Lucen Dacier
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lucendacier.bsky.social
Lucen Dacier
@lucendacier.bsky.social
300 followers 97 following 320 posts
Amateur author and fan of science fiction and good worldbuilding. Writer of BattleTech fan fiction, including Mechwarrior: Wild Rose.

Youtube (for my audio fiction): http://www.youtube.com/@lucendacier6851

Text also on Scribblehub and Space Battles!
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lucendacier.bsky.social
Lucen Dacier @lucendacier.bsky.social · Nov 9
This #ShamelessSelfpromoSaturday, I am advertising my #battletech #fiction Mechwarrior: Wild Rose, which just finished.

Tune it to see the scion of the Black Thorns, and hot LAM action, along with art by amazing artists in the community.

It's free to read. Links in the replies.
lucendacier.bsky.social
#nanofree Day 10: well I was going to get a bad day eventually. Just didn't have a chance to sit down today.

Just 119 words written today, all in the Matryoshka WIP.
November 11, 2025 at 1:18 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
#nanofree day 9: wrote 1667 words in Matryoshka, and 75 in Skyless. (it was just one bit of descriptive text).

Been in a daze all day, so I'm counting this as a win.
November 10, 2025 at 1:50 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
#nanofree day 8, put in 1568 words in the Matryoshka WIP.

This was a tough one, since the day started early and I was writing half in a daze at the end. But it's important to keep working.
November 9, 2025 at 2:16 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
The challenge of meeting a writing goal isn't the total word count, it's facing the days when you know you're slow and you just want to close the story and play video games.

Pushing through. 1284 words written today in #nanofree, split between Skyless and Matryoshka WIPs.
November 8, 2025 at 2:58 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
An ambitious design held back by constant technical problems, Scourge seemed trapped in a loop of testing. Then Scourge was re-worked into a good general-purpose fighter.

Speed bumps can hold back a good idea. Stick with it, see your dreams through.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
SCG-WF1 Scourge. This 65-ton 'Mech serves as a general-purpose fighter and heavy scout. A maximum speed of 86 kph and jump jets make it very mobile for its weight. 11 tons of light Ferro-Fibrous armor give it the maximum available amount of protection. A Gauss Rifle gives it long-range punch, but its real power comes from four ER Medium lasers loaded into the right arm, where an Actuator Enhancement System makes them even more accurate, and 11 Double Heat Sinks allows it to fire these guns regularly. The prototype SCG-WX1 Scourge was a different story. It carried an Ultra AC/10 and Improved Heavy Large Laser as main weapons backed up by three ER Medium Lasers, along with Reflective Armor. This prototype was bogged down with constant technical problems, ultimately being destroyed...though it would go on to inspire the design for the Rawhide BattleMech.
November 7, 2025 at 5:39 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
#nanofree day 6: another one of those days where "stuff kept coming up."

1335 words in the Skyless project, and finished another project I'm not counting words on.
November 7, 2025 at 3:17 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
#nanofree day five.

Kind of a weird day, couldn't quite focus on one project today. But ended up doing 1600 words in my Skyless WIP. Writing about someone drowning on a boat, tons of fun.
November 6, 2025 at 3:10 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
#nanofree day 4: Doing all right, wrote the first big action scene in Matryoshka. 1681 words today.
November 5, 2025 at 2:40 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
#nanofree day 3, was able to focus up a little bit more today.

Matryoshka: wrote 1224 words.
November 4, 2025 at 2:02 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
#nanofree day 2: With my schedule, it's really a shame that the first two days of this #writing test for myself happen on a weekend. Hopefully I will be more productive during the weekdays.

Skyless: 227 words written

Matryoshka: 579 words written
November 3, 2025 at 2:38 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
First day of #nanofree was a little rocky as I had obligations to deal with, but got some stuff done.

Skyless: 842 words written

Matryoshka: 542 words written

#writerslife
November 2, 2025 at 1:34 AM
lucendacier.bsky.social
Raven was slow, weak, and jammed by its own experimental ECM gear. But designers stuck with it until the solution came, giving them a truly groundbreaking 'Mech.

Give the bad ideas a chance, you might just be missing one piece.

And Happy Halloween.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
RVN-3L Raven. The premier electronic warfare 'Mech, this 35-tonner carried all the tricks available in 3050: Guardian ECM, Beagle Active Probe, Narc Beacon, and TAG. Two medium lasers and an SRM-6 give it some punch when forced to fight. Four and a half tons of ferro-fibrous armor give some protection, but when in trouble you're better off using the 97.2 kph top speed to get to safety. Or use the TAG to call in some heavy backup. The prototype Raven, the infamous RVN-1X of 3024, was an embarrassing mess, limited to a top speed of 86 kph by lack of XL engine technology, and with only four tons of regular armor its first fight was often its last. The 1X's experimental electronic warfare suite was both heavier and less effective than the more advanced Guardian/Beagle combo, and had an unfortunate bug: when damaged, the ECM would jam the Raven's own systems. You can't really blame the Davions who would refit captured Ravens to carry a Large Laser and extra armor instead of ECM.
October 31, 2025 at 5:35 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
So November is upon us, and NanoWriMo was replaced by Novel November.

I don't feel like an official contest, but I still have my unofficial #NanoFree challenge: write as much as you can in November. Only rule: no AI beyond a spell-check or a random name generator.

#amwriting
October 27, 2025 at 12:53 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
An effort to revolutionize BattleMechs, Gestalt faded away with its cybernetic creators. Yet Gestalt was a high-power striker that gave its pilot unique options.

Always take the risk to push forward. That's how you find something truly amazing.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
D2X-G Gestalt. This 45-ton Word of Blake 'Mech has a Heavy PPC with a Capacitor, backed up by a pair of ER Medium Lasers. A top speed of 118 kph and 180 meter jump capacity also make it incredibly mobile. An Angel ECM suite and Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor keep it protected, and a Void Signature System lets it literally vanish from the field when it has to. The 'Mech's armor and weapons are only part of the story. Instead of a gyro, the Gestalt is piloted by a cybernetic pilot in a special Machina Domini PA(L) suit. This allows unprecedented control of the 'Mech, and also lets the pilot disembark and proceed on foot when the mission required. Whether the Gestalt was a testbed for equipment that would later be incorporated into existing Blakist hardware, or if it was the first in a whole new line of war machines, remains a mystery. The Blakists who designed it have vanished, and the Gestalt's factory has been destroyed. Machina Domini PA(L) interface armor. A necessary component of the Gestalt 'Mech, the VDNI-equipped pilot had to wear this to be able to interface with and control the 'Mech. The armor lets the pilot achieve a ground speed of 32.4 kph, and a Firedrake Support Needler and Anti-Personnel Weapon Mount give the pilot options in case of running into trouble while out of the 'Mech. This suit might have been the first model in a new generation of Machina Domini class equipment, but like the Gestalt, this power suit has vanished from the Inner Sphere.
October 24, 2025 at 4:17 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
Dismissed as a relic, Vision Quest was sidelined and forgotten. Yet Vision Quest was a highly capable Heavy 'Mech that fought to the bitter end.

Don't accept that your time has passed. Hold the line and push forward.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
Vision Quest, a 60-ton Nova Cat BattleMech. With a top speed of 86 kph and maximum armor, it had staying power on the battlefield. It also had stopping power, with a pair of Clan-level ER Large Lasers and a trio of Medium Pulse Lasers, all in support of an Improved Gauss Rifle, which was later upgraded to an Ultra AC/20. Vision Quest existed mostly as a symbolic 'Mech, honoring past Nova Cat Khans. Tragically the Nova Cats themselves dismissed it as lackluster. The last one was literally nuked from existence on Irece as the Draconis Combine wiped out the Nova Cats as punishment for their rebellion.
October 17, 2025 at 4:03 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
An effort to make the perfect Zombie 'Mech, Gotterdammerung kept its pilot incredibly safe, but in emergencies pilots could not escape from it.

Learn from this one. Protect yourself, but don't have walls up so strong you can't get out.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
Gotterdammerung, a 75-ton Lyran 'Mech. With a name that translates to "Twilight of the Gods," this can be fearsome to run into on the battlefield. An ER PPC and head-mounted LRM/15 give it respectable long-range punch. Its maximum speed of 64 kph can bring it into range to use its five ER Medium Lasers on unlucky targets. Just mind the heat on firing all those lasers at once! Twelve tons of Heavy Ferro Fibrous armor, a compact Gyro, regular-style fusion engine, and torso-mounted cockpit make the 'Mech's most important components difficult to take out quickly. On top of that, all five Medium Lasers are mounted directly in the Center Torso, so this 'Mech will keep shooting until it is completely torn apart. In emergencies however, pilots find the critical flaws: a life support system split between the side torsos and a buggy ejection system mean an unlucky pilot can find themselves sealed into an overheating metal box with no way out.
October 10, 2025 at 4:02 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
Great Wyrm did nothing wrong, but was still pushed aside by OmniMechs. Yet Great Wyrm was capable and popular enough to be revived when it was needed.

Falling behind doesn't mean you've failed. Hold the course and play to your strengths.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
Great Wyrm, a 45-ton Clan 'Mech from 2844. Arguably a Dragon IIC, this 'Mech sported an LRM/10 and two each of Ultra AC/2's, ER Medium Lasers, and ER Small Lasers. 7 tons of armor and a top speed of 86 kph kept it safe and mobile. Great Wyrm was seen in all the Clan toumans for a time, but was phased out of frontline positions as OmniMechs were introduced and became popular. Production ultimately stopped in 2872, but this was not the end of Great Wyrm's story. It would reappear in 3069, retooled and upgraded into the Great Wyrm 2 in time to fight the Blakists.
October 3, 2025 at 4:09 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
A mishmash of rare parts, Prometheus seemed a huge boondoggle. Yet Prometheus' unique construction actually fixed its interface system and made it a Solaris legend.

Don't give up because you're flawed. Sometimes flaws give us our strength.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
Prometheus. This 75-ton prototype was the equivalent of throwing a Loki, Thor, Mad Cat, and Vulture into a blender and seeing what came out. It would have been thrown in the dust bin of history and forgotten if not for it also having a prototype Direct Neural Interface control system included. The DNI allowed a minimally-trained pilot to take the Prometheus through a legendary run on Solaris VII. Furthermore, the 'Mech's patchwork construction actually worked as an inhibitor on the very dangerous DNI system, holding off the more dangerous side effects of directly plugging your brain into a giant robot.
September 26, 2025 at 4:06 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
A golden child of the SLDF, Mongoose was singled out, losing the tech that made it special. Yet Mongoose still retooled and carried on.

Life beats you down. The question is whether you'll give up, or move on with what strength you can muster.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
MON-67 Mongoose. A heavy downgrade from the MON-66, this 25-tonner lacks the Ferro-Fibrous armor, Endo Steel structure, or Beagle Active Probe of its original model. However, 5.5 tons of armor, a top speed of 129 kph, and a trio of Medium Lasers backed up by a Small Laser made this little 'Mech a very effective striker, even if it the loss of the BAP made it less of a scout. The original MON-66 Mongoose was celebrated as an excellent command 'Mech for scout units, able to coordinate whole companies of Light 'Mechs. This capability made it a big target on the battlefield, though. Repairs and lack of spare parts during the Succession Wars forced a switch to the MON-67 model, but the 'Mech never really disappeared. When the Helm Memory core brought lostech back, the much-vaunted MON-66 was revived and redeployed, serving even during the Word of Blake war.
September 19, 2025 at 5:25 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
An explorer in a universe full of warriors, Marco disappeared without a market. Yet Marco allowed some to dream of doing something other than war.

Not everything is a reason to fight. Sometimes it's best to step back with your friends and breathe.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
MR-8C Marco ExplorerMech. At 30 tons, this little 'Mech lets a crew of two explore the great beyond. A Salvage Arm lets it perform delicate maneuvers, and a Small Laser alongside four tons of armor keep it safe from any aggressive fauna. Marco stands out as one of very, very few 'Mechs to come with its own shoulder-mounted porch. There are some combat variants of the Marco, most notable being the 8D, equipped with a Large Laser and an SRM-4. But by and large the Marco is the 'Mech for those of us who say "I don't want to live on this planet anymore" and go hiking in style.
September 12, 2025 at 4:13 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
Naga is a cautionary tale. Made to force Clans to use artillery, it was weak. Some Clans ended up accepting artillery, but all discarded the Naga.

Don't force an idea. Be patient, let your creativity prove its worth, and you will find your place.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
Naga OmniMech. This 80-ton curiosity spends almost all of its available weapon space on a pair of permanently installed Arrow IV missile launchers. A huge XL engine allows this 'Mech to reach up to 86 kph top speed, which it will need to use if challenged: with only 9 tons of armor and three ER Small Lasers for defense, the Prime configuration is all but helpless in combat. The Naga was made to force the Clans to incorporate artillery into their ranks. While the Wolves were able to use it effectively on Tukayyid, most Clanners reject the 'Mech as being unable to fight the close-range single combat they prefer. With time Clan doctrine branched around the Naga: some Clans, especially those that moved to the Inner Sphere, started using artillery mounted on vehicles, while Nagas were converted to Naga II's, made for more traditional BattleMech combat.
September 5, 2025 at 4:09 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
A black sheep of the early OmniMechs, Gargoyle Prime was fast but lacked any real punch. This belied other configurations that made it truly fearsome.

If you seem bland, it just means you're finding your place. You can still surprise people.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
Gargoyle, or Man O'War in the Inner Sphere. This 80-ton Assault 'Mech managed a top speed of 86 kph, which let it keep up with other, lighter Clan 'Mechs in the high-speed engagements they favored. The Prime configuration had paired LB 5-X's and SRM-6's, and a bonus ER small laser just in case. Other configurations equipped it with more energy weapons, a Gauss Rifle, or an AC/20, giving it the bite it needed to have a real impact on the battlefield. Most configurations also did something not commonly seen in early Clan OmniMechs: it carried extra ammo, which allowed the pilot to stay in the fight longer. Gargoyles tended to carry all their weapons in the arms, meaning pilots had to be careful to preserve these limbs if they wanted to stay in the fight.
August 29, 2025 at 4:04 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
Sling was celebrated in its time, only to disappear in the wars to follow. Yet it went on to inspire multiple other designs through history.

Stand tall and do what you know you're good at. You'll make your mark and inspire others to follow.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
SL-1G Sling. This little 25-tonner carries three LRM/5's, meant to be loaded with Thunder LRMs but pilots saw that more as a suggestion than an order. A top speed of 119 kph and a set of jump jets help it get into position quickly, or if you're feeling brave, get in close enough to use the 'Mech's only backup weapon, a TAG designator. Sling was popular with the SLDF, and helped Kerensky retake Terra despite only being a prototype at the time. In the Succession Wars it was replaced by more affordable and general-purpose 'Mechs like the Valkyrie. It did get taken on the Exodus however. You can see its influence among the Clans and their fondness for highly specialized, high-performance units.
August 22, 2025 at 4:37 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
One of the Mackie's lesser-known spinoffs, the Koschei faded away with time. Yet making the Koschei strengthened the Capellans infrastructure and forced them to learn.

Try that project. It might fail, but you'll still grow into someone stronger.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
KSC-3I Koschei. This 65-tonner does nothing really wrong: equipped with an Autocannon/10 and 2 Medium Lasers, it's not very flashy but it shows up to work. A top speed of 86 kph gives it an edge over other Heavies, and 12 tons of armor keep it protected. Later variants would update the weapons loadout, but ironically the Koschei fell out of favor with the Capellans who made it, courtesy of the Xin Sheng movement. Koschei still found a home among mercenary units as time went on.
August 15, 2025 at 4:19 PM
lucendacier.bsky.social
Using outdated strategies like bracket fire and slow groundspeed in the 3080s, Penthesilea seemed obsolete at the start. But Penthesilea is a tough, self-reliant Heavy.

Don't give up because you're not flashy. Stick with what makes you strong.

#battletech #GoodFeelsFriday
PEN-2H Penthesilea. Despite looking like it was made entirely out of spare parts of other 'Mechs, this 75-tonner packs a punch, with an ER PPC, Light PPC, LB 10-X, and three ER Medium Lasers. A top groundspeed of 64 kph keeps it on the back lines in the 3080s, but jump jets give it some extra mobility. 12 tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor, CASE, a Compact Gyro, and a regular-size engine make the Penthesilea incredibly resilient, and a mostly-energy weapons array let it keep operating away from supply lines for extended times. Just watch the heat: those 13 double heat sinks are barely enough to keep it cool, especially if you're a fan of alpha strikes!
August 8, 2025 at 5:46 PM