Kaggushus (world)

• Note: Not to be confused with Ershur (Massilia 0504).

Kaggushus/Kerr (Massilia 0402)
Milieu 0	B542799-D Starport B Good: Spacecraft Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel Size 5 Medium (8,000 km, 0.40g - 0.57g) Atmosphere 4 Thin (tainted) Hydrographics 2 Dry World 20% Population 7 Moderate (20 million) Government 9 Impersonal Bureaucracy Law 9 High Law (no weapons out of home) Tech Level D Average Stellar (holo data)
Classic Era (1116)	A542AA7-F Starport A Excellent: Starship Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel Size 5 Medium (8,000 km, 0.40g - 0.57g) Atmosphere 4 Thin (tainted) Hydrographics 2 Dry World 20% Population A High (90 billion) Government A Charismatic Dictator Law 7 Moderate Law (no firearms) Tech Level F High Stellar (anagathics)
New Era (1200)	A542AAB-C Starport A Excellent: Starship Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel Size 5 Medium (8,000 km, 0.40g - 0.57g) Atmosphere 4 Thin (tainted) Hydrographics 2 Dry World 20% Population A High (30 billion) Government A Charismatic Dictator Law B Extreme Law (control of movement) Tech Level C Average Stellar (robots)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	M1 V
Planetoid Belts	0
Gas Giants	4

style="width: 220px; height: 250px;"

Jump map from Travellermap.com

Kaggushus is a poor, industrial, high-population hellworld, with a billion or more sophonts who struggle to survive in an inhospitable environment.

• Hellworlds often offer daily, and sometimes even hourly, life-threatening situations to their inhabitants.
• As an industrial world, this planet has well-developed manufacturing and processing industries. Manufactured goods are a major export item.
• It is a member of the Third Imperium in the Kerr Subsector of Massilia Sector in the Domain of Sylea.
• This is a "high technology" world with technology achievements at, near, or above the standard for Charted Space.
• The world serves as the subsector capital with the significant extra trade and prestige associated with that role.
• It is homeworld of a Minor Human Race, the Kaggushus.
• This world has colonies at Chamati and Fournier
• During the Rule of Man it was known as Ershur (Ma 0402) and Hub/Ershur.
• During the Long Night, the world eventually reverted to its old name Kaggushus.

Description (Astrography & Planetology)

Stellar Data

Kaggushus has a solitary primary star.

• It is a red main sequence named Uumgadi.

Kaggushus has a solitary primary star.

Uumgadi
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	M1 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		0.5	3620 - 3660	0.08839
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0047	0.0247	0.31 - 0.59	0.47	4.7
	Orbit #	*	*	1	1	6
	Remarks

Mainworld Data

Kaggushus is a dry, stifling world. Its thin atmosphere is difficult to breathe due to its sulfur content, the result of residual volcanism. The world is quite old, and it possesses few important resources. Flat ground is at a premium, as most of the world is cut into steep canyons and gullies cut through ancient mountain ranges by desert rainstorms. The world's crust is thin, and new columns of lava rock are pushed to the surface on a perpetual basis. In the past massive volcanic eruptions resurfaced the planet entirely.

It possesses a broad, hazy ring system.

Mainworld Size (S)

Kaggushus is a Meso World between 7,200km and 8,800km in diameter. The world has a standard gravity between 0.4G and 0.57G. The horizon will appear about 4km away.

Mainworld Atmosphere (A)

Kaggushus has a pressure of 0.43 to 0.70 atmospheres. While the thin atmosphere does not require 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.

• Kaggushus is a cool world with a thin, sulfur-tainted atmosphere.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Kaggushus has 15-25% of its surface covered by liquid water or ice. There may be a few small seas. Wilderness refueling is possible. Water for the inhabitants needs to be imported and extensively recycled. These worlds are Hell Worlds or Poor Worlds depending on their atmosphere.

Mainworld Geography & Topography

The sole body of water, the Sea of Arsanus, is an impact basin formed millions of years ago; because it lies below the level of the land, it became a collection point for rain and volcanic runoff.

(Blank map, predominantly dry world.)

History & Background (Dossier)

Kaggushus is the capital of Kerr Subsector. It is a poor, heavily industrialized, high-population Imperial world.

It is the homeworld of the Kaggushus, a minor human race.

The Vilani

Despite its poverty, the Ziru Sirka settled it about six thousand years ago. Its central location at the crossroads of their empire made it a natural place to establish an auxiliary capitol for ruling the vast reaches of the empire that lay rimward of Vland. Bureaux offices and bureaucracy eventually attracted major industrialization and trade. The first settlers set down in the lowlands along the Arsanus Sea, where higher air pressure and water vapor made the sulfur laden air easier to breathe. Later they moved into the interior, building unusual cliff side settlements carved into the sheer walls of canyons.

• The Vilani rulers set up their capitol on Arsanus Island, a giant impact spike in the middle of the sea that towers nearly 3000 meters above sea level. The dramatic view from the top inspired the local administrators with ideas of their own invincibility. As they were virtually independent of their superiors on Vland they had complete access to the commodities and tax revenue of the empire coming through the Hub, and they skimmed enough off to lavish themselves with monumental building projects and opulent lifestyles. They commissioned magnificent palaces and sepulchral towers of immense dimension, even to the point that they dwarfed the Emperor's Palace on Vland. Advanced gravitic and material technology permitted risky new architecture that reflected the confidence and ego of the local leadership. These officials became so inflated with their own importance, but yet so unwilling to rock the boat by seceding from Vland to rule in their own right, that they enjoyed the wealth of empire but not the ultimate responsibility for governing it. Many historians think that the deception and duplicity of Kaggushus and its elite was a major contributing factor to the stagnation of the Ziru Sirka.

The Terrans

The world fell to the Terran fleet during the final stages of the Interstellar Wars. The Plague of Duskir decimated the local defense forces, preventing an effective stand. Fighting destroyed most of the grand structures on Arsanus, but what remained of these huge fairy-tale edifices deeply impressed the Terran grand admiral, Hiroshi Estigarribia. It is unclear how much those ruins influenced his decisions, but he chose to ignore the authority of Terra, and declared the Rule of Man from the Central Palace on Arsanus in -2304. Hiroshi did not assume the throne, and he died while pacifying the coreward territories. His chief of staff was crowned on Kaggushus as Emperor Hiroshi II a few years later.

• The world held a crucial historical role in the Rule of Man period. Emperor Hiroshi II transferred all governmental functions from both Vland and Dingir to Kaggushus, which was more centrally located in Massilia sector. The world was renamed bilingually Hub/Ershur and was to remain the capital of the Rule of Man for the next four hundred years. The emperors reconstructed many of the monumental buildings.
• Alas the ROM did not measure up to the task of ruling the vast empire they had conquered. Life on Kaggushus in that time had a curious insulated feeling, like a ship in a bottle that had been painted over to prevent seeing outside. While the former Vilani Imperium continued to crumble, ROM emperors went on a bacchanalian spending spree in increasing inverse proportion to the poverty of its subjects.
• In -1776 the Treasury at Hub/Ershur refused to honor a monetary issue of the branch treasury at Antares. The resulting lack of confidence within monetary circles marked the end of large-scale interstellar trade and of effective governmental power within the Rule of Man. This event is generally cited by historians as marking the beginning of Twilight.
• In the later years of the empire, local nobles accumulated large private armies to protect their estates from attack. When the empire fell in -1776, open warfare erupted between these militias, and Arsanus was ruined by heavy shelling and street-to-street fighting. When the last ROM emperor died in -1744, a consortium of nobles recaptured Arsanus, pacified the world, and founded the first Hub Worlds confederacy.

The Third Imperium

Under the Third Imperium the world prospered once again, attaining a population of about ninety billion and a TL–15. After the Civil War, the Nolanar-Ahiiki line was granted the title of Count of Kaggushus.

History & Background (Dossier)

World Starport (St)

Kaggushus 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)

Kaggushus has a population of 90,000,000,000 sophonts (tens of billions).

• High Population Worlds like this tend to have huge consumer markets.
• Around 95% of the population (approximately 85 billion individuals) consists of baseline humans, various minor human races, and other sophonts.
• About 5% of the population (roughly 5 billion individuals) claim to be of ethnic Kaggushus heritage.

Linguistic Topography

The most commonly heard languages are:

• Anglic, one of the two official languages of the Imperium.
• Vilani, one of the two official languages of the Imperium.

World Technology Level (T)

Kaggushus possesses a Technology Level of TL–15 or TL-F in Hexadecimal Notation.

• Common Communication technologies for this TL include: Meson Communicators and Pseudo Reality Communications.
• Common Power Generation technologies for this TL include: Miniature super-batteries, improved collectors, and advanced Fusion+.
• Common Transportation technologies for this TL include:
  • Land & Water: Advanced gravcraft.
  • Air: Advanced gravcraft and speeders.
  • Space: Advanced gravcraft and G-Carriers.
  • FTL: Jump Drive-6.

World Government (G)

Kaggushus is governed by a Charismatic Dictatorship. Charismatic governments justify their ability to rule by simply asserting their right to rule. Charismatic dictatorships are typically young governments, coming as a recent change, and rely on the leader(s) to supply head of government.

World Law (L)

Kaggushus has a moderate law level with laws covering many areas of government and interaction. These laws are simple enough that most people can act as their own advocate, though for serious issues a professional is recommended. Law enforcement officials will be present, but not in great numbers. All firearms, and anything more destructive, are typically regulated or prohibited.

Imperial Landed Nobility

Kaggushus, as a member world of the Third Imperium, holds the estate of an Imperial Landed Knight who acts as an Imperial representative to the world, and the fiefdoms of two members of the Imperial Landed Nobility, who oversee affairs regarding the world at an Interstellar and Imperial level.

• It holds the estate of an Imperial knight, the Imperial representative to the world.
• It holds the fiefdom of an Imperial count.
• It holds the fiefdom of an Imperial subsector duke, who also conducts affairs regarding the entire subsector at the Interstellar and Imperial level.

Trade Data

• Importance: 4 (important)

World Economy

• Resources: G (extremely abundant)
• Labor: 9 (billions)
• Infrastructure: G (very comprehensive)
• Efficiency: +4 (advanced)

World Culture

• Heterogenity: A (discordant)
• Acceptance: E (extremely xenophilic)
• Strangeness: 5 (distinct)
• Symbols: F (extremely abstract)

World Timeline

Major events that have affected this world and the wider region that it lies within:

• circa -250,000: the Ancients are active within the sector.
• circa -9,000: the Geonee encounter the Vilani.
• -5400 to -4015: the Vilani Consolidation Wars.
• -4045 to -2204: the region is part of the Ziru Sirka.
• -2204 to -1776: the region becomes part of the Rule of Man.
• -1776 to 0: the Long Night.
• The Year 0: the Third Imperium is founded.
• 300-420: the Imperial First Survey charts the system.
• 604-622: the Civil War.
• 624: the Express Boat Network is established.
• 995-1065: the Imperial Second Survey charts the system.
• 1065: the Second Survey is published. Information about the system becomes widely available.

---

Later Historical Eras

Details of the Kaggushus system circa 1200 are provided to the right.

Kaggushus (ca 1200) System
Kerr/Massilia 0402
Position	Distance	Name	UWP
Primary		Uumgadi	F1 V
1	0.2 AU	–	(Empty)
2	0.4 AU	Liilirsi	GS0051B-C
3	0.7 AU	Dirmida	Y200000-0
4	1.0 AU	Gankhaka	H52030B-B
5	1.6 AU	–	(Empty)
6	2.8 AU	Kaggushus	A442AAB-C
1	3 Diam	Shuushan	GS00219-B
7	5.2 AU	Apdiga	YS00000-0
1	45 Diam	Igesh	FS00328-B
8	10 AU	Ashmu	SGG (Siz 90)
1	5 Diam	Alpha	H300000-0
2	50 Diam	Beta	YS00000-0
9	20 AU	Lankadir	LGG (Siz 160)
1	2 Diam	A Ring	YR00000-0
2	3 Diam	B Ring	YR00000-0
3	6 Diam	Alpha	YS00000-0
4	8 Diam	Beta	Y200000-0
5	15 Diam	Gamma	H10016A-C Re
6	45 Diam	Delta	Y400000-0
10	40 AU	Sigdashku	SGG (Siz 70)
1	2 Diam	Ring	YR00000-0
2	7 Diam	Alpha	Y300000-0
3	45 Diam	Ishdaga	G6A511A-C Re
11	154 AU	Larkun	SGG (Size 70)
1	5 Diam	Alpha	Y400000-0
2	9 Diam	Beta	YS00000-0

History-Era: New Era

The same pattern of rags to riches to rags that Kaggushus had always experienced repeated itself during the Imperial Final War. Ilelishi commerce raiders severely damaged the local merchant fleet, and the troubled politics of Lucan's faction led to increasing violence between local nobility. Even before the Collapse the rule of the Nolonar-Akiihi family had been undermined in many regions, several small brushfire wars were raging between would be successors.

• When Virus hit the world, more than seventy billion people were killed in nuclear bombardment, or from disease and starvation. Civil war erupted between several noble factions on Arsanus, and the planet was laid low for several decades by genocidal fighting. The former ruling family was able to secure several surviving arcologies, and helping stem the nosedive of the local tech level. Finally under the lead of Count Eric Nolonar, loyal armies crushed the rebellious factions in a series of quick reconquests, and the world was declared pacified in 1169.
• The main starport and local shipyards were found to be in salvageable condition, and Kaggushus was able to begin construction of new starships in 1174. Using a fleet of small exploration craft, it managed to recontact the other former Hub Worlds, in some cases helping them to repacify warring factions. In 1181 it led the convention that reformed the Confederacy. Arsanus has been rebuilt yet again, and contains the government seat for both the Nolonars and the Hub World government. Ruined and abandoned arcologies cover the planet, many of them off limits because of suspected lingering Viral infection.
• Most of the population has concentrated around the Arsanus Sea again, but salvage missions are slowly clearing damaged arcologies for resettlement. The government is slowly transitioning to a impersonal bureaucracy that (it is hoped) will smooth out the bitter controversies that exist between it and other Hub Worlds.

---

Kaggushus System: Points of Interest

Ishdaga

Ishdaga (UWP G6A511A-C) is the only major moon of the gas giant Sigdashku, orbiting in the outer system. It is controlled by the Kaggushus Intermural Finance Foundation (KIFF) which operates a number of industrial facilities.

• Unlike the world of Liilirsi, public tours and visits are welcomed and even encouraged.
• A number of antebellum TL–16 facilities remain in near pristine condition, and KIFF is using the proceeds from paid tours and public donations to fund future salvage operations.

Liilirsi

Liilirsi (UWP GS0051B-C) is a tiny ball of rock orbiting in the hot inner system. is a private fief of the Hauptmann Corporation, a business venture of several local noble families.

• It is a private facility off limits to uninvited guests, with a pair of old but well maintained patrol cruisers to guarantee security.

Gankhaka

Gankhaka officially has no government; in reality it is the site of several former Imperial era installations. Freelancers under the hire of the Mynoris Corporation carry out excavations under the cover of prospecting operations.

• Several noble backers of the company do not want public notification of these operations as that would attract looters and competitors.

References

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.

• Classic Traveller Supplement 11 Library Data (N-Z)
• Classic Traveller Solomani (Alien Module)
• The New Era Main Rulebook (pgs. 174-5)
• Marc Miller's Traveller T4 First Survey
• Christopher Griffen. The Third Imperium (Mongoose Publishing, 2021), 60.
• The Hub Worlds Pt.1 from the TNE-RCES Mailing List