Zhang (world)

Zhang/The Barrens (Aldebaran 0527)
Classic Era (1116)	B8545A8–B Starport B Good: Spacecraft Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel Size 8 Large (12,800 km, 0.80g - 1.08g) Atmosphere 5 Thin Hydrographics 4 Wet World 40% Population 5 Moderate (100 thousand) Government A Charismatic Dictator Law 8 High Law (controlled blades) Tech Level B Average Stellar (large starships)
See also	UWP
System Details
Primary	F0 V F4 V
Planetoid Belts	3
Gas Giants	4

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Jump map from Travellermap.com

Zhang is an agricultural, nonindustrial world still lacking adequate means to expand its economy.

• As an agricultural world, this world is a near-ideal environment for producing quality foodstuffs of plant, animal, and other forms. Quality foodstuffs are a major export commodity for this world.
• It requires 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 Barrens Subsector of Aldebaran Sector.

• This is a temperate world, with a climate of pleasant, average temperatures, considered to be an ideal or near-ideal environment by many different sophont species.

Description (Astrography & Planetology)

Stellar Data

Zhang is a binary star system.

• Both are white main sequence stars.

Zhang has two stars in the star system.

Primary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	F0 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		1.61	7020 - 7220	5.2953
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0161	0.1909	2.02 - 3.48	1.61	16.1
	Orbit #	*	0	5	4	8
	Remarks
Secondary
	Type	Category		Mass (Sol)	Temperature (K)	Luminosity
	F4 V	Main Sequence (Dwarf)		1.38	6550 - 6670	3.08729
	Unit	Diameter	Safe Distance	Habitable Zone	Jump Shadow	M-Drive Limit
	AU	0.0143	0.1457	1.58 - 2.75	1.43	14.3
	Orbit #	*	0	4	4	7
	Remarks

System Data

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

• The mainworld.
• x4 secondary rocky worlds.
• x3 planetoid belts.
• x4 gas giants.

Mainworld Data

Mainworld Size (S)

Zhang is a Meso World between 12,000km and 13,500km in diameter. The world has a standard gravity between 0.8G and 1.1G. The horizon will appear about 5.1km away. Vessels with 1G of thrust should check with local starport authorities before attempting to land using emergency power.

Mainworld Atmosphere (A)

Zhang has a pressure of 0.43 to 0.70 atmospheres. The Thin Atmosphere does not require survival gear although it may be hard on sophonts not accustomed to it.

• It experiences generally moderate temperatures.

Mainworld Hydrosphere (H)

Zhang 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.

Mainworld Geography and Topography

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

The Zhang mainworld has 3 large interconnected seas with mountain-anchored river systems. Sand deserts exist outside the humid zones.

(Blank map, predominantly dry world.)

History & Background (Dossier)

Zhang has a subsistence-level economy, based on large- and small-scale agriculture, with most of the bioengineered crop plants being imported from nearby Ivraie.

The world is controlled by an isolationist authoritarian hereditary dictatorship that actively suppresses opposition to its rule. It enjoys broad support among the population.

• Those guilty of non-capital crimes are exiled to work camps on Busiris, or sentenced to do hard labor to pay for their deeds.

Although it lies within the territory of the Confederation, the world is not officially a member of that state, choosing instead to remain as a technically neutral world. Despite its neutral status, it relies on the Confederation for trade and defense and actively cooperates with Solomani interests.

Solomani Security keeps a close eye on things to ensure the security of the Confederation and the well-being of its loyal citizens. Almost anyone could be a SolSec informant, passing on all sorts of useful information: some gain a reward or benefit for their actions, others are coerced, but many see it as an act of duty to help protect the Solomani state and its interests.

World Starport (St)

Zhang has a Class B Starport, a good quality installation which includes all the expected amenities including refined fuel for starships, brokerage services for passengers and cargo, and a variety of ship provisions. There is a shipyard capable of doing annual maintenance, overhauls and most kinds of repair, and construction of non-starships. Most ports of this classification have both a Highport and a Downport.

World Population (P)

Zhang has a population of 100,000 sophonts (hundreds 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 almost entirely consists of Solomani humans.

Urbanization

The Capitol, Pyongzhang, is located 5 km inland from a large coastal estuary near the largest sea, named Beauty. The main Downport is located on a small plateau around 100 km further inland. A network of roads and rail links service the transportation needs of the farming communities surrounding the seas. Small port cities are dotted along the coastlines and among the islands and archipelagos.

Linguistic Topography

The most commonly heard languages are:

• Rim Anglic, a dialect of Anglic and the principal language of the Confederation.

World Technology Level (T)

Zhang 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)

Zhang is governed by a Charismatic Dictatorship. Charismatic governments justify their ability to rule by simply asserting their right to rule. Charismatic dictatorships are typically young governments, coming as a recent change, and rely on the leader(s) to supply head of government.

The current planetary governor is Catherine Zhang, 3rd of her line from the founder, Jonathan Zhang. Though part of a family dynasty, Catherine Zhang nonetheless is widely revered for her intelligence, education, and general good judgement; attributes that are a hallmark of her family line.

The governor rules primarily by choosing who to appoint to important positions. The Zhangs are respected for their ability to accurately assess potential candidates for positions. As a result, the government runs very efficiently and agilely.

World Military

A professional military force of 10,000 soldiers is available for handling emergencies of all kinds.

The Zhang family are protected by a highly skilled bodyguard unit called the State Guard.

World Law (L)

Zhang 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 (ordinary)

World Economy

• Resources: B (abundant)
• Labor: 4 (tens of thousands)
• Infrastructure: 7 (generally available)
• Efficiency: +2 (good)

World Culture

• Heterogenity: 3 (monolithic)
• Acceptance: 7 (aloof)
• Strangeness: 4 (somewhat distinct)
• Symbols: A (abstract)

World Timeline

Major events that have affected this world and the wider region that it lies within:

• -9235: far to coreward, the Vilani discover jump drive technology. Over the centuries pioneers and settlers gradually spread across Charted Space.
• -4045 to -2204: the Ziru Sirka controls vast territories.
• -2431: Terrans discover jump drive technology.
• -2404 to -2215: the Interstellar Wars.
• -2204 to -1776: the Rule of Man administers the former Ziru Sirka.
• -1776 to 0: the Long Night.
• The Year 0: to coreward, the Third Imperium is founded.
• 300-420: the Imperial First Survey charts the system.
• 604-622: the Imperial Civil War.
• 624: the Imperial Express Boat Network is established.
• 704: the Solomani Autonomous Region is formed.
• 800-820: the Psionics Suppressions.
• 871: the Solomani Confederation is founded.
• 940: the Solomani Autonomous Region is dissolved.
• 990-1002: the Solomani Rim War.
• 995-1065: the Imperial Second Survey includes data for the system.
• 1065: the Second Survey is published. Information about the system becomes widely available.

References & Contributors (Sources)

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.

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.

• John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Classic Traveller Supplement 8 Library Data (A-M), (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), various pages. (Library data entries)
• John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Classic Traveller Supplement 11 Library Data (N-Z), (Game Designers Workshop, 1982), various pages. (Library data entries)
• John Harshman, Marc Miller. Solomani (Game Designers Workshop, 1986), IFC, pages 3, 28. (sector named, background for the sector)
• Peter G. Celella, James Holden. Solomani & Aslan (Digest Group Publications, 1991), pages 8-11, various others. (dot map locating the worlds of the sector, background for the sector)
• Steven Eric Schwartz. MegaTraveller Periodical Imperiallines 2, 1991, page 5. (Bootean Federation, background for the sector)
• Michael Taylor. Fighting Ships of the Solomani (QuikLink Interactive, 2009), page 5. (background for the sector)
• David L. Pulver. Solomani (Mongoose Publishing, 2012), pages 50, 118, 119, various others. (background for the sector)
• Martin J. Dougherty. The Order of Prometheus (Mongoose Publishing, 2023), various pages. (scenarios and background for the sector)
• Zho Berka's Maps (Classic Era UWP Data for the world)
• CORE Data Site (UWP Data for the world)
• Author & Contributor: Garnfellow (development of the sector)
• Author & Contributor: Leroy W.L. Guatney of the Federation Development Agency (FDA) (development of the sector)
• Author & Contributor: Dochsavage