Skull (world)

Skull/Lanth (Spinward Marches 2420)
Classic Era (1116)	C4237C7-9 Starport C Routine: No Construction, Major Repair, Unrefined fuel Size 4 Small (6,400 km, 0.32g - 0.46g) Atmosphere 2 Vacuum (very thin - tainted) Hydrographics 3 Wet World 30% Population 7 Moderate (60 million) Government C Charismatic Oligarchy Law 7 Moderate Law (no firearms) Tech Level 9 Early Stellar (fusion)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	M0 V M1 V
Planetoid Belts	0
Gas Giants	1

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Jump map from Travellermap.com

Skull is a poor, non-agricultural and preindustrial world.

• It is unable to produce quality foodstuffs and must import them.
• 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.
• Life is trying on a world like this and inhabitants are constantly working towards developing a reliable source of food production.
• It is a member of the Third Imperium in the Lanth Subsector of Spinward Marches Sector in the Domain of Deneb.
• Skull is a member of the Spinward Main.

Description (Astrography & Planetology)

Stellar Data

Skull is a binary star system.

• Both are red main sequence stars.

Skull has two stars in the star system.

Primary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	M0 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		0.57	3770 - 3850	0.13982
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0055	0.031	0.39 - 0.74	0.55	5.5
	Orbit #	*	*	2	1	6
	Remarks
Secondary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	M1 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		0.5	3620 - 3660	0.08839
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0047	0.0247	0.31 - 0.59	0.47	4.7
	Orbit #	*	*	1	1	6
	Remarks

System Data

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

• The mainworld.
• x10 secondary rocky worlds.
• x1 gas giant.

Mainworld Data

The dry and mountainous planet cannot easily produce enough food for its population, so the inhabitants concentrate on service industries in and around the starport.

It orbits within its star's habitable zone.

• It receives moderate levels of stellar energy.

Mainworld Size (S)

Skull is a Meso World between 5,600km and 7,200km in diameter. The world has low gravity between 0.32G and 0.46G. The horizon will appear about 3.6km away.

Mainworld Atmosphere (A)

Skull has a pressure of 0.10 to 0.42 atmospheres. The very thin pressures require a respirator or Oxygen Mask. 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 Respirator Combination Mask. Some taints may require more protective equipment. TL–5 or more advanced survival gear is required to settle this world.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Skull has 25-35% of its surface covered by liquid water. It has a few small seas. Wilderness refueling is possible. Water for the inhabitants will be recycled.

Mainworld Geography and Topography

A basic map of Skull showing the seas (blue), arid lands, stony plains, and deserts (tan), and uplands and mountains (brown).

• The starport facilities are marked by a red cross.

History & Background (Dossier)

The name for this world comes from its unusual combination of mountain ranges and seas, which strongly resembles its namesake when seen from orbit.

Skull is known as the Trader's World. The local government is dominated by a council of "merchant princes" who indulge in risky speculative ventures. The entire local society is bent towards such dubious entrepreneurial ventures, and Ministry of Justice has an office on this world just to monitor its activities. The inevitable collapse of these risky ventures usually end up hurting the locals more than anyone else.

World Starport (St)

Skull 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.

• The world is host to a Naval Base.

World Population (P)

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

Urbanization

In addition to Skull Startown, other major settlements on the world include Ukar, Rashge, and Shaar Town.

Linguistic Topography

The most commonly heard languages are:

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

World Technology Level (T)

Skull possesses a Technology Level of TL–9.

• Common Communication technologies for this TL include: Fiber optics and satellite communication and data networks.
• Common Power Generation technologies for this TL include: Early fusion power.
• Common Transportation technologies for this TL include:
  • Land: Ultra high-speed trains and early grav vehicles.
  • Water: High efficiency sailcraft, multihulled seacraft, improved artificial gills.
  • Air: Tiltrotorcraft, exotic VTOL's, PARWIG, and rocket-assisted suborbitals.
  • Space: SSTO spacecraft, early military spacecraft (System Craft), and interstellar STL starships
  • FTL: Prototype Jump Drive-1.

World Government (G)

Skull is governed by a Charismatic Oligarchy, like a charismatic dictatorship in that a larger group has asserted their right to rule. The group will likely have better rules of succession than a single dictator and may last longer, or may transition to a non-charismatic dictatorship.

Skull is ruled by the Merchant Princes of Skull, a caste of citizens functioning effectively as a minor corporation and operating throughout the Marches. The Merchant Princes indulge in reckless speculative trading and ventures of dubious legality.

World Law (L)

Skull 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. All firearms, and anything more destructive, are typically regulated or prohibited.

Imperial Landed Nobility

Skull, 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 marquis.

Trade Data

• Importance: 0 (unimportant)

World Economy

• Resources: A (abundant)
• Labor: 6 (millions)
• Infrastructure: 9 (extensive)
• Efficiency: +1 (average)

World Culture

• Heterogenity: 7 (discordant)
• Acceptance: 7 (aloof)
• Strangeness: 5 (distinct)
• Symbols: 9 (somewhat abstract)

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.
• 800-820: the Psionics Suppressions.
• 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.

---

IISS GURPS Astrographics Survey

2420 K'Kirka (Imperial)

Starport: Class III - Naval base.

Diameter: 2,147 miles (3,400 km).
Atmosphere: Very thin oxygen-nitrogen.
Hydrographics: 27%.
Climate: Normal.
Population: 6,300,00.
Government: Corporate.
Control Level: 6.
Tech Level: 9.
World Trade Number: 4.5.

(Editor's note: the GURPS data was included in the world description, though it bears only a passing resemblance to either Skull or the world of K'kirka. It is retained until it has been determined to be erroneous or superfluous.)

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), 22-23.
• 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), 42. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 89.
• Mike West. The Spinward States (Avenger Enterprises, 2008), 104. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), .
• Martin Dougherty. Behind the Claw (Mongoose Publishing, 2019), 67-72. (UWP only)