Wu Interlude Library Data

Akludu (Magyar 0902 B568669-A). Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Rich. An important Solomani Confederation world located in the Urartu Cluster in Eery subsector. Terran emigres established a major colony on Akludu by -2000, naming the world Aabida. The Terrans were joined by Aslan ihatei sometime before -1000, and the world has maintained an Aslan population ever since. Following the Solomani Rim War the Confederation has resettled thousands of Aslan from Dark Nebula to Akludu, where “Integration Schools” help assimilate them to Solomani life. Akludu lies on an intermediate trade route between Parade (Daibei 0940 A5458AA-C) and Xian (Magyar 1103 B7B48DC-9). The world is under military rule, controlled by the Confederation Army, and hosts a Confederation joint naval and army base. Recruits drawn from resettled Aslan serve in Army posts across the spinward theater of the Confederation.

Dal (Magyar 0202 F10086A-A) [Secondary World]. The solitary large moon of Wu (Magyar 0203 B66A99A-E), orbiting the mainworld at an average distance of 170,783 km with an orbital period of 12.12 standard days. Dal has a population of 743 million and is an important production center for power plants, jump drives, and maneuver drives. The Wuan Technology Association maintains a major research station on Dal for development of advanced materials. Confederation Naval Base Sereniti, located on a military reservation on the far side of Dal, is the headquarters for the Urartu Cluster Fleet. Sereniti Base has a modest orbital component at the Wu-Dal L2 point, and is the home port of the 53rd FleetRon and 19th CarrierRon. A co-located Army base on Dal supports the Solomani 44th Grav Tank Corps. The Confederation Army conducts protected forces training on the moon’s surface.

Greenvald (Magyar 0504 B864695-A). Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Rich. An important Solomani Confederation world located in the Urartu Cluster in Eery subsector. The habitable mainworld is locked into a resonant orbit with the system’s M1 V primary, Novisad, at a distance of approximately 35.9 million km. Terran emigres established a major colony on Greenvald by -2000, naming the world Novisad I. Several feeder and minor trade routes converge on Greenvald, which also hosts a Confederation joint naval and army base.

World Map Grid
World Name (and UWP) Greenvald B864695-A	Subsector/Sector Location Eery/Magyar
Date of Preparation 201-1096	Hexagon Scale (km) 1,005
IS Form 8-F	Size 8 World Map Grid

hkyadwaeh. A mildly intoxicating beverage, exceedingly popular among the Aslan and far preferred by them over alcohol. Humans call the beverage bitter-root tea, after its taste, or muleskick tea, after its observed effect on Aslan who drink it. Hkyadwaeh is derived from the hkyao plant, a fairly common shrub found on several worlds of the Hierate, most notably Kualakhtaea, a secondary world of Ayeiyfua (Dark Nebula 0311 E100643-8). The beverage is brewed by steeping dried hkyao roots in boiling water, and when consumed by Aslan is about as strong as beer or ale on a Human system. A large number of specific blends and brews exist. Hkyadwaeh is a common cargo within Hierate space, though virtually no market exists outside the Hierate except among extrahierate Aslan. Humans find hkyadwaeh rather bitter and unpalatable, though a few individuals have learned to drink it without betraying their distaste.

monoblade. A light, one-handed polymer bladed weapon with a monofilament edge, a cutting edge just one molecule thick created by spinning a single-molecule strand.

Sharn (Magyar 0601 A7568BG-C) [Amber Zone]. Garden World, Pre-Agricultural, Pre-High Population, Puzzle. A member of the Wuan Technology Association, located in the Urartu Cluster in Clan subsector. Terran emigres established a major colony on Sharn by -2000, naming the world Choan; Wu was originally settled by colonists from Sharn. The world is located on an intermediate trade route connecting Association worlds to Daibei. The highport and the large shipyards attached to it are owned and operated by Optimum Heavy Industries, a Wuan corportation concentrating on starship construction. Even for a Wuan world, Sharn is infamous for the rigidity and conformity of its society. Sharn has one of the highest per capita production outputs in the entire sector, and any deviations are quickly rooted out and corrected by the oppressive clone government of the High Sharn Administrator.

Shrine of Heroes. A traditional space found in Aslan homes, factories, or starships where Aslan meditate on and gain confidence from the deeds and philosophies of their ancestors. This “ancestor worship” is the closest thing the race has to a religion. The Shrine is typically a small, private room, draped in tapestries and decorated with scenes of conquest.

Shuttle. One of the most common small craft seen in Charted Space, designed to carry passengers and cargo from orbit to surface and back again, as well as act as an interplanetary transport. A shuttle uses a 95-ton hull, is capable of 3g acceleration, carries 1 ton of fuel, and has a crew of one. It may have one fixed mount. The standard computer for the shuttle is the Model/1. It can carry eight passengers and has 67 tons of excess space, and costs MCr15.147.

Treakhouaia. An extrahierate Aslan clan, formerly dominant in the Akuusir Cluster following the Peace of Ftahalr in 380. The Treakhouaia had been exiled from the Hierate during the Cultural Purge for having become too familiar with humans, relaxing roles between the sexes and settling differences through legal arbitration rather than combat. The Treakhouaia came to dominate the worlds along the lucrative Wu-Kusyu route, including Colcan and Fonfado, and also had holdings on Dengmi, Wang, and Satwor. Following defeat in the Rim War and the loss of Terra, the Solomani Confederation began absorbing worlds of the Akuusir Cluster in 1041. The Treakhouaia clan at first tried to negotiate, then accommodate, and finally assimilate, though with generally unsatisfactory results. Many Treakhouaia holdings were seized by the Solomani under various legal pretenses and the inhabitants resettled to Akludu in Magyar sector. Today, most of the Aslan encountered in Akuusir subsector working in starports, crewing merchant ships, or serving in the Confederation military will be Treakhouaia.

A yeheal autorifle.

yeheal. An Aslan 7.5mm automatic rifle that functions much like a Human autorifle. It can be equipped with a shoulder sling, sights, a bipod, and a muzzle brake, and may be switched from semi-automatic to full automatic fire as needed. The yeheal uses a dual magazine feed with an internal mechanism that strips cartridges from one magazine until it is empty, and then proceeds to strip cartridges from the other magazine. As a result, total magazine capacity is 64 rounds and the weapon can be reloaded with one new magazine whenever less than 32 rounds remain.

Copyright Information

The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright © 1977 – 2022 Far Future Enterprises. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. Far Future permits web sites and fanzines for this game, provided it contains this notice, that Far Future is notified, and subject to a withdrawal of permission on 90 days notice. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Any use of Far Future Enterprises’s copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, any program/articles/file on this site cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author who contributed it.

Materials produced by Digest Group Publications (DGP) are copyright © Roger Sanger. Any use of Digest Group Publications’ copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this Web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights. Usage is intended to follow the guidelines announced by Roger Sanger on the Traveller Mailing List for preserving the overall Traveller milieu.

Ross Charter Library Data

Aeitle Sakh. Aslan name for Reaver’s Deep sector.

Akuusir Cluster. A string of 32 systems connected by jump-1 distances, located in Ruih, Akuusir, and Danvers subsectors of Dark Nebula. The Cluster notably contains several primitive Human populations that culturally identify with the Aslan. The entire Cluster fell within the Buffer Zone established by ancient Human and Aslan treaties, but the Solomani Confederation has recently absorbed 27 systems despite protests from neighboring Aslan clans.

The drive to incorporate Akuusir Cluster worlds was driven by local Solomani Party activists and the ambitions of Satwor (DARK 2610), rather than the Confederation government itself. Economically, the Cluster presents little more than a burden to the Confederation, with most economic aid apparently wasted on corrupt or inept planetary governments. The entire population of the Cluster is some 530 million. Although the Cluster has several reasonably habitable worlds, only a handful possess early stellar or better technology levels: the highest TL in the Cluster is 11. Twenty-six worlds are limited to pre-stellar tech levels or less and thirteen of these have only industrial tech levels or less.

Perhaps more concerning, Solomani Security has had great difficulty negotiating the incredibly complex, tribal rivalries within the Cluster as various local warlords vie for influence. Culturally, these worlds feel little connection to Terra or the Solomani movement, and more affinity to the Aslan; many such worlds have proven very difficult for the Confederation to assimilate.

Militarily, the Confederation Akuusir Cluster Fleet is a fairly small naval force headquartered at Satwor. The independent Aslan worlds of the Buffer Zone are not perceived as a serious threat, so the Akuusir Fleet mostly consists of patrol vessels with anti-piracy and occasional world-building missions.

Angle (DARK 3005 A977223-A). Low-Population, Twilight Zone. A Solomani Confederation system located on the Spinward edge of the Urartu Cluster in Akuusir subsector of Dark Nebula sector. The mainworld is relatively unattractive for settlement, being tidally locked to its M2 V primary and possessing a standard oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere tainted with highly toxic sulfur compounds. The system hosts a joint Confederation Army and Naval base.

Aslan Border Wars (-1118 to 380). Series of conflicts between various Aslan clans and Human systems as the Aslan expanded toward already-settled Human territory. The Aslan achieved jump drive late (-1999) and proceeded to expand into the available territory in their region of space. Contacts along their trailing border necessarily resulted in friction with the Human systems in that region.

Because the Long Night was already well underway by the time the Aslan encountered humans, there was no central Human government to resist Aslan attacks. Since there was no united Aslan authority either, the sides were fairly matched, and numerous small wars erupted between Aslan clans and Human splinter states, with alliances among the various powers constantly forming and dissolving.

The border between Human and Aslan space remained relatively constant, with a few systems changing hands after each war. At this time some clans also launched raids into the interior of the former Imperial domains, where they conquered and settled worlds as much as 40 parsecs beyond the border.

Once the Third Imperium expanded into the region circa 200, its superior organization and technology gradually put an end to the Aslan threat.

Aslanic. A language commonly spoken by Humans in areas of Dark Nebula, Reavers Deep, and Magyar sectors. Aslanic is a patois of Trokh, utilizing Trokh grammar and morphology, but with a phonology more suitable for Human vocalization. Aslanic arose during the Long Night and soon spread across human communities within Aslan space. The language does not employ gender-specific rules and contains many Terran loanwords. Most Aslan can follow a conversation in Aslanic, and to nonfluent humans it sounds much like Trokh. Use of Aslanic generally indicates low social status, but Aslan tend to be far more tolerant of faux pas made by Humans speaking Aslanic.

Baconan (DARK 3104 C574534-7). Agricultural, Non-Industrial. A Solomani Confederation system located on the Spinward edge of the Urartu Cluster in Akuusir subsector of Dark Nebula sector.

The Buffer Zone. This refers to Reaver’s Deep sector, which was an area of particularly heavy fighting during the Aslan Border Wars. The region became a demilitarized zone as a result of the Peace of Ftahalr in 380 Imperial. However, similar agreements were reached in Dark Nebula and Ustral Quadrant sectors, and the term is sometimes extended to include those, too. The Buffer Zone has never been a truly peaceful area, and is currently characterized by racial tension and sporadic clashes between Aslan ihatei and Solomani settlers.

Charted Space. The region of space inhabited by humans and thousands of other races, both major and minor. Charted Space encompasses 128 sectors and more than 80,000 worlds. Exploration has suggested two conclusions. First, there is life everywhere. Worlds naturally spawn their own lifeforms, and many produce intelligent races. Second, nowhere beyond Charted Space has intelligence produced the jump drive that makes interstellar travel possible. Worlds are full of life: space is empty.

Colcan (DARK 2805 B9C5268-9) Fluid Oceans, Low Population, Military Rule. A Solomani Confederation world located in Akuusir subsector of Dark Nebula sector. A hostile mainworld with an incredibly corrosive atmosphere composed of helium gas, with very large quantities of ammonia and methane. The Confederation established a joint forward operating base in orbit in 967; the attached starport section is operated by the Confederation Navy. The planet’s surface is occupied only by a small team of scientific researchers working for the Confederation Army.

Dark Nebula (Aslan: I'aheako). A sector of Charted Space located rimward of Reavers Deep and spinward of Magyar. Dark Nebula has 487 worlds with an estimated population of 936 billion. The highest technology level is 14. The Aslan Hierate controls over 235 worlds while the Solomani Confederation controls over 109 worlds. A larger buffer zone of independent worlds is located in the coreward center of the sector. The independent worlds bear every possible attitude toward each other and their larger neighbors. Two small federations, the Ulane Hierate in Earle subsector and the Gerontocracy of Ormine in Akhlare subsector, complete the tally.

Notably, the sector contains Kusyu (DARK 1226 A876A76-E), the homeworld of the Aslan, a major spacefaring race who consider I'aheako part of their Tyeao Eakh (Ancestral Worlds) region. Dark Nebula also features the eponymous large molecular cloud that sprawls across Khtoiakta and Yohkui subsectors.

Elahkilr (DARK 2203 A676757-8). A non-aligned Aslan world of the Akuusir Cluster, located inside the Buffer Zone of Ruih subsector of Dark Nebula. Elahkilr is controlled by the independent Hraiiyeeiyea clan, and the planet is a pre-industrial, agricultural world orbiting a G8 V primary. The system straddles the intersection of some minor and feeder trade routes running from Reavers Deep into Dark Nebula, and the Class A starport handles about 6,000 displacement tons of cargo and 300 passengers per week. A small shipyard is run by the Hraiiyeeiyea. Despite the relatively modest status of the mainworld, the Third Imperium, Solomani Confederation, and Tralyeaeawi clan all maintain small diplomatic missions at the highport.

Ftahtuak. Aslan name for Ustral Quadrant sector.

Himitt (DARK 2206 C764630-3). Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Rich. A non-aligned Aslan system located in the Akuusir Cluster in Ruih subsector of Dark Nebula sector. The coveted mainworld was settled by Rule of Man émigrés between -2200 and -2100 and became an important Human colony world. The expanding Aslan absorbed the system by -300 along with the rest of the cluster. The mainworld eventually came under the control of the Kairloa clan, which sharply limited Human access to technology and drove many Humans offworld. When Himitt fell within the buffer zones established by ancient Aslan and Human treaties, the Kairloa became an independent clan and retained their ancestral world. The Kairloa center of power on Himitt is the downport at Wakh Hrea, but outside a handful of fortified settlements the world is essentially lawless. Only a small remnant Human population remains onworld, and Aslan and Human brigands are said to haunt the sweeping badlands and ancient ruins scattered across the planet’s surface.

World Map Grid
World Name (and UWP) Himitt C764630-3	Subsector and Sector Location of World Ruih/Dark Nebula
Date of Preparation 093-1098	Hexagon Scale (km) 1,005
IS Form 8-E	Size 7 World Map Grid

Hisol’i. Aslan name for both the Solomani people and Magyar sector. Reportedly, Aslan initially mistook the sector as containing the Human homeworld.

I’aheako. Aslan name for Dark Nebula sector.

ihatei. Aslan term that literally means “second son,” but idiomatically means “landless,” that is, an Aslan male from a family that does hold land, but who cannot hope to inherit that land. Since such males often choose a military career as a way to glory and land, ihatei is also used idiomatically to refer to a clan’s troops. With the development of starflight, ihatei became the vanguard of Aslan exploration and conquest of space.

Iouo Interstellar Yards (IIY). A major Solomani shipbuilder in the spinward areas of the Confederation. Based on Iouo (MAGY 0624), IIY maintains some 13 Class A shipyards and 17 Class B yards in Magyar and Dark Nebula sectors. Founded centuries ago, IIY was originally a shared Aslan/Human concern that gracefully blended Solomani and Aslan elements into superior starship designs. However, the Solomani Confederation government intervened in the corporate structure, forcing the Aslan ownership out to the detriment of the company. Despite these setbacks, IIY remains renowned for its innovative and elegant designs.

Linate (DARK 3204 A200544-E) [Amber Zone] Hot, Non-Industrial, Vacuum, Locked Satellite, Dangerous. A Solomani Confederation system located in the Urartu Cluster in Akuusir subsector of Dark Nebula sector. The system occupies an advantageous position on a main trade route running coreward-rimward along the spinward edge of Confederation. The mainworld is a desolate moon orbiting Seba, a gas giant that orbits the G1 V primary at 0.7 AU. Seba is surrounded by a particularly large magnetosphere that traps charged particles, which in turn form intense radiation belts of widely varying size. The TAS has issued an Amber Zone for the system due to the navigational hazard created by these belts.

Peace of Ftahalr (380). The landmark series of treaties between the Third Imperium and four major Aslan clans, which put an end to the Aslan Border Wars. The final treaties established a buffer zone about 30 parsecs wide between the Imperial border and the region of Aslan control. There has been no war since then, although the Solomani have violated portions of the zone and incorporated it into their boundaries.

Satwor (DARK 2610 A867632-A). An important Solomani Confederation system located in the Akuusir Cluster in Akuusir subsector of Dark Nebula. Satwor is a rich, temperate garden world and agricultural producer, locked in a close, resonant orbit with Thouma, its M3 V primary. The planet rotates three times about its spin axis for every two orbits about Thouma, resulting in each Satwor day being 38 standard days in length.

While Satwor was sparsely inhabited by Humans and Aslan for millennia, in the early 800s settlers from Column (DARK 3202) established a small onworld colony devoted to promoting Solomani ideology to the indigenous Human populations of the Cluster. The colony grew steadily and drew Solomani activists from as far away as Magyar sector. These activists were able to use Party connections to raise economic and technological support from throughout the Solomani Sphere, rapidly uplifting Satwor to early stellar technology levels. The world constructed a Class A starport and established a small, Party-subsidized shipbuilding concern, Satwor Yards. Solomani activists also pressed for Confederation absorption of the Human worlds of the Akuusir Cluster.

Satwor is currently ruled by the World Party Governing Committee, which promotes rather extreme Solomani-libertarian policies. And although Satwor has only 9.72 million inhabitants, the government harbors outsized ambitions: the world has acquired a few Rim War-era warships, including the Degen, an old Yamamoto-class cruiser. Using its significant technological edge Satwor has claimed several nearby worlds, including Meskok (DARK 2308), Mosarelel (DARK 2407), Springflow (DARK 2510), and Fonfado (DARK 2606). Thanks to Party influence, Satwor hosts a joint naval and army base that coordinates Confederation military activities throughout the Cluster.

Tlaukhu. This term refers both to the 29 most powerful Aslan clans and their 29 representatives who meet continuously on Kuzyu (DARK 1226) to arbitrate interclan disputes and set common policies. In theory, their decisions bind only the 29 themselves, their vassals, and those who request arbitration; in practice, they affect other clans by developing new technology, changing trade routes, starting or stopping clan wars, and so on.

To remain within the 29, a clan must be independent, and have sufficient population, wealth, and firepower at its disposal to be a credible member. A clan leaves the council when it fails to meet these criteria, or when its power wanes to the point where it must become another’s vassal. Only 19 of the current 29 have been members since the Tlaukhu’s inauguration; the others have replaced previous clans in this way, and some of the positions have changed several times.

Trokh. The common language of nearly all Aslan. Trokh is difficult for Humans to pronounce, split into gender-specific dialects, and weighty with formalisms. A holophrasic language that uses one word to encompass the meaning of an entire sentence, Trokh makes extensive use of metaphor and simile, and words whose meanings depend heavily on context. Proper pronunciation of vowels has often proved the most difficult aspect of the language for Humans, as some are pronounced while inhaling rather than exhaling.

Trokh was previously the trade language of the Tlaukhu and developed into its present form over 4,500 years ago on Kusyu (DARK 1226). The language is tightly controlled by the Tlaukhu, and remains almost entirely free of offshoots, local dialects, or corruptions.

Magyar has several communities of Trokh-speaking Aslan and Humans, though the language is generally suppressed on Confederation worlds. Despite this, traders bound for Dark Nebula, Canopus, or Reavers Deep sectors value having fluent Trokh speakers aboard.

Wang (DARK 2506 D789899-2). Rich, Pre-High Population. A Solomani Confederation system located in the Akuusir Cluster in Akuusir subsector of Dark Nebula sector. The mainworld orbits its K3 V primary in the habitable zone and is broadly compatible with Human life. Seas cover 84% of the surface, with most land concentrated in a single southern continent. Wang was initially settled by Terrans by -1500, but captured by Aslan before -300. Like many other worlds in the cluster, the Aslan allowed Human technology levels to regress to pre-industrial levels. Wang fell within the buffer zones established by Human and Aslan treaties, and Aslan onworld presence gradually diminished as Solomani interests in the region grew. The native Human population has a very low tech level and retains many cultural influences from the occupation, including the Aslanic language. Most of the world’s population is concentrated in a series of coastal cities but the interior has many wild and lawless areas. Graceful, Aslan-style sailing ships ply the seas of Wang, while caravans work the crude trade roads. The downport is located at Yooi, the largest city. In 1054 the Solomani Confederation deposed an indigenous world empress, Saeae Zui, and replaced her with a provisional government overseen by Solomani advisors.

Copyright Information

The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright © 1977 – 2021 Far Future Enterprises. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. Far Future permits web sites and fanzines for this game, provided it contains this notice, that Far Future is notified, and subject to a withdrawal of permission on 90 days notice. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Any use of Far Future Enterprises’s copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, any program/articles/file on this site cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author who contributed it.

Materials produced by Digest Group Publications (DGP) are copyright © Roger Sanger. Any use of Digest Group Publications’ copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this Web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights. Usage is intended to follow the guidelines announced by Roger Sanger on the Traveller Mailing List for preserving the overall Traveller milieu.

Kline Charter Library Data

Below are additional Library Data entries for the Kline Charter adventure. I had printed these on 3x5 index cards to hand out to the players as needed—a technique that seemed to work well at the table. (It was also pretty darned helpful to me.)

An Agilitrix Blue-4 android, designed to serve as a skilled vehicle operator.

Agilitrix. A sector-wide manufacturer of synthetics and a principal member of the Wuan Technology Association, with headquarters on Uston (Daibei 0139 A100A98-E). Agilitrix is famed for its Spectrum line of androids, now in its fifth generation, which represent some of the most commonly encountered androids in Magyar and Dark Nebula. Spectrum models are designed with exaggerated physical characteristics for easy identification: these androids resemble well-built humans without hair, navels, or sexual organs, their skin dyed with clearly artificial pigments.

Argent Mining. A principal member of the Wuan Technology Association with headquarters on Chou (Magyar 0210 C62187B-9). Argent maintains mining, refining, and petrochemical operations throughout Magyar and Dark Nebula sectors. Argent Occasionally employs guest clones or androids for operations in hostile environments or when an important project requires a rapid build-out.

Bupaj (Magyar 0804 E420267-9). Poor, Low Population, Hot, Desert, Hellworld. A harsh Solomani Confederation world tide-locked to its K5 V primary in the Urartu Cluster of Clan subsector. Bupaj is just large enough to have a very thin nitrogen atmosphere, but is too small to retain water vapor. The world is jointly claimed by various nation-states of nearby Daftrew (Magyar 0903 B78A878-C), which maintain nine different research stations on-world, ranging in population from 30 up to 300.

carrier. A type of military starship designed to carry large numbers of small combat craft, which in turn attack the enemy’s combatants or world surfaces. Given the limited weaponry of fighters and light boats, they are little more than an annoying distraction in a major fleet action, but they can be extremely effective against ships of cruiser class or less.

Chorus (Magyar 1403 A944768-C). Agricultural, High Tech, Military Rule. A Solomani Confederation world in the Novgorod Cluster of Eery subsector. The mainworld has a temperate climate but the thin nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere is tainted with high levels of carbon dioxide. The world is a Solomani Party administrative center for Eery subsector and host to a joint Confederation naval and army base. Chorus is under military rule, as approximately 40% of the Choral population are Aslan.

Chorus was originally named Novgorod by Terran émigrés from the ancient nation-state of Russia, who established a settlement prior to -2204. During the Long Night, Aslan ihatei had established a separate onworld colony by -1200. The Aslan named the world Kherau, from which the current name Chorus is derived.

combat armor. Unpowered and fairly light-weight personal armor. Inexpensive when compared to battle dress, combat armor is widespread in military use for high technology forces, and usually contains integral communications equipment.

Class I Commerce License. A Solomani Confederation travel voucher issued by the Ministry of Information, allowing travel between any class A or B starport. The authorized ship may carry any cargo not needing a Special Cargo Transport license, though passengers may not be carried. Renewed every four years.

exit visa. A travel document granting a starship permission to leave a starport. Exit visas are normally required only for worlds with a Law Level of 9 or greater.

flight plan. A declaration of intent to pilot a vessel from one location to another; generally required at all mainworlds of Law Level 3 or higher. Flight plans let traffic control agencies program loads and sort out traffic conflicts, let ground controllers assign berths, let customs and other officials meet incoming ships with minimal delay, and let system defenses distinguish legitimate traffic from pirates or marauders. Flight plans also form the basis for search and rescue operations, as they can be used to determine when a ship is overdue and where to begin a search. Although flight plans can be filed by submitting a standard TAS Form 12 at the starport, most flight plans are simply text or voice messages sent in a prescribed format.

Fluid Oceans (Fl). A standard trade classification denoting worlds where the surface liquid is something other than water, and so are incompatible with Terran-derived life. Non-water oceans may be valuable sources of raw materials for industry.

Frontier Travel Permit. A Solomani Confederation travel voucher issued by the Ministry of Information. Allows travel to one class E starport, specified at the time of application. Under no circumstances may any landings be made to class X starports.

Goodhurst (Magyar 1605 A535649-D). Non-industrial, High Tech, Hot. A Solomani Confederation world in the Choral Cluster of Eery subsector. The government is a representative democracy and hosts a joint Confederation naval and army base.

grav plates. A standard starship component that provides a constant internal artificial gravity field, such that “down” is always more or less constant no matter what the orlentation of the craft. Grav plates are normally built into the deck flooring. Acceleration compensators are also usually installed to negate the effects of high acceleration and lateral gee forces while maneuvering.

High Passage. The best method of interstellar travel, offering first class accommodations and cuisine. High passengers have the services of the ship’s steward, entertainment, and complete attention to their comfort. There is a baggage allowance of up to 1,000 kilograms. High passage costs Cr10,000.

Kench (Magyar 2510 E310584-9). Cold, Non-industrial. A Solomani Confederation world in Anise subsector. Formerly part of the Dootchen Estates, Kench was captured by Imperial forces during the Solomani Rim War. However, the small, non-industrial world never formally joined the Imperium and in 1100 the pro-Solomani Liberti Party won a majority in the Kench senate, declaring independence on 023-1100. On 179-1101 naval forces from the 20th Imperial Fleet besieged the world for seven months, destroying the Class D starport. Under a negotiated agreement between the Confederation and the Imperium, Imperial forces withdrew from the system in 1102 and Kench was allowed to join the Confederation.

Leriss (Magyar 2208 E9428B8-6). Poor, Hellworld. An Imperial world in the Nauvoo Cluster in Clown subsector. Leriss is a dry planet with thin nitrogen atmosphere tainted by extremely low oxygen. The mainworld, with a population of 711 million, is ruled by Marshall Karel Durga, who was appointed in 1077 after the first Marshall, Rajko Porra, died in office.

low lottery. A form of gambling on some vessels, where crewmembers place small wagers on how many low passengers will not survive the trip. The winner receives all the wagers; if there is no winner, the prize rolls over to the next trip. By custom, the person actually “freezing and thawing” the low passengers is forbidden from betting, for obvious reasons. It is considered bad taste to mention the low lottery to the passengers themselves, but seasoned travelers will know of the custom, and sometimes place bets of their own.

Low Passage. A relatively low cost method of interstellar travel in cryogenic capsules (cold sleep). The passenger is placed in a low passage berth before the ship takes off, and travels the entire journey in a state of suspended animation. He does not age, and requires very little life support. Unfortunately, the low passage system involves some intrinsic dangers to the passenger, and he runs some risk of not surviving the voyage. Refunds or civil liability if a low passenger fails to survive the trip are not allowed. Low passage costs Cr1,000 and includes a baggage allowance of 10 kilograms.

manifest. A formal list of goods or passengers carried aboard a starship. A cargo manifest serves as a receipt for goods delivered, a definition of the contract for shipping the goods, and a transfer of title to a specific shipment to the captain for the purpose of transporting it from origin to destination. Cargo manifests can be recorded on standard TAS Form 14. Crew/passenger manifests identify and account for all persons on board a ship. Crew manifests often include information on position, salary and shares of ownership, and can be attached to the ship’s articles. They can be requested by immigration officials and used as a basis for inspections. Crew/passenger manifests can be recorded on standard TAS Form 11.

Middle Passage. A method of intersteller travel that includes second class accommodations (although still of reasonably good quality) and passable food and drink, and allows up to 100 kilograms of baggage. The passenger is expected to tend to his or her own affairs (maid service, laundry, cleaning, etc.) during the voyage. Middle passage costs Cr8,000 when purchased, and is subject to stand-by conditions; the ticket holder may be bumped if a high passenger appears (the middle passage ticket being returned in such cases).

An artistic depiction of a working miniphant team on a TL3 agricultural world.

miniphant (Microelephas var.). A beast of burden used on low tech worlds from Langere to the Spinward Marches. Terrans first genetically engineered Miniphants from the Indian Elephant (Elphas indicus) during the Interstellar Wars millennia ago. These beasts were ideal for overland travel in forests and lesser swamps. Later colonies carried the animals to other colonies, and over the years, numerous varieties were developed. The most popular of these are several species collectively referred to as miniphants, so-called because of their smaller size and mass. Miniphants were bred for tractability and high intelligence. They stand an average of 2.05 meters at the shoulder; males weigh 1,800 kgs, females weigh 1,600 kgs. No tusks are present, but miniphants compensate for this lack when lifting loads by having more powerful trunks. The Wuan miniphant (Microelephas wuensis) is one of the oldest and most successful variants.

Nauvoo Cluster. Also known as the Tolson Cluster, an astrographic feature in Clown subsector of Magyar comprising fourteen systems separated by jump-1 distances. Four of these worlds are claimed by the Solomani Confederation and ten are claimed by the Third Imperium. The Cluster was settled during the Interstellar Wars by Mormon immigrants from Terra, who initially established colonies on Luoh (Magyar 2110) and Lowhorn (Magyar 1808) before gradually expanding across the Cluster.

New Sol (Magyar 0503 X501956-7) [Red Zone]. High Population, Ice Capped, Industrialized, Non-Agricultural, Vacuum World. A disputed world claimed by the Solomani Confederation in the Urartu Cluster in Clan subsector. The mainworld, with a population of 9.8 billion, occupies a heavily industrialized system with six inhabited secondary worlds, including Edom (F6B48CA-A), with a population of 538 million. The mainworld harbors a remnant population of some 40 million Aslan, who call the world Tyestea. All senior governmental positions were formerly held by a hereditary leadership of the Solomani Party.

The hereditary system was notoriously corrupt, and hindered native industrial interests by limiting lucrative trade with the Aslan. In 1099 the world overthrew the Party system, establishing a Magyar Free Trade party. In response the Confederation interdicted the world, but New Sol has proven extremely resilient.

Novgorod Cluster. Also known as the Chorus or Choral Cluster. An astrographic feature in Eery Subsector of Magyar, comprising seven systems connected by jump-1 distances. This small cluster is notable as both an early site for Terran colonization efforts as well as marking the trailing-most extent of Aslan influence during the Long Night. Terran dissidents, mostly from Eurasia, first explored the Cluster during the Interstellar Wars and had established a settlement on Chorus (Magyar 1403) by -2204. Aslan ihatei established their own colony on Chorus by -1200 and steadily expanded across the Novgorod Cluster. By -500 many Slavic refugees had fled to Minsk (Magyar 1512). Between -500 and -400 the Slavic Sodality, with occasional assistance from Old Earth Union expeditionary forces, began battling Aslan across the Novgorod Cluster. These conflicts, though bitterly fought, were sporadic and generally inconclusive. Humans would not assert dominance of the Cluster until the early Solomani period.

Passenger Transport License. A Solomani Confederation travel voucher issued by the Ministry of Information. Allows a ship to carry passengers to travelled ports. Renewed yearly.

protected forces (profors). Soldiers equipped to fight in very hostile environments such as vacuum or corrosive atmospheres. Profors training is necessary to fight aboard starships, as most ships decompress before combat. Security personnel require special weapons and protective equipment to operate in this environment, and this in turn leads to a style of combat requiring its own set of skills.

Solomani Security (SolSec). Secret police force maintained in service to the Solomani Confederation for the purpose of maintaining state secrets, conducting espionage, and implementing political policies of the government. Solomani Security maintains both a network of contacts which provide information from outside the Confederation and a network of informants which provide information within the Confederation. Solomani Security agents themselves are highly trained individuals capable of conducting espionage and sabotage.

Special Cargo Transport (SCT) License. A Solomani Confederation travel voucher issued by the Ministry of Information. Required to carry shipments such as weapons, animals, Party documents, etc. Certain cargos may need other permits. Renewed yearly.

steward. A vital role aboard merchant ships, typically held by the 4th Officer. The senior steward aboard is generally designated the purser. A steward is responsible for the welfare of the passengers including meal service, entertainment, and general assistance. A steward sells tickets and arranges accommodations for passengers when in port; during voyages, he tends to the needs of the passengers (especially the High Passengers) and oversees Life Support systems. A steward typically administers the Low Lottery and is customarily designated by the ship’s owner to handle the ship’s account.

system defense boat (SDB). A nonstarship specifically intended for defensive operations inside a star system. It was developed on the principle that a nonstarship (because of the increased armament made possible by its lack of jump drives) can normally defeat a starship of equal tonnage. SDBs are typically stationed at the vital points of a system (the gas giants, the asteroid belt, the major world, and so on), and they attack invading vessels according to one or more predetermined plans.

Transstar. The largest transportation firm in the entire Solomani Sphere and the only Solomani corporation to achieve megacorporation status. Transstar is a merchant line running freight and passage service throughout the entire Confederation. Now mainly owned by the Solomani Party, it is a primary source of Party income.

Urartu Cluster. An astrographic feature that straddles Dark Nebula and Magyar sectors. The Cluster, a string of 38 worlds connected by jump-1 distances, ranges through Akuusir, Clan, and Eery subsectors. Terrans first explored the Cluster during the Interstellar Wars. By -1500 the entire Cluster supported a population of some 17 billion, and was engaged in interstellar trade with other Human worlds as well as Aslan merchants, often from the Tralyeaeawi clan. During the Long Night the Cluster’s Human population fell back precipitously and many worlds were claimed by land-hungry Aslan. During this period Wu emerged as a viable interstellar polity, successfully negotiating alliances with Reavers and Aslan to avoid destructive raids.

wall patch. A steel-backed plastic patch faced with adhesive, used to seal small hull breaches. Patches measure 10cm by 10cm (small enough to carry in a pocket) and are activated by peeling off a backing and then slapping the patch over a hole or leak. These patches are good only if applied to the high pressure side of the leak, but will serve for several days.

watchbill. A document recording the watch rotation for a starship crew. The watchbill ensures that all crewmembers know where they are to be and when.

working passage. A starship captain with a crew shortage may hire an individual to fill the vacant position, paying not money but passage in return. Working passage may not continue for more than three jumps, or the individual is considered to have been hired for standard salary. In order to be hired for working passage, the individual must have some expertise in the position for which he or she is hired (jack-of-all-trades may be substituted if necessary). Baggage totaling 1,000 kilograms is allowed. Working passage is without cost to the individual; he receives passage, room and board in lieu of a salary.

Wuans. A variant Human subspecies originating on Wu (Magyar 0203 B66A99A-E). Settled by Terran corporate interests following the Interstellar Wars, Wuan culture evolved during the Long Night to prioritize collaboration, cooperation, and efficiency. While the Vilani used social engineering to achieve similar goals, the Wuans turned to bioengineering. An ambitious eugenics project allowed Wuans to self-geneer themselves into a distinct subspecies. Nearly every niche in Wuan society has an associated, highly specialized genotype that has been expressly engineered to perform that role. While there may be dozens of different roles and hundreds of variants, the apparent conformity of Wuan society can be unnerving to visitors.

Xian (Magyar 1103 B7B48DC-9) [Amber Zone]. Fluid Hydrographics, Frozen. An inhospitable Solomani Confederation world orbiting a M1 V star on the trailing edge of the Urartu Cluster in Eery subsector. Xian’s atmosphere is primarily ammonia and methane, and the oceans are liquid ammonia mixed with compounds. The mainworld is governed by a zealous Party faction known as the Altruisti. This secular philosophy commands all adherents to undertake charitable service for the betterment of Solomani society. The world hosts a Confederation joint naval and army base, the latter used for protected forces training.

Copyright Information

The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright © 1977 – 2021 Far Future Enterprises. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. Far Future permits web sites and fanzines for this game, provided it contains this notice, that Far Future is notified, and subject to a withdrawal of permission on 90 days notice. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Any use of Far Future Enterprises’s copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, any program/articles/file on this site cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author who contributed it.

Materials produced by Digest Group Publications (DGP) are copyright © Roger Sanger. Any use of Digest Group Publications’ copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this Web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights. Usage is intended to follow the guidelines announced by Roger Sanger on the Traveller Mailing List for preserving the overall Traveller milieu.

Additional Library Data

crystaliron. A ferrous metal grown with perfect crystal structure and carefully controlled impurities in order to gain maximum hardness and toughness. Crystaliron becomes available at TL10 due to advances in gravitic-assisted manufacturing, and is the standard material for use in armoring starship hulls up to TL14, when bonded superdense armor becomes available.

Delgado Trading, LIC. An Imperial megacorporation with extensive holdings in heavy mineral mining and refining, publishing, antiquities trading, and recently, the toy industry. Widely known for its work in miniaturization, Delgado was founded in 997 as a manufacturer of military hardware and is considered the youngest of the megacorporations. Its sector headquarters is located at Tolson (Magyar 2106 A432ADH-E). Delgado has a poor reputation within Magyar sector due to its exploitative hiring practices as well as its recent conflicts with several planetary governments.

Droyne. Intelligent major race inhabiting scattered worlds within an area slightly larger than the region of the current Third Imperium. The Droyne are a small race derived from winged herbivorous gatherers. They vary in size depending on caste but generally stand one meter tall (large workers and warriors can be larger than humans). The history of their evolution remains a puzzle because their homeworld is not known with certainty. Sterchi (Magyar 3212 B697663-A) has supported a Droyne population that predates the Vilani First Imperium.

Droyne society is divided into rigid castes determined when an individual reaches adolescence. The six castes of the Droyne all serve different functions within Droyne society. Although identical at the time of caste selection, caste members develop pronounced physical and mental differences by maturity. Different genetic programs are awakened by differences in diet and environment among the various castes.

express boats. Rapid communication ships that are designed to make optimum use of jump technology in communicating information within the Imperium. Because the Imperium is so large, ordinary communication must depend on ships travelling along established trade routes, making Kline (Magyar 3012) over 3 years out from the Imperial Core.

The express boat (abbreviated Xboat) system, established originally in 624 and expanded to cover the entire Imperium by 718, cuts this communication time by nearly 75 percent. Selected locations along major trade routes are established as sites for express stations, which are orbital facilities which service and refuel the Xboats on their communications runs.

As an Xboat arrives in a system, it beams its recorded data to the express station, which then retransmits it to an Xboat standing by for a jump outsystem. Time between jumps is almost always less than four hours and has been recorded at under seven minutes, making the speed of communication nearly the speed of jump. In practice, this speed is somewhat reduced by the fact that trade routes do not follow straight lines and that not all jumps are made at jump-4. Nonetheless, the system achieves approximately jump-2.6 per week.

Geschichtkreis Sternshiffbau AG (GSbAG). An Imperial megacorporation focused exclusively on high-end starship construction. GSbAG ships are expensive, but universally regarded as being of the highest quality. The company is one of only two authorized to manufacture personal vessels for the Imperial family, and it is a major contractor for the Imperial Navy. The company’s corporate security and counterespionage forces are considered to be among the best in the Imperium. GSbAG operates the small shipyard at Gustin (Magyar 3206 A779444-E). In 1085 GSbAG was awarded a controversial contract to redevelop the Imperial naval base at Hrongding (Magyar 2817 B621511-C). In a close referendum, the small democracy of Hrongding voted to dissolve its world parliament and turn administration over to GSbAG in exchange for substantial infrastructure investments and guarantees of high-paying jobs. GSbAG maintains its sector headquarters on Hrongding.

huscarles. The private household forces of Imperial nobles. Huscarle troops are chosen for personal loyalty and tend to be elite units, maintained at the noble’s own expense. Huscarles have Imperial sanction: each high noble receives his own legal document authorizing him to raise household troops, and the details can vary according to the Emperor’s whim. Traditional practice gives nobles at higher levels the ability to raise more troops. Huscarles are considered part of the Unified Armies of the Imperium. They have the right under Imperial law to bear military-grade arms, even in violation of local weapons ordinances, so long as they are in uniform and on duty.

All four subsector dukes of Magyar have huscarle troops of at least brigade strength. The Gadarur Ducal Guards are an elite TL15 Grav Tank regiment composed of seven battalions. The Duchess of Kobayashi maintains the 728th Colonial Rifles Regiment, a TL14 lift infantry unit made up of six battalions, while the Duke of Fugue maintain the 1st Fugue Grenadiers, a TL13 lift infantry unit made up of five battalions. The Duchess of Walpurgis maintains the TL14 8627th Drop Infantry Regiment.

Instellarms, LIC. An Imperial megacorporation concentrating in the manufacture, purchase, and sale of military equipment of all sorts. Instellarms is a specialty supplier of mercenary units of all sizes and types. Agents of the firm can often be found on a battlefield, negotiating the purchase of the equipment of the losing side before the battle is completely over. Within Magyar sector Instellarms is the preferred supplier of small private armies to Imperial nobles. Instellarms also successfully operates on Solomani Confederation worlds. Unlike all other Imperial megacorporations the Imperial family does not directly own any shares of Instellarms. This allows the company to avoid being punished by certain punitive anti-Imperial regulations that impose extra regulations on corporations with financial links to the Iridium Throne. The sector headquarters is located on Kline (Magyar 3012 A642987-E).

Ling-Standard Products. An Imperial megacorporation engaged in a wide spectrum of activities including manufacture of electronic equipment of all sorts, ground and air vehicles, starships and starship armaments systems, drive systems, power systems, computer systems and software, small arms, and a variety of other items. LSP maintains mining and manufacturing facilities throughout the Imperium and beyond. The megacorporation has been active in Magyar in the post-war era. LSP prefers to establish relations with local strongmen, oligarchs and dictators, using bribes and military contracts to ensure access to resources and markets. Often targeted by civilian protests and terrorists, many new LSP facilities have come to resemble fortresses largely staffed by off-world employees and protected by large and unfriendly mercenary security forces. Ling-Standard Products lawyers have also aggressively pursued legal actions against Magyar worlds to regain property—and sometimes even entire regions or planets—that were seized centuries ago by Solomani Party governments. LSP operates the shipyards on Kemper (Magyar 2103 A4217A8-E) and Pinnock (Magyar 2701 A8C9876-E) and directly controls the worlds of Pankow (Magyar 2518 A561412-C) and Dexter (Magyar 2416 B587510-B). The LSP sector headquarters are located on Dexter.

Magyar Starcraft. A former Solomani shipbuilding corporation created from the acquisition and consolidation of several smaller shipbuilders during the 800s and 900s. Its chief rival was Iouo Interstellar Yards, which it briefly surpassed in the runup to the Solomani Rim War. Based on Fornorb (Magyar 2616), MagStar controlled major yards in Anise, Kline, New Mars, Swan, and Olympus subsectors with lucrative contracts to the Solomani Confederation Navy. While Iouo ships featured innovative and elegant designs, MagStar ships were economical, ugly, but solidly built and reliable. During the Rim War MagStar won considerable work refitting Victory-class battlecruisers and churning out Minsk-class heavy cruisers. Although the corporate headquarters were transferred to Uebelhor (Magyar 1324) in the wake of the Imperial invasion, the loss of so many shipyards proved ruinous and the company did not survive the war. Its assets were seized by the Imperium and sold off, with many being acquired by Allied Prefabricated Ships & Vessels.

mail. Communication is limited to the speed of transportation: a message to the edge of the Imperium needs to be literally carried there. The Imperial Interstellar Scout Service operates both the Express Boat Service and the Imperial Courier Service. While the express boat system transmits messages and data, the courier service carries packages, small cargoes, and important personnel that cannot travel by express boat. In addition, private carriers provide similar services. In order to supplement their own capabilities, both governmental agencies and private carriers may issue special contracts for delivery of mail lots. Each mail lot always consists of at least one ton. Per Imperial regulations, to be allowed to carry mail a private ship must be armed and the crew must include a gunner. The ship must also contain a specialized one ton mail vault. Standard payment is a Cr15,000 voucher redeemable at any Class A Starport.

Within the Solomani Confederation, the Navy controls the Xboat network, giving it significant ability to monitor, interdict, or control the civilian flow of information. The Navy wields this message interdiction capability as means of concealing fleet movements from foreign agents or, at the direction of the Secretary General, of punishing misbehaving worlds. Rerouting a system or alliance’s Xboat access can cause great financial harm without the need for overt intervention or physical blockade.

Within Magyar sector Nauvoo Messengers, based out of Tolson (Magyar 2106 A432ADH-E), is perhaps the largest private courier service for the Imperial systems. Celestine Transfers and Agni Express, based out of Ramaniam (Magyar 1927 A431869-E), are the primary services providing cross-border delivery. Kuzu Couriers, based out of Iouo (Magyar 0624 A79A96B-E) is one of the very few courier services authorized for operation in the Aslan Hierate, Solomani Confederation, and Imperium.

seneschal. An aide or executive officer. For high-ranking officials, the wide range of responsibilities of high office are manageable only through computer assistance. Even then, the information flow may be too great. The seneschal is an adjutant or assistant with responsibilities in information management. The seneschal has no authority of his own; he manages the massive input of information associated with his superior’s position, keeping the official informed, but not overwhelmed.

Traders’ Guild. An interstellar professional organization within the Imperium representing independent merchant ship owners: a combination of fraternity, union, and professional society. The Guild works to maintain efficient operations for the benefit of independent ship owners. Despite their rivalries, merchants use the Guild to advance common interests and protect themselves from bureaucracy and larger corporate competition.The Guild maintains a standard reference work, the Catalog of Ships, which provides basic information about most commercial ships operating within the Imperium. The Guild provides a variety of services in return for a monthly fee of Cr100, including a retirement annuity equal to 50% of the crewman’s highest base pay, payable each year after he completes a full 20 year career in the guild—although standards for computing length of service vary.

Copyright Information

The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright © 1977 – 2019 Far Future Enterprises. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. Far Future permits web sites and fanzines for this game, provided it contains this notice, that Far Future is notified, and subject to a withdrawal of permission on 90 days notice. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Any use of Far Future Enterprises’s copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, any program/articles/file on this site cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author who contributed it.

Materials produced by Digest Group Publications (DGP) are copyright © Roger Sanger. Any use of Digest Group Publications' copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this Web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights. Usage is intended to follow the guidelines announced by Roger Sanger on the Traveller Mailing List for preserving the overall Traveller milieu.

Kill your Darlings

“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”

So wrote Stephen King, even if he didn’t originate the notion.

It’s plenty good advice for game designers and referees alike. Developing Library Data entries helped refine my thinking about the Into the Interface game: the act of selecting entries required me to consider what elements I wanted to emphasize to the players.

But it also forced me to think hard about how much information I wanted to provide. As I noted at the outset, the genius of the early Library Data entries was their brevity: they could quickly convey just enough information to provide context and spark interest, but not so much detail to become boring or confining. One of the key insights of the Old School Renaissance was an appreciation for the terse, open-ended nature of early adventures and setting books.

And yet, as I worked on my own entries, I kept fighting against bloat.

It’s a natural struggle, really. I’ve had a lot of fun tinkering around with Magyar sector, developing histories, fictional personalities, generating system details, and so on. They’ve been interesting exercises and produced a lot of raw material over the years.

But it is vital for a good referee to understand the difference between material that is personally interesting, and material that is actually important to the players. The important material usually only represents 1/100th of the interesting stuff. That doesn’t mean the interesting stuff is useless or wasted, but it does mean it has to have its place.

Plenty of professional game designers miss the distinction. Popular games naturally accumulate more and more details over time; these eventually calcify into canon. While fans like these details—I like these details—they can be overwhelming, particularly to new players.

So I chopped my Library Data entries, but even so they could still use even more pruning.

Take, for example, the Interstellar Wars, the birth of the Third Imperium, and the Solomani Rim War. All are major events in the Official Traveller Universe and Magyar sector. They’re all interesting, but they aren’t directly important to player characters. These events are as distant to the PCs as King Solomon, the First Crusade, and World War I would be to us. If you’re going to visit Paris, your guidebook might have some very brief historical notes, but it’s not going to have a major treatise on Bronze Age culture. You turn to the guidebook to find a good meal, a nice place to stay.

And when you start thinking about Library Data as future guidebook excerpts, you start looking a lot more critically at your entries. Here’s a good example of an entry that should have been hacked more:

Gjerdingen (Magyar 3123 X5758A9-5). An interdicted wet world on the Rim Main in New Mars subsector. The mainworld has a standard oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere tainted by bioweapon agents.

In -4445 the rapidly expanding Vilani attacked the small Vegan interstellar community in the Solomani Rim. In response some 200,000 Vegans fled down the Rim Main, settling on an uncharted world they named Dzosuiken. They were able to remain independent until -3400, when Dzosuiken was forcibly absorbed into the First Imperium. A remnant Vegan population persisted onworld for at least another 2,000 years before passing from history. As the Long Night fell across Magyar sector, the Aslan led by the Tralyeaeawi clan assumed control of interstellar trade in the region. During this period Gjerdingen was a prominent and relatively safe world on the route connecting the Solomani Rim and Dark Nebula. While Reaver attacks drove Vilani and Terran refugees to the world, who named it Nisuru, Aslan also settled there, naming it Hlokherlyal.

During the Solomani period both the Aslan and Vilani-identified populations suffered greatly and developed deep resentments. Gjerdingen has been settled for over 5,500 years by various species and cultures. As a result of the Rim War the ruling Solomani government was replaced, but the world quickly descended into vicious ethnic fighting that was covertly supported by both the Imperium and the Confederation. The troubles culminated in the release of a genetically engineered “superflu” in 1053 that killed nearly 40% of the world’s population. In response the Imperium interdicted the world and naval forces carefully patrol the system preventing unauthorized landings.

Over the last 20 years the Imperium has occasionally deployed peace-keeping forces onworld in an attempt to prevent complete genocide. Today the mainworld is a haunted ruin of empty cities and broken infrastructure, reduced to an early electricity tech level. The most powerful faction is lead by a dictator dedicated to the Solomani Cause.

As much as I like the story of Vegan refugees, it's literally ancient history to the players. Maybe worth retelling if they interact with Vegans or visit Gjerdingen, but otherwise? Not important.

That said, one can chop too much: there needs to be something in the entry that sparks interest, some quirk or hook. Some of the OSR products went much too far down this path, and here’s an example of one of my Library Data entries that needed just a little more juice:

Schaut (Magyar 2418 C830115-9). Also known as Lirkig, a poor, desert hellworld with a thin atmosphere, a Class C starport, and a low population, early stellar society. The system is located on the Walpurgian Main in Voyager subsector. The mainworld is a former holding of the Dootchen Estates and had a Class B starport that was destroyed during the Solomani Rim War. The world is under the control of the Magyar Redevelopment Corporation, an Imperial agency funded by the Ministry of Commerce. The few inhabitants working for the Corporation are engaged in ongoing cleanup of the old highport, which scattered debris over millions of kilometers when it broke up in Schaut’s atmosphere.

Just a couple of extra sentences tell a much more interesting story and provide some possible adventure hooks. Maybe the players have been hired to salvage radioactives from a cordoned-off region? Maybe an Aslan merchant ship laden with platinum was docked at the highport when it was destroyed? Maybe Imperial funds or materials earmarked for Schaut’s cleanup keep disappearing?

After playing around with the format, I think a good entry length is probably about 100-120 words, with a maximum of maybe 200 words. Any more than that and you either have something that should be split into multiple entries, or a lot of stuff that should be left on the chopping block.

Library Data: S-Y

Schaut (Magyar 2418 C830115-9). Also known as Lirkig, a poor, desert hellworld with a thin atmosphere, a Class C starport, and a low population, early stellar society. The system is located on the Walpurgian Main in Voyager subsector. The mainworld is a former holding of the Dootchen Estates and had a Class B starport that was destroyed during the Solomani Rim War. The world is under the control of the Magyar Redevelopment Corporation, an Imperial agency funded by the Ministry of Commerce. The few inhabitants working for the Corporation are engaged in ongoing cleanup of the old highport, which scattered debris over millions of kilometers when it broke up in Schaut’s atmosphere.

sector. Mapping unit in astrography consisting of sixteen subsectors arranged in a pattern of four across and four deep, normally forming an administrative region. Sectors are broad measures of area and have an average of 480 to 840 worlds in each.

Seloo (Magyar 2102 A4319BA-E). A system located on a major trade route in the Seloo Cluster in Clown subsector, consisting of a G9 V primary and an M8 V far companion. The mainworld, which orbits the far companion, is a small, dry, tide-locked world with a very thin atmosphere, a Class A starport, and a high population, extreme law, high stellar society. A second major world, Pune (F687AA8-B), orbits the G9 V primary.

Although the mainworld is much less habitable than Pune, Seloo is an industrial workhorse. Throughout history Seloo and Pune have had a mutually beneficial relationship, with Seloo providing industrial might and Pune offering a bounty of agricultural resources. Following the Solomani Rim War Seloo was placed under martial law, but for the last 30 years has been ruled by an on-world government directly appointed by and closely overseen by the Navy.

The Imperial representative to Seloo is the Countess Ivo Aylen. The Imperial University of Seloo is a chartered university that features advanced sophontology and xenology studies as well as a renowned medical school. The Unified Army of Kobayashi stations the 21st Lift Cavalry Army onworld. The mainworld hosts Kalsubai Naval Base, associated with Alandi Highport and Naval Yard No. 33. The base is the headquarters for the Magyar Sector Fleet, the 131st Subsector Fleet, and the 3,411th Marine Line Regiment. As Magyar does not have a Naval Depot Kalsubai is the site of the Imperial Naval Academy for the sector.

Sinott (Magyar 2512 A431742-E). A small, poor, tide-locked world located in Kline subsector. The system also has a notable secondary world, Dagmar (GC85551-7), a cold tide-locked farming planet. The mainworld was largely unexploited until the Solomani period, when the Dootchen Estates claimed the world. Following the temporary collapse of the Estates during the Solomani Rim War, Sinott joined the Imperium. Sinott is currently located on a main trade route. Its shipyard, which is capable of manufacturing large starships, is owned by Allied Prefabricated Ships and Vessels. Kline Synthetic Technologies maintain a manufacturing center on the mainworld.

Solamani. One of three major human races within the known galaxy. Solomani originated on Terra (Solomani Rim 1827 A867A69-F), and are concentrated in the rimward regions of the Imperium. The term Solomani is of unknown origin, but has variously been translated as men of Sol, only men, or true men.

Solomani Catholic Church. A militant human supremacist religion with great influence within the Solomani Sphere. The Solomani Catholic Church uses the New Solomani Bible and is actively engaged in both missionary work and political affairs.

The Solomani Catholic Church is one of the various Turin Rite churches originating on Turin (Alpha Crucis 0630 A623A99-E) and neighboring worlds. This region was mostly settled by European Christians from the Alpha Crucis Foundation. These immigrants left Terra just prior to the Third Interstellar War, largely over a doctrinal split with the Vatican in regard to the salvation of non-Human aliens. During the Long Night these worlds formed the Consolidation of Turin, an interstellar commonwealth united by strong belief in a shared religion. In the 700s and 800s the rise of the Solomani Catholic Church brought Turin into the forefront of the nascent Solomani Movement and gave it significant influence in the Solomani Confederation.

In the late 400s missionaries from the Turin Consolidation begin evangelizing in Beta and Delta quadrants of Magyar sector. Turin Rite churches quickly gained converts and by the late 600s had become well established on several worlds in New Mars subsector. In the 700s proxy conflicts between the Solomani Catholic Church and the Church of the First Cross resulted in schismatic violence that was only quelled by Imperial intervention. Following the Rim War, the Church was suppressed by the Imperial occupiers, but a popular outcry quickly led to its restoration.

Centers of the Solomani Catholic Church in Magyar include Beta (Magyar 3128 C576ADA-9), Doucette (Magyar 3220 B6A78DD-9), Rouern (Magyar 3213 D5568DC-4), and Guenivier (Magyar 2505 AAE78D9-B).

Solomani Confederation. A human-dominated interstellar community located directly to rimward of the Imperium. The majority of its worlds are part of the old Solomani Sphere, which was originally defined as the worlds that are within 50 parsecs of Terra (Solomani Rim 1827). The Confederation currently claims nearly 2,000 worlds within a region over 400 light-years across.

Formerly the Solomani Autonomous Region, the Confederation was a part of the Third Imperium granted autonomy in 704. In 871, the government reorganized itself as the Solomani Confederation, a move tantamount to a declaration of independence. At first ignored by the Imperial government, the belligerent and extremist policies of the Confederation led eventually to the Solomani Rim War. Since the war, the Confederation government has maintained an official détente with the Imperium.

The chief governing body of the Solomani Confederation is the Secretariat. The Secretariat is presided over by the Secretary General, who is elected from its membership. The Secretary General is the chief administrative officer of the Solomani government, and while the office holds great power, it is fully accountable to the Secretariat.

All government officeholders and officials must be members of the official party, the Solomani Movement. Still, the real power in the Confederation is held by the government and its factions. Because of the greater degree of local autonomy that exists in the Solomani Confederation, interworld factionalism exists to a much greater degree than had been allowed in the Imperium. Coalitions of worlds exist outside the normal government channels which sometimes equal them in importance within a given region. Examples of such coalitions within Magyar include the New Slavic Solidarity, the Reformed Dootchen Estates, and the Wuan Technology Association.

Solomanl Movement. An organization devoted to the doctrine that humans of Solomani descent are superior to all others and are most fit to rule the galaxy.

Solomani Rim sector. A long-settled, well-established sector which lies on the rimward frontier of the Third Imperium. The humans of Terra (Solomani Rim 1827 A867A69-F) have dominated interstellar history for the past three thousand years. The Solomani Rim has an estimated population of more than 1.66 trillion.

Solomani Rim War [990 to 1002]. War between the Third Imperium and the Solomani Confederation during which a large portion of the Solomani Rim sector was returned to Imperial control.

While the initial phase of the war went very well for the Solomani, the period from 993 to 998 was one of stalemate. The Solomani abandoned their plans for further expansion in order to rebuild their forces, but were never able to regain the initiative. By 998, the Imperial Navy had achieved strategic dominance as the greater industrial base of the Imperium made its power felt.

The last phase of the war, 998 to 1002, consisted of a near continual advance by Imperial forces into the heart of the Solomani Sphere. In 1000 the main Imperial force entered the Solomani Rim with the objective of capturing the strategically important Vegan District. Meanwhile Admiral Miiri Elixabeth Kemper conducted the Magyar Campaign to spinward, which cut off the Confederation’s Daibei and Magyar sector fleets from the Rim and severely degraded Confederation industrial capabilities in Magyar. By 1001 Imperial forces had captured the Vegan District, and in early 1002 scattered the Solomani Grand Fleet at the Battle of Dingir.

A TL7 simulation of the Battle of Terra.

The Imperial high command decided that Terra, the capital of the Confederation, would have to be invaded in order to end forever all claims of Solomani superiority. They assembled a sizable fraction of the Imperial forces in the Solomani Sphere into an assault force. The invasion began in the second quarter of 1002, and the hard-fought campaign lasted until nearly the end of the year.

In the end, the Imperium conquered the planet. However, the Battle for Terra had consumed so many military resources that the Imperial high command felt they lacked sufficient strength to resume their advance into the rest of the Solomani Sphere. Accordingly, they negotiated a temporary armistice with the Solomani military commanders, who were glad to gain a respite. The war ended on this basis as both the Imperial and Solomani civilian governments, who were concerned with the strain placed on their economies by the protracted war, informally agreed to extend the armistice indefinitely.

starport. Establishment for the landing, servicing, refueling, and control of starships. Starports range in quality from A (the best and most extensive) to E (the worst, little more than a spot of cleared ground).

Starports generally have two components: a surface facility and an orbital facility. The surface facility includes cargo handling installations, a landing field, control towers, and other necessary areas. Surface starport components are frequently called Down (as in Mirjam Down Starport on Kline). Orbital facilities are present (usually in stationary orbit above the surface component) to enable handling of unstreamlined ships and to allow construction of heavy craft in orbit. The orbital component is often called Orbital (as in Mirjam Orbital Starport) or Highport. Type D and E starports have no extensive orbital facilities, but they usually have navigational satellites or similar equipment. Nonstreamlined ships at these starports must be serviced by shuttles.

subsector. Mapping unit in astrography 8 by 10 parsecs in size, normally forming an administrative region. Average density is 30 to 40 worlds per subsector. Subsectors are noted within a sector by their position using the first sixteen letters of the alphabet (A-P).

system. A star and its associated companion stars (if any), orbiting planets, and their associated bodies. One world of the system is designated the mainworld and identifies the system.

Terran Confederation [-2398 to -2204]. Interstellar government consisting of Terra (Solomani Rim 1827) and its colony worlds. Following the conclusion of the Interstellar Wars the Confederation was dissolved in -2204 upon the proclamation of the Rule of Man to replace the Vilani First Imperium.

Third Imperium [0 to present]. Founded in the Year 0 by Cleon, first Emperor, as the successor to the Sylean Federation, a growing, expanding government centered in territory formerly part of the First and Second Imperiums. The rise of the Third Imperium marked the end of the Long Night and the beginning of present day interstellar government. The Third Imperium contains more than 11,000 worlds in an area more than 700 parsecs across.

Travellers’ Aid Society (TAS). A private interstellar organization dedicated to assisting its members as they travel throughout the Imperium and beyond. With offices at most major starports, TAS provides several services, including member hostels at all Class A starports, free access to the Traveller News Service on all worlds with TAS offices, free Travel Zone advisories, and one paid high passage every two months. This passage may be used, retained, or sold. A lifetime membership can be purchased for a one-time MCr1 fee, subject to TAS review and approval. Sometimes the Imperium awards TAS membership for long service or acts of extreme heroism.

Typoer (Magyar 3210 X6428AB-5). A dry hellworld in Anise subsector with a thin oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere tainted by radiation. The planet is cold, orbiting just at the outer edge of the K0 V primary’s habitable zone. Originally known as Kaniir, Typoer was explored during the First Imperium but not settled in earnest until five hundred years ago. The world was deeply divided during the Solomani period, with hostilities eventually escalating into a brutal civil war two hundred years ago that leveled many of Typoer’s cities and reduced its overall tech level to early electricity. The remaining population of 600 million ekes out a meager existence in the ruins. After a bloody, decades-long campaign most of the world has been united for the last 40 years under the rule of the “Unified World Leader,” Emila Rohit, who has instituted extreme law and has resisted all Imperial offers of assistance. Despite this the Imperium carefully monitors the situation and has occasionally deployed troops onworld to curtail outright atrocities. The system has been issued a Red Zone travel advisory and planetfall is forbidden.

University of Neidenhafen. Large institution of higher learning on Gerwalk (Magyar 2631 C100941-D).

Vallance (Magyar 3219 A6B4598-E). A tide-locked world with a nitrogen atmosphere and ammonia seas, a Class A starport, and a high law, high stellar society. It is located on an important trade route, and most of the population of 100,000 live and work either in the orbital highport or in small research stations clustered around the downport. A Vegan joint venture has recently acquired the shipyards, much to the consternation of Solomani observers. Vallance has been issued an Amber Zone travel advisory due to the dangerous conditions on the planetary surface. A secondary world, Unsharlur (F8A5835-8), orbits the system’s far companion and is the location of the Unsharlur Eduba, an independent merchant academy.

Vegan. An intelligent minor race originating on Muan Gwi (Solomani Rim 1717 A456A86-F) and inhabiting the Vegan Autonomous District; they are named by Humans after the bright star near their homeworld. The Vegans are an enigmatic alien species with an efficient, peaceful society and great technical ability. The worlds of the District are under a single, centralized government. State power is contained in a civil service and is chosen and promoted by competitive examinations.

In the century since the Solomani Rim War, the Vegan Autonomous District has blossomed economically and culturally. The Vegans have begun to explore commercial opportunities in Magyar sector, particularly within nearby Kline subsector.

Veriti. A regional news organization funded by the Solomani Confederation government and covering Magyar, Daibei, Reavers Deep, Dark Nebula, and Ustral Quadrant. Veriti’s slogan is The Truth will Out. The organization maintains offices on any Solomani world with a class A starport and specializes in investigative journalism highly critical of the nobility and the megacorporations. While Veriti has been very effective at uncovering governmental corruption, it is subject to frequent Imperial censoring and as such is a prime advocate for journalistic freedoms in the Imperium.

Vilani. One of three major human races within the known galaxy. Responsible for the First Imperium, a predecessor to the current Imperium, which had its capital at Vland (Vland 1717 A967A9A-F) for several thousand years. Vilani are the most widespread of human races.

Dissidents from the First Imperium were the first known humans to explore Magyar sector beginning around -4100. They claimed most of Anise and Kline subsectors, as well as part of Voyager subsector. This area marked the spinward and rimward boundary of the First Imperium. These Vilani worlds suffered greatly from the collapse of the Rule of Man and were frequently at the mercy of the Reavers. Many of these worlds emerged from the Long Night with only a tenuous connection to their Vilani roots. It is ironic, then, that Solomani racial and separatist policies directly led to a resurgence of the Vilani language and identity in the region.

The Vilani language is one of the two official languages of the Third Imperium. In Magyar, both Anglic and Vilani are in common usage and are mandated to be equally emphasized. The enforcement of this requirement is generally resented by those citizens with strong Solomani sympathies.

wafer jack. A cyber implant allowing use of skill or personality wafers and providing direct access to computer systems. Wafer technology records essential skills, knowledges, talents, memories, and even personalities on portable wafers: thin chips which temporarily implant specific elements of a personality. Single Skill Wafers (SSW) convey temporary expertise in a single skill, but the user’s personality predominates. Many ships carry a reserve kit of SSW for emergency use. Emergency Personality Wafers (EPW) contain a recorded personality with memories and experiences. The recorded personality predominates. Major organizations maintain EPWs loaded with a specific (perhaps edited) personality suited for specific situations. Entertainment Wafers contain a less intense personality transfer for entertainment purposes: the user feels like he is the new personality until it dissipates upon awakening from the next sleep period, but he retains memories of the experience.

During the Solomani Rim War’s Second Battle of Fornorb, the bridge of the CSS Valvasone, a Victory-class battlecruiser and flagship of the 71st FleetRon, suffered a catastrophic hit killing the captain and all other senior officers. The only available spacer with a wafer jack was one Ensign Wright Henrii, who activated an EPW containing the personality of Confederation Admiral Ezra “No Retreat” Novak. The Novak personality immediately took control of the situation, rallying the 71st FleetRon. Although the Valvasone was destroyed and Ensign Henrii killed, Novak’s actions avoided a complete rout. Henrii received a posthumous promotion to captain, the only such honor for an ensign in the entire history of the Confederation Navy.

Walpurgian Main. A string of 65 worlds connected by Jump-1 that traverses Anise and Kline subsectors, with spurs in both Clown and Voyager subsectors.

Walpurgis. Former name for Kline subsector. The subsector was known as Uruk to the Vilani First Imperium.

Wicker (Magyar 2728 A742843-C). A poor, dry, and frozen hellworld with a thin atmosphere, a Class A starport, and a high population, low law, average stellar tech society. The system also contains a tide-locked secondary world, Marston (F4346AB-9). Located on a major trade route, Wicker is the subsector capital and seat of the Duchy of Fugue. Wicker hosts the headquarters of the Unified Army of Fugue, which maintains an Imperial Military Academy, a Command College, and a Staff College. Wicker also hosts the Merchant Academy of Fugue. The mainworld’s shipyards are run by General Products. Wicker hosts regular android fighting matches that draw crowds from across the sector.

yard. Commercial facility for the building and repair of starships and spacecraft. Starports, being the primary point at which starships interact with a system, are the usual location for shipyards. Any class A starport has a shipyard that can build any kind of ship, including starships with jump drives; any class B starport can build small craft and ships that do not have jump drives.

Magyar was famed as a major shipbuilder for the Solomani Confederation. “Magyar Built” was synonymous with durability and reliability, if not aesthetics or cutting edge tech. During the Solomani Rim War an unsustainable level of Magyar’s economic resources were diverted to military shipbuilding. As a shipbuilding center, the sector was specifically targeted by Imperial war planners. Many shipyards were destroyed during the brutal Magyar Campaign, and the sector economy crashed into recession in the wake of the war, shuttering many more yards.

Several Imperial corporations snatched up contracts for new Magyar shipyards, contracts made even more lucrative due to corporate subsidies, endemically low wages, and limited regulations. A few Confederation firms made the transition to Imperial control, most notably Allied Prefabricated Ships and Vessels, which bought up many competitor yards and by 1040 had become the dominant builder of small and medium sized civilian craft in the region. In addition to APS&V, major Imperial shipbuilders in Magyar include General Products and Ling-Standard Products. Major Solomani builders include Iouo Interstellar Yards, Panstellar, Solomani Military Industries, and Transstar. The overall tech lag in the sector limits the most lucrative military contracts. Kimel (Daibei 2239 A555AEH-F), Shululsish (Solomani Rim 0214 A584A52-F), and Yrsai (Solomani Rim 0511 A663A9B-F) are the few nearby exporters of TL15 components.

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