Walston (world)

Walston/District 268 (Spinward Marches 1232)
Classic Era (1116)	C544338–8 Starport C Routine: No Construction, Major Repair, Unrefined fuel Size 5 Medium (8,000 km, 0.40g - 0.57g) Atmosphere 4 Thin (tainted) Hydrographics 4 Wet World 40% Population 3 Low (3 thousand) Government 3 Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy Law 8 High Law (controlled blades) Tech Level 8 Pre-Stellar (superconductors)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	M2 V
Planetoid Belts	0
Gas Giants	2

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Jump map from Travellermap.com

Walston is a low-population world with a population of less than 10,000 sophonts in size.

• This world has yet to take off economically or otherwise and the population remains low for reasons largely unknown.
• It is a client state of the Third Imperium in the District 268 Subsector of Spinward Marches Sector.
• It is a chilly tundra world, with a climate of low temperatures.
• This world has an Imperial Scout base, capable of handling IISS starships and personnel.
• Around 70% of the population are Vargr.
• Walston is a member of the Spinward Main.
• It lies on the Bowman Arm.

Walston System
District 268/Spinward Marches 1232
Position	Distance	Name	UWP
Primary		Albin's Star	M2 V
0	0.18 AU	Pert	Y100000-0
1	0.27 AU	Roberts	H621000-0
2	0.38 AU	Walston	C544338-8
3	0.97 AU	Greenish	SGG
1	1 Diam	Ring	YR00000-0
2	4 Diam	Proclux	Y100000-0
3	9 Diam	Molstor	Y4A0000-0
4	15 Diam	Iddine	Y203000-0
4	1.34 AU	Victir	Y401000-0
5	1.91 AU	Temine	H311000-0
6	3.31 AU	Scales	G9A0169-8
1	35 Diam	Salipoc	YS00000-0
7	5.66 AU	Insive	SGG
1	12 Diam	Alpha	Y200000-0

Description (Astrography & Planetology)

Stars

Walston has a solitary primary star named Albin's Star.

• It is a red main sequence.

Walston has a solitary primary star.

Albin's Star
	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		None

System Data

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

• Walston, the mainworld, orbiting towards the outer edge of the habitable zone.
• x5 secondary rocky worlds. These are:
  • Pert, a scorched inner system vacuum world,
  • Roberts, a hot, arid, dusty world with microscopic native life orbiting just within the habitable zone,
  • Victir, a cold outer system vacuum ice world,
  • Temine, a cold outer system ice world with a trace atmosphere and a sub-ice liquid water ocean, and
  • Scales, a frigid outer system exotic atmosphere superterran world.
• x2 small gas giants named Greenish and Insive, both orbiting within the cold outer system.
  • Both retain families of moons.

Mainworld Data

Walston is a planet of unusual stillness. The shores keep their height at all hours, with no astral bodies to pull the tides. The winds, thin as they are, scarcely brush the ice off of the mountains, and on luckier, warmer days, one might be fortunate enough to see rainfall on the rocky coasts, where mountains cast shadows over deserts. Small islands and fortunate coasts enjoy some small bounty, as the deep sea vents keep the waters relatively warm, and cast life-giving moisture across an otherwise arid landscape. In these oases of warmer, wetter weather, the land is very much alive.

It orbits within the star's Habitable Zone.

• It lies within the zones colder outer H- region.
• It receives lower levels of stellar energy.

Mainworld Size (S)

Walston is a Meso World between 7,200km and 8,800km in diameter. The world has a standard gravity between 0.4G and 0.57G. The horizon will appear about 4km away.

Mainworld Atmosphere (A)

Walston has a pressure of 0.43 to 0.70 atmospheres. While the thin atmosphere does not require survival gear this atmosphere also contains an unusual taint such as such as disease, a hazardous gas mix, pollutants, or sulfur compounds which requires the use of a Filter Mask. Some taints may require more protective equipment. TL–3 or more advanced survival gear is required to settle this world.

• The world experiences low temperatures.
• The atmospheric taint is a mild pollutant of biological origin affecting low-elevation areas.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Walston has 35-45% of its surface covered by liquid water. There will be a number of small seas or one larger body of water. Wilderness refueling is possible.

• The world's lakes and seas are littered with icebergs and pack ice.

Mainworld Geography and Topography

Centrally held map of the world within AAB Library Data records.

(canon map provided by Mongoose High & Dry module)

Native Lifeforms

The primary biomes of the planet are ice sheets and cold deserts, with some amount of cold, arid plains near the coasts. Native lifeforms are cryophilic and exist in close relationship to the waters of Walston, which are teeming with life.

Local fauna on land is primarily small, crawling insects and a number of furry egg-laying burrowers -- such as the Walston, named for the planet. The seas of Walston are much more verdant, however, harboring much larger beasts, such as the Alderson's Coastal Hunter, or the Deep-Water Brakarr.

History & Background (Dossier)

Walston's starport and the relatively hospitable environment makes it a popular stopover point on the Bowman Arm.

Its subsistence-based economy depends largely on aquaculture and more conventional agriculture.

World Starport (St)

Walston has a Class C Starport, an average quality installation which includes 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 Scout Base.

World Population (P)

Walston has a population of 3,000 sophonts (thousands).

• This is a Low Population World and the population would be too low to sustain itself without a little outside assistance. This may represent the home base of a sizable but mostly transient population such as the base of a major starship expedition, the last generation of a dying colony, the first generation of a new colony, or a large outpost that will probably evolve into a colony if not stopped.
• Approximately 70% of the world's population are Vargr who settled after the Fourth Frontier War.

Urbanization

The only inhabited region of the world is Settlement Island, which includes the capital at Central Lake.

World Technology Level (T)

Walston 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)

Walston is governed by Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy. A single family or small group provides the leadership and important positions in the government. These positions are inherited by member of the group or their family members. The organization may be monarchy, with titles passed to family members. Or a plutocracy where inheritance of the family fortune includes government position. Or the organization may be more typical organization with positions of power inherited.

While the Survey's UWP describes the government as a self-perpetuating oligarchy, it is known to some as a dictatorship – although the term is used loosely.

The government is controlled by a human elite and the Vargr resident on the world are treated as distinctly second-class citizens.

World Military

Despite the high Law Level, the planet's military consists of not much more than the dictator's personal guard, the settlement's own sheriffs, and starport security.

World Law (L)

Walston 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 blade weapons and firearms, and anything more destructive, are typically regulated or prohibited.

Trade Data

• Importance: -2 (very unimportant)

World Economy

• Resources: 7 (few)
• Labor: 2 (hundreds)
• Infrastructure: 0 (non-existent)
• Efficiency: -2 (fair)

World Culture

• Heterogenity: 3 (monolithic)
• Acceptance: 1 (extremely xenophobic)
• Strangeness: 5 (distinct)
• Symbols: 8 (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.
• 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.

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), 75.
• Mike West. The Spinward States (Avenger Enterprises, 2008), 110. (UWP only)
• Martin Dougherty. Type S (ComStar Games, 2008), .
• Martin Dougherty. The Spinward Marches (Mongoose Publishing, 2008), .
• Martin Dougherty. Bowman Arm (Avenger Enterprises, 2006), 17-27.
• Martin Dougherty. High and Dry (Mongoose Publishing, 2016), 6-10.
• Martin Dougherty. Behind the Claw (Mongoose Publishing, 2019), 123-127. (UWP only)