Gulf of Asphodel
The Gulf of Asphodel is an astrographic feature principally lying within Aldebaran Sector.
- It is a rift area of low stellar density.
- It lies within the Solomani Confederation.
Description (Specifications)[edit]
The Gulf of Asphodel is an area of lower stellar density lying across the border between Aldebaran Sector and Neworld Sector.
- The region measures about 8 parsecs spinward-trailing by an average of around 3 parsecs coreward-rimward.
- It is named for Asphodel, a technologically advanced high population world lying on its rimward edge.
- It is a significant obstacle to interstellar trade and commerce.
A basic map showing the Gulf of Asphodel.
(Charts sourced from Traveller Map)
Nature of Rifts[edit]
Locally at least, a rift is an astrographic concept based purely on Jump Drive performance.
Rift regions generally relate to regular commercial traffic and the way it travels between destinations. Merchant vessels with jump-4 drives or better are fairly rare because of the higher costs involved in operating the vessel, the lower revenue generated by the reduced cargo space due to the need for large fuel tanks, and the relative paucity of technologically advanced maintenance facilities within the region. As a result, the vast majority of merchant vessels are capable of jump-3 or less.
- Large areas that cannot be crossed by Jump-3-capable vessels are denoted as rifts.
- The nature and borders of a rift may be determined by other criteria in different regions.
In order to qualify as a rift, the region must have ten or more contiguous hexes. Many areas have minor void regions that are too small to qualify as a true rift, but are still significant enough to seriously hamper and channel interstellar travel.
Military vessels and specialist ships such as couriers are often only marginally affected by the presence of smaller rifts. Larger rift regions have a greater significance, requiring lengthy detours or complex refueling operations or creating bottlenecks that even the longest range vessels are forced to travel through.
- Large rifts within the region form a key part of Solomani Confederation defense strategies, serving to channel prospective attackers towards defensive "hardpoints".
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
High cargo capacity, low jump rating vessels move along the clusters and traces of the region, carrying vast amounts of goods and commodities between their member worlds. Jump-2 and Jump-3 feeder routes work their ways around the rifts and voids, linking the various clusters and traces.
The Gulf of Asphodel contains no stars or stellar scale bodies.
- It is likely to contain a number of dark, frozen, starless rogue worlds and wandering icy planetoids within its depths, but none have ever been officially charted or catalogued.
Though there isn't much to see, Solomani Security keeps an eye on things to ensure the security of the Confederation and the well-being of its loyal citizens.
Jump Bridges[edit]
Some have suggested that one or more Jump Bridges may lie within the Gulf of Asphodel.
Jump Bridges are locations within empty hexes that contain caches of fuel and supplies. They allow lower jump rating vessels to bridge gaps between distant worlds by providing a halfway point. The hexes these caches lie within are truly vast, and without exact coordinates to jump to within it a vessel could end up with empty tanks in empty wilderness, perhaps light-years away from any hope of rescue. Where they do exist, Jump Bridges are heavily guarded and access is not generally granted to those without the correct credentials.
- No commercial jump bridges are known to exist within the rift.
- It has long been rumored that the Confederation maintains covert jump bridge facilities allowing vessels to cross the region, but no reliable proof of this has ever been provided.
SolSec discourages talk of such things.
Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)[edit]
This astrographic feature is found in the following areas:
Charted Space – Solomani Confederation:
World Listing[edit]
Comprehensive Second Survey data for all worlds that are associated with the Gulf of Asphodel is available.
- The primary source material for all data is Traveller Map.
- Other sources may differ: some elements of the data may be contradictory or incorrect.
- Data is occasionally updated as new information becomes available.
AAB library archives contain expanded data about the following systems:
Note that some Second Survey data, though only 40 years old, may already be out of date.
- Scouting missions gathering reliable, verified data can receive substantial payment.
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
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- Peter G. Celella, James Holden. Solomani & Aslan (Digest Group Publications, 1991), pages 8-11. (dot map outlining the region)
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS