Gaming Glen
SOC-12
Due to the D&D GM not being able to make it to the game, and telling us about it after we're all at the house we play at, the other players decided to make (MGT) Traveller characters. Only one of the others have actually played the game back in the LBB days. Having only my copy of the book (I've been tossing it in my briefcase just in case of this event 
) they each took a turn at doing one term of service. I explained the "knowing of each others background" as a future event when the characters are all around the table trying not to drink themselves under it and bragging about their past exploits and mishap survivals. 
It was quite fun with the Life Events and Mishap tables.
Now, having decided to base their characters in a star cluster about 200 pc from Terra as part of a splinter group that migrated in 2200 AD from the then (400 years in the past for the characters) new "tyrant" (a senator proclaimed himself emperor of the new Terran Empire.. which was really a good thing, though that was not realized until years later, but I digress).
So I'm hurriedly modifying my future timeline and "Library Data", still have to generate worlds, and well, a whole lot of other things do do yet. But what intrigued me to write it first was "a deep dark secret" that one of the characters came across in his career. So, here it is (and it formed another secret)....
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Deep Dark Secret 1
For your eyes only! You may never know when a House member may be lurking nearby. Remember the motto: trust not the Houses or the walls built by them.
Many people have died knowing or even being suspected of knowing this information. Do not be another “accidental” death caused by the Houses. When the time is right, the Houses will be brought to justice.
A Truth about the Starflight of Freedom
The histories say that 10 colony ships set out with 500,000 colonists plus crew. Actually, 12 colony ships set out with 600,000 colonists plus crew. After two years, two of the colony ship’s crews opposed the other 10 crews of a planned activity and wished to return to Terran space. Those two colony ships were destroyed and 100,000 people were murdered in their sleep. Only the high ranking officers of the 10 colony ships knew of this action; but one anonymous captain recorded the incident secretly against the orders of the colony fleet leader.
That captain also recorded her opinions and explanations of the incident and related incidents that followed, such as the suspicious accident that killed an outspoken officer. The first part of her recordings is presented here:
“I humbly and sincerely apologize to my descendants for my going along with this evil plan. When it was first proposed at a meeting of the fleet captains by our fleet leader, Admiral Steele, six captains agreed, three including myself were undecided, and two others vehemently opposed it. After much arguing the two captains that opposed the proposal left to return to their own ships and the meeting was adjourned for the time being. An hour later they radioed that they were returning to Terra. Admiral Steele called us all back to another meeting and had us watch a view screen showing the two colony ships breaking formation. Two minutes later both ships blew up. Most of us were stunned. My thought was, ‘Did we leave one tyrant to follow another?’ Admiral Steele called for another vote on accepting the plan; we all agreed. I am so ashamed, but what else was I to do? I had the safety of shipmates and 50,000 sleeping colonists under my command to consider.”
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I ran out of steam to add more.. but I got time to fill it in if I think of more things.. now for secret 2 (which isn't so dark or deep). I also need to flesh out the "privileges" of high SOC in this system.
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Deep Dark Secret 2
Truths about the 10 noble houses
During the Starflight to Freedom voyage the crews of the colony ships formed a pact to make planned land grabs once a proper planet was found to place the colonists. Each crew had agreed to form a unified “family”, changing their last names to match something related to the name of their ship that they crewed. Those that did not join would join the colonists instead. Thus 10 “noble” families were being born holding the most prized lands of the new colony. The colonists would be the workers and peasants loosely tied to their respective crews. A similar agreement with the crews and colonists and been agreed upon at the start of the voyage, but both parties would have to agree to the land allocation given to the crew members and no such royalty would have been set up. After two years of travel and careful shepherding of the “sleepers”, the crews decided to take what they want first.
Another part of this pact was the set up of a codified hierarchy for each family to follow (a variant Social Standing). At certain levels within the hierarchy certain privileges would be given to individuals. Over time the levels and privileges have blurred, but some standards still remain.
Those with a Social Standing of 9 or less are not entitled to any privileges beyond those that any member of a noble house is always granted (i.e., preferences for positions within the house, temporary shelter by any family of the house, low interest loans from the house). Those with a Social Standing of 10 or more are considered “noble” and are given very specific privileges.
1. They are not to be killed but captured instead if at all possible; a ransom for their release will be paid based on their Social Standing. Those that decide to fight to their death are excepted, but proof of such is upon the killers. Usually those that offer surrender shall be given that option to do so and often their comrades that also surrender, no matter their ranking, are not killed as well but released at a later time (usually when the ransom is paid).
) they each took a turn at doing one term of service. I explained the "knowing of each others background" as a future event when the characters are all around the table trying not to drink themselves under it and bragging about their past exploits and mishap survivals. It was quite fun with the Life Events and Mishap tables.Now, having decided to base their characters in a star cluster about 200 pc from Terra as part of a splinter group that migrated in 2200 AD from the then (400 years in the past for the characters) new "tyrant" (a senator proclaimed himself emperor of the new Terran Empire.. which was really a good thing, though that was not realized until years later, but I digress).
So I'm hurriedly modifying my future timeline and "Library Data", still have to generate worlds, and well, a whole lot of other things do do yet. But what intrigued me to write it first was "a deep dark secret" that one of the characters came across in his career. So, here it is (and it formed another secret)....
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Deep Dark Secret 1
For your eyes only! You may never know when a House member may be lurking nearby. Remember the motto: trust not the Houses or the walls built by them.
Many people have died knowing or even being suspected of knowing this information. Do not be another “accidental” death caused by the Houses. When the time is right, the Houses will be brought to justice.
A Truth about the Starflight of Freedom
The histories say that 10 colony ships set out with 500,000 colonists plus crew. Actually, 12 colony ships set out with 600,000 colonists plus crew. After two years, two of the colony ship’s crews opposed the other 10 crews of a planned activity and wished to return to Terran space. Those two colony ships were destroyed and 100,000 people were murdered in their sleep. Only the high ranking officers of the 10 colony ships knew of this action; but one anonymous captain recorded the incident secretly against the orders of the colony fleet leader.
That captain also recorded her opinions and explanations of the incident and related incidents that followed, such as the suspicious accident that killed an outspoken officer. The first part of her recordings is presented here:
“I humbly and sincerely apologize to my descendants for my going along with this evil plan. When it was first proposed at a meeting of the fleet captains by our fleet leader, Admiral Steele, six captains agreed, three including myself were undecided, and two others vehemently opposed it. After much arguing the two captains that opposed the proposal left to return to their own ships and the meeting was adjourned for the time being. An hour later they radioed that they were returning to Terra. Admiral Steele called us all back to another meeting and had us watch a view screen showing the two colony ships breaking formation. Two minutes later both ships blew up. Most of us were stunned. My thought was, ‘Did we leave one tyrant to follow another?’ Admiral Steele called for another vote on accepting the plan; we all agreed. I am so ashamed, but what else was I to do? I had the safety of shipmates and 50,000 sleeping colonists under my command to consider.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I ran out of steam to add more.. but I got time to fill it in if I think of more things.. now for secret 2 (which isn't so dark or deep). I also need to flesh out the "privileges" of high SOC in this system.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deep Dark Secret 2
Truths about the 10 noble houses
During the Starflight to Freedom voyage the crews of the colony ships formed a pact to make planned land grabs once a proper planet was found to place the colonists. Each crew had agreed to form a unified “family”, changing their last names to match something related to the name of their ship that they crewed. Those that did not join would join the colonists instead. Thus 10 “noble” families were being born holding the most prized lands of the new colony. The colonists would be the workers and peasants loosely tied to their respective crews. A similar agreement with the crews and colonists and been agreed upon at the start of the voyage, but both parties would have to agree to the land allocation given to the crew members and no such royalty would have been set up. After two years of travel and careful shepherding of the “sleepers”, the crews decided to take what they want first.
Another part of this pact was the set up of a codified hierarchy for each family to follow (a variant Social Standing). At certain levels within the hierarchy certain privileges would be given to individuals. Over time the levels and privileges have blurred, but some standards still remain.
Those with a Social Standing of 9 or less are not entitled to any privileges beyond those that any member of a noble house is always granted (i.e., preferences for positions within the house, temporary shelter by any family of the house, low interest loans from the house). Those with a Social Standing of 10 or more are considered “noble” and are given very specific privileges.
1. They are not to be killed but captured instead if at all possible; a ransom for their release will be paid based on their Social Standing. Those that decide to fight to their death are excepted, but proof of such is upon the killers. Usually those that offer surrender shall be given that option to do so and often their comrades that also surrender, no matter their ranking, are not killed as well but released at a later time (usually when the ransom is paid).
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