County of Bellion

The County of Bellion is an astropolitical region within the Spinward Marches.

• It lies within Glisten Subsector

Description (Specifications)

The County of Bellion is an astropolitical area lying within Glisten Subsector of the Spinward Marches. It has a history stretching back around 1500 years and has a rich and colorful culture full of strange traditions and customs. It is now closely associated with Imperial Nobility.

What would later become The County came into existence as an interstellar entity in around 95, with its capital at Bellion, now named New Rome. It was an aggressive petty state that conquered neighboring worlds and was involved in the Aslan Dustspice Wars during the 4th Century. Its belligerent government was replaced at least once by the actions of, unusually, the Imperial Scout Service, acting under the supervision of an Imperial Noble, before it was finally absorbed into the Imperium in 392.

The rimward part of Glisten Subsector, Subsector O the Spinward Marches, containing the County of Bellion:

(Chart sourced from Traveller Map)

The Spinward Main

The County lies on Spinward Main, the arterial trade route within the Spinward Marches.

• It lies on the Glisten Arm.

High cargo capacity, low jump rating vessels laden with goods, commodities, and luxuries move along it, bound for the thriving markets of its member worlds.

(Chart sourced from Traveller Map)

• Worlds on the Main are marked in green.

The Glisten Arm

The Glisten Arm is a rimward branch of the Spinward Main. It principally lies within Glisten Subsector.

(Chart sourced from Traveller Map)

History & Background (Dossier)

The County of Bellion is closely tied to the history of the world of Bellion / New Rome.

Bellion and New Rome

Bellion was originally settled by refugees from the fall of the Sindalian Empire in the -1400s. It regressed to pre-industrial levels of technology, but was edging back towards TL–6 by the time it was contacted by the Scouts in 54. They placed it under administrative interdict, but around 82 Imperial traders (who were by then completely ignoring the interdict) began importing large quantities of advanced technology, giving Bellion's development a tremendous boost.

New Rome was originally a secondary world in the Bellion System. It was forcibly settled in 86, when political exiles from the Imperium were abandoned on the world with few supplies and little equipment – the selection of this unpromising spot as the location for their abandonment being dictated by a vindictive Imperial admiral. When Bellion launched its first interplanetary craft in 92 it initiated contact with the exiles on New Rome. Their neighbors welcomed them and were able to provide valuable expertise and technical know-how, resulting in the first jump-capable vessel being constructed by 98. The Imperial interdict was formally lifted three years later.

Bellion soon became a power in the immediate area, claiming sovereignty over several nearby worlds, most notably Aki and Glisten. The Imperium never accepted these claims, but Bellion's economic and cultural influence on its neighbors was undeniable. In 165 a small task force dispatched by the Duke of Iilidu replaced Bellion's government with one that was more amenable to reason. The fractious world remained a problem for the Imperium for many years, but eventually a working relationship developed, and in 349 Bellion was declared a 'Friend and Ally of the Imperium'. 43 years later, in 392, it and its economic dependents joined the Imperium en bloc and Bellion became the capital of the newly-created County of Bellion, with significant figures within its government granted Imperial noble ranks.

Over time, New Rome prospered and became the site of most of the system's heavy industry. Eventually the majority of the system's population lived on New Rome and the mainworld status was transferred to the world, with the system being renamed to reflect that.

Demographics

Significant populations of the following races (sophont species) reside within this area:

• Humaniti (human races)
  • Mixed Heritage: widespread across the region.
  • Jonkeereen (Human Chimera race). Communities on Callia and Glisten.
  • Solomani of Terra (major race): many individuals have Solomani ancestry.
    • A few worlds have small genetically distinct Solomani populations. These often exist as insular ethnic groups with their own traditions and cultures.
  • Vilani of Vland (Major Race): many individuals have Vilani ancestry.
    • A few worlds have small genetically distinct Vilani populations. These often exist as insular ethnic groups with their own traditions and cultures.

• Non-Human Races:
  • Aslan (Major Race). A few small communities and wandering traders and merchants.
  • Crawni (Minor Race). Principally found on their homeworld.

Major Historical Events Timeline

These are some of the more important historical events that have affected this area and the wider region it lies within:

• −5823: the Zhodani Consulate is established.
• -1400s: refugees from the Sindalian Empire settle Bellion. At their lowest point they regress to around TL–2.
• The Year 0: the Third Imperium is founded. Bellion is at TL–5.
• 54: the IISS interdicts Bellion.
• 86: Imperial exiles are abandoned on New Rome.
• 92: Bellion and New Rome make contact.
• 98: Bellion becomes an interstellar power.
• 101: the Imperial interdiction of Bellion is lifted.
• 165: Imperial interests replace the government of Bellion.
• 300-420: the Imperial First Survey charts the subsector.
• 392: Bellion and its dependent worlds are incorporated into the Imperium as the County of Bellion.
• 589-604: First Frontier War.
• 604-622: the Civil War.
• 615-620: Second Frontier War.
• 624: the Express Boat Network is established.
• 979-986: Third Frontier War.
• 995-1065: the Imperial Second Survey charts the subsector.
• 1065: the Second Survey is published. Information about the subsector becomes widely available.
• 1082-1084: Fourth Frontier War, also known as the False War.
• 1107-1110: Fifth Frontier War.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

This astrographic feature is found in the following areas:
Charted Space:

• Spinward Marches
  • Glisten Subsector

World Listing

Comprehensive Second Survey data for all worlds associated with the County is available.

• The primary source material for all data is Traveller Map.
• Data is occasionally updated as new information becomes available.

AAB library archives contain expanded data about the following systems:

7 of 7 World articles in County of Bellion

Aki (SM 2035)  •  Callia  •  Craw  •  Glisten  •  New Rome  •  Overnale  •  Trane  •  

startbacknext(7 listed)

Verified updated data is constantly sought.

• Scouting missions gathering reliable, verified data can receive substantial payment.

References & Contributors (Sources)

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.

• Marc Miller. The Spinward Marches (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 26-27.
• 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), 50-51. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 97.
• Hans Rancke-Madsen, "The Outrim Frontier." JTAS Online (June 19, 2007)
• Mike West. The Spinward States (Avenger Enterprises, 2008), 114. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), .
• Martin Dougherty. Behind the Claw (Mongoose Publishing, 2019), 128-132. (UWP only)
• Rob Dean - The Zhodani Base