ALUUDI - Glimmerdrift Reaches 0703

[Falkayn]

This world interests me ... UWP is:

A334965-G

It is not aligned, has billions of people and a captive government, a Class A Starport and the highest TL in the entire Gateway domain!

But it is on the edge of a rift and is only 3 parsecs from the Third Imperium's borders. There is no way in via Jump-3 or less, without using Imperial or Imperial Client worlds.

Who is the govt captive to?
1. Third Imperium
2. Criminals/Pirates
3. Terrorists
4. Star Mercs
5. Other Polity (i.e. not 3I)
6. Other Group (?)

IF they are captive to the 3I, then why are they not a client state, or at least zoned (Amber/Red)? Why do billions of people who have access to a high TL put up with the captivity of their govt? What can they do with that TL (OK, I can look that up - but what have they done?).

This little star system is too close to my campaign area for me to ignore (especially once the PCs start combing the UWPs for interesting places to visit). What scenarios can we dream up that explain this place?

 

[Psion]

This is one I had been toying with for a while. But I never came up with a good answer.

Why do billions of people who have access to a high TL put up with the captivity of their govt?

It sounds to me like they don't control their technology.

The closest I could figure was an ancient computer like in a Star Trek episode of old. Picture this: in our very own world, it is said that the government tried to get a root password for all computers. Now imagine that some government long ago did this, but died out. But the people are still laboring under edicts of a long dead race.

 

[Falkayn]

Checking out what 'Captive Govt' can mean also shows that it could be:
* no government
* corporate control
* participating democracy reporting to an off-world govt
* controlled by an off-world govt

That makes things more interesting. It could be a corporation has taken over (non-payment of debts?), or actually founded the place (one of the Vilani megacorps?).

It could just be that it is controlled by another polity, without the two declaring themselves a state. IIRC Shuriken is given to have this sort of relationship to Eda in the Starfall CLuster and/or Gateway Sourcebook.

The only problem is that the Eda/Shuriken relationship is based upon Eda using Shuriken as a lower TL clearing house for its weapon systems.

Why/how would a lower pop, lower TL world have Aluudi as their colony/subject world?

 

[Falkayn]

OK, it could be a subject state to AMUNKHAN Glimmerdrift Reaches 1008 (B1009BB-F), which IS an Imperial Client state.

Amunkhan is a non-charismatic dictatorship, and a while ago decided they needed to takeover Aluudi in order to have a big enough stick to beat off the Grand Duchy of Stoner. Amunkhan has been nice enough about this that the 3I hasn't revoked their Client status, but also hasn't sought Imperial Client status for Aluudi as it suits their purposes to be able to produce whatever weapons/ships they need as they need.

How about that?

 

[BetterThanLife]

Sounds good to me. Watch out for Nova Bombs if the locals get peeved at the Despot.

(OOops sorry, star trigger.) As I recall Anti-Matter Powerplants are TL-17. SO wouldn't Antimatter warheads be TL-16? (YIKES! Talk about your big stick.))

 

[Psion]

Originally posted by Falkayn:
OK, it could be a subject state to AMUNKHAN Glimmerdrift Reaches 1008 (B1009BB-F), which IS an Imperial Client state.

Amunkhan is a non-charismatic dictatorship, and a while ago decided they needed to takeover Aluudi in order to have a big enough stick to beat off the Grand Duchy of Stoner. Amunkhan has been nice enough about this that the 3I hasn't revoked their Client status, but also hasn't sought Imperial Client status for Aluudi as it suits their purposes to be able to produce whatever weapons/ships they need as they need.

How about that?

Actually, it makes a lot of sense. I'd want to make it a bit more complex than that, just to open up some adventure possibilities, but it does seem logical that a society like that could parley its tech to a higher level by porting it to a bigger population and thus higher industrial base. Maybe ALUUDI developed its tech creating life support and transport goods for other worlds in the sector (like the much debated STONER), but Amunkhan parleyed its corporate concerns there into de facto leadership.

 

[Falkayn]

Originally posted by Bhoins:
Sounds good to me. Watch out for Nova Bombs if the locals get peeved at the Despot.

(OOops sorry, star trigger.) As I recall Anti-Matter Powerplants are TL-17. SO wouldn't Antimatter warheads be TL-16? (YIKES! Talk about your big stick.))

According to the THB antimatter missiles out out, but they do have matter transporters, very funky powerplant and computer tech, and disintegrator heavy weapons.

I'm going to have work out the wrinkles myself, but I think it will be something along the lines of Amunkhan (egyptian/indian mix? a khanate?) using its high-tech navy to move in on peaceful, but advanced Aluudi. The Aluudians were unable/incompetent/unwilling to resist and have submitted to the (admittedly light) yoke of Amunkhan - perhaps this was even done just to prevent Stoner from getting access to Aluudi tech?

Amunkhan has yet to integrate advances from Aluudi into their own infrastructure - the takeover may have happened 10, 20 or even 30 years ago, but there is still little going on.

The 3I may have formally complained about the takeover, but informally has turned a blind eye, provided that TL-G tech continues to make its way to the Imperial market. Solomani (with Stoner help) are trying to forment revolt on Aluddi, but have yet to succeed. Amunkhan controls the space of the Aluudi system and strictly regulates trade into/out of it.

Adventure use:
1. Spec trade out of Amunkhan into 3I.
2. Merc tickets for/against Amunkhan on Aluudi.
3. Spying on Aluudi tech for Stoner.
4. Smuggling weapons into Aluudi for rebels.
5. Smuggling high tech out of Aluudi for non-Imperial markets.
6. Getting the opporunity to upgrade their ship/equipment on Aluudi.
7. Medical emergency requires access to Aluudi med-tech, but how to get past Amunkhan officials in time?
8. Counter-insurgency work on Aluudi for 3I or Amunkhan.
9. Merc tickets with Amunkhan against Stoner forces (probably off Aluudi).

Anyone got more ideas?

 

[BetterThanLife]

Matter Transporters, some serious tactical advantages there. (Transport a warhead (Nuke or Laserhead if you please) into your target is a nasty thing to do. And Disentegrators are a very big stick. As I recall early Transporters aren't for people but that might be a change from Secrets of the Ancients. (Commando Unit insertion is another nasty surprise, ala Broadsword.)

And the height of TL-16 on Daria meant developement of the Star Trigger. (Causing a Star to go Nova.)

And they say Modern Science Fiction and Traveller have nothing in common.

 

[Flynn]

Isn't this world the homeworld of a rather xenophobic alien race? I may be misremembering, but that's the first thing that ran through my mind when I started reading this thread. Sadly, I don't have the PDF downloaded here at my new job... guess I'll put that on my to-do list.

Two more credits in the pile,
Flynn

 

[Flynn]

Correction: I checked and no, it is not the homeworld of any of the races in the Gateway Domain.

Hmmmm.... this could be fun,
Flynn

 

[vutpakdi]

Or, you just treat it as a typo and lower the tech level.

Ron

 

[RainOfSteel]

Originally posted by Ron Vutpakdi:
Or, you just treat it as a typo and lower the tech level.

Ron

I suppose that would fall under the same &#147typographical error&#148 that fell upon the other 84 worlds I&#146ve located (including many within the Imperium) that are TL-G. (Yes, I&#146m being darkly cynical and sarcastic there.)

I had this discussion over on the TML (probably wasn&#146t the first time) last year.

I was politely informed by several Great Old Ones, including LKW, that the old GEnie data upon which this was based was flawed and strictly non-canon (despite its widespread dissemination).

Since then, I learned that the Gateway to Destiny data isn&#146t based on GEnie data, but on information that appeared, IIRC, in MTJs; but in any event, I believe it was stated that the current 993 data was provided directly to QLI directly by Mark (which sort of marks it with the Imprimatur of Canon).

However, the database I have doesn&#146t exactly list sector-by-sector origins of the data. My data for the Gateway Domain sectors appears to be 90-95% identical (there are social and tech stats that are slightly different) to what appears in Gateway to Destiny.

It also lists Aluudi as TL-G.

Personally, I would think of it as real, officially, but would mark it down one level to TL-F in any campaign I ran for myself.


Hmm, it appears I didn&#146t quite arrive at my assertion in a sufficiently round-about manner. I&#146ll have to be more stealthy next time.

 

[Falkayn]

84 is not too many IMO ... the Imperium is VERY big after all, and given that the UWP is used as an indicator to visitors more than anything 'real' (in the Traveller universe that is) it could well be that a world gets tagged with TL-G/16 when they only one main export that reaches that level - simply because it is so unusually above the Imperium technical maximum.

However, in this case I am concentrating on understanding Amunkhan better, before I explain Aluudi. I have basically decided that Amunkhan was settled by Solomani colonists, who were fairly secular muslims from Egypt and Central Asia. They decided on naming the world in a competition, hence the mix of Amun (e.g. Amun-Ra) and Khan (e.g. Genghis Khan).

Sometime in the thousand years since then a situation resulted where the current non-charismatic dictatorship took power. They are more radical than the original colonists, but can't be bothered changing the world name to something less ... heretical. They're typical Solomani in that they pursue technological change with fervor, but at the same time very traditional (women still wear headscarves, etc.).

They are more friendly to the 3I than the Solomani, mainly because of religious tolerance issues (and the Solomani have that cross-shaped logo). The GTC appeals to them, but they have little to offer the GTC at this point in time (they'd rather trade with Stoner for the moment).

Amunkhan suspects that Stoner is supporting piracy and/or commerce raiding in an attempt to weaken neighbouring polities and promote their own power - a reaction to that was moving in on Aluudi to "Prevent sales of high technology weapons of mass destruction to Stoner." However, it looks like to be more mercenary than that, as they have tied up deals with the 3I to allow Aluudi trade with the 3I or specified Client states only.

Amunkhan has control of Aluudi space, but not much control of the ground ... the Stoners (with Solomani help) are attempting to incite resistance to Amunkhan 'rule', but the Aluudi don't much care as things haven't changed much for most of them. The 3I is officially "dismayed" at the move, but unofficially supports it - so long as TL-G Aluudi trade flows freely to the 3I and moves are made to become a Client state.

When things get sticky during the Merchant Cruiser adventure, the 3I's position changes because Imperial trade is being affected ...

 

[bookwyrm]

Overlords of Aluudi

Great Thread !!

I was first drawn to Auludi by the Tech-G, but became confused by the Govt-6. after looking around, I couldn't see any systems or governments close by that could be the Overlords of Aluudi. Did lots of thinking over a lot of time on this.

When you look at the history of the area, Aluudi was probably settled not too long before the Long Night. Needing a technological solution to thrive on the planet, and then a bunch of refugees from surrounding systems before the ships stopped flying, they probably ended up with an innovative & tough as nails society.

About 500-600 years into the Long Night, the Aluudians were finally able to Jump into nearby systems to find out what was going on. Did anyone survive besides us?

They probably started trading with nearby planets, and started to realize that their Tech was higher than their neighbors. Not only that, they started hearing rumors about the emerging Third Imperium. In order to protect their Technology and System, a few leaders in the Government embarked on a two part plan. The first part was to disguise their higher technology as lower tech in the short term, and the second part was to stage the conquering of Aluudi by a high tech power from somewhere else for the long term.

With their higher tech, the Overlords of Aluudi are able to keep outsiders from learning their secrets or stealing their military tech. Also, part of the plan was to keep most of the Aluudians ignorant of the deception, which adds another layer of protection to the Secret of the Overlords. Basically, everyone wonders who the Overlords are, but no one has gotten any clue as to who the Overlords are. And the Overlords have been pumping out misinformation to everyone to muddy the waters even more.

When you go forward in time to the Golden Age (year 1100?), it appears that the Overlords are gone and the Aluudians have self rule with a lower technology. The truth is that the Overlord Plan was so successful that now the whole population is in on the plan, and that Aluudi now has Tech-H disguised as Tech-E, outsiders have no clue, and Aluudi is safer now then it has ever been.