Amber Chancer
SOC-12
The discussions on this site have prompted me to consider gaming a sector other than the Spinward Marches.
I've looked at the three sectors immediately to Spinward of the Spinward Marches, where there are human client states and Zhodani, but they lack the element of "two big powers facing up to one another" which is a required element for the "Great Game" themes which I like to introduce into my games.
The sector immediately to Rimward of the Spinward Marches looks interesting - I wonder how the Imperium feels about those Aslan Colonies, and whether they are desperately trying to stop their expansion. The prospect of their being somewhat lower tech, and supplied only with such tech as can cross the J-5 route, creates some interesting possibilities. But, with a fair amount of canon material in existence for the Spinward Marches, the Beyond, and (I presume) the Reft Sector, I suspect there is too great a danger of experienced players coming to the games with presumptions and attitudes which do not fit my milieu.
And so my eye fell upon the sector immediately to Coreward of the Dark Nebula sector. This looks very promising indeed. It is bounded by the Imperium, the Aslan Hierate and the Solomani Sphere, all of which doubtless view the others' intentions and actions in the sector with suspicion and maybe even alarm. It has four independent groupings of worlds and a lot of "empty space" in which worlds are inpendent but not necessarily non-aligned, and in which trade, intrigue and military action will all occur ... in short, it looks as though it is ideal.
I don't know if there is any canon material on the Dark Nebula sector. If there is, then it will have to make way for my alternative material to fit my milieu.
I shall play my campaigns at the time of the Fifth Frontier War, when a large part of the Imperial Fleet has been withdrawn as replacements for other squadrons and flotillas which have been sent to fight against the Zhodani and Vargr. This means that the Imperium is currently over-extended and cannot produce the force to back up all its commitments. That is to say, the balance of power has been unsettled, although to what effect is unclear. In order to keep up some pretence of a committed Imperial presence, though, the Imperium is increasing its Scout presence and activities; and many Scouts approaching retirement are finding themselves offered detached duty in the sector - especially if they have expressed an interest in venturing beyond the Imperial frontier.
With the withdrawal fo Imperial naval units, the Solomani (also at TL 15) find themselves in the ascendant in terms of influence in the Rim-Trailing corner of the sector - but although the local magnates see the withdrawal of Imperial forces as an important opportunity to extend their influence, at higher levels the sector is regarded as a side show and so the available forces, again, are seldom what is required to enable the local commanders to do all they would like.
I do not know what TL the Aslan Hierate exists at according to canon. The J-5 route implies a minimum of 14; and this is where I am keeping them in order for technological variety. They are naturally concerned and alarmed at Imperial expansion into this sector and so they are anxious to use this period of Imperial weakness to consolidate and extend their influence.
The four smaller states within the sector I have identified as follows.
In the Rim-Trailing corner of the sector is the Human Free Trade Federation - a fiercely independent federation of worlds where Imperial and Solomani traders are welcome ... as are Aslan traders ... but not their warships. It is a rich federation and both the Imperium and the Solomani would love to annex it (both as a flanking movement on the other, and to avoid being outflanked themselves) - but neither is willing to allow the other to do so. The Federation owes its continuing independence to this stand-off. The highest TL in the HFTF is 14.
In the centre of the sector, to Core-Spinward of the HFTF and directly Spinward of the Spinward limit of the Impeium in this sector is the Denbarric Empire. This is an Imperial client state which the Imperium sees as an important buffer against the threat of Aslan hostility. The Imperium therefore supplies considerable mmilitary and technical assistance to the Denbarric Empire in the form of obsolete and worn-out equipment for which Denbar is prepared to pay considerably more than scrap value - as well as happily paying Imperial ship yards to refurbish it and keep it running (a win-win situation for the Imperium!) so although the Denbarric Empire is technically a TL13 state, about half of its navy is made up of ex-Imperial TL14 ships. As with the American flush-deck destroyers sold to Britain in WWII, however, these are frequently the ships which it was expedient for the Imperium to send them, rather than necessarily being the ships which they ideally needed.
Although the Imperium views the Denbarric Empire as an ally, its merchants and traders do not quite see it in the same light. Both the Imperium and the Denbarric Empire have a number of large trading organisations which have considerable presences in the coreward most subsectors of the sector, with not only extensive merchant fleets but also private fighting fleets to protect them, as well as ground presences on many worlds (think East India Company or Hudson's Bay Company or Hanseatic League here ... ) and there have been a number of clashes between these as they struggle to expand their influence and profits. These small, private trade wars to the Coreward of the sector have provided opportunities aplenty for the mercenary; not to mention the attractive prospect for pirates of being able to sieze the booty, and pass the blame on to somebody else ...
In the Rim-Spinward corner of the sector, and spilling over into the Dark Nebula sector (of which I have had to generate two subsectors to accommodate it) is the Kingdom of Balfur, an Aslan military kingdom with a single overall monarch. The Kingdom of Balfur has a highest TL of 14 and takes what it wants, when it wants it. Its general attitude is that you are entitled to take possession of anything which you find in space, and once you bring it safely to your home world it is yours. This attitude extends to "things" which are found in the holds of other space ships, and even the ships themselves ... if you are able to prise them out of the hands of those who already have them, that is! The Balfurrian Navy is an essentially defensive force intended to protect internal commerce - but Balfurrian trading ships are heavily armed and are generally viewed as pirates by most other traders in the sector. Those Imperial traders who venture beyond the Imperial frontier in this sector have long been agitating for a punitive expedition against Balfur; but fears that it would be politically misconstrued (and probably deliberately so) by the Solomani have led to a deep reluctance on the part of the Imperium to act. Moreover, now that the fleet has been weakened because of the Fifth Frontier War, it is questionable whether the necessary resources are available in any event.
The Denbarric Empire feels no such qualms about tackling Balfurrian piracy, however. Denbar lacks the resources to mount an all-out punitive mission half a sector away; but the standing orders for its navy on encountering Balfurrian vessels are "disable their offensive weaponry first - THEN talk to them".
Finally, the Spinward-most of the smaller states is the Kesselwar Union - a free association of independent Aslan worlds, with a Union navy which is funded by a per-head levy on all worlds of the Union. The highest TL in the Union is 13.
The Aslan Hierate views the Kingdom of Balfur and the Kesselwar Union much as the Imperium views the Denbarric Empire - as a useful buffer against human expansionist aggression, which will help to keep their own worlds off the front line and which do not have to be defended by the commitment of Hierate forces unless it suits the Hierate to do so. Relations with both are generally cordial; and for the most part, Balfurrian traders understand and accept that Hierate merchants are off-limits (or else ... !). However, if there are no witnesses, who is to say if a small Hierate ship was taken out by the Balfurrians or suffered an unfortunate misjump?
The non-aligned worlds of the sector (and there are many) do not include any with a TL in excess of 12. And right slap bang in the middle of the sector is the Four Wentways Subsector, where I am minded to set most of my adventures ... with all four of the HFTF, the Denbarric Empire, the Balfurrians and the Kesselwari being present, and the Imperium, the Solomani and the Aslan Hierate all lurking in the background even if not playing a major role.
Subsectors are as follows:
Hesperidian - Sentis - Pessenid - Fervens
Kesselwar - Denbar - Tappic - Kalfur
Tingrid - Four Wentways - Junis - Fisfis
Balfur - The 37 Worlds - Dundar - Erlix
Any comments or suggestions on this milieu gratefully received.
I've looked at the three sectors immediately to Spinward of the Spinward Marches, where there are human client states and Zhodani, but they lack the element of "two big powers facing up to one another" which is a required element for the "Great Game" themes which I like to introduce into my games.
The sector immediately to Rimward of the Spinward Marches looks interesting - I wonder how the Imperium feels about those Aslan Colonies, and whether they are desperately trying to stop their expansion. The prospect of their being somewhat lower tech, and supplied only with such tech as can cross the J-5 route, creates some interesting possibilities. But, with a fair amount of canon material in existence for the Spinward Marches, the Beyond, and (I presume) the Reft Sector, I suspect there is too great a danger of experienced players coming to the games with presumptions and attitudes which do not fit my milieu.
And so my eye fell upon the sector immediately to Coreward of the Dark Nebula sector. This looks very promising indeed. It is bounded by the Imperium, the Aslan Hierate and the Solomani Sphere, all of which doubtless view the others' intentions and actions in the sector with suspicion and maybe even alarm. It has four independent groupings of worlds and a lot of "empty space" in which worlds are inpendent but not necessarily non-aligned, and in which trade, intrigue and military action will all occur ... in short, it looks as though it is ideal.
I don't know if there is any canon material on the Dark Nebula sector. If there is, then it will have to make way for my alternative material to fit my milieu.
I shall play my campaigns at the time of the Fifth Frontier War, when a large part of the Imperial Fleet has been withdrawn as replacements for other squadrons and flotillas which have been sent to fight against the Zhodani and Vargr. This means that the Imperium is currently over-extended and cannot produce the force to back up all its commitments. That is to say, the balance of power has been unsettled, although to what effect is unclear. In order to keep up some pretence of a committed Imperial presence, though, the Imperium is increasing its Scout presence and activities; and many Scouts approaching retirement are finding themselves offered detached duty in the sector - especially if they have expressed an interest in venturing beyond the Imperial frontier.
With the withdrawal fo Imperial naval units, the Solomani (also at TL 15) find themselves in the ascendant in terms of influence in the Rim-Trailing corner of the sector - but although the local magnates see the withdrawal of Imperial forces as an important opportunity to extend their influence, at higher levels the sector is regarded as a side show and so the available forces, again, are seldom what is required to enable the local commanders to do all they would like.
I do not know what TL the Aslan Hierate exists at according to canon. The J-5 route implies a minimum of 14; and this is where I am keeping them in order for technological variety. They are naturally concerned and alarmed at Imperial expansion into this sector and so they are anxious to use this period of Imperial weakness to consolidate and extend their influence.
The four smaller states within the sector I have identified as follows.
In the Rim-Trailing corner of the sector is the Human Free Trade Federation - a fiercely independent federation of worlds where Imperial and Solomani traders are welcome ... as are Aslan traders ... but not their warships. It is a rich federation and both the Imperium and the Solomani would love to annex it (both as a flanking movement on the other, and to avoid being outflanked themselves) - but neither is willing to allow the other to do so. The Federation owes its continuing independence to this stand-off. The highest TL in the HFTF is 14.
In the centre of the sector, to Core-Spinward of the HFTF and directly Spinward of the Spinward limit of the Impeium in this sector is the Denbarric Empire. This is an Imperial client state which the Imperium sees as an important buffer against the threat of Aslan hostility. The Imperium therefore supplies considerable mmilitary and technical assistance to the Denbarric Empire in the form of obsolete and worn-out equipment for which Denbar is prepared to pay considerably more than scrap value - as well as happily paying Imperial ship yards to refurbish it and keep it running (a win-win situation for the Imperium!) so although the Denbarric Empire is technically a TL13 state, about half of its navy is made up of ex-Imperial TL14 ships. As with the American flush-deck destroyers sold to Britain in WWII, however, these are frequently the ships which it was expedient for the Imperium to send them, rather than necessarily being the ships which they ideally needed.
Although the Imperium views the Denbarric Empire as an ally, its merchants and traders do not quite see it in the same light. Both the Imperium and the Denbarric Empire have a number of large trading organisations which have considerable presences in the coreward most subsectors of the sector, with not only extensive merchant fleets but also private fighting fleets to protect them, as well as ground presences on many worlds (think East India Company or Hudson's Bay Company or Hanseatic League here ... ) and there have been a number of clashes between these as they struggle to expand their influence and profits. These small, private trade wars to the Coreward of the sector have provided opportunities aplenty for the mercenary; not to mention the attractive prospect for pirates of being able to sieze the booty, and pass the blame on to somebody else ...
In the Rim-Spinward corner of the sector, and spilling over into the Dark Nebula sector (of which I have had to generate two subsectors to accommodate it) is the Kingdom of Balfur, an Aslan military kingdom with a single overall monarch. The Kingdom of Balfur has a highest TL of 14 and takes what it wants, when it wants it. Its general attitude is that you are entitled to take possession of anything which you find in space, and once you bring it safely to your home world it is yours. This attitude extends to "things" which are found in the holds of other space ships, and even the ships themselves ... if you are able to prise them out of the hands of those who already have them, that is! The Balfurrian Navy is an essentially defensive force intended to protect internal commerce - but Balfurrian trading ships are heavily armed and are generally viewed as pirates by most other traders in the sector. Those Imperial traders who venture beyond the Imperial frontier in this sector have long been agitating for a punitive expedition against Balfur; but fears that it would be politically misconstrued (and probably deliberately so) by the Solomani have led to a deep reluctance on the part of the Imperium to act. Moreover, now that the fleet has been weakened because of the Fifth Frontier War, it is questionable whether the necessary resources are available in any event.
The Denbarric Empire feels no such qualms about tackling Balfurrian piracy, however. Denbar lacks the resources to mount an all-out punitive mission half a sector away; but the standing orders for its navy on encountering Balfurrian vessels are "disable their offensive weaponry first - THEN talk to them".
Finally, the Spinward-most of the smaller states is the Kesselwar Union - a free association of independent Aslan worlds, with a Union navy which is funded by a per-head levy on all worlds of the Union. The highest TL in the Union is 13.
The Aslan Hierate views the Kingdom of Balfur and the Kesselwar Union much as the Imperium views the Denbarric Empire - as a useful buffer against human expansionist aggression, which will help to keep their own worlds off the front line and which do not have to be defended by the commitment of Hierate forces unless it suits the Hierate to do so. Relations with both are generally cordial; and for the most part, Balfurrian traders understand and accept that Hierate merchants are off-limits (or else ... !). However, if there are no witnesses, who is to say if a small Hierate ship was taken out by the Balfurrians or suffered an unfortunate misjump?
The non-aligned worlds of the sector (and there are many) do not include any with a TL in excess of 12. And right slap bang in the middle of the sector is the Four Wentways Subsector, where I am minded to set most of my adventures ... with all four of the HFTF, the Denbarric Empire, the Balfurrians and the Kesselwari being present, and the Imperium, the Solomani and the Aslan Hierate all lurking in the background even if not playing a major role.
Subsectors are as follows:
Hesperidian - Sentis - Pessenid - Fervens
Kesselwar - Denbar - Tappic - Kalfur
Tingrid - Four Wentways - Junis - Fisfis
Balfur - The 37 Worlds - Dundar - Erlix
Any comments or suggestions on this milieu gratefully received.
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