Editing Clan Snow Raven

{{Update Needed|[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]]|[[Handbook: Major Periphery States]]|[[Objectives: Clans]]|[[The Wars of Reaving]]|[[Jade Falcon Sourcebook]]}}

{{InfoBoxFactions
| crest = [[Image:Clan Snow Raven Insignia.png|150px|center|Clan Snow Raven Logo]]
| factionname = Clan Snow Raven
| timeperiod = [[2807]] &ndash; [[3083]]
| classification = [[Clan]]
| systems = ?
| capital = [[Lum]] (former)
| rulertitle = [[Khan]]
| military = [[Clan Snow Raven Touman|Clan Snow Raven ''touman'']]
| secretservice = [[Watch#Clan Snow Raven|Clan Snow Raven Watch]]
}}
'''Clan Snow Raven''' was founded by [[Stephen McKenna]] (a distant relative of the famous [[James McKenna]] who hailed from the [[Terran Hegemony]]).<ref>''The Star League'', p. 12: "James McKenna"</ref> The Snow Ravens are a complicated [[Clan]] that have taken a unique path, due to several catastrophes in their early history. Famed for their heavy use of naval assets, as well as their conniving and efficient nature, the Snow Raven Clan, despite being mistrusted and misunderstood by other Clans, eventually rose to power in the years after the [[Clan Invasion]].<ref name=H:OKp115,116>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', pp. 115–116: "Stephen McKenna Profile"</ref> During the Jihad, the Snow Ravens would leave Clan space and enter a war with the [[Draconis Combine]]. They would later join the remaining Clans in the Inner Sphere to form the [[Council of Six]] after their abjuration from the [[Clan Homeworlds]]. They would develop a close relationship with the [[Outworlds Alliance]] and by the end of the Jihad, the two factions would merge together to become the [[Raven Alliance]].

==History==

===Snow Raven Totem===
[[Nicholas Kerensky]] decreed that the remaining 800 warriors loyal to him be divided into twenty 'clans.' Each clan, consisting of forty warriors would emulate a beast endemic to the [[Kerensky Cluster]]. In his wisdom, the warriors under [[Stephen McKenna]] were designated to embody the attributes of the snow raven, a snow-white bird common to the harsh tundra flats of [[Strana Mechty]]. Snow ravens are known to never waste anything, picking the bones of a carcass clean and then eating the bones as well. Snow ravens were also documented to cooperate with other animals, such as the introduced Terran wolf or the ghost bear, often sharing a kill. Like many other Clans, the Snow Ravens have followed their totem to a fault, often to the extent of ridicule. Indeed, Snow Ravens of all castes are often known to be conniving, cold, and more humorously, extremely garrulous to the point of being more verbose than even those of the [[Clan Ice Hellion|Ice Hellion Clan]]; moreover, Snow Ravens are unable to keep secrets of great purport. Members are colloquially referred to as 'the Unkindness,' the word used for a gathering of greater corvids.<ref name=H:OKp115,116/><ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 118 - "Clan Snow Raven"</ref><ref name=FM:WCp118,119>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 118, 119 - "Looking Into the Abyss"(2784 - 2785)</ref>

===The Birth of Clan Snow Raven===
Clan Snow Raven was established as a mixed combat force. Snow Raven Cluster was composed of 4 [[Star (Formation)|Star]]s of [[BattleMech]]s, while the rest of the Cluster was composed of a mix of [[AeroSpace Fighter|AeroSpace]], naval [[WarShip]]s, and [[Infantry|specialist infantry]] (presumably [[Space Marine|space marines]] and security).<ref>''Historical: Operation KLONDIKE'', pp. 71, 74</ref>

For the past several centuries, it has been more famine than feast for the Snow Ravens. Very early in their history – during [[Operation Klondike]], the struggle to reclaim the [[Pentagon Worlds]] – the Snow Ravens were struck down by fate. Fighting on the northern continent of [[Circe]] alongside [[Clan Wolverine]], with Clans [[Clan Mongoose|Mongoose]] and [[Clan Nova Cat|Nova Cat]] on the other continent, many of the greatest events of Clan Wolverine's fall from the clans were shaped. The Ravens captured their future capital [[Dehra Dun]], later destroyed by Clan Wolverine. And Snow Raven saKhan [[Joyce Merrell]] reportedly died in a battle possibly due to intentional actions by Clan Wolverine.

Overall the Snow Ravens fielded one of the most mixed forces in the Clans. With a high proportion of AeroSpace and Infantry elements and only half of their forces being 'Mechs, they had a flexible fighting force that, ultimately, was weaker than others might have been. The Snow Ravens lost almost half their ground units to enemy forces, and, although in the end the Ravens were victorious, the Raven ''touman'', particularly its [['Mech]] forces, were severely diminished. Khan McKenna sought ways to increase the strength of his ''touman'', and found his answer in the many caches of [[Star League]] equipment stored in various places in the Pentagon Worlds. At the time, other [[Clans]] were scrambling madly for equipment out of caches as well, thus it was impractical for an already weak Clan to face other, stronger Clans in this matter. Khan [[Stephen McKenna]], a naval commander during the [[Amaris Civil War|Amaris Crisis]] and during the [[Exodus]], suggested the Clan's warriors stage trials of possession for [[WarShip]]s, which were less sought after--- other Clans sought after 'Mechs and the WarShips ran against the warrior ethos of the nascent [[Clans]]. Before the other Clans could react, the Snow Ravens fielded a considerable naval force as well as gaining a stranglehold on almost all naval shipyards in Clan space.<ref name=H:OKp115,116/><ref name=FM:WCp118,119/>

===Aftermath of Operation KLONDIKE===
This did not prevent the Ravens from still requiring an adequate ground force and they soon found themselves in conflict over the possession of a cache with the [[Clan Wolverine|Wolverine]] Clan on the planet [[Circe]].<ref>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', p. 71 - ''Primary Forces Committed to Circe''</ref> The Wolverines and the Snow Ravens bore much enmity towards each other since [[Operation KLONDIKE]]: the Wolverine saKhan, [[Franklin Hallis]] was attracted to Raven saKhan, [[Joyce Merrell]], however Merrell did not requite Hallis' affections and the Wolverines had moved to destroy Raven interests ever since. This cache of 'Mechs once belonged to the unit with which the Wolverine Khan, [[Sarah McEvedy]], had served; however the actual cache resided in Raven territory. Thus, the matter was brought before the Grand Council to be resolved. However, when the Ravens were awarded the rights to the cache, the Wolverine Clan, (who recently become very discontented with Clan society) declared their independence from the Clans.  The Snow Ravens, already aware the Wolverines were massing on their borders, moved to attack. The Wolverines fought intensely and the Snow Ravens were beaten back to their capital, [[Dehra Dun]], and finally repulsed from there as well. The Wolverines emptied the city of all civilians and detonated a low-level nuclear warhead, destroying the primary genetic repository. This resulted in a Trial of Annihilation declared against Clan Wolverine, by Clans [[Clan Wolf|Wolf]] and [[Clan Widowmaker|Widowmaker]]. Following the destruction of the majority of  Wolverine Clan (now known as the Not-Named Clan), the Ravens were again heavily decimated, and [[Clan Mongoose]] began to quietly ask for a Raven absorption. The Ravens were not deterred by this; they moved their capital to the planet of [[Lum]] and tried to rebuild their shattered Clan once again.<ref name=H:OKp115,116/><ref name=FM:WCp118,119/><ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 120 - ''Legacy of War, personal journals of Khan Stephen McKenna''</ref>

:''Note: The above is accepted as the historical truth within the BattleTech universe, in accordance with Clan historical records. The Clans, including Clan Snow Raven themselves, believe this to be accurate.<br />The actual truth of the matter is that Clan Wolverine was set up as an example for those who would not unquestioningly follow Nicholas Kerensky. Historical records were later deliberately falsified to produce a completely rewritten story of what happened, in line with Kerensky's vision. These revisionistic falsifications covered up, among many other things, that the destruction of Dehra Dun came from a nuclear warhead that the Snow Ravens were going to deploy against the Wolverines. Snow Raven Khan Joyce Merrel, a friend of Wolverine Khan Sarah McEvedy, was so sickened by what happened that Nicholas Kerensky promised her to purge her name from historical records after the final battle on [[Barbados]]; this is the reason why there is inconsistent information on Merrel's tenure and date of death.''<ref>''Betrayal of Ideals''</ref>

===The Golden Century===
On [[Lum]], the Ravens gained many of the attributes they are renowned for today. Superb political manipulators, the clan banded together their bloodlines to form 'families.' Conflicts between families, unlike the constant infighting that plagues the [[Clan Fire Mandrill |Fire Mandrill Clan]], have only made the Snow Ravens stronger. In addition to this, the Ravens were also efficient users of raw materials, breeding a naval phenotype, unique among the [[Clans]], to staff Raven [[WarShip]] fleets. The Raven Clan moved silently through Clan society, quietly rebuilding themselves.<ref name=H:OKp115,116/><ref name=FM:WCp118,119/>

In the 2850's, the Ravens came across an inhospitable world, aptly named [[Hellgate]], that was rich with natural resources. When the Ravens moved to colonize this world, the [[Clan Steel Viper|Steel Vipers]] staged a trial of possession for the planet's agrodomes, and, although the Ravens fought hard, without food the Clan was forced to relinquish control to the Vipers within several years. The Vipers continued to prey upon the Ravens and they perpetuate a feud that continued through the Wars of Reaving, only ending with the Snow Ravens abandonment of the Clan Homeworlds. <ref name=FM:WCp119,120>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 119, 120 - "Clan Snow Raven, Absolute Power (2825 - 2976)"</ref>

Raven activities were fairly quiet for more than a century, until a Raven Khan revealed [[Clan Cloud Cobra]] ilKhan [[Tobias Khatib]]'s complicity in the murder of the previous ilKhan. The Ravens found themselves in the forefront of Clan society again, when Khan [[Liam Howell]] revealed that it was he who had instructed Snow Raven scientists to introduce a genetically-recumbent great white shark into the oceans of [[Strana Mechty]]. Khan Howell despised the [[Clan Sea Fox]] for thwarting his attempts to gain territory on the world of [[Priori]], and subsequently unleashed these 'diamond sharks' for the express purpose of wiping out the Sea Fox totem animal. The Raven saKhan, [[Niamh Sukhanov]], furious at his superior's machinations, declared a trial of grievance, killing Khan Howell and then assuming the seat of Khanship. Nonetheless, the Sea Foxes were furious, and their anger only abated when the Snow Raven Khan evoked the rite of ''[[surkairede]]''.<ref name=FM:WCp119,120/><ref name=ED:GCp10>''Era Digest: Golden Century'', p. 10 - ''Early Clan History: A Comparative Timeline, Cont.''</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 120 - "Trials and Tribulations" (2977 - 3047)</ref>

===The Political Century and Operation Revival===
[[File:SnowRavenWarShips.jpg|right|thumb|Snow Raven WarShips on patrol]]
In stark contrast to the peace that the so-called 'Golden Century' granted, the following era, the [[Political Century]] would be racked with turmoil. The requisite three generations that Kerensky had mandated for the [[Clans]] to finally return to the [[Inner Sphere]] had long since passed and many in Clan society called for change. Nascent ideological rifts began to grow, eventually coalescing into the [[Crusader Clans|Crusader]] philosophy, which wanted to return to the Inner Sphere and reinstate the [[Star League]], and the [[Warden Clans|Warden]] philosophy, whose adherents felt the [[Clans]] were still not ready to return. Interpreting both these ideologies as false, Clan Snow Raven chose instead a "best of both worlds" path, combining the Crusaders' drive and the Wardens' patience, quite arguably to great effect. Moreover, the Snow Ravens - as a politically 'neutral' Clan - could contract their services to either a Crusader or Warden Clan with minimal difficulty. Near the middle of the Political Century in [[2979]], Snow Raven Khan [[Ewan McCorkell]] would strike a bargain with [[Clan Blood Spirit]], trading a Galaxy of second-line BattleMechs for three of the Blood Spirits' WarShips. He would execute this deal after pondering the future and realizing the Snow Ravens would destroy themselves attempting to unseat one of the dominant Clans. He opted for the long road, setting his Clan up to be a primary provider of transport and cargo escort services to the distant edge of the Inner Sphere, while also cultivating an alliance for his Clan with a highly reclusive Clan that shared a mutual respect. All of these decisions would prove to be very prudent choices when, fifty years later, the calls for invasion were answered.<ref>Field Manual: Warden Clans, p.120</ref><ref name=ED:GCp10/>  

For half a century the Ravens were quiet, until the ''[[Outbound Light]]'' brought about the call for invasion of the [[Inner Sphere]]. [[Clan Coyote]], who had lost much territory in the last few decades, sought to bring glory and prestige to their Clan by attacking the Snow Ravens. While the Coyotes wielded considerable forces, the Ravens fought with equal force and both sides were bloodied badly enough that neither Clan was strong enough to participate in the trials determining a slot in the invasion force. This worked out in the Ravens' favor anyway, for Khan [[Lynn McKenna]] was able to negotiate a contract with the Jade Falcons that loaned out two Stars of [[WarShip]]s, in exchange for resources from the Inner Sphere, and most importantly, the world of [[Hellgate]] (which the Falcons had recently taken from the Vipers). This arrangement allowed the Ravens to regain their strength lost through the failed Coyote attack, as well as thumb their nose at the Vipers. However, this deal did not last long, for the Vipers and the Crusader Wolves initiated the [[Harvest Trials]] in [[3058]], wherein two entire Clusters were taken by the Jade Falcons. Relations with that Clan cooled, although they are slowly normalizing again (even after the 'McKenna Bloodhouse Incident' when the Jade Falcon Clan meddled with Snow Raven bloodhouse affairs).

===The Great Refusal===
One of the greatest feats of the Snow Ravens in recent years has been the completion of the largest [[WarShip]] ever constructed, the ''[[Leviathan (WarShip)|Leviathan]]''. The [[Clan Ghost Bear|Ghost Bears]], the Snow Ravens' longtime ally, requested their assistance in building a WarShip so powerful that it could handle an entire naval star by itself. The Ravens managed to deliver, but the project failed to be completed in time for the Bears' move to the [[Inner Sphere]]. The ''Leviathan'' served as a valuable cargo vessel, ferrying millions of Clan civilians to their new home. When the Ghost Bears finally left, they gifted the world of [[Bearclaw]] to the Ravens in thanks, although the [[Clan Hell's Horses |Hell's Horses Clan]] landed just as the Bears were leaving and the Ravens have failed to oust them fully, so far. The Snow Ravens have gained territory elsewhere as well. In the wake of the Smoke Jaguar Annihilation, the Ravens gained much of the planet of [[Circe]], as well as a portion of [[Homer]] (although they were eventually forced off that world by superior numbers of [[Clan Steel Viper|Steel Vipers]]). The Snow Ravens also assisted in the withdrawal of [[Clan Nova Cat]] forces, which allowed the Ravens to obtain the Abjured Clan's territory with minimal conflict.

===Territory Wars===
Post-[[3060]], the Ravens began to see the limitations of their recent gains, and decided to send an expeditionary force to the [[Inner Sphere]]. While scouting the near-[[Periphery]], the Snow Raven force stumbled upon an [[Outworlds Alliance]] [[JumpShip]] and staged a trial of possession for it, offering a [[Titan (Dropship)|Titan]] class [[DropShip]] as collateral. Surprisingly, the Snow Ravens were beaten by the Alliance pilots. Greatly impressed, they offered their hand in friendship and eventually formalized a make-shift alliance that has allowed Snow Raven vessels to use Outworlds recharge stations, in exchange for refurbishing an old [[Star League]]-era naval base at [[Quatre Belle]]. The Snow Ravens also helped the Alliance develop its own [[OmniFighter]], the [[Corax]] (named in honor of the Ravens).

===Treachery at [[Kazanka]]===
The [[Inner Sphere]] seemed like a very hospitable place for the Snow Ravens until the [[Draconis Combine]] blew up a Snow Raven vessel attempting to recharge at one of their stations (which the Ravens won the right to by trial). The lost vessel was none other than the ''[[Sovetskii Soyuz#Named Vessels|White Cloud]]'', which once won the [[2736]] [[Martial Olympiad]]. The Ravens took several pirate worlds, [[Rezak's Hole]] and [[Farstar]], which they used for harassing Kuritan interests to the best of their ability.

===The Assault on Lum===
However, true revenge had to wait, for the Raven's homeworld of [[Lum]] was being assaulted. The [[Clan Steel Viper|Steel Viper Clan]], ejected from the [[Inner Sphere]] by the [[Clan Jade Falcon|Jade Falcons]], sought to take revenge on their most hated foe, the Snow Ravens. Several frontline galaxies were deployed on [[Lum]], and, for a time, it seemed the Vipers would be victorious.  Eventually the Snow Ravens turned the tide of battle and drove the Vipers off-planet. The final battle involved naval elements and resulted in the destruction of the Viper vessel ''Pit Viper''. Several Raven vessels were damaged, but none destroyed.

===The Jihad and Beyond===
With the Viper threat diminished, the Ravens could now concentrate on the [[Draconis Combine]]. The [[Jihad]] waged by the [[Word of Blake]] was savaging the [[Inner Sphere]], and it was the perfect time to exact revenge upon the weakened Kuritan forces. The Ravens used the depleted [[Swift Wing Naval Assault Star (Clan Snow Raven)|Swift Wing Naval Assault Star]] to raid the worlds of [[Enif]], [[Tabayama]], and [[Galedon V]],<ref name="J:FRp45">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 45, "The Jihad In Review"</ref> destroying a Kuritan ''[[Kyushu]]''-class vessel in the latter engagement. 

The depleted Swift Wing Naval Assault Star was destroyed on the 5th of January [[3069]]; the Star was resupplying in the [[Ramora]] system when terrorists, either funded by the [[Word of Blake]] or Blakist operatives in disguise, used Draconis Combine vessels and tactics to destroy the Raven WarShips.<ref name="J:FRp46">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 46, "The Jihad In Review"</ref> The Snow Ravens responded to the destruction of the Star by going on the offensive against the Combine in May 3069, seizing the border worlds of [[Budingen]], [[Goubellat]], [[Schirmeck]], [[Valentina]] and [[Weisau]] from the Combine. This was followed by the arrival of a naval Star in the Galedon system on the 1st of June and the orbital bombardment of a number of military installations on the surface of [[Galedon V]]. The Snow Ravens gave the Galedon civilian castes one week to leave the planet; on the 16th of June, the Snow Ravens followed their initial bombardment with a much longer bombardment of the planet's surface, targeting every city on the world in turn. The damage wrought on Galedon's population quickly outgrew that of the infamous [[Kentares Massacre]] and saw the planetary administration on Galedon collapse, along with the bulk of the planet's centralized transport and planetary controls. Even as the Snow Ravens captured 30,000 escaping Galedonians and declared them to be ''[[isorla]]'', a plague on the planet, which had broken out during battles between [[AFFS]] and DCMS forces earlier in the year, reached epidemic proportions, spreading among the survivors of the bombardment.<ref name="J:FRp47">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 47, "The Jihad In Review"</ref>

As the Snow Raven forces traveled back to the Outworlds Alliance, space cases of the plague from Galedon broke out on three of the five WarShips, prompting the forced scuttling of several vessels after a battle in an unnamed Combine system as the Snow Ravens tried to contain the plague, which had presumably arrived on their ships via some of the civilians taken prisoner.<ref name="J:FRp47"/>

When reports linking terrorist cells apparently operating from the Alliance world of Dante with the [[Word of Blake]] were confirmed in September 3069, the Snow Ravens lay siege to Dante for a week, alongside units from the [[Alliance Military Corps]]. The approach taken on Dante was considered heavy-handed by a number of Alliance worlds and provoked a political crisis for [[Mitchell Avellar]] when secessionist sentiments rose sharply on a number of Alliance worlds in response.<ref name="J:FRp47">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 47, "The Jihad In Review"</ref>

In late February [[3075]], diplomats from the [[Federated Suns]] travelled to [[Outworlds Alliance]] space to negotiate with the Snow Ravens. As well as a peace settlement, the negotiators hoped to arrange for the release of captured personnel from the [[3rd Crucis Lancers]] and for the Snow Ravens to contribute aid to the coalition assembled by [[Devlin Stone]]. While the negotiations did result in assurances from the Snow Ravens that they would not strike at the Federated Suns again unless provoked, the Clan refused to contribute to the allied coalition and claimed all of the captured [[AFFS]] personnel as ''isorla''.<ref name="JHS:Tp14+">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 14-15, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp53">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 53, "The Jihad In Review"</ref>

In early November [[3075]], [[Clan Ghost Bear]] sent a delegation led by [[Aletha Kabrinski]] to meet with the Snow Ravens in a bid to negotiate for the Snow Ravens to commit to supporting the coalition, the Ghost Bears having recently agreed to support the coalition themselves. By mid-December, these negotiations had been successful and the Ghost Bears were able to launch a second assault on the contested world of Ascella with the assistance of supporting forces from the Snow Ravens.<ref name="JHS:Tp19">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 19, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp55">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 55, "The Jihad In Review"</ref> The Snow Ravens dispatched two naval Stars to join the coalition on the 16th of February, with the Snow Raven ships escorting the returning Ghost Bears delegation.<ref name="J:FRp55"/><ref name="JHS:Tp20">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 20, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref>

The combined Ghost Bear and Snow Raven forces launched a number of major assaults in July and September 3076, with the first wave in July striking at the Protectorate worlds of [[Dyev]], [[Kervil]], [[Ko]], [[Lambrecht]], [[Moore]] and [[Sabik]], followed by a second wave in September that expanded the combined Clan front against the Protectorate by striking at [[Lyons]], [[Pike IV]] and [[Skandia]].<ref name="JHS:Tp22">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 22, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp56">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 56, "The Jihad In Review"</ref>

Following the Jihad, Clan Snow Raven found itself facing new problems within the Outworlds Alliance. While the alliance between the Snow Ravens and the Alliance had brought some clear benefits - including, in [[Quatre Belle]], the return of the shipyards to operational status - the Snow Raven touman found itself overcommited, unable to protect all of the worlds of the Alliance despite having taken on responsibility for them. This meant that the Alliance Military Corps had to garrison some worlds alone, prompting pointed questions about whether the alliance with the Snow Ravens was actually bringing the promised benefits.<ref name="J:FRp112">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 112, "Clan Snow Raven"</ref>

Despite the problems faced by the Snow Ravens, the recommissioning of the Quatre Belle shipyards gave the Ravens control over one of only three manufacturing sites capable of producing new JumpShips, marked by the production of the CSR ''Mitchell Avellar'', during a period in which the number of yards capable of producing JumpShips across the [[Inner Sphere]] had fallen sharply.<ref name="J:FRp113">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 113, "Clan Industry"</ref> The Quatre Belle shipyards gave the Snow Raven WarShip fleet somewhere to undergo maintenance and refurbishment after years of active deployment, but with limited resources available to support the fleet, there were calls from within the Clan to acknowledge that with little need for the full fleet, some of the older ships should be mothballed to reduce the draw on resources.<ref name="J:FRp112"/>

===Wars of Reaving===
During the Jihad, Clan Snow Raven was put on trial for their war with the Draconis Combine. The ilKhan Brett Andrews stated that the raven's tactics were another example of the Inner Sphere's taint corrupting them. Being the Steel Viper's enemies made it easier for them to be abjured from clan space. The Snow Ravens were abjured from Clan Space and their holdings were contested by the other clans. A naval convoy left behind was destroyed by the Snake Alliance.

===Post-Jihad===
Post-Jihad, the Snow Ravens were known to merge with the [[Outworlds Alliance]] government, forming the [[Raven Alliance]], although exact information surrounding this remains unknown.

==Culture==
The practices and customs of the Snow Raven Clan were a study in contradiction.  On the one hand the Clan was incredibly tight-knit and distrusting of any outsiders: rarely would a Snow Raven take someone from outside the Clan into their confidence for fear they may turn on them, and most [[bondsmen]] wore their [[bondcord]] for many years before being accepted.  Even then these individuals had difficulty fully integrating into their new Clan, and of the very few warriors taken fewer still were allowed to rise above the rank of [[Star Colonel]].<ref name=FMWC122>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 122</ref>

In comparison the Clan's internal politics were downright Byzantine, a complex web of power structures and relationships.  The focus of this politicking was the Clan's [[Bloodname House]]s, often known internally as "the families," and to interfere with a family's internal affairs was considered a grave sin.  This was because each House Leader had absolute authority over how its [[Bloodnamed]] members would vote in the [[Clan Council]], but determining who held this position meant only the most politically astute retained it for more than a few years.  Thus while no Snow Raven ever did something without reason, that reason was not always the most apparent one.<ref name=FMWC122/>

The Snow Ravens were also unique in maintaining a separate category of naval Bloodnames.  While all Clans hold control over a number of bloodlines categorized as generic, MechWarrior, Elemental or Pilot, the Snow Ravens created an additional category of Naval Command.  Bred for their analytical and command abilities, with strength and stamina secondary concerns, such bloodlines dated back to the early days of the Clan as a means to produce superior naval officers.  The rarity of inter-Clan naval engagements throughout most of their history meant other Clans saw such practices as a waste of resources.<ref>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', p. 123</ref>

==Inter-Clan Relations==
For most part Clan Snow Raven avoided entanglements with alliances or feuds throughout its history. Only with three Clans did the Snow Ravens have anything resembling alliances.
{| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center;
|-
!Clan Name
!Symbol
!Relationship
!Reason
|-
|'''[[Clan Blood Spirit]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Blood Spirit logo.png|100px]]
|Ally
|Exchanges of war matériel with [[Clan Blood Spirit]] between [[2980]] and [[3010]] inaugurated limited dealings with that isolationist Clan until the Raven's Abjuration from the Clan Homeworlds and the Blood Spirit's destruction.
|-
|'''[[Clan Ghost Bear]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Ghost Bear logo.png|100px]]
|Ally
| With [[Clan Ghost Bear]] the Snow Ravens consistently maintained good relations; each Clans' military bias offset the others' weakness, and exchanges of technology and skills were frequent.<ref name=TCWOK92/>
|-
|'''[[Clan Cloud Cobra]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Cloud Cobra.jpg|100px]]
|Ally
|The [[Clan Cloud Cobra|Cloud Cobras]] shared the Ravens' inclination towards aerospace warfare and political intrigue. These relations would continue until the Raven's Abjuration from the Clan Homeworlds.
|}

{| class="wikitable" border="1"; text-align:center;
|-
!Clan Name
!Symbol
!Relationship
!Reason
|-
|'''[[Clan Diamond Shark]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Diamond Shark.jpg|100px]]
|Enemy
|A one-sided rivalry did exist with [[Clan Diamond Shark]] from [[2985]] onward, in which the Sharks punished the Ravens via mercantile means after the Ravens created the Diamond Shark to kill their original totem, the Sea Fox. Despite this, the Ravens atypically refrained from reprisals.
|-
|'''[[Clan Steel Viper]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Steel Viper logo.png|100px]]
|Enemy
|The Ravens actively feuded with [[Clan Steel Viper]] following the loss of their resource-rich colony on Hellgate to the Vipers in [[2899]].<ref name=TCWOK92>''The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky'', p. 92: "Allies and Enemies"</ref> Though the Viper did expel the Snow Ravens from the Clan Homeworlds, the rivalry ended when Clan Steel Viper was eliminated in 3075.
|-
|'''[[Clan Jade Falcon]]'''
|[[Image:Clan Jade Falcon.jpg|100px]]
|Enemy
|The Snow Ravens once had friendly relations with Clan Jade Falcon, until they refused to allow a Bloodnamed Raven Warrior, Nerran McKenna, to return to his Clan for Bloodhouse business due to the difficulties of transporting him back to the Clan Homeworlds from the Inner Sphere. This would result in a souring relation between the two Clans.
|-
|}

==Military==
{{Main|Clan Snow Raven Touman}}
For many years the [[Clan Snow Raven Touman|Snow Raven ''touman'']] contained the largest naval force of any Clan, with forty [[WarShips]] and a near-stranglehold on shipbuilding facilities.  Its fleet was divided into five-ship naval [[Star]]s organized around either a central combatant, such as a battleship or carrier, or an armored transport, such as a ''[[Potemkin]]'' or ''[[Volga]]''.  Each naval group was accompanied by large numbers of assault [[DropShip]]s, as many as a [[Cluster]]'s worth of [[aerospace fighter]]s, and a number of [[Elemental]] marine [[Trinary|Trinaries]].  Such was the size of the fleet during this time that it allowed the Snow Ravens to maintain a "two-Clan system," whereby they could simultaneously fight major space engagements with two other Clans and be reasonably assured of victory.  These naval forces not only served to protect the Clan but also as a source of revenue: in addition to ship facilities, elements of the fleet were contracted out to other Clans to fight at their side, though such practices declined as the disparity in fleet sizes began to lessen.<ref name=FMWCp124-125>''Field Manual: Warden Clans'', pp. 124–125</ref>

Such an emphasis on aerospace and naval assets greatly affected its ground forces, which in total numbers of [[BattleMechs]] was less compared to other Clans.  Most [[Elemental]]s, and even some 'Mech pilots, were trained in zero-G operations, making them as equally effective fighting within a ship, on its hull, or free-floating in space as they were on solid ground.  These forces were also more heavily reliant on the fleet to perform aerial reconnaissance and close air support, making their absence in a fight potentially debilitating.  A tradition of assigning a naval Star to each [[Galaxy]] posed its own problem, as the ranks of [[Star Admiral]] and [[Galaxy Commander]] were equivalent, resulting in arguments over authority and occasionally hampering operations.  Only rarely would the Khans intervene and appoint a senior officer, typically the Galaxy Commander, and only in truly problematic instances, as the two supreme leaders were supposed to be impartial to internal politicking.<ref name=FMWCp124-125/>

In other instances the chain of command was clearly spelled out in what was known as "the list."  Recording all officers and their qualifications, "the list" established a clear line of precedence in the case of a superior officer's incapacity or death.  Such a mechanism avoided a problem found in other Clans which over-relied on senior officers and let a Snow Raven warrior know their exact status within the Clan.  Promotion was also handled differently compared to other Clans: to achieve the rank of Galaxy Commander required the warrior to earn the Order of the Raven, and only Galaxy Commanders or Star Admirals could be elected as Khan, saKhan or Loremaster.  Likewise because each Galaxy was primarily responsible for one world, and each Galaxy Commander reported directly to the Khan and was their representative on that world, those elevated to this position were the ''de facto'' head of their respective planetary governments.<ref name=FMWCp124-125/>

Snow Raven training also differed from that of many other Clans, influenced in part by their several near-extinctions during the course of their history.  A heavy emphasis on teamwork, and putting the needs and honor of the Clan above even personal honor, began at basic training under the warders of the Ravenshead training ground and the McKenna Naval Training Facility.  The Snow Ravens also utilized simulators as opposed to live-fire exercises to a greater degree than normal Clan training.  Not only were their 'Mech, fighter and WarShip simulators among the most advanced, but their use avoided the wasteful expenditure of limited resources and allowed the bulk of equipment to be assigned to combat units.  The result of this methodology was a relatively small but well-trained and well-equipped fighting force.<ref name=FMWCp124-125/>

== Bloodnames ==
{{main|List of Bloodnames#Clan Snow Raven}}
{{Category|Clan Snow Raven Bloodnames}}

==Rulers==

===Khans===
{{main|Khan of Clan Snow Raven}}
===saKhans===
{{main|saKhan of Clan Snow Raven}}
===Loremasters===
{{main|Loremaster of Clan Snow Raven}}

==Era Specific Information==

===3062===
'''Snow Raven Demographics'''<br />
Affiliation: Warden (nominal)<br />
Population (Clan Space): 94,199,000 (3060)<br />
Population growth rate: 2.2 percent (49/27)<br />
Self-Sufficiency Index: 96 percent<br />

'''Leaders:'''<br />
Khan: Lynn McKenna<br />
saKhan: Bryn Cooper<br />
Loremaster: Klaus Harper<br />
Scientist-General: Charlotte (von Braun)<br />
Merchant Factor: Louis<br />
Master Technician: Mattias<br />
Senior Laborer: Emili<br />

'''Military:'''<br />
Clusters: 26<br />
WarShips: 40<br />

'''Clan Space Worlds:'''<br />
Capital: Lum<br />
[[Bearclaw]] (70 percent)<br />
[[Brim]] (19 percent)<br />
[[Circe]] (70 percent)<br />
[[Hellgate]] (100 percent)<br />
[[Lum]] (82 percent)<br />

==Manufacturing Center==
A detailed list of some Snow Raven manufacturers and company centers.

{{Category|Clan Snow Raven Corporations}}

===Heavy Aerospace Industry===
====3067====
* [[Lum Shipyards]]<ref>''Strategic Operations'', p. 17</ref>

== References ==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Betrayal of Ideals]]''
* ''[[The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky]]''
* ''[[Era Digest: Golden Century]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3085]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Warden Clans]]''
* ''[[Historical: Operation Klondike]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3072]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: Terra]]''
* ''[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]]''
* ''[[The Star League]]''
* ''[[Strategic Operations]]''
* ''[[The Wars of Reaving]]''


[[Category: Clans]]
[[Category: Factions|Clans, Clan Snow Raven]]