Tirem (world)
| Tirem/Glisten (Spinward Marches 2233) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic Era (1116) | C7B5975-B
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| See also | UWP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System Details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primary | K5 V | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Planetoid Belts | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gas Giants | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tirem is an industrial, high-population fluidic world with a billion or more sophonts.
- A fluid world has an oceanic geography consisting of heavily contaminated water or a substance such as ammonia, methane, hydrocarbons, or other exotic liquid.
- As an industrial world, this planet has well-developed manufacturing and processing industries. Manufactured goods are a major export item.
- It is a member of the Third Imperium in the Glisten Subsector of Spinward Marches Sector in the Domain of Deneb.
- This is a cold world with an overall climate that is at the lower temperature range of human-congruous sophont endurance.
- Tirem lies in the Ffudn Cluster.
Description (Astrography & Planetology)[edit]
Stellar Data[edit]
Tirem has a solitary primary star named Kinkos.
- It is an orange main sequence.
Tirem has a solitary primary star. Kinkos 
Type Category Mass (Sol) Temperature (K) Luminosity K5 V Main Sequence (Dwarf) 0.7 4300 - 4440 0.28697 Unit Diameter Safe Distance Habitable Zone Jump Shadow M-Drive Limit AU 0.0065 0.0444 0.56 - 1.01 0.65 6.5 Orbit # * * 2 2 6 Remarks
System Data[edit]
The worlds of the system have been surveyed. They consist of:
- The mainworld. It is a large world within a planetoid belt
- x9 secondary rocky worlds.
- x2 planetoid belts. The inner belt is called the Incalescens Belt. The mainworld is one of the larger bodies within it.
- x1 gas giant.
Tirem is just one of the larger bodies in the Incalescens Belt: there are another 247 "asteroids" with a size between 1 and 8, orbiting as a belt around the primary star, Kinkos. According to the most widely accepted theory, the belt is the result of the destruction of a gigantic (Size 22, 30,000–35,000 km diameter) superterran planet - perhaps during the Final War - with the resulting fragments forming a mass of smaller planetary bodies in orbit around the star. Navigation within the boundaries of the belt carries some risks, principally from traces of nitrogen and methane that may cause sensor and communication problems.
All the bodies in the belt above size S (around 800 km in diameter) are spherical due to hydrostatic equilibrium, but their surfaces are extremely rugged.
- Tirem, though it lies deep within the belt, is large enough to have mostly cleared its orbital path of debris and other significant bodies.
Mainworld Data[edit]
Tirem is a slightly elongated, mountainous, misshapen world riddled with hollow spaces and tunnels. These vast empty interior spaces, along with the irregular distribution of denser materials within the world's structure, contribute to the variable gravity on the surface of the world. It remains one of the greatest sources of nickel in the region – a number of other minerals are in great abundance, principally copper and iron.
It orbits within its star's habitable zone.
- It receives moderate levels of stellar energy.
Mainworld Size (S)[edit]
Tirem 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)[edit]
Tirem has a Corrosive Atmosphere and possesses a concentrated gas mix or unusual temperature which requires the use of a Hostile Environment Suit or Vacc Suit. TL–9 or more advanced survival gear is required to settle this world.
- It experiences low temperatures.
- It contains very high levels of sulfur, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide.
Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)[edit]
Tirem has 45-55% of its surface covered by a fluid other than water. Wilderness refueling is not possible. Water for the inhabitants needs to be imported and extensively recycled. These worlds may be Hell Worlds.
- This surface fluid may be ammonia, methane, hydrocarbons, or other exotic liquids depending on the local temperature and environment.
Mainworld Geography and Topography[edit]
No centrally held map of the world exists within AAB Library Data records.
(Blank map, exotic world.)
Native Lifeforms[edit]
No known native life, though there are persistent rumors of bizarre native organisms inhabiting the world's fluid seas.
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
World Starport (St)[edit]
Tirem 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]
Tirem has a population of 6,000,000,000 sophonts (billions).
- High Population Worlds like this tend to have huge consumer markets.
Linguistic Topography[edit]
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)[edit]
Tirem 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]
Tirem has a Balkanized Government. There is no central world government. The world has several governments competing for control of the world. These may be allies, cooperating, competitors, or at war with each other.
World Law (L)[edit]
Tirem 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. Personal concealable firearms, and anything more destructive, are typically regulated or prohibited.
Imperial Landed Nobility[edit]
Tirem, 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 count.
Trade Data[edit]
- Importance: 3 (ordinary)
World Economy[edit]
- Resources: E (extremely abundant)
- Labor: 8 (hundreds of millions)
- Infrastructure: E (comprehensive)
- Efficiency: +1 (average)
World Culture[edit]
- Heterogenity: 7 (discordant)
- Acceptance: C (xenophilic)
- Strangeness: 3 (somewhat typical)
- Symbols: 9 (somewhat abstract)
World Timeline[edit]
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.
Later Historical Eras[edit]
Milieu: New Era / Other Data[edit]
Tirem was still recovering from it's last nadir (at 1085) when the Rebellion swept over it in the late 1110's. After the fall of Glisten, the Domain began to mass it's forces at Crout, just a parsec away. The Aslan ihatel warships desired Tirem as a staging area to further press back the Regency, and fought a host of skirmishing actions and sharp, short battles here. Crout faced a full scale assault three times - in 1119, 1123 and 1125 - and each time the fighting spilled over to Tirem, ruining much of it's industrial base. Ownership of Tirem itself changed hands 11 times (three times in 1120 alone) with the usual exorbitant level of damage and tragedy as the price for being a battlefield.
When the Domain returned to stay in 1130, Tirem was in ruins, without a government and it's peoples largely in despair, helpless to prevent the destruction. The Domain's arrival initially just worsened things, as billions of poor Aslan immigrants, fleeing Glisten and other occupied worlds, but unable to afford the pumped-up fares needed to return home, were just dumped on Tirem by the Domain. Eventually, aid and repair funds arrived, and a government was installed by the newborn Regency, but not before several riots and urban battles were fought. By the time another massive wave of immigrants arrived - over 4 billion from Trin, at 1139 - the Regency was able to quickly provide housing and food, while stifling the local hotheads easily (via both political and militarily means).
By 1200, Tirem has rebuilt itself well, becoming definitely more richer and more stable than before the Rebellion. The provisional All-Tiren government has become permanent, and, wonders of wonders, is even respected by the citizens. Several new ports have been built, with the main port at CorkRock upgraded to "B" level. Traditional freedoms are maintained, but the Tirema are no longer willing to permit the Families to destroy their hard-won semi-prosperity for the sake of pretty promises.
The 21.48 billion people who reside here include a large number of ex-Trini and "assimilated", dispossessed Aslans who couldn't afford to leave the Regency. These immigrants, fleeing their homes with only the clothes on their back, have begun to reverse the grim atmosphere that pervades throughout the system, but even today face entrenched discrimination and suspicion by Natives.
Alternate History[edit]
Tirem was first settled by refugees from the Sindalian Empire. When found by the Scouts in 55, its technology was at the Industrial level. By 400 it had risen to Pre-Stellar, but it bought both civilian and military ships from Mora, Trin, Lunion, and several Sword Worlds. Its status as an Imperial client state allowed it access to Imperial worlds and markets, making it a powerful player in the region and a rival of Bellion for the position of capital when the subsector was eventually incorporated into the Imperium.
Tirem did become the subsector capital for a while. In the end, however, the rapid growth of Glisten's population and economic might overtook Tirem, and in 991 Emperor Gavin transferred the subsector capital from Tirem to Glisten.
On Tirem[edit]
Centuries of hard living has shaped both the culture and the lifestyles of Tirem. Always overshadowed by Glisten, Tirem is where the hard-luck miners who can't afford Glisten anymore eventually migrate to. Despite Tirem's evident natural wealth, the good times never seemed to stick around, and the only thing that was built for future generations was bad debts and old hatreds.
The Tirema have an extremely strong family system, which long made the real divisions on what happened here. The Families divided up Tirem - and the rest of the system - to over 32,200 tiny, separate, fiercely independent nations. During good times - say, between 350 and 475, or from 1000 to 1116 - this system provided a support system for all Tirema, providing an outlet for pride and mutual help. When times were bad, the situation deteriorated to a war of All against All, with truly ugly consequences (between 580 and 610, about 1/4 of the entire population died via warfare and its consequences).
Unfortunately, these cycles tended to coincide with the wealth of Tirem. When desperately poor, violence was practically nonexistent, with everyone desperately engaged in simply keeping the heaters operating and the air purifiers working for one more day. As wealth grew, so did envy, eventually resulting in a cataclysmic civil war between every Family and every other Family - and impoverishing all in a very short period of time.
Mining[edit]
The major mining concerns of Tirem revolve around bulk nickel mining and refining. Massive 300,000 to 1,000,000 ton motherships slowly devour the smaller asteroids, with the miners looking like so many hyperactive ants as they process the asteroid. When that asteroid is finally emptied of valuable metals, the ship slowly coasts off to new pastures.
The motherships slowly tow their cargo to the starport on CorkRock, and as they do so, the interior of the ship is consumed with the task of refining the nickel ore into useful bulk blocks. After a journey that can take several months, the mothership arrives at CorkRock, where enormous Regency bulk carriers load on the blocks, to be taken to industrial and high-pop systems throughout the rimward Marches.
Almost all of these motherships are themselves hollowed-out asteroids, which rely on dangerous fusion rockets for transportation for themselves and their cargo (which can outmass the ship 20:1!) The folk on there are among the poorest folk of the Regency above TL–10, living short, dangerous lives: very few has ever known of any place other than their ship's, CorkRock (which is viewed as a temporary haven), and the Outer Rocks. The wealth of Glisten is only a week away via jumpspace, but as distant as Capital in it's effect on the lives of the people here.
World Culture[edit]
Celtic influences are easily found in Native Tirema culture, but are most obvious in the language, songs and storytelling. Most folk speak a form of Anglic and Aslan-influenced T'nair, which has endured from the original settlements of Tirem. Names like Rosann (Rose), Siun Ni Dhuibhir (Susan O'Dwyer), and others are especially popular for girls, even among the Aslan (how many Aslan females named Susan can be found outside of Tirem?)
The Aslan have also influenced the locals - although the locals will vigorously deny this. Aslan concepts of honor and tradition have begun to seep into local thought, and is rapidly integrating itself into the fabric of society. This has led to a lessening (!) of violence, and a greater rigidity in gender roles.
Dress for men tends to be simple, sensible and close to the skin. A skin-tight suit with 'pockets' that run down the legs is common apparel among the Tirema. Women's fashion largely follows standard Regency mores, but with rather more modesty and with certain, Aslan influenced touches (say, T'nair runes along their hems and edging their blouses).
Religions tend to be widely varied, and personal, with a general preference to the more "philosophical" faiths rather than the "supernatural" ones. Every ship and even the most pitiful "tunnel rat" shacktowns has at least one Shrine or Temple, which are lavishly decorated and perfumed.
- Several local priesthoods are famed for having having their "bone" skull replaced by a "glass" skull. It's rather... disturbing... to see those veins just pounding away, but the locals don't seem to mind at all: if anything, the average local finds it "cute"!
Robots are among the few things absolutely forbidden: the descendants of the Trini will tolerate nothing less. Even cybernetically enhanced people will be cast out of the better eating establishments, and brutalized by young thugs if the enhancement is obvious. (And believe me, these folk carefully watch strangers for even the slightest sign of artificial anything!)
IISS GURPS Astrographics Survey[edit]
2233 Tirem (Imperial)
Starport: Class III.
Diameter: 7,334 miles (11,700 km).
Atmosphere: Corrosive (Sulfur compounds).
Hydrographics: 45%.
Climate: Cold.
Population: 6.7 billion.
Government: Multiple socities.
Control Level: 2.
Tech Level: 9.
World Trade Number: 5.
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
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- Marc Miller. The Spinward Marches (Game Designers Workshop, 1979), 26-27.
- 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), 50-51. (UWP only)
- Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 100.
- Hans Rancke-Madsen, "The Outrim Frontier." JTAS Online (June 19, 2007)
- Mike West. The Spinward States (Avenger Enterprises, 2008), 114. (UWP only)
- Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), .
- Martin Dougherty. Behind the Claw (Mongoose Publishing, 2019), 128-132. (UWP only)
- Alvin Plummer - RICE Paper SM 2233
- ↑ "Jump Map API" and map location from Travellermap.com