Noctocol (world)

Noctocol/District 268 (Spinward Marches 1433)
Classic Era (1116)	E7A5747-8 Starport E Frontier - no facilities Size 7 Medium (11,200 km, 0.70g - 0.94g) Atmosphere A Exotic Hydrographics 5 Wet World 50% Population 7 Moderate (60 million) Government 4 Representative Democracy Law 7 Moderate Law (no firearms) Tech Level 8 Pre-Stellar (superconductors)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	F5 V M2 V
Planetoid Belts	0
Gas Giants	2

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Jump map from Travellermap.com

Noctocol has an oceanic geography consisting of heavily contaminated water or a substance such as ammonia, methane, hydrocarbons, or other exotic liquid.

• It is a Non-Aligned world dominated by human sophonts located in the District 268 Subsector of Spinward Marches Sector.

• Noctocol is a member of the Spinward Main.

Astrography & Planetology

Stars

Noctocol is a binary star system.

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

Binary Solar System

Noctocol Binary Star System

Noctocol Primary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	F5 V	Main Sequence		1.33	6350 - 6550	2.71319
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0137	0.1366	1.49 - 2.6	1.37	13.7
	Orbit #	*	0	4	4	7
	Remarks
Noctocol Companion
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	M2 V	Main Sequence		0.44	3470 - 3560	0.0565
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0041	0.0197	0.25 - 0.48	0.41	4.1
	Orbit #	*	*	1	1	6
	Remarks

System Data

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

• The mainworld, orbiting the primary star.
• x12 secondary rocky worlds, all orbiting the secondary star.
• x2 gas giants, both orbiting the secondary star.

Mainworld Data

Mainworld Size (S)

Noctocol 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.

The planet regularly experiences earthquakes, including massive events registering over 9.0 on the Richter scale that occur almost every year. Two even more massive, continent-splitting, 10.0+ earthquakes have occurred on Noctocol within recorded history.

• Despite the destruction they inflict, major earth tremors almost always open new thermal vents and cause a surge in the world's microscopic native life.
• Earthquakes are a time of abundance for the inhabitants.

Mainworld Atmosphere (A)

Noctocol has an Exotic Atmosphere and possesses an unusual gas mix which requires the use of oxygen tanks, but protective suits not necessary, but are recommended. TL–8 or more advanced survival gear is required to settle this world.

Noctocol has an nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere with low oxygen levels (around 14% by volume) and high in inert gases and acidic elements. It is impossible for most sophonts to breathe without the use of air tanks. This atmospheric mix can be attributed to the fact that the planet is pocked with hundreds of active volcanoes that spout untold millions of tons of lava, dust and ash every year without fail.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Noctocol has 45-55% of its surface covered by liquid water or ice heavily tainted with other substances, which makes it dangerous, corrosive, or toxic. Wilderness refueling will be difficult. Water for the inhabitants needs to be imported and extensively recycled. These worlds may be Hell Worlds.

• The water on the surface may be unsuitable for use or consumption without extensive filtering and purification.
• Refining for fuel may cause issues with shipboard purification plants.

Mainworld Geography and Topography

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

(Blank map, exotic world.)

Native Lifeforms

The world harbors primitive exotic native lifeforms, single-celled organisms that feed off of minerals expelled from the substrata through thermal vents.

• They produce and maintain atmospheric oxygen levels.
• These organisms can be harvested and processed, and once trace minerals have been extracted and toxins removed the organic elements can be used to produce a nutritious goop known as Vatslop.

History & Background (Dossier)

The first recorded visit to Noctocol was made in -1987 by the Connemara, a Solomani exploration ship at the leading edge of the Rule of Man’s great wave of expansion into the uncharted spinward regions beyond the Great Rift. Unfortunately for its crew, the ship crash-landed during a planetside foray to sample the exotic atmosphere, and could not lift off again. Unable to claw their way back out of Noctocol's gravity well -- or even to transmit a coherent distress signal through atmospheric distortion -- the castaways could only hope for eventual discovery and rescue. As it turned out, they and their descendants would have to wait a very long time indeed.

Later Solomani visitors to the region, such as the traders who stopped over at Tarsus (Spinward Marches 1138) in -1515 did not detect the presence of their shipwrecked compatriots on Noctocol -- and the Long Night brought much of Terran space travel to a halt. The Darrians began exploring the region as early as -1300, and even established colonies and outposts on Talchek (Spinward Marches 1631) and Bowman (Spinward Marches 1132) in the early -900s. However, the Darrians never discovered the castaways on Noctocol before they abandoned space in the aftermath of the Maghiz, and did not attempt to restore their colonies in District 268 after regaining interstellar capability around -270. The Sword Worlders also failed to note the presence of their ancient kindred on Noctocol. In all cases, the problem seems to have been that planet was so unappealing that none of these groups bothered to conduct a proper survey. Indeed, they rarely even made a close flyby because Noctocol orbits the systems’ primary star in splendid isolation, while all four of the other planets (including both gas giants) orbit the secondary.

Thus the accidental colonists on Noctocol were left entirely to their own devices until the first complete IISS survey of District 268 discovered them in 501. Over the intervening two and a half millennia, they had developed a society that was uniquely adapted to their harsh and unforgiving environment. Within a few generations, the colonists had lost all nuclear power capability and reverted to TL–6. Retreating underground to escape the caustic atmosphere, they generated power by tapping the dense network of geothermal vents created by Noctocol’s hyperactive vulcanism. Since radio, laser and maser communications proved impossible due to atmospheric distortion, the colonists depended instead upon buried landlines.

World Starport (St)

Noctocol 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.

World Population (P)

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

• The population has Solomani heritage.
• The population survived for centuries eating little except heavily processed single-celled organisms native to the world.

World Technology Level (T)

Noctocol possesses a Technology Level of TL–8.

• Common Communication technologies for this TL include: Fiber optics, improved telephones, and satellite communication and data networks.
• Common Power Generation technologies for this TL include: Improved geothermal and improved batteries.
• Common Transportation technologies for this TL include:
  • Land: Advanced automobiles.
  • Water: Triphibians and early artificial gills.
  • Air: Improved helicopters and hypersonic jets.
  • Space: Space shuttles, early space stations, and improved interplanetary spacecraft (System Craft).

World Government (G)

Noctocol is governed by a Representative Democracy where government leadership is representatives elected by eligible voters. What determines an eligible voter varies. The representatives determine policy, including selecting members of the bureaucracy. There can be referendum, votes by eligible voters on specific subjects.

The planetary government is a representative democracy. The citizens of each major city elect a number of representatives that varies depending upon the size of its population. A broad range of parties compete for seats in the unicameral legislature, many of them representing specific regional and economic interests though all of the major parties have planet-wide constituencies. The government operates on a parliamentary basis, with the leader of the party or coalition that controls a majority of the seats acting as both head of state and head of government. Law enforcement is necessarily strict due of the fundamental fragility of Noctocol’s underground cities, but within these parameters individual rights are respected to the greatest degree possible. However, private ownership of firearms is virtually prohibited for reasons of public safety.

World Law (L)

Noctocol 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.

Trade Data

• Importance: -2 (very unimportant)

World Economy

Noctocol has a self-sufficient economy based upon hydroponic and greenhouse agriculture, and resource extraction by means of sub-surface mining and atmospheric and oceanic distillation. The planetary population’s basic needs are adequately addressed, but the average standard of living is low. Few can afford to buy offworld goods (mostly luxury foodstuffs from neighboring Tarkine (Spinward Marches 1434) but in any case Noctocol has little to offer in exchange for interstellar trade. This relative poverty is the principal reason why a proper starport has not been constructed on the planet, though the population's isolationist mindset has also been a major contributing factor. Not surprisingly, most interstellar traffic through the Noctocol system continues to bypass the planet and instead refuels at one of the two gas giants orbiting the secondary star.

• Resources: B (abundant)
• Labor: 6 (millions)
• Infrastructure: 6 (limited)
• Efficiency: -2 (fair)

World Culture

Due to the planet's hostile environment, Noctocolian culture is strongly isolationist. The entire population lives in spacious underground cities whose residents rarely visit the surface -- and can never glimpse the stars even when they do. Cities are generally separated by great distances because they can only be established in the planet’s rare regions of geological stability. At TL-6, it is effectively impossible to build aircraft capable of operating in Noctocol’s atmosphere, so all long-distance travel and trade is carried on subterranean electric railways at a top speed of only 160 kilometers an hour. Therefore, each major city is virtually a society unto itself, with distinctive customs, fashions, and linguistic variations, and their residents are decidedly parochial in outlook. Even visitors from other Noctocolian cities can seem somewhat foreign, and offworlders are seen as exotic and even bizarre by all but the few natives who routinely interact with them. The bulk of the population speaks only a greatly evolved and highly accented version of an archaic Solomani dialect that is mostly incomprehensible to speakers of Anglic (25% words in common).

• Heterogenity: 7 (discordant)
• Acceptance: 5 (very aloof)
• Strangeness: 8 (distinct)
• Symbols: 8 (somewhat abstract)

World Timeline

• 300-420: the First Survey charts the system.
• 995-1065: the Second Survey charts the system.
• 1065: the Second Survey is published.

References & Contributors (Sources)

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.
• 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), 48-49. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty, Neil Frier. Behind the Claw (Steve Jackson Games, 1998), 76.
• 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)
• Contributor: Vendarth