Editing Fiefdom of Randis

{{InfoBoxState
| image = Fiefdom of randis.gif
| Founded = [[2988]]
| Dissolved = 
| capital = [[Randis IV]]
| systems = 1
| population = 
| currency = 
| language = 
| demonym = 
| Head of State = [[Grand Knight of the Brotherhood of Randis|Grand Knight]]
| cintel = 
| army = [[Brotherhood of Randis]]
| navy = 
| mintel = 
}}
The '''Fiefdom of Randis''' is a one-system [[Deep Periphery]] state arising from a declaration of solidarity by [[Erdelmaine Randis]], who simultaneously renamed the planet [[Randis IV]] and established the cultist [[Brotherhood of Randis]].

==History==
The fiefdom, formed by a group of religious warriors who patterned themselves as modern Knights Templar, consists of exactly one tropical world, Randis IV, located between the [[Outworlds Alliance]] and the [[Taurian Concordat]]. In [[2988]], Erdelmaine Randis, a disillusioned [[Marik]] [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] commander, landed on the then-named Hope IV (also known as Lost Hope) while seeking a new purpose in life. He found it in the beleaguered population, suffering under harassment from [[Dispossessed]] MechWarriors and other disenfranchised pirates. By gathering together a small cadre of MechWarriors, he proclaimed the new Fiefdom of Randis was now under the protection of his Brotherhood of Randis.<ref name=p88-62>''The Periphery, First Edition'', p. 62</ref><ref name=P88-129>''The Periphery, First Edition'', p. 129</ref><ref name=P96-76>''The Periphery, 2nd Edition'', p. 76</ref>

The state enjoyed a meager but steady income, thanks in part to the Brotherhood's off-world contracts. The population numbered somewhere between three and five thousand, mostly unskilled laborers. Intentions to industrialize the state had not borne out, as the Brotherhood had instead focused on their training in the art of [[BattleMech]] combat to the exclusion of most everything else.<ref name=P88-129/>

After the accession of [[Galahad Frews]] to Grand Knight of the Brotherhood in [[3037]], the fiefdom began to enjoy a newfound respect from its neighboring planets. Its status as trader stopover for repairs & resupply continued, but other than the existence as a protected realm, it held little value. By [[3047]], Frews' efforts at improving the planet had resulted in the small towns of Randis being connected by a modern transportation infrastructure, including rails, as well as each being equipped with storage and trading facilities. New spaceports were constructed to entice more off-world traders and the population had begun to develop their farms into more profitable enterprises. Though Frews was ousted from his position of leadership by [[Lucas Beckett]], he still had ample support and authority with the people, some who did prefer to see him once again as Grand Knight.<ref name=P96-76/><ref name=FMP-116>''Field Manual: Periphery'', p. 116</ref>

The Fiefdom of Randis was the only official trading partner for the breakaway [[Calderon Protectorate]] in [[3067]], supplying the new nation with food surplus to the Fiefdom's requirements in exchange for industrial-quality diamonds and small supplies of various rare heavy metals that the Protectorate was extracting from mines on the planet [[Oscar]].<ref name="HB:MPSp129">''Handbook: Major Periphery States'', p. 129: "Under Siege: Economics in a Breakaway Nation"</ref>

=== The Jihad ===
Reports available in [[3073]] suggested that the Fiefdom had the manufacturing capability to produce ammunition, though not components. Concern had been expressed regarding increased pirate attacks upon the world, with the suggestion the [[Word of Blake]], Outworlds Alliance or [[Taurian Concordat]] might have been behind them (possibly due to issues any of the three states had with the Brotherhood).<ref name=ISP2-40>''Jihad Conspiracies: Interstellar Players 2'', pp. 40–44</ref>

=== The Dark Age ===
By [[3081]] the Fiefdom of Randis was manufacturing [[BattleMech]]s based on [[RetroTech]] technology<ref name="J:FRp117">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 117: "Lesser Periphery States"</ref> and was purchasing small quantities of the ''[[Star Dagger]]'' [[aerospace fighter]] from the [[Calderon Protectorate]] to equip local defense forces with.<ref name="J:FRp117cp">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 117: "Calderon Protectorate"</ref> The ties between the Fiefdom and the Calderon Protectorate grew in the early years after the [[Jihad]], as did those between the Fiefdom and the [[Filtvelt Coalition]]; by [[3085]] the three nations had established an exchange program for students and staff teaching at the various military training institutes within each nation, despite the unusual nature of the training the Brotherhood engaged in.<ref name="FM:3085p133">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 133: "Fiefdom of Randis"</ref> The Brotherhood did lose some monks to other nations after experiencing the training programs in other nations, but the Brotherhood held no ill-will toward those who defected; most of those monks who traveled to the Coalition or the Protectorate returned with a renewed sense of dedication to the ideals of the Brotherhood. The influx of aerospace fighters also led to the Brotherhood expanding the program at their monastery to include aerospace training, in hopes that they would be able to extend the protection the Brotherhood could provide beyond the surface of Randis.<ref name="FM:3085p135"/>

The Fiefdom benefited from the development of the [[Hope Industrial Works]] economically after the Jihad; the RetroTech 'Mechs produced there provided substantial profits that the Brotherhood divided into two parts - one part was used to provide for the refugees who had flocked to Randis, while the other part was used to upgrade the Brotherhood's equipment.<ref name="FM:3085p135">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 135: "Fiefdom of Randis"</ref>

Cooperation between the Fiefdom and other nations continued, and in [[3100]] the government of Grand Knight [[William Dirac]] signed a number of pacts - both economic and military - with its two closest allies, the Calderon Protectorate and the Filtvelt Coalition. These pacts brought a number of benefits to the Fiefdom, such as improved BattleMech technology - allowing the Fiefdom to upgrade its iconic home-produced ''[[HawkWolf]]'' 'Mech<ref name="TRO:3145Mp44"/> - with raw materials from the Randis system being used to not only initiate a number of small terraforming projects in the Protectorate but also to support BattleMech production in the Coalition.<ref name="FM:3145p185">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 185: "Fiefdom of Randis"</ref>

The level of cooperation between the Fiefdom, the Coalition and the Protectorate was tested in [[3128]]; a bandit raiding force from the [[Tortuga Dominions]] a battalion in size raided Randis and inflicted substantial damage on the Hope Industrial Works.  Grand Knight Dirac called on his allies for a retaliatory strike,<ref name="FM:3145p185"/> and in [[3129]] the Fiefdom embarked on [[Operation TRIDENT]] in conjunction with the Protectorate and the Coalition. Operation TRIDENT saw all three nations combine forces to strike at the Tortuga Dominions, with forces from all three nations working alongside each other on the various Dominion worlds.<ref name="TRO:3145Mp44">''Technical Readout: 3145 Mercenaries'', p. 44: "HWK-4F ''HawkWolf''"</ref> The campaign saw the Brotherhood's First Battalion fight alongside battalions drawn from the [[Second Taurian Pride]] and the [[Thumpers|Thumper Assault Regiment]] for almost a year.<ref name="FM:3145p185"/>

Operation TRIDENT was a notable success, and between the end of the operation and [[3145]] raids on Randis from the Dominion were rare; the Fiefdom enjoyed a decade of industrial and cultural expansion, and in 3145 the establishment of a mining operation on Eminence, Randis' moon, was proposed - a major civic project for the small Periphery realm.<ref name="FM:3145p186">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 186: "Fiefdom of Randis"</ref> The drop in raids also allowed the Hope Industrial Works to expand significantly, not only upgrading to produced more advanced 'Mechs but also expanding the designs available, expanding the capabilities of the Brotherhood in turn.<ref name="FM:3145p189">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 188: "Fiefdom of Randis"</ref>

===References in fiction===
In 3073, novelist [[Clyde Cutler]] released a book titled ''[[Dark Periphery]]'', in which he tied the events of the [[John Paul II Square Massacre]] to a missing construction crew from [[Sandro Manufacturing]], and finally to the Brotherhood on Randis IV. His novel suggested that the Brotherhood was charged with protecting the Vatican's historical valuables smuggled off [[Terra]] in [[2768]], basing this conjecture on their missions of (nonprofit) mercy.<ref name=ISP2-40/>

==Source analysis==
* The use of the report contained in [[Jihad Conspiracies: Interstellar Players 2]] is predicated on the use of the verifiable interviews of two historians on the ''[[Universal Truth]]'' program, as well as the interview of author [[Clyde Cutler]] on the same program. The novelization of the history of the Brotherhood is not afforded the same level of validity as the two historians' interview, due to its fictional nature.<ref name=ISP2-40/>

==See also==
* [[Brotherhood of Randis]]
* [[Randis IV]]

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Field Manual: 3085]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Periphery]]''
* ''[[Handbook: Major Periphery States]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Jihad Conspiracies: Interstellar Players 2]]''
* ''[[The Periphery (sourcebook)|The Periphery, First Edition]]''
* ''[[The Periphery, 2nd Edition]]
* ''[[Technical Readout: 3145 Mercenaries]]''

[[Category:Nation States]]
[[Category:Fiefdom of Randis Related Categories]]