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The Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces were for centuries known as the best-equipped military in the Inner Sphere, thanks to the economic power of the Lyran Commonwealth. Unfortunately it also had a reputation for being "top heavy" both in terms of its equipment and officer corps. The infamous Social Generals of the LCAF were as well-dressed as they were incompetent, bungling from one disaster to the next, much to the dismay of the enlisted ranks. Luckily for the Lyran state, even during the dark days of the Succession Wars, its economic might meant the LCAF had the best of everything else that money could buy, and where tactical finesse was not available sheer brute force could often win the day.
In the years leading up to the Fourth Succession War, the alliance between the Commonwealth and Federated Suns culminating in the Federated Commonwealth would provide much-needed reforms to the Lyran military. As part of the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth, the Lyran State Command became a far more effective fighting force, mirroring many of the traits of its Davion counterparts. Unfortunately, a series of events—most prominent among which were defeats suffered during the Clan Invasion and the creation of a separate Lyran Alliance—began to see these reforms reversed as a number of "old school" officers returned to power. With the end of the FedCom Civil War and formal dissolution of the FedCom state, the independent Lyran Alliance Armed Forces became something of a hybrid, mixing the traditions of the old LCAF with the lessons learned during their partnership with the Federated Suns.

Here are the name of a few of the most famous unit of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces:

Lyran Guards,
Arcturan Guards,

Donegal Guards,

Tamar Jagers,

Skye Rangers,
Commonwealth Regulars.

The Lyran Commonwealth is one of the five Successor States of the Inner Sphere. Founded in 2341 as a union of three smaller mercantile alliances, the Commonwealth has traditionally been regarded as the wealthiest of the Successor States. This industrial might and a number of talented military leaders enabled the realm to survive the Age of War and the Succession Wars despite the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces - ever-plagued by the notorious "Social Generals" - often failing to match the Commonwealth's mercantile strength.
Initially governed by a council of Archons on Arcturus, the Commonwealth has for nearly all of its history been ruled by House Steiner on the icy world of Tharkad. As the Third Succession War came to an end, Katrina Steiner allied her realm with the Federated Suns of House Davion. Initially the alliance resulted in the triumphant victories of the Fourth Succession War and the foundations of a single super-state under House Steiner-Davion. However ever-present internal stresses were exacerbated by the Clan Invasion, which saw a sizable number of Lyran worlds conquered by the Clans, and the deaths of the Federated Commonwealth's founding leaders left the nation under the fragile rule of Victor Steiner-Davion in 3055.
Two years later, his sister Katherine Steiner-Davion seized control of the Lyran half of the FedCom, renaming it the Lyran Alliance, and later the FedCom Civil War devastated both states. Scarcely had that conflict ended than the Word of Blake Jihad erupted, with the Lyran Alliance suffering even more damage. In the Jihad's aftermath Archon Adam Steiner changed his nation's name back to the Lyran Commonwealth in 3084.
The Commonwealth prospered during the Republic era but the Blackout of 3132 began a series of events that led to the nation's crippling by its enemies. Seeking to bolster her flagging rule, Archon Melissa Steiner ordered Operation HAMMERFALL, an invasion of the two nearest former Free Worlds League states. At first successful, the inclusion and abuse of the Commonwealth's Clan Wolf allies resulted in a dramatic reversal of fortune as the Wolves carved out a new empire from Lyran worlds. Clan Jade Falcon later struck across the Lyrans' other border, and while Tharkad itself was successfully defended many Commonwealth worlds were lost to the invaders. By mid-3152 Archon Trillian Steiner had regained some territory, but her realm remains weakened by war, riven by secessionists, and in a precarious state.

The Lyran Commonwealth was formed in 2341 as a merger between three mercantile alliances, the Protectorate of Donegal, Federation of Skye, and Tamar Pact. The founding charter called for nine "Archons" to rule the nation, but the impracticality of this system led to a coup by the leader of Donegal, Robert Marsden, who declared himself Archon Basileus in August 2375. An invasion by the Draconis Combine in 2407 resulted in the death of then Archon Alistair Marsden, brother of Robert, in 2408. Rule fell to his wife, Katherine Steiner, safely ensconced on the new capital of Tharkad. The reign of House Steiner had begun.
The Lyrans lost territory to their neighbors, but in 2455 the tide turned when Operation Prometheus gave House Steiner plans for powerful new war machines, BattleMechs. The Age of War gave way to the golden era of mankind, watched over by the Star League, which the Steiners pledged to join in 2558. The Commonwealth economy prospered during this era, but it did not last. The Amaris Civil War laid waste to many worlds in the Terran Hegemony, though the Commonwealth was enlarged when it absorbed many Rim Worlds Republic systems.
The First Succession War between the remaining five Great Houses broke out in 2785. The 1st and 2nd Wars blasted the Inner Sphere back into the industrial age as total war resulted in the deaths of millions, cities were destroyed, and JumpShips annihilated. The 3rd War lasted generations, but saw a return to the Ares Conventions that limited the collateral damage. The Commonwealth traded worlds with the Free Worlds League, but steadily lost ground to the Combine.
In 3020, the waning years of the Third Succession War, Archon Katrina Steiner circulated a peace proposal to the other Great House rulers. Though they all rebuffed her, First Prince Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns was intrigued and the duo began a dialogue that resulted in an alliance that betrothed Hanse to Katrina's daughter and heir, Archon-Designate Melissa Steiner. Coinciding with their marriage ceremony on Terra in 3028, the two nations launched invasions of their neighbors. The Commonwealth used Rasalhagian revolutionaries to their advantage during the Fourth Succession War, taking many systems away from the Combine. These gains were neutralized when Theodore Kurita recognized their independence in 3034, forcing the Lyrans to give up their hard-won planets to the nascent Free Rasalhague Republic. The abortive War of 3039 was intended as a full-scale invasion of the Combine, but the surprising strength of House Kurita caused the allied nations to rethink their intentions, calling off the attack in short order. The two nations merged together more closely after the failed war, resulting in the informal creation of the Federated Commonwealth.
In 3050, the Clans invaded the Inner Sphere, and Commonwealth forces lost battle after battle to Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Wolf. The 3052 Truce of Tukayyid stalled the Clan Invasion, thanks to ComStar, but many Commonwealth worlds remained vulnerable to attack. The 3055 assassination of Archon Melissa Steiner resulted in the formal union of the Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns with the ascension of Archon-Prince Victor Steiner-Davion. Because of his younger sister's manipulations, he quickly became unpopular among his subjects. When Free Worlds Captain-General Thomas Marik discovered in 3057 that Victor had replaced his son Joshua with a body double, he allied with Capellan Confederation Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao and launched an invasion. Katherine Steiner-Davion seized on the opportunity and invoked war powers on 18 September 3057 to secede the Lyran half of the nation from the alliance, calling it the "Lyran Alliance", and signed a peace treaty with Marik, resulting in the creation of the Chaos March. Grand Duke Morgan Kell all but seceded from the Alliance, creating a semi-autonomous region along the Falcon border known as the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon.

The Lyran state has enjoyed remarkable stability throughout most of its history, thanks to a combination of a strong feudal monarchy and democratic representation which has given the government the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. When it was originally founded, inspired in part by ancient Athens, the Lyran Commonwealth was heading by nine Archons — the rulers and their deputies of the three founding members, as well as the military commander, treasurer and transportation minister of the Commonwealth. Beset by corruption and threated by the Draconis Combine, Robert Marsden deposed the other eight Archons in 2375. He then introduced the Estates General and the Articles of Acceptance, guaranteeing the rights of the planets and people of the Commonwealth, and winning enough popular support to become the sole Archon in 2376. Thus while the Archon theoretically has absolute power, basic rights are protected and the will of the people can and has forced many Archons to reverse unpopular decisions.
The Lyran capital was originally on Arcturus until 2407, when Alistair Marsden moved it to Tharkad in response to the threat posed by the Combine. Tharkad City is the heart of the state and home to the Triad, the triangular compound which houses the three buildings that make up the government: the Royal Palace, the Royal Court, and Government House. Below that are the provincial and planetary governments, a system of various feudal allegiances and political agreements made under the aegis of the Articles of Acceptance. Each planet is free to choose its own system of government, so long as they pay their taxes, provide military aid as needed, and adhere to the laws passed by the Archon and Estates General (with the right to ask for exemptions and alterations per local needs). The government also reserves the right to inflict punitive actions on any planet which fails to adhere to these rules or abuses the rights of its citizens.
The Archon is the head of state of the Lyran state. They are also the commander in chief of all Lyran military forces, including local militias and private armies, and has the authority to make any and all decisions relating to domestic and foreign policy. The Archon also has ultimate authority over the nobility, being the only person who can grant or take away any titles. While an Archon's decisions are not bound by it, unless time is of the essence most will submit their proposals to the Council and the Estates General for consultation and debate, if only so that the final product can be issued in a form more palatable to the general public.
The Archonship was not originally intended to be a hereditary title, but after Robert Marsden's death House Steiner quickly came to dominate the position and make it the birthright of their family. This was particularly thanks to the efforts Katherine Steiner, who created the Commonwealth Council as a check on other pretenders to the throne and used the Commonwealth Scout Corps to claim dozens of newly discovered worlds and dole them out to create a base of loyal noble supporters. Their power is also helped in no small part due to their vast wealth: in 3025 House Steiner directly controlled the four worlds nearest Tharkad (Gallery, Furillo, Porrima, and Duran), had major landholdings on 200 other worlds, and controlling shares in fifty Lyran corporations.
Katherine Steiner created the Commonwealth Council in order to secure support from the leaders of the Tamar Pact and Federation of Skye in establishing the Steiner dynasty. While its power has waxed and waned over the centuries, the Council has served as an advisory body to the Archon and a middleman between it and the Estates General. Legislation passed by the Estates General must first go to the Council to be debated and critiqued and, if it survives, is passed on to the Archon for final approval. Likewise the Archon can (as a courtesy) submit proposals to the Council to receive their advice before bringing them before the Estates General. The Council can also propose its own legislation for approval by the Archon and Estates General, though normally it refrains from doing so out of political safety.
Membership in the Council has changed over the years. Prior to the FedCom coalition, the Commonwealth Council numbered eight: the dukes of the Tamar Pact and Federation of Skye, the Chancellors of the Departments of Finance, Internal Policies, Foreign Affairs, and the Lyran Intelligence Corps, and the Chancellor of the Peoples who is chosen by the Estates General. After the schism with FedCom and reorganization of the Lyran state, the Alliance Council was increased to eleven members, consisting of the previous Chancellors and the dukes of the five provinces which now made up the Lyran Alliance. Restrictions have also been added over who can serve: after 2812, only one member of House Steiner could serve on the Council (expanded to two during the FedCom years), a rule that was extended to all other noble houses in 2821.
The Estates General was originally a representative body with little actual authority, essentially a forum where three hundred Representative could air their grievances, but it has since grown into a true parliament. Each planet (or group of planets as the case may be) can choose in their own way who will be their Representative, with delegates serving for six-year terms with no term limits. Strict rules govern who can serve as a delegate: no member of the nobility higher than a Baron or person convicted of a major crime in the last fifteen years may serve, and during their time as a Representative all of their personal property must be placed into a blind trust. The Estates General also recognizes delegates from planets which are occupied by a foreign power. The "Homeless" as they are known are housed in Tharkad City at the Archon's expense and are hereditary positions based on the last elected Representative before the territory's hostile occupation.
The Estates General meets every spring in the Great Assembly at Government House on Tharkad for four-month sessions, though they may go longer as necessity requires. In the weeks leading up to the legislative session, the Steering Committee determines the itinerary of the session with its head, the Speaker of the Assembly, also controlling the debate in the Great Assembly. While intended as little more than a rubberstamp to approve the Archon's policies, the Estates General has taken on more authority and responsibilities, including tax reform and creating the annual budget. Perhaps its most audacious action was its vote of no confidence against Archon Alessandro Steiner in 3007, an act which would lead to his resignation. Most of the time though, the Estates General works with the Council and the Archon on policy compromises for the good of the state.
The Royal Court refers to one of the three buildings of the Triad, a massive complex of recreational facilities, museums, ballrooms, and the Throne Room where the Archon sits under the protective gaze of a pair of Griffin BattleMechs. It also refers to the social sessions sponsored by the Archon to entertain important visitors from across the Lyran state; everyone from nobles and generals to scientists and artists are invited (or expected) to attend these festivities. Typically there will be three such sessions in a year, each lasting two months with at least a month in between to allow the Archon's Entourage to plan and execute the events. To be one of the young people appointed to the Archon's Entourage is considered an honor and a path towards greater service in the Lyran state. Less opulent that similar gatherings elsewhere in the Inner Sphere, the Royal Court is nevertheless an important event for the Lyran elite to meet and make decisions which might affect the entire state.

A detailed list of some Lyran manufacturing and company centers.
Heavy Aerospace Industry
Ioto Galactic Enterprises
N&D Shipyards of Alarion
Major Defense Industries
Arc-Royal MechWorks
Blackstone BattleMechs Limited
Blue Shot Weapons
Bowie Industries
Brigadier Corporation
Coventry Metal Works
Cyclops Incorporated
Defiance Industries
Defiance Motors
Gienah Combat Vehicles
Lockheed/CBM Corporation
New Earth Trading Company
Norse-Storm Technologies Incorporated
Quikscell Company
Red Devil Industries
Semier Data Tron
Shipil Company
StarCorps Industries
TharHes Industries
Tharkad Aerospace Group
Yankee Weapons Systems
The Lyran state is often defined by its Germanic cultural heritage, and in one sense this is true. Katherine Steiner is mostly responsible for this state of affairs, indirectly as a highly popular and inspirational cultural icon and purposefully with actions such as championing German as the state language and assigning German nobiliary particles for the Lyran nobility. However, actual Lyrans come from a diversity of backgrounds and trace their lineage to a variety of ethnic heritages, including Eastern European, Australian and New Zealander, East Asian, African and Black American. Rather than try to replace these local identities, this Lyran identity instead seeks to supplement them, giving people of various backgrounds a common ground to communicate and understand one another. As it is, discrimination based on categories such as race, gender or sexual orientation are largely a thing of the past among Lyrans, though in their place there remains significant prejudices based on class. At the same time, given the central government's loose hold over how member worlds govern themselves, many Lyrans have an independence streak which sees them identifying themselves by their particular world first and the Lyran state second, which has led to frequent flare-ups of unrest and rebellion.
Even in the midst of the devastating Succession Wars the Lyran state, as the wealthiest and most economically stable nation in the Inner Sphere, could boast the highest average standard of living for its citizens. Lyran citizens are among the most educated of any within the Inner Sphere thanks to generous government investment, national education standards and initiatives such as corporate-public partnerships and the Pilgrim Professor Program. While most institutions and teachers had been swallowed up in the conflagration of the Succession Wars, in 3025 the Lyran Commonwealth still had five major research universities, with significant expansion in the years of peace afterwards. Significant government investment and few censorship rules also ensure a thriving arts scene and media footprint, with even the most sparsely populated world boasting Holovid broadcasting. Lyrans also enjoy a basic right to food and housing, but such public options tend to be of sufficient quality as to encourage citizens to work harder to improve their situation.
While the Steiners themselves tend towards Protestantism or Buddhism, there is no official state religion, and indeed a strict separation of church and state combined with guaranteed freedom to worship has led to a history of religious tolerance. Traditional religions from Terra remain the most prominent, while the variety of new faiths that had sprung up in since humanity colonized the stars are not as popular. Christianity is the largest single religion in Lyran space, spread across many different sects, followed by Judaism. Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism are also prevalent though tend to be clustered around specific areas. Dozens of worlds are majority Hindu, with Chahar and New India, the two with the two largest populations, seen as centers of the faith. Likewise for Buddhism, New Kyoto and Kwangchowwang are regarded as centers of the religion's traditions. Dar-es-Salaam serves as the focal point for most Islamic sects, with the Black Muslim tradition strongest within the Coventry and Trellshire provinces. Of the newer faiths which have come into existence, the most popular within Lyran space is known as the One Star Faith.

Description

The Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces were for centuries known as the best-equipped military in the Inner Sphere, thanks to the economic power of the Lyran Commonwealth. Unfortunately it also had a reputation for being "top heavy" both in terms of its equipment and officer corps. The infamous Social Generals of the LCAF were as well-dressed as they were incompetent, bungling from one disaster to the next, much to the dismay of the enlisted ranks. Luckily for the Lyran state, even during the dark days of the Succession Wars, its economic might meant the LCAF had the best of everything else that money could buy, and where tactical finesse was not available sheer brute force could often win the day.
In the years leading up to the Fourth Succession War, the alliance between the Commonwealth and Federated Suns culminating in the Federated Commonwealth would provide much-needed reforms to the Lyran military. As part of the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth, the Lyran State Command became a far more effective fighting force, mirroring many of the traits of its Davion counterparts. Unfortunately, a series of events—most prominent among which were defeats suffered during the Clan Invasion and the creation of a separate Lyran Alliance—began to see these reforms reversed as a number of "old school" officers returned to power. With the end of the FedCom Civil War and formal dissolution of the FedCom state, the independent Lyran Alliance Armed Forces became something of a hybrid, mixing the traditions of the old LCAF with the lessons learned during their partnership with the Federated Suns.

Here are the name of a few of the most famous unit of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces:

Lyran Guards,
Arcturan Guards,

Donegal Guards,

Tamar Jagers,

Skye Rangers,
Commonwealth Regulars.

The Lyran Commonwealth is one of the five Successor States of the Inner Sphere. Founded in 2341 as a union of three smaller mercantile alliances, the Commonwealth has traditionally been regarded as the wealthiest of the Successor States. This industrial might and a number of talented military leaders enabled the realm to survive the Age of War and the Succession Wars despite the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces - ever-plagued by the notorious "Social Generals" - often failing to match the Commonwealth's mercantile strength.
Initially governed by a council of Archons on Arcturus, the Commonwealth has for nearly all of its history been ruled by House Steiner on the icy world of Tharkad. As the Third Succession War came to an end, Katrina Steiner allied her realm with the Federated Suns of House Davion. Initially the alliance resulted in the triumphant victories of the Fourth Succession War and the foundations of a single super-state under House Steiner-Davion. However ever-present internal stresses were exacerbated by the Clan Invasion, which saw a sizable number of Lyran worlds conquered by the Clans, and the deaths of the Federated Commonwealth's founding leaders left the nation under the fragile rule of Victor Steiner-Davion in 3055.
Two years later, his sister Katherine Steiner-Davion seized control of the Lyran half of the FedCom, renaming it the Lyran Alliance, and later the FedCom Civil War devastated both states. Scarcely had that conflict ended than the Word of Blake Jihad erupted, with the Lyran Alliance suffering even more damage. In the Jihad's aftermath Archon Adam Steiner changed his nation's name back to the Lyran Commonwealth in 3084.
The Commonwealth prospered during the Republic era but the Blackout of 3132 began a series of events that led to the nation's crippling by its enemies. Seeking to bolster her flagging rule, Archon Melissa Steiner ordered Operation HAMMERFALL, an invasion of the two nearest former Free Worlds League states. At first successful, the inclusion and abuse of the Commonwealth's Clan Wolf allies resulted in a dramatic reversal of fortune as the Wolves carved out a new empire from Lyran worlds. Clan Jade Falcon later struck across the Lyrans' other border, and while Tharkad itself was successfully defended many Commonwealth worlds were lost to the invaders. By mid-3152 Archon Trillian Steiner had regained some territory, but her realm remains weakened by war, riven by secessionists, and in a precarious state.

The Lyran Commonwealth was formed in 2341 as a merger between three mercantile alliances, the Protectorate of Donegal, Federation of Skye, and Tamar Pact. The founding charter called for nine "Archons" to rule the nation, but the impracticality of this system led to a coup by the leader of Donegal, Robert Marsden, who declared himself Archon Basileus in August 2375. An invasion by the Draconis Combine in 2407 resulted in the death of then Archon Alistair Marsden, brother of Robert, in 2408. Rule fell to his wife, Katherine Steiner, safely ensconced on the new capital of Tharkad. The reign of House Steiner had begun.
The Lyrans lost territory to their neighbors, but in 2455 the tide turned when Operation Prometheus gave House Steiner plans for powerful new war machines, BattleMechs. The Age of War gave way to the golden era of mankind, watched over by the Star League, which the Steiners pledged to join in 2558. The Commonwealth economy prospered during this era, but it did not last. The Amaris Civil War laid waste to many worlds in the Terran Hegemony, though the Commonwealth was enlarged when it absorbed many Rim Worlds Republic systems.
The First Succession War between the remaining five Great Houses broke out in 2785. The 1st and 2nd Wars blasted the Inner Sphere back into the industrial age as total war resulted in the deaths of millions, cities were destroyed, and JumpShips annihilated. The 3rd War lasted generations, but saw a return to the Ares Conventions that limited the collateral damage. The Commonwealth traded worlds with the Free Worlds League, but steadily lost ground to the Combine.
In 3020, the waning years of the Third Succession War, Archon Katrina Steiner circulated a peace proposal to the other Great House rulers. Though they all rebuffed her, First Prince Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns was intrigued and the duo began a dialogue that resulted in an alliance that betrothed Hanse to Katrina's daughter and heir, Archon-Designate Melissa Steiner. Coinciding with their marriage ceremony on Terra in 3028, the two nations launched invasions of their neighbors. The Commonwealth used Rasalhagian revolutionaries to their advantage during the Fourth Succession War, taking many systems away from the Combine. These gains were neutralized when Theodore Kurita recognized their independence in 3034, forcing the Lyrans to give up their hard-won planets to the nascent Free Rasalhague Republic. The abortive War of 3039 was intended as a full-scale invasion of the Combine, but the surprising strength of House Kurita caused the allied nations to rethink their intentions, calling off the attack in short order. The two nations merged together more closely after the failed war, resulting in the informal creation of the Federated Commonwealth.
In 3050, the Clans invaded the Inner Sphere, and Commonwealth forces lost battle after battle to Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Wolf. The 3052 Truce of Tukayyid stalled the Clan Invasion, thanks to ComStar, but many Commonwealth worlds remained vulnerable to attack. The 3055 assassination of Archon Melissa Steiner resulted in the formal union of the Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns with the ascension of Archon-Prince Victor Steiner-Davion. Because of his younger sister's manipulations, he quickly became unpopular among his subjects. When Free Worlds Captain-General Thomas Marik discovered in 3057 that Victor had replaced his son Joshua with a body double, he allied with Capellan Confederation Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao and launched an invasion. Katherine Steiner-Davion seized on the opportunity and invoked war powers on 18 September 3057 to secede the Lyran half of the nation from the alliance, calling it the "Lyran Alliance", and signed a peace treaty with Marik, resulting in the creation of the Chaos March. Grand Duke Morgan Kell all but seceded from the Alliance, creating a semi-autonomous region along the Falcon border known as the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon.

The Lyran state has enjoyed remarkable stability throughout most of its history, thanks to a combination of a strong feudal monarchy and democratic representation which has given the government the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. When it was originally founded, inspired in part by ancient Athens, the Lyran Commonwealth was heading by nine Archons — the rulers and their deputies of the three founding members, as well as the military commander, treasurer and transportation minister of the Commonwealth. Beset by corruption and threated by the Draconis Combine, Robert Marsden deposed the other eight Archons in 2375. He then introduced the Estates General and the Articles of Acceptance, guaranteeing the rights of the planets and people of the Commonwealth, and winning enough popular support to become the sole Archon in 2376. Thus while the Archon theoretically has absolute power, basic rights are protected and the will of the people can and has forced many Archons to reverse unpopular decisions.
The Lyran capital was originally on Arcturus until 2407, when Alistair Marsden moved it to Tharkad in response to the threat posed by the Combine. Tharkad City is the heart of the state and home to the Triad, the triangular compound which houses the three buildings that make up the government: the Royal Palace, the Royal Court, and Government House. Below that are the provincial and planetary governments, a system of various feudal allegiances and political agreements made under the aegis of the Articles of Acceptance. Each planet is free to choose its own system of government, so long as they pay their taxes, provide military aid as needed, and adhere to the laws passed by the Archon and Estates General (with the right to ask for exemptions and alterations per local needs). The government also reserves the right to inflict punitive actions on any planet which fails to adhere to these rules or abuses the rights of its citizens.
The Archon is the head of state of the Lyran state. They are also the commander in chief of all Lyran military forces, including local militias and private armies, and has the authority to make any and all decisions relating to domestic and foreign policy. The Archon also has ultimate authority over the nobility, being the only person who can grant or take away any titles. While an Archon's decisions are not bound by it, unless time is of the essence most will submit their proposals to the Council and the Estates General for consultation and debate, if only so that the final product can be issued in a form more palatable to the general public.
The Archonship was not originally intended to be a hereditary title, but after Robert Marsden's death House Steiner quickly came to dominate the position and make it the birthright of their family. This was particularly thanks to the efforts Katherine Steiner, who created the Commonwealth Council as a check on other pretenders to the throne and used the Commonwealth Scout Corps to claim dozens of newly discovered worlds and dole them out to create a base of loyal noble supporters. Their power is also helped in no small part due to their vast wealth: in 3025 House Steiner directly controlled the four worlds nearest Tharkad (Gallery, Furillo, Porrima, and Duran), had major landholdings on 200 other worlds, and controlling shares in fifty Lyran corporations.
Katherine Steiner created the Commonwealth Council in order to secure support from the leaders of the Tamar Pact and Federation of Skye in establishing the Steiner dynasty. While its power has waxed and waned over the centuries, the Council has served as an advisory body to the Archon and a middleman between it and the Estates General. Legislation passed by the Estates General must first go to the Council to be debated and critiqued and, if it survives, is passed on to the Archon for final approval. Likewise the Archon can (as a courtesy) submit proposals to the Council to receive their advice before bringing them before the Estates General. The Council can also propose its own legislation for approval by the Archon and Estates General, though normally it refrains from doing so out of political safety.
Membership in the Council has changed over the years. Prior to the FedCom coalition, the Commonwealth Council numbered eight: the dukes of the Tamar Pact and Federation of Skye, the Chancellors of the Departments of Finance, Internal Policies, Foreign Affairs, and the Lyran Intelligence Corps, and the Chancellor of the Peoples who is chosen by the Estates General. After the schism with FedCom and reorganization of the Lyran state, the Alliance Council was increased to eleven members, consisting of the previous Chancellors and the dukes of the five provinces which now made up the Lyran Alliance. Restrictions have also been added over who can serve: after 2812, only one member of House Steiner could serve on the Council (expanded to two during the FedCom years), a rule that was extended to all other noble houses in 2821.
The Estates General was originally a representative body with little actual authority, essentially a forum where three hundred Representative could air their grievances, but it has since grown into a true parliament. Each planet (or group of planets as the case may be) can choose in their own way who will be their Representative, with delegates serving for six-year terms with no term limits. Strict rules govern who can serve as a delegate: no member of the nobility higher than a Baron or person convicted of a major crime in the last fifteen years may serve, and during their time as a Representative all of their personal property must be placed into a blind trust. The Estates General also recognizes delegates from planets which are occupied by a foreign power. The "Homeless" as they are known are housed in Tharkad City at the Archon's expense and are hereditary positions based on the last elected Representative before the territory's hostile occupation.
The Estates General meets every spring in the Great Assembly at Government House on Tharkad for four-month sessions, though they may go longer as necessity requires. In the weeks leading up to the legislative session, the Steering Committee determines the itinerary of the session with its head, the Speaker of the Assembly, also controlling the debate in the Great Assembly. While intended as little more than a rubberstamp to approve the Archon's policies, the Estates General has taken on more authority and responsibilities, including tax reform and creating the annual budget. Perhaps its most audacious action was its vote of no confidence against Archon Alessandro Steiner in 3007, an act which would lead to his resignation. Most of the time though, the Estates General works with the Council and the Archon on policy compromises for the good of the state.
The Royal Court refers to one of the three buildings of the Triad, a massive complex of recreational facilities, museums, ballrooms, and the Throne Room where the Archon sits under the protective gaze of a pair of Griffin BattleMechs. It also refers to the social sessions sponsored by the Archon to entertain important visitors from across the Lyran state; everyone from nobles and generals to scientists and artists are invited (or expected) to attend these festivities. Typically there will be three such sessions in a year, each lasting two months with at least a month in between to allow the Archon's Entourage to plan and execute the events. To be one of the young people appointed to the Archon's Entourage is considered an honor and a path towards greater service in the Lyran state. Less opulent that similar gatherings elsewhere in the Inner Sphere, the Royal Court is nevertheless an important event for the Lyran elite to meet and make decisions which might affect the entire state.

A detailed list of some Lyran manufacturing and company centers.
Heavy Aerospace Industry
Ioto Galactic Enterprises
N&D Shipyards of Alarion
Major Defense Industries
Arc-Royal MechWorks
Blackstone BattleMechs Limited
Blue Shot Weapons
Bowie Industries
Brigadier Corporation
Coventry Metal Works
Cyclops Incorporated
Defiance Industries
Defiance Motors
Gienah Combat Vehicles
Lockheed/CBM Corporation
New Earth Trading Company
Norse-Storm Technologies Incorporated
Quikscell Company
Red Devil Industries
Semier Data Tron
Shipil Company
StarCorps Industries
TharHes Industries
Tharkad Aerospace Group
Yankee Weapons Systems
The Lyran state is often defined by its Germanic cultural heritage, and in one sense this is true. Katherine Steiner is mostly responsible for this state of affairs, indirectly as a highly popular and inspirational cultural icon and purposefully with actions such as championing German as the state language and assigning German nobiliary particles for the Lyran nobility. However, actual Lyrans come from a diversity of backgrounds and trace their lineage to a variety of ethnic heritages, including Eastern European, Australian and New Zealander, East Asian, African and Black American. Rather than try to replace these local identities, this Lyran identity instead seeks to supplement them, giving people of various backgrounds a common ground to communicate and understand one another. As it is, discrimination based on categories such as race, gender or sexual orientation are largely a thing of the past among Lyrans, though in their place there remains significant prejudices based on class. At the same time, given the central government's loose hold over how member worlds govern themselves, many Lyrans have an independence streak which sees them identifying themselves by their particular world first and the Lyran state second, which has led to frequent flare-ups of unrest and rebellion.
Even in the midst of the devastating Succession Wars the Lyran state, as the wealthiest and most economically stable nation in the Inner Sphere, could boast the highest average standard of living for its citizens. Lyran citizens are among the most educated of any within the Inner Sphere thanks to generous government investment, national education standards and initiatives such as corporate-public partnerships and the Pilgrim Professor Program. While most institutions and teachers had been swallowed up in the conflagration of the Succession Wars, in 3025 the Lyran Commonwealth still had five major research universities, with significant expansion in the years of peace afterwards. Significant government investment and few censorship rules also ensure a thriving arts scene and media footprint, with even the most sparsely populated world boasting Holovid broadcasting. Lyrans also enjoy a basic right to food and housing, but such public options tend to be of sufficient quality as to encourage citizens to work harder to improve their situation.
While the Steiners themselves tend towards Protestantism or Buddhism, there is no official state religion, and indeed a strict separation of church and state combined with guaranteed freedom to worship has led to a history of religious tolerance. Traditional religions from Terra remain the most prominent, while the variety of new faiths that had sprung up in since humanity colonized the stars are not as popular. Christianity is the largest single religion in Lyran space, spread across many different sects, followed by Judaism. Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism are also prevalent though tend to be clustered around specific areas. Dozens of worlds are majority Hindu, with Chahar and New India, the two with the two largest populations, seen as centers of the faith. Likewise for Buddhism, New Kyoto and Kwangchowwang are regarded as centers of the religion's traditions. Dar-es-Salaam serves as the focal point for most Islamic sects, with the Black Muslim tradition strongest within the Coventry and Trellshire provinces. Of the newer faiths which have come into existence, the most popular within Lyran space is known as the One Star Faith.