Galaxiad

The Galaxiad is a Traveller campaign setting, being developed by FFE. It is set 800 years after the Golden Age of the Third Imperium (year 1902 by the Imperial calendar).

History & Background (Dossier)

It Started Before the Wave. Of course, the Ancients knew about the Wave long before it hit Charted Space. They watched the Vilani and Geonee develop their jump drives, and took time to study these sophonts before the Wave showed up. They even used sophonts to do some targeted surveys of parts of the galaxy; they shot them near and far, on colonial-exploration missions.

Essentially: go to that bright star, which by the way is a quarter of the galaxy distant. Check it out and report back in 11,000 years (i.e. after the Wave has already passed by.)

The Scout Service

You think it's a coincidence that the Vilani (and the Imperium afterward) maintained an official Scout Service and established scout bases all across their empires?

The Vilani have always supported a Scout Service. Is there a reason why? Were they also scouting ahead for the same reasons the Ancients did?

The halo of sparse settlement and Jump-possessing societies around Charted Space is *enormous*, and a lot of it is apparently Vilani in origin or cause. While half of the modern era of jump drive has been limited to Jump-1, that looks to be much less of an impediment than originally thought. Vilani, whether on purpose or by accident, are halfway to the core, possibly *beyond* the core, 90 degrees around the galactic disk to trailing, and selling drives to multiple races years away along the Great Rift. So...how and when?

This also feeds into the Far Flung Vilani Colonies, as well as the anomalies and segments of the galaxy mentioned in Agent as well as T5 (Book 3 page 9). The Vilani missions eventually seed colonies, ex-pats, castaways, and war factories all over the galaxy. Many of them never report back, but enough do to feed Vland's desire to keep the whole affair secret. The upshot is that certain elements of the Vilani have been working with the Ancients for thousands of years, and have known about both the Waves and the Black Ships the whole time.

Why This Matters

Portions of the Galaxiad form the Introduction to the setting. This data equips us with enough background data to enjoy said setting.

In order to make revelations of the setting fun, the "known secrets" have to be presented before the setting is introduced -- if possible.

For example, one of those is already circulating, and that's the black fleets, courtesy Agent of the Imperium and its associated short story, The Red Node.

What's Next?

Then there are items that fall after the setting has been inaugurated.

Then Pace

Introduce other elements mentioned but apparently upcoming, such as:

1. Hop Drive
2. Abyssals
3. Denizens
4. Core Sophonts
5. Core Expedition
6. Anomaly One
7. Essaray
8. The Barren Arm
9. Dushis Khurisi and other far-flung Vilani colonies

Brief Timeline to 1902

From about 1120 through 1450, Charted Space undergoes disruptive change from the Wave. Populations are cut in half, with the surviving portion insane or picking up the pieces. Colonies are abandoned, and worlds with inhospitable environments eventually fail. These dieback worlds become resources for scavengers.

The Vargr and Zhodani worlds are hit first. While the Zhodani have an orderly plan for accommodating depopulation, the chaotic Vargr prove resilient. After about a century their worlds recover and repopulate, and an ever growing wave of corsair fleets follow the Wave closely for easy pickings. Defenseless worlds and dieback worlds both prove rich supplies of manpower and resources. As the Wave progresses through Human space, those ships which Jump the Wave find a slippery slope to privateering and outright piracy as interstellar law is paused.

In the midst of this chaos are occasional worlds which have favorable climates and a stable technological infrastructure. These worlds, typically able to field a colonial navy of some sort, can keep themselves alive and safe. Many of these worlds become Strong Worlds.

Largely, systems keep resources for themselves, and do not profit from long-term development of neighboring systems. However, half of the sectors of Human space become the homes of an emerging pocket empire. By year 1900, a handful of these empires have taken root, separated from one another by 50 or more parsecs. These empires set the stage for the Galaxiad.

• (1300): The beginning of The Collapse, a period of chaos and upheaval.
• (1310): Both the Regency and the Fourth Imperium are officially considered dead.
• (14??): Regina reaches TL-16, but the achievement is short-lived.
• (1500): The end of The Collapse.
• (1508): The Foreven War. Regina is EMP'ed.
• (1537): Mora formally claims neighboring worlds for the Duchy of Mora.
• (1648): The Republic of Regina is formed, with three Strong Worlds forming its core.
• (1780): The beginning of the False Spring in the Spinward Marches.
• (1839): Magash forces the creation of the Limmu Bukara.
• (1850): Regina re-achieves TL-16.
• (1902): Regina achieves TL-17.

Galaxiad Holovid Experience Seasons

1. First Transmission
2. Horde
3. Ten Thousand Parsecs
4. Beyond the Barren Worlds
5. Secret of the Essaray
6. Dashus Khurisi
7. Far Side
8. Irreality
9. Kursae
10. Last Transmission

See Also (Public)

1. Abyssal
2. Akishir Kapashu
3. The Barren Arm
4. Black Ships
5. Core Sophont
6. Denizen
7. Dushis Khurisi
8. Essaray
9. Hieronymous Device
10. Hydrogen Society
11. Kursae
12. Orion Spur
13. Persus Arm
14. Republic of Regina
15. Sharik's Guide to Sophonts in the Republic of Regina
16. SRAL
17. Strong World

References & Contributors (Sources)

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This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Author & Contributor: Robert Eaglestone
• Author & Contributor: Jim Kundert