Philomel (world)

Philomel/Sephi Hydra (Aldebaran 1517)
Classic Era (1116)	E757659-6 Starport E Frontier - no facilities Size 7 Medium (11,200 km, 0.70g - 0.94g) Atmosphere 5 Thin Hydrographics 7 Wet World 70% Population 6 Moderate (2 million) Government 5 Feudal Technocracy Law 9 High Law (no weapons out of home) Tech Level 6 Pre-Stellar (nuclear)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	F4 V G8 V
Planetoid Belts	0
Gas Giants	1

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Jump map from Travellermap.com

Philomel is an agricultural, nonindustrial garden world with a near-ideal, utopian environment conducive to most sophonts.

• As an agricultural world, this world is a near-ideal environment for producing quality foodstuffs of plant, animal, and other forms. Quality foodstuffs are a major export commodity for this world.
• It requires extensive imports of outside technology to maintain a modern, star-faring society. Having to import most manufactured and high tech goods drives the price up for these items at this world.
• Its economy and population are growing and living conditions are expected to incrementally rise barring outside forces. The world will grow even quicker when its industrial sector begins to develop.
• It is a member of the Solomani Confederation in the Sephi Hydra Subsector of Aldebaran Sector.

• It orbits the system's yellow secondary star.
• 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.
• 30% of the population consists of Dolphins.
• It is home to a large community of Kwaz.

Description (Astrography & Planetology)

Stellar Data

Philomel is a binary star system.

• The primary is a white main sequence.
• The secondary is a yellow main sequence.

Philomel has two stars in the star system.

Primary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	F4 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		1.38	6550 - 6670	3.08729
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0143	0.1457	1.58 - 2.75	1.43	14.3
	Orbit #	*	0	4	4	7
	Remarks
Secondary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	G8 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		0.94	5380 - 5480	0.80528
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0085	0.0744	0.87 - 1.54	0.85	8.5
	Orbit #	*	*	3	2	7
	Remarks		Approximately 315 AU from the primary.

System Data

The white primary star does not retain a planetary system.

The worlds orbiting the yellow secondary star have been surveyed. They consist of:

• The mainworld.
• x2 secondary rocky worlds.
• x1 gas giants.

Mainworld Data

Philomel orbits within the prime region of the secondary star's habitable zone.

Mainworld Size (S)

Philomel 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)

Philomel has a pressure of 0.43 to 0.70 atmospheres. The Thin Atmosphere does not require survival gear although it may be hard on sophonts not accustomed to it.

• It experiences generally moderate temperatures.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Philomel has 65-75% of its surface covered by liquid water. It has significant large liquid bodies. Wilderness refueling is possible.

Mainworld Geography and Topography

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

There are three continents, named Alpamax, Bella, and Maldive, arranged around the equator. The oceans are exceptionally deep, with a sharp drop-off off of the continental shelves.

(Blank map, predominantly watery world.)

Native Lifeforms

Abundant native life occupying every available ecological niche. Its metabolic functions drive the process of atmospheric renewal.

History & Background (Dossier)

During the Rim War the Confederation attempted to "relocate" a number of non-human races to other worlds, principally to fill gaps in the labor market caused by humans serving in the military. Large numbers of Kwaz were shipped to the world to assist with agricultural tasks. Their services are in demand, they have integrated relatively well, and generally they are thriving.

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.

World Starport (St)

Philomel 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.

The Grand Welcome Port is largely an empty gravelly plain set aside for landings. It lies about 20 km from the Capitol and is connected by a modern paved highway.

Observations: 
There is a heavily reinforced concrete complex with radar and early lidar ranging arrays and a serviceable communication array using radio frequencies. Defensive missile batteries may be under construction.

GWP hailed us when we approached within 100km, directing us to land on "Tarmac A", which is exactly what it sounds like. Tarmac. A civilian ground car and military troop carrier rolled up an hour later with a greetings dignitary introducing herself as "Luceel Smyieteen". We filled in what appeared to be a 1st generation interstellar arrival form, and then transported to the local "Welcome Town", just outside of Bellatrix, the Capitol. Welcome Town was plainly a whitewashed version of Philomel society, probably from 20 year ago. Still, the hostel was nice, with no organic bugs, and honestly really tasty local fare.

It took us 3 days to finally gain access to Bellatrix - apparently, the government was having to develop policies regarding travellers on the fly. Nice enough folks.

See detailed report attached.

World Population (P)

Philomel has a population of 60,000,000 sophonts (tens of millions).

• Almost 65% of the population (about 39 million individuals) consists of Solomani humans.
• Nearly 30% of the population (less than 18 million individuals) is made up of Dolphins.
• A little under 5% of the population (around 3 million individuals) consists of Kwaz.

Urbanization

Most large cities (constructed to roughly TL–6 standards) are on the coastline of Bella, including the planetary capitol of Bellatrix. There are but a single city on each of the other continents, named Alphaville and Mallus respectively. All are currently powered by 2nd-gen molten salt nuclear reactors (MSR) currently splitting uranium, as opposed to converted Thorium.

The Kwaz present on the world live in their own communities, generally built close to human settlements. Structures are constructed to serve their physiological needs and are generally far too small for humans to comfortably enter.

Linguistic Topography

The most commonly heard languages are:

• Delphinic Trinary, the principal language of Dolphins.
• Native Kwaz languages.
• Rim Anglic, a dialect of Anglic and the principal language of the Confederation.

World Technology Level (T)

Philomel possesses a Technology Level of TL–6.

• Common Communication technologies for this TL include: Telephone, radio, and television.
• Common Power Generation technologies for this TL include: Early fission power generation, advanced water and wind generation of electricity.
• Common Transportation technologies for this TL include:
  • Land: Improved automobiles, early ATV's, and dedicated AFV's.
  • Water: Amphibious vehicles, improved submersibles, and early SCUBA gear.
  • Air: Early jet aircraft and rotorcraft VTOL's.
  • Space: Early unmanned rocket delivery systems and early manned orbital rockets.

World Government (G)

Philomel 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)

Philomel has a high law level with laws covering many areas of interactions of people, corporations, and the government. A few worlds with this law level may be Amber Zones. Any interaction with the judicial system requires an Advocate trained in the local legal system. Law enforcement is present almost everywhere, either as people or via technology. Legal proceedings can take weeks to months to resolve and involve a dozen or more people. All objects specifically manufactured as weapons are typically regulated or prohibited (outside private residences or visiting starships).

Trade Data

• Importance: -2 (very unimportant)

World Economy

• Resources: 9 (moderate)
• Labor: 5 (hundreds of thousands)
• Infrastructure: 0 (non-existent)
• Efficiency: +1 (average)

World Culture

The culture is rather formal and standoffish until a level of familiarization has occurred. Use of formal titles "Messersi" and "Madazi" without family names is typical. This evolves to Messersi followed by the family name, once the personage has volunteered it from their own lips. Custom dictates that a personal name not be volunteered until after 3 days of at least occasional formal conversation; this may have been the root issue with our getting access to the Capitol. Forewarned is forearmed, here.

Once familiar, Philomel hosts are as friendly and accommodating as any other sophont.

• Heterogenity: 6 (harmonious)
• Acceptance: 4 (extremely aloof)
• Strangeness: 4 (somewhat distinct)
• Symbols: 9 (somewhat abstract)

World Timeline

Major events that have affected this world and the wider region 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.
• -1776 to 0: the Long Night.
• The Year 0: to coreward, the Third Imperium is founded.
• 300-420: the Imperial First Survey charts the system.
• 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 system.
• 1065: the Second Survey is published. Information about the system becomes widely available.

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.

• John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Classic Traveller Supplement 8 Library Data (A-M), (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), various pages. (Library data entries)
• John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Classic Traveller Supplement 11 Library Data (N-Z), (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), various pages. (Library data entries)
• John Harshman, Marc Miller. Solomani (Game Designers Workshop, 1986), IFC, pages 3, 28. (sector named, background for the sector)
• Peter G. Celella, James Holden. Solomani & Aslan (Digest Group Publications, 1991), pages 8-11, various others. (dot map locating the worlds of the sector, background for the sector)
• Steven Eric Schwartz. MegaTraveller Periodical Imperiallines 2, 1991, page 5. (Bootean Federation, background for the sector)
• Michael Taylor. Fighting Ships of the Solomani (QuikLink Interactive, 2009), page 5. (background for the sector)
• David L. Pulver. Solomani (Mongoose Publishing, 2012), pages 50, 118, 119, various others. (background for the sector)
• Martin J. Dougherty. The Order of Prometheus (Mongoose Publishing, 2023), various pages. (scenarios and background for the sector)
• Zho Berka's Maps (Classic Era UWP Data for the world)
• CORE Data Site (UWP Data for the world)
• Author & Contributor: Garnfellow (development of the sector)
• Author & Contributor: Leroy W.L. Guatney of the Federation Development Agency (FDA) (development of the sector)
• Author & Contributor: Dochsavage