Hero Session 2

OK, Gael Cygni it is.

You're looking at Tech Milieu 4, with Magic Milieu 1-2 for a couple of the powers (The Ceilidh and Clan Stewart).

For a summary, Gael Cygni has five main powers. Clan Stewart united the planet in 812NE and formed the Impiraght, which fell after a disastrous and still poorly understood misadventure to the Druidic world of Feth Fiada in 980NE which lead to the death of High King James XII, apparently without heir. The Impiraght was able to sail the still raging Ether storms in vast convoys to other worlds through the power of the crown of the High King, a technomagical device that is also (unknown to most) one of the five keys to the massive Mount Olympos. This crown was also lost at Feth Fiada, and the Impiraght fell into civil war over who would claim the now empty Iron Throne, between Clans Stewart, Mackenzie (who sparked the Succession War), Clan Gordon, the Connacht, and the usually neutral megacity of Caernarfon.

The Ceilidh (pronounced Kaylee) is the final party to the conflict, formed from the former advisors and magi to the High King, and ostensibly functioning as mediators. The Ceilidh's role is strengthed by their base in Caernarfon and their possession of almost the entirety of the old Impiraght's space fleet.

The Ceilidh has been secretly weaving plots for a generation to restore the High King and end the war. In 1002NE they forged the "Ceilidh's Peace", by getting the clans to agree to a ceasefire and participate in the Papal Crusade to the undead world of Murklim. Since then the peace has largely prevented open war, though small scale skirmishes and honour combats remain distressingly common.

Also through their machinations, and the actions, betrayals, counter betrayals, kidnappings, and general mayhem of a number of powerful Heroes and Villains, the Crown was recovered on the anarchic planet of Sodomorra and passed into the hands of the supposed illegitimate son of King James, Steven Fast - a mercenary and high tech criminal - in 1004 NE. Steven was placed at the forefront of the ongoing Corporate/Reaver War on Sodomorra by the Ceilidh to make a name for himself, which he did, however the Ceilidh has yet to progress with the next stage of its plan to crown him as the High King of Gael Cygni (under their control of course).

Steven is aware of the Ceilidh's manipulation, but believes he can outsmart them, and is willing to use them for his own ends. He has bought into their claim that he is the son of the High King, and harbours a greater (rather unrealistic) dream to rebuild the Impiraght and bring peace and power to the greater galaxy. What Steven does NOT know is that the Ceilidh orchestrated the death of his lover Emiko, a Kozunese assassin for the Reaver Brotherhood. The Ceilidh was holding her to control Steven, but allowed her to escape from their custody after leaking information on Gyver Sarnson to her. Emiko attempted to assassinate Gyver during the final stages of the Corporate/Reaver war, with predictable results - she was unable to harm Gyver and was then killed by one of Gyver's bodyguards, either Melka or Minda. For the Ceilidh (who were allied with Olympus Arms/OCTAGON but distrusted Gyver - with good reason, he was playing both sides of the war Palpatine-style) either result would have been win/win.

There's a lot of options for a Hero game on Gael Cygni. The Ceilidh is likely moving to the final stages of their kingmaker plan, however there are those in the Clans who will resist, and the Ceilidh, ever one for sneakiness, may have plots afoot to thin this resistance out first - by various means. The Clans have also used the Ceilidh's Peace as an opportunity to get some hard cash, and many mechwarriors have hired on with New Phoenicia as mercs. This has brought the attention of both Zanzibar and New Phoenicia to their planet, with agents from both sides active in trying to undermine the other. Zanzibar in particular would like to spark renewed warfare to draw the clans back home. There is also Formor on the southern Horizon. Long ago the fiercely independent Formori resisted the formation of the Impiraght, lost, and fled to Formor Gaelin where the giant red star's radiation turned them into the warped dwarves they are today. The Formori have since obtained awesome tech far in advance of that of Gael Cygni, and might be moved from their amassing of vast quantities of gold to oppose the rise of a new Impiraght. . .

Of course those are stories with major impact. There could also be any number of stories about smalltime Ceilidh agents, minor clan skirmishes, or rogue adventuring bands rooting through the wreckage of a generation of war for long lost treasures. . .

Some info about the major factions. All the tartans are their real-life articles when possible. The Ceilidh use the Edinburgh tartan and Caernafon uses the Caledonian tartan.

Note that this info blurbs are pretty old, so if there's any discrepancies, go by IX's info above.

Royal tartan of the Impiragh

[1]

The Ceilidh

[2]

Genre: Mechwarrior Shadow Government

When king James XII was killed without an heir in an ill conceived war to bring Tuanil back into its historic place as part of the Cygni Impiraght in 960 NE, the Clans decended into a the Succession War, which has lasted ever since. The Ceilidh is formed of the many Advisors and Magi who fled king Jame's palace as warring factions battled in the streets of New Edinburgh. They took with them the main force of the Impiraght's vast fleet and have managed to preserve it over the years.

The Ceilidh is the closest thing to a unifying body the Clans have. It acts as an adjudicating body and attempts to oversee the ongoing war while subtly running its own plots from the shadows. It maintains contact with much of the Gaelic Diaspora, though while it is tolerated it is not always welcomed. The Formori and Tuanil are suspicious of the Ceilidh's ultimate goals.

Caernafon

[3]

Genre: Mechwarrior Celtic City Fortress

Caernarfon is neutral ground on the war-torn world of Gael Cygni. A vast city that sprawls the length of the peninsular of the same name it is the sole bastion of stability. It is ruled by an elected body of Councillors, who are heavily influenced by the will of the Ceilidh. Much of the outer city, and the huge 50 story ziggurat-like wall that faces landward, is made of a laser reflective ablative which gives it a gleaming white appearance. On the south end of the peninsular a massive space launcher rises almost 10 kilometers into the sky, supporting local skytravel.

Caernarfon owes its continued existance as a neutral to five things. It has no conceivable legitimate claim to the Throne; it has no army that can seriously compete with the major contenders to gain the throne; outside of the Ceilidh it maintians the sole viable space fleet on Gael Cygni; the Ceilidh wishes to keep Caernarfon as neutral ground, and finally, certainly not least; Caenarfon's central fortress was home to the Impiraghts ICBM silos and nuclear arsenal. Whether these weapons still function is an argument than none of the clans has been willing to put to the test

Clan Gordon

[4]

Genre: Mechwarrior Celtic Clan

Clan Gordan was one of the staunchest supporters of the Stewarts. It faithfully committed the most men and mechs to the armies of the Impiraght and was always the first to answer the call of the High King of the Clans. As a result, Clan Gordon suffered the heaviest losses on Tuanil, and was the most weakened at the start of the Succession War. In search of better allies, Clan Stewart made its biggest blunder in betraying Gordon. Now, years later Gordon has become the second most powerful contender, and has an implacable hatred for Clan Stewart that can only be born from the betrayal of a friend.

Clan Gordon's military is very similar to the other armies on Gael Cygni, all descended from the Armies of the Impiraght. The centerpieces of its forces are the huge Battlemechs, backed by armoured infantry, ground vehicles and high performance aircraft.

Clan MacKenzie

[5]

Genre: Mechwarrior Celtic Clans

Clan MacKenzie was the pimary cause for the start of the Succession War when with the death of King James XII, one of its Generals who commanded the Home Garrison of Gael Cygni attempted to place himself on the Steel Throne. It was this act that sparked off the civil war. Now 40 years later MacKenzie has begun to tire of the conflict. All those who have made claim for the throne are dead and the war seems ever more pointless.

Clan MacKenzie and its allies got the worst of the early years of the war, with 1/3rd of their people killed. This was the price paid for ambition, and as a result while Clan MacKenzie still fights, it is the most war weary of the contenders.

Clan Stewart

[6]

Genre: Mechwarrior Celtic Clan

In 812 NE King Robert Stewart I united the Clans and formed the Impiraght - for a time the greatest empire in the sector. The ships of the Impiraght even braved the receding Ether Storms and its armies of battlemechs laid claim to the worlds of Cassa Nova, Sata Corvi and Feth Fiada. It was in the war to fully conquer this last that disaster struck when in 960 NE King James XII was killed without heir.

The Impiraght collapsed, and now Clan Stewart is just one of many contenders fighting for the Imperial Throne. Clan Stewart has perhaps the best claim, but some of its methods have been so questionable over the past few years that few will acknowledge this. Until the issue is decided by force of arms, it seems there will be no end to the fighting.

Connacht

[7]

Genre: Mechwarrior Celtic Clans

The Connaighan have one of the weakest claims to the Steel Throne and would have sat out the war if not for the treachery of Clan Stewart. The clan of the High King promised a great deal to the Council of Connacht if they would aid it back to power, much to be gained at the expense of Clan Gordon, and Connacht foolishly agreed.

Now many years later Connacht has suffered the price of its folly, with its cities bombed by Gordon fighters, its armies dead in the Stewart highlands, and its richest lands in Gordon hands. It remains tied to Clan Stewart, but only through stubborn loyalty.

Comments: They're Irish, as opposed to the Scots that make up the rest of the Clans.