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August 14, 2007
Mechwarrior: Age of Destruction Factions – Comstar
If you think about it, the Mechwarrior universe is in many ways a reprise of the fall of the Roman Empire. It’s amazing how much Rome still haunts the Western imagination, even 16 centuries later. . . Basically, the Star League was the Roman Empire. The Successor States – the Free World’s League, Capellan Confederation, the Lyran Commonwealth, Draconis Combine and Federated Suns, are the minor, semi-barbaric states which followed the fall of Rome.
Comstar then, is the Catholic Church. Sure, they worship technology, but they are at heart a religious order. They even use Catholic terms such as “acolyte.” Much like the monks of medieval Europe, Comstar kept learning and knowledge alive during the Dark Ages of the Mechwarrior period. Much like the Catholic Church of old, Comstar is power-hungry and more than a little corrupt. Comstar is likewise given to bouts of fanaticism.
A passage from the writings of Blake point out the parallels:
All that saved mankind during its last so-called Dark Age were the churches and religions. These were havens for humanity’s learning and they stood alone as beacons in the darkness and foulness that humankind had become. . . . If ComStar is to survive into the future, it must look to these religions as a blueprint for surviving the wars that are unfolding around us. [Salvation 4:18–24]
To get a full history of Comstar inside the canonical Mechwarrior universe, check out this write-up over at Wizkids.
Posted by Discoshaman at August 14, 2007 07:37 AM