Shadowsand (world)
| Shadowsand/Inverness (Far Frontiers 2526) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic Era (1116) | C000419-B
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| See also | UWP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System Details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary | Black Hole | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Planetoid Belts | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gas Giants | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shadowsand is a ring of many small worldlets (planetoids AKA an "asteroid belt"), not capable of retaining an atmosphere or water, and nonindustrial in nature.
- These worldlets warrant hazardous environment precautions.
- Life in a vacuum requires great discipline. After all, it only takes one forgotten seal on a vacuum suit to spell death. Those who survive tend to be very methodically-minded and attentive to small detail.
- The worldlets require 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.
- It is a Non-Aligned world dominated by human sophonts located in the Inverness Subsector of Far Frontiers Sector.
- The system has no primary star: it is centered on a black hole.
Description (Astrography & Planetology)[edit]
Stellar Data[edit]
Shadowsand has a solitary primary object.
- It is a black hole designated FARF-BH2526.
Shadowsand has a solitary primary star. FARF-BH2526
Type Category Mass (Sol) Temperature (K) Luminosity BH Black Hole 5 0 - 0 0 Unit Diameter Safe Distance Habitable Zone Jump Shadow M-Drive Limit AU 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 Orbit # * * * * * Remarks Singularity (FARF-BH2526)
System Data[edit]
The worlds of the system have been surveyed. They consist of:
- The mainworld.
- x8 secondary rocky worlds. All are burned out, melted cinder worlds that remain extremely hot and are extremely geologically unstable.
- x1 planetoid belt, lying close to the event horizon.
Point of Interest: Shadowsand Black Hole[edit]
This system is centered on a black hole instead of a primary star.
- It is a gravitational singularity.
- It has a diameter of around 5500 meters.
- The astrophysical properties of a world in a stable orbit around a black hole are not well understood.
- Some even conjecture that none of the bodies orbiting the object are stable in the long-term...
Mainworld Data[edit]
Shadowsand is an asteroid belt mainworld.
It orbits within the black hole's "outer system".
- It receives very low levels of stellar energy.
Mainworld Size (S)[edit]
Shadowsand is an Asterioid Belt or Planetoid Belt consisting of a few very large objects with diameters of hundreds of kilometers, thousands of bodies of a few kilometers in diameter, and millions of smaller objects. Asteroid Belt is used when the belt is the mainworld of a system. Planetoid Belt refers to any non-mainworld belt within a system.
Mainworld Atmosphere (A)[edit]
None of the bodies within the Shadowsand belt retain an atmosphere.
- The belt is in vacuum conditions, requiring the use of a Vacc Suit.
- TL–8 or more advanced survival gear is required to settle this world.
Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)[edit]
The Shadowsand belt contains a few icy bodies. A few belt objects have frozen volatiles on their surfaces.
- Wilderness refueling is possible within the belt, provided a suitable icy object can be found.
- Water for the inhabitants is generally imported and is extensively recycled.
Mainworld Geography and Topography[edit]
No centrally held map of the belt exists within AAB Library Data records.
- Locally, detailed maps may be available.
(Placeholder chart, asteroid belt.)
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
Shadowsand is a neutral world in Far Frontiers Sector, lying just to rimward of the Protectorate.
Millennia ago, the giant star that lay within the hex reached the end of its life and went underwent a colossal supernova explosion. The remnant of its core gravitationally collapsed and formed into a black hole. This catastropic event destroyed the worlds within the system, stripping their atmospheres and outer layers and either fragmenting or melting their cores. The current belt consists of the shattered remnants of one of these worlds, forming a ring lying between 3 AU and 3.5 AU from the central black hole.
- The nova event was visible across many sectors and is recorded in the ancient histories of many sophont species.
- Shadowsand has been mined heavily since the discovery of eka-metals, super-heavy metals with unique properties. These are believed to have been created within the exploding star.
In 1094, Chalq Dhamon rebels commandeered mining operations within the belt considered vital to the success of the corporation Genem Inc.'s ongoing projects. The rebels held the facilities for more than fourteen months before being wiped out by several contingents of Protectorate Marines.
World Starport (St)[edit]
Shadowsand has a Class C Starport, an average quality installation which features amenities including unrefined fuel for starships, some brokerage services for passengers and cargo, and a variety of ship provisions. There is a shipyard capable of doing maintenance and other kinds of repair. Ports of this classification generally have only a downport, unless this is a trade port or system with an hostile environment mainworld.
World Population (P)[edit]
Shadowsand has a population of 50,000 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.
- The population have Zhodani, Vlazhdumecta, and Imperial heritage.
Linguistic Topography[edit]
- Local languages descended from Vlazhdumecta.
- Riftian Anglic, one of the two primary languages of the Imperium.
- Zdetl, the language of the Zhodani and the Zhodani Consulate.
World Technology Level (T)[edit]
Shadowsand 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)[edit]
Shadowsand is governed by a Corporate Polity, having a single corporation with a typical corporate structure as a government. Essentially, this is a "company town" (or world). The typical corporate-run world usually has a single purpose. Examples include mining, agriculture, or other kinds of resource extraction. But rather than a simple base of operations, there are facilities for housing workers and their families, including hospitals, schools, and other infrastructure. How, or if, the children of the workers are incorporated into the workforce varies with companies. The corporation running the world may be a subsidiary of a larger interstellar corporation.
Genem Inc., a major corporation within the sector, runs operations on the world.
World Law (L)[edit]
Shadowsand has a moderate 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 except shotguns, and anything more destructive, are typically regulated or prohibited.
- Law and order is maintained by corporate security forces.
Trade Data[edit]
- Importance: 0 (important)
Deposits of eka-metals, super-heavy metals with unique properties, can be found within the belts.
- Genem, Inc. retains all proprietary rights to such finds.
World Economy[edit]
- Resources: 7 (few)
- Labor: 3 (thousands)
- Infrastructure: 3 (very limited)
- Efficiency: -1 (average)
World Culture[edit]
The world lies within the Zhodani Shadow, a region strongly influenced by the society and culture of the Zhodani Consulate.
- Heterogenity: 3 (monolithic)
- Acceptance: 4 (extremely aloof)
- Strangeness: 4 (somewhat distinct)
- Symbols: A (abstract)
World Timeline[edit]
- 300-420: the First Survey charts the system.
- 995-1065: the Second Survey charts the system.
- 1065: the Second Survey is published.
- 1094: Chalq Dhamon rebels occupy parts of the belt.
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
| 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. |
- Periodical: Ares Magazine (Special Edition #2)
- Mark Lawrence. Rescue On Galatea (FASA, 1982), Page 15.
- J. Andrew Keith, Marc Miller, John Harshman. Zhodani (Game Designers Workshop, 1985), IFC. (the Zhodani: sector named and subsector depicted but no further data)
- Kevin Knight. "The Far Frontiers." Traveller Chronicle 03 (1994): Page 6. (TNE-era Inverness Subsector)
- Kevin Knight. "The Far Frontiers." Traveller Chronicle 08 (1995): Page 41. (TNE-era adventure Revenge So Sweet by Andy Lilly)
- Author & Contributor: James Kundert of the Traveller Chronicle (sector development)
- David L. Pulver. GURPS Traveller: Alien Races 1, (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), Pages 5-63. (the Zhodani)
- Don McKinney. Mongoose Traveller: Zhodani, (Mongoose Traveller, 2011), 188 pages. (the Zhodani)
- ↑ "Jump Map API" and map location from Travellermap.com
