
Smoke Jaguar
Smoke jaguar is an altered Terran jaguar let loose in the jungles of Strana Mechty, so
named because its fur looks like grayish smoke. Nicholas Kerensky held up the smoke jaguar
as the epitome of unadulterated aggressiveness, citing as proof the animal's ferocity and
its habit of springing on its prey from above.
Snow Raven
This Clan name was inspired by the huge ravens inhabiting Strana Mechty's southern
tundra. The warriors honor the creature's unwillingness to waste anything the tundra
offers them, the sign of a true survivor.
Star Adder
The star adder is a genetically altered adder that was released into the northern
steppes of Strana Mechty to control the disease-carrying crana, a rodent-sized insect. The
snake's shimmering black scales, peppered with white spots, might be reason enough to call
it the star adder. The real source of its name, however, is its nightly rearing and
swaying in response to almost constant stellar displays resembling the aurora borealis.
Steel Viper
This clan name refers to the tenacious Arcadian snake that coils around its victims in
a solid grip, then slowly releases a poison. The word steel refers both to its unyielding
embrace and the rigidity of its victims once they have been thoroughly poisoned.
Widowmaker
The second absorbed Clan was named for the black widow spiders accidently released
into the jungles of Eden, where they grew to three times their Terran size. Their
aggressiveness and the strength of their poison increased at the same rate.
Wolverine
Wolverines were introduced to the forests of Strana Mechty, where they flourished,
growing in size and ferocity. They were admired by warriors because they stood their
ground against any intruder, no matter what its size or strength. The Wolverine Clan is
probably the Not-Named Clan, which was annihilated.
Wolf
Though nearly twice the size of their progenitors, the Strana Mechty wolf is otherwise
identical to Terran wolves. Wolf packs roam both the northern and southern continents, and
the Kerenskys considered them the epitome of the warrior spirit.