Tionale (world)

Tionale/Vilis (Spinward Marches 1511) Milieu 1116 C674321-8 Starport C Routine: No Construction, Major Repair, Unrefined fuel Size 6 Medium (9,600 km, 0.60g - 0.81g) Atmosphere 7 Standard (tainted) Hydrographics 4 Wet World 40% Population 3 Low (9 thousand) Government 2 Participating Democracy Law 1 Low Law (no explosives, poison gas) Tech Level 8 Pre-Stellar (superconductors)
See also	UWP
style="width: 220px; height: 250px;" Jump map from Travellermap.com
System Details
Primary	M2 V M5 V
Worlds	11
Gas Giants	0
Planetoid Belts	1
Cultural Details
Government	Participating democracy
Law Level	Low
Cultural Extension	1114
Army Size (BEs)	0
Economic Details
Technology Level	8
Economic Extension	621-5 Resources 6 Few Labor 2 Low (900) Infrastructure 1 Extremely limited Efficiency -5 Extremely poor
Importance Extension	-2
Resource Units	6
GWP (BCr)	0
World Trade Number	2.5
Trade Volume (MCr/year)	0
Starport Details
Classification	Class-C
Port Size	0
Building Capacity (Tons)	0
Port employees	0
Port passengers (annual)	0

Tionale supports a population of fewer than 10,000 sophonts. This world is designated an Amber Zone with an environment, laws, customs, life forms, or other conditions make it dangerous to visitors. The world is tropical with a hot, though still habitable, climate at the upper limits of human comfort. It is a client state of Third Imperium in the Vilis Subsector of Spinward Marches Sector.

Astrography and planetology

Tionale is a member of the Spinward Main.

Tionale’s atmosphere contains a chemical taint which induces giddiness and loss of coordination and mental control in unprotected sophonts -- followed by unconsciousness and possibly even death if the exposure is prolonged. The residents accordingly live in structures provided with overpressure or filtration systems, and must wear individual protection when out of doors. Due to the dehumanizing appearance of traditional filter masks, most colonists prefer to use filter plugs inserted in the nostrils. Besides causing a marked (and often comical) alteration in one’s voice, users must be careful not to inhale through the mouth, even when speaking. By force of habit, long-time residents have no difficulty doing this, but the "drunken" antics of less-practiced offworlders provide an endless source of amusement for them. In 1101, a terraforming project began with the objective of reducing the atmospheric taint to non-irritant levels within 30 standard years. With funding provided in part by Imperial developmental grants, a large, fusion-powered air ‘scrubbing’ plant was constructed on the fringe of the colonized region.

Binary Solar System

Tionale Binary Star System

Star Name	Hierarchy	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temp (K)	Luminosity (Sol)
Tionale primary M2 V	Primary	Main Sequence		0.44	3470 - 3560	0.0565
	Unit	Diameter	Min Distance	Hab Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0021	0.0197	0.25 - 0.48	0.21	2.1
	Orbit #	*	*	1	0	4
Star Name	Hierarchy	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temp (K)	Luminosity (Sol)
Tionale companion M5 V	Secondary	Main Sequence		0.162	2930 - 3060	0.00171
	Unit	Diameter	Min Distance	Hab Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0009	0.0034	0.04 - 0.09	0.09	0.9
	Orbit #	*	*	*	*	3

IISS GURPS Astrographics Survey

1511 Tionale (Independent)

Starport: Class III.

Diameter: 6,050 miles (9,700 km).
Atmosphere: Standard oxygen-nitrogen tainted by airborne micro-organisms that can cause respiratory infection.
Hydrographics: 43%.
Climate: Cool.
Population: 2,200.
Government: Athenian-style democracy.
Control Level: 1.
Tech Level: 8.
World Trade Number: 2.5.

Native Sophont: Sixes

Tionale’s extensive, heavily-jungled outback is inhabited by little studied, six-limbed sophont known colloquially as the "Sixes" (on account of their six limbs). Theirs is a pastoral, TL–0 hunter-gatherer culture with no governmental institutions other than tribal warrior chieftains. Warfare and feuding are endemic among the ‘Sixes’, but their relations with the colonists had generally been peaceful until 1103, when the first in a series of escalating attacks on outlying farmsteads took place. The reason(s) for this hostility are unknown, since the 'Sixes' have never been subjected to meticulous scientific study and only the rudiments of their language (which includes dozens of regional variants) are understood. Even their numbers are impossible to judge with any precision, though given the size of their range and density in the vicinity of the colonized region, the planet-wide population must number in the millions.

Due to the growing frequency and intensity of Sixes attacks, the Travellers' Aid Society has classified Tionale as an Amber Zone. The colonists have been slow to respond to the mounting threat because they have no armed forces and are reluctant to create any due to the expense and the extremely limited size of the military-age population. Proposals to create a voluntary militia have been put forward and voted down in all of the popular assemblies held since late 1103. However, as attacks and casualties continue to rise, public opinion seems to be coming around to the view that the establishment of a militia is essential and inevitable. Most of the proposals that were defeated in the Popular Assembly foresaw a force of about 400 infantrymen equipped to TL–6 standards, no more than 200 of whom would be available at any given time. A small cadre of professional mercenaries would be hired to train the militia.

Sophont Profile

Overview: a bulky, oversized, upright, six-limbed sophont. They stand at about 2.5m tall, 0.5m wide, and 0.5m thick.

Native Terrain: +1 = Forest (jungle). Ecological Niche: Omnivore Hunter/Gatherer

Characteristics:

• 5D Strength
• 3D Grace (= half Dex)
• 3D Endurance
• 2D Intelligence
• 2D Education
• 2D Charisma

Non-standard Psionics:

• Initial Psi rating = Grace.
• Cannot learn or use Psi-Vision.

Size: 570 kg. "Oversized" sophont. 2 to 3 meters tall.

Body Form Profile (BFP) is a 5. Bulky, not unlike a hippo or bison.

Height: 2.5m, Width=0.5m, Depth=0.5m.

Gender: Neuter until Life Stage 2, then Solitaire (probably a Molting event).

Sixes propagate by "budding".

Typical lifespan: 110 years. Life Stages:

• 1/2 term
• 6 terms - they have a very long childhood...
• 1 term - ...and a fast adolescence
• 4 terms - and a generous young adulthood
• 2 terms
• 2 terms - physical aging begins
• 3 terms
• 6 terms. "second childhood"
• 2 terms
• 1 term "senescence" - mental aging begins

Senses:

• Vision-10 (low): NAC vision (All infrared bands; no RGB)
• Hearing-16
• Smell-16
• Touch-22 (high)

Language Medium: Verbal language.

Body Structure: Bilateral symmetry, Brain in Head, but Senses in Torso.

HB-TS-LL-LN-N. No tail. Two pair of limbs in the front, one pair in the rear.

Rear legs means Sixes stand vertical.

Body Features:

• Segmented shell.
• Hairy pelt (these could support a Tundric world theory).
• Stinger.
• "Hands" of some kind. E.G. fingers with opposability.

No special abilities.

History and background

Tionale is an Imperial Client system perched at the coreward end of the Vilis Subsector. Due to its tainted atmosphere and lack of readily-exploitable resources, the planet was settled much later than most of its neighbors. Indeed, it was only in 1088 that 3,000 colonists -- mostly drawn from Regina (Spinward Marches 1910) -- first took up residence on Tionale.

World Starport

Tionale has a Class C Starport, an average quality installation which includes amenities including unrefined fuel for starships, some brokerage services for passengers and cargo, and a variety of ship provisions. There is a shipyard capable of doing maintenance and other kinds of repair. Ports of this classification generally have only a downport, unless this is a trade port or system with an hostile environment mainworld.

D’unsin Starport, which was upgraded from D to C-class in 1096 (including the construction of a Highport) with Imperial financial and technical assistance, is the real linchipin of the planetary economy. It has become a key stopping place for merchants plying the Spinward Main, and Tionale’s low law level, autonomous status, and location directly between the Imperium and the Demilitarized Independent Region (DIR) have also made it a haven for smugglers and corsairs. Indeed, starport personnel are famous for their willingness to ignore suspicious cargoes and overlook inconsistencies in ships’ papers. The starport’s repair yards are kept very busy and it is not unusual for all thirteen dirtside and five orbital repair bays (for ships of up to 1,000 tons) to be in use at any given time, necessitating a wait of several weeks by prospective customers. The starport is operated by the governing Council, so there is no extrality zone.

World Government

Tionale is governed by a Participatory Democracy where eligible voters determine laws and policy. What determines an eligible voter varies. There may be smaller councils or regional bodies to write the policies voted on. Leadership of the government and all members of the bureaucracy are determined by voting population.

The planetary government is a participatory democracy embracing all citizens aged 25 or greater. All major policy decisions are made by direct vote in popular assemblies held at D’unsin four times a year. Since at least 70% of the electorate is typically in attendance, all other activity grinds to a halt on such occasions. Day-to-day governance is handled by a Council whose nine members are elected and removed by a simple majority vote. Its functions are limited to managing the starport, operating modest public utilities and health facilities, and collecting minimal taxes. Since crime is rare outside of D’unsin Starport, there are barely a dozen law enforcement officers on Tionale. Crime among visiting ship crews is generally seen as an affair to be settled by the offworlders themselves and will rarely draw official attention unless it threatens Tionalean citizens or their property.

World Law Level

The Imperial authorities are distressed that their investments seem to have abetted Tionale’s lawlessness, but are reluctant to take action because any appearance of extending Imperial power towards the neutral systems of the DIR would be certain to inflame tensions with the Zhodani Consulate. In an effort to ease that concern the government sought a short term loan and hired a mercenary regiment from the Sword Worlds to intervene. The Hammers Slammers landed in 1103 to provide immediate relief to the starport against the Sixes insurgency.

World Military

One company of lift infantry. The company is a militia force which has received training from a Sword Worlder mercenary regiment. The Hammer's Slammers has placed a platoon sized training cadre on Tionale. The cadre as of 1103 was present officially as advisors only. As part of the contract, the bulk of the mercenary regiment not involved in the training have use of a cleared area near the starport for use in rest and refitting operations. Imperial interests in the system felt that using SW mercenaries would calm any Zhodani fears of Imperial encroachment.

Tionale Militia Forces are lead by Brigadier Braznon Shelmer. Shelmer is the son of Cameron Shelmer who is the CFO for the Tionale Starport Consortium. The training and equipping of volunteers has been a slow process and the typical citizen of Tionale shows little interest in military matters. Cameron Shelmer on the other hand seems to believe the trouble with the Sixes has been fanned by hostile forces in an effort to ruin the successful settlement of this planet.

World Economy

Most Tionaleans are employed in agriculture on family farms and plantations scattered across the planet’s small inhabited region. There are no true export crops per se, but much of Tionale’s food production is funneled to D’unsin to feed starport personnel and visiting starship crews. Other than some very small-scale manufacture of spare automotive and agricultural machinery parts, industry is virtually non-existent. Transportation is limited to alcohol-fueled ground cars and trucks (there are no commercially viable petroleum deposits on Tionale and none at all within 200 kilometers of D’unsin), and a handful of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft used for crop-dusting.

World Demographics

The population currently stands at about 8,800, including starport personnel. D’unsin Starport, which is also the only town on the planet, is home to about a quarter of the population, and the rest all reside within 20 kilometers of it.

History-Era: Milieu 1120

In 1115, Marson's Mobile Rifles attempted to conquer Tionale, but failed. By 1120 Tionale was a Non-Aligned system and the travel advisory had been lifted.

References

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.

• Marc Miller. The Spinward Marches (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 14-15.
• Loren Wiseman. "Amber Zone: Soft Bunk." Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 09 (1981): 28-29.
• Marc Miller. The Spinward Marches Campaign (Game Designers Workshop, 1985), 18-19.
• Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 94-100. (UWP only)
• Rob Caswell. "Domain of Deneb: Sector Data." MegaTraveller Journal 3 (1992): 47-58. (UWP only)
• Dave Nilsen. The Regency Sourcebook (Game Designers Workshop, 1995), 40-41. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 66.
• Hans Rancke-Madsen. "Worlds Within Jump-6 of Regina", JTAS Online (July 18, 2006)
• Mike West. The Spinward States (Avenger Enterprises, 2008), 100. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), .
• Martin Dougherty. Behind the Claw (Mongoose Publishing, 2019), 61-66. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty. Showing the Sunburst (Mongoose Publishing, 2019), 12.