Dustspice

Rare euphoric spice used for seasoning food, especially fruit. Harvested from the bark of the geki bush, a desert scrub-plant native to Romar, this seasoning is popular with humans as a mild recreational spice with effects slighter than, but similar to, alcohol. Certain non-human races (notably Aslan and Vargr) find dustspice a much more powerful euphoric; it is in constant demand by those peoples.

Taste and effect varies with growing conditions and the dustspice from different worlds vary considerably in value. Dustspice from Romar is especially valuable to the Aslan.

Source worlds

Among worlds other than Romar that are known for producing dustspice are Keanou.

History

Main article: Dustspice Wars

In 336, the pleasant taste and mild euphoric effect of the bark of the geki bush was noted by a Scout expedition to Romar. Over the next decades, two companies were founded to exploit the bushes. The first went bankrupt and the second was heading the same way by 378.

In 378, a small clan transport belonging to the Ikhtealyo misjumped into the Glisten subsector (at that time known as District 214) and discovered the powerful effect of the geki bark on Aslan. The clan founded a merchant company called Tyeyo Fteahrao Yolr (Tyeyo Dustspice Importers) and secured a monopoly by keeping the source strictly secret. The clan soon made such massive profits that it rose from ranking 40th to ousting the lowest ranking Tlaukhu clan, the Oilroiekteahearl, in 417 and taking over its position as the 29th ranking clan.

Shortly afterwards the Romar was revealed as the source of dustspice and a vicious fight for control of the trade began. Running from 421 to 454, it ended only when the Imperium stepped in and forced a trade agreement on the entire Tlaukhu. During this time, many attempts were made to grow geki bushes on other worlds, but the results were dissappointing.

By 500, Aslan scientists had succeeded in producing dustspice under artificial conditions, causing the demand for dustspice from Romar to lessen and the price to fall drastically, but it remained more valuable than dustspice from other sources.

This article has metadata.

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 Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Twilight's Peak, p. 43-44.
• Merchant Prince, p. 9.
• Alien - Solomani & Aslan, p. 54, 63.
• Travellers' Digest #18, p. 24
• GURPS Traveller: Alien Races 2, p. 21, 38.
• Hans Rancke-Madsen