Mertactor (world)

Mertactor/District 268 (Spinward Marches 1537)
Classic Era (1116)	B562732-B Starport B Good: Spacecraft Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel Size 5 Medium (8,000 km, 0.40g - 0.57g) Atmosphere 6 Standard Hydrographics 2 Dry World 20% Population 7 Moderate (10 million) Government 3 Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy Law 2 Low Law (no energy weapons) Tech Level B Average Stellar (large starships)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	G1 V
Planetoid Belts	1
Gas Giants	0

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Jump map from Travellermap.com

Mertactor is a rich world.

• As a rich world, this planet has high-grade living conditions and is highly sought after by immigrating sophonts.
• This world has a prosperous and thriving world economy.
• Some of the sources of this world's wealth are well known, but others remain a mystery. Many speculate on these mysterious sources of wealth. Some even investigate them... to no avail yet.
• It is a member of the Third Imperium in the District 268 Subsector of Spinward Marches Sector in the Domain of Deneb.
• Mertactor is a member of the Spinward Main.
• It lies on the Glisten Arm.

Astrography & Planetology

Stellar Data

Mertactor has a solitary primary star.

• It is a yellow main sequence.

Mertactor has a solitary primary star.

Mertactor Primary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	G1 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		1.03	5770 - 5860	1.109
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0099	0.0873	1 - 1.75	0.99	9.9
	Orbit #	*	*	4	3	7
	Remarks		None

System Data

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

• The mainworld.
• x12 secondary rocky worlds.
• x1 planetoid belt.

Mainworld

Mertactor is occasionally referred to as The Gatekeeper of Glisten, as it is the spinwardmost Imperial planet along the length of the Glisten Arm. Before it is Egypt, Overnale, and Glisten itself; beyond it lies District 268, the Wild West of charted space.

Mainworld Size (S)

Mertactor 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.

Offworlders are often uncomfortable with prolonged exposure to Mertactor's low gravity. Generally, hostels that cater to offworlders provide 1G suites for those who can't abide Mertactan lightfootedness for extended periods of time.

Mainworld Atmosphere (A)

Mertactor has a pressure of 0.71 to 1.49 atmospheres. A Standard Atmosphere does not require survival gear and will likely be easy for most sophonts to breathe.

While dodging free traders and air/rafts, visiting travellers will be impressed by the lush earth and blue skies of Mertactor. Thanks to an absence of big industry and an abundance of scattered wilderness preserves, the planet has been able to maintain its clean air and natural landscape. Due to the planet's rather small size and close horizon, the clear azure skies seem to almost surround the reclining viewer.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Mertactor 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

Most of the planet's water is scattered in small seas and large lakes rather than being concentrated in larger oceans. The human population has adapted to this by colonizing in small towns around the shores, and this has led to a tendency for the culture of the planet to be considered rather boring by its neighbors.

Native Lifeforms

Mertactor is a low gravity planet with a dense atmosphere, and as a result much of the animal life has evolved into flyers of one sort or another.

Spongetrees are among the world's more common flora.

History & Background (Dossier)

Despite Mertactor's historical animosity toward Mora, its own governmental institutions are heavily influenced by those of the 'homeworld'. While Mertactor is not a matriarchy, women traditionally get preference for most cabinet posts and tend to be elected to Chamberlord positions at a rate of just over 60 percent . The Chamberlords are a select group of nine individuals, elected for lifelong terms by a subordinate network of sheriffs, who are popularly elected by the rather disproportionately sized counties of Mertactor.

Descended from working-class deportees, Mertactans are proud of their uncompromising heritage. Mertactans tamed the wilds of their planet, forging an advanced and forward-thinking society. And, as befits any cosmopolitan world, the fashion and culture of Mertactor are heavily influenced by visiting merchants and adventurers. "Anything goes," is the motto on Mertactor. One will find visiting travellers sporting anything from traditional Vilani lagaash robes to the virtual nudity of Glistenite tailored vaccsuits. The jaded Mertactans are nonchalant and accepting of such diversity.

Within the last 80 years, the rimward encroachment of Aslan ihatei has had an interesting effect on the mercantile subculture. Disputes between trading companies are now frequently resolved by dueling. Unfortunately, the Aslan code of honor is absent in Mertactan dueling. Shooting or stabbing one's opponent in the back or poisoning his food the evening before the duel is not uncommon.

Visiting free traders should not fear, however. Oddly enough, the virulence shown by one fellow Mertactan trader to another is not extended to offworlders. It is thought that a general sense of pity for the poorly trained foreign trader makes him unworthy of such treatment. The prevailing attitude is "if he's not Mertactan, he's no good at trading anyway!" Though you'll never hear a Mertactan say this in public!

To borrow from an ancient Terran metaphor, Mertactor has a 'Jekyll-and-Hyde' culture. To offworlders and potential trading partners, Mertactans are amiable and welcoming, while to one another they are the most vicious of opponents, professionally speaking. While the divisiveness of Mertactan society may appear anarchic or perhaps downright hostile, it is embraced by Mertactans as an integral part of their culture. To survive in a universe fraught with danger and deception, Mertactans believe that "It is better to do unto others before they do unto you."

Human powered flight is a popular leisure activity.

The main regional base of McClellan Factors, a shipping and mercantile exploration firm, is sited on the world.

World Starport (St)

Mertactor has a Class B Starport, a good 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 most kinds of repair, and construction of non-starships. Most ports of this classification have both a Highport and a Downport.

• The world is host to a Scout Base.

The Mertactan Free Trade Administration operates the planet's sole orbital starport and city. Built in 1004, FTA Orbital was originally intended as a place where offworlders could comfortably trade without having to make planetfall. The idea initially did not catch on with visiting merchants, however, and resulting cutbacks in public funding made it impossible to properly maintain the port -- which quickly deteriorated to a D-level facility. Ironically, traffic at FTA Orbital has increased over 300 percent since its deterioration, and it is now the most active black-market trade center in the subsector.

Landing at Mertactor downport can be a harrowing experience. The unregulated close orbit and airspace of the planet are subject to more accidents per capita than any other planet in the sector. While there are ample spaceports on the planet, only the B-quality facility in the capital city of Seacheard and the C-quality installation in Kaydah provide services for interstellar craft.

World Population (P)

Mertactor has a population of 10,000,000 sophonts (tens of millions).

About 10% of the population is Aslan, descended from a group of mercenaries employed by the Imperium around 950. They are pretty thoroughly assimilated, although their presence does attract attention from Aslan long range traders.

Some suspect that there was a population on this world by the 400's, who were abandoned miners from the Sindalian Empire.

World Technology Level (T)

Mertactor possesses a Technology Level of TL–11 or TL-B 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 & Air: Personal G-Tubes and advanced gravcraft.
  • Space: Advanced interplanetary spacecraft (System Craft).
  • FTL: Jump Drive-2.

World Government (G)

Mertactor is governed by Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy. A single family or small group provides the leadership and important positions in the government. These positions are inherited by member of the group or their family members. The organization may be a monarchy, with titles passed to family members, or a plutocracy where inheritance of the family fortune includes government position. Alternatively, the organization may be a more typical government apparatus, only with positions of power inherited.

World Law (L)

Mertactor has a low law level. There are few laws, covering only important areas. There may be few or no law enforcement officers, the expectation is citizens will bring law breakers to the attention of the Judicial system. Legal proceedings will be fast, with few people involved. For interactions outside of the framework of the laws, cultural norms dominate. Portable energy weapons, body pistols, explosives, and poison gas are typically regulated or prohibited.

Imperial Landed Nobility

Mertactor, 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 fiefdom of a member of the Imperial Landed Nobility, who oversees 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 baron.

Trade Data

• Importance: 3 (ordinary)

World Economy

• Resources: A (abundant)
• Labor: 6 (millions)
• Infrastructure: D (comprehensive)
• Efficiency: -1 (average)

World Culture

• Heterogenity: 3 (monolithic)
• Acceptance: A (very friendly)
• Strangeness: 1 (very typical)
• Symbols: 7 (somewhat 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.

Points of Interest: Tourist Sites

Mertactor's thriving tourist industry offers a plethora of activities to visiting travellers. In the city of Seacheard, visitors will be astonished by the beauty of the Darrian flame sculpture exhibit at the Seacheard Museum of Art. Donated by First Frontier war hero, Admiral Koenig, the exhibit features some of the finest Darrian artwork to be produced in the last millenium. At the Colonial History Museum, visitors may view artifacts, holovids and antique equipment from the Spinward Marches' colonial past. Of particular note is an exhibition featuring what the museum's curator claims are the original blueprints for the Type-S scoutship prototype. Children will enjoy visiting The Wild Frontier, Seacheard's largest amusement park replete with an imported Moran virtual reality entertainment center.

Inghvernar, Mertactor's largest ocean, lies 280 km west of Seacheard. Mertactans on holiday flock to its golden beaches. Well-travelled offworlders will be less impressed by this body of water, which would only constitute a large lake on most larger planets. On Inghvernar's east coast is the Lubvenar Fossil Museum, where travellers can discover the rich natural history of Mertactor through an fascinating series of exhibits and holodynamic displays.

Kaydah, the seat of government, features the impressive Mertactan Legislature Building (MLB). Constructed of reinforced synthetic sandstone, this ivy-draped obelisk seems to thrust right out Mertactor's terrestrial crust and through the planet's thick equatorial jungle as if it had been there since time immemorial. Standing atop Mount Aseldon, the MLB looks over the busy streets of northern Kaydah like an alert sentry.

On the southern end of the city, is the Plankwell Subsector Capital Building. Though the Capital's architecture is aesthetically pleasing with its sharp edges and metallic industrial styling, political representatives from throughout the subsector complain about the dearth of office space in the building. The building was intended to be much larger when the subsector capital was set to be on neighboring system, Collace. However, when the Mertactan Chamberlords successfully lobbied the Archduke to establish the capital on Mertactor, they immediately contracted a local architecture firm to design the building. Due to the time constraints of the agreement, the job was rushed, with the result being an attractive but largely inadequate building.

Perhaps the most outstanding educational establishment on the planet is the Mertactor Mercantile Academy. While the academy is on par with most other Regency educational facilities for the most part, its language department is outstanding. Just about every language spoken within 80 parsecs is taught at the academy, including each and every vargr language in the Extents. The academy emphasizes cultural behaviors and idiosynchrasies as well in order to train the ambitious merchant cadet for any eventuality.

Mertactan trading companies benefit from the presence of the academy. Some of the most finely trained merchant personnel in the Regency can be found in Mertactan trading companies. Mertactan traders are known, however, to be quite bloodthirsty in their competition for business insystem and will stop at nothing to obtain their goals. The rather ineffectual law enforcement administrations of Mertactor are unable to prevent trading blocs and factions from colluding, bribing, embezzling and on occasion shooting each other to death.

---

Later Historical Eras

History-Era: Regency

As a planet on the frontier, Mertactor is known for its free spiritedness and lawlessness. Felons fleeing the authority of the Regency Navy, RQS and/or bounty hunters frequently stop off at Mertactor on their way to the independent worlds and client states spinward and rimward of the Regency. Merchants carrying illegal goods find Mertactor to be the ideal port to sell their wares. For the disenfranchised, disillusioned and disingenuous, Mertactor is the last port on a journey to the outlands of unincorporated space.

Other Data (Alternate History)

The first colonists set foot on the system mainworld's terra firma in the early 300s. The majority of lots had been purchased by Moran interests, which, under pressure from the Moran government, designated Mertactor (then known as 567-910) as a population overflow world. Consequently, Mora issued the Relocation Initiative of 324. The initiative was not looked well upon by the displaced colonists or the small band of colonists already on 567-910. Although Mora publicly used "population relief" as their motive for the deportation, the deportees included an inordinate number of religious dissidents, ex-cons and other malcontents. Draw your own conclusions.

To villify the Moran Matriarchs, the colonists deported from Mora named their world after the notorious freebooter, Wilhelm Mertactor, who had raided, raped and pillaged the coreward subsectors of Gushemege Sector in the twilight years of the Ramshackle Empire. An ambitious public relations campaign by the Moran Matriarchs failed to conceal the facts about what was happening on Mertactor and many a political career fell by the wayside in the ensuing scandal.

Surprisingly, the Mertactans refused the clemency of the Moran government in 328, when they were offered repatriation as compensation for their "unjust deportation." The Mertactan colonists had become accustomed to their small but verdant new home and the majority decided to stay. By appealing to the IISS Exploration department's colonial bureau, Mertactor was granted independence. Imperial officials saw this as an opportunity to prevent word of the relocation scandal from travelling all the way back to the Iridium Throne. As part of the deal, the IISS was allowed to establish a base on Mertactor. It wasn't until after the Fourth Frontier War that Mertactor finally accepted overtures made by the Imperial Government to apply for membership.

The Mertactan Chamberlords reserved approximately 25 percent of the planet's wilderness as preserves to avoid the ecological calamities that had occurred elsewhere in the region due to reckless colonial bootstrap development programs. The remaining unsettled territories were tendered to offworld corporate interests interested in developing the planet's resources and promoting trade and industry. In order to preserve their independence, however, the Chamberlords carefully screened out any megacorporations, megacorporate shadow companies, and sectorwide corporations in order to prevent a takeover attempt by any one corporate entity.

Their conservative approach backfired and industry never really took off on Mertactor. Seeking to teach the upstart colonists a lesson, the megacorporations conspired with mid-sized corporations to boycott the Mertactans. Employing every type of coercion imaginable, the megacorporations managed to squelch independent-minded investors from circumventing the boycott.

Undaunted, the Mertactan merchant fleet took the initiative and began establishing trade agreements with the worlds of the Darrian Confederation and the Sword Worlds. Famous Mertactan free trader and gambler Michaela Wallace took her business all the way to the fringes of the Zhodani Consulate, and established trade ties with the Zhodani that have survived numerous frontier wars and survive to the present day. While most of the early Spinward Marches colonies also traded with the established interstellar governments of the region, few dispute that Mertactan mercantile savvy can open twice as many doors in half the time.

Modern Mertactan industry essentially exists to support the planet's lucrative mercantile sector. Rather than being a producer of industrial or agricultural goods, Mertactans like to think of their system as "the best damned conduit for trade in the Regency."

References

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), 18-19.
• Marc Miller. The Spinward Marches Campaign (Game Designers Workshop, 1985), 18-19.
• J. Andrew Keith. Beltstrike (Game Designers Workshop, 1984), 10.
• 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)
• Jim Long. Volentine Gambit (Cargonaut Press, 1998), .
• Dave Nilsen. The Regency Sourcebook (Game Designers Workshop, 1995), 48-49. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 77.
• Hans Rancke-Madsen, "The Outrim Frontier." JTAS Online (June 19, 2007)
• Mike West. The Spinward States (Avenger Enterprises, 2008), 110. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), .
• Martin Dougherty. Behind the Claw (Mongoose Publishing, 2019), 123-127. (UWP only)
• Matthew Sprange. "Mertactor." Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society volume 6 (2020): 108-113.
• Christopher Griffen - Rice Paper SM-1537
• Christopher Griffen - Traveller Atlas
• Author Robert Dean - HIWG
• Contributor: Vendarth