Lakou (world)

Lakou/Five Sisters (Spinward Marches 0638)
Classic Era (1116)	E779454-7 Starport E Frontier - no facilities Size 7 Medium (11,200 km, 0.70g - 0.94g) Atmosphere 7 Standard (tainted) Hydrographics 9 Wet World 90% Population 4 Moderate (60 thousand) Government 5 Feudal Technocracy Law 4 Moderate Law (no light assault weapons) Tech Level 7 Pre-Stellar (electronics)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	M2 V
Planetoid Belts	0
Gas Giants	1

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Jump map from Travellermap.com

Lakou is a nonindustrial world, that requires extensive imports of outside technology to maintain a modern, star-faring society.

• In a technological universe, societies without industrial capability generally suffer as nearly all manufactured and high tech goods must be brought in at significant cost.
• As a nonindustrial world, it requires extensive imports of outside technology to maintain a modern, star-faring society. The need to import most manufactured and high technology goods drives the price of these goods up in the open market.
• It is a member of the Third Imperium in the Subsector of Spinward Marches Sector in the Domain of Deneb.
• This is a temperate world, with a climate of pleasant, average temperatures, considered to be an ideal or near-ideal environment by many different sophont species.
• This dangerous world is designated an Amber Zone with an environment, laws, customs, life forms, or other conditions that make it dangerous to visitors.
• Lakou is a member of the Spinward Main..
• It is a member of Collace Arm.

Description (Astrography & Planetology)

Stellar Data

Lakou has a solitary primary star.

• It is a red main sequence.

Lakou has a solitary primary star.

Primary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	M2 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		0.44	3470 - 3560	0.0565
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0041	0.0197	0.25 - 0.48	0.41	4.1
	Orbit #	*	*	1	1	6
	Remarks

System Data

The worlds of the system have been surveyed. They consist of:

• The mainworld.
• x11 secondary rocky worlds.
• x1 gas giant.

Mainworld Data

Mainworld Size (S)

Lakou is a Meso World between 10,400km and 12,000km in diameter. The world has a standard gravity between 0.7G and 0.9G. The horizon will appear about 4.7km away.

Mainworld Atmosphere (A)

Lakou has a pressure of 0.71 to 1.49 atmospheres. While a Standard 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.

• It experiences moderate temperatures.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Lakou has 85-95% of its surface covered by liquid water with a few small continents, and a number of islands and archipelagos. Dry land is limited. Wilderness refueling is possible.

Mainworld Geography and Topography

No centrally held map of the world exists within AAB Library Data records.

(Blank map, predominantly watery world.)

History & Background (Dossier)

Lakou is a Danger World and is designated as an Amber Zone. It presents particular risks and dangers due to the environment or native life forms, laws or customs, or other conditions that are not well understood.

• Visitors are advised to act with caution.

Settled in the aftermath of the Psionics Suppressions as a sort of last resort colony. Mostly covered by water, with most of the landmass scattered large islands and archipelagoes. Most of the land came under the domination of the colonial bureaucracy, which soon evolved into a feudal system of bickering landlords. This feudal arrangement is known as the Custodiate, and consists of an elite council of landed and hereditary peers who represent the population as a whole. The Custodiate debates and deliberates issues of common interest to all of the lords, sets taxation, maintains a common legal code and judiciary, and resolves disputes between various landlords. The Common people have no voice in government, and the Custodiate successfully derailed popular agitation during the Representational Reforms.

Lakou's economy is primarily animal husbandry and truck farming. Low population densities guaranteed that local communities would be tied to their lord’s landholds. The lack of transportation infrastructure and the indifferent attitude of their lords created isolation and separation between these communities, laying the foundation for conflict. Frequent fighting over land and water resources escalated into mini-wars engulfing entire regions of the surface.

The increase in TL, and the Representational Reforms actually exacerbated local tensions. In the last twenty years, about a dozen small wars have erupted between the most powerful landlords. Most of these attempts take the form of "filibustering" by offworld mercs who infiltrate a rival landhold, posing as seasonal workers or legitimate security troops, and launch an uprising in the name of their actual employers.

Offworld analysts doubt if this upswing in violence is merely coincidental, citing evidence of involvement by offworld speculators and opportunists. Many mercenary units involved have been of professional standing greater than what the locals need or are able to afford. If it is an offworld powerplay, by either business interests on Mirriam, or former megacorporation personnel carrying out an independent enterprise, it is have unintended side effects.

In the last five years or so, a growing proportion of the landlords' tenants and retainers have been abandoning their posts and jobs, and striking off on their own. Most of these people were originally promised land and a secure life of their own as part of their lords contractual obligations to their retainers. But the fighting coupled with their lieges tightening control over their lives has created a grassroots reaction. Calling themselves "Freeholders", these people have been seizing unused or unclaimed land, often with assistance from merc units stranded on planet after failed filibusters. The tension and conflict this has created with the ruling Custodiate adds an even more lethal layer to the world's Amber Zone rating.

World Starport (St)

Lakou has a Class E Starport, a frontier quality installation with few expected amenities. There is unrefined fuel for starships and a limited variety of ship provisions. There is no shipyard of any kind, but there may be parts and technical support for doing minor services and repair. Ports of this classification generally consist of a downport.

World Population (P)

Lakou has a population of 60,000 sophonts (tens of thousands).

• This is a Nonindustrial World, too small to support the complete chain of production of most goods from start to finish.

Linguistic Topography

The following languages are most commonly heard:

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

World Technology Level (T)

Lakou possesses a Technology Level of TL–7.

• Common Communication technologies for this TL include: Early video and early satellite communication networks.
• Common Power Generation technologies for this TL include: Early fuel cells, solar energy, and geothermal power sources.
• Common Transportation technologies for this TL include:
  • Land: Improved automobiles, hovercraft, and bullet trains.
  • Water: Hydrofoils and early triphibians.
  • Air: Hang gliders and supersonic jets.
  • Space: Deep space probes and interplanetary spacecraft (System Craft).

World Government (G)

Lakou is governed by a Feudal Technocracy. Society divides itself based on the technical requirements of the society. Each of these functions are granted as a fief to an individual or group. Leadership of these fiefs determines the head of the government.

World Law (L)

Lakou 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. Light assault weapons, and anything more destructive, are typically regulated or prohibited.

Imperial Landed Nobility

Lakou, as a member world of the Third Imperium has a member of the Imperial Landed Nobility who acts as an Imperial representative to the world.

• It holds the estate of an Imperial knight.

Trade Data

• Importance: -3 (very unimportant)

World Economy

• Resources: 6 (few)
• Labor: 3 (thousands)
• Infrastructure: 1 (extremely limited)
• Efficiency: -5 (extremely poor)

World Culture

• Heterogenity: 2 (monolithic)
• Acceptance: 1 (extremely xenophobic)
• Strangeness: 3 (somewhat typical)
• Symbols: 5 (concrete)

World Timeline

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

• The Year 0: the Third Imperium is founded.
• 300-420: the Imperial First Survey charts the system.
• 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 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.

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), 10-11.
• 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), 48. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 54.
• Mike West. The Spinward States (Avenger Enterprises, 2008), 109. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), .
• Martin Dougherty. Behind the Claw (Mongoose Publishing, 2019), 98-102. (UWP only)
• Peter Gray - BARD OPAL 9514