Sector data for Dark Nebula has been something of a muddle right from jump. As discussed before, the lovely map for the Dark Nebula board game was never utilized by the RPG. The CT Aslan alien module gives at least three different locations for Kusyu, with every subsequent edition seemingly making a different choice. Hans Rancke-Madsen wrote a good history of Kusyu’s various locations, and for what it’s worth I completely agree with Hans’s argument that hex 1226—the location currently shown on Traveller Map—makes the most sense.
The CT supplement Atlas of the Imperium (1984) provides rudimentary details of the sector, including starport type and location of all systems, as well as the names of high population worlds. DGP provided detailed data for Kilrai’ subsector in Travellers’ Digest 17 (1989) and then the entire sector in Solomani and Aslan (1991). This DGP data has been the base for all sector data to follow but, as discussed earlier, the initial data files available on the web for Dark Nebula were so replete with scanning errors that many worlds continue to pop up with erroneous names.
At first glance, the CT adventure compilation Alien Realms (1986) doesn’t appear to have any material set in Dark Nebula. One adventure is specifically set in Waroatahe sector, but the partial subsector data in Alien Realms doesn't line up with the later S&A dotmap of the Aslan Hierate. This was inadvertent: as Don McKinney explains in his Consolidated CT Errata, "The worlds (and map) in this adventure do NOT appear in the DGP dot map of this sector . . . because everyone forgot about it." A subsequent T5 Second Survey review overrode the DGP dotmap and added the Alien Realms worlds to Waroatahe.
A closer look at the J. Andrew Keith adventure “Interdiction Zone” from Alien Realms suggests that maybe the Waroatahe references weren't the only thing forgotten. The location of Kualakhtaea, the interdicted world at the heart of the adventure, is not given, but the background information names many worlds located in "Kyaeakha" subsector. None of these worlds or the subsector currently appear on Traveller Map.
However, some of the Aslan clans mentioned in "Interdiction Zone" are also mentioned in the Amber Zone adventure “Raid on Stataorlai,” from Journal of the Travelers' Aid Society #20 (1984), which is credited to Keith Douglass, one of the many pseudonyms used by … J. Andrew Keith.
“Raid on Stataorlai” is set in Kyaenkha subsector, which is canonically subsector E of Dark Nebula. Note that Kyaenkha is close enough to Kyaeakha to be a typo. Putting everything together, I suspect that J. Andrew Keith intended for these two adventures to be set in the same subsector, namely Kyaenkha subsector of Dark Nebula—and the reference to Kyaekha in Alien Realms was an error.
In any case DGP clearly didn't refer to Alien Realms when developing their dotmap of the Hierate. (I think the DGP material is generally great, but the dotmaps are notoriously unreliable, sometimes not even including stars mentioned in the same book they appear in.)
So ten J. Andrew Keith worlds from “Raid on Stataorlai,” and "Interdiction Zone” are not currently reflected in the Dark Nebula sector data. Could we find suitable homes in Kyaenkha subsector for them? Ideally we could find worlds in the existing data that fit the descriptions in everything but name, but even if we can only find approximate matches, I think it would make sense to override the DGP data to fit J. Andrew Keith’s adventures.
A couple of ground rules: first, any tweak cannot contradict information in Atlas of the Imperium, generally considered the gold standard for matters of canonicity. And second, we can’t override any worlds that have received a canonical treatment. These ground rules place only two worlds in Kyaenkha off-limits for this exercise. Hteoe (DARK 0117), is briefly described in TD 17 (and currently misspelled Hleoe in Traveller Map). And the high population world of Au'aiyyee is named in Atlas of the Imperium. So let’s see what we can do with the remainder:
Ftaikhao. As described in “Interdiction Zone,” this world is located in Kyaeakha subsector and outright owned by the Hweaolriya clan. Since we know that Hweaolriya is a multiworld clan, we’re looking for a world that has the allegiance code AsMw. Kuaeankha subsector has several candidates: Kheawyarl (DARK 0116 B79A36A-A), Aulyetyu (DARK 0214 E648446-6), Leftearl (DARK 0615 B200587-D), and Hwiysa (DARK 0619 E546387-7). As explained below, Leftearl may be the site of “Raid on Stataorlai,” so let’s remove that from contention. Kheawyarl fits the bill, so I propose renaming Kheawyarl “Ftaikhao” and changing the government type to 8.
Hakekhea. As described in “Interdiction Zone,” this “bleak” world is located in Kyaeakha subsector and outright owned by the Aeahekihiykhiy clan, the only world they own in the subsector. Further, “valuable mineral deposits [were] recently discovered” in the system. As with Ftaikhao, we’re looking for a world with the allegiance code AsMw, although it might be a secondary world. Hwiysa (DARK 0619 E546387-7), with a thin, tainted oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere isn’t quite bleak, at least by Traveller standards, but it’s close enough. I recommend renaming Hwiysa “Hakekhea.”
Ktiyrhaniy. As described in “Interdiction Zone,” this is another Kyaeakha subsector world outright owned by the Hweaolriya clan. Aulyetyu (DARK 0214 E648446-6) is the only unallocated world with the AsMw allegiance code, so I propose renaming Aulyetyu “Ktiyrhaniy.”
Kualakhtaea. As described in “Interdiction Zone,” this interdicted world has a UWP of X987673-1. There’s really nothing even close to a match in the subsector data, so we’re probably talking a secondary world controlled by the Aeahekihiykhiy. The mainworld could have any allegiance code, but either an on-world clan (AsWc) or a vassal clan (AsVc) with a small presence make the most sense. (A Tlaukhu or large multiworld clan in the system might horn in on Kualakhtaea, source of great wealth to the Aeahekihiykhiy.) The description of the world suggests a star favorable to support life, so the primary probably wouldn’t be a red giant, any supergiant, or have a white dwarf companion. Ayeiyfua (DARK 0311 E100643-8) is a nice, sleepy system controlled by an on-world clan and anchored by a G0 V M6 V. If Ayeiyfua is a gas giant moon in the outer system, Kualakhtaea could be a secondary world orbiting the G0 V star in the habitable zone.
Htealyahwa. As described in “Interdiction Zone,” this is a rich Kyaeakha subsector world controlled by the Ftauhakit clan in fief to the Hweaolriya. This suggests the allegiance code AsVc. Eweuas (DARK 0112 A585745-C) is a decent fit, so I recommend renaming Eweuas “Htealyahwa.” Note that two worlds with government type 6 are controlled by Eweuas: Tyakhyo (DARK 0115 D100369-A) and Etlaorla (DARK 0315 CDC5166-A). I recommend changing the Government code of Tyakhyo to 8 and of Etlaorla to 4 and removing ownership details from both.
Huuira'alr. As described in “Interdiction Zone,” this is a Kyaeakha subsector world partially owned by the Hweaolriya clan. This is, by definition, a split control world with the allegiance code AsSc. Only three split-control worlds are listed in the current subsector data: Hteoe (DARK 0117), Eatyurei (DARK 0120), and Au'aiyyee (DARK 0220). Both Hteoe and Au'aiyyee are off-limits, and I’m reserving Eatyurei for other purposes. So we would need to tweak something to make this fit. I recommend changing Ealalrye (DARK 0317 B410434-C), allegiance AsVc to Huuira'alr (DARK 0317 B410474-C), allegiance AsSc.
Kahkeheas. “Interdiction Zone” describes a Kyaeakha subsector world that is partially or wholly owned by the Tralyeaeawi clan. This would suggest any of the allegiances AsT3, AsTv, or AsSc. As there are no Tralyeaeawi bloc or available split-clan worlds, we need to find a suitable Tlaukhu vassal world. Sowei (DARK 0520 777547-B) seems like a decent fit, so I recommend renaming Sowei “Kahkeheas.”
Stataorlai. This planetoid belt is described in “Raid on Stataorlai” as having the UWP of C0007J8-8 and “located in 0605 of the Kyaenkha subsector of the Dark Nebula sector, controlled by the Eakhtawa clan.” This location corresponds to Leftearl (Dark Nebula 0615 B200587-D). There are no asteroid belt mainworlds in the subsector, much less one with a class C starport, so Stataorlai must obviously be a secondary world. As described, the Stataorlai system has three gas giants and a military base. Leftearl is controlled by a multiworld clan, had 2 gas giants, and no bases. There’s no indication in the adventure as to how many worlds are controlled by Eakhtawa, so the existing Leftearl allegiance could work if we assume this clan controls other worlds. We could increase the number of gas giants easily enough. There is no clan base shown in AotI, but let’s add one. Putting this all together, I suggest increasing the number of Leftearl gas giants to 3, assume the mainworld is a moon of the innermost gas giant and that the Stataorlai belt is a secondary world on the edge of the outer system. As the mainworld has a Population code of 5, less than Stataorlai’s Population of 7, let’s swap those around so that Leftearl has a revised UWP of B200787-D and the Stataorlai belt a UWP of G000568-8. This has several cascading effects: Leftearl’s remarks change to Na Pi Va Sa, Importance increases to 2, the economic extension changes to B65+1, and the cultural extension to 595D.
Syeaa'isiy. “Interdiction Zone” describes a Kyaeakha subsector world that is partially owned by the Hweaolriya clan. As we have no available split control (AsSc) allegiance worlds, I recommend tweaking Htiyhoai (DARK 0612 B636797-B), allegiance AsTv to Syeaa'isiy (DARK 0612 B636777-B), allegiance AsSc.
Waeoisya/Waeorsya. As described in “Raid on Stataorlai,” “Waeoisya” is a split control world located in Kyaeankha subsector and partially owned by the Hweaolriya clan. As described in “Interdiction Zone,” “Waeorsya” is a split control world located in Kyaeakha subsector and partially owned by Hweaolriya clan. So it’s pretty clear these worlds are one and the same. Only three split-control worlds are listed in the current subsector data and with Hteoe (DARK 0117), and Au'aiyyee (DARK 0220) off-limits, Eatyurei (DARK 0120) is the only candidate. In “Raid on Stataorlai,” Waeoisya is described as being a potential site of conflict between the Hweaolriya and Aeahekihiykhiy clans. Eatyurei is a low-population, split-control world controlled by owners out of Au'aiyyee, and in AotI was listed as having starport X. Sounds like a contested world to me. Given all this, I propose renaming Eatyurei “Waeorsya” and changing the Government code to 7, removing the ownership details.
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The illustration at the top of the blog is by William H. Keith and is from Alien Realms (1986).
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