Stellar Reaches #27

Stellar Reaches
A Fair Use Fanzine for Traveller

Table of Contents
Letter From The Editor .................................................................................................................................. 3
BITS Task System ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Personality Profiles VI ................................................................................................................................... 5
Imperial Dreams ......................................................................................................................................... 39
Exodus ........................................................................................................................................................ 40
Exodus: Detailed Maps & Charts ............................................................................................................... 169
The Royal Virtue ....................................................................................................................................... 213
Legal ......................................................................................................................................................... 217

Issue #27, Spring 2018. Version 4.
Our website: www.stellarreaches.com

Credits:
Cover Art: A woman gazes into the future unfolding before her eyes. This graphic is titled “The City” ©
GANJAKYUN. See her work at https://ganjakyun.deviantart.com/art/The-city-649969240
Cover Layout: Alvin W. Plummer
Contributing Artists: Android, BlastWaves, Brent, charmedy, James Clouder, dchan, Goren Delic, Gene Raz von
Edler, Erik, gin, GANJAKYUN, JohnnysDream, Wolfgang Amadeus LeBlanc, Karen De la Garza, Adrian Mark
Gillespie, Axel JP, Anton Kurbatov, Jaroslaw Marcinek, NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute, n7skyember,
Adriano Portugal, Artur Rosa Pysis, Kirk Quillaquil, Andreas Rocha, Alexey Shirokikh, Erik Shoemaker, sirion,
Tyler Sporles, Neil Thacker, Igor Tovstogan, uxmal750ad, Justinas Vitkus, and Kristen Zirngibi.
Contributing Authors: Alvin W. Plummer
Editor/Layout Design: Alvin W. Plummer

The BITS Task System, although modified to include Traveller T20 difficulty classes, has been provided with
permission by British Isles Traveller Support (BITS). Its presence here does not constitute any challenge to the
rights for this system, and we gratefully acknowledge Dominic Mooney and Andy Lilly for their generosity in
allowing our use of this system to allow future adventures to be written in such a manner as to be more useful to
all published Traveller rules sets.

For more information on BITS, check out their website at http://www.bits.org.uk/

The Stellar Reaches fanzine is published without charge or cost under the appropriate Fair Use and Online policies
published by the various holders of the Traveller license. For ease of reference and as required by these Fair Use
policies, the appropriate text of these policies is included in the legal section at the end of this publication.

Copyright of Original Material:
All original material in the Stellar Reaches fanzine not designated as Open Game Content, or not otherwise
protected under the copyrights of other entities, is copyright © 2018 by the original authors and artists, as
identified in the byline with each article or contribution.

No portion of this fanzine may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the
author or artist holding that specific content’s copyright.

Stellar Reaches Issue #27 Spring 2018 Page 2
Letter From The Editor
Greetings, Fellow Sophonts:

This issue has been a long time coming, but I’m glad that it is finally here!

Ω

The last issue had exactly one article, on personalities within the Empty Quarter. I was determined to actually
deliver an adventure in the next issue, something tied to actual travelling. The Arrival Vengeance book of
MegaTraveller was my model, but with more detail, more graphics, and an even better price point.

To get the elbow room I wanted, I needed nice big starmaps: but there are none of sufficient size & scope for the
993 milieu. (A single sector of 40 by 32 parsecs is just so cramped!) So for the feature adventure of this issue,
“Exodus”, I had to go back to Classic Traveller’s map and timeframe, as given in Joshua Bell’s excellent website,
www.travellermap.com. Readers can cheerfully rewrite the details found here to their heart’s content, and are
invited to reshape and/or deepen the story as they wish.

There was another Big Idea I wanted to explore: the Imperial-Solomani relationship. To drive the storytelling, I also
wanted to get some kind of major culture-clash going on. Those who are interested in managing – and protecting –
an interstellar convoy also have a scenario tailored for them, and some pointers I hope will be useful. Also
provided is sufficient foundation to roleplay a transition into the Rebellion and early Virus Eras.

Finally, I wanted to try my hand at writing a longer history of a ruling family. I had already done a short history in
Stellar Reaches # 7 “House Layamon: A History”, but I wanted to do something more. For the gearhead, I wanted a
proper Low Berth liner as well: the ship design was expanded to included tanker and cargo variants. My thanks to
Ian Stead for his assistance with the starship diagrams.

Ω

This issue’s “Personality Profiles” cover an artilleryman mercenary with a special bit of kit; a group of high-tech
Julian explorers, sticking their snouts into the low-tech, Imperial side of the Lesser Rift to give a hand to the
weakest Vargr packs there; A Stellar Divinity believer with solid skills and a big dream; a Bwap ex-destroyer
captain, trying to navigate his way on a powerful and dangerous Solomani world; and a Princess from the civilized
Imperial Core, sent to earn her stripes in the chaotic Quarter.

“Imperial Dreams” is just a quick sketch of in-universe science fiction.

“The Royal Virtue” uses the work of R.J. Rushdoony to flesh out a bit on what it would mean to be a Christian
Imperial Noble. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have anything to do with property protection or wealth generation.

Ω

Depending on free available time and other commitments, it could well take another two years before the next
issue of Stellar Reaches is ready for publication. But I still have some ideas rattling around my head, and I hope to
get another issue out… eventually.

Reading ahead,
Alvin W. Plummer
Editor, Stellar Reaches fanzine

BITS Task System
From pg. 8, BITS Writers’ Guidelines June 1999. Copyright ©1999, BITS. All Rights Reserved.
T20 Open Game Content from the article “Extending the Task Resolution System to T20” Copyright 2003, Jason Kemp.

MegaTraveller (MT), Traveller: The New Era (TNE) and Marc Miller’s Traveller (T4) all use a graduated system of task difficulty
ratings – Average, Difficult, Formidable, etc. ‘Classic’ Traveller (CT) and GURPS Traveller (GT) use modifiers to the task rolls
instead. Traveller T20 (T20) uses difficulty classes (DCs) to define target numbers for skill checks. The BITS Task System provides
a simplified common ground for all these rule sets, using difficulty ratings with corresponding task modifiers for CT and GT and
DCs for T20 as shown in Table 1. The means by which spectacular (GT: critical) success or failure are achieved are defined by the
rule set used. Similarly, the GM should apply the rules for special tasks – opposed, co-operative, hasty, cautious, etc. –
according to the rule set used. As always, these are only guidelines – the GM may alter any task roll as appropriate to enhance
the game.

TABLE 1: TASK DIFFICULTIES
BITS Task T4 T4.1 GT Target TNE MT CT Target T20
Difficulty Difficulty Difficulty Modifier Difficulty Difficulty Modifier DC
Easy Easy (Auto) Easy (1D) +6 Easy Simple -4 10
Average Average (2D) Average (2D) +3 Average Routine -2 15
Difficult Difficult (2.5D) Difficult (2.5D) 0 Difficult Difficult 0 20
Formidable Formidable (3D) Formidable (3D) -3 Formidable Difficult +2 25
Staggering Impossible (4D) Staggering (4D) -6 Impossible Formidable +4 30
Impossible (5D) Hopeless (5D) -9 Impossible Impossible +6 35
Hopeless (6D) Impossible (6D) -12 Impossible Impossible +8 40

Ex. Maria Charles is forging a complex document, which the GM rules is a Staggering task. Maria has Forgery-4 (GT: Forgery-16,
T20: Forgery +18) and the relevant attribute (MT, T4) is INT 10 (TNE: INT 9, T20: 15).
CT: Task success is normally 2D + Skill >= 8. Maria requires 2D + Forgery >= 12 (8 + 4 for Staggering difficulty). Alternatively, the
GM may prefer to apply the target modifier as a negative modifier on the dice roll, i.e. 2D + 4 – 4 >= 8.
MT: Staggering difficulty is equivalent to MT’s Formidable (15+), thus the task is 2D + Skill + (Stat / 5) >= 15. For Maria this is: 2D
+ 4 + 2 >= 15.
TNE: Staggering difficulty is equivalent to TNE’s Impossible, thus the task is d20 <= (Skill + Stat) X ¼. For Maria this is d20 <= 3,
i.e. (9 + 4) / 4 rounded down.
T4: Maria requires 4D <= INT + Forgery. (Note that T4’s Staggering rating of 3.5D is ignored.)
GT: Maria requires 3D <= Forgery + Target Modifier, i.e. 3D <= 16 – 6.
T20: Maria requires d20 + 18 >= 30. (Note that the INT modifier is already factored into the skill check.)

Task definitions should always be used sparingly – the GM should be able to define the difficulty and required skills and
equipment for most tasks using common sense. Where strange skills or equipment are needed, these can usually be listed,
without requiring a full task definition. Where a full task definition is required, use the following format (you don’t need to use
the bold or italics formatting; plain text is fine):

To find a boar:
Difficult Recon (GT: Tracking), or
Difficult Hunting (T20: P/Hunting), or
Formidable Survival
+1 Difficulty if riding at full gallop.
+1 Difficulty if lost.
-1 Difficulty if moving slowly.
Spectacular Success: They have surprised a boar and have one round to act before it reacts.
Success: They have found boar tracks and can begin following them.
Failure: No tracks found.
Spectacular Failure: They have become lost.

+1 Difficulty indicates a harder task (e.g. an Average task becomes Difficult) whereas –1 Difficulty is an easier task
(e.g. Difficult would become Average).

NOTE: This system has been extensively play-tested but suggestions for refinements are always welcome.

Personality Profiles VI

It’s best to travel with a friend.
This graphic is titled “Over the Edge” © Psyxis
See his work at http://www.deviantart.com/art/Over-the-Edge-422036726

I see my path, but I don't know where it leads.
Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it.
– Rosalina De Castro

Colonel Mixial Kelley (Ret.)
Artilleryman for Hire
UPP 89787A, Age 38, Mixed Vilani
Skills: Demolitions - 2, Grav Vehicle - 2, Handgun - 2, Meson Gun - 2, Mass Drivers - 1, Robot Ops - 1,
Sensor Ops - 1, Brawling - 1, Intrusion - 1, Instruction - 1, Ships Boat - 1, Grav Belt - 0, Computer - 0,
Vacc Suit - 0, Electronics - 0, Combat Rifleman - 0, Medical - 0, Bribery - 0

Languages: Anglic (Transform, Native)

Tools and Aids: Most notably a TL 15 portable meson gun sled, use of which is how he earns his living. On his
person? Usually nothing but a pistol and a smartphone (which may or may not work, depending on the existence
and protocols of the local comm net)

Visual: Mildly striking, with sharp features, a light skin shade and somewhat glossy skin. He’s quite fit, looking years
younger than his age. Off-duty, the Colonel dresses more in the Core fashion of a decade ago: standard work shirt,
pants, and boots. On duty, he wears a non-descript Imperial Army cammo, with the badges, insignia and rank
stripped off.

Opening Theme: “Road to Hanna”, Shadowfax, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5XaZ5eWGYA


Large Gun for Hire
Col. Kelley is something of an enigma. While he dresses like a man from the heart of the Imperium, he speaks like a
local. He’s definitely ex-military, but quite vague as to which military, exactly, he served. The man – and the service
1
crew he pays – sell the services of a 20-ton TL 15 meson grav sled to the highest bidder: a piece of equipment that
would be very useful in the high-tech TL 14 battlegrounds of the ongoing Solomani Rim War.

(As of 993, the Imperium is only nearing the ability to mass-produce TL 15 equipment: portable Imperial meson
ground artillery has barely left the proving grounds, and is only provided to specialized and elite units… not rattling
around in some backwater sector!)

It’s always fun, rattling about on peaceful low-tech worlds like Sakari/Empty Quarter
where the only dangers are environmental. “Only serious Travellers use paper maps!
GPS is for sissies and technology-dependent weaklings!” This graphic is titled “Hiker” © Andreas Rocha
See his work at https://andreasrocha.deviantart.com/art/Hiker-716023198

For almost all the low-mid tech forces circulating in the Imperial Empty Quarter, a meson gun is radical overkill.
Sure: the ability to just ignore all the defenses of a fortified position, and drop a big boom in the heart of the
enemy camp is welcome, but there are far cheaper tools for most such missions. Only if the enemy is deep
underground would this meson gun really be cost effective. And only governments, major corporations and the
most wealthy Noble families can afford Col. Kelley’s services.

“Why, the only major enemy who would be really worthy of his attentions are those high-tech and
surpassingly arrogant Ikonaz pirate groups of Ikon!”

<Dawning realization>

“The Emperor works in mysterious ways, my friend.”

1
For details, see Traveller: The New Era’s Regency Combat Vehicle Guide, “Imperial Meson Artillery Vehicle”,
page 40. Note that the Traveller: TNE rules allow the creation of small meson weapons, instead of requiring
them to be large/ship-mounted, as Classic Traveller expects. The creation flowchart is in the famed Fire,
Fusion and Steel supplement.

Note that Col. Kelley ‘s business is picking up, but he needs transport for his crew, his equipment (including the 20-
ton grav sled), and his unique set of skills. A PC group with a suitable ship (for the grav sled, supplies and crew: a
workshop to keep the sled in repair would be a nice bonus) could work out a mutually profitable contract.

Closing Theme: “ROBOT”, Sawano Hiroyuki, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsVhOjSN2fs

The Rukonrifguag
The Rukonrifguag is a makeshift contact group of three Vargr starship crews, who have taken it upon themselves
to provide aid and support to small, nearly forgotten Vargr populations in the hostile Six Subsectors. This task is
undertaken for a variety of reasons: racial pride being the main driver, with intelligence gathering and recruitment
being secondary drivers.

Tertiary reasons also exist, from relocating & reuniting lost pack brothers, to gathering material for lively, best-
2
selling adventures of danger “deep in human space’ , to doing research for Vargr scientific/demographic surveys.
Of course, if any information on very valuable articles is uncovered, the data may well be sold to pirate bands for
investigation: a nice bounty will be paid out if A) the items are deemed to be worth a raid and B) the items are
successfully stolen.

Imperial (re)settlement of the Imperial Empty Quarter were occasionally stymied, and even reversed,
by earlier Blood Vargr inhabitants. While never as numerous as on the coreside of the Rift,
evidence of remnant populations still occasionally crop up in remote locations.
This graphic is titled “Eastern Exit” © Jaroslaw Marcinek
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Mr-Neyhiru-Arrived-539944467

In the Imperial Empty Quarter, two of the three starships of the Rukonrifguag are fairly new Imperial
Scout/Couriers: Perceptual Constancy and Recursive Loop. The third and largest, the Plata o Plomo, is a typical
aging Far Trader. All of these ships are officially owned and led by human ship owners/captains from the Julian
Protectorate: PCs will need about a year and a small team of highly skilled (and expensive!) lawyers to uncover the
fact that the real owners are shell corporations. Another year – mainly for the journey to Ikon, an exceedingly
powerful Vargr world on the wrong side of the Rift – and ten times the previous legal fees (plus transport and
accommodation costs) will be needed to get the names of the actual Vargr owners of the ships.

As a rule, the Vargr pose (and do the duties of) ships’ crew, with the human captains presenting a face that won’t
turn the locals instantly hostile. The Vargr flat-out don’t trust Imperial humaniti, and prefer to work with humans
from their native Julian Protectorate.

2
This is untrue: The Empty Quarter is only about a sector into human space, not far from the Vargr Extents.
But good sales copy is good sales copy…

3
Actual ship command & leadership dynamics are interesting. Note that the Julian humans chosen are more
sympathetic to their Vargr co-patriots than to Imperial humaniti.

The details below describe the crew of the Plata o Plomo, the flagship of the Rukonrifguag in the Empty Quarter.
Her stomping grounds are in Udusis subsector, homeported in Irash: but at any given time, there’s a ¼ chance that
she is outside of Udusis subsector, out doing who-knows-what in the rest of the Imperial Empty Quarter.

Group Theme: “River”, Kai Engel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLDOrnHD-QE

“Look at the bright side: at least there isn’t any air attacks on our position…”
“If a starship suddenly appears over our heads, I’m going to throttle you and your big mouth!”
This graphic is titled “Illistration about WW” © Igor Tovstogan.
See his work at https://igortovstogan.deviantart.com/

Sisut Irkhidiina Baffer
Uneasy lies the head
UPP A2AABA, Age 35, Mixed Vilani
4
Skills: Linguistics - 3 , Combat Rifleman - 3, Heavy Weapon - 2, Recon - 1, Vacc Suit - 1, Admin - 1, Handgun - 1,
Leadership - 1, High-G - 1, Streetwise - 1, Stealth - 1, Brawling - 1, Persuasion - 1, Grav Belt - 1, Equestrian - 1,
Wheeled Vehicle - 0, Grav Vehicle - 0, Computer - 0

Note: Despite being human, the last value in the UPP, “A (10)” refers to Charisma, not Social standing!

Languages: Rrakfugk (Native: an Irilitok Vargr language), Julian Anglic, Irashi Hindi

3
Off the top of my head, the Ikonaz Vilani are used to being (high-ranking) servants of the Ovaghoun Vargr,
while prestigious humans of the Asimikigir Confederation have Panet Relationships with selected Irilitok Vargr,
their former bred slaves, as described in Stellar Reaches #4, page 10. Moreover: note that human society
within the Julian Protectorate has been shaped as much by Vargr cultural norms as by Vilani and (to a
somewhat lesser extent) Solomani ones. And the Vargr place far greater emphasis on fickle charisma than on
any organizational chart or chain of command…
4
The native language is free: two points for two additional languages, and one point for the field of linguistics.

Tools: While Baffer does have a pistol, it’s usually locked away in his cabin. He also has a set of (cheap) TL-13 Julian
5
battledress, but it was recently ruined while fighting off a pirate band. Baffer is reluctant to let go of his beloved
suit, but repairing it is just far beyond his budget. *sniff*

Visual: To better blend in, Baffer has picked up the local form of Hindi: his dark features and (dyed black) hair helps
to merge with the East Indian crowd. Still, if directly questioned, he will admit his origins in the Julian Protectorate.
A lover of languages and something of a polygot, he’s currently working on picking up Hindi Empty Quarter Trade
Language, before facing the daunting task of learning Modern Vilani…

Opening Theme: Yuki Kajiura, “Canta Per Me (Orchestra)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IynMZq8V8Q

The Build-up
Baffer was born & raised in Nenkum (Kaasam/Mendan 2524: in 993, B98999E-C), a fairly ordinary world of the
Asimikigir Confederation, the lead member-state of the Julian Protectorate. With the human population of the
world being about 30%...

(the culturally dominant Irilitok Vargr 60%, and a large number of other sophonts – including the original
native inhabitants 5% – compromising the remaining 10%)

…Baffer sees Vargr cultures as the norm. Human cultures and mores as something he respects, and is trying (fairly
successfully) to absorb in the Empty Quarter… but it’s never going to be truly natural for him.

Expedition security work usually turns out to be easy money for mercs, and a way for a fledging unit to get
a good grip on the basics of their trade... without lethal punishment for typical greenhorn mistakes.
This graphic is titled “lost civilization” © Igor Tovstogan.
See his work at https://igortovstogan.deviantart.com/art/lost-civilization-691509932

Joining the planetary army when young, Baffer was given the duties of a marine (don’t ask), wearing battledress in
spaceborne and off-world actions. After mustering out, on a whim he applied for service with a Vargr diplomatic
6
guild, and to his surprise he was accepted! (The Irilitok like humans around them: “They smell comforting. ”)

5
Cold be human, could be Vargr. Both are possible: besides money, additional motivation for the humans may
include racial antagonism – “Why isn’t this man hiring humans, instead of those dogs?” – and the Vargr
motivated by social competition.
6
The consequences of genetic tampering of a slave race goes on and on, long after the chains are gone.

His journeys and missions eventually led him far from his home system, depositing him on Ikon at the end of his
service. Baffer did a bit of security work for a while: he considered signing on with a Vargr pirate team to help raid
Imperial shipping – “easy money!” – but instead went with the Rukonrifguag. Something in him revolted at the
way the Ikonaz Vargr looked down their snouts at the (locally) poor & low-tech Imperial humans, and he wanted to
hear the other side of the story.

The Rukonrifguag is willing to go far off the beaten path, to contact lost Vargr packs…
packs that didn’t survive on hostile human worlds by being welcoming to strangers.
This graphic is titled “Crimson Tribe” © Andreas Rocha. See his work at
https://www.deviantart.com/art/Crimson-Tribe-722640665

Right Now
Baffer is officially the captain of the Plata o Plomo: even though the ship has never engaged in piracy (…well, not
under the current owners…), the ship keeps on being dinged and harassed by Imperial and local patrols. And it isn’t
just because of the predominantly Vargr crew (which he is learning to keep off-screen when talking to the locals:
“They’ll find out if they board us, but why rush things?”): there’s something else going on. But for the life of him,
he can’t figure it out…

Anyways, besides running interference with locals who get instantly suspicious when a Vargr crew steps off a ship
– the human leader only being somewhat reassuring – Baffer also tries to provide real leadership for the Vargr.
Being of various races and packs, the crew’s pack order is often in flux, with lots of social manoeuvring, trash talk,
and the occasional infighting incident breaking out as things get sorted out. Despite the turbulence, Baffer
occasionally manages to be the actual leader of the crew, and not just the paper leader/human face for the
7
outsiders.

Vargr being Vargr, they naturally detest paper, especially rigid, ‘no flexibility’, zero charisma human paperwork.
Naturally, Baffer gets to deal with it. He’s sharp enough though to gain some insight in how the Imperium
operates, by considering the kinds of questions and numbers the forms ask for… and what they don’t ask for. His

7
His brawling skill helps too. His dexterity is weak, so in a Vargr social fight he tends to be worn down before
his strength can land a solid blow… but if his fist does connect with the light Vargr frame, the fight is half over.

improving Admin skill has already saved the Plata o Plomo from being impounded, earning him respect… and thus,
invaluable Charisma… from the rest of the crew.

Almost every system of higher than TL A and over a billion inhabitants has her own cloud of space habitats.
In pre-artigrav says, these space cities and stations must be circular, if spin gravity is desired.
But with the rise of artificial gravitational/anti-gravitational fields, a far greater variety of habitats
become possible. This graphic is titled “Marsport” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Jovian-Sail-Ship-306383162

Goals
He doesn’t know exactly what he’s looking for: perhaps something to make him proud of his race… or something
that will prove once and for all that life in the Vargr/human Protectorate is better than the human-run Imperium.
Possibly, he wants to show the locals that there can be real peace between humaniti and the Vargr, or maybe
discover that genes really does trump culture: that Vargr are Vargr and humans are humans, regardless of their
shared history, hostile like in the Quarter or amiable as in the Confederation.

Or when you get right down to it, what he really wants is a hot woman, a warm gun, a fat wallet, and a fast ship.

Whatever it is, he’ll know it when he sees it.

Closing theme: “Indian Summer”, The Dream Academy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_O3pKrzOiM


The word ‘home’ means different things to different people. This graphic is titled “On the Golden Distant Shore”
© uxmal750ad. See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/On-the-Golden-Distant-Shore-446456628

Trogudk Stoksueghaidzok
“Nose in front!”
UPP 8E8CBC, Age 38, Irilitok Vargr
Skills: Mechanical - 4, Survival - 3, Grav Vehicle - 2, Recon - 2, Ground Tactics - 2, Stealth - 2, Navigation - 1,
Liaison - 1, Vacc Suit - 1, Jack-of-Trades - 1, Intrusion - 1, Linguistics - 1, Grav Belt - 1, Electronics - 1, Computer - 0,
Biology - 0, Zero-G - 0, Handgun - 0
Languages: Rrakfugk (Native: an Irilitok Vargr language), Julian Anglic

Tools: On his person, there’s always some nice TL-14 cybergear that will let a low-level techie like himself tap into,
search, and obtain information on most networks of TL 6-11. Trogudk isn’t much of a fighter, so he usually doesn’t
even have a knife on his person: but he does have ‘silent walking’ boots, and a set of disposable low-power cammo
suits: not true chameleon wear, but good enough for most casual observers and low-tech sensors.

He’s wealthy enough to have a good set of cybernetic eyes, ears, and nose. It looks and feels all-natural, but the
data can be recorded, quantified and transmitted. Troogudk also has an on-board processor in his skull: “Nothing
too fancy: just enough to analyse the data and present the findings in my synthetic iris as a HUD.”

Visual: Trogudk is a descendent of the “Fgouthuagruedh line of Vargr Friends”: a genetically-altered subset of the
Irilitok race, shaped to be specialized living tools (slaves) of the Asimikigir with a focus on technological aptitude,
curiosity, and a higher level of intelligence, coupled with an even stronger intellectualized and rationalized (as
opposed to scent-derived and instinctual) eagerness to please, and so gain the approval & protection of their
8 9
masters. “Bred with pride by the Menderes Corporation!”

8
Lots of smarties out there have a horror of uncontrolled and unpredictable situations, and are quite eager to
serve & justify the powerful in all they do, in return for high-prestige, high pay, low-risk tenured work.

Trogudk himself is only ~70% Fgouthuagruedh, but has the visual traits of the Fgouthuagruedh: a double-coat
(outer grey, inner mottled black/sable or black/wolf grey), even less stoop than other Irilitok, but with somewhat
smaller, brown or black triangular eyes like a pit bull.

Typically, Trogudk wears his Asimikigir raiment – a typically loud multi-robe, jacket, scarf and boot ensemble.
Imperial humans can’t be bothered to tell the difference between loud and colourful Julian Vargr and loud and
colourful Imperial Vargr clothing… but the local Vargr can spot the difference instantly.

Opening theme: “First Snow”, Clint Mansell, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYfdY4Sl-EQ

Variable stars, unstable suns and aging white dwarfs are often beautiful to behold: but if you aren’t
paying close attention to the ambient radiation, this beauty will be the last thing you will ever see!
This graphic is titled “Rings of Creation” © uxmal750ad.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Rings-of-Creation-484981181

Backgrounder
Trogudk’s origins are a bit of a mystery to himself: even his true birthworld is unknown. His earliest memories were
being a young member of the Prenasagh Pack, a mainly human community/religion/corporation of a few hundred
residing on a pleasant campus/gated community, part of a sprawling village-metropolis-arcology network on
Raduun/Tozus Ganok/Mendan 3119 (UWP in 993: D310856-A). Also included in the Prenasagh Pack were some
young Vargr: some who just wandered in, and others who were brought in as they were in need of support.

9
Slavery has been illegal within the Asimikigir since the late -300s/early -200s Imperial, but the traits of the
Fgouthuagruedh gene line continued to be passed forward to the present day, 993 Imperial. The pure line is
reasonably healthy, numbering at nine million members, with another 80 million Irilitok with a greater than
5% inherited Fgouthuagruedh gene set. A word of advice: Vargr specialists and Julian Protectorate people
really should get a copy of Challenge Magazine #49 to understand what’s going on, available at
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/87272/CHALLENGE-Magazine-No-49

Several of the older Vargr members were in a Panet relationship with human partners, including Trogudk himself
in his teens. He never really got into the theology or business side of things, but truly bonded with his Panet
partner, and stuck around until his partner died… then, after grieving, Trogudk left the Prenasagh Pack with their
blessing, and managed to get into Menderes Corporation as a mechanic. He became a really good mechanic, and
so eventually was placed in situations where every sophont could be relied on, earning his place on the team.

Trogudk’s life made a major turn when he joined the Fathe-Kiu Gi Expeditions into the Hegemony of Lorean. These
Vargr expeditions were a treaty requirement for the Hegemony to maintain Associate Status with the Protectorate,
so they were permitted to enter and work within Hegemonio Space… but were given the very minimum support
10
and assistance possible. If Trogudk couldn’t make it work with the materials on hand, it wasn’t going to happen:
and at the end of the day, he made it happen.

Moreover, the Irilitok Vargr got a fair bit into the business end of the expedition, getting himself into some dicey
11
situations with local Hegemonio military forces. Oddly, it was the Lorean Rangers – one of the few Hegemonio
military units that tolerate Vargr members – who caused the most grief, with weapons fire being exchanged for
several hours before a mutual stand-down could be arranged.

There were other incidents which Trogudk won’t talk about. Let’s say that 1) certain Hegemonio officers and
men, when faced with inquisitive Vargr under treaty protection, will knowingly pull the trigger, treating the
inevitable court martial and likely execution as ‘the price of duty’, and 2) A good chunk of Trogudk’s (broadly
evasive) Ground Tactics and Survival skill sets were earned in the Fathe-Kiu Gi Expeditions, ‘in friendly
Hegemonio space’.

Not bad for a highly skilled, naturally pacifist mechanic… not bad at all!

At the moment…
Due to both his experience and his 15 minutes of fame after returning with the Fathe-Kiu Gi Expeditions, Trogudk
was seen as a prime recruit for the Rukonrifguag. More often than not, he is treated as the leader of the
Rukonrifguag operating within the Empty Quarter, and the actual leader of the Vargr crew of the Plata o Plomo.
Vargr being Vargr, this position is occasionally challenged, but Trogudk is good at deflecting or neutering
challenges before they get out of hand. His proven skill in handling hostile humans helps a lot, too.

Like most Irilitok, he isn’t a warrior, but fairly skilled at the social side of things. Unlike many Irilitok, he is able to
kill… but almost always a low profile killing, only when it’s necessary for survival, and never in a way that attracts
attention. It’s always a sudden and exceedingly one-sided event, with the target never given the option to escape
or fight back.

The idea of killing for charisma, public intimidation, or building his reputation horrifies Trodudk, and actually
fighting someone turns his stomach. In his heart, everyone really should be friends, and the few sophonts he killed
weren’t really his enemies… they were just misguided, and sadly, there wasn’t enough time to reach out to them
12,13
and befriend them, so they just had to Quickly Go Away.

10
What the Hegemonio military really wanted to do was blow those Vargr right out of space… but Orders are
Orders. <visual: gritted teeth, clenched fists>
11
Last seen in “Downed on Uzola”, Stellar Reaches #6.
12
Trogudk’s psyche is already slowly moving to block out even the memory of actually hurting anyone. The
muscle memory and core instincts are going to stick around, though…
13
If the Referee decided to definitely have Trogudk break with his Irilitok instincts, he would make a pretty
good assassin. Especially with that ‘memory-delete’ function: a psion could look into his mind and genuinely
find no evidence of murder. Quite handy in Zhodani regions of space! Now, about the technique of ‘arranging


“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta
This graphic is titled “Gas Giant” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Gas-Giant-574078474

And you’re here because of…?
“Money, dear boy.”

Trogudk has enough of a pension from the Fathe-Kiu Gi Expeditions that he could retire right now without
worrying much about food, clothing, shelter and health care. But he wants more than this, and the Vargr behind
the Rukonrifguag group has promised him a large payoff, a good corporate-level pension, and the opportunity to
earn more money with speaking engagements and royalties from branding and images.

Yes, Trogudk will get good Charisma if he delivers results, and Charisma naturally leads to more fame, which leads
to more income if you know what you are doing. Notice that the Vargr will often be motivated purely by the
possibility of gaining Charisma… but Trogudk is really interested by the money high Charisma would bring in, and
not truly in the Charisma per se, ‘like a proper Vargr would be.’

a suicide’, via Hiver-style psychological manipulation or by merely painting the evidence at the crime scene in
a way good enough to pass forensics and get your desired storyline…


Closing theme: “Journey Through the Galaxy”, Andreas Waldentoft,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhkWX3PwkF8

This is the kind of sight that portrays paradise to most sophonts. No, not the sunlight glistening from the rock,
not the glowing orb with the shimmering silver rings. It’s the liquid water, shirt-sleeve temperatures, and
breathable air that does the trick. This graphic is titled “Horns of the Kraken” © uxmal750ad.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Horns-of-the-Kraken-572784525

Vadzuk Grenh
Just a Hired Hand
UPP 3E5A91, Age 29, Irilitok Vargr
Skills: Sensor Ops - 2, Streetwise - 1, Stealth - 1, Rifleman - 1, Pilot - 1, Admin - 1, Turret Weapon - 1, Persuasion - 1,
Commo - 1, Ships Boat - 1, Electronics - 1, Ship Tactics - 1, Engineering - 1, Grav Vehicle - 0, Computer - 0,
Vacc Suit - 0
Languages: Ukazk (Native: an Irilitok Vargr language of Ikon)

Note: Vadzuk does not share any language with the other crewmen, and cannot communicate with them without a
translator.

14
Tools: A translator, compromising of an earpiece and a throat vocalizer.

A rifle with a few clips of ammo is also kept, dissembled, in her cabin. Vadzuk can put it together at need… but it
will take a few minutes.

14
A broad assortment of the most common languages of the Julian Protectorate are included in the software,
including Julian Anglic, Rrakfugk, Ukazk, Modern Vilani, Old High Vilani, and several of the more common Vargr
and human languages. Several other languages are also included, including Imperial Anglic (Transform and
Core), Modern Gashikan, and even the exotic Aslan tongue: the Rim Anglic of the Solomani Confederation is
not included, as it’s just too unlikely to be needed in the Protectorate.

Visual: A typical low-charisma Vargr. Vadzuk bears a permanent hangdog expression of resignation and defeat,
dresses in an untidy manner, and isn’t very vocal or assertive. When possible, she’ll sorta-kinda hide in meetings
and social situations. While intelligent and observant, Vadzuk keep it under wraps, as expressing herself is more
likely to get her in trouble than anything else.

Opening theme: “Green into Gold”, David Lanz, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVDn2IvaNG0

Nothing special
When a member of the original crew simply walked away on Ikon when his salary demands weren’t met, the
remaining members of the Plata o Plomo had to scramble for a replacement. There was a good selection of skilled
hands available, able to speak Vilani or Anglic… and all of them had been involved in piracy in Imperial space. The
leaders of the Rukonrifguag steered clear of these Vargr, as they wanted to avoid any red flags with the Imperial
15
Navy ... so they decided to hire Vadzuk Grenh, who has a broad set of useful skills, coupled with very modest
salary expectations.

Vadzuk is a native of Ikon… an Irilitok native, a Vargr race of human-bred ex-slaves who are utterly despised by the
ruling Ovaghoun Vargr (and their quiet Vilani servants, who are often a good deal more dangerous than their
16
masters). The insults, the tongue-lashings, the mockery, and the beat-downs would get to anyone after a while…
never mind the pro-social Irilitok, who long for the approval of their leaders and of society in general.

Working up to average
While broadly skilled, Vadzuk isn’t a stand-out in many areas, and the language barrier, combined with her low
charisma, pushed her to the back of the pack. Still… she does her job reasonably well, and unlike on Ikon, there is
far more casual indifference directed to her than hardened hostility.

Free of the endless, cruel contempt of her homeworld, Vadzuk dares to dream of being fully accepted as part of
the group. She fantasises of situations where her ho-hum ship tactical skill, middling piloting ability, and
unremarkable turret handling all combine with her pretty decent skill at sensors (her secret pride and joy) to turn
her into a heroine, saving the ship and earning the love and respect of the crew. As inconspicuously as possible,
17
Vadzuk is also working hard at studying the Rrakfugk language : breaking the language barrier would go a long
way to truly becoming ‘one of us’. As of 001-993, she is building up the courage to ask another crewman to be her
language study partner.

Compared with the extraordinary personalities and unusual skills of her crewmates, it’s unlikely that Vadzuk will
ever get past the ‘eh, she’s all right’ level in the eyes of her teammates. But, if she can get the basic level of respect
and acceptance she needs, she’ll be content… perhaps, even happy.

Closing theme: “Dreamboat Annie”, Heart, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLoMej34zvA

15
Yes, the Imperial Navy can be tough on Vargr visitors: but unlike the profoundly hostile local navies, the
Imperial Navy is predictable, at least tries to be fair and impartial, and really do have rules they stick to.
Visiting Vargr civilian ships would be wise to stay on the Imperium’s good side…
16
Every time the Ovaghoun look at the Irilitok, they see an inferior and derisive version of themselves… an
‘alternate reality’ they naturally want to rip apart into bloody chunks. In contrast, the Vilani see competition, a
threat to be neutralized in as organized, as rational, and as thorough a manner as possible.
17
As an Irilitok tongue, it’s definitely easier for Vadzuk to study and practice than any of the human languages.


Powerful cultures and glorious empires leave behind towering monuments to their greatness.
But I bet they would have far preferred to have left behind living families instead,
sharing their gods, their spirit, their blood, their hopes, their language, their land, their stories.
“There is no substitute for the survival of the Race!” – Solomani Ideology 101.
This graphic is titled “lost civilization” © Igor Tovstogan.
See his work at https://igortovstogan.deviantart.com/art/lost-civilization-671685587

Captain Alokhos Grankdziz (Ret.)
One Chance
UPP 7C49E8, Age 44, Ovaghoun Vargr (“Ikonaz Vargr”)
Skills: Laser Weapon - 2, Infighting - 2, Combat Rifleman - 1, Turret Weapon - 1, ATV - 1, Medical - 1, Survival - 1,
Scrounge - 1, Streetwise - 1, Bribery - 1, Grav Vehicle - 1, Computer - 0, Vacc Suit – 0

18
Languages: Julian Anglic, Ikonaz Vilani

Tools: A set of diamond-edged titanium Navy Claws – the equivalent of a human Naval Sword – is his prize
possession. Otherwise, not much, really: just a data pad – mainly loaded with content and electronic memorabilia
19
from his years of service with the Julian Star Legion – and what’s inside his head.

Visual: Captain Grankdziz wears the undress uniform of a Star Legion captain, with markings and insignia that
denote his status as “honourable/long service/retired”. His civilian outfits retain the formal fit and cut of Vargr
military uniforms, as he’s only at ease wearing such clothing.

Opening theme: “More”, Nils Frahm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH2IVFKAx9M

Afterglow… and then, the Blastwave
The good captain had only recently retired from his service in the Star Legion: a service that was far more about
20
political manoeuvres and networking than actually fighting. For him, it was a good 25 years, with a pension to

18
“Why no, this Vargr is completely uninterested in learning any Vargr language other than the Vargr forms of
Ikonaz Vilani. Why pretend that they have anything significant to say?”
19
Some of that content is real… and some is photoshopped.
20
Despite the title and the big talk (peppered with outright lies), Captain Grandkziz never actually served on a
starship, never mind led a ship into battle. He has actually fired a laser rifle in anger, though… more than once,
even!

match and a comfortable retirement on his homeword of Ikon to look forward to, with richly rewarding
‘consultancies’ and ‘advisory positions’ all lined up.

While the Julian Protectorate is not as wealthy or quite as technologically advanced as the Imperium,
it does have a market of hundreds of billions of sophonts… and that means massive starfreighters.
This graphic is titled “Crossing the Rust Ruins” © Adriano Portugal.
See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Crossing-The-Rust-Ruins-714482451

And then, it was all blasted to dust, just like that.

The corruption eruptions were bad enough, driving many of his most powerful friends, allies and protectors into
21
bankruptcy, maulings and amputations, penniless exile, personality erasures and rewrites, and even executions.

But the real smash-up was the sex scandals, where the Ikonaz Vargr males were caught with inferior Irilitok Vargr
22
females. The disgust of the general Ikonaz masses – Ovaghoun and Vilani alike – led directly to the collapse of the
planetary government, the “Ikon Collective of Progress”, and the rise of a new government, the “Ikonok
23
Llirrusukh”.

Remarkably, Captain Grankdziz was only somewhat smeared by this political fiasco, primarily because he was
never more than a minor crony and glad-handler, rather than a big wheel in the various scams and escapades. His
mate left him of course – the loss of charisma loss alone would see to that – but he got off lightly. He will always be
24
grateful to Illounvraroeskfikh for refusing to slander his name in public …

A New Hope
As the wave of damage subsided, Captain Grankdziz managed to get some issues to break his way. First, he was
able to win a honourable discharge, and keep his Star Legion pension: no mean feat, given the attitude of the

21
Note the absence of prisons. The current Ikonaz leadership sees no reason why they should have to pay to
keep a criminal housed, fed… and pay for his medical treatment too!
22
The opinions of the Irilitok masses don’t count.
23
See Stellar Reaches #8, page 33
24
In truth, Captain Grandziz never did cheat on her, and was a reasonably decent father and mate: so
Illounvraroeskfikh’s punishment for his failure was on the light side, geared to protect herself and her pups
rather than to harm Grandziz.

25
masses and the collapse of both the planetary government and his personal naval networks. His success here
placed a floor on how low his charisma could collapse: a critical victory in Vargr culture, where charisma is all.

Journeying across the stars, to hike across a forest…
This graphic is titled “Winding Paths II” © Andreas Rocha.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Winding-Paths-II-685218140

Then, came a chance to make a real recovery. As a Star Legion officer, Captain Grankdziz never really liked the
Imperium, the most powerful potential threat to the Protectorate. Even in these times of peace – something the
Captain is thankful for, especially as sporadic but grim (and sometimes blood-curdling) reports from the distant
Solomani Rim War drift in – the Captain resents Imperial hostility to his race, a hostility most easily uncovered in
26
the Empty Quarter.

One of his few contacts untouched by the purges brought up the Rukonrifguag: they were looking for an
experienced hand – someone with military or diplomatic experience – to oversee their pro-Vargr operations in the
Empty Quarter. The Captain jumped at the chance and, even with a greatly weakened network of connections and
favours to call on, he was easily able to persuade (bamboozle) the crew of the Plata o Plomo to sign him on.

Surprisingly, Captain Grankdziz decided to actually put his teeth into the work. He’s still the wrong Vargr for the
job: but he’s using parts of his brain (and his spine) that hasn’t been activated for ages.

Yes, he sees his position in the Rukonrifguag as his ticket to regaining and even surpassing the respect, honour,
public esteem, and charisma he has lost.. but helping his people, his race isn’t merely a means to an end. While
everyone on the Plata o Plomo supports the cause to the extent of actually working for it – and even risking their

25
I should note here that the Star Legion is part of the Julian Protectorate’s armed forces: while Ikon provides
an important contribution to the Rukadukaz Republic’s military – and so, indirectly to the Legion – the collapse
of the government of Ikon did not threaten the Republic, nor the Protectorate, nor the integrity, organization,
or operations of the Star Legion.
26
To be fair, the Captain (and other Vargr racial patriots) tends to be uninterested in understanding how the
long habit of Vargr raiding shape Imperial attitudes to the Vargr. And really: ‘uncovering’ hostility to the Vargr
in the Empty Quarter? It’s far more like having that hostility either quietly filling the room, leaving a certain
chill in the air (Vilani) or driven into their snouts and shoved down their throats (Solomani).

lives for it – only Captain Grankdziz really believes in the need to give a hand to the weakest Vargr packs in the
Imperial Empty Quarter.

After decades of social climbing and sycophancy, the Captain is finally going to earn his rank.

“As Captain Grankdziz is an Ikonaz Vargr, why doesn't he take every opportunity to haze and harass the Irilitok
Vargr, Vadzuk Grenh?”

First, Vadzuk is far from the only Irilitok Vargr on the ship: the others have a good deal more power, confidence,
and aggression than she does… and are willing to use it on her behalf. “It just isn’t worth the hassle.”

Moreover, Captain Grankdziz has just seen many powerful Ikonaz Vargr males – some, good friends of his – lose
everything, precisely because they were messing with Irilitok females. “Best learn from the pain of others.”

Finally… in his eyes, the Irilitok Vargr are not the enemy. They aren't the threat. Imperial humans are the theat.
“Don’t get side-tracked: keep the main thing the main thing!”

Closing theme: “Wheels within Wheels”, Penguin Cafe, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fB9W12z0uU

Research is formalized curiosity.
It is poking and prying with a purpose.
– Zora Neale Hurtson
Investigator Mgutho’vgroevros
Give Me the Numbers
UPP 8A4757, Age 30, Ovaghoun-Irilitok Vargr
Skills: Math (Statistics) - 3, Jack-o-Trades - 2, Sensor Ops - 1, Computer - 1, Liaison - 1, Linguistics - 1, Admin - 1,
Electronics - 1, Instruction - 1, Mechanical - 0, Grav Vehicle - 0, Handgun - 0, Survival - 0

Languages: Julian Anglic, Modern Vilani

Tools: Just a datapad, a commlink/PDA/portabrain, and a pair of HUD glasses. No guns, no body armour, no
nothing.

Visual: A mix of Irilitok and Ovaghoun parentage, Mgutho’vgroevros shows traits from both Vargr races/cultures.
Her stoop and gait is less pronounced than most Vargr, and her snout is less pronounced: in this way, she shows
her Irilitok influence. However, her eyes aren’t nearly as large and endearing as purebred Irilitok would be. Her
manner of dress is basically of a minor Vilani professional, adapted for the Vargr anatomy.

Opening theme: “Ventriloquist”, Wayne Gratz, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbhGU5hQnY4

Home…
27
Bashkari/Naem/Mendan 3032 (UWP in 993: A5459B9-A) is an important trade nexus , situated between three
Julian Protectorate member states: the powerful Rukadukaz Republic, the even more powerful Asimikigir
Confederation, and the minor-league Ukhanzi Coordinate. It was on this notable watering hole that
Mgutho’vgroevros – henceforth shortened to “Mgutho” – was born.

27
“Important trade nexus” as of 993. By 1105, the starport has fallen from A to B, the culture has grown
hostile enough for the world to get Amber Zoned, the trade routes shift to more friendly systems, and the
times of easy money and rich living had fallen to legend. “Sic transit gloria mundi.”

On some Ovaghoun worlds, the fact that she’s of mixed descent would have lead to her death, pre or post-birth.
But the Ovaghoun of Bashkari lack the racial hostility of their kin in the Rukadukaz Republic, so her life continued
fairly smoothly. She got on well with the large human population, and her curiosity about life – while not
encouraged by her Vilani-style culture – was not quenched either, as it would be with a strict Vilani upbringing.

While a bone fide scientist, Mgutho is less educated than the reader would have guessed: effectively raised only to
master statistics, without much of an education in literature, history, or other ‘unnecessary frills’. Not even the
other sciences were more than superficially touched. Still, what Mgutho does know, she knows like the back of her
hand: she even has the ability to do some serious computing just with her unaided – but highly disciplined – mind.

Mgutho places a high value on accuracy and obeying the rules and procedures (as the Vilani-influenced Ovaghoun
do), and is somewhat more conciliatory and willing to compromise than most Vargr (as her Irilitok forbearers
would approve of).

Certain cultures simply love their headgear! The stories a starport worker could tell…
This graphic is titled “Disembark” © Adriano Portugal.
See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Disembark-727713164

…and Away
In the normal course of events, Mgutho would have lived out a mildly cloistered but rather happy and satisfying
life on her homeworld. But it was not to be: a gas explosion on her street wiped out her neighbourhood during her
apprenticeship. But by an incredibly unlikely series of fluke coincidences, the lives of her entire family was spared!
Mgutho was intensely thankful to the Ancestors and the Spirit of the Traditions: but strangely, even after
conducting the proper ceremonies and rituals of thanksgiving, she felt… restless, ill at ease. As if more was
somehow demanded for such a boon, for the salvation of her family.

Now restless and searching for… something… Mgutho transferred to an interstellar talent agency, and soon started
crossing the stars, putting her training to work in odd, difficult, and isolated situations. She earned a reputation as
a rock-solid, reliable worker, which led to many offers for well-paying permanent positions: but the hole in her
heart remained, and Mgutho was on the move once again.

Now a senior contractor for her Vargr caste-corporation, K. T. Khothuk, she is working on-board the Plata o Plomo
as very expensive talent, gathering and processing demographic data (and also working with Imperial data sets) to
better measure, quantify, and graph/chart out the position of the weaker Vargr packs and populations within the
Imperial Empty Quarter. A few local research institutes are trying to forge ties with her: in some ways, she has

28
already gathered more high quality data on local Vargr populations than even the Imperial government. If her
employers approve, she may even agree to share her research…

Mgutho is in the most intensely anti-Vargr region of the Imperium… but that means little to her. Even if the locals
slaughter her in the streets – always a possibility on the Solomani worlds, especially when news of an ugly Vargr
atrocity becomes public – well, she has already gotten far more out of life than she deserves. She knows the risks,
and is willing to pay the price to get her answers.

“The answers to what questions?”
“After I see the answers, I will know the questions.”

Will she get the answers she wants?

Only the future will tell.

Closing theme: “Waiting Between Worlds”, Zack Hemsey, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H529fng2Sfw

Rukonrifguag: Crunch Overview

“Tag” UPP Age Sex Race Languages
Human 10 2 10 10 11 10; 35 male M.Vilani, Rrakfugk J.Anglic I.Hindi
Explorer 8 14 8 12 11 12; 38 male Irilitok, Rrakfugk J.Anglic
Ship Hand 3 14 5 10 9 1; 29 female Irilitok, Ukazuk
Navy Capt 7 12 4 9 14 8; 42 male Ovaghoun, I.Vilani J.Anglic
Scientist 8 10 4 7 5 7; 30 female Ovag/Iri, M.Vilani J.Anglic

Crew Skills: Human-Explorer-Ship Hand-Navy Captain-Scientist
Basic concepts = 0; Null = .
Side notes: Experienced (2) = ~ Expert+ (3+) = *
Notes:
• The Navy Captain has no zero-G skill, and no leadership skills.
• Only the Navy Captain has scrounge, medical, and bribery skills.
• The only crewman with engineering, communication, and piloting skills is the Ship hand.
• Only the Explorer has the navigation skill.
• Only the Human has the leadership skill… and the best combat rifleman skills.
• Everyone can handle either a handgun or a rifle.
• Everyone except the Scientist can handle a vac suit.
• Three of the five crewmen have stealth skills, and are streetwise.
• Everyone can get by with a grav vehicle.
• Four of the five can speak Julian Anglic, the language of the Julian Protectorate.
• Nobody can speak Imperial Anglic (Transform dialect) yet: overall grammar and basic vocabulary is
compatible with Julian Anglic, but expect difficulties when going in-depth. Julian Anglic has more
loanwords from Gashikan (Yilean), Irilitok, and Ovaghoun (Vargr) languages than Imperial Anglic.

28
“It isn’t about throwing more money at the problem. It’s about knowing the right questions, asking the right
Vargr with the right charismatic interplay, and earning the trust to get a statistically useful number of high-
quality responses.”

Grav Vehicle: 0-2-0-1-0 ~ Zero-G: .-0-.-.-.
Grav Belt: 1-1-.-.-. Survival: .-3-.-1-0 *
Pilot: .-.-1-.-. Mechanical: .-4-.-.-0 *
Ships Boat: .-.-1-.-. Computer: 0-0-0-0-1
Equestrian: 1-.-.-.-. Electronics: .-1—1-.-1
Wheeled Veh: 0-.-.-.-. Commo: .-.-1-.-.
ATV: .-.-.-1-. Sensor Ops: .-.-2-.-1 ~
Infighting: .-.-.-2-. ~ Engineering: .-.-1-.-.
Brawling: 1-.-.-.-. Navigation: .-1-.-.-.
Rifleman: 3-.-1—1-. * Liaison: .-1-.-.-1
C. Rifleman: 3-.-.-1-. * Leadership: 1-.-.-.-.
Handgun: 1-0-.-.-0 Streetwise: 1-.-1-1-.
Laser Weapon: .-.-.-2-. ~ Admin: 1-.—1–.-1
Heavy Weapon: 2-.-.-.-. ~ Persuasion: 1-.-1-.-.
Turret: .-.-1-1-. Medical: .-.-.-1-.
G. Tactics: .-2-.-.-. ~ Scrounge: .-.-.-1-.
Ships Tactics:.-.-1-.-. Bribery: .-.-.-1-.
Stealth: 1-2-1-.-. ~ Instruction: .-.-.—.-1
Recon: 1-2-.-.-. ~ Math(Stats): .-.-.-.-3 *
Intrusion: .-1-.-.-. Biology: .-0-.-.-.
Vac Suit: 1-1-0-0-. Linguistics: 3-1-.-.-1 *
High-G: 1-.-.-.-. J-o-Trades: .-1-.-.-2 ~

As the highest goal of Stellar Divinity doctrine is to become a Star God, many wish to create a genuine star. The
Imperium lacks the resources to do it, not at an average TL of 12 and an economic base of 10 trillion Imperial
citizens, but with fusion technology it is certainly possible to create ‘fake stars’, in orbit over cold worlds far from
the warmth of the primary star. But, it’s far cheaper to build mirror instillations than pseudostars generating
their own light, as depicted above. This graphic is titled “Icarus Gate” © Adriano Portugal. See his work at
https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Icarus-Gate-674338035

Uchūnoko Kinoshita
For the Stars
UPP 4D87AB, Age 40, Pure Solomani (Japanese)
Skills: Research - 3, Theology (Shinto) - 2, Robotics - 2, Theology (Stellar Divinity) - 1, Computer - 1, Robot Ops - 1,
Electronics - 1, Instruction - 1, Prop Aircraft - 1, Artisan (Immersion VR) - 1, Mechanical - 1, Linguistics - 1,
Liaison - 1, Astronomy (Stellar Evolution) - 1, Demolitions - 0, Wheeled Vehicle - 0, Sub-Machinegun - 0,
Handgun - 0, Vacc Suit - 0

Languages: Anglic (Core), Japanese (Ancient)

Tools: Two sets of tools, for his two jobs.
• A set of tools to diagnose and repair robots, geared to TL 14 (some of his tools are TL 15 prototypes,
issued to him for field testing.)
• A set of missionary materials, ranging from TL 7 glossy color magazines to TL 15 data storage crystals,
explaining the greatness of the Stellar Divinities… especially Amaterasu Ōmikami, the Japanese sun-
goddess.
o A decent percentage of these materials are a range of Virtual Reality environments and
scenarios: Kinoshita has nurtured his talent here rather well, and can (when inspired) make
attractive, inspiritng, and beautiful VR environments at a range of tech levels, from barely there
TL 9 to (at 993 Imperial) TL 15 experimental tools and techniques.

Visual: A short man, a bit on the stocky side… but far more agile than he looks. He typically dresses in the
orange/yellow robes of a Stellar Divinity adept: in his case, the Sacred Order of Sol. One day, he expects to set up a
Shinto shrine for the purpose of worshipping both the star god (“Hoshi no kami”) of a given system, and the star
29
god of Sol System, Amaterasu. and always keeps in his cabin an unused set of robes for that occasion.

Opening theme: “Because”, Yoko Kanno & Aoi Teshima, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV0D38nFUhU

A manifestation of the shared immersive VR universe, “Blazing Glory”, that Kinoshita shared with c. eight million
Star Diviner sophonts on Theron. This virtual environment is used primarily for religious contemplation among
the star worshippers on and near the high-tech world. Kinoshita was a low-level Architect for the TL 15
simulated universe while on Theron: but now, in the Empty Quarter, he is too far away to do more than keep up
with months-old chatter, news, and updates. However, he still keeps a slice of the religious art on his own TL 15
personal computer, for personal meditation and worship. This graphic is titled “Moirai Gates” © Adriano
Portugal. See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Moirai-Gates-562963502

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Kinoshita still regrets that he will never live to step foot on the Grand Shrine of Ise: dedicated to the worship
of Amaterasu, it is the most highly respected Stellar Divinity shrine in the Solomani Sphere…

Origins
Named “Child of Space” by his mother, Uchūnoko was groomed from before birth to join the religious orders of
the Church of the Stellar Divinity. Mixing the concepts of State Shinto and Stellar Divinity (and sprinkling in a few
30
beliefs and rituals from the Imperial Cults ), the Emperor of the Third Imperium is publicly worshiped as a god on
his homeworld, Khurda (Gaakish/Antares 1036; in 993, D9D469B-6), and the Imperial Sunburst treated as the
31
sacred symbol of His power. It was broadly a TL 5 upbringing (a.k.a. AD 1930s / -2600 Imperial), in a fair imitation
of Imperial Japan before the Great Pacific War… with certain TL 14/15 extras, sprinkled here and there.

After passing his Rites of Manhood in his hometown of Ashiodigi, Kinoshita was inducted into the School of
Robotics, where he learned his trade. All students were expected to master an ancient Japanese weapon: Kinoshita
requested the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero", but was turned down until he had earned the right to do so. This took three
years of study (gaining serious research skills), winning one of the subsector-wide Ducal Awards for Original
Scholarship for his monographs on robotics. This sufficiently impressed the schoolmaster to request – and get – a
detailed replica of the Zero from the Duke, which (along with a free ten-year service agreement for fuel and
32
repairs) was awarded to the young man.

As Khurda bears a “Dense, High atmosphere” rating, the sophont population – various ancient and lost human
33 34
cultures , all sun-worshipping , all genetically and culturally recreated by Stellar Divinity-worshipping Nobles,
corporate executives, and other powerful figures – reside on various mountain ranges and plateaus of the world.
Many of these mountain ranges have been heavily reshaped to shelter pleasant micro-climates: in other instances,
the mountains have been partially hollowed-out, with water and ventilation piped in mechanically or by the
cunning use of gravity and heat.

Kinoshita’s hometown of 20,000 is actually set deeper in the atmosphere than most, with a series of massive
TL 10-12 domes protecting the TL 5 inhabitants from the crushing atmosphere. In case the domes fail, each
home, business, and community centre in Ashiodigi has pressure spheres for emergency shelter, and the town
itself has tunnels reaching to abandoned (but still viable) habitats at safe elevations.

One benefit of the lower elevation is more level land, allowing easier, more efficient, and more varied orchard
farming rather than the usual terrace-based mountain agriculture of the world.

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The Imperial Cult has no official support: if anything, Nobility and senior Imperial officers are quietly but
forcefully discouraged from joining such religions. “Let’s avoid a civil war with both the Abrahamic
monotheists and the Vilani Ritualists, shall we?” That doesn’t stop billions and billions of sophonts (mainly, but
not exclusively, from low-tech cultures: see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSXNv1ksmQQ for details)
from exalting the most powerful single man in Charted Space.
31
The heir of the Chrysanthemum Throne is also worshiped as the direct descendant of Amaterasu Ōmikami…
but discreetly. After all, he and his family has sided with (and reside in) the Solomani Confederation… and the
Imperium is, as of 993, hip-deep in a massive war against the Confederation. “If you want to find those
shrines, look for the other kind of Imperial Sunburst: red on white instead of yellow on black, and no rays.”
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The contract’s long expired, but the (disassembled) plane remains in Kinoshita’s possession. He’s always
keeping an eye out for a suitable landing field and hanger, so he can haul out the plane from storage, put her
back together (complete with ammo), and soar again in the air…
33
The Church of Stellar Divinity welcomes all sophonts… but, despite its origins in the First Imperium (See
Stellar Reaches #11, page 16 and Issue #17, page 64), the majority of worshippers in 993 are Solomani
humans, rather than the Vilani or minor race(s).
34
All adults who permanently reside on Khurda must be either members of Stellar Divinity (“Star Diviners”), or
members of another sun-worshipping/solar deity religion. Residents who abandon these beliefs are usually
exiled to nearby Theron: but those who refuse to go quietly, or who teach others to disbelieve in the Star
Gods, are executed. “There’s a reason for the Amber Zone, you know…”

With his own propeller plane (tuned to work in the unique atmosphere), Kinoshita was able to visit more of the
settlement than most natives ever do, becoming a minor celebrity. Every Holiday, Kinoshita would repaint the
Japanese Sun on the wings with the Imperial Sunburst, visiting every settlement on the planet with a landing strip
before landing at the starport, giving each settlement’s gift to the senior Stellar Divinity prelate, and standing
proudly as himself, his plane, and the Japanese Sun and Imperial Sunburst flags all received His Illuminated Grace’s
blessing, ‘straight from the sun’.

High Tide
After graduating from the local School of Robotics with the traditional cries of “Praise the Sun!” “Banzai!” and “Hail
the Emperor! HAIL HIM!” Kinoshita took his first trip off-world, going to the wealthy, heavily populated, but utterly
sterile lunar landscapes of Theron, one parsec spinward. (Theron/Gaakish/Antares 0937: in 993, A100999-F).

On this high-tech world, Kinoshita quickly discovered that his education back home only introduced him to
robotics. Working on the absolute bleeding edge of Imperial technology was something completely different! As of
973, only sixteen Imperial worlds were at TL F, and Theron was one of the four that was high-pop as well, able to
mass-produce the equipment, arms, starships, and computers the Imperium needed to meet the future with
confidence.

In a long-forgotten Stellar Divinity shrine, somewhere in the Imperial Empty Quarter, a priest prays to the sun.
Stellar Divinity is almost an extinct religion within the Empty Quarter, wiped out by the extremely aggressive
Solomani-origin religions. Still: there are many Imperial visitors from outside the sector who are sun
35
worshippers, and tiny remnant populations are tolerated in the major Hindu systems: but not in the Vilani ,
Kikhushegi, Islamic, Christian, or Jewish systems. This graphic is titled “The Offering II” © Andreas Rocha.
See his work at https://andreasrocha.deviantart.com/art/The-Offering-II-717207027

As one of the core epicenters of the planned Imperial shift to a TL F foundation, Kinoshita was kept very busy.
Heavy work loads were merely ‘paying your dues’. His co-workers were shipped off all across the Imperium to lead
technology transfers and provide on-the-spot guidance to local technologists, coming back after two years or five
years or a decade… or never coming home at all. In the meantime, academics, techpriests, feudal technarchs,
driven entrepreneurs, and megacorp research groups flowed to Theron from across the Imperium, to master the

35
As Star Diviners don’t conform to the Traditions, the Will of the Ancestors, and the Proper Rituals, their
future in the devout local Vilani systems is grim and short. For more on which system follows which religion,
see Stellar Reaches #19, page 18-19.

technology and the best practices needed to bring the goods home. Imperial Data Packs were drawn up, prying
Solomani and Vargr eyes blinded, design flaws fixed on the fly, and Kinoshita had the time of his life.

Recessional
After two decades of keeping up a relentless pace, Kinoshita was called into an office and given a choice: either
join one of the now-numerous Technological Uplift Working Groups – official and unofficial, governmental,
corporate, and increasingly even non-profit – on the Emperor’s dime, or cash out of the business.

Kinoshita knew that this day was coming, and had already contacted some friends to find a place where he’d fit in.
But before the meeting, he had visited his home system… and was invited by his local Priest of the Sun for dinner.
Knowing that Kinoshita remained a strong believer in the Star Gods – even being a lay preacher at times – the
Priest asked him to take on a very difficult task: to spread the Faith of the Sun into the Empty Quarter.

Afraid that Kinoshita would immediately say no, the Priest quickly added that he would be working among the
Hindu peoples, who already worshiped the sun as one of their major gods. The Stellar Divinity goal is to have this
deity, Surya, be elevated to the only Hindi deity worthy of worship. Kinoshita is to go forth and, with the assistance
of other missionaries and researchers, determine the best way to make this happen.

While any non-humans who are interested are welcome to know more, the focus is on the Solomani East Indians.

The Vilani have long seen Stellar Divinity as twisted and cruel innovations on the Right Way of Doing Things:
– “Traditions and rituals a mere 5,000 years old? Who do you think we are, gullible children?”

The Abrahamic monotheists see Stellar Divinity as out-and-out idolaters:
– “Choosing to elevate and worship a ball of hot gases as your Lord, in place of your Creator, Commander, and
Judge? Such contempt for God will not go unanswered!”

And the Bwap are Simply Not Interested.

After many prayers, carefully conducted rituals, and thoughtful meditation, Kinoshita decided to be a missionary of
Stellar Divinity in the Empty Quarter, pleasing his family and friends on the homeworld…

Discovery
36
As of 001-993, Kinoshita has finished worshipping at two makeshift Altars to the Suns. He is on the outskirts of
the abandoned city of Avesnes, the last major centre of star worship in the Empty Quarter, on the world of
37
Riamlir.

A skilled researcher and capable technologist, Kinoshita used some of the latest TL F toys to gingerly extract
information from centuries-dead data storage devices. The work would have been futile if the devices weren’t
Vilani-built to last at least a few centuries in humid and hot climates: as it is, what he got was fragmentary, taking
time to put together and fill in the gaps.

Somewhere in the Vargr Extents, in Dfotseth Sector, on the very edge of Charted Space, there is an isolated
civilization of minor humans. They have never gained jumpspace technology – despite otherwise being an Average
or High Stellar Tech level culture – and have no interest in leaving their homesystem. What they ARE interested in
is colonizing and exploiting a gas giant that due to its chemical properties and close orbit to it’s primary has a

36
Riamlir has two suns, class K3 V (which the homeworld orbits) and M3 V. Naturally, Kinoshita raised up
altars to both of them, worshipping them as powerful deities (“kami”), and preforming the appropriate ritual
for their star type, the planets and moons that escort them, and the star’s distance from his location.
37
See Stellar Reaches #11, page 16, for more information.

remarkable degree of illumination within its upper atmosphere, without being a true star. The overall visual effect
38
is of residing within a star… without the annoying radiation, literal physical meltdown, or instant disintegration.

The Vargr Extents is known for its instability: and even though the carnivorous population doesn’t eat people as a
39
rule , they definitely like the idea of hunting and killing prey. It’s better for a lone target scientific research vessel
to beeline directly to the investigation site, rather than just wandering aimlessly around, exciting appetites. “Try
not to be a piece of prime steak being waved about before hundreds of thousands of hungry wolf packs, ‘kay?”

An immense power core within a gas giant, somewhere in Dfotseth Sector. Exactly what requires this level of
power is unknown, but it’s sufficiently star-like to catch the interest of Stellar Divinity researchers.
The ability to create a true star would revolutionize the religion…
This graphic is titled “Icarus Gate” © Adriano Portugal
See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Icarus-Gate-674338035

Kinoshita needs to pin down the date these photos were taken, verify their authenticity, and then consult with
professional astronomers to pin down the gas giant’s location. (It takes starlight roughly 500 years to reach from
the hypothetical gas giant to the Imperial borders and the high-power, high-tech observatories there.) Once the
site has been pinned down, Kinoshita plans to lead an expedition to the glowing-yet-habitable gas giant.

38
This gas giant has been tuned – artificially or naturally – to only emit radiation in certain limited visual
frequencies. Compared to the mighty full-spectrum emissions of a proper star, it’s as cool as a cucumber.
39
Outside of Blood Vargr space. But inside? “Imperial expeditions into their region has always been staffed by
all-Vargr crews, since they have by far the highest chance of returning alive. Their reports do include the rare
instance of killing and consuming humans: rare because – for obvious reasons – large human populations
don’t exist in violently paranoid societies of technologically sophisticated hunter-killer packs. But a better rule
of thumb is to assume that they kill not for consumption… but simply because it feels good.”

It will have to be left for others to spread the news to the other trillion or so Star Diviners, and establish the
transport networks through Vargr Space and bring the most devoted (…and seriously wealthy…) of pilgrims to that
40
world.

To spark curiosity and interest:
From http://exoplanets.psu.edu/astronomers-discover-sunscreen-snow-falling-on-hot-exoplanet/

Astronomers discover sunscreen snow falling on hot exoplanet

Astronomers at Penn State have used the Hubble Space Telescope to find a blistering-hot giant planet
outside our solar system where the atmosphere “snows” titanium dioxide — the active ingredient in
sunscreen. These Hubble observations are the first detections of this “snow-out” process, called a “cold
trap,” on an exoplanet. This discovery, and other observations made by the Penn State team, provide
insight into the complexity of weather and atmospheric composition on exoplanets, and may someday
be useful for gauging the habitability of Earth-size planets.

“In many ways, the atmospheric studies we’re doing now on these gaseous ‘hot Jupiter’ kinds of
planets are test beds for how we’re going to do atmospheric studies of terrestrial, Earth-like planets,”
said Thomas Beatty, assistant research professor of astronomy at Penn State and the lead author of
the study. “Understanding more about the atmospheres of these planets and how they work will help
us when we study smaller planets that are harder to see and have more complicated features in
their atmospheres.” The team’s results are published in the October, 2017 issue of The Astronomical
Journal.

Beatty’s team targeted planet Kepler-13Ab because it is one of the hottest of the known exoplanets.
Its dayside temperature is nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Kepler-13Ab is so close to its parent star
that it is tidally locked, so one side always faces the star while the other side is in permanent darkness.
The team discovered that the sunscreen snowfall happens only on the planet’s permanent nighttime
side. Any visitors to this exoplanet would need to bottle up some of that sunscreen, because they
won’t find it on the sizzling-hot daytime side.

The gas giant in Kinoshita’s story is more illuminated than hot, as the story’s visual goal is a well-lit but
comparatively cool deep atmosphere, not the actual creation of a true star. (A project that the wealthy Church of
Stellar Divinity is very interested in, by the way.) But it’s still good for Travellers and eager terraformers to know.
After all, such hot gas giants can extend the habitability zone of a star system nicely…

Closing theme: “Rise of the Espers”, Evan Call, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEtZ1z4RfV4

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If you are really interested in the Church of Stellar Divinity, the most comprehensive canon material can be
found in Traveller20’s Gateway to Destiny, which you can buy here:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/160096/D2002-Traveller20-Gateway-To-Destiny Note that the religion 1)
has great variation and 2) is described as generally a force for peace. I am willing to accept that claim: but note
that pacifist religions don’t do well in the Empty Quarter. A more violent and aggressive version of Stellar
Divinity was invented for the post-Rebellion Sacred Stars theocracy of Fornast, in the alternate timeline
described in Stellar Reaches #17. Certainly, there have been several militant sun-worshipping empires in
history, as the Egyptians, Aztecs, Hindus, and Japanese would cheerfully explain…


Somewhere in Dfotseth Sector, this shot was taken. A frame of a digital video, depicting a large station, set
within a gas giant, where light interacts with the atmosphere to display a set of remarkable properties.
Assuming cryptographic verification and dating, Kinoshita intends to organize and perhaps lead an expedition to
this world, a world he believes to be sacred… This graphic is titled “Walls” © Adriano Portugal
See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Walls-563908463


A home for the Bwap. The Wabe-ser Keekta Estates on Hebrin, 993 Imperial.
This graphic is titled “The Sub Oasis of Lyra 8” © Artur Rosa
See his work at https://arthurblue.deviantart.com/art/The-Sub-Oasis-of-Lyra-8-711685042

Baron Apab Saewabaath, Senior Estate Executive
Guarding the Guests
UPP 6D79CC, Age 55, Bwap
Skills: Admin - 5, Ship Tactics - 3, Pilot - 2, Ship’s Boat - 2, Vacc Suit - 2, Liaison - 1, Interrogation - 1, Leadership - 1,
Interview - 1, Navigation - 1, Engineering - 0, Grav Vehicle - 0, Computer - 0, Sub Machinegun - 0, Handgun - 0,
Electronics - 0, Rifleman - 0, Artisan - 0, Bribery - 0

Languages: Bwap (Native), Anglic (Transform)

Tools: Like most senior managers, all of his tools are in his head, with a few data processing and communication
41
tools on a portacomp/datapad/smartlink as needed. A light naval laser pistol will be worn and an extra
water/irrigation tank for personal use will be strapped on his back (for humidification purposes) when going out
and about on the hot Hebrin streets.

Visual: A very well-dressed Bwap, with yellow and brown blotches on his blue-black skin. Instead of the typical
kaftan, Baron Apab wears a custom ultralight helmet w/visor: typically, administrivia, spreadsheets, data and
schematics are projected within the visor, and it can handle encrypted communications as well. In formal
occasions, miniatures of the Imperial medals he won during his naval service will be displayed on his left breast.

Opening theme: “Towers of the Void”, Anthony Gonzalez and Brian Reitzell,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=402zEqY5-pk

41
Come on, ‘smartphone’ is so mundane! At least let me get in a nod to the spirit of 70s/80s sci-fi…

Military Service
Born on Marhaban, the homeworld of the Bwap and an important world in the sector, Apab early tested well for a
life in the Imperial Navy, and his privileged (but not truly aristocratic) crèche groomed him for a naval life. His
induction into naval service went smoothly, and he served for two decades on various Imperial ships and fighter
squadrons. In his second decade of service, Apab transferred to the Line department, rising to captain the
Abathwepesake, one of twenty 1000-ton TL E Fer-de-Lance Escort Destroyers tailored for Bwap use (i.e. very
humid internal environments), and organized into two 10-ship squadrons for patrol and escort duty within the
Imperial Empty Quarter. Captain Apab’s skill in ship-to-ship tactics – and his ability to pick out other, similarly
skilled officers to join the squadron – led to his promotion to Group Captain of a squadron.

For the next two decades, Group Captain Apab was transferred to the back office, to hone his administrative skills
to get the Empty Quarter naval establishment the goods, ships, and skilled crews the underpowered sector
admiralty needed to do its job. A fair bit of these years were spent shuttling between Capital and Nulinad, linking
the courts of the Emperor and the Sector Duke: it was during these years that he was raised to a Baron. His final
year of service, in 991, gave the recently elevated Baron the august honour of once again captaining the
Abathwepesake… as the personal transport of the new Bwap Sector Duke of the Empty Quarter, Duke
Dethwabtakebwebwakawa.

Civilian Service
Finally leaving the service at 53, Baron Apab was tapped to be the next executive of the Wabe-ser Keekta Estates
on dry Hebrin. These habitats are designed to serve primarily wealthy Bwap local crèches, visitors & retirees, as
well as and various non-Bwap sophonts who need a humid habitat for survival. Baron Apab has handled these new
responsibilities with aplomb, strengthening local defenses, easing tensions with the Solomani Arab locals, and –
like a true Imperial patriot – deftly raising and brushing up the Imperial profile, funding local charities and
celebrations while making sure the Imperium gets good local press.

But now, it’s time to deliver on the fine words and graciously noble attitudes the Baron has encouraged. Baron
Apab is interested in turning the land the Wabe-ser Keekta Estates rests on into an Imperial Fief, attached to his
title, and his title shifted from just a lifetime Noble, to an inheritable title he can pass on to his crèche. This would
provide quite a number of administrative, taxation, and jurisdictional benefits, including a contingent of Imperial
military assets to serve at his command.

His main obstacle to getting his own fief are the planetary Solomani Arabic Noble families (led by Hadad of House
Temiz, Duke of Hebrin Subsector) that managed to retain their titles in the aftermath of the Hebrin Rebellion.
Naturally, they dislike the idea of yet another infidel – a non-human infidel! – laying down roots on what used to
be a pure, shining centre of Arab Solomani culture. But these houses have not survived this long in a hostile
Imperial culture – an Imperium currently (as of 993 Imperial) at war with the Solomani Confederation – without
choosing their battles wisely… and capitalizing on opportunities, when they present themselves.

To summarise: they are willing to brush away their concerns, and back Baron Apab in his quest to gain a fief on
Hebrin, and make his Imperial title a permanent hereditary one. Moreover, they will provide military support and
even political cover for his estate and fief. The additional firepower would be welcomed, but it Is the political
support that’s most valuable, as it’s better to simply be off the radar of terrorist groups and irregular fighters than
try to fight off all their varied and creative attacks. In return, they want his support in nominating any three
Solomani Arabs for noble positions on any world in the subsector; a certain amount of support and advice when
dealing with “the being that currently leads the sector”, and a cut of any water supplies he brings into the Estates.
(Water doubles as currency on Hebrin.)

The Baron is no stranger to high-level intrigue at court… but it’s different when it’s his crèches’ lives, position and
property that’s on the line. Not only does he have to grasp the constellation of relationships between local

Solomani, Mixed Vilani, Vilani, and other noble houses on Hebrin (the world and the subsector, and in the sector
court): he now has to deal with the explosive factors of virulent, intense race-grounded tribalism and dangerous,
incomprehensible alien religions and barely veiled dynastic envy, all mixed with ancient, simmering grudges. “And
42
exactly what is the worth of a Solomani promise to those Inferiors outside of the Race, anyways?”

Ah, for the days when he just had to follow procedures… when the enemy was simply an experienced and lethal
high-tech corsair hunting pack from Ikon… when his friends wore one uniform, and his foes another.

Closing theme: “Air and Light”, Sean and Dean Kiner, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-k1PKbt5fI

43

"When we understand that slide, we’ll have won the war." – General McChrystal, 2009

Baron Apab, member of a born race of bureaucrats, boasts an Administration rating of five, so at least he has a
sporting chance of understanding what is going on in the slide above. But for his situation, you need to toss out
some things (“Coalition domestic support”) stick in others (“Imperial dynastic relations, by race, religion, corporate
ties, marriage ties, and location”) and switch around other factors (“…but keep the complexity about the same.
Well, maybe you’ll have to boost it a bit. Well, a lot.”)

Well, at least there isn’t a real insurgency going on, on Hebrin. Not in 993 Imperial, anyways…

42
Actually, in the antebellum Imperium – when most thrones were Solomani thrones – such a promise was
actually pretty solid! But now? ‘Caution is advised’ at the very least…
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Hat tip: Gary North, “When Charts Confuse”,
https://www.garynorth.com/members/login.cfm?hpage=17762.cfm


Most Nobles will bow to practical considerations, and put away their crowns when commanding armies,
traversing the Imperium, or overseeing family business operations. But Baronet Nicolette isn’t like most Nobles…
This graphic is titled “Princess Knightley” © Wolfgang Amadeus LeBlanc.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Princess-Knightley-713081130

Baronetess ‘Princess’ Nicolette von Wright, Title Administrator
Lesser Arms Steward
UPP 59A7CC, Age 25, Pure Solomani (Anglo-American)
Skills: Linguistics - 2, Mechanical - 2, Liaison - 2, Admin - 1, Interview - 1, Steward - 1, Vacc Suit - 0, Grav Vehicle - 0,
Computer - 0, Psychology - 0, Handgun - 0, Leadership - 0, Carousing - 0
Languages: Anglic (Core, Native), Vilani (Old High), Vilani (Modern)

Tools: None, really, besides the usual handheld computer aide/netlink. The Baronetess is experimenting with the
use of a commdot behind her ear, though: it frees her hands, but it’s still a bit irritating and distracting. She never
carries a weapon, and generally doesn’t lug around her ceremonial toolbox – but it’s kept in her cabin, just in case.

Visual: Baronetess Nicolette dresses well below her station – well, outside her orbiting home habitat – typically in a
dull green workman’s overalls. She absolutely insists on wearing her baronetess’ tiara wherever she goes: an
ingeniously designed crown, it is capable of being folded up into a simple, flat circlet around her head for those
times she needs to don a helmet for a spacesuit or a safety helmet. As she often needs to interact with other
Nobles in her line of work, she also has an extensive range of proper gowns, robes, expensive formal dresses, and
the rest of the paraphernalia of a proper noblewoman… but that’s just work, not the woman herself.

Note: Whenever possible, Nicolette prefers to be referred to as ‘Princess Nicolette’, not ‘Baronetess Nicolette’: this
includes her servants, staff, and hirelings. True: that’s her formal title back in her home habitat. But more
importantly, young girls (now and in the Far Future) dream of being princesses: not baronesses, duchesses, queens,
or empresses. “It’s not about the power: it’s about the joys of being safe and snug in a privileged family with a
powerful father who loves and protects you. Also of real significance, it’s about enjoying the love of your subjects,
fancy dress parties in a fabulous home, and high social status among successful and respected people.”

I will note that Princess Elizabeth of the Third Imperium – an actual working princess, with serious levels of
authority – is highly respected… and greatly feared, being the head of the Imperial secret services. One day, the
curious Referee should arrange for Princess Elizabeth and Baronetess Nicolette should to have a ten-minute chat.
Hopefully, the young Baronetess won’t simply throw up in a combination of awe and terror…

Opening theme: “Four Seasons”, Antonio Vivaldi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA

When Nicolette was growing up in space, she saw lots of pictures and videos of living worlds…
but the pics didn’t prepare her at all for the real thing.
This graphic is titled “Peace of Mind” © Andreas Rocha.
See his work at https://andreasrocha.deviantart.com/art/Peace-of-Mind-727633014

Back home
Princess Nicolette was born in the Jindebt V Habitat, a city that has grown around an orbital starship maintenance
port. Created during the First Imperium, the Habitat has been inhabited for over 3000 years (with a few multi-
decade gaps here and there). Until 536, it was both the subsector capital and main Imperial starport for the world
of Piilier (Sapphyre/Dagudashaag 1833: in 993 Imperial, A784675-D) even after being replaced by a space
city/capital/starport, built new from the keel up, Jindebt V still boasts a population of 30,000, and is an
independent kingdom. Currently, it’s economy is focused on asteroid & raw ore processing, and a brand new set of
shipyards, raising new starships and spacecraft of up to 600 tons in size. The station itself is unarmed… but the
44
Kingdom of Jindebt does have a squadron of fighters and a set of low-profile missile-mines for protection.

As a Feudal Technocracy, the ruling elite on this station holds power by their knowledge of the systems needed to
keep everything running, especially life support, power, and electronics. The third child of King Royce II, Princess
Nicolette is somewhat unusual, as she trained in mechanics rather than the usual skill sets. Still, she was happy to
be on call for needed repairs as an young apprentice to another technician-aristocrat, and was overjoyed when she
was awarded with a spanking new set of royal work overalls, a ceremonial toolbox with beautiful and ornate
implements (the ratchet handle is her favorite: “A smooth action, fine grip, and shimmering sapphire highlights!”),
and a graceful, light, and well-engineered crown: “fit for all occasions, on the job and at the ball.”

Far from home
Over her objections, the Princess was sent away to the local branch of the Imperial College of Arms to continue her
education (and build family connections with other noble houses). The branch was not far – this is a subsector
capital, after all, so the Colleges’ office was in-system. This meant that she could stay in radio contact with family
and friends, and help was never far away. Still, Nicolette was quite unhappy… until she attended her first Ducal
ball. The glitter, fine conversation, august guests, and elegant entertainment were more impressive and
enchanting than she ever dreamt of. Re-energized, she did far better in her studies and training.

Eventually, she was sent to Capital to be interviewed and inspected by the Imperial Herald of Arms. The Princess
was offered a position as an Arms Steward, to investigate lesser nobility – generally baronets and barons – and to
regain the fiefs in the name of the Emperor, if the noble in question was too dishonourable, too disrespected, too
impoverished, or otherwise unable to uphold the responsibilities inherent in the position.

As Imperial titles are for life, she can’t force the holder to give the title up, assuming they haven’t actually broken a
major Imperial Law (regarding treason, etc). Instead, she was to persuade them to voluntary relinquish the title:
determining the price to be paid (usually a decent sum of money and relocation to a different part of the Imperium
where the family can start afresh) is not nearly as difficult as persuading the Noble in question to even consider
letting go of the title in the first place. “These things generally take time to work out.”

As of 001-993, the Princess, raised to an Imperial Baronetess, to help her with her work, has been at the Empty
Quarter Sector Capital at Nulinad for several weeks now. The local office of the College has arranged for several
low-level, struggling Nobles to meet with the Princess, and – assuming that she can close the deal – to travel with
her on the sumptuous College-owned yacht she commands, until she relocated them to a new home.

Complicating matters is the rumour that she has a secret Imperial Warrant, allowing her to select certain unreliable
Senior Houses for extinction, and thus allow the Emperor to raise one of his low-level favorites and allies to a more
powerful position within the Imperial Peerage. No, this isn’t true: and, for the record, the Princess is not a high-
level terminator android, not a cybernetic assassin, didn’t garrote a corporate competitor in an elevator, is not an
S-level hacker, has no secret psionic power to throttle people when viewing them onscreen, and doesn’t have an
stealth Imperial Navy cruiser and a company of battledress Imperial Marines on call.

44
More important are the defense treaties she enjoys with her neighbours and the Imperium. Note that
within the Imperial Core, even small civilian transport can afford to travel unarmed, as per the MegaTraveller
Starships supplement. “When even the little guy is protected, pirates quickly move on.”


What she does need is a decent starmerc with a ship with good jump capacity, hopefully jump3 or jump4. Her
45
yacht, the Sapphire Stars, is a fine jump4 vessel … and is completely unarmed. It does have two hardpoints, but
she has found it amazingly difficult to find suitable turrets that can be installed on Nulinad.

“But this is the sector capital! Every class-A starport I have ever seen has spare turrets available!”
“Ma’am, we are in a major war right now, and the Imperial Navy has sucked up most of the military gear in the Six
Subsectors – especially the heavy stuff. Even the civilian-grade supplies have been completely bought up.”
“This is the SECTOR CAPITAL!”
“Yes, but it’s the sector capital of the Empty Quarter. Things are different here; and not in a good way.”
“Well… how about starmercs? I can’t just have the ship jump naked into pirate-infested space!”
“Everyone I can find – definitely all the good ones – have been contracted out for years into the future.”
“And the others?”
“I find them… less than trustworthy. I’d advise not finding out just how untrustworthy they are, when we’re ten
light-years from any help.”
The Princess glares at her manservant, who looks back calm and unperturbed.
“What do you suggest, Wyman?”
“Assuming time is of the essence, I recommend a reliable, well-maintained armed civilian ship of former Navy
leadership, preferably with an ex-Navy or Scout crew as well, of good reputation and experienced with pirates. We
are unlikely to find a ship of greater than Jump2 capacity here, but there is a possibility of finding something
46
better. Regardless, reaching our destination slowly is better than not reaching it at all.”
“Very well, then. Have a list ready for me tomorrow. I need to attend a function with the local President at 1900
local time, and I will need suitable transport to Government House…”

Closing theme: “Eyes Closed and Travelling”, Peter Broderick, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-0KRZXG8Yw

The banner of House Wright. Family historians insist that the earliest ancestors were members of NASA,
and friends of Colonel Lorette Kathryn Strider, commander of the Starleaper One
crew that discovered the Vilani settlement at Barnard’s Star on -2422 Imperial.
This graphic is titled “Flag for a futuristic United States” © sirion101.
See his work at https://sirion101.deviantart.com/art/Flag-for-a-futuristic-United-States-731600873

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To be precise, a TL 15 Desiree Keah Class 400-ton yacht, the very first civilian TL 15 civilian vessel to enter
the Imperial Empty Quarter. For specs and the deck plan, see FASA Adventure Class Ships, Volume 1,
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/64487/CTF-ACS1-FASA-Adventure-Class-Ships-Volume-1-For-Traveller
46
Imperial Noble servants have an informal, but potent, mutual assistance and information/rumour network
that secret agents would drool over if they could ever get access to it. Which they can’t, by and large…

Imperial Dreams

The graphic on the left is titled “Gateway” and the right, “Transit”. Both © Adriano Portugal. See his work at
https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Gateway-553805203 and
https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Transit-675747369

Thoughtful, innovative sophonts across the Imperium dream of a network of low-cost, high-capacity jumpgates
raised across Charted Space, making trade, discovery, family gatherings, pilgrimages and adventure far less costly
and dangerous. Bringing this vision to life faces a daunting range of challenges, from the need to gain mastery of
jumpspace to gathering together the enormous funds needed to actually build the gates… and figuring out how to
keep them powered up. Many Imperial sci-fi authors – mainly Solomani and Vargr, some Mixed Vilani, and a few
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Minor Races – set their stories in such a networked, vastly expanded Imperium: jumpgates and instantaneous FTL
communication are the most common tropes they use to set their stories in the Far Future.

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The Vilani don’t do sci-fi. “Far too innovative and imaginative! Absolutely DISGUSTING!”

Exodus

Clazomenae, the gas giant of Hipponax in the Solomani Rim, as seen from Hipponax’s South Pole.
Hipponax’s unusual orbit is as odd as the naturally welcoming biosphere.
This graphic is titled “Ringed” © Justinas Vitkus
See his work at http://www.deviantart.com/art/Ringed-418350500

Starting theme: “High Spirits”, Joe Hisaishi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42wVzjowZ9g
Overview
Exodus is the skeleton of an adventure that covers the relocation of a long-lost branch of an aristocratic family
tree, from an important but distant world of the Solomani Confederation to a minor family fief within the Third
Imperium. It’s meant to work as a canvas for the Referee to show and illustrate the broad differences between the
worlds of these vast starnations, as well as the fundamental differences between the Confederation and the
Imperium. It is also something of a sci-fi/art showcase, to broaden and inspire the imagination of what the Referee
can present to his PCs.

Unlike most of the stories of Stellar Reaches, this adventure is set in the Classic Traveller era, far from the Empty
Quarter. This was necessary due to my desire to follow a journey across multiple sectors and the lack of Solomani
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Rim War-era astronomical data.

Udermon, the vast city that surrounds the equally vast Sonho Landing, the primary starport of Hipponax.
This graphic is titled “Mr Neyhiru Arrived” © Jaroslaw Marcinek
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Mr-Neyhiru-Arrived-539944467

Before the adventure begins, the Referee and the PCs should determine the broad differences between Imperial
and Solomani societies, and between the specific cultures of the Imperial House Popa and the Popai ethnic group
of Hipponax, separated from their Imperial cousins by 184 parsecs, four centuries, a major interstellar border, and
some old grudges. (But at least the grudges are finally being reconciled...)

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If Traveller ever really builds up this milieu, detailed data on the core warzones of the Solomani Rim War
will be critical!

Also, note that the journey to Hipponax is left undescribed… except that it was a fast journey (page 149 footnote).
If the Referee desires, he may plant a string of old friends, foes, unresolved issues and missed opportunities for the
PCs to encounter on their return journey. Don’t let any opportunity for adventure go to waste!
The Popagroup will work hard avoid conflict zones as much as possible.
But conflict may well find the PCs anyways, if they’re walking point for the convoy. Be prepared.
This graphic is titled “Crash Site” © Jaroslaw Marcinek
See his work at https://yar0.deviantart.com/art/Crash-Site-647042198
Conflicts and Clashes

Stories are driven by conflict, action and discovery, and this one is no exception. But PCs need to know who they
are and what they want, before they can choose correctly.

Are the PCs Imperial or Solomani? That is, are they part of the ships crew and leadership of the Popagroup, a
convoy sent from the Imperium to bring home the long-lost family members? Or are they part of the migrating
Solomani family members, leaving an old familiar Solomani world behind in hops of a better life as an Imperial?

If they like action, the PCs should be the visiting Imperials, crewing one of the patrol cruisers of the Popagroup. The
PCs can command starships, have greater immediate authority, and have a greater scope of action here. The
Solomani characters are better for pure roleplay, discovering an entirely new land, new species, new ways of life, a
new family, and a new world. It is somewhat less active, as the Solomani PCs are being led and protected by their
Imperial brothers. But leading a community, after it is settled down, means more power (and responsibility) later.

(Previous) In an odyssey like the Popagroup's, the Traveller should expect great wonders…
as well as great dangers. ‘Best keep some distance from the megafauna.’
This graphic is titled “Adamastors” © Adriano Portugal
See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Adamastors-676738519


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The many worlds of Clazomenae, of which Hipponax is just one. This graphic is titled “A Perfect Sunset XVI” ©
Axel JP. See his work at https://axel-astro-art.deviantart.com/art/A-Perfect-Sunset-XVI-702796787

If Imperial, are the PCs convoy leaders and staff, or starship officers and crew? Convoy leadership gives more
money and political power, but starship personnel interact directly with new faces and new environments:
bureaucrats and soldiers, merchants and the press, friends and foes.

Do they man the Low Liners & the Freighters? The Subsidized Liners? The Patrol Cruisers? Or the Free Trader?
Each ship – all jump3 capable - has a role to play in the Popagroup convoy: but some roles are more fun than
others. The physical stats of the starships are detailed elsewhere (pages 125 – 146): noted below is their role in the
convoy, and their suitability as a base for the PCs.

• Brazasia, Exultation, Channel Light, Vision Afar: 1000-ton Mer Aiani-class Low Liners. These ships are the
main workhorse of the flotilla, actually bringing home the people the House needs. These vessels are
protected, and kept at the centre of the convoy: but they are not well armed, and are expected to stay
out of trouble. If all goes well, life here should be boring and safe. The first choice for ordinary, working-
class people actually living in the game world, but not for the real-life, adventure-loving people who play
Traveller!

49
Hipponax system is left undetailed in this adventure. If the Referee wishes, he can decree that all these
moons are terraformed (“That Solomani biotech skill!”) and populated, and run an entire campaign here! “But
this time, let’s have the Solomani roleplay a few years at home, before getting fed up and going Imperial.”


The Solomani Confederation isn’t a quarter of the size of the Third Imperium… but there are still more worlds
than you can shake a stick at within her borders. This graphic is titled “Dreaming of Traveling” © Psyxis.
See his work at https://psyxis.deviantart.com/art/Dreaming-of-Traveling-472457043

50
• Starsnstripes, Soaring Eagle : 1000-ton Aiani Freighters. Supplemental to the mission, the Aiani-class
freighters are still important to the overall success of the mission, bringing the effects and wealth of the
migrants over to Imperial Space. “All we have, everything we own, our entire past life, tucked into one
cargo container.” Of all the vessels, these are among the more expendable vessels: but at about half a
billion credits a ship, House Popa certainly doesn’t want to lose a single one!

Much like the Low Liners, life here is ho-hum, routine, and predictable: great for in-game NPC crewmen
who just want to get home in one piece (and Vilani of all stripes), but a poor choice for most Traveller
players.

• Antique Lands, Invisible Cities: 600-ton Lord Somerset Subsidized Liners. These are the ‘command ships’ of
the flotilla. Well, actually, only Antique Lands host the Imperial command staff of the Popagroup convoy.

Invisible Cities is outfitted with the same comforts and luxury as Antique Lands, and will provide the
leaders of the Solomani migrants with a very pleasant journey: but they have no command authority over
the Imperial ships and crew (excluding courtesies and formalities).

Antique Lands is where the Imperial decisions are made for the convoy, political, military, and financial.
Invisible Cities is where the Solomani leadership of the migrants work to digest the loss of the old, and the
arrival of the new.

50
Yes, yes, the First American Republic (AD 1776 - ????) has been gone for 3000 years by the time of Emperor
Strephon – or 3300 years, but whose really counting? – but even today, there may be sailing ships named after
the symbols of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs like the Deshret and Hedjet (combined, these two crowns make
the Pshent), the Feather of Maat, the Flail and Crook (look it up, you’ll probably recognize it), Heb-Sed, the
Sekhem, the Uraeus (the Cobra: you’ve seen it in movies before), and the Nemes (that big headdress the
Pharaohs always wear in the movies). Anyways, the point is, symbols of a really famous government can be
recognized even millennia from now, long after said government became so much drifting sand…

The Solomani migrants don’t have much power on the journey: that kicks in after arriving at their
destination, put their money and talents to work, and start building wealth, leveraging relationships,
establishing roots in the new soil, and settling old scores. But the plans of the migrants are drawn up on
Invisible Cities, during the journey.

For this adventure, I assume that most action-oriented Traveller role-players will take a pass here for the
liners. But for a second play-through? This time, with a roleplaying or high command focus? Maybe…

There is a series of major Solomani naval and military bases over and on the important high-tech, high-pop
world of Hipponax – both for protection, and to remind the local liberal government not to wander too far off
Solomani Racial Doctrine. This graphic is titled “Scramble!” © BlastWaves. See his work at
https://blastwaves.deviantart.com/art/Scramble-621868525

• Endgame, Verdigris Coin: 600-ton Lurushaar Kilaalum Patrol Cruisers. Small but capable warships,
despised but respected by pirates across the Imperium… and beyond. Definitely PC material – ‘the more
action, the better’!

If the Referee wants to use the well-developed background of House Popa beyond this adventure, then
the PCs should be servants/members of the same House. If not, make them members of House Horai of
Cyril/Moibi/Reft, an allied family with (it is rumoured) good connections with _________: the Patrol
Cruisers and their crew are loaners, and will return home when the mission is done.

The ship the PCs choose should be crewed as they wish: but the other Patrol Cruiser should be run on an
antagonistic manner. If the PCs are Imperial loyalists, the other ship’s captain and crew should show
subversive tendencies. If the PCs are careful old hands, the other ship should be arrogant (and lucky!)
newbies. PC crews who are a carefree mix of all the Imperial races should be matched by a by-the-book
monoracial crew. Money-is-all cynics should be partnered with uncompromising ideologues and fanatics.


If the PCs want both patrol cruisers, then use their different personalities and styles to push conflict and
clashes. How do they react to difficult orders from convoy command? To outside pressure? If attacked by
pirates, who does what? When only one set of orders can be obeyed, who leads and who follows?

51
• Whippersnapper (300-ton Calypso class Far Trader). Why not a long-legged, jump3 small merchantman,
similar to the traditional Traveller PC ship? If the PCs own the ship, some backstory will have to be created
to give a reason for their membership in the Popagroup (Family ties? Cash? Tourism? Covert Imperial
Security surveillance?) and giving them a role in support of the convoy. If the PCs don’t own the ship, then
they are hired as agents for the convoy: going ahead to prepare the way (pathfinder duties), acting as a
message courier, picking up goods the convoy needs, etc.

While the plurality/majority of the Hipponax population follows variations of the Orthodox (Eastern, Oriental,
and Cyclical) branches of the Christian faith, there are many Sufi and Druze Muslims as well. This graphic is titled
“Journey to Shatter Island!” © Erik Shoemaker. See his work at https://www.artstation.com/kire
and https://erikshoemaker.deviantart.com/art/Journey-to-Shatter-Island-355197548

Characters

Imperial Visitors
The Players are leading members and trusted servants of House Popa, a minor aristocratic house within the
Imperium with enough wealth to move a thousand distant relatives and their cargo across 184 parsecs: a
52
substantial amount of wealth, in other words. They primarily want to get their assets – expensive ships and highly
trained men – back to their Imperial homeworlds in one piece; secondarily, they want to complete their mission,
and bring back hundreds of willing relatives to beef up trustworthy familial manpower.

• Imperial PCs are into action – keeping the convoy in shape, liaising with local authorities and contacts,
avoiding fights with Confederation forces, driving off pirates.

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Incidentally, the Jump4 Desiree Keah-Class yacht, mentioned in this issue’s ‘Personality Profiles VI’, has the
range needed to fit in the convoy. With a little rewriting and time-shifting, you could even get Princess
Nicolette herself in the adventure, as an Imperial representative, observer, or agent of some sort.
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Nothing much, compared to the quadrillions of a serious Imperial Core fortune (see: House Tukera), but still
quite beyond the imagination of most Imperials. “Commoners tend to lose focus when billions are discussed.”


Some PCs may well insist on leaving the beaten bath on their way to Nedropall, set in
the polar regions of the planet. Who knows what forgotten relics of earlier times they may discover?
This graphic is titled “Snow” © Goren Delic. See his work at https://delic.deviantart.com/art/Snow-135655296

Solomani Migrants
The Players here are important members of the Popai ethnic group, being reunited with their clan at great
expense. Born as second-class citizens – racially pure, but culturally disliked, and politically impotent outside of
their neighbourhoods in the icy city of Nedropall – a frozen settlement on a broadly wealthy and pleasant world,
they have to interact with the numerous cultures and contacts along the way, for good or ill, while keeping the
interests of their family (and their Race?) in mind. They also have to figure out what’s awaiting them, and how they
can adapt to Imperial culture.

• Solomani PCs are into roleplaying – interacting with Imperials, experiencing new worlds, adjusting to a
new interstellar society and new ways of thinking... and looking at the old ways in a new light.

Interestingly, there is no single book on creating a typical Imperial Mixed Vilani citizen – a softer form of Vilani,
described in the Vilani & Vargr and GURPS Traveller: Interstellar War books, is probably the best that can be done.
In contrast, there is quite a bit of good material for roleplaying Solomani: Classic Traveller’s Solomani Alien Book,
Digest Group’s Solomani & Aslan work, and more recently, Mongoose Traveller’s Solomani Alien Module.

The last view of an old friend, Clazomenae, before leaving the Hipponax homeworld forever…
This graphic is titled “Please don’t leave” © Axel JP.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Please-don-t-leave-655484190

At the Start
The adventure start date is 110-1105 Imperial (April 21, AD 5625 on the Solomani Calendar): Imperial PCs have just
arrived in-system, and (after a day of pre-arranged paperwork and procedures) are now cleared to pick up the
long-lost relatives/colonists for the long journey home. Solomani PCs, native to the world of Hipponax, have just
been notified that the Popagroup – and the new life it promises – has just arrived in-system, and is ready to bring
them to their new home in the Imperium. Both groups have 15 days to get everyone and everything together, and
on the flotilla to start the journey home.

Imperials

• Imperial PCs start onboard their respective starship(s) in the Popagroup.
Act out the relationships between
o PCs and their fellow crewmen;
o PCs and convoy command;
o PCs and Confederation starport traffic control;
o PCs and other traders, Solomani and otherwise. “A surprising amount of visitors from beyond
Confederation borders here.”
• Make landfall at the major planetary starport, Sonho Landing, close to the system capital, Udermon. “Very
cosmopolitan for a Confederation world!” Stretch their legs, get a feel of the world, take in the sights.
Gaze at the gas giant, dominating the sky.


The banner of House Popa.
It’s illegal to use the Imperial Sunburst without permission… but you can get close.
This graphic is titled “The New Flag of Florida” © Android.
See his work at https://achaley.deviantart.com/art/The-New-Flag-of-Florida-546918346

The flag of Kapakoo.
This graphic is titled “The Empire of Argentina” © Android. See his work at
https://achaley.deviantart.com/art/The-Empire-of-Argentina-472792942

• Make the journey to Nedropall – a polar city – by land highway, magnetic rail, grav bus… Marvel at the
richness of the ecosystem… and it’s gradual shift to arctic barrenness, as they approach their destination.
• The number of off-worlders falls drastically as the party draws closer to Nedropall, as can be expected
from going from warm and welcoming climes to more hostile and cold lands. And yet, the Imperials are
not treated with the raw hostility and suspicion they’ve usually been given on other Solomani worlds soon
after leaving the starport. (And often enough, even in the port itself!)
• Meet the local Popai migrants they will be transporting to their new home in the Imperium. Formally
greet the local representatives of the Solomani Party. Photo op, and a formal farewell dinner – no Party
reps at the dinner, though the local police are out in force. “To protect us, or to keep an eye on us?”
• Get a taste of local Solomani culture – different from most Solomani worlds. Wealthier, more open, and
less rigid racial boundaries: “Regardless of whose buying and selling, all customers are valued!”
• Better know their long-lost family members. Some people the PCs will like, and others they won’t.
• Work hard on getting people and stuff on their respective starships before dustoff.
• Get back on their ships, receive their order for the jump out, and begin the year-long journey home.


Nedropall was never the best of places… but some still home for some.
This graphic is titled “Ice Station Echo” © Neil Thacker.
See his work at https://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/ice-station-echo/2486808/

Solomani

• Solomani PCs start from their farewell dinner on their homeworld, in a rented hall in Nedropall, their
hometown and the stronghold of their Popai ethnic group.
• They finally meet their strange Imperial brothers from distant stars, bringing them to a new home.
Naturally, they note the physical similarities – lean bodies and light skin – and the differences – the
visitors have more Vilani physical characteristics, their version of Anglic is sometimes incomprehensible
(more Vilani and other non-Solomani loanwords), and they have a more open attitude about them (no
fear of secret security services).
• They sniff out which Imperials like them, which dislike them, and which are just indifferent.
• They get their first feel for Popa family politics, and begin to find their place in a new society, even as they
cut their ties with the old world – sometimes with sadness, and sometimes with joy.
• Time for last-minute goodbyes for friends and family they will never see again.
• Final bits of paperwork, hauling everything they can pack on the ships.
• Most of the Solomani migrants will be put in low berths to sleep through the 15-month or so journey (and
maybe wake up at the end of it): families hug as they are put to bed, knowing that there is only a good
probability that they will wake up again.
• The PCs are assumed to be among the chosen few that will remain awake for the entire journey. A less
risky way to travel, but also more expensive, so you have to be part of the Popai leaders (or be serving
them) to stay out of the low berths.


The flag of the Popai ethnic group. At the end of the journey, the flag will be repurposed
as the symbol of the Popa Migrants on Kapakoo, the “New Solomani Popa”.
This graphic is titled “World Born at Tilsit: British flag” © James Clouder. See his work at
https://spiritswriter123.deviantart.com/art/World-Born-at-Tilsit-British-flag-676347601

The flag of Hipponax. It was originally the household banner of House Hagababa, which abdicated, loyal to her
oath to the Iridium Throne… but also remains pure Solomani, and is influential in the most liberal wings of the
53
Solomani Party. This graphic is titled “Communist Israel” © James Clouder. See his work at
https://spiritswriter123.deviantart.com/art/Communist-Israel-466934003
Strength for the Journey

Following the schedule, the Popagroup is slated to jump out of Hipponax System on 125-1105 Imperial, a.k.a. May
54
6, AD 5625. A final set of transmissions are issued across the fleet: an Orthodox Christian prayer for a safe
journey let by a layman (no Orthodox priests are in the crew or among the colonists)…

Lord Jesus Christ my God, be my Companion, guide and protector during my journey. Keep me from all
danger, misfortune and temptation. By Your divine power grant me a peaceful and successful journey and
safe arrival. In You I place my hope and trust and You I praise, honor and glorify, together with Your Father
55
and Holy Spirit now and forever and ever. Amen.

53
“If you are Pure Solomani, you are a member of the Party. Quibbles about politics and religion and
geography and borders and history are Completely Beside The Point. Blood First!”
54
Thank you, http://www.convertunits.com/dates/125/daysfrom/Jan+1,+5625 !
55
Taken from http://stpeterorthodoxchurch.com/other-orthodox-prayers/

…a final word of farewell by a low-level Party functionary of the Hipponax Branch of the Solomani Party…

To the Vanguard of the Race!

We know that we have had our political differences, differences that have led to this parting, this division
between blood-brothers. But do not weep! No matter what, keep your blood pure and your Race Spirit
56
strong! Surely the Lord that you worship, as pure-blooded as we both are, would agree that division is
sometimes needed for growth, even the growth of the Race into Imperial Space! Someday, we will be
57
reconciled, and stand together as one over the galaxy! May the Solomani Cause guide you to everlasting
glory and victory!

…and a pre-recorded message from the Archon of House Popa, speaking for the Imperium…

My long-lost kinsmen, please accept this greeting as my poor substitute for personally joining you, as you
begin your journey into freedom and family! No matter the trials or the dangers or the distractions, press
on to your new home, safe under the protection of the Iridium Throne. In a weak echo of Our Lord, we are
preparing a place for you, here in the Imperium, a place where you can be free and prosperous and grow
into what you were meant to be, with your own vision of the future (and not someone elses) and only
fearing the eyes of the Christ (and not some government or political party). The journey will be hard, and
the risks high, but the reward will be great. Come!

With God, Emperor, and House respected (and, regrettably, the Party, who insisted on horning in with its own
58
message ), the Popagroup begins its long journey home to Kapakoo.

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A subtle sleight of hand here, as is appropriate for a minion of Satan. For Christ is fully divine (a.k.a.
uncreated, transcendent) as well as fully human… and Race is not the key in Christian theology, Ethics is.
57
Both the Imperium and the Confederation are territorial governments; but the Party is fundamentally a
racial ideology, while the Imperium is rooted in familial relationships.
58 th
The broadcast was part of the package deal for letting the colonists go. The Pharaohs of the 57 century are
nd
a good deal smarter than the Pharaohs of the 2 millennium BC. For one thing, they know that they are
working from a position of weakness, not strength…

(Previous) The Solomani like to bring bits of home wherever they go: ergo, penguins and symbols of Antarctica
on Hipponax, a world ~50 parsecs (~160 light-years) from Terra. This graphic is titled “South Pole Airlines” ©
Alexey Shirokikh. See his work at https://cyberkolbasa.deviantart.com/art/south-pole-airlines-539148869

System Listings
System name/Sector, Hex, UWP, Notes, Zone (Amber, Red)
Note: If interested, Traveller5 Importance, Economics and Culture extensions are available for each world at
www.travellermap.com – the source of the maps & datasheets on pages 55-57 – as of 1105 Imperial. This can
provide additional detail and inspiration… or just ignored, depending on the Referee.

For this listing:
“High-Tech” = Tech Level 14-15 (E, F). Leading interstellar technology
“Stellar Tech” = Tech Level 9-13 (A-D). Jump-capable technology
59
“Hellworld”, “Garden World”, “Poor”, “Rich” = defined as per Traveller5

Amber Zone systems are tolerated on the route, but the convoy will not stick around for resupply or repairs,
regardless of the port level or military presence. “We’re here and we’re gone.”
Red Zone systems are completely avoided on this journey.

Actually, merely entering a Red Zoned system isn’t usually a problem: the lethal action is typically on the world,
like on Shun/Hydaes/Canopus. (Yes: in 1105, Shun is officially unpopulated; yes, that is a Solomani invasion force
attacking a large city on Shun; and now is a real good time to Stop Asking Questions.) Still, the dangers hiding
behind those words usually and typically is enough for wise convoys to skip Red Zones completely.
This graphic is titled “Under Attack” © Alexey Shirokikh.
See his work at https://cyberkolbasa.deviantart.com/art/under-attack-574785707

59
Traveller5, the latest version of the game: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/150646/T5-Traveller5-Core-
Rules-Book-759-pages Note that this adventure uses Classic Traveller rules, by and large:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/80192/CTTTBThe-Traveller-Book

Hipponax / Hulda (Canopus 0118)
Allegiance: Solomani Confederation (SoCf)
System: K0 V — M0 V
1 Gas Giants — 2 Planetoid Belts — 7 Other Worlds
Naval Base — Military Base
Universal World Profile: A 8 8 9 A 8 A – E

Starport (Excellent) Technology Level (Above Average Imperial)
Size (12,800km) Law Level (Weapon possession prohibited)
Atmosphere (Dense) Government Type (Civil Service Bureaucracy)
Hydrosphere (90%) Population (Tens of billions)
Importance {Ix}: { 4 }
Economics (Ex): ( B 9 F +2 )
Resources (11) Efficiency (+2)
Labor (9) Infrastructure (15)
Culture [Cx]: [ 7 E 4 A ]
Homogeneity (7) Symbols (10)
Acceptance (14) Strangeness (4)
Total Population: 2 × 1010 = 20,000,000,000
Remarks: Hi High Population Co Cold Sa Satellite Cp Subsector Capital
Travel Zone: No Restrictions

Travellers' Aid Society Rating: Green
Jump-2 Neighborhood
Name Hex UWP B Remarks Z PBG A Stellar
Sorenson 3117 C997798-5 Ag Pi 515 SoCf F8 V M5 V M7 V
Euase 3217 D63868A-6 Ni 825 SoCf M1 V
HIPPONAX 0118 A889A8A-E KM Hi Co Sa Cp 221 SoCf K0 V M0 V
Sulabha 0218 D410361-8 Lo Co Tz Mr AslaW 102 SoCf M7 V
The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright © 1977 – 2016 Far Future Enterprises. Fair Use Policy

Kapakoo / Nuzuu (Verge 3001)
Allegiance: Third Imperium, Domain of Ilelish (ImDi)
System: M2 V
3 Gas Giants — 2 Planetoid Belts — 8 Other Worlds
Universal World Profile: B 5 6 4 5 9 4 – B

Starport (Good) Technology Level (Lower Average Imperial)
Size (8,000km) Law Level (Light assault weapons prohibited)
Atmosphere (Standard) Government Type (Impersonal Bureaucracy)
Hydrosphere (40%) Population (Hundreds of thousands)
Importance {Ix}: { 2 }
Economics (Ex): ( C 4 6 +1 )
Resources (12) Efficiency (+1)
Labor (4) Infrastructure (6)
Culture [Cx]: [ 3 7 3 9 ]
Homogeneity (3) Symbols (9)
Acceptance (7) Strangeness (3)
Total Population: 2 × 105 = 200,000
Nobility: Knight — Baronet — Baron
Remarks: Ag Agricultural Ni Non-Industrial Pr Pre-Rich
Travel Zone: No Restrictions

Travellers' Aid Society Rating: Green
Jump-2 Neighborhood
Name Hex UWP B Remarks Z PBG A Stellar
Elphintrax 3040 C574476-7 Ni Pa Da Chir4 A 413 ImDv F2 V M1 V
Unseren 3140 B552549-9 S Ni Po 803 ImDv G5 V
Fallion 2901 A401578-C Ic Ni Va 501 ImDi G1 V
Kapakoo 3001 B564594-B Ag Ni Pr 223 ImDi M2 V
Lekhana 3101 C556754-6 Ag 502 ImDi M2 V
Joe's World 2902 E681105-8 Lo 712 ImDi M1 V
Meesis 3102 C6357BA-8 Pz A 413 ImDi M0 V
Kutubba 3202 X563775-2 Ri Fo R 313 ImDi M1 V K5 V
Serafim 2903 C538230-A Lo 913 ImDi K5 V M9 V
The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright © 1977 – 2016 Far Future Enterprises. Fair Use Policy


Support Coverage refers to local organizations the Popagroup can call upon, for refuelling support, updated
information, trade assistance, starship repair & maintenance and legal help. The Traveller’s Aid Society which
normally provides these support services – or, more accurately, can point you to reputable vendors who can help
you out at a price – covers the entire Imperium (and numerous systems beyond), but is banned from Solomani
space, so local operations take up the slack for corporations.

The Terran Adventurer’s Society is accessible at every A- and B-class starport within the Confederation. But 1)
membership is restricted to Pure Solomani, and 2) the facilities are geared for small ships, not freighters.

Referees may find http://chaoticshiny.com/civgen.php useful for the random generation of planetary cultures. You
may also try out http://traveller5.net/tools/vilanitools.html, https://donjon.bin.sh/scifi/tsg/, and
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~jonoreita/T5%20World%20Map%20Generator/t5_world_builder.html.

SOLOMANI CONFEDERATION SYSTEMS
Hipponax/Canopus 0118 A889A8A-E
High-Pop, High-Tech, Naval Base, Military Base, Subsector Capital, Gas Giant Satellite
Support Coverage: Rimward Trade Links 3 parsecs to the next system

Wabaska/Ustral Quadrant 3215 B5A0522-A
Hellworld, Non-Industrial, Stellar Tech
Support Coverage: Rimward Trade Links 3 parsecs to the next system, (3 parsecs total), {1 jump so far}

Mollison/Ustral Quadrant 2914 B5779A8-7
High-Pop, Industrial
Astrographical note: Within six parsecs of the Aslan border
Support Coverage: Rimward Trade Links 3 (6) {2}

Welcin/Ustral Quadrant 3112 A425642-B
Non-Industrial, Stellar Tech

The world of Opova is well known as an enclave of exiled Imperial aristocrats, who chose loyalty to Race and
Party over their sworn oaths to the Iridium Throne. Over the years, the world has become a prosperous resort
system and a minor centre for studies on Imperial society, history and culture… even as the dreams of a
triumphant return to their old fiefs fade into nothingness. This graphic is titled “The Craters of Lyra 9” ©
Artur Rosa. See his work at https://arthurblue.deviantart.com/art/The-Craters-of-Lyra-9-721580881


There is a certain charm to living on low-G worlds like Opova. This graphic is titled “The Sentinels” ©
Artur Rosa. See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/The-Sentinels-723197659

Vilnius/Ustral Quadrant 3209 C616ABA-8 AMBER
High-Pop, Ice-Capped, Industrial

Opova/Ustral Quadrant 3206 B536530-B

Doyle/Ustral Quadrant 3203 A646544-B
Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Stellar Tech

Newquay/Dark Nebula 3240 E310548-7
Non-Industrial
Support Coverage: None 3 (21) {7}

Kintato/Dark Nebula 3138 C544551-5
Agricultural, Non-Industrial

Cybi/Dark Nebula 3235 E100455-7 AMBER
Non-Industrial, Vacuum


Dealing with Aslan raiding parties is never easy: especially when, as on Sacrifice, you’re usually a good
four-five tech levels below them. An off-world, high-tech merc unit would be really helpful, just about now.
And if wishes were horses… This graphic is titled “Returning to base” © BlastWaves.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Returning-To-Base-615488822

Sacrifice/Dark Nebula 3232 C545646-6
Support Coverage: Ọ" wọ́-alájọ̀ ọlò 3 (30) {10}

Bad things happen to ships that challenge an Imperial Naval Base.
Don’t find out first-hand. This graphic is titled “Moskit” © BlastWaves. See his work at
https://www.deviantart.com/art/Moskit-708441394

Rosefeld/Magyar 0130 E5218CB-7 AMBER
Hellworld, Non-Agricultural, Poor

Ock/Magyar 0227 A9A8855-E
Fluid, High-Tech, Subsector Capital, Naval Base, Military Base

Romm/Magyar 0224 B431321-D
Low-Pop, Poor, Stellar Tech

Vaneken/Magyar 0122 C7B78A9-9
Fluid

A Solomani airborne unit over Rosefeld, helping to persuade land-hungry Aslans to stay off-world.
This graphic is titled “Returning to base” © BlastWaves.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Returning-To-Base-615488822


Despite Romm’s low permanent population, hundreds of thousands work on her mines for four- and ten-year
terms. The government is quite democratic for the 7,000 citizens it represents: generally retired corporate
officers, high-ranking technicians, and talented foremen who decided to make the world their permanent home.
The transient inhabitants are treated well enough, but they have no real roots on Romm,
and thus no real say in how the world is governed. This graphic is titled “Mine” © Alexey Shirokikh.
See his work at https://cyberkolbasa.deviantart.com/art/Mine-457027660

Electromagnetic technology is far more efficient than biotech, so the capital of the Wair system uses organic
motifs and ordinary vehicles rather than modified trees & corals for habitats and altered birds, beetles, and
fishes for transport, as is used elsewhere on the waterworld. This graphic is titled “Future Cape Town” ©
Kristen Zirngibi. See her work at https://zirngibl.deviantart.com/art/Future-Cape-Town-678737843

Mickel/Magyar 0119 A742855-D
Hellworld, Poor, Stellar Tech

Wair/Magyar 0116 C89A98C-C AMBER
High-Pop, Industrial, Stellar Tech, Waterworld

Schurz/Magyar 0113 A874310-D
Low-Pop, Stellar Tech

Wuan Technology Association (Magyar): A loose, commercial grouping, the Wuan worlds owe their colonization
60
to Asian corporate interests. Well supported by Korean and Japanese funds on Terra, the Wuans specialized in
manufacturing high-tech products for export. They survived the Long Night by continuing this practice, and while
raiders collected tribute, they choose not to loot the Association wholesale.

During the Long Night, the Wuans began a genetic experiment. They studied, modified, and standardized human
genotypes. Now, the Wuans can produce specialized humans suited for any task or environment. A visitor to Wuan
factories will see long rows of identical Workers preforming the same industrial tasks.

Wuan political power rests with the Executives who administer the Association’s various corporations. They
maintain a fleet of trading ships that travel to Daibei, Dark Nebula, and Reaver’s Deep, and they own many smaller
companies throughout Magyar. Lacking a standing navy, the Wuans recognize the need for the Confederation
Navy, but they do little more than tolerate the Cause and the central government.

New Slavic Solidarity (Magyar): Many of the Solidarity worlds were first settled during the Interstellar Wars by
Terran emigres fleeing political unification at home. European and Russian in origin, the colonies never enjoyed
official backing, and their early days saw primitive conditions and much hardship. During the Long Night, the
worlds banded together to defend against piracy and raiding, preserving their shared Slavic language and culture in
the process.

Presently, most of the worlds have passed from military rule, now being governed by bureaucracies and
democracies. Relationships with the Confederation are strained at times, as the Solidats value their heritage of
independence. The Slavs have filed protests over Confederation meddling in their internal affairs, but as yet the
conflict is not heated, for the Solidats support the Confederation military as a counter to both the Hierate and the
61
Imperium.
- From MegaTraveller’s Solomani and Aslan pages 9-10

60
The biggest giveaway that Solomani & Aslan is a 1991 publication is the mysterious absence of China from
this list of ‘high-technology exporters’…
61
I’m strongly tempted to argue that there should be a wholesale update of the member worlds of the
Confederation, based on current demographic trends. “Lots more Africa – system names, culture, everything!”
”Dutch anything, three thousand years from now? What dope are you smoking?” But on reflection, it should
just stay as it is: a fixed, unchanging setting helps tie Traveller together. If you really want an updated form of
Traveller, it’s more honest to just build a New Traveller from the ground up (with nods to Old Traveller) than
the repulsive ‘keep the shell, rape the substance’ stratagems of modern derivative fantasy/sci-fi. However, if
you are going to rebuild Traveller from the ground up, I strongly recommend referring to Isaac Arthur’s
YouTube work: A ‘high-pop’ system should be a fully populated Dyson Swarm, not a world of 90 billion!


Chou is rather pretty for a hellworld. She still wants to kill you, though.
This graphic is titled “Fiji” © Axel JP. See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Fiji-713033478

Chou/Magyar 0210 C62187B-9
Hellworld, Non-Agricultural, Poor
Astrographical note: Chou is a world of the Wuan Technology Association, and ten parsecs spinward of the New
Slavic Solidarity. Both the WTA and the Solidarity are member states of the Solomani Confederation.

Savosk/Dark Nebula 3208 C788534-4

Temgassung/Dark Nebula 3205 C777422-5
Non-Industrial
Support Coverage: The Leichen Association 3 (60) {20}


Does the wealth and high-tech comforts of Column make up for the grimy environment and it’s superthin but
technically breathable atmosphere? One billion sophonts say yes! This graphic is titled “Industrial District”
© Andreas Rocha. See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Industrial-District-706993259

Astron is a high-tech, wealthy settlement with an Amber Zone rating and an odd environment. “Are those TREES
I see in the foreground?” “Solomani biotech can work wonders!” “I think that the word ‘tree’ has been
somewhat redefined here…” “I’m wondering about the reasons behind that Amber Zone rating now.”
This graphic is titled “Giants in the Playground X Asteroid Dwelling” © Adrian Mark Gillespie. See his work at
https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Giants-in-the-playground-X-Asteroid-Dwelling-708672419

Column/Dark Nebula 3202 B537988-D
High-Pop, Stellar Tech, Subsector Capital

Aston/Daibei 0140 A0005AC-E AMBER
Asteroid Belt, High-Tech, Non-Industrial, Vacuum, Subsector Capital, Naval Base, Military Base
Astrographical note: Within six parsecs of the Imperial border.

Visitor note: A very successful experiment, where the Solomani Party provides free wireless internet and
distributed data processing directly into the brains of every system resident, accelerating teamwork, information
sharing, data analysis and consensus building… as well as enabling tailored Party guidance & supervision of every
62
citizen.

Odin/Daibei 0237 A310558-E
Non-Industrial, High-Tech
Astrographical note: Within six parsecs of the Imperial border.
Last Solomani Confederation world on the journey.

=== SOLOMANI/IMPERIAL BORDER === SOLOMANI/IMPERIAL BORDER === SOLOMANI/IMPERIAL BORDER ===

Tosaben Space Force, an Imperial mercenary starmerc group, had held an Imperial contract
for protecting and patrolling Tolkien System for over 40 years now. They are very, very good at their jobs.
This graphic is titled “Maritime Security” © Blastwaves.
See his work at https://blastwaves.deviantart.com/art/Maritime-Security-691232856

Tolkien/Daibei 0335 A878411-D
Astrographical note: Within six parsecs of the Solomani border.
First Imperial world on the journey.
Support Coverage: Traveller’s Aid Society, The Leichen Association 3 (72) {24}

62
Imperial Vilani cultural associations, always on the lookout for ways to build consensus and conformity, have
been quietly pressing the Solomani government to allow a research team: however, the Confederation
government sees no reason to permit parahumans to observe Solomani cultural/technological research.

Selket/Daibei 0332 B684300-C
Astrographical note: Within six parsecs of the Solomani border
Support Coverage: Traveller’s Aid Society, The Leichen Association 2 (75) {25}

Riedigar/Daibei 0330 E200233-9
Low-Pop, Vacuum

Delphi/Daibei 0327 A94A100-F
High-Tech, Low-Pop, Waterworld
Astrographical note: One parsec coreward is an Imperial Military Depot;
two parsecs trailing is the subsector capital of Xanthe.
Support Coverage: Traveller’s Aid Society 3 (80) {27}

Exactly why these slabs encircle the primary star of Troy System is unknown. But what these object are – simple
steel and aluminum slabs, of TL 7 construction – isn’t a profound mystery. The ring is treated as a protected
30,000-year-old archeological site: mining and removal of these slabs is prohibited, and they are guarded by the
occasional Imperial patrol ship or starmerc. This graphic is titled “Loose Tiles” © Adriano Portugal.
See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Loose-Tiles-600219559

Troy/Daibei 0324 B774414-B

Caspar/Daibei 0622 D75A310-9
Low-Pop, Waterworld
Astrographical note: Beginning of the Turn around the Great Rift


A family stretches their legs, in one of the vast, untouched forests of Wosi. But don’t lose your personal
transponder: even at TL 14, it will take a long time for a search and rescue party to find you... if they ever do…
This graphic is titled “We Found This Amazing Place!” © Andreas Rocha. See his work at
https://www.deviantart.com/art/We-Found-This-Amazing-Place-722575200

Wosi/Daibei 0720 A685556-E
Agricultural, High-Tech, Non-Industrial, Garden World

All PCs and NPCs, including those in low-berth, will finally have a chance to get off the ship for two weeks, and
relax on this high-tech garden world. It’s also the best single place on their journey to refuel, repair, resupply, and
recreate: all ships will have their yearly two-week overhaul at the same time, at this port. They will have a (slightly
premature) celebration of the halfway mark on their journey to Kapakoo as well, with Wosi’s unique, trademark
cuisine that changes flavor, depending on the genetics and species of the diner.

Referee FYI: Why is Wosi the location of the stopover, and not Iniya, their next port of call, which is a richer garden
world, boasts a larger population, and is the true halfway point of their journey? Wosi has a better starport, hosts
better technology, and has a better emotional resonance: it’s more pastoral and calming due to its agricultural,
non-industrial focus. Also, unlike Iniya, Wosi on the Imperial jump4 X-boat route, allowing everyone to send off
updates, messages, and instructions across the Imperium as needed.

Iniya/Daibei 0817 B665866-A
Garden World, Rich, Stellar Tech. Controlled by the world of Nazgul.
Astrographical note: Halfway mark of the Popagroup’s journey to Kapakoo. Thirty-two jumps (and 92 parsecs
travelled) from Hipponax. Assuming one week per jump – all additional time, like refueling, repairs etc., ignored –
that’s eight months travelling time.


Jump space anomalies over Iniya, Daibei Sector. This graphic is titled “Daddy! They are coming!” ©
Gene Raz von Edler. See his work at https://ellysiumn.deviantart.com/art/Daddy-They-are-coming-708918601

There is a myriad of impressive Solomani-run bio-habitats, botanical gardens, and other showcases for both the
variety of Terran life and Solomani biotech skill. They can be found across the Confederation and Imperial Space:
anywhere the Solomani can get a footing, you will find them showing off their skill at planting and nurturing life.
This graphic is titled “Asteroid Base” © n7skyember. See his work at https://n7skyember.deviantart.com/

Nazgul/Daibei 0916 B30089D-C AMBER
Non-Agricultural, Vacuum, Stellar Tech

Kulinaar/Daibei 1214 E100541-A
Non-Agricultural, Vacuum, Stellar Tech
Astrographical note: One parsec from Thebes: Subsector capital with a Naval & Scout base.

Assuming that the scheduled itinerary has been kept to the letter (almost impossible, actually) the date 359-1105
will pass in-system or in local jumpspace. Christmas will be celebrated at this time: a large percentage of the
63
migrants are actual believers, with the rest nominal or culturally Christians. How the feast day will be kept 3000
years in the future is interesting to speculate: prayers, Bible readings, food, family and hymns are guaranteed, but
beyond that is anyone’s guess.

There is a kind of insurgent group that likes to set their bases on hellworlds. And there is a kind of military unit
that specializes in digging out hidden bases set on hellworlds. This graphic is titled “The Arrival” © BlastWaves.
See his work at https://blastwaves.deviantart.com/art/The-Arrival-676408699

63
If you’re going off to a new world dozens of light-years from home, you are going to need faith in
something. Otherwise, why take the risk, when you can stay safe at home with the devils you know?

Eketta/Daibei 1513 A571352-E
Hellworld, High-Tech, Low-Pop
Astrographical note: Due to its location on the X-boat network, Eketta is a better place to send an X-boat message
ahead to Kapakoo than Wosi is.

Reyivik/Daibei 1510 B778687-A

Tarens/Daibei 1708 A400679-E
High-Tech, Non-Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Vacuum
Astrographical note: One parsec from Diamond Head, the subsector capital.

Engima, dancing in the void with her ringed partner, odd-ball shared moon, and fast-moving assorted rocks
serving as navigational hazards to keep things lively. This graphic is titled
“Solar Storm” © charmedy. See her work at https://charmedy.deviantart.com/art/Solar-Storm-709213903

Enigma/Daibei 1705 D400111-9
Low-Pop, Vacuum

Naagishda/Daibei 1802 E200656-9
Non-Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Vacuum
Astrographical note: End of the Turn, now driving coreward.

Daiunki/Zarushagar 1940 D200334-7
Low-Pop, Vacuum

Sukhoi/Zarushagar 1937 B100333-D
Stellar Tech, Low-Pop, Vacuum

Znin/Zarushagar 1934 B310310-A
Astrographical note: This region of space is under comparatively loose/sporadic/limited Imperial supervision.
Znin, for example, is eight parsecs from the nearest Imperial subsector capital.

Coad/Zarushagar 1931 B432664-C
Non-Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Poor, Military Rule, Stellar Tech, Naval Base

Shawngi/Zarushagar 1629 B76A559-A
Non-Industrial, Stellar Tech, Waterworld

The world of Edno, owned by various powerful aristocratic families from across Zarushagar Sector, is still being
terraformed to a high Solomani standard. Premature settlement is discouraged by the Imperial Naval Base that
just happens to orbit the world. This graphic is titled “Moyie River 4” © Brent.
See his work at https://kootenayphotos.deviantart.com/art/Moyie-River-4-697977116

Edno/Zarushagar 1328 B687165-B
Low-Pop, Garden World, Stellar Tech, Controlled by the world of Driuden two parsecs coreward.
Astrographical note: This world is on the Imperial border to the Great Reft, a vast void.

Jorba/Zarushagar 1027 C664561-9
Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Controlled by the world of Liasdi two parsecs coreward.
Astrographical note: While Jorba is unimportant, it is located one parsec trailing of Liasdi, an important Imperial
high-pop stellar tech world. Liasdi is the sector capital of Zarushagar Sector, and is demographically dominated by
the Darmine, a minor human race whose homeworld, Ishag, is about six parsecs coreward of Jorba. More about
the Darmine can be discovered in Challenge Issue #75.

Mikoyan/Zarushagar 0726 B565215-B
Low-Pop, Stellar Tech, Naval Base

Minban/Zarushagar 0425 C432678-9
Non-Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Poor

Lorrius/Zarushagar 0124 B200434-D
Non-Industrial, Stellar Tech, Vacuum

The population of Swede is strictly controlled and monitored by an upper-atmosphere aristocratic ruling class
that resides on vast airships. Moreover, there is a strong Swedish presence in the subsector Imperial military,
bureaucracy and nobility, which helps cement their authority on their homeworld. This graphic is titled
“Airships” © Alexey Shirokikh. See his work at https://cyberkolbasa.deviantart.com/art/Airships-405762904

Swede/Ilelish 3022 B5507CF-A AMBER
Desert, Poor, Stellar Tech, Naval Base

Delta 2/Ilelish 2820 B577230-B
Astrographical note: While Delta 2 is of only ordinary importance herself, it is located at a sweet spot for trading
and resupply:

• Three parsecs trailing is Gadirur, a high-pop/high-tech world and subsector capital;
• Two parsecs spinward is a high-pop/stellar tech world, Plateau;
• One more parsec spinward is another high-pop/stellar tech world, Irlariir;
• Three parsecs coreward is the Suerrat high-pop/high-tech homeworld of Shudash;
• One parsec rimward is the high-pop/stellar tech world of Ghali.

Note that all of these high-pop worlds (save Irlariir and Ghali) are Amber Zoned: also, pay attention to Shudash’s
law level of J! For more on the minor human race of the Suerrat, please refer to GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars.


Even though they are not as ancient as the variations of Vilani Ritualism, the pre-Contact Solomani religions –
symbolized by this mosque on Riverine, above – still have a certain level of prestige and respect, especially
among the older Imperial houses. This graphic is titled “Journey to Shatter Island” © Erik. See his work at
https://www.deviantart.com/art/Journey-to-Shatter-Island-355197548

Riverine/Ilelish 2519 C774564-9
Agricultural, Non-Industrial, Controlled by the world of Irlariir.

Reserve/Ilelish 2217 B776500-C

Scirocco/Ilelish 1916 C550555-A
Desert, Non-Industrial, Poor, Stellar Tech

Winiholdo/Ilelish 1615 B675755-B
Agricultural, Stellar Tech, Naval Base, Scout Base

Historical note: Note that Winiholdo is nine parsecs spinward trailing from the critical Imperial system of Dlan,
capital of both Ilelish Sector and the Domain of Ilelish. As of 1105, Archduke Dulinor Astrin Ilethian has been the
master of the Domain for one year… and is eleven years from killing his liege, Emperor Strephon, thus setting in
motion the eventual destruction of Charted Space, as well as the Third Imperium.

Lissajous/Ilelish 1413 E432311-9
Low-Pop, Poor

Maris/Ilelish 1211 B540641-A
Desert, Hellworld, Non-Industrial, Poor, Stellar Tech

Noke/Ilelish 1009 C9C5400-9
Fluid, Non-Industrial

While the rioting and the guerilla wars on Adia have died down for now, the criminal gangs are effectively a
shadow government in the world’s favelas. Something will have to be done: and the Victory Now Private
Military Company is part of that ‘something’. This graphic is titled “Favelas” © BlastWaves.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Favelas-715682192

Adia/Ilelish 0708 D547979-8
High-Pop, Industrial
Astrographical note: While Adia herself is unimportant, she is one parsec spinward of Bardawulf, a notable world
with a naval base and, more importantly to the Popagroup convoy, strong trade and communication links to two
high-tech/high-pop systems: Upsin to coreward-trailing, and Arlumer, to rimward-spinward. Both Upsin and
Arlumer are subsector capitals.

Kkikla/Ilelish 0406 D693AAB-A AMBER
High-Pop, Industrial, Stellar Tech
Journey note: This is an unusually powerful Amber Zone system. Don’t stick around.

De Camsall/Ilelish 0204 B546489-9
Non-Industrial
Journey note: The convoy is only five parsecs from her destination of Kapakoo. House Popa crews and leaders are
in a familiar stellar neighbourhood, and can recognize the local constellations.

Lorne/Ilelish 0102 B546849-9
Journey note: ‘So close to Kapakoo, you can smell the home cooking!’ Many House Popa crewmen have been on
this long-familiar world numerous times. It’s likely that they are conversant with local cultural mores, speak one of
the regional tongues, or have local family resident.


The starport of Lorne, situated in a lush and protected northern-temperate region of their dry and desert-
dominated world. The airborne dust that makes unfiltered breathing hazardous long-term is absent here.
Note that, as this is the last port before Kapakoo, it is quite likely that PCs and the other crewmen
have messages, packages, friends, and not-friends waiting here to greet them.
This graphic is titled “Depart” © Kirk Quillaquil.
See his work at https://ninjatic.deviantart.com/art/Depart-717559254

Kapakoo/Verge 3001 B564594-B
Welcome home.
Low-berthed passengers are finally – and carefully! – thawed out. All freight and passengers are off-loaded.

Journey summary:
184 parsecs — 63 systems, 62 jumps. Assuming a cycle of seven days in jumpspace and one day refueling per jump:
488 days travel time. Add 15 days for the break at Wosi – 503 days on the journey. Add 15 days from the start of
the adventure – 518 days is the very minimum travel time possible, from the start of the adventure at 110-1105.


Approaching one of the floating, highly self-sufficient habitats of Sonatine,
a gas giant within the Arlumer System. This graphic is titled “The Flying City” © Adriano Portugal.
See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/The-Flying-City-647428157

Standard N-space Operations: The convoy plans to remain in jump space (‘J-space’) as long as possible, to make
the best time they can back home. True squadron jumps are not possible for the Popagroup convoy… except for
the two Patrol Ships, whose jumpdrive systems have the needed military modifications. Without the
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modifications , it is possible that

“Two similar vessels can enter Jump at the same time and place, with the same destination,
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and come out 2 days apart.” Grand Fleet

So, upon exit from jump, all ships are expected to gather at a particular point – usually the mainworld, as the most
secure location in a system. If the system has no safe spot to gather, usually an obscure moon is chosen, so the
entire fleet can gather and refuel as one group, with the maximum amount of mutual protection.

Even in secure areas, SOP is for the convoy will stick together in normal space (‘N-space’), purchase and organize
as rapid a refuelling as possible for all vessels, with the armed patrol vessels either grouped together for mutual
tactical support (spearhead), or spaced at opposite ends of the convoy for maximum protection (sheepdog). The
order of refuelling is Mer Ainai-class Low Liners, then the Ainai Freighters and the Lord Somerset liners/command
ships, with the Patrol Cruisers, and the Free Trader being last in line.

It may be necessary for the Patrol Cruisers to stand and die for the others to escape…

“Well, that is the job description, yes?”

But it is not necessary for them to stay to protect the Free Trader: the other most likely choice for a PC ship.

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The nature of this technology – Military only? Expense? Tech level requirements? – has the potential to shift
the setting a bit, so the Referee should put some thought on possible restrictions before rolling it out.
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Grand Fleet assumes that naval ships are equipped with expensive gear that allows for coordinated fleet
jumps, so all the ships of a fleet exits jump within two hours. I don’t find that objectionable, considering the
expectations of most Traveller players… and naval-influenced sci-fi. But supposing we ditched that
assumption: how would Traveller interstellar combat play out? think-think-think…

“The convoy need the protection you provide more than we need some small odd-jobs trader-freighter-
courier-scout. Anyways, free trader skippers are famous for getting themselves out of tight jams, so just
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make the jump and forget about them!”

Now, family agents have arranged for fast refuelling at every starport on the PC’s itinerary… but those
arrangements were made many months ago. Things change, people miss their deadlines, the unexpected happens,
and/or outright lies are given as promises… and the PCs will often be roped in to sort things out.

Referee: as a rule of thumb, you can reasonably assume that
A-class starports have an organic orbiting refuelling flotilla, will meet their commitment for a quick refuel of less
than 6 hours for all starships.

B-class starports may have a pre-arranged orbiting refuelling flotilla on a 1D6 role of 1-5, which will meet their
commitment for a quick refuel of less than 6 hours for all starships. A result of 6 means that the flotilla is absent:
the usual length of time of refuelling will be needed (1-2 days).

A Solomani starport operates on very different principles than Imperial starports. For one thing, they aren’t all
built on the same basic plan, nor are the main starports administered by a single Starport Authority.
Also – and this is key – they are usually within the jurisdiction of the host world, NOT the Confederation!
This graphic is titled “Fly Me to the Moon” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Fly-Me-to-the-Moon-387073377

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Then again, every spacer has heard (or seen on Tri-V) the ferocious legends of betrayed free trader captains,
left to die a hundred light-years from home, and their terrifying, relentless quest to extract vengeance – a
vengeance bar bards are still singing about, generations later…

C-class starports may have a pre-arranged orbiting refuelling flotilla on a 1D6 role of 1-3, which will meet their
commitment for a quick refuel of less than 6 hours for all starships. A result of 4-5 means that the flotilla is absent:
the usual length of time for refuelling will be needed (1-2 days). A result of 6 means that due to problems, the
whole week will be needed.

D-class starports may have a pre-arranged orbiting refuelling flotilla on a 1D6 role of 1-2, which will meet their
the usual length of time for refuelling will be needed (1-2 days). A result of 6 means that due to problems, the
whole week will be needed.

E-class starports may have a pre-arranged orbiting refuelling flotilla on a 1D6 role of 1, which will meet their
The starport has no fuel supplies for visiting ships.

”Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of men, instead, seek what they sought.” — Matsuo Basho
This graphic is titled “Giant Skies II” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Giant-Skies-II-416123210

CRITICAL: Only the fuel of A- and B-class starports are always refined. For C- and D-class starports, only the pre-
arranged quick refuelling tankers give refined fuel: otherwise, the convoy must turn to the starport’s own fuel
supply, which is always unrefined. E-class starports have no fuel supplies for visiting starships, being barely more
than a set of reinforced landing pads, a runway, a few starship and cargo shelters, and a communication tower.

X-class starports don’t exist, period.

In difficult situations, the convoy will have to make their own arrangements to purify the fuel before continuing
their journey. There is no chance that any ship captain or the convoy leadership will risk a misjump with unrefined
fuel, unless facing imminent capture or death.

Note that none of the ships in the convoy have fuel refinery plants (except the Calypso-class Free Trader), and only
the Subsidized Liner and Patrol Ships have fuel scoops. And of these vessels, only the Patrol Ship has a military
specification (milspec) engine, able to handle unrefined fuel without risking a misjump.

If necessary, remind the PCs of the use of oceans and ice (on-world or in space) as sources of unrefined fuel: all
starships have emergency equipment that can turn liquid water/water ice into unrefined liquid hydrogen…
eventually. There is always ice available in the outer system: in the inner systems, fewer worlds and moons have a
deposit of ice available: but they do exist. Even oceans of water are possible! But often, you have to look carefully
to find the H2O in the inner system: under the surface of the world, or in the shade of craters.

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Of course, you need the LHyd to run your power plants, as well as your jump engines. Most starships are supplied
with four weeks of fuel for power plants… but double-check to make sure.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: There are no integrated tankers in the Popagroup convoy, as described in this adventure. In-
universe, it’s because of a lack of availability and a desire to save money: “Why buy or charter specialized starships,
when you just want the fuel? Just hire the locals to give you what you want.” Storywise, it’s to force PC interaction
with local starship captains, business reps, and the local Traveller community (Solomani, Imperial, Aslan, and
others) in their search for a supply of refined fuel. The search to rustle up some fuel will naturally involve delays,
sidetreks, and unexpected dealings with friendly and unfriendly parties.

If the Referee has other goals – a faster journey, a more independent & self-sufficient convoy, or a greater focus
on the relationships within the convoy rather than the interactions between the convoy and the outer universe – a
suitable tanker, the Wo Ainai class, is provided. As the Popagroup is mainly about getting from point A to point B
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soonest, A- and B-class starports may well be used when available, as they are likely to refuel the convoy faster
than the tankers can.

Total fuel tonnage (inclusive of power plant fuel) for the Popagroup (excluding any added tankers) is:
330 x 4 = 1320 : Mer Ainai-class Low Liners
330 x 2 = 660 : Ainai-class Freighters
208 x 2 = 416 : Lord Somerset-class Subsidised Liners
136 x 2 = 272 : Lurushaar Kilaalum-class Patrol Ships
99 x 1 = 99 : Calypso-class Far Trader
Total = 2767 tons of fuel

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Once upon a time, the LHyd was used to power the jump engines, until some physic majors, knowing that
‘all FTL engines are by definition weapons’ decided to see how they could modify jump engine powerplants to
Blow Stuff Up. To preserve the setting, it was ruled that jump engines do NOT use liquid hydrogen as fuel.
What, exactly, are they using it for is as much a mystery as the rest of Traveller jump technology….
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<Insert mysterious Referee smile here>

A Wo Ainai-class Tanker has 637 tons of fuel in total (307 is extra fuel): all 637 tons can be filled via fuel scoops in
eight hours, and refined in six hours. It would take five scoop-purify-distribute cycles of 14 hours each for one Wo
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Ainai tanker to top up the entire Popagroup convoy, (including the tanker herself), a.k.a. 70 hours, or three days.

A case can be made for ‘belt and suspenders’: arranging for local refuelling but keeping tankers in the convoy, just
in case. It’s expensive, but House Popa does not lack for funds: and the leaders of the House definitely want their
people home as fast as possible. Still, even they don’t want to spend millions of credits when they don’t have to…

Local contacts: House Popa doesn’t have a network of contacts – Corporate, Noble, or Solomani Party – within the
Solomani Confederation, or even in the Imperial sectors of Daibei or Ilelish. But, the Popagroup still wants updated
situation reports while on the move regarding local piracy, warfare – especially warfare that extends into space –
and economic and legal notes. Also, the Popagroup really needs a friendly guide & market to/for local businesses
that can facilitate trading and ship operations: repair, refuelling, security outfits, etc.

The Traveller’s Aid Society handles that in Imperial Space, and has offices on all A and B-class starports in Imperial
Space (and many worlds beyond the Imperium). A huge and influential association, it enjoys the backing of a vast
number of clients, from small-time adventurers to megacorporations like Tukera Lines. TAS travel ratings have
quasi-official status, shaping Imperial trade and policy.

Vast wealth, corrupt clergy, easy women, and a sword waiting for feeding time. Excluding the Christian
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clergyman – whom are of no significance in interstellar Imperial affairs , and are better represented by bought-
and-paid for intelligentsia – a better thumbnail of the higher echelons of the Third Imperium
would be difficult to envision. This graphic is titled “Palace of the Mountain King” © Erik. See his work at
https://erikshoemaker.deviantart.com/art/Palace-of-the-Mountain-King-478510217 and
https://www.artstation.com/kire

Mongoose’s Solomani supplement replaces the Traveller’s Aid Society with the Terran Adventurer’s Society (page
16), with the Solomani takeover of local TAS hostels and operations in 870 Imperial. The Terran Adventurer’s

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If a fast getaway is desired, remember that these are jump 3 ships: you can cut the refined fuel required by
rds
about 2/3 to just get everyone enough fuel for a one parsec jump to Anywhere But Here.
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The sight of a bishop nonchalantly strolling around some half-naked whores – because they have been
bought by the same powerful man who bought him – is revolting… but not surprising. See the Appendix:
Imperial Secularism for additional considerations. Note that the Vilani mind is not disgusted by such things:
they hate innovation and change, not sexual display and license. “Different Gods. Different Laws.”

Society is tied to the needs of small-time adventurers, and doesn’t have the heft or influence of the Traveller’s Aid
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Society. And of course, the Terran Adventurer’s Society requires racial purity to be a member…

The Popagroup in this adventure has temporary membership with three organizations to gain assistance:

Flag & Insignia of Rimward Trade Links
This graphic is titled “Three Rings” © James Clouder. See his work at
https://spiritswriter123.deviantart.com/art/Three-Rings-503239685

• Rimward Trade Links: based on Hipponax, with offices on all worlds of starport A-C, up to 15 parsecs from
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Hipponax/Hulda/Canopus: loosely tied to the Jardin ethnicity ). Rimward Trade Links is noted for its
ability with facilitating and easing interstellar transport for non-Solomani concerns, as well as racially
impure and nonhuman businesses based in the Confederation. It’s aggressive legal division has got into
trouble with the Solomani Party more than once, but the financial and propaganda benefits of the
organization compel annoyed Party leaders to tolerate its continued existence... for now.

(Previous) Flag & Insignia of Ọ. wọ́-alájọ̀ ọlò
This graphic is titled “The Sultanate of Samirstan” © Android. See his work at
https://achaley.deviantart.com/art/The-Sultanate-of-Samirstan-492085320

71
While no Imperial is a Terran Adventurer’s Society member, at least one of the Solomani migrants is…
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Like Black Americans – see Erik Painter’s response in https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-the-descendants-
of-American-slaves-return-to-Africa-to-live – the Jardins are a result of ethnogenesis: a “new Solomani race”
of Southern Europeans and North Africans. “God made them here: this IS their home!”

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• Ọ" wọ́-alájọ̀ ọlò (“HomeGroup”): A Yoruba-culture trade network based on Iouo, with port offices on every
world of more than a million in population within 10 parsecs of Iouo/Iouo/Magyar. Non-Yoruba
businesses enjoy fewer services at higher prices: Non-Solomani, Non-Yorbua concerns enjoy even fewer
benefits... ‘but it’s still worth it.’ Ọ" wọ́-alájọ̀ ọlò-Party relations are quite solid, which can be a bad thing for
the racially questionable Popagroup convoy.

Flag & Insignia of The Leichen Association
This graphic is titled “The Knight’s Confederation” © Android. See his work at
https://achaley.deviantart.com/art/The-Knight-s-Confederation-531246558

• The Leichen Association: An Anglo-Chinese/Polynesian/Melanesian-culture trade & exchange network,
with a focus on linking Solomani/Imperial markets. A broad conglomerate of businesses, it is also involved
in commercial banking, and is a major Solomani/Imperial interface line. Moreover, as a gateway drug for
new customers, Leichen maintains offices and agents in the following systems:
o Column/Dark Nebula: the ‘home subsector’, with the Leichen hub port & headquarters
o Aston/Daibei: An up-and-coming hi-tech system, and a subsector capital
o Avalon/Reaver’s Deep (Solomani): A notable world in this region of the Confederation.
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o Wu/Magyar: the home system the Wuan Technology Association
o Odin/Daibei: a traditional gateway to Imperial space
o Cameron/Daibei: the other preferred Imperial/Solomani gateway systems. Ships stop by if they
just want to drop off cargo, people, or messages in Solomani Space before returning home.
o Lancelot/Daibei: Leichen operates the starport on behalf of the planetary monarch
o Clown/Magyar: this is the secondary hub for Leichen operations.
o Tolkien/Daibei: Leichen has offices here to help assist with the legal and cultural adjustments of
in-bound Imperials.
o Seti IV/Daibei: a small Leichen branch is maintained here, to provide a hook-up with the Imperial
X-boat communication net.
Leichen maintains no offices outside of these systems, but if contacted by a client or a member, these
offices are often able to give assistance – from refueling to Confederation-sanctioned starmercs to
lawyers to trade negotiators – within a range of four parsecs of these systems (except Seti IV). Leichen-
Party relations are generally cool, but predictable: the Party dislikes Imperial citizens, but likes Imperial
credits, and Leichen avoids crossing the invisible lines that would bring the wrath of the Party upon it.

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Did you really think I would skip an entrepreneurial African culture that already has businessmen around the
world, spreading from a single nation, Nigeria, whose population will outnumber all of Europe by AD 2100?
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Leichen has a fickle relationship with the Wuan Technology Association: sometimes as business partners
(especially in transporting good to the Imperium), sometimes as competitors (especially in local good
transportation), depending on the market.


You have to admit, magnetic red dwarfs have a special sparkle all their own… This graphic is titled “The Ergs of
Cerebus” © uxmal750ad. See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/The-Ergs-of-Cerberus-386332397

While Travelling within the Solomani Confederation

Mercenaries are common within the Confederation, even more than within the Imperium (Solomani & Aslan, page
16). A few of them become rise to dominate a planet or a system, but more supplement planetary forces, aid
business concerns, work within the neighboring Imperium. As usual, their loyalty is given to the highest bidder: the
Solomani Party has a looser hold on Solomani mercenaries than on the rest of Confederation society.

Some mercenary bands are willing to take up piracy: as Naval communication lines are shorter within the
Confederation than within the Imperium, pirates need to be more careful and thoughtful in their raids and targets.
Still: a nice fat alien flotilla, run by half-humans, stuffed with traitors and disloyal Solomani citizens, and filled with
useful goods, would plump up the bottom line nicely.

Note that Confederation pirates along the route of the Popagroup tend to be more experienced and better armed
than their Imperial counterparts, as they often have legitimate work fighting Aslan incursions or intra-Solomani
scuffles. In the spinward region of the Confederation Space piracy is usually just a sideline, providing
supplementary income when proper, legal work is unavailable.

Agents of House Popa have scouted the transport route, and worked to insure the protection of the Confederation
Navy for the Popagroup… but nothing is certain in this life. It is likely that the two ton Lurushaar Kilaalum-class
Patrol Cruisers, coupled with the light weapons of the civilian ships, are sufficiethnont to protect the convoy, but
maybe a straggler or an unfortunate jump exit places a ship in a vulnerable position. Or perhaps the latest situation
reports (provided by PCs or a trade association) point to a need for more (hopefully trustworthy) mercenary

protection for the next few jumps: time and money then will have to be spent on buying what is needed, or getting
the Confederation Navy to do her job. Possibly, Danegeld will have to be paid to the pirates for safe passage: but
perhaps the terms will be changed half-way across their territory. It’s up to the PCs to manage the situation.

Always remember: as there is no jump co-ordinator and the engines are built for civilian use (except the
Patrol ships) all the ships exit separately in space and time: the difference in space is not too bad, but time
is an issue: jump exit can vary for up to 48 hours.

Solomani Security Monitors are just an accepted part of life within the Confederation: some of them are public,
complete with SolSec armbands, and others remain covert. Some passengers may be wearing them of habit or
loyalty, even though they are on their way to build a life in Imperial space. Eventually, the armbands will be
ditched, especially after crossing the Imperial/Solomani border: Imperial Citizens do not look on SolSec monitors
with much warmth, and SolSec has no legal writ within the Imperium.

While the Popagroup is in Confederation Space, the monitors have limited legal powers, mainly reporting to the
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Party leadership among the migrants. This would be Amosez Ting Popa, a minor Party leader who decided to join
the migrants while retaining his ties to the Party. Little action will be taken if the Monitors overhear Imperials – or
even other migrants – speak against the Glory of the Race, as the entire force is on their way out of the
Confederation… but the information will be filed away, just in case.

However, if the Popagroup does challenge the authority of the Confederation within her own borders, the SolSec
monitors will have to be dealt with. The public-spirited loyalists wearing armbands are unlikely to be of much
trouble: it’s the trained covert operatives who pose as ordinary civilians who can cause real grief.

The Solomani Government at its very core – racial/republican/political-ideological – is strikingly different from the
Imperial government – familial/aristocratic/corporate-pragmatic. Votes, weighted by wealth ‘and other fairness
factors’, do matter in interstellar Party politics, so long as your blood is pure: this is true on many Solomani worlds
as well. You are always voting for someone in the Party, but the names in question can matter. This ideological
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interstellar conformity is distinctly lacking in the Imperium, not even found in the Vilani Cultural Region.

Different interstellar laws are in effect, depending on your location, as the Confederation is indeed a true
77
confederation of worlds and small Solomani-race polities: with Race being the common bond and focus of loyalty .
The Confederation is too varied and too fractured on cultural and racial lines (“race” as in East Asian/East Indian/
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Black African/European , as opposed to Solomani/Vilani/Mixed Vilani/Minor Race Human/Non-Human) to truly
become one people: ‘allowances must be made.’ The Imperium is – on the interstellar scale – a unitary military
state/trade network between sovereign worlds with a single interstellar legal, military, and commercial set of rules

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Amosez Ting Popa will do as the official head of the Party within the flotilla. Below him, formal leadership of
the ship-bound branch of the Party is, well, undecided. After leaving Confederation Space, the position of local
Party head will be of no legal significance, but old instincts and life-long habits die hard, even among willing
migrants to the Imperium. And not everyone has actually converted to the Imperial way of thinking…
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Vilani unity is a formidable power: by tradition, culture and conventions, but without the backing of Imperial
Law, the Imperial bureaucracy, or Imperial firepower. Regrettably so, in the eyes of the Vilani…
77
…always struggling against the competing calls of Tribe and Nation and Land and the Divine…
78
Note that these are massive categories that hide all sorts of in-group hostilities and factions. There is no
universal “Black African” culture; the Indian people are traditionally divided into all sorts of nations and
cultures and ethnicities; etc. Even the biggest tribe of them all, the Han Chinese, and the most strongly unified
large tribe, the Japanese, have internal differences that will certainly express themselves in a large enough
canvas. A really big canvas; like, say, the hundreds of worlds of the Solomani Sphere.

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and regulations, with multi-system identities (largely) suppressed and unrecognized by law. In the Confederation,
racial purity and Party standing shapes your interstellar destiny, not corporate power or Noble patronage.

Most men travel to gain wealth to better themselves. Greater wealth, as measured in credits... in contacts...
in knowledge… in experiences. This graphic is titled “Spacer” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Spacer-598277736

While Travelling within the Imperium…

Things Start to Make Sense… or Get Increasingly Weird: If the PCs are Imperial, they will feel much more
comfortable in their home space. The planetary cultures and local (subsector) trade conventions will be strange at
first, but as they approach their stomping grounds at Nuzuu Subsector, the business names, cultures, species,
80
product culture , religions, and noble families will get more and more familiar.

Solomani PCs are classic ‘strangers in a strange land’: things will get stranger, more alien, and more unpredictable,
even bizarre. They will have to get used to an interstellar environment where aliens are not suppressed/airbrushed
out/only live to serve the Race. Non-humans are full citizens under Imperial Law, and most (not all) planetary
cultures: many cultures and individuals also treat non-humans as equal naturally; generally not due to compulsion,
but simply because they feel that it’s the right thing to do.

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This will be rectified after 1116 Imperial, eleven years after the start of this adventure. Violently.
80
“Product culture” refers to the way things are built: a cell phone looks and works like a cell phone, a formal
business suit looks like a proper business suit, a corporate business district looks like a corporate business
district, a pen looks like a pen. On Earth in 2018, we all have the same material culture – “modern and post-
modern Western.” This is only partially true in the Imperium, with its variety of species, languages and
regional cultures. (And the differences are far greater than, say, modern Japanese vs. modern Italian.
Try Italy of 1600 vs. Japan of 1600 for a better comparison.)

Aliens Matter in the Imperium: In the Confederation, only the Pure Solomani – “Real humans” – have a say in
government; or have a real voice in the interstellar culture & mass media; or are noted in the history books. The
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Solomani perspective, alone, is the perspective that matters.

But in the Imperium, the (Mixed) Vilani have a major say in how things run right across the Imperium, and the
Vargr, Aslan, and assorted minor races, human and otherwise, all get a voice that is heard in the Imperial
government. In the interstellar Imperial environment, you can’t just ignore sophonts who aren’t just like you, much
to the annoyance of both Solomani and Vilani cultures. Moreover, the Solomani voice in Imperial government (as
82
of 1105) remains a good bit weaker and less influential than her numbers and wealth would suggest…

Note that even the most liberal Solomani, well-read on Imperial culture, will have to make mental adjustments.
Reading about it… even watching it on Tri-V/the ‘net… is different than living it out!

“Better tens of thousands die by piracy, then millions in racial and ideological purges.”
“True that. But at least give the merchants a fighting chance for survival!”
“They are armed, no? And the major lines have their own route protectors and starmercs…”
“I wonder why we have an Imperial Navy, sometimes.”
“First, to keep all those worlds in their place. When we tell a major world to stop bombing a weak world, when a
local potentate gets too big for his britches, we need a nice big stick to give our words muscle.”
“And…?”
“The second is sociological. All those aggressive, talented, wealthy, aristocratic young men with dreams of fire and
power funnel into one place, where we can reach and mould them, teach them the importance of Honour; the
need for Imperial Unity; the Will of the Emperor; and the value of Imperial lives and property, human or not.”
“Hmmm…”
“Also, ask yourself: cui bono? Who benefits with the continued existence of pirates? Who gets to decide if
someone is an evil pirate, a good privateer, a recognized man-at-arms of a corp, nation, or House… or just a mere
insurgent? Who becomes a pirate? Where do they get their backing? How much would it really cost – not just the
credit cost – to stomp them out? Understand the limits of Imperial Power, to be a truly successful Noble!”
-– Tutor Kiril von Braun and his pupil, John Coppedge of the up and coming Coppedge family.
On Liasdi, capital world of Zarushagar Sector, Third Imperium.

Small-scale Piracy is fairly common across the Imperium, as well as the Solomani Confederation. Due to the sheer
scale of the Imperium, large-scale pirate groups can arise: but due to the hostility of the Imperial Navy, they have
short lifespans, and are generally unable to legitimize themselves before being destroyed or driven out. In the
Confederation, pirates can’t grow to be as powerful as they can in the Imperium, but it’s easier for a sufficiently
powerful pirate group or mercenary group to become incorporated into the interstellar power structure, gaining a
permanent position of wealth and prestige, but rather less free to do as it pleases.

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Much piracy within the coreward Imperium, far from the area of this adventure, is racially keyed to the Vargr.
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However, the Imperium does not pursue a race-based pirate policy. A policy of control and discouragement – and
beefed-up Imperial Fleets – is pursued instead. While this is unable to completely suppress Vargr pirates, it does

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Things were different, when a more open Solomani culture dominated the early Third Imperium.
82 th
A somewhat useful analogy is the German voice in American culture. It was a lot louder in the late 19
century than during and after World War I, with the closure of many German language schools and cultural
institutions. (And not just in the US: the Canadian city of Berlin was renamed Kitchener during this time.) As
for World War II and the aftermath of that military (and, far worse, moral) disaster…
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The Aslan aren’t interested in taking stuff: they are interested in taking land.
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This has been increasingly true since the end of the Vargr Wars, and definitely true since the fall of the
Solomani Party within the Imperial Court. And it should be noted that even the conformist, corporate, super-
conventional Vilani engage in piracy: see the “Flaming Eye” MegaTraveller supplement for an example.

help with Imperial unity and the restriction of interstellar racial strife, a major goal of the Imperium since the at
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least the Solomani Rim Wars.

The flag of House Lupei.
This graphic is titled “The New Flag of Virginia” © Android.
See his work at https://achaley.deviantart.com/art/The-New-Flag-of-Virginia-549306525

Family Feuds and Unfinished Business: From the Popagroup’s entrance into Ilelish Sector, and especially as they
approach within twelve parsecs of their destination of Kapakoo, there will be more small-scale attacks on the
flotilla. There is a one-in-three chance of

• a pirate attack on the flotilla, of 1D3 civilian pirates (of 100-200 tons) led by one purpose-built pirate
vessel (400-600 tons); or
• a pirate attack, by one military vessel (600-ton Patrol Cruiser) and 1D2 civilian pirates (of 100-200 tons); or
• a starport attack (high or ground port), of a mercenary platoon of 40-50 soldiers.

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Imperial PCs will recognize the attackers as House Lupei personnel. House Lupei, with an eye to their political
legitimacy, long-term goals to displace House Popa, and the Unspoken Rules of Imperial Dynastic Warfare, will
abide by the Imperial Laws of War. That being said, House Lupei forces will be aggressive, innovative and daring:
when definitely on the losing end of a clash, they will withdraw quickly.

Note that all House Lupei forces are of Green or Regular quality: no Veteran or Elite level opposition is present.
“Quality assets cost quality money… which we don’t have to spare.”

Secondary goals of the attack are to wound and weaken the Popagroup, but the primary goal is to hijack/board the
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Low Liners, and bring those frozen family members to their hidden and lightly fortified base at <Referee’s chosen
location>, where they will be thawed out and integrated into House Lupei. If they can, the cargo ships will be taken
as well. If the opportunity presents itself, they would definitely work to destroy the Antique Lands, where the
Imperial leadership is based. Invisible Cities will largely be ignored: but if it can be captured and taken, it will be.

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This isn’t true of the Empty Quarter of 993: but that is 112 years before the current adventure.
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See pages 166-167 for details on the family strife between House Popa and House Lupei.
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“Lightly fortified” because House Lupei simply doesn’t have the cash to buy all the guns, warships, and base
protection (orbital and ground) they really need. Interstellar war, even small-scale clashes, costs real money.

Most of the denizens of Kapakoo travel to their settlements by small balloons or large blimps,
but the leaders of the wealthier clans have fast, agile skiffs at their disposal.
This graphic is titled “Double Sun” © Alexey Shirokikh.
See his work at https://cyberkolbasa.deviantart.com/art/Double-Sun-576518546

At the End of the Journey
“I can’t believe we made it!”
“Not everyone did…”

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There is a high probability of an attack on the Popagroup flotilla as it approaches Kapakoo starport. If the
PCs/Popagroup warships solidly defeated House Popai attacks in the last six jumps of the journey, there will be no
final fight: House Lupei can’t afford to spend the resources on a failing war. But, if the fights ended in a draw or a
loss of a ship or more, there will be one final dramatic clash in Kapakoo space.

In the final climatic clash, the Popagroup will be attacked by the following Lupei assets (all jump-capable
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starships ):

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• 1 800-ton Chameleon-class Commerce Raider , hired just for the occasion;
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• 1 600-ton Lurushaar Kilaalum-class Patrol Cruiser ; and
• 1D2 ordinary pirates, of 100-200 tons (Scouts, Free Traders, Far Traders)

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The Referee may shift this attack to an earlier starsystem, depending on story needs, or if the Popagroup
has been solidly defeated twice or more.
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House Popei can’t afford to transport SDBs into Kapakoo System, so all ships have to get there under their
own power.
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The Chameleon-class Commerce Raider is fully spec’d out in FASA’s Adventure-class Ships, Volume 1. You
can purchase it at http://www.rpgnow.com/product/64487/CTF-ACS1-FASA-Adventure-Class-Ships-Volume-1-
For-Traveller
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Note that House Popei can only afford to deploy one in this conflict. If their Patrol Cruiser was destroyed/
captured earlier, it is not available to lead the attack here.

In addition, House Lupei will commit 1D3+2 300-ton LSP Modular Starships to the fray. They are capable of
mounting six 30-ton modules, the same modules used by modular cutters. This allows for all sorts of cool
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configurations and mission profiles … but the ships are primarily civilian vessels, not military. Each vessel is
unarmoured, with one turret. See the footnotes on page 125 for links to various LSP Modular Starships.

Of the six modules, one must be of fuel, for a jump2 capability. The other modules used during the attack are
expected to be:
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• Long-range passenger modules: 14 passengers, typically Marines Zero-G soldiers with combat armour,
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gauss weapons, grenades, and demolition charges ;
• Utility modules, for additional boarding equipment (including portable life support and portable power
supplies);
• Fighter Modules: a single 15-ton fighter with crew and fuel;
• A Fire Support Module, with an additional triple-turret missile launcher (no more than two per ship);

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The goal is to board – or, if things spiral out of control, destroy – the Low Liners, at any cost. Note that all House
Lupei forces are of Green or Regular quality: no Veteran or Elite level opposition is present.

New Words for New Worlds

“Just because you’re correct doesn’t mean you’re right!”
— overheard during a Solomani/Imperial political argument.

At journey’s end – and after any disagreeable welcoming committees are dispensed with – the Popagroup can
issue a few last words to the new colonists. From the lay Orthodox leader onboard:

Teach us to study the works of Thy hands that we may subdue the earth to our use and strengthen the
reason for Thy service; and so to receive Thy blessed Word, that we may believe on Him whom Thou hast
sent to give us the knowledge of salvation and the remission of our sins.
— James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879), father of electromagnetic theory

There is no formal, final word from the on-board Solomani Party leadership: it would be impolitic to do so, and
possibly antagonize the lesser races that surround them. There is no organized Solomani Party, public or hidden,
on the world of Kapakoo… yet.

The Imperial representative suffers from no such limitations. Dănuț, Baron of Kapaoo, who has travelled with the
Popagroup and (presumably) worked to prepare the settlers for their new home, gives a formal speech welcoming
the new Imperial citizens – and long-lost brothers of House Popa – to their once and future home. The content of
this speech is left to the Referee: perhaps the young Baron has matured in wisdom, or his political goals hardened
into a diamond edge. Clues to his thinking – military, cultural, racial, religious, dynastic – will be in the speech for
those who have ears to hear.

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See GURPS Traveller: Modular Cutter - http://www.warehouse23.com/products/FFE30-6616 - for some of
the possibilities.
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I follow the GURPS Traveller: Ground Forces convention that only Imperial Marines are allowed to call
themselves Marines within the Imperium…
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Proper battle dress and plasma/fusion rifles simply cost too much.
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Note that the explicit destruction of so many helpless low berth passengers will easily be seen as an Imperial
War Crime (Category: Mass Murder): so it is expressly forbidden by the leadership of House Lupei… but in
desperate circumstances, facing certain defeat, there is a definite possibly of a break in discipline.


With 200,000 people total scattered across Kapakoo, there’s a lot of open space. Every square centimeter of land
and ocean (seafloor, liquid, and exploitation rights) has been claimed: but much of it can be leased at a
reasonable price. The landowners are extremely reluctant to actually sell any, though: expect to pay through
the nose, if you want to own your land free and clear. This graphic is titled “Badlands” © uxmal750ad.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Badlands-640299027

Settling Down
The shift of the migrants from Citizens of the Confederation to Citizens of the Imperium should be an interesting
one. But more keenly felt in their hearts is the shift from being a Hipponaxian (plural Hipponaxians) to a Kapak
(plural Kapaki): ‘someone who calls Kapakoo home.’

Aspects of Kapakoo that are built-in, due to astrographics or the storyline:
• A small but habitable arid planet, with oceans, breathable air, and reasonable gravity (~0.72 of Terra),
• Ruled by an impersonal bureaucracy, but with low law levels,
• The Popa family is an influential force: but there are other important voices as well.
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• Kapakoo is located at the rimward edge of a massive 1049-system Jump1 main that stretches from
Verge to include much of rimward Reft, Gushemege, a bite of Dagudashaag, most of Vland, and a fair bit
of spinward Lishun. To see it for yourself, go to www.travellermap.com, click on experiments, turn it on,
search for Kapakoo, and then click on that system on the starmap.

In addition, in my writing I assume
• As of 1105 Imperial, religion comes as a distant third in people’s allegiance: tribe comes first, and land
comes second. (Note the absence of any Vilani-style concern for corporate authority.)
• Imperial authority and the aristocracy is respected on the world.

The Referee may use the data sheet on Kapakoo for additional inspiration, created on the www.travellermap.com
website: the Traveller5 sourcebook will be needed to understand the notations.

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Also, see https://stellarreaches.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/the-vilani-main/ and
https://stellarreaches.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/the-vilani-main-updates/ for details.

Some notes:

• The planetary culture revolves around family, tribes, and clans. The impersonal bureaucracy certainly
reflects this, with most or all positions reserved for certain clans. The migrants will have to figure out how
to make this work for them. Which of the seventeen clans of House Popa get which of migrant family will
have to be resolved in various family meet-ups. Blood and ancestral lines matter, but so does money,
political, business and religious relationships, and favours given and offered.

Attending to business. This graphic is titled “2029.plan B” © Igor Tovstogan.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/2029-plan-B-661607242

• The locals will be sniffing out just how strong or weak the immigrants are, and how these new puzzle
pieces will fit into – and change – the cultural and political dynamics of the world. Remember: House Popa
spent A LOT of money to beef up their core numbers and muscle; with this successful reinforcement of
their base, they are going to start pushing around some annoying small fry. Note that House Popa has far
more money and political pull than their opposition does, off-world. On-world, the contest is more equally
balanced: Popa still has the advantage, but it isn’t a slam-dunk. “You’ll have to work, in order to win!”

• The migrants have their own goals. Quite a lot of that is simply to get their bearing in a brand new
environment, and adjust to the many differences between the Imperial and Solomani interstellar cultures.
The basics will take a year to gain, but a lifetime to master. Even discovering the history of their world,
their old clan histories, the most notable tourist sites on the planet, the networks of the world (civilian
and military, from charities to criminals)… all this will be seen from a fresh, brand-new pair of eyes.

Scandinavians are Protestants and enjoy a direct line to God. We are Greek Orthodox, and need churches,
priests, saint hermits, nuns, blessed water in plastic bottles and small icons on our cars dashboards to stay
connected to Him.
– Dima Vorobiev, ‘I worked for Soviet propaganda’.

From “What do Russians think about Scandinavia and Scandinavians in general, since they have land borders
with Scandinavia?”, https://www.quora.com/What-do-Russians-think-about-Scandinavia-and-Scandinavians-
in-general-since-they-have-land-borders-with-Scandinavia

• Much of the coming House agenda will be religious: some sort of spiritual/cultural renewal is expected by
migrants, native Imperials and a large portion of the House leadership. The flavour of that renewal will
have to be worked as the Popai settle in to their new home. “A strong and powerful House demands a
strong and powerful Faith: a vision of the future that is worthy of our commitment and sacrifice!”

o Note: Most commoners place clan & tribe first, then their land and territorial rights: religion
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comes a distant third in their eyes. The leaders of House Popa plan to change this . Nominally
speaking, the major religions of the world are:
! Eastern Orthodoxy: led by the Constanța Orthodox Church, and spread throughout the
Nuzuu, Vipach, and Arlumer subsectors;
! Imperial Catholicism: Almost entirely dominated by the main Imperial Rite, found across
the Imperium. This particular Rite is strongly influenced by both Vilani and Latin rituals;
! The Fishermen: basically, expansionary theonomic Calvinism without seminaries,
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organized in a synagogue-like fashion ;
! Vilani Ritualism: A variant with almost no mention of the Ancestors, focusing totally on
developing a Perfect Tradition that can be practiced by all, everywhere, forever;
! Lacee: A form of desert animism from the Long Night, which over the centuries has
morphed into a form of Christianity with a special reverence for the Water of Life.
o A major factor for the migrants is defining the ‘proper relationship’ between the alien and the
human. They are no longer obligated to publicly support Solomani supremacy: so shifts their
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thinking – both racially and theologically – are to be expected. Native Kapaki treat aliens as
‘outside of my clan/tribe’: the foreignness is what is important, not the race.
! There are four non-human ‘tribes’ on the world, amounting to ~20% of the population.
Like the humans, none originated on the world. Relations between them and the
humans – and each other – vary, and shift over time. None are born to serve (like the
Irilitok Vargr), are innately hostile (like the K’kree), or are hardened brothers (like the
Vilani and the Bwap). These populations are considered to be citizens by both the
planetary bureaucrats and the Imperium, with rights to life, liberty and property.
! These populations are left undetailed here. Note that they need not be four separate
species: three competing Aslan groups and a Vegan population would be fine.

• Right after religion and family will come business. Solomani space is dominated by major corporations,
tied to (various branches of) the Solomani Party. A more free-willing interstellar economy, tied to
families and clans (and, off-world, Imperial Houses and Vilani-style corporate-governments!), requires
new thinking.
o The Solomani migrants are comfortable with TL 14, compared with the Kapakoo norm of TL 11.
There may be a major step up in liberty in Imperial Space… but, on a world-to-world basis, a
major fall in income. The Solomani migrants will be working to change this, pronto!

• Remember that most of the current House Popa membership is Mixed Vilani, while most of the migrants
are Pure Solomani. These Solomani are largely willing to adjust to Imperial mores, and many are pleased
to escape the eyes and swords of the Party; but a substantial minority intends to expand the unofficial
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‘Solomani Imperium’ culturally, racially and, in time, politically as well.

97
Perhaps in a way they weren’t planning. As of 1105 – and ever since First Contact – the Solomani Abrahamic
religions have tied religion to race: non-humans either have no souls; or are ensouled, but will have to find
their own way to gain eternal life, as they are not sons of Adam, are not affected by Adam’s failure, need no
salvation, and so are of no concern to Moses, or Christ, or Mohammed. But one of the migrants disagrees…
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For more on the synagogue model of expanding the Kingdom of God, see “Mission in the Big Cities” by
Bojidar Marinov, http://www.christendomrestored.com/blog/2012/12/missions-in-the-big-cities-1/
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“Nothing stays the same, except God and blood.” – Solomani proverb. And, unlike the Darwinians, I am not
so confident about blood. Certainly, genetic kinship (which a materialist can touch: “So it’s real!’) is of far less
importance than the unchanging Commandments (which a materialist can’t touch: “So it’s a fantasy!”)
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Either you grow, or you die: and the Solomani aren’t interested in dying.

• One set of Solomani migrants will be strongly interested in survivalism on this desert world. After arriving,
it will take a few years before they are able to make a decent go of it. (Picking the right site – with water, a
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defensible position (remember air/rafts!), and few neighbours – will be critical.)

An aging traveller, lost in his thoughts. This graphic is titled “Old Timer” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Old-Timer-447393344

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(Following: Page 95) Anastasia, Duchess of Nuzuu.
This graphic is titled “Grand Duchess Anastasia” © Karen De la Garza. See her work at
https://tottiewoodstock.deviantart.com/art/Grand-Duchess-Anastasia-651395017

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(Following: Page 96) Monáe, Sector Duchess of Verge.
This graphic is titled “Duchess Monae” © Wolfgang Amadeus LeBlanc.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Duchess-Monae-715587422

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They will be preparing for a reasonable, small-scale threat: perhaps a major clan war on the planet, or a
military attack by a hostile world, or the collapse of the local communication, food transport, or electrical
grids, or a major environmental disaster like an asteroid strike. They will NOT be preparing for their robots and
computers to rebel against them, but may be getting ready for a sharp fall in technology. They CANNOT truly
prepare for the full-scale interstellar civil war that’s coming, but CAN prepare for planetary chaos.
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I have always used “Grand Duke” and “Grand Duchess” as a synonym of “retired”, rather than the proper
Traveller usage, “a senior member of the ruling Imperial dynasty”. A retired, yet living, High Noble is still a
powerful voice, and not to be trifled with… but lacks command authority over Imperial forces.
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First: Yes, I switched the titles around: I want the subsector duchess to look like the people she rules.
“Promotions from local elites help to cement loyalty.” Disagree? Feel free to switch the titles back… but every
decision has a price tag attached to it. Second: As per the Survival Margin supplement, Verge has a history of
interstellar feuding and small-scale rebellion, annoying the Ducal nobility… but Kapakoo is on the margin of
Verge Sector, and is not as powerfully influenced by this tradition as other Verge worlds.



Live Interviews with the Imperial Loyalist Network, with I Uuhura

I’m I Uuhura of the Imperial Loyalist Network, your restrictions on murder, multi-sexed species, naturally
connection to the expanding might of the Imperium! psionic sophonts…
We’re here to talk with some of the new refugees from “We are Solomani, and we have been given
the tyrannical Solomani Confederation! the gift to shape and change the genetics of
any sophont, to reform life itself, in humble
With me today is Joshua Pop, a sophont who has imitation of Christ our Master, the All-Creator!
become something of a Solomani guru or prophet Rest assured, bad genetics can be healed, and
among the migrants. His theology differs substantially corrupt biospheres can be restored! Just as
from Solomani doctrine in a number of fascinating children will play with asps, and lions
ways! For one thing, destroying, subjugating, and peacefully follow children with calves, so we,
humiliating non-Solomani isn’t on the agenda… the Firstborn of the Children of God, will bring
“Surely the Children of God can generate their salvation to all, across the cosmos! All
own wealth, without robbing others. God has sophonts can, and should, be adopted into the
no need to steal from lower orders of life: with Family of God!”
so many stars and so much untouched I didn’t think that there were any lions left…
potential in this universe, why should we? “We restored them, long ago. With a few
Aren’t we to imitate the Creator and Judge, tweaks, so they better fit in godly society.”
rather than common thieves like the Aslan and Tamed and broken lions aren’t really lions.
the Vargr, sorcerers like the Zhodani, “Rebellious lions that refuse to submit to
manipulative & deceitful cowards like the God’s Children get precisely the reward that
Hivers, or the mindless heard of the K’kree?” they earned. “
…but judging them definitely is! I have a suspicion that you will not be asking the Vargr
“Isn’t it rational to suppose that angels are our to… well, stop being Vargr.
superiors in every objective way? Immortal, “God does not ask all, everywhere, to obey:
intelligent, mighty, unhindered by any object He commands, and there is punishment for
or sword? But God has raised men to judge disobedience. This ethic applies to all species,
angels! We are His representatives: we all minds, all life, everywhere: sophont or not,
command, and they obey! And if we are to visible or not, capable of obedience or not.”
judge angels, we will certainly insure that I sense a galaxy-wide mass extinction event coming on
mere aliens to submit to His will!” strong… around, say, 3000 years from now.
I thought that Divine Law didn’t apply to aliens… “Like the Vilani and the Centaurs, perhaps?
“You thought wrong! God rules all, There was a mass extinction right on Terra,
and all shall kneel. ALL, without exception.” where the human population was reduced
Are you sure you don’t have Vilani blood in your veins? from hundreds of thousands down to eight.”
That’s a lot of hard-core conformity, right there… [Pause] “Delusional pagans always think that
“The Vilani aren’t always wrong. It isn’t all God is kidding. He isn’t.”
about bloodlines. It’s all about ethics, law, I’m starting to miss the old racialist Christians, who
righteousness! One Law for all, regardless of thought that God’s Commandments only applied to
mere genetics! The way the Solomani God’s Children.
originally ran the Third Imperium… before the “Children of God are known by their
humanist (spit) Solomani Party began to obedience to God, and not by their physical
spread its corruption!” makeup. Are you so moronic to think that
Good thing we’re out of Solomani Space now, or SolSec Christianity is some kind of materialism? Over
would be knocking on your door just about now. time, error is filtered out, and the indomitable
“They secretly hate being subject to God the truth of Christ rises. Whether you personally
Father – He who is no man! But God sees their approve it or not matters not in the slightest.”
hidden contempt… and His shining sword is in I think I’d better leave now, while this conversation is
His hand even as we speak!” still strictly verbal.
I’m assume that you know that there are numerous “Good call.”
sophonts like carnivores who have no interest in ethical

Live Interviews with the Imperial Loyalist Network, with I Uuhura

I’m I Uuhura of the Imperial Loyalist Network, your link “First, our exiled Solomani brothers were
to the unstoppable rise of the Imperium! We’re here to never traitors to the Imperial Throne: they
talk with the Noble Leadership who saved these new were merely forced out when the Mixed Vilani
refugees from Solomani oppression! lines grew weary of their rule. Bringing them
back heals a breach that should never have
With me today is Imperial Squire Diawi’shah, the been made in the first place! Second,
sophont who has organized the Popagroup, a convoy technology differs across Charted Space: the
that brought these fresh new faces to their new details of ‘Solomani TL 14’ differs extensively
Imperial home! Let’s find out the reasons for his from ‘Zhodani TL 14’ or ‘Hiver TL 14’, even if
actions here, on the Imperial Loyalist Network! the overall effect is the same. Our Household
“Good to see you again, Mr. Uuhura. I trust technologists are sure that there is much to be
that things are well with your kin and gained from recognizing and exploiting
corporation?” Solomani advances, and blending them with
Yes, my personal and professional lives are doing well, Imperial technology to surpass both.
thanks for asking! Elder Diawi’shah, can you outline Aren’t you afraid that the Solomani may again take
your reasons for bringing in hundreds of your kinsmen over control of your House, and drive the Mixed Vilani
from the twisted darkness of the Confederation into members to a lower status?
the shining light of the Imperium? “Once upon a time, the Solomani were truly
“While the overall aim is to strengthen our confident in their superiority: and confident
family as we handle an unfortunate rebellion, men are generous and gracious with those
we also intend to revitalize our House and our under their power. The Solomani dynasties of
Imperial territories with new technological the antebellum Imperium had no problem
advances, a refreshed spirit, and even with legal equality between humans and non-
reconcile our Mixed Vilani and Pure Solomani humans; they felt no need to always push
members. This will bring unity to our numbers, around the weak to show how superior they
wealth to our fiefs and holdings, and increased are… unlike the fearful, timid, xenophobic
peace and prosperity to our small part under Solomani of today. It is this truly Imperial
the Iridium Throne.” Solomani Spirit, this righteousness, which we
Can you tell me more about your dynastic troubles? wish to nurture and shelter and bring back to
“As you know, a House will not stand if we fail life once again! Whether they again gain
to bring forth a new generation, to take up the power in our house, or branch out into a new,
robes, scepters, and swords of the old. Many allied cadet line, is a secondary matter.”
Noble lines have fallen into extinction as they In your family rulings, I notice a strong emphasis on the
neglect their responsibilities and choose the Solomani religion of Christianity, the faith of your
way of pleasure instead. As our Vilani Imperial House. Can you expand on that?
brothers would say, ‘It’s the foolishness of “I – and many other Solomani Nobles – feel
placing consumption above production, that the Christian Faith has been deformed
immediate desire above long-term goals.’” and corrupted by the power of the Solomani
A perennial Solomani problem, if I may say so myself. Party. And we intend to smash the race idols
“Perhaps. But House Popa must choose life, that the Satanists have erected in place of the
instead of death: for our own sake, for those Cross. Of course, we also believe the we will
under our care, and as an example for other be blessed in doing so by the Star Maker, with
Imperial Houses to follow. Some of our less children, a clearer vision of the
responsible brothers disagree, and are in the Commandments, and the strength to uphold
process of being disciplined.” them… and so inherit the future.”
I trust that your ancestors will stand with you, as you I wish you well in your endeavour.
enforce your traditional mores on those unconforming “And your wishes are appreciated. May Christ
rebellious innovators. But still: why turn to a traitorous be exalted over all, and the Emperor be
Pure Solomani branch of your family to bring in new blessed greatly!”
technology, when there are numerous advanced May the Emperor be blessed greatly!
Imperial worlds?


A planet is a big place. Most of the planet is on the cold side: but some parts of the planet are far more
temperate and welcoming. This graphic is titled “Warmth of the Morning Suns” © uxmal750ad.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Warmth-of-the-Morning-Suns-709424895

Hipponax & Canopus: A Little More Background
Most Hipponaxians can trace their heritage from various colonial families from Yanos and Castine subsectors of
Canopus, which themselves are broadly descended from old-stock Southern European & North African families
that dominated the more notable worlds of Jardin subsector, Solomani Rim, during the Rule of Man. Terran
Confederation expansion into Canopus tentatively began during the late Rule of Man era, with a few dozen
hopeful colonies, exile settlements, and temporary bases rising and falling throughout the Long Night, long after
the Confederation’s demise.

The sector remained sparsely settled and largely unknown even after the foundation of the Third Imperium: by the
time Terra joined the Imperium in 588, perhaps 15% of Canopus was properly mapped out by Imperial and Terran
forces, mainly the better worlds of Yanos, Castine, and Mergez subsectors. Various wars and conflicts both
religious/ideological and cultural/racial served to push out the old Jardins from their homeworlds during the 500s-
700s Imperial: open, fertile, unclaimed worlds with good resource deposits in the three subsectors mentioned
above acted as magnets to the dispossessed peoples looking for a new home.

As per Mongoose’s Solomani supplement (page 120), parts of Canopus Sector remained unexplored until the last
century (1000-1100 Imperial); many words remain largely unmapped or only superficially surveyed. Hipponax was
always an attractive world from the moment the first Imperial Scout set foot on it on 100-682 Imperial: a treasure
trove of a fertile world with abundant natural resources, and much of its biosphere highly compatible with human
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genetics – “You can eat the local fruits right off the vines!”

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Of course, this means that the local wildlife can eat you (and human food) without a problem. The truly
dangerous megafauna have been mostly killed off outside of the nature reserves – mostly – but local crop
pests and diseases, while no longer real threats, still annoy local agribusiness concerns and perplex medical
professionals. Some native pests, diseases & vermin have spread along the local starlanes to nearby worlds…

If you dig deep within the archives of Hipponax, you will get hints, images, and fragmentary reports of a low-
tech sophont species, possibly a minor human race, which before the arrival of the Solomani lived in several
mountainous regions. “Emphasis on the past tense.” This graphic is titled “The Hunter and the Hunted”
© Andreas Rocha. See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/The-Hunter-and-the-Hunted-715352091

There was a yearly flow of hundreds of thousands of immigrants throughout the 800s, rising sharply just before
and during the Solomani Rim War (990-1002 Imperial) and for decades afterwards. Many families here have
connections with ex-Solomani worlds, now under Imperial administration.

Player Characters for the Adventure
Now, here’s the thing. Traveller assumed a number of socially isolated, obligation-free men, experienced in war,
ready and able to travel the galaxy in search of adventure. Such footloose nomads can get into a lot of trouble, and
wild risk-takers getting in over their heads on strange new worlds is the essential core of Traveller. This is highly
entertaining – and Traveller is, at its heart, a form of entertainment. A lot of men wish that they could travel he
stars, cause trouble, take daring risks, get the money and the girl… and win it all!

But in this story, I’m more interested in men on a journey to found and build up a new civilization, one informed by
Christian covenantalism & dominionism: “Expand your responsibility (and thus, your authority) in time and on
earth; build up your family and community; tame and enrich the land and spread civilization; spread the Kingdom
of God.” Building up families, nations, civilizations, and extending their reach across time and space, all in the
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service of the eternal King : these are the kind of stories that entertains and interests me, and this is my target
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audience. If others benefit as well, fine: there is common grace for all, as well as special grace for the elect. But
no writer can please everyone: someone must come first.

That would be my brothers in Christ.

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So: men are not individual isolates. They work in communities, they have histories, they come from somewhere.
Where a man comes from substantially shapes who they are. But where do the PCs come from?

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Christians would be wise to insure that they are only ruled by their own, under Christian laws & principles
as set forth in the Old & New Testaments. Rule by anyone else, be they Secularist or Muslim, means an explicit
subjugation under their yoke. “Better to fear God than Men.”
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Robinson Crusoe is the standard model in literature: but there are others, including the sci-fi series The
Lamb Among the Stars. “God demands quality storytelling, as well as quality scientific research and quality
business practices. So give it to Him!”
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There is a cost to this kind of roleplaying: you need to put more effort into it. A pickup game of isolates
whose past is irrelevant to the action is much easier to role-play. That suits most gamers, and Traveller can
(and should!) be primarily marketed to these folks, as that’s where the money is.


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In most of Traveller, that question does not matter. Fair enough: most players just want a pickup adventure, and
they should get what they want. But in this adventure, who you are and where you are from matters. That’s the
kind of stories I prefer to write.

There are two main groups involved: the Imperials from House Popa, and the community of Popa-related pioneers
from the Solomani world of Hipponax, known as the Popai ethnic group.

The Popagroup’s route is mainly focused on the mainworlds and their ports. There are quite a lot of
mysterious enigmas elsewhere in these systems that the PCs simply won’t have time to explore.
For example, the impenetrable 80,000-year-old Maskelinte Orb hovering over Birve,
a planet in the Shawngi system in Zarushagar Sector, deep in Imperial Space. Perhaps another time…
This graphic is titled “The Egg” © Adriano Portugal.
See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/The-Egg-683845495

The men from House Popa are generally younger, in their 20s and 30s: they know the basics about their universe,
some are well seasoned despite their youth, but few have family ties on their homeworld. The younger ones like
adventure, and – lacking money – like the payout & bonus they have been promised at the end of the adventure.
The older ones are committed to the Project, just doing their job, or want an early look at the new recruits for their
own reasons.

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In contract, the leading men and women from Hipponax are mainly interested in protecting their Popai
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community as they go on their long journey. They are taking a big risk, and – unlike the Imperials – have a lot to

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This isn’t exactly true: most Traveller chargen (character generation) systems involve the creation of a
homeworld for the traveller in question. Still, that’s more for determining skills than anything else.
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While women value safety/security over high-risk/high-reward behavior (and so make poor adventurers…
but enjoy longer lifespans), many do have good judgment, and so may rise to leadership positions in their
community: officially, or otherwise. Men love power & status – an aggressive desire for Dominion, planted in
their hearts by God Himself – and are willing to risk a lot in order to get it: but they often fail spectacularly,
betting (and losing) it all in a way women rarely do. Moreover, men often think that power trumps ethics, a
mistake that invites severe punishment. For a quick grasp of men, women, and their relationship to the

lose, especially as all they own is on their backs or in their ship’s cargo holds. But while some of the greybeards are
deeply worried about the future, others are looking for new opportunities for themselves and their people today.
Few of the Solomani migrants have left their homeworld before this adventure, or seen an alien in the flesh.

Family & Clan
One thing is crucial to note: the Imperials involved in this adventure are basically a Clan-based culture: their noble
titles are secondary to the importance of the family name, and the desire to protect and preserve it. The Solomani
migrants, in contrast, believe in the nuclear family: otherwise, they would have stayed at their ancestral lands and
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their old family holdings.

There is a good reason for the historical success of the nuclear families and the stagnation and decay of clannish
societies. The nuclear family is oriented toward the future; the extended family is oriented toward the past.
When the family is defined as only a man and a woman and their underage children, the purpose of the family
and the whole life of the family is naturally focused on bringing up these children and making them independent
of their parents so that some day they fulfill Genesis 2:23-24:

The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother,
and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

The extended family, on the other hand, by trying to stay together, is bound to only conserve the past. In fact,
that was the motive of all clannish societies: extended families stayed together only because change was
demonic, dangerous, and the future held all kinds of unspeakable horrors for man. The motive of preserving the
past was dominant in all pagan societies; the future had to be fended off by any means. The idea of progress
originated with Christianity; pagans had no such idea. And preserving the past was possible only by making
everyone stay back home with their family; and, naturally, when the clan failed to preserve the past and to stop
history, the state was charged with this role, and the Emperor/King proclaimed to be the Father of a greater clan,
the state. The official reason of the Empire to persecute the early Christians was that they “had abandoned the
beliefs of their own ancestors.” When a young man’s main concern is how to please his ancestors and find a fixed
reference point in his extended family, the result is inevitably idolatry of the past, and neglect of the future. The
patriarchal society is by nature and essence a stagnant society. Israel Wayne’s family/folk culture has been
defeated in our modern times exactly because by its very nature, it is powerless to foresee or prepare for the
future. It will die out naturally because it is not a Biblical culture.

– Bojidar Marinov for this insight, from “Christian Culture vs. Clan Culture”,
http://www.christendomrestored.com/blog/2012/11/christian-culture-vs-clan-culture/

Dominion Mandate, see Rushdoony, “The Royal Virtue and the Family”, in Law & Society: The Institutes of
Biblical Law, Vol.2
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Well, they don’t have to. My favorite tale from the Roman Empire concerns an African who convinced his
tribe to follow him to the Roman lands of prosperity… where, upon arrival, he promptly sold them into slavery.
Any resemblance to current Black American leadership is not coincidental in the slightest.
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This clannish mentality – deeply influential among the time-locked Vilani & Zhodani, and still common (if
declining) among the Solomani – may well be the reason for the stagnation of Imperial territory and
population, in the post Imperial Civil War era. Another possibility is the shift of the Ruling Dynasties from
economic growth to military might, from wealth-generating corporate-based families to (a single) wealth-
consuming naval-based family.


As humaniti expands across the stars, they change all they touch: sometimes for the better, sometimes not.
This graphic is titled “Pylons to Fierra” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Pylons-to-Fierra-542920554

The immigrants, brought in at great expense, are thankful for bringing brought to freedom, and the first generation
is likely to feel both obligation and loyalty to House Popa. But their descendants will not be bound so tightly: they
may well chafe under the rule of the family elders, and start moving elsewhere, across the world of Kapakoo and
even off-world. Some will hold to Protestant flavours of Christianity (and often some form of Darwinism, cloaked
with Christian verbiage or not, typically with a humanist slant). This is in contrast to the Family Elders taste for
Eastern Orthodoxy (and perhaps, an implicit form of Vilani Ritualism, Ancestor Worship, or even Veneration of the
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Emperor). And yes, some of the new immigrants will go all-in with their long-lost cousins, heart and soul.

After the immigrants have gained their footing, there is going to be some serious family strife. Yet the Archon and
the Elders need the additional family members – and the new ideas they bring, the new wealth they generate, and
the new children they bring forth – to strengthen their clan against the enemies of the House: mainly, resentful
former family members themselves.

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“Christianity Plus” the blight of the Faith since at least the Judaizers & the Gnostics of the 1 Century.


On Kapakoo, the Desert Blimps – a.k.a. “Desert Whales” or “Sand Whales” – have replaced the skiff as the
preferred form of transport. The plentiful planetary supply of helium makes such craft far cheaper than
expensive, off-world grav modules, allowing all Kapak families, from working-class to local aristocrats,
to enjoy a bit of casual blimping when they can find the time.
This graphic is titled “Nomad Desert Blimp” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Nomad-Desert-Blimp-355318877

Joining The House
Membership in House Popa is reserved for those who can 1) prove patrilineal descent from the distant ancestor
Mircea Popa, 2) comply with the Laws of the House, and 3) are formally brought into the House.

Patrilineal descent can be proven genetically, and there are an estimated 80 million humans, mainly within Verge
Sector, who can meet the first requirement: many bear the family name, as well. Of this, perhaps 50,000 people
are in partial compliance with the Laws of the House, and about 10,000 are in full compliance... excepting the
formal Oath of Obedience. Still, as sympathisers and supporters of House concerns, they are granted some
recognition and may be assisted in various minor ways. Finally, there are a bit over a thousand Full Members –
“blood and soul” – of the family, before the arrival of the immigrants.

As part of the condition for the payment of their migration, the Solomani immigrants have taken the lifetime oaths
required, for their descendants to become members of the House. This nearly doubles the Full Members of the
family, doubling their strength, but also instantly divides the House into Old Imperial and New Solomani groups.
Merging them together into a unified whole is going to take some doing, including numerous ‘aggressively
encouraged’ marriages… and at least two generations will have to be spent on this.

Who’s Who
Now, a selection of characters to use, as is or as models and inspiration.

A visual guide: Note that as a rule of thumb, the nobles and knights of the Popagroup convoy prefer fine robes and
high-tech capes embroidered with Imperial and family symbols as formal wear, and as daily wear the semi-official
family uniform of khaki-hued slacks and pullovers, matched with black turtlenecks. For the ship’s crew, this is an
actual uniform, with real specs; the family leadership and their aides wear modified versions to reflect their status.

To avoid setting off the Solomani, Vilani-style dress and the uniforms of the Imperial services are avoided.

Most of the leadership of the Solomani migrants, wear finely tailored business suits in the popular two-tone highly
symmetrical Solomani style (as opposed to the asymmetrical Vilani forms). As usual, men prefer darker blacks,
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blues and greys, while women enjoy a much greater latitude of hues and shades. Clothing cut in the prestigious
‘Solomani Party’ style – mainly jackets with double-collars, and shirts, pants, and dresses accented with finely-
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patterned prints - has been left behind by the migrants. “That’s part of the past, not the future.”

First, the Imperials. All the NPCs detailed below are blood members of House Popa, and bear the name.

Oren Diawi’shah Albu Popa, Esq.
Imperial Procurator; Elder of Clan Albu, House Popa
“Present in Spirit”
UPP 4975F8, Age 50, Mixed Vilani
Homeworld: Arkunen/Nuzuu/Verge, hex 3006, C689864-8
Skills: Admin - 3, Legal - 2, Commo - 2, Liaison - 2, Perception - 1, Vacc Suit - 1, Ship Tactics - 1, Grav Belt - 1,
Robot Ops - 1, Pilot - 1, History - 1, Linguistics - 1, Persuasion - 1, Leadership - 1, Astronomy - 1, Grav Vehicle - 0,
Computer - 0, Survival - 0, Wheeled Vehicle - 0, Energy Weapon - 0, Laser Weapon - 0

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Languages: Anglic, Rim Anglic

Visual: With a sharp face and thin, bony body, the learned Imperial Squire looks likes the withered survivor of a
mass starvation incident. The Imperial robes of his office hang loosely from his frame when worn, but most PCs will
see him in a better-fitting familial jumpsuit, in the clan colours & patterns of a Lesser Archon.

Opening theme: “Sea of Blue”. Joe Hisaishi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWBSJ3xrpIE

Summary: A respected Imperial Prosecutor in the Nuzuu subsector courts, Oren is unable to personally lead the
flotilla he put together: but it’s organization, goals, and personnel broadly reflects his influence and vision.

History: Oren graduated from university, majoring in astronomy. Soon after, his Imperial service began in the
Imperial Navy, rising to Lieutenant as an Admiral’s Aide and attending Staff College. After his Navy years, he began
a successful career in Imperial Law, focusing primarily on military and state secrets and certain interesting
jurisdictional questions regarding Noble authority, the remit of the various Imperial Services, Imperial Civil Service
administrative authority, and the Iridium Throne. Most recently, conflicts between Imperial Law and the various
Imperial Secret Services has created a snarl that is taking ages to unwind properly…

(Following) “That business with the Scouts, the On Tiari Corporation, and the Immav Ael Giants of Salat/Verge
took a good long time to resolve: but when it was done, even the Giants were satisfied. It’s important for every
Imperial Citizen, even the poorest, to know that the Iridium Throne hears all who demand Imperial Justice: not
just the corporations, not just the Nobility, not just the most powerful races with the loudest voices.”
This graphic is titled “After Attack” © Igor Tovstogan.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/after-attack-684825932

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The Party prefers to accent masculinity and femininity, both as a subtle prod to have more children, and to
more sharply contrast Real Humans with the more sexually egalitarian Vilani.
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See the gentleman in MegaTraveller’s Rebellion Sourcebook, page 69, for what I’m shooting at.
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This is the official Anglic Dialect of the Solomani Confederation, and is commonly spoken within the
Imperial Solomani Rim sector as well. It’s distinct and widespread enough to be treated separately from the
Anglic of the Third Imperium. All Imperials NPCs in this adventure speak Standard Imperial Anglic.


Goals: While many Solomani-descended Imperial Nobles in Nuzuu and Vipach subsectors like to build unique,
domed biomes as positional goods, Oren has decided on a more old-fashioned route. As a Clan Elder, Oren has
been spending all of his free time and money guiding the design of artistic, vocational, scientific, literary, historical,
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and religious curricula that will get across his views of life, work, time, family, and destiny. “I don’t want to leave
behind a garden as my legacy, but the seeds of a new civilization – a civilization guided by Popa hands!”

As part of his plans, he – along with certain other supportive family tycoons and elders – has promoted the
immigration of a new wave of Popa relatives. In part, this really is to shore up family numbers and demographics…
but also, this new blood will be trained up to carry Oren’s vision, long after he himself has died.

Closing theme: “Wszystko co kocham”, Daniel Bloom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vULk2G8S2Pg

Squire Oren is not actually part of the convoy: “Adventuring across the cosmos is a young man’s game.”
However, the convoy is more his baby than anyone else’s.

The Squire is quite respected within the Imperial Administration of Verge Sector, and can be called upon to pull
Imperial and financial strings if needed. However, the farther you are from Verge, the weaker the pull: and it takes
time (weeks at least, and quite likely months) to send a message at Jump-4 (via x-boat) to where the PCs are
located. And with PCs on the move, it’s always possible to miss the message.

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For sake of simplicity, this can be seen as a fusion of Romanian culture (ancient ties to the Roman &
Byzantine peoples), a strong tradition of folklore (pre-industrial Romanian, and Long Night folklore from
Nuzuu and Vipach subsectors), ties to Orthodox Christianity (including the support of Constanța Orthodox
monasteries, seminaries, cathedrals, churches, and shrines) and a love of meaty dishes (especially pork), and a
vital form of folk music. There is also an ancient tradition of skilled programmers (and hackers). As part of the
Solomani people, genetics, biology and the other life sciences are encouraged, with a House focus on Terran
and Xeno-biochemistry. As Imperial loyalists, there is a low-profile but steady interest in easing tensions
between the Solomani and other Imperial minor human races: this includes the maintenance of libraries and
small academic study groups in the field.

Baron Dănuț Diawi’shah Albu Popa
The Young Noble
“A Handsome Face”
UPP AA965C, Age 26, Mixed Vilani
Homeworld: Kapakoo/Nuzuu/Verge, hex 3006, B564594-B
Skills: Vacc Suit - 2, Grav Vehicle - 1, Long Blade - 1, History - 1, Survival - 1, Wheeled Vehicle - 1, Sling - 1,
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Combat Rifleman - 1, Electronics - 1, Instruction - 1, Handgun - 0, Computer - 0, Energy Weapon - 0

Languages: Anglic

Visual: Like his uncle, Baron Dănuț has a lean face and body, also light-skinned as reflects his Romanian descent,
although he is visibly stronger, tougher, younger and healthier than the Imperial Squire. When possible, he wears
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the robes of a serving Imperial Noble , accented with both Imperial and House Popa symbols. When it just isn’t
practical to do so, he dons upper class, bespoke Traveller wear instead.

Opening theme: “Sonatine I (Act of Violence)”, Joe Hisaishi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSLlX4czsZA

History: Groomed for leadership since he was young, Dănuț was tapped by the family to join the team in organizing
the exodus, and eventually was chosen to be the on-the-spot leader of the Popagroup convoy. Thanks to family
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horse-trading in Imperial politics, Dănuț was recently raised to a Rank Baron post, Baron of Kapakoo, but actual
administrative duties are being handled by his sister until his return.

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While Dănuț is secretly taking anagathics – legal in the Imperium, but against family law & tradition – he is
young enough so that there is no visible difference between his actual and visual age. His anagathics stash is very
expensive, and well-hidden.

Problems: Admired and respected in his family, a young hotshot rocketing to the top, Baron Dănuț hides the stress
and the strain of living up to family expectations fairly well, but is already addicted to various calming drugs. While
he exudes confidence and charisma, Dănuț privately struggles to keep up with the heavy responsibility that has
been placed on his shoulders, and can be over-cautious or over-aggressive at times.

Goals: He has various conflicting goals: to be respected by all, to avoid all possibility of failure, to be seen as a
leader, to relax and enjoy life, to have great wealth and power, to be free of all responsibility. Right now, he is
trying to be what his family had trained him to be, hiding his own personal desires and dreams. A successful
conclusion to the adventure is just a step – if a major one – to his final goal: to be Archon of the family, and
reshape everything to satisfy his own comfort and ease.

But until that fine day dawns, the Baron has five billion credits worth of starships (plus cargo!) and 1047 lives to
protect, including his own…

Closing theme: “Darkness”, Joe Hisaishi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQgegqm56ew

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FYI: “Combat Rifleman” includes the skills for the Advanced Combat Rifle, Assault Rifle, Carbine, Gauss Rifle,
and plain old Rifle.
118 th
I’m sticking with MegaTraveller elegant Noble imagery, and ignoring GURPS’ hilarious “18 century British
Naval Officer” Noble garb.
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In Traveller Nobility, Honour Nobles have no real responsibilities (but are celebrities), Rank Nobles have
serious and often inheritable duties and fiefs, and High Nobles are the top 1% of the aristocracy.
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When the ruling Noble simply doesn’t die, the eager younger heirs may well decide to help things along.
Most families don’t want the drama (which can quickly get real bloody and very expensive), so either ban it
outright or tightly restrict its use.


You’d be surprised, how many sophonts love to hunt.

This graphic is titled “Hunter” © Igor Tovstogan.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/before-the-start-662567199

‘Captain’ Ion Cornea Popa
Personal Aide to Baron Dănuț
“The Hidden Knife”
UPP 3C77C9, Age 38, Mixed Vilani
Homeworld: Nemeet/Vipach/Gushemege, hex 0237, D4307CB-8
Skills: Streetwise - 2, Handgun - 2, Computer - 2, Disguise - 2, Forgery - 2, Jack-o-Trades - 1, Electronics - 1,
Medical - 1, Heavy Weapons - 1, Intrusion - 1, Carousing - 1, Liaison - 1, Bribery - 1, Combat Rifleman - 1,
Wheeled Vehicle - 0, Grav Vehicle - 0

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Languages: Anglic. Boning up on Rim Anglic, so he can sound like a Solomani Confederation native at need.

Tools & Aids: Traveller’s Aid Society

Visual: Sharing the thin, lean, light-hued look of most members of the family, Captain Ion is on the weak side as
Travellers go, but extremely agile. Off-duty, he presents a genteel and upper-class manner, and likes to dress in the
ornate style of the prestigious wealthy cultures in the Old Expanses instead of the typical household uniform. On-
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duty, you probably won’t recognise him – not his face, not his accent, not his body language.

Opening theme: “Night at the Opera”, David Arnold, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsbXFm_NaSI

Summary: A well-dressed family agent, his military experience, familiarity with the darker side of life, good social
engineering skills, and natural amorality has made Captain Ion the natural go-to man when extralegal activity and
various skulduggery is required.

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He’s actually pretty good already: but I’ll let the Referee decide if there are any ‘fatal giveaways’ at the
critical moment, like a certain hand gesture in the Inglorious Bastards film.
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Interestingly, the hard, instinctually cunning, and ruthless actions of the secret agent on-duty is a lot more
honest to who he really is, than his urbane and gentlemanly manner off-duty, supposedly ‘without the mask’.

History: The official history is nice and clean: four terms in a high-pop planetary army, a stint as a broker for a
family concern, some public heroism and fifteen minutes of fame (earning him membership in the Traveller’s Aid
Society), and miscellaneous work as a rep in various family concerns. The unofficial history is, err, distasteful, but
quite effective in rescuing ugly situations, setting up scams and illusions, and the occasional disposal of threats to
House Popa. “When things go bad, the Captain knows what to do… and he’ll do it, too.”

Goal: Do whatever needs to be done to get the Popagroup safely home, and enjoy the promised rewards of a nice
apartment and a comfortable sinecure on the family-dominated world of Kapakoo. On the mission, he’s focused on
survival as a covert Imperial Household Agent, deep in Solomani territory, absolutely crawling with Solomani
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Security... and certainly brining aboard some SolSec eyes and knives as ‘refugees’, too.

Not a single thought has been put on what to do after getting the payoff: the action-oriented man doesn’t have
the temperament to live the ‘settled minor gentry’ life he aspires to, at least not for long…

Closing theme: “To the Roof”, John Powell, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3VPvp4O8xE

Crin Macovescu Popa
Business Agent for the Popagroup convoy
“A Wheelin’ and a Dealin’”
UPP 689A35, Age 25, Mixed Vilani
Homeworld: Lekhana/Nuzuu/Verge, hex 3101, C556754-6
Skills: Liaison - 2, Legal - 1, Admin - 1, Trader - 1, Ships Boat - 1, Small Boat - 1, Jack-o-Trades - 1, Gambling - 1,
Song - 1, Dance - 1, Swimming - 1, Broker - 0, Handgun - 0, Vacc Suit - 0, Wheeled Vehicle - 0, Computer - 0
Languages: Anglic, Trokh (Aslan language)

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Visual: Noticeably plumper and softer than most of the family – but otherwise , with stronger Vilani features
than most Popa family members, in height (the Vilani average for men is 1.7 meters) and finer facial bone structure
(complete with the big eyes and long, narrow nose). The natural 32-hour sleep rhythm the Vilani are biologically
tuned to also shapes Crin’s activities. Suitable for his ample presence, Crin prefers more flowing, colourful and
easy-to-wear versions of the unofficial family uniform, with a bit of extra bling.

Opening theme: “Tank”, The Seatbelts, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2rVnRwW0h8

Summary: “Want to make a deal?” Sure, Crin is definitely interested in bigger profits: but barely less important
than the fat payoff is the energy and happiness he gets when talking to new people, figuring out new angles,
enjoying new experiences. Unlike Baron Dănuț and Captain Ion, Crin actually loves to travel, and is thrilled to meet
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the unexpected. Joining the Popagroup convoy isn’t merely a means to an end for him: “I was born for this!”

History: Crin was schooled on his father’s Free Trader Unified Polygons, giving a useful hand in running the ship
and handling business since the age of 11. When his father died of a planetary plague, the 15-year old boy handily

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“The situation isn’t quite as bad as a covert Imperial agent in the Zhodani Consulate, so that’s something.”
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The Vilani typically have a strong muscle tone (due to the high gravity of their homeworld, Vland), unlike
the soft and plushy Crin.
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Whether the purebred Solomani will be as pleased to meet the obviously mixed-race trader as he would be
to meet them is doubtful, at least at first. Still, there is something infectious and joyful about the man: Crin’s
openness and bonhomie just might change a few hearts…

took over running the ship, with the supportive ship’s crew both accepting his leadership and teaching him to be a
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real skipper and trader.

When he made a great deal with an Aslan trading convoy, earing his big score at 17, a Popa interstellar trading
house roped him in as a senior broker and trader, and Crin paid off the ship, leaving his old First Mate as the new
captain of the Free Trader. While he hasn’t won another huge payoff, he’s still young, and is being sent on the
Popagroup to get more experience and to truly prove himself as a dealmaker. Crin is confident that he’s up to the
challenge, and plans to enjoy every minute of it too!

Closing theme: “See You Space Cowboy”, The Seatbelts, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4lNGz-2TaQ

Just outside of the Imperial Starport, Lekhana/Nuzuu/Verge, 1097 Imperial. It’s not that the TL 6 locals can’t
upgrade their technology: they have enough credits from supplying the Imperial starport to do that (and a good
deal more!) It’s just that they are perfectly happy with their current lifestyle, and see no reason to change.
This graphic is titled “High Tech, High Life” © Anton Kurbatov.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/High-Tech-High-Life-709381331
Petre Lascăr Popa

Pilot
“The Young Man Who Loves to Fly”
UPP B68996, Age 22, Mixed Vilani
Homeworld: Kapakoo/Nuzuu/Verge, hex 3006, B564594-B
Skills: Grav Vehicle - 2, Pilot - 2, Streetwise – 1, Linguistics - 1, Farming - 1, Computer - 0, Handgun - 0, Vacc Suit - 0,
Languages: Anglic, Trokh (Aslan language)

Visual: Strong, stout and sturdy, a bit more ruddy than most of his family, Petre doesn’t look like the stereotypical
pilot: but he delivers the goods. He dresses in a functional, simple manner, in the usual ship’s overalls (in family
colours), and gets along well with his teammates. His friendly and easy style hides a strong, practical, intelligent
mind. Full of common sense and good instincts, it’s hard to slip one past him, and he is really fast on the pick-up.

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It was a weird kind of setup socially and relationship-wise, but it worked. Crin is now far more successful
than he was then, but a big part of his heart and soul is still on the Unified Polygons. When he can, he likes to
catch up with his old crew… and he still has his ship’s shares.


Opening theme: “High Delivery”, Steven Cravis, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYQ9DNJ8NdM

History: Drafted as a Scout, he survived the experience rather well, without physical or mental injury, and picked
up an intense love of flying (and the Aslan language) while in the service. In return, he was something of a rock of
stability for his crew, being the unofficial team leader and covering for the rather flighty and unstable official Scout
Leader. Word got around on his sterling qualities, and Petre was snatched up at the last minute by the recruiters of
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the Popagroup mere days after being discharged by the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service.

As the Solomani Confederation is adamant about Solomani supremacy,
most non-human nomadic fleets, wandering flotillas, and city-ships prefer to operate in Imperial space.
This graphic is titled “The Gathering” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/The-Gathering-482737534

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House Popa had a hand in pushing up his discharge date a bit, so they could hire Petre on before leaving for
the Solomani Confederation. “Good talent is worth pulling a few strings for.”

A Solomani surveillance drone, working for the protection of the Race. The PCs should get used to seeing eyes in
the sky: this particular high atmosphere, sub-orbital, long-duration drone is used in low-pop/no-pop worlds. On
higher-pop & higher-tech worlds, Solomani Security has a far broader range of surveillance networks.
This graphic is titled “Beyond the Mirror: Saber” © Adriano Portugal.
See his work at https://danarogon-ap.deviantart.com/art/Beyond-the-Mirror-Saber-702717503

Petre is certainly a solid addition to the crew, loyal to Family and Emperor, and will do his level best to meet his
duty: but what he is really looking for is the opportunity to fly again. Flying starships, flying ship’s boats, flying grav
vehicles, and perhaps one day trying on a grav belt, gliding about over a low-G landscape, or using a set of artificial
wings within a zero-G habitat.

Closing theme: “Riding the Wind”, Gareth Coker, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx06VKCP8z0

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And now, the Solomani migrants, all Pure Solomani members of the Popai ethnic group, with historical ties to
House Popa, from which they were exiled centuries ago. Note the last digit in their UPP refers to their rank in the
Solomani Party, not their Social Standing within Imperial Society.

Amosez Ting Popa
Family Patriarch
“Expanding the Race”
UPP 17CBCC, Age 70, Pure Solomani
Homeworld: Hipponax/Hulda/Canopus, hex 0118, A889A9A-E
Skills: Zero-G - 3, Leadership - 2, Medical - 2, Grav Vehicle - 1, Vacc Suit - 1, Survival - 1, Pilot - 1, Gravitics - 1,
Linguistics - 1, Ships Boat - 1, Handgun - 1, Navigation - 1, Laser Weapon - 1, Ship Tactics - 1, Jack-o-Trades - 1,
Paint/Sculpture - 1, History - 1, Streetwise - 1, Swimming - 1, Computer - 0, Rifleman - 0

Member, Terran Adventurer’s Society

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Languages: Rim Anglic, Delbra Stellar Creole

Visual: This old but far from retired spacer is easy to spot: thin boned, very pale, with a huge white mane sprouting
from his head, ‘able to blind a man from 20 paces’. He’s a successful, knowledgeable, and clever spacer… who
spent far too many decades in zero-G, and now has to wear leg and spine bracers to prop up his weakened
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muscles and bones. Like most of the leadership of the Solomani migrants, he wears a finely tailored business
suit, as opposed to the mix of practical clothing and Noble robes and capes the senior Imperials prefer.

Opening theme: “Deep Shadow”, T.T.L. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJWT2bJCbM4

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History: Born Amosez Ting Vaparen in a family with strong Party ties , the now-aged patriarch graduated from a
Party-affiliated merchant academy, and spent his early years on the big interstellar freighters. But the man really
built his wealth and reputation trading with the various zero-G space cities and colonies that are often found near
the high-pop/high-tech worlds, notable gas giants, and resource rich but uninhabitable worlds. He remained a
member of the Solomani Home Guard until just a few weeks before he had to board the Popagroup for a one-way
journey into Imperial Space.

Goal: As a minor power in local Party politics, Amosez has some political pull that he used to help ease the
negotiations to bring the Popa migrants – including himself – into Imperial Space. He certainly remains a racial and

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Well, almost all…
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“Delbra Stellar Creole” is a trade tongue of Sailent Subsector, primarily by the independent traders of
Fugit/Salient. “Strong on Race, but they have some weird fetishes when it comes to unfiltered starlight and
electronics…”
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Still, at least his overall constitution, including his circulatory system, is doing well. “All that exercise and
supplements weren’t a complete waste of time and money!”
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Goggle up ‘Princelings’ and ‘Red Diaper Babies’ sometime…

Party loyalist, but sees it as his mission to protect and husband the return of a small but pure part of the Ruling
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Race back to the Imperium that it built. From small seeds, mighty oaks grow, after all…

Note: As advised, Amosez Ting Vaparen changed his name to Amosez Ting Popa as part of his preparations for the
move into the Imperium. However, while he did swore loyalty to House Popa, he has pointedly rejected several
133,134
promptings to make an oath of loyalty to the Imperial government, so has been warned about maintaining
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ties to the Party and to Solomani Security. Regardless, Amosez intends to remain as active a Party member as he
can in the Imperium, but will shun violence and legally punishable forms of treason: strengthening the spirit of the
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Race, rather than plotting the immediate overthrow of the Imperial government, is what he’s about.

Closing theme: “Alien Manifestation”, Keiichi Okabe, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGuOD24NZ4g

Imperials have little sympathy for the Solomani nobles who are exiled to the Confederation.
“You can’t serve two masters… and you have chosen poorly.”
This graphic is titled “Exhiled” © Wolfgang Amadeus LeBlanc. See his work at
https://wolfgangleblanc.deviantart.com/art/Exhiled-718731508

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Yes, Amosez somehow managed to completely wipe out/negate the role of the Vilani (‘…and all of the
other lesser breeds…’) in building the Third Imperium. The actual justifications and rationalizations he uses are
left for the PCs to discover for themselves.
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Remember: the Third Imperium does not formally recognize the existence of the “rebellious organization
that calls itself the ‘Solomani Confederation’”: according to Imperial Law, all Confederation citizens are really
Imperial citizens in denial. And in any case, Imperial citizenship is automatically assumed for all organic
sophonts within Imperial borders, unless proven otherwise.
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Interesting, that he is willing to swear loyalty to a mixed-race family, but not to the mixed-race Imperium.
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As of 1105, the Solomani Party has only been recently re-legalized within the Imperium, and remains
closely watched. Still, peaceful activities, including propaganda, public Solomani celebrations and cultural
activities, and non-violent marches and demonstrations, are tolerated by the Imperium: the attitude of
planetary governments vary, as usual.
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You know that big wheel who you know for a fact has contact with the bad guys, but keeps his own hands
nice and clean? Yeah…

Net Cola Popa
The Voice of Freedom
“Of Blood and Love”
UPP 689A35, Age 26, Impure Solomani
Skills: Linguistics - 2, Intrusion - 2, Genetics - 2, Disguise - 1, Streetwise - 1, Forgery - 1, Bribery - 1,
Handgun - 1, Wheeled Vehicle - 1, Vacc Suit - 1, Sensor Ops - 1, Commo - 1, Grav Vehicle - 0, Computer - 0,
Laser Weapon - 0, Stealth - 0, Sub-Machinegun - 0,
Languages: Rim Anglic, Rim French, Modern Vilani

Visual: A rather bland-faced, non-descript woman, practically a model of the ‘average Solomani woman’: mildly
coffee-hued skin, round face, shoulder-length black wavy hair, brown eyes, a touch on the plump side. She dresses
in the ho-hum average Solomani working-class manner as well, which helps with encouraging people to utterly
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forget about her two minutes after entering the room.

Opening theme: “L'Origine Nascosta”, Ludovico Einaudi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87I8Lw6EEY8

History: Born Net Cola V-Regi, Net Cola was raised as a Popai, and always thought of herself as Pure Solomani. As
such, she was eager to use her childhood studies to help her sister Krala (now a geneticist of some fame on
Hipponax), and together they managed to push their way out of their startown slum and shipping container
homes, overcoming rampant (if very polite) hostility for their low-class origins with their wits, social skills, and
academic excellence, capped by being co-authors for a paper – a bio-compatible study between Solomani genetics
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and certain local plant life – that won a respected regional award.

While physically able to pass for Pure Solomani on visual inspection, the young woman was surprised and ashamed
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to discover that she was less than 100% Solomani when applying for a job with the Solomani Party. Sympathetic ,
her recruiter pointed her to a special division within Transstar – a Solomani Party-allied megacorporation, one of
two megacorporations solely tied to the Solomani people.

Officially, she worked in the Human Resources division – stress on the human – but unofficially, she worked in both
observation and as a cut-out between various SolSec operatives and sympathetic Imperial Solomani interests. Her
success in gathering & distributing actionable intelligence let not merely to commanding True Humans in the field
at a young age – a very high honour, practically unheard of in most Solomani organizations (and spoken of only on
a need-to-know basis within Transstar) – but even earning the right to have any child she conceives of genetically
altered to fit the Pure Solomani profile, with the cost cheerfully borne by Transstar itself!

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This look and dress is great for hiding in plain sight within Solomani-dominated space. In the Imperium, the
camouflage is only somewhat effective…
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This is partly inspired by three 17-year-old girls in Taiwan, and their high school research project on
‘Antimicrobial activity Salvia hispanica’. For more information, see their prize winning report at
http://www.shs.edu.tw/works/essay/2016/04/2016040115092400.pdf
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Let me point out that one reason for they sympathetic treatment is that she and her recruiter were borne
on Hipponax, one of the most racially liberal and soft-core worlds of the Solomani Confederation. This even
applied to her famous sister: numerous worlds would never allow a Fake Human to have any professional
position in society. And especially not one tied to genetic technology!


“In this rare image taken on July 19, 2013, the wide-angle camera on NASA's Cassini spacecraft has captured
Saturn's rings and our planet Earth and its moon in the same frame….Earth, which is 898 million miles (1.44
billion kilometers) away in this image, appears as a blue dot at center right; the moon can be seen as a fainter
protrusion off its right side. An arrow indicates their location in the annotated version. (The two are clearly seen
as separate objects in the accompanying composite image PIA14949.) The other bright dots nearby are stars.”
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute. The use of this imagery should not imply
that NASA endorses this fanzine in any form or fashion. See the original graphic at Space Images:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA17171

Currently: On her recent return from Imperial space back to Hipponax, Net Cola was given a new set of mission
orders from her handler. In obedience, she resigned from Transstar, was able to join the Popai migration group,
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changed her family name to Popa (as did her husband) and – with sub-rosa assistance from the Solomani Party –
was manoeuvred into a leadership position for the less-than-racially pure immigrants. Naturally, she vocally and
enthusiastically supports the move to Imperial Space, and is admired by many of the most pro-Imperial migrants.

Her final goals are unknown, even to the Party: her placement is more to give the Party and Solomani Security
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useful pre-positioned assets in the future, rather than operatives to be used immediately. However, the Referee
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should know that 1) both herself and her husband remain loyal to the Party and the Race, 2) her most precious
possession are four well-protected refrigerated vials, each of which contains an embryo of herself and her
husband, each of which has been altered to be Pure Solomani, and 3) she is also one month pregnant, also with a
genetically tweaked Pure Solomani child.

Closing theme: “Omoi no Hate ni”, Kaoru Wada, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rLRHAwKykA

Academician Pacon Sarala Hawken
The Famous Scientist
“A Journey to a Decision”
UPP 385A89, Age 47, Pure Solomani
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Skills: Sophontology - 6, Cryonics - 3, Linguistics (Study of) - 2, Biology - 1, Medical - 1, Genetics - 1, Computer - 1,
Sensor Ops - 1, Mechanical - 1, Research - 1- Linguistics - 1, Astrography (Aslan Hierate) - 0, Grav Vehicle - 0,
Rifleman - 0, Carousing - 0
Languages: Rim Anglic, Trokh (the Aslan language)

Visual: A typically scrawny intellectual-type, of vague Arab/East Indian descent. Looking at him either running
about or tied to his lab table, you’d think he hasn’t left the lab in the last two decades… and you’d be very wrong.

Opening theme: “The Gracious Core”, Mark Isham, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bbN24LWgsA

History: After earning his doctorate from the prestigious Owsent Institute of the Mind on Hipponax, Dr. Hawken
focused his studies on the interaction of low berths, deep sleep/cryopreservation, and mental activity (with the
occasional foray into cellular regeneration, especially in regard to neurological cells).

His ticket to scientific rock star status was the seven years in the Aslan Hierate, working with the Sophont research
community there to compare research studies regarding the impact of comparative medical cryopreservation and
cryonics, and how these factors impact Aslan and Solomani brains – both biological and mental behaviour – during
the ‘freezing’, ‘frozen’ ‘thawing’ and ‘thawed’ states. As the senior author of a string of notable papers on the
subject, he was awarded the title of Academician, and given budget and administrative responsibilities for high-
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level Confederation research on the interaction of Sophontology and Cryonics across Canopus Sector.

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Her skills as an agent are quite good, but her skills as a politician leaves a lot to be desired. There is no way
she can remain leader of the most pro-Imperial faction of the migrants: at least, not without a helping hand…
141
The Vilani aren’t the only ones who can think long-term…
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I leave it to the Referee to detail her husband, determine his history and skill sets, and his own long-term
goals.
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Usually, each Linguistic point refers to one learned language. But here, I am referring to the field of
linguistics (the rules of language) as a whole.
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ACTUAL sophontology: a.k.a. the study of sophont intelligence. In the 1105 Imperium, ‘studies in
sophontology’ is often a cover for (highly secret) Imperium-sanctioned psionic research.

In addition to his breakthrough research and studies in cryonics, the Academician has made “five
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breakthroughs, three major advances, and seven minor discoveries” to his name. The secondary
discoveries were mainly drawn from data analysis, experiments, and detailed comparisons between the
Solomani, Imperial (“Mixed Vilani”), and Aslan low berths on

o their use in civilian and military transport,
o their long-term use as the ‘low watch’,
o as medical support for placing severely wounded soldiers in suspension,

with a special focus on mental activity during and after use among these sophonts.

The scientist is just as driven as the conqueror, the missionary, the trader.
Only the nature of the treasure he seeks differs. This graphic is titled “First Contact II” © Andreas Rocha.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/First-Contact-II-709502777

Academician Hawken jumped at the promotion initially… and eventually grew to loathe the relentless
administrative duties, the endlessly gamed ‘peer review’ process, and the petty politicking over grant money,
position, and prestige. He also resented the watchful eyes of senior Solomani Party ideologues, making sure that
he didn’t cross the line and challenge the doctrine of the Solomani Superiority in any way.

Goals: When the opportunity arose to carefully monitor hundreds of Solomani migrants, kept in low berths on a
journey to Imperial Space, he was able to grab it for himself and his handpicked medical/research team, quickly
shucking off his political and budgetary duties to someone – anyone – else, at least for a year or two. His dual

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Generated using the procedure for scientists, found in Challenge magazine, Issue #29. Hurray for the (aging,
but still useful) MegaTraveller Character Generator!

mission in the Popagroup convoy: 1) insure that the very maximum of low berthers survive the entire process, and
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2) suck in every byte of low berth data for analysis, especially data on mental activity.

Note: Academician Hawken is not a member of the Popai ethnic group, will not join House Popa, and – at least at
the start of the adventure – expected to return home to the Solomani Confederation after transporting the low-
berthed migrants, and gathering the valuable data he seeks.

Closing theme: “Inside”, Moby, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=531MZcx_y6o

Below: A possible interview between an Imperial reporter on the science beat and Academician Hawken,
soon after entering Imperial space. Whether it ever takes place depends on several things: for example, if the
Academician decides to defect, or in the end comes back home…

Hawken: “…but it isn’t the professionals that worry me most: they have bigger fish to fry, and if they really wanted
to kill me, then I’m already dead. It’s those Racial Patriot lunatics that worry me: no discipline, no art,
just kill-kill-kill…”
Reporter: “But aren’t you dead either way? And don’t you have a better chance to survive an amateur-hour
attack?”
Hawken: “Sure, I’ll give you that. But professionals prefer to leave no traces, and generally want to keep collateral
damage down: the Party has to worry about public opinion – ‘the morally upright, truly noble, close-to-God Real
Humans vs. the cold, soulless, ruthless bio-mechanical Vilani’ storyline – and have a reputation to protect among
both Confederation Solomani and Imperial Solomani.”
Reporter: “’Borders don’t matter. Blood does,’ as the Party proverb goes.”
Hawken: “Exactly. The restrictions the enemy tries to put on you are just obstacles to be overcome or subverted or
circumvented, but the rules you put on yourself actually matter. Moreover, proper, tightly-focused SolSec
terminations mean fewer clues for the Imperial Services to work with. Unthinking, untrained, impulsive amateurs
don’t worry about any of that optics or evidence stuff, though.”
Reporter: “So once again, warfare is 90% spiritual.”
Hawken: “I’d say mental, myself.”
Reporter: “How about moral?”
Hawken: “Let’s agree on principle-based. But I agree with your main point, though: the critical focus is on the
minds of the sophonts in question, not the tools at hand.”
Reporter: “As a celebrated sophontologist, how do you see the moral dimensions of intra-species warfare?”
Hawken: “Well, let’s just say that the Party’s insistence that only the Solomani mind has access to such a set of
non-materialistic principles requires additional collaboration with objective evidence and findings. Due to security
concerns and Party restrictions, I am unable to say anything more. I’m sure you understand.”

(Following) The course of the Popagroup does not lead to Terra: but many bars, restaurants, homes,
and religious shrines across the Solomani Sphere displays images, photos, and relics from that sacred world.
The more daring and patriotic Solomani starship captains have a ritual, ‘Paying Respects’, when they sneak their
ships on their last voyage across the Imperial border to Jupiter, just to see the world of Terra as
a distant glint in the firmament. “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.”
This graphic is titled “Giant Skies II” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Giant-Skies-II-416123210

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In support of both goals, all the low berths in the convoy have been modified to the latest technology to
better increase the chance of survival for the occupant, and to transmit a broader range of data – especially on
brain activity, electrical and biological – to redundant arrays of data crystals.


Qurez Bao Popa
The Business Magnate
“The Outsider”
UPP 746895, Age 51, Pure Solomani
Skills: Admin - 3, Manufacturing Processes - 2, Finance (Corporate) - 2, Instruction - 2, Hunting - 1, Survival - 1,
Liaison - 1, Finance (Corporate) - 1, Grav Vehicle - 1, Sensor Ops - 0, Laser Weapon - 0, Handgun - 0, Streetwise - 0,
Jack-o-Trades - 0, Chemistry - 0, Electronics - 0, Computer - 0, Hang-Gliding - 0
Languages: Rim Anglic

Visual: Qurez has a Mestizo/Native American cast to his face, but shares the light skin of the Popai ethnic group,
itself an offshoot of the Romanian people. While a successful businessman, he doesn’t care much for conventions,
dressing as he pleases and inventing words on the fly, if it better gets the message across quickly.

Opening theme: “Dreams of a Journey”, Michael Nyman, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ3_pFGq5_I

History: A true Hipponaxian, Qurez – born Qurez Bao Serenzman – initially built his business in providing hard-to-
source goods and services for the wealthy non-Solomani visitors and residents to his world. As he grew in the
ability to serve them, their referrals brought in more business… and more Party investigators.

Hipponax is friendlier to aliens than most Solomani worlds, but even here, the economy is structured to benefit the
Solomani first and most. But Qurez never really cared about the racial hierarchy: all he wanted to do was make
more money, and the best way to do that is to insure that his customers could get more money to pay him. He
carefully studied the situation, looked at various angles, and figured out a number of ways to circumvent the more
onerous restrictions without waving a red cape before either the Party or various Human Rights groups.

It is preposterous to suggest that a respected business magnate has any connection to this hypothetical ‘alien
underground network’, and highly irresponsible to insinuate that a key hub of such a subversive web would be
located on one of the most wealthy and liberal worlds of the Confederation. Such unproven slander only brings
division to the Race when unity is needed, and should bear no weight on the deliberations of this Party Council.
– Councilwoman Basem Sahnoun, Solomani Party, Hipponax, March 1, 2520.

Over the years, some additional restrictions have been placed on the aliens and the parahumans: but in time, each
of those restrictions were also circumvented or eluded. The occasional reporter and media expose screamed
bloody murder, and a big hubbub followed: but as time marched on, fewer and fewer people really cared, so long
as the right public noises were made by the Lesser Sort. Qurez eventually learned to make fat donations to the
more active and influential Human Rights groups, and the quiet and unspoken result was that they decided not to
147
attack, or even mention, his business or his clients. “A good investment, if I may say so myself!”

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Currently: While Qurez avoided formal punishment, his Party rank remains on the low side for his wealth. Now
in his 50s, Qurez was the first major leader within the Popai ethnic group to commit to the move to Imperial Space.
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He decided to divest control of his corporation, and used over 50% of the cash freed up to fund the move. About
a year ago he change his formal family name to Popa, and swear and oath of allegiance to House Popa – the first
one to do both. He plans to make a formal oath to the Half-Breed Emperor as well, after crossing the
Imperial/Solomani border.

Goals: Qurez plans to use his remaining wealth to establish a nice personal estate on the new world of Kapakoo,
and as seed money for several new business ventures he has sketched out in his mind. Some of these start-ups
should survive and grow, providing employment for the migrants as they integrate themselves into Imperial
society in general, and House Popa specifically. If everything works out as planned, his people should prosper over
the coming decades, doing well for themselves by doing good to others… for a reasonable fee.

Closing theme: “Together with the Moon [Extended]”, Riei Saito, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIfqUtrUrPY

(Following) The Desert Whales, put to work in expanding the human presence on Kapakoo for the greater good
of family, clan and tribe. This graphic is titled “Giant Skies III” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Nomad-Desert-Blimps-III-356071813

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This is actually an old-school Rockefeller tactic. “Now you’re thinking like a corporate Imperial Noble! But
keep your military mind oiled up: you’ll have occasion to put it to work, don’t worry about that!”
148
ALL Pure Solomani are automatically members of the Party.
149
A large percentage of this money was shipped ahead of the Popagroup, but a good chunk of the proceeds –
in Solomani Credits, bearer bonds, and other easily-converted stores of value – is actually on the Invisible
Cities ‘in a secure and hidden location’. And no, that place isn’t in his shipboard cabin.


The Story Continues…

MEN OF THE IMPERIUM!

You stand here, you and your families on your true home! And you stand free! Free of the Party-forged chains of
slavery, freed by the Hand of your God, the Grace of your Emperor, and the Love and Sacrifice of your House. Be
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thankful for the great gift you have received! Glory and might to the Imperium, forever!
– Anastasia, Duchess of Nuzuu,
at the Last Assembly of the passengers and crew of the Popagroup, Holiday 1107

This adventure closes at 001-1107 Imperial (“Holiday 1107”), with the speech of the subsector Duchess to the
Solomani migrants, all gathered together one last time.

In the future, after Emperor Strephon is assassinated, the world itself will become part of the Federation of Illelish,
following the lead of Dulinor, Archduke of Ilelish, assassin of both Emperor Strephon and his heir. The future
release of the sentient AI Virus in 1130 will hit Kapakoo, but not particularly hard compared to the high-tech,
interlinked, and computer-dependent world of Hipponax. Being located about 10 parsecs from the rimward border
of the Fourth Imperium in the 1248 milieu, she will probably join that starnation in time.

For more source material for roleplaying, I recommend that you visit http://www.farfuture.net/FFE-CDROMs.html
• the Rebellion era (1125 Imperial), buy the MegaTraveller line, especially the Hard Times supplement
• in the late Virus/early Recovery era (1201) and the Recovery proper (1248), buy the Traveller: The New
Era-1 and the Traveller: The New Era-2 CD’s respectively.

(Following) When you gotta refuel at the local gas giant, best make it quick: pirates like to lurk around at
these vast watering holes. This graphic is titled “Travel in a Gas Giant” © n7skyember. See his work at
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https://n7skyember.deviantart.com/art/Travel-In-a-Gas-Giant-704571700

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“Forever” being nine years in this case. See the poem “Ozymandias” for details.
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I admit, though, I am quite impressed with Skeptical’s work, Gas Giant Scooping: https://drell-
7.deviantart.com/art/Gas-Giant-Scooping-254792160


And God spoke all these words, saying,
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
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You shall have no other gods before me.”
– Exodus 20:1-3, English Standard Version

The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply,
and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way
that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to
know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let
you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you
know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. Know then in your heart that,
as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord
your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land
of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of
vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without
scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper.
And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes,
which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them,
and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied,
then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions
and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the
wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in
the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You
shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his
covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other
gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations
that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord
your God.
– Deuteronomy 8, English Standard Version

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle
– Psalm 144:1, English Standard Version

152
I am indebted to Rev. Jeremy Walker on expanding my understanding of the First Commandment, here:
http://reconstructionistradio.com/commandment-1-the-creators-authority-and-the-family/ The command to
worship God alone, and to go forth and multiply (the first chronological commandment God gave to
humanity), are interlinked: something every Christian should understand and respect in their personal lives by
marrying and having children: or, if this is not possible, then by supporting/endorsing Biblical familial cultures.

Appendix: Starships

Popagroup is the name of the civilian flotilla organized by House Popa to bring transport family members to
Kapakoo, a family stronghold in Verge Sector. As of 125-1105,the Popagroup group is in orbit over Hipponax, deep
within the Solomani Sphere in Canopus Sector.

The Poparekkers at this date include (at least) eleven starships, all rated at jump3:

• Brazasia, Exultation, Channel Light, Vision Afar (1000-ton Mer Aiani Low Liners)
• Starsnstripes, Soaring Eagle (1000-ton Aiani Freighters)
153
• Antique Lands, Invisible Cities (600-ton Lord Somerset Subsidized Liners)
154
• Endgame, Verdigris Coin (600-ton Lurushaar Kilaalum Patrol Cruisers)
• Whippersnapper (300-ton Calypso class Far Trader).
155
Use Classic Traveller stats from Moon Toad’s Far Trader , page 31.

At the Referee’s discretion, Wo Aiani tankers may be added, as described on pages 80-81 in this fanzine.

The Lord Somerset, Lurushaar Kilaalum and Calypso designs are Traveller canon ships; the Aiani ships were
designed specifically for this adventure. Details below were (re)created with the aid of Andrea Vallance’s High
Guard Shipyard (Version 1.3.1.4). Or, if available, use the original Classic Traveller stats in their respective books.

An additional ship used in the adventure is the six-module LSP Modular Starship. My classic stats are below, but
156 157
the original ship – and deckplans – is available in various rulesets: Mongoose , Traveller20/Classic , and
158 159
Traveller Hero . The idea of the LSP Modular Starship is derived from the GURPS Traveller Modular Cutter
book: while there are numerous modular starships, the six-module version is not found in the GURPS book.

The Popagroup exists to bring long-lost kinsmen home, and not to fight the Solomani Confederation on her home
turf. Extensive and expensive preparations, agreements, and negotiations have been made to eliminate the
possibility of violent conflict, which this adventure assumes was successful. Even so, the Endeavour-class Solomani
Patrol Frigate should be kept in mind as the Confederation keeps tabs on the location and actions of the convoy.
160
The ship, like many others in this adventure, can be found in the FASA Adventure book, volume two .

All starship illustrations and deck plans below were created by Ian Stead.
Check out his gallery at https://biomass.deviantart.com/!

153
You can purchase the PDF deckplans at http://www.rpgnow.com/product/64488/CTF-ACS2-FASA-
Adventure-Class-Ships-Volume-2-For-Traveller
154
155
You can purchase the PDF deckplans at http://www.rpgnow.com/product/153837/Ship-BookA2L-Far-
Trader
156
You can purchase the PDF deckplans at http://www.rpgnow.com/product/59649/Golden-Age-Starships-3-
LSP-Modular-Starship
157
You can purchase the PDF deckplans at http://www.rpgnow.com/product/207991/D20P7-Golden-Age-
Starships-for-Traveller20-7LSP-Modular-Starship
158
You can purchase Traveller Hero material, including its version of the LSP ModularStarship, at
http://www.farfuture.net/FFE-CDROMs.html
159
You can purchase Traveller GURPS Modular Cutter at http://www.warehouse23.com/products/FFE30-6616
160


Ship: Starsnstripes Class: Aiani
Type: Freighter Architect: Alvin Plummer
Tech Level: 12
USP
M-A633331-030000-10000-0 MCr 584.080 1 KTons
Bat Bear 2 2 Crew: 15
Bat 2 2 TL: 12
Cargo: 313 Fuel: 330 EP: 30 Agility: 2 Pulse Lasers

Craft: 1 x 40T Pinnace, 2 x 8T G-Carriers
Architects Fee: MCr 5.841 Cost in Quantity: MCr 467.264
Detailed Description
HULL
1,000 tons standard, 14,000 cubic meters, Flattened Sphere Configuration
CREW
Pilot, Navigator, 6 Engineers, Medic, 4 Gunners, 2 Flight Crew
ENGINEERING
Jump-3, 3G Manuever, Power plant-3, 30 EP, Agility 2
AVIONICS
Bridge, Model/3 Computer
HARDPOINTS
4 Hardpoints
ARMAMENT
2 Dual Pulse Laser Turrets organised into 2 Batteries (Factor-1)
DEFENCES
2 Dual Sandcaster Turrets organised into 2 Batteries (Factor-3)
CRAFT
1x 40-ton Pinnace (Crew of 2), 2x 8-ton G-Carriers
FUEL
330 Tons Fuel (3 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance)
No Fuel Scoops, No Fuel Purification Plant
MISCELLANEOUS
16 Staterooms, 313 Tons Cargo

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS
None
COST
MCr 589.921 Singly (incl. Architects fees of MCr 5.841),
MCr 467.264 in Quantity
CONSTRUCTION TIME
120 Weeks Singly, 96 Weeks in Quantity
COMMENTS
This jump3 freighter is fairly popular in certain Imperial sectors facing the Great Reft – Reft
Sector, Verge, Ilelish, and Zarushagar – as it’s able to reach a range of somewhat isolated (but
still profitable) markets at a reasonable cost, faster (or at all!) compared to many competitors.
It is not as popular elsewhere, as jump2 ships are more cost-efficient in areas of higher stellar
density. As can be deducted by the lack of fuel scoops and purifiers, the class is meant to
operate in secure regions of the Imperium, with little threat of piracy. Most starships leave the
four hardpoints empty, or repurpose them as viewports, storage closets, or even one-man escape
pods. However, the Starsnstripes and her sister ship, the Soaring Eagle, are (cheaply, thus
weakly) armed for their long journey: it’s unlikely that a Solomani-Imperial war will break out
in the foreseeable future, but if it does, the ability to defeat minor attacks and discourage
small ‘patriotic privateers’ can be the edge needed to bring her cargo home.
While these vessels are certainly utility ships, they have a certain style and vim that marks
their design as originally of Solomani origin - a bit sleeker, a bit more stylish than other
freighters.
"Starships... are one of the best products coming out of Solomani factories. From their
beginnings, the Solomani were excellent designers of space and starfaring craft. Many
times, innovative, avant-garde architects come up with new and better ship designs by
adapting and improving on vessels borrowed from other races."
– Solomani & Aslan, page 37.
Finally, the Aiani should be easily able to land flat on its bottom, without much internal
stress. In a pinch, they should be usable as ground bases for colonists.
Both the Starsnstripes and Soaring Eagle are named after symbols of the First American Republic,
the first starfaring nation in Solomani history.
An evolutionary biologist at Purdue University named William Muir studied chickens. He was interested in
productivity -- I think it's something that concerns all of us -- but it's easy to measure in chickens because
you just count the eggs. (Laughter) He wanted to know what could make his chickens more productive, so
he devised a beautiful experiment. Chickens live in groups, so first of all, he selected just an average flock,
and he let it alone for six generations. But then he created a second group of the individually most
productive chickens -- you could call them superchickens -- and he put them together in a superflock, and
each generation, he selected only the most productive for breeding.

After six generations had passed, what did he find? Well, the first group, the average group, was doing
just fine. They were all plump and fully feathered and egg production had increased dramatically. What
about the second group? Well, all but three were dead. They'd pecked the rest to death. (Laughter) The
individually productive chickens had only achieved their success by suppressing the productivity of the
rest. – Margaret Heffernan, “Forget the pecking order at work”
https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_why_it_s_time_to_forget_the_pecking_order_at_work/transcrip
t

Actually, life for commoners within the Third Imperium is generally pretty good, and often with a great deal of
liberty – certainly freer than the carefully monitored inhabitants of the Solomani Confederation and the Zhodani
Consulate. But if you’re an Imperial aristocrat, or even just working for one… watch your back.





Ship: Brazasia Class: Mer Aiani
Type: Low Liner Architect: Alvin Plummer
Tech Level: 12
USP
M-A633331-030000-10000-0 MCr 599.080 1 KTons
Bat 2 2 TL: 12
Cargo: 173 Passengers: 10 Low: 200 Fuel: 330 EP: 30 Agility: 2 Pulse Lasers
HULL
CREW
Pilot, Navigator, 6 Engineers, 2 Medics, 4 Gunners, 2 Flight Crew
ENGINEERING
AVIONICS
HARDPOINTS
4 Hardpoints
ARMAMENT
DEFENCES
CRAFT
1 40-ton Pinnace (Crew of 2), 2 8-ton G-Carriers
FUEL
No Fuel Scoops, No Fuel Purification Plant
MISCELLANEOUS
26 Staterooms, 200 Low Berths, 10 Middle Passengers, 200 Low Passengers, 173 Tons Cargo

None
COST
MCr 605.071 Singly (incl. Architects fees of MCr 5.991), MCr 479.264 in Quantity
CONSTRUCTION TIME


The galaxy that existed when you begin your sleep in the low berth is not the same place when you wake up
to leave it… assuming you wake up. This graphic is titled “The Long Sleep” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/The-Long-Sleep-617817028
COMMENTS
The Mer Aiani-class ships are modified Aiani-class starships, refitted by House Popa to carry 100
low berths and 10 additional staterooms. The staterooms were originally slated for the colonist
leadership… but things changed.
In Traveller, travelling by low berth is risky. In Classic Traveller, you need to throw 5+; DM+1
for a medic with a skill of 2+, DM-1 if endurance is 6 or less, failure = death. That’s an 8%
chance of death at best, rising to a base chance of 16%, and a 30% chance of death if there is no
good medic available, and your endurance is below 6.161
Of course, House Popa has selected for the low berths only colonists with an endurance of 6 and
more, and has selected only medical staff with Medic skill of 2+ for the journey. But still,
there are some valuable recruits who would not leave for a new world without their minor children
– children below the age of 18, who just don’t have the endurance for a low berth. To resolve
this situation, the Mer Aiani-class has 10 staterooms for passengers: one is reserved for two
adults childcare workers, one is an office/school/play room, and the other eight staterooms hold
four children each.
This means there are two childcare workers and 36 children, running around in the passenger
section of the ship.

161
Life is easier in other versions of Traveller – I like the TNE system myself (Traveller: The New Era page 219)
– but Stellar Reaches is grounded on Classic rules. The danger of low berth increases the risk of interstellar
travel, which makes the game more exciting to the players: it also tends to discourage mass immigration (and
so add to distinctive planetary cultures), except when people feel compelled to leave their homeworld. A
drastic reduction of death/injury rates will encourage interstellar trade for the ordinary family, leading to
more interstellar wealth (and lots of Low Liners!), but also a more culturally homogeneous Imperium.





Note: Tankers are not included in the default Popagroup convoy deployment. However, the Referee may want to
make life easier on the PCs, have certain plans of his own, and so may desire a tanker or more for the convoy.
Of course, the ship may also be used for other adventures.
Ship: Jupiter Class: Wo Aiani

Type: Tanker Architect: Alvin Plummer
Tech Level: 12
USP
T-A633331-030000-10000-0 MCr 585.112 1 KTons
Bat 2 2 TL: 12
Cargo: 0 Crew Sections: 1 of 15 Fuel: 637 EP: 30 Agility: 2 Pulse Lasers

Fuel Treatment: Fuel Scoops and On Board Fuel Purification
HULL
CREW
Pilot, Navigator, 6 Engineers, Medic, 4 Gunners, 2 Flight Crew
ENGINEERING
AVIONICS
HARDPOINTS
4 Hardpoints
ARMAMENT
DEFENCES
CRAFT
1 40-ton Pinnace (Crew of 2), 2 8-ton G-Carriers
FUEL
637 Tons Fuel (3 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance, plus 307 tons of additional fuel)
On Board Fuel Scoops, On Board Fuel Purification Plant
MISCELLANEOUS
16 Staterooms, 0 Ton Cargo

None
COST
CONSTRUCTION TIME
COMMENTS
(Tankers are not included in the default Popagroup convoy deployment. However, the Referee may
want to make life easier on the PCs, or have certain plans of his own, and so may desire a tanker
or more for the convoy. They would be used as described on pages 80-81.)
The Wo Ainai-class is little more than a cheap’n’fast retrofit of the standard Ainai freighter,
with the fuel purification and fuel scoops needed to scoop up and convert hydrogen (or water) and
converted it to purified liquid hydrogen. The conversion is usually done on aging ships that are
surplus for standard shipping needs. These vessels are charted out to top off various inner
system starports and spaceports (without easy access to hydrogen or water), deep space
installations, and convoy support duties.

When these ships are just too worn out for safely conduct tanker duties, they are typically sold
for scrap, naval target practice, or placed dirtside (or even undersea) and converted to habitat
space. On rare occasions, the hulks have their artigrav plates modified, and then used as
additional airborne platforms for artigrav cities and installations.
Skimming takes ~8 hours to fill all the fuel tanks (Classic Traveller), and it will take six
hours to purify all fuel(MegaTraveller specs).




Ship: Antique Lands Class: Lord Somerset
Type: Subsidized Liner Architect: Alvin Plummer
Tech Level: 12
USP
M-6431331-030000-10000-0 MCr 353.390 600 Tons
Bat 3 3 TL: 12
Cargo: 126 Passengers: 21 Crew Sections: 1 of 9 Low: 20 Fuel: 208 EP: 18 Agility: 1
Craft: 1 x 20T Launch
Fuel Treatment: Fuel Scoops
HULL
600 tons standard, 8,400 cubic meters, Close Structure Configuration
CREW
Pilot, Navigator, 3 Engineers, Medic, 3 Stewards, 3 Gunners/Stewards/Deckhands
ENGINEERING
AVIONICS
HARDPOINTS
3 Hardpoints
ARMAMENT
3 Dual Mixed Turrets each with: 1 Beam Laser (Factor-1).
DEFENCES
1 Sandcaster in each Mixed Turret, organised into 3 Batteries (Factor-3)
CRAFT
1 20-ton Launch
FUEL
208 Tons Fuel (3 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance, plus 10 tons of additional fuel.
The extra fuel can provide an additional 15.5 days of power for the ship,
or to make up for fuel lost in combat.)
On Board Fuel Scoops, No Fuel Purification Plant
MISCELLANEOUS
30 Staterooms, 20 Low Berths, 21 Middle Passengers, 20 Low Passengers, 126 Tons Cargo

None
COST
CONSTRUCTION TIME
COMMENTS
(Note: the extra fuel was used to help match this design with the original cargo specs for the
Lord Somerset class, in FASA’s Adventure Class Ships, Volume 2162 book.)
The Lord Somerset-class liner is popular throughout the Imperium, as it features lush
accommodations for her passengers, and several avenues for entertainment and games. In the
Popagroup group, there are two Lord Somerset liners: The Antique Lands is used for the Imperial
leaders of the flotilla, while Invisible Cities is provided for the transport and comfort of the

162
You can purchase this book at www.rpgnow.com or www.drivethrurpg.com

immigrant leadership. Antique Lands is lavishly decorated with the theme of ancient Egyptian,
Chinese, and (pre-spaceflight) Vilani dynasties, while the ornate accommodations and public areas
of Invisible Cities celebrate idealized fictional cities of Solomani legends like Shangri-la and
El Dorado.
Both Lord Somerset ships may be found in close proximity: either in orbit, connected by an
airtight tunnel to permit easy communication; or in a starport, in neighbouring berths.
The captains of the Popagroup only need answer to the Imperial leadership, as they are paying the
bills: but the Imperial family leadership want their long-lost Solomani brothers to truly feel
welcomed and respected, and to fully buy into the ideas and goals of House Popa. So for comity’s
sake, respect, honour, and some authority – especially over their own people and property – has
been granted to the Solomani immigrant leaders. Invisible Cities is a gilded cage: but only a
temporary one, to protect the immigrants for a season.
Ship: Endgame Class: Lurushaar Kilaalum

Type: Patrol Cruiser Architect: Alvin Plummer
Tech Level: 12
USP
T-4134431-000000-30002-0 MCr 314.160 400 Tons
Bat 2 2 TL: 12
Cargo: 49 Low: 4 Fuel: 136 EP: 16 Agility: 2

Marines: 8 Craft: 1 x 30T Ship's Boat, 1 x 8T G-Carrier
Fuel Treatment: Fuel Scoops
HULL
400 tons standard, 5,600 cubic meters, Needle/Wedge Configuration
CREW
Pilot, Navigator, 4 Engineers, Medic, 4 Gunners, 8 Marines
ENGINEERING
AVIONICS
HARDPOINTS
4 Hardpoints
ARMAMENT
2 Triple Missile Turrets organised into 2 Batteries (Factor-2),
2 Triple Beam Laser Turrets organised into 2 Batteries (Factor-3)
DEFENCES
None
CRAFT
1x 30-ton Ship's Boat, 1x 8-ton G-Carrier
FUEL
On Board Fuel Scoops, No Fuel Purification Plant
MISCELLANEOUS
10 Staterooms, 4 Low Berths, 4 Low Passengers, 49 Tons Cargo

None
COST
CONSTRUCTION TIME

COMMENTS
The Lurushaar Kilaalum-class patrol cruiser is an extremely popular space patrol ship, used right
across the Imperium (and far beyond her borders) for over a millennia by a myriad of planetary
governments, colonial navies, corporate interests, starmercs, and ruling families. The ship’s
background is extensively detailed in GURPS Traveller: Starships, page 84 ff.163
Ship: Capitalist Tool Class: LSP Modular Starship

Type: Modular Ship Architect: Alvin Plummer
Tech Level: 12
USP
M-3222221-000000-00000-0 MCr 146.192 300 Tons
Bat Bear Crew: 5
Bat TL: 12
Cargo: 1 Crew Sections: 1 of 5 Fuel: 36 EP: 6 Agility: 2

Craft: 6 x 30T Modules
Fuel Treatment: Fuel Scoops and On Board Fuel Purification
Detailed Description (High Guard Design)
HULL
300 tons standard, 4,200 cubic meters, Cone Configuration
CREW
Pilot, Navigator, 2 Engineers, Medic
ENGINEERING
AVIONICS
HARDPOINTS
2 Hardpoints
ARMAMENT
1 Empty None Turret
DEFENCES
None
CRAFT
6x 30-ton Modules
FUEL
On Board Fuel Scoops, On Board Fuel Purification Plant
MISCELLANEOUS
3 Staterooms, 1 Ton Cargo

None
COST
CONSTRUCTION TIME
COMMENTS
A very versatile ship, the LSP Modular Ship can be found handling a vast array of tasks, where it
would be too expensive to find a specialized ship for the work. Depending on the modules

163
I use the Lurushaar Kilaalum class name, and not the snappier Vayu class name introduced in
GURPS Traveller: Sarships, because my beloved MegaTraveller publisher Digest Group used the
longer and older tag.

provided, the ship can be used for cargo, a low-intensity military platform, transport of
civilians or troops, sensor stations, a medical facility, even a makeshift space station.
Note that the ship only has fuel for a one parsec jump, even though her jump drives are rated for
two parsecs. Another fuel module is needed for a two parsec jump.
The ship is quite popular everywhere in the Imperium, definitely including Reft and Verge
sectors, and is likely to be the first ship met when the Popagroup flotilla arrives at their home
port, at Kapakoo/Nuzuu/Verge.
Referee: of course, the LSP Modular Starship is described in several books, including Golden Age
Starships 7 LSP Modular Starship (for Traveller20). In the latter book, the following is found on
page 11:
CLASSIC TRAVELLER STATISTICS

Because High Guard does not allow fully streamlined close configuration, the configuration has been rated as
a cone to allow full streamlining.
Deneb M-3222221-000000-00000-0 MCr117.545 300 tons Crew=5 TL=12
Fuel=36 Cargo=1 EP=6 Hardpoints=1 Triple Turret=1 Agility=2 Cutter Modules=6 Fuel Scoops, Fuel Processor
I leave it up to the Referee to decide which Classic Traveller description he prefers. Certainly,
he should get one of the books, for the deck plans, modules, backstory and interesting scenarios!

A traveller’s residential complex within the (extended) Imperial Extraterritoriality Zone,
near the floating starport. “Safe and secure from the local yahoos and tyrants.”
This graphic is titled “Concourse” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Concourse-563123360

Appendix: Initial Situation
Hipponax/Hulda/Canopus 0118 is a notable world within the Solomani Confederation. Among the most liberal
worlds within the Confederation, it is also one of the wealthiest: the combination of wealth and a strong set of
planetary laws protecting the lives, liberty and property of all traders and visitors, human or otherwise, has made it
a magnet for wealthy long-term visitors to the Confederation. The less-than-ideologically committed local Party
leadership has gone out of their way to make those of tainted blood and alien heritage feel welcome and secure…
and reaped the financial benefits of doing so.

Under interstellar Solomani Race Laws and some local Race Codes, non-humans/racially impure near-humans/
fake humans/parahumans may be permitted to rule themselves to a certain extent, in the style of Indian
reservations and Bantustans, but only under the overarching authority of the Solomani. Moreover, their laws have
no authority over any member of the Race. But once again, despite these restrictions set by the interstellar
government, the local Party routinely supports the lesser breeds with complimentary laws/regulations, passed by
the planetary Solomani legislatures – which do have authority over members of the Solomani Race. As such, on
Hipponax humans are not permitted to casually steal, abuse, or kill non-humans (visitor or native) because local
Solomani laws forbid it.

The exiled members of the Popa family that immigrated to Hipponax centuries ago did share the pure Solomani
blood of the locals, and even membership in the European race (Slavic branch) and (Eastern Orthodox) culture &
164
religion. However, they also brought with them more than a few Imperial (read: Vilani-influenced) mores and
beliefs that rubbed the old-line Solomani the wrong way.

After four centuries, the hundreds of immigrants that fled their Imperial defeat have grown to the 50,000-strong
Popai ethnic group. They have managed to earn a decent living as small businessmen and technicians, treating the
165
eastern suburbs of the arctic city of Nedropall as their heartland. Due to a pervasive undercurrent of elite
disrespect for their Old Imperial Ways, the Popai remain underrepresented in local politics, despite meeting the
Solomani racial requirements. However, the local balkanized, discordant planetary culture, coupled with the Civil
Service (read: mildly bureaucratic) government, a tradition of racial/cultural set-asides, and a welcoming, even
admiring attitude to foreigners, has allowed them to grab some local privileges and minority rights for themselves.

Being wise enough to avoid the welfare handouts (and the ill-effects they always breed), the Popai used State
166
power in more profitable ways , preferring to raise up legal barriers to any outsider trying to horn into their
businesses of vehicle and machinery repair and maintenance, construction and heating in much of Nedropall, the
167
sealed corridors in their neighbourhoods, or take away their fair share of precinct and city jobs. Sometimes, the
city government enforces the rules: sometimes, they are enforced using more freelance ways.

(Following) Desert Acasă, a.k.a “Desert Home” in Ancient Romanian.
House Popa’s central stronghold/military base/trading hub
on Kapakoo, 1107 Imperial. This graphic is titled “Sci-fi Landscape” © Jerry Boucher.
See his work at https://jerryboucher.deviantart.com/art/Sci-fi-landscape-664809522

164
So I’m cheating in describing a culture 3000 years into the future by assuming a near-unchanged
race/religion matrix. Traveller, like most fiction set in the future, assumes near-rigidity in such things: it’s a
game, not a predictive construct. Then again, cultural patterns can last a lot longer than you might think,
especially with the advent of audio-visual media, so you could see exactly how the long-lost ancestors dressed,
spoke, and behaved, as well as their environment. Also, regarding the natural rise of new races on new lands,
note the concept of ethnogenesis, touched on in the footnotes of page 82 in this fanzine.
165 th
“Water city”, in the local tongue, which now only has a few bits and pieces of Early Stellar (i.e. 25 century
AD) Greek left in it. Seeing that the city is now surrounded by ice, not water, things must have changed since
the initial settlement…
166
The dimmest thieves want other people’s money put directly into their pockets; slightly brighter ones want
the safety/unaccountability of a bureaucracy. Clever thieves prefer a rigged system, ‘too complicated for
mundanes to understand’: this is usually legal or financial, but sometimes a protected guild, industry, or a
religious scam (this includes naturalistic religions).
167
See Gary North, “The Politics of the Fair Share”, https://www.garynorth.com/public/17957.cfm


Prologue to the Exodus
Family historians from the Imperium, tied to House Popa, had known of the Popai for over two centuries, but
relations between the mixed-race Imperial winners and the pure-race Solomani losers were frosty at best… to the
extent relations even existed. (Hipponax is a long way off from House Popa strongholds: in such circumstances,
‘hostile relations’ are more like ‘ancient grudges and fading memories’.) But in 1098, the Imperials decided to
boost their family numbers by bringing in long-lost relatives.

The Imperial agents arrived on Hipponax at 158-1100: an opportune moment in time, when the local Popai were
smarting from a set of defeats: a high-profile bureaucratic tussle ended up a loss, with the disappearance of
168
certain privileges and an unfavourable redistricting of election zones in Nedropall ; a bitter internal struggle
among the criminally-minded led to a loss of certain valuable rackets to stronger outsiders; and a scandal had
destroyed the career of one of the very few – perhaps the only – big-time Popai power brokers on the planet.

The mainstream media pushed the ‘Imperial sympos and their alien friends’ narrative, but this gained no traction
with a planetary population that found much to admire in the Imperium, and didn’t fear foreigners at all. Even the
‘Imperial taint’ of the Popai turned into a bonus, with popular, subversive songs openly celebrating the Imperial
visit… and implicitly, indirectly, mocking Solomani Party policies.

Rather than double-down and fight a cultural battle the haven’t prepared for on unfavourable ground, the Party’s
media organs decided to push the issue off the major news feeds. The fight then shifted to various negotiations:
first with the Imperials coaxing certain Popai leaders – the wounded, the isolated, those who had little to lose and

168
In the Confederation, elections among the genetically-qualified are held to help insure public buy-in to
whatever Party leadership has previously decided. But among the Solomani, elections are often more
competitive than the Powers that Be prefer: a major reason why Hipponax is under a Civil Service government,
and not the Impersonal Bureaucracy the Vilani Solomani Party prefers.

much to gain – to emigrate the Imperium, along with their followers. Then, delicate negotiations were held with
various Confederation agencies and ministries, to arrange for the right permissions, permits, and licenses.

Thanks to some exceptionally good Solomani legal talent hired by House Popa (with exceptionally good billable
hour rates), negotiations were successfully concluded in 280-1102 Imperial on Hipponax. The Popa clan heads on
169
were notified on Kapakoo on 66-1103 – almost a year later – via Jump4 courier . After financing was set up, a
convoy was assembled and christened the Popagroup. On 44-1104 the small Popagroup flotilla left Kapakoo,
170
arriving at Hipponax at 125-1105 after a journey of 447 days – almost spot-on the optimum mark of 434 days!

Appendix: Imperial Secularism
It is true that, with…
1. the decentralized nature of Imperial rule vis-à-vis the individual populated world – a world that retains a
very high level of local sovereignty,
2. the free flow of information; a broad tolerance for contrary, even anti-Imperial opinion; and the general
lack of Imperial interest in (non-military) censorship
3. the (by and large) avoidance of direct individual taxation, and
4. the existence of the (informal) Imperial Rules of War

171
…it can be inferred that Solomani Christian nobles had a strong influence in the early formation of the Imperium.

However, noting the lack of formal, legal submission of the Emperor to Christ, and that the commandments and
laws of the Bible have no force on the Imperial scale, it is certain that the Third Imperium is better described as an
early modern European Absolute Monarchy… without the bother of an official church, to justify or restrict the
reign & authority of the monarch.

Despite this, I have never seen Imperial Secularism as merely thinly veiled anti-Christian malice, in the style of the
West and best illustrated by Voltaire: “Every sensible man, every honourable man, must hold the Christian sect in
172
horror” . Instead, I have always seen Imperial Secularism as more of a casual indifference to provincial chatter
about naturalism and supernaturalism, when the only things that really matter – across all species, all cultures, all
worlds, all times – is wealth, power and properly savoured pleasure.

Not in some brutal (and so very Solomani) Nietzschean sense, nor with the savage innovations of the Marquis
de Sade. No! Wealth, power, and pleasure are to be carefully governed, husbanded, nurtured, shaped and
directed, moment by year by century, to insure that your family, your descendants, your people, your nation,
and even your most useful, obedient and loyal servants can also enjoy the good things in life. Not just today,
but forever.
– Diqet Oou, Marquis of Epel/Vaait/Massilia, 92-400 Imperial.

169
Using www.travellermap.com, it takes 45 jumps at jump4 to get between Hipponax and Kapakoo: 45 weeks
= 315 days. I added 10% to the travel time (upping it to 346 days) to factor in the usual bureaucratic delays
tied to crossing the borders of hostile powers – and the fact that the Imperium does not recognize the
existence of the Solomani Confederation, which adds to the diplomatic & legal red tape.
170
Being only 3% overdue after a journey of 184 parsecs would be something of a minor miracle!
171
And when I say “Christian” I mean Calvinist/Christian Reconstructionist (See: ‘Separate spheres of
sovereignty’), rather than Catholic power-pyramids or supine Orthodox submission to the Czar. As is obvious
with the ever-diminishing liberties of speech, privacy, self-governance, and property within Secularist
societies, Christianity – formally enshrined in law or not – is required for the freedom of action PCs require for
a good roleplaying experience. Unless they actually like role-playing in soft or hard tyrannies, where men
hiding behind a mask of a play-pretend god (and driven by their hatred for the Real Deal) are always telling the
PCs what to think and do and say, with their own lives, their own mouths, and their own property…
172
But also see https://americanvision.org/5425/the-war-against-god-is-war-against-reality/

It should be noted that European Christians broke themselves to the bureaucratic harness, abandoning the Biblical
173 th
apprentice system for a revival of the pagan academia, the university, to train clerics in the 11 century (and
th 174
later, the seminary in the 19 century, with Princeton Theological Seminary). The expansion of government
funding (and government chains) to include the university, started in Prussia, was merely the capstone on the
Churchian flight from obedience to their supposed master, Jesus Christ. No effort is needed to bring to heel
religious leaders who value the safety of academia, a sheltered lifestyle, a comfortable pay-check, and a studied,
cultivated cultural irrelevance far above either the dangers and risks of directly challenging the Establishment, or
the hard, disciplined labour needed to train the congregation to fight and gain the victory over their enemies.

Worthless shepherds.

I have a major dispute with the vast majority of Christian clerics, seminaries, and theological confessions on the
point of actual enforcement of the Law, best illustrated by Lutheran ‘Two Kingdom’ theology. The Christian
Establishment insists that God does not judge in time and on earth, and that His laws can be ignored, defied, and
mocked by men and nations without consequence. I strongly disagree with these man-fearing secularist sock-
puppets. It is better for all – in their hearts, families, associations, businesses, and governments – to enforce the
Law in a lawful manner, than to slack off to such an extent that God has to do it Himself. “You won’t like it when
175
that happens: and it will be the churches and the People of God who will be judged first.”

The Vilani First Imperium, the Ziru Sirka, loved its towering bureaucratic centralized ecclesiastical establishments,
with a single head at the top. In the old, pre-Jump era, actual PriestKings were a familiar occurrence, where the
shugilii caste (a priestly caste, focusing on food purity... and not Divine Law) gained dominance. During the
Imperium, the caste morphed into the bureaucratic (and extremely influential) Naasirka Megacorporation.

The Second Imperium, the Rule of Man, the Ramshackle Empire, didn’t have an organized doctrine on religion…
except a strong hostility to Vilani Ritualism, powered by a desire to change and reform it. With the scattered
Imperial forces attempting to rule a massive territory, the local commanding officers – who eventually became a
hereditary ruling caste themselves – decided for themselves what religious policy was to be. Sometimes things
changed, sometimes not; often the unexpected happened; but there was always widespread hostility, and on
occasion, even a successful local overthrow of the hated revisionism and the local Terran agents of change.

In the Third Imperium, the central government, as noted, prefers a hand-off approach to religions and ideologies
as parts of its general preference for low-cost forms of governance. It is the Emperor, and not God, who is the
Source of Imperial Law: but no Emperor has demanded formal worship of himself, to avoid a nasty backlash from…
well, everyone. Except the Imperial Cult: they would love to see a public declaration of Imperial Divinity, and
become a formal, fully integrated, and well-compensated arm of Imperial Power.

Locally, strictly Vilani governments go with the traditional shugilli castes, and the usual focus on Vilani Ritualism.
Most Mixed Vilani Imperial cultures want a formal religious system, weak or strong, integrated into the
government. “It’s the traditional thing to do.”

(Following) When in orbit around a busy world, or refuelling at a popular gas giant, a starship captain needs to
be on his toes. There may be all sorts of slowpokes, chemical-powered rockets, and solar sails that simply can’t
manoeuvre as quickly as you can: and a collision always costs time and money, which often matters more than
determining who’s at fault. This graphic is titled “Jovian Sail Ship” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Jovian-Sail-Ship-306383162

173
See Gary North: “On Finding a Business Mentor” https://www.garynorth.com/members/17647.cfm
174
See Gary North: “The Problem With Seminaries” https://www.garynorth.com/public/15392.cfm
175
See “The State-Muzzled Church” https://chalcedon.edu/resources/articles/the-state-muzzled-church


And if that doesn’t happen naturally, they will try to force it, like the French who (as of AD 2018) trying to do so
with Islam: not due to any belief, obviously, but as a useful tool to control the growing population of Islamic
176
believers within her borders. “Clerics on the government payroll will do and say whatever their paymaster
demands, regardless of the claims of some old book.” But there is a problem with this approach when it comes to
living religions, unbroken to the openly contemptuous secularist yoke:

“A Muslim adviser to President Macron, Hakim El Karoui (who, like the president, once worked for the
Rothschild Bank), has suggested that there should be a Grand Imam of France, as well as an organization
that concerns itself with the financing of mosques and the education, training, and payment of imams—all
under the aegis of the state. In other words, the French Republic would be the ultimate arbiter of Islamic
theology. This is a far cry from secularism. El Karoui himself recognizes the futility of the arrangement
when he says: ‘Imams are trained by the state in the whole Arab world, but that has not prevented the
177
fundamentalists from prospering.’”

178
Appendix: Solomani Party Religious Policy
The Solomani Party, with its large Christian and Islamic population, must take a different approach than the Third
Imperium. The Party has no interest in undercutting these belief systems, as they want the population to multiply
and have no interest in the secularist-sterile drive to instigate both costly social disruptions and destructive
depopulation waves. But, the Party also wants to reduce infighting, and keep Solomani guns trained on the various
Enemies of the Race, rather than on each other.

Party organs and instruments do this by active, continuous consultation, discussion, deal brokering, territorial
separation when necessary, and a broad range of treaties between competing religions, as well as an endless
stream of propaganda/slanted news emphasising mutual religious support and friendship on the one hand, and
the cruel, godless, perverted, and racially impure nature of the Third Imperium on the other. “Where Corporate
179
Cash, Military Might, and Arbitrary Aristocratic Power stands far above any love for your own land or people.”

The example of the Ottoman Empire is emphasised among the Muslims – “it’s better to tax kaffir filth, rather than
kill them” – while Christians are endlessly reminded that they must, as per Law of God, value and respect Muslim
lives, property, and liberty just as they respect their own. The Muslim willingness to play nice when they don’t
180
have the power to enforce their will – “The Mecca strategy” – is exploited to the full, as is the Divine command
181
that Christians be peacekeepers, to live in peace with unbelievers whenever possible.

Adherents of both belief systems are publicly esteemed and encouraged to multiply, as the Party has need to put
182
both set of tools to work for the most important goal of all: the Kingdom of God Dar al-Islam the Solomani
Cause.

176
See: https://www.thelocal.fr/20171201/how-frances-muslim-population-will-grow-in-the-future
177
See: https://www.city-journal.org/html/state-islam-france-15724.html
178
This is almost totally focused on the Abrahamic religions: the Dharmic religions are fundamentally passive,
and so of only cursory interest to a Party that demands the active expansion of Solomani rule, everywhere.
179
The Party is not exactly thrilled, working with religions that insist that humans exist to serve a non-human
Creator… but Social/Cultural Darwinism has proven to be a failure, long-term, so the Party will work with what
it has. “And the Christians at least have a human being as a member of the God-head, so there’s that!”
180
On what happens when Muslims can enforce their will – “The Medina Strategy” – I recommend The Life of
Mohammed by Dr. Bill Warner. Indeed, his entire A Taste of Islam series is definitely worth reading.
https://soundcloud.com/worship-and-word-radio/dr-bill-warner-why-the-koran-is-not-a-place-to-start-a-
study-of-islam - “Why the Koran is not the place to start a study of Islam?” – is a good introduction to his work.
181
Christians might detect a certain unfairness here. So what? Jesus’ commands, as noted in Matthew 5:43-48,
are crystal clear. https://chalcedon.edu/blog/all-we-need-is-law-law-law-is-all-we-really-need
182
Once upon a time, Dar al-Islam, “The House of Islam” was called Dar as-Salam, “The House of Peace.” I
guess the cognitive dissonance got to be too much….

All major disagreements MUST be resolved within the Party Councils! NOT on the battlefield! The wealth and
the lives of all True Humans MUST be preserved, protected, expanded! NOT destroyed!
183
– Aalamgir Elbaz, Representative of the Restricted Zone to the Solomani Secretariat
October 10, 5520

The Party has nothing but admiration for those Solomani peoples who build up their wealth and power and
population, and so demonstrate their right to lead. Those Solomani who lead the Race to Victory over the
Alien and the Inhuman should have the right to direct the Race in all lesser matters, as well.
– Battle Philosopher ‘Louzado’ before the Solomani High Council
June 30, 5599

Strange, little-known astrographics phenomena can definitely be found in the Solomani Confederation,
especially off the mainworlds. This graphic is titled “Yellow planet” © JohnnysDream.
See his work at https://johnnysdream.deviantart.com/art/Yellow-planet-404216078

183
Yes, the Restricted Zone – on the border of the Republique and Asphodel subsectors – has her own
Secretariat representative, usually a Navy man. Yes, that Restricted Zone is populated. No, you don’t get to
know why it’s Restricted… at least, not in Stellar Reaches, which is (usually) focused on the Empty Quarter.


During the Long Night, even low-tech starports, like the one depicted above, were treasured assets.
This graphic is titled “before the start” © Igor Tovstogan. See his work at
https://www.deviantart.com/art/before-the-start-662567199

It is very different with studies of change in human society. Here the Random Event, the Maniac, the Prophet, and
the Genius have to be reckoned with. We have absolutely no way of escaping them. The future-predicters don't
suggest that we can avoid or escape them--or ever be able to predict or forecast them. What the future-predicters,
the change-analysts, and trend-tenders say in effect is that with the aid of institute resources, computers, linear
programming, etc. they will deal with the kinds of change that are not the consequence of the Random Event, the
Genius, the Maniac, and the Prophet.

To which I can only say: there really aren't any; not any worth looking at anyhow.
– Robert Nisbet, from the article “The Year 2000 and All That”
As found in Gary North’s article “The Year 2100 and All That”,
https://www.garynorth.com/public/16086.cfm

Appendix: House Popa History
Yes, this is a lengthy history that few will bother to read.

So, why write it?

Mainly, because I wanted to discover what 3000 years of Imperial family history would sound like. I’m interested in
learning how a family could reasonably claim to have an ancient ancestor from the days of the Rule of Man
184
(nevermind the Ziru Sirka!), and what it would take to get from there to here.

Also, I wanted to play with a shift of historical perspective. No one on earth today – excepting a very few European
185
and Asian aristocratic families – can legitimately trace their line to an ancestor of even a thousand years ago. But
many people can recite the history of their nation, even if they can’t recite the history of their family.

184
Well, yes, there is DNA testing. But a good genealogist will insist on the line of descent: who is the
legitimate heir? Who has the strongest right to inherit the throne and the crown?
185
The most famous case – Jesus Christ – goes back 77 generations, or 4000 years, from Adam through
Abraham through David, and takes up some odd twists and turns (two separate Davidic lines, one through
Joseph, and a separate one through Mary). See http://ldolphin.org/2adams.html for one overview. Excluding

But what if it was the history of your family that mattered, and not that of the nation?

Thus, the following experiment. Not the best, I admit: right off the bat, any competent historian would insist on
multiple source materials, which I can’t provide as it doesn’t exist. So everything is far too nearly tied up with one
perspective, one storyline, and one authorial voice. But perhaps it can spark some good questions and ideas in the
mind of Traveller Referees.

Foundation
House Popa claims Mircea Popa (-2239 to -2164 Imperial/AD 2281 to 2356), a lieutenant of the Terran
Confederation Army, as their family ancestor. After the surrender of the Vilani Empire, numerous naval officers
were put in charge of worlds, regions, and even sectors. Lieutenant Popa, an ethnically Romanian gunnery officer
and a citizen of the Mediterranean Republic, was put in charge of all military forces of the word of Irup
Gakadiguudi (now, in 1105 Imperial, Jaeyelya/Vipach/Gushemege)

While no member of the family was ennobled during the Rule of Man – ‘wrong military service, sorry!’ – the family
prospered as an upper-class Terran-race administrators and military ground officers. The preference of the Terran
conquerors to marry among their own people meant that the prolific, strongly Eastern Orthodox Popa clan ended
up with their many descendants scattering from their strongholds on Irup Gakadiguudi to marry low-tier nobles
and the better Terran commoners across Imperial holdings in Gushemege, trailing Reft, and Verge sectors.

Division
During the Long Night, the many branches of the Popa family fragmented as the interstellar ties of trade and
transport frayed and disintegrated. Some went extinct by violence, others by the eventual failure of male heirs to
carry forward the family name. Still, as minor planet-bound minor gentry and squires, the family name survived on
39 separate worlds by the time the Imperium was officially restored at 0 Imperial/AD 4520.

While the family name of Popa had survived on over three-dozen worlds, the bloodline had remained Pure Terran
Solomani in only four of those branches. The Popa leadership managed to force the various holdings and fiefs of
the “polluted lines” to be transferred to the pure blood branches of the family. The process took roughly three
centuries to work out with quite a lot of drama, from corporate takeovers to financial shenanigans to slander
186
campaigns to open warfare (including most famously, one eight-minute orbital bombardment ).

Glory…
Thanks to the ancient heritage of their name, and their broad representation in the upper classes of numerous
worlds and numerous corporations, the family had by the mid-400s won several Imperial Rank & Honour Noble
positions in Vipach and Nuzuu subsectors. While the lower positions were split fairly evenly between the more
numerous Mixed Vilani bloodlines and the few, elite Pure Solomani branches, all the hereditary fiefs (excluding the
minor Barony of Kapakoo) were ruled by Pure Solomani branches of the family.

(Following) The men of the Imperial Navy have a better grasp of the sheer scale of the Imperium
than most Imperial Citizens ever will. This graphic is titled “Untitled I 2015” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Untitled-I-2015-525840421

the Son of God, decent multi-millennial genealogies are really thin on the ground: no one alive can even trace
their ancestry to a Roman Emperor, for example.
186
Sure, only conventional munitions were used, but Emperor Martin II was rather miffed when he was
informed in 199. Being 146 years old at the time – but Emperor for only four years – he knew from experience
how destructive these family squabbles could be, and his swift intervention stifled the cycle of retaliation from
gaining even more force.


It was in 454 that House Popa reaches the peak of its power, with the elevation of Count Teodor of House Popa to
the Ducal Throne of Nuzuu. It had taken 2,600 years for the (Pure Solomani branch of the) family to finally attain
High Noble status, and the celebration was quite vigorous on many worlds and cities under the sway of the Popa
clan. As part of the unwritten conditions for the enfeoffment, the new Duke had to bring peace to his family and
insure the even-handed execution of justice among his subjects, regardless of their race or species.

The second proved to be rather easier than the first: the general public just wanted a fair hearing and the justice
handed out by the Duke (and the lesser local nobles, who followed his example) was reasonably equitable and
impartial. The Mixed Vilani branches of the family, though, were only somewhat mollified by patronage and plum
187
positions (assisted by the occasional forcible exile, usually to the distant dumping ground of the Empty Quarter) .

House Popa’s administration of Nuzuu Subsector was rather successful, all things considered. He shifted the
subsector capital from the powerhouse world of Lagi to the less wealthy, but more comfortable, world of Arkunen,
188
and arranged the funding of it’s technology level rise from 6 to 11, over about 60 years, 470 to 530 Imperial.
While the Imperium does not directly terraform worlds, the House did encourage the five major systems of the
189
time – Lagi/2805, Amdarush/2905, Tlaq/2908, Meesisan /3102 and Kismayu/3206 – to work with the Imperial
Ministry of Colonization and the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service to terraform several worlds, most successfully
190 191
In Cliffrock/2603 and Minor World/2906 , and with a lesser level of success on Kapakoo/3001 and Stipa/3106.

On the greater Imperial stage, the House was an important factor in only one major event: the breakup of the
famed Zhunastu Industries. The very creation of the Third Imperium was in part driven by the need of the
corporate head, then-Archduke Cleon Zhunastu of the Sylean Federation, to find more markets for his very hungry
megacorporation. But sadly, it grew too dependent on Imperial largess and subsidies over the centuries. The
financial turbulence of the Imperial Civil War (602-622) was the catalyst that pushed the rotting megacorporate
192
hulk off the cliff. Fortunately, the integrity of the Imperial bureaucracy and the basic unity of the Imperium
permitted Duke Lucian Popa to manage the formal disposal of Zhunastu assets in 613-621 from Capital, even as the
193
emperors he served cut each other down in quick succession .

With the successful disposal of Zhunastu assets, there was excited talk of elevating House Popa to a Sector Duke.
Even though this never came to pass, the Duke of Nuzuu was occasionally mentioned as a candidate for Imperial
Minister of Commerce, and less ennobled members of the House sometimes won minor positions and posts on
Capital, serving the central Imperial administration. The Solomani branches of House Popa continued to build on
their reputation for unbiased justice, and were on occasion involved in notable Imperial/corporate affairs,
although never of such importance as administrating the bankruptcy of Zhunastu Industries.

187
All those carrots were backed by the occasional sharp use of a heavy stick, with the most used being
forcible exile to the distant dumping ground of the Empty Quarter for a decade or two. “Exile muffles the
troublemakers and makes their supporters think twice before opening their mouths. Execution makes martyrs
and plants the seeds of a violent riposte. Moreover, the casual shedding of Noble Blood is to be avoided
whenever possible: it might give the commoners… ideas.” – Duke Teodor, 457 Imperial.
188
During the period of House Popa hold on the Ducal throne, Arkunen’s UWP was around B689655-B.
Compare this with the current (1105) UWP of C689864-8.
189
Renamed Meesis as of 1105 Imperial
190
Renamed Krajhune as of 1105 Imperial
191
Renamed Minor as of 1105 Imperial
192
Some people actually tie the fall of Solomani dominance at Court with the collapse of Zhunastu Industries. I
suggest that with its bankruptcy and dissolution, the Vilani Megacorporations were able to truly flourish, and
thereby gain the pull needed to whisper into the ear of Prince, then Emperor Zhakirov, decades later…
193
Emperors George, Cleon V, Joseph, Donald, Emdiri, Catherine, Ramon II, Jaqueline II, Usuti, Marava, Ivan,
and Martin VI, for your information. Look up “Emperors of the Flag” sometime…


The men of House Popa were never famed as great explorers… but they had their moments.
This graphic is titled “Dreams of Heaven” © Tyler Sporles.
See his work at https://quantomstarbox.deviantart.com/art/Dreams-of-Heaven-271315842

…And the Great Fall194
Like many great, prestigious and famed Solomani noble families of old, the Great Fall started when the Pure
Solomani Emperor Zhakirov married Antiama, unifying the leader of the Imperial military with the modern
corporate business interests of the Imperial Core – and into a powerful Vilani corporate clan. This destroyed the
power of the Solomani Party at the Imperial Court, with repercussions that would shape the Imperium for the rest
of its long life.

Even after the end of Solomani dominance at Court, House Popa remained under the dominance of the Pure
Solomani branches of the family until the foundation of the Solomani Autonomous Region in 704 by Margaret I…
and the simultaneous ban on Solomani Party membership on all Imperial worlds, and for all Imperials outside of
the Solomani Sphere (as well as for all Imperial Nobles, regardless of location). Many Solomani Imperial Nobles
soon began to transfer their families and wealth to the Sphere.

The Pure Solomani members of House Popa renounced their Party membership to keep their crowns, but the now-
emboldened Mixed Vilani branches were ready to throw their entire weight against the Pure Solomani family
branches, to finally get the subsector throne for themselves. The seizure of property, accusations of treason, and
the bitter bile of the propagandizing pundits led to the Popa Clan Wars of 715-717.

The war itself did little damage to the subsector – as per the Imperial Civil War, space battles and assassination
was the rule, and all parties upheld the Imperial Laws of War. But the fighting brought great damage to the
prestige of the House: several highly respected Pure Solomani Nobles were killed, and – after the power of the
Pure Solomani lines were broken, with the survivors fleeing to Solomani Space – the various Mixed Vilani branches
195
turned on each other in an orgy of violence that, while not really that bad in damage to life and property , was
deeply repulsive to the moral and ethical ideals of the Imperial Nobles of the region (as well as an unfortunate
propaganda bonanza for the Solomani Party).

194
House Popa ruled Nuzuu Subsector for 265 years, from 454 to 719 Imperial. That’s a bit longer than the
usual 250 years for an empire in our actual history. Overall, House Popa came out better than most such
dynasties: they actually survived their fall, and even lived to regain a few lost Imperial titles!
195
Empirically measured: about 31,000 lives and three billion credits. A drop in the bucket, really, so far as
interstellar society (or even most decently populated worlds) is concerned.


“It’s not so much that the Mixed Vilani families were really all that wrong or unjustified, or
even that they were evil, as opposed to greedy, resentful, and short-sighted. It’s that they
behaved and fought in such a low-class, thuggish, common manner.”

“Well, yes. But they were truly tired of waiting after three centuries of patience, and with
the overthrow of age-old Solomani dominance elsewhere, why not here and why not
now? And you have to admit, they kept their violence channeled to the enemies’ military
and political assets, instead of expanding the killzone to include the civilians... like certain
urbane, well-mannered, and sophisticated Noble families I could mention.”

“So they behave like the inferior, instinctual classes of men, instead of mere animals and
196
savages. Fair enough, I’ll give you that much. But a Noble is supposed to behave like a
Noble, and NOT like a Commoner!”

“So we will punished them on the way they fought?”

“The masses expects us to meet a certain standard, and it’s unwise to disappoint them.”
– Sector Duchess Arbellatra of Verge and Count Idam of Sirim, 295-717

The end of the fighting was brought about mainly by exhaustion by Week 13 and 14 of 717 Imperial: when Count
Idam of Sirim arrived with a small Navy flotilla and commanded that the heads and elders of the local families
stand before him to resolve the issue, there was no serious challenge to his authority.

After reviewing the evidence and the claims/counterclaims, the Count on 10-719 ruled that the surviving Noble
members of House Popa had not violated the Imperial Laws of War, and so were not to be punished physically or
financially. But, they have failed to uphold the high standards of behaviour and integrity expected of an Imperial
Noble, and so were to be divested of all Imperial titles and responsibilities. Moreover, no member of House Popa
was to be ennobled or granted any Imperial award or title for 100 years, starting immediately: nor would they be
permitted to serve the Imperium in any capacity whatsoever during this period of time.

Recovery
The respect and honour shown to House Popa fell like a rock.

Some members of the family were able to fall back on planetary and corporate positions, but the sheer weight of
public opprobrium soon drove family members from these positions, as well. Following the Imperial example, the
family members were not harmed, nor was their wealth touched… but they were certainly despised and shunned,
publically and privately.

Quite a large number simply died, by various forms of suicide – direct and indirect. Others struggled to carry on,
fighting for their family firms to survive, in a culture where the reputation of the corporate head is everything.
Several families fell back on property they still owned, be it revenue-generating towers in city centres, great
wilderness regions, or stock in blue-chip companies. Still others changed their name, sold everything they had,
gathered up their relatives and dependents, and hopped on a starship bound for Anywhere Else.

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I will note that the Imperial view of warfare in this period was strongly influenced by an aristocratic ethos,
th st
and has basically nothing to do with the utilitarian views of total war common in the 20 -21 centuries AD. To
their credit and honour, and our shame and disgrace.

Kapak society is generally focused on clan and tribe first, and to a secondary extent territory: religion is a distant
third. The various decorative patterns on the Desert Whales reflect these allegiances.
This graphic is titled “Nomad Desert Blimp II” © Adrian Mark Gillespie.
See his work at https://tk769.deviantart.com/art/Nomad-Desert-Blimp-II-355660822

The years of pain flowed into decades, and the survivors of the Great Fall grew hard and tough. They often
developed a fanatical focus on one single idea: regaining their honour, usually, although a few became deeply anti-
Solomani, and others became devoted, mystical followers of the Eastern Orthodox faith of their distant ancestors.
By the 760s – half-way through their term of punishment – over half the family heads and elders had clawed their
way to a fairly stable position financially, a process supported by the forgetfulness of most commoners regarding
their crime.

The local Nobility forgot nothing and forgave nothing. And no major interstellar contract for any Popa-owned
business was going to happen without their approval.

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In 769, the surviving branches of House Popa finally held their first family moot in over 50 years. Held on
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lpidofros /2704 in Verge Sector, in a low-profile, run-down but basically cheery inn, many of the men simply
hugged and wept at their first meeting. A lot of the week was simply spent matching fragments of stories and tales
together, finding out what really happened to whom, and (eventually) hatching schemes to either get more money
or get some family matchmaking done. The remaining unresolved issues of the devastating Clan Wars were agreed
to be ‘null and void’, and the focus of the House shifted to building the future, not mourning over the past.

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Those who held on to the name within the Imperium, excluding those who fled to the Solomani Sphere.
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Renamed Gaznakan as of 1105

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After the end of The Ninety-Second Family Moot , the revival of House Popa accelerated. For mutual support and
after much debate, it was decided by majority vote that the families would relocate to the world of Kapakoo/3001,
Lekhana/3101 and (in neighbouring Moibin subsector) Unseren/3140. This is a move that would cost hundreds of
thousands of credits, so every branch of the family was tasked to raise a certain amount in 20 years, based on their
estimated ability and potential.

Things were slower and tougher than they planned for, and the twenty years stretched to 25… 30… 40 years.
Businesses established in high-profit industries struggled due to the poor credit ratings the Popai laboured under:
no credit slowed growth and trade right down. Attempts to resurrect their old sterling reputation for honour and
integrity were dismissed out of hand: and without trust, the really big money remained out of reach.

The really big break came about on the old subsector capital world of Arkunen. The local Noble Houses began to
favour the disgraced line, as the new Ducal family eventually shifted the subsector capital back to Lagi and cut off
the rivers of Imperial pork that had flowed to Arkunen. As the resulting local depression wound its way, the local
Popai were able to build enough goodwill, capital, and credit to get permission to rent a few hangars in the
Imperial Starport in 787, and opened a repair shop, Starship Quickeners (later, StarQuic) repairing and
reconditioning various small starships and spacecraft. Over the next decade attention to detail, a careful
accounting of every penny, and a hard (and sometimes costly) policy of sticking to the contract terms built the
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business up, brick by brick – despite the noticeable absence of some big names from the order book.

As Starship Quickeners grew more profitable, they were willing to dole out small orders to other family members
eager for trade, and if the results were satisfactory to the customer, larger orders (with bigger bucks) would follow.
Another, smaller family moot was convened on Arkunen: in return for permission for the Popa clans on Arkunen to
remain on the old subsector capital and build up their businesses, they would help fund the weaker sisters of the
family in their move to Kapakoo, Lekhana and Unseren systems. Over the next ten years, they proved as good as
their word, and House Popa – still officially disgraced, but now able to find interested parties willing to overlook
that unfortunate bit of history – began to get involved in the governance of the larger planetary and subsector
corporations (but never in the limelight, always in the backrooms and the more obscure lines of work).

The day 10-817 passed by unnoticed for most of Nuzuu subsector: but for the 3,208 living members of House
Popa, it was the greatest day of their family, the day the Imperial Ban on them was lifted. Several young men
immediately enlisted for the Imperial military services: they were initially rejected due to various bureaucratic
snafus, but the kinks were worked out over the next few weeks, and they were proudly wearing Imperial uniforms
in due course. A few family men has earlier hidden their identities and joined the Imperial Army before legally able
to do so, and on 10-817 revealed themselves to be secret members of the family. These men were promptly tried
and imprisoned for several years, then given a dishonourable discharge and kicked out of the military.

(Following) The Solomani Nobility of the early Third Imperium loved to plant living worlds in
spectacular locations. This graphic is titled “The Gem among a Giant” © Tyler Sporles.
See his work at https://quantomstarbox.deviantart.com/art/The-Gem-among-a-Giant-729943225

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Originally named “Family Reunion” during the Second Imperium, and “Family Assembly” in the very few
times the family could gather during the Long Night, the name of the gathering was changed to “Family Moot”
in 81 Imperial, in imitation of the government of the young Third Imperium.
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A case can be made that the lack of any big customers was one of the keys to the success of Starship
Quickeners. With no large customer to depend on – and eventually be enslaved to – the firm’s leadership had
to have a tight focus on 1) making it big on the little deals and 2) making every customer a repeat customer.


Growth
With the black mark against their name and their honour finally gone, the family elders once again gathered
together on Arkunen, but this time to elect a family Archon, the legal head of the House. Naturally, that ended up
being Nisam (short for Nisamlirkhuu) Popa, the owner and CEO of Starship Quickeners. Unusually, a Vice-Archon
was also elected: while the Archon proper resided on Arkunen, Vice-Archon Kerros Popa lived on Kapakoo, to lead
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the majority of the clans who relocated to that region of space.

Over the next two centuries, the family schemed and pushed and plotted to regain the old heights of glory. Most
of the older High Nobles still looked down their nose at them: so they allied with newly ennobled families,
regardless of their status: Honour (the lowest) or Rank (middling). They put in a special effort to mutually support
each other as they pushed up various corporate hierarchies, or started up businesses themselves: corporations are
not very interested in where you come from or your family name, but are extremely interested in how much value-
added work you can do, and how much money you can make for them.

Even as House Popa worked to climb up the social ladder, they found the competition far stiffer than before. For
millennia, even up to the last few centuries, there was far less travel between worlds, interstellar society was much
more smaller and personal, and making your name known across interstellar society wasn’t that hard, once the
initial hurdles were passed. But now, in the post-Civil War era, the Third Imperium had become far wealthier than
any interstellar state was before: but that meant there was a lot more noise to cut through, a lot more work had to
be done to get the attention of anyone of importance. Merely bearing an honourable Noble name wasn’t enough
to get the deal anymore… although it will still get you a hearing in many corporate offices.

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House Popa kept at it, and after a few decades, between their larger businesses and their military servicemen ,
they could always be sure of having a knight or three in the current Honour Lists. After realizing the difficulty of
earning a peerage title, they decided to focus on buying and trading minor titles (all baronies of various cash
values) until they got what they wanted. The process – both of earning the monies needed, and making the chain
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of deals work – took a good deal longer than they thought . A lot of delicate negotiations, coupled with
expensive wining and dining, safaris, and quiet financial contributions, were needed to insure the social
acceptance of House Popa once again in all the best local circles.

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Note that the major leader has the most money, while the minor leader merely has the majority on his
side. Imperials are not big on democracy, but they are hardcore when it comes to wealth generation…
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The Imperium cheerfully accepts all sexes, so long as they can meet the physical and mental requirements:
but House Popa remains pointedly patriarchal. “Political power, to protect your own or take what another has,
is tied to the ability to kill; and men make better killers.”
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Perhaps you have to wait for the last of various lines to die, and then get into an expensive bidding process.
Or get the Emperor to reactivate a lapsed title. Or buy a title from a family in financial distress. Or marry into a
noble line, and have the eldest son (daughters don’t cut it for House Popa) inherit the property while keeping
the Popa name. Routinely, these titles would be half-way across the Imperium: not even in Verge Sector,
nevermind the worlds of Nuzuu subsector House Popa aspired to once again rule: horse-trading would then be
called for. And finally, any deal could be cut down in a flash, if a given Emperor or the Imperial College of Arms
felt that the process was being ‘too mercenary’, soiling the honour of the Peerage and the Nobility.


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Many Imperial Throne Rooms are quite unique , reflecting the tastes, history, and
familial/cultural/corporate/racial/religious allegiances of the ruling house in question. But within Nuzuu
subsector, many ruling families make a point of creating similar throne rooms, to reflect their shared history and
outlooks in both life and ruling philosophy. The top graphic is titled “Royal Hall”,
https://andreasrocha.deviantart.com/art/Royal-Hall-696333703, and the second is “Royal Hall (2nd version)”
https://andreasrocha.deviantart.com/art/Royal-Hall-2nd-version-701640017, both © Andreas Rocha.

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The Vilani families are the major exception: by deliberate choice, they all somewhat resemble each other.
This resemblance become a rigid adherence to the First Imperial classical architectural forms and styles in
Vland Sector, and among the Pure Vilani ruling families: but is more or less detectable across the old domain
of the Ziru Sirka, including the Vilani-culture, racially Solomani systems.

The Solomani Rim War
When the Solomani Rim War started, House Popa – unlike many other Noble families – was caught completely
flatfooted. They had made no effort to preposition their military scions in the best positions; or to get their cut of
the fat military contracts; or political preparations to leverage their anti-Solomani bias to a position in a future
Imperial administration in ex-Solomani Space. All they could do is salute, and send their boys to serve in His
Majesty’s forces in their march to Terra…from way back in the rear echelons. “By the time we finally get to the
Solomani Sphere, the war will be long over, and all the best spoils would have long been divvied up.”

Well, no.

The Rim War proved to be more grinding and difficult than most expected, and the vague dream of winning a few
titles and grabbing a bit of loot dissolved into the reality of simply trying to both survive and obey your orders. All
of the soldiers and spacers House Popa contributed to the war effort were dead or in POW camps by 994, not even
half-way through the war. Only a few family firms truly prospered, especially StarQuic, repairing, refurbishing and
upgrading innumerable small Imperial vessels and minor warships as fast as they could, 24x7x365.

After the war ended, the returning POWs were welcomed with gladness, with many taking up new corporate
positions in many patriotic businesses, most definitely including StarQuic, but also in the megacorporate firms. But
the nature of the Imperium had fundamentally changed by its self-righteous pseudo-crusade against the Solomani
Confederation: more centralized, more moralistic, more militaristic, more uncompromising, more collectivistic,
more demanding of total, unconditional surrenders of all her enemies. This shift would have severe consequences
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in her next and final crisis: the assassination of Emperor Strephon, in 1116 Imperial.

The Rotting Roots of the Golden Age
House Popa came into prominence in the late 1000s, with several famed subsector and sector business managers
within Verge Sector bearing the Popa name, especially between 1048 and 1083. The amounts of wealth these men
and women generated, coupled with the high esteem they were held in business circles, placed a shine to the Popa
name.

With their earlier disgrace of three centuries past now forgotten by all but the historians and the most aristocratic
of the aristocrats, House Popa grew wealthier than ever before in its history… even as the size of the House began
to shrink with surprisingly swiftness. From 80,755 members of the family in 993, just before the Solomani Rim War,
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the number of kinsmen fell to 8,526 by 1101, just over a century later.

The decline – first in birth rates, and then in absolute numbers – really got started in the 1020s. With great wealth,
great ease, and a lack of challenges, most of the clans outside of the senior branches (the ones with a strong
tradition of service to the Imperium; to the worlds of Arkunen, Kapakoo, Lekhana and Unseren; or to the family
itself) decided to focus on just enjoying life, without making waves that could endanger their comfort or place in
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life. Aggressive exhortations and gentle homilies alike had no effect: threats against their sinecures, their trust

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A nice discussion of the shift can be found in Nisbet work. Gary North provides a good overview of this in
his article “Nisbet on Messianic War”, https://www.garynorth.com/public/10950.cfm. As major wars,
including the original Crusades, are secularizing events so far as Christian history is concerned, they are best
avoided when possible. This contrasts with the ‘war is the health of the state’ crowd, but that’s OK: the ways
of Christ and those who follow Him should be contrasted with those who choose to oppose Him, after all.
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Very little of this decline is actually attributable to the Rim War: only about 2,400 family men actually died
in that conflict, and the high birthrates at the time covered the losses handily. Those that were Prisoners of
War had all returned to their home systems by 1015 Imperial, thirteen years after the end of the war in 1002.
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Any resemblance to House Alkhalikoi is definitely intentional. Fish rot from the head, and the peak of the
ruling classes set the example for all the aristocrats below them – even in those meritocratic and/or
egalitarian societies where there are supposedly no aristocrats or ruling classes.

fund incomes, and their comfy positions were brushed off. Even when these threats were carried out, or members
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of the family were actually expelled and disinherited, the only reaction was resentment and rebellion.

Survival Margin
In 1101 Imperial, The One Hundred and Tenth Family Moot was held on Kapakoo. Although all clan elders were
called as per tradition, only about a third bothered to show up. The Archons, the major Clan Elders, and the most
aggressive, energetic, and devout of the lesser Clans suspected that turnout would be weak, and – before the
meeting was formally begun – had done quite a bit of politicking and backroom plotting, to take advantage of this
window of opportunity to save the family line.

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The first order of business was a strong reassertion of patriarchal authority, the permanence of marriage, and a
renewal of the ban on pre-nuptial sexuality. The revised Family Compact stated, “Without a single male head of
the family, the governance of the clan would be increasingly challenged, which will lead to the disintegration of the
clan as a unified as an effective governing unit, able to police itself and enforce policy. Without the permanence of
marriage, family ties would fray and snap, and dynastic unions with other Houses would mean nothing. A House
that permits self-discipline and restraint to decline – financially, militarily, academically, and sexually – is on its way
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to dissipation and ruin. House Popa intends to rule indefinitely.”

Even though the end result was already baked into the cake, actually bringing in the Family Compact and
associated bylaws was still an occasion of strife, personality clashes, and great turmoil. Those who were not in on
the plan were astonished, and fought hard to stop the new rules from being certified, even as it became
increasingly obvious that the fix was in. All the leaders of an entire branch of the family walked out of the Moot:
after changing their House name from Popa to Lupei, they worked hard and successfully lead many the lesser
members of the house to adopt their new name and banner.

While the newly established House Lupei has only a few minor Nobles – a few Knights, two Baronets, and a single
Baron – as leaders, and far less wealth and prestige than House Popa, they do have numbers (~2000 members
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compared to the ~1000 of House Popa… until the migrant reinforcements from the Solomani Sphere show up )
and a more aggressive, “insurgent underdog” attitude compared to the “old-school establishment” views of House
Popa. Their primary assets are some profitable small and mid-sized businesses in Dikaash, a wealthy world eight
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parsecs from Kapakoo and the capital of Vipach Subsector. They are eager to stop House Popa from being
reinforced with new family members; but if they fail, House Lupei will have to reduce their attacks on House Popa
to only occasional harassment at moments of opportunity: they just don’t have the war-chest for a sustained

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Some troublemakers actually learned the hard lessons of life, and made something of their lives. Most,
though, merely drifted from one dead end position to another, or just bummed around, aimlessly wandering
across the stars. Not one returned home to beg forgiveness.
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On the serious flaws of patriarchal rule, see Marinov’s “Patriarchy and Sodomy”,
https://reconstructionistradio.com/patriarchy-and-sodomy/
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After the coup, sexual discipline is more strongly enforced among the clanswomen, including public
shaming and disinheritance. Double standards endure, but are on the decline: blood-brothers who whore
around are shamed and mocked, and sometimes cut off from the family as well. “If you can’t control your lust,
you won’t control your money, your sidearm, your family, or yourself. And the House doesn’t need more
costly liabilities.” For more, I recommend North’s “Teenage Sexual Promiscuity vs. Economic Progress”
https://www.garynorth.com/members/login.cfm?hpage=10597.cfm … or just go to the source, J.D Unwin’s
Sex and Culture - https://archive.org/details/b20442580
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Assuming they show up. *cough, cough*
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As of 1105: Dikaash/Vipach/Gushemege 0738, B6279B8-D: Domain of Vland. Subsector capital. Naval,
Scout base.

dynastic war. The focus must shift to building wealth and family alliances on Dikaash herself… as well as raising a
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new family compound on land they hope to gain as an Imperial fief.

Sometimes, even the most eager Traveller can get a little homesick…
This graphic is titled “A Perfect Sunset VIII” © Axel JP.
See his work at https://axel-astro-art.deviantart.com/art/A-perfect-sunset-VIII-542521568

The remaining House Popa loyalists, seeing the many defections to the new House Lupei, decided to beef up their
own numbers: but how? Eventually, they decided to expand their survival margin by using their wealth to bring in
the Pure Solomani losers of the Popa Clan Wars of four centuries ago. Intrepid family historians and genealogists
had traced these survivors to several worlds in the Solomani Confederation. The largest group first emigrated to
Barsoom/Jardin in Solomani Rim, and then relocated to distant Hippoax/Hulda, in Canopus. There, they have
prospered fairly well, having multiplied to the 50,000-strong ‘Popai ethnic minority group’… despite being stuck in
the working/small businessman class, unable to return to the social heights they once enjoyed.

House Status, 1105 Imperial
Today, 3000 years after the founding of the House, the genetic and cultural legacy of Lt. Mircea Popa continues to
survive, if noticeably reduced from a century, or even five years, before. With the recent family split, bitter
renunciations, and disinheritances still settling down, as of 001-1105 Imperial there are 1,127 Full Members of the
House, divided into seventeen recognised clans, not including the ~1000 possible immigrants (including ~120

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It’s quite likely that House Popa will do something about this. Exactly what, how, when, and the scale of
violence involved will be determined by the Referee. A grudging but stable truce is unlikely, but certainly
possible. If the dynastic feuding gets out of hand, a firm Imperial Intervention is very likely.

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minors) from the Solomani Sphere. The family has 22 Imperial knights, four baronets, and three barons serving
the Imperium in various local capacities within Nuzuu and Vipach subsectors: of the 22 knights, as well as hundreds
of untitled members serving various major interstellar interests and local Imperial forces. The central family
compound on Jaeyelya/Vipach/Gushemege (during the First Imperium, Irup Gakadiguudi) was rebuilt on 1043.

Rulers:
Naturally, the political muscle of the House is in the hereditary positions it holds.
Arkunen: not the senior Viscount, not the Baron; but two of the eight ruling knights are of House Popa.
Note that this world is now directly ruled by the neighbouring system of Tier, not the Imperium.
Kapakoo: the senior Baron, the Baronet, and both knights are of House Popa
Lekhana: the senior Baron is of House Popa, but neither of the world’s ruling knights are of House Popa.
However, they are both of an allied house, House Bournes: a house which gained their first hereditary
Imperial Noble partly due to the backing of House Popa in a quiet ‘quid pro quo’ arrangement.
Unseren: the senior (and only) Knight is of House Popa
Unlike the other systems, this Knight (like his system) is actually under the authority of the Ducal court of
Moibin, not the ruling Duchess of Nuzuu.

Note that there are numerous minor worlds in Nuzuu and Vipach subsectors where House Popa ruled between
454 and 719, and many cities and subplanetary regions that they have historical links to.

Minor nobles, Military:
Three baronets, and five knights. All but one knight is with the Imperial Army: the remaining knight is a member of
the Sector Duchesses’ military attaché team, ‘without portfolio’.

Minor nobles, Corporate:
Twelve knights: not a surprise, as this generation of the family leans corporate rather than military. Half serve in
family concerns, a quarter in other subsector concerns in Nuzuu and Vipach subsectors, and the rest in sector-wide
concerns. As of 1105, none serve in key megacorporate positions: there are efforts to change this, but aristocratic
competition here is fierce. “Get the money, get the guns, get the power… or get out!”

The vitality of the newly founded Imperium was evidenced by its rapid expansion and economic growth.
The time was right for a new empire; the human populations of the territory wanted and needed this vast
interstellar government. The Third Imperium was an expression of the people who populated it: strong,
vital, ambitious.
A thousand years later, the strength and vitality of the human populations were missing; all that remained
was the ambition, and that ambition was channeled inward. No longer did the population see expansion
as the means to a better future; leaders looked at redistributing the wealth of the Imperium and at carving
out petty duchies within the known boundaries of the empire.
Against this background, it was inevitable for some small stimulus to trigger the fall of the Imperium. And
once that happened, there was no turning back.
In the founding days of the Imperium, great men dreamed great dreams...and achieved them. In the last
days of the Imperium, petty men dreamed petty dreams... and achieved them too.
– Introduction to MegaTraveller: The Rebellion Sourcebook, page 5

Ending Theme: “Wind and Willow”, Wayne Gratz, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guu3Q4UK1Jc

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This is in comparison with the ~2,000 members of House Lupei, the estimated ~3,000 undecided/uncaring
family members scattered across the Imperium, and the 50,000 Pure Solomani kinsmen remaining on
Hipponax. There may be as many as 100,000 Pure Solomani kin on various other Confederation worlds, family
that remain largely/rarely uncontacted. Almost all of them are ignorant of their family history & bloodline.

Exodus: Detailed Maps & Charts
Note that this starmap, and all the following starmaps in this issue, were created with the online website
www.travellermap.com. This includes the planetary data sheets on page 55 and 56, as well as the map on page 57.












































The Royal Virtue

The greater the challenge, the deeper the faith needed to overcome it.
This graphic is titled “Sunday at the Church” © dchan.
See his work at https://www.deviantart.com/art/Sunday-at-the-Church-556825169

Below are some quotations regarding ‘the Royal Virtue’, a concept that R. J Rushdoony explored in Law and
Society: The Institutes of Biblical Law Volume 2. I am including it here as a quick & dirty guide on how all
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Imperial Nobles – Christian or not – are expected by God to behave vis-à-vis the weakest members of
society: in this case, orphans and widows.

Christians are expected to behave as kings and priests and prophets, after all, carrying the Image of God into
the world and expanding His rule and His kingdom to cover all things, everywhere: a charge only Christian
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Reconstructionists takes seriously. But this will do as a taste of what God expects of ‘nobles’.

From 49: The Royal Virtue. “Footnotes deleted” for the sake of clarity.

In the ancient Near East, every king of any consequence issued or reaffirmed laws protecting the helpless
members of society, widows and orphans in particular…. It is apparent, first, that in antiquity many pagan
religions still retained, as a part of the original general revelation of God to mankind, the idea of a covenant
between God and man. Second, basic to the covenant was the requirement that God’s way becomes man’s
way. A law therefore is a part of every covenant. Third, this concern for the lowly in society, widows and
orphans in particular, came to be regarded as “a royal virtue in all the Ancient Near East.”

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When there is conflict between the Will of God and the Will of the Emperor, things become… interesting.
Quite a broad range of Biblical doctrine addresses such conflict, as illustrated Joseph and Pharaoh, to David
and Saul, to Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar, to Jesus and Pilate, to Paul and Nero. While respect to the king is
consistently shown – God did put him on the throne, after all – it is also consistently true that the king’s claims
to authority and obedience is weaker than that of the king’s superior, God. For more, see Marinov’s Christians
in Caesar’s Household, http://reconstructionistradio.com/christians-in-caesars-household/
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“Takes seriously” as an intellectual matter. There are Christians who do far better in the world of
relationships, work, and charity. God’s Kingdom must expand in all ways, not only doctrinally!


It is a royal virtue because it manifests grace and is not a self-seeking act. The weak and lowly in society are
easily taken advantaged of, easily pushed aside and forgotten, and easily regarded as beneath one’s interest
and attention. The royal virtue in this case must be the divine virtue, grace. The grace which God manifests to
anyone, including the king, must be manifested to others. God condescends, or, with paganism, a god
condescends, to choose the king and make him great. To mark his faithfulness to God, the king or man of
power must then manifest a like grace to all those below him.

Let us now imagine the reaction Our Deeply Democratic Power Elite have to the very idea that their
power comes from God, instead of their own efforts and their own power.

Blest be God’s friends. And damned be His enemies.

Snobbery and exploitation are thus both the marks of the upstart and the parvenu who lack grace and
therefore cannot manifest it. Thus, the way to manifest that God’s hand is upon one, and responsible for one’s
blessings and success, is to bless those around and beneath one. Those who receive grace, manifest grace.
Those who have gained their power and wealth undeservedly cannot bear to associate with those of a lower
estate lest people see their own low nature. As a result, they avoid close contact with all of a lower class.

It’s always fun when a grateful Noble invites the riffraff PCs into an exclusive Imperial Resort.
This graphic is titled “Resort Station” © dchan.
See his work at https://dchan.deviantart.com/art/Resort-Station-671762026

The result of grace is community. The royal virtue reaches to others even as God’s divine virtue has reached out
to the person possessing it. Grace thus creates community, binding high and low, whereas snobbery creates
isolation and class warfare.

Our profoundly secularist Masters – in addition to being insulted to the core of their being, if told that
their power and wealth is dependent on the will of God – are only interested in demonstrating their
superiority over the ignorant Christian masses. And today, the Right Sort demonstrate their status by
having the latest versions of Right Thinking, not by rich clothing or dining in fine restaurants.

Scripture makes it clear that the covenant people, who are repeatedly ordered to manifest grace, friendship,
and community with the lowly, are a royal people. “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy
nation” (Ex. 19:6). “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal people, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
Christ “hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and
ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:6). The Lamb “hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the
earth” (Rev. 5:10).

That’s odd. The Bible speaks of Christians reigning on earth, bringing justice and mercy and light to all,
believer or not – and especially the weak and the lowly – rather than hiding in some prayer closet, waiting
for the Rapture. Or begging and crawling before Secularists.

But we know why preachers don’t speak of the Kingdom of God, the core idea that Jesus spent His life on.
Taking up power means taking up responsibility, and people who fail in their responsibility before God are
subject to punishment at His hand, with whatever rod He chooses. Be it fire from heaven, or defeat in
war, or poverty as the reward for foolishness, or public humiliation before your enemies, or the
destruction of your culture by your own leaders, or the flames of hell five minutes after you die.

Or all of the above. Combined.

To evade responsibility, powerlessness is preached and endorsed from the pulpit, and wickedness
tolerated… and thus, promoted. Bizarrely, both preacher and layman think that their wilful impotence and
cowardice will provide an escape from the judgement of God.

Do these men have the slightest idea Who they are dealing with?

We must therefore manifest the royal virtue.

Stress on the must here: God gives commands, not requests.

When it comes to Imperial-planetary relations, the Emperor is not particularly interested in local flavours of
morality and ethics: “The Imperium rules the space between the stars, and not the worlds themselves.” Little
attention is given to the cultures, mores, laws, and ethics of a given world… so long as it stays on-world.

Things are different internally, where honourable behaviour is demanded of Imperial servants and Nobles. The
Emperor must be able to predictably expect the truth from all his subordinates; the military must receive
reliable obedience and information; traders must be able to depend on contracts being fulfilled, verbal or not.
Dishonourable behavior is punished by all sorts of means, official or not; socially, financially, or violently.

There are unexpected consequences as well: “A man who will cheat on his wife will cheat on his business
partners,” an important consideration when trillions of credits across vast distances and timescales are on the
table. Strong bonds of family trust are important to both Vilani and Solomani ruling houses for similar
reasons... and there are serious consequences for violating this trust, especially when adultery is involved.

In rejoicing before the Lord, we are to invite not only the Levite, who has religious prestige, but the fatherless,
the widow, and the foreigner to eat with us, “That the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine
hand which thou doest” (Deut. 14:29). In the Jewish Sayings of the Fathers, this same fact is stressed: “Let thy
house be open wide; let the poor be members of thy household.” (1.5). Dr. Joseph H. Hertz commented,
“Hospitality to the homeless has always been one of the conspicuous virtues of the Jewish life (Gen. 18). ‘In the
Middle Ages the treatment of poor Jewish travellers was considerate beyond description. Nothing might be
done to put the poor guest to shame’ (Abraham).”

I wonder how long we will have to wait before Christians show the same attitude.

And don’t give me that Socialist cant about how the Welfare State will care for the poor. Some impersonal
bureaucracy using stolen money to show the supposed Love of the Leader does not cut it. God want to
see actual human beings opening their homes to the poor.

Now, God is merciful: giving a portion of the tithe to helping the poor can be a reasonable substitute for
giving time and attention. (Time and love is expensive, and of limited supply, after all: far more so than
money.) But more than just spending cash is expected of deacons.

Too bad that most churches are far more interested in beefing up their building fund (mentioned
nowhere in the Bible) rather than giving a hand to the poor, the orphans, and the widows… as God
explicitly demands in the Bible.

The royal person does not need to establish his separateness nor his royalty, his kingly nature. It is essential to
his being. He does not demean himself by his concern for the lowly and distressed: rather, he manifests his
royal nature. It is a part of his exercise of dominion to open his house, bounty, time, and concern to others. It is
a privilege and function of royalty. Thus Christians, as a royal people, are told that, if they are of the faith, they
manifest the royal virtue:

[Snipped: quotations of Romans 12:13, Titus 1:7-8, Hebrews 13:2-3, I Peter 4:9, III John 5.]

Also: note that the truly noble opens his house, uses his time, and spends his money on the poor… rather
than steal under cover of law, and – after a fat cut for himself and his friends – redistributed the money to
buy the allegiance of the masses to display his loudly proclaimed ‘moral superiority’.

I mean, just how ignoble can you get?

Much more could be cited, but these verses will suffice to illustrate the fact that God’s royal people manifest
the royal virtue.

On the other hand, the snob dislikes associating with the lowly lest his own very low nature be revealed
thereby. Some years ago, a man with a trace of Negro ancestry, who was in appearance “white” and had
passed as such for years, wrote that he disliked intensely being in the company of Negroes lest some kinship be
thereby detected between himself and them. This is the same spirit which marks the snob: he rejects his
common humanity, his inner nature, and any association beneath him; he insists on associating upwards only,
on social climbing. The snob is fearful of being found out. The royal virtue marks those who know that it is the
grace of God which has ennobled them, and they manifest that same grace unto others. The snob lives in a
private world, the royal priesthood of Christ in God’s universe.

Within the Imperium, there are quite a number of religious organizations that imitates
the look and feel of Christianity: but when you examine it closely, a very different doctrine,
centred on a very different Lord, emerges. This graphic is titled “Church” © gin.
See his work at https://gin-1994.deviantart.com/art/Church-625942121

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Stellar Reaches Issue #27 Spring 2018 Page 5

Languages: Rrakfugk (Native: an Irilitok Vargr language), Julian Anglic

Languages: Ukazk (Native: an Irilitok Vargr language of Ikon)

Stellar Reaches Issue #27 Spring 2018 Page 24

Conflicts and Clashes

Strength for the Journey

Universal World Profile: A 8 8 9 A 8 A – E

Total Population: 2 × 1010 = 20,000,000,000

Remarks: Hi High Population Co Cold Sa Satellite Cp Subsector Capital

Travel Zone: No Restrictions

Universal World Profile: B 5 6 4 5 9 4 – B

Total Population: 2 × 105 = 200,000

Nobility: Knight — Baronet — Baron

Remarks: Ag Agricultural Ni Non-Industrial Pr Pre-Rich

Travel Zone: No Restrictions

Stellar Reaches Issue #27 Spring 2018 Page 99

You’d be surprised, how many sophonts love to hunt.

Petre Lascăr Popa

MEN OF THE IMPERIUM!

Cargo: 313 Fuel: 330 EP: 30 Agility: 2 Pulse Lasers

Architects Fee: MCr 5.841 Cost in Quantity: MCr 467.264

Architects Fee: MCr 5.991 Cost in Quantity: MCr 479.264

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS

Ship: Jupiter Class: Wo Aiani

Cargo: 0 Crew Sections: 1 of 15 Fuel: 637 EP: 30 Agility: 2 Pulse Lasers

Architects Fee: MCr 5.851 Cost in Quantity: MCr 468.090

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS

Architects Fee: MCr 3.534 Cost in Quantity: MCr 282.712

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS

Ship: Endgame Class: Lurushaar Kilaalum

Cargo: 49 Low: 4 Fuel: 136 EP: 16 Agility: 2

Architects Fee: MCr 3.142 Cost in Quantity: MCr 251.328

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS

Ship: Capitalist Tool Class: LSP Modular Starship

Cargo: 1 Crew Sections: 1 of 5 Fuel: 36 EP: 6 Agility: 2

Detailed Description (High Guard Design)

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS

CLASSIC TRAVELLER STATISTICS

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