Editing Phelan Kell

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{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Phelan Kell BTL.jpg
| caption             = Phelan Patrick Kell
| name                = Phelan Patrick Kell
| birthdate           = 27 June [[3031]]<ref name=BLc5>''Blood Legacy'', ch. 5</ref><ref name=DRp63>''The Dragon Roars'', p. 63</ref><ref name=M&Mp89>''Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers'', p. 89: "Phelan Kell Profile"</ref>
| died                = [[3108]]<ref name=BTLp74>''BattleTech: Legends'', p. 74</ref>
| othernames          = Phelan Ward;<br/>Phelan Wolf
| affiliation         = [[Clan Wolf]];<br/>[[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]]
| rank                = [[Khan of Clan Wolf-in-Exile|Khan]]<ref name=DRp63/>
| title               = 
| position            = 
| profession          = 
| parents             = [[Morgan Kell]] (father)<ref name=DRp63/><br>[[Salome Ward]] (mother){{cn}}
| siblings            = [[Megan Kell]] (half-sister){{cn}}<br/>[[Caitlin Kell]]{{cn}}
| spouse              = [[Ranna Kerensky]] (lover){{cn}}
| children            = 
}}
'''Phelan Patrick Kell''', also known as '''Phelan Ward''' and '''Phelan Wolf''', was born to [[Morgan Kell]] and [[Salome Ward]]. The name "Phelan" is Gaelic for "wolf".

==History==
===Early life===
Phelan spent some of his early life on [[Outreach]] being raised with members of [[Wolf's Dragoons]] in a ''[[sibko]]''-like environment.  While there he met and trained with [[Natasha Kerensky]].  When he was old enough, he was then sent to the [[Nagelring]].  He was an average student, and rebellious.  He was eventually kicked out of The Nagelring when during a terrible blizzard on [[Tharkad]] he heard of a school bus that was stranded in an avalanche.  Taking a [['Mech]] without permission he managed to find the stranded children and used his 'Mech's [[Fusion engine|fusion reactor]] to keep them warm; unfortunately, many had sustained serious injuries and the basic medical supplies he had brought with him were insufficient to save them, resulting in a few deaths.  When a hearing was called on the matter, Phelan's adversarial attitude towards it and his continued insistence he had done nothing wrong, resulted in him being expelled.{{cn}}

He then went on to join the 2nd Regiment of the mercenary group the [[Kell Hounds]].  On a mission to suppress pirates, Phelan was captured on [[The Rock]] in the [[Oberon Confederation]] in [[3049]] by [[Vladimir Ward|Vladimir of the Wolves]], a member of the initial assault forces of [[Clan Wolf]]. His 'Mech destroyed, and heavily wounded, he was believed dead by those in the [[Inner Sphere]].{{cn}}

=== Clan Wolf ===
While in captivity he was subjected to interrogation and drugs that led him to divulge all he knew about the military might of the different successor states of the Inner Sphere.  Ironically, Phelan was the son of Salome Ward, a direct descendant of Captain [[Michael Ward]], a confidant of [[Aleksandr Kerensky]] and the source of the [[Ward (Bloodname)|Ward]] [[Bloodname]]. Vlad of the Wards had found his one legitimate rival for the Ward Bloodname.  Phelan was the [[bondsman]] of [[Khan]] [[Ulric Kerensky]] of Clan Wolf and advised him on how to best outbid [[Clan]] rivals, such as [[Clan Ghost Bear]] for the right to invade [[Rasalhague]].  After an [[aerospace fighter]] crashed into the bridge of Ulric's flagship, the [[WarShip]] ''[[Dire Wolf (Individual Sovetskii Soyuz-class WarShip)|Dire Wolf]]'', Phelan rescued Khan Ulric Kerensky and [[Star Captain]] [[Vlad Ward|Vlad]], who deeply hated him.  Although Ulric was rescued, the [[ilKhan]] of the Clans, [[Leo Showers]] of [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] was killed.  Subsequently Phelan was granted full warrior status in recognition of his bravery and dedication to the Clan. Phelan's name was changed from Phelan Patrick Kell to Phelan Wolf.  Khan Ulric mentioned that this was the first time a caste change like this had been done in the Clan in the last 30 years.{{cn}}

[[Natasha Kerensky]] bid only Phelan to take the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]] world of [[Gunzburg]].  He successfully negotiated the bloodless surrender of the world from his old enemy [[Tor Miraborg]].  This action significantly enhanced his standing among the Wolf Clan.  Phelan went on to win many more victories in the [[Clan Invasion]] and eventually won the Ward Bloodname, left open by [[Cyrilla Ward]]'s suicide. He defeated his close rival and hated enemy Vlad in the last battle for the Bloodname.{{cn}}

The [[Battle of Tukayyid (3052)|Battle of Tukayyid]] that halted the Clan invasion took a toll on the Wolves, despite the fact that they were the only Clan of the five involved in the battle to secure both of their objectives. Khan [[Garth Radick]] was killed. While Natasha was elevated to senior Khan, Phelan was elected saKhan. This fulfilled now-ilKhan Ulric Kerensky's goal of having two Khans who were experienced with the ways of the Inner Sphere.{{cn}}

In [[3057]], [[Clan Jade Falcon]] brought charges of genocide against Ulric, claiming that Ulric's agreement with [[ComStar]] [[Precentor Martial of ComStar|Precentor Martial]] [[Anastasius Focht]] to a 15-year truce made worthless the contributions of three generations' worth of Clan Bloodnamed warrior talent. With the other Clans furious at the truce that bound them, the [[Grand Council]] found Ulric guilty, though he declared a [[Trial of Refusal]]. In what would become known as the [[Refusal War]], Ulric threw most of the Wolf Clan at the Falcons. Phelan, as the commander of [[Alpha Galaxy (Clan Wolf)|Alpha Galaxy]], made a show of participating in the war, but led the most staunchly [[Warden]] warriors into exile in the Inner Sphere. Phelan led his troops to the [[Lyran Alliance]], but were still assaulted by the Falcons. With the help of the Kell Hounds, the Falcons were defeated.{{cn}}

He would then learn of Ulric Kerensky's last gift to him: the creation of the [[Kell (Bloodname)|Kell Bloodname]]. After this, [[Evantha Fetladral]] would nominate Phelan to the post of Khan of the exiled Wolves, a motion easily passed by his loyal core of warriors.<ref>''Malicious Intent'', p. ??{{cn}}</ref>

=== Clan Wolf-in-Exile ===
With the war over, Phelan set about preparing his people to live in exile. Grand Duke [[Morgan Kell]], Phelan's father and the Duke of [[Arc-Royal]], granted the Wolves-in-Exile an enclave on Arc-Royal. The Wolves-in-Exile formed a key part of the [[Arc-Royal Defense Cordon]] that was ostensibly created to keep the Jade Falcons in check.{{cn}}

Phelan himself attended the Whitting Conference on [[Tharkad]] that saw the resurrection of the [[Star League]] and the decision to annihilate [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]]. Though he was accused of such, Phelan did not betray the path to the [[Kerensky Cluster]]. He led elements of his Wolves against the Jaguars in [[Operation BULLDOG]], capturing a Smoke Jaguar [[Cluster]] almost entirely intact.{{cn}}

When the [[FedCom Civil War]] broke out in [[3062]], Phelan was forced to sit out from most of the fighting in order to combat a new Jade Falcon assault, though he advocated assaulting Tharkad early in the struggle. He did eventually get his chance to attack the Lyran capital in [[3067]] as part of [[Peter Steiner-Davion]]'s pan-Lyran coalition.{{cn}}

===Marriage and children===
While Phelan was romantically linked to [[Ranna Kerensky]], there is no "marriage" in the Clans.  Phelan withheld his genetic legacy from the Clan eugenics program until Ranna achieved her Bloodname, so that they would achieve immortality together by creating a ''sibko'' from their genetics.<ref>''Bred for War'', ch. 8</ref> Phelan and Ranna's eventual first ''sibko'' would produce three graduates.<ref name=RGiCv3p12>''Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 3'', p. 12</ref>

===Death===
Phelan was killed by a Falcon raid on Arc-Royal in [[3108]]. The Falcons intended to destroy a key Exile factory along with anyone inside or nearby, and Kell led three ''sibkos'' to intercept them. He was the lone fatality in the engagement.<ref name=BTLp74 />

== Philosophical and Political Views ==
Phelan was a strong believer in the Clan [[Warden]] political perspective. He was described as having taken to the Clan lifestyle like a convert to a new religion.{{cn}}

== Awards ==
Phelan earned Warrior status in the Clan after having been taken as a bondsman, which gave him the name Phelan Wolf.{{cn}}

In [[3052]], he won the [[Ward (Bloodname)|Ward]] [[Bloodname]] during a [[Trial of Bloodright]] (with [[Star Captain]] [[Vlad Ward|Vlad]] as a challenger), which changed his name to Phelan Ward. His Bloodright had a particularly proud pedigree: of the fifteen who had worn it before him, ten became [[Khan]]s or [[saKhan]]s.<ref name=LD>''Lost Destiny''</ref>

He was made one of the Khans of Clan Wolf alongside Khan [[Natasha Kerensky]]. Upon Natasha's death during the [[Refusal War]], Phelan became senior Khan of [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]] (not to be confused with Khan Vlad Ward of the reborn Clan Wolf).{{cn}}

At the end of the Refusal War, the late [[ilKhan]] Ulric Kerensky bestowed the new Bloodname of Kell upon Phelan in a postdated message, so that the Wolves would have a Bloodname that survived [[Clans#Abjuration|Abjuration]].{{cn}}

== BattleMechs ==
During his early career with the Kell Hounds, Phelan piloted a ''[[Wolfhound]]'' which he named "Grinner" after his dog, who died saving him. After testing out as a warrior of Clan Wolf, this 'Mech was rebuilt and upgraded to a custom ''[[Wolfhound IIC]]''. Later, during [[Operation Bulldog]], he used an ''[[Executioner (Gladiator)|Executioner]]'' [[OmniMech]]. Later still in course of the fighting on Tharkad during the [[FedCom Civil War]], he piloted a ''[[Timber Wolf|Mad Cat]]''. In addition, during the "incident" at the Nagelring, he piloted a ''[[Scorpion (BattleMech)|Scorpion]]''. During his early Clan training with Natasha Kerensky, he used a ''[[Kit Fox]]'', and completed his Trial of Position with a ''[[Dire Wolf]]''. In addition Phelan piloted a ''[[Nova]]'' in the second Trial for his Bloodname and for a time on Morges during the [[Refusal War]].  In a subsequent Trial of Bloodright, Phelan piloted an antiquated ''[[Mercury (BattleMech)|Mercury]]'' when he won the [[Glossary_of_Clan_Terms#Dogids|coin roll ritual]] to determine the nature of the battlefield against an Elemental. To even the odds, the overseers of the Trial deliberately gave him a 'Mech that possessed no weapons that could destroy a suited Elemental in one hit, as the fight would have been otherwise heavily lopsided in Phelan's favor.{{cn}}

== Quotes ==
{{quote|Face it. This charge is born of the fact that Khan Ulric and his Wolves ripped through one of the most densely populated regions of the Inner Sphere while the rest of you moved at the speed of a stunned snail.|Phelan Wolf defends Ulric Kerensky, accused of plotting the death of ilKhan Leo Showers, before the Clan [[Grand Council]], June 19, [[3051]]}}

{{quote|We are Clan Wolf, Children of [[Nicholas Kerensky|Kerensky]]. We carry the honor of his name on our shoulders as our fathers did before us. The Remembrance speaks to us about the [[Amaris Civil War|evil]] in man's will, the [[Succession Wars|reason]] for [[Exodus]], and the rights of the travel. Arcadia is our destiny and our right. Enlightenment is our gift. By the Bloodname of [[Alexander Kerensky|The]] [[Nicholas Kerensky|Founders]] we must return. Return and protect that which is unique among the stars. Terra awaits us, as it was written. We are the last of the [[Warden Clans|Wardens]], the sole hope for the [[Terra|earth]].}}

(This is the opening intro dialogue to the Wolf Clan storyline from the 1995 Activision PC game, "Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat" - which is based around the combat actions of the Refusal War - there is no specific mention anywhere in the game or accompanying documentation as to who this speaker is)

{{quote|This verse has ended. [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile|Our]] destiny is sealed to a once [[Trial of Abjuration|unthinkable fate]]. We have found [[Kell Hounds|new allies]] in an [[Lyran Commonwealth|ancient foe]], and [[Crusader Clans|enemies]] in [[Clan Wolf|our siblings]]. The honor of the Warden way, like a pyre in the blackness of space, has guided us to our home on Terra. [[Alexander Kerensky|Kerensky]] foretold us of this [[Hidden Hope Doctrine|Eden]]. With the promise of deliverance. We will defend it to our deaths. Let the next verse begin.}}

(This is the closing cutscene dialogue voice over to the Wolf Clan storyline in the same game as above. As before, there is no indication anywhere in-game or in the accompanying materials to definitively identify the speaker)

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Phelan Ward Kell MTotB.png|Phelan at age 20 from ''[[More Tales of the Black Widow]]''
Phelan Kell TFatW.jpg|Phelan at age 26 from ''[[The Falcon and the Wolf]]''
Phelan Kell TDR.jpg|Phelan at age 28 from ''[[The Dragon Roars]]''
Phelan Kell ShSphere.jpg|Phelan at age 30 from ''[[Shattered Sphere]]''
Phelan Kell TCWoK.jpg|Phelan at age 31 from ''[[The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky]]''
Phelan Kell BTL.jpg|Phelan from ''[[BattleTech: Legends|BT:Legends]]''
Phelan Ward BTTCG.jpg|As Phelan Ward from ''[[BattleTech Trading Card Game|BTTCG]]''
Phelan Ward MWDADom.jpg|As Phelan Ward from ''[[MechWarrior: Domination Booster Pack|MW:Domination]]''
Wolfhound IIC (Grinner) BTL.jpg|Phelan's ''Wolfhound IIC'' ''Grinner'' from ''BT:Legends''
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
* ''[[Blood Legacy]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Bred for War]]'' (novel)
* ''[[The Falcon and the Wolf]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Warden Clans]]''
* ''[[Grave Covenant]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Lethal Heritage]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Lost Destiny]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Malicious Intent]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]]''
* ''[[Natural Selection]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Prince of Havoc]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Shattered Sphere]]''
* ''[[Wolf Clan Sourcebook]]''


[[Category:Clan Wolf-in-Exile Characters|Kell, Phelan]]
[[Category:Khans|Kell, Phelan]]
[[Category:Notable Wolfhound Pilots|Kell, Phelan]]