Desert Zephyr — Roleplayer Guild

Thanks, I will adjust the speeds now. On that note, I feel like the speeds for most of those medium mechs are a little low, as it seems more like a heavy mech speed. Might be too much MWO for that though. The Condors and the Centurion have some extra tacked on them for the increased weapon loadout, where I just added the difference in cost between the base and the upgrade to the cost, i.e. Sarna's difference between a medium laser and ER medium laser got tacked on to the cost.

If I don't need to do that, please let me know, I'ld love to save that cash. I am also fine with having one heavily customized mech in the Centurion. LRM 5s are close enough in weight to switch out for a Streak and some armor so that was the other thought for the customization. I really wanted to play with a IIC for customization, but they were too expensive, and I got lazy with the load outs. I didn't know the TF and UK designation bit, but I am aware that it wasn't a standard loadout and let the Solaris history allow me to have one fun thing to play with. I am also fine with the increased upkeep, which is also why an elite mech tech is on the non-combat roster. I will switch the hunchback designation, as it's both cheaper and I missed the C3 addition. I thought it was extra armor.

Sorry for the delay. If it's still open, here is the C.S.

Unit
Name: Ferric Lyre
Symbol: A black harp wrapped in flames.
Specialization: Caravan Raiding or Protection, Scouting in Force

Combat Assets: [+]

Non-Combat Personnel: [+]

Current Account Balance:2,101,600 C-Bills

Reserve Assets: [+]

CO
Name: Douglas Kempfer
Age:28
Appearance

Background: [+]

Douglas was born to Karen Gothren, a bastard of with a Davion noble who didn’t claim him. While his actual paternity isn’t known, apparently the noble was wealthy, and refused any aid to the woman he impregnated. Karen has enough pride not to state any names, but the subject is bitterly resented, and acrimonious. When Douglas was five, Karen remarried to Jason Kempfer, a mid-rank mech pilot. A veteran fighter with excellent training sense, Jason trained both his men, and his young boy for five years. When Jason’s unit was disgraced during the initial assault of the clan war, despite Jason’s individual valor, the whole unit was dishonorably discharged. Bitter, but mostly still loyal, Jason relocated his family using the last of his C-bills and favors to relocate to Solaris.

While Jason fought in more than a few matches in the arenas of Solaris, he quickly transitioned to a position as an assistant stable master. Acquiring the position came at a bitter sweet cost for both Douglas and Jason, as Karen died in childbirth while delivering him a baby brother. Cary was the delight of both men, and they spoiled him. Douglas began hanging around the stable after school, learning to be both a technician and a pilot from the men and women at the stable. While not all the employees of the stable appreciated the serious and earnest young man, the owners appreciated the willingness to learn, work hard, and most importantly, work for free.

Douglas also began competing in the low ranked arenas with a nigh-deep sixed hunchback. He matched up well with an up and comer Stephan Delano, another Davion ex-pat that was only a few years older than he. While Stephan would eventually garner the attention and money needed to make a run for becoming a champion, heavily inspired by Kai Allard-Liao and the Yen-Lo Wang, piloting a centurion. The start of the FedCom civil war through a wrench in the whole works, splitting up families and loyalties. Douglas felt a strong heart ache when his younger brother sided with the Steiners, instead of the Davions like he and his father. Bitter city fighting led to the death of their father, and the mutual annihilation of the two faction heads spelled the beginning of the end for the Davion faction on Solaris. Utilizing some strategy, Douglas managed to bribe a Kuritan mercenary captain to transport both his Victor assault mech, and Stephan’s heavily modified centurion off-planet.

Both Douglas and Stephan served under the Kuritan captain of the Demon Hounds mercenary company to serve with Clan Wolf-in-exile to hold off the initial clan push. Douglas gained a few more contacts, and swapped in some new clan tech salvage for both their mechs, and even acquired a few more extra chassis to allow Douglas to start his own mercenary company. While the name shifted around a bit in the beginning, the name Ferric Lyre was inspired by a rather brilliant stand-off with one of the last desperate clan assaults with the help of an iron refinery in the town of Lyre.

Itching for more action, Douglas and Stephan developed a few rookie mech pilots in extra chassis to form a lance specializing the defense of hard fought points in the mountains and cities. The extra weight and fire power of the Victor were key to success. The end of the clan push left Douglas free to pursue his own personal vendetta, siding with Victor Steiner-Davion’s forces to push through Victor’s treacherous sister’s forces gaining revenge for his father’s death. A few heavy assaults into the middle actually caused Douglas to meet up with his brother for a final time. Cary was fatally wounded in an initial assault, foolishly manning an infantry hard point against a few light mechs with flamers. He survived long enough to say goodbye to his brother, which soured the whole campaign for him. Still the money was undeniable, and Douglas proved to be an adroit tactician, often out-maneuvering similar units. Stephan’s skill also continued to climb, becoming an elite mech pilot through harsh interpersonal fights, personally downing more than fifteen mechs in freelance duels and even more in the melee of large scale combat.

The end of the FedCom Civil war lead to difficult times for Douglas’s company. He never did manage to save enough to build a force that would support its own dropship. The last few years have been difficult, with his last campaign ending in a rather costly failure. Choosing the losing side of Steiner-Kuritan conflict, Douglas lost his prized victor extracting a patrol of tanks from a pair of medium mech lances. Tanking most of the damage while the rest of his command dealt with uppity Dracs, a few lucky shots cored the hip actuators, and Douglas had to eject. During the confusion, he lost another merc pilot and his heavy mech. Another stroke of bad fortune left Douglas’s company holding the line of a salient while a cowardly Steiner unit broke and ran, which eliminated the time for a proper salvage operation. Luckily, he was at least able to commandeer a damaged hunchback from a surrended Drac pilot, and also made it to the extraction point with the surviving tank company.

Looking to rebuild, the medium lance company wasn’t suitable for the previous heavy combat fighting that was anchored around the Victor, but at least Douglas has a veteran tank XO and Stephan’s skill are usually worth a weight class on their own.

Equipment [+]

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