Garoo (world)
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| See also | UWP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jump map from Travellermap.com [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System Details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary | M1 V M5 V | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Worlds | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gas Giants | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Planetoid Belts | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cultural Details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Government | Charismatic oligarchy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Law Level | Extreme | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cultural Extension | AA7C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Army Size (BEs) | 150 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Economic Details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technology Level | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Economic Extension | B7B+4
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| Importance Extension | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resource Units | 3,388 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GWP (BCr) | 585 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Trade Number | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trade Volume (MCr/year) | 5,253 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Starport Details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Class-A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Port Size | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Building Capacity (Tons) | 240,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Port employees | 460 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Port passengers (annual) | 27,200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Garoo is a vacuum world, with no atmosphere or hydrosphere. The system has a population between 100 million and 1 billion sophonts. This world is designated 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. It is a Human dominated Non-Aligned world in the Darrian Subsector of Spinward Marches Sector. This is the homeworld of the Garoo, a Human Ethnic Group.
| Garoo System | |||
| Darrian/Spinward Marches 0130 | |||
| Position | Distance | Name | UWP |
| Primary | 'Harzah' | 'M1 V' | |
| 0 | 0.2 AU | Hazmat | Y250000-0 |
| 1 | 0.4 AU | Spangle | H30211A-A |
| 2 | 0.7 AU | Rounder | F000400-B |
| 3 | 1.0 AU | Garoo | A2008CB-B |
| 4 | 1.4 AU | Heap | Y331000-0 |
| 5 | 1.7 AU | Graveyard | GS0032A-B |
| 6 | 100 AU | Leocen | M5 V |
Description (Astrography & Planetology)[edit]
Garoo is a member of the Spinward Main.
- It is on the Sisters' Reach.
Stellar Data[edit]
Garoo is a binary star system.
- Both are red main sequence stars, named Harzah and Leocen respectively.
System Data[edit]
The worlds of the system have been surveyed. They consist of:
- The mainworld, orbiting the primary star.
- x7 secondary rocky worlds. Four orbit the primary star, three orbit the secondary star. The primary star's worlds include:
- Hazmat, currently used as a dumping ground for the system's garbage.
- Spangle, a special containment facility constructed to support the local world military. Several now disused military labs and test ranges dot the surface of the world. It has been rumored to also be a safehouse for the local intel and security services for rather unsavory activities.
- Graveyard, so named because of its strange attraction to misjumped ships. A large number of vessels that have misjumped have crashed here in the system's long history, and a community of scavengers used to live on the world to benefit from this unusual phenomenon. A research station has been established in conjunction with the Regency Navy to study this mystery, and a naval rescue station has been set up to intercept and rescue other victims before they slam into the world.
- x1 planetoid belt named Rounder, orbiting the primary star.
- It is a rich source of minerals that are in short supply on Garoo, as well as dangerous low-G manufacturing that the authorities want to keep contained away from the world environment.
Mainworld Data[edit]
Garoo orbits within the outer system.
- It receives very low levels of stellar energy.
Extended Mainworld UWP Data[edit]
- Gravity: 0.256 G
- Rotation Period (local day): 21.3 standard hours
- Orbital Period (local year): 8.2 standard years (2995.5 standard days)
- Mean Surface Temperature: -146°C
- Trade Goods: Ores, Radioactives, Crystals, Metals, Non-Metals, Parts, Consumables, Weapons, Recordings, Software.
- Psychology: Conservative/Advancing, Passive/Conciliatory, Harmonious/Friendly
- Legal: B-99BAB
- Tech: BB-BDDDD-CCCD-AB-E
Mainworld Size (S)[edit]
Garoo is a Small World between 2,400km and 4,000km in diameter. The world has low gravity between 0.1G and 0.17G. The horizon will appear about 2.5km away.
Mainworld Atmosphere (A)[edit]
Garoo has a pressure of less than 0.001 atmospheres which requires the use of a Vacc Suit. TL–8 or more advanced survival gear is required to settle this world.
- Vacuum worlds have no climate, but experience extreme differences in temperature between direct starlight and shade.
Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)[edit]
Garoo has no free-standing water or ice on the surface. Wilderness refueling isn't possible on this world. Water for the inhabitants needs to be imported and extensively recycled. These worlds are classified Desert World or a Hell World depending on their atmosphere.
Mainworld Geography and Topography[edit]
Garoo is an airless world located near the end of the Spinward Main, at the interface with Foreven. The world is unusual in having a molten core, and significant amounts of water in subsurface aquifers created by ancient volcanism. While Garoo lacks tectonic plates, the world possesses massive shield volcanoes of the same type as Olympus Mons on Mars. These volcanoes tower some 30-40 km in height, and have a base nearly ten times that in diameter. Heavy metal ores are mixed in with ancient lava flows, especially large amounts of manganese, chromium and platinum group metals. While not as active as in the past, these volcanoes still spew small amounts of gas and steam, and hot springs can be found in the ancient calderas of most of them.
Garoo is an outer system world, and is a frigid -146° celsius. The world surface is covered in a mixture of frozen rock, ice, and volcanic pumice and gas. Near geothermal heat sources, the ground texture changes markedly, creating huge lens-shaped depressions created by the melting of the permafrost under the surface rock. These depressions are quite large, and many of the world's settlements are built within these huge ice lenses, constructed into the sides with a containment dome constructed overhead.
No centrally held map of the world exists within AAB Library Data records.
- Locally, detailed maps may be available.
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
Garoo was settled by Solomani from the Itzin Fleet sometime around -1510: these were part of the same wave of explorers that contacted the Daryens and utilized Sacnoth as a base. The colonists on Garoo built sturdy domed cities, and tapped the core water for life support and power purposes. Because of the ample sources of water and geothermal heat, the Garooians were little disposed towards maintaining their original technological level. Being isolated on a world that provided them with everything they needed allowed them to scrap their colony ship, and subsist at a tech level of TL–7-TL–8.
Garoo was contacted by Darrian exploration ships around -1370, but expressed no interest in joining the growing Confederation. This did not deter the Darrians from trying various strategies to coerce or persuade them. Repeated meddling eventually escalated into several violent confrontations and Darrian interdiction of the system. The Garooians have never forgotten these aggressions, and bitter enmity with the Darrians has existed ever since. The world was slightly affected by the Maghiz event, though it was more beneficial than harmful because it ended the Darrian blockade of the system.
Garoo received Zhodani contact in -334, was recontacted by the Darrians in -208, and was contacted by the Third Imperium in 255. This steady accumulation of expansionistic powers unsettled them, especially the growing linkage between the Imperials and the Darrians. The world government pursued a policy of neutrality, playing various factions against each other through adroit diplomatic maneuvering. A trade fleet was acquired, and trade and diplomatic ties were established with a number of polities in neighboring Foreven and Beyond.
Garoo was aided by the enmity between the Zhodani and the expanding Third Imperium. They played the two sides off against one another, milking whichever ally they had for the moment for their own gain, and all the while remaining quietly neutral in the conflict. After the Third Frontier War, the Garooians mostly sided with the Zhodani, intensifying their conflict with the Darrians.
Despite the occasional gust of war, Garoo managed to continue building up its economic and military power. As the Darrians began to return, with Imperial aid, to the level of their pre-Maghiz society, Garoo's nominally peaceful government percieved the loss of their independence. They unified their government under a military council, and began to act proactively against the Confederacy. In the last few years before the Imperial Civil War, the Garoo military seized neighboring 886-945, which had one of the few gas giants in rimward Daryen subsector, and resubjugated Uniqua, a world colonised and inhabited by Garooians. With these conquests, and Zhodani blessing, it seemed that they were intent upon creating their own interstellar polity aimed at challenging the Darrians and the Imperium for control of the Daryen/Five Sisters/Reidain/Urnian interface.
World Starport (St)[edit]
Garoo 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.
World Population (P)[edit]
Garoo has a population of 200,000,000 sophonts (hundreds of millions).
- The population almost entirely consists of Garoo.
Urbanization[edit]
Most of Garoo's settlements are found close to water and geothermal sources. Most of the older cities are domed lens cities, while the newer ones are underground arcologies. Four volcanic clusters dominate the world, and near these are the four main clusters of settlements. These clusters include the:
- Salka Cluster: which includes the capitol and main downport.
- Corben Hotdome: Most volcanically active region on the planet, and the most lightly populated.
- Ataturk Massif: Richest mineral resources, and the majority of the world's manufacturing are located here, including several large munitions works.
- Gyduran Geysers: Large underground geothermal aquifer. The name is an exaggeration, and simply refers to the very high steam and water pressure that is found within the aquifer. Famous throughout the Spin Extents for its hot mineral baths and tourist spas. Also famous for its unusual but delicious beers made from certain mineral-laden waters.
Linguistic Topography[edit]
The most commonly heard languages are:
- Native Garoo languages.
- Riftian Anglic: a dialect of Anglic, one of the principal languages of the Imperium.
World Technology Level (T)[edit]
Garoo possesses a Technology Level of TL–10 or TL-A 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: Grav belts and maturing gravcraft.
- Air: Greatly improved hybrid grav-aircraft.
- Space: Improved interplanetary spacecraft (System Craft).
- FTL: Jump Drive-1.
World Government (G)[edit]
Garoo is governed by a Charismatic Oligarchy, like a charismatic dictatorship in that a larger group has asserted their right to rule. The group will likely have better rules of succession than a single dictator and may last longer, or may transition to a non-charismatic dictatorship.
World Law (L)[edit]
Garoo 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 few worlds with this law level may be a Red Zone and others will be an Amber 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, and destinations must often be declared when traveling substantial distances across the world.
Cultural Data[edit]
Garooians are descended from straight Solomani stock. As such they profess the same love of political freedom as their SolCon cousins. Their adopted world’s harsh environment forced them to adapt their culture in many significant ways, however. As a group,individualism is tolerated to a point. Children are indulged as regards their education. Free speech and conscience are encouraged. But Garooians recognize that too much of these freedoms are counterproductive to their survival. While all of the usual Solomani institutions are in evidence, a strong backbone of tradition exist throughout the entire fabric of their society, ensuring communal cooperation.
Much of this cooperativeness is a byproduct of their past struggles with the Darrians. Squabbling between colonies nearly resulted in the capture or surrender to their enemies. Garooians love to argue and contest each other in sports and politics. But on issues of survival paramount to the entire world, they move with a ruthless unity that would shock even Vilani.
Wealth and luxury are the pinnacle of local society. While consensus exists that the community comes first at a certain point, local society isn't monolithic, and gaps of wealth and power exist to differentiate the local society into an exacting pecking order of money and power. This isn't selfish wealth, as all local companies and enterprises are owned in collective by the world government. For a person to succeed to a lofty position requires single-minded devotion and willingness to sacrifice for the community, on the battlefield of commercial success. Of course those most successful in their service are handsomely rewarded by the planetary government.
The ultimate sign of success is to qualify for Garoo's Register, sort of a planetary Who's Who. Those that qualify are afforded more than the usual cramped quarters available to the vast majority of the locals; they receive huge airy vaults filled with living plants, running water, and freestanding buildings. These individuals are also virtually guaranteed political legitimacy, and a seat upon one of the various political councils, or a managerial position in a major bureaucracy. Of course, these luxuries and privileges are provided in kind, for their continuing contributions. People who slack off are demoted from the Register, and are sent back into the masses. Needless to say, it creates no small amount of intrigue among the "upper" classes.
Interestingly, while most Garooians profess a belief in the individual freedom of their children, arrange for their children's marriages years in advance. Mostly this is due to a desire for upper mobility, with families searching for the best possible candidates from the best potential families and backgrounds to marry their progeny.
Trade Data[edit]
- Importance: 2 (ordinary)
World Economy[edit]
- Resources: B (abundant)
- Labor: 7 (tens of millions)
- Infrastructure: B (very extensive)
- Efficiency: +4 (advanced)
World Culture[edit]
- Heterogenity: A (discordant)
- Acceptance: A (very friendly)
- Strangeness: 7 (confusing)
- Symbols: C (very abstract)
World Timeline[edit]
Major events that have affected this world and the wider region that it lies within:
- -399: a number of worlds in the region are settled by Terrans who fled a civil war in the Old Earth Union, in the Solomani Rim, and made their escape though Aslan Space. Most notably these refugees founded the Sword Worlds, but settlements were established on a number of other worlds, including Garoo.
- -200: contact between the Old Earth Union and the Terran settlements in the Spinward Marches is cut due to shifting Aslan politics.
- -186: the Sacnoth Dominate, the first Sword Worlds' government forms.
- The Year 0: the Third Imperium is founded.
- 60: development of the sector begins in earnest with the Imperial settlement of Mora. The Imperial frontier gradually expands into the sector.
- 73: Imperial traders exploring to spinward establish contact with the Sword Worlds.
- 75: Regina is settled. A bubble of Imperial territory grows around it.
- 300: Pretoria, in Deneb Sector, is settled by the Imperium and eventually becomes the administrative center for the Aramis Trace in the Spinward Marches.
- 300-420: the Imperial First Survey charts the system.
- late 400s: the Zhodani begin settlement within the sector.
- 589-604: First Frontier War.
- 604-622: the Civil War.
- 615-620: Second Frontier War.
- 624: the Express Boat Network is established.
- 800-820: the Psionics Suppressions.
- 979-986: Third Frontier War.
- 995-1065: the Imperial Second Survey charts the system.
- 1065: the Second Survey is published. Information about the system becomes widely available.
- 1082-1084: Fourth Frontier War, also known as the False War.
- 1107-1110: Fifth Frontier War.
Later Historical Eras[edit]
The Collapse[edit]
Then came the Collapse. The people of Uniqua managed to stage a revolt with massive Darrian aid, leading to the partial ouster of the Garoo occupation force. The Uniqua conflict led to a protracted military conflict with the Confederacy at Kardin and Bularia, which ended only when the Regency threatened to bury both sides under an avalanche of naval firepower. Recognizing the world's insecurity and humiliation after the implosion of their republic, the Regency offered to make Garoo a protectorate, placing them under the RQS security blanket and giving its exports preferential clearance. Garoo reluctantly accepted becoming a client state by a closely contested referendum in 1137. A Regency naval base was built insystem, and gave the world a much needed kickstart for its economy. The world remains on high alert against further Darrian aggression on Uniqua and in other parts of Daryen and Reidain Subsectors, though relations with the Regency have warmed up since they took over.
Political Data[edit]
Garoo has traditionally been a representative democracy, with representation based within its upper classes. The continuing standoff with the Darrians has preserved the long standing war council, which really isn't much of departure from the old system when seen up close. The Council, otherwise known as the War Register, consists of three dozen of the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet. All of these people have made considerable contributions through the public cartels, the military or in the intelligence services, and have an absolute say over the planet and their fellow citizens based upon the War Charter of 1119 that enshrined and legitimized the current Register.
One lingering bad effect has been the steady loss of democratic tradition. Previously, people acceded to the Register, and then were chosen again for political office, based upon election by fellow citizens within "wards" divided amoungst the various communities. Nowadays, election is by consensus among the other members of the Register, which is creating a social rift between the classes that continues to widen. Many of the world’s traditionalists suspect that the War Register is simply using the supposed conflict with the Darrians and the conflict on Uniqua to institutionalize their position without competition, and eliminate democratic rule all together.
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
- Marc Miller. The Spinward Marches (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 8-9.
- 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), 44. (UWP only)
- Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 34-35,46.
- Mike West. The Spinward States (Avenger Enterprises, 2008), 108. (UWP only)
- Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), .
- Martin Dougherty. Behind the Claw (Mongoose Publishing, 2019), 80-84,86,88. (UWP only)
- Peter Gray - BARD-OPAL 9526
- ↑ "Jump Map API" and map location from Travellermap.com
