Campaign:SBRD/Library/Ashima (world)
Ashima (Db 0126)/Zhemi_Subsector/Daibei_Sector
(Note: This article is about the SBRD campaign setting in the year 3731 AD, during the Long Night.)
Ashima (Db 0126) B759984-B Na In N - 201 17 X8 M1 V M7 V Cold
Size: 11200 km (7), Atmo: Thin, Hydro: 90%, Climate: Cold
Pop: 2 B, Civil Service Bureaucracy, LL: 4, TL: B
Star(s): M1 V M7 V, 7 Worlds, 0 Belts, 1 GGs, Orbit 2
Delphi Union, Naval Base
Ashima was one of the earliest new colonies launched in this region during the Rule of Man, drawing eager colonists from both Terra and the nearby Vilani worlds. Originally a mining colony, it was soon discovered that the planet had a valuable resource in exotic chemicals in the ocean water, and various methods of extracting those chemicals were developed. As its population grew, so did on-planet industry. Ashima still exports its special minerals from the sea, but is also a large importer of raw materials for its industrial production.
The people of Ashima live in a variety of habitats, including land-based arcologies, underwater arcologies, shallow-water cities built on pillars, and floating towns. Most vehicles are grav-powered and designed to work as well underwater as in the air. Actual seagoing boats are mostly recreational. The Cold climate zone of the planet results in heavy icecaps at both poles and often extending quite far toward the equator in winter. The government maintains designated openings through the ice with a fleet of vehicles armed with plasma guns. The Starport is built on pillars in a shallow-water area near the equator, where ice is less likely to be a hazard to water travel.
Conditions/Environment[edit]
Ashima has a thin atmosphere and extensive hydrosphere (90%), plus orbital eccentricity and axial tilt similar to those of Terra, giving it a potentially very Earthlike climate, but its two suns are too small and dim to provide the necessary radiation and instead has a Cold climate, moderated slightly by seasonal variations. The icecaps of Ashima reach down below 60 degrees latitude in both northern and southern hemispheres, extending further tens or hundreds of miles in winter and retracting slightly in summer, when calving at the icecap edges litters the seas with icebergs.
Starport and Transport Infrastructure[edit]
Ashima's Class B starport is composed of both highport and downport elements, known as Skyside and Oceanside respectively. Both ports have reasonable repair and maintenance facilities at TL 11, although most extensive work should be done at Skyside with its orbital repair yards and greater available docking space. Oceanside has both refined and unrefined fuel available, but due to the expense of hauling the fuel up from the planet, only refined fuel is available at Skyside. The Oceanside facility is built on heavy pillars in shallow water near the equator where drifting ice is less of a problem.
Most transportation on planet is by grav vehicles of various sizes, although some heavy or bulky cargoes are transported in large seagoing ships that are capable of submersion to dock with undersea facilities or to avoid hazardous weather on the ocean surface. Most grav vehicles in use on Ashima are adapted to be fully capable of underwater operation to reasonable depths, and larger vehicles commonly include airlocks and even subsidiary vehicles.
History[edit]
Ashima was colonized in xxxx, one of the earliest new colonies launched in this region during the Rule of Man, drawing eager colonists from both Terra and the nearby Vilani worlds. Originally a mining colony, it was soon discovered that the planet had a valuable resource in exotic chemicals in the ocean water, and various methods of extracting those chemicals were developed. As its population grew, so did on-planet industry. Ashima still exports its special minerals from the sea, but is also a large importer of raw materials for its industrial production.
For much of the Twilight period, Ashima was a solid member of the Imperial Realm of Daibei, remaining loyal to the Rule of Man and hoping for the return of a central government with associated stability in interstellar relations. After the Second Twilight War, when the Grand Republic of Warinir was able to force a cease-fire settlement allowing it to keep all of its gains from the war, Ashima decided to go its own way and seceded from the Imperial Realm, although it remained an ally for most purposes.
Recently, in xxxx, Ashima joined with Delphi in forming the Delphi Union.
Population and Government[edit]
The two billion people of Ashima live in a variety of habitats, including land-based arcologies, underwater arcologies, shallow-water cities built on pillars, and floating towns. Another 200,000 or so live in various habitats in orbit of the mainworld or elsewhere in the system. In addition to the Human population, Ashima has approximately 50,000 Bwaps, almost all living on the mainworld. Although they find the outdoor cold uncomfortable, the Bwaps are quite happy conditioning any indoor habitat to the level of warmth and humidity that they enjoy.
The government is a civil service bureaucracy, in which citizens wanting to work for the government take aptitude test for admission at entry-level positions and then work their way up to greater responsibilities. The government is not regarded by most citizens as anything special, just another big business whose job happens to be making sure that everything else runs correctly.
Due to its location at the edge of the Deep, Ashima has suffered more than its share of Reaver attacks over the centuries, and has responded by building a strong Space Force with defensive installations, System Defense Boats, and a reasonable expeditionary force for taking the fight to the enemy as necessary. The expeditionary forces include both naval warships, assault ships, and marines. Since the formation of the Delphi Union (see below under Offworld Connections), the Ashima Space Force has been administratively combined with the Delphi Union Navy for coordinated efforts.
Economy/Imports/Exports/Trade[edit]
With its large amounts of heavy industry, Ashima is a great importer of industrial raw materials, and exporter of finished goods.
Ashima also has Special Minerals available for export, at a trade price modifier of -1 rather than the usual +1 for an Industrial world.
Offworld Connections[edit]
Ashima is one of the two controlling partners of the Delphi Union; Delphi is the other. The remaining members of the Union are treated as colonies, controlled by the Union Council which is divided between Ashima and Delphi.
As a member of the Union, Ashima is quite happy about the recent joinder of Nexus, allowing Ashima better and cheaper access to the resources and markets of Reavers' Deep.
People and Customs[edit]
Biology/Wildlife[edit]
Ashima may have experienced the beginning of a terraforming project by the Ancients, as its seas are full of chlorophyllic algae that produce a breathable oxygen atmosphere and the bottom rung of a food chain capable of supporting Terran-imported sealife, but there is little native sealife more advanced than plankton and coral. The remainder of the Ashima biosphere is all imported from Terra and elsewhere.
Planetary Map[edit]
System Astrography[edit]
Important NPCs[edit]
Player Notes (Past Involvement Here, etc)[edit]
| This article is specific to the SBRD Reavers' Deep Campaign, which is set during the Long Night, beginning in year 3731 AD (-787 Imperial). This information may not be correct for the typical Traveller campaign set during the time of the Third Imperium. |