Clan Frost Ape
[color="#000000"]THE FOUNDING[/color]
[color="#000000"] From our Founding as a 2[/color][color="#000000"]nd Clan, the Frost Ape path has been one of unexpected greatness, thrust upon our Khans and the leaders of our Castes. Our Founder, Stuart Jones, submitted his original Bid for the command of Clan Frost Ape with disbelief that such an important position would be open to the lower-ranked officers of Clan Piranha; despite the accuracy and completeness of his Bid, it might have been dismissed as one among hundreds had it not been for the Founder’s insistence on making the resulting document ‘Good Reading’.[/color]
[color="#000000"]Viewing the requests for interviews and travel orders as the response of another practical joker and kindred spirit, however, resulted in our Clan being one the last 2nd Clans to reach a minimum staffing level and receive acknowledgement by the IlKhan, as Khan Jones first served a 7-day disciplinary sentence for ignoring the lawful orders of a superior officer. As a result, our Clan was forever identified in the eyes of outsiders as a source of humor and derision for our lack of martial focus.[/color]
[color="#000000"] With the sentence and understanding of his circumstances, however, Jones set his new subordinate, saKhan Tony (Smith) of the Merchant Caste, the goal of establishing the Clan. Deliberately going against New Clan tradition, Stuart chose the most qualified person regardless of Caste to make up for lost time, but nothing prepared them for the behavior of their fellow Clansmen and our Clan found itself the **** of every joke, rumor, and ‘accident’ possible, enraging our Khans.[/color]
[color="#000000"]Our Clan was on the verge of collapse, until their failure attracted the notice of IlKhan McEvedy, who was able to present our Khans options to deal with their personnel issues. It also cemented our reputation for unorthodox action, as members of our Clan began to perpetuate ‘the big lie’. Openly boasting to their fellow Khans of their successes forced the reevaluation of the Frost Ape organizational strategy, and curiosity and the enticement of entertainment gave our Khans opportunities to speak with huge groups of undecided members of Clan Piranha.[/color]
[color="#000000"] Formally established Feb 5, 2862, our Clan has long ago ceased to be a joke to anyone but ourselves, as even today our abilities and successes are hidden by ‘the big lie’. With the Clan embracing many mysterious and bizarre ceremonies that trace back to the Founding, such as the Dunk-the-Khans booth opened every February 5[/color][color="#000000"]th as part of Founding Day celebrations, we are in no danger of being seen otherwise. But, at least we get the joke.[/color]
[color="#000000"] [/color]
[color="#000000"]The Truce[/color]
[color="#000000"] Given the circumstances, the decade following our founding was vitally important, and our Khan placed his trust in the Merchant Caste to guide us through the hard times ahead. Choosing a Merchant saKhan as a show of trust, saKhan Tony (Smith) displayed a determination and ruthlessness that won the approval of our Warriors as he fought to insure the success and ultimate triumph of our Clan. Beginning an immediate build-up of basic services aimed at self-sufficiency and innovation, Tony was eventually offered the traditional bodyguard unit of the Khans of the New Clans by a unanimous vote of the Warrior Council.[/color]
[color="#000000"]The next 10 years saw frantic growth as we adopted the 2nd Caste program, choosing to remain on the world of Inheritance rather than try to settle a new world at the urging of the saKhan, and our Khans concentrated our effort to support the Merchant and Labor Castes as we traded long-term benefit for back-breaking effort to support the economic growth of the Clan. The strength of the Merchant Caste was mirrored in the rank-and-file disaffection of the Laborer Caste with the leadership of our Clan, however, and the example of Clan Mammoth was a warning to us all.[/color]
[color="#000000"]Curbing the violent tendencies of the chalcas leaders of the Laborer Caste by invoking Suikrede on behalf of the Merchant Caste, our SaKhan lobbied the Khan and Caste leaders to support changes that provided greater freedom for the Castes in general and the Laborers in particular. With the approval of the Council, the willingness of the Warriors to support saKhan Tony’s initiatives displayed our trust of the lesser Castes and erased many of the tensions plaguing the Clan Council, and the respect of the Warriors by the lesser Castes grew.[/color]
[color="#000000"]As the truce began to run out and the Clan continued to prosper, the growing wealth of our Clan began to attract attention from our stronger sibClans and by 2871 saKhan Tony began advocating moving the Clan deeper into the Cluster. From among our resource colonies, a fertile, temperate world was chosen as our future capital (avoiding negotiating with the Devil Wasp Merchant Caste for using their planetary catalogue) and presented the issue to the Frost Ape Council. With the approval of the Council, the Clan supported the appeal of Clan Surf Dragon to IlKhan McEvedy that the capitals of the New Clans be inviolate.[/color]
[color="#000000"]As a final accomplishment before leaving office, saKhan Tony (Smith) decreed that the end of the Truce called for a shift of priorities for the Clan’s leadership, urging the Khan to reward Chief Scientist Geoffrey (Tesla) with the rank of saKhan. Under the command of our new saKhan, we began establishing research, resource-gathering, and military outposts on nearby planets of the Legacy Cluster, increasing the flow of natural resources and enriching the Clan.[/color]
Edited by Helmer, 20 June 2014 - 04:47 PM.