Keel Knot

The Keel Knot is a named region within the Zarn Cluster, a cluster lying within Canopus Sector.

• It is an astrographic feature and part of a minor trade route.
• It lies within the Solomani Confederation.

Description (Specifications)

The Keel Knot is a named region forming the heart of the Zarn Cluster, a backwater cluster lying on the central-trailing edge of Canopus Sector.

• The Knot has four member systems. Three of these -- Borovichi, Graphite, and Ominous -- are known as the Knot Worlds.
• The region is named for Keel, a low population, technologically advanced vacuum world that happens to be isolated by the Knot Worlds and thus counted as a member.
• The lack of facilities among its worlds make it a detriment to commerce and trade.

Canopus Sector Clusters

A basic overview of the Zarn Cluster and the Keel Knot within it:

(Charts sourced from Traveller Map)

• Member worlds are highlighted in brown.
• The Knot region is outlined.

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Commercial Data

The following commercial and economic data is available:

Corporations

Corporations and organizations active within the Knot include:

• ConTech, a corporation specializing in life sciences, particularly large-scale bio-terraforming projects, medicine, and cloning.
• Lamarck Minerals, a corporation with a relatively small core area of operations in the Solomani Rim, but with growing interests in resource extraction and processing throughout the Solomani Sphere.
• Orion Metallurgy Corporation (OMC), engaged in resource exploration, extraction, and processing throughout the Solomani Sphere.
• Panstellar, a major transport and logistics corporation.
• Probable Technologies, a scientific research organization involved with academia and heavy industry. It works extensively with the Confederation military.
• Rising Phoenix News Service (RPNS), the premier news and media organization within the Solomani Sphere. It has a strong pro-Confederation bias.
• Solomani Maschinenbau (SolMan) AG, a corporation with interests in heavy engineering and starship manufacture throughout the spinward half of the Confederation.
• Solomani Shipping, a major transport and logistics corporation.
• Transstar, a Solomani megacorporation specializing in transport and logistics. It operates across 13 sectors, represented by the 13 stars in its logo.
• ZeeCorp, a corporation with interests in manufacturing active throughout the Solomani Confederation. It is a major producer of robots.

Goods

Notable local commodities include:

• (none currently listed)

Security & Defense

The worlds of the Knot are patrolled by the Solomani Navy. It defends Confederation territory, protects Confederation interests, suppresses piracy, and ensures interstellar trade and commerce.

• Confederation vessels may demand customs inspections.

History & Background (Dossier)

The Keel Knot is considered a serious impediment to local commerce and trade, almost entirely due to the lack of facilities or services on its member worlds.

• The world of Keel, isolated by the other Knot Worlds, is not happy about its name being associated with the region.

High cargo capacity, low jump rating vessels attempt to move through the Knot, carrying large amounts of goods and commodities to other worlds of the Cluster.

Solomani Security keeps a close eye on things to ensure the security of the Confederation and the well-being of its loyal citizens. Almost anyone could be a SolSec informant, passing on all sorts of useful information: some gain a reward or benefit for their actions, others are coerced, but many see it as an act of duty to help protect the Solomani state and its interests.

Demographics

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

• Humaniti (Human races)
  • Solomani (Major Race): Widely spread across the region.

Zarn

• Non-human races
  • Zarn of Zarn (Minor Race): Encountered across the region.

Linguistic Topography

The most commonly heard languages are:

• Native Zarn languages.
• Rim Anglic, a dialect of Anglic and the principal language of the Solomani Confederation.

Timeline

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

• -9235: Far to coreward, the Vilani discover jump drive technology. Over the centuries pioneers and settlers gradually spread across Charted Space.
• -4045 to -2204: The Ziru Sirka controls vast territories.
• -2431: Terrans discover jump drive technology.
• -2404 to -2215: The Interstellar Wars.
• -2204 to -1776: The Rule of Man administers the former Ziru Sirka.
• -1862 to -1110: The Terran Mercantile Community is active across the region.
• -1776 to 0: The Long Night.
• -1110 to 588: The Terran Mercantile Community gradually becomes the Old Earth Union, shrinking to control the region around Terra.
• The Year 0: To coreward, the Third Imperium is founded.
• 300-420: The Imperial First Survey charts the region.
• 588: The Old Earth Union and the former territories of the Terran Mercantile Community are annexed by the Imperium.
• 604-622: The Imperial Civil War.
• 624: The Imperial Express Boat Network is established.
• 704: The Solomani Autonomous Region is formed.
• 800-820: The Psionics Suppressions.
• 871: The Solomani Confederation is founded.
• 940: The Solomani Autonomous Region is dissolved.
• 990-1002: The Solomani Rim War.
• 995-1065: The Imperial Second Survey includes data for the region.
• 1065: The Second Survey is published. Information about the region becomes widely available.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

This astrographic feature is found in the following areas:

Charted Space – Solomani Confederation:

• Canopus Sector
  • Zarn Subsector

World Listing

Comprehensive Second Survey data for all worlds that are members of the Keel Knot 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:

4 of 4 World articles in Keel Knot

Borovichi  •  Graphite  •  Keel  •  Ominous  •  

startbacknext(4 listed)

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)

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.

• Peter G. Celella, James Holden. Solomani & Aslan (Digest Group Publications, 1991), pages 8-11, various others. (dot map locating the worlds of the Knot)
• Author & Contributor: IISS Junior Administrator and Master Astrographer Ensign Phillips
• Author & Contributor: MIMIC - Minor Imp of the Ministry of Information and Communication
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science