Caractacalla (world)

Caractacalla/Taemerlyk (Far Frontiers 2422)
Classic Era (1116)	A793AC9-C Starport A Excellent: Starship Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel Size 7 Medium (11,200 km, 0.70g - 0.94g) Atmosphere 9 Dense (tainted) Hydrographics 3 Wet World 30% Population A High (10 billion) Government C Charismatic Oligarchy Law 9 High Law (no weapons out of home) Tech Level C Average Stellar (robots)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	G6 V
Planetoid Belts	0
Gas Giants	3

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Jump map from Travellermap.com

Caractacalla is a high-population, industrial world with a billion or more sophonts in population size.

• As an industrial world, this planet has well-developed manufacturing and processing industries. Manufactured goods are a major export item.
• Its economy is rapidly growing and living conditions are expected to rapidly improve barring outside forces.
• It is a member of The Protectorate in the Taemerlyk Subsector of Far Frontiers Sector.

• This is a "high technology" world with technology achievements at, near, or above the standard for Charted Space.
• This world is also the overall capital of an interstellar government with the massive extra trade and prestige associated with that role.
• This is a "Puzzle" world designated as an Amber Zone. Caution is advised since the world has an environment, laws, customs, life forms, or other conditions that are not well understood and might be a danger to a visitor.
• This world-system has a Naval Base, usually associated with military starships, which may be located on or off-world.
• This world has a Protectorate Way Station.
• It is a member of the Caractacalla Scatters.

Description (Astrography & Planetology)

Stellar Data

Caractacalla has a solitary primary star named Sketola.

• It is a yellow main sequence.
• As with many celestial bodies in this part of Far Frontiers, Sketola is named for a member world of the old Interstellar Confederacy in Core Sector, from whom early ex-Imperial colonists in the region were descended.

Caractacalla has a solitary primary star.

Sketola
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	G6 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		0.97	5550 - 5600	0.89888
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0088	0.0786	0.91 - 1.61	0.88	8.8
	Orbit #	*	*	3	3	7
	Remarks		None

System Data

The worlds of the system have been surveyed. They consist of:

• The mainworld.
• x10 secondary rocky worlds.
  • The frozen planetoid Titus is the location of the Protectorate's Internal Security Force headquarters.
• x3 gas giants.

Mainworld Data

Mainworld Size (S)

Caractacalla is a Meso World between 10,400km and 12,000km in diameter. The world has a standard gravity between 0.7G and 0.9G. The horizon will appear about 4.7km away.

Mainworld Atmosphere (A)

Caractacalla has a pressure of 1.50 to 2.49 atmospheres. While a Dense Atmosphere requires no survival gear this atmosphere also contains an unusual taint such as disease, a hazardous gas mix, pollutants, or sulfur compounds which requires the use of a Filter Mask. Some taints may require more protective equipment. TL–3 or more advanced survival gear is required to settle this world.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Caractacalla has 25-35% of its surface covered by liquid water. It has a few small seas. Wilderness refueling is possible. Water for the inhabitants will be recycled.

• Much of the surface is arid and rugged.

Mainworld Geography and Topography

A basic map of Caractacalla showing the seas (blue), hills and uplands (paler brown), mountain ranges (darker brown), plains and savannahs (shades of tan-green depending on latitude), deserts (tan-orange), forested regions (green), and the polar icecaps (pale blue).

• Major urban areas are marked in red.

(Based on the world map of Caractacalla, page 27 GURPS Atlas of Charted Space 3)

History & Background (Dossier)

Caractacalla is the capital of The Protectorate. It is referred to as The Jewel or, more disparagingly, the Money Sink.

It is a Puzzle World and is designated as an Amber Zone. It presents particular risks and dangers due to the environment or native life forms, laws or customs, or other conditions that are not well understood.

• Visitors are advised to act with caution.

As a member of The Protectorate, Caractacalla sends a specially selected Representative to the High Council, the polity's governing body.

• The role is prestigious and is highly sought.
• The Representative is chosen by the world's government.

World Starport (St)

Caractacalla has a Class A Starport, an excellent quality installation which includes all the expected amenities including refined fuel for starships, brokerage services for passengers and cargo, and a variety of ship provisions. There is a shipyard capable of doing annual maintenance, overhauls and other kinds of repair, and construction of both starships and non-starships. Most ports of this classification have both a Highport and a Downport.

• The world is host to a Naval Base.
• The world is host to a Protectorate Way Station.

World Population (P)

Caractacalla has a population of 10,000,000,000 sophonts (tens of billions).

• High Population Worlds like this tend to have huge consumer markets.
• The population has Zhodani, Imperial, and Vlazhdumecta heritage.
• Many families can trace their ancestry to pre-Long Night Vilani colonists.

Urbanization

There are two vast, sprawling metropolises named Union (1) and Karfir (2), as well as many smaller urban centers.

• Both Union and Karfir have vast surface starports within their boundaries.

Union is the capital of The Protectorate. Within its metropolitan limits is the smaller, separate city of Acton, the capital of the world.

• The two capitals function independently of one another.

Linguistic Topography

• Local languages descended from Vlazhdumecta.
  • These include Danatic. The dialect of Danatic spoken at Union, the Confederate capital, is the most common. Residents of Acton, the planetary capital, take great pains to use their own dialect -- all part of the rivalry between the two cities.
• Riftian Anglic, a dialect of one of the two principal languages of the Imperium.
• Zdetl, the language of the Zhodani and the Zhodani Consulate.

World Technology Level (T)

Caractacalla possesses a Technology Level of TL–12 or TL-C in Hexadecimal Notation.

• Common Communication technologies for this TL include: Holovision, Personal Global Communications, and advanced Translators.
• Common Power Generation technologies for this TL include: Increasingly advanced fusion plants and advanced fuel cells.
• Common Transportation technologies for this TL include:
  • Land, Water & Air: Personal G-Tubes and advanced gravcraft.
  • Space: Advanced interplanetary spacecraft (System Craft).
  • FTL: Jump Drive-3.

World Government (G)

Caractacalla is governed by an Impersonal Bureaucracy. The leadership of the government takes another form (democracy, dictatorship, oligarchy), but the bureaucracy dictates government policy and its execution. Government leadership is reduced to little more than figureheads and does not select the bureaucracy leadership or its members.

World Law (L)

Caractacalla has an extreme law level which covers every area of interaction. Laws are complex, detailed, and difficult to understand. Every interaction with the government requires an Advocate. Law enforcement is omnipresent and strict. Legal proceeding can take months to years to resolve and may involve dozens of people. A world with this law level may be an Amber Zone or a Red Zone. All objects specifically manufactured as weapons are typically regulated or prohibited (with no exception for private residences; visiting starships are only protected so long as they stay within designated starports and approach corridors). Civilian movement is rigidly controlled. Travel documents are frequently checked. There is no legal concept of privacy (save for those who can claim necessity for official government business). The police are free to inspect anyone and anything at any time.

Government

The Protectorate is governed by a loose political body called the High Council. The Council is composed of one representative from each member planet.

Trade Data

• Importance: 5 (very important)

World Economy

• Resources: F (extremely abundant)
• Labor: 9 (billions)
• Infrastructure: G (very comprehensive)
• Efficiency: +5 (very advanced)

World Culture

The world lies within the Zhodani Shadow, a region strongly influenced by the society and culture of the Zhodani Consulate.

• Heterogenity: B (discordant)
• Acceptance: F (extremely xenophilic)
• Strangeness: 6 (very distinct)
• Symbols: D (very abstract)

World Timeline

• 300-420: the First Survey charts the system.
• 995-1065: the Second Survey charts the system.
• 1065: the Second Survey is published.

References & Contributors (Sources)

This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it.

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 Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• J. Andrew Keith. Classic Traveller Fate of the Sky Raiders, (FASA, 1982), various pages. (Inverness Subsector)
• Mark Lawrence. Classic Traveller Rescue On Galatea (FASA, 1982), various pages. (Inverness Subsector)
• Jordan Weisman. Classic Traveller Adventure Class Ships Volume 1 (FASA, 1982), Page 4. (description, Freedonian Condor class SDB) (Inverness Subsector)
• Dale L. Kemper. The Far Frontiers, Ares Magazine, Special Issue 2, (SPI, 1984), pages 29-37.
• J. Andrew Keith, Marc Miller, John Harshman. Classic Traveller Zhodani, (Game Designers Workshop, 1985), inside front cover. (the Zhodani; sector named and subsector depicted but no further data)
• Dale L. Kemper, Creede Lambard. GURPS Space Space Atlas 3, (Steve Jackson Games, 1990), pages 26-27. (Caractacalla)
• Dale L. Kemper. The Far Frontiers, Traveller Chronicle 3, (Sword of the Knight Publications, 1994), pages 3-12. (Inverness Subsector)
• James Kundert. Far Frontiers, Traveller Chronicle 7, (Sword of the Knight Publications, 1994), pages 44-48. (sector background and timeline)
• David L. Pulver. GURPS Traveller: Alien Races 1, (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), Pages 5-63. (the Zhodani)
• Don McKinney. Mongoose Traveller: Zhodani, (Mongoose Traveller, 2011), 188 pages. (the Zhodani)